Brooke Eden Surprises Opry Crowd With Special Trisha Yearwood Duet

Brooke Eden & Trisha Yearwood at the Grand Ole Opry on June 25, 2021. Photo: Ford Fairchild

Country singer-songwriter Brooke Eden surprised a packed Opry House last Friday, June 25, with a guest appearance from Trisha Yearwood during her set.

After a performance of her latest songs, “No Shade” and “Sunroof,” Eden began her performance of her country classic pick, “She’s In Love With The Boy.” After the first chorus, Yearwood appeared and suggested they do a gender flip of the song to highlight Pride month and Brooke’s recent engagement to Hilary Hoover, a radio representative for Yearwood and Garth Brooks. Eden and Yearwood continued their duet as “She’s In Love With The Girl.”

“Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d ever share the stage with one of my heroes, Trisha Yearwood,” said Eden. “Her idea of changing the words of ‘She’s In Love With The Boy’ to include Hilary and my love story is such a beautiful way of putting action behind the quote, ‘Love Is Love.’ Thank you to Trisha and the Opry for helping to create a community of love and acceptance. This is country music.”

Eden made her triumphant return to country music earlier this year. Marking the end of her four-year hiatus, she shared three new songs—“No Shade,” “Sunroof,” and now “Got No Choice.” Collaborating with director Ford Fairchild, Eden was able to incorporate her fiancée, her hometown, and even the bar she grew up singing at, into the music videos that give the viewer a glimpse into Eden’s world.

Dailey & Vincent To Be Recognized At 50th Annual Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree

Dailey & Vincent

Multi-Grammy nominated duo Dailey & Vincent will be recognized at the 50th Annual Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree and Crafts Festival for their contributions as one of the most popular bands in contemporary American music, embracing bluegrass, country, and gospel. The festival is set to take place on Saturday, July 3 in Downtown Smithville, Tennessee.

Darrin Vincent will be celebrated by the State of Tennessee with an unveiling of his “Tennessee Music Pathways” marker on the square in his hometown during the event. Launched by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development in 2018, Tennessee Music Pathways is an online planning guide that connects visitors to the state’s rich musical heritage. Tennessee Music Pathways stretches across all 95 counties and features hundreds of landmarks from the seven genres of music that call Tennessee home.

Jamie Dailey will also be honored at the event as the recipient of the Fiddlers’ Jamboree’s 2021 Blue Blaze Award. The Blue Blaze Award is designed to honor an individual or group that keeps the embers of bluegrass music burning for future generations. The Blue Blaze Panel Committee voted unanimously for Dailey’s nomination citing his long-running contributions to bluegrass music. Following the presentations, Dailey & Vincent will perform a mini-concert on the main stage.

Although the pair only began performing regularly as a duo in 2008, they’d both had extensive careers in bluegrass and had sung together informally since 2001. Their first show together was at the Grand Ole Opry, staged at the Ryman Auditorium, on Dec. 29, 2007. Their debut self-titled album was released in January 2008 and won Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year, Emerging Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year award at the 2008 IBMA Awards. In March 2017, Dailey and Vincent were inducted as the 213th members of the Grand Ole Opry. As of 2021, they have received five Grammy Awards individually, three Grammy nominations collectively, six Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association, and 35 IBMA Awards altogether.

Steve Dorff Elected To Songwriters Hall Of Fame Board Of Directors

Steve Dorff

Demolition Music Publishing’s Steve Dorff has been elected to the board of directors for the prestigious Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. Dorff, an inductee to the Songwriters Hall of Fame himself, will serve a three year term on the board.

Dorff will serve alongside other elected board members Desmond Child, Paul Williams, Hal David Starlight Award Recipient Ne-Yo, Martin Bandier, Caroline Bienstock, Donna Caseine, Samantha Cox, Charlie Feldman, Fletcher Foster, Pete Ganbarg, Randy Grimmett, John Josephson, Jody Klein, Evan Lamberg, Carianne Marshall, Nancy Munoz, Jon Platt, Irwin Z. Robinson, Patrice Rushen and John Titta.

The Bobby Bones Show’s Eddie Garcia Completed 100-Mile Walk For Charity

Eddie Garcia on the 100-mile walk for National Angels

Eddie Garcia of iHeartRadio’s The Bobby Bones Show completed a nearly 100 mile walk from Bluefield, West Virginia to Bristol, Tennessee on Wednesday, June 23. The four day journey was part of a fundraiser for National Angels, a national non-profit organization dedicated to supporting children, youth, and families in the foster care community. To date, listeners of The Bobby Bones Show have donated more than $275K in support of National Angels.

“I did it! I walked all the way from West Virginia down to Tennessee,” shares Garcia. “We raised so much money for National Angels and met a ton of great humans out here. Thank you for all the support and encouragement along the way. I didn’t do this alone!”

Garcia, who is a foster parent to two young children and is on the National Advisory Council for the non-profit organization, was inspired by the George Strait song, “Carrying Your Love With Me,” in which he sings: “‘Cause I’m carryin’ your love with me, West Virginia down to Tennessee…”

“Eddie did it! The Bobby Bones Show did it. The more than 8,800 contributors did it. Together, people from all over our country collectively came together and said, ‘We can make a difference and we can be a part of the change!’ The response and support have been nothing short of a miracle!” says Susan Ramirez, founder and CEO at National Angels.

Wanda Jackson. Photo: Emma Lee Photography

Rock & Roll, International Gospel, and Rockabilly Hall of Famer Wanda Jackson has teamed up with fellow Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Joan Jett and Kenny Laguna on her 32nd album, Encore, due out on Aug. 20 via Big Machine Records/Blackheart Records. To give fans a taste of the set, Jackson’s take on Johnny Tillotson’s 1962 Rhythm & Blues smash “It Keeps Right On A Hurtin’” is available now.

The vocalist known for “Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad,” “Mean, Mean Man,” “Fujiyama Mama,” and “Let’s Have A Party” wrote half of Encore’s songs, with an array of co-writers including triple Grammy Award winner Lori McKenna; ACM, CMA, and Grammy nominees Will Hoge and Luke Laird; Angaleena Presley; and Sonia Leigh.

“Real, authentic rock and roll is something you have to have inside. It can’t be taught, it can’t be faked. Wanda Jackson has it. Joan Jett has it. Encore has it. It is rare,” says Laguna.

Encore walks listeners through the rockabilly, country, and even punk colors of Jackson’s career and vocals over the years. Recorded just before announcing her retirement, Jackson’s signature tease delivers a resounding thump on “Big Baby.” On the jaunty “Can’t Keep A Good Girl Down,” she’s joined by Presley and Candi Carpenter, while Jett’s garage grunge comes out on “You Drive Me Wild.” Whether the funk “Treat Me Like A Lady” or the giddyup rockabilly of “Two Shots” with Elle King and Jett, Jackson remains every bit as in charge as ever. The album’s closing ballad, “That’s What Love Is,” also offers listeners a dose of clear-eyed tenderness.

“Right around the time I retired from performing and what I thought was the end of my career, I found myself back to writing songs with some of the great writers in Nashville. The songs you hear are truly my life story. This is the first time I have ever inserted so much of my personal life into my music. You’ll get a picture of my early life and have a peak into the closeness that my late husband Wendell and I had in our life together. I’m happy to share this with all of you. Your constant love and support has seen me through the ups and downs of my 64-year career. I love you all and God bless you,” shares Jackson.

Encore Tracklist:
1. Big Baby – Christopher Casello, Robin Lynn Grant
2. Two Shots (featuring Elle King and Joan Jett) – David Ryan Harris, Tanner Elle Schneider
3. You Drive Me Wild” – Joan Jett
4. Good Girl Down (featuring Angaleena Presley and Candi Carpenter) – Wanda Jackson, Vanessa Olivarez, Angaleena Presley
5. It Keeps Right On A Hurtin’ – Johnny Tillotson
6. We Gotta Stop – Wanda Jackson, Will Hoge, Vanessa Olivarez
7. Treat Me Like A Lady (featuring Joan Jett) – Wanda Jackson, Sonia Leigh, Vanessa Olivarez, Jordan Breanne Simpson
8. That What Love Is (featuring Joan Jett) – Wanda Jackson, Luke Laird, Lori McKenna, Jordan Breanne Simpson

Vincent Neil Emerson records his self-titled album at Sound Emporium Studios. Photo: Hannah Diane

Singer-songwriter Vincent Neil Emerson has released his self-titled album today, June 25 on La Honda Records and Thirty Tigers. The project includes his latest single, “High On Gettin’ By,” which follows the previously released tracks “Learnin’ To Drown” and “Texas Moon.” Emerson entered the studio with legendary Texas icon Rodney Crowell, who produced the self-titled project.

“I got drawn into this project as a producer because I was immediately drawn to the poetry of the songs that Vincent writes,” says Crowell. “To me, it’s in that Texas folk-singer tradition of Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Ray Wylie Hubbard, myself and Steve Earle. When I heard Vincent’s songs, I said, ‘I get this. I understand it. I want to be a part of this.’ It’s really exciting to me that there’s another generation coming up with the sensibilities of really good, strong language and a respect for the tradition of poetic folk-singing and songwriting.”

Vincent Neil Emerson with producer Rodney Crowell at Sound Emporium Studios recording his self-titled album. Photo: Hannah Diane

Album opener “Texas Moon” is an ode about looking forward to returning home from the road, but always having the itch to get back on tour once you’re back, praised by MusicRow’s Robert K. Oermann as “an enchanting bluegrassy blend of rippling acoustic guitars, fiddle and banjo… highly promising.” Meanwhile, Emerson’s first release from the project, “Learnin’ To Drown,” is a raw song he wrote to confront his feelings about his father’s suicide. Allowing himself to reveal some of the most intimate details of his life was a scary yet freeing prospect for Emerson, an authentic torchbearer of the Texas songwriter tradition. “Learnin’ To Drown” earned placements on Spotify’s flagship Americana playlist, Indigo, Emerging Americana, Fresh Folk and Apple Music’s Best New Songs.

“’High On Gettin’ By’ was one of the first songs I wrote for this record, if not the first song. It’s one of those that just kind of came out very free flowing and naturally,” shares Emerson. “I wrote it at a time in my life where I felt like everything was falling apart. I didn’t know what to do, so I started writing. This song probably means the most to me out of all the songs on the album, because it’s a blessing to be where I am right now.”

Vincent Neil Emerson Track List:
1. Texas Moon
2. Debtor’s Blues
3. High On The Mountain
4. Learnin’ To Drown
5. Ripplin’ And Wild
6. Durango
7. The Ballad Of The Choctaw-Apache
8. White Horse Saloon
9. High On Gettin’ By
10. Saddled Up And Tamed