Lainey Wilson is making Country Music history…again. The “Choosin’ Texas” singer is set to host the CMA Awards solo for the second consecutive time, making her the first woman to do so. Dolly Parton was the first woman to solo host the CMAs in 1988, then Reba McEntire hosted alone in 1991. This is Lainey’s third time hosting overall…with Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning being her co-hosts in 2024. Nominees for the CMAs will be revealed on “Good Morning America” on Thursday morning. The 60th annual CMA Awards will air live November 18 at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC and Disney+, then the next day on Hulu.
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Grand Ole Opry To Celebrate Vince Gill’s 35th Opry Anniversary
Posted on by Bob Ballard
The Grand Ole Opry has announced it’s celebrating one of its biggest supporters and members. Vince Gill‘s 35th anniversary as an Opry member will be marked with two special shows on Saturday, October 17th, at 7pm and 9:30pm. Joining Gill for his big night will be longtime friends and fellow Opry members Ricky Skaggs and Patty Loveless, along with his wife Amy Grant, acclaimed vocalist Wendy Moten, and others that will be announced in the coming weeks. Those looking to be there for the celebration can check out the Opry’s website for more details.
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.
Alan Jackson’s Final Concert Sets A New Single-Show Record
Posted on by Bob Ballard
Talk about going out with a bang. The numbers are in, and Alan Jackson‘s final concert has set a new world record for single-show revenue. According to new figures from “Touring Data,” “Last Call: One More for the Road – The Finale” grossed $34.7-million at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on June 27th, with all 56-thousand available tickets sold. That makes Jackson the first artist in history to gross more than $30-million from a single concert. The average ticket price of $618.95 was also the highest ever reported for a stadium concert. It was Alan’s farewell show, but he shares that record with the many artists that appeared on stage before and with him, including George Strait, Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson, Carrie Underwood, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Riley Green, Jon Pardi, Thomas Rhett, Little Big Town and Lee Ann Womack.
This day in Country Music History
Posted on by Bob Ballard
- Today in 1954, Elvis Presley made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry. It was the only time he ever performed there.
- Today in 1961, the single, “I Fall To Pieces,” by Patsy Cline peaked at #12 on the pop singles chart.
- Today in 1973, Charlie Rich’s single, “Behind Closed Doors,” was certified gold.
- Today in 1981, the album, “Saddle Tramp,” by Charlie Daniels Band was certified gold.
- Today in 1981, George Strait’s album, “Strait Country,” was released.
- Today in 1984, John Anderson’s “Greatest Hits” album arrived in stores.
- Today in 1990, the “Rumor Has It” album by Reba McEntire was released.
- Today in 1991, Dottie West died at the age of 58 as a result of injuries she sustained five days earlier in a car accident. As the first female country GRAMMY winner, Dottie was considered by many as a trailblazer for female country performers.
- Today in 1998, Jo Dee Messina was certified for the first time, scoring a gold album for “I’m Alright” and a gold single for the double-sided hit “I’m Alright” and “Bye Bye.”
- Today in 2001, Jeff Carson’s album, “Real Life,” and Hal Ketchum’s “Lucky Man” project arrived in stores.
- Today in 2001, Trace Adkins and his wife, Rhonda, welcomed their second child, Brianna Rhea. The newest addition to the family joined the couple’s other daughter, Mackenzie and Trace’s two teenage daughters (from his previous marriage). Here’s a piece of fun trivia for you: while Brianna Rhea weighed in at 6-lbs, 6-oz at birth – ironically, her daddy is 6′, 6″ tall.
- Today in 2002, the Dixie Chicks’ album, “Home,” debuted at #1 on the multi-genre Billboard 200 chart and the “Billboard” Country Albums charts with the highest first full week’s sales of any female group in the SoundScan era. In fact, fans snapped up 779,828 copies of “Home” in its first week of release. The accomplishment also set the record for the highest first week sales for any female country artist and any country group. In case you were wondering, the previous record holder was the Chicks themselves. They previously held the title in both categories.
- Today in 2008, Trace Adkins performed the national anthem at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, where John McCain accepted the presidential nomination during the Republican National Convention.
- Today in 2012, Gary Allan’s single, “Every Storm (Runs Out Of Rain),” was released.
- Today in 2014, Garth Brooks officially ended his retirement from the road as he and Trisha Yearwood launched an 11-show run at the Allstate Arena in Chicago.
MEET THE H & S FEED & COUNTRY STORE PET OF THE WEEK: HONEYBUN
Posted on by Bob Ballard
This week’s H & S Feed & Country Store Pet of the Week is “Honeybun”, an adorable 11 month old female kitty who gets along great with other cats and dogs, and positively loves people! Honeybun loves to cuddle, and is ready for her ‘fur-ever’ home.
Honeybun is fully vaccinated, vetted, spayed, microchipped and ready to go!
And since Honeybun is the H & S Feed & Country Store Pet of the Week, her adoption fee is only $30 this week!
If you’d like to set up an appointment to meet Honeybun 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 Honeybun with Izzy from Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter here:
Why Dolly Parton Kept Her Cancer Diagnosis A Secret
Posted on by Bob Ballard
Dolly Parton had been telling fans that she was ill, that she had suffered from kidney stones that were keeping her sidelined, but as we all now know, there was more going on than that. Dolly’s passing came after a very private battle with cancer, and fans are wondering why the singer had kept that diagnosis under wraps. Jada Star, Dolly’s niece, explained that to “Extra.” “We kind of kept all that stuff real private,” Star said of the illness. “She never wanted to worry anybody. So I think it was just a shock on Tuesday.”
This day in Country Music History
Posted on by Bob Ballard
- Today in 1961, Loretta Lynn signed with Decca Records.
- Today in 1988,Rodney Crowell scores a #1 single in Billboard with “I Couldn’t Leave You If I Tried.”
- Today in 2005,Faith Hill’s “Mississippi Girl” set up residence at number one on the Billboard country chart.
- Today in 2006,Tim McGraw & Faith Hill’s Soul2Soul II Tour wraps at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The couple brought in almost $89 million during the concert run, setting a record as the highest-grossing country tour in history
- Today in 2008,Taylor Swift makes her European concert debut, performing a sold-out show at King’s College in London
- Today in 2009,Carrie Underwood’s “Cowboy Casanova” was released.
- Today in 2013,Thomas Rhett scored a gold single for “It Goes Like This.”
- Today in 2014, Miranda Lambert picked up nine nominations in the Country Music Association awards for the second time in her career, buoyed by the album “Platinum,” the single “Automatic” and the collaborations “We Were Us” and “Somethin’ Bad.”
- Today in 2016, Justin Moore’s “Kinda Don’t Care” hit #1 on the Billboard country albums chart.
- Today in 2017, LoCash’s Chris Lucas and his wife, Kaitlyn, welcome their third child, Violet Reid Lucas, at the Williamson Medical Center in Franklin, Tennessee.
- Today in 2018, Keith Urban played a lunch-time benefit concert for prostate cancer causes in Toowoomba, Australia, raising nearly $1.5-million.
- Today in 2018, an edition of “CMT Crossroads” premiered with Brett Eldredge and Meghan Trainor. The night’s performances include “All About That Bass,” “Drunk On Your Love,” “Wanna Be That Song” and “Islands In The Stream.”
- Today in 2019, Ashley McBryde’s “One Night Standards” hit the airwaves.
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.
Ella Langley Returns The Favor For Coach Who Believed In Her
Posted on by Bob Ballard
Ella Langley hasn’t forgotten the people who were there when she wasn’t “the Ella Langley.” When she was growing up in Hope Hull, Alabama, Langley had a teacher, Maury Popwell (known as “Coach Pop”) who would meet with her before school so the two could play guitar together. When he heard she was going to try her luck in Nashville, Coach Pop gave her his own 12-string guitar. When Langley played two sold-out nights at Auburn University in Alabama over the weekend, she made sure to repay the favor.
According to Coach Pop’s granddaughter, Langley sent him tickets to the concert and surprised him backstage with a guitar of his own. In pics, Coach Pop could be seen with Ella as he held a “Dandelion” guitar on which Ella had written, “Love you Coach Pop!! Ella Langley,” along with her autograph.
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