American Songwriter

1 day ago | americansongwriter.com | Lauren Boisvert

Before Stevie Nicks became the icon most commonly associated with Fleetwood Mac, the band was helmed by Peter Green. In 1967, Green formed the band along with Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Danny Kirwan, and Jeremy Spencer. Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, and Stevie Nicks would join later, after Green, Spencer, and Kirwan’s departures. Fleetwood Mac’s final and most known lineup may be iconic, but, according to Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green was the longtime heart of the band.

1 day ago | americansongwriter.com | Thom Donovan

Bush became a leading band in the post-grunge era. Led by Gavin Rossdale, Bush formed in London in 1992, but they didn’t sound anything like the indie guitar bands dominating British youth culture in the 1990s. In America, the music world was mourning the tragic death of Kurt Cobain. And Pearl Jam seemed to be doing everything it could to mitigate fame. Yet Rossdale embraced the Seattle sound and helped lead the post-grunge period with bands like Stone Temple Pilots and Live.

1 day ago | americansongwriter.com | Lauren Boisvert

Chet Atkins was a pioneer of the Nashville Sound, along with Owen Bradley, Bob Ferguson, Bill Porter, and Don Law. In the 50s and 60s, these five artists and producers altered the typical sound of country music and made something completely new. Many new listeners weren’t fond of the “twang” in traditional country music, so Atkins removed the fiddle and steel guitar from many recordings. The goal was to make country music appeal to fans of pop music.

2 days ago | americansongwriter.com | Matt Friedlander

A new installment of Joni Mitchell’s ongoing series of archival box sets will explore the profound influence that jazz has had on the legendary Canadian singer/songwriter’s music. Joni’s Jazz will be released on September 5 and will be available as an eight-LP set, a four-CD collection, and via digital formats and streaming services. The packaging for the physical versions of the box set will include liner notes, previously unseen photos, and original artwork by Mitchell.

2 days ago | americansongwriter.com | Erinn Callahan

A week ago, Luke Bryan left the stage after struggling through a show in Rogers, Arkansas. While he refunded the crowd’s tickets, the problems persisted for the “Mind of a Country Boy” star. After rescheduling two gigs in Louisiana and Texas, the American Idol judge announced today that he will miss even more shows “due to continued illness.” This includes Bryan’s headlining gig at the Country Stampede music festival in Bonner Springs, Kansas. Fortunately, Eric Church will step up to fill the void.