Category: News Feeds

The Burger Family Foundation, founded by Texas Rangers infielder Jake Burger and his wife Ashlyn, is bringing together some of the biggest names in sports and music for a night full of excitement, all while supporting a good cause in Music City.

Taking place November 16 at First Horizon Park in Nashville, TN, a star-studded celebrity softball game dubbed The Lucky Classic will feature a star-studded roster of hitmaking singer/songwriters including Russell Dickerson, Ashley Cooke, Tucker Wetmore, Jordan Davis, Tigirlily Gold, Colbie Caillat, Mitchell Tenpenny, Maddox Batson, LANCO and NSYNC’s Chris Kirkpatrick. The lineup also includes 4x Olympic medalist Shawn Johnson East, former NFL players Andrew East and David Bakhtiari, and fitness entrepreneur Shawn Booth.

Joining them on the field will be over 20 MLB All-Stars, such as Corey Seager, Brandon Lowe, Brent Rooker, and Bryan Reynolds, Chris Bassitt, Josh Jung, Jonah Heim, Jack Leiter, Vinnie Pasquantino and more. Acting as one of the head coaches for the game will be University of Tennessee head baseball coach Tony Vitello.

Jake and Ashlyn started The Burger Family Foundation after learning that their daughter, Penelope, had been diagnosed with Down Syndrome. This inspired a dream to make a difference by supporting families like their own and celebrating inclusion and abilities. By offering a mix of financial help, therapeutic resources, supportive communities, and the healing power of ranch life, the foundation has become a place where families can hope, purpose and belonging.

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Since Jake is currently the only active MLB player with a child with Down Syndrome, he chose to honor that role in a meaningful way. He kicked off his tenure with the Rangers by changing his jersey number to 21 as a way to represent Trisomy 21 and the extra copy of the 21st chromosome those with Down Syndrome carry.

His commitment to his family made headlines during his season of spring training when returned to the field straight from the hospital after Penelope’s successful open heart surgery. That day will go down in history for Jake’s career, as it also marks the day he hit his first home run with his new team while sporting his new number and Penelope’s hospital band around his wrist.  

The Burger’s learned early on in Ashlyn’s pregnancy that Penelope would have Down Syndrome and immediately turned to their faith, confident they were given their platforms to tell Penelope’s story and advocate for all children with disabilities.

When the Burger’s discovered Penelope would have Down Syndrome early on in Ashlyn’s pregnancy, they turned to their faith and embraced the opportunity to use their platforms to advocate for other children with disabilities. The upcoming Lucky Classic is another way for them to show how powerful and impactful it can be when a community comes together in support of each other.

“Ashlyn and I couldn’t be more excited to bring The Lucky Classic to Nashville this off-season,” shares Jake. “This city is home for us, and we wanted to create something that blends our two worlds, music and baseball, while giving back to a community we love. The outpouring of support for The Burger Family Foundation and the Down syndrome community has already been incredible, and we can’t wait to see everyone at the ballpark for a day of fun, connection, and unforgettable memories.” 

Their latest announcement reveals just a small taste of all the big names set to appear at the one-of-a-kind event. More stars are set to be revealed soon, promising an unforgettable evening that both sports fans and music lovers won’t want to miss.

Tickets for The Lucky Classic are on sale now HERE. 

The post Jordan Davis, Ashley Cooke, Tucker Wetmore And More Team Up With MLB All-Stars For The Lucky Classic In Nashville appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

Lainey Wilson is opening up about the lessons she hopes to pass on to the next generation of fans, especially the young girls dreaming of following in her footsteps with their own career in country music.

The songstress recently welcomed Southern Living into her home to share a glimpse into her world offstage. Along with offering a rare photo shoot of her colorful residence, the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year also sat down for an honest conversation.

Every song in Wilson’s discography is reflective of a moment in her life, whether it be lessons she learned growing up, the love she feels for those around her, or the upbeat anthems that capture her lively spirit. While she writes primarily for herself, she also writes with the hope that her music might resonate and make an impact on others.

“You know, of course I write music for myself. A lot of it is coming from my perspective, but it is important for me to be talking to that kid in the back row, because that little kid in the back row was me at one point,” she reflected.

Wilson went on to explain that her journey in music hasn’t been quick or easy, and a lot of the lessons she learned along the way have naturally found their way into her songs. Just because she has success now, doesn’t mean she didn’t face many years of struggles first, and it’s important to Wilson that her younger listeners understand all the hard work and patience it takes to achieve a dream.

“When I’m writing music, I want them to know that I’ve been at this a long time. I’m 33 years old. I wrote my first song at 9 years old. I started playing guitar at 11. I moved to Nashville when I was 19,” she shared. “I was here for seven years before I got a publishing deal. And then that’s when the hard work really started. So a lot of my songs are about resilience and rolling your sleeves up and things like that. And it’s not like I’m purposefully trying to put that message in the song. It just comes out because I think that is the life that I’ve lived. I don’t know any other way.”

Another way Wilson has made an effort to lift up the younger girls in her crowd is by crowning a “cowgirl of the night” on each stop of her Whirlwind Tour. This tradition finds her bringing a lucky fan on stage and prompts them to repeat a heartfelt message of self-empowerment.

@_haley_claire_ #laineywilson #cowgirlofthenight #grandrapids @Lainey Wilson ♬ original sound – Haley Claire

Alongside the more serious themes in her music, Lainey also has plenty of fun, uplifting anthems. Even amid late nights and hard work, she makes it a point not to take life too seriously, a perspective that once again shines through in her songs.

“I’ve had a lot of fun too. I ain’t gonna lie to you about that. ‘Bell Bottoms Up,’ baby,” she added, referring to her celebratory track.

In order to maintain this balance, Wilson has found ways to keep her priorities straight aka her method “to this madness.” She emphasized how important it is to stay true to herself and not let her career define her self-worth at the end of the day.

“…This is all very, very important, [meaning] my job, but it’s [also] very important for me to not put all my self-worth into what I do. I know who I am, the Lord knows who I am, and I try to live by that,” she shared. “I think it’s always about just planting your feet where they are and knowing who you are, standing up for what you believe in, and keeping your people close. I mean, that’s been my method to this madness.”

Keeping her inner circle of friends and family close has helped the “Somewhere Over Laredo” singer to stay grounded, no matter how much success comes her way. At the end of the day, these are the people who will remind her that underneath Lainey Wilson, she is still just Lainey from Baskin, Louisiana.  

“I go home to Baskin, and everybody’s trying to stop by and see me. But it’s not because of everything that’s going on; it’s just because they want to stop by and see me, you know? And just making sure that I’m taking the time to do the things that make me feel like Lainey, the sister and friend and daughter.”

So for the next generation of fans looking up to the country star just as she did to the legends who came before her, her story serves as both a roadmap and a reminder to work hard, stay true to yourself, lean on the people who matter most, and never forget where you came from.

The post Lainey Wilson Wants Young Dreamers To Know The Hard Work Behind Success appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

Priscilla Block is opening up about the turning point that completely reshaped her upcoming album.

In a recent TikTok video captured at an album release party, Priscilla Block revealed that she had finished a project last year with plans for it to be her next record. But that collection ended up taking a back seat. And the songs she was originally set to release looked much different from what fans will hear on October 10 with the arrival of her sophomore project, Things You Didn’t See.

She eventually was faced with a brutal realization that the industry wasn’t fully seeing her story, and as a result, not recognizing her on the same level her peers. So Block decided to completely shift gears and create a project that told her truth more authentically.

“What really shifted this project, and I’m so thankful that it did, I got a call last year from Charly [Salvatore], my manager, and Charly informed me that I wasn’t nominated for new artist and my heart hit this floor. And I was like, ‘okay, when do nominations come out?’ And he was like, ‘Priscilla, this is the second round of voting.’ And I was like, oh. I was like, ‘how many people are in the list?’ And he was like, ‘there’s about 25 artists.’ And my heart hit the floor. And I was like, ‘damn, why wouldn’t I be on that list,’” she asked as emotions welled up.

@priscillablockupdates “And that lit a full f*cking fire in my ass” @priscillablock details what motivated her to shift the album concept after it was already finished at her album release party last night in Nashville. #priscillablock #countrymusic #priscillablockfanclub #fyp #thingsyoudidntsee #newmusic #trending #viral #fan ♬ original sound – priscilla block updates

Block couldn’t understand why, despite her recent success on the charts and her ability to sell out tickets at her shows, she hadn’t been mentioned in the elite list of nominations. In a search for answers, the North Carolina native began calling around to “trusted” members of the industry, hoping someone could provide some honest insight.

“I opened up the floor to a lot of criticism that I wanted. And a lot of these people are in the room tonight. And I said, ‘Hey, what do you think it is? Why do you think I wouldn’t been on this list?’ And I felt like I kept hearing the same thing over and over,” she admitted. “It was like, ‘Priscilla, we just wish everybody knew you the way that we knew you, and people don’t know your story.’”

That simple statement suddenly “lit a full fu**ing fire” in her to step out of her comfort zone and dive deeper than ever before. This led to the making of Things You Didn’t See, a 14-track collection that tackles themes like anxiety, burnout, and the constant pressure to always be “on.”

Fans can expect Block to get real about everything from body image struggles and online negativity to the mental weight of having a life completely in the spotlight, figuring out her artistic identity, and working through the pressure of having to fit into country music’s traditional mold.

She offered the first look into the album when she stripped back her confidence to dig into her insecurities in “Couldn’t Care Less.” This was followed by the release of “Yard Sale,” a hard-hitting re-imagination of Simon & Garfunkel’s 1970 classic “You’re Breaking My Heart (Cecilia),” and her latest track, “Phones and Radios.”

This mix of sassy, anthemic and brutally honest reflections will be heard across the remainder of the unreleased tracks on Things You Didn’t See, dropping October 10 via MCA.

‘Things You Didn’t See’ Tracklist:

Produced by David Garcia and Dave Cohen

*Produced by David Garcia and Jesse Frasure

**Produced by David Garcia

***Produced by Rian Ball

1. “Things You Didn’t See” 

Writers: Priscilla Block, Brandon Paddock, Martin Johnson

2. “Bring Me Downtown” 

Writers: Priscilla Block, Cole Taylor, David Garcia, Laura Veltz

3. “Stranger Things (with Chase Matthew)” 

Writers: Priscilla Block, Trannie Anderson, Cole Taylor, David Garcia

4. “Goodwill To Gucci”

Writers: Priscilla Block, Audra Mae, Summer Overstreet, Jesse Frasure

5. “Phones And Radios”

Writers: Priscilla Block, David Garcia, Trannie Anderson, Blake Pendergrass 

6. “Couldn’t Care Less”**

Writers: Alex Maxwell, Cole Taylor, Trannie Anderson, Priscilla Block

7. “2-3-4”

Writers: Priscilla Block, Alex Maxwell, Sarah Jones

8. “Try”

Writers: Priscilla Block, Tyler Hubbard, Trannie Anderson, David Garcia

9. “Good On You”

Writers: David Garcia, Jessie Jo Dillon, Laura Veltz, Priscilla Block

10. “Yard Sale”*

Writers: Priscilla Block, Laura Veltz, David Garcia, Jessie Jo Dillion

11. “You’re Breaking My Heart (Cecilia)”*

Writers: Chris Tompkins, Jesse Frasure, Jessie Jo Dillon, Hailey Whitters, Paul Simon

12. “He’s My Man”

Writers: Alysa Vanderheym, Faren Rachels, Chris Tompkins, Jacob Hackworth

13. “Elijah”

Writers: Priscilla Block, Sarah Jones, Rian Ball

14. “Time Ain’t A Two Lane (Demo)”***

Writers: Rian Ball, Priscilla Block, Sarah Jones, Aaron Raitiere

Priscilla Block is also preparing to launch her headlining Monster Energy Outbreak: Things You Didn’t See Tour, on October 23 in Fort Myers, FL. She will be joined by supporting acts Greylan James and Payton Smith on select dates.

Additionally, she is currently on the road with ACM Award-winner Cole Swindell as part of his Happy Hour Sad Tour. 

The post Priscilla Block Opens Up About The Wake-Up Call That Changed The Course Of Her Sophomore Record appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

Gretchen Wilson is stepping into a new role later this month, when she serves as “tour manager” on the brand-new music competition series, THE ROAD, on CBS.  

The show will showcase 12 rising musicians as they compete for the chance to be named country music’s next big star. Each episode will feature the contestants performing as opening acts for GRAMMY Award winner (and one of the show’s executive producers) Keith Urban at venues across the U.S. Urban teams up with Wilson, who takes on the role of “tour manager,” along with executive producers Blake Shelton and Taylor Sheridan as they search for the next wave of rising talent. Throughout the show, they will be joined by special guests Jordan Davis, Karen Fairchild, Dustin Lynch, and Brothers Osborne and together with live audiences, they’ll help decide which artists move forward to the next city in the competition. 

At the end of the journey, one winner will walk away with a life-changing package: a $250,000 cash prize, a recording contract with Country Road Records (a division of 101 Studios in partnership with Thirty Tigers), and a performance on the iconic Mane Stage at the 2026 Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California. Thanks to Red Bull, the winner will also score a slot at Red Bull Jukebox in Nashville, while the two runners-up will receive five recording sessions at Red Bull Studio Los Angeles.

Wilson recently reflected on her “amazing experience” on the show, explaining that she was able to share heartfelt advice and encouragement with contestants, drawing from her many years in the music business.

“All of the years that I’ve had that have kind of built me into who I am and all the things that I’ve learned on the road, I was able to bring that experience to it,” she explained. “But also just the family kind of part of it that you do build when you’re out on the road and when you’re touring. I think that’s what really makes this uniquely different from any other show like it, because on this show, these contestants had to ride the bus together. They had to travel together, they had to be away from their families for weeks at a time. They got to experience what it really means to be out there doing this job.” 

Wilson continued to praise the show for giving fans an honest glimpse into the less glamorous side of life as a touring artist.

“I think a lot of people like to think, they look at us and they think, ‘Man, your job is just the coolest job in the world, and you get to go out and play music and it’s a party.’ And it’s really not so much about that. When you’re out there doing this for a living, you’re the one who doesn’t have a beer at two o’clock in the afternoon because you’re resting on the bus and you’re taking care of your instrument, your voice,” she added. “ And so for me, bringing that to the table for these contestants was another big part of it. Not just how do you win this competition, but how do you take care of yourself and how do you have the longevity that a lot of it takes that to endure in this business.”

Keith Urban applauded her influence, calling her the show’s “mama bear.”

“It’s been great watching Gretchen handle them as well and give really good advice,” he pointed out. 

“They called me the tour momager,” Wilson added with a laugh. 

THE ROAD’s extended premiere airs Sunday, Oct. 19 (9:00-10:30 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and will be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+*.

The post Gretchen Wilson Steps Into ‘Tour Momager’ Role On CBS’ ‘The Road’ appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

Emily Ann Roberts is turning what could have been a very discouraging moment into a powerful message for aspiring artists.

The country singer recently came across a fan-filmed video of herself performing on stage, only to notice that much of the crowd appeared distracted, talking loudly over her performance instead of paying attention. At first, Roberts admitted the clip embarrassed her.

“When that came up on my for you page, at first I thought somebody took a video of me, and half a second later I thought, that’s kind of embarrassing because nobody’s paying a lick of attention to me and they’re talking really loud. And now I wish this wasn’t on the internet,” she explained in a selfie-style TikTok.

But as she kept watching, her perspective on the entire situation shifted. “Thank God by the end of the video, my brain had come full circle and I thought, you know, who cares? The girl who took this video cares. She was paying attention.”

From there, Roberts delivered a heartfelt message for other up-and-coming musicians who may face similar moments. Drawing from a decade of experience, she reminded her followers that situations like this one are all just part of the journey.

She recalled a show in Texas where the audience hardly acknowledged her performance. 

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“Nobody cared. And we got done with our first song, and you would’ve thought that we had never even done nothing,” she remembered. 

Instead of delivering a subpar show, Roberts and her band put forth their A-game and it wound up paying off. The next day, her producer shared a message from an audience member who praised her performance saying she “acted like she was on the Grand Ole Opry back on that patio.”

“Okay, Emily Ann, that is what you do,” she said. “That’s how you put on a show because you never know who is watching. It doesn’t matter if you look around and everybody’s talking and looking at their cell phones… somebody there cares.”

Roberts stressed that the key to building real fans and having a long-standing career in country music  is to always give your best effort. 

“If [God’s] the only one watching, well, then by golly, I better put my best foot forward for him,” she said.

“What else are my options? To throw in the towel? No, that’s not an option. That ain’t an option for me. And that ain’t an option for you either. So shift your perspective and know that what you do matters and somebody’s watching and you ought to want to make a good impression.”

Roberts’ post was flooded with comments from fellow artists, including Mae Estes, who asked, “Why Am I crying?” and Walker Hayes who supported her comments with two flexed bicep emojis. 

Emily Ann Roberts brand-new EP, Memory Lane, arrives on Friday, October 3. 

The post Emily Ann Roberts Shares Powerful Message About Staying Motivated When the Audience Isn’t Paying Attention appeared first on Country Now.

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