Country Artists Join The Pontoon Party

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Look Who Joined The Pontoon Party! As Little Big Town‘s “Pontoon” is being called the song of the summer by many, we can’t help but think this little video confirms that notion! Some of LBT’s fellow musicians/friends have done their part in expressing their love of the song by filming their versions of the hit. Below are clips of this molded together. Wynonna Judd, Sara Evans, Darius Rucker, Luke Bryan, Pistol Annies, Hunter Hayes and TV personalities Nan Kelley and Suzanne Alexander, plus many more have made this such a fun and entertaining video! Congrats to Little Big Town for all their success with this single!

WIN A Signed Copy Of JT Hodges Album

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JT Hodges Debuts His First Album Tomorrow and You Can WIN a Signed Copy! JT Hodges‘ debut self-titled album released TODAY (Tuesday, August 21st) and YOU could win a free signed copy! I’ve already had the opportunity to take a good long listen to Hodges new record, and you can check out my complete review now. If you’re not in the mood for reading though, I’ll go ahead and tell you that I think you’ll love this album. Its original, honest, and relatable. So, without further ado…get details on how you can win a singed copy all of your own below! JT Hodges Giveaway Details Comment below sharing why you’re a JT Hodges fan! Share this post via Facebook/or Twitter with your friends! Important Guidelines Winners will be randomly selected and notified individually. Prizes were provided by Show Dog Universal Music. Entries must be received by Tuesday, August 28th. Winners will not be eligible for another prize drawing until 90days after this one.

Mary Chapin Carpenter Inducted Into Hall Of Fame

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Mary Chapin Carpenter & More To Be Inducted Into The Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame Foundation. The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation (NaSHOF) announced today the 2012 inductees into the Hall of Fame: Tony Arata, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Larry Henley and Kim Williams. Arata and Williams were named in the Songwriter category; Carpenter was elected in the Songwriter/Artist category; and Henley will be inducted in a new Veteran Songwriter category. The four new inductees will be welcomed into the elite songwriter’s community by their peers and leaders in the Nashville music community at the 42nd Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Dinner & Induction Ceremony, presented by AT&T, on Sunday, October 7, at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel. “Among all the great songwriters who have put the music in Music City, only a select few are elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. We are delighted to accord this honor to Tony, Kim and Mary Chapin, and pleased as well to recognize Larry as the first inductee in the Veteran Songwriter category.” -John Van Mol, chairman of the foundation’s board of directors. This past year, the Foundation created a Veteran Songwriter selection process to run parallel to regular Hall of Fame balloting. Instead of being voted on by professional songwriters and Hall of Fame members on the regular ballot, those in the Veteran category (whose first significant songs appeared 30 or more years ago) are considered by a special committee of Hall of Famers and other contemporaries most familiar with their work. Tony Arata’s songwriter credits include hits such as “The Dance” (Garth Brooks) and “Here I Am” (Patty Loveless). Kim Williams’ resume is known for hits such as “Three Wooden Crosses” (Randy Travis) and “Ain’t Goin’ Down Till The Sun Comes Up” (Garth Brooks). Larry Henley is the tunesmith behind the smash “The Wind Beneath My Wings” (Gary Morris, Bette Midler) and “’Til I Get It Right” (Tammy Wynette). Mary Chapin Carpenter popularized many of her own compositions such as “Down At The Twist And Shout” and “I Feel Lucky.” The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Dinner & Induction Ceremony is one of the music industry’s foremost events of the year. The evening features tributes and performances of the inductees’ songs by special guest artists. NaSHOF’s sister organization, the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), also presents its annual awards for the year’s best Song, Songwriter and Songwriter/Artist, as well as the Top 10 “Songs I Wish I Had Written,” as determined by the professional songwriters division. Tickets for the event are $225 each. A limited number of seats are available to the public this year and may be purchased (as available) by contacting event director Mark Ford at hoftix@nashvillesongwriters.com or 615-256-3354.

Colt Ford Celebrity Golf Classic

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The Colt Ford & Friends Celebrity Golf Classic Will Be Held September 24! Country artist and former PGA golfer Colt Ford has announced his First Annual Colt Ford & Friends Celebrity Golf Classic to be held on September 24, 2012 at the beautiful Chateau Elan located just outside of Atlanta, GA. Proceeds will help St. Jude continue its mission of finding cures and saving children battling cancer and other deadly diseases. “I could not think of a better way to raise money than playing golf with a group of my good buddies. I really wanted to help contribute to the efforts of the amazing doctors, researches and staff at St. Jude. I am thankful for the opportunity to give back to such an outstanding organization.” -Ford Artists joining Ford in his effort to raise much needed funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital include Darius Rucker, Jake Owen, Justin Moore, Jamey Johnson, John Anderson, John Michael Montgomery, Jason Michael Carol, Edwin McCain, Laura Bell Bundy, Wanya Morris and Nate Morris from Boyz II Men, Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels, plus professional golfers Tommy Gainy, Brian Gay, Heath Slocum, Harris English, Brendan Todd, Hudson Swofford, Brian Harmon, Kyle Thomson, William McGirt, Tommy Biershenk, Ken Duke, Scott Brown, Boo Weekley, Matt Bettincourt, Josh Broadaway, Kris Blanks, Sean Cain and celebrities Corey Miller and Jeff Foxworthy. Colt Ford & Friends Celebrity Golf Classic is sponsored in part by Akins Ford, AO Smith, Roswell Food Group, Country Girl Cocktails, Foxworthy Outdoors, Adams Golf and Mr. Goodtime Moonshine. Sounds like a great way to raise money for a GREAT cause to me! I’m sure it will turn into one great party with plenty of laughs!

Josh Turner On The Late Show

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Josh Turner To Be On The Late Show With David Letterman and The Chew. Josh Turner takes his talents from the stage to the stovetop with appearances on CBS’ The Late Show with David Letterman and ABC’s The Chew on Thursday, August 23. On The Chew, alongside co-hosts Clinton Kelly, Daphne Oz, Chef Carla Hall, Chef Mario Batali and Chef Michael Symon, Turner whips up his favorite recipe for the South Carolininan staple “Frogmore Stew.” Commonly known as “Lowcountry Boil,” he uses his signature combination of potatoes, sausage, corn, shrimp and zesty cajun seasoning that was originally crafted at Turner’s monthly “Brotherhood Suppers” at his hometown Hannah, SC church. Tune in at 1:00PM ET to get the full recipe and watch Turner work his culinary magic. Turner’s performance of his current top five hit “Time is Love,” from his fifth studio release Punching Bag, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart, will air on CBS’s The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35PM ET. Also, Turner’s LIVE album with Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Josh Turner – Live Across America will be available exclusively in all Cracker Barrel stores and digitally on iTunes / Amazon.com next Monday, August 27.

Chris Young’s NEON Promotion With GAC

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Chris Young Teams Up With GAC For A Chance To Win His NEON Guitar! Ever wanted to own a famous musical instrument? Well here is you chance, thanks to GAC and Chris Young! Now through September 10, GAC is giving you the exclusive chance to win the actual “Neon” guitar used by Young in his current hit video for the song. In addition to the unique grand prize, GAC will award an autographed copy of Young’s current album NEON to runner up winners. Check out GACtv.com for all of the details and register to win. The summer continues to sizzle for Young as the Sony ATV staff invited Chris, his management team, and Sony executives to celebrate Chris’ five consecutive No. 1 singles (“You,” “Tomorrow,” “Gettin’ You Home,” “Voices,” and “The Man I Want To Be”). The day prior to the already scheduled event, mega-hit “Tomorrow,” (written by Young, Frank Myers, and Anthony Smith) was certified PLATINUM by the RIAA for sales exceeding one million downloads. This momentous award comes on the heels of a GOLD certification being announced last week for “The Man I Want To Be.”

Wynonna Judd’s Husband Loses Leg

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Wynonna Judd’s Husband Had His Leg Amputated After Crash. According to TMZ, Wynonna Judd’s husband had his left leg amputated following a horrific motorcycle crash in South Dakota this weekend. Judd’s rep told them, Michael Scott Moser “severed” his leg in the crash. When he was transported to a hospital in Rapid City, SD doctors determined it was necessary to amputate the leg above the knee. The rep also says Moser had to undergo surgery on his hand, which is of particular concern because he is the drummer in Judd’s band. Judd’s rep tells them, “Judd and Moser appreciate all of the quick medical and police responders as well as the hospital staff and well-wishes from family, friends and fans.” We at CMNB send prayers and positive thoughts to Moser, Judd and all of their family and friends!

JT Hodges Debut Album Review

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JT Hodges Offers Up Original and Inviting Sound with Debut Album. When I first heard JT Hodges‘ debut single, “Hunt You Down“, I knew there was something special about this guy, and I had high hopes for the debut album was that slated to release this year. After getting my hands on a copy and giving all ten tracks a solid listen, I am pleased to report that Hodges didn’t let me down. What he is offering country music fans is a well-written and relatable album that has an original sound. One thing that immediately stands out to me is the level of quality and subtle diversity in the instrumentals. Hodges has music in his blood, with both his parents being in the music industry and growing up playing in his father’s recording studio. This influence is more than clear through all of the tracks, and it accounts for the variety we hear in the music from the pop-country vibe in “Hunt You Down” to the rock back beat of “Rather Be Wrong Than Lonely” to the old school bluesy country that is all over “Green Eyes Red Sunglasses” to the twang we hear in “When I Stop Crying“. I had the chance to chat with Hodges earlier this year, and he promised there would be something for everyone and all kinds of tastes on this album. That is certainly the case, but instead of sounding disconnected in an effort to draw a larger audience (as someone might assume), the tracks meld together well and really do form one complete album that listened to as a whole has a distinct sound that is original and inviting. Besides the quality of the music, the quality of the lyrics also stands out on this album. Hodges co-wrote all but one song on the record, and he proves that he knows how to tell a story. Each of the songs seems to be taken from daily living and experiences which makes each of the songs relatable to the country music listener. Whether he’s singing about the secrets of small town life in “Sleepy Little Town” or living in the moment in “Leaving Me Later“, JT paints pictures that anyone could easily identify with, and I think that this quality is extremely important, especially with country fans. One last great thing about this album is that its the kind of record you could listen to anytime whether you’re riding in the car with friends with the windows down on a lazy afternoon or the on the way to a concert, or maybe just while you’re hanging around the house or at work on a Monday, this is definitely one of those albums you just put on repeat and go! JT Hodges releases tomorrow (Tuesday, August 21st), so you don’t have to take my word for it! You can grab your own copy, and be sure to tell us what you think! You could WIN a signed copy of the new album from CMNB! Go Continue reading JT Hodges Debut Album Review→

Miranda Lambert LIVE At The Arkansas Music Pavilion

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Miranda Lambert Put On a Hell of a Show as Headliner of 1st Annual Taste of Country Festival in Fayetteville, AR! Miranda Lambert is currently considered by many to be the first lady of country music, and it’s really not hard to see why. In the past few months alone, she earned the CMA Award for Female Artist of the Year (again) as well as the ACM Award for Female Vocalist, she released her another amazing album, For The Record, she kick started her female trio The Pistol Annies with Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe with great success, and well, those are just the highlights! Lambert really is an amazing artist, but more than that, I learned Friday night (August 17th) at the Arkansas Music Pavilion in Fayetteville, AR, she is a truly fantastic live performer. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, it’s one thing to be able to sing on an album (with your producer, vocal coaches and other helpful folks there to lend a hand…), and it’s another thing all together to be able to perform those same songs live. On top of achieving that distinction, Miranda Lambert can do more than sing. She is a natural live performer. Whether she’s singing the bitter sweet “The House That Built Me” the raw and powerful hit, “Kerosene” the intense hit “Gunpowder and Lead” or her moving “Over You“, Lambert packs in every bit of energy she’s got into every single note. Wearing high heeled black boots, a sparkling black mini skirt and a Chris Knight t-shirt, Lambert was “bad-ass” personified, and she was dancing and jumping all over that stage with her pink guitar, pink microphone and Shotgun shaped microphone stand (you can see pics of all this below!). The production design of the concert was minimal with a few videos on the big screen at the back of the stage, and the lighting kept to a basic but effective level. It hardly mattered though because it was impossible to take your eyes off of Lambert and her performance. The concert got even better when Miranda was joined on stage by the other two thirds of the Pistol Annies, Angaleena and Ashley! The trio performed a handful of songs including fan favorite “Takin’ Pills“. It was clear that these three women have a special friendship, and that they have a heck of a time performing together…even if they forget a couple of their lyrics…which they did but they played it off really well! Even before this performance, Miranda Lambert was already my favorite female country artist, but now, I have a whole new appreciation for her! I suggest you check out her tour schedule, and try to see her live ASAP (and the Pistol Annies too if you can manage it!). Check Out Our Exclusive Miranda Lambert Photos! For more photos of your favorite country stars…head on over to our Facebook! For interviews, subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

Chris Knight Interview at The AMP

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HaleighT Interviews Chris Knight at the Arkansas Music Pavilion in Fayetteville, AR! Friday afternoon, we had the chance to briefly meet up with singer/songwriter Chris Knight! This is one performer who has been in the songwriting game for more than a few years now having written songs for hit slingers like Randy Travis and Montgomery Gentry, and so it was a really cool experience to get to chat with him for just a couple minutes! He may be a man of few words when he’s talkin’, but he filled us in on what he’s up to right now, what’s coming up next and more. Check it out below! Watch HaleighT’s Interview with Chris Knight here: [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZcJ9Kz9wI8] For more on Chris Knight, head on over to his official page!