Blake, Reba and Trisha Join Kelly For TV Christmas Special

Kelly Clarkson was joined by Blake Shelton, Reba and Trisha Yearwood on last night's Kelly Clarkson's Cautionary Christmas Music Tale.

Watch Reba Kelly and Trisha sing Silent Night above.

The American Idol champ-turned-Grammy winner who won raves for her stint on CBS’ The Crazy Ones earlier this season, is set to guest-star in an episode of Nashville, TVLine reports.

“As you recall, one of the most popular songs of last season is a song that Gunnar and Scarlett wrote – ‘Fade Into You,’ showrunner Dee Johnson tells TVLine. “And in fact, in real life, [Clarkson is] actually cutting that song.”

Look for Clarkson to show up in the ABC series’ Episode 11, which will air in January.

Platinum For Tim, Luke and Gold For Kelly

Canada Country Aircheck reports:                                     

• Big Machine's Tim McGraw has received platinum certification from the RIAA for "Highway Don't Care."
  
• Capitol's Luke Bryan earned platinum for his album Doin' My Thing, as well as gold for his song "Crash My Party."
• 19/RCA/Columbia's Kelly Clarkson received a gold cert for her album Greatest Hits: Chapter One.

Huff Po Pans Carrie, Faith, Shania, Kelly ACM-wear

Christina Anderson writes:  "The 2013 ACM Awards were a chance for country stars -- known for their flamboyant style -- to shake a tail feather. And did they ever.

"From Shania Twain's confusing outfit to Kelly Clarkson's sheer pantyhose, we were thoroughly entertained.

"Carrie Underwood usually lands on our other list, but this week she struggled in oversized prints that overwhelmed her on the red carpet and sparkles that looked like they belonged at prom."

Check out those over-the-top looks, as well as more celebrities who made Huffington Post's worst-dressed list.

First Round of Performers Announced for This Year’s ACM Broadcast

Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, George Strait and The Band Perry are scheduled to perform as part of the 48^th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS. 

This is the first round of artists announced as performers on this year’s broadcast. The ceremony, which will be co-hosted by Bryan and Shelton, honors country music’s top talent, as well as the industry’s hottest emerging artists, is produced for television by dick clark productions and will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

Performers:

Luke Bryan will be co-hosting the Awards telecast for the first time and is one of the fastest rising stars in country music.  He is nominated for four awards, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for tailgates & tanlines, and Vocal Event of the Year for “The Only Way I Know” with Jason Aldean and Eric Church.  He is currently headlining his first major tour, the “Dirt Road Diaries Tour,” and has earned five platinum singles. 

Kelly Clarkson is nominated for Vocal Event of the Year for “Don’t Rush” with Vince Gill, her third nomination in that category.  Last year, she took home two ACM Awards, including Vocal Event of the Year and Single Record of the Year for “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Jason Aldean.  To date, Clarkson has released 5 studio albums, sold more than 20 million albums worldwide, 10 million albums in the U.S., and has had 10 singles in the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. Clarkson recently won the GRAMMY® for Best Pop Vocal Album for her last studio album Stronger. Last November, she released her Greatest Hits – Chapter 1 album, which features three new tracks, as well as a compilation of some of her greatest hits to date.

Hunter Hayes has six ACM nominations, including two in the Song of the Year category as the artist and composer, as well as in the Single Record of the Year category as the artist and producer for “Wanted.”  He rounds out his nominations with New Male Vocalist of the Year and Video of the Year for “Wanted.”  Hunter’s GRAMMY® nominated self-titled debut album has garnered three smash hits, including his current single, “Somebody’s Heartbreak,” which has already entered the Top 5 and is certified Gold, as well as his near Triple Platinum-selling No. 1 single “Wanted.”  Hunter Hayes is a celebrated musician, songwriter and performer who is currently on the “Blown Away Tour” with Carrie Underwood.

Miranda Lambert, reigning ACM Female Vocalist of the Year, has earned five nominations including her seventh consecutive nod for Female Vocalist of the Year and second nomination for Entertainer of the Year.  In addition, Lambert was nominated for Single Record of the Year and twice nominated for Song of the Year, as artist and composer, for “Over You.”  Lambert is currently on the “Locked & Reloaded” Tour with longtime friend Dierks Bentley. 

Blake Shelton, ACM reigning Male Vocalist of the Year returns to co-host the Awards telecast for the third consecutive year.   He is nominated for three awards - Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year as composer for “Over You” with Miranda Lambert and Entertainer of the Year, the Academy’s most prestigious honor.  His current single, “Sure Be Cool If You Did,” is his fastest No. 1 record topping the charts in only eight weeks on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Chart.  “Sure Be Cool If You Did” is off his new album, Based On A True Story…which is available everywhere on March 26. You can also catch Shelton kicking off his “Ten Times Crazier” tour on July 19 in Virginia Beach, VA. 

George Strait has won twenty Academy of Country Music Awards, including the Artist of the Decade award, an award that has only been given to four other acts in the Academy’s history.  He also holds the record for the most No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.  He has sold more than 68 million records, garnering him 32 different platinum or multi-platinum albums resulting in the most RIAA platinum certifications in country music and the third in all genres, behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley.  Strait recently released his newest single, “Give It All We’ve Got Tonight”—the first release from his forthcoming 2013 album.  Strait also placed No. 1 on Pollstar’s Concert Pulse chart in March after the first leg of his on-going two-year final U.S. tour, “The Cowboy Rides Away Tour” with special guest Martina McBride.

The Band Perry returns to the ACM Awards this year with their third Vocal Group of the Year nomination, just two short years after they were honored with the New Artist of the Year award in 2011. The sibling trio’s sophomore album PIONEER will be released on April 2, 2013 and has already spawned the smash, RIAA Certified Platinum single, “Better Dig Two,” which quickly became the No. 1 Billboard Hot Country Song, making it the fastest-rising song of the band's career.  It is their third chart-topping single landing at No. 1 on the Country Radio Charts for two consecutive weeks.  The Band Perry is currently on Rascal Flatts’ “Changed Tour” and will appear on CBS’ The Late Show with David Letterman on April 1, 2013.

About the Academy of Country Music Awards

The 48^th Academy of Country Music Awards is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the country music industry.  The show is produced for television by dick clark productions and will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

Gary Allan, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Kelly Clarkson, Florida Georgia Line, Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert, Jake Owen, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, The Band Perry, Keith Urban, and Zac Brown Band

Where can you find more CMA Award winners and nominees than at the annual CMA Awards? Try the 2013 CMA Music Festival!

The star-packed lineup is bursting at the seams with reigning trophy winners, former Award recipients, and nominees all performing for the most ardent, passionate fans in the world during CMA Music Festival, Thursday through Sunday, June 6-9, in Nashville.

“We have an amazing lineup of talent for this year’s Festival,” said Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “I know our fans will be entertained and enthralled to see our annual family reunion of the best and brightest performers in the industry.”

More artists have just been announced including Gary Allan, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Kelly Clarkson, Florida Georgia Line, Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert, Jake Owen, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, The Band Perry, Keith Urban, and Zac Brown Band.

Previously announced performers for this one-of-a-kind, award-winning festival include Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, and Carrie Underwood (with more artists to be announced soon).

• Allan made his first appearance at Fan Fair in 1997. In 2003, he received his first CMA Awards nomination for the Horizon Award (now known as the New Artist of the Year). He last played LP Field in 2006 and he opened the concerts at Riverfront Park in 2011.
• Bentley made his first Festival appearance in 2003 at Riverfront Park. He has performed at LP Field seven times and has 10 CMA nominations to his credit including a win in 2005 for the Horizon Award.
• Reigning CMA Album of the Year winner for Chief, Church will be making his second, consecutive appearance at LP Field in 2013. He played Riverfront from 2006-2009. Church was the top CMA Awards nominee in 2012.
• Clarkson is no stranger to the LP Field stage having played the Nightly Concerts in 2007 and 2011. She has four CMA Award nominations to her credit and one win for Musical Event of the Year with Jason Aldean in 2011 for “Don’t You Wanna Stay.”
• What a difference a huge hit (“Cruise”) and a year make for Florida Georgia Line. In 2012, the duo performed on one of the events numerous free stages downtown, and now they will have their first LP Field performance in 2013.
• Reigning New Artist of the Year Hayes made his first Festival appearance in one of the free areas in 2011. In 2012, he was invited to LP Field, and he will be making his return appearance in 2013.
• Reigning CMA Female Vocalist and Song of the Year winner Lambert first played Riverfront in 2004 and has performed at LP Field every year since (2005-2012). She has 22 CMA Awards nominations and has won six times, including three for Female Vocalist of the Year (2010-2012).
• Owen has played Riverfront four times (2005, 2006, 2010, 2011) and LP Field three times (2008, 2009, 2012). Owen has two CMA Awards nominations including Musical Event of the Year (2008) and New Artist of the Year (2009).
• Paisley, who has hosted the CMA Awards with Underwood for the past five years, made his first Fan Fair appearance in 1998. Since then, he has performed on the LP Field stage 10 times (2001-2004, 2006, 2007, 2009-2012). He has 58 CMA Awards nominations and 14 wins including three for Male Vocalist of the Year (2007-2009) and one for Entertainer of the Year (2010).
• The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Shelton performed at Riverfront for the first time in 2001. Since then, he has played at LP Field six times (2002, 2005, 2006, 2010-2012). He has 15 CMA Awards nominations and five wins including three for Male Vocalist of the Year (2010-2012) and Song of the Year with wife Lambert for “Over You” (2012).
• Swift first played Riverfront in 2006 and has played LP Field four times (2007-2009, 2011). She has 15 CMA Awards nominations and seven wins including her first for the Horizon Award in 2007 and two for Entertainer of the Year (2009, 2011), which ties her with Barbara Mandrell for wins in that category by a female artist.
• The Band Perry’s first CMA Music Festival performance was at Riverfront in 2010. They performed at LP Field in 2011 and 2012. The sibling trio has garnered six CMA Awards nominations and two wins including New Artist of the Year in 2011 and Single and Song of the Year (for composer Kimberly Perry) for “If I Die Young” in 2011.
• Urban has played LP Field seven times. He has collected 25 career CMA Awards nominations and won six trophies from the Horizon Award in 2001 to Entertainer of the Year in 2005. He has been named CMA Male Vocalist of the Year three times (2004-2006).
• Zac Brown Band has appeared at CMA Music Festival every year since 2008 when they performed at Riverfront and have played LP Field every year since (2009-2012). The band has 12 CMA Awards nominations and one win for New Artist of the Year in 2010. Zac Brown has six solo CMA Awards nominations to his credit.

Now is the time to experience CMA Music Festival. According to Budget Travel Magazine, Nashville is one of the Top 10 Best Budget Destinations and CMA Music Festival is “the” time to visit. And Conde Nast Traveler selected Nashville as one of the Best Places to Go in 2013 citing easy access to “incredible live music.”

Fans can purchase tickets to 2013 CMA Music Festival through Ticketmaster at Ticketmaster.com or 1(800)745-3000. They can also purchase them by calling 1(800)CMA-FEST (262-3378). Ticket prices are based on the level of seating at LP Field for the Nightly Concerts, and range from $135 to $350 plus handling fees. A limited number of four-day parking passes for LP Field are also available (parking is not included in the Festival ticket price), ranging from $60 for Cars to $140 for an RV/Motorcoach, plus handling fees.

Kelly Clarkson Can Sing

... even with a former President looking over her shoulder.

A&O&B received the photo from her label, Columbia/Nashville, with this caption:  I bet THIS guy downloaded "Don't Rush."

Kelly Clarkson Spreads Holiday Cheer

The Christmas spirit was alive and well when Clarkson stopped by Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt yesterday afternoon to sing and celebrate the season with patients, staff and families through Musicians On Call (MOC) Nashville. 

“This is such a special time of year and I’m so happy to be able to share it with all of these great kids. I’m probably having just as much, if not more, fun than they are,” exclaimed Clarkson.  “I heard about Musicians On Call from a friend of mine,” she continued, “and I thought this would be the perfect way to get involved with a hospital music program here in Nashville.  I love playing for the kiddos!!” 

Clarkson, who recently released her Greatest Hits – Chapter One album, visited with the children and performed an acoustic set in the Children’s Hospital Theatre. 

The songstress led the packed room in a sing-along of her favorite holiday carols including “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer,” “White Christmas,” and “All I Want for Christmas is You.”  Clarkson encouraged singing and dancing, and the children were happy to oblige.  Following the show, the kind-hearted entertainer generously offered to visit the rooms of patients unable to attend.

We Wanna Stay

Jason Aldean was honored this week, by ASCAP, for his recent three-week No. 1 hit, ‘Don’t You Wanna Stay.’


The song’s three writers — Jason Sellers, Paul Jenkins and Andy Gibson — were all celebrating their first No. 1 single, while Aldean experienced the feeling for the sixth time in his career.


“This song, thankfully, won’t go away,” Sellers told Taste of Country prior to the party. “Now it’s climbing Hot AC and Pop [charts] … Don't You Wanna Stay? We do! We do wanna stay for as long as we can [laughs]!”


“I heard it three times yesterday when I was in the car, and I was only in the car for 10 minutes,” adds Gibson.
After plaques were handed out to the team who made the No. 1 record possible, Aldean took the microphone and thanked everyone in attendance for their continued support of his red-hot career. “The last couple of years have been amazing,” he said. “And it all starts with a song!”


Aldean is on tour with his My Kinda Party Tour.

CMT Video Award Nominations Surprise

Jason Aldean says he was surprised by the CMT nominations and that receiving any of those trophies would be just fine with him!


"I started getting all these texts from people congratulating me, and I had to ask what they were so congratulating me for, so that was pretty cool ... It was a good way to start my day off!"


Jason says winning the collaboration award with Kelly Clarkson for Don't You Wanna Stay (With Kelly Clarkson) would be a sweet one to take home, for obvious reasons.


"As far as one in particular I would like to win, it doesn't really matter. I haven't had a chance to win a ton of awards so far in my career, so I'm not choosy. Any of them would be fine with me. But it would be nice to win the award for the video with Kelly. That duet has been an amazing song for us, and has been huge for my career, and getting to work with her has been so great. Kelly is probably my favorite female singer out
there, so to win an award with her would be pretty cool. But like I said, I'm not picky, I'll take any of 'em. If it happens to be that one, that's awesome!"


Fans can help Jason or their other favorite artists out by voting at CMT.com