Transcript

12.5.25 · Country Weekly

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Speaker 1: Now. It's time to catch up with Country Weekly, where
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we check you out news and gossip from the world
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of country music. I'm your host, Ken Dawkins, and I'll
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be reading from various sources found online. As a reminder,
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RADIOI is a reading service intended for people who are
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blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult to
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read printed material. We'll begin with the first article, dated
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December first, from Countrynow dot com. Grand Old oprymembers unite
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for once in a lifetime one hundredth anniversary celebration. More
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than twenty five Grand Old Opry members gathered on Friday
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night to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of the Opry's
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very first broadcast on November twenty eighth, nineteen twenty five.
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The milestone show aired on the Opry's flagship station WSM,
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streamed on SiriusXM, and was broadcast worldwide via the Opry's
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social media channels. The historic evening honored a century of
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Opry tradition with several unforgettable moments. Ricky Skaggs and opremembers
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since nineteen eighty two opened the show with Tennessee Wagoner
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playing the same fiddle Uncle Jimmy Thompson used during the
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Opry's inaugural broadcast one hundred years ago. He performed surrounded
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by more than two dozen fellow Opry members. Later in
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the night, Scotty McCrary and op Remember since twenty twenty four,
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Mandy Barnett from twenty twenty one, t Graham Brown twenty
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twenty four, and Mark Wills twenty nineteen stepped into the
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circle to lead the cast in a moving performance of
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the George Jones classic Who's Going to Fill Their Shoes.
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Jamie Johnson, a proud member since twenty twenty two, also
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took the stage for a powerful rendition of his hit
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I'm Color, paying tribute to legendary Opry photographer Les Leverett,
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who captured decades of iconic moments. Another standout moment came
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when the oprianor its longest serving member Bill Anderson, ahead
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of his performance of Thankful How twenty twenty four, fans
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voted on the Opry's all time greatest songs as part
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of the Opry one hundred celebration. To close the night,
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Vince Gill returned to reveal the winning song and delivered
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an emotional performance of He Stopped Loving her today. Ahead
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of the show, several operaing members spoke with Country Now
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about what it meant to take part in such a
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historic night. Ricky Skagg shared that opening the evening with
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Uncle Jimmy Thompson's fiddle was a profound moment for him.
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It was a tremendous honor. Skag said, my mother was
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a Thompson, no relation that I know of, but it
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just really special as a fiddler to get to bring
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notice and bring light back to his life. He fought
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in the Civil War. He was seventy seven when he
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played in the Opry that first night in twenty five.
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I'm seventy one, so not too far away in age.
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Scotty McQuary expressed a deep appreciation for the opry lasting legacy.
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I just love the Opry. I love what it stands for,
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I love the history behind it, and I hope folks
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realize the Opry has played such a huge role in
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making country music what it is today. He told us,
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I'm just proud to be part of the family. For
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Jamie Johnson, the milestone carries personal meeting that extends far
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beyond the stage. To be a member of the Grand
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Old Opry is a special thing to begin with, but
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to get to be a member during the one hundredth birthday,
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it's the same year that I got to go to
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the Marine Corps ball and celebrated there two hundred and fiftieth.
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Then it's the same year I celebrated my fiftieth. He reflected.
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There's a lot of perspective in these times, and for me,
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it really brings it home to be standing here. November
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twenty eighth, twenty twenty five. Marty Stewart added, the longevity
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alone makes the celebration extraordinary. It's a big night. I mean,
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come on, nothing lasts a hundred years, especially in show business.
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He said, this show has never been off the air
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in a hundred years. I was raised listening to this
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show and I got here when I was thirteen and
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got a job. I loved the Grand Old Opry. Then
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the cast members are like family. The minute I got here,
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I was treated like family. This is an extended family
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to me. It was an emotional night for many, including
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Laurie Morgan, who summed up them a moment perfectly. There's
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just a magical feeling. Tonight is like Christmas. Next are
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Tucker Wetmore and Zach Topp related Tucker wet More recently
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co hosted a weekend of Country Countdown USA with Lon Helton,
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where he opened up about his journey as a rising
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singer songwriter, the artists who helped him along the way,
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and even revealed the one fellow rising star who he
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might just be related to. With Wetmore's rapid rise in popularity,
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he's become no stranger to rumors being spread about him,
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But it turns out one bit of speculation actually checks out.
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His family connection to zach Topp. Didn't take long for
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fans to notice that both rising stars hail from the
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state of Washington, which then sparked rumors that they might
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actually be related in some way. Though naturally, Helton wanted
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to get to the bottom of this looming question and
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hear the truth directly from the three to one singer himself.
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There's been speculation that were related in a way we are,
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He admitted, dad was married to someone else and they
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had two girls. One of them is sisters with his mom.
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It's not really related, but we joke about it. He
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added that every time they see each other, they jokingly say, Hey,
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what's up. Cauz so it's confirmed Tucker Wetmoorn's Actop technically
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have a family connection. Both acts were also recently nominated
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for New Artists of the Year for fifty ninth annual
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CMA Awards, where Top took home the trophy. Beyond sharing
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fun stories and family connections, Wetmore's keeping busy with a
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string of exciting projects, including his recent cinematic music video
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for Brunette and preparations for his upcoming The Brunette World Tour.
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The Washington native got to show off his acting skills
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in the wild West style music video, proving to fans
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that his talents include more than just singing and songwriting.
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Directed by Wetmore and Chase Foster, the video was filmed
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at the historic Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico,
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and features a star studded cast, with Wetmore appearing as Sheriff.
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Wetmore alongside Bachelor Nation favorites Hannah Godwin as the Brunette
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and Joey Grezeti as the Bartender. Brunett appears on his
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debut album What Not To, alongside his latest country radio
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single three two one, which continues to make its way
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up the charts. The entire project made history as the
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biggest country album debut from a new artist in twenty
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twenty five. He will deliver a few more radio shows
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across Arizona, Washington, and California before taking some time off
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the road before the new year hits Moving along, the
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ACM Awards make a grand return to Las Vegas for
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twenty twenty six celebration. It's official, the ACM Awards are
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heading back to Vegas. The Academy of Country Music Prime
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Video in Dick Clark Productions announced that the sixty first
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Academy of Country Music Awards will take place at the
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MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday, May seventeenth, twenty twenty six.
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After a three year run in Texas, the show returns
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to Sinz City, bringing the glitz, glamour, and star stuttered performances.
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Fans expect. The award will stream live on Prime Video
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and the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch, continuing the ACM
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Awards legacy as the first major awards show to live
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stream exclusively. We couldn't be more thrilled to return to
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MGM Grand for the sixty first ACM Awards next May.
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A place that holds a lot of history and special
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memories for the Academy, It truly feels like a homecoming
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for us. Name In Whiteside' CEO Academy of Country Music shared,
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there's no better place to host an exciting global country
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music celebration than fabulous Las Vegas. Twenty twenty six is
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going to be a very special year for the ACMs,
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and partnering with MGM Resorts strengthens our deep commitment to
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delivering world class entertainment and experiences for country music fans
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and partners alike, according to J Penske, CEO Dick Clark
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Productions added, the announcement comes on the heels of the
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sixtieth anniversary ACM Awards last year or this year, a
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historic show hosts by Reba McIntyre that featured unforgettable performances
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from over forty artists including Alan Jackson, Backstreet Boys, Brooks
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and Don, Chris Stapleton, and Moore. More details will be
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shared in the coming months. ACM Awards Week will begin
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in Las Vegas on Friday, May fifteenth, and tickets for
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the sixty first ACM Awards and related events will be
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available early next year. Next Cody Johnson confirms collaborations with
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Luke Combs and The Brothers Osbourne on new album. Cody
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Johnson has been dropping hints about what fans can expect
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from his next project, and now he's confirmed the collection
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will include collaborations with some of country music's biggest stars.
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While the album hasn't officially been announced, meaning details like
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the release date and title are still under wraps, Johnson
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has shared that it's pretty much done and expected to
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arrive sometime in twenty twenty six, probably going into the
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studio to do vocals in January to get a record
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out next year. Just need some guest performances by Luke
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Colmbs and Brothers Osbourne, then we're done, he revealed while
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co hosting Country Countdown USA with Lon Helton. The I'm
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Going to Love You singer gave fans a hint of
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what's to come with Combs when he brought the country
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star out as a special guest during one night of
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his sold out run at Nashville's Bridge Stone Arena earlier
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this year. At the time, fans had no idea that
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this was a small preview of an upcoming project. Speaking
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with Odyssey's Katie Neil after the Unforgettable performance. Johnson suggested
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that the surprise moment with Combs was just the beginning
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of something more. There's a certain song I'm pretty certain
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we're just now. We're kind of playing with it. We're
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going back and forth with it, and it could be
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in the works. I can neither confirm nor deny. Now.
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Fans know for sure that Luke Combs will be making
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an appearance on the project as well as Brothers Osborne.
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The Texas native clearly has some big plans in store
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for next year. In addition to the album, he's also
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hoping to be able to return to his regular schedule
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by February after taking some time off the road, and
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that was to heal from surgery after bur his ear drum.
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The unexpected medical issue caused him to cancel all of
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his remaining shows this year, including what could have been
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an unforgettable performance at the twenty twenty five CMA Awards.
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He told Helton that he's working to be back and
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better than ever by February. I'm getting better. The ear
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drum itself has healed. I'm getting better. I've been singing.
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My voice sounds better than ever since I haven't been singing.
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The goal is to come back in February. Cody Johnson's
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next collection of songs will follow twenty twenty four's Leather
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Deluxe Edition, a twenty four track double album featuring the
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second half of Leather released the year prior. According to
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an interview Everything Nash, he has secretly been working behind
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the scenes on building out his next project even before
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Leather Deluxe was out in the world. I was listening
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to songs and just kind of getting what's next, he admitted.
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I like to stay ahead of things. I cannot stand
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when things get chaotic and rushed. I hate putting on
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a date on something and then having to do it
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up right up to the date. I like organization. I
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like structure at work. Sometimes you can't have that. It's
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live music. It's a music business. You got to roll
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with the punches, and sometimes stuff happens. The only other
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details we know about the album so far as the
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Johnson is making an effort to make sure he never
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does the same thing twice, and for this time around,
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that means creative in something that sounds a little spicier
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than the Leather Deluxe Edition. I want to go off
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on a beaten path, but I do want to do
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something that's just a little bit spicier. You've got to
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follow up. You hit a home run, next time you
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come up to the plate, people are kind of expecting
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a home run, and I feel that pressure. For now,
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he's enjoying his time off and soaking up the holiday
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season with his wife Brandy, their two daughters, Clara May
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born in twenty fifteen and Corey, born back in twenty seventeen.
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Their new baby boy, JC Daniel, was who arrived October
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twenty first of this year. The country star also recently
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got to enjoy a night out for country music's biggest night,
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the fifty ninth Annual CMA Awards, where he earned a
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win for Male Vocalists. The year next, Jordan Davis and
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Lauren Dagell bring Louisiana charm to their first ever CMA
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Country Christmas hosting gig. Jordan Davis and Lauren Dagel are
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teaming up to host the sixteenth annual CMA Country Christmas
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for the first time, and they're already proving to be
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a perfect pair to guide the night's holiday spirit. Filmed
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in front of a live Nashville audience, these co hosts
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will invite viewers in for a warm, lively holiday celebration
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that features a slew of epic performances by many of
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their fellow country stars. Since its debut in twenty ten,
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the annual show has become a seasonal favorite, drawing fans
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in country stars like Davis himself to watch it on
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ABC each year. As a longtime fan of a special,
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The ain't orenough Road singer expressed his excitement about stepping
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into his important role alongside the songstress, joking that if
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it even carries a bit of family pride, as Dagel
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is such a beloved voice in his household. To me,
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CMA Country Christmas is the thing that kicks off the
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kind of start for Christmas. And then I've told Lauren
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this before. My children are obsessed with Lauren Dagell. So
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I'm going to get to be the cool dad and
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get to introduce her to Lauren tonight. So it's a
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win win, he shared. Dagel responded, I love making cool dads.
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The two say the partnership came naturally, especially with them
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being both from Louisiana. They admitted to feeling bonded by
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their roots. David shared that working together has been seamless
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from day one. I thought it's been super easy, both
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from Louisiana. Obviously, Lauren's crazy talented everything, so she made
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it very easy. It's been super easy. She echoed the sentiment,
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noting that their shared background has allowed them to come
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together create a festive, heartfelt tone on stage. Now we
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waddle and winkle down the road to saving Country music
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dot Com. With the first article dated December second, both
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Billy Strings Tyler Childers announced new twenty twenty six tour dates.
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Tis the season for some of the biggest heavyweights in
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country and roots music to announce their tour intentions for
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the upcoming year. On Tuesday, two of the Titans at
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the arena level revealed their touring plans for early twenty
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twenty six. No, they're not touring together, but you can
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be assured that most of their tour dates will sell out.
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Many of the previously announced shows for Billy Strings already have.
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For Strings, he's sticking mostly around the South and Midwest
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for the first part of the year, but rest assured
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the West Coast will see some dates later on in
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the year. Pre sale tickets become available this week. Tickets
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will be available for the general public this weekend pre
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sale access also for Tyler Childers. His tour will start
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in Europe with some already announced states before he returns
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to the States in April. Artist pre sales for this
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tour are hosted by multiple ticket sites. For Billy Strings,
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he will open his tour in Louisville at the Young Center.
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The KFC Youm Center sold out for December fifth and
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December sixth. And for our buddy Tyler Childers, he will
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be at the Railbird Festival June seventh in Lexington. Next
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Kelsey Ballerini, Austin City Limits and the public funding of Media.
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When the PBSTV show Austin City Limits was set up
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in nineteen seventy four and Willie Nelson played the pilot episode,
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the point was to chronicle the unique and growing music
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scene in Austin and share it with the world. Over
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the years, the show became where the world was first
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exposed to so many Austin music rates such as Stevie
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Ray Vaughan, Asleep at the Wheel and others. It has
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since become the longest running music television show in American history.
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But Austin City Limits moved on from being a dedicated
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showcase for Austin music long ago. Even during the early seasons,
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Austin City Limits would bring in a few artists from
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outside of the Austin music scene to help stimulate interest
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in the show. Though these performers often still fit the
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general vibe of the ACL stage and the Austin scene
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by proxy, they were there to compliment the Austin musicians,
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not overshadowed them. Now that legacy of showcasing the Austin
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music scene seems so far in the past, it feels
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tired and tried to even complain how little Austin music
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has featured on Austin City Limits. This is, according of course,
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to saving country music. The fall lineup for the fifty
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first season included Phineas Aka, the pop songwriter perhaps best
16:20
known as the brother and producer for Billie Eilish. It
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also featured the indie pop band The Memorias from Los Angeles,
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jazz singer Samara Joy from New York, and another New
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York musician in John Batiste. This year's Austin City Limits
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Hall of Fame inductee was the indie rock alt Americana
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band My Morning Jacket from Kentucky. Following in the footsteps
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of the twenty twenty four inductee Garth Brooks. If you're
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getting the sense that Austin City Limits has little to
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do with Austin these days, you'd be correct. Granted, one
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of the episodes of this current season did feature a
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tribute to Austin's long running blues club Antones, and included
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numerous local blues musicians. Charlie Crockett, who currently lives in Austin,
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also received a return thirty minute slot this season. But
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these were the exceptions, not the rules. Wakahachi Katie Crutchfield
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is from Alabama and shared the episode with Charlie Crockett.
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She would fit the Austin adjacent profile pretty well, as
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would maybe my Morning Jacket. But as all these artists
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from outside of Austin get featured on Austin City Limits,
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successful mainstays from the local scene like Silverada, Shane Smith
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and the Saints and so many more sit on the
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outside looking into an acl opportunity. They more likely to
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be featured on the Grand Old Opry in Nashville than
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Austin City Limits. Silverada has been featured on the Opery
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numerous times, maybe most perplexing of all the season fifty
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one bookings was Nashville pop country star Kelsey Ballerini. She
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was partnered with Burning House singer Cam It's difficult, too
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impossible to figure out why Ballerini's appearance would have any
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benefit for either party. Austin music fans and Austin City
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Limits Faithful would find little to no appeal in Nashville star. Again,
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according to Saving Country Music and Kelsey Ballerini is unlikely
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to connect with any new fans through the medium, So
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what's in it for anyone? Are they simply booking her
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because she's kind of popular? Austin City Limits posted two
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videos from Kelsey Ballerini's performance on the show on YouTube.
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Her video for the song Penthouse has just over four
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thousand views at the time of this post, and her
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video for Baggage has thirty eight hundred. Comparatively, the two
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videos from Charlie Crockett's appearance have ten thousand and eighteen
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thousand views. Charlie's views aren't particularly eye popping either, and
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this is in some perfect study of popularity with the
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show's viewers, but Charlie's views are commensurate with other performers.
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Wakahachi's videos have twelve thousand and forty two thousand views
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of all performers. Why was Kelsey Ballerini booked on Austin
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City Limits In twenty twenty one, the owners of the
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Grand Old Opry purchased the mixed use complex in downtown
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Austin along Second Street known as Block twenty one that
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houses the two thousand, seve seven hundred and fifty seat
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Moody Theater where Austin City Limits is taped. At the time,
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the concern was how it could result in Nashville location
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of Austin. Perhaps featuring Kelsey Ballerini, who is a Grand
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Old operating member, is part of unlocking synergies between the
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property owners and ACL. Perhaps it's not either way. Watching
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Ballerini perform pop songs on Austin City Limits stage with
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all the performative pointing and gesticulations of a Nashville star
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just feels like watching a fish out of water, says
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Saving Country Music. It's an even worse assessment of phineas
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the videos ACL published of him have twenty eight hundred
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and eighteen hundred views on YouTube, respectively. Why because people
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who watch Austin City Limits are not interested in these performers.
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Kelsey Ballerini and Phineas are many times more popular than
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Charlie Crockett and Wa Waxahatchie, but they're featured on commercial
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radio and national programming all the time. Austin City Limits
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is supposed to be for the performers who don't get
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other opportunities and are native or attentive to the music
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of Austin. Meanwhile, as Austin City Limits is attempting to
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entice new audience members through booking pop names, they're not
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only unsuccessful in that pursuit, they're shedding their longtime loyal
20:11
followers and supporters. Since these viewers are not connecting with
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the performers featured on the show, there's no longer that
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discovery mechanism that was so special about Austin City Limits
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in the past. Or you didn't even look at who
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was booked on the show. You simply tuned in because
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you knew it was going to be good. Earlier this year,
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in amid cuts to public funding for PBS and NPR,
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many in the public cried foul and cited programs like
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Austin City Limits specifically as vital to supporting the arts
20:38
on a local and national level. Public funding for media
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is important, if not imperative, to make sure long running
20:44
institutions like Austin City Limits survive. But the reason the
20:48
public was willing to support something like Austin City Limits
20:51
is because Austin City Limits was willing to support local
20:54
and regional artists who otherwise might not have had that support,
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let alone the archival aspect of the show to chronicle
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the music of Austin. But as ACL's original mission and
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unique purpose is fulfilled less and less, it's becoming more
21:08
and more expendable, especially as new avenues for discovering music
21:11
from Austin and elsewhere have opened up and ACL cloud
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chases after bigger names in search of cultural relevance. They're
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not finding that value to the public on both a
21:21
local and national level. For a show like Austin City
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Limits is its connection to Austin. The father it gets
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away from that, the less valuable it becomes. Now we
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move on over to Taste of Country with a December
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third article leading off Kelly Clarkson's glowing, grounded and ready
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for love with a little help from Riba, Kelly Clarkson
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has never been more sure of herself, and she's ready
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for whatever and whoever comes next. The forty three year
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old country pop superstar is reportedly feeling more powerful, grounded,
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and glowing than ever before. But they's just one thing
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missing someone to share it all with. Kelly has never
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felt this common in her life. She looks fantastic, her
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career is on fire, and yet she can't seem to
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meet the right guy, and insider shared with star. They continued,
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that's why she's decided to ask everyone she knows for help.
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This isn't a throw at all at the wall approach.
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It's classic Kelly, thoughtful, honest, and full of heart. She
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even made a list of what she's looking for in
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a partner, including bonus points for dad's skills, and sent
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it to a few people she really trusts, including none
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other than Reba McIntyre. And we love that, says Taste
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of Country. Clarkson, who shares two children, River Rowse eleven
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and Remington nine with her late ex husband Brandon Blackstock,
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has been focused on healing and providing stability for her
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kids following his unexpected death in August, but her heart,
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well it's still open. She's not rushing, the source said,
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but she's also not afraid to say I deserve love again,
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even without romance. Right now, Clarkson's life is full between
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taping The Kelly Clarkson Show, filming The Voice season twenty
22:59
nine in her Las Vegas residency, which returns next year.
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She's showing up for her family, her fans, and herself.
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If the mother of two ready to find her cowboy,
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We've got a few names we'd happily toss in the
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rings as Tastes of Country, just in case Reeba needs
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help with the list. How about Brett Eldridge, Sweet, soulful
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and famously single. Their holiday duet already has romantic energy.
23:23
Morgan Wallen a wild card for sure, but opposites attract,
23:28
and we'd watch this show. How about Riley Green Southern charm,
23:31
country roots and dad potential and Kip Moore outdoors he
23:34
grounded and deep. A vibe match could be. Whoever it is,
23:39
He'd better come correct because Clarkson is thriving and her
23:42
next chapter deserves nothing less than joy and again, this
23:46
is according to Taste of Country. Next. Ray Stephens health
23:50
update five months after heart attack brings good news and
23:54
bad news. Five months after suffering a heart attack, this summer,
23:58
Ray Stephens as an update to share, and it's mostly positive.
24:02
The most important thing his recovery's going well. After two
24:05
surgeries to address the blockages that caused the attack, the
24:08
eighty six year old Country Music Hall of Famer is
24:10
recovering well at home. In a press release sent out
24:13
on Tuesday, Stephens shared several updates with fans about several
24:17
different aspects of the health issues he experienced this year.
24:22
We'll start with a piece of news that'll disappoint fans
24:24
but probably won't come as a surprise, as he returning
24:27
to the stage well, not yet. As he prioritizes his health,
24:30
Stevens can't commit to any live performances anytime soon. He
24:34
did say that he's holding out hope or return to
24:36
live performance will eventually be possible, adding I'm trying to
24:40
get strong enough to continue performing. That means that he
24:43
won't be able to reschedule the dates he canceled when
24:46
he had his heart attack, at least not yet. The
24:49
news shouldn't be a huge surprise for fans because even
24:51
before Stevens's current round of health issues, he was winding
24:54
down his live performance career. He performed what he initially
24:58
said would be his final run of shows in twenty
25:00
twenty four. But this year, however, he came out of
25:02
retirement to promote his Ray Stephens Say What album. But
25:06
while he continues to build up his strength, Stevens is
25:09
gearing up for another exciting project. YEP. Stevens announced that
25:13
he plans to release a new album called Ray Stevens
25:16
Favorites Old and New on February twelfth. The project has
25:20
given him a creative outlet while he's been unable to
25:23
perform live. In the meantime, I've got a lot of
25:26
work to do. I want to do it in the
25:27
recording studio, so I intend to focus my attention there
25:29
for now, the singer says. Stephen said in August that
25:32
he plans to sell a cabaret as part of the
25:35
general process of scaling back his career commitments after his
25:38
heart attack. In his latest update, the singer says he
25:41
still hopes to sell the venue, but he has yet
25:43
to find the right buyer. I'd like to sell it,
25:46
Stephen says, I just need someone to give me a
25:48
call and make an offer I can understand and can't refuse.
25:52
He didn't name an asking price or a form of
25:54
public listing. When he announced that Cabaret was for sale,
25:57
but in interested parties can contact Steve Evan's office by
26:01
phone or mail if they are interested. Here we move
26:04
on to the Taste of Country's sister publication, The Boot,
26:08
dated December first, Jelly Roll gave back in a way
26:12
that honored his dad on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving was not a
26:16
day of rest for Jelly Roll this year. Instead, he
26:18
pulled double duty, giving back a two different facilities that
26:21
are close to home. One of those stops was at
26:24
a Nashville detention center where he himself was once incarcerated.
26:28
The singer provided three hundred meals, according to a post
26:31
from the Davidson County Sheriff's Office, and spoke to inmates
26:34
during his time at the facility. Jelly's second Thanksgiving stop
26:38
was perhaps even more special because it brought back memories
26:41
of the singer's childhood with his father that we've mentioned before.
26:45
He served up plates at the Nashville Rescue Mission, an
26:47
organization that provides food and a safe place to stay
26:50
for those experiencing homelessness and financial hardship in Music City.
26:55
That's the same place where Jelly once volunteered with his
26:57
dad and in tradition he's now passing on to his son, Noah.
27:02
My father would bring me to the same rescue mission
27:04
when I was a kid. In fact, I got my
27:06
nine year old son with me, the singer explained to
27:08
News Channel five as he stood behind the counter ready
27:11
to dish out Thanksgiving meals. This year, the Nashville Rescue
27:16
Mission Thanksgiving dinner was combined with the facility's graduation celebration
27:20
for those who have completed a seven month addiction recovery program.
27:24
Jelly was the special guest at the ceremony, and he
27:27
gave a passionate speech celebrating the graduate's recovery. I don't
27:31
know what God is telling you to do next, but
27:33
I hope everything he said to you while you were
27:35
in here you take with you, the singer said in
27:37
one clip published on WSMV four. In another interview with
27:42
w KRN two, Jelly said that it's always important to
27:45
him to take care of the city that made him
27:47
who he is today. He also said the traveling and
27:50
touring internationally has only strengthened his love of his hometown
27:54
the Nashville community. Nothing in the world means more to me,
27:57
the singer reflected, I can now say I'm an artist
28:00
that's traveled the world and no place like home. This
28:04
is the city that made me who I am and
28:06
gave me my spirit forgiving. Jellyro's dad was Horace Buddy Defod.
28:10
The singer had a close relationship with his father and
28:13
credits him for instilling values such as work, ethic, and
28:16
respect in him at a very young age. Buddy Defour
28:20
died on March twentieth, twenty nineteen, after a battle with cancer.
28:24
The singer's mother is Donna DeFord, and she had been
28:26
able to enjoy her son's success. She has attended Jelly's
28:30
concerts when possible, and even got to meet Jelly's tour
28:33
mate post Malone this year. Well, this concludes the reading
28:37
of Country Weekly for this week. If you have any
28:40
comments or suggestions about our program, kindly call us at
28:43
eight five nine four two two sixty three ninety. Thank
28:47
you for joining me and on behalf of everyone here
28:50
at RADIOI. This is Ken Dawkins, wishing you a great day.