By Alan RichardApr 19, 202112 minMATT ROLLINGS' MUSICAL MOSAICIf you’ve listened to music from the past 25 years, you’ve likely heard Matt Rollings’ stylish and soulful piano, his pristine work as a...
By Alan RichardMar 27, 20218 minKYSHONA WANTS US ALL TO 'LISTEN'As Nashville singer-songwriter Kyshona Armstrong begins touring again, she won’t quite be the same dynamic singer as before. She won’t be...
By Alan RichardMar 18, 20218 minKELSEY WALDON'S FREEDOM SONGSKelsey Waldon was on a tour of the world, singing songs from her first album for John Prine’s record label, 2019's White Noise, White...
By Alan RichardFeb 26, 20211 minNEW MUSEUM LIKE 'A RIVER OF SONG'The new National Museum of African American Music recently opened in Nashville, just across the street from the Ryman Auditorium. Check...
By Alan RichardJan 13, 202110 minBarry Gibb: COUNTRY-SOUL MELODYBarry Gibb has come full circle. From the folk-rock trio with his brothers to adapting Philadelphia soul into the Bee Gees’ distinctive...
By Alan RichardDec 31, 20206 minOUR FAVORITE MUSIC OF 2020Welcome to SoulCountry’s first-ever “favorites” list. There was so much unforgettable music made in 2020 that'll stay with us long after...
By Alan RichardDec 27, 20202 minMEMPHIS' SACRED SOUL REVIVALMEMPHIS — Inside a restored Memphis brownstone dating to the 1860s, Pastor Juan D. Shipp danced and pointed through the studio window as...
By Alan RichardDec 19, 20209 minRISSI PALMER'S COLOR OF COUNTRYHad Rissi Palmer not become one of a handful of Black women ever to make Billboard magazine’s country-music charts, perform on the Grand...
By Alan RichardAug 8, 20208 minDeLila Black's Country-Punk VisionIn a little club in London, DeLila Black marches on stage in a dark, honky-tonk western shirt, slacks with an oversized belt-buckle, and...
By Alan RichardJul 6, 202010 minTHE GOSPEL OF STAXLEGENDARY LABEL RE-RELEASES LOST CLASSICS, WITH HELP FROM MEMPHIS WRITER In the early 1970s, Stax Records already was known for soul...
By Alan RichardJun 22, 20209 minSOUL MUSIC and CIVIL RIGHTSHOW 1960S AND 70S SOUL IS STILL CHANGING THE WORLD Can soul music save the world? In many ways, it already has. It did for me and still...
By Alan RichardJun 3, 20201 minESQUERITA: LOST ROCK LEGENDWithout Esquerita, there might have been no Little Richard, hence no Prince and no Elton John—and no rock ‘n roll as we know it. Little...
By Alan RichardMay 22, 202013 minMARSHALL CHAPMAN'S SONGS, SOUL AND GRACEThe first time I ever spoke with Marshall Chapman, she was crying on the other end of the telephone line. My assignment as a young...
By Alan RichardMay 12, 20206 minSWEET PEA ATKINSON: A TRIBUTEBlues and soul singer Sweet Pea Atkinson passed away on May 4, 2020 after a heart attack. He was 74. Born in Ohio and raised in Detroit,...
By Alan RichardMay 10, 20206 minLittle Richard: MUSICAL GIANTHow to pay tribute to one of the godfathers of rock 'n roll, who took gospel, blues and soul along with him for the kind of wild ride few...
By Alan RichardApr 5, 202010 minWHY HALL & OATES MATTERRooted in Philly soul, the duo blended folk, rock, country, and new wave into their own irresistible sound. Daryl Hall and John Oates met...
By Alan RichardApr 4, 20203 minA TRIBUTE TO BILL WITHERSSoulful singer-songwriter Bill Withers died on March 30, 2020. Born in the coal mining town of Slab Fork, WV, and raised in the town of...
By Alan RichardMar 27, 202011 minJim Lauderdale: COUNTRY, SOUL and BLUEGRASSJim Lauderdale is a musical chameleon of sorts. One of the best living country songwriters, his incredible range of styles is an amalgam...
By Alan RichardMar 5, 202013 minSTAX IN ’68: SOME OF MEMPHIS’ BEST MUSICAL MOMENTSOne of my favorite box sets is Stax ’68: A Memphis Story, a compilation of the legendary label’s dozens of singles and B-sides during a...
By Alan RichardFeb 19, 202010 minMEMPHIS MAGICProducer Matt Ross-Spang discusses his work with the Rev. Al Green, John Prine, Margo Price, William Bell, and other greats Few young...