Month: March 2022

Thomas Rhett is closing out Summerfest this year.

The country superstar has been announced as the final performer of the festival, taking the stage on July 9. His headlining set will come at the end of a multi-week music event that is taking place in Milwaukee from June 23 to June 25, June 30 to July 2 and July 7 to July 9.

The all-genre festival will begin and end with country music this year. Previously announced performer Jason Aldean will take the stage to kick off the fun on June 23, with special guest Gabby Barrett. Thomas’ opening act will be announced in the weeks ahead.

Billed as “The World’s Largest Music Festival,” Summerfest 2022 will feature a lineup that also includes Justin Bieber, Halsey, Cheap Trick and many others. The list of performers for this year is still in the process of rolling out, with concerts taking place over 12 stages. Fans attending the event can also enjoy a variety of foods, beverages and activities during the festival.

Multi-day passes, single-day tickets and more options are available for purchase now.

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Dolly Parton's still in the running to join the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, despite the fact that she asked the organization earlier this week to remove her from consideration.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation issued a statement Thursday acknowledging Dolly's request, but saying they'll move forward with her as a nominee.

“From its inception, Rock and Roll has had deep roots in Rhythm & Blues and Country music. It is not defined by any one genre, rather a sound that moves youth culture,” the statement reads, in part. “Dolly Parton's music impacted a generation of young fans and influenced countless artists that followed.”

Along with Dolly, 16 other nominees have been named for possible inclusion in the Class of 2022 to join the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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Mickey Guyton has joined the bill for the 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year tribute event, which will honor famed singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell this year.

Others in the lineup include Brandi Carlile, who often covers Mitchell favorites like “Blue” and “A Case of You” during her live shows. Americana singer Allison Russell will also perform, alongside other acts that span genres and generations.

Cyndi Lauper and Chaka Khan are two of the bill's most legendary names, and Leon Bridges, Herbie Hancock, St. Vincent, Jon Batiste, Pentatonix, Billy Porter, Black Pumas, Sara Bareilles, Lauren Daigle and more round out the star-studded evening.

In addition to their performances, Brandi and Jon are contributing to the event as Artistic Directors. That kind of artist participation is a first for the annual tribute.

The MusiCares Person of the Year show will take place April 1 in Las Vegas' MGM Grand Conference Center. In addition to an evening of music, the event will feature a reception, dinner and silent auction to benefit MusiCares.

Tickets to the event are on sale now.

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Michael Ray just premiered the music video for his new single, “Holy Water,” and it's an especially personal clip for a few different reasons.

For one thing, it was filmed nearby his hometown of Eustis, Florida, at the church he and his family went to when he was growing up. The singer got a chance to put the visual spotlight on some of the places that were near and dear to him as a kid, and many of the people featured in the video are family members and friends to the singer.

But that's not the only story that's true to life in “Holy Water.” The song — which tells the story of a preacher who's got a side operation selling moonshine — is a little slice of Michael's family history, too.

“My family has a little back history of running some moonshine through the state of Florida,” the singer told fans in a livestream Q&A that aired on YouTube before the music video's premiere. “So I knew I wanted to really show a different side of my town, but also give y'all some history on where I'm from and places that meant a lot to me.”

“Holy Water” follows Michael's multi-week chart-topper, “Whiskey and Rain.” Both those tracks come off his Higher Education EP, which came out last year.

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Country upstart Breland knew he'd been having some major success, thanks to songs like “My Truck” and “Cross Country” as well as duets with Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley and Mickey Guyton. But he never expected to be nominated at major country music awards shows — at least, not so soon.

However, when the nominees list for the 2022 CMT Music Awards came out this week, Breland's name appeared not once but three times. He was overwhelmed by the recognition, the singer admits to People.

“I got the news and I was immediately sobbing. I was just a wreck,” the singer recounts, adding, “I don't take it for granted at all.”

The first people he celebrated with were his parents, who are musicians themselves, Breland went on to say. “They have always been such a big support of what I'm doing. And now that we're starting to see some of the dividends that that hard work is paying, I just feel I owe it to them to make sure they're the first ones to know,” he says.

Breland's celebration plans also include his March Madness bracket and a “glass of wine,” he continues, saying “It'll be good to relax and pop one with my homies.”

Breland recounts his path to stardom — and contemplates the road not taken — in the new music video for his song, “Cross Country.”

The 2022 CMT Awards are set for Monday, April 11. Voting is open now.

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As Kane Brown readies the release of his next studio album, he says he removed all the pop songs he'd recorded from the track list in favor of focusing on his country roots.

“I'm just really excited for the fans to see that it's an actual country foundation. I'm going to give them a country album,” he tells ABC Audio.

Any artist who bends the rules when it comes to style is likely to feel external pressure to fit into one genre or another, and Kane's no exception. “I mean, I have and I haven't [felt pressure],” he notes. “But I feel like every artist has.”

He says that the biggest reason he chose to go more country on this album wasn't due to pressure, but rather a desire to spend more time in a genre that feels best. “This is my home. This is where I started,” the singer points out. “I should definitely just give [the fans] what a lot of them want.”

Kane's already beginning to deliver: The first three songs off his next album — “Leave You Alone,” “Whiskey Sour” and the chart-topping lead single, “One Mississippi” — are some of his most country-leaning releases to date. But if you're a fan of Kane's ‘poppier’ side, don't despair. The songs he scrapped from his country project aren't necessarily going back on the shelf for good.

“I still got five of those,” he hints. “I'm not saying they won't be released. They just won't be on the album.”

When it arrives, Kane’s new album will be the follow-up to his 2020 EP, Mixtape Vol. 1.

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