An Opry moment, a '90s country playlist, and the best of our homepage.
Six years ago, we at C&I were blown away by the deep, confident voice of an up-and-coming country singer who was then making the rounds at Nashville's Bluebird Cafe and prepping to release his debut record. It was Dustin Lynch's first single, "Cowboys and Angels" that hit us in the heart, and placed him a bit higher than other singers of his generation who were wasting time with throwaway party tracks.
We managed to interview Lynch early on and were privy to a behind-the-scenes visit on the Texas-shot video for "Cowboys and Angels."
From that song, and the debut album that followed, Lynch's career as a country star took off and never slowed down. Now 33, he has three top-selling collections under his belt buckle. And his allegiance to both classic country and to Nashville's "Music City" traditions has led him to another career milestone: Lynch is the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.
The one and only Reba McEntire surprised the singer on stage earlier this week and officially inducted him into the legendary ranks of the Opry. Mind you, this is not an honor bestowed on any and every country singer with a few hit records. There's much more to the selection and induction into this exclusive club, and Lynch is one of the youngest artists to make the cut in recent years.
“I wouldn’t have wanted to be inducted by anyone else," Lynch told Opry officials after the induction. "Reba’s the top of my list. She could have been anywhere in the world today and chose to be here. That means so much to me.”
Join us in congratulating Dustin on his induction, and enjoy a video documenting his special night below.
Next up, a look at some interesting tidbits from the new-and-improved cowboysindians.com:
FASHIONABLE FRIDAY: Get inspired for the weekend by looking through our full fall fashion feature, now online.
TASTE OF THE WEST: Our mouth-watering food pieces kept rolling out on the site this week, with looks at The First and Last Chance Saloon, the Guittard Chocolate Company, and the State Meal of Oklahoma (you won't believe what all that includes).
REAL ESTATE DREAMS: If you daydream about the luxury ranch life in the mountain West, you're no doubt a fan of our "Hot Property" series. The latest edition focuses on Oregon's 2R Ranch.
And for this week’s parting shot, I leave you with my latest Apple Music playlist creation — two hours of the best early-'90s country available. Since all these songs were in heavy rotation in the Octobers of 1991, '92, '93, and '94, I dub this one "Chill of an Early Fall." If you're on Apple Music, hit play below and enjoy!
