The singer underwent urgent surgery, and he says it was a success. Continue reading…
The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
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Cody Johnson Updates Fans After Surgery
Day: October 9, 2025
Parton cleared up rumors with a new video update, straight from her to the fans. Continue reading…
The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Florida’s 1st District Court of Appeal recently overturned a decades-old law that previously made it a misdemeanor to openly carry a firearm in public. Continue reading…
The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Megan Moroney might be approaching the final dates of her AM I OKAY? headline tour, but the memories of the trek will live on forever in her just-announced live album, dropping tonight, Wednesday, October 8 at midnight.
Throughout the tour, named after her sophomore album, fans have packed venues night after night, singing every word, shedding a few tears, and dancing through the heartbreak right alongside Moroney. The AM I OKAY? Tour Live Album is expected to capture all the raw emotion, crowd energy, and fan-favorite moments that made the tour such a hit.
“THE AM I OKAY? TOUR LIVE ALBUM IS OUT TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT! 💙 I’ve decided the only way I can possibly come to terms with this chapter ending is knowing that we’ll have the entire show to listen back to whenever we want… and we get to relive these memories forever,” the Georgia native shared.
Fans who caught the tour know just how special these shows have been for both those in the audience as well as Moroney on stage. From the heartbreak during “No Caller ID” to the full-volume singalongs on “6 Months Later,” fans will soon get to experience it all over again.
Megan Moroney went on to gush over how much this trek has meant to her. She ended her message by thanking everyone who had a hand in making it such a successful run.
“This tour is permanently burned into my brain & has given me some of the happiest times of my life 💙 To all my emo cowgirls/cowboys, my rockstar band & my incredible touring crew… thank you for bringing your heart into this show with me night after night 💙”
There are only three more stops left on the AM I OKAY? before it officially comes to a close. Three more shows also means “THREE more nights of checking our pulses.” Her final dates will take place across Dallas, Texas with consecutive nights at the Texas Trust CU Theatre from October 10-12.
“y’all better be ready to bring it dallas!!!!!!!!! 🥳” Moroney added.
The announcement post includes the artwork for the new project, a snapshot of exactly how Moroney felt during the tour, a snippet of the track “Wonder” featuring some very loud fans singing along, and the tour’s set list, which is likely to serve as the foundation of the project’s track list. Each night, she performed a mix of tunes spanning her entire catalog, celebrating her very first release all the way through her newest song.
AM I OKAY? TOUR Set List
- “Man On The Moon”
- “Indifferent”
- “I Know You”
- “Noah”
- “Third Time’s The Charm”
- “No Caller I’d”
- “I’m Not Pretty”
- “Hair Salon”
- “Girl In The Mirror”
- “Sleep On My Side”
- “Lucky”
- “Karaoke”
- “Hell Of A Show”
- “28th Of June”
- “Hope You’re Happy”
- “Mama I Lied”
- “Miss Universe”
- “Break It Right Back”
- “Bless Your Heart”
- “Wonder”
- “6 Months Later”
- “The Girls”
- “Tennessee Orange”
- “I’ll Be Fine”
- “Am I Okay?”
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Alan Jackson is ending his touring career with a bang. Before officially hanging up his hat, the country icon is inviting some of the biggest names in country music to help celebrate his retirement at Last Call: One More for the Road – The Finale.
The last full-length concert of Jackson’s touring career will take place Saturday, June 27, 2026 at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium. This unforgettable night will feature an all-star lineup of artists who will take the stage to help commemorate Jackson’s long and successful career and the legacy he’s leaving behind. Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Riley Green, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Jon Pardi, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Lee Ann Womack are all set to perform.
Even more multi-platinum, Grammy, CMA and ACM Award-winning artists are said to be announced prior to the grand event. The concert is expected to be unlike any show Alan Jackson has ever put on before and more than 50,000 people will fill the field and stands to experience the magic of it all.
“We just felt like we had to end it all where it all started for me, and that’s in Nashville – Music City – where country music lives,” Jackson shared.
Registration for pre-sales begins today, October 8 at 10:00am CT at www.AlanJacksonLastCall.com and continues through Monday, October 13. Pre-sales begin Wednesday, October 15 at 10:00am CT. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, October 17 (Jackson’s birthday) at 10:00am CT, should any remain. VIP experiences are also available.
The “Chattahoochee” singer had been hinting that something big was on the horizon, and after his announcement this spring, fans quickly put the pieces together. During a concert in Milwaukee last May, Alan Jackson surprised fans by declaring that he’s officially wrapping up his touring career.
“This is my last road show,” he told the sold-out crowd. “It’s been a long, sweet ride. It started 40 years ago. I’ve really lived the American dream for sure – I’m so blessed.”
Over the years, Jackson has taken his iconic country music catalog all across the U.S., coast to coast, and around the globe from Canada and Australia to Brazil and Europe. His Last Call: One More for the Road Tour, which kicked off in 2022 and ran through this past spring, saw the Country Music Hall of Famer performing to nearly sold-out crowds at almost every stop.
Because Alan Jackson has built such a name for himself in the industry, it only feels right that he close the door on this chapter in the biggest and best way possible.
Presented by Silverbelly Whiskey and promoted by Doussan Music Group and Peachtree Entertainment, Last Call: One More for the Road – The Finale marks the official end to Jackson’s touring legacy. For every ticket sold, $1 will be donated to the CMT Research Foundation, a 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt organization that funds research to find a cure for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. This donation will be matched with a $2 contribution from a generous donor More details can be found at alanjackson.com.
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Country music fans can take a breath because Dolly Parton herself, has come out to say that she is doing okay and still staying busy even while taking a step back from her work to prioritize her health.
Sitting in front of a green screen, the “9 To 5” singer took a break from filming some commercials for the Grand Ole Opry to give her fans an update on what’s really been going on behind the scenes.
“I want to say something. Well, today’s October the eighth, and obviously I’m here doing some commercials for the Grand Ole Opry, which is why I’m dressed kind of like a country western girl,” she began. “But before I got started, I wanted to say, I know lately everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am. Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard here. Anyway, I wanted to put everybody’s mind at ease. Those of you that seem to be real concerned, which I appreciate, and I appreciate your prayers because I’m a person of faith, I can always use the prayers for anything and everything, but I want you to know that I’m okay.”
Dolly,79, went on to admit that she is dealing with some health problems that she had put off for some time while caring for her husband, Carl, who she says was “very sick” prior to his passing on March 3, 2025. Following his death, she says, “I didn’t take care of myself. So I let a lot of things go that I should have been taken care of.”
Now, she is taking the necessary time to prioritize her health and revealed that the reason for her recent cancelations is because she needs to be close to Vanderbilt hospital while undergoing some treatments.
“So anyway, when I got around to it, the doctor said, ‘we need to take care of this. We need to take care of that.’ Nothing major, but I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home, closer to Vanderbilt, where I’m kind of having a few treatments here and there. But I wanted you to know that I’m not dying,” Dolly added, assuring fans that she is not slowing down yet.
She even joked about a few of the AI generated photos she has seen surface online, showcasing fake images of her on her “deathbed” with Reba McEntire by her side that made it seem like she was in very bad health.
“We both looked like we need to be buried, but I thought, oh my Lord. But if I was really dying, I don’t think Reba would be the one at my death bed. She might come visit me earlier, but anyway, there’s just a lot of rumors flying around, but I figured if you heard it from me, you’d know that I was okay.”
Dolly left fans with a final vote of confidence as she stated, “I am not ready to die yet.”
“I don’t think God is through with me and I ain’t done working. So I love you for caring and keep praying for me,” she added in conclusion.
The rumors of Dolly’s declining health were elevated yesterday when her sister, Freida Parton, shared an emotional post on Facebook asking for prayers for the country icon. She admitted to spending the night praying for Dolly and asked other “prayer warriors” around the world to join her in sending her sister positivity.
“Last night, I was up all night praying for my sister, Dolly. Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately,” she wrote. “I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I have been lead to ask all of the world that loves her to be prayer warriors and pray with me. She’s strong, she’s loved, and with all the prayers being lifted for her, I know in my heart she’s going to be just fine. Godspeed, my sissy Dolly. We all love you!”
Shortly after, Freida took to the same verified Facebook account, which identifies her as “Freida Parton, twin sister of Floyd Parton and sister to Dolly Parton,” to clarify that Dolly is okay and simply needed a little extra support.
“I want to clear something up. I didn’t mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious when asking for prayers for Dolly,” she explained. “She’s been a little under the weather, and I simply asked for prayers because I believe so strongly in the power of prayer. It was nothing more than a little sister asking for prayers for her big sister. Thank you all for lifting her up. Your love truly makes a difference.”
This message was especially alarming to fans especially since it came just days after Dolly Parton announced that she would be postponing her Las Vegas concerts. These shows were originally set to take place in early December. At the time, she explained that this decision was made due to recent “health challenges.”
On September 28, Dolly shared that she’s set to undergo “a few procedures,” which will prevent her from having enough time to prepare for her Las Vegas shows. As a result, the concerts have been postponed until September 2026.
Her message to fans read:
“I want the fans and public to hear directly from me that, unfortunately, I will need to postpone my upcoming Las Vegas concerts. As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures. As I joked with them, it must be time for my hundred thousand mile checkup, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon! In all seriousness, given this, I am not going to be able to rehearse and put together the show that I want you to see, and the show that you deserve to see. You pay good money to see me perform, and I want to be at my best for you. Well I’ll still be able to work on all of my projects from here in Nashville, I just need a little time to get show ready as they say. And don’t worry about me quitting the music business because God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet. But, I believe he is telling me to slow down right now so I can be ready for more big adventures with all of you. I love you and thank you for understanding.”
On top of the Vegas shows, Dolly Parton was also recently forced to miss an appearance at Dollywood after revealing she was dealing with a painful kidney stone that led to an infection.
“Turned out it’d given me an infection,” she told fans in a video message. “And the doctor said, ‘You don’t need to be traveling right this minute, so you need a few days to get better.’”
It’s still unclear what kind of ongoing health challenges Dolly is facing, however per today’s statement, fans can rest easy knowing that the queen of country music isn’t going anywhere just yet.
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Country Next: Kaleb Sanders
Kaleb Sanders has been chasing music for most of his life, but it wasn’t until he made the move to Nashville that his career truly began to take shape. Now, as a new signee of Red Street Records with over 10 million career streams to his name, the rising country star is finally leaning into the path he was always destined for.
Growing up in Florida with generations of musical tradition steeped in his family roots, Sanders found himself surrounded by music lovers. However, he didn’t immediately see himself on stage. It took some time and a move to Nashville, but he eventually found his voice and developed a sound which he calls “genre agnostic” as it blends the heart of country with influences from many different genres.
Sanders is currently making waves in the Music City scene with a growing collection of songs that showcase his versatility, including “Marlboro Man,” “If They Sold It At A Bar,” his latest single, “Heartbreak Carousel” and more. On top of that, he’s earning a reputation for delivering energetic live performances that prove he is a rising artist with a long career ahead.
In this installment of Country Next, Kaleb Sanders shares what inspired his path to music, the creative process behind his latest releases, and what fans can look forward to as he hits the road this fall with Jay Webb.
What was it like being raised in a family with such deep musical roots?
It’s a long bloodline of musicians and passionate music lovers on both sides of my family…Right now, this very day, my grandmother is 93 years old and she’s probably at a nursing home singing songs to the patients there. She’s doing gigs still. But yeah, all of my aunts, all of my uncles on both sides are singers and everyone’s just lovers of music. It just goes back generations and generations.
Did that same passion for music develop right away for you?
Actually, no, I resisted it for a very long time. My parents split up when I was about two or three, and I was really conflicted with who I was and what I wanted to do, and everything was kind of everywhere. I was like, I’m going to do the sensible thing in life. I’m going to do sports and I’m going to get a scholarship and go to college and get a good job and just do that. Because I watched my dad as a touring musician, I was like, I just don’t want to live that lifestyle. I feel like I was scared I wouldn’t succeed in it, and I was also really, really, really, really, really shy about singing in front of people. So that didn’t help. But when I was 18, I had just graduated high school and I was in my freshman year of college. My grandfather on my dad’s side passed away and it hit me a freight train, and I knew all at once that music was exactly what I needed to do with my life. And so without even knowing a single chord on the guitar or having sang in front of anybody right then and there at his funeral, dedicated my life to music and I went back to my college town, grabbed all my stuff, moved to my hometown, started working on a farm. Every day after I would come home from work, I would YouTube how to play guitar, and I started learning. It took me a couple of years and I started getting up in front of people and playing. So I didn’t start getting up in front of people until I was about 20, 21.
Do you feel like performing has helped you come out of your shell and gain some more confidence?
Definitely over time. My first performance ever was an open mic, and I was only intended to sing one song, and my friend Tristan Tritt challenged me to do it. He’s Travis Tritt’s son. Me and him were kind of in the same boat as far as our fear of performing in front of people, and we were like, ‘alright, if you don’t do it by this date, blah, blah, blah, here are the consequences.’ And he was like, ‘alright, you got to do it by this date.’ And I was like, ‘alright, you got to do it by this date.’ And so we made a pact and I signed up for this open mic, and I didn’t know what to expect. It’s like, is there going to be 10 people in here or what’s the deal? I got there with my guitar and there was 400 people in the audience. It was a very grandiose stage in a really, really, it was beautiful, but for three nights, I could not eat or sleep before that performance. And that proved to me how much I really do care about this.
How were you feeling when you finally got up on stage that night?
So I got up there and all of a sudden I felt this peace wash over me, even though I was shaking and I sang, “Hallelujah.” That was the first song I ever learned was “Hallelujah.” And the reaction from the crowd right after I sang the first line of the song, they just erupted sort of, and I was like, oh, they’re being nice. And then I sang the song, I just poured my heart out and I sang the song and I got off a stage and there was loud applause and people were crying and I was just like, oh, okay. Maybe they weren’t being just nice.
At what point did you decide you were ready to fully lean into this path and move to Nashville?
I wanted to three years before I actually did, or more so from that moment, I definitely already had my heart set on Nashville. It was on my mind every day, but I knew I needed some more time to get in front of people and sharpen my skills. And so I started doing real gigs and going to different bars where people weren’t paying attention. It was like nobody cared kind of thing. Nobody was really listening. It was just all those kinds of settings, and I was just kind of still shy getting up there and doing my thing. But after a couple years of that, I started getting more comfortable and I was like, you know what? I need to be up in Nashville. And finally everything came to a head in my life that just pushed me towards the decision to up and move.
What was the final motivating factor that pushed you to move to Music City?
It was three things at once. In 2019, my girlfriend of two years, her and I ended up breaking up and this was all in almost the same day. We ended up breaking up. I ended up going, ‘you know what? I’m going to quit my job in construction. I really have to follow my heart, and I’m feeling it. I’m being pulled towards it.’ And as soon as those two things happened, I got home and the house I was renting, I got home and I put my things down I was like, alright, what do I do now? And my landlord called me and was like, ‘Hey, we’re going to tear your house down in two weeks, so get ready for that.’ He’s like, ‘yeah, we’re doing construction. Sorry, it’s so abrupt.’ And I was like, ‘okay, sounds I’m packing up and moving to Nashville now.’
You currently describe your sound as being “genre agnostic.” How did you come up with that description?
Yeah, that is correct. To me, genre agnostic means that whatever comes out, comes out. I don’t like to box myself into any sort of sound or genre because I have influences from across the board, heavy influences from across the board. And even though I do have a lot of heavy influence from country music, Jason Aldean, being my biggest influence, I have influences from pop, hip hop, rock. I’m a huge lover of John Mayer. I love Maroon 5, Incubus, Three Doors Down, Nickelback, The Allman Brothers. And as far as hip hop and rap go, I’ve always loved Drake and Lil Wayne, and it was my mix tapes were always, when I got on the aux, my playlist was, it would be like Lil Wayne one song, and then Jason Aldean the next…so all over the place.
And just to kind of add that statement, I see that happening a lot with my fellow artists here in Nashville, and I think a lot of them feel like they have to say that, I don’t want to say that they have whatever they have going on, but a lot of them are like, ‘Hey, I’m a country artist.’ And I feel compelled to say that sometimes too, but I’m like, you know what? Traditional country lovers and traditional country artists, which I look up to, they don’t really like it when a guy like me walks in with my pop country sound, which I call Southern pop, and I call myself a country singer. They’re not too keen on that. And I’m like, you know what? I want to respect that because I don’t think I’m all country. I’m a lot of other things.
If someone is hearing your music for the first time, which song would you have them start with to get to know you as an artist?
I would recommend two different songs. I would recommend “Marlboro Man” so that they could hear my fun side, my more upbeat side. I think it’s a pretty good, that is a tough one to really draw out. That’s a really good song to get an idea of what my vibe is. And on the more serious side, “Man Of The House” if you want to really understand me as an artist as far as my vulnerability and emotionally where I do some things I like to touch on. “Man Of The House” is a very moving song and a true story about my mother having to do lot of the raising of me and my brother on her own for a while when we were really young. And that resonates with a lot of people.
You just signed your first record deal, how did it feel to surpass that milestone?
Oh, wow. I mean, it was huge. It was pivotal. It was so much excitement and then tears of joy. My whole family, for generations and generations, they’ve been just blood, sweat and tears poured into music. My whole family just got just lit up. They were like, ‘you’ve made it farther than any of us. Go, go, go.’ And it was a huge, huge, huge moment. And it was something that I always dreamed of, but I never knew if it would actually happen. I had an inkling, I was like, I don’t know. I’m just going to enjoy the ride and keep doing it. And I think that’s what ultimately got me and my crew where we are. We just kept working hard and enjoying where we’re at, and we continued to do that. It was so so pivotal and it’s made this year for me, 2025 has been a huge year of growth and a lot of learning. I’ve been able to learn so much from Jay DeMarcus and just so honored to be able to work with him so closely at Red Street Records And just, it’s been amazing.
(Bottom Left to Right): Red Street Records CEO Jay DeMarcus, Kaleb Sanders, Red Street Records Owner/Chairman Dan Crockett
Looking back on the moment you found out about this news, what was you first reaction?
It was the most exciting phone call I think I ever received. And it was actually after I released the song “Marlboro Man,” and that’s why I like to point people towards that when they’re like, ‘Hey, which song should I listen to?’ “Marlboro Man” because after I released that, I started getting calls from people I never thought I’d get calls from about, ‘Hey, why don’t you come in and meet with us?’ I’m like, ‘what?’ They’re like, ‘we like this song. We want to know what you got next. We want to talk to you. We’re kind of excited about you as an artist.’ And I’m like, ‘what? Okay, on my way.’
Talk about the story behind your latest release, “Heartbreak Carousel.”
So I did not have a hand in writing this one, actually. An artist and a songwriter, I look up to a lot, wrote this one with a few other people…It was pitched to me by the label, and immediately when I heard it, I had goosebumps and I was with my manager in the truck and we were just like, we turned it up and we got goosebumps immediately when we heard Ryan Hurd’s voice and the energy of the song. And I just related to it so much, the toxic relationship stuff, I hate to say it, but I really do relate to it really, really, really been there. That, and “Heartbreak Carousel” is sort of, I don’t want to go into too much detail, but I think it’s something that a lot of people can relate to, especially when you’re younger and you’re still trying to figure out how to be in a relationship and what you want out of a relationship and who you think you are and who you think you want as a partner. So it hit me hard, and I was just so fired up about that song and the fact that I got the opportunity that it was pitched to me. I was like, how come Ryan’s not cutting this?
You just finished supporting Erin Kinsey and are about to join Jay Webb on tour. How has this year on the road been for you?
I’m heavily touring and I just really, I’m going all over the country and I want anybody who doesn’t know to know. I just did a countrywide tour with Erin Kinsey and it was such a fantastic time and I just want to thank her and thank God that I was able to join that tour. It was very, very wonderful and a lot of growth happened, and I just got on a tour with Jay Webb for the fall, and we’re starting in just a couple of weeks. We’re starting in October right after my release for “Heartbreak Carousel,” and we’re going to be going everywhere. It’s on my social media. It’s pinned on my profile, our tour schedule.
What are your shows going to look like this fall?
They’re going to be changing up a bit. I’m excited. I don’t know if this is really something to tell the world, like whatever, just put on a show, but I got all new equipment and all my stuff’s wireless now, so I can run around stage and just be my energetic self. I get excited for these shows, so I like to bring the energy. So I’m excited to open for Jay Webb, and I know he’s got a lot of energy too, so I’m really stoked about being able to put the guitar down and just run around the stage and just have fun with the crowd.
The post Country Next: Kaleb Sanders appeared first on Country Now.
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The legendary country band, ALABAMA, was celebrated at the 8th annual Nashville Songwriter Awards with the prestigious Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing their decades-long impact on songwriting and the genre. Teddy Gentry was on hand to accept the honor while Randy Owen and Jeff Cook (honored posthumously) were collectively recognized for their contributions to the group’s legacy.
The historic Ryman Auditorium was filled with music fans, industry members, songwriters, friends, and family on Tuesday, September 23, as the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) hosted the annual event.
This year, 42 songwriters were recognized for their exceptional contributions to the craft. Created by the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), the annual Nashville Songwriter Awards once again shined a spotlight on the talented creators behind the songs that captivate audiences worldwide. For the eighth consecutive year, the presenting partner City National Bank helped bring the event to life.
The evening opened with a moving tribute to NSAI founding member Kris Kristofferson. Lukas Nelson took the stage to honor the legendary songwriter who inspired the namesake to NSAI’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Later on in the night, Kristofferson’s wife, Lisa Kristofferson was on hand to honor her late husband as she presented this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award to 2025 honorees. The group’s Teddy Gentry stepped on stage to collect the coveted trophy, marking a milestone moment in a career that has helped define country music for generations.
Reflecting on the meaning behind this award, Gentry shared, “This award was a lifetime wish for me. As a songwriter, musician and singer, being honored for our contributions as songwriters is the most welcome accomplishment in my world. The Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award from NSAI means more to me than I can put into words.”
The celebration continued with more performances honoring ALABAMA’s iconic career of hits. Gordon Mote delivered a medley of the band’s biggest hits, followed by Jason Aldean who performed the classic “My Home’s In Alabama.” Lorrie Morgan also took the stage to pay tribute with her heartfelt rendition of “There’s No Way.” Together, the performances offered a moving musical ode to the band’s decades of influence on country music.
As always, the 8th annual Nashville Songwriter Awards, presented by City National Bank, committed to its mission to celebrate the people behind the songs. The night highlighted the creativity, passion, and heart that go into writing the songs that fans all know and love. NSAI’s annual awards will bring the event back to the Ryman Auditorium next year for the 9th annual ceremony, set to take place on September 22, 2026.
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The fashion and style of New Jack Swing was an undeniable part of what made the genre of music great. Teddy Riley, Bobby Brown, and the many other artists that defined the sound also looked the part. The jackets were colorful, the jewelry was in abundance. In short, everyone dressed up. They knew that the clothes had to match the vibrant, hard-hitting sounds. In this photo essay, we celebrate some of the iconic fashion and style of New Jack Swing.
Bobby Brown (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Johnny Gill (Photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns)
Singer and producer Teddy Riley, Aaron Hall and Timmy Gatling of Guy (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Aaron Hall, Teddy Riley and Damion Hall of Guy (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
Ralph Tresvant (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
Teddy Riley (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
New Edition (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
Johnny Gill and ‘Video Soul’ host Donnie Simpson (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
Aaron Hall (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
Looking for more New Jack Swing? Explore the history of the sound with our countdown of the best New Jack Swing songs ever.
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Sparrow Records: The Visionary Gospel Years
When Billy Ray Hearn began Sparrow Records in January 1976, he was at the forefront of the developing and not-yet-named genre of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) since 1972 as the founder of Myrrh Records, a subsidiary of Word Records. There, he signed pioneering acts including Barry McGuire (of “Eve of Destruction” fame), the 2nd Chapter of Acts, Randy Matthews, and Honeytree, growing the label into the largest part of Word’s business. When the CHC Corporation offered Hearn financing to begin a new label, he jumped at the chance.
Sparrow became a leading force in the ever-expanding world of CCM, signing a plethora of groundbreaking artists like Keith Green, Sheila Walsh, Steve Taylor, and Rez Band that displayed the diversity and commercial possibilities of the genre. Noticeably absent from the label’s roster, however, were Black artists. It wasn’t until 1986 when they signed Deniece Williams and BeBe and CeCe Winans that Sparrow began to play a visionary role in the gospel market. Vicki Mack Latiallade, known today as the founder of GospoCentric Records – the label that introduced the world to Kirk Franklin – began as marketing manager for Sparrow’s gospel division during this era, eventually becoming director of the label’s gospel department.
Listen to the best songs by BeBe & CeCe Winans now.
With painstaking attention to every song that went on an album and innovative marketing ideas, Latiallade took gospel into unchartered territory. She recalls, “I would go to the Jack The Rapper Family Affair Conference and the Black Record Conference (BRC) and give these albums to my secular people that I had worked with and [secular] radio stations because that’s what I knew and who knew me. It turned out to be really brilliant – but I didn’t know that!”
The crossover success of BeBe & CeCe Winans’ first two albums and their first venture with Tramaine Hawkins led to the signing of Daryl Coley, the Ricky Grundy Chorale, Sandra Crouch, Richard Smallwood, and many others.
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Tramaine came to Sparrow in 1988 on the heels of the massive crossover success of “Fall Down (Spirit of Love),” which topped Billboard’s Dance chart in 1985, much to the chagrin of the gospel audience. She returned to her traditional roots with The Joy That Floods My Soul, but her comeback was complete with 1990’s double album, Tramaine Hawkins Live, which she co-produced with her manager Lee Magid and ex-husband Walter Hawkins.
Gospel radio embraced “The Potter’s House,” which dominated airwaves for nearly two years. Live won a Grammy Award, a Stellar Award, two Dove Awards and garnered Hawkins appearances on the Arsenio Hall Show, The Joan Rivers Show, and other mainstream television programs. It stayed in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Gospel chart for over a year. Just after winning the Grammy, she told The Messenger, “I was born into gospel music. Why should I have to leave it to be successful? I see gospel becoming as big as rap.”
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In April of 1990, Sparrow signed Daryl Coley. As a musician and choir member at Walter Hawkins’ Love Center, Coley emerged as an artist in his own right. He already had quite a pedigree: He’d duetted with Nancy Wilson on 1984’s “Just the Two Of Us,” arranged and played on Sylvester’s stunning arrangement of “One Night Only,” was Tramaine Hawkins’ musical director in the early 1980s, and scored a Grammy nomination for his 1985 gospel debut, Just Daryl.
His Sparrow debut, He’s Right On Time: Live from Los Angeles was foregrounded in traditional gospel and augmented by jazz and Latin rhythms as well as forays into praise & worship and contemporary Christian music. He’s Right On Time was a bona fide hit, peaking at #3 on Billboard’s gospel chart and acknowledged with Grammy and Stellar Award nominations. “Daryl could do anything,” Latiallade asserts. “He is often copied, but never duplicated. He’s one of the finest vocalists of all time in any genre.”
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While praise and worship music is, today, standard fare in most churches, that was not the case in the 1990s. Patrick Henderson, then-director of the West Angeles Church of God in Christ Choir, broke new ground when he partnered with Sparrow to produce a series intended to bring praise and worship music into the Black church. Henderson, whose resume included work with Leon Russell, The Doobie Brothers, and Maria Muldaur, told Billboard, “I felt as if there was a language being created and that it was the language of worship and praise…that the Lord was breaking down denominations and getting us all singing the same songs.” The “Testimony Medley” sought to incorporate songs from the tradition of the Black church with the newer songs the Saints In Praise series introduced.
“We like to do new and innovative things,” Vicki Mack Latiallade told Billboard. “We were the first to come out with an album of children’s praise, Plus, as part of our marketing, we did an hour-long special distributed to gospel radio just to let the programmers know more about the project.” The Saints In Praise series (which included three albums and a children’s release titled Little Saints in Praise) was wildly successful, resulting in two Dove Awards and five Stellar Award nominations.
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Different Lifestyles was BeBe & CeCe Winans’ third project with Sparrow, one that delivered the breakthrough their first two albums had been building towards. Their self-titled debut and gold-selling sophomore album, Heaven, earned them airplay on R&B radio, heavy rotation on BET’s Video Soul, and word-of-mouth recommendations from mainstream artists and personalities like Whitney Houston, Oprah Winfrey, Dionne Warwick, Luther Vandross, and others, while stoking the flames of controversy in the gospel world for their allegedly ambiguous lyrics. “We have been controversial in the eyes of traditionalists,” BeBe told Ebony. Latiallade pleaded her case to gospel radio programmers, however. She says, “I would tell them, ‘Look, we need to be on the forefront of this because it needs to come from us – not the other way around!’ Urban radio was looking to us to give them crossover music.”
With two back-to-back No. 1 singles on the R&B chart – “Addictive Love” and a cover of The Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There” with Mavis Staples – Different Lifestyles became the biggest selling album of their career, hitting No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B and Gospel Albums charts. It also won Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album at the Grammy Awards and was named in the Top 10 of Contemporary Christian Music magazine’s Greatest Albums list.
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