Transcript

10.30.26 · Country Weekly

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Speaker 1: Now it's time to catch up with Country Weekly, where
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Speaker 1: we dive into news and gossip from that world of
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Speaker 1: country music. I'm your host, Ken Dawkins, and I will
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Speaker 1: be reading from various sources found online. As a reminder,
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Speaker 1: Radio Eye is a reading service intended for people who
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Speaker 1: are blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult
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Speaker 1: to read printed material. We'll begin with the first article
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Speaker 1: dated October 26th from Saving Country Music, the mysteries John
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Speaker 1: Anderson left behind in his songs. As you may know
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Speaker 1: by now, Country Music Hall of Famer John Anderson passed
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Speaker 1: away on October 21st. And even though you can officially
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Speaker 1: preface his name as a Hall of Famer, inducted in
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Speaker 1: 2024 when he was still around to enjoy it, thankfully,
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Speaker 1: a strong case can be made that Anderson was one
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Speaker 1: of the most underrated country artists and singers in the
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Speaker 1: genre's history, right up there with Gary Stewart and other
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Speaker 1: influential performers. The reason for Anderson's revered status among core
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Speaker 1: country fans was not just his one-in-a-million voice. It was
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Speaker 1: like caramel being run through a volume pedal. John Anderson
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Speaker 1: had an ear for songs like few others, both as
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Speaker 1: a writer himself and for some of the songs he
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Speaker 1: selected over his career that he would make iconic. John
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Speaker 1: Anderson's career really existed in two distinct eras, a rarity
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Speaker 1: for country artists who commonly fall out of favor with
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Speaker 1: radio and music row at some point and almost never return.
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Speaker 1: Anderson had a string of hits in the early 80s
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Speaker 1: that put him on the map, including one of the
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Speaker 1: signature songs, Swingin' in 1983, along with other number ones,
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Speaker 1: Wild and Blue and Black Sheep. It was Anderson's take
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Speaker 1: on Billy Joe Shaver's I'm Just an Old Chunk of
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Speaker 1: Coal from 1981 that really helped launch his career in earnest,
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Speaker 1: putting Anderson in the top five for the first time. Yet,
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Speaker 1: by the mid-late 80s, the hits stopped coming for the
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Speaker 1: man from Apopka, Florida. Between 1988 and 1991, when Anderson
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Speaker 1: had four straight singles not even crack the top 60,
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Speaker 1: most had to consider it over for Anderson, especially as
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Speaker 1: the class of 89 with superstars like Garth Brooks and
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Speaker 1: Alan Jackson were dominating the airwaves. In some ways, this
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Speaker 1: was life imitating art. One of John Anderson's early hits
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Speaker 1: was the song Would You Catch a Falling Star, written
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Speaker 1: by fellow Hall of Famer Bobby Braddock. The single went
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Speaker 1: to number six on the charts in 1982 off of
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Speaker 1: Anderson's album I Just Came Home to Country the Memories.
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Speaker 1: Would You Catch a Falling Star tells the story of
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Speaker 1: a country star that was once riding high and super
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Speaker 1: popular in country music, but who falls on hard times
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Speaker 1: and has gone mostly forgotten. He had a silver-plated bus
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Speaker 1: and a million country fans. Now there's just a few
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Speaker 1: of us and he drives a little van. And they
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Speaker 1: were beating down his door, the lovely women left and right,
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Speaker 1: Now he's on a hardwood floor, wondering where he'll spend
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Speaker 1: the night. When interviewed in 2024 on the Drifting Cowboy podcast,
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Speaker 1: and asked specifically who the song was about, Bobby Braddock said,
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Speaker 1: I'll never say. But how can I put this without
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Speaker 1: saying it? My second wife's best girlfriend was dating this guy,
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Speaker 1: and he wasn't a big star. But he played with
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Speaker 1: a band with a superstar, and he had a couple
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Speaker 1: of hits himself, not huge. One was pretty big, so
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Speaker 1: I was thinking about him. Braddock goes on to say
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Speaker 1: that the inspiration for the song truly did have a
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Speaker 1: big bus at some point, but then later was driving
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Speaker 1: an old van. I mean, all the characteristics were not
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Speaker 1: necessarily him, but I was gearing in on him when
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Speaker 1: I was writing the song, and some people asked me
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Speaker 1: if it's about George Jones because he was a drunk,
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Speaker 1: and I said no. George Jones was never anything but
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Speaker 1: a big star, even in his driest years. There's a
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Speaker 1: good chance John Anderson didn't even know who the song
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Speaker 1: was about, and if he did, the secret died with him.
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Speaker 1: And aside from a deathbed confessional, it's unlikely Bobby Braddock
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Speaker 1: will ever reveal the answer. What made this song resonate
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Speaker 1: with country fans is not just the mystery behind it,
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Speaker 1: but how it could pertain to a host of country
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Speaker 1: legends who ultimately traced the tracks of falling stars in
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Speaker 1: their career, including John Anderson in the late 80s. But
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Speaker 1: just when it looked like it might be over for
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Speaker 1: Anderson in popular music and popular country, he came across
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Speaker 1: the song Straight Tequila Night, written by Debbie Hupp and
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Speaker 1: Kent Robbins. After not having a number one in eight years,
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Speaker 1: let alone a top ten in six, the song shot
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Speaker 1: straight to number one and put John Anderson in the
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Speaker 1: public consciousness yet again. What Anderson credits for his career
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Speaker 1: turnaround is not only solely relying on his own songs
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Speaker 1: to compose an album, unlike his previous albums, 1992's Seminole
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Speaker 1: Wind only included two Anderson songs. I had more songs
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Speaker 1: written for this album, he said at the time, but
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Speaker 1: it seemed we just found other ones that seemed to
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Speaker 1: fit a little better. The first single from the album,
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Speaker 1: Who Got Our Love, stalled out again, only reaching number seven.
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Speaker 1: So maybe the new approach wasn't going to work. But
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Speaker 1: there was nothing that was going to hold back straight
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Speaker 1: Tequila Night. What makes the song so compelling is both
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Speaker 1: men and women can relate to it so intimately. Everyone
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Speaker 1: knows a character like the song's protagonist and has been
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Speaker 1: in that situation. And of course, John Anderson's interpretation and
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Speaker 1: incredible voice was perfect for bringing the pain out of
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Speaker 1: the lyrics. One specific detail many country fans have pondered
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Speaker 1: over the years is what that song K-13 was in
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Speaker 1: the jukebox that apparently was the key to unlocking the
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Speaker 1: young woman's heart. And this doesn't feel like a trivial matter.
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Speaker 1: It feels like one of the critical details of a song,
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Speaker 1: even though no answer is ever revealed. After all, if
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Speaker 1: there's a song out there, and if you play it,
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Speaker 1: you might have a chance. People want to know what
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Speaker 1: the song is. There have been many theories shared over
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Speaker 1: the years, none of which feel conclusive, Unfortunately, we have
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Speaker 1: even less clues about K-13 than Who Would Catch a
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Speaker 1: Falling Star might be about. Some have given the time period.
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Speaker 1: It could be Keith Whitley's Don't Close Your Eyes. Others
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Speaker 1: surmise it must be a classic by Patsy Cline, George Jones,
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Speaker 1: or Tammy Wynette. But ultimately, it feels like us not
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Speaker 1: knowing the answers is better than if we did. It
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Speaker 1: was this element of mystery and intrigue in the songs
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Speaker 1: that helped make him so compelling. And of course, there
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Speaker 1: was also John Anderson himself. Many could perform and compose
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Speaker 1: great country songs, but nobody could sing them like John Anderson,
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Speaker 1: and no matter what he sang, his will always be
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Speaker 1: the definitive version. Meanwhile, John Anderson leaves behind a catalog
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Speaker 1: of incredible albums and songs that went on to entertain
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Speaker 1: multiple generations of country fans and will continue to entertain
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Speaker 1: well into the future. Despite the New York Times obituary
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Speaker 1: very strangely portraying Anderson's vocals as gravelly and warbled, It
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Speaker 1: was his notoriously smooth and soulful delivery that made him
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Speaker 1: a country star and one that will not be quickly forgotten.
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Speaker 1: But it only took 48 hours for somebody to attempt
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Speaker 1: to exploit John Anderson's passing for commercial gain. On October 23rd,
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Speaker 1: an album simply titled John Anderson was uploaded to all
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Speaker 1: streaming services under Anderson's official verified accounts. Though some of
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Speaker 1: the music sort of sounded like John Anderson, it wasn't
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Speaker 1: the John Anderson we were accustomed to. Combined with a
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Speaker 1: clearly AI-generated album cover, the original concern is if this
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Speaker 1: was a completely AI-generated album uploaded to deceive grieving fans
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Speaker 1: like we've seen with Don Williams and other deceased country legends.
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Speaker 1: Or perhaps it was a previously unheard material never meant
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Speaker 1: to be released that was being uploaded against the John
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Speaker 1: Anderson estate's wishes to try and capitalize off his death.
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Speaker 1: No press release or explanation was publicly given for the
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Speaker 1: new music. After doing some research, the answer is sort
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Speaker 1: of a combination of both. Yes, the cover art is AI,
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Speaker 1: and there's still a possibility the tracks were uploaded surreptitiously.
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Speaker 1: But the music is actually very real and comes from
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Speaker 1: very early in John Anderson's career. So, that sucks and
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Speaker 1: is legit to a degree, says representative of the John
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Speaker 1: Anderson camp to Saving Country Music. Long story and unsure
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Speaker 1: if it can be stopped. Probably not. Many of those
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Speaker 1: songs were work for hire stuff John did arriving in Nashville. demos, essentially,
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Speaker 1: a day job in music before he had an actual
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Speaker 1: career or record out. Some are so young he hasn't
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Speaker 1: even found his vocal identity yet. Saving Country Music was
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Speaker 1: able to verify that on April 6, 1999, an album
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Speaker 1: of the same songs called Backtracks was released on CD
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Speaker 1: by Renaissance Records, which is a company that specializes in
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Speaker 1: rare and out-of-print repressings. At some point, Backtracks was actually
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Speaker 1: uploaded to Spotify and though it appears like few if
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Speaker 1: anyone found it and the tracks have few if any spins.
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Speaker 1: The album went out of print again and then was
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Speaker 1: released in 2002 by Orpheus Records under the title Somehow, Someway, Someday,
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Speaker 1: one of the songs from the record. Interesting to note,
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Speaker 1: these previous two albums included 11 tracks where the most
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Speaker 1: recent release only includes 10. The song Bad Morning for
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Speaker 1: Leaving is left off, but the thing that makes the
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Speaker 1: new album exceptional and arguably exploitive is how they put
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Speaker 1: the release date as October 23, 2026, even though the
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Speaker 1: material is from the early 80s, if not before, and
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Speaker 1: the album was released previously in 1999 and in 2002,
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Speaker 1: only under different title. This makes this supposed new album
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Speaker 1: the first thing people see whenever they pull up John
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Speaker 1: Anderson's music and want to remember the country legend in
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Speaker 1: the wake of his passing. We see this happening from
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Speaker 1: significant streams the album is already garnering. It's currently inconclusive
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Speaker 1: if the John Anderson estate will see any financial benefit
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Speaker 1: from the release, or if whoever uploaded the tracks did
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Speaker 1: so in an authorized manner. Sometimes fraudsters have found previously
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Speaker 1: unreleased material, deleted songs, or stuff only found on physical format,
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Speaker 1: and uploaded it unauthorized to DSPs. This saddens me, but
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Speaker 1: par for the course in terms of the vulture size
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Speaker 1: of the biz, says the John Anderson representative. I became
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Speaker 1: a of these 20 to 25 years ago. It's nothing new.
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Speaker 1: It's opportunistic, like the termite finding fresh wood. If there's
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Speaker 1: a silver lining, the new album happens to be 10
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Speaker 1: John Anderson songs that are new to many of his fans,
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Speaker 1: and they may find something in there that resonates with them.
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Speaker 1: The song, If There Were No Memories, was written by
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Speaker 1: Anderson himself. and Anderson co-wrote Swoop Down, Sweet Jesus. The
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Speaker 1: song Stop in Nevada is a Billy Joel song from 1973,
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Speaker 1: and Country Comfort is a song written by Elton John
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Speaker 1: and Bernie Taupin for the album Tumbleweed back in 1970.
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Speaker 1: So don't be surprised if the title disappears on streaming
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Speaker 1: services at some point. To do it right, this album
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Speaker 1: should have been released properly and in a way that
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Speaker 1: would benefit the Anderson legacy and estate, not exploit it
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Speaker 1: in the aftermath of his death. And anyway, the track
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Speaker 1: list on this thing, Country Comfort, I'm Just Here to
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Speaker 1: Love You, If Love Could Find Us Now, If There
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Speaker 1: Were No New Memories, Just at Dawn, Mississippi Rain, Somehow, Someway, Someday,
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Speaker 1: Stop in Nevada, Swoop Down, Sweet Jesus, and What Did
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Speaker 1: I Promise Her Last Night. Moving on, finally, Brooks and
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Speaker 1: Dunn is working on new music. We might be finally
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Speaker 1: getting new music from one of the most iconic duos
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Speaker 1: in the country music history, finally, says Saving Country Music.
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Speaker 1: As wild as it might seem to say, Brooks and Dunn,
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Speaker 1: who released their debut album in 1991, are currently the
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Speaker 1: reigning CMA Vocal Duo of the Year and might be
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Speaker 1: the most relevant duo in all of country music. They've
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Speaker 1: won Duo of the Year 16 times, including consecutively over
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Speaker 1: the last two years. They're also likely favorites to win
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Speaker 1: the award in 2026 when the CMAs transpire on November 18.
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Speaker 1: But in the ironic split screen that is Brooks and
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Speaker 1: Dunn's career of being both legendary and relevant at the
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Speaker 1: same time, the Country Music Hall of Famers will be
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Speaker 1: awarded the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 CMAs.
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Speaker 1: And all of this comes from a country act that
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Speaker 1: hasn't released an album of new original music since 2007,
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Speaker 1: meaning going on 20 years. But all of that looks
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Speaker 1: like it might change. Obviously, there's been a resurgence of
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Speaker 1: 90s music. I feel like we did have a heck
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Speaker 1: of a run in the 90s. A lot of the
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Speaker 1: parents who really liked 90s music turned their kids on
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Speaker 1: to it, said Kix Brooks in a recent interview with
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Speaker 1: CBS Mornings. This is true, and perhaps the primary reason
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Speaker 1: Brooks and Dunn is as popular as they've ever been,
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Speaker 1: but except for a couple of pretty mild and messy
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Speaker 1: reworkings of their previous hits on the album's reboot in
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Speaker 1: 2019 and reboot 2 in 24, their music is being
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Speaker 1: enjoyed retrospectively since nothing new has been released. Now, with
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Speaker 1: artists like Zach Topchick, Worthington, Cole Goodwin, and many more
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Speaker 1: releasing songs inspired by Brooks and Dunn, why couldn't Brooks
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Speaker 1: and Dunn release some of their own, and successfully? In
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Speaker 1: the CBS Mornings interview, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn explain how,
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Speaker 1: even though they've had plenty of disagreements over the years,
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Speaker 1: they've never raised their voices at each other or come
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Speaker 1: to the point of completely falling out, even when they
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Speaker 1: went on hiatus. Their ability to compromise has been key.
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Speaker 1: When asked by interviewer David Begnaud, what was the last
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Speaker 1: thing you had to compromise on? Ronnie Dunn responds, we're
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Speaker 1: compromising right now. We're working on a new record. You
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Speaker 1: talk about the ultimate compromise. As songwriters, we're firing stuff
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Speaker 1: back and forth. You know, we're criticizing one another's music.
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Speaker 1: That's the holy grail, right? I want all my songs
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Speaker 1: on there. He wants all his songs on there. So
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Speaker 1: we have to work that stuff out and you sweat
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Speaker 1: and bleed every word. Kix Brooks adds, we both realize
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Speaker 1: down deep That song I wrote is better than that
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Speaker 1: song I wrote, so you have to be honest with yourself,
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Speaker 1: and then at some point we've got to be honest
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Speaker 1: with each other. So it sounds like they're at least
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Speaker 1: going through the writing process of producing a new album,
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Speaker 1: and now that they're both in their early 70s, it
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Speaker 1: couldn't come sooner. These promising quotes from the duo are
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Speaker 1: in stark contrast to what they said about recording new
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Speaker 1: music back in 2019. I don't know, Ronnie Dunn responded
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Speaker 1: to the question at the time. I don't know how
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Speaker 1: that works these days. We know how to make records,
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Speaker 1: write songs, but I don't know how to work the
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Speaker 1: system to get it to be heard anymore. Not to
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Speaker 1: sound cocky, but we can write songs as good as
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Speaker 1: we ever could, I think. It's just going through the
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Speaker 1: political process of what you have to do to make
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Speaker 1: it happen. But it's a different day in country music
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Speaker 1: than it was in 2019 at the tail end of
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Speaker 1: the bro country era. Could Brooks and Dunn release a
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Speaker 1: hit record of 90s country today? They very well could,
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Speaker 1: says Saving Country Music. But just like everything in country music,
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Speaker 1: the appeal for retro 90s country could be waning too,
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Speaker 1: So it's better sooner than later. And for Brooks and Dunn,
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Speaker 1: it's also better late than never. Now we slide down
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Speaker 1: the slide over to countrynow.com with the first article dated
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Speaker 1: October 27th. Taylor Swift makes history as youngest ever Nashville
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Speaker 1: Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee. Taylor Swift made history Monday night,
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Speaker 1: becoming the youngest ever member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall
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Speaker 1: of Fame, or NASHOF, during the organization's 56th anniversary gala
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Speaker 1: at the Music City Center in downtown Nashville. Swift was
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Speaker 1: inducted in the Songwriter Artist category alongside Sean Camp and
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Speaker 1: Lee Thomas Miller in the Songwriter category, Bruce Channel in
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Speaker 1: the Veteran Songwriter category, and Lyle Lovett in the Veteran
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Speaker 1: Songwriter Artist category. The late J.I. Allison was also inducted
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Speaker 1: into the Hall's Legacy category, which honors deceased songwriters. Nashoff
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Speaker 1: member Brad Paisley was on hand to officially welcome Taylor
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Speaker 1: Swift into the organization, delivering a heartfelt speech honoring the
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Speaker 1: 36-year-old superstar and her journey from a teenage songwriter in
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Speaker 1: Nashville to a global music icon. Paisley, who toured with
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Speaker 1: Swift early in her career, admitted it was emotional to
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Speaker 1: have the opportunity to honor her in this way. This
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Speaker 1: is somebody who's conquered the world and done it with songs.
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Speaker 1: She's first and foremost one of us, somebody that came
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Speaker 1: to Nashville as a teenager and Started writing with Liz Rose,
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Speaker 1: he said. All of us were like, how is this
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Speaker 1: teenager doing this? How is she so brilliant? And then
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Speaker 1: she goes off on to sort of really put her
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Speaker 1: feelings into something that it's 100% hers, writes the Speak
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Speaker 1: Now album all by itself. It's an amazing thing to
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Speaker 1: watch a revolution from somebody who realized this all starts
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Speaker 1: with a song to take that exact thing and change
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Speaker 1: the world, literally the world. Paisley also pointed to Swift's
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Speaker 1: record-breaking Errors Tour, which included 149 sold-out stadium shows, and
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Speaker 1: that was across six continents. I didn't even know there
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Speaker 1: were that many, he joked. On a more serious note,
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Speaker 1: Paisley praised Swift as the voice of the generation, highlighting
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Speaker 1: the way her songs have connected with fans around the world.
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Speaker 1: She encapsulated the heartbreak of girls and boys and people
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Speaker 1: who have needed the songs that she writes for so long.
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Speaker 1: She's somebody that more than anything, I think this matters
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Speaker 1: to her tonight. that she's one of you. And it's
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Speaker 1: an amazing thing to watch that somebody can accomplish when
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Speaker 1: they write the truth on a piece of paper, put
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Speaker 1: it on tape, a record, and a guitar, and then
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Speaker 1: go out and conquer planet Earth. Paisley then welcomed Lainey
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Speaker 1: Wilson to the stage, where she paid tribute to Swift
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Speaker 1: with a performance of her self-written chart-topping hit, Love Story.
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Speaker 1: Following Wilson's performance, Swift was officially welcomed into Nashville Songwriters
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Speaker 1: Hall of Fame. She began by thanking Wilson for the tribute,
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Speaker 1: and sharing her love for the singer's new music. I
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Speaker 1: first of all want to say thank you to Lainey Wilson,
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Speaker 1: who I just think is one of the greatest people
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Speaker 1: in the world. Thank you for doing that, Swift shared
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Speaker 1: from the stage. And I've heard her new single on
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Speaker 1: repeat forever. It just puts me in the best mood.
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Speaker 1: It's called Kinda Love It. Check it out. Swift then
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Speaker 1: turned her attention to Paisley, joking that the two had
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Speaker 1: been estranged for nearly 20 years because of a prank
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Speaker 1: he pulled on her early in her career. Brad Paisley,
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Speaker 1: thank you so much for the introduction. I'm surprised to
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Speaker 1: see you here, actually, because we've been estranged since 2007.
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Speaker 1: I think you know why. He took a tour prank
17:57
Speaker 1: too far, filled my entire bus with live crickets, thousands
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Speaker 1: of them. For months, I couldn't sleep, just all night.
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Speaker 1: I considered buying a pet lizard to eradicate the problem.
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Speaker 1: It was a dark time, but you know what? You
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Speaker 1: did such an amazing job with that introduction. I think
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Speaker 1: we can let bygones be bygones. Yeah, I think we're
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Speaker 1: good with that. Swift accepted the honor with a speech
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Speaker 1: lasting more than 10 minutes, looking back on her early
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Speaker 1: days in Nashville and thanking the songwriting community that helped
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Speaker 1: shape her career. Next, Blake Shelton calls Luke Bryan's Nashville
18:29
Speaker 1: bar a ghost town, and Luke fires back with hilarious response.
18:35
Speaker 1: Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan's longtime playful rivalry is heating
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Speaker 1: up again, and this time both of their Nashville bars
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Speaker 1: got caught in the crossfire. The country superstars have made
18:45
Speaker 1: it a habit to poke fun at each other online
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Speaker 1: over the years, and recently they turned their attention to
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Speaker 1: their respective Broadway businesses, Ole Red and Luke's 32 Bridge.
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Speaker 1: The two bars fittingly sit directly across the street from
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Speaker 1: each other, with downtown Nashville's bustling Lower Broadway being the
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Speaker 1: only thing separating them. Shelton was first to throw some
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Speaker 1: shade at the Georgia native with a video film from
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Speaker 1: the rooftop of his Ole Red bar located at 300 Broadway.
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Speaker 1: He filmed himself taking in the views of downtown Nashville,
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Speaker 1: noting that he doesn't often get the chance to enjoy
19:17
Speaker 1: the scenery because he's usually on the ground-level stage performing
19:20
Speaker 1: when he's at the venue. The view is absolutely incredible.
19:24
Speaker 1: He then joked that he wanted to prove he was
19:26
Speaker 1: a team player by shouting out several other bars owned
19:29
Speaker 1: by fellow country stars, pointing out that each one was
19:31
Speaker 1: clearly visible from Ole Red's rooftop, like Jason Aldean's and
19:35
Speaker 1: Post Malone's posties, but when he got to Lake Luke
19:39
Speaker 1: Bryan's establishment, Shelton couldn't resist taking a shot at his
19:42
Speaker 1: longtime friend, calling attention to the fact that there was
19:45
Speaker 1: no one to be seen on his rooftop. Oh, look,
19:48
Speaker 1: there's Luke Bryan's bar. That weird. There's nobody there, Shelton
19:51
Speaker 1: said with a laugh. Ghost town, USA. What a loser.
19:56
Speaker 1: He directly called Bryan out in his caption asking, hey,
19:58
Speaker 1: Luke Bryan, where is everyone? Bryan was quick to offer
20:02
Speaker 1: a sarcastic comment back, writing, clearly you're so old you
20:05
Speaker 1: go to the bar at 10 a.m. He In a
20:07
Speaker 1: video shared to his own social media shortly after, the
20:10
Speaker 1: Fish Hunt Golf Drunk singer fired back with a jab
20:13
Speaker 1: of his own. Filmed from inside the car as he
20:16
Speaker 1: drove past Shelton's Ole Red, Brian captured a short clip
20:19
Speaker 1: of the bar's sign and stated, Food poisoning, here we come.
20:24
Speaker 1: Clearly the friendly feud between Shelton and Brian isn't slowing
20:27
Speaker 1: down anytime soon. The pair of country stars have never
20:30
Speaker 1: been ones to pass up an opportunity to give each
20:32
Speaker 1: other a hard time, and based on their history, It's
20:35
Speaker 1: safe to assume their latest exchange probably won't be their last. Next,
20:41
Speaker 1: Miranda Lambert to headline 30th annual Red Kettle kickoff at
20:44
Speaker 1: Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving halftime show. Miranda Lambert is set to
20:49
Speaker 1: headline a 30th consecutive Salvation Army Red Kettle kickoff halftime
20:54
Speaker 1: show during the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game against the
20:58
Speaker 1: Philadelphia Eagles. The country star will take the stage at
21:01
Speaker 1: AT & T Stadium for a live performance on Thanksgiving Day,
21:04
Speaker 1: November 26th, as part of the nationally televised game airing
21:08
Speaker 1: on Fox at 3.30 p.m. Central Time. The performance will
21:12
Speaker 1: launch the Salvation Army's 136th Red Kettle Campaign, which raises
21:17
Speaker 1: funds to support millions of individuals and families in need
21:20
Speaker 1: throughout the year, especially during the holiday season. The announcement
21:25
Speaker 1: was made on Sunday with a video that found the
21:27
Speaker 1: Texas native riding into the rehearsal for the performance, on
21:30
Speaker 1: her longhorn. The video also featured a few Dallas Cowboys
21:33
Speaker 1: cheerleaders and the team's mascot, who were all patiently awaiting
21:37
Speaker 1: Lambert's arrival. There's something special about how music brings people together,
21:42
Speaker 1: especially when it's spread joy and hope to families who
21:45
Speaker 1: need it most, said Lambert. The Salvation Army and the
21:48
Speaker 1: Dallas Cowboys have built an incredible tradition with the Red
21:52
Speaker 1: Kettle kickoff, and I can't wait to be back home
21:54
Speaker 1: in Texas this Thanksgiving to help carry it forward. The
21:58
Speaker 1: idea for the Red Kettle Kickoff came from Dallas Cowboys
22:01
Speaker 1: Chief Brand Officer and co-owner Charlotte Jones and has continued
22:04
Speaker 1: to grow each year. Over the past three decades, the
22:08
Speaker 1: star-studded event has evolved into a holiday tradition that has
22:11
Speaker 1: raised more than $ 3. 4 billion for the campaign. The Red
22:16
Speaker 1: Kettle Kickoff has become one of the Dallas Cowboys' proudest traditions,
22:20
Speaker 1: and one of my family and our entire organization look
22:23
Speaker 1: forward to every Thanksgiving, said Charlotte Jones. The, uh, For
22:27
Speaker 1: 30 years, incredible artists have appeared on our halftime stage
22:30
Speaker 1: to help the Salvation Army bring hope to millions of
22:33
Speaker 1: people in need. We're grateful to Miranda Lambert for joining
22:36
Speaker 1: that legacy and helping us continue this meaningful tradition. Jones
22:40
Speaker 1: developed the concept in the 1990s after her father, Cowboys
22:43
Speaker 1: owner Jerry Jones, encouraged her to find ways to make
22:47
Speaker 1: a meaningful impact on Cowboys fans beyond the football field.
22:51
Speaker 1: She had an opportunity to partner with the Salvation Army
22:54
Speaker 1: and used the team's nationally televised Thanksgiving halftime show to
22:57
Speaker 1: encourage viewers to give back. Reba McEntire was taped to
23:01
Speaker 1: deliver the first-ever Red Kettle kickoff performance in 1997. Since then,
23:06
Speaker 1: the stage has welcomed artists, including Destiny's Child, Carrie Underwood,
23:11
Speaker 1: the Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, Dolly Parton, Lena Wilson, and
23:14
Speaker 1: Post Malone, who headlined the show last year. The Red
23:18
Speaker 1: Kettle campaign gives people a simple way to spread joy
23:21
Speaker 1: and support their neighbors in need. said Commissioner Merle Heatwall,
23:24
Speaker 1: National Commander of the Salvation Army. The Red Kettle Kickoff
23:28
Speaker 1: has brought that spirit of giving to a national audience
23:31
Speaker 1: for the last three decades. We're grateful to the Dallas Cowboys,
23:35
Speaker 1: the Gene and Jerry Jones family, and Miranda Lambert for
23:38
Speaker 1: helping us kick off the season by bringing attention to
23:41
Speaker 1: the needs of neighbors throughout the nation. Next, Carly Pierce
23:46
Speaker 1: welcomes Kelsey Ballerini for two surprise duets at New York
23:50
Speaker 1: tour finale. Carly Pierce surprised fans in New York City
23:54
Speaker 1: on Thursday night when she brought out her longtime friend
23:57
Speaker 1: and fellow country star Kelsey Ballerini for two special performances.
24:02
Speaker 1: Pierce wrapped up her Honest Woman up close to her
24:04
Speaker 1: at the Gramercy Theater, marking the end of an intimate
24:07
Speaker 1: run of shows celebrating her latest album, Honest Woman. The
24:11
Speaker 1: night came to a memorable close when Ballerini joined her
24:14
Speaker 1: on stage for not one but two songs. I've had
24:18
Speaker 1: so much fun getting to bring this music to life.
24:20
Speaker 1: It's my favorite music that I've ever made. In New York,
24:23
Speaker 1: I have to be honest with you, I'm feeling a
24:26
Speaker 1: bit drunk, Pierce teased. Moments later, Ballerini appeared on stage,
24:30
Speaker 1: sending the crowd into a frenzy. Longtime friends kick things
24:33
Speaker 1: off with Your Drunk Go Home, a song from Ballerini's
24:36
Speaker 1: Subject to Change album that originally featured Ballerini, Pierce, and
24:40
Speaker 1: Kelly Clarkson. Throughout the song, fans sang along and cheered.
24:45
Speaker 1: and the excitement continued as the two artists celebrated their friendship.
24:49
Speaker 1: I could stand here and say so many things about
24:51
Speaker 1: this person, Pierce said of Ballerini. A couple months ago,
24:54
Speaker 1: I said, hey, you've been in New York era. Do
24:57
Speaker 1: you think that maybe you could just pencil this in,
24:59
Speaker 1: and if it works out, you could be here? And
25:01
Speaker 1: I've been so excited about this moment because she is
25:03
Speaker 1: truly my sister, one of my best friends in the
25:05
Speaker 1: whole world, and it's just such an honor to get
25:08
Speaker 1: to be here with her tonight. Pierce joked that Ballerini
25:11
Speaker 1: couldn't just come and sing one song. So the two
25:14
Speaker 1: decided to get cozy and made their way to the
25:16
Speaker 1: front of the stage where they took a seat. We
25:18
Speaker 1: grew up on 90s country, so we want to sing
25:20
Speaker 1: a song we both love so much, Pierce teased. Before
25:24
Speaker 1: their final performance together, Pierce gave a shout out to
25:26
Speaker 1: Rita Wilson, who was in the audience, and the queen
25:29
Speaker 1: of Broadway, Kristen Chenoweth. Pierce had performed with Chenoweth just
25:33
Speaker 1: the night before at the Dolly Parton tribute in Nashville.
25:36
Speaker 1: Although the two had never met before, they quickly became
25:39
Speaker 1: fast friends. and Chenoweth even changed her flight to be
25:42
Speaker 1: in New York City for Pierce's show. When I think
25:45
Speaker 1: about Honest Women, it's Rita Wilson, and it's Kristen Chenoweth,
25:48
Speaker 1: and it's Kelsey Ballerini, Pierce declared. The longtime friends then
25:52
Speaker 1: joined forces for a heartfelt performance of the chick's Cowboy
25:55
Speaker 1: Take Me Away, bringing their surprise appearance to a close.
26:00
Speaker 1: While the curtain has come down on Pierce's Honest Woman,
26:02
Speaker 1: up close to her, she still has two shows remaining
26:05
Speaker 1: on her schedule for the year, The singer is set
26:07
Speaker 1: to travel across the pond for performances in London on
26:10
Speaker 1: December 2nd and 3rd. Now we move over to TheBoot.com
26:15
Speaker 1: with the first article dated on October 27th. John Michael
26:19
Speaker 1: Montgomery's son Walker marries Tiger Lily Gold's Krista Slabaugh. Walker
26:25
Speaker 1: Montgomery's son of country singer John Michael Montgomery is married.
26:29
Speaker 1: Walker tied the knot with Krista Slabaugh, one half of
26:33
Speaker 1: the country duo Tiger Lily Gold, on Friday, October 23rd
26:37
Speaker 1: in Thompson Station, Tennessee. The couple welcomed 130 guests to
26:42
Speaker 1: their elevated Western wedding, complete with a black tie Western
26:45
Speaker 1: dress code, boots for dancing, and personal touches that reflected
26:49
Speaker 1: their lives as country artists. From handwritten vows over morning
26:53
Speaker 1: coffee to a first dance set to a country song,
26:56
Speaker 1: a celebration centered on the couple's relationship and the everyday
26:59
Speaker 1: moments that they cherish. Walker, 27, and Krista, 28, asked
27:05
Speaker 1: guests to follow a black-tie western dress code and bring
27:07
Speaker 1: boots for dancing. The bride traded her bridal shoes for
27:11
Speaker 1: Dan Post boots after the ceremony, while Walker wore custom
27:15
Speaker 1: black boots from the boot builder. Before the outdoor ceremony,
27:19
Speaker 1: the couple privately exchanged handwritten vows over coffee. They also
27:23
Speaker 1: had their wedding portraits and videos taken ahead of time
27:25
Speaker 1: so they could relax and enjoy the celebration after saying,
27:28
Speaker 1: I do. George Strait's Blue Clear Sky played as Walker
27:32
Speaker 1: and Krista were pronounced husband and wife At the reception,
27:36
Speaker 1: they shared their first dance to James Bonomy's I Don't
27:39
Speaker 1: Think I Will. According to People, the couple also spoke
27:43
Speaker 1: about what they admired most about each other. Krista described
27:47
Speaker 1: Walker as someone who made her feel extremely safe and protected,
27:50
Speaker 1: supported her dreams, and made her laugh. He's truly the
27:54
Speaker 1: one person in this world who I can't get enough of,
27:56
Speaker 1: she said. She also emphasized how much they enjoyed traveling
28:00
Speaker 1: and making memories together, while cherishing every day, every lay life,
28:04
Speaker 1: that is, just as much. Walker, meanwhile, admired Krista's ability
28:08
Speaker 1: to find the positive in almost any situation, adding, She
28:11
Speaker 1: puts me in a good mood, and she is my
28:13
Speaker 1: best friend. Walker proposed on May 26, 2025, during a
28:18
Speaker 1: surprise getaway to Highlands in North Carolina. The proposal took
28:22
Speaker 1: place beside a pond surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains.
28:25
Speaker 1: The couple first met in 2023 when Walker performed a
28:28
Speaker 1: concert in Kansas City. Nearly a year and a half
28:31
Speaker 1: after their engagement, the two country artists made it official
28:34
Speaker 1: at a wedding that reflected their shared lives and love
28:37
Speaker 1: of country music. This concludes the reading of Country Weekly
28:41
Speaker 1: for this week. If you have any comments or suggestions
28:44
Speaker 1: about the program, call us please at 859-422-6390. Thank you
28:50
Speaker 1: for joining me, and on behalf of everyone here at
28:52
Speaker 1: Radio Eye, this is Ken Dawkins wishing you a great day.