Garth Brooks scored his first No. 1 single in more than 10 years as “Ask Me How I Know” ascended to the top of both the Mediabase and Billboard Country Airplay charts. Garth’s previous No. 1 single was 2007’s “More Than a Memory.”
“Ask Me How I Know,” which was penned by Mitch Rossell, is Garth’s 20th career No. 1. This feat also marks a full-circle moment for Garth, as this week is the 28th anniversary of his first No. 1, “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” on Dec. 9, 1989.
“I’m so proud of the Pearl Records team for working so hard for this number one,” said Garth. “Congrats to Mitch Rossell on his first cut—so happy for you, pal! And to country radio, four decades later, thanks for still believing. I’m humbled and very grateful.”
Garth is kicking off the final North American run of the Garth Brooks World Tour this week, returning to Nashville on Dec. 9, where he will play seven shows at Bridgestone Arena to mark the end of the tour.
Up-and-comers know they’re on the right track when they’re invited to play the New Faces of Country Music show at Country Radio Seminar in Nashville. Only a handful of rising stars get the honor of performing before the industry crowd, which includes radio programmers, executives and members of the national media.
Lauren Alaina, Luke Combs, Midland, Carly Pearce and Michael Ray will take the stage at the Omni Hotel for the 2018 New Faces show on Feb. 7.
The New Faces of Country Music show can help artists reach the “next” level—just ask the 2014 class of Cam, Brothers Osborne, Kelsea Ballerini, Old Dominion and Chris Janson.
Singer/songwriter John Prine will embark on a select series of tour dates in 2018, including stops in New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago and more. Tickets will be available for pre-sale beginning on Dec. 6, with general on-sale starting on Dec. 8. Every ticket sold for these upcoming shows will include a CD of John’s forthcoming album, which is expected to drop in the spring.
John Prine Tour Dates
April 13
New York, NY
Radio City Music Hall*
April 14
Philadelphia, PA
Merriam Theatre†
April 25
Milwaukee, WI
Riverside Theatre
April 27
Chicago, IL
Chicago Theatre
April 28
Champaign, IL
Virginia Theatre
May 11
Beaver Dam, KY
Beaver Dam Amphitheater (tickets excluded from album bundle)
May 12
Indianapolis, IN
Clowes Hall
May 19
San Diego, CA
Balboa Theatre
May 23
Folsom, CA
Harris Center
May 24
San Francisco, CA
The Warfield
June 2
Norfolk, VA
Chrysler Hall‡
*co-headline with Sturgill Simpson (solo)
†with very special guest Kurt Vile
‡with very special guest Margo Price
additional tour dates to be announced
In support of the Feb. 2 release of Montgomery Gentry’s new album, Here’s to You, Eddie Montgomery will embark on a headlining tour of the same name.
Here’s to You will be Montgomery Gentry’s eighth studio album—the first since the duo’s Troy Gentry died in a helicopter accident on Sept. 8.
“I’m anxious to get back out on the road and play some new music for our friends and fans,” said Eddie. “Next year marks the 20th anniversary of our band—we’ve got lots to celebrate and look forward to in 2018.”
After opening for Alabama on Jan. 19 and 20, Eddie’s headlining tour will kick off on Feb. 9 in Columbia, Mo., and make more than 20 stops before capping on Sept. 15 in Ventura, Calif.
Here’s to You Tour
Jan. 19
Sioux Falls, SD
Denny Sanford Premier Center+
Jan. 20
St. Charles, MO
The Family Arena+
Feb. 9
Columbia, MO
The Blue Note
Feb. 10
Springfield, IL
Boondocks
Feb. 23
Indianapolis, IN
8 Seconds Saloon
March 2
Clifton Park, NY
Upstate Concert Hall
March 3
Lynchburg, VA
Phase 2
March 9
Jordan, NY
Kegs Canalside
March 10
Warrendale, PA
Jergel’s
March 16
Medina, OH
Thirsty Cowboy
March 17
Columbus, OH
The Bluestone
March 22
Augusta, GA
Country Club Dance Hall and Saloon
March 23
Birmingham, AL
Iron City
June 2
Marion, KS
Chingawassa Days Festival
July 6
Ft. Loramie, OH
Country Concert at Hickory Hill Lakes
George Strait will add a Texas-sized honor to his résumé on March 22.
The Lone Star State native has been named the “2018 Texan of the Year” by the Texas Legislative Conference.
George will be presented with the award on March 22 at the New Braunfels Civic/Convention Center. He will be joining an array of prominent past honorees who have won the award, including George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, T Boone Pickens, Ray Benson, David Robinson and more.
“No one has done more than George Strait to raise awareness and funds for the Hurricane Harvey relief efforts,” said conference chair Doug Miller. “He put his well-earned reputation on the line and asked not only his fellow Texans to step up, but all Americans. And they have.”
To date, George’s efforts on behalf of Hurricane Harvey victims have raised more than $50 million.
It would hardly be a stretch to consider George the greatest country music artist of all time. He certainly has the numbers: 44 Billboard No. 1 singles (60 across all charts), the most of any artist in any genre of music, and 22 CMA awards, more than any other country entertainer. And few can match The Cowboy, as he’s often referred to, for longevity. He’s been a star practically since his debut in 1981 with “Unwound.” George has been a model of consistency since that time, with 33 platinum albums to prove it.
Kelsea Ballerini and Morgan Evans got married on Dec. 2 in an intimate beachfront ceremony in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Kelsea posted a few social media messages via Twitter and Instagram to share the good news, including a photo of the couple—legs only—relaxing on the beach, with the caption: “Mr & Mrs. Evans.”
ATLANTA — Despite a sluggish offensive showing, the Tennessee men’s basketball team rallied in the final minutes to hold off Georgia Tech, 77-70, Sunday at McCamish Pavilion.
Lamonte Turner led the way for the Volunteers (6-1), tying a career-high with 24 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor. He was also crucial in the closing minutes of the game, when Tennessee made 17-of-19 from the charity stripe in the final three minutes of action, burying all seven of his attempts during that stretch.
Grant Williams finished with 11 points and six boards after being limited due to foul trouble. Admiral Schofield and Jordan Bowden both added 10 points each to round out UT’s double-digit scorers.
The Yellow Jackets were led by center Ben Lammers, who tallied 17 points and nine rebounds in the contest, including 15 points in the second half to help Georgia Tech stay within striking distance.
Tech fought back to make things interesting in the second half by using a 7-2 run to make it a one-point game with 2:58 remaining. The Vols answered with an 11-1 run of their own and capped off the change in momentum with a Turner three-point play on an and-one. The swing gave UT an insurmountable 69-58 edge with 51 seconds left.
After a slow start, the Vols’ offense started clicking after the first media timeout, using an 11-4 run to pull ahead of the Yellow Jackets, 15-12. During the stretch, UT was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field and knocked down a trio of 3-pointers.
Tennessee closed out the half by hitting five of its last seven shots and holding Georgia Tech without a basket over the final 2:30 of play. The Volunteers entered halftime with a 35-29 lead. Williams paced the Vols with 10 points, five boards and a pair of blocks before the break.
TURNER FUELS UT OFFENSE: With the Vols struggling to get a basket down the stretch, Lamonte Turner knocked down the only pair of shots from the field for UT during the final nine minutes of play. Turner had 13 points during the final 6:25 of play to prevent Tennessee’s offense from going stagnant.
CLOSING OUT WITH THE FREEBIES: After attempting only two free throws in the first half, the Volunteers made it to the charity stripe 25 times in the second period, converting on 84 percent (21-25) of those trips. Of the second-half attempts, 19 came in the final three minutes of action to help UT seal the victory.
UP NEXT: After Sunday’s win, UT returns home for a three-game home stand that against Lipscomb (Dec. 9), North Carolina (Dec. 17) and Furman (Dec. 20).
Mercedes Russell – Lady Vols C / Credit: UT Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. —No.12/13 Tennessee came alive on offense, with six players scoring in double-digits as the Lady Vols beat Alabama State, 104-51, Sundayafternoon in front of a crowd of 8,004 at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Tennessee (8-0) relied on offense in the paint and winning the turnover battle convincingly to produce the team’s best offensive showing since scoring 110 versus Troy last year. Senior center Mercedes Russell led the charge vs. Alabama State (1-7), scoring 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the floor. She now is hitting 69.3 percent (61-of-88) for the season.
Junior guard Meme Jackson fired in 19, coming up a point shy of her career best. Freshman forward Rennia Davis filled the stat sheet with 18 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. Senior forward Jaime Nared and freshmen guards Anastasia Hayes and Evina Westbrook also hit double figures, contributing 14,13 and 11 points, respectively. Redshirt junior forward Cheridene Green grabbed 10 boards, continuing her strong interior play.
Tennessee relied on suffocating defense to get its offense going at a breakneck pace in the first quarter. A quick steal and score by Westbrook helped get Tennessee off to a 12-0 start. All seven Lady Vols that played during the quarter scored on the way to an impressive 30-12 lead.
The Tennessee offensive explosion continued in the second stanza of the game, as Russell completely took over, scoring 16 of UT’s 31 points. The Lady Vols outscored Alabama State 36-10 in the paint and had zero turnovers to the Hornets’ 14 at the half, taking full advantage of a clear advantage in team length and athleticism. The teams entered the half with the Lady Vols in command, 61-26.
The offense didn’t match the pace in the second half, but the Lady Vols still came away with a satisfying 104-51 win. The 53-point triumph stands as the largest victory margin of the season.
For Alabama State, Mya Milner and Courtney Lee were able to find offensive success despite a pressuring defense from Tennessee, scoring 17 and 15 points, respectively.
Up Next: The Lady Vols play the third game of a four-game home stand with a match-up versus Troy on Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and the contest will be available for streaming online via SECN+.
Dominating The First: Tennessee’s 30 first-quarter points against Alabama State tied for the fourth most points ever scored in any quarter by a Lady Vols team. UT bettered that in the second frame, scoring 31 to improve the fourth-best all-time total. Through eight games UT has outscored opponents in the first quarter 182-99.
Balanced Offense: All five of Tennessee’s starters scored at least one basket by the 7:12 mark, and the Lady Vols finished with six players in double figures. Every player who entered the game for UT scored at least two points.
A Tale of Turnovers: The Lady Vols didn’t have a single turnover in the first half while forcing 14 Alabama State turnovers. Tennessee converted those ASU miscues into 25 points. On the game, UT had only four turnovers while forcing 23. Four turnovers is the fewest managed by any Lady Vols team in recorded history.
ATLANTA — The Tennessee men’s basketball team travels to Georgia Tech for its first true road game of the season Sunday at McCamish Pavilion. The game will tip at 6 p.m. and will be televised live on ESPNU and streamed online via WatchESPN.
Tennessee (5-1) is coming off a strong performance against Mercer, where the Vols downed the Bears, 84-60, at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Yellow Jackets (4-2) enter the contest after a one-point loss on Friday night to Grambling State.
The two teams met in Knoxville last year, with UT coming away with a victory. Tech will be the second ACC team that Tennessee has faced this season, as the Volunteers capped of the Battle 4 Atlantis with a win over NC State.
This season, the Vols have been paced by sophomore forward Grant Williams, who’s averaging 16.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 3.0 apg. He’s cracked the 20-point margin three times and has made his presence felt down low.
With teams looking to take away the easy basket for Williams, the Vols have been able to cash in big from deep, ranking second in the SEC in three-point field goal percentage (.430; 55-of-128) and 17th nationally. Sophomore guard Jordan Bowden tops the SEC rankings in the individual category, knocking down 61 percent (14-of-23) of his treys.
After the road trip, UT returns home for a three-game home stand against Lipscomb (Dec. 9), North Carolina (Dec. 17) and Furman (Dec. 20).
THE SERIES
• Overall: Tennessee leads, 43-28
• In Knoxville: UT leads, 26-9
• In Atlanta: GT leads, 19-15
• Neutral Sites: UT leads, 2-0
• Current Streak: Tennessee has won one
• Last Meeting: Tennessee won, 81-58, on Dec. 3, 2016
• Rick Barnes vs. Georgia Tech: 6-3
• Rick Barnes vs. Josh Pastner: 1-0
RIGHT NOW
• Tennessee is in the midst of a 30-day span during which it will play four ACC opponents. The Vols are 1-0 vs. ACC teams so far, having beaten NC State.
• These programs met annually from 1945-68, and Georgia Tech was a member of the SEC from 1932-64.
• At 5-1, the Volunteers are off to their best start since the 2010-11 season, when they opened with seven straight wins.
A WIN WOULD…
• Improve UT’s record vs. current members of the ACC to 108-98
• Make Tennessee 2-0 against ACC teams this season (with two more ACC foes on the schedule later this month).
• Give the Volunteers their second three-game win streak of the season.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH
• There is plenty of history in this series, as these programs met annually from 1945-68 (Tech was a member of the SEC from 1932-64).
• After spending seven seasons as the head coach at Memphis, Josh Pastner took the Georgia Tech job and earned ACC Coach of the Year honors last year in his first campaign with the Yellow Jackets.
• Senior center Ben Lammers—the reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year—fuels the Yellow Jackets on both sides of the ball. Last season, the 6-10, San Antonio, Texas, native led the conference and ranked third nationally in blocks per game at 3.37. He also averaged 14.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. This year, he’s averaging 16.2 ppg on 63-percent shooting from the floor to go along with 8.0 rbg and 3.2 bpg, all of which are team highs.
• The guard tandem of true freshman Jose Alvarado and senior Tadric Jackson are the other Tech players who average double-digit scoring each game, posting 13.2 and 12.0 ppg, respectively. Jackson has embraced the role of the sixth man for the Yellow Jackets, finishing second in the voting for the award last season in the ACC. After serving a three-game suspension, Jackson has made his presence felt for Georgia Tech, hitting the game-winning layup at the buzzer against Northwestern earlier this week.
• Alvarado has fulfilled the role as the primary point guard by averaging nearly 34 minutes a game at the spot. Along with his 13.2 ppg, he’s posting 5.2 rpg and 4.4 apg.
• After dropping their first game of the season to UCLA, the Yellow Jackets enjoyed a four-game winning streak before suffering a one-point loss to Grambling State on Friday night in Atlanta.
THE LAST TIME vs. GEORGIA TECH
• Grant Williams and Shembari Phillips—now a Yellow Jacket after transferring in the offseason—scored 14 points each to lead Tennessee to an 81-58 victory over Georgia Tech on Dec. 3, 2016, at Thompson-Boling Arena.
• The Vols were efficient, shooting 52.8 percent from the floor and 54.5 percent from 3-point range. UT also made 19 of 24 free throws and out-rebounded Georgia Tech (4-3), 37-31. Tennessee limited Georgia Tech to just 32.7 percent shooting, marking the Vols’ best defensive effort of the season.
• Williams scored 10 of his then-career-best 14 points in the second half, finishing 6-of-11 and adding six rebounds, one assist and two steals. Phillips led the team with a career-best seven assists and also had five rebounds. John Fulkerson thrived on hustle plays and finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. Robert Hubbs III added 10 points, six boards and two steals.
• The Vols took a 42-25 lead into halftime. Tennessee outscored Georgia Tech in the paint in the first half, 18-6, and scored 15 points off of turnovers. Phillips had nine points and Fulkerson had eight points to lead UT offensively.
• Tennessee took command of the game midway through the first half when a jumper by Phillips sparked a 15-4 UT run to give the Vols a 31-16 advantage. The Yellow Jackets shot just 24.1 percent from the floor in the first half while committing 13 turnovers.
• Nearly half of UT’s offense came from freshmen. Williams, Fulkerson, Lamonté Turner and Jordan Bowden combined for 48.1 percent of the scoring with 39 of the Vols’ 81 points.
GEORGIA CONNECTIONS
• Georgia Tech guard Shembari Phillips is an Atlanta native who graduated from Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia, in 2015 and spent the last two seasons playing for the Vols. Phillips transferred at the conclusion of last season and is sitting out this academic year per NCAA transfer guidelines.
• Tennessee also has produced two All-Americans who are Georgia natives: Reggie Johnson (Ellenwood) was a first-team All-American in 1979 and 1980; Dale Ellis (Marietta) was a first-team All-American in 1982 and 1983.
• Third-year Vols assistant coach Desmond Oliver worked as an assistant at Tech rival UGA in Athens, Georgia, from 2004-09. He was on the Bulldogs staff when UGA won the 2008 SEC Tournament in Atlanta.
• During Oliver’s time at UGA, the Bulldogs were 2-3 against the in-state rival Yellow Jackets.
• Georgia Tech standout sophomore guard Josh Okogie, who hails from Snellville, Georgia, was recruited by the Vols and took his official visit to Rocky Top the same weekend as current UT sophomores Jordan Bone and Grant Williams.
FOUR-GAME CONTRACT
• This game marks the third clash of a four-year, four-game contract between the Vols and Yellow Jackets.
• The Volunteers fell to Tech, 69-67, in Atlanta on Nov. 16, 2015. Tennessee then defeated Tech, 81-58, on Dec. 3, 2016, in Knoxville.
• Tennessee will host the Yellow Jackets again next season on a date that has yet to be announced.
VOLS’ SCHEDULE IS ACC HEAVY
• Tennessee’s 2017-18 schedule features four games against ACC opposition: Nov. 24 vs. NC State, Dec. 3 at Georgia Tech, Dec. 17 vs. North Carolina, Dec. 23 at Wake Forest.
• The Vols defeated NC State, 67-58, at the Battle 4 Atlantis.
• Additionally, Tennessee traveled to Clemson for a charity exhibition on Nov. 5. The Vols defeated the Tigers, 71-67.
TENNESSEE’S NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE RIPE WITH OPPORTUNITIES
• A cursory glance at UT’s non-conference schedule reveals a handful of “Power Five” opponents—Purdue, NC State, Georgia Tech, UNC, Wake Forest and Iowa State—that stand as potential RPI boosters. But dig a little deeper and one discovers additional opportunities for resumé-building wins outside of SEC play.
• Two other Tennessee foes appear in the Nov. 13 update of the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, with Mercer and Furman landing at Nos. 16 and 21, respectively. The Vols cruised past Mercer, 84-60, Nov. 29 in Knoxville.
• This article from HeatCheckcbb.com outlines why, based on their schedule, the Vols have more opportunities to log resumé-boosting wins than any other team in the country.
VOLS EARNING VOTES
• Tennessee received 14 votes in this week’s Associated Press top-25 poll and three votes in this week’s coaches poll.
• Prior to this week, the last time UT received votes in the AP poll was Jan. 19, 2015. The last time the Vols received votes in the coaches poll was Nov. 25, 2013.
• The last time Tennessee appeared in the top 25 was Dec. 20, 2010 (19th AP, 18th coaches).
DANIEL A DARN GOOD DISTRIBUTOR
• Graduate transfer James Daniel III is the first Vol to log multiple games of 10 or more assists in a single season in 24 years.
• LaMarcus Golden had two double-digit assist games during the 1993-94 campaign, dishing out 12 vs. UT Martin (11/26/93) and 14 at South Carolina (1/19/94).
• Daniel distributed a career-high 10 assists in the win over High Point on Nov. 14 (his second game as a Vol). He then recorded 10 assists during UT’s victory over Mercer on Nov. 29.
Lauren Alaina, Luke Combs, Midland, Carly Pearce and Michael Ray will take the stage at the Omni Hotel for the 2018 New Faces show on Feb. 7.
