Month: February 2024

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Go Country 105

Gabby Barrett drops “Growin' Up Raising You” video

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Gabby Barrett has rolled out a music video for “Growin’ Up Raising You.”

The visualizer features Gabby performing her heartfelt ode, which she co-wrote with Jon Nite, Zach Kale and Jimmy Robbins, in a maroon dress with lush autumn greenery in the background.

“I'm doing the best that I can while trying to raise other people to be the best people they can be,” shares the soon-to-be mother of three. “I feel so blessed to be able to have three little lives that I can help to flourish while I'm also trying to figure out life myself.”

Gabby and her husband, Cade Foehner, are expecting their third child, a daughter, who’s due to arrive soon.

You can find “Growin’ Up Raising You” on Gabby’s sophomore album, Chapter & Verse. 

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Kelsea Ballerini renews label contract, multimedia entertainment projects teased

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Kelsea Ballerini has renewed her contract with Black River Entertainment, her decade-long label home, per Variety.

The decision to continue working with the independent Nashville-based record label arrived organically for Kelsea, who’s released four full-length studio albums and the Grammy-nominated Rolling Up the Welcome Mat EP with them.

“Throughout the journey of the last 10 years, being able to be nimble, being able to pivot through pandemics and EPs, being able to find my voice as an artist and also change and challenge my voice as an artist, and feel embraced in that, just to grow up alongside my music and be supported in every aspect – I know that that is not the case every time with a partnership,” Kelsea tells Variety.

“So it's great to be able to continue the relationship in a place where I feel safe to just do whatever feels right – especially after the last couple years,” she continues. “It feels so safe and that allows me to just be free to create. I feel like I want that for every artist, and I'm so glad that I have that here.”

Black River Entertainment President-CEO Gordon Kerr shares, “We are constantly blown away by who this artist is, what she does, and the legacy that she's creating. So it is a natural step forward together to continue this partnership. She personally represents music as a whole with excellence, with integrity, with style and is just a class, classy artist.”

Looking ahead, Sandbox Entertainment CEO Jason Owen, Kelsea’s manager, teases exciting multimedia entertainment projects in the pipeline. 

“Going into the second quarter will start a new chapter for Kelsea in a very big, loud way for the next two years. and let me say this: in all aspects of entertainment,” he says.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Scotty McCreery teases new track, “Love Like This”

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Scotty McCreery is giving fans a peek into the numerous things he loves in an upcoming track, “Love Like This.”

The country star recently took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share a snippet of the heart-rending ode ahead of its February 9 release. 

“I love the mountains when the leaves starts turning/ I love the coast when the waves roll in/ I love some back porch firewood burning/ I love my couch when the long day ends/ When I first laid eyes on you/ That’s when I knew/ I’ve never known a love like this/ I’ve never felt this way/ Girl I think I might’ve thought I did/ But everything changed today,” Scotty sings. 

“Love Like This” will serve as the latest preview of Scotty’s forthcoming as-yet-untitled new album. Its lead single, “Cab in a Solo,” is #15 and ascending the country charts.

You can presave “Love Like This” now to hear it as soon as it drops Friday.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Thomas Rhett remembers Toby Keith: “I've known Toby since I was a kid”

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Thomas Rhett and Toby Keith go way back, long before Thomas became a country artist. 

Taking to Instagram, Thomas recalled fond memories forged with Toby and shared a childhood photo of him, his dad, Rhett Akins, and the “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” singer.

“It breaks my heart to hear about the passing of Toby Keith. I've known Toby since I was a kid. He used to run around in the same circle as my dad,” Thomas recalls. “When I signed my first record deal in 2012, Toby was the very first person to take me on tour. I watched his show every single night just trying to soak up as much as I could.”

“I learned so much about how to write songs, how to perform, and how to entertain from Toby Keith,” he says. “I am so honored to say that I got to share the stage with him. Toby – I hope your soul rests easy brother.”

Toby passed away Monday after a two-year battle with stomach cancer. The news arrived Tuesday via a statement shared on his socials.

“Toby Keith passed away peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family. He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time,” read the statement.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
News Daypop

Federal appeals court rules that Donald Trump does not have presidential immunity in January 6 case

Former US President Donald J. Trump at the 2023 CPAC. National Harbor^ MD US - Mar 4^ 2023

A federal appeals court in Washington found former President Donald Trump is not entitled to broad immunity from federal prosecution. A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said in its opinion Tuesday that it is upholding the decision from a lower court denying him absolute immunity from prosecution.  The landmark decision would allow the criminal case against the former president involving the 2020 presidential election to move forward if the ruling is upheld.

The panel, consisting of Judges Karen LeCraft Henderson, Michelle Childs and Florence Pan, wrote in its opinion: “For the purpose of this criminal case, former President Trump has become citizen Trump, with all of the defenses of any other criminal defendant. But any executive immunity that may have protected him while he served as President no longer protects him against this prosecution.”

Trump’s attorneys argued before the three-judge panel last month, claiming that Trump’s alleged actions in the Washington election interference case are protected by presidential immunity. Trump may appeal the decision and it is still possible that the case will come before the U.S. Supreme Court, though not likely. The Supreme Court previously denied special counsel Jack Smith’s request to hear the case, deferring it to the appeals court.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung responded to the court’s decision in an email blast: “If immunity is not granted to a president, every future president who leaves office will be immediately indicted by the opposing party,” Cheung wrote. “Without complete immunity, a president of the United States would not be able to properly function!”

Editorial credit: Consolidated News Photos / Shutterstock.com

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News Daypop

Jury finds mother of mother of Michigan school shooter guilty of involuntary manslaughter

Law and justice. Wooden judge gavel^ close-up view.

A jury has found he mother of Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley guilty of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting deaths of four students at Oxford High School in November 2021. Jennifer Crumbley was found guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting, one for each victim: Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Tate Myre, 16; Justin Shilling, 17; and Hana St. Juliana, 14.

The jury deliberated for roughly 11 hours, beginning on Monday morning, and Crumbley will be sentenced on April 9; the verdict marks the first time in U.S. history that a parent has been held legally accountable for a shooting committed by their child. Jennifer and her husband James Crumbley were charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting carried out by their son, Ethan, who was 15 years old at the time of the shooting. Ethan has been sentenced to life in prison for killing four students and injuring seven others at Oxford High School. He had pleaded guilty to 24 charges, including first-degree premeditated murder and terrorism causing death. The trial for James Crumbley is scheduled to begin on March 5.

Prosecutors presented evidence against Crumbleys, who purchased the gun used in the shooting and failed to respond to warning signs exhibited by their son prior to the attack. School officials had called the Crumbley parents to the school the morning of the shooting after finding violent drawings he had done on a school assignment; Ethan Crumbley was also caught searching online for bullets at school, watching shooting videos in class and drawing violent images on several other papers. School officials testified that the parents chose not to take their son home despite the school telling them to get him immediate help, and offering them facilities that provided same-day mental health care services. The parents told the school they could not take him home because they both had to return to work, and school officials did not think it was a good idea for Ethan to be alone since they were concerned he was considering suicide.

In text messages she sent after the shooting Jennifer Crumbley told the man she was having an affair with, Brian Meloche, that the shooting “could have been prevented” and that the school should not have allowed him to return to class. . Prosecutors argued that the parents did not secure the gun or limit their son’s access to it; the parents purchased the gun used in the shooting as a gift and had taken Ethan to the shooting range before the attack.

Editorial credit: Stock Studio 4477 / Shutterstock.com

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Go Country 105

Old Dominion's “Can't Break Up Now” wasn't meant to be a duet

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Not every duet was written as one – just ask Old Dominion‘s Matthew Ramsey.

In a recent interview with ABC Audio, Matthew shared that the Megan Moroney-assisted “Can’t Break Up Now” wasn’t intended to be a duet. All that changed, however, when Emily Weisband, a co-writer on the song who he describes as “an insane vocalist,” started singing on its demo.

“It just struck us like, why don’t we try this? Just try a version where [we] trade off [with Emily]. And so from then on, it was like, how did we ever think this wasn’t a duet?” recalls Matthew.

“Then it just became the challenge of finding the right person to add to it, or to be able to measure up to what Emily did on the demo,” he shares. 

“Can’t Break Up Now” is currently #26 and making its way up the country charts. You can find the track on Old Dominion’s latest album, Memory Lane.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Country Daypop

Craig Morgan sworn in as Warrant Officer in the Army Reserve

Craig Morgan performs onstage at The Emporium on February 3^ 2016 in Patchogue^ New York.

Craig Morgan was officially appointed to Warrant Officer 1 in the Army Reserve over the weekend, with the swearing-in taking place at Huntsville, Alabama’s Redstone Arsenal. Morgan previously served in the Army and Army Reserve for 17 years with the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions; he returned to service last year and was sworn in to the Army Reserve on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry on July 29, 2023.

Morgan’s appointment ceremony was officiated by Chief Warrant Officer 3 William R. Green, along with John Clement (Deputy State Director/Military Advisor, US Senator Marsha Blackburn) and Craig’s wife, Karen Greer. Following his swearing-in as Warrant Officer 1, Craig performed the national anthem in uniform at 2024’s NFL Pro Bowl on Sunday, February 4th from Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

Morgan wrapped his headlining God, Family, Country Tour last year, in partnership with ‘Operation Finally Home.’  The tour followed the release of Morgan’s memoir last fall, titled ‘God, Family, Country’, which he co-wrote with New York Times bestselling author Jim DeFelice (who co-authored American Sniper).

Editorial credit: Debbie Wong / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Chris Stapleton earns fourth career No. 1 on country charts with “White Horse”

Chris Stapleton performs at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley^ CA. 4/23/2016

Chris Stapleton has earned his fourth No. 1 hit with “White Horse,” the lead single off his latest album, Higher.

Stapleton co-wrote White Horse along with Dan Wilson in 2012, hoping it would make it onto the soundtrack of 2013’s The Lone Ranger starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer. In a press release, Stapleton explained the origin of the song. “We were out in Los Angeles, it was about I think probably late 2012, early 2013, and there was a movie called The Lone Ranger that was coming out. I walked in the room to write with Dan at his house and he said, ‘Hey, they’re looking for songs for this Lone Ranger movie.’ I said, ‘Cool. Let’s write something. What do you know about it?’”  Wilson didn’t know anything about the movie, so the pair sat down to write something that sounded like it belonged in a Western film.  Said Stapleton: “That’s kind of where that came from, and we got to talking about how it would be cool to have a kind of rock-driven western-themed song. We kind of built it around a guitar riff.”

While the song didn’t make it onto the movie soundtrack. it joined other songs in Stapleton’s vault, who then included it on his 2023 album Higher. Stapleton released the song last July as the lead single from the album.

Chris Stapleton Scores Fourth Career #1 Hit At Country Radio With “White Horse”

Editorial credit: Sterling Munksgard / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Elton John to release book in celebration of his ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour’

Elton John performs live at Van Andel Arena on the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour; GRAND RAPIDS^ MICHIGAN / USA - October 15^ 2018

Elton John is celebrating his ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour’ with a new book that will arrive this fall.  ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories of My Life on Tour’ will be released on September 24. Elton’s ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour’ kicked off on September 8, 2018, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and featured a total of 330 concerts before it wrapped up on July 8, 2023, in Stockholm, Sweden.

According to a statement, ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories of My Life on Tour’ will offer readers “an epic visual journey” documenting the the tour and will also will give fans a behind-the-scenes look at various aspects of the trek, including John’s Gucci-designed wardrobe, the detailed stage design, and the celebrities who attended the shows. Among the memorabilia featured in the book are posters, sketches, and postcards from John’s personal archives. In addition, the book will highlight memorable moments on tour including the last U.S. concerts at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in November 2022, and Elton’s performance at the U.K.’s Glastonbury Festival in June 2023. The book also includes a foreword written by John’s husband and manager, David Furnish, who was the creative director of the tour.

John said of the book on his socials: “I am incredibly excited to announce my new book, “Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories of My Life On Tour”, which goes behind the scenes on my final tour, from Allentown, PA, to Stockholm, Sweden and everywhere in between. It’s been a beautiful journey creating this book and remembering the people and places that shaped an incredible chapter in my life. As well as the stories and memories, not just from this tour but from throughout my career, I’ve included unreleased photography and memorabilia that I hope give you never-before-seen insights of my life on the road. I can’t wait to share it with you all on 24 September. Rocket Club members and those buying through my official store will receive their copy two weeks early, so head to store.eltonjohn.com to pre-order your copy now.”

Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories of My Life on Tour can be pre-ordered now at the link: here.

Editorial credit: Tony Norkus / Shutterstock.com