ARIZONA COUNTRY THUNDER – ADDITIONAL ARTISTS ANNOUNCED!
GLORIANA, STEEL MAGNOLIA, THE BELLAMY BROTHERS, TROY OLSEN, THE JANEDEAR GIRLS, JASON JONES, BRANTLEY GILBERT, AND WALKER HAYES JOIN THE LINE-UP FOR ARIZONA COUNTRY THUNDER MUSIC FESTIVAL APRIL 7–10, 2011
FLORENCE, AZ (January 14, 2011) – Yet another stellar announcement comes from Country Thunder with the addition of eight more Country Thunder acts that will join talents including Toby Keith, Jason Aldean, Martina McBride, Rodney Atkins, Eric Church, Neal McCoy, Sawyer Brown, and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
Kicking off the festival will be Jason Jones along with Steel Magnolia, recipient of nine major industry award nominations including CMA and ACM Vocal Duo of the Year. On Friday, Georgia native and singer-songwriter Brantley Gilbert will be joining Danelle Leverett and Susie Brown, better know as the JaneDear Girls. With their current hit “Wildflower” earning spots on both Billboard’s Heatseekers and Country Chart and their recent ACM “Top New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year” nomination the JaneDear Girls have proven that they are ready to take country music by storm. Saturday’s crowd is in for a treat, with entertainment from Walker Hayes, who’s debut single “Pants” has already captured country fans across the U.S., and longtime country favorite The Bellamy Brothers, who’s talents have earned them more than a dozen chart-topping singles in the U.S. and Europe. For the final day of the festival, 2010 ACM “Top New Vocal Group of the Year” Gloriana returns to the Country Thunder stage, and will be joined by Troy Olsen, who’s current single “Good Hands” is currently climbing the country singles chart. With this line-up, Country Thunder is a festival that can not be missed!
Taking place April 7 -10, 2011, music fans can cowboy-up for a full 4-day general admission pass for the price of only $120, today is the final day for this special . Starting Saturday January 15th, 2011, 4-day general admission passes can be purchased for the price of $140. VIP and sponsorship packages are also available with added perks including hospitality tent access, preferred parking, and premium concert seating.
Day Tickets can be purchased beginning Saturday, January 15th, 2011.
Day Ticket Pricing:
Thursday $35
Friday $80
Saturday $80
Sunday $80
For the thousands of new and returning fans of Country Thunder, tent and campsites are available at Canyon Moon Ranch. There are several types of camping available —from primitive rugged to rustic and modern amenities. Crown Camping is also now available, so check online to reserve your site today!
The announced line-up includes:
Thursday, April 7th Kick-off Party
Music begins at 6:30 pm
Jason Jones
Steel Magnolia
Sawyer Brown
Friday, April 8th
Music begins at 2:00 pm
JaneDear Girls
Brantley Gilbert
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Eric Church
Jason Aldean
Saturday, April 9th
Music begins at 1:00 pm
Walker Hayes
Neal McCoy
The Bellamy Brothers
Rodney Atkins
Martina McBride
Sunday, April 10th
Music begins at 1:00 pm
Troy Olsen
Gloriana
Clay Walker
Toby Keith
More artists will be announced in the coming weeks.
Webster & Associates
JAMEY JOHNSON’S MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY-DIRECTED VIDEO PREMIERES THIS WEEK
JOHNSON TO PERFORM ON THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO OCTOBER 26
Nashville, TN – Jamey Johnson’s highly-anticipated music video for “Playing the Part,” directed by Matthew McConaughey, premieres this week.
Entertainment Tonight will feature the world premiere on Wednesday, October 20. VEVO will premiere the full-length director’s cut on Friday, October 22 starting at 8 a.m. ET at http://www.vevo.com and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage will be available online at http://www.people.com.
The video, shot in Los Angeles in late September, marks two important firsts. It is the first music video ever directed by McConaughey and the first video from Johnson’s critically acclaimed 25-song double album, The Guitar Song, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and No. 4 on the Billboard 200.
“Jamey and this song both have a great sense of humor, so I wanted the video to have a ‘wink’ to it,” says McConaughey. “For any video, if you like the song, you should like it even more after you see the video. I wanted this video to support the lyrics, and elevate the song.”
With his extensive film background, he wanted his first foray into video directing to feature a compelling narrative so that it wouldn’t be an ordinary music video. “This is a story with a beginning, middle and a surprise at the end,” he says. “I started out with a 250-pound stripper leaving work in the morning, and ended up with a man in a gorilla suit getting fired from used tire store.”
When McConaughey told Johnson that the video would be pretty “carney,” Johnson said, “Get as carney as you want.”
About working with his friend, Johnson says, “I don’t think I could have dreamed anything better.”
McConaughey first heard Johnson’s music about 2-1/2 years ago on an AM radio in his brother Rooster’s barn. “We’re in this little barn and it was echoing from this tiny radio,” McConaughey says. “I said, ‘Damn, this is a good song, Rooster.’ And Rooster said, ‘It’s called ‘In Color.’ We didn’t know what artist it was, so we looked it up and it was Jamey. I went immediately and bought Jamey’s album and said, ‘This album is an instant classic.’”
McConaughey met Johnson during the 2009 Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, where Johnson received the Song of the Year award for “In Color.” McConaughey presented the award for album of the year, for which Johnson was also nominated. “I thought That Lonesome Song was the best album that year, but he did win best song,” McConaughey notes.
“I met Jamey backstage, he hit on Camila, we shared a few laughs, and we stayed in touch.”
A few months later, McConaughey’s girlfriend, Camila Alves, secretly asked Johnson to perform at McConaughey’s 40th birthday party.
During one of their conversations, McConaughey, a Texas native, invited Alabama-native Johnson to the Texas-Alabama national championship football game. The men made a bet: the loser would donate money to the winner’s favorite charity.
“When Jamey won, he said, ‘You can donate my winnings to Gamblers Anonymous,’” McConaughey says. But McConaughey discovered that the organization didn’t accept donations, so Johnson told him that the bet would be settled if McConaughey would publicly announce that he lost the bet, which he did in a magazine.
After Johnson completed his album, he called McConaughey and said, “I’ve got a new single and I want you to direct the video for it.” McConaughey responded, “Sure, let me listen to it and find an angle.”
“I had a few initial ideas,” recalls McConaughey. “But after Jamey and I talked about why he wrote it and where the song came from, it was clear that I needed a man in a monkey suit.”
“Playing the Part” was one of two Los Angeles-inspired songs Johnson penned for The Guitar Song.
Johnson, who is currently on tour, will perform on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Tuesday, October 26.
Webster & Associates
Jamey Johnson Photo Provided by Webster & Associates
TRIBUTE TO LORETTA LYNN ON “THE 44th ANNUAL CMA AWARDS”
In celebration of Loretta Lynn’s 50th anniversary in the music business, Sheryl Crow and Miranda Lambert will perform together in a tribute to the legendary singer/songwriter on “The 44th Annual CMA Awards.” Lambert and Crow will perform Lynn’s classic signature song, “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”
Hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, “The 44th Annual CMA Awards” airs live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday, Nov. 10 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network. Previously announced performers include Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Lambert, Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Reba, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Sugarland, Underwood, Keith Urban, and the pairing of Zac Brown Band with Alan Jackson.
© 2010 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.
Loretta Lynn Photo Provided by Country Music Association
Blake Shelton Makes History on E!’s Chelsea Lately This Tuesday, October 19
NASHVILLE, TN – Four-time CMA Award Nominee, upcoming inductee to the Grand Ole Opry and America’s favorite Twitter author, Blake Shelton mixes it up with late night talk show host, Chelsea Handler on her E! Entertainment show, Chelsea Lately tomorrow night. Shelton will appear on the 600th Episode of Chelsea Lately on Tuesday, October 19 at 11:00 PM (EST) and there’s no telling what hilariously inappropriate comments will be said between the two. This is Shelton’s third appearance on the show and his second visit this year. He is the only country star to ever appear on the E! Entertainment talk show more than twice.
“Chelsea’s asked me which Golden Girl I would like to sleep with, referenced my Hillbilly Bone and has given me a case of vodka on the show. I can’t even imagine what’s going to go down this time around,” said Shelton. “I absolutely love appearing on Chelsea Lately mainly because she is the only person who needs to be censored more than I do.”
Following his appearance on Chelsea Lately, Shelton will continue his first ever headlining tour in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 20th.
Blake Shelton is one of the “most versatile of contemporary country singers” (The New York Times). The country star continues to prove to
be one of the industry’s hottest vocalists as he reigns in on a successful year with career highlights that include the release of his two SIX PAK albums — “Hillbilly Bone” and his most recent release, “All About Tonight,” an ACM and CMT award win, four CMA award nominations including one for Male Vocalist of the Year and garnering two No. 1 hits with his album title-track’s “Hillbilly Bone” (featuring longtime friend, Trace Adkins) and “All About Tonight.” Shelton has no plans of slowing down as his first ever Greatest Hits release; LOADED: The Best of Blake Shelton will be available everywhere on Nov. 9. “All About Tonight” debuted at No. 1 on the SoundScan Top Country Albums chart and No. 6 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart, making it Shelton’s highest charting record-to-date. Shelton has seven No. 1 hits with, “All About Tonight,” “Hillbilly Bone,” his back-to-back multi-week No. 1 singles “She Wouldn’t Be Gone” and “Home,” his five-week No. 1 debut single, “Austin” and two additional multi-week No. 1 singles with “The Baby” and “Some Beach.” Shelton has not had a single peak outside the Top Ten since 2007.
Mary Chapin Carpenter Celebrates ‘The Age of Miracles’
By Donna Hughes
Gentle textures envelop the listener in the first seconds of “We Traveled So Far,” which opens The Age of Miracles, Mary Chapin Carpenter’s newest album, on Zoe Records, a part of the Rounder Records group. On this track, a guitar strums soothing waltz time, Dan Dugmore’s faraway steel guitar keens, and the melody rises and falls, floating on the vocal’s whispered breeze.
All 12 tracks on the album (as well as “All the Sad Songs,” a bonus track exclusively on the Barnes & Noble release) are written solely by Carpenter. Beautiful and reflective, they make it hard to grasp that just three years ago, Carpenter was struggling to beat a life-threatening pulmonary embolism. After touring behind her previous album, The Calling, she developed blood clots in her lungs and, while recovering at home, sank into what she has described as a painful depression.
“It was a terrible darkness,” she remembered. “At that time, I think it was as dark as it was because there was no guidebook and no one had said anything to me about how to prepare for it. I didn’t understand what was happening. And now, with the benefit of hindsight and the help and support and wisdom of other people, I realize that was a very natural response to that event.”
The fruits of that difficult harvest are the songs that fill The Age of Miracles, on which she confronts the shadows from which she emerged in a kind of therapeutic explosion. “When I started writing songs about six months after I got out of the hospital, I wasn’t writing really to make a new record,” she explained. “It was because I had always done it and it felt like the right thing to do. It felt natural to explore my feelings through song. I think of it as something as an act of faith to have been writing songs because I didn’t know at that time when or if I would ever put them on an album, when that record would ever come out, when I would go back to work. So the act of writing songs made me feel better, and it was just something I wanted to do without a sense of the destiny or the end result in sight.”
A spiritual element permeates the album and its title track, as suggested by their reference to miracles. Still, Carpenter cautioned, “I don’t mean it in a religious sense and I am not claiming that I believe in them. So often we look around and we say, ‘Oh, my God! Look at that iPad! How did those men land on the moon?’ We bandy that word about so loosely and freely, and a lot of people do take it very much to heart as something connected to formalized religion. For myself, I was just posing the idea that if we live in an age of miracles, are we lucky enough to regard our entire lives that way and to believe not so much in the supernatural but in twists of fate and extraordinary luck and sort of reinterpret them as miracles?”
For Matt Rollings, who co-produced Carpenter’s Between Here and Gone (2004) and The Calling (2007) and played keyboards on her sessions as far back as Shooting Straight in the Dark (1990), The Age of Miracles was a true collaboration between two like-minded individuals. “As co-producers, Mary Chapin and I have gotten to know each other more and more over the course of the last three records,” he said. “And I feel like we really hit our stride with The Age of Miracles. The combination of the amazing songs she brought, the band we were able to cast and her willingness to ‘show up’ so profoundly made the process feel somehow as if the record was making itself, like we were all just there to witness its birth.
“Working with Mary Chapin in any capacity, as a sideman or producer, has always been a tremendously satisfying and soulful experience,” he continued. “She’s one of those rare artists who is not content, ever, just to get things done. Instead, she insists on continuing to dig deeper, musically and emotionally, until the truth of it is found. Like all true artists, she doesn’t always know how to get there but she knows when she’s arrived.”
Arms loaded with songs, Carpenter entered Nashville’s Sound Stage Studios in late 2009 to begin work with the excitement of a child at Christmas. “It’s such a beautiful studio, and they had put flowers in the studio for me, and I hadn’t seen everybody in a long time, and I got teary,” she revealed. “It was really wonderful to be there. There was a lot of love in that room.”
Part of the affection shared by Carpenter and other participants in this session owed to the fact that she is only an occasional visitor in Music City. Far more often, she’s at home on her farm in Virginia with her husband Tim Smith and a multitude of pets. “I live here in my little corner of the world,” she said. “I sit at my desk and I write these songs. Years pass and it’s a very solitary endeavor. I have to work hard to be a part of the world.”
Still, coming “home” to the studio, reuniting with musicians and friends she had not seen in quite some time, proved especially pleasurable. “So here are these three years that pass and I have these songs,” Carpenter said. “I go to Nashville, I walk into the studio for a number of weeks, and every day I’m surrounded by these lovely people who are not only helping to create this wonderful project but are giving so freely of their friendship and fellowship. It felt like this balm, this soothing sense, to be in their company. It was as if I had been terribly thirsty and I had much to drink. I felt soothed by it and I felt grateful for it. It had been such a difficult time, and it felt great to be with these people and have this record come as a result.”
Several familiar voices join Carpenter’s on The Age of Miracles, her twelfth studio album. Alison Krauss appears on “I Was a Bird,” and former touring partner Vince Gill harmonizes on “I Put My Ring Back On.” Despite the years of friendship they’ve shared, Carpenter still had to be convinced it was no intrusion to call and ask Gill to sing on her album.
“I was literally in the midst of doing the vocals and I remember thinking, ‘Oh, Vince would be great for this song,’” she said. “But I am one of those people that just contort when they have to call someone and ask for a favor. I know how busy he is, and I just felt shy and I didn’t want to bother him. But Vince and I have a business manager in common, and she came in to give a listen to what we were doing. I played her that song, and she went, ‘Oh, my God! You should get Vince to sing on that song!’ I looked at her and said, ‘I can’t believe you said that. I was thinking the same thing.’ So we called him — but if she hadn’t said that, I don’t think I would have called him. I’m just too shy.”
Gill remembered being “flattered that she asked. That’s the best part about having friends, is they call you from time to time and say, ‘Hey, come and do this with me!’” He added with a laugh, “Once again, the dude gets the high part, reconfirming that I sing like a woman — just trying to keep that out there.”
The Country Music Hall of Fame member was involved with one unforgettable highlight of Carpenter’s career, on the 1994 CMA Awards. Carpenter, who had won Female Vocalist of the Year honors at the 1992 and 1993 CMA Awards, performed a hilarious version of her song “Shut Up and Kiss Me,” being interrupted repeatedly by knocks at a door on the stage set and opening it to reveal Awards host Gill, then Brooks & Dunn and ultimately Little Richard, with whom she smooched theatrically and left as the audience cheered and her band vamped. She had made a strong impact as well with her debut at the 1990 CMA Awards, where she delighted her peers with “Opening Act,” an account of the ignominious trials of having to open for unappreciative headliners.
“Two people come to mind immediately. One is Irving Waugh and the other is Walter Miller,” said Carpenter, looking back on that night and remembering that broadcast’s Executive Producer and Producer, respectively. “Irving and Walter created the opportunity for me to come out and sing ‘Opening Act,’ which was sort of my introduction to the CMAs and seemed to lead to so many other things. And subsequently, Walter would get with me and say, ‘OK, have you got any ideas?’ He was very collaborative. We had a great time coming up with thoughts and ideas of how we wanted to present a song. It wasn’t just ‘stand there and sing it.’ I feel like any chance I had to do something different or special, it was because of that collaboration and the willingness of Walter and certainly of Irving to give me those opportunities.”
Shifting back toward the present and looking toward the future, Carpenter ends The Age of Miracles with one of its more buoyant tracks, “The Way I Feel.” “It was important for me to end the album with that song because I do feel like albums are more than 12 or 13 songs thrown together,” she summed up. “Ultimately, I feel like it’s a record of strength and resilience, and I wanted the last song to reinforce that. It’s a song about how I acknowledge things are hard, things are tough, but I’m going forward. It’s not a perfect world and I’m not a perfect person, but I’m going forward.”
© 2010 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.
Mary Chapin Carpenter Photo Provided by Country Music Association
GEORGE JONES TO APPEAR ON THE TODAY SHOW THIS THURSDAY, OCT 14th 8 AM HOUR
Jones appears on talk show to support new book “My Country: 50 Musicians on God, America & the Songs They Love”
Nashville, TN – Country music has always played a huge role in the story of American culture, but never has country music—in all its forms—been more of-the-moment than right now. Capturing this moment is award-winning photographer, Melanie Dunea. For her new book, Dunea focuses her camera lens on the musical form most intrinsically linked to American identity- country music. In MY COUNTRY: 50 Musicians on God, America & The Songs They Love, Dunea explores the world of country music, from its gritty roots to today’s country-pop.
The book profiles 50 country music icons and includes Dunea’s stunning and highly imaginative portraits of each, shot in locations from the Grand Ole Opry to a decommissioned prison in Tennessee to the shores of the Caribbean. Alongside each portrait are a series of questions which explore the artist’s musical roots and inspirations, their defining moments, and what makes country music the heart and soul of America to them. The answers offer a revealing, highly personal look at these iconic subjects.
George Jones knew he wanted to be a country musician when he first heard Hank Williams on the radio. For Shelby Lynn there’s never been any other option: “No, that’s all I’ve ever done. It’s the most natural thing. It’s like breathing.”
Barbara Mandrell wishes she had written “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Rosanne Cash, “Hey Porter.”
Had they not been country singers, Little Jimmy Dickens would have been a jockey “not a disc jockey, just a jockey”; Dwight Yoakam would have been an industrial designer “My inclination is to design things, although I lack the formal training. I’ve always been a fan of Raymond Loewy and Coco Chanel.” Gretchen Wilson, a forensics expert and Crystal Gale would have joined the FBI.
When asked if he could thank god in person for one thing, the notorious David Allan Coe replied “I’m not sure that I believe in the God that you’re wanting me to think of.”
Kenny Chesney describes his ultimate musical experience: “A behind-closed-doors jam session in Jamaica with Bob Marley and the original Wailers…”
Also included in the book are playlists of each artists’ five favorite songs of all time—gathered together, for the first time ever.
Among the other musicians featured in MY COUNTRY are: Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Jimmy Wayne, Julianne Hough, Lee Ann Womack, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Randy Travis, Vince Gill, Shelby Lynn, Clint Black, Wynonna Judd, Trisha Yearwood, George Jones, plus many more.
Webster & Associates
George Jones Photo Provided by Webster & associates
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: JAMEY JOHNSON “THE GUITAR SONG” SPECIAL AIRING ON GREAT AMERICAN COUNTRY (GAC)
Nashville, TN – Due to critical acclaim and popular demand, Jamey Johnson “The Guitar Song,” a one-hour special airing on Great American Country, will hit airwaves once again. Catch Jamey talk about the album, see the vinyl LP’s getting pressed and watch interviews with several of country’s biggest stars talk about his musical creation as well as Jamey’s writing and his unique contributions to today’s country music.
Jamey Johnson’s The Guitar Song will air at the following times…
Wednesday, 10/13 @ 10pm
Thursday, 10/14 @ 2am
Tuesday, 11/9 @ 9:30pm
Wednesday, 11/10 @ 1:30am
Wednesday, 11/17 @ 9:30pm
Thursday, 11/18 @ 1:30am
Wednesday, 12/1 @ 10:30pm
Thursday, 12/2 @ 2:30am & 10am
Webster & Associates
Jamey Johnson Photo Provided by Webster & Associates
CMA and ABC Score with “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock”
By Bob Doerschuk
On an unusually competitive night of television programming, ABC achieved approximately the same strong statistical results with the seventh annual broadcast of “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” as it had in 2009.
Where figures compiled by Nielsen Media Research for the program in 2008 were 3.3/5, they rose in 2009 to 4.6/7 and reached 4.0/7 for this year’s special, which aired on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 8-11PM/CT. Measured against programming for the week, “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” placed at No. 18 for viewers overall as well as for the coveted Adults 18-49 category. The special was ABC’s third-best performer of the week in total viewers with 6 million.
Talent is the program’s heaviest artillery. Hosted by Tim McGraw, this year’s lineup included Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Billy Currington, Alan Jackson, Jamey Johnson, Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Justin Moore, Brad Paisley, Kellie Pickler, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, Josh Turner, Uncle Kracker, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Zac Brown Band.
More than 65,000 fans from 50 states and 26 nations streamed to Nashville in June to attend the four-day Festival. Nightly performances at LP Field and at select venues in town were filmed by Executive Producer Robert Deaton and his crew, who then tackled the formidable challenge of weaving these special moments into a one-night network TV experience. It began with reference to the flood that had inflicted significant damage throughout Nashville in early May — just over a month before the Festival began, followed by Urban’s tribute to the spirit of Music City as it recovered from the disaster.
“Quite frankly, we hadn’t planned on doing anything,” Deaton admitted. “But it was Keith’s idea to do ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’ as a tribute to the people of Nashville. Then after his performance, I started thinking it was actually about more than the flood; it was about how people responded to it. And Keith’s performance became like an anthem, especially with the flood visuals. So even though we normally start the show big, with lots of tempo, I decided to open with this, because that spirit is what defines us this year.” The public responded. Nielsen SoundScan data reported that for the week ending Sept. 5, current album sales rocketed upward over numbers for the previous week for many of the artists it had featured, including McGraw (47%), Underwood (31%) and Moore (31%). Significant upticks were also measured for featured performers in digital singles of songs performed on the special, including McGraw’s “Southern Voice” (82%), Shelton’s “Hillbilly Bone” (50%), Underwood’s “Last Name” (63%), Moore’s “How I Got to Be This Way” (44%) and Rascal Flatts’ “Summer Nights” (40%).
Interest in the broadcast was kindled through a series of “All Access” Webisodes created by ABC Digital Media and posted on http://www.ABC.com and other Web sites in the weeks before the broadcast. These include a visit with McBride, who describes a special outreach to fans that she hosted in her studio; a trip with Julianne Hough to sign autographs at the Greased Lightning Fan Fair Hall; an onstage “rock, paper scissors” contest between Luke Bryan and Jake Owen to determine who plays next at a Downtown honky tonk; a bus tour conducted by Gloriana; and a sneak preview of Swift’s network premiere of her single “Mine” before an intimate gathering of fans. The complete All Access series can be seen at http://www.YouTube.com/CountryMusicAssoc.
And during the broadcast itself, viewers got involved in the second annual CMA Music Festival Tweet ‘n’ Greet. They could monitor Twitter commentaries and Facebook page updates from artists featured in the show (“Are you guys watching? I’m on, jamming out right now” — Urban;) (“Could watch Brad Paisley play guitar all night. Will hit Tivo and watch him again and again” — Dave Haywood, Lady Antebellum) or post their own thoughts (“Don’t bother me. I’m watching CMA Fest.” — @bree621). The Festival broadcast ranked Nos. 1, 2, 5 and 8 on Twitter’s Top 10 Trending Topics for the night.
CMA Music Festival is the ultimate destination for Country Music fans from around the globe, featuring nonstop concerts, autograph signings, celebrity events and more. In 2011, Nashville’s signature music event will celebrate 40 years of providing unique artist and fan interactions since starting as Fan Fair in 1972. Plans are underway for surprises and special events to commemorate the occasion.
© 2010 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.
All Photos Provided by Country Music Association
Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley and Jamey Johnson perform “Bad Angel.” photo: Nick Bumgardner/ABC
Lady Antebellum performs for fans. photo: Nick Bumgardner/ABC
Rascal Flatts hangs out backstage before their LP Field performance. photo: Jon LeMay/ABC
Switching Hats: Country Artists Connect As Radio Hosts
By Vernell Hackett
For as long as there’s been radio, there have been on-air personalities whose talents centered on keeping listeners tuned in long enough to connect with artists and advertisers. For performers seeking to build their fan base, this formula has worked for decades, especially when encouraged by radio tours, to visit with DJs in as many markets as possible and encourage them to play their new single.
But with media, roles, options and other elements in the business shifting around so quickly, some artists are looking to expand their choices for exposure. And one trend involves artists moving to the other side of the microphone, as hosts of their own radio programs.
In years past, it wasn’t unusual for a singer to hold down a gig at a local radio station before moving to Nashville. Tom T. Hall, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Charlie Walker did it — but Holly Dunn reversed the formula in 1997. Already a recording artist with a string of hits that included “Are You Ever Gonna Love Me” and “Daddy’s Hands,” she accepted a job that year as morning DJ at WWWW/Detroit. Dunn, who had majored in broadcasting at Abilene Christian University, averaged more than 300,000 listeners per day for a year before returning to Nashville.
Today, Kix Brooks is heard nationally as host of “American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks” over Citadel Media. Kenny Chesney has overseen his own online show, “No Shoes Radio,” since August 2009. And in March, three artists — Dierks Bentley, Jim Lauderdale and Pam Tillis — have launched their own weekly, hour-long shows on 650 WSM-AM/Nashville, each one beginning at 2 PM/CT. The shows can also be heard online at http://www.WSMonline.com or as podcasts via iTunes.
The idea was conceived by Joe Limardi, Operations Manager, WSM Radio. “We have so many artists in as guests,” he explained. “Some are so good and have such good stories to tell and a love for music that’s not their own, I thought, ‘Why not let them be creative on air and offer them the opportunity to do their own show?’”
The first person Limardi asked was Bentley. “When I was approached about doing the show, I jumped on it,” the singer recalled. “I love WSM, I love its history and I love the idea of having my voice broadcast on those airwaves.”
Bentley came up with the name for his show, which airs every Monday. It’s called “The Thread” because it embraces all of the music that has influenced Bentley. He spent a lot of time at the Station Inn after his arrival in Nashville; today, performances from that famous acoustic/bluegrass venue are often featured on his broadcasts. Other hours are dedicated to themes reflected in their titles, which include “Ray Price: Priceless” and “The Thing About Don Williams.” Every now and then something unexpected adds to the mix, including a visit by WSM DJ Eddie Stubbs one day as he was in the midst of taping his show.
“He is a hero of mine and I try to imitate him,” admitted Bentley, who added that while it was challenging to come up with a focus for each show and material to fit that focus, the process has become easier with time.
After “The Thread” started airing, Tillis got in touch with Limardi and expressed interest in doing a show as well. “Pam came up with the name ‘Lettin’ My Roots Show,’ and if you listen to it (on Tuesdays), the show does go back to her roots in music and the relationships she’s built in Nashville,” said Limardi. “She has a genuine appreciation for all styles of music.”
Having grown up in Country Music, Tillis enjoys sharing memories and stories from her childhood in Nashville and on the road with her father, Country Music Hall of Fame member Mel Tillis. Each of her shows also centers on one theme, ranging from Native American music to political Country and The Beatles’ impact on Country Music.
“My first reaction about doing the radio show was that it sounds like fun but I don’t know how I could fit one more thing into my life,” Tillis said. “It would have been easier to just randomly pull songs, but I really like the idea of themes, which is harder to do and takes more effort.”
Though she does most of this work, Tillis credits her radio producer, Shannon McCombs, for helping her pull it together. “Sometimes Shannon will go, ‘Please just let me run with it,’” she said. “But I’m real hands-on with everything I do. I get manic about it, but it’s been worth it to me.”
One of the singer’s favorite shows was about her family. Her brother Mel Jr., known as Sonny, and sister Carrie April had never been on radio before being featured on “Lettin’ My Roots Show.” “My brother wrote ‘When I Think About Angels,’” Tillis said, referring to the Jamie O’Neal No. 1 single that he wrote with O’Neal and Roxie Dean. “So I played some of his songs. And my baby sister is an amazing singer, so I played some of her work. I even found something with her and me in Branson. And I ran across this old audio clip of dad and me, when I was 17 and I was on ‘The Mike Douglas Show’ with him. I was sitting at the computer, programming this for my show, and I was crying because things like that are fun to share.”
Having established the model with Bentley and Tillis, WSM didn’t have to go too far when it decided to look for an artist to host an Americana show. “Jim Lauderdale hosts our weekly roots show (‘Music City Roots: Live from the Loveless Café’), and we thought he would be perfect for an Americana show,” Limardi said. “He has such eclectic taste in music, which you can hear on his show.”
Lauderdale had some background as a radio host as he launched “The Jim Lauderdale Show,” which airs every Wednesday. Along with that experience at a college radio station in South Carolina, he brings a selection of CDs from home for each show that he tapes, which he supplements by going through the WSM library.
“I have a general idea of what I might play, and Shannon (McCombs) is a big help with organizing and suggesting,” Lauderdale said. “I love WSM, and what I try to do on the show is play about two-thirds traditional Country and some bluegrass and then throw in some singer/songwriter stuff. I don’t want to get too way out. The music has to flow with the rest of the songs that day on the station.”
After the Nashville flood in May, Lauderdale tried something a little unusual on his show. “I had the urge to do the show live, which is something I really enjoy doing and will do again as my schedule allows,” he said. “The WSM studio out by Opryland was under water, so we had to go out to Brentwood, south of Nashville, to the studio at the big tower, which is just off of Interstate 65 South. My slot is right after Joe Limardi’s show, so he runs things for me technically. Shannon was there too, and we really had a great time. I hope that comes across on the air.”
Once he had these three artists in place, Limardi needed to fill the 2 PM slot on Thursday. As a result, Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show comes in the third Thursday of every month to play music from his personal collection of recordings from the 1920s and 1930s. The remaining Thursdays feature a rotating list of hosts, which have included Mark Chesnutt, Dailey & Vincent, Billy Dean, Jack Ingram, Jewel, Sammy Kershaw, Lorrie Morgan and Dana Williams of Diamond Rio.
“The coolest part of it all is that it started with the idea of one artist and snowballed, with all these great artists who come in and say they’d like to do a show,” Limardi said.
While all of these artists enjoy dabbling in radio, none is ready to trade the stage for the studio as their top professional priority. “I enjoy this but what I love is performing and touring and writing songs and making records,” Bentley insisted. “That occupies a lot of my time.”
“I love finding out the history of the music, turning up things I didn’t know,” Tillis said. “I’m learning, and I hope the audience is enjoying learning with me. I’ll come up with an idea and think, ‘How am I gonna do a show around this?’ And somehow I find it. I did a cowgirl show — who would think you could do that, but I did!”
On the Web: http://www.WSMonline.com
© 2010 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.
All Photos Provided by Country Music Association
Pam Tillis photo by Matthew Spicher
Jim Lauderdale photo by Shannon McCombs
Garth Brooks Helps Build and Repair Houses in Birmingham During Annual Habitat for Humanity Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project
BIRMINGHAM, Ala – Garth Brooks and hundreds of volunteers built and repaired houses in Birmingham as part of the 27th annual Habitat for Humanity Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project. Brooks and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, previously have volunteered with Habitat in the Gulf Coast and in Los Angeles.
Throughout the week, volunteers helped to build, rehabilitate or repair a total of 86 homes in Washington, D.C.; Baltimore and Annapolis, Md.; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.; and Birmingham, Ala., as part of the Carter Work Project. Birmingham volunteers are building 10 new homes in the Fairfield and Wylam Oaks subdivisions, and an additional 18 homes will be rehabilitated or repaired.
About Habitat for Humanity of Greater Birmingham
Habitat for Humanity Greater Birmingham is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry serving Jefferson, Shelby and Walker Counties since 1987. The organization and is ranked #6 out of more than 1,500 Habitat affiliates in the United States. For more information, or to donate or volunteer, please visit http://www.habitatbirmingham.org.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built more than 300,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1.5 million people. For more information, visit http://www.habitat.org.
SOURCE Habitat for Humanity International
Jimmy Wayne Performs At The 12th Annual Angels in Adoption™ Gala in Washington, DC
Award Ceremony Honors Those Who’ve Helped Children through Adoption and Foster Care
WASHINGTON, DC – The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) hosted its 12th Annual Angels in Adoption™ Gala on October 6 in Washington, DC. The gala highlights the work of celebrities and individuals across the country working tirelessly on behalf of children in U.S. foster care and orphans around the world. 2010 National Angels in Adoption™ honorees include Tony and Emmy Award winning actress Kristin Chenoweth, Four-time Emmy Award winning actress Rhea Perlman and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
Members of Congress presented these awards and praised the National Angels for using their celebrity and influence to bring awareness about children in need of families.
As part of the event, Country music artist Jimmy Wayne performed his song “Elephant Ears” about his own experience as a foster child. He shared, “One of the great things about the Angels in Adoption™ program is the level of awareness it brings to an option people don’t always consider, and that’s adopting a child or teen who is in the Foster Care system. There are so many kids there, just waiting for a loving family to give them a home.”
Jimmy Wayne’s participation in this event highlights his mission as founder of “Meet Me Halfway,” a project devoted to raising awareness of teens who face aging out of the foster care system. His walk from Nashville to Phoenix served as the launchpad for his mission. Since the walk, he has continued to raise this awareness in ways he may have hoped for but not really expected as a steady stream of supporters join the cause.
For more information visit: MeetMeHalfway.JimmyWayne.com and www.ProjectMMH.org
SECOND ROUND OF PERFORMERS ANNOUNCED FOR “THE 44th ANNUAL CMA AWARDS”
Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Reba, George Strait, Sugarland, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban Will Perform on “Country Music’s Biggest Night
NASHVILLE – The excitement is building for “The 44th Annual CMA Awards” with today’s announcement that Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Reba, George Strait, Sugarland, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban have been added as performers for “Country Music’s Biggest Night(tm).” Previously announced performers include Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, and the pairing of Zac Brown Band with Alan Jackson. “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.
Paisley, the reigning Male Vocalist for three consecutive years (2007-2009), has three nominations this year, including Entertainer, Male Vocalist, and Music Video of the Year for “Water,” which was directed by Jim Shea. Paisley has received a total of 13 CMA Awards. His first-ever collection of greatest hits, Hits Alive, will be in-stores Nov. 2.
Rascal Flatts is nominated for Vocal Group of the Year, an award they won for six consecutive years (2003-2008). They have a career total of seven CMA Awards. The group will release its newest album, Nothing Like This, on Nov. 16.
Reba is a 2010 Female Vocalist of the Year nominee, an Award she won during four consecutive years (1984-1987). She is currently tied with Martina McBride for the most wins in that category. She has won a total of six CMA Awards, including Entertainer of the Year (1986). Her upcoming album, All The Women I Am, will be released Nov. 9.
Strait received two nominations, including Male Vocalist and Album of the Year for Twang, which Strait produced with Tony Brown. Strait has won more CMA Awards than any other artist in history, with a current total of 22 trophies, including two wins as Entertainer of the Year (1989, 1990). He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.
Sugarland is nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year, an award they have won for the past three consecutive years (2007-2009). Their new album, The Incredible Machine, will be released on Oct. 19.
Underwood has won 5 CMA Awards and received two nominations this year, including Female Vocalist and Album of the Year for Play On, which was produced by Mark Bright with one track co-produced by Bright and Max Martin. Underwood has won Female Vocalist three times (2006-2008). Should she win the Female Vocalist category again this year, she would tie McBride and Reba as the top winners in the category with four wins each.
Urban is nominated for both Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year. Urban won Entertainer in 2005 and Male Vocalist of the Year three times (2004, 2005, and 2006). His new album, Get Closer, will be in stores Nov. 16.
Country Music Association
Rascal Flatts Photo Provided by Country Music Association
CRACKER BARREL CONGRATULATES DAILEY & VINCENT ON SHARED SUCCESS
LEBANON, TENN – When Dailey and Vincent were named “Entertainer of the Year” at this year’s International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards ceremony, the celebrated bluegrass duo also received the appreciation and thanks of a whole lot of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store employees. The CD that Jamie and Darrin released exclusively through Cracker Barrel earlier this year, Dailey & Vincent Sing The Statler Brothers, was named “Album of the Year,” and the CD also won for “Best Graphic Design for a Recorded Project.”
“Recognition like this says so much about the quality and authenticity we strive to offer through Cracker Barrel’s exclusive music program,” said Marketing Vice President Peter Keiser. “We have greatly enjoyed working with Jamie and Darrin and visiting with them at our Home Office as well as in all the Cracker Barrel locations they have been to while on tour.” Keiser added, “It was thrilling when they were named ‘Entertainer of the Year’ – their third time for this! It’s wonderful for them to receive this recognition from their peers in the world of professional bluegrass music, and Cracker Barrel is humbled and honored to be part of this success.”
Jamie said, “We were delighted to work with Cracker Barrel on this project because we pull our bus into a Cracker Barrel every weekend; that’s where we have breakfast and lunch.” And Darrin added, “Bluegrass music is the roots of America, and we think Cracker Barrel is the roots of America, and combining the two is just a perfect match.” And Jamie added, “From the very first time we started including some Statler Brothers songs in our shows, the audience response was overwhelming. All it took was the first few bars of ‘Elizabeth’ or ‘Do You Know You Are My Sunshine?’ and the crowd was out of their seats and singing along. That’s a testament to the timeless quality of the Statlers’ songs, which is why we were so glad for the opportunity to work with Cracker Barrel to release this album.”
Webster& Associates
Dailey & Vincent Photo Provided by Webster & Associates
NEW ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Burns & Poe
By Bob Doerschuk
Keith Burns built his chops through club gigs in his hometown of Atlanta before starting a six-year run on bass with Joe Diffie. He then stepped into the spotlight in 1996 as co-founder of Trick Pony, with whom he recorded and performed all the way to the group’s breakup.
Born in Toledo, Ohio, and raised in Plantation, Fla., Michelle Poe learned the ropes as bassist in the family band, with her father on guitar, her mother on piano and a drum machine providing the beat. After high school graduation, she moved to Nashville and picked up band gigs on bass and harmony vocals with Dierks Bentley, Steve Holy and Hank Williams Jr.
Once introduced, they clicked as writing partners, to the extent that one or both were involved as writers on all but one of the tracks on their debut album. Produced by Burns & Poe and Mark Oliverius, released by Blue Steel Records, Burns & Poe shoots for the stars with a strong single, “Don’t Get No Better Than That.” Within that song, written by Burns and Oliverius, there’s a stomping beat, a chiming guitar riff and a tongue-tripping rap from Burns on the verses and full harmonies, sung over a handclap groove reminiscent of John Mellencamp’s “Hurts So Good,” on the choruses. All of it celebrates the exhilaration of rolling the top down, pointing your car down the highway and being free to drive toward whatever lies beyond the horizon for no particular reason at all.
But for a clear picture of how their talents intersect, check out “It’s Always a Woman.” Written by Burns, Poe and Don Goodman, this ballad features Burns on the verses, recounting the story of a man’s life lost to drink; his husky baritone is answered by Poe’s pure contralto on the chorus, ruminating on the role of a woman in his downfall as well as the promise of his redemption. Each sings thoughtfully, never overdoing the lyric. Unlike their sad protagonist, these two seem to have found their perfect artistic match.
Burns & Poe Photo Provided by Country Music Association
© 2010 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc
The Oak Ridge Boys to appear on Food Networks’ Diners, Drive-ins and Dives tonight 9 pm (CST)!!!
Hendersonville TN – The Oak Ridge Boys along with Diners, Drive-ins and Dives host Guy Fieri will cook up a variety of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes based on centuries-old family recipes like Hummus, Baba Ghanoush, Falafel and Tabbouleh at Café Rakka tonight on the popular Food Network television show. This cozy, comfortable restaurant in Hendersonville, Tennessee, is fast becoming a Middle Tennessee favorite, serving signature dishes with flair and a perfect pick for Guy Fieri!
Diners, Drive-ins and Dives are popular again thanks to faithful baby boomers, a slew of younger fans and a whole new generation of owners. Join Guy Fieri as he visits classic “greasy spoon” spots, from a roadside shack in Tarpley, Texas to a Las Vegas sports bar with stellar stromboli.
Webster & Associates, LLC
Oak Ridge Boys Photo Provided by Webster & Associates
Music and Film Star Tim McGraw Honored Saturday by Men Stopping Violence
ATLANTA, GA – Music and film star Tim McGraw took the stage in Atlanta this evening to accept the True Ally Award from Men Stopping Violence at the 2010 Men Stopping Violence Annual Awards Dinner.
The dinner recognizes individuals who have dedicated time and resources to fostering safety and justice for women. It is the primary annual fundraiser for Men Stopping Violence (www.menstoppingviolence.org).
Award-winning playwright Pearl Cleage received The Kathleen Carlin Justice Seekers Award, named for the founding executive director of Men Stopping Violence. McGraw and Herman “Skip” Mason Jr., author, historian and president of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, accepted
the True Ally Awards, which recognize men of conscience, allies who use their influence to advocate for safety, equality and respect for women and girls. Dr. Frank Ostrowski posthumously received the Dick Bathrick Activist Award, given to a man who has demonstrated
outstanding leadership in the work to end violence against women. Ostrowski co-founded Alternatives to Violent Acts, a precursor to the
Men Stopping Violence organization.
“This dinner is a time when we pause to acknowledge our work and the work of others who are committed to this cause. It is a connecting
point for men and women working to build a strong community of allies and who join our mission to provide resources for building safer
communities for women and girls,” said Shelley Serdahely, executive director of Men Stopping Violence.
The Men Stopping Violence Annual Awards Dinner was held at The Ritz-Carlton Atlanta. For more information, visit
http://www.menstoppingviolence.org or call (404) 270-9894.
Working with his wife, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw has helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for battered women’s shelters in Tennessee. His dedication to honesty and integrity has helped make him not only a country music superstar, but one of the biggest names in all of music today. In his record-shattering career, McGraw has sold over 40 million albums, and dominated the charts with 31 Number One singles.
Since the release of his debut album in 1993, he has won three Grammys, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards, 11 Country Music Association Awards, and 10 American Music Awards, while simultaneously maintaining a parallel career as a successful actor.
Men Stopping Violence specializes in training, educating, and collaborating with allies in a variety of communities with the goal of connecting people who want to end violence against women. For more information, visit http://www.menstoppingviolence.org. The 2010 Men Stopping Violence Annual Awards Dinner is sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Georgia Power, Sutherland, Graphic Communications and Turner.
Markwire
Tim McGraw Photo Provided by Marketwire
STEPHENI ELLI Packs Venue for Industry Showcase, Receives Rave Reviews on Debut Album!
Nashville, TN – Earlier this month, River Dawn Records’ flagship artist, STEPHENI ELLI, introduced songs from her self-titled debut album to a packed house at the Listening Room Café in downtown Nashville, Tennessee! Several of Nashville’s best musicians – including Buck Brown on guitar, John Terrence on bass, Tom Roady on drums, Rick Durrett on keys, and Pat Tambour covering background vocals – backed Stepheni for her showcase, which also doubled as her CD release party. Dickson, Tennessee’s WDKN 1260 AM, sponsored and hosted the event!
Stepheni performed nine of ten songs from her new release into her one-hour showcase, during which she also incorporated a quick outfit change. Dressed comfortably in a purple lace top and jeans, Stepheni kicked off the evening with “Somethin’ Somethin’,” followed by “That Makes You You,” and “Let’s Do It Again.” The middle portion showcased three story-driven tunes with secrets, lust, and guilt taking main stage in: “A Little While” “Meet the Jones,” and “Hurricane.” For the final segment, Stepheni slipped into a floor-length midnight blue gown. House lights were cut and candles were lit throughout the venue to set a sensual mood for the three remaining songs: “Have Mercy on Me Moonlight,” “He Settles My Soul,” and the hauntingly seductive “Stay.”
STAR Country Media
STEPHENI ELLI Photo Provided by STAR Country Media
IBMA: Dailey & Vincent Honored With Five International Bluegrass Music Awards
Dailey & Vincent, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Adam Steffey, The Gibson Brothers and Russell Moore Receive Multiple Awards
NASHVILLE, TN — The 21st Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, hosted by Sharon and Cheryl White and Jerry Douglas, was broadcast live on Sirius XM from Nashville, Tennessee’s historic Ryman Auditorium on September 30, 2010. Dailey & Vincent took home top honors with their third consecutive award for Entertainer of the Year.
Dailey & Vincent were also recipients of their third straight Vocal Group of the Year award, their second award for Album of the Year for
“Dailey & Vincent Sing the Statler Brothers,” Recorded Event of the Year with Larry Stephenson for “Give This Message to Your Heart” and Best Graphic Design for Recorded Project (“Dailey & Vincent Sing the Statler Brothers”), awarded to Cracker Barrel’s Julie Craig in an earlier ceremony.
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper received three awards, including Instrumental Group of the Year, Cleveland’s eighth Fiddle Player of
the Year award and Marshall Wilborn’s second consecutive award for Bass Player of the Year.
Adam Steffey accepted two awards, including his seventh Mandolin Player of the Year award and Instrumental Recorded Performance of the
Year for “Durang’s Hornpipe.” The Gibson Brothers were recognized with two honors, their first since 1998, with “Ring the Bell” for
Song of the Year and Gospel Performance of the Year. Receiving two awards tonight, The Josh Williams Band won Emerging Artist of the
Year and Guitar Player of the Year (Josh Williams).
Other instrumentalist awards included Rob Ickes with his twelfth award for Dobro Player of the Year and The Grascals’ Kristin Scott Benson for her third consecutive honor for Banjo Player of the Year.
R ussell Moore of IIIrd Tyme Out accepted his third award for MaleVocalist of the Year. Claire Lynch received her second award for
Female Vocalist of the Year.
Louise Scruggs and John Hartford were posthumously inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. The IBMA’s Distinguished Achievement
Award honorees were Benjamin F. “Tex” Logan, Sherry Boyd, Lynn Morris, Richard Weize and Pete “Dr. Banjo” Wernick.
It was an evening of heartfelt and humorous moments, surprise guests and honors for a diverse mix of new artists and longtime favorites.
NewsWire
AN ALL-NEW “INVITATION ONLY” FEATURING TOBY KEITH PREMIERES FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8 ON CMT
Keith Performs Hits As Well As Songs From His New Album Bullets In The Gun
NASHVILLE – Toby Keith is the next superstar to take the stage when an all-new episode of CMT’s INVITATION ONLY premieres Friday, October 8 at 10:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m., ET/PT. Taped before a small studio audience in Nashville, the INVITATION ONLY series features artists performing their biggest hits and new favorites, as well as answering questions from fans during an informal question and answer session.
In this one-hour special, Keith performs songs from his new album which is in stores October 5, including the title track “Bullets In the Gun”, “Somewhere Else” and his latest single “Trailerhood”. He also performs fan favorites including “I Love This Bar”, “Good As I Once Was” and more. Keith opens up during a question and answer session with fans revealing why it was important for him to be a songwriter, his political platform if he were to run for office and what songs are playing on his iPod.
Toby Keith has been among the top musical performers in any genre throughout this past decade and is ranked among the top selling artists in all-genres on Billboard’s Top 200 Artists of the Decade. He was also named Billboard’s #1 Country Artist of the Decade and #1 Country Songwriter of the Decade, and was honored by Nashville Songwriters Assn. International (NSAI), which awarded him its prestigious Songwriter/Artist of the Decade Award. Keith is a three-time BMI Country Artist/Songwriter of the Year with his catalog generating more than 70 million performances. In June, he kicked off his Ford Trucks sponsored American Ride Tour that took him across the US this summer. Keith’s current single, “Trailerhood,” is from his October 5 album release titled Bullets In The Gun and is quickly moving to the top of the charts. In the past decade alone, his singles have spent more than a year at No. 1 on the charts.
In addition to Keith, new episodes of INVITATION ONLY have debuted monthly this fall with Kenny Chesney premiering Monday, September 27 at 10:00 p.m.- 11:00 p.m., ET/PT and Rascal Flatts on Monday, November 15. Previous episodes of INVITATION ONLY have featured Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban.
CMT Press
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 Brad Paisley and Carrie 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 Event of the Year for “Bad Angel,” featuring Lambert and Jamey Johnson. Bentley won the Horizon Award in 2005. He also received the 2008 CMA International Artist Achievement Award.
Chesney, who is nominated for Musical Event of the Year for his performance of “I’m Alive” with Dave Matthews, has won a total of seven CMA Awards. With four trophies to his credit (2004, 2006-2008), he is tied with Garth Brooks (1991, 1992, 1997, 1998) for the most wins in the Entertainer of the Year category. After taking most of 2010 off the road, he returns with his new album, Hemingway’s Whiskey, in-stores now.
Jackson is nominated for Musical Event of the Year for his duet with Lee Ann Womack on “Till the End.” He has won 16 CMA Awards, including three trophies for Entertainer of the Year (1995, 2002, 2003). He will release 34 Number Ones, a career-spanning, double-disc collection featuring all of his No. 1 hits on Nov. 23.
Lady Antebellum, the reigning Vocal Group of the Year, is nominated in five categories this year, including Entertainer; Album for Need You Now; Vocal Group; Single for “Need You Now”; and Music Video of the Year for “Need You Now,” which was directed by David McClister. Group members Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, and Hillary Scott each received individual nominations for Song of the Year for “Need You Now,” which they penned with songwriter Josh Kear. The group could receive two additional trophies as producers, should they win Single and Album of the Year, which they co-produced with Paul Worley. Lady Antebellum has a career total of three CMA Awards.
Lambert, the top nominee for 2010 with nine nominations, also achieved the most nominations of any female artist in CMA Awards history. She received nominations for Entertainer; Female Vocalist; Album for Revolution produced by Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke; two for Single, “The House That Built Me” and “White Liar;” Song for “White Liar,” which she wrote with Natalie Hemby; Musical Event, for “Bad Angel” with Bentley and Johnson; and two for Music Video of the Year for “The House That Built Me,” directed by Trey Fanjoy, and “White Liar,” directed by Chris Hicky.
Shelton is nominated in four categories, including Male Vocalist; and Single (produced by Scott Hendricks); Musical Event; and Music Video for “Hillbilly Bone,” which featured Trace Adkins and was directed by Roman White. Shelton’s latest SIX PAK, All About Tonight, is in-stores now.
Zac Brown Band is nominated for Entertainer; Vocal Group; Musical Event for “Can’t You See” featuring Kid Rock; and New Artist of the Year. The last time an act was nominated for New Artist and Entertainer of the Year in the same year was Ricky Skaggs in 1982. Bandmates Zac Brown and John Driskell Hopkins each picked up an additional individual nomination for Song of the Year for “Toes,” which they wrote with Wyatt Durrette and Shawn Mullins. The group’s new album, You Get What You Give, is in stores now.
CMA Logo Provided by Country Music Association
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 holiday season with children who are growing up in a place so close to my heart is something that I am so honored and humbled to have the opportunity to do,” Wynonna said. “Participating in the Santa Train with my mother makes it even more special to me.”
The Santa Train will make 14 stops in the mountains of Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee on Saturday, November 20. The Judds, along with Santa Claus and volunteers from CSX, Food City, the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce and Kids Wish Network, will deliver 15 tons of toys – more than $300,000 worth – to thousands of residents who live along the route. This year will commemorate the 68thanniversary of the Santa Train.
“We are honored to have an amazing duo like The Judds aboard this year’s Santa Train,” said Tori Kaplan, director of corporate citizenship and special events for CSX. “We know they will bring a special touch to the Santa Train, and further brighten the spirits of Appalachian residents during the holiday season.”
Alison Krauss, Patty Loveless, Kathy Mattea and Travis Tritt are a few of the past celebrity guests who have participated in the Santa Train. Several governors, U.S. senators, representatives, and other local, state and federal officials have also participated in this annual event.
“The Santa Train means so much to the city of Kingsport,” Miles Burdine, Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, said. “We are truly glad The Judds are revisiting their roots. Having this dynamic mother-daughter duo adds a special family feeling to the legacy of this great event.”
“Being able to be a part of this project is a privilege for Food City, and we are pleased to share it with The Judds this year,” said Ed Moore, Kingsport’s Food City manager. “These wonderful, giving women will bring joy to all of their hometown fans.”
“Kids Wish Network is excited to be a first-time sponsor for this amazing event,” Barbara Askin, Kids Wish Network director of distribution, said. “We are ready to bring smiles and warm holiday memories to the children and families of Appalachia.”
Webster & Associates PR
Judds Photo Provided by Webster & Associates PR
Vince Gill Makes Time with the Time Jumpers
By Ted Drozdowski
News that Vince Gill had joined The Time Jumpers spread rapidly when it was announced in February. But in fact , the Country Music Hall of Fame member had actually been the group’s “fifth Beatle” since 2007, when he began sitting in with the Western swing ensemble on some of its regular Monday night gigs at Nashville’s Station Inn .
“I love what they do so much that when I had a Monday off, I would sneak down to the club to play a little guitar or mandolin with them,” said Gill. “Then they started calling me whenever one of their guitar players couldn’t make it. Now we’ve just kind of made it official.”
Gill became a full-time Jumper just as the group, long respected by musicians and beloved by a sizable local following, was receiving some long overdue national attention. Released in 2007 by the Crosswind Corporation, their CD/DVD set Jumpin’ Time earned two 2008 Grammy Awards nominations: The Mickey Newbury song “Sweet Memories,” a smoldering tour de force for vocalist Dawn Sears that channels the spirit of Patsy Cline, got a nod for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, and “Fidoodlin’,” a showcase for what was then their three-fiddle section, was in the running for Best Country Instrumental Performance.
Since then, The Time Jumpers’ Monday shows have been consistent sellouts. They’ve also been playing at festivals and inspiring fans to write in from around the globe. An edited version of The Station Inn concert on the Jumpin’ Time DVD was broadcast by 125 public television stations throughout the United States. The band has been featured as well on National Public Radio and on the Grand Ole Opry.
Not bad for a group that started a dozen years ago in a Nashville garage as a side project for a clutch of top session and touring side players as a way to blow off steam and get back to some of the roots of Country Music.
Their repertoire treats the jazz-influenced music that Bob Wills and Spade Cooley made in the 1930s and ’40s as a starting point on myriad musical journeys. Destinations can include almost anything from Gene Autry to Ray Price, Hank Locklin to Nat “King” Cole and brand new tunes by the group’s cast of ace musicians and songwriters. This diversity is hardly surprising, given that these players and singers have done sessions and shows for artists that range far beyond the borders of Country, from Megadeth to Barbra Streisand.
Their lineup has changed over the years but currently includes bassist Dennis Crouch, steel guitarist Paul Franklin, fiddler Larry Franklin, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist “Ranger Doug” Green from Riders In The Sky, lead electric guitarist Andy Reiss, lead/harmony vocalist Dawn Sears, her husband Kenny Sears on fiddle and lead vocals, fiddler and harmony vocalist Joe Spivey, accordionist and harmony vocalist Jeff Taylor and drummer Rick Vanaugh.
“If you’d asked me if I’d ever join another band, I’d have said you’re crazy,” said Gill, an 18-time CMA Awards winner. “But what they do is so much fun. I grew up in Oklahoma, where Bob Wills was king, so the basis of their sound is in my blood. Really, it’s jazz with a Country accent, like Count Basie with fiddles and a steel guitar.
“In The Time Jumpers, I can play differently than on my own records, using a fatter-sounding hollow-body guitar instead of a (Fender) Telecaster and taking solos that are closer to bebop than the chicken pickin’ or string bending I might do on my own songs,” he elaborated. “Plus, being part of the band’s guitar lineup with Paul, Andy and Ranger Doug is just amazing.
“The bottom line is, it’s fun,” Gill continued. “Every single member of The Time Jumpers is a great player who can easily hold their own on any stage. And so many of them are my close friends that becoming a full-time member of the group was more like getting together with my family than joining a band.”
Gill does share a long history with several of his band mates. Dawn Sears has sung backup and toured with him for 12 years. Paul Franklin has also recorded and played live with Gill, as has another new member of the band, Texas fiddle whiz Larry Franklin — no relation to Paul.
But Gill’s strongest and oldest connection to The Time Jumpers was charter member John Hughey — like Paul Franklin, a member of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame, and for a dozen years a member of Gill’s band before retiring from the road. “John really helped me define the sound of my music, including some big hits like ‘Look at Us,’” Gill said. “To tell the truth, my favorite instrument has always been the pedal steel, and sitting next to John and playing guitar while I watched him play at a little place like The Station Inn on a Monday night was an honor for me.”
Hughey was 73 when he died in 2007; a plaque bearing his photo now hangs on The Station Inn’s wall, to the right of the stage. On a Monday night in April, with that image over his shoulder, Gill sang lead as The Time Jumpers performed “Buttermilk John,” a tribute he’d recently written to his late friend.
Drawing on Dawn Sears’ powerful harmony and the beauty of his own clarion tenor, Gill sang the story of Hughey’s humble upbringing and the magical sounds the master of the “crying steel” style coaxed from his instrument’s assembly of wires, rods, pedals, levers and strings. With the fiddle section providing an angelic chorus, Paul Franklin gently rolled a bar over his own pedal steel and plucked, evoking Hughey’s graceful tones. Gill has recorded this tune with The Time Jumpers for his next solo album.
After an emotional hush followed by a round of robust applause, the band swung hard into Bob Wills’ “Roly Poly,” with Gill swapping licks and smiles with Paul Franklin and Reiss and burning out a fervid solo reminiscent of Charlie Christian’s fiery jazz.
“There are a lot of new musical possibilities for the band with Vince in the fold,” said Paul Franklin. “Besides having another great songwriter, Vince is a great harmony singer and guitar and mandolin player. So we can explore the tradition of the electric mandolin in Texas swing more. Johnny Gimble, who played with Bob Wills, used to swap his guitar for an electric mandolin. Andy, Vince and I are talking about working up three-part guitar harmonies, which I’ve done on sessions but you never really hear live. And between Vince, Dawn, Jeff Taylor, Ranger Doug and Kenny Sears, we can have five-part vocal harmonies if we want.”
Band manager Terry Choate, President of the Crosswind Corporation, said that Gill’s presence “will shine a bright light on the rest of The Time Jumpers, but they’re all capable of holding the spotlight on their own.”
Choate, a music industry veteran who has served as Director, A&R, Capitol Records Nashville, now produces albums and partners with Larry Gatlin as owners of The Magnet Music Group. He had put up his own money as Executive Producer to make 2007’s Jumpin’ Time.
Gill’s commitment is just as serious. “I absolutely plan to be back for every Monday at The Station Inn that I can and look forward to getting on the bus with the band,” he vowed. “I’m probably not the norm for people who have ‘made it,’ but I’ve always been pretty easy about spreading myself around to work on other people’s projects. And I’ve got so much musician in me that when the opportunity to play with great people like this every week came up, well, an opportunity like this is hard to turn down.”
About the Photo:(Photo Provided by CMA Close Up® News Service )
The Time Jumpers gather inside The Station Inn. Jerry Krahn, Vince Gill, Joe Spivey, Kenny Sears, Dawn Sears, David Smith, Paul Franklin, Rick Vaughn and Andy Reiss. photo: Donn Jones
© 2010 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.
OAK RIDGE BOY “JOE BONSALL” RELEASES NEW BOOK
From My Perspective: On Life, Music, Faith and America
Nashville, TN – Many people know Joe Bonsall as the high voice in the legendary country music group The Oak Ridge Boys, but he is also a notable author, with eight published books—including a new book released in September. From My Perspective is a collection of commentaries and stories about life, music, faith, and America, all told in Joe’s energetic and engaging style.
In From My Perspective, Joe shares moments with celebrity friends, like the late Johnny Cash and Dottie Rambo; relates stories from 35 years on the road with The Oak Ridge Boys; and draws on disparate experiences in his life, from working the political trail to walking through wooded trails on his 400-acre farm near the Tennessee-Kentucky border.
“My publisher gave me a broad canvas to write upon,” Joe says, “and I 
took advantage of the opportunity, sharing views on most everything imaginable, from growing up in Philadelphia to playing banjo, to veterans and the current political climate. I hope readers will enjoy my anecdotes, at the heart of which is a definite message of optimism and faith.”
Bonsall continues, “It’s not an autobiography, but you can learn an awful lot about Joe Bonsall in this book. I joined the Oaks at age 25, and just turned 62, so how could there NOT be some Oak Ridge Boys’ perspective?”
The Oak Ridge Boys, a multi-award winning act, have sold millions of albums during the past three decades and continue to tour more than 150 days each year across the U.S. and Canada. Bonsall often writes during downtime on the road. “I have always written, but I never thought I would be considered ‘a writer,’” he smiles. “I will consider myself successful if I inspire people with what I write. I hope this book inspires them to become a better American, a better Christian or just a better person.”
From My Perspective, published by Journey Press, is available at online and retail outlets.
http://www.josephsbonsall.com/Media/JSBBookOneSheet.jpg
For more information about Joe Bonsall and From My Perspective, visit his website at http://www.josephsbonsall.com
For more information about The Oak Ridge Boys, logon to http://www.oakridgeboys.com
Webster & Associates
Photos provided by Webster & Associates PR
CMT PRESENTS EIGHT VIDEO WORLD PREMIERES FROM COUNTRY’S TOP ACTS WHEN “BIG NEW MUSIC WEEKEND” RETURNS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1
Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Sara Evans, Jerrod Niemann, Jaron and The Long Road to Love and Christian Kane
Debut New Videos Exclusively on CMT, CMT.com and CMT Pure
NASHVILLE – September 27, 2010 – CMT jumps into fall with the world premiere of eight all-new music videos when CMT BIG NEW MUSIC WEEKEND returns to the network beginning at 6:00 a.m., ET Friday, October 1 through Sunday, October 3. New exclusive world premieres from Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Sara Evans, Jerrod Niemann, Jaron and The Long Road to Love and Christian Kane will take over CMT music hours as the only videos featured throughout the weekend, with taped introductions by each artist prior to their video. In addition, America’s #1 country music website, CMT.com, will highlight each of the videos on the homepage of CMT.com, and fans will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite new video at the video voting page on CMT.com.
World premieres included in CMT BIG NEW MUSIC WEEKEND are as follows:
• Jason Aldean – “My Kinda Party”
• Brad Paisley – “Alcohol (Live)”
• Keith Urban – “Put You In A Song”
• Blake Shelton – “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking”
• Sara Evans – “A Little Bit Stronger”
• Jerrod Niemann – “What Do You Want”
• Jaron and The Long Road to Love – “That’s Beautiful To Me”
• Christian Kane – “The House Rules”
CMT BIG NEW MUSIC WEEKEND will leverage CMT’s multi-platform promotional capabilities with extensive on-air messaging on both CMT and CMT PURE; heavy promotion on CMT.com, including exclusive video playlists, webtools and banner ads; mentions across CMT’s social networks including Twitter and Facebook; along with shout-outs on CMT Mobile, CMT Radio Network and CMT Radio Live.
CMT Press
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