Photo Gallery: “ACM Stories, Songs & Stars” Event with Little Big Town, Midland, Thomas Rhett, Jake Owen & More

Photo Gallery: “ACM Stories, Songs & Stars” Event with Little Big Town, Midland, Thomas Rhett, Jake Owen & More

Posted on April 7, 2019

More than 20 songwriters and artists took the stage to share the stories behind some of country’s biggest hits at the ACM Stories, Songs & Stars event on April 5 at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Hosted by Hillary Scott and Storme Warren, the event featured performances from Rhett Akins, Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley, Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Lori McKenna, Chase McGill, Josh Osborne, Brantley Gilbert, Little Big Town, Midland, Old Dominion, Thomas Rhett and more.

ACM Party for a Cause events support ACM Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of the Academy of Country Music.

Check out our photo gallery, courtesy of O’Connor/AFF-USA.com.

Brett Young and Wife Taylor Mills Expecting First Child

Brett Young and Wife Taylor Mills Expecting First Child

Posted on April 7, 2019

Brett Young and wife Taylor Mills announced via Instagram that they are expecting their first child.

“And then we were 3 👦🏼👩🏻👶🏼,” said Brett, in part. “Taylor and I are absolutely over the moon to be expecting a new little angel into our family. Absolutely blessed to be starting this new chapter with my baby and our baby.” 

After getting engaged in February 2018, Brett and Taylor married in Palm Springs, Calif., in November 2018. They have known each other for more than 10 years.

Congrats to the happy family.

photo by AFF-USA.com

Vols Use Dominant Pitching Performance to Even Series with No. 5 Mississippi State

Vols Use Dominant Pitching Performance to Even Series with No. 5 Mississippi State

Posted on April 6, 2019
Vols RHP Zach Lingenfelter / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A masterful pitching performance from the duo of Zach Linginfelter and Redmond Walsh led Tennessee to a 2-1 victory over No. 5 Mississippi State on Saturday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Pitching carried the night for both teams in a low-scoring affair. There were a just eight combined hits allowed in the game as Linginfelter and Bulldogs’ starter Peyton Plumlee were able to keep hitters off balance throughout the night.

Linginfelter was dominant from the start for the Vols, holding MSU to just five hits and one run in 6.2 innings of work. The junior also added three strikeouts on the evening and scattered five hits to earn his fifth win of the year.

Walsh came in for Linginfelter with two outs and the tying run on base in the seventh. The Alcoa high school product struck out the Bulldogs’ best hitter in Jake Mangum to end the threat. Walsh went on to retire the side in order in the eighth and ninth innings to shut the door and earn his fourth save on the year.

Plumlee had a solid outing as well, allowing only two runs on two hits in 5.1 innings of work while adding three strikeouts on the night.

After three scoreless innings to open the game, the Bulldogs got the scoring started with a single up the middle by Justin Foscue to drive in Elijah MacNamee from second.

The Volunteers scored their first and only two runs of the game on a bizarre play in the bottom of fifth. After a sacrifice bunt by Landon Gray to move runners to second and third, Plumlee threw the ball into the Bulldogs’ dugout prior to being awarded time by the umpire, which resulted in an error and allowed both runners to score, giving UT a 2-1 lead.

Linginfelter and Walsh took it from there to help the Big Orange nail down their 23rd win of the season and fourth in SEC play.

The Vols’ held Mississippi State’s potent lineup to just five hits, the second-fewest in a game this season for the Bulldogs. It was the 13th time this year that UT has held its opponent to five hits or fewer.

NOTABLE
LINGO BOUNCES BACK: Coming off a rough start in last Saturday’s loss at Vanderbilt, junior pitcher Zach Linginfelter had quite the bounce-back performance against No. 5 Mississippi State on Saturday night. The junior right hander allowed just one run on five hits in 6.2 innings to earn the win and improve to 5-3 on the year. Linginfelter was pulled after just 1.1 innings against the Commodores after allowing seven runs on eight hits.

RUCKER CONTINUES SOLID HITTING IN SEC PLAY: Freshman second baseman Jake Rucker had the bat going on Saturday night and was one of just a few players to have a decent night at the plate, finishing the game with two singles and a run scored. The Greenbrier, Tenn., native was hit by a pitch in his only other at-bat and scored what turned out to be the game-winning run in the fifth inning. Rucker has been one of UT’s most productive hitters in conference play, ranking second on the team with a .333 batting average in SEC contests.

UP NEXT:  The Vols and Bulldogs will square off again tomorrow afternoon in the rubber game of the series at 2 p.m. The game will be streamed online via the WatchESPN app. Fans can also listen to the Vol Network radio broadcast (FM 99.1 / AM 990) as John Wilkerson and Vince Ferrara call the action.

Box Score (PDF) | Season Stats (PDF) | SEC Stats (PDF) | VIDEO: Vitello Postgame | VIDEO: Linginfelter & Walsh Postgame

-UT Athletics

#5/7 Lady Vols Drop Series Opener to #13/14 Auburn, 10-5

#5/7 Lady Vols Drop Series Opener to #13/14 Auburn, 10-5

Posted on April 6, 2019
Lady Vols / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – In a top-15 matchup, No. 5/7 Tennessee fell to No. 13/14 Auburn, 10-5, at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Tennessee now sits at 28-7 overall and 6-4 in SEC play, while the Tigers improve to 31-7, 7-3 SEC.

Freshman Ashley Rogers got the start and threw 4.0 innings, recording three strikeouts, before Matty Moss entered in relief. The senior ended the game with one strikeout through 3.0 innings of work, but allowed five runs on five hits to be charged with the loss.

Offensively, Chelsea Seggern and Cailin Hannon both recorded two RBIs on the day. Seggern and Jenna Holcomb each had two knocks in the outing while Hannon and Aubrey Leach scored twice.

In the opening frame, Auburn took advantage of an error and an infield groundout to take a 2-0 lead.

Tennessee responded with two runs of its own in the bottom of the inning. Leach and Hannon reached on back-to-back walks and came around to score on a Seggern single and an RBI groundout by Rogers, respectively, tying the game at 2-2.

The Lady Vols broke the tie in the second, scratching three runs across on four hits. With two outs, Holcomb and Leach notched back-to-back singles before Hannon drove the pair home on a one-bagger to right field. Seggern then rounded out the scoring streak with a double to the right-center gap, sending Hannon home to extend Tennessee’s edge to 5-2.

Auburn responded in the third inning with a two-run home run, trimming the Big Orange’s lead, 5-4.

After a scoreless fourth inning, the Tigers regained the lead in the fifth on Tannon Snow’s second two-run homer of the game. AU tacked on four more runs in the seventh to push its advantage to 10-5.

Tennessee went down in order in the bottom of the frame to make the 10-5 score final.

ON DECK: The Lady Vols host Auburn in Game 2 of the series tomorrow, April 7, at 6 p.m. ET. The game will be aired on SEC Network. UTSports.com, the Tennessee Gameday App and AM 990 will also carry a live radio broadcast.

Box Score | Highlights | Postgame Interview: Co-head Coach Ralph Weekly | Postgame Interview: Aubrey Leach

-UT Athletics

Little Big Town Drops Thought-Provoking New Single, “The Daughters,” From Upcoming 9th Studio Album [Watch Poignant Video]

Little Big Town Drops Thought-Provoking New Single, “The Daughters,” From Upcoming 9th Studio Album [Watch Poignant Video]

Posted on April 5, 2019

Little Big Town released a thought-provoking new single, “The Daughters,” on April 5. Written by Sean McConnell, Ashley Ray and LBT’s Karen Fairchild—who also provides lead vocals—“The Daughters” is the lead single from the band’s upcoming ninth studio album.

LBT also released a poignant video for “The Daughters,” which features dancers showcasing choreography from Andrew Winghart in a 1948 gym in Portland, Tenn. The clip was directed by Dano Cerny, who has helmed videos for The Chainsmokers, Elle King, Pentatonix, The Roots and more.

Little Big Town will perform the television world premiere of “The Daughters” on the ACM Awards on April 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

Watch the new video below.

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Miranda Lambert Announces “Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars Tour 2019” With Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde & More

Miranda Lambert Announces “Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars Tour 2019” With Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde & More

Posted on April 5, 2019

Miranda Lambert is hitting the road this fall for her 2019 Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars Tour—and she’s bringing some heavy hitters with her on select dates, including Maren Morris, Elle King, the Pistol Annies, Tenille Townes, Ashley McBryde and Caylee Hammack.

The 26-date tour kicks off on Sept. 13 in Uncansville, Conn., making additional stops in New Orleans, Baltimore, Milwaukee and more.

“I’m so excited and honored to be on tour with some of my favorite artists, who each inspire me in a different way,” said Miranda. “Maren Morris is a fiery fellow Texas girl that isn’t afraid to take a risk and be who she is. Elle King is a brave, confident and unapologetic artist who is honest about her life and uses it for her art. My fellow Pistol Annies are not only some of my best friends and writing partners, but also make me want to be a better artist every time we take the stage together. Tenille, Ashley and Caylee are all women who have something to say and they do it their own way. They are the next generation of fearless female artists and I’m so thrilled to share a stage with them.”

Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars Tour

Featuring Elle King, Pistol Annies and Caylee Hammack
Sept. 13 Mohegan Sun Arena || Uncasville, Conn.
Sept.14 Mohegan Sun Arena || Uncasville, Conn.
Sept. 19 Van Andel Center || Grand Rapids, Mich.**
Sept. 20 Huntington Center || Toledo, Ohio**
Sept. 21 BB&T Arena at Northern Kentucky University || Highland Heights, Ky.**

Featuring Elle King, Pistol Annies and Tenille Townes
Sept. 26 Royal Farms Arena || Baltimore, Md.**
Sept. 27 Charleston Coliseum || Charleston, W.Va.
Sept. 28 Nationwide Arena || Columbus, Ohio

Featuring Maren Morris, Pistol Annies and Tenille Townes
Oct. 3 Cajundome || Lafayette, La.**
Oct. 4 Smoothie King Center || New Orleans, La.**
Oct. 5 Centurylink Center || Bossier City, La.**
Oct. 10 State Farm Center || Champaign, Ill.**
Oct. 11 Pinnacle Bank Arena || Lincoln, Neb.**
Oct. 12 Denny Sanford Premier Center || Sioux Falls, S.D.**

Featuring Elle King, Pistol Annies and Ashley McBryde
Oct. 17 Fargo Dome || Fargo, N.D.
Oct. 18 Fiserv Forum || Milwaukee, Wisc.
Oct. 19 Xcel Energy Center || Saint Paul, Minn.
Oct. 24 TaxSlayer Center || Moline, Ill.
Oct. 25 JQH Arena || Springfield, Mo.**
Oct. 26 INTRUST Bank Arena || Wichita, Kan.**

Featuring Maren Morris, Pistol Annies and Tenille Townes
Nov. 7 John Paul Jones Arena || Charlottesville, Va.**
Nov. 8 Colonial Life Arena || Columbia, S.C.**
Nov. 9 Amway Center || Orlando, Fla.

Featuring Maren Morris, Pistol Annies and Ashley McBryde
Nov. 21 VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena || Jacksonville, Fla.
Nov. 22 Infinite Energy Arena || Duluth, Ga.
Nov. 23 Greensboro Coliseum || Greensboro, N.C.

*currently on sale
**on sale Friday, April 12
Remaining dates on sale timing to follow

photo by NCD

Rennia Davis Earns WBCA Honorable Mention All-American Distinction

Rennia Davis Earns WBCA Honorable Mention All-American Distinction

Posted on April 4, 2019
Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced its 2019 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America Team on Thursday, and Tennessee sophomore Rennia Davis was among those receiving honorable mention distinction.

Davis, a 6-foot-2 guard/forward from Jacksonville, Fla., tied as Tennessee’s leading scorer at 14.9 points per game and led the Lady Vols in rebounding (7.7 rpg.) and free throw percentage (.856). That accuracy at the charity stripe ranked No. 1 in the SEC and No. 34 nationally.

A starter during 62 of 64 games in her two-year career, Davis posted a team-leading nine double-doubles this season and scored in double figures a team-high 26 times, including 16 games with 15 or more points and six with 20 or more. Davis also led the team with 10 double-digit rebound games this season. Her 7.7 per game rebound average is the ninth-best ever in a season by a Lady Vol sophomore, while her 14.9 scoring average tied for No. 5 all-time by a UT sophomore.

In addition to ranking No. 1 in free throw percentage (.856) among SEC players, Davis stood No. 8 in rebounding (7.7), No. 10 in field goal percentage (.456) and No. 12 in scoring (14.9).

UT Athletics

Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley Break Ground on “Free Grocery Store” in Nashville

Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley Break Ground on “Free Grocery Store” in Nashville

Posted on April 4, 2019

Brad Paisley and wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley have teamed with Belmont University and Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee to open The Store—a free grocery store—in Nashville.

On April 3, Brad and Kimberly helped break ground on the non-profit project. Brad even got behind the controls of a backhoe to do some digging.

“We are happy to announce we broke ground on THE STORE today!!” said Kimberly via Instagram. “I loved seeing so much support from the community and meeting some of the people we will hopefully be able to serve with our free grocery (Yes clearly I need to work on my hard hat skillz. Good thing I’ll leave the building to the professionals at @jandsconstruction. Become a part of The Store with our brick campaign!”

The Store will operate as a year-round free grocery store that allows people to shop for their basic needs. Clients will be given the opportunity to come to The Store for a one-year period. There is no charge to those referred or to the people and agencies that send them. They may shop for food to supplement their income during times of crisis and as they work toward self-sufficiency.

Brad and Kimberly were inspired to get involved in the Nashville project after volunteering at a similar organization, Unity Shoppe, in Santa Barbara, Calif.

The Store, which is located at 2005 12th Ave. S. next to Belmont University’s Ministry Center, hopes to serve 3,000 people per year.

photo by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com

Nominations Revealed for the 2019 Billboard Music Awards: Dan + Shay Lead Country Artists With 7

Nominations Revealed for the 2019 Billboard Music Awards: Dan + Shay Lead Country Artists With 7

Posted on April 4, 2019

The nominees for the 2019 Billboard Music Awards were announced on April 4.

Dan + Shay picked up seven nominations, including all-genre nods in the Top Duo/Group category and Chart Achievement.

Luke Combs, Florida Georgia Line and Kane Brown earned four nominations, while Jason Aldean and Maren Morris netted three nominations.

Kelly Clarkson will host the 2019 Billboard Music Awards from the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 1. The show will air live at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

Check out all of the country-centric nominations below.

Billboard Chart Achievement Award
Dan + Shay
Drake
Ariana Grande
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
Dua Lipa

Top Duo/Group (all genre)
Dan + Shay
BTS
Imagine Dragons
Maroon 5
Panic! At The Disco

Top Radio Song (all genre)
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line, “Meant to Be”
Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey, “The Middle”
Khalid & Normani, “Love Lies”
Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B, “Girls Like You”
Post Malone, “Better Now”

Top Country Artist
Jason Aldean
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line

Top Country Male Artist
Jason Aldean
Kane Brown
Luke Combs

Top Country Female Artist
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood

Top Country Duo/Group
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Old Dominion

Top Country Tour
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney
Shania Twain

Top Country Album
Jason Aldean, Rearview Town
Kane Brown, Kane Brown
Luke Combs, This One’s For You
Dan + Shay, Dan + Shay
Carrie Underwood, Cry Pretty

Top Country Song
Kane Brown, “Heaven”
Luke Combs, “She Got the Best of Me”
Dan + Shay, “Speechless”
Dan + Shay, “Tequila”
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line, “Meant to Be”

Top Dance/Electronic Song
Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey, “The Middle”
DJ Snake ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B, “Taki Taki”
Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa, “One Kiss”
Marshmello & Bastille, “Happier”
Tiësto & Dzeko ft. Preme & Post Malone ,“Jackie Chan”

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Florida Georgia Line Adds New Dates to Las Vegas Residency

Florida Georgia Line Adds New Dates to Las Vegas Residency

Posted on April 4, 2019

Florida Georgia Line is coming back to Sin City.

After headlining a five-show residency inside Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in December 2018, the duo will return to the venue for four dates on Nov. 6, 8, 9 and 12.

Tickets for the new dates will go on sale on April 12 at 10 a.m. PT, with pre-sale for FGL fan club members beginning on April 8. General ticket prices begin at $39, plus applicable tax and fees. All shows begin at 8 p.m.

FGL follows in the Vegas residency footsteps of country artists such as George Strait, Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Rascal Flatts and more.

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

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