Artist Updates: Joey + Rory, Scotty McCreery, Willie Nelson

Joey + Rory Plan Deluxe Edition of Cracker Barrel CD

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and Joey+Rory have partnered for a deluxe CD edition of Hymns & Stories That Are Important To Us, which will be available at all locations on Feb. 12. In addition to the duo’s seventh studio album, the deluxe package includes never-before-seen photos of Joey + Rory and their family, a magnet, lyrics, excerpts and stories from Rory’s blog, “This Life I Live,” and a closer look into the couple’s journey creating this album together.

Cracker Barrel will donate $1 of the retail sales price of each deluxe package sold while supplies last to the Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Foundation.

 

Scotty McCreery Will Sing National Anthem at AFC Game

Scotty McCreery will perform the National Anthem at the American Football Conference (AFC) Divisional Playoff Game held at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on Saturday, Jan. 16. The game, which will air live on CBS at 4:35 PM ET (3:35 PM CT), will pit the New England Patriots against the Kansas City Chiefs.

McCreery is a die-hard Patriots fan who performed for the team members and their guests at their “Welcome to Arizona Party” last year prior to the team winning the 2015 Super Bowl.

 

Willie Nelson Schedules New Album of Standards

Willie Nelson‘s new album of pop standards, Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin, will be released on Feb. 26 by Legacy Recordings. Among the 11 Gershwin classics are two duets: “Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off” with Cyndi Lauper and “Embraceable You” with Sheryl Crow. Other selections include “But Not For Me,” “Somebody Loves Me,” “Someone To Watch Over Me,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” “I Got Rhythm,” “Love Is Here To Stay,” “They All Laughed,” “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” and the immortal title track.

The album of pop standards, penned by legendary songwriting duo George and Ira Gershwin, follows the selection of Nelson as the 2015 recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The first country artist ever to receive the distinguished Gershwin Prize, Nelson was honored in November with a two-day celebration in Washington D.C., culminating in a star-studded tribute concert scheduled for broadcast on PBS on Jan. 15.