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.

Sam Hunt’s “Take Your Time” is poised to take over the top spot on the country charts. He co-wrote the song with Josh Osborne and Shane McAnally – the same team that crafted Sam’s first single, the No. 1 “Leave the Night On.”

While the music video depicts an emotional and heart-wrenching scenario, one can also envision the song as a man-interested-in-woman story. The guy is throwing out these lines to show he’s sincerely interested in this woman, and Sam hopes that the honesty of the lyrics shines through.

“I think those interactions between strangers, in terms of a guy going up and pursuing a lady or introducing himself or expressing his interest, that can get cliché at times. It can get kind of sleazy and shallow at times when you think about it, especially if it’s in a bar or a place that may not be necessarily as romantic as the next,” says Sam. “Hopefully, the singer in this song and what he’s saying overcomes some of those stereotypes, and you can see past just a surface attraction and you can see that he’s genuinely interested in this girl, who has just completely gotten his attention in whatever circumstance you want to see this song play out in.”

Sam is nominated for ACM New Artist of the Year. Fan voting is open through Sunday, April 19th at VoteACM.com. The 50th Annual ACM Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, will be broadcast live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas at 8pm ET on CBS.

Check out the introduction to Jon Pardi‘s new VEVO docu-series. He’ll take you back to his childhood and his love of country music, learn how he got his start in the music business and how he enjoys being a rodeo cowboy.

Luke Bryan is nominated for ACM Entertainer of the Year, having picked up the award in 2013. In the same category is one of his idols, Garth Brooks, who he’d never imagine would even know his name, much less be nominated at the same time.

“I never thought I’d be in any of whatever’s going on in my world, and obviously, when I started getting nominated for Entertainer of the Year and being in those categories like that. I can honestly say I never thought I’d be in a category with Garth Brooks, and certainly be in there with George Strait and stuff. So, it’s very mind-boggling and very flattering. So, now I’m nominated in Entertainer of the Year with Garth Brooks, and I see the paper, and I’m like ‘Phew!’ I mean, you almost want to frame it, it’s pretty cool. I just always feel blessed in these moments, and I can’t believe I’m in this situation to where these people know who I am, you know? I never would’ve thought I would be here.”

In addition to Entertainer of the Year, Luke is also nominated for Male Vocalist and Song of the Year for “Drink a Beer,” as well as Vocal Event of the Year with Florida Georgia Line on “This is How We Roll.” Luke has already picked up one ACM Award – the Gene Weed Special Achievement Award, which acknowledges “unprecedented, unique and outstanding individual achievement in country music.”

Fan voting for both Entertainer of the Year and New Artist of the Year categories for the ACM Awards opened today (Wednesday, April 8th) and closes April 19th, just prior to the start of the show at 8pm ET. The fan votes will be tallied with the votes from ACM members to determine the final winners. Go to VoteACM.com. The 50th Annual ACM Awards, hosted by Luke and Blake Shelton, will be broadcast live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas at 8pm ET on CBS.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — (Apr. 8, 2015) — Scotty McCreery’s music played Cupid for a couple on a Southwest flight, and now he’s hoping to meet them.

In a letter featured in the March 2015 issue of Southwest: The Magazine, Greg Freyer wrote “Dear Southwest, I planned to get engaged on a Southwest flight as my girlfriend flew home ‘alone’ after visiting me. I work odd hours, so the day my girlfriend was supposed to leave, I woke her up around 3:30 AM to say goodbye and ‘left for the airport.’ I instead drove to the Detroit airport and got on her flight. After takeoff, a flight attendant announced that a debit card with my girlfriend’s name on it had been found. When they handed it to her, ‘See You Tonight’ by Scotty McCreery started playing. I walked up from the back row, took the intercom and proposed!”

“I read this story while on a recent Southwest flight,” said McCreery. “It’s awesome that ‘See You Tonight’ is now their proposal song! That song was my first top 10 hit and I loved writing it with Ashley Gorley and Zach Crowell. It’s already brought me a lot of luck and great memories, and I hope it does the same for Greg and his fiancée.”

McCreery is hoping the happy couple will get in touch with him. “I’d love to give Greg and his fiancée tickets to a show and have them come backstage so we can meet and celebrate their engagement. I hope Greg hears that I’m looking for him and that he e-mails my team at info@ScottyMcCreery.com so we can connect.”

The Mercury Nashville / 19 / Interscope Records recording artist is currently writing songs and preparing to work on his upcoming third album. McCreery scored two consecutive Top 10 hits (“See You Tonight” and “Feelin’ It”) from his sophomore album See You Tonight, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. That album’s title song, co-written by the singer, was one of three singles from the “American Idol” champion that were certified Platinum by the RIAA in the same week (the other two being “The Trouble with Girls” and “I Love You This Big” from his Platinum-certified first album Clear as Day, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart). The ACM, CMT Music, ACA, and ICM Award winner will be performing at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota on Apr. 9, the Devent Center in Norfolk, Nebraska on Apr. 10, Treasure Island Record and Casino on Welch, Minnesota on Apr. 11, and The Arcada Theater in St. Charles, Illinois on Apr. 12. He will join Rascal Flatts on the road this summer beginning in May. For more information and additional tour dates, visit www.scottymccreery.com.

Nashville, TN – April 8, 2015 – MCA Nashville and GRAMMY®-nominated recording artist David Nail took a break from the studio where he is working on new music for the follow-up to his massively-acclaimed I’M A FIRE album – which landed on many 2014 BEST OF lists for Rolling Stone Country, NPR, iTunes, Billboard and included his Platinum no. 1 “Whatever She’s Got” – to perform and join the Grand Ole Opry’s nine-month 90th Anniversary celebration last night. The platinum-selling singer-songwriter surprised the audience and members of his own team when he debuted for the very first time– and fresh from the studio– a performance of his song “Fighter” that he wrote for his wife Catherine.

The Opry selected Nail to be the first “artist takeover” of its recently-launched Snapchat, OPRYSNAPS. Nail engaged with fans with an in-the-moment account of his Opry experience, including backstage moments from his dressing room and his performance on stage, which included his signature No. 1 hit “Red Light.” Along with the Opry audience, OPRYSNAPS followers were also the first to hear a taste of the brand new song, “Fighter.” Before day’s end (Wednesday), Snapchat users can follow OPRYSNAPS to experience Nail’s story from last night’s Opry.

David Nail, considered to be one of the most distinct and powerful voices in country music, is back on the road this weekend to play the Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale and has upcoming dates over the next few weeks in Arizona, Texas, North Carolina, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. In June, he joins GRAMMY®-winning group Little Big Town’s Pain Killer Tour. For all tour dates go to http://www.davidnail.com
Follow @DavidNail on Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidnail

Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidNail

PHOTO CREDIT:

©2015 Grand Ole Opry

Photo By: Chris Hollo

Images are provided gratis for journalistic use for one year from date of release in conjunction with coverage pertaining to the event of the photo.  All other uses require express written permission from Grand Ole Opry, LLC.

(David Nail surprises audience with first public performance of  “Fighter” – a song he wrote about his wife Catherine.)

Sam Hunt  is one of the three finalists for ACM New Artist of the Year, and the nomination is an honor that he didn’t think would come this early on in his career.

“Being nominated for ACM New Artist of the Year is a huge honor,” says the Georgia native. “I still really feel like too new to be New Artist of the Year, but so many good things have happened over the last several months to allow us to reach so many people. It’s phenomenal. It’s phenomenal to be a part of this awards show having just put out a record a few months ago.”

The “Take Your Time” singer is thrilled that his best friends – his band – are along for the ride of a lifetime. ““I’ve enjoyed being on the road and touring with some of my best friends in the world. We’re all doing this for the first time. So, all these things we’re experiencing are firsts for all of us, and that is really what makes it special for me is the fact that I’m able to do that, to do what I’m doing and enjoy a lot of these cool things that are happening with my best buddies.”

Fan voting for both New Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year categories for the ACM Awards opens today (Wednesday, April 8th) and closes April 19th, just prior to the start of the show at 8pm ET. The fan votes will be tallied with the votes from ACM members to determine the final winners. Go to VoteACM.com to place your vote. The 50th Annual ACM Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, will be broadcast live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas at 8pm ET on CBS.

Chris Stapleton’s “When The Stars Come Out” from his forthcoming album, Traveller, premiered yesterday at the Los Angeles Times and can now be heard/shared here. Of the music, the Los Angeles Times’ Randy Lewis praises, “…positions him among the ranks of a new wave of musicians who are mindful of tradition but who also are striving to inject fresh ideas and modes of expression into country and bluegrass.”

The track is from Stapleton’s highly anticipated debut solo album, Traveller, which will be released May 5 on Mercury Records Nashville and is now available for pre-order. In advance of the release, Stapleton will make his network television debut next Tuesday, April 14 on the “Late Show with David Letterman.”

In addition to several tour dates with Eric Church, Stapleton will embark on a series of special headlining performances this spring including album release shows at New York’s Mercury Lounge on May 5 and Nashville’s Cannery Ballroom on May 8 and May 9. He is also confirmed to perform at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on May 2, New York’s Farmborough Festival on June 26, Delaware’s Big Barrel Country Music Festival on June 27 and Louisville’s Forecastle Festival on July 19. See below for complete tour details.

As part of Record Store Day 2015, Mercury Records Nashville will release a limited edition 10” vinyl, IN STEREO, which features three tracks from Traveller—“When The Stars Come Out,” “Fire Away” and “Tennessee Whiskey.” Stapleton will celebrate the release with a special in-store performance at Dallas’ Good Records on Saturday, April 18 at 12:00 P.M.

Already receiving widespread acclaim, NPR Music recently premiered the first single and title track praising, “‘Traveller’ gives Stapleton’s loyal admirers what they’ve been craving: a consummately crafted song that’s also vibrant and immediate, traditionalist without being the least bit fussy about it…He’s a treasure who deserves the kind of genre-spanning audience a song like this one courts. Southern rock, Americana, country, long-haired soul—call ‘Traveller’ whatever feels right. It belongs in all of those categories. It belongs in your day, whatever kind you’re having.” Additionally, of the single, The New York Times asserts, “On this howling, earthy, spacious album, Mr. Stapleton’s voice is liquor-thick and three-drinks limber. That’s not the modern country model of manliness, which is preening and glossy, but a reminder of the genre’s haggard strain that long predates it,” while Country Weekly declares, “Every once in a while you run into a singer here in Nashville who just blows you away, an artist who can create sound in an effortless manner and transport your soul out of this world. This morning that someone proved to be Chris Stapleton.” The single can now be heard/shared here.

Recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (with additional production at The Castle and Blackbird Studio), Traveller was produced by Dave Cobb (Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell) and recorded by Vance Powell (Jack White). In addition to renditions of Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove’s “Tennessee Whiskey” and Don Sampson’s “Was It 26,” the album features twelve original songs, including fan-favorite “Sometimes I Cry.” Recently, during a special album reveal party, Stapleton returned to RCA Studio A to record a new version of “Sometimes I Cry” live-to-tape in front of an audience—allowing a unique, once-in-a-lifetime glimpse inside the making of the album.

Of the album, Stapleton comments, “This record was made standing on the shoulders of friends, family, and heroes. I hope people enjoy listening to it as much as I’ve enjoyed making it.”

Over the course of his acclaimed career, Stapleton has enjoyed five #1 singles, including “Drink A Beer” (co-written by Jim Beavers and recorded by Luke Bryan), which is nominated for “Song of the Year” at the 2015 ACM Awards. He has also penned over 170 album cuts, including songs recorded by Adele, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley, and has such notable co-writers as Vince Gill, Peter Frampton and Sheryl Crow among others. Additionally, Stapleton has shared the stage with such respected artists as Gill, Alison Krauss, Marty Stuart, Emmylou Harris and more. As lead vocalist for critically acclaimed bluegrass band The SteelDrivers, Stapleton earned three Grammy nominations including “Best Bluegrass Album,” as well as an International Bluegrass Music Association Award for “Emerging Artist of the Year.” He’s also won eight ASCAP Awards and has contributed to the soundtracks of several feature films including “Cars 2” and “Valentine’s Day.”

TRAVELLER ALBUM TRACKLIST:

1. Traveller (Chris Stapleton)
2. Fire Away (Chris Stapleton and Danny Green)
3. Tennessee Whiskey (Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove)
4. Parachute (Chris Stapleton and Jim Beavers)
5. Whiskey And You (Chris Stapleton and Lee Thomas Miller)
6. Nobody To Blame (Chris Stapleton, Barry Bales and Ronnie Bowman)
7. More Of You (Chris Stapleton and Ronnie Bowman)
8. When The Stars Come Out (Chris Stapleton and Dan Wilson)
9. Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore (Chris Stapleton)
10. Might As Well Get Stoned (Chris Stapleton and Jimmy Stewart)
11. Was It 26 (Don Sampson)
12. The Devil Named Music (Chris Stapleton)
13. Outlaw State Of Mind (Chris Stapleton, Ronnie Bowman and Jerry Salley)
14. Sometimes I Cry (Chris Stapleton and Clint Ingersoll)

CHRIS STAPLETON CONFIRMED TOUR DATES

April 16—Dallas, TX—City Tavern

April 18—Dallas, TX—Good Records in-store

April 30—Boston, MA—TD Garden*

May 2—New Orleans, LA—New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

May 5—New York, NY—Mercury Lounge

May 8—Nashville, TN—Cannery Ballroom (SOLD OUT)

May 9—Nashville, TN—Cannery Ballroom (on-sale Friday, April 10)

May 15—Park City, KS—Hartman Arena†

May 19—Columbia, MO—The Blue Note

May 20—Lincoln, NE—Pinnacle Bank Arena*

May 22—Rapid City, SD—Rushmore Plaza Civic Center*

May 23—Bozeman, MT—Brick Breeden Fieldhouse*

May 24—Billings, MT—The Pub Station

May 28—Denver, CO—Bluebird Theater

May 30—St. Louis, MO—The Firebird

June 5—Athens, GA—Georgia Theatre

June 6—Macon, GA—Cox Capitol Theatre

June 7—Birmingham, AL—Iron City

June 26—New York, NY—Farmborough Festival

June 27—Dover, DE—Big Barrel Country Music Festival

June 28—Charleston, WV—Mountain Stage

July 3—Fort Worth, TX—Billy Bob’s Texas 4th of July Picnic

July 12—Chicago, IL—Windy City Smokeout BBQ & Country Music Fest

July 19—Louisville, KT—Forecastle Festival

*with Eric Church

†with Gary Allen

Little Big Town has released the beautiful and stark music video for their latest hit, “Girl Crush.” Check it out here or below.

NASHVILLE – (April 8, 2015) – Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa adds country superstar Dierks Bentley as a headline performer for the all-inclusive Caribbean concert vacation set in Riviera Maya, Mexico on January 22-26, 2016.

Luke will headline two nights of beachfront concerts, while Dierks will take the headlining reigns for one night. The third headliner and additional artists will be announced soon. All packages go on sale Thursday, April 9, 2015 at 11 AM Central at crashmyplaya.com.

All Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa guests will enjoy the ultimate country music fan experience with unparalleled access to their favorite stars.  From the moment guests arrive in Mexico, fans will be treated to an all-inclusive and high-caliber experience, including all local travel, amenities and accommodations, admission to each night’s exclusive beach performances, food and drink, 24 -hour concierge, an official Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa merchandise package and optional themed adventures and activities that explore the riches of the Riviera Maya.

For the 2016 event, guests can choose from one of three distinctive resorts – The Barceló Maya Beach Resort, Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya or the Mayakoba featuring Rosewood, Fairmont, and Banyan Tree Properties – and either four-night or five-night stays.

For more information about Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa and for information on easy payment plans, please visit: www.crashmyplaya.com.

About Luke Bryan

Since the debut of his first album in 2007, Luke Bryan has placed 12 singles at No. 1 and sold nearly 7 million albums with 27 million digital tracks from his four studio albums and has been named Entertainer of the Year for both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association.   He just released his seventh and final spring break album, Spring Break…Checkin’ Out, which debuted the album at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Albums Chart and No. 3 on Billboard’s Top 200.  Sales of Luke’s combined spring break releases now exceed 1.2 million.  He celebrated the album with two concerts at Spinnaker Beach Club in Panama City Beach, Florida with record crowds of more than 400,000 fans.

Luke is the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year and he will co-host the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards with Blake Shelton for a third consecutive year on April 19, 2015.  In May, Luke will launch a new tour – “Kick The Dust Up.”

About Dierks Bentley

ACM top male nominee Dierks Bentley is seven albums into one of country music’s most respected and most unpredictable careers. His latest evolution comes in the form of his critically acclaimed and No. One selling album RISER, which has already spawned two consecutive No. One hits with “I Hold On” and “Drunk On A Plane” and his latest single, “Say You Do” is in the Top 10 on the charts. Bentley’s six previous studio albums have sold more than five million copies, notched 12 chart-topping singles and earned 12 GRAMMY nominations. He recently announced his 2015 SOUNDS OF SUMMER TOUR kicking off June 5and running through the summer. For more information and a full list of appearances visit www.dierks.com.

About CID Presents

In January 2015, CID Entertainment, the premier guest-focused experiential agency, launched its production arm CID Presents with the sold out Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa. CID Presents designed, produced and operated the all-inclusive destination concert event in the Riviera Maya, which treated 4,000 guests to unprecedented levels of access to the biggest stars in country music. By utilizing CID’s expansive entertainment industry ties and expertise and seamlessly integrating concert and travel logistics, CID Presents develops multi-sensory and creative productions, providing every guest with unparalleled experiences and engagement with their favorite artists.