As George Strait gears up for the release of his new three-disc album, Strait Out of the Box: Part II, on Nov. 18, he isn’t resting on his laurels.
The King announced on Nov. 16 that he is returning to Las Vegas for four weekends—eight additional nights—at the T-Mobile Arena in 2017. Billed as 2 Nights of Numbers 1s, the back-to-back concerts will feature George performing songs from his vast catalogue of No. 1 hits, which total 60 on various charts.
Singer/songwriter Cam will support George on the eight new dates: April 7 & 8; July 28 & 29; Sept. 1 & 2; Dec. 8 & 9. The eight new dates are in addition to the previously announced sold-out shows on Feb. 17 and 18.
Over the last two weeks, Garth Brooks has been making the rounds with appearances at the CMA Awards, The Voice and Good Morning America. Last night (Nov. 15) the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year was in Los Angeles on the set of Jimmy Kimmel Live to perform his current single, “Baby, Let’s Lay Down and Dance.”
Before Garth treated the crowd to a performance of his single, the superstar sat in with the band while Jimmy chatted with guests Casey Affleck and Laurie Hernandez. Jimmy also announced that Garth will be returning to the show tonight (Nov. 16) for a big outdoor concert behind the Jimmy Kimmel Live studio, so don’t forget to tune in tonight at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC.
Check out Garth’s energetic performance of “Baby, Let’s Lay Down and Dance.”
A cappella group Home Free—comprised of Austin Brown, Rob Lundquist, Adam Rupp, Tim Foust and Adam Chance—released a new video for their harmony-driven cover of Zac Brown Band’s “Colder Weather.” Home Free first performed the song when competing on NBC’s The Sing-Off in 2013.
“We have always been a fan of Zac Brown Band and this song,” said Rob. “I loved the lyrics the minute I heard the original version and it allowed us to get really creative with the harmonies and craft a new blend with our voices. Ever since we performed it on The Sing-Off, we wanted to add it to an album and couldn’t think of a more fitting time.”
Zac Brown Band’s recording of the tune, which was penned by Zac, Wyatt Durrette, Levi Lowrey and Coy Bowles, reached No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart in 2011. Home Free’s new version of “Colder Weather” is featured on their expanded Christmas album, Full of (Even More) Cheer, which is available now.
If Ronnie Dunn’s voice were a whiskey, we’d all be damn drunks. His smooth vocals have captivated us for more than 25 years with songs like “My Maria,” “Neon Moon” and “Believe”—and those same smooth vocals can be heard again on his third solo studio album, Tattooed Heart.
The album, which dropped on Nov. 11 and is available on iTunes, contains 12 tracks, including the current single, “Damn Drunk,” which features Ronnie’s former Brooks & Dunn partner Kix Brooks. Also joining Ronnie on the album is his good friend and country superstar Reba McEntire, who lends her vocals to “Still Feels Like Mexico.” But it was the addition of Rascals Flatt’s Jay DeMarcus, who produced Tattooed Heart, that helped Ronnie contemporize his sound without skewing off course.
“I worked with Jay Marcus on the production. A good friend. Known him forever,” said Ronnie. “Initially, I went through the list of all the usual suspects for producers, and ended up cutting two or three tracks with Jay—just to get a feel to see what he did—and I was blown away. I was very pleasantly surprised. It’s not the Rascal Flatts perspective. That was the elephant in the room, and he didn’t do that. He honored those songs and what what I ultimately wanted to pull off in a great way.”
Ronnie with Rascal Flatts’ Jay DeMarcus – Photo by Dustin Haney/BMLG
One standout track on the album is the title track, “Tattooed Hear.” Ronnie, at the urging of his daughter, recorded the song that was made popular by pop star Ariana Grande. It was a song that found Ronnie hiding away for the recording, not wanting anyone to know that he was going to attempt the cover. But it wasn’t out of embarrassment, it was something else.
“I was intimidated by her singing,” Ronnie explains. “They’re going to A/B these songs and these performances, so I went in with a couple of buddies—Duke Adam, Charlie Judge and my engineer Mike Kyle—and we just hid out. Camped out at the barn, which is the studio, and recorded it. We just kept adding stuff and adding stuff, we’d throw parts in, take parts off, and finally built it where it turned into the title cut.
“My daughter is always bringing stuff and making me listen to things that she’s into, or I’ll grab her and say, ‘Hey, play me what you’re listening to.’ I just went down the 12 tracks and went, ‘Oh, “Tattooed Heart.” I like the tattooed thing, it sounds like it might be a little edgy.’ It was a title that I would write as a writer. I listened to it and the song really appealed to me. It kind of has that throwback, almost to me like a Sam Cook era.”
While Tattooed Heart is exactly what the doctor ordered, that’s not all that Ronnie has on his plate. The former Brooks & Dunn frontman has rejoined his partner in crime, Kix Brooks, and good friend, Reba McEntire, for a residency run at Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas—Reba, Brooks & Dunn: Together in Vegas. The trio kicked off the show in the summer of 2015 and have been having so much fun that they extended the show through 2017 and possibly longer. But that residency didn’t begin with an arduous drawn-out plan to get the three superstars together. No, it was simple phone call and a still moment made it all come together.
Kix Brooks, Reba a nd Ronnie – Photo by Michael Buckner/Academy of Country Music
“It happened because of a cold call from the people at Caesars and AEG and our agents at William Morris. I can remember specifically sitting in Mexico, at Reba’s place—with her husband at the time, Narvel—staring out at the beach and going, ‘You know what? I don’t care if I ever walk up to a microphone again. I’m good. I’m going to go play with a camera or something.’
“Narvel gave me one of the coolest pieces of advice I’ve ever been given. He said, ‘Why don’t you just sit still for a minute?’ Because I came out of Brooks & Dunn and I scrambled to get us all a record and then I went and did my own thing on my own. I was going to take on the world and all this stuff and he was like, ‘Why don’t you just stop for a minute? Sit still, and see what happens.’”
If you couldn’t make it to Nashville in September for the 2016 Americana Music Festival, PBS has the next best thing with the airing of a special episode of Austin City Limits on Nov. 19.
ACL Presents Americana Music Festival 2016, which will premiere on Friday, Nov. 19, 8 p.m. CT, will feature more than a dozen performances from the Americana Honors & Awards ceremony, including songs from George Strait, Dwight Yoakam, Jason Isbell and Steve Earle. Recorded live at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium on September 21, the Americana Honors & Awards ceremony is a celebration of music that is authentic, diverse and original from many genres, both traditional and contemporary.
In addition to the performances, a number of awards were given out, including Artist of the Year (Chris Stapleton), New Artist of the Year (Margo Price) and Album of the Year (Jason Isbell’s Something More Than Free), as well as Lifetime Achievement awards for Shawn Colvin, William Bell, Bob Weir and Jim Lauderdale.
The hour-long broadcast is hosted by Americana kingpin Jim Lauderdale, and performers are backed by a house band led by Buddy Miller.
Set list for ACL Presents Americana Music Festival 2016:
Bob Weir: “Mama Tried”
The Lumineers: “Angela”
Bonnie Raitt: “Gypsy in Me”
Parker Millsap “Heaven Sent”
Jason Isbell: “If It Takes a Lifetime”
Steve Earle: “Desperados Waiting for a Train”
Dwight Yoakam: “What I Don’t Know”
Margo Price: “Tennessee Song”
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats: “Wasting Time”
William Bell: “Three of Me” feat. Bonnie Raitt
Alison Krauss: “Gloryland” feat. Stuart Duncan, Melonie Cannon and Buddy Miller
Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell: “Bring It On Home”
George Strait and Jim Lauderdale: “King of Broken Hearts”
In 2015, Kellie Pickler and the Grand Ole Opry collaborated to create Selma Drye, a home goods line featuring multi-purpose and practical items that have both Southern sensibility and style. The line was inspired by Kellie’s great-grandmother, Selma Drye.
“My grandparents on my father’s side, the Picklers, had a big part in raising me, and my grandmother, Faye Pickler, her mother, Selma, lived in this little trailer in front of ours in Albermarle, North Carolina,” Kellie told Nash Country Daily in 2015. “So this line was inspired by her and the women of her generation, they’re things they would love. They’re items with multiple uses.”
Just in time for Christmas, Kellie has revealed the Selma Drye 2016 holiday collection, which includes ornaments, candelabras, festive frames, cake plates, decorative wreaths and more. The collection also features a handpicked selection of silver trays, tea sets and mugs and a one-of-a-kind snow globe that plays Kellie’s rendition of “White Christmas.”
“For the 2016 holiday collection, I wanted to ensure the new pieces mixed and matched easily with the holiday items from last year’s line,” said Kellie. “I love warm whites and silver at Christmastime, so those were the primary colors I selected for this season’s collection additions, and I think it came together nicely. Then, when it came to deciding what Christmas song to record for the 2016 snow globe, the decision was easy . . . it had to be ‘White Christmas.’ It’s my hope that everyone can see adding some of these pieces to their own holiday décor collection.”
You may know him from such hits as “Just Another Day in Paradise,” “American Child,” “Six-Pack Summer” and “That’s When I Love You,” but Phil Vassar is ready to make some fresh hits with his brand-new album, American Soul.
American Soul, which drops on Dec. 2, will be Phil’s first studio album since 2009’s Traveling Circus. Produced by Phil, along with his longtime guitarist Jeffery Smith, American Soul features 11 new songs, 10 of which were written or co-written by Phil, including the album’s current single and title track, “American Soul.”
“I am beyond excited about this new music,” said Phil in a statement. “We have an amazing team put together, and the time is right to get this new music out to the fans.”
The album’s cover art was painted by noted artist Jason Irwin, who brought classic Americana references to the forefront, including musicians, ice cream, classic cars and nods to hunting, beer, sailing and more.
Check out Phil performing “American Soul.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zQQ0jRfG5A
American Soul Track List with Songwriters
1. “American Soul” (Phil Vassar, Tom Douglas)
2. “I’ll Meet You There” (Phil Vassar, Layng Martine)
3. “Big Time” (Phil Vassar, Craig Wiseman)
4. “I’m Not Made That Way” (Phil Vassar, Jeffrey Smith, Pete Kipley)
5. “Mississippi” (Phil Vassar, Jeffrey Smith, Billy Alcorn)
6. “Sound of a Million Dreams” (Phil Vassar, Scooter Carusoe)
7. “Stay With Me” (Phil Vassar, Jeffrey Smith, Aubrey Grant)
8. “2nd Avenue” (Phil Vassar, Charlie Black, Jeffrey Smith)
9. “Voice In My Head” (Phil Vassar)
10. “Sure Feels Good” (Phil Vassar, Matt Ramsey, Trevor Rosen)
11. “The Ballad of Pretty Mae” (Charlie Black, Tim Ryan)
Before the CMA Awards on Nov. 3, Cole Swindell told Nash Country Daily that he wasn’t ready to see his streak of consecutive No. 1 singles come to an end.
“I’m not ready to see my streak end at five,” said Cole with a laugh. “Having a sixth single, in general, is insane to me. For it to go No. 1 takes a lot of support, from my label to radio to my fans. So we’ll see if it does. It feels like people are behind me and believe in me and that’s motivating for me to give you the best possible music.”
Cole can breathe a sigh of relief, because his sixth single, “Middle of a Memory” reached No. 1 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart last week, making it his sixth consecutive single to reach No. 1 on a Billboard or Mediabase chart after “Chillin’ It,” “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight,” “Ain’t Worth the Whiskey,” “Let Me See Ya Girl” and “You Should Be Here.” The tune is also Cole’s ninth No. 1 as a songwriter, following “This Is How We Roll” (Florida Georgia Line), “Get Me Some of That” (Thomas Rhett) and “Roller Coaster” (Luke Bryan).
“Thanks to my team at Warner for my sixth No. 1 in a row,” said Cole after he received the news. “Country radio, you have been so good to me and a huge part of why I get to hear fans singing songs like ‘Middle of a Memory’ back to me every night. Let’s celebrate!”
Kelsea Ballerini, Scotty McCreery, LOCASH, Mickey Guyton, Lauren Alaina and Lindsay Ell are among the country artists that have put their voices together on a new single and music video, “The Human Race.”
“The Human Race,” an empowering anthem, is set to premiere Thursday, Nov. 17 at 5 p.m. ET on Radio Disney and Radio Disney Country. The song was recorded in Nashville in conjunction with Radio Disney’s Share the Joy campaign, which was created to inspire kids and families to volunteer and spread goodwill to those who need it most this holiday season.
“The dedication and talent of so many artists and performers on this song manifests heart and humanity, and the positive power of music in our lives,” said Phil Guerini, VP of music strategy for Disney Channels Worldwide and GM of Radio Disney Networks.”
Other artists participating in the event include Jessie Chris, Savannah Keyes, Bailey Bryan, Tegan Marie, Jordan Fisher, Skylar Stecker, Alex Aiono, Kalie Shorr and Temecula Road.
A sneak peek of the music video will air Thursday, Nov. 24 at 8 p.m. ET during The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration on ABC. The full video will be available on the Radio Disney app on Nov. 25.
Kelsea photo by Image Group LA/ABC; Scotty photo by Scott Kirkland/FOX
Carrie Underwood surprised the crowd at the Grand Ole Opry last night (Nov. 15) when she joined Crystal Gayle onstage to sing Crystal’s No. 1 hit, “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.” But that wasn’t the only surprise Carrie had up her sleeve. After finishing the duet, Carrie invited Crystal to become a member of the Opry.
“You are an inspiration to so many of us,” said Carrie. “You are important to country music, and you are important to the Opry, which is why I was asked tonight to ask you if you would like to join our Opry family officially.”
After Crystal accepted Carrie’s invitation with a warm hug, she said, “I have always felt like I was a member of the family and this is just so special.”
Crystal made her Opry debut nearly 50 years ago on the Ryman Auditorium stage, singing the country classic “Ribbon of Darkness” at age 16. Crystal will be formally inducted into the Opry on Jan. 21, 2017, by her sister, Loretta Lynn.
If Ronnie Dunn’s voice were a whiskey, we’d all be damn drunks. His smooth vocals have captivated us for more than 25 years with songs like “My Maria,” “Neon Moon” and “Believe”—and those same smooth vocals can be heard again on his third solo studio album, Tattooed Heart.
![Kellie Pickler Reveals New Holiday Collection From Selma Drye Home Goods Line [Photo Gallery]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/602/2016/11/26152128/Kellie-Pickler.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
American Soul, which drops on Dec. 2, will be Phil’s first studio album since 2009’s Traveling Circus. Produced by Phil, along with his longtime guitarist Jeffery Smith, American Soul features 11 new songs, 10 of which were written or co-written by Phil, including the album’s current single and title track, “American Soul.”
