Month: March 2022

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Pop Daypop

‘Saturday Night Live’ to welcome hosts Lizzo, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jerrod Carmichael and musical guests Camila Cabello and Gunna this April

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“Saturday Night Live” has announced its April lineup of hosts, including Jerrod Carmichael, Jake Gyllenhaal and Lizzo, who will be pulling double duty as her own musical guest. Gunna and Camila Cabello will perform as musical guests along with Gyllenhaal and Carmichael.

Carmichael will make his “SNL” hosting debut April 2, joined by Gunna, who is also marking his first time at “SNL” musical guest. The Grammy-nominated artist’s latest album, “DS4Ever,” debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 chart.

On April 9, Gyllenhaal will host “SNL” for the second time, joined by Cabello who makes her second appearance as “SNL” musical guest.

For the April 16 show, Lizzo will be a first-time “SNL” host and second-time musical guest. The Grammy winner stars in the competition series “Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,” which premieres March 25 on Prime Video.

“SNL” airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT on NBC. The show also streams live on Peacock.

Editorial credit: Brian Friedman / Shutterstock.com

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Go Country 105

Nashville notes

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Brothers Osborne are performing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon tonight. It airs at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC. 

Chris Stapleton joins the lineup for Willie Nelson‘s Outlaw Music Festival Tour. He’ll perform on September 23 at the Waterfront Music Pavilion in Camden, N.J. Presale tickets are available Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET.

Vince Gill is going on a solo tour this summer. The trek begin on July 7 in Greensboro, N.C. and ends on August 28 in Atlanta.

The sequel to the Dolly Parton-themed comic book Female Force: Dolly Parton was released today. It’s part of a series of comic books that focus on female empowerment.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Kelsea Ballerini is in close “proximity” to releasing new music

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Based on a new photo Kelsea Ballerini posted on socials, fans can be expecting new music very soon. 

On Tuesday, the singer posted a photo of herself posing in a vintage style, black-and-white checkered suit, with her dog Dibs‘ paw making a subtle, yet important appearance. 

“Dibs paw symbolizes the proximity of new music,” Kelsea hints, as his paw is only a few inches away from her feet. “And the suit symbolizes that i still wanna be serena vanderwoodsen happy tuesday,” she adds with a white heart emoji and a reference to the Gossip Girl character.

The humorous metaphor for new music on the way comes a day after Kelsea shared a lengthy postcommemorating the two-year anniversary of her last album, kelsea.

“It is the record and ‘era’ that I'm the most proud of,” she reflects of the project that features her recent #1 hit with Kenny Chesney, “Half of My Hometown, adding that it taught her “patience, humility, and to welcome the unexpected.”

“With this happy birthday post, the kelsea' chapter is now over. And for what's next.who knows what'll happen.aint that always kind of magic?” Kelsea writes.

The “Dibs” singer is set to co-host the 2022 CMT Awards with actor Anthony Mackie in Nashville on April 11.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Carrie Underwood says her new album will inspire fans to “sing into your hairbrush”

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Carrie Underwood is blending drama and fun on her upcoming album. 

The hit singer dropped her new single, “Ghost Story,” last week, a dramatic tale of a woman who promises to haunt the memory of her ex. “It’s enough of hopefully what people like about me. There’s some drama, it’s a cinematic song. It’s a great story song. It’s this little revenge song,” she describes the number to ET Canada.

“Ghost Story” is the first taste of Carrie’s anticipated seventh studio album following 2018’s Cry Pretty, her 2020 holiday album, My Gift, and the companion gospel project, My Savior, released in 2021. While “Ghost Story” offers a moody vibe, the singer hints that the album will also include lighter notes.  

“It’s a very sing into your hairbrush in your house, in your room, kind of album,” she shares. 

Days after its release, “Ghost Story” is climbing through the top 30 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.  

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Chris Stapleton covers John Fogerty with new single, “Joy of My Life”

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Chris Stapleton is looking at the “Joy” of life in his new single. 

The country titan adds his smooth, smoky voice to “Joy of My Life,” originally written and recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival co-founder and frontman John Fogerty in 1997. The lyrics depict a heartfelt picture of a man in love, who declares himself “the luckiest man alive.” 

“Joy of My Life” follows Chris’ most recent #1 hit, “You Should Probably Leave.” Both tracks are featured on his latest album, Starting Over, which is nominated for Best Country Album at the 2022 Grammy Awards. 

The superstar continues on his headlining All-American Road Show Tour with a two-night stay in Atlantic City, NJ on April 8 and 9. 

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Luke Combs, Maren Morris & more to perform at CMT Awards

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CMT has unveiled the first round of star-studded performers for the 2022 CMT Awards. 

Luke Combs, Keith Urban, Maren Morris and Kane Brown are among the artists set to take the stage at the show in Nashville, along with Miranda Lambert, co-host Kelsea Ballerini, Carly Pearce, Little Big Town, and Cody Johnson, who tops the country charts this week with “Til You Cant.”

Cole Swindell and Lainey Wilson will also light up Music City with a performance of their hit duet, “Never Say Never,” while Maren will team up with her husband Ryan Hurd. Additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

Kane is the most-nominated act at the fan-voted awards show, with four nominations. Kelsea, Mickey Guyton, Breland and Cody tie for second place, with three nods each. 

Voting is open now and closes on April 4 at 10 a.m. ET. Kelsea and Marvel film actor Anthony Mackiewill co-host the CMT Awards when the show airs live from Nashville on its new network home of CBS and Paramount+ on April 11 at 8 p.m. ET.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
News Daypop

Ex-wife of Missouri GOP Senate candidate Eric Greitens accuses him of domestic violence

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Eric Greitens, Missouri’s former governor and current Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, has been accused by his ex-wife Sheena Greitens of allegedly being physically abusive and “unstable,” according to court records filed on Monday.

Sheena Greitens and Eric Greitens have been part of an ongoing child custody battle. Their divorce was finalized in May 2020 and a county court decision said the marriage was “irretrievably broken” and that a joint parenting plan is “in [the] best interest of minor children.” However, Eric Greitens has since said he wants full custody of their two children.

Greitens’ campaign said that the affidavit is part of a “politically-motivated attack.  His children deserve a father who will speak the truth and stand up against malicious attacks that are clearly politically motivated. This attack is nothing more than a sad attempt to force a father to yield custody of his children to a deranged individual.”  In a statement, Eric Greitens said: “I will continue to love and care for my beautiful sons with all of my being, and that includes fighting for the truth and against completely fabricated, baseless allegations. I am seeking full custody of my sons, and for their sake, I will continue to pray for their mother and hope that she gets the help that she needs,” adding that “ultimately truth will always prevail.”

Greitens served just over one year as Missouri’s governor before he resigned in 2018 after allegations of sexual misconduct and blackmail for allegedly taking a picture of his former hairdresser with whom he was having an affair, as well as an ethics investigation and a computer data tampering criminal charge. Greitens admitted to the affair and called it consensual, but denied taking the photograph and the blackmail accusation. Prosecutors dropped an invasion of privacy charge related to the alleged incident in May 2018.

Eric Greitens is looking to succeed retiring Republican Senator Roy Blunt in his bid for U.S. Senate. Also in the field are Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, Representatives Billy Long and Vicky Hartzler. Hartzler, Schmitt, Long and Lucas Kunce, a Marine and Democratic candidate in the race, have called for Greitens to drop out of the U.S. Senate race.

The deadline for candidates to file for the Missouri primary is March 29, 2022; the primary is slated to be held August 2.

Editorial credit: Gino Santa Maria / Shutterstock.com

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News Daypop

Day 1 of hearings begin for Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson

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President Biden’s nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, addressed senators on the first day of confirmation hearings on Monday, telling the lawmakers she would “decide cases from a neutral posture” if they approve her nomination to the high court.  Jackson told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee: “Members of this committee: If I am confirmed, I commit to you that I will work productively to support and defend the Constitution and the grand experiment of American democracy that has endured over these past 246 years. During this hearing, I hope that you will see how much I love our country and the Constitution, and the rights that make us free.”

Jackson sat silently for most of the 4.5-hour session as the 22 committee members delivered opening statements and previewed their lines of inquiry for the two days of questioning ahead. Many Democrats lauded Jackson for shattering barriers with her nomination, and Republicans also applauded Jackson for her nomination, previewing the aspects of her professional record they plan to examine, namely the sentences she imposed on child pornography offenders while serving as a judge on the federal district court in Washington and clients she represented as a federal assistant public defender and in private practice. Many GOP members of the Judiciary panel pledged to avoid personal attacks on Jackson, but they still vowed to probe her judicial philosophy and views of the Supreme Court.

Jackson’s four-day confirmation hearings begin just 24 days after President Biden announced her as his nominee to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court.  Currently a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Jackson served on the federal district court in Washington for eight years and was a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. If appointed to the Supreme Court, Jackson will be the second-youngest justice at 51 years old.

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Go Country 105

Cody Johnson says releasing the inspiring “Til You Can't” as a single was an “easy choice”

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For Cody Johnson, his new #1 single, “Til You Can’t,” isn’t merely a song, it’s an anthem for living life to the fullest. 

Cody admits that when he first heard the demo, the song’s melancholy nature struck a chord with him, noting that he “loved the lyrics” and noticed that the song “wasn’t as energetic” as the final product. 

“It was a little bit more docile, a little more calm and it almost had a sad feel to it. It does have those lyrics about ‘take the phone call from your momma’ until you can’t,” he describes of the song in its original form, adding that when it was time to produce the track, he knew what direction it needed to go in.  “This needs to be a message of ‘you got a chance, take the chance, go out and chase your dreams until you can’t,'” he adds. 

The Texas native says that selecting the song as a single was a no-brainer, because he hoped listeners would gravitate toward its encouraging message. 

“My thought was ‘if this is a hit on country radio, if the music video does well, if it goes viral, what a great message to have your name tagged to.’ I think that was the decision-maker for me. It was an easy choice,” Cody explains. “We try to not to think about it every day, but we all have an expiration date, and from now until that expiration date, it’s about pushing. Just chase your dreams, take your chances, tell the people you love you love them, and it turned into this happy, anthematic experience.” 

“Til You Can’t” is Cody’s first #1 hit.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Country Daypop

Jamey Johnson invited to become member of Grand Ole Opry

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Jamey Johnson has been invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry, with Opry member Bill Anderson surprising Johnson with the invitation at the close of a writer’s round featuring Anderson, Johnson, and songwriter/producer Buddy Cannon.

During the show, the artists performed songs such as the smash “Give It Away,” which became a No. 1 for George Strait, “Everybody Wants To Be Twenty-One,” and “Cheaper Than A Shrink.”  After their final song Anderson said: “Jamey, you made your Opry debut 17 years ago and you’ve been a frequent guest many times. But Opry management told me to tell you that this is going to be your last guest appearance…The next time you appear on this stage you will be the newest member of our Opry cast and family!”

Johnson replied: “I accepted it 20 years ago! I really don’t know what to say except the obvious. I love country music. I would have never moved here if it wasn’t for that; for the Opry keeping it alive and for the fans. I love you. Thank you.”

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