Lisa Zhito is a Recording Academy/GRAMMY.com contributor.
Florida-based KB (née Kevin Burgess) is not your typical rapper.KB spent his youth on St. Petersburg's South side, what he calls "smack dab in one of the worst neighborhoods in the state," and was plagued by a broken home, absent father, drugs, and fights, plus gambling and other youthful troublemaking. But he was also an honors student and academic overachiever…
Sturgill Simpson's A Sailor's Guide To Earth is not your typical major label debut. It's a concept album conceived, written, produced, and performed by a country music heterodox with a unique vision.Crafted as a letter to his infant son, A Sailor's Guide … chronicles Simpson's life, loves and lessons learned. The backdrop for this narrative is a panorama of American…
Chris Stapleton was a hero in country music circles long before Traveller topped critics' best of 2015 lists and garnered the coveted GRAMMY nomination for Album Of The Year. As a songwriter, the Kentucky native quickly forged a successful career, writing hits for such artists as Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney and Darius Rucker, and everyone from Adele to George Strait…
That crashing noise you heard in 2011 was the music world's jaw dropping as Rolling Stone declared Nashville home to America's best music scene. While the city still maintains a large piece of country music history, and boasts some of the best honky-tonk spots in the nation, Nashville has outgrown its status as a country music-only destination. Artists ranging from…
If you thought the worst part about being a traveling musician was jet lag and bad food, then you've never tried to carry an instrument onboard a commercial airplane.From lost or damaged instruments to hassles with flight attendants and gate agents, musicians of all stripes complain that inconsistent airline policies make traveling with their instruments nearly impossible."Try traveling with a…
(To commemorate the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame's 40th Anniversary in 2013, GRAMMY.com has launched GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Inspirations. The ongoing series will feature conversations with various individuals who will identify GRAMMY Hall Of Fame recordings that have influenced them and helped shape their careers.)A quintessential California girl, pop singer/songwriter Colbie Caillat's music is as sunny and laid-back as her…
(To commemorate the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame's 40th Anniversary in 2013, GRAMMY.com has launched GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Inspirations. The ongoing series will feature conversations with various individuals who will identify GRAMMY Hall Of Fame recordings that have influenced them and helped shape their careers.)Gospel artist/worship leader Israel Houghton says he grew up "a black kid in a white family…
(To commemorate the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame's 40th Anniversary in 2013, GRAMMY.com has launched GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Inspirations. The ongoing series will feature conversations with various GRAMMY winners who will identify GRAMMY Hall Of Fame recordings that have influenced them and helped shape their careers.)It's been more than 40 years since the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band released their landmark…
(The ReTune Nashville Anniversary Celebration: A Music And Art Event will take place May 3 at Soundcheck Nashville in celebration of the creativity and resiliency of Nashville's music community. All proceeds from ticket and merchandise sales and an artwork auction will be contributed to the MusiCares Nashville Flood Relief Fund and the Nashville Musicians Association's Flood Relief Fund to directly…
Eddie Van Halen's pet Pomeranian, Kody Van Halen, has his own Facebook page. When Miranda Lambert married Blake Shelton, two dogs served as "flower girls." Likewise, Elton John's marriage to David Furnish was presided over by "best man" Arthur, one of the couple's cocker spaniels. Emmylou Harris' heartbreaking 2008 song "Not Enough" was inspired by the loss of her poodle-mix,…
After 14 years recording as one-half of a chart-topping, multi-GRAMMY-winning duo, going solo would be an intimidating prospect for any artist. For Erica Campbell, the task was made even more daunting by the fact that her longtime partner in gospel's groundbreaking group Mary Mary is her sister, Tina. But 2013 packed a wallop. There was the acrimonious split from their…
