• LUKE BRYAN AND TODAY SHOW TAKE FANS BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF HIS FINAL SPRING BREAK SHOW.

    Go behind-the-scenes with the Today Show as Jenna Bush shadows Luke Bryan for the day during one of his two final Spring Break shows last week.

    Luke is now in stores with his seventh and final Spring Break album, Checkin’ Out.

    Video / Today Show with Luke Bryan at final Spring Break

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  • LUKE BRYAN CELEBRATES FINAL SPRING BREAK SHOWS WITH MORE THAN 400,000!

    2015 Spring Break KP Entertainment

    2015 Spring Break aerial 2 Monaco
    NASHVILLE, TN – (March 13, 2015)  – Luke Bryan wrapped his seventh and final year of two-day Spring Break concerts at the Spinnaker Beach Club in Panama City Beach, Florida yesterday.  Record breaking crowds swelled the beach area east and west of the club’s over flow and also bled to the Gulf water’s edge.  Local officials estimated over 200,000 fans gathered each day.
    The spring break albums and concerts began in 2009 as a way to get new music out to Luke’s fans between studio releases.  This year’s release, Spring Break…Checkin’ Out, is available in record stores, as well as digitally, now and contains five new songs all co-written by Luke plus all six songs from last year’s EP.  Luke’s collection of all six previous Spring Break releases combined have over 1.1 million sales to date.
     
    Today’s Jenna Bush was on hand to cover the final event with a story airing this coming Monday, March 16.  CMT’sHOT 20 show was also on tap with Katie Cook.   Fans can tune-in to watch the fun on CMT on March 21 & 22.
    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.  In 2014, he achieved the best touring year of his career with 1.7 million fans attending his concerts.  
    In the past two-weeks Luke played his first-ever shows in Europe and on May 22 the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will open a summer exhibit “Luke Bryan: Dirt Road Diary.  On May 8, Luke will kick-off his new “Kick The Dust Up Tour.”   
    Luke is the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year and will co-host the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards with Blake Shelton for a third consecutive year on April 19, 2015.
     
    Visit www.LukeBryan.com or follow Luke on Twitter @LukeBryanOnline, Instagram and Facebook.

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about the title track of his new Spring Break album, Checkin’ Out.

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    Luke Bryan (Checkin’ Out) OC: …the album. :47
    “‘Checkin’ Out’ is kind of a tricky name for the last Spring Break album, but the song ‘Checkin’ Out’ it’s kind of like checking into…the payoff line is checking in to like a good time but checking out of kind of reality in the real world, and it’s kind of involving – anyway, it’s a fun song. We took a different route on this one. We typically go big drums, big guitars, big instruments and we kind of did an acoustic version of this thing. Really, really broke down. We did put an electric guitar in it. But it was fun to let the band just kind of jam and pick and I think it turned out great and it obviously was a song that was the right song for the title of the album.”

  • 33RD ANNUAL GEORGE STRAIT TEAM ROPING CLASSIC AWARDS OVER $740,000 IN PRIZES.

    SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Saturday, March 14, 2015) — The George Strait Team Roping Classic (GSTRC) is the largest open Team Roping event in America and, now in its 33rd year, the two-day event has awarded over $4 million in prize money to date. This year’s event was no exception drawing 685 teams of the greatest Team Ropers alive with over $740,000 awarded in cash prizes. After over 18 hours of competition, Clay Tryan of Lipan, Texas and Travis Graves of Morgan Mill, Texas roped 3-head in 13.95 seconds and were crowded winners and split $272,640 in prize money (full breakdown of rankings below). In addition, the pair also won 2015 Chevrolet Silverado Dually pickups from Cavender Chevrolet in Boerne, Texas and Bruton Strait Xtreme Trailers.

    Friday’s festivities drew 1,370 ropers from all over the country, but eventually dwindled competitors down to the Top 50 teams leading into Saturday’s competition.

    Saturday began with the Top 50 team finalists on horseback inside the arena alongside their host, George Straitwho addressed the arena attendees and participants and welcomed them back to the San Antonio Rose Palace. Before exiting and the festivities beginning, roper JD Yates rode in on a 4 year old American Quarter Horse, from owner Dean Tuffin, named DT Elenor Shine Whiz and, much to Strait’s surprise, was presented to Strait himself in recognition of his passion for the event over the years.

    “It’s been 33 years of fun, and I had no idea we’d given away so much,” an always reverent Strait responded upon hearing the tally of the prizes bestowed to teams over the years. “Time flies when you’re having fun. This means so much to me, thank you!”

    In between the 1st and 2nd Go, Lieutenant General Leroy Sisco, U.S. Army (Retired), joined Strait in the Arena for a very special moment and the two continued their tradition of presenting a home as part of the Military Warriors Support Foundation (MWSF) “Homes 4 Wounded Heroes” (H4WH). Corporal Leland Arledge, a purple heart recipient, and his wife Jennifer were recognized as 52nd recipients from Strait, receiving a mortgage free home in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The presentation marked the MWSF’s 640th home bestowal with over $150 million in homes presented to date through the non-profit.

    Following the 3rd Go, the scores were tallied and Tryan and Graves were determined champions. Strait was on hand for the event, and congratulated the winners and presented their awards.

    George Strait Team Roping Classic Final Results

    1st        13.95   Clay Tryan and Travis Graves

    2nd       14.38   Cord Crowell and Camish Jennings

    3rd        15.16   Dustin Bird and Paul Eaves

    4th        15.35   Chad Masters and Travis Graves

    5th        15.52   Arky Rogers and Kyle Lawrence

    6th        16.12   Clayton Hass and Jory Levy

    7th        16.25   Adam Rose and Byron Wilkerson

    8th        16.33   Levi Simpson and Jeremy Buhler

     

    Go Rounds

    1st Go 4.42 Dustin Bird and Kollin VonAhn

    2nd Go 4.68 Cale Markham and Buddy Hawkins

    3rd Go 3.89 Kaleb Drigger and Junior Nogueira

    Friday Fast Time Overall (Buckle recipients)

    4.26     Clay Smith and Paul Eaves

    Friday Fast Time on 2 (Buckle recipients)

    9.78     Levi Simpson and Jeremy Buhler

    The event was originally conceived as a small family roping gathering by George Strait and his brother Buddy in 1982, is now one of the most prestigious open team roping competitions in the country and consistently attracts the biggest names in the sport.

    About George Strait

    George Strait is the undeniable “King of Country Music.”  His music career spans more than 30 years; includes 60 No. 1 singles, more than any other artist in any genre; and boasts 33 platinum or multi-platinum-selling albums, more than any country artist and third across all genres behind only The Beatles and Elvis Presley.  Strait is the only act in history to have a Top 10 hit every single year for over three decades.  Strait has sold more than 68.5 million albums and has earned more than 60 major entertainment industry awards including his most recent Entertainer of the Year sweep at both the Country Music Association Awards (Nov. 2013) and the Academy of Country Music Awards (April 2014). 

    Strait, whose name has become synonymous with “real country” since his 1981 debut, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.  He has since released four more albums, including the GRAMMY Award-winning Troubadour.  In 2013, Strait set out on The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, selling over 1,000,000 tickets to the record-breaking, two-year, cross-country final concert tour. Strait shattered the North American indoor concert attendance record by drawing 104,793 concert-goers to his June 7, 2014 tour finale at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

    Strait continues to record new music for longtime label home, MCA Records Nashville.

    For more information, please visit www.georgestrait.com.

  • LUKE BRYAN LEAVES BEHIND A LEGACY OF FUN DURING HIS SPRING BREAK SHOWS.

    Luke Bryan played his final Spring Break show Thursday night (March 12th), and the legacy he will leave will be of fun.

    “When they’re having kids, they’re telling their kids how we used to go stand on the beach to see a free show that I put on, and that’s their memory,” says Luke. “That’s their time of their life where they’re having the most fun – they don’t know it’s the most fun period of their life – but it’s gonna be cool that forever if you were at any of those shows through any of those years, I think you can take away that day and that moment and remember being there forever, which is cool. That’s a great legacy. I think it doesn’t have to be really any more complex than, ‘Man, I was there, just being young and having fun. I met your mama there.’ [laughs]”

    Luke covered Bruno Mars‘ “Uptown Funk” during his Wednesday show in Panama City Beach, Florida.

    Luke just released his seventh and final Spring Break album, Checkin’ Out.

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about the legacy his Spring Break shows will leave once he’s done.

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    Luke Bryan (Spring Break legacy) OC: …mama there. [laughs] :38
    “When they’re having kids, they’re telling their kids how we used to go stand on the beach to see a free show that I put on, and that’s their memory. That’s their time of their life where they’re having the most fun – they don’t know it’s the most fun period of their life – but it’s gonna be cool that forever if you were at any of those shows through any of those years, I think you can take away that day and that moment and remember being there forever, which is cool. That’s a great legacy. I think it doesn’t have to be really any more complex than, ‘Man, I was there, just being young and having fun. I met your mama there.’ [laughs]”

    Video / Luke Bryan Spring Breakdown

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Alan, Sam, Mickey, Keith

    Alan Jackson has been announced as the headliner for this year’s Rock the South Festival June 19-20 in Cullman, Alabama. Brantley Gilbert, Blackberry Smoke, Travis Tritt, Tyler Farr and Sara Evans will also perform during the festival.

    Sam Hunt once again tops Billboard’s Country Album chart this week with Montevallo. The record sold nearly 16,000 units this past week. Coming in second is Shania Twain’s new collection, Still the One: Live From Vegas.

    Mickey Guyton will appear on Access Hollywood on Monday, March 30th as part of the program’s Access Breakthrough Week, which will spotlight a new artist each day. Her Good Morning America performance, which was set to air last week, was rescheduled for Monday (March 16th).

    Keith Urban won International Artist of the Year and International Video of the Year for “Cop Car” at the 5th Annual CMC Music Awards this week. He didn’t attend the awards, since he was in L.A. for the new season of American Idol. While Keith wasn’t there, a few of Nashville’s acts were attended and performed on the show, and they included Lady Antebellum, Kacey Musgraves, Lee Brice and Maddie & Tae.

  • JON PARDI HAS BEEN CHOSEN AS NRA COUNTRY’S FEATURED ARTIST OF THE MONTH.

    Rising country star and outdoor enthusiast Jon Pardi has been chosen as NRA Country’s Featured Artist for March. The California native has received high praise for his debut album,Write You A Song, featuring hits “Up All Night” and “Missin’ You Crazy.” Pardi was hand-picked by country legend Alan Jackson to join him on his 25th anniversary Keepin’ It Country Tour this spring, hitting Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on April 11th, presented by NRA. In between touring with Alan Jackson and selling-out his own headlining shows, Pardi is writing and recording music for his upcoming sophomore album.

    “Outside of being on stage, my favorite place to be is outdoors. I grew up in rural Dixon, CA and I’ve been hunting with my father ever since I was a young boy,” says Pardi.  “He taught me how to hunt and shoot, firearm safety and have respect for the outdoors.”

    As part of the NRA Country promotion, fans can check out an exclusive performance video starting today, with a new one premiering each Monday in March and register to win a Jon Pardi prize pack including a t-shirt, #pardianimal koozie, and an autographed Write You A Song cd.  Have a question for Jon? Pardi fans can personally chat with him on Wednesday, March 25th at 6:00PM CT/7:00PM ET via Twitter. Tweet questions starting now @NRACountry using #NRACPardiChat. Visit www.nracountry.com to learn more!

    As an NRA Country Featured Artist, Jon Pardi joins some of country music’s biggest artists including Florida Georgia Line, Lee Brice, Frankie Ballard, Love and Theft, Easton Corbin, Eric Paslay, Craig Morgan, Chase Rice, The Swon Brothers and many more, in teaming up to celebrate their support of our brave men and women in uniform, appreciation for the great outdoors, and love of family.

    Learn more and get NRA Country Connected at www.NRACountry.com!  Fans can keep up with Jon Pardi by visiting his web site at jonpardi.com or by following him on Twitter @JonPardi.

    About NRA Country: Respect. Honor. Freedom. It’s a lifestyle and a bond between the best and brightest in country music and hard-working Americans. NRA Country is powered by pride, love of country, respect for the military, and our responsibility to protect our great American lifestyle. NRA Country celebrates these values with concerts and events benefiting military and veteran services organizations, first responders, conservation organizations, firearm safety programs, and local charities making a difference in their communities. Get NRA Country Connected at www.nracountry.com and get the latest artist info and exclusive events on Facebook,  Twitter, Instagram, andPinterest.

  • ERIC PASLAY RELEASES THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR ‘SHE DON’T LOVE YOU.’

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. – EMI Records Nashville’s Eric Paslay (pass-lay) premieres the video for his heartbreakingly beautiful single “She Don’t Love You” today on VEVO.  This is the third single from Eric’s self-titled album debut which also includes the No. 1 “Friday Night” and Top 15 “Song About A Girl”. Co-written with Jennifer Wayne, “She Don’t Love You” is currently Top 20 and climbing the country radio charts.

    Paslay collaborated with director Wes Edwards again who directed the video “Song About A Girl.”  The “She Don’t Love You” video was shot at the Staar Theatre, a historic opera house in Pulaski, Tenn. and captures the gripping ballad’s introspective story of love lost.

    View the official “She Don’t Love You” video here.

    Paslay has celebrated five No. 1 singles as a songwriter including “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” (Eli Young Band), “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” (Jake Owen), “Angel Eyes” (Love & Theft), “Rewind” (Rascal Flatts) and “Friday Night” which was his first single from his self-titled debut album. The Texas native has made appearances on ABC’s Good Morning AmericaFox & Friends and The Queen Latifah Show over the last year. Paslay has been nominated for a GRAMMY, ACM and CMA award for his songwriting on “Even If It Breaks Your Heart.”

    Paslay is currently on his headlining Make Every Night Friday Night tour with upcoming stops in Grand Rapids, Mich., Cincinnati, Ohio and Breckenridge, Colo. He recently wrapped the cross-country Riser tour with Dierks Bentley and has previously shared the stage with Little Big Town, Thomas Rhett and Brantley Gilbert. For a full listing of tour dates, visit EricPaslay.com

    “She Don’t Love You” Lyrics

     

    She don’t love you, she’s just lonely

    She wasn’t once upon a time

    She used to dance when the band played

    She used to be the trustin’ kind

     

    She’s no stranger to the leaving

    She’s heard all the best goodbyes

    Fallin’ has a different meaning

    To her, you’re just another guy

     

    Chorus:

    She don’t love you, she’s just lonely

    She don’t know another way

    To break free from what’s been broken

    Too many cowboys rode away

    So, forgive her if she’s distant

    She can’t tell her heart to lie, no

    You’ll never be her one and only

    She don’t love you, she’s just lonely

     

    You can hold her in the moonlight

    You can give her all the stars

    You can promise her forever

    But you’ll never have her heart

     

    Repeat Chorus

     

    She don’t love you

    She don’t love you, she’s just lonely

    She wasn’t once upon a time

    I remember her in the sunlight

    I remember her when she was mine

    Mine

     

    EricPaslay.com | Facebook.com/EricPaslay | Twitter.com/EricPaslay

    Video / Eric Paslay She Don't Love You

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

    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.
  • LUKE BRYAN’S HALL OF FAME EXHIBIT WILL OPEN MAY 22ND.

    NASHVILLE, Tenn., – March 11, 2015 – The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will explore the life and career of reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan with the summer exhibition Luke Bryan: Dirt Road Diary, which opens May 22nd and runs through November 8th. The exhibition will examine the singer-songwriter’s roots and rise to stardom. Since beginning his music career in the mid-2000s, Bryan has gone from co-writing songs for other artists to selling millions of records, filling concert arenas, and receiving prestigious music awards. With an emphasis on his phenomenal success in 2014, the exhibit will also look back at his life, from growing up the son of a peanut farmer in south Georgia to his poignant, leap-of-faith move to Nashville. Fans will see stage clothes, instruments, awards, photos, and other unique memorabilia from Bryan’s personal collection.
    “I remember bringing my parents to visit the museum and dreaming of something like this one day. Now to have an exhibit about my life that my family, friends, and fans can come and see is just so cool,” said Bryan.
    “In one of Luke Bryan’s songs,” said Museum Director Kyle Young, “he says: ‘If you want to know the real me / Just turn the page in my dirt road diary.'” In this exhibiton, Luke is an open book, sharing insights into his life and music with museum visitors. He joins Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert in the list of contemporary artists featured in special summer exhibits that look at country music stardom in the twenty-first century.”
    Since the release of his first album, in 2007, Bryan has placed 12 singles at #1 and sold millions of albums and digital tracks. He has been named Entertainer of the Year by both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association. Bryan’s latest album, Crash My Party, is certified double platinum, for sales of over two million copies. The set generated six consecutive #1 singles: “That’s My Kind of Night,” “Crash My Party,” “Drink a Beer,” Play It Again,” “Roller Coaster” and “I See You.”  Bryan made Billboard chart history when he became the first artist to hold the top two positions on the trade publications Country Airplay chart since it began in 1990.
    Bryan played to 1.7 million fans last year, and in 2015 he will perform in Europe for the first time. Yesterday, he released his final Spring Break album, Spring Break…Checkin’ Out. The Georgia native embarks in May on a new tour, the Kick the Dust Up Tour.
    The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, Bryan will co-host the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards with Blake Shelton on April 19.
  • DARIUS RUCKER ANNOUNCES SIXTH ‘DARIUS AND FRIENDS’ BENEFIT CONCERT.

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Wednesday, March 11, 2015) – For the sixth year in a row, Platinum-selling country artist Darius Rucker will host his annual “Darius and Friends” benefit concert in Nashville, Tenn. on Monday, June 8 at the Wildhorse Saloon, benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  The event has received an overwhelming response in past years, with consistent sellouts and over $439,000 raised in total, and fans have come to look forward to kicking off CMA Fest with Rucker and his friends. Friends performing with Darius in past years have included Luke Bryan, Radney Foster, Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, Charles Kelley (Lady Antebellum), Dustin Lynch, Justin Moore, Jerrod Niemann and Kenny Rogers, among others. The lineup for this year’s event will be announced in the coming weeks.  

    An exclusive pre-sale for Darius Rucker Fan Club members will begin Wednesday, March 11 at 11 a.m. CDT with general on sale opening at 11 a.m. CDT on Friday, March 13.  A sixth consecutive sell-out is inevitable, so fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets early.  Prices start at $35 for General Admission and go up to $100 for VIP table options.  Tickets will be available through the Wildhorse Saloon box office (615-902-8200 x1), www.WildhorseSaloon.com, andwww.DariusRucker.com.

    The Darius and Friends Celebrity Golf Tournament will take place June 9. Last year, the charity concert, auction and celebrity golf tournament raised over $120,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, shattering previous years’ records. Rucker hopes to top past year’s totals to further benefit the pediatric treatment and research facility.

    Darius and Friends Annual Tee-Off benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is sponsored by State Water Heaters. 

    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.