GAC Nights To Close Up Shop

The popular country music show GAC Nights will be closing its’ doors after 2 years of production. GAC Nights: Live From Nashville, hosted by Suzanne Alexander and Buzz Brainard is calling it a day after the team was unable to find a syndicate to pick up the third season. GAC Nights was dropped by Citadel Media after Citadel ended their relationship with the GAC Network. Suzanne will return to hosting duties at GAC-TV while the fate of the rest of the show’s staff has yet to be determined.Country Music Photo Gallery

Ruth Collins – Exclusive Interview

Ruth Collins sits down for an unconventional interview with Country Music News Blog Ruth Collins is best known (for now) as half of the charming and sensational duo “Wild Honey” from last year’s Can You Duet competition. In an exclusive 20/140 interview, Ruth talks about going solo, the competition, and whatever else she can fit into 140 characters or less. The 20/140 interview was conducted live on Twitter for all our followers to see and comment on. The format is 20 questions, asked then answered in 140 characters or less each. It’s a great way to get the quick and dirty on our favorite country stars without the media and PR firm middlemen, so enjoy! Press Play! <a href=”http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=dc0762538b” >Twitter 20/140 With Ruth Collins</a>Stay in touch with Ruth Collins on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ruthcollins or me at http://www.twitter.com/DHCountryMusic! You can also find Ruth on MySpace!Country Music Photo Gallery

Caitlin & Will Have a First Single At Last!

Caitlin and Will finally release their first single, and it’s sure to be an instant hit! Caitlin & Will were surprise winners of last year’s Can You Duet competition with stunning chemistry and certainly a unique sound. So where did they go after the big win? Well it seems they spent a little time getting things just right before making their big breakthrough because their first single “Even Now” is absolutely perfect. Gone is the awkwardness, and it would seem they stuck to their individuality. Will is still that teddy bear you just want to hug on, and Caitlin is a powerhouse to be reckoned with. Together they’re just amazing! A big thanks to CMTT for breaking this story open! Country Music Photo Gallery

Wynonna Thoughts on American Idol

Wynonna gives advice for American Idol hopefuls. Wynonna comes from the school of thought that says if you want something bad enough, you need to work hard for it. So when asked about American Idol, she urges kids to build their talent, and their circle of support first: “A lot of these people don’t have experience and they’re not ready,” she continued. “When they’re successful, they’re like ‘Oh, crap, what do I do now?’ So they hire a bunch of people who cost them everything. So develop it now, start getting a work ethic, schedule your priorities. Focus, focus, focus on what it is you really wanna do.” read more… Excellent advice Wy!Country Music Photo Gallery

Music City Madness Auditions

Press Release Courtesy of Pop2Life CMT’s Online Talent Competition Searches for America’s Best Unsigned Country Music Acts CMT.com and Comcast have partnered to bring live local auditions throughout the month August to the cities of Knoxville, Nashville , Pittsburgh and Atlanta as the network searches for the next breakout country music act in the third annual MUSIC CITY MADNESS. Undiscovered singer/songwriters will have a chance to video tape an original song and submit it to CMT.com’s national on-line competition. The local auditions will be held in August, and grand prize winner from each city will be guaranteed a spot in the top 64 finalists and receive a Comcast/CMT-sponsored showcase in their hometown, along with $5,000 in prizes. In addition, the auditions will be taped and packaged for Comcast’s local video on demand channels. Country music’s first user-generated talent search, MUSIC CITY MADNESS offers undiscovered singer/songwriters a chance to showcase their talent and let fans decide who takes home the prize in the online battle of the bands. The grand prize winner will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Nashville to record an episode of the CMT online series UNPLUGGED AT STUDIO 330, a private audition with Warner Bros. Records A&R department and a mentoring session with country superstar Randy Travis. The online contest will again be featured in a half-hour CMT special, MUSIC CITY MADNESS – THE ROAD TO CMT, a round-by-round recap that reveals the top two finalists and highlights the best, craziest and most unique submissions. CMT will accept submissions for MUSIC CITY MADNESS through October 6. Entrants can submit their original video performance entry online or via mail to compete against the nation’s best undiscovered talent. All styles of country music are welcome including bluegrass, folk, southern rock and Americana, among others. The top 64 finalists will be chosen by CMT and revealed on October 21 where they will compete in single-elimination, tournament-style fan voting over a period of eight weeks. CMT.com visitors narrow the field week by week by voting for their favorite act, and the grand prize winner will be revealed December 16. Last year, more than four million votes were cast at CMT.com to name 13-year-old Utah native Katelynn Jolley the winner. Local auditions are scheduled as follows: KNOXVILLE MUSIC CITY MADNESS AUDITIONS Saturday, August 16 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Fountainhead College of Technology 3203 Tazewell Pike, Knoxville, TN PITTSBURGH MUSIC CITY MADNESS AUDITIONS Saturday, August 23 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Westin Pittsburgh 1000 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA ATLANTA MUSIC CITY MADNESS AUDITIONS Saturday, August 23 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Cobb Centre Galleria Two Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, GA NASHVILLE MUSIC CITY MADNESS AUDITIONS Wednesday, August 27 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Oceanway Studios 1200 17th Avenue South, Nashville, TNCountry Music Photo Gallery

Can You Duet – The Copollas

Sure the Coppola’s can sing… but can they sing to ME? One of the most frustrating things about watching singing competitions is the way some performers just don’t “get it”. Sadly, this seems to be the case with The Coppolas. The beautiful blond twins from Denver, CO can sing, and they can sing well, but they can’t seem to listen! Week after week they get brutal criticism from the judges on CMT’s show “Can You Duet”, especially from Naomi Judd, that visibly knocks them off their feet. Hopefully it’s shaking their pedastals a bit as well. Of course Naomi’s going to be the roughest on The Coppolas. She and her daughter battled against nearly every female stereotype to scratch and claw their way to success. They fought for fair billing, played in the smokey bars, slept in buses, beat down criticism over looks and weight and health and societal pressure, and came out on top. They didn’t bend and fold for their critics. They didn’t flash bare skin and flutter their eyes to get their way. They WORKED, and out of that work they built a legacy and a standard for female artists everywhere. What the Coppola twins can’t seem to really understand is the simple statement that you HAVE to be more than just a pretty voice and a pretty face to make fans fall in love with you. You have to open yourself up to your fans. Show them your softer side. Get up close and intimate with them through your music. Because right now all I’ve seen The Coppolas do is issue forth perfectly practiced notes and predictable but restrained spunk. They’re singing AT the audiences rather than TO us! What I’d like to see: I’d like to see Kate and Kacey find a song that makes their hearts bleed and share THAT with us. Otherwise they’ll remain “those cute twins from that singing contest” instead of having a real music career. A pretty face can get you the audience, but it’s TALENT that keeps it.Country Music Photo Gallery