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More performers have been added to the upcoming 56th annual CMA Awards, set to air Nov. 9 on ABC (and available the following day on Hulu).
Brothers Osborne, Brandy Clark, Luke Combs, Caylee Hammack, Cody Johnson, Elle King, Patty Loveless, Ashley McBryde, Reba McEntire, John Osborne, Katy Perry, Pillbox Patti, Chris Stapleton, Cole Swindell, The Black Keys, The War and Treaty, and Thomas Rhett have all been added to the performer lineup.
Reigning CMA entertainer of the year Combs, who is again nominated for the night’s most coveted honor, will perform his single, “The Kind of Love We Make.” Johnson, a four-time nominee heading into the ceremony, will perform his Billboard Country Airplay chart-topping hit “‘Til You Can’t,” while Elle King (who will release the country project Come Get Your Wife in January) will team up with The Black Keys to honor the late Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Country Music Hall of Fame member Jerry Lee Lewis with a rendition of Lewis’ 1957 classic “Great Balls of Fire.”
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Reigning CMA vocal duo of the year Brothers Osborne will team with duo The War and Treaty for a rendition of The Rolling Stones’ 1974 hit “It’s Only Rock & Roll (But I Like It).” Five-time CMA Awards nominee McBryde will be joined by Clark, Hammack, Pillbox Patti and Osborne for a performance of Linda Ronstadt’s 1975 hit “When Will I Be Loved” (itself a cover of The Everly Brothers’ 1960 classic). The song is featured on McBryde’s recent collaborative project, Lindeville.
Two-time CMA Award winner Thomas Rhett and Perry will team up to perform their recently released collaboration, “Where We Started” (the title track to Thomas Rhett’s 2021 album) while Swindell is set to perform his Jo Dee Messina-inspired hit “She Had Me At Heads Carolina.” Stapleton, who is nominated for five CMA honors heading into this year’s ceremony, will be joined by five-time CMA Award winner Loveless for a performance of “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive.”
These new performers join previously-announced performers Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, HARDY, Marcus King, Miranda Lambert, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Carrie Underwood, Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson, and Zac Brown Band.
Dan + Shay‘s Shay Mooney recently revealed he’s lost nearly 50 pounds, thanks to a focus on exercise and healthy eating habits.
He said via Instagram Stories (as reported by People), “Thank you guys so much for all your kind words about me lookin’ healthy. Really means a lot. Been a little over 5 months I believe and I’m down almost 50 lbs.”
He said that clean eating, avoiding alcohol and walking nearly 7 miles per day, along with some weight training, contributed to his weight loss.
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“I completely changed my lifestyle and I’ve literally never felt better physically, mentally and spiritually,” Mooney said via his Instagram Stories.
Fellow country artists including Morgan Wallen, Tyler Rich and Chris Lane shared their congratulations with the Dan + Shay singer. Lane simply left a fire emoji in the comments section, while Rich commented, “looking lean brother!” Meanwhile, Wallen wrote, “man done got skinny on em!!!”
Last year, Dan + Shay released their album Good Things and served as mentors on The Voice. Additionally, they earned a Grammy Award for best country duo/group performance for “10,000 Hours,” their collaboration with Justin Bieber.
To date, Dan + Shay have earned eight No. 1 hits on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart and 16 total entries on the chart, including the four-week Country Airplay No. 1 “Speechless” and the two-week No. 1 hits “Tequila” and “10,000 Hours.” They have also picked up three consecutive best country duo/group performance Grammy wins, for “10,000 Hours,” “Speechless” and “Tequila.” In August 2021, they recorded a collaboration with Carrie Underwood on the song “Only Us” from the film Dear Evan Hansen.
Singer-songwriter HARDY ain’t her boyfriend anymore! The newly minted ACM songwriter of the year — known for penning “Boyfriend,” “One Beer,” and “Sand in My Boots” — wed Caleigh Ryan on Saturday, Oct. 29, in a ceremony in front of approximately 350 people at Diamond Creek Farms in Nashville.
People shared exclusive photos and details from the event, noting that Ryan kept certain wedding traditions, with her wedding dress serving as “something new,” HARDY’s baby bonnet as “something old,” her grandmother’s lucky penny as “something borrowed” and her aunt’s ring as “something blue.”
Of the couple’s vows, HARDY told People, “We’re going to write our own vows and do them privately. We want the ceremony to be like 30 seconds long. We just want to have a big party for everybody. I’m trying to avoid having a complete meltdown in front of everyone, and I don’t think I could get through vows at the altar, and she’s the same. The vows will be for us. It doesn’t have to be for everybody else.”
Several of HARDY’s fellow country artists took part in the festivities, including Lauren Alaina, Dierks Bentley, Travis Denning, Lindsay Ell, Ernest and Morgan Wallen.
RaeLynn proudly showed off her time taking part in one of the wedding’s activities, “Hardy’s Tattoo Shop,” where guests could get inked. Additionally, Ryan shared photos on her Instagram account of the “beer burros” at their reception, which carried baskets filled with beer around to guests in attendance.
Ryan also posted a series of photos of herself with a donkey on Instagram. “Kate is one of our adorable beer burros who will be joining us for our cocktail hour and serving beer to all of our guests 😭 HOW CUTE IS THIS?! Like WHAT?!” she captioned the carousel. “This was literally the first non-negotiable wedding planning decision I made when we started. I knew I wanted to incorporate animals somehow, so when I saw this I think I had a little mini heart attack.”
Alaina also shared a sweet moment from the reception: Ryan’s bouquet toss, as Alaina chased down the bouquet and happily ran, holding the bouquet over her head and shouting “Yes!” for the camera.
HARDY and Ryan began dating in 2018, and became engaged in August 2021, with HARDY proposing at The Lyric Theater in Oxford, Miss.
The wedding came just weeks after HARDY and members of his crew weathered a harrowing tour bus crash on their return trip to Nashville after performing at Country Thunder Bristol in Tennessee.
See some of People’s exclusive photos below:
Patrick Haggerty, the frontman for acclaimed country outfit Lavender Country, died Monday morning (Oct. 31). The news was announced on the group’s Facebook page, in a post that also explained that Haggerty had suffered a stroke weeks earlier. He was 78.
Self-described as a “screaming Marxist b—h singer,” the openly gay Haggerty joined up with the rest of Lavender Country in Seattle in the early ’70s. The group released just one album with their original lineup, an eponymous 1973 effort, making little commercial impact at the time — and the group eventually fell apart due to a lack of mainstream interest and disenchantment with their own community. (“The Stonewall Movement morphed into a Democratic Party machine,” Haggerty offered to Billboard earlier this year.)
However, the album endured as an underground favorite, thanks in large part to Haggerty’s biting wit and vivid, sometimes explicit lyrics. The set was reissued multiple times in the 21st century to a new audience, and the group reunited sporadically for live shows and re-recordings. In 2019, with a new lineup, they self-released an original album, Blackberry Rose and Other Songs and Sorrows, which was reissued with a new tracklist by the indie label Don Giovanni earlier this year, drawing strong reviews.
Haggerty continued through the decades to rail against the oppressive systems that marginalized his and other voices within the country music industry. “For every notable country star in Nashville there’s a thousand other artists who are just as good or better, frequently better, who go unsung and unacknowledged and have to jerk lattes just to pay the rent so they can continue to do music,” he lamented to Billboard in 2021. “That’s the star system — and darling, that’s really f–ked up … The corporate Nashville folks are purporting to be the music of the working class, but you can’t sing about union organizing, or the anti-racist struggle, or class struggle.”
However, he also appreciated that society had evolved enough to make him something of a cult hero later in his life — allowing him a platform, however modest, from which he could preach his brand of gospel without compromise to his image or message. “I get to use Lavender Country — unfettered and uncompromised — for the very reason I made it in the first place: To be a conduit for social change,” he raved to Billboard in the same interview. “I can put on bedazzled shirts and strut my beauty like anybody else on stage, but my real beauty is the way I chose to live my life.”
Haggerty’s loss was mourned on Twitter Monday by his Don Giovanni label, referring to him as “one of the funniest, kindest, bravest, and smartest people I ever met. He never gave up fighting for what he believed in, and those around him who he loved and took care of will continue that fight.”
See the tweet and Lavender Country’s Facebook announcement below.
Patrick Haggerty (Lavender Country) was one of the funniest, kindest, bravest, and smartest people I ever met. He never gave up fighting for what he believed in, and those around him who he loved and took care of will continue that fight. RIP Patrick (1944-2022). pic.twitter.com/phjutisgcq— Don Giovanni Records (@DonGiovanniRecs) October 31, 2022
As has been often quoted since her death Oct. 4 at the age of 90, Loretta Lynn said that to make it, “You have to be different, great or first. I think I was just a little different.”
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Time and time again during Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Celebration of the Life and Music of Loretta Lynn, which took play tonight (Oct. 30) from Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry and aired live on CMT, viewers were reminded that Lynn sold herself short: she was all three.
Wynonna, The Gaither Trio and Larry Strickland opened the service with an elegiac “How Great Thou Art” and Alan Jackson sang “Where Her Heart Has Always Been,” a moving tribute originally written about his own mother’s death, but otherwise, the performers sang songs made famous by Lynn. The selections repeatedly showcased what a trailblazer she was in taking topics that were heretofore whispered about behind closed doors and turning them into country chart-toppers that rang out from radio stations across the land in the ‘60s and ‘70s.
As a very emotional Faith Hill said, “she didn’t just push boundaries, she shredded them.” Via video, Taylor Swift, whose ability to write songs with great universal appeal drawn from the most personal details of her own life takes a page from Lynn, praised Lynn for “saying things that might make people uncomfortable” with her brutal honesty. Also, via video, Kacey Musgraves laughed about being a 9-year old performing such feisty, grown-up tunes as “Fist City” and “You Ain’t Woman Enough.” (A number of other artists, including Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire also weighed in via video.)
In a bit of gender bending that worked very well (and showed the strength of her songs), Darius Rucker delivered a strident “Fist City” and George Strait drew a rave reaction for his take on Lynn’s first No. 1, “Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind).”
Margo Price performed a spirited rendition of Lynn’s controversial 1975 liberation anthem, “The Pill,” after host Today’s Jenna Bush Hager noted the song had been banned by dozens of radio stations and Lynn supposedly threatened to quit the Grand Ole Opry if the august body didn’t let her sing it on stage.
Though Lynn was country through and through, she was “so much bigger than any genre,” noted Sheryl Crow, who recorded with Lynn. No more was that more evident than in 2004, when Lynn released Van Lear Rose, produced by the White Stripes’ Jack White. As Price recounted, Lynn and White endearingly met after the White Stripes dedicated their 2001 album White Blood Cells to the legend and she invited White and former bandmate Meg White over for chicken and biscuits, which led to Jack White and Lynn working together. She also introduced a video, recorded during the making of Van Lear Rose, of Lynn singing “Whispering Sea,” a song she said she wrote while “up in a tree fishing.” As White encouraged her to sing it in the small room, Lynn, still in top vocal form, simply said, “if I sang out, you couldn’t stand it in here.” Following the video, White played a spirited version of the Grammy-winning album’s title track.
The service’s emotional highpoint came toward the end when Lynn’s granddaughter, Emmy Russell (noting this was the first time she has performed on stage without Lynn here “to look at me with her proud eyes”) and Willie Nelson’s son, Lukas Nelson, sang “Lay Me Down,” a gorgeous song about death and rebirth that Lynn and Nelson recorded in 2016—the only duet by the two icons.
The daunting task of taking on Lynn’s anthem, “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” fell to The Highwomen—Amanda Shires, Natalie Hemby, Brandi Carlile and Brittney Spencer (filling in for Maren Morris)—who delivered a resonant version to close the service.
For as much focus was on the music, almost as much attention was devoted to Lynn as a true friend to fellow artists, especially the women who followed in her wake. Martina McBride, whom Lynn inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1995, told of the tremendous support Lynn had shown her and how she ended each phone conversation with “I love you, honey. Come see me anytime.” Now, McBride said, the responsibility is on today’s country female artists to carry on Lynn’s generous tradition. “She made us feel like she was in our corner,” she said. “Part of her legacy is for us to mentor and to make sure we have each other’s backs. And for those coming up the ladder, make sure we’re available and can say, ‘I love you honey. Come see me anytime.’”
The celebration, produced by CMT and Sandbox Productions in partnership with the late legend’s family, will re-air on CMT on Nov. 2 at 8 p.m. ET and Nov. 6 at 11 a.m. ET. The special will also be made available on Paramount+ in early 2023.
Set list Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Celebration of the Life and Music of Loretta Lynn
Keith Urban, “You’re Lookin’ At Country”
Tanya Tucker, “Blue Kentucky Girl”
Darius Rucker, “Fist City”
Alan Jackson, “Where Her Heart Has Always Been”
George Strait, “Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind”
Jack White, “Van Lear Rose”
Little Big Town, “Let Her Fly”
Emmy Russell and Lukas Nelson, “Lay Me Down”
Margo Price, “The Pill”
Brandi Carlile, “She’s Got You”
The Highwomen, “Coal Miner’s Daughter”
Luke Bryan responded to a wave of criticism he’s received for warmly welcoming Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to his stage Friday night (Oct. 28).
The country star and American Idol judge brought out DeSantis in front of a Jacksonville, Fla., crowd, on a stop on his Raised Up Right Tour. In footage from the concert, DeSantis is seen tossing swag out to audience members and giving a high five to Bryan, who pats him on the back.
“We’re gonna have some fun and we’re gonna raise some money tonight for the great state of Florida,” Bryan announced at the show.
DeSantis shared a pair of photos on Twitter of the two appearing to have a good time on stage together. He wrote, “Thanks for letting me crash the party last night, @lukebryan!”
Bryan released a statement on Sunday defending his decision to have DeSantis join him at the show. He noted that “this felt right” as part of an effort to help raise awareness and money for people impacted by Hurricane Ian in Florida. The singer had postponed a set of Florida tour dates in September due to the hurricane.
“I typically don’t respond to stuff when I’m getting run down on a social platform but here’s the deal. I understand Governor Desantis is a very polarizing figure,” Bryan wrote on social media Sunday afternoon (Oct. 30). “But I grew up in a country where if a governor ask you if they can come and raise awareness to help victims of a natural disaster you help.”
“I’ve generally stayed out of politics throughout my career,” said Bryan. “I knew people would chatter about this but for me the more important piece was if I am going to come back there a few weeks after a large portion of people have been affected by a natural disaster in a state where people have been good to me this felt right. Raise awareness, have a little fun between the GA and FL college fans before the game and do what I love on stage.”
He closed the note by writing, “This is all I am saying about this. I’ll be outdoors with my boys. Enjoy your Sunday.”
“Your greeting of DeSantis on stage certainly appeared to be more than wanting to help Hurricane victims. It looked like a full endorsement of DeSantis – DeSantis is worse than polarizing,” one person commented on Bryan’s post. It was one of the top comments of more than 13,000, a significant uptick from the usual amount of comments seen on the singer’s tweets.
“So, it’s impossible to support victims of a hurricane while also supporting the LGBTQ community?” another asked. DeSantis was behind Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, which prohibits instruction in Florida schools on sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten through grade three, or in any grade “in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
“You can raise awareness (and money) with your own name,” noted another Twitter user. “Having Desantis on stage with you have the impression (true or not) that you supported him. In this day and age, we all have to be willing to speak out against lies, hate and injustice.”
Below, see a video clip of the moment Bryan welcomed DeSantis to the stage, followed by Bryan’s statement.
In the 1980s, mother-daughter duo The Judds, with their homespun songs and pure, family harmonies, were among several acts that helped return country music to a more rootsy sound. Between 1983 and 2000, mother Naomi Judd and daughter Wynonna notched 25 Hot Country Songs appearances, which encompassed 14 No. 1s and 20 top 10s. In addition to their electric personalities, they also had a secret weapon — the junior Judd, whose distinctive, husky voice has always been an endlessly versatile instrument, capable of rendering the delicate nuances demanded by a tender love song, but equally capable of the hand-raising, soul-shouting intensity of a musical preacher.
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The Judds: The Final Tour had been announced prior to Naomi Judd’s death on April 30, one day before to The Judds’ induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Instead of nixing the tour, Wynonna chose to carry on, welcoming a slate of female artists who help pay tribute to her mother, as well as The Judds’ legacy as one of the biggest country music duos of the 1980s and ’90s.
“I was not going to go on this tour,” Wynonna acknowledged to the crowd gathered at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Friday (Oct. 28). “I’m sure glad I did.”
In true Wynonna Judd fashion, the concert was an enthralling mix of organic, front-porch acoustic country, swaggering rock and emotional church service, led by Judd’s signature Elvis-esque, bluesy growl.
From the moment Wynonna took the stage — surprising the audience by launching the show not from center stage, but instead from a small B-stage at the back of the arena — it was clear this was no typical concert. She began with the Judds’ 1983 debut single, “Had a Dream (For the Heart),” followed by “Give a Little Love.” Taking in the collective love in the room, Judd was escorted by security through the crowd back to the main stage, a wide grin on her face. Clad in black attire and with her striking red hair, Wy gave off a throwback rock star vibe as she waved at fans and stopped to take a selfie with a fan or two.
“That was crazy,” she said, as the crowd cheered.
For the Nashville concert, Wynonna was joined by Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride and Brandi Carlile at various moments in the show for an evening that truly became a celebratory Girls Night Out.
Judd worked her way through not only many of the catalog of songs that brought The Judds five Grammy wins, as well as induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, but many of her own solo hits from the ’90s. The set list included Judds hits including 1985’s “Girls Night Out” (as Wynonna was joined by Yearwood and McBride) and “Love Is Alive,” 1986’s “Cry Myself to Sleep” and 1987’s “I Know Where I’m Going.” Wy also offered renditions of her solo hits, including her first solo No. 1 from 1992, “She Is His Only Need,” as well as the subsequent chart-toppers “I Saw the Light” and “No One Else on Earth.”
The evening ranged from folksy Judds songs including “Flies on the Butter (You Can’t Go Home Again),” to a version of Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is,” with Wy telling the crowd, “It was a classic rock song, but tonight, it’s a prayer.”
Yearwood joined on “Rockin’ With the Rhythm of the Rain,” while Carlile joined on “Let Me Tell You About Love.”
Yearwood was so inspired by Wy’s vocal performance, that she felt compelled to speak about the influence The Judds’ music — and specifically Wynonna — had on her as a child growing up in Georgia.
“We all love you so much,” Yearwood said. “I think it’s important that you understand that when I was an 18-year-old girl, you were also an 18-year-old girl, and I heard that voice and I was in Georgia and I was wanting to be a singer and I wasn’t sure how to get to Nashville. I heard you sing, and I was like, ‘I gotta get to that town.’ I just want to thank you on behalf of all of us for your inspiration, that gift, that voice… I’m just telling you from everybody that we love you.”
“I don’t get this kind of treatment at home,” Judd quipped, “so I had to come here tonight.”
The camaraderie among the women onstage was evident throughout the evening, as both Yearwood and Carlile knelt onstage at one point, listening intently as Wynonna sang. Throughout the evening, Carlile served as cheerleader, fan, background vocalist, duet partner and emotional support for Wynonna, leaning in to wipe away a tear from Wy’s face at one moment. Given Carlile’s stellar production and co-writing work on Tanya Tucker’s Grammy-winning While I’m Livin’ album, one can’t help but wonder what a Carlile-produced Wynonna album would sound like.
Judd noted that many of the fans “have been here since 1984… we grew up together.” Many in the crowd sported vintage Judds shirts, a testament to the strong, enduring relationship The Judds built with their fanbase.
It wasn’t only women supporting Judd throughout the evening. As Wynonna performed The Judds’ “Young Love (Strong Love)” her husband and bandmate Cactus Moser was by her side. Wynonna told the crowd the song was inspired by a couple that met in the town square in Franklin, Tenn.
“They had face-to-face back when we didn’t have FaceTime,” Wynonna quipped. Their faces close at the same mic as Moser sang harmony, Moser stole a brief kiss, to the delight of the crowd.
Throughout the evening, video segments chronicled the rise of The Judds, Wynonna’s solo turn and ultimately the family bond between Naomi, Wynonna and Ashley. The ongoing grief of losing her mother was etched into Wy’s face at various moments throughout the show, as she bravely pushed through the concert, taking in the love of the crowd.
“You should be here, and so I will carry on the Judd legacy,” Wynonna said at one point, looking upward. Later, she was joined onstage by sister Ashley.
“It’s always nice to be onstage with a GOAT,” Ashley quipped. “The greatest of all time. I’ve got my ticket right where mom kept everything,” she said, gesturing to her bust. “She’d sometimes say she had half a tuna salad sandwich in there,” she quipped. Earlier in the evening, Wy had pulled a similar move, pulling a compact out onstage to fix her makeup after “Young Love (Strong Love).”
“I miss her, especially tonight,” Wynonna said of their mother, as Ashley noted she wrote a letter to Naomi that morning. “Just telling her I love her and making some memories.”
“That’s what we have left now are memories,” Wynonna said. “The good ones are really starting to come and I’m so grateful for that… today I’m in a good mood. How can you be in a bad mood with friends like this?” she said, gesturing to the crowd.
“Thank you for carrying on mom’s legacy and thank you for your sweetness and condolences and uplift,” Ashley told the crowd, before adding, “If anyone is struggling, first of all please know that a parent’s mental illness is never the child’s fault. Whatever their disease, we didn’t cause it, we can’t control it and we can’t cure it,” she said as the crowd cheered in agreement.
One would expect the evening’s emotional climax would come with the all-star singalong of The Judds’ Grammy-winning signature hit, “Love Can Build a Bridge,” which found Ashley Judd, McBride, Yearwood and Carlile return to the stage to form a backup chorus, with Carlile and Yearwood wrapping their arms around Ashley, while Wy sang in sync with video footage of Naomi, creating a duet between mother and daughter once again.
But the emotional zenith came with Wynonna’s encore, shortly after she returned to the stage with an acoustic guitar (with flowers and the word “Mom” emblazoned on the fretboard). The Nashville crowd vocally wrapped its arms around Wy and completely took over singing The Judds’ 1984 hit “Mama, He’s Crazy,” bringing Wy to tears. At times, she directed the audience in perfecting the chorus. At the song’s conclusion, Wy gave a literal mic drop, letting her microphone clatter to the stage. The concert closed with “Grandpa, Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days,” and “Why Not Me,” as the crowd once again lifted its collective voice in song.
In its entirety, the concert was truly a “Girls Night Out,” with McBride opening the show with her thousand-watt voice, sailing through songs including “I Love You,” “Love’s the Only House,” “Anyway” (which McBride noted was the first song she had a had in writing that made it onto one of her albums), and her signature hits including “A Broken Wing” and “Independence Day.”
Coming just weeks after another all-female lineup, Reba McEntire with Terri Clark, thrilled a full house in the same Nashville arena, these shows are a throwback and testament to kind of soul-healing, thrilling concerts, filled with songs of substance, that happen when women’s songs, stories and perspectives are at the forefront of country music.
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“A celebration of life fit for a true queen of country music.” The legendary Loretta Lynn will be celebrated in a two-hour, star-studded tribute special premiering on CMT on Sunday (Oct. 30).
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Cole Miner’s Daughter: A Celebration of Life & Music of Loretta Lynn is set to air live from the Grand Ole Opry House at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m CT. Jenna Bush Hager will host the commercial-free special featuring performances and appearances from Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton, Wynonna, Kacey Musgraves, Darius Rucker, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert and other stars.
Lynn died in her sleep at her home in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. on Oct. 4. The country music veteran was 90.
“We are truly honored to work closely alongside Loretta’s family to create a celebration of life fit for a true queen of country music, Loretta Lynn,” CMT producers said in a statement. “She was a true original, a woman who always sang from her heart, never shied away from challenging the status quo, and blazed the path forward for her fellow female artists. From her firecracker spirit and signature musicality to her unmistakable country style and unparalleled authenticity, we look forward to honoring her in the best way we know how: sharing stories and songs with her family, friends and the legions of fans she loved dearly.”
The memorial tribute will feature special messages from Parton, Musgraves, Lambert, Reba, and Sissy Spacek. Performers include Jackson, Urban, Rucker, Brandi Carlile, George Strait, Tanya Tucker, Little Big Town, Margo Price, Wynonna with Gaither Vocal Band and Larry Strickland, and The Highwomen with Brittney Spencer. Lynn’s granddaughter, Emmy Russell will perform with Willie Nelson’s son, Lukas Nelson.
Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Sheryl Crow, and Hoda Kotb are among the presenters.
How to Watch A Cole Miner’s Daughter: A Celebration of the Life & Music of Loretta Lynn
Cole Miner’s Daughter: A Celebration of Life & Music of Loretta Lynn will air exclusively on CMT at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.
For those who might miss the first showing, two, commercial-free encores are slated to air on CMT on Wednesday (Nov. 2) at 8 p.m. ET and next Sunday (Nov. 6) at 11 a.m. ET.
You can watch CMT without cable on Philo, Sling TV, Direct TV Stream, YouTube TV, FuboTV, Fios TV, and Hulu + Live TV. If you have cable, satellite or live TV through one of the aforementioned platforms or another provider, watch the celebration on CMT, CMT.com or stream on the CMT app (stream from outside of the U.S. with ExpressVPN).
In addition to the TV broadcast, Cole Miner’s Daughter: A Celebration of Life & Music of Loretta Lynn will broadcast on SiriusXM’s Wille’s Roadhouse: Willie Nelson’s Classic Country (channel 59). The tribute special will arrive on Paramount+ early next year.
First Country is a compilation of the best new country songs, videos & albums that dropped this week.
Lainey Wilson, “Hold My Halo”
This Louisiana native’s career is on fire right now. In addition to her new album, Bell Bottom Country, which drops today (Friday, Oct. 28), Wilson is the leading nominee heading into this year’s CMA Awards, earning six nods during her very first year as a nominee. Wilson co-wrote all but one track on this project, including her newest release, the frisky “Hold My Halo,” which raises a drink to the virtues of a hard-working woman who deserves a night to “tell that angel inside of me to hide her wings and lay low.”
Keith Urban, “Street Called Main”
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Urban’s new song, written by Chris LaCorte, Josh Miller and Scooter Carusoe, finds Urban returning to his musical homebase — melding drum loops, crisp electric guitar, and universally relatable lyrics. The song marks Urban’s latest release leading into an album he is prepping for next year.
Cheat Codes with Jimmie Allen, “Lose You”
Last year, dance trio Cheat Codes issued the country collaborations “Never Love You Again” with Little Big Town and Bryn Christopher, as well as “How Do You Love” with Lee Brice and Lindsay Ell. Earlier this year, they followed by announcing an upcoming country album and earning another country collab with Russell Dickerson on “I Remember.” Now, they team with genre-blurring country artist Jimmie Allen (himself known for a plethora of collaborations) for this romantic, slow-burn dance track.
Shania Twain, “Last Day of Summer”
The queen of country-pop will release her upcoming album, Queen of Me, in February 2023 and she’s been steadily giving fans an intro to the new project, first with the lead single “Waking Up Dreaming,” followed by this equally sunny, but slightly organic-sounding track. Her husky vocals are slightly muddied in the verses, but the echoy production gives this pondering of and yearning for a long-gone love an intimate, hazy quality.
Reyna Roberts, “Pretty Little Devils”
“This ain’t the same ol’ hoedown throwdown,” Roberts makes clear as she leans hard into her R&B, rock and country trap proclivities on this new track, meshing them with bluesy guitars and lyrics about beer cans, boondocks, Megan Thee Stallion, southern accents — all while still showcasing her versatile vocals. A promising track that builds on her previous works, such as “Stomping Grounds.”
Runaway June, “Broken Hearts (Do Broken Things)”
On their latest, this trio retains their cheery pop-country vibe, but delves deep into the not-so rational decisions one makes when their heart is splintered after a breakup. This feisty track also highlights the trio’s new lineup, which is founding member Jennifer Wayne, in addition to Natalie Stovall and the newest member, Stevie Woodward.
Julie Roberts, Ain’t in No Hurry
Singer-songwriter Julie Roberts first broke through in 2004 with the ballad “Break Down Here.” Now, she returns with her first album in nearly a decade on Ain’t in No Hurry, this time working with Shooter Jennings (son of Waylon Jennings) and Erin Enderlin to craft the album. Known for her bluesy vocals, Julie also teams up with two top male country vocalists — she welcomes Jamey Johnson on the song “Music City is Killing Me,” a slight twist on Ray LaMontagne’s “New York City’s Killing Me,” while Randy Houser makes an appearance on “A Little Crazy’s Kinda Nice.”
Mae Estes, “Die in a Bar”
When it’s Mae Estes’ time to go, she wants to go out on her own terms — and as she sings here, that means flying away on a whiskey river, with a beer in her hand. This coolly country, retro-tinged track, which instantly brings to mind the Joe Diffie classic “Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die),” makes the most of Mae’s twangy voice, alongside twisted guitar lines and grooves ready for a sawdust floor.
A hefty list of country artists are celebrating the 60th anniversary of rock band The Rolling Stones, by contributing to an upcoming album that reimagines several of the seminal group’s classic hits. Stoned Cold Country is set to release in 2023 via BMG.
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Eric Church takes on “Gimme Shelter,” Lainey Wilson offers “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” Maren Morris performs “Dead Flowers,” and Ashley McBryde offers a take on “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Brooks & Dunn offer a rendition of “Honky Tonk Women.”
A first look at the album comes via Brothers Osborne, who team with The War & Treaty for “It’s Only Rock N’ Roll (But I Like It),” which will release Nov. 4.
It’s only rock n roll… but we like it. Honored to be a part of the upcoming Stoned Cold Country tribute album, celebrating 60 years of the legendary @RollingStones. “It’s Only Rock N’ Roll (But I Like It)” with our friends @warandtreaty will be out everywhere on 11/4. pic.twitter.com/f2zz74s3mB— Brothers Osborne (@brothersosborne) October 28, 2022
Others featured on the record include Jimmie Allen, Steve Earle, Marcus King, Little Big Town, Elvie Shane and Koe Wetzel.“This album is country music’s thank you to The Rolling Stones for 60 years of inspiration and providing the soundtrack of our lives. While recording the record, I was reminded that this is a showcase and spotlight on the best we have to offer as a genre,” says producer Robert Deaton, who helmed the album. “From our artists to all of the musicians that played on the record, we boldly state that Country Music is second to none when it comes to artists of integrity and creativity.”
This isn’t the first time country artists have contributed to a tribute project to the Rolling Stones. In 1997, artists including Travis Tritt, Deana Carter, George Jones and Nanci Griffith contributed to Stone Country: Country Artists Perform the Songs of the Rolling Stones.
Earle previously covered the band’s “Ruby Tuesday” on the 2016 album Colvin & Earle, and “Dead Flowers” in his live shows. The late Johnny Cash recorded the band’s “No Expectations” on his 1978 album Gone Girl. On his 2002 album Stars & Guitars, Willie Nelson teamed with Ryan Adams, The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards, and Hank Williams III for a rendition of “Dead Flowers.” In 2002, Lucinda Williams and Elvis Costello included a rendition of “Wild Horses” during their collaboration taping for the very first installment of CMT Crossroads. During a 2015 concert, Miranda Lambert covered The Rolling Stones’ 1971 hit “B—h.” That same year, Brad Paisley opened for The Rolling Stones on their No Zip Code Tour, during their tour stop in Nashville.
In a recent interview with Billboard, Dolly Parton discussed her love for The Rolling Stones, saying, “I’ve always wanted to do the song ‘Satisfaction.’ That’s one of my husband’s favorite songs. And I may have to drag Mick [Jagger]’s guys up there to help me sing it. I thought about writing a song called ‘Rock of Ages,’ where I get all the great old rock ‘n’rollers, the people that I have always admired and respected. I didn’t follow rock music that much, but my husband is a rock ‘n’ roll freak. He loves all the groups and all the great stuff.”
See the full Stoned Cold Country tracklist below:
1. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” – Ashley McBryde
2. “Honky Tonk Women” – Brooks & Dunn
3. “Dead Flowers” – Maren Morris
4. “It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It)” – Brothers Osborne & The War And Treaty
5. “Miss You” – Jimmie Allen
6. “Tumbling Dice” – Elle King
7. “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” – Marcus King
8. “Wild Horses” – Little Big Town
9. “Paint It Black” – Zac Brown Band
10. “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” – Lainey Wilson
11. “Sympathy for the Devil” – Elvie Shane
12. “Angie” – Steve Earle
13. “Gimme Shelter” – Eric Church
14. “Shine A Light” – Koe Wetzel