Lady A, Tim McGraw and Brad Paisley are among the artists performing during the 44th annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular on July 4. Additional performers include The Killers, John Legend and The Black Eyed Peas.
Today show anchor Craig Melvin will host the two-hour televised event in New York City. After the performances, the show will feature a fireworks display from each of NYC’s five boroughs that were recorded throughout the week, followed by a live grand finale.
Tune in to NBC at 7 p.m. CT on July 4 to catch all of the action. An encore presentation will follow at 9 p.m. CT.
Nashville will be celebrating our nation’s 244th birthday with a virtual concert—Let Freedom Sing—on July 4.
The virtual show will feature performances by John Hiatt, Lilly Hiatt, Keb’ Mo’ and Tenille Townes. Nashville residents can watch locally via television on News Channel 5 at 9 p.m. CT, while fans in other locales can stream the event on newschannel5.com.
Let Freedom Sing is typically held in downtown Nashville, however, the event is virtual this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Robert Earl Keen will stream his Virtual Fourth on the River concert on July 4 at 7 p.m. CT via Facebook and YouTube.
The live concert broadcast from REK’s Snake Barn Movie Ranch Studio in Kerrville, Texas, will feature performances from Robert Earl Keen and band, Cody Canada, Willow City Music and special guest Josh Morningstar.
“We are excited to be able to continue our annual Fourth of July celebration by moving the concert online for our fans nationwide, and the best part is you don’t have to leave your yard or try to find a place to park to enjoy the fun,” says Robert Earl.
Originally slated to take place on the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas, the concert was moved to a virtual event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jimmie Allen will release a new collaborative EP, Bettie James, on July 10.
The seven-song EP features a host of guest artists, including Brad Paisley, Charley Pride, Darius Rucker, Mickey Guyton, Nelly, Noah Cyrus, The Oak Ridge Boys, Rita Wilson, Tauren Wells and Tim McGraw.
“I am a fan of every artist on this project and humbled to have each one of them be a part of it,” says Jimmie. “Each artist has touched the life of my dad, my grandmother and me through their music. I’m proud of this body of music and thankful to every writer that helped me create Bettie James.”
The new EP takes its moniker from Jimmie’s late father (James Allen) and late grandmother (Bettie Snead).
“My dad and grandmom were two completely different people, but both played a huge part in my life,” says Jimmie. “Since they died, I have been wanting to leave trails of their legacies throughout my music.”
Jimmie co-produced the new project with Ash Bowers. The EP’s lead single, “This Is Us,” featuring Noah Cyrus, was released in March.
In 2018, Jimmie released his debut album, Mercury Lane, which features No. 1 hits “Best Shot” and “Make Me Want To.”
By scoring his 31st No. 1 single (“Here and Now”) this week, Kenny Chesney extended his lead on the all-time list for most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, which was created in 1990.
Kenny first No. 1 on the chart was “She’s Got It All” in 1997.
Most No. 1 Singles on the Billboard Country Airplay Chart
Kenny Chesney: 31
Tim McGraw: 29
Blake Shelton: 27
George Strait: 26
Alan Jackson: 26
Notes
Tim’s current single, “I Called Mama,” is No. 18 on the Airplay chart after eight weeks.
Blake’s current single, “Nobody But You,” featuring Gwen Stefani, is No. 6 on the Airplay chart after 26 weeks. The tune topped the chart for two weeks in April/May 2020.
Kenny will release his new single, “Happy Does,” to country radio on July 20.
Neither George Strait nor Alan Jackson has a single on the chart.
Luke Bryan is in sixth place on the all-time list with 22 No. 1 singles on the Airplay chart. His current single, “One Margarita,” is No. 2 on the chart this week.
photos: Blake Shelton by TCD; Tim McGraw by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com; Kenny Chesney by E.M., AFF-USA.com
Lindsay Ell released a new visualizer video for “wAnt me back,” the lead single from her upcoming concept album, heart theory (Aug. 14).
Produced by Dann Huff, heart theory is comprised of 12 tracks that journey through each stage of grief: shock, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, testing and acceptance.
Penned by Lindsay, Kane Brown, Matt McGinn and Lindsay Rimes, “wAnt me back” will impact country radio on July 13.
“If theory is the science of music, heart theory is the science of a heart,” says Lindsay. “I hope this roadmap can be a comfort if you need it, reassurance when you need to remember to believe in yourself or maybe just a glimpse into a memory that’s made you who you are.”
The song titles have been stylize in lowercase with sporadic capital letters to reflect the spelling of the name of the album, while the album’s title has also been stylized in lowercase.
Watch Lindsay’s visualizer video for “wAnt me back” below.
Minor League Baseball announced today that there will not be a 2020 Minor League Baseball season. The health and safety of our fans, players and staff members is our top priority. We look forward to creating more memories that last a lifetime at Smokies Stadium.
The Tennessee Smokies are the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Members of the ten-team Southern League, Smokies baseball has been entertaining families and fans of America’s national pastime in the East Tennessee region for over 100 years. To learn more about the Tennessee Smokies, visit www.smokiesbaseball.com.
KNOXVILLE – “Johnny Majors: Straight Ahead,” an hour-long documentary celebrating the life and legacy of the late Tennessee legend and College Football Hall of Famer, will debut at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, July 3 on ESPNU and then re-air at noon ET on Sunday, July 5 on WVLT-TV Channel 8 in Knoxville.
The VFL Films documentary features interviews with former Vol players and coaches and takes a look at the storied career of Majors, which began in 1954 as a player and continued as head coach in 1977.
ESPNU will devote five hours of Majors tribute coverage on Friday beginning with Tennessee’s 1991 Sugar Bowl comeback victory over Virginia at 6 p.m. ET. The Vols used a 20-point fourth quarter and a pair of Tony Thompson touchdowns to rally for a 23-22 win to cap the program’s 100th anniversary season in Majors’ 14th year as head coach. Following the documentary, the network will show the 1977 Sugar Bowl featuring Majors’ Pitt team defeating Georgia.
A 1987 inductee of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame, Majors played for the Volunteers from 1954-56, served as an assistant coach from 1957-59 and later was Tennessee’s head football coach from 1977-92. He passed away on June 3 at the age of 85.
Majors’ No. 45 was retired by his alma mater in 2012—one of only eight to earn that distinction. A native of Lynchburg, Tennessee, he was a two-time Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, a unanimous All-American in 1956 and the Heisman Trophy runner-up that same season.
Majors returned to his alma mater and was 116-62-6 as head coach for the Vols with three conference championships (1985, 1989 and 1990) and 12 bowl appearances.
Kenny Chesney will ship new single, “Happy Does,” to country radio on July 20.
Penned by Brad Clawson, Brock Berryhill, Greylan James and Jamie Paulin, “Happy Does” is the third single from Kenny’s 2020 album, Here and Now, following the release of Top 10 hit, “Tip of My Tongue,” and the chart-topping title track.
“The first time I heard ‘Happy Does,’ ironically, it made me smile a lot,” says Kenny. “Because I love the idea of my audience and the people that listen to this music living their best life. And I think it’s really hard in today’s world—in this social media world of getting drawn in to what everyone else is doing and how everyone else is living their life instead of concentrating on your own and not necessarily letting outside factors dictate your life or the mood you’re in. You know, it’s just being happy, and being thankful, and being humble, and having gratitude. Those are the things I try to lean on, and when I heard ‘Happy Does,’ it made me smile a lot. And I really believe it’s the kind of song my audience will gravitate to.”
After entertaining fans with his unique concert experience across hundreds of drive-in theaters on June 27, Garth Brooks already has planned his next crowd-pleasing event. On July 7, Garth will perform fan-requested songs on his Facebook Live series, Inside Studio G.
“How about we just make it intimate?” said Garth. “We just make it really just bare bones. Let’s get really close. We might try it up at the campfire. We’ll see.”
Garth and Trisha Yearwood hosted a similar at-home acoustic show on Inside Studio G on March 23.
Garth and his team will be sifting through requests that can be made on his socials using the hashtag, #GarthRequestLive2.
Tune in to Garth’s Inside Studio G on Facebook on July 7 at 7 p.m. ET.
![Kenny Chesney Releases Friendly New Single, “Happy Does” [Listen]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/602/2020/06/30080300/Kenny-Chesney-AFF1.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
