Frankie Ballard Selects ‘Young & Crazy’ as New Single

Frankie Ballard has released a new single off of his current record ‘Sunshine & Whiskey.’

‘Young & Crazy’ takes Ballard on a journey through his own thoughts as he realizes that the best way to move into the future is to fully enjoy the present — even the wild part of it — with lyrics like, “How am I ever gonna get to be old and wise / If I ain’t ever young and crazy?”

The song is Ballard’s third single from ‘Sunshine & Whiskey.’ The title single recently earned gold status from the RIAA, and the first single from the record, ‘Helluva Life,’ was Ballard’s first No. 1 hit.

“I poured as much of myself into this album as I could. I played as many instruments as I could, and wrenched and wrenched. I experimented, and I think it came out sounding like me. Which thankfully is something that people want to hear,” Ballard tells Rolling Stone Country. “I’m going to keep doing exactly what I’m doing.”

Ballard is set to hit the road in 2015 on Florida Georgia Line‘s Anything Goes Tour. ‘Sunshine & Whiskey’ is available for download via Amazon and iTunes

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Little Jimmy Dickens Hospitalized, in Critical Care

Grand Ole Opry icon Little Jimmy Dickens has been hospitalized with an undisclosed illness, and his family is asking his fans for their thoughts and prayers.

Dickens was admitted to a Nashville-area hospital on Christmas Day. A news release specifies that he is in “critical care.” The Country Music Hall of Fame member turned 94 on Dec. 19. He last played the Opry on Dec. 20, for his 94th birthday celebration.

Some of Dickens’ most famous songs include ‘Country Boy,’ ‘Take an Old Cold Tater (And Wait)’ and ‘May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose.’ In 2013, Dickens underwent radiation treatment on his vocal cords.

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Craig Wayne Boyd Debuts at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs Chart

Fresh off of being crowned the winner of ‘The Voice,’ Craig Wayne Boyd has song at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs Chart.

Boyd first hit the public with ‘My Baby’s Got a Smile on Her Face‘ when he performed it live on the show’s Dec. 16 episode. He is only the second artist to launch at No. 1 since the chart began in 1958, following Garth Brooks‘ history-making ‘More Than a Memory’ from Sept. 2007.

According to Nielsen Music, the track is also at the top of the Country Digital Songs list with 99,000 downloads sold. His cover of Alabama‘s ‘In Pictures’ sits at No. 3 on the list with 30,000 downloads and his duet of Randy Houser‘s ‘Boots On’ with coach Blake Shelton is at No. 9 (23,000 downloads) and No. 33 on the Hot Country Songs list.

“I haven’t really had time to think,” he tells Nashville’s Tennessean of his quick rise to success. “I’ve just been doing. I’ve always had a really strong work ethic, and I’m just taking on each challenge as they come at me. I am hanging on for dear life because it is a whirlwind at the moment. But it’s fun.”

Boyd is set to play one of country music’s most hallowed stages when he makes his Opry debut at the Ryman Auditorium on Jan. 3 in Nashville.

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Dollywood Sued After Rider Suffers Brain Injury

A Tennessee couple have filed suit against Dollywood after a horrifying accident.

According to TMZ, Tedi and Derryl Brown visited Dolly Parton‘s theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., and Tedi rode the Waltzing Swinger, on which riders sit in swinging seats while the entire ride revolves.

The celebrity gossip site reports that Brown fell from the ride head-first, plummeting 10 feet onto the concrete below. The accident allegedly caused broken bones and a permanent brain injury, and the couple have filed suit against the park, claiming Dollywood ignored the wet weather and the slick conditions that caused Brown to fall from the ride.

The couple are asking for $475,000 in damages.

“Out of respect for the process and as a matter of practice, Dollywood does not comment on pending litigation,” a spokesperson tells the Daily Mail. “We look forward to this issue being resolved and anticipate commenting at that time.”

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Dustin Lynch Covers Rapper Drake’s ‘Hold On, We’re Going Home’

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