Author Archives: Shauna "WhiskeyChick" Castorena

About Shauna "WhiskeyChick" Castorena

Shauna "WhiskeyChick" Castorena is a freelance writer for both Country Music News and Country Music On Tour. Want to collab on some content? Email me. Want my rates for commercial promo work? Get them right here.

The Country Network Now Available on Roku

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Streaming TV market adds 10.6M to TCN’s Household Reach Nashville, Tenn., (November 16, 2016)–The innovative television network dedicated to providing today’s country music enthusiasts more choices in televised and digital programming, The Country Network (TCN), is pleased to announce its carriage on the Roku streaming media platform. Country music fans with the device or Roku-enabled Smart TV can now access the latest and best videos from their Country, Americana, Red Dirt and Texas artists, as well as TCN’s original programming—including series such as Live from the Couch, On the Rise, Our Land: The Music Highway, Studio B Sessions, and more! This news comes as TCN expands into nine (9) additional markets throughout the heartland, renewal with Cocola Broadcasting, and the launch of eight original series for its initial fall lineup. It also recently launched its creative, state-of-the-art fan-incentive program, TCN All-Access. The carriage through Roku will add an additional 10.6M potential viewers to TCN’s overall household reach, now estimated at over 50 million DMA households, putting it squarely on pace with its growth strategy to reach 100 million homes within the next three years. For more information on The Country Network, please visit www.tcncountry.com. “The addition of Roku is extremely important to us,” states Tim Eaton, President and CEO of The Country Network. “4 in 10 households currently own an OTT streaming device, and by next year, Streaming Media Players (SMP) penetration will reach 40 percent of all U.S. homes with internet,” he explains. “The number of ways people are receiving TV content is expanding rapidly and we want to be a part of this conversation and be available to fans through a wide variety of sources.” Roku is the leader in SMP market share. There are currently 10.6M active Roku accounts across SMPs and smart TV, reaching 49% of SMP households. These figures are expected to climb steeply based upon reports by IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS): 56 percent of all North American TV shipments in Q1-2016 were smart TVs; Roku-powered smart TVs earned 12% of all sales for the entire first half of 2016. For more information on The Country Network, upcoming show announcements, and a complete list of broadcast affiliates and channels, please visit www.tcncountry.com.

ELVIS PRESLEY’S GRACELAND TO WELCOME T.G. SHEPPARD FOR NOVEMBER 17 LIGHTING CEREMONY

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TG Sheppard on Country Music News Blog

There Will Be A 100% Chance of Snow Plus A Visit from Santa To Kick off the Holidays in Memphis The event is free and open to the public. WHAT: Holiday Lighting Ceremony at Elvis Presley’s Graceland WHO: T.G. Sheppard and Santa WHEN: November 17 at 6:00 p.m. CST WHERE: Graceland Plaza, Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis MEMPHIS, Tenn. (November 16, 2016) – Elvis Presley’s Graceland® in Memphis, Tenn., will officially begin the holiday season when Country Music Award winner singer-songwriter T.G. Sheppard “flips the switch” on the traditional lights and decorations during the annual lighting ceremony on Thursday, November 17 at 6:00 p.m. CST and lights up Elvis Presley’s iconic home for the season. Santa has guaranteed there will be a 100% chance of snow during the event. The extensive Christmas display at the king’s castle includes hundreds of blue lights along the driveway, a life-size Nativity scene, Santa and his sleigh, and much more, all originally displayed at Graceland by Elvis and the Presley family. The interiors of Graceland mansion will feature the Presley family’s Christmas décor starting on November 17 for seasonal holiday tours through his birthday celebration in January. Included will be his traditional red velvet drapes as well as Presley family Christmas artifacts on display around several trees throughout the home. Channeling his inner Elvis, Santa will arrive to greet the fans and children and will be available for photos following the lighting ceremony. The lighting event featuring T.G. Sheppard is free and open to the public. While promoting records for RCA, T.G. formed a close personal and professional relationship with Elvis, who appreciated T.G.’s unique style and personality. As a token of their friendship, Elvis gave T.G. his first tour bus in 1976, helping to provide him with the confidence to give up the promotion business and hit the road full time. Following the lighting ceremony, The Guest House at Graceland will offer tours of the new 450-room luxury resort along with complimentary hot chocolate and candy canes. A special holiday package that includes tickets to visit Graceland while decorated for the holidays is available for booking through The Guest House at Graceland. For more detailed information please visit www.graceland.com or call 901-332-3322.

George Strait Takes on Vegas One More Time!

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Strait adds four weekends in 2017 following his sold-out Strait to Vegas exclusive concert series; tickets on sale Friday, Dec. 2 Strait to live-stream from Texas tonight with live concert beginning at 7 p.m. CT via Strait.WranglerNetwork.com Strait Out of the Box: Part 2 available at Walmart and Walmart.com Friday, Nov. 18 SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Just hours prior to a rare album release show live-streamed from his home state of Texas in support of his forthcoming Strait Out of the Box: Part 2 three-disc collection today, “King of Country Music” George Strait announced that he will be returning to Las Vegas for four additional weekends at T-Mobile Arena in 2017. Billed as 2 Nights of Number 1’s, the limited engagement with back-to-back nights of straight No. 1’s will showcase live performances of Strait’s unparalleled 60 No. 1 hits plus fan favorites over each weekend, with GRAMMY-nominated country singer / songwriter Cam joining as support. Tickets for all dates will go on sale Friday, Dec. 2 at 10 a.m. PT via www.StraitToVegas.com. The all-new 2017 shows follow Strait’s wildly popular, sold-out Strait to Vegas exclusive concert series at T-Mobile Arena, which is nearing the wrap of its first year of worldwide exclusive engagements with a pair of shows on Friday, Dec. 2 through Saturday, Dec. 3 and previously announced and sold-out 2017 shows Friday, Feb. 17 through Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017. Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Country Music By The Numbers From Neilsen

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Dialed up CMA insight by Neilsen

With the CMA’s today, Nielsen Entertainment has released a new report providing key insights around Country Music and its fans. The report discusses consumption channels and formats, as well as the stars of the industry and their endorsement and marketing potential. Take a look below and you’ll see that Nielsen’s report has some unique insights, from the crossover appeal of the industry’s talent, to the fans themselves.  

CMT Artist of the Year 2016 Details

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Follow along on Twitter and Instagram as CountryMusicNewsBlog.com celebrates the 2016 CMT Artists of the Year under hashtag #CMTAOTY Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Florida Georgia Line, Luke Bryan and Thomas Rhett have been selected by CMT as the premiere country artists of 2016 and will be celebrated at the seventh annual CMT Artists of the Year special, it was announced Tuesday (Sept. 13). Additionally, Kelsea Ballerini is set to receive the second-annual Breakout Artist of the Year honor. The 2016 CMT Artists of the Year special premieres from Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Oct. 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Each artist will be honored with never-before-seen performances alongside lighthearted and emotional moments fueled by plenty of champagne during the 90-minute special on CMT. Following last year’s nod as breakthrough artist, Chris Stapleton joins first-time recipient Thomas Rhett and veteran CMT Artists of the Year Carrie Underwood (2010, 2012, 2016), Florida Georgia Line (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016) and Luke Bryan, who now ties with Jason Aldean as the artists with most wins with five consecutive years (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016). This year’s five honorees collectively dominated the last 12 months in country music, ruling CMT’s platforms and country radio, scoring chart-topping album and singles and selling out concerts across the nation. On the heels of her mega-hit debut album, The First Time, and before her first-ever headlining tour, CMT’s Next Women of Country member Kelsea Ballerini has taken the country world by storm. With her third No. 1 hit “Peter Pan,” she is the only female artist in country music history, including female duos and groups, to reach No. 1 with her first three consecutive singles from a debut album. Rick Diamond/Getty Images Additional awards, performers and special guests will be announced at a later date. Former CMT Artists of the Year honorees include Jason Aldean (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014), Kenny Chesney (2011, 2012), Eric Church (2012), Hunter Hayes (2013), Toby Keith (2012), Lady Antebellum (2010, 2011), Little Big Town (2015), Miranda Lambert (2012, 2014), Tim McGraw (2013), Brad Paisley (2011), Blake Shelton (2015), Taylor Swift (2010, 2011), Keith Urban (2014), Sam Hunt (2015) and the Zac Brown Band (2010). Previous CMT Artists of the Year performances have included Adele and Darius Rucker performing Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now,” Adam Lambert and Leona Lewis paying tribute to Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” and Maroon 5 covering Taylor Swift’s “Mine.” Tweet about it: [bctt tweet=”@carrieunderwood @ChrisStapleton @FLAGALine @LukeBryanOnline and @ThomasRhett are @CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR! Watch Oct. 20 at 9pm ET. #CMTAOTY”]

AARON TIPPIN WINS TELLY AWARD FOR 25TH ANNIVERSARY DOCUMENTARY

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Country star Aaron Tippin is taking home the gold thanks to a recent video documentary about the singer’s career in music.  The film, Aaron Tippin – 25 Years, recently won a Telly Award at the 37th Annual Telly Awards.  With over 13,000 entries from all 50 states and numerous countries, the win is a big accolade for Tippin and the film’s director, Glenn Sweitzer of Nashville-based film company Fresh Films. “I have had the honor of working with Aaron for the past 10 years, and helping tell his story was a true honor,” says Sweitzer.  “There’s never a boring moment in the life of Aaron and Thea Tippin.” Tippin adds, “I was so honored to find out we’d won a Telly Award for our documentary. It’s always great to work with Glenn Sweitzer. He’s such a talent.” The documentary gives viewers an in-depth look at the country singer’s rise from humble beginnings to international stardom.  The documentary features interviews with Tippin as well as the music pros who helped make him a household name including recording industry icons Joe Galante and Randy Goodman, 650 AM WSM‘s Bill Cody, singer-songwriter Mark Collie, publisher and media personality Charlie Monk and more. The Telly Awards honors the very best film and video productions, groundbreaking online video content, and outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs.  For more information, visit TellyAwards.com. Watch the full documentary HERE.

Miranda Lambert Doubles Down with “The Weight of These Wings” Double Album

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Miranda Lambert - The Weight of These Wings - On Country Music News Blog

MIRANDA LAMBERT REVEALS THAT THE WEIGHT OF THESE WINGS IS A DOUBLE ALBUM DISC TITLES TO BE THE WEIGHT OF THESE WINGS: THE NERVE THE WEIGHT OF THESE WINGS: THE HEART  Nashville, TN – RCA Nashville GRAMMY Award-winner, Miranda Lambert, continues to share details pertaining to first studio album in two years, The Weight Of These Wings, which releases November 18. The Weight Of These Wings is set to be a double album, consisting of 24 songs. Lambert has given each “disc” its own specific title; Disc 1 will be titled THE NERVE and Disc 2 THE HEART. About Miranda Lambert: RCA Records Nashville singer/songwriter Miranda Lambert touts five studio albums to her repertoire; Kerosene (2005), Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2007), Revolution (2009), Four The Record (2011) and Platinum (2014), the latter earning Lambert a GRAMMY Award for Best Country Album, in addition to her previous GRAMMY win for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 2010 for “The House That Built Me.” The Texas native is set to release her sixth album, The Weight Of These Wings, on November 18, 2016. The first song released from The Weight Of These Wings, “Vice,” hit the Country Radio airwaves on July 18th touting a tally of 109 first week monitored reporting stations spinning the new song. Miranda Lambert’s The Weight Of These Wings album artwork Credit: Courtesy of Sony Music Nashville

“American Saturday Night: Live From The Grand Ole Opry” Available on DVD and BluRay TODAY

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The Grand Ole Opry® presented by Humana® will release its first-ever concert film, American Saturday Night: Live From the Grand Ole Opry, on DVD and BluRay in Opry retail stores during this weekend’s Opry Birthday Bash. The film will be available via ecommerce beginning Tues., Nov. 1. American Saturday Night: Live From the Grand Ole Opry debuted late last year in 200+ cinemas across the U.S. The made-for-cinema feature film offers audiences a virtual front row seat and VIP all-access pass to country music’s most famous show, including live Opry performances and backstage conversations with Opry members Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, and Darius Rucker as well as The Band Perry and Brett Eldredge. Paisley is set to return live to the Opry stage this Sat., Oct. 8 as part of the show’s Birthday Bash. About the Grand Ole Opry: The Grand Ole Opry® is presented by Humana®.  Opry performances are held every Friday and Saturday of the year, with Tuesday Night Opry shows running through December 13. The Opry presents the best in country music live every week from Nashville, Tenn.  Celebrating nine decades of entertainment, the Opry can be heard at opry.com and wsmonline.com, Opry and WSM mobile apps, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, and its flagship home, 650 AM-WSM. The Grand Ole Opry is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties (NYSE: RHP).  For more information, visit opry.com.

GREAT COUNTRY MOMENTS” PRESENTED BY SPRINGER MOUNTAIN FARMS® FEATURING COUNTRY LEGENDS IN OCTOBER

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Country Music Roots Run Deep With Springer Mountain Farms® Chicken in October Featuring Charley Pride, Confederate Railroad, Johnny Lee, John Conlee, Bellamy Brothers, Collin Raye, Janie Fricke, Joey Canyon, Ronnie McDowell and Rex Allen Jr. The month of October brings new books2C childhood memories, and some great Springer Mountain Farms® chicken recipes from featured artists on Great Country Moments. September episodes will feature Charley Pride, Confederate Railroad, Johnny Lee, John Conlee, Bellamy Brothers, Collin Raye, Janie Fricke, Joey Canyon, Ronnie McDowell and Rex Allen Jr. Fans can access Great Country Moments content online at www.greatcountrymoments.com. [bctt tweet=”ICYMI: @smfchicken #GreatCountryMoments featuring country stars @joeycanyon @bellamybrothers and more gives away freezer full of chicken.”] Through the one-of-a-kind story segments, the featured country stars will take viewers through some of the best times of their career and reveal emotional, exciting, and memorable moments that fans have never heard first-hand. Along with the videos will be trivia questions t hat viewers can answer to enter a contest to win a variety of prizes. A grand prize of a free FREEZER FULL OF CHICKEN will be given away to one lucky winner who participates in the trivia contest. “Springer Mountain Farms® enjoys many wonderful partnerships with the country music community. Great Country Moments is another great outlet to feature some of country music’s finest with an added bonus, their favorite chicken recipe! We have created a living cookbook that fans and Springer Mountain Farms® chicken lovers can follow along with. I can’t wait to try the recipes out in my kitchen!” said Gus Arrendale, President of Springer Mountain Farms®. The “Great Country Moments” series features a new video being released each week. The recipe segments will reveal the artist’s favorite homemade recipes using Springer Mountain Farms® chicken, along with a written reci pe that will be available to viewers. Some of the stars featured in the series include Johnny Lee, The Oak Ridge Boys, Tanya Tucker, Ronnie McDowell, Jeannie Seely, Deborah Allen, Jimmy Fortune and many more. October Episodes of Great Country Moments Monday, October 3 – Charley Pride Southwest White Chicken Chili Recipe, Collin Raye 25 Years Moment Monday, October 10 – Danny Shirley Misty’s Chicken Recipe, Janie Fricke Working With Other Artists Moment Monday, October 17 – Johnny Lee Drunk Chicken Recipe, Joey Canyon Rhythm Of Living And The TV Show Moment Monday, October 24 – John Conlee Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe, Ronnie McDowell Writi ng The Book Moment Monday, October 31 – Bellamy Brothers Almost Hot Unfried Chicken Recipe, Rex Allen Jr. Growing Up In The Industry Moment About Springer Mountain Farms® Springer Mountain Farms® is a family owned business that has been raising chickens for over 40 years. Years ago in the hills of Northeast Georgia, our founders started selling chickens in the back room of their grocery store. They built the company on strong values and kindred relationships within the farming community, and all of the farmers, with up to forty years of experience and third generation families, take great Continue reading GREAT COUNTRY MOMENTS” PRESENTED BY SPRINGER MOUNTAIN FARMS® FEATURING COUNTRY LEGENDS IN OCTOBER→

GARTH BROOKS/YANKEE STADIUM/LIVE” Exclusive Concert on the World’s Largest Stage Airs Friday, November 10

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Garth Brooks on Country Music News!

GARTH BROOKS/YANKEE STADIUM/LIVE” Exclusive Concert on the World’s Largest Stage Airs Friday, November 10 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on AT&T’s AUDIENCE Network via DIRECTV Ch 239 and U-verse Ch 1114 For the First Time AT&T and the Biggest-Selling Solo Artist in History Premiere Exclusive Concert on the World’s Largest Stage AT&T and Garth Brooks, the First Artist to Earn 7 RIAA Diamond Awards, Present “GARTH BROOKS/YANKEE STADIUM/LIVE” Across all AT&T Platforms on Nov. 10 AT&T’s AUDIENCE® Network will present the exclusive concert event “GARTH BROOKS/YANKEE STADIUM/LIVE.” Filmed in 4K this past summer, the spectacular concert event will broadcast nationwide on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT across all AT&T platforms. In addition, AT&T will launch a national marketing campaign, which includes extensive promotion across AT&T platforms, special Garth Brooks ticket giveaways for AT&T customers, behind-the-scenes coverage of Garth’s road to the 7th diamond and retail tie-ins for AT&T stores nationwide. Fans can witness a historical night in the making as Garth Brooks performs the first-ever country music concerts live at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The two- night, sold out arena shows mark Garth’s first return to New York City in 19 years after his 1997 Central Park concert, which remains the largest-ever held at the park.  Watch this legendary night for music,as Garth moves seamlessly through anthems and ballads such as “The Dance, “Friends In Low Places,” “The Thunder Rolls,” “The River,” “Ain’t Goin’ Down (‘Til the Sun Comes Up),” “People Lovin People” “Papa Loved Mama” and many more hits.In a specialconcert moment, Garth’s wife Trisha Yearwood joins the stage for a striking series of songs including “In Another’s Eyes,” “She’s in Love with the Boy” and others. The show will be simulcast on AT&T’s AUDIENCE Network—DIRECTV channel 239, U-verse channel 1114, DIRECTV 4K channel 106–and streaming on DIRECTV and U-verse apps or on directv.com. “I can’t thank AT&T enough for this opportunity,” said Garth Brooks. “I will say no matter what device you view the show on, none of them are going to be big enough!!  This show is H UGE!!! I got to see the show for the first time this week and I was blown away with how clear it looks, how real it feels…it is like you are right there when it is happening!” “We are honored that Garth Brooks chose AT&T to premiere his concert from Yankee Stadium,” said Chris Long, senior vice president, Original Content and Production, AT&T.  “This concert marks AUDIENCE Network’s first original concert premiere across all AT&T platforms and will deliver an incredible 4K viewing experience for his fans that they have never seen before.” 2016 marks even more legendary moments for the music pioneer as Garth Brooks is now certified by the RIAA as the #1-selling solo artist in U.S. history with over 138 million albums sold, and is the first artist in history to receive 7 RIAA Diamond awards for the now seven albums (No Fences, Garth Brooks, Double Live, Sevens, The Hits, Ropin’ the Wind, The Ultimate Hits) that have sold over Continue reading GARTH BROOKS/YANKEE STADIUM/LIVE” Exclusive Concert on the World’s Largest Stage Airs Friday, November 10→