• REBA McENTIRE’S “FANCY” WAS RELEASED 30 YEARS AGO TODAY.

    Reba McEntire is celebrating the 30th Anniversary of her song, “Fancy,” today (February 11th).

    She posted to socials this morning, saying, “When “Fancy” was released 30 years ago today, I had no idea that it would go on to become my most well-known and most requested song. That’s the power of a great story song!”

     

    Reba says she fell in love with “Fancy” when Bobbie Gentry originally released it. “I fell in love with that song when Bobbie Gentry had it out in the late ’60s,” says Reba. “It was a hit then, and it’s been a hit every time anybody listens to it. Everybody can relate to it; it’s a rags-to-riches song. I had wanted to do that song earlier, but not until I got with Tony Brown in 1990 to do this album (Rumor Has It), he had asked me, he said, ‘Are there any old songs you’d like to do a remake on?’ And I looked at him and said, ‘Yeah! Fancy!’ He said, ‘Omigosh! That’s my favorite song!’ So, we did this song, and it has just been with me forever. I just absolutely love it.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about "Fancy."

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    Reba McEntire (Fancy) OC: …always a hit. :41
    “I fell in love with that song when Bobbie Gentry had it out in the late ’60s. It was a hit then, and it’s been a hit every time anybody listens to it. Everybody can relate to it; it’s a rags-to-riches song. I had wanted to do that song earlier, but not until I got with Tony Brown in 1990 to do this album (Rumor Has It), he had asked me, he said, ‘Are there any old songs you’d like to do a remake on?’ And I looked at him and said, ‘Yeah! Fancy!’ He said, ‘Omigosh! That’s my favorite song!’ So, we did this song, and it has just been with me forever. I just absolutely love it. I’ve recorded it. I’ve performed it many times, done it on television shows, and it’s always a hit.”

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  • DARIUS RUCKER HITS THE TOP OF THE COUNTRY CHARTS WITH HIS 10TH NO. 1 HIT, “BEERS AND SUNSHINE.”

    Darius Rucker hit No. 1 country single this week with “Beers and Sunshine.” The tune, which he co-wrote with producer Ross Copperman, J.T. Harding and Josh Osborne, tops both the Country Aircheck/Mediabase and Billboard country charts.

    With his first solo single at Country radio since packing arenas during 2019’s Hootie & the Blowfish blockbuster world tour, the South Carolina nativehas earned his 10th career No. 1 with “Beers And Sunshine.”

    Written via a Zoom session with producer Ross Copperman and fellow songwriters Josh Osborne and TJ Harding at the onset of the global pandemic that changed the way music is made, the anthem celebrated by ABC News Radio as “a ray of sunshine for fans during what’s been a tumultuous year” calls for slowing down to recognize the important things in life when the world feels out of control.

    With the lighthearted melody recorded virtually from his home, Rucker sings not of divisive headlines or topics meant to pull us apart, instead offering a reprieve for 2:58 via his preferred forms of “B.S.” – “beers and sunshine / bonfires and summertime / back porch nights in South Carolina.” 

    “It’s certainly been a challenging year. Like a lot of people, when I got home from being on the road last March and we parked the tour bus for the foreseeable future, we had no idea what our future would actually look like,” Rucker reflects. “I don’t have the answers for how we fix the complex issues that we’re facing in our country or in Country music, however while we work through this time I think it’s important that we balance the heaviness by finding the silver lining, where we can really enjoy the simple joys this song talks about like time spent together with friends and family.”

    Rucker, who is currently at work on a forthcoming studio album, performed the song live on the CMA Awards which he co-hosted with Reba McEntire in November. Fans can once again catch a glimpse of what Billboard praises as a “smile-inducing performance” when Rucker appears live on NBC News’ “TODAY” this Friday, February 26th.

    For more information, visit www.DariusRucker.com and follow on social media @DariusRucker.

    Audio / Darius Rucker talks about his new No. 1 song, "Beers and Sunshine."

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    Darius Rucker (Beers and Sunshine No. 1) OC: …love that song. :33
    “You know, I really thought the song, especially right now in the winter and with everything that’s going on, it was just such an upbeat song, a happy song, and I thought people would resonate with it and eventually they did. And that was really cool. That one was also the first song that I had ever done that was all recorded over the internet too, so that was pretty cool. It was just one of those things, it was early in the pandemic and we were already like, ‘Is it really going to be like this? Is this what it’s gonna be like?’ (laughs) And that’s what it was like though, but I love that song.”

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  • TAYLOR SWIFT ANNOUNCES THE NEW VERSION OF HER ALBUM FEARLESS (TAYLOR’S VERSION) IS DONE, AND SHE’S DROPPING “LOVE STORY (TAYLOR’S VERSION)” TONIGHT.

    Taylor Swift shared a surprise announcement on ABC’s Good Morning America and on her socials this morning (February 11th) that her new version of Fearless (Taylor’s Version) is done and will be available soon. It has 26 songs including six never before released songs from the vault. Also, “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” will be out tonight.

    https://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/1359854050544615425

     

    https://twitter.com/GMA/status/1359853262384553986

     

    She posted a message to her fans and at the end, she says, ‘this process has been more fulfilling and emoTional than I could’ve imagined and made me even more determined to re-record all my music. i Hope you’ll like this first outing as much as I liked traveling back in time to recreate it.”

    Taylor is currently making her way up the country charts with “no body, no crime” from her evermore album.

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  • JOSH TURNER WILL HOST HIS FIRST VIRTUAL CONCERT NEXT MONTH.

    Josh Turner took to his socials to announce he will be performing his first-ever virtual live concert on March 10th at 8pm ET/7pm CT. The show will stream live on @SessionsLive from Nashville!

    Josh says in the video, “The best thing is you don’t have to travel, there’ll be no crowds, you can watch from your couch and you can even wear your pajamas.”

    He’ll host a pre-show party and a post-show virtual meet-and-greet.

    Tickets and VIP packages are on-sale now & for the first 24-hours tickets are only $9.99! Get Tickets Now: sessionslive.com/joshturner/tic

    Josh recently re-released the video for his 2009 smash hit, “Your Man,” in HD. His current album is a collection of artists and songs which shaped who he is today as a country singer — Country State of Mind.

     

     

  • LAUREN ALAINA RELEASES NEW SINGLE, “GETTING OVER HIM,” FEATURING JON PARDI.

    Lauren Alaina has just released her new single, “Getting Over Him.” She wrote the song with Emily Weisband and Paul DiGiovanni, and as soon as it was finished, she knew immediately who she wanted as a duet partner.

    “’Getting Over Him’ is a song that I recorded with Jon Pardi who is one of my dear friends,” says Lauren. “I absolutely love him and his personality, and I knew when I wrote this song with Emily Weisband and Paul DiGiovanni that he we would be the perfect guy for it. It’s about going out and having a good time, and Jon Pardi is the definition of going out and having a good time.”

    “Getting Over Him” is the title track from her six-song EP she released in September.

    Audio / Lauren Alaina (Getting Over Him)

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    Lauren Alaina (Getting Over Him) OC: …good time. :22
    “’Getting Over Him’ is a song that I recorded with Jon Pardi who is one of my dear friends. I absolutely love him and his personality, and I knew when I wrote this song with Emily Weisband and Paul DiGiovanni that he we would be the perfect guy for it. It’s about going out and having a good time, and Jon Pardi is the definition of going out and having a good time.”

    Audio / LINER Lauren Alaina (Getting Over Him) 1

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    Audio / LINER Lauren Alaina (Getting Over Him) 2

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    Audio / LINER Lauren Alaina (Getting Over Him) 3

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    Audio / LINER Lauren Alaina (Getting Over Him) 4

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    Audio / LINER Lauren Alaina (Getting Over Him) 5

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    Audio / LINER Lauren Alaina (Getting Over Him) 6

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  • MICKEY GUYTON GIVES BIRTH TO A BABY BOY.

    Mickey Guyton announced on her socials today that she gave birth to a bouncing baby boy named Grayson. Her, her husband Grant and baby Grayson are all doing well.

    She said in her post, “The hardest and most beautiful thing I have ever done. Welcome to the world Grayson! Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. – Psalm 30:5”

     

     

    Mickey revealed her pregnancy in August and said, “even in times of darkness, like the ones we as a society find ourselves in today, God always finds a way to shine His light on the beautiful side of life, like the miracle of life itself.”

    Mickey is nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance for her song, “Black Like Me.”

  • PARKER MCCOLLUM MAKES GRAND OLE OPRY DEBUT.

    MCA Nashville’s Parker McCollum made his debut performance at the world-renowned Grand Ole Opry Saturday night. Labelmate Dierks Bentley initially invited Parker to make his debut performance (watch HERE) and was on hand to introduce the up-and-comer to the Opry crowd. A knowledgeable connoisseur of classic country, Parker performed Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Middle Aged Crazy” in addition to his debut No.1 hit single “Pretty Heart.” Furthering the celebration, Jordan Pettit and Dan Rogers from Opry Entertainment were on hand to surprise Parker with a plaque commemorating the RIAA Platinum Certification of “Pretty Heart.”

    2021 Copyright/ Photo by Chris Hollo for the Grand Ole Opry

    Photo ID (L-R): Opry Entertainment Group Director of Artist Relations and Programming Strategy Jordan Pettit, Parker McCollum, Grand Ole Opry Vice President and Executive Producer Dan Rogers

    Last month, Parker performed “Pretty Heart” as part of his national TV debut on NBC’s 3rd Hour of Today, watch HERE. Since its release, “Pretty Heart” has accumulated impressive streaming numbers and has consistently stayed in the Top 10 on the country streaming chart averaging almost 7M streams a week.  “Pretty Heart” is featured on Parker’s recent EP, Hollywood Gold, which debuted Top 10 on the Billboard country chart and marked the highest-selling debut country EP for 2020.

    Parker just released his new single “To Be Loved By You” which he cowrote with Rhett Akins. “To Be Loved By You” was most added at country radio upon its debut and fans can watch the music video featuring an energetic performance from Parker HERE.

    A singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and dedicated road warrior, Parker McCollum began building a following in his native Texas with 2015’s The Limestone Kid. The album track “Meet You in The Middle” became a hit on Texas’ regional radio chart — no small feat for an independent, 22-year-old musician — but it was the album’s widely-acclaimed follow-up, Probably Wrong, that helped Parker find national success. Compared to John Mayer and Jason Isbell by Rolling Stone, Parker supported the album with a string of sold-out shows, bringing record-breaking crowds to venues like San Angelo’s RiverStage and two sold-out Billy Bob’s along the way. Born in Conroe, TX, and currently based in Austin, the 28-year-old entrepreneurially-spirited artist bridges the gap between Texas’ homegrown music scene and Nashville’s country-industry headquarters. For a full list of tour dates, news and more, visit www.parkermccollum.com

  • KIP MOORE READIES RELEASE OF WILD WORLD DELUXE ON FRIDAY.

    Kip Moore is set to release WILD WORLD DELUXE on Friday (February 12th). Offering four new tracks, the extended release of his fourth studio album follows the critical response and fervent fan demand following the release of WILD WORLD earlier this year. Upon its release critics were quick to note how “especially vital; occasionally, even rare” (Esquire) the collection is, as well as praise him for “digging deeper than ever before… his most honest music yet” (Entertainment Tonight), as the record has garnered over 165 million streams worldwide. Fans can preorder WILD WORLD DELUXE here.

    WILD WORLD DELUXE Official Track List:

    1.              “Janie Blu”
    (Dan Couch, Kip Moore)

    2.              “Southpaw”
    (Westin Davis, Kip Moore)

    3.              “Fire And Flame”
    (Cary Barlowe, Brett James, Kip Moore, Will Weatherly)

    4.              “Wild World”
    (Josh Miller, Kip Moore)

    5.              “Red White Blue Jean American Dream”
    (Jimi Bell, Barton Davies, Luke Dick, Philip Lammonds)

    6.              “She’s Mine”
    (Dan Couch, Kip Moore, Scott Stepakoff)

    7.              “Hey Old Lover”
    (Dan Couch, Kip Moore)

    8.              “Grow On You”
    (Blair Daly, Westin Davis, Kip Moore)

    9.              “More Than Enough”
    (David Garcia, Josh Miller, Kip Moore)

    10.            “Sweet Virginia”
    (Kip Moore, Manny Medina, Erich Wigdahl)

    11.            “South”
    (Adam Browder, Dan Couch, Manny Medina, Kip Moore, Dave Nassie, Erich Wigdahl)

    12.            “Crazy For You Tonight”
    (Blair Daly, Westin Davis, Kip Moore)

    13.            “Payin’ Hard”
    (Blair Daly, Westin Davis, Kip Moore, Dave Nassie)

    14.        “Don’t Go Changing”
    (Blair Daly, Westin Davis, Kip Moore )

    15.          Midnight Slow Dance
    (Dan Couch, Mike Elizondo, Kip Moore)

    16.              How High
    (Bobby Terry, Luke Dick, Westin Davis, Kip Moore)

    17.             Man’s Gotta Do
    (Dan Couch, Westin Davis, Kip Moore)

    Multi-PLATINUM singer/ songwriter Kip Moore has toured the world headlining his own shows, earning acclaim and a rabid fanbase as an all-in performer in each setting and most recently wrapping 40 sold-out headlining shows in The U.S, The U.K. and Canada. Praised by Noisey as “an uncompromising, genre-defying artist firing on all cylinders” Moore has blazed his own trail. Moore just released his revered fourth studio album with PEOPLE declaring “Wild World is filled with bold signposts about the enigmatic artist, his rebel appetite and his “reckless heart” and spawning his current Top 15 single “She’s Mine.” The current CMA “International Artist Achievement Award” nominee first splashed into the mainstream with the double-PLATINUM “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck” in 2012, then followed up with three more best selling No. Ones (“Hey Pretty Girl,” “Beer Money” and “More Girls Like You”), a trio of ambitious, critically-praised albums and two gritty EPs that landed Moore on multiple “Best Of” lists. For more information visit kipmoore.net.

     

    Audio / Kip Moore talks about the inspiration behind the music on his album, Wild World.

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    Kip Moore (inspiration behind the music) OC: …this record. :38
    “Most of the songs that came about from this record were during a round of touring around 2018 when I found myself really broken down in a lot of ways – physically, spiritually, emotionally. There was a constant search for simplicity. I found myself departed from my faith; I was searching. You sense that with so much of this record, you sense that search for peace. It’s an elusive thing, but I’m trying to grab a hold of it all throughout this record.”

  • ERIC CHURCH AND LUKE BRYAN PERFORM DURING VERIZON’S SUPER BOWL AFTER-PARTY SHOW.

    Luke Bryan and Eric Church were among the artists performing during Verizon’s “The Big Concert for Small Business” during last night’s Super Bowl 55 After Party. Hosted by comedian-actress Tiffany Haddish, the special also featured performances by Miley Cyrus, Alicia Keys, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Christina Aguilera, H.E.R. and Jazmine Sullivan.

    Luke performed his huge summer-time, multi-week No. 1 “One Margarita,” as well as “Play It Again,” while Eric turned in an acoustic two-song set of “’Round Here Buzz” and “Doing Life With You.”

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  • ERIC CHURCH AND JAZMINE SULLIVAN TURN IN AN AMAZING AND UNIFYING NATIONAL ANTHEM AT THIS YEAR’S SUPER BOWL.

     

    photo courtesy of @rocnation

     

    Eric Church and R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan turned in an unprecedented and beautiful rendition of the National Anthem prior to this year’s Super Bowl matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

    The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year vowed never to perform the National Anthem, unless it was at the Super Bowl. “I’ve said this forever, ‘I will never, ever sing the National Anthem,’” he tells Apple Music’s Kelleigh Bannen. “It’s so hard. Except the Super Bowl, and I fully assumed. I mean, I’m not Chris Stapleton. I fully assumed they’re never going to ask me. So, this is the first.”

    Eric said one factor was Jazmine’s voice that secured the deal. He also recently told the Los Angeles Times, “With what’s going on in America, it feels like an important time for a patriotic moment,” Church asserts. “An important time for unity. The fact that I’m a Caucasian country singer and she’s an African-American R&B singer — I think the country needs that.”

     

     

    Keith Urban weighed in on Twitter asking when fans can expect a duet between the two.

     

    Eric is currently scaling the country charts with his latest single, “Hell of a View.” He is also set to release not one, but three albums in April — Heart & Soul. The album will only be released to members of his fan club, the Church Choir, on April 20th. Heart will be released April 16th, while Soul will be available April 23rd.