Kenny Chesney wants to help some country music hopefuls get closer to making their dreams a reality. That’s why he’s introducing the Big Star Contest, which he’ll use to choose his local opening acts in 34 markets this summer. Here’s how it will work: Chesney’s 14 NFL stadium shows will feature a battle of the bands the night before the actual concert. Arena and auditorium concerts will have their Big Star Battle of the Bands at local clubs a couple of weeks out. Each winner will be assigned their own tour manager, given day of show details, and be the Big Star for their friends, family and hometown crowd when Kenny takes his “Poets & Pirates Tour” to their city. One grand prize winner will be given a tour bus for the final weekend of the tour where they will open all three shows in Tulsa, St. Louis and Indianapolis as part of the actual tour, plus 25 thousand dollars and the opportunity to audition for Sony BMG executives, the home of Kenny’s label, BNA Records.
[AristoMedia]
Sara Evans is engaged! One of Sara’s reps exclusively tells /People/ that Evans and former University of Alabama quarterback Jay Barker plan to marry though no date has been set yet. The two reportedly began dating before last Thanksgiving after Sara’s very public divorce was finalized in September. Each has kids from a previous marriage - Evans a mom to three and Barker a dad of four.
Pictured L to R: David Corlew (Daniels’ longtime manager and President of Blue Hat Records), Charlie Daniels Jr., Hazel Daniels, Charlie Daniels, and Jody Williams (BMI’s Vice-President of Writer/Publisher Relations).
(Nashville, TN - March 19th, 2008) The legendary Charlie Daniels gathered with friends and family in a special reception at BMI’s Music Row offices to celebrate Daniels’ fifty-year milestone in the music industry. Attendees enjoyed fellowship and cocktails in BMI’s main lobby, transformed into a gallery of Charlie Daniels’ photos and memorabilia documenting his prolific career.
The event, hosted by BMI’s Vice-President of Writer/Publisher Relations Jody Williams, included presentations and recognitions from Williams; Adjutant of Tennessee Major General Gus Hargett; Nashville Mayor Karl Dean; Gaylord Entertainment’s Senior Vice President of Media and Entertainment Steve Buchanan, on behalf of the Grand Ole Opry; Senior Vice-President of the William Morris Agency Steve Hauser, President of Richards & Southern Terry Calonge, National Liaison for The Spirit of America Tour Cathy Gurley; and Daniels’ longtime manager and President of Blue Hat Records, David Corlew. Presenters recognized Daniels’ considerable achievements, both musical and humanitarian: his dedication to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces, the historical and cultural impact of his Volunteer Jam concerts and his legacy as both a musician and songwriter were among the points of praise.
During the event, Daniels received many honors including a certificate of merit from the Governor of Tennessee, the Adjutant Distinguished Patriot Medal, a proclamation from the City of Nashville, a letter from the President of the United States, and a plaque to commemorate Daniels’ record sales of 500,000 units on Blue Hat/Koch.
2008 has already proven to be an eventful year for Charlie Daniels. He was recently inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and was awarded a Career Achievement Award by the Country Radio Broadcasters. He is also gearing up for the 2008 Volunteer Jam Tour, which kicks off next month.
Born in Wilmington, NC, Daniels was raised on a musical diet that included Pentecostal gospel, local bluegrass bands, rhythm & blues, and country music. He has scored hits on the rock, country, pop and Christian charts and counts awards from the Country Music Association (CMA), Academy of Country Music (ACM), TNN/Music City News Awards, and the Gospel Music Association (GMA) among his many accolades. His signature song, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” topped both country and pop charts, bringing him international acclaim. As of September 30, 2007, BMI has recorded more than four million performances of the tune.
Daniels’ current Blue Hat/Koch Records CD release, Deuces, is his first duet album and features guest artists Travis Tritt; Bonnie Bramlett; Gretchen Wilson; Vince Gill; Earl, Gary & Randy Scruggs; Dolly Parton; Darius Rucker; The Del McCoury Band; Brenda Lee; Brooks & Dunn; Marty Stuart; Montgomery Gentry; and Brad Paisley.
Kenny Chesney is rolling out his biggest stage production yet for the NFL stadium dates on his upcoming “2008 Poets & Pirates Tour.” At those shows, Kenny will unveil a Double T configuration, featuring four Sand Bars instead of the usual two. This massive staging will allow Kenny and his band to cover twice as much ground than usual. Chesney says, “You know, I am always trying to think of what would be cool to me. When I was sitting out in the lawn or up in the cheap seats, what would’ve made me go, ‘THAT is the coolest thing I’ve seen in a long time.’ There are so many possibilities, but you want something that’s who you are. And for me, the idea that we could make the sand bar even bigger… get even more people down front and close to us, well, that seemed like a great way to make every stadium seat seem even closer - because we can get closer to the fans, we can feel that energy and really give it back.”
Luke Bryan is a first time daddy! His wife, Caroline, gave birth to a baby boy yesterday morning at a Nashville area hospital. Thomas Boyer Bryan weighed in at 6 pounds, 14 ounces and measured 20 inches long. The couple named their son Thomas since that is Luke’s formal first name and Boyer after Caroline’s maiden name. However, Luke says he and his wife will call the little boy “Bo.” Reacting to the news of becoming a father, Luke tells /People/, “Everyone is doing great! My fishing buddy is finally here! I thought being on stage was an amazing feeling, but there is nothing that can top watching my wife bring our son into this world.” Baby Bo has reportedly already scored some spiffy duds from some of Luke’s music business friends. Josh Turner sent a onesie with a guitar on it, while country video director Shaun Silva gave the little guy an “I Crawl the Line” onesie.
Plus, according to Luke, people coming to his concerts have also been generously helping him prepare for the baby over the last few months:
“I get occasional outfits out on the road and some little stuffed dolls or whatever. So fans have been real supportive and just awesome. You know, I mean it seems like every show I’ve got some fans comin’ up to me, givin’ me…and we, my wife and I, we certainly appreciate them and accept them. And I’m sure the little man will be wearin’ some of the clothes one of these days.”
Tim McGraw has stretched his acting wings a lot lately with roles in Flicka, The Kingdom and his upcoming Christmas movie, Four Christmases, with Dwight Yoakam that will be out later this year. Tim’s wife, Faith Hill, hasn’t been so anxious to get back on the movie screen since her role in the 2004 film, The Stepford Wives.
When asked recently if she and Tim would ever do a movie together, Faith was uncertain if it would ever happen: Listen HERE to what Faith said.
Shania Twain made a rare public appearance last Thursday in Macetown Village, in New Zealand, for the official opening of the new Motatapu Track and the Macetown Restoration Project. According to Country On-Demand, Twain did not speak to the crowd and addressed locals and media as Eilleen Lange. Twain and her husband, Mutt Lange, agreed in 2004 to build the 29km track as part of the national Te Araroa Trail, which backs up to the Langes’ property.
The Langes paid over 21 million dollars for the project and have also donated at least 171 grand towards building two hiking huts on the track. Plus, they have also spent more than 276 thousand dollars to set aside conservation areas and implement biodiversity programs. Shania said the land is “beautiful” and “is a great place to visit for inspiration and you go away recharged.”
Her fans may be disappointed to hear that Twain revealed she is still on a “permanent sabbatical.”
Alan Jackson’s wife, best-selling author Denise Jackson, has already completed her second book, The Road Home, the follow-up to her debut, It’s All About Him: Finding the Love of My Life, which hit #1 on The New York Times’ best-sellers list. According to The Tennessean, the inspirational book will be out in time for Mother’s Day.
Julio Iglesias, Jr. is the winner of CMT’s Gone Country reality series as announced on the show’s final episode Friday night! Beating such celebrities as Bobby Brown and Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider, Julio has just released the song he co-wrote for the show, “The Way I Want You,” as a single to country radio.
Gone Country’s host, John Rich, who produced the track, says Julio could fill what he believes to be a void in country music. Listen here
“I think the bridge that needs to be built between the Hispanic community and the United States and country radio is just a glaring problem. You know, I grew up in Amarillo, Texas in a predominately Hispanic neighborhood and they all listen to country music. You go down to Texas, you play the Houston Livestock Rodeo, there’s 25 thousand people and 70 percent of them are Hispanic. The Big & Rich concerts we play…I mean there’s Hispanic people comin’ out by the thousands to every show you do. Well, but we don’t have an artist necessarily that has combined that yet. We haven’t had a Johnny Rodriguez in 25 years, you know, it’s been a long time. So I think if a guy like Julio really decided he wanted to be serious about it, I think he could have a career in country, a big one, and would be a real asset to Nashville.”
Reacting to his victory, Iglesias says, “I really had no idea what to expect when I agreed to do ‘Gone Country,’ and I really didn’t expect to make such great friends with the cast and the songwriters I worked with. The whole experience was amazing – especially trying to lasso horses and clean out horse stalls at Gretchen Wilson’s house. John Rich was a lot tougher than I thought he would be, but he absolutely loves country music and respects its history. I’m not sure where all of this will take me, but I really hope country radio likes this single as much as we enjoyed writing and recording it.” As Julio continues to write with some of Nashville’s top talents, fans can expect to see him at upcoming country music events. To keep up with him, check out his website, JulioJr.com.
[via ArtistoMedia]
Tim McGraw has teamed up with rockers Def Leppard for “Nine Lives,” the first single off the band’s new studio album, Songs From The Sparkle Lounge, which will be in stores in late April. The song will also become the featured track in a special opening segment recorded for NBA games airing on ABC. Exclusive new video footage was recently shot for the segment with both artists in Los Angeles. The video debuted over the weekend as the lead-in to the NBA game between the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns.
The foundation for the album’s collaboration with Tim was laid at Def Leppard’s 2006 Hollywood Bowl show where McGraw joined the band on stage for an encore performance of “Pour Some Sugar on Me.” The artists stayed in touch, and when the band started writing the song, “Nine Lives,” they immediately thought of reaching out to Tim to sing on it.
« Previous entries ·