“Well we couldn’t be all spit,” laughs Kimberly. “We had to show a little bit of, you know, show the vulnerability side of what we do.” She says the variation in their single choices is a great representation of the album as a whole. “We definitely have that sense of being the underdog of snapping our fingers but also, we really wore our hearts on our sleeve more than ever before. ‘Don’t Let Me Be Lonely’ has one of my favorite melodies on the whole project. It sounds big but the lyrics are so small in the sense that they’re so personal, so vulnerable.”
And Kimberly says they love singing it in concert because, “It’s already a major moment live.”
The band’s rise may seem rapid, but as everyone around them
emphasizes, it’s the result of years of tough, behind-the-scenes work.
Plus, it’s triumphant proof that doing things a little differently —
even if you start outside of the Nashville star-making machine, which
has a methodical process of transforming singers into superstars — can
lead to success.
“It was a fast rise if you’re looking at it only
from the perspective of when the mass audience started paying
attention,” says Seth England, the duo’s manager. “I don’t mean that
disrespectfully. That’s just when people first became aware of them.”
England laughs, “We call it the five-year overnight success.”
Tickets for the following dates will go on sale beginning at 10:00 a.m. in the venue's respective local time zone on Friday, October 4:
January 17, 2014 CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Neb. *With special guest Eric Church January 31, 2014 Valley View Casino Center, San Diego, Calif. *With special guest Miranda Lambert February 7, 2014 US Airways Center, Phoenix, Ariz. *With special guest Martina McBride February 14, 2014 The Palace, Auburn Hills, Mich. *With special guest Little Big Town February 15, 2014 Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio *With special guest Little Big Town March 22, 2014 Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia *With special guest Sheryl Crow April 5, 2014 Pepsi Center, Denver, Colo. *With special guests Merle Haggard and Lee Ann Womack
The STAPLES Center is a world-class sports and entertainment venue, hosting more than 250 events every year. Other notable artists to perform at the arena include Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Prince, U2, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift and more.
Concert-goers will get to hear Strait perform a full set, including many of his 60 No. 1 hits (a record no other artist, in any genre, has achieved). Throughout his distinguished career, Strait has sold more than 68.5 million records to date and is second only to Elvis in certifications, with 33 different platinum or multi-platinum albums to his credit. Billboard will recognize King George's unmatched catalogue of No. 1 singles with its highest accolade, the Legend of Live Award, in November.
Each weekend of The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, Strait will also be joined by special guests including Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Ronnie Dunn, Vince Gill, Merle Haggard, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack, Chris Young and more.
Strait will continue to record new music for longtime label home MCA Records and will perform select dates across the country after the tour has wrapped.
“Country Stampede has become a lifestyle event, not just for the
music, but for the overall experience which includes activities taking
place in the campground,” says Country Stampede General Manager Wayne
Rouse. “2014 is going to be a party! We have announced new radio
partners and have the hottest acts in country music set to perform and
we are looking forward to having the biggest year since we started.”
Today, festival organizers are pleased to announce exclusive market
radio partners for the four-day musical extravaganza. 94.5 Country in
Topeka, Kansas; KFDI in Wichita, Kansas; WDAF (The Wolf) in Kansas City,
Kansas; KX96.9 in Lincoln, Nebraska. A&O&B is proud to be associated with all four great radio stations.
“We have a great relationship with radio in all markets, but the
with country music audience growing so rapidly it only made sense for us
to expand our marketing into area surrounding the festival, ” says
Rouse. “This is the first time we have created radio partners
exclusively for each market, and it is very exciting,”
The 19th annual Kicker Country Stampede will take place at
the beautiful Tuttle Creek State Park in Manhattan, Kansas. The Tuttle
Creek State Park features over 3,000 campsites, shower houses,
restrooms, shaded campsites, and is conveniently located within walking
distance of the festival.
Tickets and general campsites are on sale now. VIP camping is SOLD OUT!!
For a limited time, 4-day tickets are $110. Complete ticket and camping
package information can be accessed by calling 800-795-8091 or on the
Web at www.countrystampede.com.
While he enjoys other sports, he admits that college football is his absolute favorite. The “It Goes Like This Singer” says, “That’s pretty much all I do during the Fall on Saturdays. Even though we have shows at night, I’m watching SportsCenter from 10 o’clock until we go on stage and then watching SportsCenter after we get off stage. So, college football is big for me.”
Aside from football, Thomas says he recently got into playing golf, so he’s added The Golf Channel to his TV viewing habits. “I love watching everything golf,” he says, “because I like playing it, I like to watch other people play it too.”
Justin says you will find a lot the
kind of music that has gotten him to this point in his career, but it is
also a bit of a departure for him. ”You will find music on this album,
I might not have cut when I started,” says Justin. It has a bit of a
“rock influence from what I’ve done in the past.” He runs a lot of the
CD by his wife for an honest opinion.
As far as the Luke Bryan and Zac Brown dust up… “Country music is
more diverse than it has ever been… What I have a problem with is when
you call somebody out in your fraternity.”
Kicking off the third annual "Countdown to the CMA Awards" contest as part of its industry-wide campaign today debuted a brand new video from Hunter Hayes. Hayes performed his hit song "Wanted" and took home the prestigious honor of being named the CMA Awards New Artist of the Year at the 2012 CMA Awards, and this past August performed his current smash hit, "Everybody's Got Somebody But Me" with Jason Mraz on CMA's Music Festival Special on ABC.
The video spotlights the significance of giving and receiving music as a gift and launched exclusively in a featured "Countdown to the CMA Awards" section of the givethegiftofmusic.info website.
Hunter credits receiving instruments as gifts with sparking his love for music. "All of my musical instruments, up until about three years ago, were gifts. They were more than just instruments. They were more than just something to do with my free time. They were a place. I found myself. I found what I was going to be. I found who I was through music. Music is very powerful and it's one of the most powerful gifts you can give someone," he said.
Although that’s not what the song is about, Tim loved the video treatment and he says, ““I’m not a big soap box guy so
I’m not gonna stand on a soap box and tell everybody how they should
live their lives and the things that they should do, and what you should
and shouldn’t do.” However, as a father of two teenage daughters who
are starting to drive, Tim says, “It just felt like it was the right
opportunity and I was in a position to feel like that. It really meant
something for me to say it because I do have teenage daughters, so it
wouldn’t be like just throwing a message out there for the hell of
throwing a message out there.”
Tim, whose current single “Southern Girl” is approaching the top ten,
acknowledges, “It’s a different world than when I was a kid. I mean,
the idea of having a phone anywhere outside of your house—I remember not
having a phone, period. So having a phone outside of your house and
texting and talking on the phone and driving it’s not engrained as it is
now, because we’ve lived with it for a while but that’s all they know.”
He hopes that by lending his voice to the initiative not to text and
drive that he can help keep his daughters and everyone else on the roads
a little safer.
The
world premiere of the video for the new
duet by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton – will be broadcast on ABC’s Good Morning America this coming Monday, September 16th.
Rogers and Parton shot the clip together earlier this year in Nashville,
Tennessee. The song is the title track from Rogers’ highly anticipated new album, You Can’t Make Old Friends, which will be released by Warner Bros. Records on October 8th..
It was thirty years ago almost to the day when Rogers and Parton
released the multiple-chart No. 1 hit, “Islands In The Stream,” which
went on to become an instant classic and one of the most successful
singles by a duo in history.
"I can't think of a more perfect song for the two of us to sing
together," Rogers said of "You Can't Make Old Friends." “Out of
everyone in the business, Dolly is my best friend, so naturally it has
special meaning for the both of us. It was so good to be back in the
studio with her. I’m thrilled to have our relationship documented this
way.”
Parton added, “There is just something about our chemistry with each
other – our friendship – that people really sense what we really feel.
To do a song that fits so many people, and certainly us, was an honor.
It’s been a wonderful journey, and I’m so glad I’ve been able to walk
this road with Kenny.”
The duet “You Can’t Make Old Friends” is available now on iTunes and
is being offered as a instant download for those who pre-order the You Can’t Make Old Friends album on iTunes here: http://smarturl.it/kennyrogers. The video will be available for purchase next week at digital retailers.
You Can’t Make Old Friends is Rogers’ first country album since the release of Water & Bridges in
2006. The album showcases a certain familiarity that can be expected
from Rogers, along with fresh twists of creativity that see the
versatile Grammy Award-winner stretching his artistry into new musical
territory. In addition to the great story songs and love songs Rogers
has become well known for, flavors of rock and roll, soul, gospel,
southern rock, zydeco, and sounds of the Southwest are embraced in this
bold recording.
Rogers will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this fall.
Severe weather in New York City grounded Urban's flight to Cleveland, causing him to miss his concert date last night (9/12). The show at Blossom Music Center went on with openers Dustin Lynch and Little Big Town.
The Academy of Country Music recognized some of the industry's finest at the 7th annual ACM Honors awards show at the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville Tuesday.
The show honored musicians, performers, and venues, and is a continuation of the Academy's awards show held every April in Las Vegas.
A rainy evening forced organizers to move the red carpet indoors, but fans still lined the outside of the Ryman Auditorium in hopes of seeing their favorite stars.
"We're just trying to get a glimpse of someone famous," said Janice Walters, a loyal country music fan. "We want someone to come by and talk to us."
Dierks Bentley hosted the event for the second year in a row, and said it's always something he looks forward to. "It's so special as far as honoring who is who in country music, and not just who is current," said Bentley. "This is all about who makes Music City go 'round."
Other musicians agreed the event is unique.
"I love that we are taking a minute to honor people behind the scenes as well as people like George Jones and Keith Whitley," said Chris Young.
"It's really exciting to be honored and to be in a room with so many other great artists," said Charles Kelley with Lady Antebellum.
Some of the big winners were Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Lady Antebellum, and The Judds. Keith Whitley and Hank Williams were honored posthumously. The Ryman Auditorium was also honored as venue of the year.
Country Music's Biggest Night™ nears as the 2013 CMA Awards nominees are revealed live from New York City and Nashville. Sheryl Crow and Florida Georgia Line kick off the morning by announcing nominees in five of the 12 categories on ABC's "Good Morning America." In Nashville, four-time CMA Award winner Steve Wariner performs and announces the CMA Broadcast Awards finalists live from the CMA headquarters. Then, back in New York City, Sheryl Crow and Florida Georgia Line announce the remaining categories live from the Best Buy Theater.
Be one of the first Country Fans to know the 2013 CMA Awards nominees as they are revealed live!
ANNOUNCEMENT TIMELINE
8:30 AM Local Time - Sheryl Crow and Florida Georgia Line reveal the nominees for five of the 12 CMA Awards categories on "Good Morning America."
7:45 AM/CT - Steve Wariner performs and announces the CMA Broadcast Awards finalists live from the CMA headquarters on CMAawards.com.
8:45 AM/CT - Sheryl Crow and Florida Georgia Line announce nominees in all CMA Awards categories live from the Best Buy Theater in New York City on CMAawards.com.
The tour will take David through New York
City, Atlanta, Tampa, Minneapolis, Fort Worth, Chicago and Boston to
name a few. See bottom for full list of tour dates.
In May, Nail released “Whatever She’s Got,” the debut single off Nail’s forthcoming
2014 album. “Whatever She’s Got” (written by Jimmy Robbins and Jon Nite) is a song that Nail said he recorded for his wife, Catherine.
The 7th Annual ACM Honors is shaping up to be an incredible evening! Dierks Bentley is amped up about hosting the event, and YOU can be a part of it with us. Why listen to us?
ACM Honors will take place Tuesday, September 10th
at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The evening is dedicated to
recognizing the special honorees and off-camera category winners from
the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. Honorees include Special Award recipients Jason Aldean, Guy Clark, Blake Shelton, Tommy Wiggins, Lady Antebellum and The Judds. Keith Whitley and Hank Williams will also be honored posthumously.
Performers for the night include Dierks, Rodney
Crowell & Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill & Paul Franklin, Kree
Harrison, Dave Haywood & Charles Kelley, Jamey Johnson, Robert Earl
Keen, Lorrie Morgan, Jesse Keith Whitley, Chris Young, The Mavericks and Thompson Square. Presenters include Big & Rich, Deana Carter, Vince Gill, David Nail, Darius Rucker, Don Schlitz and Steve Wariner.
In celebration of his new album "Fuse," Urban plans to take the stage at Legends Corner, Tootsies and The Stage starting at 9:30 p.m. Fri. September 6.
The honky-tonk "tour" was announced via a full-page advertisement
that ran in Tuesday's edition of The Tennessean. The performances are
open to the public, and fans were told to tune into three Nashville
country radio stations to learn how to reserve a spot at one of the
venues:
Legends Corner - WSIX "The Big 98"
Tootsies - WSM 95.5 FM
The Stage WKDF 103.3 FM
Urban is set to release his new album “Fuse” on Sept. 10.
The lead
single will be featured on OFF THE BEATEN PATH, which is in stores on
September 17.
The singer/songwriter has been previewing the new
music all Summer and will embark on his OFF THE BEATEN PATH TOUR
November 1 with special guest Randy Houser and Josh Thompson.
