Month: April 2022

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Go Country 105

Nashville Notes

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Chris Stapleton has added five new shows to his All-American Road Show Tour at Alabama’s Tuscaloosa Amphitheater; The Wharf Amphitheater in Orange Beach, Alabama; the Houston area’s Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion; and a two-night stand at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford, New Hampshire. Tickets go on sale Friday. 

Little Big Town has officially released a new single, “Hell Yeah.” They debuted it during the CMT Awards last night.

Eric Church has shared a behind-the-scenes video of his recent show in New Orleans.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Maren Morris shares her and Ryan Hurd's LOL-worthy moment at the CMT Awards

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It was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, but Maren Morris and her husband, Ryan Hurd, shared a sweet exchange onstage during the CMT Awards. 

During the debut performance of their duet, “I Can’t Love You Any More,” Maren sang the line “and you like me even when I’ve been a bi***.” Though her husband’s response wasn’t audible on air, Maren is now sharing it. 

“For the record, @ryanhurd said ‘you're not a bi***, baby’ which made me laugh and almost miss my next lyric,” the hit singer revealed with a crying laughing and heart emojis. “I truly can't love you anymore than I do now.” 

“I Can’t Love You Any More” is featured on Maren’s new album, Humble Quest. It serves as the couple’s second duet, following the chart-topping “Chasing After You.” 

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Luke Combs, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood & more to headline CMA Fest

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Several of country music’s biggest stars are taking the stage at 2022 CMA Fest. 

Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kane Brown and Thomas Rhett will all be performing on the main stage at Nissan Stadium throughout the four-day festival June 9-12, along with Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Carly Pearce, Parker McCollum, Darius Ruckerand more. 

Stages will be set up all across downtown Nashville, with performances at the riverfront, Ascend Park, Walk of Fame Park and Bridgestone Arena Plaza. 

The Chevy Riverfront stage will feature a variety of artists all day long including Jimmie Allen, Lainey Wilson, Callista Clark, Breland, Ryan Hurd, Hardy, Scotty McCreery and several others, while the remaining stages will give a platform to Runaway June, Brittney Spencer, This Is Us star Chrissy Metz, The Voice winner Jake Hoot, and many more. 

This marks the first CMA Fest since 2019, as both the 2020 and 2021 festivals were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tickets are available as four-day packages or can be purchased for a single day, with the proceeds benefiting the CMA Foundation. Performances at the outdoor daytime stages are free to attend. 

Visit the CMA Fest website for the full lineup.

 

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Country Daypop

2022 CMT Music Awards: See the full list of winners

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The 2022 CMT Awards aired Monday night live from Municipal Auditorium in downtown Nashville, hosted in-person by Kane Brown and actor Anthony Mackie. Brown stepped in as co-host after Kelsea Ballerini tested positive for COVID-19. Ballerini co-hosted the show and performed from her home.

Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood were among the night’s big winners, winning two trophies, including the night’s top honor – Video of the Year. Said Aldean: “Winning is more exciting to me now than ever. It’s one thing to win awards when you’re a shiny new penny, but it’s another thing when you’ve been in the game for a long time, and you’re competing with all the shiny new pennies. After 17 years, I’ve never won this particular award. It means a lot to me, always. We all want to win. It’s not why we do it, but it’s nice to be recognized.”

Underwood added: “My fans have been voting for me since day one of my career, and that’s why I’m here in the first place. The fact they’re still voting is very special, and I don’t take that lightly. I’m so grateful they’ve carried me through, and we’re still here, and I’m still making music that I love.”

Cody Johnson also picked up two wins Monday night – Male Video of the Year and CMT Digital-First performance of the Year.

For the full list of winners, head to the link below.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

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News Daypop

Former police officer who stormed Capitol is found guilty on all six counts at jury trial

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On Monday, a former police officer who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 was found guilty on all six charges at trial. Thomas Robertson, who was an officer in Rocky Mount, Virginia, when he entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, was arrested last January and fired by the city shortly thereafter.

The verdict given Robertson was another win for the Justice Department, which is overseeing an unprecedented investigation into the hundreds of people who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. Robertson’s trial was the second Jan. 6 defendant to take his case to a jury.  Jurors deliberated Friday afternoon and all day Monday before reaching a verdict just before 5:30 p.m.

Robertson faced six charges, including obstruction of an official proceeding, civil disorder, and entering and remaining is a restricted building or grounds while carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon. A Justice Department attorney argued that Robertson was “part of the problem” on Jan. 6 and “decided to take matters into his own hands” because he didn’t like the outcome of the election, and added that “this defendant gleefully put himself in the thick of the initial round of rioters who set off hours of chaos inside the Capitol.”

Nearly 800 people have been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 attack, and almost 250 have pleaded guilty. In addition to the two jury trials thus far, two Jan. 6 defendants have resolved their cases through bench trials. More than 2,500 people entered the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack, and hundreds more assaulted law enforcement officers outside the building.

Editorial credit: Valerio Pucci / Shutterstock.com

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News Daypop

President Biden selects former federal prosecutor as his second nominee to lead the ATF

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On Monday, President Biden announced the finalization of a federal rule to regulate so-called “ghost guns” more like regular guns, including requiring serial numbers and background checks for the purchase of kits to assemble guns privately. Kit makers and re-sellers would have to include a serial number on the weapon, and the federal rules would also require background checks for anyone purchasing a kit that can be readily made into a working firearm, including 3-D printing kits — just like the background check law that applies to all licensed gun sales. The rule would not ban gun kits themselves or strengthen penalties for crimes committed with ghost guns.

Biden also introduced his second nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, former U.S. Attorney Steve Dettelbach. Dettelbach defended the ATF for facing unfair public criticism.  He said: ‘the men and women of the ATF and the public that they protect deserve better support from us. As we emerge from this pandemic, we’ve got to recognize that many Americans still face fear and isolation – not because of a virus, but because of an epidemic of firearms violence. It’s not a new problem, and it has many causes. That’s why it’s going to take an all hands on deck partnership approach to address that issue, and the ATF will be there.”

Dettelbach served as U.S. attorney for the northern district of Ohio during the Obama administration before resigning in 2016.  If confirmed, Dettelbach would be the first permanent director of ATF in seven years. The position often faces pushback from gun rights groups and has only had one Senate-confirmed director in the past 16 years. The White House touted Dettelbach’s two-decade career as a prosecutor at the Department of Justice, as well as his record of taking on criminal gang activity, domestic extremism and his experience with community gun violence.

This will be Biden’s second attempt at finding the ATF a permanent director. Last September, The White House withdrew former ATF agent David Chipman’s nomination to lead the agency amid opposition from gun rights advocates, Republican senators and some Democrats.

Editorial credit: BreizhAtao / Shutterstock.com

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Go Country 105

Kelsea perseveres, Maddie cries, and Jason & Carrie take home top prize at CMT Awards

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Keith Urban set things in motion Monday night with an energetic performance of “Wild Hearts,” as the 2022 CMT Music Awards took over a transformed Municipal Auditorium in Nashville.

Even a positive COVID-19 diagnosis couldn't keep Kelsea Ballerini from doing her part, co-hosting the show from her living room, alongside Anthony Mackie and Kane Brown, who stepped in at the last minute. She even managed to work in most of her wardrobe changes — finishing the night in pjs — and debuting her new single, “Heartfirst,” from her backyard.

Little Big Town also rolled out their new release, “Hell Yeah,” while Carly Pearce, Thomas Rhett, and Maren Morris all opted for album tracks. TR teamed with Riley Green for “Half of Me,” and Ryan Hurd joined his wife for “I Can't Love You Anymore,” while Carly lit up a pyro-infused rendition of “Diamondback.”

Fireworks closed out Female Video winner Miranda Lambert's performance of “If I Was a Cowboy” on the show's Lower Broadway stage, where Jason Aldean earlier teamed up with eighties icon Bryan Adams to cover “Heaven.”

Jason won both Collaborative Video and Video of the Year – the night's top honor – for “If I Didn't Love You” with Carrie Underwood, who offered an impressive acrobatic performance of “Ghost Story,” shot earlier during her ongoing Vegas residency.

Of course, no moment could rival the reunion of the Judds, who revived “Love Can Build a Bridge” – complete with choir – in front of the Country Music Hall of Fame, where Naomi and Wynonna will soon be inducted.

Maddie Font delivered the night's most emotional moment, barely able to speak through tears and excitement, after an unexpected win for Group/Duo Video for “Woman You Got.” New mom Taylor Kerr joined via video, holding her new baby, Leighton Grace, born in January.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Country Daypop

Miranda Lambert releases her latest single ‘Actin’ Up’

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Miranda Lambert has shared the latest single from her upcoming eighth studio album, Palomino, with the release of “Actin’ Up.”  Palomino, comprised of 15 tracks, is set for release April 29th; it is Lambert’s first solo project since 2019’s Wildcard.  Lambert performed Actin’ Up during an impromptu appearance at her Casa Rosa bar on Nashville’s Lower Broadway on Sunday, April 3rd. Backup singer Gwen Sebastian was performing when Lambert popped in to appear and sing a few of her own songs.

Later this year, Lambert heads to Las Vegas for her Velvet Rodeo residency. Tickets to the 24-date Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino residency launching in September are on sale now via Ticketmaster.  In addition to her Las Vegas residency, Lambert is joining forces with Little Big Town to co-headline this spring’s The Bandwagon Tour, featuring The Cadillac Three as support on all dates and visiting 15 cities beginning Friday, May 6th in Houston.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Billy Ray Cyrus and Tish Cyrus to divorce after 28 years together

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Tish Cyrus has filed for divorce from Billy Ray Cyrus after almost 30 years of marriage. Tish filed for divorce in Tennessee last week, according to court documents; it also notes that Tish and Billy Ray have not lived together since February 2020. Tish cited irreconcilable differences as the grounds for their divorce and is asking that the court equitably divide and distribute their marital assets and award her separate property.

This is not the first time either has filed for divorce from the other. In October 2010, Billy Ray filed before revealing the following year that he dropped the divorce. Then, in 2013, Tish filed for divorce.  The two spoke out about working on their relationship, saying: “We both woke up and realized we love each other and decided we want to stay together. We both went into couples therapy, something we haven’t done in 22 years of being together, and its brought us closer together and really opened up our communication in amazing ways. We’ve had rough times, but we both realized we didn’t want to be another statistic and wanted to make it work.”

The couple were married in December 1993, share five kids: Miley Cyrus, 29, Noah Cyrus, 22, and Braison Cyrus, 27, as well as Brandi Cyrus, 34, and Trace Cyrus, 33, who Trish gave birth to prior to their relationship. Billy Ray also has a son, Christopher, with his ex, Kristin Luckey.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

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Pop Daypop

Britney Spears announces pregnancy, expecting first child with fiancé Sam Asghari

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Britney Spears announced via Instagram on April 11 that she’s expecting her third child, her first with fiancé Sam Asghari. In her caption, Spears also hinted she and Asghari may have gotten secretly married, referring to him as her “husband.”  The 40-year-old Spears said in her post: “I lost so much weight to go on my Maui trip only to gain it back  … I thought “Geez … what happened to my stomach ???” My husband said “No you’re food pregnant silly  !!!” So I got a pregnancy test … and uhhhhh well … I am having a baby  … 4 days later I got a little more food pregnant. It’s growing !!! If 2 are in there … I might just loose it  … I obviously won’t be going out as much due to the paps getting their money shot of me like they unfortunately already have … it’s hard because when I was pregnant I had perinatal depression … I have to say it is absolutely horrible  … women didn’t talk about it back then … some people considered it dangerous if a woman complained like that with a baby inside her … but now women talk about it everyday … thank Jesus we don’t have to keep that pain a reserved proper secret … This time I will be doing yoga every day !!! Spreading lots of joy and love 💕 !!!”

Spears has been vocal about her desire to have another child, claiming the rules of her past conservatorship made it unlikely. In a Los Angeles court in June 2021, she said that her father, Jamie Spears, and his team would not allow her to “get married and have a baby” under the conservatorship. After 13 years under the legal guardianship, Spears was officially freed from the conservatorship on November 12, 2021 by Judge Brenda Penny.

Spears first started dating Asghari in 2016, after they met on the set of her “Slumber Party” music video. The couple announced their engagement in September 2021, showed off the singer’s new diamond ring on social media.

Editorial credit: Ovidiu Hrubaru / Shutterstock.com