61st ACM Awards (Academy of Country Music) Just as they did at last November’s CMA Awards, the women of country lead the nominations for the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards, with Megan Moroney coming out on top with nine nods. Miranda Lambert follows closely behind with eight, while Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson each …
Apr 09
‘You’ll Be in My Heart’: Maddie & Tae’s ‘Main Street Country’ goodbye
Maddie & Tae (Disney/Michael Le Brecht) Maddie & Tae only have one concert to go as they close this chapter of their lives as a duo. The “Girl in a Country Song” hitmakers chose a fitting lyric for one of their final recordings: a cover of Phil Collins’ “You’ll Be in My Heart” from the 1999 Disney …
Apr 08
Painted [Him] Pretty? Hudson Westbrook’s next TV gig
Hudson Westbrook’s “Painted You Pretty” (Warner Records Nashville) Is newcomer Hudson Westbrook becoming a media darling? The 21-year-old Texan didn’t made his national TV debut until early this year, but he’s followed that up with multiple high-profile bookings. His Jan. 22 appearance on NBC’s Today show was the first time he’d performed for a national …
Apr 08
Keith Urban, Koe Wetzel and Cole Swindell bring country music to the wine country
Country Summer Music Festival (Country Summer Music Festival/PR Newswire) Country music is headed for California wine country this summer. Cole Swindell, Keith Urban and Koe Wetzel are set to headline the Country Summer Music Festival June 12-14 at the Sonoma County Event Center at the Fairgrounds. Nate Smith, Dasha, Breland, Chase Matthew, Ingrid Andress, Kelsey Hart, John …
Apr 08
Brantley Gilbert’s red, white and blue tour
Brantley Gilbert’s The Real American Tour (Courtesy Brantley Gilbert) Brantley Gilbert’s gearing up for The Real American Tour, which is set to kick off May 1 at Dos Equis Pavilion in Dallas. Opening acts will vary on the 35-city run, which wraps Sept. 12 at the Tri-State Rodeo in Fort Madison, Iowa. While the name …
Apr 08
Lainey Wilson reveals she’s making plans for motherhood
‘Lainey Wilson: Keepin’ Country Cool’ (Netflix) “I busted out of my britches. That’s how you know it’s gonna be a good night.” That’s the beginning of the just-released trailer for Lainey Wilson’s new Netflix documentary, before cutting to her singing “Hang Tight Honey” for a packed arena. While the preview’s only two minutes long, it …
Apr 08
Carly Pearce’s puppy love: The show she played for Johnny and June
Carly Pearce (Jason Kempin/Getty Images) Carly Pearce’s Monday benefit at City Winery raised $45,000 for Nashville’s Pet Community Center. Ashley Cooke opened the show and returned during Carly’s set to sing Ashley McBryde’s part on “Never Wanted to Be That Girl.” Carly’s stripped-down performance included music from her upcoming album, including “Dream Come True” and her …
Apr 08
‘All My Exes’: Lauren Alaina’s hit duet was inspired by a fight on Broadway
Lauren Alaina & Chase Matthew’s “All My Exes” (Big Loud) Lauren Alaina currently has her biggest hit on the radio since 2021’s “Getting Over Him” with Jon Pardi. If there’s any downside to her new duet with Chase Matthew, it’s that the song Lauren co-wrote was, in fact, ripped from the pages of her own …
Apr 07
Nashville notes: Ray Stevens’ fall + Craig Campbell’s cornhole competition
Country Music Hall of Famer Ray Stevens is recovering at home from a March 29 fall that left him with a broken neck. According to a news release, he’s “fully mobile and in good spirits,” though he has to wear a neck brace for a month. His latest album, Favorites Old & New, comes out …
Apr 07
‘Where We Go’: Thomas Rhett and Marshmello name-check Conway Twitty in new collab
Thomas Rhett (Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images) With just six words, Marshmello solved the mystery that Thomas Rhett started last week with a “teaser” that was simply a video of him eating marshmallows out of the bag with an instrumental music bed behind it. “Where We Go available everywhere Friday,” the DJ/producer said in a joint post on both …