AJ’s “Where Are They Now?” Wednesdays

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Located on Jordan Lane, Memorial Parkway, University Drive, Winchester Road and Madison Blvd.

 

The Country Music Association honored Kris Kristofferson with the 2019 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award was established to recognize an artist who has achieved both national and international prominence and stature through concert performances, humanitarian efforts, philanthropy, record sales, and public representation at the highest level.
While Kris wasn’t present at the CMA Awards on November 13, there was a special tribute featuring Kris’ classic ‘Me and Bobby McGee’ by Dierks Bentley with Sheryl Crow, Chris Janson and John Osborne.
Kris is a three-time Grammy winner with 30 recorded albums to his credit and three decades worth of international touring. He received country music’s highest honor in 2004 with induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Other accolades include the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award from the Songwriter Hall of Fame, the American Veteran’s Association?s Veteran of the Year Award, CMT’s Johnny Cash Visionary Award, BMI’s Icon Award, the T.J. Martell Foundation?s Frances Preston Music Industry Award, and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, among others.
Previous recipients of the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award include Willie Nelson (2012), Kenny Rogers (2013), Johnny Cash (2015) and Dolly Parton (2016).
To follow Kris Kristofferson click HERE

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Born in Kentucky. Raised in Ohio. Perfected in California is Dwight Yoakam’s adage. It’s no secret the Kentucky native gave Nashville a try in 1977 before becoming disinterested with the city’s pop-country proclivity. Instead, he boot-scooted across the heartland to California, where he found himself better suited to the L.A. Cowpunk scene. Broadcast Music Inc. will present Dwight Yoakam with their President’s Award at the 67th BMI Country Awards in Nashville on November 12.Get more details here.

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Dolly Parton rolled out the red carpet at her east Tennessee theme park, Dollywood, on October 29 for the premiere of her new Netflix series, Heartstrings.

The eight-episode Netflix original series will tell the stories of eight of Dolly’s songs—with a different theme and cast for each episode.

For the red carpet event at Dollywood, Dolly invited Heartstrings’ actors and actresses, 500 fans and 150 Dollywood employees to watch a sneak peek of one of the episodes at the park’s Showstreet Palace Theater.

Heartstrings will premiere on Netflix on November 22.

CLICK HERE for more info and photos from the premiere party!

 

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Garth Brooks inducted singer/songwriter/storyteller and multi-instrumentalist, Steve Wariner into the Musicians Hall of Fame at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville Tuesday night. First they performed their multi-platinum No. 1 hit “Long Neck Bottle,” which Wariner co-wrote. Wariner performed the crowds with two instrumental performances that he wrote, including “Nashville Gent,” and “Four Bas Breakdown,” which he crafted the show. Wariner also sang the ACM and CMA-winner smash “Holes in The Floor Heaven.

“What an incredible night! Going into the Musicians Hall of Fame brings me full circle. I came to Nashville in ’73. So many people to thank! I’m still reeling! I can’t even describe what this means being inducted. I’m so proud my family was there to share this moment,” Steve Wariner said.

During Garth Brooks remarks on stage, he said, “Not only is he talented, but he’s a fantastic artist. We’re all lucky that he chose music. This is truly one of the most talented people and at the same time, one of the greatest human beings to be around.”

Follow Steve Wariner on Facebook HERE

 

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Reba McEntire will be honored with the Artist of a Lifetime award at the CMT Artists of the Year celebration on October 16 at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

Merle Haggard received the inaugural Artist of a Lifetime award in 2014, followed by Kenny Rogers (2015), Shania Twain (2016) and Loretta Lynn (2018).

The Artists of the Year celebration will air on CMT at 7 p.m. The event will feature performances by Carrie Underwood, Dan + Shay, Kane Brown, Thomas Rhett, Lady Antebellum and others.  Award presenters will include Vince Gill, Lauren Akins (Thomas Rhett’s wife) and others. This year’s ceremony will recognize CMT’s five Artists of the Year: Carrie Underwood, Dan + Shay, Kane Brown, Luke Combs and Thomas Rhett, as well as Reba McEntire (Artist of a Lifetime award) and Ashley McBryde (Breakout Artist of the Year award).

Lady A and Sam Hunt will take the stage to honor Reba, while Vince Gill will present her with the Artist of a Lifetime award.

CLICK HERE for more….


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Randy Travis won’t be hitting the road for that scheduled comeback tour after all.

The country icon will play a handful of dates this fall, but canceled the bulk of the shows due to “production and content issues.”

Travis was scheduled to kick off a short tour in Indianapolis on October 16, and wind down in Green Bay, Wisconsin, but his team has canceled all but three of the scheduled dates. Shows that are still on schedule are in Evansville, Indiana on October 17, in Gulfport, Mississippi on the 19 and at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on October 28.

These will be first shows since he suffered a debilitating stroke in 2013.

Follow Randy Travis on Facebook HERE.

 

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Dolly Parton will return to TV screens this winter in a new Hallmark movie, “Christmas in Dollywood”. The upcoming flick, which stars Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years), will begin filming in Tennessee in August, according to Entertainment Tonight. Dolly will make a special appearance in the film, which is slated to be released in December as part of Hallmark’s 10th Countdown to Christmas campaign.

The movie stars Danica as Rachel, a single mom and Broadway producer who returns to her hometown roots—after suffering financial difficulty—to co-helm a production at Dollywood with its entertainment director, Luke. It’s likely the duo will clash before discovering love.

“As the pair meets in the middle to please the boss, little do Rachel and Luke realize love lurks in all the unexpected places because this isn’t the Great White Way. Or Hollywood. This is Dollywood!” reads the official logline.

CLICK HERE for more info!


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Tracy Lawrence shares details surrounding his 14th Annual “Mission: Possible Turkey Fry & Concert,” which will be held in Nashville November 26:

 “We’ll start cooking turkeys that morning, we’ll do five or six-hundred turkeys, and then that night we’ll do a guitar pull at the Wild Horse [Saloon] and do some auction items. This year it will be me and Justin Moore, Clay Walker, Rhett Akins and Halfway to Hazard.”

The event has also become a staple in Dallas and Louisville over the years, and he hopes to expand it even further:

 “It’s something that we wanna see grow to more of a national event. We’ve already aligned with the Dallas Life, in Dallas, Texas, Louisville, Kentucky, [and] a few other places that are considering doing a turkey fry this year. So, we’re gonna keep trying to make this thing grow. And give more of an awareness campaign out there to the country to show that, you know, there are things that we can do to help the homeless and to get them off the streets and clean our sidewalks up.”

To date, the annual fundraising event has raised over half a million dollars for the homeless and hungry in Dallas, Louisville and Nashville, and served more than 84,000 meals.
Proceeds from this event benefit the Nashville Rescue Mission as they continue their work within the homeless communities of Music City.

CLICK HERE for a look back at one of the previous Turkey Fry fundraisers. 

 

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T.G. Sheppard, 75, will drop his first new solo country album in more than 20 years with the release of Midnight in Memphis on Sept. 20.

The 13-track offering, which T.G. co-produced with Buddy Hyatt, features tunes that pay homage to T.G.’s years spent in Memphis and the friendship he developed with Elvis Presley as a teenager in the 1960s, including “I Wanna Live Like Elvis” and “The Day Elvis Died.”

“Two years seems like a long time to spend on an album, but when you’ve had as much fun as I’ve had making this one, it goes quickly,” says T.G. “Hard for me to believe it’s been this long since my last solo country album. You might say, it was actually 22 years in the making.”

T.G. scored 14 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart in the 1970s and ’80s, including “Devil in the Bottle,” “Party Time” and “Finally.” He hosts The T.G. Sheppard Show on SiriusXM.

For the full album track listing and more info, CLICK HERE!


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Following in the footsteps of Country music luminaries like Kris Kristofferson, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson and more, Marty Stuart will be the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Artist In Residence. Marty will perform three themed shows in the Museum’s CMA Theater on September 11 (“The Pilgrim”), September 18 (“Psychedelic Jam-Bo-Ree”) and September 25 (“Songs That Tell A Story”).

Established in 2003, the Museum’s Artist-In-Residence series honors a musical master who has contributed a large and significant body of work to the canon of American popular music. The Artist-in-Residence is invited to use the Museum’s performance venues to create unique musical experiences.

Tickets for all 3 shows are on sale now at CMATheater.com.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SHOW INFO!

 

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Crystal Gayle is set to release her first new album in nearly 16 years.

The album “You Don’t Know Me” will be released on September 6.  The album was co-produced, recorded and mixed by Crystal’s son Christos Gatzimos.

“This wasn’t a stretch at all,” said Gayle of the new album. “This project is a labor of love that my son, Christos, and I produced together. It is filled with country classics that I grew up singing. They are very much a part of my history and I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time. I feel very lucky to have known and worked with many of the artists who had the original hits.”

The project’s opening track, “Ribbon of Darkness” was written by Gordon Lightfoot and originally released in 1965 as a single by Marty Robbins. It was the first song Crystal performed at her Grand Ole Opry debut. Another popular classic country hit on the album, “Crying Tie,” was written and recorded by Buck Owens. And the album’s closing track, “Put It Off Until Tomorrow” bring Crystal together with her sisters Peggy Sue Wright and icon Loretta Lynn for a highly anticipated first-ever recorded trio of them together The song also just happens to be written by Dolly Parton.

“Loretta and Peggy made this album very special by singing “Put It Off Until Tomorrow” with me. It is a song that we have performed together throughout the years. This is the one and only trio performance on record. We’ve done the Boston Pops together. We performed together in Lake Tahoe and Reno and a few things like that. But we’ve never actually made a record together. Peggy Sue still comes out on the road with me, singing backup harmonies. I recorded the track, then Patsy, Loretta’s daughter, asked her to sing on my album. Loretta is such an incredible singer. She got through the song right away and then went, “What’s next?” We should have recorded the whole album together! Loretta had her stroke not long after we recorded this.”

CLICK HERE for more info!

 

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Vince Gill will pay homage to his home state with the release of his new album, Okie, on Aug. 23. The album’s title is taken from the once-derogatory term used to disparage migrants from Oklahoma to the nation’s west coast during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression eras. A proud Oklahoman, Vince has appropriated this term on an album that embraces his roots and explores some of the most important issues of our time.

Vince wrote or co-wrote every song on the 12-track album.

“I thought this was going to be a songwriter record, not a concept album,” Vince says. “It wound up being more information than I’d envisioned. A friend sent me an email saying, ‘You could have only written this record after living a 60-year-plus life.’ He said, ‘There’s no struggle in these songs, just truth and your experience.”

Get more details and hear the song “A Letter to My Mama” HERE!

Tanya Tucker with release her new album, While I’m Livin’, on Aug. 23. The 10-song offering, which was co-produced by Brandi Carlile and Shooter Jennings, features seven original tracks that were co-penned by Brandi, Tim Hanseroth and Phil Hanseroth (Tanya teamed with the songwriting trio to pen one song, “Bring My Flowers Now”). Tanya also included covers of Miranda Lambert’s “The House That Built Me,” Waylon Jennings and David Lynn Jones’ “High Ridin’ Heroes,” and Josefus’ “Hard Luck.”

“Brandi is truly out of this world,” says Tanya. “She’s talented, smart, funny, never ever slows down and has a heart of gold. I just love her. She was like my shadow when we were in the studio. Every time I turned around, she was there. And Shooter, I’ve known him since he was a baby. He’s the one who brought us all together. So I’m ready to get this music out there because it’s different than anything I’ve ever done.”

The upcoming album represents Tanya’s first new album of original songs since the release of Tanya in 2002.

Listen to her cover of Miranda’s Lambert’s “The House That Built Me” HERE  and check out her video for her new song “The Wheels Of Laredo” below!

 

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Dwight Yoakam will bring his distinctive croon and swiveling hips to the Wynn’s Encore Theater in Las Vegas for nine dates this winter.

The nine-date residency, billed as “An Evening With Dwight Yoakam & The Bakersfield Beat” is scheduled to take place on Dec. 4, 6, 7, 10, 12 and 14, as well as March 4, 6 and 7, 2020. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10am PDT – CLICK HERE for more info!

 

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Tracy Lawrence will release his 16th studio album, Made in America, on August 16.

The 12-song collection features 8 songs co-written by Tracy. Additional songwriters include Chris Stapleton, Flip Anderson, Monty Criswell and more.

“I am extremely proud of my new album,” says Tracy. “It is possibly the most personal album I have ever released. I co-wrote eight out of the 12 songs, pouring my heart and soul into each of the songs. I feel it will resonate with my fans and country music lovers across this nation.”

Tracy, who scored a number of No. 1 hits in the 1990s with songs like “Time Marches On” and Texas Tornado,” shared the new album’s title track/lead single on May 24. The new tune, which was penned by Tracy, Rick Huckaby and Adam Sanders, celebrates the hardworking men and women that exemplify American fortitude.

Get more details and hear the first single HERE!

 

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The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2019 on August 7 and they include Larry Gatlin and Dwight Yoakam.

Songwriter/Artist

  • Dwight Yoakam: “Guitars, Cadillacs,” “Fast As You” and “You’re The One,”

Veteran Songwriter/Artist

  • Larry Gatlin: “All The Gold In California,” “Statues Without Hearts” and “Broken Lady”


CLICK HERE for more info on the Class Of 2019 inductees!

 

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Johnny Lee will undergo brain surgery on August 7.  The surgery will be done in Houston to help alleviate symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.  All of this information comes from his social media accounts. He will have to go through another procedure on August 21.

“I’m doing this all because I’m having problems walking,” Lee says. “I will be fine. I’m asking for prayers. god gave me the talent, and I plan on using it until the day I die.”

All good thoughts are going out to Lee and his family. CLICK HERE for more info…

 

 



All good wishes go out to Randy Owen who has taken ill and will not been able to perform two shows in Canada, The band canceled all of their commitments for the weekend.

The band was to perform as part of their 50th Anniversary Tour Friday night (July 19) at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario and at the Big Sky Music Festival in Oro-Medonta, Ontario on Saturday (July 20). According to a social media update, “We just received news from band Alabama that co-founder & lead vocalist Randy Owen is suffering from severe vertigo & migraines.”


Owen
 is reportedly under doctor’s care and those who had tickets for Ottawa can be a refund whilehe recuperates. Alabama wraps the Anniversary Tour in Nashville on November 20, where they will be joined by Country music legend Charlie Daniels. The group was scheduled on 50 dates for the cross-country tour.

Follow Alabama on Facebook

 

 

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Country Icon Tanya Tucker is getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and releasing her first new album in 17 years.“While I’m Livin’” will release on August 23. 
At age 60, she also revealed to CMT that Elvis Presley once tried to make out with her when she was 17….CLICK HERE FOR MORE!

Tanya is coming to Oak Mountain Amphitheatre on Thursday, September 26 with Jamey Johnson and Cody Jinks – tickets go on sale Friday, July 19 at 10am.

CLICK HEREfor more show and ticket info, including how you can win a pair of tickets with 93.3 Nash icon!

 


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Confederate Railroad issued a statement after a fair in Illinois dropped them from an upcoming performance in August due to concerns over their name. They were scheduled as part of a lineup that included Shenandoah and Restless Heart.

The fair’s manager says the Illinois Department of Agriculture made the decision to remove Confederate Railroad from the show after a writer for the Illinois-based political blog Capitol Fax wrote a piece asking readers whether it was appropriate for the group to perform.

Check out more details HERE!

And good news for Railroad fans – following this cancellation, they have been booked to play at the Black Diamond Harley-Davidson dealership in Marion, Illinois. CLICK HERE for more details!


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Alabama is celebrating a half-century of making music with their current 50th Anniversary Tour. The cross-country trek kicked off in January with an announced run of more than 50 shows through November, featuring an array of openers, including Charlie Daniels Band, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Beach Boys, John Anderson, Restless Heart, Exile, John Michael Montgomery, Scotty McCreery and more.On Nov. 20, Alabama will wind down their final tour with a stop at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for the End of Tour Celebration, featuring Charlie Daniels. Tickets for the newly announced date go on sale on June 28 at 10 a.m.

Since forming the band in 1969, Alabama’s Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry and Jeff Cook have become the most-awarded band in the history of country music.

“Our 50th Anniversary Tour has been really special with The Charlie Daniels Band being at most cities we’ve played,” says Teddy. “We could call this the Country Music Hall of Fame Tour. Three generations of fans now sing along to our songs each night.”

“It’s hard to believe we started this band 50 years ago in my parent’s house,” adds Jeff. “The Nashville concert at Bridgestone Arena will be a fun celebration for the fans and for Randy, Teddy and me.”

“This tour has been amazing,” notes Randy. “We are humbled by the huge response and sell-out crowds. Ending in Nashville with this End of Tour Celebration will give us a chance to invite some of our friends to join us. We are thankful to all the fans for supporting us over the past 50 years.”

The tour will also be at Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham with Charlie Daniels on October 4.

CLICK HERE for more tour info, and follow Alabama on Facebook!

 

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After moving to Nashville in 1985, Alan Jackson singed his first major-label record deal with Arista Nashville on June 26, 1989—30 years ago today. Eight months later, Alan released his debut album, Here in the Real World, which included hits such as the title track, “Wanted” and “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow.”

The rest, as they say, is history.

Over the course of his 30-year career, Alan has 35 No. 1 hits, dropped more than a dozen platinum albums and earned two Grammys, 16 CMAs (three for Entertainer of the Year) and 18 ACMs. He’s also a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame.

In addition to touring, he’s the sole owner and creative force behind AJ’s Good Time Bar in downtown NashvilleHe is also writing and recording new music—and he is the subject of a new documentary, Alan Jackson: Small Town Southern Man, which was released on DVD this week.

Congrats on the 30-year anniversary, Alan. Not bad for a man and his mustache.

Follow Alan Jackson on Facebook

 

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Radar Online recently reported a story that Country Icon Loretta Lynn was living her last day in a nursing home – Loretta suffered a stroke in May of 2017 but turned 87 in April and celebrated with a concert that honored her in Nashville. However, the Coal Miners Daughter has responded to the story with a video where she says she’s alive and well!

Follow Miss Loretta on Facebook

 

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BELL BUCKLE, Tenn. – Little town, BIG announcement! The Bell Buckle Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to announce that award winning Nashville music icon T. Graham Brown and his amazing wife, Sheila Brown, will serve as this year’s RC Cola and MoonPie King and Queen!

His “T-ness” as he is many times lovingly referred to, began his musical journey in Georgia and was quickly nominated for a Grammy as well as earning CMA awards, the Addy Award for Excellence in Advertising, and a back to back Prism Award winning chart topper. As a recording artist, songwriter, performer and producer, T. Graham Brown has scored multiple number one songs in the country, blues, and gospel. He has hit the Billboard, Cash Box, and Christian music charts 35 times with hits such as “I Tell It Like It Used To Be,” self penned “Hell and High Water,” and “Darlene”. He also wrote the multiple award winning song, “Wine into Water”, which has been recorded over a hundred times by artists all over the world, most recently by country music star Loretta Lynn on her latest critically acclaimed album, ‘Full Circle.’

T. Graham has performed on the iconic stage of the Grand Ole Opry hundreds of times and maintains a busy touring schedule all over the United States and Europe. He will tell you with a grin, “I’ve got a band and a bus, and I’ll keep taking the music to the people as long as God lets me. It’s what I love to do!”

Sheila was born in Fort Benning, Georgia and is the daughter of an Air Force pilot. She and T met in Georgia at college. The couple moved to Nashville after college so T. Graham could sing.

Sheila says, “We decided we would go the ‘Big Adventure’ of the country music business together, and we’re still on it. Our son, Acme, was born and lives in Nashville. We love Nashville and the music business, and our life here. We continue to travel all over the country and the world with our show. We feel very blessed to be able to do what we do. We think we have the best job in the world… we get to make people happy with music!”

“Being the 25th Annual MoonPie King, and Sheila being the Queen, is one of the highest honors to the Brown Family,” says T. Graham. “Filling the boots of Waylon and Jessi will not be easy, however we shall give it our all. The legendary combination of the mighty MoonPie and RC Cola is unsurpassed in the lore of the south. Come to historic Bell Buckle, Tennessee to partake in the unparalleled hospitality and taste these classic treats. Long live the MoonPie and RC Cola!”

This year’s RC Cola and MoonPie Festival will be held on Saturday, June 15th. T. Graham and Sheila will be a highlight of the parade which starts at approximately 11:30. There will be a Coronation of the royal couple following the parade at the Captain Rodney stage on the festival grounds along with entertainment leading up to the Coronation.

So many memories to make. So little time in a day to pack it all in. A day of fun for young and old alike to celebrate THREE southern traditions: RC Colas, Moon Pies and Historic Bell Buckle, Tennessee- close to home but a world away.

CLICK HERE for more event info, and follow T. Graham online HERE!

 

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In the middle of promoting his memoir, “Forever and Ever, Amen,” Randy Travis is releasing his first music in six years. “One In A Row”, is a song about missing someone. The song was written by Buddy Jewell and Thom McHugh and was recorded years before Travis’ stroke but never widely released to audiences. 
Travis will have a booth in Fan Fair X at Music City Center (Both 142) with books for purchase and day photo opportunities during the upcoming CMA Fest in Nashville as well as a book tour in select markets.

CLICK HERE for more info on the song, and follow Randy online HERE!

 

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Sammy Kershaw was honored by his hometown of Kaplan, La., on May 6. Not only did Mayor Michael Kloesel proclaimed it Sammy Kershaw Day, but he also changed the name of 2nd Street to Sammy Kershaw Drive.

“It’s just a total surprise,” Sammy says. “I never expected it, but to me it’s got to be one of the biggest honors your hometown can do for you. For your hometown to do something like that for you, it doesn’t happen too often.”

The “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful” singer is currently on the road with Aaron Tippin and Collin Raye on the trio’s Roots & Boots Tour.

CLICK HERE for more info, and follow Sammy ONLINE and on FACEBOOK!

 

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Alabama is celebrating a half-century of making music with their current 50th Anniversary Tour. The tour kicked off in January with now the Country Icons are extending the tour with The Charlie Daniels Band, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Beach Boys, John Anderson, Restless Heart, Exile, John Michael Montgomery and Scotty McCreery will join Alabama on select dates. The closet date for the updated Alabama 50th Anniversary Tour will be October 4 at the BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham featuring The Charlie Daniels Band.

Alabama’s Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry and Jeff Cook formed the band in 1969 when the cousins journeyed to Myrtle Beach, S.C., to play at a bar called The Bowery.

CLICK HERE for more info, and CLICK HERE to follow Alabama on Facebook.

 

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Randy Travis will make a special appearance on the Grand Ole Opry stage on May 4 to celebrate his 60th birthday.

Josh Turner is scheduled to appear on the Opry on Randy’s birthday, as is fellow Country Music Hall of Fame member Don Schlitz, who wrote a number of Randy’s biggest hits, including “Deeper Than The Holler,” “Forever And Ever, Amen,” “Heroes And Friends,” “On the Other Hand” and “Point Of Light.”

Randy will release his new book, Forever and Ever, Amen: A Memoir of Music, Faith and Braving the Storms of Life, on May 14. Randy, with the help of author Ken Abraham, shares stories of his working-class childhood, country music career, medical problems, broken marriage and more.

“I didn’t really feel I had a book to write until I stood on the distant shore and looked back over the ripples my life has made—on myself and on others,” said Randy. “My songs were the stories of my life and I learned from those who listened, they were theirs too—my fans inspired me and continue to do so.”

CLICK HERE for more…


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Toby Keith will hit the road for his summer and fall That’s Country Bro! Tour. The tour kicks off May 26 and takes its name from a song Toby will release on May 3. The closet date to the Tennessee Valley so far is August 31 in Memphis.

CLICK HERE for more…


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Hal Ketchum is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease/dementia, according to a post made by his wife Andrea on Hal’s official Facebook pageHal is 66 and his most memorable hit from the 1990s was “Small Town Saturday Night.”

Andrea shared the news via Facebook to quell speculation related to Hal’s lack of future tour dates.

“Unfortunately, Hal is suffering from Alzheimer’s/ Dementia,” said Andrea, in part. “He has been battling this for some time now, but because of his love for his fans, he continued performing as long as it was possible. Dementia is an exhausting and confusing illness and now it’s time for Hal to stay home with loved ones. Hal is otherwise healthy and happy, enjoying time with his family and friends.”

CLICK HERE for more info…


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Dolly Parton fans, start your engines!

Dolly’s likeness was featured on driver Tyler Reddick’s No. 2 Chevy Camaro at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 6. In addition to Dolly’s image on the hood, the white and pink car featured the Dollywood theme park logo on the rear quarter panels, with the DollyParton.com website across the rear roof.

Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort & Spa and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library received placement on the car’s rear, and the logos of Dolly Parton’s Stampede Dinner Attraction, Dollywood’s Splash Country and the soon-to-open Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show were included on the car’s deck lid.

Tyler drove the car to a 2nd place finish in the Alsco 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway, a NASCAR Xfinity Series event, which is NASCAR’s minor league circuit.

CLICK HERE for more info on the car, and CLICK HERE for Dolly on Facebook!

 

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ALABAMA frontman Randy Owen was honored by the Boy Scouts of America on March 20 at the organization’s American Values luncheon held in Anniston, Alabama.
Anniston’s local Boy Scouts chapter, the Choccolocco district, presented Owen with the Heart of an Eagle Award, a special recognition given to individuals who show compassion for their community through leadership, character and integrity.

“It’s a great honor to be recognized by the Boy Scouts of America,” says Owen. “I admire the great people who make scouting a wonderful lifetime experience for our state and country.”

CLICK HERE for more info and photos, and follow Randy online HERE!

 

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Dolly Parton has donated $200,000 from her My People Fund to help first responders in East Tennessee.  The money will be divided among 8 volunteer fire companies in Sevier County, where she was raised. $40,000 of the money will help build an education center, which will be used by the fire and police departments in the area.

The My People Fund was created in the wake of the 2016 wildfires that devastated the area. Dolly gave residents who lost their primary homes in the fires $1000 a month for four months, then delivered checks for $5000 per family on the fifth month. 

Dolly continues to help the community that raised her. Two years after the fires, she’s still giving back to the community and Dollywood helps creates jobs for her hometown.

Speaking of Dollywood, there are big plans for exciting new attractions in 2019 – CLICK HERE to find out more about what’s coming!

 


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John Anderson is celebrating his four-decade career with a new 40-song album, 
40 Years and Still Swingin’.

The new two-disc album features both new tunes and fresh takes on many of his No. 1 hits, including “Swingin’,” “Black Sheep,” “Wild and Blue,” “Straight Tequila Night” and “Money in the Bank.”

“This year has started out on fire for us and no sign of slowing down,” says John. “I feel great and am enjoying this part of my 40-year career more than any other time I remember. This two-disc set was long overdue and has the hits you’d expect, but also includes a few previously unreleased songs that didn’t make it onto past albums for one reason or another, but I felt they deserved a chance to be heard. It’s always nice to walk down memory lane, but we aren’t resting either.”

In addition to more than a dozen upcoming tour dates, John is featured in the new exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame: American Currents: The Music of 2018.

40 Years and Still Swingin’ Track Listing:
Disc 1
1. I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal
2. I’ve Got It Made
3. Freedom Isn’t Free
4. Straight Tequila Night
5. Would You Catch a Fallen Star
6. Magic Mama
7. When I Get Down
8. Money in the Bank
9. I Loved You a Thousand Ways
10. Chicken Truck
11. I Will Cross Over the River
12. Small Farm in Kentucky
13. Bend It Till It Breaks
14. Somebody Slap Me
15. Long Black Veil
16. Goldmine
17. Peace in the Valley
18. She Just Started Liking Cheatin’ Songs
19. I Just Came Home to Count the Memories
20. Seminole Wind

Disc 2
1. Black Sheep
2. Your Lyin’ Blue Eyes
3. Song the Mountain Sings
4. When It Comes to You
5. Back Home
6. Let Somebody Else Drive
7. Wish I Could’ve Been There
8. Walkin’ in the Shadows
9. Wild and Blue
10. Mississippi Moon
11. Tokyo, Oklahoma
12. 1959
13. Louisiana Son of a Beast
14. Someday I’m Gonna Go Fishin’
15. Down in Tennessee
16. On and On
17. Goin’ Downhill
18. The Rain
19. Occasional Eagle
20. Swingin’

CLICK HERE for more…

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Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival is coming back for a fourth summer.

There are 10 shows booked from June 14th in Bangor, Maine to July 3rd. (The June 15th stop is being held as part of Mountain Jam in Bethel, New York.) Acts appearing include Phil Lesh and Friends, The Avett Brothers, Alison Krauss, The Revivalists, Counting Crows, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Old Crow Medicine Show, Dawes, Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real and Steve Earle and The Dukes.

Tickets for most dates go on sale Friday, March 8 – head to OutlawMusicFestival.com for the specific lineup at each stop.


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Brooks & Dunn are back in the saddle with a new Reboot album that features an all-star cast of artists performing duets with country’s greatest duo.

Artists taking part in the project include Kacey Musgraves, Kane Brown, Thomas Rhett, Brett Young, Lanco, Ashley McBryde, Midland, Luke Combs, Brothers Osborne, Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi and Tyler Booth.
On February 21, Brooks & Dunn revealed the track listing for the new album, which will drop on April 5. 

In addition to previously released songs “Brand New Man” with Luke Combs and “Believe” with Kane Brown, Brooks and Dunn released their collaboration with Jon Pardi on “My Next Broken Heart.”
Reboot Track List
1. Brand New Man (with Luke Combs)
2. Ain’t Nothing ‘Bout You (with Brett Young)
3. My Next Broken Heart (with Jon Pardi)
4. Neon Moon (with Kacey Musgraves)*
5. Lost and Found (with Tyler Booth)
6. Hard Workin’ Man (with Brothers Osborne)
7. You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone (with Ashley McBryde)
8. My Maria (with Thomas Rhett)
9. Red Dirt Road (with Cody Johnson)
10. Boot Scootin’ Boogie (with Midland)
11. Mama Don’t Get Dressed Up For Nothing (with LANCO)
12. Believe (with Kane Brown)


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Marty Stuart will hit the road with Steve Miller Band this summer for more than 30 dates.
Kicking off on June 13 in Des Moines, Iowa, Marty and His Fabulous Superlatives are playing a number of shows in March and April.
Tickets for many of the dates are on sale now.
Marty Stuart Tour Dates:
March 27 in Nashville at The Ryman (Country Music: A Celebration of the Film by Ken Burns)

CLICK HERE for more info

 



After more than 50 years as a recording artist, Charley Pride will be the subject of a new documentary, American Masters—Charley Pride: I’m Just Me, on PBS on February 22. The film, which is narrated by Tanya Tucker, chronicles Charley’s improbable journey to country stardom, from his humble beginnings as a sharecropper’s son on a cotton farm in Mississippi and his career as a Negro League baseball player. The film includes interviews with Charley, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson, Darius Rucker, Brad Paisley, Marty Stuart, Whoopi Goldberg and more.

“Charley deserves every accolade he can get,” said Willie Nelson. “And, uh, we’ll make up some new ones if we need to. He’ll deserve them too!”

Charley, a three-time Grammy winner, is considered country music’s first African-American superstar. He signed to RCA Victor in 1967 and earned a string of No. 1 hits, including “All I Have to Offer You (Is Me),” “(I’m So) Afraid of Losing You Again,” “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’,” “Amazing Love” and many more. Charley won the CMA’s Entertainer of the Year award in 1971 and Top Male Vocalist in 1971 and 1972. Charley was the first African-American to perform on the Grand Ole Opry stage and he became the Opry’s first African-American member in 1993.

American Masters—Charley Pride: I’m Just Me airs on PBS on Feb. 22 at 8 p.m.

The film will stream on pbs.org beginning on February 23.

CLICK HERE for more….

 

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Alabama is celebrating a half-century of making music with their 50th Anniversary Tour in 2019. The 27-date tour kicked off in Detroit on January 10, but there are no dates in their home state!

Alabama’s Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry and Jeff Cook formed the band in 1969 when the cousins journeyed to Myrtle Beach, S.C., to play at a bar called The Bowery. The Charlie Daniels Band, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Oak Ridge Boys, Restless Heart, Chris Janson, Tracy Lawrence and Exile will join Alabama on select dates.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE….

 

After taking a few years off from touring outside of Texas, Tracy Byrd will hit the road for more than 45 dates in 2019. In addition, Tracy will team up with fellow Texan, Mark Chesnutt, for select dates billed as The Beaumont Boys.

“I am really enjoying getting back out on the road,” says Tracy. “I loved spending time off watching the kids grow, but I have missed seeing the legion of fans that we had gained over the years. I look forward to reconnecting with them on the road!”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE….

 


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Dolly Parton presents 9 To 5 The Musical at London’s Savoy Theatre from Jan. 28-Aug. 31. Directed by Jeff Calhoun and based on the 1980 movie, the show features music and lyrics by Parton and a book by Patricia Resnick, the film’s original screenwriter.

Some of Dolly Parton‘s amazing outfits will go on display at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Diamond in a Rhinestone World: The Costumes of Dolly Parton will feature outfits she wore in videos, concerts and on album covers. The exhibit opens on February 4th, when she’ll discuss the background of the pieces in the collection as a part of the museum’s Town Hall Program. Diamond in a Rhinestone World: The Costumes of Dolly Parton runs through March 17th.

She says, “I probably have thousands of dresses from over the years. I had a hard time letting go of some of my favorites, but I’m excited for them to be included in this exhibit.”

On February 8th, Dolly will be honored as Grammy’s 2019 MusiCares Person of the Year.  Chris Stapleton, Norah Jones and Pink are among the first round of performers honoring her. 

She tells People, “When I was younger, I used to wonder what my life would be like when I was older, how people would see me, ’cause I always wanted to do something to touch people. I wanted to uplift mankind and glorify God. It’s very touching to me to see that something I’ve done has been an inspiration.”

Dolly is being honored for her creative accomplishments, as well as her support of many charitable causes.  Dolly is in good company. Past recipients of the award include Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan, Gloria Estefan, Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Lionel Richie, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen and James Taylor.

The Grammy Awards will take place on February 10th.  Dolly is the first country act to be honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year.

CLICK HERE for more!

 



Doug Supernaw is battling Stage IV lung and bladder cancer, according to a post on his official Facebook page on Feb. 2. Doug was a mainstay on the country charts in the early 1990s with Top 5 hits like “I Don’t Call Him Daddy,” “Enough Hours in the Night” and “Reno.”

According to the Facebook post, Doug was admitted to the hospital after struggling with a prolonged cough. After a battery of tests, a suspicious mass was found in Doug’s lung and his medical team confirmed additional masses in his lymph nodes, bones and bladder. The official diagnoses is “advanced, Stage IV lung and bladder cancer.”

Doug remains in a Houston hospital at this time. A GoFundMe Page has been set up with a goal of raising $10,000. According to the page, Doug has no medical insurance and no income, after canceling a number of shows.

CLICK HERE for more…

 

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Joe Diffie celebrated his 25th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry with a performance—and cake—during the Opry at the Ryman showcase on Jan. 25. The showcase also included performances by Vince Gill, Michael Ray, Ricky Skaggs and more.

Joe, who was inducted into the Opry on Nov. 27, 1993, was a mainstay of ’90s country with his blue-collar hits, including “Home,” “John Deere Green,” Pickup Man,” “Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die)” and more.

“25 years at the @opry!! said Joe via Instagram. “What a great night!!!! Had a bunch of family to celebrate with and cake!!!!”

CLICK HERE for more!

 

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Singer and songwriter John Berry has tonsil cancer. He made the announcement Tuesday via a YouTube video to his fans


The cancer is highly treatable and has a 90 percent cure rate.  Late last year, he had a catch in his throat that felt like the skin of a Spanish peanut. After several rounds of antibiotics, the cancer was discovered.  John will undergo five weeks of treatment. 

CLICK HERE for more info on John Berry

 

 

Two-time CMA and ACM Female Vocalist of the Year Janie Fricke has released The Essential JANIE FRICKE, through Sony Legacy to all digital service providers for streaming and downloading. The collection includes many of her 18 number one hits including “What’re You Doing Tonight,” “It Ain’t Easy Being Easy,” “He’s A Heartache (Looking For A Place To Happen),” “Tell Me A Lie” and more. All forty songs released on The Essential JANIE FRICKE are available to fans on Spotify, Amazon Music, among others.

“After so many wonderful years of recording, it’s a reward to see this compilation of both my favorite singles and duets presented in one project,” Fricke said. “I am thrilled beyond words, and thanks to all the great folks at Sony/Columbia Records.”

The Essential Janie Fricke Track Listing
1. What’re You Doing Tonight
2. Stranger (with Johnny Duncan)
3. Baby It’s You
4. Come A Little Bit Closer (with Johnny Duncan)
5. Please Help Me, I’m Falling (In Love With You)
6. On My Knees (with Charlie Rich)
7. Playing Hard To Get
8. I’ll Love Your Troubles Away For A While
9. Let’s Try Again
10. But Love Me
11. Pass Me By (If Your’re Only Passing Through)
12. He’s Out Of My Life (with Johnny Duncan)
13. Down To My Last Broken Heart
14. Pride
15. I’ll Need Someone To Hold Me (When I Cry)
16. Do Me With Love
17. Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me Baby
18. It Ain’t Easy Being Easy
19. You Don’t Know Love
20. He’s A Heartache (Looking For A Place To Happen)
21. Tell Me A Lie
22. Let’s Stop Talkin’ About It
23. If The Fall Don’t Get You
24. Your Heart’s Not In It
25. A Place To Fall Apart (with Merle Haggard)
26. The First Word In Memory Is Me
27. Who Cares (with Ray Charles)
28. All I Want To Do In Life (with George Jones)
29. She’s Single Again
30. Somebody Else’s Fire
31. Easy To Please
32. Always Have, Always Will
33. When A Woman Cries
34. Are You Satisfied
35. Baby You’re Gone
36. Where Does Love Go (When It’s Gone)
37. I’ll Walk Before I’ll Crawl
38. Heart
39. Give ‘Em My Number
40. Love Is One Of Those Words

CLICK HERE for more info on Janie Fricke

 

 

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Mark Wills’ musical dream came true on January 11 when he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. He was asked to join the esteemed organization by Vince Gill on December 21.

Opry legend and longtime member Jeannie Seely welcomed Mark to the stage last Friday night, as she did back in the mid-90s when he stepped into the circle for his very first performance.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE

 

Loretta Lynn will celebrate her 87th birthday on April 14, but she will get the party started on April 1 with an All-Star Birthday Celebration Concert at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. The concert will feature performances by Alan Jackson, Darius Rucker, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Trisha Yearwood, Keith Urban and others.

In honor of the Coal Miners Daughter, Urban may be performing twice.

Loretta said, “This is the first time I’ve ever had a birthday party! My birthday wish has come true. The only other wish I have is that Keith Urban jumps out of my birthday cake!”

Based on Keith Urban’s tweet, it sounds like Loretta may get her second wish!

CLICK HERE for more info on Loretta’s Birthday celebration!

 

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The lineup for the Willie Nelson tribute concert in Nashville on January 12, Willie: Life and Songs of an American Outlaw, is impressive and includes Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, Emmylou Harris, Jimmy Buffett, Bobby Bare, Jamey Johnson, Lukas Nelson, Margo Price, Micah Nelson, Nathaniel Rateliff, Ray Benson and Steve Earle all set to pay tribute to the Red Headed Stranger.

Previously announced performers include Vince Gill, George Strait, Lee Ann Womack, Alison Krauss, John Mellencamp and Kris Kristofferson.

Willie released his debut record in 1962 and dropped his 68th studio album back in September, so it’s safe to say these artists have a lot of songs to pick from.

 

 

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Country Music Hall of Fame member Ronnie Milsap will commemorate his 76th birthday in 2019 with a new tour. The “76 for 76 Tour” kicks off on his birthday on January 16 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, the new tour—76 for 76 Tour. Tickets for the first wave of the 76 for 76 Tour are on sale now –  more dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

On January 18, Ronnie will release a new album that features duets with an A-list cast, including Billy Gibbons, Luke Bryan, Dolly Parton, Jason Aldean, Willie Nelson, Little Big Town, George Strait, Leon Russell, Steven Curtis Chapman and Montgomery Gentry. The 13-track collection, Ronnie Milsap: The Duets, includes one of Troy Gentry’s final recordings on the Montgomery Gentry/Ronnie duet, “Shakey Ground.” In addition, Leon Russell, who passed away in 2016, is featured on “Misery Loves Company.”

The album was recorded at Ronnie’s Place, the Nashville studio Ronnie owned from the late 1970s until 1995.

CLICK HERE for more info on the album and tour!

 

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Former 
Trick Pony guitar player Ira Dean helped pull a passenger out of a near-fatal wreck while filming the movie Deep River in North Carolina.

Dean says, “We heard the crash and I immediately took off running towards the car. I found it upside down and mangled with no driver in sight. I heard screams from a woman and found her bloody and panicked. She was crying, ‘Get him out’. Fellow actor Eric Hamilton and I quickly rushed to open the car doors, but they were both jammed. I finally climbed through the back to reach him.”

The two were transported to an area hospital.

 

Dumplin‘, is a new Netflix movie, featuring music from Dolly PartonMiranda Lambert and Alison Krauss

The film is about the overweight teenage daughter of a beauty queen who signs up to compete in her mother’s pageant and changes the attitude of the naysayers in her small Texas town. 

Dolly wrote six of the original songs with Grammy winner Linda Perry.

The movie, based on the book of the same name, stars Danielle Macdonald and Jennifer Aniston, who also sings on the soundtrack.

 

Dolly Parton has unveiled the album cover and track listing to the soundtrack of the Netflix movie Dumplin‘, starring Jennifer Aniston and Danielle Macdonald

The album features collaborations with SiaElle KingMavis StaplesMiranda LambertWilla AmaiRhonda Vincent, Alison KraussMacy Gray and Dorothy

The album comes out on November 30th. The movie releases on Netflix and in select theaters on December 7. 

Track Listing:

“Here I Am” (Dolly Parton & Sia)

“Holdin’ On to You” (Dolly Parton & Elle King)

“Girl in the Movies”

“Red Shoes”

“Why” (Dolly Parton & Mavis Staples)

“Dumb Blonde” (Dolly Parton & Miranda Lambert)

“Here You Come Again” (Dolly Parton & Willa Amai)

“Who”

“Push & Pull”

“If We Don’t” (Dolly Parton & Rhonda Vincent with Alison Krauss)

“Two Doors Down” (Dolly Parton & Macy Gray with Dorothy)

“Jolene”(New String Version)

CLICK HERE for more!

 

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Alabama frontman Randy Owen was officially inducted into the Alabama Business Hall of Fame on Thursday, November 15th in Birmingham.  Owen’s induction comes as a result of his business dealings in music, agriculture, and humanitarianism, including work with Country Cares for St. Jude Kids, several disaster relief initiatives, and more.
“It’s a great honor to be one of this year’s inductees into the Alabama Business Hall Of Fame,” said Owen. “It’s very special that my entire family got to share the night together. God bless all the fellow inductees, their families, and our home state!”

For one night only, GRAMMY nominated legendary country and soul singer T. Graham Brown will be making his theatrical debut in Kaine Riggan’s ‘A Waffle House Christmas Musical‘ Saturday, December 1st at McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center in Henderson, North Carolina. A down-home style musical to help get you in the Christmas spirit, the production stars Joyce DeWitt (“Janet” from ‘Three’s Company’) and features select members of the original Nashville cast who join local talent. Brown will play the character of Willie Wainwright, a man struggling with alcohol and personal turmoil, and will also deliver a musical performance of his hit song “Wine Into Water.” A Waffle House Christmas Musical is sure to fill your appetite for Christmas fun!

“Kaine Riggan has written a wonderful, heartwarming Christmas musical and I’m so proud that he chose “Wine Into Water” as one of the songs in the score,” says Brown. “I’m also excited about getting to sing it in such a special theatrical setting!”

Set in a Waffle House on Christmas Eve, the family-friendly musical comedy follows an unlikely mix of characters who are getting snowed in for the night. DeWitt plays Rita, a Waffle House waitress who finds herself in the center of the action and faced with a tough choice after an unusual visit from one of her “regulars”. The show is both hilarious and touching, featuring original music by T. Graham Brown, Randy Travis, and other top Nashville songwriters. The musical was originally commissioned by the Metro Nashville Arts Commission and Southeast Waffles, LLC and first produced at the Nashville Dinner Theatre. This one-night-only engagement is the final workshop production.

Also this holiday season, fans can find Christmas music with a soulful country sound on ‘Christmas With T. Graham Brown.’ This is his first Christmas album, available at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations nationwide and everywhere digital music is found. The project, produced by Brown and Tony Griffith, was released by Mansion Entertainment, is distributed by The Orchard (a division of Sony Music) and can be streamed or purchased here.

Tickets to the musical may be purchased at www.McGregorHall.org or by calling (252) 598-0662.

CLICK HERE for more info!

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Vince Gill was hospitalized prior to Wednesday night’s CMA Awards, forcing him to miss the show and his scheduled performance with Ricky SkaggsIt’s not clear how serious Gill’s condition is, because neither the singer or his representatives have commented.

Prior to the show on the red carpet, Brothers Osborne broke the news to Kellie Pickler and Ben Aaron. John Osborne revealed Gill had been hospitalized with a kidney stone and that he’d be replacing him for the all-star medley. The duo was fairly jocular about it, with the guitarist joking, “Vince Gill’s kidney stone was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

CLICK HERE for more info….

 

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Dolly Parton kicked off the holiday season with her annual Smoky Mountain Christmas celebration at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., on November 9. In addition to a performances by Dolly with her brother Randy and several nieces, Dolly opened the park’s newest expansion, Glacier Ridge, a “frosted version of the Smoky Mountains” that features a 50-foot-tall animated Christmas tree, a walk-through version of the Northern Lights and a variety of other light shows set to classic holiday tunes. Glacier Ridge pushes the park’s total count to more than 5 million twinkling lights.

“Christmas is so important to me for so many reasons,” says Dolly. “I’m so thankful that it’s a time when our family comes together to share stories, remember old times, and make new memories we’ll take with us through the next year and beyond. There’s a lot of laughin’ and a whole lot of love when we all get together. I want those folks who come to experience Christmas with us at Dollywood to feel like they’re part of the family, making those memories and sharing those special times. I know the fun they’ll find in Glacier Ridge will help them create brand new memories and traditions.”

Most of Dollywood’s signature rides and attractions also operate in this merry environment, with rides racing along just above the 5 million twinkling lights.

Smoky Mountain Christmas is open now through Jan. 5, 2019.

CLICK HERE to check out photos from the Smoky Mountain Christmas Celebration!


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Charlie Daniels has written a new book that shares his signature wit and powerful lessons that he’s learned from traveling and playing all around the world “Let’s All Make the Day Count: The Everyday Wisdom of Charlie Daniels” (Thomas Nelson) was released on November 6 and is an entertaining and impactful book for those who have enjoyed his daily “let’s all make the day count” tweets and want to hear more personal stories from his life.

“I have leaned heavily on my personal journey and the times I’ve knocked my head against various walls through the years while learning life’s lessons,” Daniels said. “I’ve excerpted segments of my highest and lowest times, my most devastating defeats and most rewarding victories, and how I’ve come to truly value making the day count, every single day.”

“Let’s All Make the Day Count” includes 100 readings that cover such topics as starting again after loss; standing your ground; how to be successful; how to show people you care; choosing your words carefully; and many more. Daniels accompanies every story with a Bible verse and a short takeaway.

 

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The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inducted its class of 2018 at the Music City Center on October 28. Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn and “The 80’s Lady” K.T. Oslin were honored, with bot Dunn and Oslin were elected in the Songwriter/Artist category.

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame also honored Reba McEntire with the inaugural Career Maker Award for her “significant influence on the songwriting careers of Hall of Fame members.” Reba has recorded 80 songs—including 33 singles—that were written or co-written by more than 40 songwriters who have gone on to achieve induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Career Maker Award was created to honor a non-Hall of Fame member whose artistic endeavors have helped songwriters achieve their dreams of induction into the Hall of Fame.

A number of artists were on hand to honor the inductees with performances, including Jon Pardi and Little Big Town.

Partial Songwriting Credits of New Hall of Fame Members:

Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn
“Neon Moon,” “My Next Broken Heart,” “Red Dirt Road,” “Cowgirls Don’t Cry”

K.T. Oslin
“’80s Ladies,” “Come Next Monday,” “I’ll Always Come Back,” “This Woman”

CLICK HERE for more info!

 

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The Country Music Hall of Fame formally inducted three new members on Oct. 21: Ricky Skaggs (modern era), Dottie West (veteran era, decreased) and Johnny Gimble (musician, deceased).

Ricky Skaggs was recognized by:

  • Garth Brooks, Larry Cordle and Sierra Hull performed “Highway 40 Blues”
  • Dierks Bentley performed “You’ve Got a Lover”
  • Chris Stapleton performed “Darkest Hour Is Just Before Dawn”
  • Medallion Presentation: Garth Brooks

CLICK HERE for more info on this year’s inductions

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Martina McBride will get her very own Food Network show, “Martina’s Table.”

(Martina McBride) “I’ve always had a passion for cooking and love to cook for my friends and family. Having a show on Food Network is a dream come true!”

The show debuts on November 18, when She joins the ranks of Trisha Yearwood and Kimberly Schlapmann, who both have cooking shows. 

FOLLOW MARTINA ON FACEBOOK 

 

Jo Dee Messina has been battling with cancer since September 2017 but she has released a new song, “Reckless Love.”

She tells People, “I’m leaning on God. I’m letting Him take charge. It’s what’s best for my soul right now. Every biopsy and every result…it feels like an eternity goes by. I know that God has me. I’m filled with gratitude and joy.”

Although she’s not sure the song will ever make it onto the radio, Jo Dee is sure it’s a message that someone needs to hear.

CLICK HERE to listen to “Reckless Love”,  and CLICK HERE for more info on her diagnosis and treatment.

 FOLLOW JO DEE MESSINA ON FACEBOOK

 

 

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Looking happier and more radiant than ever, Country Music Icon Tanya Tucker graces the newest cover of First for Women as she celebrates her 60th birthday this week and marks more than five decades in the entertainment business.
Inside the issue, Tanya open-up about how she stays energized and focused, as well as smart tips for readers, which include leaning on old friends, finding gluten-free indulgences, letting go of control and spending quiet time with God. Tanya’s First for Women cover is on newsstands nationwide beginning October 11. 
Tanya is also putting the final touches on a new album set for release in January 2019.

More details will be announced soon. 

Recently, Tanya returned from the European leg of her tour and attracted the largest crowd in the history of the 24th Annual Norsk Countrytreff Festival in Norway. More than 17,600 festival goers attended the three-day event in the city of Breim.  Still fabulous at 60 years-old, Tanya performs more than 70 shows a year with a set list that covers 3 decades of hitsOn October 19, she will perform at the Oxford Performing Arts Center in Oxford, Alabama.  

In 1974, Rolling Stone ran a cover story on Tanya Tucker with the headline that said “You’re Gonna Hear From Me.”Truer words have never been spoken. The Country Music Icon’s sultry voice and vivacious stage presence makes her one of the most admired and respected female vocalists in the country music genre.

Tanya’s reign includes 23 Top 40 albums and a string of 56 Top 40 singles, 10 of which reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts. Along the way, she has provided some of the biggest country music hits of each decade, including, “Delta Dawn,” “Soon,” “Two Sparrows in a Hurricane,” “It’s a Little Too Late,” “Trouble” and “Texas (When I Die),” just to name a few. Tucker is also the recipient of numerous awards, including 2 CMAs, 2 ACMs and 3 CMT awards. In August 2016, the Academy of Country Music honored Tucker with the Cliffie Stone Icon Award during the 10th Annual ACM Honors™.

All-inclusive sales of singles, albums, hits collections and digital downloads have topped 25 million records worldwide.

 Follow Tanya on Facebook, Twitter, and at TanyaTucker.com!


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Heidi Newfield, former lead singer for Trick Pony, said “yes” when fellow musician Matt King proposed.

King dropped to one knee on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville to ask Newfield to marry him. 
“When he goes, I [wanna] go, too,” shared Newfield via Facebook, quoting her song, “Johnny and June.” “I said yes…in the Mother Church tonight, with dear friends waiting in the wings with hugs, flowers, and lots of love. Matt King, you out did yourself!”

Follow Heidi on Facebook

 

Country Music Hall of Fame member Ronnie Milsap will release a new album on January 18 that features duets with an A-list cast, including Billy Gibbons, Luke Bryan, Dolly Parton, Jason Aldean, Willie Nelson, Little Big Town, George Strait and Montgomery Gentry.

The 13-track collection, dubbed Ronnie Milsap: The Duets, includes one of Troy Gentry’s final recordings on the Montgomery Gentry/Ronnie duet, “Shakey Ground.”

In addition, Leon Russell, who passed away in 2016, is featured on “Misery Loves Company.”

The album was recorded at Ronnie’s Place, the Nashville studio Ronnie owned from the late 1970s until 1995.

Ronnie Milsap: The Duets

  1. “Southern Boys and Detroit Wheels” ft. Billy Gibbons
  2. “Stranger in My House” ft. Luke Bryan
  3. “Smokey Mountain Rain” ft. Dolly Parton
  4. “Prisoner of the Highway” ft. Jason Aldean
  5. “A Woman’s Love” ft. Willie Nelson
  6. “Happy Happy Birthday” ft. Lucy Angel
  7. “No Getting Over Me” ft. Kacey Musgraves
  8. “Lost in the Fifties” ft. Little Big Town
  9. “Houston Solution” ft. George Strait
  10. “What a Woman Can Mean to a Man” ft. Jessie Key
  11. “Misery Loves Company” ft. Leon Russell
  12. “You’re Nobody” ft. Steven Curtis Chapman
  13. “Shakey Ground” ft. Montgomery Gentry

Follow Ronnie on Facebook

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Ricky Skaggs will be inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame Class of 2018 on Thursday, September 27 in Raleigh, North Carolina during the International Bluegrass Music Awards show.
“I’m very honored to be inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame along with the “Father of Bluegrass,” Bill Monroe,” notes Skaggs.  “His impact on me and all of us as musicians and singers that love Bluegrass music will never be replicated.  With so many other heroes in the Hall, I’m just thankful to have my name mentioned alongside theirs.

Skaggswill also be inducted in to the Country Music Hall of Fame this year.

 

Loretta Lynn will release her new studio album, Wouldn’t It Be Great, on September 28, 15-months after the original release date of August 2017 was delayed after she suffered a stroke on May 15, 2017.

“This new record means so much to me, but this last year I had to focus on my health and I decided to hold up the release,” said Loretta. “I’m feelin’ good and look forward to it comin’ out. It was really important to me to be a part of it being released and I’m excited to celebrate with everybody.”
All of the tunes on the new 13-song offering were penned or co-penned by Loretta. 
The album features new songs alongside newly recorded renditions of past compositions. The album’s title track, which is the last song Loretta wrote for her late husband, Oliver “Doolittle” Lynn.

Loretta will be honored with the Artist of a Lifetime award at the CMT Artists of the Year celebration on October 17 at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center at 7pm on CMT. Sissy Spacek, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Loretta in 1980’s Coal Miner’s Daughter, will present Loretta with the award.

“I’m always so proud when I receive any awards for my music, but when I heard it was this year’s Artist of a Lifetime award it made me really happy,” Loretta said in a statement. “It’s an honor to be able to make music that people enjoy and I’m really excited to have a new album coming out. Thank you CMT for acknowledging me with this award and for honoring the women in country music at Artists of the Year.”

This year’s Artists of the Year celebration will honor the top female country artists, including Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris, Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman, and Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott. Merle Haggard received the inaugural Artist of a Lifetime award in 2014, followed by Kenny Rogers in 2015 and Shania Twain in 2016.

 

 

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Blake Shelton, Scotty McCreery, Chris Janson and Bill Anderson
will perform at the Nashville Songwriters Association International Songwriter Awards on September 19 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Anderson will receive the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award.
Awards will be given for Song, Songwriter and Songwriter-Artist of the Year as well as the “10 Songs I Wish I’d Written” awards.

Whisperin’ Bill Anderson is a Country Music Hall of Fame member and newest inductee to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, released his 72nd album, “Anderson,” on September 14.

“You might think after my having released 71 albums during my career that I’d be tempted to yawn my way through the release of album No. 72,” exclaimed Anderson. “Well, that’s not the case at all. I’m looking forward to this one as much as any record I’ve ever put out. I know I’ve never enjoyed the recording process more than working here with [producers] Thomm Jutz and Peter Cooper. They had the vision…I just tried to follow their lead and bring their ideas to life. I only hope that as folks listen, they’ll feel we succeeded.”

Follow Whisperin’ Bill Anderson on Facebook


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The AMERICANA MUSIC ASSOCIATION (AMA) has revealed that ROSANNE CASH will be he the 2018 “SPIRIT OF AMERICANA” Free Speech Award honoree. This award is one of the Lifetime Achievement Awards the organization gives out each year at its AMERICANA HONORS & AWARDS show taking place at the RYMAN AUDITORIUM in NASHVILLE on WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12th.


Other 2018 honorees include OLIVIA RECORDS founders JUDY DLUGACZ and CRIS WILLIAMSON for the Jack Emerson Lifetime Achievement Award for Executive; IRMA THOMAS as the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance; K.D. LANG for the Americana Trailblazer Award honoree; and BUDDY GUY for the Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist. The final 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award is for Artist of the Year with the contenders being BRANDI CARLILE, JASON ISBELL, MARGO PRICE, and JOHN PRINE. The choice, as voted by the AMA members, will be announced soon.


The AMERICANA HONORS & AWARDS show is part of 19th annual AMERICANAFEST: THE AMERICANA MUSIC FESTIVAL & CONFERENCE taking place TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11th through SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16th in NASHVILLE.

CLICK HERE for more info, and CLICK HERE to follow Roseanne Cash on Facebook!

Gretchen Wilson court date is set for September 13th on the plane incident in August. CLICK HERE for more…
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Dolly Parton can add another honor to her Hall of Fame career: 2019 MusiCares Person of the Year.

Following in the footsteps of past honorees like Paul McCartney, Natalie Cole, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Tom Petty and more, Dolly will be presented with the award at the 29th annual benefit gala at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Feb. 8, 2019, two nights prior to the 61st Grammy Awards.

“I am so excited and humbled to be honored as MusiCares Person of the Year,” said Dolly. “It’s even more special knowing the gala benefits music people in need. I can’t wait to hear all of the great artists singing my music.”

MusiCares, which is the charitable arm of the Recording Academy, provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need, including financial, medical and personal emergencies.

Dolly was recognized by the Recording Academy in 2011 with its Lifetime Achievement Award. With this latest honor, the country music icon earns the distinction of becoming the first artist from the Nashville music community to be honored at the annual Grammy Week gala benefiting music people in need.

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Country Music Hall of Fame member and Mississippi native Charley Pride was honored with another industry accolade.

Pride was inducted into the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience Hall of Fame class of 2018, on August 25 in Meridian, Mississippi, along with four other recipients: singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, Photographer William Eggleston, Writer and editor Willie Morris, and Blues musician Howlin’ Wolf.  Pride also received a ‘Walk of Fame’ star as part of the ceremony.

“I’m very humbled to be part of this Hall of Fame class along with these other accomplished Mississippians,” said Pride. “This honor means a lot to me because it comes from my home state. I am so proud to be from Mississippi!”

Get more details on Charley and his new album HERE

Follow Charlie Pride on Facebook

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Joe Diffie will perform at the Academy of Country Music’s “12th Annual ACM Honors,” on Wednesday, August 22 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.  

Diffie will join previously-announced acts Chris Stapleton, Dustin Lynch, Cam, and others, including Lauren Alaina and Jon Pardi, who will also serve as Hosts.
The Special Award recipients spotlights awards not given out on the televised show in April and includes Alan Jackson, Darius Rucker, Sam Hunt, Dierks Bentley, and Rhett Akins.

Keep up with Joe Diffie online HERE  and on Facebook 

For more info on the ACM Honors, CLICK HERE!

“The Redneck Woman” Gretchen Wilson was arrested at an airport in Connecticut on Tuesday night after she caused a “minor disturbance” on a flight and became hostile with troopers, according to state police. Troopers met Wilson’s plane upon arrival at the airport because of an incident aboard the flight.

According to a police report, Wilson got into a fight with another passenger over using the bathroom on a flight, then “became belligerent toward the troopers and caused a disturbance,” while being interviewed by authorities on the plane’s jetway.

She was arrested for breach of peace and held on a $1,000 bond.

CLICK HERE for more!
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“Volunteer Jam XX: A Tribute to Charlie Daniels” will air on AXS TV on August 19 at 9p.m.

Since its inception in 1974, Charlie’s Volunteer Jam has brought together some of music’s biggest stars. 
This year’s Jam, which was recorded on March 7 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, featured performances by Charlie Daniels, Chris Young, Lee Brice, Alabama, Sara Evans, Travis Tritt, Alison Krauss, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Blackberry Smoke, Bobby Bare, Chris Janson, Eddie Montgomery, Jamey Johnson, Justin Moore, The Oak Ridge Boys, Ricky Skaggs and more.

AXS TV’s 2-hour broadcast includes performances, in-depth interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from Charlie’s 20th Volunteer Jam.

In addition, a 2-CD set of select songs from the Jam will be released on October 12. A portion of the night’s proceeds benefited The Journey Home Project, an organization that supports U.S. military veterans.

CLICK HERE for more info!

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At a media event on August 3, Dolly Parton revealed plans for a $37-million expansion dubbed “Wildwood Grove” at her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Wildwood Grove, which is slated to open in 2019, represents the largest capital investment in Dollywood’s 32-year history. Wildwood Grove will feature 11 new experiences for guests, including a new restaurant, climbing structure and roller coaster called the Dragonflier.

Get more details and check out featured attractions HERE!

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame announced its class of 2018 on August 7 and the inductees include Ronnie Dunn, K.T. Oslin, Byron Hill, Wayne Kirkpatrick and Joe Melson. They will be inducted on October 28 at the Music City Center, joining more than 200 existing members of the organization.

Ronnie Dunn and K.T Oslin were elected in the Songwriter/Artist category.

CLICK HERE for more!


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The Judds will be the subject of an 11-month exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum.

Opening on August 10 and running through July 14, 2019, The Judds: Dream Chasers will explore the lives and careers of the Grammy-winning mother-daughter duo. Wynonna and Naomi Judd dominated the country charts during the 1980s and 90s, and have sold more than 20 million albums and registered 20 Top 10 hits.

The exhibit features rare artifacts, original manuscripts, unpublished photos and keepsake costumes.
For more info,
CLICK HERE!
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The Recording Academy hosted its third “Grammy Salute to Music Legends” TV special on July 14 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles to honor its 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award recipients.

This year’s honorees included Tina Turner, Neil Diamond, Queen, the Meters, John Williams, Louis Jordan, Hal Blaine and Emmylou Harris. Trisha Yearwood hosted the segment paying homage to Emmylou, a Country Music Hall of Fame member who has won 13 Grammy Awards.
“I can’t think of anyone more deserving,” said Trisha. “She is one of our true treasures. I’m proud to call her ‘friend.’ I am proud to be in an industry with her. And I’m very happy for the Grammys to welcome her into this fold with this legendary Lifetime Achievement Award. I’m just so happy for her.”

The “Grammy Salute to Music Legends” TV special will air on PBS this fall.

 

The Music City Walk of Fame announced its 2018 inductees: Ben Folds, Brenda Lee, Jeannie Seely and Ray Stevens. They will inducted on August 21 at 11:30am at Nashville’s Walk of Fame Park.

The event is free and open to the public – CLICK HERE for more info!

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Congrats to Deana Carter who married Jim McPhail on July 6 at a private ceremony in Rosemary Beach, FL.  The couple exchanged vows at The Pearl Hotel among family and friends. Carter’s brother, Jeff Carter, gave away the bride and her sister-in-law Jessica Carter officiated the ceremony.

Carter and McPhail met through mutual friends. “This is a special time for both of us,” the couple said.  “We are extremely blessed to have met during this season of our lives and (be) blending our families into one happy one.”

Get more details HERE!

Charlie Daniels and his non-profit veterans organization, The Journey Home Project, were featured on the hood of NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Mike Harmon at the Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 at Daytona International Speedway on July 6. 
“All of us at The Journey Home Project was honored to be a part of Mike Harmon’s race team, paying tribute to the heroes who keep us free,” says Charlie.

Get more details and see the car HERE!

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Alabama native and Country Hall of Famer Emmylou Harris will join Queen, Neil Diamond and others for the taping of the PBS Grammy Salute to Music Legends in Los Angeles.The airdate has not been announced.

 

 The Desert Rose Band formed in 1985 and charted country hits from 1987-1993. The band included Chris Hillman, formerly of The Byrds, and former members of The Flying Burrito Brothers, John Jorgenson and Herb Pedersen.

Now 61, The John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band, which includes Pedersen, age 74, performed at the Grand Ole Opry on June 30 and their album From The Crow’s Nest will be released on Friday (July 13).

Now 73, Hillman will join Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn for a 50th anniversary tour of the 1968 album Sweetheart of the Rodeo, beginning July 24 in Los Angeles.

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Lee Greenwood will celebrate the 4th of July in his native Southern California, with a concert performance at 7:30 pm on the Paddock Stage at the San Diego Fair.

Greenwood, who is also set to Grand Marshall the fair’s parade, called for unity among all Americas in a recent statement:
“We are experiencing an extremely divided time right now, here in America. Regardless of politics, my hope is that the music I am sharing on this tour will help unite everyone – together – around this country we all love so much,” said Greenwood.

Get more details on Lee Greenwood HERE!     

Willie Nelson’s annual 4th of July Picnic will take place in Austin, Texas. Willie’s Independence Day Picnic began in 1973 and has been held at various places around rthe country each year – for details on this year’s picnic, CLICK HERE!

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The 
15th Annual Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic raised more than $1 million at Belmar Golf Club and Riverwind Casino in Norman, OK. All in, Toby Keith & Friends events have raised $12.4 million to build and operate OK Kids Korral
.
CLICK HERE for more info!


Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt and Faith Hill are among the more than 30 members of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce’s Walk of Fame Class of 2019. 
Get more details HERE!   

MORE DOLLY NEWS:

A couple is suing Dolly Parton’s East Tennessee theme park, Dollywood, claiming the wife suffered a compression fracture and other spinal injuries while riding the RiverRush Water Coaster last summer.

The husband and wife are suing for more than $2 million, citing negligence and failure on the part of park’s staff to properly warn of the ride’s dangers.
In the suit, the couple say they followed all of the instructions given by the park’s staff while getting on the ride, but as their raft reached the top of its incline, the woman was “propelled off the seat and she then fell down into the raft striking her spine on the hard surface.” The woman then claims she “heard a pop, felt a burning sensation, and could not feel or move her legs at the end of the ride.”

Get more details HERE!

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Steve Wariner 
will be honored with the CRB’s 2018 President’s Award and Artist Career Achievement Award, respectively, at the Country Radio Hall of Fame Dinner and Awards ceremony June 20 in Nashville. 
Wariner is recognized for his significant career accomplishments and impact on country music and Country radio.
“Steve Wariner is still enjoying one of the most amazing careers in country music history; singer, songwriter, Grand Ole Opry member, contributor to his fellow artists, and a member of the most prestigious clubs for extraordinary guitarists,” says CRB Executive Director Bill Mayne. “All of this in addition to being the best friend anyone on earth could be blessed to have!”
CLICK HERE for more info.

 

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Randy Travis “Storms of Life” album turns 32 this month. This past weekend, Travis was presented with the inaugural Cracker Barrel Country Legend Award during CMA Fest in Nashville. Luke Bryan paid tribute to Travis by performing his song “On The Other hand” during his stadium show.

Check out Luke Bryan’s tribute HERE:

 

Charlie Daniels’ fan club party outside of Nashville had to be put on lockdown last week due to a shooting nearby. The fan get together was being held Wednesday afternoon (6/6) in the city of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, where authorities say a local woman was shot and killed by her husband over a dispute. As a safety precaution, authorities locked down Daniels’ fan club party as the police searched the area for the suspect.

According to Nashville’s WKRN-TV, police say the suspect committed suicide. CLICK HERE for more info.

 

Alan Jackson will be inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in New York City on June 14.  Other inductees this year include Bill Anderson, John Mellencamp and Steve Dorff, who wrote hits for George Strait and Kenny Rogers.

Alan recently looked back on his career and storytelling in his songwriting – CLICK HERE for more! 

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Sara Evans will receive the 2018 Service to America Leadership Award from the NAB Education Foundation (NABEF). The award recognizes individuals and organizations who improve the lives of others through public service, and is the organizations highest individual honor.  Sara will receive the honor on June 12 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C.

Sara has done work for the American Red Cross, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Children’s Miracle Network and others.

 

It’s official, Dolly Parton has signed a production deal with Netflix. Lily Tomlin let the cat out of the bag when asked if Dolly would guest star on an episode of Grace and Frankie. 

Dolly will produce a series of TV movies, each based on one of her songs like her 2016 NBC special Coat of Many Colors. She’ll also appear in some of the films, which will start streaming in 2019.

Dolly says, “As a songwriter, I have always enjoyed telling stories through my music. I am thrilled to be bringing some of my favorite songs to life with Netflix.”

 

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Willie Nelson walked off the stage at the Outlaw Music Festival in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday night (May 26) without playing a note.

A statement from promoter Live Nation said that his departure from the stage was due to illness. Fans were told the show would be rescheduled.

While some fans were angry, many were supportive. One fan wrote, “None of us is immortal and if we live to be 85 there’s a good chance we will have similar problems. I say cut him some slack.”

Willie canceled several dates earlier in the year because of illness. The good news is that Willie was back on stage Sunday night in Washington, D.C., where he played a full 24-song set according to setlist.fm.

Check out a fan video from the Charlotte show:

 

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Lee Greenwood is always busy on patriotic holidays, like Memorial Day. He delivered a distinguished performance of ‘God Bless The U.S.A.’ to over 2,000 esteemed guests at the Washington Hilton’s International Ballroom in Washington, D.C. at the 106th First Lady’s Luncheon, ‘Limitless Horizons’, honoring the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump.

During the Navy’s annual #fleetweek celebrations in New York City, Greenwood will perform for the The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum’s annual Salute to Freedom gala Thursday, May 24. He kicks off the Fox & Friends Summer Concert Series from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Intrepid on Friday, May 25, and will perform at the Great American Beach Party in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on Saturday, May 26. For more information, visit fortlauderdale.gov.

Wrapping up the Memorial Holiday weekend on May 27, Greenwood will perform “God Bless the U.S.A” at Charlotte Motor Speedway during NASCAR’S Coca-Cola 600. This year’s awe-inspiring pre-race salute to the troops also includes ground exhibitions and a 20-minute performance by the 82nd Airborne division that is sure to get fans on their feet prior to the race.

 

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The 2019 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has a pretty big headliner booked. George Strait will perform on the final night of the rodeo, giving a full-length evening concert at NRG Stadium. This will mark Strait’s 30th Rodeo Houston performance and will come more than 35 years after he made his debut there as a country newcomer.

The 2019 Rodeo will run for 21 days on February 25 through March 17. The remaining 2019 Rodeo Houston entertainment schedule will be announced in early January, with individual tickets going on sale around that same time.

 

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Dolly Parton was in her hometown of Sevierville, Tenn., on May 7 to take part in the dedication ceremony for the My People Senior Activity Center, which features activities for seniors that include exercise classes, quilting, wood-carving and more. Dolly surprised guests at the center by touring the facility and performing a song. The center was dedicated in honor of Dolly’s parents, Robert and Avie Lee Parton.

“Now of course, when I started Dollywood and the employees there, I thought of them as my family, and they became my people,” said Dolly to the ceremony attendees, according to the Sentinel. “[When we] got involved in the fires up here in the heart of the Smokies, we call that My People, so I was just thinking, you know, I’m looking out at you, and I think you are, all of you, you’re my people, and this is great, and I’m so proud and so honored that I’m a Smoky Mountain girl, and I’m so proud of my home, and I’m so proud of my family.”

Check out the full story HERE!

 

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Country music legends Alabama is bringing a disaster relief benefit concert #JSUStrong to Burgess-Snow Field at Jacksonville State University, AL on September 26 joined by an all-star lineup of very specials guests including The Charlie Daniels Band, Shenandoah and many more artists to be announced. 

All net concert proceeds will be donated to Jacksonville State University for tornado relief after an EF-3 level storm tore through Jacksonville and JSU campus this past March.

CLICK HERE for more info!

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Kenny Rogers’ signature song “The Gambler” has received a huge honor, a place in the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress.

Kenny’s 1978 hit, written by Don Schlitz, was one of the 25 recordings named to the National Recording Registry as part of its class of 2017, with some of the other titles including Kenny Loggins’ mega-hit “Footloose,” a song which Blake Shelton covered in 2011.  These recordings, which were selected for their “cultural, historic and aesthetic importance to the American soundscape,” bring the total number of titles on the registry to 500.

Get more details and check out the list of songs HERE!

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The Bellamy Brothers launched their own reality show, Honky Tonk Ranch, on the Cowboy Channel on April 8. The show follows David and Howard on the road and while at home at the family ranch in south Florida. Get more details on the show HERE!

The Bellamy Brothers’ autobiography “Let Your Love Flow: Life and Times of the Bellamy Brothers” was released on April 17. Get more details on the book HERE!

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Kenny Rogers has canceled all of his tour dates through the end of the year due to undisclosed health issues. 

A statement from Rogers said he’s been “working through a series of health challenges,” although it didn’t specify what those challenges are. The statement went on to say that Kenny’s doctors fully expect the outcome to be great, but they’ve advised him to cancel all performances through the end of the year to focus on recuperation.
There was also a message from Kenny saying, “I didn’t want to take forever to retire. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to say farewell to the fans over the course of the past two years on ‘The Gambler’s Last Deal’ tour. I could never properly thank them for the encouragement and support they’ve given me throughout my career and the happiness I’ve experienced as a result of that.”

Doctors expect him to recover fully, but advised him not perform so that he can focus on getting well.  He had only a handful of dates on the books, including two shows at New York’s Beacon Theater in June.

Kenny, who’ll turn 80 this year, was on his The Gambler’s Last Deal tour and planning to retire from the road after the tour.

 

Country Music Hall of Fame member Bobby Bare was surprised this on APRIL 7, with a very special 83rd birthday gift from the Grand Ole Opry. During Bare’s Opry performance, Garth Brooks took the stage to welcome Bare back to the fold as an official Opry member.

Bare was originally granted membership to the Opry in the 1960s, but after a decade, his official membership lapsed. Bare has since been a regular visitor to the Opry. 

“The Grand Ole Opry is family; family is forever,” said Garth during the presentation. “So, Mr. Bare…it is my honor, it is the Opry’s honor, to officially welcome you back, the great Bobby Bare, to the Grand Ole Opry.”

See a video of the special moment HERE!

 

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Dolly Parton gave Cam a big surprise on Tuesday morning (4/3), giving a special message as she was about to perform her song “Diane” on Good Morning America.

In a video message appearing on a nearby TV screen, Dolly told Cam how much she loved “Diane,” which was written as a response to Parton’s “Jolene.” 
Dolly then said, “I wish I could be there to hear it in person, but I’ll be watching you on TV.”

Check out Dolly’s message and Cam’s performance below!

 

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During Tuesday’s (3/27) press conference in Nashville, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood announced incoming members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Inductee Ricky Skaggs talked about his new spot in the hallowed hall: 
“It’s an absolute honor to be inducted, to be mentioned. And to all my fans out there that thought that I was already a member of the Hall of Fame, today makes it official. So, thank you so much.”

Get more details on the new inductees HERE!

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George Strait is scheduled to be in New Braunfels, TX on Thursday, March 22, where he’ll be recognized by the Texas Legislative Conference as Texan of the Year.

Strait has set Friday, December 7 and Saturday, December 8 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for his final two shows of 2018. Joining “The King Of Country” both nights will be Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen. Strait began his “Strait To Vegas” series in 2016 with six shows, but after a high demand for tickets, the run was extended by 10 concerts in 2017. There are still scattered opportunities to see Strait in 2018.

He’ll play New Orleans, Tulsa, and Austin during late May and early June.

Get more details on his Texan of the Year honor HERE!

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A woman claims to she hurt herself on a ride at Dolly Parton‘s amusement park and is suing them for negligence. 

Judy Eatherton, visited Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in March of 2017, but says her fun was cut short.  While exiting the attraction, Rockin’ Roadway Car Ride, she said her “foot caught on the side of the ride, causing her to be thrown to the ground.”

Judy reports that her right wrist was fractured during the fall, and she has since “suffered loss of enjoyment of life, permanent impairments and disabilities” and is seeking $400,000!

No word from Parton or Dollywood at this time.

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The Charlie Daniels Band “Volunteer Jam 20: A Tribute to Charlie” is tonight at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. The list of special guest includes Alabama, Chris Young, Lee Brice, Sara Evans and Travis Tritt, Alison Krauss, Billy F. Gibbons of ZZ Top, Blackberry Smoke, Bobby Bare, Chris Janson, Eddie Montgomery, Jamey Johnson, Justin Moore, The Oak Ridge Boys and Ricky Skaggs will perform.  A portion of the proceeds will go to the Journey Home Project — an organization founded by Charlie and his manager to help veterans. 

 The first Jam took place on October 4, 1974.

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A.J. Mccloud’s “WHERE ARE THEY NOW WEDNESDAY” is a follow up to last week:

 Dolly Parton was in Washington D.C. yesterday (2/27) to share the Dollywood Imagination Library with the Library of Congress.

Dolly shared how she started the book giving program for her father who never learned read: 
“I got daddy involved with this little program. I wanted him to feel like he was part of something special. And my dad got to live long enough to see it coming to be and he took such pride in the fact that the little kids called me ‘The Book Lady.’ He was prouder of that than anything.”

See the official ceremony in the video below:

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Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library started donating books to children nearly a quarter century ago. Next week in Washington, DC, the country music star’s charity will donate its 100 millionth book to the Library of Congress.

“When I was growing up in the hills of east Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true,” Parton said. “The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.”

The Imagination Library started in 1995 in Parton’s home county of Sevier, TN. It was inspired by her father’s inability to read and write.

“Dolly’s vision was to foster a love of reading among her county’s preschool children and their families by providing them with the gift of a specially selected book each month,” the program’s website says.

Today, it spans four countries and mails over a million free books each month to children around the world.

The ceremony will take place February 27. Get more details HERE – CONGRATS DOLLY!

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VINCE GILL

A.J. McCloud’s Where Are They Now Wednesday features Hall of Famer Vince Gill. Gill hosted and performed for the Country Music Hall of Fame 10th annual benefit in New York City. Get more HERE!

Here’s a follow up to last week’s Where Are The Now Wednesday. The Red-Headed Stranger, Willie Nelson, is feeling better after a  bout with the flu. Get details here ans see the 84-year-old kick his heels above his head HERE!

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WILLIE NELSON

Illness will sideline Willie Nelson for the entire month of February. A month after experiencing respiratory problems on stage in San Diego and canceling all of his January shows, the 84-year-old says he will remain off the road in February because he is suffering from the flu and needs “a few extra weeks to recover completely.” His next scheduled show is March 5th in Greenville, South Carolina. Get well soon, Willie.

  • He’s been dealing with a lot of health problems over the past couple of years, but his publicist insists he’s “healthy as ever.”
  • It’s not unusual for an 84-year-old to need some time to rest. He’ll be OK.

CLICK HERE for more info

Keep with Willie online HERE

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THE FRONTMEN

Three singers who were the voices of 3 of the top Country bands in the 1990’s have come together to form a country trio The Frontmen. Restless Heart’s Larry Stewart; Tim Rushlow, formerly of Little Texas; and Lonestar’s Richie McDonald will head out on their “If It Wasn’t For The Radio Tour,” which will launch Saturday, February 3rd in Gulfport, MS.

Together they sold over 30 million records and had over 30 hits.

CLICK HERE and HERE for more info on The Frontmen!

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TRAVIS TRITT

Travis Tritt appears in the feature film Forever My Girl, which hit theaters on January 19. Tritt plays the role of a bartender and performs “Slowing Down,” an original song written by Paul Overstreet.

 

Well-wishes to John Michael Montgomery, who is recovering after undergoing surgery. He shared on his Facebook page, “Hi all, as you may [have] heard, I went into the hospital for some surgery that is going to require me to stay home for the weekend [of January 12 and January 13]. I’m recovering well and ready to be back on the road [January 19 and January 20].

 

 Restless Heart will kick off their 35th Anniversary Tour January 27 at the Grand Ole Opry.

 

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DOLLY PARTON

Dolly Parton can add 2 Guinness World Records to her trophy case that already includes 8 Grammy Awards, 10 Country Music Association Awards, 5 Academy of Country Music Awards and 3 American Music Awards. The Country Music Hall of Famer was recently certified in the 2018 edition of the Guinness World Records for:

  • Most Decades with a Top 20 Hit on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Chart
  • Most Hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Chart by a Female Artist

“To receive these two Guinness World Records is so great!” said Dolly. “Joining so many wonderful singers and songwriters who have been honored this way feels so special to me. You never know when you start out with your work how it’s going to turn out, but to have these two world records makes me feel very humbled and blessed!”

Dolly is the only artist with Top 20 hits across 6 consecutive decades (1960s–2010s), earning her the title of Most Decades with a Top 20 Hit on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Beginning with her first Top 20 hit, “Something Fishy,” in 1967, Dolly is credited with 74 Top 20 hits, including her most recent, a new version of 1974’s “Jolene,” featuring Pentatonix, which debuted at No. 18 on the chart in 2016.

The 2016 remastered version of “Jolene” was also Dolly’s 107th chart entry, solidifying her second record title for the Most Hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart by a Female Artist.

Congrats, Dolly!

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RANDY TRAVIS

Randy Travis’ team has released a statement regarding the footage from his 2012 DWI arrest going public, saying his behavior the night of the arrest was “extremely altered due to the state of his mental health and substances in his body.” The statement says that Randy’s condition that night caused him to do and say things that were entirely out of character, stating that he suffered a severe concussion and sustained numerous of other injuries from the crash. The statement then promised that Travis and his team would have their day in court regarding the ongoing lawsuit against the State of Texas for violating his civil rights.

The statement says Randy is deeply apologetic for his behavior that evening, and would never condone these types of actions that distort the true beliefs of him and his entire family. The statement read, “Randy Travis is well-known to be a loving, caring person who is respectful of everyone, a video that shows anything otherwise only underscores that he was absolutely not himself.”

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