The Boot News Roundup: Country Stars Donate Items to Be Auctioned for Charitable Causes + More
Welcome to The Boot's New Roundup, a rundown of the news country fans need to know. Read on to learn more about the latest goings-on in the country, Americana, bluegrass and folk genres.
Memorabilia donated by Kacey Musgraves, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire and more country artists will be auctioned to benefit the Girls Rock Camp Alliance, an organization that provides summer camps and music education to female, transgender, and gender non-conforming kids. The Girls Rock Reverb Charity Auction, opened on May 10, will also feature donations of instruments, autographed records, and more from artists like Bonnie Tyler, Lady Gaga, Amanda Shires, and Melissa Etheridge. Fans can currently bid on items such as an overdrive pedal donated by Shires and a mixer used by Musgraves.
Lauren Alaina, Justin Moore, and Chris Janson are among a slew of country artists added to the 2018 Gulf Coast Jam line-up. Joining headliners Eric Church, Thomas Rhett, and Florida Georgia Line, the summer festival will also feature performances from Montgomery Gentry, Drake White, Dustin Lynch, Chase Rice, Cam, and Rodney Atkins. Tickets for the festival, set for August 31 through September 2 in Panama City Beach, Florida, are on sale now.
The line-up for this year's Country Jam and Campout in Thornville, Ohio has been announced, and it features an impressive array of country stars. A few acts for the festival are still a mystery, but Sam Hunt, Maren Morris, Jon Pardi, Aaron Watson, Jillian Jacqueline, and more artists have officially been confirmed to perform. The festival, set for August 30 through September 1 at Thornville's Legend Valley, will announce more performers in the coming days.
Also in festival news, the Zac Brown Band and Little Big Town will headline this year's Party in the Pines Festival. Set for October 19 and 20 in White Springs, Fla., Luke Combs, Kip Moore, Runaway June, and the Mark O'Connor Band are also scheduled to perform, along with additional artists that haven't been announced just yet. Tickets for the festival are on sale now.
Days after the May 4 shooting at Nashville's Opry Mills Mall that killed one person, a judge has sent the shooter's case to a grand jury. According to Sounds Like Nashville, Justin Golson is accused of shooting 22-year-old Demarco Churchwell after a dispute inside the mall. Golson will be charged with second degree homicide, and his girlfriend Alexandria Lavender will be charged with unlawful possession of a weapon for her role in the incident.
Spotify has announced a new policy intended to curb what it calls "hate content." In a blog post, the streaming service detailed its new "content and hateful conduct public policy," saying that it will not tolerate content that "expressly and principally promotes, advocates, or incites hatred or violence against a group or individual based on characteristics, including, race, religion, gender identity, sex, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, veteran status, or disability." According to Spotify, this means that music that violates this policy can be removed from the service altogether, or won't be promoted or added to playlists. At present, rappers R. Kelly and XXXTentacion have been removed from all Spotify-branded playlists and "recommended" content.