Josh Turner Releases His First BOOK

Since signing with MCA Nashville in 2003, country music superstar Turner has sold more than five million albums, had four singles climb to the top of the charts, entertained fans with sold-out shows across the country, received numerous award nominations, and was one of the youngest artists asked to join the Grand Ole Opry. Throughout this successful and demanding career, his life has remained strongly centered on his Christian faith and his family. Sharing stories from both his life and lessons he’s learned over the years as a son, brother, friend, husband, and father, Turner has written his first book, Man Stuff: Thoughts on Faith, Family, and Fatherhood, which will be released on April 29 with Thomas Nelson, an imprint of Harper Collins Christian Publishing.  

“I was raised in a strong Christian family in a tight-knit community in rural South Carolina,” said Turner in the book’s introduction. “I was taught essential life lessons, like the value of a dollar, what hard work feels like, and how important an education is. I was taught why being thoughtful, respectful, and considerate of others makes life more fulfilling, and why trusting God with your life’s decisions is wise. If all that sounds a little old-fashioned, well, that’s because it is. And I’m okay with that.”

He continues, “In this book you’ll learn a little bit more about how God has shaped and continues to shape me. You’ll also learn about my wife, my boys, and the family I grew up in. I hope you see that the everyday small things in this life really do add up to matter a great deal in the long run. And I hope you’ll smile—even laugh—and gain a little wisdom along the way. Maybe even a lot.”

Jase Robertson, star of A&E’s hit television series Duck Dynasty, will provide the forward for Man Stuff.  Last year, Turner sang a duet with Robertson’s wife Missy on the song “Why I Love Christmas” from the Platinum-certified holiday album, Duck The Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas.

ACM Presents: An All Star Salute to the Troops

Coming to Vegas for the ACM Awards? Want to show your appreciation to our nation’s service men and women? Stick around on Monday, April 7^th, for ACM Presents: An All-Star Salute to the Troops, a live concert special.

Country music superstars Merle Haggard, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Florida Georgia Line, Lady Antebellum, and The Band Perry are the first artists to be added to the star-studded line-up of performers taking to the stage Monday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The special will be broadcast Tuesday, May 20 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on CBS.

Tickets for ACM Presents: An All Star Salute to the Troops are on sale NOW at Ticketmaster, beginning at $105. All ticket sales will benefit ACM Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of the Academy of Country Music. Get your tickets HERE!

Blake Shelton Announces Madison Square Garden, Wrigley Field and Hollywood Bowl Dates

The five-time ACM nominee, including a nod for Entertainer of the Year, announced show dates and venues for his Ten Times Crazier Tour 2014. 

The tour kicks off June 20th at austin360 Amphitheatre in Austin, Tx., and will make stops including Wrigley Field in Chicago, Ill., Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Calif., and Madison Square Garden in New York, Ny. (full list of cities and dates here). 

The first shows to begin fan club pre-sales include San Diego, Fresno and Los Angeles, Calif. on Feb 25th at 8pmCT, immediately following NBC’s The Voice (click to see the latest gossip about that here). 

Blake is donating $1 from every fan club presale ticket sold to the Academy of Country Music’s Lifting Lives Foundation through his “Blake is #TenTimesCrazier!” Thunderclap campaign. Supporters will be automatically entered to win 2 tickets and a backstage meet & greet with Blake at a nearby show. Pre-sale announcements will continue throughout Spring 2014.

"Making An Album Should Purge You Emotionally and Leave Fans Wanting More"

Tim McGraw will release his new album in May, featuring his latest single, “Lookin’ for That Girl,” and he says when he approaches making a record, “It’s about makin’ a great record, about makin’ somethin’ you feel proud of, makin’ somethin’ that sort of purges you emotionally. If it doesn’t purge you emotionally, then you’re not gonna have the reaction you want from the fans who listen to it, because music has to be cathartic, and all art is about purging your emotions.”

At the same time, for Tim, making an album is about trying to achieve something he will never achieve. 

He says, “If it doesn’t leave some questions unanswered, and it doesn’t leave you to wanna go back in again and try to answer those questions, knowin’ that those questions aren’t gonna be answered the next time you do it either. It’s what makes art propel and makes an artist propel, and makes listeners stay engaged with you.”

MusicRow Reveals 12th Annual CountryBreakout Award Winners

MusicRow Magazine presented its 12th Annual CountryBreakout Awards in front of a standing-room-only audience at Margaritaville in Nashville on Feb. 18, 2014. The awards recognize success on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart, the leading secondary radio chart, during the preceding year (January-December 2013). The radio awards ceremony has become the unofficial kick-off to the Country Radio Seminar, which annually attracts radio programmers from around the country.

Receiving recognition for the most radio spins in their respective categories were Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, The Band Perry, Kacey Musgraves, Tracy Lawrence and record label Capitol Nashville.

Weather Cancels Luke and Darius Shows Last Week

Luke Bryan was forced to postpone his Thursday night show in Greensboro, North Carolina due to severe winter weather. Tickets for the original date on the That’s My Kind of Night Tour were honored on Monday (February 17th). Kelleigh Bannen fills in for opening act Cole Swindell, who already had a previous engagement.

Luke’s not the only one who had to postpone one of last week’s shows due to the winter storm. Darius Rucker’s show at the Giant Center in Hershey, P-A was rescheduled for March 3rd, and all tickets for the February 13th concert will be valid for the new date.

Nashville Gears Up For Country Radio Seminar 2014

The world’s largest Country radio event, Country Radio Seminar 2014, will kick off Feb. 19 at the Nashville Convention Center in downtown Nashville, Tenn.

The three-day event is packed full of great performances, educational seminars, intriguing panels and networking opportunties. CRS 2014 is bringing back many of the staple CRS events including luncheons, Acoustic Alley, the Badge Bar and the Wednesday night Opry show; along with new, exciting additions such as the Muscle Shoals movie viewing and the New Faces after party, hosted by TNT and the stars of the anticipated new reality series, Private Lives of Nashville Wives.

This year, CRS will host many discussions centered around social media and its role in today’s radio industry, with panels such as “The Do’s and Don't’s of Social Media” and “Rhapsody, Beats, YouTube, and iHeart: It’s Their Country, Too.” This year’s seminar will also feature the CRS Research Presentation; a research panel conducted and presented by Edison Research, which will focus on the increased popularity country music is seeing with the 12-34 year-old age group.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Country Radio Hall of Fame Dinner and Awards and the New Faces of Country Music Show are sold out.

Taylor Swift's "Red" Tour Heads To Asia

Swift spent much of 2013 headlining sold-out stadiums and arenas in North America, Australia, and New Zealand on her blockbuster THE RED TOUR, and just this week finished a run of sold-out shows in London and Berlin. Taylor announced today that in response to strong fan demand she is taking the tour to Southeast Asia later this year, performing shows in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

Iowa Gets Brad Paisley, Toby Keith And A New Music Festival

Grab your “Red Solo Cup” and get ready to “Beat This Summer” with country superstars Toby Keith and Brad Paisley at the inaugural Tree Town Music Festival in Forest City, Iowa, May 24-25, 2014. And that’s just the beginning—even more artists will be announced on Friday, February 21st, so stay tuned!

In addition to the star-studded line-up, Tree Town Music Festival will feature "Little Nashville,” a stage bringing the excitement of Nashville’s world-famous Broadway to Iowa (opens to campers and ticket-holders on Friday, May 23 from 6pm to 2am as well as during the festival), beer tents, a variety of food vendors, rock climbing, bounce houses and much more for the entire weekend.

Set against the picturesque backdrop of Heritage Park, Tree Town Music Festival is bringing Nashville to Iowa for the first time Memorial Day weekend. Party with non-stop music from two stages and other on-site entertainment during the day and spend the night under stars.

If you’re looking for the full-festival experience, the campgrounds boast over 1800 campsites on more than 200 acres. The fun continues in the campgrounds, with flip cup competitions, golf cart taxis, food and drink vendors and more.

Two-day general admission passes (May 24-25) are available for the early-bird price of $120 until March 14th. Weekend campsites are available starting at $100. For more info on tickets, camping or for any of your Tree Town Music Festival needs, visit: treetownfestival.com or call 877-569-7767.

VIP tickets are also available for those looking for the premium Tree Town Music Festival experience. VIP ticket holders will be given prime seating, with the best view of the main stage, the closest parking to the festival entrance, access to mouth-watering catered food from 1:30pm to 8pm on May 24-25 and discounted drinks at a private bar.

Social Media:
Facebook: facebook.com/treetownfest
Twitter: twitter.com/treetownfest

Swon Brothers On The Today Show From Sochi

NBC The Voice Season 4 finalists The Swon Brothers are at the Olympics, and they will be the only U.S. band to perform as part of NBC's Today show Olympic coverage from Sochi when they perform their debut single, "Later On," on Today this Friday, Valentine's Day, February 14.

By visiting Facebook, fans will be able to travel along with Zach and Colton's experiences via a page featuring videos of their adventures, along with a countdown timer between new video airings. 

Participating fans will also have the opportunity to win a trip to Las Vegas to have dinner with The Swon Brothers and also attend the 49th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 6. 

Following Sochi, upcoming video excursions will find the brothers on a Caribbean cruise and joining headliner Jerrod Niemann in Mexico for the High Noon Adventure at the all-new Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.

Between travels, The Swon Brothers are at work on their Arista Nashville debut album set for release later this year.

Final ACM New Artist of the Year Nominees Announced

The fans have spoken, and the final three nominees for ACM New Artist of the Year Presented by Kohl’s Department Stores are Brett Eldredge, Kip Moore, and Justin Moore. All three artists now move on to the final round of voting, where you, the fans, will once again have a say in determining the ACM New Artist of the Year!

The final round of voting will begin at CBS.com on March 24^th. Cast your vote by logging onto www.VoteACM.com.

Jason Aldean Sells Out First Stadium Date of 2014

Jason blew through every ticket this morning to the first stadium show to go on sale for his upcoming 2014 BURN IT DOWN TOUR. Aldean is the first country artist to play MLB’s Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, OH.

The first leg of the 2014 BURN IT DOWN TOUR kicks off on May 1st in Roanoke, VA and continues on to 45 cities with red-hot duo Florida Georgia Line and breakthrough artist Tyler Farr also on the bill. 

The trek will include five baseball stadiums with the addition of special guest Miranda Lambert on stadium shows in Cleveland - 7/18/14, Cincinnati - 7/19/14, & Pittsburgh - 7/26/14.

Cassadee Pope Encourages Artists To Stay Open Minded

Whether someone is on a reality singing competition like The Voice, which Cassadee Pope won in season three, or if they’re just someone with a passion for music, Cassadee encourages artists to stay open-minded, especially if they’re not sure exactly what genre of music is the best fit for them. 

“If a song speaks to you then do it and make it your own and see where it takes you.” For instance, Cassadee recalls during her time on The Voice, “I did ‘Over You,’ not thinking I was doing a country song, I just loved the lyrics and I loved the message and then I realized I was onto something and I found my niche. So I just went with it and it gradually took me to this place now, so I’m very happy.” 

That place includes having a record deal with Republic Nashville and having her debut album in stores now.

New Eric Chuch Album Appears This Week. So Does Eric.

Kicking off a busy release week for his fourth studio album, The Outsiders, Church will make rare appearances on national television starting with CBS Sunday Morning at 9:00 a.m. ET on Sunday and a late-night appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday.

SPIN magazine features Church on its cover this week, saying “He's the most exciting, sonically fearless singer in Nashville. The guy who can win the CMA Album of the Year (for 2011 breakthrough Chief, his third, anchored by a monster low-power ballad called "Springsteen") and play Coachella, Austin City Limits, and Metallica's Orion Fest.”

NPR: "The greatest thing about The Outsiders is its range, both in sound and in the stories [Eric Church] tells. People call Church an outlaw, but that's too tight a frame for someone who can craft nostalgic Top 40 ear candy like 'Give Me Back My Hometown,' with its immortal line about wooing and losing his girl at the Pizza Hut, next to novelty numbers like the boy-loses-beer lament 'Cold One' and nearly psychedelic jams like 'Devil, Devil (Prelude: Princess of Darkness).'"

Entertainment Weekly:  “The Outsiders — the still-rising star's most brazen, brilliant disc yet, and the first great album of this year — challenges country's chart-dominating pickup polishers, drawing on riff-wagging rock and early Beastie Boys-style beats.”

Media Contact:
Essential Broadcast Media, LLC
Ebie McFarland
 (615) 327-3259
ebie@ebmediapr.com
Press materials available at www.ebmediapr.com/ericchurch
 

Blake Shelton Brings A Gift; Jay Leno Bids Farewell With Garth Brooks' "The Dance"

Garth says it all for ALL of us!

Blake got emotional:

Jake Owen Goes Beachin'

Owen is bringing the heat on his new party anthem.  The fun loving song is the follow-up to the vivacious “Days of Gold.”

 

Getting in the warm weather spirit, the new "Beachin'" video was shot at Daytona Beach, FL and captures the laid back vibe of the song. 

 

This spring, the beach party will continue as Jake launches his second major nationwide 55-city plus "Days Of Gold" tour also stars Eli Young Band* along with Parmalee*, Thomas Rhett* and The Cadillac Three. (*select dates)

"The Voice" Returns After The Olympics With A Little Help For Team Blake

On the heels of their dynamic performance on the NFL and Fox's Super Bowl LXVIII Tailgate pregame show, it was announced today that sibling trio The Band Perry will be advising Blake Shelton's team during the "Battle Rounds" on Season Six of NBC's The Voice.  Tune into the season premiere of The Voice, Monday, February 24, 2014 at 8PM EST / 7PM CST on NBC.

"Blake didn't have to ask us twice if we wanted to mentor his team this season on The Voice, " said The Band Perry.  "It was so much fun to work with Team Blake, and after 15 years of receiving plenty of 'constructive criticism,' it was our turn to pay it forward.  We just hope we were as helpful to Blake's team as our own mentors have been to us through the years."

It was also announced the award-winning family trio will be featured on the 40th Anniversary re-mastered edition of Elton John's 1973 seminal breakthrough album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, with their version of the song "Grey Seal."  The reissued CD will be released March 24, 2014 by Universal Music Catalogue / Mercury on CD, vinyl, limited-edition yellow vinyl, and in a box set featuring recording of 'Live At Hammersmith 1973' on CD, a DVD of Bryan Forbes' 1973 film 'Elton John and Bernie Taupin Say Goodbye To Norma Jean and Other Things', along with a 100-page illustrated hardback book packed with rare photos, memorabilia and new essay containing interviews with Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

 "Elton John is a musical hero of ours, and to be included in a project with him is something that is beyond our wildest dreams," said the band.

Last week, The Band Perry received two award nominations from the Academy of Country Music for "Vocal Group of The Year" and "Music Video of The Year" for their #1 smash "Better Dig Two." In 2012 and 2013 the band received nominations in the "Vocal Group of the Year" category. In 2011, the award-winning trio was nominated for five Academy of Country Music Awards and won, "New Artist of the Year" and "best new vocal duo or group."

The Band Perry is currently on the road on their WE ARE PIONEERS WORLD TOUR.with Canadian Lindsay Ell opening.

FGL And Luke Bryan Together In Their New Release

A&O&B thought it would never happen since it involves two very competitive record labels!  So, maybe there is a chance for peace in the world too!
 
Florida Georgia Line’s new single will be “This Is How We Roll,” a song they recorded with their good buddy, Luke Bryan, whom they toured with most of last year. 

Brian explains that the idea for the song came from a conversation they were having one night with Luke about another one of his songs. “Luke said something explaining one of his songs one night, and he said something about Muckalee Creek is this place where you can shoot bullets out at the moon, and that kinda stuck with me,” Brian said. The idea stuck with him and he says, “We ended up kinda takin’ that little idea and getting’ in the back of the bus and just kinda talkin’ about how we grew up and kinda what we like to do, and ‘This Is How We Roll’ was born.”

Luke is proud of how the song turned out because he says, “It’s just an anthem of life really and how you go about your life. So, I’m very excited about it. It’s amazing to have Luke’s vocals on that. It really shows his personality and definitely brings the song to life.”

Reigning New Artist of the Year, Florida Georgia Line, just received four nominations for April’s ACM Awards, including their second consecutive nod for Vocal Duo of the Year. They also earned nominations for Album of the Year, Single Record of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year.