Sturgill Simpson to Release New Bluegrass Album, “Cuttin’ Grass,” on Oct. 16

Sturgill Simpson to Release New Bluegrass Album, “Cuttin’ Grass,” on Oct. 16

Posted on October 14, 2020

Sturgill Simpson will release a new 20-song bluegrass album, Cuttin’ Grass: Vol 1 – The Butcher Shoppe Sessions, on Oct. 16.

Sturgill revealed the news via Instagram on Oct. 13 with an image of the album cover: “Welp,..was hoping to surprise everybody on Thursday but somebody somewhere (Germany) got all excited and just couldn’t hold their horses. Anyway,..’Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 1 – The Butcher Shoppe Sessions’ dropping 10/16 (midnight Thursday). And yes,..this is actually the album cover.”

Cuttin’ Grass consists of 20 songs from Sturgill’s past catalog, which have been reincarnated as bluegrass tunes. The new album, which was produced by David Ferguson, features Mark Howard (banjo), Scott Vestal (banjo), Mike Bub (bass), Sierra Hull (vocals/mandolin), Tim O’Brien (vocals/guitar), Miles Miller (vocals/snare) and Stuart Duncan (fiddle).

The new album will follow the release of Sturgill’s fourth studio album, Sound & Fury, which dropped in September 2019. Sturgill’s 2016 album, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, won the Grammy for Best Country Album.

photo by TCD

CMHOF Reveals Lineup for Museum Fundraiser With Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley & More

CMHOF Reveals Lineup for Museum Fundraiser With Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley & More

Posted on October 14, 2020

Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum will host an online fundraiser via YouTube at 8 p.m. CT on Oct. 28 that features a who’s who of country stars.

Big Night (At the Museum) will pair country music stars with historic instruments for a one-of-a-kind night of music. Artists taking part include Alison Brown, Kane Brown, Carlene Carter, Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Keb Mo, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, The War and Treaty, Lucinda Williams, Brad Paisley and Tyminski.

The event will be hosted by Marty Stuart, with audio supervision by Dave Cobb.

Big Night (At the Museum) Lineup

  • Alison Brown plays Earl Scruggs’s 1930 Gibson RB Granada banjo
  • Kane Brown sings a Randy Travis hit with accompaniment on Travis’s Gibson J-185KOA guitar
  • Carlene Carter plays the 1928 Gibson L-5 guitar that belonged to her grandmother Maybelle Carter
  • Rodney Crowell pays tribute to songwriters Guy Clark and Boudleaux and Felice Bryant
  • Country Music Hall of Fame member Emmylou Harris uses Boudleaux Bryant’s 1961 Martin guitar to partner with Crowell on a Bryant classic
  • Miranda Lambert plays John Prine’s David Russell Young custom-made guitar
  • Ashley McBryde plays Loretta Lynn’s 1956 Gibson J-50 guitar
  • Country Music Hall of Fame member Reba McEntire pays homage to Patsy Cline
  • Tim McGraw plays Keith Whitley’s C.W. Parsons acoustic guitar
  • Keb’ Mo’ plays the 1928 custom Weymann guitar that belonged to Jimmie Rodgers
  • Brad Paisley plays Don Rich’s 1964 Fender Telecaster
  • Country Music Hall of Fame member Ricky Skaggs plays Bill Monroe’s 1923 Gibson F-5 mandolin
  • Country Music Hall of Fame member Marty Stuart plays Lester Flatt’s 1950 Martin D-28 guitar
  • The War and Treaty pays tribute to Ray Charles
  • Tyminski joins Brad Paisley in performance, using Buck Owens’s red, white and blue American acoustic guitar
  • Lucinda Williams plays Johnny Cash’s customized Martin D-35S guitar

During the free concert, viewers will be encouraged to donate to the museum through YouTube Giving.

The CMHOF reopened to the public on Sept. 10 after a six-month closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

photos: Brad Paisley, Reba McEntire & Miranda Lambert by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com; Tim McGraw by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Luke Combs, Kelsea Ballerini, Morgan Wallen & More Added as Performers at CMT Awards

Luke Combs, Kelsea Ballerini, Morgan Wallen & More Added as Performers at CMT Awards

Posted on October 13, 2020

CMT announced additional performers and collaborations for the 2020 CMT Music Awards on Oct. 21.

Gabby Barrett, Morgan Wallen, Sam Hunt and Shania Twain are slated to perform, while collaborations include Jimmie Allen and Noah Cyrus, Kelsea Ballerini and Halsey, and Luke Combs and Brooks & Dunn.

Previously announced performers include Ashley McBryde, Dan + Shay, Kane Brown, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Maren Morris, Caylee Hammack, Hardy, Ingrid Andress, Mickey Guyton, Riley Green and Travis Denning.

Kane Brown and actress Sarah Hyland will co-host the show. Two additional hosts will be announced soon.

The fan-voted CMT Awards hand out annual awards in a number of categories, including Video of the Year, Collaborative Video of the Year, Breakthrough Video of the Year and more. The show will air on CMT, with a six-network simulcast across MTV, MTV2, Logo, Paramount Network, Pop and TV Land.

The show will celebrate country music’s biggest stars with outdoor performances in and around Music City. Tune in to CMT, MTV, MTV2, Logo, Paramount Network, Pop or TV Land on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. CT.

Nominations: 2020 CMT Music Awards

Video of the Year
Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration) and the video director.

  • Carrie Underwood – “Drinking Alone”
  • Keith Urban – “Polaroid”
  • Kelsea Ballerini – “homecoming queen?”
  • Luke Combs – “Beer Never Broke My Heart”
  • Miranda Lambert – “Bluebird”
  • Tanya Tucker – “Bring My Flowers Now”

Female Video of the Year
Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist

  • Ashley McBryde – “One Night Standards”
  • Carrie Underwood – “Drinking Alone”
  • Gabby Barrett – “I Hope”
  • Kelsea Ballerini – “homecoming queen?”
  • Maren Morris – “The Bones”
  • Miranda Lambert – “Bluebird”

Male Video of the Year
Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist

  • Jason Aldean – “Got What I Got”
  • Luke Bryan – “One Margarita”
  • Luke Combs – “Even Though I’m Leaving”
  • Morgan Wallen – “Chasin’ You (Dream Video)”
  • Sam Hunt – “Hard To Forget”
  • Thomas Rhett – “Remember You Young”

Group Video of the Year
Best video by a group; awarded to the artists

  • Lady A – “Champagne Night”
  • Little Big Town – “Wine, Beer, Whiskey”
  • Midland – “Cheatin’ Songs (Live From the Palomino)”
  • Old Dominion – “One Man Band”
  • The Chicks – “Gaslighter”
  • The Highwomen – “Crowded Table”

Duo Video of the Year
Best video by a duo; awarded to the artists

  • Brothers Osborne – “All Night (Studio Performance)”
  • Dan + Shay – “I Should Probably Go To Bed”
  • Florida Georgia Line – “Blessings”
  • LOCASH – “One Big Country Song”
  • Maddie & Tae – “Die From A Broken Heart”

Breakthrough Video of the Year
Best video from an artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist (male, female or group/duo)

  • Blanco Brown – “The Git Up”
  • Caylee Hammack – “Family Tree”
  • Gabby Barrett – “I Hope”
  • Ingrid Andress – “More Hearts Than Mine”
  • Riley Green – “I Wish Grandpas Never Died”
  • Travis Denning – “After a Few”

Collaborative Video of the Year
Best video from a collaboration; awarded to the artists

  • Blake Shelton with Gwen Stefani – “Nobody But You”
  • Carly Pearce and Lee Brice – “I Hope You’re Happy Now”
  • Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber – “10,000 Hours”
  • Kane Brown featuring Nelly – “Cool Again”
  • Marshmello and Kane Brown – “One Thing Right”
  • Thomas Rhett featuring Jon Pardi – “Beer Can’t Fix”

CMT Performance of the Year
Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

  • CMT Artists of the Year: Ashley McBryde – “One Night Standards”
  • CMT Crossroads: Brooks & Dunn and Luke Combs – “Brand New Man”
  • CMT Artists of the Year: Chris Young – “Drowning”
  • CMT Crossroads: Halsey and Kelsea Ballerini – “Graveyard”
  • CMT Artists of the Year: Sam Hunt – “Fancy”
  • CMT Crossroads: Sheryl Crow and Chris Stapleton – “Tell Me When It’s Over”

photos by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Everything a Country Fan Needs to Know About the Billboard Music Awards on Oct. 14

Everything a Country Fan Needs to Know About the Billboard Music Awards on Oct. 14

Posted on October 13, 2020

From nominations and notes to performers and presenters, here’s everything a country music fan needs to know about the 2020 Billboard Music Awards on Oct. 14.

  • Date: Wednesday, Oct. 14
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET/PT
  • Location: Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles
  • TV Channel: NBC
  • Online Stream: NBC.com/live
  • Host: Kelly Clarkson
  • Performers: Kelly Clarkson feat. Pentatonix and Shelia E., John Legend, Garth Brooks, Alicia Keys, Bad Bunny, Brandy feat. Ty Dolla $ign, BTS, Luke Combs, DojaCat, EnVogue, Kane Brown, Khalid, Swae Lee, DemiLovato, Sia, Post Malone, SAINt JHN
  • Presenters: tWich, Taraji P. Henson, Spencer X, Nicole Richie, Lilly Singh, Julia Michaels, Jharrel Jerome, Jay Ellis, Jane Lynch, Garcelle Beauvais, Addison Rae
  • Billboard Icon Award: Garth Brooks
  • Billboard Change Maker Award: Killer Mike
  • Notes: This year’s awards are based on the chart period of March 23, 2019, through March 14, 2020 (set for the originally scheduled April 29, 2020 show, which was postponed due to the pandemic). The original eligibility period will remain intact to recognize and honor the chart-topping artists and musical successes achieved and to maintain consistent tracking periods for future shows.

Check out all of the country-centric nominations below, as well as many of the all-genre nominations.

Top Country Artist
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Dan + Shay
Maren Morris
Thomas Rhett

Top Country Male Artist
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett

Top Country Female Artist
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood

Top Country Duo/Group
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Old Dominion

Top Country Tour
Eric Church
Florida Georgia Line
George Strait

Top Country Album
Experiment, Kane Brown
What You See Is What You Get, Luke Combs
GIRL, Maren Morris
Center Point Road, Thomas Rhett
If I Know Me, Morgan Wallen

Top Country Song
Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber “10,000 Hours”
Maren Morris “The Bones”
Old Dominion “One Man Band”
Blake Shelton “God’s Country”
Morgan Wallen “Whiskey Glasses”

Top Artist (all genre)
Billie Eilish
Jonas Brothers
Khalid
Post Malone
Taylor Swift

Top Billboard 200 Album (all genre)
When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go, Billie Eilish
Lover, Taylor Swift
Free Spirit, Khalid
Hollywood’s Bleeding, Post Malone
Thank U, Next, Ariana Grande

Top Hot 100 Song (all genre)
“Someone You Loved,” Lewis Capaldi
“bad guy,” Billie Eilish
“Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus
“Truth Hurts,” Lizzo
“Señorita,” Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello

Top Streaming Song (all genre)
Chris Brown ft. Drake “No Guidance”
Billie Eilish “bad guy”
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus “Old Town Road”
Lil Tecca “Ran$om”
Post Malone & Swae Lee “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)”

Top Selling Song (all genre)
Lewis Capaldi “Someone You Loved”
Billie Eilish “bad guy”
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus “Old Town Road”
Lizzo “Truth Hurts”
Blake Shelton “God’s Country”

Top Male Artist (all genre)
DaBaby
Khalid
Lil Nas X
Post Malone
Ed Sheeran

Top Female Artist (all genre)
Billie Eilish
Ariana Grande
Halsey
Lizzo
Taylor Swift

Top Duo/Group (all genre)
BTS
Dan + Shay
Jonas Brothers
Maroon 5
Panic! At The Disco

Top New Artist (all genre)
DaBaby
Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Roddy Ricch

Billboard Chart Achievement Award (all genre)
Mariah Carey
Luke Combs
Lil Nas X
Harry Styles
Taylor Swift

Top Billboard 200 Artist (all genre)
Drake
Billie Eilish
Khalid
Post Malone
Taylor Swift

Top Hot 100 Artist (all genre)
DaBaby
Billie Eilish
Khalid
Lil Nas X
Post Malone

Top Streaming Songs Artist (all genre)
DaBaby
Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Post Malone
Travis Scott

Top Song Sales Artist (all genre)
Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Post Malone
Taylor Swift

Top Collaboration (Fan Voted)
Chris Brown ft. Drake “No Guidance”
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus “Old Town Road”
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello “Señorita”
Post Malone & Swae Lee “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)”
Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber “I Don’t Care”

Top Rap Song
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus “Old Town Road”
Lil Tecca “Ran$om”
Lizzo “Truth Hurts”
Post Malone & Swae Lee “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)”
Post Malone “Wow.”

photo by TCD

Mickey Guyton Releases New Video for “Heaven Down Here” [Watch]

Mickey Guyton Releases New Video for “Heaven Down Here” [Watch]

Posted on October 13, 2020

Mickey Guyton released a new video for her single, “Heaven Down Here.”

Directed by Sarah McColgan, the video features juxtaposing clips of the world through Mickey’s eyes as she sings her message of hope. The new single, which was co-penned by Mickey, Gordie Sampson, Josh Kear and Hillary Lindsey, is featured on Mickey’s six-song EP, Bridges, which dropped on Sept. 11.

“Two years ago, this project didn’t feel like it was even a possibility,” says Mickey. “This EP proves that in your darkest moments, you can have your biggest breakthroughs. I think back to all of the obstacles in my life and career, including writing and recording most of this EP in quarantine during a time of social unrest, and how it has all led to the birth of this beautiful project. I hope these songs provide others with the same happiness and strength they have provided me in these uncertain times.”

In August, Mickey and husband Grant Savoy announced they are expecting their first child.

Watch Mickey’s new video for “Heaven Down Here.”

photo by TCD

Willie Nelson, Chris Janson, Lindsay Ell, Marty Stuart & More to Take Part in Jerry Lee Lewis Tribute

Willie Nelson, Chris Janson, Lindsay Ell, Marty Stuart & More to Take Part in Jerry Lee Lewis Tribute

Posted on October 13, 2020

In honor of Jerry Lee Lewis’ 85th birthday this year, a number of artists and celebrities will take part in a live-stream tribute, Whole Lotta Celebratin’ Goin’ On: 85 Years of The Killer, on Oct. 27.

Hosted by John Stamos, the tribute will feature President Bill Clinton, Billy Gibbons, Bonnie Raitt, Chris Janson, Elton John, Jacob Tolliver, James Burton, Jerry Phillips, Jimmy Swaggart, Joe Walsh, Lee Ann Womack, Linda Gail Lewis, Lindsay Ell, Marty Stuart, Mickey Gilley, The Beach Boy’s Mike Love, Priscilla Presley, Tom Jones, Willie Nelson, Wink Martindale and more.

The celebration will air on Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. CT via Jerry Lee Lewis’ Facebook, YouTube and website. The event will benefit World Vision, an organization that works to help impoverished communities.

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope” Rules the Hot Country Songs Chart for 12th Week

Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope” Rules the Hot Country Songs Chart for 12th Week

Posted on October 13, 2020

Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope” is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart (streaming, sales and airplay-based) for the 12th week, which is the second-longest run by a solo female artist in the history of the chart. Only Maren Morris’ “The Bones” enjoyed a longer reign with 19 weeks atop the chart.

Penned by Gabby, Zachary Kale and Jon Nite, “I Hope” is featured on Gabby’s 2020 debut album, Goldmine. “I Hope” topped the Billboard Country Airplay chart in April.

The longest run on the Hot Country Songs chart is Bebe Rexha’s “Meant to Be,” featuring Florida Georgia Line, which spent 50 weeks at No. 1 in 2017-2018.

“I Hope” is nominated for Single of the Year at the upcoming CMA Awards. Gabby is also nominated for New Artist of the Year.

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Watch Reba McEntire Honor The Beatles at 2000 All-Star Concert With Performance of “If I Fell”

Watch Reba McEntire Honor The Beatles at 2000 All-Star Concert With Performance of “If I Fell”

Posted on October 13, 2020

Reba McEntire honored John Lennon—on what would have been his 80th birthday on Oct. 9—by sharing her performance of “If I Fell” via YouTube.

Reba’s performance was recorded in 2000 during the UK TV special, Stars Sing the Beatles, which also featured Engelbert Humperdinck, Sid Owen, Paul Marazzi and more.

“If I Fell,” which was penned by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, was featured on the Beatles’ 1964 album, A Hard Day’s Night.

Watch Reba’s performance below.

photo by Scooter, AFF-USA.com

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