Dan Tyminski is a reluctant lead singer, which is surprising for a few reasons. First of all, he consistently holds his own as a vocalist and guitarist in Alison Krauss & Union Station, which is one of the most formidable bands in any genre of music.

Kathy Mattea's Coal has the stark clarity and elegance of a black-and-white photograph. It is a concept album to be sure, but it involves more than just the exploration of a single theme. There is an overarching mood here as well -- a grim, ploddin

Tim McGraw downplayed the incident in which he helped eject an unruly fan from his concert. Out walking with wife Faith Hill and their daughters in Los Angeles, McGraw told photographers who approached him and asked about the melee that it was no big deal

Tom T. Hall and the Statler Brothers stepped back momentarily from their self-imposed retirement Sunday night (June 29) to demonstrate that they still have the musical magic that made them stars -- and, now, the newest members of the Country Music Hall of

A former radio wizard in the Lancaster, Pa., area, the ever wonderful and jolly Dandalion (aka Gwyneth Seese) keeps Willie's World hopping. Willie's World is the official fan club of the great Willie Nelson, and I love the quarterly newsletter created by

Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney bestride Billboard's country albums and songs charts, respectively, for another week, while Dan Tyminski and Rascal Flatts (you won't see that juxtaposition often) boast the week's top new CD and single.

Merle Haggard played to a sold-out crowd at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium on Wednesday night (June 25) with a compact 75-minute set filled with country classics like "Sing Me Back Home" and "Mama Tried." Not one to linger, the final note of "The Fightin' S

Marcus Nirschl, 30, a union glazer from Kent, Wash., still likes Tim McGraw -- even after the singer pulled him onstage at Tuesday's (June 24) concert, apparently ready for a fight.

There is a reason why Can You Duet has a much better reputation with music fans than any other TV music talent show in recent history: It told good stories. Not to mention the fact that it was musically credible.

Tim McGraw helped members of his stage crew eject a fan from his Tuesday night (June 24) concert in Auburn, Wash., after seeing the man assault a woman who was in one of the front rows. A video of the incident surfaced Wednesday at several Internet sites.

We're about halfway through the year, so before I dive into another pile of new CDs, I'm moving a big ol' stack to the file cabinet -- except for these 10 albums released earlier this year, which I'd recommend to music fans with an adventurous ear. I have

TELLURIDE, Colo. -- It's no wonder Sam Bush is considered the King of Telluride. The town's famous bluegrass festival turned 35 this weekend, and Bush has played it 34 times. His Highness surrounded himself with a royal court of instrumentalist all-stars

"I'm doing what I've always wanted to be doing!" exclaimed Julianne Hough. Backstage before opening a concert for Brad Paisley in Irvine, Calif., the peppy blonde told reporters she has no plans to return to Dancing With the Stars.

For the umpteenth time, Taylor Swift's self-titled fountain of teen angst bubbles back to the No. 1 spot on this week's Billboard country albums chart. Opposite Swift on the peak of the songs chart is Kenny Chesney, whose "Better Than a Memory" win

NEW YORK -- Once a year, New York City hosts a grand celebration of the art of songwriting. Each time around, the Songwriters Hall of Fame -- founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and currently chaired by Burt Bacharach's famed writing partner, lyri