Feel-Good Friday: Uplifting Country News From Dolly Parton, Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard & Garth Brooks
What stories made you happy this week?
Welcome to Feel-Good Friday, a weekly roundup of heartwarming stories, lighthearted videos, and inspiring country news that reminds us all there is still good in the world.
Carly Pearce is grateful for country music fans this holiday season
Carly Pearce’s 2020 has been a roller coaster, but the singer is finally beginning to find peace. In a long thank you message to fans posted to Instagram, the “Next Girl” singer shared her gratitude to those who have stuck by her side.
“I have been so moved by all of YOU & your love. I want you to know I read every comment, every DM, every tagged post— and the way you have opened your hearts to me and been praying for me has truly blown my mind,” she captions a photo. “You’ve shared your own journeys and that has honestly been so healing to feel like I’m not alone. God has given me ‘winks’ through so many of you.
“This has obviously been a huge couple of weeks for me, and I just want to say thank you,” she continues. “Thank you for letting me truly see I have no reason to feel shame in the life I am walking, and showing me that there IS beauty in all things— and for helping make so many dreams come true this year!”
Dolly Parton announces Pandora Live special
Dolly Parton has announced a Pandora Live holiday special Dec. 4 at 9 p.m. ET. She’ll be joined in Nashville by Carly Pearce, Tasha Cobb Leonard and Brett Eldredge to sing seasonal favorites and songs from her latest release A Holly Dolly Christmas. Fans can RSVP to the free, virtual event here.
In other Dolly news, the singer helped researchers get closer to releasing a vaccine for Covid-19.
Following the singer’s $1 million donation in April to Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center, this week it was revealed that Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine research had a major breakthrough with a 94.5% effectiveness rate. While it will still be some time until a vaccine is available, it marks a major breakthrough for this year’s novel coronavirus.
Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard shares new song with daughter
Tyler Hubbard is sharing the new music he’s been writing in quarantine with the world. His latest song, written for his two-year-old daughter Olivia, has the singer appreciating his life as a #GirlDad.
“I got to share a song with Liv that I wrote for her over quarantine with some friends @lorimckennama and @davebarnesmusic,” Hubbard captions the sweet clip. “This is one of my favorite moments with her so far.”
In the clip, Hubbard and his daughter are in bed as he plays the song for Liv. “But I like that song for me. I can keep it. Forever and forever,” Liv says at the song’s end.
Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood to appear in CBS concert special
On the heels of his two new albums today, FUN and Triple Live Deluxe, Garth Brooks has announced a live television special with wife Trisha Yearwood. Garth and Trisha Live! A Holiday Concert Event will air Dec. 20 at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS. The one-hour television special will have the couple performing holiday songs by request from their home studio.
Fans can tune-in ahead of the special to Brooks’ weekly Facebook Live show Inside Studio G to make song requests in the weeks leading up to the CBS special. Garth and Trisha Live! A Holiday Concert Event marks the second time Brooks and CBS have teamed up this year, following his previous April 1 concert special.
LANCO’s Chandler Baldwin and Tripp Howell expecting their first children
The LANCO family is getting a little bit bigger. Members Chandler Baldwin and Tripp Howell recently announced that both their wives are expecting their first children in 2021. In an interview with PEOPLE, the bandmates shared the exciting news.
“My wife [Alli] and I could not be more excited about being parents,” drummer Howell told the publication. “It’s literally the greatest gift God could give us.”
Bassist Baldwin, meanwhile, said that he and his wife, Natalie, “are both incredibly excited to become parents and thank God every day for such an amazing gift! In a year full of uncertainty and craziness, it has been so nice to have something to celebrate and look forward to together.”
While the bandmates didn’t reveal when they’ll be expecting their children, Baldwin says it will be “a couple weeks apart” from each other.
