Darius Rucker goes “undercover” as sort of a famous talent scout to discover new talent for an upcoming episode of the popular television show, Undercover Boss. He traveled to Austin, Texas on an undercover journey to discover the next great musical acts. While he’s in disguise, Darius runs an open mic night, works as a roadie and strolls along Austin’s famous Sixth Street in search of standout street performers

Darius really enjoyed his time on the show. “The Undercover Boss experience was amazing. To have to spend three hours in a chair getting makeup on every morning and go out and be somebody else was so much fun,” says Darius. “The people I got to meet and become friends with and got to hang out with are now friends of mine, and I got to help them take a little step further in their careers, that was awesome. No one really recognized me. One guy at the beginning when we do the first thing, he didn’t recognize me, but he recognized that maybe I had a disguise on, so we had to change it up a little bit. But it was a fun, the whole week was fun doing that and just being somebody else for a little while.”

The episode of Undercover Boss featuring Darius will premiere May 12th at 8pm ET on CBS.

The South Carolina native is currently making his way up the country charts with his latest single, “If I Told You.”

The jig's up! I went undercover in Austin to scout out some incredible musicians on #UndercoverBoss. Watch May 12 at 8/7c on @CBS!! pic.twitter.com/QOt6uHiqTx

— Darius Rucker (@dariusrucker) April 25, 2017

Hillary Scott, one-third of the multi-Platinum selling and GRAMMY winning trio Lady Antebellum, wowed fans with a multi-sellout debut of her exclusive fashion collection, “LaBellum,” for entertainment and lifestyle retailer HSN. Within her two-hour visit last Thursday (4/20), Scott manifested six sell outs during the primetime hours on The List with Colleen Lopez. As Scott returned on Friday (4/21), she instantly sold-out the Lace Up Blouse and Faux Suede Vest, causing her two hour visit to end over twenty minutes early. Launched as part of the retailer’s Music City: Nashville event, other top performing items of the “LaBellum” fashion line, include the Lace Duster with Tassel Trim, Crossbody Beaded Bag, Allover Hand Beaded Tunic, Beaded Canvas Jacket, Layered Lace Tunic Tank and Boho Peasant Blouse.

“I could not have asked for a warmer welcome to the whole experience with HSN and their audience after making the debut of ‘LaBellum,’” said Hillary Scott. “I was so excited that we sold out one piece, but to keep hearing that piece after piece was sold out just completely blew me away!”

“We are so proud of Hillary’s debut success across all platforms at HSN,” said Carmen Bauza, Chief Merchandising Officer for HSN. “Her beautiful and effortless Nashville-inspired designs truly resonated with our customers. We look forward to sharing her new collection in July.”

LaBellum launched exclusively on HSN.com earlier this month, as part of the retailer’s month-long Music City: Nashville event; a celebration of Nashville and the artists and designers that define the city’s unique culture and vibrant spirit. Having touched fans across the globe with her music, Scott’s bohemian chic collection was inspired by women of every walk of life and is intended to make all women feel confident with their everyday wardrobe. The 22 piece collection is composed of fringe wraps, peasant tops, denim, studded moto jackets, faux suede vests, lace tops, and accessories, including a belt and cross body. Scott will return to HSN in July with a new collection. For more information, visit www.HSN.com (keywords: Hillary Scott).

About Hillary Scott:

Nine-time time GRAMMY award-winner and one-third of superstar group Lady Antebellum, Hillary Scott has more than 18 million unit sales worldwide while earning ten No. One hits, countless awards including Billboard Music Awards, People’s Choice Awards and Teen Choice Awards, while also taking home ACM and CMA “Vocal Group of the Year” trophies three years in a row. Honing in on the melodious foundation that first brought the multi-PLATINUM trio together, Lady Antebellum continues to climb the Country radio charts with “You Look Good,” as it serves as the debut single off their sixth studio album HEART BREAK (Capitol Nashville), to be released June 9th. In addition to co-writing chart-topping Lady A hits, including the 6x PLATINUM hit “Need You Now,” Scott has also written for artists such as Blake Shelton and Sara Evan’s No. One hit, “A Little Bit Stronger.” Her spirited release from Hillary Scott & The Scott Family claimed the top spot atop the Billboard Christian Albums chart with their debut album LOVE REMAINS, which garnered a GRAMMY-winning “Best Contemporary Christian Music Album” and an award for its chart-topping single “Thy Will” for “Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.” Lady Antebellum recently announced plans for more than 65 shows in six countries on their YOU LOOK GOOD WORLD TOUR, presented by NABISCO launching May 26 in Bakersfield, CA. For more information about new music and upcoming tour dates, visit www.ladyantebellum.com.

About HSN: 

HSN is a leading interactive entertainment and lifestyle retailer, offering a curated assortment of exclusive products and top brand names to its customers. HSN incorporates entertainment, inspiration, personalities and industry experts to provide an entirely unique shopping experience. At HSN, customers find exceptional selections in Health & Beauty, Jewelry, Home/Lifestyle, fashion/Accessories, and Electronics. HSN broadcasts live to approximately 91 million households in the US in HD 24/7 and its website – hsn.com features more than 50,000 product videos. Mobile applications include HSN apps for iPad, iPhone and Android. HSN, founded 37 years ago as the first shopping network, is an operating segment of HSN, Inc. For more information, please visit HSN.com, or follow @HSN on Facebook and Twitter.

Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road” is a monster hit! The song climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay Chart in just 12 weeks and is continuing to engage folks who streamed it nearly 12-million times last week. If you’re wondering how he came up with the song, he says the phrase “Body Like a Back Road” came first. The Georgia native wrote the song with his producer Zach Crowell and his songwriter friends Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne and the song seemed to just fall out.

“I try to think of titles or lines that’ll cross my mind and I’ll put ‘em in my phone, and this was one that I wanted to write for a while – the title ‘Body Like a Back Road’ – or use it as a lyric, do something with it. I didn’t have a melody, but one night this melody got stuck in my head and the phrase ‘Body Like a Back Road’ sang perfectly to it and the chorus came out pretty quick. And then we went in and started working on the song with the producer and a couple of writing buddies, and I wanted to write it because I thought it was a fun song

“Body Like a Back Road” is the first release from his as-yet-to-be-titled forthcoming album.

In the song, he sings about going “15 in a 30,” which is what he named his upcoming tour. The trek, featuring Maren Morris, Chris Janson and Ryan Follese, will kick off June 1st in Cleveland, Ohio.

MCA Nashville’s Josh Turner takes the No. 1 spot on the MediaBase country radio airplay chart with “Hometown Girl.” Written by Marc Beeson and Daniel Tashian, “Hometown Girl” immediately hit home for Turner’s fans as it “pairs the South Carolina native’s unmistakable, country-to-the-core baritone with a modern, rollicking beat” (Rolling Stone).

“Man, I am beyond excited about ‘Hometown Girl’ going No. 1 this week. It’s a pretty sweet week for me considering the journey that I’ve been through to get to this place,” says Josh. “I’m thankful to country radio for playing this song. I’m thankful to the fans for loving it and buying the record and buying the single. I’m feeling a lot of love from a lot of different directions this week, so it’s a pretty good place to be.”

“‘Hometown Girl’ is officially No. 1!” shares an elated Turner via Twitter. “Thank you God, country radio and MCA Nashville! It’s Party Time!!”

Watch Turner perform the hit on NBC’s TODAY Show – HERE.

“Hometown Girl,” off of the multi-platinum-selling star’s No. 1-debuting album, Deep South, tallies over 200,000 in digital sales and with 16 consecutive weeks of streaming growth, the song totals over 87.5M streams.

Fans can purchase “Hometown Girl” and Deep South HERE and can find Turner’s official Deep South playlist HERE. Turner’s upcoming tour dates include Mississippi, Maryland and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn. For additional information, visit www.JoshTurner.com.

Following on the boot heels of his wildly successful 2 Nights of Number 1’s at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas earlier this month, the King of Country George Strait announced that due to the overwhelming fan reaction, he will continue the concept of playing his record-setting collection of 60 No. 1 hits again in July.

“Back when we announced 2 Nights of Number 1’s, I said if the fans wanted to hear more, we would look at it,” says Strait, who has won every honor in the format from a GRAMMY Award for Best Country Album to multiple ACM and CMA Awards for Entertainer of the Year plus a coveted place in the Country Music Hall of Fame. “Well, we heard them loud and clear. This is something they want more of, so that’s what they will get.”

Strait debuted the unprecedented two nights of No. 1’s during his recent T-Mobile Arena shows on April 7-8. With an unmatched 60 singles hitting the top of the charts during the span of his career and more than 280,000 fans streaming Strait’s 60 #1 Hits playlist on Spotify every month, Strait wanted to showcase these radio hits plus several fan-favorites such as “Troubadour” that, surprisingly to many, never reached No. 1.

He did it by playing 30 No. 1 hits on April 7 and 30 No. 1 hits on April 8, in addition to those “can’t miss” classics from the early hits like “Fool Hearted Memory” and “You Look So Good In Love” to more recent hits including “River of Love” and “I Saw God Today” – and the 56 No. 1’s in between.

Strait stepped away from touring in 2014 with The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, culminating with a Texas-sized farewell concert at AT&T Stadium near Dallas that drew a record-setting attendance of 104,793. In 2015, he revealed that he would perform a limited series of exclusive, worldwide engagements at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas that commenced with a pair of at-capacity shows in April 2016 with fellow Texan Kacey Musgraves. In November, it was announced that the unparalleled, sold-out series would continue through 2017, including his most recent dates with GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter Cam.

Strait may have closed the book on touring, but the exclusive engagements at T-Mobile Arena provide him with a new page and the ability to connect with fans on his terms and create concert experiences that stay fresh and compelling. Rolling Stone called the historical 2 Nights of Number 1’s shows “extraordinary” and the Las Vegas Review-Journal duly noted that “Strait receives something like 10 standing ovations around the venue every night.”

Upcoming dates include:
Friday, July 28, 2017
Saturday, July 29, 2017
Friday, Sept. 1, 2017
Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017
Friday, Dec. 8, 2017
Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017

Tickets and VIP packages for the July 28-29 2 Nights of Number 1’s shows are on sale now. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit StraitToVegas.com.

Strait has once again partnered with CID Entertainment to offer VIP Experiences and Travel Packages for all upcoming Strait to Vegas shows. VIP Experience amenities range from access to the King’s Exhibit featuring memorabilia showcasing George Strait’s career to a signed coffee table book with rare and previously unreleased photos. All VIP Experiences include premium concert tickets and exclusive merchandise gifts. Travel Packages include Strait to Vegas tickets, plus hotel accommodations and exclusive merchandise. For full package details, visit CID Entertainment. 

Many of the songs that Strait will be performing during 2 Nights of Number 1’s are also featured on Strait Out of the Box: Part 2, available now. The three-disc, 56-track collection spans 20 years of Strait’s remarkable career from 1996 to 2016 and offers fans two new songs with “Kicked Outta Country” and “You Gotta Go Through Hell,” both of which Strait co-wrote. For more information, visit www.georgestrait.com or www.straittovegas.com.

About George Strait
George Strait is the undeniable “King of Country Music.” His music career spans more than 30 years; includes 60 No. 1 singles, more than any other artist in any genre; and boasts 33 Platinum or multi-Platinum-selling albums, more than any country artist and third across all genres behind only the Beatles and Elvis Presley. Strait is the only act in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for over three decades and has sold nearly 70 million albums and earned more than 60 major entertainment industry awards.

Strait, whose name has become synonymous with “real country” since his 1981 debut, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006. He has since released five more albums, including the GRAMMY Award-winning Troubadour and his chart-topping release, Cold Beer Conversation. In 2014, he shattered the North American indoor concert attendance record by drawing 104,793 concertgoers to his The Cowboy Rides Away Tour finale at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. Strait performed six sold-out shows at T-Mobile Arena in 2016 as part of his Strait to Vegas exclusive concert series, extending his limited engagement into 2017 to 10 shows with two weekends of 2 Nights of Number 1’s.

The one-and-only Shania Twain drops by The Voice to advise the Top 12…and she may have earned a spot as the fifth coach! Check out all the action beginning Monday (April 24th) at 8pm ET/PT.

Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott appeared on HSN (Home Shopping Network) to promote her new clothing line, LaBellum. The collection, which was launched earlier this month, can be purchased exclusively at HSN.com.

While appearing on the network, Hillary’s three-year-old daughter, Eisele Kaye, came out and immediately asked for a “real microphone.” She then started singing the song, “Hit the Road, Jack,” and stole the show with mom, dad Chris Tyrell (who is also Lady A’s drummer) and the show’s host watching.

Josh Turner’s “Hometown Girl” vaulted to the top of the Country Aircheck/Mediabase country chart this week. The No. 1 song, from his new album Deep South, was written by Marc Beeson and Daniel Tashian, and was one he definitely wanted to record after hearing it for the first time.

“I was kind of looking for some different kind of stuff that I hadn’t really done before, and ‘Hometown Girl’ kind of fit that mold. Even before I knew the lyrics, I had that melody stuck in my head. It’s such a catchy melody,” says Josh. “When I really got to diggin’ into what the lyrics were saying, I loved the message in the song a nd I just felt like my female fan base would really get this song and relate to this song. I felt like the guys in my fan base, I feel like that’s the kind of girl they’re looking for or either they have already. So, I just felt like it was a good message to put out there and just a great song to give me kind of the opportunity to shake things up production-wise

“Hometown Girl” is his first chart-topping song since “All Over Me” was No. 1 in 2010.

Keith Urban just celebrated his fifth anniversary of being an official member of the Grand Ole Opry on Friday (April 21st). On that night five years ago, he showed the fans in the audience, the ones watching it on TV or hearing it on the radio, just why he’s been such a great ambassador for country music and for Nashville and how deserving he is of Opry membership. He performed a handful of his hits, including “Days Go By,” an acoustic version of “Without You” before Opry members Trace Adkins and Josh Turner and helped to present Keith with his Opry award, a 14-inch replica of the Grand Ole Opry microphone stand with a base made from wood from the Ryman Auditorium.

After Trace officially welcomed him into the family, Keith said “Thank you very much! Yee Haw!” After thanking Pete Fisher, the General Manager of the Opry, as well as other Opry members, his parents who gave him his love of country music, his wife and two daughters and his fans, among others, the superstar said. “I just want to thank the Opry for this honor, but also this responsibility,” says Keith. “I take this responsibility very seriously.” The superstar born in New Zealand and raised in Australia continued, “it’s a long way from Caboolture [Queensland, Australia] to the stage here at the Grand Ole Opry … and to stand in this circle is the most phenomenal thing. I just want to thank the Opry for this honor, but also the responsibility. This is a responsibility that I take deep to the heart of me. …This once and for all shows the global popularity and reach of country music. … I honor the history of country music, but I absolutely fully dedicate myself to the future of country music, as well. God bless you all.” He wrapped it up with “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me.”

“I was thinking what it means to me to be inducted into the Opry is probably no more than just a feeling of they know where my heart is – that’s what it means to me to get this induction,” said Keith. “And the foundation was always country, so to get this induction…this is exactly where my heart is; always has been.”

Keith is currently making his way up the country charts with his latest single, “The Fighter,” featuring Carrie Underwood. For more information on Keith including tour dates, go to keithurban.net.

Dierks Bentley has been tapped by Nashville Mayor Megan Barry as her nominee to fill the latest vacancy on the Nashville Airport Authority’s board of directors.

“I am honored for the opportunity to serve on the Airport Authority board,” Dierks says. “I love Nashville and I love aviation. There are many big changes happening in our city right now as it continues to grow so rapidly. I am very excited to get a chance to be involved in facilitating and managing that growth as it pertains to our airports and aviation services.”

The Metro Council will vote on the volunteer appointment of the country music pilot next month.

He started flying planes for the love of it, but then once he got married and became a father, it made a lot of sense to fly to and from tour dates. “I fly so much on Southwest and trying to cut that first day off, so ‘kids’ is really the reason I started flying. It’s just to get more time with my kids. You get an extra 12 hours basically, which is a long time when you’ve got three kids. I mean, that’s a whole other night to put ‘em to bed, a whole other morning to make breakfast and do school, and then you come into the gig fresh and you get a chance to fly, which I enjoy doing,” says Dierks. “So, it’s like 100% pleasure, but it’s also 100% work. I realized I can’t really afford to sit in the back of a private jet, but I could afford to learn how to fly and sit in the front left seat of a little prop plane and buzz around that way. So, it works out pretty good.”

He calls his plane “The Time Machine,” because it literally buys him time to spend with his family, which includes his beautiful wife Cassidy and his three children – Evie (rhymes with Chevy), Jordan and Knox.

-Dierks is currently sitting inside the Top 10 on the country charts with “Black,” the title track from his latest album.

-Dierks is headlining his What the Hell Tour, featuring Jon Pardi and Cole Swindell, and they make a stop in Rapid City, South Dakota on Sunday (April 23rd). The Arizona native is also set to perform during Stagecoach, which takes place April 28th in Indio, California.