by Brad Schmitt
Brad Schmitt is a longtime Nashville entertainment journalist, having shared the goods on Music City’s most interesting people in the newspaper, on TV, and online for more than 15 years. Every week, Brad hits country fans with the latest news from Nashville and the lives of their favorite country artists.
Sugarland’s Indianapolis show proves to be emotional triumph
The stage was set for a powerful emotional night, and Sugarland delivered Friday night.
Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush went back to Indianapolis about two and a half months after high winds toppled staging onto fans at the Indiana State Fair, killing seven and injuring others just before Sugarland was to hit the stage.
The country duo gave away free tix to all those fans and anyone who could squeeze into Conseco Fieldhouse in Indy on Friday night.
“We are all changed by what happened then,” Jennifer told the packed crowd at the start of a 2.5-hour show.
“Obviously we are here in October we were supposed to do this show in August. Obviously, the stage is different, you are different and we are different,” Jennifer said, according to the Associated Press.
“We are all changed by what happened then,” she said. “But we are going to try to give you the best show that we can and to celebrate healing with you and to celebrate life and music with you here tonight.”
Many folks who were injured Aug. 13 at the state fairgrounds came out for Friday night’s show at Conseco Fieldhouse. And that included 17-year-old Brad Humphrey, who now uses a wheelchair after the accident.
Brad’s mother, Sue, said she was moved when Jennifer walked through the crowd hoisting a flag that had “Heal” spray-painted on it.
“I thought that was a very, very good touch to the show,” she said.
Country stars share their costumes – and their kids’ costumes – for Halloween
Country stars provided some online treats for Halloween..
Rascal Flatts‘ Joe Don Rooney and his 3-year-old, Jagger, decided to wear the same “Toy Story” costume: “Big Buzz & Lil Buzz!” Dad enthused.
Josh Kelley couldn’t wait to show off his little “princess,” Naleigh.
And LeAnn Rimes showed off some creepy/sexy pink fangs: “I bite ;),” she told fans.
Meanwhile, country singer and “Survivor” contestant Whitney Duncan proves that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery by posting a pic of a young woman dressed as Whitney on the CBS reality show.
And Lee Ann Womack dressed up her iPhone as a bunny.
As for Chris Young, well, he just got confused.
He tweeted: “That awkward moment when you think a girl is dressed up for Halloween, but really she just has bad make-up.”
Lonestar is reuniting for a 20th anniversary album and tour
The “No News” band is generating some news.
Lonestar’s original lead singer, Richie McDonald, will re-join the rest of the gang for a 20th anniversary tour and album next year, the group announced.
Richie, keyboardist Dean Sams, drummer Keech Rainwater and guitarist Michael Britt are already slated to go abroad, scheduled for shows in Germany, Switzerland, Ireland and England so far.
More dates will be added.
No more details on the upcoming album yet. . . .
The Band Perry covers classic Queen hit “Fat Bottomed Girls”
The Band Perry (“If I Die Young”) added some twang to classic Queen rock song “Fat Bottomed Girls” for Billboard.com’s weekly “Mashup Mondays” series. And you can see the results here.
“We’ve always stood at the crossroads of country music and rock ‘n’ roll which is why we chose a Queen cover,” Kimberly Perry explains.
The offering is part of Billboard.com’s series that takes artists out of their genres for a song. Grace Potter, who sings “You and Tequila” with Kenny Chesney, covers the Beyonce hit “Why Don’t You Love Me” for that same series.
Kimberly also says she loved Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury, who died just eight years before Kimberly was born.
“Freddie is my most favorite entertainer of all time. He’s so real but at the same time, he’s so dramatic,” she says.
“And I think it’s a really fine line to be relatable to your audience, but also you have that rock star presence. And Freddie was all of those things.”
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