Eli Young Band Starts Go Fund Me For Elias “Chief” Gonzales

The Eli Young Band has started a Go Fund Me for their brother and fellow road warrior Elias “Chief” Gonzales, who has been battling Follicular Lymphatic cancer for several years and has fought valiantly, long and hard. Last week, Gonzales announced that doctors have said there is nothing else that can be done.

The band expressed their love and respect for Gonzales in a joint statement, sharing, “Every once in a while you cross paths with someone who truly touches people’s lives wherever they go and whomever they come across. Chief is one of those special people. There are an incredible number of folks out there that love this man as we do. He has been part of our road family and crew since the very early days, since before we had enough people to call it a ‘crew.’

“Over the years he held every position imaginable…anything we have ever needed, he has been the guy. Always first to offer help to any artist from the first opener to the headliner, making good friends along the way. He and his family need our help to make sure that his time left on this earth is not spent worrying about the financial side of this thing and what comes next for his family and children. Anything helps. There is and will only be one Chief.”

EYB is asking fans and friends in the industry to support Gonzales in his quest to build a college fund for his children in his final days. Gonzales is at home with his four children, his parents and family making the most of the time he has left before beginning hospice care. Donations can be made here.

 

Clay Walker Foundation’s ‘Band Against MS Gala’ Raises $220,000

The Clay Walker Foundation recently held its annual “Band Against MS Gala” at the Ballroom at Bayou Place in Houston and raised $220,000 for Multiple Sclerosis research. In 1996, Walker was diagnosed with MS, and rather than yielding to its challenges, emerged as a fierce advocate and fundraiser, establishing his foundation to support those affected by the disease.

The evening began with a pre-concert mixer where sponsors participated in a silent auction and also featured a performance by Walker himself of his new single, “I Know She Hung The Moon.” Overall, The Clay Walker Foundation has raised $2.6 million dollars for Multiple Sclerosis research.

 

Hop On A Cure Contributes To Massachusetts General Hospital’s Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS

Hop On A Cure, a leading advocate in the fight against ALS, has announced a contribution of $250,000 toward Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Neurology’s Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS. Hop On A Cure was founded in 2022 after John Driskell Hopkins of Zac Brown Band was diagnosed with ALS. The gift will support the research project Exploring the Effect of Statins to Restore Stathmin-2 Function and Promote Motor Neuron Regeneration.

In addition to the contribution to Mass General, Hop On A Cure is also helping spread awareness and raise money for this year’s Boston College ALS Awareness Game at Fenway Park today (April 25.) The game, now in its fifth year, has been played annually in honor of former Boston College baseball captain and Ice Bucket Challenge founder Pete Frates, who passed away from ALS in 2019 at the age of 34. Hop On A Cure has donated a signed Zac Brown Band guitar, which will be auctioned off to raise additional money for the cause.

“We at Hop On A Cure are thrilled to support this innovative and accessible potential new therapy,” says Hop On A Cure CEO Nic Shefrin. “We are also excited to champion promising young talent, like Dr. Nolan, who have committed themselves to ALS research.

Nashville-based country duo Bowen * Young has signed with Snakefarm Records and announced their debut album, Us, out May 3.

Made up of Clare Bowen and Brandon Robert Young, the act dives into love, heartbreaking loss and hope on the new 10-track project. The couple teamed up producers Sean McConnell and Roger Alan Nichols for Us, which features the stripped-back track “Halo” and the honest “To The Bone,” among others.

“We’re thrilled to join Snakefarm Records. Their passion for music and commitment to artistic expression align perfectly with our vision,” shares Bowen * Young. “We can’t wait to share our debut album, Us, with the world.”

Bowen, known for her role as Scarlett O’Connor in Nashville, arrived in Music City in 2012. A pediatric cancer survivor, she seeks to embrace both the light and dark in their narrative. Young’s journey began in 2000 and unfolded with nights spent filling composition books with melodies in Nashville. He has contributed to projects such as Johnny Cash Forever Words and the television show Shameless.

They met in 2013 when Young became Bowen’s last-minute duet partner. Their chemistry transformed into love, culminating in a proposal at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and a union officiated by John Carter Cash in 2017.

The two hit the road on a headlining U.S. tour last year, and will make their way to the U.K. for the Highways Festival at Royal Albert Hall on May 17–18.

Tre Twitty and Tayla Lynn, the grandchildren of Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, have joined forces to form the new country duo Twitty & Lynn and follow in the footsteps of their legendary relatives.

The two released their first full-length album, Cookin’ Up Lovin,’ on April 20. Produced by Scott Baggett, the 12-song compilation includes covers of three of Conway and Loretta’s No. 1s as a duo: “After the Fire Is Gone” (1971), “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man” (1973) and their last No. 1 together “Feelins'”(1975). The project also features “Spiders and Snakes,” a Jim Stafford single that Conway and Loretta covered, and a remake of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire,” which was included as a tribute to Tayla’s mom.

The seven originals on the album, all co-written by the duo, include “Cookin’,” “Need Your Love (Give It Up),” “I Hate Me (For Lovin’ You),” “Hillbilly Git-Down,” “Me and You,” “Always Be You” and “Thinkin’ of a Number.”

The two are also collaborating on several other projects. Twitty & Lynn: Together Again is the name of their new podcast and a documentary series celebrating the power of music and family legacies. Produced by Nashville radio personality and country music historian Devon O’Day, the podcast debuted on April 5 with over 350,000 views its first week, and delves into everything from Conway and Loretta to online dating in front of a studio audience. The pilot episode of the docuseries will have a private screening in Nashville later this spring.

Cookin’ Up Lovin’ Track Listing:
(Side A)
1. “Cookin’ Up Lovin’” (Shelly Fairchild/Tayla Lynn/Mark Narmore/Tre Twitty)
2. “After the Fire Is Gone” (L.E. White)
3. “Need Your Love (Give It Up)” (Tayla Lynn/Mark Narmore/Liz Rose/Tre Twitty)
4. “Spiders and Snakes” (Jim Stafford/David Bellamy)
5. “Me and You” (Tayla Lynn/Mark Narmore/Tre Twitty)
6. “I Hate Me (For Lovin’ You)” (Scott Baggett/Tayla Lynn/Jeffrey Steele/Tre Twitty)
(Side B)
7. “Feelins’” (Troy Seals/Will Jennings)
8. “Always Be You” (Tayla Lynn/Mark Narmore/Tre Twitty)
9. “I’m on Fire” (Bruce Springsteen)
10. “Hillbilly Git-Down” (Scott Baggett/Tayla Lynn/Jeffrey Steele/Tre Twitty)
11. “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man” (Becki Bluefield/Jim Owen)
12. “Thinkin’ of a Number” (Tayla Lynn/Mark Narmore/Tre Twitty)

The lineup has been unveiled for the upcoming Outside Lands Festival, taking place Aug. 9–11 at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California.

Now in its 16th year, the festival will include performances by Sturgill Simpson, who is returning for his first full show in three years, as well as Tyler the Creator and The Killers. Post Malone will also return to the Outside Lands main stage to perform a special country set.

Other acts on the bill include The Postal Service, Grace Jones, Kaytranada, Jungle, Snoh Aalegra, Gryffin, Young the Giant, Schoolboy Q, Chappell Roan, Reneé Rapp, Victoria Monét, The Last Dinner Party and more.

Also coming back for 2024 is Dolores,’ an inclusive dance floor where everyone is welcome. The space aims to be a celebration of queer and trans communities. The full lineup for Dolores’ will be announced in the coming months.

Soma, the festival’s techno stage, will return with a new, open-air format and an expanded dance space featuring performances from Idris Elba, Uncle Waffles, The Blessed Madonna and Shiba San B2B CID, among others.

“Every year we start with a blank canvas and because of the diverse and sophisticated palette of Bay Area music fans, we get to program a festival that is not only multigenerational but shows an incredible range of genres and musical subcultures,” says Allen Scott, Co-Founder of Outside Lands and Head of Concerts & Festivals at Another Planet Entertainment.