Little Big Town’s Tornado tops the country album chart for a third week in a row. The collection sold another 34,000 copies to hold their spot at No. 1 on the country chart and No. 9 overall. Jake Owen’s Endless Summer EP is No. 2, followed by Carrie Underwood’s Blown Away. Rounding out the Top 5 are Luke Bryan’s tailgates & tanlines and Hunter Hayes’ self-titled debut.

The members of Little Big Town have grown up since they first formed nearly 14 years ago. They’ve been through a lot of professional and personal ups and downs, and had the emotional support and love from the Nashville and country music communities, who are now celebrating their huge success. “I think our appreciation has deepened for one another and for this town. We are really feeling the love and the embrace that they’re giving us,” says LBT’s Phillip Sweet. “It feels like we’ve grown up a little bit in front of the town, you know? Going through divorces and new marriages and now having young little babies in our lives — but to have all that happen, but also now to have this sweet moment of commercial success, it feels really good.”

Little Big Town have just released their latest single, “Tornado,” which is currently storming up the charts.

AUDIO: Little Big Town’s Phillip Sweet explains how the group has grown over the past 13 years since they’ve been together.

LBT (how they’ve grown) OC: …really good. :29
“I think our appreciation has deepened for one another and for this town. We are really feeling the love and the embrace that they’re giving us. That just feels so good. It feels like we’ve grown up a little bit in front of the town, you know? Going through divorces and new marriages and now having young little babies in our lives – but to have all that happen, but also now to have this sweet moment of commercial success, it feels really good.”

There’s a brand-new member of the Grand Ole Opry! Darius Rucker was invited by his friend, former tour partner and Opry member, Brad Paisley, to join the exclusive club on Tuesday night (October 2nd).

After performing three songs – “Alright,” “True Believers” and “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It” – Darius took part in a “Question & Answer” segment. Two audience members asked questions, including one about how long would he be in country, to which he answered “Until they kick me out.” His third question came from someone who he knew very well and had toured with a couple of times, Brad Paisley, who had a two-part question. “Are you still the worst poker player in the world?…The other question is would you like to be the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry?” Darius allowed the emotion to take over for a few minutes after answering yes…to both questions.

When Darius first saw Brad, he thought the notorious prankster owed him one. When he found out the truth of why he was there, he felt that there couldn’t be a more perfect person to invite him.

“Welcome him home, everyone,” Paisley told the audience. “This is his new home right here.”

Darius, who made country music his home a few years ago, feels more than just accepted. He feels a like a member of the country music family. “I’m like the third cousin that everybody kind of thinks is a member of the family,” he laughs. “Now, I’m actually now the first cousin who’s like a brother to the oldest brother.”

Darius then launched into “Wagon Wheel,” which will be featured on his upcoming album, due out early next year. The induction will take place October 16th, and will air live at 9pm ET on GAC’s Noteworthy at the Opry show.

NOTE: The side of the stage was hopping with a couple of famous faces, who will become even more familiar to TV audiences. Actors Eric Close and Chip Esten, who star in the new ABC TV series, Nashville premiering October 10th, were hanging backstage and seemed just as thrilled to watch the invitation as were the fans in the audience.

Darius is currently scaling the country charts with his latest single, “True Believers.”

AUDIO: Darius Rucker talks about his sincere surprise over the invitation to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry and how everyone around him, especially his wife Beth, kept it a huge secret.

Darius Rucker (Opry invite) OC: …a great day. :21
“I was totally, totally taken by surprise today, and I’m amazed that everybody in my life knew, and they’re all here. I didn’t know any of them were here until I walked off the stage, and I was like, ‘What are you doing here?’ Everybody knew, and I never found out. That’s amazing to me. What a great day.”

AUDIO: Darius Rucker thought he was going to be severely pranked when he saw Brad Paisley stand up in the audience at the Grand Ole Opry on Tuesday night.

Darius Rucker (Opry-Brad) OC: …been Brad. :35
“They had said before the show that they wanted to do a question and answer thing. I said, ‘Okay.’ I’m up for whatever, and then when Brad stood up, I thought, ‘Does he owe me one?’ That really was my first thought – ‘Did I get him last,’ ‘cause he’s the prankster of all pranksters, and I thought here comes something that’s gonna be very, very funny. I was just hoping it wasn’t slime or anything, and I didn’t think it was gonna be ‘You wanna join the Grand Ole Opry?’ There is nobody in the business that I would have wanted to do that more than Brad Paisley. If I were to choose the person to ask me to join, it would’ve been Brad.” 

AUDIO: Darius Rucker explains how he feels a part of the family with the invitation to become a Grand Ole Opry member. 

Darius Rucker (Opry 1^st Cousin) OC: …oldest brother. :14
“I’m like the third cousin that everybody kind of thinks is a member of the family. Now, I’m actually now the first cousin who’s like a brother to the oldest brother.” [LAUGHS]

What’s better than the comic relief dogs bring to life? Meet the canines close to Kelleigh Bannen‘s heart! As she puts it, “They love their people and their food … what else do you need?”

Nashville, TN – Oct. 2, 2012 – Reigning CMA and ACM Vocal Group of the Year Lady Antebellum’s headlining OWN THE NIGHT WORLD TOUR makes its final curtain call tomorrow night for their third consecutive sold out show at the iconic Sydney Opera House in Australia.

Keith Urban introduces a contest to design a vintage-style t-shirt for him! Check out all of the details here: http://bit.ly/Q8z2Rk

Luke Bryan has been added to the list of performers at next month’s CMA Awards, along with Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert and the Zac Brown Band. Previously announced performers include Dierks Bentley, Little Big Town, Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson.

Luke is up for two awards at this year’s CMAs. He makes his debut in the Male Vocalist category, and his second nod is for Album of the Year for tailgates & tanlines. “To be considered a vocalist is a huge honor, and then to put your heart and soul into a record and to have it get nominated for Album of the Year, it’s really special and makes all the hard work really stand out and really feel like it’s paying off,” says Luke. “It’s a big deal.”

The 46th Annual CMA Awards airs live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 1st beginning at 8pm ET on ABC.

AUDIO: Luke Bryan talks about his CMA nominations for Male Vocalist and Album of the Year.

Luke Bryan (CMA-new contender) OC: …big deal. :19
“To be considered a vocalist is a huge honor, and then to put your heart and soul into a record and to have it get nominated for Album of the Year, it’s really special and makes all the hard work really stand out and really feel like it’s paying off. It’s a big deal.”

Kelleigh Bannen is making her mark on the country charts with her debut single, “Sorry on the Rocks.” Here are both a :60 and :90 vignette/single spotlights.

In the opening strains of Little Big Town’s latest single, “Tornado,” there is a haunting whistle, and it is featured again at the end of the tune, as well. This isn’t an ordinary sound effect that can be found in any studio on Music Row. The whistling you hear is actually from LBT’s Kimberly Schlapman and Jimi Westbrook, who playfully tease each other about who is the better whistler. “There’s this little chamber, this tiny, little very, very extremely tall room, closet, in the studio where we cut this thing, and you had to crawl into a hole to get into this chamber. So, we got into this chamber, and we whistled,” says Kimberly. “We were king whistlers! So, we both got in there separately and whistled, and I think one of us is in the front of the song, and one of us is in the back…or one of us is both,” she laughingly jokes with Jimi.

Sweet Kimberly is also the person behind the evil-sounding laugh near the end of the song, as well, which happened accidentally. “While you were in there doing your whistle, you…laughed about something, and they captured all that recording, and you can hear this laugh off in the distance,” Phillip Sweet said to Kimberly, delightfully announced, “I’m wicked.”

“Tornado” is the follow-up to their previous two-week No. 1 hit, “Pontoon.”

AUDIO: Little Big Town reveal who does the whistling on their latest single, “Tornado.”

LBT (Tornado-whistle) 1 OC: (Kimberly) …I’m kidding. :39
KIMBERLY: “We both did it. We whistled.” JIMI: “I guess we are.” PHILLIP: “They whistled off in the chamber.” KIMBERLY: [WHISPERS] “It was all me.” [LAUGHS] JIMI: “Kimberly said it was all her.” KIMBERLY: “It was so fun. There’s this little chamber, this tiny, little very, very extremely tall room, closet, in the studio where we cut this thing, and you had to crawl into a hole to get into this chamber. So, we got into this chamber, and we whistled! We were like, we were, we were king whistlers! So, we both got in there separately and whistled, and I think one of us is in the front of the song, and one of us is in the back…or one of us is both. [JIMI LAUGHS] I’m kidding.”

AUDIO: Little Big Town’s Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook talk about the “wicked laugh” on their latest single, “Tornado.”

LBT (Tornado-whistle) 2 OC: (Kimberly) …I’m wicked. [LAUGHTER] :13
PHILLIP: [To Kimberly] “While you were in there doing your whistle, you…laughed about something, and they captured all that recording, and you can hear this laugh off in the distance.” JIMI: “That wicked laugh on the track is Kimberly.” KIMBERLY: “That laugh. I’m wicked.” [LAUGHTER]

Nashville – (September, 26 2012) – Two-time CMA Award nominee and Platinum recording artist Luke Bryan will bring his fourth-annual “Farm Tour” 2012 through several southern states, including his home state of  Georgia, performing eight concerts in the month of October.  The shows will open with a couple of his best buddies the “Peach Pickers,” Dallas Davidson and Rhett Akins, as well as singer/songwriters Chancie Neal and Cole Swindell.

When the tour wraps on October 13 in Macon, Georgia, Bryan will have offered a total of 20 scholarships in its four-year run to students of farming families within the communities the tour has played.  The idea for the “Farm Tour” concerts came from Bryan as a way to give back to local farming communities by celebrating and lifting up the American Farmer and offering a fun escape with the outdoor shows. Proceeds from the concerts help to create the scholarships.

GAC will also be on hand for the fourth-consecutive year and will tape “Top 20” at the Sold-Out! Clemson, South Carolina show to air on Friday, October 12th.

Tickets are available at www.lukebryan.com/farmtour or at your local Harveys Supermarket.  Please check site for local ticket purchasing details as well.

“Farm Tour” 2012:

October 3     Claxton (Statesboro), GA  Longneedle Farm

October 4 **Clemson, SC                      Campus Beach
                                                                @ Clemson University

October 5      Auburn, AL                       Adams Farm

October 6      Valdosta, GA                    Valdosta Wake Compound

October 10    Villa Rica, GA                  V-Plex

October 11    Colbert (Athens), GA       Tucker Plantation

October 12    Tallahassee, FL                 Tallahassee Automobile Museum

October 13    Macon, GA                        Midway @ Central City Park

**Clemson is sold-out

“Farm Tour” 2012 is sponsored by COUNTRY Financial ®, Harveys  Supermarkets, BMI, GAC and Carl Black Chevrolet.

 Country superstar Luke Bryan has had quite a year, celebrating three back-to-back Platinum singles “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)”, “I Don’t Want This Night To End” and “Drunk On You,” all from his Platinum-certified album, tailgates & tanlines. The Leesburg, GA native has achieved 5 career #1 singles and is currently on the road with Jason Aldean’s “My Kinda Party Tour,” in addition to headlining his own dates and gearing up for his upcoming “Farm Tour” 2012.  Luke is currently nominated for two CMA Awards, for “Male Vocalist of the Year,” as well as, “Album of the Year” for tailgates & tanlines.

AUDIO: Luke Bryan talks about taking his Farm Tour out for the fourth year in a row.

Luke Bryan (Farm Tour 2012) OC: …farm tour. :44
“The Farm Tour was kind of a small idea that I had, and now it’s grown into something really, really fun – 8 shows. We just love getting out in the fields. In each location, we pick the local college and give a scholarship to a kid that comes from a farming background, and we give them a scholarship to the college. And that’s the least that I feel that we can do to give back. You know, we come into these towns and the local law enforcement has to park all the cars and keep everybody safe, so we want to leave the place better than we found it. This is our fourth year into it, and it’s always been such a fun, positive event, and we’re loving being a part of it. We’re really blessed to have had success doing the farm tour.”

Little Big Town and Dierks Bentley are among the list of initial performers at this year’s CMA Awards. They’re joined by Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson who will take to the stage to perform at one of the country industry’s biggest nights of the year.

Little Big Town is up for three awards, including Vocal Group of the Year, as well as for Single and Video of the Year for their recent two-week No. 1 hit, “Pontoon.” Dierks Bentley also has three nominations, including Album of the Year for Home, and Single and Song of the Year for the title track, the No. 1 “Home.”

Tickets for the CMA Awards go on sale Saturday (September 29th) at 11am ET. The show will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 1st beginning at 8pm ET on ABC.