Glen Campbell photo courtesy of Big Hassle PR

Glen Campbell, who is set to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy, will perform on the GRAMMY Awards with Blake Shelton and The Band Perry. Glen has won five GRAMMYs over his career and is currently on the road for his Goodbye Tour after announcing last year that he has Alzheimer’s.

Blake Shelton is nominated for two GRAMMYs, including Best Country Solo Performance for “Honey Bee” and Best Country Album for Red River Blue. The Band Perry is up for Best New Artist. The 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place on Sunday, February 12. The show will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on CBS at 8/7 CT. Continue Reading

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Bellamy Brothers photo by Mark Mosrie.

The Bellamy Brothers were the victims of vandalism and grand larceny after their rental cars and production truck were broken into on a recent video shoot in the Florida Everglades. Thieves pried open the door locks and stole an iPad, digital camera, and thousands of dollars worth of production equipment being used on the shoot.

“The police told us that most of the electronics were offered to a local pawn shop right after the theft but the owner turned the equipment down after suspecting it had been stolen,” David Bellamy said. “Fortunately, the video cameras and guitars were not taken, probably due to their size.” Continue Reading

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Suzanne Alexander & Kellie Pickler on the set of Top 20 Country Countdown. Photo by Julee Cobb.

This week on GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown, Kellie Pickler drops by to talk with Suzanne Alexander about her brand new album, 100 Proof, which hit stores January 24, and her current single, “Tough.” Nan Kelley will also count down this week’s Top 20 videos, voted on by you! Tune in tonight at 9/8 CT to catch Kellie and see which video tops the chart this week! Check the full schedule of all airtimes »

Read our review of Kellie Pickler’s 100 Proof >>

If you missed a few episodes of Top 20 or want to re-watch some of your favorite interviews, head over to our Top 20 section for videos, photos and more! You can also catch a few Top 20 Extras, cast your votes, and take a look at the current chart to see where your favorite videos land. Visit Top 20 >>

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Kenny Chesney photo by Danny Clinch, courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Nominations were announced today for the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards­, a star-studded event produced for television by dick clark productions broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 8 p.m. live ET/delayed PT on CBS.

Nominees were announced online via the first-ever ACM digital press conference this morning on the Academy’s Facebook and Twitter pages.  Awards co-host Reba participated with a video message to kick things off and entertainment superstars Lionel Richie, who will be honored during a special taping of ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends In Concert in April (to air at a later date on CBS), Beth Behrs (2 Broke Girls), Nancy O’Dell (Entertainment Tonight), Michael Ausiello (TVLine.com) announced batches of nominations in video postings during the approximately 20 minute online event which culminated in music fans announcing the nominees for the Academy’s biggest prize, Entertainer of the Year, a privilege fans embraced for the first time ever by submitting videos naming their favorite artist.   Fans from around the country announced Entertainer of the Year nominees Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton and Taylor Swift.

As previously announced, Blake Shelton will join forces with country music star Reba to host the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards for the second consecutive year.

For the fifth year, fans will select the winner of the Academy’s most prestigious honor, Entertainer of the Year, and for the fourth year, the New Artist of the Year category will also be opened up to fan voting. Nominees for New Artist of the Year were not announced in the press conference today because fan voting for those semi-finalists will close on January 30. The winners of Entertainer of the Year and New Artist of the Year will be announced live during the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

Kenny Chesney leads with nine nominations, including Entertainer of the Year, a category he has won four times since 2004.  He is nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year, a category he has been nominated in nine times previously.  He is twice nominated for Album of the Year for Hemingway’s Whiskey, as both artist and producer, and also earned double nominations for Single Record of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year as both artist and producer for “You And Tequila” with Grace Potter. Kenny is also nominated for Song of the Year for “You And Tequila” with Grace Potter.

SEE THE FULL LIST OF ACM AWARDS ARTIST NOMINEES HERE >>

Jason Aldean is nominated for six awards, including his second consecutive nods for Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year.  He is nominated for Album of the Year for My Kinda Party, and has nominations for Single Record of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year for “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” featuring Kelly Clarkson.  He is nominated for Video of the Year for “Tattoos On This Town.”

Lady Antebellum leads group nominations with five nods, including Vocal Group of the Year, which they have won for two consecutive years.  They are also nominated for Album of the Year as artists and producers for Own The Night, and for Song of the Year and Video of the Year for “Just A Kiss.”

Reigning Male Vocalist of the Year, Brad Paisley, is nominated for four awards, including his fifth consecutive nomination for Entertainer of the Year and eighth nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year, which he has won five times consecutively between 2006-2010.  He received two nominations in the Vocal Event of the Year category for “Old Alabama” with Alabama and “Remind Me” with Carrie Underwood.

Toby Keith received three nominations for “Red Solo Cup,” including Video of the Year, which he last won in 2003 for “Beer For My Horses.”  He also received a double nomination as artist and producer for Single Record of the Year for “Red Solo Cup.” Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill is also nominated for Nightclub of the Year (a nod that is not among Keith’s total nominations count, because it is awarded to the venue itself not its owners).

Reigning Entertainer of the Year, Taylor Swift, leads solo female nominees with three nominations, including her third consecutive nod for Entertainer of the Year.  If Taylor wins Entertainer of the Year, this will be her second consecutive win in that category. Taylor is nominated for the fifth time for Female Vocalist of the Year, and for the third time for Video of the Year for “Mean.”

First-time ACM nominee, Grace Potter, received three nominations for “You And Tequila” with Kenny Chesney, in the Single Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year categories.

Eli Young Band has three nominations including Vocal Group of the Year, as well as Single Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “Crazy Girl.”

Dierks Bentley, Kelly Clarkson, Vince Gill, Miranda Lambert, Aaron Lewis, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood and Chris Young all received two nominations each.

The Academy of Country Music’s professional membership select the nominees and winners of the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, and select the final top five nominees of the Entertainer of the Year category and the eight semi-finalists in the New Artist of the Year category. Presenters and performers who will appear at the ceremony will be announced at a later date.

Fan voting for New Artist of the Year began at VoteACM.com and GACtv.com/ACM on January 16, 2012 and will close on Monday, January 30, 2012 at 12 noon ET/9 a.m. PT, after which nominees in that category will be announced separately.  Fan voting for New Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year begins on March 19, 2012 at 9 a.m. ET/12 noon PT at VoteACM.com. Fan voting for New Artist of the Year will close at 5 p.m. PT on April 1, 2012 (before the LIVE show starts) and fan voting for Entertainer of the Year will close during the third hour of the LIVE broadcast.

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Trace Adkins photo courtesy of Show Dog-Universal Music.

Trace Adkins has announced the Songs & Stories Tour, a series of intimate theater shows across the United States. Every night, Trace will share the stories, both humorous and meaningful, behind his hit songs. The tour kicks off March 8 in Des Moines, Iowa.

“I’ve had many narrow escapes and blessings in my life,” Trace said. “The right song 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 are encouraged to share their own stories, questions and the songs that have inspired their lives on the Songs & Stories page of Trace’s website. Continue Reading

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Merle Haggard photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Merle Haggard is on the mend from a bout of double pneumonia, reports Reuters. He was admitted to the hospital on January 17 when illness forced him to cancel a show in Macon, Georgia just moments before he was scheduled to take the stage. His spokesperson says he’s recovering from several health issues that have been discovered while he was being treated.

According to Tresa Redburn, Merle’s Los Angeles-based spokesperson, his pneumonia is almost completely clear. He is also recovering from three stomach ulcers, the removal of eight colon polyps, and diverticulitis in his esophagus. “He will be back up and running in 30 days,” Redburn said.

“Thanks to the wonderful people all over the world that prayed their special prayers,” Merle said in a statement. “I’m a new man. Another special thanks to the folks of Macon, Georgia, for their kindness, their intelligence and probably saving my life.” Continue Reading

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Carrie Underwood photo by James White, courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Carrie Underwood fans, rejoice! Carrie will release her new single, “Good Girl,” to country radio on February 23.  The five-time Grammy winner’s new CD will arrive later this spring.

Carrie wrote the track with Chris DeStefano and Ashley Gorley, who co-wrote two of her No. 1 hits — “Don’t Forget to Remember Me,” and “All-American Girl.” Once again Carrie teamed up with Mark Bright, who produced her two previous albums as well as seven tracks from her debut album Some Hearts.

Since releasing Some Hearts in 2005, Carrie has sold more than 14 million albums with Some Hearts, 2007’s Carnival Ride, and 2009’s Play On.  She’s amassed 14 No. 1 singles, six of which she co-wrote, and became the first country artist in history and the only American Idol winner ever to achieve 10 No. 1 singles from their first two albums.

Carrie is a current Grammy Award nominee and a five-time Grammy Award winner, a two-time Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year, a three-time Country Music Association and ACM Female Vocalist winner, and a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry.

Here’s a message from Carrie about “Good Girl”: Continue Reading

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Kellie Pickler photo courtesy of Essential Broadcast Media. Photo Credit: Russ Harrington

In honor of Cat Appreciation Month in February, animal lover Kellie Pickler has teamed up with Fresh Step litter and fashion designer Geren Ford to design a limited-edition cat sweater that will benefit the ASPCA. Available for purchase online at www.aspcaonlinestore.com, 100 percent of proceeds will go to the ASPCA.

“It’s time for cat lovers to truly display their cat pride,” Kellie said. “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.”

Read our review of Kellie Pickler’s 100 Proof album! >>

Fans who aren’t looking to purchase a new sweater can log on to the Fresh Step Facebook page and use the online app to digitally place people in Kellie’s cat sweater or one of four other sweater options. Fresh Step will donate $1 to the ASPCA for every photo posted, through March 15, 2012, up to $100,000. Continue Reading

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Lionel Richie sings “Endless Love” with Shania Twain on his new CD, Tuskegee. Photo by Alan Silfen, courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Lionel Richie will release Tuskegee, a collection of 13 of his hit songs recorded as duets with some of the biggest names in country music, on March 27. Duet partners include Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Shania Twain, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson and more.

In addition to the album, the Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions will tape an all-star concert special, Lionel Richie and Friends In Concert at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in Las Vegas on April 2. The special will air at a later date on CBS. Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, and Kenny Rogers are among the artists scheduled to perform.

On Tuskegee, Lionel returns to his roots, paying tribute to his hometown of Tuskegee, Alabama where he was shaped as a man and a musician. He grew up listening to country, gospel, R&B and classical music and it was in Tuskegee that he helped form the Commodores and wrote some of his earliest hits.

“Tuskegee is where it all began, the place where I felt that everything was available and possible,” he said. “It’s where I learned about life and love and the power of music, and the place I built a musical foundation that knows no genres or boundaries.”

The artists who worked with Lionel have their own connections to the legend’s songs. “Every Lionel Richie song that I can think of I had a personal experience with – high school homecomings, proms, you name it,” Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts said. “Lionel was always playing in my house. His music always said what we felt and couldn’t express.”

Says Darius Rucker, who joins Richie on “Stuck On You,” “I wanted to work with Lionel because he is one of my idols. Lionel’s more a part of my DNA really than an idol. It was an absolute honor to work with him.” Adds Jason Aldean, who selected “Say You, Say Me,” “I’ve always been a huge fan. He is probably one of the best singer/songwriters of this generation.”

This isn’t Lionel’s first venture into country music. His songs have been recorded by Conway Twitty, Kenny Rogers and Alabama, while other artists have covered his songs in their sets. He’s performed on the CMA Awards three times and his 2011 performance received two standing ovations.

“When I did the CMAs and the room was singing along with me, it was really more like a family reunion than it was a concert or show,” Lionel said. “It was just great validation to know that the music was accepted like it was.” Continue Reading

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Photo courtesy of Webster & Associates.

Between 1982 and 1986, Janie Fricke reeled off seven No. 1 singles as country music fans got to know her as more than a backing vocalist and in-demand duet partner (she also scored No. 1 hits with Charlie Rich and Merle Haggard in 1978 and 1985, respectively). Her run in the US alone through the 1980s consisted of 16 Top 10 singles with a brand of country/pop that paid homage to classic country.

Janie’s now honoring the pickin’ tradition while reworking 12 of her own hits on the new studio album, Country Side of Bluegrass. Backed by a group of seasoned players, including dobro player extraordinaire Randy Kohrs (Hal Ketchum; Hank Williams III) and fiddler Luke Bulla (Lyle Lovett; Jerry Douglas Band), Janie offers up stirring renditions of chart-toppers like “He’s A Heartache” and “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me Baby” with a bluegrass twist.

Amidst standard bluegrass instrumentation, songs like the speedy “Do Me With Love” nail the elements of controlled chaos and precision found in the genre. Add in quintessential country double-meanings like, Words are cheap and ‘I love yous aren’t free/ So unless you mean it, well, don’t spend ‘em on me, and it’s clear that the combination can be entertaining and exciting. Hard-hitting classic country lyrics are all over the record, like on standout track “Tell Me A Lie,” where Janie’s voice pours out the emotion of a desperate woman while singing, Tell me a lie, tell me you’re not a married man, in her Indiana twang. Janie cranked up the tempo on the new version of “Tell Me A Lie,” a song that was originally done as a ballad.

Traditional country influence is heard throughout the record. On the steady-paced “Please Help Me, I’m Falling (In Love With You),” Janie’s voice rises and falls with aching honky tonk melodies as a fiddle yearns in the background. The slow dobro/acoustic guitar intro of the classic “It Ain’t Easy Bein’ Easy” makes way for a smooth chorus full of textured harmonies as the song’s loneliness seeps through the speakers.

The album is indeed full of lonesome songs. One of the best is Continue Reading

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