Craig Morgan

                                                            • • •

Lady Antebellum

Country singer Sarah Darling, a current contestant on ABC’s Rising Star, is the cover girl for WHOAwomen Magazine’s July issue. Darling opened up about how her faith in Christ shapes her life and career. She also discussed her French pastry side business and her new boot line with Durango Footwear.

                                                                     • • •

Danny Gokey‘s recently released sophomore album, Hope In Front of Me, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Christian charts and at N0. 40 on the all-genre Billboard chart.
To celebrate the release, Gokey gave a live-stream performance of all new songs from Hope In Front of Me last week, and offered a preview of the title track’s music video.

                     • • •

Lyndsey Highlander celebrated yet another week at No. 1 on CMT Pure’s 12 Pack Countdown last week. This is the seventh week Highlander has landed on the countdown and her fourth week at No. 1.

Pictured here: Keith Reagan (Director), Alex Kramer, Rick Patin, Jake Gammon, Chelsea Dartez (C2 Media Relations), Carly Caramanna (C2 Media Relations), Jason Nacvo, Lyndsey Highlander, Kenneth Duncan (co-writer), Brian Smith and others

Zac Brown Band recently sold out two nights at Boston’s Fenway Park, without the aid of supporting acts. The band played for combined audience of 70,000 fans over the weekend. This puts Zac Brown Band in good company, as one of the handful of acts (including Aerosmith, Paul McCartney, Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen) that have played there since it began hosting concerts in the early 2000s.

Zac Brown Band plays one of their sold-out shows at Fenway Park. Photo: Southern Reel

• • •

Arista Nashville’s sibling duo The Swon Brothers are in the Ram Country spotlight with an exclusive performance for Yahoo Music. The duo is featured singing their debut single, “Later On,” as well as their cover of the Loggins & Messina hit “Danny’s Song.”

The Swon Brothers. Photo: Ram Country/C.J. Hicks

 • • •

Rhett Walker Band returned to the Grand Ole Opry stage Wednesday night (July 2), where they shared the stage with artists Craig Campbell and Mel Tillis. They performed tracks from their upcoming album Here’s To The Ones, due out Oct. 14. The band performed at the Opry for the first time on May 2, 2014.

Rhett Walker Band performs at the Grand Ole Opry

• • •

Adam Doleac showcased songs from his upcoming album at Nashville’s 12th and Porter on June 24. The Hattisburg, Miss., native has been writing with songwriters including Jeffrey East, John Ramey, Hannah Blaylock, Chris Roberts and more, and is touring the southeast.

Pictured (L-R): Jeffrey East, Adam Doleac, John Ramey

“The wait is over…7/7,” it reads on Garth Brooks’ official website, accented by lightning flashes and a stormy background emblazoned with the legendary singer’s official logo.
Could July 7 bring the announcement of the full-fledged comeback tour that Brooks has spoken of for months? “We’re going to do a world tour in 2014,” he told Good Morning America in December 2013. “It sure feels good to get to throw your hat back in the ring…. All my babies are fine with it. Ms. [Trisha] Yearwood is fine with it. So now I get to do what I love to do, which is play music. I get to be with the person I want to be with, which is Ms. Yearwood.”
“My children are off on their own so the guilt of not being there… I’m a phone call dad now,” he added, saying, “‘Hey Dad, I love you, can I borrow some money?'”
Brooks stopped touring in 2001, trading in the constant traveling to spend time raising his children. He vowed to stay off the road until his youngest daughter graduated from high school. She graduated in May 2014, and Brooks soon announced a five-night run in Ireland on July 25-29 at Dublin’s Croke Park.
As of Thursday (July 3), two of those concerts have now been canceled after objections were raised by local residents in the area of the 82,000-seat Gaelic sports stadium. The residents objected to Brooks holding five successive shows; the local council has refused permission for the concerts that were scheduled for July 28 and July 29.
“I can’t thank the people of Ireland enough for how welcome they have made me feel,” said Brooks in a statement. “I have faith that Dublin City Council will make the best decision for the people of Ireland. For us, it is five shows or none at all. To choose which shows to do and which shows not to do, would be like asking to choose one child over another. However this plays out, Ireland has my heart and always will,” said Brooks.
Still, the industry and fans wait for the announcement of U.S. shows.
If July 7’s official announcement is not a long-awaited set of tour dates, perhaps it is the announcement of an upcoming album? In recent months, Brooks has been soliciting new material from Nashville songwriters for an upcoming project. Brooks’ last album was the 2013 box set, Blame It All on My Roots: Five Decades of Influences, which found Brooks covering songs from Bob Seger, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and more.

Music Health Alliance has changed its phone number. The organization can now be reached at 615-200-6896.

              • • •

Todd Cassetty

                  • • •

Compass Records Group has signed vocalist Mike Farris to its roster. Farris is working on the follow up to 2007’s Salvation In Lights.
The new project is slated to release Sept. 16, and will include both original material and Farris’ interpretations of traditional gospel.