Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits got more than 60 artists to contribute to a new charity single that will benefit Britain’s Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America. The lineup includes Slash, Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, Ron Wood, Joan Jett, Sheryl Crow, Peter Frampton, Keith Urban, and Joe Walsh. The late Jeff Beck plays on it, too. Sting plays bass, Ringo Starr and his son Zack Starkey are on drums, and Roger Daltrey plays the harmonica.To name a few.
With the Super Bowl only two days away, it got us wondering . . . Are there any country music stars who used to play football? Here they are:
1. Riley Green. He was the QB for Jacksonville State from 2007-2009.
2. Sam Hunt. He excelled as the QB for the University of Alabama at Birmingham. It even led up to a tryout with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008.
3. Trace Adkins. At six-foot-six it makes sense that Trace was an athlete. He was a walk-on at Louisiana Tech University as an offensive lineman.
4. Chase Rice. He was a linebacker at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. An injury stopped him from taking his football career any further.
5. We mentioned this yesterday, but in case you missed it, Big Dog Daddy Toby Keith, played semi-professional football. He was a defensive end for the Oklahoma City Drillers.
The country world is still reeling from the death of Toby Keith, and while we’ve heard from almost every country music star, we have yet to hear from a member of his family. Until now. His son, Stelen Keith Covel just posted a very moving tribute to his late father and it is worth taking a look. He said, “You are the strongest man I have ever known. A fighter. A true titan of your industry. My guiding star. My coach. My hero. An embodiment of the American Spirit.” What beautiful words. He went on to say, “You truly did it your way, from the starting gates to the finish line, and never apologized for it.” And then his son finished with, “It’s not goodbye forever; it’s just goodbye for now. I love you cowboy.” And former quarterback Brett Favre had some nice words to say as well. “He put on a brave front. He went from 260 to 130 [pounds] . . . in the end he was just tired . . . he handled it with grace.”
Chris Stapleton posted a pic from his Super Bowl anthem last year and called it a “career highlight.” He also wished all the players, coaches, and performers good luck this Sunday, and he tagged Reba McEntire in it. She’s singing it this time and recently said it’ll be extra-special for her. This year marks the 50th anniversary of her being DISCOVERED while singing the anthem at the National Finals Rodeo in 1974.
Jason Isbell filed for divorce from Amanda Shires after almost 11 years of marriage, citing “irreconcilable differences.” They got married in February of 2013, and share an eight-year-old daughter named Mercy. Amanda is still listed as an opener for two dates on his current tour, so no word yet if that’ll change, or if she will still be performing in his 400 Unit band. Jason was also known to perform with her band The Highwomen. As of yesterday, Amanda and Jason haven’t released a statement.
Being a celebrity is rough. You want to save the planet, but flying commercial? Hell no. So, you take your private jets and suffer the slings and arrows of those who would dare call you a hypocrite. Well, a list of the 30 celebrities who fly private the most just came out, and luckily there are only two country artists on it . . . and they’re near the bottom. Blake Shelton came in at #23, and Kenny Chesney is 27th. The top five offenders are Travis Scott . . . Kim Kardashian . . . Elon Musk . . . Beyoncé and Jay-Z . . . and Bill Gates.
Johnny Galecki from”Big Bang Theory” announced in an interview that he got married and welcomed a baby girl. Donald Glover also revealed he got married to his longtime partner on a day he also filmed “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”.
Jenna Bush Hager spun out on black ice, hit a tree, and totaled her car. But she wasn’t injured
A statue honoring Kobe Bryant was unveiled yesterday outside the Crypto.com Arena.
Tom Hiddleston is 43.
Travis Tritt is 61.
Jim J. Bullock is 69. “Too Close for Comfort” superstar.
Charles Shaughnessy is 69. Mr. Sheffield on “The Nanny”.
Judith Light is 75. “Who’s the Boss”
Mia Farrow is 79.
Joe Pesci is 81