The latest from Jimmy Carter in Nashville

TICKETS ON SALE STARTING DECEMBER 5 FOR DATES IN NEW YORK, NASHVILLE, DC, CHICAGO AND DALLAS; NATIONWIDE ON DECEMBER 12 FEATURES MUSIC FROM NICK JONAS’ UPCOMING ALBUM Burbank, CA – Nick Jonas (of the Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum selling Jonas Brothers)  & The Administration announced tour dates for their upcoming tour.  The dates kick off January 2, 2010 in Dallas at House of Blues and wind up January 30 in Berkeley, CA at Zellerbach Auditorium.  The shows will be intimate in their setting, reflecting the more raw and powerful feel of their upcoming album, Who I Am, which is due out February 2 on Hollywood Records.  Tickets are set to go on sale starting December 5 on LiveNation.com  in select cities with  fan club presale access  beginning tomorrow. Visit www.nickjonasandtheadministration.com  for more ticket details. Earlier this year, Nick flew to Nashville’s Blackbird Studios with 3 years worth of song ideas not quite right for the Jonas Brothers, and recorded his

LINKIN PARK, GEORGE LOPEZ, KATY PERRY, SMOKEY ROBINSON, RINGO STARR, T-PAIN, AND DWIGHT YOAKAM ADDED AS PRESENTERS FOR "THE GRAMMY ®  NOMINATIONS CONCERT LIVE!! — COUNTDOWN TO MUSIC'S BIGGEST NIGHT ® " French DJ/Producer David Guetta Added to Line-up of Previously Announced Performers the Black Eyed Peas, Maxwell, Nick Jonas & The Administration, and Sugarland One-Hour CBS Entertainment Special — Hosted by LL COOL J — Will Announce Nominations for the 52nd Annual GRAMMY ®  Awards on Dec. 2 Live from Club NOKIA in Los Angeles SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Dec. 1, 2009) —  Two-time GRAMMY ® -winning rockers  Linkin Park , GRAMMY-nominated actor/television host  George Lopez , GRAMMY-nominated pop star  Katy Perry , GRAMMY-winning soul singer  Smokey Robinson , nine-time GRAMMY-winning rock icon  Ringo Starr , GRAMMY-winning rapper  T-Pain , and two-time GRAMMY-winning country artist  Dwight Yoakam  have been added as presenters for  "The GRAMMY ®  Nominations Con

American Idol  Finalist Danny Gokey Is Busy on the Road as the Excitement Ramps up for New Single & Upcoming Album Nashville ,  TN  –  American Idol  Season Eight finalist and 19 Recordings/RCA Nashville recording artist Danny Gokey may be in the midst of working on his much-anticipated debut album, but he’s also been on the road, making appearances and visiting country radio in support of his irresistible new single, “My Best Days Are Ahead of Me.” The single was serviced to country radio on Wednesday, and fans can also check it out right now with an online stream at  dannygokey.com . Danny rolls out of a busy holiday weekend and will be in  Atlanta ,  GA , tomorrow morning for a schedule that includes an interview and performance on FOX’s  Good Day Atlanta  and a national anthem performance tomorrow evening in  Charlotte ,  NC .    Gokey will sing the anthem prior to the NBA match-up between the Charlotte Bobcats and the Boston Celtics.    Fans will be able to see Gokey’

Country's Family Reunion TV Shows, which have long been favorites of traditional country music fans everywhere, will be taking its "family" on-the-road starting in the Spring of next year. "The final decision to tour a live show version of CFR in venues throughout the country was reached this past weekend," states veteran promoter Joe Sullivan, "after a test run in Branson proved to be hugely successful at the RFD-TV Theater on Nov. 20th and 21st.  On those dates we had two sold-out shows with 4,000 fans coming from as far away as Oregon, Vermont, Alabama, Texas, California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and all places in between!" During the Branson shows, Whisperin' Bill Anderson served as host of the event -- just as he does on the TV program -- and was joined on stage by fellow performers Jeannie Seely, Jim Ed Brown, Helen Cornelius, Buck Trent, Barbara Fairchild, Mary Lou Turner, and Leona Williams. All future shows will offer a variety of

Tis the Season of Giving, Bryan White  Shares His GivStory about Compassion International Bryan White included on the star-studded line-up for  Compassion's Benefit Concert to be held on  December 2nd at Mercy Lounge   Nashville, TN  (November 30, 2009)-- In the spirit of giving, Country star  Bryan White  has shared his GivStory  on  GivMusic's Podcast  about his passion for the Christian child advocacy ministry known as Compassion International.   To further support Compassion, White, as well as many other country and pop artists, will perform on  December 2  at  Mercy Lounge , in Nashville, TN as part of  Compassion's Benefit for the Global Food Crisis. "We have constant defining moments throughout our life where we can either walk away or  respond.  For me, one of the defining moments, as far as figuring out what I really wanted to do in life, was make an impact apart from the nation I lived in," White explains. "I had always dreamed of looking be

December 11 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium January 15 - 16 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena January 23 Charleston, WV Charleston Civic Center Coliseum January 28 London, ON The John Labatt Centre January 29 Ottawa, ON Scotiabank Place January 30 Hamilton, ON Copps Coliseum February 4 Evansville, IN Roberts Stadium February 5 Auburn Hills, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills February 18 Peoria, IL Peoria Civic Center Arena

Reba McEntire  will be performing at this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. The Grammy-winning singer will be joined by the casts of  West Side Story ,  Ragtime and  Dreamgirls . Ghost Whisperer  star  Jamie Kennedy  will report live from the streets of Manhattan, while  Maggie Rodriguez  and  Dave Price  from CBS'  The Early Show  will anchor the program from a site along the parade route in Times Square. This year's parade is the first time in history that the parade will not go down NYC's Broadway. The route will start at 77th Street and Central Park West and end at 7th Avenue, marking a 2.65-mile march. Billy Currington is on a float....here's the rest The lineup: Bello Grandma and the cast of the Big Apple Circus Andrea Bocelli Boys Like Girls Alan Cumming Billy Currington DJ Lance Rock and the cast of Yo Gabba Gabba! Jimmy Fallon and The Roots Gloria Gaynor Sarah Hughes Kermit the Frog and Tiffany Thornton Jane Krak

Nashville, TN  -  BamaJam Records  artist  Matt Kennon  will make his  Grand Ole Opry  debut this  Friday, November 27 .  Kennon's powerful single,  “The Call,”  co-written by Matt with Noah Gordon and Jeremy Campbell, is lighting up phone lines at country radio stations across the nation.  “I am thrilled to have been asked to play the Opry,” the whiskey-throated singer said. “When I step onto that historic stage at The Ryman, I hope time kinda stands still for a minute so I can just soak up the moment.”  “The Call” is a moving story of how simply reaching out to someone can make a life-changing difference.  The song was co-produced by James Stroud, who readily sings the praises of BamaJam Records’ newest rising star.  "Matt is an extraordinary young man and an extraordinary talent," says Stroud, CEO of Stroudavarious Records and its BamaJam Records imprint.  "He's got an incredible edge to his writing and his singing.  Matt has this real rough and tumble exteri

HOLIDAY TRAVELERS CAN HELP PHIL VASSAR AND RED ROOF INN DONATE TO FEEDING AMERICA THIS THANKSGIVING  Unprecedented promotion is in conjunction with Country Music star, Red Roof Brand Ambassador and Feeding America spokesman, Phil Vassar   Nashville, TN – November 24, 2009  – Red Roof® guests will be high-fiving thisThanksgiving week when they pocket a five dollar bill for making a dollar donation to charity. Red Roof will give $5 cash back to every guest making a minimum $1 donation to Feeding America® during the week of Thanksgiving, Sunday Nov. 22 through Sunday Nov. 29.  Donations must be made at the property and guests will receive the rebate upon check out; the $5 back is per stay, not per night. It is Red Roof’s way of giving back and showing their thanks by teaming up with Feeding America and Country Music artist and Red Roof Brand Ambassador, Phil Vassar to help put food on American tables over the holidays. Country Music star Phil Vassar, who recently released his single, “

Coming up Thanksgiving Night, Thursday, November 26th at 9pm ET/ 8pm CT   NBC'S PEOPLE OF THE YEAR -From celebrities to survivors, politicians to pop stars, Matt Lauer profiles some of the most talked about   people of 2009.        Included in this special will be new interviews with: Taylor Swift, Nadya Suleman, Susan  Boyle, Kobe Bryant, Captain      Chelsey Sullenberger and Captain Richard Phillips.    

Andy Griggs’ Dog Now Missing from Home Fire Nashville ,  TN  (Tuesday November 24, 2009)  As we reported yesterday, country singer Andy Griggs lost his home to a fire over the weekend. Andy would like for everyone to know that he and his family are fine. "We are doing good. My family and I thank you for your prayers. I can actually feel them," he commented. While Andy and his family are fine, we have an update on one of their pets.  “Lexie,” a Miniature Yorkshire Terrier, survived the fire but was running around the yard when the fire department was fighting the fire. In all of the confusion the family couldn’t retrieve her in time and now she is missing.  Andy is asking that anyone who may find her to please call the phone number on her tag or please call Splash! Public Relations at 615-321-1383.  She is a member of their family. They are very worried about her and would very much like for her to be returned home safely. As we receive more updates on Andy Griggs we

OPRY LIVE WEBCAST HOSTED ON MYSPACE MUSIC FEATURING CARRIE UNDERWOOD, MARTINA McBRIDE, JAKE OWEN, AND RODNEY ATKINS NOW AVAILABLE ON DEMAND FOR LIMITED TIME More Than 300,000 Total Viewers Tuned In To Live Stream NASHVILLE ,  Tenn.   (November 24, 2009) An Opry show featuring performances by Carrie Underwood ,  Martina McBride , Jake Owen, and Rodney Atkins is now available for a limited time on the official  Grand Ole Opry  MySpace page at myspace.com/grandoleopry . The live stream of the show on MySpace Music powered by Ustream Sat., Nov. 14 drew more than 300,000 total viewers. “We are pleased that so many fans were a part of this overwhelmingly successful live stream event as we made Opry history,” said Steve Buchanan,  Grand Ole Opry  Group president. “The Opry has always utilized the latest in technology to deliver its unique brand of entertainment to country music listeners, and this success positions us to continue to widen the Opry’s distribution well into the future. We

Those are sapphires...worth $1.2 million

FIFTH ANNUAL  SPRINT SOUND & SPEED PRESENTED BY SUNTRUST  RETURNS TO NASHVILLE JANUARY 8-9, 2010 Tickets on Sale for Celebration of Music and Motorsports with Hank Williams Jr., Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chris Young, Kyle Petty, and many more! NASHVILLE, Tenn.  -  November 23, 2009  - For the fifth consecutive year, the worlds of country music and NASCAR will collide in Music City for  Sprint Sound & Speed Presented by SunTrust  on  Jan. 8-9, 2010 .  Since its inception, the event has attracted an estimated 40,000 fans and has raised more than $800,000 for  Victory Junction  (a year-round camping experience founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty for children, ages 6-16, with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses) and the  Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum .  Some of the greatest names in country music will kick off the two-day event at the Grand Ole Opry when  Sprint Sound & Speed Presented by SunTrust  hits the stage of the Ryman Auditorium on  Friday, Jan. 8 .  Th

Andy Griggs’ Looses Home to Fire              Nashville ,  TN  (Monday November 22, 2009) -- Country singer Andy Griggs lost his home to a devastating fire this past Saturday.  He and his family escaped without harm, but their home was damaged very bad and is reported a complete loss.  There are no more details at this time.  Andy and his family are strong in their spiritual faith and they are very appreciative to be alive. Andy is very touched by all of the support of his fans and all of the messages of concern. He wants to assure everyone that he and his family are fine and he expresses his most sincere thanks to all of this fans and friends for their thoughts and prayers at this time.

GLORIANA WINS BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST AWARD AT THE 2009 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS Top new country group Gloriana, whose album was released in August and is already the best selling country debut of 2009, won the fan-voted T-Mobile Breakthrough Artist Award at the 2009 American Music Awards last night. The T-Mobile Breakthrough Artist Award was the only award where fans could text in their votes and continue to vote during the show.  The foursome walked away with the prestigious award at the NOKIA Theatre in Los Angeles against Lady GaGa, Keri Hilson and Kid Cudi.   The first call the band received immediately following their win was from Taylor Swift from London to say, “I always believed in you guys and always knew you could do it.” Adding with a laugh “But didn’t actually think you’d do it!!!” Gloriana, who has been on the road with some of country music’s biggest stars including Alan Jackson, Jason Aldean, and Dierks Bentley, will hit the road again next year on Taylor’s FEARLESS 2010 To

Nashville, TN – November 23, 2009 – Taylor Swift won big at last night’s 37 th   Annual American Music Awards, taking home five trophies, including the evening’s biggest award, Artist of the Year. Taylor also won the awards for Favorite Female Artist (Country), Favorite Female Artist (Pop/Rock), Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist, and Favorite Album (Country – for   Fearless ). Taylor accepted her AMA Awards live via satellite from her concert stage in an empty Wembley Arena in London, where she was rehearsing for tonight’s sold-out show. Taylor and her band stayed up most of the night to watch the show live from the US, and she accepted her last award at almost 4 a.m. London time. "Music has never been ultimately about competition,” Taylor said while accepting Artist of the Year. “And to even be mentioned in a category with Michael Jackson, who we will miss and love forever, is an unimaginable honor. I just want to say that I'm sending my love to the Jackson family, and to

ARTIST OF THE YEAR Kings of Leon Taylor Swift   X Lady Gaga Eminem Michael Jackson POP/ROCK - Favorite Female Artist Beyonce Lady Gaga Taylor Swift     X POP/ROCK - Favorite Album Fame - Lady Gaga Number Ones - Michael Jackson Fearless - Taylor Swift   X COUNTRY - Favorite Female Artist Reba McEntire Taylor Swift    X Carrie Underwood COUNTRY - Favorite Album Unstoppable - Rascal Flatts Fearless - Taylor Swift     X Foundation - Zac Brown Band ADULT CONTEMPORARY - Favorite Artist Daughtry Jason Mraz Taylor Swift      X

TOUR DATES 22-Jan Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner (George Strait & Reba) 23-Jan Greensboro, NC Coliseum (George Strait & Reba) 29-Jan Knoxville, TN Thompson Boling (George Strait & Reba) 30-Jan Charlottesville, VA JPJ Arena (George Strait & Reba) 5-Feb Phoenix, AZ US Airways (George Strait & Reba) 6-Feb Las Vegas, NV MGM (George Strait & Reba) 18-Feb St Louis, MO Scottrade Center (George Strait & Reba) 19-Feb Wichita, KS Intrust Bank Arena (George Strait & Reba) 20-Feb Tulsa, OK BOK Arena (George Strait & Reba) 25-Feb Atlanta, GA Philips Arena (George Strait & Reba) 26-Feb Orlando, FL Amway Arena (George Strait & Reba) 4-Mar Memphis, TN FedEx Forum (George Strait & Reba) 5-Mar New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena (George Strait & Reba) 6-Mar Little Rock, AR Verizon (George Strait & Reba) 17-Mar – Penticton, British Columbia CANADA – South Okanagan Events Center 18-Mar – Abbot