Win Sara Evans Autographed Merchandise!

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Sara Evans is back and I dare say…. Stronger… than ever! Country Music News Blog is proud to announce a special giveaway from Sara Evans, celebrating the release and instant success of her new album “Stronger“. We’re giving away an autographed copy of the album to one lucky winner, and an autographed album AND her new book to another! To enter, text COUNTRY to 22828! It’s that simple! The title track from Sara’s new album is already dominating both radio airplay and video rotations on all the major networks, and for good reason. The song is raw, emotional, and touches a deep place that at least every woman I know can connect with. We all know what it’s like to slowly, day by day, move past the hurt and heartache until one day you realize that it’s not holding you back any longer, and Sara does SUCH a good job of putting that experience into a song. The rest of the album keeps that pace and offers listeners what feels like an inside peek at her very heart-wrenching turn from heartbreak into a surprising new love. Take a listen to the album by clicking the banner to the right, and tell us what you think! To enter the giveaway, text COUNTRY to 22828! * Prize provided by Sony Music. * Entries must be received by Monday March 28th. * Winners will not be eligible for another prize drawing until 90days after this one. * 2 Winners will be drawn Tuesday March 29th from our text subscribers and will be notified individually. * Standard text messaging rates may apply. * Subscriber information is NEVER shared or sold from our contact list and will ONLY be used for future site promotions and prize drawings.

Rascal Flatts Summer Tour 2011

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Rascal Flatts Announce Brand New Summer Tour for 2011 Rascal Flatts have anounced their new summer tour for 2011, “Flatts Fest” which will kick off June 18th in Bristow, Virginia. So far, the show is set to run through September with a total of twenty-four dates and venues. The tour will include new production designs as well as a new set list. Also, to magnify the fun-filled atmosphere of the live concert experience, there will be pre-show festival and tailgating activities spread throughout the plaza and parking areas for all fans to participate in and make a whole day of it, including a mobile karaoke vehicle, carnival games, photo booths, putt putt golf, food vendors, and plenty of exciting contests. Touring with Rascal Flatts on “Flatts Fest” will be Sara Evans, Easton Corbin and Justin Moore. Text COUNTRY to 22828 to be eligible for exclusive text subscriber giveaways from CountryMusicNewsBlog.com!

Dwight Yoakam Lends Voice to Michelle Branch

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Dwight Yoakam Sings In New Duet with Michelle Branch Iconic country singer Dwight Yoakam, known over the past couple of decades not only for his considerable musical talent but also his acting capabilities, is featured on Michelle Branch‘s track “Long Goodbye“. “One of my favorite artists is Dwight Yoakam. When I was in the studio in Nashville, we met and I told him it would be a dream come true if he sang on my record. Next thing you know, he was in the studio singing “Long Goodbye” with me. I couldn’t imagine this song without his voice on it.” -Michelle Branch Branch transitioned from Pop music, known for her massively popular album, Hotel Paper, onto the Country Music scene through her collaboration with Jessica Harp in their duo group The Wreckers and hit album Stand Still, Look Pretty. A Sedona, Arizona native, this move to country music helped Branch get back to her roots. Branch released an EP album Everything Comes and Goes in 2010 featuring several quality songs, one of which she had hoped would be “Long Goodbye” but this did not pan out. You can dowload the Dwight Yoakam and Michelle Branch duet for free by clicking here. Text COUNTRY to 22828 to be eligible for exclusive text subscriber giveaways from CountryMusicNewsBlog.com!

Kip Moore Debuts New Single

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Kip Moore Releases New Song to Country Radio Georgia native, Kip Moore‘s debut single “Mary Was The Marrying Kind” has debuted, and is being greeted with substantial response, especially considering Moore is a new artist on the country music scene. “This early reception is a complete shock, to be honest. There is nothing more flattering than when someone appreciates something you wrote and put your heart and soul into. There’s not a greater compliment in the world than having people at radio who listen to music every day pay attention to your lyrics and enjoy what you do.” -Kip Moore “Mary Was The Marrying Kind” is featured on Moore’s just completed, upcoming album on which he either wrote or co-wrote each and every song. He recently performed the song at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville during Universal Music Group Nashville’s Country Radio Seminar show, and received rave reviews from the crowd as well as critics. To find out more about this new and exciting artist, check out this video: Kip Moore-Introducing Kip Moore. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvX5ycnGo9s] Text COUNTRY to 22828 to be eligible for exclusive text subscriber giveaways from CountryMusicNewsBlog.com!

Martina McBride Releases New Single

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Martina McBride Releases New Single “Teenage Daughter” Martina McBride’s new single “Teenage Daughter“, the first new music she has released since 2009, has hit country music air warves. The autobiographical song takes an interesting angle, speaking from the perspective of both father and mother, on parenting and coping with the inevitable changes that come as children grow up. The song is co-written by McBride and The Warren Brothers, and connects to those difficult teenage years when parents have to begin to let go. “t’s just inevitable as they grow up. It’s their job to become more independent and our job to walk the balance between keeping them close and letting them go a little at a time. No matter how much you think you are prepared for it, it still takes you by surprise …This is every day life and it’s why I love country music – It touches us right at the heart of what we are feeling or dealing with on a daily basis.” -Martina McBride The single is featured on McBride’s new album which is due out this fall and includes seven more tracks co-written by Martina. This is the first album in which she has written a majority of the material herself. “I finally made the time to write more and it’s made this album so much more personal…this album shows so many sides of my personality and the fact that I wrote most of it will make it interesting and fun for my fans.” -Martina McBride McBride will be performing as a part of the special tribute concert “Girl’s Night Out: Superstar Women of Country” which is set to air April 22 at 8pm ET on CBS Text COUNTRY to 22828 to be eligible for exclusive text subscriber giveaways from CountryMusicNewsBlog.com!

The Grascals Perform on Larry’s Country Diner

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The Grascals Perform on RFD TV’s Larry’s Country Diner with Darryl Worley The popular award winning and Grammy-nominated Bluegrass group, The Grascals stopped in to play a few songs for RFD TV’s Larry’s Country Diner. The Grascals’ set included recent songs like their current single, “I Am Strong” as well as classics, and an exciting performance with special guest, platinum-selling country star, Daryl Worely on “White Lightning” featured on their latest album. “It’s always great fun. You never know what’s going to happen, and this time, Larry surprised us with classic TV footage of The Osborne Brothers’ performance of ‘Up This Hill’ on the set’s jukebox – and then we performed it ourselves …Very cool.” -Terry Eldredge, The Grascals’ co-founder on taping the episode The episode airs Satruday, March 19th 11pm ET/10pm Central, so be sure to check local listings so you don’t miss out! The Grascals’ latest album, currently on Billboards Top 10 for Bluegrass Albums, The Grascals & Friends-Country Classics with a Bluegrass Spin, is available exclusively at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store with a portion of the proceeds being donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Text COUNTRY to 22828 to be eligible for exclusive text subscriber giveaways from CountryMusicNewsBlog.com!

Kenny Chesney Designs Sunglasses

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Kenny Chesney Designs Limited Edition Sunglasses Kenny Chesney has teamed up with the Costa, to design his first collection of Kenny Chesney Limited Edition Costa Sunglasses. Proceeds from the sale of the sunglasses will benefit the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA). The CCA is a not for profit organization dedicated to the conservation of marine resources and is comprised of seventeen coastal state chapters reaching from the gulf of Mexico to the Pacific and Atlantic seaboards. Both Kenny Chesney and Costa are involved in this cause with the CCA. Check out this video to hear about what it means to Kenny. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8koDadCwHVY] All of the five Limited Edition sunglasses feature unique hand drawn artwork on the inside of the sunglass frame as well as Kenny’s signature! Only a certain amount of these special sunglasses have been produced, so check them out while they are still available! The Kenny Chesney Limited Edition Costas will be available online. Fans can also pick up the sunglasses at the tour stops of Kenny’s “Goin’ Coastal” tour which kicks off this week in West Palm Beach, Florida and goes through August. Click here to check out the Kenny Chesney Limited Edition Costas online now. Text COUNTRY to 22828 to be eligible for exclusive text subscriber giveaways from CountryMusicNewsBlog.com!

Steve Martin Debuts New Bluegrass Album

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Steve Martin Teams Up with Steep Canyon Rangers for Rare Bird Alert The iconic comedian and actor Steve Martin, again demonstrates the depth of his talent with the debut of his sophmore album, Rare Bird Alert with the Steep Canyon Rangers. Martin, an accomplished banjo player and songwriter hand picked SCR to tour and record with him in 2010, and together they played for more people than any other bluegrass band. “Serendipity has made a better match than any bluegrass computer dating service,” -Steve Martin Rare Bird Alert is filled with traditional bluegrass sounds of expertly played banjos and fiddles, rich vocal talent and lyrics which are fun and lighthearted as well as those that are more serious and moving. The album is given even greater strength by the talented contributions of the Dixie Chicks featured on the track titled “You” , as well as Paul McCartney featured on the track “Best Love“. In addition to touring throughout the year, Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers will be performing this month on the Late Show with David Letterman, The View and The Colbert Report. The album is available now, so check it out! Text COUNTRY to 22828 to be eligible for exclusive text subscriber giveaways from CountryMusicNewsBlog.com!

Sarah Darling Performs for CARE

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Sarah Darling Performed at CARE’s International Women’s Day Sarah Darling performed last week for over a thousand advocates who gathered in Wahington, D.C. at CARE’s Conference and International Women’s Day Celebration. CARE is the leading humanitarian organization fighting poverty and has been in operation for over sixty years. The annual conference brings together activists from all over the nation, professionals in the media, politicians, corporations and leaders in global health aiming to support CARE’s goal of raising critical funding and creating programs to improve the lives of marginalized women and girls all over the globe. Former First Lady Laura Bush was among the attendees. The Tuesday night kick-off of the conference, marking the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, featured a special concert with Sarah Darling as well as Crystal Bowersox, India.Arie, and Michael Franti. “It was amazing to look around the room and see women and girls from all over the world celebrating together. I feel very fortunate to have grown up having all of the things I needed. Sometimes we take those things for granted. It’s always good to be able to see the bigger picture and realize that there are a lot of people around the world hurting. I was honored to be a part of such a wonderful event.” -Sarah Darling Darling became involved with the conference this year because of her ties with Join My Village, a social change initiative which supports women and girls in Malawi, sponsored by CARE, General Mills and Merck. Text COUNTRY to 22828 to be eligible for exclusive text subscriber giveaways from CountryMusicNewsBlog.com!

2011 ACM Awards Offers Free Concerts

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2011 ACM Awards Hosting Weekend of Free Concerts for Country Fans The Academy of Country Music is hosting two nights of free and open to the public concerts the Friday and Saturday before the 2011 ACM Awards on Sunday, April 3rd. The weekend long party will be held in the Fremont Street Experience, a five-block entertainment zone in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada beginning at 6:15pm both nights. The performers include many newcomers as well as previously announced headliners Ronnie Dunn and Sara Evans. Friday night, April 1st perfomers are Sarah Darling, Casey James, Brett Eldredge, Chris Young, and Song of the Year Nominee Lee Brice with Sara Evans rounding off the evening. Saturday night, April 2nd performers are Thompson Square, New Vocal Duo of the Year Nominee The JaneDear Girls, New Vocal Duo of the Year Nominee Steel Magnolia, New Solo Vocalist of the Year Nominee Randy Houser, and New Vocalist of the Year and Song of the Year Nominee Easton Corbin with Ronnie Dunn’s performance bringing the kick-off party to it’s finale. Following this fantastic weekend of free concerts, the 2011 ACM Awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden arena at 8pm/ET on CBS. Text COUNTRY to 22828 to be eligible for exclusive text subscriber giveaways from CountryMusicNewsBlog.com!