Hit List -
 Eric Church, Toby Keith and Lady Antebellum with Stevie Nicks will perform at the 49th Annual ACM Awards April 6 in Las Vegas. They join hosts Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan and previously announced performers Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, George Strait, Keith Urban, Florida Georgia Line and The Band Perry. The show will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on CBS-TV. More
here. - Darius Rucker's fifth annual Darius And Friends benefit concert will be held June 2 at Nashville's Wildhorse Saloon, just before CMA Music Festival. The lineup is TBA, with proceeds going to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Ticket sales open Saturday (3/22), but if you happened to be at last year's show, you get a presale starting Wednesday (3/19). The concert will be followed by the next day's Darius And Friends Celebrity Golf Tournament, also benefitting St. Jude.
- Josh Thompson is soliciting Instagram videos of fans covering one of the songs on his set list to win a trip to and onstage performance at one of his shows. More
here.
Birthdays
Tuesday (3/18): Charley Pride, Phillips Sweet (Little Big Town).
Thursday (3/20): The Late Jerry Reed. On TV
Tuesday (3/18): Blake Shelton, The Band Perry, Miranda Lambert, The Voice (NBC).
Wednesday (3/19): Keith Urban, American Idol (FOX).
Thursday (3/20): Eric Paslay, The Queen Latifah Show (syndicated); Brandy Clark, The Ellen Degeneres Show (syndicated); Keith Urban, American Idol (FOX). This Week's Album Releases:
 Jo Dee Messina Me: The album was fully funded by fan donations through Messina's Kickstarter campaign. Fans also chose the 12 songs on the album, the cover art and the title. Songs include the fan-selected first single "Peace Sign" and current single "A Woman's Rant," which Messina calls "literally a day in the life of me."
Samantha Landrum Hometown: Landrum calls the album her birthday present to herself, as its release comes three days before she turns 20. Includes "One Stone At A Time," which she says she recorded because it helped her through a difficult situation, "Just Another Day," which she calls the most meaningful on the album, and current single, "What If."
Ronnie Milsap Summer #17: Released on the 40th anniversary of his 40th No. 1 hit, Milsap says the album is his way of remembering his roots. He covers the songs he was listening to when he was 17 and says most influenced his career, including "Georgia On My Mind," recalling the time he left North Carolina for Atlanta and meeting Ray Charles backstage after a concert and getting encouragement to pursue music. The title track is an original. Upcoming Album Releases:
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 |
If you love Brantley Gilbert's "Bottoms Up" you'll be happy to hear it's on the new album he's releasing May 19 called Just As I Am. Over the weekend, 40,000 fans helped him reveal the album cover art piece-by-piece using the hashtag #JustAsIAm on Facebook and Twitter. "This one picks up where Halfway To Heaven left off," says Gilbert, who adds the highs and lows of the past several years are reflected in the project. "My fans know I'm a straight shooter so I didn't leave anything out. I think there is something for everyone – from my party side to the gentler stuff." A deluxe version of the album will be available at Walmart and include three additional tracks. Pre-order a digital copy
Florida Georgia Line may be headed to a ballpark near you as part of their This Is How We Roll Summer Series 2014 headlining tour, which launches May 30 at Arvest Park in Springdale, AR. Nelly and Chris Lane will be part of the shows. Other stops include Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park in Charleston, SC; Lake Olmstead Stadium in Augusta, GA; and, McCormick Field in Asheville, NC. Get the full list of tour dates
If you've ever wondered what Chinese astronauts listen to in space, we have the answer. Brad Paisley's "Southern Comfort Zone," Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" and American Young's "Love Is War" were the only American songs chosen from more than 33 milion submissions to go to space on the Shenzou 10 Space Rocket and be broadcast from the Chinese Space Station to all schools in China. The promotion was part of a 10-year cultural exchange program. 
The Band Perry will join Blake Shelton as advisors for the "battle rounds" in The Voice. They'll help Team Blake singers get the best out of their performances but they also have another goal in mind: to bring back the mullet. Blake Shelton's totally on board with it. There's even video proof; watch
Keith Urban, Kangaroos, Koalas and country music are what Australia is all about. As proof, the 49th Annual ACM Awards will be broadcast live in Australia – an awards show first – April 7 at 10am AEST on Foxtel's Country Music Channel (CMC). A rebroadcast is set for 8pm that night. Australians will also be allowed to participate in fan-voting to determine Entertainer and New Artist
Willie Nelson received a Texas-size standing ovation when he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live from Austin Friday (3/14). The country crooner talked about his favorite pasttime (any guesses?) and how important SXSW is for the city. Watch
