Month: July 2021

Dolly Parton is weighing in on Britney Spears‘ conservatorship battle.

The country legend was asked about the situation while on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live on Thursday night. While she didn’t get too specific on her feelings about the #FreeBritney movement, she did say she can relate to what Britney is going through.

“I try to not get involved in other people’s business,” Dolly said. “I think she’s a wonderful artist, and I think she’s a wonderful girl, and I only wish her the best.”

She added, “I understand all those crazy things. I went through a lot of that myself through a big lawsuit in my early days with Porter Wagoner, trying to get out on my own. So I understand where she’s coming from and how she feels. So I hope that it all turns out the way that it should.”

Back in the ’70s, Dolly announced an end to her partnership with Wagoner, a country singer who helped launch her career. He later sued her for $3 million, claiming breach of contract. They eventually settled out of court.

Dolly wrote her classic 1974 hit “I Will Always Love You” as a farewell to Wagoner.

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Jimmie Allen and Brad Paisley bring the breezy, windswept vibes of their “Freedom Was a Highway” duet to life in a new music video. 

In the clip, Jimmie starts off solo, going for a summer joyride in a classic red convertible. Somewhere along the two-lane blacktop, in the middle of the woods, the singer pulls over to investigate something sparkly on the side of road: It's a golden guitar that seems to have magical powers.

One strum on the guitar and Jimmie conjures up a full backing band, which immediately kick into gear as he begins to perform “Freedom Was a Highway.” But that's not all: Soon, Brad enters the picture, sitting on the back of a pickup truck and singing along. Soon, the pair of artists' middle-of-nowhere jam session turns into a packed concert, with golden confetti falling from the sky.

A live performance of “Freedom is a Highway” from Jimmie and Brad will likely become a reality for fans with tickets to see Brad's tour this summer: Jimmie is currently an opening act on the bill. 

The two artists' duet is currently a top-twenty hit at country radio.

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Lauren Alaina's next full-length album is on its way. This week, the singer shared the news that a 15-song collection called Sitting Pretty on Top of the World will come out September 3.

“It's about being a dreamer becoming an achiever. It's being broken and ending up healed. It's all of me,” the singer says of her new project. “The early chapters. The new beginnings. The hope for the future and total appreciation for the past. Taking the Road Less Traveled and ending up Sitting Pretty on Top of the World.”

To kick off her album roll-out, Lauren's sharing the lead single “It Was Me” as an instant grat track for those who pre-order the album. Co-written by the singer with acclaimed co-writer Hillary Lindsey, “It Was Me” is a bare-all confessional that takes stock of all the insecurities that prevent a person from finding happiness. 

Lauren's fans will likely recognize a few more songs on the album, too. The track list includes “Getting Over Him,” her duet with Jon Pardi. It also features a new version of Lauren’s RIAA Gold-certified single, “Getting Good,” reimagined as a duet with Trisha Yearwood.

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Dolly Parton is weighing in on Britney Spears‘ conservatorship battle.

The country legend was asked about the situation while on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live on Thursday night. While she didn’t get too specific on her feelings about the #FreeBritney movement, she did say she can relate to what Britney is going through.

“I try to not get involved in other people’s business,” Dolly said. “I think she’s a wonderful artist, and I think she’s a wonderful girl, and I only wish her the best.”

She added, “I understand all those crazy things. I went through a lot of that myself through a big lawsuit in my early days with Porter Wagoner, trying to get out on my own. So I understand where she’s coming from and how she feels. So I hope that it all turns out the way that it should.”

Back in the ’70s, Dolly announced an end to her partnership with Wagoner, a country singer who helped launch her career. He later sued her for $3 million, claiming breach of contract. They eventually settled out of court.

Dolly wrote her classic 1974 hit “I Will Always Love You” as a farewell to Wagoner.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Miranda Lambert's beloved senior dog, Jessi, has crossed the rainbow bridge after 13 and a half years of companionship. 

The singer shared a tribute to her four-legged friend on social media this week, along with a slideshow of pictures of Jessi and the dog’s brother, Waylon, who died in the fall of 2020.

Miranda found the two pups on the side of the road in Oklahoma back in 2008, in the middle of a sleet storm. The singer explains that she and her mom — who were driving together when they encountered the siblings — were listening to Jessie Colter's I'm Jessi Colter album at the time, which is how the two puppies got their names.  Colter, of course, was Waylon’s wife from 1969 until his death in 2002.

Up until canine Waylon's death, Miranda continues, the two dogs had been inseparable their whole lives.

“…The truth is they belong together. They always have,” she writes. “I know she missed him terribly and we are so thankful to have had extra time. Today they are reunited at the rainbow bridge.”

Waylon and Jessi were two of the many dogs and other animals that call Miranda's farm home. The singer and her mom also established their MuttNation Foundation in 2009 in support of shelter pets.

“I can't put into words what a dog's love does to your heart. But if you have one, you already know,” Miranda says in the conclusion of her tribute post. “…It's so hard to let them go but the love is worth it.”

 

 

 

 

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Exactly 20 years ago this weekend, Blake Shelton released his debut album, Austin, a project that would kick-start his career in country music stardom. 

To celebrate, Blake has shared a new Amazon Original acoustic version of the album's title track, which was also his debut single and first-ever number-one hit. 

“Man — 20 years may have passed, but sometimes I still feel like the kid from Oklahoma I was back then,” Blake tells People of the milestone.

“Austin' is the first song we ever released from the album, and it is still a cornerstone of my live shows. I'm excited to share a new version of one of the most important songs of my career with an Amazon Original,” he continues, adding that he's grateful the song's message continues to resonate with fans, even its lyrics are a little outdated.

“I'm not sure how many people actually have an answering machine' anymore, but the song is still as powerful and special as the first time I ever sang it,” Blake adds. 

The 20th anniversary of his debut album's release comes during an exciting moment in the singer's personal life: Just under a month ago, he got married to his pop superstar girlfriend of five years, Gwen Stefani. 

Coming up, Blake will hit the road, resuming his Friends and Heroes Tour after over a year of pandemic-induced shutdowns. The 2021 dates kick off on August 18 in Omaha, Nebraska.

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Mickey Guyton turns the spotlight on another aspect of her story — and champions her fans' stories, too — in “Remember Her Name,” the title track of her upcoming new album.

The track is a message of perseverance and strength. “Remember the fire / Remember her face / She felt the storm and danced out in the pouring rain,” Mickey sings in the soaring chorus. “Remember her laughing / Through all the pain / Remember the girl that didn't let anything get in her way / Remember her name…”

“This song means so so much to me,” the singer wrote on social media. “I still remember the feeling of writing it, recording it, and now the excitement (and nervousness) that it is finally out into the world. Not only does the song represent my journey, but I hope the message reflects yours as well. This is our story.”

Earlier this summer, Mickey told CMT that “Remember Her Name” was also inspired by Breonna Taylor, the Louisville, Kentucky Black woman who was shot and killed by police officers in her home in March 2020 as she slept in her bed. 

“When I was thinking about…Breonna Taylor, and seeing inaction regarding her murder, I thought, I need to bring justice to her life,'” Mickey explained. “…The frustration that I've felt as an African-American has been a part of my process for a while. So the song, and album, are dedicated to Breonna Taylor and giving her the justice that she deserves.”

“Remember Her Name” is one of 16 tracks on Mickey's upcoming album, which is due out in full September 24. Also included on the track list are songs including “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” and “Black Like Me.” 

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Earlier this month, Zac Brown Band shared not one but two new songs — “Out in the Middle” and “Old Love Song.”

Now, the band's got another two-pack of songs to share, and this time, both tunes are reflective and soulful twists on the kinds of songs that ZBB fans have come to know and love over the years.

One, “Stubborn Pride,” is a bluesy love song all about finding good love and making it last — even if it means leaving your pride at the door. Americana-leaning up-and-comer Marcus King co-wrote the track, and also lends vocals to a verse. 

“Sometimes it takes people a long time to get everything right,” reflects frontman Zac Brown. “But with your stubborn pride, it's hard to admit that you messed up a little bit and that you need a change. I tell people that are having a hard time that it's never too late to get it right.”

Then there's “Paradise Lost on Me,” a beachy song that will sound familiar to fans of ZBB classics like “Toes.” But unlike some of the band's more carefree, tropical-leaning songs, if you listen closely, the track’s about heartbreak.

“I love the second verse: Without you it's just waves trashing kids' castles and it's the salt in the wound all over again,'” notes Zac. “The guy found love there at this spot and never found anything like it again, so he comes back to that place again to be close to where it happened. In the song, we never give away what happened to her, but you know it was something he could never actually get over.”

ZBB kicks off their The Comeback Tour this summer. It'll run through October. 

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Dan + Shay are continuing to roll out new music off their upcoming album, Good Things. The country duo dropped their new tune, “Lying,” this week, a bouncy, piano-driven heartbreak tune that puts lead singer Shay Mooney's vocal prowess front and center. 

To go along with their new song, the pair dropped a music video that the two band mates meeting in the dive-y, Western-themed Cactus Club, nursing their broken hearts with tequila before they hop on stage to perform.

Speaking of hopping on stage, Dan + Shay are planning to celebrate the release of Good Things with a special show at The Great Lawn in Centennial Park in Nashville. It'll be the first major concert event to happen there, and will take place August 13, the same day that Good Things comes out.

Good Things will be the band's fourth album to date. It includes the chart-topping “I Should Probably Go to Bed,” as well as “10,000 Hours,” Dan + Shay’s hit duet with Justin Bieber. When they announced their new album earlier this month, they also shared its title track.

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On this date in 1983, George Jones got “Lucky” with his ninth and final #1 hit, a song that was penned by Merle Haggard. Do you know what it was called? ANSWER: “I Always Get Lucky with You.”

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