In case you missed it...
Kenny Chesney woke up to some pretty earth-shattering news yesterday. Like we all do, he checked his phone first thing in the morning and learned he was afforded an incredible honor: he's been named Billboard’s Top Country Artist of the 21st Century. "No one gets up to go the gym and expects to see news like this on their phone," Kenny said afterwards. "All I was ever trying to do was find the best possible songs, things that spoke to the heart of how No Shoes Nation lives - and then taking that music, those albums that were slices of my life out to everyone who wanted to come out, be a part of the shows, the moments and the memories we made in every city we played." It's easy to see why he was tapped for the honor: 33 Billboard number one Country Airplay songs (more than anyone else), nine all-genre Billboard 200 Albums, and 17 of his 21st century albums have topped Billboard's Country Albums chart.
Dierks Bentley has announced a new endeavor that hopes to assist musicians and others in the industry with their mental health needs. "The Broken Branches Fund" hopes to help provide mental health resources to the creative and touring communities. In a video announcement, Bentley said, "Making this album and prepping for the tour, I’ve never been more aware of the sacrifice that the people in this town make every day to keep country music playing. Whether you’re sitting in a room all day trying to write the perfect hook or leaving home on a bus for weeks at a time, it can be isolating and exhausting. This just felt like the right opportunity to make a bigger commitment on my part to supporting those folks and their families in a more direct and intentional way." The fund will provide mental health grants for qualified candidates and their families to cover outpatient counseling and follow-up care; fans will have opportunities to donate at any of the stops on Dierks' upcoming tour. Check out the announcement below...