October 21, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Brighter Day RecordsSara Evans and Dolly Parton are among the artists lending their voices to “PINK,” a new collaboration that  benefits the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, a non-profit working to end breast cancer.

The star-studded, cross-genre single also features appearances from Jordin Sparks, Monica and Rita Wilson, the latter of whom is a breast cancer survivor. Sara, who has long been passionate about raising funds and awareness for this cause, says that the new song is even more special because it represents women coming together in solidarity for a common cause.

“There is something magical that happens when women band together to have a positive impact on the world for our sisters and our daughters,” the singer notes.

“PINK”’s lyrics offer support for those battling the disease, looking forward toward a better day when nobody has to face breast cancer. It’s a powerful message for nearly any listener: One in eight women will be diagnosed with the disease during her lifetime, meaning that nearly everyone will be touched by cancer at some point, either personally or through someone they love.

Each year, breast cancer kills over 42,000 women and men in the U.S. To learn more or make a donation, visit the Susan G. Komen website.

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

October 21, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

CMTIt’ll be a night filled with firsts on Wednesday, as 2020 finds the annual fan-voted CMT Music Awards moving from their usual week of CMA Fest to fall, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kane Brown and Ashley McBryde host the night for the first time, along with Modern Family actress Sarah Hyland. 

Both Kane and Ashley admit to stepping outside their comfort zone.

“I am a little bit nervous, actually…” Ashley confesses. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”

“And so what I’ve really had to learn is how to slow down when you’re reading a teleprompter,” she explains. “And so I’ve been reading out loud a little more, because it’s not a race. It’s not gonna go ahead of you. So I’ve had to learn that.”

Kane’s leaning on some advice from his team.

“What I’ve learned from my publicist [is] always try to smile,” he says. “And I’m gonna read as best as I can!”

Kane’s dedicating his performance of “Worship You” to his wife Katelyn and his daughter Kingsley.

“When I wrote this song, it was about my wife,” he recalls. “And then my beautiful baby came into our picture and now it’s kind of around both of them.”

“I worship them,” he continues. “You know, they’re my family. I love ’em to death.”

Ashley’s number, on the other hands, promises some intrigue.

“We’ll be doing ‘Martha Divine,'” she reveals, “which is a chilling love story about someone else’s husband and someone else’s wife. And it involves a big guitar boat full of shovels.”

The 2020 CMT Music Awards start at 8 p.m. ET tonight, with performances from Dan + Shay, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Maren Morris, Morgan Wallen, Sam Hunt, Shania Twain, and many more. 

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

October 20, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Copyright 2018 Blue Rose, Inc.Garth Brooks has something special planned for fans to celebrate the upcoming release of his FUN album. 

During an appearance on Good Morning America, Garth revealed that tomorrow night, fans will get to hear some of his highly anticipated new album during a live event streaming on his website.

Garth will present a “FUN bundle,” as he calls it, playing tracks off the FUN album and Triple Live Deluxe, a 30-track compilation of songs performed across his multiple tours that will be released with FUN on November 20. He will also take questions from fans. 

Garth admits that while he misses doing live shows, hosting virtual events amidst the COVID-19 pandemic allows him to still maintain a connection with fans. 

“It puts you one-on-one with people right there in their own living room where I think we’re all the most comfortable anyway, so it’s more like a conversation than it is a show,” he says of the event. “I’m going to enjoy it and I hope other people do too.”

You can tune in to the live FUN preview on Wednesday on GarthBrooks.com at 7 p.m. ET.

By Cillea Houghton 
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

October 20, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Robby KleinGabby Barrett is on a hot streak with “I Hope.” 

The crossover star and her duet partner, Charlie Puth, have locked in the number-one spot on the Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart this week, which measures radio airplay on select pop music stations, with the remix of “I Hope.” It also currently sits at number eight on the Hot 100. 

The song’s ascension to the top of the all-genre chart follows the original version of the song, which climbed to number one on both the Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs chart earlier this year, making Gabby the first female artist in country music since 2006 to have a number-one hit with her debut single. 

“I’m so grateful for this amazing achievement. ‘I Hope’ continues to do more than I ever imagined,” Gabby raves, thanking her husband Cade Foehner, who met as contestants on season 16 of American Idol, as well as her team and fans for their support.  She also thanks Charlie, whom she credits for making the song “bigger.”

“I’m so thankful for all of this and I don’t take an inch of it for granted! THANK YOU!” Gabby declares.

Gabby will perform “I Hope” Wednesday night on the CMT Music Awards, where it’s nominated for Female Video of the Year and Breakthrough Video of the Year.

By Cillea Houghton 
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

October 20, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Country Music Hall of Fame and MuseumGearing up for its virtual fundraiser next week, BIG NIGHT (At the Museum), the Country Music Hall of Fame will host a pre-show event featuring Tenille Townes and Carly Pearce. 

Tenille will host Countdown to BIG NIGHT (At the Museum) with Carly as a special guest, airing 30 minutes before the main event. 

During the stream, each singer will perform a song by an artist who has influenced them. It leads up to the organization’s fundraiser that will see several modern country artists performing on the historic instruments belonging to artists from across generations before them. 

Performances include Kane Brown playing Randy Travis‘ guitar, Miranda Lambert using a custom-made guitar owned by the late John Prine, Ashley McBryde playing Loretta Lynn‘s Gibson guitar, and many more. 

The livestream pre-show airs at 8:30 p.m. ET on October 28 on the CMHOF YouTube channel before the fundraiser kicks off at 9 p.m. ET. 

By Cillea Houghton 
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.