The Boot News Roundup: Shane McAnally Working on New TV Songwriter Competition + 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.
Nashville hitmaker Shane McAnally will appear on the first episode of Songland, a new songwriter competition airing on NBC. According to MusicRow, the series will allow up-and-coming songwriters to collaborate with producers, artists and writers such as McAnally, Ester Dean and OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder; one winner from each episode will have their song released as a single. There is no word yet on when Songland will premiere, but the show is currently seeking submissions from songwriters at SonglandCasting.com.
Toby Keith will celebrate the 25th anniversary of his self-titled debut album with a deluxe reissue. The completely remastered record has been renamed Should've Been a Cowboy, in honor of Keith's breakout single, and will include "rare tracks" from Keith's personal vault of tunes. Out on Nov. 30, the album will also feature commemorative packaging and three bonus tracks, including "I'll Still Call You Baby" and "Daddy Mac."
Carrie Underwood and husband Mike Fisher helped raise close to $600,000 for children in Haiti at an event in Franklin, Tenn., in early October. Funds from the duo's invitation-only event will benefit Danita's Children, an organization that helps orphaned and abandoned children access food, shelter and medical care. Brad Paisley joined Underwood as a performer at the event, and Elisabeth Hasselbeck served as emcee.
On Oct. 20, Sheryl Crow, Amanda Shires, Jason Isbell and more will encourage Nashvillians to vote at a concert and rally dubbed Party at the Polls. The event, set to kick off at 10AM at Nashville's Ascend Amphitheatre, will feature free performances from Crow, Shires, Isbell and Lucie Silvas, followed by a march to downtown Nashville, where registered voters can participate in early voting.
Tracy Lawrence has debuted a new Christmas album. Titled Frozen in Time, the album was released on Oct. 12 and features original songs -- including the title track, which was co-written by Lawrence -- and classic holiday tunes, including "The Christmas Song" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Fans can find the album on all streaming platforms, vinyl and CD.
In November, Charlie Daniels will release a new book, Let's All Make the Day Count: The Everyday Wisdom of Charlie Daniels. According to a press release, the book will share Daniels' "signature wit and powerful lessons that he's learned from traveling and playing all around the world," and is inspired by his frequent "let's make the day count" tweets. The book features 100 different devotionals on a variety of topics, and will be released on Nov. 6.