I have long been a fan of Taylor Hughes since I first interviewed her in 2021. Her rich contralto adds a unique depth to her songs, making them resonate with listeners who enjoy the blend of truth and grit, all with an authentic Southern drawl.

Lily Rose came across my radar in 2021 when her mega-hit “Villain” hit the airwaves. She was soon named to the 2022 CMT Next Women of Country.

Country Radio Seminar (CRS) 2025 wrapped up last week after three days of unforgettable musical performances, insightful panels, and dynamic industry sessions. This year’s event was a resounding success, offering attendees a dynamic lineup of showcases and events, including the Amazon Music Presents: “Country Heat at CRS 2025” showcase, Warner Music Nashville’s Luncheon, Bob Kingsley’s Acoustic Alley, “Team UMG” at the Ryman, BBR Music Group Decades Party, Big Machine Label Group’s Luncheon, and the highly anticipated New Faces of Country Music Show and Dinner.

When I heard the title track of Garrett Bradford's new album, “Honkiest of Tonkers” (Part 1), I knew he played music I wanted to listen to. It turns out he is a bonafide cowboy who writes and sings songs. Bradford is a fourth-generation Texan and grew up in the western worlds of ranching and rodeo. His formative years were spent on the ranch, where he developed a profound appreciation for livestock, hunting, and fishing. But as many in country music can attest, Bradford started singing in church.

Ahead of Dolly’s highly anticipated original musical memoir that will run on Broadway, New York, in 2026, the world premiere is scheduled to run July 18 – August 20th in Nashville at Belmont’s Fisher Center this summer.

Rising singer/songwriter Tori Rose toasts an ex with new single, “If Drinking Were a Sport.”

The Imaginaries, one of my favorite musical couples, are comprised of blues rocker Shane Henry and pop singer and pianist Maggie McClure. I featured them in September of 2022 and explored how they, coming from two different musical backgrounds, combined their efforts to bring us the unique folk/pop-rock duo, The Imaginaries.  Besides the music they create together, they have long been part of the Sync World, writing music for TV and movies and occasionally starring in them. You can catch them in the Reagan movie singing Frankie Vallie’s “My Eyes Adored You.”

The one word that came to mind when I heard Noah Thompson for the first time was “unexpected.” And I believe that is part of why Thompson won American Idol in 2022. No one, including himself, expected that he could sing so well and then win the competition. Even though he had a “tumultuous childhood” in rural Western Kentucky, where he was raised, he can always remember music being part of his life. Thompson’s dad was a musician growing up, and he instilled music in him literally from the time he was in his mother’s belly.

Apparently noted musician/composer Quincy Jones “is rarely mentioned” in American music curricula, and as such a Hunter College music professor says this proves “racial segregation still shapes American classrooms.” Philip Ewell, the music theory professor who called his (Communist) father “racist” for admiring (white) composers like Beethoven and Bach, believes Jones is an “essential piece in the history of American music,” yet the ideology of white supremacy — “deeply rooted” in our society — refuses his recognition.

Taylor Austin Dye hails from Booneville, Kentucky, where she first discovered her passion for singing at age five. She said, “My mother said I learned to sing before I even learned to talk. I just babbled along with the songs. Then, in kindergarten, I had severe anxiety, and I didn’t get better until I started taking music lessons.”