Social Media Roundup: Michael Ray’s Seal, Jason Aldean’s Hair Weave, Chris Janson’s Harmonica Skills, Reba’s Fundraiser & More

Social Media Roundup: Michael Ray’s Seal, Jason Aldean’s Hair Weave, Chris Janson’s Harmonica Skills, Reba’s Fundraiser & More

Posted on July 13, 2017

If you don’t have time to comb through social media all day, here’s what you’ve been missing over the last 24 hours in the country music world:

  • Michael Ray kisses a seal.
  • Jason Aldean mistook a hair weave for a dead squirrel.
  • Reba McEntire, Lee Ann Womack and Brandy Clark performed at a benefit for the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.
  • Chris Janson played the hell of the harmonica on the Opry stage . . . again.
  • Granger Smith quizzed his touring crew about another crazy week on the road.
  • Peyton Manning coached Brad Paisley on his Nationwide jingle writing.
  • A Thousand Horses played in Nashville to support Musicians On Call.
  • Shania Twain will be performing at the US Open (tennis) in August.
  • RaeLynn and Chris Lane are in Cosmo.
  • Sara Evans crushes a piñata.
  • Aaron Tippin throws it back to Aaron Tippin.

Found me a jersey girl @jenksclub #signSEALEDdelivered 📸: @dustbar

A post shared by Michael Ray (@michaelraymusic) on

been a crazy week…

A post shared by HAPPENS LIKE THAT (@grangersmith) on

Reba McEntire Sells Nashville-Area Estate for $5 Million [Check Out the Pics]

Reba McEntire Sells Nashville-Area Estate for $5 Million [Check Out the Pics]

Posted on July 13, 2017

Reba McEntire sold her lakefront estate in Lebanon, Tenn. (30 miles east of Nashville) for $5 million, according to bizjournals.com.

The 83-acre property, known as Starstruck Farm, features a 12,816-square-foot home with seven bedrooms, five full bathrooms, chef’s kitchen, home theater, wine room, eight-car garage, tennis court, pool, guest house, barn, equestrian center with indoor and outdoor riding areas and more. The estate includes frontage on Old Hickory Lake.

Reba listed the house in August 2016 for $7.9 million, before settling for $5 million.

Check out the photo gallery and video below.

Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini Are the “CMA Fest” Co-Hosts With the Most [Watch TV Teaser]

Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini Are the “CMA Fest” Co-Hosts With the Most [Watch TV Teaser]

Posted on July 13, 2017

If you weren’t lucky enough to be one of the 80,000-plus fans that descended on Nashville during each day of CMA Fest in June, Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini have you covered.

Kelsea and TR will co-host an upcoming three-hour television special on ABC that features 2017 CMA Fest performances from a bevy of artists, including Garth Brooks, Miranda Lambert, Florida Georgia Line, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Sam Hunt, Lady Antebellum and Brad Paisley, as well as special collaborations featuring Darius Rucker and Karen Fairchild, Dierks Bentley and Cole Swindell, and Thomas Rhett and Maren Morris.

The CMA Fest special airs on Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. CT on ABC.

Watch the CMA Fest teaser below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWdzsDnj0Jj/?taken-by=thomasrhettakins

photo by Jason Simanek

Robertson Earns Spot on Outland Trophy Watch List

Robertson Earns Spot on Outland Trophy Watch List

Posted on July 13, 2017
Jashon Robertson – UT / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee senior offensive lineman Jashon Robertson has been named to the watch list for the 2017 Outland Trophy as announced by the Football Writers Association of America on Thursday.

The Outland Trophy is awarded annually to the nation’s top interior lineman by the FWAA All-America Committee. The winner is chosen from three finalists who are a part of the annual FWAA All-America Team. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the entire membership, selects a 26-man first team and eventually the three Outland finalists. Committee members, then by individual ballot, select the winner. Only interior linemen on offense or defense are eligible for the award; ends are not eligible.

Robertson is among 81 players selected to the pre-season watch list and is one of 11 players from the Southeastern Conference to be named to the list. The Nashville native has started 34 games during his Tennessee career and was a key part of a UT offensive line that paved the way to record-breaking offensive numbers in 2016. The Vols set program records in points scored (473) and touchdowns (63) last season and won their third consecutive bowl game by defeating Nebraska, 38-24, in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl.

The 2017 Outland Trophy watch list is comprised of 24 offensive tackles, 21 defensive tackles, 20 centers and 16 offensive guards. The list will be trimmed to six or seven semifinalists on Wed, Nov. 15. Six days later, three finalists will be named by the FWAA. The winner of the 72nd Outland Trophy – named after the late John Outland, an All-America lineman at Penn at the turn of the 20th century, will be announced live on ESPN at The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thurs., Dec. 7.

The Outland Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 23 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. The complete watch list for the Outland Trophy can be seen HERE.

Blake Shelton, Sam Hunt, Florida Georgia Line & More Score Additional Teen Choice Awards Nominations

Blake Shelton, Sam Hunt, Florida Georgia Line & More Score Additional Teen Choice Awards Nominations

Posted on July 13, 2017

After unveiling its first wave of nominees in June, The Teen Choice Awards announced its second round of nominations on July 12.

In the Choice Country Song category, Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett (feat. Maren Morris), Blake Shelton, Keith Urban (feat. Carrie Underwood), Florida Georgia Line and Brett Young picked up nominations.

In addition, FGL, Sam, Blake and Brett Eldredge netted nomination in all-genre categories.

Voting is open at TeenChoice.com or fans can vote by tweeting the category hashtag with the nominee’s name. Fans can vote up to 10 times in each category per day until July 19 at 9 p.m. PT.

The Teen Choice Awards air live on Fox on Aug. 13 at 8 p.m. ET.

Check out the country music-centric nominees from the second wave of announcements.

Choice Country Song (#ChoiceCountrySong)

“Body Like a Back Road” – Sam Hunt
“Craving You” – Thomas Rhett (feat. Maren Morris)
“Every Time I Hear That Song” – Blake Shelton
“The Fighter” – Keith Urban (feat. Carrie Underwood)
“God, Your Mama, and Me” – Florida Georgia Line (feat. Backstreet Boys)
“In Case You Didn’t Know” – Brett Young

Choice Summer Group (#ChoiceSummerGroup

The Chainsmokers
Coldplay
Fifth Harmony
Florida Georgia Line
Imagine Dragons
Little Mix

Choice Summer Tour (#ChoiceSummerTour)

Ariana Grande – Dangerous Woman Tour
Bruno Mars – 24K Magic World Tour
Ed Sheeran – Divide Tour
Kendrick Lamar – The DAMN. Tour
Sam Hunt – 15 in a 30 Tour
Shawn Mendes – Illuminate World Tour

Choice Twit (#ChoiceTwit)

Anna Kendrick
Blake Shelton
Chrissy Teigen
Ellen DeGeneres
Justin Timberlake
Zendaya

Choice Snapchatter (#ChoiceSnapchatter)

Ariana Grande
Bella Thorne
Brett Eldredge
DJ Khaled
Kylie Jenner
Selena Gomez

photo by Jason Simanek

Vols’ SEC Network Takeover Set for July 18

Posted on July 12, 2017

For the third consecutive year, SEC Network is turning over its control room to the 14 Southeastern Conference schools for a two-week stretch. On Tuesday, July 18, SEC Network programming will be entirely devoted to the Big Orange for 24 hours.

Featured content on that day includes memorable Tennessee football, basketball, baseball, softball and volleyball victories. Descriptions of those games can be found below. Network documentaries focused on Condredge Holloway and Pat Summitt are also scheduled to air.

Also featured is a pair of signing day events. A replay of Tennessee Football’s annual signing day show will air on Tuesday, as well as a replay of UT’s first-ever Declaration Day. Styled similarly to an athletics signing day event, Declaration Day focused on students (not student-athletes) that have chosen to attend the University of Tennessee. The program was filled with inspiring stories and also featured guest appearances by football players Joshua Dobbs, Trey Smith and men’s basketball player Kyle Alexander.

During their respective SEC Network Takeover day, league schools have the opportunity to fill an entire day with classic games, films, ESPN original content and school-produced content. Each school’s appointed date was drafted at random.

In addition to taking over the television network, SEC Network’s social handles will be devoted to the appropriate school each day.

Florida vs. Tennessee (Football)
Trailing 21-0 in the second quarter, the Vols scored 38 unanswered points to claim a 38-28 victory over No. 19/16 Florida at Neyland Stadium. Quarterback Joshua Dobbs threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns, helping UT snap an 11-game losing streak to the Gators. Wideout Jauan Jennings notched three receptions for 111 yards, including an electrifying 67-yard score to give UT a 24-21 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Tennessee at Georgia (Football)
On the heels of its memorable victory over Florida, the Vols traveled to Athens and picked up one of the most thrilling wins in their program history. A rollercoaster finish that saw three lead changes over the final three minutes, Tennessee clinched the win behind a 43-yard Hail Mary touchdown from Dobbs to Jennings as time expired.

Kentucky at Tennessee (Volleyball)
Tennessee stunned No. 23 Kentucky at Thompson-Boling Arena, picking up a 3-1 victory in its home finale. Led by eight kills and five blocks from middle hitter Erica Treiber, the Vols’ upset win denied the Wildcats a share of the SEC title.

Kentucky at Tennessee (Men’s Basketball)
Tennessee earned its first win over an AP top-five opponent since 2010 with an 82-80 victory over No. 4 Kentucky at Thompson-Boling Arena. Senior Robert Hubbs III put together one of the best performances of his career, scoring 25 points. Freshman Grant Williams did a little bit of everything in the win, notching 13 points to go along with six assists, six rebounds and four blocks.

Tennessee at South Carolina (Women’s Basketball)
Another Big Orange victory against a top-five foe, the Lady Vols invaded Columbia and emerged with a 76-74 victory over No. 4 South Carolina. Jaime Nared dropped a career-high 27 points and buried a pair of clutch free throws in the final seconds of the fourth quarter to lift UT to the win.

Florida at Tennessee (Softball)
Behind a grand slam from Megan Geer in the bottom of the fifth inning, No. 8 Tennessee rallied to knock of No. 1 Florida at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

Tennessee at Vanderbilt (Baseball)
Held without a hit until the seventh inning, the Vols scored nine runs in the eighth and ninth frames to fly past in-state rival Vanderbilt in Nashville. Trailing 3-0 entering the eighth inning, Jeff Moberg’s RBI single and Jordan Rodgers’ grand slam to left field powered the decisive rally.

1999 Fiesta Bowl (Football)
Tennessee won the 1998 national championship, the first for the Vols since 1951, and completed the school’s first-ever 13-0 season with a 23-16 win over No. 2 Florida State. Peerless Price caught four passes for 199 yards, earning Offensive Player of the Game.

-UT Athletics

 

Daniel Named To Ray Guy Award Watch List

Posted on July 12, 2017
UT P Trevor Daniel / Credit: UT Athletics

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tennessee redshirt senior punter Trevor Daniel has been named to the pre-season watch list for the 2017 Ray Guy Award, as announced by the Augusta Sports Council on Wednesday.

The Ray Guy Award honors the nation’s top collegiate punter and the pre-season watch list features 29 candidates.

In 2016, Daniel, posted a 44.6-yard average with 28 of his 70 punts inside the 20, 29 fair catches and 21 punts of 50 or more yards. His 44.6-yard average ranked third among SEC punters and his 70-yard punt against South Carolina was the longest in the SEC in 2016. Daniel was a candidate for the Ray Guy Award in both 2015 and 2016.

The number of eligible candidates for this season will grow when the award opens nominations in September. The complete list of candidates will be released on Oct. 31. In early November, the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the 10 semifinalists, who will be announced on Nov. 16. A national body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information directors, media representatives, and previous Ray Guy Award winners will then vote for the top three finalists to be announced on Nov. 21. After the finalists are named, the voting body will cast ballots again to select the nation’s top punter. The winner will be announced live during The Home Depot College Football Awards airing on ESPN on Thursday, Dec. 7.

The Augusta Sports Council created the Ray Guy Award in 2000 to honor the Thomson, Georgia, native and College and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Ray Guy. Among the statistics used to identify the winner is net punting average, number of times punt is downed or kicked out of bounds inside the opponents 20-yard line, total yardage punted, average returned yardage and percentage of punts not returned with particular emphasis placed on net punting average. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline and have a positive impact on the team’s success.

-UT Athletics

 

Reba McEntire, Brandy Clark, Lee Ann Womack & More to Play Alzheimer’s Benefit Concert in Nashville Tonight

Reba McEntire, Brandy Clark, Lee Ann Womack & More to Play Alzheimer’s Benefit Concert in Nashville Tonight

Posted on July 12, 2017

Reba McEntire will headline an intimate showcase tonight (July 12) at Nashville’s City Winery to benefit the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. Brandy Clark and Lee Ann Womack are also slated to perform, as well a few “surprise guests.”

Proceeds from the show, dubbed An Evening Together for Care for the Love of Jewel Austin, will benefit the the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, an organization that provides optimal care and services to individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses and to their families and caregivers.

Warner Music Nashville executive Shane Tarleton organized the event in honor of his late grandmother, Jewel Austin, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.

photo courtesy of BMLG

Loretta Lynn Cancels 2017 Tour Dates, Postpones New Album Until 2018

Loretta Lynn Cancels 2017 Tour Dates, Postpones New Album Until 2018

Posted on July 12, 2017

As Loretta Lynn, 85, continues to recover from a stroke she suffered in May, she announced today (July 12) that she is canceling all 2017 tour dates and postponing the release of her new album, Wouldn’t It Be Great.

Wouldn’t It Be Great, which was originally slated to drop in August 2017, will be released in 2018.

“Thank you so much for all of your prayers, love and support,” said Loretta in a statement on her website. “I’m happy to say that I’m at home with my family and getting better by the day! My main focus now is making a full recovery so that I can get back to putting all of me into what I love, sharing my music with all of you. My new album, Wouldn’t It Be Great, was originally scheduled to come in August this year. I now want to wait to release it next year because this record is so special for me. It deserves me at my best and I can’t wait to share it. I want to thank everyone for hanging in there with me. I am getting stronger every day and can’t wait to get back out there with all of you. I’m just letting everybody know that Willie ain’t dead yet and neither am I, and I can’t wait to see all of you on the road!”

All of the tunes on the new 10-song offering were penned or co-penned by Loretta. Like the album’s predecessor, the Grammy-nominated Full Circle (March 2016), Wouldn’t It Be Great was mainly recorded at the Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tenn., with producers Patsy Lynn Russell and John Carter Cash. The album features new songs “Ruby’s Stool,” “Ain’t No Time to Go” and “I’m Dying for Someone to Live For” alongside newly recorded renditions of past compositions such as “God Makes No Mistakes,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and “Don’t Come Home A’ Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind).”

photo by David McClister/DKC News

Watch Lindsay Ell Shred and Knock ’Em Dead in New “Waiting On You” Video

Watch Lindsay Ell Shred and Knock ’Em Dead in New “Waiting On You” Video

Posted on July 12, 2017

Lindsay Ell is gearing up for the release of her debut album, The Project, in August by dropping a new video for her current single, “Waiting on You.”

The video, which was directed by Peter Zavadil, features Lindsay shredding on guitar with her band in a rustic Nashville warehouse as she puts vocals to the tune she co-penned with Adam Hambrick and Andrew DeRoberts.

“It is the first song that started this whole project because when we originally started talking with Kristian Bush to produce my whole record, ‘Waiting on You’ was the song that all of us were like, ‘You know what, there’s something to this,’” Lindsay said in April. “As an artist, I came to town really trying to find what I wanted to sound like. I think it took me years of doing the wrong thing to finally find the right thing. ‘Waiting on You’ is the first song where I could honestly be like, ‘That’s me.’ If I was given three minutes with somebody whose never heard my name before, to really hear what’s going on in my heart and hear what I sound like, ‘Waiting on You’ would be it.”

Check out Lindsay’s new music video below.

Country News

Weather

  • Forecast
  • Currents
  • Planner