March 24, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Robby Klein Gabby Barrett is riding high with “The Good Ones.” 

The American Idol finalist’s latest single has reached the top five on country radio this week. Additionally, she has the two most-streamed songs for a female country artist this year, with “The Good Ones” coming in just behind her breakthrough hit, “I Hope.” The latter track has now spent a record 98 weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, 27 of which were spent at #1. “The Good Ones” is currently at #2 on the chart. 

Gabby’s latest single is inspired by her husband, fellow American Idol season 16 contestant Cade Foehner. The two wed in October 2019 and welcomed their first child, daughter Baylah May, on January 18. 

The singer is nominated for New Female Artist of the Year and Single of the Year for “I Hope” at the 2021 ACM Awards, airing live from Nashville on April 18 on CBS.

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 24, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABCSeveral country artists are lending their voices to the second annual Music Lives virtual festival. 

Jimmie Allen, Matt Stell and Jake Owen are among the more than 100 artists taking part in the three-day online music festival presented by LiveXLive in benefit of MusiCares March 26-28. Trace Adkins and Zac Brown Band are also performing alongside multi-genre acts John Mayer, Wiz Khalifa,Nelly, Nashville star Lennon Stella, Chris Bandi and many more. 

Artists will appear from locations across the world including music venues, studios and their own homes. In honor of Women’s History Month, LiveXLive has also partnered with the Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville to spotlight up-and-coming female artists, including Grammy winning songwriter Emily Weisband, who’s co-written songs cut by Keith Urban, Hillary Scott and Thomas Rhett. 

The Music Lives festival begins streaming on LiveXLive Friday at 6 p.m. ET and continues through Sunday.

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 24, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Christopher Polk/Getty ImagesJustin Timberlake is joining the ranks of several country stars who own bars and restaurants in downtown Nashville. 

According to National Restaurant News, Justin has invested in a new restaurant called Twelve Thirty, a 30,000- square foot place near Broadway. The first two floors will open in April, while the third floor is due to open in late summer. 

The concept includes The First Level, a “refined honky-tonk” with live music and a mezzanine lounge serving upscale comfort food and Southern cuisine, and a third-floor, 400-seat Supper Club, where the average bill per person will run about $120.

Sam Fox, the restaurateur who’s spearheading the project, says Twelve Thirty’s name was inspired by Prohibition-Era supper clubs and speakeasies, which would open at 12:30 a.m.

The city’s Lower Broadway area is currently home to Blake Shelton‘s Ole Red, Luke Bryan‘s 32 Bridge and Florida Georgia Line‘s FGL House. Jason Aldean and Dierks Bentley also have venues downtown, and it was recently reported that Miranda Lambert will become the first female country artist to have a bar on Broadway with Casa Rosa. 

Over the years, Timberlake has co-owned or endorsed several restaurants. It’s unclear if the Tennessee native plans to spend any time at the new place.

By Andrea Dresdale & Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.