Country Music Association
Naomi Judd Remembered at Emotional Country Music Hall of Fame Ceremony: ‘My Mama Loved You so Much’
Coming one day after Naomi Judd’s tragic death, the May 1 Country Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony confronted difficult emotions to usher in the Judds as one of four new members. Wynonna Judd, making her acceptance speech with sister Ashley Judd beside her, recalled kissing her mother and former singing partner’s forehead at 2:20 p.m. on April 30, then looked toward the future. “Though my heart’s broken,” she pledged, “I will continue to sing.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Ashley, rising above the family’s personal grief, congratulated the night’s other inductees – Ray Charles (“so iconic and archetypal”), steel guitarist Pete Drake and drummer Eddie Bayers – then addressed the dozen or so existing Hall of Fame members who attended the ...
It’s Time for the Country Music Association to Show Not Tell (Guest Column)
Like most things in American culture, country music actually has strong Black American influences. Instruments such as fiddles and harmonicas can be traced back to Black communities in the antebellum South. Additionally, the banjo, a staple in country music, originated in West Africa. The history of the Black cowboy has effectively served as a staple symbol of the country music industry and culture. However, the genre has been whitewashed and appropriated thanks to gatekeepers like the Country Music Association. Black people have been systematically excluded from country music to the point where they are often berated and persecuted for even participating in the industry. From experiences with fans to the music labels, Black country artists recount being called rac...
Maren Morris, Luke Combs and Dan + Shay Nominated for CMA International Awards
Nominees were also revealed in categories including the Jo Walker-Meador international award (which honors outstanding achievement by an individual supporting country music’s marketing development outside of the U.S.); the Wesley Rose international media achievement award; the international country broadcaster award; and the Jeff Walker global country artist award. This year, the CMA introduced a new category, the Rob Potts international live music advancement award, which recognizes an individual’s significant contributions to the live music industry through helping to build live audiences for country music outside the United States. The award is named after the late Australian manager, promoter and CMA Board member Potts, whose career spanned more than 30 years, paving the way for Austra...
US country music star Charley Pride dies of coronavirus
US country music star Charley Pride has died of complications from Covid-19 at the age of 86, his family said Saturday in a message posted to the singer’s website. Pride’s “rich baritone voice and impeccable song-sense altered American culture,” the statement read further. Born a sharecropper’s son in Sledge, Mississippi, on March 18, 1934, Pride became US country music’s first Black superstar and the first Black member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Between 1967 and 1987, Pride delivered 52 Top 10 country hits, won Grammy awards, and became RCA Records’ top-selling country artist. His best-known songs include “Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’” and “Please Help Me I’m Falling.” He won the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year award in 1971, its top male vocalist prize in 1971 a...
