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Showing posts from September, 2010
 Josh Kelley is new to the country format, but not to making music and performing.  His first single with MCA Nashville, "Georgia Clay" is # 36 on the Mediabase/Country Aircheck chart and # 38 on the Billboard chart, and just last night, he began his first leg on Miranda Lambert's tour in New York City.  His love of performing started with his mother, and his first set of drums:  "My Mom was like a majorette in college and high school.  She learned how to play the drums, so when we were kids, me and Charles were making drums out of pots and pans and stuff, and she was like 'Well looks they'll probably get into this' and so she took us to the music store and bought us a drum set and taught us how to play.  I think that actually did make us better musicians.  If you're a good drummer, it makes you better at everything else.   It makes you a better singer, a better guitar player, a better piano player because you do everything more percussively.  You del
There was tremendous excitement on Hollywood Boulevard and Highland last week when Matthew McConaughey directed his first music video for Jamey Johnson's song "Playing the Part." The song is the lead single from Johnson's 25-track double album,  The Guitar Song , which debuted at #1 last week on  Billboard 's Top Country Albums chart and #4 on the Billboard 200.  Johnson first met McConaughey backstage at the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2009 in Las Vegas, right after winning the Song of the Year trophy for "In Color." McConaughey told Johnson he had been listening to his critically acclaimed album  That Lonesome Song  non-stop and even quoted lyrics from a few tracks. Upon that first meeting, they became close friends and a few months later McConaughey's girlfriend, Camila Alves, secretly asked Johnson to perform at McConaughey's 40th birthday celebration.  When discussions began regarding the music video for "Playing the Part,"
OPRY CELEBRATES WITH “SPIRIT OF  NASHVILLE  DAY” OCT. 2 Day Features Free Tours of the Newly Refurbished Opry House, Free Music on the Opry Plaza, Special Shows Saluting the City’s Spirit Following May’s Flood Opry Member Dierks Bentley Hosts Simultaneous Opry House Tour On Facebook NASHVILLE ,  Tenn.    (September 30, 2010) Having returned to its permanent home, the Grand Ole Opry House, Tuesday night (Sept. 28) after being displaced from the venue due to May’s historic  Nashville  flood, the Grand Ole Opry is inviting  Music   City to celebrate its homecoming during “Spirit of Nashville Day” this Saturday, Oct. 2. The day will offer free tours of the newly-refurbished Opry House, free music in the Plaza beginning at noon with a free 6:00 p.m. performance by CMA-nominated group The Band Perry, food and beverage on the Plaza, and special Opry shows recognizing persons affected by May’s flood as well as many others who assisted with flood recovery efforts. Mayor Karl Dean will join the
Tickets are still available for this.......
JO DEE MESSINA BRINGS HER “MUSIC ROOM SERIES TOUR” TO THE WEST COAST Multi-platinum and award-winning country singer/songwriter  JO DEE MESSINA  has added more dates to her  “Music Room Series Tour”  including a string of  six West Coast concerts October 16-24 in California ,  Oregon  and  Washington .   JO DEE  will perform in the interactive format of her recent  “Music Room”  tours--modeled after the music room in her home--with a simple stage with piano and four backing musicians.  She takes requests and chats with fans, fielding questions and being her freewheeling self.  “We have such a blast with the Music Room Shows,” says  JO DEE .  “No two concerts are the same, and each night the show is dictated by the crowd.  I am looking forward to taking it out West.” Of the stripped-down show, Jon Caramanica of the  New York Times  praised the “…breezy, affable and sometimes sharp show, a scaled-down version of her Music Room Series tour:  part concept, part request line, par
COUNTRY COMES HOME: COUNTRY’S BIGGEST STARS RAISE THE CURTAIN, RAISE THE ROOF AS THE GRAND OLE OPRY RETURNS TO THE OPRY HOUSE BLAKE SHELTON SURPRISED WITH INVITATION TO BECOME NEXT OPRY MEMBER NASHVILLE ,  Tenn.    (September 28, 2010) Country music’s most famous show has come home.  The  Grand Ole Opry  raised the curtain on its historic first show back at the  Grand Ole Opry  House tonight to reveal the silhouettes of nine-year Opry member Brad Paisley and 61-year Opry veteran  Jimmy Dickens  center stage on the renowned circle of wood from the Ryman Auditorium.  Paisley  began singing the standard “Will the Circle be Unbroken,” with Dickens joining in on the chorus as cast members began to join them on stage singing along.  Fans acknowledged the moment with an extended standing ovation as the artists celebrated the resilience of the Opry and the love and loyalty of Opry fans. The Opry had been displaced from the Opry House by last May’s flood, broadcasting throughout the sum
--------------------------------------------------- FIRST ROUND OF PERFORMERS ANNOUNCED FOR "THE 44th ANNUAL CMA AWARDS" Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, and Blake Shelton, Will Perform on "Country Music's Biggest Night" Zac Brown Band to Perform With Alan Jackson NASHVILLE - The star-packed lineup for "The 44th Annual CMA Awards" launches with today's announcement that  Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton,  and the pairing of  Zac Brown Band  with  Alan Jackson  are the first group of performers confirmed for "Country Music's Biggest Night(tm)." "The 44th Annual CMA Awards," hosted by Paisley and Underwood, airs live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday, Nov. 10 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network. Bentley is nominated in three categories this year, including Male Vocalist, Album for  Up On The Ridge , and Musical Ev
Sara Evans’ “A Little Bit Stronger” Already a Hot Seller as the Beautiful Ballad Hit Radio This Week Music Video to Debut Exclusively on Friday as Part of CMT’s “Big New Music Weekend” Nashville , TN – As RCA  Nashville  songstress Sara Evans officially hit the airwaves this week with her inspiring new single, “A Little Bit Stronger,” fans are already reacting to the song in a big way.    The digital single for “A Little Bit Stronger” released on September 14, earning a Top 10 debut on  Billboard ’s Country Digital Songs chart, and now in its second week, “A Little Bit Stronger” has already amassed total sales approaching 30,000 downloads according to Nielsen SoundScan. In talking about the song, written by Luke Laird, Hillary Lindsey, and Hillary Scott, Evans shared, “I loved it instantly.    Everybody’s gone through some sort of heartbreak, whether it’s losing someone to death or just breaking up with somebody that you were in love with.    The very first line says, ‘woke up late
WYNONNA AND NAOMI JUDD RETURN TO THEIR ROOTS ON THE 68TH ANNUAL SANTA TRAIN   NASHVILLE, Tenn.  – Country music legends Wynonna and Naomi Judd , who have both ridden the  Santa Train  individually, will revisit their Appalachian home together when they join CSX, Food City, the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce and Kids Wish Network as special guests on the 2010  Santa Train  on November 20. The Appalachia natives will be kicking off their highly anticipated self-proclaimed final tour,  The Judds: The Last Encore,  the day after Thanksgiving. The Judds’ farewell concert series will feature brand-new music, including their first single in 10 years, “I Will Stand By You,” while also mixing in 25 years of duets and Wynonna solo hits for their fans. The GRAMMY award-winning duo has not toured together since their 2000  Power to Change tour. Naomi rode the  Santa Train  in 2005 and passed the tradition on to her daughter, Wynonna, who was the 2009 guest. “Sharing the joy of the ho
RASCAL FLATTS MAKE SPECIAL OFFER FOR FANS TO ATTEND PRIVATE FUNDRAISER FOR THE  MONROE  CARELL JR. CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL AT VANDERBILT November 4 “Behind The Music” Event in  Nashville                  NASHVILLE – (Sept. 29, 2010) – Rascal Flatts, longtime friends and contributors to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, announced today they will open up 100 tickets to their fans on a first-come, first-serve basis to a very special private fundraising event taking place in Nashville on November 4. The vocal group has been hosting these intimate concerts in a secluded location in  Nashville  for four years as an additional fundraising occasion, in conjunction with the concerts they’ve held at Bridgestone Arena for the hospital. This year the “Behind The Music” event will also feature emcee Ron White. Fans may go to  www.rascalflatts.com   beginning this Friday, October 1 to purchase tickets. The lucky attendees will enjoy a beautiful fall setting with music and
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 BLAKE SHELTON RECEIVES SURPRISE INVITATION TO JOIN THE GRAND OLE OPRY AT LAST NIGHT’S OPRY EVENT, “COUNTRY COMES HOME” Nashville, TN  – Four-time CMA Award nominee, including Male Vocalist of the Year,  Blake Shelton  was honored last night at the Grand Ole Opry’s live televised reopening, “Country Comes Home,” with an invitation to join the line of prestigious Opry members. Shelton was surprised with the prestigious invitation after his performance with Opry member and longtime friend Trace Adkins of their award-winning No. 1 hit song, “Hillbilly Bone.”   Adkins broke the announcement to the country star saying, “You know Blake is famous for doing the Twitter thing; he’s always sending tweets. Well, the Grand Ole Opry sent Blake a tweet tonight.” Adkins handed Shelton his phone as the tweet appeared on the Opry’s backdrop which read, “Blake Shelton, you are invited to join the Grand Ole Opry! See you 10/23/10.” Shelton was speechless as the crowd stood
  Martina McBride joins Symphony for “Home for the Holidays”  Country star will sing holiday favorites at December 10 concert   NASHVILLE, TN. (September 26, 2010)  Nashville Symphony is pleased to announce that Martina McBride will headline its annual “Home for the Holidays” concert on Friday, December 10, 2010, at 8 p.m. Due to ongoing repairs at Schermerhorn Symphony Center, this concert will be held at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena. McBride is a four-time CMA Female Vocalist of the Year and GRAMMY ®  award-winning recording artist with more than 18 million in album sales and 24 Top 10 singles, including six Number Ones. Among her hits are such empowering songs as "Independence Day," "This One's for the Girls," "Anyway" and "Ride," all of which have contributed to her status as one of country music's preeminent female vocalists.   As recording artist, songwriter, producer, businesswoman, wife and mother of three, McBride has grace