A never-before-heard song recorded by Randy Travis in the early 1980s has finally seen the light of day. Rolling Stone reports that Travis recorded "Fool's Love Affair" sometime before the release of his 1986 debut LP, Storms of Life.

His wife, Mary Travis, also tells the outlet, "Randy doesn’t even remember [when it was recorded] because he laid so many things down over the years... It’s a very traditional sound because it’s Randy Travis, but it’s so current, which is what Randy’s songs always did. Everybody could identify with the life story in his songs and he told them so well.” 

Charlie Monk, Milton Brown and Keith Stegall co-wrote the song, while Monk--who'd signed Travis to a publishing deal back then--found the demo last year while cleaning out his office.

Travis' original producer, Kyle Lehning, isolated his voice and recorded new tracks around it for the new release.

"Fool's Love Affair" arrived on the 35th anniversary of the release of his debut single, “On the Other Hand.”

Ready to feel old while enjoying some old-school country? Rolling Stone just published a list of 12 classic country albums turning the big 4-0 this year. Here are some LPs guaranteed to be must-hears for classic country fans this year:

1. Dolly Parton, 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs
2. Willie Nelson and Ray Price, San Antonio Rose
3. The Kendalls, The Heart of the Matter
4. Carlene Carter, Musical Shapes
5. Hazel Dickens, Hard Hitting Songs for Hard Hit People
6. Charley Pride, There’s a Little Bit of Hank in Me
7. Merle Haggard, Back to the Barrooms
8. Emmylou Harris, Roses in the Snow
9. George Jones, I Am What I Am
10. Kenny Rogers, Gideon
11. Razzy Bailey, Razzy
12. Lacy J. Dalton, Hard Times

The next episode of the Grand Ole Opry's Saturday showcase will feature two old pals and country icons: Vince Gill and Reba McEntire. 

MusicRow reports that the two Oklahoma natives will step into the Opry circle for the Nashville institution's 4,933rd consecutive Saturday night broadcast on July 18. 

Gill was inducted as an Opry member in 1991, while McEntire joined the Opry in 1987.

McEntire also said in a statement, "The Grand Ole Opry has always been very special to me and my family. It’s part of my history, my heritage and my future, and I’m so excited to get to share the stage with Vince again." The performance can be viewed on Circle TV and wsmonline.com.

Billboard has crunched some country music awards data to determine that the most honored country recording of all time is George Jones' 1980 classic, "He Stopped Loving Her Today."

The publication notes that the song has earned several of the genre's most prestigious honors, including CMA Single of the Year and Song of the Year, ACM Song of the Year and the Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance.

The track was also made a part of the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry in 2008. The Country Daily notes that "He Stopped Loving Her Today," co-written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman, is also currently celebrating its 40th anniversary of topping the Billboard Hot Country Chart on July 5, 1980.

The funeral for the late country legend Charlie Daniels, who died after suffering a stroke on Monday at the age of 83, has been set for Friday at 11 a.m. in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

But before that, The Tennesseean reports that a "patriotic-themed memorial" will be held on Wednesday night outside the Sellars Funeral home in Mt. Juliet, featuring appearances by Trace Adkins, Tracey Lawrence, Darryl Worley, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, and others.

The event will include a flyover and a 21-gun salute to Daniels.

Walmart just ponied up $100,000 in cash to honor country icon Johnny Cash. ABC News reports that the big-box behemoth has donated that six-figure sum towards a campaign to replace Confederate statues at the National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C., with new statues of the Man in Black and civil rights activist Daisy Bates.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed a bill last April that would swap out the state's current statues at the Statuary Hall with the likenesses of Cash and Bates, both Arkansas natives.

A spokesperson for the Arkansas-based Walmart says in a statement, "We support the effort by the state legislature and Governor Hutchinson to honor two prominent Arkansans, civil rights pioneer Daisy Bates and music legend Johnny Cash, with statues in National Statuary Hall. 

We are pleased to support the state's action with a gift to the Foundation for Arkansas Heritage and History to help make these new statues a reality."

Country Music Hall-of-Famer Charlie Daniels passed away at the age of 83 at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee, on Monday morning after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke, his publicist confirmed.

Also a member of the Grand Ole Opry, Daniels is best known for his smash hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," while his eponymous band's other hits included "Long Haired Country Boy" and "The Legend of Wooley Swamp."

Daniels, who had planned to tour with The Marshall Tucker Band in 2020 before virtually all tours were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, is survived by wife Hazel and son Charlie Jr.