After calling on fans and friends to join him in the making of his new video for “Heaven South” last week, Brad Paisley released the final version just a few days later (April 19).
Taking over downtown Franklin, Tenn., a picturesque town 20 miles south of Nashville, Brad and approximately 400 of his closest friends blocked off Main Street to film the video. Brad, who said he thinks about Franklin when he hears the song, not only performed “Heaven South” for the crowd, but also a number of his other hits.
“Drive down Main Street and everybody’s there / Subwoofers booming like cannons in a square / Sign says “no cruising” but nobody cares / I got a girl to put my arm around / It’s just another day in Heaven South,” Brad sings in the chorus.
The video shows Brad and his band sitting in the bed of a truck, singing the song through the streets of Tennessee as images of things that make the South a special place—dogs, sweet tea and friendly people—flash on the screen. Brad finally ends up on Main Street in downtown Franklin, where he jumps onstage to perform for the crowd.
The mini-concert/video shoot, which started at 5 p.m. on Saturday (April 15), even had the Franklin Police Department tweeting about the event.
“Heaven South,” written by Brad, Brent Anderson and Chris DuBois, is the second single from Brad’s upcoming 11th studio album, Love and War, due out tomorrow (April 21).
Watch Brad and friends show off Franklin in “Heaven South.”
Last week, Eric Church dropped the fourth single, “Round Here Buzz,” from his 2015 album, Mr. Misunderstood. The Billboard No. 2 album has already produced a No. 1 single (“Record Year”) as well as another Top 10 (“Kill a Word”).
Co-written by Eric, Luke Dick and Jeff Hyde, “Round Here Buzz” is currently No. 53 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart after one week.
On Tuesday (April 18), Eric released a new lyric video for “Round Here Buzz” that features some hazy black-and-white photography in the clip.
Two years ago today (April 20), Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard released the single and video for “It’s All Going to Pot,” a tune from their duet album, Django & Jimmie.
Written by Buddy Cannon, Larry Shell and Jamey Johnson, the song and video were released on 4/20, which is known as Weed Day in cannabis-loving circles because it corresponds with the numerical code for marijuana.
“It’s All Going to Pot” is the last single Merle released before his death on April 6, 2016.
Take the high road and listen to “It’s All Going to Pot” on Weed Day.
Yesterday (April 19) was a good day for Maren Morris.
After eating a BBQ lunch from Martin’s (the best in Nashville, in my opinion), Maren received a special package in the mail: her 2017 Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance for “My Church.” Maren bested Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert and Brandy Clark for the award.
Maren posted a pic on Instagram of her shiny new Grammy with the caption: “At the studio yesterday eating Martin’s BBQ and this little lady finally came in the mail. It just doesn’t get more Nashville than that. 📷: @alexmferrari”
Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini are going to get to spend a little more time together this year when the two host 2017’s CMA Music Festival special on ABC.
TR and Kelsea are currently on the road together as part of Thomas Rhett’s Home Team Tour, scheduled to hit Nashville tonight and Friday (April 20-21). Thomas Rhett returns to host for a second year in a row, after he co-hosted the special in 2016 with Brett Eldredge.
“I’ve grown up going to CMA Fest as a fan and last year getting to perform on the big stage is one of the most epic memories I’ll ever have. And now, being able to host with my current tour mate, Thomas Rhett, is going to be another crazy thing off the bucket list,” said Kelsea in a statement. “I can’t wait to test out my hosting skills and perform again this year!”
“I always look forward to CMA Music Fest,” added Thomas Rhett. “Ever since I was there as a fan sitting in the nosebleeds to hosting this year with Kelsea, it’s always been one of the biggest weeks in Country Music that is all about the fans. I’m pumped.”
The three-hour special covers performances from 2017’s upcoming CMA Fest, including those scheduled to perform on the Nissan Stadium stage—Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Florida Georgia Line, Little Big Town, Sam Hunt, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley and Eric Church—as wells as Kelsea and Thomas Rhett.
Kelsea was so excited about the news that she took to her Instagram account to share the joy.
“News is out! Not only do I get to play, I get to HOST CMA Fest with my brother @thomasrhettakins this summer. Gonna be funnnnn. Who will we see there??” she said in the caption.
CMA Music Festival takes place in Nashville on June 8-11.
Coming in at No. 7 on the list is a house owned by Big & Rich’s Big Kenny Alphin that’s on the market for a cool $10 million.
Located in Nashville’s upscale Green Hills neighborhood, the 20,000-square-foot Chateau di Amore is a home fit for a music star with its detached 4,000-square-foot recording studio. Dubbed the Last Dollar Studio, the facility is the brainchild of studio “starchitect” Michael Cronin and current owner and country star Big Kenny of Big & Rich fame. Other swanky amenities in the country celebrity’s home include an authentic 19th century Irish pub, a 14-seat dining room with views into a 1,000-bottle wine cellar, heated saltwater pool, custom jacuzzi and bocce ball court.Pictures courtesy of Worth Properties Inc.
No. 1 on Property Shark’s list is a house owned by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill that has an asking price of $18.5 million.
Currently owned by country music royalty Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, this 622-acre estate was once home to country legend Hank Williams as well. There are six homes on the property, including the historic Beachwood Hall built in 1856—also known as the H.G.W. Mayberry House—and the 3-bed Samuel S.Morton House, both of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The other homes include two cabins and two caretaker’s cabins. The grand estate also features equestrian facilities, including a historic barn, stables, rolling pastures and ponds. Pictures courtesy of Property Shark.
In order to determine which were the most expensive homes for sale in Tennessee, Property Shark looked at all residential properties listed for sale, taking into account condo, co-op, single- and two-family homes. All package deals were excluded.
Ty Herndon is making a statement about inclusiveness with his second Concert for Love and Acceptance taking place at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville on June 8, during CMA Music Festival.
The event, hosted by CMT’s Cody Alan, supports the LGBTQ community and at-risk youth, a cause close to Ty’s heart. The singer revealed he was gay in 2014, at the age of 52 and held the inaugural concert in June of 2015.
“I’m very excited to announce our second Concert for Love and Acceptance. We had so much fun the first time that we had to do it again,” Ty said in a statement. “We have some amazing artists and celebrities that are coming together to celebrate love and acceptance in Nashville, and we want to be a shining beacon to the rest of this world we are living in.”
Artists announced for the event include Billy Gilman, Kree Harrison, Ryan Kinder, Runaway June, Lorrie Morgan, Michael Ray, Street Corner Symphony, and Thompson Square, with more to be announced at a later date.
Doors open at 6pm, red carpet begins at 7pm and concert begins at 7:30pm. Tickets, range in price from $25 for general admission to $100 for VIP tickets, are on sale now and can be purchased at Wildhorse Saloon’s website.
On the country music front, Carrie Underwood made the cut as one of the magazine’s Fabulous Faces, alongside stars like Reese Witherspoon, Adele, Emma Stone, Emma Watson, Oprah Winfrey and Alicia Keys.
“There’s something about those stars who became famous on American Idol that you feel this kind of ownership of them,” says People editor Jess Cagle to ABC news. “You feel like you were there from the very beginning. You’ve seen them evolve, you saw the real person they are, so they can’t change too much. They can’t go too Hollywood, because we were there. We knew you when, Carrie Underwood!”
Kelsea Ballerini was named to the magazine’s Beauty at Every Age list, which includes 40 stars who “set the standard for modern beauty.” Former Nashville star Connie Britton was also named to the list, as well as others like Olvia Munn, Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and more.
Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani were named to the magazine’s In Sync Couples list with others such as Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen.
The new issue of People hits the stands on Friday, April 21.
Tennessee’s offensive line will have to perform at a higher level in 2017.
Head coach Butch Jones would agree. That’s why he replaced offensive line coach Don Mahoney with Walt Wells during the offseason.
But what about Tennessee’s offensive line needs to change?
Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network shared his thoughts on Tennessee’s offensive line during an appearance on Sports 180 on Tuesday. Cubelic, who played on the offensive line at Auburn from 1996-2001, pointed to an issue he noticed with the Vols’ offensive line last season.
“The main thing I saw was finish and attitude,” Cubelic said. “I was the strongest player on Auburn’s football team and I wasn’t knocking anybody on their ass on a regular basis so the weight room doesn’t necessarily transition over to being a good offensive lineman all that much.”
Cubelic said he believes the arrival of talented freshman Trey Smith and the improvement from left tackle Drew Richmond, a former five-star prospect in the 2015 class, should help Tennessee’s offensive line. That’s as long as the Vols work on their mistakes from last season.
“There are some guys that had a lot of talent along that offensive line,” Cubelic said, “but I thought toughness, I thought finish and I thought attitude were the biggest issues up there. They didn’t seem like a group that really played together well very much. It was similar to something I saw with Alabama’s offensive line last year.
“You had a lot of guys that were sort of just a lot of C.Y.A. (cover your ass). They were concerned about their own assignments, concerned about themselves. That can’t happen playing offensive line. It needs to operate as one; it needs to work as one, and if it doesn’t, you’re going to get beat.”
Cubelic shared more of his thoughts on Tennessee’s football team, defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie and the Vols’ competition in the SEC East. Listen below.
We are a just a few days away from the DISH Orange & White Game – even for an exhibition contest, pulling onto campus on a gameday morning is a special feeling! I can’t wait to see the Volunteer faithful lining up to get into Neyland Stadium for a look at Coach Jones’ fifth edition of Tennessee football. You can read more about all the events of the day surrounding the game and information you need to know. And remember that in appreciation for the unwavering support of Big Orange fans, every admission is FREE!
Of course we are already well into a full week of competition, including baseball hosting UNC Asheville tonight at 6:00 in Lindsey Nelson Stadium, while our 23rd-ranked women’s tennis team is in Nashville, where they shut out #14 Alabama 4-0 earlier today in the opening round of the SEC Tournament and will face Mississippi State Thursday morning. Check out the full women’s tennis SEC bracket, and remember that we’re hosting the men’s tennis SEC Tournament starting next Wednesday right here in Knoxville at the recently upgraded Barksdale Stadium. Both tennis teams finished their regular seasons with great wins over LSU!
Our baseball and softball teams are on the road in SEC play this weekend, traveling to Texas A&M and LSU, respectively. Live SEC Network + streams of all three baseball games will be available via the WatchESPN app, with first pitches set for 3 p.m. ETon Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m.Sunday. Friday (7 p.m. ET) and Saturday’s (4 p.m. ET) softball games also will be streamed on SEC Network +, while Sunday’sshowdown will be televised on the SEC Network starting at 2 p.m. ET.
The men’s and women’s golf squads both take to the course for their SEC Championships this weekend. The men tee off at the Seaside Course in St. Simons Island, Ga., with stroke play on Friday and Saturday and match play on Sunday and Monday. Our women are playing Greystone Country Club in Birmingham, Ala., Fridaythrough Sunday.
Let’s also be sure to show our support this weekend to the rowing team (competing at the Clemson Invitational Saturday and Sunday), soccer team (Saturday spring scrimmage doubleheader at home against West Virginia [11 a.m.] and Wake Forest [4 p.m.]) and cross country runners (competing at the Virginia Challenge Friday and Saturday).
Big Orange Caravan Update
During my eight years away from Knoxville, I carried fond memories of meeting the Tennessee faithful across the state and around the country at Big Orange Caravan functions. In fact, one of my original duties with the Volunteer Athletic Scholarship Fund way back in 1997 was helping to organize that spring tour – I remember loading up that Chilhowee RV (we even packed extra dry socks) early in the morning to head out for multiple stops for meals and golf and opportunities to say thanks to our fans across the state for a week at a time.
When I arrived to officially start my new duties 19 days ago, I learned that we didn’t yet have any caravan events planned for 2017. Certainly the nature and purpose of the traditional “spring tour” at universities all over the country has evolved and changed – especially with instant (24/7, right?) access to information and news that used to only be available at live events, year-round recruiting demands on our coaches and, of course, the multiple activities (youth sports, etc.) which fill many family calendars.
However, be assured that we are committed to Tennessee Athletics being visible and accessible to our fans throughout Big Orange Country, and I appreciate our staff working hard over the last two weeks to plan three 2017 BOC events immediately, including the traditional Nashville All-Sports Picnic, now set for July 10, along with a return to Memphis and a Chattanooga event on dates we will announce soon. One of our department priorities for the 2017-18 year will be to develop and implement a revitalized and modernized 2018 Big Orange Caravan, which will remain a collaborative effort with UT’s award-winning national alumni association, along with input from our fans.
Beamer, Durham to be Honored Saturday
The East Tennessee Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame hands out its prestigious Neyland Trophy and Lindsey Nelson Broadcasting Award every year during the Orange & White Game weekend. This year’s recipients are legendary Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer and longtime North Carolina play-by-play announcer Woody Durham.
I have always admired Coach Beamer and enjoyed getting to know his son, Shane, as a graduate assistant on Coach Fulmer’s Tennessee staff years ago. And, as a little kid growing up in Chapel Hill, I looked up to Woody Durham and revered his voice just like folks in Tennessee “grew up” listening to the legendary John Ward – and now for 18 years, Bob Kesling.
Remembering Bill Anderson
Broadcasters play such a critical role in our memories of thrilling games, winning plays and great victories, so it’s with much sadness that we mourn Tuesday’s passing of former Vol Network analyst – and Tennessee standout and Super Bowl champion – Bill Anderson. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Anderson family as we celebrate Bill’s contributions to the history of Volunteers football.
Sacks Salute Saturday
Speaking of our storied football history, Tennessee’s new all-time sacks leader, Derek Barnett, will be attending the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft next Thursday night (televised on ESPN and NFL Network). We’ll be sending a crew from VFL Films to document Derek’s experience in Philadelphia as he officially begins his NFL career. He is one of several Vols projected to hear his name called during the three-day draft – further proof of the outstanding player development taking place in our football program under Coach Jones.
We’ll also be honoring Barnett on the field during halftime of Saturday’s DISH Orange & White Game.
40+ Student-Athletes Earn SEC Academic Acclaim
From an academic perspective, I was proud to see that 41 of our student-athletes were named to 2016-17 Winter SEC Academic Honor Roll today. Each honoree posted a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and I encourage you to check out the list of names representing our swimming & diving and basketball programs.
Rocky Top Rocket Scientists Land $10 million NASA Grant!
It’s always important to remain aware that athletics is just one part of what makes the University of Tennessee such an extraordinary institution. With that in mind, did you see last week’s announcement that a UTK-led team of researchers has been awarded a nearly $10 million grant from NASA for the development of breakthroughs in flight dynamics, communications, speed and propulsion? Right here on Rocky Top, our incredible UT professors and students are working to design better, more efficient aircraft wings!
Softball Thrills with Wins Over No. 9 ‘Bama
Before I sign off I want to send a big shout-out to Coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly, as Tennessee softball extended the nation’s longest active win streak to 18 games last weekend with two big triumphs over then ninth-ranked Alabama in sold-out Sherri Parker Lee Stadium! I had made the jaunt back to Kansas to spend Easter with my family, and since we are trying to keep our house clean for showings to prospective buyers, we found ourselves eating a late Sunday dinner in one of my favorite “Little Apple” establishments – where at my request the TV was tuned to the SEC Network just in time for the last couple innings and Brooke Vines’ clutch, walk-off homer!
Thanks again for all you do for Tennessee student-athletes. Go Big Orange!
![Listed at $18.5 Million, This Country Music Couple Has the Most Expensive House for Sale in Tennessee [Photo Gallery]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/1446/2017/04/20095045/Tim-Faith.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
The event, hosted by CMT’s Cody Alan, supports the LGBTQ community and at-risk youth, a cause close to Ty’s heart. The singer revealed he was gay in 2014, at the age of 52 and held the inaugural concert in June of 2015.
