Live From The 'Fest

If that's not everything you need to know, click here.

“Darius Rucker And Friends” = Luke Bryan, Randy Houser, Dustin Lynch, Justin Moore + Many More

Luke Bryan, Sam Bush, John Cowan, Radney Foster, Randy Houser, Dustin Lynch and Justin Moore will join Rucker for his sold-out, fourth annual “Darius And Friends” benefit concert on Monday, June 3 at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, Tenn.

Proceeds from the event go directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“I always look forward to this event each year, and I’m so happy to have Luke, Sam, John, Randy, Dustin, Justin, and of course my hero, Radney, join me to help raise funds for St. Jude,” said Rucker.

“A few years ago I visited the St. Jude campus in Memphis and instantly became a ‘true believer’ in everyone there and the work they do to help treat kids and cure disease. I am happy to help raise funds for such a worthwhile cause and thrilled that some of my friends can join me.”

“Darius And Friends” has unofficially become a kickoff event for CMA Music Festival Week since it began four years ago. Through the years, artists including Rodney Atkins, Clint Black, Easton Corbin, Jamey Johnson, Kid Rock, Jerrod Niemann and Jake Owen have participated in the event. Since its inception, “Darius And Friends” has grown to include a charity auction and a celebrity golf tournament and has raised more than $225,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Oklahoma reacts to 'Healing in the Heartland' performance, Miranda Lambert reacts with tears

Daily Oklahoman's Emma Riley Sutton reports 'the Miranda Lambert tears did not go unnoticed during her performance on “Healing in the Heartland” on May 29. That is especially true of those in Oklahoma who watched her struggle to sing “The House that Built Me.”

'In interviews conducted on May 29 and May 30, Oklahoma shared their thoughts about Miranda Lambert's tears as she sang for them and their recovery effort after the tornadoes of May 19 and May 20.'

To donate, click here (Ebay's auction, which benefits United Way and 100% of the money goes to victims).

Blake is constantly updating info on it, of course.

Johnny Cash Is Now Literally "Forever" Thanks To A New Stamp

The United States Postal Service, John Carter Cash and other members of the Cash family celebrate the legacy of the Man in Black with the release of a limited-edition Johnny Cash Forever stamp June 5, 2013 at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium (116 Fifth Avenue) at 10:30 a.m. CDT. Doors open for stamp sales at 9 a.m. and the event is free and open to the public.

Artists set to appear, perform or speak at the first-day-of-issuance ceremony include John Carter Cash, Carlene Carter, Larry Gatlin, Jamey Johnson, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Roys, Marty Stuart and Randy Travis among others.  650AM WSM personality Bill Cody will serve as emcee of the event.

“It is an amazing blessing that my father Johnny Cash be honored with the issue of this stamp. Dad was a hard-working man, a man of dignity. As much as anything else, he was a proud American, always supporting his family, fans and country. I can think of no better way to pay due respect to his legacy than through the release of this stamp,” said John Carter Cash.

“My family is thrilled that my father will grace a United States 'Forever' stamp, a great honor for any American, and an honor that would have particularly delighted him. It is a joy to know that generations will use this stamp, and my father will forever be where he loved to be: traveling the world,” added Rosanne Cash.

Designed by art director Greg Breeding, the Johnny Cash stamp features a photograph captured by Frank Bez during the photo session for Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash (1963).  The stamp is part of the U.S. Postal Service’s Music Icon series, which also includes stamps honoring Lydia Mendoza (available now)  and Ray Charles (to be released in September).

The stamps will be available for purchase at the Ryman Auditorium June 5 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., at the CMA Festival Fan Fair X at LP Field June 6-9, local Post Offices and online at usps.com/stamps.

Alabama Breaks Atlanta Venue Ticket Sales Record

ALABAMA's Back to the Bowery Tour two-night stop in Atlanta, GA marks the highest grossing run for a country artist in Fox Theatre history, with over $498,000 in ticket sales. The legendary group performed for sold out houses on both nights with over 8,500 in attendance - a new house record. The two-night engagement was the first time Alabama had ever played the Fox Theatre.

"We had two amazing nights. More amazing than I ever dreamed they would be," says ALABAMA frontman Randy Owen. "It was great to finally play the Fox, and thanks to the fans and all involved for turning it into a very special memory for us."
 
"We could not be more pleased with the outcome of the ALABAMA performances," said Allan Vella, President and CEO of the Fox Theatre. "They are an exceptional band and we hope that they will visit Atlanta and the Fox again soon."  Promoter Steve Litman of Steve Litman Presents added, "ALABAMA proved once again that they undeniably deserve their legendary status with two amazing SRO shows that thrilled Atlanta."

ALABAMA is no stranger to breaking records, however. Their career to date has resulted in21 Gold ®, Platinum ® and multi-Platinum ® albums, 43 number one singles and more than 73 million records in sales. They have received over 150 industry awards, including eight honors for Entertainer of the Year, two Grammy wins and two People's Choice Awards, as well as their very own "star" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The band received the Academy of Country Music's Pioneer Award in 2003, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005, and most recently won the American Country Awards' "Greatest Hits" Award in 2011.

The fabulous Fox Theatre is one of Atlanta's premiere venues for live entertainment and was declared a Top Stop of the Decade by Venues Today Magazine and the #1 non-residency venue worldwide for the decade by Billboard Magazine.

PRESS CONTACTS:
  Schatzi Hageman, PH: 615-782-0078
  Beth Carter, Fox Theatre, PH: 678-866-3572

Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, The Dixie Chicks, Randy Travis, Phil Vassar, Scotty McCreery and Brantley Gilbert All On One Stage

Craven, Saskatchewan continues to astound with the amazing lineup set to play the World’s Greatest Country Music Festival from July 11-14, 2013 in Craven Saskatchewan. Once again, long-time weekend hosts, Williams and Ree, will serve as festival ambassadors.

“This may be the lineup to end all lineups,” said Troy Vollhoffer, executive producer. “We are always proud to bring the biggest and the best acts that are available, but this year I think we’ve outdone ourselves. The lineup is deep with a great mix of young, classic, and a trio of superstars. There is definitely something here for everyone. It’s going to be an explosive show in 2013.”


Replacing Lady Antebellum on the revised bill:  The Dixie Chicks.

Tickets are still available at $179, but they won’t last long. Ticket prices will increase to $199 on June 1st.

Thursday, July 11 (Beer Garden kick-off party)
8:00 pm – Williams & Ree
9:00 pm – Phil Vassar

Friday, July 12
4:00 pm – Small Town Pistols
5:30 pm – Sawyer Brown
7:00 pm – Brantley Gilbert
9:00 pm – Tim McGraw

Saturday, July 13
2:30 pm – High Valley
4:00 pm – Williams and Ree
5:30 pm – Randy Travis
7:00 pm – Doc Walker
9:00 pm – The Dixie Chicks

Sunday, July 14
1:00 pm – CKRM Big Talent Contest Winner
2:30 pm – Bill Anderson
4:00 pm – Gloriana
5:30 pm – Chad Brownlee
7:00 pm – Scotty McCreery
8:30 pm – Kenny Chesney

Justin Moore: next album the most diverse he's ever done

Although a release date hasn’t been set yet, Moore is anxious to get his next album out, featuring his latest single, “Point At You.”

He says, “There’s gonna be a lot of this new album that people go, ‘Ahh, that’s Justin. It’s what he does.’ But then there’s gonna be quite a few songs on this album that, I think, will surprise some people as well, which I’m excited about. It’s the most diverse album we’ve done.”

Justin felt like “Point At You” was a good first song to release off the new album because he says, “It’s an example of kinda blending those two worlds together to me perfectly. It sounds like something we’ve put out but the subject matter is a love song.”

Little Big Town Raises $115,000 for Blood Water Mission

The Grammy award-winning group recently took the stage at Rolling Hills Farm in Franklin, TN in an effort to raise money for Blood:Water Mission, a local non-profit committed to empowering communities to work together against the HIV/AIDS and water crises in Africa.

This event is the second house concert that Little Big Town has performed for Blood:Water Mission, drawing an impressive crowd on both occasions. From government officials to sports superstars, support of Blood:Water Mission has crossed multiple societal thresholds. This year's guest list included Governor and First Lady Haslam, Titans quarterback Jake Locker, author John Acuff, EPSN College Football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, and Rascal Flatts guitarist Joe Don Rooney with his wife Tiffany Fallon Rooney, to name a few.

The evening began with the story of how Jars of Clay and Jena Nardella formed Blood:Water Mission with just $1,000, the goal of the event being to raise 100 times that amount. With this goal in mind, the attendees contributed a total of over $115,000 to be used for Blood:Water Mission's HIV/AIDS and water projects throughout subsaharan Africa.

Blake And Miranda Go All Out For Moore

Watch Blake and Miranda's heartfelt tribute performance of "Over You" during The Voice:

 
Shelton says that he is putting together an NBC-TV benefit concert.

Kellie Pickler & Derek Hough Win, Thanks To Fan Vote

Pickler came into the final "Dancing With the Stars" episode in second place but finished in first.

Fox News reports that the 26-year-old country singer won the show's mirror ball trophy Tuesday.

"This is amazing!" she beamed to her professional partner, Derek Hough.

The pair earned two sets of perfect scores Monday night and another on Tuesday. Judges' scores combined with viewer votes determine the winner.

Because there were problems with voting on the ABC website during Monday's East Coast broadcast, host Tom Bergeron said Tuesday those votes weren't counted. Only votes cast by phone, text and Facebook factored into the final count.

Teen Disney Channel star Zendaya danced perfectly during the final two episodes, collecting the most points from the judges, but she fell short of the title.

"I'm very proud and I'm very happy," the 16-year-old said after the results were read. "And I get to leave here with an amazing experience."

Football pro Jacoby Jones finished in third place. Fellow finalist Alexandra Raisman was axed at the beginning of Tuesday's episode.

"This has been the best experience of my life," the gold medalist said. "My whole life, all I've ever known has been gymnastics, so to try something new has been amazing."

The two-hour finale featured the return of the season's already-eliminated contestants: comedians Andy Dick and D.L. Hugely, Olympian Dorothy Hamill, actor Ingo Rademacher, reality stars Lisa Vanderpump and Sean Lowe, singer Wynonna Judd and boxer Victor Ortiz.

Judd opted to sing rather than dance on the final episode, while Hamill celebrated another chance to hit the ballroom floor.

The Olympic skater, who said she was motivated to join the show after watching fellow skater Kristi Yamaguchi, had to withdraw from the competition early in the season because of an injury.
Hamill danced again Tuesday, and Yamaguchi joined her.

"It's such an honor to join my idol out here on the dance floor," said Yamaguchi, the Season 6 "Dancing" champ.

Korean pop star Psy brought his unique moves to the ballroom by dancing along with his new single, "Gentleman." Pitbull and Jessica Sanchez also performed.

ABC announced earlier this month that the next season of "Dancing With the Stars" will air one night a week instead of two.

Artists React To Moore, Oklahoma Storm

Country Aircheck reports:

Miranda Lambert will join Blake Shelton tonight (5/21) on The Voice to perform an acoustic version of "Over You" and urge donations for recovery. "They're going through hell there right now," Shelton said as the program aired live last night. "Lot of fatalities, lot of children. It makes it hard to actually sit here and do this tonight, but [I've] got a job to do and my team's counting on me, so here I am." Other Oklahoma natives and residents have expressed sympathy and concern via social media:

• Carrie Underwood: "Growing up in tornado alley, you always know what could happen ... it doesn't change how devastating it is when something does happen. #pray" 
• Joe Don Rooney: "My thoughts & prayers are with my home state of Oklahoma. May God's love & grace be with all affected by these horrible storms."
• Reba: "All my prayers go out to the folks in Oklahoma dealing with these tornados.  Stay safe everyone!" 
• Trisha Yearwood: "Pray for everyone devastated by these storms, but especially for those families in Moore, OK right now … God, wrap your arms around this community."

Moore Tornado Hits Close to Home For Toby Keith

Toby's posts last night after the reality of the devastation that had hit his childhood home.

Toby's tweet:

Toby's facebook page:


He's recorded PSA's today with info on how to help:

• TOBY RED CROSS PSA 1 Moore OK.mp3
• TOBY RED CROSS PSA 2 Moore OK.mp3
• TOBY RED CROSS PSA 3 Moore OK.mp3

CMA Fan Fair eXperiences and eXpands

Fan Fair X takes over Nashville's newest, most state-of-the-art venue - the Music City Center on Thursday, June 6.

Lady Antebellum will kick off the week with "Lady A Day at FFX" when the group cuts the ribbon as the Fan Fair X doors officially open.

From the new Fan Fair X, Lady A will perform, sign autographs in their custom "backstage" booth @ClubLabellum, answer questions from fans in an interview segment called CMA Close Up, and launch their PING PONG & SONGS event to include the thousands of fans in town for the Festival.

A Vote For Kellie Pickler Is A Vote For Country

It all comes down to tonight!

To vote, check out her Facebook page.

Taylor Swift Wins Artist of the Year & 7 Other At Billboard Music Awards Trophies

Swift was honored as Top Artist, Top Female Artist and Top Billboard 200 artist in ceremonies held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, where awards were handed out in 45 categories, 10 of them on the ABC telecast.

Taylor received the night's top honor, Artist of the Year, as well as Top Female Artist, Top Country Artist and Top Digital Songs Artist.

"Red" was Tops in the Billboard 200 and country albums categories (click to see all the winners); her "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" was named Top Country Song.

Tim McGraw’s Superstar Summer Night

ACM has put together a Spotify playlist of some of Tim’s biggest hits and the songs his buddies made famous to get you primed to tune-in to CBS Sunday night 9pm ET/PT 8 pm CT for a great show.

Darius Rucker Posts 6 Million Music Video Views, One Million Facebook Fans

The Platinum-selling Capitol Nashville recording artist will release his third country album, True Believers, on Tuesday, May 21.

In support of his new album, Rucker will perform on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on May 21 and “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on May 22. 

“I could not be more proud of this album, and I can’t wait for the fans to hear it,” said Rucker, who co-wrote ten of the twelve tracks. “They have always been my ‘true believers,’ and I hope they love the new music as much as I do.” 

 

The album is aptly named, as Rucker’s fans are indeed "true believers." His official Facebook page (facebook.com/dariusrucker) recently surpassed one million fans, while the music video for “Wagon Wheel” has received more than six million views on YouTube.

 

Rucker’s first two country albums, Learn To Live and Charleston, SC 1966 both topped the Billboard Country Album Chart and produced five No. 1 singles.

 

Last week Rucker launched the True Believers Tour on May 9 in Estero, Fla. The tour will visit more than 20 cities across the U.S. before wrapping up in Clarkston, Mich. on June 30. Joining him on select dates will be special guests RIAA platinum-selling Rodney Atkins, top-charting country singer Justin Moore, and 2013 ACM New Female Vocalist winner Jana Kramer.  

Carrie's "Blown Away Tour" Becomes History

The Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum will explore superstar Carrie Underwood's critically acclaimed world tour with the exhibition Carrie Underwood: The Blown Away Tour, which opens on June 5, 2013, and runs through November 10, 2013.  The exhibit will feature original costumes, custom accessories, set pieces, a tribute to Carrie's fans and much more.
    

"Carrie Underwood's dynamic 'Blown Away Tour'-starring her peerless powerhouse vocals and featuring amazing special effects including a tornado- has been entertaining music fans around the globe," said Museum Director Kyle Young.  "It's easy to see why she was Pollstar's 2012 top female country touring artist.  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.  We are delighted to be able to show our visitors key elements from Carrie's show; whether re-living their favorite memories of the tour, or experiencing it for the first time via our exhibition, fans will enjoy this 'up close and personal' look at a world-class, superstar level music tour."

    
The Blown Away Tour exhibition will recreate nearly a dozen vignettes from the tour and include the following artifacts:

• One-of-a-kind gowns, embellished separates and other stage wear created by Emmy Award-winning costume designer Marina Toybina including a wide array of coordinating shoes, jewelry and accessories

• Colorful customized microphones made for and used by Carrie throughout each show

• Select band members' costumes and instruments

• Items from Carrie's backstage "meet-and-greet" area, including a selection of gifts and signs presented to Carrie by fans during the tour

The six-time Grammy winner's 2012-13 "Blown Away Tour" will play 112 dates by the time it wraps on May 23, with Carrie having performed for fans in the United States, Canada, the U.K., Northern Ireland and Australia.

Lady Antebellum's "Golden" LP Debits At #1

The seven-time GRAMMY winning trio scores their third consecutive debut this week atop Billboard’s all-genre Top 200 Chart with their fourth studio album GOLDEN, which sold more than 167,000 copies in its first week.

“It’s been so fun to get feedback from our fans,” said Hillary Scott. “There are so many ways for us to hear from them and I love finding out how people are relating to different songs. We’re really proud of this album and thankful for all the fans and to Country Radio for supporting both ‘Downtown’ and now 'Goodbye Town’ this week!” 

People awarded the new album 3.5 out of 4 stars, calling it “their best yet.”

Country Star Favorite Charities

“My Cause” artist and charities:

• Tim McGraw: Operation Homefront
• Jason Aldean: Susan G Komen
• The Band Perry: Notes for Notes
• Dierks Bentley: Miles & Music
• Luke Bryan: Shriners Hospital
• Florida Georgia Line: The Boot Campaign
• John Fogerty: Wounded Warrior Project
• Brantley Gilbert: Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)
• Faith Hill: Neighbor’s Keeper
• Lady Antebellum: LadyAID
• Nelly: Make-A-Wish Foundation (St. Louis Chapter)
• Ne-Yo: Compound Foundation
• Pitbull: Imagination Foundation
• Taylor Swift: MusiCares
• Keith Urban: MusiCares

Country artists are superstars with big hearts, and that was clearly displayed at this year’s ACM Presents: Tim McGraw’s Superstar Summer Night, which airs this Sunday on CBS. It was a night of laughs and great music in addition to supporting the charitable arm of the Academy,  ACM Lifting Lives.

 

Each artist that performed on the show was given the opportunity to select a charity of their choice to receive a $10,000 donation from ACM Lifting Lives. Click on the links below to watch “My Cause” videos and find out more about these great organizations.

"Love Is Everything" Releases Today

It's George Strait's highly anticipated 40th studio album. The King of Country rejoined veteran producer Tony Brown to co-produce the album, which features 13 new tracks, including the current hit single “Give It All We Got Tonight.” Love Is Everything includes four songs written or co-written by Strait, as well as with his son Bubba and legendary songwriter Dean Dillon.

 

Strait sits down with Storme Warren and talks about the new LP

With the new album's first single “Give It All We Got Tonight” climbing the Country radio charts, the song is poised to become Strait's 60th #1 single. Fans and fellow Country artists recently started campaigning for the Sixty For Sixty movement, which encourages local radio stations to make the song his 60th #1 single around his 61st birthday on May 18th.

George is also making the rounds as his final tour, The Cowboy Rides Away, makes its way around the country.

Thomas Rhett Finds Parenting (Of A Dog) Isn't Easy

Rhett and his wife Lauren have been married for less than a year (October 12, 2012), and while they’re not ready for children just yet, they’re getting plenty of practice with their new puppy. 

“We got a puppy about seven months ago,” says Thomas. “She’s a Catahoula Leopard Dog and her name is Kona. She has been the hardest responsibility of my entire life… It’s really complicated trying to raise a dog to be good. We’re actually taking her to a 3-week obedience course and we hope that really helps out some of the quirks that we can’t fix on our own.” 

Part of the problem is that Thomas has been out on the road promoting his new single “It Goes Like This” and opening for Jason Aldean on his Night Train Tour and he says, “Being on the road, it’s hard to have consistency in training your dog ‘cause I’m hardly ever there.” 

And apparently his wife Lauren is not a strict disciplinarian. “Lauren feels so sorry for her when she gets in trouble that Lauren doesn’t really discipline her very well, so we’re gonna let someone else do it.”

2013 = Sold Out; 2014 On Sale Now

Mark your calendars for the 2014 CMA Music Festival Pre-sale happening MONDAY, MAY 13 at 11|10c. Be one of the first to reserve your seats for the best four days of the summer! 

But don't take it from us, see what the fans are saying about the Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience.
 
From CaliGirl2TN: "Four Wonderful days of amazing music from today's popular artists. newbies and the best of what made country music famous. Once you attend, plan on making it a tradition!"
From Anonymous: "The 2012 CMA fest was my first one ever. Well, let me just go ahead and add, IT WILL NOT BE MY LAST! I will continue to go until the day I die. Literally. There is so much to do, so many country artists to see and get autographs from. ITS UNFORGETTABLE! You walk around the streets of nashville going to different stages and vendors all day up until its time for the big show...then you head over to LP field and PARTY HARD!!!!!!!!!!!"
From MemphisKathy: "I have been going to CMAFEST for many years and can NOT miss it! You see so many artists, new ones, old ones, so many! Everyone should go."
From AprilPTA: "The 2012 Festival was more wonderful than expected. The schedule was full, the transportation was great, the Stars were amazing. Thank you Nashville! Favorite moment: Being part of Alan Jackson's Listening Party for Thirty Miles West at the Hard Rock and being on stage with AJ."
From Anonymous: "AMAZING!!!! This was my first CMA Fest and, if I can help it, it won't be my last!! I loved it! So much fun!"

SOURCE: Ticketmaster.com

Randy Houser "Runnin' Outta Moonlight" Video Shoot at the Sudekum Planetarium in Nashville

Houser, is back with the follow-up to his No. 1 hit “How Country Feels” with a new music video for the Top 30-and-climbing single.

Randy is on the road with Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert on select Locked & ReLoaded Tour dates right now.

Tim McGraw Is Giving Away A Custom Car

Tim has partnered with Pennzoil for the Four Wheels To Freedom custom car giveaway. 

McGraw personally designed a Challenger SRT for the contest that runs now through July 31. 

The car will be on display at Two Lanes Of Freedom Tour dates.

Enter here!

Lee Brice Partners With Zippo

Curb Records artist Brice lights things up with his new summer anthem, "Parking Lot Party" which will be released on May 13th, 2013 and comes on the heels of his third #1 single in a row, "I Drive Your Truck" which was recently certified Gold by the RIAA. 

Lee's latest album continues to impress as TEA (track equivalent album) sales for the current album, Hard 2 Love are currently in excess of 730,000 units.

Also recently announced, Zippo Encore, with the company's first partnership in the country music market, will be releasing two custom Lee Brice designed Zippo lighters available for sale on the road this summer when Lee joins Brad Paisley's Beat This Summer Tour presented by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store®.

Jason Aldean Performs At "Boston Strong"

Tickets go on sale today at 10 am and already Live Nation's VIP Packages are sold out.

Nearly $30 Million has already been raised (click to contribute).

For more info on Aldean, click here.

Taylor Swift Loves The Life Of A Song

Swift is currently touring the country with her RED Tour, and for her, getting to bring her songs to life on stage is the ultimate payoff in the songwriting cycle. 

Taylor explains, “The most amazing feeling is to watch a song start out as just an idea that hits you in the middle of your day and kind of haunts you until you write it. And then you’re playing it in your living room on guitar. And then you take it to a studio and they put a band behind it. And then it goes out to the world and it becomes what it’s gonna be. And all of a sudden this idea that was just yours is now everybody else’s. They sing it in their cars and they sing it about their breakups or falling in love and they incorporate it into their lives. The fact that -- then you can look out into a crowd of fifty thousand people and see them singing that back to you, that whole process is my favorite thing in the world.” 

You can catch Taylor Swift on her RED Tour through September 21st, when she wraps it up with a three-night stand in Nashville. Click here for a complete list of dates.

More artists announced for CMA Music Festival

It's time to start planning your daily music stops at the 2013 CMA Music Festival as CMA just announced more than 30 artists that will perform on the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage. The lineup includes Brett Eldredge, Sara Evans, Gloriana, Casey James, Craig Morgan, David Nail, Jerrod Niemann, Eric Paslay, Tate Stevens, Gretchen Wilson and more! Visit CMAfest.com for the full lineup and to begin adding your favorites to your own schedule!

Tickets to the nightly LP Field concerts sold out faster than ever (a record-setting six weeks in advance), but the good news for the fans is if you didn’t get a ticket for LP Field there are nine other entertainment and music stages, plus special events, and activities throughout downtown Nashville to enjoy for free.

Garth To Celebrate Wynn Las Vegas Three Year Engagement With Two Concert Weekends

After spending 3 years together at the Encore Theater in Las Vegas, Steve Wynn and Garth are proud to announce that they are planning to film the upcoming Memorial Day and July 4th weekend concerts to memorialize his time on the Encore Theater stage. The special will also then be available on DVD.

"Any day that Garth is in the Wynn is a good day for the hotel and a great night for the audience," said Steve Wynn. Garth began his run at the Encore Theater in December of 2009 and played the final show there in November of 2012.

On Memorial Day weekend there will be 2 shows on Friday night May 24 and 2 shows on Saturday night, May 25 at 7:30 and 10:30 PM.

Tickets will go on sale this Monday, May 6 at 10:00 AM PST for $125 plus a $7.50 service charge and a $13.25 tax to equal a total of $145.75.

Tickets will be available on www.wynnlasvegas.com or by calling 702.770.1000. Tickets will also be available at www.ticketmaster.com or 1-800-745-3000.

On July 4th weekend there will be one show on Friday night, July 5 and one show on Saturday night July 6 at 8:00 PM. Tickets for the July 4th weekend will not go on sale until June 3.

Tim McGraw Teams with "Operation Homefront" For A Second Year

McGraw continues a second year of his nationwide program called HomeFront to award mortgage-free homes to wounded warriors and servicemembers in need at each concert of his summer tour.

Last year, McGraw teamed up with Chase and Operation Homefront to launch the program which has awarded 26 newly renovated mortgage-free homes provided by Chase to deserving military families so far. This summer, McGraw, Chase and Operation Homefront will double that number by awarding a home at each of his 31 tour stops. McGraw has a long history and deep interest in supporting veterans and military families and wanted to find another way to honor our veterans and give back to them for their commitment and service to our country.

“Launching our HomeFront program made last summer so much more special than I could have originally imagined. I can honestly say that I got as much – or more – out of the experience than the veterans who received the new homes and assistance," said McGraw. "These families made an incredible mark on me, and I'm more grateful than I've ever been for the sacrifices they make every day to serve our country. I'm just honored to be a part of this program, and I look forward to working with Chase and Operation Homefront to take it even further this summer."

McGraw's TWO LANES OF FREEDOM 2013 TOUR, presented by Pennzoil, will crank up this summer in Birmingham, AL on May 2 and continue on to 30 cities through July.

Guess Who's Singing The National Anthem Saturday

Before the Kentucky Derby starts, singing the Star Spangled Banner will be Martina McBride!

After that, she has ten tour dates booked in May and June, setting up a very busy summer.