Reba McEntire to Receive Inaugural “Career Maker Award” From Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame

Reba McEntire to Receive Inaugural “Career Maker Award” From Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame

Posted on July 30, 2018

One week after being named an honoree at the upcoming Kennedy Center Honors ceremony, Reba McEntire will be getting another distinguished award.

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame announced that Reba will be the recipient of the inaugural Career Maker Award for her “significant influence on the songwriting careers of Hall of Fame members.”

Reba has recorded 80 songs—including 33 singles—that were written or co-written by more than 40 songwriters who have gone on to achieve induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Career Maker Award was created to honor a non-Hall of Fame member whose artistic endeavors have helped songwriters achieve their dreams of induction into the Hall of Fame.

“I love to record,” says Reba. “Being in the studio is so creative and so much fun and very rewarding. That process starts with the songwriters and publishers sending me songs to listen to. Over my recording career, I have listened to thousands of songs written by incredibly gifted people. The songwriters in this community have never let me down, and have always shared their very best songs with me, which I appreciate more than they know. Being the first recipient of the Career Maker Award means so much to me because it’s an award from the songwriters whose songs have helped me create and maintain a career I love. I thank them from the bottom of my heart.”

Reba will be presented with the award during the 48th Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala on Oct. 28 at the Music City Center.

The inductees for the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame class of 2018 will be announced soon.

photo by Arroyo-O\’Connor/AFF-USA.com

Diaper Drive Initiative by “Ty, Kelly & Chuck” Gets Support From Locash, Chris Janson & More

Diaper Drive Initiative by “Ty, Kelly & Chuck” Gets Support From Locash, Chris Janson & More

Posted on July 30, 2018

After 2017’s successful initiative to support U.S. Troops by sending them 100,000 Thank You letters, Ty Bentli, Kelly Ford and Chuck Wicks of morning show Ty, Kelly & Chuck are using their voices to support another great cause: Rally Around Radley Diaper Drive.

The goal of the diaper drive is to collect more than 58,000 diapers—58,430 to be exact, which was based on the expertise of Ty’s five-year-old son, Radley, who will soon be a big brother for the first time.

As most parents know, diapers aren’t cheap and babies need a lot of them, but did you know that one in three families in the U.S. have trouble affording diapers, according to a 2017 survey by Huggies in partnership with the National Diaper Bank Network. According to the report, the average cost of diapers for one child is $18 per week ($936 per year).

A number of country artists, including Chris Janson, Locash, Mitchell Tenpenny, Rachel Wammack and Seth Ennis, have already made sizeable donations to the diaper drive, as well as more than 300 listeners. As of July 30, more than 20,000 diapers have been collected.

Radley’s Diaper Drive will run through Aug. 13, and if you’d like to donate, it’s really simple:

Or

  • Mail diapers directly to Ty, Kelly & Chuck’s studio

Ty, Kelly & Chuck
506 2nd Avenue South
Nashville, TN  37210

Watch Carrie Underwood Celebrate 10th Anniversary as a Member of the Grand Ole Opry With “Cry Pretty” Performance

Watch Carrie Underwood Celebrate 10th Anniversary as a Member of the Grand Ole Opry With “Cry Pretty” Performance

Posted on July 30, 2018

As a child growing up in Oklahoma, Carrie Underwood watched the Grand Ole Opry on television at her grandparents’ house. Just three years into her country music career, childhood hero Randy Travis surprised Carrie with a Grand Ole Opry invitation at a performance in March 2008. Less than two months later on May 10, 2008, fellow Okie Garth Brooks inducted her into the esteemed organization.

On May 11, 2018, Carrie celebrated her 10th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry by treating fans in attendance to a rendition of her new single, “Cry Pretty,” which is currently No. 12 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart after 15 weeks.

“Ten years have flown by,” said Carrie. “I knew from the moment God blessed me and let me sing country music that I wanted to be a part of this place. Thank you for being here.”

Watch Carrie’s Opry performance below.

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Team Parker wins WNBA All-Star Game 119-112

Team Parker wins WNBA All-Star Game 119-112

Posted on July 28, 2018
Candace Parker – WNBA / Credit: UT Athletics

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Former Lady Vol standout and current Los Angeles Sparks forward/center Candace Parker captained Team Parker to a 119-112 victory over Team Delle Donne in the WNBA All-Star game at the Target Center on Saturday.

Parker, playing in her fifth WNBA All-Star game, finished the day with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes.

Team Delle Donne jumped ahead in the first half, leading by as many as 12 points in the second quarter, but Team Parker cut the deficit to four by halftime.

Once the second half got underway, Parker scored on a three-foot jumper less than a minute into the third period to put Team Parker up 55-54, its first lead since the 1:19 mark of the first quarter. Team Parker finished the quarter up 84-78 and maintained a lead through the duration of the fourth period to win 119-112.

Other members of Team Parker were  Maya Moore (Minnesota), Liz Cambage (Dallas), Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta), Chelsea Gray (Los Angeles), Skylar Diggins-Smith (Dallas), Chiney Ogwumike (Connecticut), Allie Quigley (Chicago), Jewell Loyd (Seattle), Tina Charles (New York), Rebekkah Brunson (Minnesota) and Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles).

-UT Athletics

 

Vols will honor 1998 national champions during Florida game

Vols will honor 1998 national champions during Florida game

Posted on July 27, 2018
UT Athletics graphic / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE – The University of Tennessee will honor the 1998 National Championship football team on Sept. 22 when the Volunteers host Florida at Neyland Stadium.

Members of the team, as well as coaches and support staff, will be in town for a reunion to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the national championship season.

Fans can purchase tickets for the game against Florida at AllVols.com or by calling 1-800-332-VOLS.

Fans can also buy tickets to the Florida game via the Orange & White Package mini-plan, which allows fans to choose either the Florida game or the Alabama game and two other home games for just $205 per package. This is available for a limited time only.

Heading into the 1998 campaign, many prognosticators predicted the Vols would face a rebuilding season after losing several top players, including three NFL Draft first-round picks.

However, head coach Phillip Fulmer led an inspired group of players to one of the greatest seasons in Tennessee history, culminating in the Vols’ first consensus national title since 1951.

Reaching the championship was a difficult journey for the Vols, who found a winning formula of team chemistry under Fulmer en route to the undefeated campaign.

Linebackers Al Wilson and Raynoch Thompson collected All-America honors during the 1998 season, while placekicker Jeff Hall, wide receiver Peerless Price, offensive tackle Chad Clifton, offensive guard Cosey Coleman, defensive tackle Darwin Walker and defensive back Dwayne Goodrich also collected All-SEC accolades.

Quarterback Tee Martin was outstanding under center, while fullback Shawn Bryson proved to be a superb leader as he wrapped up his career.

Tennessee defeated Florida State, 23-16, in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 4, 1999, to capture the first Bowl Championship Series National Championship.

Twenty years later, the Vols are embarking on a new era of Tennessee football. First-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt takes the helm of the Big Orange, while Fulmer will enter his first fall as UT’s Director of Athletics.

Tennessee opens the  2018 season at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sept. 1 at the Belk College Kickoff against West Virginia in Charlotte, N.C., before hosting ETSU at 4 p.m. ET on Sept. 8, UTEP at Noon ET on Sept. 15 and the Gators on Sept. 22 (kickoff is TBD) to start SEC play.

-UT Athletics

 

Listen to Kenny Chesney’s Soothing New Song Featuring Jimmy Buffett, “Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season”

Listen to Kenny Chesney’s Soothing New Song Featuring Jimmy Buffett, “Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season”

Posted on July 27, 2018

Kenny Chesney released his 17th studio album, Songs for the Saints, on July 27.

The 11-song offering, which has already spawned No. 1 lead single, “Get Along,” features a collaboration with Jimmy Buffett on “Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season.”

“Each one of [the album’s guests] has a tie to my life in the islands, but also reflect some piece of what we’re trying to do,” says Kenny. “Jimmy, more than the lost shaker of salt, understands the poetry of the islands beyond what tourists see, the life in a way that made a song written decades ago so current.”

The catalyst for the new album, which also features collaborations with Ziggy Marley and Mindy Smith, was Hurricane Irma. The storm devastated a number of Caribbean islands in September 2017, including Kenny’s home on St. John.

“I was at a turning point in my life on so many levels, and then Hurricane Irma hit the Virgin Islands,” says Kenny. “But this album isn’t about St. John, so much as it’s about what happened to St. John and all those islands you didn’t see on the news. To just see the devastation and what that does to people is one thing, but then there’s this courage and resilience people find . . . This is not a literal record, but it is an album about the refuges we all have, how temporary life is and the way we navigate to better places, dig in and face the destruction. And sometimes, we learn to own our wild hearts in the process.”

Listen to Kenny and Jimmy’s new soothing new song.

photo by AFF-USA.com

“Women Want to Hear Women With Elaina Smith” Featuring Tegan Marie

“Women Want to Hear Women With Elaina Smith” Featuring Tegan Marie

Posted on July 27, 2018

We’ve been getting some really unique perspectives from female artists since launching Women Want to Hear Women—and this week’s profile is extra special: 14-year-old Tegan Marie.

Tegan is the youngest artist to be signed to a major country label since Tanya Tucker in 1972. Obviously, her experience as a woman in country music has been VERY different from the ladies we’ve profiled so far.

In our sit-down interview, Tegan and I talk about what it’s like being in the spotlight at such a young age, social media, bullies, her music—including new single, “I Know How to Make a Boy Cry”—and, of course, we find out what she thinks about the phrase that kicked off this entire series: “women DON’T want to hear women.”

Tegan also helps me curate this week’s WWTHW playlist and she “Plays It Forward” with a cover of LeAnn Rimes’ “Blue” and a performance of her new single.

Listening to Tegan will put a smile on your face. Hope you enjoy.

Podcast Participants:

  • Tegan Marie
  • Elaina Smith, host of Women Want to Hear Women

Videos:

  • Tegan “Plays It Forward” with a cover of LeAnn Rimes’ “Blue”
  • Tegan performs “I Know How to Make a Boy Cry”

Tegan’s Women Want to Hear Women Playlist:

Need a refresher what #WomenWantToHearWomen is all about?
Past episodes: 
Kacey Musgraves
Dolly Parton
Carly Pearce
Shawna Thompson of Thompson Square

 

 

Scotty McCreery Gives Viewers Sweet Peek Inside His Wedding in New Video for “This Is It” [Watch]

Scotty McCreery Gives Viewers Sweet Peek Inside His Wedding in New Video for “This Is It” [Watch]

Posted on July 26, 2018

Scotty McCreery dropped a new video for his current single, “This Is It.”

The new tune, which Scotty co-penned with Frank Rogers and Aaron Eshuis about his then-fiancée Gabi Dugal, is featured on Scotty’s recent album, Seasons Change.

The new clip was directed by Jeff Ray and gives viewers an intimate look inside Scott and Gabi’s rehearsal dinner and wedding in June.

“It’s my engagement story,” says Scotty to NCD. “Like ‘Five more Minutes,’ this is another song that is personal to me. It’s our story. It’s like the blueprint for how we got engaged and the story of that day. I love it. I hope people enjoy it.

“The coolest part was that I wrote it before we got engaged. I wrote it two weeks before. I had it all planned out in my head—where we were gonna be, where we were gonna go, the time of day. Luckily, everything went to plan.”

Watch Scotty’s new video below.

Phillips Named to Wuerffel Trophy Watch List

Phillips Named to Wuerffel Trophy Watch List

Posted on July 26, 2018
Credit: UT Athletics

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – Tennessee senior defensive end Kyle Phillips has been named to 2018 Wuerffel Trophy Watch List. The award honors college football’s top community servant.

The Wuerffel Trophy, known as “College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service,” is presented annually at the All Sports Association’s Awards Banquet in Fort Walton Beach. Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel from the University of Florida, the Wuerffel Trophy is awarded to the FBS player that best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.

Phillips played in all 12 games last year and started in seven at defensive end where he totaled 35 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, two PBUs and four quarterback hurries. He had a career high with six tackles in a road game at Alabama on October 2.

Phillips, who graduated with a degree in Recreation and Sport Management, owns a 3.42 GPA. He has volunteered in the community, taking part in the VOLeaders Academy’s 13-day study abroad trip to Vietnam where he and fellow Tennessee student-athletes learned about the nation’s culture and used sports as a means to enact positive change. On the trip, Phillips interacted with Vietnamese youth, worked with children in orphanages and volunteered at various sports skills camps. He also helped run the annual VOLeaders Sports Fest, an inclusive sports event for persons with disabilities. He visited and spoke with children at Bricky McCloud Elementary School. Phillips and teammate Drew Richmond provided food donations for the homeless in the Knoxville Area. He also participated in Kappa Kares, an initiative by his fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, to promote women’s health by raising over 1,000 hygiene products for homeless women.

A current list of nominees can be found at www.wuerffeltrophy.org beginning on August 1. Semifinalists for the award will be announced on November 1 and finalists will be announced on November 19.

The formal announcement of the 2018 recipient will be made at the National Football Foundation’s press conference in New York City on December 4. The presentation of the 2018 Wuerffel Trophy will occur at the 50th All Sports Association Awards Banquet on February 15, 2019 in Fort Walton Beach.

Past winners of the award are:  Rudy Niswanger (LSU, 2005); Joel Penton (Ohio State, 2006); Paul Smith (Tulsa, 2008); Tim Tebow (Florida, 2008); Tim Hiller (Western Michigan, 2009); Sam Acho (Texas, 2010); Barrett Jones (Alabama, 2011); Matt Barkley (USC, 2012); Gabe Ikard (Oklahoma, 2013); Deterrian Shackelford (Ole Miss, 2014); Ty Darlington (Oklahoma, 2015); Trevor Knight (Texas A&M, 2016); Courtney Love (Kentucky, 2017).

The Vols open the season at 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 1 at the Belk College Kickoff against West Virginia in Charlotte, N.C., before hosting ETSU at 4 p.m. on Sept. 8 and UTEP at 12 p.m. on Sept. 15. Tennessee welcomes Florida to Neyland Stadium on Sept. 22 (kickoff is TBD) to start SEC play.

Tennessee football single game tickets are on sale now for six of the seven home games at allvols.com or by calling the 1-800-332-VOLS.

​​

UT Athletics

AmericanaFest Lineup Features Hundreds of Artists, Including Lee Ann Womack, John Prine, Brandy Clark, Ashley Monroe, Rosanne Cash & More

AmericanaFest Lineup Features Hundreds of Artists, Including Lee Ann Womack, John Prine, Brandy Clark, Ashley Monroe, Rosanne Cash & More

Posted on July 26, 2018

Nashville’s AmericanaFest (Sept. 11–16) has nailed down its list of more than 250 artists slated to perform during the six-day festival, including John Prine, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Lee Ann Womack, Rosanne Cash, Hayes Carll, Brandy Clark, Ashley Monroe, Tyler Childers, Amanda Shires and more.

The nominees for the 2018 Americana Honors & Awards were announced in May, and a familiar name was front and center: Jason Isbell.

Jason, who has won six Americana Awards since 2012, leads the pack with four nominations in 2018, including Album, Artist and Song of the Year, as well as an additional nomination for Duo/Group of the Year with his band the 400 Unit. Other artists with multiple nominations include Margo Price, Brandi Carlile and producer Dave Cobb.

The 2018 Americana Honors & Awards show will be held September 12 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. The ceremony is the centerpiece of AmericanaFest. For ticket information, visit americanamusic.org.

Check out the full list of nominees.

Album of the Year

  • “All American Made,” Margo Price, Produced by Jeremy Ivey, Alex Munoz, Margo Price and Matt Ross-Spang
  • “By The Way, I Forgive You,” Brandi Carlile, Produced by Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings
  • “The Nashville Sound,” Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Produced by Dave Cobb
  • “Rifles & Rosary Beads,” Mary Gauthier, Produced by Neilson Hubbard

Artist of the Year

  • Brandi Carlile
  • Jason Isbell
  • Margo Price
  • John Prine

Duo/Group of the Year

  • I’m With Her
  • Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
  • Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real
  • Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats

Emerging Act of the Year

  • Courtney Marie Andrews
  • Tyler Childers
  • Anderson East
  • Lilly Hiatt

Song of the Year

  • “A Little Pain,” Margo Price, Written by Margo Price
  • “All The Trouble,” Lee Ann Womack, Written by Waylon Payne, Lee Ann Womack and Adam Wright
  • “If We Were Vampires,” Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Written by Jason Isbell
  • “The Joke,” Brandi Carlile, Written by Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth

Instrumentalist of the Year

  • Daniel Donato
  • Brittany Haas
  • Jerry Pentecost
  • Molly Tuttle

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