Country
Dolly Parton’s 2019 MusiCares Person of the Year Gala to Air on Netflix
“I am so happy that Netflix is going to be showing the MusiCares tribute to me,” Parton said in a statement. “MusiCares has done so much for the people in this industry and continues to be a beacon of light for those in need. I am so proud and impressed with all of the great artists. It was such a joy and a humbling experience to be able to sit and watch all of the great artists singing songs that I had written or had been a part of. I am so thankful to the Grammys and the people that worked so hard to put this together, and I hope that you enjoy watching it as much as I did.” Parton was the first country star to be named Person of the Year. She was the seventh female solo artist from any genre to receive the accolade, following Bonnie Raitt, Natalie Cole, Gloria Estefan, Aretha Franklin, ...
Benue governor: Do not politicize attempt on my life
Governor Samuel Ortom Monday cautioned against anyone politicizing last Saturday’s attempt on his life by gunmen at Tyo-Mu community in the outskirts of Makurdi town along Makurdi-Gboko road. He stressed that the level of insecurity in the country was a clear indication that Nigeria was sitting on a gun powder and everyone must be conscious to avert an implosion. The Governor who spoke at the end of an emergency State Security Council meeting held in Makurdi, appealed to Benue people to be calm and await the outcome of the investigation being carried out by the Police as directed by the Inspector General of Police, IGP. The Governor who said he was still in shock, lauded the Presidency, the Inspector -General of Police, IGP, as well as the array of groups including Nigeria Govenors’ Forum,...
MTN donates 300,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines to Nigeria
The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 said it received 300,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines from MTN Nigeria. Speaking at the National briefing, the Chairman of the PTF and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha said: “Yesterday, Sunday, March 21, 2021, the PTF received 300,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines from MTN Nigeria. “This is acknowledged with thanks as we encourage other partners to contribute towards the fight against COVID-19.” Recall that the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, had said that the first part of the 1.4 million doses promised to be donated to Nigeria would be delivered by end of February, while the remaining balance would be delivered by end of March, 2021. Mustapha also said: “The disclosure that Nigerian...
TikTok Country Star Priscilla Block Signs Booking & Management Deals: Exclusive
“I’m so excited to be working with Priscilla,” Foster tells Billboard. “She has spent the last 6-to-7 years in Nashville writing, working on her music and building her own creative team of writers and musicians. While one song may have blown up on Tik Tok and gotten her a record deal, she’s the real deal and a killer writer. She knows who she is and what she wants to sing about. We’re looking forward to getting out on the road with the new music and watching this grow with the new team in place.” Foster’s F2 Entertainment Group roster also includes Kelli Pickler, Jessie James Decker, Levi Hummon and Runaway June. “Priscilla is such a star,” adds CAA’s Rod Essig. “She’s an incredible person, writer, performer and vocalist – and she’s hilarious! Priscilla knows exactly who she is and where s...
Carrie Underwood Announces Easter Livestream Concert
Carrie Underwood will celebrate Easter with the virtual live performance “My Savior: Live From the Ryman,” during which she’ll perform songs from her upcoming gospel album, My Savior, at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The set of gospel hymns Underwood grew up singing will stream on the country star’s Facebook page at noon ET on April 4, with donations from the show earmarked for Save The Children. The free show will feature a special appearance from gospel legend CeCe Winans, Underwood’s duet partner on “Great Is They Faithfulness,” as well as singer/songwriter and Needtobreathe frontman Bear Rinehart,” who will join in on the hymn “Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus.” You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking fo...
Makin’ Tracks: Ryan Hurd, Maren Morris Put Vulnerable Spin On Riff-Led Duet
Tension, rather than comfort, is at the heart of “Chasing After You.” Much of it revolves around a haunting signature riff tipped with a hint of Eastern tonalities, delivered by a gritty guitar that sounds as if it’s being played in an empty Holiday Inn lounge just before opening. “Ryan likes kind of a rock’n’roll edge while hiding in the facade of clean, if that makes sense,” says guitarist Teddy Reimer, who played the part on the single. “That was my attempt to create something that sounded kind of gritty and unpolished, but yet clean and professional. That’s kind of where the tone scape began.” The guitar line itself is where “Chasing After You” started, though it was songwriter Jerry Flowers (“House Party,...
World Forest Day: Nigeria’s forests reduced to less than 25% – environmentalists
Some environmentalists on Monday said that unwholesome human activities had reduced the nation’s forest resources to less than 25 per cent. The environment experts made the assertion during an event in Lagos State to commemorate the 2021 World Forest Day, held every March 21, to raise public consciousness on conservation of forests. Newsmen report that the theme of the 2021 edition is “Forest Recovery, a Path and Wellbeing’’. The environmentalists, who envisaged danger as a result of depletion of forests, advised Nigerians to always replenish nature, whenever their activities caused violation of nature. At the event, Executive Director, Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development, Nigeria, Dr Leslie Adogame, said “with reduced forestry resources the human habitat is under...
UN official highlights values of water in fighting coronavirus pandemic
Water has many values that are just not priced, Sasha Koo-Oshima, the Deputy Director, Land and Water Division, UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), told Xinhua ahead of the World Water Day on March 29. The official highlighted that with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a large part of the world population still lacks access to handwashing facilities at home. “This is the first line of defence against this virus and the value of water is very evident in this progression. “The first thing we realised is handwashing. Many countries just don’t have clean water to even just wash hands,” she said. The UN on Monday warned that more than two billion people do not have direct access to water, the “blue gold” which is essential in defeating the pandemic. In its World Water Development Re...
Post Malone Goes Country, Kacey Musgraves Covers Willie Nelson for ‘We’re Texas’ Concert
The virtual event on Sunday night (March 21) brought to life “songs, stories and traditions that define the DNA” of Texas, McConaughey said, to encourage viewers to make donations to help Texans facing hardship get back on their feet after the cold weather snap in February that devastated much of the state. The winter storm left thousands without heat, water and electricity. Kacey Musgraves gave a nod to another Texan, Willie Nelson, with her performance on Sunday. “I don’t answer unknown numbers, but for some reason I did and it was Matthew,” Musgraves said, recounting the invitation to participate she received over the phone. “Obviously it was a hell yes for me.” “Anything I can do to support and lend a hand,” she said. “I miss ...
Ebonyi governor: South East benefited more from APC government than PDP’s 16 years
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State and Chairman of South East Governors’ Forum weekend, said the South East benefitted more from the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress, APC, federal government than from Peoples Democratic Party’s sixteen years of governance. Speaking to newsmen in Lagos through his Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji, Umahi said the Igbo have had a fair-play under Buhari’s administration in terms of economic and infrastructure development. According to him, the N10Billion Airport rehabilitation, the 2nd Niger Bridge, the Enugu-Port-Harcourt Expressway and other infrastructures are pointers to the benefits the South East States are getting from the Buhari administration. “These are indications that this administration is helping t...
Morgan Wallen’s ‘Dangerous’ Spends 10th Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart
Of Dangerous’ 69,000 equivalent album units earned in the tracking week ending March 11, SEA units comprise 64,000 (down 10%, equaling 88.85 million on-demand streams of the album’s songs), album sales comprise 4,000 (down 30%) and TEA units comprise 1,000 (down 9%). Dangerous is the first album to spend its first 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 since 1987, when Whitney Houston’s Whitney album logged all 11 of its weeks at No. 1 from its debut week (from the June 27 through Sept. 5, 1987-dated charts). Before that, the only other album to spend its first 10 weeks at No. 1 on the chart, which began regularly publishing as a weekly survey in March of 1956, was Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life. It spent its first 13 weeks at No. 1 (of a total of 14 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1...
CDS hailed over free medical treatment in Kano
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Leo Irabor, has received commendation for the recently concluded two-day free medical treatment in Bichi Local Government Area of Kano State. About 1000 persons benefitted from the programme which had as theme: “The Role of Diet in the Management of Hypertension and Diabetes.” Commending the CDS for the Initiative, the Nigeria Youth Alliance (NYA), said the programme was designed to sensitise communities on preventive and curative measures of the diseases. The CDS who was represented by Col. Vincent Abu, the Commandant, Armed Forces Specialist Hospital, Kano, at the inauguration of the programme, said that the exercise was aimed at improving the health status of people at the grassroots. NYA in a press release signed by the President, Atanda Mojeed and Secr...
