Chris Stapleton has announced new 2021 dates for his All-American Road Show!
Chris, like every artist and fan, says “I miss touring deeply.”
And now it looks like the long wait to hear his ACM Award winning Album of the Year Starting Over in-person is over.
Starting in Chicago on July 17th, it looks like the All-American Road Show will then be on the road for nearly the next year. Various concerts will include an awesome line of various special guests…including, Caylee Hammack, Dwight Yoakam, Elle King, Jamey Johnson, Kendell Marvel, Margo Price, Mavis Staples, Nikki Lane, Sheryl Crow, The Dirty Knobs with Mike Campbell, The Highwomen, The Marcus King Band, Willie Nelson, and Yola.
Tickets for the newly announced dates for Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show begin next Friday – April 30th.
While Chris is very much looking for a return to the road, he does says that the last year at home offered him something that his usually touring life would not have, “The silver lining and the mixed blessing during the pandemic for me is I’ve gotten to spend more time being a dad and being with my children than I’ve ever gotten to do certainly as a touring musician. I have three children under the age of three and I have two older ones that are 12 and 10. When I go in to get the boys in the morning, and I open the door, they say ‘Daddy’ before I even open the door, and I’ve never really had that before. So, that’s kind of a neat thing for me to get to have that, so I’m thankful for that and I’m grateful for that. As much as I look forward to getting back out on the road, I’ll miss a little bit of that.”
One of the songs that fans will be looking forward to seeing Chris perform live (with plenty of tissues in hand), is the track he just sang on this year’s ACM Awards with Miranda Lambert — just in case you missed it…this is “Maggie’s Song.”
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The 16th-ranked Tennessee softball team took down South Carolina, 4-2, Monday night at the Carolina Softball Stadium, earning its second SEC series win of the season.
Tennessee (33-7, 6-6 SEC) opened the scoring in the first inning thanks to a passed ball that scored Cailin Hannon from third. UT added to its lead in the third thanks to a two-out Kiki Milloy double to right center that drove home Hannon from second.
In the fourth, Chelsea Seggern doubled the lead as she smacked her second home run of the weekend over the wall in center for a two-run shot that gave the Lady Vols a 4-0 lead.
South Carolina (23-17, 2-13 SEC) responded in the bottom of the fourth as it put two runners on with nobody out. Ashley Rogers fanned the next two batters, but with two away and runners on first and second, a fielding error allowed USC to score and cut into Tennessee’s lead.
The score remained 3-1 in the Lady Vols favor until the bottom of the seventh when South Carolina made a late push for the win.
Rogers got the first out in the seventh as she recorded her 10th strikeout of the game, but a Kenzi Maguire single in the next at-bat to center put one on for Mackenzie Boesel. The Gamecock second baseman laced a single down the left field line, which was booted in the outfield, and allowed Maguire to come around and score on the play.
With the score 4-2 and Boesel standing on third as a result of the booted ball, Rogers got the next batter to pop out but hit the following hitter to place runners on first and third. The Gamecock’s Jordan Fabian stepped to the plate, representing the winning run.
After running the count to 2-2, Rogers got Fabian to fly out to left to close out the Lady Vol win.
Rogers’ final stat line showed the Alcoa native tossing another complete-game, allowing two runs on six hits, walking two and striking out 10. She picked up her 19th victory of the year and fifth SEC win this season.
For South Carolina, Kelsey Oh took the loss and falls to 3-7 in 2021.
UP NEXT
The Lady Vols will have a shortened week, before taking on Georgia at home April 23-25 at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
Brothers Osborne spent some quality time with CBS’ Anthony Mason this week — first on CBS Sunday Morning, and then CBS This Morning.
The duo were interviewed in their hometown of Deale, Maryland where they shared stories about their family’s connection to music, the beginning of their career, the crisis John faced in 2019 that almost had him quitting music, and TJ’s decision to come out.
Watch the conversation between Brothers Osborne and Anthony Mason to find out what prompted John to say “I have never in my life been more proud to be a part of country music than I am today.”
Shooting guard Justin Powell, who was a true freshman at Auburn this past season, has signed an institutional aid agreement with Tennessee and plans to enroll this summer.
“Justin is a savvy guard who plays very unselfishly and makes his teammates better,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said. “He’s got really good size and can play multiple guard spots. He’s also a proven shooter and knows how to move well without the ball in his hands. We’re really excited about his ability to make plays using screens off the ball and what that can do for us offensively.”
Last week, the NCAA DI Council adopted legislation allowing a one-time transfer without a requirement to sit out a year in residency. The Southeastern Conference is expected to address its intraconference transfer policy in the coming weeks.
A four-star, top-100 prospect in the Class of 2020, Powell appeared in 10 games for the Tigers before his season was cut short by injury. He averaged 11.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 0.9 steals per game while shooting .429 from the field, .442 from 3-point range and .765 at the free-throw line.
The Prospect, Kentucky, native started seven games and impressed as both a shooter and playmaker. He owned a 1.8 assist/turnover ratio and recorded five or more assists in half of the games in which he appeared. Powell had three games with at least three made 3-pointers and scored in double figures four times.
In his first career start, Powell made seven 3-pointers as part of a 26-point performance against South Alabama. In his next game, he put together another 26-point showing in a neutral-site win over Memphis. Those two efforts resulted in SEC Freshman of the Week honors on Dec. 14.
Powell, who will wear jersey No. 24, looks to add to Tennessee’s history of decorated shooters from the state of Kentucky—a list that includes All-Americans Allan Houston and Chris Lofton.
In addition to Powell, Tennessee’s crop of newcomers next season also includes incoming freshmen Jonas Aidoo, Kennedy Chandler, Quentin Diboundje, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and Jahmai Mashack.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 5 Tennessee continues its stretch of games against in-state opponents with a midweek matchup at home against Tennessee Tech on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m.
The Vols will be looking to rebound from their first series loss of the season after dropping Sunday’s rubber game to No. 2 Vanderbilt.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Relying on the expertise of public health authorities, the state of Tennessee, appropriate university and government agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we are implementing a number of new initiatives at Tennessee Baseball gamedays this spring. The well-being of our student-athletes, fans and staff are our top priorities and guide our decisions. Exposure to COVID-19 is an inherent risk in any public location where people are present; we cannot guarantee you will not be exposed during your visit.
The Southeastern Conference in August released several conference-wide fan health and safety guidelines for all member institutions this fall. The Tennessee-specific measures outlined on this page are in line with, and in addition to, the SEC’s guidelines.
Parking
Baseball parking is located primarily in Lots GF1, G16, and C1.
Additional on-street parking is located in C10 along Todd Helton Dr. and Chamique Holdsclaw Dr. and along West Volunteer Blvd.
Handicap parking is located in marked handicap spaces on Pat Head Summitt St. and in the G16 Volunteer Blvd. garage. The 2021 parking map can be seen HERE (PDF).
For more information and gameday info, visit the Tennessee Baseball Gameday Information page by clicking HERE.
TICKET INFORMATION
Lindsey Nelson Stadium continues to operate with reduced capacity to align with state and local social-distancing guidelines for public gatherings.
Single-game tickets for remaining midweek games may be purchased by calling the Tennessee Athletic ticket office at 865-656-1200 or online at Allvols.com. For SEC games, a limited number of single game tickets will go on sale at Lindsey Nelson Stadium 90 minutes prior to first pitch.
Single-game tickets may also be available for select games at the baseball ticket office based on visiting team ticket returns. Fans are encouraged to call the Ticket Office at 865-656-1200 for individual game availability. For weekend series, please contact the Ticket Office on Fridays before 5:00 p.m. Single-game tickets can also be purchased through Vivid Seats by clicking HERE.
In order to keep Lindsey Nelson Stadium as full as possible during a season with limited capacity, we are encouraging season ticket holders who are unable to use their tickets for a game(s) to either transfer your tickets to someone else (Instructions HERE), sell them on VividSeats (Information available at UTSports.com/cantmakethegame) or participate in our new Seats for Student program (Instructions HERE).
BROADCAST INFO
Tuesday’s game will be streamed live on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app as Bob Kesling (PxP) and Charlie Puleo (color) have the call.
Fans can also listen to the official Vol Network radio call on Sports Radio WNML (FM 99.1 / AM 990), as well as UTSports.com and the UT Gameday app. John Wilkerson and Vince Ferrara will call the action.
Overall: Tennessee leads, 70-30-1
In Knoxville: Tennessee leads, 45-12
In Cookeville: Tennessee leads, 25-18-1
Neutral Sites: N/A
Last Meeting: W, 15-10 (May 14, 2019)
The Vols have won four of the past five meetings against the Golden Eagles and are 1-1 against them under Tony Vitello after posting a 15-10 win in Knoxville in 2019.
NOTABLE
Tennessee vs. In-State Foes
Tennessee has been successful against in-state competition since Vitello took over as head coach in 2018. The Vols are 19-11 against in-state teams in that span, including a 16-5 record against non-conference in-state foes.
We Hit Dingers
Tennessee put up some impressive power numbers over its four games last week, blasting 10 home runs, including four homers each on Saturday and Sunday against No. 2 Vanderbilt. Entering Tuesday’s contest, the Big Orange rank 19th nationally with 44 home runs this season. After Jackson Greer hit his first long ball as a Vol on Sunday, UT has now had 13 different players leave the yard this season.
Russell’s Record-Breaking Long Balls
Senior outfielder Evan Russell put up another record-setting performance in UT’s 8-4 victory over the Commodores on Saturday. Russell hit three home runs, including the game-winning grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning with the Vols trailing 4-3. It marked the second three-homer game for Russell this season after also accomplishing the feat in a win over LSU on March 27. The Lexington, Tennessee, native is the only player in program history to have multiple three-homer games in their career. His six RBI on the day were also a career high.
Non-Conference Dominance
UT has been close to unbeatable in non-conference and midweek games in the past couple of years. Since the start of the 2019 season, the Vols are 60-10 against non-conference foes. The Big Orange have also posted an impressive 36-6 record in midweek games since Vitello became head coach in 2018. Tennessee is 19-3 in non-conference games this season, including a 8-1 record in midweek contests.
OPPONENT SCOUT
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles
2021 Record: 12-16 (6-9 OVC)
Rankings: Not Ranked
2019 Postseason: N/A
Head Coach: Steve Smith (2nd season) // Spent 21 years as Baylor’s head coach, where he is the winningest coach in Baylor Athletics history (744 wins).
Predicted OVC Finish: 10th
Preseason All-OVC Selections:
Jason Hinchman (1st Team – OF)
Stat Leaders:
Batting Avg: Brett Roberts (.374)
Runs: Cody Littlejohn (23)
Hits: Brett Roberts (43)
Home Runs: Cody Littlejohn (7)
RBI: Ed Johnson (21)
Stolen Bases: Brett Roberts (12-18)
Wins: Ty Fisher (3)
ERA (min. 15.0 IP): Jacob Parham (2.93)
Innings Pitched: Ty Fisher (47.0)
Strikeouts: Ty Fisher (36)
GAME PROMOTIONS
Upcoming promotions for all Tennessee athletics home events can be found on the UT Fan Experience page by clicking HERE.
Fans are encouraged to download the My All App for their phones and devices this season. The app is available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store and will allow fans to participate in in-game trivia, the custom filter selfie cam and more throughout the year.
ON DECK
The Vols hit the road for another important conference series this weekend against Texas A&M. First pitch for Friday’s series opener is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET. Friday and Saturday’s contests will be streamed on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app while Sunday’s series finale will be televised on the SEC Network.
When you dream about being a singer, you imagine the concerts you’d be performing at, the fans singing back your lyrics, and all the fun parts that come with a successful career.
But when you get there, you also have do other stuff…like naming your albums.
Ashley didn’t release this was no easy task, “I never knew how hard it was to name an album…until we named the Girl Going Nowhere album.”
OK, so you have the debut album name out of the way, now its going to be easy, right? Ashley says, “Then it got even harder when we wanted to name record two.”
While the album Never Will does share a name with one of the tracks on it — originally Ashley was thinking it would be a different song on the project, “We almost called it Velvet Red, because that would make sense, because it’s two words that make you see something visually, in your brain.”
But after looking over the collection of music, and what Ashley wanted to convey, that just didn’t fit. Ashley explains, “We looked at the overall message of the record…and we’re telling Shelia to shut up, we’re telling Martha Divine that she’s a no good tramp, and we’re telling each other as a band, and to our fans, that when it comes to the background noise, and reading the comments…we don’t. And we’ll try to never do that. Then we promised each other, that’d we never will. So, the more I listened to the record, the more the overall message of the record was…it’s OK to be yourself, and if somebody doesn’t like it – tell them to look the other way. So, Never Will was obviously the title.”
Right now from Never Will “Martha Divine” is at country radio — and in case you missed it, here’s Ashley McBryde’s recent performance of the song on the 56th ACM Awards.
Did you miss the 56th ACM Awards this week…or maybe you just want to relive some of the awesome performances from your favorite country music stars…well, you can check them out here…
This was the song that kicked off the show — Miranda Lambert and Elle King belting out a fantastic rendition of their “Drunk (and I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”
Gabby Barrett, appearing as the newly crowned ACM New Female Artist of the Year, sang a beautifully understated version of her number-1 hit “The Good Ones” — with her good one by her side playing guitar, Cade Foehner.
Gabby and Cade weren’t the only married couple to take the stage at the 56th ACM Awards — Ryan Hurd and ACM Female Artist of the YearMaren Morris performed their current duet single “Chasing After You.” It was Ryan’s first time ever singing at the ACMs, and he commented “If I never get to do it again, I’m happy it was with you. Thank you ACM Awards for the stage and Maren Morris for everything else. Check that one off the list.”
Alan Jackson took the ACM Awards stage and mixed a little old with a little new. Starting with his song inspired by his Dad, “Drive,” Alan then segued into “You Will Always Be My Baby” which is dedicated to his daughters.
Chris Young brought his friend, and ACM Video of the Year Award winner Kane Brown, to the ACM Stage to sing their hit song “Famous Friends.”
From the legendary Nashville venue The Station Inn Dierks Bentley with The War & Treaty re-envisioned the classic U2 song “Pride (In The Name Of Love)”
Chris Stapleton, along with Miranda Lambert, performed “Maggie’s Song” from his ACM winning Album of the YearStarting Over
A couple of East Tennessee kids, Kelsea Ballerini and Kenny Chesney paired up on the 56th ACM’s to sing “half of my hometown.”
Kenny also sang his own current hit single “Knowing You” — which had a special moment at this year’s ACM Awards. As Kenny sang, the In Memoriam piece played behind him.
Blake Shelton took fans back to his first big hit — which celebrates 20 years in 2021 — and sang “Austin”
Then Blake treated fans to a shortened version of his current hit song “Minimum Wage”
While Phillip Sweet was at home due to COVID, Karen Farichild, Jimi Westbrook, and Kimberly Schlapman stopped traffic in downtown Nashville for their performance of “Wine, Beer, Whiskey”
Eric Church performed “Bunch of Nothing” from his Heart album, which arrived Friday. His two other albums, & and Soul arrive this week.
Luke Combs took already beautiful song “Forever After All” and took it to a new level on the 56th ACM Awards
Carrie Underwood performed a medley of songs from her album, My Savior with the one and only Cece Winans
ACM’s New Male Artist of the YearJimmie Allen was originally told that Brad Paisley was out of town, and not able to join him on their song “Freedom Was A Highway” — but it turns out that Brad just wanted to surprise Jimmie, that’s why you see him laughing when Brad walks in.
Brothers Osborne performed the first of their songs on the 56th Annual ACM Awards. “I’m Not For Everyone” which inspired the name for their upcoming We’re Not For Everyone tour is from their Album of the Year nominated Skeletons.
John & TJ Osborne also closed out the 56th ACM Awards show with their song “Dead Man’s Curve.”
COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 16 Tennessee softball bounced back in a big way Sunday night, run-ruling South Carolina, 11-0, at the Carolina Softball Stadium.
The Lady Vols (32-7, 5-6 SEC) broke out the bats as they racked up 13 hits on the night. Five players picked up a pair of hits in the win, led by Cailin Hannon who went 2-for-5 with a team-leading four RBIs. It is the second four-RBI game for Hannon this season.
In the circle, Callie Turner twirled a gem, no-hitting South Carolina through five and allowing just one-hit all night. With the victory, Turner improves to 8-1 on the year and picks up the first conference win of her career.
UT broke open the game in the second inning, scoring four runs on four hits. Ivy Davis got things started with a leadoff double in the right centerfield gap, before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Ally Shipman made her return to the UT lineup Sunday and drove Davis home on a double down the left field line for the game’s first run.
After a ground out, Kaitlin Parsons drew a walk and Anna Fox singled to load the bases for Cailin Hannon. Hannon smoked a bases-clearing double to left center, giving UT a 4-0 advantage.
Tennessee added to the lead in the fourth on a RBI sac fly from Ashley Morgan that scored Kiki Milloy. In the fifth, it was Milloy driving in a run as she laced a single to right that plated Parsons to push the UT lead to 6-0.
The Lady Vols put the game away in the sixth, scoring five runs on five hits to create the run-rule 11-0 win.
Along with Hannon’s big night at the plate, Shipman went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base in her first game since April 4 against Kentucky.
Parsons scored three runs in the victory as she went 1-for-1 with three walks and a RBI.
For South Carolina (23-16, 2-12 SEC), Cayla Drotar suffered the loss as she tossed just 1.1 innings and allowed four runs on four hits. She falls to 3-5 on the year.
UP NEXT
Tennessee and South Carolina play a rubber match game tomorrow night beginning at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
“Starting Over” – CHRIS STAPLETON
Producers: CHRIS STAPLETON, DAVE COBB
Record Label: MERCURY NASHVILLE
SINGLE OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
“I Hope You’re Happy Now” – CARLY PEARCE & LEE BRICE
Producers: BUSBEE
Record Label: BIG MACHINE RECORDS / CURB RECORDS
SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]
“The Bones” – MAREN MORRIS
Songwriter(s): JIMMY ROBBINS, MAREN MORRIS, LAURA VELTZ
Publishers: BIG MACHINE MUSIC, LLC; EXTRAORDINARY ALIEN PUBLISHING; INTERNATIONAL DOG MUSIC; OH DENISE PUBLISHING; ROUND HILL SONGS; WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CORP.
VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)
“Worldwide Beautiful” – KANE BROWN
Director: ALEX ALVGA
Producer: CHRISTEN PINKSTON
MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR (includes six nominees as a result of a tie) [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
“I Hope You’re Happy Now” – CARLY PEARCE & LEE BRICE Producer: BUSBEE
Record Label: BIG MACHINE RECORDS / CURB RECORDS
