March 22, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABCMaren Morris and Ryan Hurd headed into Mr. McGregor’s garden for son Hayes‘ first birthday party. 

On Sunday, the Grammy Award winner shared photos on her Instagram Stories from the one-year-old’s party that shows the couple’s home decked out in balloons and many Peter Rabbit themed decorations. 

On the cabinet door hangs a wooden sign that reads “Welcome to Mr. McGregor’s Garden No Rabbits Allowed,” along with a white and baby blue balloon archway and a table filled with confections, including beautiful floral-frosting cupcakes with paper cutouts of the characters perched on top. 

The party was complete with a “bomb” carrot cake from Nashville cake shop The Flour Flower Bakery. Maren shared a photo of the infant hacking into the cake while she holds a cupcake up to his face that’s almost as big as his head.

Maren previously shared that she’s been reading Peter Rabbit to her son since he was a newborn. Hayes officially turns one on March 23.

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

March 22, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Jill Trunnell Kenny Chesney has postponed his stadium tour for the second time. 

Kenny was originally scheduled to kick off the 2020 Chillaxification Tour in April at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and continue playing stadiums across the country through August. However, the tour was moved to 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Monday, the singer announced that the tour is now being pushed to 2022 for the safety of fans as the pandemic continues. He’s currently slated to headline 18 stadiums across the country next year, including the AT&T Stadium, Nissan Stadium in Nashville and Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

“I won’t take chances with people I love. I also don’t want to come out there after all this time and not deliver the best show I ever have to all of you!” Kenny writes in a heartfelt letter to fans. “So, here comes reality. We’re moving to 2022…Where I feel better about us all being together safely. I’d rather keep everyone safe + know we can rock for years to come.” 

Tickets purchased for the original shows will be honored at the new dates. The tour is also going through a rebrand and will be a “completely new show,” featuring a new name and lineup. More details will be announced “very shortly.”

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

March 22, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Capitol Records Nashville Carrie Underwood is brining My Savior to life at the Ryman Auditorium. 

On Easter Sunday, the superstar singer will helm the stage at the historic Nashville venue for the virtual concert, My Savior: Live from The Ryman. Carrie will perform songs off the new album alongside special guests including Grammy-winning gospel singer CeCe Winans and Needtobreathe frontman Bear Rinehart.

My Savior features a variety of hymns the American Idol winner grew up singing. CeCe duets with Carrie on “Great is Thy Faithfulness” and Bear appears on “Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.”

The concert will stream live on Carrie’s Facebook page on April 4 at 12 p.m. ET. Donations will be collected throughout the show for Save the Children, an organization that Carrie has been a longtime supporter of that helps children across the world through early education, child hunger programs, emergency response and more. 

“This is an album I have always wanted to record and I’m thrilled to be able to bring these uplifting, inspirational songs to life in this special way,” Carrie says in a statement. “It means so much to be able to bring this event to people in their homes on a day that holds so much meaning for us spiritually and to be able to raise much needed funds and awareness for the incredible work of Save the Children as we celebrate the importance of family.”

My Savior will be available on March 26.

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

March 22, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABCCountry singer Lauren Alaina is on the mend after announcing she recently tested positive for COVID-19.

The “Getting Good” singer announced on Twitter Saturday that, in light of her diagnosis, she would have to pull out of a scheduled appearance at an upcoming acoustic show.

“I am so sad to say I will not be at the acoustic show in Lexington, Kentucky tonight,” Alaina, 26, wrote. “I tested positive for COVID yesterday. I am quarantining and trying to get better!”

The Dancing with the Stars finalist continued, “Please know I can’t wait to be back – when it is safe for all of us.”

“I am so disappointed I won’t be at the show, but it may help cheer me up a bit if you go and send me videos and pictures,” encouraged Alaina, asking her fans to show up in support of the other acts taking to the stage — such as John Pardi and Jordan Davis.

The “One Beer” singer took to her Instagram stories over the weekend to open up about her COVID-19 symptoms, explaining she has ” a little bit of shortness of breath, a really bad headache, no taste or smell, pretty bad congestion and I feel pretty tired.”

“Some people have it way worse than me,” added Alaina, saying she is now “resting up” and focusing on getting better.

By Megan Stone
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 22, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABCMorgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album is spending its 10th week at number one on the Billboard 200.

Dangerous, which first topped the chart nine weeks ago and has been there ever since. It’s the first album to spend its first 10 weeks in the top spot since Whitney Houston‘s Whitney collection in 1987.  Whitney went on to spend an additional week there.

Dangerous is one of just four country albums to spend at least 10 weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 since it began publishing the chart on a regular weekly basis in March of 1956. It joins Garth Brooks’ Ropin’ the Wind, Billy Ray Cyrus’ Some Gave All and Taylor Swift’s Fearless.

Wallen’s latest chart success comes a month after the artist was caught on video using a racial slur, leading to multiple stations across the country to remove his music from their playlists. 

Additionally, his label, Big Loud Records, suspended his recording contract indefinitely and he was dropped by talent agency, WME. The Academy of Country Music also deemed Morgan and Dangerous ineligible for nominations at the 2021 ACM Awards.

He has since apologized for his language, promising “to do better.”

By George Constantino
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.