Tennessee PK Brent Cimaglia met with the media in a group setting during the open week.
Video: Vols PK Brent Cimaglia discusses improvement, faith and emotion
Kix Brooks Helps Raise $140,000 to Preserve 93-Year-Old Louisiana Theatre
Louisiana native Kix Brooks supported the preservation of a 93-year-old theatre in his home state with a two-day benefit on Sept. 28 and 29 in Franklin Parish that raised $140,000.
Kix hosted a two-day Kickin’ It With Kix fundraiser to help preserve the Princess Theatre in Winnsboro, La., which was originally established in 1925 to showcase silent movies.
On Sept. 28, Kix headlined an intimate performance at the Princess Theatre, and on Sept. 29 he hosted an event at his farm in Extension, La., that featured dinner, wine from his Arrington Vineyards label, a live auction and more.
“Preserving venues like the Princess, which bring the arts to rural communities, is more important than ever,” said Kix. “The arts inspire and institutions like this theatre provide a necessary public service and a convenient, affordable location to experience live entertainment.”
photo by Curtis Hilbun
Aaron Watson Makes New Christmas Album a Family Affair
Aaron Watson enlisted the help of wife Kimberly and their three kids—Jake, Jack and Jolee Kate—for his new holiday album, An Aaron Watson Family Christmas, which drops on Oct. 5.
The 10-song offering features eight holiday classics and two originals, with family members contributing vocals on six tracks.
“I had so much fun making this with Kim, Jake, Jack, and Jolee Kate, can’t wait for everyone to hear it,” said Aaron via Twitter.
An Aaron Watson Family Christmas Track List
- “Lonely Lonestar Christmas”
- “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” (feat. Kimberly Watson, Jake Watson, Jack Watson & Jolee Kate Watson)
- “She Stared At Him All Night”
- “Christmas Time Is Here” (feat. Jolee Kate Watson & Jack Watson)
- “Baby It’s Cold Outside” (feat. Kimberly Watson)
- “The Christmas Waltz”
- “Jingle Bells” (feat. Kimberly Watson)
- “Silent Night”
- “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” (feat. Jake Watson)
- “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” (Watson Family Greeting)
photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com
Brett Eldredge to Release “Glow Deluxe” Holiday Album With 5 New Songs
Brett Eldredge will drop the deluxe version of his 2016 holiday album, Glow, on Oct. 26.
Glow Deluxe will feature 13 songs from the original album (Target Exclusive) with five new tracks, including “Do You Hear What I Hear,” “Silver Bells,” “Sleigh Ride,” “A Holly Jolly Christmas and “Christmas Time Is Here,” all of which were recorded at Sear Sound in New York City.
“I love Christmas music more than just about anything in the world,” said Brett. “The ride Glow has taken me on has been so much fun, so now we’ve decided to make it deluxe. We’re also touring with these holiday songs in some of the most magical Christmas cities in North America. I can’t wait.”
Brett will support the new album with a five-date mini-tour, including stops in Chicago, New York and Nashville.
Glow Deluxe Track List
- “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”
- “Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ (ft. Meghan Trainor)
- “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”
- “The Christmas Song”
- “Silent Night”
- “Glow”
- “Do You Hear What I Hear?” *
- “Winter Wonderland”
- “O Holy Night”
- “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
- “Silver Bells” *
- “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”
- “The First Noel”
- “Sleigh Ride” *
- “White Christmas”
- “A Holly Jolly Christmas” *
- “Christmas Time Is Here” *
- “The First Noel” (A capella)
* New to the Deluxe edition
Glow Live Tour
- *Nov. 30 | Windsor, Canada | The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor
- **Dec. 5 | Chicago, IL | Chicago Theatre
- **Dec. 11 | New York, NY | Beacon Theatre
- *Dec.14 | Nashville, TN | CMA Theatre
- *Dec. 15 | Nashville, TN | CMA Theatre
* On sale Oct. 5
**On sale Oct. 19
photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com
Chase Rice Announces 14-Date “Eyes On You Tour”
Chase Rice will hit the road this fall for his Eyes on You Tour.
The 14-date trek will kick off on Nov. 2 in Eugene, Ore., before making additional stops in Detroit, Atlanta, Indianapolis and more. The tour borrows its name from Chase’s current single, which is currently No. 49 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart after seven weeks.
“Our fans have been singing ‘Eyes On You’ back to us at the top of their lungs all summer long,” says Chase. “They made it a hit at our live shows before it even got to radio, so it’s only right that we name this the Eyes On You Tour and bring our show back to the people who have been so supportive all along.”
Eyes On You Tour
- Nov. 2 | McDonald Theater | Eugene, Ore.
- Nov. 3 | The Knitting Factory | Spokane, Wash.
- Nov. 6 | Ace of Spades | Sacramento, Calif.
- Nov. 10 | Doheny State Park | Dana Point, Calif.
- Nov. 30 |The Criterion | Oklahoma City, Okla.
- Dec. 1 | Billy Bob’s Texas | Fort Worth, Texas
- Dec. 6 |The Filmore | Detroit, Mich.
- Dec. 7 | Ground Zero | Traverse City, Mich.
- Dec. 8 | Boondocks Pub | Springfield, Ill.
- Dec. 13 | Music Farm | Charleston, S.C.
- Dec. 14 | Buckhead Theatre | Atlanta, Ga.
- Dec. 15 | Coyote Joe’s | Charlotte, N.C.
- Dec. 21 | Joe’s Live | Rosemont, Ill.
- Dec. 22 | 8 Seconds Saloon | Indianapolis, Ind.
photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com
Chris Janson Finds Comfort & Success Writing on His “Back Porch” After Years Spent in Music Row Offices
After moving to Nashville from Perryville, Mo.—a town of less than 9,000—14 years ago, Chris Janson has been through the proverbial Music City wringer.
For more than a decade, Chris labored away onstage at Lower Broadway clubs and in Music Row writers’ rooms, co-penning songs such as Tim McGraw’s “Truck Yeah” and Justin Moore’s “Off the Beaten Path.” He signed a couple of not-so-successful record deals with BNA Records in 2009 and Bigger Picture Music Group in 2013, dropping two EPs along the way that didn’t make much of a splash, before self-releasing “Buy Me a Boat” in early 2015.
The strength of that song netted him a deal with Warner Bros., leading to his debut album, Buy Me a Boat, in 2015, and his sophomore album, Everybody, in 2017. With the backing of Warner Bros., Chris has found chart success with a number of his recent singles, including “Buy Me a Boat,” Holdin’ Her,” “Fix a Drink” and “Drunk Girl,” which is currently No. 8 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.
As Chris told Kix Brooks of American Country Countdown, he’s finally at a point in his career where his “back porch” serves as his venue of choice when it comes to penning songs.
“I used to be one of your quintessential Music Row songwriters and enjoyed doing that whole deal, but then when I was fortunate enough to have a house that I really love and feel at home at, and have a space, frankly, to do it, I always wanted to be that guy who was able to write at home, and, man, that’s what I do,” says Chris to Kix. “As you grow as a songwriter and as an artist, you know, it’s like, ‘What rank are you?’ And, you know, for years and years and years and years and years, I spent so many miles driving to everybody else’s place to write because that’s just what you’ve gotta do when you’re coming up, but once I was fortunate enough to have a couple of established hits of my own as a songwriter and as an artist, people started coming to me, which was nice. And, once they come, then they just are like ‘Oh my God—I don’t ever want to write anywhere else,’ so, dude, my back porch has been graced by the biggest and the best songwriters in this whole business.”
Kellie Pickler to Perform Two Opry Shows to Benefit Hurricane Relief
North Carolina native Kellie Pickler will give her home state a welcome monetary boost when she teams with the Grand Ole Opry on Oct. 6 for two shows to benefit those affected by Hurricane Florence.
When fans order tickets using the code HCRELIEF5, $5 from every ticket sold will be donated to the American Red Cross to assist those who have been affected by Hurricane Florence, which hit the Carolinas in September.
“I’m so thankful to the Grand Ole Opry and the American Red Cross for the assistance they are wanting to provide to the wonderful people from my home state of North Carolina,” says Kellie. “The devastation from Hurricane Florence continues to this day in small towns just like the one I call home. They will need our help for a long, long time to come.”
Mason Ramsey, The Steel Woods, Adam Doleac and John Berry will also perform during both Opry showcases on Oct. 6.
photo courtesy of O\’Connor/AFF-USA.com
Basketball VFL Jordan McRae Joins Washington Wizards
The NBA’s Washington Wizards recently announced their 2018-19 training camp roster, and it includes former Tennessee basketball standout Jordan McRae (2010-14).
It had previously been reported that McRae signed a two-way contract with the team. Tennessee basketball legend Ernie Grunfeld (1973-77) is the Wizards’ President/General Manager.
Players on two-way contracts can join an NBA team for up to 45 days while spending the remainder of the season with that team’s G League (formerly known as the NBA D-League) affiliate. Washington’s affiliate is a new expansion team, the Capital City Go-Go.
McRae, who won an NBA Finals championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, has appeared in 59 career NBA contests, averaging 4.4 points per game. But his NBA scoring average “per 36 minutes” is an impressive 16.2 points.
His NBA 3-point percentage is a healthy .384.
The 27-year-old shooting guard was selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft and joined the Philadelphia 76ers via a draft-day trade. After high-scoring stints in the Australian NBL (Melbourne United) and the NBA D-League (Delaware 87ers), he made his NBA debut during the 2015-16 campaign with the Phoenix Suns. The Suns signed him to consecutive 10-day contracts before he joined the Cavs on a 10-day deal in February of 2016. Cleveland signed him to a multi-year contract later that season.
McRae helped power the Volunteers to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen as a senior in 2014. That spring, he received his Tennessee degree in Sociology/Criminal Justice.
-UT Athletics
Ronnie Milsap Announces “The Duets” Album Featuring George Strait, Dolly Parton, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Kacey Musgraves & More
Country Music Hall of Fame member Ronnie Milsap will release a new album of Jan. 18 that features duets with an A-list cast, including Billy Gibbons, Luke Bryan, Dolly Parton, Jason Aldean, Willie Nelson, Lucy Angel, Kacey Musgraves, Little Big Town, George Strait, Jessie Key, Leon Russell, Steven Curtis Chapman and Montgomery Gentry.
The 13-track collection, dubbed Ronnie Milsap: The Duets, includes one of Troy Gentry’s final recordings on the Montgomery Gentry/Ronnie duet, “Shakey Ground.” In addition, Leon Russell, who passed away in 2016, is featured on “Misery Loves Company.”
The album was recorded at Ronnie’s Place, the Nashville studio Ronnie owned from the late 1970s until 1995.
Ronnie Milsap: The Duets
- “Southern Boys and Detroit Wheels” ft. Billy Gibbons
- “Stranger in My House” ft. Luke Bryan
- “Smokey Mountain Rain” ft. Dolly Parton
- “Prisoner of the Highway” ft. Jason Aldean
- “A Woman’s Love” ft. Willie Nelson
- “Happy Happy Birthday” ft. Lucy Angel
- “No Getting Over Me” ft. Kacey Musgraves
- “Lost in the Fifties” ft. Little Big Town
- “Houston Solution” ft. George Strait
- “What a Woman Can Mean to a Man” ft. Jessie Key
- “Misery Loves Company” ft. Leon Russell
- “You’re Nobody” ft. Steven Curtis Chapman
- “Shakey Ground” ft. Montgomery Gentry
photo courtesy Riser Records
Tailgate With Trisha Yearwood Before Garth’s Notre Dame Stadium Show
Ahead of Garth Brooks’ concert at Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 20, fans can hang with the G-man’s Queen at Trisha’s Tailgate.
Trisha Yearwood will be hosting a tailgating extravaganza—tickets are $65—where fans can sample her recipes and cocktails, as well as check out furniture and accessories from her home collection.
Trisha and Garth shared the news on Trisha’s Facebook Live series, T’s Coffee Talk.
“Trisha’s Tailgate tent—it’s coming to Notre Dame,” said Garth. “I’m so excited. This is going to be the place, too. So, the day of the show, there’ll be a big-ass white tent. And wait till you hear what’s inside it.”
“It’s going to be a really cool combination of everything that Notre Dame loves and everything that Trisha Yearwood loves, so I’m really excited about it,” added Trisha. “So, if you were ever curious about, like, ‘I want to see your furniture’ . . . ‘I want to see your rugs’ . . . ‘I want to see your accessories’ . . . ‘I’d like to try your food’—it’s all going to be there.”
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photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com
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