Dan + Shay Notch Another Career First

Dan + Shay Notch Another Career First

After doubling up with a dual No. 1 single, “Tequila,” and No. 1 self-titled album last week, Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney of duo Dan + Shay have doubled up again.

For the second week in a row, “Tequila” is the No. 1 song on both the Billboard Country Airplay chart and Mediabase chart, securing the duo their first multi-week No. 1 single.

“Well this is pretty amazing,” said Dan. “This multiple-week number one is a first for us and our team, and we could not be more excited to celebrate it with so many people we love. Thank you to country radio and our fans for changing our world with this song.”

“Tequila” is the duo’s fourth No. 1 single, following previous chart-toppers “Nothin’ Like You,” “From the Ground Up” and “How Not To.”

The duo’s self-titled album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart with more than 200,000 equivalent units sold and more than 250 million cumulative streams.

photo by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com

Jason Aldean and Wife Brittany Are Expecting Baby No. 2

Jason Aldean and Wife Brittany Are Expecting Baby No. 2

Jason Aldean revealed via Instagram that he and wife Brittany are expecting their second child together.

Jason posted a photo of their seven-month-old son Memphis donning a “Big Brother” onesie with the caption: “Sup everybody……. guess who is gonna be a BIG brother!”

Sup everybody……. guess who is gonna be a BIG brother! #thisdude #aldeanpartyof6

A post shared by Jason Aldean (@jasonaldean) on

Jason and Brittany, who wed in 2015, welcomed baby boy Memphis in December 2017. Jason also has two daughters, Keeley, 15, and Kendyl,10, from his first marriage.

Congrats to the happy family.

Remember When Trendsetter Alan Jackson Invested in a Lower Broadway Bar in 2014?

Remember When Trendsetter Alan Jackson Invested in a Lower Broadway Bar in 2014?

News came down the pike on July 9 that Luke Bryan will be the next country star to open a venue on Nashville’s Lower Broadway.

The eventual opening of Luke’s 32 Bridge Kitchen + Drink will follow a number of established artist-invested venues, including Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row, Florida Georgia Line’s FGL House, John Rich’s Redneck Riviera, Blake Shelton’s Ole Red and Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar.

However, trendsetter Alan Jackson really got the ball rolling in 2014 when he became the majority owner of Acme Feed & Seed.

“I always wanted a bar to call home, especially on Lower Broadway after it became a place to go and after all of the clean up down there,” says Alan. “It’s a good place to go and hear good country music. I just love that part of Nashville and its history and how that was some of the ground work for country music in Nashville—like backstage at the Ryman and those places and Tootsies, other places like that. I saw it changing and growing with the tourists, and I didn’t want it to lose that quality that it had of where real country music was played.”

In 2016, Alan opened another Lower Broadway venue, AJ’s Good Time Bar, which is the only venue 100 percent owned by an artist on Lower Broadway. The four-level building boasts more than 6,000-square-feet of good timin’ fun, including a honky-tonk on the first floor, a man cave on the second floor, a fishing-themed third level (the bar is a replica of AJ’s Hullbilly boat from his “5 O’clock Somewhere” video) and a rooftop bar. The venue also sports wall-to-wall memorabilia from throughout Alan’s career, televisions for watching the big games, stages for live performances and a karaoke bar.

“My goal and motive was just to do what George Jones had always told me, and that’s just to keep it country,” Alan says. “That’s keeping it country down on Broadway and some of the history of where it all started.”

Take a look inside AJ’s Good Time Bar below (click the link if the gallery doesn’t appear below).

main photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Josh Abbott and Taylor Parnell Get Married

Josh Abbott and Taylor Parnell Get Married

Josh Abbott, frontman of the Josh Abbott Band, and Taylor Parnell tied the knot in front of 250 family and friends in Brazos Hall in Austin, Texas, on July 8.

Groomsmen included two JAB members, Austin Davis and Preston Wait, and the ceremony was officiated by Josh’s brother, Chance.

The couple welcomed daughter Emery Farryn Abbott into the world in May 2017 and got engaged in July 2017.

Congrats to the happy family.

photo by JPA/AFF-USA.com

Jon Pardi to Release 5th Single From “California Sunrise” Album [Listen]

Jon Pardi to Release 5th Single From “California Sunrise” Album [Listen]

Reigning CMA New Artist of the Year Jon Pardi will go back to the well again as he gears up to drop the fifth single from his 2016 sophomore album, California Sunrise.

Following the release of “Head Over Boots,” “Dirt on My Boots,” “Heartache on the Dance Floor” and “She Ain’t in It,” Jon will ship “Night Shift” to country radio on July 23. Penned by Tofer Brown, Phillip LaRue and Billy Montana, “Night Shift” will look to follow in the No. 1 bootsteps of “Head Over Boots” and “Dirt on My Boots.”

Jon is currently on the road with Luke Bryan as part of his What Make You Country Tour.

Listen to “Night Shift” below.

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

What’s the Next Destination on Sam Hunt & Wife’s Travel Schedule?

What’s the Next Destination on Sam Hunt & Wife’s Travel Schedule?

From Honduras and Hawaii to Israel and Mexico, it’s no secret that jet-setting couple Sam Hunt and wife Hannah Lee love to travel.

In fact, the cover art for Sam’s current single, “Downtown’s Dead,” depicts the colonial village of Bernal, Mexico, where Sam and Hanna Lee recently spent some time.

As Sam gears up for another handful of dates on Luke Bryan’s What Makes You Country XL Tour beginning on July 21, he told Kix Brooks of American Country Countdown that he’s already thinking about his next travel destination.

“I want to go over to Greece at some point, so I’m trying to figure out a way to squeeze that into the schedule in the next year or so,” says Sam. “I really love Central America. Like, you can travel there and live there for cheap, so it’s not like, you know, I’m gonna have to break the bank to do some of this traveling. We like to do the minimal thing—my wife and I—so we’ll go stay in just a little hut in the jungle for a week or two at a time, and we love it, so those are a few places that I’m looking forward to spending more time.”

Luke Bryan’s What Makes You Country XL Tour with Sam Hunt

July 21
Minneapolis, Minn.
Target Field

July 28
Los Angeles, Calif.
Dodger Stadium

Aug. 4
Denver, Colo.
Mile High Stadium

Aug. 25
St. Louis, Mo.
Busch Stadium

Sept. 1
Chicago, Ill.
Wrigley Field

Oct. 13
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
BC Place Stadium

Oct. 26
Detroit, Mich.
Ford Field

photo by Jason Simanek

Luke Bryan Set to Open a New Venue in Downtown Nashville

Luke Bryan Set to Open a New Venue in Downtown Nashville

With a new venue slated to open on Nashville’s Lower Broadway, Luke Bryan will soon be following in the foodie footsteps of Alan Jackson (AJ’s Good Time Bar), Dierks Bentley (Whiskey Row), Florida Georgia Line (FGL House), John Rich (Redneck Riviera), Blake Shelton (Ole Red) and Jason Aldean (Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar).

According to the Tennessean, which cited Metro Historic Zoning Commission documents, Luke is planning to open the new venue at 301 Broadway. The new restaurant will be named Luke’s 32 Bridge Kitchen + Drink.

32 Bridge is also the name of Luke’s clothing line.

Ohio-based TC Restaurant Group purchased the building at 301 Broadway for $5.5 million in March. The Group’s portfolio also includes Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar and FGL House.

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Miranda Lambert to Play Two Artist-in-Residence Shows at Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum

Miranda Lambert to Play Two Artist-in-Residence Shows at Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum

Following in the footsteps of past country music luminaries like Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Rosanne Cash and more, Miranda Lambert will be the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s 15th artist-in-residence.

Miranda will perform two shows in the museum’s CMA Theater on Wednesday, Sept. 19 and Wednesday, Sept. 26. Both shows will begin at 8 p.m. CT.

“The history that the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum holds is so important,” said Miranda. “It’s truly an honor to be named artist-in-residence for the museum. I’m thankful for this place, where our music can continue to be cherished, and I’m thrilled to be among the esteemed artists who have been honored by this designation.”

Ticket prices for each show range from $59.50 to $150 (plus ticketing fees). Tickets go on sale to the public on July 13 at 10 a.m. CDT.

Established in 2003, the museum’s artist-in-residence series honors a musical master who has contributed a large and significant body of work to the canon of American popular music. The artist-in-residence is invited to use the museum’s performance venues to create unique musical experiences. Miranda joins a prestigious group of past honorees that includes Cowboy Jack Clement, Earl Scruggs, Tom T. Hall, Guy Clark, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Douglas, Vince Gill, Buddy Miller, Connie Smith, Kenny Rogers, Ricky Skaggs, Alan Jackson, Rosanne Cash and Jason Isbell.

photo by Jason Simanek

Garth Brooks to Become First Artist to Play Concert at Notre Dame Stadium . . . Someday Soon

Garth Brooks to Become First Artist to Play Concert at Notre Dame Stadium . . . Someday Soon

Garth Brooks can add another “first” to his list of accomplishments.

The G-man will be the first artist to play a concert at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. No date has been revealed yet.

“Notre Dame stadium has seen so many iconic moments,” said Garth. “I look forward to bringing a new kind of crazy to the party.”

Garth was joined by revered member of the University of Notre Dame family and former head football coach Lou Holtz during the concert announcement in Nashville on July 9.

Fan Voting Is Open for 2018 Nash Next Competition

Fan Voting Is Open for 2018 Nash Next Competition

Aspiring country stars have the opportunity to kick-start their careers via the 4th annual NASH Next competition.

NASH Next 2018 officially launched on June 18, bringing together aspiring stars, a major record label (Big Machine Label Group) and the power of country radio (Cumulus Media). The winner of the four-month competition will receive a record deal with Big Machine Label Group and substantial radio exposure on Cumulus radio stations nationwide.

On July 9, the Fan Rating Period opened, allowing fans in local markets to rate the music of each entrant via NASH Next or participating local stations. The Fan Rating Period closes on July 22, 12:01 a.m. ET.

Local markets will then host live events or select their finalist by judging the contestants in a video performance of their original song.

Ten of the local finalists will be selected by industry professionals to compete at the national finale event in Nashville in October where a panel of celebrity judges—including BMLG’s Scott Borchetta and Brooks & Dunn’s Kix Brooks—will announce the NASH Next 2018 winner.

“I’m always on the hunt for great new talent, and there’s arguably no better way to do it than through country radio,” said Borchetta. “In our fourth year with NASH Next, this program provides the Big Machine Label Group an incredible opportunity to have our eyes and ears on the ground in all of the great Cumulus country radio markets. If you want to be next, enter now. Game on.”

Everyone who registers to rate the contestants will be entered to win a trip to the Nash Next finale in October. One rating per entrant per email address.

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