Country Bites News snippets
June 30 – July 6, 2014
SOURCES / LINKS shown in RED
UK & IRISH
News
The British Country Music Awards 2014 (BCMA 2014) will
once again take place on Sunday 23rd November 2014 at the Concorde Suite, Crane
Lodge Road, Heathrow, TW5 9PQ - Doors open 6.30pm with US act Steve Wariner headlining.
The public can vote for People Choice Award via country music publications such as Up
Country and you can now vote for your own choice by printing off the form from here
http://www.bcmawards.co.uk/
Dolly Parton with “Try” was added to the BBC Radio 2
“A” playlist. Family of the Year’s “Hero” remained on the “B” list.
Ward Thomas (Catherine and Lizzy Ward Thomas) the 20-year old twin sisters country/folk/pop Petersfield UK duo was added to the “B” list with their new single “Push for the Stride” which is included on their debut album FROM WHERE WE STAND out July 21st. "Push for the Stride" had previously been played twice on Weekend Wogan (BBC Playlist) “Two great girls from Hampshire, setting the country music world alight, that's Ward Thomas” shared Sir Terry Wogan (first broadcast: Sunday 15 June 2014)
Ward Thomas (Catherine and Lizzy Ward Thomas) the 20-year old twin sisters country/folk/pop Petersfield UK duo was added to the “B” list with their new single “Push for the Stride” which is included on their debut album FROM WHERE WE STAND out July 21st. "Push for the Stride" had previously been played twice on Weekend Wogan (BBC Playlist) “Two great girls from Hampshire, setting the country music world alight, that's Ward Thomas” shared Sir Terry Wogan (first broadcast: Sunday 15 June 2014)
“Something very special” is now Bob Harris (OBE) described
“Tonight”
the brand new single from The Shires
with an exclusive play on his BBC Radio 2 show on Thursday July 3, 2014 – BBC Page . “They're the country duo
probably country act from Britain that's really making a mark on the Nashville
music scene, genuinely I think this is a very very exciting record” Bob shared
with his listeners. After the track he excitedly remarked: “Wow, I have to say
that’s just fantastic”
Their self titled debut album now has a Sept 15th
release date (Amazon UK)
Breaking News:
The Shires tweeted Here's an 'action' shot of us
recording #ITVweekend today with @realaled - on TV this Saturday.
Yes you can listen to the brand new single “Tonight”
and tune in to see The Shires make their TV debut this Saturday (July 12th) on
"The Weekend" With Aled Jones (ITV Player).
Tune into ITV at 8.30am to see the show and watch Ben & Crissie perform
their new single. See more via Press Release Check out their UK dates in
July on the Tour Dates Page
Had great fun filming #ITVweekend with @realaled this morning. What a lovely man. Goes out on TV this Saturday (12th) pic.twitter.com/RFcwWc3Ihk
— The Shires (@theshiresuk) July 9, 2014
Richard Madeley sat in for Terry Wogan with Kacey Musgraves in session, first broadcast: Sunday
06 July 2014 - BBC Page
UKCountryRadio.com will be present over the weekend of 10th
to 13th July as they broadcast live from Americana
International (See Flyer) at Prestwold Park Airfield in
Leicestershire. The stations Seventh
Birthday Party takes place on September 13th at the Best Western Premier
Yew Lodge Hotel, Kegworth Derby.
UKCountryRadio.com's Spotlight UK Artist for each weekend during July: July 4th to 6th: Spirit Of Smokie; July 11th to 13th: Kidnap Alice, July 18th to 20th: Suzanna Shore and July 25th to 27th: Mike Lane. Read much more in their July 2014 Newsletter
UKCountryRadio.com's Spotlight UK Artist for each weekend during July: July 4th to 6th: Spirit Of Smokie; July 11th to 13th: Kidnap Alice, July 18th to 20th: Suzanna Shore and July 25th to 27th: Mike Lane. Read much more in their July 2014 Newsletter
New album titled HUSH is coming VERY soon (July 29th) it
seems from David Bradley from his Facebook post. His distinctive soulful sound and undeniable English charm are
adding a unique flavor to the world of country music. An established resident
of Nashville, David hails from the town of Sunderland, in Northern England.
Danni Nicholls Newsletter #5:
New PledgeMusic Campaign & More!
Remember Mike Ward (the cousin of British The X
Factor series 2 winner Shayne Ward) who made the final of Season 2 The Voice
UK?
Well Mike is is excited to be in the studio recording his
album this week! Keep an eye out for progress on his website www.mikeward.co.uk
.
He was joined by some great country musicians (Luke Thomas halve of the 2013 BCMAaward Winning Duo and Simon Goulding) and USA producer/drummer Justin Johnson in Liverpool at the Studio2 Parr Street Studios where some major pop albums have been recorded such as John Mayer and the first 3 sets by Coldplay. On Day 2 Ward was putting down vocals.
He was joined by some great country musicians (Luke Thomas halve of the 2013 BCMAaward Winning Duo and Simon Goulding) and USA producer/drummer Justin Johnson in Liverpool at the Studio2 Parr Street Studios where some major pop albums have been recorded such as John Mayer and the first 3 sets by Coldplay. On Day 2 Ward was putting down vocals.
Django Promotions Lee Williams (CEO of CMR Nashville/
CMR Hot "Europe's #1 Country Music Radio Station") who was the CMA
International Award Broadcaster in 2013 has signed Mike to management.
About Mike Ward: The then unemployed
joiner (see BBC Profile), who had Irish Traveler roots
on his father's side, nailed it, wowing the coaches on the BBC1 show when he
auditioned, who we’re surprised he actually sung country music. Coach
Jessie J said "He's not what you expect" >> Video
The streetwise Salford 23 year old country singer (born 14th Dec 1990)
was part of Tom Jones' team singing mostly country and western music and
progressed as a finalist in the last Final 4.
He auditioned with the song "Don't
Close Your Eyes" from Keith Whitley, with three of the four judges,
Jessie J, Danny O'Donoghue and Sir Tom Jones turning their chairs. In the
competition he sung "Suspicious Minds" solo and "Green Green
Grass of Home" with Jones and was eventually eliminated at the final.
Battling his shyness some were tipping him to be UK’s first big country
artist. He wanted to get country music noticed in the UK and bring it into the
21st century. Country Music People's David
Allan (the former BBC Radio 2 Country Club presenter) was one who was
championing his cause and really praised his performances on The Voice in the
magazine making comparisons to George Jones and Keith Whitley. He spoke of his
raw emotion and his connection with people putting over the lyrics with his
vocal delivery. Mike released "When I Was Your Man" (Bruno Mars
cover) on 22 June 2013 which briefly appeared at #60 and “Picking Up the
Pieces" (Paloma Faith ) on 29 June 2013 which reached #72 on the Official
UK chart. After that he did some local pub gigs and shared a few low budget
videos with fans. In the January 2014 issue of Country Music People David Allan
shared his disappointment on his page as to why the media have seemingly
ignored Ward. Maybe all that is about to change!
Mike tweeted @MIKEWARDUK In the studio today
recording my album can't wait until it's all done wish me luck
#keepingitcountry
Currently sat in part street studios with @StevieBack whilst @MIKEWARDUK is in here recording his new album!!! pic.twitter.com/USICTmTNBX
— DEMZ (@DEMZUK) July 8, 2014
English singer-songwriter Carolynne
Poole (née Good; born on 5 August 1980 in Leeds) suffered disappointment in
front of the nation when she was the first contestant to be eliminated from The
X Factor live finals back in 2012.
But she looked happy and relaxed as she
enjoyed a well-earned break with her family in sunny Ibiza on Friday. The
33-year-old singer, a founding member of the Carolynne
Good Band and third place finisher in the second series of
Fame Academy, displayed a slightly more curvaceous frame compared to her days in the ITV
spotlight. Read more/ candid pap spics at Daily Mail
Carolynne Poole Ibiza 4 July 2014 |
The lovely former talent show star who appeared at C2C2014 Pop Up Stages
in March and joined Sandi Thom on 2 of her UK dates (Notts and Egremont) then
spent a few months in America slated to be writing songs for a future project.
There is still no official news of any country/pop singles, EP or album on the
country horizon some 2 years on since her second X Factor journey began. Until
then the sexy “little bit Country...A little bit Rock n Roll” Yorkshire songstress is wowing her followers
with photos on her shiny new website.
‘Disappointing’ Garth
Brooks debacle damages Ireland’s international perception – Dublin
Chamber of Commerce.
The possible cancellation of some or all of the scheduled Garth Brooks
concerts this month is having a negative impact for us internationally, according
to a spokesperson for the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. - See more at: independent.ie
(theguardian.com, Thursday 3 July 2014) Two
of American country superstar Garth
Brooks five sold-out comeback concerts at Dublin's Croke Park stadium this
month were
cancelled on Thursday July 4th after objections were raised by local
residents.
Brooks, who retired from recording new music and touring in 2001, chose
Dublin for his five-night "comeback special event", selling a record
400,000 tickets, equivalent to almost 10% of the population, ahead of a wider
tour later in 2014.
However, residents of the densely populated area surrounding the
82,000-seat Gaelic sports stadium objected to the holding of five successive
shows and the local council refused permission for the concerts scheduled for
July 28 and July 29. No act, including Ireland's U2, has ever played five shows
in a row at Croke Park, the country's largest venue, and concert promoters had
said some 70,000 of the 400,000 tickets sold were bought by people living
abroad.
Ticket holders used social media and the national airwaves to voice
their disappointment.
"I queued for two days and two nights for these tickets. I'm so
annoyed, it's just terrible," Carol McDonald, who had bought a ticket for
the July 29 date, told a popular phone-in show on national broadcaster RTE.
Brooks told the 400,000 people who have bought tickets for his Irish
concerts that he
will play five shows in Dublin or none at all. In a statement issued
after Dublin City Council refused to licence two of the five concerts; those
due to be held on July 28th and 29th, Brooks said: “For us, it is five shows or
none at all.” “To choose which shows to do and which shows not to do, would be
like asking to choose one child over another. However this plays out, Ireland
has my heart and always will.”
The singer thanked Irish people for making him feel welcome and said he
had “faith that Dublin City Council will make the best decision for the people
of Ireland”. Earlier promoter Peter Aiken warned all the Brooks concerts were
at risk of cancellation following the council’s decision.
Licences (see Documents) had been granted for just three
concerts on July 25th, 26th and 27th with concerts on the 28th and 29th of the
month were not to proceed affecting 160,000 concert-goers.
The council also said that granting all five concerts, following on from
three by One Direction in May, would have doubled the previous maximum number.
* UPDATE * In an announcement on Tuesday everyone no one saw
coming (and on the main BBC Radio 2 news on Weds), the country singer announced five
scheduled concerts in Ireland will no longer take place.
The company that organized the tour, Aiken Promotions, said in a statement:
"It is with great regret that
Aiken Promotions today announce that the five concert Garth Brooks Comeback
Special Event at Croke Park has been cancelled. No concerts will take place.
The ticket return process will be outlined tomorrow. Aiken Promotions have
exhausted all avenues regarding the staging of this event. We are very
disappointed for the 400,000 fans who purchased tickets for the Garth Brooks
Comeback Special Event."
Additionally a statement from Ticketmaster
read: “Ticketmaster has received
confirmation that the five Garth Brooks concerts scheduled for Croke Park are
no longer taking place. “We are working on a plan to make the cancellation
process as simple and convenient as possible for customers. “However the scale
of this operation is unprecedented in the Irish entertainment industry and
therefore we would ask customers to continue to be patient while we finalise
our plan. “Full details of the plan will be published tomorrow.”
Earlier this year hundreds of excited fans queued for five days in
Dungannon and Cookstown when tickets to ensure they got their hands on the
elusive tickets. The cancelled shows will reportedly cost the city of Dublin about 15
million euro. Brooks has planned a press conference for this
Thursday July 10 at 12:00 PM ET, possibly to announce an upcoming world tour
and address the Dublin fiasco!
Lord Mayor Christy Burke said three days of talks with
promoter Peter Aiken, the GAA and mediator Kieran Mulvey had failed to find a
solution - BBC News / Video.
If Monday Never Comes: "The wait is over ... 7/7." That's all
it says on Garth Brooks' official website.
UK CHART NEWS
Official UK Top
100 Singles Chart (Week
Ending July 12, 2014)
Dolly Parton The
Queen of Country dazzled at Glastonbury, the crowd, on hand, at Glastonbury specifically
watching Dolly’s “big hits” performance reached in excess of 150,000 people
while the BBC has reported the largest viewing audience ever of Glastonbury
tuned in to see Dolly take the stage during their live broadcast.
She saw her best-loved songs enjoy a boost, with “Jolene” (RCA) jumping 156-52 (6,877 sales; 214,279 digital
copies sold to date), “9 to 5” (RCA)
lifted 193-75 (5,100 sales; 303,511
digital copies sold to date) and the Kenny Rogers duet “Islands In The Stream” (RCA) surged 178-89 (4,436 sales).
Outside the Top 100 her hit “Here You Come Again” re-entered at No.153 (2,507 sales; 50,033
digital copies sold to date), while the title track of of her new bluegrass set
“Blue Smoke” made a debut at No.182
(2,154 sales).
The first three of those mentioned were also her first three
hits and remain her biggest. Both Jolene
(a 1973 song that was reissued in 1976) and Islands
In The Stream (1983) reached #7 to become her only Top 40 hits while 9 To 5, from 1981, reached only a #47
peak. However, it is the latter that is her biggest seller in the digital era,
with sales of 303,511 copies since the format was incorporated into the
chart in 2004. Islands In The Stream
has sold 245,577 digital copies, and Jolene
has sold 214,279 copies in the same time frame. A distant fourth in Dolly's
personal top five is I Will Always Love
You (55,881 sales), followed by Here
You Come Again (50,033 sales)
Official UK Top
100 Album Chart (Week
Ending July 12, 2014)
Dolly Parton with BLUE
SMOKE / THE BEST OF (Masterworks) climbed 7-4 selling 28,256
copies (up 102% on the previous weeks 13,983 copies) in her fourth week. It has
so far sold 77,061. Dolly was critically adjudged to have been the star of a
memorable 2014 Glastonbury Festival (despite criticism of miming). The country
superstars veteran performance on the closing Sunday afternoon paid immediate
and obvious dividends for the album pairings to reach both its own and Parton's
career high.
THE
VERY BEST OF Dolly Parton (a Sony/BMG 2007 compilation) that previously reached
No.8 album, and has thus far sold 457,890 copies, surged 137-41 (2,841 sales) and outside of the Top 100 another 2013
compilation THE REAL DOLLY PARTON (a
55 song, 3 CD set) debuted for the first time at No.159 (657 sales).
First Aid Kit's STAY GOLD fell
at 30-68 ( 1,700 sales approx) in their third week.
Johnny Cash with OUT
AMONG THE STARS (Columbia) fell off the Top 100 albums in its 14th week
after selling an estimated 63,700 copies
in its first 13 weeks at retail.
Official UK
Country Album Chart (Week
Ending July 12, 2014)
Johnny Cash with OUT
AMONG THE STARS (Columbia) remained at No.1 for a 14th week.
The Old Crow Medicine Show with REMEDY (ATO) made a debut at No.2
Kacey Musgraves who is in the UK on tour and promoting held at
No.3 with SAME TRAILER DIFFERENT PARK
(Decca) in her 64th chart frame.
Willie Nelson with BAND
OF BROTHERS fell 2-4 in his third week
Miranda Lambert with PLATINUM
(RCA) slipped a further 2 places 4-6 in her fifth week.
Dolly Parton’s standard new bluegrass BLUE SMOKE (Masterworks) flew up 20-7 in her 6th week as her GRASS
IS BLUE (Sugar Hill) album returned at No.13
UK iTunes Top 1500 Country Albums
(Last updated July 10, 2014)
Dolly Parton’s album
BLUE SMOKE/ THE BEST OF pairing continues to head the chart in the
wake of her Glastonbury performance. She also posts THE VERY BEST OF at No.3
The new Sony compilation American Heartland: Legends of Country which is being advertised on
the TV rises to No.2
After the Nashville season finale on More 4 the latest soundtrack
set The Music of
Nashville: Original Soundtrack Season 2, Vol. 2 holds at #4 with the Original
Soundtrack Season 2, Vol.1 close behind at #6.
Kacey Musgraves with SAME TRAILER DIFFERENT PARK holds at #5.
Miranda Lambert
with PLATINUM the current No1
country album in America is at #12
Ward Thomas at
#33 with their soon to be released FROM
WHERE WE STAND are the first UK act on the list after that your looking at
Irish act Nathan Carter with
WAGON WHEEL at #91 and TIME Of My Life at #198.
Cassadee Pope on
the front of the latest Up Country magazine is now at #291 with FRAME BY FRAME
1 Dolly Parton - Blue Smoke/
The Best Of
2 Various Artists American
Heartland: Legends of Country
3 Dolly Parton - The Very Best of Dolly Parton
4 Various Artists - The
Music of Nashville: Original Soundtrack Season 2, Vol. 2 (Deluxe)
5 Kacey Musgraves - Same
Trailer Different Park
6 Various Artists - The
Music of Nashville: Original Soundtrack Season 2, Vol. 1 (Deluxe)
7 Lady Antebellum - Need
You Now
8 Taylor Swift - Red
9 Various Artists - The
Music of Nashville - Season 1, Vol. 2 (Original Soundtrack)
10 Various Artists - The
No.1 Country Hits Collection – 100 Greatest Country Hits
UK iTunes Top 1500 Country Singles (Last updated July 10, 2014)
Queen of Country Dolly Parton
continues to dominate the Top 20 with 10 songs, nearly entirely retro hits,
apart from title cut (#5) and “Try” (#5) from the Blue Smoke set being played
on BBC Radio 2 “A” playlist.
Nashville TV drama stars
post 4 tracks with “It Ain't Yours To Throw Away” featuring
Clare Bowen
& Sam Palladio at #4 and Hayden Panettiere’s “Don’t Put Dirt On My Grave
Just Yet” at #7 and Clare Bowen’s “Black Roses” holds at #13.
Outside the top 20: Miranda Lambert
and Carrie
Underwoods much hyped “Somethin' Bad” (last weeks No1 Country song
in America) is at #84.
Ward Thomas with their new Radio 2 single “Push For
The Stride” is at #45.
1 Dolly Parton - Jolene
2 Dolly Parton - 9 To 5
3 Dolly Parton & Kenny
Rogers - Islands In the Stream
4 Nashville Cast
- It Ain't Yours To Throw Away (feat. Clare Bowen & Sam Palladio)
5 Dolly Parton - Blue Smoke
6 Dolly Parton - Jolene
(Single Version)
7 Hayden
Panettiere - Don't Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet
8 Lady Antebellum - Need
You Now
9 Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers Islands in the Stream
10 Dolly Parton - Try
11 Taylor Swift - I Knew
You Were Trouble.
12 Dolly Parton - 9 To 5
13 Nashville Cast - Black Roses (feat. Clare
Bowen) [Full Band Version]
14 Taylor Swift - Love
Story
15 Dolly Parton - Here You
Come Again
16 Johnny Cash with June
Carter Cash - Jackson
17 Florida Georgia Line - Dirt
18 Lennon Stella
& Maisy Stella - Ho Hey
19 Dolly Parton - I Will
Always Love You
20 Taylor Swift - Everything
Has Changed (feat. Ed Sheeran)
On the Hotdisc Chart (July 6, 2014 Chart)
Sawyer Brown retained their first ever No.1 on the Hotdisc Top 40 as their latest
single, "Walk Out Of The Rain"
remained atop the chart for a third successive week.
Jamie Lee
Thurston’s “15 Minutes” was a non-mover at No.2
with M
Callaghan’s “God’s Green
Earth” surpringly slipping 3-5. Reaching their highest ranks were Bryan Mayer
with “This Is Me” (4-3), Jessie Lee Cates
with “Let Your Country Out” (5-4)
and Erica
Sunshine Lee climbed three with “Georgia
For This” (10-7).
Django Promotions and CMR Nashville favourite Ace Diamond
reached dizzy heights with a 14-10 bullet for his penned “Baddest Gunslingin’ Man” to reach the upper tier (>>
Watch Ace’s latest
video).
Django Promotions stable mate Mim Grey saw her soulful “The Ways Of Love” make a 13-8 hop and
landed the British & Irish Hotdisc
Chart No1 for her first week overhauling Tony Clark’s 4-week No1 with “You & Me” which stayed lodged at
No.12 on the Top 40.
USA act Tyler Barham with his single “More Than A Cotton Dress” (co-written
with David Flint and John Griffin) reached the Top 20 for the first time moving
22-20 in his 5th chart frame.
UK COUNTRY
ALBUM RELEASES
Former Maverick Magazine founder and editor Alan
Cackett writes: A reminder that my special compilation - GEORGE STRAIT - The Cowboy Rides Away: the Definitive Collection (Released
July 2013) is well worth investigating. Released on HumpHead Records (HUMP 145)
it is a 3-CD set with 50 tracks that covers his recordings for MCA Records from
1981 through to 2012 including Ocean Front Property, Unwound, Amarillo By
Morning, The Chair, All My ex's Live In Texas, Fool Hearted Memory, Blue Clear
Sky, I Can Still Make Cheyenne, etc with sleeve notes written by yours truly.
(1 July 2014) Colt
Ford - Thanks for Listening (Average Joes Entertainment)
12 Tracks/ Time: 42:50 CD - MP3 - UK iTunes - Amazon.com
(6 July 2014) Otis
Gibbs - Souvenirs of a Misspent Youth (Wanamaker Recording Company)
10 Tracks/ Time: 38:16 CD - MP3 - UK iTunes - Amazon.com
(7 July 2014) Dale
Watson - Truckin Sessions Trilogy [Import, Box Set]
42 Tracks/ Time: 1:53:16 (28 July UK) - CD - Amazon.com - Press Release
(7 July 2014) Kacey
Musgraves - The Trailer Song (Single) (Decca/Mercury Records)
MP3 - UK iTunes - Spotify The clever song, a hilarious
kiss-off to a nosy, judgmental neighbor, was written by Kacey, Brandy Clark and
Shane McAnally and has been a longtime staple of Kacey’s live show (>> Grand Ole Opry published April 3, 2013)
(8 July 2014) The
Mastersons - Good Luck Charm (New West)
11 Tracks/ Time: 42:55 CD - UK iTunes (Sept 8) - Smart Choice Music - Amazon.com
A Texas-raised but Brooklyn-based alt-country band,
the Mastersons are built around the husband-and-wife team of Chris Masterson
(guitar and vocals) and Eleanor Whitmore (violin and vocals). Both Masterson
and Whitmore were seasoned touring and recording musicians and soon found
themselves working together in Steve Earle's band, the Dukes and Duchesses.
AUSSIE NEWS
Chelsea Basham was recently asked to appear on stage with one of our
heroes, Keith Urban, as part of his Light The Fuse Tour of Australia.
CMC Interview: The
McClymonts , CMC talk to Brooke McClymont about the group's new album, Here's To You and
I released July 7th - UK iTunes
The Invitation to be a head-lining artist at UK Country Music Festival (Sep 6th), YeeHaw UK brought with it both surprise and honour for Australian Singer/Songwriter, Aleyce Simmonds. “I’ve never been to the UK but always wanted to go. To actually be paid to go over there, play my music at one of UK’s biggest Country Music Festivals AND get to see another Country for the first time is a dream come true!!” Simmonds is no stranger to Australian country music audiences. A 4 times Golden Guitar nominee, she rose to prominence in 2005 after winning the Telstra Road to Tamworth competition. Aleyce will finish her set on stage at the Iconic ‘Gympie Music Muster’ in QLD, Australia and be off, on her way and board a flight to London. This will be followed by a jam-packed 3 weeks of shows around the UK and a flight home to Australia - just in time for the Mildura Country Music Festival in Victoria (29th - 5th October)
CANADIAN NEWS
Singer-songwriter Carolyn
Dawn Johnson has joined Miranda Lambert's band. Signed
to Arista Nashville in the early 2000s, Johnson's Top 10 country hits include
"Complicated" and "I Don't Want You to Go."
Stamp of Approval: Shania Twain, the late Hank
Snow, k.d. lang and two other country artists are being honored with Canadian postage
stamps. "Signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours. July 31st in
Canada!"
Currently for pre-order only. Not shipping until on or
after July 31st, 2014. Canadian Country Artists: Shania Twain Official First
Day Cover—Single Stamp
NEWS
Snapshot Country Aircheck's Insider Artist News:
July 4, 2014 (Garth Brooks, Martina McBride) July 8, 2014 (Garth Brooks, Shania Twain,
Taylor Swift (Journal Entry), Lady Antebellum, Sheryl Crow, Doggy Parton)
June’s 2014 Country
Music Association (CMA) Music Festival in downtown Nashville contributed $39.3 million in
direct visitor spending, according to numbers released by the
Nashville Convention And Visitors Corporation (NCVC). That is a record-setting
number, according to NCVC, up from 2013’s $31.5 million and a substantial
increase from $15.5 million in 2001.
Officials in Pittsburgh have no beef with the music
performed by Luke Bryan and Kenny Chesney. But they do have an issue with the performance of fans who have
come to see the two country acts perform. Authorities are trying to come up
with policies to avoid the huge cleanup that followed both shows - Image.
BABY NEWS
Double congrats going out to Small Town Pistols brother and sister Amanda Wilkinson and Tyler
Wilkinson, both of whom have new babies on the way. Amanda and her husband,
Gino, will have their first child—a baby boy—arriving on Nov. 6, while her
younger brother, Tyler, and his wife, Erin, are anticipating their new addition
on Dec. 15.
“I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to
begin this new adventure with my husband,” Amanda told Country Weekly exclusively. “We’re counting
down the weeks ’til we get to meet our little man!” Amanda and Gino wed on Nov.
11, 2013, and Tyler and Erin exchanged vows on Sept. 14, 2013.
MUSIC NEWS
Music sales
continued their free-fall
during the first six months of 2014, as both albums and digital downloads again
showed double-digit losses. According to Nielsen SoundScan data for the year to
date through June 29, total album sales in all formats plunged nearly 15%, with
sales of almost 121 million, versus 142 million sold in the first six months of
2013.
To put the steepness of the decline in perspective: Just 18 months ago, Adele’s
Grammy-winning “21” – the bestselling album of 2011 and 2012 — finished the latter
year with sales in excess of 10 million. It is conceivable that such a
phenomenon will not be seen in the industry again.
EG. Jennifer Lopez's media circus took place before
the release of her new album (including a cover story on Billboard), "J.
Lo's "A.K.A." was expected to move only 25,000-30,000 units during
first week." It did sell 33,000 copies which was enough for a #8 chart
debut on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart, but pretty bad since it is Lopez's
smallest sales debut for any of her studio albums, dipping below the 48,000 bow
of her Spanish-language set "Como Ama Una Mujer" in 2007.
Milk Music -- A New Way to Discover Music, Lady Antebellum are among the artists
featured in a >> new
ad for Samsung's Milk Music streaming app.
SINGLE / ALBUM
NEWS
Blake Shelton has new music coming soon. He tweeted Monday, "Finishing up my last
album in the next couple weeks."
Sara Evans to release new single, "Can't Stop Loving
You," a duet with Isaac Slade, to radio. The single, written by
Victoria Banks, Phil Barton, and Emily Shackelton, is the second release from
her critically acclaimed seventh studio album SLOW ME DOWN released in March
and will officially go for radio Adds on July 21st. (via Sony Press Release)
Meghan Linsey (formerly of Steel Magnolia) has reached
her crowd-sourcing goal on PledgeMusic (115% reached of goal) and will release her debut solo EP
this week. There's also a single "Try Harder Than That" (feat. Bubba
Sparxxx) released on US iTunes on July 2nd.
The wait was finally over Tuesday night (July 8) when Florida Georgia Line debuted their brand new single, "Dirt."
Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley were due to perform their new single on
"The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon" and on LIVE! with Kelly &
Michael on Wednesday (July 9th).
The tune is the lead single from the red-hot duo's
forthcoming sophomore album, produced by Joey Moi. The new project is slated
for release later this Autumn. “Dirt” (Universal Republic Nashville Records)
will hit Country radio airwaves nationwide this week and is available at all
digital retailers (July 8 - US iTunes; Amazon UK Amazon.com). FGL are currently on the road
as direct support for Jason Aldean’s Burn It Down Tour.
Dirt" is a laidback track about a pretty girl and
corn fields. This girl may be living the good life in the city these days, but
she'll never forget her origins in the country side where she used to get mud
on her boots and get dirt on her clothes.
>> Listen to 'Dirt' by Florida Georgia Line":
Roughstock (Single Review) The
production is less busy, the lyrics gain more of a focus and the song’s theme
talks about the importance that Dirt has on our lives (hint, it’s everywhere).
While Tyler Hubbard once again is the main lead singer on the opening chorus
and the verses, the nice surprise is that Brian “BK” Kelley gets to sing the
second verse of “Dirt” and be more than just the ‘other guy’ in the
duo....“Dirt” isn’t revolutionary for the genre of Country music but it’s a
stone-cold, smash hit. it proves that Florida Georgia Line is more than just
about tanlines and good times and can sing a song that’s more about life and
the life we live than the party-worthy moments from within that life.
PRESS RELEASES
- Bluegrass duo, The Roys, continue their creative momentum as they gear up for the September release of their fourth studio album, THE VIEW. They also released a companion lyric Video for new single, "No More Lonely"
- "Country's Family Reunion" (on RFD-TV) Goes Red, White & Retro for July!
- Old Dominion Notoriety bolstered by SiriusXM Airplay
- Colt Ford has been chosen as NRA Country’s Featured Artist for July. The announcement comes during an exciting week, on the heels of the release of his highly anticipated new album, Thanks for Listening. The National Rifle Association (NRA) is a formidable opponent, however, when it comes to grass-roots organizing. It has more than 4 million members who feel passionately about gun rights. Nearly 90 percent of NRA members oppose the banning semi-automatic weapons.
- Sarah Darling covers Summer Issue of WHOAwomen
- Bucky Covington is excited to announce his partnering with F3 Entertainment for management representation, and Buddy Lee Attractions for exclusive booking representation.
- Nickel Creek to headline Grey Fox Fest: A Who’s Who of Bluegrass Music in the Catskill Mountains
- Dolly Parton & Glastonbury score big with fans and found a doggie
- Bellamy Brothers add dates in Qatar, Australia and New Caledonia in Addition to Upcoming Performances in Switzerland, Belgium, France, Norway, Germany and Canada.
- The Americana Music Association announced the selection of Jackson Browne, Loretta Lynn, Flaco Jiménez and Taj Mahal as Lifetime Achievement Award winners to be presented at its 13th Annual Honors and Awards ceremony, presented by Nissan, on Wednesday, September 17 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
- Natalie Stovall and The Drive stopped by the Yahoo Music studios to perform their debut single “Baby Come On With It” and sit down for an exclusive interview.
- Sounds Like Nashville: Listen to the brand new single 'Tonight' and tune in to see The Shires make their TV debut this Saturday (July 12th) on "The Weekend" with Aled Jones.
ARTICLES
Digital Music News After 4,175,149 Plays, Pandora Pays Bette Midler $144.21
Houston Chronicle Country legends cross 'Bridges' with 18-year-old Mary Sarah…..Mary Sarah says
"Bridges," her album (out July 8) of duets with classic country
superstars, was assembled "miracle by miracle." The 18-year-old
singer, who grew up in Richmond and Sugar Land, is earning a considerable
amount of national attention for the project, which pairs her with the likes of
Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Tanya Tucker for new readings of
familiar songs….
Houston Press Blog The Mystery of Mary
Sarah: Country Music's Next Star? (by Chris Gray) ..Many critics believe
that for the past few years, country music has been experiencing the kind of
artistic bankruptcy that comes along once in a generation.
But now something odd is happening, and the unlikely
catalyst is a teenager from Fort Bend County who once confessed her
"MAJOR" crush on Justin Bieber....Frankly, Mary Sarah looks and
sounds an awful lot like Carrie Underwood: All-American cheerleader good looks
and a voice blessed with not only perfect pitch but dynamic range (which,
unlike Underwood, she doesn't overuse). On Bridges, she goes well beyond holding
her own against some of the greatest talents in country-music history -- most
of whom are admittedly getting on in years -- and pretty much steals the
show....
For The Country Record Should Sarah
Darling Be Able To Compete On ABC’s Rising Star? ….
NPR Music's
25 Favorite Albums Of 2014 (So Far) ….Two Country artists have made the list: Miranda Lambert's Platinum and they
cited modern outlaw Sturgill Simpson
and has sophomore set Metamodern Sounds In Country Music. Also of note Hurray for the Riff Raff's latest
release Small Town Heroes whose rhythms and melodies call to mind everything
from Appalachian
tradition to the Mississippi Delta and the old folk-blues.
Wall Street Journal For
Taylor Swift, the Future of Music Is
a Love Story; The Singer-Songwriter Says Artists and Fans Will Still Form Deep
Bonds, but They Will Do It in New Ways
INTERVIEWS
Listen to Lee Williams’ CMR NASHVILLE ("Europe's #1 Country
Music Radio Station") recorded Nashville interview with Northern Michigan
native Inde singer-songwriter Hannah
Bethell during the CMA 2014 Festival. She talks about her new single "Preachers
Daughter", touring and her CMA Festival experience.
CONNECT with Hannah:
Listen to Lee Williams’ CMR Nashville recorded Nashville interview with Athens, GA native country/rap artist Colt Ford during the CMA 2014 Festival to chat about his new album "Thanks For Listening" (released on his own Average Joe's Entertainment label) and mud digging!
CONNECT with Hannah:
Listen to Lee Williams’ CMR Nashville recorded Nashville interview with Athens, GA native country/rap artist Colt Ford during the CMA 2014 Festival to chat about his new album "Thanks For Listening" (released on his own Average Joe's Entertainment label) and mud digging!
CONNECT
with Colt Ford:
BOOKS
Around the Table: Recipes
and Inspiration for Gatherings Throughout the Year by Martina McBride. The widely acclaimed country music megastar
invites fans into her home, her kitchen, and her family’s traditions in this,
her first-ever book—a beautiful 320 page full-color illustrated collection of culinary
celebrations, complete with cherished recipes and menus for cooking and
entertaining at home. It will be available Oct. 7 from Harper Collins
Jimmy
Wayne will release his autobiography, Walk
to Beautiful, on October 7. He was inspired to write his story after his
2010 walk from Nashville to Phoenix for his Meet Me Halfway campaign, which
raised awareness for foster youth who have aged out of the system. The book
will chronicle his childhood spent in foster homes, as well as his country
music career. “When I got back from my walk, I just said I probably should
write down my memories because there was so much that happened prior to the
walk,” he told Country Weekly.....
MAGAZINES
International
Bluegrass July 2014:
TOP STORIES: IBMA's Wide Open Bluegrass adds to lineup; Bela Fleck to deliver
keynote address; the 17th Annual European World of Bluegrass recap...
Cowgirl Fit Summer/Fall 2014: Fitness for the cowgirl. Health and
fitness tips, workouts, recipes, fashion and much more for the country girl. Photography
by Laura McClure find her on Facebook
and read her Cowgirl Fit with my Photos of Mellissa!
Blog on the photoshoot.
As the guys stand around and pose, girls dressed in white and hula-hooping surround them.
A graduate of The University of Arkansas, Katie became
a Hula Hoop Exercise sensation after she posted her first video hoop dancing to
>> “Goldfish,”
(a big hit in South Africa and Denmark) and then nothing. A blogger, local to
Denmark, was researching for an article covering a show “Goldfish” stumbled
onto Katies video featuring music from the band. Linking her video to the blog
by June 21, 2012 it attracted 1,624,779 video views on YouTube.
LISTEN
Bra-Grass - Listen to Rhonda Vincent's penned theme song for the upcoming Outer Banks
Bluegrass Festival called "Bluegrass Island" at soundcloud.com
New To You
18-year old blondes Maddie & Taelyn (Maddie Marlow and Taelyn Elizabeth – Top PHOTO!) are a new Country Crossover duo
on DOT Records (Big Machine Publishing).
Listen to "Girl in a Country Song" (Time:
3:37; Written by Maddie (Marlow), Tae(lynn Elizabeth Dye), and Aaron Scherz;
Performed by Maddie & Tae) It has been sent to
country radio with an impact country date of July 21, 2014.
“I ain’t your tan-legged Juliet. Can I put on some
real clothes now?”
Attacking the enemy (Florida Georgia Line etc) on
their own Big Machine Records turf?
Check out the full transcription of the lyrics which
takes down bro-country's treatment of women, it also directly calls out some of
the offenders - not by name but by catch phrases and hooks from their tunes.
Girl in a country song/ How
in the world did it go so wrong?/ Like all we're good for is looking good for you and your friends on the
weekend, nothin' more/ We used to get a little respect/ Now we're lucky if we
even get To climb up in the truck,
keep our mouth shut, ride along/ And be the girl in a country song
Yep, yep, yep / Aw naw, Conway
and George Strait/ Never did it this way/ Back in the old days/ Aw naw, We
ain't a cliché/ That ain't no wayTo treat a
lady
Their influences range from classic (Dolly Parton) to
current (Carrie Underwood) to crossover queen Shania Twain, who they call “THE
thing” while growing up in Texas and Oklahoma.
They met in 2011 via a vocal coach and known
collectively as Sweet Aliana. The girls are well on their way to laying claim
to a new country sound. Love is in the mix, yes, but there are bigger themes of
life and relationships, along with some frisky role-reversals. And their genre
of choice seems the natural home.
The girls met via a vocal coach during a showcase in
late-2011, and the chemistry was instantaneous. Less than a year later, they’re
inseparable. Finishing each other’s sentences. Giggling at inside jokes.
Crafting songs that seem less works of studio art and more expressions of their
inner-selves.
Quotes:
"Amazingly big talent, consistent musicians, and
they sing great" - Dan Huff
(Producer)
"Your not just looking at a single it's something
that is right song at right time with a genuine act who can deliver this
message, it's not just that, you see all of the depth behind it and you can't
sit on an album's worth of material like that" - Mike Molinar (Publisher)
"Girl In A Country Song is just the tip of the
iceberg" - Aaron Scherz
(co-writer/co-producer)
“One of the reasons we activated Maddie & Tae
right now, it started with this song, ‘Girl In A Country Song’,” says Big
Machine CEO Scott Borchetta in the duo’s
>> EPK.
“I think we’re starting off Dot Records with an absolute heater. There is a
gaping hole for a female act to come and re-engage teenage girls in the format.
It really hasn’t happened since Taylor (Swift).”
Tae Dye, Maddie Marlow
(standing, from left) BMLG senior vice president A&R Allison Jones, BMLG president/CEO Scott Borchetta
(standing, from left) BMLG senior vice president A&R Allison Jones, BMLG president/CEO Scott Borchetta
CMA Close Up Maddie & Tae performed at the AT&T Showcase
Stage at AT&T U-Verse Fan Fair X on Saturday, June 7 during the 2014 CMA
Music Festival in downtown Nashville. Jacqueline
Justice for CMA Close Up wrote: As flagship artists on Big Machine’s newly
revived Dot imprint, Maddie and Tae confront this issue head-on in their upcoming
single, “Girl
In A Country Song.” “These girls in the videos are like smokin’ hot
and that’s a lot of expectation to live up to,” they noted.
“You don’t get to hear about how the girl feels in
these songs wearing her cutoff jeans and shaking her moneymaker.”
They are currently on a tour bus hitting on radio
stations promting the single which is slated to drop on iTunes July 15th.
The single has debuted at No.58 on the Billboard
Country Airplay chart receiving 41first chart frame spins
CONNECT with
Maddie & Taelyn:
Related posts:
Chase Rice Tweets about the single
For The Country Record Maddie & Tae’s ‘Girl In A
Country Song’ Shades Bro-Country In A Wonderful Way....For newcomers Maddie & Tae, the current radio
climate has supplied ample material for their new song “Girl In A Country
Song,” in which they blast pretty much every bro-country anthem on the planet.
By targeting the biggest hits, the duo plants a bulls eye on every laundry-list
cliche-ridden fist-pumper Music Row has churned out over the past few years.
Ranging from Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan to such newcomers as Tyler Farr and
Thomas Rhett, they don’t shy away from telling us exactly how these songs make
them feel…..
Country Universe Single Review (Rating: A): Maddie & Tae, “Girl in
a Country Song”....“Girl in a Country Song” is all about the disappearing of
the female voice in country music. We
talk about it a lot in terms of how few female artists get radio play, but we
need to talk more about how the female experience has been largely
silenced. Maddie & Tae touch on this
when they sing, “Conway and George Strait never did it this way back in the old
days.”
Saving Country Music Review (rating: 1 1/4 of 2 guns up)....The girls sing
with that saucy twang that starts purposely below the register, and comes up to
meet the proper note, imbibed with lots of attitude a la Miranda Lambert. The
words to “Girls In A Country Song” are what have everyone riled, and
undoubtedly are what have Scott Borchetta rubbing his hands together,
envisioning this track co-written by the duo will strike at a nerve just at the
time the bro-country wave has reached its peak....
SPOTIFY COUNTRY
For users of this
online music streaming service here are some of the more recent additions and
recommendations.
When its free and
easy on Spotify who needs music piracy?
Sounds Like Nashville: New for 2014 –
Brand new singles from Kacey Musgraves "The Trailer Song", Florida Georgia
Line "Dirt" The Shires, Tim McGraw, Brantley Gilbert, Miranda Lambert
with album picks from Cassadee Pope, The Secret Sisters etc
BlackHawk – Brothers of the Southland - 11 tracks released
July 8, 2014
** Florida Georgia Line – Dirt - New single
released July 9th
Dean Alexander – Live A Little - Radio single
June 30, 2014
Lexi James – Knockin' on Your Heart - New
radio single July 28
Skylar Elise – You'll Never Understand - New
radio single July 7
Eileen Carey – Bottle Your Crazy Up - New radio
single July 7
Kirsty Lee Akers – That's How You Get Famous - New radio
single July 3
Tim Howard's Brazil Playlist (by US Soccer) The 35 year US goalie has a
eclectic music taste: A mix of clasic hip hop, country and punk which includes Zac
Brown Band's "Highway 20 Ride"
Nederland - by spotifylovesfootball: Includes The Common Linnets
"Calm After The Storm" Radio Edit and Ilse De Lange's
"Miracle" & I'm Not So Tough"!
The Losers Party – For England and Brazil fans
Ed Sheeran's New Spotify Record, in Perspective
Billboard In its first week of release, Ed Sheeran's
"x" generated 6.25 million
streams in the U.K. at Spotify -- a new record for the streaming service --
and over 6 million streams in the U.S. The album also set a Spotify record for global streams in a week with 23.8 million,
beating the 22.8 million streams of Eminem's "The Marshall Mathers LP
2" in November.
These numbers might seem huge at first blush. After
all, one million of anything is a big number. But large numbers are exactly
what you should expect in today's streaming marketplace. Today's music business
is increasingly characterized by access-based business models that track how
many times songs are played.
To put it in perspective, Nielsen tracks around 3
billion individual streams in a given week at a group of services such as
Spotify, Rdio, Rhapsody, Slacker and YouTube. That's a run rate of 156 billion
streams -- and that doesn't include Pandora!
Streaming has the kind of big numbers typically at
AM/FM radio. In the U.S., a popular song will have a radio audience in the tens
of millions in a given week. A country #1 will reach a weekly audience of 40
million to 50 million -- just at country radio. The audience number takes into
account how many times a song was played and how many people listened to each
performance. Streaming is similar in that hundreds of thousands or millions
of people can stream a particular song multiple times in a given week. The small numbers can
be found in purchases. There were 4.3 million album purchases in the
U.S. last week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. "x" sold 210,000 of
those 4.3 million units. This week it has shifted 53,000 in America (down 75%).
In the UK Sheeran's X retained leadership of the Top 100 album chart with second
week sales of 93,270 increase's X's overall tally to 275,723.
WATCH
Terri Clark >> "Some
Songs" (Bare Track Records). The track is the title song
off her upcoming album, which is set to be released on Sept 2nd. Clark recorded
the album with money from a Pledge Music campaign.
The Shires >> “I Just Wanna Love You”
After becoming an RIAA Gold-certified multi-week #1
country smash, Jerrod Niemann’s “Drink to That All
Night” is making waves in a special
pop remix featuring worldwide superstar Pitbull. Niemann and Pitbull now bring the remix to video in a
high-energy clip that debuted on >> VEVO which is now published on >> YouTube
- Sony Press Release
As the guys stand around and pose, girls dressed in white and hula-hooping surround them.
Walkin in the front door
checkin out the ladies/ My buddy says hey boys I'm buyin
The hottest girl in here's
givin me the eye and
Everybody knows, its gonna be
one of those/ I can drink to that all night/ That's the stuff I like
That's the kind of party
makes you throw your hands up high
Starring in it is none other than entertainer 28-year
old Katie Sunshine (aka Katie
Kick-Wilson) (HI RES Image - Image - Image) the >> "web’s hottest hooper"
On her Facebook page she says :The best way to describe myself would be to say that I'm totally
obsessed with hula hooping! I got into hula hooping about three years ago after
watching some really amazing hoop girls at Mulberry Mountain Music Fest.
She was born and raised in the beautiful state of
Arkansas (Benton, Central Arkansas) where she still lives today in Conway with
her wonderful husband (dang) . She teaches art to elementary students (ages
5-12) . Katie is a lover of the visual arts, not just the performing arts. She
loves to paint (Image - Facebook Gallery) and take photographs.
Katie Sunshine |
Hooping.org tracked her down to get the full story all about it. Philo:
How did you end up hooping in a Jerrod
Niemann music video? Katie: I ended up in a Jerrod Niemann video because I
am basically the luckiest girl in the world! Eric Welsh, the director, came
across one of my YouTube videos and contacted me, which I almost thought was a
joke. It seemed too good to be true. He told me he wanted to create a country
music video with a little less boots and hay and a little more glam and
edginess and a hula hoop performer was the perfect, unorthodox addition. So,
after a couple short weeks of discussions back and forth, I was on my way to
Nashville to film!...When Eric told me the scenes would all be in slow-motion
in the final version of the video, I knew I had to hula hoop like crazy!
Anything slow, chill or too flowy in real time would be boring once that footage
was slowed down, so I hoop danced my ass off! It’s funny to me watching the
video now because it looks so relaxed and it does seem to portray a sense of
flow....Read more
Watch >> Opie
& Anthony Hoop Dance Extended Version the song is
"Alana" by one of her Fayetteville friends, Benjamin Del Shreve.
Hooping to Unwind? Watch the sexy hula vixen with
skin-tight yoga pants is seen at 30th annual Winfest enjoying herself to the
Southern rock Old Crow Medicine Show song, >> “Wagon
Wheel” which has 2.4 million YouTube views to date. Whether
or not you think hula hooping is a sport, it's clear Sunshine is a master of
her craft. Maybe she could teach lessons to fans at the C2C2015 Country
Festival. CONNECT with Katie on Facebook
and YouTube
Related Post
CMT:
Babes, Bars and Beyond: Country Music
Drinks Itself to Health 12 New Songs Toast the Festive and Curative Effects
of Alcohol. Don't believe all this talk
you keep hearing about country music losing its soul. There's not a word of
truth to it. Country's soul floats high and proud on a sea of alcohol -- and it
always has. ....Truck songs, rodeo songs, rambling songs and going-home songs
come and go. But drinking songs are never out of fashion. And they generally
fall into two categories -- festive or therapeutic. Festive is about drinking
to have fun. Therapeutic is about drinking because something has stopped you
from having fun….
COUNTRY FASHION
Taylor Swift incorporated both, wearing a collared Topshop
floral-print romper while leaving the gym in New York City on Wednesday (July
2). Emphasizing the yellow hue on the all-in-one, she styled the look with
saffron Gucci
pumps, and a Dolce
& Gabbana bag - Image
You can buy Taylor’s Topshop ‘Aloha’ Floral Print Romper from Nordstrom.
You can buy Taylor’s Topshop ‘Aloha’ Floral Print Romper from Nordstrom.
Miranda Lambert Gets Hair Makeover With New Bob
Rocking Hillary Clinton? What do you make of Rands new
strands?
She showed off a dramatic hair for her album release
party on June 30th.
The 30 year old singer “Automatic” singer sported a more mature look when she decided to treat herself in a slightly different way, rather than spend her money on something luxurious to celebrate her successful album launching and her hot new single, she decided to freshen up her look by getting a chin-length bob makeover along with unstructured side bangs and the slightly wavy ends gave an edgy twist for her big Nashville party. She also slightly darkened her luminous blonde to give some depth to her new haircut - Image
The 30 year old singer “Automatic” singer sported a more mature look when she decided to treat herself in a slightly different way, rather than spend her money on something luxurious to celebrate her successful album launching and her hot new single, she decided to freshen up her look by getting a chin-length bob makeover along with unstructured side bangs and the slightly wavy ends gave an edgy twist for her big Nashville party. She also slightly darkened her luminous blonde to give some depth to her new haircut - Image
Lambert showcased the hair makeover wearing a white
corsage on her wrist with a strapless baby pink dress and a strand of dazzling pearls.The
newly slimmed down star paired the sweet frock with silver heels - Image
The country crooner - who along with her poofy,
strapless baby pink dress - arrived at the bash with her signature long
Miranda looked thrilled to be celebrating her No. 1
spot on the charts, smiling as she was joined by co-writers Nicolle Galyon and
Natalie Hemby. Read more: Daily Mail
COUNTRY GOSSIP
Jewel and her husband, rodeo star Ty Murray, are
divorcing after being married for nearly six years and
together for 16.
The singer shared the news on her website on Wednesday
(July 2). Jewel and Murray married in the Bahamas in 2008. They have one child,
almost 3-year-old Kase Townes, together. In her blog entry, Jewel explains why
she decided to announce the news on her personal site. “I share all this with
you because I wanted you to hear it from us, instead of the tabloids,” she
writes. “I also share it because I have learned in these 20 years of living my
life honestly in front of you, to trust that you will all honor and have
reverence for how difficult this journey is, and allow us our process as we not
only grieve the loss of our marriage, but also as we recreate ourselves in the
ashes — for from all death we trust a phoenix rises.
Carrie Underwood has been making some goodies for her
husband, Mike Fisher, who's recovering from Achilles tendon surgery
(ruptured during a training session and had surgery to repair it on July 3). Carie
went wild blueberry picking earlier this week and baked up a blueberry pie,
blueberry biscuits and two blueberry cobblers. Carrie posted a
picture of her culinary creations on her Instagram page, with
the caption, "One main ingredient...4 amazing dishes!!! Yummy wild
blackberry picking."
Cooking up an album: In other major news Carrie is slowly
letting fans in on details surrounding her much-anticipated forthcoming album.
“I’ve been writing a lot. It feels really good,” she said. “It’s just a
progression, a different sound without losing myself in it. I’m not taking some
crazy musical departure from what I’ve done, but it definitely feels different.
It will feel different, look different, sound different.”
Zac Brown and his wife have five kids now and the last child,
his only son was born May 5. Zac says, “we’ve finished procreating! We’ve done
our share.” When Zac Brown went spear fishing recently with Eric Church in
Destin, Florida, they caught a sting ray. It was Eric’s first time out and Zac
says a sting ray’s so heavy in the water; it can easily drown a person.
TWEETS
Holly Williams tweeted @hollywilliams1 Fab night playing
@sage_gateshead, now mama needs to get to bed #growingandgrowingandgrowing
The Shires
Sharing a Whispering Bob beer with @WhisperingBob after our @WBBCOFFICIAL session. What a lovely afternoon we had! pic.twitter.com/HhZ2C3n016
— The Shires (@theshiresuk) July 8, 2014
Martina McBride tweeted @martinamcbride I am so excited to
share with you the cover design for my book, AROUND THE TABLE! Preorder:
PHOTO
- Happy
Independence Day y'all. Carrie
Underwood says "Make it a good one" #photooftheday - Image
- Jaida Dreyer photo by Robby Klein Photography - Image
- The Cadillac Three taken at The Lexington in London Facebook Gallery (Hels Bels
Photography).
- Taylor Swift's holiday weekend was a star-studded
affair. She took to Instagram on Sunday to post what she
called a "family portrait." The photo actually features Taylor
with several of her celebrity friends: singer Ingrid Michaelson, plus The
Amazing Spider-Man actress Emma Stone, Girls star Lena Dunham, Sin City's
Jaime King, and Gossip Girl actress Jessica Szohr. Dunham is seen flipping
the bird to the camera.
BIRTHDAYS
July 7: Charlie
Louvin (1927)
July 8: Toby Keith
(1961), Eve Selis
July 9: David Ball
(1953)
July 10: Cheryl
Wheeler (1951), Ken Mellons
(1965), Gary Le Vox(Rascal
Flatts)(1970)
July 11: Jeff Hanna
(Nitty Gritty Dirt Band)(1947),
July 12: Julie Miller
(1956), Kimberly Perry (The Band
Perry)(1983)
July 13: Victoria Shaw (1962), Roger McGuinn (Byrds) (1942), Brent Mason (1959), Rhonda Vincent (1962)
July 13: Victoria Shaw (1962), Roger McGuinn (Byrds) (1942), Brent Mason (1959), Rhonda Vincent (1962)
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