Category: Adult Contemporary

Gwen & Blake’s wedding cake paid tribute to her parents, wedding playlist included their famous pals

Posted on by Andrea Dresdale
Steve Granitz/WireImage

Even more details are now being reported about Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton‘s weekend wedding in Oklahoma.

According to E! Online, the couple’s lavish, five-tier white wedding cake deliberately looked old-fashioned because it was based on Gwen’s parents’ wedding cake.   Lauren Kitchens, founder of Fancy Cakes by Lauren Kitchens, told E! News, “Her love of family is strong and this was her way of honoring them and their beginning as a new married couple on her big day as a newly married bride. Everything about the cake had sentimental value.”

The vanilla creme cake was filled with salted caramel, covered in vanilla buttercream and finished with a cake topper of a groom wearing a cowboy hat — even though Blake generally doesn’t — and a blonde-haired bride.  According to Kitchens, the highly detailed decoration is a kind of freehand piping that originated in England called “Lambeth cake design.”

“I bet Gwen and Blake have just made the Lambeth cake come back full force,” Kitchens noted.

Meanwhile, People magazine reports that while the wedding guests and party numbered just 40, Gwen and Blake’s celebrity pals were represented in the tunes they danced to.

According to People, the music for the reception was a playlist created by DJ Lucy Wrubel that featured hits by fellow Voice coach Kelly Clarkson, Maroon 5 — whose frontman Adam Levine is a former The Voice coach — plus Blake’s country star friends Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Report: Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are married

Posted on by Andrea Tuccillo
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton have officially tied the knot, People confirms.

The two reportedly got hitched at Blake’s ranch in Oklahoma on Saturday, after they were spotted applying for a marriage license earlier in the week.

Page Six posted photos of what appears to be the wedding festivities taking place at a chapel built on the sprawling estate.

Earlier this month, Gwen shared snaps from her bridal shower on Instagram. “I got kidnapped by family to celebrate that I’m getting married!” she said in a post on her Instagram Story. She captioned another post, “Feeling loved, feeling blessed.”

Gwen and Blake got engaged last October after dating for five years. They first met on the set of The Voice, where they both served as coaches. Their relationship began in the wake of Gwen’s split from rocker husband Gavin Rossdale and Blake’s very public divorce from another country superstar, Miranda Lambert.

Since announcing their relationship, the two have released a handful of high-powered duets, including a Christmas song for a holiday album of Gwen’s as well as two hit country singles, “Nobody but You” and “Happy Anywhere.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Report: Gwen & Blake’s wedding countdown is officially on

Posted on by Andrea Dresdale
David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton may decide to celebrate America’s Independence by tying the knot.

TMZ reports that Gwen and Blake applied for a marriage license in Oklahoma on Tuesday, and according to local law, you have 10 days from the date of filing to get married.

Sources tell TMZ that Gwen and Blake are going to say “I do” Saturday at Blake’s ranch in Oklahoma, and there’s an entire weekend’s worth of activities and fun planned, depending on the weather. The ceremony will be held in an outdoor chapel on the ranch if it doesn’t rain, the sources claim.

The sources add that Gwen, Blake and Gwen’s children are already in Oklahoma, but the couple is sending a private plane to L.A. Thursday to pick up Gwen’s parents and the rest of her family and bring them back to the ranch. 

Only close friends and family are expected to attend the nuptials.

Gwen and Blake got engaged last October after dating for five years.  It’ll be her second marriage, and his third.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

B.J. Thomas, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” singer, dead at 78

Posted on by Andrea Dresdale
2911 Media / BJ Thomas Estate

Five-time Grammy winner B.J. Thomas, best known for his hit “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” has died from complications due to stage four lung cancer.  He was 78.

Born in Oklahoma and raised in Texas, Thomas scored his first hit with a 1966 cover of Hank Williams‘ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” In 1968, he had a top five hit with “Hooked on a Feeling,” and in 1970, he topped the charts with “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head.” Penned by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, it won the Oscar for Best Original Song.

In his career, Thomas sold over 70 million records and racked up 25 top 10 singles, including “I Just Can’t Help Believing,” “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song” and “Rock and Roll Lullaby.” 

He segued to country music in the early ’80s, scoring hits like “New Looks from an Old Lover” and “Whatever Happened to Old Fashioned Love.”  Thomas also had success in gospel music; his 1976 gospel album Home Where I Belong was a million-seller.

Thomas sang the memorable theme song for the sitcom Growing Pains, “As Long as We’ve Got Each Other.” He was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014.

Thomas is survived by Gloria, his wife of 53 years, their three daughters, and four grandchildren.  His funeral will be private; donations in his memory will be accepted by Mission Arlington, Tarrant Area Food Bank, and the SPCA of Texas.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Gabby Barrett admits she did not expect “I Hope” to go to “infinity and beyond”

Posted on by Andrea Tuccillo & Megan Stone
Emma McIntyre/NBC

Gabby Barrett was a force to be reckoned with at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, picking up three trophies thanks to her standout hit “I Hope.”

The 21-year-old singer took home the awards for Top Country Female Artist, Top Country Song and — for her edgy pop-remix of “I Hope” featuring Charlie Puth — Top Collaboration.

Heading into the ceremony, Barrett was glowing from another top honor — being the country artist with the most BBMA nominations with nine total.

The American Idol finalist sat down with ABC Audio before the show and explained what it meant to her to have “I Hope” still being recognized after its initial 2019 release.

“This song just keeps on going to infinity and beyond, like I did not expect that this song was going to do all of this,” she gushed. “I could not be more thankful and humbled from what the song continues to do exactly two years later. It’s like, ‘Whoa!'”

“When you… put your heart and soul into a song, it just means all the more when people actually are enjoying it,” Barrett smiled.

Beyond the fan reaction to the song, to which she says makes her feel “blessed,” the rising country star is also astonished by how the song was received by the country music industry.

“Everybody in the music community has been so awesome to me, just so kind,” she revealed, before giving props to the man upstairs for making it all happen. “It’s just an exciting time for me.”  

There was one final honor Barrett picked up on Sunday — she has been rated among the best dressed guests of the night for her glittery gold gown with its elegant train.

 

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Watch Maren Morris get in “The Middle” of some mac ‘n cheese & her Spotify awards plaque

Posted on by ABC Audio

Rachel Murray/Getty Images for TargetBecause they’re silver and concave, the plaques that Spotify gives to artists for racking up one billion streams of one of their tracks have inspired some musicians to turn them into dinner plates.  Now Maren Morris is jumping on that bandwagon.

On her socials, Maren wrote, “Said I’d do it,” alongside a black-and-white video of herself cooking mac ‘n cheese, dumping it on her plaque, and eating it while wearing a fancy dress.

“thanks for a billion streams on The Middle, y’all,” she wrote, referring to her Grammy-nominated smash hit with Zedd and Grey. “And thank you @spotify for the multi-purpose plaque.”

“The Middle,” released in 2018, was a top-five hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the Grammys in 2019.

In 2018, Taylor Swift invited Maren to join her onstage to perform “The Middle” during the Arlington, TX stop of her Reputation Stadium Tour.  Maren can currently be heard singing on the song “You All Over Me” on Taylor’s newly released Fearless (Taylor’s Version) album project.


By Andrea Dresdale
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

“American Idol” recap: Tori Kelly, Jason Aldean, and more join for duets and solosc

Posted on by ABC Audio

ABC/Eric McCandlessLet the All-star duets and solos continue!

The journey to become the next American Idol continued on Monday night with the second group of 12 from the Top 24 contestants giving their best shot at both a solo and duet performance.

For the duet round, each singer was paired up with an A-list mentor. The mentors on Monday night’s episode were powerhouse singer Tori Kelly, country superstar Jason Aldean, Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd, multi-platinum artist Josh Groban, and Grammy-award winning musicians Jewel and PJ Morton.

While judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan were there to give their expert advice following each performance, only eight of the contestants from each group will move forward in the competition and into the Top 16 — and that decision will be determined by America’s votes. 

Here’s are the performances from Monday night. 

Jason Warrior – 25, Chicago, IL, Music Teacher
Mentor: PJ Morton
Solo: “Call Out My Name” The Weeknd
Duet: “How Deep Is Your Love” Bee Gees

Madison Watkins – 26, Fayetteville, AR, Hair Model
Mentor: Tori Kelly
Solo: “Holy” Justin Bieber
Duet: “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing” Stevie Wonder

Beane – 23, Brighton, MA, Wedding Singer
Mentor: Josh Groban
Solo: “Don’t Start Now” Dua Lipa
Duet: “Angels” Robbie Williams

Hannah Everhart – 17, Canton, MI, High School Student
Mentor: Jason Aldean
Solo: “I Was Wrong” Chris Stapleton
Duet: “She’s Country” Jason Aldean

Mary Jo Young – 19, Cleveland, OH, Real Estate Sales Associate 
Mentor: Jewel
Solo: “Castle On The Hill” Ed Sheeran
Duet: “Foolish Games” Jewel

Chayce Beckham – 24, Apple Valley, CA, Heavy Machine Operator
Mentor: Brandon Boyd
Solo: “Afterglow” Ed Sheeran
Duet: “Drive” Incubus

Colin Jamieson – 22, Boxford, MA, Wedding Singer
Mentor: Tori Kelly
Solo: “Locked Out Of Heaven” Bruno Mars
Duet: “Hollow” Tori Kelly

Liahona Olayan – 17, Wahiawa, HI, High School Student
Mentor: PJ Morton
Solo: “Just Friends” Audrey Mika
Duet: “Say So” PJ Morton featuring JoJo

Ava August – 15, Laguna Niguel, CA, High School Student
Mentor: Josh Groban
Solo: “drivers license” Olivia Rodrigo
Duet: “Both Sides Now” Joni Mitchell

Caleb Kennedy – 16, Roebuck, SC, High School Student
Mentor: Jason Aldean
Solo: “Midnight Rider” The Allman Brothers Band
Duet: “Fly Over States” Jason Aldean

Hunter Metts – 22, Franklin, TN, Software Developer
Mentor: Jewel
Solo: “Chandelier” Sia
Duet: “Who Will Save Your Soul” Jewel

Casey Bishop – 16, Estero, FL, High School Student
Mentor: Brandon Boyd
Solo: “Decode” Paramore
Duet: “Wish You Were Here” Incubus

Find out who America voted into the Top 16 when American Idol returns Sunday, April 11 at 8 p.m. ET.

By Danielle Long
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Maren Morris has no patience for the societal pressure to “snap back” after giving birth

Posted on by ABC Audio

ABCMaren Morris is proud of the hard work and effort that goes into her fitness routine, but the singer’s making one thing clear: She’s got no patience for societal expectations put on women to “snap back” after giving birth.

“Am never saying ‘trying to get my body back’ again,” Maren wrote on social media on Friday. “No one took it, I didn’t lose it like a set of keys.”

Maren gave birth to her first child, son Hayes, in March of 2020. Since then, she’s been vocal about her objections to “mommy shaming,” and she’s stopped sharing images of baby Hayes’ face in her posts about him.

Now, “The Bones” star is offering a similar kiss-off to anyone who’s got any comments to make about her, or any other mom’s, postpartum body.

“The pressure we put on mothers to ‘snap back’ is insurmountable and deeply troublesome. You are and always were a f***king bada***,” Maren adds. “And yeah, I’m proud.”

Maren also shared a couple of pictures of herself, including one snap of her sitting cross-legged on her bed, and another of her at-home exercise routine in her kitchen with a Bosu ball.


By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Taylor Swift drops melancholy “You All Over Me (From The Vault)” featuring Maren Morris

Posted on by ABC Audio

Beth GarrabrantTaylor Swift tapped country superstar Maren Morris to breathe new life into a song she recorded over a decade ago but never released, which she renamed “You All Over Me (From The Vault).”  The song dropped Friday at the stroke of midnight.

The melancholy single details the haze that follows a devastating breakup and the struggle of rediscovering one’s independence, especially when everything is a reminder of the lost love.

The gentle acoustic guitar and banjo-led single is reminiscent of The Chicks‘ “Landslide,” which highlights the emotional lyrics that were penned by a then-teenage Swift.

While the Grammy winner’s songwriting has gained strength since her Fearless era in 2008, Swift’s mastery of conveying emotions through imagery rings clear in this previously unreleased single, making “You All Over Me” a truly devastating breakup single.

Releasing the song’s lyric video, the 31-year-old singer opted to showcase the words against a backdrop of rain hitting the wet pavement.

“I lived, and I learned / Had you, got burned / Held out, and held on / God knows, too long and wasted time / Lost tears, swore that I’d get out of here/ But no amount of freedom gets you clean / I still got you all over me,” Swift and Morris harmonize in the chorus.

In the end, Swift realizes that she cannot separate herself from the relationship just yet and acknowledges that it has permanently changed her — so, in the end, she will always carry a piece of her ex with her.

“You All Over Me (From The Vault)” is one of the bonus tracks that will be featured on the hotly anticipated Fearless (Taylor’s Version) album, due out April 9.  The album features 20 singles and six bonus tracks, which fans can pre order now for $13 on Swift’s website.

 

By Megan Stone
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

‘GMA’ gets exclusive sneak peek at Taylor Swift’s “You All Over Me (From the Vault)”

Posted on by ABC Audio

ABCAhead of the release of her single “You All Over Me (From The Vault),” ABC’s Good Morning America got an exclusive sneak peek at Taylor Swift‘s song featuring Maren Morris.

The song, which drops Friday, features Morris singing background vocals.

“You All Over Me” is one of six new songs that Swift wrote in 2008, but never recorded. They’ll be included in the rerecorded version of her album Fearless (Taylor’s Version).

The Grammy winner announced the release of “You All Over Me” on social media Wednesday.

“One thing I’ve been loving about these From The Vault songs is that they’ve never been heard, so I can experiment, play and even include some of my favorite artists,” Swift wrote on Twitter. “I’m really excited to have Maren Morris singing background vocals on this song!!!”

This isn’t the first time Morris and Swift have sung together.  In 2018, the two performed Morris’ hit song, “The Middle,” while on Swift’s Reputation tour in Dallas.

Fearless (Taylor’s Version) will be released next month.

 

 

By Angeline Jane Bernabe
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.