Nov
20

Josh Kelley (l) and his brother, Lady Antebellum's Charles Kelley. Josh Kelley photo courtesy of Prima PR; Charles Kelley photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.
Most diehard Lady Antebellum fans know that Hillary Scott’s mother is singer Linda Davis. But Lady A’s Charles Kelley comes from a musical family too. His brother Josh had a debut pop hit in 2003 with “Amazing” and another Top 10 in 2005 with “Only You.”
Now Josh is coming over to the country. Record label UMG — home to Sugarland, Josh Turner, Lee Ann Womack and Jamey Johnson — announced that Josh signed a record deal with them in September and currently in the studio recording his forthcoming album, due in 2010.
“Universal is a perfect home for me and my music,” says Josh. “They have an awesome track record of allowing artists to be who they really are, and have already been so supportive of my new music. I’m stoked to be part of such a talented group of artists and staff.”
Prior to marrying his wife, Grey’s Anatomy actress Katherine Heigl, Josh made his home in Nashville.
Nov
12

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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Nov
11

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
Nov
6

Jake Owen photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.
Jake Owen’s “Eight Second Ride” uses a rodeo phrase for a sexy come-on that has his latest video at No. 18 on GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown, but some real rodeo pros join Suzanne Alexander from this week’s CBR (Championship Bull Riding) finale in Kansas City.
Suzanne checks in with a bunch of bull-riding cowboys — including Jarrod Craig, Ardie Maier, retired champ Gary Leffew and the Kansas City winner, Hugo Pedrero — as she works through the biggest videos in country music.
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Nov
3

Montgomery Gentry photo courtesy of Sony Nashville.
Country Throwdown 2010, a multi-act outdoor tour produced by the same company that created rock’s annual Vans Warped Tour, has enlisted Montgomery Gentry, Jamey Johnson, Little Big Town and Jack Ingram among the initial acts for a five-week, GAC-sponsored series of concerts next spring. Specific markets and the entire lineup have yet to be revealed, though the Throwdown will feature 21 total acts on an itinerary from May 13-June 20.
“When Eddie [Montgomery] and I were approached about doing the Country Throwdown Tour we immediately said yes,” Montgomery Gentry’s Troy Gentry said. “We loved the idea of it being like a big festival, a big party. I mean, that’s what Montgomery Gentry is all about. We’re keeping the ticket prices low because we know it’s hard out there. Fans are going to get a lot of entertainment for their money. This tour is going to be a great experience for us, the other artists and especially the fans.”
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Oct
27

Jamey Johnson photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.
Weddings, funerals, parties, parades — country music stars do more than just sing in public. Jamey Johnson, Taylor Swift, Hank Williams Jr. and John Rich have been spotted — or will be soon — in locations from a New Jersey golf course to a California hockey arena and other points in between.
Country’s celebrity sightings include: Continue Reading
Oct
14

Taylor Swift photo courtesy of Big Machine Records.
The American Music Awards! The Musicians Hall of Fame! The CMA Broadcast Awards! The Inspirational Country Music Awards!
Another wave of awards news rolled in this week. As always (unless Kanye West is involved), that means something good for Taylor Swift. This time around is no exception: Taylor snagged a total of six nominations Tuesday in the American Music Awards, putting her ahead of Michael Jackson, Eminem and a gaggle of pop and rock stars in the all-genre competition.
Taylor entertained her way into the Pop or Rock Music field and the Adult Contemporary category in addition to garnering expected country tabs. The Zac Brown Band snared a pair of country nods plus a nomination for T-Mobile Breakthrough Artist. Rascal Flatts was also a double nominee for the show, which airs on ABC Nov. 22.
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Sep
28

Kenny Chesney photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.
Kenny Chesney’s collaboration with Dave Matthews, “I’m Alive,” hit No. 12 last week on the Country Aircheck singles chart. It’s an achievement that’s four years in the making, going back to the first time they met at Farm Aid in 2005.
“I had already written ‘I’m Alive,’ and Dave told me he loved that ‘I’m Alive’ song and that he felt like that would be something that would fit on one of his records to stand alone,” Kenny recalls. “I said ‘Well, why don’t we try doin’ it?’ Continue Reading
Sep
24

Jamey Johnson photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.
Jamey Johnson is going his own way as an artist. His scraggily beard and gruff appearance are distinctly different from country music’s current mainstream look, and his album That Lonesome Song has a more traditional, Waylon Jennings-inspired sound than most of his contemporaries.
It wasn’t always that way. Jamey had a more standard image and music when he released his first album, The Dollar, in 2006. Only months after that, he lost the recording deal at the same time he was getting divorced, and he ended up deciding he didn’t need the approval of any other person or company to follow his heart in his career. Continue Reading
Sep
23

GAC's Bill Cody (r) chats with Randy Travis and Carrie Underwood on the red carpet at the second annual ACM Honors. Photo by Keri Braswell, GAC staff.
Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center was crawling with star power Tuesday night as the Academy of Country Music celebrated Randy Travis, Hank Williams Jr., Merle Haggard and Dolly Parton among others in its second annual ACM Honors.
Hosted by Lee Ann Womack, the event recognized a horde of winners of lifetime awards and musicians trophies with performances by Jamey Johnson, Joe Nichols, Blake Shelton and Steve Wariner, among others. Carrie Underwood sang Randy’s “I Told You So,” Continue Reading