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Carrie Underwood Announces Gospel Album ‘My Savior’

Posted on by Bob Ballard

Carrie Underwood is already hard at work on her next album. The singer, who released the holiday album “My Gift” earlier this year, announced that she’s recorded a new gospel album, titled “My Savior.”

In a video posted to Instagram, Carrie noted, “I am very blessed and very lucky because I have basically been living in Christmas-land all of 2020, which was a great place to be for this year,” adding, “I’ve been making music that I love and been just giving my heart to the Lord with ‘My Gift.’”

Carrie then added she, “basically didn’t want all of that to end when I was making this music,” noting, “I felt like my soul was in such a great place, I wanted to keep making music like the music off of ‘My Gift.’ So I am here to give you guys a little gift right now and announced that I did that. I went ahead and made some more music.”

She shared that the music on “My Savior will be “a little companion to ‘My Gift,'” featuring gospel hymns she grew up singing. She adds that it will be out “just in time for Easter.”

This day in Country Music History

Posted on by Bob Ballard

Today, December 31st:

  • Today in 1947, Roy Rogers married Dale Evans in Murray County, Oklahoma. Rogers was late for the ceremony after having to put out a fire started by a cigarette butt in another room. They remained together until Rogers’ death in 1998.
  • Today in 1985, Rick Nelson died in a plane crash outside of DeKalb, Texas.
  • Today in 1990, Lisa Hartman first met Clint Black backstage at his New Year’s Eve concert in Houston, Texas.
  • Today in 1999, Trisha Yearwood and Kenny Rogers took part in CBS-TV’s landmark special, “America’s Millennium: A Celebration” in Washington D.C. Of course, some folks say that the “real” millennium didn’t take place until the first of the following year.
  • Today in 2002, Big Kenny, already $140,000 in debt, lost most of his last $200 while playing black jack in a Las Vegas casino. He gave the dealer a $20 tip, which left himself with just one buck. This event inspired him to write a future Tim McGraw hit, “Last Dollar (Fly Away).”
  • Today in 2003, Toby Keith headlined the big year-end show for folks in Nashville at the Gaylord Entertainment Center for the first time. The show included performances from Scotty Emerick, Willie Nelson and Blake Shelton. Things went so well that Toby returned – this time with Terri Clark and Dierks Bentley in tow.
  • Today in 2008, Kellie Pickler was a correspondent in 18-degree weather in Times Square on ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” Lionel Richie, The Jonas Brothers, and Taylor Swift performed.
  • Today in 2011, The Band Perry performed “If I Die Young” on the ABC year-end special, “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” along with, Fergie, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, and Hot Chelle Rae. It was the last iconic New Year’s Eve of Clark’s life.

Eric Church Is Looking Forward To Seeing Fans In 2021

Posted on by Bob Ballard

Like a lot of us, Eric Church is looking forward to the New Year and what that may bring after such a terrible 2020.

“I think, for me, the thing I’m looking forward to most next year is getting around the corner from this virus and getting some kind of normalcy,” Eric shares. “I’m confident that next year is when we’ll finally put this in the rearview at some point in time.”

Eric suspects he’ll most likely be able to be back out on stage in “late summer/fall. “I’m looking forward to being back at capacity and being, seeing people grouped up and arms around each other’s shoulders and just, I miss that,” Eric says. “I miss playing. I miss the camaraderie…I miss seeing the fans.”

Eric adds, “Next year, we’re all hopeful, I’m hopeful and quite confident, actually, that next year will be the year that we get to start doing that and then hopefully more and more as we go. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”

This day in Country Music History

Posted on by Bob Ballard
  • Today in 1944, Bob Willis & The Texas Playboys appeared on the Grand Ole Opry, which caused a stir when Monte Mountjoy’s drum set was moved onto the stage last minute. Drums were previously not allowed.
  • Today in 1950, Lefty Frizzell made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry when he sang, “If You’ve Got The Money I’ve Got The Time” and “I Love You A Thousand Ways.”
  • Today in 1956, Suzy Bogguss was born in Aledo, Illinois.
  • Today in 1962, Brenda Lee suffered from a minor eye injury and had her hair singed when she unsuccessfully tried to rescue her poodle form a house fire in Nashville.
  • Today in 1984, Gary Morris’ run in a New York production of the opera “La Boheme” concluded at the Anspacher Theater after 2 ½ months.
  • Today in 2001, Neal McCoy joined Wayne Newton and comedian Drew Carey to entertain American troops at the Kandahar Airport in Afghanistan as a part of the USO’s Deliver America Tour.
  • Today in 2010, Trace Adkins sang the national anthem and Ashton Shepherd performed “God Bless America” at the Music City Bowl at Nashville’s LP Field.

Luke Combs On How 2020 Will Affect Award Shows Next Year

Posted on by Bob Ballard

This past year has certainly been anything but normal, and for musicians it meant most were stuck at home and unable to tour, and for some, release records. This big change may make it difficult for next year’s award shows, especially when it comes to Entertainer of the Year, and that’s something Luke Combs has thought about.

Luke suspects that while Song of the Year and Single of the Year will be “pretty normal” at award shows, other categories, including Entertainer won’t be that easy. “I think you just take the current criteria and you just kind of morph it and tweak it a little bit,” he shares. “I view Entertainer as whose done the most for the genre in the last year, and I think you can still take that same criteria and apply it to 2020.”

Luke thinks they’ll have to look at things like livestreams, and more. He notes, “it’s the same kind of thing, just without the massive touring piece that is normally so associated with that particular award.”

This day in Country Music History

Posted on by Bob Ballard
  • Today in 1962, “The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show” last aired on ABC-TV.
  • Today in 1969, Merle Haggard’s live “Okie From Muskogee” album was released.
  • Today in 1983, George Jones’ album, “I Am What I Am,” was certified platinum. It was the first platinum album of his career.
  • Today in 1990, Clint Black met his wife, Lisa Hartman Black.
  • Today in 1993, Trisha Yearwood earned a gold album for “The Song Remembers When.”
  • Today in 1998, Lorrie Morgan, Steve Winwood and Michael English performed at halftime during the first Music City Bowl at Dudley Field in Nashville, while guitarist Larry Carlton was booed for a jazz version of the national anthem. Virginia Tech defeated Alabama, 38-7.
  • Today in 2000, John Michael Montgomery suffered a compound fracture above the ankle his leg on his Kentucky farm. Months later, at Nashville’s annual Country Radio Seminar, John Michael was still hobbling on crutches.
  • Today in 2001, Alan Jackson’s “Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)” spent the first of five weeks at #1 in Billboard.
  • Today in 2010, Alan Jackson surprised Zac Brown at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena with a 1966 Cadillac El Dorado convertible. The automobile was a gift of thanks for including Jackson on “As She’s Walking Away.”
  • Today in 2013, Nashville’s morning newspaper, “The Tennessean,” named Taylor Swift the Tennessean of the Year.

Taylor Swift Replaced On Nashville Mural By Brad Paisley

Posted on by Bob Ballard

Taylor Swift may be a huge star, but the fact that she has turned away from her country roots has not gone unnoticed in Nashville. In fact, Taylor was just replaced in the iconic mural at Legends Corner on Lower Broadway in Nashville.

The mural features 14 musical icons, like Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and more, but now Taylor has been painted over, replaced by artist Tim Davis with Brad Paisley.

Davis says two more stars are expected to join the mural, although didn’t say who. Interestingly, Taylor was one of only four female artists in the painting, the others being Dolly, Loretta Lynn, and Reba Macintyre.

As you can imagine, Taylor’s fans were not at all happy with her being replaced. “Nashville really just PAINTED OVER @taylorswift13 in the legends corner mural on Broadway,” one person noted “she is a country music legend and so what if she moved over to different genres?? Confused why they didn’t just make the mural bigger.”

But not everyone thinks the change was a bad one. “Amongst country music fans Brad is way more deserving, plus the only people complaining aren’t very big country fans,” another commenter shared. “Vocally she’s great but musically Brad blows her out of the park in the simple fact that he can play every instrument in his band.”

This day in Country Music History

Posted on by Bob Ballard
  • Today in 1952, Hank Williams gave his final performance, for 130 people at a holiday party for members of the Musicians’ Union in Montgomery.
  • Today in 1956, Charley Pride marries Rozene Cohran in Hernando, Mississippi.
  • Today in 1985, The Judds climb to #1 on the Billboard country chart with “Have Mercy.”
  • Today in 1991, Brad Paisley saw “Father Of The Bride” in West Virginia. The irony? He was on a first date, but infamously saw one of the film’s stars, Kimberly Williams for the first time. Fast forward four years later and that girlfriend dumped him for a friend…and he went to see “Father of the Bride II” in the hopes of getting cheered up. It worked, but they didn’t cross paths until 2000…when he asked that she star in his video for “I’m Gonna Miss Her.” They began dating soon after, got engaged eight months later…and married in 2003.
  • Today in 1993, Billy Ray Cyrus married Leticia Finley at home in Williamson County, Tennessee. “One cannot stand at the crossroads forever,” said Cyrus, who dresses for the ceremony in blue jeans and a cut-up sweatshirt.
  • Today in 1993, Shania Twain married songwriter/record producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange in Northern Ontario, Canada. It was revealed that they were separating on May 15th, 2008, after Lange allegedly had an affair with Twain’s best friend, Marie-Anne Thiébaud. Their divorce was finalized on June 9, 2010. Shania’s manager announced on December 20th, 2010, that Shania was engaged to Frédéric Thiébaud (the Swiss ex-husband of her former best friend Marie-Anne Thiébaud), an executive at Nestlé. They married on January 1st, 2011 in Rincón, Puerto Rico.
  • Today in 2000, Montgomery Gentry played halftime during the Music City Bowl at Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville, as the West Virginia Mountaineers defeat the Ole Miss Rebels, 49-38.
  • Today in 2002, George Strait’s “She’ll Leave You With A Smile” reached #1 on the Billboard country singles chart.
  • Today in 2003, “Billboard” magazine picked Dierks Bentley as the top new artist for 2003.
  • Today in 2009, Charlie Daniels played a “mean fiddle” as a GEICO insurance commercial made its debut on television.
  • Today in 2010, Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman welcomed their daughter, Faith Margaret Kidman Urban. She had been born through a gestational surrogate at Nashville’s Centennial Medical Center.
  • Today in 2012, in response to a request from a former president, The Oak Ridge Boys gathered around a phone to sing “Elvira” and a verse of “Amazing Grace” for George H.W. Bush, who was hospitalized in Houston.
  • Today in 2019, Blake Shelton’s “Fully Loaded: God’s Country” debuted in the #1 position on the Billboard country albums chart.

Carrie Underwood Got Cows For Christmas

Posted on by Bob Ballard

Carrie Underwood already got her Christmas gift from hubby Mike Fisher, and let’s just say it would have been a little big to put under the Christmas tree.

“He got me cows, which is what I wanted,” Carrie tells “ET Canada.” “They’re my favorite animal. I love them, they make me so happy.” And it sounds like these animals are basically Carrie’s new pets. She notes, “I don’t want them for any purpose, just to love them.”

But it sounds like Mike may not be getting a gift he loves as much as Carrie loves her cows. “I’m actually not a good gift-giver…,” she says. “I will tell my husband like, ‘Don’t get me anything,’ because that means I have to get him something,” adding, “I’m so awful!”

This day in Country Music History

Posted on by Bob Ballard
  • Today in 1964, Glen Campbell made his first concert appearance with The Beach Boys, standing in for an ill Brian Wilson last minute at the Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston.
  • Today in 1966, Jack Greene’s “There Goes My Everything” began a seven-week run at #1 on the Billboard country singles chart.
  • Today in 1966, Elvis Presley proposed to long-time girlfriend Priscilla Beaulieu at Graceland Mansion.
  • Today in 1971, Grand Ole Opry member Little Jimmy Dickens married Miss Mona Evans.
  • Today in 1978, Alan Jackson proposed to his girlfriend, Denise Jackson, who already had the same last name.
  • Today in 1983, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers Band traveled to #1 on the Billboard charts with “Houston (Means I’m One Day Closer To You).”
  • Today in 1986, Kix and Barbara Brooks had their first child, Molly Brooks.
  • Today in 1988, Keith Whitley checked in at #1 on the Billboard country chard with “When You Say Nothing At All.”
  • Today in 1993, Denise Jackson surprised her hubby, Alan Jackson, with the first car he had ever owned, a 1955 Ford Thunderbird, after tracking it down.
  • Today in 2001, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill took their baby, Audrey, home from Nashville’s Baptist Hospital, 18 days after her delivery. The baby was born eight weeks premature.
  • Today in 2006, Mark Willis and Darryl Worley concluded a concert tour of the Middle East with comedian Al Franken. The trek took them to Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan.
  • Today in 2011, Wynonna Judd and Highway 101 drummer Cactus Moser got engaged. They were married the following June.
  • Today in 2016, Kellie Pickler and her husband, “More Than A Memory” songwriter Kyle Jacobs, arrive in Baghdad, Iraq, as they launch their 11th USO tour.
  • Today in 2016, Kacey Musgraves and her now-husband Ruston Kelly got engaged. They married the following October. In late 2019, tongues started wagging that the couple was on the outs. And while they pushed back to a degree, the rumors became real when they filed for divorce in July 2020 and finalized the split by September.

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