Month: November 2021

In honor of Veteran's Day, Miranda Lambert's Muttnation Foundation is offering support to military service dogs and the US War Dogs Association with a $20,000 donation. The organization supports retired military service dogs across the country with a variety of programs, including a free prescription medication program for the dogs.

Following his performance at the 2021 CMAs, Chris Young announced a $1 million donation to the Bob Woodruff Foundation in partnership with Crown Royal. The nonprofit organization provides support to injured service members, veterans and their families.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Three of country music's biggest names are among the performers at the 2021 American Music Awards. Carrie Underwood and Jason Aldean are slated to perform their duet, “If I Didn't Love You,” which recently went number one at country radio.

Meanwhile, Kane Brown will take the stage for a rendition of “One Mississippi,” which he's delivering from the campus of Tennessee State University, which is an HBCU, or historically black college and university.

Both performances are part of the “My Hometown” featured segment on this year's AMAs, which focuses on the influence artists take from their hometowns. For Kane, that means charting his Tennessee and Georgia roots and his journey toward becoming one of the most successful artists in country music.

Jason and Carrie's performance will also spotlight their Southern roots. Carrie is an Oklahoma native, while Jason hails from Georgia.

The 2021 AMAs airs on November 21 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. The fan-voted ceremony will take place at Los Angeles' Microsoft Theater, and will be hosted by rapper Cardi B.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Brothers Osborne's Vocal Duo of the Year win at Wednesday night's CMA Awards was extra sweet for band mate TJ Osborne in one big way. The singer, who came out as gay early in 2021, got to bring his boyfriend, Abi Ventura, to the show.

The couple even shared a celebratory kiss before TJ and his brother and band mate, John Osborne, took the stage for their acceptance speech.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight after the show, TJ admitted that he had some doubts about whether or not he should bring Abi to the CMAs this year. “I was like, I hope this doesn't make anyone uncomfortable, but this is how I feel,'” he recounts.

Abi was nervous about their public appearance as a couple, too, TJ adds: “He was probably more nervous than anybody and he probably felt incredibly uncomfortable.”

Still, the singer was excited to attend country music's biggest night on the arm of someone he loves, and he was excited to share this part of his life with his fans.

“I love this person, and I want to be open in every way,” TJ continues. “Hopefully [it can] show people that they also don't need to hide or alter themselves in any way.”

Brothers Osborne also performed their song, “Younger Me,” at the show. Onstage, TJ spoke about watching the CMA Awards as a younger person, and how he thought he could never be a part of the show because he was gay.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The emotional highlight of Will Smith‘s appearance Tuesday night in New York City to promote his self-titled memoir was the thunderous ovation received by one of the original stars of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Janet Hubert.

The actress left the series in 1993, after three seasons in the role of Aunt Viv, and was replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid. Since then, Hubert had a bitter public feud with Smith for over 25 years, but finally made peace last year on the show’s 30th anniversary reunion on HBO Max. During Will Smith: An Evening of Stories with Friends at Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre, hosted by Spike Lee, the rapper/actor introduced Hubert, who was sitting in the audience.

“The original Aunt Viv! Get your flowers! Take it in! Take that in!,” Smith said as the 65-year-old actress cried while acknowledging a standing ovation.

“Janet and I a few months ago at the 30th anniversary of The Fresh Prince, for the first time [we] talked out the issues we had and it was one of the most healing experiences of my life,” Smith continued. “It was a big part of the place that working on this memoir got me into.” 

“I just want to thank you, Janet, for being open,” the King Richard star added, blowing her multiple kisses of thanks. “That's a big part of the exploration I wanted to do in this book.”

“I will remember this moment for the rest of my life,” Hubert commented on Instagram. In words addressed to Will, she wrote, “You have grown into such a gracious, and humble man. So proud of you baby boy…yeah I know you are a grown a** man now. But you always felt like a son. Still do. Thank you sweetheart, luv you!”

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Will Smith (@willsmith)

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Newly minted CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Combs shared a new song from the stage of the 2021 CMA Awards last night, and fans didn't have to wait to hear the studio version, either. Directly after his performance, Luke dropped both the official track and music video for “Doin' This.”

“Someone asked me once in an interview / What was growing up like? Where'd you go to school?' / And what would you do if you weren't doin' this?'” Luke sings in the first verse of the song.

As the story line continues, “Doin' This” imagines Luke's life without stardom. He works a “dead-end job” to pay his bills, and drives “an old worn-out Dodge,” but through it all, he's still a musician at heart, whether he's playing to an empty room or a sold-out show. Even if he weren't a famous country star, Luke explains, he'd still be “doin' this.”

Luke also shared a music video to match, following the life of a small-town guy who never made it big as he goes about his day. At the end of the day, the man winds up sitting on his couch with his acoustic guitar and playing a show for two VIPS: His wife and young daughter.

Meanwhile, in real life, Luke's “doin' this” at the highest level in country music. He nabbed the CMA's top prize at the awards show last night with his Entertainer of the Year win.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Blake Shelton is headed to Vegas to open the location of Ole Red.

According to Billboard, the singer's bar and entertainment venue will open in 2023 at the corner of the Las Vegas Strip and Flamingo Road, sitting right across the street from the Bellagio fountains. An estimated 100,000 people pass by each day, making this location the perfect place to showcase up-and-coming artists.

“Many of the artists we put in these places — these people are really good,” says Blake of Ole Red's mission to support rising talent. “…This is about music — not hamburgers and beer.”

The singer's gotten familiar with Las Vegas in recent months, especially because his wife, Gwen Stefani, recently wrapped her Just a Girl Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood's Zappos Theater. Blake made a guest appearance on Gwen's final show of the residency, where the pair sang their hit duet, “Happy Anywhere.”

When it opens, the Las Vegas location will be the sixth Ole Red. Blake has previously opened joints in spots like downtown Nashville and Tishimingo, Oklahoma.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

In a night full of upsets and surprises, the virtual press room backstage at the 55th CMA Awards Wednesday night in Nashville was surprisingly quiet — perhaps because the majority of the winners were absolutely stunned.

Luke Combs walked back, just moments after picking up his first — and perhaps already overdue — trophy for Entertainer of the Year. Well-known for lavishing gifts on his parents and both helping and sharing credit with unsung singers and songwriters, he vowed to stay true to his North Carolina roots as the most prestigious mantle in country music falls on him. The president of his label, Sony Nashville, even interrupted one of his answers to pop in and give him a huge hug.

Four-time winner Chris Stapleton — never famous for his gift for gab — stayed the longest, recognizing how crucial his wife Morgane is to his success, as she stepped in at one point to wipe the sweat from his face. The five-time Male Vocalist of the Year acknowledged he takes pride in upholding that standard, while also being tight-lipped about his upcoming collaborations with both Adele and Taylor Swift.

Though largely still in shock, first-time Female Vocalist winner Carly Pearce managed to be somewhat more composed than she’d been onstage at Music City’s Bridgestone Arena, acknowledging that a long line of strong women from her native Kentucky had paved the way for her to chase her childhood dream of singing country music, and also navigate her way out of a very public and painful divorce.

Vocal Duo Brothers Osborne closed out the night, marking a huge milestone for country music, as TJ and John reclaimed the category they’d won three times before, after a year that saw TJ make the unprecedented move of coming out as a gay man.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.