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Dolly Parton has offered her condolences following the sudden death of Lisa Marie Presley on Thursday (Jan. 12) at age 54.
In a social media post, Parton addressed Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie’s mother, directly. “Priscilla, I know how sad you must be. May God comfort you at this time,” she began before turning to the late King of Rock n’ Roll and his daughter. “Elvis, I know how happy you must be to finally have her home and to have her back with you. Lisa Marie, may you rest in peace. We all love all of you.”
The “Lights Out” singer was rushed to the hospital on Thursday (Jan. 12) after going into cardiac arrest at her home in Calabasas, Calif. Priscilla confirmed in a statement on social media that her daughter had been hospitalized.
The Naked Gun actress announced her child’s passing later that evening. “It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us,” she said in a statement. “She was the most passionate strong and loving woman I have ever known. We ask for privacy as we try to deal with this profound loss.”
Lisa Marie Presley was born Feb. 1, 1968, in Memphis, Tenn., and was the only daughter of Elvis Presley and actress Priscilla. Following her parents’ divorce in 1973, she lived in Los Angeles with her mother, though she also regularly visited her father at Graceland in Memphis until his death on Aug. 16, 1977.
In 2003, Lisa Marie launched her own music career, beginning with her debut album To Whom It May Concern (via Capitol Records), which was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The single “Lights Out” reached the top 20 on Billboard‘s Adult Pop Airplay chart. To Whom It May Concern reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200, as did its 2005 followup album, Now What. Her 2005 single “Dirty Laundry” reached the top 40 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. She would release her third album, the T Bone Burnett-produced project Storm & Grace, in 2012. That same year, she made her debut on the Grand Ole Opry.
Lisa Marie will be buried at Graceland in Memphis, with her final resting place being alongside her son, Benjamin Keough, who died in 2020. Elvis, as well as other members of the Presley family, are also buried at Graceland. Lisa Marie is survived by her mother, Priscilla, as well as three daughters, including Riley Keough.
See Dolly Parton’s message below:
Apple TV+ will boot scoot into the reality music competition space on March 24 with the launch of My Kind of Country. The series will feature country stars Jimmie Allen, Mickey Guyton and masked crooner Orville Peck as scouts who will search the world to find the next big country star. In addition, executive producers actress Reese Witherspoon and singer Kacey Musgraves will be featured in the series.
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The show was described in Friday’s (Jan. 13) release as, “a fresh take on a competition series, breaking down barriers in country music by providing an extraordinary opportunity to diverse and innovative artists from around the world.” The three A-list scouts will choose a roster of up-and-coming artists, who they will invite to Nashville to showcase their sounds for the panel in a chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime shot at stardom.
The winner of the eight-episode series will receive what is described as a “life-changing prize” from Apple Music that will include “unprecedented support and exposure on the platform.”
In addition to Witherspoon and Musgraves, the show’s other executive producers include Hello Sunshine’s Sara Rea and Lauren Neustadter; Sandbox Entertainment’s Jason Owen; Emmy-nominated showrunner Izzie Pick Ibarra (The Masked Singer, Dancing With the Stars); and Done + Dusted’s Katy Mullan (The Disney Family Singalong, The Little Mermaid Live!). Emmy-winner Adam Blackstone (Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Faith Hill) is the series’ music director.
First Country is a compilation of the best new country songs, videos & albums that dropped this week.
Chris Young, “All Dogs Go to Heaven”
Young releases two new songs today, and each revolves around love and devotion. “Looking For You” depicts a couple’s love story, while “All Dogs Go to Heaven” is a tribute to man’s best friend. “He’s the closest thing to pure love that I’ve never known,” Young sings in “All Dogs Go to Heaven.” On this tender track, Young’s low-key (yet passionate) vocal still pierces the soul.
Lukas Graham and Mickey Guyton, “Home Movies”
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Guyton teams with Danish pop band Lukas Graham for the inspirational ballad “Home Movies,” which leans into the value in looking back on memories, even the less than superlative ones. These two artists pair wondrously on this sleek, anthemic pop ballad. The song is from Lukas Graham’s upcoming album 4 (The Pink Album), out Jan. 20.
Dierks Bentley, “Same Ol’ Me”
Bentley mashes up a swampy, honkytonk vibe with bluegrass flourishes as he declares that though time brings changes to fashions, hairstyles and age, he will remain steadfast in his love for down-to-earth bars, getting rowdy and his significant other. The song is from Bentley’s upcoming 10th album, Gravel & Gold, out Feb. 24.
Diplo feat. Kodak Black and Koe Wetzel, “Wasted”
Thomas Wesley (aka Diplo) comes galloping back into the country scene, this time teaming with Koe Wetzel and Kodak Black for the party jam “Wasted.” The track is a deft blend of pulsating, hard rock rhythm with a lyric that muses on the peaks and valleys of being intoxicated. “The pistol on the counter keeps starin’ at me, I threw away the bullets and I gave it away/ ‘Cause life is so much sweeter when you taste it/ Bring me back to life when I’m wasted,” they sing. Diplo released his first country-tinged project 2020, spearheaded by the hit “Heartless” with Morgan Wallen.
Ian Munsick, “River Run”
Gorgeous fiddle laces this organic musical romp as he recalls a short-lived romance with a lover whose “gypsy blood runs through her veins.” Though he, like many in his small town “just settle like the dust when the day is done,” he acknowledges that she, like the river, will never stay still. His sophomore album, White Buffalo, will be released April 7.
Alana Springsteen, “You Don’t Deserve a Country Song”
“You didn’t give me anything that’s worth writing down,” Springsteen sings with a forceful retort over a jaunty melody, making it clear she won’t be wasting her pen, paper and songwriting talents on a subpar ex-lover. This confidence bolstering jam also namechecks Brooks & Dunn’s “Neon Moon,” Keith Urban’s “You’ll Think of Me,” and Rascal Flatts’ “What Hurts the Most.” Bonus points for Springsteen tacking on a voice memo of her co-writers singing along at the end.
Drayton Farley, “Norfolk Blues”
Farley parlays his time working on the railroad into this driving folk-rock track, which finds him chronicling working double shifts far from home and hanging onto the hope of providing his family a better life in the process. The honesty, ache and resolution in Farley’s rough-hewn voice are palpable, making him a potential major contender with the new wave of rawer rock production and vulnerable vocals that is currently impacting country music. “Norfolk Blues” will be included on Farley’s upcoming Sadler Vaden-produced album Twenty on High, out March 3 via Hargrove Records/Thirty Tigers.
Michael Warren, “Another Round”
Warren delivers a polished, radio-friendly track that simmers in the romantic early days of a relationship and namechecks Shenandoah in the process. Warren’s warm and amiable, paired with the song’s smooth production, should make this track at home on any number of country and pop playlists.
Royale Lynn, “Runs in the Water”
This newcomer brings ferocious, ceiling-scraping vocals and melds them with a roaring chorus and scorching guitar work on par with anything that came out of the hard-driving 2000s rock and country scenes.
On Thursday (Jan. 12), Spotify released its Hot Country Artists to Watch list, and making this year’s list is Megan Moroney, who just released a music video for her viral hit “Tennessee Orange, which currently ranks at No. 43 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart.
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“I remember when I moved to town, I dreamed of being on the Hot Country Playlist,” Moroney said in a Spotify video. “To be on that playlist now is very cool for me and I’m very grateful.”
“Narcissist” singer-songwriter Avery Anna makes the list too, as does Dylan Marlowe (known for his remake of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” and new song “Goodbye Gets Around”).
ERNEST, who earned a top 20 Billboard Country Airplay hit with “Flower Shops” (featuring Morgan Wallen) and recently launched his own music publishing venture, also makes the list.
“There have been a ton of awesome names on this list and it’s an honor to be one of them,” ERNEST says in the video.
Country-rock group 49 Winchester’s high-octane sound puts the group on the list, while they are joined by “Don’t Come Lookin’” hitmaker Jackson Dean, whose music was recently featured on the hit series Yellowstone.
Also landing on the Spotify Artists to Watch list this year is the group Restless Road, known for “Take Me Home” (a collab with Kane Brown inspired by the John Denver classic “Take Me Home, Country Roads”), as well as “Growing Old With You.”
Others making the list include Ella Langley (“Country Boy’s Dream Girl”), Josh Ross (“First Taste of Gone”) and Tanner Adell (“Honky Tonk Heartbreak”).
See more from this year’s honorees below:
Dierks Bentley is offering fans an early glimpse into his upcoming 10th studio album, Gravel & Gold, which drops Feb. 24.
With the album, Bentley also celebrates two decades of steadily building his music career, going from playing tiny clubs to arenas. Bentley released his eponymous debut album in 2003, as well as his debut single “What Was I Thinkin’.” Since then, he’s earned 14 Grammy nominations and notched 18 No. 1 hits on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart. He’s collaborated with artists including Miranda Lambert, Elle King, Brothers Osborne, Vince Gill, BRELAND, Hardy, Maren Morris, Holly Williams and Luke Bryan.
In a recent video he posted to social media, the singer-songwriter shared, “My love for country music, that’s what’s always kept me going, town to town, show to show…I worked hard, I took chances, went for things.”
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Bentley says that his passion for quality heading into Gravel & Gold led him to create and then scrap his work — twice.
“I wrote, I recorded, it wasn’t good enough,” he says in the video. “I threw it out and started over, twice. I had to get it right, for the fans, for me. It had to be the best country music I ever made. Everyone showed up, my heroes and my friends. We did it together.”
Bentley recently released the track “High Note,” featuring bluegrass artist Billy Strings, as well as Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas and Bryan Sutton), which followed his first single release for the upcoming album, with “Gold.” The video clip also shows Bentley in the studio with singer-songwriter-musicians including Vince Gill and Jedd Hughes.
Kelsea Ballerini has added nine new concert dates to her Heartfirst Tour, beginning March 6 in Toronto, Ontario, and running through March 18 in Pittsburgh, Penn. The new dates include stops in Milwaukee, Detroit and Atlantic City. Opening for Ballerini will be Georgia Webster.
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Ballerini not only has her own headlining shows in the works for 2023, but she’s also opening for some key tours this year, including Kenny Chesney’s I Go Back Tour and The Judds: The Final Tour.
In September 2022, Ballerini released what is perhaps her most personal album to date with Subject to Change (via Black River Entertainment), including her current single, “If You Go Down (I’m Going Down Too).”
The country star welcomed several female collaborators for the project, including Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild, a co-writer on the album’s title “Subject to Change” and the tour’s namesake, “Heartfirst.” Alysa Vanderheym is also a co-producer on the project, and wrote “Heartfirst” with Fairchild and Ballerini. She also collaborated with Carly Pearce and Kelly Clarkson on the song “You’re Drunk, Go Home.”
“It’s interesting because in the conversation of, ‘Yes, we need more women in country music,’ what does that actually look like?” Ballerini previously told Billboard. “We need more female artists and collaborators but we also need more female opportunities throughout the whole chain of events, you know? I intentionally wanted to write with more women this time. For me, when you are making a record about emotions, when you connect with a woman creatively, you’re gonna be able to tap into that in a whole different way.”
See the full list of new tour dates below:
The last thing the world needs is a new artist.
An influential executive said that around eight years ago, and she had a point — there’s already so much music in circulation that most acts are swimming against the current in their attempts to achieve widespread recognition.
But the industry doesn’t always know what it needs until it shows up, either. And all of country’s star acts — people such as Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood or Chris Stapleton — were unknown new artists before the genre eventually discovered they were essential for its vitality.
Over a dozen newbies are hoping events in the next six months will help them become the exception, eventually emerging as household names after releasing their first country album or EP during the period. The contenders include two acts (Tyler Hubbard and Mike Gossin) issuing their first solo projects, after previously earning hits as members of Florida Georgia Line and Gloriana, respectively.
The list also features three duos: recent 8 Track Entertainment signees BoomTown Saints, longtime Warner Music Nashville project Walker County and Americana husband-and-wife team The War and Treaty, who are optimistic that their sound can translate to country.
Following is an overview of 14 acts whose first album or EP, either in the genre or at a label of consequence, are due during the first six months of 2023:
Luke Combs has been steadily letting fans in on new music, including his latest teaser of a new song titled “Love You Anyway.”
The ballad muses that even if he knew from the beginning that his current relationship would ultimately break his heart, his love is strong enough that he knows he would do it anyway.
“If your touch shattered me like glass/ I’d be in pieces trying to make a breakin’ last/ If it took one look to turn my days to nights/ At least I’d have the stars that sparkle in your eyes,” Combs sings. “There’s just some things that leave a man no choice, like a compass needle needin’ its true north/ Even if I knew the day we met, you’d be the reason this heart breaks/ Oh I’d love you anyway.”
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This isn’t the first time Combs has shared a bit of this ballad, having previously released audio from a work tape of the song back in 2020.
Combs recently revealed he has a new, 18-song album coming March 24; it will be the reigning Country Music Association entertainer of the year’s fourth full-length studio album. The project follows his 2022 album Growin’ Up, which landed on Billboard‘s list of the best albums of 2022, as well as Billboard‘s best country albums of 2022.
Growin’ Up is nominated for best country album at the upcoming Grammy Awards on Feb. 5, which is slated to be held at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Combs is also nominated for best country duo/group performance for “Outrunnin’ Your Memory” with Miranda Lambert, as well as best country song (“Doin’ This,” which he wrote with Drew Parker and Robert Williford).
Eric Church is set to bring his electrifying headlining show to a slate of outdoor venues this summer when he launches his 27-date The Outsiders Revival Tour. The trek launches June 22 in Milwaukee, Wis. Church first revealed the tour to members of his Church Choir fan club on Wednesday morning (Jan. 11).
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Church is going all in on the summer vibes by welcoming more than a dozen of his fellow artists to join him on various show dates, with opening acts Whiskey Myers, Cody Jinks, Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde, Koe Wetzel, Lainey Wilson, Midland, Parker McCollum, Travis Tritt, Elle King and Paul Cauthen, plus Jackson Dean, Morgan Wade, Muscadine Bloodline, Shane Smith & The Saints, Hailey Whitters, Ray Wylie Hubbard and The Red Clay Straws.
“When I approach touring, I’m always inspired by a new experience, a new way to gather, to express ourselves sonically and visually. Whether it’s solo, in the round, double down; being able to bring a different perspective has always brought out our best creatively,” Church said in a statement. “Well, we have never done an outdoor summer tour. Never headlined amphitheaters. Never brought a summer experience to your town that featured artists we want to share the summer with. Until now. See you in the season of sunshine with some fellow outsiders that shine brightest when the sun goes down.”
Tickets to all dates go on sale Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster.com, with presale access available to Church Choir members starting Tuesday at 10 a.m. local time.
Church previously teased the tour by blacking out his social media accounts and then posting a brief video clip that incorporated snippets of his own music as well as that of some of the tour’s openers.
See the full list of upcoming shows below (* signifies festival dates)
April 14* – Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / Fort Lauderdale Beach Park Tortuga Music FestivalJune 17* – Santa Rosa, Calif. / Sonoma County Fairgrounds Country Summer Music FestivalJune 22 – Milwaukee, Wisc. / American Family Insurance Amphitheater – Elle KingJune 23 – Detroit, Mich. / Pine Knob Music Theatre – Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay StraysJune 24 – Cleveland, Ohio / Blossom Music Center – Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay StraysJune 30 – Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium – Parker McCollum, Morgan WadeJuly 1 – Virginia Beach, Va. / Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater – Parker McCollum, Morgan WadeJuly 7 – Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage – Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The SaintsJuly 8 – Pittsburgh, Pa. / The Pavilion at Star Lake – Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The SaintsJuly 14 – Cincinnati, Ohio / Riverbend Music Center – Travis Tritt, Muscadine BloodlineJuly 15 – St. Louis, Mo. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Travis Tritt, Muscadine BloodlineJuly 28 – Dallas, Texas / Dos Equis Pavilion – Midland, Ray Wylie HubbardJuly 29 – Austin, Texas / Germania Insurance Amphitheater – Midland, Ray Wylie HubbardAug. 4 – Raleigh, N.C. / Coastal Credit Union Music Park – Cody JinksAug. 5 – Bristow, Va. / Jiffy Lube Live – Cody JinksAug. 11 – Indianapolis, Ind. / Ruoff Music Center – Cody JinksAug. 12 – Chicago, Ill. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Cody JinksAug. 13* – Des Moines, Iowa / Iowa State Fairgrounds Iowa State FairAug. 18 – Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater – Lainey Wilson, Jackson DeanAug. 19 – Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater – Lainey Wilson, Jackson DeanAug. 25 – Holmdel, N.J. / PNC Bank Arts Center – Whiskey MyersAug. 26 – Philadelphia, Pa. / Freedom Mortgage Pavilion – Whiskey MyersSept. 8 – Portland, Ore. / RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater – Jelly Roll, Hailey WhittersSept. 9 – George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre – Jelly Roll, Hailey WhittersSept. 15 – Albuquerque, N.M. / Isleta Amphitheater – Paul Cauthen, Hailey WhittersSept. 16 – Phoenix, Ariz. / Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre – Jelly Roll, Paul CauthenSept. 22 – Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre -Whiskey MyersSept. 23 – Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion -Whiskey MyersSept. 29 – West Palm Beach, Fla. / iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre – Whiskey MyersSept. 30 – Tampa, Fla. / MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre – Whiskey MyersOct. 7* – Bristol, Tenn. / Bristol Motor Speedway Country Thunder Bristol
Several country music artists will honor the late comedian-musician Leslie Jordan on Feb. 19, when Reportin’ for Duty: A Tribute to Leslie Jordan is held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.
An assembly of Jordan’s friends and collaborators will celebrate his life and career, with performances from Eddie Vedder, Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne, Brittney Spencer, Billy Strings, Lukas Nelson, Jake Wesley Rogers, Ashley McBryde, Fancy Hagood, Jelly Roll, Danny Myrick and Travis Howard, in addition to special appearances by Jim Parsons, Anthony Mason, Mayim Bialik, Cheyenne Jackson, Max Greenfield, Margaret Cho, Robyn Schall, and Leanne Morgan.
Additionally, the house band will feature musicians who all performed on Jordan’s 2021 debut album, Company’s Comin’. On the album, Vedder collaborated with Jordan on “The One Who Hideth Me,” while TJ Osborne appeared on “In the Sweet By and By.” McBryde was also featured on the album, performing “Working on a Building” alongside Jordan and Charlie Worsham.
As a cause close to Jordan’s heart, all proceeds from the event will benefit the EB Research Partnership, an organization dedicated to funding research to treat and cure Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). Tickets for the event will go on sale Friday, Jan. 13, at 10 a.m. CT, with pre-sale tickets going on sale Jan. 12 at 10 a.m. CT.
Jordan died Oct. 24, 2022, at age 67, following a car accident in Hollywood, Calif. He was known for his work on shows including Call Me Kat, Will & Grace, The Cool Kids, and The Book of Queer.
