Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

On Saturday (August 5th), Carrie Underwood lived out her rockstar dreams by opening for Guns N’Roses. in Moncton, New Brunswick.

After the show, she posted numerous images of her onstage and backstage, and she seemed to have the time of her life! She wrote, “Just a country girl living out some rockstar dreams….I want to say a HUGE thanks to @gunsnroses for having us out on tour, as well as their amazing fans! I was super nervous playing for another band’s crowd (of a completely different genre, no less), but you all made us feel so welcome!”

Just a country girl living out some rockstar dreams…I want to say a HUGE thanks to @gunsnroses for having us out on tour, as well as their amazing fans! I was super nervous playing for another band’s crowd (of a completely different genre, no less) but you all made us feel so… pic.twitter.com/kfwAj8w67W

— Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood) August 6, 2023

Underwood’s eclectic set, backed by her stellar 8-piece band, included unique mash-ups and covers by some of Underwood’s longtime rock inspirations such as Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, and Heart, while also covering other crowd-pleasing favorites by Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and Motörhead. The enthusiastic crowd also sang along to Underwood’s smash hits, as well as newer tracks from her most recent album, Denim & Rhinestones.

During Guns N’ Roses headlining set, Underwood joined the iconic rock legends for their classic hit “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” and was invited back again to the stage for the night’s final number, the anthemic “Paradise City.”

Merci Moncton!  See you tomorrow Montreal! ❤️
 #CroixBleueMedavieStadium⁰#Moncton⁰#GNRWorldTour⁰@gunsnroses
🎥: @JeffJohnsonFilm pic.twitter.com/L4kQcS9P8t

— Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood) August 7, 2023

She told us prior to her first show with GNR, “I think the things I look forward to most are obviously, like watching their show (laughs) and being around them, but it’s just such a fun vibe. Their fans are absolutely incredible and so supportive and just have been so much fun everything that I’ve seen from them. But also looking forward to just doing some things in our set list that I might not get the chance to do any other time. I wanted to be me, but I also wanted to bridge the gap between me and Guns N’ Roses a little bit, so we’re just having a blast with it. I’m doing some cover songs of some rock stuff that I love. I’m mashing up some of my songs with some other songs. We just look at it as an opportunity to be creative and get to do something we’ve never done before; just have a good time with it.”

She will join Axl and the guys again on Tuesday (August 8th) in Montreal, Quebec, as well as a show on August 26th in Nashville at GEODIS Park.

Click here for Carrie audio.

Carrie, who is making her way up the country charts with “Out Of That Truck,” will release the deluxe version of her 2022 album, Denim & Rhinestones, on September 22nd. The collection features six new songs, including her latest single.

Fans can also catch her on the small screen in the show open for NBC’s Sunday Night Football for the 11th consecutive season beginning September 10th on NBC and Peacock.

“With this record, Vince Gill and Paul Franklin have taken their admiration for Ray Price to the next level, with one of the finest true-country tributes of all time,” states country music icon Bill Anderson in the liner notes for Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys.

Now, 10 years after the release of Bakersfield, their ringing homage to the music created by Buck Owens and Merle Haggard and their bands, Gill and steel guitar wizard Franklin are back in the re-discovery lane with Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys, now available everywhere.

LISTEN TO Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys | HERE

“It’s a kind of magic when (Vince) Gill and (Paul) Franklin apply their talents to the great American country music songbook,” states Cowboys & Indians. “Paul and I are in no way trying to say we can make these records better than the original,” Gill stresses. “I don’t think any of these songs sound comparable to the original. Paul didn’t play the same solos. Part of the reasoning behind this record was to feature not only Paul as a steel guitarist but me as a vocalist,” he adds.

“I think Vince’s singing on this album is maybe his Mount Everest of performances,” Franklin says. “I’m excited this music is getting out there and in a way that we feel brings new life and new ideas to it.

What we hope to do is introduce it to a new generation of fans and musicians that might not take the time to look back into the ’50s and ’60s. If you have great songs and you interpret them through improvisations, you’re going to get something good. And that was our mission,” Franklin adds.

The entire album contains material that might be surprising to even the most die-hard of Price’s fans. “We started looking through the sheer volume of Ray’s music,” Franklin explains. “We looked for obscure songs, ones even Ray’s fans might not know as well.” As No Depression noted, “Sweet Memories is a labor of love, introducing Price and his music to a new generation.”

Gill and Franklin discuss the making of Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys in a series of YouTube videos on Gill’s channel. You can watch them HERE.

Last night, Gill and Franklin previewed a few selections from the project, for the first time live on the Grand Ole Opry, performing “Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold),” “You Wouldn’t Know Love,” “Danny Boy,” and “Your Old Love Letters.” The performance will air on Circle All Access TV on August 12th.

The album is now available on all streaming services. It is also available on limited edition autographed milky clear vinyl, as well as special exclusive autographed box sets that include the CD, an autographed art card, and a limited edition T-Shirt on Gill’s website HERE.

There is also a special exclusive tan vinyl that is only available at all Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores©.

Carrie Underwood joins her favorite rock band, Guns N’ Roses, for a handful of dates on the North American leg of the group’s 2023 Global Tour beginning Saturday (August 5th) in Moncton, New Brunswick, followed by an August 8th stop in Montreal, Quebec and a show on August 26th in Nashville at GEODIS Park.

Carrie has performed Guns N’ Roses songs during her shows for years, lately “Welcome To The Jungle.” Lead singer Axl Rose surprised the crowd at Stagecoach in 2022 where the pair sang “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Paradise City.” She then joined the band in the U-K for their London show to perform those same songs. Axl once again appeared as a surprise guest on Carrie’s L.A. stop on her recent Denim & Rhinestones Tour.

The Oklahoma native, who cites Axl as a musical influence, is stoked to be opening for the legendary group. “I’m super excited to get to open a few shows for Guns N’ Roses,” says Carrie. “Of course, I’ve been a massive GNR fan for pretty much my whole life. I’ve been able to sing with Guns N’ Roses and Axl separately a few times.”

Not only will she be able to watch the group’s show every night on the road, but she’ll also get to throw in some new song mashups and rock cover songs she doesn’t get a chance to do in her own headlining shows. “I think the things I look forward to most are obviously, like watching their show (laughs) and being around them, but it’s just such a fun vibe. Their fans are absolutely incredible and so supportive and just have been so much fun everything that I’ve seen from them,” Carrie says. “But also looking forward to just doing some things in our set list that I might not get the chance to do any other time. I wanted to be me, but I also wanted to bridge the gap between me and Guns N’ Roses a little bit, so we’re just having a blast with it. I’m doing some cover songs of some rock stuff that I love. I’m mashing up some of my songs with some other songs. We just look at it as an opportunity to be creative and get to do something we’ve never done before; just have a good time with it. So, hopefully, my fans that are at the shows will see things that they’ve never seen and hear things that they’ve never heard in a really cool way, and then also even if there’s people out there who have no idea what I do, hopefully, they’ll really enjoy seeing us before Guns N’ Roses and just have fun with us too. So, it’s an opportunity for new creative things to happen, and I’m excited about it.”

Carrie, who is making her way up the country charts with “Out Of That Truck,” will release the deluxe version of her 2022 album, Denim & Rhinestones, on September 22nd. The collection features six new songs, including her latest single.

Fans can also catch her on the small screen in the show open for NBC’s Sunday Night Football for the 11th consecutive season beginning September 10th on NBC and Peacock.

Mercury Nashville / Range Music recording artist Luke Grimes today released a new version of, “Hold On,” which also features Irish singer-songwriter Foy Vance, a co-writer on the track. Produced by Dave Cobb, the song was written by Vance and Ilsey Juber.

LISTEN TO “HOLD ON” FEATURING FOY VANCE | HERE

When Grimes began having discussions with his management team about his musical inspirations, Foy Vance, a singer-songwriter from Northern Ireland, was on that list. After a writing session with Vance in Scotland fell through, “Hold On,”, was pitched to the team and it was immediately put on hold for Grimes. He recorded it with Cobb, and it is one of only two songs that Grimes didn’t write for his forthcoming album. After the original “Hold On” came out earlier this year, Grimes reached out to Vance again to see if he would record a duet and though the two have still not yet met in person, the beautiful new version is now available.

“‘Hold On’ has become one of my favorite songs on the (upcoming) album,” said Grimes. “Foy Vance is one of my favorite current songwriters and although he and I couldn’t get together in person, I knew I wanted him to be a part of this album. He had this song that had not been cut and I immediately fell in love with the words; I felt so connected to it. It’s a familiar feeling, the fear of falling too deeply for someone because you could ultimately get hurt. I think it’s a universal feeling for anyone who has had their heart broken.”

Adds Vance, “I was so happy to hear that Luke had cut ‘Hold On’ for his debut album and then equally honoured to be asked to duet it with him.”

About Luke Grimes
Grimes’ debut track, “No Horse To Ride,” debuted inside the Top 10 of the Country Songs sales chart at No. 7. In its second week of release, “No Horse To Ride” racked up 95K Shazams, placing it No. 2 on the Shazam Country chart, No. 2 on the Shazam Top 200 USA chart and No. 37 on the Shazam Global chart, a rarity for a country artist. Spotify placed the song on the cover of its Country Hits 2023 playlist, with the song in the No. 1 position, and the song has been on eight Spotify Viral Charts.

Known for his role as Kayce Dutton on the hit television series, “Yellowstone,” Grimes has been making music for years and is prepping his first major label project. When not on set, Grimes can be found spinning his favorite country albums and songwriting at home in Montana or in Nashville writing with some of Music Row’s elite including Jonathan Singleton, Tony Lane, Randy Montana, Brent Cobb, Jamey Johnson, Love Junkies, Josh Osborne, Jon Randall, and Jessie Alexander.

Grimes grew up playing music in the church as the son of a Pentecostal pastor. His father also laid the foundation for the music he loves, introducing him to the works of Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings. The Ohio native is now finding his own voice and style as an artist, inspired by the likes of Colter Wall, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, and the late Townes Van Zandt. Grimes is touring this summer at fairs and festivals across the country.

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Having previously teased the forthcoming project on NBC’S “TODAY,” Diamond-certified star Darius Rucker announces that his first solo album in six years, Carolyn’s Boy, is set for release October 6th via UMG Nashville and available for preorder now. Brand new song “Have A Good Time” is also available everywhere Friday (August 4th) as a further preview of the project alongside his latest single “Fires Don’t Start Themselves,” currently climbing the charts at Country radio.

“I wanted to name the record Carolyn’s Boy because Mom never got to see any of my success,” Rucker explained during the “TODAY” interview. “She died before any of this happened, so it’s just another homage to the greatest woman I’ve ever known.”

When asked why now is the right time to honor her, Rucker was reflective, conceding, “years ago, I wasn’t really sure what my place in Country music was and I was trying to find it. Now I have found it – I know – and I think it’s time to give that record.”

Years ago, I wasn't really sure what my place in Country Music was and I was trying to find it. Now I've found it – I know – and I think it's time to give you all that record.
'Carolyn's Boy', named after the greatest woman I've ever known, my mom, is out October 6th!… pic.twitter.com/I5LDKuKkVO

— Darius Rucker (@dariusrucker) August 4, 2023

Rucker will return to “TODAY” on September 1st to perform new songs off the project along with his fan-favorite hits as part of the Citi Concert Series. Fans can also catch Rucker on his Starting Fires Tour, currently underway, and he’ll bring the new music to his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina during his personally-curated Riverfront Revival Music Festival as it returns for a second year on album release weekend (October 7th & 8th).

In celebration of the album announcement, Riverfront Revival is offering a limited allotment of 6-Pack GA Weekend Ticket Bundles, allowing fans to bundle and save $15 per pass while supplies last at RiverfrontRevival.com. Showcasing the best of country and rock music along with the finest in food, arts and culture the Lowcountry has to offer, the 2023 lineup includes Rucker, Turnpike Troubadours, Lainey Wilson, Band of Horses and more.

For more information on all things Darius Rucker, visit DariusRucker.com and follow on social media @DariusRucker.

Carolyn’s Boy Lyrics & Label Copy Available HERE

Carolyn’s Boy Track List:
(songwriters in parentheses)
1.   Beers And Sunshine (Darius Rucker, JT Harding, Josh Osborne, Ross Copperman)
2.   In This Together (Darius Rucker, Derek George, Bobby Hamrick, Joy Williams)
3.   Never Been Over (Darius Rucker, Lee Thomas Miller, John Osborne)
4.   Fires Don’t Start Themselves (Ben Hayslip, Jacob Rice, Dan Isbell)
5.   Ol’ Church Hymn feat. Chapel Hart (Darius Rucker, Greylan James, Ben Hayslip, Josh Miller)
6.   7 Days (Darius Rucker, Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley, Charles Kelley)
7.   Same Beer Different Problem (Darius Rucker, Topher Brown, Sarah Buxton, Brad Tursi)
8.   Sara (Darius Rucker, Joel Crouse, Kyle Rife, Ed Sheeran)
9.   Have A Good Time (Darius Rucker, Monty Criswell, Derek George, Bobby Hamrick)
10. Sure Would Have Loved Her (Darius Rucker, Wyatt Durrette, Levi Lowrey)
11. Southern Comfort (Chris LaCorte, Matt Rogers, Josh Osborne)
12. 3am in Carolina (Darius Rucker, Ross Copperman, Michael Hardy)
13. Lift Me Up (Temilade Openiyi, Robyn Fenty, Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Goransson)
14. Stargazing (Darius Rucker, Brinley Addington, Jess Cayne, Matt Morrisey)

Upcoming Starting Fires Tour Dates:
Aug. 4  |  Bridgeport, Conn.  |  Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater
Aug. 5  |  Farmingville, N.Y.  |  Catholic Health Amphitheater at Bald Hill
Aug. 10  |  Sterling Heights, Mich.  |  Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre
Aug. 11  |  Milwaukee, Wis.  |  BMO Pavilion
Aug. 12  |  Maryland Heights, Mo.  |  Saint Louis Music Park
Aug. 18  |  Irvine, Calif.  |  Five Point Amphitheatre
Aug. 19  |  Stateline, Nev.  |  Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys
Aug. 23  |  Los Angeles, Calif.  |  Greek Theatre
Aug. 25  |  San Diego, Calif.  |  Gallagher Square at Petco Park
Aug. 26  |  Highland, Calif.  |  Yaamava’ Resort & Casino
Sept. 8-9  |  Durant, Okla.  |  Choctaw Casino & Resort Grand Theater
Sept. 10  |  Oklahoma City, Okla.  |  The Zoo Amphitheatre
Oct. 7-8  |  Charleston, S.C.  |  Riverfront Revival Music Festival
Oct. 13  |  Lexington, Ky.  |  Showdown Lex
Oct. 14  |  Nashville, Tenn.  |  Ascend Amphitheater

Kylie Morgan is sharing an authentic and familiar perspective on love with her new track “A Few Hearts Ago,” out everywhere today. Written by Kylie alongside Casey Brown and James McNair, and produced by Brown, Kylie reflects on the journey from heartbreak to healing with the lyrics:

A few hearts ago

I was closin’ down a few bars ago

In the wrong backseat a few cars ago

Wishin’ for you a few stars ago

Down a lonely road

A few hearts ago

Woulda broke yours, I’d be missin’ out

Wouldn’t have these lips I’m kissin’ now

Time did what it’s supposed to do

Thank God I didn’t meet you

A few hearts ago

“A Few Hearts Ago” follows Kylie’s recent track “Sugar Daddy” as a first look at new music set to be released soon. Claiming her place in country music with her debut single, “If He Wanted To He Would,” she earned a CMT Music Awards nomination for Breakthrough Female Video, and headlined her own Independent With You Tour this spring. She will join Old Dominion later this year on the No Bad Vibes Tour and is on the road this summer – including taking the stage at Watershed Festival in Quincy, WA today (8/4). For tickets and a full list of upcoming tour dates, visit KylieMorgan.com.

Country music’s favorite party-starter, Priscilla Block, releases her latest track, “Fake Names” – available now. The song, written by Block, Alysa Vanderheym, Summer Overstreet and Audra Mae, celebrates the escapism we all need from time to time and encourages letting loose and giving your inner “Blackout Brittney” a night out on the town.

“When we wrote ‘Fake Names,’ it was just such a fun process,” shares Block. “I mean, four girls in one room writing about letting loose with your girlfriends and having different identities for the night. You know, you always have that one friend that drinks too much, or the girl that’s starting fights in the bar, or the one that might get arrested by the end of the night. It’s just a really fun song about going out and being someone totally different for the night.”

Listen to Priscilla Block’s “Fake Names” HERE

Block and country star Justin Moore recently released an acoustic version of their hit duet, “You, Me, And Whiskey.” Last week, the cinematic music video for the song reached the No. 1 spot on CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown. The song also took the No. 1 spot on Music Row’s Country Breakout Radio Chart and is currently sitting in the Top 5 on the country radio airplay charts.

Dalton Dover  started singing in church, but his love of performing didn’t kick in until his fifth grade talent show.

“I guess I discovered I could sing whenever I’d done my first talent show at school, and I started singing around school because all my friends were like, ‘Man, you could really sing.’ And I guess then I was just like, ‘Well, okay, I think I got something here.’”

The Rome, Georgia native was dared by his friends to perform a Justin Bieber song, which he did. He chose the pop star’s 2010 smash “Baby,” and he hasn’t stopped performing since.

“A couple of my buddies dared us to do a Justin Bieber song at my fifth-grade talent show, and we did and we crushed it. We won the talent show, and I think after that, I fell in love with performing and I never stopped doing it.”

Dalton is currently making his voice heard on the airwaves with his single, “Giving Up On That.”

Ten years following the release of the critically-acclaimed Bakersfield album, country music icon Vince Gill and legendary musician Paul Franklin, have joined forces once again for their latest project, Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys. The 11-track album will be released on Friday (August 4th). 

Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys contains material that might be surprising to even the most die-hard of Price’s fans. Gill explains, “When we originally started thinking about doing this record, we were going to do half and half, focusing on two different artists like we did with Bakersfield, recording songs of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. But we got to liking so many of Ray’s songs, that it became ‘Let’s do all Ray’ and ‘Well, Okay!””

Franklin adds, “We had such a great time doing Bakersfield. It felt good introducing that music to a new generation. This time, it was a no-brainer to pick Ray Price. Once we locked in on Ray, we started looking through the sheer volume of his material. We looked for obscure songs, ones even Ray’s fans might not know as well.”

Vince says the new project with Paul started out as half Ray Price and half Little Jimmy Dickens until they started delving into Ray’s extensive catalog. “Our intention when we started this record was to do like we’d done Bakersfield—half Ray Price and probably half Little Jimmy Dickens was the perfect pair we thought would work, and then we started finding so many things we loved,” he says. “We go, ‘Well, we want to do this, we want to do this.’ It was more than half a record’s worth, and we said, ‘Hell, let’s just do all Ray.’”

In trying to pick songs, Vince says they decided not to do Ray’s obvious hits. “We just followed our ears and we did the songs we liked. We didn’t do the obvious things. I think in a tribute record and we’re honoring someone from the past to do the obvious ones – ‘For The Good Times’ and ‘Crazy Arms’, things like that – they’ve been done a zillion times. And it’s kind of fun to take something that not a lot of people had a great snapshot of what that record was.

Track List – Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys

1. “One More Time”

Written by Mel Tillis

2. “I’d Fight The World”

Written by Hank Cochran and Joe Allison

3. “You Wouldn’t Know Love”

Written by Hank Cochran and Dave Kirby

4. “Walkin’ Slow (And Thinking ‘Bout Her)”

Written by Bobby Bare and Lance Guynes

5. “The Same Two Lips”

Written by Marty Robbins

6. “Weary Blues From Waitin’”

Written by Hank Williams Sr.

7. “Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold)”

Written by Mel Tillis, Ray Price and Wayne Walker

8. “Sweet Memories”

Written by Mickey Newbury

9. “Danny Boy”

Written by Fred E. Weatherly

10. “Your Old Love Letters”

Written by Ray Price

11. “Healing Hands Of Time”

Written by Willie Nelson

Keith Urban has been announced as one of the newest inductees into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, along with Kix Brooks, Casey Beathard, David Lee Murphy and Rafe Van Hoy. Keith will enter the Hall of Fame as Contemporary Songwriter/Artist. All five newly-minted members will be formally inducted during the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala on Wednesday, October 11th, at the Music City Center.

Tyler Hubbard is featured on CMT Hot 20 Countdown this weekend. You can watch it on both Saturday (August 5th) and Sunday (August 6th) at 9am ET/8am CT on CMT.

This weekend, @tylerhubbard two steps his way onto #cmtHot20, @haileywhitters proves there's nothing corny about a Corn Star and we go into the vaults with our favorite Backwoods Barbie, Dolly! That + an all-new countdown Sat & Sun at 9a/8c on @CMT! pic.twitter.com/3WRNdiltfH

— CMT Hot 20 Countdown (@cmtHot20) August 2, 2023

Jordan Davis is featured on CMT Summer Sessions on Friday (August 4th). He performs several of his hits, including his recent multi-week No. 1 hit, “Next Thing You Know.” The show premieres Friday at 9pm ET/8pm CT on CMT.

Carrie Underwood is featured on the cover of Gold Buckle magazine. Inside the magazine dedicated to the western lifestyle and professional rodeo, the superstar talks about faith, family and her residency in Las Vegas.