Month: September 2022

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Go Country 105

Carly Pearce, Kane Brown + Walker Hayes among the honorees at 2022 CMT Artists of the Year

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Carly Pearce, Kane Brown and Walker Hayes are three of the stars who will be honored at the 2022 CMT Artists of the Year ceremony, an annual event tributing those artists who dominated the country music industry over the course of the last year.

Luke Combs is another of the evening's honorees, and Cody Johnson rounds out the five acts at the center of the show. Each act has had a banner year in their career: They have all found major success at country radio this year, been at the head of A-List tours and expanded their careers in new and diverse ways within the country format.

Cody, Carly and Walker are all first-time Artists of the Year nominees, while Luke and Kane are both being honored for the third time. A variety of yet-to-be announced performers will be on hand at the show to tribute each artist.

The event will take place at Nashville's Schermerhorn Symphony Center, premiering Friday, October 14 at 9 p.m. ET on CMT.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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News Daypop

Residents of Jackson, Mississippi file class action lawsuit over water crisis

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Residents of Jackson, Mississippi, have filed a class action lawsuit against the city, its current and former mayors, city officials and engineering companies, alleging that years of neglect culminated in a recent water crisis for more than 150,000 people.  Last week, the city finally had clean water restored following a boil water advisory from July when tests showed water quality was “cloudy.”

The residents asked the court in the lawsuit to force the city to repair the water system and to cancel any bills or debts held by residents for unsafe water or water that was not delivered, and also asked for community health centers to care for people who may have been injured by contaminated water and for an unspecified amount of money for damages.

Flooding of the Pearl River exacerbated the water crisis by causing water pressure issues in the city’s already-damaged system. The plaintiffs also allege that they were poisoned by lead and other contaminants released in Jackson’s drinking water before the water supply failed in August. The lawsuit reads: “These residents lack more than just drinking water, or water for making powdered baby formula, cooking, showering, or laundry. During the long period where the city pipes had no water pressure — and were unable to facilitate the flow of water — residents of Jackson could not flush their toilets for days at a time. This public health crisis, decades in the making, was wholly foreseeable by Defendants’ actions and has left Jackson residents in an untenable position — without access to clean, safe water in 2022 in a major United States city.”

Editorial credit: Chad Robertson Media / Shutterstock.com

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News Daypop

Federal prosecutors press charges against 47 people in Covid scheme for stealing cash meant to help feed needy kids

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On Tuesday, federal prosecutors announced charges were filed against 47 people accused of carrying out the biggest Covid fraud scheme to date, stealing $250 million in a plot that exploited a federal program designed to feed needy children in Minnesota. U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger said in a statement: “This was a brazen scheme of staggering proportions. The defendants worked extremely fast, stealing money at a breakneck pace,” he added at a news conference announcing the charges.”More than 125 million fake meals are at issue in this case.”

Prosecutors say the fraud was overseen by Aimee Bock, who ran a nonprofit called Feeding Our Future. She has denied wrongdoing and argued that if fraud occurred, it was without her knowledge.  Prosecutors say charities, restaurants and individuals were involved in the fraud by claiming they were providing meals for thousands of underserved children — but in fact, the money was going to commercial real estate, luxury cars, and fancy homes. Nonprofits such as Feeding Our Future were supposed to sponsor and oversee the restaurants, community centers and other places where the meals were to be provided.

The indictments say Feeding Our Future opened more than 250 meal distribution sites throughout Minnesota and fraudulently obtained and disbursed more than $240 million in funds from the Federal Child Nutrition Program, run by the Agriculture Department. Many of the defendants are charged not only with fraud but with bribery because the government alleges the charities took kickbacks from the food sites in exchange for steering them federal grants.

The FBI said in court records that in the summer of 2020, state officials became suspicious of the large number of meals being claimed at sites sponsored by Feeding Our Future and sought to deny payments at many of them. State officials ultimately contacted the FBI, which began investigating, and conducted a series of raids in January that closed down the funding streams. The Justice Department has seized property, vehicles and bank accounts worth $50 million so far.

Editorial credit: Bo Shen / Shutterstock.com

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Go Country 105

As Luke Combs scores another #1 hit, he's “real thankful” for his team behind-the-scenes

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As Luke Combs‘ career continues to skyrocket, he’s intentional about keeping trustworthy people around him, especially the songwriters he’s been working with since the start of his career. 

Since moving to Nashville in 2014, Luke continues to work with the same songwriters that he did when he was an unknown artist, including Ray Fulcher, Randy Montana and Dan and Randy Isbell. Noting that his circle of songwriting collaborators is close-knit, Luke says that he feels grateful to have that sense of consistency in his life. 

“I’m lucky that those people have been really talented and willing to share their ideas with me and share their songs and stories with me and be willing to go out of their way to make time to write with me, especially when they didn’t have any reason to, other than that they believed in what I was doing or believed in my voice or my shows,” Luke expresses. “So I would really give all the credit to those folks.” 

In addition to his writing partners, the hitmaker also acknowledges the team of people behind-the-scenes who’ve made his career a success, sharing that the only pressure he feels is to honor their hard work and dedication.  

“There’s so many other people that make this thing tick, and I think those people hardly ever get the credit that they deserve. I’m the guy that gets to be on the interviews and on the album covers, but there should be 250 faces on the front of that thing to make it happen,” he says. “I’m real thankful for those people and the only pressure I would feel is to continue to make those people proud.”

Luke achieved his 14th consecutive #1 hit this week with “The Kind of Love We Make.”  

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Country Daypop

Shania Twain announces new single ‘Waking Up Dreaming’

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Shania Twain took to social media to announce that she will release her new single ‘Waking Up Dreaming‘ this Friday, Sept. 23rd.   Saying she is entering the “next chapter” of her career, Twain wrote: “Every time I get to announce something like this I get such a rush of adrenaline and nerves – it never gets old. I am super excited to share with you that my new song ‘Waking Up Dreaming’ is coming out this Friday!!  I’ve spent the last couple years working away on new music… on my documentary… on the Vegas residency and it’s been such a creatively fulfilling time for me, I can’t wait for this next chapter and Waking Up Dreaming is just the start.⁠”

Twain teased new music in her Netflix documentary film ‘Not Just A Girl’, which saw her in the studio in London finishing work on tracks for the project: “I am here in London finishing my album – and getting with some great UK talent and creatives,” she said, before offering a look into studio sessions with producer Mark Ralph.  Twain also worked with the Ralph on further tracks for the project, two of which she previewed in the film.

To pre/save ‘Waking Up Dreaming‘, head here.

Editorial credit: DFree / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Zac Brown Band recruits Ingrid Andress for a new version of ‘Any Day Now’

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Zac Brown Band have shared their brand new collaboration with Ingrid Andress for a new version of the song “Any Day Now”.  The new version with Andress is from their forthcoming deluxe edition of “The Comeback”.

Brown enlisted many musical friends to collaborate on “The Comeback (Deluxe)”, which will be hitting stores on September 30th. Special guests include Cody Johnson for “Wild Palomino,” Jamey Johnson for “Stubborn Pride (with Marcus King)” and James Taylor for “Love and Sunsets.”

Check out “Any Day Now” featuring Ingrid Andress, here.
To pre-order/pre-save “The Comeback (Deluxe)” – head here.

Zac Brown Band enlists Ingrid Andress for ‘Any Day Now’

Editorial credit: Brian Friedman / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Demi Lovato releases Vevo Official Live Performance of ‘Happy Ending’

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Vevo has released Demi Lovato’s Official Live Performance of “Happy Ending” off her new album, Holy Fvck. The video for “Happy Ending” was a single-take, shooting the performance continuously, and follows Lovato’s previously released Official Live Performances of “Freak,” “Eat Me” featuring Royal & The Serpent and “29.”

Lovato’s eighth studio album, Holy Fvck, debuted in the Top 10 across the Billboard Charts and landed at No. 1 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums Chart, No. 1 on the Top Rock Albums Chart, No. 1 on Top Alternative Albums Chart, No. 7 on the Billboard 200 Chart for her eighth consecutive Top 10 debut, and No. 4 on the Top Album Sales Chart.

Lovato will hit the road this fall across South America and North America on the Holy Fvck Tour, which the singer recently said is ‘her final tour.’ The North American leg includes stops in New York, Los Angeles, Montreal, Nashville and more before wrapping up in Irving, TX at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory on Sunday, November 6th.

Take a look at the Vevo Official Live Performance of ‘Happy Ending’ – here.

Editorial credit: Ben Houdijk / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Harry Styles’ ‘As It Was’ ties the all-time record for longest-running #1 by a solo performer

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Harry Styles’ “As It Was” is in the midst of its fifth separate run on top of the Hot 100, and has now reached 14 nonconsecutive weeks at #1, according to Billboard.

“As It Was” is now tied for the fourth-longest run at #1 in the 63-year history of the chart, tying with these smash hits: Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” Boyz II Men’s “I’ll Make Love To You,” Los Del Rio’s “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix),” Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind 1997” / “Something About the Way You Look Tonight,” Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together,” the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling,” and Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk!”

“As It Was” also ties the Whitney Houston, Elton John, and Mariah Carey tracks as the longest running #1 hit credited to a solo artist. The three songs with longer tenures at #1 were all collabs: Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” (16 weeks); Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, and Justin Bieber’s “Despacito” (16 weeks), and Lil Nas X and Billy Cyrus’ “Old Town Road” (19 weeks).

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

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Go Country 105

Nashville notes: Reba on 'Seth Meyers,' Dustin Lynch presale & more

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Reba McEntire is appearing on ?Late Night With Seth Meyers ?Tuesday night. It airs at 12:35 a.m. ET on NBC. 

Presale tickets for the new dates on Dustin Lynch‘s Party Mode Tour are available Wednesday at 10 a.m. local time until Thursday at 10 p.m. local time. Tickets for the general public go on sale on September 23. 

Breland has booked the Here For It Tour in support of his recently released debut album, Cross Country. The eight-date trek kicks off November 16 in Oxford, OH and concludes on December 3 in Philadelphia, PA. 

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Go Country 105

“So excited”: Kelsea Ballerini shares videos from Heartfirst Tour rehearsals

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Kelsea Ballerini is prepping for her Heartfirst Tour, and she’s giving fans a look inside. 

This week, the singer has been in tour rehearsals. In one video, she can be seen performing her new song “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too)” into a black sparkly microphone while showing off a band of instruments, including a fiddle, steel guitar and snare drum. 

“I’m so excited to play this one,” she says. 

Kelsea also shares that she has six new band members and will be revealing one fun fact per day leading up to the tour launch. She introduces Georgia Webster, her opening act on the tour who’s releasing her new EP, Chapter 1: Things We’re Not Saying, on Friday. The Knoxville native also teases that they will likely collaborate on the road.

Kelsea will release her new album, heartfirst, on Friday. The lead single and title track is currently climbing up the top 30 on country radio. 

The 10-date tour begins on September 24 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and concludes on October 14 at Foxwoods in Connecticut.  

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