News And Notes
Jul 30

Rascal Flatts Reveals Covers of New CD & Single

Rascal Flatts at a press conference on July 29, 2010, announcing their signing to Big Machine Records.

Rascal Flatts at a press conference on July 29, 2010, announcing their signing to Big Machine Records.

At their press conference announcing their new record deal with Big Machine Records, Rascal Flatts joked that label head Scott Borchetta was the proud father of triplets. “And we came out potty trained,” cracked Rascal Flatts’ Jay DeMarcus.

“Not very many people get into this industry and are able to look back and say, “We’ve been able to do it for 10 years,” continue Jay. “And that’s what we’re really thankful and grateful for – that someone still wants us after 10 years. I’m so excited about the future and what it holds.

During their announcement, held Thursday, July 29 in Nashville, the trio unveiled the covers of their new album, Nothing Like This, and new single, “Why Wait.” Watch part 1 of the press conference below to see them – and check back next week for part 2: Continue Reading

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Posted at 4:44 pm | Permalink
Jul 30

Dierks Bentley Takes His Dogs to Work

Nan Kelley & Dierks Bentley share a laugh on the set of Top 20 Country Countdown.

Nan Kelley & Dierks Bentley share a laugh on the set of Top 20 Country Countdown.

Dierks Bentley was recently in the GAC studio and brought along his dogs, Jake and George. After he taped a “5 Things You Don’t Know About Me” clip for us, we thought it would be fun to do the same with his canine best buds. Here’s what we found out about Jake and George: Continue Reading

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Posted at 1:29 pm | Permalink
Jul 30

Top 10 Country Tweets of the Week

Top Tweets

Country music stars sure love Twitter! Here at GAC, we follow them too. Here are our picks for the Top 10 Country Tweets Of The Week!

Taylor Swift: @taylorswift13  Texting Caitlin from the next room to say goodnight: “Night, sis. I don’t dance like an idiot like that with anyone else.”

Jennette McCurdy: @jennettemccurdy  So yesterday, after my performance, my friend goes “Nettie, you’re wearing two different boots.” I was. Continue Reading

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Posted at 12:48 pm | Permalink
Jul 30

Merle Haggard Offers Lindsay Lohan Advice

Merle Haggard

No one is making more headlines for a jail term in July 2010 than Lindsay Lohan, who will likely be released next week following a 13-day stay, acccording to The Los Angeles Times.

Lindsay’s getting about 250 pieces of mail a day, though she can only keep 10 letters at a time under jail rules. Which is a lot more mail than some guy named Merle Haggard got when he was incarcerated.

A longtime member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Merle was famously thrown into San Quentin Prison when he was 19 — that line in his classic “Mama Tried” that says “I turned 21 in prison” is absolutely true. Watching Lindsay’s story from a distance, Merle is concerned about the actress’ future. His stay behind bars sobered Merle up a bit about life. He’s hopeful that it does the same for her.

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Posted at 12:47 pm | Permalink
Jul 30

Jaron & The Long Road To Love: So What If I Was Pop?

Jaron and the Long Road to Love photo courtesy of Big Machine Records.

Jaron and the Long Road to Love photo courtesy of Big Machine Records.

One of the songs that’s truly generated a response among country fans in 2010 is “Pray For You” by Jaron And The Long Road To Love, which sounds like a band but really is just a solo artist: Jaron Lowenstein.

Part of Jaron’s history is membership in a duo, Evan & Jaron, that made waves in pop about 10 years ago. So “Pray For You” makes him just the latest in a line of artists who’ve made the shift from pop and rock into country. He’s happy to be in the new genre, but if you’re upset with him because you think traditional country is getting short shrift these days, well, Jaron maintains he’s not at fault.

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Posted at 12:44 pm | Permalink
Jul 30

Trailer Choir, Miranda Lambert on Top 20 Tonight!

Trailer Choir co-hosts Top 20 Country Countdown with Suzanne Alexander at the 2010 Country Thunder festival in Wisconsin. Photo by Eric Jensen.

Trailer Choir co-hosts Top 20 Country Countdown with Suzanne Alexander at the 2010 Country Thunder festival in Wisconsin. Photo by Eric Jensen.

Wisconsin’s Country Thunder was four days of people, rain and wall-to-wall country music. Mother Nature might not have been kind to the festival’s visitors, but they didn’t seem to mind a little water or mud when it gave them a chance to see Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Sugarland or Trailer Choir. GAC’s Suzanne Alexander didn’t mind either — she was there, too, chatting with some of those stars for this weekend’s Top 20 Country Countdown (check out our festival photos here).

The rain was certainly a problem for Country Thunder last weekend, though the show, as they say, must go on. Randy Houser, Luke Bryan, Craig Morgan, Gloriana, Kevin Costner, Jason Aldean, Billy Currington, Miranda and Sugarland were all on hand — and all of them spent a little time with Suzanne. As did Trailer Choir, a new trio whose album Tailgate came out earlier this month. The fun-loving band’s Big Vinny even found Suzanne hiding in his bunk! Watch the clip below:

 

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Posted at 12:16 pm | Permalink
Jul 29

Rascal Flatts Signs With Big Machine Records

Rascal Flatts at a press conference on July 29, 2010, announcing their signing to Big Machine Records.

Rascal Flatts at a press conference on July 29, 2010, announcing their signing to Big Machine Records.

Rascal Flatts picked Taylor Swift to open for them in 2008 — now they’ve picked her label, Big Machine Records, as their new musical home.

“We are extremely excited about our new partnership with Big Machine Records!” says Jay DeMarcus, bassist and background vocalist for Rascal Flatts. “We believe that Scott Borchetta and all of the folks over there are a perfect fit for what Rascal Flatts is trying to accomplish over the next few years. The last 10 years have been amazing but we are even more excited about the next phase of our career; Scott understands us, he knows what we’re about and it’s always a wonderful thing to have someone who believes in you and your music that much in your corner.”

“Rascal Flatts are the biggest band in country music and we’re honored and thrilled to have them join the Big Machine Records family,” says Big Machine Label Group President/CEO Scott Borchetta. Continue Reading

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Posted at 4:44 pm | Permalink
Jul 29

Elvis Presley Celebrated In Memphis…And Elsewhere

Elvis Presley image used by permission, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

Elvis Presley image used by permission, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

The King is gone, but he’s certainly not forgotten — especially in Memphis, where the city is gearing up for Elvis Week, the annual pilgrimage of fans marking the loss of a cultural icon.

This year’s Elvis Presley activities kick off Tuesday, Aug. 10, when an Elvis tribute artist (that’s a euphemism for Elvis impersonator) re-creates one of Presley’s first noteworthy concerts at a venue formerly known as the Overton Park Shell. It all wraps up Aug. 16 — the anniversary of Elvis’ 1977 death — with a concert at Graceland Mansion.

In between those bookends is a wealth of panel discussions, movie screenings and even a 5k run and walk. Naomi Judd’s husband, Larry Strickland, will take part in a performance during one event as a member of the Stamps Quartet. He was a part of the vocal group when it toured with Elvis during the 1970s.

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Posted at 1:14 pm | Permalink
Jul 29

Carrie Underwood’s Husband Makes Adjustments

Carrie Underwood and fiance Mike Fisher at the 52nd Grammy Awards Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA January 31, 2010 © RD / Kirkland / Retna Digital.

Carrie Underwood and fiance Mike Fisher at the 52nd Grammy Awards Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA January 31, 2010 © RD / Kirkland / Retna Digital.

When Ottawa Senators hockey player Mike Fisher married Carrie Underwood July 10, he knew what he was getting into. The bride is beautiful, talented and under a lot of scrutiny.

Because of that, any man on her arm is also going to be the source of public interest — especially when his job is the kind of public vocation that a pro athlete pursues. So when when Mike broke to chat with reporters during a hockey camp for kids in Canada on Wednesday, he was prepared for an onslaught of relationship-related questions, including how he’s adjusting to paparazzi.

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Posted at 1:10 pm | Permalink
Jul 28

What’s Shakin’? James Otto’s Next Album

James Otto's 2010 CD, Shake What God Gave Ya. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Nashville.

James Otto's 2010 CD, Shake What God Gave Ya. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Nashville.

James Otto is sounding very happy-go-lucky of late, what with “Groovy Little Summer Song” putting a sunny disposition and a bit of blue-eyed soul into the beach-weather playlist.

The song is just one of a dozen tracks set for James’ next album, which is slated for release at the tail end of summer, Sept. 14. The project is titled Shake What God Gave Ya!, and it’s apparently loaded up with the same sort of R&B influences that shade “Groovy Little Summer Song” and his signature hit, “Just Got Started Lovin’ You.”

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Posted at 2:18 pm | Permalink

Headline Country

Take a trip inside the world of country music with host Storme Warren! Watch full episodes of Headline Country now.