The Boot News Roundup: Blake Shelton Postpones Concert Due to Illness + 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.
The flu got the best of Blake Shelton on Saturday (March 3), forcing him to postpone his show scheduled for that night in Bossier City, La., until Tuesday (March 6). Tickets for the original concert will be honored for the makeup date, and those who can't make it to the rescheduled show will receive full refunds, according to a statement released via Twitter. "I rarely have to postpone a show, and I apologize to everyone who had their Saturday night plans to spend it with me," Shelton wrote on the social media site, adding, "Hopefully everyone can join us on Tuesday night, and I promise to make up for the inconvenience!"
Texas-based Red Dirt country singer Brandon Jenkins died on Friday (March 2), at the age of 48, due to complications that occurred after a heart surgery on Feb. 21. Jenkins had been hospitalized in critical condition since his surgery; he was receiving a new heart valve because he was born with a defect that resulted in an enlarged heart. Throughout his music career, which began while he was attending Oklahoma State University with fellow artists Stoney LaRue, Cody Canada and others, Jenkins released more than a dozen albums, including his most recent, February's Tail Lights in a Boomtown.
Jason Aldean and his wife Brittany have been on vacation in the Bahamas without their baby boy, Memphis, who was born on Dec. 1, and she's not about to let the haters get her down. The new mom has received some criticism in the comments of her Instagram photos for taking a trip just three months after giving birth, so in the caption of a photo posted on Saturday (March 3), Brittany told off the haters: "Vacations are OK for new parents to take. Sometimes after being pregnant for almost a year, cooped up in a house for weeks at a time, you need a little sunshine and adult time," she writes. "IT IS NOT OK to leave your ignorant comments. If you don’t agree with something, PLEASE ... do me a favor and unfollow me. You will NOT be missed."
Canadian country singer Ronnie Prophet also passed away on Friday (March 2), a family spokesperson reports, at the age of 80. A member of the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, Prophet rose to prominence in the 1970s; he recorded more than two dozen, charted five singles on the Billboard charts, and won two Juno Awards. In Canada, Prophet hosted numerous variety shows, which sometimes hosted special guests such as Dolly Parton and other big U.S. names. Prophet leaves behind his wife, Glory-Anne (with whom he recorded some duets during his career), and children and grandchildren.