Month: August 2022

Reba McEntire is one tough judge in the trailer for The Hammer. 

The country legend is the star and executive producer of the upcoming Lifetime movie that is based on the life of Kimberly Wanker, a judge in the fifth district of Nevada. The trailer shows Reba in action in court, not hesitating to knock out a criminal with her gavel when he attempts to attack her on the bench. 

“I may be new, but trust this, I’ll do everything I can for the truth,” Reba narrates over a series of action shots. 

The Hammer reunites the singer with her Reba co-star Melissa Peterman, who plays Kris, Kimberly’s sister, who is a suspect in the murder of Kimberly’s predecessor, Jacob Brewer. Reba also acts alongside her boyfriend, Rex Linn, who portrays cowboy Bart Crawford. 

The Hammer is set to air in 2023. In the meantime, Reba also appears in the new season of the ABC series Big Sky, premiering on September 21. 

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Maren Morris has made it no secret that a lifelong dream of hers is to star in Wicked, and “The Middle” singer is officially one step closer to turning her Broadway dreams into a reality.

Maren celebrated some very good news on her Instagram Stories, writing in lime green letters against a white backdrop, “I got a callback for Wicked.  I am in tears.  What the hell.”  

The singer also shared the excellent news on Twitter, which earned her a round of applause from none other than Kristin Chenoweth, who originated the role of Glinda in Wicked‘s Broadway debut. “You go baby!! Told ya you could do it!!!” the Broadway legend cheered.

Soon after, “The Bones” singer took to her Instagram Story to talk about the significance of the moment.  “Ya’ll, I literally don't even care — yes I do — if I go beyond this callback because this is, like, 14-year-old Maren’s getting to achieve something that was never in reach,” the singer said, adding her Broadway dreams “just never felt possible.”

“We’ll see where it goes,” the Grammy winner emotionally declared. “I’m just really happy. I love Wicked. I love Elphaba. I love Kristin Chenoweth. Thank you, Kristin, for inspiring me to just buck up and just send the self-tape in.”

Maren revealed in May she had made an audition tape where she sings “The Wizard and I,” a solo number sung by the character Elphaba, in hopes of being cast in the beloved musical.

The singer previously revealed she wants to play Elphaba, who becomes the infamous Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz?.  The hitmaker said she identifies “heavily” with the green-skinned character.

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Lainey Wilson is entering Bell Bottom Country. 

The hit singer has announced that her sophomore album, Bell Bottom Country, will be released October 28. Described as a blend of country, ’70s rock, soul and funk, the album features current single “Heart Like a Truck” and newly released track “Watermelon Moonshine.”

She also penned a tribute to her father, Brian, with “Those Boots (Deddy’s Song).” The singer has shared on social media that her father has recently been experiencing some health issues. 

“I’ve lived quite a bit of life the past few years, and I have a lot more to say. Sure, I love a good pair of bell bottoms, but Bell Bottom Country to me has always been about the flare and what makes someone unique – I have really embraced mine, and I hope y'all can hear that across this project,” Lainey says in a statement. 

Bell Bottom Country follows her 2021 debut album, Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin,’ that included her first #1 hit, “Things a Man Oughta Know.” 

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Keith Urban and Richard Marx have a natural songwriting chemistry, so much so that Richard has included him on his upcoming album, Songwriter. 

The superstars’ relationship spans decades, beginning with the country singer’s 2005 single, “Better Life,” which reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Additionally, “Everybody” became a top five hit in 2008, followed by one of Keith’s signature hits, “Long Hot Summer.” 

Keith says that when he and Richard met in the early 2000s, they quickly realized they had a seamless repertoire in the studio. 

“We clicked. Our pop sensibilities, I think melodic, hooky sensibilities blended really well,” Keith describes. “He was able to bring what he does and what I do, and we found a way to bring those worlds together into those songs.” 

Their relationship continues on Richard’s new album, Songwriter, which finds him collaborating with artists across genres. He and Keith co-wrote a track called “One Day Longer” under the country category, which Keith says is a long time coming. 

“It’s a song we had written many years ago. He just texted me last week and said he had included the song on a project he was doing, so that’s the first I’d heard about it,” Keith recalls. 

In addition to his work with Keith, Richard also found success in the country genre as a co-writer on Kenny Rogers‘ hits “Crazy” and “What About Me.” Another country act featured on Songwriter is Darius Rucker, who co-wrote “Breaking My Heart” with the songwriting legend. 

Songwriter is out on September 30. 

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