Country Music At Large
Carlos Santana Teams Up With Chris Stapleton On 'Joy'
Carlos Santana has released the fourth single from his upcoming album, Blessings and Miracles.
"Joy" is collaboration with acclaimed Grammy-winning musician Chris Stapleton, who also produced the soul-enriching track.
The star-studded, masterful new album, Blessings and Miracles is scheduled for release via BMG on October 15. The album can be pre-ordered at https://santana.lnk.to/BlessingsnMiracles
"I was very intrigued to work with Chris," Santana said about the collaboration. "We talked on the phone about the Covid situation and how there's so much fear in the world, and I said, 'We need to create music as a healing force. We must bring hope and courage and disinfect twisted minds infected with darkness.'"
"That gave him the ammunition to write such incredible words," added the multi-Grammy award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist. "Somewhere I said, 'flying on the wings of angels,' so it's a collaboration. And what an incredible song it is. The choir in it - it's like the Staple Singers."
(Photo: Maryanne Bilham)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvSnAQhKYlk&w=560&h=315]
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Taylor Swift Extends Record For Most Weeks Atop Billboard Artist 100
Taylor Swift has extended her record for the most weeks atop the Billboard Artist 100 chart to a 49th week.
The 31-year-old superstar reclaimed her status as the top musical act in the United States after jumping 15 spots from No. 16 on the chart dated October 16.
Drake, with 32 weeks at No. 1, The Weeknd (22 weeks) and BTS (20 weeks) follow Swift for ruling the Billboard Artist 100 chart for most weeks.
Swift asserted her supremacy as the top Billboard Artist after her new album Fearless (Taylor's Version) returned to the top of the Billboard 200 chart after a gap of nearly six months.
The 26-track album, released on April 9, is a re-recorded version of Swift's 2008 blockbuster album, Fearless.
Fearless (Taylor's Version) returned to the top of the chart with a big leap from No. 157. It was a big week for the album, with 152,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending October 7.
This marks an increase of 1,931 percent, boosted by the October 1 release of a signed CD available only on Swift's webstore and its vinyl LP, according to MRC Data.
(Photo: Beth Garrabrant)
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Gary LeVox Opens Up About The End Of Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts' Gary LeVox has opened up about the end of the country trio and the departure of longtime member Joe Don Rooney.
In a recent interview with People, LeVox said, "I've never been okay with the way that it ended. I was never okay with."
He then added, "I wasn't happy that Joe Don [Rooney] quit."
Last year, LeVox, Rooney and Jay DeMarcus, the trio behind hits like "Bless The Broken Road," "Life Is A Highway," "What Hurts The Most," "My Wish," "I Like The Sound Of That" and more, appeared on "CBS This Morning" and announced that their 20th anniversary tour would also be the official farewell tour for Rascal Flatts.
However, the tour was canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic and the dates were never rescheduled.
"It kind of came out of nowhere," LeVox shared. "It was like, 'Let me try to wrap my head around this.' And then I certainly wasn't okay with the pandemic, which canceled everything. I hate the way that it ended. I hate that we didn't get to do this farewell tour. I can't stand the fact that it just feels there's no closure with something that we've been so blessed with. That will always be in my heart."
After the break up, the trio have pursued solo careers, with LeVox releasing the recent Christian album One on One, while DeMarcus released a tribute to his late father with "Music Man."
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