Logan Mize Proves He’s ‘Still That Kid’ On New Album Due January 27

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Logan Mize is releasing his latest project, Still That Kid, on January 27 via Big Yellow Dog Music.

The album is a celebration of Mize’s rural upbringing with songs like “American Livin” and “Who Didn’t” that reminisce on the Mayberry-esque aspect of small-town America, while “Hometown” takes listeners through the real-life story of Mize’s journey to Music City and finding his way back home. The collection features tracks penned by top country writers including Rhett Akins, Nicolle Galyon, Ashley Gorley, Chris DeStefano and more.

Mize reminds us of the lessons learned from our teenage mistakes on the track “Practice Swing,” while “Prettiest Girl in the World” looks to the future and the lessons in self-love that he’s passing on to his daughter Violet. “Slow” acknowledges 2020’s silver lining in teaching us all to slow down and not move so fast through life. Mize showcases his fun-loving enthusiasm in upbeat tracks like “I Ain’t Gotta Grow Up” (featuring Willie Jones), “Get ‘Em Together”(featuring Clare Dunn), and “Something Just Like This,” an edgy cover of The Chainsmokers & Coldplay hit. He also touches on heartache on songs like “Gone Goes On and On” and on two very different versions of “Grew Apart” — one featuring songwriter Donovan Woods and the other with Alexandra Kay.

Still That Kid Track List:
*Produced by Daniel Agee
1. American Livin’ (Logan Mize, Blake Chaffin)
2. I Ain’t Gotta Grow Up (Dallas Davidson, Kyle Fishman, Rhett Akins)
3. Who Didn’t (Nicolle Galyon, Ashley Gorley, Jimmy Robbins)
4. Grew Apart feat. Donovan Woods (Donovan Woods, Travis Wood, Logan Wall)
5. Gone Goes On and On (Josh Kear, Robert Counts, Ed Hill, Mark Irwin)
6. Practice Swing (Randy Montana, Blake Chaffin)
7. Hometown (Tony Lane, Stephen Wilson, Marv Green)
8. Get ‘Em Together feat. Clare Dunn (Dallas Davidson, Mark Holman, Ben Hayslip, Justin Wilson)
9. Prettiest Girl in the World (Logan Mize, Blake Chaffin)
10. Slow (Dallas Davidson, Chris DeStefano, Houston Phillips)
11. Something Just Like This (Andrew Taggart, Guy Berryman, Christopher Martin, Jonathan Buckland, William Chamption)
12. Grew Apart feat. Alexandra Kay (Donovan Woods, Travis Wood, Logan Wall)
13. I Ain’t Gotta Grow Up with Willie Jones (Dallas Davidson, Kyle Fishman, Rhett Akins, Willie Jones)

Lee Greenwood And Soldier Valley Spirits Develop Signature Bourbon Whiskey

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Lee Greenwood

Lee Greenwood has partnered with Nebraska-based Soldier Valley Spirits to develop and distribute the Lee Greenwood Signature Bourbon Whiskey.

The ‘90 proof’ bourbon whiskey is bottled in a canteen shaped bottle embossed with the number “6” and includes a hanging military-style dog tag showcasing the letters “LG”. Portions of the proceeds made from the whiskey will be donated to non-profit veteran organizations.

“I am extremely honored to be working with Soldier Valley Spirits. We have been developing this product for the past five months to make sure that it was the right product to put my name on. I believe we have it too,” says Greenwood. “This is a veteran-run company that continues to give back to veterans through the sale of their products and that is exactly what I support.”

Pictured (L-R): David Mark Young, President, Soldier Valley Spirits; Lee Greenwood; Jeff Hadden, Founder, Soldier Valley Spirits/Patriarch Distillers.

“Soldier Valley Spirits originated from a desire to celebrate and honor U.S. veterans who have served our great nation. When approached about partnering with Lee Greenwood on creating a special bourbon, we immediately were ready to make it happen as there is no other entertainer that does more for veterans than him. We are honored that he chose us to bring this product to the market,” says Jeff Hadden, founder of Soldier Valley Spirits and Patriarch Distillers.

The special blend of bourbon is available for pre-order at soldiervalleyspirits.com and will be at retail by Memorial Day 2021.

Weekly Register: Luke Combs Finishes Out 2020 On Top

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Luke Combs

The final weekly chart of 2020 saw Luke Combs on top with “Forever After All” earning 7.5 million streams, according to Nielsen. He is also at No. 3 with 7.1 million streams for “Better Together.” For country albums, Combs finishes the year with another two in the top five. His What You See Is What You Get is at No. 1 with 34K in total activity, and his This One’s For You is at No. 4 with 17K.

Gabby Barrett comes in at No. 2 on the songs chart, with “I Hope” earning 7.3 million. Chris Stapleton‘s “Starting Over” is at No. 4 (6.6 million steams), and Morgan Wallen‘s “More Than My Hometown” rounds out the top five with 6.3 million.

Carrie Underwood‘s My Gift finishes out the year at No. 2 on the albums chart with 21K (20,704) in total consumption, Stapleton’s Starting Over follows her closely with 21K (20,608). Wallen’s If I Know Me is at No. 5 with 16K.

MusicRow’s 2020 Print Issues And Important 2021 Dates

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COUNTRY RADIO ISSUE (February/March 2020)

The 2020 Country Radio Issue highlights the winners of MusicRow‘s 18th Annual CountryBreakout Awards, for songs that topped the CountryBreakout Radio Chart the prior year. This issue also spotlights YouTube’s Copeland Isaacson and Margaret Hart, takes an inside look at country radio tours with Trea Landon, highlights playlist creation with WCFT’s Shelly Marx and explores artist-led podcasts such as those launched by Midland, Kelleigh Bannen, Reba McEntire and more.

INCHARGE ISSUE (April/May 2020)

MusicRow‘s 2020 InCharge Issue highlights key music industry executives in Nashville’s entertainment community. Each of the 396 profiles includes updated contact information, career biography, and detailed board and organizational membership affiliations. The guide also includes a company appendix, record label staff appendix, and a professional categories appendix which lists executives by their areas of expertise, including music publishing, legal, finance, performing rights organizations and more.

ARTIST ROSTER ISSUE (June/July 2020)

The 2020 Artist Roster Issue includes an updated company directory featuring Nashville record labels, managers, talent agencies, publicists and additional artist services. The Artist Grid lists today’s top artists, with their corresponding label, management, agent and PR companies. The issue also includes interviews with Dierks Bentley, TikTok executives Danny Gillick and Mary Rahmani, Warner Music Nashville’s Wes Vause, and MusiCares’ Debbie Carroll.

MUSICROW AWARDS (August/September 2020)

MusicRow‘s yearly reader-voted awards issue honors the 32nd Annual MusicRow Awards winners, as well as the Top 10 All Star Musicians. The issue also includes features on the future of live shows, a look at diversity within country music, a tribute to the late studio musician and longtime Grand Ole Opry guitarist Jimmy Capps, a deep dive into how music studios are facing the ongoing pandemic, and a roundup of music industry awards.

PUBLISHER ISSUE (October/November 2020)

The 2020 Publisher Issue includes the 2020 Publisher Directory, listing Nashville’s top publishing companies, as well as organizations and services available for songwriters. This issue includes interviews with top executives including Sony/ATV Music Nashville’s Rusty Gaston, ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, BMI’s Clay Bradley, SESAC’s ET Brown and Lydia Schultz, NMPA’s David Israelite, Jody Williams, Wide Open Music and RECORDS Nashville’s Ash Bowers, and BMG’s Chris Oglesby. The issue also highlights songwriters and artists Ashley Gorley, Luke Laird, Sam Ellis, Jonathan Singleton, Alysa Vanderheym, Kelly Archer, BRELAND, and Jessie Jo Dillon.

TOURING/N.B.T. ISSUE (January 2021)

The 2021 Touring/N.B.T. Issue features MusicRow‘s 7th annual Next Big Thing class of artists as well as the N.B.T. Industry Directory. This issue also celebrates MusicRow Magazine Owner/Publisher Sherod Robertson‘s 10-year anniversary of leading the publication, and features interviews with WME Nashville Co-Heads Becky Gardenhire and Jay Williams, UTA Nashville’s Curt Motley, and CAA Music Nashville Co-Head Marc Dennis. Lighting and design expert Chris Lisle looks at how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted touring professionals, and touring specialists Trent and Joey Hemphill offer one example of how their touring company has pivoted during the pandemic. Additionally, the 2021 Touring Directory is included in this issue, featuring contact information for touring transportation, production and insurance companies.

Copies of each print issue can be purchased here.

To become a member of MusicRow Magazine, click here.

 

IMPORTANT PRINT DATES FOR 2021:

COUNTRY RADIO & STREAMING ISSUE (February/March 2021)
1/22 – Space Deadline
2/2 – Camera Ready Art Deadline
2/16 – Street Date

INCHARGE ISSUE (April/May 2021)
3/26 – Space Deadline
4/6 – Camera Ready Art Deadline
4/20 – Street Date

ARTIST ROSTER ISSUE (June/July 2021)
5/21 – Space Deadline
6/1 – Camera Ready Art Deadline
6/15 – Street Date

MUSICROW AWARDS (August/September 2021)
7/9 – Space Deadline
7/20 – Camera Ready Art Deadline
8/10 – Street Date

PUBLISHER ISSUE (October/November 2021)
9/10 – Space Deadline
9/21 – Camera Ready Art Deadline
10/5 – Street Date

TOURING/N.B.T. ISSUE (December 2021/January 2022)
10/29 – Space Deadline
11/9 – Camera Ready Art Deadline
11/30 – Street Date

To book ad space, contact Sherod Robertson, and view MusicRow‘s 2021 Rate Card here.

Industry Ink: City National Bank, Songshine Media, T. Graham Brown

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City National Bank Promotes Two

Kristy Sargent, Stacia Watkins

City National Bank has promoted staffers Kristy Sargent and Stacia Watkins. Sargent has been promoted to Vice President/Senior Account Manager from her previous post as Assistant Vice President/Account Manager. Sargent has nearly two decades of financial service to the Entertainment Industry and was part of the original team hired to help launch City National’s Nashville Entertainment office in 2011.

Watkins, Assistant Vice President/Account Manager, has been elevated to Vice President/Senior Account Manager. Watkins has a decade of experience working in the consumer banking and private wealth management fields, with extensive knowledge in operational management and products. In 2020, Watkins moved from City National’s Private Banking Team to Entertainment. She also serves on the Board for Historic Nashville.

 

Songshine Media Closes Doors

Independent public relations firm Songshine Media will close operations as founder/publicist, Dakota Heflin, looks forward to new career opportunities in 2021. Songshine represented Joe & Martina, Jay Bragg, and Jake Loban, as well as Bromberg’s Big Noise and Ladybug Music Festival since its establishment. Heflin’s previous industry experience includes time as Senior Publicist at digital marketing, publicity and management company, Crowd Surf, as well as a publicist with The AristoMedia Group.

Reach Heflin via dakota_hailey@yahoo.com or (941) 993-2734.

 

T. Graham Brown Partners With Hillbilly Tea

T. Graham Brown has announced a partnership with HillBilly Iced Teas and Lemonade. HillBilly Beverages LLC is a privately held company that is based in Boca Raton, Florida that gained exposure from the hit TV show Shark Tank, and has expanded into the beverage market with iced teas, lemonades, and bourbons. Over the past few years, HillBilly Beverage’s distribution has grown to over 30 states and a variety of retailers.

“Man, from one hillbilly T. (that’s me, of course) to some great tasting HillBilly Tea, I am really excited to partner with Mike and his team to help spread the word about their beverages because I have been drinking this stuff for a while now and absolutely love it. Now, you can pick up both my album and some lemonade or tea at Walmart,” said Brown. “As we get back to touring next year, we will be traveling in our newly wrapped bus that I am excited to unveil.”

Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley To Release Solo Music

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Florida Georgia Line. Photo: John Shearer

Florida Georgia Line members Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley announced on social media that they will be releasing their own music, as individuals, in the near future. The duo also assured fans that they are not splitting up; with their fifth studio album, Life Rolls On, due out in February and a tour to follow once it is safe to do so.

Florida Georgia Line started their hit-filled career in 2010. Their breakout single “Cruise” was certified 11x multi-Platinum, making them the first country act to achieve RIAA’s Diamond certification. They hold the longest reign on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart of 50 consecutive weeks with another Diamond, No. 1 single, “Meant to Be” with Bebe Rexha. They’ve tallied 17 career No. 1 singles.

In an effort to be “transparent and real” with their fans, Kelley and Hubbard uploaded a nearly 10-minute video explaining that while they will still be making music and touring as FGL, they will also be working on music individually, with Kelley announcing an album he’s planning for the summer. Hubbard mentioned some collaborations to be released soon.

“I did a lot of soul-searching,” said Kelley. “I took some time off from writing songs. I didn’t know what I was searching for. I got my arm back in shape and thought I was going to start pitching again, I fished as much as I could, and did pretty much anything I could do to get a lot of energy out and kill some time.

“Where I landed was really falling in love with my guitar and writing songs again, more than ever,” Kelley continued. “This has been a lifelong dream of mine, but I started writing an album once I started writing again. I had a couple songs that I was writing and I thought, ‘I think I’m supposed to sing these and have a project or an outlet for these to come out on.'”

Kelley said that he approached Hubbard in September with the idea for a solo project., to which Hubbard gave him his blessing as a collaborator.

“We’re really creating some freedom for ourselves in addition to what we do with FGL” Kelley said.

“There’s a lot going on,” Hubbard said. “We want to make sure that our truth is out there for you guys, and our genuine excitement and support of each other for the next chapter of our career, of our music, of our journey, of our touring, and everything. We’re really excited.”

Top Songwriter Chart: MusicRow’s Top 100 Songwriters Of 2020

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While the past year was difficult for all, 2020 saw these elite songwriters garner ample chart success on the weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart. Using algorithms based on song activity according to airplay, digital downloaded track sales and streams, these songwriters prevailed in 2020.

Notably, there are 19 female songwriters in the top 100 this year—which is made up of 112 songwriters because of tied scores. This is a continued increase from last year’s 13 female songwriters within the top 100, and 2018’s 11. Hillary Lindsey is the highest ranking female on this year’s list, at No. 11.

Hillary Lindsey. Photo: Becky Fluke

The songs that propelled Lindsey to No. 11 include Luke Bryan’s “What She Wants Tonight,” HARDY’s “One Beer,” Kelsea Ballerini’s “Hole In The Bottle,” and Jordan Davis’ “Almost Maybes.” Among her 2020 honors were Songwriter of the Year at the ACM Awards and Female Songwriter of the Year at the MusicRow Awards.

Josh Osborne

For the second time in the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart’s history, Josh Osborne takes the top position. Songs of his that were hits in 2020 include Sam Hunt’s “Kinfolks,” “Hard To Forget,” and “Breaking Up Was Easy In The 90’s,” Morgan Wallen’s “7 Summers,” Darius Rucker’s “Beers And Sunshine,” both Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani hit duets “Nobody But You” and “Happy Anywhere,” and more.

Osborne ended 2020 in the No. 1 position on the weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter chart for the sixth consecutive week. Osborne won Song of the Year at the ACM Awards this year for “One Man Band,” recorded by Old Dominion.

HARDY. Photo: Tanner Gallagher

HARDY comes in at No. 2 on the MusicRow Top 100 Songwriters chart this year. As an artist, his self-penned songs that had high activity this past year were “Give Heaven Some Hell” and “One Beer,” his first No. 1 song as an artist. Songs HARDY co-wrote for other artists that were hits in 2020 were LOCASH’s “One Big Country Song,” Jameson Rodgers’ “Some Girls,” Morgan Wallen’s “This Bar” and “More Than My Hometown,” and more.

HARDY released his debut album, A ROCK, in September, and it peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. He was also named the AIMP Nashville Songwriter of the Year.

Ross Copperman. Photo: Kelly Taylor

Ross Copperman takes the No. 3 position. Tops songs for Copperman in 2020 were “Tip Of My Tongue” (Kenny Cheseney), “What She Wants Tonight” (Luke Bryan), “The Other Girl” (Kelsea Ballerini with Halsey), “Lady” (Brett Young), “Beers And Sunshine” (Darius Rucker), as well as “Nobody But You” and “Happy Anywhere” (Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani).

Copperman was named Songwriter of the Year for the fourth time at the BMI Country Awards in November.

Ashley Gorley. Photo: Josh Ulmer

Ashley Gorley, who notched his record-breaking 50th No. 1 song in 2020, is at No. 4 on the MusicRow Top 100 Songwriters chart. The hits that fueled him were “One Big Country Song” (LOCASH), “Remember You Young” (Thomas Rhett), “Hole In The Bottle” (Kelsea Ballerini), “Hard To Forget” (Sam Hunt), “One Of Them Girls” (Lee Brice), and more.

Gorley also won his eighth consecutive ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year award in November, and was MusicRow‘s Male Songwriter of the Year at the 32nd annual MusicRow Awards. He was also named as NSAI’s Songwriter of the Year.

Luke Combs. Photo Courtesy UMPG

The fifth songwriter on the MusicRow Top 100 Songwriters chart is Luke Combs. Combs garnered massive amounts of airplay, sales and streams this year, releasing the deluxe version of What You See Is What You Get. Songs that drove Combs were his own “1, 2 Many,” “Better Together,” “Does To Me,” “Lovin’ On You,” “Six Feet Apart,” and “Forever After All,” as well as Carly Pearce and Lee Brice’s hit duet, “I Hope You’re Happy Now.”

In 2020, Combs won Male Artist and Album of the Year at the ACM Awards; Male Vocalist and Album of the Year at the CMA Awards; and was named Artist of the Year at the 32nd annual MusicRow Awards. He was also named as NSAI’s Songwriter-Artist of the Year.

MusicRow‘s Top Songwriters of 2020:
1. Josh Osborne
2. Michael Hardy
3. Ross Copperman
4. Ashley Gorley
5. Luke Combs
6. Shane McAnally
7. Josh Thompson
8. Randy Montana
9. Morgan Wallen
10. Ernest Keith Smith
11. Hillary Lindsey
12. Jon Nite
13. Jonathan Singleton
14. Jake Mitchell
15. Jesse Frasure
16. Craig Wiseman
17. Zachary Kale
18. Ray Fulcher
19. Gabby Barrett
20. Thomas Archer
21. Laura Veltz
22. Ryan Vojtesak
23. Matt Dragstrem
24. Thomas Rhett
25. Lance Miller
26. Parker McCollum
27. David Garcia
28. Jimmy Robbins
29. Kane Brown
30. Brandon Kinney
31. David Lee Murphy
32. Natalie Hemby
33. Lindsay Rimes
34. Jamie Paulin
35. Maren Morris
36. Jordan Davis
37. Jamie Moore
38. Corey Crowder
39. Paul Sikes
40. Travis Denning
41. Brock Berryhill
42. Dallas Davidson
43. Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick
44. Michael Tyler
45. Alex Palmer
46. Ben Johnson
47. Parker Welling
48. Brett Young
49. Josh Hoge
50. Michael R. Carter
51. CJ Solar
52. Jeffery Hyde
53. Lee Brice
54. Eric Church
55. Emily Weisband
56. Russell Dickerson, Casey Brown
57. Sam Ellis
58. Sam Hunt
59. Tyler Reeve
60. Justin Weaver
61. Josh Miller
62. Maddie Marlow, Taylor Dye, Deric Ruttan
63. Jacob Durrett
64. Kelly Archer
65. Kelsea Ballerini
66. Lonnie Lee Fowler
67. Shay Mooney, Dan Smyers
68. Ryan Tedder
69. Matt Stell
70. Ashley McBryde, Nicolette Hayford
71. Dan Couch
72. Chris Stapleton
73. Matt Jenkins
74. Chris Lane
75. Scotty McCreery
76. Hunter Phelps
77. Tommy Lee James
78. Jessi Alexander
79. Shy Carter
80. Mike Henderson
81. Casey Beathard
82. Jimmy Yeary, Marv Green
83. Carly Pearce
84. Chase Rice
85. Matt McGinn
86. Zach Crowell
87. Kip Moore, Scott Stepakoff
88. James Slater, Micah Carter, Chris August
89. Tyler Hubbard
90. Ingrid Andress
91. Derrick Southerland
92. Jeremy Stover
93. Nicolle Galyon
94. Justin Moore
95. James McNair
96. Zach Skelton, Julian Bunetta
97. Brad Clawson
98. Chris Janson
99. Mitch Oglesby, Matt Roy
100. Carrie Underwood

Loretta Lynn To Celebrate Women Of Country On Upcoming New Album, ‘Still Woman Enough’

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Loretta Lynn is releasing her 50th studio album, Still Woman Enough, a celebration of women in country music, on March 19.

Produced by Patsy Lynn Russell and John Carter Cash at the Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee, the icon’s fourth project for Legacy Recordings features a host of guest artists including Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Margo Price and Tanya Tucker. The album includes a career-spanning selection of 13 new recordings illuminating different aspects of Lynn’s repertoire.

The collection is centered around Loretta’s original compositions, from songs like “Still Woman Enough” (which shares its title and attitude with her 2002 autobiography, and was co-written with her daughter, Patsy Lynn Russell) through fresh interpretations of classics including “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl” (her first single, originally released March 1960), “You Ain’t Woman Enough” (the title track for her first No. 1 Billboard Hot Country Album in 1966), and an emotional “Coal Miner’s Daughter Recitation,” commemorating the 50th anniversary of the release of her signature song (October 5, 1970) and album (January 4, 1971).

In addition to her original compositions, Still Woman Enough includes Loretta’s take on American traditional music, with “I Don’t Feel at Home Any More,” Stephen Foster’s “Old Kentucky Home; gospel, with The Carter Family-popularized “Keep On The Sunny Side,” “Where No One Stands Alone,” “I’ll Be All Smiles Tonight,” and Hank Williams’ “I Saw the Light;” and contemporary songwriting with Shel Silverstein’s satirical view of motherhood, “One’s On The Way,” a hit for Loretta in 1971.

“I am just so thankful to have some of my friends join me on my new album. We girl singers gotta stick together,” said Lynn. “It’s amazing how much has happened in the fifty years since Coal Miner’s Daughter first came out and I’m extremely grateful to be given a part to play in the history of American music.”

Celebrating 50 years of Lynn’s landmark album, Coal Miner’s Daughter will be reissued on black vinyl by MCA Nashville/UMe on February 12.

Loretta Lynn’s Still Woman Enough Track Listing:
1. Still Woman Enough (featuring Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood) (Loretta Lynn and Patsy Lynn Russell)
2. Keep On The Sunny Side (A.P. Carter)
3. Honky Tonk Girl (Loretta Lynn)
4. I Don’t Feel At Home Any More (Traditional, arrangement by Loretta Lynn)
5. Old Kentucky Home (Stephen Foster and Loretta Lynn)
6. Coal Miner’s Daughter Recitation (Loretta Lynn)
7. One’s On The Way (featuring Margo Price (Shel Silverstein)
8. I Wanna Be Free (Loretta Lynn)
9. Where No One Stands Alone (Lister Mosie)
10. I’ll Be All Smiles Tonight (T.B. Ransom)
11. I Saw The Light (Hank Williams)
12. My Love (Loretta Lynn)
13. You Ain’t Woman Enough (featuring Tanya Tucker) (Loretta Lynn)

Still Woman Enough is available for pre-order now in in digital, CD and 12″ vinyl LP formats.

Carrie Underwood To Follow Up ‘My Gift’ With Companion Gospel Album, ‘My Savior’

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Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood gave fans a special Christmas gift this year, announcing on social media in a Christmas day video message that she plans to release a new gospel companion album, My Savior, which follows her recent Christmas album My Gift.

The new project is slated to arrive in time for Easter in early April, and of recording the companion album she told fans that she was inspired to make My Savior from her experience of putting out My Gift.

“I basically didn’t want all of that to end when I was making this music. I felt like my soul was in such a great place, I wanted to keep making music like the music off of My Gift. This album is full of gospel hymns that I grew up singing. It’s been such a blessing making music like this that is near and dear to my heart, and I hope you guys enjoy listening to it as much as I loved making it,” she said in her video.

Underwood’s faith has always been a recurring theme in her music throughout her career, from her smash single “Jesus Take The Wheel,” to her duet with Vince Gill on “How Great Thou Art” that appeared on her 2014 Greatest Hits: Decade #1 album.

Bluegrass Icon Tony Rice Dies

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Tony Rice

Tony Rice, a pillar in bluegrass and country music, died on Christmas morning (Dec. 25, 2020) at his home in Reidsville, North Carolina. He died while making his coffee, according to a statement from longtime friend and collaborator Ricky Skaggs. Rice was 69.

Rice won a Grammy with the band New South for Best Country Instrumental Performance in 1983 for “Fireball.” He was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2013, and won various IBMA awards throughout his career.

Rice was born in Danville, Virginia but grew up in Los Angeles, California. His father, Herb Rice, introduced him to bluegrass, and he and his brothers learned the fundamentals of bluegrass and country music from L.A. musicians like the Kentucky Colonels, led by Roland and Clarence White.

Rice moved to Louisville, Kentucky in 1970, and started playing with the Bluegrass Alliance, and shortly thereafter, J.D. Crowe’s New South. Ricky Skaggs joined New South in 1974, and the band recorded J. D. Crowe & the New South. Also known as Rounder 0044, the album became Rounder Records’ top-seller up to that time.

After meeting mandolinist David Grisman, Rice left the New South and moved to California to join Grisman’s all-instrumental group, the David Grisman Quintet, where he was able to experiment more with jazz music. While in the group, Rice started to learn chord theory, learned to read charts, and began to expand his musical palate beyond bluegrass. The David Grisman Quintet’s 1977 debut recording is considered a landmark of acoustic string band music.

Rice left Grisman’s group in 1979 to pursue more experimental music, that he called “spacegrass,” with his Tony Rice Unit, including members Jimmy Gaudreau (mandolin), Wyatt Rice (guitar), Ronnie Simpkins (bass), and Rickie Simpkins (fiddle). He recorded Acoustics, a jazz-inspired album, and then Manzanita, a bluegrass and folk album.

During the 1980s, he recorded Skaggs & Rice, an album of bluegrass duets with Ricky Skaggs. He, J.D. Crowe, Bobby Hicks, Doyle Lawson and Todd Phillips formed the Bluegrass Album Band and recorded from 1980 to 1996. Also during this time, Rice recorded with guitar legend Norman Blake; recorded a project titled The Rice Brothers with his brothers Larry, Wyatt, and Ron; and released other critically acclaimed albums.

In 1994 he was diagnosed with a disorder known as muscle tension dysphonia and as a result was forced to stop singing in concert. He was diagnosed in 2014 with lateral epicondylitis (“tennis elbow”), which made guitar playing painful. Rice’s last performance playing guitar live was his induction into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2013.

Rice’s authorized biography, Still Inside: The Tony Rice Story, was published in 2010, and was written by Tim Stafford and Hawaii-based journalist Caroline Wright.

Rice was a monumental influence on many bluegrass and country musicians. Many bluegrass stalwarts, including Ricky Skaggs, Doyle Lawson, Sam Bush, Rhonda Vincent, and Béla Fleck; as well as mainstream country artist Luke Combs, Carly Pearce, and Lee Ann Womack, mourned his loss on social media.

Rice is survived by his wife Pam and their daughter India, as well as his brothers Wyatt and Ronnie. He is preceded in death by his brother Larry Rice. No details on funeral arrangements have yet been announced at press time.