Thomas Rhett & Wife Lauren Expecting Third Child

Thomas Rhett & Wife Lauren Expecting Third Child

Posted on July 23, 2019

Thomas Rhett and wife Lauren revealed via Instagram they are expecting their third child—a baby girl—in 2020.

TR and Lauren are the parents of two girls, Willa Gray, 3, and Ada James, 1.

Lauren post on Instagram features a number of photos and a video of the gender reveal, with the caption: “We decided we didn’t have enough princess dresses around the house so we’re adding another Akins baby girl to the family early next year 💕🎀😭💗💗💗 despite Thomas Rhett’s initial shock (swipe to see video 😂) we are absolutely over the moon for our baby girl! Our girls cannot wait to meet their little sister 💕💕 Willa Gray prays for her every night (heart in a puddle every time😭😭) & she and Ada James love to touch my belly and talk to her😭😭💗💗💗-especially bc I’ve been showing since I was SEVEN weeks (🤪). So it feels like we have been hiding this secret for an ETERNITY. And I’d like to apologize to everyone I’ve canceled on, said no to or just been MIA, but for a second there I wasn’t sure if I was pregnant or just puked for a living🤢. But she’s soooo worth it💕💗💕💗💕 We are SO excited! & if you need TR you can find him in the camping section at REI buying dude things…….jk, he’s excited too.”

Scroll through the pics and watch the gender reveal video below.

View this post on Instagram

We decided we didn’t have enough princess dresses around the house so we’re adding another Akins baby girl to the family early next year 💕🎀😭💗💗💗 despite Thomas Rhett’s initial shock (swipe to see video 😂) we are absolutely over the moon for our baby girl! Our girls cannot wait to meet their little sister 💕💕 Willa Gray prays for her every night (heart in a puddle every time😭😭) & she and Ada James love to touch my belly and talk to her😭😭💗💗💗-especially bc I’ve been showing since I was SEVEN weeks (🤪). So it feels like we have been hiding this secret for an ETERNITY. And I’d like to apologize to everyone I’ve canceled on, said no to or just been MIA, but for a second there I wasn’t sure if I was pregnant or just puked for a living🤢. But she’s soooo worth it💕💗💕💗💕 We are SO excited! & if you need TR you can find him in the camping section at REI buying dude things…….jk, he’s excited too 🥰

A post shared by Lauren Akins (@laur_akins) on

photo courtesy Lauren Akins Instagram
photo courtesy Lauren Akins Instagram

 

 

main photo by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com

ACM Honors Ceremony to Feature Keith Urban, Trisha Yearwood, Chris Janson, Barbara Mandrell, Maddie & Tae & More

ACM Honors Ceremony to Feature Keith Urban, Trisha Yearwood, Chris Janson, Barbara Mandrell, Maddie & Tae & More

Posted on July 23, 2019

The Academy of Country Music announced its first round of talent participating in the 13th annual ACM Honors ceremony, which will take place on August 21 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

Participating artists include Keith Urban, Chris Janson, Maddie & Tae, Barbara Mandrell, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes and Trisha Yearwood, with more talent to be announced in the coming weeks

As previously announced, the ACM Honors will recognize the special honorees and off-camera category winners from the 54th ACM Awards, including Brooks & Dunn, Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves, Rodney Crowell, Kye Fleming, Billy Joe Shaver, Gayle Holcomb and A Star Is Born.

Tickets for the ACM Honors are on sale now.

Check out the list of awardees, awards and past winners below.

Brooks & Dunn and Martina McBride

Cliffie Stone Icon Award: This award is presented to a country music artist, duo/group or industry leader who throughout their career has advanced the popularity of the genre through their contributions in multiple facets of the industry such as songwriting, recording, production, touring, film, television, literary works, philanthropic contributions and other goodwill efforts.
Past Winners: Alabama, Bob Beckham, Garth Brooks, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Charlie Daniels, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers, Crystal Gayle, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, George Jones, George Strait, The Judds, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, The Oak Ridge Boys, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Jerry Reed, Tex Ritter, Marty Robbins, Kenny Rogers, Billy Sherrill, Ricky Skaggs, The Statler Brothers, Mel Tillis, Randy Travis, Tanya Tucker, Conway Twitty, Porter Wagoner, Keith Whitley, Hank Williams, Hank Williams Jr., Bob Wills, Dwight Yoakam and Alan Jackson.

Gayle Holcomb

Gary Harber Lifting Lives Award: This award is presented to a country music artist, duo/group or industry professional who is devoted to improving lives through the power of music, has a generosity of spirit, and is committed to serving others, voted on by the ACM Lifting Lives Board of Directors.
Past Winners: Brooks & Dunn, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Lonestar, Martina McBride, Neal McCoy, Reba McEntire, Montgomery Gentry, Rascal Flatts, LeAnn Rimes, Carrie Underwood and Darius Rucker.

Miranda Lambert

Gene Weed Milestone Award: This award is presented to a country music artist, duo/group or industry leader for a specific, unprecedented or outstanding achievement in the field of country music during the preceding calendar year.
Past Winners: Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Kelsea Ballerini, George Burns, Kenny Chesney, Jeff Foxworthy, Merle Haggard, Gayle Holcomb, Loretta Lynn, Little Big Town, Willie Nelson, Jennifer Nettles, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Sam Hunt.

Kacey Musgraves

Jim Reeves International Award: This award recognizes an artist or industry leader for outstanding contributions to the acceptance of country music throughout the world.
Past Winners: Joe Allison, Bill Boyd, Garth Brooks, Steve Buchanan, Joe Cates, Eric Church, Dick Clark, Roy Clark, Al Gallico, Merv Griffin, Jim Halsey, Alan Jackson, Ken Kragen, Lady Antebellum, Sam Louvello, Thurston Moore, Charlie Nagatani, Buck Owens, Dolly Parton, Rascal Flatts, Roy Rogers, Bob Saporiti, Louise Scruggs, Dinah Shore, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Jeff Walker, Jo Walker-Meador, Bill Ward and Rob Potts.

Rodney Crowell, Kye Fleming and Billy Joe Shaver

Poet’s Award: This award is presented to a country music songwriter for outstanding and longstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions throughout their career, with special consideration given to a song or songs’ impact on the culture of country music.
Past Winners: Bill Anderson, Bobby Braddock, Toby Keith, Willie Nelson, Shel Silverstein, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, Guy Clark, Jack Clement, Hank Cochran, Dean Dillon, Merle Haggard, Tom T. Hall, Harlan Howard, Kris Kristofferson, Bob McDill, Roger Miller, Buck Owens, Eddie Rabbitt, Fred Rose, Don Schlitz, Cindy Walker, Jimmy Webb, Hank Williams, Matraca Berg and Norro Wilson.

Shane McAnally

Songwriter of the Year Award: This award is presented to an individual known predominately as a songwriter, selected by a Professional Panel of judges composed of songwriters, publishers, producers, and performing rights organization representatives.
Past Winners: Ross Copperman, Dallas Davidson, Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Lori McKenna, Roger Miller and Rhett Akins.

A Star Is Born

Tex Ritter Film Award: This award recognizes an outstanding television movie, series or feature film released during the preceding calendar year which prominently features country music.
Past Winners: Beer For My Horses, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Country Strong, Crazy Heart, Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors, Nashville, O Brother, Where Art Thou, Sweet Dreams and Walk the Line, among others.

photos: Keith Urban by Tammie Arroyo; Trisha Yearwood by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com

Watch Kane Brown Perform “Short Skirt Weather” on “Late Night”

Watch Kane Brown Perform “Short Skirt Weather” on “Late Night”

Posted on July 23, 2019

Kane Brown stopped by Late Night With Seth Meyers to perform his new song, “Short Skirt Weather,” on July 22.

Co-penned by Kane, Chase McGill and Will Weatherly, “Short Skirt Weather” is featured on Kane’s 2018 sophomore album, Experiment. Although not officially released as a single, “Short Skirt Weather” is currently No. 50 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. Kane is slated to release his next single, “Homesick,” on Aug. 5.

Watch Kane perform “Short Skirt Weather” on “Late Night” below.

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Chris Young Says New Album Is “Gonna Freak People Out in the Best Way Possible”

Chris Young Says New Album Is “Gonna Freak People Out in the Best Way Possible”

Posted on July 23, 2019

With lead single, “Raised On Country,” climbing the charts (currently No. 9 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart), Chris Young is gaining momentum as he prepares to release his upcoming eighth studio album. Although no release date has been announced for the new album, Chris has kept his fans appeased—and on the edges of their seats—in recent weeks by dropping new songs, “Drowning,” and “Town Ain’t Big Enough,” featuring Lauren Alaina.

Chris has also extended his Raised On Country World Tour with 19 new dates this fall.

If you’re reading the tea leaves (single success, tour extension, etc.), it’s probable that Chris will be announcing his new album soon. As Chris tells Kix Brooks of American Country Countdown, he thinks the new album is “gonna freak people out in the best possible way.”

“The way that these [songs] have all come together at the same time, whether its songs that I had an idea for or I got in the room with somebody else and they mentioned something that sparked an idea, it’s just been really, really cool,” says Chris. “You know, I wrote ‘Raised On Country’ in February of last year, so I’ve been sitting on all of this stuff since then, and it’s [been] so long for me to be this excited [about it] and now to have, you know, just the first song get out there and people react with the same energy back is so fulfilling really because I’ve just been going, ‘Man, I think this is gonna freak people out in the best way possible,’ and it’s starting to happen. It’s pretty cool to see it.”

Chris released his most recent studio album, Losing Sleep, in October 2017.

photo by NCD

Miranda Lambert’s New Single, “It All Comes Out in the Wash,” Debuts in Top 20

Miranda Lambert’s New Single, “It All Comes Out in the Wash,” Debuts in Top 20

Posted on July 23, 2019

Miranda Lambert is feeling fresh.

The Texas native’s new single, “It All Comes Out in the Wash,” debuted at No. 19 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart after being released to country radio on July 18. The feat marks Miranda’s second-highest debut on the Airplay chart, following 2016’s “Vice,” which launched at No. 18.

The new tune, which was co-penned by Miranda, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose and Hillary Lindsey, is expected to serve as the lead single from Miranda’s upcoming seventh studio album.

“I wrote ‘It All Comes Out in the Wash’ with the Love Junkies, some of my favorite people to write with—Lori McKenna, Liz Rose and Hillary Lindsey,” says Miranda. “And I had the title for a while written down in my phone. We like to talk about girly things and things going on in life when we write together, so I feel like the song is just kind of a mix of scenarios that all of us have either been a part of or seen or, ya know, something that’s happened in all of our lives, and realizing that when you have something in your life that’s a little unclean at times or hurtful or a moment that you wish would pass, it does all pass and it all comes out in the wash. That’s something that all of our moms would say to us when we were little—let’s not worry about a stain. I’m really proud of it. It’s a really fun song.”

Listen to “It All Comes Out in the Wash” below.

photo by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com

Listen to Blair Garner’s Interview with Presidential Candidate Pete Buttigieg

Listen to Blair Garner’s Interview with Presidential Candidate Pete Buttigieg

Posted on July 22, 2019

Country Radio Hall of Fame member Blair Garner sat down with Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg for a 20-minute interview on July 17 that covered a variety of topics, including his political platforms, reaching conservative-leaning audiences via country radio, meeting country stars Tim McGraw and Brad Paisley and more.

“I think that our base tends to be more conservative,” said Blair, host of the nationally syndicated Blair Garner Show. “And the fact that you, from the Democratic ticket, are the singular candidate to reach out and to say, ‘May I please be on your show?’ . . . I think we all have to embrace that and be appreciative of that.”

“Well thanks, you know I think there are a lot of voters who just feel like maybe they haven’t heard much from my side of the aisle in a while,” said Buttigieg.

You can listen to Blair’s full interview below.

photo courtesy Blair Garner Show

Eric Church Tops Country Charts With “Some of It”

Eric Church Tops Country Charts With “Some of It”

Posted on July 22, 2019

Eric Church’s current single, “Some of It,” reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Country Airplay chart and Mediabase chart this week.

Co-penned by Eric, Jeff Hyde, Clint Daniels and Bobby Pinson, “Some of It” finds Eric dispensing “some” fatherly advice during the chorus: “Some of it you learn the hard way / Some of it you read on a page / Some of it comes from heartbreak / Most of it comes with age / And none of it ever comes easy / A bunch of it you maybe can’t use / I know I don’t probably know what I think I do / But there’s something to some of it.”

According to Eric, “Some of It” almost didn’t make the track list for Desperate Man. It was only after his wife, Katherine, played the song for a friend that Eric decided to revisit his upcoming track list.

“I was playing the album for a dear friend of ours, and my wife was with me, and it was just the three of us playing the album, and my wife said, ‘But let me play you what didn’t make it,’” says Eric. “And the first thing she played was ‘Some of It.’ I hadn’t listened to it in a while, and it was always a favorite song of mine, and I listened to it that night and went, ‘I’m gonna regret if I don’t record this song.’ I think my hesitation was because, initially, all the stuff that I thought was gonna be the pillars for this album just bombed, so I was scared of that song. But I think it’s really interesting that the album took on an identity that allowed ‘Some of It’ to make it from where it started to where it is now.”

“Some of It” is the second single from Eric’s 2018 album, Desperate Man.

photo by NCD

Old Crow Medicine Show to Release “Live at the Ryman” Album on Sept. 20

Old Crow Medicine Show to Release “Live at the Ryman” Album on Sept. 20

Posted on July 22, 2019

After more than 40 performances on the Ryman Auditorium stage—including 20 headlining gigs—Old Crow Medicine Show will release a new album commemorating their time at the iconic Nashville venue.

The Grammy-winning roots band will release Live at the Ryman on Sept. 20. The 11-track album, which was recorded during various headlining performances, features fan-favorties like “Wagon Wheel” and “Take ’Em Away,” as well as covers such as “Sixteen Tons,” “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man” and “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”

Old Crow will return to the Ryman on Dec. 30 and 31 for their annual New Year’s Eve shows, a tradition that began in 2009.

Live at the Ryman Track Listing

  1. Welcome to the Ryman
  2. Tell It to Me
  3. Shout Mountain Music
  4. Take ‘Em Away
  5. Brushy Mountain Conjugal Trailer
  6. CC Rider
  7. Sixteen Tons
  8. Methamphetamine
  9. Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man
  10. Wagon Wheel
  11. Will the Circle Be Unbroken

photo by O\’Connor/AFF-USA.com

Jimmy’s blog: Vols have a long way to go, SEC coaches say

Jimmy’s blog: Vols have a long way to go, SEC coaches say

Posted on July 22, 2019

(This is the first in a four-part series on what SEC coaches had to say about other SEC programs. First: Tennessee)

By Jimmy Hyams

Tennessee hasn’t won an SEC football championship since 1998 — the longest drought in school history.

The Vols didn’t have a player selected in the most recent NFL draft for the third time in five years.

UT has won two SEC games in two years, won two or fewer SEC games in a season five of the last eight, and hasn’t secured a 10-win season in 11 years.

Perhaps that’s why one SEC coach told me Jeremy Pruitt faces a major rebuilding job.

“It’s going to take five years to get it done,’’ one coach told me. “I think Pruitt will get it done because he’s a good enough coach and recruiter to get it done. But it will take that long.’’

Why?

“There’s other people in the league already getting it done,’’ the coach said. “And they have no margin for error because they play Alabama, Georgia and Florida every year.

“Vanderbilt’s beat them three years in a row. That tells you how far Tennessee has to go to get back to where they were.’’

That’s not what the Vol Nation wants to hear. But it’s true that Tennessee has a long way to go.

Don’t agree? Check the media All-SEC preseason team, which didn’t have one player on the first three teams that wasn’t a special teams performer.

That’s a clear lack of personnel.

But will it take Pruitt five years?

Will he get five years?

That depends. If he’s showing progress and recruiting well, probably.

If he doesn’t post a winning record in any of his first three seasons, unlikely.

After all, Butch Jones, reviled as an awful coach by many a UT fan, won nine games in his third season at Rocky Top.

One coach had a degree of optimism.

“I think Jeremy Pruitt has recruited some quality players,’’ the coach said. “If he can get better on the offensive line, they’ll be a better team. I’m concerned about their depth. They have better playmakers.

“The question is: why did they finish so poorly last year? They played like crap down the stretch against Missouri (50-17 loss) and Vanderbilt (38-13 defeat). It looked like the players almost didn’t want to go to a bowl game.’’

Another coach believes Pruitt has upgraded his staff.

“Jeremy lucked out getting rid of Tyson Helton and hiring Jim Chaney,’’ the coach said. “I think he’s the best, most proven offensive coordinator in the league. I think Jim is outstanding. If Jeremy will leave him alone, Jim will be fine.’’

For the record, Pruitt told me at SEC Football Media Days that he considers Pruitt the “head coach’’ of the offense, insinuating Chaney will have free reign to run the attack.

One coach stated the obvious: “Tennessee needs a talent upgrade. If Jeremy would have won six games last year with that group, it would have been a miracle. Heck, beating (nationally ranked) Auburn and Kentucky was a miracle.’’

Tennessee’s other three wins were over ETSU, UTEP and Charlotte.

Of UT’s seven defeats, six were by at least 25 points.

“They’ll be more competitive than that,’’ one SEC coach said. “I think Jeremy is two years from contending (in the East).’’

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