• On this upcoming Memorial Day (Monday, May 30th), Tim McGraw tries to keep the men and women of our military top of mind. He tells us that as Americans, we owe them a big debt of gratitude. “We feel safe and secure with our family because of those guys. They put their life on the line.  They put their families on the back burner because they have to be away while we sit in our comfortable homes and we take our kids to a great school and we drive in our cars to places and we feel safe. They provide that.”

• Dierks Bentley’s dad served in WW2, so he grew up with a deep appreciation of military veterans. And although Memorial Day is set aside to honor fallen soldiers, it’s also when a lot of people take time to thank those who serve. Dierks shared this: “On the most basic level, I think, for me on the road, I just think about being gone two, three days at a time, maybe a couple of weeks at a time, you know. That seems like a long time when you have kids and family, but these soldiers, they’re gone for months and years at a time – they’re doing 12 to 15 to 18 months — and they have family back home. That, is such a huge sacrifice, and that’s just the beginning of it. That’s just scratching the surface of what these guys (and gals) are doing every day – preparing for battle, actually being in battle, being wounded in battle, sometimes dying in battle. So, this country obviously, we would not exist without those courageous men and women, and our future depends upon them.”

• Eli Young Band will join the 2022 National Memorial Day Parade as it returns to Washington, D.C. for the first time since prior to the pandemic. The band will perform “Love Ain’t” on the broadcast, and those watching in-person at 7th and Constitution Ave. will also get to hear Eli Young Band's latest single “Love Talking,” which they'll perform at 1 p.m. ET. The parade will be live streamed on Monday (May 30th) on both YouTube and Facebook beginning at 1 p.m. ET.  

The National Memorial Day Parade will be nationally syndicated on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and CW stations, airing throughout the month of June. In addition, it will be broadcast to U.S. troops serving around the world and on Navy ships at sea on American Forces Network. 

• As someone who has relatives who are active in the military, Carly Pearce realizes that when you volunteer to serve our country, it’s a decision that affects the entire family. As this Memorial Day weekend draws closer, Carly tells us she's very grateful for these brave men and women, as well as their families. “I feel like families who have someone or a loved one in the military it is a whole family sacrifice. You have to think about life with this person in a different city, in a different state, in a different country. You don’t know when you’re gonna be able to speak to them. They may be gone for a long periods of time, they may be gone suddenly.  It takes a toll on a family and I think there has to be strength throughout the family, and it’s just a really amazing thing that people are strong enough to handle those things and want to make that sacrifice all around for our country."

As someone who has relatives who are active in the military, Carly Pearce realizes that when you volunteer to serve our country, it’s a decision that affects the entire family. As this Memorial Day weekend draws closer, Carly tells us she's very grateful for these brave men and women, as well as their families. 

“I feel like families who have someone or a loved one in the military it is a whole family sacrifice. You have to think about life with this person in a different city, in a different state, in a different country. You don’t know when you’re going to be able to speak to them. They may be gone for long periods of time, they may be gone suddenly.  It takes a toll on a family and I think there has to be strength throughout the family, and it’s just a really amazing thing that people are strong enough to handle those things and want to make that sacrifice all around for our country.” 

Miranda Lambert made Time magazine's 2022 TIME100, the publication's annual list of the world's 100 most influential people. Her friend and recent duet partner Elle King wrote the entry for the "Innovators" category, describing Miranda as "a true country queen." The entire list is included in the June 6/June 13 double issue of Time, available on newsstands on Friday (May 27th).

Miranda said, “This is further proof that God dreams bigger than any of us ever do. I'm so honored to join this year’s class of TIME100 as this recognizes that our team, our band, our crew, fellow songwriters, producers and collaborators are being acknowledged for shaking things up and coloring outside the lines to bring even more people under our Country music tent.”

Miranda continues climbing the charts with her current Top 15 hit “If I Was A Cowboy."

Check out her Instagram post here:

 

 

 

 

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Zac Brown Band member John Driskell Hopkins revealed that he had been diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. In a video released on the band's YouTube page on Friday (May 20th), Hopkins stands alongside his band members to announce the tough news, saying in part, "Over the last several years, I’ve been dealing with some stiffness in my body and some slurred speech . . . Because my symptoms have been slowly progressing from the start, we believe they will continue to be slowly progressing going forward. God willing, I plan to be rocking with these amazing people for many years to come."

Hopkins remains on tour with Zac Brown Band.

He and his family have established a foundation to support research to prevent, reverse and cure ALS called Hop On A Cure. To make a donation, text “Hop” to 345-345. 

Jason Aldean and his wife, Brittany, both turned to social media to share that their four-year-old son, Memphis, had his first trip to the emergency room earlier this week. Apparently, Memphis cut his chin at the pool reportedly at the family's new Florida beach home, and required a couple of stitches.

Jason posted a story to Instagram on Tuesday (May 17th) writing, “Lil man had his first trip to the ER today. Needed 2 stitches and took it like a champ. Back home and rockin’.” 

Brittany also shared an Instagram story writing, “Our day took a turn when Mems fell at the pool… Two stitches under his chin and our official first trip to the E.R. Thankful for such great nurses and one awesome doc. He is doing great… Mama’s heart not so much.”

Check out Jason's Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/jasonaldean/

Darius Rucker is into more than just country music these days! He will be the star of his own show on The Design Network called Rucker’s Reno. The series follows along as Darius revives a historic mansion in the heart of his hometown of Charleston, S.C. The entire new six-part series from The Design Network is available early to viewers now on Samsung TV Plus, Samsung’s free video streaming platform, before rolling out to other services on May 30th at 8 p.m. ET. 

Darius said, “It’s always an honor when I get to showcase my hometown of Charleston to the world, and I’m thankful to The Design Network for such a great platform to do just that. The team on this project was so talented and made it such a fun, creative process from start to finish. I can’t wait for everyone to see the transformation!”

Darius and his team tackle the restoration of this home one room at a time, while also stopping by some of the city’s finest establishments. Together with the series’ Title Sponsor, South Carolina Tourism, Darius showcases the best parts of Charleston’s culture, meeting up with local chefs, entrepreneurs, fishermen, and friends as he highlights some of the top attractions in the area.

Check it out here: 

 

 

 

 

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Carrie Underwood will head out on her headlining The Denim & Rhinestones Tour this fall with special guest Jimmie Allen. The trek will kick off on October 15th in Greenville, SC, making stops in 43 U.S. cities before concluding in Seattle, WA on March 17, 2023. Tickets for The Denim & Rhinestones Tour concerts go on sale to the general public beginning on Friday (May 20th) at 10 a.m. local time.   

Carrie said, “I’m having such an amazing time with my Las Vegas residency and look forward to continuing that next year after the tour. I’m excited to bring the new music of Denim & Rhinestones to life on tour, as well as put new spins on familiar favorites.  We’ve been working hard already preparing an amazing show, and I can’t wait to see everyone on the road!”  

As in the past, Carrie will donate $1 from each ticket sold to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation (t2t.org), which provides mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building custom-designed smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. 

Carrie's new Denim & Rhinestones album will be released on June 10th. 

Elle King and Dierks Bentley had a chart-topping hit with their duet “Different for Girls” in 2016. Six years later, the two are joining forces again on Elle's new single called “Worth A Shot.” 

Elle said, “Dierks took a chance and brought me into the country world. I couldn’t make my own country record, which is my favorite album I’ve ever made, without including the person who gave me a seat at the table. To be honest, Dierks and I just have fun no matter what we do, especially singing and performing great songs. This song is all about trying to get back to the beginning of something, and so it’s only right that we go back to where it all started for me.”

“Worth A Shot” is the follow up Elle's Number One hit “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” with Miranda Lambert. The duet marked the first woman-woman collaboration to reach the top spot on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart since Reba McEntire and Linda Davis’ “Does He Love You” in 1993.

 Check out the video here: 

Kane Brown just announced his very own crispy cocoa cereal: Kane Krunch!

CMT reports, Kane's excited about the opportunity:

“Getting to work with the team to create my own cereal is one of the coolest things I’ve ever gotten to do. You can ask my family, but we truly are a big cereal household, and I’m excited for my fans to be able to try it and get to share breakfast with me, too,” Brown said. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of cereal will benefit Brown’s charitable activities, including supporting the United States armed forces, youth, and affordable housing initiatives.

Way to go Kane! Check out his cereal and merch here: https://kanebrown.merchmadeeasy.com/pages/kane-krunch 

Gabby Barrett is expecting baby number two! She appropriately shared the news on Mother's Day (Sunday, May 8th) with a social media post of an ultrasound video writing, "My son. Another LIFE we get to love and cherish. Happy Mothers Day!" Gabby and her husband, Cade Foehner, are already parents to one-year-old daughter Baylah Mae. 

In other Gabby news, she released the video for "Pick Me Up" on Thursday (May 5th) with the CMT Broadcast Premiere, appearing on the Paramount Times Square Billboard in New York City. The clip co-stars Gabby's husband and band member Cade. Gabby said, “This was a very personal video for me to shoot – taking on the lead with my husband Cade and even being reminded of our daughter Baylah by having a little girl play her on set, and my goodness when I saw the full clip for the first time, I teared up. This one just touches my heart in a very special way.”

The clip chronicles the true love story of a couple – played by Gabby and Cade – through the decades. 

View her Instagram video here:

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Gabby Barrett Foehner (@gabbybarrett_)

• Morgan Wallen will be releasing a song dedicated to his mother this Mother's Day weekend. The song is called "Thought You Should Know," and it will be available on Friday (May 6th).

  Morgan posted a picture of himself as a young child along with his mother on Instagram writing, "Thank you Mama. Dropping this song for you on Mothers Day weekend." He co-wrote "Thought You Should Know" with Miranda Lambert and Nicolle Galyon and it's in the form of a phone call to his mother, Lesli Wallen. Check out his adorable Instagram post here:

 

 

 

 

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• Maren Morris relishes her role as a mother to toddler son Hayes, but she holds her own mother, Kellie Morris, up as one of her biggest role models. She tells us: "Definitely my mother. She's such a hard worker and she and my dad own a small business in Texas and I feel like nothing's been handed to her. She grew up in poverty and she really made something of herself without even a college degree. She's just such a street-smart go-getter and so I feel like that's been instilled in me from day one because of my mom."
  
   

• Carrie Underwood is a singer, songwriter, and internationally-known superstar, and as she tells us, she's proud to be able to add "working mom" to her title. "I'm a working mom, working wife, same as all the other ones out there. My job's kind of weird (laughs), but you just figure your way through it, and women, we ladies are good at that, and I'm honored to get to hold some pretty incredible titles (cries) and Mom is definitely one of them, and I'm just excited. I'm excited that they get to see their mom do that and see me on stage and hopefully, I can be an inspiration to my children and to other working moms out there, 'cause we got this!" Of course, Carrie has two sons, Isaiah and Jacob, with her husband and former pro hockey player Mike Fisher. View one of Carrie's Instagram photos with her son at a rehersal: 

 

 

 

 

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• If there's one thing about Luke Combs' mom that he inherited it's her ability to talk . . . a lot, according to her son. Luke tells us you'd see him in her pretty quickly after meeting her. "The second you talk to her, probably, because she just wouldn't stop talking. Then you'd be like, if you knew me at all, like, it's like if we were at the house, you'd be like, 'God, is this guy ever going to stop talking? Geez! He's the worst.' That's probably when you would know. I have an innate ability to like, I feel like at least, to be able to talk and relate to almost anyone, and I definitely would say that's the thing that I got from my mom." Luke's wife, Nicole, will soon become a mom when they welcome their first child, a boy, sometime this spring. The couple have yet to announce a due date. Check out his post here: 

 

 

 

 

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Keith Urban paid a musical tribute to Naomi Judd during his concert in Manchester earlier this week. He led the crowd in singing an acapella version of "Love Can Build A Bridge."

Keith shared a clip of the performance on social media on Tuesday (May 3rd) writing, "Naomi Judd sowed so many important seeds in her precious time here. Here’s one of the many. On the other side of the world in Manchester tonight they were all singing 'Love Can Build A Bridge.' Thank you, Naomi. We love you."

Naomi reportedly took her own life on Saturday (April 30th), one day before she and her daughter Wynonna, aka The Judds, were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Naomi was 76.

View Keith's tribute here:

 

 

 

 

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TRIGGER WARNING: This article may include readings, media, or discussions around sensitive topics.

Carly Pearce had the honor of being asked to perform one of The Judds' hits during their induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday (May 1st) night. She was invited as a surprise guest for the mother/daughter duo a few months ago, but in light of Naomi Judd's sudden and unexpected death on Saturday (April 30th), everything got changed around at the last minute. 

Carly tells us: “I love the Judds, and in light of what happened, I certainly didn’t think that the ceremony would go on, but I think that’s such a testament to the strength of the Judds' daughters, Ashley and Wynonna, just that they wanted to keep it going. And I got a call that Wynonna had a special request for someone to sing ‘Grandpa.’ And she didn’t know that I was gonna be there. And I had to change my song at the last second, and it truly was, I think, the most nervous I’ve ever been in my career.”

Naomi reportedly died by suicide at the age of 76. She had struggled with depression for several years, writing about it in her 2016 book, River of Time: My Descent into Depression and How I Emerged with Hope. 

If you or someone you know is struggling or considering self-harm, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

View Carly's Instagram Dedication here: 

 

 

 

 

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Check out Carrie Underwood's new music video and surprise performance with Axl Rose!

Axl Rose joined country superstar Carrie Underwood onstage on Saturday night (April 30th) during her performance at Indio, California's Stagecoach Festival. Together, Rose and Underwood tackled two of Guns' Appetite For Destruction classics -- "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City."

Ultimate Classic Rock reported that back in 2020, Carrie Underwood revealed her love for Guns N' Roses string an appearance on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Underwood joked about "abandoning" her husband and kids to head out to a Guns show just after returning from her own road dates: "It's hard when you meet your heroes, y'know, because I do consider (Axl) to be somebody who taught me how to sing. . . and I was like, 'What if I meet him and he's not everything I want him to be?' But he was, he was super cool and nice."