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.

Lauren Akins, wife of country star Thomas Rhett, is writing a new book about her life. Akins is set to release Live in Love: Growing Together Through Life's Changes, which will share her life from childhood to now through stories about her friends, family and faith, on May 5, 2020. “I hope that through sharing my story, people from all walks of life can find themselves within the pages feeling related to, hopeful, not alone, inspired and most of all — of course — loved," Akins tells People. -- AM

George Strait
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George Strait has released a T-shirt to raise funds for victims of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas. Proceeds from the shirt, the front of which reads "Oceanfront Recovery" (a nod to Strait's song "Ocean Front Property"), will benefit the Discovery Land Company Foundation's Abaco Relief Fund. The T-shirt is currently available for pre-order; tees will begin shipping on Nov. 4. -- AM

King Calaway drummer Chris Deaton is a married man! The country artist and his fiancee, Molli Benson, tired the knot on Saturday (Sept. 21), with Deaton's five bandmates acting as his groomsmen. Deaton and Benson got engaged in December of 2017; they met in a high school theater class. -- AS

Haley and Michaels
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Wife-and-husband country duo Haley & Michaels have announced that they will release a new album on Oct. 4. Titled Hail Mary, the 12-track record was written entirely by the band's Shannon Haley and Ryan Michaels. The pair will perform the project's lead single and title track during Monday Night Football on Oct. 7. Fans can pre-order the album now. -- AM

James Dupre Randy Travis influence
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Singer James Dupre and his wife Kelsie welcomed a baby girl on Friday (Sept. 20), People reports. Rellie Evangeline Dupre arrived at 12:03AM, weighing 9 pounds, 1 ounce, and measuring 21.75 inches long at birth. She is Dupre's fifth child, but his first with Kelsie and his first daughter; the artist has four boys from a previous marriage. -- AS

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