Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, and Keith Urban will headline the 2025 Tortuga Music Festival that takes place April 4th to the 6th in Fort Lauderdale. Other performers include: Cody Jinks . . . Parker McCollum . . . Megan Moroney . . . Shaboozey, and many more.
2. The lineup for the Extra Innings Festival, in Tempe, Arizona, was just announced and it’s a mix of country and alternative. The Lumineers will headline Friday, February 28th, with Megan Moroney and the Red Clay Strays opening. Kacey Musgraves will headline Night Two on Saturday, March 1st, with Maren Morris and Grace Potter set to appear.
3. And Josh Turner has announced his This Country Music Thing Tour, which will start in January in Duluth, Minnesota and head all the way into July where he wraps in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. More dates to be revealed soon.
Halloween is over! Which means it’s time for . . . Christmas? We know there’s Thanksgiving in between, but nothing can stop the daily onslaught of Christmas tunes. So, here’s a great story. One of the biggest Christmas songs of all time is Brenda Lee’s, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” . . . it has been featured in countless movies and you’ll probably hear it 1,000 times before the end of the year. But I bet you’ve never heard it in Spanish. Brenda Lee just approved a new song called, “Noche Buena y Navidad” that has used the power of artificial intelligence to replicate Brenda’s lead vocals. Keep in mind, Brenda was 13 years old when she recorded the original, and the A.I. technology did a pretty amazing job of recreating her rockabilly sound. A press release from Universal Music Group says that this technology is an, “innovative use of responsibly trained A.I.”
At almost every show Lainey Wilson brings a young girl up onstage with her and helps them live out their dreams. And the girl that Lainey chose in her recent show in Arkansas, had already been through so much. She had a to-do list on a big sign that Lainey read out to the crowd. Lainey said, quote, “Her to-do list is . . . beat cancer, she did it! Beat cancer again, she did it! Meet Lainey Wilson, she did it! And sing with Lainey, she’s about to do it y’all.” And then they got up and sang “Kerosene” by Miranda Lambert in front of everyone. Good for that young fan, being strong enough to beat cancer twice . . . and to Lainey Wilson for bringing such a huge smile to that girl’s face.
Oliver Anthony says he’s “getting out of the music industry” just 14 months after “Rich Men North of Richmond” hit #1. He posted a video saying he’s seen how it operates, and he’s had enough. “I’ve decided that moving forward, I don’t need a Nashville management company. I don’t even need to exist within the space of music.” That doesn’t mean he’s done performing altogether. He plans to keep releasing songs “like normal.” He just wants nothing to do with the corporate element. He says he’s switching his business over to a “traveling ministry,” where he’ll still do shows. But he won’t sell tickets through sites like Live Nation and Ticketmaster. He wants to hit small towns most artists never go to. And instead of normal venues, he wants to play gigs on farms and in town squares. He’s calling it the Rural Revival Project. His first show is tomorrow in Morgantown, West Virginia. 100% of profits from it will go to hurricane relief efforts.
Zach Bryan is performing at British Summer Time at Hyde Park in London next June . . . and the capacity is 65,000. And fans were VERY annoyed when tickets sold out within minutes . . . if that. Some people blamed scalpers, and others blamed the system. But even if it’s only Zach’s extreme popularity, he’s coming through for fans by adding a second show. Which, will probably also sell out within minutes.
Bo Bice is 49.
Jenny McCarthy is 52. Donnie Wahlberg’s woman. Melissa McCarthy is her cousin.
Big Kenny Alphin from Big & Rich is 61. “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy
Lyle Lovett is 67. Country singer who was once married to Julia Roberts.
“Whispering Bill” Anderson is 87.
