Hit List -
 Keith Urban's Raise 'Em Up Tour starts July 12 at the Calgary Stampede and features Jerrod Niemann and Brett Eldredge. See all dates
here. - Nashville's Charles Esten (Deacon Claybourne) and Clare Bowen (Scarlett O'Connor) will headline the post-race concert following the 15th annual St. Jude Country Music Marathon & 1/2 Marathon April 26. Newcomer Chase Rice will open. Tickets are available for $35
here.
- The Country Music Hall of Fame And Museum will present Pete Anderson: California Country's Second Generation March 22 and Merle Haggard: Learning To Live With Myself March 30 in support of its exhibit The Bakersfield Sound: Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and California Country. More
here.
- Terri Clark's PledgeMusic campaign to fund her next studio album with fan contributions surpassed its goal in less than a month. More
here.
- Fans of The Swon Brothers can visit
AroundTheSworld.com to win a personal video message from the duo and an autographed Takemine guituar.
Birthdays
Thursday (3/13): The late Liz Anderson, Billy Yates.
Friday (3/14): Kristian Bush, Michael Martin Murphey. On TV
Tuesday (3/11): Sara Evans, Good Morning America (ABC); Eric Paslay, Fox & Friends (FOX News); Blake Shelton, The Voice (NBC).
Wednesday (3/12): Hunter Hayes, Good Morning America (ABC), Sara Evans, VH1 Morning Buzz (VH1), The Chew (ABC). This Week's Album Releases:
 Sara Evans Slow Me Down: Evans says her cover of Gavin DeGraw's "Not Over You" with DeGraw on harmonies is her favorite cut on the album and possibly her favorite song she's ever recorded. Vince Gill appears on "Better Off" which Evans calls, "the most country song I've ever recorded." She says it reminds her of a Patty Loveless song. The Fray's Isaac Slade appears on "Can't Stop Loving You."
Luke Bryan Spring Break 6 ... Like We Ain't Ever EP: Now an annual tradition, Bryan offers six new songs to get fans through to the next full album. He co-wrote all the songs, with a little help from the likes of Rhett Akins ("Night One") and Cole Swindell ("The Sand I Brought To The Beach"). Bryan says some of the songs were written during a January hunting trip in Iowa when it was -18, so it helped him get in the mood for writing about the beach.
Matt Stillwell Right On Time: Probably the biggest surprise on the album is track seven, and you'll have to listen closely to identify it as Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel." Of the remaining 11 songs, Stillwell co-wrote five. Sherrie Austin and Justin Moore also get writing credits.
Cowboy Troy King Of Clubs: Music Mafia partners Big & Rich appear on two of the eight tracks, and the duo's John Rich shows up on a third. Big Smo, Bubba Sparx, and Moonshine Bandits also get some track time. Troy says he knows the album isn't traditional but there's a place for it in Country. "I've never been like everybody else and it wouldn't do me any good to try," he says. "Some people are going to love it and some are going to hate it, which is probably how it should be because it means they're talking."
Don Wiliams Reflections: Chris Stapleton and Sonya Isaacs are among the background singers you'll hear on some of the 10 tracks, and Stapleton co-wrote "Talk Is Cheap." Williams also offers a cover of Merle Haggard's "Sing Me Back Home." Upcoming Album Releases:
Mar. 18 Jo Dee Messina Me
Mar. 18 Samantha Landrum Hometown
Mar. 18 Ronnie Milsap Summer #17
Mar. 25 Jerrod Niemann High Noon
Mar. 25 Merle Haggard Okie From Muskogee 45th Anniversary Edition
Apr. 1 Josh Thompson Turn It Up
Apr. 1 Dan + Shay Where It All Began
Apr. 1 Charlie Daniels Off The Grid - Doin' It Dylan | 
"Platinum" isn't just the name of Miranda Lambert's upcoming album (out June 3). "Platinum is my hair color and my wedding ring and the color of my Airstream and the name of one of my favorite beers," she says, neglecting to mention that it's also her fifth album and follows four platinum-certified predecessors (for sales exceeding 1 million copies). "It’s about a lifestyle," she adds. And maybe a little bit of calling-her-shot. A limited edition Platinum bundle is available for pre-order
Country fans, get ready for Vegas! Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban will headline the 2nd Annual ACM Party For A Cause Festival April 4 and 5 at the Linq in Las Vegas. Danielle Bradbery, Lee Brice, Brett Eldredge, Tyler Farr, Justin Moore, Kip Moore, Cassadee Pope, Florida Georgia Line, Love And Theft and Parmalee are among performers. The two-day festival leads to the 49th Annual ACM Awards (4/6) and hosted by Outnumber Hunger and ACM Lifting Lives. More
Blake Shelton has sold out Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl for his Ten Times Crazier Tour 2014. "It's mind blowing to think I’m performing at Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl, let alone selling them out," Shelton says. "I’m incredibly thankful for my fans selling out both these shows so fast. I promise the band and I will bring you a show you won’t forget." Full list of dates
Lady Antebellum will be honored with the Recording Artists' Coalition Award at the Recording Academy's 2014 Grammys On The Hill Awards April 2 in Washington, D.C. "We are proud to honor Lady Antebellum for their artistry and inventiveness in the country arena as well as their philanthropic efforts to make a difference for disadvantaged children here and abroad," says Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. The trio have won seven Grammy awards including Record and Song of the Year, and their LadyAID Fund supports children's hospitals worldwide.
Thomas Rhett performed "Get Me Some Of That" from his album It Goes Like This on ABC-TV's The View Thursday (3/6). Watch
Get-well wishes are extended to Mel Tillis following heart surgery over the weekend in Nashville. "He's doing fantastic and is expected to make a full recovery," says daughter Pam Tillis. "In typical Mel Tillis fashion, he's already cutting up and cracking jokes with the nurses. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated." Follow his recovery
