The Library of Congress honored Garth Brooks with the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song during a tribute concert on March 4 in Washington, D.C.
Bestowed in recognition of the legendary songwriting team of George and Ira Gershwin, the Gershwin Prize recognizes a living musical artist’s lifetime achievement in promoting the genre of song as a vehicle of entertainment, information, inspiration and cultural understanding. Past recipients include Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Sir Paul McCartney, songwriting duo Burt Bacharach and the late Hal David, Carole King, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, Tony Bennett and Emilio and Gloria Estefan.
During his acceptance speech at the ceremony, Garth took a moment to recognize the victims of the tornadoes that swept through Tennessee during the early hours of March 3, killing 25 people and destroying hundreds of structures.
“In honor of our sweet, sweet Volunteers from the great state of Tennessee,” said Garth, “I’m going to request, humbly, a moment of silence for those who have fallen and those who are still missing.”
Garth, who is 58 years old, is the youngest recipient of the award. He is also the second country artist to receive the award, following Willie Nelson (2015). The concert will air on PBS stations nationwide in spring 2020.
An all-star cast of performers hit the stage to pay tribute to country icon Willie Nelson at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Jan. 12, 2019.
The tribute concert—Willie: Life & Songs of an American Outlaw—featured performances by Willie, Chris Stapleton, Emmylou Harris, Eric Church, Jimmy Buffett, Bobby Bare, Jamey Johnson, Lukas Nelson, Margo Price, Micah Nelson, Nathaniel Rateliff, Ray Benson, Steve Earle, Alison Krauss, The Avett Brothers, George Strait, Jack Johnson, John Mellencamp, Kris Kristofferson, Lee Ann Womack, Lyle Lovett, Norah Jones and The Little Willies, Sheryl Crow, Susan Tedeschi & Derek Trucks, and Vince Gill.
A&E announced it will air a two-hour television special, Willie Nelson: American Outlaw, at 10 p.m. ET on April 12.
The TV special features more than 20 never-before-televised performances from the tribute concert, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes footage of Willie and some of music’s biggest superstars, and an all-star singalong of Wille’s classic hit “On The Road Again.”
Natalie Maines, Emily Robison and Martie Maguire of the Dixie Chicks dropped their first single in 13 years with the release of “Gaslighter” on March 4. The new tune serves as the title track to the Dixie Chicks’ upcoming eighth studio album, which is slated to drop on May 1.
Co-produced by the band and Jack Antonoff, Gaslighter will follow the Dixie Chicks’ 2006 album, Taking the Long Way.
The trio also released a new video for “Gaslighter,” which was directed by Seanne Farmer. Check out the new clip below.
A number of country artists—including Mitchell Tenpenny, Devin Dawson, Hardy, Jessie James Decker, The Band Camino, Chuck Wicks and more—will join forces for a Tornado Relief Concert on March 9 at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row Nashville.
Tornadoes ripped across Tennessee in the early hours of March 3, including a direct hit in downtown Nashville around 12:40 a.m. The tornadoes have claimed at least 24 lives. More than three dozen people are still unaccounted for, while hundreds of structures suffered damage.
The benefit concert, presented by Nash FM 103.3, will also feature a charity raffle with autographed guitars and memorabilia. All of the proceeds and donations from the event will directly benefit Hands On Nashville, which connects volunteers to critical issues facing Middle Tennessee.
Following upcoming stops in Charlotte, N.C., (May 2) and Cincinnati (May 16), Garth Brooks announced he is bringing his Stadium Tour to Las Vegas on Aug. 22.
Garth will perform at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium—the first major concert at the venue, which is still under construction. Allegiant Stadium will serve as the home to the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders in 2020.
Tickets for the new show in Las Vegas will go on sale on March 13 at 10 a.m. PDT for $94.95 via Ticketmaster.
Garth’s Stadium Tour visited 10 cities in 2019: St. Louis, Glendale, Gainesville, Minneapolis (x2), Pittsburgh, Denver, Eugene, Boise (x2), Regina (x2) and Knoxville. Garth performed his first 2020 Stadium Tour show in Detroit on Feb. 22.
The Hot Country Knights—a band fronted by an incognito Dierks Bentley—announced their debut album, The K Is Silent, will drop on May 1.
The 10-song offering, which was produced by Dierks, features collaborations with Travis Tritt on “Pick Her Up” and Terri Clark on “You Make It Hard.” Dierks co-wrote five songs on the upcoming album, while songwriters Jim Beavers, Brett Beavers, Jon Randall, Brett Tyler and Jon Nite co-penned multiple tracks.
The Hot Country Knights 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.
“We were out on the road singing a lot of other people’s hits, and we called them ‘Greatest Hits’ because by us singing them, it actually made them great,” Doug Douglason says. “But this is a step beyond our Greatest Hits. This is all original material, and it’s the best stuff to come out of Nashville from a man band in several decades.”
The band will hit the road for their One Knight Stand Tour this spring. The 13-date tour kicks off on April 7 in San Diego, making additional stops in L.A., Boston, Atlanta, Nashville and more. Hannah Dasher, Tenille Townes, Rachel Wammack and Lainey Wilson will provide support during various stops.
The K Is Silent Track Listing & Songwriters
“Hot Country Knights” – Brett Beavers, Jim Beavers, Cassady Feasby, Ben Helson, Dan Hochhalter, Chase McGill, Steve Misamore, Jon Nite, Jon Randall, Tim Sergent, Brett Tyler and Dierks Bentley
“Pick Her Up” (Featuring Travis Tritt) – Dierks Bentley, Brett Beavers and Jim Beavers
“Asphalt” – Jim Beavers, Jon Nite and Brett Tyler
“Moose Knuckle Shuffle” Brett Beavers, Jim Beavers, Buddy Brock, Dan Hochalter, Chase McGill, Zach Turner and Brett Tyler
“Then It Rained” – Brett Beavers, Jon Nite and Jon Randall
“Wrangler Danger” – Dierks Bentley, Brett Beavers and Jim Beavers
“Mull It Over” – Dierks Bentley, Jim Beavers and Jon Randall
“Kings Of Neon” – Dierks Bentley, Brett Beavers and Chase McGill
“You Make It Hard” (Featuring Terri Clark) – Dierks Bentley, Brett Beaver, Jim Beavers, Mary Hilliard Harrington, Jon Randall and Luke Wooten
“The USA Begins With US” – Dierks Bentley, Brett Beavers and Jim Beavers
John Fulkerson channeled his inner Bernard King, igniting Tennessee to an 81-73 victory Tuesday night over No. 6 Kentucky over a stunned crowd in Rupp Arena.
King famously vowed he would never lose to Kentucky again after a Wildcat fan flicked a cigarette in King’s hair. He didn’t.
Fulkerson flicked in 27 points and was brilliant from start to finish as Tennessee rallied from 17 down in the second half for a rare sixth win at Rupp.
ESPN’s Jimmy Dykes, color analyst for the game, said Fulkerson’s performance was one of the best by an SEC player on the road this season.
The 6-foot-9 junior from Kingsport was 10 of 15 from the field (7 of 7 in the first half) and scored from all angles against one of the SEC’s best defenses. He also was seven of seven at the foul line.
“He was terrific,’’ said Tennessee coach Rick Barnes. “What he did tonight was one of the greatest performances I have witnessed.’’
Kentucky led 42-31 at halftime and would have had a larger lead if not for Fulkerson.
The Wildcats (24-6, 14-3 SEC) led 51-34 in the second half and you could hear the Fat Lady clearing her throat.
But Tennessee (17-13, 9-8 SEC) mounted a terrific – and unexpected – charge. UT’s 29-9 run over 10 minutes helped snap a 10-year streak in which the Wildcats won with a double-digit halftime lead (129-0).
“The game got physical and we couldn’t compete,’’ Calipari said. “We tried different ways to score and we just had nothing.
“But give credit to Tennessee. They could’ve gone away down 17 but that’s Rick Barnes.’’
It marked at least the eighth time an SEC team rallied from at least 15 down to win on a Tuesday night. Tennessee rallied from 15 down last month to upend Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
“We just kept fighting,’’ said Fulkerson, making a statement to be an All-SEC selection. “I kept trying to look at the score at the top of the (scoreboard) and couldn’t find it, which I guess was a good thing.
“This was no surprise to me. I knew we were capable of this. I knew that if everybody comes to play, we can get the job done.’’
Kentucky, projected as a two seed in the NCAA Tournament by Joe Lunardi, had won 10 of its 14 SEC games by single digits with almost all of its conference wins in the balance with six minutes left.
It didn’t look like Tennessee would come within single digits. But Fulkerson’s refuse-to-lose attitude was joined by several teammates in the second half.
Yves Pons scored 15, 12 in the second half. His back-to-back baskets gave UT a 72-66 lead with 1:48 left. Kentucky didn’t have an answer.
Josiah-Jordan James had a putback and three free throws late to seal the deal. He scored 16 points, all in the second half, and had seven rebounds and five assists.
Tennessee finally caught Kentucky with 6:42 left when a James 3 capped an 8-0 run.
Tennessee shot 52.8% from the field. Kentucky shot 44.6% but was over 50% until the final 10 minutes.
Shooting 24.5% from 3-point range in home SEC games, Kentucky was four of five on treys in the first half and finished 6 of 13. UT was 8 of 18 from long range.
UT won the battle of the boards, 31-26.
Kentucky is now 161-6 all-time against unranked opponents at Rupp Arena.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A career-high 27 points from junior John Fulkerson, a massive 29-9 second-half run and a dominant defensive effort in the final 20 minutes propelled Tennessee to an 81-73 comeback victory over sixth-ranked Kentucky on Tuesday at Rupp Arena.
The win was Tennessee’s second in its last three trips to Lexington and made Rick Barnes the first Tennessee coach ever to win multiple games at Rupp Arena.
“Our guys were confident,” Barnes said. “Even when we were down, and I would walk into the timeout, they were talking to each other about ‘Hey we just can’t keep making those turnovers and mistakes that we’re making.’ They were great at driving the ball and we really said, ‘Hey we’re going to get into those gaps and they’re going to have to make some jump shots.’ And we actually made some plays in the gap where we knocked it through, got out in transition and got some baskets like that. We also tried to speed the tempo up some. But, when we got into a dead ball situation, we knew we were going to play through Fulky.”
The Vols (17-13, 9-8 SEC) trailed by as many as 17 points, marking the second time this season UT has come back to win when trailing by 15 or more. Tennessee’s 51 second-half points were the most the Vols have scored in a half this season.
Prior to Tuesday night, the last time Kentucky blew a lead of 17 or more points was when Barnes’ Vols erased a 21-point deficit to post an 84-77 triumph in Knoxville on Feb. 2, 2016.
Fulkerson’s 27 points Tuesday came on a career-high-tying 10 made field goals and a perfect 7-of-7 effort from the foul line. His scoring output marked his fourth 20-point performance in UT’s last nine games and enhanced his standing as an All-SEC candidate.
“I just think what we’ve been talking about is doing whatever it takes to win,” Fulkerson said. “And Jordan Bone once said, ‘We never want to walk off the court and say that the other team wanted it more than us.’ So, every time we leave the court, we want to want it more than them. We never want to have regret or say they wanted it more. That’s something that we pride ourselves on, just playing hard and doing what it takes to win and just wanting it.”
Freshman Josiah-Jordan James also was huge for the Vols, scoring all of his season-high 16 points in the second half. James finished the night 5-of-9 from the field and 2-of-4 from 3-point range while also pulling in seven rebounds and dishing off a game-high-tying five assists.
SEC Defensive Player of the Year candidate Yves Pons delivered a clutch performance on the offensive end, scoring 12 of his 15 points in the second half. Pons concluded the night 6-of-9 from the field and drilled all three of his 3-point attempts.
Junior Jalen Johnson came off the bench to help keep UT within striking distance in the first half, knocking down two 3-pointers to cut UK’s early 13-point lead to seven.
A balanced opening eight minutes had Kentucky holding a slim 14-11 lead at the under-12 media timeout. Fulkerson was on fire for the Vols, knocking down each of his first four field goal attempts and scoring nine points.
Down the stretch of the opening half, the Wildcats (24-6, 14-3 SEC) briefly took control, increasing their lead to 42-31 at the halftime break.
Kentucky continued to pour it on to begin the second half, stretching its advantage to 51-34 just three minutes in.
The Vols then responded with a 9-0 run, spearheaded by five points and an assist from James to cut the Wildcat lead to just eight points with 13:57 remaining.
Over the next seven minutes, the Vols expanded their run to 29-9 during a 10-minute stretch with balanced scoring and a number of defensive stops to take a 63-60 advantage, which was their first lead since the 15:53 mark of the first half.
In the game’s final four minutes, the Wildcats never regained the lead, as multiple late stops and a 7-of-8 mark from the charity stripe sealed the Vols’ impressive road triumph.
What a Stat: Prior to Tuesday night, Kentucky was 129-0 over the last 10 seasons when it led by double digits at halftime. The Wildcats led by 11 points, 42-31, on Tuesday before Tennessee’s impressive rally.
Bowden Passes Schofield: Senior Jordan Bowden’s lone 3-point field goal moved him into sole possession of seventh place on UT’s career list for 3-point makes with 185.
Le Streak is the Big Three-Oh: Yves Pons blocked one shot Tuesday, marking his 30th consecutive game with at least one block. He upped his season blocks total to 71 and is just three blocks away from breaking UT’s single-season record.
Up Next: The Vols return home to close the regular season in a Saturday matchup with No. 17 Auburn. Tipoff between the Vols and the Tigers is set for noon ET. Seniors Jordan Bowden and Lamonte Turner will be honored prior to the game. Tickets remain available at AllVols.com.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee cruised to a midweek victory behind a historic offensive output Tuesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, defeating Longwood, 28-2.
The Vols’ 28-run output marks the most runs in a single game by a Tennessee team since Feb. 14, 2004 when they defeated Morehead State, 29-1.
Tennessee (13-0) was balanced offensively, as eight Vols recorded two or more hits on the night. Freshman Jordan Beck led the Vols with three hits, including two doubles. Beck also drove in three runs.
Alerick Soularie and Zach Daniels, who homered in the first and sixth innings, respectively, had two hits and four RBI apiece. Daniels also had his first-career triple in the first inning.
Tennessee used six different pitchers over the course of the contest, with freshman Christian Delashmit being credited with his second win of the season after two shutout innings of work in which he gave up one hit and struck out four batters.
Freshman Mark McLaughlin got the start for the Vols, pitching two innings and recording three strikeouts before exiting the game. Kody Davidson, Will Mabrey, Kirby Connell and Ethan Anderson – all first-year players at UT – combined to pitch the final five innings, giving up no runs and just one total hit.
Longwood (3-10) starting pitcher Dillon Champagne was credited with the loss. The Lancers walked a total of 18 batters during the contest.
Notable Raining Homers
Tuesday’s two-home run outing was Tennessee’s 11th multi-homer game of the season and pushed the Vols’ nation-leading home run total to 24. Thirteen different Tennessee players have hit home runs, while six Vols have multiple homers.
Patient at the Plate
Tennessee drew 18 walks during Tuesday’s win over Longwood, bring its season total to 107 – a mark that leads the nation.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper and junior forward Rennia Davis met with members of the media on Tuesday prior to the team’s departure for the SEC Tournament in Greenville, S.C.
This week, Davis received national player of the week honors from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and both Southeastern Conference and College Sports Madness SEC Player of the Week accolades following back-to-back double-doubles against Ole Miss (19 pts./11 rbs.) and Auburn (22 pts./10 rbs.). She also was announced as a member of the Coaches’ All-SEC First Team on Tuesday. Davis answered questions about her recent honors and shared her thoughts on the Lady Vol squad as it heads into postseason play.
Harper discussed Tennessee’s potential matchups in the SEC Tournament as well as Davis and freshman Jordan Horston (SEC All-Freshman Team) receiving league recognition.
The sixth-seeded Lady Vols will face the winner of #14 Ole Miss vs. #11 Missouri on Thursday. The game will tip off 25 minutes following the conclusion of the 6 p.m. contest and is estimated to begin at 8:30 p.m. ET. The matchup will be televised by the SEC Network and broadcast on Lady Vol Network radio stations as well as on SiriusXM SEC Radio.
On Rennia Davis racking up honors recently:
“Well, first off, I am happy for her. She has been a competitive and a consistent basketball player for us all year. I think night in and night out she has come to play. We have needed that from her, and it has been good to see.”
On Jordan Horston being named to the SEC All-Freshman Team:
“She is competitive, and she can make plays. She can guard; she can rebound. She can do a lot of things on the court. She had a lot on her. Being a freshman, she had a big load. She did a really good job, and I am really happy for her.”
On the message to the team for the postseason:
“Right before the Auburn game, we talked about making it feel like a tournament game. At this point you have to scrap, claw, fight and find a way to win and advance. It doesn’t matter what it looks like. It doesn’t matter how many points you win by. If you advance, you keep moving. For us, we just have been talking about the little things that we need to do. It’s the execution, intensity and the urgency you have to play with in the tournament. We will keep hammering home those messages.”
On if winning three consecutive games brings confidence to the team entering the SEC Tournament:
“We had to grit out three wins. We didn’t have blowout wins. I think you can look at it a couple of different ways. I think these teams are better. I think we still found a way to win. I think we knew they were going to be tough to get. I’m proud of our team for getting them. That might actually help us more than a blowout win would have.”
On facing either Missouri or Ole Miss and if one is more favorable than the other:
“No. At this point, I think everybody is going to be good. I think the things that those two teams could do similarly in their attack against us is shoot threes. I think Ole Miss’ approach for us, in this last game we had with them, was to shoot the ball behind the 3-point line. Looking back, obviously it’s been a while since we played Mizzou, they shot 29 threes. So, I think with either team we’re going to have to guard behind the 3-point line. We’re coming off a game where our post players defended terrifically on the block. Either of these matchups doesn’t really warrant that type of play. We’ve got to be able to get out on the perimeter and guard one-on-one.”
On “trusting the process” and where she feels like she’s at in her first season with the team:
“It takes time and everybody gets there at a different spot or a different time. Everybody improves, and your team moves. I think we’ve grown a lot. There are a lot of areas where our offense has grown this season, throughout the season. That’s been great to see. Our defense has grown throughout the season. I still think there are some things out there that we could be better at. I think we hit a dry spell there rebounding-wise and got back on the right end of that recently and have done a good job on the boards. I just think there are some things that we’ve done well. It just takes some time. I think it takes some adversity to be able to push you to a point where you’re challenged and you’re tested and you question. Then, you’re able to get through that. I’m hoping that the team, because of all those things, is in a good place going over to Greenville.”
On her play this season and what she is most proud of:
“I think I’ve been able to be a consistent player for this team and just give us a scoring option every night. So, I am most proud of that. I think the last couple years one of the things I have been working on most is being more consistent for this team, and this year I have been able to do that.”
On what element of her game has allowed her to be a consistent scorer:
“Just the mindset. Knowing every night that other teams are going to give me their best defensive game plan, but I still have to be able to produce for this team in order for us to be successful.”
On being named USBWA Player of the Week and what that means to her to have national recognition:
“It means a lot to me; all these recognitions and awards mean a lot. They are (the results of) things I have been working on and the things I have been doing to help this team.”
On the turnover issues for her team and how they can fix that heading into the postseason:
“The turnovers with this team have kind of been an issue all season, something we have been constantly working on. I do think the past few games we have been able to cut down on those turnovers, I think we had 12 and 14 turnovers in the two games before the Auburn game, which is pretty good for this team. I think we are taking care of the ball better than before, besides the Auburn game. Which, Auburn plays the defense where they get you to turn the ball over, so we just have to kind of look past that game and move forward as far as turnovers.”
On the potential matchups with Ole Miss or Missouri:
“Ole Miss and Missouri are both gritty and tough teams. I actually had one of my most fun games against Ole Miss when we played them here at home. I just thought it was fun playing against them. I know their coaching staff. They are all from Florida, and I used to play for a lot of them, so it was pretty fun playing against them.”
On the postseason and how she would describe playing in the SEC Tournament:
“Postseason basketball is fun to me. It’s one of the best parts. It’s one of the reasons you come to a school like Tennessee, to play in big postseason games. And every postseason game is big. Like I said before, everybody is 0-0, so I’m excited.”
On why consistency has been so important for her:
“I think it’s because in the past couple years I have been pretty inconsistent. I remember last year, I think there was a stretch where I averaged only like four or six points. And it’s not all about scoring; it’s being able to produce in some way every night. I may not shoot the ball well every night, but (I’m) consistently crashing the boards. (It’s) little things like that – communicating with my teammates, trying to consistently get defensive stops. It’s not just about scoring, it’s about the little things as well.”
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