A native of Maynardville, TN, Smith was known for his special brand of country music love songs such as “You Are The One,” “This Orchard Means Goodbye,” “(When You Feel Like You’re in Love) Don’t Just Stand There,” as well as hits such as “Hey Joe!,” “Let’s Live a Little,” “Cut Across Shorty,” “Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way,” and “Loose Talk.” According to a country music blog, upon his retirement in the latter part of the 1970’s, Smith was officially inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2003.

Smith’s long career first began in 1944 when he served in the military during World War II at the WROL radio station in Knoxville, Tennessee. He then performed alongside bands and artists such as Skeets Williamson, Molly O’Day, and Archie Campbell. Around that time, Smith was also writing songs and producing demos, one of which reached Troy Martin, who at that time, was an executive for Peer-Southern. Martin, in turn, brought the demo to Jack Stapp, a WSM Nashville executive, and Don Law, producer for Columbia. On the strength of his demo, Smith was signed to the label, and the rest is history.

In 1950, he appeared on the Grand Ole Opry as the guest of Hank Williams who also performed that same day; he eventually became a regular until 1956. His first hit with Columbia, “Let’s Live a Little,” came the following year and peaked at the No. 2 spot in the charts. Within a year, he had more hits including the classic country music love songs “If Teardrops Were Pennies” and his first No. 1, “Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way.” This same year also marked his marriage to June Carter, whom he would later divorce. His daughter with Carter, Carlene Carter, later became a country singer just like her famous parents. In 1957, Smith married another singer, Goldie Hill, who passed away in 2005.

As mentioned in another country music blog, aside from his hit songs, Smith was also known as one of the first group of young country stars to cross over to television and movies. Smith appeared on the “Main Street Music Hall,” and other shows such as “Stars Of Country Music.” In 1961, he also made a guest appearance on “Four Star Jubilee,” a country television series which aired over at ABC. Smith would eventually go on to host his own show, “Carl Smith’s Country Music Hall” for US and Canadian audiences.

As a successful singer, Smith stayed with Columbia Records until 1975, and then transferred to ABC/Hickory. It is with this label that he eventually decided to announce his retirement in the latter part of the 1970’s.

Known for his unique brand of country music love songs, Mr. Country will surely be missed by his fans and by the entire Nashville community.

Founded in 2003, Sugarland was originally a duo consisting of Bush and Kristen Hall. It later became a trio when Nettles came on board as the lead singer. Amidst controversies, Hall left the band in 2005, restoring Sugarland into its original format. Although all three members became part of Sugarland just a few years ago, they all respectively enjoyed successful solo careers. Bush, a native of Knoxville, TN, was the other half of the rock duo Billy Pilgrim dishing out together with Andrew Hyra. Hall had already been a folk singer-songwriter and a roadie for the Indigo Girls. Nettles, on the other hand, used to be the front woman dishing out country music songs for Atlanta-bands called Soul Miner’s Daughter and the Jennifer Nettles Band.

Collectively, all three artists have been responsible for the great success of Sugarland’s debut album, “Twice the Speed of Life,” which was released in 2004. Four tracks from the album all had Top 20 spots at the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts including “Baby Girl” (No. 2), “Something More” (No. 2), “Just Might (Make Me Believe)” (No. 7), and “Down in Mississippi (Up to No Good)” (No. 17) all contributing to outstanding record sales of two million copies. This album also earned them a Grammy nomination for the Best New Artist Award. The success of their debut album was followed by their equally successful sophomore album entitled, “Enjoy the Ride,” twoTop 10 hit songs- “Want To” and “Settlin’.”

In Sugarland’s short lifetime, the duo has already released three albums, all of which have been certified hits. Their third album, “Love on the Inside,” featuring new country songs such as “All I Want to Do,” and “Already Gone,” as well as a cover of the old hit “Life in a Northern Town,” among others. This was followed by their Love on the Inside Tour, which was later released into a DVD containing the duo’s performances while on the road.  At present, the duo can boast of a harvest of awards from the major award winning bodies such as the Grammys, the CMAs, the CMT Music Awards, and the ACM awards. The highlights include Vocal Duo of the Year (CMT, 2007 and 2009), (CMA, 2008); Song of the Year (ACM, 2008); and Best Country Collaboration With Vocals (    Grammy, 2007): to name a few.

At present, the duo is set to headline “The Incredible Machine” tour and will be releasing their fourth studio album containing new country songs this year. Get more Sugarland news and updates at: http://www.sugarlandmusic.com/.

Although CCR was only together for less than five years, lead singer John Fogerty, his brother rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty, bassist Stu Cook, and drummer Doug Clifford’s time together produced a dozen Top 40 songs, starting from the 1969 release “Proud Mary” to the 1972 “Someday Never Comes, ” making CCR one of the best bands in rock and roll history, and best-selling rock bans with 26 millions sold in the US alone.

The boxed set carries all of CCR’s US singles, totaling 30 in all, including its widely popular hits “Green River,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Down On The Corner,” “Who’ll Stop The Rain,” “Run Through The Jungle,” “Travelin’ Band,” “Up Around The Bend,” “Lookin’ Out My Back Door,” and “Long As I Can See The Light. Avid CCR fans will also enjoy looking through a poster featuring various international single sleeves, as well as a 16-page booklet containing notes by Ben Fong-Torres, a Rolling Stone editor active during CCR’s stellar run.

The members of Creedence Clearwater Revival, interestingly, are not Southern-born and bred. They came from the little town of El Cerrito in California, but they grew up loving Southern blues and  country music. John Fogerty, the band’s lead vocalist, primary lyricist, and lead guitarist even named of his first songs “Born on the Bayou.”  The quartet’s original name was Tommy Fogerty & the Blue Velvets, later changing it to The Golliwogs. In 1968, the band got its first big break when it covered Dale Hawkins’ “Suzie Q,” reaching #11 on Billboard’s pop singles chart. Up to this day, Suzie Q is more popularly recognized as a CCR song rather than anybody else’s. Fong-Torres writes in the set, “radio needed acts like CCR – reliable producers of solid tunes laden with hooks.”

Constant touring and packed recording schedules eventually took their toll on the band, and in October 1972 CCR officially disbanded, never ever reuniting. In early 2003, the night before CCR was to be inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, John Fogerty said, “I used to say in 1968 that I wanted to make records they would still play on the radio in ten years.” Now, more than forty years later, and even with all the covers and versions made by newer artists, CCR’s vitality as a band and Fogerty’s distinctive vocal style continues to be as relevant and fresh as it was in that golden era.

Hank Williams III

A claim to infamy of this so-called country music outlaw is the distinction of having the first major-label country album (2006’s uncensored version of Straight to Hell) to come with a parental advisory sticker.

The spitting image of his granddaddy, Hank Williams, the direction of Hank William III’s musical destiny might have been easy to assume. Although he channels a loud and rebellious persona on stage, Hank III is uncharacteristically soft-spoken off the stage. He ruffled some feathers and defied expectations when he developed a schizophrenic style that truly isn’t anything we have ever heard before—as opposed to hillbilly, it’s been dubbed “hellbilly” for the hell-raising that he has done through his songs.

Although he has a devoted following, Hank III’s music has never been embraced by old-school Nashville. Perhaps, it is because he has been very vocal—through interviews and in his lyrics—about the shortcomings of recognized institutions in country music. In his 2008 album, “Damn Right, Rebel Proud,” he has a song with the title “The Grand Ole Opry (Ain’t So Grand)” where he censures the radio program for snubbing country heroes like Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Hank Williams Sr. His grandfather was, according to him, unfairly dismissed in 1952 as a member of the Grand Ole Opry (speculations abound that it because of his alcoholism). However, the Opry “continues to put out records saying, ‘This is Hank Williams live from the Grand Ole Opry’ and using his image and likeness,” the grandson asserts.

A sample verse of the Grand Ole Opry tune goes, “To most people listening to this sit might seem like we’re talking shit; But if you look behind the scenes to see who is pulling strings, ****** it will make you sick…”

In an interview he did last year with LA Weekly, he shares something about the reasons for writing the song. “It’s just payin’ respects where respects are due. If you’re going to have a Hank Williams impersonator, if you’re going to have a Hank Williams play, if you’re going to have Hank Williams records and pictures all over your place, and he is the first man inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, he’s inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame… but the little secret society in Nashville is a little too good to pat Hank Williams on the back nowadays. That’s just not right. It’s as simple as that.”

George Jones

At 78 years old, Country Music Hall of Fame Inductee George Jones clearly has no plans of stepping down to the younger superstars of the genre. In a move that some industry folks have considered as divisive, while leading others to laud his guts for speaking out, Jones has recently said a mouthful against the younger set of artists dominating the genre these days.

“They’ve stolen our identity,” this is what Jones said in a recent interview with the Associated Press when prompted to give a comment about younger artists such as Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift. In the same interview, Jones added, “They had to use something that was established already, and that’s traditional country music. So what they need to do really, I think, is find their own title, because they’re definitely not traditional country music.” In his defense, Jones did admit that some of the newer songs are good; however, he thought these no longer reflected pure country music of old.

At the same time, though, he did praise fellow artists whom he thought have kept the spirit alive. “It’s good to know that we still do traditional country music. Alan Jackson still does it, so does George Strait.” Quite optimistic about the genre’s future direction, he says, “We still have it, and there’s quite a few of us that are going to hope that it comes back one of these days.”

Jones has been known to be a very vocal critic of anything that could destroy the purity of traditional country music, which he has helped endear to fans across the US. As a matter of fact, Jones also had a few choice words for artists whom he thought were guilty of such acts. When fellow Country Music Hall of Fame Inductee Johnny Cash covered the Nine Inch nails song, “Hurt,” members of the media were sure to get a sound bite from Jones and that’s just what they had.

When the senior country artist was asked if he too would branch out in other musical genres such as heavy metal or rap, he retorted, “Rap? That’s tacky … how can you call that music? Now, I love music, too. I love all kinds. I really do. I’ve got Brook Benton. I like his singing.” He says, “Ray Charles. I’ve got an open mind. But now, you can’t call rap, talking stuff like that, music. No, no, no, you’ve got to have another name for that.”

Speaking about his own career and music, he says, “Only thing I would like to keep accomplishing is music for my fans and achieving some goals to keep them happy with what I record in the future.” When asked if he had plans of putting out more records in the future, he replied, “I’ve done just about everything else. The good Lord’s been good to me … I’m going to enjoy the rest of my life.”

Jones’ most recent effort is a CD called “A Collection of My Best Recollection,” which includes his all time most requested songs throughout a career that has spanned for almost six decades. This CD, exclusively available at Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores, includes two unreleased songs as well as classic hits such as “I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair” and “White Lightning.”