Month: July 2022

Darius Rucker is prepping his new album, and it features a collaboration with America’s Got Talent contestants Chapel Hart. 

The trio, comprised of sisters Danica and Devynn Hart and their cousin Trea Swindle, went viral last week with their AGT audition performing their original song, “You Can Have Him Jolene,” a response to Dolly Parton‘s classic “Jolene.” After receiving a Golden Buzzer that advances them to the final rounds, the song got a stamp of approval from Dolly herself, who said in a social media post, “what a fun new take on my song!” 

Turns out, Chapel Hart also has a fan in Darius Rucker, who tweeted, “hell yes!!! Go y'all!!” in response to the audition. When a fan responded by saying, “maybe you can help @ChapelHartBand break some more barriers in Nashville,” the superstar revealed that a collaboration is already in the works. 

“Already put them on my next record,” he confirms. “We're SO glad you said it cause we've been STRUUUUUGGLING to keep it to ourselves!!” the trio replied. “I don't know if the world is ready for this one!”

AGT airs Tuesday on NBC at 8 p.m. ET.   

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Luke Combs gave the opportunity of a lifetime to a fan battling cancer. 

During his headlining set at Buckeye Country Superfest in Ohio this weekend, Luke brought out a surprise guest to sing with him, a young fan named Addi who is battling cancer. 

According to a Facebook post by Addi’s mother, Staci Conely, the 17-year-old has had leukemia for the past year. One of the items on her bucket list was to attend one of Luke’s concerts and meet him. 

That dream came true twofold when some of their friends managed to reach the country star and his team to tell him about Addi’s story. Luke was so moved that he invited Addi and several members of her family to the show, where he treated them to a meet-and-greet backstage and even shared his own story of his friend who was diagnosed with cancer. 

“He gave so much love as we listened and cried with their stories they were exchanging. This moment made time stand still. She was genuinely happy and so blown away by his kindness, honestly we all were,” Staci describes, alongside a photo of the superstar engaged in conversation with a smiling Addi. 

The night was made even more special when Luke brought Addi onstage to sing with him during the encore in front of more than 60,000 fans. He happened to be performing her favorite song, “Better Together.” 

“He asked everyone to turn on their flashlights and to sing along to our girl and they did just that. It was so beautiful, we all watched while the tears streamed down our cheeks,” Staci continues. “Thank you Luke Combs and team for giving our girl the most perfect night.” 

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Scotty McCreery has headed “Strait” to the top of the charts. 

The country crooner has scored his fifth #1 single with “Damn Strait,” which claims the top spot on country radio this week. The song is an ode to one of Scotty’s idols, country giant George Strait, and is featured on his 2021 album, Same Truck. 

“My first country music concert was George Strait, and along with my love for Elvis [Presley], he inspired me to become a country music singer myself,” the American Idol winner shares in a statement to Billboard. “Now, having my fifth straight No. 1 on a song that pays tribute to George, while at the same time being a classic country heartbreaker such as he might have sung, is such a full-circle moment that means the world to me.” 

“Damn Strait” is Scotty’s fifth consecutive #1 hit over the past five years, beginning with “Five More Minutes” and followed by “This Is It,” “In Between” and “You Time.”

Scotty and his wife, Gabi, are expecting their first child, a boy, later this year. 

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Maren Morris had a busy weekend on the road. 

The “Circles Around This Town” hitmaker took to socials to reflect on the weekend, which included performing her first solo set at Newport Folk Festival and opening for Chris Stapleton with her supergroup, The Highwomen. 

Maren shared a handful of black-and-white photos from the events, including a snap of her, Chris’ wife, Morgane Stapleton, and bandmates Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires and Natalie Hemby with their arms wrapped around each other while onstage at the historic Wrigley Field in Chicago. Another photo captures Maren smiling with a guitar in hand as she entertains a packed crowd at the 63-year-old festival in Rhode Island.

“Well, @TheHighwomen opened for @ChrisStapleton at Wrigley Field and then I did my first solo set at the legendary @Newportfolkfest. I really don't know how I get to do this sh** but I'm so grateful,” the singer raves on Twitter, adding on Instagram, “this weekend was a fu***** dream. Country music is wide and it is full of love.” 

Maren resumes her headlining Humble Quest Tour on July 29 at the famed Radio City Music Hall in New York City. 

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Carrie Underwood is traveling back in time to the ’90s. 

Over the weekend, the superstar shared a throwback video of her cover of Patty Loveless‘ hit “Blame It On Your Heart,” filmed in her tween years. Dressed in a Garth Brooks-esque half-black, half-white shirt, a young Carrie stands in front of a green screen, showing off her impressive vocal chops and hamming it up for the camera as she sings the lyrics that tell off a cheating lover. 

She then pans to a clip of her singing the classic ’90s country track onstage at the Grand Ole Opry as part of Opry Live: Opry Loves the 90s special that recently aired on the Circle Network. 

“How it started, How it's going,” she captioned the vintage clip. 

“Omg I love this so much,” commented Carrie’s former tour mate, Jennifer Wayne of Runaway June, with a heart eyes emoji. 

Carrie will return to the Opry on July 30 to perform a special tribute to Barbara Mandrell in honor of her 50th anniversary as an Opry member. 

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Jordan Davis' latest single is a love ballad called “What My World Spins Around,” a song that he wrote with fellow artist Ryan Hurd and another co-writer, Matt Dragstrem. All three writers had their partners in mind when they sat down to write that day, the singer says — which means that it was also written about Ryan’s wife, country star Maren Morris.

“We wrote it thinking about our wives and girlfriends,” he remembers before quickly jumping in with a clarifying joke. “Matt's not married yet. It's not that I have a wife and a girlfriend.”

For Jordan, of course, the inspiration comes from his wife Kristen, who's been with him through all the ups and downs of his career. That makes their bond stronger, and it also makes her a little less romantic when it comes to hearing new love ballads he wrote just for her.

“She doesn't even pick up on the lyrics anymore,” he adds. “She's just kind of like, Oh, that could be a cool follow-up to Buy Dirt.'' I was like, Babe, did you even listen to the lyrics?''

When Kristen first heard it, he continues, he and his team were on the hunt for the follow-up single to his number-one duet with Luke Bryan, “Buy Dirt” — so she had her music business hat on as she listened to the song.

“I play it. Halfway through it, I'm like, I wonder what she thinks?'” Jordan recounts. “I did kind of write this with her in mind. Ended the song, and she was like, I could see that as a single.'”

Jordan and Kristen tied the knot in 2017. They are parents to two young children, Eloise and Locklan.

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