Darius Rucker, who is climbing the country charts with his latest hit “I’ve Got Nothin’,” is proud of his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, so much so that it’s the title of his latest album. What is it about the town that has him so enamored? “The weather’s amazing. We have some of the best beaches on the East coast, if not the country. We love our beaches,” says Darius. “The people are the nicest people in the country. I mean, there’s some magazine that does the nicest cities in the country and Charleston wins that a lot. That’s because we’re just nice people. I don’t know anybody that’s ever went to Charleston and did not want to go back.”

• Darius is set to launch his first headlining tour as a solo artist this fall. Rodney Atkins, Frankie Ballard, Thompson Square and Justin Moore will open on select dates. The tour opens October 6th in Glens Falls, New York.
• “I haven’t headlined a tour since Hootie, so to say I’m excited is an understatement,” says Rucker.  “It has been such an incredible experience to tour with Brad Paisley and Rascal Flatts, and I’ve learned a lot being on the road with them. With this tour, I’m just excited to perform again for our fans, and I’m thrilled to have Rodney, Frankie, Justin, and Thompson Square joining us.”

AUDIO: Darius Rucker (Charleston) OC: …you do. [laughs] :38

“The weather’s amazing. We have some of the best beaches on the East coast, if not the country. We love our beaches. The people are the nicest people in the country. I mean, there’s some magazine that does the nicest cities in the country and Charleston wins that a lot. That’s because we’re just nice people. I don’t know anybody that’s ever went to Charleston and did not want to go back…I mean, guys come down to write with me and they always go, ‘Wow! I can’t believe I’ve never been here. I’ve got to come back. I’ve got to bring my wife.’ Guys say that all the time. And I go, ‘Yeah, you do.’ [laughs]”

On September 11, 2001, the world changed forever with the devastating attacks on both the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.  Alan Jackson’s “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” embodied the thoughts and feelings of millions in the wake of the events that took place 10 years ago.

The chorus and melody of “Where Were You…” came to Jackson in the middle of the night several weeks after the 9/11 tragedies. He awoke…sang the words into a recorder and wrote down key elements of the chorus…and completed the lyrics and verses later that same day. Initially reluctant to record the song, he was convinced by family and friends to share it with the world and debuted “Where Were You…” live on national television in early November at the 35^th annual CMA Awards.

“Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),” embodied the thoughts and feelings of millions in the wake of the 2001 events. Written by Jackson, the song was called “…one of the most touching, powerful songs to come after the tragedies” by USA Today and dubbed “a reflective hymn that Americans will be listening to well into the second half of this century” by Salon.com. The New York Times singled out “Where Were You…” as “one of his finest songs,” and Billboard noted “a multitude of songs have been written and recorded in the wake of September 11, but none captures the myriad emotions unleashed by the terrorist attacks on an unsuspecting nation more perfectly than Jackson’s eloquent ballad.” The song went on to be honored with a Grammy, CMA and ACM Awards.

This year, as part of the national observance of the tenth anniversary of 9/11, Jackson will perform “Where Were You…” at Washington National Cathedral on the evening of Sunday, September 11 as part of an event that will also include remarks by President Barack Obama.

AUDIO: Alan Jackson explains why he feels “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” still resonates with music fans in concert ten years after the events of September 11, 2001.

AJ (Where Were You) 1 OC: …big changes. :50

“At the time, it was very meaningful to people and I felt really good about contributing something. And then I thought it would just fade away and then we’d ease it out of the show, but now I see people out there that I feel like are waiting for that song, you know? I think it’s more than just the 9-11 connection. I mean, the real hook in it is quotes right out of the Bible anyway. And still, at night, it’s one of my biggest songs in the show. It’s hard to follow it, but I see so many that are holding up them lighters and are glad to hear it, and I think are moved by it and glad I did it. And I heard so many stories back during that time when it was happening. People said, ‘Oh, they quit their jobs, and they changed their lifestyles and started going to church and found somebody to marry!’ It was just like all these things that affected…those were big changes!”

AUDIO: Alan Jackson describes how the events of September 11, 2001 impacted him…and talks about writing “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” a few weeks later.

AJ (Where Were You) 2 OC: …same feelings. 1:33

“Well, I don’t know – I think I was probably like most people that were impacted with that day and the months that followed. You know, everybody was glued to the news and television and I think it really affected a lot of people – their perspective on their lives and their jobs and their families and where they were and what they were wanting to do and how they looked at things. And I guess…I mean, that’s what I was thinking, too. And I just pretty much visualized a lot of those scenes and stories I’d heard and seen on television or heard people talk about. The song came out of nowhere in the middle of the night – the chorus did. Just a gift. And I got up and scribbled it down and put the melody down so I wouldn’t forget it, and then the next day I started piecing all those verses together that were the thoughts I’d had or visuals I’d had, and…that was about it. I think it was just really…I had so many people tell me that there’s always a line or something in there that they did, whether it was go to church or pick up their Bible or go see their mother or watch a sunset – I mean, just a lot of things in there people told me that they had actually done those things, so…I guess I was like everybody else, just feeling those same feelings.”

AUDIO: Alan Jackson recalls sharing “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” with all of us for the first time live on national television during the 35^th Annual CMA Awards.

AJ (Where Were You) 3 OC: …meant something. :56)

“It was a tough performance for me. You know, just the whole idea of releasing that song was a little bit tough. I wasn’t sure I wanted to put that out, but everybody convinced me that it was the thing to do…and in retrospect, I agree with that. But, you know, I hadn’t really sung the song much, first of all. It was just in the studio, basically, and when I wrote it…so it’s hard to go out there and sing something new anyway, and just the topic made it nerve-wracking, too. You know, I didn’t think about what was going to happen or anything  –  we just sang it. And I just remember, other than being relieved that I got through it, I just felt very proud that it seemed to cause a reaction in people…and I was proud that I got to do it, and that it seemed like it meant something. 

On September 11, 2001, the world changed forever with the devastating attacks on both the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Alan Jackson’s “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” embodied the thoughts and feelings of millions in the wake of the events that took place 10 years ago. We offer up these thoughts, memories and comments:

AUDIO: Darius Rucker recalls where he was on September 11th, 2001. 

[NOTE: Extreme background noise.]

Darius Rucker (9-11) OC: …vicious day. :24

“[On] 9-11, I was playing golf with a friend early in the morning. Had an apartment in New York, and I lived in New York kind of at the time. If you looked out my bedroom window, we saw the World Trade Center. I was on my way back home. I was playing a 7 o’clock round of golf, and then I was catching a noon flight, and when I was finishing up, we stopped in to get a drink and I looked and we saw the second tower come down. It was a vicious day.”

AUDIO: Eric Church was on his way to work when he heard the news of the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2011.

Eric Church (9-11) OC: …that feeling. :23

“I was driving into work, the Shop-At-Home Network, I was listening to Gerry House, I remember that, and the news broke. [I] really couldn’t grasp what had happened until I got to work and saw it for myself on television. I remember I watched the second plane hit the tower in real time. I had just moved to Nashville earlier that year, and all I remember is wanting to go home and be with those I loved. I’ll never, I’ll never forget that feeling.”

AUDIO: Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley – whose birthday is September 11^th – recalls where he was on September 11, 2001.  

Lady A (9-11 Charles) OC: …everybody. :30

CK: “It was my birthday believe it or not. Yeah. 9/11. So, I was in college, and yeah, it was wild. I mean, woke up, was getting ready to go to class. And I had a roommate come in and say, ‘Man, turn on the TV. Classes are canceled. You won’t believe…’ He had had an earlier class, and he comes in and says, ‘Turn on the TV.’ And we all got up and watched it. It was just wild. So, it’s hard to put into words. But it is funny, that it’s still and I can remember it and everybody can. It had such a huge Effect on everybody.”

AUDIO: Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott explains she was in high school when she and her fellow classmates heard about the tragic events of 9-11.

Lady A (9-11 Hillary) OC: …we’re protected. 1:19

HS: “I was in 10th grade, which is weird to think that I was in 10th grade and Charles and Dave were in college. But I was actually on my way to history class, interestingly enough, and so we got to that class and turned the TV on, and we’re just watching the footage and then our, we ended up having an assembly that day where the whole school went into the gym and our headmaster got up and explained kind of everything that was going on and what happened. And it is. It’s one of those things that’s forever ingrained in your memory. And I actually had a close friend of mine, it’s actually my God sister’s dad has been in the military and he’s retired now. But he was on his way to the Pentagon and didn’t get there. But so luckily before everything happened but it’s just, I think everyone has that personal connection to it no matter if you knew someone there or not. It’s just … and I think too not only is it a time to reflect on those lost in that tragedy, I think it’s a time to really celebrate our military. And just another way of bringing praise to them and thanking them for what they do, which is protect us and protect our freedom on a daily basis. And thankfully nothing like that has happened since. And I think that that’s a testament to how well we’re protected.”

AUDIO: Lady Antebellum’s Dave Haywood says he will never forget the lives that were lost during the tragic events of 9-11.

Lady A (9-11 Dave) OC: …were lost. :27

DH: “Gosh, I mean as a human, it just completely breaks your heart. And as an American, it was such a devastating tragedy. Gosh, I mean that it still affects us 10 years later, and it will for the rest of our lives. I mean, there’s no doubt that it will. But I think as people and as a country, we’re stronger for it and going to keep pushing forward. And our goal is to get rid of people that would do evil like that in the world. So it’s tough to have that happen to us but we’ll always remember those that were lost.”

Luke Bryan recently wrapped his run with Tim McGraw’s Emotional Traffic tour, and the performer is going to miss the friends he made while on the road. According to Luke, being on a tour like he just finished, is like moving away from your hometown in a way. “It’s like you don’t get to hang with them much anymore, and you miss all the crew guys, you know,” the “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” singer explains. “It’s like you don’t get to hang with them much anymore, and you miss all the crew guys, you know? You get to become friends with guys out on the road with him, and it’s almost like the moving city just becomes closer and closer.”

Luke will headline his own trek this fall. CMT ON TOUR: Luke Bryan Tailgates & Tanlines, with special guests Lee Brice, Josh Thompson and Matt Mason. It will launch September 15th in Huntington, W.V. Luke will play 22 shows before the tour is scheduled to wrap November 19^th in Monroe, La.

AUDIO: Luke Bryan talks about what he’s missing from his time on Tim McGraw’s Emotional Traffic tour.

Luke Bryan (miss on Tim Tour) OC: …else going. :36

“The main thing you’ll miss about any time you leave a tour – you know, you miss seeing the artists that you’re touring with. It’s like you don’t get to hang with them much anymore, and you miss all the crew guys, you know? You get to become friends with guys out on the road with him, and it’s almost like the moving city just becomes closer and closer. So, whenever the tour’s over, you just hate, you know the people you’ve kinda gotten close with, you’re not gonna get to see them as much anymore, and that’s just kind of the way this business is designed, you know, you can tour with somebody, and then it’s time to pack it up and move it on down the road and get something else going.”

Luke Bryan heads out on the road with his buddy Jason Aldean on Friday (January 20^th) on the My Kinda Party Tour. The Georgia native, his band and crew took rehearsals pretty seriously, rehearsing in a couple of different ways. “We did a separate rehearsal just in our own space, and then we took all of our stuff and set it up on his big stage with all the big lights,” says Luke. “We kinda spent the day…getting our footing on all of the tracks, so we don’t slip and fall and look pretty stupid up there.” The tour, which is expected to run through the summer, also features opening act and American Idol finalist Lauren Alaina.

AUDIO: Luke Bryan talks about rehearsing for the My Kinda Party 2012 Tour, which kicks off Friday night (January 20th) in Greenville, South Carolina.

Luke Bryan (Party tour rehearsals) OC: …up there. :26

“We’ve been rehearsing a couple of times getting ready to gear it up and get out on the My Kinda Party Tour with Jason Aldean. We did a separate rehearsal just in our own space, and then we took all of our stuff and set it up on his big stage with all the big lights. And we kinda spent the day running, you know, kinda getting our footing on all of the tracks, so we don’t slip and fall and look pretty stupid up there.”

AUDIO: Luke Bryan is thrilled that tickets for the My Kinda Party Tour are selling out quickly.

Luke Bryan (Party tour tickets) OC: …very soon. :07

“If you haven’t got tickets already, sorry, you may not get a chance to get ‘em. They’re going fast. But hope to be coming to a town near you very soon.”

Luke Bryan‘s “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” topped the list of dance club hits in 2011, according to the Marco Club Connection’s 8th annual ranking of Country Dance Favorites. Dierks Bentley‘s “Am I The Only One” came in at No. 8. Also on the list were Blake Shelton‘s “Footloose” (No. 2) and “Honey Bee” (No. 4), Billy Currington‘s “Love Done Gone” (No. 6) and Jason Aldean‘s “Dirt Road Anthem” (No. 7)

Lady Antebellum, Alan Jackson and Luke Bryan are among the artists scheduled to perform at this year’s Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which will take place February 28th thru March 18th at Reliant Stadium. Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Kid Rock, Reba, Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Alabama and the Zac Brown Band are also set to play the annual event.

Eric Church’s “Drink in My Hand” and Lady Antebellum’s “Just a Kiss” are featured on the 2012 Grammy nominees CD, which hits stores and online retailers January 24th. Proceeds from the sale of the compilation, also featuring songs by Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift and The Band Perry, will benefit the Grammy Foundation and the MusiCares Foundation.

RECORD-BREAKING TICKET SALES INSPIRE EMI RECORDS NASHVILLE’S ERIC CHURCH TO ANNOUNCE SECOND LEG OF 2012 HEADLINING TOUR: THE BLOOD, SWEAT & BEERS TOUR

“Drink In My Hand” Marks Church’s First-Ever Top 5 and Climbing Single on Country Billboard Charts

Few albums demanded attention in 2011 like Eric Church’s CHIEF, and subsequently ticket sales for his headlining tour are smoldering with the plea. Having broken Jason Aldean’s record for the highest number of tickets ever sold for a live event at the Landers Center in Southaven, MS, and experiencing near sell-outs in additional markets, Church will now bring his “delightfully overemphatic outlaw aspirations and snarling power chords,” as SPIN describes them, to fans in Atlantic City, New York City, Orlando, Nashville, Minneapolis and more,  (full list below). Meanwhile, the Best Country Album of the Year 2012 GRAMMY nominee is celebrating  his first-ever top five and climbing single on the Country Billboard charts, “Drink In My Hand.”

Due to overwhelming demand, Church will now headline several coveted venues including Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO for the first time in his career. “Every good artist reaches a watershed moment and Eric Church has arrived at his with CHIEF,” wrote The Boston Globe; and there’s no challenging their prediction now as Church garnered placement on numerous “Best Of” lists for 2011.

Tickets for upcoming dates are on-sale now and fans also have the option to purchase a special “VIP Package” where they’ll be treated to an exclusive VIP pre-concert party and intimate acoustic performance from Church backstage. For more information and to purchase, visit www.ericchurch.com.

The full list of Church’s upcoming tour dates is below, with an asterisk (*) denoting a new addition.

Eric Church The Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour Dates:

1/19      Fort Smith, AR- Fort Smith Convention Center

1/20      Cape Girardeau, MO- Show Me Center

1/21      Southaven, MS- Landers Center

1/26      Madison, WI – The Alliant Energy Center

1/27      Saginaw, MI- The Dow Event Center

1/28      Terre Haute, IN- The ISU Hulman Center

2/2        Savannah, GA-Savannah Civic Center

2/3        Knoxville, TN-Thompson Boling Arena

2/4        Norfolk, VA-Ted Constant Center

2/16      Greenville, SC-Bi-Lo Center

2/17      Salisbury, MD- Wicomico Civic Center

2/18      Greensboro, NC-Greensboro Coliseum

2/23      Battle Creek, MI-Kellogg Arena

2/24      Cleveland, OH-Wolstein Center at CSU

2/25      Ft. Wayne, IN- Allen County War Memorial Col.

3/1        Portland, ME- Cumberland Country Civic Center

3/2        Lowell, MA- Tsongas Center at UMASS Lowell

3/3        Indiana, PA- Kocalchick Center

3/8        Oklahoma City, OK- Chesapeake Energy Center

3/9        Jonesboro, AR – ASU Convocation Center*

3/10      Orange Beach, AL- Amphitheater at The Wharf

3/14      New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom*

3/15      Binghampton, NY – Broome County Arena*

3/16      Reading, PA – Sovereign Center*

3/17      Atlantic City, NJ – Etess Arena*

3/22      Estero, FL – Germain Arena*

3/23      Orlando, FL – UCF Arena*

3/24      Tallahassee, FL – Tallahassee Civic Center*

4/12      Tupelo, MS – BancorpSouth Arena*

4/13      Bossier City, LA – Centurylink Center*

4/14      Auburn, AL – Alpha Psi Rodeo*

4/19      Evansville, IN – Ford Center*

4/20      St Louis, MO – Chaifetz Arena*

4/21      Pikeville, KY – Eastern KY Expo Center*

4/26      Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena*

4/27      Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena*

4/28      Bloomington, IL – US Cellular Coliseum*

5/3        Springfield, MO – JQH Arena*

5/5        Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena*

5/10      Toledo, OH – Huntington Center*

5/11      Hoffman Estates, IL – Sears Centre*

5/12      Youngstown, OH – Covelli Center*

5/17      Minneapolis, MN – Target Center*

5/18      Topeka, KS – Landon Arena*

5/19      Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre*

Opening acts for various dates include Brantley Gilbert, Sonia Leigh, Blackberry Smoke, Jon Pardi, The Cadillac Black and Drake White. 

AUDIO: Eric Church talks about rehearsing for his upcoming Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour.

Eric Church (tour rehearsals) OC: … translate to the show.

“I think this is the first time we’ve ever really had to rehearse for a headline arena tour, or any other kind of tour, because it’s such a big tour. I mean, it’s the first time that we’ve really had control of the stage, it’s the first time we’ve had this size set, this size of production. And it’s gonna be neat to go in, and you can kind of feel the energy already, even though we’re a couple of weeks away. You can feel it building. I mean, every day gets ya a little closer. It’s like a distant drum that gets louder and louder, and I’m excited. Usually, in touring season, I’m dreading starting again, because I don’t feel like we had enough time off. Every year, it gets shorter and shorter. This is the first year that I mean, I’m chomping at the bit. My band’s been chomping at the bit. We’re ready to get out there and play, and we’re as excited as we’ve ever been, and I think it’ll translate to the show.”

Eric Church and his wife, Katherine, enjoyed their first Christmas as new parents. As you know, they welcomed Boone McCoy into the world on October 3^rd, 2011, and wouldn’t you guess, Boone already has his first guitar. The instrument was a gift from his doting dad. “I wanted to buy a guitar that was from the year he was born,” explains the “Drink in My Hand” singer. “I mean, as a guitar fan, one of the things you always ask about any guitar, you say, ‘What year is that?’ I wanted it to be something I could put up, and when the time came…I wanted to tell him the significance of it.” Eric promises he won’t be a stage dad and push guitar-playing or music in general on the young tyke, but he just wanted to be able to give Boone a cool memento of his first year in the world.

• “Drink in My Hand” is hovering close to the top of the country charts, which would make this Eric’s FIRST No. 1 single…EVER!

Eric Church (gave Boone 1^st guitar) OC: …to your kid. :33

“I wanted to buy a guitar that was from the year he was born. I mean, as a guitar fan, one of the things you always ask about any guitar, you say, ‘What year is that?’ I wanted it to be something I could put up, and when the time came – it’s a really nice guitar, and when the time came, I wanted to tell him the significance of it. It’s just neat to have a moment like that, and whether he plays guitar or not. I mean it’s not something I’m gonna push on, but it’s something that was important to me to be able to say, ‘This was from the year you were born, and from right after you were born – your first Christmas.’ So, I just think that’s a neat thing – as a musician – to have something like that to be able to give to your kid.”

Lady Antebellum‘s Own the Night remains the No. 1 country album again this week. The collection sold nearly 54,000 copies to land at No. 1 on the country album chart and at No. 4 overall.