email : Webview : CA's Artist News (4/4)

This is an industry-only version of an email that Country stations in dozens of top markets deliver
to their loyal listener databases.

April 4, 2014

» Sunday Fun Day:

Most of Nashville is winging its way westward for a weekend of festivities surrounding Sunday's 49th Annual ACM Awards (4/6). Lee Brice, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Rascal Flatts and Dierks Bentley with Sheryl Crow have been added to the performance lineup. Clay Walker, Trisha Yearwood, Guy Fieri, LL Cool J, Jewel, Olivia Munn, Nancy O'Dell and Chris O'Donnell are among the award presenters. The show airs live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on CBS-TV. And if you're not one of the lucky 15,000 or so who get to see the awards in person, stay tuned. A surprise announcement is planned during the show that gives you a much better shot at attending in 2015. Until then, here are some ways fans can interact with this year's event:

Vote for Entertainer and New Artist here.
Follow artist and ACM Social Media Correspondent Jamie Lynn Spears for real-time updates here.
Get behind-the-scenes photos and video interviews on ACM's Twitter and Instagram here and here.
See 360-degree views of celebrities on the red carpet on Vine by following @ACMawards.
Get real-time editorial coverage and photos during the show here.
Download "Flat Blake" and "Flat Luke" and tweet selfies with them here.
Get the ACM Awards App with schedules of events, custom camera filters, videos and other info for iOS here and Android here.
ACM A-List email update members can get a free digital flipbook version of ACM Tempo by signing up here.
See the fourth video in the Eric Church series San Destino Rising here leading up to his performance.
Follow more behind-the-scenes action with CBS-TV social media reporters, The Young and the Restless stars Josh Morrow and Steve Burton, here.

» Love Story:

Nothing makes being in the hospital fun, but getting a visit from a superstar might come close. Enter Taylor Swift. Last week she stopped by New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer center, and what was supposed to be a one-hour visit turned into five. Earlier this week she surprised the kids at Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence, RI, and even played a few songs for some of them. She asked hospital staff to keep her visit a secret, but a rep posted a thank-you to Swift on Facebook, saying, "It was such a special day for a lot of our kids, and we are so thankful to Taylor and her dad for choosing to spend their time with us and put smiles on so many faces!" Watch her talk about wrestling with one young patient here.

» Fifty Shades Of Play: CMT Crossroads will celebrate its 50th episode by pairing Kacey Musgraves with pop star Katy Perry, and by airing it across not only CMT, but VH1, MTV, MTV Hits and Palladia. "Both Katy and Kacey are killing it right now in their respective formats – due in large part because their music is built on authenticity and great songwriting," says CMT SVP/Music Events & Talent John Hamlin. "Those songs reflect a 2014 view of the world as seen from two different points of view. Better yet, they are good friends who are very, very excited to get onstage and share their music with one another." The special will tape in Los Angeles for air June 13.

» For Those About To Rock: Carrie Underwood, Emmylou Harris and Sheryl Crow are among the performers who will pay tribute to Linda Ronstadt April 10 in Brooklyn as she's inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Peter Gabriel, Hall And Oates, KISS, Nirvana, Cat Stevens, Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham, Beatles manager Brian Epstein and Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band will also be inducted. The ceremony will air on HBO May 31. More here.

» Credit Extension:

Colt Ford is inviting fans to have their names included in the album credits for his fifth studio album Thanks For Listening, set for release this summer. "I wanted to thank all of the fans for listening to my music, coming out to the shows and being part of my extended family," explains Ford. Space is limited, but name submissions will be taken through May 16 here.

» In Case You Missed It: Country artists were everywhere this week. A sampling:

Luke Bryan appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4/3) and had his beer-chuggin' skills put to shame by Ellen's friend Andy. Watch Luke try to keep up here.
The Eli Young Band visited Conan, who is in Dallas ahead of NCAA Final Four (4/2). Watch their performance of "Dust" here.
Dan + Shay visited ABC-TV's Good Morning America (4/2) to play "19 You + Me." Check it out here.
Brett Eldredge performed "Beat Of The Music" on NBC-TV's Late Night With Seth Meyers (4/1). Watch here.
Darius Rucker was profiled in a touching piece on CBS This Morning (4/2) here.
Frankie Ballard performed "Helluva Life" on NBC-TV's Today (4/2). Watch here.

Hit List

Lady Antebellum were honored at Wednesday night's Grammys On The Hill Awards (4/2) in downtown Washington, D.C. They were given the Recording Artists' Coalition Award for their artistry and charitable efforts for children. The trio performed "Need You Now" at the dinner. See local news coverage here.
Darius Rucker will perform the national anthem backed by the vocal ensemble from Dallas' Booker T. Washington High School For The Performing Arts ahead of Monday's NCAA Men's Final Four championship (4/7). The game takes place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX at 7pm CT, and will air live on CBS-TV. More here.
Tim McGraw's Sundown Heaven Town album will be out Sept. 16, and fans can join the "Countdown To Sundown" program when they Shazam his appearance on Sunday's ACM Awards (4/6). Exclusive content will be made available; more here.

Birthdays

Friday (4/4): Clay Davidson, Hal Ketchum, Steve Gatlin, Josh McSwain (Parmalee).

Saturday (4/5): Tommy Cash, Troy Gentry, Pat Green.

Sunday (4/6): Merle Haggard.

Monday (4/7): Bobby Bare.

On TV

Friday (4/4): Dan + Shay, The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated); Justin Moore, The Queen Latifah Show (syndicated); Luke Bryan, The Talk (CBS).

Sunday (4/6): Various, 49th Annual ACM Awards (CBS).

Monday (4/7): Gary Allan, Late Show With David Letterman (CBS repeat).

Upcoming Album Releases

April 8 Martina McBride Everlasting

April 15 Oak Ridge Boys Boys Night Out

April 15 Ray Price Beauty Is...

April 22 Rachele Lynae Rachele Lynae

» Nancy's Grace: Martina McBride shows off a custom Nancy comic strip given to her by the illustrator Guy Gilchrist (r) at a listening party for her new album Everlasting. They're pictured with BMI's Jody Williams.