by Bethany Bowman | May 17, 2022 | Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music, National, News
Adam Warner hails from the farm country of southern Illinois, quite near where my mother and her family lived. This area is so consumed by farming, specifically corn and soybeans, that you really do feel as if you are in the middle of nowhere. Just like my mother and...
by Bethany Bowman | May 16, 2022 | Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music, National, News
When I heard “Growing Old with You” by Restless Road on the radio, I was not familiar with the group, but their song really resonated with me. When I was given the chance to feature them in my column, I jumped at it. Restless Road is comprised of Zach Beeken, Garrett...
by Bethany Bowman | May 14, 2022 | Events, Lifestyle, National
Growing up with the name O’Bannon I was vaguely aware that there was a famous person named Presley O’Bannon who was important in American History. When I got married 37 years ago to a Marine Corp veteran who has a degree in history, I was informed that not only was...
by Bethany Bowman | May 11, 2022 | Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music, National
NASHVILLE, Tennessee- Ainsley Costello comes from a musical background. When her dad, James Costello, was young, he moved to Los Angeles to “do the whole music thing” in much the same way Costello has done since moving to Nashville. “That’s how I knew wanted to do...
by Bethany Bowman | May 7, 2022 | Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music, National
When I heard that the Canadian Country Music multi-award winner, Brett Kissel was releasing a song with 98°, I was excited and curious at the same time. The group’s song, “Ain’t the Same” isn’t exactly country, pop, or R & B, but it is fantastic. Once I...
by Bethany Bowman | May 6, 2022 | Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music, National
Dustin Collins had been around music his whole life. His dad and uncle were musicians. They were in and out of the recording studios in Kentucky and Nashville when Collins was a child. He recalls, “I just kind of grew up around it and learned how to sing and play...
by Bethany Bowman | Apr 30, 2022 | Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music, National
The Tennessee Motorcycles and Music Revival (TMMR) is a unique, four-day event held in central Tennessee that’s all about motorcycles, music, comradery, and the outdoors. It will be held at the majestic 3,500-acre Loretta Lynn’s ranch and campground just an hour west...
by Bethany Bowman | Apr 29, 2022 | Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music, National
Every once in a great while I get sent music to listen to that just stops me in my tracks. I indeed lean toward traditional country when I seek out new music, but clever lyric writing is equally important. However, if you are lucky, you get something that is unique...
by Bethany Bowman | Apr 27, 2022 | Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music, National
From Maple Valley, Washington, 29-year-old singer/songwriter Dakota Poorman is a breath of fresh air in the stale pop-country atmosphere. As a child he recalls, “I really loved music. I was bathed in a very eclectic taste in music. I listened to Bob Seger, John...
by Bethany Bowman | Apr 22, 2022 | Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music, National
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Before I agree to interview an artist, I have to like their music first. But when I heard that Gavin Lee was from Fort Myers, Florida, where my brother was born and many of my relatives still live, I knew I wanted to learn more about this rising...
by Bethany Bowman | Apr 21, 2022 | Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music, National
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The first time I recall seeing Michael Rix was when he played banjo in the Bank of America marketing campaign commercial for Ken Burns’ PBS documentary Country Music. Even though the banjo originated in Africa, seeing a black, banjo-playing...
by Bethany Bowman | Apr 13, 2022 | Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music, National
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – When I hear new music on Sirius XM The Highway, if I like the music and the artist is relatively new, I try to track them down. When I heard Tyler Braden’s “Try Losing One,” I was blown away. I knew if I was going to get a chance to...
by Bethany Bowman | Apr 10, 2022 | Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music, National
NASHVILLE, Tennessee- Even though I am not much of a whiskey drinker, I am always drawn to a good whiskey song. Something about the solace of sipping the stuff leads to a deeper examination of one’s true self. Karissa Ella’s newest single “Whiskey Whispers Your...
by Bethany Bowman | Apr 7, 2022 | Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music, National
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – For the first time since the pandemic, four new music legends were honored at Music City’s Walk of Fame Park. Surrounded by friends, family, and fans, Connie Smith, Bobby Bare, Kevin “Keb’ Mo’” Moore, and Dierks Bentley each received their...
by Bethany Bowman | Apr 3, 2022 | Entertainment, Events, Lifestyle, Music, National
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The Homestead Festival, a first-of-its-kind outdoor event, will make its debut on June 3-4, 2022, at Grammy-winning and New York Times best-selling author Rory Feek’s 100-acre historic farm in Columbia, Tennessee. Combining music and...
by Bethany Bowman | Apr 2, 2022 | Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music, National
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Ian Flanigan hails from Hudson Valley’s Catskill Mountains in upstate New York, not far from the site of the famed Woodstock festival. But where you might remember him is from Season 19 of NBC’s The Voice. I wanted to find out how he got...
by Bethany Bowman | Mar 27, 2022 | Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music, National
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Wade Bowen grew up in Waco, Texas with three sisters who always had music on and took him to concerts. Growing up, Bowen played sports and knew he always wanted to do music but didn’t know how to go about doing it. His mother loved Elvis,...
by Bethany Bowman | Mar 23, 2022 | Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music, National, Uncategorized
Houston Bernard’s country roots run deep. Before his birth, his dad, Donny Bernard, and his uncle, Johnny Bernard, were regulars on the Oklahoma, Texas, and Nashville country music scenes throughout the ’70s. Not only that, his great-great-grandfather is reported to...
by Bethany Bowman | Mar 18, 2022 | Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music, National
Many of you will remember Meghan Linsey as a runner-up on NBC’s The Voice. With that big, soulful country voice, she has a sound that is hard to forget. Linsey hails from New Orleans, which is known for its jazz and soul music. She started singing in church when she...
by Bethany Bowman | Mar 17, 2022 | Events, School, Tennessee, The Tennessee Star
Leader U 2022 will once again resume in person at Middle Tennessee State University as educators from across the state gather together to learn how they can “Embrace the New Normal” on June 7th. In this one-of-a-kind event, keynote speaker Dr. Ann Marie Taylor will...
by Bethany Bowman | Mar 16, 2022 | Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music, National, News, port, Uncategorized
NASHVILLE, Tennessee- Michael Ray grew up in a family compound off a dirt road in the small town of Eustis, Florida, just a few miles from a tiny old country church where Sunday service would be held, where communion often carried over to tall tales of his...
