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.

Ashton Shepherd VIP Release Party

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Ashton Shepherd VIP Release Party With Eventful! Ashton Shepherd is preparing to release her sophomore album Where Country Grows, but there is an exciting twist. Many of you know the online company “Eventful” and for those of you who don’t…Eventful, Inc. is a leading digital media company connecting over 20 million entertainment consumers with live music and local events. Eventful has a tab on their website called “Demand it!”, there are multiple events to look through and demand in your area, everything from movies, concerts (country-rap-classical-etc.), comedians, famous speakers, basically anything you can think of. Together, Ashton Shepherd and Eventful, are having a VIP release concert/party for Where Country Grows. The city with the most demands will get the honor and bragging rights of hosting this country star. “I’m excited to be giving my fans the chance to help me celebrate the release of Where Country Grows”, said Shepherd. “Eventful’s Demand it! platform allows me to establish an intimate connection with my audience by giving them the opportunity to influence the outcome of something that has a lot of personal meaning to me.” There are two weeks left in this campaign, to vote click here. At the moment Frankfort, KY is in the lead with 328 people, but the competition has cities all over the country vying for the win. New York, Pittsburgh, Seattle, San Diego, Little Rock, Phoenix, Minneapolis, and Tuscaloosa are just a few on the list and with the ballot closing June 30, I’d say anywhere has a good shot! To better your chances get on facebook, twitter, the phone, or send a letter, just get the word out! Shepherd currently has a single, “Look It Up“, sitting in the Top 20 on the Billboard country charts. When she sings you instantly know it is her, she has this twang that is unmistakable. Her single “Takin’ Off This Pain” from her first album, Sounds So Good, showed us what the artist is all about. “I’ve got a cold beer in my right hand, in my left I got my weddin’ band” was a fast anthem for woman who were over the “BS” everywhere. The Wall Street Journal has called her “a potential Loretta Lynn for a new generation” and we agree! So if you want a once in a lifetime chance to see here do her thing then go vote!

Eli Young Band At The Rib Room

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Eli Young Band At Neumeier’s Rib Room in Fort Smith, AR! This past Thursday (June 9) the Eli Young Band headlined a sold out show at Neumeier’s Rib Room in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Downtown Garrison Avenue was a non-stop party with doors opening at 6:00pm. Guests had a few drinks and ate a few ribs while waiting for the show to begin at 8:00 pm. 2 Steps Back were the openers and did a spectacular job of warming up the crowd. I’m almost sure the beer garden shook with excitement as EYB took the stage. The first song they played was their hit “When It Rains” and the last song they played was another enormously local hit “Oklahoma Girl“. In between was “Jet Black & Jealous“, “Radio Waves“, “So Close Now“, “Enough Is Enough“, “Always The Love Songs“, “Crazy Girl“, “Highways And Broken Hearts“, “Small Town Kid“, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Gimme Three Steps“, Tom Petty’s “American Girl“, along with others. I have seen these boys numerous times at numerous venues, as the opener or headline act, let me tell you I have not been disappointed once! They interact with the crowd and enjoy their time on the stage. They are currently on a jam-packed touring schedule, tonight and tomorrow playing in Texas and Sunday in Nashville at the CMA Music Fest. Their songs are very relatable, in fact I dare you to not relate to one in some way, I promise it’s impossible. If you are into the “red dirt” type music they play then I strongly advise you to take a look at their schedule to find a show near you!

Little Big Town Hosts Ride For A Cure

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Little Big Town Hosts The 5th Annual Ride For A Cure. Sunday, June 12, will be the 5th Annual Ride For A Cure in support of the T.J. Martell Foundation . Lyons Chevrolet is presenting the event and registration begins at 8am at the Roundabout Plaza in downtown Nashville. Bo Bice, Eric Paslay, Kelleigh Bannen, Dean Alexander, and Cali Rodi will be there bright and early for the morning entertainment. The riders will take off at 10:30 am and head to Harley-Davidson, Columbia. Once everyone has arrived Little Big Town will take the stage for the afternoon jam. Jake Owen, David Nail, Laura Bell Bundy, and Jarrod Niemann will also be taking the stage and GAC’s Storme Warren and syndicated radio host Big D will be there to EMCEE. Tickets can be purchased at the event, VIP $300, riders $35, and afternoon jam $20. Gates in Columbia will open at 10:30 am for non-riders. The T.J. Martell Foundation is a national non-profit organization that supports innovative research for leukemia, cancer, and AIDS.

Craig Morgan’s New Single

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Craig Morgan’s New Single This Ole Boy Craig Morgan will release his newest single “This Ole Boy” to country radio June 21. The song is his first with Black River Entertainment and has Morgan very excited! “This Ole Boy” is written by Ben Hayslip, Dallas Davidson, and Rhett Atkins and is “the perfect sing-along country love song”. The single will be on Morgan’s sixth studio album that is set to be out early 2012.

CMT Music Award Performances!

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CMT Music Award Performances Make The Night! Tonight was the night for the long awaited CMT Music Awards! Although I am happy for all the artists who received a buckle, I’m not happy with all of the results. But…life goes on, life isn’t fair, there is always next year, on to the next, and every other “keep your chin up” moto out there is running through my mind. So instead of giving my thoughts on the winners, I’ll give my thoughts on the major performances. Country stars had Nashville rocking and everyone else in America wishing we were there! It started off strong with Toby Keith and his latest single “Made In America“. This Oklahoma native has a tremendous amount of pride for his country and never fails to describe it in his lyrics! The Band Perry was next with the intro of “Love The Way You Lie” originally by Rihanna and then went straight into their latest hit “You Lie“. It was an energetic display with sister Kimberly traveling from the main stage, to a mini stage equipped with her piano, then back to the main stage. One of my favorite parts of the night was Luke Bryan singing “Country Girl (Shake It For ME)”. He looked like he was having the time of his life on stage dancing to his recent hit! This performance definitely brought up the level of excitement in the enormous room. Rascal Flatts was backed by a very talented choir as they sang “I Won’t Let Go“. It was touching and I was very impressed with their humble performance. For the first time in 3 years Big and Rich graced the stage with a little help from their favorite redneck woman, Gretchen Wilson. The three rocked the stage with “Fake ID“, a comical tale of a youngster looking for a good time! My all-time favorite part of the night by far was Sheryl Crow with host Kid Rock and their performance of “Collide“. These two always hit the ball out of the park when the team up, “Picture” is still a classic in my mind! Tonight the duo was both sincere and entertaining, ending the song with a slow dance. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, that is country music at its finest! Zac Brown Band kept it tropical and breezy with “Knee Deep“. Sugarland had an emotional performance with “Stand Up“, having two sisters from Joplin, Mo join them on stage to wave the “LOVE Flag”. Keith Urban shared with us “Long Hot Summer“, which is sure to be the next summer hit. Lady Antebellum gave us a surprise when they followed up their song “Just A Kiss” with “Kiss” by Prince. The extra something at the end was fun and livened up their whole performance! Probably the most shocking part of the night was Jason Aldean with Ludacris and their re-vamped version of “Dirt Road Anthem“. Aldean always impresses me with his “rapping” abilities and having the rap star Continue reading CMT Music Award Performances!→

Osage Creek Amphitheater Cancels Throwdown Tour

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Osage Creek Amphitheater Cancels Willie Nelson’s Country Throwdown Tour. It is a sad day as many people are hearing of the recent Osage Creek Amphitheater news. Unfortunately Willie Nelson‘s greatly anticipated Country Throwdown Tour has been cancelled for July 3 in Northwest Arkansas. The weather, not the hardworking men and women who are involved in this event, is to blame. Because of the vast amount of snow, rain, and flooding the sight was at a standstill on many occasions. “We had a barrier of space in there for weather to be a factor, however, the unprecedented rains that we had made it impossible to even get to the site at times.” -Greg Smith Greg Smith, owner of the amphitheater, is determined to have the venue finished before the summer is over and looking forward to the first note to be played on the now unfinished stage. Smith has a positive mindset and is looking to re-schedule Willie Nelson and his friends for a later date this summer (let’s keep our fingers crossed!). For those who want a full refund for their tickets you can call (479)-239-4041, other ticket holders can save their tickets to be used for the hopeful re-booking. For those still interested in seeing the Country Throwdown Tour that same weekend, you are in luck. Saturday, July 2 the boys will make a stop in Eufaula, Ok at the Eufaula Cove Amphitheater and Monday, July 4 they will be in Fort Worth, Tx at Billy Bob’s. Just go to countrythrowdown.com for more information.

Lauren Alaina’s New Single

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Lauren Alaina’s New Single Like My Mother Does. American Idol Season 10 runner-up Lauren Alaina has released her first single “Like My Mother Does“. The song was sent to radio after she performed it on the hit show on May 24, and debuted at No. 11 on the Digital Sound charts and No. 20 on the Hot 100 charts! The song is also doing very well on the Hot Country Songs chart, jumping to No. 43. “This is so awesome!” she says. “American Idol has changed my life, so I’m excited that the songs I performed on there are doing so well. I can’t believe I have a song out on country radio, much less that so many stations started playing it right away. I can’t wait to get out there and meet everybody and thank them personally for playing my song.” Lauren will begin recording her debut album this week in Nashville and will participate in the CMA Music Fest. She will present at the CMT Music Awards Wednesday, hit the Grand Ole Opry stage Friday, and play in the City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game Saturday. She has a busy summer ahead of her with the American Idol Live tour that begins July 6 in Salt Lake City, but we know she is ready for this adventure!

Sheryl Crow Releases Miles From Memphis

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Sheryl Crow Release Miles From Memphis: Live At The Pantages Theatre. Sheryl Crow will release her Miles From Memphis: Live At The Pantages Theatre DVD/Blu-Ray today, June 7. It will feature 18 songs in hi definition and surround sound and is over 2 hours of the singer/songwriter giving us a spectacular performance. The show was filmed in the fall of 2010 and includes “All I Wanna Do“, “Strong Enough“, “My Favorite Mistake“, plus Marvin Gaye‘s “Got To Give It Up” and Jackson 5‘s “I Want You Back”. The DVD shows Crow touring in support of her album Miles From Memphis along with a 9 piece band that gives a powerful punch! Be sure to catch Crow tomorrow night on CMT or cmt.com for the CMT Awards, where she will be presenting, performing and is nominated! Here is a sneak peak of Miles From Memphis…

Show Me Music Festival Joins United Way

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Show Me Music Festival Joins United Way To Raise Funds For Joplin Tornado Relief! The Show Me Music Festival (SMMF) in Springfield, Missouri has teamed up with United Way in order to raise the big bucks for their sister city. May 22 left 134 people dead and a nation crying for the city of Joplin, Mo. Having the devastating event cause such problems, people all over the country have pulled together to do their part. The SMMF has decided they will have a silent auction, live auction, t-shirts and beach towels for sale, and volunteers at all entrances taking donations and encouraging everyone to “BUCK UP for Joplin”, all proceeds will be sent to United Way and St. John’s Mercy Hospital. The SMMF is set to take place June 17-19 and will include country stars Tim McGraw, Trace Adkins, Big & Rich, Joe Nichols, Little Big Town, Kellie Pickler, David Nail, Gloriana, Sawyer Brown and more. The festival will also have other acts including One Republic and Train, along with celebrity chefs Robert Irvine, Ellie Krieger, Aaron McCargo Jr. and some national touring comedians. There will also be a Show-Me Saloon Stage, kid zone, arts and crafts area, and many food and drink vendors. If you want to spend the weekend in style then VIP tickets are the way to go! They include VIP parking, seating, bathrooms, private bar, food and games. Weekend passes are available for $139, or you can purchase separate tickets for each day. There are multiple camping options and they start out at $70. For more information on this event click here!

Laura Bell Bundy Hosts Fashion Show

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Laura Bell Bundy Hosts Celebrity Fashion Show Benefiting Musicians On Call! Laura Bell Bundy will be hosting “A Benefit for Musicians on Call” tonight (June 7) in Nashville. The event will take place at ROCKETOWN and will have special performances by Joe Nichols and Steel Magnolia, along with a fashion show. All proceeds will go to the nonprofit organization, Musicians on Call, that has a mission to bring live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities . Hitting the runway will be Joey + Rory, Danny Gokey, Bucky Covington, Tiffany, Sarah Darling, Katie Armiger, Carter’s Chord, Ty Herndon, Stealing Angels, Burns & Poe, Joanna Smith, LoCash Cowboys, Ashley Gearing, James Wesley, Danielle Peck, Margaret Durante, Blake Wise, Ash Bowers, and Brynn Marie. EMCEE for the night will be Suzanne Alexander and DJ Silver will be covering the turntables. The event is sponsored by Durango, Wrangler, Roper, Flavour, and U by Kotex, doors open at 8pm and the show begins at 9pm. There is a limited number of general admission tickets left starting $30, and premium tickets can be purchased at MusiciansOnCall.org.