Oct
29

Phil Vassar photo by Jim Wright, courtesy of Universal Records South.
Phil Vassar’s next album is titled Traveling Circus, and it has him handling several roles. Not only does he provide the vocal acrobatics as the artist, he also wrote at least part of the material and he directed the whole project, serving as his own producer for the first time.
“I didn’t need anyone to help me do this one,” Phil told The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I didn’t have to worry about people looking over my shoulder and telling me what to do. It was very freeing and liberating.”
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Oct
16

Whitney Duncan photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Nashville.
Warner Bros. Records artist and small town, skinny dippin’ sweetheart, Whitney Duncan, will grace the stage this Friday, Oct. 16 for her very first performance at the Grand Ole Opry. Duncan, originally from Scotts Hill, Tenn., joins Keith Anderson and Ricky Skaggs in the line-up for Friday’s show.
“It’s such an unbelievable honor to sing at the Opry,” said Whitney. “I’ve always dreamed of performing at the Grand Ole Opry and it’s just so surreal and exciting to get this opportunity.” Continue Reading
Oct
15

Jason Aldean photo courtesy of Broken Bow Records.
If you got the bucks, you can load up the truck with lots of country music memorabilia. Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood and Montgomery Gentry are among a slew of artists who’ve contributed autographed merchandise to Women Rock For The Cure, a Nashville-based agency that raises money for breast cancer research and awareness.
Jason, Carrie and Montgomery Gentry each put their names on instruments with starting bids that range from $200-$500 at http://myworld.ebay.com/womenrockforthecure. Another guitar bearing signatures from the Oct. 2 Opry Goes Pink night has a $500 minimum. Artists who inked the PRS model include Lorrie Morgan, Terri Clark, Jo Dee Messina, Bill Anderson, Mindy Smith, Connie Smith, Little Jimmy Dickens, The Whites and Caitlin Lynn.
But that’s just a start. Continue Reading
Jun
26

Jimmy Wayne photo courtesy of the Valory Music Co.
Celebrity deaths, it’s been said, come in threes, and that was certainly true this week with the passing of Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon.
They were not country figures, but each of them had a small level of influence on the genre. And in the middle of their much-covered deaths, the loss of songwriter Tim Krekel — who authored a pair of hits — was overshadowed. Continue Reading
Jun
12

GAC host Nan Kelley with Craig Morgan and Carrie Underwood after the 19th Annual City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge on June 10, 2009. Photo courtesy of GAC Staff.
Many of country music’s biggest stars — including Carrie Underwood, Josh Turner, Joe Nichols and Darius Rucker — took part in Wednesday’s City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game, and a bevy of singer-athletes will join host Nan Kelley on this weekend’s edition of GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown. Continue Reading