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'What You See Is What You Get': Luke Combs gives credit for his CMA Entertainer nom to his fans

• No Comments • Country Music News

CMAThere’s little doubt Luke Combs is a man of the people. 

He proves that even with his outlook about being nominated for country music’s biggest award, CMA Entertainer of the Year.

“I think everybody says that they have the best fans in the world, and I truly believe that, and I’m sure everybody else does, too,” he tells ABC Audio. “I just happen to be the one that’s right for this exact moment in time,” he laughs.

“I owe everything to the fans,” Luke continues, “and everybody does really — whether they want to admit that or not. It doesn’t matter how great you think you are as a ‘this’ or a ‘that.’ If those people aren’t on board, then that stuff doesn’t matter.”

Just as the fans clearly have an appreciation for what Luke does, the North Carolina native also sees the work they put in.

“It doesn’t matter how good you think you are,” he reflects, “if nobody else wants to come to the shows, and stand in line in the snow to get the front of the pit, and, you know, buy the t-shirt, and hire the babysitters, and get hotel rooms. I mean, it’s a big expense in today’s world to go to an arena-sized concert.”  

Luke could take home six trophies at the 54th Annual CMA Awards, second only to Miranda Lambert, who has seven nominations. 

In addition to Entertainer, he could win Album for What You See Is What You Get, Song for “Even Though I’m Leaving” and Carly Pearce‘s “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” Single for “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” and Male Vocalist. 

You can find out if Luke wins Wednesday starting at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, when the 54th CMA Awards air live from Nashville. 

By Stephen Hubbard
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Jeremy Piven says his new film 'My Dad’s Christmas Date' proves "The romantic comedy form is not broken"

• No Comments • Entertainment News

Courtesy of MSR Media(LOS ANGELES) — Jeremy Piven stars in My Dad’s Christmas Date, a feisty romantic comedy that opens in theaters and on-demand Friday.

Piven’s plays a single father reeling from the loss of his wife, when his 16-year-old daughter hatches a plan to get her dad back “out there” and goes as far as impersonating him on dating sites to find him a match.

While Piven definitely does not recommend children impersonating their single parents on dating sites, he tells ABC Audio that, in the movie, it’s all in good fun.

“That’s what is so cool about this movie is it’s funny and heartfelt, and awkward, and dangerous and all these different things,” the Emmy Award winner gushed. “The romantic comedy form is not broken.”

Piven’s character is certainly a 180 from his days playing Ari Gold on the hit HBO show Entourage, which he says was an exciting challenge.

“I never played a role like this,” the comedian admitted, but said he was able to draw inspiration from his family to nail the part. “I had a great father – my mother is still around and my sister has kids.”

He also believes that, due to the current political climate, “we need to see more” lighthearted films.

But, when it comes to Ari Gold, whom he played for eight seasons on Entourage, he believes 2020 has room for the beloved uber-agent, too.

Noting that fans have been begging for Ari, Piven joked, “I mean I could just start doing YouTube videos of me as Ari Gold rolling calls! You know that would be funny.”

As for how Ari would last in a 2020-version of Entourage, Piven says he wouldn’t “last a solid 11 seconds” because he’d fail to navigate “political correctness, performative behaviors [and] cancel culture.”

By Megan Stone and Matt Wolfe
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. 

Negative COVID-19 test required for Washington, DC, visitors from high-risk states: Mayor

• No Comments • National News

narvikk/iStockBy BILL HUTCHINSON, ABC News

(WASHINGTON) — Most out-of-town visitors to Washington, D.C., from states deemed high-risk for COVID-19, will be required to have a negative test before arriving in the district, but will no longer have to self-quarantine in the city for 14 days, according to an order signed Thursday by the city’s mayor.

With the new order, the nation’s capital joins New York, Connecticut and New Jersey in instituting requirements for visitors to help blunt the spread of the coronavirus amid an alarming increase in infection rates across the country.

“We want people to be safe and smart if they do travel,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a news conference Thursday.

Under the order, people traveling from 42 states that D.C. health officials have deemed high-risk for COVID-19 will be required to test negative for the virus 72 hours before traveling to the nation’s capital. Visitors staying longer than three days will have to take a second test three to five days after their arrival, according to the order.

“Obviously if they get a negative test they should not come to the district,” Bowser said.

She said visitors from the neighboring states of Virginia and Maryland will be exempt from the new requirements.

Bowser also said essential workers coming from out of state will be allowed to carry out their duties prior to getting their second negative test.

Visitors coming to D.C. for 24 hours or less will also be exempt, and people arriving from out of state for funerals or emergencies will not need to obtain a test prior to arriving if doing so is impractical, the mayor said.

She said D.C. residents returning home from out of state should limit their daily activities and self-monitor for 14 days, or get tested three to five days after they arrive home.

The new travel advisory goes into effect on Nov. 9.

Anyone in close contact with people who have tested positive for the virus are advised not to travel to the city, Bowser added.

The mayor also said the city will continue to provide free tests to visitors.

In announcing the new order, Bowser also urged residents not to travel over Thanksgiving or to host large gatherings of out-of-state guests over the upcoming holiday.

“We continue to ask people to limit their travel, but we also know people are going to come here and they’re more than likely not going to quarantine for 14 days if they do,” Bowser said.

Bowser said there are no plans to create “checkpoints” at airports or on highways. But the mayor said that private institutions such as universities, hospitals, hotels, congregate care facilities and houses of worship may ask visitors about their recent travel and can require proof of a negative COVID-19 test before allowing admittance.

Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Amid a busy week of TV performances, Carly Pearce will debut “Next Girl” on 'The Kelly Clarkson Show'

• No Comments • Country Music News

Allister AnnCarly Pearce is delivering the first-ever live performance of her new single, “Next Girl,” next week, during an upcoming appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

The episode will also include a conversation between Carly and the superstar show host, Kelly Clarkson, about the song, Carly’s traditional influences and more. Airing on Tuesday, November 10, the show comes just one day before the 2020 CMA Awards, where Carly is nominated in four categories.

Three of those mentions come courtesy of her chart-topping single, “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” a duet with Lee Brice. The two acts will perform their hit together on the 2020 CMAs stage on Wednesday, for Carly’s second televised performance of the week.

In fact, fans are getting not one but two chances to see Carly and Lee on the same stage in the coming days. They’re also among the just-announced batch of performers set to play the 2020 Tunie Awards on Sunday, November 15.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

'Twas the night before Life Day…Disney unveils trailer to 'LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special'

• No Comments • Entertainment News

Disney+/Lucasfilm(NEW YORK) — While the original Star Wars Holiday Special lives on — if you can find it online — in infamy, Disney and Lucasfilm have built an all-new celebration of the Wookiee holiday Life Day with its LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special. 

The adventure takes Rey on a cross-timeline adventure when her journey to celebrate the Star Wars universe’s special day — for the uninitiated, it’s November 17 — puts her face to face with all the heroes and villains from that galaxy far, far away. 

The trailer shows Rey and BB-8 entering a mysterious Jedi temple, where she finds a crystal that transports them right into Luke Skywalker’s cockpit during the Battle of Yavin, which ended with Skywalker destroying the Death Star. 

Apart from some stunning, CG-LEGO recreations of some of the original trilogy’s most famous scenes, the teaser shows Rey literally crossing swords with Darth Vader, and not surprisingly crossing paths with The Mandalorian and his cute charge, Baby Yoda.

The special features the voices of Lando Calrissian himself, Billy Dee Williams, as well as Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, Star Wars sequel star Kelly Marie Tran, Star Wars: The Clone Wars vets Matt Lanter, who voices Anakin Skywalker, Tom Kane, who plays Yoda, James Arnold Taylor, the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Dee Bradley Baker, who voices all the clone troopers. 

Alas, it doesn’t feature the original trilogy’s main stars, or Bea Arthur or REO Speedwagon as did the original — which George Lucas had nothing do with, and which he publicly admitted he’d erase from the planet if he could.

The special airs on Disney+ on November 17.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.


By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.