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Miranda Lambert’s Muttnation Foundation aids pets impacted by Hurricane Laura

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ABC/Mark LevineMiranda Lambert is providing some relief for the families and their pets who have been impacted by Hurricane Laura. Her nonprofit organization, Muttnation Foundation, is partnering with Tractor Supply and Greater Good Charities to assist with pet food needs in the hard-hit Lake Charles, Louisiana area.

The new initiative is providing one thousand $40 gift cards to Tractor Supply for affected families in the region, which can be redeemed at any of the three store locations in their area.

The gift cards can be used to buy the pet food of the card holder’s choice, and also includes a coupon for a 50 percent discount on any MuttNation On the Farm brand foods, which is Miranda’s recently-launched pet food line.

“Disaster relief is a core part of MuttNation’s mission, and together we make a much stronger impact than any of us could separately,” the singer says of her foundation’s new partnership.

She goes on to add that she was even more inspired to do her part for this particular cause after hearing stories of families and pets affected by the hurricane.

“I’ve seen pictures and heard amazing stories of how people worked so hard to stay with their pets after being evacuated, and by providing food for thousands of animals as their families begin returning home — we know we’re making a real difference,” the singer reflects.

When she’s not providing relief for animals in need, the singer is cleaning up at the 2020 CMA Awards. Miranda picked up a whopping seven nominations for this year’s awards show, becoming the most-nominated female act in CMA history.

Two of those mentions, in the Song of the Year and Single of the Year categories, are for her latest chart-topper, “Bluebird.

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

Morgan Wallen faces backlash for non-socially distanced partying, days before his SNL debut

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ABC/Image Group LAMorgan Wallen is scheduled to give his first-ever performance on Saturday Night Live this Saturday, but in the days leading up to the show, the singer is facing some backlash for his lax approach to social distancing.

Over the past few days, a series of TikTok videos have emerged that show the singer partying in packed crowds of people, in various bars surrounding the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

Per his Instagram feed, Morgan was there to watch the Alabama Crimson Tide play against the Texas A&M Aggies in a Saturday football game.

But it was his post-game activities that drew criticism on social media, as Morgan was seen partying in throngs of people, with very few masks in sight. Various clips show Morgan dancing with and kissing several different women, posing for pictures with fans and playing a guitar at what appears to be a house party, surrounded by a packed room of people.

In most of the clips, Morgan wears a neck gaiter around his neck. Many of the videos are set to his viral new song, “7 Summers,” which first became a hit on TikTok.

The singer’s nonchalant attitude toward social distancing is especially noteworthy given his upcoming performance, and The Washington Post reports that viewers have been alerting SNL to their concerns about his risky behavior.

However, neither the show nor reps for Morgan have issued any official statement about whether his performance will go on as planned.

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

Tyler Hubbard’s wife, Hayley, opens up about why she’s not breastfeeding baby Atlas

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Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagicFlorida Georgia Line band mate Tyler Hubbard and his wife, Hayley, are proud parents to a new baby boy: The couple welcomed their third child, Atlas Roy, on September 24.

As the family acclimates to their new status as a party of five, Tyler and Hayley are being open with fans about some of the more difficult decisions they’re making as parents of a newborn. Specifically, Hayley says that her struggles with postpartum depression and breastfeeding with her previous two children have helped her make the decision to feed Atlas formula.

“I’m not breastfeeding this time around because, now looking back, breastfeeding really amplified symptoms of postpartum depression for me,” Hayley explains to People. The couple also share two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Olivia Rose and 13-month-old son Luca Reed.

After exclusively breastfeeding her first child, the singer’s wife revealed she was adding formula into Luca’s diet, because she was having difficulties producing enough milk.

“[Breastfeeding] was never something that came easy to me or something that I honestly enjoyed, no matter how many specialists we talked to or how well I was producing milk,” she adds.

But there’s been a big upside to the star couple’s switch to formula feedings. Tyler says that their new routine has led to a better balance for the family.

“We’re getting more sleep with Atlas than we did with the other babies since Hayley isn’t breastfeeding anymore,” he says, adding “ We can now share the responsibility of feeding, which is really nice and allows me to have more bonding time with Atlas.”

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

“No one did it quite like him”: Keith Urban, Brad Paisley mourn the loss of guitar pioneer Eddie Van Halen

No Comments Country Music News

Daniel Knighton/Getty ImagesAs the rock world mourns the death of pioneering Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen, two country stars who are also known for their skilled guitar work turned out to pay their respects.

Those are Brad Paisley and Keith Urban, whose skills on the instrument are arguably some of the best in country music. And though they may not have shared a genre with the late musical master, both Brad and Keith reflected on social media this week that they considered themselves students of Van Halen’s craft.

“I loved everything about the fire and style he brought to the guitar. I studied him, heck everybody did,” Brad wrote. “We all wanted to play just like him. But no one did it quite like him.”

In a social media post of his own, Keith reflected on the legacy that Van Halen leaves behind.

“There are lots of great guitar players in the world, but very VERY few true innovators. People who seem to have arrived from a far distant planet, and who bring a completely new color to the rainbow,” Keith said. “Eddie Van Halen was this and so much more.”

His death, Keith added, was a devastating loss for the rock legend’s family, his friends, fans and the guitarists who learned from him.

“…From players like me, all over the world who never got to meet him, I say THANK YOU EDDIE,” he continued.

Keith and Brad weren’t the only country stars to mark the loss of the rock legend: Kenny Chesney also paid tribute to him on social media, where he shared a memory of a time he got to perform alongside Van Halen onstage.

Van Halen died Tuesday of cancer at the age of 65.

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

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"We're Gonna Hold On" for another duet from Lee Brice and Carly Pearce

No Comments Country Music News

John ShearerSuperstars like Tim McGraw and Faith HillDolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, and Tammy Wynette and George Jones teamed up so often not so long ago that their chart-topping duets became almost as much a part of their careers as their solo work.

Even in 2020, it seems we may’ve just witnessed the birth of another longtime country duo, as Carly Pearce enlisted Lee Brice to take “I Hope You’re Happy Now” all the way to number one. 

Recently, Lee confirmed that he and Carly have talked about making the pairing an ongoing thing.

“She actually said that, just a couple weeks back,” Lee reveals to ABC Audio. “She said, ‘You know, we should just do another duet.'”

“And I said, ‘You know what? I mean, heck, Blake [Shelton]’s doing it now. You know, [he’s got these] multiple things out,'” Lee points out, referring to the fact that Blake’s two most recent singles have featured his girlfriend, Gwen Stefani.

“This was more of an old school duet, though” Lee continues. “This was like that eighties, nineties kind of country. And so, you know, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, how many did they have? You know, they sang together all the time.”

Right now, Lee sits at number one for the second week in a row with “One of Them Girls,” with his new album, Hey World, following November 20, which also features his initial pairing with Carly.

Meanwhile, Carly’s just released “Next Girl.” So could her third album contain another Lee duet?

“It would be fun to do,” he says. “I just love her, you know. Carly is awesome and she’s talented and she’s just cool to be around… So I could see that happening for sure.”  

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