On this day in 2011, iTunes named Eric Church as their 2011 Country Breakthrough Artist of the Year. Church’s breakout year can be contributed to his release of his third album, Chief. The album produced two number one singles, “Drink in my Hand” and “Springsteen, which were his first two number ones ever.
The album also produced two top ten hits, “Creepin'” and “Like Jesus Does”, as well as the top 20 country hit “Homeboy”.
Zac Brown is not only performing a show on December 17 for families affected by the recent Gatlinburg Wildfires, he recently sent food and resources to support those affected by the fires in and around the Gatlinburg area. According to the Knoxville Sentinel, Brown sent his 18-wheeler food truck, “Cookie,” to deliver food and supplies to those seeking refuge at Rocky Top Sports World in Gatlinburg. Cookie is part of Brown’s Southern Ground lifestyle brand and features a functional commercial kitchen when it rolled into Gatlinburg, it came equipped with 15 staff members, who traveled from Peachtree City, Georgia to aid those displaced after the wildfires destroyed or damaged their homes.
KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — Investigators are trying to determine what caused a major downtown fire in the southeast Iowa town of Keokuk.
KHQA reports (http://bit.ly/2hi1CFQ ) the fire was reported around 11:30 p.m. Monday.
Initially, some people were trapped on the roof of the building, but a neighbor helped them escape the building before firefighters arrived.
Fire Chief Gabe Rose says flames were coming out of a second-floor window when crews arrived, but firefighters were able to control the blaze quickly.
Rose says someone may have been doing some furniture work on the second floor before the fire, but investigators are still trying to determine the cause.
One person sustained minor injuries in the fire and was treated at a local hospital.
On this day in 2009, Carrie Underwood received the Harmony Award during the Annual Symphony Ball at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center. The Harmony Award is presented each year to “an individual who best exemplifies the harmonious spirit of Nashville’s musical community.”
A little more than a year after it was released, Old Dominion’s debut studio album, Meat and Candy, has earned a Gold certification by the RIAA. The new accolade, signifying sales of 500,000 copies, comes after a successful 2016 for the band and is fitting way to close out the year.
· The band’s Matthew Ramsey says, “We just tried to make a record that would excite us and that we were proud of. Hearing that it is now certified Gold really shows us that it is resonating with people in much bigger ways than we could have ever expected. We are extremely proud and grateful.”
FREMONT COUNTY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating after deer hunters discovered a man’s body underneath a highway bridge in southwest Iowa over the weekend.
KETV reports (http://bit.ly/2gQWFkf ) the hunters found the body under a U.S. Highway 2 bridge in Fremont County’s Waubonsie Access Wildlife Management Area.
The Fremont County Sheriff’s office says the death appears suspicion and an autopsy is planned.
The identity of the dead man wasn’t immediately clear.
On this day in 2003, Toby Keith’s “I Love This Bar” began another week at the top of the Billboard U.S. Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. “I Love This Bar” was released as the first single from his album Shock’n Y’all.
The song inspired Keith to open multiple restaurants named Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill.
The list of performers at Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountains Rise telethon has grown with the addition of and Montgomery Gentry to the lineup. These artists join previously announced performers Parton, Reba, Kenny Rogers and Alison Krauss, who’ll take the stage on December 13 to raise money for the Dollywood Foundation My People Fund , which was established assist those affected by the recent wildfires in East Tennessee.
· The three-hour telethon will air nationwide on numerous broadcast partners, such as AXS TV, RFD and The Heartland Network, as well as select on-air platforms, including Cumulus Media’s NASH Nights LIVE.
VINTON, Iowa (AP) — A Benton County man convicted of killing his girlfriend has been given 40 years in prison.
Station KGAN reports (http://bit.ly/2gIS7ML ) that David Miller was sentenced Thursday in Vinton. He’d been convicted in September of two counts of theft and voluntary manslaughter in the Oct. 25, 2015, death of 25-year-old Sabrina Janish, of Shellsburg.
Officers found Janish’s body next to a stolen truck at Miller’s mobile home north of Shellsburg. An autopsy showed she had been stabbed several times and strangled.
On this day in 2003, Kenny Chesney’s Christmas album, All I Want For Christmas Is A Real Good Tan, was Certified Gold by the RIAA. The album includes a mix of original songs and covers of traditional and country Christmas music.
Chesney’s cover of “Silent Night” features his mother and her twin sister, who are credited under the name of the Grigsby Twins.
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