Comstock/ThinkstockOn this day in 1956, this “I Walk the Line” legend made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium and met his future wife June Carter Cash backstage. Can you guess who it is? ANSWER: Johnny Cash.
By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says that the United States has to take a different path with regard to China, as the previous policy of helping them open up their economy with the believe that this would lead to more political freedom has not worked,
“The theory of the case that was more economic opening will lead to more political freedoms, more fundamental rights being provided to the Chinese people, just turned out not to have been true. It just didn’t work. I’m not criticizing those who came before; we can now plainly see that it didn’t work, and that means the United States has to take a different path,” said Pompeo. The National Security Law, he said, has taken away the freedom of the people of Hong Kong. “You want the Chinese people to be successful and you want them to live good lives and you want the United States to have a relationship, but we know what communist regimes do, we know the way authoritarian regimes treat their people all too often, and that’s what we’re seeing in China today,” he added.
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ABC/Eric GebhartWhen Luke Bryan hosts CMA Best of Fest Monday on ABC, it’ll showcase superstar performances from the last sixteen years. It’ll also feature never-before-seen moments, like Eric Church‘s non-stop half-hour hits medley from last year.
Less than a month earlier, Eric set a new attendance record at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium, and was determined to top that.
“I was having a bit of a brain thing…” he admits. “We’d set the record, and in my opinion, [put on] the best show of our career. And then I’m back three weeks later, and I’ve gotta figure out how to do something that’s gonna be memorable again.”
Earlier that day, Eric hit on the idea of taking the stage alone, recreating a popular concert moment. Typically, he weaves cover tunes into “Mistress Named Music.” But this time, he’d fill it with his own hits.
“That had taken on its own form during the tour,” Eric explains. “People knew about it, it’d become popular.”
“They probably thought I was gonna do ‘Piano Man’ and all these things,” he continues. “And to go in and cover myself for those seventeen songs, I thought… would be a really neat thing.”
Practicing alone on his bus with a timer, Eric recalls how much fun it was to try to make it work. But still he was unsure.
“My fallback is I’m just gonna play five songs,” he remembers. “I’d go back, and I’d work on it again.”
“And finally I thought, ‘Okay, I can do this. It’s gonna be something. It’s gonna be ballsy, if nothing else,'” he laughs.
An hour before, Eric sent his band home to force himself to follow through.
You can preview the results on YouTube, ahead of CMA Best of Fest Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
By Stephen Hubbard
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Burke/Triolo Productions/ThinkstockNew country trio Leaving Austin has unveiled the music video for their song with Cassadee Pope, “American Avenue.” The two acts performed the song live last week on the Today show.
Niko Moon has released a cover of Travis Tritt‘s hit, “It’s a Great Day to be Alive,” through Amazon Music. In a statement about the cover song, Niko shares that he was raised 15 minutes up the street from Travis and calls it “one of the greatest country songs of all time!”
Grand Ole Opry star Jeannie Seely, who celebrated her 80th birthday yesterday, has announced she is releasing her new album An American Classic on August 14. The album features a collaboration with Willie Nelson, who sings and plays guitar on “Not a Dry Eye in the House.”
By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in a tweet on Monday that she tested positive for coronavirus, despite being asymptomatic. “COVID-19 has literally hit home. I have had NO symptoms and have tested positive,” she tweeted. Fulton County, Georgia, has seen nearly 9,000 coronavirus cases, according to the Georgia Department of Health.
Bottoms has recently made her name known nationally following the shooting of Rayshard Brooks, 27, a Black man who died after he was shot twice in the back by an Atlanta police officer in a Wendy’s parking lot in June. The shooting resulted in the chief of the Atlanta Police Department stepping down and two officers involved in the shooting criminally charged.
Bottoms has issued a series of executive orders to reform the police department; she is reportedly among those being considered as a running mate for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
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Country music legend Charlie Daniels died on July 6, according to a press release from his publicist. He was 83.
The statement read: “Country music and southern rock legend Charlie Daniels has passed. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry member died this morning at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee. Doctors determined the cause of death was a hemorrhagic stroke. He was 83.”
As the 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 leaves behind his wife of 55 years, Hazel, and their son, Charlie Daniels, Jr. Funeral arrangements will be announced later this week.
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Chris Young has released his new single, “If That Ain’t God,” co-written by Chris, Greylan James, Mitch Ogelsby and Matt Roy.
“If That Ain’t God” is just one track off Young’s forthcoming eighth studio album, which he has continued to work on during quarantine.
Take a listen to “If That Ain’t God” at the link to the lyric video: here
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Dustin HaneyAhead of the release of his upcoming collaborations EP, Jimmie Allen has shared a snippet of a new song called “Right Now.”
In an Instagram post on Monday, Jimmie played a teaser of the track that was written the same day. Co-written by the singer, Jordan Schmidt and Matt Rogers, the pop-leaning track finds Jimmie looking back on the one that got away and longing to right his wrongs.
“If I had you back right now/I wouldn’t ever let you let go/I need you so bad right now/And I ain’t afraid to say so,” he croons in the chorus, his voice soaring alongside a computerized melody.
“You’re on fire!!!! So good!!!” Rita Wilson applauds in the comment section, with fans also sharing their approval, calling the song “amazing” while another refers to Jimmie as an “inspiration.”
The “Best Shot” hit maker is set to release the EP Bettie James on Friday comprised of seven new songs with a range of collaborators including Darius Rucker, Mickey Guyton, Brad Paisley, Nelly and more. The EP is named after his grandmother Bettie and his father, James.
By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Sam Smith has officially released their cover of Coldplay’s 2005 hit ‘Fix You.’ Smith previously covered the track back in May, receiving acclaim for the emotional weight behind the song. Now due to fan demand, Sam has officially made their rendition available on iTunes and streaming services.
Fix You (Live) is Sam’s first official release since their collaboration with Demi Lovato, I’m Ready, which reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Sam also announced that their upcoming third album, which was originally titled To Die For after the single of the same name, has been postponed due to growing concerns over the global coronavirus pandemic.
Take a listen to Fix You at your streaming service of choice at the link: here
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The Weeknd is dropping the video for his “In Your Eyes (Remix)” with Doja Cat.
The official animated visual for the remix features The Weeknd cruising around a colorful city at night, with Doja Cat eventually joining him in the passenger seat.
Doja is coming off her first Hot 100 No. 1 with “Say So” featuring Nicki Minaj, and she and Ariana Grande also have a record on the way.
Watch the video for “In Your Eyes (Remix)” at the link: here
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