Category Archives: Featured

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Taylor Swift Honored with Harmony Award

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Taylor Swift Will Receive the 2011 Harmony Award. Taylor Swift will be the recipient of the 2011 Harmony Award at the 27th Annual Symphony Ball on Saturday, December 10th in Nashville. The Nashville Symphony nominates one individual for this award each year, and they choose the person they think best characterizes Nashville’s musical community. “We are proud to call our home Music City, and Taylor Swift is the perfect person to receive this award, because she has contributed so tremendously to promoting this amazing community of which we are all a part.” -Alan Valentine, CEO/President of the Nashville Symphony Swift is joining the ranks of other country icons who have received the Harmony Award in the past including LeAnn Rimes, Trisha Yearwood, Wynonna and Naomi Judd, Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood, and Vince Gill.

Randy Houser Got Married

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Randy Houser Gets Hitched Over Labor Day Weekend! Randy Houser, who you most likely know for hits like “Boots On” and “Anything Goes“, celebrated labor day weekend by getting married to fiancé singer-songwriter Jessa Lee Jantz! The two wed in the Dominican Republic on September 2. The wedding ceremony was an intimate affair with only 20 guests where they exchanged vows at sunset which (appropriately) they had written themselves. In an especially sweet touch, the two also sang an a cappella version of “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You“. Congratulations to Randy and Jessa!

George Strait Is Here For A Good Time with New Album

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George Strait Releases New Album! George Strait‘s latest album, Here For A Good Time, releases today, Tuesday, September 6th! This marks King George’s 39th album release, a staggering number! On this album is George’s most recent single (of the same title – “Here For A Good Time“) which marks his 89th single release, yet another staggering number! In addition to serving as co-producer with Tony Brown, Strait also co-wrote 7 of the 11 tracks featured on the new album with his son Bubba as well as other notable songwriters, Al Anderson, Chris Stapleton, Chuck Cannon, Allen Shamblin, Gary Nicholson, and Delbert McClinton. Be looking for a thorough review of Here for A Good Time later this week, and in the mean time make sure you take a listen! That way we can compare notes! Up next for George Strait, he will begin touring in early 2012 with special guest Martina McBride!!

Official 2011 CMA Award Nominees!

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The 2011 CMA Award Nominees Have Been Announced! Nominees have been announced for the 2011 Country Music Association Awards, which will broadcast on November 9th. Here are your contenders! CMA Awards Nominations! Entertainer of the Year: Jason Aldean Brad Paisley Blake Shelton Taylor Swift Keith Urban Vocal Group: The Band Perry Lady Antebellum Little Big Town Rascal Flatts Zac Brown Band Vocal Duo: The Civil Wars Montgomery Gentry Steel Magnolia Sugarland Thompson Square Male Vocalist: Jason Aldean Kenny Chesney Brad Paisley Blake Shelton Keith Urban Female Vocalist: Sara Evans Miranda Lambert Martina McBride Taylor Swift Carrie Underwood New Artist: The Band Perry Luke Bryan Eric Church Thompson Square Chris Young Single of the Year: “A Little Bit Stronger” Sara Evans Produced by Tony Brown RCA Nashville “Colder Weather” Zac Brown Band Produced by Keith Stegall and Zac Brown Southern Ground Artists/Atlantic Records “Don’t You Wanna Stay” Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson Produced by Michael Knox Broken Bow Records “Honey Bee” Blake Shelton Produced by Scott Hendricks Warner Bros. Nashville “If I Die Young” The Band Perry Produced by Paul Worley Republic Nashville Album of the Year: All About Tonight Blake Shelton Produced by Scott Hendricks Warner Bros. Nashville My Kinda Party Jason Aldean Produced by Michael Knox Broken Bow Records Speak Now Taylor Swift Produced by Nathan Chapman and Taylor Swift Big Machine Records This Is Country Music Brad Paisley Produced by Frank Rogers Arista Nashville You Get What You Give Zac Brown Band Produced by Keith Stegall and Zac Brown Southern Ground Artists/Atlantic Records Song of the Year: “Colder Weather” Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette, Levi Lowrey, and Coy Bowles – songwriters “Dirt Road Anthem” Brantley Gilbert and Colt Ford – songwriters “If I Die Young” Kimberly Perry – songwriter “Mean” Taylor Swift – songwriter “You and Tequila” Matraca Berg and Deana Carter – songwriters Musical Event: “As She’s Walking Away” Zac Brown Band featuring Alan Jackson Southern Ground Artists/Atlantic Records “Coal Miner’s Daughter” Loretta Lynn, Sheryl Crow, and Miranda Lambert Columbia Records Nashville “Don’t You Wanna Stay” Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson Broken Bow Records “Old Alabama” Brad Paisley featuring Alabama Arista Nashville “You and Tequila” Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter BNA Records Music Video: “Honey Bee” Blake Shelton Directed by Trey Fanjoy “If I Die Young” The Band Perry Directed by David McClister “Mean” Taylor Swift Directed by Declan Whitebloom “Old Alabama” Brad Paisley featuring Alabama Directed by Jim Shea “You and Tequila” Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter Directd by Shaun Silva Musician: Sam Bush – Mandolin Jerry Douglas – Dobro Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar Dann Huff – Guitar Mac McAnally – Guitar The 2011 CMA Awards are scheduled for Wednesday, November 9th. The show will air live out of the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, and will be broadcast on ABC that evening at 7pm. Want to know what HaleighT thinks about this year’s nominees? Check out the first ever episode of “Takin’ a Break with HaleighT” and hear her dish about the 2011 crop of nominations! Continue reading Official 2011 CMA Award Nominees!→

JB and the Moonshine Band Interview

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JB and the Moonshine Band Talk About “Chasin Rainbows”! Hayden McMullen, Gabe Guevara, Chris Flores, and JB Patterson make up what is JB and the Moonshine Band. I first heard of these guys after a small fishing trip this spring. A close friend and country music fan played me a couple songs and said I should check into them for work. A short while later, after hearing their whole album, I decided I had to see them live. Of course the first opportunity I had was a show at my favorite venue on Dickson, George’s Majestic Lounge (they know how to pick entertainment!) in Fayetteville, Arkansas. I sat with the band and asked some pretty generic questions, but was pleasantly surprised that I wasn’t given generic responses! JB is very dedicated and passionate about his work and anyone who disagrees can just ask what he was doing a few years back. Even though he had a successful career in advertising, something was missing. Being more intrigued by music led him to take a chance and follow his dreams. The singer/songwriter held an open audition and had 3 people show up, it was obviously fate and the Moonshine Band was formed. Chris, Gabe, Hayden and JB have been rolling down the road ever since. JBMB is a fairly new band, they are around two years old and in what they call the “toddler” stage. They must have been watching some of those Baby Einstein videos or something because they seem to have their act together! They may not always have a packed house, but they always have a happy crowd and leave with a few more fans than they came in with. They love what they’re doing, have plenty of energy and fun on stage and this is what keeps people at their shows. JB writes all the songs for his band and helps out fellow artists when need be. Casey Donahew reached out to the front man a while back and together they wrote what is now the title track to the Casey Donahew Band’s upcoming album. JB said when you write with someone you never know how it will turn out, but he was thrilled with Casey’s excitement for their creation! “Double Wide Dream” can be heard now at www.caseydonahewband.com. I asked for some crazy stories from different shows and was told that there are plenty of stories, but sometimes its hard to keep them all straight. JB said it was more like “One big, huge, colossal show and that show is awesome!” Not only are these guys musically talented, but they are very polite and freaking hilarious! If you don’t believe me, pop on over to YouTube and check out their videos. Here is one that is particularly close to my heart (as you will see in this Friday’s episode of Takin’ A Break With HaleighT)… [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoToe8IXkgs] Their first album, Ain’t Goin Back to Jail, was released in 2010 and includes a collection of love ballads and comical, Continue reading JB and the Moonshine Band Interview→

Reckless Kelly New Album

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Reckless Kelly Releases Ninth Album. The Austin based Reckless Kelly will be releasing their ninth album, Good Luck & True Love, Tuesday, September 13th. This is the band’s first studio album of all new material since their 2008 release of Bulletproof. Also of interest, this will be the first album released by the group since they started their very own record company, No Big Deal Records, and took over all the responsibilities for the band including producing this new album. Along with the release of this new album, Reckless Kelly has lined up a slew of performances, 40 dates in all, starting in Ft. Worth, TX on September 3 and running through December 31 in Donnelly, ID. Additionally, they have been invited to perform a special post-game concert at Major League Baseball’s Houston Astros September 23rd game. They will also be performing at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park on October 1st! So, as usual, Reckless Kelly is keeping their calendar full with lots of opportunities for fans to check them out! In the run-up to their album release, the group put together a sizzle reel of highlights from interviews and archive footage from the past 15 years of their career. You can check out this video below!! [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UnkizhEDjs]

2011 Source Awards Honor Women

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2011 Source Awards Honor Hard Work of Women Professionals in the Music Industry! Long-time Grand Ole Opry star Jeannie Seely hosted this year’s Ninth Annual Source Awards this past Thursday, August 25, 2011 at the Noah Liff Opera Center in Nashville. Respected music critic, author and historian Robert K. Oermann was the evening’s guest speaker. The Source Awards is an annual celebration honoring women in the music industry for their tireless work and contributions to the business. One at a time, each honoree was celebrated and presented on stage with plaques. Upon receiving their awards, each honoree had a chance to share a few words, and some even offered some kernels of wisdom learned over the years. “I hope all of you find something you love to do. Because it won’t feel like working if you do. Enjoy life. It’s short. Do something nice for somebody every day.” honoree Janice Wendell The 2011 Source Awards Honorees were: Roberta Edging (Eddy Arnold Enterprises) Millie Kirkham (WSM Radio, Tree Music Publishing, Legendary Background Vocalist) Barbara Orbison (Barbara Orbison Productions, Roy Orbison Music, Pretty Woman Perfume) Evelyn Shriver (Evelyn Shriver Public Relations, Asylum Records, Bandit Records) Janice Wendell (Noble Dury, Erickson Advertising) Additionally a posthumous recognition for Georgia Twitty Chellman (Gospel Jubilee, Music City Hotline, Veeson Travel, Tennessee T-Cake). Founded in 1991, Source is a nonprofit organization supporting women executives and professionals who work in all facets of the Nashville music industry. In 2003, the Source Awards were established to pay respect and honor the women who develop and build upon the foundation of the music industry in Nashville. It is refreshing to see that the hard work of women within the music industry is being celebrated, especially the work of those “behind the scenes”. Congrats to all the women honored, and to those women who were not specifically honored this year! You are all appreciated!

Darius Rucker Begins First Solo Tour

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Darius Rucker Begins His First Solo U.S. Tour This Fall. Darius Rucker is currently touring the European leg of Brad Paisley‘s H2O II: Wetter and Wilder Tour. As soon as he gets back to the states though, he will be beginning his first headlining tour of the U.S.! Rucker will be joined by Rodney Atkins, Thompson Square, Frankie Ballard and Justin Moore on select dates of his tour. This is an exciting development for Rucker, and he is definitely excited! “I haven’t headlined a tour since Hootie, so to say I’m excited is an understatement. It has been such an incredible experience to tour with Paisley and Rascal Flatts, and I’ve learned a lot being on the road with them. With this tour, I’m just excited to perform again for our fans, and I’m thrilled to have Rodney, Frankie, Justin, and Thompson Square joining us.” -Darius Rucker You can check out the list of upcoming tour dates below. A complete list will be available as soon as the remaining dates are announced. Upcoming tour dates are as follows: 10/6 Glens Falls, NY w/ Rodney Atkins and Frankie Ballard 10/7 Indiana, PA w/ Rodney Atkins and Frankie Ballard 10/8 Syracuse, NY w/ Rodney Atkins and Frankie Ballard 10/20 Charlotte, NC w/ Rodney Atkins and Frankie Ballard 10/21 Raleigh, NC w/ Rodney Atkins and Frankie Ballard 10/22 Cincinnati, OH w/ Rodney Atkins and Frankie Ballard 10/23 Pikeville, KY w/ Rodney Atkins and Frankie Ballard 11/12 North Charleston, SC w/ Thompson Square and Justin Moore

Craig Campbell Family Man Contest

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Craig Campbell Helps Out Fellow Family Men In A Big Way! Craig Campbell’s first single, “Family Man“, hit close to home with people everywhere. After such huge responses from fans writing in, posting on facebook, and commenting on youtube the “Give A Hand To The Family Man” contest was created. The contest was advertised on CMT and several radio stations. To enter, fans had to submit an essay talking about the hero in their life. The CMT winner had their rent paid for an entire year and the radio station winners had their bills paid for a month. Campbell knows firsthand what it’s like to struggle and thought it was important to help in any way he could. Here is the touching video that gives us a peak of the families that were chosen. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyQUWaDmy6Y]

Vince Gill and Sting Collaborate on CMT Crossroads

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Vince Gill and Sting Team Up in Next Episode of CMT Crossroads. The newest episode of CMT: Crossroads two of the music industries veteran talents, Vince Gill and Sting will be teaming up for what is sure to be an unforgettable collaboration. The CMT Crossroads team is heading to NYC (after not having taped there for over five years) for this particular episode, and will tape the segment in front of an invitation-only crowd. “We are long overdue for a CMT CROSSROADS taping in New York City. Some of our best shows ever were taped there, and this will be no exception. These are two Hall of Famers who, by our count, have 36 Grammys between them…This is going to be an unforgettable evening.” -John Hamlin, SVP, Music Events and Talent, CMT Both of the artists are hugely popular, and rightly so, as they are both extremely talented in their own right. They will both perform their classic hits in addition to selections from their releases which are due to debut this fall. I for one and very curious to see how these two match up musically. It is such an interesting and unexpected pairing. The episode will air in November, so be sure to be on the look out for specific dates and times!