Kip Moore's #1 For Week #2

"Somethin' 'Bout a Truck" has captured the No. 1 spot for the second consecutive week on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart and the Mediabase/ Country Aircheck chart, making Kip the first new country artist in four years to have a debut album's first single go No. 1 for multiple weeks.

"Somethin' 'Bout a Truck" is the first single from a new country artist's debut album to reach No. 1 for multiple weeks since 2008, when Zac Brown Band and Darius Rucker made their first appearances atop the country charts. He will perform the hit on the 2012 CMT Music Awards on Wednesday, June 6, at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on CMT and CMT.com.

In addition, Entertainment Weekly has named Moore as one of five Music Summer Breakouts in its issue called "Your Summer Must List." He was the only country artist to receive the honor. "The Georgia native, 32, has crashed the country charts with 'Somethin' 'Bout a Truck.' And his debut, Up All Night, crackles with fresh energy-thanks in part to his evocative rasp, which works equally well on summery kick-back jams like 'Truck' and romantic, arena-ready anthems," the magazine says.

Moore had just finished performing the song Tuesday on the Fox News Channel's Fox & Friends when he received the news of his two-week No. 1.  "I was on the bus after Fox & Friends and my manager, Shawn McSpadden, told me and we gave each other a hug," Moore says.

Country Music Hall Of Fame Spotlights Taylor Swift

The Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum will explore superstar Taylor Swift's record-breaking world tour with the exhibition Taylor Swift: Speak Now-Treasures from the World Tour, which opens on June 6, 2012, and runs through November 4, 2012.  The exhibition will include dozens of costumes, instruments, set pieces and props from the six-time Grammy winner's acclaimed 2011-12 Speak Now World Tour, which entertained more than 1.5 million fans over 111 shows in 19 countries spanning four continents.
    
"Taylor Swift's Speak Now tour was one of the most successful tours in all of music, and she has been an ambassador for country music, raising awareness of our genre literally around the globe," said Museum Director Kyle Young.  "We are delighted to be able to bring our visitors up close and personal with many of their favorite elements from the show, from the colorful and elaborate stage costumes and beautiful instruments, to the magnificent 'Juliet balcony' that Taylor entered near the conclusion of each show and 'flew' around the circumference of each venue. 
    
"Taylor is a dynamic live performer whose open heart and engaging personality allow her to make even the largest stadium shows an intimate experience," Young continued.  "Touring has always been a key element connecting music artists with their fans; those interactions help forge and strengthen the artist-fan relationship, and this exhibit speaks to that.  And the opportunity came to us out of discussions we were having with Taylor related to our expansion-serendipity is a wonderful thing!"
    
Earlier this month, Swift pledged $4 million to fund a new education center at the museum.  Swift's gift, the largest capital contribution by an individual artist in the museum's 45-year history, prompted the museum to name the new space the Taylor Swift Education Center.  The center will open in early 2014.  The gift was made in conjunction with the museum's expansion capital campaign, Working on a Building: Country Music Lives Here. 
    
Swift has for years been a generous supporter of the museum's exhibitions, loaning the institution dresses, stage costumes and instruments for display; a free-standing, Taylor Swift multimedia exhibit has been one of the museum's most popular attractions since its debut in May, 2010.

Kenny Chesney: Billboard Cover Story

There are a lot of captivating photos on the walls of Kenny Chesney's home office, but one stands out both visually and symbolically.

Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh is center stage, signature guitar in place, arms spread wide, hands flashing the devil horns, his face contorted in Walsh-ian fashion, while in the background are Marshall amps and what looks like a collection of bikini tops. To Walsh's right stands Chesney, dressed in his traditional stage attire of T-shirt, jeans and expertly blocked cowboy hat.

The audience -- a packed house at Denver's Red Rocks Amphitheatre, we discover-is surely focused on Walsh as the shutter clicks, and so is Chesney. It's a rock and roll moment for a country music singer, and the story behind this photo speaks volumes about Chesney and the journey he's taken to become the genre's biggest star, with million-ticket-selling tours, more than 30 million albums sold, 22 Billboard Hot Country Songs No. 1s and eight Country Music Assn. and Academy of Country Music entertainer of the year awards.

"I'm more comfortable as a vocalist and songwriter than I have been on the previous 12 records," Kenny Chesney tells Billboard about "Welcome to the Fishbowl."

Nashville's Big Machine Does A Victory Lap For Second Year

The label sponsored IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti’s No. 50 car during the Indy 500, marking the second year BMLG President/CEO Scott Borchetta was part of Victory Lane’s winning car. Last year Big Machine was part of the late Dan Wheldon’s winning car.

"Winning the Indy 500 is the pinnacle of auto sport achievements and Dan's dramatic last-lap win last year will be with us always.  Dario was a great friend to Dan and we're honored that he carried our defending champion's logo on Sunday.” said Borchetta

CMA Socializes Music Fest

The digital fan experience takes center stage during 2012 CMA Music Festival. Utilizing a combination of a free mobile app, mobile website, Facebook, Twitter, texting, CMAfest.com, and other digital channels, this year’s Music Festival will put fans right in the middle of the action, Thursday through Sunday, June 7-10, in downtown Nashville.

With nearly one million fans on Facebook and 115,000 followers on Twitter, CMA’s social media space is the perfect way to connect during the 2012 CMA Music Festival. Through CMA’s social networks, fans will have access to behind the scenes photos, exclusive giveaways, and updates on performance schedules, weather information, and more.

“Now that CMA’s digital audience reaches more than 1.4 million Country Music fans, we have an opportunity and responsibility to involve more fans than ever before -- not only those who are in Nashville for CMA Music Festival, but also our followers from around the globe,” said CMA Senior Manager of Digital Strategy, Ben Bennett.

For the first time, CMA will have a dedicated on-site social media team to interact directly with the fans, give away prizes, and ultimately ensure that Festival goers enjoy the Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience. CMA’s social media team will use Facebook, Twitter, and texting to announce meet-up times and locations for fans to participate in on-site games. This year’s games will include familiar favorites such as charades, a “Ring of Fire” hot-potato contest, CMA’s own version of the “Newlywed Game,” and more. Fans will have multiple opportunities to share their experiences through their own social networks, creating an even larger awareness of CMA Music Festival.

Fans can participate in the following ways:

Follow CMA on Twitter at Twitter.com/CountryMusic
Like CMA on Facebook at  Facebook.com/CMA
Join CMA’s mobile fanbase by texting FESTIVAL to 66937 (standard text and data rates may apply)
Visit CMAfest.com and follow along at the CMA Social Scene
Festival goers will have many opportunities to connect throughout the four-day event, including the Sixth Annual CMA Music Festival Fan Social presented by CMT on Saturday, June 9 (3:00-6:00 PM/CT). The Fan Social, hosted by CMT Radio Live’s Cody Alan, will be held at a secret downtown location and will give fans a chance to win prizes and guaranteed admission to the event through engagement on various social platforms.

By following CMA, CMT, and Fan Social artists’ news feeds and tweets, fans gain access to clues which will lead them to redeemable prize vouchers as well as automatic entry to the event. This year’s CMA Fan Social presented by CMT will feature performances by Kix Brooks, Casey James, Aaron Lewis, Love and Theft, and Sunny Sweeney. Artists will also participate in Q&A sessions and autograph signings.

"Music for Mineral: The Aftershock of Hope"

The online voting that drew Alan Jackson to a high school parking lot Sunday night may have started as "kind of a complicated little deal" to promote his album, the country music star told 6,000 people who gathered to hear him sing.

But as so many votes came in for Mineral, he said, the contest ended up showing the power of people coming together to aid a tiny community hit hard by a magnitude-5.8 quake Aug. 23.

His "Music for Mineral: The Aftershock of Hope" benefit concert near the quake's epicenter raised $152,500 for the Louisa Education Foundation to assist in rebuilding the county's schools.

It was held in the parking lot of Louisa County High School, which was condemned after the quake.

"This is probably the biggest thing Louisa ever had," said Lindsey Moroch, a 2008 graduate of Louisa High School.

- By Karin Kapsidelis - Richmond Times-Dispatch

When CNN Covers You, You're "Today's News"

And, that's where Kip Moore finds himself today:

"I've been writing about two songs a day for about seven or eight years," the 32-year-old singer told CNN from a tour stop in New Hampshire last month. "(When I moved to) Nashville, it was a move because that's what I really wanted to do. I think it's natural when you get to a town like that, you question, 'Are you good enough?' every single day.

"I was below the bar I needed to be when I first got there. I questioned going home all the time my first few years. You see your friends around you building a foundation with their jobs, retirement, family -- not that those things are what I want now, but you could look up, and you're 40 years old -- all of a sudden you have nothing to show for it."

Before moving to Nashville in the early 2000s with songwriting aspirations, Moore credits the time he spent in Hawaii after college for helping him get his songwriting skills up to snuff.

Nearly 40,000 Country Fans ‘PARTY’ Through The Weekend

Georgia native Jason Aldean played a two-night stand of sold out shows at Atlanta’s Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood on Fri. and Sat.  Aldean kicked off the summer leg of the record-breaking 2012 MY KINDA PARTY TOUR on Thurs. night in Birmingham, AL and will continue on to the nation’s biggest amphitheatres this summer.

“I’ve never felt the kind of energy that the fans from the ATL brought this weekend,” said Aldean.  “I didn’t think it could get any wilder, and then when Luda came out, the place came totally unglued.  We’ve gotten to perform together several times, but man, he’s the Mayor of Atlanta, so this one was beyond cool.”

Aldean is currently celebrating his fifth consecutive #1 song with “Fly Over States” from CMA’s “Album of the Year” MY KINDA PARTY.

Teens Choose Taylor And Blake For Multiple Nominations

Taylor Swift picked up four Teen Choice 2012 nods and Blake Shelton is nominated in three categories.

TEEN CHOICE 2012 will once again celebrate the hottest teen icons in television, music, film, sports, fashion, comedy and the web in the choicest, star-studded two-hour event airing live Sunday, July 22 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.

“The Vampire Diaries” lead the TEEN CHOICE 2012 nominees with six nominations, while AMERICAN IDOL and Justin Bieber each garnered 5 nominations. In addition, new categories added this year include Choice Book and Choice Electronic Dance Music (EDM) Artist.

TEEN CHOICE 2012 is executive-produced by Bob Bain (“Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards”) and Michael Burg. Paul Flattery and Kelly Brock serve as producers and Greg Sills serves as supervising producer.

Lady Antebellum Fans Raise Over $285,000 For Henryville

Seven-time GRAMMY winning trio Lady Antebellum and thousands of generous fans joined together at Louisville, KY’s KFC Yum! Center to raise more than $285,000 for the tornado-ravaged Henryville, IN community.  All proceeds will be distributed through the New Hope/Indiana Bankers Association for the Disaster Relief Fund.

The group hosted a private prom event with Henryville High School’s Juniors and Seniors where they surprised the students a with an acoustic performance, which was followed by an arena concert open to the public.

"This event started as an idea we had in the studio last year to crash someone's prom," explains Lady A's Hillary Scott.  "We had no idea at the time it would fill such a need. We are amazed by the support we've gotten from our fans, sponsors and the press.  This is one of the proudest moments in our career!"

Lady A and ABC’s JuJu Chang visited Henryville High School yesterday where they toured the devastated school that is currently under construction and planning to reopen this fall. The community’s inspiring story and highlights from the day aired today on Good Morning America, World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer, Nightline, ABC Radio and on ABC affiliates across the country.

In March, Lady Antebellum began a contest offering fans a chance to OWN THE NIGHT with a private concert at their prom. The trio unanimously chose the community of Henryville, IN for their story, resilience and unity following devastating tornados.  Lipton also came on board to help with the event in the spirit of their "Drink Positive" and "Live Positive" message, a campaign that Lady A already supports. Fans who weren’t able to attend the concert, but would still like to contribute towards the cause can make a donation here.

Miranda Lambert's Go-To Snacks

Miranda: 15 Things I'll Never Apologize For  "The country superstar's got some bold opinions about the pressure to be slim, life with hot husband Blake Shelton and packing heat. You'll fall head over cowboy boots in love with her." - Self Magazine

"I don't care about being stick-thin. I don't want stuff to jiggle. Really skinny actresses make me hungry—I see them and think, Honey, you need to eat! I'm lucky I don't have to live like that. I feel my best when I'm a toned, not flabby, size 8. Women come up to me and say, 'You're beautiful and confident, and that makes me feel I can be, too.'" - Miranda Lambert

Carrie "Freaks" On "Kimmel Live"

Jimmy Kimmel and Carrie Underwood Duet: "Before You Freak" (click to watch)

Brad Paisley Was On The Band Perry's Wish List

 "TBP" will re-join Brad Paisley for his Virtual Reality Tour this Friday in St. Louis, MO.  They've already spent a couple of months on the road with Brad for the first leg of the tour at the beginning of the year and Neil says, “It's been an amazing tour so far.  The crowds have been wild.”    

Kimberly attributes part of that to the fact that most of the dates on the tour have been sold out.  “And that‟s really cool playing these huge arenas with thousands of people in front of you singing all the words to your songs.

By now the fans are probably very familiar with The Band Perry‟s latest single, “Postcard from Paris,” and will be singing every word back to them during their shows.  Plus, getting to tour with Brad is something The Band Perry has wanted to do since they started. 

“Brad has just been a real hero of ours,” Kimberly explains. “Both, of course, as an artist, but also as a really, really good guy in this business.

George Strait, Texas Golfer, Rider, Performer

Just because he now owns a gold course and is feature on the cover of a magazine about golf doesn't mean Strait isn't also still very close to rodeo as well.

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo officials announced changes to the 2013 Show schedule today, with a surprising twist. The 2013 Show will be one day longer, running for 21 days — Monday, Feb. 25, through Sunday, March 17 — with a special concert-only performance on the final day by George Strait in Reliant Stadium at 7 p.m.

Strait’s performance will be a full-length concert, with opening performances by the Randy Rogers Band and Martina McBride. All carnival, shopping, livestock and horse show, food, and other exhibits throughout the grounds will be open on this day.

“George has had a lot of special moments in the 30 years since he first appeared at the Show,” said Leroy Shafer, chief operating officer of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. “I remember the day we flew him in as a replacement act an hour before his performance. He took the stage and quickly stole the hearts of our Rodeo fans. And, George has been here for all of the Show’s major milestones since that first performance in 1983. We are extremely excited that he is going to close our 2013 Show with this special concert.”

Martina To Sing National Anthem At '500'

GRAMMY®-winning country superstar Martina McBride will sing the national anthem during pre-race ceremonies at the 96th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 27 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“I am extremely excited that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has invited me to this year’s Indy 500,” McBride said. “It is a huge honor to sing the national anthem at what is known as ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.’”

Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and chief executive officer: “We welcome Martina McBride to IMS to perform ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ shortly before the engines fire for the 96th Indianapolis 500. Her unforgettable voice and stage presence will add special meaning to this tribute to our country and the veterans who have served it with great dedication and sacrifice.”

Having completed a winter arena tour with fellow country music superstar George Strait, McBride recently embarked on an intimate theater tour across the country. The theater tour will give fans a memorable and unique experience that also highlights her multitude of hit songs and fan-favorites.

Josh Turner And Fireworks ReOpen Opry Mills Mall

NCC:  Josh Turner, Laura Bell Bundy, & many more artists were part of the Grand Re-Opening finale of the Opry Mills Mall with a show billed as "Southern Nights."

Josh headlined the final performance with fireworks following the concert.

His "Punching Bag" tour is currently on the road & his new album with the same name drops June 12th.

Jake Owen Tweets About His Own Arrest

Jake Owen says that he was arrested late Saturday night in his hometown of Vero Beach, Florida.

He seemingly Tweeted the photos himself, so we can't wait to hear the whole story.

It sure looks verrrrry interesting!

You don't suppose Cinco de Mayo had anything to do with it, do you??

By Sunday evening, Townsquare Media's Taste Of Country reported the rest of the story, starting with an apology from Jake.

Aldean And Paisley To "E!" This Summer

Jason Aldean and Brad Paisley are part of E!'s new music competition series Opening Act, premiering July 9.

The show follows American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe leading a team of scouts including Mary J. Blige in an Internet search to find undiscovered talent.

Winners will open for Aldean, Paisley, Blige, Rod Stewart, LMFAO and Nicki Minaj.

Power Women Dominate CMT Awards

It’s proving to be Carrie Underwood’s year as she picks up five nominations for the 2012 CMT MUSIC AWARDS, it was announced this morning live on NBC’s “Today” show by host Hoda Kotb and guest co-host Willie Geist with guests Little Big Town, who received a nomination in the CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR category. The group also announced they will perform on this year’s live show.

Women lead the pack this year as Miranda Lambert follows closely behind Underwood with four nominations; two for her solo work and two as a member of country trio and first-time nominees Pistol Annies, who are up for GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR and USA WEEKEND BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR awards. Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift and Thompson Square are next in line tied for three nominations apiece. Duo The Civil Wars also received three nominations, including two for their collaboration with Taylor Swift on the hit song “Safe & Sound” from “The Hunger Games” soundtrack.

Voting ends Monday, June 4.

Miranda Lambert Added To CMA Music Fests Nighttime Lineup

The reigning CMA Female Vocalist of the Year and fan favorite group Little Big Town have joined the performer lineup for the Nightly Concerts at LP Field held during 2012 CMA Music Festival. The event takes place Thursday through Sunday, June 7-10, in downtown Nashville, and will once again be filmed for an ABC television special to air in late summer

Lambert will perform on Thursday, June 7, and Little Big Town will perform on Saturday, June 9. 

Also during the Nightly Concerts at LP Field, Sarah Darling, Nashville School of Arts Chamber Choir (under the directon of Walter Bitner), Oak Ridge Boys, and Julie Roberts will each perform the National Anthem.

The current lineups for the Nightly Concerts are as follows in alphabetical order:

Thursday, June 7:    Jason Aldean, Glen Campbell, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, and Zac Brown Band. National Anthem performed by the Nashville School of Arts Chamber Choir (under the direction of Walter Bitner).

Friday, June 8:    The Band Perry, Brantley Gilbert, Ronnie Milsap, Jake Owen, Blake Shelton, and Carrie Underwood. National Anthem performed by the Oak Ridge Boys.

Saturday, June 9:    Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Hunter Hayes, Faith Hill, Little Big Town, and Kenny Rogers. National Anthem performed by Julie Roberts.

Sunday, June 10:    Dierks Bentley, Alan Jackson, The Mavericks, Martina McBride, Scotty McCreery, and Rascal Flatts. National Anthem performed by Sarah Darling.

Tickets to the individual Nightly Concerts are $40 (plus applicable handling fees) for general admission in the upper deck of LP Field. Fans can purchase their tickets through Ticketmaster at Ticketmaster.com or 1 (800) 745-3000. They can also purchase them through CMAfest.com or 1 (800) CMA-FEST (262-3378).

Rodney Atkins Performs for Runners

Nashville's Country Music Marathon brought 30,000 runners into Nashville's streets. Rodney Atkins was the post-race headliner for the show.

To reshare The Nashville Country Club report which features WSIX's Chris and Amy on your Facebook, Twitter, or Web Site, add the Youtube Link.

Martina McBride's New Theatre Tour Is Unique

Martina says that it (click to see the tour dates) allows her to do things she wouldn't do in a normal arena tour.  It's a more intimate show, but also, she explains,  

“You can pace your show a little bit differently, you can play more album cuts and more ballads and it becomes less about keeping people up on their feet all night long and more about connecting and kind of going on a musical journey.  And so this show is really for my fans.”  

The people she put the show together for are her die-hard fans, the ones who will know and appreciate more than just the Martina songs they've heard on the radio. 

Besides her current single, “Marry Me,” and some of her previous hits, Martina is also enjoying mixing in some album cuts and obscure songs and past singles.  She says, “I'm gonna really just dig in and we're doing pretty much every-where a two hour show.  So it's just a lot of fun.”