BRAD PAISLEY SELLS OUT LONDON SHOWS AND CHARMS BRIT MEDIA
Written by Neil Haislop
Jun 25, 2010 at 09:12 AM
BRAD PAISLEY SELLS OUT LONDON SHOWS AND CHARMS BRIT MEDIA
Brad Paisley is in London performing two sold-out shows in the British Capital city. Apparently his talent and brand of country music have excited London media including a special guest spot on BBC Breakfast on BBC One TV, the UK’s highest rated morning show. He and the hosts, Charlie Stayt and Sian Williams, chatted about why he wears a hat, how he met his wife and why he loves country music. On Wednesday Paisley visited with BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris and taped a segment complete with an acoustic performance for Harris Country and also visited with Mark Coles on BBC World Service “The Strand.”
MIRANDA LAMBERT’S CAREER GET'S PRETTIER EVERYDAY
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With a career that's looking prettier every day, Miranda Lambert releases "Only Prettier" from her Revolution album.The single, which shipped to radio Monday, was written by Lambert and fellow conspirator Natalie Hemby.
Of the song, Lambert says, “To me, ‘Only Prettier,’ is an anthem, it’s my own anthem, and I want girls to have their fists in the air singing ‘Only Prettier.’ It’s antagonistic, in a fun way and I loved the attitude behind it. It kind of fools you, because it’s got this really country, laid-back intro, but then it’s balls to the wall the rest of the way. It’s so much fun!”
In addition to the song being fun, the music video will add fun element as well. Shot on location in Joelton, Tennessee a few days ago, Lambert asked a few of her only prettier girlfriends including Kellie Pickler, Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum and Laura Bell Bundy to join her. While the particulars of the video are being kept under wraps, Lambert and friends pretty-up as both “socials” and “greasers” as two rival cliques of girls attend a high school sock hop.
CARRIE UNDERWOOD’S “PLAY ON TOUR” WRAPS FIRST LEG
Carrie Underwood wrapped the first leg of her “Play On Tour” this past weekend in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The tour has performed for nearly 400,000 fans since the launch on March 11. Underwood nearly sold out all 54 shows throughout North America, bringing along special guests Craig Morgan and Sons of Sylvia. The “Play On Tour” will continue this fall with shows launching September 25 in Portland, Oregon.
Underwood will perform a handful of fairs and festival dates this summer and will resume the “Play On Tour,” hydrated by vitamin water® and Presented AEG Live, this fall launching September 25 in Portland, Oregon with special guests Billy Currington and Sons of Sylvia.
MORE---During the fall leg of the tour, Underwood will donate 36 cents of every ticket sold to Save the Children’s United States Programs. This initiative was inspired by the “36 cents” written in the lyrics of her album track “Change,” which addresses how even the smallest bit of spare change that one might have can add up to make a difference and help “change” the world.
Underwood will perform over 100 shows throughout the U.S. and Canada by the end of 2010.
UThe updated tour itinerary below reflects the summer tour dates as well as the fall leg of the “Play On Tour.” Please go to www.carrieunderwood.fm for up-to-date tour information.
Summer festival dates: July 3 Provo, UT Stadium of Fire July 4 Milwaukee, WI Summerfest (w/opening act Sons of Sylvia) July 31 Fairlea, WV Greenbrier Classic(co-headline w/Brad Paisley) August 29 Highland Park, IL Ravinia Festival August 31 St. Paul, MN Minnesota State Fair (w/ opening act Sons of Sylvia)
Fall “Play On Tour” dates: ***Billy Currington and Sons of Sylvia to appear as special guests September 25 Portland, OR Rose Garden September 27 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion at San Jose September 28 Stockton, CA Stockton Arena September 29 Bakersfield, CA Rabobank Arena October 1 San Diego, CA San Diego Sports Arena October 2 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl October 3 Glendale, AZ jobing.com Arena October 6 Houston, TX Toyota Center October 7 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center October 9 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center October 10 Tulsa, OK BOK Center October 12 N. Little Rock, AR Verizon Arena October 13 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena October 15 Moline, IL i Wireless Center October 16 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center October 17 Omaha, NE Qwest Center October 19 Wichita, KS INTRUST Bank Arena October 20 Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center October 22 Memphis, TN FedExForum October 23 Mobile, AL Mobile Civic Center October 25 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum October 26 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena October 27 Duluth, GA Arena at Gwinnett Center October 29 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum October 30 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena November 1 Cleveland, OH Wolstein Center November 3 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre November 5 Long Island, NY Nassau Coliseum November 6 Manchester, NH Verizon Wireless Arena November 12 Roanoke, VA Roanoke Civic Center November 13 University Park, PA Bryce Jordan Center November 15 Newark, NJ Prudential Center November 16 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena November 29 Auburn Hills, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills December 1 St. Louis, MO Chaifetz Arena December 2 Evansville, IN Roberts Stadium December 4 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena December 5 Sioux Falls, SD Sioux Falls Arena December 7 Rapid City, SD Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Ice Arena December 8 Casper, WY Casper Events Center December 10 Billings, MT Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark December 12 Bozeman, MT Brick Breedan Fieldhouse December 14 Yakima, WA Yakima Valley SunDome December 16 Vancouver, BC General Motors Place December 18 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place December 19 Calgary, AB Pengrowth Saddledome
GRETCHEN WILSON ON TV, ON THE ROAD AND ON THE RADIO
Gretchen Wilson fans can catch a live version of her top 20 smash hit "Work Hard, Play Harder" during a re-airing of Farm Aid's 2009 concert in St. Louis. Farm Aid organizers are promoting Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America by re-airing highlights of last year's show. The "Gretchen Wilson & Friends" episode - last year's only female solo performance on the day-long bill - on DIRECTV now through July 3, 2010. See below for the schedule: Sat, 6/26 @ 12 pm ET Mon, 6/28 @ 4 pm ET Sat, 7/3 @ 9 am ET
Gretchen will spend her birthday this Saturday, June 26 entertaining a packed house at the Belterra Resort & Casino in Florence, Indiana. "The Road" syndicated radio show will tape the concert for an episode that will air nationally in mid-July.
www.GretchenWilson.com
Last Updated ( Jun 25, 2010 at 09:36 AM )
RASCAL FLATTS NAMED AMBASSADORS
Written by Neil Haislop
Jun 24, 2010 at 12:06 AM
RASCAL FLATTS NAMED AMBASSADORS
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Rascal Flatts have been named as Ambassador- spokesmen, for The Jason Foundation (JFI) and in addition to their roles in public service announcements, public awareness programs and fundraising, they will also promote the foundation’s newly created “B1” Project.
The “B1” Project is a nationwide effort specifically geared to educate youth and students on how to recognize when a friend might be struggling with thoughts of suicide or life in general, and how to help. The theme is “Someone you know may need a friend – B 1”.
As a part of their ambassador role, Rascal Flatts will be directly involved in this project through a widespread media and social networking campaign. The campaign will include public service announcements, poster distribution to schools and Facebook initiatives. Rascal Flatts will also be showing their public service announcements during concerts throughout their “Nothing Like This Tour,” which launches June 25, 2010 in Raleigh, North Carolina. “Having been personally affected by suicide,” said Jay DeMarcus, “it's important for me to do all that we can to create more awareness and prevention, particularly with teenagers. We are proud to be partners with the Jason Foundation and we are looking forward to doing our part in trying to help them save even more lives.” “We look forward to helping give people the right tools to recognize the signs,” shared Gary LeVox. “Our youth need to know they have options and there are people that want to help them.”
The Jason Foundation, Inc. (JFI) is an educational organization dedicated to the awareness and prevention of youth suicide.
KELLIE PICKLER ENGAGED TO MARRY
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Songwriter, Kyle Jacobs, proposed to Pickler last week while vacationing in Florida. The day Jacobs proposed is Pickler’s late grandmother Faye’s birthday and she told People Magazine that a normally sad day “…turned out to be the most amazing day of my life. My whole world changed. We both feel like we got my grandmothers blessing.”
The couple met through friends two and half years ago. As word spread yesterday, Pickler tweeted, “Yes it’s true. Can’t wait to say I do!” She also said, "Kyle took away all my fear of marriage and has shown me the way love is supposed to be."
For more details on the engagement, check out People Magazine.
Pickler is on the road this weekend with Rascal Flatts for the opening of “Nothing Like This” Tour. Her current single, “Making Me Fall In Love Again,” is climbing the country charts.
NASHVILLE RISING BENEFIT HIGHLY BENEFICIAL
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The Faith Hill instigated Nashville Rising benefit Tuesday evening at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena to raise money for Nashville flood victims created a friendly flood of its own, as over $2 Million dollars poured in.
Thanks went to donated talent from some 20 country stars including co-organizer, husband, Tim McGraw...and Hollywood's Sandra Bullock.
DANNY GOKEY SINGLE TURNS INTO POWERFUL VIDEO
Danny Gokey is poised to hit the radio airwaves with a new single, when this coming Monday marks the official radio impact date of his powerful recording, “I Will Not Say Goodbye.” The heartfelt ballad about coping with the loss of a loved one, has been one of the most acclaimed tracks from Gokey’s debut album, My Best Days, while the poignant music video made its official premiere this past weekend as part of CMT’s Big New Music Weekend. In addition to its debut this past weekend, the music video for “I Will Not Say Goodbye” was released this Tuesday as a digital download.
Fans can also view the video online here: http://www.vevo.com/watch/danny-gokey/i-will-not-say-goodbye/GBE431000180 <http://www.vevo.com/watch/danny-gokey/i-will-not-say-goodbye/GBE431000180> .
JARON ALBUM #1 ITUNES COUNTRY
Fans went for the debut album from Jaron and The Long Road To Love, causing the album to hit #1 on the iTunes Country Chart in less than 24 hours after its release. Getting Dressed in the Dark, out yesterday on Jaronwood/Universal Republic Records in association with Big Machine Records is currently in the Top 10 overall albums on iTunes. The albums first single, “Pray For You,” has already reached Gold status, selling more than 500,000 copies.
“Pray For You” recently spent four consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart before moving into the top 40’s of the Hot 100 chart and the single is currently a Country charts Top 15 hit and rising. The “Pray for You” video, featuring Jamie Pressly, has become a hit on CMT and GAC and was number one on MySpace country videos for three weeks straight.
JULIANNE HOUGH AND RYAN SEACREST PDA IN PEOPLE
Julianne Hough and Ryan Seacrest have been keeping their relationship quiet, but People reports their PDA (public displays of affection) are now more frequent around Los Angeles.
On June 13, the couple walked on the beach in Malibu with their arms around each other. Three days later, they dined at intimate new L.A. hotspot Red O restaurant, where a diner says Seacrest, 35, "was very attentive." And Sunday, Hough, 21, accompanied the American Idol host on another outing in Malibu, where the two shopped together.
Last Updated ( Jun 24, 2010 at 12:16 AM )
KENNY CHESNEY READIES HEMINGWAY'S WHISKEY
Written by Neil Haislop
Jun 23, 2010 at 07:39 PM
KENNY CHESNEY READIES HEMINGWAY'S WHISKEY
Kenny Chesney's time off from headlining the biggest country tours in recent memory has been well spent recording a new album that was partly inspired by one of the most intriguing song titles ever, "Hemingway's Whiskey." It's a song that evokes a cascade of memories for people that know of Ernest Hemingway, his writing, and his love of the Caribbean waters (in his case Key West), Chesney was inspired to head back in the studio for his next release.
“I knew I wanted the record to be something more, something that took what I do in my special projects and weaved it into what I do for the mainstream,” Chesney says. “When I heard the song, I knew it was the perfect title for the record,” Chesney says. “I was sitting in my truck and a friend had given me Guy(Clark)'s album, which had just come out - and it's a song that talks about living life to its fullest, being a man about your responsibilities and not compromising. As soon as I heard it, I knew I had to cut it… and call the album that… because it says everything about the way you live your life, and what life can be if you refuse to buy into limits, which - as someone who's read all his books - is everything Hemingway's novels revolved around.”
That something more is probably the best way to describe Hemingway's Whiskey, which will arrive in record stores Sept. 28. The album - which builds on many of Chesney's trademarks - pushes each thing further and in new directions, including the pensive Guy Clark title track.
BROOKS & DUNN POSTPONE AND RESCHEDULE TOUR DATES
BROOKS & DUNN have had to postpone and reschedule dates on their The Last Rodeo Tour due to illness. At the recommendation of his doctor, Ronnie Dunn was put on vocal rest for 3 weeks. Dunn said via text message: "Following my doctor's order, shutting up, getting well and comin' back asap!"
In addition to the rescheduled dates, the tour stops on June 29th in Milwaukee, WI and July 8th in Fort Loramie, OH will not be rescheduled.
THE LAST RODEO TOUR is now routed as follows: (All tickets will be honored on the new dates and tickets remain available at livenation.com.) NOTE: The Nashville date is re-cheduled for Sept. 2.
July 16 Indianapolis, IN July 17 St. Clairsville, OH July 18 Cincinnati, OH July 23 Minot, ND July 24 Cheyenne, WY July 25 Omaha, NE July 29 Detroit, MI July 30 Pittsburgh, PA July 31 Philadelphia, PA August 1 Washington, DC August 6 Kansas City, MO August 7 St. Louis, MO August 8 Chicago, IL August 13 Boston, MA August 14 Hartford, CT August 15 Virginia Beach, VA August 22 Atlanta, GA August 26 Cleveland, OH August 27 Darien Lakes, NY August 29 Bethel, NY September 2 Nashville, TN
LADY ANTEBELLUM RELEASE "I RUN TO YOU" TO POP AND AC
Lady Antebellum's broad appeal is no secret and the release of 'I Run To You," to other formats comes as no surprise. The song's impact date is June 28-29.
TAYLOR WELCOMES TEEN CHOICE VOTES
It's time for Taylor fans to show up in a huge voting force! Taylor has been nominated for two Teen Choice Awards - Female Artist and Country Artist Female. Voting is open now and you can vote once a day every day so go here to vote now! Tune in to see if Taylor wins on Monday, August 9th at 8/7c on Fox.
GLORIANA TO KICK OFF LONG HOT SUMMER TOUR 2010 JUNE 24TH
2010 Teen Choice Award nominees Gloriana are set to kick off their Long Hot Summer Tour 2010 June 24th in Grand Junction, CO at Country Jam USA. Always eager to engage their fans, Gloriana held a contest and a live chat where fans got the chance to name their tour, the 40-date Long Hot Summer Tour 2010 will make stops at major Fairs and Festivals across the country as well as headlining performances including at the Iowa Speedway on July 11th and at the University of Wisconsin on September 1st. Gloriana recently wrapped up their opening slot on Taylor Swift’s FEARLESS Tour.
“We are really looking forward to this tour - with longer sets and performances in new cities across the country – it’s a great opportunity to get out there some more and meet the country music fans who have already shown us so much support,” said Mike Gossin. “This is definitely going to be a Summer to remember and we cannot wait,” added Rachel Reinert.
Long Hot Summer Tour 2010 Dates: June 24th Grand Junction, CO Country Jam USA June 25th Green River, WY Flaming Gorge Days June 26th North Platte, NE Nebraskaland Days June 27th Manhattan, KS Country Stampede July 2nd Aberdeen, SD Fossum Field July 3rd Dickinson, ND Rough Rider Days July 4th Greeley, CO Greeley Stampede July 8th Cavendish, PE Cavendish Beach Festival July 10th Rhinelander, WI Hodag Country Festival July 11th Newton, IA Iowa Speedway * July 15th St. Charles, MO Ameristar Casino * July 16th Atchison, KS Amelia Earhart Festival July 17th Hampton, IA Franklin County Fair July 21st Dublin, VA New River Valley Fair July 22nd Bucyrus, OH Crawford County Fair July 23rd Louisville, KY Churchill Downs July 24th Twin Lakes, WI Country Thunder July 28th Philadelphia, MS Neshoba County Fair July 31st Council Bluffs, IA West Fair Amphitheater August 1st Springfield, MO Ozark Empire Fair August 4th Bismarck, MD Bismarck Civic Center Arena w/Keith Urban August 5th Detroit Lakes, MN WE Fest August 6th Prairie Du Chien, WI Country on the River August 7th Bay City, MI Veterans Memorial Park August 10th Pittsfield, PA Warren County Fair August 11th Point Pleasant, WV Mason County Fair August 14th Hemingford, NE Box Butte Fair August 15th Bloomfield, NE Knox County Fair August 17th Escanaba, MI Upper Peninsula State Fair Grounds August 18th De Pere, WI Brown County Fairgrounds August 21st Oklahoma City, OK Frontier City’s Starlight Amphitheatre August 27th Clarksburg, WV Clarksburg Amphitheatre August 28th Rhineback, NY Dutchess County Fair August 29th Woodstock, VA Shendandoah County Fair September 1st Platteville, WI University of Wisconsin * September 3rd Elkhorn, WI Walworth County Fair September 4th Mt. Pleasant, IA Midwest Old Threshers September 5th Marshfield, WI Wisconsin State Fair September 10th Concord, NC Cabarrus County Fair September 11th Berea, OH Hebron Harvest Festival
JARON'S ALBUM RELEASED
Get Dressed in the Dark with Jaron... YESTERDAY the debut album from Jaron and The Long Road To Love arrived in stores and online everywhere. Featuring the smash hit "Pray For You," Getting Dressed in the Dark features ten songs about Jaron's journey to love. (Get it? The long road to love?) Jaron says of the album's theme, “Why do I choose to write about love? Because that’s where I am right now. I’m not interested in writing stories about doors, or blue skies or whatever. It’s not interesting to me right now.”
Getting Dressed in the Dark is about love in many forms, while “Pray for You,” is clearly a revenge ballad, “Meantime Girl” tells the whimsical story of a fleeting infatuation at a traffic light and “Kill Me For Loving You” is a vulnerable song about the pain of a break up. Click here to purchase Getting Dressed in the Dark on iTunes or visit a retailer near you. Jaron did that very thing yesterday. Watch the video on Jaron's Facebook page!
TOBY KEITH GOES INCOGNITO FOR SPECIAL CONCERTS
Written by Neil Haislop
Jun 22, 2010 at 03:42 PM
TOBY KEITH GOES INCOGNITO FOR SPECIAL CONCERTS.
Toby Keith appeared as part of the Incognito Bandito Thursday night at the Irving Plaza in New York City. Ticket holders weren't aware of who the band was and were only told it would be a surprise performance they wouldn't want to miss. Toby and his band jammed on stage singing their favorite covers from multiple genres. CMT was there and a full coverage story is now on CMT.com. More appearances from Incognito Bandito are expected this summer but will not be made public far in advance.
DETAILS:
It wasn't exactly a mystery when cryptic online ads for an Irving Plaza show featuring Incognito Bandito began appearing about a week ahead of time -- alongside Toby Keith's photo and statements like "the best $25 you'll ever spend."
And so it was...Toby appeared bearing a battered acoustic guitar and his trademark trucker-on-a-lunch-break look with faded jeans and ball cap, he was flanked by a six-piece band of two guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and a jack-of-all-trades on saxophone, harmonica and pedal steel.
They tore into a tough, tight version of Johnny Paycheck's bluesy 1976 hit "11 Months and 29 Days," followed by Roger Miller's good-time "Chug-a-Lug," before Keith paused to tell the enthusiastic but still slightly bemused audience, "This ain't about Toby Keith shit. This is about some of the greatest session players in the world."
He went on to explain that the men and woman backing him have played on his albums time after time, and they decided to book a barely-publicized club date just for fun. After a faithful take on Waylon Jennings' "High Time (You Quit Your Lowdown Ways)," Keith went on to play the only two original tunes of the evening, but even these turned out to be deep cuts. "If You're Tryin', You Ain't" and "Missing Me Some You," from last year's American Ride and 2008's That Don't Make Me a Bad Guy albums, respectively, were never even singles, let alone radio hits. e."
From there on, it was a wild, unpredictable ride through nearly every branch of American music's family tree. Jack Greene's 1969 country hit "Statue of a Fool" gave way to Three Dog Night's "Shambala" before the band settled into the slow, blues-baked feel of R&B hero Johnnie Taylor's "Last Two Dollars."
Keith and company honored another Outlaw legend by sliding into Willie Nelson's nocturnal standard "Night Life" and then geared up for some get-down on a gutbucket-funk version of "Harper Valley PTA." As they worked the crowd up into a roiling, R&B frenzy, it began to seem like a door had opened into an alternate universe where Keith was the leader of the greatest bar band in the world, and he seemed to echo the idea. "How about that for one rehearsal?" he shouted after the song's explosive ending.
Brought back by a still-hardy crowd, Keith explained, "These are the songs we love and grew up playing," encouraging expectations for repeat performances by adding simply, "We're gonna do this sometimes."
RASCAL FLATTS TO KICK-OFF “NOTHING LIKE THIS TOUR”
RASCAL FLATTS will launch a new tour this Friday, June 25 in Raleigh, North Carolina, the “JC Penney Presents Rascal Flatts Nothing Like This Tour.” The first leg will continue with 28 shows through September 19 at Boston’s Comcast Center. Kellie Pickler and Chris Young will open.
“We hope to take our fans on a chronological musical journey of the last ten years of music and aim to squeeze in the most music we’ve ever done in a live show,” says bassist and background vocalist Jay DeMarcus.
Rascal Flatts recently wrapped their “Rascal Flatts American Living Unstoppable Tour,” which played 57 shows during its run of June 2009 to March 2010 with a fan attendance near 800,000. This total also includes the two sold-out stadium concerts at Chicago’s Wrigley Field and Columbus’ Crew Stadium last summer.
RASCAL FLATTS anticipate a new album this fall.
MIRANDA LAMBERT’s “HOUSE THAT BUILT ME” TAKES UP RESIDENCE ATOP CHARTS WITH 4 WEEK # 1
The impact of Miranda Lambert’s Number One Single, “House That Built Me,” continues as the song logs its fourth week atop the charts, making it the longest running Number One song of the year on the Media Base/Aircheck Chart and tied for the longest on the BDS/Billboard chart.
On the amazing success of “The House That Built Me” Lambert said, “It’s the lyrics that deserve the credit. It's an amazing song and I am so honored to have recorded it.” The song comes on the heels of her first Number One single “White Liar,” both from her third album, Revolution, which won the ACM Album of The Year Award in April.
Recently, Lambert wrapped up her first headline tour, “Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars” which included 17 sold-out shows on the 25 city tour. She set attendance records in New Braunfels, TX with 5,550; Duluth GA, with 4,700; Stillwater, OK with 11,000 and her show in Florence, AZ drew 19,000 people on Thursday night of the four day festival.
MIRANDA RELEASES NEW TOP OF THE CHART SEEKER
Miranda has released her follow up to her latest chart topper, "Only Prettier," for an impact date of July 26th.
"This track shows off her wicked sense of humor. Raucous and rambunctious, it will certainly liven up things in radioland." - Robert Oermann, Music Row
CHESNEY'S NO SHOES RADIO FIRST SHOW SET
No Shoes Radio didn't start out to be a place of community for artists across genres, but more a reflection of the sounds in Kenny Chesney's head. A little bit reggae, a handful of rock & roll, a lot of songwriter- and roots-driven music, a dash of old school country, the truly free-form internet radio station is about blurring the lines between genre until they're gone.
“I think people respond to music that makes them feel something,” says the man who's written the multiple week #1 “Beer In Mexico,” as well as recorded the free and easy “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven,” “Out Last Night,” “When The Sun Goes Down” and “Never Wanted Nothin' More.” “It's not about what kind of music, but how does it make me feel… and when you start looking at songs from that perspective, suddenly there's a whole lot more in common than is different.”
To expand that idea, Chesney debuts a series called “Hangin' With…,” featuring discussions and unplugged jamming with core air people, guests and whomever is in the moment. “There's magic when music people come together,” Chesney says. “What we talk about, what happens when a guitar's passed, what one memory or experience sparks in other people… If you love music, you love life; in a room of people who share that, swapping songs and laughs and opening up to a kindred soul, you're amazed at what comes out."
“That's what inspired me these 'Hangin' With…' shows: letting listeners experience some of the amazing musical people I know in a way they wouldn't otherwise. Along the way, Dave Matthews, Steve Miller, all kinds of people are gonna be hanging with us.”
In keeping with NSR's sense of discovery, which Chesney has very much wanted to be a harbor for, the first show is “Hanging with Mishka,” a West Indies-based reggae artist whose work has been heralded by Britian's New Musical Express and has had multiple CDs appear on both Billboard's Reggae and Heatseeker Charts; his most recent Talk About peaked at #2 on the Reggae chart.
“We played the studio version of his 'Shadow in the Shade,' then Mishka did acoustic versions of 'All Jokes Aside' and 'Fallen Rise' before Tambo, Clayton, Mishka, Matthew McConaughey and I jammed on 'Stir It Up.' We talked about life, love, music, songs, memories… it was such a moment.”
Fans of the station that has no genre will be able to listen in this Wednesday, June 23 at 3:00 EDST. There will be two rebroadcasts on June 25 and 27 at 9:00 EDST and 12:00 EDST respectively. No Shoes Radio can be found at www.NoShoesRadio.com <http://www.NoShoesRadio.com> or through the Kenny Chesney iPhone App.
JIMMY BUFFETT TO HOST “CMT PRESENTS JIMMY BUFFETT & FRIENDS: LIVE FROM THE GULF COAST” PREMIERING THURSDAY, JULY 1 AT 8 P.M. ET/PT ON CMT
Jimmy Buffett and Special Guests including Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown, Allen Toussaint, Sonny Landreth, Jesse Winchester, and More to Perform Free Show Airing Live from Gulf Shores, AL
In a show of support and solidarity for residents of the Gulf Coast, Jimmy Buffett will host a free concert in Gulf Shores, AL, airing live and commercial-free Thursday, July 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on CMT. The 90-minute event CMT PRESENTS JIMMY BUFFETT & FRIENDS: LIVE FROM THE GULF COAST will feature performances by Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown, Allen Toussaint, Sonny Landreth, Jesse Winchester, and additional special guests. Performances will be simulcast live on Radio Margaritaville, available on Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio, and streamed live on www.CMT.com.
Tickets will be available beginning Wednesday June 23 at 10 a.m., CT. For details go to www.CMT.com, Ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster outlets. There is a 4 ticket limit and tickets are required for entry. Organizers expect to accommodate up to 35,000 people at the event, which will be held on the beach in Gulf Shores, AL, where Gulf Shores Parkway (Highway 59) meets the coast.
MARTINA MCBRIDE FANS WERE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR AT THIS YEAR’S CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL
It's always great to hear a singer turn in a live performance that equals or surpasses their usually perfect studio performance of a song. And that's what Martina McBride did when she hit the stage during a sold out CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL show at LP Field, and killed with the live version of her single, "Wrong Baby Wrong."
Fans will also get the chance to remember the night as RCA Nashville is releasing a special live version of her current single, “Wrong Baby Wrong,” captured during her LP Field performance. This audio clip is courtesy of the Country Music Association. Fans who were there and fans who missed it will have the opportunity to hear this one-of-a-kind recording on their local radio station nationwide.
MIRANDA LAMBERT'S SUPERSTAR ROOTS TAKING HOLD
Written by Neil Haislop
Jun 21, 2010 at 12:09 AM
MIRANDA LAMBERT'S SUPERSTAR ROOTS TAKING HOLD
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Miranda Lambert's credentials for superstar status were strengthened once again this week as "The House That Built Me," continued to build by staying at #1 again this week....
as...JASON ALDEAN's "Crazy Town," continues to knock at the door holding fast at #2 again this week....while BRAD PAISLEY's "Water" laps the shore of higher ground holding fast again at #3 and..
LUKE BRYAN's "Rain Is a Good Thing" wants to rain on the parade of the songs above it by moving up one this week to 4th place...as... CLAY WALKER's "She Won't Be Lonely Long," slips one to round out the Top 5 at #5 this week.
MIRANDA LAMBERT HEADLINER
Miranda Lambert's status as most sought after opening act has turned into a headliner in search of acts as strong as she is to fire up her audiences in the opening slots.
“People have just really showed up and bought tickets, and you know, it just makes me so happy. It’s so much pressure goin’, ‘Okay, it’s my name on the ticket, so it’s my name if they show up, and it’s my name if they don’t!’ You know? But it’s been awesome for us as a band and crew to really get to step up a level after everything we’ve learned over the last five years from everybody else. And also we’re doin’ Lilith Fair, so we’ll be doin’ fairs and festivals and Lilith Fair all summer and then back again in the fall doin’ more dates on our own. So, it’s gonna be a great year though. I mean, it feels good to go into the summer, the busiest time. I get to go in this year with knowin’ all the accolades I’ve already accomplished this year, and it’s just more than a dream come true.”
CHESNEY HONORS WORK ETHIC INSTILLED IN HIM BY FOOTBALL
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Kenny Chesney believes that the core of his success comes from the discipline, the teamwork and sense of purpose he came to learn as teenager playing football at Gibbs High.
“I was the starting wide receiver, which tells you how great we were,” Chesney says. “And I quit growing my freshman year. But I now know why we practiced longer, why our coach put us through double practices in the summer heat… all those things he put us through. It was to teach us things me and everybody on our team has used to become the people we are.”
To drive that belief home, for the past year, he's been shooting “The Boys of Fall,” a documentary about the power and passion of high school football - in the moment and throughout one's life. “The documentary came out of that: those conversations, the lessons, the discipline, the fun… And everyone I approached, when they understood we were looking for the soul of the game as its played in high school, not only were they willing to talk to us, they'd pick up the phone - and send us to people they thought we needed to talk to, people like Ohio State's Jim Tressel, Duke University's David Cutcliffe, JA Moore, Jr, the winningest high school football coach in Texas.”
With negotiations almost finalized for “The Boys of Fall” to have a home, this is a film that is not about the rock & roll side of Kenny Chesney, but the core that has shaped him into the man he is today.
JUSTIN MOORE DRAWING SONGS TOGETHER FOR SOPHOMORE ALBUM
Justin Moore is reportedly taking his time pulling songs together for his sophomre album...wise decision to take it slow since, historically, sophomore albums are slapped together to cash in on the momentum of a strong debut album, allowing precious little time for a rising artist to write and assemble great songs to further their career. Moore is making sure that doesn't happen to him.
“We just had a meeting about it and I am excited to get started with the process,” notes Justin from the road on his bus he shares with his band Double Barrel Ace. “It’s tough because everybody tells ya you’ve got your whole life to make your first album and then it’s difficult to find songs for your next one. But I’ve been in town for eight years and I have a whole lot of songs that I’ve written at different points in the journey that I want to put on the next album, so it’s not like I don’t have somewhat of a well to draw from. I think we did a good job on the first album of really finding a group of songs that weren’t just a collection of songs, but really were an album.
And so now the work begins again to find a balance of songs, old and new, up-tempo and ballads—all the things that knock around in your head when you are in the creative process of making an album. It’s like choosing between your kids. It’s tough to pick. But this album won’t be out until next year, so I like having time to decide.”
RANDOM NOTES: In case you missed Reba’s much-talked-about surprise appearance on the recent CMT Music Awards with Saturday Night LIVE’s Kenan Thompson impersonating her, click here to watch it…Justin Moore filmed the music video for his new single “How I Got To Be This Way” this week in Nashville…Jewel is the next cover girl on SHAPE magazine’s July issue. The issue, on stands nationwide June 21st, was shot on the superstar’s ranch in Texas. Click here to access exclusive content from SHAPE.com and click here to watch another behind the scenes clip of the shoot from Windows Media…Last week we told you about Jewel’s decision to write a song for every city she visits on her current Star Light Café Tour. Jewel visits the city during the day and then crafts a song on the spot to perform at that evening’s concert. Now Jewel has catalogued the songs online for fans to listen to. Check out the songs here by city: Fargo [here]; Milwaukee [here]; Chicago [here]; St. Louis [here]; Atlanta [here]; Mississippi [here]; Huntsville [here]; and Oklahoma City [here]…Jimmy Wayne has begun using JoggleBug, a message service allowing him to keep in touch with his fans from the road. Click here to listen to the updates…CMT has chosen Jewel as their POSTED artist for July. As part of the AT&T-powered feature, Jewel will provide exclusive content and accelerated social networking engagement in conjunction with the campaign.
JARON AND THE LONG ROAD TO LOVE’S ‘GETTING DRESSED IN THE DARK’
Due out tomorrow the debut album from Jaron And The Long Road To Love, Getting Dressed in the Dark, will be released on Jaronwood/Universal Republic Records in association with Big Machine Records, this Tuesday, June 22nd. The album’s first single, “Pray For You,” recently spent four consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart before moving onto the Billboard Hot 100; the single is currently a Top 15 hit and rising at Country radio.
AMERICAN IDOL'S MICHAEL SARVER RELEASES COUNTRY ALBUM
MICHAEL SARVER, Top 10 finalist from American Idol’s Season 8 will release his debut country music self-titled CD on July 27 on Dream Records, distributed by Universal Music Group. Sarver’s single from the new album titled “Ferris Wheel” is currently available on itunes.
The multi-talented singer-songwriter wrote and/or co-wrote six of the 13 tracks on his debut, including “Baby I Want You,” “You Are” and “Watch Me.” Other writers on the CD include some of Nashville’s finest including Ben Glover, Kyle Jacobs, Rachel Thibodeau and Rivers Rutherford. Sarver recently completed the national American Idol and “American Stars in Concert” tours with A.I. alumns Gina Glocksen, David Hernandez and Alexis Grace.
CHARLIE DANIELS TO HOST AMERICA’S OPRY WEEKEND STAR-SPANGLED SPECIAL INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND
American icon and Grand Ole Opry member Charlie Daniels has been tapped to host the America’s Opry Weekend Star-Spangled Special over Independence Day Weekend. The show is available to country radio stations across America from Westwood One. Throughout the special, Daniels will share country music’s biggest hits so far this summer, live cuts from the Opry stage, and musical salutes to the red, white and blue. Among the songs and artists included in the special are “All American Girl,” Carrie Underwood; “Water,” Brad Paisley; “American Honey,” Lady Antebellum; “Firecracker,” Josh Turner; and of course the Charlie Daniels Band’s “In America” and “Devil Went Down to Georgia.”
DID YOU KNOW THIS ABOUT KEITH URBAN?
Did you know that Keith Urban confesses that he's never knows if he's picked hit songs or not?
Keith explains, "I don't know that any artist knows what's going to connect and how it's going to connect (to the audience) and why. I've recorded songs that I've really loved that mean something to me and songs that just fit right and it just fits for me and so I'm just thrilled when (a song like "I'm In") is doing what it's doing."
Last Updated ( Jun 21, 2010 at 12:17 AM )
ALAN JACKSON’S HARD HAT AND A HAMMER VIDEO SHOT ON LOCATION WITH WORKING MEN AND WOMEN OF AMERICA
Written by Neil Haislop
Jun 17, 2010 at 10:04 AM
ALAN JACKSON’S HARD HAT AND A HAMMER VIDEO SHOT ON LOCATION WITH WORKING MEN AND WOMEN OF AMERICA
STEEL WORKERS, FIREMEN, LONGSHOREMEN AND OTHERS, STAR IN THE NEW VIDEO WHICH DEBUTS THIS WEEKEND ON CMT
cf.com
“God bless the working man,” sings Alan Jackson in Hard Hat and a Hammer, the latest hit single from his acclaimed FREIGHT TRAIN album. Award-winning director Theresa Wingert (Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Taylor Swift) wanted to echo Jackson’s sentiments, so she went all across the Southeast to film real working men and women on construction sites and in mines, at fire stations and in restaurants, to star with Jackson in the new video for Hard Hat and a Hammer, which makes its world premier this Friday, June 18, on CMT’s Big New Music Weekend.
Wingert filmed strong imagery of the Americans “getting the job done” as a celebration of the great workforce that is “the glue that keeps the world together”. Featured are miners from Stilhouse mining in Benham, KY, workers from the Bayou La Batre, AL shipyard, railroad workers from TRR Railroad in Mobile and more. She filmed at paper mills, foundries, taxi stands, Nashville’s Fire Station #16 and Bar-B-Cutie and more than a dozen other locations (see below).
VIDEO LOCATIONS: Rock Slide, TN Stilhouse Mining, Benham, KY Yeehaw Industries (printing press), Knoxville, TN Domtar Paper Mill, Kingsport, TN Goldens On The Square, Newnan, GA Royale Cafe, Columbus, GA Golden Foundry, Columbus, GA All State Port Authority, Mobile, AL Shipyard in Bayou La Batre, AL TRR Railroad, Mobile, AL Farmers Market, Nashville Nashville Fire Station #16 Johnsons Hardware, Nashville, TN Nashville Yellow Cab Nashville Intercity Ministry Bar-B-Cutie, Nashville
TAYLOR SWIFT, REBA, JEWEL AND JUSTIN MOORE TO RELEASE MULTIMEDIA V-ALBUMS & V-WRAPS ON JUNE 8TH
SCATTERTUNES PARTNERS WITH BIG MACHINE RECORDS AND THE VALORY MUSIC CO. FOR RELEASE OF LABEL STARS’ DELUXE AND STANDARD EDITION PACKAGES
Immersive Music Product Launches with a Public Giveaway of 100,000 Free Taylor Swift Fearless – Platinum Edition V-Wraps
ScatterTunes™, the company that is revolutionizing the concept of the “album” through its innovative and immersive V-Album technology, is offering up exciting multimedia releases on June 8th from superstars Taylor Swift, Reba and Jewel, as well as up-and-coming singer-songwriter Justin Moore. ScatterTunes is proud to partner with The Valory Music Co. and Big Machine Records to give consumers an unmatched, interactive listening and viewing experience -- marrying the classic LP record with today’s cutting-edge technology. In celebration of the product launches, ScatterTunes will award consumers an incredible giveaway of 100,000 of Swift’s Fearless – Platinum Edition V-Wraps.
“We are excited to partner with ScatterTunes on this new digital platform,” says Kelly Rich, VP Sales, Marketing and Interactive for the Big Machine Label Group. “ScatterTunes gives the consumer a more interactive and immersive experience beyond just listening.”
MORE... Witt Stewart, CEO of ScatterTunes says, "Big Machine and Valory have consistently been ahead of the curve in the music business. Their recognition of ScatterTunes' high-quality consumer experience and added revenue streams is extremely gratifying."
V-Albums and V-Wraps on sale June 8th include: Taylor Swift’s Fearless (Platinum Edition) and Taylor Swift, Jewel’s Sweet and Wild and Sweet and Wild (Deluxe Edition), Justin Moore’s Justin Moore, and Reba McEntire’s Keep On Loving You.
Utilizing ScatterTunes’ proprietary iBoard® software, V-Albums are intuitive, simple and user-friendly. The highest-quality (320kbps), non-DRM MP3 tracks can be played within ScatterTunes, or exported into any MP3 player currently on the market. ScatterTunes’ iTunes Auto Import feature allows iPod/iPhone users to automatically import the music of the V-Albums directly into their iTunes library by a simple click during purchase. V-Wraps, which will now be released concurrently with all V-Albums, allow music fans who already own all or some of an album’s tracks to import these tracks and create fully functional V-Albums for just $2.99. Any album tracks not already owned can be easily purchased or imported at a later time. These releases also include links to more music videos that are available for additional purchase.
All of these exciting new ScatterTunes V-Album releases come complete with MP3 tracks. Both V-Albums and V-Wraps also contain many extras that true music fans clamor for—including extensive, multi-page digital booklets, liner notes, photos, lyrics, videos and other bonus materials. Also included are links to the artists’ web properties, record label, branded merchandise and ticketing stores, as well as their iLike, MySpace, Facebook and even live Twitter feeds, which are all always updated to keep fans connected to their favorite artists. Finally, each V-Album provides customized, multimedia e-postcards for sending recommendations to friends and family.
The new ScatterTunes V-Albums and V-Wraps will be featured in promotional videos on the Great American Country (GAC) website and network (http://www.gactv.com), which will feature Jewel as their official Featured Artist for the month of June. The videos will also be available at www.ScatterTunes.com, as well as at www.YouTube.com and the individual artists’ websites.
Further details, including Preview V-Albums, are available on the ScatterTunes “Get V-Album” page (www.getvalbum.com).
ABOUT SCATTERTUNES: ScatterTunes, LLC is a Texas company with strong Texas-based financial backing and a corporate management collective, which includes over 35 years of experience in the Music & Entertainment Industry, over 29 years in the Technology & Production Industry, and over 30 years in the major Ad & Marketing Agency Industry. ScatterTunes CEO and Founder Witt Stewart has partnered with Christopher T. Gentile, who has more than 27 years experience in managing the research and development of new technologies, toy products, theme parks, computer-input devices, video games, 3D web graphics technology, and virtual reality systems, along with these products’ consumer launches and marketing. His responsibilities have included everything from development and management for the commercial operation of nuclear power reactors, to the invention of the Nintendo Power Glove and the invention of a six person virtual reality ride for Disney. Mr. Gentile is currently CEO of MC Squared Incorporated and iBoard Incorporated.
CONTACT: Erik Stein & Larry Solters Scoop Marketing for ScatterTunes 213-639-6160
PREMIERE DURING CMT: BIG NEW MUSIC WEEKEND JUNE 18 - JUNE 20 Sexy New Video for Adkins' Latest Hit "This Ain't No Love Song" Features Playboy's Miss January 2010
Trace Adkins' music video for his new hit single, "This Ain't No Love Song" will make its world premiere during CMT Big New Music Weekend airing June 18-20. The sexy new video is among nine new videos from superstar artists that will be making their debut on CMT and CMT PURE all weekend long. Adkins' new video will also be available exclusively for streaming on-demand at CMT.com June 18 and available on all online video outlets including iTunes, VEVO and Yahoo on June 22.
Filmed on location in Pasadena, California with award-winning director Michael Salomon, the sultry and romantic new video features Jaime Edmondson, Playboy's Miss January 2010, in the starring female role.
"This Ain't No Love Song" is Adkins' latest Top 40 hit heating up the charts and is the lead single from his new album COWBOY'S BACK IN TOWN arriving in stores August 24.
For more of the latest news on Trace Adkins, visit www.traceadkins.com.
JAMEY JOHNSON RELEASES NEW iPHONE APP
Jamey Johnson, award-winning country music star, releases new digital mobile application. Music lovers can now access up-to-the-moment information about Johnson with the just-released cell phone application that allows the listening of music, watching videos and bringing the latest news & tour information. The FREE Jamey Johnson mobile device app is available for iPhone/iPad/iTouch and Android!!!
“We're excited to add Jamey Johnson to our roster of country stars,” says Michael Schneider, CEO Mobile Roadie “Jamey's music has been a source of inspiration for millions of fans, and we're excited to power his mobile app, giving those fans a place to interact, listen to music, watch videos, and talk with Jamey.”
ERIC CHURCH, RANDY HOUSER, SHOOTER JENNINGS, JAMEY JOHNSON, UNCLE KRACKER, RANDY MONTANA, ASHLEY RAY AND ELI YOUNG BAND PAY TRIBUTE TO LYNYRD SKYNYRD WITH NEW CD “SWEET HOME ALABAMA – The Country Music Tribute To Lynyrd Skynyrd” available at Wal-Mart on July 20
With raging guitar riffs and lyrics that make up the soundtrack of summer, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s widespread influence is undeniable. Country Music’s most authentic voices pay tribute to the legendary southern rockers and their enduring legacy with SWEET HOME ALABAMA – The Country Music Tribute To Lynyrd Skynyrd.
REMINDER-GARTH’S NEW DATES ON SALE SATURDAY THROUGH TICKETMASTER
Tickets on Sale Saturday, June 19 at 10 a.m. PT
Garth Brooks has performed to sold-out crowds and rave reviews at the intimate Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas. Tickets for the next series of highly anticipated concerts will go on sale on Saturday, June 19 at 10 a.m. PT.Tickets are available exclusively at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-877-65-GARTH. Tickets are $125 plus fees and tax.
Please note that the name for each individual ticket holder must be provided at time of purchase or the transaction will be cancelled. Tickets will not be available for purchase at the Wynn Box Office on June 19.
UNAUTHORIZED TICKET SALES
Specific measures have been put in place in an effort to ensure that the tickets for concerts are accessible to fans at face value and through authorized sales channels exclusively. Fans are discouraged from purchasing tickets through unauthorized channels as these tickets will be cancelled.
Please note the following booking procedures and rules and regulations:
At time of purchase, the full name of each person attending the concert must be provided. No changes will be permitted after completion of the order. Incomplete orders will be cancelled. Limit 4 concert tickets per order or per person or per credit card. Tickets will be available for pick-up at Will Call at Wynn Las Vegas on the day of the concert. Tickets are not available in advance. Purchaser will be required to show valid, government-issued photo ID, confirmation number and actual credit card used for payment. Each individual ticket holder must be present with purchaser to collect tickets upon presentation of valid, government-issued photo ID. Tickets must be picked up no later than one-hour prior to show time or will be subject to cancellation with no refund. The age limit for concerts is five years or older; anyone under 16 years must be
MARK CHESNUTT TRIGGERS “OUTLAW”
Mark Chesnutt, the honky-tonkin’ torchbearer for the traditional country format, will revive the music from the outlaw movement of the 70s and deliver it front and center to the digital age with his new collection, OUTLAW. Set for release June 22, 2010 (serendipitously on Kris Kristofferson’s 74th birthday) under the Saguaro Road Records logo, the album’s 12 tracks are a reverent homage courtesy of Chesnutt’s masterful delivery, genuine Texas style and automatic-triggered talent.
“I was introduced to Waylon and Willie and those guys on the rock stations,” Mark Chesnutt reveals. “I was into 70s rock at the time, then the rock stations started playing Waylon and Willie. Up ‘til then, that had never happened. Country stations played country and rock stations played rock. Then, there’s these long-haired guys with beards [platinum-selling ‘country’ artists] on both formats. They put the real meaning behind ‘cross-over’ artists and they made a life-long impression on me.
“BIG NEW MUSIC WEEKEND” STARTING JUNE 18
CMT, CMT.com and CMT Pure Debut New Videos from Lady Antebellum, Tim McGraw, Reba, Trace Adkins, Alan Jackson, LeAnn Rimes, Gary Allan, Danny Gokey and James Otto
CMT heats up summer with a sizzling lineup of new music videos when CMT BIG NEW MUSIC WEEKEND returns in an exclusive, world premiere event Friday, June 18 through Sunday, June 20. Nine music videos will debut on CMT, CMT.com and CMT Pure from superstar artists Lady Antebellum, Tim McGraw, Reba, Trace Adkins, Alan Jackson, LeAnn Rimes, Gary Allan, Danny Gokey and James Otto. The nine featured videos will include introductions by the artists themselves, and be the only videos aired throughout the weekend on CMT beginning at 6 a.m. ET on June 18 during CMT Music Hours. All of the world premiere videos will be available for streaming on-demand at CMT.com, and will be the only highlighted videos on the site homepage for the weekend. The weekend of new music is part of the network’s CMT SUMMER OF MUSIC, including this weekend’s premieres of THE SINGING BEE and CMT CROSSROADS: JOHN MAYER AND KEITH URBAN on Friday, June 18 at 9 and 10 p.m. ET, respectively. “Last year’s inaugural Big New Music Weekend blew away ratings and sales expectations,” said Jay Frank, Senior Vice President of Music Strategy, CMT. “Very quickly, this program has become a highly requested destination from artists, managers and labels to launch new videos across the biggest Country audiences on all platforms.” Video premieres included in CMT BIG NEW MUSIC WEEKEND are as follows: · Lady Antebellum – “Stars Tonight” · Tim McGraw – “Still” · Reba – “If I Were a Boy” · Trace Adkins – “This Ain't No Love Song” · Alan Jackson – “Hard Hat and a Hammer” · LeAnn Rimes – “Swingin'” · Gary Allan – “Get Off On the Pain” · Danny Gokey – “I Will Not Say Goodbye” · James Otto – “Groovy Little Summer Song”
CMT BIG NEW MUSIC WEEKEND will leverage CMT’s multi-platform promotional capabilities with extensive on-air messaging on CMT, CMT Pure, CMT Mobile, CMT Radio Network and CMT Radio Live. In addition, CMT.com will feature heavy promotion utilizing exclusive video playlists, webtools, banner ads and mentions across CMT’s social networks including Twitter and Facebook.
www.cmtpress.com
MARTY RABON SHOWS OFF HIS BEST WITH "AT HIS BEST"
Marty Rabon's soulful lead vocals for Shenandoah made the group one of the hottest acts of the late 1980s and 1990s with influential songs like "Sunday In The South," and "The Church on Cumberland Road" a tune that inspired the group Rascal Flatts who invited Marty to share in their 10th Anniversary party this year at CRS.
The Grammy award-winning artist hits the mark again on his latest album, “At His Best,” a collection of songs that cover a wide range of emotional territory from the “Big Pain” of lost love to the longing of “I Just Want to Touch You” to the fatherly pride of “Still My Little Man (Matty’s Song).” “Daddy Phone” has been causing a buzz among Raybon’s fans, who have been drawn to the potent lyric and timely message. Raybon had the same reaction. In fact, the song, which was written by GrandVista owner David Mastran, is one of the reasons Raybon opted to sign with the label. Mastran wrote the compelling tune from personal experience and shared it with Raybon. The two bonded over a great song and it gave rise to a new friendship and Raybon’s new label home.
Marty told us, "I'll tell you this about the project it's probably the most fun I've ever had putting these songs together musically." Rabon has more invested in this project than his uniquely wonderful vocals, he also had a hand in writing 5 of the new songs on the project.
In recording “At His Best,” Raybon knew exactly the musical direction he wanted to take. “I wanted to try to do a cross between a male Alison Krauss and a Dixie Chicks record with dobro, mandolin and some banjo to create a sound that was a little bit more airy,” he says. Both the songs he’s written and the vocal performances he delivers on “At His Best” find Raybon melding a lifetime’s worth of experience in country, bluegrass and gospel into a warm, rich musical stew that adds a new chapter to an already impressive career.
SPEAKING OF MARTY HE'S WRITTEN A SONG IN TRIBUTE TO HIS SON
The most personal song on Marty's album is titled "Still My Little Man (Mattie's Song), written about Rabon's son stationed in the Iraq war zone.
"I have a 22 year old boy, Mattie, who's in Mosul, Iraq right now he's an MP in the Army, and he'll tour again in Afghanistan, and the war in Afghanistan is officially the longest war the U.S. has ever been in, 9 years. We're hoping to have him back home for Christmas."
PERSONAL NOTE:
Our interview with Marty Rabon coincided with the news that the son-in-law of my next door neighbor was gravely injured by an attack in Afghanistan when two RPG Rockets shot down the helicopter he was riding shotgun on as a gunner. The aircraft was shot from the sky killing four people and injuring two, including gunner CHRIS AGUILERA.
His father-inlaw is my neighbor, John Pearce, who described the attack as told to family by the military,....
"Chris Aguilera was one month away from completing his third deployment to the Middle East. He received a bronze star for bravery in combat during his first tour in Afghanistan. His second deployment was in Iraq, and upon his return to the States he successfully completed training to be a helicopter gunner. His current deployment in Afghanistan ended in a terrible incident on June 9th. His helicopter was struck by hostile fire, two rocket propelled grenades, while they were on a rescue mission in southern Afghanistan. There was a crew of seven and four were killed instantly. The two pilots and Chris were seriously injured.
Chris was airlifted from Germany to Brooke Army Medical Hospital in San Antonio, Texas at 11:30 PM Tuesday evening. His wife, Heather, had arrived in San Antonio on Monday and resided at the Fisher House (facility for wives and family of severely wounded) near the hospital. She saw Chris at 3:00 AM this morning (6-13-10) in the company with the Nellis Air Force Base officer who has accompanied her throughout this whole ordeal.
Chris was sedated and hooked up to a breathing tube, but his wife, Heather, was pleased to see that he had no visible external injuries other than third degree burns on his left calf and the bottoms of both feet, plus a puncture wound on buttocks, and fractured jaw. He is scheduled for skin graft surgery. His internal injuries are another story:
A lung punctured by a broken rib, pulmonary and cardial contusions, fractures of the sternum, pelvis, ribs and four vertebrae, and tail bone. All that is going to take some time to heal, but it all seems repairable. The big issue now is to treat the burns and avoid infection.
The Air Force is doing a great job in supporting Heather through this crisis and she seems to be holding up like a rock. A host of friends and family have stepped up with their support and we are grateful for that.
John Pearce added this:
"Chris is a true American hero. He had completed fifteen years of active service in the Air Force and it was his choice to take on such a dangerous job as helicopter gunner. He had just been promoted to Master Sergeant during this deployment. His unit was based at Nellis Air Base in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he and his wife have a home. The Air Force is doing a great job of providing support for his wife during this tough time, and it appears that his medical care is first rate."
SPEAKING OF THE IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN WARS' TRUE HEROES LIKE CHRIS AGUILERA...WE SALUTE THE WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT
According to the Department of Defense, a total of 54,682 service members were medically evacuated from OEF/OIF between March 19, 2003, and February 28, 2009.1 Studies estimate as many as 320,000 of the approximately 1.6 million service members deployed in support of OEF/OIF have suffered some form of traumatic brain injury during deployment, while approximately 300,000 OEF/OIF veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression.
RADIO AND MUSIC INDUSTRIES CAN HELP
Wisely, as the Government saw the amount of casualties rising in the Persian Gulf wars, they made a huge commitment to treat wounded warriors on the battle field, and provide world class treatment at U.S. medical facilities in theater, in Europe and back in the U.S.
ALSO, with the huge number of severely wounded warriors that would need long-term care, The Wounded Warrior Project came about. (www.woundedwarriorproject.org)> The Wounded Warrior Project was created to provide the long-term care many of the wounded warriors need, plus it provides assistance to the families and care-givers of severely damaged and permanently injured soldiers. With the 1.6 million physically and mentally damaged soldiers being treated and released, The Wounded Warrior Project needs all the support they can get to help other agencies taking care of our wounded warriors.
MORE ON WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT
Wounded Warrior Project Position Statement
WWP must analyze recent disability compensation related reports as well as the VA’s current Disability Evaluation System to identify steps needed to improve timeliness, systemic uniformity, and accuracy of claims decisions as well as to ensure wounded warriors receive the appropriate level of benefits. Due to advancements in battlefield medicine and body armor, an unprecedented percentage of service members in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom have been wounded or injured, and survived.
As these warriors transition from hospital to home they have access to an impressive array of monetary and ancillary benefits they have earned through their service and sacrifice, including compensation for their injuries and grants to purchase and adapt vehicles and homes. However, recent government reports4 indicate the improvements are needed in both the level of monetary and ancillary benefits and to enhance benefit payments and the timeliness and accuracy of claims decisions. Blasts, especially those generated by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are the cause of 65 percent of casualties in the current conflicts. These explosive devices produce a characteristic pattern of injuries for those who survive: traumatic brain injuries (TBI), blindness, spinal cord injuries (SCI), burns, and damage to the limbs resulting in amputation. Many military personnel are sustaining more than one of these wounds. The term “polytrauma” is now used to describe complex, serious injuries to more than one body system.