Watch Travis Tritt Team With the Hot Country Knights to Perform “Pick Her Up” on “Good Morning America”

Watch Travis Tritt Team With the Hot Country Knights to Perform “Pick Her Up” on “Good Morning America”

Posted on May 5, 2020

The Hot Country Knights made a virtual appearance alongside Travis Tritt to perform “Pick Her Up” on Good Morning America on May 4.

The Hot Country Knights—fronted by an incognito Dierks Bentley—are comprised of Dierks’ road band performing ’90s-esque country tunes while donning aliases, mullet wigs and over-the-top attire from the era. The Hot Country Knights feature lead singer Douglas “Doug” Douglason, lead bass player Trevor Travis, lead guitarist Marty Ray “Rayro” Roburn, fiddle player Terotej “Terry” Dvoraczekynski, steel guitarist Barry Van Ricky and percussionist Monte Montgomery.

Penned by Dierks, Brett Beavers and Jim Beavers, “Pick Her Up” features vocals from Travis Tritt on the official release, which is included on the Knights’ debut album, The K Is Silent.

“Travis Tritt is our longtime spirit animal,” says HCK frontman Doug Douglason.

Watch the guys perform “Pick Her Up” on Good Morning America below.

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

May 5: Live-Stream Calendar With Dustin Lynch, Old Dominion, Scotty McCreery, Cam & More

May 5: Live-Stream Calendar With Dustin Lynch, Old Dominion, Scotty McCreery, Cam & More

Posted on May 5, 2020

Country stars are trying to do their part to keep us entertained during our self-quarantines (hopefully) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here’s a rundown of what to expect as some of our favorite stars perform live and chat via social media.

April 28 (updated throughout the day)

photo by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com

Trace Adkins to Perform During “National Memorial Day Concert” on PBS

Trace Adkins to Perform During “National Memorial Day Concert” on PBS

Posted on May 4, 2020

Trace Adkins will perform during the National Memorial Day Concert airing on PBS on Sunday, May 24, at 7 p.m. CT.

The concert, which is usually filmed from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., will instead feature performances and tributes filmed throughout the country in accordance with physical distancing guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hosted by Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise, the 90-minute special will include performances and appearances by General Colin L. Powell, Cynthia Erivo, Renée Fleming, CeCe Winans, Kelli O’Hara, Christopher Jackson, Mary McCormack, members of the National Symphony Orchestra and more. In addition to honoring troops, veterans, wounded warriors and fallen service members, the National Memorial Day Concert will celebrate the heroes on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The concert also will stream on Facebook, YouTube and pbs.org.

photo by NCD

Not Being Able to Tour Right Now Makes Kenny Chesney “Feel a Little Strange and a Little Lost”

Not Being Able to Tour Right Now Makes Kenny Chesney “Feel a Little Strange and a Little Lost”

Posted on May 4, 2020

Kenny Chesney planned to kick off his 2020 Chillaxification Tour on April 18 in Arlington, Texas. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 11 dates on the tour—from April 18 to May 28—were scrapped.

The pandemic, however, didn’t stop Kenny from dropping his 19th studio album, Here and Now, on May 1.

Now, Kenny is looking forward to rebooting his Chillaxification Tour, which is tentatively slated to kick off on May 30 in Pittsburgh. As Kenny told Kix Brooks of American Country Countdown, he and his road family “feel a little strange and a little lost” right now.

“I truly do miss [touring],” says Kenny. “You know, this is the time of year where we’re all real busy, and there’s a great new energy of starting another tour, and going down the highway with all of your road family, and seeing your fans that care about this music. Right now, we’ve been forced to not do that, and it feels strange. I think the fans—and I think I speak for my whole road family when I say, ‘We feel a little lost.’ But, we’re cautiously optimistic . . . but, I’m not gonna lie to you, we all feel a little strange and a little lost because this is the time of year where we get to celebrate music and celebrate our love for one another, and that’s how we look at it, and we don’t get to do that right now.”

Chillaxification Tour

  • May 30 | Heinz Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.
  • June 4 | Coastal Credit Union Music | Park Raleigh, N.C.
  • June 6 | Lincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia, Pa.
  • June 11 | Walmart AMP | Rogers, Ark.
  • June 13 | Busch Stadium | St. Louis, Mo.
  • June 17 | Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater | Virginia Beach, Va.
  • June 18 | Jiffy Lube Live | Bristow, Va.
  • June 20 | Ohio Stadium | Columbus, Ohio
  • June 25 | ENC Music Pavilion | Charlotte, N.C.
  • June 27 | Nissan Stadium | Nashville, Tenn.
  • July 2 | Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys | Lake Tahoe, Calif.
  • July 3 | Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys | Lake Tahoe, Calif.
  • July 5 | Bobcat Stadium | Bozeman, MT
  • July 11 | Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas City, Mo.
  • July 18 | Centurylink Field | Seattle
  • July 23 | Ruoff Music Center | Noblesville, Ind.
  • July 25 | Soldier Field | Chicago, Ill.
  • July 29 | Isleta Amphitheater | Albuquerque, N.M.
  • July 30 | Ak-Chin Pavilion | Phoenix, Ariz.
  • Aug. 1 | SoFi Stadium | Inglewood, Calif.
  • Aug. 5 | Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater | Boise, Idaho
  • Aug. 6 | USANA Amphitheatre | Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Aug. 8 | Empower Field at Mile High | Denver, Colo.
  • Aug. 15 | Ford Field | Detroit, Mich.
  • Aug. 20 | St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview | Syracuse, N.Y.
  • Aug. 22 | MetLife Stadium | East Rutherford, NJ
  • Aug. 26 | Merriweather Post Pavilion | Columbia, Md.
  • Aug. 28 | Gillette Stadium | Foxboro, Mass.
  • Aug. 29 | Gillette Stadium | Foxboro, Mass.

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Radio Cares’ “Feeding America Emergency Radiothon” Raises More Than $500,000

Radio Cares’ “Feeding America Emergency Radiothon” Raises More Than $500,000

Posted on May 4, 2020

Radio Cares’ Feeding America Emergency Radiothon on April 30 raised more than $500,000 to help feed Americans facing hunger issues.

More than 10,000 radio stations—including numerous Cumulus Media and Westwood One stations—aired the Feeding America Emergency Radiothon, which drove donations to Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund and its 200 local member food banks. The all-day radiothon featured artists, radio personalities and special guests sharing stories of hope and encouraging donations to feed the hungry.

Country artists Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney, Lindsay Ell, RaeLynn, Mitchell Tenpenny, Runaway June, Devin Dawson, Chris Lane, Gabby Barrett, Locash, Hardy, Jameson Rogers and more took part in the radiothon, as well as artists from across all genres of music, including Weezer, Bush, Meghan Trainor, Linkin Park, Incubus, Cage the Elephant and more.

“Listeners answered the call from their favorite stations, large and small, unified by the cause of American hunger,” says Brian Philips, EVP, content and audience at Cumulus Media/Westwood One. “Our listeners represent the most generous cross-section of America. There exists a bond among them that no crisis can break. Cumulus is always proud when what we do moves people.”

Feeding America, the largest hunger relief organization in the United States, established the COVID-19 Response Fund on March 13. Since then, Feeding America has distributed $112.4 million and more than 94 million pounds of food to food banks across the country, helping provide nearly 79 million meals to people facing hunger.

Cumulus Media is the parent company of Nash Country Daily.

photos by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com

Dwight Yoakam Marries Emily Joyce

Dwight Yoakam Marries Emily Joyce

Posted on May 4, 2020

Dwight Yoakam, 63, married his longtime girlfriend, Emily Joyce, in March.

Dwight and Emily released a statement through Dwight’s publicity firm, which you can read below.

Dwight Yoakam and Emily Joyce were married in March just prior to the quarantine in a private ceremony at St Monica Catholic Church in Santa Monica, CA. At a time when there is so much uncertainty in the world, there are still happy moments. In the face of shutdowns and social-distancing requirements, love prevailed, and the less than 10 attendees were seated at least six feet from one another. The happy couple have been engaged for several years and have been dating since 2010. This belated announcement was withheld out of respect to so many people affected by and on the front lines of this pandemic.

In his 30-plus-year career, Dwight has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide, earned 21 Grammy nominations and charted five Billboard No. 1 albums. Dwight’s credits as a songwriter/artist include “Guitars, Cadillacs,” “Little Ways,” “Please, Please Baby,” “I Sang Dixie,” “I Got You,” “It Only Hurts Me When I Cry,” “Try Not To Look So Pretty,” “A Thousand Miles From Nowhere,” “Fast As You,” “You’re The One” and more.

photo by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com

Gabby Barrett Announces Release of Debut Album, “Goldmine,” on June 19

Gabby Barrett Announces Release of Debut Album, “Goldmine,” on June 19

Posted on May 4, 2020

Gabby Barrett will release her debut album, Goldmine, on June 19. Buoyed by No. 1 lead single, “I Hope,” which topped the Billboard Country Airplay chart in April, Goldmine features 13 songs.

Gabby co-penned 12 songs on the upcoming album with a bevy of top songwriters, including Josh Osborne, Emily Weisband, Ross Copperman, Josh Kear, Jon Nite and more. The album’s title track—the only song Gabby didn’t write—was penned by Nicolle Galyon, Caitlyn Smith and Liz Rose.

“I am so excited that my first album is finally complete,” says Gabby. “I’ve been writing for this project for almost two years, pulling together who I am as an artist and working hard with my team to make this album an expression of that. To see it come together like this feels amazing and is such a huge blessing. I’m so excited for June 19—can’t wait for you to hear it!”

Gabby became the fourth solo female artist in 14 years to score a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Country Airplay chart with her debut single, following Carly Pearce’s “Every Little Thing” (Nov. 2017), Kelsea Ballerini’s “Love Me Like You Mean It” (June 2015) and Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel” (Jan. 2006).

Goldmine Track List & Songwriters

1. “I Hope” (Gabby Barrett, Zach Kale, Jon Nite)
2. “Thank God” (Gabby Barrett, Nicolle Galyon, Jon Nite, Jimmy Robbins)
3. “Write It on My Heart” (Gabby Barrett, Ross Copperman, Josh Osborne)
4. “Footprints on the Moon” (Gabby Barrett, Zach Kale, Jon Nite)
5. “You’re the Only Reason” (Gabby Barrett, Ross Copperman, Josh Kear)
6. “Goldmine” (Nicolle Galyon, Caitlyn Smith, Liz Rose)
7. “The Good Ones” (Gabby Barrett, Zach Kale, Emily Landis, Jim McCormick)
8. “Jesus & My Mama” (Gabby Barrett, Zach Kale, Cliff Downs, Marti Dodson)
9. “Hall of Fame” (Gabby Barrett, Adam Doleac, Trannie Anderson, Zach Kale)
10. “Got Me” feat. Shane & Shane (Gabby Barrett, Zach Kale, Shane Barnard, Cade Foehner, Bryan Fowler)
11. “Rose Needs a Jack” (Gabby Barrett, Zach Kale, Joe Clemmons)
12. “Strong” (Gabby Barrett, Emily Weisband, Ross Copperman)
13. “I Hope” feat. Charlie Puth (Gabby Barrett, Zach Kale, Jon Nite, Charlie Puth)

photo by O\’Connor, AFF-USA.com

May 4: Live-Stream Calendar With Sara Evans, Matt Stell, Niko Moon, Ross Ellis & More

May 4: Live-Stream Calendar With Sara Evans, Matt Stell, Niko Moon, Ross Ellis & More

Posted on May 4, 2020

Country stars are trying to do their part to keep us entertained during our self-quarantines (hopefully) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here’s a rundown of what to expect as some of our favorite stars perform live and chat via social media.

May 4 (updated throughout the day)

Tennessee QB Brian Maurer Shares Mental Health Story

Tennessee QB Brian Maurer Shares Mental Health Story

Posted on May 1, 2020

May 1 marks the first day of Mental Health Awareness month. In honor of the month, Tennessee quarterback Brian Maurer took to social media to tell his story about his battle with mental health issues.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

In honor of may being mental health month I’m encouraging everyone to seek help but also to speak up and to share their stories, here’s my story since the 7th grade i have struggled with anxiety and depression this battle has been long and hard it has been an everyday battle , In the 7th grade my father was sentenced to 25 years in prison, around the same time my mom and stepdad split up causing me to have to grow up early In the 9th grade me and my mom decided it would be best if i moved in with my grandmother while she moved for a little bit causing even more depression as i was no longer with my mom and my younger sister Junior year of highschool one of my best friends committed suicide and i had never felt so low in my entire life one as of the strongest people i have ever know lost his battle . Dewayne ALWAYS had a smile on his face and was always telling me i was gonna be something great. At this point i knew i was in trouble but i still refused hell from anyone Senior year of highschool I lost 2 friends to gun violence i slipped even deeper into a black hole and I turned to everything else but seeking help I was embarrassed to be like this , I always thought that as a guy i had to have tough skin and not to let anything bother me I thought i needed to stay strong for my family and that they couldn’t see me down and that I was their shoulder to cry on. I always thought i needed to be the shoulder for people to cry on when deep down i was screaming for help On Wednesday January 22 , 2020 i planned to take my own life , i though i lost my battle with depression and that my pain had come to an end as i was going to do it i looked up and i said “god if this isn’t your plan for me please send me a sign” 2 minutes later my mom called me with my baby nephew Jeremiah and she said she was just calling to say she loved me , i then knew that by ending my pain i would be causing so much more to the people who loved me. Please reach out to receive help, mental health is a very serious matter and there is hope for you ! I along with everyone around you stand with you, you have the strength to deal with this. Please keep fighting you got this . #longlivewayne💙

A post shared by Brian Maurer (@brianmaurer18) on

Tim McGraw to Release New Single, “I Called Mama,” on May 8

Tim McGraw to Release New Single, “I Called Mama,” on May 8

Posted on May 1, 2020

Tim McGraw will release a new single, “I Called Mama,” on May 8.

Penned by Lance Miller, Marv Green and Jimmy Yeary, “I Called Mama” is about the special connection mothers share with their children, especially when times are tough.

“On the one hand, this song is literally, ‘Hey, call your mom,’” says Tim. “On the other hand, you look at a time like this, there are real hardships for everyone, and it’s a great reminder that hearing someone’s voice who knows you and loves you can help you get through anything. I think it’s at these very difficult times that music can help and the power of a song can give someone a moment of clarity or comfort, or just a smile. Especially now, when we seem to need it more than ever.”

The single will launch with a lyric video containing footage of Tim as a baby with his mom. The official video will be released later this month featuring fan-submitted videos and photos of their moms.

“Mother’s definitely deserve to be honored more than one day a year,” says Tim. “We’ve have had such an incredible response of people sharing their special mama videos, we are going to get you something really special in a few weeks.”

photo by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com

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