Three summers ago, Russell Dickerson co-wrote his latest hit with Charles Kelley while on tour with Lady A and Darius Rucker. At the time, “Home Sweet” was simply Russell’s vision of his life with his wife Kailey.

Since then, it’s become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

“Then, it was kind of like how I saw my life panning out, I guess,” Russell looks back. “Really, it just like came true. We moved into our new house, and probably a week later found out we were pregnant. And so literally we were sitting on boxes and looking at two pink lines.”

“It’s one of those things that you just can’t make up,” he reflects. “We went from our little house over in Nashville by the zoo, and then the song literally just kind of like, came true for us, like one of those things you speak into existence, I guess. And so it really has, yeah, it’s just like, come to life.”

The couple’s son, Remington, arrived in September of 2020, and Russell predicts there’s more to come — many more, in fact.

“My wife comes from a huge family,” he explains. “She’s the youngest of six. She has five older brothers, and then that oldest brother has seven kids, so there’s literally, I think, 15 grandkids on her side.”

“And so they come from a ginormous family,” Russell continues. “And so I just got a feeling that there’s gonna be a lot more Dickerson babies running around.”  

“Home Sweet” is the second single from Russell’s Southern Symphony album, following the chart-topping “Love You Like I Used To.”

 

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The Grand Ole Opry will debut Opry NextStage Live In Concert next month. The first show of the series will feature performances by artists who have been a part of the NextStage program, including Parker McCollum, Niko Moon, Hailey Whitters, Lainey Wilson, Priscilla Block, Travis Denning and host Tenille Townes. The concert will take place at the Grand Ole Opry on November 21. 

Jason Aldean, Dolly Parton and Tim McGraw have put items up for bid for MusiCares Charity Relief Auction. The event is taking place in Beverly Hills on January 30, the day before the 2022 Grammy Awards.   

Garth Brooks will present Randy Travis with the Artist of a Lifetime Award at the CMT Artists of the Year ceremony tonight in Nashville. Eric Church, Lady A and Nelly are among the other presenters. 

Mitchell Tenpenny recently headlined the Ryman Auditorium in his hometown of Nashville, featuring guests Chris Young, RaeLynn, Meghan Patrick and Seaforth. The show raised $32,500 for his 10Penny Fund to create programs and access to resources for cancer patients.

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Jon Pardi is getting to the “spirit.” 

The “Tequila Little Time” singer is expanding his palette by creating his own line of whiskey, Pardi Batch. Made in partnership with Buffalo Chip American Whiskey, the brand comes in two types: Pardi Batch, a premium Tennessee Whiskey, and Pardi Batch 112, which is a straight bourbon whiskey.  

Pardi Batch is described as having notes of caramel and fruits with a smoky finish, while 112 is a blend of caramel and butterscotch with hints of vanilla and oak.  

To celebrate its release, Jon headed Longhorn Cheers liquor store in Fort Worth, Texas, the first state to receive Pardi Batch, sharing a shot of his whiskey with one of the store’s employees.

“It’s good. It’s got kind of a good burn in it,” the singer reviews.

“Whether it’s through my live shows or recording in the studio, I care about everything I do. I like getting into the details, whether it’s stage production, songwriting, or even creating a new bourbon,” Jon adds in a statement. “I can’t wait for the stories, the reactions, the reviews, and I can’t wait for you to go back and get your second bottle.”   

Additional retail locations will be announced soon.

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Warning: Thomas Rhett‘s post honoring he and wife Lauren Akins‘ wedding anniversary may make you teary-eyed. 

On Tuesday, Thomas celebrated the couple’s ninth wedding anniversary with a 10-year-old throwback photo that shows a young Thomas, before he had a beard and several #1 hits, and his beautiful future bride posing for a selfie in a field in their native Tennessee.

“I knew from this one night that we were gonna get married and grow old together. Here we are 9 years into marriage,” Thomas pens alongside the photo. “I’m thankful to God everyday that You said yes to marrying me! What a wild ride of just being us two for 5 years, to now having 3 beautiful baby girls, to almost welcoming our 4th baby! What is life?!?! I love you so much @laur_akins and I can’t wait to see what the next 50 years has to hold for us.”

The couple wed on October 12, 2012 in Tennessee. Since then, they’ve welcomed daughters Willa Gray, who they adopted from Uganda in 2017, plus Ada James and Lennon Love. They’re expecting their fourth girl in November.

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Walker Hayes is dropping a new song on Friday, and he already has a new dance for fans to learn.

Though still riding the high of “Fancy Like,” Walker is gearing up to release “U Girl,” another bop that features an all-new TikTok dance.Walker teased “U Girl” on TikTok last month, promising that he and daughter Lela would “work up the official moves,” and now, he’s delivering on that promise.

Posed in front of a U-Haul Truck, Walker and Lela — who helped him choreograph the original “Fancy Like” dance that went viral on TikTok — and son Baylor perform a new routine as the track plays overhead.

“#UGurl dropping Friday…dance dropping now,” the singer hypes in the caption. “Y’all let’s GOOOO.”

“This is soooo good! Can’t wait,” one fan comments, another fan adding, “Another Winner.”

In the meantime, “Fancy Like” is racing up the charts. It’s topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and currently sits inside the top five on country radio and at #3 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.

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Chris Stapleton and Carlos Santana are bringing the “Joy.”

The Grammy winners have teamed up on an uplifting new song where Carlos’ signature guitar playing takes center stage alongside Chris’ vocals. Written and produced by the country singer, the song was inspired by the fear stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.   

“Joy rolling like the thunder rumbles/Time to let the teardrops tumble/Listen to the hatred crumble,” Chris sings with a choir of voices in the background. 

“I was very intrigued to work with Chris. We talked on the phone about the Covid situation and how there’s so much fear in the world,” Santana says of “Joy” in a statement.  “I said, ‘We need to create music as a healing force. We must bring hope and courage and disinfect twisted minds infected with darkness. That gave him the ammunition to write such incredible words.”

“Joy” is featured on Carlos’ new album, Blessings and Miracles, out on Friday.

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Jimmie Allen brought a touch of sentimentality to his Disney-themed Dancing with the Stars performance Monday night by dedicating it to his late father. 

The singer, who’s a hardcore Disney fan, and his partner Emma Slater performed the paso doble to “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from Mulan, scoring 30/40. But the theme of Disney Heroes was particularly poignant for Jimmie, as he performed the number in honor of his late father, James E. Allen, who passed away from kidney failure in 2019.  

“When I think of heroes, I think of my father,” he said during rehearsals. “He’s the one that raised me on ‘never make an excuse’ and that’s helped me so much with my career.”

“HERO’s Night on Disney Week here at @dancingabc My partner @theemmaslater choreographed this beautiful dance that I dedicated to my father. Miss you every single day dad,” he shared on Instagram after the show. 

The family has been longtime Disney fans, with Jimmie proposing to his now-wife Alexis Gale at Disney World in 2019. 

The Disney theme continues tonight when Dancing with the Stars airs on ABC at 8 p.m. ET. 

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

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For the first time since it hit #1 in 1993, Reba McEntire‘s “Does He Love You” is back on the country chart. This time, Dolly Parton steps in for Linda Davis, on a new version recorded for Reba’s Revived Remixed Revisited set.

Reba’s had hits with Vince Gill, Brooks & Dunn, and even recorded an entire album of duets, but somehow has never managed to collaborate with Dolly.

“It’s amazing that we’ve never done a duet,” Reba muses. “We’ve never [sung] together. I’ve gone on programs to sing for her, and she’s done that for me. But to never sing a song together is kinda weird.”

The original “Does He Love You” video may be iconic, but Reba and Dolly teamed up to shoot a new one that’s equally intense.

“My favorite part… was getting to visit with her in between,” Reba reflects. “Second was singing with her. But to get to hang out and just visit like girlfriends was so much fun.”

“But I love the acting,” she adds. “We got to play act like we were women at odds and not liking each other. And by the end, we’re like, ‘Ah, you can have him! Thunder, I don’t want him!'”

While this may be the first time Reba and Dolly have recorded together, they’re hoping it won’t be the last.

“We did talk about doing more stuff together,” Reba reveals. “And I hope that happens because I’d love to work with her. She’s a professional, she’s fun, she’s funny, she’s witty. I can [sit] and listen to her talk all day long.”

For now, Reba “can’t wait” for the chance to stage the duet live with Dolly.

“I think that would be so much fun,” she says. “I think the fans would love it, eat it up.”

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Lee Brice is “forever grateful” for his new #1 song. 

The singer’s back at the top of the charts with “Memory I Don’t Mess With,” marking his eighth #1 single. The track is featured on his 2020 album, Hey World. 

“Y’all… We have the #1 song on country radio!! A huge THANK YOU to country radio, my team, and every single one of you who called your local radio station to request #MemoryIDontMessWith,” Lee writes in a celebratory Twitter post. “I cannot thank y’all enough for showing this song so much love! I’m forever grateful.” 

“Memory” is the latest in a string of four consecutive #1 hits for Lee, following “Rumor,” “I Hope You’re Happy Now” — Lee’s CMA and ACM Award winning duet with Carly Pearce — and “One of Them Girls.”

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Keith Urban is set to jet across the world next year. 

The “Wild Hearts” singer has added a string of European and U.K. dates to his The Speed of Now World Tour next year. On Monday, Keith dropped a video, set to the tune of several of his hits including “The Fighter” and “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” revealing tour stops across the two regions in April and May. 

He’ll perform at the O2 Apollo in Manchester and London’s Eventim Apollo, in addition to stops in Edinburgh, Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt and other cities.

“More to come…” Keith he teased in the caption.

The hitmaker previously announced that he’ll also perform in his native Australia next December. Visit Keith’s website for a full list of dates.  

Keith’s single, “Wild Hearts,” is currently inside the top 30 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.

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