You might be intrigued to learn that the longest-running country music magazine globally isn't based in Nashville or distributed from Texas. Instead, it's the esteemed Country Music People, published from London, England. In an era where the internet has led to the downfall of many print publications and made the idea of curling up with a magazine to explore one's favorite artist seem old-fashioned, Country Music People has persevered, printing monthly issues for an astonishing 50 years, with a total of around 650 issues published. Over this time, it has won the Wesley Rose International Achievement Award from the Country Music Association (CMA) twice.

Why Country Music People Stands Out

Country Music People is likely one of the finest country music publications around. Just like the website Saving Country Music, which focuses on under-covered and emerging performers, Country Music People has been following this approach for years while also giving due recognition to important mainstream artists. For some independent performers, getting a magazine cover in the US might be a distant dream, but Country Music People has made this a reality for many deserving artists over the years. By remaining in print and only offering digital copies via PDF, it has maintained its integrity, not chasing clicks but instead featuring album reviews, interviews, and features that always prioritize the music, regardless of a performer's digital footprint. It has always been committed to staying true to the essence of country music.Since 2009, the person behind Country Music People, editor Duncan Warwick, has been the driving force. Known as a staunch supporter of traditional country music and not afraid to share his honest opinions, he was the heart and soul of the magazine for 15 years. Unfortunately, Duncan Warwick passed away on November 17th. He had been battling cancer for a long time and was 63 years old. American traditional country artist Scott Southworth said, "Duncan has been a huge advocate and champion for traditional country music and its creators for decades. The community owes him so much gratitude for shining a light on the music creators. But more importantly, he was a great friend."British country artist Ags Conolly praised Warwick for "..the ability to see beyond hype, PR and budgets and get to the music. It's impossible to name every artist his reviews introduced me to. Duncan would shout names like this from the rooftops in the hope that their music would be heard above the din of mainstream Nashville and the hype train in general. He was a champion of real country music (with a distinct penchant for the 80s and 90s!)."Those who are familiar with Country Music People swear by it. However, since its digital presence is almost non-existent, one needs to know about it to appreciate it. This deliberate decision by Warwick to not give in to the internet age has kept the publication pure and free from digital clutter. It was a question if even writing this remembrance for Warwick was appropriate as his digital footprint is minimal. But it seems like a failure to not honor a person who has championed so many unknown artists in country music for so long.In January 2018, Saving Country Music was asked to contribute a Top 10 Albums list to Country Music People, and it was a privilege to be featured alongside Duncan Warwick and other important figures in British musical journalism like BBC's Bob Harris. Both Warwick and Saving Country Music agreed that Zephaniah OHora's This Highway was one of the best albums of the year.After Duncan Warwick's passing, Country Music People posted on Facebook, "One of his greatest wishes during the final few days of his illness was that the magazine continues in its current format, and we are working hard to make this happen. CMP magazine has been Duncan's 'baby' for many years, and he always saw it as a way to share his immense love and knowledge of country music with as many like-minded people as possible. He has been an inspiration to 'newcomers' to the genre and was never too busy to discuss, recommend, and listen to people's views on different artists and styles. We will, of course, keep all our subscribers informed of the developments and assure you all that our intention is to continue with CMP magazine as per Duncan's wishes."Duncan Warwick: July 18, 1961 – November 17, 2024© 2024 Saving Country Music