‘Rhinestone Radio’ Brings Some Sparkle To Apple Music Country

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Apple Music has unveiled Rhinestone Radio, a new country radio show hosted by singer-songwriter and journalist Sam Stephens. Rhinestone Radio airs biweekly on Wednesdays at 12 p.m. CT on Apple Music Country.

The new show traces contemporary country back to its glory days, when the Nashville sound ruled the charts and flashy, rhinestone-studded countrypolitan was just beginning to take off.

The show’s inaugural episode features special guests Dierks Bentley and Ashley Campbell as Stephens celebrates The Original Rhinestone Cowboy, Glen Campbell. Ashley shares little known facts on her late father and in depth commentary on his hit, “Gentle On My Mind,” while Bentley dives into the Arizona ties that bonded he and Glen and the overall influence The Original Rhinestone Cowboy had on his musical journey.

“I have always been a student of history. I wear it as a badge of honor that nostalgia is my love language,” Stephens explains. “To be completely honest, I started to really worry that we were losing our grip on the country greats in a lot of ways. There are so many names and sounds and eras and songs within the timestamp of country music prior to our generation that I felt like are fading away and becoming forgotten. Like any kind of music, country music shifts; everything shifts in its cycles. That’s the hallmark of really great artistry, that it’s constantly evolving and constantly changing.”

Rhinestone Radio offers up gems from artists like Bobbie Gentry, Mac Davis, Barbara Mandrell and more, as well as frank conversations about the genre, its history and its future, with a who’s-who roster of contemporary stars and country experts.

Fans can listen to Rhinestone Radio live for free or anytime on-demand with an Apple Music subscription.

Lorie Hollabaugh
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