Celebrating a milestone birthday in style, Ali Larter proves that 50 is just a number. Her latest photos are turning heads! Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
Category: Music
Celebrating a milestone birthday in style, Ali Larter proves that 50 is just a number. Her latest photos are turning heads! Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Dusty Black is living proof that it’s never too late to chase your dreams. After years of working as CEO of Black Tie Moving, a major personal loss shifted the course of his life and set him on a path to pursue country music alongside his business endeavors. Now, with his brand-new self-titled EP, Dusty is ready to show the world what he’s capable of.
The Texas-born, Memphis-raised country singer hails from a family with deep musical roots. His grandfather, Floyd Black “Junior,” played banjo and guitar in Johnny Cash’s band. Although Floyd passed away when Dusty was young, his passion for music still resonates through him as he follows in his footsteps. Black also inherited his love for the genre from his late father, Allen Black, who introduced him to the magic of traditional country storytelling.
“My father would drive from Memphis to Fort Smith, Arkansas, and it was about a six-hour drive every other weekend. And he would just literally blare ’90s country music the whole way for six hours. And we’d both sing it to the top of our lungs, and those were some of the best memories that I have with him,” Black told Country Now.
Black says he also witnessed his dad work “endlessly and tirelessly” to provide for his family, which in turn inspired him to want to do the same for his two daughters. He first found success in California working as founder and CEO of Black Tie Moving Company, but after his father’s passing, he decided life was too short to not do what you love.
He stepped away from the business about five years ago, allowing him to pour his focus into a new passion, and then returned to his role a year ago. Along the way, at 37, he began pursuing his childhood dream of becoming a country singer-songwriter, something his dad always believed he could do.
“My friends who were artists and songwriters in the industry, I think they saw the same thing that my dad did. They knew that I wanted to do it. I just didn’t really know where to begin and felt that my prime had passed because I started this thing a little later in life than they did. But you know what? It’s never too late to chase those childhood dreams that we have,” he stated confidently.
So around six years ago, Dusty Black started to build his music career independently alongside a core group of people in the industry who saw his potential and chose to invest in him as an artist. He signed with QHMG / Stone Country Records about a year and a half ago and then dedicated his days to listening to hundreds of outside songs to find the best ones to cut for his first project under the label.
Black went in with the “best song wins” mentality and luckily, he had a lot of friends that doubled as talented songwriters in town who could write stories that he related to on a deeply personal level. This resulted in him compiling six outside cuts that introduce his signature sound, offering a delicate blend of soulful contemporary country with everything from gritty, rural rock anthems to heartfelt songs about love, heartbreak and family.
“These songs are the first songs that we really felt passionate about and that I related with and that hit home…they’re songs that definitely tell a story, and I think it’s one that most of us can relate to. And I think that’s important in country music,” he explained.
Dusty Black opens with “Don’t That Sound Like Her,” a true heartbreak country song about a girl who steals hearts and then leaves them broken. He describes her as being an unforgettable figure in his life, someone who he thought was his best friend and the one who he’d be with forever until she decided to end it all. The sweet romance of the track’s opening verses evolves into full-blown fit of pain as Black reveals the hell she put him through.
Black admits his personal experiences with heartbreak closely align with this story, and based off the positive reaction it’s gotten from fans, it’s clear it’s hit close to home for his listeners too.
The project continues with “In That Case,” “Goodbye Drives Me Crazy,” and “Dust Off of Me” before closing out with “I Don’t Wanna Be Right,” and prideful ode to rednecks and the country way of life. In the middle also lies the incredibly powerful tribute about a father’s relationship with his son, “Curveball.”
The country singer explains he had this title sitting in his notes for around 10 years before Jordan Walker, Chris DuBois and Lynn Hutton finally brought it to life. It turned out to be his dad’s favorite song he’d heard before he died. Black recalls playing baseball growing up with his dad acting as his coach both in the game and in life.
“When he was alive, we used to sit on my back porch with guys like Jordan Walker and Mitchell Timpenney and Dylan Schneider and Morgan Wallen and Taylor Phillips and all these…We were all really good friends and we would sit on my back porch and my dad just soaked it all in,” Black explained. “And to put his favorite song out in ‘Curveball’ meant a lot to me.”
By putting out these songs and sharing his journey, Dusty Black hopes to encourage listeners with the message that no matter where you are in life, you can always change directions and start new. Aside from the millions of streams he’s racked up or the opportunities to open for artists like Rascal Flatts, Stoney LaRue and Lauren Alaina, nothing will be more successful in his eyes than inspiring his daughters, at 12 and 14, to pursue their own dreams.
“I think at the end of the day that we have to spend time with the people that we love and invest in those things and believe in ourselves … My dad always, he believed that I could do anything in this world. I passed that down to my girls.”
This project is just a small taste of what Dusty Black has in store. He teased he is already halfway through his next album with 13 or 14 songs finished and is feeling eager to continue his momentum and build his catalog even more.
“As excited as I am about all of these songs and this project, I’m even more excited about what we have coming for you guys.”
Dusty Black EP Track Listing:
1. “Don’t That Sound Like Her”(Houston Phillips, Kyle Schlienger, Kyler Weston)
2. “Goodbye Drives Me Crazy”(Josh Mirenda, Gary Garris, Houston Phillips)
3. “Curveball”(Jordan Walker, Chris DuBois, Lynn Hutton)
4. “Dust Off of Me”(Connie Harrington, Houston Phillips, Heath Sanders, Josh Dunne)
5. “In That Case”(Heath Sanders, Chris Stevens, Jordan Walker)
6. “I Don’t Wanna Be Right”(Nate Kenyon, Matt Gorman, Cooper Van Bascom)
The post Dusty Black Steps Out of the Office and Onto the Stage appeared first on Country Now.
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Faster Horses Festival will not return in 2026, marking the second straight year the popular country music event has been canceled. The festival, which typically draws thousands of fans for a weekend of country music and camping, was also absent from the calendar in 2025, leaving many wondering about its future.
In a statement shared on the festival’s official social media accounts, organizers announced the festival will take a hiatus in 2026 and did not indicate whether it will return in the future.
“Faster Horses Music Festival will not return in 2026,” the statement reads. “While the festival will not take place this year, we are proud of the memories created and the impact it has had on live music and Michigan. We remain grateful to the fans, artists, partners, and the Michigan International Speedway Community who have supported Faster Horses over the years.”
The reason for the prolonged hiatus is unknown.
Faster Horses has hosted dozens of country superstars over the years, including HARDY, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan, Zac Brown Band, Shania Twain, and many more.
This continued pause also reflects a larger shift happening across the country music festival scene. In recent years, several festivals have either taken breaks, scaled back, or shut down entirely as promoters navigate rising production costs, changing touring schedules, and evolving fan demand. As a result, it’s becoming a growing trend within the country music industry.
It was recently revealed that the long-running Watershed Festival would be taking a hiatus in 2026. The festival, which took place at the picturesque The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, shared the unfortunate news with fans on social media, writing: “After 13 incredible years of country music and community at The Gorge, we wanted to be the first to let you know that Watershed will be taking a hiatus in 2026. Any future plans will be announced accordingly.”
Several country music festivals have faced setbacks in recent years, leaving fans disappointed. The newly launched Iron Hills Country Music Festival, for example, was canceled before it even took place in 2025, citing “rising costs and lower-than-expected ticket sales.” Similarly, the Field & Stream Music Fest, originally scheduled for 2024 and 2025, was ultimately scrapped, with organizers issuing refunds to ticketholders and pointing to “circumstances beyond our control” as the reason for the cancellations.
These events now join Country Jam Colorado, which announced a pause for 2026 in order to “re-evaluate and plan for the future.”
Not all festivals are facing uncertainty, however. Country Thunder recently unveiled plans for its first-ever beachfront festival, while events such as Barefoot Country Music Festival, Stagecoach, and Tortuga Music Festival have already revealed star-studded lineups for 2026.
Whether these pauses reflect an oversaturated festival market or other challenges remains unclear. Either way, the cancellations and delays mark a disappointing loss for country music fans hoping to see their favorite artists live.
The post Faster Horses Festival Scrapped Again: A Sign Of Shifts In Country Music Festivals appeared first on Country Now.
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Priscilla Block lived out a lifelong dream on Wednesday night when she headlined Nashville’s iconic Ryman Auditorium, delivering a 90-minute show filled with fan-favorite hits and a few unforgettable surprises.
Taking the stage at approximately 9:30 p.m., Block opened the set with just her and her guitar, much like the early days of her career when she played to small crowds on stages lining Broadway and traveled from show to show in an old church van. This time, however, the Mother Church of Country Music was packed out just for her, making the moment feel especially full-circle.
After the first verse of “Things You Didn’t See,” the tour’s namesake and title track of her latest album, Block was joined by her band to finish the song. They quickly launched into “Try” and “Bring Me Downtown,” with Block stepping into her full stage presence. Between choreography and a fan blowing through her hair, she gave off full-on diva energy throughout the performance.
Fans got to see her confident and sassy side with “Goodwill To Gucci” and “Yard Sale,” along with a snippet of the body-positive anthem “Thick Thighs.” She also showed her softer side with the emotional “Couldn’t Care Less” and the heartfelt “Elijah,” which captured pieces of her love story.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Nashville show without a few surprises, and Block delivered. Chase Matthew joined her for “Stranger Things,” Shenandoah took the stage for “Two Dozen Roses,” Sara Evans made a surprise appearance for “Suds In The Bucket,” and finally, country icon Tracy Lawrence stepped out for a performance of “Find Out Who Your Friends Are.”
Sharing the stage with some of her musical heroes clearly left Block feeling a bit starstruck in the moment. Several times throughout the night, she admitted to the crowd, “This is the coolest night of my life.”
Packing out the historic venue was not lost on Block, who appeared to hold back tears at several points during the show. Having worked her way up from small venues to bigger stages and experienced the grind of building a career in music, it was clear just how much the moment meant to her.
Fans stole the show during “Just About Over You,” surprising the North Carolina singer with signs that read, “We will never get over you,” a touching display of love and support.
Block closed out the show with a massive sing-along to her song “Good On You,” repeatedly thanking fans for their unwavering support.
The Things You Didn’t See Tour came to a close at the Ryman, and there was no better way to end this chapter of Priscilla Block’s career. Ending on a high note, the tour captured the magic that is Priscilla Block, not only her unfiltered, confident personality, but also her emotional and heartfelt side. She truly stepped into her own as a headliner on this run, making it clear that while this may have been one of the biggest shows of her career so far, she’s only just getting started.
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