Billy Ray Cyrus is back at country radio today with a new single called "Somebody Said A Prayer." Billy Ray says of the song, "[It's] such a great song. It moved me from the first time I heard the demo. It's powerful and a great message about hope and faith. And the writers, Neil Thrasher and Craig Wiseman, have an amazing track record of writing songs that speak from the heart." Billy Ray's new CD, Back To Tennessee, is expected to release later this year. Billy Ray co-wrote two of the tracks on the project.
[via AristoMedia]
You don't have to be a "Gambler" to own Kenny Rogers' Georgia mansion, but winning the lottery couldn't hurt. Kenny is selling his current home in Atlanta for just under eight million bucks! According to U.S. News & World Report, the nine-thousand-square-foot house sits on one-and-a-half acres, has six bedrooms and six baths, and comes furnished. Plus, it includes a pool and a gym and features an Italian-style decor. So where will Kenny live? He's actually moving to a 150-acre ranch, where he's in the process of building a three-thousand-square-foot home.
Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman are delighted to announce that Nicole gave birth to a baby girl yesterday morning in Nashville. Sunday Rose Kidman Urban weighed in at six pounds, seven-and-a-half ounces. Husband Keith was by his wife's side and mother and baby are very well. Yesterday Urban posted a message on his website that said: "We want to thank everybody that has kept us in their thoughts and prayers. We feel very blessed and grateful that we can share this joy with all of you today." The baby is the first for Kidman and Urban. She has two children, Isabella and Connor, from her marriage to Tom Cruise.
Last Friday evening, Keith and Nic attended a Fourth of July cookout at Ronnie Dunn's home, which included Ronnie's annual fireworks display. After hearing yesterday morning that the couple's baby had been born, Ronnie shared the following note: "Nicole told me Friday night that she was hoping that my fireworks would do it. I'm overjoyed for them." Ronnie's duo partner Kix Brooks, who is traveling overseas this week, adds, "They've been so excited - I'm so happy for them. A red-headed movie star and a guitar slinger - [she's] gonna be one beautiful baby girl!" LeAnn Rimes, a good friend of the couple, says she knows they "will be wonderful parents." She tells People.com, "Nicole and Keith are two of the most kind, caring people I know. I am thrilled for them."
The International Bluegrass Music Association's (IBMA) annual World of Bluegrass events, set for September 29-October 5 at the Nashville Convention Center and the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, are aptly named. This is the "must attend" week for everyone interested in what's new in the whole, wide bluegrass world and committed to the future success of the industry.
The week kicks off for industry professionals at the IBMA Business Conference sponsored by Bluegrass Unlimited magazine and D'Addario Strings. With more than 2,000 key music and entertainment leaders in one place from around the globe, this week is about building relationships with event producers, television & radio broadcasters, retailers, record labels, agents, managers, artists, songwriters, journalists, educators, association leaders, suppliers, producers & engineers, publicists, internet consultants & designers, historians, academic leaders and also consumers. It's a week for showcasing talent, as well as new ideas, new songs, new events, projects and merchandise.
This year's keynote speaker, scheduled to address convention attendees on Monday night, Sept. 29, is Roger Brown, president of Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. Former Berklee students, graduates and faculty read like a Who's Who in the music industry, including Chris Pandolfi, Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, Mark Schatz, Casey Driessen, Scott Rouse, Rushad Eggleston, Evan Price, Nate Leath, Matt Glaser, Mark Simos, David Hollander, John McGann, August Watters and more. Since Brown became president, Berklee has added music performance majors in mandolin and banjo, making it possible for students to earn a degree with a focus on bluegrass, along with jazz and other types of popular music.
Tim McGraw downplayed the incident in which he helped eject an unruly fan from his concert last week. CMT reports that while out walking with wife Faith Hill and their daughters in Los Angeles, McGraw told photographers who asked him about the melee that it was no big deal. He told them, "I was just trying to keep peace." When asked if he'd been "doing a better job than security," McGraw replied, "They just couldn't get there in time."
[Aristomedia]