Eli Young Band’s Tour Bus Catches Fire & Burns, Everyone Is OK

Eli Young Band’s Tour Bus Catches Fire & Burns, Everyone Is OK

Posted on January 18, 2017

Eli Young Band—a Texas quartet comprised of Mike Eli, James Young, Jon Jones and Chris Thompson—had a scare outside of Topeka, Kan., last night (Jan. 17) when their tour bus caught fire and burned.

Fortunately, no one was hurt, including the band’s driver, Randy.

The band shared a post on Instagram: “Our bus caught fire tonight right outside of Topeka, KS. We’ve lost more than a bus here. There are memories and possessions that we can’t replace! It’s really sad to see her go. We’re just happy that our driver, Randy, is safe!”

They also included a video on Twitter, which you can see below.

Exclusive: Watch Newcomer Morgan Wallen’s Acoustic Performance of Debut Single, “‘The Way I Talk”

Exclusive: Watch Newcomer Morgan Wallen’s Acoustic Performance of Debut Single, “‘The Way I Talk”

Posted on January 18, 2017

Newcomer Morgan Wallen has a lot to look forward to in the new year. The 23-year-old Tennessee native, who recently released his debut EP, The Way I Talk, will be joining a leg of Florida Georgia Line’s Dig Your Roots Tour and is currently on a radio tour promoting his debut single, “‘The Way I Talk,” which is climbing the country charts.

“‘The Way I Talk’ is a song that lets the world know who I am right off the bat—the way I was raised and the things I love,” Morgan tells Nash Country Daily. “Even though it’s a song that tells my story, I believe that everyone can insert their own experiences and things they love. I realize everyone is not a Tennessee Volunteer fan so it’s okay if y’all say Roll Tide or Rock Chalk Jayhawk instead.”

Morgan, who was raised by a hard-rock-loving dad and country-music-loving mom, has been performing since the age of 3. His sound is cultivated from a combination of both his parents’ love of music—fostering a love of country, rock and hip-hop in their son.

Nash Country Daily has the exclusive premiere of Morgan’s acoustic performance of his current single, “The Way I Talk,” which can be found on his debut EP of the same name. You’ll be able to catch Morgan when he brings his sound to larger audiences as part of Florida Georgia Line’s Dig Your Roots Tour later this year.

“First of all I wanna thank T. Hubb [Tyler Hubbard], BK [Brian Kelley] and the whole FGL camp for allowing me the privilege of getting out on the road with them,” Morgan said. “I am such a fan of what they do, and such a fan of them as people. I’m also a fan of their 28,000 fans who come out to the shows! Hopefully they won’t mind if a few of them become Morgan Wallen fans as well. I’ve already learned a lot from them just by hanging and watching their shows in 2016. Can’t wait to get out there and tear it down in 2017!”

Watch Morgan’s acoustic performance of “‘The Way I Talk.”

Photo by Delaney Royer / Sweettalk PR

NCD Conspiracy Theory: Putin Responsible for Lonestar Getting a People’s Choice Award Nomination

NCD Conspiracy Theory: Putin Responsible for Lonestar Getting a People’s Choice Award Nomination

Posted on January 17, 2017

With all due respect, and remember, I said “with all due respect,” how did Lonestar get nominated for a 2017 People’s Choice Award for Best Country Group? The quartet, comprised of Richie McDonald, Michael Britt, Keech Rainwater and Dean Sams, will go head-to-head with nominees Little Big Town, Florida Georgia Line, The Band Perry and Zac Brown Band at this year’s ceremony.

The only reasonable explanation is that Russian president Vladimir Putin is a closeted Lonestar super-fan who personally directed a hack of the People’s Choice Awards nomination process.

Put 30 seconds on the clock. I’m now going to name as many country bands as I can that would have surprised me less than Lonestar being nominated: Old Dominion, Brothers Osborne, Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, Dixie Chicks, Big & Rich, Dan + Shay, A Thousand Horses, Blackberry Smoke, Maddie & Tae, Thompson Square, Joey + Rory, Montgomery Gentry, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Eli Young Band, Alabama, Randy Rogers Band, The Mavericks, Josh Abbott Band, Oak Ridge Boys, Old Crow Medicine Show and Brooks & Dunn, who disbanded as duo in 2010 (but that would still be less shocking).

Lonestar didn’t exactly set the country music industry on fire in 2016. The four-piece band released its 10th studio album, Never Enders, which peaked at No. 48 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. The title track was released as a single, but it failed to chart. Perhaps Lonestar is still getting residual votes based on their 1999 No. 1 hit, “Amazed,” which has been played at every mulleted wedding from 1999 to the present. That, alone, is worth a 2017 nomination, I guess.

Ready for one more factoid that supports my Putin-tampering theory: Lonestar’s Richie McDonald is playing at Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again Welcome Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial on Thursday, Jan. 19—one day after the People’s Choice Awards on Wednesday, Jan. 18. Coincidence? I think not.

In all seriousness, congrats to Lonestar for having such a passionate fan base.

“It’s such an honor to be nominated for Favorite Country Group,” said Lonestar’s Michael Britt in a statement. “We’ve been at this a long time and we’ve met a lot of fans and friends over the years and it’s just really nice to be part of the People’s Choice Awards this year. It’s nice to know we have such committed fans and we thank them for our longevity.”

“We always knew our fans were the best,” added Lonestar’s Dean Sams. “Our nomination for the People’s Choice Award this year is something we are all very proud of. We’ve already won whether we get the award or not. A huge thanks to all our fans for making this happen.”

Tune in to the People’s Choice Award on Jan. 18 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS to see if Putin has enough pull to get Lonestar the trophy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-skFgrV59A

photo by Jon Paul Bruno

Little Big Town Goes to Disney Resort to Kick Off Music in Our Schools Program—“Music Education Is a Right of Every Student,” Says Karen Fairchild

Little Big Town Goes to Disney Resort to Kick Off Music in Our Schools Program—“Music Education Is a Right of Every Student,” Says Karen Fairchild

Posted on January 17, 2017

Over the weekend, Little Big Town added some “magic” to the most magical place on earth.

The fabulous foursome made the day of some Ohio students from Wadsworth High School when they made a surprise appearance at the Disney Performing Arts workshop at Saratoga Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., to share some inspiring words. They even brought their special friend, Mickey Mouse, along for the fun.

Little Big Town Kicks Off MIOS at DisneyAs a part of the Give a Note Foundation’s 2017 Music in Our Schools Tour, LBT’s Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Jimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet revealed their own experiences with music education and the importance of music to the students.

“Music education is a right of every student,” said Karen. “It helps them develop creativity and self-expression. It builds skills like collaboration and critical thinking that help them succeed in life. For me, my music teacher in high school pushed me out onstage for the very first time to sing a solo, and it changed my life. So I’m very grateful for music education and the power that it had on my career.”

The fourth annual Music in Our Schools Tour allows the students to experience a “real world” performance and record a portion of a Disney film soundtrack. The event was founded by the Give a Note Foundation, which brings awareness to the importance of music education, and to nurture, grow and strengthen music education opportunities—for every student, every school and every community.

The following six schools will be receiving a $2,500 grant from the Give a Note Foundation, which will be matched by the CMA Foundation.

  • Ramona High School, Riverside, Calif.
  • Joliet Central High School, Joliet, Ill.
  • Salina South Middle School, Salina, Kan.
  • James Otis Elementary School, Boston
  • Tar River Elementary School, Franklinton, N.C.
  • Wenatchee High School, Wenatchee, Wash.

Congratulations to all involved.

Photo by Greg Newton/CMA

Chris Lane Marks “The Bachelor” Off His Bucket List

Chris Lane Marks “The Bachelor” Off His Bucket List

Posted on January 17, 2017

If you follow Chris Lane on social media, you know he is a die-hard fan of the ABC reality show The Bachelor, and he doesn’t miss an episode. However, this season may be a little different for the “Fix” singer. Not only will Chris tune in to see the latest bachelor, Nick Viall, date 25 women at one time, but he will also be making an appearance on an upcoming episode.

“It’s no secret one of my favorite shows is The Bachelor/Bachelorette . . . so this was definitely a bucket-list opportunity that I could never pass up,” Chris said in a statement. “The crew, Nick [Viall] and his date were a lot of fun to work with and the sold-out crowd was amazing. Definitely a highlight of the year!”

In the episode, a romantic dinner leads to a surprise concert by Chris, who will perform his current single, “For Her,” during the one-on-one date. Chris’ episode is scheduled to air Monday, Jan. 23, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Nick Viall, who has appeared on The Bachelorette two times before—as runner-up on both Kaitlyn Bristowe’s and Andi Dorfman’s seasons—and tried to find love on Bachelor In Paradise, is trying a fourth time to find love on the reality television series. If it doesn’t work out this time, Nick may want to try finding love without the cameras.

Chris is so enamored with the show that he even posted a photo of himself on Instagram, accepting a rose from The Bachelorette alum Vinny Ventiera (JoJo Fletcher’s season). Now that’s dedication . . . or obsession.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPWYwWKAH1p/?taken-by=iamchrislane

Photo by Andrew Chin/Getty Images

George Strait and Brad Paisley to Perform at Nashville Honors Gala on Feb. 27

George Strait and Brad Paisley to Perform at Nashville Honors Gala on Feb. 27

Posted on January 17, 2017

If you’re not planning to go to Las Vegas this year to catch one of George Strait’s 10 shows, your chances of seeing King George perform in 2017 are few and far between. However, Nashville happens to be one of the few and far-between locales.

George, as well as Brad Paisley, will perform at the 9th annual T.J. Martell Foundation Nashville Honors Gala on Feb. 27 at the Omni Hotel. The gala pays tribute to outstanding community leaders and each honoree is celebrated with a musical performance and a heartwarming presentation. The event has raised more than $4 million for leukemia, cancer and AIDS research since its inception in 2009.

This year’s honorees include:

  • Janet Miller – Spirit of Nashville Award
  • Dr. Joseph Smith – Medical Research Advancement Award
  • Rod Essig – Frances Preston Outstanding Music Industry Achievement Award
  • Louis Messina – Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award
  • Scott Hamilton – Lifetime Humanitarian Award

Tickets for the fundraising gala are available now.

 

George Strait courtesy EB Media; Brad Paisley by Jim Shea/Schmidt Relations

The 10 Most-Streamed Songs of 2016 Include Tunes by Thomas Rhett, Sam Hunt, FGL, Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan & Tim McGraw—But Who’s No. 1?

The 10 Most-Streamed Songs of 2016 Include Tunes by Thomas Rhett, Sam Hunt, FGL, Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan & Tim McGraw—But Who’s No. 1?

Posted on January 17, 2017

While both album sales (-11%) and track sales (-23%) dipped in 2016 compared to 2015’s numbers, audio/video streaming results increased 57% from 14.1 billion streams in 2015 to 22.1 billion streams in 2016, according to Billboard and Nielsen Music.

With more than 175 million streams, Florida Georgia Line’s “H.O.L.Y.” topped the list of the most-streamed songs in 2016. “H.O.L.Y” was also the top-selling digital song of 2016, selling more than 1.37 million units.

Rounding out the Top 5 include Thomas Rhett’s “Die a Happy Man” (156,400,000), Sam Hunt’s “Break Up in a Small Town” (127,300,000) and “Take Your Time” (95,400,000) and Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey” (93,000,000).

But the big winner on the year is Sam Hunt, who tallied four songs in the Top 10, with total streams of more than 395 million. Thomas Rhett also had two songs in the Top 10. Despite the success that Kelsea Ballerini’s “Peter Pan” and Maren Morris’ “My Church” had with track sales, no female artists were represented in the Top 10 most-streamed songs in 2016.

Most-Streamed Country Songs of 2016

  1. “H.O.L.Y.” – Florida Georgia Line – 175,400,000
  2. “Die a Happy Man” – Thomas Rhett – 156,400,000
  3. “Break Up in a Small Town” – Sam Hunt – 127,300,000
  4. “Take Your Time” – Sam Hunt – 95,400,000
  5. “Tennessee Whiskey” – Chris Stapleton – 93,000,000
  6. “Make You Miss Me” –Sam Hunt – 92,900,000
  7. “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day” – Luke Bryan – 85,500,000
  8. “Humble and Kind” –Tim McGraw – 83,800,000
  9. “House Party” – Sam Hunt – 79,800,000
  10. “T-Shirt” –Thomas Rhett – 78,700,000

Thomas Rhett by John Shearer/The Greenroom PR; Sam Hunt by Steven Worster/UMG Nashville; Florida Georgia Line by Jim Wright/NASCAR; Luke Bryan by Jim Wright/CMA; Tim McGraw courtesy PMK/BNC; Chris Stapleton courtesy UMG Nashville

Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard Take Hands-On Approach When Making Old Camp Whiskey

Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard Take Hands-On Approach When Making Old Camp Whiskey

Posted on January 17, 2017

Last year Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard got mixed up in the spirits business by unveiling their own line of whiskey called Old Camp Whiskey.

What many people don’t know is that the guys weren’t just putting their name behind the brand, they were taking a very hands-on approach with Old Camp—mixing and tasting along the way.

“Tyler and I, we always thought it’d be cool to kind of have our own whiskey. And we took it a little bit more serious, and we hired a company to help us perfect that right taste that we wanted,” Brian said. “Every other month it seemed like they were showing up before meet and greets at our shows and we were sampling and we were mixing and matching and making changes and altering. You know, that’s got too much pecan, that’s got too much peach, that’s got not enough whiskey, whatever it may be. But we just wanted to get it exactly how we like it.”

It may be serious work but the duo is enjoying the brand that has allowed them to connect with fans in a new way.

“We knew our fans would love it and connect with it, continues Brian. “Whiskey is something, to be honest with you, we’ve been tasting for years and years. But it’s something that we’re passionate about—the whiskey business. We don’t know everything but we’ve got a really good team around us and we enjoy it. It’s fun.”

Old Camp Whiskey is available nationwide, and you just might catch the guys enjoying a glass or two as they continue to promote their latest single, “God, Your Mama and Me,” featuring the Backstreet Boys.

Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Old Camp Peach Pecan Whiskey

Josh Kelley and Katherine Heigl Welcome Baby Boy to the Family

Josh Kelley and Katherine Heigl Welcome Baby Boy to the Family

Posted on January 17, 2017

Singer/songwriter Josh Kelley and his actress wife, Katherine Heigl, welcomed the addition of a baby boy, Joshua Bishop Kelley Jr., to their family on Dec. 20, 2016, according to People magazine.

Josh and Katherine, who have been married since 2005, also have two daughters, Adalaide, 4, and Naleigh, 8.

While we don’t have any pics of the little guy yet, we’ll keep ya posted if the happy couple decides to release one.

 

 

 

 

Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban Set to Perform at 2017 Grammy Awards

Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban Set to Perform at 2017 Grammy Awards

Posted on January 17, 2017

The Recording Academy rolled out its first wave of performers for the 2017 Grammys with a TV spot that aired Saturday night (Jan. 14) during the NFL playoffs.

Good news for country music fans: Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban will take the stage, along with Metallica, The Weeknd and John Legend. More performers will be announced soon.

Keith picked up two Grammy nominations this year for Best Country Album for Ripcord and Best Country Solo Performance for “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” while Carrie copped a nomination for Best Country Solo Performance for “Church Bells.”

Hosted by James Corden, the Grammy’s will air live from the Staples Center on Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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