Latest / Country Weekly / 6.13.25
Transcript
- 0:05Speaker 1: Howdy, time once again to catch up with Country Weekly,
- 0:08where we dive into news and gossip from the world
- 0:11of country music. I'm your host, Ken Dawkins, and I
- 0:15will be reading from various sources found online. As a reminder,
- 0:19RADIOI is a reading service intended for people who are
- 0:22blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult to
- 0:25read printed material. We'll begin with the first article as
- 0:29we did last week, going back a few days to
- 0:31Parade dot Com. A sixty eight year old country icon
- 0:36announces Nashville residency. A beloved country star, country music star
- 0:42that is, has announced a brand new residency coming to
- 0:44Nashville this summer on Instagram. On Saturday, Grammy winning country
- 0:49star Vince Skill and the famed Ryman Auditorium in Nashville
- 0:54announced Skill's new residency coming to the Ryman in August.
- 0:57The Ryman, of course, is the original home of the
- 1:00grand old opry. Hey kids, it's Vinnie, looking forward to
- 1:03coming out and spending my summer with you. Hope you
- 1:06ain't got nothing to do. Come here some old songs.
- 1:08We'll have a blast, see you, said Vince Gill in
- 1:11a video message. He'll be performing alongside Corinna an up
- 1:15and coming country artist. The Ryman added in its caption,
- 1:18Now our friend Vince Gill officially returns to the rhyme
- 1:21in this August for a five night residency on August
- 1:24seventh through ninth and fifteenth through sixteenth, and tickets are
- 1:28selling fast. Get yours before they're gone. Now on to
- 1:32countrynow dot com with the first article dated June tenth.
- 1:36CMA Fest twenty twenty five draws ninety five thousand fans,
- 1:41three hundred plus performances, and four days of country music
- 1:45to Nashville this weekend. An estimated ninety five thousand fans
- 1:50traveled from across all fifty states in thirty three countries
- 1:53to experience the fifty second year of the longest running
- 1:55country music festival in the world. The highly anticipated CMA Fest,
- 2:00presented by so Far, took over Nashville with four days
- 2:04of NonStop live music and unforgettable moments between music lovers
- 2:09from June eight fifth through the eighth. Attendees had the
- 2:11chance to witness over three hundred performances on multiple stages
- 2:15set up throughout the downtown area. The weekend also brought
- 2:18surprise appearances in local bars. Four hundred and seventy five
- 2:22meet and greets at fanfare X inside Music City Center,
- 2:26immersive activations, and plenty of opportunities to support the CMA Foundation.
- 2:32What are incredible four days and nights. Even with a
- 2:35few weather interruptions, the energy and spirit of our fans
- 2:37never faded since Sarah Trehern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. From
- 2:42legendary acts to artists playingest for the first time, this
- 2:46year was a celebration of discovery, connection and community, and
- 2:50the fact that it all helps fun the CMA Foundation's
- 2:53work in music education makes it even more impactful. The
- 2:57event kicked off on Thursday, June fifth, with Megan drawing
- 3:00a capacity crowd to the Chevy Riverfront stage. Following the
- 3:04abundance of free performances during each day of the festival,
- 3:07The Knights Welcome Star studied lineups from Nissan Stadium for
- 3:11the first evening inside the home of the Tennessee Titans.
- 3:15Artists like Ella Langley, Riley Green, Darius Rucker, Scotty McQuary,
- 3:18Brooks and dun Lady Wilson and Moore lit up the
- 3:21main stage, while emerging acts such as Tiger, Lilly Gold
- 3:25and Max McNown put their talents on display from the
- 3:28platform stage. Friday and I erupted in a genre blending
- 3:32celebration with surprise collaborations from Shaboozi and Jelly Roll, Cody
- 3:37Johnson and Karen Leone, Jelly Roll and Brandon Lake, as
- 3:41well as Kelsey Ballerini and Noah Kahan. Rita Wilson, Parker
- 3:44McCollum and Keith Urban also brought the star power to
- 3:47the main stage, while Cameron Marlowe and Sam Barber delivered
- 3:51standout deliveries on the platform stage. The excitement continued into
- 3:55Saturday night, when Dina Carter opened the show, setting the
- 3:58tone for breakout ban the Ras clay Strays. Next up
- 4:02was Blake Shelton, who welcomed Trace Adkins to the stage
- 4:05to sing Honky Tonk, Baden De Dea, Conk hell Wright
- 4:08and hill Billy Bone. Meghan Maroney followed with one of
- 4:11the night's most anticipated sets, while Jordan Davis delivered a
- 4:15sing along. Were the set lists of hits and rising singles.
- 4:19Rascal Flats closed the night with the chart topping favorites,
- 4:22as well as a surprise appearance from Carly Pearce, who
- 4:25joined in on a heartfelt new rendition of My Wish. Meanwhile, Ti,
- 4:29Eric Kennedy and Carter Faith resonated with fans during their
- 4:32powerful platform stage performances. The final evening of the festival
- 4:37did not disappoint. Sunday Night at Nissan Stadium brought CMA
- 4:40Fest twenty twenty five to a close with a lineup
- 4:44that kicked off with Rodney Atkins, who welcomed his son
- 4:47Elijah for a song. The show continued with Zach top Avery,
- 4:51Anna Cassius Culpepper, Tucker Wetmore and Ashley McBride. In the
- 4:55midst of Bailey Zimmerman's high energy set, he surprised fans
- 4:58by inviting Big X the Plug for an unforgettable version
- 5:02of All the Way, and also brought out Josh Ross
- 5:05to join him on backup plan. Dylan Scott connected with
- 5:10fans from the center stage on the field, while Dirk
- 5:12Spentley brought his hits and humor before wrapping up his
- 5:15set by teaming up with Zak Topp for a free
- 5:18and Easy Down the Road I Go and Mountain Music.
- 5:21Luke Bryan brought the weekend to a close with a
- 5:23hit field performance worthy of a festival's biggest stage, as
- 5:28the presenting partner of CMA Fest, Sofi hosted fans at
- 5:32the Sofi Plus Lounge throughout the weekend. This activation included
- 5:37an exclusive Sofi Plus experience with a surprise appearance by
- 5:41Kelsey Ballerini at Nissan Stadium ahead of her headlining performance.
- 5:45Just across the bridge from Nissan Stadium, fans sat under
- 5:48the stars and enjoyed a slew of talented acts at
- 5:51a stenned amphitheater. The venue welcomed three nights of performing
- 5:55and programming from Thursday through Saturday, including the Whiskey Jam Showcase,
- 6:00Jake Owen and Friends, and one owner Judd's Girls Night Out.
- 6:04When they weren't experiencing the plethora of live music throughout
- 6:07CMA Fest twenty twenty five, fans had several opportunities to
- 6:11support the foundation. On Saturday, Carley's Closet returned with Carly
- 6:15Pierce offering items from her personal wardrobe and an acoustic performance,
- 6:19all to benefit music education. Throughout all four days, fans
- 6:23could shop exclusive CMA Fest merchandise that gives back, all
- 6:27available at fanfare X online and at Nissan Stadium, with
- 6:32a portion of the proceeds supporting the CMA Foundation's mission
- 6:36inside fanfare X, Fans could also browse artist wardrobes at
- 6:39the archives and bid on exclusive items through the back
- 6:42stage auction in partnership with Solid, with proceeds going from
- 6:47both benefiting the CMA Foundation and Fitness at Fest presented
- 6:52by Celsius, brought high energy donation based workouts to the
- 6:55Good Molecule's Reverb stage on Friday and Saturday mornings. Those
- 7:01who are hoping to relive Cmafest or experience it for
- 7:04the first time can do so by tuning into Cmafest
- 7:06presented by SOFI, the three hour primetime television special hosted
- 7:12by Cody Johnson and Ashley McBride. The special is set
- 7:15to air Thursday, June twenty sixth that eight seventh Central
- 7:19on ABC and will be available to stream the next
- 7:22day on Hulu. Next, Country Stars raise over six hundred
- 7:28and seventy thousand dollars for Folds of Honor at Rockin'
- 7:32Jock Celebrity Softball Game. A slew of Country Stars stepped
- 7:36up to the plate for Folds of Honours Tennessee's fifth
- 7:39annual Rockin' Jocks Celebrity Softball Game, which took place on
- 7:43June second, sponsored by Black Rifle Coffee Company. The game
- 7:47saw Team First Responders, coached by current Tennessee Titans players
- 7:51Jay Spears and to Vander Sweat, and Team Military, coach
- 7:55by former Titans players Keith Bullock and Delanie Walker, facing
- 7:59off for a Good Call. I was at Nashville's first
- 8:01Horizon Park. More than eight thousand fans packed into the
- 8:05stands to cheer on Riley Green, Tyler Hubbard, Justin Moore,
- 8:10Zach Topp, Raylan Warren, Zeeders, Priscilla Block, Chase Rice, Jordan Davis,
- 8:14Ashley Cook, Connor Smith, Charles Eston, Gavin Adcock and Adam Duliach,
- 8:19comedians John Chris, Danny Hayes and Jeff Dye, athletes Michael Chandler,
- 8:23Riley Gaines and Ryan Sheckler, and many others. Jordan Davis
- 8:28has participated in several events for Folds of Honor and
- 8:31says he always picks up the phone when they call
- 8:34Folds of Honor. Truly, from when I got in a
- 8:36position where I could help out, Folds of Honor was
- 8:39the first call, he shares. They've just been amazing to
- 8:42country music and do amazing things to help so many families,
- 8:45from the first golf tournament I played. You hear the
- 8:48stories and you see the impact they make. Ray lenn
- 8:52is also a longtime supporter of Folds of Honor and
- 8:54has participated in the Rock and Jocks Celebrity Softball Game
- 8:57for three years. I love Folds of Honor so much,
- 9:00she tells us. Obviously, my husband is a Green Beret,
- 9:03and so I come from a military background, and so
- 9:06to be able to give back in this way is
- 9:08so much fun, and I think it's just a great
- 9:09way to kick off CMA Fest. Everybody's together, We're here
- 9:13to celebrate this incredible week, but to give back is
- 9:16just a huge, huge honor. Team First Responders, led by
- 9:20Captain Michael Chandler, clinched the win with big plays from
- 9:23country star at Cavin Adcock, who hit a home run
- 9:26and MMA athlete Michael Chandler, who crushed a grand Slam. Meanwhile,
- 9:30Adam dully X scored a home run four Team Military.
- 9:34The biggest winner, however, was Folds of Honor. During the
- 9:38Rock and Jocks Celebrity Game, superstar Riley Green and Black
- 9:41Rifle Coffee Companies Matt Best each donated seventy five thousand
- 9:45dollars to folds of honor. Green's donation came through his
- 9:49Buford Bonds Fund, established in twenty twenty three in honor
- 9:53of his grandfather's, both military veterans. This marks Green's fifth
- 9:57year participating in the event, and then also honored the
- 10:00two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the US Military Branches
- 10:03and Marine Wheak Nashville with a series of military themed performances. Additionally,
- 10:08President Donald Trump appeared on the JumboTron with a special
- 10:11message ahead of the game, introducing Lee Greenwood's performance of
- 10:15God Bless the USA. Continuing in the giving back Vain, Luke,
- 10:20Bryan Morgan, Wallen and Moore joined Darius Rucker for the
- 10:23sixteenth annual Darius and Friends Concert benefiting Saint Jude. Darius
- 10:29Rucker welcomed packed out crowd to Nashville's iconic Ryman Auditorium
- 10:33on Monday, June second, returning for the sixteenth annual Darius
- 10:37and Rutger's Benefit concert and support of Saint Children's Hospital,
- 10:41with a lineup that included rising stars Austin Williams, Tyler Braden,
- 10:45Cassius Culpeper, Lady Gardner, and country powerhouses. Luke Bryan and
- 10:49Morgan Wallen. This year's show delivered a night of unforgettable
- 10:52music and meaningful moments. Known for blending high energy performances
- 10:57with his passion for giving back, the multi time I'm
- 11:00a certified artist once again turned the stage into something
- 11:03incredibly impactful, just as he's done in past years. The
- 11:06full lineup wasn't revealed in advance, keeping ticket holders guessing
- 11:10until the start of the show, but Rucker's promise of
- 11:12his stellar evening was fulfilled as his friends brought the
- 11:16house down one performance at a time. Before getting the
- 11:20music started, a live auction and donation around took place,
- 11:23adding thousands to the night's fundraising rally. Then, the evening's host,
- 11:28Darius Rucker himself was the first act to grace the stage.
- 11:32How you all doing, he asked the excited audience. He continued,
- 11:35I decided to come up today and say thank you
- 11:37to all you guys out there who have been supporting
- 11:39us all this time and coming here to these shows.
- 11:42Thank you guys so much. None of this matters if
- 11:45you guys don't come out and support us and Saint Jude.
- 11:49In honor of all those who came out, he explained
- 11:51that he decided he wanted to do something special by
- 11:54showcasing a look at his forthcoming record that he's really
- 11:57excited about. The humble, slow tempo tune sent the powerful
- 12:01message not to give up on yourself despite any obstacles
- 12:04that may come. Rutker then switched up the mood and
- 12:07officially got the party started with his beloved carefree anthems
- 12:10Beers and Sunshine and Radio. One of Rucker's favorite parts
- 12:15of the night, as he shared with fans, is getting
- 12:18the spotlight rising talent, and first up was Tennessee native
- 12:21Austin Williams. After a quick hug, Rutcker gave him stage
- 12:24and Williams didn't waste a second. He brought the energy
- 12:27up with his latest single Crazy Over You, and proved
- 12:30his range with a crowd pleasing mashup of genre blending
- 12:33nineties hits. Throughout the night, Rucker worked in a mix
- 12:37of new material from his home upcoming album along with
- 12:40fan favorites like When Was the Last Time, Comeback Song, Homegrown, Honey,
- 12:45and all Right, plus a few throwbacks from his hoodie
- 12:47in the Blowfish days, including hold My Hand and Only
- 12:50Want to Be with You that had the Ryman crowd,
- 12:53of course on their feet. Introducing his next guest, Rocker
- 12:57called him something special, and it didn't take long to
- 12:59see why. Cassius Culpeper launched into his tune Poured Me Out,
- 13:04followed by another powerful original titled Southern Man, and capped
- 13:08off his set with a standout cover of the Marshall
- 13:10Tucker bands. Can't you see earning a standing ovation, such
- 13:14a blessing to be here at Darius Rucker and friends
- 13:17to do it for the great cause of Saint Jude.
- 13:19So thank you for coming out to this, Culpeper said
- 13:23at the top of the set. When it came time
- 13:25to introduce Lady Gardner, Rucker didn't hold back his praise.
- 13:28When I got sent her music, I was like, what
- 13:30a voice. I'm proud to have her on stage right now.
- 13:34Gardner took the mic and delivered what she described as
- 13:36one of her most treasured songs, six Feet Deep. She
- 13:39followed with cry, a vulnerable moment inspired by real heartbreak,
- 13:43and then closed things out with her upcoming release Taking
- 13:46the Slow Ride, due out this month. Midway through the show,
- 13:50Darius Rucker raised his celebratory shot and gave a quick
- 13:53shout out to his band members before taking fans on
- 13:56a musical detour. The genre of defying Medley included everything
- 14:00from Tim McGraw's I Like It, I Love It to
- 14:03Belle Bivdevo's Poison and TLC's Waterfalls. Next, it was Tyler
- 14:08Braden's turn to put his talent on display. He took
- 14:11a moment to share the special meeting behind his song
- 14:14off his debut album, That Just Dropped. I feel like
- 14:17everyone can relate to this at some point in their life.
- 14:20There's some point where you look at someone and you
- 14:22compare yourself. I think that steals all of your joy.
- 14:25You can never compare yourself to people around you. You
- 14:28have to have your path. They have theirs, and that's
- 14:30what this song's about. It's called right on Track. He
- 14:33stepped outside of his catalog to sing Sex on Fire
- 14:36by Kings of Leon, before rounding out his set with
- 14:38his heart pounding Tomb Devil You Know. Of course, fans
- 14:42were greeted by one of country music's biggest stars in
- 14:44one of Darius Rutger's longtime friends. When I moved here
- 14:47during the pandemic, this guy took me in, his wife
- 14:50fed me my boy Rucker shared with the crowd, please
- 14:52welcome Country Superstar mister Luke Bryan. As soon as Brian
- 14:57took the mic, he turned the praise right back on Rucker.
- 15:00It's an honor to be here for Darius and an
- 15:02honor to be here at the Ryman. He said, just
- 15:05a little tidbit about Darius. So we've hosted a charity
- 15:08event at my house for five years and I don't
- 15:10think he's ever missed one. He always supports me when
- 15:13I needed him, and I'm just glad to be here
- 15:15supporting him. Brian kept the good vibes going with a
- 15:18string of hits including country Song, came On, Play It Again,
- 15:21and Hunting, Fishing and Lovin every Day. Of course, he
- 15:24also brought his signature humor and charm, cracking jokes between
- 15:27songs and keeping the crowd laughing. To close out the night,
- 15:31Rucker welcomed one final guest, the one and only Morgan Wallen.
- 15:35The superstar walked out humbly and made a short set count.
- 15:37He kicked things off with the buzzed about track twenty
- 15:40Cigarettes from his newly released I'm the Problem album. He
- 15:44then admitted that lately, whenever he picks up guitar. He
- 15:46ends up singing more than my Hometown, so naturally he
- 15:49played that one too. Finally, Rucker returned to the stage
- 15:53to end the night on a high note with his
- 15:55rendition of Amy Winehouse Valery. He then brought several of
- 15:58Knight's performance Lady gar O Nercasia's Culpeper and Austin Williams
- 16:02back out to join him for a lively delivery of
- 16:05his signature hit Wagon Wheel. Fans were on their feet
- 16:08singing a long word for word, making for another unforgettable
- 16:11night of Darius Rucker and Friends inside the mother Church
- 16:14of Country music. The event of unofficially kicked off a
- 16:18week for CMA Fest in downtown Nashville and has raised
- 16:21more than four point three million dollars to date. That
- 16:25number rose this week with contributions from both Darius and
- 16:28Friends concert and the golf tournament. Named the twenty twenty
- 16:31three CMA Humanitarian of the Year, Rucker has made giving
- 16:35back a vital part of his career. His commitment to
- 16:38Saint Jude's Children's Research Hospital began nearly two decades ago
- 16:42after a life changing visit to the hospital in two
- 16:45thousand and eight. That experience opened his eyes to the
- 16:48groundbreaking work Saint Jude is doing to treat and defeat
- 16:51childhood cancer and other life threatening diseases. Since then, Rutger
- 16:56has turned that inspiration into an annual tradition with his
- 16:59Darius and Friends concerts. Over the years, he's been joined
- 17:02by a long list of country music stars and surprise guests.
- 17:06As the final notes echoed through the Raeman Auditorium on Monday,
- 17:09it became abundantly clear that Darius and Franz is more
- 17:13than a concert. It's a night where music makes a
- 17:15powerful impact and offers a reminder of the good that
- 17:18can happen when artists come together for a great cause.
- 17:22Darius Rucker is currently working on new music and is
- 17:24gearing up for his Darius Rucker Live Tour, kicking off
- 17:27in July. He will take the stage, or did take
- 17:30the stage this past Thursday at Nissan Stadium as part
- 17:33of the twenty twenty five CMA Fest. Next, Megan Morony
- 17:38unveils the Emo Cowgirl Rooftop Takeover in Nashville. It's going
- 17:44to be an Emo Cowgirl summer in Music City because
- 17:46Megan Moroney is taking over the l twenty seven rooftop
- 17:49Lounge at the Western Nashville with an immersive rooftop pop
- 17:53up experience appropriately dubbed the Emo Cowgirl. The brand new
- 17:58experience will transport fans in the Roney's world from the
- 18:01moment they step off the elevator on the twenty seventh
- 18:03floor in the heart of downtown Nashville. The space features
- 18:07Megan's closet and exclusive retail space with merch and boots
- 18:10from a recent collaboration with Laane Boots. The entire venue
- 18:14makeover draws inspiration from Maroney's chart topping hits, with fan
- 18:18favorite lyrics and songs influencing the design, menu and more.
- 18:23Oversized acore and personalized touches bring her albums themes to
- 18:27life in every corner. I'm so excited to finally announce
- 18:30that I'll be hosting the Emo Cowgirl Pop up bar
- 18:33at L twenty seven rooftop Lounge at the Western Nashville
- 18:36this entire summer. I thought Cmafest would be a perfect
- 18:40week to kick it off, Maroney shared. I put together
- 18:42a little bit of everything I love. Clothes, comfort food,
- 18:45and a killer spicy Marge, to name a few, and
- 18:48I can't believe I get to share this with fans
- 18:50from all over right here in Nashville. Hope you're able
- 18:53to stop by. While visiting the pop up, which begins
- 18:57on June sixth, fans can enjoy signature cocktails such as
- 19:01Spicy Meg Jalapino infused Cassidorus Margarita with lyme and agave,
- 19:07inspired by her go to drink m i Okay, a
- 19:10citrusy blend of Bacardi, lemon and blueberry, nodding to the
- 19:13artist's critically acclaimed sophomore album, and TN Orange, a smooth
- 19:18pore of angels envy with honey and orange, lending a
- 19:21playful take on the hit that started it all. The
- 19:24Emo Cowgirl marks the first ever artist led takeover at
- 19:29L twenty seven Rooftop Lounge, adding a bold and immersive
- 19:32twist to the venue's country music roots. June sixth through
- 19:36August thirty, first guests can step into a space inspired
- 19:39by Moroni's fears, Fearless Lyrics, Signature Sparkle, and Southern flare.
- 19:44It's open Monday through Thursday ten am to midnight, Friday
- 19:48and Saturday ten am to one am. The merchandise shop
- 19:52opens weekends eleven to nine reservations are recommended. Next, Dustin
- 19:58Lynch ushers in a new chapter with breezy new single
- 20:02easy to Love. Just in time for summer. Dustin Lynch
- 20:06is heating things up with the release of a breezy
- 20:08new tune, easy to Love out Now. The song finds
- 20:11Lynch admitting that his heart ain't easy to love as
- 20:14he paints the picture of someone who is always on
- 20:16the move while carrying quite a bit of emotional baggage.
- 20:20He tells the story of a man who struggles to
- 20:22settle down, and just when he thinks he's ready, he
- 20:24finds himself still chasing the idea of leaving. I couldn't
- 20:27stop watching planes leaving town. This heart ain't easy to love.
- 20:31This heart ain't easy to love. It's a little too cold,
- 20:34a little too stuck, a little too broke, a little
- 20:36too drunk, he sings on the chorus. Easy to Love
- 20:40may have fans wondering if the song hits close to home,
- 20:43as the Tennessee native is long held the title of
- 20:45a sought after bachelor. As the track comes to a close,
- 20:49he remains a bit optimistic about the future as he sings,
- 20:53I'm still thinking maybe one day I'll find her, they
- 20:56always say, when you know you know, if I know me,
- 20:59She'll be my right turn. But I'll take a left
- 21:02just to see where it goes. Dustin Lynch co wrote
- 21:05the track with Ben Johnson, John Hall, Hunter Phelps, and
- 21:08Zach Crowell. Kraw also provided production. Lynch paired the release
- 21:13with a music video that captures the feel good summertime
- 21:15energy of the song. Filmed in Key West, Florida by
- 21:18Jack Owens, the clip finds the forty year old embracing
- 21:21his on the go lifestyle as he explores the southernmost
- 21:25city of the contiguous United States. Easy to Love was
- 21:28released to country radio this week as the follow up
- 21:31to Lynch's tenth number one single, Chevrolet featuring Jelly Roll.
- 21:35The track was the most added at country radio with
- 21:38seventy eight ads via Broken Records. That's Broken Bow Records.
- 21:42Reacting to the news, Lynch shared, easy to Love is
- 21:45the number one most added. It's all gratitude from me
- 21:47and the family. Thank you to country radio for the
- 21:50support and to the fans who keep showing up with
- 21:53my music. We had a blast making this one and
- 21:56it's awesome to see it hitting home with folks. Already,
- 21:59Let's go five. Now we scoot on over to saving
- 22:04country music. With the first article dated June ninth, country
- 22:08artist Connor Smith fatally hit seventy seven year old woman.
- 22:13Big Machine Valerie music artist Connor Smith struck a seventy
- 22:16seven year old woman as she was crossing the street
- 22:18at a designated crosswalk in Nashville on Sunday evening, June eighth.
- 22:22The accident happened at about seven thirty pm as Smith
- 22:25was driving a Chevy Silverado northbound on Third Avenue. Nashville
- 22:30resident Dorothy Dobbins was transported to Vanderbilt Medical Center that
- 22:34was after the accident, and she later died of her injuries.
- 22:37Sunday was the final day of course of the annual
- 22:39CMA Fest in Nashville. Smith had performed on the Chevy
- 22:43Riverfront stage on Saturday afternoon. The event raws large crowds
- 22:47to Nashville. As we mentioned, according to police, a preliminary
- 22:50investigation determined that Dobbins had the right of way in
- 22:53the crosswalk and Connor Smith failed to yield. Smith did
- 22:57not show any signs of impairment immediately after the crash,
- 23:01and he's not believed to have been using his cell
- 23:03phone at the time of the accident. At this time,
- 23:06no criminal charges have been filed. Connor Smith's attorney, Warwick Robinson,
- 23:11released a statement to TMZ saying on June eighth, mister
- 23:13Smith was involved in a car accident but tragedally claimed
- 23:16a life. His heart goes out to Missus Dobbins's family
- 23:19during the incredibly difficult time. Mister Smith continues to cooperate
- 23:23fully with the ongoing investigation. Twenty four year old Smith
- 23:28is a Nashville native whose mother, Jennifer Vickery Smith, has
- 23:31also worked in the country music industry. In twenty twenty one,
- 23:34his song I Hate Alabama went viral on tik tok
- 23:37and he was signed to Big Machines Valerie imprint. Since then,
- 23:41he's released two certified gold singles, and Take It Slow
- 23:44and Creek Will Rise, with the latter also making it
- 23:47to number twelve on the Billboard Country Airplay Chart and
- 23:50going number one on the UK Country Airplay Chart. Next,
- 23:55Zach top announces new album, Ain't in It for My Health.
- 24:00Zach Topp has just announced the title and release date
- 24:03for what will immediately become one of the most anticipated
- 24:06albums in twenty twenty five, to be called Ain't in
- 24:10It for My Health. It will be released on August
- 24:12twenty ninth on upstart label LEO thirty three. It will
- 24:16be Zach's third album overall and his second in his
- 24:19resurgent nineties country neo traditionalist sound, produced by Carson Chamberlain.
- 24:25We don't many details on the album just yet, says
- 24:27Saving Country Music. Will probably get many more when pre
- 24:29orders commence on Friday, June thirteenth, but we do have
- 24:33the album's debut song, released late Sunday night, called good
- 24:36Times and tan Lines. Zach Top calls it your new
- 24:39favorite summer banger, and it's reminiscent of some of the
- 24:42mammoth summer songs from Alan Jackson back in the day,
- 24:46who is definitely not Zach Top's father. Zach Top was
- 24:49definitely able to dial in that nineties country sound on
- 24:52his twenty twenty four Cold Beer in Country Music, which
- 24:55has become a massive hit record despite its throwback sound,
- 24:59and made Zach t one of the hottest performers in
- 25:01all of country music. Coldbeer regularly competes near the top
- 25:05of the album charts with titles from Morgan wallin Zach
- 25:08Bryan and Post Malone producer Carson Chamberlain is Zachtop's ace
- 25:13in the hole when it comes to rekindling the neo
- 25:16traditional country sound. Chamberlain is a Kentucky native that played
- 25:19steel guitar and was the bandleader for Keith Whitley all
- 25:22the way up to Whitley's death in nineteen eighty nine.
- 25:25Carson was also the tour manager for Alan Jackson and
- 25:28Clint Black. Chamberlain quite literally helped craft the nineties country
- 25:32sound back in the day. Carson Chamberlain also co writes
- 25:36many of Zachtop's songs, including good Times and tan Lines
- 25:39that also includes Wyatt mccobbn and the song credits the
- 25:43songs Spirit and specifically the melody of Oak Memories of
- 25:46Alan Jackson's Chattahoochee, which is probably no accident. Though there
- 25:51is definitely leeway given for some simple, fun and summer
- 25:54songs in country and for lead singles that might interface
- 25:57with country radio. You do hope the new album includes
- 26:00some songs that go a little deeper, says Saving Country Music.
- 26:04One of the knocks on Zachtop has been that his
- 26:06songs rarely scratch beneath the surface tweaks some of the
- 26:09country production and good Times and tan Lines could be
- 26:12a loop Bryan's song. There are definitely some exceptions in
- 26:15Zach's catalog, like fan favorite use Me, but for Top
- 26:19to sustain his momentum, he's going to have to not
- 26:21just to emulate the nineties, he needs to contribute songs
- 26:24and sounds original to himself, however Nineties inspired they might be.
- 26:30Zaktop's popularity definitely speaks to the swelling appetite for country
- 26:33music that surrounds country in both old and very young listeners.
- 26:37Hopefully Ain't in It for My Health continues to stoke
- 26:40that appetite that makes for such a better alternative as
- 26:43much of the country mainstream. More info on the new
- 26:46album when it becomes available, and finally we move over
- 26:50to Taste of Country with ten great Sierra Ferrell songs
- 26:53for new fans to begin with, the first impression many
- 26:56fans get of Sierra Ferrell, at least when they see
- 26:59her live, is often based on her theatrical, vintage and
- 27:01colorful outfits, but her songs might be even more colorful
- 27:05and layered. A West Virginia native who grew up listening
- 27:08to alt rock and joined a Grateful Dead cover band
- 27:11in her teens. Ferrell soon adopted a nomadic musical style.
- 27:14She traveled around, hopping freight trains, hitchhiking, and living on
- 27:17the road, establishing a busking presence in cities like New Orleans.
- 27:22That lifestyle earned her some incredible songwriting material, but it
- 27:25also took a toll anyway. If you're new to Farrell's music,
- 27:29here are the ten songs The Taste of Country Thinks
- 27:31she ought to check out first of all years, a
- 27:34John Anderson cover that was a Sierra Ferrell's contribution to
- 27:39a John Anderson tribute album called Something Borrowed American Dreaming.
- 27:44This song won Ferrell two Grammy Awards back in twenty
- 27:47twenty five. Why'd you Do It? Hard to explain this
- 27:51blend of gypsy jazz, New Orleans busking music and Appalachian rattle.
- 27:56There's no other song like it. West Virginia Waltz. Ferrell
- 28:00sings a tender, old fashioned ode to her home state
- 28:03in Dreams, which showcases Ferrell's powerful, warbling vocals. Don't Let
- 28:09Your Deal Go Down. She puts a chilling spin on
- 28:12the folk classic Don't Let Your Deal Go Down. Fox Hunt.
- 28:16Farrel said that this rollicking song is oh to her
- 28:19hunters and those who live off the land instead of
- 28:21counting on a supermarket for their food. In Lighthouse, Farrell
- 28:26keeps it simple in this acoustic, harmony rich song that's
- 28:29about love and dedication. And number ten would be dollar
- 28:32Bill Barr. This concludes the reading of Country Weekly for
- 28:37this week. If you have any comments or suggestions about
- 28:39our program, kindly call us at eight five nine four
- 28:42two two sixty three ninety. Thank you for joining me
- 28:46on behalf of every one here at Radio I. This
- 28:49is Ken Dawkins wishing you a great day.