Craig Morgan, who served 10 years in the U.S. Army before launching his career as a country music hitmaker, has been declared the NRA Country Artist of the Month for February.
Many of country music's biggest stars, including Trace Adkins, Lee Brice, Montgomery Gentry and Justin Moore, have joined the "This Is NRA Country" movement celebrating their support of our U.S. military, appreciation for the great outdoors, and love of family.
"As someone who has served alongside the brave men and women of our Armed Forces, I have a huge sense of pride in what this country stands for and what our freedom means," shares Morgan. "As many service men and women make their way home and reunite with family, we are here to give them support and encouragement along with our gratitude. I am Craig Morgan and I am NRA Country."
Following Morgan's ten years of service in the U.S. Army he completed another nine years in the Army Reserves. Morgan continues to support our troops through the multiple overseas tours of military installations and back at home with more than fifteen Jack Daniel's Toast To The Troops USO care package packing parties and free concerts for family members remaining stateside.
February's NRA Country Artist of the Month promotion gives fans the opportunity to view a personal video message from Morgan along with clips from a recent Ranger Challenge competition from Ft. Benning, Georgia. The exclusive video can be found only at www.NRACountry.com.
In addition to this exclusive video clip, fans can register to win an autographed acoustic guitar and a signed copy of Morgan's soon to be released album This Ole Boy, out February 28th. Visit HERE from now through the end of February to register to win.
Each month a new country music artist will be featured on NRACountry.com, highlighting what makes them 'NRA Country.' Celebrate our country and learn more at www.NRACountry.com!
Scotty McCreery joins some of country's brightest stars as a semi-finalist for New Artist of the Year at the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, going up against artists like Justin Moore, David Nail and Thompson Square.
The award show, which will be broadcast live on CBS on Sunday, April 1st, is letting the fans decide who should win the New Artist of the Year title.
The first round of fan voting is now live, and will continue until January 30th. Three finalists will be chosen in February, with the final round voting beginning on March 19th and ending the day of the show on April 1st.
Fans can cast their vote for Scotty in the New Artist of the Year category now by heading over to www.VoteACM.com.
Scotty's debut album, Clear As Day, was certified platinum earlier this month and spent six weeks at No.1 on the Top Country Albums chart, as well as peaking at No.1 on the Billboard 200. Clear As Day is also the second best selling American Idol debut album of all time behind Clay Aiken's Measure of a Man.
Be sure to vote for the Academy of Country Music's New Artist of the year HERE.
Also, check out this Thank You video from Scotty himself!
Multiple GRAMMY nominee Jason Aldean kicked off the 2012 leg of his My Kinda Party Tour with a sold-out first night run in Greenville, SX, Fayetteville, NC and Orlando, FL this weekend.
Each of those shows set new attendance records for the arenas.
Fellow Georgia natives Luke Bryan and Lauren Alaina joined Aldean, we DeeJay Silver returning to the tour to keep the party going between sets with his signature rock and country mixes.
Due to overwhelming demand for this final leg of the My Kinda Party tour, the new production features a 360-degree configuration that allows fans who couldn't get tickets before to purchase a view from the rear of the stage. The 2012 My Kinda Party Tour is an extension of the record-breaking 2011 leg that sold one million tickets across the country last year.
"I'm not gonna lie...it's a big challenge to try and entertain people who are on all sides of you. I have to work a lot harder, and I come off the stage absolutely drenched. The opening weekend was unbelievable, and I had a blast pulling Luke and Lauren up on stage during different parts of the show. It's fun to keep the fans guessing and surprised. Sometimes, I even get surprised...we had a few stage jumpers, so that kept it interesting for all of us! The fans were out of their minds this weekend!"
Additionally, Aldean is releasing "Fly Over States" to radio this week. The fifth single off his double platinum album My Kinda Party, the song is an ode to the beauty and hardworking spirit of our country's heartland. Entertainment Weekly said, "The song has the kind of soaring chorus that makes you want to press 'repeat' as soon as it ends.
To stream "Fly Over States," click here.
Aldean's double platinum fourth record My Kinda Party was the top-selling country album of 2011 and the No. 5 best-seller in all genres. The CMA Album of the Year was also named iTunes' "Country Album of the Year" and came in at No. 4 on Billboard's all-genre Year End Top 200 Albums chart.
For a full list of appearances and upcoming tour dates, check out Jason Aldean's official website.
Dog lovers are never shy about publicly parading their pooch pride. But too often cat affection is locked behind closed doors. No more, says the makes of Fresh Step® litter!
In honor of Cat Appreciation Month this February, the makes of Fresh Step litter have teamed up with cat-loving country star Kellie Pickler to ask cat lovers to flood Facebook with images of them wearing their favorite cat-centric clothing.
Don't have any kitty couture? No problem. The Fresh Step brand has partnered with Pickler and fashion designer Geren Ford to design a must-have limited-edition cat sweater. The sweater will be available for purchase online at www.aspcaonlinesotre.com, with 100% of proceeds benefiting the ASPCA® (The America Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).
Cat lovers who aren't in the market for a new sweater can get in on the fun, too. The Fresh Step Facebook page houses an online application that lets people digitally place the Pickler sweater onto a photo of themselves on Facebook. The Fresh Step litter team, will donate $1 to the ASPCA for every photo posted, through March 15th, 2012, up to $100,000.
"It's time for cat lovers to truly display their cat pride," said Pickler, whose new album 100 Proof launches this week. "I collaborated with fellow cat lover and designer Geren Ford to create a sweater that we hope any cat parent would wear to show their kitty pride and that all animal lovers can wear in support of the ASPCA."
The oatmeal heather-colored tunic "Kitty Crooner" sweater with green sequin embellishments celebrates Pickler's country roots and gives wearers a modern vintage look. The sweater will be available for purchase at www.aspcaonlinestore.com for $35 while supplies last.
Today Trace Adkins announced the 'Songs & Stories Tour,' which will visit many of America's most beautiful theaters this Spring.
These intimate evenings of powerful performances will incorporate stories, both humorous and meaningful, that pay homage to Adkins' working-man roots an rich musical heritage.
Tickets for March dates go on sale to the public on Friday (1/27) - more dates are expected to be added.
Inspiration for the Songs & Stories Tour came as Trace released his 10th studio album, Proud To Be Here, last summer with a CMT Invitation Only special. The special featured new hits "Just Fishin'" and "Million Dollar View," a Q&A session and the most-loved songs from Adkins' twenty year career. The taping was so fun for Trace and his guests that he began laying plans for a tour.
"I've had many narrow escapes and blessings in my life. The right songs at the right time has been my saving grace and that's something I have in common with the audience. Sharing meaningful songs, stories and some laughs 'around the campfire' is the Country music tradition and I'm looking forward to it."
Fans can share their own stories, questions and the songs that have inspired or shaped their lives on the Songs & Stories page a www.traceadkins.com.
From humble beginnings as a small-town Louisiana roughneck, to a Country superstar with a twenty year career of hits, to his recent roles as outspoken author and actor, Adkins' life parallels the songs he sings. His albums showcase a range of earnest tributes and party anthems with humor and depth - the Songs & Stories Tour promises to offer the same.
SONGS & STORIES TOUR DATES (MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED):
March 8 Des Moines IA Hoyt Sherman
March 9 Kansas City MO Midland Theater
March 10 Peoria IL Civic Theater
March 15 Milwaukee WI Riverside Theater
March 16 Rochester MN Mayo Civic Theater * Fan presale 1/30, public on-sale 2/3
March 17 Grand Forks ND Chester Fritz Auditorium
March 22 Birmingham AL Alabama Theatre
April 12 Ashland KY Paramount Arts Center
April 14 Toledo OH Stranahan Theater
April 19 Spartanburg SC Memorial Hall
April 20 Charlotte NC Ovens Auditorium
April 21 Louisville KY The Palace Theatre
April 25 Denver CO Paramount Theater
April 27 Salinas KS Stiefel Theater
April 28 Tulsa OK Brady Theater
May 3 N. Charleston SC North Charleston Performing Arts Center
May 4 Savannah GA Mercer Theater *fan presale 1/30, public on 2/10
May 10 Davenport IA Adler Theatre
May 11 South Bend IN Morris PAC
May 12 Memphis TN Orpheum Theatre
May 17 Atlanta GA Cobb Theater
LL Cool J is "thrilled" to be hosting the Grammy Awards.
The rapper-turned-actor will be the first person to front the annual US awards show since 2005, and calls the opportunity a "dream come true."
He said: "I'm thrilled to be part of music's biggest night. I will always have fond memories of my first Grammys Awards and to now be hosting the Grammy show, in the company of so many other incredible artists, is a dream come true."
'NCIS: Los Angeles' actor LL has hosted sister show 'The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! - Countdown To Music's Biggest Night' since it was introduced in 2008.
Confirmed to perform at the awards on February 12 are Nicki Minaj, Foo Fighters,Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, Jason Aldean and Bruno Mars.
Nominations in the Grammy awards are led by Adele, who has six, including three in the major categories: Album of the Year; Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
Upon hearing of her nominations last year, she posted on her blog: "Thank you so much to the academy for nominating this record for 6 Grammys!!! This has been the best year as it is but to end 2011 with this incredible achievement and honor is beyond anything I can express (sic)."
The 2005 Grammy Awards were hosted by Queen Latifah, and other previous presenters have included Jon Stewart, Billy Crystal, Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O'Donnell.
Taylor Swift's next album will be about her "earth-shattering heartbreak."
The 'Love Story' singer has been taking solace in her songwriting after another unlucky episode in love, although, as with her previous confessional songs, she won't name who exactly who they are aimed at.
Taylor - who has dated Joe Jonas, Taylor Lautner, and John Mayer and broke up with actor Jake Gyllenhaal in January last year - told Vogue magazine: "There's just been this earth-shattering, not recent, but absolute crash-and-burn heartbreak, and that will turn out to be what the next album is about.
"The only way that I can feel better about myself - pull myself out of that awful pain of losing someone - is writing songs about it to get some sort of clarity."
Taylor, 22, has recently said she's keen to pursue a different musical direction to the country-pop of her first three records on her next album.
She said: "I think my goal for the next couple of years would be to make departures in little ways and do things a little differently. And to try to maintain a balance between always providing your fans with what they've always liked from you and continuing to write all my own songs.
"I'd love to make collaborations in different directions that aren't exactly expected."
Curb Records released a new single from Tim McGraw's forthcoming new album, Emotional Traffic.
"The One That Got Away" is available for download as the fourth of five song releases planned in advance of the new McGraw studio album, which will street on January 24th.
Emotional Traffic reaches retail as a 12-song collection and marks McGraw's first delivery package of new music since the 2009 release of his Southern Voice album. Included on the album is McGraw's latest #1 single, "Felt Good On My Lips," which topped Billboard's Hot Country Songs charts for three weeks and set a new industry milestone.
With a cumulative of 69 weeks at No. 1 over the course of 32 chart topping single releases, McGraw established a record as the artist with the most weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart since the chart was established on the Nielsen BDS system in January of 1990.
The much anticipated new McGraw album also features his latest Curb single release, "Better Than I Used To Be," which the artist termed, "one of the best songs I've ever recorded," in a recent interview.
Curb's release of "The One That Got Away" on iTunes yesterday (Jan. 10) will be followed by the label's announcement of a fourth single targeted to build market awareness of the new McGraw album coming on Jan. 24th.
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