ARTIST NEWSFLASH
■ JEWEL TO WORLD PREMIERE NEW MUSIC VIA EXCLUSIVE HD PERFORMANCES LIVE IN THEATERS & RESTAURANTS NATIONWIDE: This spring, fans of GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter Jewel can place themselves at the center of an evolution in entertainment, a new model that will help define how artists bring their music to the marketplace. FIRST SPIN, the private performance platform of Pittsburgh-based VELOCITY Broadcasting, the largest global, private High-Definition broadcasting network; and Big Machine Label Group will launch Jewel’s new album “Sweet and Wild” via a live, High-Definition broadcast event on Monday, June 7, 2010. The ticketed, interactive concert will give fans across the country the opportunity to hear Jewel perform songs from her new album even before it is officially released to the public on Tuesday, June 8. Fans can see and hear the concert in VELOCITY HD Digital SuitesTM located in some of the nation’s top clubs and restaurants – Morton’s The Steakhouse, Maggiano’s Little Italy and the private clubs of ClubCorp. The concert will also be broadcast in select movie theaters in more than 75 cities across the United States and Australia. “FIRST SPIN from VELOCITY Broadcasting is like nothing else available to recording artists and their fans right now. It is revolutionizing the way fans experience music, giving them unprecedented access to their favorite performers,” said Philip Elias, president and CEO of VELOCITY Broadcasting. “At Jewel’s FIRST SPIN concert on June 7, the audience will truly become part of the program. They can select what songs they want Jewel to perform, ask her questions live on the air, and can feature themselves live on the air through the use of HD cameras that will be distributed for fans to use at each venue. This is the world’s largest album release party, and we’re excited to partner with Jewel and Big Machine Label Group to let fans across the country be part of the party.” Additionally, the VELOCITY FIRST SPIN concert featuring Jewel will provide a live, backstage perspective and an intimate look at how Jewel prepared for the concert. Twenty High-Definition cameras broadcasting in 1080i HD and 7.2 surround-sound will give fans a live, stunning, up-close look behind the music with Jewel. Immediately following the performance, attendees can receive an autographed “Sweet and Wild” album prior to its release to the public. A three-time GRAMMY nominee, Jewel will also perform hits from her previous best-selling albums, and the concert will include an opening performance by country duo Steel Magnolia, whose hit song, “Keep on Lovin’ You” is a Top 5 hit at Country radio. “The music industry is constantly looking for ways to create connections between artists and their fans. The bottom line is that fans want an intimate experience when they see their favorite artists perform, and VELOCITY Broadcasting’s FIRST SPIN is at forefront of creating these personal connections,” said Scott Borchetta, president and CEO of Big Machine Label Group and The Valory Music Co., Jewel’s record label. “We’re pleased to be launching Jewel’s new album through FIRST SPIN. It’s going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Jewel’s fans, especially since they will be able to interact with her in a way that has not been possible before.” For more information or to purchase tickets for the VELOCITY FIRST SPIN concert featuring Jewel, log onto www.VelocityBoxOffice.com. Ticket prices for events at Morton’s The Steakhouse, Maggiano’s Little Italy and ClubCorp’s private club locations will include dinner. Ticket packages will be available with an option to receive an autographed copy of Jewel’s album “Sweet and Wild.”
■ REBA PAYS TRIBUTE TO PALS BROOKS & DUNN ON UPCOMING CBS-TV SPECIAL: Reba is part of the upcoming CBS-TV special honoring Brooks & Dunn, and not only did the superstar come out and do a killer version of “Indian Summer”, she also took part in another surprise moment. We asked Reba why she chose “Indian Summer” and also, given her vantage point, what she feels Brooks & Dunn have brought to the format through the years. “I chose ‘Indian Summer’ because I loved that song the first time I heard it on the radio. I love Ronnie’s vocal on it, the melody and the story aspect of it. You know I’ve always been a sucker for a story song,” Reba notes. “They have brought great songs that they each have written and a great sense of humor. They’re both very witty, they’re both as different as night as day, but most important, they have shown those who are coming up in this business, how to be professionals, how to treat their folks out on the road and in the office who work for them with the upmost respect. They adore their fans and also treat them with respect.” Brooks & Dunn and Reba will perform a special duet on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Friday, May 21 on the CBS Television Network. The duo will perform one of their classics, "Cowgirls Don't Cry," with Reba on the broadcast. Their LATE SHOW performance with Reba comes just days before the premiere of the all-star tribute concert special, ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn – The Last Rodeo, which will be broadcast on CBS, Sunday, May 23 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT).
■ FOLLOWING THIS WEEK’S TOP 5 SUCCESS OF ‘BACKWOODS’, JUSTIN MOORE LAUNCHES NEW SINGLE: Following the chart success of his second consecutive Top 5 hit “Backwoods”, Justin Moore is gearing up for the release of his new single “How I Got To Be That Way”, and for Justin, the song is an autobiographical snapshot. “You know who I am, now you’re gonna get to see why with this song,” Justin proclaims. “It’s a Justin Moore song, it sounds like me, but it’s a little different storyline and stuff. I think it’ll be good for the summer. Honestly, everybody’s done stupid stuff growing up, and it’s just about that and learning from it and how that made you who you are. I’m proud of the song. I wrote it with my producer Jeremy Stover and Rivers Rutherford, who’s written hit after hit after hit. Rivers has more hits than I will have in the next 30 years as a writer and it was cool to write with him. That was the only time we’ve written. When you get in these rooms with folks you’ve never written with before, you kind of B.S. for awhile and learn about each other. He was just asking me how I grew up and what kind of kid I was. I said, ‘I was a pretty good kid. I mean, I did some stupid stuff like any other kid does, but for the most part I was pretty good.’ I said something like, ‘I guess that’s how I got to be this way,’ and he said, ‘Right there. What was some of the stuff you did?’ I told him I totaled my dad’s truck on Dixonville curve when I was in high school, and we went from there.” Justin continues: “The first line says, ‘I rolled my dad’s truck off the Dixonville curve after drinking my fifth beer.’ That’s a pretty true song. There’s a pretty funny line in the song that says something about getting kicked in the face by a horse. Everybody is always like, ‘No way.’ I said, ‘That’s my excuse for why my face looks like this!’”
■ RANDOM NOTES: The 30th anniversary broadcast of A CAPITOL FOURTH will be hosted by actor Jimmy Smits with unrivaled performances from some of the country's biggest musical names including Reba and Darius Rucker. A CAPITOL FOURTH will air live in HD on PBS Sunday, July 4, 2010 from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. ET (check local listings) before a concert audience of hundreds of thousands and millions more at home, as well as to service members around the world on the American Forces Network. A CAPITOL FOURTH can also be heard live in stereo over NPR radio stations nationwide. As part of A CAPITOL FOURTH 2010, music legend Reba will be presented with the National Artistic Achievement Award in recognition of her dedication to enriching the national legacy of the performing arts as well as her lifetime of musical contributions. This is only the fourth time the award has been presented. The first recipient was composer John Williams in 2003; followed by Latin music legends and producing team Gloria and Emilio Estefan in 2005; and Motown icon Stevie Wonder in 2006…Norwegian Cruise Line has lined up a big name entertainer to christen its next ship:Reba! The two-time Grammy Award winner has agreed to preside over the July 2nd naming ceremony for the 4,200-passenger Norwegian Epic -- the line's biggest ship ever. The event will take place in New York City at the start of a gala weekend in which the vessel also will serve as the host venue for the 34th Annual Macy's 4th of July Fireworks. Reba turns out to be a Norwegian Cruise Line fan, having sailed on the line a number of times. In announcing the choice, Norwegian today noted she recently returned from a Norwegian Gem sailing in the Mediterranean. "I discovered that they are frequent customers on our ships, which is why I believe that Reba is the perfect choice to christen our largest and most innovative ship, Norwegian Epic," Norwegian CEO Kevin Sheehan says in a statement accompanying the announcement. "We are more than thrilled that such a celebrated performer as Reba, who also has experienced our product firsthand, will serve as Norwegian Epic's Godmother."…This week, the CMT Music Awards final nominations were announced and Reba landed two nominations. She vies for Female Video of the Year for her #1 smash “Consider Me Gone” with Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood. She is also up for CMT Performance of the Year for her CMT Invitation Only special. Vote for Reba here. Label mate Justin Moore also landed a nomination for the Nationwide "On Your Side" Award, alongside fellow new artist nominees Chris Young, Ryan Bingham and Randy Houser. Click here to vote for the Nationwide award.
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