The Boot News Roundup: Clint Black Is Making a Musical + 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.
Ahead of the holiday season, Clint Black is bringing a brand-new musical to the stage. Titled Looking for Christmas, the musical, Variety reports, will follow the story of a military veteran suffering from PTSD as he tries to reconnect with his wife and daughter. Songs from Black’s 1995 album of the same name will soundtrack the book, written by James D. Sasser. There is no word yet on when Looking for Christmas will hit the stage, but a reading of the musical will be hosted in New York in December. -- AM
Keith Urban has been announced as one of SXSW 2018’s featured speakers. Held every year in Austin, Texas, the conference features some of today's brightest and best minds in every imaginable aspect of our culture; Urban was selected as a representative voice for the Music Culture & Stories category. Further details of Urban's speech have not yet been announced, but SXSW 2018 will take place March 9-18. -- LS
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill will be honored with Billboard’s Legends of Live award. The honor is considered Billboard’s most prestigious award; it recognizes “professionalism and steadfast commitment to the art and craft of live performance.” The country music power couple will be presented with the prize at the Billboard Touring Conference & Awards, planned for Nov. 14 and 15 at the Montage Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, Calif. -- AM
In 2018, Billy Ray Cyrus will be inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, which honors native Kentuckians who are “performers, songwriters, publishers, promoters, managers, broadcasters, comedians and other music professionals who have made significant contributions to the music industry in Kentucky and around the world,” according to a press release. Past inductees include Loretta Lynn, Bill Monroe and the Osborne Brothers. Says Cyrus of the honor, “It’s been a long journey since those days of growing up in Flatwoods, Kentucky. For me, getting the chance to be inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame just brings it all full circle.” Cyrus’ fellow 2018 Kentucky Music Hall of Fame inductees are Jason Crabb, Jackie DeShannon, Dale Ann Bradley, Bobby Lewis and David “Stringbean” Akeman; the ceremony will take place on May 11, 2018, at the Center For Rural Development in Somerset, Ky. -- LS
Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Cole Swindell and Toby Keith are set to headline the 2018 Country Thunder Arizona festival. Planned for April 5-8, 2018, in Florence, Ariz., the festival will also feature performances from Big & Rich, Neal McCoy, Lindsay Ell, Tracy Lawrence, Michael Ray, Brett Young and more. Tickets to the festival are currently on sale, with four-day passes starting at $160. Find more information at CountryThunder.com. -- AM