Marlene Houston
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Live Music Picks
Yukie Ota Keeps Sancan’s Sonatine Moving as a Butterfly Takes the Spotlight
A butterfly settled on Yukie Ota’s forehead during her 2014 Carl Nielsen competition performance, but her flute line continued. With…
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Together at the Farewell: Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton Sing “Islands in the Stream”
At Kenny Rogers’ 2017 farewell celebration in Nashville, “Islands in the Stream” brought his voice together with Dolly Parton’s once…
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Rick Astley Meets Foo Fighters’ Full-Volume Sound at Summer Sonic
An unexpected microphone brought Rick Astley from the side of the stage into Foo Fighters’ Summer Sonic set. Their heavy…
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Live Music Picks
Lady Gaga Reopens Mister Rogers’ Invitation in “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
Lady Gaga gives Fred Rogers’ familiar theme a reflective ballad setting, drawing out the feeling inside its simple invitation. Filmed…
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Live Music Picks
Familiar Melody, Somber Message: The Raging Grannies’ “House of the Epstein Crimes”
The Santa Fe Raging Grannies bring a somber subject to the melody of “The House of the Rising Sun.” In…
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A Chorus Made for Protest: Santa Fe’s Raging Grannies Sing “Hit the Road, ICE!”
With “Hit the Road, ICE!,” the Santa Fe Raging Grannies turn an instantly recognizable refrain into a protest singalong. Granny…
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Willie Nelson’s “Heart of America” Gives a Soundtrack Song a Personal Voice
At 92, Willie Nelson brings a measured, familiar presence to “Heart of America,” recorded for The Gray House. Its ideas…
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A Familiar Question, a Lasting Partnership: Carole King and James Taylor at MusiCares
Carole King and James Taylor return to “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” with the ease of longtime musical companions. At…
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Willie Nelson’s “Heart of America”: A Soundtrack Song About Shared Belonging
Willie Nelson brings a conversational voice to “Heart of America,” a recording for The Gray House soundtrack. Released when he…
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Thirty Musicians, One Paris Square: Julien Cohen’s Street Rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Julien Cohen brings the changing scale of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” into Place de la Contrescarpe in Paris. With Mickey Callisto…
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Live Music Picks
The Band Behind the Build: Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” in Houston
Journey’s Houston performance of “Don’t Stop Believin’” reveals how much the song depends on a shared build. Steve Perry’s vocal,…
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From a Quiet Verse to Shared Strength: COLOR MUSIC Sings “You Raise Me Up”
COLOR MUSIC Children’s Choir brings a shared sense of reassurance to “You Raise Me Up.” Recorded before Russia’s full-scale invasion…
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Live Music Picks
Before It Became an Anthem: Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” in Houston, 1981
Journey’s 1981 Houston recording brings the slow build of “Don’t Stop Believin’” into focus, from Jonathan Cain’s opening piano figure…
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Staff Picks
Fırat Zan and the Power of a Later Prime: Why Some Men Peak After 35
Firat Zan represents a growing idea in modern masculinity: a man’s prime does not always arrive in his twenties. For…
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Dean Dillon Wrote Over 60 Hits for George Strait—But His Own Album Never Got the Recognition It Deserved
"HE WROTE 60+ SONGS FOR GEORGE STRAIT — BUT HIS OWN ALBUM NEVER GOT THE RECOGNITION IT DESERVED." In 1991,…
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Staff Picks
Goldie Hill: The Country Pioneer Who Walked Away From Fame on Her Own Terms
SHE BECAME ONE OF THE FIRST WOMEN TO REACH NO. 1 IN COUNTRY MUSIC. THEN SHE WALKED AWAY FROM THE…
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Staff Picks
Kitty Wells Sang the Song, But Fans Couldn’t Stop Watching Johnnie Wright
MARRIED 74 YEARS. AND JOHNNIE WRIGHT STILL LOOKED AT KITTY WELLS THE SAME WAY HE DID IN 1937. One unforgettable…
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She Wrote Songs for Reba McEntire Until One Duet Turned Helen Cornelius Into a Country Star
SHE WROTE HITS FOR REBA McENTIRE AND THE OAK RIDGE BOYS — BUT IT TOOK ONE UNEXPECTED DUET IN 1976…
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Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White: A Lifetime of Harmony, Faith, and a Gospel Performance That Means Even More Today
HE MARRIED HER IN 1981. FOUR DECADES LATER, THEY’RE STILL MAKING GOSPEL MUSIC FEEL AS NATURAL AS A FAMILY GATHERING.…
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Staff Picks
How Tre Twitty and Tayla Lynn Brought Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn’s Legacy Back to the Opry Stage
CONWAY AND LORETTA STOPPED TOURING TOGETHER IN 1981. 44 YEARS LATER, THEIR GRANDCHILDREN BROUGHT THEIR LEGACY BACK TO THE OPRY…
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