Friday, March 4, 2016

This blog is no longer updated because Albright & O'Malley & Brenner's prep producer Dan Van also maintains a blog for our client personalities.  Bookmark it now.
Other great country music news sites:  (click to link to them)


 

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Stars Welcoming the New Year

Many of them are working to help fans celebrate. Several artists have taken the time off around the holidays and will hit it hard when they return to the road in mid-January. Some artists have resolutions, and some are very helpful with their own hangover cures for those who imbibe too much on New Year’s Eve.

Lady Antebellum will perform live on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest as cameras will cut away to their headlining concert during Music City’s New Year’s Eve Bash on Broadway. The ABC show will also feature performances by Taylor Swift, One Direction, Elton John, Gavin DeGraw, Florida Georgia Line, Meghan Trainor, Fergie, Idina Menzel, Iggy Azaela, Jason Derulo, Train, Snoop Dogg and Nashville star Charles Esten, among others. Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest airs at 8pm ET on ABC.

By the way, more than 100,000 people are expected to attend the big New Year’s Eve concert in downtown Nashville. It will be one of the largest crowds Lady Antebellum has performed for in their career, and they are so excited. “It’s such a way to celebrate the end of what was one of the greatest years of our career. It’s fun — rewarding in every sense of the word,” Lady A’s Hillary Scott tells the Tennessean.

Keith Urban will spend New Year’s Eve (along with his family) in Niagara Falls, Canada headlining a free show. Nick Jonas and Shawn Mendes will also perform.

Kelleigh Bannen will be wrapping her stint as opening act on Cole Swindell’s Down Home Tour on New Year’s Eve at Wild Bill’s in Duluth, Georgia.

Sam Hunt will ring in the New Year at Boondocks in Springfield, Illinois.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Darius Rucker Can't Pick Just One Christmas Film

Rucker loves to take it easy during the holidays after being on the road all year long. One way he winds down with his family is to watch Christmas movies…however, he can’t pick just one favorite.

“That’s such a hard question, favorite Christmas movie, because there are so many great movies that I can think of just off the top of my head that are great Christmas movies,” says Darius. “But it would be a tie between Miracle on 34th Street, which is still just great acting, great movie. I just love it. I love watching it. I watch it probably four times every Christmas and cry at the end every time. And I love Elf. I just think Elf is one of the absolute great stories and just funniest movies I’ve ever seen, and it just happens to be a Christmas movie. It’s one of my favorite movies.”

Catch Darius, who recently released his Christmas album Home for the Holidays, during the 33rd annual Christmas in Washington concert Friday (December 19th) at 8pm ET on TNT.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Kenny Chesney Groundbreaker

When Kenny sang “Til It’s Gone” during the live telecast of the first AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS on FOX, the Top 5 hit was delivered not as a love song to a paramour, but as an invitation and celebration to everyone who’s loved the East Tennessean’s music. On hand was good friend Vince Vaughn who presented the eight-time Entertainer of the Year the Groundbreaker Award in recognition of the places and people Chesney has brought his music to. 

As Vaughn told the sold out audience in Nashville’s Music City Center, “Few artists have single-handedly elevated country music to new heights. They are the groundbreakers. They are the artists who will never be forgotten. In stadiums and arenas all over America, Kenny’s been a game-changer in live music. Tour after tour, album after album, great song after great song, Kenny Chesney continues to thrill county fans and break ground as only he can.” 

For Chesney, visibly moved by the award, it was a moment to reflect upon the miles traveled, memories made and people rocked. Acknowledging that God gave him a song – and that song took him places he could never have imagined, he haltingly offered, “So many of you fans out there tonight, here in this room and out there watching on TV... have allowed me to literally hold your lives in my hand through my music and the songs we’ve all shared over the years. I take that responsibility seriously, and I thank you for caring about the music.” 

Having taken 2014 off the road to focus on making The Big Revival, his 13th Billboard Top Country Albums debut, Chesney will be mounting his most wide-sweeping tour in 2015. Fueled by the two-week, Grammy nominated #1 “American Kids” and “Til It’s Gone,” as well as the viral “Flora-Bama,” The Big Revival is slated for 17 stadiums, a few key festivals and almost 40 arenas and amphitheaters. For the man who sold out two shows in Foxboro’s Gillette Stadium in 12 minutes and gone clean at several other stadiums, it’s looking to be a pretty wild summer. 

“I’ve missed hearing the fans singing these songs back to me,” Chesney says. “You know, watching that package before we played really reminded me how powerful the relationship with my audience is. You inspire me. You drive me. And especially, you feed me. These songs are my life, but ultimately, they’re all your’s, and I’m honored to be part of your world...” 

With rehearsals beginning after the new year, look for a changed up set, a great big stage and a band that’s spent a year off the road – and are looking to make some music. More onsales will be announced after the holidays, but until then, there’s The Big Revival, an album Billboard wrote “captures the zeitgeist of American youth in a way John Mellencamp once owned,” and “Christmas In Blue Chair Bay,” a seasonal single that’s been shipped to country radio.

Contacts for Kenny Chesney
Columbia Nashville:  Fount Lynch - (615) 301-4373

PR:   Ebie McFarland - (615) 327-3259

Jason Aldean Artist Of The Year, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line Lead 2014 American Country Countdown Awards Winners

  • Huff Po:  "Pregnant Carrie Underwood Is A Vision In White"
  • Rolling Stone:  "Its nominees were unexpected, but its winners were told in advance. Audience members were encouraged to drink and tweet from the on-set "Twitter bar." And the hosts didn't crack any Taylor Swift jokes.... In a musical genre of awards show after yet another awards show, the inaugural American Country Countdown Awards certainly made a unique mark."
Complete list of winners (click)


Red carpet interviews (click)