Dixie Chicks’ Natalie Maines Files for Divorce From Husband Adrian Pasdar

Dixie Chicks’ Natalie Maines Files for Divorce From Husband Adrian Pasdar

Dixie Chicks front-woman Natalie Maines has filed for divorce from husband Adrian Pasdar, according to TMZ.

Natalie and Adrian, who met in 1999 at Emily Strayer and Charlie Robison’s wedding, have been married for 17 years and have two sons together, ages 16 and 12. Adrian is an actor and voice artist whose credits include roles in Heroes and The Lying Game.

Natalie’s rep told TMZ that the divorce is a private matter and they will not comment.

photo courtesy of Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Blake Shelton Shoots to the Top of the Charts With 24th No. 1 Single, “Every Time I Hear That Song”

Blake Shelton Shoots to the Top of the Charts With 24th No. 1 Single, “Every Time I Hear That Song”

Blake Shelton has been in a celebratory mood lately.

In addition to celebrating his 41st birthday on June 18 and the recent Fourth of July festivities, Blake is celebrating his 24th career No. 1 single, “Every Time I Hear That Song.”

The tune, which was co-penned by Aimee Mayo, Chris Lindsey, Brad Warren and Brett Warren, is No. 1 this week on both the Mediabase chart and Billboard Country Airplay chart. “Every Time I Hear That Song” is the third single from Blake’s 2016 album, If I’m Honest, to top the charts, following No. 1 hits, “Came Here to Forget” and “Guy With a Girl.”

“Holy crap, this is awesome.” said Blake after hearing the news. “I just recently had a birthday and, as I get older, I have a greater appreciation for everything. First and foremost, thank you to the fans for making this crazy career possible. To country radio and everyone who works so hard, thank you. I am so proud of If I’m Honest and to have another No. 1 single from that album with ‘Every Time I Hear That Song’ is thrilling.”

photo by Jason Simanek

Rodney Atkins and Rose Falcon Announce They Are Expecting a Baby in December

Rodney Atkins and Rose Falcon Announce They Are Expecting a Baby in December

Rodney Atkins and wife Rose Falcon shared some fireworks of their own on July 4 by announcing that they are expecting their first child together.

Rodney and Rose, who were married in November 2013, made the announcement via Instagram by stating: “Happy Fourth of July! We are thrilled to announce our family is growing. Baby Atkins will arrive in December and we know @eatki is going to be the best big brother. 🎈🎈Photo: @fashionandfarmcountry.”

Congrats to the happy couple.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWImcsDF_4q/?hl=en

photo courtesy Fashion & Farm Country Magazine/ Rose Falcon Instagram 

George Strait VIP Experience Up for Auction to Support Daughter’s Memorial Fund

George Strait VIP Experience Up for Auction to Support Daughter’s Memorial Fund

Charitybuzz.com is auctioning off a George Strait VIP experience that includes front-row tickets to two of his upcoming Vegas concerts, two hotel rooms at MGM International Resorts and more.

The auction, which has a current bid of $14,333, closes on July 13 at 3 p.m. ET.

The funds from the auction will support the Jenifer Strait Foundation, which was created in 1986 after George’s 13-year-old daughter, Jenifer, was killed in an auto accident. The Foundation promotes charitable causes for children and focuses its donations on various non-profit organizations in the San Antonio area, including The Boys & Girls Club of San Antonio and St. Jude’s Ranch.

The full VIP package includes:

  • 2 hotel rooms for 4 guests total for 2 nights on 7/28 and 7/29/17
  • Car Service transportation to T-Mobile Arena on 7/28 and 7/29
  • Front Row Tickets to see George Strait live on both 7/28 and 7/29/17
  • Pre-show Meet & Greet and group photo with George Strait backstage on 7/28 or 7/29
  • Invitation to the official George Strait VIP Experience for (4) guests including limited edition hardcover George Strait coffee table book featuring rare and previously unreleased photographs from George’s career, autographed by George Strait with a certificate of authenticity, exclusively available to VIP guests
  • VIP gift bag including Strait to Vegas T-Shirt and Strait to Vegas baseball cap
  • Entrance to the VIP pre-show party in The King’s Saloon featuring complimentary drinks in The King’s Saloon and Texas-style catered buffet dinner
  • Admission to the enhanced King’s Exhibit—a private exhibit that chronicles the life and career of George Strait through memorabilia, only available to VIP guests and guests of George Strait
  • Commemorative VIP laminate
  • Dedicated on-site concert concierge

photo via Tony Baker / UMG

Check Out Our Twitter Recap of How Country Stars Celebrated the Fourth of July, Including Brett Eldredge, Dan + Shay, Zac Brown & More

Check Out Our Twitter Recap of How Country Stars Celebrated the Fourth of July, Including Brett Eldredge, Dan + Shay, Zac Brown & More

Check out how some of your favorite country stars celebrated America’s birthday, including Brett Eldredge, Dan + Shay, Zac Brown, Brantley Gilbert, Lauren Alaina, Kelsea Ballerini, Garth Brooks and more via our Twitter recap below.

Lady Vols in the WNBA update: July 3

Lady Vols in the WNBA update: July 3

Lady Vols in WNBA / Credit: UT Athletics

With the WNBA season well underway, several former Lady Vols have acted as key players for their respective teams. On June 24, Tennessee women’s basketball legend Tamika Catchings was honored for her prestigious career in the WNBA, as the Indiana Fever retired her No. 24 jersey and hang it in the rafters of Bankers Life Fieldhouse. During her 15 years with the Fever, she was a 12-time All-WNBA recipient and 10-time WNBA All-Star. In 2012, she led the Fever during a WNBA Championship run and earned Finals MVP.

Isabelle Harrison (San Antonio), Glory Johnson (Dallas), Candace Parker (Los Angeles), Meighan Simmons (Atlanta) and Shekinna Stricklen (Connecticut) are the current Lady Vols on WNBA rosters.

Isabelle Harrison

San Antonio Stars | F/C | 2nd Season

Harrison has played in 15 games, starting in 14 of the contests. On May 25, the Stars faced off against Glory Johnson’s Dallas Wings, and Harrison put together an all-around performance with 16 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks for her first career double-double.

Harrison has averaged 11.3 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 50.4 percent from the floor. In her most recent outing, Harrison fueled the Stars to their first win of the season, totaling 19 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

Glory Johnson

Dallas Wings | F | 5th Season

Johnson is averaging 14.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, as the Wings sit at fourth in the standings of the Western Conference. She’s eclipsed the 20-point margin in four contests this season, including a game with 24 points and 12 rebounds to defeat Candace Parker and the Los Angeles Sparks.

The fifth-year pro currently ranks in the top 10 of several league categories: double-doubles (2nd), minutes played (2nd), rebounds (2nd), field goals made (5th), steals (9th) and points (10th).

Candace Parker

Los Angeles Sparks | F/C | 10th Season

Candace Parker ranks in the WNBA’s top 15 with averages of 17.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists. Her 27 blocks on the season place her second in the league, as she leads the hottest team in the WNBA in the Sparks, who have won their last eight games.

Parker has posted a double-double in three of her last four outings, including an 18-point, 13-rebound and seven-assist performance against the Indiana Fever. The Sparks are currently one game back of first place in the Western Conference, trailing the Minnesota Lynx.

Meighan Simmons

Atlanta Dream | G | 2nd Season

Meighan Simmons has appeared in 10 games and has averaged 1.9 points per game in 3.9 minutes off the bench, as the Dream sit 2.5 games out from first in the Eastern Conference.

Recently, Simmons tallied a four points and two rebounds in seven minutes in a game against the Fever. She dropped a season-high five points and a block in a 77-70 win over the Stars on May 31.

Shekinna Stricklen

Connecticut Sun | G/F | 6th Season

Shekinna Stricklen is averaging 8.6 points and 3.1 rebounds, making 15 appearances and 10 starts for the Sun. Stricklen ranks second in the WNBA in three-pointers made with 34 and sixth in three-point percentage at 45.3 percent.

Stricklen scored a season-high 20 points against the Washington Mystics on May 31, nailing six threes in the performance to go along with five rebounds in 33 minutes of action. The Sun have surged to an 8-7 record and second place in the Eastern Conference.

Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Eric Church, Hillary Scott & More Recall Their Favorite Fourth of July Memories

Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Eric Church, Hillary Scott & More Recall Their Favorite Fourth of July Memories

Some of country music’s biggest stars shared their favorite memories from the Fourth of July. And wouldn’t you know it, most of ’em involve fireworks.

Check out what Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Eric Church, Darius Rucker and more had to say about their fond Fourth flashbacks.

Luke Bryan
“Some of my favorite Fourth of July memories were spent on Lake Blackshear down in Georgia with my family. I was always kind of in charge of driving home from Tennessee and picking up all the fireworks and my nieces and nephews always got excited when I rolled in because they knew I had all the fireworks. But, it was always a great memory, and I miss not getting to do that as much as we used to.”

Sam Hunt
“I’m from Georgia, and most [fireworks] were illegal, I’m pretty sure, growing up. But over in Alabama, that’s where all the firework stands were, and we only had to drive 10, 15 minutes to get to the Alabama line, so we could go get a bundle of fireworks pretty easy. But [my granddad] would always take a lot of pride in going and finding all the good stuff and coming back with a  big pile. He’d have his torch out there at the end of the driveway and we’d all eat homemade ice cream and put down towels on the driveway and he’d shoot off fireworks for 30, 45 minutes. Such a good time.”

Eric Church
“The Fourth of July for me, growing up we would always go to the lake, we didn’t live on the lake but we would all go to the lake. Had a buddy who had a pontoon and we would always get on the pontoon and you go out and you’d tie all the pontoons together and just have a big time. This was before, I was younger then, the adults were having more fun than we were, you know it was just to go swim in the water and shoot off fireworks. Basically, water tailgating is what it was. And then as we got older, same thing . . . we would just, us younger kids had our own boat and we had as much fun as the adults.”

Darius Rucker
“Oh, I love fireworks. We had the bottle-rocket fights and all that good stuff. I was the typical little crazy kid, you know. In South Carolina, it was always legal, so we shot fireworks when it was legal. We did all that sort of stuff. I almost blew my hand off once.”

Billy Currington
“My best memories would be hanging out with my mom, brother and sister on the beach on Tybee Island right off the coast of Savannah, Georgia. We’d go there every year and we’d light our own fireworks and watch the ones that they had for us. They were the best times, some of the best times of my life.”

Canaan Smith
“Williamsburg, Virginia, has a great fireworks display. It’s one of the best in the nation . . . We’d go to the Governor’s Palace. They have a big lawn, and we’d sit out there and lay a blanket down. This was before I was old enough to drink, but we probably tried to sneak some in anyhow. And we’d just watch the [show], you know they’d have the grand finale, which always blew my mind ’cause just when you thought it was over, they’d start bringing out all of the tricks and it just gets crazy. We did that on a regular basis. Other times, we’d do stuff in our own yard. We had a big yard when we were growing up with a dirt track in the back, and our neighbor’s yard was equally as big, so when you put ’em together, we had a massive area to be destructive and do whatever we wanted. So, we blew up all kinds of stuff.”

Easton Corbin
“Fourth of July, I remember growing up and having cookouts, and of course we did the whole fireworks thing. I remember my uncle, he’d always get fireworks and bring ’em down like from Alabama, because in Florida, you couldn’t get the bottle rockets and stuff, so he’d always go up to Alabama, ’cause they live in Tallahassee, which was close to the [state] line. So, he would go over the line and get the good fireworks and bring ’em down to my grandma’s for me and my cousin, and we’d just hang out all day and shoot off fireworks and clown around.”

Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum
“For many, many years in a row, we would be up at the lake for Fourth of July, and having those memories of being on the boat and going tubing and skiing and enjoying being out in the summertime, great weather on the water. But, then for me, Fourth of July was when [husband] Chris [Tyrell] proposed. So, I got proposed to on July 2 up at the lake, the same lake I grew up going to, and so that’s probably the biggest highlight of Fourth of July to me—getting a rock on my hand.”

Dave Haywood of Lady Antebellum
“July 4th is always, for me, my birthday week. My birthday is July 5, so we grew up going on family trips to the beach. We would d always go to Hilton Head, South Carolina, and always take trips for my birthday, so that’s always a fun time of the year . . . watch fireworks. I think my best memory would be my birthday party when I was 9 or 10 years old. We went to the batting cages and I remember I was swinging so hard, it was 100 degrees outside, I was swinging in the batting cage and ended up passing out right there in the batting cage. You’re trying so hard to hit the ball, you’re a kid and you really don’t realize how much water you should be drinking and I was that kid who was on the ground in the batting cage, people fanning and pouring water all over my face. Happy Birthday to me and America.”

photo courtesy of Luke Bryan’s Twitter

Dierks Bentley, Kip Moore, Karen Fairchild, Darius Rucker & More Share Messages of Support and Thanks to Our Military

Dierks Bentley, Kip Moore, Karen Fairchild, Darius Rucker & More Share Messages of Support and Thanks to Our Military

While we celebrate America’s birthday on July 4th, let’s remember to thank and support the members of our military for their service to our great nation.

Country stars Kip Moore, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Karen Fairchild and more recently shared messages of appreciation for our servicemen and women below.

Kip Moore
“I’m a very, very patriotic person, proud of the country that I live in, and I’m very proud of what those guys do for us each and every day, and I don’t take it for granted one bit. My grandparents were in the military, fought wars, and I’ve seen the battle that they go through, just the horror of remembering things. When I start to think that I’m halfway tough, I realize how I’m not one bit when I talk to soldiers when I’m out and realize the things that they go through. I can’t imagine facing what those guys face every day.”

Darius Rucker
“The Fourth of July to me is a day to celebrate freedom. We get to travel all over the world and see a lot of stuff, and I’ve been to a lot of countries that aren’t like ours and that’s when you really appreciate the fact that you can do whatever you want. As long as you’re willing to deal with the consequences, you can do whatever you want, you know?  [I] appreciate those soldiers who died for us to be sitting here doing this, and we live in the greatest country in the world.”

Dierks Bentley
“I’m extremely patriotic. I love this country, and I love the history of this country. I read books on this country. I spend my time on the road traveling physically throughout the country. The soldiers and their families are constantly on my mind. We work closely with the Wounded Warriors Project. We think about this stuff all the time.”

Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town
“It’s such a huge sacrifice what these men and women do for us, and not only the ones that are serving, but the families that are left here at home. I mean, it’s just a huge commitment that they make, and what an honor. We love to be able to sing for them and entertain them and to say thank you whenever we can.”

Jordan Davis
“I think Fourth of July weekend is a special time to really sit back and be thankful for what we have—thankful to our military, thankful for family and for friends, just a time to really sit back and appreciate how great it is to be an American.”

Scotty McCreery Talks Songwriting, Performing on the Opry, Upcoming Album and New Single, “Five More Minutes”

Scotty McCreery Talks Songwriting, Performing on the Opry, Upcoming Album and New Single, “Five More Minutes”

Jim Casey talks with Scotty McCreery about releasing his new single, “Five More Minutes,” working on his upcoming album, the cathartic songwriting process, making a very personal music video, performing on the Grand Ole Opry, how Laurent Alaina’s success has been validating and more.

Show Participants

  • Scotty McCreery
  • Jim Casey, NCD director of editorial

Show Notes & Links

https://youtu.be/2dPDBU9MC8c

The Writers Room, Ep. 101, 12 minutes
photo by Eric Adkins/EB Media

Watch Blake Shelton Rev Some Engines in New NASCAR Opening

Watch Blake Shelton Rev Some Engines in New NASCAR Opening

For the third year in a row, Blake Shelton and his 2014 No. 1 hit, “Bringing Back the Sunshine,” will open NBC’s NASCAR coverage on television. The reworked clip features Blake performing the song onstage, interspersed with race footage and driver close-ups, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Bush, Danica Patrick, Brad Keselowski and more.

Watch the new clip below.

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