Chris Young Caricature Unveiling

Chris Young’s Caricature Is Unveiled At The Nashville Palm. On February 22, Chris Young autographed a caricature of himself on the wall of The Nashville Palm. He will be a permanent fixture on the walls of the restaurant, with fellow country artists and more. “Chris is a great addition to our since he has participated in several fundraising events at The Palm for Make A Wish Foundation of Middle Tennessee as well as Stars for Stripes. We’re honored that Chris could stop by in the midst of CRS week and his national tour. We’re proud that he’ll be a permanent fixture here.” -Paige Dixon, sales manager for The Palm The caricature tradition started when Pio Bozzi and John Ganzi opened The Palm in 1926. They had no money to decorate and offered meals in exchange for cartoon work by artists. Today all Palm locations feature a variety of caricatures of celebrities, politicians, athletes, regular customers and people of note as well as classic cartoons. “The Palm is such a mainstay in this city and in the music community. It’s pretty cool to be part of this Nashville institution.” -Chris Young

Johnny Cash Museum In Nashville

Johnny Cash Gets His Very Own Museum In Nashville! I am very excited to say that there will be a Johnny Cash museum opening this summer in Nashville, TN! This is something that I’m sure that many, many fans have been waiting for! I can’t wait for it to open and I can’t wait for everyone across the country to make the trip to pay honor to the late, great man in black! Here is a short video with some more details!

Rascal Flatts’ Jay DeMarcus Expecting

Rascal Flatts Member Jay DeMarcus and Wife Allison Are Expecting Another Child! Rascal Flatts bassist and vocalist Jay DeMarcus and his wife Allison, a former Miss Tennessee and current CMT personality, are expecting the birth of their second child this summer. The baby will become a younger brother or sister to their daughter Madeline Leigh, born December 17, 2010. “This was definitely a huge surprise, but we’re so thankful and excited that Maddie is going to have a brother or sister. We’re really gonna have our hands full!” -Jay DeMarcus “Jay and I are thrilled about completing our family. Madeline is going to love having a sibling and we are bracing ourselves for the many sleepless nights ahead.” -Allison Jay and Allison were married May 15, 2004 in Nashville, Tenn.

CMNB Is Seeing Red and You Should Too!

Country Music News Blog is seeing red, and we want you too as well! In light of the disastrous tornadoes that struck right near our headquarters here at Country Music News Blog, we URGE every one of our readers to find a way to help the victims of this and other disasters! Last night another deadly tornado violently ripped through the town of Joplin, Missouri, just one hour north of our offices, and the death toll is at 96 and rising. The storm system left a path of destruction over half a mile wide and six miles long, hitting St John’s hospital as well as hundreds of residential homes and businesses. Emergency crews and The American Red Cross are set up all through the town and using their limited resources to treat, shelter, and feed the victims of this deadly tornado, and they just got word that more storms of equal strength are expected tonight and tomorrow. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApsSVASq5hg] How do they manage? How do they sit through one storm and another and another, saving lives, comforting families, and protecting those who are unable to protect themselves? WITH YOUR HELP! We URGE you to TAKE ACTION! Donate your time, your money, your belongings, your blood, your skills, and your voice! We ALL have something we can spare! Visit http://www.redcross.org or call your local chapter to find out how you can help!

Farewell to The9513. com

The9513.com, the web’s absolute BEST resource for country music journalism, has announced that they are hanging up the hat. It is with a sad heart that we say goodbye to The9513.com today. For years their site has been an inspiration for the work we do here, and an amazing resource for in depth information on artists who are otherwise unjustly overlooked by mainstream media. I have enjoyed the wit and humor, as well as the extreme thoroughness with which their team has covered this industry, and can only hope that our own site can hold a candle up to that bonfire of quality. Please, if you value intelligent and diverse coverage of country music, stop by their goodbye post and wish them well in their future endeavors. I know I will. Cheers, ~WC~

Weekend Malware Worries

Apologies to all weekend visitors. Good morning everybody! It would seem that our ad server was the victim of a malicious viral attack over the weekend, causing CMNB and our sister site CountryMusicOnTour.com to go down. This issue has been taken care of, and once again, we are more than ever grateful for our readers and fans who continue to visit, comment, and subscribe. Thank you SO MUCH for making this site so successful. ~WC~Country Music Photo Gallery

Callin’ out Ashton Shepherd!

Ashton Shepherd, your fans want more! Every once in a while an artist comes along who does far more than offer listeners a catchy tune. They reach out of the radio and grab a place in our hearts or thoughts or dreams and just hold on tight for the ride to come. They put a voice to the pain and love and hope we share with only the most intimate of friends. They inspire us. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTmu_OMlNkI] Ashton Shepherd, you are an absolutely inspiring performer who is able to reach people on a deep and personal level. Your lyrics and voice drive younger performers like the amazingly talented gal in the video shown above out of their shells and out into the world to share their gifts. According to the most recent updates that have come across our desks here at CMNB, you were due to release a single last month, but nothing’s come up yet. What can we, your devoted fans, do to light a fire under the rears of the powers-that-be to get your new music out? Sincerely, ~WC~

Nashville Flood Relief Efforts from Nashville’s Hottest Stars

From benefit concerts to sizable donations, Nashville’s star-studded community is pitching in to help fund flood relief efforts. As Nashville area residents work hard to restore their community after last week’s devastating floods, the city’s stars are working hard to raise money to assist in the recovery. Here are just a few of the notable efforts being made: Country Throwdown Tour Country Throwdown performers are lending a helping hand via merchandise sales. Headliners Montgomery Gentry, Jack Ingram, Eric Church, Eli Young Band and Bluebird Café Tent singer-songwriters Sarah Buxton, Heather Morgan, Jedd Hughes, Ashley Ray, Troy Olsen, Brad Tursi, Cory Branan and Dave Pahanish will be donating the net proceeds from the sale of their merchandise at select shows throughout the U.S. Artist Donations Taylor Swift Donates $500,000 to Nashville’s Flood Relief Efforts Taylor Swift pledged a donation of $500,000 to Nashville’s flood relief efforts on Thursday night (May 6). Bo Bice Donates Proceeds from “Long Road Back” Bo Bice has announced that he will donate all of his proceeds from his single, “Long Road Back,” to a variety of flood assistance programs that are aiding victims of the recent Nashville-area flooding disaster. Flood Relief Telethon GACTV has partnered with major recording artists such as Keith Urban, Martina McBride, and many more to launch a telethon collecting donations for the middle Tennessee flood victims. The “Music City Keep On Playin” telethon will air commercial free from the Ryman Auditorium this Sunday, May 16th on GAC and will feature performances from an ever-growing list of absolute stars all affected by this disaster. Watch for Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Kellie Pickler, Rodney Atkins, and Lady Antebellum to play on the show while an equally star-studded cast works the phones collecting donations. For more info visit www.gactv.com Additional Flood Relief Benefit Concerts: Tim McGraw, Faith Hill Schedule All-Star Benefit Concert for Nashville Flood Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have announced an all-star benefit concert for Tennessee flood victims to take place June 22 at the Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville. CMA Music Festival Will Split Proceeds Between Nashville Flood Relief, Music Education The CMA Music Festival will split net proceeds from the Nashville event between local flood relief and music education.Country Music Photo Gallery

Nashville’s Opryland Hotel Underwater – Moves Shows to Ryman

Opryland Hotel Flooded: May 03, 2010 The Opryland Hotel‘s Delta, Cascades, and Gardens suffered up to ten feet of water after flooding hit Nashville, Tennessee. This has forced the staff to change venues for the next few events and relocate to the Ryman Auditorium. “While we ourselves are shaken by the impact of the flooding of the Opry House and throughout the area, it is important that Nashville’s most treasured tradition continues with this week’s shows,” said Grand Ole Opry Vice President Pete Fisher. “We look forward to coming together both as the Opry family and as a great American city just as we have every week for nearly 85 years. Our hearts go out to all of those affected in the Middle Tennessee area.” For information on rescheduled shows, visit http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-opryland/ [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfL5j9ckcyo] For more comprehensive coverage on how the 2010 Nashville Flood has affected the community, and how you can help, visit http://www.tennessean.com/section/NEWS0101Country Music Photo Gallery

Complete Coverage of the Nashville Flood 2010

As the Nashville community works on recovering Music Row and the surrounding area from devastating floodwaters, artist and event organizers emphasize that the show MUST go on! Nashville residents and tourists alike are rallying to recover their community as the floodwaters finally recede. Last week’s torrential rains caused the surrounding rivers and creeks to rise to deadly levels, leaving people trapped in their cars and homes. At this time, the floods have claimed the lives of at least 16 people, and left thousands more without clean water or power. Every aspect of this music tourism town has been affected severely, from trailer communities that were absolutely destroyed to the multi-million dollar sound studios where sound equipment and tour gear were deemed a complete loss. For more comprehensive coverage on how the 2010 Nashville Flood has affected the community, and how you can help, visit http://www.tennessean.com/section/NEWS0101Country Music Photo Gallery