Category Archives: Artists

Brad Paisley Announces 2016 Tour — LIFE AMPLIFIED WORLD TOUR

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BRAD PAISLEY ANNOUNCES 2016 TOUR LIFE AMPLIFIED WORLD TOUR Launches May 19 Special Guests include Tyler Farr and Maddie & TaeCountry music superstar Brad Paisley has announced his 2016 tour, Life Amplified World Tour, which kicks off May 19 in Sacramento, CA.  The tour will travel across the country during the summer and fall with more dates to be added. Special guests will be power vocalist Tyler Farr and CMA Award winning-duo Maddie & Tae. Brad Paisley (photo by: Jeff Lipsky) Brad Paisley is the consummate singer, songwriter, guitarist and entertainer whose talents have earned him numerous awards, including three GRAMMYs, two American Music Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards and 14 Country Music Association Awards (including Entertainer of the Year), among many others. He has been a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry since 2001. Paisley has written 20 of his 23 #1 singles with the first being his 1999 hit “He Didn’t Have To Be” and his most recent, “Perfect Storm,” from his chart-topping 2014 album Moonshine in the Trunk. Paisley has partnered with Boot Barn® and developed an exclusive line of jeans, hats, T-shirts, jewelry, belts and woven shirts called Moonshine Spirit by Brad Paisley. Connect with Brad at www.BradPaisley.com, www.Facebook.com/BradPaisley, on Twitter @BradPaisley, on Instagram @Brad Paisley, and YouTube at YouTube.com/BradPaisley. Tyler Farr (photo by: Joseph Llannes)About Tyler Farr:Columbia Nashville’s Tyler Farr released his highly anticipated sophomore album, Suffer In Peace, in April 2015 making its debut in the top 5 on the BILLBOARD Top 200 Albums and BILLBOARD Country Albums Charts. Previously with the release of his debut album Redneck Crazy, which released in 2013, Farr landed at No. 2 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart and #5 on the Billboard Top 200 making Farr the only solo male country artist in the last 10 years to have his first two studio albums debut in the top-5 on the Billboard 200 Chart. Tyler’s first single off the newly released Suffer In Peace album, “A Guy Walks into a Bar,” proved to be Farr’s third No. 1 hit and is now RIAA Certified GOLD. Farr’s #1, platinum-selling title-track “Redneck Crazy” projected Farr forward to celebrate back-to-back #1 singles, including his first #1 as a songwriter, with his Gold-certified hit “Whiskey in my Water.” Farr’s most recent single at radio, “Better In Boots,” was described by the New York Times as a “muscular love song.” The Missouri native’s dry wit and energetic live show has earned him industry recognition as a 2014 CRS New Faces of Country Radio and 2014 Music Row “Breakthrough Artist of the Year” nominee, as well as rave reviews for his coveted opening slots touring with Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Brad Paisley.Maddie & Tae  (photo by: Alysse Gafkjen) About Maddie & Tae: Maddie & Tae boldly introduced their debut single “Girl In A Country Song” shortly after signing with Dot Records. Featured on their album START HERE, of which they penned each of the eleven tracks, the PLATINUM-certified breakout Continue reading Brad Paisley Announces 2016 Tour — LIFE AMPLIFIED WORLD TOUR→

AT&T, AUDIENCE Network, and iHeartMedia present: iHeartCountryFestival Airing Friday, May 13 at 9:00 PM ET/PT

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Miranda Lambert on Country Music News Blog

AT&T,  AUDIENCE Network, and iHeartMedia present”iHeartCountry Festival Airing Friday, May 13 at 9:00 PM ET/PT On DIRECTV and U-verse (DIRECTV Ch 239/U-verse Ch 1114) Tune in to watch the 2016 “iHeartCountry Festival” airing exclusively via nationwide broadcast this Friday, May 13 at 9:00 pm ET/PT on the AUDIENCE Network DIRECTV Ch 239/U-verse Ch 1114. To watch behind-the-scenes footage and interviews from the 2016 iHeartCountry Festival, click here: Miranda Lambert: https://youtu.be/6PafTe66nvk Keith Urban: https://youtu.be/W1p5kTErvmA Thomas Rhett: https://youtu.be/W7cP998nemU A celebration of all things country, watch as music icons and superstars in the genre including Florida Georgia Line, Brett Eldredge, Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell, Miranda Lambert, Lee Brice, Chris Young, Keith Urban and Zac Brown Band rock the crowd during the 2016 iHeartCountry Festival at The Frank Erwin Center (April 30) in Austin, Texas hosted by Bobby Bones and Brooklyn Decker. Keith Urban. Photo credit: Andrew Swartz. Zac Brown Band. Photo credit: Andrew Swartz. AUDIENCE Network’s new music slate continues to deliver groundbreaking concerts, in-depth artist interviews, unique stories and exclusive performances across all genres, plus some select programming in ultra high-definition/4K* to audiences nationwide since multiple series began airing this past January. Recent concert specials include: CeeLo Green, Hank Williams Jr., Peter Frampton, Lukas Graham, Kelsea Ballerini, Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco, 2 Chainz, Cypress Hill, and others. New shows premiere via national broadcast Friday at 9:00 pm ET/PT on DIRECTV Ch 239/U-verse Ch 1114,as well as streaming on directv.com, uverse.com and on smartphones and tablets, via the DIRECTV and U-verse apps.**   AUDIENCE Network’s multiple series of original and exclusive performances gives music fans an intimate view of music’s most influential artists today. The network collaborates directly with musicians to create a unique show from their perspective.   Florida Georgia Line. Photo credit: Brian Friedman. Sam Hunt. Photo credit: Andrew Swartz. Brett Eldredge. Photo credit: Andrew Swartz. **Access via computer or app requires qualifying device and data connection. Access to content varies by device, TV plan, and viewing location. Data charges may apply.   About AT&T: AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T<http://www.att.com/gen/landing-pages?pid=5718>) helps millions around the globe connect with leading entertainment, mobile, high speed Internet and voice services. We’re the world’s largest provider of pay TV. We have TV customers in the U.S. and 11 Latin American countries. We offer the best global coverage of any U.S. wireless provider***. And we help businesses worldwide serve their customers better with our mobility and highly secure cloud solutions. Additional information about AT&T products and services is available at http://about.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/att. © 2016 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. ***Global coverage claim based on offering discounted voice and data roaming; LTE roaming; voice roaming; and world-capable smartphone and tablets in more countries than any other U.S. based carrier. International service required. Coverage not available Continue reading AT&T, AUDIENCE Network, and iHeartMedia present: iHeartCountryFestival Airing Friday, May 13 at 9:00 PM ET/PT→

This Week in Country Music: CMA Nominees, Keith Urban, Florida Georgia Line, and more!

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This week it looks like the major players are back in the game! With the CMA’s right aroudn the corner (June 8th to be exact) everyone’s got their hustle going to capture fan attention and get the country music community fired up! Here’s a few of this week’s biggest country music headlines! Keith Urban shut down the Nashville streets with his free show celebrating his new album “Ripcord.” See some footage and find out more details here, or just watch the video below. *Disclaimer – We are currently unable to find a high-quality video of that appearance, so here’s the closest we can get 🙂 History making country duo Florida Georgia Line appeared on NBC’s “The Voice” (NBC 8:00pm ET) with a special performance of their new hit single, “H.O.L.Y.” In addition to their performance on “The Voice,” the group also gave audiences a special musical collaboration with hip-hop artist, Flo-Rida, for “Mash-up Mondays” on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC 11:35pm ET). Mayor Sylvester Turner has teamed up with multi-Platinum selling country music star, Clay Walker, and Joel and Victoria Osteen of Lakewood Church, to raise funds and awareness for the Greater Houston Storm Relief Fund – providing donations and financial assistance directly to the residents of our city who are suffering devastating loss from the recent floods. Houstonians are invited to a benefit concert, Friday, May 20 at 8 p.m. at Lakewood Church. For more information, visit http://houstonrecovers.org Thursday May 12th, Kristian Bush (of Sugarland) will perform “Forever Now” on the TODAY Show (NBC) to celebrate a live wedding taking place on the plaza. And on Friday, May 13, be sure to tune in to Say Yes to the Dress (TLC, 9/8c) to see the moment that started it all, when Kristian makes a guest appearance at Kleinfeld to help his friend Evyn pick out the perfect dress for her upcoming wedding!

This week in country music: Johnny Cash, Trace Adkins, Parmalee and more!

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Trace Adkins on Country Music News Blog!

It seems there’s not much going on directly in Nashville the last few days, but there sure are a lot of artists trying to capture the country fans’ attention! Here are just some of the big stories coming across our desk on this fine Tuesday! Cyndi Lauper is taking a country DETOUR May 6 with her highly-anticipated new album (available for pre-order now) featuring a collection of country covers from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. In support of the album and her upcoming tour, Lauper will be making pit stops on television, radio and across digital platforms, including NPR, CMT Online on May 4, “CBS This Morning” May 7, “Late Night with Seth Meyers” May 5, CMT’s Hot Twenty Countdown May 7 and 8, and GAC May 10 and 19 with additional features in Associated Press, USA Today, Rolling Stone Country, Maverick Magazine, NASH Country Weekly, Billboard and syndicated radio programs “Big D & Bubba,” “Kickin’ It with Kix,” “America’s Morning Show,” “Nash Nights Live,” CMT Radio and more. Read more… Could we possibly have a classic rock festival coming to Coachella? According to Billboard Magazine, classic rock fans better clear their calendars for October. Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, The Who, Rogers Waters and Rolling Stones all posted videos over the weekend making a cryptic reference to “October.” Billboard previously reported the aforementioned acts were in talks with Goldenvoice Entertainment to play a festival this October at the site of Coachella in Indio, Calif. Find out more at www.billboard.com WEDNESDAYKenny Chesney made a video to match the reality-slamming urgency of “Noise,” the first single from Some Town Somewhere. Filled with quick cuts, slices of technology, talking heads, fashion models, vintage images, Donald Trump, a Kardashian and people yelling, the 8-time Entertainer of the Year was looking for somewhere to debut the groundbreaking clip where the cacophony he was trying to capture would truly be understood. There was only one choice: RollingStone.com. It seems that country legends really never stop giving to their true fans. Enjoy this previously unreleased performance by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson from the upcoming CD/DVD set THE HIGHWAYMEN LIVE – AMERICAN OUTLAWS, in stores May 20. THURSDAY Trace Adkins is back in the saddle, or perhaps the pew with the release of his new video which debuts Today, May 5th for the track “Jesus and Jones”. Preview the video exclusively on CMT. SATURDAYCountry group Parmalee gives us the goods on what’s underground for them as they debut their new video for the track “Roots” exclusively on CMT. This weekend, for the first time in nearly 25 years, legendary country music group Shenandoah will return to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry before launching their 2016 tour schedule. After a 17 year absence, lead singer Marty Raybon has returned to front the group who will perform on the Opry stage this Friday night, May 6 and Saturday night, May 7. NEXT WEEKPlatinum-selling country star Cole Swindell is celebrating the highly anticipated release Continue reading This week in country music: Johnny Cash, Trace Adkins, Parmalee and more!→

This Weekend’s Movers and Shakers: Mark Chestnutt, the 2016 ACC Awards, Jarrod Niemann and more!

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Hot off the press at CountryMusicNewsBlog.com!

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 2, 2016) – Kirt Webster, President of Webster Public Relations, is excited to announce the signing of Mark Chesnutt to its’ roster for publicity representation. Read more… LOS ANGELES (May 1, 2016) — Winners have been announced for the star-studded 2016 AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS which aired LIVE tonight on FOX from The Forum in Inglewood, Ca. Luke Bryan and Sam Hunt each picked up two awards: Bryan was named Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist Of The Year, while Hunt received Breakthrough Male Of The Year and Digital Album Of The Year. Other winners included Kelsea Ballerini (Breakthrough Female Of The Year), Garth Brooks (Touring Artist Of The Year), Florida Georgia Line (Group/Duo Of The Year), Chris Stapleton (Album Of The Year), and Carrie Underwood (Female Artist Of The Year). Read more… BETHLEHEM, PA (April 30, 2016) – Country newcomer Paul Knakk releases his first single from his debut EP. You can check out this country rocker at http://www.nationalcountryreview.com/music-videos/boots-by-paul-knakk-exclusive-single-premiere/ and tell us what you think! NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Friday, April 29, 2016) – Since they first met in 2002, platinum-selling Country artists Jerrod Niemann and Lee Brice have become close friends. They’ve written together, toured together and partied together, but they’ve never released music together – until now. Curb artists Niemann and Brice have released a new duet, “A Little More Love,” to iTunes today. Find out more at… NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (April 28, 2016) – Singer, songwriter, and now, author Scotty McCreery will release his first book, Go Big or Go Home: The Journey Toward the Dream, and launch his book signing tour on Tuesday, May 3. During the first two weeks of May, the ACM and CMT Award winner will hold book signings at bookstores and venues in 14 cities. The book signing tour will begin in Ridgewood, New Jersey on release day and end in his hometown of Garner, North Carolina on May 14. Read more…

Dan + Shay Announce Forthcoming Album "Obsessed" To Be Released June 3

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Dan + Shay on Country Music News Blog!

DAN + SHAY ANNOUNCE FORTHCOMING ALBUM OBSESSED TO BE RELEASED JUNE 3 Lead single “ From The Ground Up” Top 30 and climbing on Country radio NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (April 20, 2016) – Multiple ACM Award, CMT Music Awards and CMA Award nominated chart-topping duo Dan + Shay (Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney) announced today that they are set to release their brand new album Obsessed, the follow up to their No. 1-peaking album Where It All Began, June 3 on Warner Bros. / Warner Music Nashville. “The idea for the album title, Obsessed, came directly from our fans,” shares Smyers. “Our fans know we live on social media both when we’re in and out of the studio, and we started noticing that hashtag ‘#obsessed’ being tagged in all our fans’ posts when we first revealed our single, ‘From The Ground Up,’” Mooney adds. “So when it came time to pick a title for this album, it seemed pretty appropriate that we’re even more obsessed with making music for our fans than they are to hear it.” “From The Ground Up,” the first single off of Obsessed, is currently Top 30 on Country radio and climbing. Dan + Shay premiered the heartfelt song last month on ABC’s Good Morning America. Written by the pair along with Chris DeStefano and co-produced by Smyers and the award-winning Scott Hendricks, the track has already accumulated more than 8 million streams. The duo recently earned American Country Countdown Award nominations for Group/Duo of the Year and Breakthrough Group /Duo of the Year, as well as a nod from the Radio Disney Music Awards for their No. 1 hit single, “Nothin’ Like You.” With their debut album, Where It All Began, producing three Top 40 singles, Dan + Shay have sold an excess of 1.6 million tracks, more than 400,000 album equivalents and racked up more than 140 million streams in addition to their 30 million YouTube views. They also earned Platinum certification from the RIAA for their debut single, “19 You + Me.” MusicRow magazine, which named the pair one of their “Next Big Thing” artists of 2016, declared, “Dan + Shay are equipped to be superstars, possessing the unbeatable combination of musical talent, good looks and outgoing charm.” Dan + Shay are currently on the road and will join Darius Rucker on his Good for a Good Time Tour this summer2C kicking off on June 3 in Tampa, Fla. For tour dates and more information, visit www.DanandShay.com and follow @danandshay on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Dan + Shay Credit: Robby Klein

Brantley Gilbert releases new single ‘Bottoms Up’

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Brantley Gilbert’s New single ‘Bottoms Up’ out now Watch the video here International Blackout Tour In May with support from Broken Witt Rebels Brantley Gilbert has announced the UK release of his 3x Platinum-certified American single ‘Bottoms Up’. The smash-hit has had more than 80 million views to date and over 42 million plays on Spotify. Hitting the top spot at country radio Stateside, the UK release of ‘Bottoms Up’ coincides with Brantley’s return next month as part of his international Blackout Tour. Brantley Gilbert UK DATES Thu 05 May 2016 – Glasgow Oran Mor SOLD-OUT Fri 06 May 2016 – Manchester Academy 2 Sat 07 May 2016 – Birmingham O2 Institute 2 Sun 08 May 2016 – London O2 Shepherds Bush Empire Brantley is a force to be reckoned with, notching six career number one singles in the US and selling nearly 10 million tracks to date off his three studio albums which include back-to-back Platinum projects Halfway To Heaven and Just As I Am. Just As I Am scored the third-highest Country chart debut of 2014, landed in the Top 5 Best Country Selling Country Albums of 2014 and was named the American Music Awards Favourite Country Album. The project also features 2x Platinum #1 hit ‘One Hell Of An Amen’ and Gold-certified ‘Small Town Throwdown’. With a blistering stage show, the rough-hewn southern singer-songwriter believes in cutting deep veins of truth into his music. A definite must-see artist, the few remaining tickets for Brantley Gilbert’s headline UK tour are £16.00 (£18.50 London) and are on sale now – http://gigst.rs/BG

KELSEA BALLERINI’S CHART-TOPPER "DIBS" GLIMMERS GOLD

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Kelsea Ballerini on Country Music News Blog

KELSEA BALLERINI’S CHART-TOPPER “DIBS” GLIMMERS GOLD Third Single “Peter Pan” Already Taking Flight At Country Radio Pictured (L-R): Josh Kerr, Jason Duke, Kelsea Ballerini, Ryan Griffin, Jason Massey and Forest Glen Whitehead Photo Credit: Ed Rode / ASCAP NASHVILLE, TN (April 15, 2016) – On Wednesday (4/13), ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year Kelsea Ballerini celebrated her second consecutive #1 hit “Dibs” at a formal gathering in Nashville hosted by ASCAP. Surrounded by family, friends, and members of the music industry community, Ballerini was surprised by Black River Entertainment CEO Gordon Kerr with the news that “Dibs” now glimmers GOLD. Co-produced by Forest Glen Whitehead and Jason Massey, the follow up single to “Love Me Like You Mean It” has been officially certified by the RIAA for exceeding 500,000 sales and streams in the U.S. alone. To put off “ugly crying” for a minute or so, Ballerini opened up to the packed crowd with a funny story about her first GOLD record. “When I got my GOLD record for ‘Love Me,’ I got it the same day that my car broke down, which happens all the time, and I put it in my backseat. I brought it to the car shop, and then I got it back from the car shop, to find out they left my car in a sunny parking lot. And my GOLD record is now hanging on my wall, completely melted down to the bottom…and it’s beautiful,” laughed Ballerini. “So I’m really excited to have a new GOLD record, that’s not warped and weird!” Guests cheered on the “Dibs” songwriters – Ballerini, Jason Duke, Ryan Griffin and Josh Kerr – as the publishers (Black River Publishing, Dan Hodges Music and Nyssa Family Music) recognized each writer. The day was extra special for all four ASCAP songwriters since it marked the first career #1’s for both Duke and Griffin as well as second consecutive #1’s for Ballerini and Kerr (Co-writers on “Love Me Like You Mean It”). Ballerini’s third single “Peter Pan” (written by Ballerini, Jesse Lee and Forest Glen Whitehead) continues to soar to new heights, entering the Top 40 this week on the Country radio charts. Alongside “Love Me Like You Mean It” and “Dibs,” the song is from her critically-acclaimed debut THE FIRST TIME. Adding to the excitement, Ballerini is up for three Radio Disney Music Awards – Best New Artist (all genre), Favorite Country Song “Dibs,” and Favorite Country Artist – and is also a first-time finalist for the ACCA Female Vocalist Of The Year and Breakthrough Female Of The Year. Ballerini will perform on both awards shows, airing on May 1st. Having shared the stage with Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban, Ballerini recently performed at the Country CMC Rocks Festival in Australia and will join select dates with Billy Currington and Rascal Flatts this spring. About Kelsea Ballerini Kelsea Ballerini launched to stardom with two consecutive record-breaking #1 smashes, making her the first solo female Continue reading KELSEA BALLERINI’S CHART-TOPPER "DIBS" GLIMMERS GOLD→

JUSTIN MOORE GOES UNDERCOVER TO MEET HIS BIGGEST FAN IN PREMIERE OF "THE ED BASSMASTER SHOW" ON CMT

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JUSTIN MOORE GOES UNDERCOVER TO MEET HIS BIGGEST FAN IN PREMIERE OF “THE ED BASSMASTER SHOW” ON CMT NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 14, 2016) – YouTube star and prankster Ed Bassmaster helps country music’s Justin Moore go undercover to meet his biggest fan in the premiere episode of “The Ed Bassmaster Show,” airing Thursday, April 14 at 10pm ET/PT on CMT. It will re-air throughout the weekend. For a full list of airdates, visit cmt.com. Click to view the trailer. In the new show, comedian Ed Bassmaster debuts his unique and hilarious characters including Skippy, Mumbles The Waiter and Bushman. Jaws will drop when they see what Justin looks like disguised as someone on his tour who is slightly less famous, all in an effort to surprise one of his long-time fans with a personal meet and greet. [bctt tweet=”@JustinColeMoore goes undercover to surprise biggest fan on @EdBassmaster PREMIERE on @CMT Apr. 14 @ 10pm ET/PT!”] Full of laugh-out-loud moments, fans will get to see the funny side of Justin, platinum-selling, No. 1 hit-maker known for his current single “You Look Like I Need A Drink,” and former hits, “Small Town U.S.A.,” “Backwoods,” “Point At You,” “’Til My Last Day,” “Bait A Hook,” “I Could Kick Your A**,” and “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away.” Justin’s latest “You Look Like I Need A Drink” is swiftly climbing up the country charts, currently at the No. 25 position. If you haven’t seen the Wild West-themed music video for the song, check it out on cmt.com/videos. “This may be my favorite video I’ve ever shot. I am a huge Western fan, and we shot one with a dose of comedy,” he said. Tune in and be part of the conversation with #EdBassmasterShow and follow @JustinColeMoore on Twitter and Instagram. For more information on Justin Moore, visit justinmooremusic.com. About Justin Moore Arkansas native and 2014 ACM New Artist of the Year Justin Moore recently released his newest single, “You Look Like I Need a Drink” which is currently making its way up the Country radio charts. This follows his second consecutive #1 album release with OFF THE BEATEN PATH. The project produced Justin’s fourth and fifth GOLD-certified #1 hits, “Point At You” and “Lettin’ The Night Roll.” Combined with two previous GOLD–certified albums, he’s sold over 7 million digital downloads. The Valory Music Co. recording artist has been featured on The Voice, Nashville, NFL Rewind, The Washington Post, People Country, USA Today, Fox & Friends and more. He has earned multiple ACM, ACA and ACC Awards nominations. In 2015, Justin was direct support on Brad Paisley’s CRUSHIN’ IT WORLD TOUR. Justin will join Colt Ford on the road this summer for Brantley Gilbert’s TAKE IT OUTSIDE TOUR. For tour dates and more visit, JustinMooreMusic.com.

Inaugural Oklahoma Songwriters Festival announced for Oklahoma City

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Inaugural Oklahoma Songwriters Festival announced for Oklahoma City Oklahoma City, OK (April 11, 2016) – The Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) is proud to sponsor the inaugural Oklahoma Songwriters Festival, the first-of-it’s kind for Oklahoma. This three-day festival will kick off Thursday, April 28, 2016, with a sponsor reception and conclude with a special “writer round” songwriter showcase on Saturday, April 30 at the ACM@UCO Performance Lab at 7:00 p.m. featuring performances by several talented Oklahoma songwriters and prolific Nashville songwriters including Festival founder and Ada, Oklahoma native, Zac Maloy. “Part of our goal is to create momentum and broaden relationships with the Oklahoma music community, while providing a unique set of performances not readily available to the local music scene in Oklahoma,” said Maloy. “Oklahoma has produced a tremendous lineup of talented songwriters, ranging from J.J. Cale and Leon Russell to Toby Keith and Carrie Underwood,” Governor Mary Fallin said. “This is a wonderful opportunity for budding songwriters to learn from professionals and for all to share ideas and tips. Oklahoma is proud to host this creative and fun event. Who knows? A hit as big as ‘Oklahoma Hills’ or ‘Okie from Muskogee’ may have its origins at the Oklahoma Songwriters Festival.” Several Oklahoma songwriters were invited by the festival organizers to participate in daytime writing sessions with Nashville songwriters. Artists will spend time creating new material with the goal of taking it back to Nashville to be pitched to industry tastemakers and major record labels. OF+MO Director, Tava Maloy Sofsky, notes that, “It is an honor to have my brother, Zac, bring his friends from Music City back home to mentor and work with our ever-so-talented local music community.” The first performance of the festival was curated by Greg Johnson, owner of OKC’s legendary listening room, The Blue Door, Thursday, April 28 at 8:00 p.m, featuring an Oklahoma Songwriter showcase with Michael Fracasso, Kierston White and a special appearance by Beau Jennings. Two music industry panels will be held on Saturday morning, April 30, at ACM@UCO’s Performance Lab at 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Distinguished panelists include three Nashville songwriters and a publisher, Greg Johnson and ACM@UCO CEO and Executive Director, Scott Booker, who are all honored to support this opportunity for Oklahoma songwriters. “Songwriting is a key element of the music industry that is easily forgotten. Songwriters are often the Oz behind the curtain helping turn an artist into something even more magical,” said Booker. The panel discussions are free and open to the public, though reserved seating is required. Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m., the festival will head to the ACM@UCO Performance Lab, also in Bricktown, for intimate “writer round” style performances, a format frequently used in Nashville as it allows songwriters the opportunity to perform their original songs, often made popular by chart-topping artists, and tell the stories of how the songs were created. At this showcase, new music will be performed by acclaimed Oklahoma singer songwriter JD McPherson; Marcus Hummon who wrote the Continue reading Inaugural Oklahoma Songwriters Festival announced for Oklahoma City→