After releasing his first solo single in more that two years with “Neon Church” in October 2018, Tim McGraw is ready to ship another song to country radio.
Tim will send his new single, “Thought About You,” to country radio on Feb. 4. The anthemic tune, which was penned by Brad Warren, Brett Warren and Lee Thomas Miller, is expected to be featured on Tim’s upcoming 15th studio album due later this year.
“‘Thought About You’ just makes me think about where I grew up and the small town that I grew up in,” says Tim. “Also it sort of makes you put together this bibliography of your life in your mind and this sort of photo album of your life in your mind. And it also . . . leaves it open to where you’re gonna go in the future. I think there’s a bit of remembrance in it. There’s also a bit of foresight in it as well. Those songs are hard to find when they can strike you emotionally that way. And another thing about this song is it’s really hard-charging when it gets to the chorus. It’s really anthemic. It sounds like a big uptempo song live, but to have a lyric that so poignant with an uptempo song is pretty rare to find.”
The nostalgic new video for “Thought About You,” which was directed by JP Robinson, highlights the song’s theme of love and friendship through a series of photographs.
After hitting the road as part of Brantley Gilbert’s The Devil Don’t Sleep Tour in 2017 and Jason Alean’s High Noon Neon Tour in 2018, Luke Combs will embark on his first headlining arena tour in 2019.
Luke’s Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour will kick off on Jan. 31 in Birmingham, Ala., with more than 25 stops through May 12. As Luke told Kix Brooks of American Country Countdown, headlining his first arena tour is “gonna be a big change” from supporting artists like Jason or Brantley.
“It’s different than anything that we’ve ever done,” says Luke. “You know, we’ve played the arenas, and I compared it to . . . I guess, it’s kind of like playing baseball where if we were up to bat and if we missed or struck out, you know, we had a Brantley Gilbert or a Jason Aldean over the last couple of years to come in and bat cleanup for us if we couldn’t get it done. We don’t have that luxury coming up, so I think it’s gonna be a big change. We’re adding a lot of guys to our crew. We’re adding a keyboard player to the band, which will be really interesting. We’re gonna have all the staging and all that crazy stuff, so I’m anxious to see how that turns out, and I think it’ll be really great.”
Lanco and Jameson Rodgers will serve as support on Luke’s tour.
Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour
Jan. 31 / Birmingham, AL / Legacy Arena at the BJCC*
Feb. 1 / Huntington, WV / Big Sandy Superstore Arena*
Feb. 2 / Greensboro, NC / Greensboro Coliseum Complex*
Feb. 7 / Wichita, KS / INTRUST Bank Arena*
Feb. 8 / North Little Rock, AR / Verizon Arena*
Feb. 9 / Baton Rouge, LA / Raising Cane’s River Center*
Feb. 14 / Greenville, SC / Bon Secours Wellness Arena*
Feb. 15 / Knoxville, TN / Thompson-Boling Arena*
Feb. 16 / Evansville, IN / Ford Center*
Feb. 21 / Hershey, PA / Giant Center*
Feb. 22 / Columbus, OH / Schottenstein Center*
Feb. 23 / Charlottesville, VA / John Paul Jones Arena*
Feb. 28 / New York, NY / Manhattan Center Hammerstein Ballroom†
March 1 / Bangor, ME / Cross Insurance Center*
March 2 / Worcester, MA / DCU Center*
March 8 / Tupelo, MS / BancorpSouth Arena*
March 9 / Orange Beach, AL / Amphitheatre at The Wharf*
March 28 / London, Ontario / Budweiser Garden*
March 29 / Oshawa, Ontario / Tribute Communities Centre*
March 30 / Kingston, Ontario / Leon’s Centre*
April 11 / Duluth, MN / AMSOIL Arena*
April 12 / Moline, IL / TaxSlayer Center*
April 13 / Saginaw, MI / Dow Event Center*
April 25 / Green Bay, WI / Resch Center*
April 26 / La Crosse, WI / La Crosse Center*
May 10 / Tulsa, OK / BOK Center*
May 11 / Omaha, NE / CHI Health Center Omaha*
May 12 / Morrison, CO / Red Rocks Amphitheater*
*with LANCO and Jameson Rodgers
†with Jameson Rodgers
Dierks Bentley scored the 18th No. 1 single of his career as “Burning Man” ascended to the top spot on the Mediabase chart this week.
The tune is the second single from Dierks’ 2018 album, The Mountain, to reach No. 1, following lead single, “Woman, Amen.” Penned by Bobby Pinson and Luke Dick, “Burning Man” features the Brothers Osborne.
“I felt an authentic connection to this song the first time I heard and my attachment to it has only strengthened night after night as I watch our fans connect with it,” says Dierks. “It is as much their song as it is mine . . . we all face that push and pull of who we are as people. As always, I’m very grateful to country radio for continuing to help share this journey.”
Currently, Dierks is headlining his Burning Man Tour with Jon Pardi, Tenille Townes and the Hot Country Knights.
Burning Man Tour
Jan. 28 | Kelowna, BC | Prospera Place
Jan. 29 | Vancouver, BC | Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena
Feb. 14 | Ontario, CA | Citizens Business Bank Arena
Feb. 15 | Fresno, CA | Save Mart Center
Feb. 16 | Reno, NV | Reno Events Center
Feb. 21 | Lexington, KY | Rupp Arena
Feb. 22 | Nashville, TN | Bridgestone Arena
Feb. 23 | Columbia, MO | Mizzou Arena
Feb. 28 | Sioux Falls, SD | Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
INDIANAPOLIS – University of Tennessee head football coach Jeremy Pruitt will address more than 1,500 high school and youth football coaches and administrators from across the country at the USA Football 2019 National Conference in Orlando, Florida, Feb. 22-24, Pruitt joins Ret. Navy SEAL Cdr. Mark Divine and University of Minnesota head football coach P.J. Fleck as keynote speakers.
Pruitt became the University of Tennessee’s 26th head football coach in December 2017 and led the Volunteers to two wins over top 25 teams in 2018 (No. 21 Auburn and No. 11 Kentucky). Prior to his arrival in Rocky Top, Pruitt served as Alabama’s defensive coordinator, helping the Crimson Tide win the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship.
Recognized as one of the nation’s top defensive coordinators, Pruitt has five national championships to his credit. During his initial tenure with Alabama, Pruitt worked as the director of player of development (2007-2009) and defensive backs coach (2010-2012) and was a part of three national championships (2009, 2011, 2012). In 2013 he was Florida State’s defensive coordinator, helping lead the Seminoles to an undefeated National Championship.
In between Florida State and his return to Alabama, Pruitt was the University of Georgia’s defensive coordinator from 2014-2015. He owns a 96-13 (.881) record as an assistant coach and was twice a Broyles Award Finalist, given annually to the nation’s top assistant. As the coach of 44 NFL draft picks, including 13 first rounders and 18 All-Americans, Pruitt’s defenses consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally in total defense. His defense ranked No. 1 nationally in 2013, 2016 and 2017.
“Coach Pruitt’s ability to teach, lead and inspire is extraordinary and lifts everyone around him,” USA Football CEO Scott Hallenbeck said. “We’re excited to have him address leaders across America’s football family at our National Conference in Orlando.”
“Beyond capturing imaginations, USA Football opens minds to forward thinking across our game,” Pruitt said. “I’m humbled by every youth and high school coach – every mom and dad – at the National Conference. These men and women enrich the lives of our sons and daughters through the fun and joy of the ultimate team sport. I can’t wait to be with them, sharing our love for our kids and our game.”
February marks the sixth annual USA Football National Conference, an education and networking opportunity for high school and youth football administrators and coaches to gain insight on best practices, innovation and smarter play. The conference drew more than 1,500 leaders across the sport in 2018, including international participants from Canada, Mexico, Scotland and Sweden. A member of the U.S. Olympic Committee and the sport’s national governing body, USA Football trains more high school and youth coaches combined than any organization in the United States.
Past USA Football National Conference speakers include Pro Football Hall of Famers Tony Dungy, Bill Polian, Cris Carter and Mike Singletary as well as Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, Green Bay Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy, and others.
The latest news about USA Football’s 2019 National Conference may be found on Twitter by following @USAFootball and #USAFootball19.
After a record-breaking week, the Southeastern Conference tabbed Tennessee men’s basketball player Grant Williams as the SEC Player of the Week on Monday.
The Charlotte, N.C., native averaged 31 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 blocks and 2.0 steals per game last week to keep the top-ranked Vols (18-1, 6-0 SEC) perfect in league play and defeat their opponent in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
The National Player of the Year candidate posted one of the most dominant performances in program history to lift No. 1 Tennessee to an 88-83 victory in overtime against Vanderbilt, finishing with a career-high 43 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the floor, eight rebounds, four blocks, two assists and a key steal. It was the most points scored in a game by a Vol since all-time leading scorer Allan Houston also dropped 43 against LSU on Feb. 10, 1990. Williams’ effort also tied for the fifth-most points in a single game in school history.
The junior forward was a program-record 23-of-23 from the free-throw line, breaking the Tennessee records for most free throws in a game and consecutive free throws in a single game, surpassing Bill Justus’ 22 total makes and 18 consecutive free throw makes vs. Ohio on March 17, 1969. It also marked the most free throws made without a miss by any player in Division I in the last 60 years and ranked second all-time behind a 24-of-24 performance by Oklahoma State’s Arlen Clark vs. Colorado (3/7/1959).
Williams excels at drawing contact and getting to the free-throw line. No junior in Division I has made (423) or attempted (562) more career free throws than him. For the season, 35 percent (135 of 384) of his scoring has come at the charity stripe.
Against West Virginia, Williams had 19 points, four assists and three steals to improve Tennessee to 4-1 all time in the cross-conference showdown.
For the year, Williams stands as the only player in the SEC to rank in the league’s top 10 in scoring (1st/20.2 ppg), rebounding (9th/7.3 rpg) and assists (10th/3.6 apg). He also checks in at second in field-goal percentage (.571) and fifth in free-throw percentage (.839).
This is the third SEC Player of the Week honor for Williams. Previously, he was recognized as player of the week on Nov. 26, 2018, for his play in the NIT Season Tip-Off and Jan. 15, 2018, after a 37-point performance against Vanderbilt. He was also named the SEC co-Freshman of the Week on Feb. 13, 2017.
ATLANTA – This Sunday will mark the 10th consecutive season the University of Tennessee will be represented in the Super Bowl with New England Patriots wide receiver/kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson and Los Angeles Rams running back John Kelly facing off in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The duo gives the Vols 63 all-time players on active NFL rosters to appear in Super Bowls since the NFL-AFL merger (1970) – the most of any SEC team and tied for the second-most all-time.
The Patriots and Rams arrived in Atlanta for Super Bowl week on Sunday night.
Patterson, who is one of the fastest players in the NFL, was a do-it-all player in his first year with the Patriots. He averaged 28.8 yards on 23 kick returns with one score. Patterson tallied 21 receptions for 247 yards and three touchdowns and added 228 rushing yards and one touchdown on the ground on 42 carries.
Patterson played one season at Tennessee in 2012 under the direction of offensive coordinator Jim Chaney. In 12 starts, Patterson posted 1,858 all-purpose yards and 10 total touchdowns, finding the end zone as a receiver, rusher, kick returner and punt returner.
Kelly, a rookie, totaled 74 rushing yards on 27 carries for the Rams this season. He has played in both playoff games on special teams, recording one tackle.
At Tennessee, Kelly had a breakout junior campaign in 2017, leading the Vols in rushing (778 yards) and receptions (37) in 11 games. He had nine touchdowns and opened the season with a 128-yard, four-touchdown performance in a double overtime win over Georgia Tech. For his career, Kelly rushed for 1,573 yards and 15 touchdowns.
All-time, Tennessee Vols have won 46 Super Bowl championships and have accounted for 91 total Super Bowl appearances.
Last season, defensive end Derek Barnett helped the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl, marking the ninth straight season a Vol has won the championship.
Tim McGraw will headline a pregame concert at Super Bowl LIII on Feb. 3 in Atlanta.
In addition to performing many of his hits at the NFL Tailgate Party, Tim will perform his new song, “Thought About You,” which will be televised live on CBS’s pregame show, The Super Bowl Today. Earlier in the day, Aloe Blacc will perform at the NFL Tailgate Party and will be joined onstage by Atlanta’s David Walker and High Praise.
The Super Bowl Today pregame show begins at 1 p.m. CT on CBS. The Super Bowl kicks off at 5:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
Randy Houser and wife Tatiana announced via Instagram on Jan. 27 that they are expecting their first child together in June.
The couple, which married in 2016, donned “Daddy Houser” and “Mamma Houser embroidered shirts for the pic, while their dog displayed an ultrasound image of Baby Houser around its neck.
“2019 just keeps getting better,” said Randy via Instagram. “Man it has been hard to keep this secret because we are SO EXCITED. We’re Pregnant!!! BABY HOUSER IS COMING IN JUNE! I feel so completely blessed to have this news to share 🙏🏼 Can’t wait for the best year of our lives @tatianahouser#babyhouser 📷 @natalia_davidson.”
Randy has a son, West, 6, from a previous marriage.
The Recording Academy announced its list of 25 singles/albums that have been added to the Grammy Hall of Fame.
The 2019 inductees include a number of country-centric recordings, including Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors,” Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” Jeannie C. Riley’s “Harper Valley P.T.A.” and Jackson Browne’s 1972 self-titled album.
The Grammy Hall of Fame was established by the Recording Academy’s National Trustees in 1973 to honor recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee from all branches of the recording arts. Now in its 46th year, the Grammy Hall of Fame boasts 1,088 recordings on display at the Grammy Museum in L.A.
Here’s a full list of 2019 Grammy Hall of Fame inductees:
“Take Me Out to the Ball Game” (single) — Edward Meeker with The Edison Orchestra (1908)
“St. Louis Blues” (single) — W.C. Handy (1914)
“La Bamba” (single) — El Jarocho (1939)
“Ko Ko” (single) — Charlie Parker’s Ri Bop Boys (1945)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Sophomore guard Rennia Davis tied her season high of 24 points to power the Lady Vols past LSU, 74-65, on Sunday afternoon at Thompson-Boling Arena for their annual “Live Pink, Bleed Orange” game.
Sophomore forward Kasiyahna Kushkituah added a career-high 14 points and eight rebounds, while Zaay Green finished with 10 points and five assists. Davis also racked up seven rebounds while notching her fourth 20+ point game of the season. True freshman Jazmine Massengill also registered a career-best 12 points.
Tennessee (13-7, 2-5 SEC) forced 25 turnovers, recorded 44 points in the paint and grabbed 19 offensive rebounds in the win.
The Tigers (12-7, 3-4 SEC) had three players with double-digit points, with guard Khayla Pointer leading the pack with 17 points and five assists. LSU junior forward Ayana Mitchell logged a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The Lady Vols sparked an 8-0 run to start the game behind a pair of jumpers from Zaay Green. Tennessee forced four turnovers and held the Tigers in a scoring drought for nearly three minutes out of the gate. Midway through the first quarter, the Lady Vols had three players with four points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and a 14-8 lead. Each of Tennessee’s five starters scored within seven minutes of play, as the Lady Vols forced eight first-quarter turnovers. Davis led Tennessee early on with eight points, giving the Lady Vols a 22-17 lead going into the second quarter.
After playing more than three minutes in the second quarter, the teams had combined for just six points while committing a total of seven turnovers. Tennessee hit its stride by holding LSU to a two-minute scoring drought to take a 32-25 lead with three minutes remaining in the first half. Eight of the Tigers’ 12 points in the quarter were notched at the charity stripe, as LSU hit just 2-of-10 shots from the field. Going into the half, the Lady Vols tallied 16 points off turnovers, 22 points in the paint and forced 15 turnovers en route to a 36-29 halftime lead. Davis led Tennessee with 10 points at the half, while Kushkituah and Green each registered eight points apiece.
The Tigers jumped out to a quick 7-2 run to start the second half, but a jump shot from Green got the Lady Vols back on track. Tennessee responded with an 8-0 run over the next minute, with an and-one from Massengill to cap it off and give the Lady Vols a 46-36 lead. Tennessee finished the third quarter with an alley-oop to Davis, who converted to give the Lady Vols a 52-43 lead going into the final quarter of play. Tennessee held LSU without a field goal for the final four minutes of the third quarter, as Davis led the Lady Vols with six points and three rebounds.
Tennessee was challenged early in the fourth quarter, as a 3-pointer from Mercedes Brooks of the Tigers cut UT’s lead to just three points. Davis hit a pair of free throws to give Tennessee a 60-52 lead at the halfway point of the fourth quarter. A Cheridene Green layup at the 4:12 mark finished a 6-0 run by the Lady Vols, who extended their lead to double-digits. Kushkituah gave Tennessee its largest lead of the game with a layup with under three minutes remaining in the game. The Lady Vols hit their final three shots from the floor to ice the game and notch the 74-65 win at home.
Up Next: The Lady Vols play their fourth straight home game on Thursday, hosting Florida at 7 p.m. The game will be available for streaming online via SECN+.
Back To Her Double-Figure Ways: With a season-high-tying 24 points, Rennia Davis logged her 14th double-digit performance and fourth 20+ effort of the season, breaking a four game stretch in which she scored nine points or less. She opened the season by scoring double figures in 13 of her first 14 contests.
Kasi’s Baaaack:Kasiyahna Kushkituah notched a career-high 14 points, recording her first double-digit game since leaving the lineup due to an injury in late November. Prior to being injured she’d scored 10 or more points in four of UT’s first five games.
Owning The Paint: Tennessee outscored LSU in the paint 22-6 in the first half and went on to stretch the margin to 20 points, ending the day with a total of 44 points in the paint to LSU’s 24 points. UT has outscored 13 of 20 opponents in the paint this season.
Turn ‘Em Over: The Lady Vols forced 25 turnovers against LSU, the most committed by a UT opponent since FAMU (32) and tying as the highest turnover total by the Lady Tigers this season. Tennessee capitalized on those turnovers, converting them into 23 points.
UT Athletics
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