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.

Kane Brown's star continues to rise. His sophomore album Experiment debuted at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, making him one of only three country artists to top that chart in 2018 (the other two were Carrie Underwood and Jason Aldean). According to a press release, the album also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, moving 124,000 units. Fun fact: Brown's the first male country artist to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with a sophomore album since 1994, when Tim McGraw's Not a Moment Too Soon topped the chart.

Jimmie Allen Make Me Want To
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Jimmie Allen's "Best Shot" is officially in the history books! Allen is the first black country artist to hit No. 1 on country radio with his debut single. “If someone asked me two years ago if I thought that this would be my life today -- that I’d be on the red carpet at the CMAs or my song would be the No. 1 song on country radio -- I would have honestly said no,” Allen says in a statement. “Did I think it would happen eventually? Absolutely! Just not this soon. I’m humbled and grateful — it’s such an honor to get my first No. 1 and to know that my song is connecting with people and resonating in a way that hopefully makes us all better people in the end." "Best Shot" appears on Allen's debut album, Mercury Lane.

Kacey Musgraves 2018 CMA Awards
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Kacey Musgraves will be honored at Billboard's 13th annual Women in Music event, with the "innovator" award, in recognition of her country success on her own terms. According to the publication, Musgraves will be presented with the honor, which "recognizes female artists who challenge musical convention, create positive change, and contribute new ideas both in and outside of their creative work," at a ceremony on Dec. 6 in New York City.

Easton Corbin A Girl Like You
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Sad news for Easton Corbin, who lost his grandfather recently. According to Taste of Country, Corbin's grandfather, Cecil Corbin, died on Nov. 14, in Corbin's hometown of Trenton, Fla., of undisclosed causes. He was 92 years old. The elder Corbin was laid to rest on Nov. 19.

Dan + Shay
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CMA Vocal Duo of the Year Dan + Shay and Devin Dawson are teaming up for a UK tour in 2019. on a series of concert dates across the United Kingdom. According to a press release, Dawson will join Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney for a sold-out show at the Garage in Glasgow, Scotland, on Jan. 17, after which the two acts will make stops throughout England -- Birmingham, Cambridge, Bristol and Manchester -- before concluding in London on Jan. 24.

Chris Young 2018 ACM Awards Losing Sleep
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Also headed to the United Kingdom is Chris Young, who's set to bring his Losing Sleep World Tour to locations in England and Scotland during Spring 2019. Starting on May 5, Young will hit Manchester, England, alongside special guest Lindsay Ell before performing in Glasgow, Scotland; Birmingham, England; and London, England. Tickets for those dates are on sale now.

Country singer Ira Dean became a Good Samaritan on Nov. 19, when he helped pull a man from the wreckage of a serious car accident. According to a press release, Dean was on the set of his upcoming movie Deep River when he heard the crash and "immediately took off running towards the car." "I found it upside down and mangled, with no driver in sight,” Dean recalls in a statement. “I heard screams from a woman and found her bloody and panicked. Fellow actor Eric Hamilton and I quickly rushed to open the car doors, but they were both jammed. I finally climbed through the back to reach him.” Both passengers survived the accident, and were taken to a nearby hospital.

Congratulations are in order for singer-songwriter Caitlyn Smith, who's welcomed a new baby to her family! Smith announced the arrival of her son Lewis "Louie" James on Nov. 13 in an Instagram post. "We are so in love," Smith wrote before quoting a classic Elton John lyric: "How wonderful life is now you're in the world." Baby Lewis joins older brother Thomas Miles Gaalswyk, born in 2016 to Smith and her songwriter husband Rollie Gaalswyk.

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