240,000 Garth Brooks Tickets Sell Out In 90 Minutes

All three dates for The Garth Brooks Comeback Special Event are now SOLD OUT. In excess of 10,000 people queued around the country at Ticketmaster outlets and the entire 240,000 tickets sold out in 90 minutes. This is the first time that an artist has sold out 3 dates at Croke Park in one day.

Bob Doyle, Garth Brooks manager said ‘We’re thrilled. Peter Aiken, his team and Ticketmaster have done an amazing job’

‘In 52 years of business this is the fastest selling concert Aiken Promotions have ever been involved in’, Peter Aiken said.

The Garth Brooks Comeback Special Event will take place on Friday 25, Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 July 2014 at Croke Park.

The Academy Of Country Music Award Nominees/2014

Miranda Lambert and Tim McGraw lead nominations for the 49th ACM Awards, announced via the Academy's Facebook and Twitter in a digital press conference. 

Twelve celebrity guests ranging from Grammy-winning country artist Darius Rucker to Duck Dynasty stars Willie & Korie Robertson to pop sensation Katy Perry helped reveal the nominees.

WATCH THEIR VIDEOS HERE

READ FULL NOMINEES LIST

Who do you think should be among the final three nominees for ACM New Artist of the Year? Cast your vote NOW to help us narrow down the field. You can vote once per day before voting closes on Feb. 4th.

VOTE NOW

Little Big Town Impressed with Canadians Tolerance with Cold and Nanny’s Good Ear

Little Big Town stopped by AOB partners CJBX in London recently to chat with afternoon host Gary Taylor of BX93.

The quartet were on a Canadian tour during what some are calling the winter of a century with the extreme cold and told Gary that they were impressedwith people in Canada handling the -17temperatures with no worries.

Little Big Town’s latest single ‘SOBER’ was discussed and the group revealed that the song made the ‘Tornado’ album at the last minute but was actually discovered at a songwriters round atthe famous Bluebird Café by their kids nanny.

FGL Enjoys The Rewards Of Their Hard Word

Florida Georgia Line says things like winning a CMA Award or being nominated for several Grammy Awards are great payoffs for not only their hard work, but all the people who work hard around them.

“Winning the CMA Award, I mean, just a very surreal night for us,” says Brian Kelley. “A lot of hard work has been put in the past couple years. It’s just a big night for Team FGL, man. You see Florida Georgia Line as Brian and Tyler, but there is so much more that goes on with our team in Nashville, our band and crew on the road that make this thing run.” 

And while they don't do things in their career to try to win awards, Brian admits, “It’s cool to know that you’re doin’ somethin’ right and that people appreciate it. It just really puts everything in perspective about what it’s all about and makin’ the most of it.”

Florida Georgia Line is out on the Night Train Tour with Jason Aldean, and they’re getting ready to release their new single, “This Is How We Roll,” featuring Luke Bryan, off of their Deluxe CD.

Country Music's 2014 Grammy Awards

The 56th AnnualGRAMMY Awards were handed out last night (January 26th) at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Kacey Musgraves was the big winner of the Grammys for Country Music taking home TWO Grammy Awards.

Other HIGHLIGHTS from A&O&B's Dan Van:

·      Miranda Lambert was the talk of the Red Carpet with an even skinnier look than she showcased at the Grammy Awards this past November.

·      Kacey Musgraves smiled and nodded her head up and down in agreement when Macklemore and Ryan Lewis was announced as the winner of the New Artist Grammy.

·      Hunter Hayes debuts new song ‘Invisible’

Jerrod Niemann, Darius Rucker & CBS Hosts To Announce ACM Nominees

There will also be special VIP guests announcing categories via online video posts.

WHAT:   The third annual ACM digital press conference, hosted by the Academy of Country Music, CBS Television and dick clark productions via ACM social media channels, to announce the nominees for the 49th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, Country Music’s Party of the Year® to be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.   

WHO: Fox Sports broadcaster Erin Andrews, 2 Broke Girls star Beth Behrs, reigning ACM Songwriter of the Year Dallas Davidson, The Insider co-anchor Kevin Frazier, Singer and Pretty Little Liars star Lucy Hale, CBS This Morning co-anchor Gayle King, Jerrod Niemann, Entertainment Tonight co-anchor Nancy O’Dell, Duck Dynasty stars Willie and Korie Robertson, Darius Rucker, The Talk hosts Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Aisha Tyler & Sheryl Underwood and more surprise guests will announce via videos posted in real time to fans and media, simultaneously.  

WHEN:   Wednesday, January 29, 2014 7:00 AM PST
   
The final round of judging by ACM members will begin Monday, February 3rd at 9am PT and will close Tuesday, February 11th at 9pm PT.

The Band Perry to Perform at Super Bowl XLVIII Pregame Show

TBP and PHILLIP PHILLIPS will perform as part of the Super Bowl XLVIII pregame show in East Rutherford, NJ on Sunday, February 2, the NFL and FOX announced today.  The two acts will perform at the NFL Tailgate Party and part of each performance will be televised live on FOX SUPER BOWL SUNDAY.

In addition, Broadway will travel to New Jersey when the cast of the Tony and Grammy Award winning musical JERSEY BOYS and the cast of the electrifying musical ROCK OF AGES perform at the NFL Tailgate Party.

The Band Perry has ascended to dizzying heights since releasing their self-titled debut album on Republic Nashville in 2010, which scored the sibling trio a string of hits, including the quadruple-platinum “If I Die Young” (#1 on Billboard¹s Country and AC charts); platinum “You Lie” and gold “All Your Life” (#1 Country). Fronted by Kimberly Perry and rounded out by her younger brothers Neil and Reid, the band has amassed over 10.3 million tracks sold from their platinum debut and gold sophomore release PIONEER, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart and #2 All Genre. In addition to acclaim from top critics across the country, PIONEER has produced two consecutive #1 Country smashes ­ the platinum “Better Dig Two” and gold “DONE.,” which earned Neil and Reid their first chart-topper as songwriters. Their latest single, “Don¹t Let Me Be Lonely,” is currently #2 at Country radio.  The Band Perry have also enjoyed sold-out headlining dates and are currently out on their first global headline tour WE ARE PIONEERS World Tour.  Their showering of honors include multiple ACM, CMA, and CMT Music Awards, as well as GRAMMY, Teen Choice, AMA, ACA, and Billboard Music Award nominations, all of which has cemented the sibling trio as one of the hottest acts in recent history.

Hey, World. Here Comes Dolly

The iconic singer, songwriter, musician, actress, philanthropist, and 2014 Grammy nominee is set to kick off her “Blue Smoke World Tour” this Friday, January 24, in Rancho Mirage, California.  In addition this past Friday, Parton announced shows in Tamworth and Cairns being added to the Australian leg of the tour, both shows are already sold out!

“It’s always great to perform at home in the good ol’ USA.  We're kicking off our Blue Smoke World Tour right here at home.  I love traveling all over the world; but it’s true, there’s nothing like home,” says Dolly Parton.

After a widely successful tour of Australia in 2011, Parton will head down under for her first visit to New Zealand in over three decades as well as a return visit to Australia.  “Australia, here I come again.  We have a lot of new and exciting things for the show and can't wait to share it with you.  I love my fans in that part of the world.  You've been so very good to me for so many years, I’m really, really excited to be coming back to New Zealand again after 30 years or so.  And I know that we're gonna have a wonderful time.  It’s a long way from home in your part of the world, but I always feel like I'm right at home.  So Australia, New Zealand, I'm coming home.  Wait up!”

After returning home from Australia and New Zealand, there is no slowing down for Dolly.  In May, Dolly will, once again, hit a few more markets in America before heading across the pond for June concerts in Europe as well as a return to the O2 Arena in London, the venue where Dolly recorded and filmed An Evening With…Dolly (Dolly Records), her widely praised DVD/CD set that was certified GOLD by the RIAA.

“Every time I come to Europe I’m just as excited as I was my very first time, which was many, many years ago.  I love that part of the world and I especially love the fans,” adds Parton.  “We always have such a good time and I've put together a lot of things for this show that I think the fans will love.  We had not planned to come back so soon, but we got so much fan mail and such a great reaction that I thought ‘Well, why not.  If they're having a good time and we always do, let’s just do it’.”

Eli Young Band Gets Good Advice From Little Big Town

The Eli Young Band has two babies in the family now, Mike Eli’s daughter, Kline, who is 1 ½ and Jon Jones’ son, Hudson, who is one, and the guys say some of the best advice they ever got about how to bring their kids on the road came from Little Big Town.

“We’ve been on two different tours with them, and the first time when they just pretty much had newborns, like really small babies,” says Jon. “And now they’re running around and it looks like a playground explodes out of their bus every time it stops. But it’s just like, they’re all on the bus together and they make it work, and it’s very seamless.”

The Eli Young Band, who just released their new single, “Dust,” says one of the things that impressed them about how Little Big Town balances family and career is that they still find time to hang out and party and be part of the tour fun while still being great parents. “You can tell their children are having this great upbringing on the road and it’s very normal for them,” says Jon. “So I think just seeing their experience, seeing them go through it, I think for us was just a confirmation that yeah we can make this work.”

Luke Bryan Stage Collapses On Second Night of Tour

From Canada's "Cool Country Countdown:"

CAPITOL NASHVILLE's LUKE BRYAN has postponed a concert in LEXINGTON, KY TONIGHT (1/17), due to a stage collapse at his show in OHIO last NIGHT (1/16) that sent several crew members to the hospital, according to TMZ. This was only the second performance on BRYAN's 2014 "THAT'S MY KIND OF NIGHT TOUR."

At a press conference this week Luke talked about the stage and how cool it was.

Law enforcement officials said that a forklift crashed into a portion of the stage after the performance, tearing it down and destroying production equipment. Four crew members, which were made up of members of BRYAN's crew and local arena employees, were taken to the hospital with injuries.

According to WBNS-TV in Columbus, the incident occurred around midnight after Bryan's show at the Schottenstein Center on Ohio State University's campus. The injured suffered minor foot or arm injuries. WKYT-TV adds that those hurt were tearing down the set after the concert. No fans were in the building at the time.

A show scheduled for TOMORROW (1/18) in KNOXVILLE is still on schedule.

David Nail: Country Hits And Football Picks

Nail is a sports enthusiast, who could probably quote you stats on football, baseball and basketball, if not curling. Before heading to Nashville, he was more interested in sports than music, and was even a baseball star in high school with a batting average of .385 and set the school record by stealing 21 bases during his senior year. So, as an avid sports fan, he’ll be watching the NFL playoffs this weekend, even though his beloved St. Louis Rams won’t be playing.

We asked him who he’d like to see come out on top of the two playoff games this season, and his picks (or certainly the reasons behind his choices) might surprise you.

“[San Francisco quarterback] Colin Kaepernick was right behind us on the red carpet at the ACM Awards and was super nice guy and talked to my wife, and she acted like she knew who he was and what he did which she had no clue, but she played it off really nicely,” says David. “So, we’ve been kind of rooting secretly for him throughout the playoffs. I love the city of Seattle, and I know it’d be great for them as well. So, that one’s a tough one. The AFC is equally as tough because I love both quarterbacks, Peyton [Manning] and Tom Brady, as well. But, I was driving in and on the radio, they just came out with the fact that Tom Brady was the most-hated quarterback in the NFL, because he was ridiculously good-looking and he married a supermodel wife. I said that was absolutely ridiculous that that would make him the most-hated guy, because he’s like the most non-arrogant, just seems like a regular old guy, if you kind of know his past. And so, I kind of made a decision there that I’m gonna root for Tom Brady, which is going to be tough. So, I’m rooting for two teams that are probably the underdogs.”

David is charging up the field on the country charts with his latest single, “Whatever She’s Got,” the first single from his forthcoming I’m a Fire, due in stores March 4th.

The Week Las Vegas Goes Country Keeps Growing

EVENT: Join us during The Week Vegas Goes Country® for the 2^nd annual ACM PARTY FOR A CAUSE FESTIVAL being held April 4^th and 5^th in Las Vegas at The LINQ, Caesars Entertainment’s new open-air retail, dining and entertainment district at the heart of the famous Las Vegas Strip. The two-day, ticketed outdoor music festival will feature multiple stages for ongoing LIVE country music performances, interactive games, a country marketplace, and more.

Headliners Rascal Flatts will kick off the ACM PARTY FOR A CAUSE FESTIVAL on Friday, April 4^th with Thomas Rhett, The Cadillac Three, and special guests to be announced. Keith Urban headlines Saturday, April 5^th with Joe Nichols, Jerrod Niemann, Chris Young, and more yet to be announced including the ACM New Artist of the Year nominees! 

A portion of proceeds from all tickets sales from the ACM PARTY FOR A CAUSE FESTIVAL will benefit worthy charities selected by the performers and our partners. You’ll be helping to raise awareness and funds while watching your favorite stars perform! This is truly the “feel good party of the year!”

To purchase tickets, please visit www.ticketmaster.com and search keywords “Academy of Country Music” or “ACM.”

General Admission two-day ticket packages are available for $65 each. The ticket gives you access to the festival grounds and performances on both Friday and Saturday from Noon until 12:00 a.m.

Brad Paisley Has One Less Hat Thanks To Heidi Klum

Paisley has been busy.  He recently filmed a guest star role on the ABC TV show ‘Nashville’ airing later this month.  He just kicked off his ‘Beat This Winter’ Tour this past weekend too, where Dan Van from Albright & O’Malley & Brenner caught up with him about the social media chatter concerning if it was proper for Heidi Klum to take his hat (click to see the photo).

At the end of ‘The Mona Lisa,’ performance during last Wednesday night’s ‘People’s Choice Awards Brad made his way down, into the crowd, and supermodel Heidi Klum snatched his hat balancing it on top of her head. Paisley finished the performance hatless.

Some of the postings on social media that night had the ladies wondering if Brad was upset about the move from Heidi.  So Albright & O’Malley & Brenner caught up with Brad back stage on his tour this past Saturday night in Louisville.

“No I had no problem with, it’s totally ok for her to take my hat,” Brad tells Dan Van “It was a fun moment!” One of Brad’s team workers chimed in with a point to think about too, “Heck it was Heidi Klum!”

Brad says that it was such an impressive move from Heidi she kept the hat.  Brad was happy to allow her to have it as well.

Brad Paisley has been busy.  He recently filmed a guest star role on the ABC TV show ‘Nashville’ airing later this month.  He just kicked off his ‘Beat This Winter’ Tour this past weekend too, where Dan Van from Albright & O’Malley & Brenner caught up with him about the social media chatter concerning if it was proper for Heidi Klum to take his hat.

At the end of ‘The Mona Lisa,’ performance during last Wednesday night’s ‘People’s Choice Awards Brad made his way down, into the crowd, and supermodel Heidi Klum snatched his hat balancing it on top of her head. Paisley finished the performance hatless.

Some of the postings on social media that night had the ladies wondering if Brad was upset about the move from Heidi.  So Albright & O’Malley & Brenner caught up with Brad back stage on his tour this past Saturday night in Louisville.

“No I had no problem with, it’s totally ok for her to take my hat,” Brad tells Dan Van “It was a fun moment!” One of Brad’s team workers chimed in with a point to think about too, “Heck it was Heidi Klum!”

Brad says that it was such an impressive move from Heidi she kept the hat.  Brad was happy to allow her to have it as well.
- See more at: http://www.gotcountryonline.com/2014/01/13/brad-paisley-has-one-less-hat-thanks-to-heidi-klum/#sthash.vHePFY0p.dpuf

Luke Bryan's 2014 Tour Kick Off (Video)

Click to watch it.

Rascal Flatts’ Families Keep Them Grounded Amid Success

The threesome just released their brand new single, “Rewind,” which will be on a new album they’re working on for release in early summer.  

To date they have had 14 #1 singles, sold more than 21 million albums and continue to sell out venues around the world with their tours, but even with all of that success, Jay DeMarcus says it’s not hard to stay humble because of people in his life like his mom and his wife.  

“It’s really easy to be grounded again when you get back home and you sing in front of 20,000 people a night and your wife hands you the kids and tell you it’s your turn to be on diaper duty and take out the trash,” he laughs.  “So it’s easy to keep things in perspective when things like that happen.”  Rascal Flatts will be launching a new tour this spring with Sheryl Crow.

Eric Church Wants His Hometown Back

Fans eagerly anticipating the upcoming Eric's album The Outsiders are getting another taste of what's to come on the much buzzed-about project. Church and EMI Records Nashville have released the album’s second single, “Give Me Back My Hometown.” The wistful song, written by Church and Luke Laird, is currently playing on radio stations across the country and available now for purchase at all digital retailers.

Billboard magazine noted in a cover story on the ACM and CMA award winner, “Church was already at the vanguard of contemporary country’s rock movement… Like a modern-day Lynyrd Skynyrd, Church manages to be simultaneously more rock’n’roll and good-old-boy than anyone else out there – no easy task.”  

“Give Me Back My Hometown” follows first single and title cut “The Outsiders,” which Rolling Stone named “The Outsiders” one of the “100 Best Songs of 2013” raving, “Leave it to the classic rock-loving Nashville badass to cook up the heaviest ‘country’ song in years – a radio hit that plays like some demon spawn of Def Leppard, Black Sabbath, and ‘Born to Be Wild.’” (RS hyperlink: http://rol.st/1cr1Gsl; Billboard hyperlink: http://bit.ly/1dheejC)

Church and longtime producer Jay Joyce once again collaborated on The Outsiders, which will be released on Feb. 11.

“Sunny and 75" Single Sales in Excess of 500,000 Downloads

Joe Nichols’ #1 hit “Sunny and 75” has been certified gold by the RIAA for single sales in excess of 500,000 digital downloads.  The song is the lead single from Nichols’ debut RED BOW CD release Crickets.

 

“Sunny and 75” hit the #1 spot on both the Billboard Hot Country Songs and the Country Aircheck/ USA Today charts in early December.  The song is the 4 x Grammy nominee’s fifth #1 single.

 

“Yeah,” the second single from Crickets, will hit radio on January 27, 2014. 

 

Nichols has won every “best new artist” award available in the field of country music: the prestigious Horizon Award from the Country Music Association; Top New Male Vocalist from the Academy of Country Music and CMT Breakthrough Video of the Year, as well as “new artist” awards from Billboard, Radio & Records and Music Row Magazine and a New York Times Best-Albums-of-the-Year nod.

 

MEDIA CONTACT FOR JOE NICHOLS:

 

Jennifer Bohler

Alliance Artist And Media Relations

615 292 5804

jenny@jb-alliance.com

 

Jennifer Nettles Has A New Album On The Way

She says:  Every few years, whether one is aware or not, we humans tend to recreate ourselves. For me it is some of the most fun "recreation" that exists.

That is why I am singing from the rafters (pun intended) in celebration of my new solo project: "That Girl".

Jon Pardi Is Ready To "Write You A Song"

Pardi is set to release his debut album, Write You a Song, next Tuesday (January 14th), and it took the California native thousands of miles, blood, sweat and hard work to get to this point.

"That was a big move. It’s not just moving six hours. It was 3500 miles of driving. It was three days," says Jon. "So, [being] the new guy in town, [and I'm] trying to find a place to live, trying to find cool people to hang out with, and then you got to try to find a gig, and you got to write songs, and you got to find co-writers."

Jon, who had a standing gig at Nashville's popular nightspot Losers, eventually met his future producer, Bart Butler and things really began to take off for the "new guy in town."

Jon is riding high on the country charts with his single, "Up All Night."

Florida Georgia Line Feels The Love From Their Peers

Florida Georgia Line is always blown away by the love and support they receive from their fans, but they’ve also grateful for the amount of support they get from their friends in the music industry. “That’s what it’s all about, I mean, friends supportin’ friends, artists supportin’ artists,” says Brian Kelley. “We’re all in this for a reason, we all love music. So, if you love somethin’ support it. And that’s what’s really cool about this community and this family is people are very outspoken about what songs they love.”

Brian says the mutual support and admiration only makes the business better. “It does feel like in the past year and a half there’s been kind of a cool surge of country music and there’s a new energy in it,” he says. “You know, it’s electric. I think fans feel that, artists feel that, and it feels good. You know, it’s exciting.”

Florida Georgia Line just celebrated “Stay” becoming their fourth consecutive #1 song off their debut album. They’ve planning to release their sophomore album later this year, and they’ll be hitting the road with Jason Aldean in 2014.

Easton Corbin = Gator Fan

Easton Corbin is getting ready to head out on the road with The Band Perry, and while he waits to hit the stage, you can usually catch him watching a couple of his favorite television shows, including Gator Boys on Animal Planet. He says while he’ll watch the show, he certainly wouldn’t be caught dead trying to emulate the show’s stars.

“Gator wresting, I watch ‘Gator Boys,” says Easton. “I grew up in the state of Florida, [and] there are a lot of alligators down there, and where I’m at, they’re pretty wild. They won’t bother you, but I am not going up to one and try to wrestle it. I’m gonna leave it alone, believe me. I’ll let them do that, [while] I’ll keep singing.”

Gator Boys features Paul Bedard and Jimmy Riffle, two alligator trappers, who risk injury and death to hand-capture nuisance alligators that have invaded the back yards, swimming pools, garages and bedrooms of Florida Everglades residents.

The show returns with new episodes Sunday (January 5^th) on the Animal Planet at 9pm ET/PT.
Easton will return with new music in the coming weeks!

January Happenings At The Country Music Hall Of Fame

 

Ernie Ashworth: Trembling Lips Spotlight Exhibit Opens January 9:  A #1 hit for Ernie Ashworth in 1963, “Talk Back Trembling Lips” became his signature song and a country music standard. Enjoy some of his personal items in this new spotlight exhibit!  (click for more)