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| This is an industry-only version of an email that Country stations in dozens of top markets deliver
to their loyal listener databases. | | |
| August 19, 2014
» Kenny's Roadhouse:  They came to see Kenny Chesney and his only 2014 concert – and they were everywhere. On the beach, in the water, on boats, stacked three deep in the nearby parking garages, hanging from condo balconies and on rooftops. More than 40,000 braved the 90+ degree heat to hear hits and music from Kenny's new album The Big Revival during his Flora-Bama-Jama free concert in Orange Beach, FL.
Chesney appropriately opened the two-and-a-half hour set with a song from the new album inspired by the 50-year-old Flora-Bama Lounge And Package roadhouse. He closed with "The Boys of Fall" and gave a couple lucky fans a "No Shoes Nation" football helmet and an autographed guitar. If you're bummed you didn't make it, take heart. Our insider says the VIP laminates featured the phrase "First Annual." So we'd be stunned if you didn't see Kenny in that same spot this time next year. Rent your condo now before they raise the prices. |
» Pop Goes The Country:  "I have three big surprises for you today," Taylor Swift said at the outset of her Yahoo! live stream Monday (8/18). The first, her new song "Shake It Off" is another Swift collaboration with Max Martin and Shellback dominated by a "sick beat," horns and a sing-along chorus. Secret surprise No. 2? Her new album, titled 1989, will be released Oct. 27. "For the record, this is my very first documented, official pop album," she said. A deluxe version will add three songs, and each copy will include varying packs of 13 Polaroids. A 1989 Swiftstakes – "It's like a sweepstakes, but we made it annoying," she said – will give away 1,000 tickets and 500 meet-and-greets to her upcoming tour. Details are expected to be released here. |
» Garthlanta:  Who's bigger than Garth Brooks? Well...Garth, apparently. According to his publicist, he's broken another of his own records – this time for tickets sold in Atlanta. The previous record was for shows played from March 13-17, 1996 at the Omni with 81,902. Brooks surpassed that number following the Saturday (8/16) addition of two shows at Philips Arena, which brought the total there to seven. Get your Atlanta tickets here before you're left "standing outside the fire." |
» Who Made The Cut? .jpg) Set your alarm clock for 8:30am ET on Sept. 3 – because that's when we'll find out who the final nominees are for The 48th Annual CMA Awards! Capitol's Darius Rucker will deliver the good news from New York City on ABC-TV's Good Morning America. In the 8:30am ET segment he'll share the nominees for five categories. At 10am ET Rucker will head over to the Best Buy Theater in Times Square to read the nominees for the remaining seven categories. |
» Ride Goes On Forever:  If you weren't able to make it to George Strait's final tour stop in Dallas last June, now you can watch it in the best seat in the house - yours! CMT filmed the concert and will premiere George Strait: The Cowboy Rides Away Aug. 29 at 7pm ET. That night, Strait was joined onstage by these A-listers who couldn't wait to sing with the King: Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride and even son George "Bubba" Strait, Jr. Plus, Strait, who rarely gives interviews, gave one for this special. Following the premiere, you'll also be able to see the show on CMT.com and the CMT app. Additionally, MCA will release the 20-track live album The Cowboy Rides Away: Live From AT&T Stadium Sept. 16. Long live King George! |
» So Much Cooler Online:  Singer/songwriter/guitar picker/actor Brad Paisley can now add "media mogul" to his long list of titles. He's partnered with the live event production company Taillight, distributor ARC Entertainment and WME Entertainment to create My Country Nation, a digital platform which promotes the country music lifestyle. "My Country Nation is a great concept and I'm glad to be working with a few of my friends to make it a reality," says Brad. Sponsored by Walmart, the platform will feature original series about outdoor grilling, hunting, concert road trips, comedy and more. My Country Nation will have a presence on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and at MyCountryNation.com – and you can view the content on any device. When asked what his role in the platform will be, Paisley said, "If you see something funny or goofy on there, I probably had something to do with it." |
» Lee On Love:  Lee Brice recently charmed the folks at Redbook magazine when he stopped by their office for an interview and performance. Brice is in the September issue, on stands now. In it, he talks about the story behind his single "I Don't Dance," marrying wife Sara – and how she feels about the whole backwards baseball cap look. Watch his acoustic performance from the magazine's office here. |
» Square Deal:  Thompson Square's Shawna and Kiefer Thompson partnered with ChildFund International two years ago to help needy children and their communities. Why would this busy couple sponsor children and encourage others to do the same?
"The fact that we don't have kids yet – maybe that's a part of it," says Shawna. "We wanted to be a part of some children's lives." The duo was recently featured on CNN's Impact Your World series for their humanitarian work. See the inspiring video here. |
» Farm Girl:  Gwen Sebastian shot the music video for her new single, "Small Town Soul," on her family's farm in Hebron, ND. "I've always wanted to film a video back home in North Dakota," says Gwen. "'Small Town Soul' was the perfect song to show my roots and the beautiful place where I grew up. I am grateful to everyone who put their heart and soul into telling this story." See home movies of Gwen dancing with her grandmother, graduating from high school, singing in a talent show and more here. |
 Hit List - Florida Georgia Line's new album is called Anything Goes and will be in stores Oct. 14. "It feels like with our recording, our writing, our lives ... anything goes," explains the duo's Brian Kelley.
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The ACM will release This Is Country: A Backstage Pass to the Academy of Country Music Awards Sept. 23. With a foreword by Reba McEntire, it features photos and commentary from Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Loretta Lynn, Marty Stuart, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood, among others. All book proceeds will go to ACM Lifting Lives. Pre-order it here. Birthdays Tuesday (8/19): Lee Ann Womack, Clay Walker, Gary Chapman, Mark McGuinn, Rissi Palmer, Eddy Raven, Natasha Borzilova (formerly of Bering Strait). Wednesday (8/20): Rudy Gatlin, Tony Stampley, the late Jim Reeves. Thursday (8/21): Kenny Rogers, Harold Reid (The Statler Brothers). On TV Tuesday (8/19): Robby Johnson, Late Show With David Letterman (CBS). Wednesday (8/20): Jake Owen, Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC). Thursday (8/21): Larry Gatlin, Hannity (FOX). Upcoming Album Releases Aug. 19 Various Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Mötley Crüe Chase Rice Ignite The Night Randy Travis Influence Vol. 2: The Man I Am Various Look Again To The Wind: Johnny Cash's Bitter Tears Revisited Joel Crouse Even The River Runs Sarah Dunn Band You Or The Whiskey Ray Stevens Gospel Collection, Volume One Aug. 25 Brad Paisley Moonshine In The Trunk Aug. 25 Brushville Self-Titled Lenny Cooper The Grind Sept. 2 Terri Clark Some Songs Sept. 8 Alabama Angels Among Us: Hymns & Gospel Favorites Sept. 9 Lee Brice I Don't Dance Dustin Lynch Where It's At Brothers Osborne Self-Titled Sept. 16 Tim McGraw Sundown Heaven Town George Strait The Cowboy Rides Away: Live From AT&T Stadium |
 » Stars Celebrate Johnny Cash: Pictured (l-r) are Bobby Bare, Loretta Lynn and Reba McEntire backstage at the Johnny Cash Music Festival at Arkansas State University. Photo credit: Mike Chojnacki |
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The Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS awareness and fundraising is still making its way through the country community, and some are getting pretty creative with their "ice buckets." Here are just a few of the latest stars who have taken the icy plunge to raise money and awareness for ALS: 
