Brandon Lewis
February 23, 2026
Monday 23rd February 2026
Welcome to The List,
We start today with some great news for Kelsea Ballerini! She’s returning for a fourth consecutive year to host the CMT Music Awards. But this time she’ll be doing it SOLO. She will also be performing. The show airs live Sunday, April 7th on CBS.
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Jennifer Lopez’s short film “This Is Me… Now” that came out earlier this month could’ve had a drastically different list of celebrity cameos. In her new documentary, “The Greatest Love Story Never Told”, J-Lo revealed some names that passed on the opportunity, like Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande, Jason Momoa and Snoop Dog. J-Lo’s short film and documentary are now streaming on Prime Video.
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Warren Zeiders has his FIRST number one song on the charts with “Pretty Little Poison” He tells Billboard magazine that it’s an unexpected honor. “I put everything I had into this song and I’ll never be able to thank the fans, my team, and country radio enough for its success. This is my first No. 1 … Lord willing, it ain’t my last.”…we hope so too.
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And lastly some bad news to report today for Gary Sinise. His son Mac passed after a battle with cancer. Gary said Mac was, quote, “an incredible inspiration to those who knew and loved him, [and] he faced his battle with grace, courage, and love.” Mac was 33.
You can catch The List, weekdays at 4:20 with Jonathan Knight only on Iowa’s BEST Country KIX 101.1
Welcome to The List,
Eric Dane, best known as McSteamy on Grey’s Anatomy, has passed away at 53 after battling ALS. He first revealed his diagnosis last April, but symptoms began earlier in 2024. His family says he spent his final days surrounded by his wife, daughters, and close friends, and he used his fight to raise awareness for ALS research.
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William Shatner is officially going metal…because apparently retirement is for people without a spaceship. The 94 year old icon is releasing a heavy metal album featuring covers of Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest, plus original songs with 35 metal legends. He says metal is where imagination gets loud, which explains a lot about Captain Kirk. There’s nothing more metal than a man eligible for social security since Nixon.
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Jelly Roll is officially becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry on March 10th, and Lainey Wilson will be there to welcome him in. He first found out back in December when Craig Morgan surprised him with the invitation, and now Craig will perform at the induction too. It’s one of country music’s highest honors, and proof that redemption stories hit harder than any guitar solo.
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Kane Brown is the latest country star to plant his flag on Broadway in Nashville with his own entertainment venue. Kane Brown’s on Broadway will feature a full restaurant, bar, and live music, which basically guarantees fans will spend money while singing his songs badly. Every country star gets a bar eventually, it’s practically a rite of passage. At this point, Nashville Broadway is less a street and more a country music theme park.
You can catch The List, weekday afternoons at 4:20 with Jonathan Knight. Only on Iowa’s BEST Country KIX 101.1
