March 30: On This Day
1982 – George Jones is arrested and charged with drunken driving after he wrecks driving home in Mississippi.
1984 – Country music singer/songwriter Justin Moore is born.
1990 – Country superstar Thomas Rhett (Akins Jr.) is born.
1998 – Clint Black holds at #1 on the Country Singles Chart with Nothin’ but The Taillights.
2006 – Carrie Underwood is #1 on the Country Charts with her debut album Some Hearts.
With two daughters of his own, Jason Aldean might seem like the perfect person to give Thomas Rhett parenting pointers about raising two little girls. But in an interview with Taste of Country, Aldean said that while Rhett recently asked him a few questions about parenthood, he doesn’t feel like his advice could get him fully prepared for what’s coming. Jason said, “I think being a parent — it’s something you figure out along the way. There’s no book; there’s no right or wrong way to do it. You just figure it out as you go along.”
Thomas Rhett has expanded his partnership with Budweiser to include a new commercial featuring footage of Rhett on his “Home Team Tour.” The new commercial is the newest layer of Thomas’ partnership with the brand, which began in 2016 when they teamed up for a behind-the-scenes look into his tour that year. This year, the brand will follow his “Home Team Tour,” with Rhett also set to make appearances at the Budweiser Country Club fan experience area, which will be set up at several festivals this summer. The new ad can be seen here.
The list of performers at the upcoming 2017 CMT Music Awards has grown with the addition of Kelsea Ballerini and Little Big Town to the lineup. The show will include previously announced performances Blake Shelton, Brett Eldredge, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert and Thomas Rhett, with all-star collaborations by The Chainsmokers and Florida Georgia Line, Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood and Lady Antebellum with Earth, Wind & Fire.
Several all-star collaborations have been announced for the upcoming 2017 CMT Music Awards, including cross-genre pairings from Florida Georgia Line with The Chainsmokers as well as Lady Antebellum with the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire. The night will also include superstars Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood performing live together for the first time on any CMT stage.
· These acts will join previously announced performers Blake Shelton, Brett Eldredge, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert and Thomas Rhett from Nashville’s Music City Center on June 7 at 8 PM ET. Additional performers will be announced soon.
Nobody wants to be the fifth wheel on a double date, but Brett Eldredge made an exception on Monday night (5/22) so he could hang out with Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett and their wives at the Nashville Predators’ home playoff game. Rhett shared a picture of the all-star squad at the Bridgestone Arena after the big win, writing, “Solid crew tonight… headed to the cup.” Eldredge shared the same picture the next day, saying, “I’ll 5th wheel with this crew any day…”
Thomas Rhett’s daughter, Willa Gray, made her stage debut over the weekend, joining her dad at his concert in Mississippi to the delight of the crowd. Rhett took to Instagram to share a picture of Willa Gray onstage wearing noise-cancelling headphones along with the caption, “The coolest thing ever.” Thomas also shared a video featuring highlights from the show, including the special onstage daddy-daughter moment.
A few days earlier, Thomas shared an adorable picture of Willa Gray trying on her noise-cancelling headphones for the first time.
Thomas Rhett and his wife Lauren have finally welcomed their adopted daughter home from Africa. The couple shared the happy news on social media Friday (5/12), revealing that the precious girl’s name is Willa Gray Akins. Thomas and Lauren brought Willa Gray home from Uganda, where the couple has been making frequent trips to over the last year to visit her. The exciting day comes as the expectant couple is also waiting for Willa Gray’s little sister to arrive in early August.
· Thomas wrote on Instagram, “Everyone meet Willa Gray Akins! I can’t believe our daughter is finally home. We have been in this adoption process for what seems like forever and are just so filled with joy that we are all finally home together! Thank you to everyone who prayed every single day for this sweet girl. The Lord blessed us with the most amazing little girl we could have ever dreamed of and we can’t wait to watch her grow up!”
· Lauren wrote on Instagram, “YALL Our baby girl is hommmmeeeeee. Thank you Jesus for bringing our family together on the same continent finally 🙂 little cutie Willa Gray Akins came home yesterday after completely stealing our hearts in Uganda over a year ago & we’re sooooo happy we just can’t stand it.”
Brett Eldredge appeared on NBC’s Today show on Tuesday (5/9) to help announce the nominees for the 2017 CMT Music Awards. Keslea Ballerini, Thomas Rhett and Keith Urban lead this year’s pack with four nominations apiece, while Carrie Underwood, Florida Georgia Line, Lauren Alaina and Luke Bryan follow closely behind with three nods each. Hosted this year by Nashville star Charles Esten, the CMT Music Awards will take place live from Nashville on June 7 at 8 PM ET.
The full list of CMT Music Awards nominees appears below:
Video of the Year
Artists of Then, Now & Forever, “Forever Country”
Brad Paisley, “Today”
Brett Eldredge, “Wanna Be That Song”
Carrie Underwood, “Church Bells”
Cole Swindell, “Middle of a Memory”
Dierks Bentley and Elle King, “Different for Girls”
Florida Georgia Line, “H.O.L.Y.”
Jon Pardi, “Dirt on My Boots”
Keith Urban, “Blue Ain’t Your Color”
Kelsea Ballerini, “Peter Pan”
Little Big Town, “Better Man”
Luke Bryan, “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day”
Miranda Lambert, “Vice”
Thomas Rhett, “Star of the Show”
Male Video of the Year
Blake Shelton, “Came Here to Forget”
Eric Church, “Record Year”
Jason Aldean, “Lights Come On”
Keith Urban, “Blue Ain’t Your Color”
Luke Bryan, “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day”
Thomas Rhett, “Star of the Show”
Female Video of the Year
Carrie Underwood, “Church Bells”
Kelsea Ballerini, “Peter Pan”
Lauren Alaina, “Road Less Traveled”
Maren Morris, “80s Mercedes”
Miranda Lambert, “Vice”
Reba McEntire, “Back to God”
Duo Video of the Year
Big & Rich featuring Tim McGraw, “Lovin’ Lately”
Brothers Osborne, “21 Summer”
Dan + Shay, “How Not To”
Florida Georgia Line, “H.O.L.Y.”
LoCash, “I Know Somebody”
Group Video of the Year
Eli Young Band, “Saltwater Gospel”
Lady Antebellum, “You Look Good”
Little Big Town, “Better Man”
Midland, “Drinkin’ Problem”
Old Dominion, “Song for Another Time”
Breakthrough Video of the Year
Brett Young, “In Case You Didn’t Know”
Jon Pardi, “Dirt on My Boots”
Kane Brown, “Used to Love You Sober”
Lauren Alaina, “Road Less Traveled”
Luke Combs, “Hurricane”
RaeLynn, “Love Triangle”
Collaborative Video of the Year
Artists of Then, Now & Forever, “Forever Country”
Chris Young featuring Vince Gill, “Sober Saturday Night”
Dierks Bentley featuring Elle King, “Different for Girls”
Florida Georgia Line featuring Tim McGraw, “May We All”
Keith Urban featuring Carrie Underwood, “The Fighter”
Kenny Chesney with P!nk, “Setting the World on Fire”
CMT Performance of the Year
Jason Aldean, “Hicktown” (From CMT Concert of the Summer)
Jason Derulo and Luke Bryan, “Want to Want Me” (From CMT Crossroads)
John Mellencamp and Darius Rucker, “Pink Houses” (From CMT Crossroads)
Alicia Keys and Maren Morris, “80s Mercedes” (From CMT Crossroads)
Meghan Trainor, Jill Scott and Kelsea Ballerini, “You’re Still The One/Any Man of Mine/Man I Feel Like A Woman” (from CMT Artists of the Year)
Nick Jonas and Thomas Rhett, Close (From CMT Crossroads)
Social Superstar of the Year
Brett Eldredge
Jake Owen
Keith Urban
Kelsea Ballerini
Lauren Alaina
Thomas Rhett
The first round of performers at the 2017 CMT Music Awards has been announced and includes Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett and Brett Eldredge. Nashville star Charles Esten has also been named as the host of the fan-voted award show, which airs live from Nashville on Wednesday, June 7 at 8:00 PM ET. Additional performers, presenters and special guests will be announced soon.
· Nominations will be announced on Tuesday, May 9, and fan voting begins the same day at CMT.com.
· Esten announced the news with a video posted on Instagram Monday morning (5/1).
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