Search Results for "Brooks & Dunn"

Wynonna and Naomi Judd arrive on the Red Carpet for "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards," on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009, live from the Sommet Center in Nashville on the ABC Television Network. Photographer: Jim Hagans / CMA.

Fans who attended the CMA Music Festival in Nashville last June saw an emotional reunion of the Judds, as Naomi Judd — forced to retire from the road when she contracted hepatitis C — wiped away tears as the duo sang some of its classic songs for thousands of fans. The crowd gave Naomi and Wynonna an outpouring of affection, and Mama Judd looked to be yearning for a more permanent return to the stage that once served as her second home.

That might well happen once the calendar turns to another year. Some sort of reunion appears to be in the works for the two singers who dominated the duo category at country awards shows before the emergence of Brooks & Dunn.

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Taylor Swift performs “Forever & Always” at “The 43rd Annual CMA Awards,” on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009, live from the Sommet Center in Nashville on the ABC Television Network. Photographer: John Russell / CMA. Provided by Country Music Association.

Judging from the early online comments from GACTV.com readers, Taylor Swift’s four wins at the 43rd annual Country Music Association Awards will be accompanied by controversy. She won Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist, Album and Music Video, setting records as the first teen victor in each category and ending streaks of three-year reigns for Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood.

Taylor is not a traditional artist in any sense of the word — not in sound, not in age and not in the demographic she appeals to. So when her band and record company president, Scott Borchetta, gave her a group hug at the end of the evening, it was a physical manifestation of the embrace she got at the ballot box from the country business.

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Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood rehearse on Sunday, Nov. 8 at the Sommet Center in Downtown Nashville for "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards," which will broadcast live on the ABC Television Network on Wed., Nov. 11th, 8-11PM/ET. Photographer: John Russell / CMA

The wait for the 43rd Annual CMA Awards is almost over! We’ll be blogging during the show tonight and we want your participation! Watch along with us and leave your comments at the end of this blog entry. Continue Reading

BMI's President & CEO Del Bryant, BMI Icon Kris Kristoffeson, BMI Song of the Year Honoree Taylor Swift, BMI Songwriter of the Year Bobby Pinson, and BMI's Jody Williams at the 2009 BMI Country Awards. Photo courtesy of BMI.

Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” won Song of the Year Tuesday from the performing rights organization BMI while Bobby Pinson — credited with hits by Sugarland, Toby Keith and Josh Gracin — took home Songwriter of the Year during the 57th annual presentation.

While the event focused primarily on a year’s worth of accomplishments, lifetime honors were given out to two musical acts. Brooks & Dunn received the BMI Presidents Award, coming as the duo prepares its final concert tour. Kris Kristofferson was also named a BMI Icon, recognizing his contributions through such songs as “For The Good Times,” “Why Me” and “Help Me Make It Through The Night.”

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Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood rehearse on Sunday, Nov. 8 at the Sommet Center in Downtown Nashville for "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards," which will broadcast live on the ABC Television Network on Wed., Nov. 11th, 8-11PM/ET. Photographer: John Russell / CMA

The Country Music Association presents its 43rd annual awards in Nashville on Wednesday, and Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood are already repeats — whether they win trophies or not.

The two co-hosted the 2008 show for the first time, and the ceremony went well enough they’re back to do it again. Each of them is taking their duties seriously. After all, they’re at the center of all the action on one of the most important nights for country music in the entire year. But they also recognize that it’s a big night for every single person that gets to make an acceptance speech.

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If you answered yes to this question, then GAC’s wants you! GAC wants you to decide the Top 50 Videos of 2009. It’s time to rally your family, friends and fellow fan club members to get the vote out. We have over 140 videos from over 100 unique artists nominated. You can vote for up to 10 of your favorites every day.

So what are you waiting for? If you’re a fan of any of the artists listed below then it’s your duty as a card carrying country music fan to vote today and every day through Nov. 30, 2009 when the ballot closes.  Vote Now »

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Sugarland photo by Kate Powers, courtesy of UMG Nashville.

It’s a pretty good thing to be a member of Sugarland these days. Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush have won the Country Music Association’s Vocal Duo of the Year honor two times in a row, picked up a Grammy award and last week had their Twice The Speed Of Life album certified triple platinum.

Despite all those obvious indicators of their success, it was something that tied back to Kristian’s childhood that convinced him they’d turned a corner with their music careers.

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Reba McEntire photo by Russ Harrington, courtesy of the Valory Music Co.

Long before she made a name for herself as a singer, Reba McEntire spent much of her childhood on the road, singing with her siblings and working rodeos, where her father was a championship-caliber steer roper.

She’s managed to build a 30-year music career and expand into acting and into fashion — and she’s gotten a pretty good reputation as a businesswoman, too. Given that the entertainment industry can be both fickle and ruthless, she’s had a phenomenally successful run.

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Tim McGraw photo courtesy of Curb Nashville.

When Gregg Allman showed up Tuesday with Tim McGraw on “The Jay Leno Show,” it was a bit of an event, though maybe not quite as unusual an event as it would have been in years gone by.

Gregg was an appropriate musical partner — after all, Tim’s current single “Southern Voice,” which he performed on “Leno,” namechecks the Allman Brothers along with Tom Petty and Chuck Berry.

But Gregg’s hardly the only pop star or rocker with an attachment to country these days. The Zac Brown Band’s “Toes” is co-written with singer-songwriter Shawn Mullins, who referred to Los Angeles as “Nashville with a tan” in his 1998 pop hit “Lullaby.” Carrie Underwood’s “Cowboy Casanova” counts Mike Elizondo, who’s worked with Maroon 5 and Snoop Dogg, among its writers. Brooks & Dunn’s “Honky Tonk Stomp” gets a signature vocal stamp from ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons. Jimmy Wayne enlisted Daryl Hall & John Oates to back him on his remake of “Sara Smile.” And Darius Rucker came to country music after first establishing himself in Hootie + The Blowfish.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. photo courtesy of Wortman Works.

The Country Music Association has announced the first group of presenters for The 43rd Annual CMA Awards,” hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, and airing live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

The first celebrities announced as Awards presenters during “Country Music’s Biggest Night” are NASCAR superstar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.; stars of ABC’s “The Middle,” Neil Flynn and Patricia Heaton; Julianne Hough; nominee Randy Houser (for both New Artist and Music Video of the Year for “Boots On”); nominee Jake Owen (New Artist of the Year); Kellie Pickler; CMA Award winner LeAnn Rimes; and ABC News’s Robin Roberts, co-anchor of “Good Morning America” and host of the upcoming “Robin Roberts: Bright Lights. Big Stars. All Access Nashville” ABC television special (airing Nov. 10). Continue Reading