The 13-track offering, which was produced by busbee, features a collaboration with husband Michael Ray on “Finish Your Sentences.” Penned by Kelsea Ballerini, Thomas Rhett, Ashley Gorley and Jesse Frasure, the new duet was initially sent to Carly by TR and Big Machine Label Group president Scott Borchetta while she and Michael were in the early stages of dating.
“Scott Borchetta and Thomas Rhett actually sent me that song while I was on the road, and Michael and I had just started dating,” says Carly to Nash Country Daily. “And they were like, ‘We want you to sing this with your new boyfriend.’ And I was like, ‘Well, no, because what if we break up?’ But we listened to it, and it was just this really interesting song. I had never heard anybody finish each others’ sentences in a duet and it really did embody that stage of dating and falling in love that was happening during the making of this record. And so when we knew we were going to be together, I was like, ‘You have to be a part of this record in some capacity.’ It was so fun. We put our vocals on it . . . this really did embody what that first stage was for us. We love singing together. So now it will be great to have our own song.”
Luke Bryan dropped the title track to his upcoming seventh studio album, Born Here, Live Here, Die Here, which will be released on April 24.
Penned by Jameson Rodgers, Josh Thompson and Jake Mitchell, “Born Here, Live Here, Die Here” follows the release of No. 1 lead single, “Knockin’ Boots” and current Top 10 single, “What She Wants Tonight.”
“‘Proud to be right here’ is a phrase from my new album’s title track,” said Luke. “From the moment I first heard it, I loved that this song related so closely to how I grew up and how I still have so many ties to my hometown. It’s a connection I feel is so important in country music. I am truly so thankful to have the opportunity to make music for my fans and to look out into the crowds each night from stage and be proud of what we’ve created.”
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Tennessee men’s basketball team hits the road for a Saturday night matchup with South Carolina. Tipoff inside Colonial Life Areba is slated for 6 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Saturday’s game can be seen on SEC Network, online through WatchESPN, which can be accessed at espn.com/watch, and on any mobile device through the ESPN App. Mike Morgan and Pat Bradley will have the call.
Fans can also listen in on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertlekamp describing the action.
Last time out, the Vols raced past Arkansas to the tune of an 82-61 scoreline on Tuesday night inside Thompson-Boling Arena. Freshman Santiago Vescovi led the way for UT, scoring a season-high 20 points and dishing off a season-high eight assists.
Senior Jordan Bowden added 16 points, finishing 7-of-16 from the field. Junior John Fulkerson was efficient while battling flu-like symptoms. Fulkerson finished the night with 14 points and a game-high eight rebounds.
A victory on Saturday would be the Vols sixth consecutive victory over the Gamecocks, sweeping the regular season series for the third consecutive year. A win would also give UT its 11th straight triumph in regular season rematch games.
Up next, Tennessee returns home to Thompson-Boling arena for a Tuesday night matchup with Vanderbilt. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
THE SERIES
• Tennessee leads the all-time series with South Carolina, 47-27, dating to 1927. The Vols are riding a five-game win streak against the Gamecocks.
• The series is deadlocked at 16-16 when contested in Columbia.
• Tennessee defeated South Carolina, 56-55, in Knoxville on Jan. 11.
A WIN WOULD…
• Give the Vols a winning record against the Gamecocks in Columbia.
• Extend UT’s win streak over South Carolina to six games.
• Make Tennessee 11-0 in SEC regular-season rematch games since the start of the 2017-18 campaign.
STORYLINES
• In SEC road games, senior guard Jordan Bowden leads the Vols in scoring with 15.6 ppg. Juniors John Fulkerson (11.4 ppg) and Yves Pons (10.2 ppg) also average double-digit scoring on the road in league play.
• With 173 career 3-point makes, senior Jordan Bowden ranks 10th on Tennessee’s all-time list.
• True freshman Santiago Vescovi dished out a season-high eight assists in Tuesday’s win over Arkansas. He owns a 2.2 assist/turnover ratio over UT’s last five games.
• Tennessee averaged 14.3 turnovers through its first 17 games but has averaged only 10.6 turnovers in its last six outings.
• Vols freshman Josiah-Jordan James has missed Tennessee’s last four games with a groin injury. He had started every game prior to this setback, and his current status is day-to-day.
LAYUP LINES
• During SEC play, Tennessee leads the league in blocks (6.2 bpg) and owns the conference’s best scoring defense (65.5 ppg).
• Junior forward Yves Pons has blocked at least one shot in every game this season. He leads the SEC and ranks 20th nationally with 2.6 bpg. His 2.8 bpg during SEC play also leads the league.
• Freshman point guard Santiago Vescovi has made at least one 3-pointer in every game in which he’s appeared (12), averaging 2.3 made threes per game.
• Barring injury or illness, senior guard Jordan Bowden will finish his career in the top five on Tennessee’s list for career games played. Saturday will be the 126th game in which he’s appeared.
• For three games earlier this month, Tennessee’s starting lineup featured four different nationalities (American, French, Serbian, Uruguayan).
ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA
• After falling to Tennessee on Jan. 11 in Knoxville, South Carolina has reeled off wins in seven of its last nine contests, with notable victories at home over Kentucky and on the road at Arkansas. The Gamecocks currently sit at 15-9 (7-4 SEC).
• South Carolina head coach Frank Martin has the Gamecocks trending in the right direction as the 2019-20 regular season nears its conclusion. The 7-4 SEC mark has South Carolina in a tie for fourth place in the league and in the hunt for a double-bye at the conference tournament next month.
• Senior forward Maik Kotsar continues to be a force for South Carolina on both ends of the floor. He ranks third on the Gamecocks in scoring (10.3 ppg), second in assists (2.1 apg) and first in rebounding (6.4 rpg), blocks (1.1 bpg) and steals (1.6 spg).
• Sophomore guard A.J. Lawson continues to be the Gamecocks’ main scoring threat. While the Toronto, Canada, native has seen his overall scoring average drop since last facing the Vols, he has strung together one of his best stretches of games in recent weeks. In the Gamecocks’ last five contests, he is averaging 15 points (eclipsing the 15-point mark three times) while scoring a game-high 20 points in South Carolina’s big win at Georgia Tuesday night.
• The University of South Carolina libraries currently house the world’s largest collection of work from famous author Ernest Hemingway.
• South Carolina’s undergraduate enrollment is 26,733.
LAST TIME VS. SOUTH CAROLINA
• A strong defensive effort and a drawn charge by John Fulkerson in the closing seconds propelled Tennessee to a 56-55 win over South Carolina on Jan. 11, 2020, at Thompson-Boling Arena.
• With Tennessee leading by one with six seconds remaining, South Carolina guard A.J. Lawson grabbed the rebound off a UT missed 3-pointer and raced the length of the court to attempt a go-ahead shot. As Lawson drove down the lane, Fulkerson stepped in front and drew a charge with 1.4 seconds remaining, securing the win.
• Fulkerson led the Vols in scoring with 15 points and also grabbed 10 rebounds, achieving the second double-double of his career and first of the season. Freshmen Santiago Vescovi and Josiah-Jordan James added 13 and 10 points, respectively.
• Defensively, Tennessee held its opponent to less than 60 points for the seventh time and recorded a season-high 11 blocked shots.
• Maik Kotsar had 17 points and Jermaine Couisnard had 15 to pace South Carolina.
• After coming out of halftime with a one-point lead, South Carolina opened the second half on a 13-6 run, as Tennessee converted on just two of its first nine attempts from the field.
• With the Gamecocks holding their largest lead of the game at 39-31, the Vols came alive on the offensive end with a 20-5 run, capped by back-to-back threes from the freshman duo of Drew Pember and James. The run put Tennessee in front, 51-44, a lead it would not relinquish.
• Over the course of the run, UT held South Carolina without a field goal for more than six minutes, as the Gamecocks missed 10 consecutive shots.
• South Carolina took a 26-25 lead into halftime in a first half marred by scoring droughts and shooting struggles. The Vols shot just 7-for-27 (.259) from the field during the game’s opening period.
MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES AGAINST SOUTH CAROLINA
• On Dec. 6, 1969, unranked Tennessee strolled into Columbia and upset the No. 1-ranked Gamecocks, 55-54, thanks to 20 points from Jimmy England, and double-doubles by Don Johnson (18 pts, 12 rebs) and Bobby Croft (12 pts, 13 rebs).
• A two-overtime thriller in Columbia saw South Carolina pull out a 111-107 win on Feb. 10, 1993, despite 20-point efforts from Allan Houston (29), Lang Wiseman (26) and Corey Allen (22).
• Wayne Chism scored 23 points, JaJuan Smith added 19 and Tyler Smith had 13, but it was Chris Lofton’s 25-footer with 12.0 seconds remaining that lifted the Vols to an 89-87 win over South Carolina in the 2008 SEC Tournament in Atlanta on March 14, 2008.
• 2011 first-team All-SEC guard Scotty Hopson had a bright career against South Carolina, owning a sterling 6-0 record vs. the Cocks. Hopson threw down a posterizing dunk in the 2011 Knoxville win that placed fourth in the CBS Dunk of the Year Contest.
FORMER BIG 12 RIVALS BARNES, MARTIN NOW UNDER SEC BANNER
• Tennessee coach Rick Barnes and South Carolina headman Frank Martin meet for the 17th time as conference rivals Saturday and the 10th time under the SEC banner.
• The two squared off seven times as coaches in the Big 12 Conference, when Barnes was with Texas and Martin was at Kansas State.
• Barnes holds a 9-7 edge in head-to-head meetings.
• The 53-year-old Martin went 117-54 in five seasons at Kansas State, taking his 2009-10 squad to the Elite Eight and winning the Big 12 Coach of the Year award that same season. Barnes was one of the top coaches in the Big 12 during his 17-year tenure at Texas, winning four Big 12 Coach of the Year awards.
SECOND TIME’S A CHARM
• Over the last two seasons, Rick Barnes and his staff guided the Volunteers to a 10-0 record in regular-season rematch games (SEC Tournament games not included).
• Saturday’s showdown against the Gamecocks is UT’s first rematch game this season.
BOWDEN AMONG SEC’s BEST
• Senior guard Jordan Bowden ranks among the SEC’s active career leaders in several statistical categories.
• He ranks third in points (1,258), fourth in steals (123), eighth in assists (235) and eighth in rebounds (436).
• Only Breein Tyree (Ole Miss) and Skylar Mays (LSU) have scored more career points among active SEC players.
INITIATE LOCKDOWN SEQUENCE
• History indicates that teams are likely to experience a lengthy scoring drought when they face the Vols.
• 13 times this season, Tennessee has held an opponent scoreless or without a field goal for a span exceeding five minutes of game action. That includes a span of 5:52 during which the Vols held Arkansas scoreless on Tuesday.
Darius Rucker’s 2013 No.1 hit, “Wagon Wheel,” has been certificated by the RIAA as 8X Platinum for sales of 8 million units.
The tune, which was written by Bob Dylan and Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor, is now one of the Top 5 best-selling country songs of all time as certified by the RIAA.
Darius was surprised with a plaque presentation by the RIAA on Feb. 12 at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
“I don’t believe you,” said Darius. “I don’t believe this! Wow, what a testament to the fans and their love of country music.”
“Even in my wildest dreams for ‘Wagon Wheel,’ the singer was never me or Bob,” said Ketch. “It could have been a lot of different people who had the big hit with it. It could have been one of those perfect-smile guys with the made-for-TV personalities. That it was instead a salt of the earth singer like Darius is something divine I’ll leave to the theologians to figure out.”
RIAA Best-Selling Country Songs
“Cruise” – Florida Georgia Line, 11X Platinum
“Old Town Road” – Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus, 11X Platinum
Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives and Steve Miller Band will join forces for a co-headlining tour this summer.
The Americana Tour will kick off on June 13 in Austin, with additional stops in Nashville, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, St. Louis and more. Gary Mule Deer will serve as support. The new tour follows a 34-date co-headlining tour in 2019.
“Touring with the Steve Miller Band has proved to be magical,” says Marty. “It is indeed an honor to go across the nation with Steve and the Steve Miller Band.”
“Touring with Marty and the Superlatives is inspirational,” adds Steve. “This is undoubtedly one of the most talented touring combinations I’ve ever been involved in. We look forward to continuing working together to explore the roots of American Music. Adding the musical comedy of Gary Mule Deer to the show will be an unexpected treat for our fans. I’m delighted to be able to tour with these great artists and to bring the Steve Miller Band audience the best of the best.”
Cam is returning to country radio—hopefully—with the release of her new single, “Till There’s Nothing Left.”
Penned by Cam, Tyler Johnson, Jeff Bhasker and Hillary Lindsey, “Till There’s Nothing Left” is the lead single to Cam’s upcoming sophomore album, which is slated to drop this summer. The inspiration for the song came from Cam’s relationship with her husband of four years, Adam Weaver.
“My husband and I will go drive and have a quickie in the back of the car,” says Cam. “Why am I embarrassed to sing about that? ‘Till There’s Nothing Left’ is a commitment. It’s saying—I am gonna love you with everything I have, physically, spiritually, I’m so in.”
Cam also released a stormy new video for the tune, which was directed by Dano Cerney and filmed at the Hitching Post Western Saloon in Portland, Tenn.
“It’s the end of the world and I know a little place in the eye of the storm,” says Cam. “Let’s live our last moments dancing together in the neon glow.”
Watch the new video for “Till There’s Nothing Left” below.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced Wednesday the top 10 candidates for the 2020 Cheryl Miller Award, and Tennessee standout Rennia Davis has made the cut for the second year in a row.
Named after the three-time Naismith Player of the Year and Class of 1995 Hall of Famer, the annual award in its third year recognizes the top small forwards in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball.
“The players on this top-10 list are unquestionably some of the most gifted in basketball today and they should feel honored to be considered for the Cheryl Miller Award,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “Ms. Miller has long been considered as one of the greats of our game, and we are grateful to have her insight as we move forward in this process.”
The 6-foot-2 junior from Jacksonville, Fla., is averaging a career-best 18.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per contest to lead the Lady Vols, ranking second and sixth, respectively, among SEC players. In conference action, she has averaged 20.4 points and 7.8 rebounds, ranking first among all league players in scoring and seventh in rebounding.
The UT standout is shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 80.7 percent from the free throw line in all games to rank ninth and third, respectively, in the conference. In SEC play, she is hitting field goals at a 53-percent clip to rank fifth among her peers and is second at the charity stripe with an 82.9 percentage.
Davis leads the team in three-pointers with 27 buckets from long range and is second in steals (21) and third in assists (48).
Davis, who has led a young Tennessee squad to a 17-6 record and No. 25 national ranking thus far, has scored in double figures in 20 straight games and in 21 of her 22 contests this season. Including last year, she has hit 10 or more points in 34 of her past 35 starts. She has registered five 20-point games so far in 2019-20, moving into a tie for ninth on UT’s career list with 12 games of scoring 20 or more.
She also has tallied eight double-double efforts thus far and would move into the top 10 all-time for Lady Vol juniors with just one more. She currently ranks 11th in career double-doubles with 26 during her third year on Rocky Top.
Earlier this season, Davis reached the 1,000-point scoring plateau, becoming the 46th Lady Vol to reach that milestone. She has since climbed to No. 32 on the list with 1,257 points entering the LSU game.
Davis previously has been announced as a member of the 2020 John R. Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 and the Citizen Naismith Trophy Midseason Top 30.
The winner of the 2020 Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 10, 2020, along with the other four members of the Women’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award, the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard Award, the Katrina McClain Power Forward Award, and the Lisa Leslie Center Award, in addition to the Men’s Starting Five.
Previous winners of the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Award include Bridget Carleton, Iowa State (2019) and Gabby Williams, Connecticut (2018). For more information on the 2020 Cheryl Miller Award and the latest updates, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #MillerAward on Twitter and Instagram.
Buoyed by Top 5 lead single, “Kinfolks,” Sam Hunt will be dropping his sophomore album, Southside, on April 3.
Sam’s upcoming album will follow his 2014 debut project, Montevallo, which spawned hits “Leave the Night On,” “Take Your Time,” “House Party” and more. Southside’s lead single, “Kinfolks,” is currently No. 2 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.
While Sam’s distinctive style has resonated with his passionate fanbase, the Georgia native humbly tells Kix Brook of American Country Countdown that he’s at the “mercy of my abilities.”
However, it’s those “abilities” that have helped Sam garner a cache of No. 1 hits, multiple Grammy and CMA nominations, as well as win the ACM Gene Weed Milestone Award, which is presented to a country music artist for outstanding achievement.
“Yeah, I’m kind of at the mercy of my abilities or maybe the . . . styles that have influenced me,” says Sam. “Wherever that comes from, I can’t really pinpoint, but for whatever reason, it comes out a little different than everybody else, and I can’t mimic other people. I can’t do what they do. I’m just glad that what I do resonates with folks out there.”
For more on Sam’s distinctive style, check out his newly released song, “Hard to Forget,” which will be featured on Southside.
Sugarland’s Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles will hit the road this summer for the There Goes the Neighborhood Tour.
The 26-date tour kicks off on June 4 in Toronto, Ontario, before making additional stops in Dallas, Phoenix, Milwaukee, Cincinnati and more. Mary Chapin Carpenter, Tenille Townes and Danielle Bradbery will provide support on select dates.
In addition, the duo is releasing a 3-song EP, Bigger, Louder, Live, on Feb. 28 that includes live versions of “On a Roll,” “Bigger” and “Babe.”
Thomas Rhett and wife Lauren Akins welcomed their third child on Feb. 10—a baby girl named Lennon Love Akins, who weighed 9 lbs., 2oz.
Lauren shared the news via Instagram, along with a number of pics, saying: “Our early Valentine baby was born yesterday, February 10th and her sisters couldn’t be happier to finally get to kiss her little face 🥰 Lennon Love Akins 💕 9lbs 2oz of lovveeee with lots of dark hair and blue eyes 💙 we could not be more in love.”
TR also shared the news via Instagram, saying: “Lennon Love Akins was born at 8:30 AM on February 10th! It was such a joy to watch this little angel be brought into the world. My wife is just incredible through the entire birth🙌🏼 watching our kids meet Lennon for the first time was probably the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen in my whole life! Ada James and Willa Gray are going to be the best big sisters on the planet. The Lord is so good and I’m so grateful for my beautiful growing family!! Y’all pray for us as we switch from man on man defense to zone👍”
TR and Lauren, who were married in 2012, are also the parents of girls Willa Gray, 4, and Ada James, 2.
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