Mindy McCready Funeral Planned; Lauren Alaina’s Special Trip + More: Country Music News Roundup
The Boot rounds up today's country music news from around the web.
A private funeral service for Mindy McCready will be held by her family on Feb. 26 in Fort Myers, Fla. Additionally, a memorial organized by friends in the music industry is expected to take place March 6 at Nashville's Cathedral of the Incarnation. The country singer committed suicide on Sunday, Feb. 17.
George Strait fans are banning together to help the iconic singer score 60 No. 1 hits before his 61st birthday in May. The campaign encourages fans to post their support for the Texas treasure's current single, "Give It All We Got Tonight" on their social media sites. While that may seem like a lofty goal, the tune currently sits at No. 17 on the Country Aircheck/Mediabase chart, making the penthouse slot more than attainable by May. [Sixty for Sixty]
This April, Lee Brice will marry fiancée Sara Reeveley, the mother of his young son, Takota. And now we know where they'll tie the knot: one of the best places in the world to hear live country music, Branson, Mo. "We wanted a small wedding, so Nashville seemed like too many people and Sumter [South Carolina] where I'm from had too many folks, too. We wanted to go somewhere neutral," explains the country singer. [Metromix.com]
Son Volt's new single, "Bakersfield," makes its debut on Spinner today, giving fans the first taste of the group's Honky Tonk album, due in stores March 6. "I wanted to acknowledge and pay homage to the country music that came out of Bakersfield -- Wynn Stewart, Buck Owens and Merle Haggard," says lead singer Jay Farrar. "They all reinvigorated country music in their own respective ways. Wynn Stewart and Buck Owens both brought a rock and roll intensity and sensibility while Merle Haggard wrote and brought incisive lyrics to country music." [Listen to "Bakersfield"]
Charlie Daniels will host a free Nashville concert on March 5 in support of Lipscomb University's Yellow Ribbon Enhancement Program. This latest effort in the music icon's Scholarship for Heroes initiative will feature performances by Chris Young, The Grascals, Keni Thomas and, of course, Charlie himself. The Yellow Ribbon Enhancement Program gives post-9/11 GI Bill veterans and their family members the chance of free or greatly reduced college tuition. [Country Music Tattle Tale]
Taylor Swift has a new male friend, and in the superstar's world, that means romance rumors are flying. It seems she stayed in London after her sexy performance at the Brit Awards, and spent some time hanging out with British singer-songwriter Tom Odell at a local pub, where paparazzi snapped their picture together. [AOL On]
Lauren Alaina continues her work with the Special Olympics, this week traveling all the way to South Korea to cheer on young athletes at the Special Olympics World Games. The singer is an ambassador for the Special Olympics' Project Unify, which helps promote respect, inclusion and advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities. See a photo of Lauren with one of the athletes below.
Watch a Video on Mindy McCready's Struggles