Tag: country music

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Pride Music: Country Artist Hayden Joseph ‘Out’

Out country artist Hayden Joseph

Out country music artist Hayden Joseph
Rising country music artist Hayden Joseph releases his uplifting anthem of self-acceptance, “Out,” just in time for Pride month. The new song showcases Hayden’s bright and effortless vocals amid modern country-pop production. The inspiring and forward-looking lyrics are a clarion call to be out and proud of who you are. “Every artist needs an ‘I am’ song, and this is mine,” says Joseph about the new track. “At its core, it’s a track about celebrating who you are. For me, it narrates coming out and fully accepting myself, but the meaning will change depending on the listener.” “I’ve sat on the song for 3 years because I didn’t want to ruffle country music feathers, but I have decided this Pride month is the time.” Hit the play button below and bounce along to “Out.” https://youtu.be/NLzzYaL8xkI Hayden has been making waves as one of the few out-and-proud singers in the country genre for the better part of the last year, following the successful release of his 2021 debut album, Different (which has garnered over 300,000 streams). He knows he faces an uphill battle as an openly gay male pursuing a country music career; it’s no secret that the genre hasn’t always been inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community. Despite that, he prides himself in the inclusive nature of his lyrics, and earnestly aspires to “write songs for everyone.” Hayden strives to continue breaking industry barriers, just as he says in his new single: “Times are changing, uncovering new ground. The world is ready for how I’m speaking out.” For more out country music artists, check out my previous posts with Cameron Hawthorn, Ty Herndon, and Patrick Masse & Drake Jensen. You can follow Hayden on Instagram here. “Out” is available now on all digital download/streaming platforms. https://www.instagram.com/p/CPi0alYD3fm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CPwneZrjmaZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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TN Lawmaker Blocks Honor For Gay Country Star TJ Osborne

Country music star TJ Osborne of Brothers Osborne

Country music star TJ Osborne of Brothers Osborne
TJ Osborne (screen capture via YouTube)
The Tennessee state legislature was all set to honor Brothers Osborne country star T.J. Osborne (who recently came out as gay in February) but a Republican lawmaker suddenly objected and killed the tribute. Even though the state Senate voted unanimously (30-0) in favor of the resolution, Rep. Jeremy Faison used his position as chair of the House Republican Caucus to block the honor. “We have some concerns” said Faison from the floor of the state House about Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 609. NBC News reports that when asked what those “concerns” were, the GOP lawmaker said, “It wasn’t heard in committee, and I feel like it needs to be.” That move effectively killed the resolution because the committee that would discuss the SJR has closed for the year.

While Faison makes it sound like a procedural issue, other lawmakers responded saying “a lot of SJRs aren’t “heard in committees” yet they receive votes and are passed. Most folks are attributing Faison’s objections to the fact that Osborne is gay and Faison has a history of supporting anti-LGBTQ legislation. According to NBC News, SJR 609 states that “though T.J. Osborne is not the first country music artist to come out as gay, he is the first and currently only openly gay artist signed to a major country label.” “Though it may have been merely a consequence of being true to himself, he has nonetheless become a trailblazer and a symbol of hope for those country music artists and fans alike who may have become ostracized from a genre they hold dear,” continues the resolution. As folks on Twitter criticized Faison, the Brothers Osborne chose to reach out to the Republican publicly instead of attack. “We’ve lived in this state for over half of our lives,” wrote the brothers before pointing out that Faison had voted to honor conservative pundit Ben Shapiro who doesn’t even live in Tennessee. “Jeremy, let’s have lunch one day,” continued the tweet. “On us. Would really like to know more about you as a person.”

For his part, Faison responded to the band saying he would be ‘honored to break bread’ with the Osborne bros, although ‘honored’ seems to be an awkward word choice given he had just done the exact opposite in objecting to the resolution. Brothers Osborne continued their classy approach saying they would follow up via direct messaging.

Still, the political gamesmanship didn’t sit well with many in the Nashville music scene. Country star Kacey Musgraves tweeted she was “massively disappointed” in the House Republicans for the ugly move.

In a recent CBS Sunday Morning interview, T.J. shared that he’s received “an incredible amount of support” since coming out. “And there’s been some people saying some off-color things to me,” continued Osborne before adding, “But it was a lot, a lot less than I expected.”

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TJ Osborne Exhales: ‘I Instantaneously Felt Like I Should Have Done This Long Ago’

TJ Osborne on The Ellen DeGeneres Show

TJ Osborne on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Country music star TJ Osborne on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (screen capture)
Following his public coming out on Wednesday, TJ Osborne of the country duo The Brothers Osborne beamed into The Ellen DeGeneres Show to talk about his decision, and how he feels in the afterglow of the love and support he’s received. Describing the experience as a “very emotional day,” Osborne explained he had really only come out to a very few family and friends before yesterday.

“I was asked ‘why do you have to do this?’ and I wish I didn’t have to. I kind of told myself for a long time ‘if everything is equal here and it’s not that big of a deal then why do I have to come out?’ And unfortunately it just isn’t that way.”

“And I got to this point where I knew there was never going to be a perfect time and honestly, now that I’m kind of behind it now – with coming out – it’s so wild to me to think that about the perfect time is always now.”

Like many folks who finally take the very personal step to share this very intimate part of their life, Osborne shared, “I instantaneously felt like I should have done this a long time ago.”

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Country Music Star TJ Osborne Comes Out

Country music star TJ Osborne comes out as gay

Country music star TJ Osborne comes out as gay
TJ Osborne (image via Brothers Osborne/Facebook)
Since forming as a band in 2012, the Brothers Osborne have made a huge splash in the world of country music releasing seven country Top 40 singles and three studio albums. After scoring four CMA Awards and seven Grammy Award nominations, things have been going pretty great. But lead vocalist T.J. Osborne, 36, has grown weary of carrying a secret. So today, the country music star shared with his fans what his family and close friends have known for a long time. Today, TJ Osborne comes out as gay. From TIME Magazine:

In some respects, he says, coming out publicly is no big deal. “I’m very comfortable being gay,” he says later, in a quiet room at the office of his management company. “I find myself being guarded for not wanting to talk about something that I personally don’t have a problem with. That feels so strange.”

With this news, T.J. becomes the only openly gay artist signed to a major country label—a historic moment for the genre. He’s had predecessors, of course: Other openly queer artists, from Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile to masked cowboy Orville Peck to viral hitmaker Lil Nas X, have found success by integrating country influences into their genre-defying music, and country artists including Chely Wright and Billy Gilman have passionate fanbases.

But T.J. may be the first to come out with his feet so firmly planted in both the sound and machinery of mainstream country, in the full bloom of his career.

“People will ask, ‘Why does this even need to be talked about?’ and personally, I agree with that,” he says. “But for me to show up at an awards show with a man would be jaw-dropping to people. It wouldn’t be like, ‘Oh, cool!”

While I celebrate Osborne finally living as his authentic self, the article reveals painful parts of his life – “It was so lonely and isolating.” He also shares one of his favorite songs, “21 Summer,” was actually written about an early heartbreak that he couldn’t discuss with anyone. And he was reminded of that everytime he sang the tune in concert. “There are so many times I’ve sung that song and wanted to cry,” he says. “People love that song, but the emotion of it is deeper than they even realize.” Make sure you read the full piece at TIME. In addition to being an uplifting moment in someone’s life, the article itself is artfully written. And you can find more of my coverage of coming out stories on The Randy Report here.

 

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Country Music Superstar Charley Pride Dead At 86 From COVID

Charley Pride (image via publicist)
Charley Pride, whose rich baritone voice and impeccable song-sense altered American culture, died Saturday, December 12, 2020, in Dallas, Texas of complications from Covid-19 at age 86. Born a sharecropper’s son in Sledge, Mississippi, on March 18, 1934, Pride emerged from Southern cotton fields to become country music’s first Black superstar and the first Black member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. “No person of color had ever done what he has done,” said Darius Rucker in the PBS American Masters film Charley Pride: I’m Just Me. Pride was a gifted athlete who at first thought baseball would be his path from poverty, labor, and strife. But his musical acumen was more impressive than his pitching arm or his hitting skills, and he emerged as one of the most significant artists at RCA Records, with chart-topping hits including “Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’,” “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone,” and “Mountain of Love.”

He won the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year award in 1971, its top male vocalist prize in 1971 and 1972, and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. His final performance came on November 11, 2020, when he sang “Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’” during the CMA Awards show at Nashville’s Music City Center with Jimmie Allen, a modern-day hitmaker who counts Pride among his heroes. Charley Frank Pride was not the first Black artist to make important contributions to country music — DeFord Bailey was a star of the Grand Ole Opry from 1927 through 1941 — but Pride was a trailblazer who emerged during a time of division and rancor. After a stint in the Army, time working at a Missouri smelting plant, and some unsuccessful attempts to break into big-league baseball, he came to Nashville in 1963 and made demonstration recordings with help from manager Jack Johnson.

In 1967, Pride’s recording of “Just Between You and Me” broke into country’s Top Ten, and Pride quit his job as a smelter. Iron ore was behind him, and platinum records lay ahead. Between 1967 and 1987, Pride delivered 52 Top 10 country hits (including 29 number ones), was honored with Grammy awards, and became RCA Records’ top-selling country artist. His musicality opened minds and superseded prejudice. “We’re not color blind yet, but we’ve advanced a few paces along the path and I like to think I’ve contributed something to that process,” Pride wrote in his memoir.

(via press release)

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Podcast: Chatting With Country Music Star Cameron Hawthorn

Cameron Hawthorn (photo: Matthew Holler)
Since the release of his oh-so-romantic 2019 single, “Dancing in the Living Room,” out singer/songwriter Cameron Hawthorn has continued to release a string of top-shelf country anthems. Continue reading “Podcast: Chatting With Country Music Star Cameron Hawthorn”

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Cameron Hawthorn’s Pensive, Personal New Single “To Break Hers”

Rising country music star Cameron Hawthorn (photo credit: Lindsey Patkos)
Rising country music star Cameron Hawthorn (photo credit: Lindsey Patkos)
I’m thinking out country singer Cameron Hawthorn’s new single, “To Break Hers” is going to resonate with a lot of gay men. Continue reading “Cameron Hawthorn’s Pensive, Personal New Single “To Break Hers””

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Out Music: Drake Jensen Wants To ‘Burn The Floor’

Drake Jensen (center) in his music video ‘Burn the Floor’ (screen capture)
Out country artist Drake Jensen’s latest music video, “Burn The Floor,” is an upbeat, infectious, country/dance confection. “‘Burn the Floor’ was the result of country music imagined in a different way,” Jensen shared with The Advocate. “I really feel this is my strongest offering to date, and I created it with the ideology that I have had for years since starting my musical journey: that country music is for everyone. As long as there was a voice to send the message.” The music video for the new single, filmed at the Kinki Lounge & Kitchen in Ottawa, Canada, is a celebration of LGBTQ diversity featuring a wide-ranging spectrum of community members all celebrating as one. In a statement, Jensen said the inclusivity of the video was part of the message:

“There has been a lot of divisiveness within our community as we tend to sub-categorize each other. My answer to this was to create a song that would be completely inclusive and then invite the gay community of Canada’s capital to film the video. The result was an outburst of fun with so many different members of our community, all of who help make up our beautiful rainbow, where we all party the night away together as one.”

Check out my podcast interview with Jensen and fellow out Canadian country artist Patrick Masse chatting on their duet, “Go Your Own Way,” an empowering anti-bullying anthem for young LGBTQs.

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Out Music: Cameron Hawthorn ‘Oh Hot Damn!’

Cameron Hawthorn (via Instagram/photo: Fredrick Broden)
After making a splash with his oh-so-romantical music video, “Dancing In The Living Room,” out country singer Cameron Hawthorn’s follow-up single takes the action from a living room two-step to busting a move in a barroom line dance. Continue reading “Out Music: Cameron Hawthorn ‘Oh Hot Damn!’”

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Country Radio Host Interviews Mayor Pete, Bosses Say Chat Can’t Be Aired

Radio host Blair Garner interviewed Mayor Pete Buttigieg for his syndicated radio show, but bosses later told him the segment couldn't be aired
Country radio host Blair Garner interviews Mayor Pete Buttigieg (image via Twitter)

Blair Garner, whose syndicated country music radio show is heard in nearly 200 cities, was recently contacted by the presidential campaign of Mayor Pete Buttigieg requesting an interview.

Garner openly admits he was “stunned” by the request considering his radio show isn’t political, and most country music fans tend to be on the conservative end of the political spectrum.

But the veteran radio host also says he was “extremely flattered” by the approach.

“One of the few truly viable candidates in the race raised his hand and asked for a place at the table,” says Garner. “I was willing to give him that seat.”

Garner shares, via social media, that his only condition was that the Buttigieg campaign “value and appreciate our listeners, and never treat them as pawns.”

You’ve got to give it to Mayor Pete – he’s not leaving a single vote on the floor.

But after recording the 20 minute chat, Garner was told by his bosses at Cumulus Media he couldn’t share the interview on air.

“I was proud of it,” says the National Radio Hall of Famer. “But in the end, I was told I couldn’t air it.”

Cumulus issued a statement explaining their decision was based on the “large number of political candidates” currently running and the FCC’s Equal Time Rule, which requires media companies to provide equal airtime to all candidates.

Cumulus Nashville’s programming managers made the decision not to air Blair Garner’s pre-recorded interview with Mayor Pete Buttigieg because of the large number of political candidates currently in this race. The decision was made by local programming management based solely on concerns related to the application of the FCC’s Equal Time Rule. The effects of the FCC’s Equal Time Rule are widely understood and considered whenever these types of issues arise.

Garner says he would “GLADLY” welcome other serious candidates as a guest but “nobody else reached out.”

Garner did ask for, and received, permission to post the interview on his Soundcloud account.

You can listen to the chat between Blair Garner and Mayor Pete below.

As I was writing this post, I realized the third man in the photo below is Garner’s husband, Eric.

I’m not a political guy. My radio show isn’t political, nor does it aspire to be. I’m just the host of a syndicated Country music program who loves his country – both the amazing land in which we live, and the outstanding music from today’s Country artists. The phrase, “I love my Country” is one that I state proudly and without reservation. I mean it to my core. I was stunned when we were contacted by Mayor Pete’s team requesting an interview. Absolutely stunned. Since Country music tends to lean in a conservative direction, I was surprised. But more than surprised, I was EXTREMELY flattered. One of the few truly viable candidates in the race raised his hand and asked for a place at the table. I was willing to give him that seat. I would have also given a seat to any other viable candidate, from both sides. The only condition? They must also value and appreciate our listeners, and never treat them as pawns. Nobody else reached out. I assume nobody else even thought to reach out. The interview is twenty minutes in total length. I was proud of it. But in the end, I was told that I couldn’t air it. Again, I would have GLADLY welcomed any other viable candidates to be a guest, especially President Trump. To my thinking, the best way to a reasoned, thoughtful position on any topic, is to hear from both sides. Regardless, the interview was killed. I did, however, ask for permission to post the interview on my own personal SoundCloud account. I was given that blessing, and I am happy to share it with you there. (Link in Bio) #buttigieg #petebuttigieg #mayorpete #pete #peteforamerica #presidentpete #chastenbuttigieg #warren #democraticprimary #firstgent #biden #peteforprez #bootedgeedge #harris #election #beto #iowa #joe #sanders #bernie #runningforpresident #nextgeneration #policies #democracy #hope #youthvote #democrats #partywithpete #mayorpetebuttigieg
A post shared by blairgarner (@blairgarner) on Jul 19, 2019 at 12:30pm PDT