October 23, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Warner Music NashvilleGabby Barrett is sharing her very first Christmas release this week, dropping her take on the timeless classic “The First Noel.”

It’s an especially powerful musical message for the rising star, whose faith is an important part of her artistic identity and her life.

“Christmas is one of my absolute favorite days of the year,” Gabby explains, “and my faith is the cornerstone of my life, so being able to share both with ‘The First Noel’ is a gift. I feel so blessed to do what I do every day, and I hope that this song adds something special to your holidays.”

The singer’s holiday release follows her massive, breakthrough debut album, Goldmine, which came out earlier this year. That project features the smash single “I Hope,” which was the first single Gabby sent to country radio and subsequently became her first chart-topping hit.

But that’s not all that the star has to celebrate this holiday season: She claimed her first awards show victory at the 2020 CMT Music Awards this week, winning the Breakthrough Video of the Year trophy for “I Hope”’s music video.

It’s an exciting time in Gabby’s personal life, too, as she and her husband, fellow American Idol alum Cade Foehner, are currently expecting their first child. Gabby will give birth to a baby girl in early 2021.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNr96DmbGuE&w=640&h=360]

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

October 23, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Courtesy of Glass Onyon PRWhen country superstar trio Rascal Flatts announced earlier this year that they planned to call it quits after their 20th anniversary celebration, they hinted that all three band mates were looking toward pursuing their own projects.

Now, bassist Jay DeMarcus is offering more details about what’s in store. Jay is a member of a new supergroup called The Rise Above, a cross-genre outfit that also includes Journey’s Deen Castronovo and Chicago’s Jason Sheff. Chris Rodriguez and Tom Yankton round out the quintet.

The star-studded band will make their debut next week with a show at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works. Proceeds from the performance will benefit the ACM Lifting Lives COVID-19 Response Fund. Tickets are available now.

A glimpse into the planned set list reveals that though the band may be new, the hits will be familiar. The Rise Above will perform Rascal Flatts classics such as “These Days,” “Bless the Broken Road,” “What Hurts the Most” and “Life is a Highway.”

Additionally, fans will be able to sing along to plenty of their favorite Journey and Chicago songs, including “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Any Way You Want It,” “Stay the Night” and “Will You Still Love Me.”

The Rise Above’s mission is to bring back the glitz and glamor of ‘80s rock to life, and they’ve been in the studio cooking up an album for release next year.

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

October 23, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABC/Image Group LATo commemorate Vote Early Day this Saturday, CMT is helping Nashville get out the vote, and they’ve got some serious star power in their corner.

Reba McEntire, Mickey Guyton, Gabby Barrett, Ingrid Andress and The Band Perry are just a few of the participants in CMT’s upcoming “Hometown Vote-a-Thon,” a digital event that will feature stars sharing their personal stories about how voting has impacted their hometowns.

Also chiming in with their experiences are Hailey Whitters, Midland, Lainey Wilson, Russell Dickerson, Runaway June, Ray Wylie Hubbard and many more country artists. The “Hometown Vote-a-Thon” is a partnership with Ingrid Andress, a rising star who scored her first chart-topping hit this year with “More Hearts Than Mine.”

The virtual event is also tied to Vote for Your Life, an early voting and get-out-the-vote campaign aimed at providing voters with the tools they need to participate in elections.

You can tune into the “Hometown Vote-A-Thon” on CMT’s YouTube page on Saturday between 8AM CT and 8PM CT.

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

October 23, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABC/Image Group LAMiranda Lambert is mourning the loss of one of her beloved four-legged friends.

The dog-loving singer shared an emotional post to social media this week, letting fans in on the sad news that her dog, Waylon, has died. His death comes after nearly 13 years of friendship with the country superstar. 

Miranda shared the story of how she first met her dog and his sister, Jessi.

“I found him and his sister on the side of the road in Oklahoma in January 2008,” the singer wote. “They were abandoned, starving and freezing nearly to death. I was listening to Jessi Colter and Waylon Jennings at the time me and mom saw them and pulled over to pick them up.”

At that time, Miranda recounts, Waylon’s chances of survival were slim because of his selfless love for his sister.

“I took them straight to the vet and she told me that the little boy was not doing too well (malnourished and dehydrated) because whatever they had found to eat while they were homeless, he always let her eat first,” she continues.

“She said he probably wouldn’t make it but he did. For almost 13 years,” Miranda adds.

Miranda’s love of dogs is well documented: Waylon was one of several rescue dogs that call the superstar’s farm home. She also established her MuttNation Foundation in 2009 to help rescued animals find homes.

Today I lost one of my best friends. My old pal Waylon. I found him and his sister on the side of the road in Oklahoma in January 2008. He was a rock in our family and always held down the fort. He lived his life with no fences. The way we all want to live. Dogs change your life. pic.twitter.com/q6vlc3T2RG

— Miranda Lambert (@mirandalambert) October 23, 2020

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

October 23, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Legacy RecordingsFans of Johnny Cash will get the chance to revisit the country superstar’s Forever Words album, as a deluxe version of the project is being released.

Forever Words originally came out in 2018, as a collaborative album that featured the legendary singer’s poetry and lyrics set to music for the first time. Acts like Kris Kristofferson, Kacey Musgraves and Ruston Kelly, Elvis Costello and Brad Paisley signed on to record the songs.

The 16 original tracks will be included in the new version of Forever Words, but the project will more than double, with 18 new songs being included in the deluxe version. Sixteen of those 18 songs are as-yet unreleased.

The new album will be released digitally in four installments, the first of which comes out on Friday. The first wave of new music includes performances from Ana Christina Cash, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Hard Working Americans and Shawn Camp, all with words penned by the Man in Black himself.

Included in that collection are “Big Hearted Girl” and “I’m Comin’ Honey,” two Cash songs that have never been heard before.

Much of the new material was recorded at The Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee. John Carter Cash, the only child of Johnny and June Carter, produced the album.

The second installment of the deluxe edition of Forever Words will appear on December 11.

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