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.

Songwriter and composer Steve Dorff has joined forces with his son, actor Stephen Dorff, to create the Andrew Marshall Dorff Memorial Fund in memory of the late country music songwriter, their son and brother, respectively. The writer of Blake Shelton's "Neon Light" and Kenny Chesney's "Save It for a Rainy Day," among others, Dorff died unexpectedly in late 2016. In his memory, the newly established fund will host an annual memorial party, with donations going to support the creation of a songwriting scholarship in Dorff's name at Belmont University and research at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt's pediatric oncology department. -- AM

Pilgrimage Festival 2016 pictures
Photo by Jason Myers
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Langhorne Slim has announced a slate of more than two dozen tour dates across the United States, kicking off on Dec. 31 in Asheville, N.C. He'll host the fourth annual New Year's With Langhorne Slim & Friends shindig at City Winery in Nashville on Jan. 1 before heading out to Portland, Ore.; Seattle, Wash.; Napa, Calif.; and New York City, among other locales. -- AM

Tyler Rich Valentine's Day
Courtesy of Tyler Rich
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Rising country artist Tyler Rich has signed a publishing deal and a record deal with Big Machine Music and the Valory Music Co. George Briner, the Valory Music Co.'s general manager, calls Rich "a great performer" and says that "his talents shine through in quick fashion." Adds Rich, "When I moved to Nashville, I could have never dreamed that working with this hard-working label would even be possible. I can’t imagine a better team and stronger force behind me ... I’m just beyond words and so excited for what’s to come as an artist and also a songwriter.” -- AS

The Devil Makes Three 2018 tour
Photo by Giles Clement, courtesy of New West Records
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Americana trio the Devil Makes Three have announced a 23-show 2018 tour, scheduled to begin on Jan. 10 in Madison, Wis. Over the following month, they'll perform throughout the U.S. and Canada, ending their time on the road on Feb. 10 in Dallas, Texas. The band -- Pete Bernhard, Cooper McBean, and Lucia Turino, who have been playing together for nearly 15 years -- released their most recent album, Redemption & Ruin, via New West Records in 2016. -- AS

Moe Bandy birthday
Rick Diamond, Getty Images
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Singer-songwriter Moe Bandy will release his autobiography, Lucky Me, in 2018. Set to debut on Jan. 26, the book will regale readers with "backstage stories of other country music legends, the tale of the duo 'Moe and Joe,' his battle with alcoholism, his love of the rodeo and details of his 30 year friendship with President George Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush," according to a press release. The former First Lady wrote the foreword for Lucky Me, which fans can pre-order directly via MoeBandyBook.com. -- AM

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