2018 Year In Review - November & December

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NOVEMBER 

• Brett Young was honored as the 2018 ASCAP Country Songwriter-Artist of the Year at the 56^th Annual ASCAP Country Music Awards.
• Chris Stapleton announced at a concert at Madison Square Garden that he and his wife Morgane Stapleton were expecting their fifth child together.
• Brett young married his longtime love, Taylor Mills, in Palm Springs, California. Close friends and family members watched the couple get married during a ceremony officiated by Brett's father and manager. 
• Eric Church hit the stage for the 12th annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit at The Theater At Madison Square Garden in New York City
• Pistol Annies landed their second number one album. The trio’s release, “Interstate Gospel,” moved 30,000 equivalent album units to top the “Billboard” Top Country Albums chart. 
• At the ASCAP Country Music Awards, Sam Hunt’s “Body Like A Back Road” took home the honor of Song of the Year, and Brett Young was named Songwriter-Artist of the Year for his two hits, "In Case You Didn't Know" and "Like I Loved You.” Lee Ann Womack was honored with the prestigious ASCAP Golden Note Award 
• Keith Urban was the big winner at the 52^nd Annual CMA Awards taking home the night’s top prize, Entertainer of the Year for the second time. Chris Stapleton took home the most trophies, winning four, including Male Vocalist of the Year for a fourth time, and Single and Song of the Year for “Broken Halos.” Meanwhile, it was also a big night for Kacey Musgraves, who took home the trophy for Album of the Year for “Golden Hour.”
• Garth Brooks debuted the new song “Stronger Than Me” at the CMA Awards, which he sang for wife Trisha Yearwood.
• Carrie Underwood revealed during the CMA Awards that she and hubby Mike Fisher were having a baby boy. 
• Vince Gill was unable to attend the CMA Awards because he was in the hospital. The singer was supposed to join Keith Urban and Ricky Skaggs for their performance, but was in the hospital dealing with a kidney stone.
• Kenny Chesney was supposed to perform at CMA Awards, but was forced to cancel his appearance at the last minute due to a death in the family. 
• CMT announced the nine rising signed and unsigned artists that will be celebrated as part of their sixth annual "Next Women of Country,” including Anna Vaus, Emily Hackett, Ingrid Andress, Lainey Wilson, Lauren Duski, Leah Turner, Rachel Wammack, Stephanie Quayle and Tenille Townes. 
• Country Music Hall of Famer Roy Clark died at home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 85-year-old passed away from complications from pneumonia.
• Kane Brown topped the “Billboard” 200 Album chart with his latest release “Experiment,” his first-ever number one.
• Carrie Underwood was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
• Garth Brooks released his “Anthology Part III Live.”
• Sugarland, Kane Brown, Martina McBride and Carly Pearce, performed at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
• Jake Owen revealed during ABC's “I'm Coming Home” that he and girlfriend Erica Hartlein were expecting their first child together. Erica later revealed that the baby was going to be a girl.
• The fight over Glen Campbell’s will ended when three of the late singer’s children decided to end their battle to contest it. Travis, Kelli, and Wesley Campbell had contested two wills, written in 2001 and 2006, which excluded them from any inheritance.
• The FEC dismissed any complaints over Kid Rock’s fake Senate run, noting that the artist didn’t take “the most basic steps to become a candidate.”
• Margo Price revealed that she’s expecting a baby with her husband and bandmate, Jeremy Ivey.
• The Grand Ole Opry launched the new Opry NextStage, which will highlight country newcomers Riley Green, Tegan Marie, Tenille Townesand Travis Denning.
• Jana Kramer and hubby Michael Caussin welcomed their second child, a son they named Jace. 
• Florida Georgia Line kicked off their Las Vegas residency at the Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood 

DECEMBER

• Reba McEntire was honored as one of this year’s Kennedy Center honorees, with Kelly Clarkson, Brooks & Dun and more on hand to honor her.
• CBS debuted the Garth Brooks concert special, “Garth: Live At Notre Dame,” featuring two-hours of highlights from the singer’s history-making show at Notre Dame in October.
• Dan + Shay headlined a “Concert For Unity,” a benefit show for the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, where 11 worshipers were killed during services in November.
• Luke Combs revealed on social media that he’d gotten engaged to girlfriend Nicole Hocking. 
• Hootie & The Blowfish announced their first tour in more than a decade, with plans to release their first album in almost 15 years.
• Kid Rock found himself in some hot water after some comments he made about “The View’s” Joy Behar.” During an appearance on "Fox & Friends," Rock was commenting on how people are too politically correct these days, and noted, “People need to calm down, get a little less politically correct. I would say love everybody — except I’d say screw that Joy Behar b*tch.” He was later fired as grand marshal from Nashville’s 2018 Christmas Parade.
• Federal investigators ruled that the September 8^th, 2017 helicopter crash that killed Troy Gentry was caused by pilot error following engine maintenance problems.
• Kacey Musgraves was honored with the Innovator Award at “Billboard’s” 13^th annual Women in Music event.
• Chris Stapleton was named Top Country Artist of 2018 by “Billboard,” his second time taking the honor, previously earning the top spot in 2016.
• Kenny Chesney topped “Billboard’s” year-end list for the Top Country Tour for the eighth, non-consecutive year. He also landed at number nine on the overall 2018 Top Tour list.
• Dolly Parton nabbed a Golden Globe nomination. The singer’s tune, “Girl in the Movies,” from the Netflix movie “Dumplin’” earned her a nomination for Best Original Song. 
• Brandi Carlile, Kacey Musgraves and Maren Morris led the list of this year’s Country GRAMMY nominees, with both Brandi and Kacey earning nods for Album of the Year, Brandi for “By The Way, I Forgive You” and Kacey for “Golden Hour.”.
• Rascal Flatts dropped a surprise EP, “Jukebox,” featuring covers some of their favorite love songs. 
• Dolly Parton’s brother and songwriting partner Floyd Parton died. He was 61.
• Eric Paslay and wife Natalie welcomed daughter Piper Lily Paslay 
• Bassist Jon Osborn, a member of the famed “Wrecking Crew” of studio musicians, died at the age of 81 after battling pancreatic cancer.
• Songwriter Jerry Chesnut passed away at the age of 87. Chestnut has been a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame since 1996.
• Dan + Shay dominated the Country singles charts. The duo’s hit “Speechless” jumped to number one on "Billboard's" Country Airplay chart, while it maintained the number one spot on “Billboard's” Hot Country Songs chart for a fourth week
• Carly Pearce and Michael Ray announced their engagement.
• Carrie Underwood was among the stars on DoSomething.org’s annual Celebs Gone Good list.