Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

If you follow Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley on social media, you will see a lot of posts featuring his son, Ward, who can be seen strumming his little guitar or ukulele and singing along to some Lady A hits. The two-and-a-half-year-old may just take over on stage since he’s been on the road a few times since the band kicked off their Summer Plays On Tour with pal Darius Rucker.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlOF-jZn23y/?taken-by=charleskelley

“Ward is all about the road. I mean it’s crazy. During our soundchecks he brings his little ukulele guitar out there on stage and dances around. He loves it and he’s obsessed with Hillary’s little girl, Eisele, and Dave’s little boy, Cash. They’re both older so he just kinda follows them around and does whatever they do, and it’s really cute to see,” says proud daddy Charles. “He got to see his first show because he usually goes to bed around 7:30 and we did a show here in Nashville for the Fourth of July and it started at 8. So, I begged my wife to keep him up to see it, and he loved it. He sat side stage on her lap the whole time for our show with those little headphones on, and I don’t know that was just one of those cool, proud and warm moments for me. And I don’t know if I want him to be a musician, but I do love that my family does get to come out on the road with me. They come about half the time, and it really is a special thing.”

Fellow bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood may have their children on the road at times. Hillary is the mother of three — 5-year-old daughter Eisele and 6-month-old identical twin girls Betsy and Emory — while Dave is Dad to two — 4-year-old son Cash and 7-month-old daughter Lillie.

The members of Lady Antebellum, who are making their way up the country charts with “Heart Break,” will take their Summer Plays On Tour to Bethel, New York on Thursday (July 25th) and Gilford, New Hampshire on Friday (July 26th).

The ‘sky is the limit’ for four-time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan as he becomes the first country music artist to headline Dodger Stadium when he brings his “What Makes You Country Tour XL Stadium Sized” to Los Angeles this Saturday, July 28. Luke has previously played many LA venues including the Hollywood Bowl, Staples Center, The Forum, Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre and Glen Helen Amphitheater. This past weekend Luke played for 40,000 fans in Minneapolis’ Target Field where he debuted his new video for “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset.”

In Los Angeles, Luke is teaming up with The Night Sky to offer a unique and personal keepsake from the Dodger Stadium show. Fans attending the concert can text to receive an exclusive digital poster of the night sky over the stadium. Every fan that texts will receive a digital Night Sky poster that is co-branded with the tour date + The Night Sky. The image can be saved and posted to their socials and kept as a personal memento and each fan that participates will be automatically entered to receive a seat upgrade at the Dodger Stadium concert.

“WHAT MAKES YOU COUNTRY TOUR XL STADIUM SIZED”

7/28/2018        Los Angeles, CA                    Dodger Stadium
8/4/2018          Denver, CO                             Sports Authority Field at Mile High
8/25/2018        St. Louis, MO                         Busch Stadium
9/1/2018          Chicago, IL                             Wrigley Field

10/13/2018      Vancouver, BC                       BC Place Stadium

10/26/2018      Detroit, MI                              Ford Field

Additional tour dates, schedule and tickets go to www.lukebryan.com.

Could Keith Urban help the legendary Merle Haggard achieve another No. 1 song? It could happen with his latest hit, “Coming Home.” As you probably know, Keith wrote his current hit “Coming Home” based on a guitar lick he loved from Merle Haggard’s 1968 No. 1 hit, “Mama Tried.”

So, being able to give Merle another chart-topping song – which could be his first since 1987’s “Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star” – would be a huge thrill for Keith.

“It feels extraordinary,” says Keith. “I grew up with so much of his music in our house and that particular song – ‘Mama Tried’ that this guitar lick is taken from – is just so deep in my DNA. So, the idea that Hag may get another No. 1 song since the ‘80s is just about time [laughs] I’d say.”

Keith asked for and received the approval from Merle’s family to use the famous guitar lick and even credited Merle as a co-writer on the song.

“I’m especially grateful to Theresa Haggard and Ben Haggard who both gave the blessing for the support of this lick being used in the song and Merle being a writer on ‘Coming Home,’” says Keith.

He co-wrote the song with Julia Michaels, as well as J.R. Rotem, Nicolle Galyon and, of course, the late Merle Haggard.

Catch Keith on the road on his Graffiti U World Tour, which makes its next stop in Raleigh, North Carolina on Friday (July 27th).

The Sun Chronicle notes, “as co-headliners of The Bandwagon Tour, Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town kept fans on their feet Saturday night for an evening of country music at its best.” With only 11 shows remaining, The Bandwagon Tour swept the East coast with stops Thursday, July 19 at Jones Beach in Wantagh, New York, Friday at Xfinity Theatre in Hartford, Connecticut and on Saturday, July 21 at Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts.

Little Big Town perform in Hartford. Credit: Becky Fluke

L to R ID: Pistol Annies’ Ashley Monroe, Angaleena Presley, Miranda Lambert, and LittleBig Town’s Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman. Credit: BeckyFluke

Remaining tour stops on The Bandwagon Tour:
Thursday, August 2 – The Wharf Amphitheater, Orange Beach, Alabama*
Friday, August 3 – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, Florida*
Saturday, August 4 – Coral Sky Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach, Florida*
Friday, August 10 – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, The Woodlands, Texas**
Saturday, August 11 – Dos Equis Pavilion, Dallas, Texas**
Thursday, August 16 – Darien Lake Amphitheater, Darien Center, New York*
Friday, August 17 – KeyBank Pavilion, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania*
Saturday, August 18 – BB&T Pavilion, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania*
Thursday, August 23 – Budweiser Stage, Toronto, Ontario*
Friday, August 24 –DTE Energy Music Center, Clarkston, Michigan*
Saturday, August 25 – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Chicago, Illinois*
*denotes Turnpike Troubadours select dates
**denotes The Steel Woods select dates
Tenille Townes joins for all dates

The members of Little Big Town are currently making their way up the country charts with “Summer Fever.”

After years of friendship and months of preparation, three-time GRAMMY award-winner Darius Rucker and seven-time GRAMMY award-winning trio Lady Antebellum launched their co-headlining Summer Plays On Tour to a deafening welcome in Toronto, Ont. (7/19) and Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio (7/20) this past weekend. With what The Plain Dealer called “one of the biggest mainstream country pairings of the summer,” Cleveland Country Magazine noted that it is “hard to imagine who’s having more fun at the show — the fans or the acts on stage” with a playlist-worthy set spanning over 20 No. 1 hits between the two.

Today, PEOPLE.com shares an exclusive behind the scenes photo gallery highlighting Rucker and Lady A’s opening weekend as the run continues thrilling audiences across the U.S. all summer long.

“Charles, Hillary and Dave have been such good friends to me over the years – we even toured together once before during the summer of 2012,” explained Rucker. “It’s always exciting to be out on the road with our fans, but I knew it would be even more special with Lady Antebellum being part of the tour too. If the rest of the shows are as much fun as this past weekend, we’re in for a great summer!”

“We’ve been itching to get back on the road with Darius for a while now and we couldn’t have asked for a better opening run,” said Lady A’s Dave Haywood. “You could just feel the energy between all the bands, crews and fans. The crowds made a lasting impression on us and we can already tell there are a lot of memories to be made this year.”

For a behind-the-scenes look at the launch of the Summer Plays On Tour exclusively through PEOPLE.com, clickHERE.

Rucker took the stage first, bringing fans to their feet with chart-toppers such as “Alright” and recent No. 1 “For The First Time” before Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum joined him for their collaborative “Straight To Hell,” the current single off Rucker’s latest album, When Was The Last Time. Lady Antebellum continued the musical celebration with hits of their own, including 6x Platinum “Need You Now” and current Top 15-and-climbing single “Heart Break,” with both acts uniting for a group encore that included a lively singalong of Rucker’s Hootie & the Blowfish classic “Hold My Hand.”

In addition to the critically acclaimed co-headliners, Triple Tigers Records newcomer Russell Dickerson opened the show with a punch of energy, treating fans to a dynamic set which included his chart-topping power ballad “Yours.”

After wrapping the first two nights of the Summer Plays On Tour, Rucker and Lady A temporarily parted ways as the trio headlined the Darien Lake Amphitheater in Darien Center, N.Y. (7/21) where the Buffalo News noted that from “the lawn to the front row, a crowd jammed into the venue.” Meanwhile, Rucker reunited with his Hootie & the Blowfish bandmates for a one-night only performance in Atlanta, Ga. The tour continues Thursday, July 26 in Bethel, N.Y. at the site of the famed Woodstock festival, with 29 additional dates through October.

Remaining stops on the Summer Plays On Tour:
Thursday, July 26, Bethel, N.Y. – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Friday, July 27, Gilford, N.H. – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
Saturday, July 28, Hartford, Conn. – XFINITY Theatre
Thursday, August 2, Columbia, Md. – Merriweather Post Pavilion
Friday, August 3, Holmdel, N.J. – PNC Bank Arts Center
Saturday, August 4, Wantagh, N.Y. – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
Thursday, August 16, Mountain View, Calif. – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Friday, August 17, Sacramento, Calif. – Toyota Amphitheatre
Sunday, August 19, Auburn, Wash. – White River Amphitheatre
Thursday, August 23, Phoenix, Ariz. – Ak-Chin Pavilion
Friday, August 24, Irvine, Calif. – FivePoint Amphitheatre
Saturday, August 25, San Diego, Calif. – Mattress Firm Amphitheatre
Friday, August 31, Welch, Minn. – Treasure Island Resort & Casino
Saturday, September 1, Milwaukee, Wis. – American Family Insurance Amphitheatre
Sunday, September 2, Mount Pleasant, Mich. – Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
Thursday, September 6, Cincinnati, Ohio – Riverbend Music Center
Friday, September 7, Clarkston, Mich. – DTE Energy Music Theatre
Saturday, September 8, Pittsburgh, Pa. – KeyBank Pavilion
Thursday, September 13, Saint Louis, Mo. – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Friday, September 14, Indianapolis, Ind. – Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
Saturday, September 15, Tinley Park, Ill. – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Thursday, September 20, Virginia Beach, Va. – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Friday, September 21, Camden, N.J. – BB&T Pavilion
Saturday, September 22, Mansfield, Mass. – Xfinity Center
Thursday, September 27, Alpharetta, Ga. – Verizon Amphitheatre*
Friday, September 28, Tampa, Fla. – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Saturday, September 29, West Palm Beach, Fla. – Coral Sky Amphitheatre
Thursday, October 4, Raleigh, N.C. – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Friday, October 5, Charlotte, N.C. – PNC Music Pavilion
Saturday, October 6, Bristow, Va. – Jiffy Lube Live
* denotes the show is Lady Antebellum only

Jordan Davis releases the music video for his infections new single “Take It From Me” today with an exclusive Billboard debut, watch HERE. In just a few weeks, “Take It From Me” has already cracked Top 40 at country radio after debuting as the No.1 most added song and continues to garner impressive streaming numbers. Jordan collaborated with director Eric Ryan Anderson for the thrilling video that chronicles a young couple and their ensuing mischief in the heart of New York City.

“Take It From Me” follows Jordan’s No.1 hit debut single “Singles You Up” which was recently certified Platinum by the RIAA and has amassed over 200 Million total streams. Both tracks are featured on Jordan’s debut album Home State which includes ten additional songs all co-written by Jordan.

Originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, Jordan has made a strong impression on critics and audiences alike with his classic lyric-writing melded with tech-tinged production. After graduating from LSU in 2012 with a degree in Resource Conservation, Jordan moved to Nashville and honed his songwriting craft influenced by his love of lyrically-driven songwriters and genre-defying musicality.

Jordan is currently on the road with Jake Owen and Chris Janson as part of the “Life’s Whatcha Make It Tour” and will next join Kip Moore on his “After The Sunburn Tour” hitting cities such as Los Angeles and Nashville this fall. For a full list of tour dates, news, images and more, visit www.jordandavisofficial.com

Fans can click HERE to listen to Home State.

Some people fish, some people read, some people bake, some people meditate, and some people run as a way to clear their head. Keith Urban takes a drive or goes into his studio to record some music.

“I love driving you know. I know that sounds like such a mundane thing, but I’ve always loved driving it’s such a cathartic thing for me. I love driving all different kinds of things: trucks, cars, big, small, fancy, not fancy. It doesn’t matter. It’s just very cathartic for me,” says Keith. “Some people go skiing for that cathartic thing. Some people run a triathalon. Some people go fishing. I go driving. That’s what I do. And being in the studio. I know that sounds weird, but I do that for recreation but it’s just because I love recording. I really do.“

Keith is closing in on the top of the country charts with his latest song, “Coming Home,” which features singer-songwriter Julia Michaels.
Keith takes his Graffiti U World Tour to Raleigh, North Carolina on Friday (July 27th) and Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday (July 28th).

Lauren Alaina announced her engagement to longtime boyfriend Alex Hopkins on Saturday (July 21st) on her socials.

https://twitter.com/Lauren_Alaina/status/1020742524317642753

The pair have been dating since 2012.

Jon Pardi has released his new single, “Night Shift,” from his hit album, California Sunrise. Jon describes the tune as a “working man’s love song.”

“He’s been working all day, he’s going to go work a night shift with his lady,” says Jon. “And it’s just a fun idea of taking like a work term and making a love story out of it. And I loved the beat — ‘It’s been a wreck me week.’ It’s just a really strong – when you start singing you can just feel it. And it came out really good recorded and it’s one of my favorites too.”

Jon is on the road with Luke Bryan on the What Makes You Country Tour. He’s set to play Pasa Robles on Thursday (July 26th) followed by Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday (July 28th).