Latest / Country Weekly / 9.18.26

Transcript

9.18.26 · Country Weekly

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  Speaker 1: It's time once again to catch up with Country Weekly,
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  Speaker 1: where we dive into news and gossip from the world
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  Speaker 1: of country music. I'm your host, Ken Dawkins, as always,
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  Speaker 1: and I will be reading from various sources found online.
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: As a reminder, Radio Eye is a reading service intended
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  Speaker 1: for people who are blind or have other disabilities that
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  Speaker 1: make it difficult to read printed material. We'll begin with
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  Speaker 1: the first article dated September 15th from countrynow.com. Lou Combs
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  Speaker 1: scores 27th number one single with B-By-U. Lou Combs is
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  Speaker 1: adding to his already impressive list of career accomplishments with
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  Speaker 1: his latest single, B-By-U, reaching new major milestones at country radio.
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  Speaker 1: The song has officially climbed to number one on the
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  Speaker 1: country air check media base chart, marking Combs' 23rd consecutive
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  Speaker 1: solo single to reach the top spot. This achievement extends
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  Speaker 1: his record for the most consecutive number ones to start
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  Speaker 1: a career. B-By-U also earns Combs his 27th No. 1
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  Speaker 1: single overall, including his collaborations with artists such as Post Malone,
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  Speaker 1: Bailey Zimmerman, Riley Greene, and Jameson Rogers. Plus, the heartfelt
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  Speaker 1: tune is making a strong impact on Billboard, where it
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  Speaker 1: currently sits at No. 1 on the country airplay chart
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  Speaker 1: for a fourth consecutive week. This news means that Combs
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  Speaker 1: has tied the record for having the most songs to
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  Speaker 1: spend four weeks at No. 1 on the chart so
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  Speaker 1: far this decade. These accomplishments add to an already massive
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  Speaker 1: year for the 11-time CMA Award winner. Last week, fans
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  Speaker 1: learned that Luke Combs earned nominations for three CMA Awards
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  Speaker 1: ahead of the 60th annual event. He is vying for
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  Speaker 1: a win in the categories of Entertainer of the Year,
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  Speaker 1: Male Vocalist of the Year, and Album of the Year
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  Speaker 1: for The Way I Am. The success at Country Radio
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  Speaker 1: comes as Combs prepares to continue his My Kind of
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  Speaker 1: Saturday Night tour next spring. The extensive trek includes sold-out
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  Speaker 1: stadium shows, at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Park, Foxborough's Gillette Stadium
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  Speaker 1: in Massachusetts, Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium, and San Diego's Petco Park.
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  Speaker 1: Launching in April and running through June 27, the tour
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  Speaker 1: will also make stops at major venues, including Arlington's AT
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  Speaker 1: & T Stadium, Minneapolis' U.S. Bank Stadium, Denver's Empower Field
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  Speaker 1: at Mile High, and Detroit's Ford Field. The In the
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  Speaker 1: Round shows will feature special guests Treaty Oak Revival, Avery Anna, Shenandoah,
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  Speaker 1: and Wyatt McCubbin. Tickets for the trek are on sale
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  Speaker 1: now with an average ticket price of, get this, $ 130. Next,
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  Speaker 1: Kenny Chesney is returning to stadiums for his 2027 Original
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  Speaker 1: Vibe Room Tour. Summer 26 may be winding down, but
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  Speaker 1: fans across the U.S. can already start planning for next summer.
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  Speaker 1: Kenny Chesney has announced his long-awaited return to the touring
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  Speaker 1: circuit with the Original Vibe Room Tour 2027. The tour
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  Speaker 1: teasers began over the weekend with stadiums around the country
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  Speaker 1: sharing cryptic posts featuring the tour name, Chesney's iconic palm tree,
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  Speaker 1: and guitar logo. Fans quickly started putting the pieces together.
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  Speaker 1: By Monday, the internet was buzzing with speculation, and Chesney
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  Speaker 1: only added to the excitement when he shared a brief
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  Speaker 1: video teaser hinting at the special guests joining him on
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  Speaker 1: the road. The original Vibe Room tour marks the East
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  Speaker 1: Tennessee Natives' return to stadiums following a two-year run at
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  Speaker 1: the Sphere in Las Vegas where he sold nearly 400,000 tickets.
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  Speaker 1: The trek kicks off April 24th at Tampa's Raymond James
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  Speaker 1: Stadium and will wrap up on August 28th at Gillette
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  Speaker 1: Stadium in Foxborough. Along the way, the Country Music Hall
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  Speaker 1: of Fame member will visit some of the country's biggest
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  Speaker 1: NFL stadiums, including AT & T Stadium in Arlington and
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  Speaker 1: Soldier Field in Chicago. He will also make a highly
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  Speaker 1: anticipated stop at the brand-new Nissan Stadium in Nashville. When
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  Speaker 1: we started to talk about touring next year, all I
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  Speaker 1: could think about was how good those stadiums feel, how loud,
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  Speaker 1: how fast, how much energy comes hurling at us. Chesney
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  Speaker 1: shared this of his decision to do an all-stadium tour.
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  Speaker 1: I don't think I knew how much I missed it,
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  Speaker 1: and when it hit me, as well as watching comments
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  Speaker 1: on Instagram and Facebook, I realized we should make next
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  Speaker 1: year be all about the stadiums, so that's what we did.
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  Speaker 1: When putting together the lineup, Chesney had his fans in mind.
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  Speaker 1: The tour will feature CMA 2020 Entertainer of the Year
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  Speaker 1: Eric Church, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and
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  Speaker 1: nine-time Grammy winner Sheryl Crow, as well as rising singer-songwriter
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  Speaker 1: Graylin James. To make it really hit, I called Eric,
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  Speaker 1: who'd come out that first weekend in Vegas and sang
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  Speaker 1: a few with me, to see if he'd want to
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  Speaker 1: do this. He was in, he explained. Then to give
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  Speaker 1: fans a twist, something a little different, but someone who
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  Speaker 1: rocks and everyone in No Shoes Nation loves, I asked
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  Speaker 1: Sheryl Crow if she wanted to come play with us.
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  Speaker 1: And she said, yes. Suddenly, we've got all that high-powered energy,
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  Speaker 1: and it was starting to feel the same way we
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  Speaker 1: did way back in the day. The excitement took Chesney
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  Speaker 1: back to the early days of selling a million tickets
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  Speaker 1: each summer. As he reflected on his career and how
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  Speaker 1: much he missed being on the road, he found himself
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  Speaker 1: thinking about his 2002 No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems tour.
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  Speaker 1: That's when the name Original Vibe Room came to him.
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  Speaker 1: It was such a rush, Chesney recalled, and this feels
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  Speaker 1: just like that. Three people who know each other, are friends,
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  Speaker 1: and love to play taking it out on the road
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  Speaker 1: for the summer. That kind of camaraderie matches everything about
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  Speaker 1: what made me want to chase this dream in the
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  Speaker 1: first place, the adventure and fun to find us. For me,
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  Speaker 1: there was only one name, the original Vibe Room Tour,
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  Speaker 1: because this time, with these people, I want everyone in
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  Speaker 1: on the vibe. We started the Vibe Room in 2002
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  Speaker 1: as a place for our people, the adults, guests, musicians,
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  Speaker 1: to come together, get a drink, hang out, meet up,
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  Speaker 1: make some new friends. It was a fun place, and
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  Speaker 1: I feel like that's what 2027 is going to be
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  Speaker 1: all about. So what else could we call it? And
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  Speaker 1: after all the teasing, planning, and anticipation, Chesney has one
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  Speaker 1: thing left to say to his fans. It's going to
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  Speaker 1: be an amazing summer. I can't believe we're here again.
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  Speaker 1: I can't wait to get out there and start doing it.
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  Speaker 1: The original Vibe Room Tour 2027 is going to be
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  Speaker 1: all the things, but especially a lot of fun, a
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  Speaker 1: lot of music, and a lot of songs people have
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  Speaker 1: lived their lives to. Get ready. We're coming. More on
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  Speaker 1: 2027 music. Riley Green, Zach Topp, and Garth Brooks to
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  Speaker 1: headline Stagecoach 2027. Stagecoach is gearing up for another star-studded
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  Speaker 1: weekend in the desert, with the official lineup for its
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  Speaker 1: 2027 festival revealed this week. The country music festival sets
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  Speaker 1: a return to Indio-California's Empire Polo Club from April 23rd
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  Speaker 1: through the 25th, with plans to once again bring together
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  Speaker 1: some of country music's biggest names, alongside rising stars and
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  Speaker 1: artists spanning multiple genres. Leading the 2027 lineup are headliners
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  Speaker 1: Riley Green, Zach Topp, and Garth Brooks, who will each
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  Speaker 1: take the stage for highly anticipated performances throughout the three-day event.
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  Speaker 1: Of his upcoming performance, Green shares, Let's do this again.
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  Speaker 1: We're excited to make it back out to the desert
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  Speaker 1: after a wild ride last year. We'll probably stay all
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  Speaker 1: weekend and catch the other sets, so come join us.
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  Speaker 1: Topp recalled playing stagecoach back in 2024, one of the
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  Speaker 1: first times he'd ever taken the stage at a festival
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  Speaker 1: that drew an impressive crowd for his set. We packed
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  Speaker 1: out the Palomino stage and I remember feeling like we
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  Speaker 1: were really doing something. Now to be back in 2027
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  Speaker 1: as a headliner is just something truly special. Meanwhile, Brooks
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  Speaker 1: is no stranger to the annual event and even stated
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  Speaker 1: that stagecoach is a guaranteed good time. Sharing what he
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  Speaker 1: loves most about the event, Brooks stated, I was shocked
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  Speaker 1: by how personal everything there is. from the people working
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  Speaker 1: the venue to the people singing along. A must if
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  Speaker 1: you're a country music fan. Another major highlight of the
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  Speaker 1: weekend will be the return of Florida Georgia Line, who
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  Speaker 1: are set to reunite for a special late-night set. The
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  Speaker 1: performance will mark the duo's first time officially taking the
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  Speaker 1: stage together since they teased their comeback during Nashville's 2026
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  Speaker 1: CMA Fest in June. Florida Georgia Line will take over
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  Speaker 1: the Mustang stage presented by Boot Barn during the festival's
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  Speaker 1: late-night programming Sean Paul, Florida Georgia Line, and Flo Rita
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  Speaker 1: will all keep the party going after the main stage
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  Speaker 1: is wrapped, bringing high-energy performances, fan-favorite hits, and plenty of
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  Speaker 1: sing-along moments to the desert. The last time we played
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  Speaker 1: Stagecoach was back in 2018, and a whole lot of
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  Speaker 1: life has happened since then, Florida Georgia Line shares. There's
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  Speaker 1: something really special about getting to come back to the
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  Speaker 1: desert together, step on that stage again, and share these
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  Speaker 1: songs and memories with the fans who have been with
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  Speaker 1: us through all that time. We couldn't think of a
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  Speaker 1: better place to do it. The 2027 lineup also includes Hardy,
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  Speaker 1: Willie Nelson and family, Kelly Clarkson, Brothers Osborne, Shaboosie, Dasha,
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  Speaker 1: Stella Lefty, Stephen Wilson Jr., Journey, Pitbull, Carrie and Leon,
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  Speaker 1: Matchbox 20, Cameron Whitcomb, and many more. Ticket holders can
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  Speaker 1: also look forward to the return of beloved attractions like
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  Speaker 1: Diplo's Honky Tonk and Guy Fieri's Stagecoach Smokehouse. Tickets go
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  Speaker 1: on sale starting Friday, September 18th. And those who won't
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  Speaker 1: be able to attend can still experience the epic performances
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  Speaker 1: by tuning into Amazon Music, Prime Video, Twitch, Amazon Live,
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  Speaker 1: and Amazon Music app on Fire TV to catch the
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  Speaker 1: exclusive live stream. Next, Brooks and Dunn to be honored
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  Speaker 1: with 2026 CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. Brooks and
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  Speaker 1: Dunn are set to be honored in a big way.
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  Speaker 1: This week, the Country Music Association announced that the iconic
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  Speaker 1: country music duo, has been selected as the 2026 CMA
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  Speaker 1: Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award recipients. Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief
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  Speaker 1: Executive Officer, emphasized the fact that only a few artists
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  Speaker 1: have had the impact on country music that Brooks and
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  Speaker 1: Dunn have. Kix and Ronnie are the most awarded duo
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  Speaker 1: in the genre's history, spent more than three decades in
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  Speaker 1: their careers, and along the way have impacted generations of
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  Speaker 1: both fans and artists. We're proud to celebrate everything they've
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  Speaker 1: given to this genre and mark they continue to leave
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  Speaker 1: on its future, Trahearne added in her statement. The Willie
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  Speaker 1: Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award is reserved for artists who have
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  Speaker 1: made an extraordinary and lasting impact on country music. The
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  Speaker 1: prestigious honor recognizes artists who have reached high levels of
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  Speaker 1: success through their music, live performances, philanthropy, and contributions to
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  Speaker 1: the genre, and who have achieved record sales and achieved
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  Speaker 1: impressive streaming stats. There's no denying that Brooks and Dunn
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  Speaker 1: have far surpassed these requirements. The pair first joined forces
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  Speaker 1: in 1990, and have since evolved into one of the
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  Speaker 1: most influential duos in country music. Throughout their career, Kix
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  Speaker 1: Brooks and Ronnie Dunn have earned 20 number one hits,
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  Speaker 1: more than 60 charted singles, over 40 top 10 hits,
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  Speaker 1: and sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. Their signature
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  Speaker 1: sound has helped shape the genre through iconic hits like
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  Speaker 1: Boot Scootin' Boogie, Neon Moon, My Maria, and Believe. Their
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  Speaker 1: impressive list of accomplishments include two Grammy Awards, 58 CMA
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  Speaker 1: Award nominations, and 20 CMA Awards, including 16 wins for
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  Speaker 1: Vocal Duo of the Year. They also hosted the CMA
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  Speaker 1: Awards from 2004 to 2006 and have been inducted into
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  Speaker 1: both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville
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  Speaker 1: Songwriters Hall of Fame. Their success has extended to the
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  Speaker 1: stage as well, with the duo selling more than 17
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  Speaker 1: million concert tickets throughout their career. Even though they have
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: spent more than three decades in this business, they continue
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  Speaker 1: to find ways to connect with new generations of fans,
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: such as the viral resurgence of Neon Moon on TikTok.
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: Their 2019 album, Reboot, featured collaborations with some of today's
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  Speaker 1: biggest names, including Luke Combs, Kacey Musgraves, Thomas Rhett, and
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  Speaker 1: Ashley McBride, while Reboot 2 followed in 2024 and featured
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  Speaker 1: even more collaborations with Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Morgan Wallen, Hardy,
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  Speaker 1: Hayley Witters, and Marcus King. Beyond their musical accomplishments, Both
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  Speaker 1: members of the duo have dedicated their time and resources
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  Speaker 1: to various charitable causes, supporting areas including music education, children, families, veterans,
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  Speaker 1: cancer research, and communities across the country. Fans will get
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: to tune in and see them accept the honor as
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: part of a special tribute during the 60th Annual CMA Awards,
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  Speaker 1: which will air live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday,
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  Speaker 1: November 18th on ABC, Disney +, and the next day
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  Speaker 1: on Hulu. Previous recipients of CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement
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  Speaker 1: Awards include Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton,
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  Speaker 1: Chris Christopherson, Charlie Pride, Loretta Lynn, Alan Jackson, George Strait,
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: and Vince Gill. With more on the upcoming CMAs, we
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  Speaker 1: head to Billboard.com with the article dated September 10th, 2026
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: CMA Award Snubs and Surprises. The final nominees for the
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: 60th Annual CMA Awards were revealed Thursday, To no one's surprise,
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  Speaker 1: Ella Langley led all nominees with nine nods, including her
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  Speaker 1: first Entertainer of the Year nominations. She's the only newbie
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  Speaker 1: in the entire Entertainer of the Year category, joining reigning
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  Speaker 1: champ Lainey Wilson, past winner Luke Combs, and past nominees
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  Speaker 1: Chris Stapleton and Cody Johnson. Miranda Lambert followed Langley with
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  Speaker 1: seven nominations, four of them coming from her work with Langley,
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  Speaker 1: including co-writing Choose in Texas, which has spent a record-setting
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  Speaker 1: 21 weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100. Lambert
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  Speaker 1: also earns her 19th nomination for Female Vocalist of the
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  Speaker 1: Year that sets a new record surpassing Reba McEntire's 18 nominations.
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  Speaker 1: Other nominees reached major milestones, including Little Big Town, which
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  Speaker 1: received its 21st consecutive nomination for Vocal Group of the Year,
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  Speaker 1: the most for any group. The eligible period is July 1, 25,
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: through June 30, 26. Additionally, for Single of the Year,
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  Speaker 1: the track must have reached the Top Ten Billboard's Country
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  Speaker 1: Airplay or Hot Country Songs charts or the Country Aircheck chart.
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  Speaker 1: The 60th CMA Awards, as we mentioned, will be on
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  Speaker 1: November 18th. While Langley's nominations were expected, there were several surprises,
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  Speaker 1: both in those who received nods and several who did not.
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  Speaker 1: Morgan Wallen was a no-show when he won Entertainer of
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  Speaker 1: the Year in 2024 and And maybe voters haven't forgiven
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  Speaker 1: him because the only two nominations he landed were in
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: the musical event of the year category for his work
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  Speaker 1: with others, with leading nominee Langley for their number one duet,
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  Speaker 1: I Can't Love You Anymore, and MacArthur with Hardy and
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  Speaker 1: Eric Church and Tim McGraw. Here's another surprise, Stephen Wilson Jr.
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: Here's what a great performance or two can get you.
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: At last year's award show, Wilson mesmerized by performing Stand
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  Speaker 1: By Me solo and then took a walk with Shibuzi.
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  Speaker 1: Voters remembered rewarding Wilson with four nominations this year included
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  Speaker 1: the expected New Artist of the Year. He was nominated
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  Speaker 1: in that category last year as well. But he also
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: landed nods for Song of the Year and Music Video
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  Speaker 1: of the Year for Gary and Male Vocalist of the Year.
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  Speaker 1: Another snub, Riley Green. Other than Langley and Maroney, it's
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  Speaker 1: hard to imagine an artist who has had a staggering
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  Speaker 1: rise over the past few years as Green, and he
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  Speaker 1: felt like a sure bet for his first Male Vocalist
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  Speaker 1: of the Year nod. His co-ed duets continue to be
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  Speaker 1: catnip to voters. His four nominations last year for his
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  Speaker 1: work with Langley, this year his sole nomination comes in
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: a musical event of the year category for If I
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: Don't Leave, I'm Gonna Stay with Carly Pearce. Another surprise,
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  Speaker 1: Taylor Swift. I guess it's never a surprise that Swift
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: is nominated for an award, but file this one under
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: pleasant surprise that Swift has come back home to country
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  Speaker 1: where she got her start 20 years ago. In June,
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  Speaker 1: she released I Knew It, I Knew You from Toy
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  Speaker 1: Story 5, as we know, and fans instantly welcomed her back,
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  Speaker 1: rewarding her with a number one on the Hot Country
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  Speaker 1: Songs chart and with a single of the year nomination.
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  Speaker 1: It's her first CMA nomination since I Bet You Think
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: About Me for Video of the Year in 2022 and
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  Speaker 1: her first single of the year nom since 2013 for
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  Speaker 1: Highway Don't Care with Tim McGraw and Keith Urban. Another snub,
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  Speaker 1: Megan Maroney. Maroney landed two nominations, including Female Vocalist and
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  Speaker 1: Song of the Year for Beautiful Things, but after the
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  Speaker 1: year she's had, including landing an album at the top
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  Speaker 1: of both the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums with
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: Cloud 9, and headlining her own sold-out arena tour, it
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  Speaker 1: felt a little underwhelming. It seemed she had a real
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: shot at Entertainer of the Year, though the category's extremely
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: competitive this year, or a Single of the Year nod
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: for six months later. Another snub? Stella Lefty. Lefty has
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  Speaker 1: been part of this year's country revolution with her song Boston,
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  Speaker 1: helping country music claim the top five spots on the
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  Speaker 1: Billboard Hot 100 for the first time in August. Additionally,
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: women enjoyed a record run on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart,
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  Speaker 1: occupying all top five positions for weeks on end, also
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  Speaker 1: thanks to Boston, which reached number one. Lefty was perhaps
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  Speaker 1: a long shot given the strength of this year's New
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  Speaker 1: Artist of the Year candidates, but she was definitely in
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  Speaker 1: the conversation, as was Boston per single of the year.
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  Speaker 1: And surprises, while both Emily Ann Roberts and Avery Anna
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: are deserving, they were bigger and there are bigger and
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  Speaker 1: more successful names that many expected to take up slots
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: in the new artist category. Roberts has been around since
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: she was a contestant on Blake Shelton's team on The
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: Voice more than 10 years ago, but her career has
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  Speaker 1: really picked up momentum since signing with Record Sony Music
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: Nashville last summer and opening for both Cody Johnson and
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: Megan Maroney. Similarly, Avery Anna won over fans for her
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: Girl of Constant Sorrow headlining tour. Neither of these has
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: had substantial success as country radio yet, but it feels
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: like only a matter of time. Both were nominated for
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: New Female Artist of the Year for the 2026 ACM Awards,
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  Speaker 1: and Anna won that. It marks the first time since
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  Speaker 1: 2021 that three women, they're joined by Carter Faith, received
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  Speaker 1: nominations in this category. Now we run on over to Rollingstone.com
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: where we learn that Alison Krauss and Union Station cancel
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: remaining tour dates. Alison Krauss and Union Station announced that
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: the upcoming dates of their Arcadia tour have been canceled
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: after Krauss was advised to take a vocal rest. The
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: news was shared on Krauss' social media. It is with
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: great regret that Alison Krauss and Union Station have announced
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: the cancellation of our upcoming tour dates, read the post.
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: After consulting with medical professionals, Allison has been advised to
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: take a period of vocal rest to ensure a full
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: and healthy recovery. The statement added that the decision was
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: not made lightly, as we are deeply committed to our fans. However,
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: prioritizing health and vocal integrity is imperative at this time.
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: The affected shows include a stop in Davenport, Iowa, which
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: was scheduled for Friday, along with dates in St. Louis, Austin,
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: Las Vegas, and San Francisco. The next concerts also include
• 19:08
  Speaker 1: a three-night run at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. All tickets
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: will be fully refunded. The Arcadia Tour was in support
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: of the first album in 14 years from Krauss and
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: Union Station, her longtime acoustic band. Billed as a collection
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: of songs that are contemporary reflections on history, the LP
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: includes tracks written by several writers, including J.D. McPherson and
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: Sarah Siskind, and marks Krauss' first album with Union Station,
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: the band she joined as a teenager since Paper Airplane
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: back in 2011. Now we stop by People.com to learn
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: on the 15th of September that Tanya Tucker says she
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: snuck out of her window to go meet up with
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: her hero. Merle Haggard. Tanya Tucker is reflecting on the
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: early years of her friendship with country legend Merle Haggard
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: and how she once snuck out of her house to
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: spend time with him. The Delta Dawn singer, now 67,
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: was 21 years Haggard's junior. but had a crush on
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: the star anyway, she said on the Adam Carolla show
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: on Sunday, September 13th. I ran away with him. I
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: didn't really date him. I just snapped out of my
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: window when I was 21, got on a plane and
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: went to see him in Texas, Tucker said. But my
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: dad caught up with me in about Meridian, Mississippi. The
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: singer explained that she simply wanted to hang out with
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: the man she considered her hero. I just wanted to
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: see how he was day to day. We ended up
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: being best friends right up until the day he died,
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: she said. Tucker added that she's recently spent the day
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: at her daughter Presley's house in Nashville with Haggard's sons, Noel,
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: who's 63, and Benny, who's 33, and his widow, Teresa.
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: The Mama Tried singer died in 2016 at 79. We
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: all cooked, and seeing all the Haggards and the Tuckers
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: in the kitchen was pretty funny, Tucker said. We listened
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: to Merle Haggard and talked about him and what we
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: missed about him. You won't hear any voices like him.
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: There's just not any of those anymore that stand out.
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: I sure do miss him. Tucker's history with Haggard went
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: back to the early days of her career. A 1974
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: story in Time magazine begins with Tucker, then 15, joining
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: the star on stage in New York to sing her hit,
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: Delta Dawn. Though she went on to date other famous
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: men over the years, including Glen Campbell and Don Johnson,
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: Tucker told the New York Daily News in 1997 that
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: she harbored a crush on Haggard and traveled with him
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: on his bus for several days. We fooled around some,
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to actually
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: have sex with him, she said. Maybe it was because
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: he was Merle Haggard. Tucker, who does the voiceover on
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: the new PBS documentary Made in the West, recently opened
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: up to people about the death of her friend Dolly Parton.
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: When I was a kid growing up in music, my
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: heroes were mostly men, Elvis and Merle, and I patterned
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: myself more after them than I did for the women.
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: I mean, I loved Loretta. I sang all her songs
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: and we were best friends. Tammy and I were very close,
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: but I was always programmed more toward the men, she said.
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: And now I've changed my mind. Dolly's the kind of person,
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: the kind of artist I wanted to be. And the
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: way she handled herself, I mean, she could cuss you
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: out and make you like it. She had a way
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: that was amazing, and I want to be more like
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: her because she's done so much. Now we mosey up
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: the ladder to saving country music with this article dated
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: September 13th, and this involves one of my favorite all-time
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: country bands. After 70 years, the Gatlin brothers announce farewell
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: celebration tour. You're always a little leery whenever anyone announces
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: a farewell or final tour, says Saving Country Music. We've
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: been duped on this front so many times before, even
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: if performers really meant it when they initially said, I'm done.
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: But with Larry Gatlin pushing 80 and having performed with
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: his brothers literally since childhood, it's not hard to understand
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: why they might be looking into the future and wanting
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: to conclude things on their own terms. Announced last week,
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: Larry Gatlin and brothers Steve and Rudy Gatlin will all
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: participate in what's being called a farewell celebration tour, celebrating
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: over 70 years of the three brothers from Seminole, Texas,
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: making music together. They've announced the initial round of dates,
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: but are also leaving the ending of the tour somewhat open-ended,
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: similar to what the Oak Ridge Boys did recently. After
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: much thought and prayer, we've decided that it's time to
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: hit the turn signal, check the rearview mirror, pump the brakes,
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: move over into the right lane, and look for the off-ramp,
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: Larry Gatlin says. There's no hard date for all of this,
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: but we're thinking Mayish of 28. In the meantime, we'll
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: be all over America to play and sing our songs
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: for you wonderful people who have supported us for 71 years.
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: Keep the faith. The farewell tour dates released so far
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: run into the fall and winter and into the spring
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: of 2027. Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin brothers are known
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: for such number one songs as All the Gold in California,
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: I Just Wish You Were Someone I Loved, and Houston
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: means I'm one day closer to you. They're regularly brought
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: up in conversation of who could be contenders for the
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: Country Music Hall of Fame, and they've been Grand Ole
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: Opry members since way back in 1976. And the tour
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: dates do not include Kentucky, but there are a number
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: of shows in Indiana and especially Tennessee. Next, stars come
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: out to tribute George Jones on 95th Birthday. George Jones
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: is gone, but he won't be forgotten, of course, not
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: if the country music community has anything to say about it.
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: From the young to the old, to traditionalists to more
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: contemporary performers, big names showed up to pay tribute to
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: the possum on Sunday, September 13th, which was the day
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: after what would have been No Show's 95th birthday. Holding
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: court at the Nashville Palace near the Grand Ole Opry,
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: many Jones songs were sang and many stories were told.
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: Jamie Johnson, legends Moe Bandy, T. Graham Brown, and Lori Morgan,
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: Lori's son and performer Jesse Keith Whiteley, Johnny Paycheck's son
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: John Paycheck, along with Jake Worthington, Tony Jackson, Eric Lee Bennington,
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: Uncle Cracker, Ernest, Cletus T. Judd, Billy Yates, Heath Wright,
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: Lisa Matassa, Bobby Braddock, Bella France, Tim Watson, and Dickie
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: Lee all made George Jones' widow Nancy Jones proud as
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: they took turns playing tribute to arguably the greatest singer
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: in country music history. If there's a premier torchbearer of
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: the old ways and the old songs and country music,
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: it's Jamie Johnson. When George Jones sang Who's Gonna Fill
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: Their Shoes, he must have had a performer like Jake
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: Worthington in mind. Tony Jackson is about the only person
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: who's ever done songs like the Grand Tour any justice
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: beyond George Jones himself. In front of an all-star band,
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: they all made sure that the songs and legacy of
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: George Jones was paid for, I'm sorry, paid forward yet
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: for another year. Randy Travis was also on scene to
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: show his support and Gary Gentry was also a guest
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: of honor. The event sold out almost immediately, even though
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: the lineup was left as a mystery. Proceeds from the
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: show went to Concerts for a Cause, based in Huntsville, Alabama,
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: as well as the George Jones Scholarship at MTSU. And finally,
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: let's stomp on over to theboot.com with the article dated
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: September 16th, Dolly Parton Tribute Concert Announced. Here are the details.
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: The country music community will come together to celebrate the
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: life and career of Dolly Parton next month in Nashville.
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: Fans have a chance to enjoy the live two-hour long
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: concert in person or on television. The Dolly Parton tribute
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: concert is called CMA Presents I Will Always Love You,
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: a celebration of Dolly Parton, and it will air live
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: on ABC from Nashville's Belmont University on October 21st at
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: 9 p.m. It's going to be a two-hour television event
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: that promises to celebrate Parton as an artist, entertainer, humanitarian,
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: and entrepreneur. Tickets will go on sale, but be limited
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: to four tickets per purchase. On-sale dates are not yet known. Instead,
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: the CMA is allowing fans to sign up for ticket
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: updates when available. On Wednesday, the announcement did not name
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: any performers, presenters, or special guests, but there's sure to
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: be a long line of singers and celebrities willing to
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: appear if time and schedules allow. Nashville-based artists such as
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: McIntyre and Gill would seem likely. From there, the options
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: are limitless. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood both posted stirring
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: tributes in the wake of Parson's death. Tim McGraw did
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: as well. Parton's reach was limitless, of course, so don't
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: be surprised if artists from all genres of music appear,
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: or even Hollywood actors. Family could also play a big role.
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: Few things would be more poignant than a collection of
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: her sisters, nieces, and extended family coming together in song.
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: And finally, Jelly Roll has done everything he wanted to
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: in music. Now he's asking God what's next. Jelly Roll
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: has accomplished more music than he ever imagined, but he's
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: not sure what's happening next. The country singer opened up
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: about his future in music during a conversation with the
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: all-access radio's Kelly Sutton backstage at the Grand Ole Opry.
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: In a clip shared on social media September 13th, Jelly
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: Roll explained he's reached a point where he's willing to
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: let his faith guide what comes next. Everything that Jason
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: DeFord or Jelly Roll wanted to do in music business
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: I've done now, so at this point I really need
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: to go talk to God and see if he wants
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: me to stick around or what he wants me to
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: do next. Jelly Roll has earned three Grammy Awards, topped
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: the Billboard 200, and landed 22 songs on the Billboard
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: Hot 100, and he's also a member, of course, of
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: the Grand Ole Opry. Well, this concludes the reading of
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: Country Weekly for this week. If you have any comments
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: or suggestions about our program, please call us at 859-422-6390.
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: Thank you for joining me, and on behalf of everyone
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: here at Radio Eye, this is Ken Dawkins wishing you
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: a great day.