Christmas came early for Josh Turner, as he’s received not one but two huge “attaboys”  over the last two weeks.

First, while on stage at the Grand Ole Opry, Turner was awarded with a Pandora “Billionaires Plaque.” The plaque commemorates Turner’s music having been streamed over 2-billion times on Pandora. Then last week Turner was surprised again at a fundraising event in South Carolina by Governor Henry McMaster with The Order of the Palmetto, a prestigious award for the South Carolina native in recognition of his career achievements and philanthropic work. It is the state’s highest civilian honor.

So soon after Thanksgiving, Josh had a lot to be grateful for. “I’m totally blown away by being presented the Billionaire plaque from Pandora for over 2 billion streams,” he said “So grateful to all of you fans who stream my music and make it a part of your life. Thank you!”

And of the Order of the Palmetto: “Receiving The Order of the Palmetto is something I never expected, but I am beyond honored and thrilled to be the recipient of it. My thanks to Governor McMaster and everyone else that played a part in receiving it.”

Source: UMG

By now everyone knows that Taylor Swift has been named “TIME” magazine’s “Person Of The Year” for 2023. But there’s a chance she never would have reached the heights she’s reached if it hadn’t been for a gesture from Kenny Chesney that is just now coming to light more than fifteen years after the fact.

In her interview with “TIME” alongside her receiving the prestigious honor, Taylor revealed for the first time just how instrumental Chesney was in the early stages of her career – and it came because she was dumped from the opening slot of his tour. When Taylor was seventeen and just starting out, Chesney named her as the opening act for his tour that year. Huge honor, and as Taylor tells it, “This was going to change my career. I was so excited.” That excitement would be short lived, however. One day Taylor came home to find her mother crying on the front steps. The bad news: Taylor was being removed from the tour because a beer company was sponsoring it – and Taylor was underage. “I was devastated,” Swift says.

Fast-forward to her 18th birthday party. Taylor sees Chesney’s promoter, who handed her a card from Chesney that read, “I’m sorry that you couldn’t come on the tour, so I wanted to make it up to you.” With the note was a check. “It was for more money than I’d ever seen in my life,” Swift says. “I was able to pay my band bonuses. I was able to pay for my tour buses. I was able to fuel my dreams.” Kenny Chesney – good guy.

Source: TIME

Reba McEntire and boyfriend Rex Linn have been dating for almost four years – and have known each other a lot longer than that. So naturally the question has arisen about the possibility of wedding bells for the couple. Reba has brushed them off, but this week there was a new wrinkle in the narrative.

Monday Reba was sporting a sparkly diamond ring on that finger as she posed for photos and gave press interviews ahead of the season’s first live taping of “The Voice.” When asked about the ring by “ET’s” Cassie DiLaura, Reba calmed the waters. “I just found it,” McEntire said of the jewelry. “I told Leslie,” she continued, seemingly referencing her brand manager, Leslie Matthews Duggar, “Imma put something over here, just let everybody talk about it.”

DiLaura continued, “You know I’m planning a wedding, am I still the only one planning a wedding?” “Yes, you are,” McEntire clarified. So, no big announcement – yet.

Source: ETOnline

Being invited to join the Grand Ole Opry is a huge deal.  When that invitation is delivered by Garth Brooks, well . . . Merry Christmas, Scotty McCreery.  That was his early present at the Opry Country Christmas Show on Sunday.

Garth surprised him with a large box decorated with gold wrapping paper and a huge red bow.  He told him there’s a card inside that he signed . . . and eventually admitted that it’s an invitation to join the Opry.

They joked around a bit, and then Garth got official, and said, quote, “On behalf of the Grand Ole Opry, we would love for Scotty McCreery to be the newest member.”  After the applause died down Scotty said, “Yes, I would love to.”

Scotty’s induction date will be announced in the coming weeks.  (You can watch the whole thing, here.)

(CMT / People / The Boot)