Transcript

9.26.25 · Country Weekly

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Speaker 1: Now it's time to catch up with Countryweekly, where we
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dive into news and gossip from the world of country music.
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As always, I'm your host, Ken Dawkins, and I will
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be reading from various sources found online. As a reminder,
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RADIOI is a reading service intended for people who are
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blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult to
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read printed material. We'll begin with the first article, dated
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September nineteenth. We're going back there. This is from countrynow
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dot com. In case you missed it. Tributes are pouring
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in for beloved Nashville songwriter Brett James. Music row will
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never be the same. The country music community is morning
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the heartbreaking loss of songwriter Brett James, who tragically passed
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away last Thursday in a small plane crash in North Carolina.
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He was fifty seven. Throughout his celebrated career, James had
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more than five hundred songs recorded by artists which as
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Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flats, Dirks Bentley, Jason Aldeen,
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and of course many others. His work earned him ACM nominations,
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multiple c M, a Triple Play Awards, a Grammy win,
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and induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. A
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cherished figure in Nashville, James was not only a hit maker,
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but also a mentor who often took chances on new songwriters.
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Friends and colleagues remember him as a true legend, a
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loyal friend, and a creative force whose impact on the
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genre is immeasurable. Carrie Underwood penned a lengthy remembrance post,
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admitting that Brett's passing is leaving a hole in all
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of us that I fear will never go away. His
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sudden passing has left the music community shaken, and tributes
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have poured in from artists and fellow songwriters across social media.
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For example, Dustin Lynch remembers the late songwriter as a mentor, friend,
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and inspiration. While acknowledging the sadness of the news, Lynch
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took also some time to highlight the joy of their
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shared memories. While speaking with Country Now, I was just
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thinking this morning, I want to dig back into my
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song log, my catalog and see we've had a couple
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of songs I believe recorded released by other artists through
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the years. I just want to see what we've all done,
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Lynch shared. He went on to credit James for being
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a cool presence on music row for so many years
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in the publishing world, recalling how the veterans songwriter took
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a chance on him when he was still finding his
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place as a young songwriter beyond music, The Tennessee native
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noted that James, who was a pilot, helped inspire him
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to take up flying himself. Lynch is now promising to
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keep the James legacy and memory alive within his shows.
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One way he plans to do this is by performing
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a song from his catalog titled Honky Talk Heartbreaker, which
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he revealed gives a subtle shout out to Brett James
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in the lyrics. We'll have more on Brett James later
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in this program. Moving on, Thomas Rhett reveals how one
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line sparked his new song Ain't a Bad Life with
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Jordan Davis. Thomas Rehdd is rolling into album release week
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about a Woman Deluxe with a brand new single that's
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already taking over the airwaves. After going for ads on
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September twenty second, Ain't a Bad Life featuring Jordan Davis
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became the most added song on country radio this week.
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The song penned by Rhet with John Byron Ashley, Gorley,
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Blake Pendergrass and Mark Trussell was released in July as
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part of the second edition to About a Woman. The
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deluxe edition of the project is set to drop Friday,
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September twenty sixth. While speaking to Country Now, Htt noted
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that Ain't a Bad Life was one of the first
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songs that came to life when he started writing for
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his latest project. It all started with the line I
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didn't win the lotto, but the dogs won, and from
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there it blossomed into a story about gratitude for what
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you've been given in life. Rhetshine on a light on
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his and Davis tight knit friendship that's rooted in family life,
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shared hobbies, in a mutual respect for each other's artistry.
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That genuine bond translates seamlessly into their collaboration, making the
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track feel like two friends swapping stories. Me and Jordan
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have just become really really close over the last year,
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whether that's through having a bunch of kids or we
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duck hunt together. We see each other a lot. Red explained,
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this song just sounded like a Jordan song to me,
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and me and him had never done a collaboration before.
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I think it's going to be a good one for
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both of us to be able to play separately on
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the road, and hopefully we get to play this thing
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together at some point in time. This news follows the
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Tennessee Raised artists streak of success, including his twenty fourth
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number one career number one with the album's lead single,
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Beautiful as You and three week chart topper After All
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the Bars Are Closed. The twenty five track project will
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feature three final editions on Friday with Water, Chapter ten
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and Hona River. These remaining tracks further emphasize Rehet's dedication
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to writing songs to tap into his vulnerable side through
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stories of faith and true love. Throughout the entire collection,
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listeners will experience a mix of slow burning, passionate tunes
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and high energy, dance worth anthems that are sure to
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shine during Rehet's live shows. Dan can pre save the
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album on all streaming services, and the album will be
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available on CD and vinyl next. Cole Swindell Calls for
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a More Peaceful World and new ballad Make Heaven Crowded.
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Cole Swindell's giving fans of first listen to a moving
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new ballad that may be one of the most powerful
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releases from him, yet the country stars taken to social
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media to share preview Make Heaven Crowded a song that
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calls attention to the state of the world while urging
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listeners to choose kindness, compassion, and faith over violence. In
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recent clips, Wwindell suggests that the inspiration for the title
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came from a statement made recently by Erica Kirk, wife
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of the wife of the late conservative activist in Turning
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Point USA co founder Charlie Kirk. Speaking for the first
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time after her husband's death, Erica delivered a touching tribute
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in which she said, Charlie, you are alongside Jesus right
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now doing what you always wanted to do. Making Heaven Crowded, right,
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That's what it's all about. Her powerful words clearly struck
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a chord with Swindell inspired him to share a few
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thoughts of his own through music. Another video posted by
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Swindell poses the question anyone else been feeling this way?
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Before the song begins, he added in the caption, can
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you imagine what the world would look like if we
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were all just good to each other? Thus setting the
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stage for a heartfelt message behind the track with a tender,
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melody filled with delicate guitar strums. The new song finds
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the Georgia native delivering a call to action that urges
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people to come together and form a more compassionate world
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in hopes of eliminating what feels like a constant string
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of violence. The repeated what if questions throughout the tune
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also makes listeners reflect on how their actions affect others
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around them. Swindell uses vivid imagery to show the contrast
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between what the world is and what it could be,
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while simultaneously speaking from the heart as he admits to
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his own shortcomings. I've blamed my sinning on I ain't
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no saint. I've bit my tongue and said that ain't
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my place, and I've kept Jesus in the back seat.
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But I can't any longer. And we all saw last week.
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I can't help but wonder what if Church has had
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a longer line outside than all them bars on Friday Night.
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The song comes in the wake of recent devastating events,
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and Swindell joined several other country artists and using this
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platform or their platform to speak out and inspire hope
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for a better world. The Happy Hour Sad singer is
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currently in the midst of his twenty twenty five headlining
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Happy Hour Sad Hour Tour, which kicked off on September
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fourth in Toledo and runs through October twenty sixth, which
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stops across Georgia, Colorado, Washington, Florida, and more. Next, Riley
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Green gives determined fan a once in a lifetime opportunity
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to duet with him. Riley Green has taken fan participation
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at his shows to a whole new level, often giving
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concertgoers the chance to step into the spotlight for a
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once in a lifetime opportunity. That trend continued overseas during
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his Damn Country Music Tour stop at the O two Academy,
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Glasgow on Tuesday, where one lucky fans dream came true.
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The fan, named Jordan Petrie, hailed from Dundee in the
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UK and had been sharing tik tok videos ahead of
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the concert, documenting her search for the perfect outfit for
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the concert. In the process, she revealed her bold plan
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to ask Green during a meet and greet if she
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could sing Ella Langley's part in their hit duet you
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Look Like You Love Me on stage that night. While
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she worked as a beautician on her daily life and
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does not pursue music professionally. She explained to Country Now
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that singing is her passion. In another Tik Tok video,
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she revealed that in addition to singing, she is also
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learning to play guitar. Determined to make her on stage
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dream happen with Riley Green, Jordan began manifesting the opportunity
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which led her to the moment she finally got to
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speak with him and meet and greet. I'd seen him
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pull up fans to sing at his concerts in the US,
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so I thought, how can I do this? I got
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M and G tickets and thought it would be a
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perfect opportunity to ask. I went to M G and
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he was very polite, shakes your hands, says hi, than
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poses for a picture. I then it said to him
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can I sing with you tonight? And he said you
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like to sing? And I said I love to sing.
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He said, okay, what do you want to sing? And
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I asked to sing a different song called Don't Mind
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If I Do, but he said he had Hannah MacFarland
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for that support in his act. Her perseverance ended up
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paying off in a huge way, and a slew of
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videos that have since surfaced online Green is seen calling
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Jordan to join him on stage, where she confidently delivered
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the tune alongside the country star. Before her performance, the
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Alabama nat have asked her name and jokingly suggests she
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might have to translate for the crowd with her Glascow accent. However,
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Jordan revealed she'd be singing in her best American accent instead.
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While she appeared confident on stage, Jordan admitted she was
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very nervous about forgetting the words, despite the fact that
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she claims to frequently belt out the lyrics in the car. Still,
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she gave it her all and delivered a performance that
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left fan and awe. I just thought to myself, You've
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got just to go up there and have fun. When
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are you ever going to do this again? Making her
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way off stage after the unforgettable moment in front of
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the biggest crowd she's ever sang to, Jordan was reunited
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with her cousin, Shawnie MacLeod, who was crying tears of
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joy in the crowd. My cousin Shawnie came with me
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and it was amazing to have her there. When I
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came off stage, she was sobbing. The epic moment took
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place during Riley Green's Damn Country Music Tour. This isn't
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the first time that the Alabama native has been inspired
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to bring a fan on stage for an impromptu performance.
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Jordan recommends that anyone hoping to live out their dreams
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in the way she did should do their best to
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get in line early in order to make it close
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to the stage in an effort to get Green's attention,
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or even better, score a meet and greet for the
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chance to ask him face to face. I had the
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best time. It was amazing. She added. A full list
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of his remaining tour dates, of course, can be found
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on his website. Now we move over to saving country
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music with one story that was dated September twenty second.
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Tyler Childers plays arena show for twenty fans gives them
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one thousand dollars. Talk about a once in a lifetime opportunity.
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That's exactly what twenty Tyler Childers fans got on Wednesday,
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September seventeenth, after they donated to a fundraiser Childers was
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running for the Shriner's Hospital operated through his fan club
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dubbed the Hickman Holler Hunting Club. Those who signed up
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for the Club ahead of the release of Tyler's new album,
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Snipe Hunter. Had first DIBs on seeing Childers perform at
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the Intimate Turkey and the Wolf ice House in Nashville
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in late July, as well as Dinosaur World in Kentucky
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in August. As special as those events were for fans
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who were able to attend, what happened last week topped
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them all. Ten lucky folks who donated to the Shriner's
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Hospital fundraiser were randomly selected and told they could bring
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up plus one to a secret show happening Wednesday afternoon.
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They were told to meet at another location because the
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site of a surprise concert was unders closed. Lo and behold,
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it happened to be Lexington's Rupp Arena, where Tyler Childers
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has played some legendary shows, but none like the one
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these twenty lucky souls were about to witness. Turns out,
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Childres had rented out Rup to do a final practice
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with his new stage setup for the tour after a
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release of Snipe Hunter. The full stage was in place,
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the food stamps were all there, and Tyler Childres performed
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a full concert of music, including all of the stage
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banter and other stuff you might see at one of
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his live shows. The only difference was there were only
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twenty select people there to witness it, save for the crew.
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Oh when it gets better. Not only did this lucky
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group get to meet Tyler Childers, he also gave the
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original ten selected from the Shiner's donation drive, along with
12:44
two individuals there representing Shriner's one thousand dollars each coinciding
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with the expletive fueled verbiage of the opening track of
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his new album Eating Big Time. The lucky attendees all
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congregated in a green room at RUP, where they saw
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Tyler briefly as he met with the two ambassadors from
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the Shiner's Hospital. They then walked out onto the floor
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of the UPP arena, where they posed for a few
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group pictures. I actually got to meet Tyler and say
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hello Scott Lowry from Lexington Tell's Saving Country Music, who
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was one of the lucky few selected. Then they said, okay,
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let's just have people who were selected getting the picture.
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So we were standing there and right when we were
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done taking that picture, I see Tyler hand money to
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the guy beside me. Then he just looks at me
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and hands me one thousand dollars. It was just otherworldly
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because I didn't really know what was happening, Lowry, who
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was scheduled to leave on a trip that day but
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postponed it after he was selected, and pulled his thirteen
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year old daughter and massive Tyler Childer's fan out of
13:41
school to attend the event with him. None of us
13:45
could even jump up and down because we were just
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so confused, says Lowry. Then you're connecting it in your
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head about the song, Oh Blow one thousand dollars. Then
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the guy who was running the whole thing took us
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to the lower bowl and said, you can sit anywhere
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you want up here. So we just sat directly across
13:59
from the stage and watch the whole concert. We had
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to leave our phones in the green room. In Nashville,
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there are industry stages performers can rent out that simulate
14:08
the stages of big arenas as they practice for tour,
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But apparently in Kentucky, Childress has given keys to the
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real deal. According to attendees, the set list pretty much
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mirrored what Children's performed at Healing Appalachia this last weekend,
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where Children's helped raise even more money for a good
14:24
cause about halfway through, I thought I have to be dreaming.
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Scott Lowry says, none of this makes sense. I'm in Rup,
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got my little girl with me. Tyler's putting on a
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show for twenty people. I have a thousand dollars in
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my pocket that he handed me. I was more like
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a silly dream that you make up. It was too
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surreal to go, yeah, this is normal. It wound up
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being the coolest thing, not having phones because I just
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watched it all. It was definitely a once in a
14:48
lifetime experience, just beyond cool. Now we go down the
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block to people dot com Country with the first article
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dated September twenty second. Eric Church was replaced by Taylor
15:01
Swift on a Rascal Flats tour. Why she gave her
15:04
first gold record plaque to him. Eric Church recalls his
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earliest memories of Taylor Swift fondly. In a new interview
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on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, the Country star
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recalled getting replaced by Swift as the opening act on
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Rascal Flat's Me and My Gang tour way back in
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two thousand and six and explain why the switch up
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led to the karmas singer giving her first gold record
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plaque to Church as a gift my first major arena
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tour I was invited to no longer be a part of,
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said the Hands of Time singer now forty eight, noting
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the run up shows pretty much just didn't work out.
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That's all I'm going to say about that one. Church
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didn't name Rascal Flats as the band he was touring
15:44
with at the time, but the trek marked his first
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time performing in arenas, and Swift began opening for the
15:49
trio shortly after the Springsteen singer stopped. But when I
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was no longer invited to be part of it, it
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was at Madison Square Garden here, and if you're going
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to not be invited to be part of s that's
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the place Jimmy to not be invited to be part
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of something, he told Fallon, who's now fifty one. The
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following day, I was invited to not be a part
16:08
of the tour anymore. I got a call from Taylor
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said Church. I actually found out about it online and
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that I had been replaced by this I think she
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was sixteen, blonde haired singer. She had a song called
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Tim McGraw, the Grammy nominated artist detailed having a great
16:24
call with Swift thirty five at the time. She was like, hey, Hope,
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there's no I guess i'd say bad Blood, he said
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with a laugh, nodding to Swift's twenty fifteen hit song
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bad Blood. So she's like, hope there's no bad Blood
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because I love what you do and I'm taking over
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on the tour. I was supposed to not be invited on,
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recalled Church. I said, listen, Taylor, I have seen this crowd.
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The crowd is going to love you. I love what
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you do. He continued. I said, this is going to
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be really great for you when you owe me your
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first gold record when this happens. Here's what's crazy. It
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took like seven days. Less than a month later, Church
16:59
and Swift ran into one another while performing at the
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same music festival. She walks up and she inscribed the
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plaque to Eric, thanks for playing too long and too
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loud on the tour. Sincerely Taylor, He said, you could
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just tell then, just an artist, an artist. Where's the
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plaque today? I don't even have it in the Country
17:16
Music Hall of Fame. They don't let me have it,
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quipped Church. The plaque was included as part of Church's
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twenty twenty three exhibition the Country Music Hall of Fame
17:24
and Museum. Eric thanks for playing too long on the
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Flats Tour, Swift Road and the frame display. I sincerely
17:31
appreciate it. Ha ha ha ha, Love you, Taylor. Next
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Mister Christmas, Brett Eldridge announces annual Holiday Glow Live Tour.
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Brett Eldridge is bringing the holiday spirit on the road
17:44
once more. On Monday, September twenty second, the country star
17:47
announced the dates and cities verse twenty twenty five Holiday
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Glow Live Tour, taking place this November and December. He
17:55
has performed holiday shows for the past several years around
17:57
Christmas time and cherishes the tours time of year. If
18:01
I could convince you one thing in my life, it
18:03
would be to come to a glow show, Eldridge's thirty
18:06
nine said in a press release. Its become a timeless
18:09
holiday tradition and you will all leave brighter than when
18:12
you came in. I can promise you that. He also
18:15
posted about the tour on X You've all been asking
18:17
for a while, so here it is. The Glow Tour
18:20
is back. I can't wait to celebrate the most magical
18:23
time of year with you again. Let me know if
18:25
you're coming. I'm working on my naughtier nice list, he wrote.
18:29
Eldridge also shouted out comedian Stephen Rodgers, who was joining
18:32
him for the holiday tour. Excited to have the hilarious
18:35
Stephen Rodgers join us this season and open the show.
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Eldridge's tour kicks off in Nashville in late November before
18:42
making stops in Chicago, Saint Louis, New York, and Detroit
18:46
before wrapping up in Boston this December. Verizon customers have
18:51
access to an exclusive presale for the Glow Tour starting
18:54
on Tuesday, September twenty third. An artist presale is also
18:58
kicking off on the twenty third. General on sale for
19:01
the Glow Live Tour begins on Friday. Eldridge's third holiday
19:06
album of eight original songs, Merry Christmas Welcome to the Family,
19:09
is available to stream along with Glow and Mister Christmas
19:12
from twenty sixteen and twenty twenty one, respectively. He and
19:16
Megan Traynor cover the classic holiday tune baby It's Cold
19:19
Outside in twenty sixteen, which has been streamed on Spotify
19:23
over two hundred million times. It's interesting that a comedian
19:27
is opening for this show. Some of my favorite shows
19:30
growing up with watching a comedian like Robert Klein open
19:33
for Blood, Sweat and Tears or something. It was kind
19:36
of a nice mix of music and comedy worked well.
19:39
Moving along, Bailey Zimmerman is really excited about his first
19:42
ever arena tour. Bailey Zimmerman is stepping up his concert game.
19:47
In an exclusive interview with People, the Country, singer twenty
19:50
five said he feels he has something to prove when
19:53
he sets off on his Different Night, Same Rodeo tour,
19:56
his first ever in arenas in twenty twenty six. Honestly
20:00
feel like I've been restricted in smaller venues. I've always
20:03
had this dream and this idea for this arena show,
20:06
this big, awesome show, Zimmerman said during his first night
20:09
of the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas. I'm really
20:13
excited to I guess prove that next year I can
20:15
do it. The Rock and a Hard Place musician continued
20:19
for zimmer Minute, it's been He's been thinking about the
20:21
upcoming tour for as long as he can remember. There's
20:23
something about being in an arena that brings it back
20:26
to you to where you can control that environment, he explained.
20:29
I'm really excited to show people what I can do
20:31
in there. I feel like I've been ready for it.
20:34
I've been dreaming about it. I'm ready. I'm prepared. Let's go.
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The CMA nominated star has had a meteoric rise over
20:41
the past few years, with multiple number one songs. His
20:44
collaboration with rapper Big X the plug for All the
20:47
Way top both the Hot Country Songs and Hot Rap
20:50
Songs charts. Zimmerman's Different Night, Same Rodeo tour will take
20:54
him to thirty cities, kicks off in Astero, Florida, on
20:57
February eighteenth, and conclude in Ontario on June twentieth. I
21:02
have something to prove and this opportunity, I'm not letting
21:05
it go to waste, Zimmerman told People. I'm going to
21:08
crush it. It's going to be awesome. I know it.
21:11
Last year, in an exclusive interview with People, Zimmerman marveled
21:14
at how far he has come. Man, it's just crazy
21:17
not to live in a trailer anymore. I feel like
21:19
any time you can have the opportunity to make it
21:21
out and support your family, retire your dad, get to
21:24
do things that nobody else gets to do. It's just
21:27
emotional all the time, he said, added Zimmerman, every day
21:31
is emotional. You wake up and I've got a house
21:33
now and two puppies. To be recognized for your music
21:36
is insane. Tickets to different nights same Rodeo tour are
21:40
available next. Chase McDaniel's debut album is him choosing to
21:46
live after a man stopped him from jumping off a bridge.
21:50
Nearly a decade ago, Rising country star Chase McDaniel tried
21:54
to end his life. Since then, he's chosen to live
21:57
and wants to carry the torch back into the dark
21:59
for others on his debut album. Ahead of the release
22:02
of Last Ones, McDaniel opened up to people about creating
22:05
an album that told his story and required him to
22:07
go back into the dark to find perspective. I was
22:11
in my early twenties when I tried to end my
22:12
own life, McDaniel, now thirty one, tells people. I was
22:16
standing on the side of a bridge in Louisville, Kentucky,
22:18
at three o'clock in the morning when a guy saw
22:20
me from about a quarter mile away, ran over to me,
22:23
pulled me back over the concrete ledge and told me
22:26
I had to keep fighting, he recalls. After that moment, McDaniel,
22:30
who grew up in the South and was always taught
22:32
to hide my emotions, realized that it was the first
22:34
time he felt truly seen in my pain. It was
22:37
the first decision, the first step in choosing to live.
22:40
He says. The album is like step seven. It's been
22:43
a long process to get here, but now it's taking
22:45
the things that I've learned, putting it into music and
22:48
seeing who might benefit from the things that I had
22:50
to learn along the hard way. McDaniel was raised by
22:53
his grandparents in Greensburg, Kentucky, after his dad died of
22:57
an overdose. As he recalls, McDaniel was given a Josh
23:00
Turner CD when he was six and his life changed.
23:04
I played that record NonStop. I'd go to my room
23:06
and just put my headphones on, shut out the world,
23:09
and it was like everything was okay. Some music was
23:11
a place for me to find solos. When his mental
23:14
health began to take a real term, McDaniel says, it
23:16
was really brutal and took him to the lowest points
23:19
of his life. I didn't tell anybody about it. I
23:22
was scared to I was afraid to lose my reputation.
23:25
I was afraid that people might think that I was crazy,
23:27
and so I thought, instead, if I could beat this thing,
23:30
you know, white knuckle it, or beat it intellectually, then
23:32
no one would ever have to know. Or I'll just
23:34
take myself out first. Then after that moment on the bridge,
23:38
McDaniel experienced a rocky journey of going to the hospital,
23:41
seeing multiple counselors, trying different medications and personal therapy. I
23:46
had to go on a personal journey of understanding why
23:48
it happens, and then also dealing with the things that
23:51
may have caused it, McDaniel says, filling them in full,
23:54
experiencing the world in full, and reconnecting myself back in
23:58
the world. I'd gotten so sick that I couldn't leave
24:00
my house, so to now be performing on stage every night,
24:04
that's a pretty big jump. While every song on this
24:07
album has a personal tie to McDaniel's story, made it
24:10
this far is the song he needed to hear on
24:12
his journey to recovery. One day, I was just sitting
24:16
with myself and pondering writing a song, and I was like,
24:19
what a horrible injustice to myself? Suicide would be. Look
24:23
at how far I've come, look at how hard i
24:24
had to fight. Look at all the things that I've
24:27
learned about myself, all the things that I've been through
24:29
and made it through. He says, I deserve to stick
24:32
around and see what's on the other end of the fight.
24:36
Following the release of his twelve track album, McDaniel hopes
24:38
to continue writing songs and building his live show. If
24:41
I get to do this for the rest of my life,
24:43
what a damn lucky and blessed life that is. Outside
24:46
of music. McDaniel started the Lost Ones Club to create
24:50
connection by giving people a platform to share their stories
24:52
on grief, tragedy, and triumph. I hope that my life
24:56
is just a little bit of evidence that your circumstances
24:58
and your feelings can change and get better, he says.
25:03
Now on to Taste of Country with the first article
25:05
dated September twenty third, Clay Walker's live shows look a
25:09
lot different these days. Clay Walker's moving slower these days,
25:13
but as they say in the business, the show must
25:15
go on. Earlier this year, Walker canceled the show in
25:18
Arkansas after suffering complications from a procedure that was meant
25:21
to help his multiple sclerosis. He has since returned to
25:25
the road, but his performances appeared to be scaled back.
25:29
The very next date on his calendar was Rock with
25:32
the South Festival in Colman, Alabama. Video shared to social
25:35
media show Walker delivering his songs from a roller chair
25:38
that was placed in the center of the stage. It's
25:41
not the first time he's performed while sitting, but it
25:43
looks to have become a consistent setup for his show
25:46
since the procedure. Even when he does stand, he sticks
25:49
to his post at the microphone stand instead of moving
25:51
around the stage. Despite the limitations, the crowd is still
25:55
very much invested in the show. In addition to his
25:58
mobility being limited while entertaining the crowd, walso is also
26:01
struggling to walk. A video from his performance of the
26:04
New Mexico State Fair shows Walker leaning on two people
26:08
as he walks away from the microphone. His legs are
26:11
stiff and unsteady As he slowly makes his way up
26:13
the stage. The crowd cheers loudly for him as he
26:16
pauses to give everyone a wave. Walker was diagnosed with
26:20
MS when he was twenty six. His nearly thirty year
26:22
battle hasn't kept him from making the music he loves,
26:25
although it has hindered him. He has since launched a
26:28
clay Walker Foundation to help others who also suffer from
26:31
the autoimmune disease, which has raised two point six million
26:34
dollars since it started. His condition requires him to use
26:38
a wheelchair at times, but he's made the most of
26:40
it over the years. Earlier in the year, he challenged
26:43
fellow country singer Randy Travis to a wheelchair race. Let's
26:47
just say it ended in a tie. And we close
26:50
with the thirteen secret Brett James songs You've known and
26:53
loved for years. As we mentioned, Brett James died in
26:56
a plane crash last week. That crash took place around
26:59
three local time in Franklin, North Carolina, near an elementary school,
27:03
but no children or staff were at the school at
27:05
the time. So here are thirteen celebrated songs from Taste
27:09
of Country written by Brett James, usually with the help
27:12
from the Nashville songwriting community. First, Carrie Underwood's Something in
27:18
the Water from twenty fourteen, with Underwood and Chris Stefano
27:21
as writers. Dirk S Bentley's I Hold On from twenty
27:25
thirteen with Bentley as writer, Jason Aldean The Truth two
27:29
thousand and nine with Ashley Monroe, Kenny Chesney's You Saved
27:33
Me two thousand and six, written with Troy Vergess, Brentley,
27:37
Gilbert's Bottoms Up from twenty thirteen with Justin Weaver and Gilbert,
27:42
Martina McBride's Blessed from two thousand and one with Hillary
27:45
Lindsey and Vergis. Scotty McQuary's I Love You This Big
27:49
from twenty eleven, written with Jay Smith, Ronnie Jackson and
27:53
Ester Dean. How About Tim McGraw's Drugs or Jesus from
27:57
two thousand and five with Chris Lindsay, Amy mah Verges,
28:01
Gary Allen, Get Off the Pain twenty ten, written with
28:05
Bill Luther and Weaver. Jessica Andrews, Who Am I? From
28:09
two thousand written with Verges, Sara Evans Cheating two thousand
28:13
and five, written with Don Schlitz, Rascal Flats Summer Nights
28:17
from two thousand and nine with Gary LeVaux and Busby
28:21
Chris Cagil Walmart Parking Lot from two thousand and five
28:25
that was written solo again thirteen Secret Brett James songs
28:29
that you've known and loved for years. This concludes the
28:32
reading of Country Weekly for this week. If you have
28:35
any comments or suggestions about our program, please call us
28:39
at eight five nine four two two sixty three ninety.
28:42
Thank you for joining me and on behalf of everyone
28:45
here at RADIOI. This is Ken Dawkins, wishing you a
28:48
great day.