Month: June 2021

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Go Country 105

Kane Brown worried his 2021 ACM win was a “handout” amid country music's race reckoning

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In 2020, alleged racism and bigotry in country music moved to the forefront of the conversation unlike in any year prior, thanks in part to work from Black artists like Mickey Guyton, as well as a galvanized Civil Rights movement nationwide.

But there's a difference between an artist receiving support and becoming a so-called ‘token’ artist, and that's a line that the genre continues to learn to walk. In a roundtable conversation in Billboard, Mickey and Kane Brown reflect on their experiences as Black country artists, while Brothers Osborne also joins the conversation to add input from band mate TJ's recent experience of coming out as gay.

As an example, Kane points to the fact that he won his first-ever ACM Award for “Worldwide Beautiful” this year. “And it wasn't like, Congratulations on winning your first ACM. How does it feel?' It was like, How does it feel being Black and winning your first ACM?' So in my head, I was like, I feel like I'm about to win this award because of everything that's going on right now.' I felt like they were just giving me a handout.”

Fortunately, Kane goes on to say, he was surrounded by people who convinced him that he won the award because he was deserving. But the Brothers Osborne agree that they felt an extra push to collaborate with Black artists last year amid the Black Lives Matter movement.

“We had people coming to us being like, You should collaborate with Kane or Mickey.' And I'm like, I would love to collaborate with them, but I don't want to collaborate with them just to be like, Hey, I like Black people,'” says TJ. “Hopefully, it should be implied already.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Chris Lane reflects on dad life with baby Dutton: “Watching Lauren be a mom is my favorite thing”

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Chris Lane and Lauren Bushnell are getting into the swing of parenting, after their first child, baby boy Dutton, was born earlier this month. The pair have different skill sets when it comes to taking care of a newborn, but “we make a good team,” the singer tells People.

“Watching Lauren be a mom is my favorite thing in the world,” Chris continues, going on to say that his wife has the “magic touch” when it comes to changing diapers. For his part, he's good at calming Dutton by playing him songs on acoustic guitar.

“We're both so new to this and learning as we go, but we're getting the hang of it!” explains Lauren. “You have to laugh your way through. We're just figuring it out together.”

As for Dutton's emerging personality, likes and dislikes? Chris says one favorite activity of his has already become clear.

“I've learned that he loves, loves, loves to eat,” the singer says.

“He likes to eat, which, unfortunately and fortunately, I'm the only one who can feed him right now,” Lauren agrees. “We spend a lot of time together in this room, just eating.”

Chris is focusing on family life right now, but later in 2021, he'll throw a headlining tour into the mix. In October, he's set to kick off his Fill Them Boots Tour, which takes its name from his newest single.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Carly Pearce gets an invite from Dolly Parton to join the Grand Ole Opry

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Alexa Campbell

Carly Pearce will become the next member of the Grand Ole Opry.

The “I Hope You’re Happy Now” singer, who’s played the Opry stage more than 80 times, got a special surprise invite from Dolly Parton while filming a promotion for Dolly’s theme park, Dollywood. It was a full-circle moment for Carly, who got her start in country music playing at Dollywood as a teenager.

Carly was shocked enough just watching Dolly walk up to her in the middle of the taping, but once she realized that she was being asked to join the Opry, she dissolved into tears.

“I came here today to tell you you are now an official member of the Grand Ole Opry!” Dolly said, cracking up as Carly sank to the floor. “Well, you can’t do it sitting down!”

“[The Opry has] been the greatest love of my life since I was a young girl listening with my grandparents,” Carly later reflected. “All of the greatest writers, legends and pioneers have been on that stage, and I feel them in my bones anytime I walk in the stage door…To actually be asked to join the Opry family, there are no words.”

Over the course of her career, Carly has often spoke about her love of the Opry and desire to be a member. Making the occasion even more special was the fact that she got invited by her longtime hero, who has been an Opry member for over 50 years but has never invited someone to join — until now.

Carly’s official induction ceremony will take place on August 3.

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Go Country 105

Country star trivia

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On this day in 1929, this country icon was born in Virginia. Originally part of the Carter Family, she later rose to fame with hit duets including “Jackson” and “If I Were a Carpenter” with husband Johnny Cash. Can you guess who it is? ANSWER: June Carter Cash. 

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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News Daypop

Senate Republicans block voting rights reform bill in 50-50 vote

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On Tuesday, Senate Republicans blocked the voting rights reform bill titled For the People Act in an evenly split vote. The Senate voted 50-50 along party lines, with Democrats failing to secure the 60 votes necessary to avoid a Republican filibuster on the procedural vote to open debate on the bill.

The For the People Act features a wide range of provisions aimed at expanding access to ballots, including automatic voter registration for all who are eligible and ensuring the right to vote for those who have completed felony sentences, enhancing federal support for voting security and tightening fundraising rules for super PACs.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell characterized the bill as a power grab by Democrats, saying, “At the end of the day which concocted crisis Democrats use as a justification for their top legislative priority doesn’t make much difference. They’ve made it abundantly clear that the real driving force behind S.1 is a desire to rig the rules of American elections permanently in Democrats’ favor.”  However, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called the Republican opposition to the bill “indefensible,” saying that members of the GOP had aligned themselves with former President Donald Trump, who claimed without evidence that widespread voter fraud led to his defeat in the 2020 presidential election.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who presided over the vote, said that “the fight is not over” as she and President Joe Biden will continue to push for voting reform including the more moderate John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

Editorial credit: Christopher Halloran / Shutterstock.com

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News Daypop

White House says U.S. will not hit July 4 vaccination goal

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A White House task force announced Tuesday that the United States won’t hit President Joe Biden’s goal of 70% of all adults vaccinated with at least one COVID-19 shot by July 4th. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 177 million adults 18 years old and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 shot and more than 150 million are fully vaccinated, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures. That accounts for 65.4% of adults with at least one dose, shy of the 70% target.  President Biden set the goal in May in an attempt to boost vaccination rates, which have slowed in recent weeks. The United States vaccinated a peak of seven-day rolling average of 3.38 million Americans in a day in mid-April, a figure that dropped to below 1 million in early June.  Biden also sought to have 160 million adults fully vaccinated by Independence Day.

White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said the United States should reach that goal “a few extra weeks” after the July 4 holiday weekend, adding that the country has met the 70% goal for Americans 30 years old and older, and should hit the goal by the end of July 4 weekend for Americans 27 and older.

Zients noted that the Delta variant of the novel coronavirus is spreading throughout communities in the United States and that the unvaccinated are particularly vulnerable, saying: “It’s now more important than ever for them to get vaccinated. Our work doesn’t stop at July Fourth or when we hit 70 percent.”   Zients highlighted that 16 states have hit the 70% goal, as well as Americans over the age of 30, saying in part: “That’s life-saving progress. Throughout the last 5 months the president has set goals to rally the American people behind defeating the virus with the most important and most ambitious being to celebrate our independence from the virus on July Fourth — for America to look like America again.”

Editorial credit: Vaggelis Kousioras / Shutterstock.com

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Go Country 105

Nashville notes

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The 2021 Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic raised $1.4 million for Toby Keith‘s OK Kids Korral foundation, which provides free housing to families whose children are receiving treatment at hospitals in Oklahoma City. 

Tracy Lawrence raised $200,000 for the homeless and underserved communities with his first annual Mission:Possible Invitational Golf Tournament. 

In honor of Pride Month, CMT is hosting the roundtable discussion “Queer in Country Music: A Conversation” featuring Brandy Clark, Billy Gilman and Chely Wright. It premieres today at 5 p.m. ET on CMT’s YouTube and Facebook channels. 

Shane McAnally, CeCe Winans and Jennifer Nettles are taking part in Cracker Barrel’s Care It Forward initiative that sees them mentoring up-and-coming artists. Shane will work with Kylie Morgan and CeCe is mentoring Christian singer Tauren Wells. 

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Country Daypop

Chris Stapleton, Jon Pardi, Darius Rucker and Mickey Guyton set to appear on Metallica tribute album

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Country artists including Chris Stapleton, Mickey Guyton, Jon Pardi and Darius Rucker are among the 53 artists taking part in the upcoming The Metallica Blacklist tribute album, which will be released alongside a remastered version of the band’s original self-titled project, referred to as The Black Album, on September 10th.

Each of the artists appearing The Metallica Blacklist tribute album perform their own renditions of music from the legendary rock group’s 1991 original project, which was certified 16x Platinum and included the hits “Enter Sandman,” “Sad But True,” and “Nothing Else Matters.”  Various artists each take a shot at recording the songs on the project; for example, Guyton, Rucker and Stapleton offer up their versions of “Nothing Else Matters,” while Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit perform “Sad But True,” and Pardi is one of four artists who perform “Wherever I May Roam.”

All profits from the album will be given to charity and split between Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation, as well as charities chosen by each of the project’s 53 guest artists. See the trailer for the The Metallica Blacklist tribute album – here.

Editorial credit: Sterling Munksgard / Shutterstock.com

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Country Daypop

Brantley Gilbert, HARDY & Toby Keith join together for “The Worst Country Song of All Time”

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Brantley Gilbert, HARDY and Toby Keith joined forces on a rowdy, comical new song called “The Worst Country Song Of All Time.”

Gilbert explained the collaboration: “HARDY threw the idea on the table, and he said, ‘Guys, I know this is crazy, but I had a title I put down in my phone: The Worst Country Song Of All Time. We all laughed it off because obviously it was a joke. Then we all were throwing out lines we thought were funny. The next thing you know, we’ve got this song written, and the rest is history in the making. We were listening to the demo after we finished it, and I said to HARDY, ‘Man, if we get a wild hair and decide we’re actually going to cut this, would you be cool with cutting it with me? I’ll never forget, he looked at me and he said, ‘Absolutely.’” Gilbert later added, “As far as Toby goes – it’s freakin’ Toby Keith! He’s written some of the best and put out some of my favorite country songs of all time. So having him on it is kind of like that final seal of approval.”

Take a listen to The Worst Country Song Of All Time – here.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

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Pop Daypop

Pitbull announces North American “I Feel Good” tour with special guest Iggy Azalea

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Pitbull has announced his North American tour with special guest Iggy Azalea. Dubbed the I Feel Good tour, the trek will cover 32 cities, kicking-off on Aug. 20 at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, Mich., before wrapping up on Oct. 13 at the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa.

Pitbull posted on social media: “:I don’t know about you, but I feel good! Yours truly is back on the road again with special guest @thenewclassic and our very own @themostbadones. Excited to reunite with all of my fans. Dale!! #IFeelGoodTour

Iggy Azalea will be performing on all dates except for the Sept. 8 show at the Walmart AMP in Rogers, Ark.; the Sept. 16 show at the Isleta Amphitheater in Albuquerque, N.M.; and the Sept. 18 show at the Zappos Theater in Las Vegas.

Tickets go on sale Friday, June 25th at 10 a.m. local time through Ticketmaster.

Editorial credit: Nick Biemans / Shutterstock.com