• LADY A SHOWCASE THEIR LAST EUROPEAN DATES ON WEBISODE WEDNESDAY! (VIDEO)

    Lady Antebellum had so much fun overseas playing for fans, and during the latest episode of Webisode Wednesday, they’re featuring their stops in Norway and Sweden.

    Video / Lady Antebellum - Webisode Wednesday - Episode 210

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  • JON PARDI NAMED CMT’S ‘LISTEN UP’ ARTIST FOR AUGUST!

    NASHVILLE – August 1, 2012 – CMT has declared Capitol Records Nashville’s Jon Pardi as one of country’s hottest new acts, as he’s the featured artist on LISTEN UP this month.  Fans can visit www.listenup.cmt.com for exclusive performances of “Chasin’ Them Better Days,” “Up All Night” and “Happens All the Time.”  CMT debuted Pardi’s new video “Missin’ You Crazy” on-air today, and new performances including “Write You a Song” will debut August 15 at CMT.com.

                Pardi will be featured at CMT.com all month long as the LISTEN UP artist, with new performances, photo galleries, interviews and more.  Check out CMT, CMT.com, CMT Mobile and CMT Radio for more exclusive content.  The franchise launched in 2011, and showcases country acts on the verge of breaking out.

                Hailing from a small town called Dixon in Northern California, Capitol Records Nashville newcomer Jon Pardi’s first taste of country music stardom started in his Grandmother’s house at the tender age of three.  The singer-songwriter spent his youth perfecting his craft – by eight years old, he was playing the guitar and at 12, he was writing his own songs.  Determined to make his dream of country music fame a reality, Pardi moved to Nashville at 22 years old, where his unique musical style gained him a publishing contract, and later a record deal with Capitol Records Nashville. Pardi has shared the stage with Eric Church, Zac Brown Band, Dierks Bentley, Pat Green, Gary Allan and Luke Bryan.  Pardi’s first single “Missin’ You Crazy” is out at country radio now and his debut album will be released next year.

  • DIERKS BENTLEY TO HOST 6TH ANNUAL ACM HONORS SEPTEMBER 24TH AT THE RYMAN AUDITORIUM.

    TICKETS AVAILABLE ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 17th AT THE RYMAN BOX OFFICE, RYMAN.COM,

     TICKETMASTER OUTLETS, TICKETMASTER.COM OR BY CALLING 800-745-3000

     

    ENCINO, CA (August 1, 2012) – Today the Academy of Country Music is announcing that country music superstar Dierks Bentley will host the 6th Annual ACM HONORS, an evening dedicated to recognizing the special honorees and off-camera category winners from the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.  The event will take place on Monday, September 24, 2012 at 7:00pm at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.  Tickets priced at $37 will go on sale to the public at 8:00am PST on Friday, August 17, 2012 at the Ryman box office, Ryman.com, Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.  The evening is presented by City National Bank.

    This is Bentley’s first time hosting the event and the third time the ceremony will be held at the Ryman Auditorium.

    Those being honored include Special Award recipients Bobby Braddock, Kenny Chesney, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Gayle Holcomb, Alan Jackson, Billy Sherrill, Ricky Skaggs and Dwight Yoakam. Roger Miller will also be honored posthumously.  The evening also recognizes winners of the MBI (musician, bandleader, instrumentalist) and Industry categories, which are not presented during the live telecast of the Academy of Country Music Awards.  In addition, the winner of Songwriter of the Year will also be recognized, an award which has been given out only once, in 1965, to Roger Miller.

    ACM Award winning singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley has forged his own brand of country music combining classic country songwriting, influences of bluegrass instrumentation and the energy of rock & roll. He recently made plans to toast the end of summer with the release of a four song EP titled COUNTRY & COLD CANS available Aug. 21 on iTunes, while simultaneously kicking off tailgating season with a limited COUNTRY & COLD CANS: BACK TO COLLEGE TOUR. The new music follows Bentley’s sixth studio album HOME, released earlier this year, which debuted at No. one and has spawned three chart-toppings hits marking 10 career No. one songs as a singer and songwriter.  His five previous studio albums have earned 10 GRAMMY nominations, sold over five million albums and an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry.

    “Dierks’ incredible passion combined with his respect for and overwhelming knowledge of the country music genre, both as a renowned artist and songwriter, make him an ideal host for ACM Honors,” said Michelle Goble, Senior Vice President, Membership & Industry Relations at the Academy of Country Music. “We look forward to his contribution to the show, as we pay tribute to those who helped forge country music into the outstanding genre it is today.”

    “I’m really looking forward to helping recognize this year’s ACM honorees,” said Bentley. “Country music has so many talented artists, songwriters and people working behind the scenes…I’m flattered that I’ve been asked to stand on stage beside them.”

    The Academy of Country Music Special Awards are voted on by the ACM Board of Directors and are awarded during years that the Board of Directors feels there are clear and deserving candidates. Honorees include:

    • Bobby Braddock Poet’s Award
    • Kenny Chesney Crystal Milestone Award
    • Vince Gill Career Achievement Award
    • Emmylou Harris Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award
    • Gayle Holcomb Mae Boren Axton Award
    • Alan Jackson Jim Reeves International Award
    • Roger Miller (posthumously) – Poet’s Award
    • Billy Sherrill – Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award
    • Ricky Skaggs – Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award
    • Dwight Yoakam – Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award

    The winners of the Musician-Bandleader-Instrumentalist (MBI) awards are voted on by Academy of Country Music members classified in the Artist-Entertainer/MBI category and the Producer/Engineer/Studio Manager subcategory (contained within the Affiliated category) on the final ballot.  Honorees include:

    • Stuart Duncan – Fiddle Player of the Year
    • Shannon Forrest – Percussionist/Drummer of the Year
    • Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar Player of the Year
    • Kenny Greenberg – Guitarist of the Year
    • Aubrey Haynie – Specialty Instrument(s) Player of the Year
    • John Hobbs – Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year
    • Frank Liddell – Producer of the Year
    • Justin Niebank – Audio Engineer of the Year
    • Michael Rhodes – Bass Player of the Year

    The winners of the Industry Awards categories are voted on by the membership of the Academy of Country Music on the final ballot.  Honorees include:

    • Jimmy Jay, Jayson Promotions, Inc. – Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year
    • Brian O’Connell, Live Nation – Promoter of the Year
    • Billy Bob’s Texas (Ft. Worth, TX) – Nightclub of the Year
    • Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, TN) – Venue of the Year
    • Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino (Las Vegas, NV) – Casino of the Year 

    The Songwriter of the Year Award winner is determined by a vote of Academy of Country Music members classified in the Artist-Entertainer/MBI, Composer, Music Publisher/PRO and Record Company categories, along with the Producer/Engineer/Studio Manager subcategory (contained within the Affiliated category) on the final ballot.  Honoree includes:

    • Dallas Davidson

     Social Media Copy:

    Tweet: .@DierksBentley to host the 6th Annual @ACMawards Honors on Sept 24 at @TheRyman! Tickets on sale 8/17! Details at [insert your link here OR www.acmcountry.com]

    Facebook: [Dierks Bentley] to host the 6th Annual [ACM – Academy of Country Music] Honors on September 24 at the [Ryman Auditorium] in Nashville! Tickets on sale to the public on August 17th! Details at [insert your link here OR www.acmcountry.com]

    Google+: Dierks Bentley to host the 6th Annual [+ACM – Academy of Country Music] Honors on September 24 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville! Tickets on sale to the public on August 17th! Details at [insert your link here OR www.acmcountry.com]

    For more information on the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC and the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, please visit www.acmcountry.com. For information on ACM LIFTING LIVES, please visit www.acmliftinglives.org.

  • JON PARDI ISN’T ‘MISSIN’ A THING! (AUDIO & VIDEO)

    Jon Pardi is one of country music’s latest rising stars, due in large part to his Top 40 debut single, “Missin’ You Crazy,” and taking his music on the road to open shows for such acts as Luke Bryan, Eric Church and Dierks Bentley. CMT also thinks he’s got quite a future ahead with their online series, Listen Up, which features live performances and interview clips with new artists.

    The series kicks off Wednesday (August 1st) with “Missin’ You Crazy,” “Chasin’ Them Better Days” and “Up All Night.” A second wave of performances will also be showcased on August 15th, and they’ll include “Happens All the Time” and “Write You a Song.”

    The video for “Missin’ You Crazy” is available for viewing at CMT.com.

    The California native’s single has been connecting with fans, including those who make their living on the road and in the military, as well as the families left back home. “I had a couple wives of military men say, they always say, ‘My husband’s stationed overseas and this is my song. I miss him so much,’” says Jon. “It’s a positive kind of missing song. Even dudes on the road or stationed overseas, they like it ‘cause they’re missing their wives; they’re missing their families.”

    AUDIO: Jon Pardi talks about the military connection to his debut single, “Missin’ You Crazy.”

    Jon Pardi (Missin’ Military) OC: …for somebody. :33

    “I had a couple wives of military men say, they always say, ‘My husband’s stationed overseas and this is my song. I miss him so much.’ I think it’s the upbeat kind of happiness to the song that kind of keeps them; it’s a positive kind of missing song. Even dudes on the road or stationed overseas, they like it ‘cause they’re missing their wives; they’re missing their families. There’s always somebody to be missed, but I’ve had a lot of good feedback towards people that have to be apart because of their jobs or what they do. There’s a connection there for somebody.”

  • KEITH URBAN BRINGS IT ON HOME WITH YAHOO.

    Last week, Keith Urban played the part of tour guide as part of a feature that will appear on Yahoo’s “Going Home on Ram Country” series. The Nashville transplant took the crew to several of his favorite Music City locations, including the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum — the recipient of the proceeds from his annual All for the Hall benefit concerts. 

    The installment will premiere August 15th at ramcountry.music.yahoo.com.

  • LADY A’s CHARLES KELLEY TUNES INTO THE 2012 SUMMER OLYMPICS.

    Lady Antebellum has wrapped up the European leg of their Own the Night 2012 World Tour, and band member Charles Kelley is using the down time to tune in to the Olympic games.

    He tweets, “Women’s Olympic volleyball so far is my favorite things I’ve seen from the games. That is until I found out when ping pong is gonna air.”

    As you may know, Lady A has a ping pong table set up backstage at each one of their concerts, but we’re not sure if they’re ready for Olympic competition just yet.  

    The band is off the road until a September 22nd date in Honolulu.  After that, Lady A heads Down Under for a string of Australian shows starting September 25th in Melbourne.

    Credit ABC News Radio for the story.

  • ERIC CHURCH CELEBRATES BOTH A PLATINUM ALBUM AND A TWO-WEEK NO. 1 SONG! (AUDIO)

    Eric Church and his album, Chief, were feted at a platinum-album party in Nashville on Monday (July 30th) in front of family (including wife Katherine and son Boone), friends, band, crew, record label and industry insiders. Eric’s recent two-week No. 1 single, “Springsteen,” was also celebrated and included presentations to the star’s co-writers, Jeff Hyde and Ryan Tyndell.

    Eric received several “platinum” items to celebrate the status of Chief — which debuted at the top of the Billboard album charts last July — including a pair of platinum sunglasses, a box of custom cigars, a custom barrel of Jack Daniels (his favorite beverage) and a special bottle of the single barrel liquor with a platinum label–the first of its kind.

    Check out what Eric had to say to those in attendance below.

  • ERIC CHURCH MAKES GOOD ON CONCERT.

    July 29, 2012

    Church determined to give fans a great show in August

    BLUEFIELD — Country music artist Eric Church believes in second chances, which is why he is coming back on Sunday, Aug. 26 to Bluefield.

    Church, along with Jake Owens, were part of the June 29 Second Chance Rocks the Two Virginias concert that was canceled due to a strong storm that swept through the area.

    At least 18,000 people had to be evacuated from Mitchell Stadium.

    Church was bummed that night. He said going on stage to perform is a release after a long day of waiting — but he understood the need to cancel the show for safety.

    “It is a reality for us every time we play in the summertime in an outdoor concert,” he said in a phone interview with the Bluefield Daily Telegraph. “It is unfortunate for us that it happened. It was out of my hands and something I had no control over. But we are making it a priority to come back.”

    Church said as soon as concert organizers informed him of the cancellation, he immediately said he would come back and give fans their concert.

    “I was disappointed for the fans. There were a lot of people that had bought tickets and came. I understood the inconvenience,” Church said.

    Two weeks before the June 29 concert, Church said he had to evacuate a concert in Buffalo, N.Y., due to a storm. He rescheduled that show as well. Ever since the concert tragedy in Indiana in 2011, he said all event organizers have brought a sense of reality to outdoor concerts in the summer. He applauds Second Chance Rocks The Two Virginias for the way they handled the situation in Bluefield.

    “I am thankful that everybody was OK and I was glad nothing happened at the show,” he added. “The bigger picture is that we are going to come back.”

    And Church is excited to give fans a second chance.

    A rising artist in the country music industry, the 35-year-old North Carolina native said he has been offered several second chances during his career.

    “Being an artist that took the long way around, it was a different plan and path. We didn’t have a lot of success with radio and TV. We had to own it and work for it. We beat ourselves up in clubs and bars,” he said. “I have had a million second chances and anything we do in life, we don’t get, unless we have had a second, third or fourth chance.”

    What can fans expect at the concert?

    Church said to be ready for a good time. The song “Springsteen” — his second No. 1 and a RIAA Platinum® single — is a crowd favorite, especially since it deals with summer and an outdoor concert.

    “It makes me reminiscence about my first outdoor concert. Being in the outdoors and in the summertime, it has the ability to transport me. If it transports me, it is transporting them as well,” he said.

    He hopes his music challenges listeners and stirs up passion. He calls his style of country music “an acquired taste.” He said he believes music lovers in this area enjoy the difference in his songs compared to other mainstream music. With his third album “Chief,” fans are becoming more familiar with Church. He has already sold more than 1 million copies since June 2011. He expects to play songs from previous albums at the concert as well.

    “We are ready to party and I appreciate the fans and I appreciated them coming the first time and now showing patience. We are going to make this thing what it should have been,” he added.

    Erik Robinson, executive director of the Second Chance Learning Center, said both Church and Owens, were determined to give fans their show.

    “I can’t say enough positive things about them,” he said. “They know what type of organization we are and they know it was hard on us to cancel. They have bent over backwards to help.”

    Robinson said concertgoers must have their original ticket stub to attend the Aug. 26 show. Tickets can also be purchased at Second Chance Learning Center in Bluefield, Va., or through Ticketmaster. Gates will open at 5 p.m. Andy Crawford will open at 6:15 p.m., followed by Jake Owens at 7 p.m. Church will take the stage at 8:30 p.m.

  • KEITH URBAN CHECKS IN FROM THE OPENING CEREMONIES AT THE 2012 OLYMPICS! (VIDEO)

    Keith Urban‘s at the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, and he gives his fans a little sneak peek.

    Video / Urban Chat Extra: 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremonies

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  • THE LATEST EPISODE OF LBTV FEATURES A SUMMERTIME FAVORITE! (VIDEO)

    Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean‘s band and crews have a friendly game of wiffle ball at one of their tour stops. Who do you think is the better player?

    Video / LBTV Thursdays! Episode 26

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