First Round of Performers Announced for 53rd ACM Awards

ACM Award News on Country Music News Blog

The Academy of Country Music announced the first group of performers for the 53RD ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS™, Country Music’s Party of the Year®, airing LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 15, 2018 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.  [bctt tweet=”.@Jason_Aldean @KelseaBallerini @DierksBentley @LukeBryanOnline @FLAGALine @mirandalambert @MarenMorris @ThomasRhett @BebeRexha to perform on 53rd @ACMawards LIVE April 15 on #CBS!” username=”My_CountryMusic”] Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line + Bebe Rexha, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, and Thomas Rhett, will take the stage for can’t-miss performances.  Attached and below please find a press release with additional details, and note more performers will be announced in the coming weeks. The Academy of Country Music® announced the first group of performers for the 53RD ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS™. ACM® Award nominees Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, and Thomas Rhett will take the stage for must-see performances. Bebe Rexha will make her debut appearance at Country Music’s Party of the Year®, performing the chart-topping collaboration “Meant to Be” with Florida Georgia Line. The 53rd ACM Awards® will broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 15, 2018 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. As previously announced, multimedia superstar Reba McEntire will return to host the 53rd ACM Awards, which honors and showcases the biggest names and emerging talent in country music, and is produced for television by dick clark productions. This year’s show will mark Reba’s fifteenth time hosting the ceremony. She last co-hosted the ceremony with Blake Shelton in 2012. Additional acts and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks. For event updates, tickets and hotel information, please visit www.ACMcountry.com. About the Academy of Country Music Awards The 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards™ is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the country music industry. The show is produced for television by dick clark productions and will broadcast LIVE from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 15, 2018 at 8:00 PM live ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan, R.A. Clark, Barry Adelman and Mark Bracco are executive producers. Pete Fisher is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music. Tickets to the ACM Awards are now on sale at www.axs.com. Media credential applications to cover the Awards in Las Vegas are now available at www.ACMcountry.com/press. For more information on the ACM Awards and all ACM events including ACM Party for a Cause®, visit www.ACMcountry.com and www.PartyForaCause.com. You can like Academy of Country Music on Facebook or follow on Twitter at @ACMawards and Instagram @ACMAwards for more immediate updates.

Dierks Bentley Breaks it Down: Climbing the Mountain

Dierks Bentley

This year at Country Radio Seminar, Dierks Bentley and his leadership team dig deep and discuss what it took to turn him into the King of the country music Mountain. For any struggling artist, this is a must-watch conversation as he breaks down what he’s done right, and what he’s done very wrong over the long course of his career. Dierks offers an inspiring look at how to compete in modern country music while still honoring and celebrating the folk and bluegrass roots that make country music amazing.   You can catch Dierks Bentley on tour with The Brothers Osborne this summer.

Tune In Alert: SMOKEY ROBINSON AND CAM on CMT Crossroads March 28th

CMT Crossroads pairs Cam with Smokey Robinson

SMOKEY ROBINSON AND CAM UNITE FOR THE FIRST TIME FOR GENRE-SPANNING “CMT CROSSROADS” PREMIERING MARCH 28 AT 10PM ON CMT Motown icon Smokey Robinson and acclaimed country artist Cam will share the stage and swap vocals on their most beloved hits spanning multiple genres and decades in a new installment of “CMT Crossroads,” premiering Wednesday, March 28 at 10 p.m. ET on CMT.

Naomi Judd and The Scott Brothers Join City of Hope 28th Annual Celebrity Softball Game

Naomi Judd News on Country Music News Blog

Country music icon Naomi Judd and The Scott Brothers’ Jonathan and Drew Scott are the first celebrities to sign up for the City of Hope 28th Annual Celebrity Softball Game. The event returns to First Tennessee Park on Saturday, June 9. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets. Naomi Judd, who participated in the game in the late 80s and early 90s, is dusting off her glove and returning as a play-by-play Guest Announcer. Additional legendary artists will be announced soon. “I may not be on the mound this time around, but I wanted to take a swing at cancer by being part of the game as one of the announcers! City of Hope is an incredible institution, so I’m honored to have a role in the event. I’m looking forward to seeing all the fans!” Naomi Judd said. The Scott Brothers are warming up for some sibling rivalry! “The City of Hope Celebrity Softball game is always great fun and for a really good cause. Can’t wait to play again this year,” says Drew. Jonathan adds, “It’s like a family reunion of the most giving people in the biz. I’m practicing my swing already with sledgehammers on Property Brothers.” Additional artists will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information, visit cityofhope.org/softball or follow City of Hope on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. ABOUT CITY OF HOPE: City of Hope is an independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Designated as one of only 49 comprehensive cancer centers, the highest recognition bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, City of Hope is also a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, with research and treatment protocols that advance care throughout the world. City of Hope is located in Duarte, California, just northeast of Los Angeles, with clinical practice sites throughout southern California. It is ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” in cancer by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit cityofhope.org. ABOUT NAOMI JUDD: Hailing from the Appalachian​ ​foothills​ ​of Ashland, Ky., mother​ ​and​ ​daughter​ duo, The Judds, were first discovered by RCA​ ​label​ ​head​ ​Joe​ ​Galante​ ​in​ ​1983 ​after landing a spot on​ ​WSM-TV’s​ “​The​ ​Ralph​ ​Emery Show.” They​ ​made​ ​their​ ​chart​ ​debut​ ​by​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​the​ ​year​ ​with​ ​“Had​ ​A​ ​Dream​ ​(For​ ​The​ ​Heart),” and​ ​the​ ​two​ ​were​ ​on​ ​their​ ​way​ ​to​ ​a​ ​history​-making​ ​career. For​ ​the​ ​rest​ ​of​ ​the​ ​1980’s,​ ​each​ ​single​ ​from​ ​The​ ​Judds​ ​released​ ​by​ ​RCA​ ​went​ ​to​ ​the Billboard​ ​Top 10,​ ​with​ ​14 hits ​going​ ​all​ ​the​ ​way​ ​to​ ​number​ ​one.​ ​ The​ ​Judds​ ​embarked​ ​on​ ​their​ ​“Farewell​ ​Tour”​ ​in​ ​1991 ​after​ ​Naomi’s​ ​diagnosis​ ​of​ ​Hepatitis C​ ​forced​ ​her​ ​to​ ​retire​ ​from​ ​the​ ​road.​ Naomi​ ​focused​ ​on​ ​her​ ​health,​ ​beating​ ​the​ ​disease, writing​ ​several​ ​New​ ​York​ ​Times​ ​best-selling​ ​books​ ​and​ ​becoming​ ​a​ ​popular​ ​motivational speaker. This fall, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will explore the lives and careers of the GRAMMY®-winning mother-daughter duo with an exhibit opening Aug. 10, 2018. For more information, follow Naomi Judd on Facebook and Instagram or visit NaomiJudd.com. ABOUT DREW AND JONATHAN SCOTT: Multi-faceted entrepreneurs, authors and twin Continue reading Naomi Judd and The Scott Brothers Join City of Hope 28th Annual Celebrity Softball Game

Randy Travis Launches ‘Diggin’ Up Songs’ Digital Campaign To Spotlight New Artists

Randy Travis News on Country Music News Blog

COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME member RANDY TRAVIS is shining a spotlight on new music he believes in with his “Diggin’ Up Songs” digital campaign. The music is curated by TRAVIS personally and can be found via SPOTIFY, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, and TRAVIS’s website. New songs will be added every two weeks; the first round of spotlight tracks was revealed today and includes KANE BROWN’s “Heaven,” BRETT ELDREDGE’s “The Long Way,” WALKER HAYES’s “You Broke Up With Me,” LUKE COMBS’s “One Number Away,” and LAUREN ALAINA’s “Doin’ Fine.” “Though RANDY may not be able to perform right now, his love and affinity for music stands strong,” said TRAVIS’s wife, MARY DAVIS-TRAVIS. “We like to say he is ‘singing a new song’ and spending his time giving back to the community and supporting fellow artists — streaming is a great new outlet to do just that.”

Congrats To Country Radio For Supporting St. Jude

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Kudos to our friends at Country radio that worked hard during their recent ST. JUDE Radiothons to raise money for ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL. FEDERATE MEDIA Country WBYT/SOUTH BEND, IN raised $306,720 this year; HALL COMMUNICATIONS Country WPCV/LAKELAND, FL, raised $204,863, which is a $26,000 increase compared to last year’s radiothon; MIDWEST COMMUNICATIONS Country WDEZ/WAUSAU, WI raised more than $175,000, bringing their 17-year total to more than $2 million; and DICK BROADCASTING Country WRNS/GREENVILLE, NC’s two-day total came to $160,126.

Patrick Darrah – Northern Truth debut album review

Patrick Darrah

Fresh from the mailbox this morning is Patrick Darrah‘s debut album “Northern Truth“.  The quick version is that the album is interesting enough on the first listen to give it a second go-round, which is rare in blind submissions. Great songwriting and storytelling, and definitely a lot of potential here. I’d call this guy one to watch, and I’d love to hear him collaborate with some heavier hitters in Nashville to help add a little gravel and depth to his clean clear vocal tone. The long version is that, without reading his bio, you can tell that his song selection is clearly influenced by his life experience as each track flows from one right into the next, telling the full story of a man dealing with loss and heartbreak as he finds out what to do with his life once his love walks out. The songs are each well-written and performed with the kind of angst and longing that can only come from the feelings being real. That said, it would be fantastic to hear this album as a whole, remixed and mastered with the guiding hand of a more seasoned engineer as some of the grit and guts seem to have been over-compressed and cleaned up in the studio. I think that  this album makes a very solid starting point for the very long career Patrick has ahead of him.   To find out more about Patrick Darrah, visit https://www.patrickdarrah.com/ .   

Listen Now: Kacey Musgraves – Space Cowboy

Spacey Kacey is at it again this time it’s an interstellar heartbreak song as she releases the official audio for her latest track “Space Cowboy“. Anyone who dares to say that Kacey Musgraves isn’t a country music legend in the making is going to be quick to swallow their words after giving this tune a spin. Preorder the new Kacey Musgraves album Golden Hour, releasing March 30th, here: http://strm.to/GoldenHourYD Sign up to the Kacey Musgraves email list here: http://www.kaceymusgraves.com/ Music video by Kacey Musgraves performing Space Cowboy. © 2018 MCA Nashville, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.