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GAC Headlines
GAC Headlines

GAC's top news stories.

Taylor Swift: Bomb-shell in Blue Jeans
In her latest single, "You Belong With Me," Taylor Swift sings "She wears short skirts/I wear t-shirts," but on the August cover of Glamour magazine, she's dubbed a "Bomb-Shell in Blue Jeans."

Happy 4th of July from GACTV.com!
July 2, 2009 — The GAC offices will be closed Friday, July 3. GACTV.com news will resume Monday, July 6.

Watch Wynonna's Revealing "Master Series" Interview
July 2, 2009 — A funny thing happened when Wynonna Judd came to the GAC studio to tape an episode of The Collection — she and Bill Cody enjoyed their chat so much, they lost track of time! At the end of the taping, there was so much must-see footage that editors created an episode of Master Series.

Kellie Pickler Tops Holiday-Weekend "Top 20"
July 2, 2009 — Nan Kelley hosts a red, white and blue-themed edition of GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown this weekend, with Kellie Pickler remaining at No. 1 for the fifth straight week.

Willie Nelson, Marty Stuart, Brad Paisley: July 4th In America
July 2, 2009 — Marty Stuart will share a concert with an ex-president, Willie Nelson will share a stage with Bob Dylan, Kid Rock will launch a new beer, Brad Paisley will likely hang out at home, and Jason Michael Carroll will spend the holiday with ... Chuck Wicks’ girlfriend!? Indeed. A bundle of events are slated across the good ol’ U.S.A. on the Fourth of July, and country music is right smack-dab in the heart of it all.

Reba McEntire Scolds Blake Shelton via Twitter
July 1, 2009 — Count Reba McEntire as one of the many country stars who've joined the Twitter craze. Dial-Global reported that yesterday, Reba's tweet said she was doing interviews all day (including an interview with GAC and GACTV.com). She also busted her husband Narvel Blackstock's client Blake Shelton, who has been tweeting like a madman and isn't always very nice or "PG" in his tweets.

Terri Clark: Happy to Be On Her Own
July 1, 2009 — Getting signed to a major record label is the dream of many singers and songwriters. But when it was time to make her new record, Terri Clark actually asked to be released from her contract with Sony/BMG Nashville.

SHeDAISY, Ray Price: Life Notes
July 1, 2009 — While Josh Turner and the Lost Trailers’ Stokes Nielson have each had babies in the last 10 days, they’re hardly the only country stars with significant developments in their lives. SHeDAISY’s Kassidy Osborn, Aaron Tippin and Country Music Hall of Famer Ray Price have turned important pages — and Kellie Pickler’s ended something that never really started.

Brooks & Dunn, Tim McGraw CDs Slated
July 1, 2009 — Brooks & Dunn are adding a hits compilation to autumn’s album release schedule, perhaps around the time of Indian summer, while Tim McGraw’s decided on a name for his first project of new material in two years. They’re among the leading projects slated for late summer and fall release. Brooks & Dunn’s #1s ... and then some features "Indian Summer" and one other brand new song, "Honky Tonk Stomp," in a 30-track collection stuffed with 23 chart-topping singles. It hits the streets Sept. 8.

Josh Turner Welcomes Second Son
June 30, 2009 — Josh Turner and his wife Jennifer welcomed their second son, Colby Lynch Turner, to the family on Friday, June 26. The Turners are also parents to two-year-old Hampton.

Alan Jackson’s Home: for $38 Million, It’s Yours!
June 30, 2009 — The same day Alan Jackson filled a Nashville club this month with a free concert celebrating his 20th anniversary as a recording artist, a lengthy story in The Nashville Scene indicated he was planning to put his suburban mansion, Sweetbriar, up for sale.

Country Thunder Roars on GAC
June 30, 2009 — Country Thunder USA, in its 17th year as one of the nation’s leading festivals, will get big exposure next month on GAC. The four-day event — featuring Taylor Swift, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw and Rodney Atkins, among others — welcomes Suzanne Alexander, who’ll cover the festival for GAC Nights and Top 20 Country Countdown.

Dierks Bentley is "Sideways" Over No. 1 Hit
June 30, 2009 — Dierks Bentley tried to create a party atmosphere when he recorded his current single, "Sideways," and now it’s given him a great reason to throw a real one.

Lost Trailers Find Baby
June 30, 2009 — Lost Trailers guitarist Stokes Nielson and his wife, Maria, added a second child to the family with the birth of a boy June 22 in Nashville. The new addition comes at the start of the summer touring season, meaning Dad will be away from his son about as much as he’s home.

Brad Paisley: Solo Artist, Group Effect
June 30, 2009 — When Brad Paisley writes his songs, he typically does it with no more than two other people in the room, but when it’s time to record, he’s been known to turn it into a party. There’ve been big, gang vocals on several of his hits — including "Alcohol" and "I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song)" — and he incorporated a marching band into "Online." Brad and his producer, Frank Rogers, used that effect even more in his new album, which comes out Tuesday.

Brooks & Dunn Shoot High-School Video
June 29, 2009 — It was kind of like "Friday Night Lights": high-school football being shot for TV. Except it was on a Monday night, instead of Friday; and it was for a video, and not for a regular series. Brooks & Dunn’s "Indian Summer" got a hand from two football programs in Central California when the Chowchilla Redskins lined up against the Dos Palos Broncos over, and over, and over again.

Montgomery Gentry Goes Full Circle in Joining Opry
June 29, 2009 — When the Grand Ole Opry welcomes new members, the inductees get to pick which current member makes the presentation, and when Montgomery Gentry joined last week, their choice had a strong connection to their very first appearance on the show.

Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift: New Songs Coming
June 29, 2009 — Taylor Swift earned her first hit with a song titled "Tim McGraw" — now she shares a release date with the artist she celebrated as both singers have new tracks coming out on Tuesday.

Brad Paisley Gets Personal
June 29, 2009 — The first day of June marked 10 years since the release of Brad Paisley’s first album, Who Needs Pictures. The last day of the month will see the release of his latest, American Saturday Night. In the last decade, Brad’s risen to the ranks of the top entertainers in the genre, mapping out a trail of awards victories with his singing, songwriting and guitar-playing. Still, he’s never gotten quite as personal in the course of an album as he has with this one.

Zac Brown Band Pushes Limits
June 29, 2009 — The Zac Brown Band sure gets around when it comes to musical styles. Earlier this month, the group was one of the few country acts that showed up at the Bonnaroo rock music festival in Manchester, Tenn. The next day, the band played the CMA Music Festival with a four-song set that stretched from folk to reggae to a high-octane cover of Charlie Daniels’ "The Devil Went Down To Georgia."

Country Music & the Late Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett
June 26, 2009 — Celebrity deaths, it’s been said, come in threes, and that was certainly true this week with the passing of Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon. They were not country figures, but each of them had a small level of influence on the genre. And in the middle of their much-covered deaths, the loss of songwriter Tim Krekel — who authored a pair of hits — was overshadowed.

Lady Antebellum’s Summer Soul-stice
June 26, 2009 — With its crafty harmonies and buoyant stage presence, Lady Antebellum has quickly emerged as one of country music’s top groups — even though the trio has thus far released just one album. Lady A picked up a nomination at the Grammy Awards this year for Best New Artist, pitting the band against pop acts Adele, Duffy and the Jonas Brothers, as well as R&B newcomer Jazmine Sullivan. It was appropriate company for Lady A’s Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood.

Taylor Swift Studies Shania Twain
June 26, 2009 — Taylor Swift was all of five years old when Shania Twain released her ground-breaking album The Woman In Me in 1995, thus through almost all the formative years of her life, Taylor has never known a world without Shania in it.

Kenny Chesney Makes Big Bucks: Forbes
June 26, 2009 — Three of the Top 12 money-makers in music last year came out of country music, according to a new Forbes study, and Kenny Chesney — who ranks fifth among all musicians — is tops in the genre.

Brad "Prankster" Paisley Visits "Top 20"
June 26, 2009 — Ten years after he released his first album, Brad Paisley issues his latest on Tuesday, and he’ll drop by this weekend to chat about it with host Nan Kelley on GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown.

Keith Urban Shares the Joy
June 25, 2009 — Keith Urban’s Defying Gravity is a doggedly upbeat album, and there’s good reason for it. He recorded it just last year, not long after he and Nicole Kidman welcomed their first daughter, so the songs came along when he was in an extremely happy place.

Sugarland, the New Judds?
June 25, 2009 — When the Judds reunited at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville earlier this month, Naomi Judd took a moment to address the crowd while a gospel choir kept "Love Can Build A Bridge" going in the background. "So many of you are having hard times," she told the crowd. "There is a word: hope." The next night, Sugarland popped up on the same stage with mostly buoyant material and made it clear: Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush are filling Wynonna and Naomi’s shoes as country’s uplifting duo of the moment.

Trace Adkins, Toby Keith Make Toughest Decision
June 25, 2009 — They both played defensive end as football players, and both worked in oilfields before they found their footing in country music. Toby Keith and Trace Adkins have finally paired up on stage with America’s Toughest Tour, a teaming Trace thinks is long overdue.

Jason Aldean: Wide Open & Gold
June 25, 2009 — Jason Aldean is three for three. Wide Open, his third album, has been certified gold — as were his previous two CDs, Jason Aldean and Relentless.

Darryl Worley Holds Back on Baby Talk
June 25, 2009 — With a 15-month-old daughter at home, Darryl Worley had a whole new set of circumstances to work with when he started building his new album, Sounds Like Life. And he did address it on the CD, but not as much as he could have.

Music Industry Today
Music Industry Today

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CMT NEWS
All Country News

All the news from country music's most reliable source.

NASHVILLE SKYLINE: Elvis, Hank, Michael: Killed by Fame
Hank Williams was lucky. That's a seemingly bizarre but logical argument that posits that his legacy was guaranteed by his early death while he was still at the top of his musical and songwriting powers. He was only 29 when he expired in the back seat of

Brad Paisley Books Good Morning America, Live! With Regis and Kelly
Brad Paisley will perform a concert in Central Park on Friday (July 3) for the Good Morning America Summer Concert Series.

Wynonna Will Sign Autographs, Sing With Nashville Symphony on July 4
Wynonna will sign autographs at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, as well as sing with the Nashville Symphony, on Saturday (July 4) in downtown Nashville.

Terri Clark Plans New Album for Independent Release in September
Terri Clark plans to release a new album, The Long Way Home, independently in September.

Ten Independent Albums You Might Have Missed
What better time to celebrate independent music than Independence Day? From the realms of bluegrass, alternative country, R&B and folk, here are 10 top-notch independent albums that have crossed my desk during the first half of 2009.

Alan Jackson Lists Nashville-Area Home for $38 Million
Alan Jackson has listed his Nashville-area home on the real estate market for $38 million.

David Nail, Singer of "Red Light," Releasing New Album on Aug. 18
David Nail will release his debut album, I'm About to Come Alive, on Aug. 18 on MCA Nashville.

Old Crow Medicine Show Plans Live DVD on Aug. 18
Old Crow Medicine Show will release their first live concert DVD, Live at the Orange Peel and Tennessee Theatre, on Aug. 18 on Nettwerk Records.

Brad Paisley: A Face Made for Videos
Brad Paisley's face is made for music videos. It is so good at registering shades of emotion (usually degrees of delight or incredulity) that it constitutes a show within a show.

Tim McGraw's New Album, Southern Voice, Arrives This Fall
Southern Voice, Tim McGraw's first studio album in two and a-half years, will be released this fall by Curb Records, his management company announced Tuesday (June 30).

Josh Turner Welcomes Second Son, Finishes New Album
Josh Turner and wife Jennifer welcomed their second son, Colby Lynch Turner, his publicist announced Tuesday (June 30).

Kris Kristofferson Will Be Recognized as BMI Icon in November
Kris Kristofferson will be recognized as a BMI Icon at the BMI Country Awards in Nashville on Nov. 10.

Nashville Star's Chris Young Releasing New Album on Sept. 1
Chris Young, who won the Nashville Star talent competition in 2006, will release his second album, The Man I Want to Be, on Sept. 1 on RCA Nashville.

Tanya Tucker Honors Her Father's Favorite Music on New Album
As a grade-schooler in Arizona, Tanya Tucker and her father, Beau Tucker, would convince touring country singers like Ernest Tubb and Little Jimmy Dickens to give her a moment in the spotlight, too. And by the time she was 13, Tucker was working her own s

Alan Jackson Records National Anthem for Hometown Celebration
Alan Jackson has recorded the national anthem for the Fourth of July celebration in his hometown of Newnan, Ga.

Toby Keith, Jason Aldean Coming to Country USA Festival in 2010
Toby Keith and Jason Aldean will perform at the Country USA Festival in Oshkosh, Wis., in 2010, according to event promoter Dan Liebhauser.

Lady Antebellum Represents Country on Upcoming Now! 31 Compilation
Lady Antebellum's "I Run to You" is the only country song to be included on the Now! 31 compilation, which will be released Tuesday (June 30).

HOT DISH: What's Going to Happen to All These Blondes?
Following up what I already wrote about the recent CMA Music Festival, I wonder if we should bless or curse all those blondes. Should they have a hit single, and will there be room for them on the chart? Can radio find a place for all the blondes? Do they

Kenny Chesney and Hannah Montana Still Top the Country Charts
The names are the same at the top of Billboard's country albums and songs charts this week, where Kenny Chesney's "Out Last Night" and the soundtrack CD to Hannah Montana: The Movie continue to hold sway.

CMT Insider Interview: Miranda Lambert Talks About "Dead Flowers"
Miranda Lambert reunited with director Randee St. Nicholas to shoot the music video for "Dead Flowers." It's the first single from her third album, Revolution, scheduled for release in late September.

Taylor Swift Sets Attendance Records at Country USA Festival
Taylor Swift set an attendance record at the 14th annual Country USA festival in Oshkosh, Wis., on Wednesday night (June 24), according to event organizer Dan Leibhauser.

Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Toby Keith Among Top Earners, Says Forbes
Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts and Toby Keith are among the 10 top-earning musicians in all genres of music, according to a new report from Forbes magazine.

Keith Urban, Counting Crows Playing Summerfest Together
Keith Urban and Counting Crows are booked for their only show together at Summerfest in Milwaukee on Friday night (June 26).

Scott H. Biram Mixes Roots Music, CB Radios and Punk Rock Attitude
The opening track of Scott H. Biram's Something's Wrong/Lost Forever is a whispered voice mail message he left on a friend's phone a short time after surviving a horrific wreck with a tractor-trailer in 2003: "They've got me held prisoner over here

NASHVILLE SKYLINE: Brad Paisley, Here's Your 10-Year Gold Watch
Ten years on in his country music career, Brad Paisley is often overlooked as a major architect of the structure that is modern country music. There were very good reasons why he was awarded three major Buckle honors at the CMT Music Awards show on June 1

Tim McGraw, Kellie Pickler Will Play Country Stampede This Weekend
Dierks Bentley, Tim McGraw, Kellie Pickler, Blake Shelton, Phil Vassar and the Zac Brown Band are among the performers scheduled to appear at Country Stampede this weekend in Manhattan, Kan.

Jason Aldean's Wide Open Certified Gold
Jason Aldean's newest album, Wide Open, has been certified gold by the RIAA for shipments of 500,000 copies.

Kid Rock Teams With Rick Rubin for Next Album
Kid Rock has teamed with producer Rick Rubin for the follow-up to 2007's double-platinum Rock N Roll Jesus, according to Billboard magazine.

Holly Williams Bares Her Soul on New Album, Here With Me
At a time when artists seem to emerge from the woodwork to prove just how "country" they truly are, some are simply born that way. Take for example, Holly Williams.

Keith Urban Adds Australian Dates, Plans New Music Video
Keith Urban has added several Australian dates to his Escape Together World Tour.

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About Country Music
About Country Music

Country Music

Tim McGraw's Voice Due This Fall

Tim McGraw's Southern Voice album may be dropping a year later than he had originally planned, but that's better than not dropping at all. You may recall McGraw had planned on releasing an album of new material in autumn of '08, but his label opted instead to release his third Greatest Hits collection. No doubt Voice will be worth the wait from the much-adored singer. According to Country Weekly, he'll follow the album's release with a an extensive tour.

The album doesn't have a solid release date yet, but a release date is available for McGraw's film with Sandra Bullock. The Blind Side will hit theaters Nov. 20. Meanwhile, fans can get a leg up on the disc's release as its first single - "It's a Business Doing Pleasure With You" - has already released (watch video).

photo courtesy Curb Records

Tanya Tucker's Daddy Would Be Proud

CMT is running an interview they recently did with the inimitable Tanya Tucker about her new album My Turn. The disc, which drops today on Saguaro Road Records, sees the remarkable singer paying tribute to some of classic country music's greatest hits. She duets with Jim Lauderdale on Buck Owens' classic "Love's Gonna Live Here" and delivers terrific renditions of tunes like "After the Fire Is Gone" (originally Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty) and "Big Big Love." (She told CMT that the latter was not a song she ever would have thought to include on this collection, but it turned out to be one of her favorites on the disc.)

Tucker's father was a great fan of country music and would frequently convince touring country singers to let little Tanya hop onstage for a tune. She says she originally thought of naming the disc The Songs My Dad Wanted Me To Sing. All respect to Ms. Tucker, My Turn is a much better title. As I mentioned above, the disc is available everywhere starting today. The CMT interview is available on their Web site.

image © Saguaro Road Records

Kid Rock Teams Up With Rick Rubin

Grammy-winning producer and Columbia Records Vice President Rick Rubin is kind of the King Midas of the mainstream music industry. Having produced groundbreaking albums for some of country music's biggest envelope-pushing stars—from Johnny Cash to the Dixie Chicks—Rubin's stamp on an artist's work can be lasting and career-changing. So, it's incredibly notable that he'll be heading into the studio with rockstar-cum-country singer Kid Rock, who just won a CMT Award for his video "All Summer Long."

According to CMT, Rock has been rehearsing for the album during his current US tour, and has acquired around 20 songs to record for the disc. He told Billboard that "we won't release anything until we both agree that every song on it is great."

Rock's current tour around the U.S. kicks off tonight in West Palm Beach, Fla., and will take him around the eastern half of the country, wrapping in Essex Junction, Vt., on September 6. For a full list of tour dates and other news, visit Kid Rock's Web site.

photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Country Stars Take to the Screen

Someone in Hollywood thought it would be a stellar idea to remake Footloose, and they've cast Julianne Hough as Ariel Moore. According to Variety, Hough's part in the film is contingent on whether the filming schedule can jive with her music star schedule. Regardless, the new Footloose (directed by Kenny Ortega) is scheduled to release next June. (Apparently Hough also had a bit part in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone back in 2001.)

In other, somewhat vaguely related news, I mentioned the other day that Sugarland would be releasing a live CD/DVD set to Walmart in August. What I neglected to mention was that the duo would also be hosting a one-hour television special on ABC on Aug. 3 (the day before the disc drops) to present highlights from the Kentucky concert featured on the DVD.

photo courtesy Mercury Nashville

Zac Brown Band Cancels Dates, and Other News

CMT is reporting that the Zac Brown Band has canceled four dates they had scheduled in western Canada. Although they released no explanation as to why, a note on the band's Web site indicates they'll be rescheduling those shows at some point in the future. They just played a set at Telluride which, by all accounts, was one of the weekend's highlights. Hopefully the boys are all feeling well and it's just a visa issue, or something.
In other, completely unrelated news, several upcoming releases have been announced this week. Sugarland has a new live CD/DVD set (recorded in Lexington, KY) releasing to Wal-Mart this August 4, while Uncle Kracker's new disc Happy Hour will hit stores Sep. 15.
Speaking of new releases, Rounder Books has a biography of the legendary Jimmie Rodgers hitting stands in July (no exact date was specified in the press release), titled Waiting for a Train: Jimmie Rodgers's America. Rodgers has been called the Father of Country Music and his extremely influential blue yodel has been studied and analyzed ad nauseum. According to the press release, "This book grows from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s American Music Masters series, which honored Rodgers in a week of events focused on his life and legacy." The biography features contributions from a number of artists and critics, including Dave Alvin, Bob Dylan, Marty Stuart, Tom Russell, Rodney Crowell, and many more.

photo © Republic Records

CMT Music Awards Winners and that T-Swizzle Video

First of all, in case you've been living in a hole for the past 48 hours, here's Taylor Swift and T-Pain's much-talked-about video. They debuted the cut, which has money lines like "What, what, I knit sweaters, yo!" at Monday's CMT Awards Show, where Swift's "Love Story" scored the coveted Video of the Year and Female Video of the Year trophies. Brad Paisely won Male Video of the Year, while Rascal Flatts and Sugarland won for Group and Duo of the Year, respectively.

If you didn't manage to catch the show live, you can watch the awards show, red carpet clips, or see a list of all the winners at the CMT Music Awards Web site.

photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Essential George Strait CDs Every Fan Should Own

George Strait emerged in the early 1980s with a traditional sound that he's stood by throughout the years. His sound draws from both western swing and honky tonk styles, and his music has been an influence in many of today's rising stars. After more than twenty years, Strait can still top the charts, and artists are always honored to be chosen to tour with him. While he doesn't tour excessively, the shows that he does play almost always sell out. I've compiled the top 10 albums every George Strait fan should have.

Country News Roundup - Wednesday, June 10, 2009

The Judds Museum to Open June 11

Legendary Country Duo The Judds will pay homage to their fans and their amazing career by transforming a vacant building in historic Franklin, TN, into a museum celebrating the 25th Anniversary of their career in music.

The Judds Museum will be open Thursday, June 11 through Sunday, June 14. Hours are 9am-6pm on Thurs - Sat and 12pm-4pm on Sunday. Wynonna and Naomi will make a special appearance together to sign autographs on Saturday from 1pm-3pm. Wristbands will be issued June 11 and 12 to secure a place in line Saturday afternoon.

The museum will feature never-before-seen photos, costumes, tour memorabilia and more.

The Judds Museum will be located at 332 Main St. in Franklin, TN.

Eric Church Wins Fishing Tournament

Eric Church participated in The Porter Wagoner Memorial Artists & Anglers Fishing Tournament on Tuesday, coming in first place, along with ESPN NASCAR reporter Marty Smith and champion shotgun marksman Bill McGuire.

This is the start of a busy CMA Fest week for Eric, who will perform five times in four days, with a performance at the Chevy Stage tonight, the Riverfront Stages tomorrow, and three late-night (and sold out!) shows at the Rutledge on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Experience CMA Music Fest with Dierks Bentley

If you, like me, are unable to attend CMA Music Festival this year, you can get a second hand view of what's going on, through Dierks Bentley's Twitter posts. Dierks is tweeting about his experiences. He's even included some photos, including one of him signing at the Country Music Hall of Fame bookstore earlier today.

Montgomery Gentry For Our Heroes Review

AboutCountry staff writer Jennifer Webb reviews Montgomery Gentry's new Cracker Barrel CD, For Our Heroes. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of this disc will go to the Wounded Warrior Project.

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