Transcript

11.21.25 · Country Weekly

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Speaker 1: Once again, it's time to catch up with Country Weekly,
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where we dive into news and gossip from the world
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of country music. I'm your host as always, Ken Dawkins,
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and I'll be reading from various sources found online. As
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a reminder, RADIOI is a reading service intended for people
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who are blind or have other disabilities that make it
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difficult to read printed material. We'll begin with the first
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article dated November nineteenth, and this is from Billboard dot Com.
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And of course we have to give you the winners.
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List of CMA Award winners from the twenty twenty five
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CMA Awards. It was officially Ladies' Night at the CMAS
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on Wednesday, with host Lady Wilson and Ellen Langley leaving
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the night's biggest winners. Wilson beat some stiff competition to
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take home the top prize Entertainer of the Year, and
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her Whirlwind project was also named Album of the Year
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Elsewhere Entertainer of the Year. Guess what Laney Wilson Single
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of the Year. The award goes to the artist, producers
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and mix engineers. The winner you Look Like You Love
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Me from Ella Langley and Riley Green, produced by Will
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Bundy and mixed by Jim Cooley. The Album of the
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Year the winner Whirlwind, Landy Wilson, producer Jay Joyce, mix
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engineers Jason Hall and Jay Joyce. The Song of the
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Year You Look Like You Love Me. Songwriters Riley Green,
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Ella Langley, Aaron Rtori. Femal Vocalist of the Year winner
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Laney Wilson, Male Vocalist of the Year Cody Johnson. The
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Vocal Group of the Year the winner The Red Clay Strays.
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The Vocal Duo of the Year Brooks and Dunn. The
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Musical event of the Year, Pour Me a Drink post
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Malone featuring Blake Shelton. Musician of the Year winner Paul
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Franklin on Steel Guitar. Music Video of the Year, You
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Look Like You Love Me, Ella Langley and Riley Green.
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Directors La Langley, John Park Wales Tony New Artists of
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the Year, No Surprise here, Zach Topp. The broadcast Personality
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of the Year by market size, The Weekly National Country
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Countdown USA with Lon Helton, The Daily National Robin Holly Show,
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Rob Stone and Holly Hutton. That's on Odyssey. Major market
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winner Chris Carr and Company from k E E Y
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in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Large Market winn Q Morning Crew
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with Mike and Amanda, wqd r Raleig Durham, North Carolina,
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Medium Market, Moe and Stickman, wus Y out of Chattanooga, Tennessee,
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Small Market, Winter w COO w Lacrosse, Wisconsin, Ben and Arnie.
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Radio Station of the Year by market size Well Large
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market WUBE in Cincinnati, Medium Market wiv K and Knoxville, Tennessee,
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and small market WXBQ Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol, Tennessee, Virginia.
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And of course, you've got a slew of stories background
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stories on the CMAS, beginning with countrynow dot com first
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article dated November nineteenth, Megan Maroney lights up CMA Awards
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with Six months later, Megan Maroney brought her six months
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later music video to life on the CMA Awards stage
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on Wednesday night. Amid a pink bedroom inspired set, Maroney
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opened the performance in a pink row before removing it
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to reveal a sparkling pink mini dress as she danced
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around the stage. Leading up to the awards, Megan Maroney
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tea's that her performance would give a nod to the
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fun and colorful music video of her hit song, which
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debuted over the summer, you can expect a slumber party vibe.
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We're kind of doing a nod to the music video.
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She shared later a whole lot of pink, playful nod
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for her forthcoming album Cloud nine, It's going to be
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a Girl's Night. Within the CMA Awards, Maroney added a
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nomination day, it was revealed that Maroney was tied for
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the most nominations alongside Ella Langley and Landy Wilson, earning
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six in total. Her nods included Single of the Year Mioka,
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Album of the i Okay, Song of the Year of Course,
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m i Okay, Female Vocalist of the Year, Musical Event
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of the Year You Had to Be There, and Music
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Video of the Year m i Okay. The show also
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featured performances by Keith Urban, Little, Big Town, Lady Wilson,
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Luke Colmbs, Ella Langley, Zach Top Tucker, Wet Moore, Stephen Wilson, Junior,
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Kelsey Ballerini, Brandy Carlyle, Kenny Chesney, Riley Green, Patty Loveless,
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Old Dominion, The Red Clay Strays, and Chris Stapleton. Additionally,
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Luke Colmbs and Big Ex De Plug Shaboozy and Stephen
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Wilson Junior and Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert brought exciting
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collaborative performances to the CMA Awards stage. Lady A Allison Brown,
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Jessica Capshaw, Billy Ray, Cyrus, Lauren Daegel, Jordan Davis, Elizabeth Hurley,
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Cody Johnson, and many others all appeared during the show
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the fifty ninth annual. That was the fifty ninth Annual
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CMA Awards, and it'll be available for streaming on Hulu
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beginning this week. Meanwhile, BMI Country Awards twenty twenty five
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honor country music icons and hit makers at the seventy
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third annual event. The twenty twenty five BMI Country Awards
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brought together the voices and storytellers behind country music's biggest
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hits for an evening of celebration, recognition, and heartfelt tributes.
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The seventy third annual ceremony, hosted by BMI President and
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CEO Mike O'Neil, Chief Revenue and Creative OFFICERER Mike Steinberg,
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and Nashville VP of Creative Clay Bradley, honored the top
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songwriters and publishers of the past year and celebrated the
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fifty most performed songs in country music. The night also
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shined a spotlight on iconic figures who have shaped the genre,
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including this year's BMI Icon Award recipient Clint Black, as
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well as the Country Songwriter, song and.
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Speaker 2: Publisher of the Year.
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Speaker 1: This is the best award show in Nashville, in my opinion,
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Cameron Marlope gush. Getting to honor the songs and the
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people that are writing them, and the artists that are
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cutting them and the artists that are writing them too.
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Really cool and really special, and it's nice to be recognized.
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The evening's performance has brought those achievements, and especially the
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legacy of Clint Black, to life on stage. Throughout the evening,
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Midland opened with a stunning rendition of Black's debut chart
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topper better Man, followed by Jamie Johnson's delivery of Untangling
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My Mind When on a Judd and Randy Howser also
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came together for a soulful take on a Bad Goodbye,
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while Riley Green closed the tribute with a string stirring
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rendition of one of Black's most iconic hits, Killing Time.
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The awards portion of the evening spotlighted the writers and
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publishers powering the year's biggest songs, including Charlie Hanson, who
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was named BMI Country Songwriter of the Year. He's credited
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for co writing five of the most performed songs in
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country music, including Post Malone's Guy for That featuring Luke Combs,
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Dylan Scott's This Town's Been Too Good to Us, Morgan
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Wallins Loves Somebody Post Malone, and Morgan Wallins. I had
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some help the Post Malones Pore Me a Drink with
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Blake Shelton. I had some help also earn the title
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of twenty twenty five b m I Country Song of
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the Year, published by Big Loud, Mountain Sony A, t
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V Songs l l C, and Warner Tamerlane Publishing Company.
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The record breaking hit debuted at number one on the
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Billboard Hot one hundred and held that spot for six weeks.
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We wrote it in December of last year, and I
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remember leaving the studio and being like, this might actually
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be my first number one, and it ended up breaking
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everything that I thought would happen for the song. We
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worked hard on it and I'm really proud to say
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it was what it was shared first time b m
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A Award recipient Chandler Paul Walters. The twenty twenty five
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b m A Publisher of the Year accolade went to
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Warner Tamerland Publishing Company, which published thirty two of the
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fifty most performed songs of the year, including chart toppers
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such as Luke Bryan's Love You Miss You Mean It,
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Zack Bryan's twenty eight Pink Skies, and Tornicuet Jordan Davis
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I Ain't Saying, Tyler Hubbard's back Then Right Now, Ella
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Langley featuring Riley Green, you Look Like You Love Me,
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Cody Johnson's Third Cheap, Thomas Ht's Beautiful as You You,
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Jelly Rolls Halfway to Hell, I Am Not Okay, and
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Liar Lady Wilson's four by four by You, and Bailey
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Zimmerman's Holy Smokes. It feels amazing. We love the song
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since we wrote it. It's just one of those days
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you wish you were well. It was every day like that.
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I love Jesse, I love David, I love Tyler. I
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look forward to doing more with them, and happy this
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one went the way it went. Jeff Warburton shared of
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writing Tyler Hubbarts Back Then Right Now. This year also
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marked a milestone for Rising Talent, with thirty eight first
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time Award recipients recognized for their contributions to country music's
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biggest hits. Among them were seth Andis for Dylan Marlowe
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and Dylan Scott's Back Home Again, Thomas Erickson and for
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Kane Brown's Miles on It, Mackenzie Carpenter for Megan Maroney's
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I'm Not Pretty, Travis Heidelman for Dashes, Austin Carrie Kappenman
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for Cole Wetzel's High Road, Chase Matthew for his hit
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Love You Again, Nevin Sastry for Shaboozy's of Bar song,
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Tipsy Zach Top for his hit I Never Lie, and
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Tucker Wetmore for his hit wind Up Missing You. It
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feels so special. I fell in love with songwriting at
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a young age, and I moved to Town just to
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learn how to write songs. And I'm getting close to
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my eighth year in town, so to be recognized as
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a songwriter, it just shows you that you're doing something right.
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It's a nudge to keep going and that means everything
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to me, Shared Carpenter. It's incredible, It really is Cook
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also reflected your Place is the song that keeps on giving.
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It feels like it went to number one so long ago,
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but we're still celebrating it. And that's all from the
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b m I Country Awards uh in Tennessee. Now back
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to the c m as the best, worst in most
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oops moments of the twenty twenty five c m A Awards.
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The c ma's aired, of course, on Wednesday night, and
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in between one win after another for host Lady Wilson,
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who went home with the Entertainer of the Year and others.
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As we mentioned, there were plenty of great performances, funny
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acceptance speeches, and a lot of smooching some of the
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best moments of the night, a few happy accidents we're
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still talking about in some style standouts.
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Speaker 2: That deserve a second look.
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Speaker 1: The many couples walking the red carpet didn't shy away
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from PDA. From Lady Wilson pecking her fiancee Devilin Hodges
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on the cheek, to Laura Olana smooching her husband cam Arnold,
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and Zack top cheekily hiding his kiss with girlfriend Amelia Taylor.
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Country Stars had plenty of love to go around for
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her first time hosting solo, Wilson stuck to what she
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knew best, serenading the crowd, paying homage to modern country
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hits like Chabboozies of bar Song and timeless classics like
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Lady A's Need You Now. The nine time CMA Winter
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brought out the best in the audience, dancing with Ella Langley,
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Gretchen Wilson and Moore. To top it all off, she
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stuck the landing with an eclectic duet featuring Keith urban
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Zack Top had his hands full while accepting his first
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ever CMA Award, winning New Artist of the Year over
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Langley's Shabboozy, Tucker Wetmore and Stephen Wilson Junior. On stage,
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he confessed he wasn't sure if he had to put
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his can of beer down, but the twenty eight year
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old singer shrugged it off. Taking a swig of his
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beer in one hand and holding the trophy in the other,
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He launched into a touching speech sorry to anyone who
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spent a significant amount of time grooming their goateee last night.
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For quite a few of the biggest stars walking the
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CMA's red carpet was all about magnificent mustache on a
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night when her love life was going to be buzzed
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about her ex husband hit the Red carpet with a
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new love and her maybe ex boyfriend as being messy
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on the internet. Kelsey Ballerini proved looking good was the
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best revenge, showing up in three striking scarlet ensembles, one
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on the red carpet, one to perform, and a third
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to sit in the audience. Kenny Chesney gave the people
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what they wanted with a medley of two of his
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biggest hits, American Kids from twenty fourteen and When the
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Sun Goes Down from two thousand and four. Judging by
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the audience his enthusiastic response, the man is still delivering
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two decades worth of hits like it's the first time
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he's ever performed them. Why was Steve Martin at the
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CMA Awards confessing he's slightly scared of the audience. Well,
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the answer is that he and Alison Brown are promoting
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their new album Safe, Sensible Andsane. But honestly, people dot
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com says we don't need a reason. We'd be happy
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to see him show up and recite stock prices. The
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People staff was fighting in slack over who called dibbs
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on Riley Green first after seeing his sultry performance of
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Worst Way and First, They'll have to take on all
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the People readers who voted him sexiest Country Star last month.
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Chris Dapleton and Miranda Lambert looked like two peas in
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a pod in their brown suits and embellished cowboy hats
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during their performance of A Song to Sing, while Leanne
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Morgan asked is it too much? When taking the stage
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in a very similar ensemble to Laney Wilson. No doubt
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Vince Gill deserved his Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, but
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he was already the night's biggest winner thanks to his date,
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his wife of over twenty five years, Amy Grant. She
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looked emotional in the audience as she thanked her and
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as he thanks her in his closing speech, calling her
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the kindest.
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Speaker 2: Soul that I've ever known.
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Speaker 1: In other news from People to Dolly Parton apologizes for
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missing Dollywood induction ceremony, says she's still dealing with health challenges.
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Dolly Parton apologized for missing the Hall of Fame ceremony
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for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions or
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the IAAPA On Monday. Parton seventy nine was inducted into
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the IAAPA's Hall of Fame for her Tennessee theme park Dollywood,
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and a video message shared on Instagram on Wednesday, Partner
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wore a bedazzled sky blue outfit as she accepted her
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on her remotely. Well hey, there, it's Dolly, she began,
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and I sure wish I could be with you in
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person today, but you've probably heard that I've been dealing
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with a few health challenges this fall, and my doctors
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told me to take it easy for just a little while.
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Parton continued the video by thanking her business partners in
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Dollywood and apologizing for her absence. And I'm truly sorry
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I can't be there, but I sure wanted to take
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the chance to say thank you for this incredible honor.
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And to Jack and Peter, hey, thank you for being
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my partners and my friends for more than forty years.
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She said, You've been a blessing to me, and I
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love you dearly. You know our partnership is truly special.
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I trust them and they trust me, and they always
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listen when I come in with one of my big
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ideas and dreams. Parton then recalled the moment she had
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the big idea to open Dollywood, which celebrated its fortieth
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anniversary this year. I dreamed of a place right here
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in the Smoky Mountains where my family could perform, and
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where we could provide steady work for the good people
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in our community, and where families could come and laugh
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and play and have fun make memories together, the Joline
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singer elaborated. Parton said she was so nervous on opening day,
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feeling like a kid waiting to see if anybody was
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going to show up at a birthday party. However, she
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was pleasantly surprised by the level of support she received.
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And I peeked out the window of my bus saw
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all those cars lined up, and would you believe it,
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they're still lining up to day, Parton added. She went
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on to say she was just so grateful that you
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consider me worthy of this recognition, before adding that the
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induction was a big, incredible way to celebrate the fortieth
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anniversary of Dollywood. Parton noted that she is only the
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second woman ever inducted into the organization's Hall of Fame
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on her own, and just the fourth in its one
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hundred year history. For me and for everyone who makes
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Dollywood what it is, and all my friends and partners
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into all of you out there helping families make magic
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every day in your own parks and your own places.
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She said, remember that I will always love you and
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thank you again. Parton's i absence comes shortly after she
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accepted an honorary Oscar. Remotely the Country Icon was honored
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with the Gene Herschel Humanitarian Award from the Academy of
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Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in a video message on
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November sixteenth that was at the twenty twenty five Governor's Award.
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The wind marks the first Oscar for Parton, who has
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twice been nominated for Best Original Song. Then she accepted
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the award in a video from her home in Nashville.
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Parton called it a great honor and a blessing of
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a lifetime. The Nashville Legend postponed her Las Vegas residency
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due to an unspecified illness in October. Though she had
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mentioned earlier in September that she'd been having issues with
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kidney stones. Partner announced she would be pushing back the
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performances by nearly a year to focus on her health.
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Dolly is getting better every day, a source close to
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Parton told People in last week's cover story of I
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Will Always Love You the singer's health. She is at
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home taking care of herself while many friends and family visitor.
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The source editor Parton, who just released her new book
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Star of the Show, My Life on Stage and True
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Dolly Spirits, she has already started decorating for the Holidays,
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her favorite time of year. Next why Little Big Towns.
16:40
Jimmy Westbrook showed up walking the red carpet for the
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CMA Awards on crutches. Jimmy Westbrook arrived at the twenty
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twenty five CMA Awards using crutchers. When the Little Big
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Town vocalist arrived on the red carpet on Wednesday, he
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told photographers at the event that he underwent surgery on
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his left acl and meniscus three weeks ago and was
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still recovering. Then, after finding a stable standing position, he
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passed the crutches to another person before posing for photos.
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Speaker 2: It's all a process, he said with a smile.
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Speaker 1: For the occasion, Westbrook, fifty four, wore an all black
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suit with a floral embroidered motif throughout. Posing alongside him
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was Karen Fairchild, his fellow Little Big Town member and
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wife of nearly twenty years, in a deep red leopard
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printed gown. The rest of Little Big Town, Kimberly Schlapman
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and Philip Sweet, then joined the couple for a few
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snaps together. Sweet sported a burgundy suit with a black
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button up shirt underneath, while Schlapman wore a floor length
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gown with a black lace botus and let be bout Us,
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I guess and Shimmy gold skirt. Following their group photos,
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Westbrook grabbed his crutches again. Little Big Town was up
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for the Vocal Group of the Year, alongside Lady a
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Old Dominion, Rascal Flats, and the winners the Red Clay Strays.
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The Country vocal group experienced a unique shift nearly two
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decades ago when Westbrook and Schlapman came to realize that
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they were more than bandmates. You think about those things,
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You're like, how's this going to change? Westbrook told people
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last year. We're still trying to figure it out now. Sweet,
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who's fifty one, told people at the time that Westbrook
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and Fairchild fifty six getting together ultimately was great for
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the band because the pair often butted heads before their
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romance bloomed. Now we jump on over to saving country music.
18:24
With the first article dated November twentieth, Paul Franklin was
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nominated thirty three times for a CMA Award. Number thirty
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three was the charm Never Say Never. Seventy one year
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old Paul Franklin is well recognized as one of the
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most important steel guitar players and musicians in all of
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country music, having credits on over five hundred recordings. He
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was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in
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two thousand, the Musicians Hall of Fame in twenty nineteen,
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and his name is brought up as a potential Country
18:54
Music Hall of Fame Musician inductee when the category comes
18:57
around every three years. With guitarist Brent Mason, Paul Franklin
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is to find the sound of country music for a generation.
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But Paul Franklin had never won a CMA award. He'd
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been nominated for the CMA's Musician of the Year many times.
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In fact, he'd been nominated more than anyone else without winning.
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He'd been nominated so many times he'd amassed more CMA
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nominations than many major country music stars. Franklin is the
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most nominated person in the fifty nine year history of
19:25
THEA Awards in any specific category. Susan Lucy is the
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name people love to sight when it comes to someone
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who succrued a long string of nominations for a certain
19:35
award without ever actually winning it. The iconic actress on
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the ABC soap opera All My Children was nominated a
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wopping nineteen consecutive times by the Daytime Emmys for Outstanding
19:46
Lead Actress before she finally won in nineteen ninety nine.
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In total, she was nominated for the award twenty one times.
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Paul Franklin actually had Lucy beat by a dozen years
19:58
at thirty three. Only four times since nineteen eighty nine
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had Franklin not been nominated in the Musician of the
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Year category. One of the reasons Paul Franklin has been
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locked out over the last many years is due to
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the runs other musicians have enjoyed in winner circles. From
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nineteen ninety one to nineteen ninety six, fiddle player Mark
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O'Connor won it every year. Between eight and eighteen, guitar
20:20
player mcinally won every year except twenty sixteen. Fiddle player
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Genee Fleener had won the award five consecutive years, beginning
20:29
in twenty nineteen. As the first woman to ever win
20:33
the award, she was easy to root for. Banjo guitar
20:36
player and solo performer Charlie Worsham surprisingly won the award
20:39
last year well. Then on Wednesday, Paul Franklin finally won
20:44
the CMA's Musician of the Year. The award is usually
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announced before the telecast. In this instance, it was mentioned
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as an image of Franklin appearing on a screen. Franklin
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then played during the tribute to his good friend and
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frequent collaborator Vince Gill, who was receiving the willingnun else
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in Lifetime Achievement Award. Franklin came in with a killer
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steel guitar solo during Brandy Carlyle and Patty Lovelace singing
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when I Call Your Name. Born in Detroit, Paul Franklin
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started his career as a touring musician, playing in the
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band of Barbara Mandrel. Those who know their country music
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history know that Mandrell was a skilled steel guitarist herself
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and recognized the unique talent Paul Franklin brought to the table.
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He later toured with Mel Tillis, Jerry Reid, even British
21:28
rock band Dire Straits, and also Vince Gill, where a
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lifelong friendship was forged. One of Franklin's first bits of
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steel guitar work in the studio came on the pop
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rock hit nice to Be with You from the Detroit
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based band Gallery. That's back in nineteen seventy two. As
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time when on, Franklin became country music's go to steel
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guitar session musician, playing on albums from Alan Jackson, George Strait,
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Clint Black, Reba McIntyre, Lee and Womack, Patty Lovelace, Kathy Mattea,
21:56
and obviously Vince Gill. Franklin is also been an innovator.
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Speaker 2: Of the instrument.
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Speaker 1: His father was also a musician and developed an instrument
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called the paedabro, which is basically a doughbro with pedals.
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That's how Franklin got into the steel guitar at such
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an early age. The unique sound of the doughbro found
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on the iconic hit Forever and Ever Amen by Randy Travis.
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That's Paul Franklin playing a paedabro. But Paul Franklin also
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has played on recordings of many contemporary artists as well,
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like Luke Bryan, Kane Brown, and Lauren Elena. He's also
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the go to guy for those who want steel guitar
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who reside outside of the country music genre. Tony Braxton,
22:34
Peter Frampton, and even Mega Death have also listited his services.
22:39
And perhaps most important, Paul Franklin is not just a
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creature of the recording studio. He was a longtime member
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of Nashville's resident Western swing band, the Time Jumpers, were
22:49
before leaving in twenty twenty four. He was one of
22:52
the guys who helped convince Vince Gill to join in.
22:55
The two also released a collaborative record in twenty thirteen
22:58
called Bakersfield and Sweet Memories the Music of Ray Price
23:02
and the Cherokee Cowboys. In twenty twenty three, what do
23:05
these silly awards mean? Asked saving country music? Should we
23:09
devalue music into a competition? Now? These are fair questions,
23:12
But for Paul Franklin, the win has to be especially sweet,
23:15
perhaps more sweeter than anyone who's ever been nominated for
23:18
anything ever, in music or otherwise. Now we tiptoe over
23:24
to the boot dot com with the first article dated
23:26
November nineteenth, nine country stars who skipped the twenty twenty
23:30
five CMA Awards. Several of country music's biggest stars missed
23:34
the CMA Awards, and they had very good reasons to
23:36
do so. Others just didn't want to go. Lady Wilson,
23:40
Luke Colmbs, Cody Johnson, and Brooks and Dunn were all
23:42
spotted on the CMA stage. Of course, Vince Gill was
23:45
celebrated and Kenny Chesney performed as Stirring Medley. In fact,
23:48
every single artist nominee was in attendance except for one.
23:53
Morgan Wallen is the most obvious face missing in the
23:55
CMA crowd. He's made it clear that awards shows are
23:58
not a priority, so it seems un likely fans will
24:00
see him on ABC anytime soon. The same may be
24:04
said about Jason Aldean. On Instagram, Britney Aldan revealed that
24:08
she and her hubbs were in Miami for a date night.
24:11
The reason not much love.
24:13
Speaker 2: From that one.
24:14
Speaker 1: A couple artists who skipped the CMA Awards might be
24:17
in a dark place. Both Jelly Roll and Kane Brown
24:19
said as much during interviews on social media. Between them,
24:23
only jelly Roll is nominated in twenty twenty five. A
24:27
list of artists who skip the CMA Awards is not complete.
24:30
Included a nine artists who country fans expected to see there.
24:33
Former host, recent performers, and char toppers are all included.
24:37
Morgan Wallen, as we mentioned, Jelly Roll Post Malone is
24:41
in between albums since his world tour has been laying low.
24:45
Blake Shelton. Just before the awards, Blake Shelton shared that
24:48
he and his wife Gwen Stefani wouldn't be attending. Instead
24:51
they were going to watch at home. No reason was provided.
24:55
There was no reason for Reba McIntyre to attend the
24:57
CMAS other than she seems to be at every awards,
25:00
usually as a host or to perform, but her TV
25:04
show Happy Place is no doubt keeping her busy. Jason Aldeen,
25:09
as we mentioned, did not go. Carrie Underwood was once
25:12
a CMA Awards staple, but this is actually the second
25:15
time in three years she skipped the show. Last year
25:18
she performed with Cody Johnson. Kane Brown attended the BMI
25:22
Awards on Tuesday night but skipped the CMAS. On Instagram,
25:26
he indicated he too was having a bad mental health day,
25:30
and Luke Bryan, who has hosted the last few CMA Awards,
25:34
so it was possible that he just skipped to give
25:35
host Landy Wilson some space. He too, was not nominated next.
25:41
Cody Johnson reveals the excruciating metal toll as ear injury
25:45
has taken on him. Cody Cody Johnson revealed on Taste
25:49
of Country Nights that the mental toll from his blown
25:51
ear drum and the surgery that followed has been excruciating.
25:55
Johnson explained that he was battling a sinus in upper
25:57
respiratory infection last month when he blew out his ear drum.
26:01
The physical pain was horrible, but he says the lingering
26:04
metal stress has been even harder to live with. Johnson
26:08
was asked to describe the metal an emotional toll the
26:10
injury has taken on him. Everything kind of sounds a
26:13
little funny right now, the Dirt Chief singer said, it's
26:16
pissed me off, for lack of a better way of
26:18
saying it, I've been so irritated because I know I
26:20
want to hear these things and I want to be better,
26:22
he continued, But it's taught me a lot of patience
26:25
After canceling the rest of his twenty twenty five tour dates,
26:28
including a planned CMA performance. Johnson says there's really only
26:32
one thing he can do now, sit back and wait.
26:35
Let it heal. He explains, It's taught me a lot
26:38
of patience and finally, Zack Brian says he sober, recounts
26:43
panic attacks and toxic alcohol patterns. Zach Brian says he
26:47
hasn't touched alcohol in nearly two months. The singer shared
26:51
the milestone on social media as part of a larger
26:53
reflection about working on his mental health. Brian explained that
26:57
the pressure of fame and being at the center of
27:00
public controversy intensified his anxiety, and he decided to seek
27:04
therapy to break a cycle of using alcohol as a
27:06
coping mechanism. I haven't touched alcohol for nearly two months now,
27:10
something I had to do for my own personal clarity,
27:12
Brian wrote, I needed to see the world objectively. In
27:17
his post, Brian says he realized he needed to make
27:19
changes during a recent cross country motorcycle trip. At the
27:23
end of this ride, I was sitting in a parking
27:25
lot in Seattle, thinking I really need some help. He
27:29
says that between his decade of military service and his
27:32
rise to a level of musical superstardom that he hadn't
27:35
fully comprehended the scope of what He picked up the
27:38
motto to charge forward and never settle, no matter the
27:41
cost of his mental health. I was stuck in perpetual
27:44
discontent that led me to always reaching for alcohol, not
27:47
for the taste, but because there was a consistent black
27:50
hole in me, always needing to be filled. His career
27:52
put him in the public eye, and not always in
27:54
a positive way. Brian says he has light about and
27:57
talks about the Internet. Has been embroiled in a few
28:01
different feuds with other public figures, the most talked about
28:04
of which is his ex girlfriend Brianna Chickenfry. She accused
28:08
him of abuse and claimed he offered her twelve million
28:10
to sign an NDA promising not to talk.
28:12
Speaker 2: About their October break up of last year.
28:15
Speaker 1: Bryan says he started working with a therapist to address
28:18
his toxic relationship with Booze and how he can cope
28:21
with major life changes. Those closest to him supported his decision,
28:25
including his girl friend Samantha Leonard, who he says was
28:28
a factor and why he decided to stop drinking. This
28:32
concludes the reading of Country Weekly for this week. If
28:36
you have any comments or suggestions about our program, please
28:39
call us at eight five nine four two two sixty
28:42
three ninety. Thank you for joining me on behalf of
28:45
everyone here at RADIOI. This is Ken Dawkins, wishing you
28:48
a great day and a wonderful Thanksgiving