March 12, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Courtesy of Grand Ole Opry LLC.The Grand Ole Opry is commemorating the COVID-19 era with a new, limited-edition vinyl LP called UnbrokenEmpty Room, Full Circle.

The project will feature a selection of Opry performances from the period of months when shows took place without in-house audiences, which began in March 2020 and continued for 29 weeks. It includes performances from Opry members and standout moments from the hallowed stage over the course of the past year.

Kicking off the track list will be Marty Stuart’s rendition of “No Hard Time Blues” from a show that took place close to the beginning of the pandemic. Vince Gill and Brad Paisley also appear on that track, with each also contributing another song on the project.

“We are at our best during hard times,” Vince said from the stage that night.

“Country music really excels in times like this…we will persevere in the face of this,” added Brad.

UnbrokenEmpty Room, Full Circle is due for release on June 4. Here’s the full track list:

Marty Stuart, “No Hard Times”
Reba McEntire, “Back to God”
Keith Urban, “Coming Home”
Luke Combs, “Six Feet Apart”
Dailey & Vincent and Ricky Skaggs, “Uncle Pen”
Rodney Crowell, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, “Leavin’ Louisiana in the Broad Daylight”
Trace Adkins, “Tough People Do”
Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man”
Darius Rucker, “It Won’t Be Like This for Long”
Old Crow Medicine Show, Dom Flemons, Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, “Mama Don’t Allow It/Will the Circle Be Unbroken”

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 12, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Rick Kern/Getty ImagesIt’s been almost two years since Granger Smith and his wife, Amber, announced the tragic death of their three-year-old son, River, who died in a drowning accident at home in June of 2019.

Since then, the singer and his family, including his nine-year-old daughter London and seven-year-old son Lincoln, have been open with fans about their grieving and healing process.

Now, Granger’s ready to share a happy piece of news with the world: He and Amber are expecting a baby boy in August. The couple announced their good news on their YouTube channel, explaining that they would also being sharing their experience during an interview on CBS This Morning on Friday.

“[We want to spread] a message of hope, restoration, faith and redemption. Because that’s what this story is for us,” Granger said.

The Smiths also shared a video of all the members of their family together, each sharing a message with River. “Dear River, because of the life you lived, we’ve grown closer to God,” Granger says.

“And God gave us a miracle,” Amber continues. “Sweet Riv, because of the life you lived, very soon, you’re going to have a baby brother.”

Granger began work on his most recent double album, Country Things Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, in early 2019. Everything changed with the tragic loss of his son, but in the wake of River’s death, he slowly returned to music-making with the perspective that writing the songs was a healing outlet.

The Country Things project is a spirited look into Granger’s family life, state of mind and, of course, all things country.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 12, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Courtesy of BMLG RecordsLady A tip their hats to some of country music’s powerhouse female legends in “Like a Lady,” the trio’s newest single and the first taste of their as-yet-unannounced eighth studio project.

Co-written by the group’s Hillary Scott, “Like a Lady” is a playful ode to strong, confident women who bring swagger everywhere they go, whether they’re dressed up or dressed down.

“As we were writing it, I was like, ‘It’s always been my dream to do a song that combines the things I love about Dolly Parton’s ‘9 to 5’ and Shania Twain’s ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman’ — two of the most strong, powerful female songs ever,” explains Hillary. “So it was like, ‘How can we do our version of that?’”

While “Like a Lady” may be all about celebrating women, Hillary adds that her fellow band mates Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood were immediately enthusiastic about the song.

“It’s incredible that Charles and Dave, in all their masculinity, are willing to sing right alongside me in this song,” she goes on to say. “I think that is another powerful statement. It’s super important for strong, great men to stand beside women and propel them forward.”

“We were some of the biggest champions for ‘Like a Lady’ and we’re honored to stand alongside Hillary,” chimes in Dave. “We’ve had a front-row seat to her strength over the years and we love linking arms with her on this song.”

The band rounded out their new release with a special behind-the-scenes set video to give fans a peek into all the fun that went into creating the finished product.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.