Darius Rucker is among the famous faces talking about their favorite college football team in a new docu-series, The Stars Are Aligned, to help launch the SEC Network on Thursday (August 14th) at 9pm ET. Charlie Daniels, Ashley Judd, Emmitt Smith and actress Melissa Joan Hart will also be featured.

Tickets for this year’s CMA Awards and CMA Country Christmas taping go on sale September 6th at 10am CT through Ticketmaster.  The CMA Awards will take place in Nashville on November 5th.  Performers and presenters will be announced in the coming months.

Eric Church‘s band recently hosted their third annual Put a Club in My Hand golf tournament in Nashville. The event raised more than $112,000 for MusiCares.

According to ABC News Radio, Luke Bryan’s appearance on ABC’s Nashville is scheduled to air October 1st. He filmed his scenes with star Connie Britton on the set of ABC’s Good Morning America last week.

Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Vince Gill and Jennifer Nettles are among the list of artists appearing on Christian singer Michael W. Smith’s new holiday album, The Spirit of Christmas. Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride, U2’s Bono, Michael McDonald and Amy Grant will also appear on the new collection.

Billy Currington was performing his recent No. 1 hit, “We Are Tonight,” when he got a pint-sized dance partner on stage. Check it out below!

Darius Rucker braved the icy cold water and took the #icebucketchallenge and in turn challenged Lady Antebellum‘s Charles Kelley, who was also called out by Luke Bryan. Charles called out model/actress Kate Upton, who appears in the band’s video for “Bartender.” The #icebucketchallenge has helped raise more than $2 million for the national ALS Association since July 29th. In addition to Darius, Luke and Charles, folks like Dierks Bentley, Scotty McCreery, Lee Brice, Cole Swindell, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Justin Timberlake, Martha Stewart, NBC’s Matt Lauer and Hoda Kotb and even the Kennedy family.

Nashville, TN – Maryland singer/songwriter sibling-duo Brothers Osborne is set to release their Self-titled EP on September 9 via EMI Nashville. The EP marks the duo’s first commercial release. The release of the new music will give fans a taste of the band’s first full length album expected early 2015.

Brothers Osborne EP
Track listing:

 1.      “Shoot From The Hip”

(written by John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Will Anderson)

1. “Arms Of Fire”

(written by John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Tim Nichols, Connie Harrington)

1. “Stay A Little Longer”

(written by John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Shane McAnally)

1. “Love The Lonely Out Of You”

(written by John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Connie Harrington)

1. “Rum”

(written by John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Barry Dean)

Brothers Osborne’s feel good summer tune “Rum” continues to climb the country radio airplay charts. The music video for “Rum,” a song that the New York Times says is “elegantly structured, sinewy country passing as back-porch folk,” was shot in the duo’s hometown of Deale, Maryland and captures the life of the locals using the Brothers’ members and longtime friends as the main “characters” and extras. 

Two days after Brothers Osborne releases their EP, they will hit the road with Eric Church on Church’s The Outsiders World Tour, kicking off in Bossier City, LA on September 11. For a full list of Brothers Osborne tour dates and appearances, visit Brothers Osborne’s website.

Getting into music was unavoidable for the two brothers as it was a large part of their family growing up. Upon moving to Nashville, Brothers Osborne began writing and playing every open-mic in town that they could. In 2012 the brothers signed to EMI Nashville (part of the Universal Music Group Nashville). Brothers Osborne mark the first duo signed to the EMI Nashville imprint.

Rolling Stone listed Brothers Osborne as one of “10 Artists You Need To Know.” Furthermore Country Weekly listed Brothers Osborne as one of their “ONES TO WATCH IN 2014” and Paste Magazine listed the brothers on their “Best Of What’s Next” list.

Brothers Osborne Facebook, Instagram and Twitter #Rum

Luke Bryan was challenged by his buddy and opening act Cole Swindell in the #icebucketchallenge to fight ALS. Dierks Bentley, who had already done the challenge, and Lee Brice were in attendance and added a little commentary to the event.

Nashville, TN – August 11, 2014 – PLATINUM selling singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley announced that a second leg has been added to his 2014 RISER TOUR.  The 20 city run begins Oct. 2 in Stockton, CA and runs through the  end of the year with special guests Randy Houser and Eric Paslay on the US dates and Houser and rising Canadian artist Tim Hicks on the stops north of the border. Fans can now purchase tickets for the first announced dates at www.dierks.com with more details to be revealed over the next few weeks.

“It’s going to be tough to top this summer, but every night I get more excited and don’t want this run to end.  I’m just living in the moment as much as I can and taking it all in…it really has been the best summer of my life,” said Bentley.  “I’m looking forward to having Randy, Eric and Tim out on the road for the next leg…all three of them are crazy talented.”

While capacity crowds have filled amphitheaters across the country, Bentley’s tour has also caught the attention of critics who note headlining is “what the man was born to do” (Arizona Republic).

First Announced Cities on the 2014 RISER TOUR’s Second Leg:
Stockton, CA

Fresno, CA

Las Vegas, NV

Boise, ID

Missoula, MT

Edmonton, AB

Saskatoon, SK

Calgary, AB

Winnipeg, MT

Fargo, ND

Bismark, ND

Brookings, SD

Hershey, PA

Bethlehem, PA

Uncasville, CT

Utica, NY

Huntington, WV

Roanoke, VA

Baltimore, MD

Ottawa, ON

Hamilton, ON

Oshawa, ON

London, ON

Bentley’s smash hit of the summer, “Drunk On A Plane,” continues to gain momentum as it closes in on the No. one position, selling an average of over 65,000 singles a week.  The single is off his critically acclaimed and No. one selling new album, RISER, which has tallied more than 1.5 million digital track sales to date and has already claimed a chart topping hit with the deeply personal “I Hold On.”  His six previous studio albums have sold more than five million copies, notched 11 chart-topping singles and earned 11 GRAMMY nominations, countless CMA, ACM and CMT nominations and membership at the Grand Ole Opry.

Randy Houser took country fans and industry insiders by storm with the 2013 release of his Stoney Creek Records album How Country Feels. Scoring three consecutive No. one hits with the title track, “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” and “Goodnight Kiss,” Houser also earned the American Country Award for Most Played Radio Track: Male (“How Country Feels”) and his first No. one as a songwriter (“Goodnight Kiss”). His new single, “Like A Cowboy,” is the fourth release from How Country Feels and was written by Houser and Brice Long. 

EMI recording artist Eric Paslay released his self-titled debut album February 2014 featuring his No. one hit single “Friday Night” and current Top 15 single “Song About A Girl.” A GRAMMY, ACM and CMA nominated artist, Eric has co-penned five No. one hits including “Friday Night,” “Rewind,” “Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” and “Angel Eyes.”

Multiple 2014 CCMA Award nominee Tim Hicks has already achieved four Top 10 singles in Canada, two JUNO Award nominations and his third GOLD-certified single. His sophomore album, 5:01, shot to No. one on the Canadian iTunes Country chart, and the lead single “Here Comes The Thunder” has been added to rotation at SiriusXM’s The Highway.  In 2013, Hicks became the No. one highest selling digital Canadian Country Artist of the Year, as well as the Most Played Debut Artist overall at Canadian Country radio.

For the new dates, both Ole Smoky® Tennessee Moonshine® and Mountain Dew® will return as tour sponsors of the 2014 RISER TOUR. For more information and for a full list of tour dates, visit www.dierks.com.

Eric Church dons a beer delivery guy’s uniform for the video of his latest hit single, “Cold One.” The clip was shot at a beer warehouse near Nashville.

“Cold One” is the third single from Eric’s album, The Outsiders, following the title track and the No. one, “Give Me Back My Hometown.”

Eric is getting ready to hit the road. He’ll kick off his Outsiders World Tour September 11^th in Bossier City, Louisiana.

NASHVILLE – Seven-time GRAMMY®-winning country trio Lady Antebellum will headline the Jack Daniel’s New Year’s Eve Bash on Broadway, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC) announced today. Music City will once again offer one of the biggest New Year’s Eve celebrations in the country with a free concert and Nashville’s own midnight “Music Note Drop®.”

“In just six years, the event has rapidly grown to be one of the biggest New Year’s Eve productions in the country,” said Ken Levitan, chairman of the NCVC board of directors and president of Vector Management. “It’s a major draw for visitors and locals alike, generating a tremendous amount of revenue for Nashville. The event has grown every year and drawn international attention to Music City. Lady A assures that we continue that upward trajectory.”

“We’re so looking forward to celebrating New Year’s this year in our hometown,” said Lady A’s Hillary Scott. “It’s such a magical time of year, so getting to be home with our friends, family and all of Nashville downtown on Broadway will be such a fun way to ring in 2015!”

The Bash on Broadway has grown exponentially since its inception, with the 2013 event generating $13.6 million in direct visitor spending. City officials estimated a record 85,000 people lined the streets of Broadway to experience the live concert series, Music Note Drop® and fireworks display, up from 55,000 in 2012.

Jack Daniel’s Bash on Broadway is produced by the NCVC for the city of Nashville and presented by Jack Daniel’s. The celebration is sponsored by Advance Financial, Anderson Benson Insurance, Carl Black Chevrolet, McDonald’s, Durango Boot, Korbel, Miller Lite and Coors Light.

Announcement of additional artists will be forthcoming. For the latest details about talent and events, visit www.visitmusiccity.com/newyearseve.