The Twang Town Lowdown - 1/21/16

A HISTORIC DEBUT – MAREN MORRIS

 

Newcomer Maren Morris has made country radio history this week with her debut single "My Church." With a record breaking 107 first week chart reporting stations spinning the tune, "My Church" is #1 most added song at country radio for the week and also sets the record for the highest charting debut single by a female in Country Aircheck's Mediabase history. 

The previous record for a debut single was 99 "adds" at impact date. Making Maren's massive radio impact this week even more exciting is the fact that "My Church" has already jumped to #32 on the Billboard Country Airplay Chart. Nashville has been taking notice of Morris recently, with Keith Urban even tapping the hot newcomer to join his "RipCORD World Tour 2016" this summer. The tour will kick off on June 2 in Kansas City, Missouri, and will also feature special guest Brett Eldredge. "My Church" is the lead single off Maren's forthcoming album due out later this year.

LITTLE BIG TOWN WILL PERFORM AT THE GRAMMYS

 

Little Big Town will make their Grammy stage debut when they perform at the annual awards show next month. Little Big Town joins Kendrick Lamar, Adele and The Weeknd as the first wave of performers announced for the 58th Grammy Awards, which will be will be broadcast live from Los Angeles on February 15 at 8 PM ET on CBS.

 There will also be a special tribute to 2016 MusiCares Person of the Year Lionel Richie, highlighting the Grammy winner's career. Additional Grammy performers will be announced soon. LBT's music earned a total of 4 Grammy nominations at this year's ceremony, including three for their song "Girl Crush." "Girl Crush" was nominated in the all-genre Song Of The Year category, as well as for Best Country Song and Best Country Duo/Group Performance. LBT also picked up a Best Country Album nod for their latest record, Pain Killer.

GOOD FOR A GOOD TIME TOUR - DARIUS RUCKER

 

Darius Rucker has announced dates for his upcoming "2016 Good for a Good Time Tour," hitting the road this summer with more than 30 dates across the U.S. The tour will kick off in Tampa, Florida on June 3 and will feature special guests Dan + Shay andMichael Ray along for the ride. Darius announced the news on Twitter yesterday morning (1/20) with a video message that can be seen here. The video was accompanied by a caption that said, "Get ready! Going out on the #GoodForAGoodTime Tour w/ my boys @DanAndShay & @MichaelRayMusic. See you this summer!" Fans can purchase tickets for select cities on the tour beginning January 29 as part of Live Nation's Country Megaticket at www.Megaticket.com.

Following the success he had with the program during last year's "Southern Style Tour,"Rucker plans to once again use his live shows as a platform to honor and present homes to our nation's combat wounded heroes and Gold Star spouses, in conjunction with Project Rebuild. Darius, along with Lieutenant General Sisco, CEO and founder of Military Warriors Support Foundation, presented the first house in an appearance on NBC's Today and went on to present 13 more homes in 2015.

FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE: ANNOUNCE NEW TOUR

Florida Georgia Line announces their Dig Your Roots tour, which kicks off in March in Tupelo, Mississippi.

Coming along for the trek are Kane Brown, Cadillac Three and Cole Swindell.Brian Kelley says, “Tyler and I are going to make this year very personal with the Dig Your Roots Tour.  We want our fans to feel right at home with us as they learn more about our story and we learn about theirs."

The D.A. Of The Day - 1/21/16

NOT EGGS-ACTLY STABLE

A Virginia man was taken into police custody after he went hog wild -- by causing a ruckus on his neighbor's property while carrying a loaded gun and "a bag of suspicious bacon."

The neighbor called 911 after he went out to check on why his dogs were barking non-stop, and found Evan Patrick Cater lying in the dirt behind their kennel, masked, armed and intoxicated. The victim went back to his home to wait for deputies, who arrived on the scene to find Cater in a different part of the yard, still carrying the handgun and the bacon, which was "covered in an unknown oily substance."

Officers asked Cater to return to his own home, but he refused, saying he was just relaxing and not doing anything illegal. He was booked on charges of trespassing, public intoxication and carrying a gun while intoxicated.

CONVICT LEAVES JAIL, GOES BACK IN THE SAME DAY

An English woman is back in jail, just hours after she completed a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence.

32-year-old Louise Omari-Cole was released from a prison where she had served time for robbery -- and decided to celebrate her freedom by getting drunk and attacking a taxi driver. According to police, Omari-Cole had argued with the driver over the fare and got violent when he threatened to call the cops.

The driver claims that Omari-Cole and her friend took turns punching him and hitting him with a bottle. Officers eventually arrived at the scene and arrested both women. Later at the police station, Omari-Cole kicked the officers and bit one of them on the thigh.

She pleaded guilty to assault and criminal damage, and will spend the next year and 10 months in jail. Her partner in crime received an eight-month sentence. 

MONK BUGS OUT AND SLASHES TIRES:

A Buddhist monk in England is behind bars after he went on a crazy tire-slashing rampage -- and it was all because he'd stepped on an insect.

Julian Grew told police he was angry that he'd accidentally killed a bug, which is against his religious beliefs, and wanted to take out his frustration on something that wasn't a living creature. So he slashed the tires on 162 parked cars. 

The 45-year-old man, a recluse who's been living in the woods for the last decade, was arrested after authorities identified him in surveillance footage. He pleaded guilty to criminal damage and has been sentenced to 11 weeks in prison. 

The HOTLIST - 1/21/16

GREAT NEWS FOR MCSTEAMY AND FAMILY:

Patrick Dempsey and his wife Jillian have called off their divorce. 

A source tells People magazine that for the past year the two "have been working on getting to where they are right now. They are not dating anyone else, and only each other." The insider adds that "there are no more divorce plans. Patrick and Jillian plan on being a family again."

Jillian, who has three children with the star, filed for divorce last January after 15 years of marriage. 

The source says, "The divorce made Patrick miserable. It was definitely a wake-up call."

Just last week, Jillian posted an Instagram photo of the couple celebrating Patrick's 50th birthday.

KRISTIN CAVALLARI HOSPITALIZED

Kristin Cavallari was hospitalized today (Thursday) after being in a car accident.

A rep for the former reality star tells Gossip Cop, "She was hit by another driver in Chicago. She is doing fine and will be discharged from the hospital shortly."

Kristin's husband, Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, rushed to his wife’s side soon after she was admitted. Fortunately, their three young children were not in the car at the time of the accident.

This comes just a month after Kristin's brother Michael died after his car crashed in the Utah desert. 

AMY SCHUMER ACCUSED OF STEALING JOKES:

Amy Schumer is defending herself against an attack launched by several other comics who claim the Trainwrecked star is a joke-stealing hack.

The attack started last weekend when veteran comedians Wendy Liebman, Kathleen Madigan and Tammy Pescatelli each accused Schumer of stealing their jokes, as well as jokes previously told by late comedian Patrice O'Neal. Liebman tweeted, "Between Amy Schumer doing one of my best jokes on her HBO special and this meme of my joke, I’m done with social media." A montage video titled,Amy Schumer Is a Joke Thief, has been posted to Vimeo.  

But Schumer is denying the accusations. She tweeted last night, "On my life, I have never and would never steal a joke."

ON THE NEXT DR. PHIL: "I'M SUING MY BOSS FOR HOLDING ME HOSTAGE"

Dr. Phil McGraw is being sued for false imprisonment and wrongful termination by a former staffer who claims the TV host locked her and 300 other employees in a room and refused to let them leave.

Leah Rothman alleges that McGraw created a hostile work environment and forced her to quit the show last April. She alleges that in March, Dr. Phil called all of the show's employees into a large room and ordered security guards to lock the doors and collect everyone's cell phones. He then went on to accuse one of his employees of leaking information to the media.

Rothman says in her lawsuit that McGraw cursed at the staff and even read off cue cards. She says the meeting was designed to frighten employees and that McGraw appeared to take pleasure in scaring them. She claims that the hostile work environment caused her emotional distress and forced her to quit a month later.

The Twang Town Lowdown - 1/20/1

 

TIM MCGRAW: CROONING IN CANTON

Tim McGraw is slated to perform at the festivities during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend in Canton, Ohio.

He says, “I love football. It teaches us so much about life, commitment, courage and integrity. I’ll be joining my buddy, Brett Favre, along with more than 100 Hall of Fame Gold Jackets and thousands of fans for a celebration of this great game."

Tim will perform at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton on August 5th.

ZAC BROWN: INTRODUCES HIS OWN BRAND OF WINE

Longtime wine enthusiast Zac Brown has put his name on a line of fine wines. 

Z. Alexander Brown's first vintage, a Cabernet Sauvignon and Proprietary Red Blend, is available now. Zac says, "Wine has always fascinated me because of its inherent connection to the land and the artistry necessary to craft a distinct and memorable experience."

Zac's website says that the wines, which are crafted on California’s North Coast, are "reflective of the unlimited potential that can result from artists with a passion for bringing food, people and a sense of place together through creativity." 

LITTLE BIG TOWN/LADY ANTEBELLUM: LOTS OF BIG THINGS COMING

Two of my favorite groups have landed a couple sweet gigs. 

On Sunday, Little Big Town will perform the national anthem and at halftime at the NFC championship showdown between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers.

They've also been tapped to perform at the Grammy Awards on February 15th, where they're up for Best Country Duo/Group for "Girl Crush." They won their first Grammy in 2012 for "Pontoon." Karen Fairchild says going to the Grammys never gets old. 

Lady Antebellum will suspend their hiatus to perform at the MusicCares Person of the Year ceremony honoring Lionel Richie. The February 13th gala is part of the Grammy week celebration. One possible issue: if Charles Kelley's wife goes into labor early. 

The D.A. Of The Day - 1/20/16

OH DEER...WHAT A WEIRDO..

A Montana man was busted for threatening to turn a stranger into roadkill after they got into a fight over a huge piece of roadkill lying at the side of a highway.

Kenrick Workman bolted from his house to confront two men who had pulled over to observe an elk that had been struck by a passing car -- and when they told him they were waiting for the animal to die so they could harvest it for meat, he pulled a gun and said he'd shoot unless they hoofed it out of there.

The victims fled, but called 911 to report the incident to sheriffs, who were soon at Workman's door, where they arrested him for DUI-related warrants as well as what deputies called the worst case of elk rage the county had seen in ages. 

THOSE AREN'T MINE..

A Florida woman huffed and puffed when jail guards found that she was stuffed -- with a bag of prescription pills that she swore were tucked into her lady parts without her knowledge.

Dusty Rae Ingram was being processed into the Okaloosa County Jail when a strip search turned up a baggie containing a variety of drugs hidden inside her body. She told the corrections officer that she had no idea how the pills had gotten there, and insisted that she had a prescription for all of them, though she couldn't produce that.

After she was read her rights, Ingram submitted to questioning and admitted she knew she was not allowed to bring pills into the jail. She now faces felony charges for the attempted smuggling. 

THESE CROOKS HAVE A REAL POTTY MOUTH:

Police in Australia are asking for the public's help in identifying thieves who tried to steal fuel from a tour bus. The only thing police know about them is that they likely have really bad breath.

Cops say the thief, or thieves, attempted to siphon gasoline from the parked bus, but instead of the gas tank, they tapped into the sewage tank and likely learned of their mistake the hard way. No gasoline was taken, so whatever they siphoned from the bus left them with a real potty mouth. 

Police say they're looking for the poo-petrators but have no interest in retrieving the stolen goods. 

The HOTLIST - 1/20/16

 

JAMIE-LYNN SIGLER REVEALS HER STRUGGLE WITH MS

Actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler is speaking out about a personal matter that she's kept secret for 15 years -- her battle with multiple sclerosis.

The Sopranos star, who got married last weekend, tells People magazine that she was diagnosed with the disease when she was 20, right before the start of the show's fourth season, but didn't want to go public with it until now.

She says at first she didn't have any symptoms, but they've worsened over the last 10 years and she's now dealing with some difficulties. She explains that she can no longer run or walk for long periods of time without rest and stairs are challenging.

She says she wasn't emotionally ready to go public with it until now and explains, "I'm at a point in my life with my son, with my new marriage, it's a new me. I don't want to hold a secret where it feels like I have something to be ashamed of or have something to hide." Sigler says she also did it for her son, saying "I didn't want him to get to an age where he felt like he had to keep this secret for me as well. I wanted to be an example to him of strength and courage." 

JAMIE FOXX IS A REAL LIFE SUPERMAN:

Jamie Foxx needs a cape and a big "S" on his chest because he is the real Superman.

A car skidded off the street, flipped upside down and caught fire right in front of Foxx's L.A. house. The actor heard the accident and called 911. But before police arrived, he ran outside to the vehicle where he unbuckled the driver and pulled him from the fiery wreck. He then dragged him 30 feet away as he was afraid the car might explode. 

STEVE HARVEY: TEARS UP, APOLOGIZES TO MISS COLOMBIA

Steve Harvey had Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez on his talk show Monday. Steve started the interview by apologizing for mistakenly naming her Miss Universe last month. 

"I just wanted to say how sorry I am," he said as he fought back tears. "I am beyond sorry for what happened that night."

Ariadna said she had "already moved on" from the incident and denied rumors that she was planning to sue the comedian. But she did take him to task for mispronouncing her name. "You keep making mistakes," she said. "It's not Ariana, it's Ariadna."

Twang Town Lowdown - 1/19/16

 

MORE SOLD-OUT SHOWS - JON PARDI

Jon Pardi launched his headlining "All Time High Tour" last October with sold-out shows in his home state of California, and now he's continuing that exciting momentum with even more sellouts in the New Year. Jon recently played for packed clubs in Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Detroit and just wrapped up two more sold-out shows over the weekend in Boston and Philadelphia. The tour, which features special guests Brothers Osborne, still has upcoming dates in Houston and Dallas, Texas, as well as Greensboro, Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina. Pardi is currently on the radio with "Head Over Boots," the lead single from his forthcoming sophomore studio album. 

DIERKS BENTLEY: ANNOUNCES NEW SINGLE AND TOUR

Dierks Bentley is getting ready for a huge spring. 

He just announced his Somewhere on the Beach tour -- named for his new single from his upcoming album, Black. He's debuting the song on the Ellen Degeneres Show today.

First, he'll go to the United Kingdom for shows in Dublin, London, Manchester and Glasgow, followed by the American kickoff in Holmdel, New Jersey on May 12th. 

Randy Houser and Cam will be his openers for the run. Dierks says, "I’ve toured with Randy before, and he’s just a great dude -- on stage and backstage. And I’ve gotten to know Cam a little over the last year, and she’s fun as hell too, and so talented. It’s going to be a big summer for sure."

This weekend, Dierks heads to Mexico for Luke Bryan's Crash My Playa concert event.

CHRIS STAPLETON: TRAVELLER HOLDS ONTO THE TOP

Chris Stapleton continues to build momentum with his album Traveller, which continues as the nation's top-selling country album, according to the latest SoundScan figures. 

Sam Hunt's Montevallo advances from number-three last week to number-two this week. Thomas Rhett takes Tangled Up moves up two spots to number-three, and Eric Church jumps two to number-four with Mr. Misunderstood. Carrie Underwoood's Storyteller drops a spot to round out the Top 5.   

COUNTRY CLASSIC: "WHEN GOD FEARIN' WOMEN GET THE BLUES"

Martina McBride: "When God-Fearin' Women Get the Blues"

Album: The song, released in June of 2001, is from her Greatest Hits album.

Stats: It peaked at number-eight on the charts.

Background: "When God-Fearin' Women Get the Blues" was the lead single from Martina's Greatest Hits album. Martina chose the song because she loved its attitude and traditional feel.