Mickey Guyton will release a new six-song EP, Bridges, on Sept. 11.
Mickey co-penned every song on the upcoming EP, which also features songwriters Karen Kosowski, Hillary Lindsey, Jesse Frasure, Nathan Chapman and Victoria Banks. The EP includes recent releases “Black Like Me” and “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” as well as current single, “Heaven Down Here.”
“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.”
Dolly Parton will release a new holiday album, A Holly Dolly Christmas, on Oct. 2.
The 12-song collection features several holiday standards, such as “Mary, Did You Know,” “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” “Holly Jolly Christmas” and more, as well as six original tunes that Dolly penned. The album also features duets with some of Dolly’s friends, including Michael Bublé, Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley Cyrus, Jimmy Fallon and Willie Nelson, plus a special song with her brother, Randy Parton.
“I am so excited to announce my new Christmas album, A Holly Dolly Christmas,” says Dolly. “I have recorded several Christmas classics like ‘Holly Jolly Christmas,’ as well as some new material that I hope might become Christmas classics. I’ve recorded five duets with five very special artists as you can see. I figured since everybody probably wouldn’t get to celebrate Christmas as usual this year, I wanted to be creative instead of sitting around at the house this summer. So I put on my mask, gloves and practiced social distancing, as well as all of the wonderful musicians and singers, and we proceeded to put together what I think is some of the best work that I’ve ever done. Kent Wells produced the album. As you know, Kent has been my friend, band leader and producer for many years. He’s outdone himself on this one. I’m just hoping that you’re gonna love it as much as we loved putting it together. So enjoy, and Merry Christmas!”
The new release will be Dolly’s first holiday album since 1990’s Home for Christmas.
A Holly Dolly Christmas
1. “Holly Jolly Christmas”
2. “Christmas Is” feat. Miley Cyrus
3. “Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas” with Michael Bublé
4. “Christmas On The Square”
5. “Circle Of Love”
6. “All I Want For Christmas Is You” with Jimmy Fallon
7. “Comin’ Home For Christmas”
8. “Christmas Where We Are” feat. Billy Ray Cyrus
9. “Pretty Paper” with Willie Nelson
10. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”
11. “You Are My Christmas” feat. Randy Parton
12. “Mary, Did You Know?”
Willie Nelson teamed with 10 “new” artists to remake his iconic hit, “On the Road Again,” which was released to digital platforms and country radio on Aug. 13.
The remix features this year’s 10 ACM Award New Artist of the Year nominees: Ingrid Andress, Gabby Barrett, Jordan Davis, Russell Dickerson, Lindsay Ell, Riley Green, Caylee Hammack, Cody Johnson, Tenille Townes and Morgan Wallen.
Proceeds from the single, which was produced by Ross Copperman and Jimmy Robbins, will benefit ACM Lifting Lives COVID-19 Response Fund to be disbursed to individuals in the country music community who are currently in need of pandemic relief assistance.
“On the Road Again,” which Willie penned and recorded, topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1980. The tune won a Grammy for Best Country Song in 1981.
Listen to the new version of “On the Road Again” below.
Country quartet Gone West—comprised of Colbie Caillat, Justin Kawika Young, Jason Reeves and Nelly Joy—released its debut album, Canyons, on June 12.
Two months later on Aug. 12, Colbie announced via Instagram that she and Justin have decided to leave the group: “After a lot of thought during this time, Justin and I have decided to leave Gone West. Creative partnerships, especially with friends, are both rewarding and challenging at times, and though this was not an easy decision, we know ending the band was the right one. Justin and I are best friends and will continue to make music together forever. We’re so proud of the music the four of us created together over the past three years. Canyons is an album we truly love and cherish, every song holds so much truth in experiences we all go through in life. I want to thank all of my fans and all of Gone Wests fans for supporting our music, coming to our shows, and everything in-between. I also want to thank Country radio, JR & Sirius XM, Triple Tigers and our entire teams hard work and creativity, and for believing in us and helping our music get out into the world. Thany you all. Here’s to whatever adventure comes next…”
Comprised of two-time Grammy-winner Colbie Caillat, Grammy-winning songwriter Jason Reeves, Hawaiian recording artist Justin Kawika Young and ACM Award nominee Nelly Joy, the four members joined forces in 2018 after successful individual careers as recording artists and songwriters.
The members of the group have known each other for more than a decade. Nelly and Jason are married, while Colbie and Justin recently broke off their engagement but continue to remain close friends. The foursome’s moniker was an homage to their homes states—Iowa, Texas, California and Hawaii—which, of course, are all west of their current Nashville residence.
Luke Bryan treated fans to a virtual performance of “Born Here, Live Here, Die Here” on Late Night With Seth Meyers.
The tune is the title track to Luke’s new album, which dropped on Aug. 7. Penned by Jake Mitchell, Jameson Rodgers and Josh Thompson, “Born Here, Live Here, Die Here” is one of 10 tunes on the new album, which already features three back-to-back-to-back No. 1 singles: “Knockin’ Boots,” “What She Wants Tonight” and “One Margarita.”
“My thing is, write and find some songs, and get about five or six songs going for the album—that starts setting the tone,” said Luke during a virtual media scrum on July 30. “Once you have five or six songs recorded, you can start feeling the vibe of the project. And then from there, you start seeing, ‘Well, what do I need from here? And what am I missing? Do I have too many uptempos, do I have too many mids? I don’t have enough love songs.’ My thing is: spread it out. Try to check a lot of boxes. I’m seven albums in. The current album cycle is about every two years. That’s 14 years of album making I’ve been a part of, which is insane to think about. At the end of it all, when I finish an album, I really try to have it be quite diverse and to let each track live on its own, stand on its own, and really speak for itself.”
Watch Luke’s performance from Late Night With Seth Meyers below.
The Tennessee Senate passed a resolution honoring the memory of Charlie Daniels on Aug. 11.
The ceremonial resolution, Senate Joint Resolution 8011, passed with a unanimous vote of 28 to 0, stating, in part, “that we celebrate the life of Charlie Daniels, even as we mourn his passing, and reflect fondly upon his impeccable character and indelible legacy as one of the greatest and most enduring country music artists of his generation.”
The Tennessee House passed the resolution on Aug. 12 with a vote of 90 to 0 (2 members abstaining).
The resolution will now be submitted to Governor Bill Lee for his signature.
Charlie died on July 6, 2020, at the age of 83 after suffering a stroke.
The resolution acknowledges many of Charlie’s accomplishments, including his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame (2016) and the Musicians Hall of Fame (2009), as well as becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry (2008).
As the fiddle-playing frontman of the Charlie Daniels Band, Charlie scored a number of Top 20 singles, including “Drinkin’ My Baby Goodbye,” “Boogie Woogie Fiddle Country Blues,” “In America,” and “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” which topped the charts in 1979.
Charlie is survived by his wife of 55 years, Hazel, and their son, Charlie Daniels, Jr.
Caylee Hammack will release her major-label debut album, If It Wasn’t For You, on Aug. 14.
To celebrate the album’s release, Caylee will host a livestream via YouTube and Facebook on Aug. 14 at 6 p.m. CT. Ashley McBryde and Tenille Townes, who are featured on the album’s “Mean Something,” will join Caylee during the livestream.
Caylee, who was named to CMT’s 2020 Next Women of Country class, co-wrote and co-produced every song on the 13-track album. Additional songwriters include Natalie Hemby, Laura Veltz, Troy Verges and more.
“I feel like I’m airing all my dirty laundry in this album in hopes of others feeling that honesty and vulnerability and in it, finding a safe haven to be themselves,” says Caylee. “I want the nitty-gritty to shine through, that’s where the stories are. Every song on this record has a true story behind it, and now I can’t wait to tell those once people listen to the album!”
Caylee is currently nominated for two ACM Awards: New Female Artist of the Year and Musical Event of the Year for “Fooled Around and Fell in Love.”
If It Wasn’t For You Track List & Songwriters
1. “Just Friends” (Caylee Hammack, Aaron Raitiere, Mikey Reaves)
2. “Redhead” feat. Reba McEntire (Trent Dabbs, Caylee Hammack, Natalie Hemby)
3. “Looking For A Lighter” (Caylee Hammack, Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson)
4. “Preciatcha” (Caylee Hammack, Jordan Schmidt, Laura Veltz)
5. “Sister” (Blake Bollinger, April Geesbreght, Caylee Hammack)
6. “Just Like You” (Caylee Hammack, Blake Hubbard, Jarrod Ingram)
7. “King Size Bed” (Caylee Hammack, Thomas “Tawgs” Salter, Gordie Sampson, Troy Verges)
8. “Forged In The Fire” (Thomas Finchum, Caylee Hammack, Andy Skib)
9. “Family Tree” (Caylee Hammack, Gordie Sampson, Troy Verges)
10. “Mean Something” feat. Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes (Caylee Hammack, Mikey Reaves)
11. “Small Town Hypocrite” (Caylee Hammack, Jared Scott)
12. “Gold” (Caylee Hammack)
13. “New Level Of Life” (Caylee Hammack, Aaron Raitiere, Connor Thuotte)
BALDWIN, Md. – Tennessee redshirt senior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano was named to the 2020 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List, announced the organization on Tuesday.
The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award® presented by A. O. Smith Corporation is presented annually to the top senior and upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Selection Committee. Candidates are chosen based on player performance on and off the field.
Lodi, N.J., native Guarantano returns for his final season on Rocky Top after spearheading UT’s midyear turnaround in 2019 and lifting the Vols to a six-game win streak to conclude last season. He led Tennessee with 2,158 passing yards and 16 touchdowns, while completing 152-of-257 pass attempts after appearing in all 13 games with seven starts. Guarantano averaged 14.2 yards per completion to top the SEC.
Impressively, Guarantano came off the bench to lead the Vols to victories against Mississippi State, South Carolina, UAB and Kentucky, suffering from a broken wrist in his non-throwing hand against South Carolina to never miss a game.
He continued to surpass expectations throughout 2019 and passed for a career-high 415 yards against a Missouri defense that was ranked sixth nationally in pass defense to propel the Vols to a bowl berth. His 415-yard performance was the fourth-most ever by a Vol.
Guarantano is one of 10 quarterbacks from the SEC selected to the preseason list. The recognition is his first preseason honor.
The complete watch list for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award® can be found HERE.
2020 Tennessee Football Preseason Honors
Brent Cimaglia, Sr., PK
Lou Groza Award Watch List
All-SEC First Team (Athlon, College Football News, Phil Steele)
Eric Gray, So., RB
Doak Walker Award Watch List
All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon)
Trey Smith, Sr., OL
Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
Outland Trophy Watch List
First-Team All-American (Athlon, Phil Steele, Sporting News)
Second-Team All-American (Walter Camp)
All-SEC First Team (Athlon, College Football News, Phil Steele)
Bryce Thompson, Jr., DB
All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon, Phil Steele)
Henry To’o To’o, So., LB
Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List
Butkus Award Watch List
Bednarik Award Watch List
All-SEC First Team (Phil Steele)
All-SEC Second Team (Athlon)
Typically touring troubadour Hayes Carll used his downtime during the pandemic to record a new album, Alone Together Sessions, which will drop on Sept. 4. The 11-song album features acoustic versions of 10 of Hayes’ past songs, as well as a duet with wife Allison Moorer on Merle Haggard’s “That’s the Way Love Goes.”
“It’s probably good to pause every now and then, to take stock of everything,” says Hayes. “When you make your living playing out there for people, you’re constantly in motion. That momentum doesn’t leave much time for thinking about what happened, let alone what it all means. How often does someone get to go back in, change the rhythms, turn up guitars, shift the perspective of a lyric or the delivery of a vocal? The more I sang these songs, the more I learned about them.”
Produced by Darrell Scott, the new album includes fan-favorite tunes from Hayes’ past catalog, such as “Bad Liver and a Broken Heart,” “Wild as a Turkey” and “Drunken Poet’s Dream,” which features vocals from the song’s co-writer, Ray Wylie Hubbard. Hayes recorded his late-night performances from the solitude of his Nashville residence.
Statement from SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey on postponement of Big Ten and Pac-12 Conference fall sports seasons
“I look forward to learning more about the factors that led the Big Ten and Pac-12 leadership to take these actions today. I remain comfortable with the thorough and deliberate approach that the SEC and our 14 members are taking to support a healthy environment for our student-athletes. We will continue to further refine our policies and protocols for a safe return to sports as we monitor developments around COVID-19 in a continued effort to support, educate and care for our student-athletes every day.”
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey / Credit: SEC Media Site
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