Month: April 2022

Ironically, Miranda Lambert and Elle King just scored a big ol' chart-topping country hit about something they haven't been able to do together since before the song came out.

“Her and I haven't gotten to get drunk and not go home since we cut this song, because she got pregnant,” Miranda explains to ABC Audio, laughing. “So I was, like, drinking for two.”

With Elle's baby boy, Lucky, now over seven months old, perhaps a little partying to celebrate the milestone is in order. “Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home)” is Elle's second number one at U.S. country radio — following “Different for Girls,” a Dierks Bentley duet — and Miranda's ninth.

Every number one is a major accomplishment, especially since, even though Miranda's career dates back to the mid-2000s, many of her singles have never reached the top spot at radio.

“I haven't had that many number ones…That's always like, Oh my gosh, we got a number one?'” Miranda notes,  adding that it’s especially nice “to share it with a friend.”

Reflecting on Elle, Miranda says, “[S]he just has great energy and we have great chemistry together.”

The win is worth celebrating on a larger scale, too. Not only is “Drunk” the first time a duet between two women has topped the charts since Reba McEntire and Linda Davis' “Does He Love You” in 1993, but it's also the first time that two all-female duets are in the top 10 at country radio at the same time.

The other song, of course is the Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde's ballad “Never Wanted to Be That Girl.”  The milestone didn't slip past Ashley, who brought it to Miranda's attention on social media.

“I was like, Yeah…that's awesome,'” Miranda marvels. “Like, we're finally getting somewhere, you know what I mean?”

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Sure, Cody Johnson owes a whole lot of success to his song, “Til You Can't” — the song was a number-one country radio hit, and earned him one of his two trophies at the 2022 CMT Awards. But it might have had an even greater impact on who he is as a person.

“It gave me a new perspective of, I'm only here for a little while,” Cody explains to People about the song's significance. “I've got to do the things that matter. Spend time with your wife, spend time with your kids, push your career, do it while you're here. Don't wait for the next chapter. Make it the next chapter.”

Cody was living out those words of wisdom at this week's CMT Awards, soaking up the milestones as he claimed his trophies for Male Video of the Year and CMT Digital-First Performance of the Year.

The night out also doubled as date night: Cody brought his wife, Brandi, to the show with him.

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90s hitmaker duo Shenandoah signed a new record deal with 8 Track Entertainment this week, with new music expected soon. The country pair are currently on a tour that celebrates their 35th anniversary.

Lindsay Ell has new music on the way. Her next single, “Right on Time,” will be out on April 27.

Willie Nelson joins singer-songwriter Tammy Neilson on a new song, called “Beyond the Stars.”

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As Walker Hayes soaked up the bright lights, fun and great music of the CMT Music Awards earlier this week, he admitted that there was something more somber in the back of his mind.

While he gave his debut performance on this year's show, he was actually originally scheduled to play at the CMTs for the first time back in 2018. However, due to a devastating family tragedy, he never made it to the stage. The same day as the show — June 6 — he lost his newborn daughter, Oakleigh, who died in childbirth.

“Yeah, being here has that twinge of a little PTSD,” he told People on the carpet of this year's CMTs, four years later. However, he added, “So much redemption has happened since then.”

The difficult birth that claimed Oakleigh's life also nearly killed Walker's wife, Laney, who suffered a ruptured uterus.

Fortunately, Laney has made a complete recovery, and she walked the CMTs carpet at her country superstar husband's side in 2022. After the show, Walker tweeted out a snapshot of them together, writing, “Did you guys see Laney at the [CMT AWards] Monday night,” along with a “heart eyes” emoji.

“We lost a child, but Laney and I gained so much since then,” Walker told People, reflecting back on the years since Oakleigh's death.

These days, Walker and his family — including Laney, their six children and their dogs — are out on the road together for the singer's Fancy Like Tour.

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Dierks Bentley's Seven Peaks Festival is returning to Colorado this Labor Day Weekend, and the singer unfurled the event's impressive roundup of performers this week.

Dierks will co-headline the three-day event with Morgan Wallen. Other big-name acts taking the stage include Ashley McBryde, Jordan Davis, Tracy Lawrence, Lainey Wilson, Travis Denning and more.

Of course, no Dierks-led event would be complete without an appearance from the Hot Country Knights, the spoofy 90s country act that will no doubt feature prominently in Seven Peaks' annual 90s Night.

Seven Peaks is also known for blending a lineup of mainstream country with Americana and bluegrass-leaning acts, and those genres are represented this year by Old Crow Medicine Show, Rapidgrass and Boy Named Banjo.

Launched in 2018, Seven Peaks took place in Buena Vista, Colorado for two years running before taking a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the festival is moving to Villa Grove, Colorado. It will take place September 2-4.

Passes to the camp-out event go on sale to the general public April 22 at 10 a.m. MT. 3-day GA admission starts at $219, and there are a variety of camping and VIP packages to choose from, too.

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