August 31, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

BMLG RecordsRiley Green is offering fans an up-close and personal look at his hometown via a new YouTube Live show, The Golden Saw Series.

The four-part series sees the singer traveling throughout his hometown of Jacksonville, Alabama. The show’s title is named after the Golden Saw Music Hall just outside of Jacksonville, where Riley got his start as a young performer. 

Each week will feature a collaborative performance between Riley and special guest stars such as Drake White and Brent Cobb, along with hit songwriters including “There Was This Girl” co-writer Erik Dylan, Randy Montana and Jessi Alexander, who’ve collectively penned songs cut by Luke Combs and Miley Cyrus.

“The Golden Saw is a special place to me. I learned how to sing and play guitar in that old house,” Riley explains.  “I wanted to share the way those rough cut pine walls made me feel as a kid so I decided to do a concert series.”

Proceeds from the series will benefit the ACM Lifting Lives COVID-19 Response Fund. 

The Golden Saw Series will air bi-weekly beginning on Thursday. Riley’s set to release his new EP, If It Wasn’t For Trucks, on September 11.

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

August 31, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABC/Image Group LAKelsea Ballerini paints a technicolor dream in the video for her song, “hole in the bottle.” 

The video begins in black and white, with Kelsea starring as a 1920s starlet decked out in a flapper dress and feather boa, raising a glass of red wine with the bartender, also portrayed by the singer, wearing a black and white suit and top hat to match. 

Then, like Dorothy stepping into Oz for the first time, the video changes to color as Kelsea dons a cotton candy blue one-piece on a pink lace-laden bed in the middle of a garden, followed by aerial shots of her singing against a pink-and-white pinstripe backdrop.

Kelsea then heads into the parlor to paint a portrait of her dog, Dibs, flanked with a glass of red, intercut with shots of the singer performing choreography with two dancers.  The video ends with them all passed out on the bed in the middle of the garden.

“Hole in the bottle” is featured on the country star’s latest album, kelsea.

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

August 31, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABC/Mark LevineTim McGraw is one of the many stars expressing sorrow over the death of actor Chadwick Boseman.

Known for his starring roles in films Black Panther, 42 and Marshall, Boseman passed away on August 28 at the age of 43 after a battle with colon cancer.

McGraw turned to Instagram over the weekend to reflect on Boseman’s passing and a call for support for the American Cancer Society.  Tim and his family have a personal connection to cancer: his biological father Tug McGraw, former MLB player for the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, passed away from brain cancer in 2004. 

Tim shared a split-shot photo of iconic baseball player Jackie Robinson next to a photo of Boseman portraying him in 42. 

“Baseball is in my blood, literally…Jackie Robinson was a pioneer and made the game better, stronger and more inclusive,” Tim explained.

“On this day our heart goes out to the friends and family of Chadwick Boseman who played Jackie in 42,” McGraw continued. “Cancer sucks, support the @americancancersociety if you can. We must fight this horrible disease with everything we can.”

Tim also honored his father on what would have been his 76th birthday on Sunday with a video showing clips from Tug’s baseball career set to the tune of Tim’s hit song, “Live Like You Were Dying.”

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

August 31, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Matthew BerinatoChris Young is lending his support to the Boys & Girls Club of America. 

The “Raised on Country” singer will headline the Boys & Girls Club of Middle Tennessee’s virtual Great Future Gala in October.

In addition to a concert by the country star, the online fundraiser will feature other surprise celebrity guests and appearances by the families that B&G Club serves, as well as an online auction.

Proceeds from the event will go toward the organization’s efforts to provide mentoring, tutoring and social and mental wellness to its 4,700 members. The 2019 event raised more than $500,000 in benefit of the 11 Boys & Girls Club locations across Middle Tennessee.

Past performers at the annual event includes Little Big Town, Brad Paisley and actor/comedian Martin Short. 

The Great Futures Gala will stream at 8:30 p.m. ET on October 2.

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

August 31, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Country Music Hall of FameThe Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has a “big night” in store. 

The Nashville-based institution is hosting an all-star virtual fundraiser, BIG NIGHT (At the Museum), that features a variety of artists performing on instruments straight out of the museum. 

Modern country acts Miranda Lambert, Kane Brown and Ashley McBryde will perform alongside such legends as Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Emmylou Harris and Ricky Skaggs.

Each of the artists will be playing historic instruments that were safely removed from their display cases at the museum during the pandemic. The instruments were selected specifically for the artists playing them. 

Other artists performing include Marty Stuart, Rodney Crowell, Keb’ Mo’ and soul duo The War and Treaty. More participating artists will be announced in the coming weeks. 

The show is free to view, but fans will have the opportunity to donate to the CMHOF through YouTube Giving.

The museum, which shuttered its doors to the public in mid-March, will re-open its galleries on September 10, with social distance guidelines in place. 

BIG NIGHT will stream on the CMHOF’s Youtube channel on October 28 at 9 p.m. ET.

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