Little Big Town’s Tornado spends a fourth week atop the Country Albums chart. The album sold another 31,000 copies to hold the top spot on the Country chart, and moves up one notch to No. 8 on the overall Billboard 200. Carrie Underwood’s Blown Away is No. 2 on the country chart, followed by Luke Bryan’s tailgates & tanlines at No. 3. Hunter Hayes self-titled debut album and Eric Church’s Chief round out the Top 5.

Little Big Town’s latest single, “Tornado,” is flying up the charts.

Little Big Town are celebrating their very first No. 1 single this week, as “Pontoon” hits the top of both the Mediabase/Country Aircheck and Billboard country singles charts. The song, the first release from their new album Tornado, was just certified platinum by the R.I.A.A. last week for more than one-million downloads (their first platinum-selling single). The track – written by Natalie Hemby, Luke Laird and Barry Dean — is their fastest selling-single to date and has spent four weeks as a No. 1 country digital download, as well as topping the country chart in Canada just last week.

“Pontoon” is being called the “song of the summer,” and LBT’s Phillip Sweet would have to agree with that assessment. “It’s just fun,” he says. “It feels like summer, and it feels exactly what it sounds like. I grew up on pontoon boats in the summer on the lakes and just having a blast, so it’s good ole clean summertime fun.”

During their 13-year-plus career, Little Big Town has sold more than 1.5 million records, racked up numerous Grammy, CMA and ACM nominations and enjoyed a handful of Top 10 country hits (“Boondocks” and “Bring It On Home” from their platinum 2005 album The Road to Here, and “Little White Church” from their acclaimed 2010 release, The Reason Why).

Little Big Town’s preparing for the release of their highly-anticipated fifth studio album, Tornado, set for release September 11th, with coast-to-coast television appearances, including ABC’s Good Morning America (September 10th) and a performance during the premiere week of The Ellen DeGeneres Show (September 13th). The band will perform on the upcoming ABC Television Special CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL: COUNTRY’S NIGHT TO ROCK (September 17th) and will also be featured on CMT’s Unplugged Series which will premiere on CMT.com September 11th and on CMT September 18th.  

Little Big Town’s “Pontoon” Certified Platinum

National TV Appearances Include ABC’s Good Morning America And The Ellen DeGeneres Show Supporting September 11^th “Tornado” Album Release           

  “Tornado” Available For Pre-Order Now

 Country super group Little Big Town has earned a RIAA Platinum certification for their current summer smash, “Pontoon,” the lead single from their upcoming album Tornado, in stores September 11^th. The track is their fastest selling-single to date and has spent four weeks as a #1 country digital download.  Written by Natalie Hemby, Luke Laird and Barry Dean, “Pontoon” has received rave critical praise and has been called the “song of the summer.” 

Little Big Town is preparing for the release of their highly anticipated fifth studio album Tornado, out September 11^th, with coast-to-coast television appearances, including ABC’s Good Morning America (September 10^th) and a performance during the premiere week of The Ellen DeGeneres Show (September 13^th).  The band will perform on the upcoming ABC Television Special “CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL: COUNTRY’S NIGHT TO ROCK,” (September 17^th) and will also be featured on CMT’s Unplugged Series which will premiere on CMT.com September 11^th and on CMT September 18^th.   

Fans anxiously awaiting the September 11^th release of Tornado can now pre-order the album at www.littlebigtown.com, Amazon or iTunes.

Little Big Town react to the success of their single, “Pontoon,” which has just been certified platinum.

LBT (Pontoon) 1 OC: …people smile. :31

JIMI: “How cool?” PHILLIP: “It’s so rewarding.” KAREN: “People like to motorboat!” [laughs] JIMI: “That’s right!” PHILLIP: “And you know, the great thing about this song too is it just makes people smile, so it’s a happy thing to celebrate this for us on a commercial level, but the mood that it creates and the party…what a great introduction to this record. And I think when people put on this album, the first four songs are gonna make you feel really good and are gonna take you on a ride. So, I’m just so, so proud of that, and I’m so glad that it’s making people smile.” 

Darius Rucker has been putting the finishing touches on his upcoming third album for Capitol Records Nashville. He revealed on Friday night after his appearance at the Grand Ole Opry performance, that one of the new songs is “Wagon Wheel,” originally recorded by Old Crow Medicine Show. He was invited by the group to perform the song with them on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.

On the tune, he enlisted the help of his tourmates Lady Antebellum to sing backup on the tune. “We cut it, and after we finished it, it was great,” says Darius. “And then so [producer] Frank [Rogers] and I were talking about what we’re gonna do, and I was like, ‘You know, I’m on tour with Lady A. Let’s see if they’ll sing on the backgrounds.’ And he was like, ‘Yeah, ask ‘em.’ And they loved the song and came in and did it, and that song went from being…I cut it to put it as the last song on my record, to end the record that way, and when they were done, I was like, ‘Man, it’ll probably be second, and [laughs] if it’s the first single, I’m OK with that too.’”

As the weather outside turns a little frightful and Old Man Winter comes a’calling, Lady Antebellum‘s Hillary Scott happily breaks out her winter clothes and brews up the figurative hot chocolate to sit in front of a blazing fire. “I absolutely love when the air starts to get a little chilly and you get to bundle up in your fun fall clothes and wear scarves,” says Hillary. “I think there’s something so nice about summertime, but there’s something so cozy and wonderful about the winter and being able to turn on the fireplace and cuddle up by the fire.”

Lady A, who just hit the top of the Billboard country chart with “We Owned the Night,” are enjoying the winter weather on the road, as they continue their Own the Night 2011 Tour on Thursday (December 1st) in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Eric Church fans have proven to be a very loyal bunch, turning out to purchase nearly 145,000 copies of his latest album, Chief, during its first week of release. They’ve also been quite the inspiration for a handful of songs on the album, including his current single, “Drink in My Hand.” “I was on the bus with a couple of co-writers of mine, and we had just walked offstage and saw the crowd, saw our fans and saw ‘em put their beers in the air,” recalls Eric. “You could just tell that they had worked all week and this was their moment to let all that wash away. And that was where the title was born from really. ‘Everything’s OK now, I’ve got a drink in my hand, and I’m relaxing and I’m chilling.’ That just became a really good song born from our fans.”

AUDIO: Eric Church talks about “Drink in My Hand,” a song from his new album, Chief.

Eric Church (Drink in my Hand) OC: …play that one. :42

“We were out on tour. I think we were on tour with Miranda [Lambert] at the time, and I was on the bus with a couple of co-writers of mine, and we had just walked offstage and saw the crowd, saw our fans and saw ‘em put their beers in the air. You could just tell that they had worked all week and this was their moment to let all that wash away. And that was where the title was born from really. ‘Everything’s OK now, I’ve got a drink in my hand, and I’m relaxing and I’m chilling.’ That just became a really good song born from our fans. They’re the ones that inspired that, and it was on tour. It was on a tour bus, and I’ll never forget it. I’m happy it turned out the way it did, and I think our fans are gonna love putting their beer, or whatever they’re drinking, up in the air when we play that one.”

On September 11, 2001, the world changed forever with the devastating attacks on both the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.  Alan Jackson’s “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” embodied the thoughts and feelings of millions in the wake of the events that took place 10 years ago.

The chorus and melody of “Where Were You…” came to Jackson in the middle of the night several weeks after the 9/11 tragedies. He awoke…sang the words into a recorder and wrote down key elements of the chorus…and completed the lyrics and verses later that same day. Initially reluctant to record the song, he was convinced by family and friends to share it with the world and debuted “Where Were You…” live on national television in early November at the 35^th annual CMA Awards.

“Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),” embodied the thoughts and feelings of millions in the wake of the 2001 events. Written by Jackson, the song was called “…one of the most touching, powerful songs to come after the tragedies” by USA Today and dubbed “a reflective hymn that Americans will be listening to well into the second half of this century” by Salon.com. The New York Times singled out “Where Were You…” as “one of his finest songs,” and Billboard noted “a multitude of songs have been written and recorded in the wake of September 11, but none captures the myriad emotions unleashed by the terrorist attacks on an unsuspecting nation more perfectly than Jackson’s eloquent ballad.” The song went on to be honored with a Grammy, CMA and ACM Awards.

This year, as part of the national observance of the tenth anniversary of 9/11, Jackson will perform “Where Were You…” at Washington National Cathedral on the evening of Sunday, September 11 as part of an event that will also include remarks by President Barack Obama.

AUDIO: Alan Jackson explains why he feels “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” still resonates with music fans in concert ten years after the events of September 11, 2001.

AJ (Where Were You) 1 OC: …big changes. :50

“At the time, it was very meaningful to people and I felt really good about contributing something. And then I thought it would just fade away and then we’d ease it out of the show, but now I see people out there that I feel like are waiting for that song, you know? I think it’s more than just the 9-11 connection. I mean, the real hook in it is quotes right out of the Bible anyway. And still, at night, it’s one of my biggest songs in the show. It’s hard to follow it, but I see so many that are holding up them lighters and are glad to hear it, and I think are moved by it and glad I did it. And I heard so many stories back during that time when it was happening. People said, ‘Oh, they quit their jobs, and they changed their lifestyles and started going to church and found somebody to marry!’ It was just like all these things that affected…those were big changes!”

AUDIO: Alan Jackson describes how the events of September 11, 2001 impacted him…and talks about writing “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” a few weeks later.

AJ (Where Were You) 2 OC: …same feelings. 1:33

“Well, I don’t know – I think I was probably like most people that were impacted with that day and the months that followed. You know, everybody was glued to the news and television and I think it really affected a lot of people – their perspective on their lives and their jobs and their families and where they were and what they were wanting to do and how they looked at things. And I guess…I mean, that’s what I was thinking, too. And I just pretty much visualized a lot of those scenes and stories I’d heard and seen on television or heard people talk about. The song came out of nowhere in the middle of the night – the chorus did. Just a gift. And I got up and scribbled it down and put the melody down so I wouldn’t forget it, and then the next day I started piecing all those verses together that were the thoughts I’d had or visuals I’d had, and…that was about it. I think it was just really…I had so many people tell me that there’s always a line or something in there that they did, whether it was go to church or pick up their Bible or go see their mother or watch a sunset – I mean, just a lot of things in there people told me that they had actually done those things, so…I guess I was like everybody else, just feeling those same feelings.”

AUDIO: Alan Jackson recalls sharing “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” with all of us for the first time live on national television during the 35^th Annual CMA Awards.

AJ (Where Were You) 3 OC: …meant something. :56)

“It was a tough performance for me. You know, just the whole idea of releasing that song was a little bit tough. I wasn’t sure I wanted to put that out, but everybody convinced me that it was the thing to do…and in retrospect, I agree with that. But, you know, I hadn’t really sung the song much, first of all. It was just in the studio, basically, and when I wrote it…so it’s hard to go out there and sing something new anyway, and just the topic made it nerve-wracking, too. You know, I didn’t think about what was going to happen or anything  –  we just sang it. And I just remember, other than being relieved that I got through it, I just felt very proud that it seemed to cause a reaction in people…and I was proud that I got to do it, and that it seemed like it meant something. 

Luke Bryan recently wrapped his run with Tim McGraw’s Emotional Traffic tour, and the performer is going to miss the friends he made while on the road. According to Luke, being on a tour like he just finished, is like moving away from your hometown in a way. “It’s like you don’t get to hang with them much anymore, and you miss all the crew guys, you know,” the “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” singer explains. “It’s like you don’t get to hang with them much anymore, and you miss all the crew guys, you know? You get to become friends with guys out on the road with him, and it’s almost like the moving city just becomes closer and closer.”

Luke will headline his own trek this fall. CMT ON TOUR: Luke Bryan Tailgates & Tanlines, with special guests Lee Brice, Josh Thompson and Matt Mason. It will launch September 15th in Huntington, W.V. Luke will play 22 shows before the tour is scheduled to wrap November 19^th in Monroe, La.

AUDIO: Luke Bryan talks about what he’s missing from his time on Tim McGraw’s Emotional Traffic tour.

Luke Bryan (miss on Tim Tour) OC: …else going. :36

“The main thing you’ll miss about any time you leave a tour – you know, you miss seeing the artists that you’re touring with. It’s like you don’t get to hang with them much anymore, and you miss all the crew guys, you know? You get to become friends with guys out on the road with him, and it’s almost like the moving city just becomes closer and closer. So, whenever the tour’s over, you just hate, you know the people you’ve kinda gotten close with, you’re not gonna get to see them as much anymore, and that’s just kind of the way this business is designed, you know, you can tour with somebody, and then it’s time to pack it up and move it on down the road and get something else going.”

RECORD-BREAKING TICKET SALES INSPIRE EMI RECORDS NASHVILLE’S ERIC CHURCH TO ANNOUNCE SECOND LEG OF 2012 HEADLINING TOUR: THE BLOOD, SWEAT & BEERS TOUR

“Drink In My Hand” Marks Church’s First-Ever Top 5 and Climbing Single on Country Billboard Charts

Few albums demanded attention in 2011 like Eric Church’s CHIEF, and subsequently ticket sales for his headlining tour are smoldering with the plea. Having broken Jason Aldean’s record for the highest number of tickets ever sold for a live event at the Landers Center in Southaven, MS, and experiencing near sell-outs in additional markets, Church will now bring his “delightfully overemphatic outlaw aspirations and snarling power chords,” as SPIN describes them, to fans in Atlantic City, New York City, Orlando, Nashville, Minneapolis and more,  (full list below). Meanwhile, the Best Country Album of the Year 2012 GRAMMY nominee is celebrating  his first-ever top five and climbing single on the Country Billboard charts, “Drink In My Hand.”

Due to overwhelming demand, Church will now headline several coveted venues including Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO for the first time in his career. “Every good artist reaches a watershed moment and Eric Church has arrived at his with CHIEF,” wrote The Boston Globe; and there’s no challenging their prediction now as Church garnered placement on numerous “Best Of” lists for 2011.

Tickets for upcoming dates are on-sale now and fans also have the option to purchase a special “VIP Package” where they’ll be treated to an exclusive VIP pre-concert party and intimate acoustic performance from Church backstage. For more information and to purchase, visit www.ericchurch.com.

The full list of Church’s upcoming tour dates is below, with an asterisk (*) denoting a new addition.

Eric Church The Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour Dates:

1/19      Fort Smith, AR- Fort Smith Convention Center

1/20      Cape Girardeau, MO- Show Me Center

1/21      Southaven, MS- Landers Center

1/26      Madison, WI – The Alliant Energy Center

1/27      Saginaw, MI- The Dow Event Center

1/28      Terre Haute, IN- The ISU Hulman Center

2/2        Savannah, GA-Savannah Civic Center

2/3        Knoxville, TN-Thompson Boling Arena

2/4        Norfolk, VA-Ted Constant Center

2/16      Greenville, SC-Bi-Lo Center

2/17      Salisbury, MD- Wicomico Civic Center

2/18      Greensboro, NC-Greensboro Coliseum

2/23      Battle Creek, MI-Kellogg Arena

2/24      Cleveland, OH-Wolstein Center at CSU

2/25      Ft. Wayne, IN- Allen County War Memorial Col.

3/1        Portland, ME- Cumberland Country Civic Center

3/2        Lowell, MA- Tsongas Center at UMASS Lowell

3/3        Indiana, PA- Kocalchick Center

3/8        Oklahoma City, OK- Chesapeake Energy Center

3/9        Jonesboro, AR – ASU Convocation Center*

3/10      Orange Beach, AL- Amphitheater at The Wharf

3/14      New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom*

3/15      Binghampton, NY – Broome County Arena*

3/16      Reading, PA – Sovereign Center*

3/17      Atlantic City, NJ – Etess Arena*

3/22      Estero, FL – Germain Arena*

3/23      Orlando, FL – UCF Arena*

3/24      Tallahassee, FL – Tallahassee Civic Center*

4/12      Tupelo, MS – BancorpSouth Arena*

4/13      Bossier City, LA – Centurylink Center*

4/14      Auburn, AL – Alpha Psi Rodeo*

4/19      Evansville, IN – Ford Center*

4/20      St Louis, MO – Chaifetz Arena*

4/21      Pikeville, KY – Eastern KY Expo Center*

4/26      Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena*

4/27      Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena*

4/28      Bloomington, IL – US Cellular Coliseum*

5/3        Springfield, MO – JQH Arena*

5/5        Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena*

5/10      Toledo, OH – Huntington Center*

5/11      Hoffman Estates, IL – Sears Centre*

5/12      Youngstown, OH – Covelli Center*

5/17      Minneapolis, MN – Target Center*

5/18      Topeka, KS – Landon Arena*

5/19      Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre*

Opening acts for various dates include Brantley Gilbert, Sonia Leigh, Blackberry Smoke, Jon Pardi, The Cadillac Black and Drake White. 

AUDIO: Eric Church talks about rehearsing for his upcoming Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour.

Eric Church (tour rehearsals) OC: … translate to the show.

“I think this is the first time we’ve ever really had to rehearse for a headline arena tour, or any other kind of tour, because it’s such a big tour. I mean, it’s the first time that we’ve really had control of the stage, it’s the first time we’ve had this size set, this size of production. And it’s gonna be neat to go in, and you can kind of feel the energy already, even though we’re a couple of weeks away. You can feel it building. I mean, every day gets ya a little closer. It’s like a distant drum that gets louder and louder, and I’m excited. Usually, in touring season, I’m dreading starting again, because I don’t feel like we had enough time off. Every year, it gets shorter and shorter. This is the first year that I mean, I’m chomping at the bit. My band’s been chomping at the bit. We’re ready to get out there and play, and we’re as excited as we’ve ever been, and I think it’ll translate to the show.”