Home

TTR News Center

Ashley McBryde signs on as a CMA Foundation ambassador to advocate for music education

• No Comments • Country Music News

ABC/Image Group LAAshley McBryde is the first-announced artist ambassador for the Country Music Association’s Unified Voices for Music Education initiative.

As part of the brand new program, the “Martha Divine” star will work with music educators throughout the month of November in a variety of ways. She’ll create a band-specific video lesson plan, meet virtually with music teachers and share her own experiences to highlight the importance of music education in schools and beyond.

Ashley recently appeared on an episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show to discuss her partnership with host and superstar Kelly Clarkson.

“Being in band was really important to me,” the singer says, explaining how she attended college hoping to become a band director herself. “I played the French horn, I played mellophone, and I’ve tried to remind kids that it’s not a nerdy thing at all to play an instrument.”

There’s nothing nerdy about Ashley’s career these days. This week, she was also announced as a performer at the upcoming 2020 CMA Awards, where she’s also nominated for three trophies, including in the Album of the Year category for her latest album, Never Will.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKZPCcp6JE8&w=640&h=360]

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

“This has been quite a journey”: As 'Buy Me a Boat' goes gold, Chris Janson looks back at the past five years

• No Comments • Country Music News

Jared C. Tilton/Getty ImagesFive years ago, Chris Janson roared into the country mainstream with the release of his “Buy Me a Boat” and a debut album of the same name.

Since then, the singer has amassed four chart-topping singles, a spot as a Grand Ole Opry Member, one billion global career streams and many more accolades. Recently, “Buy Me a Boat” received 3x platinum certification from the RIAA.

But as Chris points out in a video retrospective looking back at his career to date, his brand-new RIAA gold certification for the Buy Me a Boat album is particularly meaningful.

“This is an album, which is ultra-special to me, because this means that you went out and you purchased a CD,” the singer told his fans in the clip. “Or however you did it — you bought the full-length album. So thank you very much for this. This means a lot.”

Chris’ single, “Waitin’ on 5,” is currently climbing the charts.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0OSr9BhEZM&w=640&h=360]

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

“Through My Ray-Bans,” Eric Church sees the power of human connection from the vantage point of the stage

• No Comments • Country Music News

UMG NashvilleEven in the midst of a difficult year, Eric Church is placing his bets on the resilience of the human spirit.

That’s because he’s seen it first-hand, he sings in the lyrics of his just-released song, “Through My Ray-Bans.” The song celebrates the magic and solidarity Eric has seen while performing onstage, looking out at the crowd cheering back at him.

“Everybody’s got their arms around everybody else’s shoulders / Guarding against the world outside like an army of Friday night soldiers,” he sings in the chorus. “The battle wages tomorrow, but tonight you don’t give a damn / Wish you could stay the way I see you through my Ray-Bans…”

The singer first teased his defiant, gut-punching tune this spring, when he used it as the backdrop of a spoken-word video message celebrating the human spirit and promising that ultimately, human connection will triumph over the COVID-19 pandemic.

Per Rolling Stone, Eric has also dedicated the song to the survivors of the 2017 Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting, which claimed 61 lives and injured hundreds more concertgoers.

“Through My Ray-Bans” is the latest in a slew of new songs The Chief has released this year. He also dropped “Bad Mother Trucker,” “Crazyland” and, just a few weeks ago, “Hell of a View.” His single, “Stick that In Your Country Song,” was a Top 30 hit this summer.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a6OY0DDCqg&w=640&h=360]

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

Omari Hardwick and Loretta Devine agree that laughter was their best medicine in their new horror film 'Spell'

• No Comments • Entertainment News

Courtesy of Paramount(NEW YORK) — Omari Hardwick and Loretta Devine share the screen in the new suspense horror flick Spell.

In the film, Hardwick plays Marquis, a father held hostage in rural Appalachia by a Voodoo priestess, played by Devine. Hardwick tells ABC Audio that because he and Loretta were fairly new to the horror genre, they quickly developed a “trust of each other” to help them ease into the “dark” places. 

“We were virgins to it,” Hardwick says. “She was definitely a virgin being seen as a bad guy, as the antagonist. I was not. So, I had to hold her hand a bit. And in between takes literally grounding her.”

It was during those breaks that Hardwick says he and Devine found levity.

“We were finding laughter and a lot of joking in between takes. That was the best,” he says, comparing their experience to those of essential workers who “see so much gore” and laugh “to remain sane.”

Still, Hardwick says he found “Loretta’s crazy… funny” personality refreshing and a perfect match for her character of Eloise. Devine agrees, adding that her role wasn’t too much of a stretch since she grew up with similar superstitions.

“I would say that this is a tribute to my grandmother because some of the things that happened in the movie she used to scare me with when I was very little,” Devine says. “Things like being born with a cover over your face, [which meant] that you had magical powers.”

While Devine says she found the film “scary” and her character mysterious, she says she’s glad she was up for the challenge.

“It was exciting because it’s so different from what I’m usually known for,” she says. “And, that’s sort of like my go to thing of late. 

Spell is in select theaters and available On Demand.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTznGVd8nyo&w=640&h=360]

By Candice Williams
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Lori Loughlin reports to prison to serve two months for college admissions scheme

• No Comments • Entertainment News

Paul Marotta/Getty Images(BOSTON) — Lori Loughlin began serving her two month prison sentence Friday for her role in the Varsity Blues college admissions cheating scheme, a source familiar with the case told ABC News.

The former Full House actress reported to federal prison in Dublin, CA ahead of her report date of November 19. Federal prosecutors in Boston had to sign off on the earlier reporting date provided she does not try to seek early release.

“The parties recently agreed that the defendant can report to prison on October 30, 2020, instead of on November 19, 2020,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston said. “The defendant has further agreed that, during her two month sentence, she will not seek an early release from prison on COVID-related grounds.”

Back in August, Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were sentenced to two months and five months in prison, respectively, on conspiracy charges stemming from the cheating scheme.

Loughlin and Giannulli pleaded guilty May 22 of this year via video conference before a federal judge in Boston after maintaining their innocence since their March, 2019 arrest.

They had both been accused of paying Rick Singer $500,000 to get their daughters Isabella Rose and Olivia Jade into USC as crew recruits — even though neither girl had ever rowed competitively.  Singer also pleaded guilty to his role in facilitating the fraud.

By Aaron Katersky and Andrea Tuccillo
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.