Welcome to The Boot’s News Roundup, a morning rundown of the news country music fans need to know. Read on to learn more about the latest goings-on in the country, Americana, bluegrass and folk genres.
Pickler & Ben, the daytime talk show hosted by Kellie Pickler and TV personality Ben Aaron, has been picked up for a second season. The show, which is recorded in Nashville and airs on CMT, premiered in September of 2017 and is filmed before a live studio audience. Since its debut, the show has featured guests including Dolly Parton, Faith Hill (who is a producer of the show), Tim McGraw and Little Big Town. Fans of Pickler & Ben can request tickets to a taping of the show at PicklerAndBen.com.
Hulton Archive, Getty Images
Songs and albums written and recorded by Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Cash and Leon Russell are among 2018’s inductees into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Recognizing “singles and album recordings at least 25 years old that exhibit qualitative or historical significance,” inducted recordings are housed at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, Calif. Cash’s Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, released in 1968, will be inducted this year, along with Russell’s “A Song for You” and Ronstadt’s “Heart Like a Wheel.”
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Brad Paisley will be the subject of a Q&A session at the 2018 Country Radio Seminar. Titled Brad Paisley: The Art and the Artist, the interview will “highlight how Paisley anticipates the future while honoring country tradition,” a press release explains. Paisley will appear at CRS 2018 on Feb. 7, and will be joined by RJ Curtis of All Access Nashville and Beverlee Brannigan of the E.W. Scripps Company.
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Hunter Hayes has been announced as the headlining performer at the 2018 St. Jude Rock n’ Roll Nashville Marathon. The event, scheduled for April 28, is expected to attract more than 30,000 runners, who will navigate the marathon, half-marathon and 5K courses while bands perform throughout Music City. Hayes will take the stage to sing for runners once the race is over, and will be joined by newcomer Erin Kinsey, who will open up the show. Hayes’ post-marathon set will take place at the Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville at 7PM.
Rick Diamond, Getty Images
Grammy Awards-nominated Americana artist Brent Cobb has announced an extension of his 2018 Ain’t a Road Too Long Tour. Cobb will now kick off the headlining trek on Feb. 16 in Memphis, Tenn. The tour is now scheduled to conclude on May 26 in Omaha, Neb. Tickets to the newly added dates will be on sale on Jan. 19.
Daniel Boczarski, Getty Images
Brandy Clark, Béla Fleck, Abigail Washburn and Mandolin Orange have been added to the lineup for MerleFest 2018. Set for April 26-29 at Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, N.C., the festival will also feature performances from rootsy favorites including Jamey Johnson, Kris Kristofferson, Rhiannon Giddens and Rodney Crowell, among others. More artists are expected to be added to the lineup in the coming months as well. Tickets to the festival are on sale now at MerleFest.org.
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