He had no idea at first! Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Month: May 2026
He had no idea at first! Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
Even on a Wednesday night, Russell Dickerson proved just how big his impact on country music has become, with fans packing out and selling out his debut show at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
This monumental tour stop on May 13 featured an epic set list of early fan-favorites like “Blue Tacoma,” “Love You Like I Used To,” and “Home Sweet” as well as newer powerhouse tracks such as “Worth Your Wild” and his latest, “BOOTS” featuring Fetty Wap. As confetti filled the air and fans screamed their hearts out, Dickerson brought the show to a close with massive singalong to the multi-platinum selling artist’s sixth career No. 1, “Happen To Me.”
Dickerson learned the news that the entire Colorado venue was sold out just hours before taking the stage. He stood in the audience before any fans made their way in and took in the reality of the career milestone. Later on, the evening kicked off with performances from Niko Moon and Adrien Nunez before Dickerson brought his signature RUSSELLMANIA energy to the crowd.
The night marked a full-circle moment for the “Sorry” singer, who previously visited Red Rocks while working behind the scenes as a guitar tech for Chris Tomlin. Reflecting on the night in a new Instagram post, Dickerson admitted it was hard to express just how much it meant to him to sell out his very first headline show at such an iconic venue.
“SOLD OUT AT RED ROCKS!!! I have no words,” he wrote. “That was the most insane night of my entire life. Thank you thank you thank you for believing in me and making my dreams come true. WHAT A LIFE BABY!!!!
His wife, Kailey commented “I’ll never get over it 😭.”
Dickerson had several fellow country acts joining his wife in the comment section with congratulatory messages.
Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay wrote, “LETS GO 🔥”
Dustin Lynch said “Let’s gooo RD! 📈📈”
“Congrats brother 💪💪💪,” wrote Jordan Davis.
Drew Baldridge added, “That’s incredible buddy!”
Red Rocks will forever be a significant stop on Russell Dickerson’s 2026 RUSSELLMANIA Tour, following his recent performance at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater. He will continue with even more dates amphitheaters and other notable venues throughout the end of May.
Those who are a part of Dickerson’s Blue Tac-homies fan club also have the chance to attend the country act’s CMA Fest fan club party. Those signed up will get a code to redeem a free ticket to the event.
“I’m SO STOKED to hang with yall!!”
A full list of Russell Dickerson’s 2026 tour dates can be found on his official website.
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Fans and critics alike have strong thoughts. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Fans and critics alike have strong thoughts. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
The Property Brothers have strong opinions on kitchen finishes – specifically, they think it’s time to ditch the all-white cabinetry for a bolder color scheme.
Food Republic – Restaurants, Reviews, Recipes, Cooking Tips
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Duck Dynasty became a reality TV sensation primarily because it appealed to a conservative, Christian audience who prided themselves on their old-school values.
So some of the Duck diehards might not be too crazy about Al Robertson’s latest message — namely, that if your wife has an affair, you should forgive her.
Yes, Al — who is the eldest son of late Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson — is getting candid about his marriage to wife Lisa Robertson, as well as her infidelity.
The couple is revisiting their difficult past in a new Lifetime movie, Faith & Forgiveness, which explores how Lisa became involved in an extramarital relationship roughly 15 years into their marriage — and how the pair ultimately found a way forward through religion.
Speaking to Fox News, Al explained why he believes betrayal does not automatically have to mean divorce.
“When unfaithfulness happens in a marriage, so many times, that’s the end of it, but it doesn’t have to be,” Robertson said. “Everything can be worked through.”
That perspective, he admitted, came in part from recognizing his own shortcomings.
“I think the reason I was willing to fight for my marriage was that I had made a lot of mistakes on my own,” he shared.
“When I first met Lisa, she was actually a good girl, who had experienced some hard things in her life up until that point, but really was looking for what she called her ‘knight in shining armor,’ someone to take her hand and lead her out of some things. And I just wasn’t that guy in the early years.”
The couple’s story stretches back decades.
As they explained to Fox News, Al and Lisa first met as teenagers in a McDonald’s parking lot in West Monroe, Louisiana, eventually marrying in 1984 after an on-and-off relationship.
After welcoming two daughters, Al served as a pastor while Lisa reportedly struggled with loneliness and isolation during stretches when he was away.
Now, rather than hiding from that painful chapter, the couple is choosing to share it publicly in hopes of helping others facing similar struggles.
And while not every relationship survives betrayal, Al says he hopes their story serves as proof that some marriages can recover.
We’ll see how receptive his audience is to this new level of candor.
Al Robertson: ‘Duck Dynasty’ Star Opens Up About Wife’s Affair, Says … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
Alaska’s economic development agency owns federal oil and gas leases on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge — an area that’s long been the subject of fierce national debate. (U.S. Geological Survey)
The board of Alaska’s economic development agency on Wednesday approved spending up to $190 million to advance contentious plans for oil exploration and leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The budget, proposed by staff, includes up to $175 million for a type of preliminary exploration called seismic testing, which employs sound waves to identify oil and gas deposits deep underground.
Board members also authorized the agency to spend up to $15 million to bid on new areas of the refuge’s coastal plain — a swath of tundra along its northern edge — in an ongoing federal lease sale.
The board of the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, or AIDEA, voted 6-1 in favor of the proposal, marking a step toward development in the refuge.
“We have studied this for a long time, and the time for studying is over,” said board member Albert Fogle. “It’s time for development.”
Board member Andrew Guy, president of the Indigenous-owned Calista Corp. in Western Alaska, was the sole vote against the proposal, citing a lack of detail.
Currently no oil is produced in the refuge, a South Carolina-sized federal wildlife area in Alaska’s northeastern corner.
Opening it to drilling has long been a goal of Alaska politicians and local Iñupiaq leaders, including in the only village located within the refuge, Kaktovik.
“Development is not theoretical for Kaktovik. It’s a pathway to self-determination and local jobs, and long-term stability,” Charles Lampe, chief executive of Kaktovik Iñupiat Corporation, said in a presentation at Wednesday’s meeting.
But proposed oil development also has generated intense opposition from conservation groups and Gwich’in leaders in the state’s Interior, who say that drilling would threaten wildlife and the refuge’s wilderness character.
The Trump administration held the first ever lease sale in the refuge in 2021, garnering minimal interest from oil companies. AIDEA was the top bidder, purchasing leases across 365,000 acres of the coastal plain.
The Trump administration is currently taking sealed bids on another 700,000 acres. Results will be announced June 5.
Prior to Wednesday’s decision, AIDEA had been studying existing data on the area’s geology, according to the authority’s director, Randy Ruaro.
It commissioned a report last year that noted significant new oil and gas discoveries on state lands nearby and described the coastal plain as the “most prospective” unexplored area onshore in North America.
But critics, including several who testified at Wednesday’s meeting, question whether officials should spend public funds on new leases and exploration — which comes with no guarantee of future profits or finding economic deposits of oil.
“We should be looking at other more sustainable, renewable ways to invest our money,” said Tonya Garnett, who is Gwich’in from Arctic Village, a community near the southern edge of the refuge. “This is not a smart decision to go in there and ruin an ecosystem that provides resources for thousands of years.”
The resolution that passed Wednesday authorizes AIDEA to spend money on “permitting and regulatory work” and “the acquisition, processing and interpretation” of advanced seismic data. It does not authorize “drilling or well execution” — though one board member, at the meeting, urged AIDEA’s staff to start looking for a drilling rig.
Fogle said he expects AIDEA staff to put together “a more detailed plan” for its exploration program by the agency’s next board meeting, in June.
“I want to see that in a relatively short amount of time,” he said. “We have wasted two years of not moving quick enough.”
Northern Journal contributor Max Graham can be reached at max@northernjournal.com. He’s interested in any and all mining related stories, as well as introductory meetings with people in and around the industry.
This article was originally published in Northern Journal, a newsletter from Nathaniel Herz. Subscribe at this link.
The truth of the NFL schedule is this: It’s not who you play, it’s when you play them. A team that looks tough on paper now might be a shell of itself when injuries hit in October. Maybe even sooner. That said, strength of schedule is at least a guide to the challenges each team will face. And it’s the last piece of the puzzle for ranking the teams from best to worst before training camp begins. So, now that the full 2026 schedule is out, here are my final Power Rankings of the offseason. Super Bowl odds: +40000 They have a real chance to start 0-13 against a brutal schedule before they get to their bye week. After that, they will have the chance to rack up some wins against the Jets, Saints and Raiders, but by that point they’ll have to ask themselves, “Why?” Super Bowl odds: +30000 If they tanked for the top pick, would anyone know? Their last six games, and nine of their last 11, are against teams projected to win nine or more games. After opening against the Raiders, the slate gets ugly fast. Super Bowl odds: +15000 It’s hard to find a soft spot in this schedule for the Raiders to put top pick Fernando Mendoza in. Maybe Week 8 against the Jets or Week 12 against the Browns, but those are the only weak games after September for a while. Super Bowl odds: +20000 The Jets’ schedule is relatively easy. They just have to survive Robert Saleh’s revenge quest in the opener and three straight games against the NFC North to get to the easier part that starts in Week 5. Super Bowl odds: +15000 They have the NFL’s easiest schedule based on last year’s record and travel fewer miles than all but one team. In theory, they have plenty of time to find their way — if they can find a quarterback. Super Bowl odds: +12000 After Robert Saleh (likely) exacts his revenge on the Jets in Week 1, things get at a lot tougher. On paper, the Titans’ schedule is easy. In reality, it’s a lot harder than it looks. Super Bowl odds: +8000 Once they get past Detroit and Baltimore in the opening weeks, they have a real chance to build on last year with one of the NFL’s easiest schedules based on expected wins. They also are set up for a strong finish with no games against 2025 playoff teams in the last four weeks. Super Bowl odds: +5000 Seven of their last nine games are against teams projected to win 9-11 games. Aaron Rodgers’ 42-year-old body should be aching pretty good by then. Super Bowl odds: +6500 Surviving their first eight games may not be possible. They only play three of those on the road, but they’re at Philly and Dallas to open the season and then off to San Francisco in Week 6. They also play the Seahawks and Rams. They don’t really have a break until they get to Arizona in Week 12. Super Bowl odds: +6500 The only real problem with their schedule is they open against the Ravens, Chiefs and Texans. That’s three tough tests for either a backup quarterback or a still-healing Daniel Jones. It gets a lot easier after that, though. Super Bowl odds: +5000 The first half of their schedule is easy compared to what awaits them in the second half. Their last nine games include trips to Chicago, Detroit and Baltimore and home games against the Chargers and Rams. Super Bowl odds: +2500 They have the third-toughest schedule when measured by expected wins for their opponent, and they travel more than all but three NFL teams (27,980 miles). Add in five prime-time games and they have an exhausting road. Super Bowl odds: +12000 Their road slate is easy, but their home schedule is ugly. Their first six home games are against the Panthers, Ravens, Bears, 49ers, Chiefs and Lions, and that doesn’t count the “home” game against the Bengals in Madrid. Wow. Super Bowl odds: +7000 The NFL teed up the first six games for John Harbaugh, with only a road trip to the Rams looking impossible. They better build up a nice cushion, though, because life gets tough after their Week 8 bye. Super Bowl odds: +8000 The good news is nobody travels fewer than the 8,740 miles the Panthers will travel this season. The bad news is they play the third-hardest schedule, based on projected wins, along the way. Super Bowl odds: +5000 If they can hang on in the division, they’re set up for a fantastic finish. Three of their last four games are at home. One is against the Commanders. And their only road trip in that stretch is to New York to play the Jets. Super Bowl odds: +1600 The opening will feel easy to them against the Cardinals and Raiders. But the next eight weeks are as ugly as it gets, starting with a four-game stretch that includes trips to Buffalo, Seattle and Kansas City, with a home game against the Broncos in between. Ouch. Super Bowl odds: +1800 They have the NFL’s easiest schedule based on projected wins, but the NFL found a way to make it difficult. They get to open the Bills’ new stadium in Week 2. Then three of their last four games are against division opponents on the road. Super Bowl odds: +1600 Their schedule is filled with soft spots, so they shouldn’t have an extended losing streak at any point. And down the stretch, most of their tough games (Bills, Texans and Lions) are at home. Super Bowl odds: +1700 Here’s a fun fact: The 49ers will set an NFL record this season by traveling more than 38,000 miles, including trips to Melbourne, Australia and Mexico City. They’ll cross 58 time zones. Surviving that might be impossible. Super Bowl odds: +1500 The good news is the schedule is backloaded, so they might survive the first five weeks if Patrick Mahomes is rusty. The bad news is it’s backloaded, so things won’t be easy when Mahomes might be back to form. Super Bowl odds: +2200 Joe Burrow is back. They strengthened their awful defense. And on top of that, they get one of the NFL’s easiest schedules. They play just two 2025 playoff teams over the last 14 weeks. Super Bowl odds: +1800 The good news for the NFL’s best defense is they don’t play a lot of offensive powerhouses on the road. Most of their toughest tests (Bengals, Cowboys, Bills) come at home, and early. Super Bowl odds: +2500 They drew the NFL’s toughest schedule, though it’s a touch easier if you base it on expected wins in 2026 instead of the 2025 record. They also have seven prime-time or stand-alone games, so the whole world will be watching. Super Bowl odds: +3000 They have one home game in the first six weeks (against the Patriots) and two international games. If they can survive that, though, they’ll have a pretty smooth ride the rest of the way. Super Bowl odds: +1600 They have basically the same brutal schedule as the Bills, only more home games toward the end. So why did they drop behind them? Because the Patriots aren’t used to a slate like that. And their coach has been a bit … um … distracted. Super Bowl odds: +1000 It’s bad enough that their schedule includes the AFC West and NFC North, but they have to play at New England, Green Bay and Denver in December. The bright side is they will be very battle-tested for the playoffs. Super Bowl odds: +950 I was told ranking them this high was controversial. Then I saw their schedule, and I’m not sure I’ve ranked them high enough. They won’t be tested until Week 7 at home against the Bengals. Super Bowl odds: +1600 Take out three games against NFC West teams and their schedule is soft as butter. Also, they get their two toughest games at home (Rams, Seahawks), and by the time they travel to San Francisco, the frequent-traveling 49ers should be exhausted. Super Bowl odds: +950 They have basically the same tough schedule as the Rams, only with about 12,000 fewer air miles. But honestly, the battle between these two NFC West rivals will be decided by what happens when they play those two games over the final three weeks. Super Bowl odds: +800 My colleague, Eric Williams, doesn’t share my rosy view of the Rams. I remain bullish, but I got squeamish when I looked at their schedule. They’ll travel 34,847 miles this season, which can’t be good for Matthew Stafford’s 38-year-old back. And facing the Seahawks twice in the final three games caps a brutal final two months. Super Bowl odds: +2000 Their first six games are just terrible. But assuming they survive that, there is a real soft middle of the schedule that could put them on a real run from Weeks 7 to 15. That should be enough for the class of the AFC, and a team that is motivated by the knowledge they should’ve been in the Super Bowl last year.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
![<a href="https://countrynow.com/tucker-wetmore-teases-fun-acm-awards-performance-and-kind-of-sexy-red-carpet-look-exclusive/" target="_blank">Tucker Wetmore Teases ‘Fun’ ACM Awards Performance And ‘Kind Of Sexy’ Red Carpet Look [Exclusive]</a>](https://countrynow.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design-14-1-683x1024.jpg)
Ahead of his ACM Awards performance on Sunday, Tucker Wetmore is reflecting on his recent ACM New Male Artist of the Year win while teasing what fans can expect from both his performance and red carpet look.
We caught up with the rising star backstage at the MGM Grand Garden Arena following rehearsals for the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards, where he opened up about the emotional moment he received the life-changing news.
Tucker Wetmore Reflects On His Emotional ACM Awards Win
Wetmore was nearing the end of a seven-week overseas run when his sold-out concert in London suddenly turned into an unexpected celebration. During the show, his mother surprised him on stage with a video message from Thomas Rhett before presenting him with his very first ACM Award for New Male Artist of the Year.
The moment hit especially hard for the “Brunette” singer, who admitted he had already been feeling homesick after spending so much time away from family and loved ones.
The Surprise Moment That Left Him In Tears
“At that point, I’d been out for seven weeks and it’s a long time to be away from home and loved ones and family. So I mean there was definitely emotions flowing towards the end because I was missing home. But then my mom comes out on stage with the award and I think just a mix of everything that I had going on in my life and that award and knowing how hard, not just me, but my whole team has worked on it, I just broke down seeing my mama. It was special,” he recalled.
For Wetmore, earning recognition from the country music community truly “means the world.”
“I’ve looked up to country music pretty much my whole life and the fact that they see a spot for me at the table, that just makes me emotional…I’m just happy to be here,” he proudly shared.
What Fans Can Expect From His ACM Awards Performance
As for his ACM Awards performance, Wetmore kept details under wraps but promised fans they’re in for a fun moment, and maybe even a little of his signature hip shaking.
“It’s going to be fun,” he teased.
While in Las Vegas, Wetmore is also slated to perform at ACM Next Wave: Country’s Beach Bash at the iconic Mandalay Bay Beach Wave Pool. And yes, he admitted there’s a chance he could spend a little time gambling while in town.
Inside Tucker Wetmore’s “Nostalgic” And “Kind Of Sexy” Red Carpet Look
Fans can also expect Wetmore to bring plenty of style to the ACM Awards red carpet. Describing the look in just a few words, he called it “nostalgic” and “kind of sexy.”
The chart-topping artist joins a packed ACM Awards performance lineup that includes Blake Shelton, Parker McCollum alongside Lee Ann Womack, Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, Dan + Shay, Kacey Musgraves, and many more.
Hosted by Shania Twain, the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards will take place on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The show will stream live exclusively on Prime Video beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT for viewers in more than 240 countries and territories.
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