• CARRIE UNDERWOOD PERFORMS THE NATIONAL ANTHEM PRIOR TO GAME THREE OF THE FIRST-ROUND STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS BETWEEN THE NASHVILLE PREDATORS AND THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS.

    Carrie Underwood surprises the crowd prior to the first-round NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Game between the Nashville Predators and the Chicago Blackhawks by singing the National Anthem. Her husband Mike Fisher is the captain of the Nashville Predators,  and she sported his No. 12 jersey and blue and gold nail polish as she sang “The Star Spangled Banner.” The Predators won in overtime over the Blackhawks 3-2 for a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference quarterfinals. The next game in the series will be Thursday night in Nashville (or “Smashville” as the Predators nicknamed Bridgestone Arena during games).

     

     

     

    Video / Carrie Underwood sings the National Anthem prior to NHL playoff game

  • JOSH TURNER’S ‘HOMETOWN GIRL’ HAS DEEP HOMETOWN ROOTS.

    Josh Turner is poised to reach the top of the country charts with his single, “Hometown Girl.” The song, written by Marc Beeson and Daniel Tashian, is about a woman who doesn’t want to forget how she was raised.

    “The song was basically talking about she’s got a lot of potential and she’s got a lot of talent and she’s obviously beautiful, but she’s kind of down-to-earth and she hasn’t forgotten where she came from. She’s got a lot of roots there in that small town, and it’s special to her and close to her heart,” says Josh. “There’s a lot of people that I’ve met that live in the big city that couldn’t wait to get out of their small town, and I don’t think the girl in this song is that. If she does leave, it’s not because she’s trying to escape [laughs] or trying to run away. So that’s kind of the way I view it.”

    “Hometown Girl” is from his No. 1 album, Deep South, which was released last month.

    Audio / Josh Turner describes the girl in his hit song, “Hometown Girl.”

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    Josh Turner (Hometown Girl) 2 OC: …view it. :38
    “The song was basically talking about she’s got a lot of potential and she’s got a lot of talent and she’s obviously beautiful, but she’s kind of down-to-earth and she hasn’t forgotten where she came from. She’s got a lot of roots there in that small town, and it’s special to her and close to her heart. There’s a lot of people that I’ve met that live in the big city that couldn’t wait to get out of their small town, and I don’t think the girl in this song is that. If she does leave, it’s not because she’s trying to escape [laughs] or trying to run away. So that’s kind of the way I view it.”

    Video / Josh Turner 'Hometown Girl' lyric video

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  • ERIC CHURCH ISN’T ALL ALONE ON HIS HOLDIN’ MY OWN TOUR.

    Eric Church has been selling out venues all across the country on his Holdin’ My Own Tour, which features him and his band performing two sets with only a short intermission between the two. The North Carolina native plays for nearly four hours each night, and he feels that he’s only a small part of the show.

    You kind of get into the show and you start feeling the crowd and you start playing off of them, and then it just starts to kind of take over and it becomes its own living, breathing thing,” says Eric. “I don’t know that I’ve ever experienced that before, you know, where the show kind of becomes something that it’s alive. I’m just a part of it, just like they are. I’m not really directing it. I’m not really steering it. It’s just doing its thing, and it’s been something. That’s the best way for me to say it – it’s been something. I’m fortunate that we’re able, in our career, able to have that, because it’s not something I would’ve ever even dreamed of.”

    The trek, which kicked off in January, rolls into Buffalo, New York on Thursday (April 20th), followed by dates in Pittsburgh (Friday) and Cincinnati (Saturday).

    Eric just released his new single, “Round Here Buzz,” from his Mr. Misunderstood album.

    Audio / Eric Church says the shows on his Holdin' My Own Tour have been more than he possibly could have dreamed.

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    Eric Church (just a part of Holdin’ My Own) OC: …dreamed of. :44
    “There are those nights, I mean, when I really do rely on the fans ‘cause there are those nights when you walk out for that first song and you see a setlist that’s got 38 or 39 on ‘em, I mean, you’re in for a night. You kind of get into the show and you start feeling the crowd and you start playing off of them, and then it just starts to kind of take over and you really, it becomes its own living, breathing thing. I don’t know that I’ve ever experienced that before, you know, where the show kind of becomes something that it’s alive. I’m just a part of it, just like they are. I’m not really directing it. I’m not really steering it. It’s just doing its thing, and it’s been something. That’s the best way for me to say it – it’s been something. I’m fortunate that we’re able, in our career, able to have that, because it’s not something I would’ve ever even dreamed of.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Shania, Dierks, Kacey, Mickey

    Shania Twain will appear on the Late, Late Show With James Corden on Tuesday (April 18th) to talk about new music. Check it out beginning at 12:37a ET on CBS.

    Dierks Bentley’s wife Cassidy raised more than $23,000 for Safe Haven Family Shelter in Nashville. She set up a donations page as she trained for her second Boston Marathon to help raise funds and awareness for the facility. The country singer and their three children, Evie, Jordan and Knox, wore special custom shirts and cheered for her on the sidelines.

     


    Kacey Musgraves will join Willie Nelson at his annual Fourth of July Picnic this year. The event, held in Austin, Texas, will also feature performances from Sheryl Crow, Jamey Johnson, Steve Earle and Asleep at the Wheel, among others. Tickets go on sale Friday (April 21st).

    Mickey Guyton helped celebrate Loretta Lynn’s 85th birthday on Friday (April 14th) by opening the show for the iconic legend at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. She was even able to get some much envied time together backstage, as well.

     

     

  • CANAAN SMITH’S ‘LIKE YOU THAT WAY’ HITS THE AIRWAVES.

    Canaan Smith hits the airwaves today with his new single, “Like You That Way,” which he co-wrote with Jesse Frasure (“Road Less Traveled,” “Dirt on My Boots,” “Fix,” “I Like The Sound of That”) and Brett James (“Jesus Take the Wheel,” “Summer Nights,” “Cowboy Casanova,” “When the Sun Goes Down”). The song started with the melody and lyric that Jesse had written, and after hearing the instrumental, the song about a strong, independent and somewhat defiant woman poured right out of them.

    “I was inspired by the music right away. It reminded me kind of that Virginia Beach sound that I grew up with, so I was drawn to it immediately. We just got into a room together, and it was just one of those special days seriously where you don’t have to try that hard. This song just kind of fell out, and it became a story about a girl that I could relate to,” says Canaan. “It was a girl that keeps you on your toes. This is the kind of girl that makes her own decisions and doesn’t give two cents about what other people think; has a mind of her own and I think that’s sexy. I think there’s a lot of girls like that and I think there’s a lot of guys who are attracted to it…and I’m one of ‘em.”

    “Like You That Way” follows Canaan Smith’s debut album, Bronco, which debuted in the Top 5 on Billboard’s Country Albums Chart and features the RIAA Platinum-Certified # 1 hit “Love You Like That.” The breakout smash “Love You Like That” marked one of the top streaming tracks from all new artists in country music, besting many songs from the genre’s superstars. After his own headlining tour of the US in the fall of 2016, Canaan embarked on an extensive sold-out tour of the U.K. with London based breakout country duo, The Shires.  While there, his album skyrocketed to #3 on the U.K Charts. He recently returned to the UK in March 2017 for the C2C Festival, where he was consistently ranked as one of the festival’s best live acts. Canaan’s reputation as a road warrior and one of the top live performers in country music has earned him touring slots with Dierks Bentley, Brantley Gilbert and Kip Moore, where he played well over 400 shows for more than a million fans. Named a “One to Watch” by The Huffington Post, Spotify, Yahoo Music and USA Today, Canaan continues his run with a full list of US and European headlining tour dates. Visit www.CanaanSmith.com  for more information. “Like You That Way” is available to purchase or stream now.

    Audio / Canaan Smith talks about his new single, “Like You That Way.”

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    Canaan Smith (Like You That Way) OC: …one of ‘em. :39
    “Jesse Frasure already had this killer production on this song, and it needed a lyric. So, when I heard him play it for me, I was inspired by the music right away. It reminded me kind of that Virginia Beach sound that I grew up with, so I was drawn to it immediately. We just got into a room together, and it was just one of those special days seriously where you don’t have to try that hard. This song just kind of fell out, and it became a story about a girl that I could relate to. It was a girl that keeps you on your toes. This is the kind of girl that makes her own decisions and doesn’t give two cents about what other people think; has a mind of her own and I think that’s sexy. I think there’s a lot of girls like that and I think there’s a lot of guys who are attracted to it…and I’m one of ‘em.”

    Audio / LINER Canaan Smith (Like You That Way)

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    Audio / LINER Canaan Smith (Like You That Way) 2

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    Video / Canaan Smith Like You That Way Lyric Video

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  • DIERKS BENTLEY’S WIFE TAKES ON THE BOSTON MARATHON FOR A SECOND TIME.

    Dierks Bentley‘s wife Cassidy is running the Boston Marathon for the second time on Monday (April 17th), and she’s also helping to raise money for Nashville shelter Safe Haven, which helps homeless families. She tells the Tennessean of her 26-mile run, “At the end, when it gets really hard, I’m going to be thinking about Safe Haven and the people who supported me.”

    “I am so proud of Cassidy and it’s so fun watching her get ready for this race,” Dierks said. “It takes months and months of preparation and determination to pull this off.”

    Dierks and their three children will be in Boston cheering Cassidy on while she makes it to the finish line.

     

  • LUKE BRYAN GOES BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    Luke Bryan takes fans behind-the-scenes as he co-hosts the ACM Awards for the fifth consecutive time…and his second year with pal Dierks Bentley. Check out all the action in the latest episode of LBTV below.

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON RELEASES “BROKEN HALOS” IN PREPARATION FOR THE RELEASE OF HIS HIGHLY ANTICIPATED NEW ALBUM, ‘FROM A ROOM: VOLUME 1.’

    Chris Stapleton’s new song, “Broken Halos,” is premiering today (listen/share HERE). The song is the first instant grat track unveiled from Stapleton’s highly anticipated new album, From A Room: Volume 1, which will be released May 5th on Mercury Records Nashville and is now available for pre-order digitally and with physical bundles. Each digital pre-order comes with an instant download of “Broken Halos.”

    The highly anticipated full-length record is the first new music from Stapleton since 2015’s breakthrough double Platinum solo debut Traveller and will be followed by From A Room: Volume 2—coming later this year.

    The album takes its name from Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, where it was recorded during the winter of 2016-17. Once again produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb, Volume 1 features eight original songs as well as a rendition of “Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning,” written by Gary P. Nunn and Donna Sioux Farar and made famous by Willie Nelson. Additional album highlights include “Second One To Know,” which Stapleton recently premiered at the 52nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards as well as the album’s first single, “Either Way.”

    In addition to Stapleton on vocals and guitar and Cobb on acoustic guitar, the album features Morgane Stapleton on harmony vocals as well as longtime band-members J.T. Cure on bass and Derek Mixon on drums and musicians Mickey Raphael on harmonica, Robby Turner pedal steel and Mike Webb on keys.

    The May 5 release of Volume 1 comes exactly two years to the day since the release of Traveller. Released to immediate widespread critical acclaim, the album had one of the best-selling first weeks by a debut country artist in 2015. Following a historic turn on the 49th Annual CMA Awards—where Stapleton became the first artist to win Album of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year at the same awards – Traveller became the first album to re-enter the Billboard 200 all-genre album chart at No. 1, where it stayed for two straight weeks. The critically acclaimed album went on to win multiple Grammy and ACM Awards and was the #1 selling Country album of 2016 and the fourth-highest selling album of 2016 across all genres. Additionally, in the past two years, Stapleton has performed on multiple national TV shows including “Saturday Night Live,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and was profiled on “CBS News Sunday Morning.”

    Coming off a sold-out Canadian tour last month, Stapleton is currently in the midst of an extensive U.S. tour. “Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show” will span throughout 2017 and includes stops at L.A.’s The Forum, Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre and New York’s Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater and will feature Brothers Osborne, Lucie Silvas, Anderson East, Brent Cobb, Margo Price and Marty Stuart as special guests. Of a recent performance, the Seattle Times declares, “…Stapleton dazzled the sold-out crowd with a barrage of songs that defy easy categorization while receiving the kind of deafening cheers reserved for superstars.” See below for complete tour details.

    FROM A ROOM: VOLUME 1 TRACKLIST

    1. Broken Halos (Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson)
    2. Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning (Gary P. Nunn and Donna Sioux Farar)
    3. Second One To Know (Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson)
    4. Up To No Good Livin’ (Chris Stapleton and Casey Beathard)
    5. Either Way (Chris Stapleton, Tim James and Kendall Marvel)
    6. I Was Wrong (Chris Stapleton and Craig Wiseman)
    7. Without Your Love (Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson)
    8. Them Stems (Chris Stapleton, Jimmy Stewart and Shawn Camp)
    9. Death Row (Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson)

      “CHRIS STAPLETON’S ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW” 

    April 20—Roanoke, VA—Berglund Center† (SOLD OUT)

    April 21—Pikeville, KY—East Kentucky Expo Center† (SOLD OUT)

    April 22—Pikeville, KY—East Kentucky Expo Center† (SOLD OUT)

    April 27—Columbia, MO—Mizzou Arena‡ (SOLD OUT)

    April 28—Cape Girardeau, MO—Show Me Center‡ (SOLD OUT)

    April 29—Bloomington, IL—U.S. Cellular Coliseum‡ (SOLD OUT)

    May 5—Alpharetta, GA—Verizon Amphitheatre§ (SOLD OUT)

    May 6 – Alpharetta, GA – Verizon Amphitheatre§ (SOLD OUT)

    May 11—Virginia Beach, VA—Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at VA Beach§

    May 12—Raleigh, NC—Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek§ (SOLD OUT)

    May 13—Charlotte, NC—PNC Music Pavilion§ (SOLD OUT)

    May 18—San Diego, CA—Mattress Firm Amphitheatre§

    May 19—Phoenix, AZ—Ak-Chin Pavilion§

    May 20—Los Angeles, CA—The Forum§

    May 23—Denver, CO—Red Rocks Amphitheatre§ (SOLD OUT)

    May 24—Denver, CO—Red Rocks Amphitheatre§ (SOLD OUT)

    June 1—Fresno, CA—Save Mart Center at Fresno State§

    June 2— Mountain View, CA—Shoreline Amphitheatre§

    June 3—Wheatland, CA—Toyota Amphitheatre§

    June 9—Southaven, MS—BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove#

    June 10—Birmingham, AL—Oak Mountain Amphitheatre# (SOLD OUT)

    June 11—Nashville, TN—CMA Music Fest

    June 15—Charleston, WV—Charleston Civic Center# (SOLD OUT)

    June 16—Cincinnati, OH—Riverbend Music Center#

    June 17—Indianapolis, IN—Klipsch Music Center#

    June 22—Tulsa, OK—BOK Center#

    June 23—Manhattan, KS—Country Stampede

    June 24—North Platte, NE—Nebraskaland Days

    June 29—Chicago, IL—Wrigley Field†† (SOLD OUT)

    July 5—Milwaukee, WI—Summerfest††

    July 6—Milwaukee, WI—Summerfest††

    July 14—Mansfield, MA—Xfinity Center#

    July 15—Hartford, CT—The XFINITY Theatre#

    July 16—Darien Lake, NY—Darien Lake Performing Arts Center#

    July 20—Holmdel, NJ—P.N.C. Bank Arts Center#

    July 21—Wantagh, NY—Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater#

    July 22—Bristow, VA—Jiffy Lube Live#

    July 28—George, WA—Watershed Festival (SOLD OUT)

    July 29—Central Point, OR—Country Crossings Music Festival

    July 30—Mountain Home, ID—Mountain Home Country Music Festival

    August 3—Duluth, MN—AMSOIL Arena** (SOLD OUT)

    August 4—Prairie Du Chien, WI—Country on the River

    August 5—St. Louis, MO—Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre**

    August 10—Hershey, PA—Giant Center**

    August 11—Pittsburgh, PA—KeyBank Pavilion**

    August 12—Philadelphia, PA—BB&T Pavilion**

    August 17—Toronto, ON—Budweiser Stage**

    August 18—Cleveland, OH—Blossom Music Center**

    August 19—Clarkston, MI—DTE Energy Music Theatre** (SOLD OUT)

    August 25—Gilford, NH—Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion**

    October 6—Des Moines, IA—Wells Fargo Arena**

    October 7—St Paul, MN—Xcel Energy Center**

    October 19—Baton Rouge, LA—Raising Cane’s River Center Arena+ (SOLD OUT)

    October 20—San Antonio, TX—AT&T Center+

    October 21—Bossier City, LA—CenturyLink Center+

    October 26—Austin, TX—Austin360 Amphitheater+

    November 4—Grand Rapids, MI—Van Andel Arena+

    *with special guest Maren Morris

    †with special guest Brent Cobb

    ‡with special guest Lucie Silvas

    • with special guests Brothers Osborne and Lucie Silvas

    #with special guests Anderson East and Brent Cobb

    **with special guests Margo Price and Brent Cobb

    ††with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

    +with special guests Marty Stuart and Brent Cobb

  • SHANIA TWAIN WILL JOIN NBC’S ‘THE VOICE’ AS A MENTOR.

    Shania Twain will join NBC’s The Voice as a mentor to the contestants this season. The multi-platinum superstar made the announcement on Twitter: “Excited to announce that I’ll appear on @nbcthevoice this month, as a mentor to the finalists.” She joins Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Adam Levine and Alicia Keys on the show. Tune in Monday, April 24th at 8pm ET/PT.

  • JOSH TURNER’S ‘HOMETOWN’ UPBRINGING WAS PARADISE.

    Josh Turner is sitting at No. 3 on the country charts with “Hometown Girl,” which is from his sixth studio album, Deep South. In the songs on the collection, as well as his current single, he references growing up the South and some of what makes him proud to be part of that significant and colorful culture and what made him feel guilty at leaving his childhood home in South Carolina.

    “I’ve talked in the past openly about how I feel some guilt at times of being the first Turner to move away from Hannah, South Carolina, but I know that this is where I was supposed to be and I was following the path that God set out for me,” says Josh. “I kind of describe my childhood and my upbringing as kind of a paradise in a way, because I was pretty blessed. Not everybody had the kind of upbringing that I had and I’m very thankful that I had it, and I’m glad I had it because I’m a writer and I’m a creator and I’m a singer and so I take joy in trying to paint that picture for people whether they had it or not.”

    Josh has an acoustic date in Louisville April 20th, followed by a show April 22nd in Tucson, Arizona.

    Audio / Josh Turner talks about his long-standing roots in South Carolina and how he loved growing up in his hometown.

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    Josh Turner (where he grew up) OC: …awesome to have. 1:06
    “I’ve talked in the past openly about how I feel some guilt at times of being the first Turner to move away from Hannah, South Carolina, but I know that this is where I was supposed to be and I was following the path that God set out for me. But it’s crazy when I can go back home and I can go to the grave of my third great grandfather, and even some ancestors that are older than that. It’s a culture. I grew up in amongst the tobacco farming culture which has changed a lot since I was growing up. I kind of describe my childhood and my upbringing as kind of a paradise in a way, because I was pretty blessed. Not everybody had the kind of upbringing that I had and I’m very thankful that I had it, and I’m glad I had it because I’m a writer and I’m a creator and I’m a singer and so I take joy in trying to paint that picture for people whether they had it or not. It’s like if they had it they can relate to it, and if they didn’t have it, they get to thinking it’s like wow, that would be awesome to have.”

    Video /

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