New music, new albums! Let's check them out!

Here are some new songs you can ad to your library:

Chris Young "Double Down"
Tyler Braden "Devil You Know"
Dylan Marlowe "You Did It Too"

Gabby Barrett released her new album "Chapter & Verse" today that includes her latest single "Glory Days"! Tonight, during New at 9, Rick Allen is in for Eric Matthews and he will be playing you a track off the album! Which one? Well, you'll have to tune in to find out!

 

 

 

 

 

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Album releases coming soon:

2/16 Chase Matthew "We All Grow Up" EP
3/22 Chris Young "Young Love & Saturday Nights"
3/29 Kenny Chesney "Born"
3/29 HIXTAPE Vol. 3: DIFFTAPE ft Joe Diffie, Post Malone, Morgan Wallen + HARDY
4/26 MacKenzie Porter "Nobody's Born With A Broken Heart"

Happy listening! -Cherise, Music Director at WQMX

Tonight during the New @ 9, I have another brand new song to try out on you...the listeners. Tonight's New Song Spotlight will be from Zach Top titled "Sounds Like the Radio". I will have you listen to the track all the way through and then have at it!

We will play Keep It or Kick It. So this is your chance to tell me what you REALLY think of these new songs. Do you love it? I wanna know! Do you hate it? I wanna know that too! You will be able to vote as always until 9:45 by text or phone call at 330-370-2000. Then be sure to stay tuned because I will have the final results coming up around 9:50!

This really is another way for you to have a say in what you hear on WQMX!

Too Many Times  - Earl Thomas Conley And Anita Pointer - 1986

This was a moment.  In 1986 Earl Thomas Conley was one of country musics most successful artists. He was rattling off a long line of big hits and this is one of them.  He invited the incredible Anita Pointer of the R&B group The Pointer Sisters to sing on this very powerful duet, which was the title song of his new album.  ETC was way ahead of his time in country with his approach and sound, as he was always instituting new ideas and styles. This incredible duet with Pointer turned a lot of heads with her soaring vocals and powerful presence.  This was #2 on the country charts and in my view one of the best country duets ever.  This song reached people deeply and together they made the rounds for a long time appearing on all the Awards Shows, the talk shows and shows like Solid Gold.  They performed this song together on Soul Train, making Conley the first country artist to ever appear on that classic show.  There was also a TNN Concert Special honoring this remarkable moment.  This was a great example of two distinctively different sounds, styles and worlds marrying together and opening many eyes, ears and minds in and around country music.  Anita Pointer is the absolute star of this sensational duet that should live on forever.  This was perfection in about every way imaginable for all of us.

Both Anita and Earl have passed away - but this gem will always be here.

Song written by Micheal Smotherman / Tony McShear / Scott Page (Former member of Pink Floyd) 

For More On Black History Month click here for more information from our sister station (WAKR)

Last Weeks Selection

I put two versions of this in the article, to show the chemistry and affection between these two amazing performers. Worth a few listens  - Very heartwarming.

When I was in grade school, there was hardly a field trip that could top going to the zoo. There are so many cool animals to look at and learn about, and it was always great to be outside the classroom, no matter what the reason.

Now that I'm an adult, the zoo still holds a special place for me. Stepping through the gates puts me back in that worry-free state of mind. Politics? Taxes? Debt? Nah... I'm just trying to see some jellyfish! 

I've been to a few different zoos in my lifetime, but for the purpose of this blog let's talk about animals found at the Akron Zoo! WQMX is live and local after all, and we are so fortunate to have a world class menagerie in our city. Maybe we don't have wildest selection of animals or the fanciest facilities within, but for what it is, it's a great place! If you've never been before, you're missing out on a fun family outing that the kids won't soon forget, right here in our backyard. And I bet you'll enjoy it too; I mean, who doesn't love to see some exotic species? 

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! It's my top ten: favorite zoo animals! 

10. Moon Jelly

9. Sumatran Tiger

8. Giant Pacific Octopus

7. Red Wolf

6. Grizzly Bear

5. North American River Otter

4. Chilean Flamingo

3. Jaguar

2. Snow Leopard

1. Humbolt Penguin

Side note: Am I the only one who's unsettled by the Komodo Dragons? They make me uncomfortable....

Thank you for checking this out and for listening to 94.9 WQMX! Maybe it's time to start planning a trip to the zoo? 

Jon Pardi & Luke Bryan just released the music video for their song "Cowboys & Plowboys". There are several rodeo champions featured in the video which is very cool. Also in the video, you will catch sight of both wives - Summer Pardi and Caroline Bryan.

Not only that though, the best one on the list for most people is Jon and Summer's daughter Presley who is making her music video debut! Check out the video here.

Well with the Super Bowl on the way and we know Reba will sing the National Anthem.  She has a new sitcom coming to NBC as well as another season as a Judge on the The Voice.

Looks like Lainey Wilson will be in the Coors Light Chill Train Super Bowl Commercial.  Lainey will be in person at the SB also and says she is excited for the gmae and performers...  Could she add some bell bottom country flare to the half-time show????  One thing we do know is, she is will be headlining The Country Fest in June...

New Songs are being teased: 

Luke Combs -

 

 

 

 

 

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Keith Urban - 

 

 

 

 

 

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Kane & Katelyn Brown

 

 

 

 

 

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The reach of country music is enormous. There's a reason Nashville is called Music City as we have artists coming to town to pursue their goal of a country career or more accurately in many cases a certain country album or project.  Artists that are not necessarily country too like Motley Crew, The Beach Boys, The Eagles, Kelly Clarkson, Jessica Simpson, Cheryl Crowe, Elle King, Demi Lavato, Alison Krause, and many others come to mind all having different levels of success. 

Darius Rucker came to Nashville a number of years ago, sans The Blowfish, and has had tremendous success.  Ray Charles too years ago.  And in the 80's Lionel Richie had a country hit with Stuck On You,  then came back years later to record his country album, Tuskegee, which was a very big success.  Tuskegee is the historic city where Richie was born and the university where he graduated from.  The album is an absolute masterpiece.  I feel it's mandatory owning. 

Stuck On You  - Richies First Country Release

Tuskegee is a collection of 12 Richie hits that were remade with the biggest country stars and legends of the time in Nashville in 2012. The album to a degree followed the same formula as Ray Charles, Friendship album of the 80's, but the main difference was these were all established Richie hit songs where Friendship was a mix of material. The tracks were all re-recorded in Nashville to reflect a more country sound than the originals.  This album was far bigger than I think many were envisioning it would be. It became Richie's first number one album since the pop smash album, Dancin' On The Ceiling in 1986.  That's 26 years, and Tuskegee sold close to 2 million copies.  By any measure, it was a big hit.

With Jennifer Nettles - Awards Show Magic

I saw Lionel Richie perform at the Ryman in Nashville around the time of the release of this album.  He performed a songs from it, and was joined by Darius Rucker and hearing those two legends sing as Richie played the piano in the perfect Ryman setting was a real treat.  After all these years, he was in great voice and seemed excited about this project.  Richie is one of those artists that is so versatile and smooth, he sounds good singing about anything.

Darius And Richie  - This Version Of Stuck On You - Amazing

In 1984 when many country stations played Stuck On You, Richie fit right in with the sound of much of the pop country that was dominating the charts.  This was a long way from his days as the lead singer of The Commodores years earlier that gave us great classics like Brick House, Sail On, Easy Like Sunday Morning and Three Times A Lady.  The latter was remade by Conway Twitty in the early 80's and was a big hit going top 5.  Richie also teamed up with Alabama in 1986 and scored a top ten country duet hit, Deep River Woman, which is a fantastic song.

Big Hit With Alabama - Top 10  - Sensational Duet - Much Loved

Richie of course was a huge pop star that recorded a lot of albums over the course of his 40 plus year career.  But you may not know he also wrote the smash hit, Lady for Kenny Rogers which along with The Gambler became the song Rogers was most known for and is one of the most loved and biggest country hits of all time. It is safe to say the Lionel Richie was one of those artists that was just good for music in general. 

With Blake Shelton  - Just Terrific!

He was -  and is a prolific songwriter, a sensational vocalist, a very popular and much sought after performer to work with in the music business overall.  And by the way, all the songs I've mentioned in this article, Richie wrote.

With Willie Nelson  - Just Great! 

He's done it all, funk, soul, pop, and country. Lionel Richie a big contributor to many kinds of music, country included.

For More On Black History Month click here for more information from our sister station (WAKR)

OKAY - The game is over and everyone has gone home.  The house is trashed and today you're getting your home back in order, and that includes the fridge!  You have a ton of leftovers in there and don't know what to do with them exactly.  Well before you eat them boringly  - or throw them out, see what a few top chef's say you can, and should do with them to make them really tasty!

Chef's Suggestions For Your Leftover Party Food~!

It should be no surprise that George Strait is on this list, and he will return again a few times as he's one of the biggest stars we've ever had. This makes the list as it's one of his most loved songs and was in the movie, Pure Country which marked his acting debut as well.  That's what makes this so important, as George ventured into acting and made a splash on the big screen and we all saw him as we had never seen him before.  Strait has some 60 #1 songs, but this song struck people deep as it's just an honest, straight forward love song that tells it like it is.  The way of his career was very interesting.  He would have a bunch of big songs and #1 hits, and THEN a huge song like this that was seemingly asking for a position higher than #1.  That pattern went on for about 30 years.  This is loved, quoted and was a big wedding song for a lot of the 90's.  And today if you would ask most fans what are their 5 favorite Strait songs, this would be on most lists.  #1 of course, sold millions and made Strait many new fans and made the older ones happy yet again. This was George Strait in his real prime in every way, what a Mega Star!

Last Week #45

My Full Profile On George Strait - The Mega Star Series