August 25, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Country Music Hall of FameThe Country Music Hall of Fame is readying to open its doors to the public next month. 

The Nashville-based institution has announced that its galleries will be open to the public beginning on September 10 at 9 a.m. CT. 

Additional activities such as tours of the Hatch Show Print design shop and the historic RCA Studio B will also resume operation, but at limited capacity. In-person programming will remain on hiatus. Museum members will have access to the galleries one day earlier, on September 9.

The CMHOF is working in accordance with Nashville Mayor John Cooper‘s guidelines for re-opening, in addition to consulting the Metro Health Department’s Policy Department to establish safety protocols.  They include requiring museum staff and guests over the age of two to wear a mask and practice social distancing, as well as temperature checks when entering the building. 

The museum will also utilize enhanced cleaning of frequently-touched surfaces including elevator buttons, touchscreens and handrails, in addition to offering timed ticketing and touchless transactions. 

The museum closed on March 13, with CMHOF CEO Kyle Young saying that they’ve been preparing for re-opening ever since, stating that the “steady improvement in the number of COVID-19 cases” led them to re-open. 

“The museum experience will be slightly different — visitors will wear masks, practice social distancing, tour in smaller groups and enter the museum according to a pre-arranged, staggered schedule, and there will be no in-person programming,” he explains. “But our commitment to sharing the country music story has not changed.”

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

August 25, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABC/Randy HolmesSam Hunt is heading to Red Rocks for a special concert that fans will be able to watch virtually. 

The “Body Like a Back Road” hitmaker is the lone country headliner for the Colorado-based venue’s upcoming high-tech series, “Red Rocks Unpaused,” taking place September 1-3.

The three-night virtual event features a different artist performing at the outdoor amphitheater, accompanied by an opening act.

Sam will perform the final night of the series on September 3, with Brett Young serving as the opener. The singer tells Billboard that he’ll perform tracks off his new album, Southside, along with hits from his debut album, Montevallo. 

Fans will not only be able to stream the show online, but also have some control over what takes place in real time. While fans communicate in the chat bar, their messages will be displayed to the artist on the rock walls of the venue. Additionally, viewers will be able to control lighting displays, suggest when pyrotechnics should be set off, and vote on songs for the finale. 

Americana band Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats with Phoebe Bridgers kick off the series on September 1, followed by rappers Megan Thee Stallion and Lil Baby, who are co-headlining on September 2.

You can stream the show on Visible x Red Rocks at 10 p.m. ET.

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

August 25, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

ANTI- RecordsWynonna Judd is releasing an EP this year. 

The singer, known as one-half of the legendary country duo The Judds alongside her mother, Naomi Judd, is returning to the country music world with her upcoming EP, Recollections. 

The five-song collection finds Wynonna covering songs by some of her favorites artists that range in genre from the Grateful Dead‘s “Ramble On Rose” to a tribute to the late John Prine with a rendition of his signature classic, “Angel from Montgomery.” 

Songs by Nina Simone, Slim Harpo and Fats Domino round out the project. which was mainly recorded on Wynonna’s Tennessee property during months of quarantine this year. It marks her first solo project since Wynona & the Big Noise was released in 2016. 

“This EP was a labor of love without the labor,” Wynonna says in a statement. “As a songwriter, you can get bogged down in your own craft sometimes, but there’s something so liberating about letting go of all that and just inhabiting someone else’s writing.”

Recollections will be released via indie label ANTI- Records on October 30.

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

August 25, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Disney Channel/Chris HolloMickey Guyton and her husband Grant Savoy are expecting their first child. 

The country star announced on social media today that she is pregnant. Mickey shared the news alongside a photo of a white box that inside contains an image of her ultrasound.

“Even in times of darkness, like the ones we as a society find ourselves in today, God always finds a way to shine His light on the beautiful side of life, like the miracle of life itself. I’m so excited to announce that I’m having a baby!” Mickey wrote in the Instagram caption, adding that she’s both “excited and terrified.” 

The baby news comes in the center of a career growth spirt for the 37-year-old singer, whose powerful songs “Black Like Me” and “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” have struck a chord with fans as she continues to be a steadfast voice in calling for racial justice and equity. 

“My life completely changed in an instant. Literally nothing else matters,” Mickey added about the pregnancy. “I have no idea what I am doing but am so thankful that God chose me to be this baby’s mom.”     

The couple is expecting their new bundle of joy in 2021.

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

August 25, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABC/Image Group LAFor the first time in history, the ACM Awards will take place virtually, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Academy of Country Music shared in an Instagram post on Monday that the 55th annual ceremony will be “the first-ever totally virtual” show when it airs next month.  It’ll broadcast from three iconic locations in Nashville: the Grand Ole Opry House, the Ryman Auditorium and famed singer-songwriter venue Bluebird Cafe. 

In response to a fan’s inquiry as to whether an audience will be present, the Academy responded by saying that in compliance with CDC guidelines, there will not be a live audience at this year’s show. 

“Due to COVID-19 safety guidelines, and for the safety of our artists and crew, the 55th ACM Awards in Nashville will not have a live audience,” the ACM writes, but added that it’s “cooking up the most entertaining show yet.”

Typically held in Las Vegas in April, the 2020 ceremony was postponed from April 5 to September in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

The post also revealed that the theme of this year’s show is “A Night of Heart and Hits.” 

Keith Urban will host the ACM Awards when it airs on CBS on September 16 at 8 p.m. ET.  

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