Hank Williams: Last News

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic The most famous “family tradition” in country music would have to be the intergenerational legacy of the Hank Williams clan. Right now, though, there’s another scion of Nashville royalty making good as a third-generation success: singer-songwriter Mitchell Tenpenny, who made modern chart history by managed to have two different No. 1 country airplay hits within the last month. But the rhetorical questions made famous by Hank Jr. — “Why do you drink? Why do you roll smoke?” — don’t apply in this case, as Tenpenny’s forebears in the business are a pair of strong but morally upstanding women: his grandmother, the late Donna Hilley, who capped a 31-year career at Sony/ATV Music Publishing by serving as CEO from 1994-2005, and his mother, Debbie Tenpenny, who currently works at Sony Music Publishing.

Country singer-songwriter Luke Bell, whose throwback style blended strains of Texas, Nashville and Bakersfield, has died, according to his friend and collaborator Matt Kinman. He was 32.

The amount of music history Alabama holds is truly unparalleled. The birthplace of such legends as Lionel Richie, Hank Williams, W.C. Handy and Nat King Cole, it's also proven a popular recording location for the likes of Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan to name but three.

Jerry Lee Lewis will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The rock and roll star-turned-country music artist is being recognized as a "Veteran Era Artist." He had 34 Top 20 country hits between 1968 and 1981, according to the Country Music Association. The "Great Balls of Fire" singer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

took herself out of the running to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in March — “I don’t feel that I have earned that right,” she said in an Instagram post — voters thought she was more than “worthy” of a seat at the table of music immortals. After the rock hall didn’t accept Parton’s withdrawal — in part because voting was well underway — the “I Will Always Love You” singer ended up saying “I’ll accept gracefully” and will join such country legends as Johnny Cash, Chet Atkins and Hank Williams in the RRHOF when the 2022 induction ceremony goes down in November.Also making this year’s eclectic class are Eminem, Lionel Richie, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Carly Simon and New York native Pat Benatar.

Dolly Parton has announced she is pulling out of this year’s nominations for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, saying she hasn’t “earned that right.”The music icon who has been elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame explained her decision in a statement posted on her official social media pages Monday, noting she did not want to take votes away from the remaining nominees.“Even though I am extremely flattered and grateful to be nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I don’t feel that I have earned that right. I really do not want votes to be split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out,” she wrote.Other artists who have made both the Rock Hall and Country Hall of Fame include Brenda Lee, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Chet Atkins, Hank Williams and the Everly BrothersParton was named on the Rock Hall shortlist last month, alongside fellow first-time nominees Eminem, Lionel Richie, Duran Duran and A Tribe Called Quest.The Cleveland-based institution had announced 17 artists and groups being considered for induction, also including Rage Against the Machine, Pat Benatar, Dionne Warwick, Carly Simon, Judas Priest and Beck.The other nominees are Kate Bush, DEVO, Eurythmics, Fela Kuti, MC5 and the New York Dolls.“I do hope that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will understand and be willing to consider me again — if I’m ever worthy,” Parton’s statement continues.“This has however inspired me to put out a hopefully great rock ‘n’ roll album at some point in the future, which I have always wanted to do! My husband is a total rock ‘n’ roll freak, and has always encouraged me to do one.”“I wish all of the nominees good luck and thank you again for the compliment,” Parton concludes.

Bob Dylan is set to release a collection of more than 60 essays in a new book, The Philosophy Of Modern Song, which is set to be released on November 8 via Simon & Schuster.According to a press release, Dylan began work on The Philosophy Of Modern Song in 2010. The book will compile dozens of essays that the folk legend wrote about songs by other musicians, including Nina Simone, Elvis Costello and Hank Williams.“[Dylan] analyses what he calls the trap of easy rhymes, breaks down how the addition of a single syllable can diminish a song, and even explains how bluegrass relates to heavy metal,” the press release reads.

Chris Willman Music WriterAnyone wanting Bob Dylan to release “Chronicles Volume Two” or any official sequel to his previous memoir, “Chronicles Volume One,” which came out in 2004, is going to have to wait longer. But other than that, the news on the Dylan publishing front is astonishingly good.

Joni James, a popular singer in the 1950s who scored several pre-rock hits including "Why Don’t You Believe Me?" and "How Important Can It Be?" and continued to chart throughout the decade, has died. She was 91. James’ son, Michael Acquaviva, told The Washington Post that she died February 20 of natural causes in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Joni James, a popular singer in the 1950s who scored several pre-rock hits including “Why Don’t You Believe Me?” and “How Important Can It Be?” and continued to chart throughout the decade, has died. She was 91.

Black Lips 7-inch single, which was scheduled for release last month, due to “certain allegations” against a member of the band.The single – featuring a cover of Fred Cole’s ‘Colt 44′ and Hank Williams’ ‘Alone and Forsaken’ – was set to arrive on October 22 ahead of a European tour by the band, but it was never released.In a statement to Pitchfork, Wild Honey said that shortly after announcing the 7-inch, it was alerted to “certain allegations” that “had been made against a member of the band”.“Out of respect to all involved, our staff, colleagues and the artists signed to our label, we decided to pull the release,” the label continued.“It is not a decision we took lightly, but we believe it’s the right thing to do under the circumstances…

B.J. Thomas died at 78 on May 29, and his fellow recording artists are paying tribute.

B.J. Thomas has died at 78.

Jack White is set to release a new live album recorded at Detroit’s Masonic Temple back in 2014.The show, which took place on July 30, 2014, saw the Detroit native run through 38 songs over the course of three-and-a-half hours which included covers of Beck’s ‘Devil’s Haircut’, Led Zeppelin‘s ‘The Lemon Song’ and Hank Williams’ ‘Ramblin Man’.Released via White’s own Third Man Records, ‘Jack White: Live At The Masonic Temple’ will be available on four 180-gram coloured vinyl LPs, with a slipcase cover with custom printed photo inner sleeves and will include shots from the night by official tour photographer David Swanson.In addition, the album will include a 7″ single of White’s October 2020 performance on Saturday Night Live, where he filled

Following our Billboard staff-picked list of the 100 greatest songs of 2000, we're writing this week about some of the stories and trends that defined the year for us. Here, we look back at a relatively sunny, tranquil period in country music history -- before Nashville, like the rest of the world, was changed by global events the following year.