Category Archives: Featured

Posts in the Featured Category will display in the top-slide and lead article in the new theme.

John Rich Wins Celebrity Apprentice

Posted on by

John Rich Final Winner of NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice. John Rich was named the winner of Celebrity Apprentice on the show’s Sunday night season finale. The celebrity version of the hit series differs from the original Apprentice in that the celebrities featured on the show are competing for the charity of their choice versus trying to win a prestigious position working for Donald Trump. As such, John managed to surpass his goal of $1 million raised, raking in a whopping $1.25 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Well done, John! In other news, John Rich is teaming up again with Big Kenny as the two are collaborating on a new single “Fake I.D.” to be featured on the soundtrack of the upcoming Footloose. So, keep an ear out for that!

CMNB Is Seeing Red and You Should Too!

Posted on by

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!

Blake Shelton Announces New Album Title

Posted on by

Blake Shelton Shares Title of Upcoming Album. Blake Shelton has had quite an eventful life as of late, personally and professionally! After releasing two EPs last year in addition to a greatest hits compilation, Blake recently announced he would be generating yet another album. The due date for this album is set for July 12th, and we now know that it will be titled Red River Blue. It’s amazing that in between his wedding with Miranda Lambert last Saturday in Texas, his role as judge on NBC’s hit show The Voice and participating in relief efforts with Reba that Blake has had time to complete and polish an album for release! Yet, that’s exactly what he has done, and the album has already produced his fastest rising single to date, Honey Bee. So, keep your ears open for more details on Blake’s upcoming album, Red River Blue!

Taylor Swift to Stream “Speak Now…Help Now” Concert

Posted on by

Taylor Swift Will Stream Excerpts for “Speak Now…Help Now” Concert. Taylor Swift announced earlier this month that she would be opening up the final dress rehearsal of her “Speak Now” tour to fans in an effort to raise funds for victims of the storms which devastated much of the region. Taylor has also recently announced plans to stream two songs from the performance, and will include information for how fans watching online can also get involved with relief efforts. The dress rehearsal takes place at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 2. Tickets are available now for $50, and all proceeds will go to the Speak Now…Help Now Fund established through the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. The live stream will be available for viewing on Taylor Swift’s homepage. Get there now by clicking here.

Kid Rock Hosts 2011 CMT Music Awards

Posted on by

Kid Rock Announced as Host for 2011 CMT Music Awards. Kid Rock will be reprising his role of host for the 2011 CMT Music Awards. Apparently, CMT thinks they’ve got a sure thing going on as Kid Rock was last year’s host as well. Word on the street has it that Kid Rock had a pretty good time himself, and will be enjoying his second turn on the CMT stage. “Hosting the CMT awards was a wonderful bridge to a great after party. I’m looking forward to crossing that bridge again this year.” -Kid Rock While he may be excited about hosting the show, fan reactions have been mixed with some truly excited, and others ready to make alternative plans for the evening. I guess we will see how the fan turn-out pans out, and whether or not the country superstar line-up for the evening, including performances by Jason Aldean, Sugarland, Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, Kieth Urban and more, will be enough to overshadow some fans’ distaste for Kid Rock! In addition to his hosting duties, Kid Rock has also been nominated in the collaborative video of the year category for his single “Collide” with Sheryl Crow. Tickets to the 2011 CMT Music Awards go on sale this Saturday, May 21st. The show will air live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on CMT and cmt.com on Wednesday, June 8th.

Meet HaleighT, Staff Writer!

Posted on by

First off…HI! I’m HaleighT and this kicks off my first weekly editorial! I just wanted to share a little to maybe show what I’m about…so here we go! I may be the newest member of the CMNB team, but I am no newcomer to the country music lifestyle. Growing up in Eastern Oklahoma and spending my summers in Northwest Arkansas, I basically lived a country song. I was brought up with a strong faith, was taught to show love, be respectful and work hard by some of the greatest people on this earth, my family. A group of individuals with huge hearts and out of this world personalities! Making them proud is a goal that I will always work towards and hope to always achieve. I also have some of the best friends a girl could ask for, we believe in having a good time rain or shine! I love a good plate of BBQ, a cold beer and the sound of a steel guitar (or fiddle!). It’s best to TRY and not stress the small stuff that won’t matter a year from now, Tracy Lawrence taught me “the only thing that stays the same is everything changes“. I’m a devout fan with a respect for all performers, big or small, as long as they stay true to themselves. I love country music for the simple reason that each song tells a story. Close to home lyrics can make you cry, smile, get angry or move on! They can help get you through a tough situation or remind you of a crazy night out with friends. Go ahead, go make a soundtrack to your life, it’s fun! There are people who have world maps with colored push pins, each representing places they have been and places they would love to go. In comparison, I have a list instead of a map, with three columns instead of push pins. A column for the artists I have seen, a column for the artists I want to see, and a column for the artists I can only dream of witnessing up there beyond those pearly gates one day. I feel honored to have seen country legends Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr. and George Strait along with dozens of others. I look forward to someday (sooner than later) getting the chance to see George Jones, Garth Brooks, Don Williams, and Loretta Lynn, along with many, many more! And only in my dreams I have been front row center to many late greats including Conway Twitty, Keith Whitley and Patsy Cline! I am loving my job as an assignment journalist! Basically, my role is to meet as many people as possible, go to as many live shows as possible, and put out the most information as possible for country music fans in a journalistic style. The past couple months have been great and I can not wait to see what is in store for the months to come! I have made it my Continue reading Meet HaleighT, Staff Writer!→

Alabama Announces Bama Rising Benefit Concert

Posted on by

Alabama to Host Bama Rising Benefit Concert to Support Tornado Recovery. Alabama is spearheading efforts for the event “Bama Rising: A Benefit Concert for Alabama Tornado Recovery” intended to aid victims of the tornadoes which raged through the area on April 27th. Sponsored by Verizon, the concert will take place June 14th at Birmingham’s BJCC Arena. This concert is set to be an all-star event with several of country’s brightest slated to perform including Brad Paisley and Martina McBride (a complete list of performers is included below). “My hope is that this will bring happiness and help to my fellow citizens in Alabama. I believe it’s extremely important that we do this benefit, and I want everyone in the state to feel like they are part of it. I hope we all can pull together to help get through the worst natural disaster I’ve ever seen in Alabama. I appreciate my friends in country music, everyone that’s been involved, and anyone that’s helped in any way.”- Randy Owens on behalf of Alabama A Bama Rising Fund has been established in conjunction with the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham. All decision regarding the proceeds from the concert and any other contributions made to the Fund will be made by an advisory committee including representatives of the artists, promoters and the Community Foundation. Tickets will be available Friday, May 20th at 11:00am CST and range in price from $25- $150. The complete list of performers is as follows: Alabama Rodney Atkins Dierks Bentley Bo Bice Luke Bryan Sheryl Crow Sara Evans Taylor Hicks Little Big Town Martina McBride Montgomery Gentry David Nail Jake Owen Brad Paisley Kellie Pickler Darius Rucker Ashton Shepherd For more information and details click here.

Gary Allan at 2011 CMA Music Fest

Posted on by

Gary Allan Kicks-Off 2011 CMA Music Festival. Gary Allan will be performing on the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage in the first round of daily performances at the 2011 CMA Music Festival, Thursday June 9th at 10am. Interestingly, this will mark Allan’s first appearance at the Festival since 2006. The daily concerts on the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage are intended to highlight country talent from the past, present and future (rising stars!). This year’s CMA Fest will be held from June 9th-12th in downtown Nashville, and tickets are still available! For more ticket info click here. Gary Allan will also be participating in the NASCAR Rev’d Up concert and festival sponsored by Sprint along with singer-song writer Josh Kelly. This is a free concert, and it will be held at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C. on May 18th at 7:30pm. You can find more details here.

Ronnie Dunn’s How Far to Waco Video

Posted on by

Ronnie Dunn Releases Video for How Far to Waco from Upcoming Album. Ronnie Dunn is set to release his first ever solo album, Ronnie Dunn, on June 7th, and he is giving fans a little taste of what’s to come with recent single debuts and corresponding videos. The album includes twelve tracks, eight of which are either written or co-written by Ronnie, and it has given him the opportunity to really delve into subject matter that holds meaning for him and express himself as an individual. In January, he introduced his first single, “Bleed Red“, which so far has been a huge success, and he has subsequently released the video for this track in addition to a video for “I Can’t Help Myself“. While both of these songs are reflective and a little mournful, his latest video release “How Far to Waco“, out May 17th, is jam-packed with energy and fun. Of the three tracks released so far with it’s mariachi influences, fast beats and an out-on-the-road-with-the-wind-in-my-hair vibe “How Far to Waco” definitely has the feel of a summer hit. You can check out the video now and let us know what you think of Ronnie’s new music! [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW3rOXiIVCY]

Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton Wedding Pictures!

Posted on by

Can’t wait to see Miranda Lambert’s wedding dress, the cake, or the handsome groom in pictures? Neither can we! The pictures from Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton‘s Saturday night wedding are still trickling in, with this first shot coming out in this preview from Us Weekly. I absolutely LOVE Miranda’s dress and think she looks WONDERFUL! The photographer they hired had this to say on his blog: “Blake & Miranda’s wedding images will be published in Us Weekly magazine coming later this week. I have to say that Miranda & Blake’s wedding images are really beautiful. One big reason they have great wedding photographs besides their genuine down to earth personalities which made my time behind my camera easy, was the fact that they cared more about great wedding photography, then old traditions. They took my advice and saw each other before the wedding and took all their photos before their nuptials, so after they said “I DO” and walked down the aisle, they could go do whatever they wanted, instead of spending time taking photographs. Spending time alone or spending more time with your guests is a smarter choice, especially when your normal human reaction after you kiss and travel down the aisle is “Let’s go party and be with our friends and family” A wedding is a celebration and when the months of planning are over, It’s time to PLAY! “- Robert Evans, Photographer We promise as the pictures come out we’ll have em for you here… right here… right in this very spot! For now let’s enjoy some blurry paparazzi shots from the British Daily Mail. We just got the dish on the newlyweds bling. Both Blake and Miranda’s rings were custom made by Beverly Hills jeweler Johnathon Arndt who also handcrafted Carrie Underwoods’ engagement ring and wedding band. Miranda’s ring is a 5-carat white diamond eternity ring, and Blake’s ring features a black diamond mounted on the inside (a detail specifically requested by Miranda) and a hand engraving based on one of Shelton’s tattoos. For the reception, Miranda changed into a strapless silk dress from Priscilla of Boston… my guess is this design right here. Stay tuned for more details!