Pulse – Country Music News

Parker McCollum was surprised with two RIAA plaques during his sold-out show at Nashville's Ascend Amphitheater on Saturday (May 21st). The plaques celebrate Parker's Number One hits "Pretty Heart," which has been certified 2x multi-Platinum, and "To Be Loved By You," which has been certified Gold. Both songs are included on Parker's major label debut, Gold Chain Cowboy, which was released last summer.

He said, "What can I even say? I have a double Platinum hit and a Gold hit to start my career at the best record label in music. Universal Music Group Nashville/ MCA Nashville has been incredibly patient with me and allowed me to craft these songs the same way I always have. I am forever grateful for this opportunity to swing it in the big leagues of country music. We are just getting started."

Parker will make his debut appearance at this year's CMA Fest in Nashville. He will be hitting the main stage at Nissan Stadium on Sunday, June 12th.

Zac Brown Band member John Driskell Hopkins revealed that he has been diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. In a video released on the band's YouTube page on Friday (May 20th), Hopkins stands alongside his band members to announce the tough news, saying in part, "Over the last several years, I've been dealing with some stiffness in my body and some slurred speech . . . Because my symptoms have been slow-progressing from the start, we believe they will continue to be slow progressing going forward. God willing, I plan to be rocking with these amazing people for many years to come."

Hopkins remains on tour with Zac Brown Band.

He and his family have established a foundation to support research to prevent, reverse and cure ALS called Hop On A Cure. To make a donation, text "Hop" to 345-345.

Eric Church played the final date on his 50-plus city The Gather Again Tour on Friday (May 20th) at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was a full circle moment for some as Eric surprised the crowd with Ashley McBryde, who filled in for an ill Joanna Cotten. Eric first introduced a then-unknown Ashley to his fans during a concert some five years ago.

Ashley joined Eric on his second song of the night, "Outsiders," and continued on for nearly every song of the 30-song set. She shared a couple photos from the night on social media writing, "When the Chief @ericchurchmusic calls from @thegarden, you answer."

Eric closed the night out solo acoustic with a five-song medley encore.

Kane Brown will serve as the grand marshal for the Ally 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday, June 26th. He will give the drivers the command to start their engines before the 4 p.m. CT race.

Tyler Hubbard has released his first solo single, called "5 Foot 9." He co-produced the track, in addition to co-writing it with The Cadillac Three's Jaren Johnston and Chase McGill.

Tyler tells us: "So, ‘5 Foot 9' has been a special song for me since the day we wrote it and it's just a reminder to take in the beauty and the simplicity of life, whether it's dirt roads, whether it's rain drops, whether it's country music. And then in the chorus for me, it's the bigger, more important picture of hey, the real good stuff in life? Just the reminder that God's responsible for making that happen and just taking that in and letting that be a daily reminder for myself and my fans. So, definitely love this song and it holds a special place in my heart."

Of course, Tyler is best known as one half of the duo Florida Georgia Line. He has written seven chart-topping hits for FGL, as well as writing cuts for artists across multiple genres including Jason Aldean, Jimmie Allen, Kane Brown, Little Big Town, Thomas Rhett, Chris Tomlin, Nelly and Bebe Rexha.

Lainey Wilson has released her new single, "Heart Like A Truck," as well as the music video. She co-wrote the semi-autobiographical song, which Lainey will debut on NBC's Today show on Tuesday (May 24th) and then on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday (May 26th).

Lainey said, "'Heart Like A Truck' is all about self-discovery, growth and embracing scars as badges of honor. After all, a truck that has hit a few bumps and earned some scratches has proved itself and its tenacity—the shiny one on the lot can't say that."

Lainey plays the lead in the video for "Heart Like A Truck," which was filmed at a historic farm in Franklin, TN.

"Heart Like A Truck" is the follow up to Lainey's second Number One hit, "Never Say Never" with Cole Swindell.

Wynonna Judd already said that she will move forward with The Judds: The Final Tour despite the unexpected death of her mother, Naomi Judd, last month. Now that tour has turned into a bit of a celebration of women, as Wynonna has tapped Faith Hill, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Ashley McBryde, Trisha Yearwood and Brandi Carlile to join her on select dates.

She said, "I am humbled, once again, by the loyalty of the fans who have been with us for 38+ years, who continue to show up for me when I need them the most. I am grateful that we will continue to honor The Judds legacy, together."

The tour has added a final stop in Lexington, KY at Rupp Arena on October 29th, a homecoming celebration where it all began. There, Faith will join Wynonna onstage. Wynonna said, "What a full-circle moment it will be to end the tour in Kentucky where it all began. It means so much to have my sisterfriend, Faith, join me for this musical celebration. It is pretty amazing – all of the people who have come forward to offer up their time and their gifts. I am feeling extra grateful."

The 11-date arena tour kicks off in Grand Rapids, MI at Van Andel Arena on September 30th. To purchase tickets for The Judds' The Final Tour visit ticketmaster.com.

Kane Brown is a busy man, between writing and recording music, playing live shows, and last but not least, being a husband and a dad to his two young daughters. On the rare occasion Kane gets some downtime, he tells us his favorite way to relax is a hobby he's enjoyed since childhood. "My favorite method of relaxation would be just video games. I get online with my friends from back home or you know, even if it's friends from on the road. I love just kind of being in a virtual world where nothing's real or having to worry about anything, but I have noticed it's best when everybody in my house is asleep so I don't have to worry about anybody saying my name or caring that I'm playing, my wife specifically. So that's probably my favorite relaxation time."

Kane takes the stage tonight (Friday, May 20th) at the Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, AL. His headlining Blessed & Free Tour continues tomorrow (Saturday, May 21st) in Tampa, FL.

Kane is in the Top 20 and climbing on the Mediabase chart with "Like I Love Country Music."

Dolly Parton has been reunited with her beloved Taco Bell Mexican Pizza! Yesterday (Thursday, May 19th), she shared her enthusiasm and first few bites of the just returned menu item that she and so many others have been longing for.

In the video message to fans Dolly said, "It's finally here! You know what this is, oh look at that, is that not beautiful? It almost looks too good to eat, but I'm gonna. So good, you go get you one of these. Oh mercy, it was worth the wait."

Dolly recently told Insider that her other Taco Bell favorites include soft shell taco supremes as well as rice, beans and mild sauce because she said, "I don't like to get it too hot and ruin everything."

Taco Bell eliminated Mexican Pizza from its menu in November of 2020.

Earlier this month, news broke that Dolly and Doja Cat teamed up withe Taco Bell to release Mexican Pizza: The Musical, a film paying homage to the return of the favorite menu item which is set for release on May 26th on Tik Tok.

Army and Army Reserves veteran Craig Morgan was inducted into the U.S. Field Artillery Hall of Fame on Wednesday (May 18th) night, recognizing a wide array of Field Artillery men and women who have contributed greatly to the branch. The ceremony took place at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where Craig was previously stationed during his military service.

Billy Ray Cyrus celebrated the 30th Anniversary of his iconic debut album, Some Gave All, on Wednesday (May 18th). The album, which includes his Number One hit single, "Achy Breaky Heart," was a breakout success. Some Gave All earned the rank as the best-selling album of 1992, reaching RIAA 9x multi-platinum status in the U.S. and remaining Top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart for 17 consecutive weeks.

Jason Aldean and his wife, Brittany, both turned to social media to share that their four-year-old son, Memphis, had his first trip to the emergency room earlier this week. Apparently Memphis cut his chin at the pool reportedly at the family's new Florida beach home and required a couple of stitches.

Jason posted a story to Instagram on Tuesday (May 17th) writing, "Lil man had his first trip to the ER today. Needed 2 stitches and took it like a champ. Back home and rockin'."

Brittany also shared an Instagram story writing, "Our day took a turn when Mems fell at the pool… Two stitches under his chin and our official first trip to the E.R. Thankful for such great nurses and one awesome doc. He is doing great… Mama's heart not so much."

Jason will head out on his 34-city Rock N' Roll Cowboy Tour beginning on July 15th in Scranton, Pennsylvania with special guests Gabby Barrett, John Morgan and Dee Jay Silver.

Luke Combs turned to social media to reveal the12-song track list for his upcoming album, Growin' Up. Of the dozen, there is one duet, and it's with Miranda Lambert. The album will be released on June 24th.

Luke also revealed that his new single is called "The Kind of Love We Make," and it will be released on June 17th.

One of the songs on Growin' Up is called "Middle of Somewhere" which is also the name of Luke's upcoming fall tour. It launches on September 2nd in Bangor, Maine.

Priscilla Block is taking the Block Party overseas. On the heels of her first headlining U.S. tour, she will launch her five-date Welcome to the Block Party World Tour on August 22nd in Glasgow, UK.

Priscilla said, "The US Tour was such a success, we've decided to take this thing overseas! I had the opportunity to play C2C this year and it was unreal. I can't wait to get back to Europe and show everyone what the full Block Party is all about!"

Tickets for the Welcome to the Block Party World Tour will be available for purchase on Friday (May 20th) at 10 a.m. BST / 4:00am CDT.

Thomas Rhett is likely already knee deep in rehearsals for his upcoming Bring the Bar to You Tour, which kicks off in about a month. Thomas says history has taught him it's better to be overly prepared than not enough so he and his band commit many hours to getting everything just right before hitting the stage on opening night. "I think the band, at times, has definitely wanted to kill me just for the amount of time that we rehearse. But I think I've done so many cold starts to tours, especially in my early days, that I never wanted to experience that when I became a headliner. And so, we rehearse ourselves into the ground. We run the show so many times to the point of we can play it in our sleep, so that when we get to that first city, that city doesn't have to suffer our rust. We've already knocked all that off. And so, then we get to play the whole tour full force."

The Bring The Bar To You Tour launches on June 17th and 18th in Gilford, NH with special guests Parker McCollum and Conner Smith.

Thomas will play the main stage at Nissan Stadium in Nashville during CMA Fest on June 10th.

Luke Bryan and his American Idol co-judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie will all be returning to the show next season, according to Deadline. They, along with host Ryan Seacrest, are coming back for the sixth season on ABC, 21st season overall.

Elle King and Dierks Bentley have released the official music video for their latest collaboration, "Worth A Shot." The concept was created and written by Elle, and the clip was filmed Murfreesboro, TN. It flashes back to the Wild West in the late 1800s where Elle and Dierks star as husband-and-wife characters.

LoCash and The Beach Boys are scheduled to officially kick off the summer for the Grand Ole Opry with their performances scheduled for Friday, May 27th. They'll team up on LoCash's current single, "Beach Boys" featuring Mike Love and longtime bandmate Bruce Johnston, which will mark the Opry debut of The Beach Boys. Other artists scheduled to perform include Lorrie Morgan and Darryl Worley.

Michael Ray has signed on for Brian Kelley's upcoming musical, May We All: A New Country Musical. The show opens on June 15th at Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville, TN. Michael joins the previously announced lineup which includes BRELAND, Canaan Smith, Danielle Bradbery, Jamie O'Neal, Lainey Wilson, Lindsay Ell, LoCash, RaeLynn, and Trent Harmon.

On Wednesday afternoon (5-18) Taylor Swift became an honorary graduate at NYU. And then a few minutes later, she gave the commencement speech.

She urged the students to not be afraid to be enthusiastic and try hard when it comes to the things they love. She also reminded them to accept that they will inevitably make mistakes as they go forward with their post-college lives.

She also thanked the university for making her an honorary doctor.

She later posted online and said it was the first time she had ever worn a cap and gown. Swift went to public high school until 10^th grade and then was homeschooled while chasing her career.

The graduation took place at New York City's Yankee Stadium.

TL;DR:

Keith Whitley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Joe Galante are all headed into the Country Music Hall of Fame, it was announced by Brooks & Dunn yesterday (Tuesday, May 17th) morning during a livestreamed press conference from the Hall of Fame in Nashville. Galante will be inducted in the "Non-Performer" category; Lewis will be inducted in the "Veterans Era Artist" category; and Whitley will be inducted in the "Modern Era Artist" category. They will officially be inducted sometime this fall.

Lorrie Morgan, Whitley's wife at the time of his death, said, "In my heart, this feels like an absolutely appropriate honor, but at the same time, I know that Keith would be painfully humbled, and even shy about accepting an induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Music was all about emotion to Keith. It was personal. There were so many great artists he admired, even worshipped. To stand in their company in the Hall of Fame would've been overwhelmingly emotional for him. I am thrilled to see him honored this way, and for what it means to my children, Morgan and Jesse Keith; to Keith's grandchildren; the Whitley family; and to the many, many fans who continue to point to Keith as one of the all-time greats."

Lewis said, "To be recognized by Country Music with their highest honor is a humbling experience. The little boy from Ferriday, LA listening to Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams never thought he'd be in a Hall amongst them. I am appreciative of all those who have recognized that Jerry Lee Lewis music is Country Music and to our almighty God for his never-ending redeeming grace."

Galante said, "When I heard the news I was being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, it was the first time in my entire career I was speechless. I'm humbled, beyond honored and honestly, I'm still trying to wrap my head around this."

Darius Rucker will be the star of his own show on The Design Network called Rucker's Reno. The series follows along as Darius revives a historic mansion in the heart of his hometown of Charleston, S.C. The entire new six-part series from The Design Network is available early to viewers now on Samsung TV Plus, Samsung's free video streaming platform, before rolling out to other services on May 30th at 8 p.m. ET.

Darius said, "It's always an honor when I get to showcase my hometown of Charleston to the world, and I'm thankful to The Design Network for such a great platform to do just that. The team on this project was so talented and made it such a fun, creative process from start to finish. I can't wait for everyone to see the transformation!"

Darius and his team tackle the restoration of this home one room at a time, while also stopping by some of the city's finest establishments. Together with the series' Title Sponsor, South Carolina Tourism, Darius showcases the best parts of Charleston's culture, meeting up with local chefs, entrepreneurs, fishermen and friends as he highlights some of the top attractions in the area.

Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood and Gabby Barrett are all set to perform during American Idol's three-hour finale, airing on ABC on Sunday (May 22nd). They will be joined by Idol judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry, who will also each perform during the special show, set to air at 8 p.m. ET.

Country Now reports that Thomas Rhett will also join Katy Perry later in the show for the live debut of their duet, "Where We Started," the title track of Thomas' latest album.

Additional performers include Deana Carter, Ben Platt, James Arthur, Sara Bareilles, Earth, Wind & Fire, Melissa Etheridge, Flo Rida, Michael Buble and Tai Verdes.

Carly Pearce has a few weekends of the Kenny Chesney Here and Now Stadium Tour under her belt and what a change it has been for her. Carly tells us the dates on her 29 Tour earlier this year is a far cry from the venues she's playing now. [“I’m like out there in my little 1500-seat theaters, just singin’ my little songs, tellin’ my stories, wearin’ my big dresses.  And this is like thousands and thousands of people, a cat walk that makes me almost die of a heart attack when I get to the end of it. And now, I totally get the No Shoes Nation. I get why he is the mega-touring act that he is. It is a good challenge for me to kind of command such a massive situation. I can’t even call it a room, it’s like a situation..”] SOUNDCUE (:33 OC: . . . like a situation.)

The Here And Now Tour rolls on to Orange Beach, AL tomorrow (Thursday, May 19th) night. 

Dolly Parton will return to NBC this holiday season for Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas, described as a musical about the making of a TV special set at Dolly's Tennessee theme park, Dollywood, according to People.com.

Dolly Parton's Magic Mountain Christmas is Dolly's third TV film collaboration with NBC. Her previous releases were Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors in 2015 and Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love in 2016.

Carrie Underwood will head out on her headlining The Denim & Rhinestones Tour this fall with special guest Jimmie Allen. The trek will kick off on October 15th in Greenville, SC, making stops in 43 U.S. cities before concluding in Seattle, WA on March 17, 2023. Tickets for The Denim & Rhinestones Tour concerts go on sale to the general public beginning on Friday (May 20th) at 10 a.m. local time.

Carrie said, "I'm having such an amazing time with my Las Vegas residency and look forward to continuing that next year after the tour. I'm excited to bring the new music of Denim & Rhinestones to life on tour, as well as put new spins on familiar favorites. We've been working hard already preparing an amazing show, and I can't wait to see everyone on the road!"

As in the past, Carrie will donate $1 from each ticket sold to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation (t2t.org), which provides mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building custom-designed smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders.

Carrie's new Denim & Rhinestones album will be released on June 10th.

Luke Combs' latest single, "Doin' This," claims the Number One spot on both the Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase/Country Aircheck charts this week. This is Luke's 13th consecutive chart-topper.

The feat coincides with the fifth anniversary of his debut single, "Hurricane," hitting Number One. Luke tweeted, "Today is the 5 year Anniversary of "Hurricane" going #1. I get to celebrate with my 13th in a row with ‘Doin' This' That's INSANE! Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this every step along the way. Wouldn't be possible without you. Love y'all!"

In celebration of "Doin' This," as well as Luke's last eight chart-topping singles, BMI will host its biggest Number One party ever with a special sold-out Parking Lot Party concert on June 8th in Nashville featuring performances by Luke and his co-writers.

"Doin' This" will be included on Luke's upcoming album, Growin' Up, which will be released on June 24th.

The sale of tickets to Garth Brooks' recently announced concert at Buffalo, New York's Highmark Stadium on July 23rd is being postponed. Tickets were set to go on sale this Friday (May 20th), but "out of respect" for the victims of the recent mass shooting, Garth has decided to push the date back. A new onsale date will be announced in the coming weeks. The show will still take place on its orginally scheduled date.

Garth said, "At some point, the healing in Buffalo will begin and the city will sing again. But for now, we pause out of respect for what the great community of Buffalo is going through, and we stand beside all of those who are hurting and confused by such an unthinkable act."

Garth's Stadium Tour rolls on to Foxborough, MA this weekend with two shows at Gillette Stadium.