Send Jennifer Nettles Best Wishes On Her First Pregnancy

Jennifer (pictured at the "Red Dress Fashion Show" benefit) announced last week that is expecting her first child with her husband in November.

Jennifer expressed her excitement saying, "We feel so blessed to be expecting and so touched by all the support and excitement for our little 'love on the inside'! Thanks for all the well wishes!"

Leave your well wishes in the comments on her website with a click here.

Hunter Hayes Joins Guinness World Record Attempt

Hayes will join The Flaming Lips in their quest to break the Guinness World Records title for the Most Live Concerts In 24 Hours (Multiple Cities) during the groundbreaking and Webby Award winning O Music Awards, live at Benny’s Boom Boom Room in Hattiesburg, MS this Thursday, June 28^th at 7:30 AM, ET/ 6:30 AM, CT.  

Hunter is one of several emerging artists invited to join The Flaming Lips during a 24 hour whirlwind tour, beginning in Memphis, TN and ending in New Orleans, LA.  Tune – In Thursday, June 28^th at 7:30 AM, ET/ 6:30 AM, CT to watch Hayes’ performance streaming live on OMusicAwards.com and accessible on all platforms including mobile and tablets. The performances will be LIVE streamed and VOD’s will go live after on CMT.com.

As a collective endeavor of MTV, VH1, CMT & Logo, O Music Awards were created to spotlight the diversity of music across digital platforms and provide fans a touch point to discover emerging artists and technology trends that span multiple sounds and genres. This event celebrates and honors the artists, fans and innovators impacting digital music culture. 

He is the only country artist (that we know of at least) to play every instrument, write/co-write every song, and co-produce his critically acclaimed self-titled debut album.  

As the 2012 ACM New Artist of the Year nominee, Hunter has been touring and performing live for decades, currently selling out venues across the US and Canada on his MOST WANTED headline tour.  The Louisiana native has also shared the stage with Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Trace Adkins, Brad Paisley, and Hank Williams, Jr.

He recently announced plans to tour with Carrie Underwood this fall on her 2012 "Blown Away" tour.

This multi-instrumentalist continues to garner praise from fans and critics alike as he made his world-premiere national television debut on CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman  and also performed with The Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and on Good Morning America.  His current hit "Wanted" is quickly climbing the radio charts and holds the unprecedented #1 slot for three weeks in a row on GAC's Top 20 Countdown

For more information on the O Music Awards, please visit: www.OMusicAwards.com.

Steel Magnolia Takes It Out To the Ball Game

The Country Music Association 2011 Duo of the Year nominee and five-time Academy of Country Music Duo/Top Duo or Group nominees are taking their two-part harmonies to Atlanta for the 7th inning stretch during June 28th’s Arizona Diamondbacks/Braves game at Turner Field.

Eschewing the more expected “Take Me Out To the Ball Game” for the more patriotic “God Bless America,” Meghan Linsey and partner Joshua Scott Jones are ready for a little baseball…

“The opportunities to do cool things because of the way the fans love our music never ceases to amaze me,” says Linsey, the quirky bombshell who’s a perfect cross between Gracie Allen and Marilyn Monroe. “Last week, we were able to pass out groceries at Second Harvest’s mobile food pantry in a church that fed 1000 people, and this week, we get to go sing at a big baseball game.”
 
“And it’s cool, too, so close to the 4th of July to be able to sing ‘God Bless America’,” adds the more brooding Jones. “We are so fortunate to be living in this country… and Meg and I are especially blessed to be making music, to be able to make a difference last week and especially to be out there touring, realizing how much the fans love this music. I can’t think of a better warm-up for a big holiday weekend!”

The game – and their performance – can be seen on the Major League Baseball Network as well as the regional Sports South Network, which broadcasts all the Braves games.

Steel Magnolia’s “Keep On Loving You” became the highest debuting single for a male/female duo in Billboard chart history, rising into the Top 5. The high-energy pair followed with two more distinctive hits, the #24 “Last Night Again” and Top 30 “Just By Being You (Halo and Wings).” In addition to their three ACM Top Vocal Duo nomination, Meghan and Josh have received nominations for the ACM’s Top New Vocal Duo in 2010 and 2011, the Country Music Association for Duo of the Year in 2011 and CMT: Country Music Television for Best Video by a New Duo in 2011 and been seen on “Late Night with David Letterman” and “The Jimmy Kimmel Show.”

Tim McGraw Promises To Deliver More

Before McGraw signed his new record deal he talked about wanting to have more freedom to be able to put out music beyond just a new album every year or so, whether it was live recordings or special projects.

Now that he is signed to Big Machine Records, he says, ―I think that we‘re gonna do all sorts of great things like that.  And not only for myself as an artist to fulfill the sort of urges and desires I have as an artist and the things I want to do but for the fans.

Tim says the best news is that no matter what the future holds, ultimately the fans are gonna benefit from this (click to listen) because they‘re gonna get to hear a lot of different kinds of music in a lot of different ways, along with albums as well.

New Bride Wynonna Judd

Best wishes to newlyweds Wynonna and drummer Cactus Moser, who tied the knot in a private ceremony in Leiper's Fork June 10.

"I felt a joy that hasn't been there before," Wynonna tells Us Weekly.

 -- Canada Country Aircheck

Release Week For Kenny Chesney

Chesney, the "superman of summer concerts" (Tampa Bay Times), is firing up his tour machine to warp speed this week for an incredible array of televised and streaming performances celebrating the release of his new album, 'Welcome To The Fishbowl.'

This week, Chesney celebrated the beginning of summer with a free, 75-minute concert for more than 20,000 fans on the famously scenic beach of Wildwood, N.J. The concert, to be directed for a live stream by Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme as part of the American Express "Unstaged" series, is expected to be the biggest outdoor concert ever in the resort town. Watch live.

On Thursday, Chesney and his band will hit 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon' to perform his current hit single "Come Over." He will also join The Roots for a special performance of his reggae-tinged "Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven," which Chesney recorded with The Wailers for his 2008 album 'Lucky Old Sun.' To cap off the whirlwind week, Chesney will bring his "spring break party all summer long" vibe to NBC's Rockefeller Plaza on Friday for a live performance on TODAY's Toyota Summer Concert Series.

Tour dates.

Chesney on the web:

• http://fishbowl.kennychesney.com
• http://www.facebook.com/KennyChesney
• http://twitter.com/#!/kennychesney
• http://noshoesradio.com/index.aspx
• http://www.shorefire.com/clients/kchesney

From:  Neil Haislop's Country Forever blog

Hot Country (Web) Links

Thanks to Country Aircheck:

• Kenny Chesney "keeps his eye on the big picture." –USA Today
• Rascal Flatts tour "highlighted the power of a group versus the prowess of a solo superstar." –Boston Globe
• Lady Antebellum turn in a "terrific performance." –Ottawa Citizen
• Trace Adkins brought "quality musicianship and entertainment." –Lehigh Valley Express-Times
• Scotty McCreery and The Band Perry are "planets circling a Paisley sun." –Cleveland Plain Dealer
• Rain helps Miranda Lambert douse this leg of the On Fire Tour. –St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  

Lee Brice On "Today"

Tune in Thursday, June 21, when Brice returns to the “Today” show to help fulfill a dream come true for co-host, Hoda Kotb.  Brice will perform his current hit single, “Hard to Love,” which is rapidly climbing Billboard’s Top Country Songs chart

This past spring, Brice co-hosted the “Today” show with Kotb and performed his #1 hit, “A Woman Like You,” which was just certified platinum by the RIAA for 1 million digital downloads. In April 2011, Kotb selected Lee Brice’s hit single and Billboard’s Most Played Song of 2010, “Love Like Crazy,” for her “iHoda Playlist.”

Brice is currently touring throughout the United States throughout the summer. Please visit www.leebrice.com for further information and a list of upcoming tour dates.

Aaron Tippin Flies His First Ever Airshow

Tippin was in Granite Falls, MN yesterday to perform a concert at the Ray Fagen Memorial Airshow and an added surprise was a performance in the sky by Aaron in the airshow.

Tippin said: “Wow, it was only a couple of low passes but it sure was cool for me.”

The airshow was held at the Granite Falls Municipal Airport / Lenzen-Roe Memorial Field (KGDB). It was a one day event - WWII showcase with warbird demos, dozens of static displays including a P-38, P-40's, P-51's, WWII trainers, ground assault reinactors, a Sherman Tank, Half Track, the Liberty Jump Team, and a public opening of the new Fagen Fighters WWII Museum on the field, and an extra special appearance by Tippin and His Band with a concert following the show.

All proceeds benefit the Minnesotans' Military Appreciation Fund.

Lovin' You Is Fun (Almost As Much As Putting Out A Second Album)

With two No. 1 singles, multiple awards and nominations, plus performances on some of the biggest stages in the world, Easton Corbin made an auspicious entree with his self-titled debut album.

The release of his sophomore effort, All Over the Road, builds on that success and delivers music that confirms that Easton Corbin is here to stay.

When Easton broke on the scene in 2009 with not one, but two, No. 1 singles, "A Little More Country Than That" and "Roll With It," and a Top 15 hit, "I Can't Love You Back," the country music world was put on notice. He became the first country male artist in 17 years to have his first two consecutive singles reach No. 1. Billboard named Easton the Top New Country Artist of 2010 and named "Roll With It" the No. 6 Hot Country Song of the Year. He was ranked No. 9 on Billboard's list of Top Country Artists-Male, listed between Blake Shelton and Tim McGraw.

With three American Country Awards in 2010 and blockbuster tours with Rascal Flatts, Brad Paisley and Blake Shelton, Easton set the bar high for his sophomore release. Not surprisingly, the hard-working Gilchrist County, Florida native-"Everybody knows everybody," he says-delivers in spades.

CMA Music Fest 2012 In The Record Books, 2013 On Sale Now

CMA Music Festival set a new attendance record in 2012 with daily attendance topping 71,000 fans, a 9.2 percent increase over the 65,000 in attendance in 2011 and a sell out for the third consecutive year at LP Field. Tickets for 2013 CMA Music Festival, which will be held Thursday through Sunday June 6-9, are on sale now.

The increase was attributed to expanded seating at LP Field for the nightly concerts and mild temperatures that drove increased attendance in the free event and concert areas downtown.

“Third time’s the charm and to achieve a sell out for a third straight year and increase attendance says a lot about the strength of this event, the dedication of our fans, the support of our industry and local community, and the popularity of our music and artists,” said Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer.

Meet Thomas Rhett

Thomas Rhett (“Something to Do With My Hands”) admits that as much as possible he avoids asking his dad, Rhett Akins, for help with things like finishing a song.  He says the reason is because “I’m a big believer in not riding my dad’s coattails.” 

He admits that he’s had the luxury of meeting a lot of great people in the industry through his dad, who was an artist in the 90s and is now a mega-hit songwriter and he says, “I write with my dad a bunch and he is a huge influence on my songwriting but no, when I write a song with people I’m usually never tempted to bring it to him because there’s a sense of wanting to do it by myself and make my own way in this business so that nobody can say that I rode my dad’s coattails into the music business.”

Rhett welcomed friends Jerrod Neimann and Miranda Lambert to his jam-packed show at Joe’s Bar in Chicago Saturday night following the Brad Paisley Wrigley Field show.

Miranda jumped up on stage and joined Thomas for a version of “Kiss My Country Ass” (made famous by her husband and penned by Thomas’ dad).

Jerrod also shared the stage for renditions of “Lover, Lover” and “One More Drinkin’ Song”.

Thomas is gearing up this week to launch his run on Toby Keith’s LIVE IN OVERDRIVE Tour; the trek kicks off Thursday night in Salt Lake City.

LP Stands For Long-Playing

Although not really using their seats, a sold-out crowd still got their money's worth at the first of four CMA Music Festival shows at Nashville's LP Field Thursday evening (6/7). 

Eight artists performed 45 songs in a show that lasted more than four hours.   

Glen Campbell opened and was warmly received by a crowd obviously sympathetic to Alzheimer-stricken icon's occasional moments of confusion. 

At times he struggles to find lyrics to signature songs including "Gentle On My Mind" and "Rhinestone Cowboy," but guitar work is as fluid and brilliant as ever.   
               -- Country Aircheck

2012 CMA Country Music Festival Begins Tonight

The 2012 CMA Music Festival promises to bring even more excitement and entertainment to downtown Nashville. With eight stages, this year’s Festival will have more live music than ever before.

“We are so excited to be able to bring our fans more music at this year’s CMA Music Festival,” said Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “With added stages, this year fans will be able to hear music everywhere.”

With so much to do and see at this four-day festival, it takes seven days to get it all in. And the fun begins tonight!

Joe and Heather Nichols Visit The View

During a 2010 appearance on The View, Joe Nichols revealed to the cast and audience that he and wife Heather were undergoing fertility treatments in an effort to have a baby.  Two years later, the happy new parents once again visited the show to discuss the long, difficult and often heartbreaking path to the delivery of their healthy baby girl, Dylan River Nichols.  The couple revealed they had suffered five miscarriages, and shared their story in an effort to help other women who may be experiencing similar challenges.

Nichols  also performed a song special to the couple, "That Would Be Her." He sang it to Heather at their wedding, and Heather played the song throughout the lengthy and frequent treatments during her pregnancy.  Additionally a line from the song inspired their daughter's middle name.  The song can be found on Nichols' award winning debut CD, titled Man With A Memory.  In addition to their appearance on The View, Heather has launched a blog designed to share the information she accumulated during her research into treatments and her experiences throughout this pregnancy.

Pictured (l-r) are: guest host Mario Cantone, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Joe, Heather and Dylan River Nichols, Elisabeth Hasselback and Sherri Shepherd.

If you missed the show, follow this link to view The View:

• Interview:
    http://theview.abc.go.com/video/joe-nichols-and-wife-heather-their-family
• Performance:
    http://theview.abc.go.com/video/joe-nichols-performs

Photo Credit:   Lou Rocco/ABC
CONTACT:   Jennifer Bohler/Alliance, 615 292 5804, jenny@jb-alliance.com

Eric Church Adds More Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour Dates

He’s sold out over 25 dates on his inaugural arena headlining tour, but Church's The Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour isn’t over yet. Announced today, the fall leg of the tour will include stops from Amherst, MA to Los Angeles, CA to Sunrise, FL. Special guests Justin Moore and Kip Moore will join Church for this portion of the tour. Tickets will go on sale June 8 for the first dates, with additional on-sales to be announced in the coming weeks. To purchase, visit www.EricChurch.com.

In April, Eric Church: The Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour was named No. 11 on Pollstar’s 2012 Worldwide Ticket Sales Chart for the first quarter, confirming the tour was one of the highest-attended across all genres of music from January through March.

Not only has The Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour received huge response from fans, but it has also been met with praise by many outlets including The Boston Globe who wrote, "With his vivid songs, frenetic performances, and outsider allure, Church is a refreshing figure on the country scene." The Reading Eagle added, “It’s been said a transcendent concert can resemble a religious experience, but this took it to a new level… the 34-year-old frequently exploded from the mic stand, arms pounding his chest, screaming at the crowd to boost an energy level that pyrotechnics and explosions had already elevated… the energy roared.”

Moreover, Church has tied The Blood Sweat & Beers Tour to a cause that will help those in need. Teaming up with Tickets-For-Charity.com, he is giving fans the opportunity to donate part of their purchase price to their favorite charity, and his partnering cause, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and its mission to find a cure for diabetes. For more information, visit www.TicketsForCharity.com.


Full list of newly-announced dates:

9/13/2012 | Amherst, MA | Mullins Center
9/14/2012 | Wilkes-Barre, PA | Mohegan Sun Arena
9/15/2012 | Pittsburgh, PA | CONSOL Energy Center
9/20/2012 | Frisco, TX | Dr. Pepper Arena
9/21/2012 | Houston, TX | Toyota Center
9/22/2012 | Cedar Park, TX | Cedar Park Center
9/27/2012 | Mankato, MN | Verizon Wireless Center
9/28/2012 | Sioux City, IA | Tyson Events Center
9/29/2012 | Kansas City, MO | Sprint Center
10/4/2012 | Detroit, MI | Joe Louis Arena
10/5/2012 | Moline, IL | iWireless Center
10/6/2012 | Cincinnati, OH | US Bank Arena
10/11/2012 | Green Bay, WI | Resch Center
10/12/2012 | Milwaukee, WI | Bradley Center
10/13/2012 | Indianapolis, IN | Bankers Life Fieldhouse
10/14/2012 | Louisville, KY | KFC Yum! Center
10/18/2012 | Lafayette, LA | Cajun Dome
10/19/2012 | Biloxi, MS | Mississippi Coast Coliseum
10/20/2012 | Birmingham, AL | BJCC Arena
10/21/2012 | Murray, KY | CFSB Center
10/25/2012 | Roanoke, VA | Roanoke Civic Center Coliseum
10/26/2012 | Fairfax, VA | Patriot Center
10/27/2012 | Charlottesville, VA | John Paul Jones Arena
11/2/2012 | Glendale, AZ | Jobing.com Arena
11/3/2012 | Las Vegas, NV | Mandalay Bay Events Center
11/4/2012 | Los Angeles, CA | Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE
11/6/2012 | Bakersfield, CA | Rabobank Arena
11/8/2012 | Anaheim, CA | Honda Center
11/9/2012 | San Jose, CA | HP Pavilion at San Jose
11/10/2012 | Sacramento, CA | Power Balance Pavilion
11/11/2012 | Reno, NV | Reno Events Center
11/13/2012 | Everett, WA | Comcast Arena at Everett
11/15/2012 | Portland, OR | Rose Garden Arena
11/16/2012 | Boise, ID | Taco Bell Arena
11/17/2012 | West Valley City, UT | Maverik Center
11/28/2012 | Charlotte, NC | Time Warner Cable Arena
11/29/2012 | Duluth, GA | The Arena at Gwinnett Center
11/30/2012 | Columbia, SC | Colonial Life Arena
12/1/2012 | Huntington, WV | Big Sandy Superstore Arena
12/6/2012 | North Little Rock, AR | Verizon Arena
12/7/2012 | Tulsa, OK | BOK Center
12/8/2012 | Wichita, KS | Intrust Bank Arena
12/13/2012 | Tampa, FL | USF Sun Dome
12/14/2012 | Jacksonville, FL | Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
12/15/2012 | Sunrise, FL | Bank Atlantic Center