Country Goes Motley

Country stars lined up to pay homage to iconic rock group Motley Crue on the new Big Machine release, Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Motley Crue, which arrives at retail on August 19th. 

Justin Moore, Florida Georgia Line, Rascal Flatts, Brantley Gilbert, LeAnn Rimes, Darius Rucker, Eli Young Band, Cassadee Pope, The Mavericks, Big & Rich, The Cadillac Three, Aaron Lewis, Nashville stars Sam Palladio and Clare Bowen, Lauren Jenkins and Gretchen Wilson all recorded Motley Crue’s hits in tribute to the band, who, after more than 30 years together and over 80 million albums sold worldwide, have decided to call it quits.

The idea for Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Motley Crue at first didn’t make sense to the band, but Vince Neil says they quickly came around to giving their stamp of approval. “I just kind of couldn’t wrap my head around it because my head is still like what country was 30 years ago, say when I was growing up, and I didn’t really realize that country music has become the new rock ‘n’ roll, and so all of a sudden I started listening to these bands and going, ‘This actually makes sense. I mean, this is really cool! So it became really exciting and after listening to the songs for the first time of all the acts I was like, ‘These guys all hit a homerun on this record.’”

The first single from Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Motley Crue is Justin Moore’s version of “Home Sweet Home,” featuring Vince Neil.

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.

Gretchen Wilsom Guests On "The View"

The exciting news came in a Tweet this morning. 

Country Tune Weekly reports she will join Whoopie Goldberg, Elisabeth
Hasselbeck, Sherri Shepherd and Barbara Walters, as longtime co-host Joy Behar transitions out of the show.

Gretchen's first album in three years, the 13-cut “Right On Time,” hit stores on Tuesday, April 2.

Country Revs Up For The Fourth

Billboard Magazine notes that Independence Day is a holiday for much of America, but not everyone. "Among the folks who still have to work: newspaper carriers, convenience-store clerks and a bunch of country artists.  Given the all-American image country acts are so careful to cultivate, working the Fourth is a no-brainer, and the genre will be in full force around the nation when festivities gear up on July 4. Here’s a partial rundown of country’s red, white and blue plans:"

• Brad Paisley appears at a USO concert on the White House lawn. The show will be streamed live here.
• The Mavericks, Craig Morgan and Sarah Darling perform with the Nashville Symphony at Music City’s Riverfront Park.
• Kenny Chesney makes his third appearance on the annual NBC special “Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular.” He also participated in 2003 and in 2008.
• Josh Turner performs from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., during the annual PBS broadcast of “A Capitol Fourth,” with host Tom Bergeron and guests Phillip Phillips, Matthew Broderick and Kool & the Gang.
• Kix Brooks and Shawna Russell play the Summer OilPatch Festival in Drumright, Okla.
• Willie Nelson hosts his traditional Fourth of July Picnic at Billy Bob’sin Fort Worth, Texas, with Jamey Johnson, Ray Price and Billy Joe Shaver.
• Gretchen Wilson plays FreedomFest at Fort Polk in Louisiana, where the activities include an appearance by 38 Special and a 50-gun salute to America.
• Randy Travis hosts a SiriusXM special, “Red, White and Randy 4th.”