Ready For Music Fest!

• Little Big Town Return to CMA Music Festival: Country's Night To Rock August 5 on ABC
• Alabama to perform at CMA Music Fest
• Street Closures Announced for 2014 CMA Festival

Little Big Town Welcomes You to CMA Music Festival

For more on Music City's annual BIG event, celebrating country music and our fans, click here.

Kenny Chesney Joins Top Ten Live Acts from 1990-2014

Billboard just released their list of the Top Live Acts of the past quarter century (1990-2014), and only one country artist made the Top 10: Kenny Chesney.  Topped by the Rolling Stones, U2 and Bruce Springsteen, the songwriter from Luttrell, Tennessee arrived at #9 on the list – in spite of taking 2010 and 2014 off the road – with 12,681,629 tickets sold.

“You look at a list like this... with so many iconic rock acts, people like Madonna, or Elton John, and you think, ‘Man...’.” says the 4-time Country Music Association and 4 consecutive Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year. “When you get on the bus for the first time, you’re just hoping people will come. You never expect to be in this kind of company, unless you’re buying a ticket.”

Lots of people bought tickets for Chesney’s high energy shows. Since becoming a full-fledged headliner in 2002, playing a homecoming show at Knoxville’s Neyland Stadium, then into NFL Stadiums in decidedly uncountry Boston, Pittsburgh and Washington, DC in 2005, his tours have become rites of summer for over a million people each tour and a breaking ground for many of today’s biggest headliners.

“Knowing people work hard, have stress whether its their family or their job or their friends, you strive to create a place where they can forget all that for a few hours,” Chesney offers, “They’ll come out, and they come back with their friends. Just like when you sing songs that speak to how they really live, they listen. They listen and they hang onto those songs like it’s their life – because it is.”

Though taking 2014 off to focus on the follow-up to 2013’s deeply personal Life On A Rock, Chesney is anxious to get back out there.  As he says, “The fans feed me as much as I feed them... And that’s why I wanted to step back, really think about this record and give them something as hardcore as they are! These songs are gonna rock live; but more importantly, they say a whole lot about how the fans live. I can’t wait to play’em onstage.”

Luke Notches His 10th #1

Capitol recording artist Luke Bryan, who recently took home two trophies at the Billboard Music Awards, takes the top spot at country radio with “Play It Again,” making this his tenth career No. 1 single.  The multi-week chart-topper, written by Ashley Gorley and Dallas Davidson, is his fourth consecutive No. 1 single from Crash My Party, which was recently named Top Country Album at the Billboard Awards earlier this month.

Luke also makes Billboard chart history by reaching the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with “Play It Again” and “This Is How We Roll” with Florida Georgia Line claiming the No. 2 spot.  Luke becomes the first artist to ever hold the two top positions since the chart began in 1990. 
Additional news out this week finds Luke as the cover subject of People Country’s “Sexiest Men” special issue.  The cover, shot in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. in April, will be available on newsstands this week.  This weekend, Luke will resume his “That’s My Kind of Night Tour” with shows in Charlotte, N.C., Washington, D.C. and Holmdel, N.J.  This summer, Luke’s tour will include his first-ever headline stadium shows - June 21 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Penn., August 15 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Penn. and on August 31 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill.

For more information on Luke and his “That’s My Kind of Night Tour,” visit www.LukeBryan.com or follow Luke on Twitter @LukeBryanOnline, Instagram and Facebook.

USA Today: "Miranda Lambert buys Carrie Underwood a motorcycle"

Less than a week after they sang together at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, Miranda Lambert gave Carrie Underwood a pretty bada–gift.

The Miranda/Carrie duet, “Something Bad” will be the next single from the Platinum album.  Radio version ships on June 9.

Justin Moore Might Have Considered Personal Trainer If He Had A Plan B

This summer he will be doing a lot of traveling as he covers the fair and festival circuit across the country.
 
Things are going great for Moore these days, with his latest single, “Lettin’ the Night Roll” in the top ten and climbing, which is a good thing, because he admits he never really had a plan B if a career in music didn’t work out. Justin says, “I always thought if you had a Plan B it meant you were givin’ up on Plan A before you got it goin’ or gave it shot, which to kids out there, don’t go by my logic ‘cause sometimes Plan A don’t work out.”

Looking back, Justin says there was a time he thought being a physical trainer for a professional sports team, like his beloved Atlanta Braves, might have been cool. The way he sees it, “I’m not really doin’ anything that different than that now, you know. Obviously it’s not in the medical field, but I would have been travelin’ on weekends and seein’ different parts of the country and beyond and that’s what I’m doin’ right now. So, I would definitely say lookin’ back, after I’ve done what I’ve done for so long, I could never go to work 9 to 5 for somebody in an office. I would have to have flexibility to kinda go and come as I please.”

Tim McGraw Doesn’t Expect Tour To Be A Family Affair

Tim recently launched his Sundown Heaven Town Tour to promote his upcoming album, featuring his latest single, “Meanwhile Back at Mama’s.”

While his three daughters used to spend a lot of their summers on tour with dad, especially when he and Faith Hill toured together, now that they’re older, Mcgraw doesn’t expect to see them as much on the road this summer. ““I guarantee you they’ll go out as little as possible,” he laughs. “They’re gonna be hangin’ with friends, I mean, they’ll come out some. Faith and the kids’ll come out off and on. More likely than not they’re gonna be, you know, they’ve got their social life to tend to this summer.”

The Sundown Heaven Town Tour with special guests Kip Moore and Cassadee Pope will run through August 9th.

Bike With Brantley

This week, the Nashville Country Club teams up with Brantley Gilbert and Valory Music to provide unique and extensive coverage of Gilbert’s JUST AS I AM Album Launch ride. Gilbert teams up with Harley-Davidson and Folds of Honor for a 7-day album promotion and motorcycle ride from Athens, GA to Arlington, VA. It all starts with a hometown tour, dinner reception at Gilbert’s house and a live radio broadcast from Jefferson High School—Gilbert’s alma mater—before topping it off with a hometown kickoff concert at the Georgia Theater in Athens.

Traveling up the east coast via motorcycle, Gilbert will stop along the way for various appearances, album signing events and concerts before arriving in Arlington, VA for a special Memorial Day Arlington National Cemetary ceremony. Other events include the Indy 500 in Indianapolis, IN and the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, NC, among others.

Nashville Country Club’s Prime Content will provide exclusive, daily content for your media outlet, so keep an eye on your inbox for the latest from the JUST AS I AM Album Launch Ride to Arlington. Real-time updates provided through the NCC Facebook page, available here. Be sure to check out the NCC’s other social media here: Instagram, YouTube, Twitter.

For any questions regarding this information, feel free to contact Cayce Leon (615-440-5133).

Autograph Signing: Josh Turner

Josh Turner will sign his book, Man Stuff, on Wednesday, June 4 at 11:00 a.m. at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum. 

Signing passes for this event will be available in advance online with the purchase of his book starting this week.

The Final CMA MusicFest 2014 Tickets Go On Sale Today

.. and you know they will go FAST.  (click to see if you're lucky enough to grab them)

The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience has SOLD OUT for the past five consecutive years, so plan your trip early and get your tickets to the 2015 CMA Music Festival starting Monday, May 19 at 10:00 AM|CT.

Lady Antebellum Does Some Experimentation

The seven-time GRAMMY award winning trio dropped the lead single “Bartender” off their upcoming fifth studio album today. The swampy, sultry breakup anthem is available on Country Radio now and will be available for purchase at digital retailers on May 20th.

Written by Lady A’s Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and co-writer Rodney Clawson, the trio enlisted Nathan Chapman to co-produce the new single featuring Scott’s lead vocal and the trio’s signature harmonies.

“For this new stuff, we wanted keep the core of Lady A, while also experimenting with new sounds and ideas,” said Kelley. “Nathan was really instrumental in pushing us to try different harmonies and new songs that were a little out of the box for us. There’s a lot of energy that comes with those changes and ‘Bartender’ is just of taste of what we’ve been working on.”

Rather than the late night drunk-dial approach of the band's international smash hit "Need You Now," these lyrics are poised to become a female anthem centered around washing an ex's memory away with whiskey on a wild girls' night out.

“I love this song because there’s something empowering about not going for the rebound or just moping around over a guy,” said Scott. “There are those times in your life when you need to feel sorry for yourself and be sad, but this song is all about hitting the dance floor with your girlfriends and just forgetting him.”

“We’ve been crazy busy writing, and when we’re this deep into it, we get so excited about new music that we can’t wait to get it out,” added Dave Haywood. “We’ve been outdoors playing amphitheaters and are loving the energy that the fans bring to those outdoor shows. So, when we sat down to write with Rodney for the first time, we really wanted some new stuff to keep fans on their feet.”

The trio is set to perform the new single when they kick off Good Morning America’s summer concert series live from Central Park on May 23rd. From New York City, the trio will continue on their headlining 2014 TAKE ME DOWNTOWN TOUR.

Randy Houser On Letterman Tonight

Hot on the heels of his third consecutive chart-topping hit “Goodnight Kiss," Platinum-selling singer-songwriter Randy Houser will debut his new single, “Like A Cowboy,” on The Late Show with David Letterman. The song, which Houser wrote with Brice Long, is the fourth release from his Stoney Creek Records album How Country Feels and showcases the artist’s powerhouse vocals and expert craftsmanship. Viewers can watch Houser’s performance on The Late Show with David Letterman Wednesday night, which airs at 11:35 p.m. ET / 10:35 p.m. CT on the CBS Television Network.           

“Like A Cowboy” is one of seven tracks Houser co-wrote on How Country Feels, including “Goodnight Kiss,” which was his first No. 1 as a songwriter. In a recent interview with Billboard, Houser notes: “I kind of felt that musicians these days are a lot like an old cowboy. We go out and try to make our living. There's that picture of someone who has to go out and travel for a living, and comes home. [. . .] That's what [‘Like A Cowboy’] means to me."

Houser, who just scored a CMT Award nomination for Male Video of the Year with his video for the No. 1 smash "Runnin' Outta Moonlight," continues to perform headlining dates across the country. He will also be the direct opener on country superstar Brad Paisley’s upcoming tour, which kicks off Friday, May 16 at Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, N.J.

Miranda Lambert Hits The Road

Summer 2014 will shine brighter starting July 10 when Miranda Lambert unveils her Crystal Light Presents Platinum Tour in Ft. Loramie, OH. “Platinum represents a lifestyle for me,” said Miranda. “It's the color of my hair, my wedding ring, my airstream trailer,  so it's just a natural fit for the name of my new album and it’s why we decided to name the tour Platinum too,” said Miranda. Her upcoming album Platinum, will be released June 3.

The new show will glitter with a platinum theme that includes a new signature stage design. Platinum will include several songs from the new album including the Top 10 hit “Automatic,” the title track and others. It will also feature songs from all four of her previous platinum certified albums. In addition, Miranda has added two new members to her band family including singer songwriter Carolyn Dawn Johnson.

More heavy metal will be on display with opening acts Justin Moore and Thomas Rhett join the tour on August 8.  ACM New Artist of the Year winner Justin Moore has a mine full of hits songs including 3 #1 singles, “Small Town USA,” “If Heaven Weren't So Far Away,” and “Til My Last Day,” and several Top 10's from his Gold certified albums. Thomas Rhett brings more precious metal with his certified platinum hit “It Goes Like This,” and his new #1 single, “Give Me Some of That.”

The 30 city coast-to-coast tour includes two Canadian shows and wraps September 20 in Honolulu, HI. See complete list of dates below:

7/10/14    Fort Loramie, OH
7/11/14    Tuscaloosa, AL
7/12/14    Rogers, AR
7/17/14    Monticello, IA
7/18/14    Cleveland, OH
7/19/14    Cincinnati, OH
7/20/14    Brooklyn, MI
7/25/14    Twin Lakes, WI
7/26/14    Pittsburgh, PA
8/1/14    Sweet Home, OR
8/3/14    Camrose, Alberta
8/8/14    Sacramento, CA**
8/9/14    Mountain View, CA**
8/10/14    Irvine, CA**
8/15/14    Chicago, IL**
8/16/14    Indianapolis, IN**
8/17/14    Bonner Springs, KS**
8/21/14    Raleigh, NC**
8/22/14    Virginia Beach, VA**
8/23/14    Washington, DC**
8/29/14    Darien Lake, NY**
8/30/14    Hartford, CT**
8/31/14    Bethel, NY**
9/4/14    Toronto, ONT**
9/5/14    Philadelphia, PA**
9/6/14    Boston, MA**
9/11/14   Pensacola, FL**
9/12/14   Lafayette, LA**
9/13/14   Corpus Christi, TX**
9/20/14    Honolulu, HI

**Justin Moore and Thomas Rhett to perform as support on these dates.

Rascal Flatts Focus On Sincerity and Harmonies On Their New Album

The supergroup is releasing their new album, Rewind, on Tuesday, and they say when it came to picking the songs for this project, it was all about songs that moved them, that they believed in and that made them feel something. “We cut songs that touch us because if they don’t touch us first, there’s no way in the world we’re going to be able to sell those songs to somebody else,” explains Jay. He also adds, “Gary is a terrible, terrible faker. If he gets in the booth and he doesn’t whole-heartedly believe in a song, he’s gonna have tough time deliverin’ it, and that’s not to slight him as a singer, but he’s gotta feel it in his soul before he delivers it.”

Jay also explains that they took a different approach with the production on this album. “We also made a conscious effort to make it more about the song and more about the harmonies and the presentation than about the production. So, as opposed to like puttin’ a track together where something’s happening every single second and filling every hole, we really kinda stripped it away and only put the parts in the tracks that mattered most.”

The guys will celebrate the release of Rewind with a unique launch party in Los Angeles, where they will perform an acoustic set, while those in attendance enjoy wines that have been specially chosen to pair with the songs. Jay admits, “I haven’t for a second thought about what song would be paired with what wine. First of all, I’m not a really big wine enthusiast.” But Joe Don enjoys good wine and he says, “I’ve got some ideas … I think light wines, like a little Merlot might be good for like ‘Memphis,’ something that’s a little lighter. But then you get something bold that’s got a blended, like a Sauvignon, like maybe a Chardonnay or something like that that’s mixed, I don’t know. Maybe some reds and some whites and just throw ‘em in a box and see who can drink it down first.” Jay jokes that he’d love to see a boxed wine at the event, which is being hosted exclusively for CITI card members on Rewind’s release day, May 13th.

Brantley Gilbert To Host Memorial Day Radio Special

Hit-maker Brantley Gilbert will host this year’s WestwoodOne Memorial Day Weekend special “SUMMER KICK-OFF WITH BRANTLEY GILBERT.” 

The four-hour market exclusive show captures the spirit of summertime with lots of great hit music along with Brantley’s special guests Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw and more sharing their favorite summer stories and activities as they pay tribute to the men and women of our military. 

To air the show, click here, contact Donny Walker at 615-727-6987 or email DWalker@WestwoodOne.com.

Keith Urban Organizes Another "All For The Hall" Success

A tidy sum of $600,000 was raised last night for the Country Music Hall of Fame, thanks to the efforts of Urban and a star-studded who's-who of volunteers.

As always, Keith and Vince Gill hosted a memorable evening filled with country stars. “We never know what we’re going to do,” Urban said at the outset, emphasizing the improvisational nature of the evening. “We never have on any of the past years, and we’ve always had the best time.”
Urban has put together all five We’re All for the Hall concerts in Nashville, hand-picking and personally inviting each artist who appears. The guests who answered his call this year, all volunteering their time, ranged from Country Music Hall of Fame members Gill, Reba McEntire and soon-to-be-inducted Ronnie Milsap to veterans Mary Chapin Carpenter, Deana Carter and Lee Ann Womack to several of today’s hottest stars, including Brantley Gilbert, Kacey Musgraves and Carrie Underwood.

“Five years ago, I was sitting up there,” said newcomer Brett Eldredge, as he pointed toward a section of raised seats to the right of the stage, where he saw the first We’re All for the Hall concert in 2009. “I was thinking how cool it would be to play this show someday. And here I am.”
The evening’s theme encouraged performers and songwriters to talk about the inspiration behind the songs. The motivation for the hits included heartbreak, headaches, lost love, first dates, cars, breaking the law, spiritual conflict, TV shows, forgetting a potential paramour’s last name, pigs who swim and, more than once, Dolly Parton.

CMA Music Fest Performer List Grows

The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience just got a lot bigger with 5 more stages and 137 more artists added to the lineup! Presenting the Bud Light Stage at Bridgestone Arena Plaza, the Samsung Galaxy Stage at Walk of Fame Park, the Chevrolet Roadhouse Stage in Fan Alley, The Buckle Stage and the BMI Tailgate Party.

Bud Light Stage: Lauren Alaina, Keith Anderson, Katie Armiger, Kelleigh Bannen, Jeff Bates, Big Smo, BlackHawk, Brothers Osborne, Mark Collie, Bucky Covington, Joel Crouse, Sarah Darling, Clare Dunn, Morgan Frazier, JT Hodges, Will Hoge, Home Free, Sam Hunt, Chris Janson, Joshua Scott Jones, Krystal Keith, Meghan Linsey, Robin Meade, Granger Smith, Jamie Lynn Spears, Chris Stapleton, Striking Matches, Sundy Best, The Henningsens, Leah Turner, Trick Pony, Aaron Watson, Austin Webb, Drake White, Chuck Wicks and Holly Williams

Samsung Galaxy Stage: Robby Armstrong, Rob Baird, Ty Bates, Dakota Bradley, David Bradley, Laura Bell Bundy, Cam, Brandon Chase, Cowboy Troy and DJ Sinister, Heath Haynes & the High Dollars, Sam Hollyman, Joey Hyde, Jukebox Mafia, John Karl, Ryan Kinder, John King, Jenny Leigh, Cheryl LuQuire, Rachele Lynae, Brian Milson, Danielle Peck, Pierce Avenue, Stephanie Quayle, Raven Cliff, Julie Roberts, Gwen Sebastian, Canaan Smith, Phoenix Stone, The Brothers Road, The Nelsons, The Railers, The Stickers, Chad Warrix, Ryan Weaver, Jesse Keith Whitley and Zane Williams

Chevrolet Roadhouse Stage: Ballie and the Boys, Brinn Black, Cast of “Crazy Hearts Nashville,” Cerrito, Jaida Dreyer, Jordan Grassi, Marty Haggard, Lyndsey Highlander, Rachel Holder, Levi Hummon, Angie Johnson, Stevens Layne, Matt Mason, Walker McGuire, Randy Montana, Music City Doughboys, Aaron Parker, Jacob Powell, Brent Rupard, Lizzie Sider, The Danberrys, Keni Thomas and Whiskey Rose

The Buckle Stage: Carlton Anderson, Kelsea Ballerini, Bonner Black, Misty Rae Carson, Karli Chayne, Steven Clawson, Courtney Cole, Hannah Dasher, Jacob Davis, GirlBilly, Ryan Griffin, Curtis Grimes, Adam Hambrick, Brett Kissell, Ryan Lafferty, Brandon Lay, Josh London, Daisy Mallory, Michaelis, Oklahoma, Carly Pearce, David Ray, Jameson Rodgers, Smithfield, Walker County and Hailey Whitters

BMI Tailgate Party: A Thousand Horses, Blackjack Billy, Chase Bryant, Adam Craig, DJ Du, Brett Eldredge, David Fanning, Sara Haze, Chris Lane, Natalie Stovall and The Drive, Michael Ray, Josh Thompson, and Whiskey Jam

LP FIELD ADDITIONS: The Charlie Daniels Band, Sara Evans and Travis Tritt.

Scotty McCreerey Home Invasion Robbery

McCreery and some of his friends were victims of a home-invasion robbery late Sunday night/early Monday morning (May 5th) in Raleigh, North Carolina. Apparently, three men entered the apartment located near the North Carolina State college campus around 2am, according to ABC affiliate WTVD-TV. The robbers took cash, wallets and electronic items before fleeing the scene, however no one was hurt. One of Scotty’s friends were able to call 911 and told the operator, “They took everything we have. They were like, 'Get down. Get on the floor and give us everything you got.’” The caller said the robbers told the group to count down from 100 before they were allowed to get up.

The “Feelin’ It” singer released a statement on his Facebook account:

“Yes, it was definitely a very scary night. Luckily, my friends and I are safe and the Raleigh PD is on the case. I will share more when the time is right, but as of now we do not want to do or say anything that could hinder the investigation. Thanks to everyone for the prayers and support. A huge thank you to the Raleigh PD for their quick response and hard work in solving this case."

We’ll keep you updated on developments as they happen.

Tim McGraw's Subtle Themes and Common Threads In His Albums

McGraw will release his new album, Sundown Heaven Town in September, featuring his latest single, “Meanwhile Back at Mama’s” and his first single from the album, “Lookin’ for That Girl.”

People often ask if there is a common thread or a theme to the songs on an album, and Tim says, “There are those big, sort of over-reaching, big ideas about a record … and it breaks down from time to time. It’s not necessary, you don’t always fill out the full idea, and the big idea his right here is why I’m socially awkward. I try to branch out and meet new people and this is what happens. I really need to write a book. doesn’t always apply.”

Sometimes the commonality among the songs may not be so obvious. Tim says, “I mean, you can reach in and find moments where well that doesn’t really fit with what you’re sayin’, but I think that there’s things in there that do. There’s always some theme in a song, whether it be musically, whether it be lyrically, whether it just be where it sits in the record that sort of makes all those things come to fruition.”

Sundown Heaven Town, which will be available on September 16th.

Billy Currington Salutes The Fans

Check out the latest episode of Billy’s “On The Road” Series

In the 5th episode, Billy talks about his first weekend out on the road with Lady A and Kacey (click the link to see it) – has great things to say about both artists (plus, there’s a great clip of Charles calling Billy the best singer in country music!)

FGL And Luke At Billboard's Music Awards '14

Florida Georgia Line appeared on "ABC-TV's The View" yesterday, to announce that they will perform at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards.

They join a star-studded lineup of previously announced musical performers that include Imagine Dragons, Jason Derulo, John Legend, Luke Bryan and OneRepublic. The 2014 Billboard Music Awards will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 18, on ABC at 8pm ET.

The band appeared on "The View" yesterday to perform their hit "This Is How We Roll," and afterwards Sherri Shephard told viewers they could see Florida Georgia Line next on the 2014 Billboard Music Awards.Florida Georgia Line is a finalist in 4 categories, including Top Country Artist, Top Country Album and Top Country Song. Amassing international appeal, Florida Georgia Line has tallied over 13 million tracks sold worldwide from their chart-topping debut album on Republic Nashville.