Month: February 2022

Nashville notes

In case you missed it, rising star Jon Langston made his Grand Ole Opry debut on Tuesday night. Among the songs he performed was a new tune called “Back Words,” which will be released as a single on Friday.

Cody Johnson's single, “Til You Can't,” is officially at the top of the Billboard Hot Country songs chart. It's a top-ten hit on the Mediabase country chart, too.

During their latest show at the Grand Ole Opry, the Eli Young Band were surprised with a Pandora Billionaire Plaque, certifying two billion streams of their music. The group's new single, “Love Talking,” is out now.

Go Country 105

Ingrid Andress' vintage “Wishful Drinking” is a standalone moment, but she won't “be living in the 70s forever”

Post author By abookbinder
Post date February 23, 2022
No Comments on Ingrid Andress' vintage “Wishful Drinking” is a standalone moment, but she won't “be living in the 70s forever”

Ingrid Andress' duet with Sam Hunt, “Wishful Drinking,” is currently edging towards country radio's top 30, and it's a major milestone for the “More Hearts Than Mine” star.

Not only is it her first duet, and first duet with Sam — a singer she's long admired — but the song's music video was a chance for Ingrid to have a full-blown 70s moment, complete with a glittering blue jumpsuit for Ingrid and a patterned button-up shirt for Sam.

But Ingrid's quick to assure fans she won't be living in the past forever. Rather, she wanted to celebrate “Wishful Drinking” as a standalone song before she dives into her next album project.

“I want this song to be celebrated in its entirety as my first feature with another artist, and I want it to be special,” Ingrid tells CMT. “I don't need it to tie into this album, which I know is not normal but here we are breaking rules every day. I don't want people to be confused and think I will be living in the 70s forever.”

As for what fans can expect from her next project? “It is dope, and I am pumped,” she continues. “Thank goodness I like my own music; otherwise, where would we be?”

Ingrid's next album will be the follow-up to her highly acclaimed debut, Lady Like.

Go Country 105

Carrie Underwood brings a water wall, seven costume changes and a “Cadillac Throne” to her Vegas shows

Post author By abookbinder
Post date February 23, 2022
No Comments on Carrie Underwood brings a water wall, seven costume changes and a “Cadillac Throne” to her Vegas shows

Back in December, Carrie Underwood dazzled Las Vegas audiences with the sold-out first round of her Reflection: The Las Vegas Residency show.

Now, Carrie's gearing up for round two. She's got shows booked beginning in late March, with more dates planned in April and May. The singer will return to Resorts World Theatre, a new Vegas venue that she was the first to play when her residency debuted last year.

When she takes the stage again, Carrie's bringing all the epic production and one-of-a-kind show moments with her. Her set includes a wardrobe containing 20 costumes altogether, seven of which will be featured each night.

She's also got custom visual content that will span across three giant screens, plus a one-of-a-kind “Cadillac Throne,” which she had created for her song, “Two Black Cadillacs.” Made especially for this show, the throne is built from parts of a limited-edition Cadillac from 1963.

To top it all off, Carrie closes out each night with an epic, show-stopping water wall, the jaw-dropping finish to her final song, “Something in the Water.”

Carrie's Vegas dates resume March 23. In the meantime, fellow country act Luke Bryan's keeping the stage warm for her. He's currently got his own residency going at Resorts World Theatre.

Go Country 105

Report: Sam Hunt's wife withdrew her divorce complaint just hours after filing to end their marriage

Post author By abookbinder
Post date February 23, 2022
No Comments on Report: Sam Hunt's wife withdrew her divorce complaint just hours after filing to end their marriage

Sam Hunt and his wife, Hannah Lee Fowler, might not be splitting after all.

According to court documents obtained by People, Hannah Lee filed for divorce on Friday but withdrew her complaint shortly thereafter. To make matters even more complicated, Hannah Lee is apparently about six months pregnant with the couple's first child, a fact they hadn't yet shared with the public.

When she first filed the paperwork, Hannah Lee cited “adultery” and “inappropriate marital conduct” as the reasons for the split. The documents also stated that she was seeking primary custody of the couple's unborn child, who is due to arrive in May, and requesting alimony and child support.

Although she withdrew her divorce complaint, Hannah Lee did ask that the petition be “voluntarily nonsuited without prejudice,” which means she can file for divorce again in the future if she chooses to do so.

Sam and Hannah Lee have been married since April 2017. Sam’s debut album, Montevallo, takes its name from her hometown and contains several songs inspired by their love story.

Go Country 105

Kelly Clarkson will tribute Dolly Parton with a performance at the 2022 ACM Awards

Post author By abookbinder
Post date February 23, 2022
No Comments on Kelly Clarkson will tribute Dolly Parton with a performance at the 2022 ACM Awards

Kelly Clarkson had huge news to share this week: When she takes the stage at the upcoming ACM Awards next month, her performance will be a tribute to country legend Dolly Parton.

“I have a special tribute planned just for her,” Kelly revealed. She broke the news first to the studio audience of her talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, also gifting tickets to the ACMs to every audience member in the house.

Dolly isn't just a legend of the genre: She's also co-hosting this year's ACMs ceremony with the reigning New Male Artist and New Female Artist of the Year, Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett.

The 2022 ACMs will take place on March 7 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. They'll stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video starting at 8 p.m. ET. The two-hour show will air uninterrupted, without commercial breaks.

Go Country 105

Garth Brooks plans a return to Nashville for his Stadium Tour

Post author By abookbinder
Post date February 23, 2022
No Comments on Garth Brooks plans a return to Nashville for his Stadium Tour

Garth Brooks has a hometown show on the books. He's set a date for Nashville's Nissan Stadium, which will be his Stadium Tour's final stop in the city as well as the only date in Tennessee.

The show is a long time coming for Garth's fans in Music City. Over 70,000 fans showed up to watch him play at his planned Nissan Stadium date over the summer, but at the last second, the show was canceled due to severe weather.

Shortly thereafter, Garth had to hit the brakes on his tour plans as a whole, due to a rise in COVID-19 cases, and he wasn't sure when he'd next get back to Nashville. That makes setting a date for Nissan Stadium extra exciting, both for the star and for his fanbase.

The show is set for April 16 at 7 p.m. Tickets go on sale March 4 at 10 a.m. CT. As always for a stop on the Stadium Tour, the show will feature in-the-round seating.

Garth has big plans to hit cities across the country this spring, with sold-out shows booked for San Diego, Baton Rouge and more. In September, he'll head over to Ireland for four sold-out dates at Dublin's Croke Park.

News Daypop

President Biden announces new sanctions against Russia, countering Putin’s ‘invasion’ of Ukraine

Post author By Staff
Post date February 23, 2022
No Comments on President Biden announces new sanctions against Russia, countering Putin’s ‘invasion’ of Ukraine

On Tuesday, President Biden announced that the United States will impose new sanctions on Moscow after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into two Ukrainian territories on which the Kremlin has laid claim for years. Biden said in an address from the East Room of the White House: “This is the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Who in the Lord’s name does Putin think gives him the right to declare new so-called countries on territory that belongs to his neighbors? This is a flagrant violation of international law.”

Biden’s remarks came a day after Putin ordered troops into Donetsk and Luhansk under the guise of “peacekeeping.” However on Tuesday, Biden stated that “there is no justification” for Putin’s aggression in the region saying: “He directly attacked Ukraine’s right to exist. Russia’s moved supplies of blood and medical equipment into position on the border. You don’t need blood unless you plan on starting a war.”

Biden said that the sanctions would target two major Russian banks, limiting their ability to finance sovereign debt, and added that the sanctions would extend to Russian elites and their family members. Biden said sanctions were coordinated with U.S. allies and would continue to escalate should Russia pursue war with Ukraine: “As we respond, my administration is using every tool at our disposal to protect American business and consumers from rising prices at the pump. As I said last week, defending freedom will have costs for us as well and here at home. We need to be honest about that, but as we do this, I’m going to take robust action to make sure the pain of our sanctions is targeted at the Russian economy, not ours.”

The president concluded by saying he’d likely have more to say and that he was “hoping diplomacy was still available.”

Editorial credit: Ron Adar / Shutterstock.com

News Daypop

3 men convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery are found guilty on federal hate crime charges

Post author By Staff
Post date February 23, 2022
No Comments on 3 men convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery are found guilty on federal hate crime charges

All three Georgia men who were convicted of murder in the death of Ahmaud Arbery were again found guilty Tuesday of federal hate crimes. The jury delivered guilty verdicts against father and son Greg McMichael and Travis McMichael, as well as their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, saying they violated Arbery’s civil rights and targeted him because of his race. The verdict came one day before the second anniversary of Arbery’s death. On Feb. 23, 2020, the McMichaels and Bryan chased Arbery on a street in Brunswick, Ga., believing he was involved in some local break-ins.

In addition to the civil rights charges, all three men were also found guilty of attempted kidnapping. Additionally, the McMichaels were found guilty of using a firearm in commission of a federal crime. The men are already serving life prison sentences after they were convicted on state murder charges last year. The federal trial explored the motivations behind the killing.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said during a briefing with reporters that the jury’s decision represented a victory in the fight against hate crimes in the United States: “No one in this country should have to fear the threat of hate-filled violence. Throughout our history, and to this day, hate crimes have a singular impact because of the terror and fear they inflict on entire communities.”

Editorial credit: Michael Scott Milner / Shutterstock.com

Go Country 105

Carly Pearce on her friendship with Patty Loveless: “She's everything I wanted her to be”

Post author By abookbinder
Post date February 23, 2022
No Comments on Carly Pearce on her friendship with Patty Loveless: “She's everything I wanted her to be”

Carly Pearce has a friend in Patty Loveless. Carly has long cited the fellow Kentuckian as a musical influence, and despite living states away, the singers have struck up a friendship since collaborating on Carly’s song, “Dear Miss Loretta.”

“We talk all the time. She’ll call me late at night and she talks about all kinds of moments in her career and what she’s doing now down in Georgia. She’s been such a good friend to me,” Carly shares. “She’ll text me when she sees or hears me on the Opry. She couldn’t be at my Opry induction, but she was watching or listening online and was live texting me. She’s everything I wanted her to be.”

The reigning CMA Female Vocalist of the Year performed “Dear Miss Loretta” solo during her Opry induction in 2021. Since the two teamed up for the smoldering track that also nods to another country legend, Loretta Lynn, Carly has been open about her desire for Patty to record another album, hoping that their duet is enough to motivate her.

“I’m hoping this gives her a little bit of a nudge in the arm to do it,” Carly declares of the country icon, who hasn’t released a studio album since 2009’s Mountain Soul II. “I’m also hoping that there’s going to be a moment where I convince her to come sing with me on stage.”

Carly will perform at the 2022 ACM Awards on March 7. She’s set to resume The 29 Tour on March 10.

Country Daypop

Chris Stapleton adds new dates to his ‘All-American Road Show’

Post author By Staff
Post date February 23, 2022
No Comments on Chris Stapleton adds new dates to his ‘All-American Road Show’

Chris Stapleton’s “All-American Road Show” will continue throughout 2022 with newly added stops at L.A.’s The Forum, Detroit’s Comerica Park, DC’s Merriweather Post Pavilion, Long Island’s Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater, New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center, and Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena, among many others.

Tickets go on sale Friday, February 25 at 10:00am local time. Stapleton’s fan club will have early access to ticket pre-sales now through Thursday, February 24 at 10:00pm local time. In addition, Citi cardmembers will have access to pre-sale tickets now until Thursday, February 24 at 10:00pm local time through the Citi Entertainment program.

Visit Chris Stapleton’s website for tour dates and ticket information.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com