The Boot News Roundup: Kacey Musgraves Is NOT Becoming a ‘Real Housewife’ + More
Welcome to The Boot's News Roundup, a morning rundown of the news country music fans need to know. Read on to learn more about the latest goings-on in the country, Americana, bluegrass and folk genres.
No, Kacey Musgraves isn't joining the cast of Bravo's The Real Housewives of Dallas for its third season. The rumor started with a bizarre tweet from a Real Housewives fan account, which announced that Musgraves had "inked a deal with the production company and Bravo TV for Season 3." Musgraves responded with her characteristic cheekiness, tweeting, "Oh really, news to me," in response to the claim, complete with the hashtags "#nothappening" and "#doesntevenmakesense."
Country icon Dolly Parton was recently awarded her first-ever Emmy Awards. Parton earned the Best Community Service Program honor for her Smoky Mountains Rise telethon, which raised upwards of $13 million dollars for victims of 2016's devastating wildfires in East Tennessee. She was also given the National Association of Television Arts & Sciences Midsouth's Governor's Award, in recognition of a "lifetime of giving back."
Brad Paisley has unveiled a mural painted by himself and "original guitar painter" Rob Hendon at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. The colorful mural, located on the arena's first level, features a guitar, the city's "Smashville" nickname, the logo of the NHL's Nashville Predators, a giant catfish, guitar picks and even the "Bat Signal." Fans can check out the mural now, or plan to head to Bridgestone Arena on April 6, when Paisley's Weekend Warrior World Tour will make a stop in Music City.
The SteelDrivers have found their new lead singer: Kelvin Damrell has joined the bluegrass band as its lead singer and guitarist. "Most of you know that we had to part ways with our longtime partner Gary Nichols last year," the band writes on Facebook. "It took us a while to heal up and get it together. To be honest, we didn’t know for sure if we’d ever be able to replace such a massive talent. But we eventually found this young fella from the hills of Kentucky who can absolutely rock the grass!" Fans can catch Damrell and the SteelDrivers out on tour this spring.
Sugarland's Kristian Bush has launched a new podcast, Geeking Out! With Kristian Bush. The podcast will feature Bush sitting down with a variety of guests, including Nashville creator Callie Khouri, journalist Hunter Kelly and songwriter Rita Wilson, to talk about their non-music-related obsessions. “Everyone is into something: a show they have been binging, a new skill they just learned, a book they can’t put down — something — and when you ask people about what they’re currently into, the answer is always filled with passion,” Bush says in a statement. “I love hearing that excitement, learning about new things, and I’m hoping listeners will connect with it, too, and maybe even pick up a new interest.”
Country music stalwarts the Bellamy Brothers are the stars of a new reality TV show called Honky-Tonk Ranch. The show, which will premiere on the Cowboy Channel on April 8 at 8:30PM ET, will chronicle the "unpredictable misadventures" of Howard and David Bellamy as they juggle a jam-packed global touring schedule and the running of their ranch in South Florida. "As far as everyone knows, we’re just a nice, normal family," David Bellamy says in a statement. "But there’s a lot of chaos to control, and there’s no hiding from the cameras once they’re rolling."