- Today in 1956, Elvis Presley made his first appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” He sang four songs, including “Love Me Tender” and “Don’t Be Cruel,” shot only from the waist up (because of his naughty hip movements). Charles Laughton was hosting in place of Sullivan, who was recuperating from an auto accident.
- Today in 1957, Jerry Lee Lewis took “Whole Lot Of Shakin’ Going On” to #1 on the Billboard country singles chart.
- Today in 1968, Buck Owens performed for president Lyndon Johnson at the White House. His set list includes “Act Naturally,” “Together Again,” “Gentle On My Mind,” “Orange Blossom Special” and “I’ve Got A Tiger By The Tail.”
- Today in 1989, the single, “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” by Garth Brooks made its country chart debut on its way to #1.
- Today in 1989, the late Keith Whitley was at #1 on the Billboard country chart with “I Wonder Do You Think Of Me.” Keith had passed the previous May.
- Today in 1991, Tracy Byrd married his wife, Michelle.
- Today in 1996, Bill Monroe died at the Northcrest Medical Center in Springfield, Tennessee, five months after suffering a stroke. Acknowledged as the “Father of Bluegrass,” he joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1939 and entered the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1970.
- Today in 2001, the second season of Billy Ray Cyrus’ PAX television series, “Doc.”
- Today in 2002, Alan Jackson performed in Washington, D.C. as the nation’s capital began its remembrance of the September/2001 terrorist attacks. His performance at The Pentagon aired live on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Later that evening, he performed as part of the “Concert for America” at the Kennedy Center. That show, which also featured Reba McEntire, was taped for broadcast two days later (on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks).
- Today in 2004, Willie Nelson performs a concert in Plains, Georgia, for an upcoming TV special, “CMT Homecoming: Jimmy Carter In Plains.”
- Today in 2007, Joe Nichols married Heather Singleton at Whitfield Chapel in Savannah, Georgia.
- Today in 2011, Lady A’s “We Owned The Night” video debuted on CMT.
- Today in 2013, Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert’s duet, “We Were Us,” was released.
- Today in 2016, Glen Campbell tributes bookend the CBS special, “The ACM Honors.” Hosts Lady A opened with “Galveston.” The close had Blake Shelton singing “Southern Nights,” Dierks Bentley’s “Gentle On My Mind,” Keith Urban’s “Wichita Lineman,” Toby Keith’s “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” and all four on “Rhinestone Cowboy.”
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MEET THE H & S FEED & COUNTRY STORE PET OF THE WEEK: “GRACIE”
Posted on by Bob Ballard
This week’s H & S Feed & Country Store Pet of the Week is “Gracie”, a sweet 7 year old domestic shorthair/mix kitty with a great disposition. She loves attention, is fully vetted and would love to meet you!
If you’d like to set up an appointment to meet Gracie or any of the pets at Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter, visit https://www.stephenmemorial.org/ and fill out an adoption application.
Check out our visit about Gracie with Shanna from Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter here:
Blake Shelton Announces ‘Back To The Honky Tonk Tour’
Posted on by Bob Ballard
Blake Shelton has made his 2023 touring plans. The singer just announced dates for his “Back to the Honky Tonk Tour,” with special guests Carly Pearce and Jackson Dean.
“We’re throwing one hell of a party in 2023… the #BackToTheHonkyTonk Tour with @carlypearce and @thejacksondean is coming to a city near you!!!,” Blake shares. “It’s going to be big…”
The tour kicks off February 16th in Lincoln, Nebraska, wrapping March 25th in Buffalo, New York.
This day in Country Music History
Posted on by Bob Ballard
- Today in 1973, he‘s been this far several times: Conway Twitty reached #1 in Billboard with “You’ve Never Been This Far Before.”
- Today in 1979, Conway Twitty hit the top of the charts with “I May Never Get To Heaven.”
- Today in 1986, George Strait’s “Merry Christmas Strait To You” album was released.
- Today in 1987, the “Greatest Hits Volume II” collection by George Strait was released.
- Today in 1995, “I Like It, I Love It” by Tim McGraw topped the country singles charts.
- Today in 1997, Kenny Rogers’ “Greatest Hits” album was certified gold.
- Today in 1997, LeAnn Rimes’ version of “How Do I Live” is certified platinum.
- Today in 1998, Vince Gill’s “Breath Of Heaven” album was released.
- Today in 1998, Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell proclaimed the week of September 8-13th as “Garth Brooks Week” in Philly. During a formal ceremony at the First Union Center the Mayor presented Garth with a personalized replica of the Liberty Bell.
- Today in 1999, the Dixie Chicks’ album, “Fly,” debuted at #1 on both “Billboard’s” Top Country Album and the all-genre Billboard 200 charts. It marked the first time a country duo/group ever did so. The ladies repeated their feat with their current album, “Home.” In fact, the first-week sales (nearly 780,000) of their that project dwarfed those of “Fly,” which moved 341,000 copies in its first week.
- Today in 2000, Alan Jackson’s single, “It Must Be Love,” topped on “Radio & Records” country chart.
- Today in 2007, Rodney Atkins climbed to #1 on the Billboard chart with “These Are My People.”
- Today in 2013, Carrie Underwood debuted as the voice of NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” theme, “Waiting All Day For Sunday Night.” The game had George Strait serving as honorary captain of the Dallas Cowboys, who hosted the New York Giants.
- Today in 2015, it was confirmed that Glen Campbell’s family had moved him back into their Nashville home as he lived with the final stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Today in 2015, a plaque was placed in front of a building in Frederick, Maryland, designating it as the former home of Patsy Cline.
- Today in 2016, Taylor Swift donated $5,000 to a GoFundMe account set up to help cover the funeral and medical expenses for a fan who died in a car accident. The same day, she made a half-hour phone call to an 18-year-old Cincinnati fan who was dying of a congenital heart defect.
- Today in 2017, Kip Moore’s “Slowheart” album was released. On the same day, Toby Keith album, “The Bus Songs,” was also released.
- Today in 2017, Troy Gentry was killed following a helicopter crash in Medford, New Jersey. He was half of a Grand Ole Opry-member Montgomery Gentry that successfully knit country and Southern rock together, winning the Country Music Association’s Vocal Duo trophy in 2000. Their hits included “My Town,” “Lucky Man” and “Roll With Me.” In the hours after his death, one of the first public commemorations happened at an Old Dominion show in Sandwich, Illinois. The group was performing at the Sandwich Fair remember Troy by covering Montgomery Gentry’s “My Town.”
- Today in 2017, Don Williams died in Mobile, Alabama. A 2010 inductee in the Country Music Hall of Fame, the “Gentle Giant” left a string of 44 Top 10 singles, including landmark hits “Tulsa Time,” “I Believe In You” and “Good Ole Boys Like Me.” Hours after his passing, Brothers Osborne paid homage by covering “Tulsa Time” during a show in Athens, Ohio.
- Today in 2017, Kelsea Ballerini, Hunter Hayes and Maren Morris are part of a multi-network TV special, “Entertainment Industry Foundation Presents: XQ Super School Live.”
- Today in 2017, Rory Feek performed publicly for the first time since the death of his wife, Joey Feek, at his home in Pottsville, Tennessee.
- Today in 2018, Dierks Bentley headlined Madison Square Garden in New York for the first time. He brought out Brothers Osborne for “Burning Man” and team’s with LANCO’s Brandon Lancaster on “Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident).”
- Today in 2019, Carrie Underwood premiered her new version of NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” theme, “Waiting All Day For Sunday Night,” featuring Joan Jett. The New England Patriots thump the Pittsburgh Steelers in the game, 33-3.
Doctors Give Thomas Rhett The Okay To Go Back On Tour
Posted on by Bob Ballard
Thomas Rhett was recently forced to cancel his “Bring The Bar To You” tour stop in Chula Vista, California due to vocal issues, but apparently he’s all healed up because he’s ready to hit the road again.
“I just want to say thank you so much for all the well wishes over the last 10 days,” he said on Instagram. “The doctors over at Vanderbilt put me on vocal rest,” noting that his cords were “pretty dagum swollen and inflamed.” Thomas says the past week has “been the quietest I’ve been in about a decade,” but it was worth it because doctors say all the inflammation is gone and he is “cleared to sing.”
He’s set to resume the tour tomorrow in Tuscaloosa, Oklahoma. Check out the rest of Thomas’ tour dates here.
Source: Thomas Rhett
This day in Country Music History
Posted on by Bob Ballard
- Today in 1955, Elvis Presley topped the country charts with his most successful release on Sun Records, “I Forgot To Remember To Forget.” Here’s a fun fact for you – Elvis made five singles for Sun records, each of them combining a blues song on one side with a country song on the other, but both sung in the same vein.
- Today in 1979, Waylon Jennings’ “Greatest Hits” album was certified platinum.
- Today in 1987, the albums “Merry Christmas To You” and “The Last One To Know” by Reba McEntire were released.
- Today in 1990, Dolly Parton’s “Home For Christmas” album was released.
- Today in 1994, Martina McBride’s “The Way That I Am” album was certified gold.
- Today in 2000, Martina McBride joined Amy Grant, Donna Summer and other women by contributing songs to “The Mercy Project,” an album benefiting homes for troubled young women. Martina recorded a song for the project called, “You’ll Get Through This.” All proceeds from the album’s sales go to Mercy Ministries of America, a 17-year-old organization that offers free counseling, social services, and education to women with unplanned pregnancies, addictions, and eating disorders.
- Today in 2005, Brad Paisley and Lee Ann Womack picked up six nominations apiece to lead the pack of nominees in the Country Music Association awards.
- Today in 2006, the video for Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” debuted on CMT.
- Today in 2010, Rascal Flatts’ Joe Don Rooney and wife Tiffany Fallon have their daughter, Raquel Blue Rooney, in Nashville.
- Today in 2011, Jason Aldean picked up a double-platinum single for “Dirt Road Anthem” as well as a double-platinum album for “My Kinda Party.”
- Today in 2014, Lady Antebellum’s Dave Haywood and his wife, Kelli Haywood, welcomed their first son, Cash Van Haywood.
- Today in 2015, the Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit “Ronnie Milsap: A Legend In My Time” closed. The display included three CMA awards from 1977, stagewear and a gold album for “It Was Almost Like A Song” with a plaque that uses Braille.
- Today in 2017, Carrie Underwood returned to NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” for a fifth season, delivering the theme song, “Oh, Sunday Night,” prior to an opening-week game between the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots. Maren Morris sang the national anthem prior to the game at Arrowhead Stadium.
- Today in 2017, Carrie Underwood and Sam Hunt raised over $630,000 for an orphanage in Honduras with a concert for 200 people at The Fontanel in Whites Creek, Tennessee.
Luke Combs Refunded Everyone’s Tickets Because of Vocal Issues . . . Then Played the Gig Anyway
Posted on by Bob Ballard
This is the kind of thing that makes fans love you even more: Luke Combs had two concerts in Bangor, Maine this weekend . . . one Friday, and one Saturday. But the one on Saturday ended up being shorter.
He went so hard Friday night that his voice was shot. And by Saturday evening, he knew he wasn’t 100%. But instead of phoning it in, he decided to refund everyone’s tickets . . . and still performed.
He was visibly upset on stage, and told the crowd it just didn’t feel right to charge them. So he was giving everyone a refund . . . but promised that he and his band were still going to, quote, “put on the best FREE show” they possibly could.
Later in the concert, he said it means a lot that fans spend their hard-earned cash to be there, especially when times are tough. And he knows it requires things like babysitters and hotel rooms too.
That’s why he felt like he needed to be on stage and go all out, even with half a voice. (Country Now / Outsider)
(You can check out some footage here.)
This day in Country Music History
Posted on by Bob Ballard
- Today in 1975, “Rhinestone Cowboy” by Glen Campbell peaked at #1 on the pop singles chart – two weeks after it topped the country charts.
- Today in 1980, Johnny Lee’s “Looking For Love” which was featured in the movie, “Urban Cowboy,” reached #1 on the country charts.
- Today in 1985, Willie Nelson’s “Half Nelson” album was released.
- Today in 1991, Mark Chesnutt hit #1 with the single, “Your Love Is A Miracle.”
- Today in 1994, Tim McGraw’s “Not A Moment Too Soon” album was certified triple platinum.
- Today in 2001, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) announced that they planned to present the Golden Note Award to Garth Brooks on September 11th at an invitation-only reception and dinner on Capitol Hill. The event, which was set to be attended by members of Congress, was postponed “indefinitely” following the terrorist attacks earlier that day. Garth finally received his award on March 12th this year.
- Today in 2001, Tim McGraw was tapped for “People” magazine’s annual “Best Dressed” list.
- Today in 2001, the Gospel Music Association has announced plans to induct Elvis Presley into its Hall of Fame on November 27th during ceremonies at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Elvis Presley may be best known as the “king of rock ‘n’ roll,” but gospel is the music he loved first and best. With the honor, Elvis, who died in 1977 at the age of 42, became the first Hall of Famer in three genres – country, rock and gospel.
- Today in 2011, Jason Aldean, Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley and Blake Shelton notch five nominations apiece to lead the field as the finalists are announced for the 45th annual Country Music Association awards.
- Today in 2012, Vince Gill received a star at 6901 Hollywood Boulevard on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Wife Amy Grant and longtime pal Reba McEntire delivered induction speeches.
Taylor Swift Reveals Three New “Midnights” Album Covers
Posted on by Bob Ballard
Taylor Swift is dropping the new album “Midnights” on October 21st, and she’s giving fans a variety of options on how to get it.
The singer revealed three additional album covers for the record, along with three different colored options, dubbed the Green Jade Edition, Blue Moon Edition, and Mahogany Edition. Each edition comes with unique front and back cover art, unique, collectible disc artwork, a collectible lyric booklet with never-before-seen photos and a unique marbled colored CD or vinyl.
But fans will have to act fast if they want to get their hands on one. The new options are only available for the next seven days, as a pre-sale on her website. Check it out here.
This day in Country Music History
Posted on by Bob Ballard
- Today in 1981, Juice Newton’s single, “Queen of Hearts,” was certified gold.
- Today in 1989, Randy Travis crossed a Las Vegas Musicians Union picket line to begin a three-night series of shows at Bally’s.
- Today in 1983, the single, “I’m Only In It For The Love,” by John Conlee topped the charts.
- Today in 1991, Garth Brooks’ album, “Ropin’ The Wind,” was released. The first country album to enter “Billboard’s” Top 200 and Top Country Albums chart at #1, it was then the second biggest selling country CD of all time.
- Today in 2001, The “Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon” began. Country guests included Reba McEntire, Billy Gilman, Alan Jackson, Dwight Yoakam, Tammy Cochran, Mickey Gilley, Sara Evans, The Clark Family Experience and The Oak Ridge Boys.
- Today in 2009, Jason Aldean’s “Big Green Tractor” went gold.
- Today in 2019, Maddie & Tae member Tae Dye got engaged to “Love Me Like You Mean It” songwriter Josh Kerr in Nashville. The got hitched the following February.
- Today in 2010, Brooks & Dunn played the final concert of the “Last Rodeo” farewell tour at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena with proceeds earmarked for the Country Music Hall of Fame. Reba McEntire guested on “Cowgirls Don’t Cry” and their last song was “Brand New Man.”
- Today in 2011, Miranda Lambert’s single, “Only Prettier,” went gold.
- Today in 2011, Alabama raised more than $169,000 for tornado relief with a benefit concert at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater in Alabama.
- Today in 2014, Lee Brice’s single, “I Don’t Dance,” was certified platinum.
- Today in 2014, Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation announced plans to open a no-kill animal shelter in Tishomingo, Oklahoma.
- Today in 2015, TLC airs the one-hour reality special, “Big Kenny & Family.” John Rich makes a brief appearance and Big Kenny sings “Last Dollar (Fly Away)” as the program showed the difficulty of maintaining a home life with a job that keeps an artist on the road so often. “My dad,” said one of Big Kenny’s sons, “is a child, basically.”
- Today in 2016, Trace Adkins raised $10,000 for the family of late police officer Kenny Moats in a benefit at Back Porch On The Creek in Knoxville, Tennessee.
- Today in 2017, Sam Hunt correctly predicted eight of nine winners as the guest picker on ESPN’s football show “College GameDay.”
- Today in 2017, Taylor Swift served as a bridesmaid as her friend, Abigail Anderson, married Matt Lucier at Old Whaling Church in Edgartown, Massachusetts.
- Today in 2019, Dierks Bentley received a ticket in Buena Vista, Colorado, for fishing without a license after posting a photo on social media of a trout he caught in Cottonwood Creek. He paid the fine of $139.50.
- Today in 2020, Thomas Rhett presented the Recording Academy’s MusiCares wing $100,000 for its COVID-19 Relief Fund. The gift came in addition to Rhett granting all proceeds from “Be A Light” to the charity.
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