MID-Week Country Music Countdown & Country Music News..May 31, 2017 (Now with links)

 

 COUNTRY CHART Weekend of May 27-28:

1 LUKE COMBS Hurricane
2 BRETT YOUNG In Case You Didn’t Know *
3 SAM HUNT Body Like a Back Road
4 KELSEA BALLERINI Yeah Boy
5 DIERKS BENTLEY Black
6 BRANTLEY GILBERT The Weekend
7 DARIUS RUCKER If I Told You
8 DAN & SHAY How Not To
9 FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE God, Your Mama, & Me
10 BLAKE SHELTON Every Time I Hear That Song
11 KEITH URBAN The Fighter w/Carrie Underwood
12 RASCAL FLATTS Yours If You Want It
13 DYLAN SCOTT My Girl
14 COLE SWINDELL Flatliner w/Dierks Bentley
15 LADY ANTEBELLUM You Look Good
16 THOMAS RHETT Craving You w/Maren Morris
17 MIDLAND Drinkin’ Problem
18 JUSTIN MOORE Somebody Else Will
19 ZAC BROWN BAND My Old Man
20 TIM McGraw & FAITH HILL Speak To a Girl

 COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS!

  

Billy Ray Cyrus’s “Achy Breaky Heart” Turns 25

CMT Music Airs 25-Hour Marathon Loop of the Video

Twenty-five years ago today (May 30), Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Achy Breaky Heart” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s country chart and there it stayed for five consecutive weeks.

But the song, with its recognizable guitar licks and infectious melody, will be forever be ingrained in the brains of any music fan who hears it.

To celebrate, we’ve turned our CMT Music channel into an “Achy Breaky” heaven with a 25-hour marathon loop of the iconic video.

We know what you’re thinking… YASS!

Interestingly, it was love-at-first-listen when Cyrus heard the demo. The song was originally written by songwriter and U.S. military veteran Don Von Tress, and it was his first piece of original material to be recorded by an artist signed to a major label. Two years before its release, he started the song in his sister’s basement while noodling with his guitar on a new amplifier his wife had given him for his birthday.

In a Billboard interview from 1992, Von Tress is described as a hardworking family man who had been playing guitar since he was in high school. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1969 and during his time in the military, he flew more than 140 aerial combat missions as as a helicopter pilot.

By the time “Achy Breaky” was released, he and his family had been calling Cypress Inn, Tennessee, home since 1976. Back then, when Von Tress wasn’t working with the wallpaper business he owned with his sister, he would often spend time in the Muscle Shoals creative community and play music for fun. He signed his first publishing deal in 1990.

Cyrus’ producers Jim Cotton and Joe Scaife thought the song would be a perfect fit for his debut album Some Gave All, which would break Cyrus as a superstar act.

  

George Strait, Dolly Parton and Nashville Tapped for ACM Honors

Ryman Auditorium Hosts 11th Annual ACM Honors Aug. 23

Kelsea Ballerini, Eric Church, Toby Keith, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, George Strait and CMT’s Nashville are among the entities being honored with special awards from the Academy of Country Music.

The honorees reflect the off-camera winners from the 52nd annual ACM Awards, and they will be recognized for their specific achievements during the 11th annual ACM Honors ceremony at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Aug. 23. The recipients of the industry and studio recording awards will be revealed at a later date.

Strait will receive the new Cliffie Stone Icon award, which honors individuals whose careers have significantly contributed to the advancement of country music in popular culture. The honor was previously titled the Cliffie Stone Pioneer award, and past recipients include Alabama, Garth Brooks and Glen Campbell.

With more than 100 million albums sold worldwide, Strait is among the top-selling artists of all time, and he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2013, he extended his record contract with MCA Nashville for five more albums with his latest releases being 2015’s Cold Beer Conversation and 2016’s Strait Out Of The Box: Part 2. Although he retired from touring following 2014’s Cowboy Rides Away tour, he will return to Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena for his 2 Nights of Number 1s shows on Sept. 1-2.

The Crystal Milestone award has been renamed the Gene Weed Special Achievement award, which will go to Kelsea Ballerini. The honor is presented to a country act or industry leader for their unprecedented achievements during the preceding calendar year. Ballerini’s first three singles “Love Me Like You Mean It,” “Dibs” and “Peter Pan” are No. 1 hits. She and Maren Morris represented country in the all-genre Best New Artist category at the 59th annual Grammy Awards. Having staged her first national headlining tour, Ballerini is currently recording a new album and on the road with Lady Antebellum’s You Look Good Tour. Previous recipients for the ACM honor include Jason Aldean, Little Big Town, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood.

Eric Church will be honored with the Merle Haggard Spirit award. The honor is presented to a singer-songwriter who embodies the legacy of the late country icon with authentic storytelling and genuine performances. Miranda Lambert was the inaugural recipient of this award in 2016.

CMT’s Nashville will receive the Tex Ritter Film award, which recognizes a television movie, series or feature film released during the preceding calendar year that prominently features country music. Now in its fifth season, the hour-long drama has been seen in 225 territories worldwide. The show has been credited as part of the recent tourism boom in the city of Nashville, which has seen an amazing increase in visitors over the past five years. The CMT midseason premiere is Thursday (June 1) at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Dolly Parton will receive the ACM Lifting Lives Gary Haber award, which recognizes artists and industry figures for their philanthropic endeavors. Since its 1995 inception, Parton’s Imagination Library non-profit has provided 100 million books to children in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Her Smoky Mountains Rise telethon helped raise more than $10 million for those affected by the East Tennessee wildfires that devastated the area in November 2016.

The 2017 Poet’s award honorees are Toby Keith, Willie Nelson and the late Shel Silverstein for their longstanding musical contributions throughout their respective careers.

Keith is the writer and co-writer behind many of his songs including “How Do You Like Me Now,” “Beer for My Horses,” “I Love This Bar,” “American Soldier” and his 1993 breakout hit, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.” He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015.

Nelson is considered one of the genre’s most prolific music makers. Before scoring his first No. 1 in 1971 with his version of Fred Rose’s “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,” Nelson broke out as a songwriter behind hits performed by Patsy Cline, Ray Price and others. He wrote “Crazy,” “Funny How Time Slips Away” and “Night Life” within one week. To date, Nelson has written more than 2,500 songs, recorded more than 250 albums and appeared in more than 25 films.

Known internationally as a beloved children’s book author, offbeat poet and illustrator, Silverstein will be recognized posthumously for his contributions to country music, which include the Johnny Cash classic “A Boy Named Sue,” Bobby Bare’s “Marie Laveau” and Loretta Lynn’s “One’s On the Way.” Previous Poet’s award recipients include Bobby Braddock, Kris Kristofferson, Roger Miller, Jimmy Webb and Hank Williams.

The Mae Boren Axton Service Award will be presented to Reba McEntire and radio veteran Bob Kingsley. The honor recognizes years of service and dedication to the ACM.

As previously announced, Lori McKenna is the first female recipient of the ACM’s songwriter of the year award. Her more recent songwriting credits include Tim McGraw’s “Humble and Kind,” Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” and “Your Side of the Bed.” She also received three Grammy nominations with her 2016 album The Bird & the Rifle.

  

Brooke Eden Seeks a Little Space in “Act Like You Don’t”

On a Mission to Move On in New Video 

Breakups are hard and even harder when there’s no actual clean break. That is exactly what’s happening in Brooke Eden‘s new gut-puncher “Act Like You Don’t.”

In the story, two people fall in love and stay together while knowing it’s not quite right. They keep giving it their all because they do really want it to work. But eventually, they both realize it’s time to walk away.

But talking about walking away is a lot easier than the actual walking. And the calls and texts keep coming. The temptation to pick up where you left off is around every corner. So, what’s a girl to do?

Go out with your friends and try to forget. Eden does that in her brand new video. All glammed up, she’s on a mission to move on. But is her mission successful in the end? Watch to find out.

  

  

Are You Carrie Underwood’s Gym Hero?

She Tries to Beat People In Group Classes 

The fact that Carrie Underwood works out isn’t news.

But she did recently reveal to People that she is a little quirky about her workouts now. Like how she runs when it’s hot outside.

“I love just putting headphones in and going for a run. I feel so good when I get home, especially when it’s hot. I’m one of those weirdos that likes to run when it’s super hot outside,” Underwood admitted (this week’s Nashville forecast for a string of 85-degree days must be good news for her).

And Underwood also said that when she goes to group exercise classes, her inner competitive streak comes out.

“I find myself competing with other people in the room. I’m like, ‘Oh she’s good, I want to be like her!’ I try to ‘beat’ someone in the class,” she said.

“They have no idea we’re competing!”

Ultimately, for Underwood, exercising isn’t about looking good for other people. It’s just about feeling good, for herself and her husband Mike Fisher and their son Isaiah.

“No bad things can come out of taking care of yourself,” she said.

  

Last Weekend’s Greatest Hits

The Best Tweets You Might Have Missed 

 What a weekend, right?
There were graduations, backyard barbeques, an Indy car race, some Stanley Cup preparations, and an extra day off for Memorial Day. And you know what else went down last weekend? Tim McGraw showed off for a cause, Maren Morris and her dog got settled in their new home, Brett Eldredge rowed his boat, two of Justin Moore‘s daughters got lake ready, Kacey Musgraves determined that horses are greater than people, Darius Rucker had some trash talk for Scotty McCreery and Kelsea Ballerini basked in the romance of being engaged.
 Tim McGraw: “I was nominated by @RobertIrvine to #Flex4Forces with @the_USO… I nominate @Favre4Official and @SollyThomas90”
 Maren Morris: “Officially a 1st time home owner!”
 Brett Eldredge: “Floatinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn”
 Justin Moore: “Getting ready for our first day on the lake#memorialdayweekend”
 Kacey Musgraves: “horses > people”
 Darius Rucker: “Hey @ScottyMcCreery September 3rd is right around the corner. Y’all are not ready for the Gamecocks!!!”
 Kelsea Ballerini: “the guy who flies across the country to catch a show and spend a day off together is the guy you marry.”

  

Martina McBride Celebrates 25 Years of Hits

What Country Music Was Like When The Time Has Come Debuted

This is what country music was like 25 years ago when Martina McBride released her debut album The Time Has Come.

Essentially, country music was huge.

At the time, Clint Black, Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson were among the acts who were taking the genre to its highest commercial heights. Black’s rise to prominence was meteoric following the release of Killin’ Time. Back then, it was the most successful debut albums in country music history, selling more than three million copies and resulting in four No. 1 hits.

Jackson’s first two albums Here in the Real World and Don’t Rock the Jukebox were also multi-platinum sellers. This was before “Chattahoochee” hit in 1993.

Brooks was making history releasing the best-selling country albums of all time, No Fences and Ropin’ The Wind.

The dance boom in the early ’90s also contributed to country music’s overall popularity. At the time, MTV, TNN and CMT were the only places fans could watch videos and most of them had choreography fans wanted to know.

On May 30, 1992, Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Achy Breaky Heart” began its five-week reign at No. 1, ushering in an all-new country dance craze. Cyrus’ performance was first introduced in a video with line dance choreography by Melanie Greenwood. Similar videos and recordings followed, including Brooks’ “Ain’t Goin’ Down (Til the Sun Comes Up)” Tracy Byrd’s “Watermelon Crawl” and Tim McGraw’s “Indian Outlaw.” Brooks & Dunn had “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” and Mary Chapin Carpenter had “Down at the Twist and Shout,” as well.

But one of the biggest movements in ’90s country was the ascension of new female entertainers like McBride, Deana Carter, the Dixie Chicks, Sara Evans, Faith Hill, Lorrie Morgan, LeAnn Rimes, Pam Tillis, Shania Twain, Lee Ann Womack and Trisha Yearwood. Each rose to fame as independent stylists and the architects of their own careers at a time when female artists were starting to comment more freely on issues that were relevant to their lives. Occasionally their lyrics went beyond private or gender concerns to address bigger public problems. McBride’s “Independence Day” and “Goodbye Earl” by the Dixie Chicks were among the hits that sang about domestic abuse. Reba McEntire’s 1994 ballad “She Thinks His Name Was John” warned of the dangers of AIDS.

And it’s safe to say that without them, we wouldn’t have Kelsea Ballerini, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood or Taylor Swift.

McBride, one of the genre’s greatest female voices, had been married to her husband John McBride for four years and they had only been living in Nashville for two when The Time Has Come was released in May, 1992. At the time, she was 26, had just made her Grand Ole Opry debut and was about to embark on her first national tour with Brooks. Before she signed with RCA in 1991, she found work as a demo singer on Music Row after gigging around her home state of Kansas for most of her life. Back then, John had been working as a soundman for artists like Brooks, Charlie Daniels and Ricky Van Shelton. For a young couple in their 20s, it was not a bad introduction into Nashville life.

Co-produced by Paul Worley and Ed Seay, The Time Has Come is steeped in the neo-traditional sound that made ’90s country so powerful, and the lyrics cut deep. The title track, a fierce breakup anthem about kicking a loser to the curb, peaked at No. 23 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart. In “Cheap Whiskey,” alcohol is the cause of a man’s downfall. She sings of love in “Walk That Line,” “I Can’t Sleep” and “When You Are Old.” But it was her 1993 sophomore album The Way That I Am that broke her as a superstar act. The 10-song album featured her first string of hits “My Baby Loves Me,” “Independence Day” and “Life #9.” Wild Angels followed with the No. 1 hit title track and “Safe In The Arms Of Love.”

Throughout the late ’90s and early 2000s, McBride continued release massive hits like “Broken Wing,” “This One’s For the Girls,” “In My Daughter’s Eyes,” “When God-Fearin’ Women Get The Blues” and “Blessed,” most of which celebrated family and offered a slight pro-women slant.

She paid tribute to country classics and soul hits with 2005’s Timeless and 2014’s Everlasting, respectively. Her 13th studio album Reckless was released in 2016, and she is currently in the studio recording a new holiday compilation.

Having sold more than 18 million albums over the course of her career, her music has touched the lives of many. 

  

Memorial Day Songs: Country Artists Honor Our Nation’s Heroes

Music Videos Remind Us of Those Willing to Make the Supreme Sacrifice 

Country music has a long history of honoring those who have served in the armed forces, especially those who were willing to die for what they believe in.

Notable songs date back to Ernest Tubb’s “Soldier’s Last Letter,” which spent four weeks at the top of the country chart in 1944.

Poignant stories abound, but many of them are rarely — if ever — shared by those who modestly downplay their contributions. As we celebrate the holiday, here are several music videos that tell those stories.

“Some Gave All,” Billy Ray Cyrus (1992)
The star of CMT’s Still the King has gained a lot of media attention lately with the 25th anniversay of his mega-hit “Achy Breaky Heart.” The title track of his 1992 debut album, Some Gave All, wasn’t a huge hit at radio, but it became one of his signature songs and proved that the Kentucky native had a lot more to offer than a cool haircut and fancy stage moves.

“American Soldier,” Toby Keith (2003)
Simply stating the emotions of a soldier who’s called to duty, Keith was inspired to write the song with Chuck Cannon after meeting troops during his USO tours.

“Arlington,” Trace Adkins (2005)
The song was inspired by U.S. Marine Cpl. Patrick Nixon, the first soldier from Tennessee killed during the war in Iraq. Songwriter Dave Turnbull wrote it with Jeremy Spillman after meeting the soldier’s father.

“I Drive Your Truck,” Lee Brice (2013)
It’s a tribute to Medal of Honor recipient Jared Monti, who was killed in battle in Afghanistan in 2006. Songwriter Connie Harrington got the idea for the lyrics after hearing his father interviewed on National Public Radio. She wrote it with Jimmy Yeary and Jessi Alexander.

“8th of November,” Big & Rich (2005)
Kris Kristofferson narrates the introduction to this true story about Vietnam veteran Niles Harris and his experience on Nov. 8, 1965 when the 173rd Airborne Brigade was ambushed by more than 1,200 Vietcong soldiers. It was written by John Rich and Big Kenny Alphin.

“If You’re Reading This,” Tim McGraw (2007)
McGraw teamed with Brad and Brett Warren to write the song about a soldier’s letter that’s intended to be sent only if he dies. McGraw debuted it on the 2007 Academy of Country Music Awards.

“Just a Dream,” Carrie Underwood (2008)
In “Just a Dream,” an 18-year-old woman finds her life forever changed when she attends the funeral of her husband, a soldier who has been killed in action. The powerful song was composed by Steve McEwan, Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson.