Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776, declaring independence from Great Britain. The holiday is commonly associated with fireworks displays, parades, barbecues and concerts. Some of your favorite country stars take time to remember their Fourth of July traditions, memories and what the holiday really means to them.

Alan Jackson had a blast when he teamed up with Steven Tyler to film a couple of skits for Wednesday night’s CMT Music Awards. Steven played a “Guuber” driver, who picked Alan up to take him to the awards. The two seemed to get along famously, even singing Alan’s huge hit “Don’t Rock the Jukebox” together, followed by a little “Walk This Way.” Alan had previously met the Aerosmith rocker and his family at one of his shows in Boston years ago, and he says Steven is very genuine.

“He’s a character. I mean, I haven’t been around him that much, but he’s always wide open, and that’s the way he was at this little shoot, but really just full of energy,” says Alan. “He’s got a lot of soul. He’s a singer, and he’s just genuine. He seems really nice. I was very surprised at how nice he really is.”

Apparently, the second skit was due to some adlibbing the pair did during the shoot, and the show’s producer liked it so much, he put it in the show.

Alan is getting ready to release his new album, Angels and Alcohol, July 17th.

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s exhibition Alan Jackson: 25 Years of Keepin’ It Country will end its run Sunday, June 21, 2015. Originally scheduled to end in March this year, the exhibit was held over by popular demand to give CMA Music Fest fans one last opportunity to see the exhibit before it closes.

An expertly curated deep-dive into Jackson’s career, the exhibition includes awards, instruments, costumes and personal mementos—many that fans will recognize from his concerts and music videos—as well as never-before-seen treasures from Jackson’s private man-cave.

Artifacts on display in the exhibition include:

• The guitar he played on the CMA Awards when he debuted “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),” just two months after the September 11 terrorist attacks and the nation’s response that inspired the song.

• The front of an old, red Ford pickup truck that served as Jackson’s first Fan Fair booth, before his sister and brother-in-law had it made into a desk.
• Items from Jackson’s collection of “Mayberry” memorabilia—a jacket, jersey and autographed picture from Don Knotts—from Jackson’s television favorite, The Andy Griffith Show.
• Jackson’s first tricycle, childhood bike and scooter, evidence that his love of vehicles started early.
• Harley-Davidson motorcycle from the cover of the seminal album A Lot About Livin’ (And a Little ’bout Love).
• The water ski Jackson used, while wearing his trademark white cowboy hat, in the “Chattahoochee” music video.

Jackson will release Angels and Alcohol, his 15th studio album and first of all new music in three years, on Friday, July 17. The album comes 25 years after the debut of his landmark album Here in the Real World.

Throughout his 25-year career, Jackson has been steadfast in his love for traditional music while enjoying major chart success. Since signing his record deal in June 1989, he has sold nearly 60 million albums worldwide and ranks as one of the 10 best-selling male vocalists of all-time in all genres. He has released more than 60 singles—registering 50 Top Ten hits and 35 #1s (including 26 Billboard #1s). He has earned more than 150 music industry awards—including 18 Academy of Country Music Awards, 16 Country Music Association Awards, a pair of Grammys and ASCAP’s Founders and Golden Note Awards. Jackson received the first-ever ASCAP Heritage Award in 2014 having earned the title of most performed country music songwriter-artist of ASCAP’s first 100 years.  He is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry.

To learn more about the exhibition, visit countrymusichalloffame.org

Follow @countrymusichof on Twitter and join the conversation using #AlanJacksonExhibit.

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Suggested Tweet: #AlanJacksonExhibit ends June 21 @countrymusichof. Don’t miss 25 Years of Keepin’ It Country http://bit.ly/1FC2B7J

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 26, 2015) Country superstar Alan Jackson just wrapped the spring run of his 25th Anniversary KEEPIN’ IT COUNTRY TOUR to a capacity crowd at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver (Morrison), CO. Sponsored by Kubota Tractor Corporation, the tour made stops to massive critically-acclaimed reviews and sold out crowds in Los Angeles, Nashville, Kansas City, Green Bay, the tour’s kickoff in Fort Myers, FL and the famed Houston Rodeo among others. Capitol Records Nashville’s Jon Pardi and Grammy/CMA/ACM nominated hit singer/songwriter Brandy Clark joined Jackson on this first leg of the tour.

Throughout the tour, Jackson received rave reviews from fans and critics alike:

“The enduring quality of the 56-year-old Georgia native’s work — ‘Don’t Rock the Jukebox’ and ‘Chattahoochee,’ or ‘I Don’t Even Know Your Name’ and ‘Here in the Real World’ — allows it sound as relevant in 2015 as it did in 1989 or 1992.” – Ft. Worth Star Telegram

“With a few chords and a deft phrase or two, Jackson can do in three minutes what some artists never accomplish in entire careers.” – Ft. Worth Star Telegram

“From the high-pitched screams coming from the crowd, you would have thought Justin Bieber was playing at Valley View Casino Center Friday night.” – San Diego Union Tribune

“Jackson’s tour, which stopped Friday night for a sold-out concert at the Nokia Theatre, might be an assurance that he won’t be next to disappear.” – Los Angeles Times

“From the moment he sauntered onto the stage and began singing “Gone Country,” the audience was his to command.” – San Diego Union Tribune

“An artist who knows how to get you with a hook (‘Livin’ on Love,’ ‘Drive’), Jackson’s music is unapologetically grounded in honky tonk. Pure country in its purest form …” – Green Bay Press Gazette

“Jackson already has, as he admitted onstage, more hits than can fit in a two-hour concert, but if country music is lucky enough to get another 25 years of music from the singer, to quote one of his own songs, ‘that’d be all right.’” – Tennessean

Jackson’s KEEPIN’ IT COUNTRY TOUR takes a break before heading out again early this summer in advance of the July 17 release of his first studio album of new music in three years, Angels and Alcohol.  Jackson will headline shows at the Rock The South music festival in Cullman, AL (June 20), Calgary, AB (July 7), the California Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles, CA (July 28), Minnesota State Fair (Aug 30), Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, IL (Aug 31) and Chasin’ The Sun music festival in Panama City (Sept 26). Tickets and information for all KEEPIN’ IT COUNTRY TOUR dates will be available via local outlets and by visiting www.alanjackson.com, where you can find information about Alan, his tour schedule, music and more.

Jackson will release Angels and Alcohol, his 15th studio album, on July 17. The album was produced by Jackson’s long-time collaborator and friend Keith Stegall who has produced every one of Jackson’s 23 albums over the past 25 years with the exception of one album – Like Red On A Rose (Alison Krauss).

Angels and Alcohol is available for preorder by clicking HERE

Alan Jackson’s 25th Anniversary KEEPIN’ IT COUNTRY TOUR has been a memorable celebration for his longtime fans as well as the legions of new fans who have been discovering his music throughout this 25th Anniversary celebration. His songs have withstood the test of time and influenced many new artists of today like the tour’s special guests Jon Pardi and Brandy Clark. Fans have heard the songs they have loved over the past 25 years from the man who wrote them and made them famous – from his massive debut hit, “Here In The Real World” to “Chattahoochee,” “Drive,” “Gone Country,” the summertime party-anthems “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” and “Good Time,” and many, many more.

Jackson’s tour has been an extension of the year-long 25th anniversary celebration which kicked off last summer with the opening of his exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum, Alan Jackson: 25 Years of Keepin’ It Country, which will run through June 21, 2015. The multi-platinum selling Grammy winner played two record-breaking sold out shows last October at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s CMA Theater making him the first simultaneous artist-in-residence and major museum exhibit subject.

About Alan Jackson
In his 25-year career, Jackson has been steadfast in his love for traditional music while enjoying major chart success.  Since signing his record deal in June 1989, he has sold nearly 60 million albums worldwide and ranks as one of the 10 best-selling vocalists of all-time in all genres. He has released more than 60 singles—registering 50 Top Ten hits and 35 #1s (including 26Billboard #1s).  He has earned more than 150 music industry awards—including 18 Academy of Country Music Awards, 16 Country Music Association Awards, a pair of Grammys and ASCAP’s Founders and Golden Note Awards. Jackson received the first-ever ASCAP Heritage Award in 2014 having earned the title of most performed country music songwriter-artist of ASCAP’s first 100 years.  He is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry.

Alan Jackson is one of the most successful and respected singer-songwriters in music.  He is in the elite company of Paul McCartney and John Lennon among songwriters who’ve written more than 20 songs that they’ve recorded and taken to the top of the charts.  Jackson is one of the best-selling artists since the inception of SoundScan, ranking alongside the likes of Eminem and Metallica.

Some of your favorite country stars will be celebrating Mother’s Day on Sunday (May 10th). Check out Mother’s Day memories and moments from our artists, including Alan Jackson, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Eric Paslay, Jon Pardi, Keith Urban, Lady A, Little Big Town and Shania Twain, among many others.

Encino, CA (April 9, 2015) – The Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions announced the full lineup of country music luminaries and chart-topping artists who will perform together on “ACM Presents: Superstar Duets” and make up the evening portion of the 3^rd Annual ACM Party for a Cause Festival.  Performances at the two-day outdoor music festival celebrating the 50^th ACM Awards will begin at 7:30pm on Friday, April 17th and continue Saturday, April 18th on the Main Stage inside of Globe Life Park in Arlington, TX. A two-hour special including performances from the event will air on Friday, May 15th on the CBS Television Network.

Friday’s lineup will include special collaborations by Alabama & Eli Young Band, Brooks & Dunn & Reba, Darius Rucker & Sara Evans, Dierks Bentley & Kip Moore & Ashley Monroe, Dwight Yoakam & Sam Hunt, and Luke Bryan & Ronnie Milsap, along with a special performance by Brantley Gilbert.

Saturday’s lineup will include duet performances by Alan Jackson & Cole Swindell, Clint Black & Joe Nichols, Eric Church & Marty Stuart, Florida Georgia Line & David Lee Murphy, Hunter Hayes & Brett Eldredge, Keith Urban & John Anderson, Lady Antebellum & Brandy Clark, Miranda Lambert & Patty Loveless, and The Band Perry & Deana Carter along with special performances by Kenny Chesney and Jake Owen.

Ticket packages to the ACM Party for a Cause Festival INCLUDING the 50^th ACM Awards are available NOW at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets to the 50^TH ACM Awards sold out last spring in a record 18 minutes but as staging changes became final for the ACM Awards, seats to the previously SOLD OUT Awards show and festival are now available.
lease see a full lineup of tentatively scheduled performances below for “ACM Presents: Superstar Duets” listed by order of appearance and subject to change. For additional updates please visit www.ACMcountry.com.

 Friday, April 17, 2015 (Listed in Order of Appearance)

·         Brantley Gilbert

·         Dwight Yoakam & Sam Hunt

·         Darius Rucker & Sara Evans

·         Alabama & Eli Young Band

·         Brooks & Dunn & Reba

·         Dierks Bentley, Kip Moore & Ashley Monroe

·         Luke Bryan & Ronnie Milsap

 Saturday, April 18, 2015 (Listed in Order of Appearance)

·         Clint Black & Joe Nichols

·         The Band Perry & Deana Carter

·         Lady Antebellum & Brandy Clark

·         Hunter Hayes & Brett Eldredge

·         Jake Owen

·         Kenny Chesney

·         Alan Jackson & Cole Swindell

·         Miranda Lambert & Patty Loveless

·         Keith Urban & John Anderson

·         Eric Church & Marty Stuart

·         Florida Georgia Line & David Lee Murphy

The 3^rd Annual ACM Party for a Cause Festival, beginning at 12:00 PM on April 17-18, 2015, will include multiple stages for ongoing LIVE country music performances, interactive experiences, a family-friendly country marketplace with food trucks and vendors from around the country, and much more, all leading up to the 50^th Academy of Country Music Awards, which will be broadcast LIVE for the first time ever from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. Proceeds from the event will benefit ACM Lifting Lives, the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music and military philanthropies including Folds of Honor Foundation, Wounded Warrior Project, Navy SEAL Foundation, and Task Force Dagger Foundation.

ACM Presents: Superstar Duets is produced for television by dick clark productions. Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan and R.A. Clark are executive producers.  Mark Bracco, Barry Adelman and Tom Forrest are co-executive producers. Bob Romeo is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.

April 6, 2015 – Mrs. Nell Brown Jackson, the mother of Denise Jackson and mother-in-law of Alan Jackson, passed away peacefully on the morning of Friday, April 3. Her life was a simple love story for her God, her family, her church and her friends. She was happiest when she was with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mrs. Nell Brown Jackson was 94 and survived by her three children, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Visitation with the family will be tonight, April 6, in Newnan, GA. Funeral services will be held in Newnan on Tuesday, April 7.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial gift may be sent to Unity Baptist Church (311 Smokey Road Newnan GA 30263) or to Emory Chapel United Methodist Church (2677 Highway 34 West Newnan, GA 30263.)

Eric Church, Alan Jackson, Kip Moore, Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum are a few of the latest performers announced for the 3^rd Annual ACM Party for a Cause Festival, taking place in Arlington, Texas April 17th and 18th. They’re joined by John Anderson, Deana Carter, Brandy Clark, Brett Eldredge, Sara Evans, Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes, Ashley Monroe, David Lee Murphy, Joe Nichols, Jake Owen, Reba, Marty Stuart, Cole Swindell, Brooks & Dunn and The Band Perry.

Previously announced performers include Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Patty Loveless, Ronnie Milsap, Dwight Yoakam, Alabama, Eli Young Band Clint Black and Florida Georgia Line.

The event will be taped for a two hour special, ACM Presents: Superstar Duets, which will air May 15th on the CBS. Proceeds from ticket sales for the ACM Party for a Cause Festival will benefit ACM Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of the Academy.

NASHVILLE, TN (March 10, 2015) – NOW That’s What I Call ACM Awards 50 Years, the milestone anniversary collaboration between the Academy of Country Music and NOW That’s What I Call Music!, is released Tuesday, March 31st.

The collection of recordings celebrate the ACM Awards’ 50-year history and will feature 2 discs as well as a digital collection of ACM award-winning songs. The first disc will feature recent contemporary hits while the second will include timeless classics.

The complete track listing for NOW That’s What I Call ACM Awards 50 Years includes:

DISC ONE (1990-2015)

1. Jason Aldean (with Luke Bryan & Eric Church) The Only Way I Know 2012
2. Lee Brice I Drive Your Truck 2012
3. Luke Bryan Country Girl (Shake It For Me) 2011
4. Blake Shelton Honey Bee 2011
5. Taylor Swift Mean 2010
6. Lady Antebellum Need You Now 2010
7. Miranda Lambert The House That Built Me 2009
8. Brad Paisley & Keith Urban Start A Band 2008
9. Reba & Kelly Clarkson Because of You 2007 
10. George Strait Give It Away 2006
11. Carrie Underwood Jesus, Take the Wheel 2005
12. Tim McGraw Live Like You Were Dying 2004
13. Kenny Chesney The Good Stuff 2002
14. Lee Ann Womack I Hope You Dance 2000
15. Faith Hill This Kiss 1998
16. Alan Jackson Chattahoochee 1993
17. Brooks & Dunn Boot Scootin’ Boogie 1991

DISC TWO (1965-1989)

1. Clint Black Better Man 1989
2. Hank Williams Jr. There’s a Tear in My Beer 1989
3. Randy Travis Forever and Ever Amen 1987
4. The Highwaymen Highwayman 1985
5. The Judds Why Not Me 1984
6. Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers Islands in the Stream 1983
7. Willie Nelson Always on My Mind 1982
8. Alabama Love in the First Degree 1981
9. The Oak Ridge Boys Elvira 1981
10. David Frizzell & Shelly West You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma 1980
11. George Jones He Stopped Loving Her Today 1980
12. Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Bros. All the Gold in California 1979
13. Don Williams Tulsa Time 1978
14. Glen Campbell Rhinestone Cowboy 1975
15. Charlie Rich Behind Closed Doors 1973
16. Loretta Lynn & Conway Twitty Lead Me On 1971
17. Merle Haggard Okie From Muskogee 1969

The album will be released on March 31^st, just in time for the 50^th Academy of Country Music Awards broadcast LIVE on Sunday, April 19^th at 8:00pm ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. All of the Academy’s proceeds from sales of the album will go to ACM Lifting Lives, the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music, dedicated to improving lives through the power of music.

NOW That’s What I Call ACM Awards 50 Years is a collaboration between Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and the Academy of Country Music, and the album will be distributed by Universal Music Group Distribution. The NOW That’s What I Call Music! series is a joint venture from Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment.  NOW and NOW That’s What I Call Music!are registered trademarks of Universal Music Group and its affiliates.

NOW That’s What I Call Music! debuted in the U.S. in 1998, following 15 years of multi-platinum international success. The series has generated sales exceeding 250 million albums worldwide, including more than 94 million in the U.S.  All 53 volumes in NOW’s numeric U.S. series have charted in the top 10 of Billboard’s Album Chart, 19 of which have reached #1.

The 50th Academy of Country Music Awards is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the country music industry.  The show is produced for television by dick clark productions and will broadcast LIVE from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX on Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan, R.A. Clark and Barry Adelman are executive producers.  Bob Romeo is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.

ACM Lifting Lives® is the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music dedicated to improving lives through the power of music.  Through partnerships with artists and strong ties in the music industry, ACM Lifting Lives develops and funds music-related therapy and education programs, and serves members of the community who face unexpected hardships through its Diane Holcomb Emergency Relief Fund. Through generous donations and the support of artists and fans, ACM Lifting Lives is able to fund everything from disaster relief and helping communities in need, to music education in schools and music camps for those with disabilities, to supporting programs that use music therapy as a means to help our veterans and wounded warriors, while providing grants to help them ease back into life. For more information, please visit www.ACMLiftingLives.org.