Country Music 411 Archives for 2020-07

Brad Paisley Drops Star-Studded Video for "No I in Beer"

Brad Paisley's quarantine song, "No I in Beer," now has a fan- and celeb-filled video, according to Entertainment Tonight Canada

 

Paisley, who edited the video himself, sought fan submissions earlier this year; over 225 people are in the final version of the clip. 

 

Stars like Kelsea Ballerini, Darius Rucker, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood and Peyton Manning appear in the video. Lindsay Ell, Jimmie Allen and Clayton Kershaw also make appearances. 

 

Paisley released the song in April.

 

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani Recorded a Song While Quarantining

BLAKE SHELTON and GWEN STEFANI recorded a song together while quarantining.  It's called "Happy Anywhere" . . . and they'll debut it on the "Today" show this Friday.

 

 

Blake said, quote, "We've all been in quarantine and lockdown . . . and hopefully we've been doing that with somebody that we really love and enjoy being around.  That's what happened with me and Gwen this summer, and this entire year."

 

 

Before COVID-19 became a global pandemic, Blake and Gwen teamed up for a ballad called "Nobody But You".  It became Blake's 27th #1 hit, and Gwen's first on the country charts.

Carrie Underwood Announces Her 1st Christmas Album "My Gift"

Country superstar Carrie Underwood has announced that she will be releasing her very first Christmas album called My Gift on September 25, USA Today reports.

 

"Now more than ever, we need to focus on what Christmas is about and rely more on our family," Underwood says in a new promotional video. "Even though it has been a tough year, sometimes I feel like the greatest realizations can come at the worst times... And it makes you more thankful for the things that you do have."

 

There's no word yet as to what songs will be included, but according to a press release, it will feature  "a combination of beloved traditional favorites... as well as original material."

 

A vinyl edition of the album will also be available on October 30. 

Luke Combs Broke Another Billboard Record

LUKE COMBS' "What You See Is What You Get" is in its 25th week at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.  He's the only artist to have their first TWO albums top that chart for 25 weeks.  His debut, "This One's For You", spent 50 weeks there.

 

 

He broke the record that was held by Taylor Swift.  Her first two albums spent 24 or more weeks at the top.  Her self-titled debut was Number One for 24 weeks, and her follow-up, "Fearless", stayed there for 35 weeks. 

 

Kip Moore's Ford Bronco Commercial Is Manly, and There's Some Truth to It

Have you seen KIP MOORE's Ford Bronco commercial?  The three-minute-long version shows you how Kip and the Bronco are both rugged and sexy. 

 

 

You hear "Red White Blue Jean American Dream" play in the background as he drives through rough terrain until he finds a place to take off his shirt and do some rock climbing.  But Kip's also a thoughtful guy and they put some of that in there too. 

 

 

At the beginning he says, quote, "The most difficult part of being a musician . . . you have to be all in.  You have to live it and breathe it.  It's dominated so much of my life that I've neglected so many other pieces of my life.  I'm trying to find that balance."

 

The Chicks Almost Changed Their Name to "MEN"

Last month, The Dixie Chicks dropped the "Dixie" from their name due to the term's racially charged connotation.

 

But before they became The Chicks, they considered becoming MEN.

 

"The one I leaned toward the most if we didn’t go with the Chicks, or couldn’t go with the Chicks legally, was gonna be MEN," Natalie Maines told Vulture, explaining that the acronym would stand for the first initial in each band members' name (Martie, Emily, Natalie).

 

"I liked that we would go from Chicks to MEN."

 

As Taste of Country notes, the word "chick" is sometimes used as slang for a woman, which some people find offensive.

Darius Rucker's Annual St. Jude Benefit Concert Goes Virtual for 2020

Darius Rucker's annual Darius and Friends benefit for St. Jude's Children Hospital is going virtual this year. MusicRow reports that Rucker will be joined by the likes of Clint Black and Tracy Lawrence on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry for this year's event, which will be available as a pay-per-view livestream on Thursday, July 30, starting at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT.

 

Fans can check it out at LiveXLive.com/Darius or on the LiveXLive app. “Even though we can’t all get together for a normal concert right now, it’s important that we continue to support St. Jude and the amazing work that they do,” Rucker says in a statement.

“I hope we can bring a fun night of music to everyone watching from home while also raising money for this important cause.”

 

Tickets go on sale July 10 and start at $15, with VIP options priced at $50-$100. Now in its 11th year, Rucker's annual fundraiser has bought in more than $2 million for St. Jude's to date.

Tim McGraw Announces New Album "Here on Earth," Shares Video for Title Track

Tim McGraw revealed this week that he'll release his 16th studio album, Here On Earth, on August 21.

 

The 16-track project will be the country star's first solo LP since 2015’s Damn Country Music and includes lead single "I Called Mama," which McGraw dropped back in May to coincide with Mother's Day.

 

A press release describes Here on Earth as "a collection of songs McGraw brought together to create vignettes of shared human emotions such as love, relationships, introspection and fun," penned by such A-list songwriters as Lori McKenna, Shane McAnally, Luke Laird, Ross Copperman, and Laura Veltz.

 

To celebrate the news, McGraw also shared the official music video for Here on Earth's title track on Thursday. He's also promised to mark the LP's release date next month with "a first-of-its-kind livestream experience."

 

Blake Shelton to Stage Drive-In Concert Event on July 25 With Gwen Stefani & Trace Adkins

Blake Shelton is following in Garth Brooks' footsteps--and taking his talents to a drive-in theater near you. The country A-lister announced Wednesday that he'll stage a concert event on July 25 at more than 300 drive-ins across America alongside girlfriend Gwen Stefani and pal Trace Adkins.

 

The Country Daily reports that the one-night-only event was filmed exclusively for the drive-in experience as part of a new series presented by Encore Live dubbed Encore Drive-In Nights. 

 

“This is such a great way to enjoy music with your family and friends and stay safe,” Shelton says in a statement.

 

“We’re going to go back and play old hits like ‘Austin,’ newer songs like ‘God’s Country’ and we might even introduce something brand new!"

 

He added on Twitter, "Can't wait for July 25." Tickets go on sale on next Tuesday, July 14, at 12 p.m. local time. Tickets cost $114.99 per vehicle, up to six people.

 

Here are a few local Drive-In Theaters participating:

 

Dixie Twin Drive-In Theater - Dayton OH and Tibbs Drive-In Theater - Indianapolis IN

 

Full list here.

 

Now the Singer Lady A Wants $10 Million from the Band Lady A

Remember when LADY ANTEBELLUM and Seattle blues singer Anita White agreed to share the name LADY A?  Turns out they were still hammering out the details, and Anita did NOT like what she was hearing.

 

 

She hired a new legal team and they smelled blood.  They sent an agreement asking for an "exorbitant monetary demand."  How much?  $10 million.  The band might be doing well, but not that well.  They filed suit yesterday in a Nashville court.

 

 

And it looks like they have a strong case.  According to "Billboard", they registered the Lady A name back in 2011.  And they've been "using Lady Antebellum and Lady A interchangeably since 2006-2007."  No one challenged them about it until this year.

 

 

What the band wants is a "court declaration" saying they can lawfully use the Lady A trademark and continue to use it without infringing on anyone's rights.  They're also willing to keep sharing the name with Anita.

 

 

(The $10 million figure is not mentioned in the lawsuit.  The band announced that number in a statement they released.  You can read it, here.)

Country Music Legend Charlie Daniels Dead at 83

Country Music Hall-of-Famer Charlie Daniels passed away at the age of 83 at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee, on Monday morning after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke, his publicist confirmed.

 

Also a member of the Grand Ole Opry, Daniels is best known for his smash hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," while his eponymous band's other hits included "Long Haired Country Boy" and "The Legend of Wooley Swamp."

 

Daniels, who had planned to tour with The Marshall Tucker Band in 2020 before virtually all tours were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, is survived by wife Hazel and son Charlie Jr.