ALAN JACKSON CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF 'HERE IN THE REAL WORLD.'

ALAN JACKSON CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF ‘HERE IN THE REAL WORLD.’

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (February 24, 2015) – On February 27, 1990, country superstar Alan Jackson released his landmark debut album Here In The Real World. The album, certified Double Platinum by the RIAA for sales of over two million, spawned four no. 1 hits including his trademark self-penned hit of same name, “Here In The Real World,” as well as his self-penned hits “Wanted,” “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow,” and “I’d Love You All Over Again.”

Jackson, currently on his 25th Anniversary KEEPIN’ IT COUNTRY TOUR, will be celebrating the anniversary with his fans at the Nokia Theatre LA LIVE in Los Angeles, CA on the actual anniversary date this week of Friday, February 27, 2015. Fans in attendance will be receiving a special limited edition commemorative poster celebrating Here In The Real World’s 25th anniversary.

Since the release of Here In The Real World, Jackson has released 22 albums including two Christmas albums, two gospel albums and three Greatest Hits collections. The man from rural Newnan, GA, who claims he is just a “singer of simple songs,” has gone on to sell 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 26 Billboard #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.

Alan Jackson’s 25th Anniversary KEEPIN’ IT COUNTRY TOUR, sponsored by Kubota Tractor Corporation, continues to be a memorable celebration for his longtime fans as well as legions of new fans who are discovering his music through the many songs that 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 will hear the songs they love 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.

Alan Jackson’s 25th Anniversary KEEPIN’ IT COUNTRY TOUR:

FEB 27             Los Angeles, CA    Nokia Theatre LA LIVE
FEB 28             Phoenix, AZ    Ak-Chin Pavilion
**MAR 06       Dallas (Grand Prairie), TX              Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie**
^MAR 07           Houston, TX    Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo
MAR 27           Augusta, GA                                      James Brown Arena
MAR 28           Greenville, SC    Bon Secours Wellness Arena
APR 09            Wilmington, NC                                North Carolina Azalea Festival
APR 11    Nashville, TN    Bridgestone Arena
APR 17 Kansas City (Independence), MO Independence Events Center
APR 18 Enid, OK                                             Enid Event Center
APR 24 St. Augustine, FL                               Augustine Amphitheatre
APR 25 Roanoke, VA Berglund Center Coliseum
MAY 01           Sioux City, IA Tyson Events Center
MAY 02           Brookings, SD Swiftel Center
MAY 08           Green Bay, WI                                   Resch Center
MAY 09           Bloomington, IL                                US Cellular Coliseum
MAY 16           Salt Lake City (West Valley City), UT USANA Amphitheatre
MAY 17           Denver (Morrison), CO                     Red Rocks Amphitheatre
^JUNE 20        Cullman, AL    Rock The South Festival
^JULY 7           Calgary, AB, CANADA    Cowboys Stampede
^JULY 28         Paso Robles, CA California Mid-State Fair
^AUG 30         St. Paul , MN                                      Minnesota State Fair
^SEPT 26         Panama City Beach, FL Chasin’ The Sun Music Festival

**Jon Pardi and Ashley Monroe opening
^ Alan Jackson only (Jon Pardi and Brandy Clark not on bill)

Jackson’s tour is an extension of the already 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 has been extended 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.

Tickets and information for all KEEPIN’ IT COUNTRY TOUR dates will be available via local outlets and by visitingwww.alanjackson.com, where you can find information about Alan, his tour schedule, music and more

SHANIA TWAIN HAD FAMILIAL SUPPORT IN VEGAS.

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Shania Twain

When Shania Twain agreed to do her residency at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, she had to know she’d have some special support on stage. Her sister Carrie Ann had to agree to be one of her backup singers.

“The idea of going back on the stage again scared me at the beginning. It was intimidating, and I had to build up a lot of courage to take the plunge, because I knew that once I made the commitment, there was no turning back,” said Shania. “So, right at that moment, I realized that to take the plunge I needed to know that I was going to have some support there. And so my sister Carrie, being a beautiful singer herself and we’re very close…I said to her I’ll do this because she was encouraging me. ‘Oh yeah, come on. You can do it. You can do it.’ And so I said ‘Well, listen, how about if you do it, I’ll do it? We’ll do it together.’ And that was just really a turning point for me knowing that she was into the idea of participating and not just being there behind the scenes, but taking that plunge as well. And I felt like I was sharing some of that weight, and really [it] just helps like logically.”

You can see Carrie Ann when Shania’s Still the One Live From Las Vegas CD & DVD collection arrives in stores on Tuesday, March 3rd.

Shania Twain (having sister with her) OC: …in general. 1:09
“The idea of going back on the stage again scared me at the beginning. It was intimidating, and I had to build up a lot of courage to take the plunge because I knew that once I made the commitment there was no turning back. So, that was a big moment. So, right at that moment, I realized that to take the plunge I needed to know that I was going to have some support there. And so my sister Carrie, being a beautiful singer herself and we’re very close, she said well – well actually I said to her I’ll do this because she was encouraging me. ‘Oh yeah, come on. You can do it. You can do it.’ And so I said ‘Well, listen, how about if you do it, I’ll do it? We’ll do it together.’ And that was just really a turning point for me knowing that she was into the idea of participating and not just being there behind the scenes, but taking that plunge as well. And I felt like I was sharing some of that weight, and really [it] just helps like logically. Even though I’m still up there – I mean, I know in my mind, of course, I’m still out there up front by myself in my own moments and all eyes are on me, but the people that share the stage with you really do make a big difference in your just moral support in general.”

SCOTTY McCREERY PERFORMS WITH R&B SUPERSTAR CHARLIE WILSON.

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Scotty Mccreery

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (Feb. 20, 2015) – Mercury Nashville / 19 / Interscope recording artist Scotty McCreery was invited by R&B superstar Charlie Wilson to join him on stage last Wednesday night (Feb. 18) during the soul singer’s show at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. As the surprised crowd screamed with delight, McCreery sang a personalized chorus of Wilson’s hit “Charlie, Last Name Wilson”…although perhaps the song should be renamed “Scotty, Last Name McCreery” for that one performance.

McCreery has been a fan of Wilson’s since the young singer/songwriter was in 8th grade and heard the song “Charlie, Last Name Wilson” on the radio. The North Carolina-native took a group of family and friends to see the show and was surprised himself when Wilson sent word that he wanted McCreery to join him on stage. The two singers spent some time after the show getting to know each other.

“That was a night I’ll never forget,” said McCreery. “Charlie is an amazing performer and such a gentleman. I never expected to meet him, let alone be asked to join him on stage – that was a huge honor.”

In other McCreery news, the life-long sports fan will make a return appearance on Sports Illustrated’s live online show “SI Now” this Monday, Feb. 23 at 1:00 PM/ET (12:00 PM/CT) broadcast on SI.com. He recently appeared on the show last week when “SI Now” was broadcasting live from Nashville.

To see up-close video of McCreery and Wilson onstage via YouTube, click here. (CHECK IT OUT BELOW(

To see video of the performance with better audio that was shot further away from stage, click here.

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 Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City, Florida on Feb. 27 and the Sunrise Theater in Ft. Pierce, Florida on Feb. 28. He will join Rascal Flatts on the road this summer beginning in May. For more information and additional tour dates, visit www.scottymccreery.com.

LUKE BRYAN TV TAKES YOU BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE COUNTRY SUPERSTAR’S FIRST WEEKEND OF HIS 2015 TOUR.

Luke Bryan

Luke Bryan hits the road again with new tour mates Randy Houser and Dustin Lynch. Check out how the first weekend went below.

ERIC CHURCH AND HIS WIFE KATHERINE WELCOME THEIR SECOND CHILD.

Eric Church and his wife Katherine welcomed their second child, Tennessee Hawkins Church on Sunday (February 15^th). Hawk weighed in at 6 lbs. and 12 ounces and was 21 inches long. He joins big brother Boone McCoy, who was born October 2011.

“I’m thrilled that Hawk and his mom are doing well,” Church says in a statement. “We aren’t sleeping very much, but we are enjoying every part of this incredible journey. I’m very blessed and thankful.”

He originally hinted at the news during a stop on The Outsiders World Tour last Fall. Eric was performing his 2006 single “Sinners Like Me” in Louisville, Kentucky on September 25th, when he altered the lyrics to the song to reflect his growing family.

While the original lyrics read, “Well now maybe who knows one day I’ll settle down / Give my dad a grandson of his own,” Eric said in the second line, adding, “Give my dad another grandson!”

NEWS AND NOTES: Lady A, Keith, LBT, Billy, Kacey, Dierks and more

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Billy Currington / Dierks Bentley / Kacey Musgraves / Keith Urban / Lady Antebellum / Little Big Town

Lady Antebellum surprised an elementary school in Ontario, Canada this week with new music instruments. The band donated more than 35 instruments to staffers of Fitch Street Eleentary School backstage at their concert in Niagara Falls. It’s part of their Lady A 7FOR7 campaign, which started last fall granting wishes to fans.

Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban and Little Big Town are set to perform during the ACM Lifting Lives One Night, Two Cities, All Music benefit gala in Dallas and Forth Worth April 17th. The thing is they’ll be performing at different venues simultaneously. The event, hosted by Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, will feature performances by Lady A and Hunter Hayes at the Omni Dallas Hotel, while Keith and LBT will perform from the Fort Worth Zoo. Proceeds from the event will go to Garth Brooks’ Teammates for Kids and the Child Life Zones in Children’s Health of Dallas and Cook Children’s of Fort Worth. It precedes this year’s ACM Awards, which will broadcast live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas April 19th at 8pm ET on CBS.

Little Big Town will perform their hit “Girl Crush” on the Ellen DeGeneres Show Tuesday (February 24th).

Billy Currington is set to tour with Tim McGraw on his Shotgun Rider Tour 2015, kicking off June 5th in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Billy Currington and Kacey Musgraves are among the artists who have been added to the lineup for the 24th Annual Country Jam in Grand Junction, Colorado. They’re joined by Eli Young Band, Thompson Square, Parmalee, Frankie Ballard, as well as the previously announced headliners Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw and The Band Perry. The four-day festival takes place June 18th through June 21st.

Dierks Bentley and his wife Cassidy led the Krewe of Orpheus parade in New Orleans on Monday (February 16th). He happened to run into and hang out with Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Vanderpump.

Dierks posted a photo with her, along with the caption: “y’all…today at #mardigras. thanks NO country fans. made a new friend on our #orpheus float @LisaVanderpump”

Ms. Vanderpump also joined Dierks on stage during his performance at the annual Lundi Gras Celebration in NOLA. She tweeted: “Had so much fun playing with you tonight on stage @DierksBentley,” along with a photo. She also admits, she might fancy the country singer. “Bow down my loyal subject @DierksBentley http://img.ly/BgvZ have to say it might be wrong,but I’ve a bit of a crush. #dontwannaberight”

TOBY KEITH WILL BE INDUCTED INTO THE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME THIS YEAR.

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Toby Keith has been announced as one of this year’s honorees to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Among the other inductees are Country Music Hall of Famer Bobby Braddock (“He Stopped Loving Her Today,” “Time Marches On,” “I Wanna Talk About Me,” “People Are Crazy”), pop star Cyndi Lauper, the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia, as well as tunesmiths Robert Hunter, Willie Dixon and Linda Perry. Honorees will be inducted during a ceremony at New York City’s Marriott Marquis Hotel June 18th.

“I write songs every day. When someone writes their own things, to me, they release their character in their music and that character shines through in all their songs,” says Toby. “It is what I take the most pride in. I am honored to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. It means the world to me, and it is the only award that I will display on my desk…P.S. – And it was mostly hard rhymes.”

Toby has written most of his biggest hits, including his first No. 1 hit, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” as well as “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” “Beer For My Horses,” “I Love This Bar” and “As Good As I Once Was.”

He has had an astounding succession of hits to the tune of more than 85 million BMI performances. He has been honored with the Nashville Songwriters Association International’s Songwriter/Artist of the Decade distinction and is a three-time BMI Country Songwriter/Artist of the Year. His albums have sold more than 40 million copies, and his tours have drawn more than one million fans each year for the last 14 years.

He is set to continue on the road with his Good Times & Pick Up Lines Tour presented by Ford F-Series this Spring.

SAM HUNT IS AMONG THE FINAL NOMINEES FOR THIS YEAR’S ACM NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR AWARD.

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Sam Hunt

Encino, CA (February 18, 2015) – The Academy of Country Music and Kohl’s Department Stores announced today that Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett and Cole Swindell have been named nominees for this year’s ACM New Artist of the Year Award Presented By Kohl’s. The winner will be announced during the LIVE broadcast of the 50^th Academy of Country Music Awards, co-hosted by Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan, from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 8:00 PM – 11:30PM ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

Hunt, Rhett and Swindell were determined as the final three (3) nominees for the ACM New Artist of the Year Award via first round fan voting with partner CMT.com, combined with the ACM professional membership vote. The final round of fan voting for the New Artist of the Year Presented by Kohl’s begins on Wednesday, April 8 at 3:00 PM ET/12:00 PM PT with voting partner CBS.com at VoteACM.com, and will close at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT on Sunday, April 19 when the LIVE telecast begins. In selecting the winner, professional member votes will again be combined with fan votes to obtain the winner of the category.

Leading up to the show, CMT will premiere a special ACM-themed episode of its weekly series CMT Hot 20 Countdown featuring this year’s three nominees for New Artist of the Year, scheduled to air in conjunction with the second round of fan-voting beginning April 8^th.

About the Academy of Country Music Awards
The 50th Academy of Country Music Awards is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the country music industry. The show is produced for television by dick clark productions and will broadcast LIVE from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX on Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan, R.A. Clark and Barry Adelman are executive producers. Bob Romeo is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.

LADY ANTEBELLUM’S HILLARY SCOTT HELPS OUT EXPECTANT MOM CARRIE UNDERWOOD.

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Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott has successfully integrated daughter Eisele into the road life with her and her husband, Lady A drummer Chris Tyrrell. It took some of her own preferences and the advice of other “road moms” such as Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman, to make it all work. Now, Hillary is passing on some advice of her own to expectant mom Carrie Underwood.

“She just asked me about like the bus setup, things I would change or things I loved about how we worked the way our bus is laid out for Eisele to sleep on it and be comfortable. It was just a really like honest expectant mom/new mom conversation,” says Hillary. “I was like, ‘If you have any questions I will get into as many details as you want,’ ’cause we’re like really good friends… it’s just nice to have a sounding board to make you feel like you’re not alone. It’s been fun to walk her through the season and she’s just gonna be an amazing mom and Mike (Fisher) a dad. I mean, she’s, she’s wonderful.”

Lady Antebellum is currently making their way up the country charts with their latest single, “Freestyle.”

Lady A (Carrie Mom advice) OC: …she’s wonderful. :51
“She just asked me about like the bus setup, things I would change or things I loved about how we worked the way our bus is laid out for Eisele to sleep on it and be comfortable. It was just a really like honest expectant mom/new mom conversation. I mean, was like, ‘If you have any questions I will get into as many details as you want,’ ’cause we’re like really good friends.” CHARLES: “And Hillary did that with Little Big Town, so…” HILLARY: “Talked to Karen [Fairchild] and Kimberly [Schlapman], and it’s almost just like, yeah the passing of the torch a little bit like when it’s so fresh in your mind you just have strong opinions about what works, what doesn’t. And it’s just nice to have a sounding board to make you feel like you’re not alone. It’s been fun to walk her through the season and she’s just gonna be an amazing mom and Mike (Fisher) a dad. I mean, she’s, she’s wonderful.”

CANAAN SMITH TO RELEASE SELF-TITLED DEBUT EP ON MERCURY RECORDS MARCH 24TH.

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Canaan Smith

Nashville, TN – Canaan Smith will release his highly anticipated debut EP March 24th on Mercury Records Nashville. The EP includes Canaan’s current radio single “Love You Like That” which has already sold an impressive 190,000+ tracks and continues to climb the country airplay charts, reaching No. 1 on SiriusXM’s the Highway Hot 45 countdown.

“No Surprise here – Indy loves Canaan! With a catchy hook and lyrics every woman gets, it’s no wonder ‘Love You Like That’ is a ripe hit!”
– Fritz Moser, PD WLHK Indianapolis

“This morning the first song I heard was ‘Love You Like That’ ……I just knew it sounded like a hit. The song sounds killer on the air”
– Nate Deaton, GM KRTY San Jose

The self-titled EP, produced by Brett Beavers and Jimmy Robbins, contains four additional brand-new tracks. Canaan’s EP will be available at all digital retailers, see below for the full track-listing.

The creation of music, the whole process, has been so close to me for so many years that I feel like I’ve developed my own sound. It’s not super predictable. It’s unique, progressive and edgy.” says Canaan.

CANAAN SMITH EP TRACK-LISTING:

1. Love You Like That (Canaan Smith, Brett Beavers, Jim Beavers)

2. Two Lane Road (Canaan Smith, Brett Beavers, Marv Green)

3. Mad Love (Canaan Smith, Brett Beavers, Aaron Goodvin)

4. Hole In A Bottle (Canaan Smith, Brett Beavers, Dan Couch)

5. Stuck (Canaan Smith, Brett Beavers, Vincent Hickerson)

2015 looks to be an exciting year for Canaan as he was named a 2015 Artist To Watch by The Huffington Post, Yahoo! Music, Spotify and Entertainment Tonight Canada. Fans are gravitating towards Canaan’s intriguing blend of rowdy thrill seeker and down to earth guy with a poet’s heart and pirate’s ambition. His followers have racked up over 2.5 Million online video views and over 3 Million Spotify streams.

Canaan, who recently wrapped up touring with Kip Moore, will join Dan + Shay on the Where It All Began Tour kicking off in Knoxville, TN. on February 28^th. This summer, fans can catch him on Dierks Bentley’s Sounds of Summer Tour along with Kip Moore and Maddie & Tae.

Tickets and additional information can be found at www.CanaanSmith.com

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Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

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