Pulse – Country Music News

Miranda Lambert admits that Blake Shelton's success on NBC's The Voice might have been a contributing factor in their divorce several years ago due to all the attention the couple got from the paparazzi and tabloids. She told the Los Angeles Times, "I'm already very private and protective. And choosing the job I chose — I mean, I get onstage, I'm in front of people. But I didn't choose random photos of moments when I wasn't at work." Miranda especially disliked living in Hollywood part-time with Blake saying, "It taught me that Hollywood is not anything I want to be part of."

Miranda said that Blake's popularity made them tabloid targets, describing the experience as "a shock to my system."

She said she prefers the "family feel" of Nashville where she currently resides with her husband, former NYPD officer Brendan McLoughlin. Of course, Blake is also remarried to Gwen Stefani.

Miranda released her new album, Palomino, last week.

Chris Janson and Travis Tritt are teaming up to hit the road together on the 14-date co-headlining Can't Miss Tour this fall. They will play in arenas and amphitheaters beginning on October 7th in Huntington, W. Va.

Chris said, "Excited to be out touring with one of my favorites. It's gonna be a rowdy fall, and I'm looking forward to it!"

Travis added, "Our high energy performances complement each other so well. Audiences are going to be thoroughly entertained."

Chris and Travis recorded a duet for Chris' new All In album called "Things You Can't Live Without."

On Monday (May 2nd) night, Dolly Parton paid tribute to her friend, Naomi Judd, who died on Saturday (April 30th) at the age of 76. In a social media post, Dolly wrote, "I was so shocked to hear about Naomi's passing. Naomi and I were close. We were very similar. We were the same age and both Capricorns. We loved big hair, makeup and music. I have always loved Ashley, Wynonna and Naomi. They've always been like sisters to me." Dolly went on to congratulate Wynonna for The Judds' induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday (May 1st) writing, "I am sorry I couldn't be there but I can hear Naomi saying now ‘Oh well, a day late and a Dolly short.' Congratulations and condolences are both in order. Just know that I will always love you."

The Grand Ole Opry's initial artists for its Opry NextStage Class of 2022 include Elvie Shane (May), Morgan Wade (June) and BRELAND (July). The remaining four artists will be announced throughout the year. Opry NextStage spotlights Country music's rising talent and highlights one artist per month with featured original content, an Opry performance and support across the Opry Entertainment platforms.

Newcomer Conner Smith will make his debut on the Grand Ole Opry on May 28th. He was invited to do so during a recent Zoom with his label and tourmate Thomas Rhett.

Conner said, "Being a Nashville kid, my biggest dream has been to leave a mark on the history of Country music while also carrying on its legacy. The Grand Ole Opry is every piece of that so having the opportunity to stand in the circle for the first time means more to me than I can really put into words."

Conner will join Thomas Rhett on his Bring The Bar To You Tour, which is set to launch in June.

His debut single is called "Learn From It."

Carly Pearce had the honor of being asked to perform one of The Judds' hits during their induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday (May 1st) night. She was invited as a surprise guests for the mother/daughter duo a few months ago, but in light of Naomi Judd's sudden and unexpected death on Saturday (April 30th), everything got changed around at the last minute.

Carly tells us: "I love the Judds, and in light of what happened, I certainly didn't think that the ceremony would go on, but I think that's such a testament to the strength of the Judds daughters, Ashley and Wynonna, just that they wanted to keep it going. And I got a call that Wynonna had a special request for someone to sing ‘Grandpa.' And she didn't know that I was gonna be there. And I had to change my song at the last second, and it truly was, I think, the most nervous I've ever been in my career."

Naomi reportedly died by suicide at the age of 76. She had struggled with depression for several years, writing about it in her 2016 book, River of Time: My Descent into Depression and How I Emerged with Hope.

Morgan Wallen will be releasing a song dedicated to his mother this Mother's Day weekend. The song is called "Thought You Should Know," and it will be available on Friday (May 6th).

Morgan posted a picture of himself as a young child along with his mother on Instagram writing, "Thank you Mama. Dropping this song for you on Mothers Day weekend."

He co-wrote "Thought You Should Know" with Miranda Lambert and Nicolle Galyon and it's in the form of a phone call to his mother, Lesli Wallen.

Garth Brooks' performance of his 1994 hit, "Callin' Baton Rouge," was so loud on Saturday (April 30th) at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA that a seismograph on the Louisiana State University campus reportedly recorded a small earthquake thanks to the capacity crowd of over a 100,000 who together sang the lyrics along with Garth. Country Now reports the singing was so loud it shook the stadium, resulting in that small earthquake.

Chief Brand Officer for LSU Sports, Cody Worsham, tweeted that "an LSU professor set up a seismograph machine," an instrument that measures and records details of earthquakes, for the concert that night. LSU later confirmed that the seismograph did report a small earthquake during the performance of "Callin' Baton Rouge."

The sold out show was attended by 102,321 fans, becoming the second-largest stadium concert in North American History. The first was George Strait's 2014 concert at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas which drew 104,793 fans.

Vince Gill has signed on for a four-night residency at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium August 4-7. Vince's Ryman residency will mark his first solo performance at the Mother Church since two back-to-back sold out shows in 2007. Tickets to the show go on sale on Friday (May 6th) at 10 a.m. CT at ryman.com.

Vince said, "Of all the great concert halls in America and throughout the world, the Ryman is by far my favorite. I knew it was a unique venue the first time I set foot on the stage over 30 years ago. It was just me and an acoustic guitar and to this day that moment was like nothing I've ever experienced."

Vince joins the growing list of 2022 Ryman Residencies, which includes Dwight Yoakam, Tedeschi Trucks Band and Billy Strings, with more residencies to be announced.

Luke Combs has announced a fall run of dates called the Middle of Somewhere Tour with special guests Jordan Davis, Mitchell Tenpenny, Lainey Wilson and Morgan Wade. Lainey and Morgan will each open a leg of the tour. The trek opens on September 2nd with the first of two shows in Bangor, ME. Tickets to most shows go on sale on Friday (May 6th) at Ticketmaster.com.

Luke tells us: "It's going to be called The Middle Of Somewhere Tour. A great name for a tour just because of you know, the people that I feel like we get to play music for so I'm really excited to have Jordan out and I've known Lainey since 2014, before either of us had anything going on. And Morgan Wade is somebody whose music that I really love and I'm excited to get to meet and learn a little bit about."

The new fall tour dates are preceded by upcoming sold-out stadium shows at Denver's Empower Field at Mile High and Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium (ranking among the fastest sell-outs in each venue's history) as well as a stop at Seattle's Lumen Field, which also achieved a massive opening weekend and is nearly sold-out.

Luke is set to release his new album, Growin' Up, on June 24th. The fall tour borrows its name from one of the songs on the album.

Axl Rose joined country superstar Carrie Underwood onstage on Saturday night (April 30th) during her performance at Indio, California's Stagecoach Festival. Together, Rose and Underwood tackled two of Guns' Appetite For Destruction classics -- "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City."

Ultimate Classic Rock reported that back in 2020, Carrie Underwood revealed her love for Guns N' Roses string an appearance on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Underwood joked about "abandoning" her husband and kids to head out to a Guns show just after returning from her own road dates: "It's hard when you meet your heroes, y'know, because I do consider (Axl) to be somebody who taught me how to sing. . . and I was like, 'What if I meet him and he's not everything I want him to be?' But he was, he was super cool and nice."

Luke Bryan will headline his 13th Farm Tour kicking off on September 15th in Monroeville, IN. The six-date trek will take place in the fields of local farmers across six states, and two of the farms have never been played before. This year's Farm Tour features special guests Riley Green, Jameson Rodgers, the Peach Pickers, and DJ Rock. Tickets go on sale on Thursday (May 5th) at 10 a.m. local time at LukeBryan.com.

He said, "I look forward to these shows every year mainly because of the meaning behind them and why it was important to me to start the Farm Tour thirteen years ago. It has allowed communities who don't normally get a concert in their areas to experience a fun night in their backyard all while lifting up the American farmer. Small town and farming pretty much sum up my childhood. It is my way of life and I know it is a way of life for so many. It is truly the highlight of my year for me and my whole team."

Over 100,000 fans have attended the tour each year since its inception in 2009.

Luke will continue giving back to the farmers by awarding college scholarships to students from farming families who are attending the local college or university near the tour stops. To date, more than 60 scholarships have been granted.

Morgan Wallen is back in the good graces of the organizers of the Billboard Music Awards. He has been announced as a performer at the show, which will air live from Las Vegas on May 15th on NBC at 8 p.m. ET. Last year, he was uninvited in the wake of the racial slur he was caught uttering on a secret video recording.

On Friday (April 29th), the Billboard Music Award's production company issued a statement which reads, "We oppose discrimination, harassment, or racism of any kind. We believe in treating everyone with dignity and respect. After a thorough review and robust discussions internally and with the artist's team, in which we found a demonstrated and ongoing commitment to meaningful work and outreach, we extended an invitation to participate in this year's show."

In addition to Morgan, Silk Sonic, Florence + The Machine, and Maxwell will be performing. They join previously announced performers Burna Boy, Latto, Megan Thee Stallion, Rauw Alejandro and Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as this year's Icon Award recipient, Mary J. Blige.

Carrie Underwood has released the cinematic official music video for her new single "Ghost Story." The clip was directed by Carrie's longtime collaborator, Randee St. Nicholas, and was filmed in downtown Los Angeles at famed 1931 movie palace, the Los Angeles Theatre.

Carrie said, "I am very visually-oriented and from the first time I heard ‘Ghost Story,' I had a vision for how I wanted to bring this song to life in performance and Randee always takes everything to a whole other artistic level beyond my own imagination."

"Ghost Story" was released in March and is the lead single from Carrie's upcoming album, Denim & Rhinestones, due out on June 10th.

On Friday (April 29th), Carrie headlined the "Mane Stage" at the Stagecoach Festival in Indio, CA.

Chris Stapleton had to cancel his weekend shows in Canada after someone in his band tested positive for Covid. He made the announcement on Friday (April 29th) on social media writing, "To all of our friends in London, Ottawa, & Montreal, we are sorry to let you know that we are unable to perform this weekend due to a positive case of COVID within the band & subsequent exposures. We want you all to know this was not a decision we made lightly & we sincerely apologize to every ticket holder . . ."

Chris plans to reschedule the dates, but those have not yet been announced.

At this point, his All-American Road Show Tour is set to play in Regina, SK on Thursday (May 5th).

Eric Church is celebrating the one-year anniversary of his Heart & Soul triple album project by offering two exclusive boxed sets of the project in limited quantities – including the chance for the general public to purchase the Church Choir exclusive middle album, &, for the first time. In addition to all three albums pressed on a unique splattered colored vinyl, the Standard Boxed Set, priced at $89.99, also includes one of three limited-edition numbered posters in each set. The Super Deluxe Boxed Set, priced at $349.99, also features the three records and all three limited-edition numbered posters with a special foil print not found anywhere else as well as a slip mat, hemp tote bag, coaster set, record brush, exclusive liner book that includes never before seen photos of the recording process, studio and writers and an exclusive note from Church. For more information and to purchase both sets, visit heartandsoul.ericchurch.com.

Eric said, "I am the hardest critic on making sure every song deserves to be on the record, and I beat this thing to death going ‘this can't be that good.' But it was just a special, special time and a special, special project that I think will be among our best."

Eric continues on his The Gather Again Tour across the U.S. and Canada while recently announcing two one-night-only stadium concerts at Milwaukee's American Family Field on May 28th and Minneapolis' U.S. Bank Stadium on June 11th.

American Idol season 17 winner Laine Hardy was arrested after turning himself in to police at Louisiana State University on Friday (April 29th) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on charges of illegally intercepting communications, Rolling Stone reports. According to the warrant, Laine is accused of placing a voice-activated recorder in the dorm room of a female LSU student who had a previous relationship with the singer.

Police cited evidence of recordings made over a 10-day period in February, some of which seemed to include Hardy's own voice.

On Thursday (April 28th), Laine shared the situation with fans via social media writing, "Earlier today, I received a warrant due to allegations made against me and have been fully cooperative with the Louisiana State University Police Department. Due to the sensitive nature of this allegation, I humbly ask for privacy at this time. I have the utmost respect for the law and will assist in their investigation as needed moving forward."

Laine's debut album, Here's to Anyone, was released in September of last year.

Outdoor lifestyle brand Chaco Footwear and Thomas Rhett have announced the newest Chaco x Thomas Rhett collaboration, which includes limited-edition sandals featuring two different patterns available in both adult and children's sizes. The line expands upon last year's successful collection.

Thomas said, "Getting out and being in the river with my wife, family or friends is one of the most peaceful ways that we get to spend time together. Those moments, when I'm 60 or 70 years old and looking back, are going to stand out as some of my favorite memories."

The 2022 Chaco x Thomas Rhett Collection includes the Brook Trout and Rainbow Trout patterns. For adults, each print will be available in the Z/1 Classic, MSRP $110; Z/2 Classic, MSRP $110; and Chillos Slide, MSRP $55. For kids, they will be available in the Z/1 Ecotread, sizes 11-5, MSRP $65.

Thomas added, "One of the main reasons I wanted to make sure we added a kid's line is that I want our kids to feel a part of this. I cannot wait to see entire families in these shoes all over the country this year and have that encourage them to get out and do something adventurous together."

Proceeds from each children's sandal sale will be donated to Love One International—providing access to life-saving medical care to children in Uganda; and a donation made to Trout Unlimited, a non-profit dedicated to conserving freshwater streams, rivers, and associated upland habitats for trout, salmon, and other aquatic species.

Despite previously asking the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to withdraw her nomination for possible entry, Dolly Parton is now saying she will "accept gracefully," according to an interview she did on Friday (April 29th) on NPR's Morning Edition.

Dolly's change of heart comes after learning more about the requirements of being in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She said, "So I just felt like I would be taking away from someone that maybe deserved it, certainly more than me, because I never considered myself a rock artist, but obviously, there's more to it than that."

The class of 2022 inductees will be announced this month.

George Strait has announced a two-night-only event in his home state, with back-to-back concerts set for Friday, November 18th and Saturday, November 19th at Fort Worth's Dickies Arena. He will be joined by special guest Tenille Townes for both dates, and tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, May 13th at 10 a.m. CT via Ticketmaster.com.

Chris Young will release Famous Friends (Deluxe Edition) on June 3rd. The first track is called "Everybody Needs a Song," featuring Old Dominion, which was released on Friday (April 29th). The collaboration is one of six new sides found on the project.

Darius Rucker continues to share new music with the release of "Same Beer Different Problem," which is available everywhere now. He co-wrote the song for his first solo project since 2017's When Was the Last Time.

Miranda Lambert's new album, Palomino, might be considered a game as much as it is a vehicle for new music. There are many "Easter eggs" for fans to find buried within the lyrics of the album's 15 songs.

Miranda tells us: "I never thought about calling them Easter eggs but that's a good way to put it -- just these little references to Emmylou songs or Billy Bob's rhinestone saddle. I want people in on it. This isn't like an inside joke or us winking at each other. This is like, 'Find them with us.' I'm still finding them and I wrote every song on this record (laughs), you know? Across this record there's all kinds of little nuggets to pull from."

Palomino is out today (Friday, April 29th). The project includes Miranda's latest hit, "If I Was A Cowboy."

She performs tonight in Johnson City, TN.

Priscilla Block recently wrapped her first ever headlining tour, the Welcome To The Block Party Tour, with 11 sold out shows. The trek played in 15 markets overall, where Priscilla performed all of her music from her debut album, Welcome to the Block Party, which was released in February and includes the RIAA Gold-certified "Just About Over You," as well as her current radio single, "My Bar."

Priscilla said, "This tour has honestly been the highlight of the past couple years. It's realizing in person, in real time, this is working. The fans are unreal! They show up singing every single song, drinks in hand, with their hoops on and hair up high. I'm over the moon! This is what I want to do forever, and I want to keep building that hard ticket to get to stadiums one day, baby!"

Priscilla's tour schedule runs through the summer, including her first time performing at Nashville's CMA Music Fest and upcoming tour dates with Jon Pardi.

Brian Kelley and his wife, Brittney, will be releasing a limited NFT collection called Chill Cowboy Country Club (CCCC). They will blend "futuristic metaverse innovation with one-of-a-kind IRL (in real life) experiences to create a NFT that is truly groundbreaking," according to a release. The mint date is slated for June with more details coming soon.

Brian told Forbes, "Our goal is to give more access and more value to the fans. We love building experiences and so this is just another form of us getting to host people, connect people and do it in ways where it's different where people can take these memories with them forever."

Brittney added, "What's really special about this is that we are the first generation to shape and create Web3 and this NFT space. We want to build a community and bring like-minded people together both online and in real life."

Upon minting, a Chill Cowboy NFT holder will receive at random their very own Chill Cowboy or Cowgirl. Designed by artist Benedict Aiteobhor (Invisible Friends NFT), the characters represent Country musicians both past and present, as well as the most iconic western characters to the modern-day Cowboy. The limited collection of 5,000 NFTs will include 30 ultra-rare 1 of 1 NFTs that anyone has the chance to mint.

To become a member of CCCC and purchase a Chill Cowboy NFT ahead of the public mint date, join the club's VIP list. Text 615-813-6552 for early access and additional information.

Brandi Carlile has had to bow out of performing at this weekend's Stagecoach Festival in Indio, CA after being diagnosed with Covid. She shared the news in a video posted to social media on Wednesday (April 27th).

She said, in part, "Hey buddies, It finally happened; I have the COVID, so I won't be able to come to Stagecoach. It's horrible."

Brandi revealed that she has a chest infection due to the virus, but she's "starting to feel a little bit better."

Brandi was scheduled to headline the festival's Palomino Stage tonight (Friday, April 29th). Her performance slot will be filled by Tanya Tucker.