Live In The Vineyard Goes Country Wraps Star-Studded 2021 Event

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Sony Music Nashville artist Tenille Townes performs at Nickel & Nickel Winery during Live In The Vineyard Goes Country 2021.
Photo: Ryan Waneka

Live In The Vineyard Goes Country and CMT wrapped up another successful event in Napa Valley, California last week (Nov. 2-4) that featured performances by Zac Brown Band, Darius Rucker, Old Dominion, Cole Swindell, Chris Janson, Tenille Arts, Lainey Wilson, Priscilla Block, Parker McCollum, Matt Stell, Tenille Townes, Mackenzie Porter, Tiera, and more.

Warner Music Nashville’s Cole Swindell performs at the Mainstage Concert, held at Regusci Winery, during Live In The Vineyard Goes Country 2021. Photo: Ryan Waneka

CMT filmed the upcoming episode of CMT Hot 20 during the event, which will air at 8 a.m. CT on Saturday, Nov. 13 and Sunday, Nov. 14. Fans can tune into CMT this weekend to get their backstage look at the event that will feature interviews led by Rissi Palmer and Carissa Culiner with performers from the star-packed event.

Plenty of special moments occurred throughout the event, including plaque presentations honoring Elvie Shane and Arts, who were individually recognized for their streaming success. In addition Live In The Vineyard Goes Country kicked off with a live on-air appearance by nutrition expert Joy Bauer on NBC’s TODAY show doing a cooking segment directly from the kitchen of Hall Winery in St. Helena, California.

In addition to stellar performances, close to $90,000 was raised for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital during the exclusive three-day event, which offered attendees exclusive access to artists on the lineup.

Sony Music Nashville’s Old Dominion performs at Nickel & Nickel Winery during Live In The Vineyard Goes Country 2021. Photo Credit: LITVGC

Warner Music Nashville’s Zac Brown Band performs at the Mainstage Concert, held at Regusci Winery, during Live In The Vineyard Goes Country 2021. Photo: Ryan Waneka

Universal Group Nashville artist Priscilla Block performs during Live In The Vineyard Goes Country 2021 at Round Pond Estate Winery. Photo: Ryan Waneka

Sony Music Nashville artist Matt Stell performs at Nickel & Nickel Winery during Live In The Vineyard Goes Country 2021. Photo: Ryan Waneka

Trisha Yearwood Cooks Up Some Thanksgiving Fun At The White House

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Pictured (L-R): Trisha Yearwood, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden. Photo: Courtesy The Food Network

Trisha Yearwood is teaming up with First Lady Jill Biden on Nov. 20 in a new Food Network special to usher in the holiday season. A White House Thanksgiving finds Yearwood in Washington, D.C. where she and the First Lady provide viewers with a rare glimpse at holiday entertaining at the White House.

In the special, Yearwood and Dr. Biden create a tablescape using flowers from the White House Kitchen Garden, make Yearwood’s favorite turkey gravy and Dr. Biden’s grandmother’s savory stuffing, enjoy an apple crisp created by the White House pastry chef (topped with the President’s favorite ice cream) and more. The two are joined by White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford, Chief Floral Designer Hedieh Ghaffarian, and Executive Pastry Chef Susan Morrison on the special.

“Food brings us together,” Yearwood notes. “I hope this special is a reminder to all of us about what we all have in common. Love one another.”

“Food is love – and gathering together this year for Thanksgiving is healing for our hearts,” adds Dr. Biden. “The family recipes passed down through the generations, the fun traditions that continue, and the meaningful blessings shared, all keep me filled with gratitude. It was fun opening up the White House to Food Network and learning cooking tips from Trisha and the White House chefs and florist, while sharing my own family recipes. I hope everyone watching comes away feeling that cooking a Thanksgiving meal is something anyone can do, but if you’re still nervous about making the gravy, like I am, you’re in good company!”

A White House Thanksgiving premieres Saturday, Nov. 20 at noon ET – the time Trisha’s Southern Kitchen cooking show normally airs.

Yearwood released her fourth cookbook, Trisha’s Kitchen: Easy Comfort Food for Friends and Family, in September.

Sam Hunt & Friends To Head To Cancun In March For Casa Fiesta Experience

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Sam Hunt is heading to Cancun, Mexico for spring break next March along with Parker McCollum, Nelly, The Band Camino, Surfaces, Tai Verdes, Lily Rose, Shy Carter and Connor Smith for “Casa Fiesta Featuring Sam Hunt and Friends.”

Set for March 14-18, 2022, the five-day experience, presented by tech company Pollen, will include performances on the beach near Cancun’s hottest clubs, activities, pool parties, add-on excursions and much more.

“We’re excited to work with Sam to curate such a unique and intimate experience for his fans, especially with a line up of contrasting genres that brings everyone together for a fun party on the beach,” says Dan Merker, Head of Country & Rock Content for Pollen.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, Nov. 12. Local COVID protocols and guidelines will be observed. More info can be found here..

Kelsea Ballerini, Kenny Chesney Earn Early 2021 CMA Award Wins

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Kelsea Ballerini, Kenny Chesney

Early winners for The 55th Annual CMA Awards have been revealed in two categories. First-time CMA Awards winner Kelsea Ballerini and nine-time CMA Awards winner Kenny Chesney take home two trophies for their collaboration, “Half Of My Hometown.”

Produced by Ballerini, Ross Copperman and Jimmy Robbins, “Half Of My Hometown” has won the award for CMA Musical Event of the Year and CMA Music Video of the Year. The video was directed by Patrick Tracy.

Since its release, the Gold-certified track, written by Ballerini, Copperman, Robbins, Nicolle Galyon and Shane McAnally, has garnered over 90 million streams and is currently in the top 20 at country radio. “Half Of My Hometown” is currently at No. 14 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and No. 19 on the Hot Country Songs Chart.

Ballerini says: “I’m so proud that my first two CMAs are for a song that represents my roots and also celebrates the dream that made me leave to chase it down. I remember growing up in Knoxville watching the CMAs… So this feels surreal and special to share this with so many of my songwriting friends, and my hometown hero Kenny Chesney. I can’t think of a better moment to keep on my shelf forever.”

“Growing up in East Tennessee, it’s a deeper kind of home. You have to have lived it to really understand,” adds Chesney. “Kelsea knows that, knows how hard it is to leave to chase a dream like music. It’s what made being part of “half of my hometown” so special! I know that feeling of everyone having an opinion, hating leaving all that love and needing to go out and find your place in the songs.”

This year’s CMA Awards will feature 20 performances from some of the biggest names in music, including Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood, Gabby Barrett, Brothers Osborne, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Mickey Guyton feat. Brittney Spencer and Madeline Edwards, Miranda Lambert, Old Dominion, Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde, and more.

Also on tap is a star-studded list of presenters such as Trace Adkins, Ingrid Andress, Deana Carter, Lauren Daigle, Russell Dickerson, Amy Grant, Alan Jackson, Elle King, Lady A, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Darius Rucker, Lainey Wilson, and Trisha Yearwood, among others. The night will be hosted by Luke Bryan.

The 55th Annual CMA Awards will air live tonight (Nov. 10) on ABC from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena at 7:00 p.m. CT.

Big Machine’s Scott Borchetta Wraps Undefeated Sportscar Season

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Scott Borchetta. Photo: Courtesy of Big Machine Label Group

Big Machine Label Group President and CEO Scott Borchetta finished off a stellar Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) season by winning the Group 6 championship at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.

The label head and racing enthusiast won the Gold Helmet National Championship Race in his red and white 1969 Chevrolet Corvette on Sunday, Nov. 7. It was the team’s fourth consecutive Gold Helmet win. He won an unprecedented 22 races in the SVRA season.

“It’s not a cliche to say this is a team win,” says Borchetta. “The work that crew chief Dylan Hellman and the team do week in and week out on our #98 1969 Corvette race car is proven to be second to none. The car is so fast and is a joy to race. To go undefeated this year is just incredible.”

Pictured (L-R, front row): Liam Callaway, Charlie Legeman, Sandi Borchetta, Liz Allison, Steve Steinhauer; (L-R, back row): Ryan Crew, Matt Crews, Scott Borchetta, Jason Rittenberry. Photo: Courtesy of Big Machine Label Group

Borchetta and the Scott Borchetta Racing team also wrapped up their Trans Am 2 season, ending the year with a team-best of two top-five finishes and six top-ten finishes. Borchetta finished 14th in his No. 48 Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers Camaro in Sunday’s season finale at the Circuit of the Americas track, earning an eighth-place finish in the championship point standings in a highly competitive class of cars. He was also awarded Trans Am’s Breakthrough Driver of the Year at Sunday night’s award ceremony.

“For a first-year team, we came a very long way in our Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers Camaro,” says Borchetta. “This is a big-league professional series with drivers from all over the world competing. This year’s champion, Rafa Matos from Brazil, is a former Indy Lights champion who has multiple starts in the Indy 500, which highlights the very high bar we’ve set to be able to compete at this level. Congrats, again, to the team for stepping up at every race to make us competitive in this fast-growing national series.”

Along with racing himself, Borchetta owns the Big Machine Racing team in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series with driver and Brentwood native Jade Buford.

Combustion Music & Jameson Rodgers Partner To Sign Tom Whall

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Pictured (L-R): Combustion Music’s Kelly Lyons, Blake Duncan, Tom Whall, Chris Van Belkom, Jameson Rodgers, Chris Farren

Combustion Music has signed Tom Whall to an exclusive publishing deal in partnership with Jameson Rodgers.

Since moving to Nashville in 2011, Whall has been an internationally touring drummer and is currently on the road with Rodgers. As a multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter, Whall has had cuts with Emily Earle, Charlie Berry and more.

“Tom is a phenomenal musician and songwriter and I’m proud to not only have him in my band but to help his songwriting career take off as well. His work ethic paired with this team is going to set him up for a lot of success,” Rodgers says.

“As a writer/producer, I’ve always looked up to the Combustion team and Jameson,” Whall adds. “I’m super pumped to be a part of this killer team!”

Whall is the first signing on Combustion’s venture with Rodgers, whose songwriter career began with Combustion in 2014. The Platinum singer-songwriter has since celebrated two No. 1 songs as an artist such as “Some Girls” and “Cold Beer Calling My Name,” the latter of which he co-penned, as well as several hit songs as a songwriter with Chris Lane, Luke Combs, and Jason Aldean.

“Our creative strategy is based on organic relationships. When Tom connected with Jameson in the writer room, we knew he needed to be the first signing to our new venture,” says Combustion Vice President, Chris Van Belkom.

Chris Farren, Combustion Music President, sums, “Couldn’t be happier to be both signing Tom and partnering with Jameson on this deal…two guys of huge talent and character. Looking forward to a long, fruitful relationship together.”

Love And Theft Sign With ONErpm Ahead Of New Single Release

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Love and Theft. Photo: Chase Lauer

Country duo Love and Theft has signed a worldwide marketing and distribution deal ONErpm. In celebration, the pair are set to release their brand-new single, “Accidentally on Purpose,” Friday, Nov. 12 on all platforms.

“We are thrilled to announce our signing with ONErpm and are very excited for fans to hear our new single,” says Eric Gunderson, half of the duo, along with bandmate and longtime friend Stephen Barker Liles. “‘Accidentally on Purpose’ is probably our favorite song from this project,” he adds. “We wrote it with our dear friend Bree Doster back before the world shut down, and we can’t wait for people to react to it. Though bittersweet in the end, it makes you move and makes you feel something!”

“ONErpm is proud to partner with veteran duo Love and Theft,” says Diana Garcia, project manager for ONErpm. “In their career, these guys have already garnered more than 3 billion radio impressions, over 300 million plays on Pandora and are nearing 3 million music video streams [the latter for the critically acclaimed ‘Whiskey on My Breath’].”

Love and Theft launched their career in 2009 with their top 10 hit “Runaway” and garnered a No. 1 with their 2012 country song, “Angel Eyes.” The multi-award-nominated duo is also featured on CreatiVet’s Veteran’s Day Special EP, performing “Another Day.”

Of the collaboration, Liles shares, “CreatiVets efforts for veterans is a unique and artistic way for singers and songwriters to share their appreciation for those who sacrifice their lives to keep us safe.” He continues, “Music is a powerful thing, and we’re honored to be a part of these events.”

Brent Cobb, Amy Ray To Host Virtual “Georgia on My Mind” Benefit Concert

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Singer-songwriters Brent Cobb and Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls are set to host “Gretsch Presents Georgia On My Mind,” an online benefit for the Georgia Music Foundation, on Dec. 7.

Earlier in 2021, the Georgia Music Foundation staged “Georgia On My Mind” lakeside at Five Arrow Farms in Georgia with performances by Cobb, Ray, Kevn Kinney of Drivin N Cryin, Jontavious Willis, Kalen & Aslyn, Trina Meade and Tomi Martin of Three5Human, and the Lola Gulley Band. December’s streamed concert will feature highlights from that show.

Tickets for the show, airing at 7 p.m. CT, are $10 and can be purchased here. All proceeds will benefit the Georgia Music Foundation.

“Amy and I never would’ve guessed our first shot at hosting ‘Georgia On My  Mind’ would be online, but we both loved the way the show turned out last year,” Cobb offers. “While we eased back in this year playing with a small group of friends for a small audience, it was so much fun that we wanted to make that experience available online, too.”

“Being together and making music after COVID-imposed isolation was meaningful in so many ways,” adds Ray. “Everyone was present for something special and you can hear it in the performances as we all come together on behalf of an organization that not only supports music education grants every year, but also provided grants to musicians and crew around the state last fall through a relief fund it organize.”

Usually held at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, “Georgia On My Mind” was founded by Georgia natives The Peach Pickers (Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson and Ben Hayslip) in 2014. After seven years of hosting, the trio turned the reins over to fellow Georgians Cobb and Ray but as COVID-19 began to spread, the charitable event was reimagined as an online affair with living room and studio performances by more than 20 artists.

Chris Janson, Bass Pro Shops Partner To Aid Folds Of Honor

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Chris Janson. Photo: Spidey Smith

Chris Janson has been an active supporter of the U.S. military throughout his career, and he’s showing his appreciation for our servicemen and women by teaming up with Bass Pro Shops to commemorate Military Family Appreciation Month and Veteran’s Day.

Now through Nov. 13, Bass Pro Shops is hosting an in-store “round-up at the register” campaign to help fund at least 20 life-changing scholarships for the spouses and children of fallen and disabled service members via national nonprofit organization Folds of Honor. Together, a minimum of $100,000 will be donated.

“I’m so grateful to my friends at Bass Pro Shops for doing the round-up at the register this week through Folds of Honor,” says Janson. “I couldn’t be more humbled that ‘Bye Mom’ inspired such a great opportunity. This week you can round up every purchase at Bass Pro Shops, and the proceeds will go to our great servicemen and women and their families. Thank you to our veterans this Thursday and always.”

Janson will wrap the year serving as the grand marshal at the Leiper’s Fork Christmas Day parade on Dec. 11. The avid outdoorsman will once again team up with Bass Pro Shops and the Franklin High School fishing team to pass out rods and reels to children along the route.

Nashville Guitarist Adam Shoenfeld To Release Solo Debut ‘All the Birds Sing’

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Studio and touring musician Adam Shoenfeld is releasing his latest album All the Birds Sing on Jan. 28 via Lozen Entertainment Group/Copperline. The first single, “The Sky is Falling Down,” alludes to the chaos in the world with a silver lining in its message and is available now.

Shoenfeld has spent the last nine years in Tim McGraw’s touring band, but decided to step out on his own for his new family-inspired project. When going through the track list, his children inspired “Son,” “Pave Those Highways,” and “11,” while “Her Song” is an ode to his wife. Shoenfeld’s cover of “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” ties back to his childhood in New Jersey where he listened to his parents’ Beatles records as well as classic live albums by Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton, and the Rolling Stones.

“What I really connected to, and what gave me the chills, was the audience,” Shoenfeld recalls. “I had a guitar in my hand before I turned 5. My parents bought me one because I was air-guitaring to Frampton Comes Alive. I couldn’t help myself.” He continues, “I love getting to play guitar for people and making a living doing that. It’s the best job in the world, but I’ve always been an artist at heart.”

Since 2011, he’s received seven nominations from the Academy of Country Music for Guitar Player of the Year. He’s also accrued credits on more than 40 No. 1 country hits, including Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” and “Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy” by Big & Rich.

All the Birds Sing Track List:
The Sky is Falling Down
Gettin’ to Me
All the Birds Sing
Eleven
Son
Pave Those Highways
Lose to Win
Her Song
Norwegian Wood
Say a Word