Alison Bonaguro

Every singer has a dream. Dolly Parton's is to drop dead in the middle of a song. "That way, y'all could say, 'I was with her the night she died',"...

"Phil Stacey," Phil Stacey (Lyric Street Records) "American Idol" runners-up have a predictable path: slick production, mediocre sales and the unfortunate not-good-enough-to-win stamp on their foreheads. Phil Stacey's debut album...

A Pat Green concert is not for the faint of heart. A show like his takes stamina, spirit and a love of the Texas fringe sound. And the capacity crowd...

"Troubadour," George Strait (MCA Nashville) Classic Strait. The melodies. The words. The steel guitar. It's all very him. That can be a good or bad thing. These 12 tracks feel...

"Prayer of a Common Man," Phil Vassar (Universal Records South) Phil Vassar's selfish streak is starting to show, and it suits him well. On his latest album, "Prayer of a...

What kind of country are you? Straight-up tunes belted out by an uninhibited voice? Or the kind of sound that's the birthright of a lady raised in a cabin in...

Loretta Lynn and Trisha Yearwood will both be here on Saturday night -- Lynn in Joliet, and Yearwood in Aurora. It's a recipe for pure heartache for country music fans....

When Steve Earle sings about a hard-core troubadour, he could very well be referring to himself. And his stamina. For nearly 2 1/2 hours Friday night, Earle whined, strummed and...

James Blunt's concert at a sold-out Riviera Theatre on Friday might be the most thoroughly documented local event of 2008. Every time the lanky Brit walked near the lip of...

Victoria Beckham's image is ruined. The aloof, posturing veneer she usually shows the world finally gave way Friday night at the United Center. Now everyone in Chicago knows that Beckham's...