Month: September 2020

ABC/Image Group LAAfter closing its doors to live audiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium is slowly and carefully reopening.

Last week, the venue kicked off its “Live at the Ryman” hybrid concert and livestream model, with Scotty McCreery delivering a performance that fans could either watch at home or in person. The Ryman hosted 125 in-person guests, with a strict mask mandate and social distancing regulations in place.

This Friday, September 11, Brett Young will take the stage for the next “Live at the Ryman” event. This time around, the live audience capacity will increase to 250. Nashville Public Health Department personnel will be on hand during the show, enforcing socially distanced seating and compliance with other regulations.

In-person and livestream tickets to the show are both available at the Ryman’s website. Next week, the “Live at the Ryman” series will continue with a performance from Old Crow Medicine Show. 

During quarantine, Brett has been spending precious time with family. He and his wife, Taylor, welcomed their first child last October. Baby girl Presley makes a special appearance in the music video for his latest release, “Lady,” which the singer originally wrote as a gift for his wife and daughter.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

ABC/Image Group LATBS has an hour-long, televised talent competition called the Go-Big Show in the works, which will follow talents like alligator trainers, monster truck drivers and stunt archers as they vie for the $100,000 prize.

Jennifer Nettles will serve as one of the celebrity judges choosing which competitors advance to the next level. She’ll appear alongside fellow judges rapper Snoop Dogg, actor and activist Rosario Dawson and professional wrestler Cody Rhodes. Comedian Bert Kreischer will host the show.

While extreme talent judging may seem like a bit of a leap for the Sugarland band mate and solo country act, Jennifer just might feel close to home in her new role: Go-Big Show has begun production for its 10 episodes at the Macon Coliseum in her home state of Georgia.

There, the contestants and staff are operating under strict COVID-19 protocols, and are isolating together in accordance with local social distancing regulations. For example, the show will forgo a live audience in favor of an interactive drive-in audience.

Go-Big Show is being broadcast simultaneously across TBS, TNT and truTV.

In addition to her country career, Jennifer has been enjoying being in front of the camera as an actor in recent years. She portrayed the character of Aimee-Lee Gemstone on the HBO show The Righteous Gemstones, and also is among the cast of Harriet, a biopic about the life of Harriet Tubman.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Jamie WrightMiranda Lambert has always been passionate about helping shelter pets. Now, her nonprofit Muttnation has teamed with the Waggle Foundation to help those in the music community take care of their pets during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The singer says the idea of supporting pets during this time came from a friend’s personal experience.

“It really hit home when my backup singer and close friend Gwen’s shelter dog, Earl, became extremely ill in early March, just as the pandemic was taking hold and our tour had to stop,” Miranda explains. “After taking him to several vets, she was told Earl had a rare liver disorder. Then there were multiple hospital stays, relapses, more hospital stays…”

Watching Gwen’s experience made Miranda realize how stressful it is for other pet owners to go through illnesses with their animals during a time when they’re not working as much or at all, she continues.

“Earl is doing great now, but he’ll require ongoing treatment for the rest of his life. It was such an unexpected major expense at an already tough time,” Miranda continues. “…Because music and mutts are my two passions, I knew I had to do something and thought that starting this fund would help both the music community that’s been so supportive of me and their pets.”

Music industry members can apply for support now, and animal lovers in need of assistance who don’t work in music can apply via Waggle. Fans can also donate to the Muttnation Fund.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

BMLG RecordsFlorida Georgia Line celebrates the kinds of nights that make life worth living in “Long Live,” their newest single.

“Long live all the small towners, sunup to sundowners / That old-school Haggard and Hank / Long live longneck bottles and wide-open throttles / And old dirt roads with no name,” the chorus goes. “Long live them country girls, long legs in cut-up jeans / Long live this way of life / Long live nights like these…”

It’s familiar turf for FGL’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, both of whom had a hand in writing the track. The pair are known for recording out odes to the small-town good life, and this single takes them back to their early days..

“This one is for the nights you never want to end,” the duo says in a statement. “…We had a lot of fun reminiscing when writing, and hope it takes our fans back, too! Kick back with your loved ones, turn it up and relive some of your glory days while making new memories.”

“Long Live” follows FGL’s latest single and 17th number-one radio hit, “I Love My Country.”

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Big MachineTo realize how authentic Riley Green is, all you need to do is check out the cover of his new EP, If It Wasn’t for Trucks. 

Hailing from Northeast Alabama, Riley was around all the trappings of country music, but he didn’t know much about the business until he released “There Was This Girl” in 2018.

“I’d never done a real photo shoot,” he explains, “and Big Machine gets this place… and there’s cows and a farm and all this. Then the next one is somewhat similar. We drive 40 minutes out of town to some place where there’s a barn and some old wood and a sawmill…”

“We start shooting music videos,” he continues, “and it’s like, ‘Man, we need an old truck…’ And I finally realized that I can go, ‘Hey, hold on a second. Have y’all been to my house? I’ve got literally everything we’re driving out here and paying for.'”

For the front of the new EP, Riley already had it covered. 

“We were talking about what we needed…” he recalls. “‘Man, it’d be good if it was like this and that, whatever.” And I said, ‘Well, hang on.'”

“So I sent ’em this picture, and they’re like, ‘Where did you get that?'” Riley says. “I’m like, ‘That’s in my mom and dad’s backyard. That’s my dog and my truck. I took that like eight years ago. It’s on my Instagram…'”

“So it’s really cool for me, as opposed to just going and getting some kind of random artwork, to have something that actually has a tie to one of my very first trucks,” he adds. 

The ACM New Male Artist of the Year is set to perform on Wednesday’s Academy of Country Music Awards on CBS, following the release of his EP on Friday. 

By Stephen Hubbard
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Burke/Triolo Productions/ThinkstockIn case you missed it, Sara Evans stopped by Good Morning America earlier this week to discuss her new memoir, Born to Fly.

Ruston Kelly debuted his new music video for “Under the Sun” today. The song comes off his brand-new album, Shape & Destroy.

The Voice alum Adam Wakefield is officially engaged to singer and actor Jenny Leigh. It’s a busy few weeks for Adam, as his trio, Texas Hill, is gearing up to release its self-titled debut EP on September 25.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.