Transcript

10.23.26 · Country Weekly

0:05
Speaker 1: Hey, gang, it's time once again to catch up with
0:08
Speaker 1: Country Weekly, where we check out news and gossip from
0:11
Speaker 1: that world of country music. I'm your host, Ken Dawkins,
0:15
Speaker 1: as always, and I will be reading from various sources
0:17
Speaker 1: found online. As a reminder, Radio Eye is a reading
0:21
Speaker 1: service intended for people who are blind or have other
0:24
Speaker 1: disabilities that make it difficult to read printed materials. We'll
0:28
Speaker 1: begin with a number of articles from countrynow.com dated October
0:33
Speaker 1: 19th regarding the Country Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony
0:37
Speaker 1: on Sunday. Tim McGraw fights back tears while honoring his mom,
0:42
Speaker 1: Faith Hill, and daughters during the Hall of Fame speech.
0:46
Speaker 1: The country music superstar officially joined the ranks of country
0:49
Speaker 1: music's legends during the museum's 31st annual medallion ceremony at
0:54
Speaker 1: the CMA Theater in Nashville this past Sunday. Inducted into
0:58
Speaker 1: the modern era artist category, McGraw celebrated a career spanning
1:02
Speaker 1: more than three decades, but it was his emotional acceptance
1:05
Speaker 1: speech that became one of the evening's most memorable moments.
1:09
Speaker 1: Throughout his speech, McGraw paid tribute to the women who
1:12
Speaker 1: mean so much to him, his mother, Betty D'Agostino Trimble,
1:15
Speaker 1: his wife, Faith Hill, and his daughters, Gracie, Maggie, and Audrey.
1:20
Speaker 1: I'm going to cry because, well, I cry all the time.
1:22
Speaker 1: That's a lot of estrogen in my house, McGraw joked
1:24
Speaker 1: at the beginning of his speech. and tears certainly did flow.
1:29
Speaker 1: After reflecting on his journey to Nashville and the years
1:31
Speaker 1: it took to establish a relationship with his biological father,
1:35
Speaker 1: McGraw turned his attention to his mother, who watched the
1:37
Speaker 1: ceremony unfold from the front row beside Hill. McGraw grew
1:41
Speaker 1: emotional as he recognized the sacrifices Trimble made while raising
1:45
Speaker 1: him and the significance of having her there to witness
1:48
Speaker 1: one of the biggest moments of his career. You've been
1:51
Speaker 1: my rock through it all. You nurtured, you provided, you endured.
1:54
Speaker 1: You are the one who stayed. You sacrificed more than
1:57
Speaker 1: any of us understood at the time, and the pain
2:00
Speaker 1: you carried was real, and now is the joy we
2:02
Speaker 1: share in this room tonight, he told her. The emotion
2:06
Speaker 1: continued as McGraw turned to Hill, his wife of 30 years,
2:09
Speaker 1: and shared what she means to him. You know our story,
2:12
Speaker 1: but what you don't know is that she's the most loving, compassionate,
2:15
Speaker 1: the best person I know, he stated. She's so solid,
2:19
Speaker 1: I'm so more solid because of her. She's just the
2:21
Speaker 1: most beautiful person I know inside and out. Faith, I
2:24
Speaker 1: love you. I love you. McGraw also looked ahead to
2:27
Speaker 1: the day Hill receives her own recognition from the Country
2:30
Speaker 1: Music Hall of Fame, making it clear that even an
2:33
Speaker 1: honor as significant as his induction would be made more
2:35
Speaker 1: special by seeing his wife celebrated in the same way.
2:40
Speaker 1: Lainey Wilson had the opportunity to honor one of her
2:43
Speaker 1: longtime musical heroes, Tim McGraw, during his induction. Wilson was
2:47
Speaker 1: among the artists who took the stage at the annual
2:49
Speaker 1: medallion ceremony to celebrate McGraw alongside Lady A and Parker McCollum,
2:54
Speaker 1: who each performed a hit from the country star's catalog.
2:58
Speaker 1: In addition to the performance, Wilson also reflected how the
3:01
Speaker 1: experience of getting to honor the same artist who inspired
3:04
Speaker 1: her to pursue a career in country music long before
3:06
Speaker 1: she became a star herself truly felt so full circle.
3:11
Speaker 1: She particularly spoke about the letter she had written to
3:13
Speaker 1: her fellow Louisiana native back when she was just 18
3:16
Speaker 1: years old in a desperate effort to make her dreams
3:19
Speaker 1: of being a singer-songwriter come true. The letter went unanswered
3:23
Speaker 1: until this summer when the pair met for the first
3:25
Speaker 1: time and McGraw finally got to not only read it,
3:29
Speaker 1: but finally give his long-awaited response to Wilson. The letter reads,
3:33
Speaker 1: Dear Mr. Tim McGraw, My name is Laney Wilson from
3:36
Speaker 1: Franklin Parish, Baskin, Louisiana. I'm 18 years old and have
3:39
Speaker 1: just entered my first semester at Louisiana Delta Community College
3:43
Speaker 1: of Monroe to pursue a nursing degree. I've been writing
3:47
Speaker 1: songs since I was nine years old When you listen
3:50
Speaker 1: to my CD, I want you to know that this
3:51
Speaker 1: is simple, or a sample, rather, of what I write.
3:54
Speaker 1: I have many others, and they're just as good. Please
3:57
Speaker 1: consider meeting with me and my family. Singing, writing, and
3:59
Speaker 1: performing are the most important things in my life. All
4:02
Speaker 1: I need is the opportunity. I can do the rest. Sincerely,
4:06
Speaker 1: Lainey Wilson. During her speech at Sunday's event, Wilson admitted
4:10
Speaker 1: that even though it took 15 and a half years
4:12
Speaker 1: before McGraw received the letter, it was well worth the wait.
4:17
Speaker 1: My gosh, I'm so thrilled to be here. I'm glad
4:19
Speaker 1: you finally got your letter. A lot of people say
4:22
Speaker 1: they don't meet your heroes, and you and Faith are
4:24
Speaker 1: both more than I could have ever imagined. You are
4:27
Speaker 1: who you say you are, Wilson continued. She went on
4:30
Speaker 1: to reminisce about growing up listening to McGraw's music, recalling
4:33
Speaker 1: how she and her sister would make up dance routines
4:35
Speaker 1: to every single one of his songs, even the ones
4:38
Speaker 1: that didn't require a dance. The phone keys wallet singer
4:42
Speaker 1: also remembered her very first McGraw concert as a young girl,
4:46
Speaker 1: explaining how that night sparked her own dreams of one
4:49
Speaker 1: day standing on stage and making people feel the way
4:52
Speaker 1: he made her feel. Meanwhile, Tanya Tucker powers through serious
4:57
Speaker 1: injuries to honor Paul Overstreet at the Country Music Hall
5:01
Speaker 1: of Fame ceremony. Country Music Hall of Famer Tanya Tucker
5:05
Speaker 1: wasn't about to let a major injury keep her from
5:07
Speaker 1: celebrating one of her closest friends, beloved Nashville songwriter Paul Overstreet,
5:12
Speaker 1: as he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of
5:14
Speaker 1: Fame on Sunday. Tanya Tucker attended the Country Music Hall
5:18
Speaker 1: of Fame Festival, despite revealing that she had recently fallen
5:21
Speaker 1: down a set of stairs, leaving her with internal bleeding
5:24
Speaker 1: and possible collapsed lungs. Tucker powered through, taking the stage
5:29
Speaker 1: to honor Overstreet with a few heartfelt words before presenting
5:32
Speaker 1: him with his medallion. I was in Costa Rica about
5:36
Speaker 1: three days ago and no alcohol involved, but I fell
5:39
Speaker 1: down a flight of stairs. So I got x-rays when
5:42
Speaker 1: I got back to Texas. And I called and got
5:44
Speaker 1: the results yesterday and they said, go to your nearest ER.
5:47
Speaker 1: So I said, I ain't got time for that. I
5:50
Speaker 1: got internal bleeding and my lungs may be collapsed, but
5:53
Speaker 1: I'm here. I would not miss this opportunity for one
5:56
Speaker 1: of my best friends to Paul Overstreet, she admitted to
5:59
Speaker 1: the crowd. After explaining that her injuries made it difficult
6:03
Speaker 1: to stand at the podium, the country music icon went
6:05
Speaker 1: on to reflect on her longtime friendship with Overstreet. She
6:09
Speaker 1: paused for a moment and then asked herself, what in
6:11
Speaker 1: the world do I say about someone who's been so
6:13
Speaker 1: important in my life? She began by highlighting Overstreet's incredible
6:17
Speaker 1: knack for songwriting, explaining that his work speaks for itself.
6:22
Speaker 1: Over the years, she's recorded several songs written or co-written
6:25
Speaker 1: by Overstreet, including 1986's One Love at a Time, 87's
6:30
Speaker 1: I Won't Take Less Than Your Love, and 89's My
6:32
Speaker 1: Arms Stay Open All Night. Every line, not just the
6:36
Speaker 1: titles or the hooks, but every well-written line was always
6:39
Speaker 1: straight from that big old heart of his, she adds.
6:42
Speaker 1: Tucker then recalled One Over Street's most successful co-writes, Randy
6:46
Speaker 1: Travis Forever and Ever, Amen, and jokingly told the story
6:50
Speaker 1: of how her mother was not a fan of the
6:52
Speaker 1: iconic line in the chorus, as long as old men
6:55
Speaker 1: sit and talk about the weather, as long as old
6:57
Speaker 1: women sit and talk about old men. I'll never forget
7:00
Speaker 1: my mother. She said, I just don't like that line.
7:03
Speaker 1: And I said, why not, mother? And she said, I
7:06
Speaker 1: don't know, I just don't like it. Well, I'll make
7:08
Speaker 1: sure I tell Paul. Paul, I don't know if I
7:11
Speaker 1: ever told you or not, but my mom did not
7:14
Speaker 1: like that line. The rest of the world didn't seem
7:16
Speaker 1: to mind it at all. They had no problem with it,
7:19
Speaker 1: that's for sure. But like I said, the brilliant songwriting
7:22
Speaker 1: of Paul Overstreet speaks for itself. Before the entire ceremony began,
7:27
Speaker 1: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young
7:30
Speaker 1: invited attendees to observe a moment of silence in remembrance
7:33
Speaker 1: of fellow Hall of Fame members Don Schlitz and Dolly
7:36
Speaker 1: Parton who both passed away this year. The celebration kicked
7:41
Speaker 1: off with a tribute to the Stanley Brothers, made up
7:43
Speaker 1: of brothers Carter and Ralph Stanley, whose music helped shape
7:46
Speaker 1: the sound of bluegrass. Growing up in the Virginia mountains,
7:50
Speaker 1: the brothers were surrounded by gospel music and the sounds
7:52
Speaker 1: of the Grand Old Opry, influences that helped shape their
7:55
Speaker 1: unique style. After forming the Clinch Mountain Boys in the
7:59
Speaker 1: late 1940s, they built a legacy through their distinctive harmonies
8:03
Speaker 1: and Carter's straightforward yet powerful songwriting. Their music reached audiences
8:07
Speaker 1: well beyond radio, including at the Newport Folk Festival, while
8:11
Speaker 1: songs like I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow became
8:15
Speaker 1: enduring classics. Next, Country Music Hall of Fame members Ricky
8:19
Speaker 1: Skaggs and Vince Gill joined forces for a performance of
8:22
Speaker 1: Rank Stranger. Skaggs, who was a member of Ralph Stanley's
8:26
Speaker 1: Clinch Mountain Boys, shared how meaningful the occasion was to him,
8:30
Speaker 1: sharing that he was happy to see that this day
8:32
Speaker 1: finally arrived and to get to be a part of it.
8:35
Speaker 1: Standing alongside Gil, Skaggs went on to reflect on the
8:38
Speaker 1: brothers' influence and the impact they had on generations of musicians.
8:43
Speaker 1: My brother's up here and we loved Ralph and we
8:45
Speaker 1: loved Carter. We loved all they gave to mountain music.
8:48
Speaker 1: They took mountain music and raised it out of the
8:50
Speaker 1: coal dust and raised it up to where the whole
8:52
Speaker 1: world could hear it. Not just going there and hearing it,
8:56
Speaker 1: but hear it all over the world, he explained. It
8:58
Speaker 1: just meant so much to all of us, all of
9:00
Speaker 1: us kids that were growing up and though we were
9:02
Speaker 1: all crazy and not listening to other groups, but we
9:04
Speaker 1: did love Ralph. We just loved his old music and
9:07
Speaker 1: we called it Stank. Oh man, he's got stank. Skaggs'
9:11
Speaker 1: remarks drew a collective laugh from the audience before he
9:14
Speaker 1: and Gill launched into Ranked Stranger. The tribute continued with
9:18
Speaker 1: the First Ladies of Bluegrass featuring Alison Brown, Becky Buller,
9:22
Speaker 1: Sierra Hull, Missy Raines, and Molly Tuttle joining forces for
9:25
Speaker 1: a performance of Bound to Ride. Vince Gill later returned
9:29
Speaker 1: to the stage at the request of the Stanley family,
9:32
Speaker 1: to formally induct Carter and Ralph Stanley into the Country
9:35
Speaker 1: Music Hall of Fame posthumously. Gill also reflected on his
9:39
Speaker 1: own connection to bluegrass music, recalling that the first bluegrass
9:43
Speaker 1: song he ever learned was one by the Stanley Brothers.
9:46
Speaker 1: He then spoke about the lasting influence Carter and Ralph
9:48
Speaker 1: had on generations of musicians, including many members of the
9:52
Speaker 1: Hall of Fame. Now we move on to CountryCentral.com with
9:56
Speaker 1: the first article dated October 19th. Emily Ann Roberts Shares
10:01
Speaker 1: Thread Tour Dates. Emily Ann Roberts has announced the Thread Tour,
10:05
Speaker 1: her first headlining run, with 23 dates between February 4th
10:09
Speaker 1: and May 8th coming in support of her new EP
10:11
Speaker 1: by the same name. After having the incredible opportunity to
10:15
Speaker 1: open for my heroes in this industry, It's finally time
10:18
Speaker 1: for me to step out on my own, as the headliner, Roberts, said.
10:22
Speaker 1: 2026 has been full of so many milestones for me.
10:25
Speaker 1: From my first ever sold-out shows to being ACM and
10:27
Speaker 1: CMA nominated, my fans have made it clear they're ready
10:30
Speaker 1: to see Emily Ann headline. We're thrilled to bring my
10:33
Speaker 1: music to 23 cities in the spring. Presale begins October 22nd.
10:39
Speaker 1: The tour includes a hometown show at Knoxville's Tennessee Theatre
10:42
Speaker 1: on February 6th and Roberts' headline debut at the Ryman
10:45
Speaker 1: Auditorium in Nashville on February 13th. The closest area to
10:50
Speaker 1: us probably is at Lori's Roadhouse in Cincinnati on April 2nd.
10:55
Speaker 1: Roberts is up for the New Artist of the Year
10:56
Speaker 1: at the 60th Annual CMA Awards, her first nomination from
11:00
Speaker 1: the organization. She's also nominated for ACM New Female Artist
11:04
Speaker 1: of the Year. Her 2026 honors include Music Row's Next
11:07
Speaker 1: Big Thing and Opry Next Stage classes, and she performed
11:11
Speaker 1: on the VIP platform stage at Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest.
11:16
Speaker 1: She has split the year between opening for Cody Johnson
11:19
Speaker 1: and Thomas Rhett and headlining sold-out shows. Roberts will join
11:23
Speaker 1: Johnson for a European run later this month with stops
11:26
Speaker 1: in London, Dublin, Glasgow, and other U.K. cities. She's also
11:30
Speaker 1: set to return to C2C Festival in 2027, playing main
11:35
Speaker 1: stages at London, Manchester, Glasgow, Ireland, and Rotterdam as well. Next,
11:43
Speaker 1: 49 Winchester reveals Change of Plan's tour dates. 49 Winchester
11:47
Speaker 1: has announced the 2027 Change of Plans Tour, a run
11:51
Speaker 1: of headline dates beginning February 5th in Atlanta and ending
11:54
Speaker 1: May 8th in Billy Bob's in Fort Worth, Texas. The
11:57
Speaker 1: nearest concert for us is going to be in Chattanooga,
12:00
Speaker 1: so that's probably not relevant, but the run follows the
12:02
Speaker 1: band's album, Change of Plans, released earlier this year. Dave Cobb, executive,
12:07
Speaker 1: produced this project at his studio in Savannah, Georgia. 49
12:11
Speaker 1: Winchester is a six-piece band from Castlewood, Virginia. The lineup
12:15
Speaker 1: is singer-songwriter Isaac Gibson, lead guitarist Bus Shelton, bassist Chase Chafin,
12:20
Speaker 1: pedal steel player Noah Patrick, keyboardist Tim Hall, and drummer
12:23
Speaker 1: Justin Louthian. The band has released five studio albums and
12:27
Speaker 1: has toured internationally. Now we take a peek around the
12:30
Speaker 1: corner to Saving Country Music, first article also October 19th.
12:35
Speaker 1: Zach Bryan cites Evan Felker, Jason Isbell for inspiring his sobriety.
12:41
Speaker 1: Zach Bryan has just released a new eight-song EP called
12:44
Speaker 1: Young Manhood and other donatable organs, and we've mentioned this before.
12:48
Speaker 1: And to promote the EP, he's released a two-hour interview
12:50
Speaker 1: with Matthew McConaughey, taped at Zach's new house and property
12:54
Speaker 1: in Leaper's Fork, which is about 25 miles outside of Nashville.
12:58
Speaker 1: Zach Bryan, pretty famously, conducts interviews only very rarely, but
13:02
Speaker 1: made an exception when McConaughey came calling. There's a lot
13:06
Speaker 1: of great insight to pull from the interview about Zach
13:08
Speaker 1: Bryan's life, his current state of mind about music, and
13:11
Speaker 1: how he sees himself at 30 transitioning from young manhood
13:15
Speaker 1: to middle manhood and trying to move on from past
13:18
Speaker 1: lessons and mistakes. That's part of the inspiration for the
13:21
Speaker 1: EP's new title and for the artwork Brian's shooting a
13:24
Speaker 1: gun at himself, symbolizing killing his old self each day.
13:28
Speaker 1: The other inspiration for the EP's title is when Brian
13:31
Speaker 1: was in the hospital and his mother, Deanne, holding her
13:34
Speaker 1: hand in her last moments and processing his grief, and
13:37
Speaker 1: someone showed up with a clipboard asking him if he
13:39
Speaker 1: wanted to donate her organs. It felt like a metaphor
13:42
Speaker 1: for how no matter how much they give, they still
13:44
Speaker 1: want more from you at the end of your life.
13:47
Speaker 1: Though a lot is covered in the two-hour sit-down, perhaps
13:50
Speaker 1: the most intriguing part of the interview, says Saving Country Music,
13:54
Speaker 1: is when Zach Bryan discusses his decision to get sober.
13:57
Speaker 1: Bryan made a pretty high-profile proclamation about his sobriety earlier
14:01
Speaker 1: this year and now says it's been nine months since
14:04
Speaker 1: he took a drink. When Matthew McConaughey asked him if
14:07
Speaker 1: it was easier or harder to write a song sober,
14:10
Speaker 1: he Here's what Zach Bryan said. I've always drank before
14:14
Speaker 1: I wrote because I thought it had some magic thing
14:17
Speaker 1: in it. I thought it bred more creativity. This is
14:20
Speaker 1: the first project I've ever done, this young manhood thing,
14:23
Speaker 1: that I didn't drink a lick. I wrote every word
14:26
Speaker 1: sober and I sang every word sober. And I'll say
14:29
Speaker 1: it took that to prove to me that I could
14:31
Speaker 1: do it. And I think the EP is pretty great.
14:33
Speaker 1: I always thought that I had to drink to be
14:35
Speaker 1: creative at all. I think I've had this fear about
14:38
Speaker 1: it because, I mean, I hope he doesn't mind me
14:41
Speaker 1: mentioning his name now, he's on the EP, but Evan Felker,
14:44
Speaker 1: he had a pretty public run-in with Sobriety. And after
14:47
Speaker 1: he got sober, I was scared that his music was
14:49
Speaker 1: going to be different. And I feared that for a
14:52
Speaker 1: long time. Then he came out with A Cat in
14:54
Speaker 1: the Rain and Price of Admission blew every expectation away.
14:58
Speaker 1: I think the songs he wrote afterwards were more important
15:00
Speaker 1: than the songs he wrote before, and that changed my
15:03
Speaker 1: opinion on it completely. And when I heard that, I thought,
15:07
Speaker 1: if he can do it, so can I. Evan Felker
15:10
Speaker 1: is the frontman for the Turnpike Troubadours, whose last album,
15:13
Speaker 1: The Price of Admission, was considered the best in country
15:16
Speaker 1: in 2025 by many. Felker and the Troubadours famously took
15:20
Speaker 1: an indefinite hiatus as Felker worked to get sober. Felker
15:24
Speaker 1: and Turnpike fiddle player Kyle Nix appear on Zach's new song, Plainsman.
15:29
Speaker 1: Zach Bryan goes on to say, Jason Isbell's helped me
15:32
Speaker 1: a lot, too. Isbell wrote all his greatest. He told
15:34
Speaker 1: me this. He wrote Southeastern, one of my favorite records
15:37
Speaker 1: of all time, after Sobering Up. And from that point on,
15:41
Speaker 1: and every record he made was to die for. And
15:44
Speaker 1: that had a lot to do with it. I did
15:46
Speaker 1: a Belting Bronco recording session with him recently, and he
15:49
Speaker 1: told me a lot about 15 years of sobriety and stuff.
15:52
Speaker 1: And it really changed my opinion on everything. I don't
15:56
Speaker 1: know that you could learn lessons at this age. Zach
15:59
Speaker 1: Bryan also spoke extensively on how his life changed since
16:01
Speaker 1: getting sober and how speculative and worried he was about
16:05
Speaker 1: it before the decision. Since his career exploded and he
16:08
Speaker 1: wrote all his hits while drinking, he thought all that
16:10
Speaker 1: might go away if he stopped. The comments came in
16:14
Speaker 1: contrast to Zach Topp's statements on the matter from earlier
16:17
Speaker 1: in the year when he said, Sobriety is such a fad,
16:20
Speaker 1: trendy thing right now. The next person I hear say
16:23
Speaker 1: they got sober, I want to hit them in the head.
16:25
Speaker 1: We don't need that. Just be a normal guy and
16:27
Speaker 1: drink a normal amount. But clearly, some are not. It
16:30
Speaker 1: really depends on the individual. What Zach Bryan's thought process proves,
16:34
Speaker 1: and who he found inspiration through with Evan Felker and
16:37
Speaker 1: Jason Hisbell, is that the old comments section line, they
16:40
Speaker 1: were better before they got sober, is not always true.
16:44
Speaker 1: Time will tell how true or not true it is
16:46
Speaker 1: for Zach Bryan. Next, legendary country music, TV, radio reporter,
16:52
Speaker 1: and personality Jimmy Carter dies. It probably didn't help that
16:56
Speaker 1: he shared the name with an American president, overshadowing his
16:59
Speaker 1: legacy somewhat and creating a disambiguation issue throughout his career. Nonetheless,
17:05
Speaker 1: he was one of those members of entertainment media who
17:07
Speaker 1: covered the stars and, by proxy, became a star himself.
17:11
Speaker 1: In the country music realm, it was the former American
17:14
Speaker 1: president that became the other Jimmy Carter, and the Jimmy
17:17
Speaker 1: Carter they knew that was their trusted yet often humorous
17:19
Speaker 1: source for country music and entertainment news. Jimmy Carter didn't
17:23
Speaker 1: become one of the most informed and connected journalists in
17:26
Speaker 1: country by being a sniveling brown noser or by wooing
17:29
Speaker 1: performers for access or by playing nice with the industry.
17:33
Speaker 1: He had a perspective and opinion and he was willing
17:35
Speaker 1: to share it when necessary. He never looked at himself
17:38
Speaker 1: as inferior to the performers, but as an equal and
17:41
Speaker 1: peer while also knowing his place as a reporter. It
17:44
Speaker 1: was through his confidence, authoritative voice and perspective, a strong
17:49
Speaker 1: work ethic and general likability that that he earned the
17:51
Speaker 1: respect of the performers, the public, and the industry alike.
17:56
Speaker 1: Jimmy Carter, the reporter, passed away on Tuesday, October 13th
17:59
Speaker 1: at age 73, two days before what would have been
18:02
Speaker 1: his 74th birthday. Born in Montgomery, Alabama on October 15th, 52,
18:09
Speaker 1: he was hanging out at his favorite local rock station
18:11
Speaker 1: at the age of 15, learning the ways of broadcast media.
18:15
Speaker 1: After graduating high school, where he was voted the wittiest
18:18
Speaker 1: in his class, He attended Auburn University just as they
18:21
Speaker 1: were developing a campus radio station, WEGL-FM. He worked at
18:26
Speaker 1: other radio stations after graduation and eventually landing a job
18:30
Speaker 1: with ABC-TV Sports and the Wide World of Sports program.
18:36
Speaker 1: His resume and media credentials were vast. He won an
18:39
Speaker 1: Emmy as the executive producer of WSM-VTV Channel 4 in Nashville.
18:44
Speaker 1: He worked as a news producer at NBC's Birmingham, Alabama affiliate.
18:48
Speaker 1: and was executive producer at the CBS Houston station for
18:51
Speaker 1: a stint as well. He worked in the realm of news, sports,
18:55
Speaker 1: children's programming, and special reports. He interviewed A-list celebrities like
19:00
Speaker 1: Clint Eastwood and Kevin Costner. He covered space shuttle launches
19:03
Speaker 1: and civil rights matters. But in the end, country music
19:07
Speaker 1: was Jimmy Carter's passion. For NBC Channel 4 in Nashville,
19:11
Speaker 1: Carter worked as the station's entertainment reporter, covering red carpets,
19:14
Speaker 1: black tie affairs, celebrations, solemn remembrances alike. He began in
19:19
Speaker 1: that position in the 1980s, and then after holding more
19:22
Speaker 1: executive roles for years, returned to the field from 2003
19:25
Speaker 1: to 18. During this time, he was also a regular
19:29
Speaker 1: on the radio and entertainment TV, from the nationally syndicated
19:33
Speaker 1: Crook & Chase to WSM's Coffee Country and Cody. On
19:37
Speaker 1: Crook & Chase, he became famously national, not just for
19:41
Speaker 1: the interviews, but for the skits, costumes, and gags. Beyond
19:45
Speaker 1: all the frivolity, people wanted to know what Jimmy Carter
19:48
Speaker 1: had to say, including many of the country performers themselves.
19:52
Speaker 1: And at times, announcer Jimmy Carter didn't hold back. In 2011,
19:56
Speaker 1: after Carrie Underwood got snubbed for ACM Award nominations, Carter
20:00
Speaker 1: told it like it was. You just have to say, okay,
20:03
Speaker 1: these awards are what they are. They're bragging rights. They're
20:05
Speaker 1: an infomercial for the record label. And like I was
20:08
Speaker 1: told off the record yesterday, that Miranda Lambert got all
20:11
Speaker 1: those nominations because the record label had to decide. Are
20:14
Speaker 1: they going with Carrie Underwood this year or Miranda Lambert?
20:17
Speaker 1: Both are on the same label. They figured it would
20:20
Speaker 1: help Miranda more than it would help the career of
20:22
Speaker 1: Carrie Underwood. As the media landscape shifted away from radio
20:26
Speaker 1: and TV broadcasts, Jimmy Carter began to be seen by
20:30
Speaker 1: the public less and less. But he took all his
20:33
Speaker 1: knowledge and contacts in the industry and continued to be engaged.
20:37
Speaker 1: Many of his longtime fans, followed him into Facebook, where
20:40
Speaker 1: he would regularly post his opinions and pontifications. He taught
20:44
Speaker 1: music business, public relations, and artist management classes at Belmont University.
20:49
Speaker 1: Jack of all trades and master of none, I once heard.
20:53
Speaker 1: Not a bad description. Jimmy Carter, the announcer and media guy,
20:57
Speaker 1: not the president, came from an era in media where
21:00
Speaker 1: integrity mattered above everything else, before the era of paid
21:03
Speaker 1: influencers and and short-form social media video cuts and politically
21:08
Speaker 1: charged culture war-baiting. He developed deep sources throughout the industry,
21:12
Speaker 1: had an ear and a nose for the stories that
21:14
Speaker 1: were most important and how best to report on them.
21:18
Speaker 1: He understood what appealed to the public, but also knew
21:20
Speaker 1: how to create appeal for important topics within the public.
21:24
Speaker 1: As Jimmy Carter passes, so does an era in entertainment
21:26
Speaker 1: media where authoritative voices are also passing away, as is
21:31
Speaker 1: a unique ability to use humor to get a point
21:33
Speaker 1: across and to let the public know that you don't
21:36
Speaker 1: take yourself too seriously. Jimmy Carter survived by daughters Michelle, Sarah,
21:40
Speaker 1: and Mary Clark, three granddaughters, two grandsons, and a great-grandson.
21:45
Speaker 1: Now we head on over to the buffet table for
21:48
Speaker 1: The Taste of Country with the first article, again, dated
21:52
Speaker 1: October 19th. Morgan Wallen's Sand in My Boots Festival is
21:56
Speaker 1: coming back in 2027. Morgan Wallen's Sand in My Boots
22:00
Speaker 1: Festival returns to Gulf Shores, Alabama in May after a
22:03
Speaker 1: year off. The festival's first edition brought together some big
22:07
Speaker 1: names across country rock and rap, and the next chapter
22:10
Speaker 1: is already taking shape. Organizers announced the return Monday, with
22:15
Speaker 1: the 2027 lineup expected to drop in November. For now,
22:19
Speaker 1: the biggest question is whether Wallen will return on stage
22:21
Speaker 1: at the festival under the name of one of his
22:23
Speaker 1: own songs. The festival is set for May 27th, though
22:27
Speaker 1: exact dates have not been announced. Sand in My Boots
22:30
Speaker 1: traditionally takes place during the last weekend before Memorial Day weekend,
22:34
Speaker 1: bringing a big weekend of live music to the Alabama coast.
22:38
Speaker 1: The lineup is still under wraps, and organizers offered only
22:41
Speaker 1: a brief tease in their social media announcement. Stay tuned, y'all.
22:46
Speaker 1: Wallen's return is a natural question. The festival was originally
22:50
Speaker 1: presented as a takeover curated by the country star, and
22:53
Speaker 1: its name comes from his song, but organizers have not
22:56
Speaker 1: confirmed whether he'll perform in 2027. The inaugural 2025 lineup
23:00
Speaker 1: featured Wallen, Post Malone, Brooks & Dunn, Hardy, Riley Green,
23:06
Speaker 1: and more, mixing country stars with artists from rock, rap,
23:09
Speaker 1: and beyond. Santa My Boots took over the Gulf Shores
23:12
Speaker 1: grounds previously home to Hangout Music Fest, which last took
23:16
Speaker 1: place there in 2024. The new festival drew praise from
23:20
Speaker 1: attendees and local residents, with some seeing it as a
23:23
Speaker 1: welcome change from the previous event. The November lineup announcement
23:28
Speaker 1: should offer a clearer picture of what will happen in 2027. Next,
23:33
Speaker 1: Kelsey Ballerini funds new music program at Dolly Parton's Children's Hospital.
23:39
Speaker 1: Kelsey Ballerini is giving back to her Tennessee roots in
23:41
Speaker 1: a big way. She's helping fund a new program, a
23:44
Speaker 1: new music program, at Dolly Parton's Children's Hospital in Knoxville
23:48
Speaker 1: that will bring live music directly to the bedsides of
23:50
Speaker 1: children receiving care. Ballerini returned to her hometown Tuesday to
23:55
Speaker 1: launch the program, along with Musicians on Call, a nonprofit
23:59
Speaker 1: that brings live music to patients in health care facilities.
24:03
Speaker 1: This is the organization's first program in the Knoxville area
24:06
Speaker 1: and will provide moments of happiness for patients, their families,
24:10
Speaker 1: and hospital staff. The program was made possible through Ballerini's
24:13
Speaker 1: support for her Feel Your Way Through charitable fund. Music
24:17
Speaker 1: is one of those things that just meets you where
24:19
Speaker 1: you are. Whatever you need, whether it's to smile, dance, celebrate, grieve,
24:23
Speaker 1: or feel less alone, it's going to be there for you.
24:27
Speaker 1: Ballerini spent more than a decade volunteering with the organization,
24:30
Speaker 1: visiting patients at their bedsides in Nashville and Phoenix, and
24:34
Speaker 1: performing virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. I've gotten to do
24:39
Speaker 1: this with musicians on call for 11 years, and I
24:42
Speaker 1: know how important and magical these programs are. To be
24:45
Speaker 1: able to bring that here is a truly dream come true,
24:47
Speaker 1: Ballerini said. During Tuesday's launch, Ballerini performed for patients and
24:52
Speaker 1: hospital staff, singing her songs I Would, Would You, Dibs,
24:56
Speaker 1: and If You Go Down, I'm Going Down Too. She
24:59
Speaker 1: also performed a version of Bill Withers' classic, Lean on Me.
25:03
Speaker 1: Ballerina made time to visit patients who couldn't attend the performance,
25:06
Speaker 1: sharing music and personal moments with them at their bedsides.
25:10
Speaker 1: Unlike a one-time celebrity visit, the new program is to
25:13
Speaker 1: become a continuing part of the patient experience at Dolly
25:16
Speaker 1: Parton Children's Hospital. Musicians on call will send volunteer guides
25:21
Speaker 1: and musicians into the hospital to perform for children and
25:24
Speaker 1: their families during what can be some of the most
25:26
Speaker 1: difficult moments of their lives. Pete Griffin, president and CEO
25:30
Speaker 1: of Musicians on Call, praised Ballerini's commitment to bringing music
25:34
Speaker 1: to patients. Kelsey's been working with Musicians on Call for
25:37
Speaker 1: more than a decade, and she's absolutely magical every time
25:41
Speaker 1: she sets foot in a hospital room. She instantly lights
25:44
Speaker 1: up the room and brings so much joy with both
25:46
Speaker 1: her music and her energy. Griffin added that Ballerini's generosity
25:50
Speaker 1: will allow the organization to establish its first program in Knoxville,
25:54
Speaker 1: creating meaningful experiences for patients and families long after the
25:58
Speaker 1: launch event. For Ballerini, the program offers a way to
26:01
Speaker 1: give back to the community she calls home, Knoxville, Tennessee,
26:05
Speaker 1: while touting something she's believed in for years. Music can
26:08
Speaker 1: make people feel less alone, even when life gets difficult.
26:12
Speaker 1: And finally, Eric Church reveals which of his albums is
26:15
Speaker 1: his favorite. Eric Church has spent two decades building a
26:19
Speaker 1: catalog that stretches from rowdy country anthems to deeply personal songs,
26:23
Speaker 1: with nine studio albums representing different chapters of his career.
26:27
Speaker 1: But when NFL legend Randy Moss asked Church about his
26:30
Speaker 1: favorite record during a recent fishing trip, the conversation took
26:34
Speaker 1: a personal turn. The two were out on a lake
26:37
Speaker 1: Church built on his property just outside of Nashville for
26:40
Speaker 1: an episode of his fishing series, Chasing Ten. As they
26:43
Speaker 1: talked about their careers and reeled in smallmouth bass, Moss
26:47
Speaker 1: named the Eric Church album that means the most to him,
26:50
Speaker 1: and Church had the same answer. Church's pick is Mr. Misunderstood,
26:54
Speaker 1: his surprise 2015 release, that arrived during a formative time
26:58
Speaker 1: in his life as a young father. It's the one
27:02
Speaker 1: at that time of my life I was young, Dad, then,
27:04
Speaker 1: and there's a song there called Three-Year-Old. At the time,
27:07
Speaker 1: my son actually was three years old. So if I
27:09
Speaker 1: look at that album, it's one of the ones that
27:11
Speaker 1: most represents who I was. That's where, in that time
27:15
Speaker 1: of my life, that was me. It was true. It
27:17
Speaker 1: was authentic. He went on to compare his albums to children,
27:20
Speaker 1: saying it's hard to pick a favorite, but this one
27:22
Speaker 1: has remained special to him. Albums are kind of like kids.
27:25
Speaker 1: You like them all, but to this day, Mr. Misunderstood
27:29
Speaker 1: is my favorite album, he said. The album was a surprise,
27:32
Speaker 1: even by Church's standards. He kept it secret from his
27:35
Speaker 1: record label and initially mailed copies to members of the
27:38
Speaker 1: Church Choir fan club. It featured the title track alongside
27:42
Speaker 1: songs including Mistress Named Music, mixed drinks about feelings, and
27:46
Speaker 1: Knives of New Orleans. Mr. Misunderstood eventually went platinum and
27:50
Speaker 1: won Album of the Year at the 2016 CMA Awards.
27:55
Speaker 1: Church's catalog has grown considerably since Mr. Misunderstood arrived. His
27:59
Speaker 1: earlier album, Carolina, gave listeners songs like Smoke a Little
28:02
Speaker 1: Smoke and the title track, while Desperate Man delivered the
28:05
Speaker 1: number one hit, Some of It, and songs such as
28:07
Speaker 1: Drowning Man that remain part of his live shows. His
28:11
Speaker 1: triple album, Heart and Soul, also offered a wide range
28:14
Speaker 1: of sounds, from Heart on Fire and Hell Above You
28:16
Speaker 1: to deeper cuts like Russian Roulette and Madman. More recently,
28:21
Speaker 1: Church pushed his sound in a different direction on his
28:23
Speaker 1: latest album, Evangeline vs. the Machine, incorporating an orchestra, horn section,
28:28
Speaker 1: and choir into songs including Johnny, Storm in Their Blood,
28:31
Speaker 1: and Darkest Hour. Well, this concludes the reading of Country
28:35
Speaker 1: Weekly for this week. If you have any comments or
28:38
Speaker 1: suggestions about our program, call us please at 859-422-6390. Thank
28:44
Speaker 1: you for joining me, and on behalf of everyone here
28:46
Speaker 1: at Radio Eye, this is Ken Dawkins wishing you a
28:49
Speaker 1: great day.