Country Daypop Archives

Country superstar George Strait’s longtime drummer, Mike Kennedy, died in a car accident in Lebanon, Tennessee. Strait’s publicist confirmed the news on Sunday. According to a report by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Kennedy was driving an SUV westbound on Interstate 40 on Thursday when he merged into the right lane of the highway and collided with a tractor-trailer, which in turn collided with a pickup.  The 59-year-old Kennedy was not wearing a seat belt, and was killed in the collision. No one else was killed or injured. The longtime musician played drums with Strait for nearly 30 years, first appearing on Strait’s 1992 album, “Holding My Own.”  Strait said in a statement on Facebook: “The band will never be the same. A part of us is gone forever. We all loved Mike and will miss him terribly. He was just as solid a friend to us all as he was a drummer, and that was damn solid. Our hearts and prayers are with his family.” 

Walker Hayes just released a brand new single on Thursday, 8/30, and he’s singing us through the years with his song called “90’s Country.” The song cites 22 tracks that moved him during that era which were all top hits for the genre. Hayes’ new medley is the follow up to his debut album, Boom., which was released last year. When listening to “90’s Country,” you’ll hear everything from the Dixie Chicks”Cowboy Take Me Away” to Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places” and many more 90’s country hits Walker Hayes co-wrote “90’s Country” along with Shane McAnally and LYRX.  Take a listen to the new single in the link below.

Luke Bryan has announced the lineup for his 10th annual Farm Tour, which kicks off Sept. 27 in Irwin, Ohio. Bryan will bring his annual tour to six rural venues this fall, setting up concert stages in the fields of local farms. Chase Rice, Jon Langston, the Peach Pickers and DJ Rock will join Bryan on tour in 2018. Bryan is continuing his tradition of giving back to farmers by awarding college scholarships to students from farming families who are attending a local college or university near his Farm Tour stops in 2018. He has awarded more than 50 scholarships since launching the Farm Tour in 2009, and more than 100,000 fans have attended the special rural shows each year. Tickets for the Farm Tour 2018 are on sale at Bryan’s website, as well as through his official app. For more details, visit CID Entertainment’s website. The tour is sponsored by Bayer, and they’re continuing their #HeresToTheFarmer campaign in 2018. For every online share using that hashtag, Bayer will donate a meal to someone in need through Feeding America. 

Casting agents are currently looking for extras to appear in Dolly Parton’s new Netflix show being produced in Atlanta, which will be filming between Sept. 19-25. The 8-episode Netflix show will be based on some of Parton’s most popular songs. The show is looking to hire extras for several scenes. Filming will take place throughout September, and applicants are asked to submit their information via e-mail. Send three recent photos, along with your name, age, height, weight, and current phone number to submissions at submissions@cartrettcasting.com. You can click here for more specifics on the roles and submission instructions.

Lauren Alaina had to cancel a planned concert appearance in Rochester, N.Y., after a family emergency came up. The singer was supposed to perform Wednesday night, 8/29. Alaina turned to her own social media to apologize for the cancellation, writing, “I’m really sorry I can’t be there. Love you guys.”  While she has not shared any further information as to the nature of her family medical emergency, on June 30 Alaina revealed that her stepfather, Sam Ramker, is battling Stage 4 cancer. An update from Alaina’s mother, Kristy, on Ramker’s GoFundMe page offered more information on Tuesday: “Update on Sam! He is currently in ICU due to a infection in his lungs. Today they are going to be draining the fluid. Please keep us in your prayers. Treatment is going well. We just hit a speed bump in the road. Treatment will continue this week as planned. Thanks everyone for all the prayers and donations. Our family is so grateful.”