Thompson Square Performs On FOX & Friends

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Thompson Square Performs on FOX & Friends on Their Way to CMA Fest. The popular husband and wife duo, Thompson Square, will be performing their most recent single, “I Got You” in a special performance on FOX & Friends “All American Concert Series” this Friday, June 3rd at 8am EST. “I Got You” is the follow up single to Thompson Square’s wildly popular “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not“. This performance marks the calm before the storm for the duo as they head to Nashville next week for a whirlwind of performances and appearances! They will be attending the 2011 CMT Music Awards on Wednesday, June 8th as they are nominated in the USA Weekend Breakthrough of the Year and Duo of the Year categories. Fan voting is still open! So, make your voice heard by clicking here. Additionally, they will be making an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry and signing at both the CMT and GAC booths during the CMA Music Festival. Thompson Square is gearing up for a summer as busy as next week since they will be opening on Jason Aldean’s My Kinda Party tour with their first performance at Summerfest in Milwaukee, WI July 8th. If you haven’t had a chance yet, go ahead and check out the video for “I Got You” now! [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5yNYMp7DPQ]

LeAnn Rimes Supports Tornado Victims

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LeAnn Rimes Holds Benefit for Victims of Recent Tornadoes. With yet another bout of tornadoes and storms devastating parts of the U.S., country stars and country music fans continue to rally in support of the victims coping with the aftermath. LeAnn Rimes and husband Eddie Cibrian are no exception. Rimes has announced she will be co-hosting a special event with Cibrian, “An Evening with Leann Rimes” in an effort to raise funds and support those still reeling from the consequences of the storms. “We all need a hand sometimes and this is the time. Our heart goes out to Alabama and Missouri and all those affected by the recent tragedies there. I am happy Eddie and I can help out in some way.” -LeAnn Rimes The benefit will include an all acoustic set performed by Rimes as well as a silent auction before the show with signed memorabilia from Reba McEntire, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Bieber, Kim Kardashian, and the cast of Glee. In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to bid on a special auction for a private drink with Rimes and Cibrian after the show. The concert and auction will be held at Jacksonville’s Ponte Vedra Concert Hall on Sunday, June 5th. Tickets run for $65.00 or $100.00 for VIP seating. VIP seating also includes an autographed photo from LeAnn Rimes and a private Q&A. All proceeds will go to benefit the victims of the recent storms.

East Texas Crawfish Boil Raises Money!

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Big Bird Boil Raises Money For St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital! Last weekend I took the rainy journey to Linden, a little East Texas town, where I paticipated in a local effort. County Road 1617 takes you to a piece of land that hosts the “Birg Bird Boil” , an annual crawfish boil benefiting the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The rain cleared just in time and the delicious affair went off with out a hitch for the 14th year in a row, raising over $15,000 for the cause! There was a live auction, raffle prizes, food (chicken quarters, hamburgers, hotdogs, and all the fixings were also served), entertainment, and happy faces all around! The day began bright and early preparing for the fast approaching long lines of mudbug, corn and potatoe lovers! The night ended with local entertainment, Roadside Saints, Stray Bullets and the Rodney Whatley Band. Don Henley, a former resident of the area and member of The Eagles, was very generous in donating many items to be auctioned off, including some autographed Eagles’ CDs (one went for over $400!). The Big Bird Boil was started in 1997 and to date has raised over $145,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Each year the event is dedicated to a community member who lost their life tragically. It is ran by some Texan families with big hearts who give their all in working towards success, beating their previous goal year after year! “I trully hope that we have helped the ones that need it the most.” Randy Webster, contributing member Almost every person you talk to these days, has known someone who is, or has battled with cancer. This is a terrible disease that needs as much attention and research as possible! For more information on St. Jude and their efforts click here. The Big Bird Boil is held on the third Saturday of May each year and has no end in sight. So if you like cajun crawdads and love supporting a good cause head on down May 19, 2012, they would love to have yall! I hope everyone has a fun-filled Memorial Day Weekend! Be safe and keep those who have been affected by the recent tornadoes in your thoughts and prayers!

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