After suffering a vocal cord injury that forced her to cancel several concerts at the end of 2022, LeAnn Rimes is on the "mend" and will return to the road very soon. In early December when she was sick with the flu, doctors discovered an issue with her vocal cords and she was put on mandatory vocal rest. LeAnn will kick off her The Story...So Far Tour on April 6th and it will continue until September.
The Band Perry's Neil Perry has announced his engagement to Sofia Sclafani. He shared the news on Instagram, revealing that they got engaged on January 2nd. He also included a number of pictures from the moment. In the caption, Neil says that he's found his "forever kind of love."
Dustin Lynch can add his name to the growing list of country music artists who have their pilot's license. What started as a dream two years ago has now become reality for him. Dustin had a lot of support throughout his journey to become a licensed pilot. A close friend lent him a plane to train on. He has since bought his own plane. Dustin could be flying himself to and from his shows this year. So far, he is scheduled to open for Kane Brown on his Drunk or Dreaming Tour, which runs March 16 through June 10.
Dolly Parton is going to be a Funko Pop. The company - known for their square-headed collectible figurines - announced on social media that their latest design will feature Dolly in two forms. The first features her in a bedazzled white pantsuit, while the second one has Dolly wearing orange crop-pants with a matching fringe jacket. She holds an electric guitar in one and a banjo in the other. No official release date has been announced, but the website says they are "coming soon."
Brett Kissel will release his biggest project to date this year. It's a four-part album called The Compass Project. The first part, South Album, features 11 songs and will be available January 27th. He calls that project "classic Brett." The second part, East Album, will focus on his acoustic, laidback side and will be released in early spring. Coming in mid-summer is the West Album, which brings in some southern twang and classic country. The final part will be the North Album and it will feature many of Brett's hits performed live. That will be released in the fall. "The Compass Project is without question the most ambitious project I've ever undertaken," says Brett. "It's also the one I'm most excited about, being that the complete project includes four full-length albums. At this point in my life and career, I want to tap into all of the different quadrants that represent and guide me as a person, husband, father, artist and entertainer. Those themes resonate in the distinct direction I take on each album."
Bell bottoms have been part of Lainey Wilson's wardrobe since she was a child. Her first pair were blue leopard print, and she wore them so much her mom had a hard time getting her to take them off so they could be washed. Lainey said that bell bottoms made a comeback in her everyday life when she was looking for something unique to make her stand out from all of the other artists who were trying to make it in Nashville. Lainey made the commitment to wear bell bottoms and a vintage shirt daily about six years ago.
Jelly Roll is feeling pretty emotional after his song "Son of a Sinner" hit number one on the Billboard Country Radio and Country Aircheck charts. "There is no greater reward for a singer and song writer in Nashville Tennessee than to have the #1 song on country radio," Jelly Roll writes on social media. He admits he didn't see it happening for him. "Now imagine that happening to a guy that grew up in this town...a guy that at every turn the first 25 years of his life he made the wrong decision," he says. "Imagine everyone telling that guy he had no chance at country radio. 'You're too overweight, you have too many tattoos, they will never let another convicted criminal on country radio' - now imagine country radio proving everyone wrong and taking the chance on the song, the message and the man." He goes on to thank his fans and his record label, admitting that he had tears streaming down his face as he was writing his note. Jelly Roll is expected to release his first full-length country album this spring.