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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. | | |
| November 18, 2014
» The Winning Band:  It's not that much of a gamble to bet Rascal Flatts will win big in Las Vegas. The trio will begin their first residency at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas Feb. 25. Rascal Flatts Vegas Riot! runs for nine shows through Mar. 14. Tickets go on sale Nov. 21 at 10am. More info here. "We are thrilled to be playing such a storied venue as The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas," said the band's Jay DeMarcus. "We're so excited to do something so different for us. You will experience Rascal Flatts in a way you've never seen us before – up close, intimate and personal, and we promise you one thing, it's going to rock!" |
» Two Of A Kind, Workin' On A Full House:  Garth Brooks will bring his World Tour with Trisha Yearwood to Boston Jan. 22-24. Tickets go on sale Nov. 21. In other news, Brooks has sold more than 201,000 tickets for his 11 shows at the Target Center in Minneapolis. It is the most tickets he has sold for a single city in North America. Tickets are still available for Nov. 13, 14 and 15 shows. He has sold more than 90,000 tickets in Tulsa, breaking his five-show record there from 1997. |
» State Of The Nation:  Brad Paisley's digital platform My Country Nation recently debuted new programming including Young In The Nation: Florida Georgia Line, in which magician and YouTube star Justin Flom embarks on a road trip to Florida Georgia Line's Anything Goes Tailgate 2014 concert in Jacksonville, FL. Along the way, Flom meets other country fans and ultimately makes it to the concert to meet FGL. Sara Evans is the star of another series, Simply Sara. "Connecting with fans has always been important to me and now I get to do that with the expansion of my webisode series, Simply Sara, and bring it to a bigger platform on My Country Nation," said Evans. "I am honored and excited to join the MyCN family." Watch Young In The Nation: Florida Georgia Line here and Simply Sara here. |
» Tucker's Treasures:  Before 16-year-old Taylor Swift took the Country and then the pop world by storm, there was 13-year-old Country/pop crossover Tanya Tucker. Tucker's wild child image and raspy voice set her apart from other female country artists of her time. In contrast to Swift, who got her start singing a wistful song about a teenage crush, Tucker's debut single "Delta Dawn" painted a melancholy picture of a 41-year-old woman still looking for a lost love. Tucker's 42-years-and-counting career is now on display at the Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum in the exhibit Tanya Tucker: Strong Enough To Bend. Her assistants and a team from the Hall of Fame went through Tucker's private warehouse to find the items for the exhibit. "Everything in it is special to me, but my first Harley is one of my favorite things," she says. "Another is the little turntable my dad bought me for Christmas when I was eight. It's the only sound system I had."
When Tucker was 17 she told George Jones she'd heard a song that would be perfect for him and invited him to her house to hear it. "Here he comes, by himself in a station wagon," she recalls. "My mother said, 'George Jones is at the front door!' Tucker had a moment of panic. She didn't have a stereo to play him the song – but she did still have that turntable. "I plugged it in and played him "Bartender's Blues" off James Taylor's album," she says. "I said, 'He was thinking of you when he wrote this song.'" Jones cut the tune and added it to his long list of hits.
Tucker's last album was 2009's My Turn. She says she's still three songs short of completing her next one and teases that she has at least three "event" songs on the record, including one called "Rhinestone Cowgirl." "I wanted to dedicate it to him," she says, referring to Glen Campbell, her onetime partner in love and music. Even with a successful career spanning five decades, Tucker admits she still didn't feel ready to have her life's work on display. "But thank God for the Hall of Fame," she says. "I love it." Tucker's exhibit runs through May 2015. More info here. |
» In The Spirit:  Throughout history, country and gospel music have always crossed boundaries and shared artists. That held true at last week's (11/13) 20th Annual ICM Faith, Family & Country Awards in Nashville. Mainstream category award winners included Alan Jackson (Country Male), Carrie Underwood (Country Female), Lady Antebellum (Inspirational Country Song for "Compass") and Sweetwater Rain (Country Duo or Group). The two genres continued to cross paths during the show. Some of the evening's highlights included co-host Ray Stevens' show-opening song "The Preacher and the Bear," John Berry's performance of "Love is a Cross," Grand Ole Opry member John Conlee's moving tribute to the families of soldiers, "They Also Serve" and Sweetwater Rain's show-closer "Pray For Me." Complete winners list here. |
» Black & White & Web All Over: -
 Hunter Hayes making transition from "guileless teen idol into an adult artist of merit." –Kansas City Star - Eric Church "fired up an unlimited supply of beer-drinking, pot-smoking anthems." –Ottawa Citizen
- A cover story on "The Power Of Taylor Swift." –Time
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» In Case You Missed It:  Eric Church appeared on public television's Austin City Limits Saturday (11/15). Watch here.
Big & Rich were featured the same day on CMT Inside Fame. Watch the episode here.
See how crazy it was at Kenny Chesney's August beach concert on the Nov. 14 CMT show Kenny Chesney Live From The Flora-Bama here.
Chris Young performed "Lonely Eyes" on CBS-TV's Late Show With David Letterman Friday (11/14). Watch here. |
 Hit List -
Lady Antebellum will receive the Artist Humanitarian Award from Country Radio at their annual seminar Feb. 25 in Nashville. -
Sara Evans, Jerrod Niemann, Thomas Rhett, Old Dominion and more artists have been added to the Kicker Country Stampede 2015 lineup. More info here. -
Luke Bryan, Big & Rich, Brett Eldredge, Dustin Lynch and more have joined the lineup for Country Thunder 2015. More info here. Birthdays Tuesday (11/18): Jessi Alexander. Wednesday (11/19): Billy Currington. Thursday (11/20): Dierks Bentley, Josh Turner. On TV Tuesday (11/18): Blake Shelton, The Voice (NBC). Wednesday (11/19): Julianne Hough, Conan (TBS). This Week's Album Releases  Trisha Yearwood PrizeFighter: Hit After Hit
Yearwood's 12th studio album contains her first new material in seven years, including the single "Prizefighter," plus hits "She's In Love With The Boy," "The Song Remembers When" and "Wrong Side Of Memphis." .jpg) Sara Evans At Christmas
The holiday classics are all here ("Silent Night," "Winter Wonderland), plus Evans features daughters Audrey and Olivia on "12 Days Of Christmas." .jpg) The Henningsens Our Family Christmas
This digital-only release includes eight holiday standards and two Henningsen originals – "Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas, Baby Jesus" and "Christmas Kissin'" (featuring Jerrod Niemann).
 Diamond Rio Diamond Rio Live
The group celebrates their 25th anniversary with their first-ever live album, available exclusively at iTunes and featuring 22 hits including "Norma Jean Riley," "One More Day" and "Beautiful Mess." Upcoming Album Releases Nov. 24 Tim Rushlow & His Big Band Classic Christmas
Dec. 2 Sundy Best Salvation City
Dec. 9 Carrie Underwood Greatest Hits Decade #1 |
 » Ice Work If You Can Get It: Trisha Yearwood has a little fun backstage in Minneapolis last weekend (11/16). "Rockin' the ice sculpture in catering!" she tweeted. |
 » Okie Dokie: Blake Shelton shows off his official medallion from last week's (11/13) induction ceremony. "Still overwhelmed to be a member of the Oklahoma Hall Of Fame," he tweeted. |
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