COLE SWINDELL GETS HUGE RESPONSE FROM NEW SINGLE
Cole Swindell's new single, "You Should Be Here," has gotten a tremendous response from fans and radio since it was released earlier this week. After being released on Monday morning (12/14), "You Should Be Here" became the #1 most added song on country radio the day it dropped and also topped the iTunes Country chart and was in the iTunes Top 10 All Genre.
Immediately after hearing the song, thousands of Swindell's fans also responded to its heartfelt message by sharing their personal stories via Twitter and Facebook using the "#YouShouldBeHere" hashtag.
Cole told Rolling Stone on Monday about the response the song had already had, "It's only been a couple of hours and the stuff I'm already reading, it's unbelievable. This is a new experience for me. I've experienced four hit songs but nothing like this and it's only been since this morning." Swindell wrote "You Should Be Here" about his father who passed away in 2013, and the video for the song, which also debuted this week, documents his first visit to cemetery where his father is buried. That video can be seen here. The song is the lead single from Cole's forthcoming sophomore studio album.
RISING STAR AWARD - KELSEA BALLERINI
Fans will have a chance to see Kelsea accept the "Rising Star" award as well as perform, when the event airs tonight (12/18) at 8 PM ET on Lifetime. Ballerini has had a big 2015, earning her first AMA, CMA and CMT award nominations this year and also topping the chart for the first time with her debut single "Love Me Like You Mean It." Kelsea will close out the year and ring in 2016 with a live performance in Nashville at the annual "Bash on Broadway: New Year's Eve in Music City." The celebration will also feature performances by Kings Of Leon and Chris Stapleton.
COAT OF MANY COLORS RE-AIRING - DOLLY PARTON
If you didn't have a chance to see Dolly Parton's faith-based original movie Coat of Many Colors when it aired on NBC last week, you'll have a second chance gather your family around to watch it. NBC will air an encore special presentation of the TV movie on Christmas Day (12/25) at 9 PM ET, and Dolly couldn't be more excited about it. Parton shares, "I hoped to bring some families together so they could sit and watch a move like this. I really wanted to celebrate the people, my whole family, who made me who and what I am today. I'm so blessed and thankful for everyone who watched and I hope this story reaches many, many more when NBC shows it Christmas night."
Coat of Many Colors got big ratings when it premiered last Thursday (12/10), with nearly 13 million viewers tuning into the initial broadcast. Variety also reported that Coat of Many Colors drew the largest audience for an original movie on the "Big Four" networks -- ABC, CBS and NBC and FOX -- since 2011. The film takes place in the Tennessee Great Smoky Mountains in 1955 and is based on the incidents in Parton's life around the time she was nine years old. The film stars Jennifer Nettles as Dolly's mother and young actress Alyvia Lind as a nine-year-old version of the country star.
"HIGH CLASS" COLLEGE FOOTBALL - ERIC PASLAY
Eric Paslay's current single "High Class" will be featured in the upcoming ESPN/ABC College football postseason. The song can be heard during bumps, montages and promos of ESPN networks' college football bowl game coverage from now through the end of 2015.
One of the games Paslay's single will be featured on is the inaugural Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl that kicks off bowl season tomorrow (12/19) at 12:00 PM ET on ABC.
Eric said, "You have to be a high class player, with a high class team and especially high class fans to make it to the college football postseason. Congratulations to all of these guys on an incredible season and I know I'll be watching these games…with my shades on."
"High Class" was the most added song on country radio when it debuted in October. Paslay co-wrote the tune with Corey Crowder and Jesse Frasure.