No Breaks For Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood didn't take a break, after hosting last week's 50th annual CMA Awards. On Friday, Carrie took to the sea to perform a special show aboard the new Carnival Vista cruise ship. More than 700 military families sat in the audience, as a part of Carnival Cruise Line's commitment to working with service men and women through Operation Homefront.

Little Big Town and Zac Brown Band readying for CMA Awards

Little Big Town is on a CMA Vocal Group of the Year winning streak.  They’ve won it the last four years in a row…and they’re up for it again this year.  Karen Fairchild is also up for the Musical Event award with Luke Bryan for “Home Alone Tonight”.  It’s important to note, Little Big Town had been nominated six times before they finally won their first one in 2012.

Zac Brown Band has been nominated for Vocal Group of the Year for the last five years and haven’t won it yet.  But still…Zac and the Boys are just appreciative of the recognition. The 50th Annual CMA Awards will air Wednesday, November 2nd at 8 PM Eastern on ABC…and on 949thebull.

94.9 THE BULL'S GEORGIA COUNTRY CHRISTMAS ON SALE NOW

The Bull's Georgia Country Christmas is Saturday, December 10th at the Atlanta Coliseum and you can get your tickets now for just $10! Kane Brown, Drake White, and Jordan Rager all performing.

Click here to get your tickets.

CMT Artists Of The Year

Click here to get the full recap of the CMT Artists of the Year!

Blake Shelton And Gwen Reunited On The Voice

Blake Shelton will have his girlfriend back with him on The Voice next season. NBC just announced that Blake, Adam Levine and Alicia Keys will be back for season 12, which kicks off in February, along with the return of Gwen Stefani.  As for Miley Cyrus, she’s taking the next season off, but will be back in the coach's chair for the fall, 2017 season.

Tortuga Festival Lineup Announced

The star-studded lineup for the fifth annual Rock the Ocean's Tortuga Music Festival has been announced.  Luke Bryan and Chris Stapleton join the previously announced Kenny Chesney in the headlining slots for one of country music's biggest beach parties.  Other acts include Alan Jackson, Darius Rucker, Brett Eldredge, Dustin Lynch, Old Dominion, Maren Morris, Granger Smith, LoCash and more.  Check out the full lineup at TortugaMusicFestival.com.  Tickets go on sale today at 7 a.m. ET.  And in case you were wondering…Tortuga takes place in Ft. Lauderdale.

Miranda Lambert Will Launch New Tour

Miranda Lambert will launch a new tour for 2017.  The Highway Vagabond tour kicks off on January 26th in Evansville, Indiana.  So far, 18 dates are on the books, with more shows expected to be added. Old Dominion and Aubrie Sellers are openers.  Miranda releases her new album, The Weight of These Wings, on November 18th.

Aloha Garth Brooks!

Garth Brooks will perform two shows in Hawaii in December.  The back-to-back performances on December 10th will cap off a week commemorating the 75th anniversary on the attack at Pearl Harbor. All the proceeds from the two shows will benefit four historic organizations whose mission is preserving the legacy of Pearl Harbor.  Garth will perform very much like he did at his Las Vegas shows -- just him and a guitar. It will be the first time he's performed in Hawaii. Tickets go on sale October 22nd.

Carrie Underwood Has Advice For New Moms

Carrie Underwood has some advice for new moms: Ask for help.  She tells Redbook that accepting help is hard for her, but she’s learning that more and more…she needs it.  Carrie does have a nanny while she's on the road, but admits it's still tough asking for help with her 19-month-old Isaiah when she's at home.  So when's number-two on the way? She says it will be a whole lot easier when her husband Mike Fisher retires from hockey and will be home to help more.  Ironically… hockey season starts on Wednesday.

Billy Currington Celebrates Newest Number One

Billy Currington is busy celebrating his newest number-one, after "It Don't Hurt Like It Used To" hit the top of the country charts over the weekend.  This is Billy's 11th chart-topper, with his most recent being "Don't It" in 2014.

Keith Urban To Perform Nashville New Year's Eve Event

Keith Urban will ring in 2017 in Nashville as the headliner of the city's New Year's Eve celebration.  Last year's celebration attracted more than 150,000 revelers. This will be the first year the event has been held at Music City's Bicentennial Mall.

Meanwhile, check out Keith's latest single, "Blue Ain't Your Color."

Opening Date On Luke Bryan's Farm Tour Cancelled

The opening date on Luke Bryan's annual Farm Tour has been cancelled.  Luke was set to kick off the tour tonight in Gaston, South Carolina. However, because Hurricane Matthew evacuation orders in the coastal areas of South Carolina would impact the traffic routes to the farm, the show has been called off.  Full refunds will be provided within the next 72 hours.

Garth Brooks To Do Free Show In Nashville

There’s no doubt folks would be willing to pay a lot of money to see Garth Brooks, but fans in Nashville won’t have to pay a dime for his next show in Music City.  Garth has teamed with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development with a free concert at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater on October 24th.  Fans will be able to get tickets for the show using special codes on the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development’s @Tennessee Snapchat account.  And for those who don’t snag a seat, a special viewing area will be set up in Riverfront Park so fans can watch the concert on video screens.

Miranda Gets Ready To Reopen Pink Pistol

Miranda Lambert’s re-imagined Pink Pistol Boutique in her hometown of Lindale, Texas will re-open October 22nd.  The store is bigger than its previous locations in Lindale and Oklahoma with more merchandise, more interactive attractions, a big-screen slide show and an old-fashioned soda fountain.  Miranda closed her original Pink Pistol store in Tishomingo, Oklahoma earlier this year.

Dolly Parton Sets Chart Record

Dolly Parton has just set a new chart record, thanks to two songs that are currently in the Top 20 on the country charts.  Dolly is one of 30 artists on the star-studded ballad “Forever Country,” which features her hit “I Will Always Love You”.  And her remake of “Jolene,” featuring Pentatonix is at number 18 on the chart.  With two songs in the Top 20, Dolly has now become the only artist to land two Top 20 Hot Country Songs in each of the last six decades.

Keith Urban Has Another BIG Hit

Keith Urban has another hit on his hands with his latest single “Blue Ain’t Your Color.” This week the song lands at number eight on the Hot Country Songs chart, making it Keith’s 37th consecutive Top Ten single. But that’s not all, “Blue Ain’t Your Color” is number three on the Country Digital Songs Sales chart, at number nine on the Country Streaming Songs chart, and at number 20 on the Country Airplay chart.

94.9 THE BULL WORLD PREMIERE - THOMAS RHETT 'STAR OF THE SHOW'

Listen to the Bull today to hear the brand new track from Thomas Rhett called 'Star Of The Show.'

He wrote the song for his wife Lauren. It's actually the first song he wrote for her. While many fans are familiar with 'Die A Happy Man,' this new release was actually written before 'Die A Happy Man' and is now just being produced and released.

Listen to it over the air or on iHeartRadio at the top of every hour today.

Kenny Chesney to Receive BMI President's Award

Kenny Chesney will be honored with the BMI President’s Award, which goes to songwriters who have profoundly influenced the entertainment industry. Previous Presidents winners include Pink, Willie Nelson, Brooks & Dunn and Adam Levine.  Kenny will receive his honor at the 64th BMI Country Awards that will take place in Nashville on November 1st.

Forever Country Is A Hit (a #1 Hit, In Fact)

The star-studded single “Forever Country” is a hit!  The song features 30 past CMA winners and debuted on top of Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart this week, making it only the third tune to ever debut at number one on that chart.  But that’s not all.  Forever Country, which was recorded to celebrate the CMA Awards' 50th anniversary, also debuts at number 21 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. In addition, it debuts at number one on the Country Digital Songs Sales chart and on the Country Streaming Songs charts.

Zac Brown's Side Project

Zac Brown has been underground working on a project under the name Sir Roosevelt -- which just released its first single “Sunday Finest.” The track was released with virtually no fanfare or press, and so far the other members of the group are totally anonymous.  The tune is certainly a bit of departure from what ZBB fans may be used to, with the track having a bit of a dance vibe, while blending gospel, funk, seventies disco and more.  And from the little we've heard, it doesn't appear to be a country record...at all!  

Kenny Chesney's New Album Details And Name Change

Kenny Chesney’s upcoming album Cosmic Hallelujah was originally titled Some Town Somewhere and was supposed to be released in July.  But all of that changed when he found the song "Setting the World on Fire."   It takes a lot of confidence to change the whole direction of an album shortly before it’s supposed to be released – but hey…if anyone can justify doing it…it’s Kenny.  Cosmic Hallelujah comes out on October 28th.

Video From "Forever Country" To Be Featured Tonight

The star-studded single “Forever Country,” in honor of the 50th anniversary of the CMA Awards, debuted on Friday, but there’s more excitement to come.  A clip of the song’s video will be featured during ABC’s Dancing with the Stars tonight, with the entire video going live on ForeverCountry50.com right after its airing.  The video features all 30 of the artists who contributed to the tune, including, Jason Aldean.

Dierks On Top Again

There’s a new number one song this week on the country charts, but not a whole lot of movement in the Top 5.  William Michael Morgan’s “I Met a Girl” stays in the number-five spot.  The only newbie is the number-four song which belongs to Billy Currington.  He moved up three places with “It Don’t Hurt Like It Used To”.  Justin Moore’s “You Look Like I Need a Drink” rises one spot to number-three…while last week’s leader, Kelsea Ballerini, drops to the number-two spot with “Peter Pan”.  Congratulations goes to Dierks Bentley.  His latest number-one hit, “Different For Girls” featuring Elle King, hit the top spot over the weekend.  Although this is his 15th number-one hit, it’s the first for Elle King.  This is also Dierks’ second single from his Black album, both of which have reached the top of the chart.

Ellen Scares Carrie Underwood And More!

See what happened when Ellen scared the $#%& out of Carrie Underwood! Click here for the details.

Also from the week: CMA Releases 'Forever Country' Mash-Up for 50th Anniversary. Click here for the details.

The Moment That Changed It All For Little Big Town

Four years ago this week, Little Big Town's "Pontoon" hit the top of Billboard country singles chart -- where it would stay for two weeks.  The song was a game-changer in many ways. It was the first number-one for the group, who had been putting out records since 2002. And it gave them the recognition that they deserved.   Jimi Westbrook says the song pushed their career into forward motion. The group won a Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance in 2013 for the song.

CMT Artists of the Year announced.

The honors just keep coming for Carrie Underwood. She's one of the five acts named as CMT's Artists of the Year.  The other honorees are Chris Stapleton, Florida Georgia Line, Luke Bryan and Thomas Rhett. And Kelsea Ballerini has been named the Breakout Artist of the Year.  An all-star ceremony will air from Nashville on October 20th.  And here’s a little fun fact for you:  Luke Bryan now ties Jason Aldean with the most consecutive years as an Artist of the Year, with five.

Miranda Lambert Cancels Shows

Miranda Lambert has cancelled the last three dates on her Keeper of the Flame tour on orders from her doctor to rest her throat.  The three axed dates -- all in Texas -- are Thursday in Corpus Christi, Friday in Austin and Saturday in San Antonio. None of the dates will be rescheduled, and refunds are available at the box office.

Blake Shelton Makes Huge Donation To Children's Hospital

On Saturday night, Blake Shelton was playing the second of two shows in Oklahoma City's Chesapeake Energy Arena when he stopped the concert for a special reason.  After bringing several people up on stage with him, Blake explained that last year, his cousin's daughter was diagnosed with cancer. She was treated at OU Medical Center’s Jimmy Everest Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders in Children.  Blake then told the crowd that he was donating the proceeds from both of his concerts that weekend to the children's hospital.  The crowd erupted as Blake proceeded to sign a massive check for $600,000.

Get more at 94.9 THE BULL!

Carrie Underwood Doesn't Mind Dirty Laundry

Carrie Underwood is out on the fall leg of her Storyteller tour, and she always takes a few things with her on the road to remind her of home. For example, she travels with a washer and dryer because doing her own laundry makes her feel "like a human." (People)

“I feel like I do laundry every day. I’m not sure where it all comes from. I mean, there’s only three of us, and one of us is very small, so I’m really not sure how we have so much. But yeah, I mean, stuff happens. I think Ajax should sponsor my life.”

Maybe that explains why "Dirty Laundry" is the name of her new single.

Read more: http://949thebull.iheart.com/articles/entertainment-news-104651/carrie-underwood-doesnt-mind-dirty-laundry-15093096/#ixzz4JwvJ1hSD

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill To Be Permanent Memorialized

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill will be permanently memorialized in their hometown of Nashville on October 5th at the Walk of Fame Park.  They both got to Nashville in the 80’s and have made a big difference in the city, not only with their music but also with their generous contributions to many important causes.  The country power couple has sold more than 80-million albums combined and they’ve won a total of 17 CMA awards.

5-Year-Old Luke Bryan Fan, Bella, Steals The Show And ‘Kills The Lights’

At a recent Luke Bryan show in Bristow, Virginia; just outside Washington D.C., Luke saw 5-year-old Bella holing up a sign and decided to call her up to the stage for his ‘Kill The Lights’ tour performance of the title track to both the tour and his recent album.

That’s when he realized that Bella knew his music and the words to his songs better than his own children did! Take a look as Bella belts out ‘Kill The Lights’ with Luke during the sold out show.

Read more: http://949thebull.iheart.com/articles/the-bullpen-487977/5yearold-luke-bryan-fan-bella-steals-15074482/#ixzz4JEH7ZNfh

Florida Georgia Line Premieres New Video

Florida Georgia Line premiered the video for their new single "May We All" in New York City last night.  Tyler and Brian play race car-driving brothers who come to blows before a big race.  And then during the race, Tyler's car crashes and Brian rushes in to pull him out of the fiery wreckage. Brian says that while he and Tyler did most of the acting, they used stunt doubles in the more dangerous scenes. The video, which co-stars Tim McGraw, plays like a mini-movie and gave the guys their first real taste of acting.

The premiere took place on Ellis Island, a perfect tie-in for the duo's new album, Dig Your Roots.

Get more at www.949thebull.com

Thomas Rhett Appreciates College Classes

Thomas Rhett spent a couple of years in college before pursuing music fulltime, and while he admits it wasn’t “technically” for him, he says he did learn some things that have helped him throughout his career.  He adds, “I feel like whatever I learned, I feel like is being translated to a crowd, rather than to a conference room."

Read more: http://949thebull.iheart.com/onair/music-city-minute-32468/thomas-rhett-appreciates-college-classes-15053581/#ixzz4Ik2ymmW0

'Nashville' Has Premiere Date for New Season

It's true Nashville really is coming back to TV with a brand new season. The show has now moved from ABC over to CMT and will begin with the premiere of the new season on January 5th.

Get all the info plus interviews here > http://bit.ly/2bnC850

Hear John Anderson's New Bluegrass Take on 'Seminole Wind'

It was back in 1992 when John Anderson released the album Seminole Wind which featured the title track hit, as well as others, like 'Straight Tequila Night."

I loved that album, so I was delighted when this little gem surfaced... John, along with Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road created a new bluegrass take on the hit 'Seminole Wind.'

Read more: http://949thebull.iheart.com/articles/the-bullpen-487977/hear-john-andersons-new-bluegrass-take-15028771/#ixzz4I4iYPNH3

iHeartRadio app surpasses 90 million registered users.

If you’ve downloaded the iHeart Radio app…you aren’t the only one!  iHeartRadio just surpassed 90 million registered users – that’s up five million from May.  Since its launch in 2011, the free iHeartRadio app has been downloaded more than one billion times.

Get the app here > www.949thebull.com/listen

Luke Bryan covers Adele!

Check out the video and get the full story here: http://949thebull.iheart.com/onair/angie-ward-31860/watch-luke-bryan-cover-adeles-someone-15028374/

Carrie celebrates her latest number ones!

Carrie Underwood recently celebrated her 23rd and 24th number one singles, “Heartbeat” and “Church Bells,” with a party at The Bell Tower Nashville. Fans were able to get a little behind-the-scenes footage of the event on Facebook.  In addition to performing her two new number ones, Carrie treated her guests to her 2005 debut single, “Jesus Take the Wheel.”

Blake Shelton Took To Twitter to Apologize

Blake Shelton is apologizing for racist and homophobic tweets. The Twitter messages were sent years ago, but recently resurfaced.

In a statement posted to his Twitter account on Wednesday, Shelton says, “Everyone knows comedy has been a major part of my career and it’s always been out there for anyone to see. That said anyone that knows me also knows I have no tolerance for hate of any kind or form. Can my humor at times be inappropriate and immature? Yes. Hateful? Never. That said I deeply apologize to anybody who may have been offended.”

GET ALL THE INFO HERE: http://949thebull.iheart.com/articles/entertainment-news-104651/blake-shelton-apologizes-for-racist-homophobic-15018626/#ixzz4HcJjThJ7

Brett Eldredge Puppy Training Is the Cutest

Everyone in country music is talking about Brett Eldredge and his puppy training... check out the video and more here: http://949thebull.iheart.com/articles/entertainment-news-104651/brett-eldredge-puppy-training-101-is-15009914/

Eric Church Announces Tour

Eric Church just announced his Holdin’ My Own Tour, which will hit 60 North American cities, starting in January.  And fans who come to the show will see Eric, and only Eric.  He has opted not to bring an opener on the tour.  Instead he will play two full sets with an intermission.  In addition, Eric is going out of his way to make sure his fans are the ones who actually get their hands on his tickets, as opposed to scalpers. Eric will introduce a new pre-sale system that will only be available to verified members of Eric’s Church Choir fan club. He will also continue to cancel any orders that are determined to be from scalpers.

Garth Brooks Leaving RCA... Going Solo

Garth Brooks is going out on his own. The singer has left his label RCA Nashville, and will release his upcoming solo record on his own Pearl Records. Garth adds that he’s negotiating a deal with a new streaming service, telling the paper it’s “neither of the two partners you think it’s going to be, but it’s one of the biggest partners in the world,” adding that his own service GhostTunes will likely be absorbed by a larger company. In addition, Garth says he’ll soon announce a significant retail deal with regards to his new album and is even working on a deal with television sports.

Florida Georgia Line: We've Evolved

Just as Florida Georgia Line’s music has evolved over the last couple of years, so has their personal style.  Tyler Hubbard jokes, “It’s ‘cause we got married. We don’t look like homeless scoundrels that wear thrift clothes anymore, right?”

Brian Kelley has a more pragmatic explanation for their evolving style.  He says, “It’s boys becoming men and crazy enough for us that it’s in front of a lot of people.”  And just as their styles are authentic to who they are now, Brian says their music is the same way.  “Every step of the way whether it’s ‘Cruisin’’ or ‘This Is How We Roll’, ‘Dirt’, ‘Sundays’, ‘Holy’. What we got comin’ down the pipeline, we’re gonna be honest and transparent with where we’re at. There’s no way around it for us. We gotta put out real music and music that we feel that we’ve lived.”

Florida Georgia Line’s new album, Dig Your Roots, featuring “H.O.L.Y.” is available for pre-order now and will be released on August 26th.

Read more: http://949thebull.iheart.com/onair/music-city-minute-32468/florida-georgia-line-weve-evolved-14989029/#ixzz4GrkDdLjS

FGL, Brothers Osborne, and Jake Owen in today's Music City Minute

Just as Florida Georgia Line’s music has evolved over the last couple of years, so has their personal style. Florida Georgia Line’s new album, Dig Your Roots, featuring “H.O.L.Y.” is available for pre-order now and will be released on August 26th.

Brothers Osborne will strike out on their first headlining tour this fall. The Dirt Rich tour will start in Rosemont, Illinois on September 22nd and hit 30 cities before wrapping in Orlando on January 14th. More dates will be added.

Jake Owen‘s 5th full length studio album called American Love is the top country album this week.  The first single is called “American Country Love Song” and Jake thinks it’s a great introduction to the album.

Chris Lane Has Fix for Number One Position

Chris Lane is busy celebrating, after "Fix" reached the top of the charts over the weekend.  This is the first single to hit number-one for Chris. "Fix" is the first single off Chris' debut album, Girl Problems, which he released last week.

Ronnie Dunn drops new single featuring Kix Brooks

Reunited and it feels so good.

Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn of legendary country duo Brooks & Dunn are collaborating together again on Ronnie’s latest single, “Damn Drunk.”

The country love ballad was produced by Rascal Flatts’ Jay DeMarcus.

“Jay and I took it into the studio and it went to another level. Witnessing a song do that is magic,” Ronnie says. “It is one of the most gratifying dynamics of music for me. Thanks to Kix, my long time compadre in crime for joining in on the fun.”

Read the rest of this article: http://949thebull.iheart.com/articles/the-bullpen-487977/ronnie-dunn-drops-new-single-featuring-14981284/#ixzz4GZQ6uX8k

The Band Perry Releases New Music, Kimberly Perry Changes Her Style

Kimberly Perry is certainly turning heads this week.  She’s no longer a blonde!  She’s a brunette now.  And it seems she dyed her hair to look more like her brothers Reid and Neil because of their new music. In the end it was either the two boys go blonde or Kimberly go dark, so she took the hit, but she adds, “I’m loving it.” The group's new song is called "Comeback Kid."

Eric Church is BACK on top!

Eric Church has the new number one in country this week knocking off FLorida-Georgia Line's "H.O.L.Y." Eric's song "Record Year" is his from his latest album "Mr. Misunderstood." No official word on what the singer's next single will be.

Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam is Back!

Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam happens Labor Day Weekend in Panama City Beach, Florida with headliners Brad Paisley, Jake Owen and Eric Church!  This is a three-day concert music festival that is jam packed with  performances from Brett Eldredge, Granger Smith, Colt Ford, Lynyrd Skynyrd and so many more.  But here’s the deal…ticket prices go up Sunday at midnight.  Grab yours before they sell out!  Labor Day Weekend on the beach with a whole bunch of country music…sounds good, right? Check out the full lineup…lodging packages…and more at gulfcoastjam.com.  And click the picture below to win a VIP Trip to Gulf Coast Jam!!!

Read more: http://949thebull.iheart.com/onair/music-city-minute-32468/spend-your-labor-day-weekend-in-14956755/#ixzz4FpLjoXZF

Kenny Chensey Has Brand New Song with Pink

Have you heard the brand new Kenny Chesney song with Pink?

Check it out here > http://949thebull.iheart.com/onair/cmt-cody-alan-54719/listen-kenny-chesney-drops-new-single-14958513/

George Strait Number One Country Artist of All Time

Billboard magazine has just released an extensive list of the best there is in country music, and it’s no surprise to find out that George Strait holds the title of number one country artist of all time.  George earns the honor thanks to his record 44 number one singles as well as his 26 number one albums.  Coming in at number two behind George is Merle Haggard, followed by Willie Nelson, Alabama and Conway Twitty.

Kane Brown's sister stabbed 4 times.

Country newcomer Kane Brown got the devastating news that his sister had been stabbed while he was performing in Omaha, Nebraska Tuesday night.  Kane's sister, 19-year-old Heidi Swafford was stabbed four times when she got in a fight with another woman. The injuries aren't life-threatening, but she may have permanent nerve damage.  No arrest has been made.

Click here for more info.

Brantley Gilbert Talks About His New Single

Brantley Gilbert is celebrating the need for a break from the everyday grind with his just released single, “The Weekend.” Brantley says the tune was inspired by people he saw at his concerts who worked hard during the week, but needed to "let it go" once Friday came.   “The Weekend” will be the first single off Brantley’s upcoming album. So far there’s no word on when that album will be released.

Get more info here: http://949thebull.iheart.com/onair/music-city-minute-32468/brantley-gilbert-encourages-us-all-to-14938450/

Mid Year Sales Chart Shows Chris Stapleton On Top

The mid-year sales charts are out and it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Chris Stapleton is dominating it. Chris’ GRAMMY-winning solo album Traveller moved 931,000 album units between the tracking period of January 1st through June 30, 2016 to top the mid-year chart.  Coming in at number two is Sam Hunt’s Montevallo, followed by Joey + Rory’s Hymns.

Dierks Bentley Releases Video for 'Different for Girls'

Keeping up with the black-and-white motif featured in other music videos for songs from his Black album, Dierks Bentley has released the video for his single "Different for Girls" featuring Elle King. The video depicts the contrasting ways a boy and a girl get over a heart-wrenching breakup.

Craig Morgan Thanks Friends and Fans For Support

Craig Morgan is still mourning the loss of his 19-year-old son Jerry Greer, who died earlier this month in a tubing accident in Lake Kentucky, Tennessee. In case you missed it, Craig took to social media to thank everyone for their support, calling the tragedy the hardest thing his family has ever had to endure.

David Nail's New Album Drops

David Nail’s new album, The Fighter, is in stores now and the title is a nod to his wife Catherine's spirit and commitment to their marriage. He admits that there are some songs on the album that might be considered brutally honest -- something that he hopes his baby twins will accept one day when they're old enough to understand the complexities of life.

After years of struggling with infertility, David and Catherine finally conceived twins by way of in vitro fertilization. The babies, Lawson and his sister Lillian were born in December.

Craig Morgan's Son Found Dead

The body of Craig Morgan’s 19-year-old son, Jerry Greer, was recovered in Kentucky Lake in Tennessee last night after an exhaustive search by more than 30 different law enforcement agencies.  Jerry was reportedly tubing with a friend on Sunday when they hit a wave and fell into the water. His friend was able to get back into the boat, but Jerry never resurfaced, despite wearing a life vest.  Jerry recently graduated from Dickson County High School and was planning on playing football at Marshall University in the fall. He's survived by his parents, a sister and two brothers.

Read more: http://949thebull.iheart.com/onair/music-city-minute-32468/craig-morgan-sons-body-has-been-14897324/#ixzz4EE66nDTI

Jason Aldean Back On Top

Jason Aldean has snagged another number-one hit as "Lights Come On" reached the top of the charts over the weekend.

Carrie Underwood's "Church Bells" follows at number-two, while Florida Georgia Line's "H.O.L.Y." places third.

Old Dominion's New Single is Chock Full of other Songs

Old Dominion’s “Song For Another Time” is chock full of other songs.  Well, not literally…but kind of!  It’s about a couple trying to stay positive even though they know they’re headed for the end.  And it name checks a bunch of other songs including the Hank Williams classic, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”, Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’,” Lionel Richie’s “Dancing on the Ceiling” and more.  “Song For Another Time” is the third single from Old Dominion’s current album Meat and Candy.

Garth Brooks headed to Yankee Stadium

Garth Brooks, who just wrapped his shows in Las Vegas, is heading to New York to perform at Yankee Stadium over the weekend.  The Vegas stint was filmed for a concert special and the Yankee Stadium engagement will also be turned into a special. The New York shows are Friday and Saturday. The last time he played in the Big Apple was 19 years ago – with a massive free concert in Central Park.

Kenny Chesney show in Pittsburgh goes off with less incident this time.

Although 37 people were hospitalized and seven arrested at Kenny Chesney's Saturday show at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, city officials say they're "very pleased" with the way things went.  None of the casualties appeared to be serious -- nearly all were for dehydration or too much drinking. The arrests were all for minor booze-related issues; a handful of summonses were issued for marijuana possession. And despite mountains of trash left behind after the show, it had all reportedly been cleaned up by early Sunday morning.

Jason Aldean Binge Watches What??

Believe it or not, Jason Aldean watches “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” In case you missed it, the shocking news came out when Jason and wife Brittany held a Q&A on her Instagram page.  While Jason tried to play it off…Brittany insisted that he was a fan.  Jason finally admitted that he was hooked.  The couple also loves to watch Dateline, 48 Hours Mystery and Shark Week!

Read more: http://949thebull.iheart.com/onair/music-city-minute-32468/jason-aldean-binge-watches-what-14869465/#ixzz4DLnHW9IR

Blake Shelton to perform NASCAR opening theme in 2016

Blake is set to perform NBC Sports' 2016 NASCAR opening theme again, but this time…with slightly new lyrics.  He tweaked his 2014 hit “Bringing Back the Sunshine.” He shot a video for it at Texas Motor Speedway back in April.  It’ll feature several well-known NASCAR drivers, Blake and a bunch of fans.   Look for it to open the network’s second season of NASCAR coverage, which kicks off Saturday night at 7 ET on NBC.

Man Who Robbed Scotty McCreery at Gunpoint Pleads Guilty

A 21-year-old man who robbed American Idol winner Scotty McCreery at gunpoint back in May of 2014 has pled guilty to charges of robbery with a dangerous weapon.  He was one of three men who burst into McCreery’s North Carolina apartment with two pistols and an AK-47 assault rifle, and forced Scotty and his friends in a closet.  They took wallets, cash and electronics.  According to a police warrant, he was identified using forensic evidence.

Keith Urban and Nicole Celebrate 10th Anniversary

The last 10 years have been extremely significant for Keith Urban. On Saturday, he and Nicole Kidman celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary. And in a few months he'll mark another important anniversary -- 10 years of sobriety. Add to it, the birth of two children, and one can say it's been quite a decade for him.

Keith and Nicole originally planned to celebrate together in Massachusetts, but those plans fell through.  During his show that night, Keith took a minute to share his love story with the audience, letting them know he would be hopping on a plane to Australia (where Nicole is shooting a movie) as soon as the show ended.

Watch the video and get all the info here: http://949thebull.iheart.com/articles/entertainment-news-104651/keith-urban-tells-love-story-between-14852464/

Blake Shelton Won't Be Shirtless Anytime Soon

Don’t expect to see any shirtless photos of Blake Shelton anytime soon. While Star magazine recently published photos of Blake and girlfriend Gwen Stefani kissing in a pool, Blake was actually in the water with a long-sleeved shirt on, while Gwen was in a bikini. And it seems you’ll be hard-pressed to ever see Blake show some skin.  The reason is simple…he’s sensitive about his weight.  Despite losing 30 pounds on what he joked was his “divorce diet”, Blake is still pretty embarrassed by his body.

New Album from Lady A's Hillary Scott

Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott is getting ready to release her new album of faith-based songs next month, which she recorded with her parents and sister, Rylee.  Love Remains by Hillary Scott & The Scott Family, will land in stores on July 29th.  The first single from the album is the tune, “Thy Will,” which Hillary wrote after she suffered a devastating miscarriage in the fall of 2015.

Some News for Lady Antebellum Fans!!!

Here’s some great news for Lady Antebellum fans.  The band’s hiatus is over and they are once again making music together.   Charles, Hillary and Dave have done a little bit of writing already, but have the fall blocked off for the bulk of it.  The trio has expressed in the past that they were always in a time crunch and felt like some of their songs were reflecting that.  This time around, they’re looking forward to writing new music with less pressure.

Country artists to perform for Orlando tribute

Maddie and Tae, Tyler Farr, Canaan Smith and native Floridian Michael Ray will take part in a concert to benefit those affected by the Pulse nightclub massacre, in which 49 people were killed and 53 were injured.  Country Strong -- Orlando's Night of Healing and Country Music is set for June 21st at Orlando's CFE Arena.  Tickets are on sale now, with Ticketmaster fees waived for the event.

Luke Bryan Farm Tour Dates

All the dates for Luke Bryan's upcoming Farm Tour have been released. Some will be surprised to find no Georgia date on the tour this year!

Click here for the full list of dates.

CMT Awards Tonight On 94.9 The BULL

The CMT Music Awards has rounded out its performance lineup with a biggie. Little Big Town will team up with Pharrell for a performance off their new collaborative album, Wanderlust, on tonight’s awards show. Other performers include Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan. Also look for collaborations between Blake Shelton and The Oak Ridge Boys, Billy Ray Cyrus and Cheap Trick, Dierks Bentley and Elle King, Fifth Harmony and Cam, Keith Urban with Brett Eldredge and Marren Morris, and rapper Pitbull with Leona Lewis and Cassadee Pope. As far as the actual awards go, Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood, Cam, Thomas Rhett and Blake Shelton lead the pack of nominees this year with three apiece. The CMT Music Awards on tonight at 8 eastern on CMT or you can listen to it right here on 94.9 The Bull.

Country Artists victims to hackers

Brett Eldredge and Kellie Pickler are the latest celebrities to fall victim to hackers. Both stars had their Twitter accounts taken over Saturday night, with the culprit posting vulgar posts on their pages. But the hack didn’t last too long, with both musicians getting control back pretty quickly.

Little Big Town to be featured on ABC TV Show

Little Big Town is set to perform on ABC’s upcoming six-part series Greatest Hits. Hosted by Kelsea Ballerini and Arsenio Hall, Greatest Hits will have each episode dedicated to a five-year period of music, with artists coming on to sing the iconic tunes from that time period.  Greatest Hits is set to premiere June 30th at 9 pm ET.

Injury Sidelines Keith Urban

The engines had started, and the checkered flag was waving at Sunday's Indianapolis 500 race, but Keith Urban was nowhere in sight.  Due to a back injury, he had to cancel his plans to help kick off the 100th running of the Indy 500.  Although Keith was not set to perform at the race, he did have the important task of riding shotgun in a two-seater with legendary driver Mario Andretti in front of the pace car at the start of the race. Luckily, Lady Gaga showed up in his place.

His injury will not affect the kick off of his RipCord tour on Thursday.

Blake Shelton's Chair from The Voice will be featured at the Country Music Hall of Fame

Blake Shelton's chair from The Voice will be part of his exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which opens this weekend.  The custom-made chair has a seat warmer and two cup holders for what Blake calls his "special lattes."  Also included in the exhibit is the memo pad with the lyrics to the first song he ever wrote and his first royalty check for $2.73.  Blake’s exhibit runs through November 6th.

Today On The Bull

- Watch Luke Bryan Celebrate Dustin Lynch's #1 here in Atlanta

- Bike Wreck Sends Jake Owen to the Emergency Room (Warning: graphic photo)

- Interview with Dan + Shay about their album Obsessed

Miranda Lambert closing Pink Pistol

Miranda Lambert is closing her Pink Pistol boutique in Tishomingo, Oklahoma and moving the entire operation to her hometown of Lindale, Texas, where she opened a store a few years ago.  She sent a heartfelt thank you to all the employees and the patrons who supported the store.  She also said that sometimes you need to close a chapter to build on a new beginning or go back home.  The Lindale location will move to a bigger space and should be open around Labor Day.  She still has an animal shelter there, as well as a bed and breakfast.

Get more here on the 94.9 the BULL - MUSIC CITY MINUTE page.

Carrie Underwood and Blake Shelton on TV... Little Big Town Has New Music

Carrie Underwood once again will star in the opening of NBC's Sunday Night Football.  This is the fourth year in a row she'll be "waiting all day for Sunday night." Faith Hill had the job before Carrie took over in 2013.

Little Big Town will release their sixth album, Wanderlust, on June 10th.  The album, which was produced by Pharrell, grew out of a few writing sessions into a full-blown record.

Blake Shelton will perform on tomorrow night's Red Nose Day Special to raise money and awareness of children living in poverty. The show airs at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

Thomas Rhett wins big at Billboard Music Awards

Thomas Rhett and his wife, Lauren, showed off true #RelationshipGoals on the red carpet at the Billboard Music Awards. He then went on to accept the award for Top Country Song. Although he wasn't present at the show, Chris Stapleton took home the award for Top Country Album.  Luke Bryan snagged the Top Country Award.

Tyler Farr Recovering From Surgery, New Album Soon

Tyler Farr is sounding better than ever since recovering from throat surgery this year. He says he's singing five-and-a-half notes higher than before.  And it's a good thing -- he's got a lot on his plate, including a tour with Brad Paisley and a new album, which is being produced by Jason Aldean.

Tyler says of Aldean, "He's one of my best friends. I was in his wedding. He's one of the groomsmen in my wedding. I'm getting married in October. We're pretty blunt with each other, but that's what makes country music special."

Country Artists featured for the Today Show Summer Concert Series

Dierks Bentley, Luke Brian, Blake Shelton and many more will be featured on the Today show's Summer Concert Series. The annual outdoor shows take place New York's Rockefeller Center. Dierks Bentley will perform on the 27th. Luke Brian is scheduled for June 3rd and Blake Shelton takes the stage on August 5th you can see the full concert lineup on the Music City Minute Page at 949thebull.com.

Keith Urban draws big crowd in the streets of Nashville

An estimated 10,000 people showed up for the free Keith Urban show yesterday afternoon on the plaza at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. Some fans drove hundreds of miles to attend, including one woman who camped out for 19 hours to get a good spot.

Keith Urban to play free show.

Keith Urban will headline a free outdoor concert next Monday at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Plaza to celebrate the release of his new album, RipCORD, which lands Friday. Showtime is noon local time.

This isn’t the first time Keith has celebrated new music on Lower Broadway. For his last album, Fuse, Keith played a mini tour of three honky-tonks on Lower Broadway in Downtown Nashville.

Chris Young and Cassadee Pope Score #1

Chris Young and Cassadee Pope have the number-one country song this week with "Think of You." Cassadee says the duet really opened doors for her. The song is the eighth chart-topper for Chris and Cassadee's first. The duo also performed their newly minted number-one at Saturday’s iHeart Country Festival.

Other artists that performed at the iHeart Country Festival include Sam Hunt, Brett Eldredge, Cole Swindell, and Keith Urban just to name a few.  Keith said one of the best parts for him was hearing the other artist perform their hits.

Zac Brown Band Pays Tribute to Prince at iHeartCountry Festival

The iHeartCountry Festival went down again for the third year in a row in Austin, Texas last night and did not disappoint. With performances from the biggest superstars in country, the night was full of surprises including the moment when Zac Brown Band paid tribute to the Purple One himself, Prince, with this awesome rendition of "Let's Go Crazy."

Chris Stapleton has to cancel a show.

Chris Stapleton had to cancel his show last night in Santa Barbara, California because of vocal problems. He announced on Instagram that he lost his voice and would be seeing a doctor.  Chris promises that he'll reschedule the date soon, pending a diagnosis from the doctor.

The singer recently performed a tribute to Prince over the weekend.

Dierks to host "Somewhere On A Beach" Bash

Dierks Bentley just made his Memorial Day weekend plans. Inspired by his latest single “Somewhere on a Beach,” Dierks will host the Somewhere on a Beach Bash on May 30th, at Spinnaker Beach Bar in Panama City Beach, Florida.  The concert will also celebrate the release of Dierks’ upcoming studio album “BLACK” which comes out May 27th.  Tickets for the “Somewhere on a Beach Bash” go on sale to the general public Friday at 11 am ET.

Jason Aldean Sells Out Fenway

Jason Aldean fans were pretty eager to see him perform at Boston’s Fenway Park this summer.  Tickets for his September 9th stop at Fenway, featuring Kid Rock, Thomas Rhett and A Thousand Horses, were in such demand they sold out within 90 minutes of going on sale last week.

Rolling Stone pays tribute to Merle Haggard

Rolling Stone pays tribute to the late Merle Haggard this month, with The Hag featured on the cover of the latest issue, hitting newsstands today.  In addition to excerpts from past interviews, the issue looks back on the journey that made Merle one of the most iconic country stars of all time, and also features tributes from Merle’s friends, including Willie Nelson.

Jake Owen sends warning to female fans about imposter

Jake Owen is warning his female fans to beware of a con-artist posing has him. In case you missed it, someone has created a fake Jake Owen Facebook account and has been sending messages out to women over social media.  The guy has been including a phone number, hoping women will call him back, so Jake called it himself, but the fake Jake didn’t pick up, although he sent back a text, continuing to insist he was the country star.

Carrie Underwood's 'Something In The Water' back on the charts

Carrie Underwood’s 2014 hit “Something in the Water” has jumped back onto the “Billboard” Christian chart, following her emotional performance of the tune on the finale of American Idol.  Blake Shelton is also doing well on the Christian charts. His latest tune “Savior’s Shadow” is now at number 17 on the Hot Christian Songs chart, and number four on the Christian Digital Songs chart.

Kenny Chesney kicks off tour this week!

Kenny Chesney kicks off his tour this Saturday with a charity show at Jordan-Hare Stadium on the campus of Auburn University in Alabama.  Kenny says when he gets to play somewhere with the kind of history Auburn has, it pushes him harder to raise the bar.  And the mission and heart behind the organization Music and Miracles will push him to raise the bar even higher.  Music and Miracles raises money for cancer research.  Miranda Lambert, Sam Hunt and Old Dominion are also on the bill.

Rascal Flatts has a new number one this week.

Rascal Flatts have a new number-one this week with “I Like The Sound of That.” It's their 16th number-one.  It comes at a great time.  The Flatts are just a couple of months away from kicking off their Rhythm and Roots tour. (insert audio)  Florida Georgia Line follows at number-two with “Confession,” while Dierks Bentley’s “Somewhere On a Beach” jumps to number-three. Cole Swindell’s “You Should Be Here” and Tim McGraw’s “Humble and Kind” round out the Top Five.

Cam talks about wedding day and how she will tone down the yellow

When Cam walks down the aisle with her fiance later this year, she won't be wearing a yellow wedding dress.  She says she'll go easy on her signature color on their big day.  So, no yellow dresses or yellow tuxes -- but there will be touches of the color here and there.  And even though she grew up near the beach, surf and sand are not part of her wedding plans.  She’ll definitely be at the beach this weekend though:  she's playing the Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale.

3 Members of Luke Bryan's Crew in Serious Accident - Needed to be Airlifted

Three members of Luke Bryan's stage crew were seriously injured in a crash Saturday night after a show in Syracuse, New York.  The van they were riding in drove into a ditch and then went airborne and hit a tree. The jaws of life were needed to rescue two of the men.  All three were airlifted to a hospital. No word on the severity of their injuries.

Luke's Kill the Lights tour resumes Thursday in Toledo, Ohio.

Luke Bryan expands line with Cabela's

Luke Bryan is expanding his line with Cabela's outdoor stores. The new line is called HFE -- short for "Huntin', Fishin' and Lovin' Every Day," which happens to be the name of his latest single. The line includes sweatshirts, T-shirts, hats and more. Luke hopes that his products will encourage people to spend more time in the great outdoors.

Chris Stapleton Makes Huge Donation to High School

Chris Stapleton delivered over $57,000 worth of musical instruments last week to his alma mater, Johnson Central High School in Paintsville, Kentucky before performing two free concerts for the students.  Until the donation, the students had been playing borrowed instruments.  He also unveiled a new outdoor theater at the school.  The donations were made possible through the ACM’s Lifting Lives Foundation.

Carrie Underwood extends Storyteller tour

Carrie Underwood has extended her Storyteller tour through the fall. The first leg wraps at the end of May, but she’ll picks things back up on September 4th.  She’ll continue to donate $1 from from each ticket sold at the U.S. dates of the Storyteller tour to the C.A.T.S Foundation to help aid its causes, including her hometown of Checotah, Oklahoma’s education and literacy programs.

Brett Eldredge Celebrates His Latest Number One At The Bar

Brett Eldredge took over the new Nashville bar Old Glory to celebrate “Lose My Mind” going to the top of the charts.  It’s his fourth number one single.

“It’s so hard to get a number-one song. It is. I remember just wanting to have a song that a couple people knew. You know, like, somebody would be like, ‘Oh my God that girl just moved their mouth a little bit to that song. I’m so excited!’ Because it is that hard to get a number-one, and you never know when your last one is, I want to make every one a moment.”

Brett Eldredge scores 5th number one!

After playing on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Friday, Brett Eldredge headed home to Nashville, where his family threw him a surprise 30th birthday party on Saturday night. Over dinner, Brett found out that “Drunk on Your Love” had become his fifth number-one.

Cole Swindell follows at number-two this week with “You Should Be Here,” while Rascal Flatts moves to number-three with “I Like the Sound of That.” Florida Georgia Line’s “Confession” and Chase Bryant’s “Little Bit of You” round out the Top 5.

Carrie Underwood to perform on season finale of American Idol

She is returning to her roots!

Season four winner Carrie Underwood will perform on the finale of American Idol.  Sources say Carrie easily won the voting on the show each week when she was a contestant.  She’s also the Idol with the most Grammy Awards.  The two-night American Idol finale will air April 6th and 7th on FOX.

Jake Owen's New Summer Anthem

Jake Owen‘s new song “American Country Love Song” is finding fans, and has many of them thinking Jake just hooked himself another summer anthem–much like his “Barefoot Blue Jean Night.” But, Jake says that it’s more than just a love song…it’s  a slice of American life.

ACM Winners Already Named

Kelsea Ballerini, Chris Stapleton and Old Dominion are early winners of ACM Awards.  Kelsea gets the New Female Artist award, Chris takes New Male Artist and Old Dominion is the New Group/Duo of the Year winner. These awards were previously fan-voted, but now are included in membership voting.

All three have chances to win in other categories -- Kelsea is also nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year, Chris leads the ACM nominations with six additional nods, including Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year, and Old Dominion also has a nomination for Vocal Group of the Year.

The 51st Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from Las Vegas April 3rd on CBS.

Justin Timberlake Writing with Little Big Town

Justin Timberlake continues to extend his music career into the country world. Timberlake has been spending some quality writing time with Little Big Town.  He posted a shot of Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman and himself on Instagram praising the band.  He’s currently in the studio working on his own music, but at this point there's no word on where these Little Big Town flavored songs will land.

Of course, no one will forget this moment with Chris Stapleton at the CMA Awards.

Chris Stapleton Goes Back To High School

Chris Stapleton is going back to high school for a very special concert for his hometown.  The Grammy winner will give a free concert, sponsored by Ram Trucks, at the Johnson Central High School gymnasium on March 24th. The Paintsville, Kentucky school is Chris’ alma mater.  Of course, a show by Chris is a hot one. Tickets were handed out on a first-come, first-served basis online, and it’s no surprise they were immediately snapped up.

Blake Shelton files new declaration in defamation lawsuit.

Blake Shelton filed a new declaration in his $2 million defamation lawsuit against In Touch Weekly.  The lawsuit was filed last October after the magazine reported that he went into rehab after his divorce with Miranda Lambert.   The declaration says that Blake was furious to be depicted as a man who can’t do his job and was close to death if he didn’t seek rehabilitation.  Blake also takes offense to accusations that his marriage to Miranda ended because of infidelity on his part.

More Performers Announced for ACMs

Brett Eldredge and Chris Young with Cassadee Pope are the latest performers on the bill for the ACM Awards.  They join Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Cam, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Sam Hunt, Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett, Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Florida Georgia Line.  Believe it or not, additional acts and presenters will be announced in the next few weeks.  The 51st ACM Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley will air live from Las Vegas April 3rd on ABC.

Rory Feak Dealing with the Difficult Task of Mourning

Rory Feek is dealing with the difficult task of mourning his wife Joey Feek, while making arrangements for her funeral.  In case you missed it, he posted a picture of a few men on his property, who were evidently going over plans to lay Joey to rest and captioned it, “… making plans that I hoped we would never have to make.”  A memorial service for Joey, who passed away last Friday, will be private, and the singer is expected to be buried at the Feek family cemetery. So far, a date for the funeral has not been revealed.

Carrie Underwood celebrates her birthday in London

Carrie Underwood celebrated her 33rd birthday Thursday in London.  One British fan wanted to make sure she had a birthday cake to celebrate with and TMZ caught the special moment.  The fan approached her while she was leaving a BBC interview and Carrie graciously accepted it.  She’s scheduled to play dates this weekend in London, Dublin and Glasgow.

Kenny Chesney Working On Big Revival Follow-Up

Kenny Chesney is in the studio working on the follow-up to his 2014 album The Big Revival.  Why so long between albums?  Kenny said he needed to take time to live and breathe and fill up his creative tank.  Otherwise, he’s just be churning out what he’s already done.  No release date has been set yet for the new album.  Kenny kicks off his Spread the Love stadium tour on April 23rd at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama.

Win the Chris Young VIP Experience at Panama City Spring Jam

The Panama City Spring Jam is April 7-9 at Panama City Beach, Florida and features a huge lineup including Chris Young, Thomas Rhett, Rascal Flatts and many more.

Now, you can win the Chris Young VIP experience: One lucky winner will win the opportunity to interview Chris Young on day of show as the official Spring Jam Fan Reporter. You'll also receive a pair of weekend passes to Spring Jam, and a 4 night stay at the Majestic Beach Resort in Panama City Beach.

ENTER HERE

Randy Houser Gets Another #1

Randy Houser starts release week for his new album Fired Up with a number-one song!  “We Went” is Randy’s fourth number-one single and according to Randy …it’s just a taste of what’s to come on the new album.

 “You know, there’s probably some things probably out of left field that are probably a little more progressive for me that people would imagine I would do. But in a good way. You know I’m excited about it. I’m excited for people to hear it. It’s pretty cool.”

Carrie Underwood holds at number-two with “Heartbeat,” featuring background vocals from Sam Hunt.  Zac Brown Band moves to number-three with “Beautiful Drug.” Keith Urban’s “Break On Me” lands at number-four this week and Cole Swindell’s “You Should Be Here” rounds out the top five.

Read more: http://949thebull.iheart.com/onair/music-city-minute-32468/randy-houser-gets-another-1-14455205/#ixzz42DpZXcx4

Shelton's Spirits: Blake working with Smithworks Vodka.

Blake Shelton has been working together with Smithworks Vodka to create a spirit made with corn from Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, and water from Lake Fort Smith in Arkansas.

Blake grew up in Ada, Oklahoma and was raised on the values of hard work, humility and an appreciation for the simple things that make up a good life.  He’s been involved in the development of the brand that is available now in select markets.

Keith Urban notches 20th #1

We have a new number one song this week. Granger Smith’s Backroad song dropped from the 2 spot all the way to #5. Coming in at #4 is Zac Brown Band’s Beautiful Drug. Up one spot from last week at #3 is Randy Houser with We Went. For the 2nd week at number 2 is Carrie Underwood’s Heartbeat. And Keith Urban takes to top spot with Break On Me. This is Keith’s 20th #1 single.

Grammy's fuel big sales spikes for Country artists.

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to hear that winning a GRAMMY is about more than just taking home a trophy. Each year, artists who win, or even just perform, tend to see an increase in record sales, and that certainly goes for this year.  Chris Stapleton’s album Traveller is up 58%.  Sam Hunt’s performance with Carrie Underwood helped increase sales of his debut album Montevallo by 59%.  Carrie Underwood’s Storyteller album sales are up 46%, but the song she performed with Sam…”Heartbeat”…saw a 133% increase in downloads.  But listen to this…Little Big Town’s performance of “Girl Crush” translated into a 787% increase, putting the song at number one on the Country Digital Songs chart.  Plus their album Pain Killer saw a sales increase of 220%.

Granger Smith Makes It To #1

There is a new #1 on the mediabase chart this week. Coming in at #5 is Randy Houser with We Went. Carrie Underwood’s Heartbeat sits at # 4. Kelsea Ballerini’s Dibs moves up one spot to #3. Luke Bryan and Karen Fairchild moved back down to number-two with “Home Alone Tonight.” And Granger Smith’s debut single Backroad Song is #1. Backroad Song took 32 weeks to climb to the top of the charts and is Granger’s very first #1 song.

Chris Stapleton Dominates Album Sales Again

Chris Stapleton’s GRAMMY Album of the Year nominee “Traveller” continues to dominate the “Billboard” chart. The record is spending its 12th week at number one, with a total of 830,000 copies sold to date.  The number is pretty impressive considering when it was released back in May, “Traveller’ debuted at number two with only 27,000 copies sold.

Are Dustin Lynch and Kelsea Ballerini a Thing?

The rumor mill is cranking overtime after Dustin Lynch posted a photo on Twitter of him and Kelsea Ballerini with the caption, "I'm calling 'Dibs'" -- which is the name of Kelsea's single. There is no confirmation on whether the two friends were just being playful or have become romantically involved.

Dustin says he wants a woman who knows what she wants -- like the girl in his new single, "Mind Reader."

CRS-ing with @dustinlynchmusic

A photo posted by Kelsea Ballerini (@kelseaballerini) on Feb 9, 2016 at 11:02am PST

Country Will Battle It Out at the Grammy's

Several country stars will compete against each other at next week’s Grammy Awards.  The competition in the Best Solo Country Performance category is stiff.

Chris Stapleton is nominated for his song Traveller.

Carrie Underwood is also nominated for her song “Little Toy Guns”.

And Keith Urban is nominated for “John Cougar, John Deer, John 3:16”.

Other nominees include Cam for “Burning House” and Lee Ann Womack for “Chances Are”.  The Grammy Awards will be broadcast live on Monday, February 15th at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

The Top 5

There was a little bit of movement within the Top 5 songs in country music this week.  Thomas Rhett drops to number-five with “Die a Happy Man”.  While Kelsea Ballerini continues to climb the charts.  Her song “Dibs” comes in at number-four this week.  Sam Hunt is still hanging out in the Top 5.  “Breakup in A Small Town” sits at number-three.  Granger Smith’s “Backroad Song” continues its climb.  It sits at number-two this week.  And for a second consecutive week, the number-one spot belongs to Luke Bryan and Karen Fairchild with their duet, “Home Alone Tonight”.

Dierks Bentley to Announce ACM Nominations

Dierks Bentley will be announcing the nominees for the 51st ACM Awards on CBS This Morning on February 1st. Get all the details here > http://bit.ly/1PGaD1o

Luke Bryan Accidentally Crashed a Wedding With His Soundcheck!

Hahaha... Luke brought Georgia Country down to Mexico again for the annual Crash My Playa event. When he broke into the soundcheck, this wedding party got more than it bargained for. Get the whole story here > http://bit.ly/1nkmGKZ.

#GeorgiaCountry #BullAtlanta

Chris Stapleton Will Join Up with Hank Jr on Tour

Chris Stapleton will join Hank Williams Junior for a joint tour this summer.  The pair will play eight cities, starting August 5th in Tampa, Florida and wrap up in Cincinnati on August 27th.  Chris adds these dates to an already full schedule, which includes two shows at the Coachella Music and Artist Festival and an appearance at the Stagecoach Festival in California. He's also booked for Tennesse's Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in June.

Luke Bryan Extends Kill The Lights Tour

Luke Bryan has announced five stadium dates on his Kill the Lights tour. His fans were the first to know on his mobile app, but he later went on Facebook to talk about the additional shows.  Those shows will happen in Foxboro, MA…Minneapolis, Chicago, Dallas and Detroit.  These are in addition to the dates he announced on Tuesday.

The iHeartCountry Festival Is Back

The biggest spectacle in country music is back... the iHeartCountry Festival - in Austin on April 30th.

Now, check out these 20 things you didn't know about the iHeartCountry Festival.

Scotty McCreery Sad For the End of American Idol

With the final season of American Idol  kicking off earlier this week, Scotty McCreery, who won season 11, says he’s sad to see the reality show staple go but adds that it had a “great run.” Scotty is “proud to be a part” of  Idol’s history, and notes that it “did a lot of great things” for him.

“I was bagging groceries, and now I’m on your radio, so it’s been a cool four, five years after,” he said. “Sad to see it go. Bittersweet, but it’ll be a fun final season.”

Read more: http://www.949thebull.com/onair/music-city-minute-32468/scotty-mccreery-is-sad-14255808/#ixzz3wtqqBxrT

Win $1000 an Hour on the Bull

94.9 The Bull has your shot at the most free money - weekdays from 8am to 8pm!!

Start the year off right - with $1000! Listen to 94.9 The Bull every weekday between 8am and 8pm for keywords to text to 45495 for your chance to win! A new keyword will be announced every hour giving you another chance to win!

Big Bucks on The Bull is driven by Allan Vigil Ford Lincoln - where you can cash in on New Year deals on all 2016 Ford Mustangs, Trucks, Fusions, and the all new Lincoln MKX. Shop online anytime at AllanVigilFord.com and AllanVigilLincoln.com.


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Read more: http://www.949thebull.com/contests/win-1000-every-hour/423893#ixzz3wrxfvgke

Thomas Rhett Loves to Dance

Thomas Rhett loves to dance on stage, and while he has taken some lessons, most of his moves come naturally to him. The one thing he does do is practice before each show, getting comfortable with the stage and his surroundings.

And Thomas admits that his style has evolved over the years. “I don’t pelvic thrust anymore,” he says. “Those were the beginning days of T.R. learnin’ how to dance.”

Read more: http://www.949thebull.com/onair/music-city-minute-32468/thomas-rhett-loves-to-dance-14255821/#ixzz3wnLe1gKV

Blake Shelton To Be Pig in Angry Birds Movie

Blake Shelton is the voice of a pig named Earl in The Angry Birds Movie, which will reach theaters nationwide on May 20th.  Movie execs kept asking him to sound more country and then more country!  He said he felt like he was doing a voice-over for the Dukes of Hazzard.  Blake hit a roadblock when he was asked to come up with a song for the animated film, saying that he writes things about himself and his life…not pigs.

Cole Swindell Makes Fan's Night

Cole Swindell made one fan’s year during his show in Americus, Georgia last week.  While it may seem a little odd to call another singer while you’re on stage, Cole caught sight of Zachary in the front row, who just happened to be wearing a Dustin Lynch shirt.  He immediately dialed up Dustin on Face Time to introduce the two. After hugging Zachary, Cole told the crowd…”that right there is why I do what I do”.

Miranda Lambert Nails Tribute with Eagles 'Desperado'

Jason Aldean Music From 20 Years Ago Before He Was Jason Aldean As You Know Him Now

We had to dig this one out of the vault - but before Jason Aldean was a global superstar, he was the leader of Jason Aldean and the Young Guns... they played bars, honkey tonks, and anywhere else they could get people to listen to the music they had been recording. Check this out!