March 12, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Courtesy of Grand Ole Opry LLC.The Grand Ole Opry is commemorating the COVID-19 era with a new, limited-edition vinyl LP called UnbrokenEmpty Room, Full Circle.

The project will feature a selection of Opry performances from the period of months when shows took place without in-house audiences, which began in March 2020 and continued for 29 weeks. It includes performances from Opry members and standout moments from the hallowed stage over the course of the past year.

Kicking off the track list will be Marty Stuart’s rendition of “No Hard Time Blues” from a show that took place close to the beginning of the pandemic. Vince Gill and Brad Paisley also appear on that track, with each also contributing another song on the project.

“We are at our best during hard times,” Vince said from the stage that night.

“Country music really excels in times like this…we will persevere in the face of this,” added Brad.

UnbrokenEmpty Room, Full Circle is due for release on June 4. Here’s the full track list:

Marty Stuart, “No Hard Times”
Reba McEntire, “Back to God”
Keith Urban, “Coming Home”
Luke Combs, “Six Feet Apart”
Dailey & Vincent and Ricky Skaggs, “Uncle Pen”
Rodney Crowell, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, “Leavin’ Louisiana in the Broad Daylight”
Trace Adkins, “Tough People Do”
Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man”
Darius Rucker, “It Won’t Be Like This for Long”
Old Crow Medicine Show, Dom Flemons, Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, “Mama Don’t Allow It/Will the Circle Be Unbroken”

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 12, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Rick Kern/Getty ImagesIt’s been almost two years since Granger Smith and his wife, Amber, announced the tragic death of their three-year-old son, River, who died in a drowning accident at home in June of 2019.

Since then, the singer and his family, including his nine-year-old daughter London and seven-year-old son Lincoln, have been open with fans about their grieving and healing process.

Now, Granger’s ready to share a happy piece of news with the world: He and Amber are expecting a baby boy in August. The couple announced their good news on their YouTube channel, explaining that they would also being sharing their experience during an interview on CBS This Morning on Friday.

“[We want to spread] a message of hope, restoration, faith and redemption. Because that’s what this story is for us,” Granger said.

The Smiths also shared a video of all the members of their family together, each sharing a message with River. “Dear River, because of the life you lived, we’ve grown closer to God,” Granger says.

“And God gave us a miracle,” Amber continues. “Sweet Riv, because of the life you lived, very soon, you’re going to have a baby brother.”

Granger began work on his most recent double album, Country Things Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, in early 2019. Everything changed with the tragic loss of his son, but in the wake of River’s death, he slowly returned to music-making with the perspective that writing the songs was a healing outlet.

The Country Things project is a spirited look into Granger’s family life, state of mind and, of course, all things country.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 12, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Courtesy of BMLG RecordsLady A tip their hats to some of country music’s powerhouse female legends in “Like a Lady,” the trio’s newest single and the first taste of their as-yet-unannounced eighth studio project.

Co-written by the group’s Hillary Scott, “Like a Lady” is a playful ode to strong, confident women who bring swagger everywhere they go, whether they’re dressed up or dressed down.

“As we were writing it, I was like, ‘It’s always been my dream to do a song that combines the things I love about Dolly Parton’s ‘9 to 5’ and Shania Twain’s ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman’ — two of the most strong, powerful female songs ever,” explains Hillary. “So it was like, ‘How can we do our version of that?’”

While “Like a Lady” may be all about celebrating women, Hillary adds that her fellow band mates Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood were immediately enthusiastic about the song.

“It’s incredible that Charles and Dave, in all their masculinity, are willing to sing right alongside me in this song,” she goes on to say. “I think that is another powerful statement. It’s super important for strong, great men to stand beside women and propel them forward.”

“We were some of the biggest champions for ‘Like a Lady’ and we’re honored to stand alongside Hillary,” chimes in Dave. “We’ve had a front-row seat to her strength over the years and we love linking arms with her on this song.”

The band rounded out their new release with a special behind-the-scenes set video to give fans a peek into all the fun that went into creating the finished product.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 12, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Sony Music NashvilleBack in 2017, Miranda Lambert touched a nerve with audiences with her plaintive heartbreak ballad, “Tin Man,” which won ACM Song of the Year and was a top-20 hit at country radio.

Now, the singer’s letting listeners in to the song’s stripped-down origins with a new version on The Marfa Tapes, a collection she recorded in Marfa, Texas with frequent collaborators and fellow Texans Jon Randall and Jack Ingram.

This intimate new recording of “Tin Man” is one of 15 tracks on The Marfa Tapes, which is set to arrive in full on May 7. It’s not the only song on the project that fans have heard before: “Tequila Does,” included on the singer’s most recent album, Wildcard, also makes an appearance on the track list.

Earlier this month, Miranda, Jon and Jack shared the first new song of the project, “In His Arms.” At the time, the trio described exactly what made the town of Marfa so special, and what keeps them returning to it for creative inspiration.

“I’ll never forget pulling into Marfa that first night at four a.m.,” recalls Miranda. “The stars were like nothing I’d ever seen before, just this endless blanket hanging so low you could reach up and touch them. I immediately understood why this place is so special.”

Adds Jon, “There’s no TV, no radio, nothing to do out there but pour a cocktail, sit around the campfire and talk. Eventually, that just inevitably leads to songs.”

The trio of Texans also revealed this week that they’ll kick off the Austin City Limits series’ 47th season next month, recording an episode in front of a limited-capacity crowd.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 12, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Phylicia J.L. MunnSunday night, Mickey Guyton will make Grammy history on several levels.

Up for Best Country Solo Performance for “Black Like Me,” she’s the first Black female solo artist ever nominated for a country Grammy. She’s also one of the only country artists to score a coveted performance slot this year, alongside Maren Morris and Miranda Lambert.  The Texas native is planning a moment worthy of the occasion.

“My performance at the Grammys is going to be so special and emotional,” Mickey promises. “Like, it’s not just about me. The song ‘Black Like Me’ is so many people’s stories. And that was my goal in this performance.”

“There’s representation as well…” she continues. “But I just wanted people to feel like they’re coming together. This is a huge moment for Black people and country music, and I just feel so honored to stand in these shoes right now.”

Mickey released her first music in January of 2014, and is candid about the challenges she’s faced as a Black woman in country music. 

“I’ve been pursuing music for a very, very, very long time and there are many times that I thought I was going to quit,” she reveals. “And my music journey didn’t change until I stopped running away from who I really am, embracing who I really am, and opening the door for other people that are marginalized.”

“And then that’s when my career turned around,” she declares.

You can watch for Mickey’s performance starting at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, as the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards air live from Los Angeles on CBS.  Then on April 18, Mickey will co-host the 56th ACM Awards with Keith Urban, also on CBS.

By Stephen Hubbard
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.