May 30, 2008 - Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain's first single, "I Can Go Back Anytime," from the group's upcoming CD was released by Rural Rhythm Records. The band's second CD,"CHHR2," for the label is due July 29.
"I Can Go Back Anytime" was written by Jennifer Strickland who wrote the band's second chart single,... »»»May 30, 2008 - The 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards drew 11.7 million viewers and was the second-highest rated program throughout the full 3 hours it aired on Sunday, May 18th on CBS, a 26-percent jump from 2007.
The show reversed the trend of declining awards show ratings and posted across-the-board... »»»May 30, 2008 - Heidi Newfield, former lead singer of Trick Pony, will release her solo debut, "What Am I Waiting For?," Aug. 5 on Curb. The first single from the 10-song disc is "Johnny and June," which is almost on the top 30 of the Billboard country song chart. The song is about Johnny Cash and his wife June Carter Cash.... »»»May 30, 2008 - Twangfest is holding the Twangfest Auction on eBay in conjunction with KDHX 88.1 FM. The auction will feature more 200 music related items, with all proceeds benefiting Twangfest, the annual June alternative-country festival in St. Louis, and KDHX Community Media.
Bands, artists, record labels and... »»»May 29, 2008 - Brad Paisley and Julianne Hough top the Billboard country song and album charts for the week ending June 7 respectively with "I'm Still a Guy" and Hough's self-titled debut.
The top five spots on the song chart remained constant: Phil Vassar with "Love is a Beautiful Thing" second; James Otto with... »»»May 29, 2008 - Billy Ray Cyrus returned to his home state of Tennessee earlier this month to film the music video for "Real Gone." The song is featured on the recently released Disneymania 6 CD (Walt Disney Records) and the upcoming "Country Sings Disney" project (Walt Disney Records/Lyric Street Records), in stores Tuesday, July 8.... »»»May 29, 2008 - NBC's Nashville Star will kick off its first season on NBC with a performance by 2008 ACM Best New Female Vocalist Taylor Swift on June 9. Her performance on "Nashville Star" will be part of the show's two-hour premiere episode that will also feature highlights from the nationwide casting calls and will... »»»May 29, 2008 - Forgive Taylor Swift if she's going to be a bit sore in the hand come June 7. That's because the country singer will be signing autographs all day at the CMA Music Fest in Nashville.
Swift will spend that day, all day, meeting fans and signing autographs in the Big Machine Records booth at the CMA... »»»May 29, 2008 - Wind-up Entertainment is known as the home of Evanescence and the late Creed. But now the New York-based label is making a foray into country with the formation of Wind-up Nashville and the signing of Eric Durrance.
Durrance is set to make his entry into the country music scene with his debut single... »»»May 29, 2008 - Sugarland scored the highest country chart debut of their career at number 27 with current single "All I Want To Do," which they performed on the recent Academy of Country Music awards. The duo's previous best was number 36 with "Want To." Sugarland - Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush - will release... »»»May 28, 2008 - Brad Paisley reached the top of the Billboard country song chart for the week ending June 6 with Then. Kenny Chesney was first on the album chart with "Greatest Hits II." Paisley assumed the top spot from Sugarland's It Happens, which fell to second. Chesney took over for "Hannah Montana: The Movie,"... »»»May 28, 2008 - ShowDog Nashville singer Mica Roberts and Verizon teamed up to raise awareness about domestic violence. Roberts' single, "Things A Mama Don't Know," deals with the issue. She hooked up with Verizon, which was looking to further champion domestic violence prevention. Roberts will appear at Verizon stores... »»»May 28, 2008 - Sister trio Carter's Chord will see their debut released digitally next month. The debut will be out on June 17 with a CD version expected later in the year. The sisters are the children of two members of Waylon Jennings' touring band The Waylors. Toby Keith and Barny Robertson, the trio's father,... »»»May 28, 2008 - Newcomer Julianne Hough did pretty well for herself with her self-titled debut disc - it debuted at number one on the country charts, which will be officially released Thursday. She had the third best selling overall album in the U.S.
"Country music has always been my passion," she said.... »»»May 28, 2008 - Chris Cagle had another brush with the law - he was arrested and charged with domestic assault as was his girlfriend after an alleged drunken fight
Cagle and his girlfriend, Jennifer Taut were jailed on misdemeanor domestic assault charges, according to police. Police statements said both were... »»»May 27, 2008 - Bluegrass veteran Mac Wiseman was among people by the National Endowment for Arts as 2008 National Heritage Award winners. Other winners included a saddlemaker from Idaho a quilter from Alabama.
In 1982, the NEA established the awards as a way of honoring American folk artists for their contributions... »»»May 27, 2008 - Home Depot is looking to country music fans to help them select the 2008 Hometown Hero award recipient. The Hometown Hero award recognizes an individual committed to volunteerism and improving his or her local community and is part of The Home Depot's sponsorship of the 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.... »»»May 27, 2008 - Laura Bryna was picked as the voice of the advertising campaign for the Air Guard, a branch of the military that has a state and federal mission to actively support the needs of the country and the nation's homeland defense. There are currently over 140 Air Guard bases in the United States.... »»»May 27, 2008 - Joe Ely and accordion ace Joel Guzman will join Garrison Keillor and crew for A Prairie Home Companion Saturday, May 31, live from Las Cruces, N.M. The program airs in most markets on public radio beginning at 6 p.m. eastern, 5 p.m. central. Ely and Guzman are touring in support of their new release,... »»»May 27, 2008 - Alabama lead singer Randy Owen signed with Broken Bow Records, the home of Jason Aldean. The first single will ship June 11, and Owens' debut solo project, "One On One," will hit stores Nov. 11.
"Randy Owen has played a major role in country music's success over the past 25 years," said label owner Benny Brown.... »»»May 27, 2008 - The Lost Trailers thought they were just in Michigan for a photo shoot, but what a difference a phone call can make.
In Grand Rapids, Mich. on May 23 on day two of a two-day shoot for the music video for their song, "Holler Back," The Lost Trailers were shooting still photos while video cameras were... »»»May 27, 2008 - It's a quiet week on the release front with new music from Andy Griggs, Ryan Shupe & The Rubber Band and Eliza Gilkyson.
Griggs makes his debut on Montage with "The Good Life" after previously being part of RCA where he had hits with "You Won't Ever Be Lonely," "She's More" and "Tonight I Wanna Be Your Man.... »»»May 26, 2008 - Jim Lauderdale cancelled his concert dates for May due to vocal problems. The exact problem was not specified on his web site.
"His doctor has placed him on strict vocal rest," his web site said.
Dates for Asheville and Nashville, which was slated for May 29, "will definitely be rescheduled for the future.... »»»May 25, 2008 - The Country Thunder USA festival slated to host Tim McGraw and Pat Green in Texas next weekend was cancelled due to poor ticket sales. The decision had no effect on a sister festival slated for July 16-19 in Wisconsin with Taylor Swift, Sugarland, Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert and Sara Evans.... »»»May 23, 2008 - Hank Williams may have died 55 years ago, but a motherload of unreleased songs - 143 - will be released by Time Life starting this fall. Time Life is releasing the material, known as the "Mother's Best" recordings, under an exclusive agreement with Jett Williams and Hank Williams Jr.... »»»May 23, 2008 - Jimmy Fortune, former tenor of the Statler Brothers for more than 20 years, was honored earlier this month by the Tennessee State Senate. The resolution celebrates "the numerous contributions and significant accomplishments of Jimmy Fortune, who, through his personal excellence and musical talents, has... »»»May 22, 2008 - D Kilpatrick, a music executive from the 1940s to the 1960s in Nashville, died Wednesday at 88. He was considered the first salaried producer based in Music City and produced Hank Thompson, Tex Ritter and Jimmie Skinner.
Kilpatrick, both July 18 1999 in Charlotte, N.C., got into the record business as... »»»May 22, 2008 - Brad Paisley assumed the top spot on the Billboard country song chart for the week ending May 31, while Toby Keith stayed number 1 on the album chart with "35 Biggest Hits."
Paisley took over the number one position from James Otto and his first number one, "Just Got Started Lovin' You.... »»»May 22, 2008 - Jim White, James McMurtry, Paul Thorn, The Belleville Outfit, The Snake The Cross and the Crown and The SteelDrivers will perform at the ninth American Music Festival in Nashville in September.
More than 70 other artists are expected to participate at the festival, held Sept. 17-20 sponsored by the... »»»May 22, 2008 - A second session of the CMA Celebrity Close Up Series was announced for 2008 CMA Music Festival, featuring Sara Evans and Joe Nichols. The event will take place on Thursday, June 5 from 4:00-5:30 p.m. central at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
Evans and Nichols will be in separate segments,... »»»May 22, 2008 - An extra band member will be up on stage with Rascal Flatts when they hit Indianapolis next month. For one night anyway the trio becomes a quartet with Emily Noxon, of Orem, Utah, joining the boys because she won a contest based on a video of her signing a Rascal Flatts song.
Noxon was the grand... »»»May 21, 2008 - Kenny Chesney posted a message to his fans thanking them for their support on his myspace page in the wake of comments he made following Sunday's Academy of Country Music show in which he criticized allowing the public to vote for the most important award, entertainer of the year.... »»»May 21, 2008 - The stars of ABC's "All My Children," "One Life to Live," and "General Hospital" will descend upon Nashville during CMA Music Festival, which is held Thursday through Sunday, June 5-8.
"Our fans really enjoyed meeting and interacting with ABC's daytime stars last year, so we couldn't be happier that... »»»May 21, 2008 - Blake Shelton will be the only country artist to participate in a live tribute concert, "David Foster and Friends," honoring the well-known producer. The tribute will be May 23 in Las Vegas. The show will feature Andrea Bocelli, Babyface, Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Kenny G., Katharine McPhee, Brian... »»»May 21, 2008 - Toby Keith once again will be atop the Billboard country charts when the new chart is released Thursday with "35 Biggest Hits." The set contains one new song, the single "She's a Hottie." Taylor Swift will be second on the country chart with her self-titled debut. Dierks Bentley is third with "Greatest... »»»May 21, 2008 - After one less than successful album with BNA, Jamey Johnston gained acclaim for his songwriting. Penning George Strait's big hit "Give It Away" helped because now he is with the Universal Music Group with an album due this summer and a brand new video.
Johnson's debut single with Mercury Records,... »»»May 20, 2008 - Brad Paisley is having a really good week. He received the ACM Top Male Vocalist award for the second consecutive year on Sunday and then learned Monday that his current single, "I'm Still A Guy" became his 11th number 1 hit, making it the fourth number 1 from "5th Gear." According to R&R, Paisley and... »»»May 20, 2008 - Julianne Hough sees if her success on Dancing With the Stars can rub off on her music career as she releases her debut today. Other new albums come from bluegrass singer James King and Texas artist Cory Morrow.
Hough enjoyed much success on Dancing With the Stars, winning the competition twice with... »»»May 20, 2008 - Ruby Dee and The Snakehandlers, the rockabilly/honky tonk country act from Seattle, are readying the release of their second full-length recording, "Miles From Home," on Dionysus Records, on June 24. The band also is launching a tour in June.
The disc was produced by Seattle music mainstay Conrad Uno... »»»May 19, 2008 - Carrie Underwood, will return to the American Idol stage to perform on Wednesday, May 21 for the season 7 finale show fresh off her second consecutive win as Top Female Vocalist at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Underwood will perform her current co-written hit "Last Name." Underwood is currently... »»»May 19, 2008 - The annual rite of the CMA Music Festival - meeting the artists face to face - will include the likes of Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Gretchen Wilson, Josh Gracin and Charlie Louvin.
Held at the Nashville Convention Center, the event gives four-day attendees the opportunity to meet the artists.... »»»May 19, 2008 - The good night got even better for Kenny Chesney when he was named the Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the year for the fourth straight year.
"It was an amazing feeling," said Chesney. "You just never know... or want to take it for granted. You work as hard as you can, and you hope people notice.... »»»May 19, 2008 - What started as a planned 90th birthday tribute to Eddy Arnold ended with the late country singing great charting for seven straight decades, a feat never duplicated.
RCA Nashville had planned to approach radio stations with a request to play the song, "To Life," a song from his 2005 album, "After All... »»»May 19, 2008 - The Grascals lost fiddle player Jimmy Mattingly to Dolly Parton, but gained Jeremy Abshire as a replacement. Mattingly has played with Parton for many years. With an increased work schedule with Parton, Mattingly left the bluegrass band The Grascals, who are releasing their third CD on Rounder in July.... »»»May 19, 2008 - Lady Antebellum may not have even released a CD when it was nominated for best new group at the Academy of Country Music awards held Sunday night. But the three members of Lady Antebellum are now glowing because of their win.
"I'm so fired up right now," said Charles Kelley. "We never imagined that... »»»May 19, 2008 - An annual rite of summer, the Grand Ole Opry's Plaza Parties will include Tift Merritt, Sunny Sweet and Elizabeth Cook between Memorial Day weekend and late summer. The concerts will be held every Saturday at 5:30 p.m. on the Opry Plaza concert stage located in the area in front of the Opry House, the... »»»May 18, 2008 - Winning the big award at the Academy of Country Music awards is getting to be old hat for Kenny Chesney. The country superstar took his fourth straight entertainer of the year award Sunday night at the ACMs in Las Vegas.
"This one is really extra special because long before I had a hit record the... »»»May 16, 2008 - Dolly Parton lashed out at Howard Stern after he pieced together different words allegedly said by the country star on his radio show. Stern claimed that Parton said negative things about Johnny Carson, Linda Ronstadt and Kenny Rogers, including racial epithets.
"I have never been so shocked, hurt and... »»»May 16, 2008 - Carrie Underwood is one of three female celebrities appearing in nationally-aired television commercials for Nintendo DS, which will debut Monday, May 19. Nintendo is making a popular color a regular part of the Nintendo DS color palette and Underwood, along with actress America Ferrera, will be... »»»May 16, 2008 - Gretchen Wilson may be a star in country music, but one thing she did not have was a high school diploma - until last night. Wilson completed a GED course to enable her to earn her diploma at a public graduation ceremony held at the First Baptist Church in Lebanon, Tenn.
The surprise guest speaker for... »»»May 16, 2008 - Sugarland will release their third studio album, "Love On The Inside," July 22. Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush co-wrote all 13 tracks and teamed up with Byron Gallimore again to produce.
Sugarland will premiere the album's debut single "All I Want To Do" live
on the Academy of... »»»May 15, 2008 - Shania Twain and her producer/husband Robert "Mutt" Lange announced Thursday they are separating after 14 years of marriage.
The two wrote songs together, such as "Still the One," and Lange was a key player in her success because he produced her music.
"Shania Twain and her husband, music producer... »»»May 15, 2008 - Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson, announced today they will play additional 2 Worlds 2 Voices tour dates this fall with 24 shows starting late September and lasting until late November. The tour, combining both bands and singers on one stage for a combined non-stop set, sold out 15 markets from... »»»May 15, 2008 - Roots rocker Alejandro Escovedo will hit the road as the opening act for the Dave Matthews Band beginning June 9th in support of his upcoming release "Real Animal." Alejandro will perform with his full band which consists of: David Pulkingham (guitar), Josh Gravelin (bass), Hector Munoz (drums), Susan... »»»May 15, 2008 - James Otto once again was number 1 on the Billboard country song chart with "Just Got Started Lovin' You," while Toby Keith debuted in first on the album chart with "35 Biggest Hits" for the week ending May 24.
Otto, who has his first number one, is being hard pressed by Brad Paisley, whose "I'm Still... »»»May 15, 2008 - Ronnie Milsap will launch his #1 Hits Tour in June with dates into December. Great American Country's Master Series will sponsor the tour.
"It's great news for the fans and myself," said Milsap. "With GAC partnering with me on this 2008 tour, the fans will not only have the opportunity to see me live... »»»May 15, 2008 - This time, the delay for Keith Anderson's second CD is two months. After having most recently been slated for a June 24 release and prior to that May 20, Anderson's "C'mon!" now is slated to drop Aug. 6.
The single, "I Still Miss You," is "active, healthy, Top 25 and climbing and still a comparatively... »»»May 15, 2008 - Randy Houser, Universal South's newest artist, released his first single to country radio this week, "Anything Goes."
"'Anything Goes' is one of the few songs I didn't write on this album," said Houser. "But, the first time I heard it, a lot of things were put into perspective for me and I have to... »»»May 15, 2008 - The Grand Ole Opry will kick off its CMA Music Festival week of shows Tuesday, June 3, including a star-packed Tuesday Night Opry show and a free show on the Opry Plaza Party with Luke Bryan.
Carrie Underwood, Montgomery Gentry, The Oak Ridge Boys and Bryan are among those scheduled to appear on the... »»»May 15, 2008 - Phil Vassar and Jo Dee Messina will kick off 2008 CMA Music Festival on June 5. "Having Phil and Jo Dee kick off CMA Music Festival this year is going to be a real treat for our attendees," said Tammy Genovese, CMA Chief Executive Officer.
Curb recording artist Messina is slated to release her fifth... »»»May 14, 2008 - Taylor Swift, who leads the field of female nominees for this year's Academy of Country Music Awards, will perform on the CBS Early Show this Saturday morning, May 17. Taylor will perform from the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, the site of the 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music AwardsThe following... »»»May 14, 2008 - Toby Keith will have the number 1 country disc in the U.S. when the Billboard charts are officially released Thursday with "35 Biggest Hits." Keith sold 103,000 units of the 35-song package, which includes 1 new song, "She's a Hottie." The release was number 2 of any disc in the U.S.... »»»
|
|
Country News Digest
 CST
 CST
May 14, 2008 - "Better As A Memory" broke into the top 10 on the Billboard/R&R Country Chart, and that marks Kenny Chesney's 24th straight Top 10, making it the longest consecutive run of Top 10 hits since 2000. Tim McGraw held the previous mark.
"I just know how psyched I was when I got that first Top 10 hit," Chesney said.... »»»May 14, 2008 - Trace Adkins, Kathy Mattea, Phil Vassar and Trisha Yearwood will appear at the Country Music Hall of Fame during the CMA Festival in June.
Year wood will sign her latest CD "Heaven, Heartache
and the Power of Love," and her new cookbook, "Georgia
... »»»May 13, 2008 - The Old 97's, Hayes Carll and the Waco Brothers top the list of 13 acts appearing at this year's Twangfest being held in June in St. Louis at four different venues.
The semi-annual Twangfest auction will go live on eBay starting
May 20. This event will feature more than 100 music collectables, CDs,... »»»May 13, 2008 - New singer/songwriter Fisher Stevenson just released his debut single "No Tomorrow Here Tonight" from the forthcoming Nathan Chapman produced, self-titled debut album on Big Machine.
Stevenson picked up double-digit radio adds in his initial week. Currently on a 6-month radio tour visiting over 120... »»»May 13, 2008 - Carter's Chord will release their self-titled debut through all major online
retailers digitally on June 17 with Show Dog Nashville. The albums physical release is expected later this year. This seems to be part of a trend towards digital release of albums. A disc by Jennifer Hanson comes out two... »»»May 13, 2008 - Dwight Yoakam will set a record when he sings two songs on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" Friday - the most appearances by any artist - for his 24th time on the show. Yoakam will sing as part of the show's late night outdoor concert series Thursday.
The country traditionalist broke the record he... »»»May 13, 2008 - Only one new disc is out this week - the Old 97s. Rhett Miller and the boys are back with their first disc since 2004's "Drag It Up." The band consists of Miller, bassist/vocalist Murry Hammond, lead guitarist Ken Bethea and drummer Philip Peeples. The group, which once upon a time was on Bloodshot,... »»»May 12, 2008 - John Michael Montgomery voluntarily checked himself into a rehabilitation treatment center at an undisclosed location for substance abuse due to severe anxiety attacks and sleep disorder, according to his web site. Montgomery cancelled all concert dates and personal appearances for the next 30 days.... »»»May 12, 2008 - Rootsy Canadian band Duhks will be back with a release in August. Their fourth album, "Fast Paced World," drops Aug. 12 on Sugar Hill Records. "We traveled from Winnipeg, locked ourselves in a Nashville basement, pooled our ideas together and invented a new sound," says new frontwoman and bilingual,... »»»May 12, 2008 - Jennifer Hanson's first release in six years will be a digital only affair. "Thankful" will be available June 3 through Universal Records South. The CD will include singles "Joyride" and "'73," as well as the title track, performed with Vince Gill. Hanson and Nick Brophy co-produced the disc.... »»»May 12, 2008 - Country newcomer Christian Kane will gamble for charity by hosting the Music Row Open Charity Poker Tournament on May 17 in Las Vegas as part of the events surrounding the Academy of Country Music awards next Sunday. Joining Kane will be Jay Frank, CMT; Eric Griffin, Brand X Management; Ben Vaughn, EMI... »»»May 12, 2008 - Gretchen Wilson and Old Crow Medicine Show were added to Marty Stuart's seventh annual Late Night Jam benefiting both MusiCares and CMA's Keep The Music Playing program on June 4 at the Ryman.
Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives (Kenny Vaughn, Harry Stinson and Paul Martin) will perform with... »»»May 11, 2008 - Gospel giant Dottie Rambo, 74, whose songs were recorded by Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner, Mel Tillis, Vince Gill and Alison Krauss, was killed Sunday in a tour bus accident in Missouri while en route to a concert in Texas.
The bus Rambo traveled on struck a guard rail and hit an embankment.... »»»May 11, 2008 - Carrie Underwood became the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry Saturday night, inducted by fellow Oklahoman, Opry member Garth Brooks, before a sold-out Opry House audience.
Presenting Underwood with the Opry Member Award, Brooks said, "Nothing will last as long or be more important than this award... »»»May 9, 2008 - Life may getting spicy for Tim McGraw real soon. That's because the singer teamed up with Fritos to create the Tim McGraw Spicy Jalapeno flavored Fritos corn chips, which will be available this month in selected areas and nationally this fall. The special flavor of Fritos corn chips is part of a larger... »»»May 9, 2008 - Nashville Star has competition thanks to Great American Country (GAC) in the form of The Next GAC Star, a nationwide talent search for the next country music star, in a partnership with artist development company Music Nation.
Six finalists will be flown to Nashville to be featured in a final 2-part... »»»May 9, 2008 - X leader Exene Cervenka, also a member of The Knitters, signed a solo deal with Bloodshot Records. Her first album for the label is in the works and will be out in 2009. Exene will be recording this fall.
Label co-owner Nan Warshaw said, "Bloodshot would not exist without the seminal bands, like X and... »»»May 8, 2008 - Tim McGraw's special greatest hits package was number 1 on the Billboard country album chart for the week ending May 17. James Otto took over the song chart leader board with his first number one ever, "Just Got Started Lovin' You." George Strait fell from first to second with "I Saw God Today.... »»»May 8, 2008 - Funeral Services for Eddy Arnold, who passed away this morning, have been scheduled for next week. A public viewing in the Country Music Hall of Fame rotunda is scheduled for Tuesday, May 13 from 5-9 p.m., and on Wednesday, May 14 from 9 a.m.-noon. The funeral service, also open to the public, will be... »»»May 8, 2008 - Jerry Wallace, 79, who switched from pop to country as a boon to his career, died Monday of congestive heart failure.
Wallace was born Dec. 15, 1928 in Guilford, Mo. and raised in Glendale, Ariz. Nicknamed "Mr. Smooth," Wallace was considered a pop act during the late 1950s with a pair of huge hits,... »»»May 8, 2008 - Kellie Pickler will debut her new single, "Don't You Know You're Beautiful," on the ACM Awards on Sunday, May 18. The ACM Top New Female nominee and three-time CMT Award winner said, "I'm so excited to be performing on the show and doubly so, to be debuting the new single. It's such a great song, with a... »»»May 8, 2008 - Chris Cagle is well past the age of going to a high school prom. Well, that was until last week when he made one ill high schooler's dream come true. Cagle accompanied Danielle "Bella" Romeo to the prom held this past weekend in Victoria Texas.
"Bella is an extraordinary young lady," Cagle said.... »»»May 8, 2008 - Reckless Kelly ges political on "Bulletproof," their disc dropping June 24 on Yep Roc. "American Blood" is an anti-war song about an 18-year-old soldier going off to war.
The soldier asks "what happens when soldiers return home," and criticizes "George" for sitting "home with his feet on his desk,... »»»May 8, 2008 - Bluegrass band The Grascals, the reigning IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Entertainers of the Year for the last two years, will release their third studio album for Rounder Records, "Keep On Walkin'," on July 15. The 12-song, self-produced album is the group's first release in two... »»»May 8, 2008 - Toby Keith, Kellie Pickler, LeAnn Rimes will perform during the 43rd annual Academy of Country Music show on May 18. Kenny Chesney and George Strait will perform a special live duet for the first time ever.
The Academy also announced that magician Criss Angel, Clint Black, Brooks & Dunn, Sara Evans,... »»»May 8, 2008 - Eddy Arnold, whose long career in country included 27 number 1 hits in a recording career spanning 6 decades and membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame, died this morning at 89 in Tennessee.
Arnold, known as The Tennessee Plowboy, was part of the breed of country singers who saw the genre swing a... »»»May 7, 2008 - Sara Evans and Maroon 5 blend their worlds of country and pop on CMT Crossroads: Maroon 5 and Sara Evans premiering on Friday, May 9 at 9 p.m. eastern, Pacific on CMT. The one-hour special was taped before an invitation only audience in Nashville and features Evans' hits including "I Could Not Ask For... »»»May 7, 2008 - Porter Wagoner, The Oak Ridge Boys, Brenda Lee and Dick Clark were among the winners announced Wednesday by the Academy of Country Music. The awards were part of the awards show to be held May 18 in Las Vegas.
The Jim Reeves International Award - Dick Clark. The award goes to an individual for... »»»May 7, 2008 - Garth Brooks will become the first-ever artist given the Academy of Country Music Crystal Milestone Award during the 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on May 18. Brooks will also perform a special medley of his greatest hits during the telecast. The award is given to an artist or industry... »»»May 7, 2008 - The new release of Tim McGraw may be limited to Wal Mart, but his "Greatest Hits: Limited Edition" sold enough to be number one on the country album chart when it is officially out Thursday and good for 10th on the overall top 200 charts. The set, which includes both volumes of his previously released... »»»May 7, 2008 - Ray Scott is going his own way. After one disc on Warner, Scott is releasing his next CD, "Crazy Like Me," on his own label, Jethropolitan Records. The music will be available digitally in late May. Physical CDs will only be available at www.rayscott.com and at all concerts starting in early June.... »»»May 6, 2008 - Bill Anderson was named as a charter member of the Grady Fellowship by the Board of Trust at his alma mater, the University of Georgia in Athens.
A graduate of the Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication, Anderson is being honored as an inaugural member of the newly-formed Fellowship for his... »»»May 6, 2008 - Sarah Buxton will join Dierks Bentley on NBC-TVs Today Show tomorrow, Wednesday May 7. Buxton will sing live with Bentley on the song "Sweet And Wild," one of the two new tracks on the Bentley's new greatest hits CD, which came out today.
Buxton's digital EP "Almost My Record," includes "Innocence,"... »»»May 6, 2008 - Attendance at this year's StageCoach country music festival almost doubled from last year. The weekend event, featuring Carrie Underwood, The Judds, John Fogerty and The Eagles, drew 120,000 admissions, which includes paid and free admissions. Capacity was 60,000 per day for the 3-day event.... »»»May 6, 2008 - Billy Bob Thornton and The Boxmasters' video "The Poor House" will premiere
on GAC - TV today. "The Poor House" is the lead track from The Boxmasters self-titled 2-CD set to be released on Sawmill/Vanguard
Records June 10.
The Boxmasters - W.R. 'Bud' Thornton, J.D. Andrew and Mike Butler -... »»»May 6, 2008 - Tim McGraw will launch his "Live Your Voice Tour" this Friday, May 9 in Tampa with special guest Jason Aldean and Halfway To Hazard. Also joining the tour are Brett and Brad Warren. McGraw said today that the Warren Brothers will be featured players in his touring band.
Last summer, McGraw toured... »»»May 6, 2008 - Based on a fan vote, Dierks Bentley's hits package, "Greatest Hits/Every Mile A Memory 2003-2008" (Capitol Nashville) will include his 10 top 10 and number 1 radio hits, 5 live versions of crowd favorites "So So Long," "Lot of Leavin' Left To Do," "Wish It Would Break" and "Free & Easy" Down The Road I... »»»May 5, 2008 - For those who didn't already realize it, Dierks Bentley is a real man of genius. Well almost. Bentley is the newest addition to Anheuser Busch's "Real Men of Genius" advertising campaign in a spot that will begin airing nationally this month.
"Getting a 'real men of genius' spot is pretty much the... »»»May 5, 2008 - A line-up including Miranda Lambert, Trace Adkins, Randy Owen, Ralph Stanley, Ricky Skaggs and Hank Williams Jr. is set for the first BamaJam Music & Arts Festival June 5 - 7 in Enterprise, Ala.
"BamaJam tickets are outselling our expectations," said Ted Hacker, Event Producer, Ronnie Gilley Entertainment.... »»»May 5, 2008 - James Otto scored his first number one hit with current single, "Just Got Started Lovin' You," a single he co-wrote with Jim Femino and D. Vincent Williams. The single tops both the R&R and Mediabase country music charts.
"I am still in shock," said Otto. "As a songwriter, this is something you dream about.... »»»May 5, 2008 - Collin Raye will show that you can go home again, and once again it's for charity. Raye will return to his hometown of DeQueen, Ark. June 18-20 for the 8th Annual Collinfest, a three-day charity event.
On Wednesday, June 18, Collinfest will kick-off the event with a Fan Club Party and then on the 19th... »»»May 5, 2008 - Leo Jackson, guitarist for 10 years for Jim Reeves, died of cancer, it was reported Monday. Jackson was in his 70s.
Jackson started playing guitar when he was a teenager with Reeves, while Reeves was still at the Louisiana Hayride. Jackson played on most of Reeves' hit records.... »»»May 5, 2008 - Rascal Flatts will launch a brand new tour this summer, the "Bob That Head Tour." The tour starts June 13 in St. Louis with opening acts Taylor Swift and songwriters Neil Thrasher and Wendell Mobley. The tour is named after a song on the trio's current disc.
"We hope our fans look forward to our shows... »»»May 2, 2008 - A who's who of country and rootsy acts including The Eagles, John Fogerty, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift and a reunited Judds are hitting southern California to play at the second annual StageCoach music fest this weekend.
The event, held in Indio, Cal.... »»»May 2, 2008 - Jim Hager, 61, one-half of The Hagers, the only twin act to make a mark on country music, died Thursday of an apparent heart attack. The Hagers became known as members of Hee Haw.
Jim Hager and his brother Jon inherited their loved of music from their parents, who adopted them. After serving in the... »»»May 2, 2008 - A Ralph Stanley clawhammer album - "Old Time Pickin': A Clawhammer Banjo Collection" - will be coming out from Rebel this summer. The disc is a compilation of previously released clawhammer songs along with unreleased material. Several songs were previously unavailable on CD. Stanley recorded about 10... »»»May 2, 2008 - Carlene Carter has hit the concert trail in support of her new CD, "Stronger." She opened for Elvis Costello in Memphis and at the Ryman in Nashville last week. She then jetted to LA to play a sold out show at The Mint, where she was joined by producer and former Doobie brother John McPhee.... »»»May 1, 2008 - While the focus in electoral politics has been on the presidential election, country music fans have other options starting today. Fans can vote for the first time ever to vote for the 43rd Academy of Country Music Awards entertainer of the year. Nominees were Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, George... »»»May 1, 2008 - Dierks Bentley will make a slew of media appearances and intimate fan club parties across the nation in support of his first hits collection, "Greatest Hits//Every Mile A Memory 2003 - 2008" (Capitol Nashville) in stores May 6.
Sandwiched between concerts on NBC's Today (May 7) and ABC's Jimmy Kimmel... »»»May 1, 2008 - Rhonda Vincent just released her 10th career video - for "I Gotta Start Somewhere" from her latest album, "Good Thing Going." The video, filmed in Bryson City, N.C. with Los Angeles director Dallas Henry, features Vincent trying to get over a broken relationship by retreating to the mountains.... »»»May 1, 2008 - Four aspiring songwriters won a prestigious songwriting contest at MerleFest 2008. The Chris Austin Songwriting Contest is divided into four categories: country, bluegrass, gospel and general.
Winners were:
General Category Winner: David Myles from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada with "When It Comes My Turn.... »»»May 1, 2008 - Jason Michael Carroll will release his third music video for the single "I Can Sleep When I'm Dead" to national television next week. The video, directed by David McClister (LeAnn Rimes, Dierks Bentley) and filmed in Nashville, is set to debut on Country Music Television and Great American Country on Monday, May 5.... »»»May 1, 2008 - "Off The Hillbilly Hook" will be the debut single from Trailer Choir. The song hits radio June 9, but will be available at digital retailers May 27. The trio will perform at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill in
Harrah's Casino in Las Vegas in advance of the Academy of Country Music
Awards, May 16.... »»»May 1, 2008 - Taylor Swift, Gretchen Wilson and Randy Travis will participate in
the Celebrity Close-Up Series during the CMA Music Fest in June, giving fans a more in depth look at the singers' lives.
"The CMA Celebrity Close Up Series is such a spontaneous event," said Tammy Genovese, CMA Chief Executive Officer.... »»»May 1, 2008 - George Strait saw number one again with "I Saw God Today" first on the Billboard country song chart for the week ending May 10, while Strait also enjoyed a return to the top of the album chart with "Troubadour." Last week's numero uno, Lady Antebellum's self-titled disc, dropped to fifth.... »»»May 1, 2008 - Following in the footsteps of The Avett Brothers' EP "The Gleam," the North Carolina band will offer "The Second Gleam" July 22. While lacking specifics, the EP from the hard touring trio will be an EP. "The Gleam" was a quieter affair then the typical Avett Brothers... »»»May 1, 2008 - Capitol recording artist Emily West will make her televised Grand Ole Opry debut this Saturday, May 3. West made her Grand Ole Opry debut less than two weeks ago. Her debut single - "Rocks In Your Shoes" - is number 40 on R&R and 42 on Mediabase this week. West's video for the song is on CMT and GAC.... »»»May 1, 2008 - Miranda Lambert's "Cause for the Paws" Wine Tasting Festival and Concert benefiting the Humane Society of East Texas held in Tyler, Texas last month raised approximately $113,000 for the non-profit organization.
"I would like to thank Gayle Helms at the Humane Society of East Texas for inviting me to... »»»
|
