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BILLY CURRINGTON'S "People Are Crazy" made a big three notch jump upward to take over the #1 spot this week...as....
LADY ANTEBELLUM's "I Run To You," steps down one from the top spot to #2 with...
DARIUS RUCKER's "ALRIGHT" hops from 5th spot to #3 and....
TAYLOR SWIFT powers into the Top 5 again as "You Belong With Me" jumps a couple to enter the Top 5 at #4...while...
DIERKS BENTLEY'S "Sideways," falls 3 to round out the Top 5 at #5.
BRAD PAISLEY’S PERFORMANCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE
WILL BE LIVE-STREAMED ON WHITEHOUSE.GOV/LIVE
White House Music Series Hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama–TODAY July 21
 cf.com
Move over GAC and CMT, this morning the hottest country music outlet around will be www.whitehouse.gov/live. That's because of Brad Paisley’s performance, along with Charley Pride and Alison Krauss, in the historic East Room that will be live-streamed on whitehouse.gov/live as part of the White House music series, an event that includes educational workshops and Country Music performances.
President Obama is scheduled for opening remarks at 7:25pm ET followed by performances by Alison , Charley and Paisley. The First Lady, White House staff and Members of Congress will be in attendance. The White House Music Series is hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama and its goal is to celebrate the arts and the importance of arts education. The series launched last month with a focus on Jazz and will continue in the fall with Classical music
OVER 36,000 ROCK WITH KENNY CHESNEY'S CARNIVAL IN SAN FRANCISCO
 With an actual carnival set-up on the adjacent parking lot, Kenny Chesney's Sun City Carnival sailed into San Francisco with perfect weather and lots of Carona Extra and a sold out crowd ready for the Chesney stadium experience.
Chesney’s Bay area appearance did not disappoint an impressive 36,258 tickets sold in a city that's not a big country bastion...even though Sugarland had to cancel because of Jennifer Nettles' recent vocal problems.
“We totally understand about Jennifer,” says Chesney of his good friend and tour mate veteran. “She needs to take care of her voice, and I completely support that. It let Miranda and Lady A have some extra time… to really stretch out and show people a little bit more of their stuff… which was great 'cause I think every act out here is that good!”
Kenny's second trip into the market got the attention of legendary rock critic and Senior Pop Music Correspondent for The San Francisco Chronicle Joel Selvin - who did a major profile on Chesney for his inaugural turn at the San Francisco stadium - said, “He really knows how to play these stadiums, and that is not easy. I've seen 'em all (over the last 30 year)s!”
MAC McANALLY ALONG FOR THE RIDE...Joining Chesney this year was good friend and recent #1 record mate Mac McAnally, who joined Chesney for their chart-topping “Down The Road” and the McAnally-penned, Chesney concert staple “Back Where I Come From.” In addition, Wailers Band man Drummie Zeb, who's spending his summer playing percussion on the Sun City Carnival, stepped out for some free-styling and dancing on the runway during “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven.”
ALSO, the summer only gets better with a “Good Morning America” Summer Concert Series in Central Park appearance on August 14 - right before his 5th flash sell-out in Foxboro, MA show - Kenny Chesney is keeping the summer alive. With the recent multiple week #1 “Out Last Night” from his Billboard all-genre Top 200 debuting Greatest Hits II, there is plenty of music to go around.”
RASCAL FLATTS SELLING OUT BALL PARKS THIS SUMMER TOO
RASCAL FLATTS became the first country act to perform a concert in historic Wrigley Field in Chicago this past Saturday night. The group entertained before a sold-out crowd of 37,000 fans for one of only four concerts ever played in the Chicago Cubs home stadium. Vince Gill and Darius Rucker opened.
The four-hour show was filled with Rascal Flatts biggest hits, among them “My Wish,” “What Hurts The Most,” “Here Comes Goodbye,” “Bob The Head” and new smash single “Summer Nights.” More great music was showcased when Gill was brought on stage mid-way through Flatts set to perform “Whenever You Come Around” with Gary, Jay and Joe Don. Rucker performed with Flatts during their two finale tunes, Hootie & the Blowfish’s “Hold My Hand” and “Life Is A Highway,” which became an award-winning remake hit for Flatts.
The band will bring their “Rascal Flatts American Living Unstoppable Tour” to its second stadium show planned this summer to Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on August 9. The tour continues this weekend with shows in Jacksonville, West Palm Beach and Tampa, Florida.
“Rascal Flatts American Living Unstoppable Tour” First leg dates:
7-23 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
7-24 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheater
7-25 Tampa, FL Ford Amphitheater
7-31 Atlanta, GA Lakewood Amphitheater
8-1 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
8-2 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Pavilion
8-7 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center
8-8 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
8-9 Columbus, OH Columbus Crew Stadium
8-28 Pittsburgh, PA Post-Gazette Pavilion
8-29 Hershey, PA Hersheypark Stadium
9-10 Virginia Beach, VA VerizonVirginia Beach Amphitheater
9-11 Philadelphia, PA Susquehanna Bank Center
9-12 Boston, MA Comcast Center
TRACE ADKINS BECOMES COMIC BOOK ACTION HERO
 TRACE ADKINS can now add action hero to his ongoing list of career accomplishments. In November, 12 Gauge Comics unleashes "LUKE MCBAIN," a four-issue comic book series featuring a tough Southern hero that is based on the platinum-selling country star.
The title character of Luke McBain is drawn to Adkins' likeness and reflects some of the 6'6" singer's philosophy. The story takes place when McBain returns home to rural Louisiana after serving 14 years in prison, having taken the fall for a crime he didn't commit. He finds himself in a town now controlled by greed and corruption, and he's the only one with the courage to set things right. Although the book contains some violence, it is generally suitable for all ages.
The first issue hits stores across North America in November to coincide with Adkins' tour. It will be available for $3.99 per issue in more than 4,000 comic book stores and other fine retail outlets.
SPEAKING OF MAC McANALLY
MAC IS SET TO RELEASE, DOWN BY THE RIVER, ON AUGUST 4TH
Legendary musician, songwriter, producer and recording artist Mac McAnally will release his latest album Down By The River on August 4th. The 11-song collection of new original material is also his 11th release as a solo artist and his debut for Show Dog Nashville.
 cf.com
The album's first single, "You First," offers a poignant series of vignettes
in McAnally’s direct yet disarmingly simple style. He also pledged his
artist royalties from the single to the Wounded Warriors Project, whose
mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors. The commitment to helping wounded soldiers fits well with the song's theme of brotherly love. Earlier this summer, McAnally performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC to honor wounded soldiers as part of The Launching Challenge America initiative. The military aspect of the song was inspired by Mac's father-in-law. "My father-in-law was a veteran of Normandy and went in at Utah Beach in World War II and I had taken him a couple of years earlier down to the D-Day Museum opening down in New Orleans and I got a lot of stories from him about the sacrifice that brothers-in-arms make for each other. And so the military aspect of the song was strong from my own family and my own experience as well and that manifested itself in the song," Mac explains.
Mac produced several Jimmy Buffett albums including his first album to debut at #1 on multiple charts, "License to Chill," that, according to Jimmy, earned Buffett, "the biggest check I've ever gotten from a record company."
Jimmy's response to Mac's new record record deal, "It's great to know that Mac is back, but I want to know where he went to write such good songs as these. I want to go there too!"
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