George Strait is mourning the loss of two of his longtime “music family members,” who he lost hours apart on Wednesday (March 21st). First, his manager of 45 years and friend for longer, Erv Woolsey, passed away from complications following surgery in Clearwater, Florida; then his Ace In The Hole fiddle player Gene Elder passed hours later.
George took to his socials to say, “Hard to believe we lost two of our music family members on the same day. Our Ace In the Hole treasured band member Gene Elders passed away yesterday afternoon shortly after we lost Erv. All of our prayers go out to both families. We loved him so much.”
“My manager for around 45 years and most importantly my friend for even longer, Erv Woolsey, passed away this morning. We will miss him so very much and will never forget all the time we had together. Won’t ever be the same without him.” – George Strait pic.twitter.com/fuVC6bXwag
Hard to believe we lost two of our music family members on the same day. Our Ace In the Hole treasured band member Gene Elders passed away yesterday afternoon shortly after we lost Erv. All of our prayers go out to both families. We loved him so much. – George Strait pic.twitter.com/BBazdIg8Hb
Parker McCollum will serve as the headliner for the ACM Lifting Lives LIVE, presented by Choctaw Casinos & Resorts, the tentpole fundraising event of ACM Awards Week, which brings together artists, industry members, and fans for an all-star concert. The event will take place on the golfing green at Topgolf The Colony on May 15th, ahead of the 59th ACM Awards® the following evening.
In its second year in Texas, Parker McCollum and Friends: ACM Lifting Lives LIVE, Presented by Choctaw Casinos & Resorts will raise money and awareness for ACM Lifting Lives, which works to improve lives through the power of music with a specific focus on health-related initiatives that use music therapy as a way of healing. Significant annual commitments include the ACM Lifting Lives Autism Lab at Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and their annual Music Camp, a week-long, music-driven, residential program for individuals with Williams syndrome. Their work also includes contributions to various organizations that provide mental health support for the country music community, along with grants through The Diane Holcomb Emergency Relief Fund, given to individuals who face unexpected emergencies or hardships.
“I am truly honored that ACM Lifting Lives has given me the opportunity to host the Parker McCollum & Friends: ACM Lifting Lives event this year at Topgolf in The Colony, TX,” McCollum says. “The work they do to improve lives through the power of music and the funds they raise are vital to helping folks in and out of our Country music community. I can’t wait to have some of my really talented friends join me for a great night supporting the mission of ACM Lifting Lives and help them continue their incredible work.”
“The support of Country Music artists and the industry as a whole are what makes the impactful work of ACM Lifting Lives possible,” explained ACM Lifting Lives Executive Director Lyndsay Cruz. “We have been massive fans of Parker for years, and we couldn’t be more excited that he chose to volunteer his time to help us raise money and awareness in his home state. We can’t wait to party with the fans in north Texas so soon!”
2023 saw a landmark ACM Lifting Lives LIVE concert, as HARDY, Jason Aldean, Lainey Wilson, ERNEST and Bailey Zimmerman took to the stage on the green at Topgolf The Colony in front of a sold-out house, marking the most successful fundraising event by the organization to date.
General Admission tickets on the green will be available to ACM Members, ACM A-List subscribers, 59th ACM Awards ticket holders, and Topgolf Friends and Family through an exclusive presale starting this Thursday (3.21) at 10am CST. Remaining tickets will be available for a general public on-sale, which begins Friday (3.22) at 10am CST at ACMLiftingLives.org/concert. The concert will start at approximately 7:45 p.m. CST. All proceeds benefit ACM Lifting Lives.
Parker is closing in on the top of the country charts with his latest smash, “Burn It Down.”
Audio / Parker McCollum talks about hosting and headlining the ACM Lifting Lives concert in Texas in May.
Parker McCollum (ACM Lifting Lives) 1 OC: …forward to it. :31 “You know, it’s in Texas, so that makes me excited. It’s our only show in DFW all of 2024. And when they asked, it was an easy yes. I mean, you get to bring your friends, and I love to play golf. You get to swing the golf club. It’s at Top Golf. You know, you get to go and have a good time, and the time you’re spending is going to a great cause, and you’re rallying a bunch of people together to really make a difference in a lot of lives. So, that was an easy yes from me and to get to host it and kind of get to put my stamp on it is quite the honor, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Audio / Parker McCollum talks about his upcoming ACM Lifting Lives Show, Parker McCollum and Friends.
Parker McCollum (ACM Lifting Lives Show) 2 OC: …something like that. :14 “It’s Parker McCollum and Friends, so I’ve got some friends who we’ll announce in the near future that’ll be joining me for performances that night. I just, I don’t know. I can’t wait to get there and get to be a part of something like that.”
Texas troubadour George Strait has announced the only performance in his home state this year with a concert set for Saturday, June 15th, 2024, at Texas A&M’s Kyle Field. The King of Country Music will be joined by special guests Parker McCollum and Catie Offerman.
George will play the FIRST EVER concert at Kyle Field on June 15. Joining him are fellow Texans, @ParkerMcCollum & @CatieOfferman. This will be the one & only show in Texas this year. Tickets on sale Thursday, Mar 28 at 10AM CT.
Tickets to the Kyle Field performance go on sale to the general public Thursday, March 28th, at 10 a.m. CT via TheKingAtKyle.com. American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning March 22 at 10 a.m. CT through March 27th at 10 p.m. CT.
The news follows the recent announcement that Strait will once again team up with Chris Stapleton to perform one-off stadium dates this year with stops at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, Chicago’s Soldier Field, Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium and more. Joining the King of Country and Stapleton for those nine dates are special guests Little Big Town.
Since his record-breaking Cowboy Rides Away Tour in 2014, Strait has performed for limited engagements outside of his 36-and-counting Strait to Vegas shows at T-Mobile Arena, including headlining both weekends of the Austin City Limits Music Festival in 2021 plus his 31st appearance at the Houston Rodeo in 2022. With an unmatched 60 singles hitting the top of the charts—more than any other artist in any genre—during the span of his 30+ year career, Strait has collected 33 Platinum or multi-Platinum-selling albums, more than any other Country artist and ranking third across all genres behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley. The Texas troubadour is the only artist or act in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for over three decades and recently earned his 100th entry on the Billboard Country Airplay chart with his latest single, “The Weight of the Badge.” He has sold nearly 70 million albums and earned more than 60 major entertainment industry awards, including induction in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.
Strait’s 2024 Concert Calendar:
5/4 Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, IN
5/11 EverBank Stadium Jacksonville, FL
5/25 Jack Trice Stadium Ames, IA
6/1 Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, NC
6/8 MetLife Stadium East Rutherford, NJ
6/15 Kyle Field College Station, TX*
6/29 Rice-Eccles Stadium Salt Lake City, UT
7/13 Ford Field Detroit, MI
7/20 Soldier Field Chicago, IL
12/7 Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas, NV
*Just Announced – On Sale Thursday, March 28 at 10 am CT
For more information and to purchase tickets to all upcoming dates, visit GeorgeStrait.com.
Due to extraordinary demand, 8-time Grammy Award winner Carrie Underwood has added a second show on July 20th to her first-ever concert appearance in Hawaii. Just announced last week, tickets for the July 19th performance of “An Evening With Carrie Underwood” at Honolulu’s Blaisdell Arena sold out in under one hour, and a second show was added.
This show in Hawaii will be the 50th U.S. state where Underwood has performed a concert. It will mark her second time in Hawaii, though her first time performing a concert there, having filmed the movie, Soul Surfer, in the Aloha State in 2010. Underwood and Garth Brooks are the only country artists to sell out Blaisdell Arena in under an hour.
Presented by Rick Bartalini Presents, tickets for “An Evening With Carrie Underwood” Friday, July 19th and Saturday, July 20th, 2024 at 8:00 P.M. at Neal S. Blaisdell Arena with all-in pricing, inclusive of GET, are $48.85, $69.75, $132.45, $236.95, $393.70, and $707.20. The Hawaii resident presale is available now and online only until Saturday, March 23rd at 9:00 a.m. HST. Tickets will be available at the Blaisdell Box Office starting March 23rd at 10:00 a.m. HST.
Rick Bartalini’s Aren’t You Glad You Stayed Foundation will donate a portion of ticket sales to the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre.
Jordan Davis is from a very musical family. His brother Jacob Davis is a singer-songwriter, his uncle Stan Paul Davis is a celebrated songwriter (Tracy Lawrence, Ken Mellons) and his father used to write songs, as well. Growing up, Jordan would listen to songs his uncle would play for him, and he dreamed of going to Nashville to write hit songs.
“Growing up in a musical family – my uncle was a songwriter and had songs written for Tracy Lawrence, and I can remember us celebrating his first-ever number-one, and that was a country radio number-one. I feel like I fell in love with songwriting because of the songs that he would play coming back for holidays – Christmas, Thanksgiving,” says Jordan.
Jordan has several number-one songs, multi-platinum records and awards, but he still loves hearing his songs on country radio. “I moved to Nashville to have songs on country radio, and still to this day, there’s no better feeling in the world than driving around with my kiddos and Dad comes on the radio,” he says. “You don’t have to go to it, you don’t have to click on anything. You’re driving around listening to Carrie Underwood, then all of a sudden, a song that you wrote, that you’re singing, is coming through the car speakers on country radio. That’s something that will never get old to me.”
Jordan is currently on country radio with his latest hit, “Tucson Too Late,” which he co-wrote with his brother Jacob and brothers Josh and Matt Jenkins, the same dream team behind “Buy Dirt.”
Audio / Jordan Davis said he moved to Nashville so he could hear his songs on country radio.
Jordan Davis (wanted to hear his songs on the radio) OC: …never get old to me. :49 “Growing up in a musical family – my uncle was a songwriter and had songs written for Tracy Lawrence, and I can remember us celebrating his first-ever number-one, and that was a country radio number-one. I feel like I fell in love with songwriting because of the songs that he would play coming back for holidays – Christmas, Thanksgiving. But, you know, I moved to Nashville to have songs on country radio, and still to this day, there’s no better feeling in the world than driving around with my kiddos and Dad comes on the radio. You don’t have to go to it, you don’t have to click on anything. You’re driving around listening to Carrie Underwood, then all of a sudden, a song that you wrote, that you’re singing, is coming through the car speakers on country radio. That’s something that will never get old to me.”
Keith Urban is constantly striving to be a better musician, better songwriter, better performer, and making music is still extremely fascinating to him even after doing it most of his life.
“Make new songs, make new records, put new tours together. I’ve got zero interest in acting. I’m fascinated by this, and it’s endless – playing guitar better, making better records, being in the studio, discovering things,” says Keith. “It’s endless, like it’s endless in its potential for new expression, so I just hope to God that I’m able to keep this body moving, grooving (laughs), and allowing me to do the thing I love to do, which is go out and play. That’s really it.”
The country superstar is currently making his way up the charts with his latest single, “Messed Up As Me.”
Audio / Keith Urban says he just wants to keep making new music.
Keith Urban (wants to keep making music) OC: …that’s really it. :32 “Make new songs, make new records, put new tours together. I’ve got zero interest in acting. I’m fascinated by this, and it’s endless – playing guitar better, making better records, being in the studio, discovering things. It’s endless, like it’s endless in its potential for new expression, so I just hope to God that I’m able to keep this body moving, grooving (laughs), and allowing me to do the thing I love to do, which is go out and play. That’s really it.”
Toby Keith is one of the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame! Brooks and Dunn announced the new inductees during a press conference from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Monday morning (March 18th). Toby Keith (Covel) will be inducted under the Modern Era Artist category.
“Toby’s passing left our hearts broken,” says the Covel family. “We miss him so much, but we take comfort that his music and legacy will live forever. Thank you, Country Music Hall of Fame, for helping keep it alive.”
John Anderson will go under the Veterans Era Artist category, and in the Recording and/or Touring Musician category, famed guitar player James Burton (Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, etc.). Keith Urban helped break the news to Mr. Burton, according to the press release. “I was on the phone with Keith Urban, and I kind of felt that Keith was beating around the bush a bit and small talking me,” he says. “He then stated that he was going to hand the phone to a young lady for a minute. I thought it was a friend of Keith’s that just wanted to say hi or talk guitars. Instead, she (CMA President Sarah Trahern) introduced herself and simply said, ‘Mr. Burton, you’ve been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.’ I was completely shocked and couldn’t think of anything to say.”
A formal induction honoring all three will take place at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum during the official Medallion Ceremony in October. A final date will be announced soon.
Kacey Musgraves performed her new single, “The Architect,” on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to promote the release of her new album, Deeper Well, last week.
Kacey also talked about her new album, Deeper Well, as well as winning her seventh GRAMMY for Best Country Duo/Group Performance with Zach Bryan for their smash single, “I Remember Everything.” She also talked about “almost dying” during the video shoot for the title track, getting a speeding ticket in Iceland and her upcoming world tour.
Kelly Clarkson recently performed a rousing version of Chris Stapleton‘s recent No. 1 smash, “White Horse,” during the Kellyoke segment of her daytime talk show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyXZRs5RPo0
The members of Little Big Town are set to perform some of their biggest songs and share the stories behind them when they are featured on CMT Storytellers debuting April 5th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CMT.
Parker McCollum, a self-proclaimed sports fanatic, is going to be running a March Madness bracket of his own. He’ll give away a bunch of cool prizes, including a flyaway to his show at Red Rocks in Colorado later this year. You have to fill out the bracket by Thursday (March 21st). Check out his video, which includes instructions in filling out the bracket by clicking the link in his bio.
Kacey Musgraves’ highly anticipated fifth studio album Deeper Well is out now via Interscope/MCA Nashville. The seven-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter produced Deeper Well with long time collaborators Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk, and the project was primarily recorded in New York’s famed Electric Lady Studios. Musgraves announced the new album in early February with the release of the song and video for the title track “Deeper Well.” Musgraves recently performed “Deeper Well,” as well as the other newly released track “Too Good To Be True” as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live; her third time on the iconic show. Listen to Deeper WellHERE.
Also released today is the video for “Too Good To Be True,” which was directed by Scott Cudmore (N.E.R.D. featuring Rihanna, Feist, Justin Bieber). The video is a meta exploration of the themes of the song, through the interplay of fiction and reality. It takes us “inside the song” as Musgraves records it, where we have to wonder, as she does in the lyrics, if what we are seeing on the screen is real or simply “too good to be true” and the projected fantasy of what we dearly want and hope it to be. Stereogum called the track “a soft, intimate, supremely chill acoustic song,” while Euphoria described it as “calming, enchanting and what dreams are made of.”
Kacey performed “The Architect” from her new album Deeper Well on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday (March 14th) and NBC’s TODAY on Friday (March 15th), and The Howard Stern Show on Monday (March 18th). Musgraves announced the Deeper Well World Tour in support of the new album, commencing on April 28th in Dublin, Ireland and running through December 7th in Nashville, TN (see below for full list of dates). Tickets can be purchased at http://www.kaceymusgraves.com/tour. Musgraves recently won her seventh Grammy Award for the song “I Remember Everything,” a duet with Zach Bryan. Musgraves recently joined Bryan to perform the song live for the very first time in Chicago for the start of his latest tour.
Multi-PLATINUM-selling hitmaker Tyler Hubbard shares “Vegas,” the latest song from his forthcoming album ‘Strong,’ which is due April 12 via EMI Nashville.
“Vegas” is a wild-at-heart take on the ever-familiar love-at-first-sight story. Written on the road with his live show in mind, the song is perhaps one of the most energetic interpretations of vulnerability — and the most memorable “I Do.”
“Vegas” follows Hubbard’s climbing radio single “Back Then Right Now,” as well as album tracks “Turn,” “Wish You Would,” and “A Lot With A Little.” Epitomizing Hubbard’s passion for life and love, ‘Strong’ embodies a distinct variety of both sonic and geographical-driven influences. It continues to exemplify the Georgia-native’s distinction as a writer and artist who has earned two solo No. 1s with 2x PLATINUM-selling “5 Foot 9” and PLATINUM-selling “Dancin’ In The Country.”
The year continues to amplify with Hubbard headlining Australia’s CMC Rocks this week. He will later support Kane Brown on his In The Air Tour starting on March 28th. For tickets and more information on Tyler Hubbard, visit tylerhubbardofficial.com.
Tyler Hubbard On Tour:
Sat., Mar. 16 | CMC Rocks Qld 2024 | Willowbank, AUS
Thurs., Mar. 28 | John Paul Jones Arena | Charlottesville, VA^
Fri., Mar. 29 | PPG Paints Arena | Pittsburgh, PA^
Sat., Mar. 30 | Prudential Center | Newark, NJ^
Thurs., Apr. 4 | Little Caesars Arena | Detroit, MI^
Fri., Apr. 5 | ScotiaBank Arena | Toronto, ON, CA^
Sat., Apr. 6 | Keybank Center | Buffalo, NY^
Tues., Apr. 9 | Grand Ole Opry House | Nashville, TN
Thurs., Apr. 11 | T-Mobile Center | Kansas City, MO^
Tyler Hubbard (Vegas) 1 OC: …song, for sure. :22 “I love that song. It’s kinda got a rock thing to it, but again, it’s also that sort of love at first sight, which we’ve all experienced in some form or fashion, you know. So, I think it’s fun and even if you’re not there at the current moment, it’s sort of fun to relive those years and those memories. Vegas leaves an impact on everybody at some point, so everybody’s got a memory attached to this song, for sure.”
