Country
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The family of country singer Naomi Judd on Monday filed a notice to voluntarily dismiss a lawsuit that sought to block journalists from accessing the police investigation records surrounding her death.
Judd died on April 30 at her home in Tennessee at the age of 76. Her daughter Ashley has previously said that her mother killed herself, and the family said she was lost to “the disease of mental illness.”
Judd’s family filed a petition in Williamson County Chancery Court in August seeking to seal the report of the death investigation. The petition said the records contained video and audio interviews with relatives in the immediate aftermath of Judd’s death. Releasing such details would inflict “significant trauma and irreparable harm” on the family, the petition said.
The notice filed on Monday said the family is now willing to have the lawsuit dismissed. In part that is because the journalists who requested the police records are not requesting photographs of the deceased or body cam footage taken inside the home. The notice also said a state lawmaker is introducing a bill that would make death investigation records private where the death is not the result of a crime.
The voluntary dismissal is subject to approval by a judge.
Judd, 76, killed herself with a gun on April 30 at her home in Tennessee. “We have always shared openly both the joys of being family as well its sorrows, too. One part of our story is that our matriarch was dogged by an unfair foe,” read a statement from the family in August. “She was treated for PTSD and bipolar disorder, to which millions of Americans can relate.”
Eric Church is offering an early look at Chief’s, his upcoming flagship Nashville bar, restaurant and live music venue, which is set to open next year at 200 Broadway.
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Church, alongside Chief’s co-owner Ben Weprin (CEO and founder of private real estate company AJ Capital Partners), has revealed the first renderings of the six-story building, which will include a ticketed music venue, in addition to other live entertainment throughout the building.
Courtesy of Chief’s / AJ Capita
The building will include a studio for live broadcasting, including Church’s Outsiders Radio SiriusXM channel, while the building’s decor includes more than 3,000 concert posters from the span of Church’s career covering the ground floor of the building. As previously revealed, Chief’s will also honor Church’s Carolina roots via a partnership with James Beard award-winning pitmaster Rodney Scott, whose restaurant Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ will overlook downtown Nashville with its ‘Hell of a Q’ rooftop space.
“I’ve had a blast working with Ben on the design of Chief’s,” Church said via a statement. “Like everything we do with our music, the same care and consideration has gone into every detail of this place. It will be unrivaled downtown. I can’t wait to play here.” “Chief’s is an example of impactful design storytelling at its finest,” Weprin added. “We are excited to bring an experience unparalleled in the world of music, food, and entertainment to the heart of Broadway with one of the most storied properties downtown has seen. Through Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ, two seated music venues and a meaningful design, Chief’s is a physical manifestation to Eric Church and his musical legacy.”
AJ Capital’s real estate portfolio includes an array of hotels, multi-family apartments, office space and entertainment venues, including Minglewood Hall in Memphis, Nashville’s Exit/In, and an upcoming venue in Nashville’s Wedgewood-Houston area.
Courtesy of Chief’s / AJ Capita
Shania Twain is opening up abuse she suffered a a child that caused her to take extreme measure to avoid being assaulted by her late stepfather. In an interview with the Sunday Times Style magazine, the “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” singer, 57, revealed that her struggle with body image stems from the sexual and physical abuse she suffered from stepfather Jerry Twain, which caused her to change the way she looked to deal with the abuse.
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“I hid myself and I would flatten my boobs,” Twain explained of a method she devised in an attempt to avoid attention. “I would wear bras that were too small for me, and I’d wear two, play it down until there was nothing girl about me. Make it easier to go unnoticed. Because, oh my gosh, it was terrible — you didn’t want to be a girl in my house.”
When Twain’s stepfather and mother died in a 1987 car crash when she was 22-years-old, the singer had to raise her three younger siblings in destitute conditions in Timmons, Ontario as she was attempting to launch her singing career. “Then you go into society and you’re a girl and you’re getting the normal other unpleasant stuff too, and that reinforces it,” she said. “So then you think, ‘Oh, I guess it’s just s—ty to be a girl. Oh, it’s so s—ty to have boobs.’ I was ashamed of being a girl.”
Twain recalled the conundrum she faced when promoting her music between the need to lean into and appreciate her body and her femininity in the wake of the sexual trauma of her early years. “All of a sudden it was like, well, what’s your problem? You know, you’re a woman and you have this beautiful body?,” she recalled thinking. “What was so natural for other people was so scary for me. I felt exploited, but I didn’t have a choice now. I had to play the glamorous singer, had to wear my femininity more openly or more freely. And work out how I’m not gonna get groped, or raped by someone’s eyes, you know, and feel so degraded.”
After signing a recording contract and beginning work with her producer and future first husband Robert “Mutt” Lange, Twain described herself as the kind of woman who, “When I walked in the room, it’s like, don’t even get any closer. It was clear in my body language. And I think maybe what young girls can learn too is to exude that confidence.” Besides, Twain said, “I was never an exhibitionist for the sake of, like, saying, you know, ‘Look at my t–s.’ It was really me coming into myself. It was a metamorphosis of sorts.”
Over the years, Twain explained, she learned how to control the narrative, love her body and to, “speak and tell a story about myself by the way I moved my body, the drape of the fabrics, the colors, where the focus was.”
Twain received the Music Icon award at last week’s 2022 People’s Choice Awards, where she also performed a medley of her biggest hits. The country superstar’s sixth studio album, Queen of Me, is slated for release on Feb. 3.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
Critics who complain that all country music sounds the same should check out the artist rosters at the genre’s most successful labels, teeming with what appears to be a broader range of artists than at any time in history.
Warner Music Nashville (WMN) recently signed Giovannie & The Hired Guns, a rock band with country and Tejano shadings; and Madeline Edwards, whose blend of country storytelling with pop and R&B sonics is an engaging test of stylistic boundaries. Big Machine’s 19-year-old Kidd G fuses twang and hip-hop with a rebel flare. And Universal Music Group’s Boy Named Banjo and The War and Treaty weave bluegrass/Americana and soul/gospel elements, respectively, into their own left-of-center takes on country.
The proliferation of boundary-pushing artists for the future represents a distinct philosophical change for Nashville labels who historically have played it safe, routinely stocking their rosters with acts that fit established norms. In one of the most-derided examples, country followed its golden era of the early 1990s with “hat acts,” overloading the system with male country artists whose sound and imaging were clear attempts to copy the successes of Garth Brooks, George Strait and Alan Jackson.
“We tend to chase the path of least resistance,” Universal Music Group Nashville (UMGN) president Cindy Mabe says. “A lot of times there’s money that follows that, but what happens is you end up alienating audiences that don’t want to hear just that. There has to be more than one thing happening, [with] appeal for more than one audience. That’s how we grow.”
This expansive approach to rosters is part of an uphill climb for country music, which was considered a Southern-based niche genre for rural white audiences in its infancy. Over time, the size and location of that audience has changed — it remains a dominant force in farming communities across the United States, though its largest fan cluster is likely in the suburbs.
A ream of cultural, technological and organizational changes have required the business to rethink its parameters, widening the potential definition of the format as well as the makeup of its target audience.
“Things that might have been considered left of center, even just two years ago, would be considered more mainstream now,” says WMN senior director of A&R Stephanie Davenport, “because I think our fan base’s horizons have broadened quite a bit.”
Indeed, new and recently developed acts across rosters include trap-country figure Blanco Brown (Broken Bow), pop/R&B-flavored Tiera Kennedy (Valory), bilingual duo Kat & Alex (Sony Music Nashville), piano-based/pop-influenced Ingrid Andress (WMN), multigenre singer/songwriter BRELAND (Atlantic/WMN), moody and elegant music-maker Sam Williams (Mercury Nashville), rock-shaded Elvie Shane (Wheelhouse) and rock-/hip-hop-threaded Lily Rose (Big Loud).
Plenty of developments influenced that level of musical fence-busting:
• Country’s wide-ranging sound: The current chart accommodates Carrie Underwood’s arena-rockish “Hate My Heart,” Kane Brown’s slow-jammin’ “Thank God” and Parker McCollum’s solid country “Handle on You,” so there’s precedent for roster variety. “There’s been a lot of diversity of sound on country radio, and the things that you hear back-to-back-to-back are more varied than you’d hear on top 40,” says WMN senior director of A&R Rohan Kohli. “So I think the signings are a reflection of the diversity that we’ve been hearing for a while.”
• The proliferation of radio chains: When country stations were locally owned, management tended to be more provincial about the genre. Now that chains frequently have programmers overseeing four or more formats, radio is more receptive to artists such as Jelly Roll or Dan + Shay working beyond their home base. “A big hit for one of those executives is something they’re going to be aware of,” says Big Machine Label Group president/CEO Scott Borchetta. “You don’t have to go and reeducate everybody because it’s the same people.”
• DIY technology: With budding artists able to learn music-making at home and promote themselves on social media, a la UMGN’s Priscilla Block, they arrive in the business with built-in knowledge that makes them less apt to bend to accepted norms than previous generations. “We don’t try to fit any of our artists into a box,” Kohli says. “We tell them to go make the music, and we’ll follow it.”
• Digital consumption: Streaming sites have given the consumer easy access to music on country’s margins, allowing fans to find outside-the-box artists such as Corey Kent or Bailey Zimmerman, while they’re still indie acts, forcing labels to be more nimble in reacting to the marketplace.
• Precedent-setting change artists: A wide range of acts — from Willie Nelson to Chris Stapleton to Florida Georgia Line — have made the mainstream bend to their style instead of conforming to the format’s preexisting sound. The genre has been rewarded for pushing the limit in the past: Sound-alikes, as in the hat-act era or the bro-country era, have actually hurt the format, and the business is more committed to widening the playing field instead of just staying inside of it.
• Better inner-division cooperation: Music can still get lost, but the Nashville offices of major labels and publishers are generally working better with coastal pop divisions. That means greater potential for nontraditional acts, which also makes them less risky to sign.
• Expanding demographics: Music Row is more interested than ever in expanding its core audience, intent on attracting more young fans and minorities, especially Blacks and Latinos. In particular, the increase in Black artists — most of whom blend country and R&B influences — means more acts are stretching the sound of the genre.
• Faster trends: In the entire 1980s, country had two trends: the Urban Cowboy movement and New Traditionalism. The last 10 years have seen bro-country, Motown country, boyfriend country, ’90s retro country and, now, the lightly produced, gruff Yellowstone country (think Warren Zeiders and Zach Bryan). The format changes quicker than ever, and labels have to be prepared to shift with it. “If you don’t diversify in some regard, you’re going to have to scrap a whole roster really quickly,” Mabe says. “You have to have a vision of where you’re going.”
• The next big thing: While ’90s-style country and Yellowstone country are current, labels are already looking to the future, unpredictable as it is. “We always are fighting to stay on the edge of what’s next,” Borchetta says. “You want to be early, you want to figure out if there’s more to it than just a TikTok moment. You’re always looking for the next one that has all the right parts and pieces or could grow the right parts and pieces.”
Ultimately, those new artists are stepping into a genre that already has consistent hitmakers with Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert and Keith Urban. Thus, predicting the format’s future direction is only part of the challenge; the new acts also have to be capable of making a difference when matched against the genre’s established voices.
“New artists are competing against artists who’ve had many, many No. 1s,” Davenport says. “It’s not enough to have a good story. You have to have the best story as new artists.”
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Dolly Parton is officially on TikTok.
Her first TikTok post, posted Sunday afternoon (Dec. 4), is a montage of clips of the country icon, ending with a “Hey, TikTok! It’s Dolly!” message.
“I have arrived!” Parton captioned the video.
Another new clip is a compilation of Parton greeting her fans. Others include a “Better late than never!” post, an “I’ve officially joined TikTok” video, a funny look at the many sides of Dolly across different social media platforms and a tribute to fans on TikTok who have featured the singer in their content, set to “9 to 5” — which Parton recently sang as a duet with Kelly Clarkson.
Coming up for Parton is NBC’s annual New Year’s Eve special: She’s ringing in 2023 with her goddaughter Miley Cyrus on the program that’s set to air Dec. 31 live from Miami.
See her first TikTok post below, and follow Parton to see them all here.
Maren Morris’ headlining show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Friday (Dec. 2) came just weeks before her 10-year anniversary of chasing her dreams from her native Texas to Music City.
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“I cry at simple things, so this will be overwhelming,” Morris told the crowd, recalling the many times she’s been at Bridgestone. “I’ve opened shows here, I’ve won awards, I’ve lost awards in this room, but it’s the first time I’ve walked out here and known it was my stage.”
The Nashville concert marked the end of Morris’ Humble Quest Tour, and she said, “It felt appropriate to end it at my doorstep.”
To that end, her concert both chronicled and honored her musical journey from her Texas roots to her early days in Nashville, hustling to write songs with meaning that will stand out from the usual Music Row denizens in the writing rooms on 16th Avenue (“Circles Around This Town” particularly resonated with this Music City crowd of dreamers, who seemed to chant along in particular glee). She recounted her days of playing local Nashville haunts such as Belcourt Taps and Basement East and ascending to venues such as the Ryman Auditorium and finally to Bridgestone.
Now enjoying the fruits of her years of work toiling in writing rooms and steadily building her fanbase one song and concert at a time, she took a moment later in her set to pass along the lessons she’s learned to other aspiring writers and artists in the room.
“There are so many talented people in this room, in this town and there are so many people in line ahead of you that it’s ok to just wait and the waiting makes the fruit so much sweeter. I just can’t thank you enough for your support over the years.”
She welcomed Hozier to perform with her on “The Bones,” saying, “I’ve seen songs go all the way up to the top of the charts, I’ve seen songs fall, this one went to the top right as the world shut down, so we didn’t really get to have our flowers and celebrate it. But I always wanted to play this song in here for y’all.”
The genre-fluid singer showcased her innate versatility with her slew of country-leaning releases, such as “’80s Mercedes,” the anthem to resilience and confidence with “Girl,” and “I Could Use a Love Song,” but also her pop smashes “The Middle,” and “Chasing After You” with her husband and fellow artist-writer Ryan Hurd. There were also a plethora of songs from her tour’s namesake, her current Humble Quest album, including “Good Friends,” “Background Music,” “Tall Guys,” “Detour,” and another collaboration with Hurd on “I Can’t Love You Anymore.”
She also noted to the crowd the life lessons she chronicled on her Humble Quest album, and her journey through motherhood amidst a global pandemic, a process of learning “when to shut the f— up and when to absolutely not shut the f— up,” which brought cheers from the audience.
“Good Friends” was an apt inclusion in the setlist for this Music City show. Along the way, Morris has cultivated a community of fellow artists and songwriters who build each other up, support dreams, share hardships and champion one another as humans and creators. That essence of friendship was a theme that also rang throughout the evening, as Morris brought out not just a cavalcade of guest artists, but clearly artists whom she counts as friends, confidants, and peers.
She welcomed the majority of her The Highwomen bandmates, including Brittney Spencer (who also opened the show), as well as Sheryl Crow, Natalie Hemby and Amanda Shires for singalong renditions of “Redesigning Women” and the inclusive, heartwarming “Crowded Table.” Together, Morris and her cohorts showcased music and messages that have been a salve in uncertain times.
“This is a crowded arena,” Hemby said. “After the pandemic, let’s be glad we can be in a crowded room together.”
Also a self-professed “musical theater kid,” Morris even went note for note with Broadway luminary, actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth (who now resides in Nashville) to perform the Wicked favorite “For Good” (in 2003, Chenoweth portrayed Glinda the Good Witch in the show’s Broadway run and earned a Tony nomination for her role). The duet was notable not only for the two singers’ vocal prowess, but the obvious tender friendship between the two, as they stayed close together throughout the performance, hugging and holding hands. Morris noted that they met at Bridgestone back in 2019 during the CMA Awards.
Though Morris often gets credit for her personal, vulnerable songwriting, the evening also proved a showcase for her in equal measure, as evidenced by her thunderous, soulful glissandos on “Once.” Though vocally and musically, her vibe is often soaked in pop and R&B, her stage production, a lush staging of trees and grass surrounding her band, was understated, never overpowering the message of her music and her polished, relaxed stage presence.
She ended the concert by welcoming Hurd and co-writer Jon Green to the stage for a tender encore featuring the final song on Humble Quest, “What Would This World Do?,” a piano ballad tribute to her previous producer busbee, who died in 2019 and who had worked on Morris’ first two albums. Morris shared that she had yet to play the song during her tour. With busbee’s wife and children watching in the audience, the performance seemed a fitting ending for an evening that celebrated friendship and love, in the city that has supported Morris’s journey to headlining status.
Opening the show was Spencer, who first found a champion in Morris after uploading a cover of The Highwomen’s “Crowded Table” on social media. Spencer’s elegant voice and vulnerable songwriting has led her to become part of The Highwomen’s collective. She recently inked a label deal with Elektra, and released her project if i ever get there: a day a blackbird studio. On this Nashville night, Spencer noted that just a few years ago, she was busking on the streets of Nashville not far from Bridgestone. Her free-spirited, engaging performance style further enhanced her powerful, engaging vocals on songs including her own “A Hundred Years” and a version of the Chicks’ 1999 hit “Cowboy Take Me Away.”
Fellow opener Ruston Kelly, known for his albums Dying Star and Shape & Destroy, led the audience through his own surging country-rock releases including “Cover My Tracks” and “Faceplant,” though the audience seemed to reserve its biggest cheers for his moody version of the 2000 Wheatus hit “Teenage Dirtbag” and a sterling, angsty cover of Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well.”
Keith Urban is among those paying tribute to the late Fleetwood Mac member Christine McVie, who died Wednesday (Nov. 30) after a short illness. McVie was 79.
During a concert in Australia, Urban told the audience, “Today, we lost one of the members of Fleetwood Mac, the incredible Christine McVie, who was amazing. For me growing up, listening to their music, you had three incredible vocalists in that band. You had Lindsey Buckingham, who brought this kind of punk, angular, ethos to the whole thing. You had Stevie Nicks’ voice, which is angelic, otherworldly. Then you had Christine, who for me, is the maternal, soulful heartbeat, vocally.”
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He performed snippets of the group’s “Say You Love Me” (from their self-titled album), “Everywhere” (from the group’s 1987 album Tango in the Night) and “Songbird,” which appeared on the group’s 1977 album Rumours.
As the country star honored McVie, a photo of the late singer-songwriter was shown on the massive screen behind him.
This isn’t the first time Urban has offered his take on a Fleetwood Mac hit. In 2013, he joined fellow country crooners Little Big Town to perform the Fleetwood Mac hit “The Chain” during the CMT Music Awards.
Since news of her death broke, many artists have paid tribute to her. Among them is Harry Styles, who performed a rendition of “Songbird” during a concert in Chile on Dec. 1.
See Urban’s tribute below:
Parmalee’s “Take My Name” is No. 1 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay year-end chart for 2022, and its success caught even the band by surprise.
“It’s a big honor,” says the band’s frontman, Matt Thomas, of the song capturing the title. “Mind-blowing, to be honest with you.” Thomas wrote the song with David Fanning, Ashley Gorley and Ben Johnson. It was produced by Fanning (who is also the group’s manager).
The love song spent two weeks atop the list in June, while it reached No. 2 on the streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Country Songs survey. And it’s still going as it crosses over into pop: “Take My Name” ranks at its No. 23 high on the Dec. 3-dated Adult Pop Airplay chart. “Name” displayed uncommon longevity during its Country Airplay chart run, spending 22 weeks inside the top 10, the fourth-longest top 10 residency since the chart started in January 1990.
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“Name,” released on Stoney Creek/BBR, became the band’s third Country Airplay No. 1 and its second straight, following “Just the Way” with Blanco Brown (for a week in March 2021), both of which appear on Parmalee’s 2021 album, For You. The quartet’s first leader, “Carolina,” ruled for a week in December 2013. The band’s latest single, “Girl in Mine,” is at No. 40 on Country Airplay and is slated to be on Parmalee’s next album.
In addition to Thomas, the band includes his brother Scott Thomas (drums), cousin Barry Knox (bass) and longtime friend Josh McSwain (guitar). All four members hail from Parmalee, N.C. Currently on tour and gearing up to open for Jelly Roll Dec. 9 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, Billboard caught up with Matt Thomas in Nashville, where the group has been based for the past 11 years.
Did you have any idea when you wrote and recorded “Name” that you had something special?
Well, my brother Scott is the regular listener guy who I lean on for feedback. We played the work tape for him on the bus and he was like, “There’s something here.” I felt like we had something that was right on, too, but as a songwriter you’re never really sure what’s going to connect with people. I mean, you’re always hoping something will hit but no one really knows for sure.
When “Name” was released, you were following up another No. 1, “Just the Way,” with Blanco Brown. That followed a pretty long No. 1 drought, since 2013 when you scored your first leader, “Carolina.” Did you put pressure on yourself to have another hit quickly?
Yeah, I know about the drought (laughs). Yes, in fact we needed this one [“Name”] to be as big or bigger than “Just the Way.” We had to show people we were more than a fluke, a group that has a hit every so many years. We definitely put pressure on ourselves to come up with a hit and keep our career on track.
As the group’s frontman, do you place that extra stress on your shoulders to keep the band moving forward?
Yeah, it’s natural I think because I do a lot of the songwriting. It’s different now, though, because we’ve had back-to-back hits, so lots of people are offering to help.
What about during the span when you didn’t have a hit? What was the atmosphere in the music community like?
It’s definitely more of a challenge to get into the writer’s rooms. But you know what you signed up for, right? It’s kind of a cutthroat business. When you’re hot, people want to work with you, and when you’re not, a handful of loyal friends stick with you while others have written you off. It’s just how it is. Thankfully there were some songwriters who have stuck with us and kept believing. It can be frustrating, but hey, it’s business.
Do you watch the charts?
Are you kidding, yes! I examine the charts every week, even when on the road.
Changing gears, it feels like you have a great relationship with radio.
We do and, honestly, the COVID shutdown helped in a way, because I was able to spend some time with programmers and reconnect on a human level. I wanted to see what was going on in their communities.
“Name” performed well on the multi-metric Hot Country Songs chart. How do you juggle two worlds: TikTok, for instance, and terrestrial radio?
They’re so different, I have to take a drink now and then to clear my head (laughs). It’s a completely different audience between, say, TikTok and your average radio listener. We see that at shows, the mix of younger and older fans. It’s a puzzle that we’re still trying to figure out.
In concert, have you had solid response on your last couple of hits?
When we were out with Walker Hayes in the fall, we noticed great reaction and we’d have whole arenas singing along to “Take My Name.” It was amazing.
You’re playing at Bridgestone next week, opening for Jelly Roll. Is it your first show there?
We’ve never played Bridgestone before, so we’re both excited and nervous. We just need Jelly to come out and give us his blessing.
Your new single “Girl in Mine” will be on an upcoming album, correct? And are you working on that currently?
Yes, I have a bunch of great fun songs already, I think, and I’m going to be doing lots of writing in January and February. We’re shooting for early summer [to release an album].
Is it still a thrill hearing your music on the radio?
Always, man. In fact, I was just on my way to a writer’s room yesterday and driving through east Nashville checking out the neighborhoods and “Take My Name” came on the radio. I was grinning ear to ear. It never gets old.
What about touring next year?
We’ve got some good things on the burner, and hopefully we’ll have some news soon.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.Wanda June Home is getting festive for the holidays. Miranda Lambert added several holiday pieces to her popular home line sold exclusively at Walmart.
The newly added items include dessert plates, mugs, place mats, table runners, stemless wine glasses, throw pillows and more featuring cute little holiday phrases such as “Naughty Is the New Nice” and “Santa I Can Explain.”
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Wanda June Home has received rave reviews from customers. The collection, which was unveiled on June 14, is designed to help create a “warm, comfortable, casual gathering place where everyone can feel at home.”
Inspired by three generations of warm and sassy Southern hospitality, Wanda June Home by Lambert is named after the “If I Was a Cowboy” singer’s mother Beverly June Lambert and her grandma Wanda Louise Coker, who taught her everything she knows about entertaining and welcoming guests. From three generations of warm, Southern hospitality, Wanda June is a brand inspired by memories.
“Wanda June Home is named after the two most influential women in my life, my mom Beverly June Lambert and my grandma Wanda Louise Coker, a.k.a. Nonny. They both taught me everything I know about being a woman and how to make a warm home full of laughter, love and memories. That’s really the heart of my Wanda June Home brand,” says Lambert. “The products are a physical representation of a long line of beautiful memories with amazing women. I am thrilled to launch Wanda June Home with Walmart where my grandpa was a greeter back in the day and where I’ve shopped all my life.”
Wanda June Home features more than 80 kitchen, bar, tabletop and home décor items priced from $12.97-$170, although most of the pieces are under $30. This inaugural collection is designed to mix, match and collect, featuring tabletop essentials inspired by Lambert’s own Southwestern retro farm kitchen, such as the Vintage Stripe Porcelain Dish Set ($39.97), fun and feisty barware, including the Saucy Sippers Stainless Steel Stemless Set ($20.98), and home décor that features Lambert’s take on Southern charm.
Shop items from the collection below.
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Wanda June Home Holly Express 8.5-Inch Dessert Plates, Set of 4 $16.97
From cakes to cookies, pies and other holiday delights, these Holly Express dessert plates from Wanda June Home will be a jolly addition to any holiday table.
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Wanda June Home Wanda Santa’s Fuel 15-Ounce Stoneware Mug 5-piece Set with Metal Rack $26.97
Wanda June’s holiday mugs are perfectly sized for eggnog, hot chocolate and other seasonal beverages. An easy-to-clean metal rack comes included with the five-piece set of 15-ounce mugs.
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Wanda June Home Santa’s Saloon 18 Oz. Stemless Wine Glass Set, Set of 4 $22.97
Toast to the holidays with these stemless wine glasses! The set for four 18-ounce glasses feature playful phrases such as “Tipsy and Bright,” “Resting Grinch Face,” “Closer to Jolly With Every Sip” and “Don’t Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle.”
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Wanda June Home Swiss Knot Fabric 4-Piece Placemat Set $12.98
Make your table even more lively with these Wanda June place mats featuring a charming design. The set includes four 14-inch x 19-inch placement mats made from 100% cotton.
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Wanda June Home Naughty Nice Pillow, 14-inch x22-inch $20
Make a style statement with this “Naughty Is the New Nice” throw pillow in classic holiday plaid. The decorative pillow measures 14 x 22 inches.
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Wanda June Home Wanda June Home Dear Santa Coir Mat, Multicolor, 18-inches x 30-inches $12.88
Your guests (and maybe even Santa) will get a kick out of this witty doormat. The Dear Santa 18-inch x 30-inch door mat is made from coir with PVC backing and designed for indoor or outdoor use.
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Vintage Stripe 12-Piece Porcelain Dinnerware $39.97
A mix of trendy and nostalgic, the Wanda June Home by Miranda Lambert Vintage Stripe 12-piece Porcelain Dinnerware Set is a head-turner. It’s made from porcelain and features hand-painted, vintage-inspired patterns that add a ‘70s mod style to your tabletop. The pieces are dishwasher and microwave safe.
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Wanda June Home Where Dreams Are Made Blue 2.3-Quart Stoneware Casserole Dish $34.88
Serve up a signature chili dish, mama’s casserole, and more! The 2.3-quart casserole dish with a matching glass lid bakes and browns evenly, it’s dishwasher and microwave safe and oven safe up to 450 degrees (350 degrees with lid). This stoneware baker is a charming, oven-to-table piece with country-style designs making an easy-going but impressive statement.
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Fans of Kane Brown and his wife Katelyn have long wanted the two to perform a song together — and they got their wish on Brown’s latest album, Different Man, with the track “Thank God.” The song is also becoming a sturdy radio hit, currently residing at No. 13 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart.
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On Thursday evening (Dec. 1), the couple made their first live performance of the song, onstage during a concert in Ottawa, Canada. Brown shared the sweet performance on social media, as the couple stays close for the first verses. Then, as Katelyn begins singing her verse, her husband breaks into a big grin, looking at his wife proudly. The couple then walks the catwalk together, waving to fans.
“My baby’s first time on stage singing our song together … she killed it of course and I’m so proud of you!!!! (Thank god)!!!!! Ottawa Canada y’all slayed,” Brown said in the caption of an Instagram post.
Katelyn replied, saying, “Speechless. Thanks babe for making me as comfortable as possible and for everyone being so kind.”
Other artists also chimed in with comments, with Walker Hayes saying, “Dang she crushed it,” and Chris Lane saying, “Freakin’ awesome.” Carly Pearce added, “Yes @katelynbrown !!!!”
During a previous interview with Billboard, Brown relayed their plans to perform the song together during some of his shows.
“We’ll have a nanny that can watch the kids while they are sleeping, and then Katelyn can be onstage and sing with me,” he says. “We’ll do ‘Thank God,’ and she’ll sing Lauren [Alaina]’s part on ‘What Ifs.’ Katelyn hasn’t done anything musically since she left Orlando, so we just gotta get her bearings, like learning how to use the in-ears [monitors] onstage. She’s never used those before.”
Of course, this is far from her first foray into music. Under the name Katelyn Jae, she previously recorded pop songs including 2014’s “24KT.”