Month: September 2022

Categories
Country Daypop

Luke Combs, Kane Brown, Carly Pearce and more named 2022 CMT Artists of the Year Honorees

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Luke Combs, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Kane Brown, and Walker Hayes will be recognized as the 2022 CMT Artists of the Year during a 90-minute special airing on CMT on Friday, October 14. Kane Brown and Luke Combs will each be honored for the third time (2019, 2021 & 2022), while Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, and Walker Hayes will be recognized for the first time.

CMT revealed the news, saying in a press release: “These five ‘Artists of the Year’ collectively dominated the last 12 months in country music, leading across all CMT platforms, scoring chart-topping albums and singles, and performing music that entertains and inspires millions of fans.”

CMT senior vice president of production, music & events Margaret Comeaux in a statement:
“We are honored to recognize the astounding achievements of this illustrious group of artists over the past year. Carly, Cody, Kane, Luke, and Walker all represent the vibrant future of the country music format, as they defy convention and blaze new trails, breaking industry records and genre barriers. We can’t wait to celebrate their extraordinary accomplishments alongside their fellow artists and friends.”

The 2022 CMT Artists of the Year will premiere on Friday, October 14 at 9/8c.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Jon Pardi and wife Summer announce they are expecting their first child

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Jon Pardi and his wife Summer have announced they are expecting their first child in early 2023. The couple shared the news exclusively with People, and sharing photos on social media that showed off Summer’s baby bump.  Pardi said: “I’m ready to start a new adventure with my wonderful wife Summer and our new little one — Pardi of three! I’m really excited to meet our baby and to have someone to ride around the ranch with.”

Pardi wrote in his caption on Instagram: “Wellllll, it happened. No plans, no timing, just a gift from god. I’m ready for it!”  Summer also posted on Instagram with the caption:  “Pardi, party of 3 🥰”

Summer shared she is “excited and nervous” about becoming a mom, but is looking forward to seeing her husband as a dad: “He’s such a big kid at heart, always the life of the party and has such positive energy so I can only imagine how much fun this little Pardi addition will be for him and our family,” she shared. “I know [being parents] is going to be the greatest gift in the world.”

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Charlie Puth to launch winter tour, drops new single, “I Don’t Think That I Like Her”

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Charlie Puth is set to launch a string of upcoming winter tour dates, kicking-off on October 23 in Red Bank, New Jersey before wrapping-up on November 9 in Los Angeles. Puth will play a total of eight dates across North America, playing gigs in Toronto, Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C., and more.  Tickets for Puth’s “One Night Only Tour” go on sale on September 23 at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster.

Puth also dropped his latest single “I Don’t Think That I Like Her,” featuring Travis Barker on drums.  To date, Puth has also released several singles from his upcoming LP, Charlie, including “Smells Like Me,” “Light Switch” and more.  Puth’s third studio LP is set to drop on October 7. Fans can pre-order Charlie – HERE.

Check out Puth’s new single “I Don’t Think That I Like Her” – here.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Bebe Rexha and David Guetta drop the music video for “I’m Good (Blue)”

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French DJ David Guetta and Bebe Rexha have released the official video for their hit single ‘I’m Good (Blue)’, filmed in locations across Ibiza. ‘I’m Good (Blue)’ is the duo’s first collaboration since their 2021 song, “Family”

‘I’m Good (Blue)’, which samples Italian music group Eiffel 65’s 1998 “Blue (Da Ba Dee)”,  has reached #3 on Global Spotify, with 100 million combined global streams and counting, and also over 250k creations on TikTok.

Take a look at the video for ‘I’m Good (Blue)’ – here.

Editorial credit: DFree / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Go Country 105

Nashville notes: Go behind the scenes with Hardy and Lainey Wilson + more

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Hardy recently shared a behind-the-scenes look into the making of his “Wait in the Truck” music video with duet partner Lainey Wilson. You can watch it now.

An enormous log mansion once owned by Barbara Mandrell is going up for auction next month. Called “The Fontanel,” the residence spans a sprawling 30,000 square feet and was once the largest log home in the United States. Since being owned by the country star, the space has also served as an event venue.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Go Country 105

Kelsea Ballerini says promoting an album during tough personal time makes her feel like a “sociopath”

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Kelsea Ballerini's Subject to Change album is all about growth and the contrasting, complicated emotions it brings — so it makes sense that she's feeling some complex feelings about her own life as she readies the project.

Of course, a big change going on in the singer's life right now is her divorce: Kelsea recently announced that she is splitting from husband Morgan Evans after nearly five years of marriage.

“Sometimes while promoting this album I feel like a sociopath, because I'm presenting this thing I'm really proud of, and I'm really happy to be in this chapter and putting this record out,” she explains in conversation with Today’s Country Radio With Kelleigh Bannen on Apple Music Country. “But at the same time, there's a lot going on in my life.”

Kelsea stresses the fact that, objectively, life is pretty great — she's got her dream job as a successful singer-songwriter, after all. But life is always a mix of triumphs and challenges, and she hopes her music will reflect that, she continues.

“I talk about this album, about it being a juxtaposition. And I'm in such a juxtaposition while putting it out,” she continues. “So of course it's like this.”

Subject to Change arrives on Friday.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Go Country 105

Maddie & Tae's Maddie Font once held Taylor Dye's baby for a whopping eight hours: “I'm a baby hog”

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Maddie & Tae are more than just bandmates — they're also best friends. So when Maddie Font first met Taylor Dye's baby girl Leighton, she immediately slipped into aunt mode.

“I'm such a baby hog,” Maddie admits in an interview the duo recently gave to ET Online.

“The first time she met Leighton … [she] held her for eight hours straight,” Taylor adds. “Eight hours!” Maddie agrees.

Eventually, the bandmates hope they'll be raising families side by side. “When my husband and I have kids, our kids are gonna grow up like siblings almost,” Maddie continues. “Because we're almost like siblings. And they're always gonna have another family. Such a gift.”

As a confirmed “baby hog,” Maddie says she would love to have “a hundred babies, like, yesterday,” but the logistics are tough — especially as they are busily expanding their musical careers.

“You gotta plan it, you know, a little more, because you're having babies on a tour bus,” Maddie says.

Right now, the tour bus in question is for Maddie & Tae's CMT Next Women of Country Presents: All Song No Static Tour, a trek that will continue throughout this month. It's also a busy time for the pair in terms of new music releases, as their Through the Madness: Vol. 2 project drops Friday.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Go Country 105

Wynonna Judd says she didn't see mother Naomi Judd's death coming

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Wynonna Judd reflects on the death of her mother and The Judds partner, Naomi Judd, in a new conversation with CBS Sunday Morning, the first television interview she’s given since Naomi died in late April.

“I did not know that she was at the place she was at when she ended it,” Wynonna shares in a preview clip aired ahead of the full segment.

Naomi died by suicide after a lifelong battle with mental illness. But, as Wynonna points out, Naomi had frequently gone through difficult periods in the past, so her death came as a shock, even to those closest to her.

“That's the challenge with mental illness. It's really, really mysterious,” Wynonna continues, adding that in the wake of her mother's suicide, she struggles with wondering if there was a way she could have predicted or changed the course of those tragic events.

“Was there anything I should have looked for, or should have known? I didn't,” she says. “That's why it's such a shock.”

The singer says that Naomi's mental health battles created intense highs and lows. “…It's this incredibly dark and light experience. She had incredibly great days in the middle of the dark days. That's why it's so confusing,” Wynonna explains.

Naomi died just one day before The Judds were scheduled to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. This fall, Wynonna will embark on the tour she and Naomi planned as their final tour.

The shows have been recast as an all-star, all-female lineup featuring appearances from acts like Ashley McBryde, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town and Faith Hill. Original opener Martina McBride will remain on the bill for all shows.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Go Country 105

Jon Pardi and wife Summer are expecting their first baby in early 2023

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It's going to be a “Pardi of three” for country star Jon Pardi and his wife, Summer: The couple is expecting their first child early next year.

“I'm ready to start a new adventure with my wonderful wife Summer and our new little one — Pardi of three!” the singer tells People, which shared the news this week. “I'm really excited to meet our baby and to have someone to ride around the ranch with.”

Summer also explains that getting pregnant wasn't the easiest journey for her and Jon, who got married in late 2020 and have been trying to have a baby ever since.

“It was definitely an interesting two years of ups and downs — the constant letdown month after month can be really hard on a couple,” she says. “After years of no luck and meeting with doctors who just didn't feel like the right fit, we decided to take a break, leave it in God's hands and just enjoy each other and this crazy, fun life we live together…and then surprise, we're pregnant!”

Now, she adds, she can't wait to see Jon become a dad. “He's such a big kid at heart, always the life of the party and has such positive energy so I can only imagine how much fun this little Pardi addition will be for him and our family,” she adds.

In music news, Jon’s Mr. Saturday Night album came out earlier this month.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
News Daypop

New York Attorney General Letitia James files $250M lawsuit against Donald Trump and three of his children

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New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump, three of his children and the Trump Organization, alleging an illegal scheme that amassed $250 million by fraudulently overvaluing assets. The civil lawsuit, filed in New York State Supreme Court, seeks to recover $250 million that James said was received through deceptive practices. James is also seeking to bar Trump and his children – Eric, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. – from serving as officers or directors in any New York company, and Trump himself would also be barred from entering any commercial real estate transactions or applying for loans for five years.

James said during a news conference, “I want to be clear, white-collar financial crime is not a victimless crime. When the well-connected break the law to take in more money than they are entitled to, it reduces resources to working people, to regular people, to small businesses and all taxpayers. Everyday people cannot lie to a bank about how much money they have in order to get a favorable loan to buy a home or to send their kid to college. And if they did, the government would throw the book at them. Why should this be any different?”

The lawsuit alleges that the Trump Organization deceived lenders, insurers and tax authorities in a fraudulent scheme that touched all aspects of Trump’s business, properties and golf courses. The lawsuit also names former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg and longtime company executive Jeff McConney and includes 23 properties in the Trump Organization portfolio.

Trump lawyer Alina Habba called the allegations politically motivated and meritless, saying in a statement: “Today’s filing is neither focused on the facts nor the law — rather, it is solely focused on advancing the attorney general’s political agenda. We are confident that our judicial system will not stand for this unchecked abuse of authority, and we look forward to defending our client against each and every one of the attorney general’s meritless claims.”

Editorial credit: Christian David Cooksey / Shutterstock.com