Transcript

1.30.26 · Country Weekly

0:04
Speaker 1: Now. It's time to come in from the cold and
0:06
catch up with Country Weekly, where we check out news
0:10
and gossip from the world of country music. I'm your host,
0:13
Ken Dawkins, and I'll be reading from various sources found online.
0:18
As a reminder, RADIOI is a reading service intended for
0:21
people who are blind or have other disabilities that make
0:24
it difficult to read printed material. We'll begin with the
0:28
first article, dated January twenty sixth from countrynow dot Com.
0:34
Getting started. Carrie Underwood confirms she will not headline a
0:37
tour in twenty twenty six It's official, Carrie Underwood is
0:42
not going on tour this year. The country music powerhouse
0:45
confirmed the news during a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel
0:48
Live with her fellow American Idol judge Lionel Ritchie. When
0:53
asked about each of their touring plans, Luke Bryan, who
0:56
was there, shared details of his just announced World on
0:58
the Street tour, while Ritchie teas that new plans would
1:01
be unveiled soon. Today he shared those details, revealing he'll
1:05
be hitting the road on his Earth, Wind and Fire
1:08
sing a song all night long to her throughout the year. Underwood, however,
1:13
we'll keep her focus on judging the next wave of
1:15
contestants on American Idol and being a mom to her
1:18
two young boys. No, she said confidently, before gesturing to
1:22
her co stars, I'll go see them. Even though she
1:25
won't be embarking on her own headline run, fans will
1:27
still have a few chances to catch the Oklahoma native
1:30
live on stage. She has a few one off headline
1:33
shows as well as two festival appearance as Curly Clown
1:37
currently on the books, including the Wildlands Festival in Park,
1:40
Montana on August first, and the Velocity Music Festival in Dyersville, Iowa,
1:45
on September fifth. This summer, she will take the stage
1:49
in Nashville as part of Alan Jackson's final career show
1:52
Last Call One More for the Road. The finale plus
1:57
the twenty fourth overall season of American Idol In the
1:59
Night on ABC looks as though it will be keeping
2:02
Underwood plenty busy. The singing competition show premiered on January
2:07
twenty sixth, and its streams on Hulu as well. Last fall, Underwood,
2:11
Ritchie and Brian were all spotted filming for the season
2:13
on the campus of Nashville's Belmont University. This spotting of
2:17
the judges is on par with the show's academic theme,
2:20
Idol University. The network also unveiled that there will be
2:24
a brand new twist this year that involves the judges
2:26
and the show's host, Ryan Seacrest making their way to
2:29
Music City with the talented Golden ticket Holders. American Idols
2:33
beloved tradition of Hollywood Week will now trade California for Tennessee,
2:37
an unexpected change that's bound to bring new energy to
2:40
the show. Luke Bran explained to Kimmel that for eight
2:43
years he's been trying to make the show's transition to
2:46
Music City happen. However, he didn't have enough weight until
2:49
his fellow country star Carrie Underwood joined the team last year.
2:53
They didn't scare me off, so we're back at it.
2:55
Underwood joked about her return to the show, having one
2:58
Idol in two thousand and five built a wildly successful
3:01
career since then. The Deniman Rhinestone singer says she's ready
3:05
to help guide the next generation of aspiring performers. Hopefully
3:09
I have some wisdom, having been in their shoes, that
3:11
I can impart on them and help them along. That way,
3:13
but it's the Idle University this year. That's kind of
3:16
our theme. Fansom beginning glimpses of what's to come for
3:19
months now and the weight will finally be over. It
3:22
all began this week on ABC Now. Some winter storm
3:27
related news, Russell Dickerson's wife Kaylee shares terrifying experience during
3:31
Nashville's winter storm. Russell Dickerson's wife, Kayleie Dickerson took to
3:37
social media to share their family's frightening experience during winter
3:40
Storm Fern, That's what Akiweather calls it, which slammed Nashville
3:45
and the surrounding area. The powerful storm left hundreds of
3:48
thousands without power, down, countless trees, stranded drivers, and claimed
3:52
at least three lives according to latest reports. Actually, as
3:55
of this morning, which is middle of the week, it's
3:58
over fifty throughout the UK eastern half of the country.
4:01
Kayley detailed what the family endured as they sheltered in
4:04
their home, listing as trees and large limbs fell around
4:06
them throughout the day. Spent the day without power with
4:10
my parents and kids. We couldn't find our generator. We
4:13
lost it somewhere in the move to the rental house.
4:15
She wrote, last Sunday, every few minutes, limbs were crashing
4:18
on our house, huge trees surrounding us. We decided to
4:21
brave the roads and get to my brother's house with power. Later,
4:25
Kelly shared that the family made it safely to their destination,
4:28
though the experience left them a bit shaken as my
4:31
nervous system is coming back down. Made it safe, she wrote,
4:34
pray for the people affected by this storm. It's bad.
4:37
Trees and power lines are down everywhere. I don't endorse driving,
4:40
but we had a four wheel drive and fortunately it
4:42
froze when it was slushy for some traction. But I
4:45
don't know about tomorrow. She later posted a photo of
4:49
a fallen tree limb that had taken out the power
4:51
line to their home. Russell and Kelly went in twenty
4:54
thirteen and share two young sons, Remington and Radford. According
4:59
to w USMV, winter Storm Fern is the worst ice
5:02
storm in the Nashville area that they've seen in years.
5:05
The system began as snow before shifting to sleep as
5:08
it did up here in our area, then freezing rain
5:11
and eventually rain, creating the perfect conditions for devastating ice accumulation.
5:16
WSMV reports that ice totals in and around that area
5:19
reached more than half an inch in some locations, and
5:22
as a result, hundreds of thousands of people remained without power. Meanwhile,
5:27
the winter storm forced Jason Aldean to postpone Charleston West
5:31
Virginia concert. Jason Aldean returned to the road this week
5:35
on his full throttle tour, but winter storm Fern has
5:37
already thrown a wrench in the plans, forcing the country
5:40
superstar to postpone as Charleston, West Virginia show to a
5:44
later date. Aldean was scheduled to perform at the Charleston
5:47
Coliseum on Saturday as part of his latest headlining run.
5:51
According to a statement from the venue, which was later
5:53
shared by the Georgia native himself, the show has been
5:56
rescheduled for Friday, August twenty first, according to his website,
6:00
Aldean's next scheduled performance is January twenty ninth at the
6:04
Bryce Jordan Center that's at University Park, Pennsylvania, followed by
6:08
shows in Allentown, PA in Atlantic City, New Jersey. After that,
6:12
he'll take a short break from the road before heading
6:14
to Australia and New Zealand. This marks Aldean's return to
6:18
Australia for the first time since twenty sixteen, when you
6:21
made history as the first headlining artist to sell out
6:24
CMC Rock's QLD Country Music Festival. Upon returning to the US,
6:29
Aaldean will head back to his home state of Georgia
6:32
for a special show at Sanford Stadium That's Dewley Field
6:35
at the University of Georgia That's in April, where he'll
6:38
perform alongside fellow Georgia native Luke Bryan. The longtime friends
6:43
first rock Sanford Stadium back in twenty thirteen as part
6:46
of Aldean's Night Train Tour, which at the time was
6:49
the only concert ever held at the venue. The upcoming
6:52
show will feature opener Zach todp Law and Elena, DJ
6:55
Rock and DJ Silver the Live Between the Hedges concert
6:59
series presented by Pruitt Health. This highly anticipated concert falls
7:04
amid release week for Aldane's upcoming twenty track album, Songs
7:08
About Us, slated to drop on April twenty fourth. The
7:12
project features collaborations with Brian, his wife Britney Aldean, and
7:16
his latest hit single how Far Does a Goodbye Go?
7:20
Moving Along? Mitchell Tenpenny offers a reflective take on love,
7:24
growth and finding yourself in You Phase. Mitchell Tenpenny has
7:29
done it again, crafting a song that perfectly captures the awkward, messy,
7:33
and sometimes confusing journey of falling in love with the
7:36
wrong person. For his first release of twenty twenty six,
7:40
the singer songwriter delivers You Phase, a track that explores
7:44
the personal growth that often follows a difficult breakup. Collaborating
7:49
with songwriters Andy Albert and Corey Crowder, Tenpenny says he
7:52
set out to create a song that included cool play
7:55
on words. The minute the title you Phase was thrown
7:58
out that day, he had a lot moment knew exactly
8:01
how the story was going to unfold. From there, the
8:04
idea evolved into a reflective track that finds Tenpennies singing
8:08
from the perspective of someone who's finally in a place
8:10
where they can look back on a past relationship and
8:13
critically recognize all the ways he lost himself. This is
8:17
the kind of realization that can only come with time
8:20
and after achieving a bit of personal growth. I've personally
8:24
had so many phases in my life, some good and
8:26
some bad. Referring to a phase and the song as
8:29
a relationship was certainly a unique concept. I've never heard
8:32
it expressed in that way. We all go through transitions
8:35
in our lives, with relationships, careers, and more, trying to
8:38
figure out who we are and where we want to be.
8:41
Tenpenny shares he recalls doing things he never thought he would,
8:44
from drinking white wine and getting matching tattoos to changing
8:48
his personality, all to try and fit the expectations of
8:51
a partner. The central concept of the U phase refers
8:55
to the act of going through a period in life
8:57
where one's identity gets lost as a result of someone
8:59
else desires. The chorus hits emotionally, especially as listeners see
9:04
he's come out on the other side, stronger and more
9:06
self aware. With a guitar driven mellow arrangement, the track's
9:09
rhythm lets the storytelling shine, while Tenpenny's warm, soulful voice
9:14
carries both vulnerability and grit. You phase also comes to
9:19
life in the form of a new music video, which
9:21
captures the Nashville native following in the shadow of a relationship.
9:25
The visuals cleverly find him walking behind her in several
9:29
different forms of himself trying to make something click. At
9:33
the end, he stops in his tracks, realizing that he's
9:35
gotten too far away from his true self. This marks
9:38
the first of several new releases set to arrive from
9:41
Tenpenny this year. It follows his October single Therapy and
9:44
recent collaborations including The Getaway with The Strike Realized with
9:49
Colby Calay and Says I Can with Kane Brown and
9:52
Scotti McCreery. On March third, Tenpenny will take part in
9:55
the Listening Room's twentieth anniversary celebration with a performance at
9:59
Nashville Wills Ryman Auditorium. The special night will also feature
10:03
Hardy Blessing, Offer, Jody Messina, Phil Barton, Brian Davis, j
10:07
T Harding, Matt Jenkins, Wendell Mobley, and James Slater. Fans
10:12
can also head to Mitchell Tenpenny's website for a full
10:15
list of his headline shows this year, plus April stops
10:19
on hart E's The Country Country Tour. Now we move
10:22
on over to Penn Live Patriot News with the first
10:26
story dated the twenty seventh of January. Country music Stars
10:29
heartbreaking announcement has fans praying we just mentioned her country
10:34
music world is praying for singer Joe Dee Messina after
10:37
she shared some heartbreaking news on social media. Messina shared
10:41
a video of her father, Vincent Messina, getting emotional while
10:44
singing Daddy's Little Girl to her November eighteenth or twenty eighth,
10:48
nineteen thirty one to January twenty third, twenty twenty six.
10:51
We lost my dad last night, she wrote on a
10:54
post in Instagram on January twenty fourth. It doesn't matter
10:57
how old you are, It's never easy to lose a parent.
10:59
So much to his story, and her followers were quick
11:03
to respond with love. So sorry. One person replied, prayers
11:06
for your family. He seems like he was so much
11:09
fun and loved his family dearly. Another replied, I can
11:11
relate again. So sorry to hear losing a parent is
11:14
so difficult. There are plenty of more comments like that.
11:17
Taste of Country noted that Messina's mother, Mary, died on
11:20
April nineteenth, back in twenty twenty. Jody Massin is now
11:24
fifty five and has had a long and successful career
11:27
in country music. She began singing professionally in nineteen ninety
11:32
four and has produced five studio albums and six EPs.
11:36
Her last album, Me came in twenty fourteen, but she
11:40
did release a single Just to Be Loved back in
11:42
twenty twenty three. Three of her albums went gold, and
11:45
she's reportedly sold more than five million records. Next, country
11:51
music star scores major legal win over ex wife says
11:54
she's betrayed his trust. Country music star Zach Brown is
11:59
a couple of year is removed from an ugly divorce
12:01
from Kelly Yazdy, but the two are not removed from
12:04
ongoing court battles, and Brown just scored big in a
12:08
federal court per TMZ. The outlet reported that a judge
12:12
ordered Yadze to return documents she took when Brown fired
12:15
her from working at his company. Per TMZ, the judge
12:18
ruled that Yadzy breached her employment contract by taking and
12:22
retaining one hundred and seventy confidential business emails and files.
12:27
The ruling came down last weeks, and TMZ said Yazzdy
12:30
had given seven days to return the files. The court
12:33
reportedly found that Yazdy forwarded emails to herself after she
12:37
was fired. Brown and Yazdy were married back in November
12:41
of twenty twenty three. She previously claimed that Brown asked
12:44
for a divorce nine days after they had their wedding party.
12:47
Brown's attorney Brad Beckworth told TMZ that they were grateful
12:51
for the ruling. The evidence at trial showed that miss
12:54
Yazdey's betrayed Zack's trust to critical confidential information that didn't
12:58
belong to her and used it to attack him publicly
13:01
for her own gain. Beckworth told TMZ the permanent injunction
13:06
should put an end to it. Yasdey's lawyer, Josh Bellefonte,
13:10
told TMZ that he disagreed with the ruling and claimed
13:13
that Yazdi had already destroyed the emails. Brown made headlines
13:17
late in twenty twenty five during his residency at the
13:20
Sphere in Las Vegas. For folks that missed it, the
13:23
imagery used in the show prompted some on social media
13:26
to accuse Brown of performing a satanic ritual. Video from
13:30
Brown's December twelfth performance in Las Vegas shows him addressing
13:34
the issue with the crowd at the end of the
13:36
night per Taste of Country. Thank you all for such
13:39
an incredible, incredible night to night, Brown told the crowd,
13:42
I want to say a little something about the show
13:44
because there's a lot of people that picked it up
13:46
online saying that we're doing some kind of satanic ritual
13:49
or something like that. I don't think we can put
13:52
any more love and light into a show than we
13:54
put into this one. The band began its Love and
13:57
Fear residency on December fifth, and as Whiskey rich Ye noted,
14:00
videos from the opening of the show appeared to be
14:03
a descent into hell. TikTok. Video shared from the concert
14:06
show Brown playing while wearing a crown that looked a
14:09
whole heck of a lot like horns while being surrounded
14:12
by skeletal, devil like images. Now we bump on over
14:17
to saving country music with the first article dated January
14:20
twenty fifth, Zach Top knocks National Anthem out of the park.
14:26
Any country music fan worth their salt already knows who
14:29
Zach Top is. He's the guy at the apex of
14:32
bringing back traditional country music in the popular space. It
14:36
stands to reason that a whole lot more people now
14:38
know who he is after he turned in a rather moving, soaring,
14:42
and distinctly twangy performance of the Star Spangled Banner Sunday
14:46
afternoon ahead of the NFC championship game between the Los
14:49
Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks. There's a reason Saving
14:54
Country Music's twenty twenty four Artists of the Year and
14:57
twenty twenty five CMA New Artists of the Year was
15:00
selected for national anthem duties in Seattle. Zach Top is
15:04
originally from Washington State, in the town of Sunnyside, where
15:07
he grew up on a ranch. That made the twenty
15:10
eight year old a no brainer for the opportunity, and
15:12
he hit it out of the park. The song is
15:15
hard enough to sing, as we all know, especially to
15:17
a national audience, putting a signature twangy spin on it
15:21
is something else, especially since Zack had to hold his
15:24
attention as the jet flyover came a shade too early.
15:28
Despite suffering a little rasp for a second, it might
15:30
be one of the greatest country renditions of the song
15:33
that we've ever heard, says Saving Country Music, and Top
15:36
earned high praise on social media, which, as we know,
15:39
can come for people's heads when the national anthem is
15:42
slightly off. For even just average traditional country fans can
15:46
shout out into a void that actual country music is
15:49
still alive and well, and you just have to seek
15:51
it out. But it's a moment like Zach Top had
15:54
on Sunday that reaches the masses. It's the story of
15:56
a hometown boy done good in Washington State. A week
16:00
from now, Zachtop might have another reason to celebrate. He's
16:03
up for the inaugural Best Traditional Country Album at the
16:06
Grammy Awards. Next Dale Watson announces new album pays tribute
16:11
to Willie and Whalen. It's hard to find a more
16:16
real deal performer than Dale Watson. Catch him at the
16:19
Continental Club or The Broken Spoke in Austin, or perhaps
16:22
jumping up on stage at Hernando's Hideaway in Memphis, or
16:25
hundreds of places in between and beyond, and you'll see
16:29
the true embodiment of country. In fact, dale'sow country and
16:32
committed to the roots of the genre. He doesn't feel
16:35
comfortable calling himself country any more, with all the interlopers
16:39
diluting the term. He prefers the name Ameripolitan, which he's
16:43
turned into a roots supporting community all its own. Whatever
16:47
you want to call it, you can be assured that
16:49
Dale Watson's new album, called Unwanted, will be twangy, hard charging,
16:53
and true to itself. When It's released on April twenty
16:55
fourth via forty Below Records. The twelve tracks are a
16:59
self produced and written by Dale, come as his first
17:02
new music since twenty twenty three's Starvation Box. The set
17:06
starts off with a song that Embodiesdale's passion for true
17:09
country music called Willy Whalen and Whiskey. Witnessing Watson performed
17:14
this song recently at Austin's Ultimate Dive bar, Sam's Town Point,
17:17
it can be confirmed it's a cooker. The studio version
17:20
of the track can be heard. The song was written
17:23
on stage in San Antonio at the Lonesome Rose Bar.
17:26
Watson explains inspired by a large man standing in front
17:29
of me all night because he was wearing a shirt
17:31
that simply said Willie Whalen and Whiskey. I wrote the
17:34
song on the spot. I knew it would be a
17:36
keeper when by the second time the chorus came around,
17:39
the entire crowd was singing it with me. By the way,
17:42
The Lonesome Rose in San Antonio is owned by another
17:44
Texas music mainstay, Garrett T. Capps, who recently announced a
17:48
new album of his own called I Still Love San
17:50
Antone out on March tenth, back to Dale's new album.
17:54
For those curious, that's his wife Celine Lee also depicted
17:58
on the cover along with their dog. Don't be surprised
18:01
if one or both make an appearance on the new album. Next.
18:05
Rodeo Austin announces impressive twenty twenty six lineup. Rodeo Austin
18:11
is always good for a few really solid country acts
18:14
in a lineup each year, even if it traditionally competes
18:16
with south By Southwest it also happens in Atown the
18:20
same week. But this year south By Southwest is featuring
18:24
a strange truncated schedule and Rodeo Austin has really stepped
18:28
up to help feature some of the best in independent
18:30
country music. Forty Nine Winchester, Shane Smith and the Saints,
18:35
Wyatt Floores, Flatland, Cavalry, Randall King, Anne Wilson, William Clark,
18:38
Green and despite his recent single with Marshmallow, Hudson Westbrook
18:43
are some of the names worth checking out in twenty
18:45
twenty six. Rodeo Austin also is a strong line up
18:49
of country legends this year, including Clint Black, Tanya Tucker,
18:52
and Diamond Rio. Aaron Watson and Midland also helped round
18:56
out the lineup along with Eli Young Band and a
18:59
couple of cool Latin bands too. It's Rodeo Houston. That's
19:03
the massive Texas rodeo that commands the biggest stage and
19:06
has the biggest national impact, and they have a few
19:09
good names like the Red Clay Strays, Cody Johnson and
19:12
Cross Canadian Wagweed in twenty twenty six. But frankly, Rodeo
19:16
Austin has a much better lineup this year since it's
19:18
not weighted down by Luke, Bryan Russell Dickerson, Rascal Flats
19:22
and Shaboozi, and the Travis County Expost Center is a
19:25
much more manageable place to see one of your favorite
19:28
artists as opposed to Houston's Football Stadium. Tickets go on
19:31
sale on Friday this Friday this weekend next Cody Jinks
19:36
plans new extended tour with Five Finger Death Punch. Maybe
19:41
it's a good thing, maybe it's a bad thing, or
19:43
maybe it's just a thing, however you look at it.
19:45
Cody Jinks will be spending the Lion's share of twenty
19:48
twenty six not headlining his own shows, but heading out
19:51
on tour with heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch
19:54
as part of their twentieth anniversary tour. Aside from an
19:58
appearance at the San Antonio Rodeo coming up and a
20:01
few festival appearances this spring and summer, it will be
20:04
Five Finger Death Punch for a run of shows through
20:06
the end of the year. Now, the decision isn't entirely surprising,
20:11
says Saving Country Music. Cody's ties to the metal world
20:14
are strong, including a number of high profile collaborations and
20:17
his own metal release in twenty twenty one under the
20:19
pseudoname Caned by Nod, But it's understandable if some of
20:23
Cody's more purely country fans might be a little disappointed
20:27
while some of his metal crossover fans are throwing up
20:30
double horns at the double Billy. Why go this route
20:33
when Cody Jinks has been a strong headliner of his
20:35
own shows for years. Well, part of it might be
20:38
to siphon off some more of those metal fans to
20:40
Cody's country music. Part of it might be logistical ease,
20:44
so Jinks doesn't have to worry about booking out an
20:46
entire tour by himself. After all, Jinks runs most everything
20:50
in house these days, and who knows, maybe Jinks has
20:53
a heavy metal Ace of Spades up his sleeve to
20:55
play later this year, and maybe this is just what
20:59
Cody wants to do. He specializes in being his own man,
21:03
of course, And for those reluctant country fans, maybe invested
21:06
in a good set of earplugs and splurge on those tickets. Anyway,
21:10
Now we grab a napkin and jump on over to
21:13
Taste of Country. What are Morgan Wallan, Tim McGraw and
21:17
others teasing? Well, here are some guesses from Taste of Country,
21:21
and around the same time Monday morning, January twenty sixth,
21:24
four country superstars Tim McGraw, Eric Church, Morgan Wallen, and
21:28
Hardy each posted something curious to social media with no explanation.
21:34
Each one shared an image of what looks like a
21:36
beat up leather bound book or perhaps a family album,
21:39
with a man's name written in the center incursive. That
21:43
man's first name is different in every post, but they
21:46
all share the same last name, MacArthur. Each name bears
21:50
a set of dates beneath it, presumably the dates the
21:52
person was born and died. Only one name appears to
21:56
be someone who's still alive. That's Wallin's Hunter MacArthur born
22:00
May thirteenth, nineteen ninety three, which also happens to be
22:04
Wallin's own exact birth date. What does it all mean?
22:08
The stars aren't sharing yet, but fans were quick to speculate,
22:12
and internet sleuths also produced some cold, hard clues. During
22:16
two recent shows, Church told his fans that on January thirtieth,
22:20
something's gonna happen and you're gonna love it. January thirtieth
22:24
is a Friday, which is typically the day of the
22:25
week that new country songs tend to come out. Several
22:29
fans of guests that the country forsom could be teasing
22:32
a song collaboration, potentially with each of them singing from
22:35
the perspective of each of the characters named in their posts.
22:39
On top of that, a German fan page dedicated to
22:42
Morgan Wallen discover that a song called MacArthur is registered
22:46
to ASCAP and Hardy is one of the co writers.
22:49
The other writers are singer Jameson Rogers, Chase mc gill
22:53
and Joshua Dennis and Anthony Bagels. While we don't know
22:57
for sure that a song release is involved, it seems
23:00
like a pretty good bet starting there. Let's dive into
23:04
some of the wilder fan theories and taste of Country's
23:06
own educated guesses about what these four stars have brewing.
23:10
Guest number one, This is a concept story song like
23:13
Hardy's Wait in the Truck. Now, if you know Hardy's work,
23:16
you know he likes to challenge himself with intricate narratives
23:19
and edgy concept songs. He also does not shy away
23:23
from darkness and tragedy. Just look at Hardy's twenty twenty
23:26
three Lady Wilson duet Wait in the Truck, which finds
23:29
a man doing life in prison after he has a
23:31
chance encounter with a woman suffering from domestic violence and
23:35
decides to stop her abuse her with a firearm. Church
23:39
isn't listed as a writer on this song, but he's
23:41
also been known to wait into murder ballad territory, like
23:44
when he wrote the twenty twenty two Chris Jansen duet
23:46
You Me and the River. Tim McGraw and Wallen have
23:49
both put out their fair share of evocative dark story
23:52
material as well. We're guessing that a song dealing with
23:55
these four characters would have its fair share of tragedy.
23:58
Look at the dates on the former Arthur's listed in
24:00
the singer's social media teases, none of them really lived
24:03
long lives. Junior MacArthur, Church's character died before his twenty
24:08
second birthday, now guests number two. The macarthurs are a
24:12
family tree, but not a direct father son line. Since
24:15
they've all got the same last name and they live
24:17
during mostly overlapping time periods between the twenties and today,
24:22
it's easy to assume that this song might be the
24:23
story of a great grandfather, grandfather, father, and son, but
24:27
that can't exactly be true. Here's the breakdown of everybody's dates,
24:31
complete with the artists who posted each corresponding character. John
24:35
MacArthur from Tim McGraw November two, nineteen twenty to November
24:39
twenty second, nineteen sixty three, Junior MacArthur from Eric Church
24:43
September thirtieth, nineteen forty five to April fourth, nineteen sixty seven,
24:48
Jones MacArthur from Hardy June fifth, nineteen sixty eighth through
24:51
January fifth, twenty twenty five. And Hunter MacArthur from Morgan
24:55
Wallen May thirteenth, nineteen ninety three. Junior could easily be
25:00
John's son, born when John was in his mid twenties.
25:02
Same goes for Hunter and Jones, but Jones is definitely
25:06
not Junior son. If Junior died in April nineteen sixty seven,
25:09
there's no way he could have fathered Jones, who was
25:11
born the following June, fourteen months later. How about guests
25:16
number three, There might be a tie into history or politics.
25:20
Some of the dates and years mentioned ring a bell,
25:22
and not just because one May thirteenth, ninety three is
25:25
Wallin's birthday. It's almost surely not a coincidence that the
25:29
artists chose for Wallen and his character to share a birthday.
25:32
But does that mean they picked other dates that held
25:34
significance to one? Fan laid out some historical events corresponding
25:39
to the dates picked for the days that the characters
25:41
were born or died. Among them is November twenty second,
25:45
nineteen sixty three, the day that John F. Kennedy was killed,
25:49
September second, nineteen forty five, the official end of World
25:52
War II, and June fifth, nineteen sixty eight, the date
25:55
of Robert Kennedy's assassination. It's certainly like that the artist
26:00
were at the very least aware of the coincidences. Tim
26:03
McGraw's history buff who once wrote a book called Songs
26:05
of America with presidential biographer John Meacham. But it's also
26:10
a solid possibility that they chose those dates for other
26:13
reasons or selected them at random. Guest number four. Morgan
26:18
Wallen is the main character. Wallin's character, Hunter MacArthur is
26:21
the only one still living, and he shares a birthday
26:24
with a singer, suggesting that perhaps in this storyline, Hunter
26:27
might be partially based on Wallen himself. If the teas
26:31
is indeed about a song written by Hardy, that theory
26:33
gets even more credible. Hardy's one of Wallen's best friends
26:36
and most trusted co writers, and he knows Wallen's story
26:40
better than most. Plus, there's a vague correspondence between the
26:44
generations of MacArthur men and the generations of countrymen participating
26:49
in the teas. McGraw, the most veteran of the set,
26:52
is associated with the oldest MacArthur, next to Church, who
26:55
is also one country music generation below McGraw but above Hardy.
26:59
And could there be a link between the generations of
27:03
MacArthur's and the generations of men in country music? Guest
27:06
number five. It's more than just a song This guess
27:09
is a complete shot in the dark, but multiple fans
27:12
noticed similarities between the MacArthur T's and the song Highwaymen,
27:16
which was more than just a collaboration between Willie Nelson,
27:19
Johnny Cash, Whylon Jennings and Chris Christofferson. It turned into
27:23
a full blown supergroup. Could these four artists be planning
27:27
a similar trajectory, Well, probably not, but crazier things have happened.
27:32
Hardy is also known for his collaborative Hicks tape album projects,
27:36
so it's not entirely out of the question that he
27:38
could be a brainchild behind a more expansive project than
27:41
just a one off collaboration. No matter what it is
27:45
that Church, Wallin McGraw and Hardy have cooking, fans will
27:48
likely have more details soon enough. Church's hint about more
27:52
details dropping Friday is likely related to this tease. Finally,
27:58
Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, and Trace Ah Atkins to honor
28:00
Ronnie Millsap at the Grand Old Opry. Grand Old Opry
28:04
is celebrating country legend Ronnie Millsap for his fifty years
28:07
as a member of the Opry. On February twenty fourth,
28:10
The Grand Old Opry will once again bring legendary performers
28:13
to its stage in honor of millsap's big anniversary. Performers
28:17
that night include opry members Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Trace Atkins,
28:21
Mark Wills, and Moore. Parade dot Com states that Shelton, Urban, Atkins,
28:26
and Wills will pay tribute not just with music, but
28:29
by highlighting Millsap's influence over five decades of country music.
28:34
This concludes the reading of Country Weekly for this week.
28:37
If you have any comments or suggestions about our program,
28:40
kindly call us at eight five nine four two two
28:43
sixty three ninety. Thank you for joining me and on
28:45
behalf of everyone here at RADIOI. This is Ken Dawkins,
28:49
hoping you stay warm and wishing you a great day.