March 30, 2015- The critically acclaimed music series Front and Center will kick-off its new season with four all-new Country Music Association CMA Songwriters Series episodes with Hunter Hayes; Bob DiPiero featuring Brandy Clark; Sara Evans and Martina McBride; and Little Big Town.  The episodes, which will begin airing April 4^th on public television, collectively feature guest appearances from some of Nashville’s best-known songwriters including Barry Dean, Natalie Hemby, Hillary Lindsey, Aimee Mayo, Shane McAnally, Lori McKenna, Gretchen Peters, Liz Rose, Gordie Sampson, The Warren Brothers, and songwriting artist Charlie Worsham. Check local listings for airdates and times in each market and for a sneak peek at the new season click here.

“Kicking off the start of the new season of Front and Center with our CMA Songwriter Series episodes is something that we’re especially excited about,” said Don Maggi, Front and Center Executive Producer. “Not only were the performances of the artists who participated special, but the respect that they showed the songwriters and the stories that they told, gave us some incredible moments.”

“CMA is proud of our partnership and creative collaborations with Front and Center,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “These shows shine a national spotlight not only on Country Music and the great artists in these episodes, but also on our amazing songwriting community and the CMA Songwriters Series, which has fans around the world.”

CMA-Award-winning multi-instrumentalist Hunter Hayes performs with fellow songwriters Barry Dean (“Pontoon” – Little Big Town), Lori McKenna (“I’m Workin’”- Tim McGraw), and Gordie Sampson (“Just A Dream” – Carrie Underwood). The episode features Hayes and his guests performing songs from his chart-topping album Storyline and features the hit “Invisible,” as well songs from his No.1, self-titled, Platinum-selling debut album.

Bob DiPiero, a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and co-creator of the CMA Songwriters Series, is joined by reigning CMA Award winner for CMA Song of the Year and two-time 2015 Grammy Award-nominee Brandy Clark along with her partner on the 2014 CMA Song of the Year win, Shane McAnally, and recording artist Charlie Worsham. The foursome takes turns performing songs they helped pen including hits like  “Follow Your Arrow” (recorded by Kacey Musgraves), “Blue Clear Sky” (recorded by George Strait), and “Gone” (recorded by Montgomery Gentry).

Multiple-CMA Award winners, Sara Evans and Martina McBride join forces for a special CMA Songwriters Series: Ladies Night Out. Evans’ recent studio album Slow Me Down debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart. She’s had five No. 1 songs, two No. 1 Country albums, sold six million albums, and has been nominated and/or won nearly 10 major music awards. McBride, whose most recent album “Everlasting” debuted at No.1 on the Country Albums Chart, has sold more than 18 million albums, which have included six No.1s, and has earned more than 15 major music awards including four wins for the CMA Female Vocalist of the Year. Together Evans and McBride present songwriters Gretchen Peters (“Independence Day” – Martina McBride), Aimee Mayo (“Let’s Make Love” – Faith Hill), and The Warren Brothers (“Red Solo Cup” – Toby Keith). The ladies also perform career hits including Evans’ “Born To Fly” and “Stronger”; and McBride’s “Teenage Daughters” and “Independence Day.”

Finally, Grammy Award winners and three-time CMA Vocal Group of the Year Little Big Town bring out long-time songwriting collaborators and friends, Hillary Lindsey (“Jesus Take The Wheel” – Carrie Underwood), Natalie Hemby (“Downtown” – Lady Antebellum), Liz Rose (“Teardrops On My Guitar” – Taylor Swift), and McKenna. The recent Grand Ole Opry inductees perform some of their best-loved hits including “Boondocks” and “Tornado” as well as songs from their latest album Pain Killer.

The new season of Front and Center will begin feeding to public television as follows:

Hunter Hayes                                                                                                            (as of April 4)

Bob DiPiero featuring Brandy Clark                                                          (as of April 11)

Sara Evans and Martina McBride: Ladies Night Out                        (as of April 18)

Little Big Town                                                                                                         (as of April 25)

For more information on the Front and Center music series please visit frontandcenter.com and check out the YouTube page at youtube.com/frontandcentertv.

For more information on the CMA Songwriters Series visit CMAsongwritersseries.com.

Front and Center is a production of Front and Center Entertainment, LLC in association with WLIW21 for WNET, and distributed by American Public Television.  All episodes are directed by Pierre and François Lamoureux of FogoLabs.

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

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

Darius Rucker climbs to the top of the Mediabase country music chart with “Homegrown Honey,” the first single from his new album, Southern Style, available Tuesday (March 31st).

Darius wrote the song with Charles Kelley from Lady Antebellum and writer-producer Nathan Chapman. “The great thing about the whole song was Charles [Kelley] had this great idea to write a song about a girl in New York City who isn’t like anybody else,” he says. “What I think about ‘Homegrown Honey’ is it’s a girl from where you’re from and she’s got it going on. She’s money.”

Coming in second is Zac Brown Band’s “Homegrown,” followed by Sam Hunt’s “Take Your Time” rounding out the Top 3.

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.”

Darius Rucker returns Tuesday (March 31^st) with his fourth country album, Southern Style. It’s the follow-up to his gold-certified True Believers. It features his latest No. 1 single, “Homegrown Honey,” which he co-wrote with Charles Kelley from Lady Antebellum and producer-writer Nathan Chapman.

Darius says Southern Style (named after one of the songs on the album) is the perfect title for the album. “When I started listening back and realizing the songs we have on there, it just seemed like a lot of the songs were just about that lifestyle, that laid-back ‘let’s live life and live and let die’ as The Beatles said.  And I just thought Southern Style was a great name for the record, because all the songs are kind of pretty in that southern style, so I just thought it was a perfect name for the record.”

Catch Darius chatting about his new album this week, as he makes multiple national media appearances, including NBC’s Today Show (3/31), ESPN’s Mike & Mike, First Take and SportsCenter (3/31), CNN’s Headline News (4/1), The Dan Patrick Show (4/1), The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4/6) and ABC’s The Chew (4/16).

Earlier this month, Luke Bryan celebrated his final Spring Break in Panama City Beach, Florida. Check out the recap below.

Nashville, TN (March 26, 2015) – Country music superstar Darius Rucker launches his fourth solo country album, Southern Style, on March 31 with multiple national media appearances including NBC’s Today Show (3/31), ESPN’s Mike & Mike, First Take and SportsCenter (3/31), CNN’s Headline News (4/1), The Dan Patrick Show (4/1), The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4/6) and ABC’s The Chew (4/16).  The album produced by Frank Rogers and Keith Stegall features the Top 5 and climbing hit single “Homegrown Honey,” which Rucker co-wrote with Nathan Chapman and label mate Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum.  Rucker co-penned all 13 tracks on Southern Style with some of country music’s most notable songwriters including Rhett Akins, Ashley Gorley, Mark Nesler and Rivers Rutherford.

Rucker’s three previous albums—Learn To Live; Charleston, SC 1966; and True Believers—all topped the Billboard Country Album chart and spawned six No. 1 singles. In 2008, he released Learn to Live; the album’s first single, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” made him the first African-American with a No. 1 country song since Charley Pride in 1983. It was followed by two more singles that topped the chart—”It Won’t Be Like This For Long” and “Alright”—and earned him the New Artist award from the Country Music Association. His 2010 follow-up, Charleston, SC 1966, included two more No. 1s, while True Believers contained the Platinum certified and Grammy winning No. 1 “Wagon Wheel.” In 2012 he achieved a lifetime goal and was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.

Southern Style Track Listing:

Homegrown Honey (Darius Rucker, Nathan Chapman and Charles Kelley)

1. Good For A Good Time (Darius Rucker, Kendal Marvel and Jeremy Spillman)
2. Baby I’m Right (Featuring Mallary Hope)* (Darius Rucker, Mark Nesler and Phillip White)
3. Southern Style (Darius Rucker, Rivers Rutherford and Tim James)
4. High On Life (Darius Rucker, Josh Thompson and Jessi Alexander)**
5. Perfect (Darius Rucker, Ashley Gorley and Rhett Akins)
6. You, Me And My Guitar (Darius Rucker, Ashley Gorley and Rhett Akins)
7. Low Country (Darius Rucker, Troy Verges, Blair Daly and Hillary Lindsey) **
8. Need You More (Darius Rucker, Jonathan Singleton and Deric Ruttan)
9. Half Full Dixie Cup (Darius Rucker, Frank Rogers and Monty Criswell)
10. Lighter Up (Darius Rucker, Drew Davis and Blake Bollinger) **
11. You Can Have Charleston (Darius Rucker and Frank Rogers)
12. So I Sang (Darius Rucker, Rivers Rutherford and Tim James) **

 Produced by Frank Rogers

**Produced by Keith Stegall

Keith Urban will chat live with fans on Wednesday through his Facebook page to give guitar tips and answer any questions. The chat begins at 5:30pm ET/4:30pm CT.

Darius Rucker will perform on NBC’s Today Show next week. Catch him live Tuesday (March 31^st) — which is the same day as his new album, Southern Style, is released.

George Strait will receive the prestigious 50^th Anniversary Milestone Award, along with and Brooks & Dunn. They are being honored with the trophy to commemorate their groundbreaking career achievements in ACM Awards history. Each will receive an exclusive trophy created by renowned jewelry and timepiece designer, David Yurman, during the 50^th ACM Awards.

In the latest issue of Glamour magazine, pop superstar Katy Perry spotlights 10 women who changed her life. She writes, “Kacey is one of the most unique songwriters I’ve heard in the past decade. She puts into words what the heart feels. And she’s not bad on the eyes and has a great sense of humor the whole way through.”

Little Big Town performs their latest single, “Girl Crush,” on NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday night (March 24th).

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.”