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.

Press Release: 2008 Country Radio Seminar Lineup

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Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. has an exciting talent line-up for the 2008 Country Radio Seminar ® (CRS-39) luncheons. Performers on Wednesday are Ashley Gearing and Rodney Atkins (Curb/Asylum); while on Thursday Keith Anderson and Montgomery Gentry (Sony BMG) take the stage. Closing the series of luncheons are Capitol‘s Lady Antebellum and newcomer Emily West on Friday. Ashley Gearing (Curb) is no stranger to the demands of the music business. At the young age of 12, she made history by entering Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart, eclipsing a 46 year-old record previously held by Brenda Lee. Her version of “Can You Hear Me When I Talk to You” gave Ashley immediate national exposure by displaying a talent well beyond her years. She received ASCAP‘s “Uncut Diamond” award as a future Country rising star, has performed numerous times on the famed stage of the Grand Ole Opry, and was voted Best Female Country artist in a New Country Artist poll in 2006. Rodney Atkins (Curb) may have gone through hell, but things are certainly looking up. The 2007 CMA Horizon award nominee has a platinum album, If You’re Going Through Hell, and three consecutive number one singles, “If You’re Going Through Hell,” “Watching You,” and “These Are My People,” under his belt heading into 2008. His latest single “Cleaning This Gun” is climbing the charts and Atkins is currently on the road with Brad Paisley on the “2008 Bonfires and Amplifiers” tour. Columbia Nashville‘s Keith Anderson earned a CMA Song of the Year nomination in 2007, co-writing the Big & Rich #1 single, “Lost in this Moment,” and now, the talented songwriter delivers new music of his own with a January 28 impact date for “I Still Miss You,” from his upcoming album, C’MON!. Keith’s Gold-certified debut disc, Three Chord Country and American Rock & Roll, launched a pair of Top 10 singles (“Every Time I Hear Your Name” and “Pickin’ Wildflowers“), making Anderson an immediate fan favorite and Billboard’s top new solo country artist in his first year on the charts. With 11 Top 5 singles to their credit, including current smash, “What Do Ya Think About That,” and recent chart-topper, “Lucky Man,” Montgomery Gentry (Sony Nashville) has proven time and again – rocking the house on disc and on stage – that what they do is about a lot more than luck. Some People Change, their latest Columbia Nashville disc, has delivered three back-to-back hit singles, as the award-winning duo continues to rack up the airplay and the accolades, recently earning a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The trio of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood originally came together in 2006 to create music as songwriters and soon learned that there was chemistry in the room, and decided that whatever they were going to do in the future had to be done together. Thus Lady Antebellum (Capitol) was formed. The trio has been chosen as one of Billboard magazine’s “Faces to Continue reading Press Release: 2008 Country Radio Seminar Lineup→

Martina McBride talks about artistic control over her music

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In a world of young stars making concessions to big labels in order to get a contract, Martina McBride will have no part of it! It’s come to be the accepted practice that most country artists will produce albums according to the record company’s specifications as part and parcel to their record deal. The label chooses the songs, picks the singles, and just has “the talent” along for the ride. Martina McBride however, finds it all a strange concept. “I hear stories about record companies telling people what to sing and producers telling people what to sing and all that, and it’s foreign to me, because I’ve always had complete artistic control,” she tells The Grand Rapids Press. “I’ve always been able to record exactly what I wanted to record, and I have a big say in what singles are released, and I’m very involved in the studio.” And when asked about the experience of owning her own studio: “I’ve loved producing and creating,” Martina says. “When I listen to a song on the radio, I’m analyzing the drum sound and what the bass player is doing and how much [echo] is on the vocal.” Look for some of Martina McBride’s hands on work her 2008 “Waking Up Laughing” tour where she teams with opening acts Jack Ingram and Lady Antebellum.Country Music Photo Gallery

Reba McEntire’s Been Busy! Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson 2008 Tour!

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Reba McEntire/Kelly Clarkson “2 Worlds 2 Voices” 2008 tour kicked off last Wednesday night with great celebration at the Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio. She also has a valentines CD coming out featuring a rendition of Restless Heart‘s “I’ll still be loving you” which hit #1 on the Billboard charts almost 21 years ago. 2 Worlds, 2 Voices Tour Dates Jan. 17 Dayton, OH, Nutter Center Jan. 18 Louisville, KY, Freedom Hall Jan. 19 Morgantown, WV, WVU Coliseum Jan. 24 Norfolk, VA, Norfolk Scope Jan. 25 Winston Salem, NC, Lawrence Joel Coliseum Jan. 26 Fayetteville, NC, Crown Center Jan. 31 Wichita, KS, Kansas Coliseum Feb. 1 Tulsa, OK, Mabee Center Feb. 2 Bossier City, LA, CenturyTel Center Feb. 7 St. Charles, MO, Family Arena Feb. 8 Indianapolis, IN, Conseco Fieldhouse Feb. 9 Rockford, IL, MetroCentre Feb. 14 Tupelo, MS, BancorpSouth Arena Feb. 15 Jonesboro, AR, ASU Convocation Center Feb. 16 Kansas City, MO, Sprint CenterCountry Music Photo Gallery

Rascal Flatts 2008 Concert Tour – “It Still Feels Good” Tour

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Rascal Flatts hits the road as they kick off the next leg of the “Still Feels Good” 2008 concert tour. “We love being on the road and seeing our fans,” said Gary LeVox, Rascal Flatts lead singer. “It’s why we love what we do.” Rascal Flats has sold more than 15 million albums, scored 9 number 1 singles and 17 top 10 hits and current CD “Still Feels Good” became their third-straight album to debut at number one. Be sure to get your Rascal Flatts Concert Tour Tickets NOW! Simply use the ticket selection menu on the right. Save time, buy online! Concert Tour dates are: Jan. 17 Manchester NH Verizon Center Jan. 18 New York, NY Madison Square Garden Jan. 24 Albany, NY Times Union Center Jan. 25 Buffalo, NY HSBC Arena Jan. 26 State College, PA Bryce Jordan Center Feb. 7 Toronto, ONT Air Canada Centre Feb. 8 Ottawa, ONT Scotia Bank Place Feb. 15 Moline, IL I Wireless Center Feb. 16 Ft Wayne, IN Allen Co. War Memorial Coliseum Feb. 17 Dayton, OH Nutter Center Feb. 21 Orlando, FL Amway Arena Feb. 22 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Coliseum Feb. 28 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena Feb. 29 Memphis, TN FedEx Forum March 1 Little Rock, AR Alltell Arena March 7 Salt Lake City, UT Energy Solutions Arena March 8 Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay March 11 Houston, TX Reliant Stadium- Houston Rodeo March 24 Calgary, ALB Penngrowth Saddledome March 25 Edmonton, ALB Rexall Place March 26 Saskatoon, SK Credit Union Centre March 28 Winnipeg, MAN MTS Centre April 2 Vancouver, BC General Motors Place April 4 Portland, OR Rose Garden April 5 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome April 9 Fresno, CA Save Mart Center April 10 Sacramento, CA Arco Arena April 11 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion More info on the Rascal Flatts 2008 TourCountry Music Photo Gallery

Toby Keith, Chuck Wicks, Gary Allan, Tim McGraw – Country Boys in The News

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Toby Keith established his own record company, Show Dog Nashville, in September 2005, and that’s created a unique situation in which Toby will be releasing three full albums this year. One of them is intended to fulfill an obligation to his former label. It will end up a little similar to Garth Brooks‘ The Ultimate Hits package, bolstered by a retrospective of his career through ’05. “I’m giving them one [new] single, and then they’re going to put on every hit song that we had from ’93, ‘Should’ve Been A Cowboy‘ on up to ‘As Good As I Once Was,’” Toby tells Neil Haislop’s Nashville IQ. “That’ll be out in the spring.” Also coming in 2008 are two albums on Show Dog: a new studio album and the soundtrack to the movie “Beer For My Horses“. Country newcomer, Chuck Wicks joins Brad Paisley for his Bonfires And Amplifiers Tour which kicked off in Denver last night. “I am so excited to be on the road with Brad Paisley, and I know that I will learn so much from him,” said Wicks. “To go from playing for small audiences to opening an arena show in such a short time is incredible. I don’t know what to expect, but I expect great things.” Wicks single, “Stealing Cinderella,” is currently a top 15 hit and continues to climb the country music charts. It was the fastest rising single from a debut artist in 2007. Gary Allan‘s new album, “Living Hard” is received well by fans worldwide. The positive reviews are flooding in, like this one from “As Long As You’re Looking Back tells the listener to move forward, don’t dwell on the past. If you can’t quit reliving the past, you don’t have much of a future, getting your heart broke is not the end of the world, there is more out there. “Wrecking Ball” reminds me of a Lynyrd Skynyrd song, it has the southern rock feel, great song to dance to, try to stay in your seat and not tap your foot to the beat. Talks about a woman that just catches his eye and that is it, he is putty in her hands, he knows she isn’t good for him, but just can’t help himself.” People.com reports that country music superstar Tim McGraw joined former Saturday Night Live star Jimmy Fallon in an impromptu, late-night, sing-a-long. The pair reportedly took over the mostly empty lounge around 1 a.m., and, with a female friend pounding away on the piano, sang their way through such standards as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” and Willie Nelson‘s “Always on My Mind.” The only audience was a booth of four women, but the singing duo, standing on opposite sides of the piano, belted out lyrics, as laughter flooded into the hotel lobby. When asked about the noise by a curious hotel patron, the desk clerk reportedly apologized, saying, “Jimmy Fallon and Tim McGraw singing together … Only at the Beverly Hills Hotel.”Country Music Photo Gallery

SheDaisy, Taylor Swift, Leann Rimes, Dolly Parton, Jewel – Country Ladies In the News

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SheDaisy is poised to release a Greatest Hits album Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008. 12 tracks, including “Little Goodbye’s“, “Don’t worry bout a thing“, and “God bless the american housewife“. Talyor Swift hits week 7 at the top of the Billboard song and country charts with “Our song“, followed in second by Sugarland‘s “Stay” and has Carrie Underwood sneaking up on her, going from #19 to #12 this week with “All American Girl“. Leann Rimes is set to host the Colgate Country Showdown Finals for the second consecutive year. The national finals will be held on Thurs., Jan. 24 at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium. This legendary country music talent competition has been running now for 26 years. Past winners include Sweethearts of the Rodeo, and Dave Durham & Bull Durham. For more information about the finalists, and more about the Colgate Country Showdown, visit www.countryshowdown.com. Dolly Parton will play this year’s SXSW music fest in Austin in March. The South By Southwest Music Conference and Festival takes over the streets and venues of Austin, Texas, March 7-16, 2008. On Friday, March 14, Parton will play at the newly refurbished Austin City Music Hall. Parton will release a new album in either late February or early March on her own label. Meanwhile her upcoming world tour is still in the planning stages. Jewel is rush-releasing her first country single, “Stronger Woman” straight to radio on February 11th. “Jewel has made a strong commitment to country radio and is in the midst of an extensive radio tour,” says Jon Loba, Vice of President of Promotion and Artist Development. “The response to ‘Stronger Woman‘ on these visits has been overwhelming. After many requests from stations to play this song early, we have decided to move up our digital release date. CD singles will still not ship until Jan. 22 because we don’t have them in house just yet!”Country Music Photo Gallery

Urban and Kidman Expecting : Charlie Daniels Gets Inducted: Bluebird has a Birthday

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Just a few noteworthy news bites: E! Online reports that Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are now expecting their first child together after a year and a half of marriage. This is in addition to the two children Nicole had adopted with former husband Tom Cruise. CMT says legendary Charlie Daniels will finally join the ranks at the Country Music Hall of Fame on January 19th. He will be honored by Marty Stuart and Connie Smith at his induction ceremony. Country Weekly reminds us that the well-renowned birthplace of many of todays greatest artists turns 25! The Bluebird Cafe celebrates a milestone for certain!Country Music Photo Gallery

Country Album Sales Dropped 16.3 Percent in 2007

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“Country albums in 2007 suffered a 16.3 percent dip in sales from those of a year before, falling from almost 75 million copies to just under 63 million, according to the annual compilation from Nielsen SoundScan.”-CMT Rumor has it sales are down in Nashville. While some seem surprised by this, I certainly am not. It used to be that each new star had somethin’ about them that really stood out. The hot canadian. The rustic cowboy. The rodeo man. The girl next door. You know who I’m talkin’ about. But in the year 2007 if I were interested in buying say… 10 new albums from the newest chart-toppers I’d be hard-pressed to find 10 that sounded different from each other. Hmmm… tough choice #1; Kelli Pickler or Taylor Swift? Kenny Chesney or Kieth Urban? Who can tell the difference anymore? I think sales only dropped in proportion to the number of options. ~WC~ Country Music Photo Gallery

Steve Holy Gets Held at Gunpoint

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Steve Holy‘s new album “Men buy the drinks” may not be the best advice after all. According to CMT , Steve was out having drinks, took the party home, then found himself held at gunpoint: “Two Dallas police officers are on administrative leave after allegedly holding Steve Holy and a friend at gunpoint at the singer’s home in Dallas during the early hours of Dec. 27. The Dallas County district attorney’s office is investigating to determine whether aggravated assault charges should be filed against officers Randy Anderson, 25, and Paul Loughridge, 48. Holy said he and a friend were at a bar on Greenville Avenue when he began talking to an off-duty police officer he was acquainted with who introduced him to Anderson and Loughridge, who were also off duty at the time. After the bars closed, the five returned to Holy’s house to play foosball. When the officer Holy knew left the house, Anderson and Loughridge began questioning whether he was a country singer and became belligerent even after he showed them a CD cover. At one point, the two men allegedly held a gun to the back of Holy’s head while he was face down on the kitchen floor. They eventually allowed Holy to go upstairs to get his identification, and he told his wife to call 911.” I can hear the radio parody now… “I got a brand new guardsman… I had him trained just to defend… ” ~WC~Country Music Photo Gallery

Jessica Simpson goes Country

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I can’t say I’m a supporter of this latest career move. Just because someone let you throw on a pair of daisy dukes doesn’t mean you’re the next heart of the southland! Billboard reports that this Texas pop princess is really just a country girl at heart: “I am a country girl,” says Jessica Simpson. “I grew up in Texas, and country music was what I listened to. I always wanted to make a country album, but I wanted to wait until the time was right.”“I think there is a strength in female country artists,” Simpson adds, citing Martina McBride, Shania Twain, Faith Hill and Reba McEntire as some of her inspirations.Asked what has surprised her most since starting the follow-up to 2006’s “A Public Affair,” Simpson says, “Nashville is a very warm city. The people are friendly and kind. There is a sense of community, which thrives on music. There is no animosity … only respect for one another’s talent.” Well Jessica, may you find much respect, and hopefully a little talent in your new endeavor. Her newest project is due out of Capitol Nashville later this year. ~WC~Country Music Photo Gallery