About HaleighT

HaleighT grew up in rural Sallisaw, Oklahoma, completely immersed in the country music lifestyle. She works with CMNB as our field assignment journalist, gathering concert reviews and exclusive interviews from every artist she can. When she's not out on the road, she's in our web studio filming "Takin' a Break With HaleighT" a short weekly opinion and news segment that launched in 2011.

Rodney Atkins NRA Country Artist Of The Month

NRA Country Has Announced Rodney Atkins As Their May Artist Of The Month. Rodney Atkins has been selected as the NRA Country Artist of the Month for May. Atkins joins some of country music’s biggest artists including Craig Morgan, Justin Moore, Lee Brice, Montgomery Gentry, Sunny Sweeney, Trace Adkins and TV personality Storme Warren, who have teamed up with NRA Country to celebrate their support of our brave men and women in uniform, appreciation for the great outdoors and love of family. Rodney’s values and beliefs make him a natural fit with the NRA Country Artist of the Month promotion. “The NRA’s mission statement is about respect and honor. It’s about being proud of all the hardworking folks in our country and the men and women representing us, serving in the military. The NRA reminds us all to be grateful and not take our freedoms for granted. It’s an honor to say ‘I am NRA Country.’” -Atkins Atkins is a household name in country music having landed six No. 1 hits, including the most recent platinum-selling, chart-topper, “Take A Back Road.” He has celebrated over five million single sales in the past five years alone. His current album, Take A Back Road, features the title track and his current single, “He’s Mine.” As part of the May promotion, fans can register to win an autographed guitar. Click HERE from now through the end of May to register to win!

Carrie Underwood Talks About The Music Behind Blown Away

Carrie Underwood Talks About How The Music For Her New Album, Blown Away, Was Created. Carrie Underwood is Opry.com’s New Music Spotlight. In this video Underwood talks about the music behind Blown Away and how it was created. The highly anticipated, 4th studio album is available today! Blown Away Track Listing: 1. Good Girl 2. Blown Away 3. Two Black Cadillacs 4. See You Again 5. Do You Think About Me 6. Forever Changed 7. Nobody Ever Told You 8. One Way Ticket 9. Thank God For Hometowns 10. Good In Goodbye 11. Leave Love Alone 12. Cupid’s Got A Shotgun 13. Wine After Whiskey 14. Who Are You Enjoy this clip!

Hank Williams Jr. At The AMP

Hank Williams Jr. And Jamey Johnson Perform At The AMP In Fayetteville, Ar. This past Saturday (April 28) Hank Williams Jr. and Jamey Johnson performed at The AMP in Fayetteville, AR. The show was part of the Taking Back The Country tour and made for a perfect start to my 2012 spring/summer concert season! This year the AMP was moved to a larger area and good thing, because these two country music outlaws filled the space with more than excited fans! As always, Johnson killed it! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, he is one talented son-of-a-gun. Each time I see him perform he proves to me that I have good taste! He sings his songs with such ease and confidence, that it makes fans angry when his set list reaches the end. Williams took the stage and proved to everyone (even though he needs to prove nothing) that he’s still got it! Performing all of his classic Bocephus tunes and throwing a few surprises in there, he had the crowd going insane! My favorite part of the night was hearing fans shouting how many times they have seen the “Born To Boogie” star in concert. “This is my sixth time to see him,” a couple people said. Williams has probably got some of the most loyal fans out there, and it is a great thing to see their excitement and passion flow when they speak of him. For those of you who have the tour heading your way (Evansville, Dayton, Bossier City, Wichita, Cheyenne) get yourself a ticket! You are sure to have a great night that you’ll never forget, or maybe you will…depending on what you drink! This show has HaleighT’s stamp of approval with an overall grade of an A+!

Eric Church Offends Blake Shelton

Eric Church Offends Fellow Country Singer, Blake Shelton, In Interview. After doing an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Eric Church has offended some fellow country music artists. During the interview Church spoke about reality shows such as American Idol and The Voice and his opinions on them. “It’s become American Idol gone mad. Honestly, if Blake Shelton and Cee Lo Green f—–g turn around in a red chair, you get a deal? That’s crazy. I don’t know what would make an artist do that. You’re not an artist.” -Church “Once your career becomes about something other than the music, then that’s what it is. I’ll never make that mistake. I don’t care if I f—–g starve.” -Church Miranda Lambert quickly took to twitter and said “Thanks Eric Church for saying I’m not a real artist. Or @kelly_clarkson, @carrieunderwood & @KeithUrban. Your welcome for the tour in 2010.” This was after Blake Shelton tweeted “I wish I misunderstood this…” Church’s exact wording was pretty harsh, but did Lambert put words in his mouth? He never called anyone out by name except Shelton. Both Church and Lambert are known for their outspoken personalities and this situation proves it. Church soon put out a public response. “The comment I made to Rolling Stone was part of a larger commentary on these types of reality television shows and the perception they create, not the artists involved with the shows themselves. The shows make it appear that artists can shortcut their way to success. There are a lot of artists due to their own perseverance that have gone on to be successful after appearing on these shows, but the real obstacles come after the cameras stop rolling. Every artist has to follow up television appearances with dedication towards their craft, but these shows tend to gloss over that part and make it seem like you can be ordained into stardom.” “I have a problem with those perceived shortcuts, not just in the music industry. Many people have come to think they can just wake up and have things handed to them. I have a lot of respect for what artists like Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson and my friend Miranda Lambert have gone on to accomplish. This piece was never intended to tear down any individual and I apologize to anybody I offended in trying to shed light on this issue.” “I am grateful for all of the artists and fans that have supported me along my journey and certainly did not mean for my comments to undermine their talent and achievements.” The worst thing about this whole situation is the fact that these artists were all friends before. We never like to see things like this happen in the country music world, but we have to ask…What do you think about everything that was said? Do you think there could have been some over-reactions? Or, do you think some offense should have been taken? Let us know!

Carrie Underwood Talks Grand Ole Opry

Carrie Underwood Talks About Her Second Home, The Grand Ole Opry. Carrie Underwood is currently Opry.com’s New Music Spotlight! As a treat for fans of the Opry and Underwood, a few videos have been put together after an interview was done with the country music star. In this video, Underwood talks about her love for the Opry and how it “feels like home.” Blown Away, Underwood’s fourth studio album will be on sale tomorrow, May 1! Enjoy!

Jason Aldean In Mountain Dew Commercial

Jason Aldean Featured In Mountain Dew’s New Campaign. Jason Adean, along with some other musicians and athletes, is featured in the latest commercial for the popular drink Mountain Dew. “This Is How We DEW” is the new tagline for the product that will be promoted by TV commercials and radio spots. Aldean is joined by Lil Wayne, Mac Miller, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Paul Rodriguez, Theotis Beasley and Danny Davis. Watch a 30 second video here!

Love & Theft Perform On GCB

Love & Theft Perform Their Hit Song “Angel Eyes” On The Hit TV Show GCB! RCA duo, Love and Theft (Stephen Barker Liles and Eric Gunderson) performed their hit single, “Angel Eyes,” on last night’s episode of ABC‘s new hit drama, GCB. The show stars Leslie Bibb, Kristin Chenoweth, Annie Potts, Miriam Shor, Jennifer Aspen and Marisol Nichols and airs at 10/9c on Sunday Nights. “Performing ‘Angel Eyes’ on GCB was definitely a killer experience. I started watching the show from episode one and I really love it. I grew up a preacher’s kid so I can closely relate to a lot of the dialog. We are thrilled to be involved with such a fun new show.” -Stephen “Being a part of GCB was a blast. The cast was so easy to work with and they made us feel right at home. It was cool to see the film side of the entertainment business and get a taste of what acting is all about.” -Eric Here is a clip of the episode that features the band! Below that is the official video for “Angel Eyes” which is the debut single from their self-titled, upcoming album due out July 24!

JB & The Moonshine Band Beer For Breakfast Album Review

A Quick Run Down Of How Much Bang You’re Going To Get For Your Buck When Purchasing Beer For Breakfast! JB & The Moonshine Band recently put out their sophomore album, Beer For Breakfast, with a great response and applaud from fans. The title track is their current single and is sitting pretty in the Top 10 on the Texas Music Chart. The album as a whole has a wide variety for any mood that you could possibly be in on a particular day. At the same time, I have found it just as easy to play it through, with no skips, while sitting on the porch with a cold drink. “Kiss Me That Way” and “The Only Drug,” take care of the slower paced, love songs that we all love. “More Like My Dog” plays the humor card and “Hell To Pay” will get you rowdy and ready to swing (if need be). “Smith County Line” is one of those songs that make you think about somebody you know you shouldn’t. There is so much to say about this song, but at the same time, it’s so hard to do. Everybody just do me a favor and listen to it ASAP and you will know what I mean. “No Better Than This” and “Ride” automatically put a smile on my face when I hear them. They are the kind of songs that get you excited to call up your favorite people and have a fun-filled, simple day…nothing wrong with that! “I Don’t Care” takes me back to a little Keith Whitley tune (“Ten Feet Away“), but also gives a tip of the hat to King George with the line about the chair. Now I’m not sure if the Whitley correlation is what they intended, but I can’t get enough of this song. I dig it! “Edge Of The Road” will get you thinking, “Black And White” might make you cry and “Yes” will make you proud of where you came from (it will also probably make you want a cold beer). I really could not pick a song that is my favorite from this album, but I can tell you that there is NOT one that I dislike. Catch these boys on the road and I promise you will have a good time! For more information on JBMB pop on over to their site and look around! The last two songs on this album, “I’m Down” and “Perfect Girl,” are two that JBMB have already released. The boys were nice enough to share them with you, so be smart and add them to your party playlist! Track Listing: 1. Beer For Breakfast 2. Kiss Me That Way 3. No Better Than This 4. Edge Of The Road 5. More Like My Dog 6. Hell To Pay 7. Smith County Line 8. Ride 9. The Only Drug 10. Black And White 11. I Don’t Care 12. Yes 13. I’m Down (LEX Remix) 14. Perfect Girl (Moonshine Remix)

Carrie Underwood Talks About New Album

Carries Underwood Talks About What Went On While Making Blown Away! Carrie Underwood is Opry.com’s New Music Spotlight. Below is a video that shows Underwood talking about what went into making her 4th studio album, Blown Away. Blown Away, which includes her latest single “Good Girl,” will be on sale May 1! Enjoy this behind the scenes look!

Toby Keith And USO Celebrate 10 Year Anniversary

Toby Keith & The USO Celebrate A Decade Of Touring The Globe In Support Of Troops & Their Families! Toby Keith celebrates a decade of touring the globe, performing shows and visiting troops with the USO during a five-country, 12-day USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour. Traveling to the Middle East to lift spirits of troops and their families, the singer/songwriter will continue his longstanding tradition of visiting remote forward operating bases and delivering a much-needed touch of home. Since his first USO tour in 2002, Keith has traveled to more than 14 countries and participated in nine USO tours. Among the countries visited are Afghanistan, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia, Cuba, Djibouti, Germany, Iraq, Italy, South Korea, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan and Macedonia. Toby Keith’s commitment and devotion to the U.S. military extends far beyond annual USO entertainment tours. Whether offering a complimentary burger and a drink to service members returning to the states at his growing chain of restaurants, visiting wounded troops or advocating for veterans in the media, his support is never ending. This summer Keith will hit the road with his “Live in Overdrive Tour” presented by Ford F-Series. The tour will kick off June 14 in Salt Lake City.