Month: November 2021

Taylor Swift shares ‘All Too Well (Sad Girl Autumn Version)’

Post author By Staff
Post date November 22, 2021
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Taylor Swift has released yet another version of the song “All Too Well” — “All Too Well (Sad Girl Autumn Version)”. You can stream the track – here.

Swift wrote on Twitter: “One of the saddest songs I’ve ever written just got sadder. Drove up to Long Pond Studios to record All Too Well (Sad Girl Autumn Version) with the besties,” tagging The National’s Aaron Dessner and producer Jonathan Low. Swift first mentioned in a 2012 interview that the initial 5 1/2 minute version of All Too Well was originally meant to be 10-minutes in length. Swift performed the full 10-minute version of the song for the first time on Saturday Night Live, playing footage from All Too Well: The Short Film on the backing screen.

Red (Taylor’s Version) is the second release of Swift’s re-recording process, joining Fearless (Taylor’s Version) which arrived earlier this year. Buy or stream Red (Taylor’s Version) – here, and take a listen to All Too Well (Sad Girl Autumn Version) – here.

Editorial credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

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Mickey Guyton requests prayers as her nine-month-old son, Grayson, is admitted to the ICU

Post author By abookbinder
Post date November 19, 2021
No Comments on Mickey Guyton requests prayers as her nine-month-old son, Grayson, is admitted to the ICU

Mickey Guyton reached out to fans on Twitter Thursday night to update them on a scary family situation, and to ask for prayers.

“I normally don't do this but my son is being sent to the ICU,” she wrote. “The doctors don't know what's wrong. Please please pray.”

Mickey's nine-month-old baby boy, Grayson, is the only child of the singer and her husband, Grant Savoy. He was born in February 2021. After his arrival, Mickey announced the new addition to the family with a snapshot of Grayson in his bassinet and a caption reading, “The hardest and most beautiful thing I have ever done.”

After she shared the news of Grayson's hospitalization, fans poured into the comments section on the singer's post to offer their prayers and support. Among them were some of her fellow artists, including Tenille Arts, Adam Hambrick and Runaway June's Natalie Stovall.

On Friday, Mickey shared an update. “He's not in the clear yet but he's on the mend,” she wrote. “Thank you for your prayers. I will update y'all as soon as I am able. Thank you thank you thank you for your love and support.”

Along with her post, she included a black-and-white photo of her husband holding Grayson to his chest in their hospital room.

I normally don't do this but my son is being sent to the icu. The doctors don't know what's wrong. Please please pray.

– Mickey Guyton (@MickeyGuyton) November 19, 2021

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Nashville notes

Brantley Gilbert dropped “How to Talk to Girls” on Friday. The new song pays tribute to his wife and daughter.

Hardy, Rhett Akins and The Cadillac Three join forces on the just-released “One of Y'all,” a track off the forthcoming Hardy-curated Hixtape: Vol. 2. The full project, also featuring guest spots by Dierks Bentley, Jon Pardi and many more, arrives December 10.

Cody Johnson's holiday album full of classics, A Cody Johnson Christmas, arrived today. The singer's wife and daughters make a special appearance on a family rendition of “Silent Night.”

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Florida Georgia Line's Tyler Hubbard explains the “promise to God” he made after losing his father

Post author By abookbinder
Post date November 19, 2021
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Florida Georgia Line member Tyler Hubbard opens up about a painful but pivotal moment in his life in a new episode of the In Good Faith podcast, hosted by pastor Judah Smith and his wife, Chelsea.

Tyler and his wife, Hayley, were guests on a new installment of the series, and during their conversation, Tyler recalled being a sophomore in college home for a visit when his dad unexpectedly died.

“He had taken up flying helicopters, which was a cool hobby…it was fun watching him do something he loved,” Tyler explains. “That weekend he had a helicopter crash in the backyard and we were there, which was tough, but also a blessing to be there when it happened. Just one of those freak accidents, very unexpected, and it kind of shaped who I was.”

Even as a 20-year-old going through a traumatic family tragedy, Tyler knew that this event would play a role in the kind of life he would go on to live — for better or worse.

“And I kind of made a promise to God in that moment, like, Look, I want to lean on you. I want to trust you,'” he explains. “I know you're in control and I have faith that as much as this is confusing and I don't understand it, I really want to do this right. And I want to go through the process and the grieving and all that, but I want to trust you.'”

Elsewhere in the episode, Tyler further explores his grieving process, and he and his wife share their experience with therapy and premarital couples counseling.

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Brett Eldredge, Jimmie Allen gear up for two festive Disney Parks holiday specials

Post author By abookbinder
Post date November 19, 2021
No Comments on Brett Eldredge, Jimmie Allen gear up for two festive Disney Parks holiday specials

Stars of all genres and descriptions will come out for ABC and Disney Parks' upcoming holiday special, The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration.

Multiple country performers are on deck to take the stage during the event. The crooning country king of Christmas himself, Brett Eldredge, will be on hand to perform the classic, “It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”

Meanwhile, Jimmie Allen will try his hand at another seasonal standard, “Silent Night.” Other country-adjacent acts on the bill are Kristin Chenoweth and Gwen Stefani. One of the two songs Gwen's performing is “You Make It Feel Like Christmas,” which she originally recorded as a duet with her country star husband Blake Shelton for her holiday album of the same name.

The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration will air on ABC on Sunday, November 28 at 7 p.m. EST. Then, on December 25, the performers will return for the Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade, airing from Walt Disney Resort at 10 a.m. EST.

For the annual holiday parade, Jimmie will perform another classic selection, “White Christmas.” Brett will offer up his take on “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

During both specials, viewers can get a peek at what's new in the Walt Disney universe, including a special look at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, which opens in March of 2022, and much more.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

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Russell Dickerson revisits “Home Sweet,” with an assist from Lady A

Post author By abookbinder
Post date November 19, 2021
No Comments on Russell Dickerson revisits “Home Sweet,” with an assist from Lady A

Early in 2021, Russell Dickerson shared “Home Sweet” as the second single off his Southern Symphony album. Now, he's treating fans to a special new version of the song, co-starring country star trio Lady A.

The band has had a special connection to “Home Sweet” from the start, as Lady A's Charles Kelley is a co-writer on the song. It's an especially personal one to Russell, too, as its lyrics reflect aspects of his love story with his wife, Kailey.

“When we wrote this back in 2018, we had no idea it would go on to become Russell's life in words,” Charles says. “Shortly after we wrote this, he did become a dad and move into his first home with his wife. I'm grateful to be a small part of such a personal song and message from Russell.”

The feeling is mutual, as the singer says it was a no-brainer including Lady A on this new version of the track.

“I wrote this song with Charles from Lady A so bringing them in on this song felt so natural,” Russell adds. “Hillary, Charles and Dave's legendary voices take this song to an incredible new level!”

The duet version of “Home Sweet” comes on the heels of Russell's latest tour announcement. Tickets for his upcoming headlining “All Yours, All Night” Tour goes on sale today.

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Walker Hayes readies more 'Country Stuff,' shows “Fancy Like” fans a different side of himself with “AA”

Post author By abookbinder
Post date November 19, 2021
No Comments on Walker Hayes readies more 'Country Stuff,' shows “Fancy Like” fans a different side of himself with “AA”

Walker Hayes grew his fan base by leaps and bounds this year, thanks in part to the runaway success of his viral hit, “Fancy Like.”

Filled with swagger, optimism and a hook-filled good time, “Fancy Like”'s a great introduction to Walker's catalogue, but he's got more to share, starting with “AA,” the new single that he put out on Friday. While it's still upbeat, the new song digs into some darker and more personal subject matter.

“…What I really mean to say with this song is just that I'm trying to stay the course,” Walker reflects. “I've struggled with alcohol abuse and sometimes I wish I didn't need AA, but I do. I think a lot of people can relate to that.”

In addition to dropping “AA,” Walker announced this week that he's expanding his Country Stuff EP into a full-length project, arriving on January 21. The track list will feature the songs included on the EP, such as “Fancy Like,” plus several new tunes and a re-imagined version of the singer's fan-favorite “Craig,” sung as a duet with Christian act MercyMe.

“I've been waiting so long to put out a project like this,” Walker says. “It has everything I love from the fun of Fancy Like' to the more personal lyrics in AA.' As an artist, it's such a unique thing to be able to share all the different versions of you in a project, and that's really what I tried to do here.”

The singer's also bringing his new material to the stage on The Fancy Like Tour, which launches in late January 2022.

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Blake Shelton says Gwen Stefani's wedding vows hit him hard: “I'll never forget that feeling”

Post author By abookbinder
Post date November 19, 2021
No Comments on Blake Shelton says Gwen Stefani's wedding vows hit him hard: “I'll never forget that feeling”

After Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani tied the knot this summer, the country superstar premiered “We Can Reach the Stars,” the song he wrote as his wedding vows to his bride.

While the romantic ballad made a big impression on Gwen and fans alike, Blake says nothing could compare to the vows that she wrote for him that day. What made the biggest impression, he now explains, is how she incorporated his late family members into her speech.

“The thing that got to me was she spoke about my [late] brother and dad as if she had known them almost,” the singer tells People. “She didn't make it seem that way, but it felt that way as she was speaking about them. She said she wished they were there and what kind of men she thinks they must've been.”

Blake admits that he can be sometimes be a tough nut to crack, emotionally, but Gwen's words cut deep.

“Like, I couldn't believe how hard it hit me,” he goes on to say. “I felt like at this point, I've gotten kind of calloused. I guess I'm not, because that absolutely slayed me. It's hard to remember what else she even said. I'll never forget that feeling.”

Family was a big part of every aspect of Blake and Gwen's intimate ceremony. The couple's wedding cake was inspired by the same one that Gwen's parents had when they tied the knot, and Gwen also wore a custom veil incorporated with her and Blake's name, as well as the names of the bride's three children.

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Oklahoma governor grants clemency to Julius Jones just hours before his planned execution

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Post date November 19, 2021
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Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt granted Julius Jones clemency ahead of his scheduled execution Thursday, commuting his sentence to life without parole following public outcry based on doubts over whether he committed the 1999 murder for which he was convicted. The last-minute executive order by Gov. Stitt came mere hours before Jones was scheduled to be executed, and follows public outcry among advocacy groups, on social media, and from celebrities like Kim Kardashian West, a prominent criminal justice advocate who called Jones’ case a “tragic miscarriage of justice.” Several other celebrities joined in calls for his clemency, including NBA players Blake Griffin, Trae Young and Russell Westbrook, and rappers Common and J Cole. Criminal justice advocacy groups have criticized the court’s handling of the case, claiming jurors had shown signs of racial bias and that prosecutors had withheld crucial evidence.

Oklahoma’s Pardon and Parole Board recommended Jones’ sentence be commuted in September, and again voted for clemency earlier this month, voicing doubts about his guilt in the crime. Governor Stitt said in a statement he commuted Jones’ sentence “after prayerful consideration and reviewing materials presented by all sides of this case.” As a condition of granting clemency, Stitt ordered that Jones will never be eligible to apply or be considered for parole, pardon or commutation for the rest of his life. Jones’ attorney, Amanda Bass, said in a statement his legal team had hoped Stitt would adopt the board’s full recommendation to grant him the possibility of parole, but she added they are grateful “the governor has prevented an irreparable mistake.”

Jones has maintained his innocence for decades. He was sentenced to death in 2002 after he was found guilty of killing Paul Howell in a suburb of Oklahoma City. Criminal justice advocates have criticized Jones’ legal team for failing to present his alibi during the trial, and have argued that racial discrimination played a role in his conviction.

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Travis McMichael takes stand, testifies Ahmaud Arbery never verbally threatened him or pulled weapon

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Post date November 19, 2021
No Comments on Travis McMichael takes stand, testifies Ahmaud Arbery never verbally threatened him or pulled weapon

Travis McMichael returned to the witness stand on Thursday, and under cross-examination from the prosecutor repeated that Ahmaud Arbery never verbally threatened him or pulled a weapon on him during the five minutes he, his father and their neighbor chased Arbery before the 35-year-old McMichael fatally shot him. Travis McMichael, his 65-year-old father, Gregory McMichael, and their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, 53, have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, aggravated assault and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.

Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski attempted to get McMichael to concede to inconsistencies between what he told police the day of the shooting and what he told the Brunswick, Georgia, jury during his direct testimony on Wednesday. McMichael acknowledged that in none of his statements did he tell police that he and his father were attempting to make a citizens’ arrest of Arbery. He also conceded that he had suspected another individual of stealing a pistol from his truck on Jan. 1, 2020, and that he had also surmised that person, not Arbery, was the one responsible for a spike in crime in his Satilla Shores neighborhood near Brunswick.

During his direct testimony on Wednesday, Travis McMichael testified that he walked out of his house with his shotgun and saw a neighbor pointing in his direction as if signaling where he saw the young Black man running. He testified on Thursday that at no time did he go and speak to the neighbor about what had occurred before he and his father jumped in his truck with their guns and set out after Arbery. He said he drove close enough to Arbery on three separate occasions to ask him to stop running so he could speak to him, but in each instance, Arbery kept running, never said a word to him and altered his course in an apparent attempt to get away from the McMichaels.

Editorial credit: Michael Scott Milner / Shutterstock.com