Country Bites News snippets
June 2 – June 8, 2014
SOURCES / LINKS shown in RED
UK & IRISH
News
The Shires were Live in Session on Weekend Wogan
on Sunday June 8, 2014 where the UK country duo performed a couple of acoustic
songs ("Nashville Grey Skies" and a cover of Candi Staton's 1976
chart hit Young Hearts Run Free") for Sir Terry. >> Listen back BBC Page or Download the MP3 Podcast "Gosh, that was really
beautiful, fantastic" said Terry.
Dolly Parton with “Home” remained on the BBC Radio 2 "A" playlist for the week
commencing Saturday 7th June 2014. Miranda Lambert with "Automatic" was pulled from the "B" playlist. The Common Linnets the #2 Eurovision song
“Calm After the Storm” stayed on the “B” Playlist
The
Shires, the BBC Radio 2 playlisted UK country duo and #C2C2014 pop-up artists
have announced live
dates in July:
The Deaf Institute,
Manchester (Sat, 26 July 2014), Water Rats, London (Mon, 28 July 2014) and The
Temple @ The Institute, Birmingham (Wed, 30 Jul 2014) - gigsandtours
The
Haley Sisters have released a compilation album with tracks taken from previous
albums: “The Angels Break Free”, “No Boundaries” & “Vicissitude”. It includes the original
demo recording (Circa 1990) of Brians Rainhill Boogie instrumental.
It's now available from
their website. It’s currently not available to
download, although songs are available to download from the original album
Vicissitude.
Eve
Selis with Marc Twang will be coming
over for a UK duo tour 11-25 July, 2014. Not only will they
be playing some of the favourite Eve Selis songs, they will also be bringing
along their friends Berkley Hart who
will be opening every show on the tour. Eve's second set will feature their new
“fearsome foursome” CD project called Berkley Hart Selis Twang (BHST) with all
four of sharing the stage together. They have been writing songs together for the past year and have just finished a
full length self titled CD! It's available only on this tour in the UK at their
shows!! Eve had a bit of a rollerblading accident in late May where she tore
her hamstring off her pelvis. She is getting around nicely on crutches and her
goal is to be walking on stage at every show! See Tour
Schedule Page
Canadian singer-songwriter Tia McGraff and hubby Tommy Parham
returned home to Canada "feeling truly blessed". Their "Break These
Chains" UK tour (Promoter RL
Noble ) they declared was “a total success with all the shows
sold out”! Just one mishap their June 7th Glasgow CAA show has been cancelled
due to the loss of the venue. They made some new fans and reconnected with some
old ones, and made some new life long friends to boot. Thanks for the memories
UK. We will be back! We love you all! she shares. They visited their friends
Bob Harris (OBE) and wife Trudie. While there they did one of Bob's "Under
The Apple Tree Sessions”.
UK CHART NEWS
Official UK Top
100 Album Chart (Week
Ending June 14, 2014)
Johnny Cash with OUT
AMONG THE STARS (Columbia) moved 32-29 in its 10th week with sales around
3,000 copies and an estimated new tally of 56,600. Miranda Lambert with PLATINUM (RCA) made a debut at No.52 (1,725
sales), this her fifth album and is the first to chart. It was fuelled by a 4
week BBC Radio 2 playlisting (weeks commencing May 10 – May 31st, 2014) for the
the lead off single “Automatic”. Miranda was somewhat distance of the new entry by Vera Lynn’s NATIONAL
TREASURE. The Forces' Sweetheart, who celebrated her 97th birthday in March of
this year, entered at No.13 (8,225 sales) with her new collection. The double
album, compiled by Decca Records, features such iconic songs as We’ll Meet
Again, (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs Of Dover, and How Green
Was My Valley, along with three newly discovered, previously unreleased tracks
heard here for the first time. National Treasure was released to mark the 70th
anniversary of the D-Day landings this weekend.
Official UK
Country Album Chart (Week
Ending June 14, 2014)
Johnny Cash with OUT
AMONG THE STARS (Columbia) stays at No.1 for a tenth week.
Miranda Lambert with PLATINUM
(RCA) makes a debut at No.2.
Lady Antebellum’s NEED YOU
NOW refuses to go away in its 132nd chart week at No.3.
Rascal Flatts with REWIND
(Big Machine) held at No.4 in their third week
The Secret Sisters with PUT
YOUR NEEDLE DOWN (Republic Records) fell 3-5
US duo Megan & Liz debut at No.11 with
SIMPLE LIFE (Hidden Cow)
Brantley Gilbert with JUST AS I AM (Big Machine) slipped back 7 slots
in his second week (6-13)
Cassadee Pope with FRAME
BY FRAME (Decca) is no longer on the top 20 after its 3-18 slump last week
and fell 52-223 on UK iTunes Top 1500 Country Albums. Oooch!
UK iTunes Top 1500 Country Songs
Long-time favourite Dolly Parton’s
latest BBC Radio 2 “A” playlisted single “Home”
is at No.1 with retro songs “Jolene”
at No.2 joined by another BIG pair of Parton’s with Islands In the Stream” at #3 and “9 to 5” at No.4.
Taylor Swift has a 6 song sprinkling on the top 20. an artist
who hasn’t charted on any Billboard charts in recent weeks. Contrast to her Big
Machine label pal Cassadee Pope who was recently over in the UK on
a promotional media visit see’s her singles languishing at #231 with “I Wish I
Could Break Your Heart”, #513 “Wasting All These Tears” and #966 “11”. With the
brand new release from Miranda Lambert out her highest position are at #69
Somethin' Bad (with Carrie Underwood) her BBC Radio 2 playlisted single “Automatic”
is at #90 with title cut “Platinum” at #95
(Last updated June 12,
2014)
1. Dolly Parton - Home
2. Dolly Parton -
Jolene
3. Dolly Parton & Kenny
Rogers - Islands In the Stream
4. Dolly Parton - 9 To
5
5. Taylor Swift - I Knew
You Were Trouble.
6. Lady Antebellum - Need
You Now
7. Dolly Parton - Blue
Smoke
8. Dolly Parton - Jolene
(Single Version)
9. Taylor Swift -
Everything Has Changed (feat. Ed Sheeran)
10. Hayden Panettiere -
Don't Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet
11. Dolly Parton &
Kenny Rogers - Islands in the Stream
12. Taylor Swift - Love
Story
13. Willie Nelson - From
Here to the Moon and Back (feat. Dolly Parton)
14. Dolly Parton - 9 To
5
15. Dolly Parton - Here You
Come Again
16. Charles Esten & Lennon
& Maisy - Believing
17. Taylor Swift - 22
18. Taylor Swift - We Are
Never Ever Getting Back Together
19. Taylor Swift - You
Belong With Me
20. Heartland - I Loved Her
First
On the Hotdisc Chart (June 8, 2014 Chart)
David Frizzell & Shelly West with the re-issued "You're The Reason God Made Oklahoma"
(Collins/ Pinkard) held at No.1 on for a fifth week. Whilst Frizzell's
"Where Are You Spending Your Nights
These Days" reached a new peak moving up 7-6.
Allan Craig Miller with "Cornfields" climbed 3-2 just sqeezing past and traded places
with Bertie
Higgins and his countrified "Key Largo" which slipped 2-3.
Leah Seawright’s “Country
Girl 101” made a one place rise 5-4.
With new tracks from the Hotdisc #186 June 2014 promo
disc beginning to impact the chart saw a Hot Shot debut at No.5 for Sawyer Brown (former chart stars with Capitol
Records) with their latest single, "Walk
Out Of The Rain" (written by Harley Allen) being promoted Grass Roots
Promotion drawn from their album TRAVELIN’ BAND. This hot news was warmly
greeted by Stuart Cameon the Hotdisc CEO stating - “proving that the boys who
have a catalogue of big hits to their name are as popular now as they were many
years ago”.
The other new entries in the top 10 tier were 3 other
US artists with Jamie
Lee Thurston’s “15 Minutes”
co-written with Tony Mullins making a bow at No.7, M Callaghan with “God’s Green Earth” (co-written with
Michael Hunter Ochs) blew in at No.8 and evergreen Gentleman Jim Reeves
with "I'll Fly Away"(2014 Version; penned by Albert Brumley) rounding
out the Top 10 at #10. It marks the 50th anniversary of his death and five
decades of Jim Reeves’ music lives on!
The track is drawn from a new 8CD Set on H&H
Records titled THE GREAT JIM REEVES which has 170 tracks (including 92
overdubs). The blurb reads: Even if you have bought every VoiceMasters and/or
H&H release before, this set still offers 42 NEW overdubs of RCA masters
you have never heard before. Reeves' magnificent voice has been isolated from
the original backings, remastered for greater clarity, then combined with
tasteful new accompaniment, including by current members of the Grand Ole Opry
band! By using some of the world's top musicians, background singers and
orchestrators, these old tracks sparkle with a rich new luster, making them
sound like Mr. Reeves just recorded them
today! Jim's voice truly IS timeless.
You will treasure this special, limited-edition collection for years to come. The
Great Jim Reeves 8-CD set comes in a handsome, unique, silver-trimmed and
high-gloss durable case which opens like a book. The track listings are displayed
on two panels which then fold open to reveal all 8 CDs in convenient storage
pockets. There is also a separate 48-page booklet inside called “Songs &
Recordings” (running about 18,000 words!) in which Larry Jordan (author of the
award-winning, 672-page book, “Jim Reeves: His Untold Story”), provides fascinating
and detailed notes on each song. Listen to the >> Country Medley samples. For more
information visit www.jim-reeves.com/greatjimreeves
, see the track listings here
and order from www.jim-reeves.com $60.95 USD (incl
postage)
 |
| Click to Enlarge Graphic |
Other new Hotdisc entries in the top 20 standings were
3 other USA acts: Bryan Mayer with his self penned “This Is Me” at
#12, Jessie Lee
Cates at #14 with her follow up single “Let Your Country Out” (co-written with V Bonvissuto and B Ellis)
and the lovely Erica
Sunshine Lee graced the chart at #16 with her terrific and catchy “Georgia For This”.
Tony Clark’s self penned “You & Me” fell back 13-15 on the Top 40 but he secured his first
British & Irish Hotdisc Chart
No1 moving 3-1 as Gary Curtis’ April single "Crazy Love” fell 10 rungs 8-18 (1-3
British & Irish) and The
Hayley Oliver Band’s “Bright
Side Of Life” nosedived (10-25
Top 40; #2 - #5 British). Mime Grey with “The Ways Of Love” (co-written with Josi Corias) was the highest
British debut (No.24 Top 40, #4 British & Irish), the song is being
promoted by Lee Williams (Django Promotions, 2013 CMA International
broadcaster, CEO CMR Nashville)
UK COUNTRY
ALBUM RELEASES
(26 May 2014) The
Music Of Nashville: Original Soundtrack Season 2, Volume 2 (Label: Decca) 21 Tracks/ Time: 1:12:59
CD
- MP3 - iTunes - Amazon.com
(29 May 2014) Heather
Dickson - Eventually (Heartshake Records)
11 Tracks/ Time:38:21 MP3 - CD BABY - UK iTunes - Amazon.com
Blurb: Nashville recording artist from Kingdom of Fife
Scotland. Extraordinary singer and outstanding songs. Be ready for
eargasms" / “Isn't that just gorgeous, every hair on the back of my neck
is standing on end" (Keith
Greentree BBC Radio Norfolk playing "Eventually")
(3 June 2014) Big
Smo - Kuntry Livin (Elektra Nashville)
14 tracks/ Time: 46:54 CD - MP3 - UK iTunes - Amazon.com
(3 Jun 2014) Lucy
Hale - Road Between (DMG Nashville)
16 Tracks/
57:26 Deluxe Vesion CD - Deluxe - Smart Choice Music - Amazon.com
(3 Jun 2014)
Various Artists - Now That's What I Call
Country 7
18 Tracks/ Time: 1:08:38 CD - Smart Choice Music …contains eighteen hits,
including top toppers from Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Florida Georgia Line, Keith
Urban, Carrie Underwood and others plus some up-and-coming stars of the future.
(9 Jun 2014) Johnny
Cash - Out Among The Stars - Special Edition [Special Edition] CD
This exclusive 2CD special edition combines the
critically acclaimed new lost album ‘Out Among The Stars’ with ‘The Classics’;
a 24-track collection of Johnny Cash hits including I Walk The Line, Ring Of
Fire, Folsom Prison Blues and A Boy Called Sue, all housed in a card slipcase. Spoil
your dad (or yourself) this Father's Day.
(June 10, 2014) Toby
Keith - 5 Rounds [Box Set] CD - Amazon.com
2014 five CD set that contains the Country great's
five studio albums released between 2008 and 2012: THAT DON'T MAKE ME A BAD
GUY, AMERICAN RIDE, BULLETS IN THE GUN, CLANCY'S TAVERN and HOPE ON THE ROCKS.
Includes hit singles like 'Red Solo Cup', 'God Love Her', 'She Never Cried In
Front of Me', 'American Ride', 'Made in America' and 'Beers Ago'.
(10 Jun 2014) Gene
Watson - My Heroes Have Always Been Country (Fourteen Carat Music) Import (UPC 888295071468) CD - MP3 - Smart Choice Music - Amazon.com
(10 Jun 2014) The
Osborne Brothers - Nashville (Pinecastle Records)
8 Tracks/ Time: 21:53 CD - MP3 - UK iTunes - Amazon.com
(10 Jun 2014) Mary
Gauthier - Trouble & Love (Proper Records)
8 Tracks/ Time: 38:21 CD - MP3 - UK iTunes - Smart Choice Music - Amazon.com
(10 Jun 2014) The
Gentlemen of Bluegrass - Carolina Memories (Pinecastle Records)
14 Tracks/ Time: 39:06 CD - MP3 - UK iTunes - Amazon.com
(10 Jun 2014) Demun
Jones - Jones County (Average Joes
Entertainment)
12 Tracks / Time: 40:21 MP3 - UK iTunes - Amazon.com
(10 Jun 2014) Danny
Boone - Fish Grease (AVJ Records) MP3 - UK iTunes - Amazon.com
(16 Jun 2014) Kelly
Willis & Bruce Robison - Our Year (Premium Records)
10 Tracks/ Time:
31:26 CD - MP3 - Smart Choice Music - Amazon.com (May 27)
BLUEGRASS NEWS
The Bill Monroe Memorial Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival,
winner of the 2013 International Bluegrass Music Association’s IBMA Bluegrass
Event of the Year Award, will hold their 48th annual festival June 12-21, 2014.
This world famous event, known as the longest continuous running bluegrass
festival in the world, will take place at the Bill Monroe Memorial Bluegrass
Music Park & Campground in Bean Blossom (Brown County), Indiana. Hope River Entertainment Press - Flyer - Performance
schedule
AUSSIE NEWS
See the Australia artists doing the country proud at
the CMA Music Festival 2014, strengthening their Tamworth/Nashville Sister City
relationship! - Facebook Gallery
NEWS
Snapshot Country Aircheck's Insider Artist News:
June 6, 2014 [LP Field: Fireworks at 2014 CMA Music Festival, CMT
Music Awards, Rocking Charity: Taylor Swift]
June 10, 2014 [The King Rides Away: Best Fest Ever: Highlights from
the CMA Music Festival's LP Field]
Dolly Gets Randy: Randy
Travis was actually in attendance at Dolly
Parton’s Thackerville, Okla., show on Saturday, May 31, and seemed to be in
good spirits. “There are some people you just love and admire for their
talents,” she said from the stage. “Tonight, one of those people are here. I
actually think he is hiding somewhere way back there or dressed up like Kenny
Rogers. But anyway, Randy Travis is here. So wherever you are, I hope you are
enjoying the show.” - Read More/ Photos
2014 CMA FESTIVAL
Ashley Monroe Breaks Hearts, Sings New Music During CMA
Fest Showcase at 3rd and Lindsley on Thursday June 5, 2014
Relive the 2014
CMA Music Festival with
video recaps and photos! - CMA
World
2014 CMA Music Festival (June 5-8 in Nashville) - Video Playlist
CMA Fest 2014 Night 1: Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw Kick Off Festival’s Nightly
Shows
Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw and other top acts helped get
CMA Music Festival off to a blistering start at the first night of evening
concerts at Nashville’s LP Field, Thursday (June 5). Fans jammed the football
stadium, home to the city’s NFL Tennessee Titans, for a six-pack of headliners
featuring Luke, Tim, Alabama, Brantley Gilbert, Dierks Bentley and Rascal
Flatts.
Country Superstars Kick Off 2014 CMA Fest LP Field
Shows (DAY ONE) -Taste Of Country
Miranda Lambert + Others Thrill Fans With CMA Fest LP Field
Shows (DAY TWO) Taste Of Country
Keith Urban, Florida Georgia Line reward Soaked Fans
During CMA Fest LP
Field Show (DAY THREE) Taste Of Country
June 10, 2014 Country Aircheck's Insider Artist News: Best Fest
Ever: Highlights from the CMA Music Festival's LP Field
Rollingstone Country: 37 Best Things We Saw at CMA Music Fest 2014….The
underlying theme at this year's CMA Music Festival, which wrapped up its
four-day run on Sunday, was
one of re-discovery:
Both new acts and veterans reminded us just how powerful country music can be with performances that ranged from the massive (Miranda Lambert at LP Field) to the intimate (Striking Matches at the HGTV Lodge)
Both new acts and veterans reminded us just how powerful country music can be with performances that ranged from the massive (Miranda Lambert at LP Field) to the intimate (Striking Matches at the HGTV Lodge)
Best Unsigned Duo: The Muddy Magnolias / Best Nostalgia: Alabama / Best Breakfast: Charlie Worsham /
Best Late Night Jam: Marty Stuart and Friends / Best All-Star Audience: Ashley Monroe /
Best Faces Behind the Songs: ASCAP Songwriters Round (Josh Kear, Jessi
Alexander, Chris DeStefano and Ashley Gorley)
Best Time Performing: Striking Matches / Best Performer Under Pressure: Jamie Lynn
Spears - Her set showed no traces of her teen-mom notoriety, hand-me-down
hang-ups from big sister Britney, nor the intrinsic challenges of being a
country newbie.
Even better news? The girl sang her Louisiana guts
out. Amid "y'all"-laden banter and a few songs from her brand new
debut EP (including the twangtastic romp, "Shotgun Wedding," and the
weepy single, "How Could I Want More"), Spears tackled Tom Petty's
"I Won't Back Down" — memo to her critics, perhaps? — and even teased
the crowd with a few bars of "Oops I Did It Again." The youngest
Spears should look back fondly at the 2014 CMA Fest, as it may have been the
unofficial kickoff to her country music career.
Best Up-and-Comer: MamaDear / Best Cult Fan Base: Big Smo / Best Surprise Stage Presence: Dakota
Bradley
Daily Mail - Jamie Lynn Spears puts on a long and leggy show in
military-inspired playsuit as she poses with fans at the CMA Music Festival
Daily Mail No chance of her blending in! Kellie Pickler rocks out in camouflage top as she takes the CMA Festival
stage in Nashville.
CMA fest draws
80,000: The CMA Music
Festival, which ended Sunday after four days in downtown Nashville, matched
last year's attendance record of 80,000 fans per day. The event sold out a
record 15 weeks in advance. "The advance sell out speaks to the strength
of the event with our fans," said CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah
Trahern. "The popularity of our artists and the entertainment value of
this festival is what drove attendance and filled the streets of downtown
Nashville." Attendance figures for 2014 include 4-day ticket packages and
promotional tickets, as well as attendance in Fan Fair X, and free areas
downtown. In all, more than 450 artists participated in more than 150 hours of
concerts on 11 different stages.
"Country music is reaching a broader and more
diverse audience than ever and we believe these shifts have an impact on our
attendee base," said Karen Stump,
Findings from this year's survey indicated:
- 50
percent of attendees were attending for the first time (48 percent in
2013)
- Among
first time attendees, 52 percent were visiting Nashville for the first
time
- 17
percent of first time attendees reported they had become a fan of the
genre recently (within the past one to five years)
- 52% said
they were under the age of 40 (Up from 50% in 2013).
Read more: Rain Or Shine, The Cma Music Festival’s Popularity Continues
To Grow (CMA World Press)
Grand Ole Opry at CMA Music Fest - Facebook Gallery
CMR Nashville ["Europe's #1 Country Music Radio
Station"]: Another CMR Nashville Showcase at The Bridgestone Arena Glass
Tower with American Young, Shantell Ogden, Pete Kennedy, and Sam Hollyman.
Full
house and invited back to do it all again next year - Image
 |
| UK's Sam Hollyman: Signing at CMA Festival booth |
Lee Williams (Django Promotions, 2013 CMA
International broadcaster, CEO CMR Nashville) writes: “The CMA Fest is now over
and what a fantastic and productive time it was. I would like to thank all the
following artists who made our showcases so successful. Pete Kennedy, Sam
Hollyman, Shantell Ogden, American Young, Allan Craig Miller, Sonia Leigh,
Justine Blazer, Erica Sunshine Lee, Brooke Eden, Connie Kis Anderson, 12N, and
Shantell's musicians. Also Manuel, Dawn at Kore Pr, the Nashville Visitors
Bureau, Jeff Walker, Cameron Tilbury and so many more. If I missed anyone I
apologise in advance. We have developed a real family and a lot of love was
shown by everyone. We are looking forward to doing it all over again next CMA Fest.
Did she use those scissors on her skirt? Set for the
snip: LeAnn Rimes opens the CMA Music Festival - Image - Image
City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game during the CMA
Festival June 7, 2014 - Sara Evans and Brian Kelley -
Jamie Lynn Spears, Scotty McCreery, Jana Kramer, and
Lauren - Image
2014 CMA Festival Onstage LP
Field Performances
(Photos) :
Oak Ridge Boys - Image Charlie Daniels Band (Chris Wormer,
Charlie Daniels, and Bruce Brown) - Image - Image
CMA Music Festival wraps up another year - * The Tennessean
MUSIC NEWS
Union of Independent Music Artists Newsletter
: Digital Distribution and the
Unsigned Artist by Lucy Zirins
We live in a digital age. There is no denying that the
internet and social media are still growing, and mobile technology such as
smart phones and tablets are advancing fast and becoming ever more affordable.
This in turn is having a direct impact on the way we create, distribute, find,
listen to and share music. Digital music is easy to share online an it’s easy
to transport on small devices. However, whilst the digital download format is
growing, there’s also proof that streaming is beginning to blow a hole in the
potential market growth and download revenue of iTunes and other retailers,
with download sales falling last year[iv]. This is of course affecting the
revenue that both signed and independent artists who choose to digitally
distribute receive. They are not only losing some amount of downloads to those
who choose to stream their music, but the streaming revenue itself also
provides a very small amount of money per play. That’s not even accounting for
the losses that artists are already making thanks to illegal downloading too….
SINGLE / ALBUM
NEWS
Jason Derulo has remixed Florida Georgia Line's "This
Is How We Roll" single, it was released Digitally on US iTunes June 4, 2014.
21-year old Pop/Country twins Megan & Liz [Mace] (Born Nov 21, 1992) from Edwardsburg,
Michigan (who now reside in Nashville), released their Simple Life EP on June
3, 2014. It made a debut at #10 on UK iTunes Top Country Albums. Listen to lead
off track "Simple
Life" and track 4 called >> "New at This" - UK iTunes - Amazon.com
Lee Brice will release his new album, I DON'T DANCE, on September 9. The
project features the hit title track, which Lee wrote for his wedding dance
with wife, Sara. Making the album was a real labor of love for Lee. He says, "I wanted to have control over every drumbeat, every lick. It was a lot
of really sitting down and thinking about every little piece that goes into a
song."
Lee even played every instrument on the song
"Girls in Bikinis," and played banjo for the first time on an album
on the track, "Sirens." I Don't Dance is the follow-up to Lee's
gold-selling album, HARD 2 LOVE.
Brad Paisley branched out to include a rapper, a rocker
and several other unexpected elements on his last album, Wheelhouse. Now that
he's tried all that, Brad is back to just making the best album he can make
with his upcoming release, MOONSHINE IN THE TRUNK. Brad tells Rolling Stone Country, "I hope
[Moonshine in the Trunk] is something that you can put in your car and you'll
remember a lot of things about it right first listen, and it'll also go down
fairly smooth. But at the same time, I think you'll see the creativity, too.
There's not phoning anything in on this record."
Little Big Town released a new single >> "Day Drinking" (Writers: Karen
Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Jimi Westbrook, Barry Dean & Troy Verges) Jun 03,
2014 on US iTunes
PRESS RELEASES
- Craig Morgan was presented
with a plaque by F3 Entertainment commemorating the country star’s milestone
reach of 1
million Facebook likes
- Lorrie Morgan celebrated
30th
Anniversary as Grand Ole Opry Member during CMA Music Festival.
Born in 1959, Lorrie made her Opry stage debut early, introduced at the
Ryman Auditorium by her proud father. “My
little 13-year-old knees were absolutely knocking,” she recalls. “But Dad was standing there right beside
me with big tears in his eyes, and those people gave me a standing
ovation. I thought, ‘This is what I’m doing the rest of my life.’”
- Chris Young cancelled
his Friday’s planned CMA Music Festival signing following injury to
left hand
- George Strait shattered Indoor Concert Attendance
Records for North America (breaking a record initially set by The Rolling
Stones in 1981) With 104,793 in attendance at the AT&T
Stadium in ARLINGTON, TX on June 7th and the top names in country music
joining him for the final ride of Quicken Loans Presents: The Cowboy Rides
Away Tour. Three-Hour Concert Showcased an Impressive 40-Song Set List including
20 of Strait’s Amassed 60 No. 1 Singles. See Setlist + Photo
- MOONPIE,
one of America’s best-loved brands, has enlisted
Craig Morgan, to help send free
MoonPies to our U.S. troops!
- Singer-Songwriting
icon Chris Smither revisits, Reimagines 24 Favorites on new
Two-CD
Retrospective, Still On The Levee, out July 22 on Signature
Sounds.
- Josh Turner appeared on the fourth hour of
"Today" on Tuesday, June 10 to discuss his First Book, Man Stuff:
Thoughts On Faith, Family, And Fatherhood.
- On
Tuesday, June 10, the award-winning bluegrass duo, The Roys, released
the first single, "No More Lonely," from their
highly-anticipated album The View, set to be released in September. The
song celebrates a fresh, optimistic look at life and the dismissal of
former anguish with the discovery of one's "true love."
- Jerrod Niemann to headline Historical Ryman Auditorium
- Red River
Entertainment releases The Truckin’ Sessions Trilogy:
Dale Watson adds 3rd to
Truckin’ Sessions Collection
- Kelley Mickwee of The Trishas steps out on her own with YOU USED TO
LIVE HERE. Austin singer-songwriter embraces her soulful Memphis roots on
solo debut, due July 22. Listen to Track 2 on soundcloud
ARTICLES
Alan
Cackett : Ward Thomas Feature: .They are
the kind of act whose future literally seems unlimited.
Taste Of Country - George Strait’s Final
Concert Breaks National Attendance Record [Pictures]
REVIEWS
For The Country Record Jamie Lynn Spears ‘The Journey’ – EP Review
INTERVIEWS
Brandy
Clark Talks Songwriting, Honesty in Music, and More — A CMM Interview
Extract: Do you have any new music
in the works?..I am writing and just getting started on a new record. When I
say getting started I mostly mean trying to create a concept and decide what
songs are going to fit on it. For me when I think of a record I like to start
with a concept. I did that with “12 Stories” and I will do that again with the
next one because it worked. With “12 Stories” I started with talking to my
producer and telling him I wanted to do something that is was either like the
day in the life of one woman, or the length of relationship. We ended up not
doing either of those things exactly, but I felt like by just having that in
our heads it helped us focus in and pick songs. There were some songs that were
better songs that ended up not being on “12 Stories” just because they didn’t
fit….
Katie
Nicholas the Liverpool singer-songwriter talks to rhythmcircus.co.uk Extract: Thanks for taking some time out of the
studio to chat with Rhythm circus. What are you currently working on? Thanks
for having me. I’m currently working on my first EP/Album… and it’s about time!
I’ve been releasing my music for a while now, and a lot of people seem shocked
that I haven’t got a collective album to show for it – so now I’m working on
finishing touches and will be releasing it by the end of Summer 2014. It’s an
amazing feeling to know your ideas are actually coming together and working
BOOKS
That's no accident, of course, since Taylor appears in the movie version of The Giver, which opens August 15. Details at alastore.ala.org
MAGAZINES
Miranda Lambert Womens Health (USA June 2014 Issue; Cover +
Pages 56 - 59)
Miranda Lambert had already placed her hubby Blake Shelton
on a diet, but it’s also good to know that she definitely practices what she
preaches. Miranda is on the cover of Us Weekly’s latest issue and she looks great
after losing a reported 45 pounds.
Whatever she’s doing — it’s totally working!! She talks
Carrie Underwood Duet, Song About Weight Struggles, New Album and More: usmagazine.com Read her latest news usmagazine.com/miranda-lambert
Read more: How She Shed 45 Pounds — Easy Food Swaps at
Hollywood Life.com
She told Us Weekly
that she decided to lose weight after a few unflattering photos of her were
picked up by tabloids. (You know how you feel when a friend tags a bad photo of
you on Facebook? Imagine that, only way, way worse!) So she tried Nutrisystem
to jumpstart her diet but eventually decided that following a balanced diet and
increasing her exercise routine were ultimately the right options for her. Specifically,
she’s eating more high fiber foods, like fruits and vegetables, grilled chicken
and nuts and limiting high-calorie less healthy favorites like cheetos and
fried chicken. She’s also paying attention to portion size, basically cutting
her old meals in half. But it’s her workout routine that’s our favorite part of
the story: According to Us Weekly, Miranda is putting herself through the paces
without a trainer, doing her own workout of running, walking, stairs, and more.
(Like the rest of us, she knows what to do—it’s just a matter of doing it!)
Plus, she does this all while jamming out to Britney Spears!
Read more at dietsinreview.com
Miranda is on the front cover of Rolling Stone Country Magazine
(Issue 1211 June 19, 2014)
LISTEN
J T Hodges new single "Already High" at media.netwurk.com
WATCH
- Native Run "Good On You"
(Vevo Lyric Video)
- A lyric
video for "Lost" from UK native Callaghan's upcoming new album recorded at House of Blues
studio, Nashville TN
- Marie Miller "Make The Most of Me" (Curb Records Amazon.com first published Dec 2011)
and "6'2" from her You're Not Alone EP available on
UK iTunes
COUNTRY FASHION
ICYMI: 2014 CMT Music Awards - A review of the
Winners, performances and full coverage of all the CMT Red Carpet fashion.
COUNTRY GOSSIP
Kerr is an aspiring model and singer who was a
contestant on American Idol in 2012. She is a former NBA dancer for the
Charlotte Bobcats, and when she auditioned for Idol, she sang the hell out of
Joss Stone's "Spoiled." Once Idol was over, Kerr and Aldean met and
later found themselves the subject of tabloid gossip when she was seen kissing
Aldean while he was still married to Jessica Ussery, his wife of 12 years. On
the red carpet, Aldean wore his signature jeans, boots and cowboy hat, while
Kerr wore a seriously gorgeous white body-con halter dress. Aldean filed for
divorce in April 2013.
PHOTO
Jana Kramer & Brantley Gilbert attend the 2014 CMT
Music Awards - Image
George Strait's Texas-Sized Farewell: Photos From His
Final Tour Stop at AT&T Stadium on June 7, 2014 in Arlington, Texas:
The King of Country is joined by Sheryl Crow, Eric
Church and more as he performs the last show of his touring career - Rollingstone.com
Miranda Lambert performs "How ‘Bout Them
Cowgirls" and "Run" onstage with George Strait - Image * - Image
Miranda Lambert and Randy Travis - Image
BIRTHDAYS
June 11: The late Wilma
Burgess (1939; died August 26, 2003; aged 64), Cindy Church
June 12: Chris Young
(1985)
June 13: The late Slim
Dusty (1927; David Gordon
Kirkpatrick; died Sept 19, 2003; aged 76)
June 15: Terri Gibbs
(1954), Michael Britt (Lonestar)
(1966), the late Waylon Jennings
(1937; died Feb 13, 2002; aged 64)
R.I.P
Steel Guitar Hall of Famer Weldon Myrick, an instrumental force in
country music for half a century, died Monday (June 2nd, 2014) at Saint
Thomas Hospital, after suffering a stroke. He was 76. Mr. Myrick's first
indelible contribution to country music came on July 16, 1964, when he played
steel guitar on "Once a Day," the Bill Anderson-penned song that
became an eight-week No. 1 country hit and provided an entrance into the
mainstream for Connie Smith. Mr. Myrick's steel graces Bill Anderson's
"Bright Lights and Country Music," Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr.
Bojangles," Donna Fargo's "Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A.,"
Delbert McClinton's "Victim of Life's Circumstances," Linda
Ronstadt's "Long Long Time," Alan Jackson's "Chattahoochee,"
George Strait's "Let's Fall to Pieces Together," Ronnie Milsap's
"Houston Solution" and many more.
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