Kenny Chesney, Drew Brees & Matthew McConaughey photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Kenny Chesney and his band took the stage at the House of Blues in New Orleans Saturday night to wrap up the 3rd Annual ‘Amazing Race’ Charity Event. The race is the signature event of the Brees Dream Foundation, founded by Drew Brees, quarterback of the New Orlean Saints, and his wife Britney. This year, the event partnered with the Just Keep Livin’ Foundation, founded by Matthew McConaughey and his fiancée Camila Alves.

“We’ve been in tour rehearsals for weeks now so it was great for us to get onstage and feel the energy and feedback from the crowd,” Kenny said. “Tonight was all about playing music to help celebrate this great event. People in this town love music and helping out their neighbor and I was glad to be a part of it.”

The event had several special moments. A one-of-a-kind auction item that allowed the highest bidder to join Kenny onstage for a song raised $10,000. Kenny and the winner of the item sang his hit “Somewhere With You.” At the end of the night, Kenny was joined by Drew and Matthew for an encore, singing Kenny’s “The Boys of Fall.”

“Kenny has been a dear friend and always expressed interest in working with the foundation,” Drew said. “This is such a wonderful way to end the race and his support means the world to us.” Continue Reading

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Vince Gill photo by Tim Wright, courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Vince Gill released his latest album, Guitar Slinger, in October of last year, five years after his last release of original music [read our review HERE]. Now, Vince is in a time of transition. His recording contract with MCA ended last year and while he still wants to make new music, he tells the Pittsburgh Post Gazette that he realizes the country landscape has changed.

“I still want to have hit records,” he said. “You never get that out of your system. But in some sense, I have been shown the door.”

Vince, known for his traditional country sound as well as his love of bluegrass music, has issues with today’s mainstream country music. He feels fashion and gimmicks often take place of the truthful lyrics he reveres. “For me, it’s lost its traditional bent pretty severely,” he said. “I would love to hear someone write a song like ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today’ rather than ‘You’re hot. I’m hot. We’re in a truck.’ It’s just mind-numbing to me.”

It’s not just the sound of the songs on the radio that have changed. The business side of Music City has seen plenty of change itself. Vince compared the digital revolution of music to a certain app in the app store that costs the same as a digital single.

“Income streams are dwindling,” he said. “Record sales aren’t what they used to be. The devaluation of music and what it’s now deemed to be worth is laughable to me. My single costs 99 cents. That’s what a (single) cost in 1960. On my phone, I can get an app for 99 cents that makes fart noises – the same price as the thing I create and speak to the world with. Some would say the fart app is more important. It’s an awkward time. Creative brains are being sorely mistreated.” Continue Reading

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David Nail photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Hot Nights at the Hall summer concert series for museum members will return June 5. David Nail, Jana Kramer and Love and Theft will headline the three concerts, which will feature live music, food, autographs and exclusive access to the museum and Museum Store.

Hot Nights at the Hall is free to all museum members. Membership at the museum begins at $40 and includes admission to all three concert events as well as a year of free admission to the museum and much more. To purchase a membership, call (615) 291-8419 or at www.countrymusichalloffame.org/membership.

“Our members are a vital part of our museum family, and their contributions directly support our mission,”  Museum Director Kyle Young said. “We created Hot Nights at the Hall last year as a way to say ‘thank you’ to the members we have, and to encourage others to join us by providing them with a really great value and yet another benefit to museum membership.  We’re excited to bring the series back this summer and again offer members old and new a chance to hear some great music, meet the performers, and enjoy our exhibits after hours.” Continue Reading

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Toby Keith photo courtesy of Show Dog-Universal Music.

The 9^th Annual Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic will kick off on May 18 with the groundbreaking of the OK Kids Korral in Oklahoma City. The building will serve as a home-away-from-home for children and families being treated at OU Medical Center’s Children’s Hospital and other nearby facilities. The home has been the ultimate goal of the Toby Keith Foundation and its annual event.

The groundbreaking ceremony will take place at 10 a.m., turning the foundation’s dream into a reality. That evening, a dinner and auction will continue the fundraising tradition having raised $650,000 at last year’s event. Highlights from this year’s auction include a trip to Africa with Pros for Africa, a Brush Creek getaway, a Dallas Cowboys VIP package, having a menu item named for you at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill, concerts and golf packages and memorabilia from Coldplay, Carrie Underwood, the Rolling Stones, the Three Stooges and Toby Keith himself.

The next day, participants will hit the links with a wide range of celebrities for the main event. Another highlight from the Classic will be the Built Ford Tough Shootout which will offer a new truck to the winner. Local dealership Seth Wadley Ford has offered up a truck as well, should someone hit a hole-in-one. Continue Reading

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The perfect country song, according to David Allan Coe’s hilarious classic “You Never Even Called Me By My Name,” requires that you refer to trains, trucks, prison, gettin’ drunk and – of course – mama. By those standards, none of these songs are perfect, but they’re all at least very good at paying homage to Mom as we slide into Mother’s Day.

It’s probably not the definitive list – you could argue that others, such as Merle Haggard’s “Mama’s Hungry Eyes” – belong here, but it’s good enough to give you a full-bodied picture of your mom, my mom, somebody’s mom.

In no particular order, here are 20 country songs – and one bonus title – for moms everywhere:

“Mama’s Song,” Carrie Underwood (2010) – A rolling music bed and Carrie’s own romantic storyline with hockey player Mike Fisher form the backdrop for a song that shows a mother just what a great job she’s done. She parented a daughter who picks the right kind of partner.

“The Hand That Rocks The Cradle,” Glen Campbell with Steve Wariner (1987) – “There ought to be a hall of fame for mamas.” Well, there’s not, but there is this nifty little duet built around the psychologies of birth, breast feeding and teaching life lessons.

“Mama Don’t Forget To Pray For Me,” Diamond Rio (1991) – In many families, Mom is the one who provides the strongest moral compass. In this case, she gets a phone call from her adult son, looking for advice from his best-loved guidance counselor.

“So Much Like My Dad,” George Strait (1992) – “Mom, can we talk?” George is as good at anyone at delivering a song that’s essentially a conversation set to music. In this case, it’s a mother/son chat as he tries to figure out exactly why his own household is falling apart.

“Mama Tried,” Merle Haggard (1968) – Perhaps the hardest part of the job for mothers: You can do everything right, and the kid insists on messing up anyway. In this mostly autobiographical account, the adult Merle takes responsibility for ignoring Flossie Haggard’s wisdom and ending up in prison by age 21. Continue Reading

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Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw rehearse for their 2012 Brothers of the Sun Tour. Photo by Glen Rose, courtesy of Shore Fire Media.

With the drumbeat to summer growing louder, rehearsals for the hottest tour of the summer are in full swing. The ‘Brothers of the Sun’ Tour, with Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw, hit the next level of production yesterday when Kenny and Tim met for their first onstage, joint rehearsal.

“Yesterday’s rehearsal with Tim and I and our bands was as electric and exciting as we anticipated,” said Kenny, the man with nine summers of playing to crowds of more than one million a year. “It’s been a long time since we’ve played on stage together and the chemistry and excitement is just so natural. It’s going to be a dream come true to have our years of friendship come together on stage for what will be one unpredictable, loud, hell of a summer, and I can’t wait,” Kenny continued.

The 3+ hour working rehearsal found the friends working out songs for the tour, which kicks off June 2 in Tampa, FL. With shows at more than 20 stadiums across the country, including MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford NJ, Soldier Field in Chicago, IL, Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA, Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA, Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA and Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, TX, the tour is set to be the musical event of 2012. Continue Reading

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Country music stars sure love Twitter! This week, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert celebrate Team Blake’s Jermaine Paul’s win on The Voice, Jake Owen gets married, Merle Haggard shares why no camera crew will film his family and Edens Edge gives a sneak peek from the set of their latest video. Here are our picks for the Top 10 Country Tweets Of The Week.

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/Miranda_Lambert.

Miranda Lambert – Miranda_Lambert: Ahhhhhhhhhh !!! Team Blake did it!!!!!

Blake Shelton – BlakeShelton: Still in shock… Thank you America!!! You picked the right guy… Congrats @JermainePaul…. You deserve this.

Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum – HillaryScottLA: So touched by the bromance that is @adamlevine and @blakeshelton…something special! @NBCTheVoice #TheVoiceFinale

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/scottymccreery.

Scotty McCreery – ScottyMcCreery: Met the last guy alive who struck out Babe Ruth today at the game! 98 year old Ray “Lefty” Freeman Continue Reading

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LT Tedrow's lithograph presentation to Kellie post-flight. Photo by Meghann Zolan, Jim Havey PR, courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Kellie Pickler was soaring high Wednesday when she took a flight over Middle Tennessee with the United States Navy Blue Angels. #7 Pilot LT Mark Tedrow took Kellie from the ground to 2,000 feet in just four seconds, departing from the Smyrna Airport just outside of Nashville.

Back at the airport and with two feet on solid ground, LT Tedrow presented Kellie with a personalized lithograph to commemorate her flight with the Blue Angels. The Blue Angels will be performing at the airport this weekend for the Great Tennessee Air Show. “THANK YOU @BlueAngels for the fastest most badass ride of my life!!!! Let’s fly again soon!!! ” Kellie tweeted after her flight. Continue Reading

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Photo courtesy of Monarch Publicity.

Bucky Covington’s tour bus was involved in an accident on I-65 in Birmingham, Alabama on Thursday. Bucky was not on the bus at the time of the accident. While a few passengers from both vehicles involved were taken to the hospital for closer examination, there appear to be no serious injuries. His show went on as scheduled, but he will be in the market for a new  tour bus to continue his run of tour dates this summer and fall.

A tour bus isn’t the only thing new thing on Bucky’s agenda. The video for his long-awaited new single, “I Wanna Be That Feeling,” premiered on GAC last week. Directed by Kristin Barlowe, the video was filmed at Nashville’s abandoned Tennessee State Prison.

Watch the video!

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Top 20 Country Countdown host Nan Kelley with Dollywood potter, Tim Kerns. Photo by Jared Spicer.

This Week, GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown is going on an adventure. Host Nan Kelley is in the family-friendly town of Pigeon Forge to count down this week’s Top 20 videos –  and what’s a trip to East Tennessee without a trip to Dolly Parton’s Dollywood?

While at Dollywood, Nan will show off the newest addition to the park – the Wild Eagle Roller Coaster. The steel wing coaster is the first of its kind in the U.S. and lets riders experience the freedom of flight seated four abreast with two riders actually seated on the ‘wings’ with nothing but air above and below them.

Will Nan be brave enough to give the coaster a try? Tune in tonight at 8/7 CT to find out, as well as see where your favorite videos fall on this week’s chart. Check the full schedule »

And while you’re watching Top 20 tonight, you’ll have a chance to win $1,000 in our Top 20 for $20,000 Sweepstakes! Just watch Top 20 then come back here to GACTV.com and answer the weekly question. A new $1,000 winner will be chosen each week and one grand prize winner will win $20,000! Enter Now >>  Continue Reading

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