NashvilleGab - Country music news and Nashville celebrity gossip

Josh Thompson thinks country crowds have always been rowdy

He also shared his thoughts on Sammy Kershaw's recent comments about the genre. Take a listen below.

Listen to Broadway's Electric Barnyard weekdays, 6-10a (eastern) HERE or hear it on demand with the widget below.

Sammy Kershaw's younger brother passes away

My thoughts and prayers are going out to Sammy Kershaw who posted on Facebook late last night or early this morning the sad and unexpected news that his brother has passed away.  

"My younger brother Minos passed away late this afternoon. The world lost a good hearted guy today but Heaven gained an awesome soul. Visitation will be at Vincent Funeral Home in Kaplan Louisiana from noon Sunday to 10 p.m. Sunday night with a rosary being said at 7 p.m.. Visitation opens again Monday morning at 9 a.m. With a service at the funeral home at 10 a.m. followed by the burial."

It's unclear currently what Minos passed away from, but People has an old article about Sammy and his family that you can read here. 

[Source]

I'd buy it ... Sammy Kershaw records a tribute to George Jones

 

What a lovely tune.

Sammy Kershaw recorded a tribute song to George Jones called The Route That I Took back in May and uploaded it to YouTube at that time. Unfortunately, I didn't find it until Sammy mentioned it on Twitter today.  

It's really nice. Wish I had found it earlier. 

If you enjoy it, you can download it on Amazon . 

Sammy Kershaw's home catches fire

Earlier today, Sammy Kershaw's Lafayette, Louisiana home sustained heavy smoke damage after a fire broke out in the country star's kitchen.

Kershaw inadvertently started the fire when he grabbed cans of homemade spices he was delivering to a friend. The box containing the spices slid over the kitchen stove, catching the knobs that ignite the burners. Kershaw says there were likely flammable items on the stovetop that caught fire.

After leaving his home, his alarm company alerted him of the blaze. Kershaw immediately returned home and threw towels onto the stovetop to help smother the flames. Shortly after, firefighters arrived at the scene to extinguish the blaze.

"You've got to count your blessings... every one of them," says Kershaw. "This could have been so much worse. The guardian angel that God assigned to me is always working overtime."

No one was injured in the blaze. 

Sammy Kershaw's bus involved in an accident (from the mailbag)

This past weekend, Sammy Kershaw, his band and crew were involved in a roadway accident while on tour in Texas.

On Friday night after hitting the road following a concert in Nocona, Texas, Kershaw’s bus was struck by another passenger vehicle. The bus was impacted at a high speed, causing major damage, leaving the vehicle inoperable. The driver of the vehicle that struck Kershaw’s bus was taken to hospital with injuries. Kershaw, his band and crew were shaken and sore but not seriously injured.

“My guys and I are a little sore today… the third day is always the worst,” says Kershaw. “Eleven people were involved in the accident and no one was killed. It could have gone the other way. Buses and cars can be replaced but people can’t. I’m so thankful that the other driver, my band and crew are all still here. We had a guardian angel." 

Kershaw has not canceled any concerts and will use alternate means of transportation until his bus is repaired.

Sammy Kershaw, Kellie Pickler, Zac Brown, and Colt Ford are all sp[oil]ed

Sammy Kershaw is promoting a new photographic campaign called sp[oil]ed which brings awareness to the Gulf Coast and it's just had a big boost of country star power.

Sammy, Kellie Pickler, Zac Brown, and Colt Ford have all taken their turn posing with some oozing oil for the movement. Sammy Tweeted his thanks tonight.

 Sp[oil]ed's website says about the movement:

The sp[OIL]ed Campaign is a photographic movement created by New Orleans photographer, Matthew Arthur and NLE founder, Nicholas Landry in direct response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Photos feature subjects with “oil” on their hands, symbolizing the fact that solutions to the environmental & economic impact of the oil spill are in our hands.

 

The sp[OIL]ed Campaign has teamed up with protectourcoastline.org, a nonprofit organization founded to raise money to provide relief to those facing financial devastation and to help save Louisiana’s Wetlands.

 

Anyone making a donation of $40 or more to protectourcoastline.org is eligible to have their sp[OIL]ed image taken.  Additionally, if the individual will provide funding for the matting & framing of the photograph, it will be auctioned off to raise additional money for the cause. 

 

100% of the proceeds raised from the photos will go directly to protectourcoastline.org.

 

The solution is in our hands.

You can find out more information about sp{oil}ed by visiting http://www.protectourcoastline.org.

So far Kellie, Zac Brown, and Colt Ford's pics haven't surfaced yet but I'll let you know when they do. 

Sammy Kershaw says please eat more shrimp

Well now here's a strange threesome that showed up on Larry King Live last night - James Carville, Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu, and Sammy Kershaw. 

The trio joined Larry King to talk about the BP oil spill and with Sammy campaigning to become the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor of Louisiana, it's a subject that's close to his heart. 

Sammy's biggest message on the show that he wanted to convey is that despite the spill, Americans shouldn't stop buying seafood. 

He told Larry King, "There's a lot of folks down there that are hurting really bad, a lot of fishermen, shrimpers, crabbers... I know a lot of the press makes it seem as though all of our seafood is ruined. But I do have to say that 70 per cent of our seafood, we're still producing it now. So the people around the country need to know that we're still able to produce 70 per cent of good, good, clean, safe, seafood.

"And the 30 per cent that we're not producing... you know, some of those areas that are closed off are precautionary. So I just want to make sure that people know that all of our seafood is not ruined."

Sammy also mentions a pretty eye-opening fact, that BP has spent millions and millions and millions (did I mention millions?) of dollars on advertising when that money should have gone to families who have been hard hit by the spill. 

He says, "BP should have took that $50 million (that they spent on) their publicity ads and given it directly to the fishermen and all those folks down on the coast... I'm telling you, those people are starving."

Country and politics converge again

Oh those country singers just can't stay away from the political scene.  From Tim McGraw mulling over a run for Tennessee governor to Gretchen Wilson and John Rich performing for the Glenn Beck Taking Our Country Back Tour, country stars love getting involved in the political process.   

This go around, though, things are a little different because it's not someone just considering a run and it's not someone performing for someone else's political rally, it's a country singer with an actual political platform and honest to goodness political aspirations.

Roughstock is reporting that Sammy Kershaw is running for Lt. Governor of Louisiana. 

“This is the ‘Real People Campaign.’ I am running for the average, hardworking citizens of this state, who are tired of career politicians and political insiders using this seat, and their taxpayer dollars, as a place to bide their time until they can run for some other position.   The primary responsibility of the Lt. Governor is to serve as Louisiana’s Ambassador.  This job is about introducing the unique people, culture and heritage of this state. I have been in the promotion business my entire career and no one is more qualified to do this job than I am.  It’s time the people have someone in this position who not only can do the job, but wants the job,” said Kershaw.

Sammy ran for the same office back in 2007. 

So do you think Sammy will perform at his own rallies or will he get some famous friends to help him out?  Hmmm.

You can read more on Sammy on his website at www.sammykershaw2010.com.