July 31, 2007 - The Derailers, Tammy Cochran and Robert Gordon and Chris Spedding top the list of country releases this week.
The Derailers, of Austin, always had Buck Owens to cite as an influence in their mix of Bakersfield meets The Beatles. Here, they go full tilt with an entire album devoted to the late Buck.... »»»July 30, 2007 - Carrie Underwood released "So Small," the first single from her upcoming album, today. The album will be out Oct. 23. The song was co-written by Underwood with Luke Laird and Hillary Lindsey, who co-wrote three tracks on Underwood's debut, including the chart-topping "Wasted" and "Jesus, Take the Wheel.... »»»July 30, 2007 - Keith Urban will debut a new video of "Days Go By," which began airing this weekend, as part of the production for his "Love, Pain & the whole crazy World Tour." The new version, which plays on the tour's 56-foot wide by 28-foot high-definition video wall, includes edited video clips of fans imitating... »»»July 30, 2007 - Beth Stevens, one-half of the Stevens Sisters, signed a deal with Pinecastle Records.
She began her career in the Stevens Family bluegrass band where she handled the banjo duties at 12. She now also plays piano, guitar, Dobro and bass. Her musical career has seen many accomplishments, including singing... »»»July 30, 2007 - Rascal Flatts will release their recording of The Beatles' "Revolution" as an iTunes exclusive download on July 31. The band's recording of "Revolution," written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, is featured in the Universal Studios film "Evan Almighty."
"Revolution" is co-produced by Rascal Flatts... »»»July 29, 2007 - Kimberly Roads of Little Big Town and husband Stephen Schlapman are the parents of Daisy Pearl, born Friday in Phoenix. Roads gave birth a few weeks early while on tour with the band.
"I guess we really do do everything together," said an exhausted but overjoyed Roads in a press release.... »»»July 27, 2007 - Big & Rich celebrated their first number one single, "Lost In This Moment," Wednesday in Nashville.
The song was written by John Rich, Keith Anderson and Rodney Clawson.
Big Kenny said, "Thank you everyone. There are a lot of people here who have put good hard work, time and energy into John Rich's... »»»July 26, 2007 - Brad Paisley will perform live on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on their Toyota Summer Concert Series on Wednesday, Aug. 1. Paisley is scheduled to perform his new hit single, "Online," live. He also will play his chart topper "Ticks" for the live show audience and both songs along with an exclusive... »»»July 26, 2007 - Kenny Chesney went to the top of the Billboard country music song chart for the week ending Aug. 8 with "Never Wanted Nothing More" after only 8 weeks on the chart. Chesney, who was second last week, overtook Big & Rich's "Lost In This Moment," which fell to third.
On the album chart, newcomer Taylor... »»»July 25, 2007 - Troubled singer Mindy McCready was arrested Wednesday at the Nashville airport for probation violation.
The arrest for McCready stemmed from her arrest last Saturday in Ft. Myers, Fla., where she allegedly had a fight with her mother, according to police.
McCready was on probation for obtaining the... »»»July 25, 2007 - Taylor Swift's self-titled debut CD reached the number one position atop Billboard's Country Albums chart this week, taking over for Brad Paisley's "Fifth Gear."
With more than 34,000 CDs sold this week, Swift is outdistancing the current releases by such mainstream acts as Avril Lavigne, Gwen Stefani,... »»»July 25, 2007 - With more than 220,000 units scanned since the release of his chart-topping debut CD, Bucky Covington is this year's best-selling debut country artist. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the self-titled CD has scanned an average of 16,000 units each week and remained inside the top 12 on the Top 75 Country... »»»July 24, 2007 - Tim McGraw and Faith Hill said today that their appearance in Biloxi, Miss. on Friday, July 27th will be a benefit concert to assist organizations and individuals who are still in need of goods, services and finances due to the continued devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina.... »»»July 24, 2007 - Dwight Yoakam will release "Dwight Sings Buck," a 15-song tribute album to his mentor Buck Owens, Oct. 23 on New West.
"After his death, it was the clearest way I could express my love for him and acknowledge the depth of our friendship" said Yoakam on why he chose to record an album of Owens songs.... »»»July 24, 2007 - Pat Green received a special Crystal Cross award for his service to the organization Tuesday. The award presentation was immediately followed by a special performance by Green for the volunteers, employees and supporters of the Red Cross.
Green, part of Kenny Chesney's 2007 "Flip Flop Summer Tour," is... »»»July 23, 2007 - The song hit radio 56 hours before it was supposed to be released and found its way into the Top 40. It hit the Top 10 in 3 weeks, went Top 5 in 2 more. Now, seven weeks after its official release date, Kenny Chesney's Southern rock/bluegrass hybrid "Never Wanted Nothing More" hits the top of the... »»»July 23, 2007 - Brad Paisley's Hershey's Presents Bonfires and Amplifiers Tour played to the most fans in one weekend this past weekend and will expand dates this fall. On Thursday, Paisley set a festival record at Jamboree in the Hills (St. Clairsville, Ohio) with more than 40,000 in attendance and then stops in Raleigh, N.C.... »»»July 23, 2007 - Jason Michael Carroll came close to living up to the lyrics of one of his songs this weekend when he went to attend a Dodgers game in Los Angeles.
Carroll took time out while working in Los Angeles to see the Dodgers play the Phillies, attending his third major league game, only to be struck by a foul... »»»July 23, 2007 - Banjo player Jason Davis has completed his first solo project, "Steppin' Out, " due out this fall on Pinecastle.
Grasstowne members Alan Bibey, Phil Leadbetter and Steve Gulley are among the featured musicians. "I've had the opportunity to play with many great banjo players in my career, but Jason... »»»July 23, 2007 - Problems continue to afflict singer Mindy McCready. She was arrested in North Fort Myers, Fla. over the weekend, charged with assault in connection with a fight with her mother and resisting officers.
According to a published report, McCready claimed police used excessive force in arresting her while... »»»July 20, 2007 - Lucinda Williams will play a five-night run of small venues shows in New York City and Los Angeles in September and early October. Williams will perform five of her eight
critically-acclaimed albums ("Lucinda Williams" (1988), "Sweet Old World"
(1990), "Car Wheels On A Gravel Road" (1998), "Essence"... »»»July 19, 2007 - Joe Ely will receive the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award for Performing from the Americana Music Association, the group announced Thursday.
"Ely's live shows have become legendary, and throughout his genre -crossing career, he has performed with Bruce Springsteen, Los Super Seven, and James McMurtry,... »»»July 19, 2007 - Big & Rich and Brad Paisley continued their run on the Billboard song and album charts for the week ending July 28 with chart toppers "Lost in This Moment" and "5th Gear" respectively.
On the song chart, Kenny Chesney jumped three spots to second with "Never Wanted Nothing More," the first song from his next album.... »»»July 19, 2007 - Big & Rich were honored this week with the President's Award for Excellence in the Arts at the Vietnam Veterans of America's 13th biennial National Convention in Springfield, Ill. The award recognizes their 2006 single, "8th Of November," inspired by the duo's close friend, Ret.... »»»July 18, 2007 - Brad Paisley's "5th Gear" will spend its fourth straight week atop Billboard's Top Country Albums sales chart when it is released Thursday. Debuting with a career-to-date high of 197,151 first-week copies, Paisley's latest has moved more than 377,400 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.... »»»July 18, 2007 - Brad Paisley is inviting fans to showcase their own style by creating a video set to the music of his new single, "Online."
By visiting the YouTube page at http://youtube.com/watch?v=uLo0l3XYU8s, Paisley will give the contest rules with an emphasis on creativity.
Entries are due July 25.... »»»July 17, 2007 - After Tim McGraw and Faith Hill performed their "Soul2Soul Tour 2007" show at the United Center in Chicago on Friday night July 13th, the couple hosted a "Bread & Water" show in front of several thousand fans at the downtown House of Blues, something that McGraw has been doing for about seven years.... »»»July 17, 2007 - Brooks & Dunn are set to deliver their all-new Arista Nashville album, "Cowboy Town," due Oct. 2. The first single, the Ronnie Dunn/Terry McBride/Marv Green-penned "Proud of the House We Built," is in the Top 20.
The duo produced the disc with Tony Brown. Dunn said, "This really is kind of like cowboys... »»»July 17, 2007 - Country music veteran Gene Watson makes his Shanachie debut with "In A Perfect World" Sept. 25. Watson has enjoyed almost 50 charting singles with 21 Top 10 hits and 5 number 1 songs since his mid-seventies chart debut.
Special guests on his new CD are Vince Gill, Lee Ann Womack, Joe Nichols, Mark... »»»July 17, 2007 - Edgar Loudermilk, who was in Marty Raybon's band, will join iiird Tyme Out. Loudermilk will replace Roy Deaton on bass. He announced earlier this year that he would leave the bluegrass band.
Loudermilk will join the group "sooner than we expected," according to their web site. "Ray has recently decided... »»»July 17, 2007 - Former Marine Josh Gracin returned from his tour of the Persian Gulf where he played concerts in support of U.S. troops overseas. Gracin spent time with the troops in Kuwait and Iraq where he performed five shows, signed autographs, visited with soldiers in the hospital and played basketball in 128... »»»July 16, 2007 - Jason Aldean will perform two tracks - "Johnny Cash" and "No" - from his chart-topping sophomore release "Relentless" Jimmy Kimmel Live this Wednesday, July 17th. Aldean also will be on the tube Monday, July 23rd when he performs on ABC's "CMA Music Special: Country's Night to Rock.... »»»July 16, 2007 - Carrie Underwood will have a tough act to follow, but her sophomore release is coming out in October, her label announced Monday.
Underwood delivers her new 19 Recordings/Arista Records/Arista Nashville collection - the follow-up to "Some Hearts," Oct. 23.
The debut yielded four number one hits,... »»»July 16, 2007 - Rascal Flatts launched their "Still Feels Good Tour" this past weekend with two sell-out shows in front of 18,000 fans at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn.
The production included an arena floor length bridge that lowered over the audience. The bridge allowed Rascal Flatts the ability to walk... »»»July 16, 2007 - New Mercury duo Halfway To Hazard (Chad Warrix, David
Tolliver) will be the opening act on Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's "Soul2Soul Tour 2007" for shows in July and August. Since the launch of the tour in June, Halfway To Hazard has been entertaining fans countrywide on both the indoor and outdoor stages.... »»»July 16, 2007 - Taylor Swift surpassed the 20 million mark for music streams on MySpace, where she is consistently ranked country's number 1 artist.
Swift is currently ranked at 15 for the most MySpace page visits for all genres of music, ahead of artists including Kelly Clarkson, Justin Timberlake and 50 Cent.... »»»July 16, 2007 - Stray Cats founder Lee Rocker will release a new solo disc in August. Look for an Aug. 14 release for "Black Cat Bone" on Alligator for the bassist/vocalist.
The disc from Rocker and his band (guitarists Brophy Dale and Buzz Campbell, and drummer Jimmy Sage) includes 10 Rocker originals (and 1... »»»July 13, 2007 - Taylor Swift will hit the race track when she performs on the Best Buy Fun Zone stage on Saturday, July 14 at the Chicagoland Speedway during the break between the two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series practice sessions on Saturday.
The event is part of final preparations for Sunday's USG Sheetrock 400 race.... »»»July 13, 2007 - Lance Miller is the new opening act on Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's Jeep Presents Soul2Soul Tour 2007. Since June 21st, Lance has played across Canada and the U.S. as a featured act on the outdoor "MyGIGInfotainment Stage."
Beginning July 27th in Biloxi, Miss., Miller will take the indoor main stage.... »»»July 12, 2007 - Big & Rich and Brad Paisley enjoyed having the top country song and album on Billboard for the week ending July 21 with "Lost In This Moment" and " 5th Gear" respectively.
On the song chart, Big & Rich notched their first career number one at the expense of last week's chart topper, "Lucky Man," by... »»»July 12, 2007 - Martina McBride the only country female act in the top 10 for the first half of 2007 for Pollstar's list of top tours. Gwen Stefani is the top grossing female act. McBride is one of country's top five touring acts, following Kenny Chesney, The Rowdy Frynds Tour (Hank Williams Jr. and Lynyrd Skynyrd) and Brad Paisley.... »»»July 12, 2007 - Willie Nelson will be honored as a BMI Icon at the U.S. performing right organization's 55th annual Country Awards, the oldest awards saluting country's top music makers. The event will recognize the past year's most-performed BMI country songs and is set for Nov. 6 at the company's Music Row offices in Nashville.... »»»July 12, 2007 - Inspired by his brand new single, "Hick Chick," Cowboy Troy and Graham Central Station Clubs have partnered to launch the first "Miss Hick Chick USA" contest. The tall, black rapping cowboy will set out to 14 Southwestern cities to host and judge the regional final "Hick Chick" competitions, where... »»»
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Country News Digest
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July 11, 2007 - For the third straight week, Brad Paisley's "5th Gear" is in high gear. That's because when the Billboard country album charts are released Thursday, Paisley will top the charts.
The album is the seventh best selling CD in the U.S., down two spots from the previous week. "5th Gear" sold a total of... »»»July 10, 2007 - Based on Nielsen Soundscan record sales for the first half of 2007, Tim McGraw is the top selling country artist of the year to date with "Let It Go," which was released in March.
With sales totaling near 1.4 million units, McGraw tops the list In addition, McGraw has the current number 1 catalog... »»»July 10, 2007 - Cole Deggs & The Lonesome and Sarah Buxton make their major label recording debuts today, while veterans Bobby Osborne and Kim Richey offer new CDs as well.
Cole Deggs and the Lonesome consists of lead singer Deggs on acoustic guitar and brother and bassist Shade, both of Lake Jackson, Texas, Jimmy and... »»»July 10, 2007 - The Grascals, Cherryholmes, Emmylou Harris and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
are slated to perform at the International Bluegrass Music Association's (IBMA) annual World of Bluegrass in Nashville Oct. 1-7.
The week kicks off for industry professionals and the IBMA Business Conference.... »»»July 9, 2007 - Sugarland, Little Big Town and Jake Owen will tour this fall as part of the sixth annual CMT ON TOUR. The tour starts Sept. 27 and ends Dec. 15, hitting 32 markets around the U.S.
Sugarland just had a number one single with "Settlin'," while Little Big Town has enjoyed a fine run with their second disc.... »»»July 9, 2007 - Bluegrass band The Dixie Bee-Liners signed a record deal with Pinecastle, the label announced Monday.
The group is comprised of led singer Brandi Hart, Buddy Woodward, Rachel Renee Johnson, Claiborne Woodall, Andy Blevins and Sam Morrow. The band previously released their own album to positive reviews.... »»»July 9, 2007 - The late Marty Robbiins will be honored with an exhibition at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum starting in late August. "Marty Robbins: Among My Souvenirs," a biographical exhibit will run from Aug. 3 until June 2008.
Opening weekend festivities will include a 45-minute exhibit tour, guided... »»»July 9, 2007 - Rascal Flatts' newest single "Take Me There" will debut in 24th when the Billboard charts are released Thursday, making it the highest country chart entry of 2007. This also marks Rascal Flatts' best debut ever - "Stand" was 26th as was "Me And My Gang."
"Take Me There" is from the forthcoming Rascal... »»»July 9, 2007 - Kellie Pickler will perform her single, "I Wonder," on ABC's Good Morning America on Monday, July 23. "I Wonder," from her gold certified debut album, "Small Town Girl," is a reflective song Pickler wrote about her absent mother, who left her as a child. The song is Top 15 and climbing the country singles charts.... »»»July 9, 2007 - Big & Rich went number one for the first time in their career with "Lost In This Moment" on both the Billboard country song and Mediabase charts. The lead single from Big & Rich's number one album, "Between Raising Hell And Amazing Grace," "Lost In This Moment" is also the duo's fastest-rising hit ever.... »»»July 9, 2007 - Jo Dee Messina will release her first single in nearly a year, "Biker Chick," today. The song is the premiere single from her forthcoming fall album, "Unmistakable," the follow-up to her 2005 number 1 disc "Delicious Surprise."
"Biker Chick," co-written by Kelly Archer and Max T.... »»»July 8, 2007 - After more than 40 years in country, Merle Haggard is going in a different direction - bluegrass. He will release "The Bluegrass Sessions" Oct. 2 through Del McCoury's label, McCoury Music.
The disc will feature a duet with Alison Krauss on the Haggard's classic "Mama's Hungry Eyes.... »»»July 8, 2007 - Superstar couple Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood were a last minute addition to the Live Earth concerts by playing Washington, D.C. Saturday. Brooks, who played guitar, and Yearwood sang his hit "We Shall Be Free."
The D.C. part of the world-wide series of concerts devoted to emphasizing... »»»July 5, 2007 - After one album, Jamie O'Neal has split with Capitol Nashville. O'Neal had one hit with Capitol, "Somebody's Hero," in 2005 from the CD "Brave." But follow-up singles "I Love My Life" and "God Does Not Mistakes" did little on the charts with the latter only reaching 47.
O'Neal, born in Australia, had... »»»July 5, 2007 - For the second straight week, Montgomery Gentry topped the Billboard country song chart with "Lucky Man." The same happened on the album chart with Brad Paisley's "Fifth Gear" first for the week ending July 5, 2007
George Strait stayed second on the song chart with "Wrapped," while Big & Rich remained... »»»July 5, 2007 - With record personal sales behind his new disc, Ryan Adams is extening his tour, according to his publicist.
"Easy Tiger" debuted 7th on SoundScan's Top 200 Current Albums chart with more than 61,000 sales in its first week. This is Adams' largest single week sales figure, and highest chart position, to date.... »»»July 5, 2007 - A trio, Lady Antebellum , signed a record deal with Capitol. A new is expected later this all.
The group consists of lead female vocalist Hillary Scott, the daughter of Linda Davis, lead male vocalist Charles Kelley and guitarist Dave Haywood. The trio made their Grand Ole Opry debut last week.... »»»July 5, 2007 - Terri Clark's debut for the SonyBMG label was slated to come out July 24. But the wait will continue until 2008 for "My Next Life album."
A label spokesperson said Thursday the album now will be out in "early 2008." Clark spent her entire career on the Mercury label, where she enjoyed hits such as... »»»July 4, 2007 - Bluegrasser Ray Goins, 71, of the Goins Brothers died Monday. He played bluegrass for about 50 years, including a stint with Ralph Stanley.
Goins, a banjoist, was a member of the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers, a classic Appalachian string band whose music spanned the gap between old time music and bluegrass.... »»»July 4, 2007 - If the face on the Old Milwaukee beer can looks familiar to country music fans, it ought to becaue it's Neal McCoy. He will appear at the Country Concert in Ft. Loramie, Ohio this Sunday, and Old Milwaukee Beer has been distributing a special edition can featuring McCoy's image throughout Ohio,... »»»July 4, 2007 - Josh Turner went "Live at the Ryman" as the CD was released tuesday by Cracker Barrel. The live set was culled from an April 19 concert at the Ryman in April. Turner has enjoyed a lot of success with his first two albums, going platinum and double platinum.
The single disc includes his first hit, "Long... »»»July 3, 2007 - Saxophone player Boots Randolph, best known for his 1963 hit "Yakety Sax" and a key architect of the Nashville Sound, died July 3 after suffering a brain hemorrhage in June. He was 80.
Randolph, born Homer Louis Randolph III on June 3, 1927 in Paducah, Ky., performed in many different musical styles,... »»»July 3, 2007 - Kathy Mattea returns to her native West Virginia on July 10, 2007, to view the effect of mountaintop removal coal mining and "to fight the destructive practice," according to the Sierra Club.
Sierra Club Vice President for Conservation Robin Mann will join Mattea and community leaders on an aerial tour... »»»July 3, 2007 - Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, along with "Soul2Soul Tour 2007" sponsor Jeep, will auction a 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4x4 in a charity auction on eBay. The Jeep was donated by Faith and Tim's Neighbor's Keeper Foundation and the Jeep brand.
Bidding will begin at eBay on Wednesday, July 4th.... »»»July 3, 2007 - Billy Joe Shaver gets spiritual on "Everybody's Brother," out Aug. 7 on Compadre. John Carter Cash produced the disc of songs about love, loss, death and the afterlife.
"Get Thee Behind Me Satan" starts the disc with John Anderson and Shaver trading off on lead vocals. Other guests include Marty... »»»July 3, 2007 - After a rare three-year break from recording, Steve Earle will release "Washington Square Serenade" Sept. 25, his debut for New West Records. The longtime Nashville (via Texas) resident, Earle has called New York City home for the past year, and this will be his first release produced in the city.... »»»July 2, 2007 - Sugarland lead Jennifer Nettles suffered "a severe case of tonsillitis," causing three shows to be cancelled, according to the band's publicist.
Nettles was under doctor's orders to rest her voice. Sugarland apparently did not play as scheduled Saturday in Denver either as part of Kenny Chesney's summer tour.... »»»July 2, 2007 - Trisha Yearwood's first single for her new label is set for a July 30th airplay date. "Heaven, Heartache And The Power Of Love" is the first song released from her upcoming Big Machine Records album of the same name. It will be the first studio recording from Yearwood since 2005.... »»»July 2, 2007 - With "Wrapped" going number one this week, George Strait tied Conway Twitty for the most number 1 singles of any genre with 55.
"Wrapped" is also the third single to hit number 1 from his 34th studio album "It Just Comes Natural." The first single off the project, "Give It Away," hit number 1 in just... »»»July 2, 2007 - Chris Cagle, who has been in the studio the last several weeks recording his fourth Capitol-Nashville project, will release "What Kinda Gone" (Candy Cameron/Chip Davis/Dave Berg) later this month as his new single.
The up-tempo tune is one of seven songs Cagle has recorded for his upcoming CD release.... »»»July 2, 2007 - After a career on Sony and Capitol, Rosanne Cash has a new record deal. Cash, the daughter of Johnny Cash and Vivian Liberto, signed a contact with Manhattan Records. Cash is due to go into the studio later this fall with a release due in 2008.
Cash, who lives in New York had a slew of country hits in... »»»July 2, 2007 - Not only does Reba McEntire have a duet partner in Kelly Clarkson - she is also managing the singer. Clarkson announced Monday thst she had left The Firm to sign on with Starstruck, the Nashville-based company run by McEntire's husband.
Narvel Blackstock, CEO of Starstruck Entertainment, will serve as... »»»July 2, 2007 - Sarah Buxton and Trent Tomlinson are on the same record label, Lyric Street, but they share something else in common as well. Both will celebrate their birthdays on July 3rd.
Tomlinson will be 32, while Buxton becomes 27.
Tomlinson will celebrate his birthday with a performance at the Naperville, Illinois Ribfest.... »»»July 2, 2007 - Rascal Flatts will release the first single - "Take Me There" - off their upcoming album today. The song will be on Rascal Flatts' new album "Still Feels Good," due out Sept. 25.
This will be the band's fifth album since debuting in 1999. "Still Feels Good" was co-produced by Rascal Flatts and Dann Huff.... »»»July 1, 2007 - Sara Evans just released a new single, "As If." The song is the first single from her upcoming "Greatest Hits" set due out this fall on SonyBMG.
Evans also shot a video for the song. There was no exact release date for the album.
The singer has been embroiled in heated divorce proceedings with her... »»»July 1, 2007 - A knee infection to Darius Rocker, lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish, resulted in tour dates being postponed until mid-July, and that means opening act Steve Azar was also left without a show.
Azar's previously announced tour dates with Hootie & the Blowfish have been postponed until further notice,... »»»July 1, 2007 - A record breaking attendance dumped $21 million on Nashville during the 2007 CMA Music Festival last month, according to the Country Music Association. Since moving the Festival downtown, visitor spending has increased from $15.5 million in 2001 to the current $21 million.
"This year's Festival was a... »»»July 1, 2007 - Brothers Johnny and Donnie Van Zant did well enough with their first country album, "Get Right With The Man," that they're going to do it again. The debut went gold for sales of 500,000 units and resulted in a Top 10 single with the title track. Now, the duo is poised to release their sophomore disc "My... »»»July 1, 2007 - Texas honky tonker Mark Chesnutt signed a deal with Lofton Creek Records, it was announced this week.
Chesnutt's first CD for the label will be "Rollin With The Flow". His album is to be released later this fall.
Chesnutt spent most of his career on MCA.
Chesnutt has enjoyed 4 platinum albums, 5... »»»
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