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Trader Joe’s to Open First 2 Stores in Beloved Southern City

Trader Joe’s is finally opening not one, but two stores in one of the South’s most famous cities. Here’s when the first location will open. Continue reading…

​The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs

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Dolly Parton’s Touching Message to Kelly Clarkson After Ex Dies

The country legend shared emotional advice drawn from her own experience with loss. Continue reading…

​The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs

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Vince McMahon Defends Late Hulk Hogan, Backs Hall of Fame Return

The ex-WWE owner stands by the late wrestling legend’s 2018 Hall of Fame return. Continue reading…

​The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs

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Zach Top Delivers First-Ever On-Stage Gender Reveal: ‘I Messed That Up’

What started as a wholesome gender reveal took a hilarious turn when Zach Top made a small slip-up in front of thousands of fans.

While performing at the West Virginia State Fair, Top was asked by a couple of fans in the crowd to announce the gender of their first baby. He stopped the show, moved toward the crowd, and grabbed a folded piece of paper from the mother-to-be, Kelsey Longbon, and her husband, Dalton Longbon.

Ignoring the chants from the audience, he focused on the special moment. But as Top unfolded the paper, still looking out at the sea of listeners, he was blissfully unaware that the words “It’s a girl” were written on the outside of the printed ticket slip that he had just flashed to the crowd.

@kelsayyy7 The coolest thing ever! Even got to meet him backstage after! Thanks @Zach Top @State Fair of WV #zachtop #genderreveal #countrymusic ♬ original sound – Kelsey

Top quickly realized his mistake and said, “I messed that up,” earning a roar of laughter from the crowd.

However, he quickly recovered and was proud to officially announce that the couple would be having a baby girl.

 “If you didn’t see it, it’s a girl. Congratulations Kelsey and Dalton, you’re having a baby girl,” he announced excitedly.

After signing the paper, he returned to the mic to apologized for the fact that he “botched it a little bit,” but noted that it was the first time that he had done a gender reveal at one of his shows.

Zach Top; Photo Provided
Zach Top; Photo Provided

The plan to ask the country star to reveal the gender was orchestrated by the couple, who got married last October and had shared their first dance to Zach Top’s “There’s the Sun.” Kelsey also informed us that she has now gotten to meet Top on multiple occasions. The first was last summer when she told him how special the song was to their big day and then snagged a selfie.

Zach Top; Photo Provided
Zach Top; Photo Provided

Knowing how important his music has been in their lives already, the couple decided they wanted to include him in their next chapter together too.

“When we found out the gender of our first baby recently, I thought who better to announce it than Zach Top himself – how many people can say the artist of their first dance song announced the gender of their first born. Pretty sweet,” Kelsey shared with Country Now.

She then revealed that Top made the night at the West Virginia State Fair even more memorable when he invited them both backstage to meet him and take a photo.

“I am still so excited about this! It was so sweet for him to do this. I joked and told him we would name her ‘Zachena’,” Kelsey shared in her statement with us.

Zach Top; Photo Provided
Zach Top; Photo Provided

So even though the “I Never Lie” singer slightly messed up the on-stage moment, he made sure the couple had a night that they will never forget.

This festival performance marked another stop on Zach Top’s busy year of touring. He is still making his way from stage to stage on his Cold Beer & Country Music headlining tour and recently announced newly venues that he will be hitting throughout the fall.

Plus, he recently dropped “South Of Sanity,” the second track from his upcoming sophomore album, Ain’t In It For My Health, out August 29. The collection of 15 songs also includes his summertime anthem, “Good Times & Tan Lines.”

The post Zach Top Delivers First-Ever On-Stage Gender Reveal: ‘I Messed That Up’ appeared first on Country Now.

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Inside The Making Of Megan Moroney’s Lavender ‘Rapunzel Barbie Doll’ Dress by Brooke Barry

Brooke Barry, the fashion designer behind some of Megan Moroney’s most memorable looks, is giving fans a behind-the-scenes peek at her latest creation, a custom outfit that transformed the country star into what she calls a “Rapunzel Barbie doll.”

In a new TikTok video that’s already garnered over 40k views, the talented designer walks viewers through each step in her creative process of making a dreamy lavender mini dress complete with a halter neckline, delicate lace trim, a statement bow at the center, and intricate flower appliqués throughout the corset.

Megan Moroney; Photo by Mason Goodson
Megan Moroney; Photo by Mason Goodson

The video starts with the final reveal and the caption, “Here’s how I made this look for Megan Moroney.” From there, Barry takes fans step-by-step through the journey, beginning with her initial sketch. She then moves onto her “favorite part,” building the coreset top. Next up was making the satin purple skirt, which she admitted was a bit difficult to work with do to the fabric’s slippery nature.

Her artistic talent really started to shine in the following slides when she experimented with different applique options until landing on the perfect combination. She later revealed that she decided to make her own appliques because she wasn’t a fan of the other options. Once Barry settled on that, she moved onto adding the metal grommets, which is “always so satisfying,” sewed the waistband onto the skirt and pulling all the elements together for the final design.

The final slides of the post showcase Megan Moroney rocking what Berry deems to be her favorite new design on stage at the Iowa State Fair. Her performance on Saturday, August 9 drew in a crowd of 16,371 people to the Grandstand and marked her second appearance at the state fair.

Recapping the night with photos from the show, many of which found her wearing the stunning purple ensemble, Moroney wrote, ,”THANK YOU IOWA 🥹😍 from the free stage to the grandstand in 2 years … sooooooooo grateful for every single one of y’all 🥺💙💜🫶🏼 i still wake up every day & can’t believe i get to do this thank yall for everything 😚😚😚😚😚😚😚😚😚☁️💭”

Barry is no stranger to dressing the Georgia native as she has designed several other standout outfits for Moroney, including pieces worn during live shows and in the music video for “6 Months Later.” Fans in the comments praised the designer on her craftsmanship, calling her latest custom Megan Moroney dress “SOOOO iconic,” “perfection,” “goals” and more.

In a previous video showing how she made the “Indifferent” singer’s plaid purple look for her “6 Months Later” music video and the single’s cover art, Moroney took to the comment section to join the words of praise. She wrote, “So talented!!! 💜”

@brookiebarry Making @Megan Moroney 6 months later outfit! 💜 such an honor and a dream come true! 🪡🫶🏻 #sew #sewing #fashion #design #fashiondesigner #meganmoroney #fashiondesign #seamstress #sewist ♬ 6 Months Later – Megan Moroney

Brooke Barry has quickly become a popular figure online as she draws fans in with her unmatched talent and has created her own viewership by showcasing her different designs. In several videos, she has expressed pure gratitude and joy for getting to live out her “dream job.” In addition to sharing her process of making unique looks for Moroney, she also uses her platform to share plenty of tips and tricks that may help fellow fashionistas achieve their own dreams one day.

Meanwhile, Megan Moroney is living out her own dreams on stage each night. She recently celebrated the success of her second No. 1 at country radio with the PLATINUM-certified hit “Am I Okay?” and is set to continue on her current 50-date headline tour of the same name through October 12.

The post Inside The Making Of Megan Moroney’s Lavender ‘Rapunzel Barbie Doll’ Dress by Brooke Barry appeared first on Country Now.

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Thomas Rhett Promises His Kids Will Always Come Before Social Media and Career

Thomas Rhett is soaking up an unforgettable summer. Fresh off a massive sold-out show at Fenway Park on his Better In Boots Tour, the country superstar is at the top of his game professionally. But when it comes to juggling his career and home life, he admits he’s still figuring it out.

The multi-platinum hitmaker recently opened up about the challenge of balancing family and work, revealing that it’s only gotten tougher as his four daughters grow. With a 9-year-old, an 8-year-old, a 5-year-old, and a 3-year-old at home, Rhett says the juggle is more demanding than ever.

“Obviously [I’ve] been blessed with an amazing family, blessed with being able to play shows and make music, but I think as my kids get older, it does become more challenging to do as much as I used to,” he shared. 

Thomas Rhett and Family; Photo Courtesy Thomas Rhett
Thomas Rhett and Family; Photo Courtesy Thomas Rhett

As an artist, it’s expected that he not only makes music but also stays active on social media. With his girls getting older, Rhett says he constantly feels a push and pull between what he’s supposed to do and what truly matters.

“I still try to keep up on social media, but at the same time, I do feel like when I am on social media a lot, then I’m neglecting something else, you know, and my kids will always take precedent over that stuff,” he explained. “But at the same time, you know my wife and my kids know that this is what I love and what I was born to do, and so I think it’s just more about balancing the time now than it is just doing it all the time.” 

To find that balance, Rhett says he’s learned to be intentional with his planning, making sure to carve out space for family, which will always be his No. 1 priority.

Thomas Rhett and Family; Photo Courtesy Thomas Rhett
Thomas Rhett and Family; Photo Courtesy Thomas Rhett

“It’s just you gotta plan stuff out way in advance now, whereas used to I’d be like, ‘I think I’m gonna write a song today with so-and-so.’ But I want to make sure that as my kids get older they know that they were always chosen first over career, over whatever,” he declared. “That’s just kind of dad that I want to be known for by them, for sure.” 

Rhett recently gave fans a snapshot of his summer with his family on social media, sharing a gallery of sweet family snapshots of their adventures together. 

When schedules allow, his family joins him on tour, letting Rhett combine the two things that mean the most to him: family and music.

Thomas Rhett wil return to the stage this weekend, with two shows in Ohio: a headlining gig at Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, and a stadium show with Morgan Wallen in Cleveland.  

His Better In Boots Tour runs through the fall. 

The post Thomas Rhett Promises His Kids Will Always Come Before Social Media and Career appeared first on Country Now.

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Dasha Claps Back At Trolls With Hilarious TikTok ‘Dramatic Reading’

Dasha knows exactly how to handle negativity — by owning it with confidence and humor. Instead of letting the harsh words of internet trolls get her down, the rising artist took to TikTok to reveal she would be doing “a dramatic reading of hate comments.”

“This should be fun for all of us,” she added before diving into the selection of comments that really stuck out to her.

Some of the posts she shared tore apart elements of her physical appearance and fashion sense. One user wrote, “Add a chest and she would be the best!!” Dasha paused, then responded playfully as she mocked the person’s disappointment, “Aw, you don’t like A cups? What’s wrong?” she asked with a pouty lip.

@dasha #greenscreen ♬ original sound – Dasha

Most of the criticism, however, targeted her live performances and musical talent.

“I got a question, did she get dressed in the dark?” another user asked.

The “Not At This Party” singer admitted that while she did not get dressed in the dark, she found this comment to be one of the funnier ones of the bunch.

Dasha; Photo by Alex Green
Dasha; Photo by Alex Green

Another comment read, “Canadian talent at its best right here,” to which she simply shot back, “well, I’m not Canadian, so…”

When a hater said, “You can tell she has pole experience,” Dasha responded with a smile, then turned the hateful words into a positive affirmation as she asked, “Are you calling me strong? Thank you so much!”

Dasha’s laughter increased as the readings went on. The next one to leave her in a fit of laughs took her back to a memory of her childhood. It read, “All the hair flicks remind me of when I’d put on cringey dances for my parents’.”

She covered her mouth, laughed and proceeded to acknowledge the fact that she did used to perform for her parents and that “nothing’s changed” in her current performance style.

Dasha; Photo by Andrew Wendowski
Dasha; Photo by Andrew Wendowski

Though all these words could certainly be seen as hurtful, Dasha chose to flip the script and turn the negativity into some lighthearted entertainment. Doing this showed her fans that while she isn’t immune to the online hate, she’s found healthier ways to cope with it.

Even the harshest messages, like “I feel like I’m at a county fair watching the local band play,” “This song is so putrid, I can’t,” or “You would think she would accidentally hit the notes once in a while” were met with Dasha’s unshakable spirit as she laughed them off.

In a previous TikTok, Dasha shared another video directed towards all the haters who hide behind a computer screen. The video found her dancing along to a viral sound with a message that declares “jealousy is a disease.”

Her caption of that post read, “this is dedicated to all the keyboard karen’s out there in my comments <3.”

@dasha

this is dedicated to all the keyboard karen’s out there in my comments &lt3

♬ som original – Rae

In return, she received plenty of kind comments from her true supporters. They offered her messages like “I like your music, keep up the good attitude,” “keep being you,” “ur stunning queen,” “you do you, you awesome girl,” and more.

The California native has a few remaining dates on the U.S. leg of her 2025 headline tour before heading back overseas for shows across Ireland and the UK this October.

The post Dasha Claps Back At Trolls With Hilarious TikTok ‘Dramatic Reading’ appeared first on Country Now.

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Reba McEntire Honors Stepson Brandon Blackstock in Heartfelt Tribute

Reba McEntire shared an emotional tribute to her stepson, Brandon Blackstock, on Tuesday night, just five days after his passing. In her heartfelt post, she reflected on his lasting legacy, his infectious laughter, and expressed deep gratitude for the time they were able to share.

“Last week, my stepson/oldest son Brandon Blackstock went home to be with God. His struggle is over and he is in eternal peace in God’s presence,” she wrote. “There is no one else like him, and I’m thankful for the time we had together. His legacy and laughter will be carried on through his family. Rest in peace cowboy. Happy trails to you til we meet again.” 

Reba, Brandon Blackstock; Photo Courtesy Reba McEntire
Reba, Brandon Blackstock; Photo Courtesy Reba McEntire

Brandon Blackstock passed away on August 7 after a three-year battle with melanoma. He was just 48 years old.  

Reba became Brandon’s stepmother in 1989 when she married Narvel Blackstock. Although the couple divorced in 2015, Reba remained close to Brandon and continued to consider him one of her own.

Shelby Blackstock, Reba’s son and Brandon’s half brother, also took a moment to reflect on this great loss. On Instagram, he shared a touching message alongside several photos of their joint adventures over the years. 

Shelby Blackstock, Brandon Blackstock; Photo Courtesy Shelby Blackstock
Shelby Blackstock, Brandon Blackstock; Photo Courtesy Shelby Blackstock

His post read:

Words cannot begin to capture the tremendous loss our family has endured. Yesterday, we lost a brother, a father, a grandfather, and a son.

Brandon Blackstock was an irreplaceable part of our family—funny, bright, and full of life—and he will be deeply missed.

He taught me so much, leaving behind countless cherished memories that I will hold onto forever. For every treasured moment we shared, there are so many more we’ll never get to make together, but I know you’ll still be there. Every hunt, every flight, and in the everyday moments of life, I’ll feel your presence.

And although it may annoy you, you’ll have to watch me do it all just a little better, a little smoother, and —let’s be honest— looking far more handsome than you ever could in the process. 😏

We will always miss you, Brandon, and we will never stop loving, remembering and celebrating you.

Brandon Blackstock was also known for his marriage to Kelly Clarkson, which lasted from 2013 to 2020. The pair shared two children, River (11) and Remington (9). He was also father to Savannah (23) from a previous marriage.

Friends and family of Brandon Blackstock are invited to gather with the family for a celebration of his life on Aug. 17. For service details, please reach out to a family member. 

In place of flowers, contributions may be made to the Brandon Blackstock Memorial Fund through the Montana Stockgrowers Foundation.

The post Reba McEntire Honors Stepson Brandon Blackstock in Heartfelt Tribute appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

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How to Watch Miranda Lambert’s Flooding Benefit Show Live

Miranda Lambert is stepping up for her home state of Texas. Continue reading…

​Country Music News – Taste of Country

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Brandon Blackstock’s Oldest Son Offers Heart-Wrenching Tribute

Seth Blackstock is Brandon’s oldest son. He shared memories and six photos of him with his father. Continue reading…

​Country Music News – Taste of Country