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No 'Heartache Medication' required: Jon Pardi's wedding rescheduled for November

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ABC/Image Group LA After proposing to his longtime girlfriend onstage during his show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium last October, Jon Pardi and Summer Duncan planned to get married in Montana in May. 

But like so many other things in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic changed all that. Now, Jon reveals he and Summer are only a couple months away from their big day, even though it won’t be quite the event they’d envisioned.

“We’re shooting for November,” Jon tells ABC Audio. “And it’s gonna be a small crowd. It’s not the big giant wedding we always wanted. We can’t do that. But we’re gonna get married. It’s gonna be fun.”

“We don’t have any idea for a honeymoon,” he confesses.

Instead, the newlyweds will spend some time visiting their family.

“We are going to do like a wedding tour,” Jon explains, “because we have so many relatives in California, and then maybe Texas, and then we’ll do a party in Nashville. So [we’re] just kinda gonna make the rounds after we get married and have a big party.”

“So it’s tough, you know,” he admits, “and everybody gets it. But it’s not a great year to have a wedding.”  

On Monday, Summer revealed the ceremony is “2 months from today” on Instagram, which would make November 21 the official date.

In the meantime, Jon’s putting out the Deluxe Edition of his ACM-nominated Heartache Medication album on October 2, which features the “Western Version” of his current hit, “Ain’t Always the Cowboy.” 

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

A TV show based on Blake Shelton's "God's Country" is in development

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ABC/Mark LevineBlake Shelton‘s hit song “God’s Country” is in the process of being adapted into a TV show for NBC, according to Deadline

The show’s plot will reportedly center around a Midwestern farming family dealing with the death of the patriarch in a suspicious car accident, after which his children learn a life-altering secret. 

Blake is slated to executive-produce the show along with writer and producer Gary Scott Thompson and Narvel Blackstock, whose son, Brandon Blackstock, is Blake’s manager. 

Gary is known for his screenwriting work on The Fast and the Furious and as the creator, writer, director and producer of the former NBC dramedy, Las Vegas. 

“God’s Country” became a massive hit for Blake following its 2019 release, reaching #1 on the country charts. and is certified three times Platinum by the RIAA. It was named Single of the Year at both the 2019 CMA Awards and 2020 ACM Awards.

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

Laine Hardy to perform virtual show to raise money for the Red Cross

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Robby KleinLaine Hardy is hosting a livestream concert to benefit the American Red Cross.

The American Idol winner is using his musical talents to give back to those affected by Hurricane Sally and Hurricane Laura, the latter of which brought devastating damage to Laine’s home state of Louisiana.  

During the livestream event on Monday, September 28, Laine will perform such songs as “Ground I Grew Up On” and “Tiny Town” while encouraging fans to donate to Red Cross efforts to help people recover from natural disasters. 

“Hurricane Laura hit west of my hometown and me and my family stayed safe and did not have any damage. So many others here in Louisiana cannot say the same,” Laine reflects in a statement. 

“And last week the Gulf Coast was hit by Hurricane Sally, these are really tough times for so many and I’m honored to work with American Red Cross to help out any way I can,” he adds.

The event is free to view and will stream on the singer’s website beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. 

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

Dolly Parton releases career-spanning DVD set, 'Dolly: The Ultimate Collection'

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ABC/Image Group LADolly Parton fans can now relive many of the star’s storied career moments with the new DVD set, Dolly: The Ultimate Collection — Deluxe Edition

Dolly’s performances, interviews and shows spanning more than 60 years are captured across 19 DVDs and 35 hours of footage. 

Included in the collection are more than 20 episodes of Dolly’s variety show that aired for two seasons in 1976 and 1987, featuring guests like Kenny RogersWillie NelsonEmmylou Harris and more, in addition to rare appearances on such talk shows as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Music is also a central theme.  You’ll have the opportunity to re-watch Dolly’s performances at the CMA Awards throughout the 1970s, along with access to the Song by Song: Dolly Parton series that tells the story behind such beloved hits as “I Will Always Love You,” “Jolene” and “Coat of Many Colors.” 

Live concerts “Live and Well,” filmed in 2002, and Dolly’s 2009 “Live from London” show, in addition to her 2009 commencement address at the University of Tennessee, are also featured in the expansive set. 

Dolly: The Ultimate Collection is available now through Time Life.

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

Raise a glass: Michael Ray releasing new single, "Whiskey and Rain"

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Warner Music NashvilleMichael Ray is releasing a new single this week. 

The Florida native is set to drop “Whiskey and Rain” on Friday, his first single since 2019’s “Her World or Mine.”

Co-written by Josh Thompson and Jesse Frasure, the song speaks to someone drowning their sorrows in a glass of something strong, with such lyrics as, “splash of bourbon in a glass/Yeah pouring something on the pain/Let it drown/Let it drown/Trying to wash away the past.”

Michael notes that the song’s vibe draws to mind some of his country forebearers. 

“I miss story songs that you have to listen to all the way through to understand. This song is everything I love about country music — traditional country music, like Tim McGraw and Earl Thomas Conley and I want to bring that back,” Michael says in a statement. 

“Whiskey and Rain” is the lead single off the hitmaker’s forthcoming third studio album, following 2018’s Amos

“This is the music I originally came to Nashville to make,” Michael continues about the song. “And I’m grateful to have this opportunity for fans to get to know me better as an artist.”

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