Ella’s got some new fellas! Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Category: Music
Ahead of this year’s Fourth of July holiday, ERNEST is taking a moment to reflect on what the occasion means beyond the fireworks and festivities. In a heartfelt message shared with fans, the country singer encouraged all those celebrating to do so safely while honoring the people who have helped bring freedom to the nation.
He began, “My fellow Americans, As we gather to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day, we pause to reflect on the enduring promise of the United States of America—a country built on the ideals of freedom, courage, and opportunity.”
The country star offered a reminder that the annual summertime holiday is about much more than just late-night fireworks and fun-filled cookouts with loved ones. It’s a day to remember the “generations of Americans who have worked, sacrificed, and served to preserve the liberties we enjoy today.”
ERNEST went on to express his gratitude towards the service members, first responders and their families whose efforts make the country “strong.”
“We are grateful for all who continue to carry that spirit forward.”
Along with encouraging fans to proudly wave the American flag and keep those who serve at the forefront of their minds, the “Lorelei” singer urged everyone to spend the holiday with the people who matter most by sharing meals, reconnecting over conversations and appreciating “the blessings of living in this great nation.”
He also made it a point to remind fans to prioritize safety throughout the busy holiday weekend, whether they’re traveling, enjoying fireworks, spending time on the water or firing up the grill.
“As you celebrate, please do so safely. If you’re traveling, be patient and careful on the roads. If you’re enjoying fireworks, use them responsibly and look out for your neighbors. If you’re spending time on the water or around a grill, take the extra precautions that help ensure everyone makes it home safely.”
He continues, “No matter where you call home—whether in a bustling city, a quiet small town, on a family farm, or serving overseas—we are united by the values that have defined America for nearly 250 years.”
The powerful statement concluded with ERNEST wishing everyone a “joyful, peaceful, and safe Fourth of July weekend.”
“May God bless you, may God bless our troops, and may God continue to bless the United States of America🇺🇸,” he added.
The post ERNEST Shares Patriotic Fourth of July Message to Fans Ahead of Holiday Weekend appeared first on Country Now.
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The song was a response to the Sept. 11 attacks, but that’s only half the story. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Jameson Rodgers and his wife Sarah Allison Turner have welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Shepherd.
The couple announced the news on Wednesday, July 3 with a heartfelt Instagram post featuring a carousel of professional photos documenting this next chapter of their life at home.
Their caption was filled with joy and excitement as they wrote, “He’s here, he’s a red head, and he’s perfect. Everybody meet Shepherd 🩵”
Rodgers made sure to give an update on both the baby and his mom, stating “they are doing great.”
He added, “we’re soaking up every second in this sweet newborn season. Our lives will never be the same.”
This news arrives six months after the lovebirds announced they were expecting their first child back in January.
At the time, Jameson Rodgers wrote, “Gratitude looks a lot different this year as we welcome the newest addition to our family! Baby boy Rodgers coming soon 🩵”
Their latest announcement received an outpouring of love and support from fellow country singers and songwriters.
Greylan James wrote, “THERE HE IS!!”
Meghan Patrick added “Congrats buddy! So happy for y’all
Drew Baldridge gushed, “So happy for y’all! Congrats!! Y’all are gonna be the best parents!”
Travis Denning chimed in to say, “Coach’s son!! Congrats yall”
Cole Swindell shared, “Congrats y’all!”
Jameson Rodgers and Sarah Allison Turners love story began over 10 years ago when they first met at a songwriting workshop at the iconic Bluebird Café. That fateful moment led them to walk down the aisle and say “I do” in a ceremony at The Venue at Birchwood in Spring Hill, TN on September 5, 2021.
“I’ve never felt more loved than I did last Sunday with all our friends and family in one place celebrating Sarah and me. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with Sarah,” Rodgers told PEOPLE at the time.
Along with announcing their pregnancy at the top of the year, Rodgers dropped his latest release, “I Love This Town.”
He currently has no tour dates scheduled as he takes time to enjoy this new personal chapter at home.
The post James Rodgers Announces Birth of His First Child, Support Pours In From Fellow Country Artists appeared first on Country Now.
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The song was a response to the Sept. 11 attacks, but that’s only half the story. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
Hardy moved to Nashville with one goal — write songs for the artists he admired. Turns out, Blake Shelton was at the top of that list. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Hardy moved to Nashville with one goal — write songs for the artists he admired. Turns out, Blake Shelton was at the top of that list. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
HARDY has revealed that he is set to make a cameo in Universal Pictures’ upcoming film The Comeback King, starring Glen Powell.
While fans previously saw HARDY try his hand in acting in the 2022 music video for his and Lainey Wilson’s “wait in the truck,” this marks his first appearance in a feature film, where he’ll play himself and even has a few speaking lines.
Powell gave fans a sneak peek at the country music comedy film during this year’s CMA Fest in Nashville, making a surprise appearance at Nissan Stadium amid the nightly show. The actor walked onstage, poured a beer into a cowboy boot, chugged it in a classic “shoey” moment and tossed the boot into the crowd before revealing the moment was being filmed for The Comeback King.
During a recent conversation with Audacy’s Katie Neal, HARDY was asked if he knew any details regarding what to expect from the new movie. He smirked and then confirmed he’ll appear in the film but admitted he couldn’t share much more about his role just yet.
“It’s funny and I will say this, I think this is fine. It’s the hardest acting I’ve ever had to do because of how funny it is and the lines that got fed to me and the other person in the scene in real time and they’re like, ‘okay, now say this,’” he recalled. “I felt like I was watching SuperBad, but I was like the actor. And I was laughing not because the line was funny, but because I know how funny it’s going to be when I see it, if that makes sense.”
He also hinted at the fact that he won’t be the only country artist making an appearance in the story, which follows the journey of a former world-famous country-western star (played by Glen Powell) whose career has hit rock bottom.
“There’s a lot of cameos…I don’t know if I know many people that haven’t been involved in it,” HARDY noted.
The Mississippi native also gushed over Glen Powell, calling him “the nicest, coolest, kind, humble” person and credits him to taking the time to really get acquainted with the country music community in order to property portray his character.
“I got to sit in a room and he… I don’t think this is giving too much away. He’s already been talking about it, but he’s immersed himself into the culture. It reminds me of what Post Malone did where he didn’t just come here and write with all the big people. He wanted to write with the songwriters and learn about all that. And Glen really came to town and kind, of more or less, I guess method acting and he wants to learn about the town to play the character better.”
@937jrcountry Cool to see the BTS of scenes like this 🤯 – Celine #GlenPowell #TheComebackKing #CMAFest #Nashville ♬ original sound – 93.7 JR Country
This was a completely new experience for HARDY as he told Neal that his role in the “wait in the truck” music video took him out of his comfort zone in a different way.
“I was out of my comfort zone with acting distressed or whatever you want to call it…I saw somebody post something about a scene from it the other day and like shooting the guy and putting myself in that moment and stuff like that. That’s not just normal music video stuff.”
He adds that if he were to jump in front of the camera for any future roles, he can only imagine playing himself, just like he does in The Comeback King.
“You know how people like Vince Vaughn and certain people just play themselves? I feel like that’s the only way I can do it because I’ve thought about how hard it would be for Johnny Depp to become a completely different person and how good, like Jared Leto, some of these people are just great at becoming a different person. There’s no way I could do that, I don’t think.”
He adds, “It’s weird in a very creative way, but I think it takes a very special person to become a different human being for months at a time.”
Fans will have to wait until The Comeback King hits theaters on February 5, 2027, to catch HARDY’s cameo and see which other country stars make appearances throughout the film.
The post HARDY Reveals He’ll Make Cameo in Glen Powell’s Upcoming Country Music Comedy ‘The Comeback King’ appeared first on Country Now.
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Nearly two years into fatherhood, Parker McCollum is soaking up every moment with his first son, Major, who will celebrate his second birthday in August. During a recent interview with Audacy’s Katie Neal, the country star shared a few adorable updates on the toddler as well as how the family is preparing to welcome their second baby later this summer.
McCollum says that one thing Major is really loving at the moment is being in the water. However, since he is still very young and doesn’t quite know how to navigate that setting on his own yet, he and his wife Hallie Ray decided that now is the right time to put the boy in swim lessons.
“We have a pool and every day it’s ‘dad, dad, Wawa.’ And so when I’m home, we spend a lot of time swimming. And the other day, this was like last week, there’s like a beach entrance, I guess is what you would call it, kind of not really…he’s like sitting on it and he’ll be two in August. So he’s very small and he’s sitting on it and I’m sitting on their side of the beach and I’m just watching him. Well, all of a sudden he kind of tries to scoot off of it and it’s only ankle deep. It’s for little kids. All of a sudden he’s like on his back and the step is holding his head.”
McCollum watched for a moment to see if Major would be able to safely get himself out of the possibly dangerous situation.
“I was just like, ‘What’s he going to do?’ And then all of a sudden, he tries to roll over on his face and I’m like, ‘Oh God, get him out the water.’ He was totally fine. But I’m like, yeah, I told Hallie, I was like, ‘The swim lessons are next week.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I think he needs some.’”
Aside from spending time in the pool he has also taken a liking to playing golf and baseball.
“His big thing is ball. He’s got these little golf clubs and he’s got these little baseball bats and just everything is all good and well until he sees a ball and then it’s like, you better get him the damn ball, football, or it’s going to be very different afternoon. But he just wacks the sh** out of it.”
McCollum has also noticed that Major is in a phase of watching every movement and has now started to even copy his mannerisms.
“I guess it’s from watching me in the yard, but he sets up and focuses and he looks like he’s looking down the fairway because I guess he sees me do that…has a great high finish and great rotation. He’s not even two yet. And I’m like, he’s going to be a beat me in golf in three years,” the Texas native jokes.
In another month or two, he and Hallie Ray will become parents of two when they welcome their second son so they are currently trying to enjoy as much solo time with Major as possible before entering the newborn phase again. Even though his arrival is coming very soon, McCollum admits they have not decided on a name yet, however he does know that the newborn won’t be named after him.
“We argued about it in the family group chat last night and she got the pictures…sonogram, and she sent me a closeup of one. She’s like, ‘It’s you. He looks just like you already,’ the one that’s in the belly. And I said, ‘Well, then it settled. Parker Yancey McCollum Jr.’ And she was like, ‘No, no, no. I can’t handle another one of you and the world can’t either.’ So we were arguing about it in the family group text. But once she said that, my feelings were hurt, so I stepped out of the group chat, but we do not have a name yet,” he confirmed.
It is possible that the timing of the new baby’s birth will coincide with a weekend that Parker McCollum is out on the road for his 2026 run. He says right now, all they can do is play things by ear and if he is forced to make a last minute cancelation in order to make it home for his family, he hopes fans are understanding.
“If he shows up early or whatever and you got to buzz out of the road and head back home for the birth of your child, I think that’s pretty understandable.”
As of now, he has a slew of headline dates as well as a few festival performances on the books through November.
The post Parker McCollum Opens Up About Son Major’s Latest Milestones and Preparing for Baby No. 2 appeared first on Country Now.
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Alan Jackson’s final concert was special for many reasons. Not only did the country music icon bid farewell to an incredible career, he also used the opportunity to raise over $2 million for a cause close to his heart: the CMT Research Foundation.
In 2019, Jackson revealed that he had been living with the neurological condition Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT).
“It’s genetic that I inherited from my daddy… There’s no cure for it, but it’s been affecting me for years,” Jackson shared during a deeply personal interview with the TODAY show. “And it’s getting more and more obvious. And I know I’m stumbling around on stage. And now I’m having a little trouble balancing, even in front of the microphone, and so I just feel very uncomfortable.”
Since revealing his diagnosis, the Georgia native has made a point to support CMT research and has donated proceeds of his ticket sales to the CMT Research Foundation.
With his final show, Jackson helped raise more than $2.25 million for the CMT Research Foundation. A portion of ticket sales from the historic concert was donated to CMTRF, inspiring an outpouring of additional support through fan donations and matching contributions.
Laura MacNeill, CEO of the CMT Research Foundation, reflected on the significance of the funding and awareness generated through Jackson’s final shows, noting the lasting impact it could have on the CMT community.
“For the three million people living with CMT, this isn’t just a dollar number. It’s momentum. Currently, there are no approved treatments or cures for CMT. Alan Jackson’s Last Call tour introduced thousands of people to CMT who had never heard of it before, and the funding it generated is already moving science forward,” MacNeill shared with Country Now in a statement.
CMTRF will use the funds to support research efforts focused on advancing potential treatments for CMT, a condition that currently has no approved therapies. Fans can find details on the research being supported here.
Jackson’s final concert featured the country legend delivering a career-spanning setlist filled with fan-favorite hits, including many of the 35 chart-topping songs that defined his decades-long legacy in country music.
As announced earlier this week, Jackson’s final performance will be preserved as a live album, Last Call: One More for the Road – The Finale (Live from Nashville), set to arrive later this year. The historic show was also filmed for an upcoming NBC special, which is slated to air in December.
The post Alan Jackson’s Final Concert Raises $2.25 Million for CMT Research Foundation appeared first on Country Now.
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