Friday may be Black Friday for most of America, but in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, it’s Pink Friday. That’s the day Miranda Lambert opens her new store, The Pink Pistol, and the grand opening celebration includes Pink-aoke singing and the first annual Pink Pistol Princess Pageant. Judges will be looking for costume creativity, spunk and sass. Miranda says this event will be an annual one at her new store: “Pink Friday will be country fun with some glitz!”
Fans of Jake Owen have a lot to be thankful for. He is good to his fans, because he truly cares about them and what they think. No, really! “I just like talking to people. I like to learn about folks, I like to make new friends and I like to hear what they think. If they think I should put a song out that’s better than this one or that one – people are going to tell you the truth. I just like connecting with people.” A four-year old fan, Ava Schipke, even got a birthday call from Jake because her Mom tweeted that she wanted to talk to him on her birthday.
Little Big Town already has their stuffing taken care of – they stuffed backpacks for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, helping ensure that no child would go hungry tomorrow. The band’s Phillip Sweet explained why it’s important to all of them to help this cause: “It’s important all year long, but even more so this time of year. And I think one good thing is to bring awareness to people’s minds about it, because we’re all thinking about being with our family and being together and feasting and eating turkey and all these things, and to think that there are others that won’t have that beautiful gift, it’s not right! We’ve got to do something about that.”
Carrie Underwood is counting her blessings again this year, with a great career, a great hubby and quite a few awards under her belt. She says her favorite part of award shows are the acceptance speeches: “I love the chance to thank people! You know, if I’m blessed enough to win an award to get up there and thank the fans ‘cause they really are our employers.”
Craig Morgan is thankful to be able to support groups like The Wounded Warrior Project – he did a benefit concert for them in Florida this past weekend – and knows that gives meaning to his life: “There’s nothing more rewarding than giving back. It makes you feel good. Those military shows and all that kind of stuff we get to do – it is very rewarding and also very humbling.”
What happens when a song takes on a life of its own? Florida Georgia Line is learning about that, as “Cruise” continues to sail up the charts. The platinum-selling song is the first hit for the band, and member Brian Kelley is in awe of it’s success so far: “It’s crazy to see where the songs come from. From the day we wrote it, to the day we started recording it, and then waited a couple of months, then finished it up and then released it. To now, it’s definitely a dream come true. It’s crazy.” It gets even crazier – a Nashville Chevy dealer just presented the duo with “a brand new Chevy with a lift kit” each for Mike and bandmate Tyler Hubbard.
The American Country Awards will air December 10th on FOX-TV, and performers are lining up to be part of the fun. Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, Dierks Bentley, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Jake Owen, Luke Bryan and Kip Moore have all been chosen to perform, and more will be announced before the awards are handed out.
Country music will be well-represented on the People’s Choice Awards in January. Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift are both nominated for Favorite Female Artist, Blake Shelton s up for Favorite Male Artist, and the three of them are joined by Jason Aldean and Tim McGraw for Favorite Country Artist. Taylor Swift is up for Favorite Song for “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” and Carrie Underwood is nominated for Favorite Album for “Blown Away.” You can vote for your favorites now.
Martina McBride and her family will be spending Thanksgiving in New York City. She’ll be performing during The Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS tomorrow.
While we’re all getting ready to spend Thanksgiving with family and friends, Trace Adkins is getting ready to ring in the Christmas season at the annual lighting of the tree in Rockefeller Center. He’ll perform during the TV special, along with Mariah Carey, Cee Lo Green and Rod Stewart. The show airs live a week from tonight at 8 on NBC.
Showing posts with label Martina McBride. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Martina McBride. Show all posts
Friday, November 16, 2012
Country music is filled with some beautiful people, and even though People Magazine recognized Channing Tatum as tops in their People’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2012 list, Blake Shelton made the list, too. He’ll be featured in the issue that comes out today. Earlier this year, wife Miranda Lambert made People’s 2012 World’s Most Beautiful Women list. Another country artist is now in the running for Sexiest Man Alive for 2013, since Chris Young is featured as the Sexiest Man of the Week in the current issue of People Magazine. He says he doesn’t see himself as sexy, but admits the ladies go wild when he performs: “Someone threw neon underwear on stage last week, which I just laughed. I’ve gotten bras before. You know, shoot a thong on stage is one thing. If they start going through the process of like, ‘not only underwear, I’m gonna make sure it ties in with the album.’ That’s a lot of thought. That’s a lot of premeditation to throwing underwear on stage.” He’s currently touring behind his album, entitled “Neon.”
Fan reaction to the announcement of Keith Urban’s first headlining tour since 2011 has been very gratifying for Keith, and he’s stoked to hit the road and do what he does best – play live for a crowd, sharing the energy and the love. According to Keith, “I really love, love what I do. It’s really important; it’s just that lessons in gratitude that’s a daily thing. And I think if you really love it, it’s something people pick up on.”
Taylor Swift was on X Factor’s live results show last night, performing “State of Grace” off of her new album, Red. If you looked carefully, you saw a new addition to her band: “We actually have four extra backup singers now, who are amazing! They’re these girls who I love so much, and they’re so good at singing and they move all pretty – they’re adorable. They’ve performed with us on the VMA’s and the TV performances we’ve done.” Taylor was also part of MTV’s Restore the Shore campaign special last night. Growing up in Pennsylvania meant that her family often went to the Jersey shore for summer vacation. She, along with many other country stars, are pitching in to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy.
Jason Aldean was on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night, and, remembering the days of dive bars and half-empty halls, he’s grateful for where his career has gone: “To be able to stand there with the guys that have seen it go from that, to what it is now – I think really those guys are probably the only ones that really understand – that really get it. Family a lot of times doesn’t see the everyday stuff, they just kind of all of sudden notice you’re getting bigger.”
Lee Brice is in love with his next single, “I Drive Your Truck,” a song about a man who loses his brother, presumably in the Middle East. “It really changed my life when I heard it. I couldn’t believe I got my hands on it – I didn’t write this song. I’m still floored by it to this stay – so we’re really pumped about that one. It is really amazing - the songwriter was straight up touched by God that day.”
Kristian Bush of Sugarland bought his bandmate Jennifer Nettles what he describes as the perfect baby gift. Dubbed “the Miracle Blanket,” it is supposed to help new babies sleep deeper and longer, allowing their parents to get more rest, too. Jennifer is expecting her first child sometime this month.
Martina McBride and her family will be spending Thanksgiving in New York City. She’ll be performing during The Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS Thanksgiving day.
Fan reaction to the announcement of Keith Urban’s first headlining tour since 2011 has been very gratifying for Keith, and he’s stoked to hit the road and do what he does best – play live for a crowd, sharing the energy and the love. According to Keith, “I really love, love what I do. It’s really important; it’s just that lessons in gratitude that’s a daily thing. And I think if you really love it, it’s something people pick up on.”
Taylor Swift was on X Factor’s live results show last night, performing “State of Grace” off of her new album, Red. If you looked carefully, you saw a new addition to her band: “We actually have four extra backup singers now, who are amazing! They’re these girls who I love so much, and they’re so good at singing and they move all pretty – they’re adorable. They’ve performed with us on the VMA’s and the TV performances we’ve done.” Taylor was also part of MTV’s Restore the Shore campaign special last night. Growing up in Pennsylvania meant that her family often went to the Jersey shore for summer vacation. She, along with many other country stars, are pitching in to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy.
Jason Aldean was on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night, and, remembering the days of dive bars and half-empty halls, he’s grateful for where his career has gone: “To be able to stand there with the guys that have seen it go from that, to what it is now – I think really those guys are probably the only ones that really understand – that really get it. Family a lot of times doesn’t see the everyday stuff, they just kind of all of sudden notice you’re getting bigger.”
Lee Brice is in love with his next single, “I Drive Your Truck,” a song about a man who loses his brother, presumably in the Middle East. “It really changed my life when I heard it. I couldn’t believe I got my hands on it – I didn’t write this song. I’m still floored by it to this stay – so we’re really pumped about that one. It is really amazing - the songwriter was straight up touched by God that day.”
Kristian Bush of Sugarland bought his bandmate Jennifer Nettles what he describes as the perfect baby gift. Dubbed “the Miracle Blanket,” it is supposed to help new babies sleep deeper and longer, allowing their parents to get more rest, too. Jennifer is expecting her first child sometime this month.
Martina McBride and her family will be spending Thanksgiving in New York City. She’ll be performing during The Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS Thanksgiving day.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Reba is so proud of her friend Blake Shelton, and was very emotional when she handed him the Entertainer of the Year award at the CMAs. “I was...I was bawling. I was so proud to give that to him, to be the one to present it to him. He’s like a brother to me and we’ve had such a great time. I just got to do his Christmas special...his TV Christmas special taping...that’s a hoot!” Blake Shelton’s Not So Family Christmas special airs December 7th on NBC.
Veterans Day was Sunday, but country artists remember the military all year long. Dierks Bentley raises money for the Wounded Warrior project: “These guys have all put 10,000 hours into being soldiers – and then they come back here. That’s a hard thing to do, especially when a lot of our soldiers are older and already have kids and families. They’re not coming back 21 or 22 – they’re like 36 or 37. The guys that come back that are wounded – it’s even a more difficult road to go down. We just hope to spread a little money and spread even more awareness to it, and get people involved.” Lee Brice has his priorities straight: “They’re so thankful for a shout out, they are so thankful for a song, for going and playing events for them – whether it’s for the USO or Wounded Warriors. They are so appreciative of it, but we are the ones that need to be thankful for them. Everytime I get a thank you from them, I’m just doubling it back to them – ya know?” And Martina McBride knows it’s not just the soldier, but that soldier’s family, too, that serves: “Knowing that so many people do have family, children and loved ones that are overseas fighting for us, is always something that I think, ‘What a hard thing? But they must be so proud as well.’ So I have a very special place in my heart for the military and what those men and women are doing for us.”
Kellie Pickler is about to add another star tattoo to her collection of 5 – she’ll be making a 6th USO tour overseas. What does she like to do while she’s in the Middle East? “I love hearing about their story and how they joined and why they joined and what are their thoughts on everything that’s going on over here. What are your thoughts about the election? Like, what are you...like...ask the military what do they want?”
Trace Adkins is also packing for a USO tour to take some holiday cheer to troops in the Pacific. He’ll travel there November 25th to December 2nd.
Lady Antebellum won the Breakthrough Award at the 2012 Billboard Touring Awards last week. Dave Haywood says their favorite part of the Own the Night tour was fan response: “I think you know getting out and touring this year has kinda shed a new light for us as songwriters, on where we want to go. I mean, we started last November on Own The Night and we were blown away by the response all throughout this year and this summer, and you really kinda realize what songs translate to a large audience. And that’s kinda helped shape our writing.”
Taylor Swift is looking for shelf space for her three new awards – MTV European Music Awards for Best Live, Best Look and Best Female. She truly is taking over the world, isn’t she?
Scotty McCreery is the star of Bojangles’ new TV commercials. Haven’t seen them? Here they are…
Miranda Lambert’s song, “Over You,” has been certified platinum for sales of over a million units. She and co-writer/hubby Blake Shelton won a CMA Award for that song.
DVR alert – Trace Adkins will be part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC. CMA Country Christmas will air December 20th, 22nd and 23rd on ABC. Stars include Jennifer Nettles, The Band Perry, Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Lady A and many more.
Veterans Day was Sunday, but country artists remember the military all year long. Dierks Bentley raises money for the Wounded Warrior project: “These guys have all put 10,000 hours into being soldiers – and then they come back here. That’s a hard thing to do, especially when a lot of our soldiers are older and already have kids and families. They’re not coming back 21 or 22 – they’re like 36 or 37. The guys that come back that are wounded – it’s even a more difficult road to go down. We just hope to spread a little money and spread even more awareness to it, and get people involved.” Lee Brice has his priorities straight: “They’re so thankful for a shout out, they are so thankful for a song, for going and playing events for them – whether it’s for the USO or Wounded Warriors. They are so appreciative of it, but we are the ones that need to be thankful for them. Everytime I get a thank you from them, I’m just doubling it back to them – ya know?” And Martina McBride knows it’s not just the soldier, but that soldier’s family, too, that serves: “Knowing that so many people do have family, children and loved ones that are overseas fighting for us, is always something that I think, ‘What a hard thing? But they must be so proud as well.’ So I have a very special place in my heart for the military and what those men and women are doing for us.”
Kellie Pickler is about to add another star tattoo to her collection of 5 – she’ll be making a 6th USO tour overseas. What does she like to do while she’s in the Middle East? “I love hearing about their story and how they joined and why they joined and what are their thoughts on everything that’s going on over here. What are your thoughts about the election? Like, what are you...like...ask the military what do they want?”
Trace Adkins is also packing for a USO tour to take some holiday cheer to troops in the Pacific. He’ll travel there November 25th to December 2nd.
Lady Antebellum won the Breakthrough Award at the 2012 Billboard Touring Awards last week. Dave Haywood says their favorite part of the Own the Night tour was fan response: “I think you know getting out and touring this year has kinda shed a new light for us as songwriters, on where we want to go. I mean, we started last November on Own The Night and we were blown away by the response all throughout this year and this summer, and you really kinda realize what songs translate to a large audience. And that’s kinda helped shape our writing.”
Taylor Swift is looking for shelf space for her three new awards – MTV European Music Awards for Best Live, Best Look and Best Female. She truly is taking over the world, isn’t she?
Scotty McCreery is the star of Bojangles’ new TV commercials. Haven’t seen them? Here they are…
Miranda Lambert’s song, “Over You,” has been certified platinum for sales of over a million units. She and co-writer/hubby Blake Shelton won a CMA Award for that song.
DVR alert – Trace Adkins will be part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC. CMA Country Christmas will air December 20th, 22nd and 23rd on ABC. Stars include Jennifer Nettles, The Band Perry, Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Lady A and many more.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Kenny Chesney is psyched about his 20th anniversary tour – 20 years of touring and he vows to make it the best tour yet for his fans because of the mutual admiration they have: “I’m glad there’s anticipation I’m glad there’s a certain energy there. To be honest with you, the idea of that energy drives me to be even better. I think any entertainer will tell you this, because I do wear my feelings out on my sleeve a lot. So that being said, the more love we get, the more we throw back at them.” Tourmate Eric Church is thrilled to be part of the fun, so he can build a relationship with new fans: “We got this night, I’m not going to see you for a while and you’re not going to see me for a while, you know? And I love being able to capitalize on that moment and trying to live in that moment and get as much energy exchanged between myself and the crowd as we can. I love that! That’s my favorite part of what we do. I love being around people…I’m very passionate about my music and I love people who are passionate about the music too, and I love playing a show for that type of crowd.” He’ll join the tour on select stadium shows, as will Zac Brown Band. Eli Young Band and Kacey Musgraves are the regular tourmates, signed up for at least 17 stadium shows with Kenny next year.
Jake Owen has set a record for the most consecutive sold-out shows for the CMT on Tour effort. He knows why people keep coming back to see him – he’ll all about giving value for that ticket price: “That’s all you ever try to do - is try to please the people that were there. Make sure they go home and tell their friends who weren’t there about it. The next time around they bring them back – and your crowd progressively gets bigger.”
Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean spent the weekend hunting in Kansas with the crew of Buck Commander. Also on the hunt are baseball stars Adam LaRoche, Ryan Langerhans and Tombo Martin. Luke admits that the deer could be safe from him and Jason: “Who knows – we’re both pretty awful. I haven’t killed anything on this past trip. I got a deer down in Texas – but I’m still waitin’.” The show will air this fall or winter on the Outdoor Channel.
Miranda Lambert spent her birthday weekend at home in Oklahoma, working on her new boutique, The Pink Pistol. It’ll open the day after Thanksgiving. Since she’s busy with that, plus her tour, plus her work with Pistol Annies, and Blake’s busy with The Voice, the subject of children doesn’t come up between them – they’re too busy, and Miranda says her dogs are like children to her.
Martina McBride just shot a video for “Please Come Home For Christmas” in Franklin, Tennessee. Her crew spent a week decorating the town, including adding snow, so it would be in the holiday spirit. The song will be part of “A Very Special Christmas” benefit cd this year, and the video featured 12 Special Olympians.
There’ll be a Hurricane Sandy benefit concert in New York at Madison Square Garden on 12/12/12. The performers are still being lined up, but there should be a country artist or two in the mix.
Jake Owen has set a record for the most consecutive sold-out shows for the CMT on Tour effort. He knows why people keep coming back to see him – he’ll all about giving value for that ticket price: “That’s all you ever try to do - is try to please the people that were there. Make sure they go home and tell their friends who weren’t there about it. The next time around they bring them back – and your crowd progressively gets bigger.”
Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean spent the weekend hunting in Kansas with the crew of Buck Commander. Also on the hunt are baseball stars Adam LaRoche, Ryan Langerhans and Tombo Martin. Luke admits that the deer could be safe from him and Jason: “Who knows – we’re both pretty awful. I haven’t killed anything on this past trip. I got a deer down in Texas – but I’m still waitin’.” The show will air this fall or winter on the Outdoor Channel.
Miranda Lambert spent her birthday weekend at home in Oklahoma, working on her new boutique, The Pink Pistol. It’ll open the day after Thanksgiving. Since she’s busy with that, plus her tour, plus her work with Pistol Annies, and Blake’s busy with The Voice, the subject of children doesn’t come up between them – they’re too busy, and Miranda says her dogs are like children to her.
Martina McBride just shot a video for “Please Come Home For Christmas” in Franklin, Tennessee. Her crew spent a week decorating the town, including adding snow, so it would be in the holiday spirit. The song will be part of “A Very Special Christmas” benefit cd this year, and the video featured 12 Special Olympians.
There’ll be a Hurricane Sandy benefit concert in New York at Madison Square Garden on 12/12/12. The performers are still being lined up, but there should be a country artist or two in the mix.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Keith Urban has been nominated for CMA Awards 25 times so far in his career. He’s won Male Vocalist of the Year three times, and is nominated for it again tomorrow night. So, is he more excited about maybe winning, or about performing? “I look forward to being able to play on awards shows. That is the absolute moment that matters most to me, is getting to play. 'Cause the other stuff is, I don't know about the other stuff. I know about playing, that's the only thing I know about.” The show airs at 8pm Eastern on ABC tomorrow night.
Kenny Chesney has Thanksgiving Day plans, but not like yours or mine. While we’re either cooking, eating, traveling or cleaning up, he’ll be performing in front of hundreds of millions of people world-wide. He’s been picked to play the halftime show at the Washington Redskins/Dallas Cowboys game. The event is the official kick-off of the Salvation Army’s 122nd Annual Red Kettle Campaign, so get out your bells and ring along. You even have a chance to win a trip to be at the game live. All the fun will air on FOX on Thanksgiving Day.
Last night, the Grand Ole Opry raised awareness about breast cancer, and raised money to help find the cure. As part of the Women Rock for the Cure events, Kellie Pickler, The Farm, Kristen Kelly, Sarah Darling, Little Jimmy Dickens and other Opry notables entertained in front of a pink, not red, barn. Nashville newcomer Kristen Kelly talks about the 6th time she’s performed on the Grand Ole Opry: “This will be my sixth appearance on the Opry since May. If it’s the last thing I do – I’ll die a happy woman. I just love everything the Opry stands for. To get to be invited back, and to get to play on October 30th and it be for the Opry Goes Pink for breast cancer awareness – it’s something I’m really excited to be part of.”
Tomorrow night is the CMA Awards show, and some of the winners will be announced on Good Morning America tomorrow morning! Musical Event and Music Video of the Year will be revealed, live from outside Bridgestone Arena during the show. Reba will also be performing tomorrow morning.
Look for “Nashville” stars Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiera to present awards tomorrow night. Brad Paisley’s wife Kimberly will also be a presenter, along with Reba, Jake Owen, Darius Rucker, Jana Kramer, Lisa Marie Presley, comedian Tim Allen and Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson.
Blake Shelton has been co-hosting the ACM Awards with Reba for a couple of years, but Reba announced she’s not going to be part of the show anymore. Will Blake fly solo, or is he looking for a tiny, talented, not-afraid-of-a-glass-of-whiskey co-host? Would Martina McBride do it? “Yeah! I think it’d be fun. Definitely. I mean, you know, it’s something a little bit different and I’m...I think it’d be a lot of fun.” Nothing official yet…
Blake Shelton is adding to his TV credits, this time with his own holiday special. Blake Shelton’s Not So Family Christmas is set for December 3rd at 10pm on NBC. Apparently it’s going to be star-studded, and because Blake has a Christmas album out, will probably also include some songs from “Cheers, It’s Christmas.” No details have been revealed yet, but I’ll keep you posted.
Congratulations to Lee Brice – “Hard to Love” is his second #1 song in a row, following in the footsteps of “A Woman Like You.”
Kenny Chesney has Thanksgiving Day plans, but not like yours or mine. While we’re either cooking, eating, traveling or cleaning up, he’ll be performing in front of hundreds of millions of people world-wide. He’s been picked to play the halftime show at the Washington Redskins/Dallas Cowboys game. The event is the official kick-off of the Salvation Army’s 122nd Annual Red Kettle Campaign, so get out your bells and ring along. You even have a chance to win a trip to be at the game live. All the fun will air on FOX on Thanksgiving Day.
Last night, the Grand Ole Opry raised awareness about breast cancer, and raised money to help find the cure. As part of the Women Rock for the Cure events, Kellie Pickler, The Farm, Kristen Kelly, Sarah Darling, Little Jimmy Dickens and other Opry notables entertained in front of a pink, not red, barn. Nashville newcomer Kristen Kelly talks about the 6th time she’s performed on the Grand Ole Opry: “This will be my sixth appearance on the Opry since May. If it’s the last thing I do – I’ll die a happy woman. I just love everything the Opry stands for. To get to be invited back, and to get to play on October 30th and it be for the Opry Goes Pink for breast cancer awareness – it’s something I’m really excited to be part of.”
Tomorrow night is the CMA Awards show, and some of the winners will be announced on Good Morning America tomorrow morning! Musical Event and Music Video of the Year will be revealed, live from outside Bridgestone Arena during the show. Reba will also be performing tomorrow morning.
Look for “Nashville” stars Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiera to present awards tomorrow night. Brad Paisley’s wife Kimberly will also be a presenter, along with Reba, Jake Owen, Darius Rucker, Jana Kramer, Lisa Marie Presley, comedian Tim Allen and Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson.
Blake Shelton has been co-hosting the ACM Awards with Reba for a couple of years, but Reba announced she’s not going to be part of the show anymore. Will Blake fly solo, or is he looking for a tiny, talented, not-afraid-of-a-glass-of-whiskey co-host? Would Martina McBride do it? “Yeah! I think it’d be fun. Definitely. I mean, you know, it’s something a little bit different and I’m...I think it’d be a lot of fun.” Nothing official yet…
Blake Shelton is adding to his TV credits, this time with his own holiday special. Blake Shelton’s Not So Family Christmas is set for December 3rd at 10pm on NBC. Apparently it’s going to be star-studded, and because Blake has a Christmas album out, will probably also include some songs from “Cheers, It’s Christmas.” No details have been revealed yet, but I’ll keep you posted.
Congratulations to Lee Brice – “Hard to Love” is his second #1 song in a row, following in the footsteps of “A Woman Like You.”
Friday, October 19, 2012
Jason Aldean released a new album, "Night Train," this week, but his thoughts are all about Saturdays and Georgia football. Specifically, the party before the game: “Every SEC school that I’ve ever been to—you know tailgating is a religion. We’re in the South! But, Georgia is fun, I mean it is fun, and the fans are rabid, man. They love to show up early and have a good time.” He'll have to be in Kentucky tomorrow night if he wants to hit the tailgate - Georgia's on the road this weekend.
Lee Brice's song, "Hard to Love," is a tip of the hat to his fiance and their son: “This career can be hard to love from Sarah’s point of view – and Takoda. They’re proud and they support me, but it’s just hard being away so much and stuff so that’s kind of where that came from. But yeah, it’s stepping up and owning up to that.”
Little Big Town's new single, "Tornado," is whipping up a storm on the country charts, and they love playing it live: “[Karen] We like it so much, it’s so much fun to play live and there’s just smoke and craziness, scariness. [Kimberly] Wind and smoke! [Phillip] Storms on stage! [Jimi] Karen scaring men throughout the audience—and her husband on stage. [Laughs] I’m just sending a warning… [Laughs] it’s a warning shot.” Little Big Town is on the road with Rascal Flatts, and "Tornado" the album sits atop the country music Billboard chart for the 5th week.
Josh Turner reveals how to pick a hit song: “When you hear a song that takes your mind away from all of the crazy distractions in life, that normally is a hit song.” His new single, "Find Me A Baby," is just such a song for Josh. It's from his "Punching Bag" album.
She first appeared in the media at 11 months of age in a Playskool commercial, grew up listening to country music, dabbled in a singing career and is now the bad-girl Juliette Barnes on the new show, "Nashville." Hayden Panettiere and the show have released a single, "Telescope," written by Cary Barlowe and Hillary Lindsay. About it, Hayden says “It’s one of those songs that you hope girls and boys are going to dance to in their cars and sing out loud. That’s the great thing about my character is that you get those two different sides of her. You get the side of her that is the mainstream crossover – fun songs like ‘Telescope.’ Then you get the more understated songs that have that heart behind it.”
Country stars populate a Katie Couric tv special - "20/20 All Access Nashville With Katie Couric" a week from tonight and features Taylor Swift, Reba, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert & Pistol Annies, Martina McBride, Luke Byran and Jason Aldean all give a glimps into their private lives and talk about their favorite female country singers on the show.
Lee Brice's song, "Hard to Love," is a tip of the hat to his fiance and their son: “This career can be hard to love from Sarah’s point of view – and Takoda. They’re proud and they support me, but it’s just hard being away so much and stuff so that’s kind of where that came from. But yeah, it’s stepping up and owning up to that.”
Little Big Town's new single, "Tornado," is whipping up a storm on the country charts, and they love playing it live: “[Karen] We like it so much, it’s so much fun to play live and there’s just smoke and craziness, scariness. [Kimberly] Wind and smoke! [Phillip] Storms on stage! [Jimi] Karen scaring men throughout the audience—and her husband on stage. [Laughs] I’m just sending a warning… [Laughs] it’s a warning shot.” Little Big Town is on the road with Rascal Flatts, and "Tornado" the album sits atop the country music Billboard chart for the 5th week.
Josh Turner reveals how to pick a hit song: “When you hear a song that takes your mind away from all of the crazy distractions in life, that normally is a hit song.” His new single, "Find Me A Baby," is just such a song for Josh. It's from his "Punching Bag" album.
She first appeared in the media at 11 months of age in a Playskool commercial, grew up listening to country music, dabbled in a singing career and is now the bad-girl Juliette Barnes on the new show, "Nashville." Hayden Panettiere and the show have released a single, "Telescope," written by Cary Barlowe and Hillary Lindsay. About it, Hayden says “It’s one of those songs that you hope girls and boys are going to dance to in their cars and sing out loud. That’s the great thing about my character is that you get those two different sides of her. You get the side of her that is the mainstream crossover – fun songs like ‘Telescope.’ Then you get the more understated songs that have that heart behind it.”
Country stars populate a Katie Couric tv special - "20/20 All Access Nashville With Katie Couric" a week from tonight and features Taylor Swift, Reba, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert & Pistol Annies, Martina McBride, Luke Byran and Jason Aldean all give a glimps into their private lives and talk about their favorite female country singers on the show.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Darius Rucker is walking around with an extra-big smile on his face this week after becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry. “It meant so much to me because I knew if I could ever be a member, there’s no more conversation about being accepted or anything, you know. I’m in. And you look at the names of the people that have been inducted and...they’re legends!” And what do his kids think about it? “The two oldest ones get it, I think. You know, we talked to them about it...especially my oldest, she thinks it’s just awesome. But, my younger son, he knew for a while and I came home the next day – you know we drove back afterwards – and he says to me, ‘Daddy, congratulations on whatever just happened today.’ It was pretty cute.”
Keith Urban rates country music fans as pretty consistent, and he knows what he’s talking about because he’s played for them all over the world: “I grew up playing in all these country music festivals all over Australia. The culture, I guess if you will, of country music and the people, the fans and artists – I find basically the same in Australia, here – when we’ve traveled over to Europe. There’s just a certain way of being, that really is what the music is about.” He’s nominated for GQ Australia’s Man of the Year. To vote, visit www.gq.com.au – the winner will be announced November 13th.
Carrie Underwood is celebrating her 13th #1 song this week with “Blown Away,” the title track to her latest album. How did the song catch Carrie’s ear? “The first time I heard ‘Blown Away’ I just loved it so much because it was different than anything I’ve heard before. That was really attractive to me because no matter what, however how many albums I make, I want them all to sound different. I want them to be different and have different kind of songs of them. That one was just so dramatic – it was juicy.”
Fall is deer season, and Luke Bryan has teamed up with Cabela’s so country fans can get the right deer gear. Meanwhile, who does Luke like to hunt with? To hear Jason Aldean tell it, they are pretty tight at deer camp: “Luke just bought a farm about ten minutes from my house – and I got a farm here. So he and I hunt together quite a bit. A couple times a year all of us get together and we have two or three big hunts a year for about a week. Those are coming up, so that should be fun.”
Blake Shelton will appear on the song “Just a Fool” on Christina Aguilera’s new album, “Lotus.” Blake’s fellow “The Voice” coach will release the album November 13th.
Once again, Jennifer Nettles has been tapped to host the CMA Country Christmas show. It’s the third annual event, happening this year on November 3rd at Bridgestone Arena. Also part of the show will be Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban, Martina McBride, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, The Band Perry, Scotty McCreery, John Legend and Colbie Caillat. If you’re going to the show, please take a new, unwrapped to be given to families in need this holiday season.
Martina McBride has said in the past that if she wasn’t a singer, she’d be a party planner – she loves to throw parties. Soon, you can have her help planning your soirees, as she’s working on a book about entertaining. No word on when it will be out – she hasn’t even pitched it to an agent yet.
Keith Urban rates country music fans as pretty consistent, and he knows what he’s talking about because he’s played for them all over the world: “I grew up playing in all these country music festivals all over Australia. The culture, I guess if you will, of country music and the people, the fans and artists – I find basically the same in Australia, here – when we’ve traveled over to Europe. There’s just a certain way of being, that really is what the music is about.” He’s nominated for GQ Australia’s Man of the Year. To vote, visit www.gq.com.au – the winner will be announced November 13th.
Carrie Underwood is celebrating her 13th #1 song this week with “Blown Away,” the title track to her latest album. How did the song catch Carrie’s ear? “The first time I heard ‘Blown Away’ I just loved it so much because it was different than anything I’ve heard before. That was really attractive to me because no matter what, however how many albums I make, I want them all to sound different. I want them to be different and have different kind of songs of them. That one was just so dramatic – it was juicy.”
Fall is deer season, and Luke Bryan has teamed up with Cabela’s so country fans can get the right deer gear. Meanwhile, who does Luke like to hunt with? To hear Jason Aldean tell it, they are pretty tight at deer camp: “Luke just bought a farm about ten minutes from my house – and I got a farm here. So he and I hunt together quite a bit. A couple times a year all of us get together and we have two or three big hunts a year for about a week. Those are coming up, so that should be fun.”
Blake Shelton will appear on the song “Just a Fool” on Christina Aguilera’s new album, “Lotus.” Blake’s fellow “The Voice” coach will release the album November 13th.
Once again, Jennifer Nettles has been tapped to host the CMA Country Christmas show. It’s the third annual event, happening this year on November 3rd at Bridgestone Arena. Also part of the show will be Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban, Martina McBride, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, The Band Perry, Scotty McCreery, John Legend and Colbie Caillat. If you’re going to the show, please take a new, unwrapped to be given to families in need this holiday season.
Martina McBride has said in the past that if she wasn’t a singer, she’d be a party planner – she loves to throw parties. Soon, you can have her help planning your soirees, as she’s working on a book about entertaining. No word on when it will be out – she hasn’t even pitched it to an agent yet.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has started a “Hey St. Jude” fund and awareness drive, and country stars lend a hand, of course. Randy Owen, Keith Urban, Darius Rucker, Lady Antebellum, Big & Rich, along with a host of sports and entertainment stars, show up in the video. To watch it and to donate, visit the video’s home page, and you can get one of the cool t-shirts featured in the video for a $35 donation.
Kenny Chesney’s “El Cerrito Place” keeps leaping up the chart, rising faster than his past smash hits. He thinks the song is striking a deep chord in fans for a couple of reasons: “I understand that sense of searching and longing in that song. It just felt very real to me. And that’s what Grace sang on. You know, to have her on ‘El Cerrito Place’ and sing in that high harmony is just...she just makes that searching and longing come to life.”
Jake Owen is having loads of success with his “Endless Summer” EP, which was released last week. How does he feel about these four songs? “You know everybody has got an iPod mix that says, ‘Summer Playlist.’ I’ve got mine. If I was making one, these songs I would put on there. I just felt honored to be able to put my voice on them, and put it out there – I think it’s kind of cool.” He’s getting set to hit the road with Love & Theft and Florida Georgia Line – the tour kicks off next Wednesday in New York City.
George Strait may be hitting the road for the last time, but he’s doing it in style, touring with Martina McBride. About her, George says, “She’s just incredible...an incredible singer and a great person. We have a lot of fun out there with her. We were out with her last year and we’re gonna go out with her again this year, and so we’re happy about that.” His “Cowboy Rides Away” tour happens in 2013 and 2014, and after that, George says he’s not going to tour anymore.
Rascal Flatts is in the current issue of Variety Magazine, and Jay DeMarcus remembers when the country music super group first hit the scene and reporters compared them to the Backstreet Boys. They were pretty stylish for country music in the early 2000’s, but held on to their look despite the digs. Gary, Jay and Joe Don just got their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, something the Backstreet Boys haven’t done yet.
Kenny Chesney’s “El Cerrito Place” keeps leaping up the chart, rising faster than his past smash hits. He thinks the song is striking a deep chord in fans for a couple of reasons: “I understand that sense of searching and longing in that song. It just felt very real to me. And that’s what Grace sang on. You know, to have her on ‘El Cerrito Place’ and sing in that high harmony is just...she just makes that searching and longing come to life.”
Jake Owen is having loads of success with his “Endless Summer” EP, which was released last week. How does he feel about these four songs? “You know everybody has got an iPod mix that says, ‘Summer Playlist.’ I’ve got mine. If I was making one, these songs I would put on there. I just felt honored to be able to put my voice on them, and put it out there – I think it’s kind of cool.” He’s getting set to hit the road with Love & Theft and Florida Georgia Line – the tour kicks off next Wednesday in New York City.
George Strait may be hitting the road for the last time, but he’s doing it in style, touring with Martina McBride. About her, George says, “She’s just incredible...an incredible singer and a great person. We have a lot of fun out there with her. We were out with her last year and we’re gonna go out with her again this year, and so we’re happy about that.” His “Cowboy Rides Away” tour happens in 2013 and 2014, and after that, George says he’s not going to tour anymore.
Rascal Flatts is in the current issue of Variety Magazine, and Jay DeMarcus remembers when the country music super group first hit the scene and reporters compared them to the Backstreet Boys. They were pretty stylish for country music in the early 2000’s, but held on to their look despite the digs. Gary, Jay and Joe Don just got their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, something the Backstreet Boys haven’t done yet.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
When Zac Brown throws a party, you never know who will show up, but you know it’ll be good. If you’re heading for Nashville this weekend for the Zac Brown Band & Friends Southern Ground Music & Food Festival, prepare to be blown away by Zac and his boys, along with John Mayer, Alan Jackson, Dwight Yoakam, Greg Allman, and Sheryl Crow. Will there be surprise guests? Does the sun rise in the east?
Dierks Bentely has been reunited with an old friend – his truck, “Big White.” If you saw the “5-1-5-0” video, you saw what they did to the poor truck – mud all over it, inside and out. It was fun for the video, but ever since then, Dierks has been missing “Big White” because of scheduling issues: “We’ve been gone the whole summer – it’s been flying in and out. There’s just not been time to pick up the truck. So, I just got it back and it’s all cleaned out. It’s better than it ever looked – it’s actually better than it ever was. That video shoot is the best thing that ever happened for that truck because once he started cleaning it, he started fixing antennas, side mirrors, my rearview mirror and put the armrest back on – put the stereo back where it’s supposed to be and fixed my air conditioning. He just went to town on it.”
Luke Bryan had a party in Nashville this week, celebrating the #1 success of “Drunk on You.” Since it’s his fourth #1 song, are the parties still as special? “You never get tired of celebrating number ones. It’s pretty cool stuff. ‘Drunk On You’ is such a, a kind of a career changing song for me. It’s such a big, big, big song when we see it every night out there on the road. It’s pretty amazing getting to do it and watch everybody’s reaction.”
Little Big Town covers a Lady Gaga song in concert, and they get an odd reaction when they introduce it: “People in the crowd are like, ‘Whaaaaat? I’m gonna get me a beer!’ But, then...we turn them right around! It’s fun. It’s fun. Bluegrass makes people happy, so we turn this Lady Gaga song into some good ole bluegrass.” They worked the song out last night on CMT’s Unplugged – if you missed it, here’s a concert version…
Martina McBride fans, rejoice – “The Essential Martina McBride” comes out October 22nd. The double-disc set includes all of her hits, plus a favorite or two of hers. She’s performing in Switzerland this week and returns to the US leg of her tour on September 28th at the Ryman.
Brad Paisley is a guest vocalist and guitarist on Colbe Caillat’s Christmas album, due out October 23rd. And there’ll be new music from Brad this week from his upcoming album. We don’t know the name of the song, the album or the release date, but should have at least a song before the weekend.
He won American Idol, but he’s just a college freshman, like all the rest. Scotty McCreery has taken up residence in the dorm at North Carolina State. Scotty’s decorating like a normal college kid, too: “I got a few posters in my room like a big blue marlin poster that Guy Harvey sent me. I got that beside my bed. I got my big Rocky poster above my desk, so anytime I’m feeling a little down on paper I can just look up and say, ‘Come on, get going like Rocky!’ So, uh...got little stuff like that.” Unlike most college freshmen, Scotty McCreery has an album coming out on October 16th – his first Christmas album.
Dierks Bentely has been reunited with an old friend – his truck, “Big White.” If you saw the “5-1-5-0” video, you saw what they did to the poor truck – mud all over it, inside and out. It was fun for the video, but ever since then, Dierks has been missing “Big White” because of scheduling issues: “We’ve been gone the whole summer – it’s been flying in and out. There’s just not been time to pick up the truck. So, I just got it back and it’s all cleaned out. It’s better than it ever looked – it’s actually better than it ever was. That video shoot is the best thing that ever happened for that truck because once he started cleaning it, he started fixing antennas, side mirrors, my rearview mirror and put the armrest back on – put the stereo back where it’s supposed to be and fixed my air conditioning. He just went to town on it.”
Luke Bryan had a party in Nashville this week, celebrating the #1 success of “Drunk on You.” Since it’s his fourth #1 song, are the parties still as special? “You never get tired of celebrating number ones. It’s pretty cool stuff. ‘Drunk On You’ is such a, a kind of a career changing song for me. It’s such a big, big, big song when we see it every night out there on the road. It’s pretty amazing getting to do it and watch everybody’s reaction.”
Little Big Town covers a Lady Gaga song in concert, and they get an odd reaction when they introduce it: “People in the crowd are like, ‘Whaaaaat? I’m gonna get me a beer!’ But, then...we turn them right around! It’s fun. It’s fun. Bluegrass makes people happy, so we turn this Lady Gaga song into some good ole bluegrass.” They worked the song out last night on CMT’s Unplugged – if you missed it, here’s a concert version…
Martina McBride fans, rejoice – “The Essential Martina McBride” comes out October 22nd. The double-disc set includes all of her hits, plus a favorite or two of hers. She’s performing in Switzerland this week and returns to the US leg of her tour on September 28th at the Ryman.
Brad Paisley is a guest vocalist and guitarist on Colbe Caillat’s Christmas album, due out October 23rd. And there’ll be new music from Brad this week from his upcoming album. We don’t know the name of the song, the album or the release date, but should have at least a song before the weekend.
He won American Idol, but he’s just a college freshman, like all the rest. Scotty McCreery has taken up residence in the dorm at North Carolina State. Scotty’s decorating like a normal college kid, too: “I got a few posters in my room like a big blue marlin poster that Guy Harvey sent me. I got that beside my bed. I got my big Rocky poster above my desk, so anytime I’m feeling a little down on paper I can just look up and say, ‘Come on, get going like Rocky!’ So, uh...got little stuff like that.” Unlike most college freshmen, Scotty McCreery has an album coming out on October 16th – his first Christmas album.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Carrie Underwood and Hunter Hayes are officially on the Blown Away tour, hitting the road Friday. From the sound of things, her wardrobe may need it’s own tractor-trailer! “Yes! A lot of very dramatic costumes, and no two shows will be exactly the same as far as what I wear and when I wear it. I like to have options.” Hunter is excited to be part of his first really big tour and says Carrie is a gracious partner: “For her it’s very much so a show in its entirety. It’s not an opening act – in her show she’s very cool about bridging the two and making it an experience all together. So to consider myself a part of that experience if you will, it’s definitely mind blowing.” $1 from each ticket on the North American tour will go to the American Red Cross.
It’s official - Keith Urban has been announced as one of the new American Idol judges. The rest of the panel consists of Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Randy Jackson, and they all started the season yesterday with the New York City auditions.
It’s official - Keith Urban has been announced as one of the new American Idol judges. The rest of the panel consists of Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Randy Jackson, and they all started the season yesterday with the New York City auditions.
Taylor Swift is excited about the platinum status of her newest song, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” and excited with how it’s rocketing up the charts. Excited, but not surprised: “This was the song that got stuck in people’s heads. When I would play this song and other songs for my friends, this was the one, that people literally days later couldn’t stop singing.”
Eric Church debuted a new music video for “Creepin’” over the weekend on CMT.com and it premiers on CMT today. Eric enjoyed the process of making this video, saying, “It’s the first time we’ve ever somewhat played a role, a character. We all—myself and the band—it involves a train, it involves robbing a train, we’re kind of a gang. We got dress up—very James Gang kinda thing - really cool.”
Martina McBride kicks off The Joy of Christmas tour November 23rd in Atlanta. She’s packaged all of her favorite Christmas songs together in what she calls a “fun concert for all.”
Trisha Yearwood has signed on for another season of her Trisha’s Southern Kitchen cooking show on the Food Network. The series premiers October 20th, and at least one of the 13 episodes will feature Garth in the kitchen, too.
Rascal Flatts get their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today. Walk of Fame‘s website will stream the ceremony live Monday at 11:30am Pacific time, and they’ll be on the Tonight Show, performing “Come Wake Me Up.” Blake Shelton is on The Voice, and the “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” airs on ABC tonight.
Eric Church debuted a new music video for “Creepin’” over the weekend on CMT.com and it premiers on CMT today. Eric enjoyed the process of making this video, saying, “It’s the first time we’ve ever somewhat played a role, a character. We all—myself and the band—it involves a train, it involves robbing a train, we’re kind of a gang. We got dress up—very James Gang kinda thing - really cool.”
Martina McBride kicks off The Joy of Christmas tour November 23rd in Atlanta. She’s packaged all of her favorite Christmas songs together in what she calls a “fun concert for all.”
Trisha Yearwood has signed on for another season of her Trisha’s Southern Kitchen cooking show on the Food Network. The series premiers October 20th, and at least one of the 13 episodes will feature Garth in the kitchen, too.
Rascal Flatts get their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today. Walk of Fame‘s website will stream the ceremony live Monday at 11:30am Pacific time, and they’ll be on the Tonight Show, performing “Come Wake Me Up.” Blake Shelton is on The Voice, and the “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” airs on ABC tonight.
Monday, September 10, 2012
What can we expect from the Tim McGraw and Faith Hill concerts in Las Vegas? Apparently they won’t be doing their individual hits, but will do a show full of duets. But, you say, they haven’t done a whole show’s worth of duets in their career – will it be a short show? Oh, no – they’re apparently thinking Loretta and Conway, Tammy and George – according to Tim: “We’re going to do some different stuff, there’s a list of those kind of songs that we want to figure out what’s the coolest thing for us to do and the most fun that we’ll have doing the things the audience will enjoy hearing the most. But, I mean, God, there’s so many great duets out there that are fun to do.” The first show is on December 7th at the Venetian.
Toby Keith was flattered to be under consideration for a seat at the judge’s table on American Idol, but he turned it down. Why? “Ten years ago, I’d of said ‘yea.’ I’ve done enough movies and television now to know how time-consuming those things are. It was a wonderful number. I mean, they offered me incredible dollars to do it, but it’s probably better suited for somebody who’s got the time on their hands I don’t have.” Meanwhile, he’s seeing the average age of concert attendees drop, and he believes that “Red Solo Cup dropped my average age down from about 35 down to about 25 I think. We got a lot of youth. And that’s what you gotta do, you know, you’ve been around 18, 19 years, you’ve gotta find a way to reinvent or regenerate or do something, and it did!”
With their new album, “Tornado,” coming out tomorrow, Little Big Town has had a great week before the release. What did it sound like when they heard they were nominated for three CMA Awards this year? “[SCREAMS] [Jimi] “We were freaking out! It kinda sounded like that.” [Kimberly] “Yeah, it did.” [Karen] “We’re so thrilled and so honored. The Group of the Year category is fierce, fierce. We’re so honored to be a part of it.” [Phillip] “We literally were jumping up and slapping and high fives and hugging each other. I mean, we’re so thrilled. This is the best. Living on cloud nine right now.” They’re nominated for Music Video of the Year, Single of the Year and Vocal Group of the Year, in the same week that they scored their first #1 song. How did they feel when “Pontoon” hit #1? They’re dancing in the streets…check it out!
Lee Brice has co-written a fight anthem for his alma mater, Clemson. The song is called “Orange Empire” and you can get it on iTunes.
The politics of ugly got hung out on Twitter this week. Bocephus apparently tweeted something not very nice about President Obama, to which Alec Baldwin responded, “If Hank Williams Jr wasn't such a pathetic, wheezing fossil, I'd have a talk with him.” He then tweeted, “I think we need to call Hank Williams Jr what he is.... A broken-down, senile, racist coot.” Hank Jr. has been uncharacteristically unresponsive to Alec’s rant.
Little Big Town is on Good Morning America this morning, Blake Shelton is on Live With Kelly, “The Voice” returns tonight, with Blake Shelton in the big revolving red chair and Martina McBride is on Opening Act on E!.
Toby Keith was flattered to be under consideration for a seat at the judge’s table on American Idol, but he turned it down. Why? “Ten years ago, I’d of said ‘yea.’ I’ve done enough movies and television now to know how time-consuming those things are. It was a wonderful number. I mean, they offered me incredible dollars to do it, but it’s probably better suited for somebody who’s got the time on their hands I don’t have.” Meanwhile, he’s seeing the average age of concert attendees drop, and he believes that “Red Solo Cup dropped my average age down from about 35 down to about 25 I think. We got a lot of youth. And that’s what you gotta do, you know, you’ve been around 18, 19 years, you’ve gotta find a way to reinvent or regenerate or do something, and it did!”
With their new album, “Tornado,” coming out tomorrow, Little Big Town has had a great week before the release. What did it sound like when they heard they were nominated for three CMA Awards this year? “[SCREAMS] [Jimi] “We were freaking out! It kinda sounded like that.” [Kimberly] “Yeah, it did.” [Karen] “We’re so thrilled and so honored. The Group of the Year category is fierce, fierce. We’re so honored to be a part of it.” [Phillip] “We literally were jumping up and slapping and high fives and hugging each other. I mean, we’re so thrilled. This is the best. Living on cloud nine right now.” They’re nominated for Music Video of the Year, Single of the Year and Vocal Group of the Year, in the same week that they scored their first #1 song. How did they feel when “Pontoon” hit #1? They’re dancing in the streets…check it out!
Lee Brice has co-written a fight anthem for his alma mater, Clemson. The song is called “Orange Empire” and you can get it on iTunes.
The politics of ugly got hung out on Twitter this week. Bocephus apparently tweeted something not very nice about President Obama, to which Alec Baldwin responded, “If Hank Williams Jr wasn't such a pathetic, wheezing fossil, I'd have a talk with him.” He then tweeted, “I think we need to call Hank Williams Jr what he is.... A broken-down, senile, racist coot.” Hank Jr. has been uncharacteristically unresponsive to Alec’s rant.
Little Big Town is on Good Morning America this morning, Blake Shelton is on Live With Kelly, “The Voice” returns tonight, with Blake Shelton in the big revolving red chair and Martina McBride is on Opening Act on E!.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Make it five in a row for Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood – they’ll be hosting the CMA Awards again this fall. The two did a publicity photo shoot for it, and Brad said, “We have a great time. She is the best co-host I could ever ask for, and really, it’s a great combination. You can tell I think that we have a good time with it.” Mark your calendars for November first on ABC.
The very next night, also on ABC, Reba’s new tv show, Malibu Country, debuts. She plays a single mother of three who moves from LA to Nashville, and Lily Tomlin stars as her mother, Lily May. About her co-star, Reba says, “I’ve known Lily since 2001, so I was really wanting to working with her in some form or fashion- and this television show has been perfect.”
Dierks Bentley is still trying to process the fact that he’s has 10 #1 songs over the course of 9 years. His first happened in 2003 – “What Was I Thinkin’” – and his latest is “5-1-5-0.” His next single will be “Tip It On Back” and is the first single he’s released that he didn’t write. It was written by Tully Kennedy, Ross Copperman, and Jon Nite, and here he is performing it on the David Letterman show.
Darius Rucker found himself the target of a dare on Twitter. The fictional, funny and sometimes inappropriate spoof Twitter “personality,” @NotJakeOwen, tweeted “$500 reward to anyone that can prove @DariusRucker owns the best of Patsy Cline in his music collection.” Darius responded with a photo of himself and that album, which he sings about in the song “Alright,” with the line “I don’t need no concert in the city, I’ve got a stereo and the best of Patsy Cline.” Darius added the note, “pay up – and make it out to @St. Jude.” Whoever is behind the @NotJakeOwen Twitter account is a stand-up person – they responded with a screen shot of their computer, proving they’d donated the $500 to St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital.
Eli Young Band has been hard at work for over a decade, waiting for success to come their way. With the release of their Life at Best album, looks like life is getting better for the band: they’re on tour with Rascal Flatts, have had two back-to-back #1 songs and band member Mike Eli says, “The biggest goal of ours has always been longevity, and to be able to build a career that we can have for a long time. So I hope with this year, we can hope to get to the next step of solidifying more of a longer career.”
Martina McBride is on Opening Act and Katie Armiger is on Bachelor Pad tonight.
The very next night, also on ABC, Reba’s new tv show, Malibu Country, debuts. She plays a single mother of three who moves from LA to Nashville, and Lily Tomlin stars as her mother, Lily May. About her co-star, Reba says, “I’ve known Lily since 2001, so I was really wanting to working with her in some form or fashion- and this television show has been perfect.”
Dierks Bentley is still trying to process the fact that he’s has 10 #1 songs over the course of 9 years. His first happened in 2003 – “What Was I Thinkin’” – and his latest is “5-1-5-0.” His next single will be “Tip It On Back” and is the first single he’s released that he didn’t write. It was written by Tully Kennedy, Ross Copperman, and Jon Nite, and here he is performing it on the David Letterman show.
Darius Rucker found himself the target of a dare on Twitter. The fictional, funny and sometimes inappropriate spoof Twitter “personality,” @NotJakeOwen, tweeted “$500 reward to anyone that can prove @DariusRucker owns the best of Patsy Cline in his music collection.” Darius responded with a photo of himself and that album, which he sings about in the song “Alright,” with the line “I don’t need no concert in the city, I’ve got a stereo and the best of Patsy Cline.” Darius added the note, “pay up – and make it out to @St. Jude.” Whoever is behind the @NotJakeOwen Twitter account is a stand-up person – they responded with a screen shot of their computer, proving they’d donated the $500 to St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital.
Eli Young Band has been hard at work for over a decade, waiting for success to come their way. With the release of their Life at Best album, looks like life is getting better for the band: they’re on tour with Rascal Flatts, have had two back-to-back #1 songs and band member Mike Eli says, “The biggest goal of ours has always been longevity, and to be able to build a career that we can have for a long time. So I hope with this year, we can hope to get to the next step of solidifying more of a longer career.”
Martina McBride is on Opening Act and Katie Armiger is on Bachelor Pad tonight.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Zac Brown Band is busy spending two weeks at the top of the Billboard Country chart, and Zac tells the story of how the album’s title cut came to be: “You know, I got the idea for that song ‘Uncaged’ from riding my motorcycle, and being out on the road with the wind in my face, looking up, seeing a hawk flying above my head and thinking, ‘Wow. I’ve been sitting on a bus all day, every day for the last five years on the road, and I could have been out getting myself back into nature.’ ‘Cause the nightlife, playing music and everything will definitely void you of nature.”
One year ago this week, Eric Church released his album, Chief, and it debuted at the top of the Billboard Country chart and the all-genre Billboard 200. It’s spawned two #1 songs so far, “Drink in My Hand” and “Springsteen,” and “Creepin’” has just been released as the next single. About the sound of the music, Eric says, “I feel like we’re given a small opportunity as artists to take the music somewhere it hasn’t been before, and that always kinda stokes my fire is to be able to take something and do something a little different with it and take a little different direction and that’s certainly what um...what this record was about.” And what about his signature ball-cap-and-shades style? “I have one style...I have that mirrored shade style, but I have several sunglasses. I have one hat...for the whole...if we lose that hat, that’s it...career’s over!”
Darius Rucker fans know what a sports fan he is, but did you know he’s high on the Olympics and will watch as much coverage over the next two weeks as is humanly possible? “Everybody watches the Olympics because you want to see America beat everybody else in the world. I mean, it sounds crazy, but that’s why you’re watching it; that’s why I’m watching the 100, because I want to see an American cross the line first. You know, that’s why we watch basketball, because we want to see America blow everybody out.”
Little Big Town’s song, “Pontoon,” is sailing up the charts and is instantly recognizable when it comes on the radio. According to Kimberly Schlapman, “I love songs like that as a listener. Just all through my life, there are songs that on the first three, four or five notes, I instantly know what they are. It’s cool that this is one of those songs. I love that just as a music fan!” The song is the first single from Tornado, which streets September 11th.
Didja miss Hunter Hayes on The Talk? Julie Chen surprised Hunter with a gold certification plaque for “Wanted.” Here you go…
Sunday, Martina McBride turns 46 and James Otto celebrates his 39th birthday.
Lionel Ritchie is on Chelsea Lately and Ellen DeGeneres, talking about his country collaboration album. Both are reruns.
One year ago this week, Eric Church released his album, Chief, and it debuted at the top of the Billboard Country chart and the all-genre Billboard 200. It’s spawned two #1 songs so far, “Drink in My Hand” and “Springsteen,” and “Creepin’” has just been released as the next single. About the sound of the music, Eric says, “I feel like we’re given a small opportunity as artists to take the music somewhere it hasn’t been before, and that always kinda stokes my fire is to be able to take something and do something a little different with it and take a little different direction and that’s certainly what um...what this record was about.” And what about his signature ball-cap-and-shades style? “I have one style...I have that mirrored shade style, but I have several sunglasses. I have one hat...for the whole...if we lose that hat, that’s it...career’s over!”
Darius Rucker fans know what a sports fan he is, but did you know he’s high on the Olympics and will watch as much coverage over the next two weeks as is humanly possible? “Everybody watches the Olympics because you want to see America beat everybody else in the world. I mean, it sounds crazy, but that’s why you’re watching it; that’s why I’m watching the 100, because I want to see an American cross the line first. You know, that’s why we watch basketball, because we want to see America blow everybody out.”
Little Big Town’s song, “Pontoon,” is sailing up the charts and is instantly recognizable when it comes on the radio. According to Kimberly Schlapman, “I love songs like that as a listener. Just all through my life, there are songs that on the first three, four or five notes, I instantly know what they are. It’s cool that this is one of those songs. I love that just as a music fan!” The song is the first single from Tornado, which streets September 11th.
Didja miss Hunter Hayes on The Talk? Julie Chen surprised Hunter with a gold certification plaque for “Wanted.” Here you go…
Sunday, Martina McBride turns 46 and James Otto celebrates his 39th birthday.
Lionel Ritchie is on Chelsea Lately and Ellen DeGeneres, talking about his country collaboration album. Both are reruns.
Monday, July 23, 2012
The world just got a little Flatter. Rascal Flatts singer and bass player Jay DeMarcus and his wife Allison welcomed their son Dylan Jay DeMarcus into the world on Friday afternoon. Proud papa Jay said, “You know, I was hoping for a healthy child. Whatever it was, I was gonna be OK with it. But, I would be lying if I didn’t say that I’m really thrilled that it’s a boy. I kind of, in the back of my mind, wanted one of each.” Both the baby and Allison are doing fine, and big sister Madeline Leigh is excited to have a baby brother.
Congrats to Blake Shelton and the other coaches. The Voice has picked up four Emmy nominations, and Blake knows what makes the show so special: “You know, somebody will come on TV singing and you’re like, ‘Oh my God!’ I mean, they suck! Who signed them? Well, it’s just because she’s good looking or it’s because he’s taking his shirt off and he’s muscle-y or something or else he wouldn’t have got his chance, you know? I mean, this eliminates all of that. Not to say that a lot of people that got picked aren’t really good looking normal people. At least it starts from having a talent.”
Brad Paisley fans, it’s a little complicated, but you can help fight illiteracy while getting a chance to win concert tickets and swag. Brad has teamed up with Dollar General stores and Pepsi – you have to buy a 10 ounce or larger bag of Lays chips with a 2-liter Pepsi product at Dollar General, then enter the receipt code at dollargeneral.com. Good luck!
Jason Aldean celebrated the #1 status of “Fly Over States” last week in Nashville with the songwriters, Michael Dulaney and Neil Thrasher. Jason fessed up that he was late in releasing that song – it was sort of a leftover from the Wide Open album. He says they got the song late in the process of recording that album and “ran out of room.” According to Jason, "I started kicking myself immediately for not recording the song because I kept listening to it over and over. But it ended up being one of the first songs we cut for My Kinda Party."
Zac Brown Band had a great week for album sales last week. Not only was their new album, “Uncaged,” #1 on Billboard’s Country and Hot 200 charts, their earlier albums, “The Foundation” and “You Get What You Give” sold enough copies to both land in the top 20 on the Billboard 200.
The Band Perry has been added to the concert lineup at The Brickyard this Sunday. They’ll perform before the Curtiss Shaver 400 at the Brickyard.
Jason Aldean, Martina McBride, Luke Bryan and Kylie Morgan will all be on Opening Act tonight on E!
Happy birthday to Alison Krauss, who turns 41 today.
Congrats to Blake Shelton and the other coaches. The Voice has picked up four Emmy nominations, and Blake knows what makes the show so special: “You know, somebody will come on TV singing and you’re like, ‘Oh my God!’ I mean, they suck! Who signed them? Well, it’s just because she’s good looking or it’s because he’s taking his shirt off and he’s muscle-y or something or else he wouldn’t have got his chance, you know? I mean, this eliminates all of that. Not to say that a lot of people that got picked aren’t really good looking normal people. At least it starts from having a talent.”
Brad Paisley fans, it’s a little complicated, but you can help fight illiteracy while getting a chance to win concert tickets and swag. Brad has teamed up with Dollar General stores and Pepsi – you have to buy a 10 ounce or larger bag of Lays chips with a 2-liter Pepsi product at Dollar General, then enter the receipt code at dollargeneral.com. Good luck!
Jason Aldean celebrated the #1 status of “Fly Over States” last week in Nashville with the songwriters, Michael Dulaney and Neil Thrasher. Jason fessed up that he was late in releasing that song – it was sort of a leftover from the Wide Open album. He says they got the song late in the process of recording that album and “ran out of room.” According to Jason, "I started kicking myself immediately for not recording the song because I kept listening to it over and over. But it ended up being one of the first songs we cut for My Kinda Party."
Zac Brown Band had a great week for album sales last week. Not only was their new album, “Uncaged,” #1 on Billboard’s Country and Hot 200 charts, their earlier albums, “The Foundation” and “You Get What You Give” sold enough copies to both land in the top 20 on the Billboard 200.
The Band Perry has been added to the concert lineup at The Brickyard this Sunday. They’ll perform before the Curtiss Shaver 400 at the Brickyard.
Jason Aldean, Martina McBride, Luke Bryan and Kylie Morgan will all be on Opening Act tonight on E!
Happy birthday to Alison Krauss, who turns 41 today.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Today's Country Tidbits
Taylor Swift, Tease. She’s working on her next album, which will probably be released before the end of this year, and said to her fans, “I’m writing you from Nashville, where I just sat in a big room with a lot of people and made a lot of decisions about a lot of things happening very soon Stuff is about to happen.” Yeah, but when? I’ll keep you posted.
Zac Brown Band’s new cd, Uncaged, has been out for a day and rabid fans have discovered the song Zac branded as a “baby-making song.” Here’s what he says about the sound of “Overnight:” “That’s straight up R&B baby! I’m about to get tender on ya. It’s definitely us – it sounds like us. But, the arrangement and everything is straight up R&B.” Meanwhile, their first single from the album, “The Wind,” is blowing up the charts, landing inside the top 20 just a couple of weeks after its release. The video for the song is animated and lots of fun – check it out!
Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher celebrated their second wedding anniversary yesterday. Was it a romantic event? Hard to tell, but here’s what Carrie had to say: “For a lot of guys, you know, it takes a little more effort. All that romance stuff doesn’t just come naturally. I’m generally fine. I love just hanging out on a Friday night watching TV”
Saturday night in Nashville, Ringo Starr played the Ryman. It was his 72nd birthday and in the audience were Brad Paisley, Kix Brooks and Joe Walsh. Ringo invited them on stage for the encore, “With a Little Help From My Friends.”
Congrats to Little Big Town, who were asked to write and sing “Good Afternoon” as the theme song for the new ABC show, Good Afternoon America. "Sometimes you get unexpected opportunities as an artist," Karen Fairchild says. "We loved getting the chance to write and record a song for such a cool show." Little Big Town will be on the show August second, singing the theme song and Pontoon live.
Martina McBride has rented a house in LA and will be there for the next few weeks as part of the show Opening Act. Her 14-year-old daughter Emma is enrolled in some acting classes, because that’s her dream right now. According to Martina “It goes by so fast, so I try to...you know, make the most of it and do everything that I can. They’re all going through different things and it’s just fun!”
Pistol Annies have a new video – “Takin’ Pills” – and it’s pretty entertaining!
FarmAid 2012 will be September 22nd at HersheyPark Stadium in Pennsylvania.
Congrats to Gloriana, who have a gold record on their hands with “(Kissed You) Good Night.”
Brantley Gilbert has the #1 country song this week with “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do.”
Josh Turner is on Good Morning America and Zac Brown Band will be on the Late Show with David Letterman tonight.
Zac Brown Band’s new cd, Uncaged, has been out for a day and rabid fans have discovered the song Zac branded as a “baby-making song.” Here’s what he says about the sound of “Overnight:” “That’s straight up R&B baby! I’m about to get tender on ya. It’s definitely us – it sounds like us. But, the arrangement and everything is straight up R&B.” Meanwhile, their first single from the album, “The Wind,” is blowing up the charts, landing inside the top 20 just a couple of weeks after its release. The video for the song is animated and lots of fun – check it out!
Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher celebrated their second wedding anniversary yesterday. Was it a romantic event? Hard to tell, but here’s what Carrie had to say: “For a lot of guys, you know, it takes a little more effort. All that romance stuff doesn’t just come naturally. I’m generally fine. I love just hanging out on a Friday night watching TV”
Saturday night in Nashville, Ringo Starr played the Ryman. It was his 72nd birthday and in the audience were Brad Paisley, Kix Brooks and Joe Walsh. Ringo invited them on stage for the encore, “With a Little Help From My Friends.”
Congrats to Little Big Town, who were asked to write and sing “Good Afternoon” as the theme song for the new ABC show, Good Afternoon America. "Sometimes you get unexpected opportunities as an artist," Karen Fairchild says. "We loved getting the chance to write and record a song for such a cool show." Little Big Town will be on the show August second, singing the theme song and Pontoon live.
Martina McBride has rented a house in LA and will be there for the next few weeks as part of the show Opening Act. Her 14-year-old daughter Emma is enrolled in some acting classes, because that’s her dream right now. According to Martina “It goes by so fast, so I try to...you know, make the most of it and do everything that I can. They’re all going through different things and it’s just fun!”
Pistol Annies have a new video – “Takin’ Pills” – and it’s pretty entertaining!
FarmAid 2012 will be September 22nd at HersheyPark Stadium in Pennsylvania.
Congrats to Gloriana, who have a gold record on their hands with “(Kissed You) Good Night.”
Brantley Gilbert has the #1 country song this week with “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do.”
Josh Turner is on Good Morning America and Zac Brown Band will be on the Late Show with David Letterman tonight.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Today's Country Tidbits
Did you stay up late Saturday night? If so, hope you were watching CMT, because the Crossroads episode with Joe Walsh and Friends was awesome. According to Joe, “This whole show is country with some rock ‘n roll sprinkled on top and people that I really believe in...or dear friends.” One of those friends is Brad Paisley: “I said, ‘Yeah, I’d love to.’ I’m friends with Joe. We’ve been friends for a little while and share common interests.” Another, Luke Bryan, was blown away to be included: “If you would’ve told me that this opportunity to do this Crossroads could’ve ever been presented to me and they were gonna recommend that I do ‘Life’s Been Good,’ life has been good, because that would’ve been my first pick.” If you missed it, don’t despair – CMT will re-air the show, so you can catch it soon.
Rascal Flatts are not just entertaining fans, they’re helping to fill hungry bellies while on tour. They’ve teamed with Outnumber Hunger Live, and at every tour stop, the Outnumber Hunger tour but will also be there, along with a check to help the local food bank dish up 5,000 meals. This campaign has helped Feeding America secure six million meals since it began in March.
Carrie Underwood spent last week entertaining and charming the English, and this week she’s off to Australia. Carrie says that Great Britain isn’t a hotbed of country music fans, but that she’s trying to help change that, and the audiences were warm and welcoming.
Country music stars have to find some way to entertain themselves on the road. Dierks Bentley, the Eli Young Band and rock group Cadillac Black had a bit too much fun reenacting the battle scene from Braveheart. Thankfully no horses were used in this version…
Montgomery Gentry has teamed up with the Buffet, Inc. chain of country restaurants to sell their “Rebels on the Run” cd as a fund-raiser for The Armed Services YMCA. Eddie and T-Roy wanted to find a way to help military families, and this seemed like a great fit. You’ll find it in Country Buffet, HomeTown Buffet, Old Country Buffet, Fire Mountain and Granny’s Buffet locations.
Gloriana is enjoying major chart success with their song, “(Kissed You) Good Night.” Josh Kear and Gloriana member Tom Gossin wrote the song, apparently after overhearing a conversation between two girls who were talking about boys and good night kisses. Gloriana’s Rachel Reinert flipped the first time she heard it: “All three of us really saw something special in it. And I especially really liked the ‘pushed you up against the wall’ lyric. I thought that was a really powerful lyric.” The song is the first single from “A Thousand Miles Left Behind,” their album coming out July 31st.
Martina McBride is joining the “Opening Act” crew, scouring the internet for undiscovered artists. The winners get to be the opening acts for headliners like Jason Aldean and Brad Paisley. The show premiers on the E! network July 9th.
Did you miss Kenny Chesney’s live concert from a NJ beach last week? You can watch it any time you want to, right here.
Trisha Yearwood is such a good cook and natural tv performer that The Food Network has picked up her Trisha’s Southern Kitchen for a 13-episode season, beginning this fall. According to Trisha, “The positive response from viewers was overwhelming and truly gratifying."
The Band Perry is on the Ellen DeGeneres Show today.
Rascal Flatts are not just entertaining fans, they’re helping to fill hungry bellies while on tour. They’ve teamed with Outnumber Hunger Live, and at every tour stop, the Outnumber Hunger tour but will also be there, along with a check to help the local food bank dish up 5,000 meals. This campaign has helped Feeding America secure six million meals since it began in March.
Carrie Underwood spent last week entertaining and charming the English, and this week she’s off to Australia. Carrie says that Great Britain isn’t a hotbed of country music fans, but that she’s trying to help change that, and the audiences were warm and welcoming.
Country music stars have to find some way to entertain themselves on the road. Dierks Bentley, the Eli Young Band and rock group Cadillac Black had a bit too much fun reenacting the battle scene from Braveheart. Thankfully no horses were used in this version…
Montgomery Gentry has teamed up with the Buffet, Inc. chain of country restaurants to sell their “Rebels on the Run” cd as a fund-raiser for The Armed Services YMCA. Eddie and T-Roy wanted to find a way to help military families, and this seemed like a great fit. You’ll find it in Country Buffet, HomeTown Buffet, Old Country Buffet, Fire Mountain and Granny’s Buffet locations.
Gloriana is enjoying major chart success with their song, “(Kissed You) Good Night.” Josh Kear and Gloriana member Tom Gossin wrote the song, apparently after overhearing a conversation between two girls who were talking about boys and good night kisses. Gloriana’s Rachel Reinert flipped the first time she heard it: “All three of us really saw something special in it. And I especially really liked the ‘pushed you up against the wall’ lyric. I thought that was a really powerful lyric.” The song is the first single from “A Thousand Miles Left Behind,” their album coming out July 31st.
Martina McBride is joining the “Opening Act” crew, scouring the internet for undiscovered artists. The winners get to be the opening acts for headliners like Jason Aldean and Brad Paisley. The show premiers on the E! network July 9th.
Did you miss Kenny Chesney’s live concert from a NJ beach last week? You can watch it any time you want to, right here.
Trisha Yearwood is such a good cook and natural tv performer that The Food Network has picked up her Trisha’s Southern Kitchen for a 13-episode season, beginning this fall. According to Trisha, “The positive response from viewers was overwhelming and truly gratifying."
The Band Perry is on the Ellen DeGeneres Show today.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Today's Country Tidbits
Tim McGraw is on the road with Kenny Chesney, and the two of them had a hit duet this spring. Rumors are swirling that Faith Hill and Tim will have a duets album out soon, but Faith says, not so fast – she’s working on a solo project right now. “We are married, we live together – it’s kind of inevitable that that will happen. But the truth is it’s not something that’s on the schedule right now. I look forward to the opportunity someday to do a record with my husband, because you know, he’s my husband! We’ve already had some really great songs together, and it’ll be good when it happens for sure.”
How many people were at a live country music event over the past weekend? Let’s run the numbers:
Martina McBride knocked it out of the park with her closing concert at the CMA Music Festival. Her set included favorites, plus a few newer nuggets from her latest album. “I love the record Eleven that we made. It’s a special record to me for a lot of reasons. For me, it signaled a lot of new beginnings and trying new things – getting out of my comfort zone a bit and digging a little deeper. So I’m really proud of it.”
Jason Aldean took a few days off to hit the beach after the CMA Music Festival, but all wasn’t white sand and umbrella drinks. He was ticketed on Monday for swimming while double red flags were posted at the beach. He can afford the $100 fine for sure, but wasn’t really happy about the ticket, tweeting, “Dear officer who gave me a ticket on the beach today for swimming in the water with double red flags.. Thanx for the warning Barney Fife!”
Kenny Chesney has a part in a promo for ESPN. Haven’t seen it? Here you go…
Congratulations to Eric Church on his latest wall bling – “Springsteen” has been certified platinum and his debut album, “Sinners Like Me,” has been certified gold. Plus, “Springsteen” is the #1 country song in America this week.
Lee Brice is on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
How many people were at a live country music event over the past weekend? Let’s run the numbers:
- CMA Music Festival – 71,000 people per day over four days
- Miranda Lambert in Detroit – 100,000 over three days
- Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw in Dallas and Kansas City – 95,000 people
- Brad Paisley at Wrigley Field – 38,500 concert-goers
Martina McBride knocked it out of the park with her closing concert at the CMA Music Festival. Her set included favorites, plus a few newer nuggets from her latest album. “I love the record Eleven that we made. It’s a special record to me for a lot of reasons. For me, it signaled a lot of new beginnings and trying new things – getting out of my comfort zone a bit and digging a little deeper. So I’m really proud of it.”
Jason Aldean took a few days off to hit the beach after the CMA Music Festival, but all wasn’t white sand and umbrella drinks. He was ticketed on Monday for swimming while double red flags were posted at the beach. He can afford the $100 fine for sure, but wasn’t really happy about the ticket, tweeting, “Dear officer who gave me a ticket on the beach today for swimming in the water with double red flags.. Thanx for the warning Barney Fife!”
Kenny Chesney has a part in a promo for ESPN. Haven’t seen it? Here you go…
Congratulations to Eric Church on his latest wall bling – “Springsteen” has been certified platinum and his debut album, “Sinners Like Me,” has been certified gold. Plus, “Springsteen” is the #1 country song in America this week.
Lee Brice is on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Today's Country Tidbits
Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney kick off their “Brothers of the Sun” tour tomorrow and Kenny wants his fans to be protected. Well, their eyes, anyway! He and Costa Sunglasses just released five new custom sunglass designs, all with his signature and palm tree logo inside the frame. Part of the proceeds goes to the Coastal Conservation Association. About touring with Tim, Kenny says, “I think it’s going to be very special for us. But the people that are going to benefit the most are the people that have lived with our music for a while now. And see that we’re being all mixed into one stage, everything we’ve been through to get to that point in our lives and our career. That doesn’t happen in everybody’s life and career.”
Dierks Bentley headed for Washington DC tomorrow, where he’ll perform after the Washington Nationals play baseball, hosting the Atlanta Braves. One song that’s a fan favorite already is “Home,” and according to Dierks, there’s a special group of fans who love it the most: “One of the first times I played this song, a girl came up to me that had been in the Navy and told me just how much the lyrics meant to her and since then as the song has gone up the charts more and more, just hearing from so many different fans in the military saying how much the lyrics really affect them, so it’s just awesome to have a song out there that we can sing to our fans and they can sing back to us, and we can really honor those families that are making a huge sacrifice for all of us.”
The next CMT Crossroads is star-studded. Joe Walsh picked “some old friends and some new friends” to share the stage with him. The show will include Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Luke Bryan, Sara Evans and Hunter Hayes, and it will air on June 23rd.
Martina McBride is in the current issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine, telling about her first experience with drinking wine. She confesses to “drinking Tickle Pink by Boone’s Farm, while riding around the Kansas dirt roads with friends listening to Def Leppard or Journey.” Her palate has grown more sophisticated, and she says she likes to have champagne on hand for special occasions.
Rodney Atkins headlines the second annual “Music City Gives Back” benefit concert for the American Red Cross June 5th on Lower Broadway between Second and Fourth Avenues in Nashville. In addition to Rodney, Lee Brice, Thompson Square, Josh Thompson, Clint Black, The Farm, Jana Kramer, Mallary Hope and The Willis Clan are part of the show. The concert is free – the Red Cross will be taking donations – and the Wrangler Facebook page will webcast the show live starting at 5pm Central.
Happy birthday to Ronny Dunn, who turns 59 today.
Dierks Bentley headed for Washington DC tomorrow, where he’ll perform after the Washington Nationals play baseball, hosting the Atlanta Braves. One song that’s a fan favorite already is “Home,” and according to Dierks, there’s a special group of fans who love it the most: “One of the first times I played this song, a girl came up to me that had been in the Navy and told me just how much the lyrics meant to her and since then as the song has gone up the charts more and more, just hearing from so many different fans in the military saying how much the lyrics really affect them, so it’s just awesome to have a song out there that we can sing to our fans and they can sing back to us, and we can really honor those families that are making a huge sacrifice for all of us.”
The next CMT Crossroads is star-studded. Joe Walsh picked “some old friends and some new friends” to share the stage with him. The show will include Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Luke Bryan, Sara Evans and Hunter Hayes, and it will air on June 23rd.
Martina McBride is in the current issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine, telling about her first experience with drinking wine. She confesses to “drinking Tickle Pink by Boone’s Farm, while riding around the Kansas dirt roads with friends listening to Def Leppard or Journey.” Her palate has grown more sophisticated, and she says she likes to have champagne on hand for special occasions.
Rodney Atkins headlines the second annual “Music City Gives Back” benefit concert for the American Red Cross June 5th on Lower Broadway between Second and Fourth Avenues in Nashville. In addition to Rodney, Lee Brice, Thompson Square, Josh Thompson, Clint Black, The Farm, Jana Kramer, Mallary Hope and The Willis Clan are part of the show. The concert is free – the Red Cross will be taking donations – and the Wrangler Facebook page will webcast the show live starting at 5pm Central.
Happy birthday to Ronny Dunn, who turns 59 today.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Today's Country Tidbits
Dierks Bentley is in love with country music right now. Not just his, but everyone else’s, it sounds like! “As far as the new stuff out there, country stuff, probably just people I’ve toured with – Miranda [Lambert’s] record is great, Eric Church’s record is great. That ‘Springsteen’ song is awesome. Everything Blake [Shelton] is putting out I really enjoy. His last single “Drink On It” just has that classic sound to it. ‘Fly Over States,’ that song is unreal – it’s probably my favorite Jason [Aldean] song.” He’s headed for Washington DC this weekend, where he’ll perform after the Washington Nationals play baseball, hosting the Atlanta Braves.
The Band Perry is wrapping up their debut album’s success with one final single, “Postcard From Paris.” As it climbs the charts, they’ve been writing material for their next cd, which could be out late this year. The trio had a writing session with one of Kimberly Perry’s musical heroes, Sheryl Crow. According to Kimberly, “A huge influence of mine has always been Sheryl Crow. I just love how lyrically she is so creative and completely unique to herself. She’s a strong lady, a fantastic performer and she’s got a little spit fire herself. I’ve always looked up to Sheryl.”
Jake Owen is getting set to hit the road on the Brothers of the Sun tour with Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw, and his newest single, “The One That Got Away,” is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. About the song, Jake says, “It’s a true song for me. It’s the one on the record that I wrote, just about my hometown and the way that girls and their families would come to town during the summer and then they’d leave three months later, go back up north, start school. They would always leave, and there’s this one girl in particular I just remember I never saw her again.”
Got a huge Taylor Swift fan in your life? Planning a trip to Nashville this summer or fall? Then you have to stop by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum for the “Taylor Swift: Speak Now – Treasures from the World Tour” exhibit. It features costumes, props and even the Juliet balcony Taylor rode in as she flew over the audience singing “Love Story.”
Phil Vassar’s video for “Don’t Miss Your Life” is out and it’s as touching and as personal as you might expect. Tissue alert!
Gary Allen has turned in the final recordings for his next album. We don’t know the name yet, and we don’t know the release date, but Gary says the project covers everything from breaking up to healing. He’s on the road, headlining the Country Throwdown Tour, which is in Michigan on Friday.
Congrats to Kip Moore, who has the #1 song again this week with “Somethin’ Bout a Truck.”
Trisha Yearwood is on a re-run of The View today, and Wynonna celebrates her 48th birthday today.
The tweet of the day is from Martina McBride: “Kids in the pool. Music playing. Making fresh guacamole. Sun shining. It’s summer! #lifeisgood”
The Band Perry is wrapping up their debut album’s success with one final single, “Postcard From Paris.” As it climbs the charts, they’ve been writing material for their next cd, which could be out late this year. The trio had a writing session with one of Kimberly Perry’s musical heroes, Sheryl Crow. According to Kimberly, “A huge influence of mine has always been Sheryl Crow. I just love how lyrically she is so creative and completely unique to herself. She’s a strong lady, a fantastic performer and she’s got a little spit fire herself. I’ve always looked up to Sheryl.”
Jake Owen is getting set to hit the road on the Brothers of the Sun tour with Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw, and his newest single, “The One That Got Away,” is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. About the song, Jake says, “It’s a true song for me. It’s the one on the record that I wrote, just about my hometown and the way that girls and their families would come to town during the summer and then they’d leave three months later, go back up north, start school. They would always leave, and there’s this one girl in particular I just remember I never saw her again.”
Got a huge Taylor Swift fan in your life? Planning a trip to Nashville this summer or fall? Then you have to stop by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum for the “Taylor Swift: Speak Now – Treasures from the World Tour” exhibit. It features costumes, props and even the Juliet balcony Taylor rode in as she flew over the audience singing “Love Story.”
Phil Vassar’s video for “Don’t Miss Your Life” is out and it’s as touching and as personal as you might expect. Tissue alert!
Gary Allen has turned in the final recordings for his next album. We don’t know the name yet, and we don’t know the release date, but Gary says the project covers everything from breaking up to healing. He’s on the road, headlining the Country Throwdown Tour, which is in Michigan on Friday.
Congrats to Kip Moore, who has the #1 song again this week with “Somethin’ Bout a Truck.”
Trisha Yearwood is on a re-run of The View today, and Wynonna celebrates her 48th birthday today.
The tweet of the day is from Martina McBride: “Kids in the pool. Music playing. Making fresh guacamole. Sun shining. It’s summer! #lifeisgood”
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Today's Country Tidbits
Jason Aldean kicked off the summer leg of his concert tour this past weekend in Atlanta, with two sold-out shows with nearly 40,000 fans partying with him. Ludacris joined him for “Dirt Road Anthem, sending the audience into a frenzy. Here’s a peek at how it went down…
Before going on stage, most bands have a ritual. Many don’t share theirs, but Zac Brown does. “We all throw our hands in right before we go onstage—everybody in the band—and I look every single person in the eye and on the count of three, we all say, ‘Ooooh, girl!’ That’s what gets it all started. We don’t ever do it—we don’t ever have a show without doing that first.”
Last week, Jason Aldean was surprised onstage by one of his musical heroes – Tracy Lawrence. Jason and Luke Bryan were onstage, singing Tracy’s hit “Time Marches On” when Tracy sauntered out onto the stage to join them. Fans were treated to twenty minutes of the trio riffing through some of Jason’s music as well as “Sticks and Stones” and “Paint Me A Birmingham.”
Congratulations to Taylor Swift, who was given the prestigious Woman of the Year award at the Billboard Music Awards last night. Kris Kristofferson did the induction, calling her “one of the most successful artists in country music”
Tomorrow night’s Dateline is special for two reasons: first, it’s their 20th anniversary special, and second, Carrie Underwood will be featured on it. The show, which airs at 10pm Eastern, will feature Hoda Kotb and Carrie remembering 2005, when Carrie won season 4 of American Idol, then talking about what’s happened in her life since then: the Grammy awards, multi-platinum albums, record breaking tours and her hunky hubby.
Tuesday night’s Grand Ole Opry red carpet will feature not gowns and tuxedos but brogans and camo. It’s a “Salute to the Troops Red Carpet Parade” tomorrow night and the public is encouraged to show up and cheer the arrival of the Tennessee National Guard as they arrive to be honored guests. The Opry features Montgomery Gentry, Rascal Flatts, Mark Wills, Kellie Pickler and lots more country greats. The show begins at 7, and the red carpet festivities start at 6 Central.
The June issue of Men’s Health magazine hits newsstands tomorrow, and Kenny Chesney is on the cover. Kenny likens performing onstage to sprinting on a treadmill at level 15 for two hours. No wonder he’s so skinny!
This Sunday, Martina McBride will sing the National Anthem at the Indy 500.
The tweet of the day is from Colt Ford: “My Son turned 13 Today. Hug your kids tell them you love them cause it goes by way to fast. Happy Birthday Reynolds. I love you buddy”
Before going on stage, most bands have a ritual. Many don’t share theirs, but Zac Brown does. “We all throw our hands in right before we go onstage—everybody in the band—and I look every single person in the eye and on the count of three, we all say, ‘Ooooh, girl!’ That’s what gets it all started. We don’t ever do it—we don’t ever have a show without doing that first.”
Last week, Jason Aldean was surprised onstage by one of his musical heroes – Tracy Lawrence. Jason and Luke Bryan were onstage, singing Tracy’s hit “Time Marches On” when Tracy sauntered out onto the stage to join them. Fans were treated to twenty minutes of the trio riffing through some of Jason’s music as well as “Sticks and Stones” and “Paint Me A Birmingham.”
Congratulations to Taylor Swift, who was given the prestigious Woman of the Year award at the Billboard Music Awards last night. Kris Kristofferson did the induction, calling her “one of the most successful artists in country music”
Tomorrow night’s Dateline is special for two reasons: first, it’s their 20th anniversary special, and second, Carrie Underwood will be featured on it. The show, which airs at 10pm Eastern, will feature Hoda Kotb and Carrie remembering 2005, when Carrie won season 4 of American Idol, then talking about what’s happened in her life since then: the Grammy awards, multi-platinum albums, record breaking tours and her hunky hubby.
Tuesday night’s Grand Ole Opry red carpet will feature not gowns and tuxedos but brogans and camo. It’s a “Salute to the Troops Red Carpet Parade” tomorrow night and the public is encouraged to show up and cheer the arrival of the Tennessee National Guard as they arrive to be honored guests. The Opry features Montgomery Gentry, Rascal Flatts, Mark Wills, Kellie Pickler and lots more country greats. The show begins at 7, and the red carpet festivities start at 6 Central.
The June issue of Men’s Health magazine hits newsstands tomorrow, and Kenny Chesney is on the cover. Kenny likens performing onstage to sprinting on a treadmill at level 15 for two hours. No wonder he’s so skinny!
This Sunday, Martina McBride will sing the National Anthem at the Indy 500.
The tweet of the day is from Colt Ford: “My Son turned 13 Today. Hug your kids tell them you love them cause it goes by way to fast. Happy Birthday Reynolds. I love you buddy”
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