NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 2, 2015) – Darius Rucker has put together an exciting lineup of some of today’s best country music performers for his sixth annual “Darius and Friends” benefit concert June 8 at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville.

A Thousand Horses, Brett Eldredge, Brothers Osborne,Little Big Town and country music legend Steve Wariner will join Rucker at the Wildhorse Saloon to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

With a surprise guest yet to be announced and Nan Kellyof GAC hosting, the fundraiser will mark the kickoff to an exciting week in Nashville when the entire constellation of country stars are in town for the CMA Music Festival. The event has always sold out and has raised more than $400,000 for cancer research and treatment in past years. The next day Rucker will host his yearly Darius and Friends Celebrity Tee-Off, a golf tournament that also benefits St. Jude and is sponsored by State Water Heaters. Rucker raised a record $120,000 last year between the benefit concert, golf tournament and auction.

For more information on Darius and Friends, please visit www.DariusRucker.com.  

About State Water Heaters
For nearly 70 years, State Water Heaters has built dependable, long lasting water heaters for commercial and residential applications. State offers over 500 water heater products, and has consistently developed new technologies to ensure longer product life. Based in Ashland City, Tennessee, State has seven water heater manufacturing plants. Hundreds of distribution centers across the United States ensure efficient service to State’s national customer base of residential homeowners, wholesalers, contractors, and other members of the engineering community. All State products are backed by customer technical support and durable tank and parts warranty. For more information, please visit www.StateWaterHeaters.com.

About St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Since opening 50 years ago, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has changed the way the world treats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. No family ever pays St. Jude for the care their child receives and, for every child treated here, thousands more have been saved worldwide through St. Jude discoveries. The hospital has played a pivotal role in pushing U.S. pediatric cancer survival rates from 20 to 80 percent overall, and is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted to children. It is also a leader in the research and treatment of blood disorders and infectious diseases in children. St. Jude was founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas, who believed that no child should die in the dawn of life. Join that mission by visiting stjude.org or following us on facebook.com/stjude and twitter.com/stjude.      

Billy Currington performs his 10th No. 1 single, “Don’t It,” on NBC’s Today Show on Tuesday (June 2nd), the same day his Summer Forever album is released.

Billy Currington‘s new album, Summer Forever, is now available (Tuesday, June 2nd). Billy’s sixth studio album features his 10th No. 1 single, “Don’t It,” as well as his new single, “Drinkin’ Town With a Football Problem.”

Billy worked with producer Dann Huff (Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts) on the 12-song collection, continuing their working relationship which began with his last album, We Are Tonight. The album also includes the heartfelt “It Don’t Hurt Like It Used To,” which the Georgia native co-wrote with Cary Barlowe and Shy Carter.

He titled the album after one the songs featured on the record, “partly because it’s my life – summer and sunshine, beach, ocean and all that – and I think some of the songs on the album reflect that, and it just felt like a great title.”

Billy will be playing some of the songs from his new album when he hits the road on Tim McGraw‘s Shotgun Rider Tour, which kicks off Friday, June 4th in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Kip Moore‘s highly anticipated sophomore album on MCA Nashville, WILD ONES, is set for release August 21st. Fans can pre-order the album with an exclusive merch package here.

“WILD ONES really encompasses everything I’ve been through out on the road since the first album, it embodies us as a band every night out on stage, it alludes to the traveling circus it sometimes feels like we are a part of,” said Moore. “I’m so glad that I’m able to finally let the fans know when to expect what we’ve been working on so passionately for the past couple years, to let them know the wait is nearly over.”

Each song on the 13-track disc was born on the road during soundchecks, inside backstage dressing rooms and in Moore’s bunk at night, and recorded during “time off” from playing more than 200 shows a year.

Driven forward by electric guitars and gang vocals, “Lipstick” is the album’s most heartfelt tribute to the road, with each verse rattling off a list of the favorite cities Moore and his bandmates have played in the past. Other songs, like “That Was Us,” take a look backward, sketching a picture of the archetypal small-town Saturday nights that filled Moore’s teenage years in Georgia. “Magic,” anchored by one of the anthemic, open-armed choruses of Moore’s career, is loud and lovely, and “Comeback Kid” packs its punch the opposite way: by dialing back the volume and delivering quiet praise to the underdog in all of us.  The new album also features the playful lead single, “I’m To Blame,” which is climbing the country radio charts now.

“I’m truly hoping that people just simply love the project that I’ve worked so hard on,” says a heartfelt Kip. “I hope that people take the time to actually listen to this record as a whole, as a whole body of work and appreciate what we’ve done as a band, and I hope that it puts us to the next level.”

WILD ONES TRACK LIST:

1. Wild Ones (Kip Moore, Chris DeStefano, Brett James)
2. Come And Get It (Kip Moore, Brett James, Manny Medina)
3. Girl of Summer (Kip Moore, Troy Verges, Blair Daly)
4. Magic (Kip Moore, Westin Davis, Luke Dick)
5. That Was Us (Kip Moore, Westin Davis, Dan Couch)
6. Lipstick (Kip Moore, Justin Weaver, David Frasier, Westin Davis)
7. What Ya Got On Tonight (Kip Moore, Troy Verges, Blair Daly)
8. Heart’s Desire (Kip Moore, Dan Couch, Adam Browder, Erich Wigdahl)
9. Complicated (Kip Moore, Chris DeStefano, Rodney Clawson)
10. I’m To Blame (Kip Moore, Justin Weaver, Westin Davis)
11. That’s Alright With Me (Kip Moore, Dan Couch, Luke Dick)
12. Running For You (Kip Moore, Troy Verges, Blair Daly)
13. Comeback Kid (Kip Moore, Erik Dylan, Ross Copperman, Jeff Hyde)WILD ONES follows Moore’s debut album, UP ALL NIGHT, which scored three No. One hit singles and notched two PLATINUM certifications with “Hey Pretty Girl” selling over 1 million and “Somethin’ ‘Bout A Truck” earning DOUBLE PLATINUM status.  This summer, Moore will bring his “high energy set” (Rolling Stone) out on the road with Dierks Bentley for his 2015 Sounds of Summer Tour.

For more information, visit www.kipmoore.net

Billy Currington is getting ready to release his new album, Summer Forever, featuring his current No. 1 single, “Don’t It.” So, we found out what he really thinks about summer.

“The thing I like most about summer is being warm,” he laughs. “I’m a big fan of not being cold. I grew up in the warmth. I grew up in the sunshine most of the year. We probably had one month of some cool weather down in South Georgia. So, every time summer comes, I think beach, I think lakes, whatever, just being outside.”

When summer came around when Billy was growing up, you could always find him with a surfboard in hand down near the beach. “That’s basically what I did. I lived and breathed the ocean, fortunately because I lived on it, or close to it, and it works for me,” says Billy. “Everything that it has to offer is everything that I am.”

Summer Forever will be available beginning Tuesday (June 2nd).

Nashville, Tennessee – (May 27, 2015) – The Grand Ole Opry and iHeart Radio are readying their rosters as they prepare to strike out cancer at the City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game. More than 25 music and sports stars will step up to the plate for this 25^thanniversary event, taking place June 13 from the new First Tennessee Park during CMA Music Festival. Tickets are available now at http://bit.ly/csg15pr.

Country standouts Angie Johnson, Bret Michaels, Bucky Covington, Deana Carter, JT Hodges, Phil Vassar and The Bobby Bones Show, along with Titans cornerback Perrish Cox and current and former Nashville Predators players Seth Jones and Stu Grimson, will play alongside previously announced participants Aaron Watson, Charles Esten, Chuck Wicks, Lauren Alaina, Lindsay Ell, Little Big Town, Love and Theft, and Vince Gill to strike out cancer with City of Hope. Winning StageIt performers SaraBethand Doug McCormick will also take to the field for the anniversary event. CMT After Midnite’s Cody Alan and The Crook and Chase Countdown’s Lorianne Crook will emcee and offer play-by-plays for the thousands of fans in attendance.

Team Opry: Aaron Watson, Bucky Covington, Charles Esten, Chuck Wicks, Deana Carter, Eric Gunderson (Love And Theft), JT Hodges, Jimi Westbrook (Little Big Town), Kimberly Schlapman (Little Big Town), Phil Vassar, SaraBeth, Stu Grimson and Vince Gill.

Team iHeart Radio: Angie Johnson, Bret Michaels, Doug McCormick, Karen Fairchild (Little Big Town), Lauren Alaina, Lindsay Ell, Perrish Cox, Phillip Sweet (Little Big Town), Seth Jones, Stephen Barker Liles (Love And Theft) plus The Bobby Bones Show’s Bobby Bones, Eddie and Lunchbox.

Joining the lineup is Music City native Stephen Bess, who received lifesaving treatment for acute lymphocytic leukemia more than two years ago at City of Hope. He and his genetically matched stem cell donor, who reside nine time zones apart, will meet for the very first time in a special ceremony before taking the field for the 25th Annual Celebrity Softball Game.

A pioneer in the treatment of bone and blood marrow diseases, City of Hope has performed more than 12,000 lifesaving bone marrow transplants. It also is a leading biomedical research institute for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses. The City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game, presented by Staples and sponsored by PEOPLE Country, raises funds for that research.

Each year, the Celebrity Softball Game regularly features some of Country Music’s biggest and hottest stars. Over the years, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Scotty McCreery, Vince Gill and many more have taken to the field in support of City of Hope’s lifesaving mission.

City of Hope is an independent biomedical research institution and comprehensive cancer center where scientists and physicians quickly transform scientific discoveries into better treatments and prevention strategies for people around the world. Support from the Nashville community and its country music artists directly benefit City of Hope’s mission to find cures for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.

Tickets for the game can be purchased through Ticketmaster. Get more information on the game and the line-up of celebrities at www.cityofhope.org/softball. Those not able to attend the game can still support the cause. A variety of unique merchandise and experiences, including meet-and-greets with the hottest artists, will be available for bid at charitybuzz.com. The proceeds will benefit City of Hope’s mission to eradicate cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Learn more about the game HERE. To request media credentials for the 25^th Annual City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game, apply HERE.

Suggested Tweet: Teams @iHeartRadio vs @opry are readying rosters to #strikeoutcancer @cityofhope Celeb Softball Game 6/13 @firsttnpark get tixhttp://bit.ly/csg15pr

About City of Hope
City of Hope is an independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Designated as a comprehensive cancer center, the highest recognition bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, City of Hope is also a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, with research and treatment protocols that advance care throughout the nation. City of Hope’s main hospital is located in Duarte, California, just northeast of Los Angeles. It is ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” in cancer by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation and genetics.

George Strait contributed the original song, “Take Me To Texas” – written by Shane McAnally and Brandy Clark, to the soundtrack of The History Channel’s mini-series, Texas Rising, which premiered Monday night (May 25th).

George says he was happy to contribute to the soundtrack, especially considering his love of the Lonestar State.

“I’ve always said Texas is the greatest state, you know, bar none…I was born here and raised in Texas, and the only other time I ever lived anywhere else was when I was in the Army, and so I wouldn’t think of calling anyplace else home. This is my home,” says the Country Music Hall of Famer. “When they asked me if I would think about doing this song for the soundtrack or wherever it’s gonna be in the Texas Rising — it’s a film for the History Channel, it’s a series, and it’s really cool…It’s about The Alamo and the history of how Texas came about and all of that, so…and the song is great. I love it. So, it didn’t take me long to decide, ‘Yeah, I want to do it.’”

Kris Kristofferson, who plays Andrew Jackson in the mini-series event, also appears on the soundtrack, having recorded a remake of the Tom Petty classic, “I Won’t Back Down.”

Bill Paxton, Ray Liotta, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Oliver Martinez, Brendan Fraser and Thomas Jane star in the action-packed mini-series about the history of Texas.

George has hit the airwaves with his latest single, “Let It Go,” which is the first release from his forthcoming studio album.

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.

Lady Antebellum are in the midst of their Wheels Up 2015 Tour. Check out how it’s put all together below.

Lady Antebellum are currently making their way up the country charts with their latest single, “Long Stretch of Love,” from their album, 747.