February 18, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Connor DwyerDustin Lynch loves his his Tennessee hometown so much, he named his latest album in its honor, calling it Tullahoma. So when you hear him singing “I’d burn this whole town down if it wasn’t for my momma’s house,” it’s obvious his latest hit is one he didn’t write. 

Even though the song initially shocked him, it turned out to be a sentiment to which he could relate.

“‘Momma’s House’ is a lyric that I’ve never heard before,” Dustin tells ABC Audio. “Whenever one of my friends sent me this song, it hit me in a way where I was like, ‘Whoa!’ It kind of made me step back and go, ‘I was not expecting that out of the title ‘Momma’s House.'”

“But it’s an emotion I think we’ve all felt,” he continues, “especially those that grew up in small towns. And you break up with the girl you’re dating and you’re like, ‘My world’s crumbling. There’s no one else here.'”

For Dustin, it brings to mind a rather heart-wrenching chapter in his own life.

“My grandparents are high school sweethearts, my parents [are] high school sweethearts, my sister married her high school sweetheart,” he explains. “So whenever my high school sweetheart didn’t work out, it was such a shock.”

“I thought I had life figured out, right?” he recalls. “And I felt that emotion where I just, I wanted to burn the town down because everything in my hometown reminded me of her.”  

The Grand Ole Opry member is set to play country music’s most famous stage this Saturday night, just as “Momma’s House” is one spot away from the top ten.

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

February 17, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABCLuke Combs and Maren Morris were the artists on a Wednesday afternoon panel that took place during this year’s Country Radio Seminar, and addressed accountability in country music.

During the conversation, which was hosted by Ann Powers, Luke and Maren reflected on Morgan Wallen’s recent removal from the country music industry after video surfaced that showed him shouting racial slurs, including the N-word.

Specifically, Maren spoke to the ways in which Morgan’s fans continued to support the singer despite the backlash, and how he used a video message on social media to implore them to stop.

“I appreciate Morgan saying ‘quit defending me’ to his fans. It’s indefensible. He knows that,” Maren pointed out. “All we can do so there isn’t an elephant in the room is say that out loud.”

For his part, Luke reflected on how he himself has come a long way in his thinking over the years. The singer spoke about his past use of Confederate flag imagery, both in photos and in a 2015 music video.

“There is no excuse for those images,” he admitted. “I think as a younger man, those were images that I associated to mean something else. I am now aware of how painful that image can be to someone else. I would never want to be associated with something that brings so much hurt to someone else.”

Now, Luke continues, he’s hoping to be able to be at the forefront of a more inclusive era of country music.

“I’m a living, mouth-breathing example that people can change,” the singer said. “…You do hear the old adage of country music is a family — and I believe that more than anything — but I want it to be a family everyone can be a part of, because it’s changed my life.”

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

February 17, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

LionsgateSurprise! Reba McEntire signed on for a cameo in the new comedy Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar, but she kept her appearance under wraps until the film debuted last weekend.

Reba’s role is Trish, a “fun-lovin’ water spirit” who saves two best friends — main characters Barb and Star, played by Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, respectively — from drowning during their vacation.

“I’m not advertised as being in this movie, it’s been this secret,” the singer tells USA Today. “But afterward my friends were texting me saying, ‘I knew you were gonna be Trish.’ That was the icing on the cake for me.”

On Twitter, she shared a few behind-the-scenes snapshots of her transformation into the character.

“I know you’re going to be surprised, but this is the first time I’ve ever played a sea spirit,” jokes Reba, adding that there was one logistical problem that she ran into during filming.

“The script had me diving in and swimming off. Well, I can’t dive,” she says. “They said, ‘Don’t worry about that. We’ll fix it.’”

As for the rest of her character and the story line of the movie, Reba says she was immediately hooked by the wacky humor of two Midwestern middle-aged friends who take a tropical vacation together.

The singer is also a huge fan of Bridesmaids, which was written by Mumolo and Wiig. The comedy duo wrote the screenplay for Barb & Star together as well.

“Everybody knows somebody like Barb and Star. They’re very real, it’s priceless,” Reba adds. “I laughed my butt off.”

I’m just a fun-lovin’ water spirit named Trish! 🧜🏼‍♀️ #BarbAndStar https://t.co/nWHNefM6Jf

— Reba (@reba) February 16, 2021

A little behind the scenes of becoming #Trish! 🧜🏼‍♀️🐚🌊 @BarbAndStar pic.twitter.com/p1D6AxnCOX

— Reba (@reba) February 17, 2021

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

February 17, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABC/Image Group LARussell Dickerson’s chart-topping hit “Love You Like I Used To” has achieved a new milestone: It’s now spent 21 weeks inside the top 10 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.

That puts the song in a tie for longest-running top-10 single with Lonestar’s “Amazed,” which achieved the same feat back in 1999.

“I don’t think there is a better way to kick off a sophomore album than with a song that makes history!” Russell reflected on the accomplishment.

“Love You Like I Used To” is the leading single off of Russell’s second project, Southern Symphony. In addition to its continuing chart success, the song also recently claimed RIAA Platinum certification. It’s the fourth consecutive chart-topping hit from Russell, making him the second solo artist to have four or more singles reach the top spot on the Country Airplay chart since the chart was created in 1990. The other artist to hit that milestone is Luke Combs.

Southern Symphony arrived in December of 2020. The project also includes Russell’s newest single, “Home Sweet.”

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

February 17, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Jason Kempin/Getty ImagesVince Gill was among the country artists weighing in on the genre’s race reckoning during a special CBS feature this week.

The conversation was structured in part as a response to Morgan Wallen’s recent use of racial slurs, including the N-word. Morgan’s music was subsequently removed from many country radio stations, and his record contract was suspended by his label.

“It was just sad,” Vince said, when asked what his reaction was to the incident. “It was just disappointing, because I knew that everybody was gonna massacre country music.”

The singer also pointed out his frustrations at hearing the argument, from many white country fans, that it should have been okay for Morgan to use the N-word, since they hear rap artists using it.

“I go, ‘Have you not been paying attention to the last 400 years? How that word has been used by the white community?’” Vince continued with an exasperated shrug. “It’s derogatory, dismissive and hurtful. It doesn’t have a place.”

Also during the feature, Vince gave an acoustic performance of an original new song that grapples with this issue, called “March On, March On.”  “Four hundred years of history couldn’t be more wrong / A reckoning is coming, march on, march on,” he sings in the chorus. 

Other artists participating in the conversation include Maren Morris, Ryan Hurd and Rissi Palmer, who each offered their own perspectives on the state of country music as well as their reaction to the controversy surrounding Morgan Wallen.

Despite the backlash he’s facing, Morgan’s January album release, Dangerous, remains at the top of the Billboard 200 chart for the fifth week straight.

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