Page 223 – Maverick Country

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Mankato Opry Christmas Show raises funds

The Fourth annual Mankato Opry Christmas Show has taken place at the Kato Ballroom. Based on the Grand Ole Opry shows in Nashville, the event includes festive music. KeyC News reports the CEO of the Mankato Opry Shows, Howard Mock, as saying:”This has been a great experience not only for professionals…but a lot of the performers that are in the show are younger people and have never had an experience like this to be on stage. Hundreds poured into the venue, which will donate all proceeds to the the Make-A-Wish foundation, CADA House which is the woman’s abuse shelter and the backpack program. Plans are already underway for next year’s show.

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National anthem sung by Trace Adkins at Patriots-Dolphins Game

News / Editor

Trace Adkins visited Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. yesterday to deliver a version of the National Anthem before the New England Patriots went head-to-head with the Miami Dolphins. Every year the NFL and its 30+ teams come together to support members of the military as part of the NFL’s Salute to Service. Adkins has long been an active supporter of the U.S. military. Song “Still a Soldier” is further evidence of this. Country music was highly represented in the NFL during Thanksgiving. In addition to Adkins’ performance, Thomas Rhett delivered a halftime show on Thanksgiving Day at the Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Chargers game.

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Don't miss country music's biggest stars celebrating!

News / Editor

Country Music’s biggest stars will come together to celebrate the holidays during the eighth annual “CMA Country Christmas,” airing Monday, Nov. 27 (8-10 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network. Hosted by iconic entertainer Reba McEntire, the two-hour special features spectacular performances from Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House by Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Bryan, CB30, Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge, Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Dustin Lynch, Reba, CeCe Winans, Trisha Yearwood and Chris Young. This morning, Reba visited “LIVE with Kelly and Ryan” to perform a very special holiday medley, giving viewers a sneak peek of next week’s televised special. Watch the performance now at kellyandryan.com. CMA has partnered with Balsam Hill, the leading provider of beautiful, highly realistic, artificial Christmas trees and holiday décor, to decorate the “CMA Country Christmas” stage in 2017. Toys for Tots collected unwrapped toys from performers including Dan + Shay and CB30 in addition to generous audience members attending “CMA Country Christmas” at Nashville’s Grand Old Opry House. To learn more about donating to Toys for Tots throughout the holidays, visit toysfortots.org.

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Country favourites grace Thansgiving Parade

News / Editor

Performing on floats in the 91st annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day in New York City were a host of country stars, with Kelsea Ballerini headlining the CBS broadcast of the event. Previous country acts who have taken part in the annual parade include Brett Eldredge, Maddie & Tae, Easton Corbin, Miranda Lambert, Trace Adkins, Rodney Atkins, Billy Currington, Kellie Pickler, Darius Rucker and Cole Swindell. The annual annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day event attracts 3 million people to the Big Apple. The event includes live marching bands, Broadway performances, rolling floats and mega-sized balloons.

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Kate Rusby's ANGELS & MEN is a true winter warmer

Top Picks / Editor

Kate Rusby ANGELS & MEN Pure Records ***1/2 Subtle and delicate tones that warm the heart This Christmas album marks Kate Rusby’s 25 years in the business. It’s no wonder the artist has had such a lengthy career, owing to her gentle tone of voice and emotive delivery. ‘See Amid The Winter Snow’ is my favourite song on the album, which captures the holy atmosphere of Christmas with the band playing to suit Kate’s peaceful and dreamy vocals, which have earned the singer high praise in the world of folk music. Another firm favourite is ‘Let The Bells Ring’, which has a sentimental feel to it, as it tells the story of Christmas coming to an end and another year emerging. It’s an original song penned by Kate herself that urges, “Let the bells ring/there’s nothing more I fear”. A perfect crescendo ends the rueful piece, making this track especially prominent. Special guests on this album include banjo player Ron Block (Alison Krauss Band) and mandolin maestro Sierra Hull, both from across the Atlantic. Produced by husband Damien O’Kane, there are a mixture of festive songs old and new, guaranteeing that there’s something for everyone (that’s assuming your not Scrooge!) This is Kate Rusby’s 15th solo album; I’ve not had the pleasure of hearing all of these but this will certainly suffice as a backing track to my Christmas. Editor.

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Grand Ole Opry arrives in New York

News / Editor

The country music institution The Grand Ole Opry is opening a restaurant and concert space in Times Square, according to the New York Times. Opry City Stage is a four-story facility, with a shop on the lower floor and restaurants facing performance spaces on the second and fourth floors. Opry memorabilia, such as unseen photographs, cases displaying dresses worn by Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift and a backlit wall of the signatures of all Opry members — adornes the venue, with live music planned to take place from morning until night. The lower stage is modeled on the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville — also known as “the mother church of country music,” from which the Opry broadcast from 1943 to 1974, while the upstairs stage will feature shows with national acts. Talks about opening an extension of the Opry began half a decade ago in view of the demand for country music. The Grand Ole Opry was founded in 1925 as a one-hour “barn dance” on the radio station WSM; it remains the longest-running radio broadcast in U.S. history. After three decades based at the Ryman, the program moved to the Grand Ole Opry House, part of the Opryland complex. Opry City Stage will be the first satellite venue by the Grand Ole Opry.

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Prank on Garth Brooks by Ellen DeGeneres horribly backfires

News / Editor

An attempt by Ellen DeGeneres to spook adored country artist Garth Brooks backfired horribly, after a production crew member fell to the floor after leaping from a box – while Brooks was left calm after the prank. Ellen frequently likes to play tricks on her celebrity guests, but on this occasion Brooks had the last laugh as the ‘If Tomorrow Never Comes’ singer calmly rose from his seat, to replace the lid to the box. As the crew member tripped mid-flight and tumbled over the prop box, Brooks attempted to assist, but the assistant instead headed for the side of stage in a dramatic. Afterwards, DeGeneres was clearly amuse, replaying the footage to the audience and saying: “Act like it never happened, that’s good… That was the worst scare we’ve ever done. It didn’t work in any way.” She added, “Oh my god, that was pathetic!” Brooks, who is married to country star Trisha Yearwood, laughingly asked how long the staffer had been hiding, as DeGeneres joked, “He hasn’t been in there that long, but we’re putting him back in there as punishment.” The 55-year-old musician was crowned Entertainer of the Year at the 51st Country Music Association Awards for the second consecutive year and for the sixth time overall.

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Dolly Parton the highest paid female in country music, Forbes claim

News / Editor

Forbes magazine has ranked Dolly Parton as the highest-paid woman in country music for 2017. The financial magazine has released its yearly the highest-earning female performers list, which takes into account music from across all genres. The 71-year-old icon lands at No. 6 earning a reported $37 million during the period for the 2017. According to Forbes, Parton averaged in the mid-six figures at each of the 63 dates on her Dolly Parton Pure & Simple Tour, accounting for much of her wealth, while her Tennessee theme park, Dollywood, also pushed in helping her make the list above more contemporary stars. Taylor Swift landed at No. 3 on the list of top-earning female musicians for 2017, raking in $44 million. The country music-turned-pop star has just released a new album, Reputation, and she is releasing one of the new songs from the project, “New Year’s Day,” to country radio, marking her first country single since she left the country genre to go pop with the release of 1989 in 2014. Swift also took home Song of the Year honors at the 2017 CMA Awards as a songwriter for her song “Better Man,” which Little Big Town made into a huge hit in 2017.

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Country Music Superstar John Rich develops Redneck Riviera Branded Spirits

News / Editor

Eastside Distilling, Inc., a producer of award-winning craft spirits and John Rich, the multi-platinum singer/songwriter/producer and one-half of the award-winning duo Big & Rich, announced the signing of an exclusive global spirits licensing agreement with Rich’s burgeoning Redneck Riviera lifestyle brand. The “Work Hard, Play Hard” brand celebrates the working men and women who are the backbone of the U.S. For further information, please visit Redneck Riviera or Eastside Distilling. Production has already begun on the Redneck Riviera branded spirits poised to be the favorite for those looking to enjoy a great spirit at the working man’s price point. The line includes American blended, aged, flavored and premium-blended whiskies, as well as vodka and rum. Award-winning distillers Travis Schoney and Mel Heim will craft each recipe using the best of ingredients. “This is an exciting time for the Redneck Riviera brand,” Redneck Riviera’s John Rich said. “It has always been my goal to have a spirits line, and to be announcing this so young into the company’s launch is such a thrill and an honor. To be able to roll out this custom blend whiskey made in America by some of the top distillers in the country is a big win for us. I love a smooth blend of whiskey and a tight cigar to chill out after a rocking Big & Rich show or just a nice evening at home. This team is hard working and they play even harder, just like we do.” Eastside has formed the Redneck Riviera Whiskey Co., a Tennessee LLC and wholly owned subsidiary of Eastside, as an operating entity to manage and promote sales of the whiskey and any follow-up products. We plan to be highly focused on the Southeast initially, with a roll out to the rest of the country in the months to come. Eastside Distilling CEO Grover Wickersham says, “When I met John Rich I knew right away that we were going to do great business together. His energy and drive to succeed is unmatched, and when we saw the tremendous growth that the Redneck Riviera lifestyle brand has made in a short time, we knew that this was the right brand to forge a partnership. The spirits line is an obvious next step to the brand’s line of apparel, boots, food and honky-tonks.” Redneck Riviera is the brainchild of the award-winning multi-faceted entertainer and entrepreneur John Rich. Redneck Riviera celebrates the men and women who make America the greatest nation in the world through their hard working attitude that deserves to be celebrated. In addition to Redneck Riviera apparel, footwear, food and beach accessories, Redneck Riviera has two honky-tonks. Redneck Riviera Vegas is now open at the Grand Bazaar Shops adjacent to Bally’s Las Vegas on the famed Sin City strip, and Redneck Riviera Nashville is set to open in spring of 2018 on Nashville’s Lower Broadway

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Keith Urban dominates country scene at the American Music Awards 2017

News / Editor

The country music awards at the 2017 AMAs were mopped up by Keith Urban, with the Australian artist having to ask the help of his wife Nicole Kidman to carry some of them. Urban took home gongs for ‘Favourite Country Male Artist’, ‘Favourite Country Album’ and ‘Favourite Country Song’, with 2017 album ‘Ripcord’ and single ‘Blue Ain’t Your Colour’ winning the latter two respectively. While receiving his awards, Urban dedicated the wins to Kidman, as well as to their daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret. The only person on the night to win more individual AMAs than Urban was Bruno Mars, who won a whopping seven awards. Elsewhere on the night at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, Lady Gaga, P!nk, Diana Ross, Imagine Dragons and Shawn Mendes all performed, while P!nk also teamed up with Kelly Clarkson to cover R.E.M.’s classic ‘Everybody Hurts’ as a tribute to the first responders who risked their lives to assist people struck by the numerous disasters in America this year. Urban had previously been nominated for ‘Favourite Country New Artist’ in 2001 and ‘Favourite Country Male Artist’ in 2006, before finally winning ‘Favourite Country Male Artist’ in 2009.

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