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Luke Bryan hopes sharing his stories of pain and loss through music helps others feel “not alone”

Luke Bryan is reflecting on how he’s turned tragedy into art. 

Throughout his career, Luke has been open about how the sudden deaths of his siblings have impacted him. His brother Chris was killed in a car accident not long before Luke left for Nashville. In 2007, his sister Kelly passed away unexpectedly, followed by her husband Lee, who died of a heart attack in 2014. Since then, the singer and his wife Caroline have been taking care of his late sister’s three children, along with their two sons, Tate and Bo

“I think me telling my story of what my family has been through, we’ve always really put it out there and told the world all of the ups and downs and challenges, so I think when I do that, it helps people that have been in similar scenarios not feel alone,” Luke expresses to Good Morning America.

He captures this in the video for his latest single, “Up,” where Luke can be seen sitting in a dimly lit barn adorned with twinkle lights, watching footage of his life on screen. Clips include Luke hunting with his sons and photos from his childhood with his family, the singer revealing that he didn’t see the footage in the video until the day of the shoot. 

“I’m watching that in real time also, so it was a really special moment and love how the video came together,” he shares. “It’s a really beautifully done song.”  

Luke is currently prepping for his first Las Vegas residency, which opens at the Resorts World Theatre on Friday.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

“So excited”: Gabby Barrett and Jimmie Allen join Dolly Parton as ACM Awards co-hosts

The 2022 ACM Awards just got even more star-studded, as Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett are set to join Dolly Parton as co-hosts.

Following the news last week that the legendary singer would be hosting the ACM Awards for the second time, comes news that the 2021 ACM New Male Artist of the Year and New Female Artist of the Year, respectively, will also helm the show on March 7. Dolly previously hosted the show in 2000. 

Additionally, Gabby and Jimmie will be announcing some of the nominations for the awards ceremony on Thursday on the ACM Awards Twitter account at 10:30 a.m. ET.

“We taking country music back to VEGAS,” Jimmie shared on Twitter.

“So excited to announce that @jimmieallen and I will be joining @DollyParton to co-host the @ACMawards!” shared Gabby.   

The ACM Awards air live for the first tome on Amazon Prime Video on March 7 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas at 8 p.m. ET.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Kenny Chesney adds amphitheater shows to his Here and Now Tour

Kenny Chesney‘s summer has become even more exciting with the announcement of an amphitheater tour. 

In between his stadium shows, Kenny will headline amphitheaters across the country. The 20-date amphitheater trek kicks off May 5 at the Ruoff Music Center in Indiana, making stops at The Wharf Amphitheater in Orange Beach, AL, Jiffy Lube Live in Bristol, VA, a two-night stay at Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey's in Nevada and Hayden Homes Amphitheater in Oregon along the way. 

Carly Pearce, who serves as one of the opening acts on the stadium-sized Here and Now Tour, will also open for the “Knowing You” singer on his amphitheater tour. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. local time.  

“There is something about amphitheaters that creates an immediacy that is so intimate. The energy is very different from a stadium show, and it almost opens the songs up in completely different ways,” Kenny describes. “It's pretty cool to feel that difference between the two kinds of venues, but I can tell you: both are absolutely the greatest sensations in the world.” 

The superstar embarks on the Here and Now Tour on April 23 in Tampa, FL, with Dan + Shay and Old Dominion serving as additional opening acts. 

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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News Daypop

Police confirm gunman dead after Texas shooting spree kills 4, injures 3

Police in Texas confirmed that a shooting spree in Corsicana, Texas killed four people (including a child), and injured three others before the gunman took his own life. Officers said the gunman was responsible for two homicides each, at two different scenes, along with injuring three people.

Corsicana Chief of Police Robert Johnson said in a statement that a 911 caller reported around midnight Friday that a suspect had allegedly killed his family. Officers found a man and woman dead from gunshot wounds at the home, and two additional gunshot victims were taken by air ambulance to a Dallas-area trauma center.

Early on Saturday morning, the Navarro County Sheriff’s Department responded to a separate location about 20 miles away, where they found the bodies of a man and child, both dead from gunshot wounds, and a woman with multiple gunshot wounds, who was transported to a Dallas-area trauma center. Police confirm the gunman was “critically injured from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head,” after a pursuit of his vehicle. He was transported to Navarro Regional Hospital where he died from his injuries.

The release of the names of the deceased victims was pending notification of next of kin.

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News Daypop

U.S. Coast Guard rescues 18 people from ice floe on Lake Erie in northwest Ohio

Eighteen people were rescued Sunday afternoon from an ice floe that broke away from land near Catawba Island on Lake Erie in northwest Ohio.  According to the U.S Coast Guard, the ice floe broke away from land while people were snowmobiling and riding ATVs on the lake just after 12 p.m.

The Coast Guard said rescue efforts began around 1 p.m., when a helicopter from Air Station Detroit noticed the people with ATVs trapped on an ice floe and looking for a route back to land. The helicopter lowered a rescue swimmer and began hoisting operations while an airboat from Station Marblehead was brought in for assistance. The helicopter hoisted seven people from the ice floe, four were rescued by the airboat and the seven were rescued by the civilian with the airboat. None of the people rescued required medical attention, according to the Coast Guard.

The National Weather Service in Cleveland said on Sunday that it had been “warning about this potential yesterday, and can see ice chunks drifting away from the southern shoreline of Lake Erie on satellite. We strongly urge people not to venture out onto Lake Erie this afternoon!”

Editorial credit: Pierre Williot / Shutterstock.com

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Go Country 105

“My income went to zero dollars”: Russell Dickerson shares the story of being broke that inspired “Home Sweet”

When Russell Dickerson sings the first verse of his hit song “Home Sweet,” he's remembering a real-life story, complete with going from “all-inclusive margaritas in Malibu” to “prayin' we could pay rent this month.”

The song's about his newlywed days, when he and his wife Kailey has just tied the knot — and they were broke.

“Literally, the day we got back from our honeymoon is when I got dropped from my first publishing deal,” Russell remembers. “Which was two years of great income. I was providing for the fam…and my income went to zero dollars.”

Fortunately, those lean times didn't last: Russell found success as a country star, and he's had four number-one hits to date. Now, “Home Sweet” is just outside country radio's top-ten.  Though most of his fans have never had a publishing deal, Russell says that most listeners can relate to the song’s sentiment.

“I think so many people, so many newlyweds or people who are just young, and you know, just struggling to pay rent…everybody's been there,” he says. “So that's kind of a level of relating to the song.”

“Home Sweet” comes off of Russell's 2021 album, Southern Symphony.

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Country Daypop

Tanya Tucker announces 2022 Hard Luck Tour

Tanya Tucker has announced upcoming dates for her 2022 Hard Luck Tour.  The tour kicks off February 13th at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, with additional shows expected to be added in the coming weeks.

Said Tucker: “So excited to get back out on the road! I’ve had a little bit of Hard Luck lately, but my luck’s changing and I can’t wait to see y’all on our new Hard Luck Tour real soon! I love my fans and hope to see y’all this year!” 

Tickets are on sale now at TanyaTucker.com.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

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Country Daypop

Dolly Parton set to host the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards

The Academy of Country Music announced that Dolly Parton will host the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards, taking place on March 7th at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Parton’s co-hosts will be announced at a later date; nominations for this year’s awards will be announced this week.

Parton said in a statement: “I am so excited to be hosting the ACM Awards on March 7 from Vegas. Watch for us because we’re going to have some fun.”

Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music, said:  “We are honored to welcome Dolly Parton back to be the centerpiece of this landmark 57th Academy of Country Music Awards show at Allegiant Stadium. Dolly is the most iconic and multitalented artist of all time, and we are proud that she is a friend and supporter of the Academy, a previous host, and a 13-time Academy of Country Music Award recipient.”

The two-hour show will stream live without commercial interruption on Amazon Prime Video on Monday, March 7 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT

Editorial credit: Ga Fullner / Shutterstock.com

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Pop Daypop

Nicki Minaj and Lil Baby share the video for their new collaboration ‘Do We Have A Problem?’

Nicki Minaj and Lil Baby have released the video for their collaboration, “Do We Have A Problem?”, Minaj’s first release of 2022. The nearly 10-minute music video, directed by Benny Boom, sees Minaj take on the role of a secret agent who goes to the dark side. Along with Minaj and Lil Baby, the video stars Joseph Sikora (Ozark, Power) and Cory Hardrict (The Chi, S.W.A.T.)

Buy or stream “Do We Have A Problem?” – here.

You can check out Minaj and Lil Baby’s video – here.

Editorial credit: Tinseltown /Shutterstock.com

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Pop Daypop

Machine Gun Kelly and WILLOW team up for the new single ‘Emo Girl’

Machine Gun Kelly and WILLOW have teamed up for their first collaboration, the single “emo girl.” The song, produced by Travis Barker, will appear on MGK’s forthcoming studio album Mainstream Sellout due out March 25.

Machine Gun Kelly has shared four singles from his upcoming LP Mainstream Sellout. In addition to WILLOW, featured guests on the album include CORPSE (“DAYWALKER!”) and Sleeping with Sirens frontman Kellin Quinn (“love race”).

Pre-order Mainstream Sellout at your streaming service of choice.   You can take a listen to “emo girl” – here.

Editorial credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com