The latest from Jimmy Carter in Nashville

COUNTRY MUSIC SUPERSTAR GEORGE STRAIT INVITES  FANS TO JOIN HIM FOR RED SHIRT FRIDAY! Nashville, TN (December 22, 2010) – This Friday, the King of Country Music is wearing red – not because it’s Christmas eve but to show his support for our troops as part of Red Shirt Fridays. The mission of  redshirtfridays.org  is to show support for our servicemen and women. It is not a political organization but a way to let our country’s servicemen and women know we support their sacrifice and will not forget them by wearing red on every Friday.     Strait, a veteran himself, wanted to join the efforts of  www.redshirtfridays.org  < http://www.redshirtfridays.org/ > and invite his fans and fellow Americans to do the same.  “The holidays are a time to be with your family and friends and to be thankful and I can’t think of a better gift to the women and men serving our country than to show them how much we appreciate them and are thinking about them,” ...

Danny Gokey Wraps 2010 as  American Idol ’s Top-Debuting  Artist of the Year! Holiday Single, “ Tennessee  Christmas,” at Radio Now and Available as a Digital Single Nashville, TN – 19 Recordings/RCA Nashville recording artist Danny Gokey is celebrating the holiday season with his latest single, “Tennessee Christmas,” but Gokey is also closing 2010 with the best first-week sales of any debut album this year by an  American Idol finalist.  Gokey’s  My Best Days , released March 2, scanned in excess of 65,000 copies in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan, outpacing opening-week sales on other 2010 debut releases, including those from  American Idol  Season 9 winner Lee DeWyze and runner-up Crystal Bowersox. Gokey’s  My Best Days  set multiple chart records upon its release, including the best first-week sales of any debut country male in 18 years and, with more than 19,000 downloads, earning the best opening-week digital...

Jerrod Niemann Ends Year on High Note(s)! Judge Jerrod & The Hung Jury  Makes New York Times  Top 10 Albums of 2010 and Becomes Year’s Only #1  Billboard  Charting Country Album by Major Label Debut Artist Niemann Looks Forward to 2011 with Sold-Out Homecoming January 15     and Brad Paisley’s  H2O Frozen Over Tour  Kick-Off January 20 Nashville ,  TN  – To say the least, 2010 has been a big year for Sea Gayle/Arista Nashville recording artist Jerrod Niemann!   Niemann just received news that  Judge Jerrod & The Hung Jury  (Sea Gayle/Arista Nashville) made the  New York Times  Top 10 Albums of 2010 compiled by Jon Caramanica.    “His major-label debut [is] full of startlingly sturdy country songs, emotionally affecting and unafraid of being clever,” the music critic gives as basis for his year-end nod for the album, which was co-produced by Niemann and Dave Brainard.    Upon relea...

For Immediate Release NEWS RELEASE JULIE ANDREWS, ROY HAYNES, JUILLIARD STRING QUARTET, THE KINGSTON TRIO, DOLLY PARTON, RAMONES, AND GEORGE BEVERLY SHEA HONORED WITH THE RECORDING ACADEMY ®  LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AL BELL, WILMA COZART FINE, AND BRUCE LUNDVALL HONORED WITH TRUSTEES AWARD ROGER LINN AND WAVES AUDIO TO RECEIVE TECHNICAL GRAMMY ®  AWARD SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Dec. 22, 2010)  — The Recording Academy ®  ( www.grammy.com ) announced   its  Special Merit Awards recipients   today, and this year's group includes:  Julie Andrews ,  Roy Haynes ,  Juilliard String Quartet ,  The Kingston Trio ,  Dolly Parton , Ramones , and  George Beverly Shea  as  Lifetime Achievement Award  honorees;  Al Bell ,  Wilma Cozart Fine  and  Bruce Lundvall  as Trustees Award  honorees; and  Roger Linn  and  Waves   Audio  as  Technical GRAMMY Award ® ...

Seasons greetings to all! I've spent much time over the course of this past year, learning about others who have suffered loss in their lives and taken inspiration from how they've managed to overcome it. I'm learning that grief and the suffering of loss, challenges me to be more sensitive and understanding of other's and also more accepting of my own struggles.  Challenge reminds me how important it is to let those who love me, care for me when I need it.  The support of others has helped me to move forward less fearful of change, allowing me to embrace the beauty of life today and remain more open to whatever it brings tomorrow. The people who make my life the most joyful are the ones I am able to lean on because of my own humanness.  In the last two and a half years of adjusting to life after separation and divorce, I needed to lean on others more often than I was accustomed to.  These people have been gifts, and I am fortunate to have so many of these be...

Reba Begins AND Ends 2010 at #1 on the Country Singles Charts “TURN ON THE RADIO” IS #1 COUNTRY SONG IN THE U.S. AND REBA’S 35 th  #1 SMASH REBA RANKED AMONG TOP 5 FEMALE COUNTRY ARTISTS OF 2O1O BY BOTH BILLBOARD AND COUNTRY AIRCHECK NASHVILLE, TN   --  Multimedia superstar Reba racked up her  35 th  #1 career single  this week with the highly-charged kiss-off anthem , “Turn on the Radio,” claiming the   top spot on both the Billboard Country Singles Chart and the USA Today/ Country Aircheck (powered by Mediabase) chart. The timing of Reba’s latest chart-topper couldn’t be more poignant – with the crowning of  “Turn on the Radio,”  Reba became the one Country artist to dominate the Country Singles charts by  both opening 2010 with a #1 hit  (the  four-week #1, “Consider Me Gone,”  which subsequently became Reba’s biggest hit of her 30+ year career) AND also  ending 2010 with a #1 hit. – the lead single from her...

Shania Twain to wed Swiss executive Last Updated: Monday, December 20, 2010 | 2:43 PM ET CBC News Shania Twain, shown arriving at the CMA Awards in Nashville in 2009, is engaged to Swiss executive Frédéric Thiébaud.  (Peter Kramer/Associated Press) Canadian pop-country star Shania Twain is engaged to Swiss business executive Frédéric Thiébaud. Twain's manager, Jason Owen, confirmed the news on Monday after celebrity magazines such as Us Weekly and People reported Twain's upcoming nuptials. No other details, such as the date of the wedding, were released. The singer, who was born in Windsor, Ont., and raised in Timmins in northern Ontario, confirmed in 2009 that she was dating Thiébaud, a Swiss-born executive with Nestlé. Her 14-year marriage to Robert (Mutt) Lange fell apart in 2008 following allegations the hit music producer was having an affair with Marie-Anne Thiébaud, who had worked for the couple at their Swiss chateau and who was at the time married to Frédéric. Aft...

Rascal Flatts Member Jay DeMarcus and Wife Allison Welcome Daughter Madeline Leigh DeMarcus NASHVILLE  – (December 18, 2010 - Rascal Flatts member Jay DeMarcus and wife Allison DeMarcus welcomed their first child yesterday, Friday, December 17. Madeline Leigh DeMarcus was born in Nashville at 4:49pm, weighing in at 6 pounds and 9 ounces. “Allison and I are thrilled!” shares Jay.    “Madeline is absolutely gorgeous; she looks just like her daddy! Both mom and baby are doing well.” Jay and Allison were married on May 15, 2004.

THE GOLDEN “BOYS OF FALL” Kenny Chesney’s 20 th  Number One Single Certified Gold NASHVILLE ,  TN  – Kenny Chesney helped kick-off the football season with his tribute to the passion of the game with “The Boys of Fall,” his 20 th  Number One Single. Now, with the approach of the play-off’s and bowl games, "The Boys of Fall"   from the Gold certified and critically acclaimed   album,  Hemmingway’s Whiskey  also becomes  Chesney's    9 th  Certified Gold Single .  With football drawing to a close early next year, fans won’t have to wait too long to tailgate again as Chesney’s “Goin Coastal” Tour kicks-off in March. Chesney takes to the field at  Tampa   Bay ’s Raymond James Stadium on March 19. Chesney, who played football in high school says, “Music and football are probably the two most universal things in this country. I think there’s a commonality between people that play sports and a guy that...

NFL ALUM RAY CAROLIN TO DONATE OVER 14,000 TOYS TO TOYS FOR TOTS BEFORE GARTH BROOKS' SUNDAY CONCERT     NASHVILLE, December 17, 2010- NFL Alum Ray Carolin will donate over 14,000 toys to Toys for Tots this Sunday, Dec 19 at 4:00 PM. As you may know Toys for Tots has been stationed in front of the Brigestone Arena for all of the Garth Brooks concerts. Two weeks ago Garth asked his assistant to call his buddy Ray Carolin in Phoenix, AZ to see if he could help with the U.S. Marine Toys for Tots drive in Middle Tennessee. Brooks knew that Carolin had a passion for supporting the military as he once served as vice-president of the Arizona Chapter of the National Football League Alumni organization, a non-profit organization comprised of former professional football players and coaches dedicated to their charity “Caring for Kids.” Ray called the CEO’s of a number of children’s toy and sporting goods companies, and Spalding Sporting Goods, a division of Fruit of the Loom a...

JOHNNY CASH CROWDSOURCED ONLINE MUSIC VIDEO GETS GRAMMY NOMINATION Sharing the Category with Lady Gaga, Eminem, Cee Lo Green and Gorillaz, Cash's "'Ain't No Grave'/The Johnny Cash Project" Stands Out as the Most Innovative and Unique Seven years after his passing, the legendary Johnny Cash has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of "Best Short Form Music Video."  The thoroughly groundbreaking piece,  "'Ain't No Grave'/The Johnny Cash Project"  is a video for the title track of Cash's final studio recording, last February's  American Recordings VI:  Ain't No Grave  (American Recordings/Lost Highway).  The nominated video is culled from a continually evolving project created frame-by-frame, by tens of thousands of people around the world and is a testament to the life and career of The Man In Black.  Cash's passing made it impossible for him to create a video for his last studio album, but in this d...

MULTI-PLATINUM MCA RECORDING ARTIST JOSH TURNER ANNOUNCES THE BIRTH OF HIS THIRD SON Nashville, TN - Christmas came early this year for MCA Nashville artist Josh Turner and his wife, Jennifer, who welcomed their third son, Crawford Marion Turner, on Monday, December 13. He was born at 8:52 p.m. at a Nashville hospital. He weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces and was 19 inches long. Both baby and mother are doing well. "Jennifer and I are overjoyed at Marion's arrival,” Turner says. “He's a strong, handsome little boy with a resilient spirit. Thanks to all of our family, friends and fans for their thoughts and prayers." Josh and Jennifer married in 2003 and have two other sons, Hampton, 4, and Colby, 17 months. December has become a month of celebration for Turner. On December 6, he won Single of the Year at the American Country Awards in Las Vegas for “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” his four-week No. 1 single that was named the Most Played Song of 2010 by Mediabase. Forty perc...

CLAY WALKER, RODNEY ATKINS, ERIC CHURCH, NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND, AND NEAL McCOY JOIN THE LINE-UP FOR  ARIZONA COUNTRY THUNDER MUSIC FESTIVAL APRIL 7–10, 2011 Florence, AZ – Country Thunder - Once again, Country Thunder Festival does not disappoint, proving with the latest additions to the line-up that it is a festival you won't want to miss.  Joining Jason Aldean on Friday night is CMA and Grammy Award winning group the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and country rocker Eric Church, who's recent album "Carolina" garnered the top-ten hits  “Love Your Love the Most” and “Hell on the Heart”. On Saturday, Martina McBride will be joined by ACM “Top New Male Vocalist” winner, Rodney Atkins, who’s current Top Ten single "Farmer's Daughter" has spent an astounding 36 weeks on the Billboard Charts. Also adding to Saturday night will be Country Thunder favorite Neal McCoy who is back once again to provide an electric performance, sure to g...

Kenny Chesney to open the Amphitheater Dedication of venue led by mayor ends with fireworks Kenny Chesney By Mark Hughes Cobb Staff Writer Published: Friday, December 17, 2010 at 3:30 a.m. Last Modified: Thursday, December 16, 2010 at 11:51 p.m. ( page of 3 ) TUSCALOOSA Kenny Chesney, with his pal and frequent musical partner Uncle Kracker, will open the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater with a concert March 31. “I think it clearly shows the determination of our city and Red Mountain Entertainment (the Birmingham-based agency which books and consults with the amphitheater) to make this a first-class facility,” Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox said. “It’s not just that Kenny Chesney is a big star, but that he crosses genres, which is important to us in building a diverse lineup. And it’s e...

DARIUS RUCKER, EASTON CORBIN,  SAWYER BROWN AND NEAL McCOY JOIN THE LINE-UP FOR WISCONSIN COUNTRY THUNDER  MUSIC FESTIVAL JULY 21-24, 2011     Twin Lakes, WI - Country Thunder -  Once again, Country Thunder Festival does not disappoint, proving with the latest additions to the line-up that it is a festival you won't want to miss.   Bringing the party right out of the gate, Sawyer Brown will be ready to entertain Thursday’s crowd with their infectious energy and will join Lady Antebellum to show the crowd that Country Thunder is back and better than ever, packed with an unrivaled line-up. On Saturday, 2009 CMA “New Artist of the Year” winner Darius Rucker and Country Thunder favorite Neal McCoy will both be joining powerhouse Martina McBride, a combination sure to keep the crowd on their feet. Sunday, Easton Corbin, who has taken country music by storm with his #1 hits “A Little More Country Than That” and “Roll With It” will take...