Country
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Carly Pearce joined Gwen Stefani on stage in Austin at the 2023 CMT Music Awards for a performance of the latter’s first signature song with her ’90s and ’00s band No Doubt, 1995’s “Just a Girl.”
With co-host Kelsea Ballerini teasing a “scream-sing” moment for the old crowd, Stefani took the stage in a throwback sort of punk chic dress to deliver the song’s first verse and chorus. A black-clad Pearce then made her way to the stage to take the second verse and chorus, with Pearce and Stefani trading off vocals on the climactic refrain and singing together on the final “ohhh, I’ve had it up to here”s to loud audience appreciation.
The appearance was Pearce’s second time playing on the evening, having previously performed on her own for her country radio smash “What He Didn’t Do.” Pearce is also nominated for two awards at this year’s ceremonies: female video of the year and CMT performance of the year, both nods for “What He Didn’t Do.” (She lost female video shortly after her and Stefani’s performance, to Lainey Wilson for “Heart Like a Truck.”) Stefani’s husband Blake Shelton previously kicked off the show with his recent single “No Body.”
“Just a Girl” peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early Hot 100, the group’s first top 40 hit. Along with follow-up singles like “Spiderwebs” and “Don’t Speak,” “Girl” helped its parent album Tragic Kingdom become of the best-selling albums of the mid-’90s, earning diamond certification from the RIAA.
Shania Twain proved that she’s still the one on Sunday night (April 2) when accepting the equal play award at the 2023 CMT Awards.
The country icon was presented her award by rap superstar Megan Thee Stallion, who celebrated Twain for being “an outspoken ally against every hate of all kind,” while also celebrating her newfound kinship with the singer. “I don’t wanna cheese this hard because I just met her and that’s my new bestie,” Megan said with a laugh. “She’s hot girl Shania!”
Taking to the stage, Shania immediately proclaimed that one song title in particular appeared to be following her. “When I wrote the phrase, ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman,’ I had no idea at the time that it would be the undercurrent of a decades-long career, and get adopted by an array of fantastic communities around the world, and become a genuine path of power and progress for women in country music,” she said, grinning.
Reflecting on her history at the CMT Music Awards, Twain eventually cut to the heart of the issue, making a vow to keep uplifting “the many outstanding country artists who are not currently played, streamed, signed or awarded at the level they deserve.” She continued, saying “I believe in an all-inclusive country music. We’re a family … let us, the country music industry, do our part to close the gap and provide an equal workspace for all talent. Let’s ensure that all our fellow artists get equal play, regardless of gender, age or race.”
The “That Don’t Impress Me Much” singer was just one among a bevy of attendees on Sunday night — stars such as Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Gwen Stefani and Tyler Hubbard all performed throughout the telecast. Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown served as the evening’s hosts, while Lainey Wilson led nominees with four nominations. Brown, Jelly Roll and Cody Johnson followed closely behind with three each.
The ultimate country vocal powerhouses came together for a jaw-dropping duet at the 2023 CMT Music Awards on Sunday night (April 2), as Wynonna Judd and Ashley McBryde performed an emotional rendition of Foreigner’s 1984 hit “I Want to Know What Love Is.” The rock hit topped the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart for two weeks in 1985.
In addition to mind-blowing vocal runs and harmonies, the most touching part of the performance was when Judd seemed to address her late mother, Naomi Judd, toward the end of the performance. “Mama, you need to be here tonight,” she sang before the last chorus, as McBryde smiled at her in support. “I miss you and I love you and I don’t understand.”
Naomi, 76, who had battled depression, died by suicide on April 30, 2022, one day before The Judds were set to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Wynonna was nominated twice in the CMT performance of the year category at this year’s ceremony, for The Judds’ “Love Can Build a Bridge” from the 2022 CMT Music Awards, and her Brandi Carlile duet “The Rose” from Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration.
McBryde, meanwhile, also has two nominations. Her “Bonfire At Tina’s” collaboration with Caylee Hammack, Brandy Clark and Pillbox Patti is up for video of the year and her “One Way Ticket” CMT Crossroads collaboration with LeAnn Rimes and Carly Pearce is nominated for CMT performance of the year.
The fan-voted CMT Music Awards are back for 2023! This year, the event will be held at Austin’s Moody Center, and will air live on CBS, while streaming live on Paramount+ on Sunday, April 2.
Lainey Wilson leads in nominations with four, while Kane Brown, Jelly Roll and Cody Johnson are right behind her with three. In the days heading into the ceremony, Shania Twain was announced as the recipient of the CMT Equal Pay Award, which celebrates artists who are advocates for “elevating diverse and underrepresented voices in country music,” according to the CMTs. She is the third artist to receive the honor, whose previous winners were Jennifer Nettles and Linda Martell.
Brown and Kelsea Ballerini are set to co-host the event, which will feature performances from Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and many more. Presenters include Megan Thee Stallion, HARDY, Noah Schnapp, Travis Kelce and others.
The show begins at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Keep checking back as we update the full list of winners as they’re announced during the 2023 CMT Music Awards!
Video of the year
Carrie Underwood – “Hate My Heart”HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson – “wait in the truck”Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown – “Thank God”
Female video of the year
Carly Pearce – “What He Didn’t Do”Carrie Underwood – “Ghost Story”Gabby Barrett – “Pick Me Up”Kelsea Ballerini – “Heartfirst”Lainey Wilson – “Heart Like A Truck”Maren Morris – “Humble Quest”Miranda Lambert – “Actin’ Up”
Male video of the year
Bailey Zimmerman – “Rock and A Hard Place”Cody Johnson – “Human”Cole Swindell – “She Had Me At Heads Carolina”Jelly Roll – “Son Of A Sinner”Kane Brown – “Like I Love Country Music”Luke Combs – “The Kind Of Love We Make”Morgan Wallen – “Wasted On You”
Group/duo video of the year
Dan + Shay – “You (Performance Video)”Lady A – “Summer State Of Mind”Little Big Town – “Hell Yeah”Parmalee – “Take My Name”The War And Treaty – “That’s How Love Is Made”Zac Brown Band – “Out In The Middle”
Breakthrough female video of the year
Avery Anna – “Narcissist”Kylie Morgan – “If He Wanted To He Would”MacKenzie Porter – “Pickup”Megan Moroney – “Tennessee Orange”Morgan Wade – “Wilder Days”Tiera Kennedy – “Found It In You”
Breakthrough male video of the year
Bailey Zimmerman – “Fall In Love”Corey Kent – “Wild as Her”Drake Milligan – “Sounds Like Something I’d Do”Jackson Dean – “Don’t Come Lookin’”Jelly Roll – “Son Of A Sinner”Nate Smith – “Whiskey On You”
Collaborative video of the year
Elle King feat. Dierks Bentley – “Worth A Shot”HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson – “wait in the truck”Ingrid Andress with Sam Hunt – “Wishful Drinking”Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown – “Thank God”Midland feat. Jon Pardi – “Longneck Way To Go”Russell Dickerson feat. Jake Scott – “She Likes It”Thomas Rhett & Katy Perry – “Where We Started”
CMT performance of the year
Black Pumas & Mickey Guyton – “Colors” (from 2022 CMT Music Awards)Chris Stapleton – “Whenever You Come Around” (from CMT Giants: Vince Gill)Cody Johnson – “‘Til You Can’t” (from 2022 CMT Music Awards)Cole Swindell & Lainey Wilson – “Never Say Never” (from 2022 CMT Music Awards)Darius Rucker – “Let Her Cry” (from CMT Storytellers)Emmy Russell & Lukas Nelson – “Lay Me Down” (from Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Celebration of the Life & Music of Loretta Lynn)Keith Urban – “Wild Hearts” (from 2022 CMT Music Awards)LeAnn Rimes with Ashley McBryde & Carly Pearce – “One Way Ticket” (from CMT Crossroads: LeAnn Rimes & Friends)The Judds – “Love Can Build A Bridge” (from 2022 CMT Music Awards)Wynonna Judd & Brandi Carlile – “The Rose” (from Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration)
CMT digital-first performance of the year
Charley Crockett – “Time of the Cottonwood Trees“ (from CMT Campfire Sessions)Chris Young – “Gettin’ You Home” (from CMT Stages)Ingrid Andress – “Wishful Drinking” (from CMT Studio Sessions)Jelly Roll – “Son of A Sinner” (from CMT All Access)Megan Moroney – “Tennessee Orange” (from CMT Viral To Verified)Scotty McCreery – “Damn Strait” (from CMT Campfire Sessions)
CMT equal play
WINNER: Shania Twain
The fan-voted CMT Music Awards, slated to take place on Sunday, April 2 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas and to air on CBS Television Network (and also streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+), will welcome an all-star slate of performers and presenters, including Carrie Underwood, Cody Johnson, Megan Thee Stallion, Shania Twain, Gwen Stefani, and Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown.
Brown and Kelsea Ballerini will co-host this year’s show, while Lainey Wilson is the leading nominee for this year’s awards, earning four nods including video of the year, female video of the year, collaborative video of the year and CMT performance of the year. Johnson, Brown and first-time CMT Music Awards nominee Jelly Roll follow with three nominations each.
Previously known as the CMT Flameworthy Music Video Awards, the awards show changed its name to the CMT Music Awards in 2005, and differentiated itself from other awards shows through its dedication to honoring music videos in a range of categories, including “Cameo of the Year” “Hottest Video of the Year” and “Most Inspiring Video of the Year” (all now-defunct categories). Presently, the awards show honors not only music videos, but top artist performances on various CMT shows over the past year, via the CMT performance of the year category. 2022 brought another momentous shift for the awards show, when the CMT Music Awards moved from CMT to a key timeslot on CBS Television Network.
Over the years, artists including The Judds, Taylor Swift, Shania Twain, Zac Brown Band, Jennifer Nettles, Dwight Yoakam and Tanya Tucker have brought some of the most powerful moments in CMT Music Awards history, through unforgettable acceptance speeches, performances, promotional videos, unique collaborations and by honoring trailblazers and iconic artists within the country music genre.
As the CMT Music Awards gear up to add to the list of memorable moments on Sunday evening, we highlight 10 memorable moments from previous CMT Music Awards celebrations:
The Judds’ Final Performance (2022)
On April 11, 2022, The Judds’ Wynonna Judd and Naomi Judd gave what would be their final television performance together during the CMT Music Awards, performing their 1990 signature hit “Love Can Build a Bridge,” backed by a gospel choir, in front of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in downtown Nashville.
Just over two weeks later, Naomi Judd died on April 30, 2022, one day before The Judds were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She was 76. Wynonna and her sister Ashley Judd attended the Country Music Hall of Fame ceremony to commemorate the induction, honoring the mother-daughter duo’s decades of success.
Taylor Swift Celebrates First CMT Music Awards Win (2007)
Taylor Swift is now arguably the biggest pop star in the world, as she crosses the country on her Eras Tour this year. But back in 2007, she was celebrating what was touted as the first awards win of her professional career, when the then-teenager accepted the breakthrough video of the year win at the 2007 CMT Music Awards for her music video “Tim McGraw,” directed by Trey Fanjoy. Swift’s debut single, “Tim McGraw,” reached No. 6 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
CMT Launches Equal Play Award (2020)
In 2020, Jennifer Nettles was honored with the inaugural CMT Equal Play award, which honored Nettles’ advocacy for women and diverse voices within the country music industry.
One year prior, Nettles used her CMT Music Awards red carpet appearance to put country radio on blast, wearing a suit with a cape emblazoned with the words, “Play our f*@#in’ records! Please & Thank You.” As female artists have continued to face an uphill battle in getting airplay on country radio, Nettles has been among the artists regularly speaking out and bringing visibility to the issue.
This year, Shania Twain will be honored with the CMT Equal Play Award; in 2021, Linda Martell was honored with the award for her groundbreaking work as a woman of color in country music. Martell was the first Black female artist to perform solo on the Grand Ole Opry, and released the album Color Me Country in 1970. Her song “Color Him Father” became her highest-charting song, reaching No. 22 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
Johnny Cash Honored With Visionary Award (2003)
In April 2003, Johnny Cash was honored with the Visionary Award at the CMT Flameworthy Music Video Awards. Vince Gill hosted the tribute, which also included taped praises from stars including Rosanne Cash, U2’s Bono, Kris Kristofferson and the Dixie Chicks.
His wife, June Carter Cash, accepted on his behalf. The video is poignant, given that both Johnny and June Carter Cash died later that year, with June Carter passing on May 15, and the Man in Black passing away on Sept. 12.
“I come for my husband. I used to be just kind of an entertainer like a lot of you,” June Carter Cash told the crowd. “But I married Johnny Cash a long time ago. I just about done everything with him, so I came to thank you for this. This is beautiful…I accept this for him in all humility. He’s one of the most humble guys I know. He’s one of the best husbands that’s ever been and he’s just one of the best country music entertainers I’ve ever known.”
Following Cash’s passing, the accolade was renamed the Johnny Cash Visionary Award, and has been bestowed on artists including Reba McEntire, Loretta Lynn, and Hank Williams Jr.
Zac Brown Has a Message For All the Haters (2019)
In June 2019, Zac Brown Band won the CMT Music Awards’ group video of the year honor, for their video clip “Someone I Used to Know.”
Taking the stage to accept the honor, ZBB lead singer Zac Brown had some pointed advice for aspiring artists, saying, “For you young artists, have courage to stand up against the machine, be yourself, work hard, and one day you can stand up here and tell all the haters to f**k off.”
Backstage at the event, Brown expanded on his comments to Billboard, saying, “I think we just have been ourselves the whole time. I have the best band in the world. We’re just artists and we love to make music and we have a fan base that loves what we do and follows us down all these different rabbit holes of what we like. We really love all different styles of music and to write all different kinds is really fulfilling to us. We don’t have to dance for anybody. That’s the greatest part about it, to really create what we want.”
Chris Stapleton Teams With H.E.R. (2021)
Two top-notch singers and guitar shredders, Chris Stapleton and “Damage” hitmaker H.E.R., joined forces during the 2021 CMT Music Awards to perform “Hold On,” trading off guitar licks and vocal lines. The understated performance heavily showcased the talents of both performers. Stapleton later praise H.E.R. via Instagram, saying “H.E.R. is without a doubt one of the greatest singer/songwriter/guitar players on the planet earth. Fact.”
That wasn’t Stapleton’s only performance of the evening; he also performed a rendition of “Arkansas,” from his 2020 album Starting Over.
Dwight Yoakam Honors Buck Owens (2006)
At the 2006 CMT Music Awards, Dwight Yoakam honored his late friend and mentor, Buck Owens, with a performance of Owens’s 1964 hit “I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail.”
Owens died in March 2006 at his ranch just north of Bakersfield, California. In 2007, Yoakam further honored his friend with the release of the album Dwight Sings Buck. The album includes renditions of “Crying Time,” “My Heart Skips a Beat” “Act Naturally” and more.
Tanya Tucker’s All-Star Lineup (2019)
At the 2019 CMT Music Awards, the iconic Tanya Tucker performed her signature 1972 hit “Delta Dawn” with the help of an all-star lineup of friends, culminating with a chorus filled with luminous harmonies.
Brandi Carlile, Deana Carter, Martina McBride, Carly Pearce, RaeLynn and Trisha Yearwood joined Tucker during the awards show, held at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, to pay homage to the song that became a hit with Tucker was just 13.
The performance coincided with the release of Tucker’s “Wheels of Laredo,” from her album While I’m Livin’. The Carlile and Shooter Jennings-produced album would go on to win Tucker her first two Grammy awards, for best country album, and best country song (“Bring My Flowers Now”).
Shania Twain, Taylor Swift Team Up (2011)
The 2011 CMT Music Awards opened with a video of Taylor Swift and Shania Twain, and a double shot of attitude, in this wild mock movie “Taylor and Shania,” a spoof on the 1991 classic film Thelma & Louise.
The clip shows Swift getting dumped by a lover, just as she is about to head to the recording studio to record an album of love songs. She turns to friend and fellow artist Twain, who picks up Swift in a classic blue convertible. The two proceed to take off down the highway and find some mischief. Their hijinks make newspaper headlines, leading to a scene of Donald Trump (pre-Presidential run/win/indictment) looking up from his newspaper and saying, “If I could harness the power of these two women, I could control the world. They’re incredible.”
Kid Rock, actor Chord Overstreet and Kenny Rogers all make cameos, with Rogers singing a bit of his signature hit “The Gambler.”
As the video nears its end, Swift and Twain pick up Kid Rock, and then proceed to mimic the final scene of Thelma & Louise, as they drive the car off a cliff. The car careens over the edge and lands in a fireball of a crash, as the CMT Music Awards begin.
Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert Bring the Fire (2014)
Two of country music’s best vocalists teamed up for “Somethin’ Bad,” as Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert offered a red-hot performance during the 2014 CMT Music Awards. The collaboration featured not only sterling vocals and plenty of attitude, but also an abundance of pyrotechnics, smoke and fire.
“Somethin’ Bad” was included on Lambert’s 2014 album Platinum and was a top 10 hit on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. In 2015, the video for “Somethin’ Bad” was named collaborative video of the year at the CMT Music Awards.
Lambert has won eight career CMT Music Awards and is nominated this year for female video of the year (“Actin’ Up”), while Underwood holds the record as the artist with the most CMT Music Awards wins in history, with 25 career wins. Underwood is nominated for the video of the year honor again in 2023, for “Hate My Heart,” and in the female video of the year category, for “Ghost Story.”
Luke Combs, whose new LP, Gettin’ Old, was released March 24 on River House/Columbia Nashville, places six titles, all from the set, on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart (dated April 8).
Dating to the ranking’s 1990 inception, Combs ties the record for the most titles in the tally’s top 60 by a single artist at once, excluding holiday fare. The feat has been achieved just five times – and now twice within a month, as Morgan Wallen logged six on the March 18 survey, concurrent with the chart launch of his new album, One Thing at a Time (on Big Loud/Mercury Republic).
Before that, Blake Shelton last earned the honor in 2017, following Kenny Chesney in 2008 and Garth Brooks in 1997.
Combs’ 15th Country Airplay No. 1, “Going, Going, Gone,” which led the list for two frames in March, ranks at No. 4, with 23.6 million impressions March 24-30, according to Luminate. His others (all debuts) on the current chart: “Five Leaf Clover” (No. 48); “Love You Anyway” (No. 49); “Still” (No. 57); “Growin’ Up and Getting’ Old” (No. 58) and “Hannah Ford Road” (No. 59).
Also on the newest Country Airplay chart, Wallen boasts two tracks scaling the top 20: promoted country single “One Thing at a Time” (18-13; 13.8 million, up 18%) and pop/country hit, and former Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, “Last Night” (22-18; 10.2 million, up 28%). (The latter concurrently pushes 24-23 on Adult Pop Airplay and 26-24 on Pop Airplay.)
For a format accustomed to acts climbing Country Airplay with one single over months, Steve Hodges, Sony Music Nashville executive vice president says, “Radio seems to realize the value of exposing more than just one song at a time from a superstar artist.”
“I’m excited to see radio continuing to invest in our format’s core artists,” muses Big Loud vp of promotion Ali Matkosky. “In a time where listeners are pointing out daily what they want to hear [via streaming services], it makes more and more sense to lean into that data.”
‘Country’ Hit
Elsewhere, Tyler Hubbard notches his second Country Airplay top 10 as a soloist, as “Dancin’ in the Country” twirls 12-10 (17 million, up 23%).
The song follows “5 Foot 9,” which led for a week last November.
Florida Georgia Line, comprising Hubbard and Brian Kelley, has posted 19 Country Airplay top 10s, including 16 No. 1s.
The man behind the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history was upset that he wasn’t receiving the high-roller treatment he expected from Las Vegas casinos. According to the Associated Press, the high-stakes gambler who slaughtered 60 country music fans and injured more than 800 at the 2017 Route 91 Harvest Fest could easily have snapped due to the slight based on an FBI interview with a fellow gambler.
The new information is based on hundreds of documents that were made public this week, with the gambler — whose name is redacted in the docs — telling authorities that gunman Stephen Paddock, 64, was a video poker player who relied on gambling as a primary source of income.
Paddock set up a sniper’s nest from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and fired more than 1,000 rounds into the 22,000-person crowd gathered below for a country music festival in a parking lot using high-powered rifles augmented by “bump stocks” that made them similar to automatic firearms. Police said Paddock had 14 military-style AR-15 rifles, eight AR-10 rifles, a handgun and another rifle, with some of the long guns equipped with 100-round magazines.
The shooting erupted on the third night during singer Jason Aldean’s set and ended when police breached the shooter’s barricaded room, where they found him dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The information from the fellow gambler comes years after the FBI and Las Vegas PD concluded their investigation without nailing down a definitive motive for the mass shooting. The AP noted that both agencies found that Paddock had spent more than $1.5 million near the end of his life and had become obsessed with guns.
The LVPD defended their inconclusive findings on Thursday in the wake of the new information, saying, “We were unable to determine a motive for the shooter. Speculating on a motive causes more harm to the hundreds of people who were victims that night.” But the AP reported that the new documents provide more insight into Paddock’s mindset via interviews with neighbors, friends and employees at the casinos he frequented.
The interviewees described Paddock as a “strange” introvert who never made eye contact and only ever wanted to discuss gambling, with the unnamed fellow gambler saying that the shooter had become “very upset” that the typical red-carpet treatment lavished on high-rollers — including free cruises, flights and penthouse suites — was fading away; Paddock had reportedly been banned from three casinos in Reno.
“If we ever discover a motive, whether it’s 10 years from now, 20 years from now, I have faith that LVMPD would contact victims first before making something public,” said Las Vegas Metropolitan PD official Kelly McMahill. “It’s the right thing to do.”
The CMT Music Awards are taking over Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on Sunday (April 2), and the jam-packed list of performers and presenters is officially complete.
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Lainey Wilson, one of the night’s performers, leads this year’s nominees, earning four nods: video of the year (HARDY featuring Wilson, with “Wait in the Truck”), female video of the year (“Heart Like a Truck”), collaborative video of the year (“Wait in the Truck”) and CMT performance of the year (for her “Never Say Never” performance with Cole Swindell on the 2022 CMT Music Awards).
The most recent addition to the performer lineup is Gary Clark Jr., who will take the stage for a tribute to the late Stevie Ray Vaughn.
See the full list of performers — including the Ram Trucks Side Stage performances — and presenters below. Catch the 2023 CMT Music Awards on Sunday (April 2) at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, before it becomes available for streaming the next day on Paramount+.
Main Stage Performers
Alanis Morissette with Ingrid Andress, Lainey Wilson, Madeline Edwards and Morgan WadeThe Black Crowes & Darius RuckerBlake SheltonCarly PearceCarrie UnderwoodCody JohnsonCody Johnson, Paul Rodgers, Billy Gibbons, Chuck Leavell, Slash and Warren Haynes with LeAnn Rimes and WynonnaGary Clark Jr.Gwen Stefani & Carly PearceJelly RollKane Brown & Katelyn BrownKeith UrbanKelsea BalleriniLainey WilsonTyler HubbardWynonna & Ashley McBryde
Ram Trucks Side Stage Performers
Avery AnnaChapel HartJackson DeanLily RoseMegan MoroneyNate Smith
Presenters
Carly PearceCarrie UnderwoodCharles EstenDixie D’AmelioDustin LynchHARDYIan Bohen and Jen LandonJon PardiLeAnn RimesMadison BaileyMax ThieriotMegan Thee StallionNoah SchnappParker McCollumPeter FramptonShania TwainSteve HoweyTravis Kelce
How many times have you heard a songwriter say that the inspiration for one of their greatest songs came in the shower? But the toilet? Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Lionel Richie finally confirmed a long-running story about the latrine-spiration for the second verse of “Lady,” the hit 1980 song he wrote for pal Kenny Rogers.
Back in 2014, Rogers told the Today Show that when the two stars were in the studio working on the song he asked where the lyrics for the second verse were and someone said, “Lionel’s in the toilet writing them right now.” The rest is history, as the song spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
And now, in an interview on Thursday’s (March 30) Drew Barrymore Show, Richie confirmed the story. The American Idol judge explained that after Rogers asked him to write a song for him he began work on a “Lady” as well as a second track called “Goin’ Back to Alabama” (which later appeared on Rogers’ 1981 Share Your Love album).
Halfway through the sessions for “Alabama,” Richie told Barrymore that Rogers changed his mind and said, “‘I don’t want to sing that song. I think I want to do ‘Lady’ first.’” What Rogers didn’t know, though, was that Richie had only gotten the first verse of “Lady” written at that point.
“I said, ‘Excuse me for a minute. Let me, uh, go to the bathroom,’” Richie said he told Rogers, who died in 2020 at age 81. “I’m sitting in the stall writing the second verse to ‘Lady.’” Barrymore was shocked that Lionel could so quickly produce such a massive hit under such pressure and Richie said you’d be surprised when, and where, inspiration can strike.
“You will do some amazing things when you’re scared to death,” he said. “The idea of telling Mr. Rogers that I don’t have the second verse was not going to happen in my lifetime.”
Watch Richie talk about his “Lady” session below.
Reba McEntire prefers to stay out of politics, but when it comes to the recent anti-drag laws passed in Tennessee, she’s making her opinion clear.
In an interview with the L.A. Times published Friday (March 31), the 68-year-old country queen opened up about feeling “disappointed,” but not surprised, by the actions of the state’s Gov. Bill Lee. Earlier this month, the politician signed widely controversial laws banning minors from receiving gender-affirming care and blocking drag queens from performing in many public spaces.
“I wish they would spend that much time and energy and money on feeding the homeless children in those two counties,” she countered.
The “Survivor” singer reasserted her policy of staying out of politics — “My job is to entertain … I’m not there to influence people one way or another how to vote” — but said she thinks the anti-drag bill missed the mark so clearly, she sees no issue in speaking out about it. “I mean, we’ve got a real problem in this country, and to be worrying about men wanting to dress up as women?” McEntire continued.
“God bless ’em to wear those high heels — I feel for ’em,” added the three-time Grammy winner. “But let’s center our attention on something that really needs attention.”
McEntire is currently gearing up to headline the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles for the first time Saturday (April 1) in addition to coaching contestants on this season of The Voice as a guest mentor, for which she’ll work alongside former daughter-in-law Kelly Clarkson. In 2015, the Reba star divorced Narvel Blackstock, whose son Brandon Blackstock split from Clarkson after seven years of marriage in 2020.
McEntire’s comments about the Tennessee bills come on Transgender Day of Visibility. She joins dozens of other musicians in speaking out against the recent surge of anti-LGBTQ laws, including Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Lizzo, Jason Isbell and more.