A social media post by Kenny Chesney a couple of weeks ago had his fans speculating that he would be hitting the road for a new tour with Zac Brown Band. That news has just been confirmed. Kenny has announced his 2024 Sun Goes Down Tour with Zac Brown Band. The 18 stadium shows will start in April and continue into August. In addition to Zac Brown Band, Megan Moroney and Uncle Kracker will also take part in the stadium shows.
Luke Bryan accidently revealed one of the CMA Awards secret performances. It happened during a press conference with his co-host Peyton Manning. He was asked about the moments that he is most looking forward to, and Luke mentioned that he's looking forward to seeing Morgan Wallen, Hardy and Post Malone perform. "For them to be onstage together is fun stuff," he shared. "They're doing the Joe Diffie tribute." Although their performance had been announced, the CMA had billed it as a medley of classic country hits. There was no mention of a tribute to Joe Diffie, who died in March 2020. The 2023 CMA Awards take place tonight. It will air live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on ABC.
Keith Urban, Darius Rucker, Lady A and Jordan Davis are just some the country artists who will be handing out trophies tomorrow night at the CMA Awards. Other presenters announced include Parker McCollum, Craig Morgan, Martina McBride, Chris Young, Hailey Whitters, Sara Evans, Bill Anderson and Brian Kelly. Actors Kevin Cahoon and Cynthia Erivo will also present during the show along with comedian Nate Bargatze, Paula Abdul, baseball player Corey Seager and the Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner. The 2023 CMA Awards will air live tomorrow night on ABC starting at 8pm. Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning are co-hosting the show.
Kelsea Ballerini returned to Knoxville, Tennessee on November 2nd for a show at the University of Tennessee's Thompson-Boiling Arena. Just after she started to perform her hometown anthem "Half of My Hometown" she stopped suddenly. "I can't be in Knoxville and sing this song without Kenny Chesney," she says to her band. The crowd went wild as Kenny made his way to the stage. The two Knoxville natives shared a big hug, and he shared his excitement with the crowd, saying, "Kelsea, backstage, she goes, 'Don't make me cry up here,'" Kenny tells the audience. "I'm not gonna make her cry, but I do want to say just how proud I am of Kelsea and her band. Tonight is very special and I'm thrilled to be back in east Tennessee to celebrate Kelsea Ballerini." The song was released in April 2021 as an ode to the place where Kelsea grew up. Kenny, who's also from Knoxville, is featured on the song.
Mark Chesnutt had to postpone his November 3rd concert in Tennessee because of "health concerns and doctor's orders." His team shared a message on Facebook explaining that he was undergoing a medical procedure but is looking forward to seeing everyone soon. According to the post, he was hospitalized on November 1st. "Mark was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday evening and is now in the Critical Care Unit in stable condition," the statement reads. "He is receiving care and undergoing multiple tests to identify the cause of his medical issues."
Gabby Barrett used social media to reveal the title and release date for her sophomore album. In the post, she shared a blurred-out image of the album cover along with a clip of her current single, "Glory Days." "Chapter & Verse. New album out 2.2.24," she captioned the clip.
MacKenzie Porter and her husband, Jake Etheridge, are expecting their first child. The couple made the announcement with a series of maternity photos on social media. The pictures also featured their dog, Willa. "Our sweet baby," MacKenzie wrote on her post. "We couldn't be more excited to meet you, hold you, kiss your lil squishy cheeks and let Willa lick your lil toes." She didn't share anymore details about her pregnancy.
Kane Brown has teamed up with the late Elvis Presley for his own version of "Blue Christmas." Kane says it was easy to choose that song to record because "Blue Christmas" is one of his favourite Christmas songs. Many artists have covered the song over the years, but Kane put his own spin on it by incorporating Elvis' vocals throughout the track. "To reimagine it with Elvis is amazing," says Kane. "I heard it for the first time the other day so just to hear me and Elvis on the same song is crazy."