New Music Out Today:
“Southern Family“, an all-star country compilation album. Miranda Lambert met her boyfriend Anderson East while working on this project. Other artists on the disc include Chris Stapleton, Zac Brown, Brandy Clark,Jamey Johnson, Jason Isbell, Shooter Jennings, Holly Williams, and the Black Crowes’ Rich Robinson.
The self-titled debut EP from country singer Kane Brown. It’s available now on iTunes.
The debut EP from country newcomer William Michael Morgan. Includes the single “I Met a Girl”, which was co-written by Sam Hunt.
“A Picture of Me, Greatest Hits & More“Lorrie Morgan. It includes two never-before-heard tracks, “I Went Crazy for Awhile”, and “Hopelessly Yours”, which were co-written by her late husband, Keith Whitley.
Blake Shelton Says There Are “No Juicy Details” on His New Album
BLAKE SHELTON tells CMT.com that his new album will talk about the “things people deal with” when they go through a divorce. . . but there won’t be any “juicy details.” You’ll also hear stuff about “moving on and finding someone else.”
He says recording the album has been kind of like therapy. Quote, “The last year and a half of my life has literally blown up in my face, [but] that’s okay because I’m a country singer, and I at least get to take all that and put it into music.”
While we’re on the subject: Remember when Blake filed a lawsuit against “In Touch Weekly” for saying his out-of-control drinking, partying, and womanizing ended his marriage? According to TMZ, he’s also filed a “sworn declaration” against them.
He wrote out a list of their accusations followed by his denials. Stuff like he’s “never been to rehab” . . . “never urinated on a mailbox” . . . and his wife “never caught him with a bunch of naked women.” (Check out the TMZ story, here.)
One last thing: Although he hasn’t announced his summer tour yet, it’s definitely going to happen. And he told CountryWeekly.com that when he gets back out there it’s “going to be like a dam breaking” when he hits the stage.
Eric Church Says a Kris Kristofferson Song Stopped Him From Quitting the Business
The “Life and Songs of Kris Kristofferson” tribute concert went down in Nashville on Wednesday, and there were plenty of great moments. But one performance everyone’s talking about came from ERIC CHURCH.
He started out by telling the crowd about his early days in Nashville, and getting turned down by everyone. One record guy actually told him to go back to where he came from. It was that day that Eric decided to quit the business.
But then he got in his truck and started listening to KRIS KRISTOFFERSON’s “To Beat the Devil”. It’s about a musician who refuses to give up, even though no one cares about his music. It inspired him to stick it out, and he got signed the next day.
(Here’s video of Eric’s performance. The song starts at 2:04. The audio’s very uneven, and there’s audience noise. Careful: He says “Son of a B**ch” at 5:41.)
Other artists on the special include Dierks Bentley, Willie Nelson, Lady Antebellum, Jennifer Nettles, Reba McEntire, and Darius Rucker. It’s supposed to air sometime this year.
Willie Nelson Says This Election “Beats Any Circus” He’s Ever Seen
WILLIE NELSON is not angry about the chaos in this year’s election. In fact, he’s enjoying it. He says, quote, “It’s the funniest damn thing I’ve ever seen in my life. I’ve seen the circus a few times but this beats any circus I’ve ever seen.
“Throwing rocks at each other. Seems like they’re just tearing each other down. They can’t wait to say something negative about somebody, and then they want us to go out and vote for them.”
KEITH URBAN announced the release date of his next album. It’s called “Ripcord”, and it’ll be out May 6th. (Full Story)
TIM MCGRAW’s song “Humble and Kind” has been turned into a book. It includes the song’s lyrics, plus illustrations, and an introduction from Tim. It’s coming out May 17th, and the proceeds will go to charity. (CBS)