Month: April 2022

Naomi Judd, half of legendary country duo The Judds, has passed away at the age of 76, just one day before she and daughter Wynonna were to be officially inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. 

“Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” Wynonna and her sister, actress Ashley Judd, announced in a statement Saturday. 

“We are shattered,” the statement goes on. “We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory.” 

The statement doesn’t elaborate further about the specific cause of death. 

Earlier this month, The Judds performed one of their signature songs that Naomi wrote, “Love Can Build a Bridge,” on the CMT Music Awards. They were also planning to set out on The Final Tour in September, their first in more than a decade. 

The Judds charted fourteen number-one hits, including “Mama He’s Crazy,” “Why Not Me,” and “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days), before Naomi was forced to retire in 1991 after being diagnosed with hepatitis. In all, the Kentucky-born mother/daughter duo took home nine CMA Awards and five Grammys.

Naomi’s survived by her husband, Larry Strickland, who was known for his work with Elvis Presley.

So far, there’s no word how Naomi’s death will impact Sunday’s planned Medallion Ceremony at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. 

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One year after the release of his triple album, Heart & Soul, Eric Church is celebrating the anniversary of the project with special box sets. Fans can choose between a variety of sets at different price points, featuring limited edition vinyl, posters, a special tote bag and more.

Jake Owen's new song, “1×1,” is out now. It's the latest in a string of several new songs he's put out in recent months, including his current single, “Best Thing Since Back Roads,” which is now inside the top twenty at country radio.

Willie Nelson is celebrating his 89th birthday today. He marked the occasion with the release of a new album, A Beautiful Time. This Sunday, he'll keep the party going when a birthday concert called To Willie: A Birthday Celebration broadcasts from his Luck, Texas ranch.

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The music video for Carrie Underwood's chart-climbing new single, “Ghost Story,” arrives Friday, featuring gravity-defying stunts, carnival-esque glamor and a man who's haunted by the one he let slip away.

When she dropped the song last month, Carrie described “Ghost Story” as “a different take on a revenge song.” Its lyrics tell an understated tale of getting back at an ex, promising that her memory will haunt him long after the relationship is over.

The video adds a visual component to the story, starring a guy who sees Carrie's face and hears her voice everywhere he goes — even though she's not actually there.

Meanwhile, Carrie borrows some of the concepts from her Las Vegas residency to create a Moulin Rouge-inspired, cinematic world. The clip was filmed at the famed Los Angeles Theatre and showcases the building's crystal chandeliers, marble and crystal fountain and silk damask wall coverings.

The singer says that director Randee St. Nicholas captured her vision for the song perfectly, adding, “I had a vision for how I wanted to bring this song to life in performance and Randee always takes things to a whole other artistic level beyond my own imagination.”

Carrie also swings from a trapeze in the video, a stunt that she's been adding into her recent live performances of “Ghost Story,” too.

The song comes off of Carrie's upcoming album, Denim & Rhinestones, which will be out June 10.

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Dolly Parton is currently on the ballot for potential inclusion in this year's class of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, despite a statement she made last month requesting that her nomination be withdrawn.  Now, she’s changed her mind.

In her bid to remove herself from the running, Dolly explained that she didn't feel she’d earned the right to be considered, despite being “extremely flattered and grateful.” She did say that the nomination had inspired her to release a rock album one day, and she hoped the Hall would be open to considering her again in the future, after she'd created more of a body of work in the rock genre.

But the Hall soon countered to say that Dolly would stay on the ballot, despite her wishes.

“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,” read a statement released by the institution.

In a new interview with NPR's Morning Edition, Dolly now says that she misunderstood the scope of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, underscoring that she didn't want to take votes away from any other nominees who are more firmly rooted in the rock genre.

“I just felt like I would be taking away from someone that maybe deserved it, certainly more than me, because I never considered myself a rock artist. But obviously, there's more to it than that,” she noted.

In the light of the Hall's response, though, Dolly says she'll “accept gracefully” if inducted. “I would just say thanks and I'll accept it because the fans vote,” she went on to say.

Dolly is one of 16 nominees up for possible induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

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Luke Bryan's annual Farm Tour will be back for its 13th year this fall. The country superstar just announced the dates and lineup for 2022.

Kicking off in Indiana on September 15, the Farm Tour will hit small towns in Ohio, Michigan, Nebraska and Iowa before wrapping with a stop in Eyota, Minnesota. Riley Green will join the bill for four of the six dates, and Jameson Rodgers and the Peach Pickers make up the rest of the Farm Tour lineup.

“I look forward to these shows every year mainly because of the meaning behind them and why it was important to me to start the Farm Tour 13 years ago,” Luke reflects. “It has allowed communities who don't normally get a concert in their areas to experience a fun night in their backyard all while lifting up the American farmer.”

Tickets for the 2022 Farm Tour go on sale May 5; Members of Luke's Nut House fan club will have access to a special pre-sale starting May 2.

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Darius Rucker brings his signature, lighthearted brand of country to a new tune today, releasing a quip-filled new song called “Same Beer Different Problem.”

While the modern world looks a whole lot different than it used to, there's a classic fix that always helps ease the pain: An ice-cold beer. That's the message behind Darius' new song, which he co-wrote with — among others — Old Dominion band mate Brad Tursi.

“Granny's eatin' gummies, mama's online / All I know for sure is we've all lost our minds / A little bit funny, a lotta bit strange / But at the end of the day / It's the same beer, different problem,” Darius sings as he heads into the sing-a-long chorus.

“The line, A little bit funny, a lotta bit strange' really sums up the message of this song,” Darius explains, “and all of the things that make you shake your head these days. We had so much as songwriters coming up with all of those examples and putting a lighthearted spin on the craziness of the world.”

Fans will have plenty of chances to hear the new song live this year: The singer's annual “Darius and Friends” benefit concert returns to Nashville's Ryman Auditorium in June, followed quickly by his headlining CMA Fest performance.

Darius is also headed home to Charleston, South Carolina this fall, where he'll launch his inaugural Riverfront Revival Festival. He's performing a headlining set at the event, and Brothers Osborne, Jimmie Allen and more will join the lineup.

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Luke Combs is finishing out the year strong with a just-announced batch of tour dates. Billed as the Middle of Somewhere Tour, the 18-stop string of shows will kick off in early September with back-to-back dates in Bangor, Maine.

Jordan Davis will serve as direct support, and Morgan Wade and Lainey Wilson will split the opening slot. Additionally, Mitchell Tenpenny is joining the bill for some of the shows.

There's an exciting twist for Luke's Middle of Somewhere Tour, too: While there's been an uptick in prices since the COVID-19 pandemic, Luke's keeping his ticket prices stable from 2019 in the hopes that everyone who wants to come see him perform will get their chance.

“I know that the price of everything has been going up these last couple years and there's nothing I can do about that, but the one thing I could do is set the price of my tickets,” the singer said on social media when he announced his tour. “So what I wanted to do is keep the ticket prices the same as they were before the pandemic.”

By the time the Middle of Somewhere Tour rolls around, Luke will have a bunch of new music to share. His third studio album, Growin' Up, is set to arrive in June.

Tickets for Luke's new shows go on sale to the general public next Friday, May 6. Members of Luke's Bootleggers fan club will have access to a pre-sale beginning May 4 at 9 a.m. local time. Additionally, Citi cardholders will be able to purchase pre-sale tickets beginning May 5 at 10 a.m. local time.

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There's no shortage of songs about women in mainstream country music, but Matt Stell is aiming for something a little bit outside-the-box with his new song, “Man Made.“

“I love a positive song that is able to get something across,” Matt explains to ABC Audio. “I just love the way that it talks about something that we talk about a lot in country music — which is women, and how great they are — and I thought this was a cool way to do it in a different way.”

Whereas many country songs about women revolve around their external beauty, “Man Made” goes deeper, exploring the fundamental and lasting impact women have on the world. “If a man made anything, it's cause a woman made that man,” the song concludes in the chorus.

Matt didn't write the song, but it certainly rings true to his experience. The singer says his mom is one of his best friends.

“We've been through a lot together,” he continues. “You get a little bit older, start thinking about having kids one day…she set the bar pretty damn high with how she was with me, because I wasn't easy.”

Now, getting the chance to tribute his mom makes releasing “Man Made” all the sweeter. “It's nice to say something that's nice, that I mean, about somebody I care about,” he continues.

Still, the song wouldn't be a proper tribute if it was too sentimental. “My mom's a bada**, so we didn't get too sappy,” Matt quips.

Check out the exclusive premiere of the lyric video for “Man Made.”

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