13 Country Artists Who Have the Chutzpah to Perform on Friday the 13th, Including Eric Church, Travis Tritt, Lee Brice & LOCASH

13 Country Artists Who Have the Chutzpah to Perform on Friday the 13th, Including Eric Church, Travis Tritt, Lee Brice & LOCASH

Posted on January 13, 2017

Paraskevidekatriaphobia is the fear of Friday the 13th, but we found 13 artists who are laughing in the face of the almost-unpronounceable word by performing a show today (Jan. 13).

In fact, Eric Church is launching his massive 65-city Holdin’ My Own Tour today, so he must have zero regard for the unlucky number, while the boys from LOCASH are doubling-down in New Orleans, the voodoo capital of the U.S. On the other end of the spectrum, D. Striker, a Nashville-based artist with a fun-loving cult-like following, only performs on Friday the 13th, and since there is only one other Friday the 13th this year (Oct. 13), catch him while you can.

Without further ado, here are 13 artists with the chutzpah to perform on Friday the 13th.

  1. Eric Church – Lincoln, Neb. – Pinnacle Bank Arena
  2. Lee Brice, Justin Moore, Williams Michael Morgan, Brett Young – La Crosse, Wis. – La Crosse Center
  3. LOCASH – New Orleans – House of Blues
  4. Dwight Yoakam – Seattle – The Moore Theatre
  5. Kane Brown, Jordan Rager –  Salt Lake City, Utah – The Depot
  6. Josh Turner – Des Moines, Iowa – Hoyt Sherman Place
  7. Robert Earl Keen – Park City, Utah – The Egyptian Theatre
  8. Wade Bowen, Roger Creager – Robstown, Texas – Richard Borchard Regional Fairgrounds
  9. Randy Rogers Band – Webster, Texas – Big Texas Dancehall & Saloon
  10. Travis Tritt – Clovis, N.M. – Curry Country Events Center
  11. Aaron Watson – Rosemont, Ill. – Joe’s Live
  12. Joe Diffie, Mark Chestnutt, Lorrie Morgan – Phoenix, Ariz. – Celebrity Theatre
  13. D. Striker – Nashville – Radio Cafe

 

Tanya Tucker Cancels Three Tour Dates After Falling and Fracturing a Vertebra and Rib

Tanya Tucker Cancels Three Tour Dates After Falling and Fracturing a Vertebra and Rib

Posted on January 12, 2017

Tanya Tucker has postponed three tour dates after suffering a fractured vertebra and rib sustained during a fall. Nevertheless, the country music legend is in good spirits.

The “Strong Enough to Bend” singer is currently hospitalized in Texas, where she is also being treated for bronchitis. Tanya’s shows in Tulsa (Jan. 12), Emporia, Kan. (Jan. 13) and Grant, Okla. (Jan. 14) will be rescheduled.

According to tulsaworld.com, Tanya’s management said they do not expect her to undergo surgery, though her recovery process will be long.

“We’ve been having a blast with the band and fans on the road and I’m so mad this happened,” Tanya said in a statement. “I was really looking forward to seeing all the Okies and fans in Kansas this week, but we have to postpone the shows. I’ll do my very best to make it up for y’all. Let’s hope for no more accidents this year and I look forward to a great 2017.”

NCD wishes Tanya a speedy recovery.

Justin Moore Expands His Family By Two

Justin Moore Expands His Family By Two

Posted on January 12, 2017

Justin Moore’s family just got a little bit bigger. His family of 5 just became a family of 7, with the addition of their two new puppies, Johnny and June.

The “You Look Like I Need a Drink” singer posted the most adorable photo of the two puppies cuddled up in the back seat of his car. “Well…our family just expanded by two,” he captioned the photo. “Everyone meet Johnny and June! #greatdanesofinstagram”

Named after legendary country couple Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, the two Great Danes join Justin, his wife Kate and daughters, 6-year-old Ella, 5-year-old Kennedy and 2-year-old Rebecca.

According to Petmd.com, the Great Dane was developed in Germany for it’s graceful appearance, large size and hunting ability. The Great Dane’s massive size and spirited demeanor make it a bit difficult to control, especially for very small children. However, proper training and supervision can reform the Great Dane into a well-mannered family companion. It is also friendly towards other pets and household dogs.

Good Luck, Justin! Check out the photo of the sweet puppies:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPLOKouj1OW/?taken-by=justincolemoore

Photo courtesy Justin Moore Instagram

Mo Pitney and Wife Emily Welcome Baby Girl, Evelyne Nadine

Mo Pitney and Wife Emily Welcome Baby Girl, Evelyne Nadine

Posted on January 12, 2017

More Congratulations are in order today (Jan. 12) for Mo Pitney and his wife, Emily, who have started 2017 off with a bang by welcoming their first child, Evelyn Nadine, to the world. The good news arrives the same day that Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman announced the arrival of her new bundle of joy, Dolly Grace.

The “Boy and a Girl Thing” singer posted the happy news on his Instagram page with a message about the arrival of their little girl.

“Well, Evelyne Nadine decided to have her birthday early,” Mo captioned a photo of the baby. “Em and I had a number of scares this morning but God intercepted every one of them with His powerful sovereign love . . . I couldn’t be more thankful to have our baby and my wife safe and loved..

Mo popped the question to Emily on Sept. 10, 2015, and they were married on March 10, 2016.

“I couldn’t be happier,” Mo posted on Instagram about his future bride. “The Lord is just dumping love on me . . . I watched Him form the woman I asked for on my knees . . . I love this beautiful Jesus-loving woman and I’m so excited for a lifetime of serving the Lord together. I’m overflowing with thankfulness for the future Emily Pitney.”

Evelyne Nadine is the first child for the couple. NCD sends its congratulations to Mo, Emily and little Evelyne.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPLF4dvAna3/?taken-by=mopitney

Photo courtesy Mo Pitney Instagram

Wynonna, Alison Krauss, Jeff Foxworthy, Phil Vassar, Neal McCoy and More Added to Star-Studded Lineup for Randy Travis Tribute Concert

Wynonna, Alison Krauss, Jeff Foxworthy, Phil Vassar, Neal McCoy and More Added to Star-Studded Lineup for Randy Travis Tribute Concert

Posted on January 12, 2017

Country stars are coming out in full force to be a part of 1 Night. 1 Place. 1 Time: A Heroes & Friends Tribute to Randy Travis on Feb. 8 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

Wynonna, Jeff Foxworthy, Alison Krauss, Ben Haggard, Neal McCoy and Phil Vassar have been added to the already stellar lineup that includes Travis Tritt, Alabama, Kenny Rogers, Rodney Atkins, Chris Janson, Jamey Johnson, Montgomery Gentry, Michael Ray, Ricky Skaggs, Michael W. Smith, The Randy Travis Band, Tanya Tucker, Kane Brown, James Dupre, Scotty McCreery, Joe Nichols, Collin Raye, The Bellamy Brothers, Ricky Traywick and Josh Turner.

After suffering a massive stroke in 2013, Randy has made remarkable strides toward recovery, recently singing “Amazing Grace” at his Country Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony in October as well as the tagline to his iconic “Forever and Ever, Amen” at the 2016 CMA Awards in November. A portion of the proceeds of the tribute concert will go to the Randy Travis Foundation, a nonprofit that raises money for stroke research and rehabilitation.

Tickets are on sale now at all Ticketmaster locations and the Bridgestone Arena box office.

Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman Welcomes A Baby Girl To The Family

Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman Welcomes A Baby Girl To The Family

Posted on January 12, 2017

Congratulations are going out to Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman and her husband Stephen, who welcomed a new addition to the family — a new daughter Dolly Grace.

Just this morning (Jan. 12), Kimberly broke the surprise news on her twitter page with a photo of her new bundle of joy.  “The New Year brought our family new love,” she captioned the family photo.  “We’re so excited to introduce you to Daisy’s little sister, Dolly Grace.”

According to the website Womanista, who was informed by Kimberly’s publicist, the couple adopted a baby girl through a “domestic adoption.”

Kimberly and Stephen were married in 2006 and welcomed their daughter Daisy in July 2007.

NCD sends much love to the Schlapman family!

 

Photo courtesy Kimberly Schlapmann Twitter (@ohgussie)

Keith Urban Shares a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Making of “Ripcord”

Keith Urban Shares a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Making of “Ripcord”

Posted on January 12, 2017

Ripcord is arguably Keith Urban’s best album to date. It certainly is one of the best-selling country albums of 2016, according to Billboard and Nielson Music, selling 412,000 copies. There is no arguing that.

And the fourth single from the album, “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” has simultaneously occupied the top spot on four Billboard charts: Country Airplay, Hot Country Songs (airplay/sales/streaming), Country Digital Song Sales and Country Streaming Songs. It’s no wonder that Keith wanted to share a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Ripcord.

“I wanted the album to feel a certain way and make me feel a certain way when I heard it,” Keith reveals in the video. “I want to be able to feel like I can access the song—like it’s right here, right in front of me, bristling like it’s alive.

“This whole album has been ideas and imaginations come through that I’ve just acted on,” adds Keith. “I didn’t think of any sense of time, we’re going to make music and experiment and at some point it will start to form but I didn’t have any feeling like it needed to be done at a certain point. That in itself was really liberating. It’s a great way to make music.”

Keith also touches on how the album came to be called Ripcord.

“‘Ripcord’ was a great, strong, energized word and then the more I thought about it, it felt like it fit the energy of the record. And then I sort of also thought what a ‘ripcord’ is, which is that thing that you grab to save your life. That’s what music is for me.”

After Earning a No. 1 With His Debut Single, Brett Young “Accidentally Stumbled on a Wedding Song” With New Single, “In Case You Didn’t Know”

After Earning a No. 1 With His Debut Single, Brett Young “Accidentally Stumbled on a Wedding Song” With New Single, “In Case You Didn’t Know”

Posted on January 12, 2017

Very few artists earn a Mediabase No. 1 with their debut single, but you can add Brett Young’s name to the rarefied list thanks to “Sleep Without You,” his breakout tune that ascended to the top of the chart in November 2016.

Riding that wave of momentum into the new year, the California-to-Nashville transplant is set to release his self-titled debut album on February 10. The 12-track offering—of which Brett co-wrote 11 songs—is a give-and-take mix of love songs and heartbreak ballads, sans any obligatory “party” anthems that usually pepper a first project in today’s country-radio-friendly-first atmosphere.

“I think, for me, love songs and heartbreak songs are the easiest songs to write because it’s just straight from personal experience,” says Brett to Nash Country Daily. “I think everybody’s felt both of those. Everybody’s been in love, everybody’s had heartbreak. We noticed that when we put it together, the 12 songs that would make the record that we liked, there’s not a party song on this record. I’ve written a ton of party songs, and not that there’s anything wrong with that. I think, in trying to tell my story and let people get to know me, it seemed like we should talk about things that I’ve lived.”

On Jan. 9, Brett delivered his second single, “In Case You Didn’t Know,” to country radio. Written by Brett, Tyler Reeve, Kyle Schlienger and Trent Tomlinson, the emotional melody has all the makings of a wedding song, complete with the heartstring-tugging chorus In case you didn’t know / Baby I’m crazy ’bout you / And I would be lying if I said / That I could live this life without you / Even though I don’t tell you all the time / You had my heart a long, long time ago / In case you didn’t know.

“You know, when it was done being written, I think we all looked at each other and went, ‘I think that’s a wedding song,’” says Brett. “In the process of writing the song, it was more about wanting to write something that everybody could relate to. In a way, I think men are really bad at saying ‘I love you.’ It’s strange because women need to hear it all the time. We were just talking about how, as a guy, you’ve got to remind yourself to say it. Even if you feel like you’re saying it too much, maybe it comes out like, ‘Hey, you know I love you, right?’ or, ‘Hey, in case you didn’t know, I love you.’ I think we just wanted to keep it really simple and down the middle so that everybody that listened to the song could make it their story. In the process, we accidentally stumbled on a wedding song.”

Check out Brett’s “In Case You Didn’t Know” below.

Eric Church Receives One-of-a-Kind Whiskey Barrel and Bar From Jack Daniel’s

Eric Church Receives One-of-a-Kind Whiskey Barrel and Bar From Jack Daniel’s

Posted on January 12, 2017

When Eric Church was wrapping up his last night of rehearsals for his Holdin’ My Own Tour, the singer was pleasantly surprised by a few members of the Jack Daniel’s team with a one-of-a-kind bar and his own personalized whiskey barrel—a “thank you” for his ongoing support of the brand.

Eric, who is no stranger to the whiskey brand, along with his road crew would partake in a longstanding ritual before each show—a group shot of Jack Daniel’s accompanied by a toast to all their hard work. The “Record Year” singer even recorded a song called “Jack Daniel’s,” which is featured on his 2011 album, Chief.

“I got a reputation going round / Ain’t never been the kind to back down / I’ve thrown a punch or two and gave a few black eyes / But Jack Daniel’s kicked my ass again last night,” the song kicks off. A sentiment a few people may be able to relate to.

eric-church-kevin-sanders-jack-danielsJack Daniel’s Kevin “The Barrel Man” Sanders presented the bar and barrel to Eric at the rehearsal where they were joined by David Stang, the national sponsorship director for Jack Daniel’s, for a toast to a very successful tour, which kicks off Thursday, Jan. 13, in Lincoln, Neb.

Upon receiving the bar, a grateful Eric assured the Jack Daniel’s team that the bar would get plenty of use throughout the tour. We have no doubt.

eric-church-jack-daniels-bar-barrel

2017 Holdin’ My Own Tour Dates:

Month Date Location Venue
Jan. 13 Lincoln, Neb. Pinnacle Bank Arena
  14 Sioux Falls, S.D. Denny Sanford Premier Center
  15 Grand Forks, N.D. Ralph Engelstad Arena
  19 Des Moines, Iowa. Wells Fargo Center
  20 Minneapolis Target Center
  21 Green Bay Resch Center
  25 Philadelphia Wells Fargo Arena
  27 Brooklyn, N.Y. Barclays Center
  28 Boston TD Garden
  31 Kansas City Mo. Sprint Center
Feb. 2 Tulsa, Okla. BOK Center
  3 Dallas American Airlines Center
  16 Duluth, Ga. Infinite Energy Center
  17 Birmingham, Ala. Legacy Arena at BJCC
  23 Indianapolis Bankers Life Fieldhouse
  24 Cleveland Quicken Loans Arena
  25 Auburn Hills, Mich. The Palace at Auburn Hills
  28 London, ONT Budweiser Gardens
March 2 Toronto, ONT Air Canada Centre
  3 Ottawa, ONT Canadian Tire Centre
  4 Montreal, QUE Bell Centre
  7 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre
  9 Saskatoon, SK SaskTel Centre
  10 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
  11 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome
  14 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
  16 Portland, Ore. Moda Center
  17 Spokane, Wash. Spokane Arena
  18 Tacoma, Wash. Tacoma Dome
  22 Bozeman, Mont. Brick Breeden Fieldhouse
  24 Boise, Idaho Taco Bell Arena
  25 Salt Lake City Vivint Smart Home Arena
  28 Phoenix Talking Sticks Resort Arena
  30 Sacramento, Calif. Golden 1 Center
  31 Los Angeles STAPLES Center
April 4 Casper, Wyo. Casper Events Center
  5 Denver, Colo. Pepsi Center
  7 Wichita, Kan. INTRUST Bank Arena
  8 Omaha, Neb. CenturyLink Center Omaha
  12 Moline, Ill. iWireless Center
  13 Chicago Allstate Arena
  14 Milwaukee BMO Harris Bradley Center
  20 Buffalo, N.Y. First Niagara Center
  21 Pittsburgh CONSOL Energy Center
  22 Cincinnati US Bank Arena
  27 Uncasville, Conn. Mohegan Sun Arena
  28 Uncasville, Conn. Mohegan Sun Arena
  29 Manchester, N.H. Verizon Wireless Arena
May 4 Tampa, Fla. Amalie Arena
  5 Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
  11 Grand Rapids, Mich. Van Andel Arena
  12 Peoria, Ill. Peoria Civic Center
  13 St. Louis Scottrade Center
  18 Reading, Pa. Santander Arena
  19 Washington, D.C. Verizon Center
  20 Greensboro, N.C. Greensboro Coliseum Complex
  26 Nashville Bridgestone Arena
  27 Nashville Bridgestone Arena

Photos courtesy of Jack Daniels

Go Backstage With Kelsea Ballerini as She Performs “Yeah Boy” at the Grand Ole Opry

Go Backstage With Kelsea Ballerini as She Performs “Yeah Boy” at the Grand Ole Opry

Posted on January 12, 2017

During her visit to the Grand Ole Opry on Oct. 30, 2016, Kelsea Ballerini taped a special Opry 360° performance of her new single, “Yeah Boy,” which is currently No. 24 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. Backstage in the Opry’s Women of Country dressing room, Kelsea addresses viewers before belting out “Yeah Boy,” a tune she co-wrote with Forest Glen Whitehead and Keesy Timmer.

“Hey, what’s up guys, it’s Kelsea Ballerini and we are in one of my favorite places in the world, we’re at the Grand Ole Opry,” says Kelsea. “And we’re backstage at the Women of Country dressing room, which is the dressing room that I get to stay in most of the time when I play the Opry. And if you look over this way, you see the Wall of Fame with Carrie Underwood, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, I mean, all the greats and the people that have paved the way for new kids like me to be able to sing at the Grand OIe Opry. So it’s definitely a fun, inspiring room to be in. And while we’re in here, we wanted to play you my new single. This is the fourth song from my debut record, The First Time, and it’s the last song that we’re going to release from it, and so we wanted to share it with you here at the Grand Ole Opry, so this is ‘Yeah Boy.'”

Check out the video from the Opry below.

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