November 19, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABC/Image Group LAAfter the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, Dolly Parton stepped in to help those racing to develop a vaccine against the virus. The country superstar made a $1 million donation that helped fund Moderna’s promising COVID-19 vaccine research.

Now, early data from Moderna shows that their vaccine is 94.5% effective. Per Doctor Anthony Fauci, vaccinations could begin as early as the second half of December, with priority being given to high-risk groups. The general population could begin to receive vaccinations against the coronavirus in the spring of 2021.

During a stop on BBC’s The One Show this week, Dolly said that she was shocked and thrilled to hear the good news about the vaccine development.

“I’m a very proud girl today to know that I had anything at all to do with something that’s gonna help us through this crazy pandemic,” she said.

Per Billboard, Dolly made her donation to Nashville’s Vanderbilt University back in April, in honor of Doctor Naji Abumrad, who is her friend and the university’s professor of surgery.

“I just felt so proud to have been part of that little seed money that hopefully will grow into something great and help to heal this world,” Dolly added of her contribution. “Lord knows we need it, don’t we?”

Dolly also released musical contributions to help fans through a difficult year. She put out her powerful “When Life Is Good Again” earlier in 2020, and this fall, she dropped a Christmas album called A Holly Dolly Christmas.

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

November 19, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Courtesy of Donovan Public RelationsThis week, Kelsea Ballerini brought home some new hardware, receiving no fewer than four RIAA certifications.

The 2018 single “Miss Me More,” off of Kelsea’s 2017 sophomore album Unapologetically, went 2x platinum. That song was a Top 5 hit at radio in the U.S., and it hit number-one on Canadian country charts.

Meanwhile, 2016’s “Yeah Boy” was certified platinum, as was the singer’s more recent release, “homecoming queen?,” which she sent to radio late last year.

On top of that, Kelsea also received platinum album certification for her studio debut, The First Time. The album came out in 2015 and produced three number-one hits — “Love Me Like You Mean It,” “Dibs” and “Peter Pan” — making Kelsea the first female artist to top country charts with her first three singles.

As Kelsea celebrates her newest accolades, she might mark the occasion by finding a “hole in the bottle.” Her latest single continues to climb the country charts, and is currently a Top 20 hit. Moreover, she recently released a remix of the song as a duet with country legend Shania Twain.

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

November 19, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Courtesy of Blackbird PresentsWillie Nelson is at the center of a just-announced new concert film and music release called Willie Nelson American Outlaw. The event was taped at a massive tribute concert to Willie’s legacy and career, which took place in January of 2019 in Nashville.

Eric Church, George Strait, Dave Matthews, Sheryl Crow and The Avett Brothers are just a few of the superstar acts who took the stage that night, performing their favorites from Willie’s massive discography as well as a few self-penned tributes to the living legend. 

For example, singer-songwriter Jack Johnson offered up a hilarious  — and all-too-true — original song called “Willie Got Me Stoned” during the event. Other highlights include Chris Stapleton’s take on “Whiskey River,” Vince Gill’s ethereal “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,” Jimmy Buffett’s “The Harder They Come” and many more. 

Of course, no Willie Nelson jam session would be complete without Willie himself, and the man of the hour also performed during the unforgettable event. 

Willie Nelson American Outlaw is available for pre-order now; it’ll be released in full on December 11.

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

November 19, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Disney/Steven DiazAn upcoming fifth anniversary event of The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration will revisit some of the annual highlights of Christmases past at Disney Parks.

In one of those, the country king of Christmas himself, Brett Eldredge, teams up with pop star Meghan Trainor for a rendition of the classic festive duet, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” Their performance was originally taped in 2018.

Kelly Clarkson, Pentatonix, Becky G, Jason Derulo and more performers are also among those revisited in the special, which will air on Thanksgiving night.

Sibling duo Derek and Julianne Hough are returning as hosts. They last hosted the special during its inaugural year, 2016. This year, they’ll kick the night off with a brand-new medley of classics, singing and dancing their way through a dazzling show open.

During the holiday special, viewers will get a couple of sneak peeks into the wonderful world of Disney: They’ll get a glimpse into Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, which is coming to EPCOT in Florida in 2021.

The show will also feature a teaser of the all-new film Soul, a Disney and Pixar production that’s coming to Disney+ beginning Christmas Day.

The special will air on November 26 at 9PM ET on ABC.

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

November 19, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Courtesy of Amazon MusicFriday marks the long-awaited release of Garth Brooks’ new album, FUN, and the singer’s celebrating release day with a stripped-down set of songs to be livestreamed on Amazon Music.

He’ll also take some questions live from fans as he celebrates the release of his 14-track new collection, which includes previously-released favorites such as his “Dive Bar” duet with Blake Shelton and his cover of “Shallow” with his country superstar wife, Trisha Yearwood.

“It’s always a joy to play music and [I] want to thank Amazon Music for this chance to play live,” Garth says of the event, “and for how they continue to support the music and its creators through both streaming and physical…a rare combination.”

Also coming out on Friday is the singer’s Triple Live Deluxe, a 30-song project spanning Garth’s three-and-a-half-year world tour with Trisha as well as his Stadium Tour. The live collection will feature six different album covers as well as a spread of tour photos.

You can watch the livestream event via Garth’s Facebook page as well as Amazon Music’s, or by visiting Amazon Live. The event begins at 6PM CT on Friday.

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