Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood were good friends of First Lady Rosalynn Carter, who passed away this week at 96. And he took a minute to pay tribute to her at an event the other day. He and Trisha worked with her and President Carter through Habitat for Humanity. And he talked about why Trisha called her a “quiet warrior.” He said whenever she gave a speech, Mrs. Carter would walk up to the mic and wait until she had the crowd’s full attention. Then when she finally did speak, she’d be “very quiet but very powerful.” He said it taught them that “a lion doesn’t have to roar.” And sometimes you only need “a few words to get your point across.” He said she was “great at that, and everyone loved her for [it].”He called her a light that shined on how we should treat each other, and said that light has “gone out.” But he added that if we all pick it up, “maybe that light can grow.”
It would be understandable if you missed the Billboard Music Awards the other night . . . it didn’t air on TV, only DIGITALLY through Billboard’s social media. The biggest winners were: Taylor Swift (Top Artist and Top Female Artist) . . . Zach Bryan (Top New Artist) . . . and Morgan Wallen (Top Male Artist, Top Country Artist, and Top Country Touring Artist). In fact, Morgan took home 11 trophies, which was the most awards in one year since Drake received 12 awards four years ago. Morgan thanked his fans, saying, quote, “You took a boy from east Tennessee driving a two-door Toyota Tacoma and turned me into one of Billboard’s top artists, so God bless y’all.”
You bought Dolly Parton’s “Rockstar” album on Friday, and enjoyed 30 instant classics. Good job. Except, Dolly wasn’t done. She released two bonus tracks. One is a cover of Eddie Money’s 1977 hit, “Two Tickets to Paradise” . . .The other is a remake of her own classic, “Jolene”, and it features the Italian band Maneskin. They’re available digitally at DollyParton.com.
LeAnn Rimes sympathizes with Britney Spears’ journey for independence. Quote, “I saw the Britney documentary and was thinking, all these people that make money out of her and she has nothing to do with it. It’s just soul-sucking.” LeAnn relates because when she was a young artist, her father also controlled her career. Quote, “Parents managing a child is always a recipe for disaster. For me, it became a business, and I ended up not having parents.”
They announced the details of next year’s Tortuga Music Festival. Performers include Jason Aldean, Ashley McBryde, and Hardy . . . and it’s going down April 5th through the 7th in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Passes go on sale December 1st at TortugaMusicFestival.com.
Lainey Wilson has been given the Patsy Montana Entertainer Award from the Cowgirl Hall Of Fame. Previous inductees include Faith Hill and Emmylou Harris.
We know that Reba McEntire is ready to marry her boyfriend, actor Rex Linn. But Rex . . . he’s still on the fence. Taste of Country recently asked her about it and she said, “I told him if he wanted to get married that’s up to him totally.” (Reba’s been married twice. She’s 68. Rex is 67 and has never been married.)
Eric Church, Jelly Roll, Randy Houser, and Priscilla Block are some of the performers at Country Thunder Arizona 2024. It’s happening April 11th through the 14th in Florence, Arizona.
Carly Rae Jepsen is 38. It’s impossible to think of her without hearing “Call Me Maybe” . . . which has over 1.4 BILLION views
Rain Phoenix is 51. Sister of Joaquin and the late River Phoenix.
Michael Strahan is 52. “GMA” host and Kelly Ripa’s former co-host.
Ken Griffey Jr. is 54. Retired Major League Baseball slugger.
Troy Aikman is 57. NFL commentator and Cowboys quarterbacking legend.
Nicollette Sheridan is 60. Alexis Carrington on the CW’s “Dynasty” remake, and Edie Britt on “Desperate Housewives”.
Goldie Hawn is 78. Kate Hudson’s mom. Kurt Russell’s woman.
Marlo Thomas is 86. “That Girl” . . . and Rachel’s mom on “Friends”.
