December 11, 2007 -- Check out the Schedule for new 08 dates! ... December 6, 2007 -- LC & LST wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas. We appreciate each and every, single one of you. Love, Larry, Booie, Kim, Chris and Kristin ... October 31, 2007 -- Check out LST's new booking information on the Contact page! ... November 1, 2007 Twangville Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time - Took Down and Put Up Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time have recently released an excellent Bluegrass album Took Down and Put Up on Lonesome Day records. The album debuted at number 11 on the Billboard Bluegrass charts and will certainly move toward the top before it is through. Most widely known as a songwriter, rural Kentucky native Larry Cordle has had songs recorded by Ricky Skaggs, Garth Brooks, Alison Krauss, Alan Jackson, George Strait, Rhonda Vincent and Trish Yearwood among others. Founded in 1990, Lonesome Standard Time was formed by long-time friends Larry Cordle and Glen Duncan. Success came quickly for the band, yielding a Grammy nomination for the group’s debut album. However, in 1995 they took a hiatus because Cordle’s songwriting skills were needed in Nashville and Duncan devoted more time to studio work. Larry Cordle put Lonesome Standard Time back together in 2000. The feature song on Took Down and Put Up is “Rough Around the Edges” with Travis Tritt on lead vocals. On this song he shows he is not politically correct or ashamed of who he is. The style of the album is primarily traditional Bluegrass with excellent musicianship accompanying superb songwriting. Cordle’s songs give us everything we could want from a Bluegrass or Country album. We get Cheatin,’ Lyin,’ revenge and women who leave. We have a train robbery and a muscle car. He even mentions mama a few times so all of the ingredients are in place to make David Allan Coe proud. ... November 1, 2007 Americana Rhythm Music Magazine September/October 2007 Programmers Choice Larry Cordle -- Took Down and Put Up Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time could just be one of the hottest new bluegrass CDs I’ve heard recently. Known by many for his songwriting skills, he’s penned hits for George Strait, Alan Jackson, Ricky Scaggs, and Garth Brooks, just to name a few. His new CD, Took Down and Put Up, is another disc to put on your Bluegrass collectors wish list. ... October 21, 2007 -- Took Down and Put Up debuted this week at #11 on Billboard! ... October 21, 2007 Cybergrass Magazine - The Internet's Bluegrass Music's Magazine since 1992 Before Larry Cordle played bluegrass, he lived it. His was a childhood of hard-laboring close-knot families who lived together in rural isolation and entertained themselves when they could with home-made music. It was a way of life that has all but disappeared. Now Cordle has tapped into those experiences for Took Down and Put Up, his richly varied debut album for Lonesome Day Records. Backed by Lonesome Standard Time, His right-on-the-money band, Cordle offers fresh perspectives on such elemental themes as emotional abandonment, childhood heroes, male vanity, depression, duplicity, the consolations of home and family and the liberating properties of a really sharp car. Highlighting the album is a raucous duet with Travis Tritt called "Rough Around the Edges." Cordle is already world-famous as a songwriter, having composed and co-penned such classics as "Highway 40 Blues" (Ricky Skaggs), "Murder On Music Row" (George Strait & Alan Jackson), "Against The Grain" (Garth Brooks), "Lonsome Dove" (Trisha Yearwood), "Mama Don't Forget To Pray For Me" (Diamond Rio) and "Two Highways" (Alison Krauss). Nine of the 13 songs on the new album are Cordle's. But, bluegrass fans have long savored him also as a vocalist whom they "discovered" via a string of stellar albums stretching back over the past 15 years. Cordle was born and raised on a small family farm near the village of Cordell in mountainous eastern Kentucky. Living close by was his boyhood friend and music wizard, Ricky Skaggs. By the time the two boys reached their teens, they had been joined by fellow bluegrass enthusiast, Keith Whitley, who lived in neighboring Sandy Hook. "Most of the music we were around was just in people's houses," Cordle recalls. "Ricky and Keith were prodigies. i wasn't that kind of musician. I just happened to be a neighbor who could sing. Luckily for me, all the good musicians in the country wanted to play with them. My granddaddy was a fiddle player who had a grocery store. Somebody was always stopping in to try to get him to fiddle a tune. There weren't too many weekends when there wasn't music being played." Took Down and Put Up features Cordle's heartfelt salute to Whitley, the wistful "Song for Keith." (Whitley died in 1989 at the age of 33.) The song was first recorded on an all-star tribute album in 1994 as "A Voice Still Rings True." Says Cordle, "I always meant to record that song myself. Keith and I weren't close for the last 10 years of his life. But, there was a time when I was around him a lot. I'm getting great responses from the song. People are really taken with it." Eventually the three young friends went their individual ways. After high school, Cordle joined the Navy, where he served for four years. From there, he enrolled at Morehead (Kentucky) State University and earned a degree in accounting. While in school, he played in a local rock band called Hot Lucy and worked part time with his dad raising tobacco. It was during this period that he began writing songs. In 1983, Skaggs released his recording of Cordle's "Highway 40 Blues" and it went straight to No. 1 on the country charts. "It's the linchpin of everything I've ever done," Cordle marvels. "Without it, there would be no 'Murder On Music Row' or Lonesome Standard Time. There would be any of these things." The song earned Cordle a staff writing position with Skaggs' publishing company. He has since moved on to write for some of the most prominent publishers in Nashville. Currently, he writes for Sea Gayle Music, the hot new firm owned by singer Brad Paisley and producers Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois. Cordle began recording his own albums in 1993, starting with Lonesome Standard Time, the name he would give his band. He built his stature throughout the decade with such collections as Mighty Lonesome and Lonesome As It Gets. In 1999, he se the country music community buzzing with Murder On Music Row, a CD that took its title from a song Cordle co-wrote with Larry Shell to condemn the adulteration of country music. George Strait's producer took note of the song and persuaded Strait to cut it as a duet with Alan Jackson, perhaps country music's staunchest traditionalist. Although the Strait-Jackson cut was never released as a single, it gained so much attention that both the Country Music Association and the International Bluegrass Music Association named it Song of the Year. It came as a surprise to some then in 2004 when Cordle and LST recorded Lonesome Skynyrd Time, a loving tribute to Southern rock giants Lynyrd Skynyrd. That's no contradiction says Cordle. "I played in a lot of rock and a lot of Southern rock bands. I love that music. I just didn't think that the country music being done on Music Row deserved to be called country music. I thought that the whole thing -- the whole charm -- of our industry was being lost. I realize the music business is about selling records, but I felt they were just trying to trash every single thing that had any tradition to it at all. As to the Skinny thing, I'm telling you right now, those guys were just country guys who played electric guitars. Read some of the lyrics without listening to the music and you'll see that a great deal of them is country-sounding. In addition to Cordle, the songwriters on Took Down and Put Up are J.P. Pennington and Les Taylor (from Exile), Jim Rushing, Chris Stuart, Randy Scruggs, R. Van Zant, A. Kooper, R. Burns, Kim Howard Gardner, Leyon O. "Booie" Beach, Bill Caswell, Galen Griffin, Mike Anthony and Larry Shell. Cordle produced the album with special production assistance from Lonesome Standard Time and Randy Kohrs. ... October 21, 2007 MUSIC NEWS NASHVILLE Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time - Took Down And Put Up by Chuck Dauphin In the world of Bluegrass Music, Larry Cordle has been doing what he does, and doing it mighty well, I might add, for a long time. Writer of songs by such superstars as Ricky Skaggs, George Strait, and Alan Jackson, perhaps his best-known composition is the traditionalist-anthem “Murder On Music Row,” from a few years back. While there is no such statement here, he does offer some music that stands with anything he has ever done. His high lonesome sound is at its’ best on cuts like songs like the soaring “I Can’t Lose What I Never Had.” A favorite of mine since the Forester Sisters originally recorded the tune back in 1987, he does well with his version. Ditto that fact to the emotional “Song For Keith,” which salutes the music and life of the late Keith Whitley. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost two decades since we lost him, and among his friends, fans, and fellow bluegrass players such as Cordle, the void is still as big today as it was then. He also gets some nice help from outside, like Travis Tritt. The style and tempo of “Rough Around The Edges” really seems to fit him to a tee. Kim Gardner offers some nice dobro work, particularly on “Hole In The Ground,” and Kristin Scott Benson likewise contributes some outstanding licks on the banjo all over, especially on “I’m A Lie.” Some acts might not like sharing the musical spotlight, but as he always has, Cordle figures there is strength in numbers, and this album proves his point. ... October 21, 2007 Here is a cool note that Larry got from a member of the Oak Ridge Boys! Hi Larry, Bradley Walker gave me your email man. It was great chatting with you at the IBMA's As I said, I have a ton of respect for you and I am a huge fan of your songwriting and your Music! I have 3 of your cd's in my ipod including the new one which is great! An honor to have recorded your songs Larry!! God Bless my brother! Hope to cu soon! Joe Bonsall aka Ban-Joey (banjo work in progress) ... October 16, 2007 Took Down and Put Up debuts in Cashbox Magazine at #1! This is the first time a bluegrass album debuted at #1 on this chart! Expect a review next week. Be sure to check the News page frequently because we are adding reviews and exciting tid-bits about the album. ... October 16, 2007 Nashville Scene - By Jon Weisberger Our Critics' Picks For SATURDAY, Sept 8 Larry Cordle LARRY CORDLE & LONESOME STANDARD TIME CD RELEASE PARTY Took Down and Put Up wasn’t a long time in the making, but it seemed like forever in actually getting out. Fortunately, feisty Kentucky indie label Lonesome Day stepped up to the plate. The new set marquees “Rough Around The Edges,” a dandy Southern-rock-meets-bluegrass collaboration with Travis Tritt, but it runs a lot deeper than that. While Cordle’s one of the wordiest songwriters around, his long lines stem from a persistent focus on true-life details, making for delicious stories like the wry “Hero of the Creek”—and more heart-wrenching ones, including the somber “Hole in the Ground” and the devastatingly subdued “Visit With an Uncle.” ... October 16, 2007 From Music Row Magazine Larry Cordle Releases New Album 09/21/2007 Award-winning songwriter Larry Cordle celebrated the release of his new album, Took Down and Put Up, Wed., Sept. 19 at BMI’s Music Row offices. Attendees mingled and enjoyed a sample of Cordle’s honky tonk bluegrass concoction while he performed with his band, Lonesome Standard Time. Alison Krauss, Rhonda Vincent, Ricky Skaggs, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire, Diamond Rio and Alan Jackson have all recorded tunes by Cordle, who also co-wrote the anthem “Murder on Music Row.” Larry Cordle Releases New Album 09/21/2007 Award-winning songwriter Larry Cordle celebrated the release of his new album, Took Down and Put Up, Wed., Sept. 19 at BMI’s Music Row offices. Attendees mingled and enjoyed a sample of Cordle’s honky tonk bluegrass concoction while he performed with his band, Lonesome Standard Time. Alison Krauss, Rhonda Vincent, Ricky Skaggs, Garth Brooks, eorge Strait, Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire, Diamond Rio and Alan Jackson have all recorded tunes by Cordle, who also co-wrote the anthem “Murder on Music Row.” ... October 16, 2007 -- Country Standard Time Recent CD Reviews -- September, 2007 Took Down and Put Up – 2007 (Lonesome Day) Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time Reviewed by Dr. Bobby Jones If Larry Cordle didn't grow up a half wild boy roaming the hills and hollers of Kentucky, he sure would fool people. His CD speaks to a way of life passing us by - jams session with mountain young 'uns like Ricky Skaggs and Keith Whitley, and adolescent discovery of the joys of girls, muscle cars and guitars. If you grew up in the country in the '50s and '60s, this CD speaks. Some of the best music going just don't care how you label it. Cordle has been carrying that torch a long time, starting with "Highway 40 Blues" and the famously irreverent "Murder on Music Row." He continues the tradition here, doing the unapologetic duet with Travis Tritt of "I'm a Little Rough Around the Edges." Some of the tunes are downright sad, such as the tribute to Keith Whitley and his untimely passing at age 33. Cordle is still a bit of a rounder, but you have to admire his honesty with his music. ... October 16, 2007 -- From BMI NEWS: Larry Cordle Celebrates New Album Award-winning songwriter Larry Cordle celebrated the release of his new album, Took Down and Put Up, Wednesday, September 19 at BMI’s Music Row offices. Attendees mingled and enjoyed a sample of Cordle’s honky tonk bluegrass concoction while he performed with his band, Lonesome Standard Time. Alison Krauss, Rhonda Vincent, Ricky Skaggs, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire, Diamond Rio and Alan Jackson have all recorded tunes by Cordle, who also co-wrote the anthem “Murder on Music Row.” ... October 16, 2007 Larry Cordle Can Get Away With Murder | By: Eamon McLoughlin What goes around, comes around, so they say. Back in 1999, Larry Cordle was singing and writing about “Murder on Music Row,” bemoaning the lack of fiddles and steel guitars in the music that Nashville was producing. He found allies in George Strait and Alan Jackson, who recorded the song as a duet, which went on to win the 2000 CMA Song of the Year. Fast-forward to this week, and Larry Cordle celebrated the release of his new album, Took Down and Put Up, by having a party on — you guessed it — Music Row! The performing rights organization BMI hosted the early evening bash last night on the ground floor of its impressive Nashville office. The double doors swung open to reveal a host of well-dressed characters milling around with a glass of white wine in their hand. The conversations were of publishing deals, people pitching songs and others casting their net wide to find the next hit for their latest project. I sauntered to the bar myself, and decided if you can’t beat them, you really must join them. So, Pinot Noir in hand, I watched as Larry took to the stage and played songs from his latest record. He continues to perfect his craft and play the kind of music he loves. Backed by a great bluegrass band he sang of the stuff you only find in bluegrass music – a train robbery and a tribute to Keith Whitley, who was a close friend. Music poured from the speakers set in the ceiling, and it sounded awesome. Further inspection of the band revealed all the microphones onstage were wireless and hooked up to a professional sound board, which was in turn linked to top-quality speakers in the ceiling – this is certainly not their first rodeo at BMI! As Larry thanked the writers and industry types who had come to support him, he closed his set with “Murder On Music Row.” Everyone broke into applause at the first few lyrics. There may well have been homicide here on the Row in the past, but this evening Music Row made peace with its old whistle blower. ... October 11, 2007 -- Look for our own Mighty Cord on a GAC special, airing October 12, called the Edge of Country. It will feature Ronnie Bowman, Doyle Lawson, Sam Bush, and more! ... October 8, 2007 -- Everyone had a good and busy week at IBMA. The band is very excited about the current team - Penni McDaniels for booking, Norma Morris for publicity, and Randall Deaton at Lonesome Day Records. Ending the week at the Station Inn was a perfect way to say goodbye to IBMA 07. Happy Birthday to Chris, who turns 28 this week. ... May 27, 2007 -- Read the following press release for exciting news on the upcoming LST album Larry Cordle: New Album Set for Summer Release on Lonesome Day Records NASHVILLE, TN (May 18, 2007) Lonesome Day Records is very proud to announce they have signed an exclusive recording contract with multi-Grammy nominated singer and songwriter, Larry Cordle. The label will release the new album by Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, later this summer. A Chris Stuart original tune called The First Train Robbery is slated as the first official single release and will hit radio within the next month. The album includes a previous self-released single, Rough Around the Edges, a duet with Travis Tritt, that just spent six months on the Bluegrass Unlimited National Bluegrass Survey Chart. Cordle is a rare songwriting talent whose tunes have been recorded by Ricky Skaggs, Garth Brooks, Alison Krauss, Alan Jackson, George Strait, The Osborne Brothers, and so many more. His songs have appeared on projects that have sold a combined total of more than 50 million albums and the numbers continue to grow. So, of course, this new album is chock-full of his original tunes including the touching, Song for Keith, co-written with Randy Scruggs. The song previously appeared on the 1994 album, Keith Whitley: A Tribute, under the song title, A Voice Still Rings True. Randall Deaton, President of Lonesome Day Records said, "It is a real honor to be able to work with Larry Cordle. At Lonesome Day we want to be an artist-based label and there is perhaps no truer artist than Larry Cordle. We look forward to not only bringing his fans the type of music they have come to expect, but also an entirely different side of Cord that has never had the chance to be exposed." Cordle wrote or co-wrote 9 of the 13 songs. Some of the collaborations include ’67 Chevy Malibu, with Mike Anthony; Hole in the Ground, with J. P. Pennington; BYOB with Bill Caswell; and A Visit with An Uncle, with Larry Shell. Click here for more information on Lonesome Day Records. ... April 16, 2007 -- The band has posted an update, including news about the upcoming record, Rough Around the Edges! ... January 5, 2007 -- **A message from Cord** Dear friends and fans: Cord here from Nashville, TN........just wanted to write you a few lines to say I hope y'all had a Merry Christmas & express my wish that each of you have a happy, healthy, safe & prosperous new year.....I hope 2007 is the best year ever for all of you. I have much to report at this writing, so I'll just hop right into it. First, I am happy to report that in December of '06 I had my 6-month checkup and my doctor says that I'm cancer free & should be good to go. Thank God for that news and, whew! That news sure helped me out this holiday season.......it also has made me redouble my efforts to get the new cd out there on the market, which brings me to the next item to report.......the new cd! As you know, it's been 4 years between projects for us. I didn't mean for it to be that long; things just worked out that way. Soooo, we are really excited about this bunch of songs that we've been working on since last summer. We are already enjoying the success of our 1st single at radio, "Rough Around The Edges," a duet with country superstar Travis Tritt, which is up 3 places this month in the Bluegrass Unlimited National Survey to #17! Thanks so much to all of you who have called your radio stations requesting it & to the Jocks at Bluegrass Radio for playing it for us, even though we have yet to complete the entire project. The project will have 13 new songs on it, 9 of which were written or co-written by yours truly, and Kimbo & Booie wrote the instrumental that's on there. So, we have 10 of the 13 songs that are LST originals, plus we found 3 things that we just love & we hope y'all do as well. We have astounding news! The project is being mixed now & will officially be released on March 27, 2007. We plan on pre-releasing the cd to radio as soon as we have the mixes & mastering finished. We have a self-imposed deadline of next week for that part of the process to be completed (1/12/07). From that point on, it's a matter of photography, layout, etc. I'm not sure what the label affiliation for the cd will be. It is possible that it will be picked up by an interested party, but if not, I'm just gonna go on and put it out myself........more about that when I know more. I have retained Penni Mcdaniel, Amy Murray, and Jeanette Williams to help me with the promotion, i.e. radio promo, print media etc., etc. There will be more updates here as often as I have new news to report. To all of you who have asked me so often, “When are y'all going to have a new project?” It looks like we are finally gonna get this thing out. Thanks again to all of you for your support of the band. If you're a fan we love you If you're not, we love you too and hope to convert you with the new music. Folks, it's a Cord and Lonesome Standard Time cd & by george.....we're proud of it & hope y'all will get even half the enjoyment out of listening to it that we had making it. We hope to see y'all at a bluegrass festival somewhere out there this season. Adios & God Bless, Cord 1/5/07 PS.........don't forget to get them checkups!!.............might just save your life...........it did mine. ... February 6, 2007 -- Rough Around the Edges continues to do well with our friends at radio. It's #18 on the BLUEGRASS MUSIC PROFILES Top 20 Singles. It's also #15 on Bluegrass Unlimited's February Singles Chart. Thank you DJs! ... January 22, 2007 -- Here's a picture of our beloved Karsten, the newest LST member, with her proud Dad. Congratulations again to Kim and Geri. ... January 15, 2007 -- Congratulations to Kim & Geri on the birth of their baby girl, Karsten Rae Gardner! Born on Sunday, January 14, at 8:11pm, the new addition weighed 8 lb 2 oz and measured 20 3/4". Both Mother and Daughter are doing well. Everyone welcomes little Karsten to the LST family! Please check back soon because pictures are on the way. ... October 30, 2006 -- The title cut of the upcoming LST record, Rough Around the Edges, moves up to #23 in the Bluegrass Unlimited chart in November. Thanks to all the DJs and fans for making this possible! ... October 29, 2007 -- New pictures have been added to the Photos page from the Turkey Track festival in Arkansas. ... October 27, 2006 -- New 07 dates have been added to the Schedule page. ... October 11, 2006 -- Congratulations to Kristin and husband, Wayne, on the birth of their baby boy, Hogan Wayne Benson. He was born at 12:03 am, Friday, October 6, weighing 7 lbs 12 oz and measuring 20 3/4" long. Both Mother and Son are doing well. Here is a picture of Hogan when he was leaving the hospital, 2 days old. ... October 9, 2006 -- Everyone wishes Chris a happy 27th birthday!!! ... October 1, 2006 -- LC & LST enjoyed another year at IBMA with shows at FanFest and the Station Inn. Response for the upcoming record, due out in early 07, was very favorable. The first single and title cut, Rough Around the Edges, charts in Bluegrass Unlimited this month, so be listening for it!