JOHN MELLENCAMP and MEG RYAN are engaged. Meg announced it on Instagram, with a crude drawing of the two of them. Meg is 56, John is 67. John and Meg dated from 2010 to 2014, then broke up. John ended up with CHRISTIE BRINKLEY, but after THEY split in 2017, he and Meg got back together. This will be Meg’s second marriage. She was married to DENNIS QUAID from 1991 to 2001. They split after her affair with RUSSELL CROWE went public. Meg and Dennis have a 26-year-old son, and Meg adopted a baby girl from China in 2006. John has five kids from three previous marriages.
Everybody wants to perform at the WILLIE NELSON tribute concert. It’s called “Willie: Life & Songs of an American Outlaw”, and it’s happening January 12th in Nashville. It’ll air sometime in 2019 on A&E. Here are some of the performers: George Strait, John Mellencamp, Sheryl Crow, Kris Kristofferson, Lee Ann Womack, Lyle Lovett, Alison Krauss, and Vince Gill. More artists will be announced soon . . . and there will also be surprise collaborators and special guests.
ERIC CHURCH has been Tweeting clips of an interview where he shares thoughts about songs on his “Desperate Man” album. He says he sees a lot of himself in a track titled “Solid”, which is about believing in who you are.
One of the victims of the shooting in Thousand Oaks, California was the niece of TAMERA MOWRY’s husband.
BEN AFFLECK and JENNIFER GARNER have finalized their divorce. KATHY GRIFFIN and her boyfriend of seven years have split . . . amicably.
Details have been announced for next year’s Country Lakeshake, which is June 21st through the 23rd in Chicago. The headliners are Miranda Lambert with Pistol Annies, Keith Urban, and Luke Bryan. Other performers include Maren Morris, Cassadee Pope, Midland, Lauren Alaina, Brett Young, Clint Black, Danielle Bradbery, Lindsay Ell, and Clint Black.
KACEY MUSGRAVES and LUKAS NELSON & PROMISE OF THE REAL will be on tomorrow’s episode of “Austin City Limits” on PBS.
Toby Keith, Luke Combs, and Luke Bryan will be headlining the Florida edition of Country Thunder 2019. Other performers include Granger Smith, Mitchell Tenpenny, Runaway June, High Valley, and Jimmie Allen. It’s going down March 22nd through the 24th in Florida.
TRAVIS DENNING posted some big news on Twitter. “It is my absolute honor and pleasure to announce I am making my Grand Ole Opry debut November 16th. You can’t dream it up any better than this y’all. God is good and so is country music.”
Former First Lady Michelle Obama and Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts visited Obama’s childhood home last week for this ABC network special, tied to Obama’s memoir which is released November 13. (9p ABC)
IN THEATERS _ Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch: An animated re-telling of the Dr. Seuss classic with the voices of Benedict Cumberbatch, Angela Lansbury and Rashida Jones. Overlord: American paratroopers are dropped behind enemy lines on the eve of D-Day. The Girl in the Spider’s Web: A New Dragon Tattoo Story.
This week’s CD Releases include new music from Kane Brown.
“Jimmy Fallon” – Mark Wahlberg, Chip & Joanna Gaines, and Zac Brown Band.
Saturday at 11:00 p.m. on PBS: Kacey Musgraves performs on “Austin City Limits”.
Sunday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on NBC: “Sunday Night Football”. The Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys.
Sunday at 10:00 p.m. on ABC: “Country Music’s Biggest Stars”. The 10th annual pre-CMA Awards special, hosted by Robin Roberts.
Chris Lane is 34.
Nick Lachey is 45.
Lou Ferrigno is 67.
