Category Archives: Featured

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Randy Travis Supports Troops

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Randy Travis and Cracker Barrel Team Up to Support U.S. Troops. Randy Travis has teamed up with Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores and GAC to release a collection of his hits in addition to 3 brand new songs on a 12 track album. The album is currently available exclusively at Cracker Barrel, and was released to honor U.S. service men and women. “After touring quite a number of our country’s military bases and performing repeatedly for our troops, I can tell you that there is nothing as rewarding as doing these shows for our service men and women.The love they have for this country is inspiring.” -Randy Travis Right in time for Memorial Day, it has been announced a portion of the album sales will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project. Founded by a group of veterans and friends in Roankoke, VA, the Wounded Warrior Project is a non-profit, non-partisan organization with offices in Jacksonville, FL., New York City and Washington D.C. It’s primary goals are to raise awareness among the public in regard to injured soldiers’ needs, and to provide aid to these soldiers through various programs. In an additional effort to honor U.S. troops for Memorial Day, Cracker Barrel Stores are urging Americans to get involved and write messages of appreciation to our service men and women. Those who participate will automatically be entered to win a grand prize including a Cracker Barrel Rocker, Randy Travis CD, & collection of Wounded Warrior merchandise. Submissions are due Monday, May 30th at 12pm ET. Click here for more details and contest rules.

Craig Morgan Hosts Benefit

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Craig Morgan Hosts 5th Annual Celebrity Dirtbike Ride and Concert! Country star Craig Morgan will once again host the 5th annual Celebrity Dirtbike Ride and Concert August 6 and 7. This charity event will take place in his hometown of Dickson, Tennessee and will benefit Billy’s Place, a home for temporarily displaced children. The foundation was thought up by Morgan while serving as an Assistant Sheriff’s Deputy in Dickson and later he made it a reality. Saturday morning will have a dirtbike exhibition and will be followed by a group trail ride and lunch. Sunday morning will be the first ever celebrity skeet shoot and later that evening Morgan and some fellow country artists will take the stage for an acoustic show. All events are family-friendly and tickets can soon be purchased here. Celebrity participants will be announced at a later time.

Scotty McCreery Wins American Idol

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Scotty McCreery Is America’s Next Idol. It is official. Scotty McCreery is the winner of American Idol‘s 10th Season. The live finale show aired Wednesday, May 25th from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, and was quite the spectacle. Per tradition, the show paired the two finalists, Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery, with all-star performers. This year as country music dominated, Lauren was paired with Carrie Underwood singing “Before He Cheats“ and Scotty sang along with Tim McGraw on “Live Like You Were Dying“. I guess since Josh Turner already sang a duet with Scotty, he was out of the running. Also, it would just be unnecessary for the show’s producers to yet again bring attention to the fact that Scotty is a seventeen year old just trying to sound like Josh Turner. It absolutely amazes me that Scotty could win over Lauren. The two finale performances prove once again that Lauren is clearly not only the more talented of the two, but actually has depth and an amazing stage presence. It’s true that the start to Lauren’s performance is just a little bit rocky. However, I want to point out that Lauren began her duet with Carrie walking out on stage after she had already sung the intro. Tim sang for a solid 30-seconds before Scotty even arrived on the stage. In essence, Tim was a distraction from Scotty’s shallow talent while Carrie was a supplement to Lauren’s abundant talent. Also, there is the whole issue of stage presence. America is familiar enough with the concept of show-biz at this point to know it takes more than good vocal chords to make a star. At the end of the day, Lauren was born with what it takes, and I hope for Scotty’s sake that at same point he gets a clue. During Lauren’s performance she interacts with Carrie and really gets into the song making it truly fun to watch. Her nerves are obvious at the beginning, but she powers through and really draws in the audience. On the other hand, Scotty is painfully awkward on stage. The most we get out of him is a dramatic closing of his eyes when he hits a long note or the occasional kneeling mid-song to (I am assuming, it’s honestly hard to tell) flirt with the girls near the stage. The most frustrating quirk is that through the entire performance Scotty looks like he’s holding his stomach like he might be about to throw up. Sure, he should be nervous, its a big moment. Yet, he should work through that and put a little more effort into the performance for his fans’ sake. Despite Scotty’s win, I remain skeptical. I think what little energy is evident in his performance is fueled by his ego, which is no doubt swelling thanks to America’s votes. There is, perhaps, potential in Scotty, that Idol will no doubt take great pains to nurture seeing as he is now bound to them by a rock solid Continue reading Scotty McCreery Wins American Idol→

Taylor Swift’s Story of Us Video

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Taylor Swift’s Video for The Story of Us Premiered. Taylor Swift‘s latest video capturing her single “The Story of Us” was released Tuesday, May 24th on MTV. The video proves yet again that this country starlet has some depth. Maybe her lyrics are not dealing with ground breaking concepts or issues, but she definitely seems to consistently bring in a creative twist. The video context places Taylor in a library crowded with students, herself included complete with a pleated skirt, button-up shirt, tie get up and private school vibe, when she catches the eye of her ex. There are so many ways this video could go horribly wrong (may I bring your attention back to the pleated skirt ensemble?), but it doesn’t. It plays well depicting a realistic scenario with a subtly sarcastic and humorous tone. Admittedly, the video is a little all over the place, but that’s to be expected. My favorite thing about this video is the ending, but I suppose I won’t give it away. I will just say, it’s quite different from “Love Story“. Check the video out now! Tags: Taylor Swift, Music, More Music Videos

Dolly Parton’s New Album

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Dolly Parton Releases New Album Better Day. Dolly Parton has announced the debut of her new album, Better Day, will be June 28th released on her own record label, Dolly Records. The first single off the album is titled “Together You & I“, and Dolly will perform it live for the first time on The Ellen Degeneres Show on Friday, May 27th. Fans can expect the video for this single sometime soon after Dolly’s Ellen performance. Additionally, Parton will be kicking off a world tour July 17 in Knoxville’s Thompson Boling Arena with multiple dates scheduled in the U.S. The tour will continue to Europe in August and September, and then to Australia in November.

Josh Kelley Debuts Gone Like That

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Josh Kelley Releases His Second Single Gone Like That.” Josh Kelley debuted his new single “Gone Like That” Tuesday, May 23 on CBS’s The Talk. “Gone Like That” is the second single to be released from Josh’s debut country album, Georgia Clay on which he wrote or co-wrote each of the 15 tracks. This particular single is especially poignant as it played a role in his transition into being a country singer/songwriter. “When I sent “Gone Like That” into my publisher to pitch to a country artist, he said he really wanted me to record it. Hearing his reaction to this song really gave me the confidence to pursue making a country album – something I wanted to do for a long time. Writing and recording ‘Gone Like That’ really made that dream of mine seem real and achievable and I’m so excited for it to be a single.” -Josh Kelley Josh has most recently been on tour with Miranda Lambert and will join Taylor Swift‘s Speak Now tour in August and September. You can check out Josh’s Live performance on The Talk here. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjVKXPBUZyM]

Tim McGraw at Show Me Music and Arts Festival

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Country Star Line-up Featured at First Show Me Music and Arts Festival. The first ever Show Me Music and Arts Festival will take place June 17-19 in Springfield, MO, and will feature a line-up of country music stars on the festival’s main stage including Tim McGraw, Trace Adkins, Little Big Town, David Nail, and Big & Rich (see below for a complete list of performances and stage details). The festival will also feature the Show-Me Saloon Stage with additional musical performances, a Celebrity Chef Pavilion Stage with Food Network stars like Chefs Robert Irvine, Ellie Krieger, and Aaron McCargo, and a Comedy Tent Stage including acts from comedians Jamie Kaler and Jon Reep. Besides all the entertainment available for festival attendees, there will also have a Kid Zone which includes a Ferris Wheel, games, and entertainment, the Show-Me Arts and Crafts area featuring over 30 exhibitors, and many food and drink vendors featuring festival fare from all over the world. There are multiple ticket options including VIP packages, weekend passes and daily passes only. Additionally, there are also camping options available. For more information on ticket options and details click here. The concert line-up is as follows: Main Stage, Friday June 17th 1:30pm – Bush Hawg 3:00pm – Love and Theft 4:30pm – Matt Kennon 6:00pm – David Nail 7:30pm – Gloriana 9:00pm – REO Speedwagon 11:00pm – Trace Adkins Main Stage, Saturday June 18th 11:30am – Brennin 1:00pm – The McClymonts 2:30pm – Jessie James 4:00pm – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band 5:30pm – Sawyer Brown 8:30pm – Big & Rich/Gretchen Cowboy Troy/ 2 ft. 11:00pm – Train Main Stage, Sunday May 19th 11:30am – Steve Holy 1:00pm – Kellie Pickler 2:30pm – Joe Nichols 4:00pm – Little Big Town 5:30pm – One Republic 7:30pm – Tim McGraw

CMT Music Awards New Performers

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CMT Music Awards Adds New Performances to Line-Up. The 2011 CMT Music Awards is shaping up to be a stellar event. A new list of featured performances has been announced including Toby Keith, Luke Bryan, and Zac Brown Band. Sheryl Crow will be performing with the show’s host, Kid Rock. Additionally, Big & Rich will be involved marking their first television appearance together in three years as well as their first CMT performance together since 2005. The duo has a new song, “Fake I.D.” in the works for the soundtrack of the upcoming remake of Footloose. These performances are added to the already star-studded line-up which includes Jason Aldean, Sugarland, Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum and Keith Urban. The CMT Music Awards will air live on Wednesday, June 8th in Nashville, and you can catch the show on CMT or cmt.com. Fan voting is still open! Click here to see a complete list of nominees.

Taylor Swift Raises $750,000 For Relief Efforts

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Taylor Swift’s Speak Now…Help Now Raises Substantial Funds for Tornado Relief Efforts. With more devastating storms hitting Oklahoma and Missouri Sunday night, it is comforting to see so many country stars, including Taylor Swift, doing what they can to aid in relief efforts. Saturday, May 21st, Taylor opened her final dress rehearsal for the North American leg of the Speak Now tour to fans to raise funds for tornado relief programs. With only two weeks notice, she managed to pack the arena, and the ticket sales alone accumulated $750,000. Taylor also told the audience during the performance all merchandise sales from the evening would also be donated. “I felt like if it was possible to help them in any way, we should do it.” -Taylor Swift As a bonus, fans received a complementary red souvenir t-shirt. All of the sales from the concert event were donated directly to help tornado victims via the Speak Now … Help Now Fund established through the Community Foundation of Middle Tennesse.

2011 Billboard Music Awards Country Winners

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Country Wins 2011 Billboard Music Awards! The 2011 Billboard Music Awards took ABC by storm Sunday night, and the country nominees were on the scene to represent! Beyond multiple award nominations and wins for country artists the show featured country performances including Keith Urban‘s “Long Hot Summer“. Taylor Swift dominated in the country only categories winning Top Country Album for “Speak Now“, and Top Country Artist. Additionally, Taylor beat out artists in other genres including Eminem, Susan Boyle, and Justin Bieber winning the Top 200 Album Artist of the Year. Taylor had also been nominated for both Top Artist and Top Female Artist. Lady Antebellum received recognition for their hit single “Need You Now” winning Top Country Song. The group was also nominated for Top Duo/Group and Top Streaming Song but were beat out by The Black Eyed Peas and Nelly respectively. Many other country artists were acknowledged for their talents as well including Miranda Lambert, Sugarland, The Band Perry, Jason Aldean, Zac Brown Band, and Kenny Chesney being nominated in various categories. The forty-six award categories were based on measures provided by Billboard’s data partners including sales data from Nielsen SoundScan, radio airplay monitored by Nielsen BDS, streaming data measured by Tubemogul and Nielsen BDS, social media consumption gauged by Next Big Sound and tour grosses tracked by Billboard Boxscore.