Luke Bryan to Kick Off Super Bowl!

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Luke Bryan on Country Music News Blog!

Country music superstar LUKE BRYAN will sing the National Anthem as part of Super Bowl LI pregame festivities at NRG Stadium in Houston on Sunday, February 5, the NFL and FOX announced today. The performance will be televised live on FOX prior to kickoff. The Super Bowl is annually the most-watched television program. Bryan’s performance of the National Anthem in Houston will be his first time appearing on the Super Bowl stage. Get tickets to all the Super Bowl action from our trusted partners at Country Music On Tour! Bryan is a two-time Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year and has hosted the ACM Awards for four consecutive years. Since the debut of his first album in 2007, he has placed 17 singles at No.1 and sold nearly eight million albums. His fifth studio album, Kill The Lights, is certified Platinum and has sold 3.5 million tracks with over 400 million streams. Bryan joins the ranks of many great performers who have sang the Super Bowl National Anthem including: Lady Gaga, Idina Menzel, Renee Fleming, Alicia Keys, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Neil Diamond, Whitney Houston, Harry Connick Jr., Garth Brooks, Natalie Cole, Vanessa Williams, Luther Vandross, Cher, Faith Hill, Mariah Carey, Dixie Chicks, Beyonce Knowles, Christina Aguilera and many more. In addition, on behalf of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), actor KRISTON LEE PUMPHREY will perform in American Sign Language both the National Anthem and “America The Beautiful.” The NFL previously announced that LADY GAGA, who performed the National Anthem prior to Super Bowl 50, will headline the Pepsi Zero Sugar Super Bowl LI Halftime Show. The pregame and halftime shows are an NFL NETWORK PRODUCTION and will be executive produced by RICKY KIRSHNER.

KELSEA BALLERINI NAMED FEATURED ENTERTAINER FOR 2017 SYMPHONY FASHION SHOW

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Kelsea Ballerini on Country Music News Blog

Best New Artist GRAMMY® nominee and Black River recording artist Kelsea Ballerini will be the featured entertainer for the 2017 Symphony Fashion Show, taking place on Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Ballerini will join featured designer Zac Posen for the star-studded, 12th edition of the annual event. Former Miss Tennessee, actress and television personality Allison DeMarcus will emcee the event, with Janet Ayers serving as honorary chair. Shaun Inman and Sheila Shields, co-chairs of the 2017 Symphony Fashion Show, made the announcement during the Symphony Fashion Show kickoff party at Gus Mayer. “Kelsea Ballerini is a one-of-a-kind talent whose gorgeous voice and incredible songs have already garnered her a host of awards and recognitions,” Inman and Shields said, “including her recent GRAMMY® and People’s Choice Awards nominations and a No. 2 ranking on the Forbes ‘30 Under 30’ list for 2017. Pairing her with renowned designer Zac Posen for the Symphony Fashion Show brings together two young stars at the top of their respective professions and adds even more excitement and energy to what is already one of Music City’s most glamorous and stunning annual events. It promises to be a magical evening, and we can’t wait to hear Kelsea perform for a sellout crowd in April!” Though only 23 years old, Ballerini has already skyrocketed into the spotlight thanks to her innovative vision, passionate ambition, natural-born talent and genuine charm. Dubbed “Country’s Next Queen” by Billboard, the Knoxville, Tennessee, native continues to blaze her own trail to superstardom as she is the only female artist in country music history, including female duos and groups, to go No. 1 with her first three consecutive singles from a debut album. Ballerini is currently climbing the country radio charts with the single “Yeah Boy.” Ballerini’s 2015 critically acclaimed Gold-certified stunner The First Time has earned her high praise from fans and the music press, and has delivered the Platinum-certified hits “Love Me Like You Mean It” and “Peter Pan,” and the Gold-certified “Dibs.” With a co-host spot alongside Arsenio Hall on ABC’s summer replacement series Greatest Hits and critics gushing over her live shows, Ballerini continues to earn awards and accolades, including her first ACM Award for New Female Vocalist of the Year, the fan-voted Radio Disney Music Award for The Freshest – Best New Artist (all genre) and the American Country Countdown Award (ACCA) for Breakthrough Female of the Year. In addition, Ballerini has become familiar face on the iconic Grand Ole Opry stage. The Symphony Fashion Show is one of Nashville’s leading runway shows and is presented through a partnership between the Symphony and Gus Mayer of Nashville. Proceeds from the Symphony Fashion Show help support the Nashville Symphony’s artistic, education and community engagement programs, which annually reach tens of thousands of children and adults through concerts, free performances and instruction, classroom curriculum and more. Tickets for the 2017 Symphony Fashion Show will go on sale in March. More information is available at NashvilleSymphony.org/fashionshow. Continue reading KELSEA BALLERINI NAMED FEATURED ENTERTAINER FOR 2017 SYMPHONY FASHION SHOW→

MIRANDA LAMBERT’S THE WEIGHT OF THESE WINGS SOARS INTO 2017

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Miranda Lambert on Country Music News Blog

MULTIPLE GRAMMY NOMINATION’S TOPS 2016 CRITIC’S YEAR END LISTS HIGHWAY VAGABOND TOUR Vanner Records/RCA Records Nashville GRAMMY Award-winner Miranda Lambert’s new album, The Weight Of These Wings, ends 2016, and kicks off 2017 on a high note. The new release, The Weight Of These Wings, not only debuted at No.1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart and No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart, it spawned two GRAMMY Award nominations for BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE and BEST COUNTRY SONG for the album’s lead single “Vice.” Also, The Weight Of These Wings has appeared on numerous music critic’s 2016 Year End Best of Lists including Billboard (#1), Rolling Stone (#2), Us Weekly (#2), Cosmopolitan (#4), Variety (#4), Entertainment Weekly (#5), Vulture (#7) and NPR (#9) amongst many others. In addition, the song “Highway Vagabond” which appears among the 24 tracks that comprise the album, has lent its title for Lambert’s new tour aptly called the Highway Vagabond Tour which kicks off January 26th in Evansville, Indiana. Lambert’s sixth studio album, The Weight Of These Wings, has continued to garner praise from the media: “It is, though, Lambert’s least exuberant album, and also her best—one of the year’s best, in fact.” – The New Yorker “If ever there was any question, this multifaceted and distinctly modern work ought to lay it to rest: Lambert is the most fascinating and unfettered singer-songwriter of her country generation.” – NPR “On her 24-track double album, the new country generation’s leading outlaw balances humor, regret, love and anger in the brutally blunt way that only she can.” – Rolling Stone “…her piercing voice breaks in just the right places when her mood grows downcast, and explodes into colorful curlicues when she’s enthused, or peeved.” – The New York Times “…marvelous 24-track masterwork.” – Us Weekly “ ‘The Weight of These Wings’ matches the take-no-prisoners attitude of her lyrics with music that travels unexpected routes but often winds up touching the soul.” – The Boston Globe “Across 24 contemplative songs, Lambert aches without wallowing. She daydreams without self-delusion. And that brilliant twang in her voice sounds more anchored, more experienced. If sorrow can congeal into wisdom, this is what it sounds like.” – The Washington Post The Weight Of These Wings, Lambert’s double album, is produced by Frank Liddell, Glenn Worf, and Eric Masse. About Miranda Lambert: Vanner Records/RCA Records Nashville singer/songwriter Miranda Lambert touts six studio albums to her repertoire; Kerosene (2005), Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2007), Revolution (2009), Four The Record (2011) and Platinum (2014), the latter earning Lambert a GRAMMY Award for Best Country Album, in addition to her previous GRAMMY win for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 2010 for “The House That Built Me.” The Texas native released her sixth album, The Weight Of These Wings, on November 18, 2016. The first song released from The Weight Of These Wings, “Vice,” hit the Country Radio airwaves with a tally of 109 first week monitored reporting stations spinning the new song.  Her second single “We Continue reading MIRANDA LAMBERT’S THE WEIGHT OF THESE WINGS SOARS INTO 2017→

CHASE RICE’S UPCOMING “PUB SHOWS” REMINISCENT OF EARLY DIVE BAR DAYS

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The “dominating” performer and hit singer/songwriter will debut new songs from his forthcoming studio album for fans during a limited series of up-close, intimate shows in March From the moment he first picked up a guitar and started writing songs, Chase Rice knew that live shows would be the keystone of his music career. Having studied the mastery of entertainers like Blink 182, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Eminem and the Foo Fighters as a fan, Rice cut his own teeth as a performer playing every dive bar he could, sometimes playing to just a handful of people. The crowds have steadily grown over time as Rice has honed his craft, demanding as much of his audience as he does of himself and developing a uniquely unvarnished ability to connect with each and every person in the room when he takes the stage. Taste of Country calls Rice “a dominating presence in any room” and AXS notes that “he will have you hooked from the time you walk in the doors to the time you leave.” While his live show has evolved from dive bars and clubs to some of the country’s premiere festivals and stadiums, Rice fiercely guards that close connection with his fans and is revisiting his roots for a limited series of shows – aptly dubbed the “Pub Shows” after Rice’s own traveling backstage hang, “Pub 44” – bringing that intimate vibe to fans at select venues on March 23, 24 and 25. Get tickets to see Chase Rice from our partners at CountryMusicOnTour.com! “We’ve been touring nonstop for the past six years and have had the opportunity to play some of the biggest stages in the country, which has been incredible,” said Rice. “The fans have shown up and been there for us every day since the very beginning, so we wanted to do something for them and give them a different vibe and experience with some of these smaller shows. We’ve poured a lot into this album, and I can’t wait to get out there and share our new songs with fans face-to-face.” With his current single “Everybody We Know Does” climbing at country radio and a new studio album expected out this summer via Columbia Nashville / Dack Janiels Records, Rice is carefully curating a fresh set list for his upcoming live shows centered around the new music and will be giving fans the first listen to new songs starting in March. The inaugural Pub Shows will take place Thursday, March 23 at Brewhouse Music & Grill in Rome, Ga.; Friday, March 24 at Bluewater Bar & Grill in Valdosta, Ga and Saturday, March 25 at Dillinger’s in Americus, Ga. Tickets for the first three Pub Shows are available now. To purchase tickets and get more information on additional tour dates, visit www.chaserice.com or follow on Twitter @ChaseRiceMusic and www.Facebook.com/ChaseRiceMusic.

Lady Antebellum “You Look Good” Video and Tour Details!

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Country music’s favorite power trio is back! Lady Antebellum give it to us hot in their new track “You Look Good”, releasing the video for it today. This is the lead single from their upcoming album, Heartbreak, set to release June 9th. Lady Antebellum will be hitting the road to support the new album on the “You Look Good Tour” which kicks off May 26th! Check out the video for “You Look Good” right here on Country Music News Blog! Get tickets and tour details from our partners at Country Music On Tour!

ELI YOUNG BAND SAFE AFTER OVERNIGHT FIRE – BUS & TRAILER TOTAL LOSS

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Eli Young Band Bus Fire on Country Music News Blog

Eli Young Band received a frightening call last night from their long-time driver Randy Moore with news that one of their two busses, the band bus and trailer, were on fire. Parked just outside of Topeka, Kansas, where Moore was planning to sleep for the night in route to the band’s next show, the blaze broke out close to midnight.  Moore was just about to fall asleep, when suddenly, he heard an alarm that he had never heard before. Moore went to the front to look out the window and realized that the bus was engulfed in flames.  He immediately jumped into action and was thankfully able to escape unharmed, as it was only minutes before the bus was a complete loss. Randy also managed to save one of the chart-topping band’s guitars in the process, but everything else in the bus and trailer was destroyed by the fire. “We’ve lost more than a bus here. There are memories and possessions that we can’t replace! It’s really sad to see her go. We’re just happy that our driver Randy is safe!” said lead singer Mike Eli. Bass player Jon Jones added, “We spent six great years living and traveling in our bus. It was gone in a matter of minutes. Thank goodness that everyone is safe. Our driver, Randy, was able to grab one guitar but the rest is gone. This is a sad moment. So many great memories and things collected over the years that can’t be replaced but we know how much worse it could have been.” Eli Young Band will resume their tour schedule this Friday (1/20), in Mahnomen, Minnesota with stops over the next few weeks in North Dakota, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Indiana prior to heading to the West Coast. For more information about the band or upcoming dates log onto www.eliyoungband.com.

BRENT COBB’S NPR MUSIC TINY DESK CONCERT PREMIERES

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Brent Cobb on Country Music News BLog

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED NEW ALBUM SHINE ON RAINY DAY OUT NOW TOUR DATES CONFIRMED WITH CHRIS STAPLETON, LITTLE BIG TOWN, NIKKI LANE AND THE CADILLAC THREE AS WELL AS AN APPEARANCE AT STAGECOACH. Brent Cobb’s NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert premieres today and is now available to view here. Of the performance, NPR’s music Lars Gotrich praises, “precisely crafted phrases amid simple-yet-rich melodies…the words shimmer like a tall glass of sweet tea in the late-morning sun when he strings together a particularly consonant phrase…” The concert includes performances of “Solving Problems,” “Down in the Gulley,” “Country Bound” and “Shine On Rainy Day,” which are all featured on Brent’s acclaimed major label debut album, Shine On Rainy Day, now available on Low Country Sound/Elektra Records (purchase here). Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, etc.), the album was recorded live over four days in Nashville and has received overwhelming acclaim since it’s release last year… “…a trait that pushes all the right buttons throughout the ten tracks on this impressive effort that proves these relatives with impeccable musical synergy have more than just bloodlines in common.”—American Songwriter “…it harkens back to the early ‘70s when country music collided with folk-rock in the music of Glen Campbell, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Gram Parsons, and others. It’s a stellar set the Cobb cousins have offered up.” —Folk Alley, Best of 2016 “Brent Cobb paints the joy and sadness of rural life in stunning detail…”—Nashville Scene “A blend of attitude and inspiration, Shine on Rainy Day may be the ideal antidote for today’s troubling times.”—No Depression “…masterfully understated wit…”—NPR Music “…a modest sort of perfection: homey, comforting, steadfast.”—Rolling Stone, 40 Best Country Albums of 2016 “…what promises to be cobb’s breakout LP as a singer-songwriter.”—Rolling Stone “The new record is an outstanding piece of work and a collection of true, country songs.”—The Tennessean “This is one softly understated collection of country songs from a guy who makes a living writing for more commercial country artists. The front-porch feel and the ease of Brent Cobb’s playing make for a simple and beautiful album.” —WXPN World Café, David Dye’s Top 10 Albums of 2016 “…a gorgeous solo album that promises to place him in the top echelon of this century’s young troubadours…”—WXPN World Café Brent is currently in the midst of an extensive worldwide tour including upcoming dates supporting Chris Stapleton, Nikki Lane, The Cadillac Three, and Little Big Town as well as an appearance at Stagecoach. See below for complete tour details. Of the music and working with producer (and cousin) Dave Cobb, Brent comments, “It’s not as good as it’s going to get. But if it’s the last thing that I ever do, if I died the day after it came out, then thank God I was able to record it because the songs and the production, it was everything I wanted to say. Finally.” Dave adds, “I wanted to work with Brent for very selfish reasons. When he lifts a pen and opens his mouth, Continue reading BRENT COBB’S NPR MUSIC TINY DESK CONCERT PREMIERES→

THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND Discuss “Eat a Peach”

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Allman Brothers Band’s “…Peach” Bittersweet  Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts Discuss Death Of Duane Allman & Eat A Peach North American syndicated Rock radio show and website InTheStudio: The Stories Behind History’s Greatest Rock Bands  remembers The Allman Brothers Band’s first million seller album, Eat a Peach, on its 45th anniversary, a triumph marred by tragedy. The Allman Brothers Band were arguably the most influential American band in the first half of the Seventies, ushering in a generation of great Southern rock music, but not without suffering a massive personal and professional loss during the recording of 1972‘s Eat A Peach album. Older namesake sibling Duane Allman was already a veteran studio player on hit sessions at Muscle Shoals Studio. Duane was the American slide guitarist who traded lick for lick with the great Eric Clapton as Derek & the Dominoes on the legendary Layla album. Again, it was Duane Allman who formed and led the Allman Brothers Band and behind them an entire new Southern Rock movement. But midway through the recording of what would become Eat a Peach, Duane died riding his beloved motorcycle. Yet with almost superhuman resolve, singer / songwriter / organist Gregg Allman and the rest of the original group would not only continue, but reach even greater heights, eventually inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In this interview marking the forty-fifth anniversary of this bittersweet album, Gregg Allman and ex-guitarist Dickey Betts reveal how the music sustained the brotherhood. “The music was always kickass from the very start. That was a real constant thing in our lives. Without the music, if the music hadn’t been the way it was, then the brotherhood wouldn’t have been the way it was, and the whole thing would have collapsed a long time ago.”  – Gregg Allman “People really appreciated watching you do a lot of improv and watching you put yourself out on a limb…and put the music back together right there on stage… We enjoyed it as much as anyone did.”  – Dickey Betts The Allman Brothers Band  Eat a Peach @ 45/ InTheStudio interview program is available now to STREAM at: http://www.inthestudio.net/redbeards-blog/allman-brothers-band-eat-a-peach-anniversary-interview-with-gregg-allman/ The Allman Brothers: “http://www.allmanbrothersband.com” InTheStudio:  “http://www.inthestudio.net”

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® Honors Country Music Artist Darius Rucker with Randy Owen Angels Among Us Award

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Darius Rucker on Country Music News Blog

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® honored GRAMMY Award-winning country music artist Darius Rucker at the 28th annual Country Cares for St. Jude Kids® Seminar on Saturday, Jan. 14 at The Peabody Memphis. Rucker received the prestigious Randy Owen Angels Among Us Award, which recognizes individuals who have made exceptional and lasting contributions to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through their unique commitment and humanitarian spirit. Rucker is a staunch supporter who has championed the lifesaving mission of St. Jude for several years – lending his talented voice and passionate heart to raise funds and awareness for the hospital. In 2016, Rucker hosted the seventh consecutive, star-studded Darius Rucker and Friends benefit, a sold-out concert that featured performances by Charley Pride, Hunter Hayes, Drake White, Terri Clark, LOCASH and Scotty McCreery. The annual event has raised more than $800,000 for St. Jude, helping to ensure families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. In 2015, Rucker recorded “Possibilities,” a song inspired by courageous St. Jude patient Brennan. Rucker heard the tune when Brennan presented it to him, and he later recorded it at a session in Memphis with the help of patients at the hospital. Rucker was surprised during the event with a $50,000 donation to St. Jude, given in his honor from ACM Lifting Lives, in recognition of Rucker’s charitable spirit and work with both St. Jude and the Academy of Country Music’s charitable arm. ACM Lifting Lives works to improve lives through the power of music. “Darius Rucker’s generosity, passion and humanitarian spirit inspire us all, and we are honored to recognize him with this well-deserved award,” said Richard Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “His numerous contributions and generous donations are a testament to his continued commitment to helping St. Jude save the lives of children suffering from cancer and other life-threatening diseases around the world. We are extremely grateful for the support of Darius and countless other country music artists who lend their hearts, time and talent to help further our mission.” This award places Rucker among the ranks of only four past recipients, including ALABAMA front man and co-founder of Country Cares for St. Jude Kids, Randy Owen for whom the award is named, country artist John Rich, former ALSAC Chief Operating Officer David McKee (posthumously) and St. Jude Country Cares Advisory Council member, Sharon Eaves (posthumously). Rucker first gained fame as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the GRAMMY Award-winning American rock band Hootie & the Blowfish. Since then, he has dominated country music charts as a solo artist. Rucker recently signed on as host for the second season of “Reel South,” an anthology series highlighting 12 non-fiction stories from across the country, celebrating America’s rich tradition of southern comfort. Country Cares for St. Jude Kids is recognized as one of the largest country music industry Continue reading St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® Honors Country Music Artist Darius Rucker with Randy Owen Angels Among Us Award→

Chris Lane To Perform On The Bachelor

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CHRIS LANE TO MAKE BUCKET LIST PERFORMANCE ON AN UPCOMING EPISODE OF ABC’s HIT ROMANCE REALITY SERIES THE BACHELOR, AIRING JANUARY 23rd Current Single “For Her” Climbing The Country Radio Charts Breakout Star To Hit The Road Opening Florida Georgia Line’s DIG YOUR ROOTS TOUR This Month  Breakout country star Chris Lane will make a bucket list appearance in an upcoming episode of ABC’s The Bachelor. The episode will feature a special performance by the die-hard The Bachelor fan of his current chart-rising, tender single “For Her” during a one on one date with the newest Bachelor, Nick Viall. This episode of The Bachelor, currently celebrating its 21st season, is scheduled to air Monday, January 23rd, at 8/7c, on ABC. “It’s no secret one of my favorite shows is The Bachelor/Bachelorette … so this was definitely a bucket list opportunity that I could never pass up,” exclaims Lane. “The crew, Nick and his date were a lot of fun to work with and the sold out crowd was amazing. Definitely a highlight of the year!” Co-written by Matt Dragstrem, Kelly Archer and Sarah Buxton, “For Her” follows the #1, GOLD-certified hit “Fix” and once again pairs the newcomer’s breathtaking falsetto vocals with a R&B-meets-country feel. It’s the second single from his debut album GIRL PROBLEMS (Big Loud Records), which landed inside the Top 10 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart upon its August 5th release. Lane will continue to kick off 2017 with a bang later this month, joining Florida Georgia Line’s DIG YOUR ROOTS TOUR as the featured opening artist. The nationwide trek begins January 27th in Tallahassee, Florida. Nick Viall, runner-up on Kaitlyn Bristowe’s and Andi Dorfman’s seasons of The Bachelorette and a fan-favorite on Bachelor In Paradise, is taking one more chance at finding his true love. The 36-year-old entrepreneur from Milwaukee, Wisconsin is ready to put his heartbreak behind him and move forward on an international journey that he hopes will lead him to the woman he will spend the rest of his life with. Now that Nick is handing out the roses, will he finally find the love that he has been longing for? Follow Nick’s search for “the one” on the hit romance reality series The Bachelor, Mondays (8:00 – 10:01 p.m., ET/PT) on ABC.