Academy of Country Music

record label to sign her; she had trouble due to her young age, but finally, at just sixteen years old Swift was signed onto Big Machine Records and released her self-titled debut album. Her hit single “Tim McGraw” was on the Top 10 charts for country music as soon as it came out and would remain there for weeks. Her next…

My Guitar Early one Christmas morning in 1976 towards the end of Elvis’s life, career, I was gifted my very first acoustic guitar. Maybe it was because I was born in Tupelo, Mississippi some thirty-six years after Elvis Presley, that made me suited to play and sing with a guitar. Or perhaps because I was born on the same day as the legendary Johnny Cash, exactly thirty- nine years later, to the day, that I would inherit the intense desire to play, write, and sing with a guitar. After an…

“Almost Home” Some days, dreaming of the past is easier than living in the present. “Almost Home” is co-written and recorded by American country music singer Craig Morgan. This was the first top ten hit on the US country music charts for Morgan. He also received a Song of the Year award and earned a Songwriter’s Achievement Award from the Nashville Songwriters' Association International. “Almost Home” explores the struggles of homelessness, the complexities that life brings us, and the freedom…

Within the entertainment business of the United States, the music industry has become one of the most profitable and dynamic segments in the world. The many genres of music played within this country is as different as the individuals listening to it. Of the major types of music played across the radio, the two most dissimilar types of music are Country and Rap. Obviously, the instruments used and the influences of each genre greatly differ. For instance, like the southern/western twang of…

In music article “Why Is Elvis Presley Still The King?” on April 4, 2009 Scott Simon, a host of Weekend Edition's occasional series "On the Couch," speaks with Adam Victor, author of The Elvis Encyclopedia (an A-to-Z guide to Presley's life), and Gordon Stoker, a singer in the superstar's backup band The Jordanaires, to discuss the legacy of the man still known as "The King." In the interview, there are also NPR's Sylvia Poggioli and Elvis’fans: Jerry Sailor of South Bend, and Tess Foley of New…

conveying repetitive phrases and appealing to patriotism and religion. The author is able to connect with his audience by his empowering tone and constantly sharing his vision for the future of this country. Green envisions how well the country could develop if they just acted on their, “love of country… of freedom… of civil and religious toleration.” The repetition of these principles depicts the logic behind their motives, which is that every individual…

As any country music fan comparing Hank Williams Sr. and Willie Nelson was an interesting challenge. Both are country music idols noted for changing the industry. The lives of both legends have similarly beginnings, with times of struggle, and time of success. But what marks the difference in these two influential men was the means of how they ended up coping with fame of being in the lime light. The obvious place to start this comparison is with the beginnings of Hank Williams Sr., one of the…

to support a country who oppresses African Americans and other minorities. As Americans it is our duty to respect our country and those who fight for it. It is a dishonor for anyone to enjoy the freedom as an American, but not support the country and those who fight for our freedom. As Americans we should definitely stand during the national anthem unlike Colin Kapernick did and continues to do. Colin Kapernick said, “I am not going to stand up and show pride in a flag for a country that…

Shreveport, Virginia On May 26th, 1949. He started his singing career at the age of 8 and started performing at shows. Hank discovered a new combination of music by combining southern rock and blues with country music which gave him his own unique style of music. Hank’s father died when Hank was three. That didn’t stop him from being the country music star that he aspired to be. Hank started singing at many places and started to become well known. Little did he know, he would eventually be a…

Johnny Cash was a world-renowned singer/songwriter of country music. The couple settled in Memphis, Tennessee, where Cash took radio broadcasting classes at Keegan’s School of Broadcasting and worked as an appliance salesman for the Home Equipment Company. In Memphis, Cash met bass player Marshall Grant and guitarist Luther Perkins. In mid-1956, Cash left Louisiana Hayride to perform on the Grand Ole Opry, but his stint on the Opry was short because Cash preferred not to appear in Nashville…