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The 2021 American Music Awards Are Sunday

Posted on by Bob Ballard

The 2021 American Music Awards go down Sunday and it’s bound to be another great night of music.

Country performers for this year’s show include Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood, Walker Hayes, Kane Brown and Mickey Guyton. Also performing on the show are BTS, who are set to give not one, but two performances, teaming with Coldplay for their collaboration “My Universe,” as well as Megan Thee Stallion for “Butter,” Olivia Rodrigo, Silk Sonic, Tyler The Creator, New Edition and New Kids on the Block, Bad Bunny, Tainy, Julieta Venegas, Chloe, Italian rock band Måneskin, with Diplo to DJ the show.

  • Chris Stapleton and Gabby Barrett lead this year’s country nomines with three each. Other multiple nominees include Luke Bryan and Luke Combs, who each have two, as does Morgan Wallen, although producers made it clear he will not be invited to the telecast.

The American Music Awards, hosted by Cardi B, air Sunday on ABC, live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.  Check out the country nominees below:

FAVORITE MALE COUNTRY ARTIST

  • Chris Stapleton
  • Jason Aldean
  • Luke Bryan
  • Luke Combs
  • Morgan Wallen

FAVORITE FEMALE COUNTRY ARTIST

  • Carrie Underwood
  • Gabby Barrett
  • Kacey Musgraves
  • Maren Morris
  • Miranda Lambert

FAVORITE COUNTRY DUO OR GROUP

  • Dan + Shay
  • Florida Georgia Line
  • Lady A
  • Old Dominion
  • Zac Brown Band

FAVORITE COUNTRY ALBUM

  • Chris Stapleton “Starting Over”
  • Gabby Barrett “Goldmine”
  • Lee Brice “Hey World”
  • Luke Bryan “Born Here Live Here Die Here”
  • Morgan Wallen “Dangerous: The Double Album”

FAVORITE COUNTRY SONG

  • Chris Stapleton “Starting Over”
  • Chris Young & Kane Brown “Famous Friends”
  • Gabby Barrett “The Good Ones”
  • Luke Combs “Forever After All”
  • Walker Hayes “Fancy Like”

This day in Country Music History

Posted on by Bob Ballard
  • Today in 1955, Carl Perkins recorded his most enduring song, “Blue Suede Shoes,” at Sun Studios in Memphis.
  • Today in 1994, Mary Chapin Carpenter topped the country charts with “Shut Up and Kiss Me.”
  • Today in 1995, George Strait’s box set, “Strait Out of the Box,” was certified for sales of 5-million. It’s since gone on to sell over seven million copies, making it the third best-selling box set in history. The only boxes that have sold more were by Led Zeppelin and Bruce Springsteen.
  • Today in 1996, Mark Chesnutt released his “Greatest Hits” album.
  • Today in 1997, LeAnn Rimes’ album, “The Early Years,” went gold, platinum and double platinum simultaneously.
  • Today in 2001, Georgia Representative Mac Collins read the lyrics to Alan Jackson’s single, “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),” are read into the Congressional Record.
  • Today in 2002, Shania Twain’s “UP!” album arrived in stores. It was a hot seller, too. A week later, it debuted atop the country and all-genre album charts after selling nearly 900,000 copies.
  • Today in 2002, Dwight Yoakam’s box set, “Reprise Please Baby: The Warner Brothers Years,” was released.
  • Today in 2002, Keith Urban was enjoying his eighth week at #1 on the country singles charts with “Somebody Like You.”
  • Today in 2003, Lonestar teamed up with employees of the Home Depot, local community volunteers, the Boys and Girls Club of Jackson-Madison County and organizers from KaBOOM!, a national non-profit organization. To build a playground in Jackson, Tennessee. The band earned the opportunity to have a community playground built in the town of their choice after wining the Home Depot Humanitarian Award at the ACM Awards in Las Vegas the previous May.
  • Today in 2004, Josh Turner flagged down his first platinum album, “Long Black Train.”
  • Today in 2010, Tim McGraw’s “Felt Good On My Lips” video debuted on CMT.com.
  • Today in 2013, Craig Campbell’s “Keep Them Kisses Comin’” hit the airwaves.
  • Today in 2017, Keith Urban took home three trophies during ABC’s telecast of the “American Music Awards” from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles: Favorite Male Country Artist; Favorite Country Song (for “Blue Ain’t Your Color”) and Favorite Country Album (for “Ripcord”).
  • Today in 2017, Mel Tillis died at Munroe Regional Medical Center in Ocala, Florida. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, he earned the CMA’s Entertainer of the Year in 1976. The self-proclaimed stutterin’ boy had hits as an artist and as the writer of “Detroit City” and “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town.”
  • Today in 2018, Jon Pardi’s album, “California Sunrise” was certified platinum by the RIAA.
  • Today in 2018, Luke Combs’ single, “Beautiful Crazy,” hit the airwaves.
  • Today in 2018, three of Glen Campbell’s children – Travis, Kelli and Wesley – ended their court battle in Nashville contesting their father’s will, which excludes them from his inheritance.
  • Today in 2018, Taylor Swift announced she’d signed a label deal with Republic Records that gives her full ownership of her future recordings.
  • Today in 2019, Blanco Brown performed “The Git Up” as he made his Grand Ole Opry debut at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
  • Today in 2019, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum held a dedication ceremony celebrating the donation of songwriter/producer Jack Clement’s Gibson J-200 guitar. The event included performances by Charley Pride, Shawn Camp, Crystal Gayle and John Prine, who offered “Ballad Of A Teenage Queen” using Clement’s guitar.
  • Today in 2019, the RIAA awarded a gold single for “Heartless,” a track credited to Thomas Wesley featuring Morgan Wallen and performed by Diplo.

MEET THE H & S FEED & COUNTRY STORE PET OF THE WEEK: “AURORA”

Posted on by Bob Ballard

This week’s H & S Feed & Country Store Pet of the Week is “Aurora”, a 1 year old German Shepherd mix. Aurora is a sweet dog who gets along with adults, kids, and cats, but is a little picky about other dogs. She’s a young gal, so she’s full of energy and playful, but is very trainable. She’s also very ‘treat-motivated’!

If you’d like to set up an appointment to meet Aurora 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 Aurora with Terry Gott from Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter here:

Thomas Rhett & Wife Welcome Fourth Daughter

Posted on by Bob Ballard

Congratulations are in order for Thomas Rhett. The singer and his wife Lauren welcomed their fourth daughter, Lillie Carolina yesterday.

“Lillie Carolina Akins ???? born November 15th. 7.5 pounds of pure joy????,” he shared on Insta next to a pic with Lauren and the baby. “Lauren, you are my hero. Watching a child being born is legit a miracle. 4 under 6 here we go!”

Lillie joins big sisters Willa Gray, 6, Ada James, 4, and Lennon Love, 21 months.

This day in Country Music History

Posted on by Bob Ballard
  • Today in 1970, Jerry Lee Lewis and his second wife, Myra – who was also his cousin – were divorced. Their 1958 wedding, which took place when she was just 13 years old, caused such a scandal that it effectively ruined his career. In fact, the only thing illegal about the marriage was the fact that Jerry hadn’t divorced his first wife when he wed Myra.
  • Today in 1994, Patty Loveless’ CMA-winning album, “When Fallen Angels Fly,” went gold.
  • Today in 1996, Jeff Foxworthy’s “Crank It Up–The Music Album” went gold.
  • Today in 1996, Brooks & Dunn released the single, “A Man This Lonely.”
  • Today in 1998, Garth Brooks’ TV special “Garth Brooks: Double Live” aired on NBC. The show was actually performed live three times, for three different time zones.
  • Today in 1998, Reba McEntire was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
  • Today in 1999, Faith Hill found out that her album, “Breathe,” debuted at #1 on the “Billboard” pop albums chart. The project sold 242,000 copies its first week out, good enough to knock the rock group Rage Against the Machine out of the top spot.
  • Today in 2002, Jamie O’Neal left the country for a USO Tour of the Balkans and the Mediterranean Sea. She was overseas through the end of the month.
  • Today in 2003, Reba McEntire’s album, “Room to Breathe,” is in stores. It’s her first studio album in 4 years.
  • Today in 2003, LeAnn Rimes’ “Greatest Hits (To Be Continued)” was released.
  • Today in 2003, a DVD of Shania Twain’s NBC concert special, “Shania: UP! Live in Chicago,” appears in stores.
  • Today in 2005, The Johnny Cash biopic “Walk The Line” opened in theaters, with Joaquin Phoenix in the starring role. Reese Witherspoon portrays June Carter, Shelby Lynne took the role of Cash’s mother, and Shooter Jennings played his own late father, Waylon Jennings.
  • Today in 2008, The Zac Brown Band’s album, “The Foundation,” was released.
  • Today in 2011, Taylor Swift met Bruce Springsteen when he attended her show at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. Also in attendance: Scotty McCreery.
  • Today in 2012, Luke Bryan, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Lady Antebellum each won during ABC’s American Music Awards at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.
  • Today in 2015, Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” was announced as a new addition to the GRAMMY Hall of Fame. The class also featured James Carr’s “The Dark End Of The Street,” plus music by the Andrews Sisters, Lead Belly and The Sir Douglas Quintet.
  • Today in 2016, funeral services were held for Leon Russell at the Victory Baptist Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Steve Ripley, formerly of The Tractors, was a pallbearer. Honorary pallbearers included Elton John, Sam Bush, John Cowan, Mike Lawler, T. Graham Brown, Jim Halsey and Willie Nelson.
  • Today in 2016, Dan + Shay’s Dan Smyers announced on social media that he’d gotten engaged to his girlfriend, Abby Law, in Hawaii. They got married in May 2017.
  • Today in 2016, George Strait’s album ,”Strait Out Of The Box: Part 2,” was released.
  • Today in 2019, with Taylor Swift in the midst of a public argument with Big Machine over her rights to perform some of her older songs on the American Music Awards, a pair of fans paid $1,000 to have two digital billboards in Nashville calling for the label to “let Taylor perform her own songs.”
  • Today in 2019, Billy Ray Cyrus visited the White House in Washington, D.C., with the family of Channing Smith, a Tennessee teen who committed suicide, to discuss cyber bullying with first lady Melania Trump.
  • Today in 2020, Brad Paisley sang “This Is Country Music” during the 14th annual Stand Up For Heroes event, raising millions online for a military charity. Also aboard were Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow, Ray Romano, Jon Stewart and Mickey Guyton, who covers “To Make You Feel My Love.”

Alan Jackson Releases New Song Written With Daughter

Posted on by Bob Ballard

Alan Jackson has just released a brand new single, “Racing The Dark,” which he co-wrote with his daughter Mattie Jackson Selecman, and is being released in conjunction with her just-released first book “Lemons On Friday.”

The book follows Mattie’s heartbreaking experience of the sudden and tragic loss of her husband Ben, who died from a traumatic brain injury 11 months after they wed.

“I’m really surprised how well she was able to handle all that. I know I couldn’t have done what she’s done,” Alan says. “One day she came to me with this piece of paper and said, ‘I wrote this song…the lyrics,’ and asked me to put it to music. So, I wrote the melody for it, and it turned out to be a very sweet song.”

He adds, “It’s a beautiful song. And it’s well-written, lyrically,” noting, “She told a little more of her story in it…so I’m anxious for my fans to get to hear this.”

This day in Country Music History

Posted on by Bob Ballard
  • Today in 1994, Kathy Mattea’s album, “A Collection Of Hits,” was certified platinum.
  • Today in 1994, Sammy Kershaw’s “Feeling Good Train” album was certified gold. The same day his “Haunted Heart” project was certified platinum.
  • Today in 1994, Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Some Gave All” CD was certified for sales of 8-million.
  • Today in 1997, LeAnn Rimes’ version of “How Do I Live” was certified double platinum – the only country single ever to reach that mark at that time. On the same day, Rimes’ “Blue” album was certified for multi-platinum sales of 5-million.
  • Today in 1997, Shania Twain’s “The Woman In Me” made Shania Twain the first female country artist to have an album certified for shipments of 10-million copies
  • Today in 1998, Garth Brooks’ “Double Live” album was released, the same day new albums from Jewel, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston hit record stores. After the dust had settled on what record stores called “Super Tuesday,” Garth emerged victorious. He captured the #1 spot on the album charts – and set a first-week sales record of 1.9-million copies.
  • Today in 1998, “The Prince Of Egypt – Nashville” soundtrack was released. The album featured songs by Vince Gill, Wynonna, Reba McEntire, Clint Black, Faith Hill and Jessica Andrews.
  • Today in 1999, Tim McGraw’s album, “A Place In The Sun,” was certified double-platinum.
  • Today in 1999, Faith Hill’s Breathe album debuted at the top of both the “Billboard” country and all-genre album charts.
  • Today in 2000, Pam Tillis’ “All of This Love” album was certified gold.
  • Today in 2000, Alabama’s “For the Record: 41 Number-One Hits” collection was certified quadruple-platinum.
  • Today in 2011, Scotty McCreery picked up a gold album for “Clear As Day.”
  • Today in 2012, the Zac Brown Band took the prestigious Madison Square Garden in New York for the first time – noting, “We have to make a new bucket list after tonight.”
  • Today in 2016, Luke Bryan’s single, “Huntin’, Fishin’ And Lovin’ Every Day,” went platinum.

Taylor Swift Drops Video For ‘I Bet You Think About Me’

Posted on by Bob Ballard

Taylor Swift dropped a new video for “I Bet You Think About Me,” with backing vocals from Chris Stapleton. The video is directed by her good friend Blake Lively and stars actor Miles Teller as a groom who apparently isn’t over his ex.

The clip is centered around Miles’ all-white wedding, with Taylor, his obvious ex, popping up all in red to wreak havoc, grabbing wedding cake, chugging champagne, and more. In a call back to “All Too Well,” she even gives the bride, Miles’ real-life wife Keleigh Sperry Teller, a red scarf.

At one point the pair share a dreamy dance, this time with Taylor dressed in a wedding gown, but things turn back to reality and it soon turns red and she joins the wedding band.

“We wanted this song to be like a comedic, tongue-in-cheek, funny, not caring what anyone thinks about you sort of breakup song because there are a lot of different types of heartbreak songs on Red,” Taylor shared. “We wanted to kind of make people laugh with it, and we wanted it to be sort of a drinking song. I think that that’s what it ended up being.”

This day in Country Music History

Posted on by Bob Ballard
  • Today in 1955, Johnny Cash made his first chart appearance with the single, “Cry Cry Cry.”
  • Today in 1968, the single, “Wichita Lineman,” by Glen Campbell entered the Top 40 chart. In 1997, Dwight Yoakam did his version of the tune on his album, “Under The Covers.”
  • Today in 1984, the “Right Or Wrong” album by George Strait was certified gold.
  • Today in 1987, George Strait’s “Greatest Hits Volume II” album was certified gold.
  • Today in 1992, Reba’s video, “For My Broken Heart,” was certified platinum.
  • Today in 1993, the album, “Let There Be Peace On Earth,” by Vince Gill was certified gold.
  • Today in 1994, Dwight Yoakam’s album, “Just Lookin’ For A Hit,” was certified platinum.
  • Today in 1994, the album, “Ropin’ The Wind,” by Garth Brooks was certified for sales of 10-million.
  • Today in 1995, Travis Tritt’s album, “Greatest Hits – From The Beginning,” was certified gold.
  • Today in 1995, the “Strait Out Of The Box” set by George Strait was certified gold and platinum simultaneously.
  • Today in 1996, Lorrie Morgan married her fourth husband, Jon Randall, at her home in Nashville. The couple divorced three years later. Lorrie recently took her fifth trip down the aisle with longtime friend, Sammy Kershaw.
  • Today in 1996, the #1 song on the country charts was George Strait’s “I Can Still Make Cheyenne.”
  • Today in 2000, Travis Tritt celebrated his single, “Best of Intentions,” topping the “Radio & Records” country chart for its second week.
  • Today in 2003, Alabama added to its own American Music Awards record by claiming the 23rd victory of its career at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium. The evening’s other country winners included Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Toby Keith.
  • Today in 2005, CBS aired “I Walk The Line: A Night For Johnny Cash” with Brad Paisley, Martina McBride, Dwight Yoakam, Jerry Lee Lewis, Norah Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock, Reese Witherspoon, Joaquin Phoenix and Alison Krauss.
  • Today in 2012, Lee Brice’s “I Drive Your Truck” hit the airwaves.

Carrie Underwood Drops Funny Holiday Song “Stretchy Pants’

Posted on by Bob Ballard

Carrie Underwood is once again getting fans in the holiday spirit, this time with a fun new track. The singer just shared the funny Christmas tune, “Stretchy Pants,” written by Carrie, Hillary Lindsey and Chris DeStefano. 

“People know that I am a champion for a healthy lifestyle, but a big part of that is balance,” Carrie shares. “There are times to be disciplined, and then there are times when we need to eat and drink and be merry and enjoy ourselves with family and friends.”

A portion of the proceeds from “Stretchy Pants” will go to Brad and Kimberly Williams-Paisley’s non-profit The Store, which provides a free shopping experience for qualified families and individuals.

As Carrie notes, “Everybody should be able to afford feasts for the holidays, and everybody should have the opportunity to break out those stretchy pants!”

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