Despite being a before-her-time talent as a rock-reared and country-minded singer, songwriter, session guitarist, engineer and producer, Linda Hargove’s mostly mentioned, when she’s mentioned at all, as the answer to a trivia question: who co-wrote “Tennessee Whiskey” with Dean Dillon?

Though it’s certainly a positive that Hargrove’s way with words has been part of the “Tennessee Whiskey” discourse since Chris Stapleton immortalized the song in 2015, it’s a shame that she’s not known for her entire body of written and recorded work. Her 1970s back catalog as a solo artist alone warrants praise, though songs that barely made a dent in the charts then remain hidden away, unavailable on Spotify and untouched by reissue labels (though easy enough to find in a used vinyl bin near you).

What follows is a story that’s inspiring at times and tragic at others about a true songwriting genius and free spirit.

Read the full article on Wide Open Country.

On May 1, 2022, Pete Drake became the first pedal steel guitarist inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The Georgia native deserves such a high honor, if only for his matchless session work on Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man,” Charlie Rich’s “Behind Closed Doors,” Lynn Anderson’s “Rose Garden” and other benchmarks in country music history.

In the bigger picture, Drake worked tirelessly as more than an elite session player, from his 1959 arrival in Nashville to his death in 1988 at the young age of 55.

“A part of the Hall of Fame induction was because Pete contributed so much to country music,” said his widow and longtime business partner, Rose Drake, to Wide Open Country. “Not just with his steel playing, but with songwriters and with artists as a producer. He had three different studios, and he contributed a lot to the music industry.”

Read the full article on Wide Open Country.

In this article from Entertainment Weekly, Nikki Lane cites Pete Drake’s ‘Forever’ as influencing the direction they took on her newest music video for ‘Send The Sun’.

Full article and video here.