Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

Eric Church and Kacey Musgraves have been added to the list of performers at this year’s CMA Awards. They’re joined by Florida Georgia Line and previously announced performers – Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney and The Band Perry.

Eric received four CMA Awards nominations, including a Male Vocalist, Album for The Outsiders and Single and Song of the Year for “Give Me Back My Hometown, which he co-wrote with Luke Laird.

The 48th Annual CMA Awards will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 5th at 8pm ET on ABC.

Keith Urban picked up two ARIA Award nominations (Australia’s version of The Grammy Awards). He’s up for Best Country Album (for Fuse) and Best Live Act (for his Light The Fuse Tour). In the States, he’s nominated for several CMA Awards, including Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Album of the Year (for Fuse) and Musical Event of the Year for “We Were Us” with Miranda Lambert.

You can cruise the high seas with Little Big Town during the 2015 Carnival LIVE concert series. The band will perform three times on the “Fun Ships” in Nassau (March 30th, 31st and April 1st). Visit www.carnival.com/CarnivalLIVE for more information.

George Strait is featured cover-to-cover in a new commemorative “bookazine” that was just released by the Academy of Country Music. The collector’s edition celebrates the Country Music Hall of Famer’s career, life (including exclusive photos from his Texas ranch), behind-the scenes and much more. The “bookazine” is on newsstands now.

Lady Antebellum and Kacey Musgraves will be among the artists performing on the new ABC TV Special, Countdown to the CMA Awards: 15 Songs That Changed Country Music next month. The special, which is hosted by Robin Roberts and also features Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Florida Georgia Line, Hunter Hayes, Rascal Flatts and Martina McBride, will air Monday, November 3rd at 10pm ET on ABC.

Lady Antebellum are together again with Stevie Nicks. They appear on the song “Blue Water” from the legendary performer’s new album, 24 Karat Gold.

The members of Little Big Town join Blake Shelton as his advisors on NBC’s The Voice. The two acts have been friends for many many years. Find out what makes these five folks such close buddies in the video below!

The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8pm ET on NBC.

Photo Caption: Lady Antebellum and Nicholas Sparks attend a Special Screening and Concert Event for Relativity Media´s upcoming release  “The Best of Me” with special guests Nicholas Sparks, Michael Hoffman, Bobby Bones, and Lady Antebellum held at the CMA Theater of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, TN on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014. Credit Alan Poizner

Nashville, Tennessee…October 10, 2014…Grammy-Award winning trio Lady Antebellum treated fans of the upcoming movie, THE BEST OF ME, to a special concert event last night at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. They were joined on stage by host Bobby Bones and other artists featured on the just released soundtrack, SHEL with Gareth Dunlop, Thomas Rhett and Colbie Caillat, and photos are now available to download! Relativity Studios’ new romantic drama – based on the best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks – stars Michelle Monaghan, James Marsden, Luke Bracey and Liana Liberato. Check out the photos from last night’s event NOW to see Lady Antebellum, Nicholas Sparks, filmmaker Michael Hoffman and other friends celebrate THE BEST OF ME in the home of country music’s finest!

Colbie Caillat (The Best of Me) OC: …Nicholas Sparks’ movie. 1:30
“I’ve always been a fan of Nicholas Sparks, his writing and the way his writing gets turned into abeautiful films. And for me as a songwriter, it’s always so incredible to be able to write a song that is something that I wrote from my personal life, and it can fit so beautifully in a film during a scene and actually just capture the moment completely, and it really just adds emotion to the movie and to the song. When I got to write a song for Nicholas’ last movie, which was Safe Haven, Gavin DeGraw and I wrote a song called ‘we Both Know’ for the film, and that opportunity was so amazing. And now this time around with The Best of Me, I was honored that they were looking for a song that was fitting the movie, and I already had written one about two years ago, and it’s called “In Love Again,” and this song completely fits the mood and the setting of this film. It’s about wanting to re-fall in love with the same person after going through a breakup and after having time apart and wanting to fix the things that were wrong with the relationship and make it better, and not wanting to find someone else, not wanting to fall in love with someone else, but fall in love again with that person that you loved for so long. And it just is so special to me to be a part of another Nicholas Sparks’ movie.”

Photo Caption: Lady Antebellum and Nicholas Sparks attend a Special Screening and Concert Event for Relativity Media´s upcoming release  “The Best of Me” with special guests Nicholas Sparks, Michael Hoffman, Bobby Bones, and Lady Antebellum held at the CMA Theater of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, TN on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014. Credit Alan Poizner

Nashville, Tennessee…October 10, 2014…Grammy-Award winning trio Lady Antebellum treated fans of the upcoming movie, THE BEST OF ME, to a special concert event last night at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. They were joined on stage by host Bobby Bones and other artists featured on the just released soundtrack, SHEL with Gareth Dunlop, Thomas Rhett and Colbie Caillat, and photos are now available to download! Relativity Studios’ new romantic drama – based on the best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks – stars Michelle Monaghan, James Marsden, Luke Bracey and Liana Liberato. Check out the photos from last night’s event NOW to see Lady Antebellum, Nicholas Sparks, filmmaker Michael Hoffman and other friends celebrate THE BEST OF ME in the home of country music’s finest!

Colbie Caillat (The Best of Me) OC: …Nicholas Sparks’ movie. 1:30
“I’ve always been a fan of Nicholas Sparks, his writing and the way his writing gets turned into abeautiful films. And for me as a songwriter, it’s always so incredible to be able to write a song that is something that I wrote from my personal life, and it can fit so beautifully in a film during a scene and actually just capture the moment completely, and it really just adds emotion to the movie and to the song. When I got to write a song for Nicholas’ last movie, which was Safe Haven, Gavin DeGraw and I wrote a song called ‘we Both Know’ for the film, and that opportunity was so amazing. And now this time around with The Best of Me, I was honored that they were looking for a song that was fitting the movie, and I already had written one about two years ago, and it’s called “In Love Again,” and this song completely fits the mood and the setting of this film. It’s about wanting to re-fall in love with the same person after going through a breakup and after having time apart and wanting to fix the things that were wrong with the relationship and make it better, and not wanting to find someone else, not wanting to fall in love with someone else, but fall in love again with that person that you loved for so long. And it just is so special to me to be a part of another Nicholas Sparks’ movie.”

Luke Bryan launched his sixth annual Farm Tour last week. Catch all the highlights in the latest installment of LBTV below. 

Luke is currently celebrating his 11th No. 1 hit with “Roller Coaster.”

Eric Church and Luke Bryan, along with Jason Aldean, will headline next year’s Stagecoach Music Festival. The three-day event, set for April 25th-27th in Indio, California, will also feature performances by Jennifer Nettles, Eric Paslay, Jon Pardi and Kelleigh Bannen, as well as Hunter Hayes, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, Tyler Farr, Loretta Lynn, Dustin Lynch and John Prine, among others.

Tickets go on sale Friday, October 18th.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Wednesday, October 8, 2014) – Iconic singer/songwriter and reigning CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year George Strait will release THE COWBOY RIDES AWAY: LIVE FROM AT&T STADIUM DELUXE EDITION exclusively with Walmart on November 10th.  The deluxe package includes 28 live tracks on two CDs, eight additional songs and a DVD of the entire 40-song show from the June 7th, 2014 record-breaking The Cowboy Rides Away Tour final show at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas complete with exclusive commentary from Strait.

Joining Strait for this historic night were very special guests Jason Aldean, Ray Benson, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert and Martina McBride, and introduced George “Bubba” Strait, Jr. 

Strait is nominated for a repeat Entertainer of the Year title at this year’s CMA Awards taking place next month.  With his remarkable 30+ year career, Strait is one of the most prominent figures in music. The undeniable “King of Country Music” performed for over 1 million fans during his two-year, record-breaking final U.S. tour and has influenced countless more.

THE COWBOY RIDES AWAY: LIVE FROM AT&T STADIUM DELUXE EDITION Track List:

CD Disc 1

1.  Check Yes Or No

2.  The Love Bug (with Vince Gill)

3.  Fool Hearted Memory (with Jason Aldean)

4.  Arkansas Dave (with Bubba Strait)

5.  Cowboys Like Us (with Eric Church)

6.  Easy Come, Easy Go (with Eric Church)*

7.  That’s What Breaking Hearts Do

8.  Marina Del Rey

9.  Here For A Good Time (with Sheryl Crow)

10. I Can Still Make Cheyenne

11. Jackson (with Martina McBride)

12. I Saw God Today*

13. Drinkin’ Man*

14. River Of Love*

15. A Showman’s Life (with Faith Hill)

16. Amarillo By Morning (with Alan Jackson)*

* indicates a deluxe track

CD Disc 2

1.  Murder On Music Row (with Alan Jackson)

2.  The Chair

3.  Give It All We Got Tonight

4.  How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls (with Miranda Lambert)*

5.  Run (with Miranda Lambert)

6.  I’ll Always Remember You

7.  Ocean Front Property (with Kenny Chesney)

8.  The Fireman (with Kenny Chesney)*

9.  Troubadour

10. Unwound*

11. All My Ex’s Live In Texas (with Jason Aldean, Ray Benson, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride)

12. The Cowboy Rides Away

* indicates a deluxe track

Produced by Chuck Ainlay and George Strait for George Strait Productions

DVD

1.  Check Yes Or No

2.  A Fire I Can’t Put Out

3.  The Love Bug (with Vince Gill)

4.  Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind (with Vince Gill)

5.  River Of Love

6.  Lead On

7.  Fool Hearted Memory (with Jason Aldean)

8.  Nobody In His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her (with Jason Aldean)

9.  Arkansas Dave (with Bubba Strait)

10. I Saw God Today

11. Cowboys Like Us (with Eric Church)

12. Easy Come, Easy Go (with Eric Church)

13. That’s What Breaking Hearts Do

14. Marina Del Rey

15. Here For A Good Time (with Sheryl Crow)

16. When Did You Stop Loving Me (with Sheryl Crow)

17. I Can Still Make Cheyenne

18. Drinkin’ Man

19. Jackson (with Martina McBride)

20. Golden Ring (with Martina McBride)

21. Give It Away

22. I Got A Car

23. A Showman’s Life (with Faith Hill)

24. Let’s Fall To Pieces Together (with Faith Hill)

25. I Believe

26. Blame It On Mexico

27. Amarillo By Morning (with Alan Jackson)

28. Murder On Music Row (with Alan Jackson)

29. The Chair

30. Give It All We Got Tonight

31. How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls (with Miranda Lambert)

32. Run (with Miranda Lambert)

33. You Look So Good In Love

34. I’ll Always Remember You

35. Ocean Front Property (with Kenny Chesney)

36. The Fireman (with Kenny Chesney)

37. Troubadour

38. Unwound

39. All My Ex’s Live In Texas (with Jason Aldean, Ray Benson, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride)

40. The Cowboy Rides Away

High Resolution Art Available Upon Request

About George Strait:

George Strait is the undeniable “King of Country Music.”  His music career spans more than 30 years; includes 60 No. 1 singles, more than any other artist in any genre; and boasts 33 platinum or multi-platinum-selling albums, more than any country artist and third across all genres behind only The Beatles and Elvis Presley.  Strait is the only act in history to have a Top 10 hit every single year for over three decades.  Strait has sold more than 68.5 million albums and has earned more than 60 major entertainment industry awards including his most recent Entertainer of the Year sweep at both the Country Music Association Awards (Nov. 2013) and the Academy of Country Music Awards (Apr. 2014). 

Strait, whose name has become synonymous with “real country” since his 1981 debut, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.  He has since released four more albums, including the GRAMMY Award-winning Troubadour.  In 2013, Strait set out on The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, selling over 1,000,000 tickets to the record-breaking, two-year, cross-country concert tour. Strait shattered the North American indoor concert attendance record by drawing 104,793 concert-goers to his June 7, 2014 tour finale at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

 Strait continues to record new music for longtime label home, MCA Records Nashville.

For more information, visit www.GeorgeStrait.com.

George Strait (fan appreciation) OC: …those things. :59
“Well, it’s always great to hear that one of your songs has helped somebody get through something, and it’s kind of where the line, ‘You’ve pulled me through some hard times/hope I’ve pulled you through a few’ came from, just because I’ve been through a lot of sad times in my life, and certainly I’ve had a lot of support from the fans during those times. And then I receive letters from people saying, ‘My child was in a coma, and we played nothing but your music and that’s all they would respond to.’ And I’m going like, ‘Wow! That’s incredible.’ And also, ‘I just got married, and we played ‘I Cross My Heart’ at [laughs] our wedding. That was our song.’ I’m going like, ‘Well, that’s great.’ [laughs] I’m just happy to be a part of those things.”

Thomas Rhett and Hunter Hayes are among the artists featured on The Best of Me soundtrack, along with Lady Antebellum, Eric Paslay, Kacey Musgraves, Kip Moore, David Nail, Thompson Square and Colbie Caillat, among others. The two are thrilled to be featured in the film.

“Having a song in The Best of Me soundtrack is really cool for me,” says Thomas. “Me and my wife have been huge fans of Nicholas Sparks for a long time. I thinkt hat most girls were since they saw The Notebook. For me, I actually got to read the book, The Best of Me, which was awesome. This is the first song I’ve ever had in a movie before. So, it’s a really cool thing,”

Hunter agrees, and says it’s a dream come true for him to have a song in the movie. “One of the coolest things as a songwriter is being anywhere at any point in time and being caught off guard by hearing your song,” says Hunter. “And one of the coolest, I’ve always thought, one of the biggest dreams is sitting in a movie theater watching a movie [and having your song come on].”

The soundtrack to the film was released this week, while the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks‘ film hits theaters nationwide October 17th.

Thomas Rhett (Best of Me soundtrack) OC: …cool feeling. :29
“Having a song in The Best of Me soundtrack is really cool for me. Me and my wife have been huge fans of Nicholas Sparks for a long time. I thinkt hat most girls were since they saw The Notebook. For me, I actually got to read the book, The Best of Me, which was awesome. This is the first song I’ve ever had in a movie before. So, it’s a really cool thing, and I’m super pumped about seeing the screening of the movie, and getting to meet Nicholas Sparks in person and getting to tell him how big a fan I am of his. It’s just a really cool feeling.”

Hunter Hayes (Best of Me) OC: …milestone for me. :56
“So, one of the coolest things as a songwriter is being anywhere at any point in time and being caught off guard by hearing your song. And one of the coolest, I’ve always thought, one of the biggest dreams is sitting in a movie theater watching a movie. When the song was introduced to everyone that was a part of The Best of Me movie and it was considered, that was a pretty big moment. It felt good, and they were passionate about it. The song really hadn’t been cut, so we didn’t have a whole lot of time. so I brought the band in and I literally just said, ‘We’ve got a day. Let’s do this. Let’s figure this out. Let’s just have fun with it. Here’s the kind of setting that I know so far…what I know is it’s like a pool party or maybe it’s just like a hangout, like everybody’s just kind of hanging out. It’s toward the beginning of the movie, so we’re kind of just establishing things, so it’s gotta be fun; it’s gotta be lighthearted, which kind of works. It’s a pretty cool feeling as a songwriter. It’s a massive milestone for me.”