Country singer Earl Thomas Conley passed away yesterday in Nashville at the age of 77. According to his brother Fred Conley, Earl has been in hospice care for several months, and was battling a condition similar to dementia.

Conley was best known for such 80s songs as “Holding Her and Loving You,” “Angel in Disguise” and the Emmylou Harris duet “We Believe in Happy Endings,” three of his 18 number ones. His first Top Ten hit as an artist was the track “Silent Treatment,” while 1981’s “Fire And Smoke” was his first number one.

Several artists took to social media to pay tribute to Conley, including Blake Shelton who shared, “My heart is absolutely destroyed today… Earl was my all time favorite singer, hero and my friend. Prayers to his family. We will all miss you deeply my brother. Now go rest….”

Toby Keith wrote: “An all time great. Earl Thomas Conley passed away today. Huge influence on me. Loved him. Prayers to his family.”

Brett Eldredge will be celebrating the Fourth of July on stage in Nashville. The singer will headline “Let Freedom Sing,” Nashville’s Independence Day celebration on Lower Broadway, with Mac McAnally and Jessy Wilson also on the bill.

CMT will air a 90-minute live special centered around the show, which will feature performances by Brett, along with fireworks and more.

Source: Music Row

Lady Antebellum fans can look forward to some new music soon. While on the red carpet at the ACM Awards the band told “Billboard” that their new single, “What If I Never Get Over You,” should be out in a little over a month.

“I think the fans who have been with us from the very beginning, it will feel fresh but familiar,” Hillary Scott shares, noting the tune has, “that kind of male and female perspective of longing and a heartbreak message.”

She adds, “I think everybody will be able to listen to it and put their own story into it.”

Source: Billboard

KEITH URBAN was the Entertainer of the Year at last night’s ACMs.  KACEY MUSGRAVES won Top Female Artist, and Album of the Year for “Golden Hour”.  THOMAS RHETT won the other big award, taking home Top Male Artist.

DAN + SHAY also had a huge night.  They won Top Vocal Duo, and their hit “Tequila” won Song of the Year and Single of the Year.

The women may have been cheated out of the top award, but they did not let it get them down.  They had many of the best performances of the night.

MIRANDA LAMBERT didn’t add to her record 32 ACM wins but she did tear through a medley of hits to remind us why she’s a champ.  She did “Kerosene”, “Gunpowder & Lead”, “Mama’s Broken Heart”, “White Liar”, and “Little Red Wagon”.

ASHLEY MCBRYDE showed some serious talent, bringing the crowd to their feet with an acoustic version of “Girl Goin’ Nowhere”.  And she traded lines with ERIC CHURCH during his political protest song, “The Snake”.

LITTLE BIG TOWN introduced an emotional new song called, “The Daughters”.  It’s about women’s empowerment and it really hit home with the crowd.  When it was over the camera panned to several women in the audience who were moved to tears.

LANCO brought some serious energy to the show when they did “Rival” . . . and OLD DOMINION’s performance of “Make It Sweet” had everybody out of their seats.

Traditional country was represented when GEORGE STRAIT sang “God and Country Music”, and a little later when Miranda Lambert joined him for his classic song, “Run”.

George Strait also passed the torch to JASON ALDEAN as the latest ACM Artist of the Decade.  Jason performed “Lights Come On”,“Don’t You Wanna Stay” with KELLY CLARKSON, and “Dirt Road Anthem”.

The big all-star performance was strong.  “This Is Us” actress CHRISSY METZ sang “I’m Standing With You” from her movie “Breakthrough”.  She was joined by Lauren Alaina, Mickey Guyton, Maddie & Tae, and Carrie Underwood.

And there was a great moment when DIERKS BENTLEY teamed up with BRANDI CARLILE for their song, “Travelin’ Light”.

Here’s the full list of winners:

Entertainer of the Year:  Keith Urban

Top Male Vocalist:  Thomas Rhett

Top Female Vocalist:  Kacey Musgraves

Top Vocal Group:  Old Dominion

Top Vocal Duo:  Dan + Shay

Album of the Year:  “Golden Hour”, Kacey Musgraves

Song of the Year:  “Tequila”, Dan + Shay

Single Record of the Year:  “Tequila”, Dan + Shay

Video of the Year:  Chris Janson,“Drunk Girl”

Vocal Event of the Year:  “Burning Man”, Dierks Bentley and Brothers Osborne

(Best New Artist was once again split into three categories, and they were announced last month.  Lanco won New Duo/Group, Luke Combs won New Male Vocalist, and Ashley McBryde was named New Female Vocalist.)

Kelsea Ballerini and Old Dominion are set to apear on NBC’s new songwriting competition show “Songland,” from executive producers Adam Levine, Dave Stewart and Ryan Tedder.  

Each episode will see five songwriters performing a song for three producers and a major recording artist, who will then mentor them on how to improve the tune. The artist will eventually narrow down the songwriters to three, pair them with a producer, with the winning song becoming the artist’s next single.

In addition to Kelsea and Old Dominion, a new promo released by the network reveals that the Jonas Brothers, Meghan Trainor, John Legend, Will.I.Am, Macklemore, Leona Lewis, Aloe Blacc, andCharlie Puth, will also appear on the series.

Levine is set to host “Songland,” which will premiere May 28^th.