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  • KEITH URBAN AND ERIC CHURCH TAKE FANS BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF THE MAKING OF ‘RAISE ‘EM UP.’

    Eric Church / Keith Urban

    Go behind-the-scenes of the making of “Raise ‘Em Up,” featuring Keith Urban and Eric Church.

    Video / Behind-the-scenes of the making of 'Raise 'Em Up."

  • NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL ACM AWARDS 50 YEARS IS AVAILABLE TUESDAY.

    Audio
    Alan Jackson / Eric Church / George Strait / Keith Urban / Lady Antebellum / Luke Bryan

    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 31st, just in time for the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards broadcast LIVE on Sunday, April 19th 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.

    Audio / Luke Bryan explains what he loves about his song, “Country Girl (Shake It For Me).”

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    Luke Bryan (loves Country Girl) OC: …tiresome work. :33
    “What I love about the song the most is the verses. I really like how the verses came together. It seems like around every little corner there’s a fun, you know, with the little break-down dance – ‘like a dandelion’ and all that. All that stuff is like ear candy to me. I just felt like it was important, I felt like it was a young, fun song, and I felt like it said right away what we were going after and it’s certainly it’s kind of paced faster than anything I’ve ever had and that’s always rewarding. I think it makes everybody’s hard work, everybody can go, ‘Yeah, it’s worth all the sleepless nights and all the tiresome work.’”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Church, Kacey, Luke, Vince

    Press
    Eric Church / Kacey Musgraves / Luke Bryan / Vince Gill

    Eric Church will be inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame October 15th in Kannapolis, North Carolina.

    Eric Church and Kacey Musgraves will perform at Willie Nelson’s annual 4th of July Picnic in Austin, Texas. Merle Haggard, Asleep at the Wheel and Jamey Johnson are also on the bill.

    Kacey Musgraves will perform at the Bonnaroo Music Festival, taking place June 11th – 14th in Manchester, Tennessee. She made her Bonnaroo debut in 2013. Billy Joel, Mumford & Sons and Kendrick Lamar are also scheduled to perform.

    Luke Bryan will return for his second Crash My Playa Caribbean concert in Riviera Maya, Mexico January 22nd – 26th, 2016. Go to CrashMyPlaya.com.

    Vince Gill was recently interviewed by Dan Rather for his show, The Big Interview, on AXS-TV. His feature will air April 21st.

  • KEITH URBAN’S VIDEO FOR ‘RAISE ‘EM UP’ FEATURING ERIC CHURCH PREMIERES TODAY.

    Press
    Eric Church / Keith Urban

    Tomorrow night will not only see Keith Urban’s return to the couch for Late Night with Conan O’Brien, it will also serve to mark the debut of his new music video for “Raise ‘Em Up”, the fifth single from his record-breaking album FUSE, which features Eric Church.  It comes on the heels of Urban’s third #1 from the album, “Somewhere In My Car.”

    The video, shot in Nashville last month, premieres with Conan O’Brien online today at 3:00PM EDT at http://smarturl.it/REUvideo.

    “Some of the idea for this video started with me playing with my phone one day, filming our girls jumping in slow motion,” explains Urban.  “That’s all that they were doing, just jumping up in the air in slo mo.  We put ‘Raise ‘Em Up’ on and were watching this film of our girls and they just went together beautifully.  It was so simple, and emotional, and it captured some of the spirit of what I feel is at the heart of this song.”

    “My favorite part of this video were the candid moments that were captured between Keith and I on film,” said Church.  “It’s cool that a number of those made it in the final version.  To me, they really reify the emotion of the moment and experience.”

    The Grammy nominated single, “Raise ‘Em Up”, already marks Urban’s 33rd top 10.  It extends his lead as the artist with the most consecutive top 10s, a streak that began on August 12th, 2000 with the release of “Your Everything.”  Urban and Church will perform the song for the first time on network television on the 50th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday, April 19th at 8:00PMEST/7:00PMCST.

    For more official Keith Urban news and information go to www.keithurban.net.

  • ERIC CHURCH: ‘RAISE ‘EM UP’ IS A BIG HIT.

    Audio
    Eric Church / Keith Urban

    Eric Church is featured on the Keith Urban single, “Raise ‘Em Up,” and he says he thought it was a huge hit.

    “Plain and simple, it’s a hit. I mean, there’s very few times that I’ve heard a song and said, ‘That’s [a hit].’ I don’t care what the circumstances are, it’s probably a hit in Portugese. It’s a hit,” says Eric. “It’s gonna be a big hit for Keith, and I’m glad. I’m glad to be a part of it, and I’m glad he asked me. It’s just a beautiful song.”

    “Raise ‘Em Up” was written by Jaren Johnston, Jeffrey Steele and Tom Douglas, and is featured on Keith’s album, Fuse.

    Eric is currently scaling the country charts with his own hit single, “Like a Wrecking Ball.”

    Audio / Eric Church says the first time he heard “Raise ‘Em Up” -- the song he is featured on with Keith Urban -- he thought it was a hit.

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    Eric Church (Raise ‘Em Up) OC: …beautiful song. :37
    “The ‘Raise ‘Em Up’ quality, I mean there’s also a line in there about kids and about life. It’s about lighters. It’s about drinks. One verse is about, you know, black umbrellas, about a funeral. It’s a very serious song. Plain and simple, it’s a hit. I mean, there’s very few times that I’ve heard a song and said, ‘That’s [a hit].’ I don’t care what the circumstances are, it’s probably a hit in Portugese. It’s a hit. It’s just a damn hit, you know? It is, and it’s gonna be a big hit for Keith, and I’m glad. I’m glad to be a part of it, and I’m glad he asked me. It’s just a beautiful song.”

  • ERIC CHURCH CELEBRATES PLATINUM ALBUM AND NO. 1 ‘TALLADEGA.’

    Eric Church

    Eric Church was feted at a party on Monday at Nashville’s hot spot, ACME, to celebrate the No. 1 success for “Talladega,” which he wrote with Luke Laird, as well as a platinum certification for his latest album, The Outsiders. He was also presented with a plaque for his debut album, Sinners Like Me, which finally went gold.

    He’s now on the country charts with two songs — his own Like a Wrecking Ball from The Outsiders, and he’s also featured on Keith Urban‘s “Raise ‘Em Up.”

    Audio / At the party celebrating both his recent No. 1 “Talladega” and platinum status of The Outsiders, Eric Church says it’s about finding the connection with people.

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    Eric Church (platinum party) OC: …Thank you. 1:11

  • ERIC CHURCH BREAKS VENUE ATTENDANCE RECORD AT CHICAGO’S ALLSTATE ARENA.

    Press
    Eric Church
    Chicago, Illinois (March 21, 2015)– Fleetwood Mac christened the building on March 14, 1980 and throughout its history Rosemont, Illinois’ now-dubbed Allstate Arena has housed some of the greatest names in entertainment. Everyone from The Allman Brothers to The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band to The Eagles and McCartney have fashioned the arena a touring mainstay in America’s heartland, but last night (March 20,2015), and nearly 35 years to the day since its opening,  7-time GRAMMY nominee Eric Church set the new bar for live concert attendance with 18,626 fervent fans assembled for his The Outsiders World Tour. 
     
    “Our journey in the city started in 2005 for about 20 people on Weed Street at a place called Joe’s Bar. Those 20 were loud and proud, and they turned this thing into damn near 20,000,” a tireless Church professed.
     
    The arena’s previous record was set in 2007 by Vicente Fernández with 18,452 in attendance, as verified by Allstate Arena Executive Director, Patrick Nagle. 
     
    The Outsiders World Tour features a 360-degree stage configuration allowing for optimal fan engagement on the floor and in the aptly-named “Choir Loft” surrounding the stage so fans to have the upmost personal, insider experience with the Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year nominated entertainer. 
     
    The tour has become known not only for its crowds but also for its varied set list which spanned nearly two-and-a-half hours last night. 
     
    March 20, 2015 Set List: 
    The Outsiders
    Creepin’
    Guys Like Me
    Carolina
    Lotta Boot Left to Fill
    How ‘Bout You
    Talladega
    Pledge Allegiance to the Hag
    Drink In My Hand
    Jack Daniels
    Wrecking Ball
    Cold One
    That’s Damn Rock & Roll
    Give Me Back My Hometown
    Homeboy
    Dark Side
    Devil, Devil 
    Country Music Jesus
    Smoke A Little Smoke
    Can’t Take It With You When You Go
    Livin’ Part of Life
    What I Almost Was
    The Ballad of Curtis Loew
    Like Jesus Does
    Longer Gone
    These Boots
    Springsteen
    A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young
     
    Church continues The Outsiders World Tour on March 26 in Tallahassee, Florida at the Leon Country Civic Center. Fans can also tune in on Sunday, April 19 to CBS to see Church perform on the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards at 7p CT/8ET. To buy tickets or learn more about Eric Church, visit www.EricChurch.com and Facebook.com/EricChurch, or follow at@EricChurch on Twitter.

  • ERIC CHURCH HITS THE AIRWAVES WITH HOT NEW SINGLE, ‘LIKE A WRECKING BALL.’

    Press
    Eric Church
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. — (Mar. 11, 2015) – Following his fourth No. 1, the hit “Talladega,” Eric Church and EMI Records have released “Like a Wrecking Ball” as the next single from his GRAMMY, CMA and ACM nominated The Outsiders, which was the top-selling country music album of 2014.  The song was written by Church and Casey Beathard, and produced by Jay Joyce.

    Grantland describes “Like a Wrecking Ball” as “a sultry soul number with bedroom eyes and great Booker T.-style organ licks” which Spin Magazine refers to as “…a slinky [legendary R&B producer] Tony Camillo groove.” AllMusic.com states it delivers “slow-burning Southern soul…”

    Church is nominated for four Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards this year: Album of the Year for The Outsiders, Male Vocalist of the Year, and double nominations (as artist and songwriter along with Luke Laird) for Song of the Year for his No.1 hit “Give Me Back My Hometown.”  He was recently announced as a performer on “The 50th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards,” airing live on Sunday, Apr. 19 from 8:00-11:30 PM/EDT on the CBS Television Network.

    Church is currently on the road with The Outsiders World Tour performing this week on Mar. 12 at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY and Mar. 12 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Wilkes-Barre, Penn.

    For tour dates, ticket information, and more, visit www.EricChurch.com.

  • ERIC CHURCH HITS RADIO WITH ‘LIKE A WRECKING BALL.’

    Audio
    Eric Church

    Eric Church’s latest single, “Like a Wrecking Ball,” is probably one of the sexiest songs to hit the airwaves in a long time. The song is about the physical intimacy between two adults, and Church makes no apologies for telling you exactly what’s up…so to speak.

    “I hate innuendo. I don’t like where people get cute. I’m 36 years old. I’m not 12. I don’t need people to disguise what we’re talking about. I think we can get so cute with stuff like that. Al Green didn’t get cute. Conway Twitty didn’t get cute. They said it. We’re adults, and this is an adult record. We’ve always made adult music,” Eric explained when The Outsiders album was released. “I like songs like that, and that’s what this song is. This song is about sex. It’s about not being home to see your wife or girl for a long time, and thinking about that, preparing for that and executing that [laughs] is what this song’s about. It has nothing to do with anything else.”

    Church, who became a father for the second time last month, continues The Outsiders World Tour this week. He takes his “Wrecking Ball” to Washington, D.C. Tuesday (March 10th).

    Audio / Eric Church says “Like a Wrecking Ball” is absolutely about what it says in the song.

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    Eric Church (Like a Wrecking Ball) OC: …their life. :49
    “I hate innuendo. I don’t like where people get cute. I’m 36 years old. I’m not 12. I don’t need people to disguise what we’re talking about. I think we can get so cute with stuff like that. Al Green didn’t get cute. Conway Twitty didn’t get cute. They said it. We’re adults, and this is an adult record. We’ve always made adult music. I like songs like that, and that’s what this song is. This song is about sex. It’s about not being home to see your wife or girl for a long time, and thinking about that, preparing for that and executing that [laughs] is what this song’s about. It has nothing to do with anything else. I mean…that’s what it is, and the honesty of that, I hope people find refreshing, because I’ve not found anybody that hasn’t felt that at some point in time during their life.”

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Like a Wrecking Ball)

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    LINER Hey everybody, this is Eric Church, and here’s my latest single, ‘Like a Wrecking Ball.’

  • LUKE, CHURCH, DIERKS, LADY A, AJ, LBT, DARIUS, KEITH AND SAM HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED AS PERFORMERS FOR THIS YEAR’S CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL.

    Press
    Alan Jackson / Darius Rucker / Dierks Bentley / Eric Church / Keith Urban / Lady Antebellum / Little Big Town / Luke Bryan / Sam Hunt

    NASHVILLE – CMA Music Festival will be the hottest concert destination of the summer with today’s announcement that Country Music superstars Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church,Brett Eldredge, Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt,Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town,Neal McCoy, Oak Ridge Boys, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker, Cole Swindell,The Band Perry, Keith Urban, Wynonna & The Big Noise, and Zac Brown Band will each take the stage during the Nightly Concerts at LP Field. The 2015 CMA Music Festival takes place Thursday, June 11-Sunday, June 14 in downtown Nashville.

    Subscribers to CMA Exclusive, CMA’s e-newsletter, were the first to learn about the star-studded lineup Wednesday morning.

    “CMA Music Festival is all about the fan experience,” said CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern. “Our fans snapped up LP Field tickets at a record pace, and we wanted to reward that loyalty by sharing this exciting lineup with them first this morning.”  

    While the relationship between artists and fans is the foundation for the event, CMA Music Festival benefits music education programs for children in need. Wednesday morning, Thomas Rhett welcomed guests to Nashville Children’s Theatre for a performance of “Jack’s Tale: A Mythic Mountain Musical,” which was funded by a $10,000 grant from the CMA Foundation from the 2014 CMA Music Festival. Threats of snow in Nashville prevented a majority of students from attending, but he warmly greeted the enthusiastic crowd.

    “When I was little I was in a play called ‘A Christmas Carol’. I was Scrooge,” Thomas Rhett told the student-filled crowd. “Music education was super important for me, and today was a good reminder of how neat it is to see the Country Music community band together to help give back to that through CMA Fest.”

    The CMA Foundation presents grants on behalf of the artists who perform at CMA Music Festival each year for free and has donated more than $11 million to music education initiatives across the country since 2006.

    Tickets to the Nightly Concerts at LP Field sold out in November. Across the river from the stadium, there are countless free and low-cost entertainment options for fans around downtown Nashville as part of the CMA Music Festival. Seven free entertainment stages give fans an opportunity to choose their musical adventure, including the hugely popular Chevrolet Riverfront Stage, which consistently fills the Cumberland riverbank each of the four days.

    AT&T U-verse Fan Fair X at Music City Center moves the CMA Music Festival party inside, with musical performances on three stages, artist interactions, meet-and-greets, shopping and other unique fan experiences. Tickets to AT&T U-verse Fan Fair X are available now atCMAfest.com (AT&T U-verse Fan Fair X admission is included in four-day CMA Music Festival tickets). AT&T U-verse Fan Fair X tickets are $10 per day or $25 for a four-day pass.

    The Nightly Concerts will be taped for a three-hour prime time special airing later this summer on the ABC Television Network.

    For upcoming talent announcements and all other info stay connected with CMA on Facebook.com/CMA,Twitter.com/CountryMusic, Instagram.com/CMA, and sign up for CMA Exclusive, CMA’s e-newsletter. Fans can also download the 2015 CMA Music Festival mobile app foriPhone or Android to view the latest artist lineups and to plan their festival experience.

    -30-

    **Suggested Tweet**: The 2015 #CMAfest LP Field lineup is here! Download the app to plan your Fest experience http://countrymu.sc/MF15app