Combs tops CMA Awards — again
Luke Combs was crowned entertainer of the year at Wednesday’s Country Music Association Awards, the second year in a row he has taken home the night’s top honor.
“I want to thank country music for making my dreams come true,” Combs said, dedicating the award to his wife and newborn child. His win came after a performance-packed three-hour show. Combs also won album of the year for “Growin’ Up.”
The show opened with Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert and Reba McEntire paying tribute to the late country queen Loretta Lynn. The trio performed a medley of Lynn’s hits including “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ ” and “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”
Rock pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis, who like Lynn died last month, was honored with a fiery tribute by Elle King and the Black Keys.
Alan Jackson accepted the lifetime achievement award, recounting how a movie about Hank Williams inspired him to move to Nashville, Tennessee, when he was flat broke. He teared up during his speech, ending it by telling the audience, “I’m still living that honky tonk dream, y’all.”
Brothers Osborne won vocal duo of the year, and Old Dominion won the trophy for vocal group. Chris Stapleton won male vocalist of the year, his sixth win in the category.
Lainey Wilson was the leading nominee with six nods, taking home trophies for new artist and female vocalist. Jordan Davis’ “Buy Dirt,” featuring CMA Awards’ co-host Luke Bryan, won song of the year.
NFL great Peyton Manning co-hosted the show in Nashville.
Snoop Dogg biopic in works:
Universal Pictures announced Wednesday that the studio is developing a film about Snoop Dogg’s life to be produced by the 51-year-old rapper. The film will be written by Joe Robert Cole and directed by Allen Hughes.
“I waited a long time to put this project together because I wanted to choose the right director, the perfect writer and the greatest movie company I could partner with that could understand the legacy that I’m trying to portray on screen, and the memory I’m trying to leave behind,” Snoop said in a statement.
Snoop broke through in the early ’90s as part of the West Coast rap scene and has sold more than 35 million albums worldwide.
Brazilian singer Costa dies:
Singer Gal Costa, an icon in the Tropicalia and Brazilian popular music
movements who enjoyed a nearly six-decade career, died on Wednesday at age 77. Her death was confirmed by a representative, who provided no further information.
The soprano was best known for lending her voice to compositions such as Ary Barroso’s “Aquarela do Brasil” (Watercolor of Brazil), Tom Jobim’s “Dindi” and Jorge Ben Jor’s “Que Pena” (What a Shame). In 2011, Costa was awarded a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Nov. 11 birthdays: Singer Narvel Felts is 84. Musician Jim Peterik is 72. Musician Andy Partridge is 69. Actor Stanley Tucci is 62. Actor Demi Moore is 60. Actor Calista Flockhart is 58. TV personality Carson Kressley is 53. Actor David DeLuise is 51. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio is 48. Musician Jon Batiste is 36.