Today in 1998, backstage at the Grand Ole Opry Loretta Lynn made the announcement that she intended to return to college and get a degree.
Today in 1998, backstage at the Grand Ole Opry Loretta Lynn made the announcement that she intended to return to college and get a degree.
Blake Shelton is expanding the Tishomingo, Oklahoma branch of his Ole Red’ bar and restaurant. The singer is set to open an event space at the location called “The Doghouse,” and has enlisted good buddy Luke Bryan to help him celebrate.
Blake and Luke will headline back-to-back concerts at the space over Memorial Day weekend, with Luke performing on May 23rd, and Blake headlining May 24th.
Proceeds from the concert go to the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Foundation. Tickets for Luke’s show go on sale tomorrow, while Blake tickets go on sale Friday.
Today in 1969, Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan taped the first installment of “The Johnny Cash Show” at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
Future singer/songwriter John Hiatt was in the audience.
Regulars included members of his touring troupe, June Carter Cash (his wife) and the Carter Family, The Statler Brothers, Carl Perkins, and The Tennessee Three, with Australian-born musical director-arranger-conductor Bill Walker. The Statler Brothers performed brief comic interludes. An instrumental version of “Folsom Prison Blues” was used for the opening credits.
It featured many folk-country musicians, such as Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Kris Kristofferson, Mickey Newbury, Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot, Merle Haggard, James Taylor and Tammy Wynette. It also featured other musicians such as jazz great Louis Armstrong, who died eight months after appearing on the show.
The 58-episode series ran from June 7, 1969 to March 31, 1971 on ABC. It reached No. 17 in the Nielsen ratings in 1970.
“Game of Thrones” fans may not have realized but Sunday night’s episode featured a cameo from Chris Stapleton. The singer, a huge fan of the show, played a fallen Wildling-turned-White Walker outside Winterfell.
Apparently Chris was such a fan he had his management call about getting him a part. “I was like, you know, I would gladly fly to wherever in the world just to be a small part and get to watch that show going down,” Chris, who traveled to Northern Ireland for his cameo, shared. “They were gracious enough to let me come participate that way.”
Today in 1999, Jo Dee Messina appeared on CBS TV’s Nash Bridges as “Tammy McGraw.” In the episode, Nash was trying to track down a group of female robbers, whom he suspected as being manipulated by their jailed husbands. In the process, he goes to Jo Dee’s character for help. Besides acting in the show, Jo Dee also performed her hit single, “Lesson In Leavin’.”
Miranda Lambert launched her very own clothing line Idyllwind last September, but you probably don’t know where she got the name for the brand. In an interview with the “New York Post,” Miranda shares that the line was named after her horse, Ellie Idyllwind.
“I had started riding horses at the age of 30. I had never ridden a horse before in my life — it was fun and a bit scary at the same time,” she shared. “When thinking about naming the brand and what this clothing line meant to me, it was all about taking risks, being brave and trying something new, and that was represented in my life on horseback at the time, so the name Idyllwind seemed perfect.”
As for the brand itself, Miranda notes, “Idyllwind is an extension of me, who I am, and my music,” adding, “It has a vintage Western vibe with an edge; it definitely reflects my personal style. It is inspired by what I enjoy doing, what I do when I am on my off time. I am usually in a T-shirt and cutoffs wearing some cute boots.”
Today in 1992, Garth Brooks was named Entertainer of the Year and Top Male Vocalist at the 27th annual Academy of Country Music Awards. Plus: Billy Dean was one of seven double-winners. He took Top New Male Vocalist and Song of the Year, for “Somewhere In My Broken Heart”
Taylor Swift fans finally got the answer they’ve been waiting two weeks for. The singer dropped her new single “ME!,” featuring Panic at the Disco’s Brendon Urie.
Before the official drop, Taylor stopped by ABC’s live NFL Draft coverage, where she officially announced the song and told Robin Roberts it was “about embracing your individuality and really celebrating it and owning it.” She added, “With a pop song, we have the ability to get a melody stuck in people’s heads and I just want it to be one that makes them feel better about themselves.”
As for her fans, Taylor noted, “I cannot believe how dedicated they are, how thoughtful,” adding, “I can’t believe how much they care. It makes it more fun for me to create music, to create music videos, knowing that they’ll care about little Easter eggs, and you have no idea how much fun that is to make stuff for people who care about it that much. So it’s the fans.” Finally, she offers, “They’ve always been there and it’s just gotten more fun as time has passed.”
Today in 2013, George Jones died at the age of 81. The legendary “Possum” was as known for his turbulent marriage to Tammy Wynette and struggle with drugs and alcohol as he was for his music.
He wasn’t just an inspiration to country artists, On the day of his death, Nathan Followill of the alternative rock band Kings of Leon tweeted, “RIP, George Jones, you’ll be sorely missed. One of the all time greats.”
Jones’ story was one of redemption. After quitting booze cold turkey in 1999, his legend became based on the realism in his music and his dedication to “hardcore country music,” which remained resolute until the day he died.
Some of your favorite country stars performed at Nashville’s City Winery this week to help raise money for cancer survivor John Berry’s medical bills and the nonprofit Music Health Alliance. In total, the show raised $300,000.
In addition to the announced lineup, the crowd was treated to a surprise performance by Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, with Garth performing “Friends in Low Places,” and Trisha singing “Walkaway Joe.”
The nights other performances included Trace Adkins and Exile, performing “Super Love,” the Oak Ridge Boys performing “Amazing Grace,” and “Elvira,” Darryl Worley performing “Second Wind,” Shenandoah singing “Church On The Cumberland Road,” and Berry himself performing “There Could Never Be Another Love.”
The night ended with a group performance of Berry’s “All Come Together.”
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