Hank Williams News

Tune in Friday, November 23 at 9:00 pm ET/PT to watch the broadcast premiere of the concert special “THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS” on AT&T* AUDIENCE Network via DIRECTV Ch 239. The show will also be available streaming on-demand through DIRECTV NOW and WatchTV. 

 Roy Clark, the legendary 'superpicker', GRAMMY, CMA and ACMaward winner, Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry member and co-host of the famed 'Hee Haw' television series, died today at the age of 85 due to complications from pneumonia at home in Tulsa, Okla.

Tune in Friday, November 16 at 9:00 pm ET/PT to watch the broadcast premiere of the concert special “Cassadee Pope” on AT&T* AUDIENCE Network via DIRECTV Ch 239. The show will also be available streaming on-demand through DIRECTV NOW and WatchTV. 

American Blues Theater announces the addition of five new Ensemble members and one new Artistic Affiliate to the Blues family. Joining the Ensemble is director, designer and Associate Producer Elyse Dolan, who directed several works in past Ripped and Blue Ink festivals; designer Jared Gooding, lighting designer of Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story; actor Philip Earl Johnson, who is slated to appear in the upcoming Chicago premiere of Steven Dietz's On Clover Road; director Chuck Smith, director of the recent American Blues production of Pearl Cleage's Flyin' West; and actress and playwright Wandachristine, who won many awards for her solo performance Beauty's Daughter. Actor Zachary Stevenson has been named an Artistic Affiliate. Stevenson recently made his Chicago debut as 'Buddy Holly' in American Blues Theater's Joseph Jefferson Award-winning musical Buddy - the Buddy Holly Story, in which he also won a Jeff Award for Performance in a Musical.

The Innsbrook Foundation announced today that they will host the 34th season of Innsbrook After Hours in 2019. With a record-breaking season in 2018, plans are now underway to bring in some of the best national acts that members of the community have come to expect and enjoy over the years.

Tune in Friday, November 9 at 9:00 pm ET/PT to watch the broadcast premiere of the concert special "Matt Nathanson" on AT&T* AUDIENCE Network via DIRECTV Ch 239. The show will also be available streaming on-demand through DIRECTV NOW and WatchTV. 

Lookingglass Theatre Company announces casting for the world premiere of The Steadfast Tin Soldier: A Christmas Pantomime, from the story by Hans Christian Andersen, conceived and directed by Ensemble Member Mary Zimmerman. This family-friendly, holiday show runs November 7, 2018 - January 13, 2019 at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. 

Tune in Friday, November 2 at 9:00 pm ET/PT to watch the broadcast premiere of the concert special “Walker McGuire” on AT&T* AUDIENCE Network via DIRECTV Ch 239. The show will also be available streaming on-demand through DIRECTV NOW and WatchTV. 

After announcing “Friends and Heroes 2019” earlier this week, country music superstar Blake Shelton continues to show old-school country some modern-day love with his cover of “Tequila Sheila” (listen HERE). Originally released in 1980 by Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry member Bobby Bare on his album Down and Dirty, the reimagined throwback tune features an introductory vocal by Bare himself. The song was written by songwriting legends Shel Silverstein and Mac Davis. The country legend is celebrating 60 years as a hit-maker this year and has big plans in store for 2019, to be announced soon.

The Broadway production of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, a new play by Aaron Sorkin, starring Jeff Daniels as Atticus Finch, begins previews tonight, Thursday, November 1. Get to know the cast below as they begin Broadway performances!

Two of the three remaining Certified Guitar Players (an honor bestowed by Chet Atkins)--TOMMY EMMANUEL and JOHN KNOWLES--have announcedFriday, January 11 as the release date for their new collaborative instrumental album, HEART SONGS, via CGP Sounds/Thirty Tigers.

3Girls Theatre Company turns Z Below in the Mission into an intimate down-home east Texas bar to tell a bluesy tale of country music, true love, success and betrayal in a brand new revival of Southern Lights, first produced by Theater Artists of Marin in 1993. 

Blackberry Smoke's rendition of Tom Petty's “You Got Lucky,” featuring Amanda Shires, recently premiered at Rolling Stone Country. Available today in honor of Petty's birthday tomorrow, Rolling Stone Country describes the song as a “…a moving tribute…”

Tune in Friday, October 19 at 9:00 pm ET/PT to watch the broadcast premiere of the concert special “Dashboard Confessional” on AT&T* AUDIENCE Network via DIRECTV Ch 239, AT&T U-verse Ch 1114. The show will also be available streaming on-demand through DIRECTV NOW and WatchTV. 

Flat Rock Playhouse will continue the 2018 season with a Flat Rock Favorites all-star performance featuring the musical styles made famous by The Grand Ole Opry. Combining the talents of performers from Million Dollar Quartet, Music on the Rock: Johnny Cash & Roy Orbison, and Music on the Rock: Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson, Pickin' and A Grinnin': A Night at the Opry guarantees a high energy, merry riot of musical expression. Running from October 18th to 28th on the historic Flat Rock Playhouse Mainstage, Pickin' and A Grinnin': A Night at the Opry will offer the perfect chance to bring the whole family together for a hand clappin' foot stompin' good time!

This Friday night, acclaimed R&B superstar, DRAM will appear on AT&T AUDIENCE Network for a special, one-hour concert. Watch a “First Look” as DRAM performs his 6X Platinum hit song “Broccoli” live at AT&T AUDIENCE Network studios, HERE.  

Grammy winning singer/songwriter, John Berry, has been included on the new release of “Country Faith Christmas Vol. 2” by popular faith-based, multi-faceted brand, Country Faith. The CD features the top Country Music artists including Carrie Underwood, Chris Young, Kelsea Ballerini, Charlie Daniels, Hank Williams Jr, Darius Rucker and more.

Tune in Friday, September 28 at 9:00 pm ET/PT to watch the broadcast premiere of the concert special “Noah Cyrus” on AT&T* AUDIENCE Network via DIRECTV Ch 239, AT&T U-verse Ch 1114. The show will also be available streaming on-demand through DIRECTV NOW. 

La Jolla Playhouse has announced that Jeanna de Waal will portray the title role in its upcoming world-premiere musical Diana, by the Tony Award-winning Memphis team of Joe DiPietro (book and lyrics) and David Bryan (music and lyrics), directed by Playhouse Artistic Director and 2017 Tony Award winner Christopher Ashley and choreographed by Tony nomineeKelly Devine. The production will run February 19 - March 31, 2019 in the Playhouse's Mandell Weiss Theatre. The complete cast and creative team will be announced at a later date.

London-based Irish-born songstress Linda Em presents 'Wild Fire' video in support of her new 'London Irish' EP, released via Talking Elephant Records. This EP is the first step in a different direction for Linda, towards a more atmospheric and spacious sound and vocal performance. It is both poetic and storytelling while still being brutally honest and personal. Her pure and raw vocals beautifully convey a nostalgic lyrical narrative, her warm endearing vocals drawing the listener into her musical story telling.