THE DIRT - WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16TH

COLE SWINDELL: HEAVY METAL 

Cole Swindell is on a heavy metal roll. 

He just racked up his fifth platinum single, for "Middle of a Memory." It's quite a feat considering he only released his first single, "Chillin' It," in 2013.

His other precious metal songs are "Chillin' It," "You Should Be Here," "Ain't Worth the Whiskey" and "Hope You Get Lonely Tonight."

Cole is the first (and so far only) country artist in the history of Mediabase to have all seven of his singles top the chart.

SHANIA TWAIN JOINS THE CAST OF A NEW RACING MOVIE

After decades of taking the musical world by storm, Shania Twain has decided to dip her toes into the realm of acting. According to Variety, Twain has joined the cast of John Travolta's new racing film titled Trading Paint. The movie stars Travolta as a "down-and-out dirt track racing legend" who returns to the sport after his son, an aspiring driver, joins a competitor’s racing team and incites an intense father-and-son showdown. According to IMDB, Shania will play a character named Becca in the new film, which is scheduled for a release in June of 2018.



The film began shooting in Alabama this week and will continue through mid-September.

In addition to Travolta and Twain, the will also star Game of Thrones actor Toby Sebastian and Michael Madsen from The Hateful Eight.

TROY GENTRY'S FATHER PASSES AWAY

We're sending our condolences to Montgomery Gentry's Troy Gentry, whose father, Lloyd Gentry, passed away early on Sunday morning (8/13). 

The duo shared the sad news on their official Facebook page on Sunday, although no additional details were given about his father's death. The message also asked that everyone keep Troy, his wife Angie and their family and friends in their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

MIDLAND ANNOUNCE DEBUT ALBUM, ON THE ROCKS

Midland have announced the release of their debut studio album, On The Rocks, out September 22. 

The trio's Mark Wystrach, Cameron Duddy, and Jess Carson co-wrote all 13 songs that appear on the new album, including their current Top 10 hit, "Drinkin' Problem." The band also shared the album's cover art, which features the trio showing off their signature vintage style with full nudie suits on.

Track listing for On The Rocks:

1. “Lonely For You Only" (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Rhett Akins, Josh Osborne)

2. “Make A Little” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)

3. “Drinkin’ Problem” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)

4. “At Least You Cried” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Jonathan Singleton)

5. “Burn Out” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)

6. “Out Of Sight” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Luke Laird, Shane McAnally)

7. “More Than A Fever” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)

8. “Check Cashin’ Country” (Jess Carson)

9. “Nothin’ New Under The Neon” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)

10. “This Old Heart” (Jess Carson, Mark Wystrach, David Lee Murphy, Jonathan Singleton)

11. “Altitude Adjustment” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Rhett Akins, Rodney Clawson)

12. “Electric Rodeo” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)

13. “Somewhere On The Wind” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Rhett Akins, Josh Osborne)

THE D.A. OF THE DAY - WEDNESDAY AUGUST 16TH

TWEETLE D.A. DESTROYS LIQUOR STORE

A Florida man who identified himself to police as "Alice Wonderland" is looking to escape down a rabbit hole after he was arrested for destroying a Walmart liquor store that was under construction.

32-year-old Mathew Horace Jones is accused of sneaking into the construction site and using a forklift to destroy the store, which was being added to an existing Walmart store. The damage is estimated around $100,000.

When police arrived, he allegedly aimed the forklift at officers and threatened to drive into them. Cops drew their guns and he surrendered. Once he was in custody he told police his name was "Alice Wonderland" and that a "hookah-smoking caterpillar" told him to destroy the store because he didn't like that Walmart was going to sell alcohol.

THE HOTLIST - WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16TH

BRAD AND ANGIE: DIVORCE STILL A GO

For those who got their hopes up, we're sorry to break this to you -- but Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have not called off their divorce. Despite reports to the contrary, TMZ says the two are "deep in divorce talks, and there is NO talk of reconciliation."

Last week several news outlets ran stories suggesting the divorce had been put on hold and that they're thinking of getting back together. But insiders say the two stars are "hashing out both child custody and property settlements, and the divorce is full steam ahead."

MINDY KALING: CONFIRMS PREGNANCY

Mindy Kaling has finally confirmed that she's pregnant.

In an interview with Sunday Today, the star says she's "really excited" about becoming a mom and that she can't wait to criticize other parents. Mindy tells Willie Geist, "It's so easy to criticize parenting until you're a parent, so one of the nice things about becoming a parent is that I'll be able to openly criticize other parenting because I will have a child."

This is the first time the 38-year-old has spoken about her pregnancy, which was first reported last month. She still hasn't identified the father.

HOME ALONE: DAD JOHN HEARD DIED OF A HEART ATTACK

Home Alone dad John Heard died last month of a heart attack.

The 71-year-old actor's body was found in a Palo Alto, California hotel room on July 21st. According to TMZ, the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner's Office conducted an autopsy and found he had died of a "sudden cardiac death due to atherosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease."

Though he had undergone minor back surgery two days before, officials say it "did not play a role in his death."

The DIRT - Tuesday, August 15th

DOLLY PARTON: 1st CHILDREN'S ALBUM ON THE WAY

Dolly Parton will release her first children's album, I Believe in You, on September 29th. 

She says, "I'm proudest of all that all of the proceeds from this CD will go to the Imagination Library. It's been 20 years since the Imagination Library was launched. We've seen 100 million books get into the hands of children and hopefully there will be many more.”

Dolly established the Imagination Library more 20 years ago to provide age appropriate books to children every month.

I Believe in You Track Listing

1. "I Believe in You"
2. "Coat of Many Colors" (new recording)
3. "Together Forever"
4. "I Am a Rainbow"
5. "I’m Here"
6. "A Friend Like You"
7. "Imagination"
8. "You Can Do It"
9. "Responsibility"
10. "You Gotta Be"
11. "Makin’ Fun Ain’t Funny"
12. "Chemo Hero"
13. "Brave Little Soldier"
14. Bonus track spoken audio: Coat of Many Colors (book read by Dolly Parton)

JASON ALDEAN: RAISES BIG BUCKS!

Jason Aldean raised over $700,000 for Macon, Georgia's new children's hospital with his Concert for Kids over the weekend. 

He says, “Macon will always be my roots. When I moved away to chase music, all I wanted to do was make my family and hometown proud. But I’m just a singer. I’m honored to be able to do what I do to help raise money, but the doctors and staff are the heroes and are changing these kids' lives.”

In return, he was honored with a street sign near the hospital.

KENNY CHESNEY - RELEASES TRACK LISTING FOR LIVE ALBUM

Kenny Chesney has just put out the track listing for his concert album Live in No Shoes Nation. 

Live in No Shoes Nation Track Listing:The album, which is a compilation of songs recorded at various shows, comes out on October 27th.
"Flora-Bama"
"Summertime"
"Big Star" (with Taylor Swift)
"Boston"
"When I See This Bar" (with Eric Church)
"No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems"
"Anything but Mine"
"Down the Road" (with Mac McAnally)
"Guitars and Tiki Bars"
"Hemingway’s Whiskey"
"Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven" (with Zac Brown Band)
"I’m Alive"
"Save It for a Rainy Day" (with Old Dominion)
"Pirate Flag"
"Somewhere With You"
"I Go Back"
"One Step Up"
"American Kids"
"You and Tequila" (with Grace Potter)
"Young"
"There Goes My Life"
"Out Last Night"
"Dust on the Bottle" (with David Lee Murphy)
"Coastal"
"The Boys of Fall"
"Noise"
"Old Blue Chair"
"The Joker / Three Little Birds" (with Dave Matthews)
"Happy on the Hey Now"

BONUS VIDEO: "WHEN IT RAIN'S IT POURS"

Luke Combs is having the time of his life in his new video for "When It Rains It Pours!" It features Luke in the hilarious aftermath of a breakup, where he wins $100 on a scratch-off lottery ticket and parties down at the beach.

D.A. Of The Day

UNDER THE GUN:

A Florida man had better hope his lawyer can come up with a good defense -- after getting arrested for pulling a gun to prove martial arts are a bad defense.

George Meyer dropped into a self-defense seminar at his son's school and told instructor Christopher LaSala that weapons would always be superior to martial arts, which he called "crap." To emphasize his point, Meyer reached into his pocket and pulled out a small back handgun, pointed it at the teacher and said, "Bang, you're dead."

LaSala said he was not, in fact, dead, but Meyer pressed the point, saying the gun was "locked and loaded" and ready to be fired at any time. Meyer was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and improper exhibition of a firearm.

HOTLIST - TUESDAY, AUGUST 15TH

TIGER WOODS: PHARMACY ON WHEELS

Last week, Tiger Woods pleaded guilty to reckless driving. For good reason. He never stood a chance in court.

ESPN obtained the toxicology report from the night of his arrest. Tiger was wasted on a cocktail of powerful painkillers Vicodin and Dilaudid, plus the sleeping aid Ambien. To help calm his nerves, Tiger had taken Xanax and THC, which is the active ingredient in marijuana.

The night of his arrest, in late May, Tiger was basically a pharmacy on wheels. Police found him snoring inside his car that he'd parked in the bike lane. Apparently, the Ambien worked!

RIC FLAIR: WWE LEGEND RECOVERING

Wrestling legend Ric Flair is recovering after "successful surgery" on Monday.

During the broadcast of Monday Night RAW, announcer Michael Cole said, "However, he is not out of the woods yet."

The 68-year-old "Nature Boy" was reportedly put in a medically induced coma before the procedure. There's still no word what he's suffering from. His camp will only say that Flair's dealing with "tough medical issues."

Despite reports, Flair’s rep tweeted that the surgery was not heart-related.

DEADPOOL 2: STUNT PERSON DIES ON SET

A stunt person died on the set of Deadpool 2 on Monday.
Vancouver police say the female stunt driver was killed while doing a stunt on a motorcycle.

Star Ryan Reynolds tweeted, “Today, we tragically lost a member of our crew while filming Deadpool. We’re heartbroken, shocked and devastated … but recognize nothing can come close to the grief and inexplicable pain her family and loved ones must feel in this moment. My heart pours out to them — along with each and every person she touched in this world.”

The woman has been identified as Joi "SJ" Harris, the first African-American woman licensed to compete in motorcycle road racing. Deadline says this was her first film as a stunt performer and that she was not wearing a helmet during the scene.

Production on Deadpool 2 began in late June. It's set to open June 1st, 2018.

OPRAH: WHY SHE AND STEDMAN AREN'T MARRIED

Oprah Winfrey is opening up about why she and he longtime partner Stedman Graham never got married.

The couple has been together for more than 30 years and Oprah tells Vogue that they did consider tying the knot at one point, but realized if they did, they wouldn't still be together. Oprah explains, "We would not have stayed together because marriage requires a different way of being in this world." She adds, "His interpretation of what it means to be a husband and what it would mean for me to be a wife would have been pretty traditional, and I would not have been able to fit into that."

The D.A. Of The Day - I Bet He Dreads Taco - Tuesday...

An Alabama man probably should have made a run for the border -- after he bashed his twin brother in the head with a baseball bat for asking to share his Taco Bell meal.

Tyler Dukes got a little hot and saucy when his grandmother dropped by the place he shared with his sibling with tacos for the pair to share, because he felt there were only enough for him. When the victim tried to grab one, Dukes grabbed a bat and hit his twin, opening a gash in the back of his skull.

When a deputy asked Tyler if he committed the assault, the 19-year-old quickly admitted he had, saying of his twin, “He is always disrespecting me.”

Good thing he wasn't packing a fully-loaded guac!

Thomas Rhett: Outnumbered

Well, it's official.. From this moment on Thomas Rhett is outnumbered by beautiful women in his house..



Thomas and wife Lauren welcome Ada James Akins to the family at 10:28pm on Saturday night. Thomas said in an interview with People Magazine "it was truly the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. I can’t believe that we have two daughters!!”

“My wife @laur_akins labored almost 36 hoursShe is by far the strongest human being I have ever met and I have a new found respect for moms around the world,” he wrote.

Both mommy and baby are said to be doing just fine and if he hasn't done so yet - T-Rhett might wanna hit up a sporting good store and load up on some firearms to thwart off any advances of any future boys who come calling on his ladies..

THE HOTLIST - MONDAY, AUGUST 14TH

WRESTLING LEGEND RIC FLAIR - IN COMA, BEING PREPPED FOR SURGERY

Pro wrestling icon Rick Flair is in the hospital suffering from what his camp calls "tough medical issues."

The 68-year-old "Nature Boy" was taken to the hospital over the weekend for what his representatives at Legacy Talent Agency said was "routine monitoring." But Sunday night they added, "We need your prayers, positive energy and well wishes for our Living Legend as he is dealing with some tough medical issues."

According to the Charlotte Observer, Flair is in intensive care and his health issues are heart-related. He was forced to miss a scheduled wrestling event this month for unknown reasons.

*****UPDATE***** COURTESY OF TMZ

Ric Flair is in a medically induced coma and is preparing for surgery ... a rep for the WWE tells TMZ Sports.

The 68-year-old wrestling icon was admitted to the hospital early Saturday morning and the situation has gotten more serious.

We're told Flair is set to undergo a procedure momentarily, though we're not being told what the procedure is ... though Pro Wrestling Sheet is reporting that it's a heart-related issue.

Flair's rep had previously asked for thoughts and prayers for the Nature Boy.

TOM CRUISE: MISSION - HOSPITAL

Tom Cruise may seem invincible in those Mission: Impossible movies, but a crazy stunt got the better of him while filming Mission Impossible 6 on Sunday morning.

According to TMZ, Cruise -- who prides himself on doing a lot of his own stunt work -- was trying to leap off of a platform onto the roof of a building, but came up just short, crashing into the side of the building instead of landing on top of it.

The actor attempted to go on with the scene, but was limping so badly that crew members helped him away and off the set. There's no word on the extent of his injuries.

JUDGE DISMISSES CIVIL CASE AGAINST SWIFT



The Civil Case filed by David Mueller against Taylor Swift has been dismissed. U.S. Judge Williams Martinez ruled that Mueller didn’t offer enough evidence to prove that the singer personally got him fired from KYGO after he allegedly groped her during a meet and greet. He was seeking $3 million in damages.


Swift was visibly emotional when the Judge announced his decision. The court case is not over, however, as Mueller’s lawsuits against Swift’s mother, Andrea, and their radio handler, Frank Bell, continues.