The Boot News Roundup: Jay DeMarcus Releasing a Memoir + More
Welcome to The Boot's News Roundup, a morning rundown of the news country music fans need to know. Read on to learn more about the latest goings-on in the country, Americana, bluegrass and folk genres.
Rascal Flatts member Jay DeMarcus is set to release Shotgun Angels: My Story of Broken Roads and Unshakable Hope, a memoir about his life and music career. "Readers will hear never-before-told stories and get a glimpse into what it was like for me coming from Columbus, Ohio, and my journey to Nashville," DeMarcus says in a statement. "My ultimate goal is that the book will encourage people that, no matter where they are in their lives, they can find hope, comfort and strength in their faith.” Co-written with Tim Willard, DeMarcus' forthcoming book is scheduled to hit shelves in April 2019.
Congratulations are in order for Dee Jay Silver, who is expecting his second child with wife Jenna in 2019! The artist announced the impeding arrival of his new bundle of joy on Monday (Oct. 15), in an Instagram post featuring his son Wake holding a "big bro" balloon. The excellent news comes several months after Silver's wife announced that she'd suffered a miscarriage in May. There is no word yet on when the new little one is set to make his or her arrival.
Jamey Johnson, Grace Potter and more will play the 30th annual Christmas Jam, presented by Warren Haynes, in Asheville, N.C. The two-night event will kick off on Dec. 7 at the city's U.S. Cellular Center with performances from Potter, Johnson, Mike Gordon and more; on Dec. 8, Eric Church, Joe Bonamassa, Dave Grohl and Jim James will play. More artists are set to be announced in the coming weeks, but tickets for the concert, benefiting Habitat for Humanity in Asheville, go on sale on Oct. 26.
Shenandoah, Restless Heart, Mitchell Tenpenny and more will headline the 2018 Christmas 4 Kids concert in Nashville. Set for Nov. 19 at the historic Ryman Auditorium, the event will benefit Christmas 4 Kids, a Tennessee-based organization that takes more than 400 underprivileged children on a holiday shopping spree every year. Halfway to Hazard, Sandra Lynn and Darryl Worley are also set to perform; tickets are on sale now at Ryman.com.
Christmas is just around the corner, and Vince Gill has released a double-vinyl collection of holiday classics to celebrate. Titled The Christmas Collection, the 21-song package is exclusive to Cracker Barrel restaurants and combines Gill's Let There Be Peace on Earth and Breath of Heaven albums. Fans will find songs including "O Holy Night," and "Breath of Heaven," co-written with Gill's wife, Christian artist Amy Grant, in the collection.