Month: January 2021

ABCThomas Rhett and his wife Lauren Akins may have a future fashion designer in their midst. 

Lauren shared a photo from the family’s recent trip to Montana in which the couple’s five-year-old daughter Willa decided to get creative and transform a camouflage-print jacket into an elegant gown, wrapping the coat around her and smiling happily with the results.

“Maybe it’s just me, but I think it’s pretty brilliant that my 5 year old figured out how to make a men’s Sitka coat look like a camo runway dress,” Lauren applauds in an Instagram post, jokingly setting her daughter up for an endorsement deal with the outdoor gear company. “@sitkagear if y’all ever need a fashion forward 5 year old designer, I can put in a good word for ya.” 

Thomas was among the many people who took to the comment section to share how impressed they are with Willa’s efforts. “100 percent,” the “Life Changes” singer comments alongside a pair of crying laughing emojis.

Willa is the oldest of the couple’s three daughters, followed by three-year-old Ada and 11-month-old Lennon.

By Cillea Houghton 
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

BBR Music GroupLindsay Ell is staging a special livestream concert for her latest album, heart theory. 

On February 12, Lindsay will perform songs from the album live for the first time since heart theory was released last summer in a #LiveRedesigned concert experience to be streamed on VYE at 9 p.m. ET. 

The concert doubles as a charity event, with net proceeds from ticket sales benefiting Crew Nation, a global relief fund for live music crews in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with other organizations. 

Fans will be able to interact on the online platform during the full-band set, and Lindsay will be unveiling a slate of special guests that will appear during the show. 

“To say that I’m excited to finally be able to play heart theory live for fans around the world is an understatement,” Lindsay says in a statement. “I hope this is a night of celebration and healing for so many. Cannot wait for music fans from around the world to join the show!”

Ticket prices begin at $7, in honor of the seven stages of grief that the album follows, and is based on a pay-what-you-can model. 

The concert will be available to view through February 14. 

By Cillea Houghton 
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

ABC/Jeff NeiraJimmie Allen and Blanco Brown have joined forces on a collaboration. 

The “Best Shot” singer has shared a teaser of a new collaborative track, “No Limits,” with a 60-second clip playing over a black and white image of a speaker.

The hip-hop-meets-country melody is filled with hand claps and bass, with a twangy guitar mixed in. Blanco kicks off the song by transporting us inside a feel-good scene of raised glasses before Jimmie jumps in and bolsters the party vibe.

“Hey you bartender/Pour a round for two/’Cause we ‘gon tear this mother down like we always do/So let’s go/Pedal to the floor/Ain’t no limits out here/Let’s go/We on a roll/Ain’t no limits out here,” Jimmie sings.

Fans are already sharing their praise for the new tune, with Rita Wilson cheering “This is FANTASTIC!!!!” in the comment section, while Atlanta-based pop group Here The Band and duo Striking Matches respond with a series of fire emojis. 

Blanco burst on to the scene in 2019 with his dance bop, “The Git Up.” Jimmie’s current single is “Freedom Was a Highway” featuring Brad Paisley. 

Jimmie Allen X Blanco Brown pic.twitter.com/T9edfUZnbl

— Jimmie Allen (@JimmieAllen) January 27, 2021

By Cillea Houghton 
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Billy Bob’s TexasScotty McCreery has teamed up with Billy Bob’s Texas to give back to ACM Lifting Lives. 

During a recent limited-capacity show that Scotty performed at the famed Fort Worth venue, the singer donated $1 from every ticket sold to the charitable branch of the Academy of Country Music, which funds music-based health programs, and launched a COVID-19 Response Fund to help music industry professionals in need. 

The donation total came to $2,100. 

“I love having an opportunity to help a great cause like ACM Lifting Lives, and doing it while performing at a legendary venue like Billy Bob’s Texas is an added bonus,” Scotty says in a statement. 

To celebrate Billy Bob Texas’ 40th anniversary in February, several country artists will perform at the honky tonk throughout the month, including Lee Brice, Jimmie Allen, Jamey Johnson and Randy Houser.

By Cillea Houghton 
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Jeff JohnsonThe Chris Young Cafe at the singer’s alma mater, Middle Tennessee State University, is officially open. 

On Tuesday, the university in Chris’ hometown of Murfreesboro hosted the grand opening of the newly renovated cafe.  It’ll serve as an entertainment venue on campus, where students can learn and refine their skills in music business, audio production, songwriting, lighting and rigging, and more.  The Cafe can accommodate 240 people post-pandemic and 74 people during the pandemic to allow for social distancing. It features an elegant stage and a portrait of Chris on the wall. The singer also donated microphones, soundboards and other equipment from his previous tours.

“This is a huge honor,” Chris said during the grand opening, thanking MTSU for providing him with a “breadth of musical knowledges” including jazz education and learning how to sing in multiple languages.  

Representatives from the university also unveiled a plaque in front of the Cafe commemorating Chris’ career.

The hitmaker hopes that student artists use the Cafe as a safe space to learn and display their talent through live performances, comedy shows and radio broadcasts. “I hope everyone finds a use for this space,” he said. “This means the world to me.” 

The Grammy nominee christened the stage with the debut live performance of his current single, “Famous Friends,” a duet with Kane Brown that will be featured on his upcoming album. 

By Cillea Houghton 
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

ABCMiranda Lambert and husband Brendan McLoughlin commemorated their second wedding anniversary with a pair of celebratory posts. 

On Tuesday, Miranda turned to Instagram to share a photo from the set of the video for her latest single, “Settling Down,” which also stars her husband.  The couple shares a sweet, face-to-face moment on their Tennessee farm next to Miranda’s horse, Gibson. 

“2 years hitched!!” Miranda writes alongside the pic.

Meanwhile, Brendan showed off Miranda’s playful side with his tribute, sharing a snap of her in the kitchen using a pair of wooden spoons as crossbones while wearing an apron with a bawdy message on it.

“Happy anniversary to this amazing woman,” he writes.

The couple met in November 2018 when Brendan was working as a security guard as part of the New York City Police Department when Miranda and her trio Pistol Annies performed on ABC’s Good Morning America. They tied the knot in January 2019.   

“Settling Down” is currently in the top 30 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.

By Cillea Houghton 
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Taylor Hill/Getty ImagesBrett Young and his wife Taylor are expecting their second child this summer. 

The new baby will join the couple’s one-year-old daughter, Presley Elizabeth, born in October 2019. Brett and Taylor say they wanted their children to be close in age, like Taylor and her sister are. 

“We really wanted them to be close enough in age so they could have a lot of things in common and be best friends,” Brett shares with People, along with photos of Presley wearing a “big sister” shirt and Taylor cradling her baby bump. “Tay is so close with her sister, and that’s something we always knew we wanted for Presley. We feel very blessed!”

Brett reveals that Taylor is experiencing morning sickness, which she didn’t while pregnant with Presley, and hopes it will pass after the first trimester.   

“And then we were 4. It seems like just yesterday we found out our little Presley was on her way. We are beyond blessed by this growing little family!” the “Mercy” singer writes on Twitter. 

Brett’s current single, “Lady,” is inspired by his wife and daughter. It currently sits in the top 20 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.

By Cillea Houghton 
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.