Carly Pearce says singing with Wynonna Judd on ’CMA Fest’ is “the biggest full-circle moment”

Posted on August 3, 2022 by Stephen Hubbard & Cillea Houghton

When Carly Pearce brought Wynonna Judd out onstage during CMA Fest, it wasn’t just a surprise for the crowd, but a full-circle moment for the star.

Growing up in Kentucky, Carly has been a longtime fan of The Judds. Prior to her CMA Fest performance with Wynonna, Carly got to pay tribute to legendary duo when she performed “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout The Good Old Days)” at their Country Music Hall of Fame induction in May.

But the event was marked by tragedy, as Naomi Judd had passed away the day before due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Carly now feels a sense of responsibility to help keep Naomi’s legacy alive.

“I have loved Wynonna and The Judds my whole life. I’ve been so fortunate to get to be a part of some of the very special ceremonies to honor Naomi. And with her passing, I think that it has shined a light on me that I’ve loved them forever and it is my duty as one of the country females to make sure that her legacy stays alive,” Carly says.

The singer is already fulfilling that wish with a special performance alongside Wynonna that will air during the CMA Fest special Wednesday night on ABC.

When Carly was presented with the opportunity to sing with Wynonna during her set at Nissan Stadium, she chose The Judds’ 1984 hit “Why Not Me,” citing it as “one of my favorite songs of all time.”

“I said, ‘I’ve become friends with Wynona a little bit, so maybe I could see if she wanted to sing with me,'” Carly recalls of how the collaboration came about. “Wynona was my first concert when I was eight 8 years old, so this is the biggest full circle moment ever for me.”

Jason Aldean recalls playing Nissan Stadium parking lot at his first CMA Fest

Posted on August 2, 2022 by Stephen Hubbard & Cillea Houghton

Ahead of his appearance on the CMA Fest special this week, Jason Aldean is looking back on his first performance at the festival, which proves what a difference a year makes.

Jason Aldean recalls performing in the parking lot of Nissan Stadium in 2005, but even then, he had his eyes set on those stadium lights, hoping one day he’d reach them.

“My first CMA performance ever was in the parking lot. I didn’t play the stadium, I played the parking lot, and I think there was about 15 people watching the show. Out of those 15, maybe two of them knew who I was,” Jason says. “I was outside and I kept looking at the stadium … I knew that’s where I needed to get to if I wanted to really make a splash.”

That dream soon became reality, as Jason was one of the headlining acts at the massive venue at the 2006 festival, following the success of hits like “Why” and “Amarillo Sky.” The superstar notes that getting to headline the stadium during the annual festival is a career milestone.

“The following year, I was playing the stadium and there’s nothing like it. That was the first time I think I’d ever played a stadium, so to walk out and see that many people, and we were starting to take off about that time too and people were knowing our songs,” he recalls. “It was a big difference from that year to the year we were playing in the parking lot, so it was definitely a game-changer.”

Jason will perform a pair of hits spanning his decadeslong career — “She’s Country” and “Trouble With a Heartbreak” — when CMA Fest airs on ABC on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.

Too soon to call presidential race, young voters turned out less than expected

Posted on November 4, 2020 by ABC Audio

iStock/simon2579

Election Day has turned to night as polls across the country closed with some municipalities announcing they will resume tabulating Wednesday morning.

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, former Vice President Joe Biden briefly addressed the nation from Wilmington, Delaware, projecting confidence in the race and called for patience as the nation tabulates a record number of mail-in and absentee ballots.

President Donald Trump teased he would make a statement from the White House, which took place an hour later.

For President Trump’s speech, which he made around 2:30 a.m. ET, he opened with a joke saying, “this is, without question, the latest news conference I ever had.” The president made a fiery 10 minute speech, saying that “a group of very sad people” are trying to steal the election, which he called “a fraud” and vowed he would go to the Supreme Court to “have all voting to stop.”

As for the states that are already accounted for, President Trump is projected to win Iowa, Florida, Ohio, Idaho, Utah, Kansas, Missouri, Louisiana, South Carolina, the Dakotas, Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia, Tennessee, Indiana, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Texas and Nebraska.

Meanwhile, Biden is projected to win Virginia, New Mexico, California, Illinois, New Hampshire, Colorado, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Vermont, Minnesota and the District of Columbia.

As of 1:45 A.M. ET, Biden leads with 220 electoral votes while President Trump has 213 — the winner requires 270 votes to win.

Pennsylvania, a major battleground state, is projected to wrap up the count by Friday before the election, but did not provide an exact timeline. Philadelphia will continue counting absentee ballots, with the next updates coming at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

In Michigan, only 16 percent of the early vote is in with 49 percent of the expected vote in as of early Wednesday, with Tracy Wimmer, a spokesperson for Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson telling ABC News, “We’re still looking at some time tomorrow, but we really don’t have a guess of when.”

One of the most decentralized election systems in the country, Wisconsin state officials have repeatedly told ABC News that they expect full statewide results could come in the early hours of Wednesday morning

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday, at least 100 million early votes were cast. Nationally, voters have cast 73.4 percent of the total votes counted in the 2016 general election.

Hawaii and Texas have already surpassed their 2016 total and five other states — Montana, North Carolina, Georgia, New Mexico and Nevada — are close to doing the same.

Most surprisingly in the election however is, young voters did not increase their showing at polls, despite expert predictions.

The 18-29 year-olds and 30-44 year-olds make up the same percentage of the electorate as they did in 2016.

Those youngest voters are breaking toward Biden by much more than they did to Hillary Clinton in 2016, but among 30-44 year olds, Biden is only winning by about the same as Clinton. There are no major third-party candidates this year, while 10 percent of young people voted for a third-party candidate or gave no answer in exit polls.

Older voters, over 65, make up a similar percentage of the vote as they did in 2016, making up about 21 percent in preliminary exit polls compared to 20 percent in 2016.

There was concern that voting remotely for college kids who were not on campuses this year could be a factor, but after the protests this summer it is a surprising outcome.

By Megan Stone
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

New Artist nominee Carly Pearce is ready to hit the red carpet with her “arm candy” Michael Ray

Posted on November 12, 2019 by Andrea Dresdale

ABC Audio

At the CMA Awards on Wednesday, Carly Pearce is celebrating a lot of firsts: Her first CMA nod — for New Artist of the Year — and her first red carpet as a married woman.

Carly and Michael Ray tied the knot just over a month ago, and the couple will be making their red carpet debut as husband and wife on Wednesday.

“He says he’s my arm candy, which he is,” Carly laughed on Tuesday. “He’s got a designer suit. I’m proud of him! It’s got some stuff on it — it’s cool. And then m[y dress] is just…you know, I may never get nominated again for a CMA, so I’m going all out!”

Just as exciting for Carly is the fact that she’s got her first nomination in a year when women will be highlighted on the telecast, and Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton are hosting.

“Just the photos that have come out of Carrie and Reba and Dolly together, that is such a powerful statement for me,” Carly gushed.

“To look at those three women who are in different decades but have made so much happen for people like me in this industry, and to be able to be a part of the show, this particular year, where there are so many iconic women a part of it, and to be nominated this year…it feels so special.”

When it comes to winning, Carly swore she’d be fine if anyone else in her category — like Morgan Wallen or Ashley McBryde — takes home the trophy.

“All of them deserve it, and all of them I respect as artists…as people, and I’m a fan,” she said. “I mean, this is a stacked category. I don’t care who wins. Whoever wins, it’s a good representation of country music.”

CMA Belle of the Ball Maren Morris talks about her special “good luck” wave

Posted on November 12, 2019 by Andrea Dresdale

ABC Audio

Maren Morris is the leading nominee going into Wednesday’s CMA Awards with six nominations, and she says she got a very special sign of encouragement from an unexpected source.

Tuesday on her socials, Maren, who’s expecting a baby boy with husband Ryan Hurd, posted a sonogram video which showed her fetus waving with its little hand. She told ABC Audio that it was not Photoshopped.

“I’m halfway to my due date this week, so we had our ultrasound, the anatomy one, where they measure everything,” she explained. “And they showed the profile of our kid and he, like, waved! I feel like he was giving me like a good-luck wave for the week or something!”

Maren’s already lucky: She’s the leading nominee on a night that’s all about celebrating women.

“I feel like the belle of the ball right now,” she laughed. “It’s been such an incredible year of my album Girl and that…message, and being on tour with…women [artists].”

“And then when they said the theme of this year’s CMA is…the women of country music…it just feels crazy to be nominated that many times at a night like that!”

Maren will perform twice on Wednesday’s CMA telecast: Once with her group The Highwomen, and then solo, singing “Girl.”

As for the actual awards, Maren doesn’t see the other nominees in the Female Vocalist of the Year category — Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Carrie Underwood and Kelsea Ballerini — as competition.

“We are supportive of each other…out of genuine admiration, because none of us can really be compared to the other,” she explained. “It really is us all functioning in our own lanes and killing it. And I think that we’ve made country music proud this year, each of us in our own way.”

Garth Brooks on his CMA Entertainer of the Year chances: “It is the year of the woman”

Posted on November 12, 2019 by Andrea Dresdale

ABC Audio

Garth Brooks has been named the CMA Entertainer of the Year six times. He’s nominated again this year, but he says everyone who’s nominated this year is deserving, especially the guy who won the trophy last year. In fact, Garth even voted for him.

“Keith Urban‘s the reigning Entertainer. If that name’s on there, that’s an award you want right there,” he told ABC Audio Tuesday.

“You don’t get better than Keith Urban. So I vote for him every year, it’s tradition,” Garth added. “I’d love to to take it home, but the truth is, you can’t lose in this bunch…I mean, you’re looking at all the names and all the shows are fantastic. And it is the year of the woman.”

Wait, is that a hint that he’s rooting for Entertainer nominee Carrie Underwood? Could be. Garth said he’s all for Wednesday night’s CMA telecast shining a spotlight on the great female voices of country music.

“What I’m looking forward to most is, the industry for one night’s gonna pull our head out of our butts and go, ‘These are great examples,'” he said bluntly.

“I have three daughters. [I’m] married to one of the greatest singers ever. So I see the work ethic. I see what women have to do,” Garth continued. “They work a thousand times harder to get a tenth as much. They roll their sleeves up and they go to work…And so this is gonna be a perfect girls’ power kind of night.”

Saturday, when CMA Week is over, Garth brings his tour to Knoxville, TN’s Neyland stadium, home of the Vols.

“It’s supposed to be clear and 50 Saturday….Perfect college football weather. And they’re going to come in their full colors,” Garth grinned. “Trust me.”

Kelsea Ballerini’s ready for her “powerful moment” on the CMAs: “Performing is winning”

Posted on November 12, 2019 by Andrea Dresdale

ABC Audio

Kelsea Ballerini is nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year at Wednesday night’s CMA Awards, but she says she feels she’s already won.

“Honestly, getting nominated is amazing because that means that you get some type of performance, and I think performing is winning,” she told ABC Audio Tuesday. “I think having that amount of time on a show like the CMAs to show what you do is an award.”

Not only that, but Kelsea is performing twice. First, she’ll give her latest single, “homecoming queen?,” its TV debut.

“It’s just me and my guitar, which I haven’t done before on an award show,” she said. “And I’m just excited to show that side of the song and really get those lyrics across. I’m really proud of the song. So it’s going to be special. I think.”

Also special will be Kelsea’s performance as part of a group of fellow female artists: Carly Pearce, Lindsay Ell, Ashley McBryde, Runaway June and Maddie & Tae.

“It’s the new women voices of country coming together and showing what we do and showing our strength. And I start it on the satellite stage, and they finish it on the main stage,” Kelsea explained. “And I turned around yesterday during rehearsal and I just watched it. And…it looked so strong and so empowered. And it’s gonna be a really powerful moment.”

And speaking of female power, Kelsea knows who’s got her vote for Entertainer of the Year.

“Listen, everyone in that category is amazing. They’re all entertainers,” she says. “But Carrie [Underwood] is the Entertainer of the Year, period.”

As for her own chances of winning, Kelsea said she doesn’t know what she’d do if her name was called.

“Probably something awkward: fall, because it’s me,” she laughed.

Luke Combs is ready to hit the CMA red carpet — and leave the baseball cap at home

Posted on November 12, 2019 by Andrea Dresdale

ABC Audio

Luke Combs has two nominations going into Wednesday night’s CMA Awards, but when you see him on the red carpet, you may not recognize him, because he won’t be wearing his signature baseball cap.

“I love wearing a hat, but I love wearing a suit and I just feel like hats and suits — baseball hats specifically — I feel like they don’t go with suits,” Luke told ABC Audio on Tuesday. “As much as I want to wear one because I don’t have the best hair, and I’m very bald.”

“So they got the spray,” he said, referring to his glam squad. “You know, they do the spray, and so, I don’t look bald, which is cool,” he admitted. “But, yeah, I’m going suit again. No hat.”

Aside from his fashion choices, Luke said it’s hard to choose which category he’d prefer to win on Wednesday night: His smash hit “Beautiful Crazy” is up for Song of the Year, and he’s up for Male Vocalist of the Year.

“I wrote that song about my fiancée,” he said of “Beautiful Crazy.” “And yeah, that would be really special, man. That’s one that I would definitely love to win. That was always a dream of mine, was to get nominated for Song of the Year.”

But at the same time, Luke said winning Male Vocalist would “mean a lot.”

“I mean, there’s a big, big line of my heroes that have won that award and I still can’t believe I’m even nominated for that,” he noted. “So, you know, I don’t expect to win, but I’m excited to be at the dance for that one for sure.”

Tune in to the 53rd annual CMA Awards Wednesday night on ABC to see if Luke wins both awards.

Brothers Osborne’s country dreams are coming true at the CMA Awards

Posted on November 12, 2019 by Andrea Dresdale

ABC Audio

Brothers Osborne are up for a number of awards at Wednesday night’s CMA Awards, including Vocal Duo of the Year and Single of the Year — and the whole Osborne clan will be in the audience cheering them on.

“Our sister will be with us, our mom’s gonna be there, our dad and his girlfriend are gonna be there,” John Osborne told ABC Audio Tuesday. “My wife unfortunately will be out of town…[but] this is full-on family duty for me and TJ.”

But they’ll probably have to ditch the parents after the show when the parties begin. Since the duo is up for Vocal Event of the Year twice — for “Burning Man” with Dierks Bentley and “All My Favorite People” with Maren Morris — whose afterparty would they rather hit up?

“They both throw great parties. It’d be hard to pick one,” TJ Osborne told ABC Audio. “But Maren is throwing a party that we will be joining after the awards show. I don’t know if Dierks is or not.”

TJ admits that, at Dierks’ parties in the past, he and John were always the last to leave, and laughs, “I’m gonna be going to all the parties. I can’t turn down a party on a CMA night!”

Even if they don’t win, TJ and John are fulfilling a childhood dream with their performance on the telecast: They’ll share a stage with iconic duo Brooks & Dunn.

“We grew up watching Brooks and Dunn, not only perform on the CMAs, but then win every year on the CMAs,” TJ said. “And…this moment coming…is literally stuff you dream of as a kid, that just seems like a dream that will never happen.”

“So we’re here,” he said proudly. “We’ve come to a crossroads in our life of our dreams coming true.”

What’s happening in a small town? Oh, Lindsay Ell’s just having the best week of her life

Posted on November 12, 2019 by Andrea Dresdale

ABC Audio

Her duet with Brantley Gilbert, “What Happens In a Small Town,” just hit number one, and she’s nominated for a CMA Award Wednesday, so Lindsay Ell must be having one of the best weeks of her life, right?

“I want to say…in the top three…maybe it’s just the best week of my life!” she told ABC Audio Tuesday in Nashville. “I have dreamed of having a number-one song ever since I was a little girl. I mean, ever since I was 10 years old, I’ve been going to sleep praying, like to have a number-one song one day.”

“And to wake up this week, CMA Awards week — the week that I am nominated for my first CMA award — to have the number one song in the country with Brantley Gilbert…I mean, everything is happening, and this week is awesome!” Lindsay says.

In fact, Lindsay is so over the moon that even if she and Brantley don’t win for Vocal Event of the Year on Wednesday, she won’t mind.

“I mean, the fact that we’re celebrating our number one this week, Brantley and I get to walk the carpet and and high five to that, it’s my first CMA nomination, so much is happening that is just such an honor to be here,” she gushed.

“I’m performing on the show with my idols, Little Big Town,” the Calgary native adds. “It’s going to be such an incredible Wednesday night that I’m happy regardless.”

Lindsay and Little Big Town are actually performing as part of a huge number that will also include Kelsea Ballerini, Carly Pearce, Maddie & Tae, Runaway June and Ashley McBryde.

Tune in to the 53rd annual CMA Awards Wednesday night at 8 on ABC to see what they’ll be performing, and who wins.