Author Archives: HaleighT

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.

Deborah Allen New Album Hear Me Now

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Deborah Allen Set To Release Her New Album “Hear Me Now” August 16! Deborah Allen will release her long anticipated new album Hear Me Now August 16! The album has 12 tracks, including her current single “Anything Other Than Love” and “Amazing Graceland” which is a tribute to Elvis. “Each song on Hear Me Now is a musical journey, and together they make one of my favorite collections of music I have ever released. I know it’s been a while since my last record, so I thought it would be appropriate for my new album to be called Hear Me Now. When you are listening to these songs, you know that you are listening to a little piece of my heart.” -Deborah Allen The singer, songwriter, producer, and Grammy-nominated recording artist has published over 1,600 songs in her career. Along with her own hits like “Baby I lied“, she has written for many fellow artists including LeAnn Rimes, Tanya Tucker, Patty Loveless, Brooks and Dunn, Janie Fricke, Mickey Gilley, Sheena Easton, Diana Ross, Fleetwood Mac, and many others! Hear Me Now will hit stores and all digital outlets including iTunes, Napster, Amazon, Rhapsody and more August 16!

Glen Templeton Joins Black River Entertainment

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Glen Templeton Has Signed With Black River Entertainment! Black River Entertainment has signed their latest artist, Glen Templeton! The company will immediately take over responsibilities for the promotion, marketing, and sales efforts for Templeton and are thrilled to do so. “I am excited with the addition of Glen to our artist roster. Black River Entertainment remains committed to partnering with artists that demonstrate outstanding musical ability as well as genuine passion for country music. We are so pleased to have Glen join our Black River family.” -COO, Gordon Kerr “I Could Be The One” is Templeton’s first single and was released in May and the video for it will be coming very soon! The single can be found on his upcoming self-titled album along with “Country Boys For Life“, “Threw It Away“, and “Sinner’s Prayer“. Templeton has payed his dues singing Nashville bars on Broadway and leading bands in Texas honky-tonks. Very interestingly he was hand chosen by Conway Twitty‘s family to portray the part of Conway in the musical “It’s Only Make Believe“! Keep your eyes out for this one folks!

Blake Shelton, Grand Ole Opry Tourguide

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Blake Shelton Is Ready To Show You Around The Grand Ole Opry! If you are thinking about touring the Grand Ole Opry and you are a Blake Shelton fan you are in luck! Along with being a member of the Opry Family, Shelton will now be a video guide during tours. He will join the groups during their behind the scenes look at the backstage entrance, Studio A, and the Opry Green Room. He will share historic information along with personal experiences. The backstage area will feature video highlights of Opry invitations for Trace Adkins, Craig Morgan, and Josh Turner. Clips from “Hee Haw” and performances by Roy Acuff, Bill Anderson, Roy Clark, Earl Scruggs, and Marty Stuart will be played during the Studio A portion of the tour. Carrie Underwood joins the history lesson in the Opry Green Room, also known as the Opry Family Room. There she tells what usually goes on there and talks about the pictures that line the walls. Another new part of the tour is a look at a few dressing rooms. Each room is decorated with a specific theme like the “Cousin Minnie” room and the “Little Jimmy” room, dedicated to Minnie Pearl and Jimmy Dickens. The tour wouldn’t be complete without your picture on the main stage in the famous circle of wood from The Ryman Auditorium. I suggest you book your visit now!

HaleighT, On The Road Again

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HaleighT And MissMolly Visit Memphis And Nashville Tennessee! Last weekend I embarked on a miniature road trip with my friend and co-worker, MissMolly! We crossed two state lines heading to Tennessee from Oklahoma to make our mark in Memphis and Nashville. At one point we were asked the question, “Are you here for business or pleasure?” We just looked at each other, because it’s hard to answer that when our business is pleasure! I had a blast and I’m super excited to tell y’all all about it! We left CMNB headquarters bright and early last Thursday morning (July 7) to head for the Volunteer State. This came to be quite difficult for me because the night before I was hard at work interviewing and listening to No Justice. =) As we rolled down I40 we discussed our itinerary, the always organized Molly had us one printed up and everything! I started to get pretty anxious in anticipation because it was my first time to both legendary cities. The rest of the drive was spent taking in the view and listening to some country music! As soon as we crossed the Hernando De Soto Bridge I knew it was sure to be a great weekend. We checked into The Weston, which was right off of the famous Beale Street, then began work right away. We walked to Beale and got some footage and familiarized ourselves with the area. Molly is from Memphis, so I was very lucky to have her as my tour guide. I can honestly say I was out of my element; everything and everyone I saw intrigued me (in a good way). We had just enough time for a quick supper with Molly’s family and then it was back to work. We passed out our CMNB “Country Music Fan” fans to the crowds waiting for The JaneDear Girls and Steve Holly. The local radio station, KIX 106, had the artists featured in their free concert KIX On Beale for the evening. We were very successful in keeping the people cool and getting our name out there all at the same time. During the concert I saw several people putting their fans to use and enjoying the music! Once it was over, we took to the bars to partake in some local fun (all work related). It was great! The next morning we were “On The Road Again“! Lunch was had at Loretta Lynn’s Kitchen in Hurricane Mills, Tn. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was perfect! I definitely recommend stopping by if you ever find yourself in Hurricane Mills. Nashville…what can I say about Nashville…it is AMAZING! I only wish we could have been there longer. We stayed at The Renaissance, where we met some very friendly people. The itinerary said to explore, and that’s exactly what we did! We toured the famous Ryman Auditorium and sadly not the Country Music Hall Of Fame, too many places, not enough time. The nightlife was so exciting; actually being Continue reading HaleighT, On The Road Again→

Chris Young’s Neon Review

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Chris Young‘s newest album, Neon, is on sale now! There have already been tons of positive reviews and here are a few… American Songwriter said, “…it’s apparent that Young…is acutely aware that now is the perfect time to up the musical ante, and it appears he’s done just that. This time out, Young co-wrote seven of the albums ten tracks with some of the best tunesmiths Nashville currently has to offer, making this his best and most ambitious album yet.” Associated Press said, “…An expressive baritone voice; a tall, handsome, stature; and a friendly, approachable personality. What makes “Neon” his best album yet are the songs about relationships, from the sweet come-on of “Lost” to the stage of “Old Love Feels New”. Throughout, Young comes across as a guy whose heart is as strong as his libido. The album’s initial hit “Tomorrow” may end up as one his career-defining cuts.” I, HaleighT, am here to say buy it! It’s a great album with some really heartfelt, relationship songs. “You“, “Don’t Leave Her (If You Can’t Let Her Go)”, and “Tomorrow” are my top 3 (for now). If you feel like downloading it immediately after you read this then you get a surprise! The iTunes deluxe version has two bonus tracks and a photo gallery just for you!

Blake Shelton Red River Blue Review

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My Thoughts On Blake Shelton’s New Album Red River Blue! The wait is over, Red River Blue is here! I have my copy and I couldn’t be happier! First off, congratulations to Mr. Blake Shelton for another album, his success as a judge on NBC’s The Voice, and most of all, being a newlywed! The highly anticipated album hit stores yesterday, July 12th, where it flew off shelves! There were 20 songwriters total that worked on making 11 successful tracks. Well, they accomplished their goal! Not one song made me want to hit skip on my CD player. Here are my thoughts on the creation that is Red River Blue… The first track, “Honey Bee“, was written by Ben Hayslip and Rhett Akins. This was the first single and it set the tone for things to come. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this song! I really could care less what others might say, it was written perfectly. Little Loretta and Conway Twitty…yep, that’s what I call country music gold! Number 2 was “Ready To Roll“, written by Chris Stapleton, Jim Beavers, and Jonathan Singleton. This one was upbeat with some creative play on words! It’s all about hanging out at home, having a couple drinks, and listening to some “laid-back country tunes on the radio”, sounds like a good night to me! The first ballad is the third track, “God Gave Me You“, written by Dave Barnes. It is a sweet song about a man and his abundance of gratitude for the blessing in his life, his love. He repeatedly (in a good way) brings up how he couldn’t and wouldn’t be the man he is without her. Next was “Get Some“, written by Craig Wiseman, Chris Tompkins, and Zac Maloy. I don’t know about the rest of y’all, but I love a sing along! In a way, the flow of this song is reminiscent of Shelton’s previous hit “Some Beach”. I really enjoyed the piano, fiddle, and guitar strong points throughout! Number 5, “Drink On It“, written by Jon Randall, Jessi Alexander, and Rodney Clawson is possibly my favorite of the entire album. I love how, in my opinion, Shelton’s voice is showcased in the first few lines. “Hey girl, Hey where you goin’, Come back and sit back down. You look to good to be headin’ home so early now, You say you gotta work tomorrow gotta lot on your mind”. It was like cold butter on a hot baked potato, melted my heart! I also had a little chuckle to the lines, “We can talk rocket science, Jesus or politics. How your boyfriend cheated on you, man he sounds like such a prick.” It’s a great song, that’s very easy to listen to! The next song, “Good Ole Boys“, was written by Dallas Davidson. This one asks the question, “Where did all the good ole boys go?” Well, I’d like to know that same thing! On another note, I couldn’t help but think Jamey Johnson every time I heard Continue reading Blake Shelton Red River Blue Review→

Craig Campbell Fish Video

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Craig Campbell Shows Us His Fishing Talents In His Latest Video! Craig Campbell‘s video for his latest single “Fish” is ready for you to watch! Campbell is joined by Mariko Izumi, host of “Hookin’ Up With Mariko Izumi” and star of the World Fishing Network. The young angler plays the country stars love interest in this cutesy video. While she has the little swimmers biting like crazy, he can’t get as much as a nibble. Watch it, sing along, and have a laugh at Craig Campbell’s lack of patience on the dock! Tags: Fish, Craig Campbell, Craig Campbell Videos

No Justice At The Rib Room

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No Justice Rocks The Rib Room On Garrison Avenue! I had the great opportunity to have a sit down with the talented and humble band from Oklahoma, No Justice. Last Wednesday Steve Rice, lead vocals and guitar, Jerry Payne, electric guitar, Cody Patton, lead guitar and vocals, Joey Trevino, bass and vocals, and Armando Lopez, drums and myself all sat down for some good eatin’ at Neumeiers’ Rib Room in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Ribs, pulled pork, beans, slaw, and potatoes filled the table as we discussed music. They shared with me some of their favorite bands including Led Zeppelin; each member admitted they had some very eclectic and interesting playlists on their iPods. They told me quite a few stories from the road, all hilarious! One in particular included Lopez chasing a tire from their tour bus, something I would probably pay to see. The group of guys were all very easy going and made me feel right at home, which made the interview go very smoothly. Later that night, the show was kicked off with opener Willie Stradlin. When No Justice took the stage, fans ignored the heat and let loose! Everyone had an amazing time, singing and dancing along nonstop! Songs from their latest album, 2nd Avenue, were the focus of their show. “5 More Minutes“, “Going Nowhere“, “Just Get Goin“, “2nd Avenue“, and “Gone Ain’t Far Enough” were a few, but the best song of the night was the last one performed, “The Toast“. The song may not be new, but was shouted out many times by fans, leaving me to believe it is their most popular to date. Prior to the show and interview at the venue, I spoke with Rice over the phone. During this time he told me of an event that they were very passionate about, The Dwight Boeckman Music Festival. The 12th annual event will feature No Justice, along with Jason Boland and The Stragglers, Johnny Cooper, Red Dirt Rangers, Chad Sullins and The Last Call Coalition and the Jake Moffat Band with other acoustic performances as well. The festival will take place in Okeene, Ok on Saturday August, 8 at 3pm. Payne, who was a longtime friend to Boeckman, successfully organizes the festival every year. If you don’t already have it, pick up 2nd Avenue the next chance you get. Also be looking for some new music at the beginning of the year! The band is off this week, but will be hitting Texas strong starting July 20! Get out and watch one of their shows, you won’t be sorry!

Conway Twitty Is Forever

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Conway Twitty And His Music Made An Impact That Lasts Forever! Conway Twitty is, and always will be one of my favorite artists, top 5 at least! The singer, songwriter, producer, and entertainer accomplished a lot in his life! Having 55 number 1 hits was just one goal that he reached that other artists will always strive to imitate. He was loved by his fans and he loved them just as much. Twitty was a straight shooter, never getting involved in drugs or alcohol and always working as hard as possible while doing what he loved! He had a great duet run with fellow country legend Loretta Lynn with songs like “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man“, “As Soon As I Hang Up The Phone“, “Lead Me On“, and “After The Fire Is Gone“. Off the top of my head, some other favorites are “Hello Darlin’“, “Play Guitar Play“, “I’d Love To Lay You Down“, “Slow Hand“, “That’s My Job“, “It’s Only Make Believe“, “Rest Your Love On Me“, and “Don’t Take It Away“. I always knew the lyrics to his songs and wasn’t sure why, I was very young when he passed and didn’t hear him on the radio much. Later I found the reason for my word-for-word lyric shouting was that my mom was a fan and my dad could have quite possibly been the biggest fan ever! Every time I hear his voice I am immediately sent back in time with a gush of memories flowing through my mind. He IS country music and I would have been so lucky to see him in concert. To get some facts on the man and his life take a look at his official website, www.conwaytwitty.com. It is run by his children who are determined to keep his legacy alive. Here is a small task…help keep his smooth words playing on the radio by calling into your local station and requesting your favorite song, it is sure to put a smile on some faces! Until then here is a video of him performing another one of those number 1 hits (before he embraced the curls), “You’ve Never Been This Far Before”. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V1fX-FvKW8]

Miranda Lambert Behind The Music

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Miranda Lambert On VH1’s Hit Show “Behind The Music”! Miranda Lambert will be the focus of the latest episode of Behind The Music on VH1 this Wednesday at 10/9c! The sassy, country star will take us through the memories that are her life, from early childhood to Grammy winnings. We will hear about the ups and downs from the people closest to her including husband and fellow country star, Blake Shelton, and parents Rick and Bev Lambert. We will also hear from Nashville Star judge Tracy Gershon, former Sony Nashville head Joe Galante, country legend Loretta Lynn, and other artists and friends Kenny Chesney, Sheryl Crow, and Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum. Lambert is obviously an artist that country music and country music fans are very proud of and to see her on this show proves that she has touched people in all genres of music! Everyone be sure and watch tomorrow night and show VH1 what kind of ratings country fans can produce! Here is Lambert’s first single “Me And Charlie Talking“, it is always nice to see how an artists has grown over the years! [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EGabHDMUN0]