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Brett Young Earns First Billboard No. 1 With “In Case You Didn’t Know”

Posted on May 30, 2017

Brett Young scored his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart this week (May 30) with his sophomore single, “In Case You Didn’t Know.”

Co-written by Brett, Tyler Reeve, Kyle Schlienger and Trent Tomlinson, the emotional melody was recently certified platinum by the RIAA for sales of 1 million units. Brett is the only country artist to reach the platinum milestone with a song released in 2017.

“As a songwriter, the ultimate reward when you write a song is that it impacts someone’s life,” said Brett. “Maybe one of our biggest inspirations and challenges, but when it happens, it is simply the most fantastic feeling.”

Brett’s previous single, “Sleep Without You,” reached No. 2 on the Billboard chart while ascending to the top position on the Mediabase chart in November 2016.

Currently, Brett is serving as support on Lady Antebellum’s You Look Good World Tour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qaHdHpSjX8

photo by Jason Simanek

Jimmy Hyams talks UT, SEC and more hoops with Seth Greenberg in Destin

Posted on May 30, 2017

By WNML Staff

Our Jimmy Hyams is covering the SEC Spring Meetings in Destin once again this year.

Jimmy had a one-on-one visit with ESPN college basketball analyst Seth Greenberg.

They talked about Rick Barnes at Tennessee, SEC basketball, the sport overall and much more in this interview below.

ESPN’s Seth Greenberg / Credit: Allen Kee – ESPN Images

ACM Announces Special Award Honorees, Including Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, George Strait, Eric Church, Reba McEntire & More

Posted on May 30, 2017

Today (May 30), the Academy of Country Music announced its special awardees for the 11th annual ACM Honors ceremony, which will take place August 23 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and be televised on CBS at a later date.

In addition to previously announced Songwriter of the Year Award winner Lori McKenna, the ACM Honors will pay tribute to a number of artists for their specific achievements, including George Strait, Dolly Parton, Kelsea Ballerini, Bob Kingsley, Reba McEntire, Eric Church, Toby Keith, Willie Nelson, Shel Silverstein and the TV show Nashville.

Check out the list of awardees, awards and past winners below.

George Strait

Cliffie Stone Icon Award: This award is presented to a country music artist, duo/group or industry leader who throughout their career has advanced the popularity of the genre through their contributions in multiple facets of the industry such as songwriting, recording, production, touring, film, television, literary works, philanthropic contributions and other goodwill efforts.
Past Winners: Alabama, Bob Beckham, Garth Brooks, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Charlie Daniels, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers, Crystal Gayle, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, George Jones, The Judds, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, The Oak Ridge Boys, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Jerry Reed, Tex Ritter, Marty Robbins, Kenny Rogers, Billy Sherrill, Ricky Skaggs, The Statler Brothers, Mel Tillis, Randy Travis, Tanya Tucker, Conway Twitty, Porter Wagoner, Keith Whitley, Hank Williams, Hank Williams Jr., Bob Wills and Dwight Yoakam.

Dolly Parton

Gary Harber Lifting Lives Award: This award is presented to a country music artist, duo/group or industry professional who is devoted to improving lives through the power of music, has a generosity of spirit, and is committed to serving others, voted on by the ACM Lifting Lives Board of Directors.
Past Winners: Brooks & Dunn, Vince Gill, Lonestar, Martina McBride, Neal McCoy, Reba McEntire, Montgomery Gentry, Rascal Flatts, LeAnn Rimes and Carrie Underwood.

Kelsea Ballerini

Gene Weed Milestone Award: This award is presented to a country music artist, duo/group or industry leader for a specific, unprecedented or outstanding achievement in the field of country music during the preceding calendar year.
Past Winners: Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, George Burns, Kenny Chesney, Jeff Foxworthy, Merle Haggard, Gayle Holcomb, Loretta Lynn, Little Big Town, Willie Nelson, Jennifer Nettles, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Taylor Swift, and Carrie Underwood.

Bob Kingsley and Reba McEntire

Mae Boren Axton Service Award: This award is presented to an outstanding country music artist, duo/group or industry leader in recognition of years of dedication and service to the Academy of Country Music.
Past Winners: Barry Adelman, John Dorris, Tim DuBois, Rod Essig, Gayle Holcomb, Jack Lameier, Marge Meoli, Paul Moore, Ray Pilzak, Gaynelle Pitts, Keith Urban, Gene Weed, Tommy Wiggins and David Young.

Eric Church

Merle Haggard Spirit Award: This award is presented to a singer-songwriter who is continuing the legacy of country legend and 20-time ACM Award Winner Merle Haggard by following his/her own path, crafting great songs and epitomizing Merle’s spirit through genuine performances and great storytelling.
Past Winners: Miranda Lambert.

Toby Keith, Willie Nelson and Shel Silverstein

Poet’s Award: This award is presented to a country music songwriter for outstanding and longstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions throughout their career, with special consideration given to a song or songs’ impact on the culture of country music.
Past Winners: Bill Anderson, Bobby Braddock, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, Guy Clark, Jack Clement, Hank Cochran, Dean Dillon, Merle Haggard, Tom T. Hall, Harlan Howard, Kris Kristofferson, Bob McDill, Roger Miller, Buck Owens, Eddie Rabbitt, Fred Rose, Don Schlitz, Cindy Walker, Jimmy Webb and Hank Williams.

Lori McKenna

Songwriter of the Year Award: This award is presented to an individual known predominately as a songwriter, selected by a Professional Panel of judges composed of songwriters, publishers, producers, and performing rights organization representatives.
Past Winners: Ross Copperman, Dallas Davidson, Luke Laird, Shane McAnally and Roger Miller.

Nashville

Tex Ritter Film Award: This award recognizes an outstanding television movie, series or feature film released during the preceding calendar year which prominently features country music.
Past Winners: Beer For My Horses, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Country Strong, Crazy Heart, Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors, O Brother, Where Art Thou, Sweet Dreams and Walk the Line.

photos: Willie Nelson by David McClister/Sony Music Entertainment; Dolly Parton by Quantrell Colbert/NBC; George Strait courtesy EB Media; Eric Church by John Peets/UMG Nashville

Darius Rucker to Be Featured on Upcoming BBC Program, “USA Through Music”

Posted on May 30, 2017

After recent gigs on Hawaii 5-0 and Undercover Boss, Darius Rucker is adding another television credit to his résumé: the BBC’s USA Through Music, which will profile American cities through the eyes of musicians who have a passion for the area. And no musician has a bigger passion for Charleston, S.C., than Darius.

According to Charleston’s Post and Courier, Darius was interviewed by the BBC at The Windjammer, one of the first beach clubs he regularly played in the Charleston area.

As Darius walked along the beach during the Memorial Day weekend, he told the BBC crew, “I feel like this is the place that God put me in this world to live . . . I could live anywhere in the world. This is home.”

USA Through Music is scheduled to air worldwide from September through December.

Watch Brooke Eden Shake It Up After Her Breakup in New “Act Like You Don’t” Video

Posted on May 30, 2017

Over the weekend, Brooke Eden dropped a new video for her single, “Act Like You Don’t.” The tune, which was co-penned by Brooke, Jesse Frasure and Cary Barlowe, recounts Brooke’s struggle to heal from the heartbreak of a tough breakup.

“The video is a pretty literal interpretation of what I did after my breakup that influenced the song,” says Brooke to Nash Country Daily. “I spent my time hanging out with my girls a lot, going out with my girls a lot, and just basically doing anything I could do to get my brain off of thinking about my breakup. It was important to me to be truthful and authentic with the song’s lyrics, so that’s exactly what I wanted to show in the video.”

The camera tags along as Brooke gets ready at her apartment for a night out, and follows along as Brooke and her girlfriends have a good time at one of Nashville’s favorite dive bars, Springwater.

“My role in the video is exactly what I did after the breakup,” says Brooke. “It’s like you really have to put yourself in the place of going back to two years ago and reliving when this was reality. I never wanted to be alone after my breakup. I wanted to be with all of my friends and just fill my brain with anything other than thinking about the breakup. I wasn’t bashing my ex, either. It was more like I needed to get away from the situation. I didn’t want to feel like a victim in the video. I want to feel victorious at the end of it and feel like I’m moving on from something instead.”

Watch Brooke’s “Act Like You Don’t” video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgZLzM2_gKo

photo by Glenn Sweitzer

Jimmy’s blog: Currie wants UT competing in all sports

Posted on May 30, 2017

In the past six years, Tennessee has won three SEC regular-season championships.

Considering UT fields 19 sports, that’s three titles in 114 chances.

During that time, Tennessee has fallen off the map in terms of competing for the SEC all-sports trophy, once a desirable and achievable goal on Rocky Top.

No longer.

Softball has carried the banner for Tennessee sports since the Ralph and Karen Weekly were hired as co-head coaches in 2002. The program has been to seven Women’s College World Series in the past dozen years.

Women’s basketball hasn’t reached the Final Four since 2008.

Football hasn’t won the East Division since 2007.

Baseball hasn’t made the NCAA tournament since 2005 and fired its coach this month.

Men’s tennis just went 3-21 in SEC play over the past two years and fired its coach this month.

Women’s tennis hasn’t been relevant in the SEC in many years. Neither has men’s golf or women’s volleyball or women’s soccer.

You just don’t find many sports competing at a high national level like Florida, which currently has five spring sports rank among the nation’s top five and another in the top 10.

As John Currie succeeds Dave Hart as UT’s athletic director, he’d like to make all sports relevant again in the SEC, much like it was during parts of the 1990s and 2000s when Currie was an assistant AD at Tennessee.

“I’m committed to every student-athlete having the opportunity to have a great student-athlete experience, a world-class student-athlete experience,’’ Currie said.

“I have yet to do an exit interview with a student-athlete who didn’t want to win. The one thing they want to do is win more. So winning is very important for the student-athlete experience.

“Putting the student-athlete in position to win is a part of that. Now they’ve got to earn it. They’ve got to get it done.

“But we’re committed to being champions in any sport we play at the University of Tennessee.’’

Currie said many schools have a “proliferation of media revenues,’’ and each SEC school has the same amount of assistant coaches and scholarships. He pointed out that some under sourced schools now have resources, which helps level the playing field.

“You see a great demarcation of ability to compete at the highest level,’’ Currie said. “You see talent spread out.’’

And you see improved facilities. Currie said when he left Kansas State several months ago, the Wildcats had better football facilities than Texas. Texas!

“That’s unimaginable,’’ Currie said.

“Tennessee historically has had among the best facilities in the country and we still have among the best facilities in the country, even though we have some tweaking and pushing forward we need to do to get back ahead.

“Everybody’s got good facilities now. Everybody’s got a sports psychologist. And everybody’s putting out cost-of-attendance money. Everybody’s got a fuel station.

“At the end of the day, it’s going to be about people again. It goes back to what it was about at the very beginning – people. Who coaches your players and student-athletes? And whether or not you can build a culture of toughness and resiliency and leadership.

“The great coaches who are able to cultivate that in their group and their teams, they’re the ones that will be champions at the end.’’

Currie has already made two changes, firing men’s tennis coach Sam Winterbotham and baseball coach Dave Serrano.

More changes could be forthcoming in the next few months.

The key for Currie will be his ability to find the right coach to build that culture of toughness and resiliency and leadership.

Because in too many UT sports for too long, that has been missing.

Sponsored by Big Kahuna Wings: The wings that changed it all

SEC Spring Meetings Destin Central: All Interviews Here

Posted on May 30, 2017

The 2017 SEC Spring Meetings are taking place Tuesday through Friday this week in Destin, Florida.

Jimmy Hyams once again brings you unmatched coverage of this huge annual event with one-on-one interviews, group interviews and press conferences with the latest on SEC news.

Jimmy will have interviews with Tennessee representatives like Butch Jones, Rick Barnes and John Currie, in addition to coaches and ADs from around the league as well as with top media members from around the country.

Below, you will find a player with all of the interviews from the SEC Spring Meetings in Destin once we start loading those on Tuesday.

Vols Football Opponent Insider Preview: Missouri

Posted on May 30, 2017

By WNML Staff

John Wilkerson and Jimmy Hyams are previewing every UT football 2017 season opponent on SportsTalk.

Jimmy and Vince Ferrara learned about the Missouri Tigers, UT’s road opponent November 11, from Dave Matter of the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Listen to that preview interview below.

Vols Football Opponent Insider Preview: LSU

Posted on May 30, 2017

By WNML Staff

John Wilkerson and Jimmy Hyams are previewing every UT football 2017 season opponent on SportsTalk.

Jimmy and Vince Ferrara learned about the LSU Tigers, UT’s home opponent November 18, from Bryan Lazare of TigerBait.com. Listen to that preview interview below.

Vols Football Opponent Insider Preview: South Carolina

Posted on May 30, 2017

By WNML Staff

John Wilkerson and Jimmy Hyams are previewing every UT football 2017 season opponent on SportsTalk.

Jimmy and Vince Ferrara learned about the South Carolina Gamecocks, UT’s home opponent October 14, from Phil Kornblut of the South Carolina Radio Network. Listen to that preview interview below.