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April 25, 2014

» About Time:

Carrie Underwood has been named to the Time 100, the magazine's annual list of the most influential people in the world. "It's her decency as a person that is so impressive," her CMA Awards co-host Brad Paisley summarizes in her introduction. "She's an advocate for causes like animal rights and the Red Cross. She has publicly challenged lawmakers when she's disagreed with them, and covered controversial issues in her music ... She has faith, a sense of self and loves a good challenge. When most singers tackle a Broadway musical, it's in front of a thousand people. She did it in front of 20 million." Others on the list include the Pope, actress Amy Adams, U.S. Secretary Of State John Kerry, Amazon Founder/CEO Jeff Bezos and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman. See it now here; look for it on newsstands tomorrow (4/25). Underwood will also headline the Time 100 Gala April 29 at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York.

» Three Added To Country Hall:

This year's Country Music Hall of Fame inductees are, in the Songwriter category, the late Hank Cochran; in the Veterans Era Artist category, Mac Wiseman; and in the Modern Era Artist Category, Ronnie Milsap.

Cochran wrote Patsy Cline's "I Fall To Pieces," George Strait's "The Chair" and "Ocean Front Property" and Keith Whitley's "Miami, My Amy," and many other hit songs recorded by Ray Price, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens and Johnny Paycheck. He passed away in 2010.

Wiseman played guitar for the Foggy Mountain Boys and later Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys before becoming a solo artist. His singles include "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" from 1955, "Jimmy Brown the Newsboy" from 1959 and "Your Best Friend and Me" from 1963.

Milsap's hits have spanned country and pop charts and include "Smoky Mountain Rain," "Stranger In My House," "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me" and "Any Day Now." In fact, he's had 40 No.1 country hits and won six Grammys. He made a surprise appearance last fall at Hunter Hayes' Let's Be Crazy Tour stop in Nashville, and they performed together. Watch here.

The honorees will be celebrated at the annual invitation-only Medallion Ceremony later this year.

» Re-Wine:

Rascal Flatts will celebrate the release of Rewind with a charity album release party May 13 at the Avalon nightclub in Los Angeles. Attendees will be treated to a live acoustic performance, with each song paired with a wine based on the tempo and lyrics. Tickets benefit Monroe Carrell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville and are on sale here.

» Play Your Cards Right:

Florida Georgia Line will play two shows open exclusively to American Express card holders as part of the company's Membership Experience Concert Series. The dates and venues have not been announced, but the shows are planned for small New York venues in September and October. Tickets will be available to any card members, while Platimum members will get pre-sale access and a "Premium Concert Experience," which includes meet-and-greets, special access seating and complimentary food and beverages.

» Art And Soul:

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's Miranda Lambert: Backstage Access exhibit bows May 16 (CAT 2/27), with opening weekend festivities to include a songwriter session featuring Ashley Monroe, a songwriting program for families and a free film screening of Revolution: Live by Candlelight (2010), which features Lambert telling the stories behind the songs on Revolution. The exhibit runs through Nov. 9. More here.

Hall of Famer Kenny Rogers will be the subject of Through The Years, which opens Aug. 15 and runs through June 14. The exhibit will offer a biographical presentation of Rogers' story over seven decades and will be accompanied by an ongoing series of programs. More here.

» In Case You Missed It: Lyle Lovett performed a cover of Jackson Browne's "Rosie" from Looking Into You: A Tribute To Jackson Browne on CBS-TV's Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson last night. Check it out here.

Hit List

A limited number of tickets remain for the Keith Urban and Vince Gill hosted All 4 The Hall: Songtellers, A Large Intimate Evening. Guests will include Brantley Gilbert, Brett Eldredge, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, David Nail, Kacey Musgraves, Kip Moore, Reba and newly minted Hall of Famer Ronnie Milsap. Details here.
George Strait has added a Hidalgo, TX stop to The Cowboy Rides Away Tour for June 5. Tickets go on sale May 2; the tour concludes June 7 in Arlington, TX.

Birthdays

Friday (4/25): Rory Feek (Joey + Rory).

Saturday (4/26): Jay DeMarcus (Rascal Flatts), Dean Dillon.

On TV

Sunday (4/27): Dolly Parton, Dolly Parton Q Sessions Live From Nashville – Featuring Blue Smoke (QVC).

Monday (4/28): Blake Shelton, The Voice (NBC).

Upcoming Album Releases

April 29 James House Broken Glass Twisted Steel

May 6 Hunter Hayes Storyline

May 6 Leah Turner Leah Turner EP

May 13 Dolly Parton Blue Smoke

May 13 Radney Foster Everything I Should Have Said

May 19 Brantley Gilbert Just As I Am

May 27 Jamie O'Neal Eternal