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Little Big Town Singer Goes 'Small Town' With Mellencamp

Posted Jul 21st 2008 5:00PM by Stephen L. Betts
Filed under: Crossovers, Albums

Little Big Town's Karen Fairchild has added her soulful voice to four tracks on rocker John Mellencamp's new album, 'Life, Death, Love & Freedom.' In addition to the first single, 'My Sweet Love,' she is heard on 'Don't Need This Body,' 'For the Children' and 'A Ride Back Home.'

"This record is definitively John, and as a songwriter he is at the top of his game," says Fairchild of the CD, released July 15. "He's as relevant as he has ever been and I'm so happy he asked me to be a part of the record."

Fairchild can also been seen in the 'My Sweet Love' music video, shot recently in Savannah, Ga., and in the 'Life, Death, Love and Freedom' documentary, currently airing on A&E's Biography Channel.

Continue reading Little Big Town Singer Goes 'Small Town' With Mellencamp

New Video: 'Come On Over,' Jessica Simpson

Posted Jul 16th 2008 11:00AM by The Boot Staff
Filed under: Crossovers, New Video

Continue reading New Video: 'Come On Over,' Jessica Simpson

Taylor Swift Duets With the Jonas Brothers

Posted Jul 15th 2008 4:00PM by Beville Darden
Filed under: Crossovers, New Video

Continue reading Taylor Swift Duets With the Jonas Brothers

Johnny Cash Tribute CD Features Snoop Dogg

Posted Jul 14th 2008 9:00AM by Beville Darden
Filed under: Crossovers, Albums

Snoop Dogg is putting his own spin on Johnny Cash's 'I Walk the Line.' The rapper's cover of the country classic will be on 'Johnny Cash Remixed,' an album full of modernized interpretations of Cash songs. Several of the music world's top producers and remixers were recruited for the project, taking the original master recordings from Sun Records and infusing them with hip hop and dance beats.

"My father made his stead by defying the expected and accepted way of things," explains John Carter Cash (pictured left), who co-produced the album with Snoop Dogg and Mathew Knowles. "He set the standard at the same time. He would have loved this remix record. While it stays true to the original recordings, this CD touches on undiscovered ground. This is what my father was about: staying true to tradition while creating groundbreaking new music."

Continue reading Johnny Cash Tribute CD Features Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg Video Features Willie, Brad and Julianne

Posted Jul 1st 2008 2:00PM by The Boot Staff
Filed under: Crossovers, New Video

Michelle Branch 'Comes and Goes' Country On Her Own

Posted Jun 23rd 2008 10:00AM by Ashley Iasimone
Filed under: Crossovers, Country News

Michelle Branch, who had country crossover success with the Wreckers, is sticking to country on her upcoming solo release. 'Everything Comes and Goes' is Branch's third solo effort, but it will be her first attempt at breaking onto the country charts alone. Branch tells Billboard that the album sounds like "a really natural progression from the Wreckers" and should be released by the end of the year.

"It's more singer-songwriter than, I would say, country, but I think the term 'country' is all relative now. There's really no room for singer-songwriters anymore at radio, so I think this is a natural step," Branch explains, adding, "It really feels like the right place to be."

While she claims that she would have preferred to work on another Wreckers record, she is releasing what she calls "kind of a breakup album" from both her former management company and from Wreckers partner Jessica Harp.

Continue reading Michelle Branch 'Comes and Goes' Country On Her Own

Jessica Simpson Has Crossover Validation

Posted Jun 4th 2008 2:00PM by Beville Darden
Filed under: Charts, Crossovers, Country News

Jessica Simpson can say a big "I told you so" to her naysayers today. The pop star turned country songbird has set a record as the highest charting debut solo artist in the history of Billboard's country singles chart. Simpson's first-ever country single, 'Come On Over,' made its debut at No. 41. The previous record was held by Miranda Lambert and Brad Cotter whose debut country singles both started out at No. 42 on the charts.

"I got chills and butterflies in my stomach," Simpson says of hearing her song on country radio. "It felt like the first time I heard myself on the radio when I was 19. Country is where my heart is. It's refreshing to share something that feels so close to home. I am so honored to become a part of the country community."

Continue reading Jessica Simpson Has Crossover Validation

Billy Bob Thornton Revisits 'Hillbilly Music'

Posted Jun 2nd 2008 4:00PM by David Chiu
Filed under: Crossovers, Albums

Long before he became a major Hollywood actor and an Academy Award winner, Billy Bob Thornton was once a roadie for many musical acts such as the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Johnny Paycheck and Blood, Sweat and Tears. While he took part in some partying as a roadie, Thornton remembers that time as being all work.

"I was this skinny longhaired kid that can barely lift a cabinet," he tells Spinner. "But I did it anyway. It was a hard lifestyle but you can imagine being that age and being close to something that you love so much, it didn't matter."

Those who are familiar with Thornton's career know that he has already recorded several solo albums, most of them incorporating blues, rock and country influences. Thornton's latest musical endeavor is the Boxmasters, a band featuring himself on drums and vocals, and J.D. Andrew and Mike Butler on guitars.

Continue reading Billy Bob Thornton Revisits 'Hillbilly Music'

Jessica Simpson Debuts First Country Single, 'Come On Over'

Posted May 29th 2008 11:00AM by Linda Laird
Filed under: Crossovers, New Tunes

'Come On Over' is the title of Jessica Simpson's country music debut. The highly-anticipated single was released to radio on Tuesday. It's the first song from the upcoming CD that the Texas-bred singer recorded in Nashville after winning a battle over her musical direction.

"I should have done this a long time ago. I fought with my label three years ago about it," Simpson told Glamour magazine about wanting to crossover into country. "This time I said I wouldn't make another album unless it's country." Buy it on iTunes.

Continue reading Jessica Simpson Debuts First Country Single, 'Come On Over'

Video of the Week: 'Please Read the Letter,' Alison Krauss and Robert Plant

Posted May 29th 2008 8:00AM by The Boot Staff
Filed under: Bluegrass, Crossovers, Video of the Week

Rod Stewart's Country Dreams Denied

Posted May 27th 2008 2:00PM by Beville Darden
Filed under: Crossovers, Country News

Rod Stewart is rebelling against his record label, after his bosses refused to sign off on the different direction he's proposing for a new album. J Records has reportedly denied the British rock icon's idea of recording a CD of country classics.

"Everybody there [at J Records] is against that, which makes me want to do it even more," Stewart tells Ireland On-line. "Apparently, the idea didn't test well, whatever that means."

Whatever those tests may be, they're not stopping Rod the Mod. He's set to release the final CD in his 'Great American Songbook' series later this year, and he hints that he's not backing down on his desire to fill it with country covers. Stewart says he wants to be able to say he has tried everything in his music career.

Continue reading Rod Stewart's Country Dreams Denied

Blake Shelton Hits Shuffle, Finds a Hit

Posted May 15th 2008 5:00PM by Brian Mansfield
Filed under: Crossovers, Country News

Lots of Blake Shelton's fans have his new single, 'Home,' on iPods. Shelton found the song in the same place. But he didn't put it there. Miranda Lambert did.

"Miranda got me an iPod a couple years ago as a gift," Shelton says. "I can't put music on it unless it's through her computer, so I have to tell her what I want on it. About a year ago, I asked her to put John Conlee and the Bellamy Brothers' greatest hits on there. When I got to the bus, I had Michael Bublé on it. I had no idea who that was."

Shelton says he was a little familiar with Bublé's original recording of 'Home.' "It was such a crossover, I don't think there was any way you could not know it a little," he says. "But I really listened to it closely for the first time, with it being on my iPod, and I thought, 'That's so simple, yet brilliant at the same time."

Continue reading Blake Shelton Hits Shuffle, Finds a Hit

Willie Nelson Is Snoop Dogg's 'Soldier'

Posted May 14th 2008 6:00PM by Beville Darden
Filed under: Crossovers, Humor

Snoop Dogg has gone country, with a little help from Willie Nelson. The iconic rapper and country legend have teamed up for Snoop's latest single, 'My Medicine.'

"It has a country-music feel to it," Snoop tells MTV of the duet. "I shot the video in Amsterdam and Nashville during the Country Music Awards . . . It's not a typical hip-hop song, but once people listen to it and see the visual effect to it, they're gonna enjoy it."

Snoop and Nelson recorded the song and parts of its video in Amsterdam on April 20 -- "4/20" -- a self-proclaimed holiday for marijuana advocates. (Just in case you were wondering what these two have in common.) They became fast-friends on the trip, hanging out in their hotel, playing dominoes and card tricks. But who smoked more? When MTV asked Snoop Dogg that question, the rapper admitted it was him. "But Willie's a soldier -- stars, stripes and bars," he said.

Continue reading Willie Nelson Is Snoop Dogg's 'Soldier'

Rod Stewart Goes Country?

Posted May 9th 2008 3:00PM by Gayle Richardson
Filed under: Crossovers

Rod Stewart, who at 63 shows no plans of slowing down, recently confessed that he would like to do a country album. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer tells Reuters, "There's a Country-Western album I'd love to do, although the record company doesn't want it . . .We are still in the throes of talking about it."

Stewart's career aspirations don't stop at a country project. The singer known for such hits as 'Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?' and 'Maggie May' would also like to do an R&B album, as well as segue into a film career. Those plans may have to wait a few months, though. He is currently gearing up for an 18-city tour, which is still his passion.

"I do love it," he said, explaining that he'd like to keep performing live until he's 70. "I actually enjoy this job that I do. I probably would miss it."

Alan Jackson Collaborates on Hank Williams, Sr. Project

Posted May 8th 2008 4:00PM by Gayle Richardson
Filed under: Crossovers, Albums

Alan Jackson is joining an elite list of singer-songwriters on an upcoming tribute album for Hank Williams, Sr. The project, according to Ace Showbiz, is the brainchild of music icon Bob Dylan. It features the finished products of songs started by Williams but never completed before he passed away in 1953 at only 29 years of age.

Other contributors on the project include Lucinda Williams, Norah Jones, Willie Nelson and Jack White, who praises Dylan's efforts.

"He came upon, somehow, 20 - 25 unfinished songs by Hank Williams: just the lyrics, no music, and he started to ask people if they would finish these songs," the White Stripes frontman explains.

A rep for Jackson confirmed that the country star contributed to the project but declined to share any details, saying only, "We are not talking until the album is finished." There's no word yet on a release date.