Nashville, TN- June 2, 2014- PLATINUM-selling singer/songwriter Kip Moore will headline the CMT ON TOUR 2014: UP IN SMOKE this fall.  The tour will kick off on Sept. 25th in New York, NY and will hit over 20 cities through November.  Moore has tapped newcomers Charlie Worsham and Sam Hunt to come along for the ride.  Tickets go on sale this Fri., June 6.  For a full list of dates and more information, visit: http://www.cmt.com/music/cmt-on-tour/2014/.

“We’ve been on the road pretty much non-stop for the past four years playing as much as we can wherever we can,” said Moore.  “When we started out sometimes there would only be five people at a show, and seeing the crowds grow over the years is really humbling and encouraging.  And now to be teaming up with CMT for a tour is a really exciting moment in my career.  We’ll definitely be playing lots of songs from the new album out on the road so it will be fun to test those out and see what the fans think.”

“Kip’s UP ALL NIGHT album swept us away with an edge and swagger that put him in a class of his own, coupled with three back-to-back No. one singles,” said Leslie Fram, SVP of Music Strategy, CMT. “The rest of the story is happening now and we’re proud to have him headline our 13th annual CMT On Tour, along with CMT Listen Up artist Charlie Worsham and hot newcomer Sam Hunt.”

Tonight, Moore will perform his new single “Dirt Road” for the first time on television when he stops by Late Night With Seth Meyers.  From there, he heads full force into CMA Music Festival week with a special performance outside Bridgestone Arena for fans to kick off the CMT Music Awards Red Carpet pre-show Wednesday night and will present later during the live awards telecast.

The Washington Post calls Moore “one of Nashville’s breakout stars…” while his album UP ALL NIGHT was the best selling debut album from any solo male country artist released in 2012 and 2013, and produced three back-to-back No. one singles with the PLATINUM-selling “Somethin’ ‘Bout A Truck,” “Beer Money” and “Hey Pretty Girl.”  His current single, “Dirt Road,” is from his upcoming sophomore album due out on MCA Nashville.  For the latest updates, visit www.kipmoore.net.

Nashville’s rising singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Charlie Worsham is currently on tour celebrating his new single “Want Me Too” off his critically-acclaimed album Rubberband. The album impressively landed on several of 2013 Best Of lists; including Spin’s “Best Country Albums,” American Songwriter’s “Top 50 Albums,” and Billboard’s “Top 10 Country Albums.”  For more information, please visit www.charlieworsham.com.

Sam Hunt is quickly becoming one of Nashville’s most talked about young talents. With a string of songwriting hits under his belt already, including Kenny Chesney’s No. one single “Come Over” and Keith Urban’s smash hit “Cop Car.”  As one of Rolling Stone’s “Ten Artists You Need to Know,” Hunt’s first commercial radio single “Leave The Night On” launches nationwide mid-June.  For more information, visit www.samhunt.com. 

Kip Moore (performing live) OC: …different too. :22
“I think about those things. I think about what kind of show I’d like to have, and I think I’m still in the process of trying to figuring that out. I change every day what I want. My music changes every day, and I change how I am on stage…I feel like I’m always evolving into something else, you know, so I don’t really know how I’ll be. I’ll take a lot of the way these headliners have been with me, and I’ll do a lot of the same, but I’ll do a lot different too.” 

It’s that time again! The CMA Music Festival begins this week in Nashville, and the stars are coming out to perform and check in with their fans!

Darius Rucker (CMA Music Fest) OC: …awesome. :48
“Music Fest is like nothing else. I say all the time that country music is the only genre that could have something like that. It’s truly amazing, when I come that weekend, people are everywhere and they want to be your best friend. It’s always cool and I love coming here. The thing that always gets me is the show. The fact that you can get that many superstars at one show all playing for free, for the same goal, to entertain those people that are in that stadium that come here for the whole week from all over the world. They come here for one week to see country music, and it’s amazing that those artists say on Friday and Saturday night, this is country music come on out. That’s awesome.”

Dierks (fans) OC: …commitment. [laughs] :22
“I know a lot of the early fans by name, because we played a lot of shows at a lot of small venues where we’d be around a lot after the shows. I’m not gonna say her name ‘cause I don’t know if she’d want me to or not, but she has like a dog print of Jake, my dog’s Jake, but she has this dog print on her shoulder with my name in the middle of the tattoo. So, tattoos are always, that’s a big deal when somebody gets your name tattooed on part of their body or something. It’s kind of a scary thing, because it’s kind of a lifelong commitment. [laughs]”

Easton Corbin (fans) OC: …being here. :24
“My fans mean a great deal to me, especially the fans that come out to the shows and the ones that make it to every show around their home or in that vicinity. And I even have people come here that I know every time, in this meet-and-greet lines or maybe at that fence over there by the fence where you’re getting off the red carpet, I try to always make it a point to recognize those fans, and just let them know how much that I care and I appreciate them being here.”

Eric Church (CMA Music Fest) OC: …to see. :32
“Well, I think it’s what makes country music unique. Find me another format that happens in, it’s just not something that happens. I think it’s because country music is really the one format that the fans…the music is really about them. And we’re them; we’re not different than them. You got a lot of rock stars and a lot of the other guys where they’re their own person, they’re their own agenda…they’re not like the people that are listening to them. It’s different in country, we are. We come from there, we are that. I think it’s just a great thing for them to be able to come to our town and to get just this barrage of music.”

Josh Turner (weirdest thing he’s been asked to sign) OC: …Sharpie, though. :10
“A toothpick, an unused toothpick, let me throw that out there – an unused toothpick. It was quite challenging, actually, and it didn’t look anything like my autograph. It took a really small Sharpie, though.”

Keith Urban (CMA Music Fest) OC: …always love it. :25
“I love it! It’s like summer camp. I mean, it is! It’s just a chance to obviously see a lot of people I don’t normally see, I don’t know. It’s just palpable. Since Fan Fair, it’s just been that sort of week-plus of energy, the whole town just explodes, and what it is we love about this genre and the community aspect of it. I always love it.”

Lady Antebellum (Music Fest) 1 OC: …over the world. :14
“The electricity in LP Field every year for that, you can’t really beat it. It’s so much fun to be there, and to have a stadium full of the most die-hard country fans you could ever imagine, from all over the world.”

AUDIO: Little Big Town recall their first appearance at Fan Fair (aka CMA Music Festival). The group return as hosts, and they’ll be making several appearances, including their performance at LP Field on Saturday (June 7th).

Little Big Town (CMA Music Fest) OC: (Phillip) …the best, man. 1:43
KIMBERLY: “We played at the fairgrounds. I guess it was the last year at the fairgrounds. We had just gotten our record deal.” PHILLIP: “I remember we were just about to walk out on stage, and we had to play acoustic. I mean there was no backing band.” KIMBERLY: “We were at Mercury. They wanted us to play before Wynonna sang.” PHILLIP: “I remember, my hair was short and Wynonna walked by and tuffed my hair and was like, ‘Oh that’s cute…cute red hair boy.’ [laugh] I was like, ‘Oh great.’ Like little puppy dog, ‘You’re gonna be OK, kid.'” KIMBERLY: “We were nervous.” KAREN: “Oh my gosh, were so nervous. We were so green.” KIMBERLY: “We didn’t have many songs at that point. Maybe three songs, which is what we sang. It was all we knew at the time which is what we had worked up. Because literally we got our record deal in May, and that was June.” KAREN: “And they were like, ‘Why don’t you guys sing a couple songs?’ And, we’re like, ‘Good, because a couple is what we know.’ That was fun. And then moving form that to the stadium shows, to me that the most fun you can ever have…CMA Fest, Stadium shows. It is an energy unlike anything else. It was over the top and I could just come out of my skin at those moments. KIMBERLY: “Me too.” KAREN: “It’s like you just want to float.” PHILLIP: “And it’s like the best country crowd you could ever compile. Every country fan from all over the world wants to be there. That’s like the crux of country music awesomeness. I’m telling you it is the best fun.” KAREN: “It’s the best feeling out there.” KIMBERLY: “They let them line up and all come across the stage so you have all these people that are so giddy, crazy giddy, because they get to walk up close to the stage.” PHILLIP: “And they’re waving and their arms are about to fall off. They’re just so excited. It’s the best.”

AUDIO: Luke Bryan, who performs at Nashville’s LP Field on Thursday (June 5th), explains the name of his fan club.

Luke Bryan (fan club name) OC: …words, you know. :13
“That’s the name of my fan club – the Nut House, because they’re nutty and my Daddy’s a peanut farmer. I figured I spent my whole life hauling around peanuts, I would name…just a play on words, you know.”

AUDIO: Scotty McCreery talks about his fans.

Scotty McCreery (fan support) OC: …back to us. :31
“My fans are incredible. I tell them that every night on stage, and a lot of artists say thanks to the fans and ‘you’re the reason I’m here,’ but for me, it’s literal because they voted me through (American Idol), they’ve been with me since then. They’ve helped make the album platinum, the album gold, come to my concerts. In a sense, I really owe all this to them. They’ve really kind of helped make me who I am. I enjoy the chance to go out there and make music for them. I enjoy going out there to sing a concert for them. The biggest thing for me is when I look out and see the fans and they’re smiling, having a good time. Dancing, singing the songs back to us.”

George Strait is getting ready to close out his career as a touring artist on Saturday (June 7th) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The show’s bill is a who’s who of country music stars, including Alan Jackson, Eric Church, Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Sheryl Crow, Ronnie Dunn, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Martina McBride and Lee Ann Womack, among others. Opening the show will be George’s friends, Asleep at the Wheel. The Texas native says he’ll miss performing for the fans, but he won’t miss everything that goes into a big-scale tour.”

“I’m gonna miss the shows. I’m not gonna miss the traveling, but I’m gonna miss [the shows] a lot. I’ve been doing it so long,” says Strait. “It’ll be interesting to see just how I handle that in 2015. We’ll see what happens, but I think I’m making the right choice. It’s the right decision. I’m pretty happy with my decision, knowing that I can still go out and do one-offs here and there.

Eric Church, who will join Strait on stage in Dallas this weekend, says it was very important to him to get to know George Strait as a person, not just a legendary performer.

“I got a chance to get to know George and hang out with George and Norma,” says Church. “And it’s just one of the coolest things that has ever happened in my career to get to know more than just the guy you see on stage, but to get to know him is very important.”

The reigning CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year has built a huge country music career since the release of his first country hit, “Unwound,” in the spring of 1981. He’s scored 60 No. 1 singles, 85 top 10 hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and sold more than 45 million albums.

While George, who’s climbing the country chart with his latest hit “I Got a Car,” may not launch a full-scale tour, he says he’ll pop up here and there for a special show, and he signed on for another five albums with his long-time record label, MCA Nashville.

George Strait (what he’ll miss touring) OC: …the traveling. :35
“I’m gonna miss the shows. I’m not gonna miss the traveling, but I’m gonna miss [the shows] a lot. I’ve been doing it so long. It’ll be interesting to see just how I handle that in 2015. We’ll see what happens, but I think I’m making the right choice. It’s the right decision. I’m pretty happy with my decision, knowing that I can still go out and do one-offs here and there. I’m just going to [do] five or six things a year out there if I want to. I know I’ll miss it. I know I’ll miss all of it…except for the traveling.”

George Strait (bittersweet) OC: …doing it. :35
“I am excited about the tour next year. It’s going to be a little bittersweet for me. It’s starting to sink in for me after the first leg of the tour. It’ll be a little tough next year saying goodbye to some of those places. My plan is to keep doing things here and there when I feel like it, and hopefully those opportunities will come for me. I can’t see hanging it up forever. As long as I keep enjoying it, I’m going to keep doing it.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Multi-Platinum-selling MCA Nashville recording artist Josh Turner and performance equestrian and work wear company Ariat International renew their partnership for Turner’s The Roughstock and Rambler Tour.  Ariat sponsored numerous dates on Turner’s 2013 Punching Bag Tour and both parties welcomed the opportunity to continue the relationship.

“Sponsoring last year’s tour was a perfect fit for us.  The continuation of Ariat’s sponsorship of Josh’s 2014 tour is an exciting time and we are thrilled to go back out on the road with him,” says Ariat VP of Partnership Marketing Susan Alcala.  “Josh has been an exceptional partner.  His genuine passion for our products comes through naturally, and there is nothing better than an authentic endorsement.”

The tour, named for Turner’s two favorite styles of Ariat boots, the Roughstock and the Rambler, will cross North America and run through May 2015.  Fans can expect to hear hits like “Your Man,” “Time Is Love,” “Would You Go With Me,” and more from the award-winning country star.

“We kicked off The Roughstock and Rambler Tour this past weekend and I feel blessed to have Ariat on the road with us for a second year in a row.   I’ve shared this story a few times; however I came across a pair of Ariat boots for the first time at a western store in Montana several years ago.  They were the most comfortable pair of boots I had ever put on and I fell in love with the brand,” shares Turner.

For more information on Turner and The Roughstock and Rambler Tour, visit www.JoshTurner.com.

For more information about Ariat, visit www.ariat.com

About Josh Turner
MCA Nashville recording artist Josh Turner is one of country music’s most successful artists.  With a rich, deep voice and unique style, Turner is a double-platinum-selling singer/songwriter and a disciple of traditional country music, a mentor to up-and-coming artists —and one of the youngest members of the Grand Ole Opry.  From his 2003 Platinum-selling debut Long Black Train to his most recent 2012 Billboard No. 1 release Punching Bag, Turner has garnered multiple nods from the Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association, GRAMMY Awards and the Inspirational Country Music Awards.  Turner’s hits include “Your Man,” “Time Is Love,” “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” “Firecracker,” “Would You Go With Me” and more. 

This year, Turner added author to his list of accomplishments.  His first book, Man Stuff: Thoughts on Faith, Family and Fatherhood came out April 29, 2014 and his sixth studio album is expected to follow later this year. The Hannah, S.C. native has been songwriting and performing since he was a young child, and in support of music education, he created The Josh Turner Scholarship Fund to assist students interested in pursuing a future in arts and music. As a high school student, Turner had very little access to music education, therefore realizes first-hand the importance of arts education in schools. For more information on Josh Turner including a list of his upcoming tour dates, visit www.JoshTurner.com. 

About Ariat International, Inc.

Ariat International, Inc. is the leading manufacturer of innovative performance equestrian footwear, apparel and accessories. Featuring a patented technology designed to deliver stability, durability and comfort, Ariat pioneered the application of advanced athletic shoe technology into English riding boots and authentic Western boots. Ariat products are sold in a network of retail outlets through the world. For more information about Ariat products or for the Ariat retailer nearest you, contact Ariat at 800-899-8141 or visit www.ariat.com.   

The Peach Pickers (Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins and Ben Hayslip), who’ve written several Luke Bryan hits, put on a charity concert in Nashville at 3rd & Lindsley to raise money for the Georgia Music Foundation. Check out all the action in the latest episode of LBTV. Jason Aldean, Cole Swindell and Daryle Singletary also performed.

Jennifer Nettles was deeply inspired by poet laureate Maya Angelou, who passed away Wednesday (May 28th). She spoke to syndicated radio personality Blair Garner, host of NASH-FM’s America’s Morning Show, earlier today to chat about meeting the famed poet, author, actress, being interviewed by her and how she was inspired by her, as well.

“She was so iconic, and I so looked up to her as a writer and a poet and a woman, a creative woman,” says Jennifer. “She was lovely. Not only was she talented and brilliant, but also a lovely person for the moments I got to chat with her.”

“All of her stuff was so inspirational to me whenever I read it,” Jennifer adds. “I always felt super-filled and inspired by what she wrote. It was not only emotional, but beautiful.”

Check out the entire interview below. 
[MUST CREDIT: “AMERICA’S MORNING SHOW WITH HOST BLAIR GARNER”]

Kacey Musgraves and Katy Perry are getting ready to premiere their episode of CMT Crossroads on June 13th. Filmed in Los Angeles, the hour-long episode will feature duets of their individual hits like “Firework” and “Follow Your Arrow,” as well as covers of Bonnie Raitt‘s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and Dolly Parton‘s “Here You Come Again.” 

Watch the duo’s performance of Perry’s huge hit “Roar” below. 

Kicking off the Summer Concert Series on GMA and Fleet Week was a blast! Check out all of the action in the latest Webisode Wednesday below.

Get “Bartender” on iTunes here: http://smarturl.it/xqbv52

Luke Bryan covers the Sexiest Men issue of People Country, which hits hitting newsstands this week.

Kacey Musgraves is featured in the latest issue of Us magazine revealing what she carries around in her purse. Some of those items include a leather notebook to jot down song ideas, Dior lip balm, a workout DVD and snacks such as Blue Diamond Almonds and gummi bears. See the photo below.

Darius Rucker is among the millions mourning the death of poet laureate Maya Angelou on Wednesday. He tweeted, “My heart and soul hurt today because of the passing of a true genius Maya Angelou. Heaven has another wonderful angel walking its golden st.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Capitol recording artist Jon Pardi will be featured on an upcoming episode of The Bachelorette. The episode will feature Jon performing his song “Happens all the Time” at Mohegan Sun’s Mist, during a one-on-one date with one lucky suitor and the newest Bachelorette, Andi Dorfman. The episode is scheduled to air Monday (June 2nd) at 8pm ET on ABC.

Andi Dorfman, 27, a beautiful and successful woman, has it all at first glance — a loving family, great friends and even her dream job. But she realized there was something missing, so she put her busy life on hold last September to try and find love on The Bachelor. She thought she had found her match in Juan Pablo, but in the end it was not meant to be, and Andi walked away. She did not, however, walk away from love or let that experience stop her desire to find her perfect soul mate. Follow Andi’s search for her soul mate in the 10th edition of The Bachelorette Mondays (8:00–10:01 p.m., ET) on ABC.

ABOUT JON PARDI
California native and Capitol Records rising country star Jon Pardi released his debut album, Write You A Song, on Jan. 14, 2014.  The release features the Gold-selling Top 10 hit, “Up All Night,” along with “Happens All The Time,” “Missin’ You Crazy” and his current catchy, relatable tune, “What I Can’t Put Down.”  Pardi has a laid back, fun-loving approach towards life and it comes through in his music and his raucous live show.  His charisma and authenticity strike a chord with county audiences, as he wins over fans one-by-one and show-by-show. He is now selling out venues from the Pacific Northwest to South Georgia and stops all along the way.

Pardi’s sound is undeniably country — paying homage to some of his musical heroes such as Dwight Yoakam, George Strait and Alan Jackson.  Discovering his ability for performance back at the tender age of three when he sang ALABAMA karaoke with his grandmother, Pardi has since shared the stage with Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church and many more of today’s hottest country artists.

For more information on Jon Pardi, visit www.JonPardi.com.

ABOUT THE BACHELORETTE
On ABC’s hit primetime reality series The Bachelorette, one lucky woman is offered the chance to find true love. A single and eligible Bachelorette embarks on a romantic journey, getting to know 25 handsome and intelligent men, gradually narrowing the field as she continues her search for Mr. Right. At the end of her romantic voyage, if she has found Mr. Right, will there be a proposal and from whom — and will she say yes? Hosted by Chris Harrison, The Bachelorette is produced by Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television. The tenth season of The Bachelorette airs Mondays (8:00–10:01 p.m., ET) on ABC.

For more information on The Bachelorette, visit http://abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelorette.

Photo Credit: Russ Harrington
* High Resolution Press Images Available Upon Request

Jon Pardi (The Bachelorette) OC: …pretty cool. :34
“It was actually a lot of fun. The people who run the show are really cool; they do a really good job, and we had a blast playing. It was a lot fun. It was at a casino, and it had this really cool backdrop that the guys had scouted out. It was like this big waterfall kind of looking thing, and it looked really cool. Actually, the director said it was the best band performance he had ever taped. They danced along and they danced again, and we played ‘Happens All The Time,’n and that’s like the most countriest song pretty much that’s ever gonna be on The Bachelorette [laughs] I think, so it was pretty cool.”