The song came to him in the middle of the night. Everything else followed from there. Kid Rock announced Halfway 2 Jesus, the first Christian album of his career, arriving October 17 through his own Top Dog Records. The lead single, “James 1:17 (Jesus Is King),” is out now, and it takes its name from … Read more
Kid Rock dropped the tracklist for his first Christian album on Thursday, October 1, and one name on it stopped people cold. Track three is called “7 Sins,” and it features Eminem. The two Detroit-area artists sit on opposite ends of the American political spectrum, and neither has been quiet about it. Kid Rock has … Read more
Somewhere in Ohio, a small charity asked people for 925 donations of $9.25 each. They blew past it and funded free books for 1,110 kids. That is what September 25 looks like this year. Dozens of municipalities and at least one state have declared the date Dolly Parton Day, timed to the way 9/25 reads … Read more
Three weeks after Bryan Seaver stood in front of a camera to tell the world his aunt had died, he was reportedly told to hand over the keys. Seaver, the son of Dolly Parton’s sister Cassie and the longtime head of security for the Parton family, received a termination notice on Wednesday, September 16, according … Read more
Dolly Parton wrote the most famous goodbye song in American music. Now, country music is using it to say goodbye to her. The Country Music Association announced it will honor Parton with a two-hour television special titled “CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton.” The show airs live on Wednesday, … Read more
The first time Reba McEntire ever saw Dolly Parton in person, Dolly was covered in rhinestone butterflies. McEntire has told the story more than once. She was backing up against a wall, a young singer watching a star walk into a room. “She had on the most beautiful black chiffon pantsuit with rhinestone butterflies on … Read more
Sally Field worked with Dolly Parton on one movie in 1989. She spent the next thirty-seven years loving her anyway. Field introduced the Dolly Parton tribute at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, September 14, at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. She opened with a line that quieted the room. “If there are … Read more
Forty-three years ago, Dolly Parton stood on the Emmy stage and sang a song she wrote about her daddy and the mountains that raised her. On Monday night, her friend brought it back to the same stage. Reba McEntire performed “Appalachian Memories” during the In Memoriam segment at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, held Monday, … Read more
His daughter took the news hard, so he went and found a wall. Juan Velazquez saw how Dolly Parton’s death hit his daughter and decided he wanted to honor her. The Fort Worth muralist reached out to the owners of the Stagecoach Ballroom on East Belknap Street and asked whether he could paint Dolly on … Read more
Vince Gill wrote that song for his own dead. On Friday, Jennifer Nettles sang it for nearly three thousand of them. Nettles performed “Go Rest High on That Mountain” at the 9/11 25th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony in New York City, the official memorial service held at the site, which was carried on C-SPAN. She sang … Read more
Two days after Dolly Parton died, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood picked a date and made a promise. On Thursday, August 27, the couple announced that their Nashville bar, Friends in Low Places Bar and Honky-Tonk at 411 Broadway, will host “Dolly Day” on September 25. Every dollar the bar takes in across that entire … Read more
She left the bell-bottoms and the cowboy hat at home and walked out in a black suit with a choir behind her, singing a hymn that has carried this country through every hard thing it has ever faced. Lainey Wilson performed “Amazing Grace” at the 25th anniversary commemoration of the September 11 attacks, singing beneath … Read more
Sixty seconds, no words, and a horse named Ringo doing the only thing the country needed to see. On Sunday, February 3, 2002, during Super Bowl XXXVI, Anheuser-Busch ran a commercial that broke every rule a beer company is supposed to follow. No voice-over. No jingle. The Budweiser logo stayed off the screen until the … Read more
You could fly it a hundred times and never notice. That is probably the point. Starting March 28, 2027, one of American Airlines’ daily flights from Dallas-Fort Worth to Nashville changes its flight number from 1396 to 925. No announcement on the tarmac, no special livery, no themed cabin service. Just a number on a … Read more
The park was already dark the day she died. Dollywood had been scheduled to close Tuesday, August 25, long before anyone knew it would become the day Dolly Parton passed away. So the mountains sat quiet in Pigeon Forge while the news traveled around the world. Wednesday morning, August 26, the gates opened again. That … Read more
Her nephew stood in front of a camera and did the hardest thing anyone in that family has ever had to do. Bryan Seaver, the son of Cassie Parton, spoke on behalf of the Parton and Owens families to announce the passing of his aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, the woman two generations knew as … Read more
Hayden Panettiere’s official cause of death has not been determined. The Greenville County Coroner’s Office said an autopsy was completed the day after she was found unresponsive. The examination showed no signs of trauma that contributed to her death. The cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and additional studies, including toxicology results. … Read more
The song that started with a kangaroo story is still sitting at the top of the biggest chart in music. Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” held No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the chart dated August 22. That makes 18 weeks at the top. It first got there in February and has kept coming … Read more
She played a country star for six seasons. What most people forget is that she actually became one. Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36. Her father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed the news to ABC News on Sunday in a statement released through her representative. “It is with profound sadness that we share the … Read more
Taylor Swift set the record in 2012 and held onto it for 13 years. Ella Langley didn’t just break it. She lapped it. “Choosin’ Texas” ruled the Billboard Hot 100 for a 17th week on the August 15-dated chart, the fourth-longest No. 1 run in the chart’s entire history. The record it broke back in … Read more
One of country music’s most grounded couples is calling it quits. Jon Pardi and his wife, Summer, announced their divorce, confirming they’ve decided to part ways after nearly six years of marriage. The couple shared the news together, making it clear that their two young daughters will remain the top priority as they move forward … Read more
The good news comes first. Clint Black is going to be just fine. The country icon was forced to cancel his July 3 appearance at Pearl River Resort Casino in Pearl River, Mississippi, after being admitted to the hospital following a medical emergency. According to a statement from Black’s team, the “Killin’ Time” singer was … Read more
A man who has written over 30 No. 1 hits for a living stood on the Grand Ole Opry stage Saturday night and couldn’t think of a single word to say. Jon Pardi walked out during ’90s Country Night at the Opry and surprised Rhett Akins with the invitation he’s waited more than three decades … Read more
They kept knocking her off, and she kept coming back. Drake bumped her. Ariana Grande bumped her. Taylor Swift bumped her. And every single time, “Choosin’ Texas” climbed right back to the top. Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” returned to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week, bringing its total to an extraordinary 11 … Read more
Shania Twain walked onto the Wembley Stadium stage in front of 90,000 people wearing a see-through black lace dress with a white bra and matching shorts underneath, and the internet has been arguing about it ever since. A TikTok video posted by user @simpllysara, capturing Twain performing “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” in the … Read more
Sixteen years ago, a song that was never supposed to be Miranda Lambert’s gave her the first No. 1 of her career. And every Father’s Day, every homecoming, every time someone drives past the house they grew up in, it still hits the same way it did in 2010. “The House That Built Me” reached … Read more
Every major name in country music showed up to say goodbye to Alan Jackson at Nissan Stadium. But one of the most genuine tributes came from someone who wasn’t even in the building. Ella Langley appeared in a pre-recorded video message that played on the stadium screens during Alan Jackson’s farewell concert on June 27. … Read more
George Strait doesn’t show up for just anybody. But when Alan Jackson calls last round, the King of Country shows up with a drink in his hand. Strait strolled onto the Nissan Stadium stage during Jackson’s farewell concert on June 27, drawing one of the loudest ovations of the night from the sold-out crowd of … Read more
It was supposed to be a tribute. The crowd had other plans. Right before Alan Jackson took the stage at his farewell concert at Nissan Stadium on June 27, Grand Ole Opry announcer Kelly Sutton told the crowd, “We have one more video.” When Taylor Swift‘s face appeared on the stadium screens, loud boos erupted … Read more
The sky opened up over Nashville on Saturday night. Lightning cracked across the horizon, and 50,000 people were told to leave their seats. For about 30 minutes, Alan Jackson’s final concert looked like it might not happen at all. Then the storm passed, the stadium filled back up, and Alan Jackson walked out one last … Read more