Photo courtesy of Grand Ole Opry®. Photo by Chris Hollo.

Vince Gill has a list of accolades spanning far and wide, including 20 Grammys, 18 CMA awards and induction into both the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Vince tells Boston.com that the Hall of Fame honor serves as motivation when it comes to his music.

“Some of my greatest heroes are songwriters, and so with getting inducted into the Hall of Fame, I feel motivated beyond even my expectations,’’ Vince said. “I feel like ‘OK, they’ve [given me] that, now go earn it.’’’

Vince is gearing up to release his new album, Guitar Slinger, on October 25. The album, his first new music since 2006, is a collection of songs ranging from traditional country sounds to a track that channels the Beatles in the harmonies. According to Vince, it is some of his best work yet. Continue Reading

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Craig Morgan photo courtesy of Monarch Publicity.

Craig Morgan has been added to the lineup for the CMA Songwriters Series at Joe’s Pup in New York on October 7. Joining Craig will be host host Bob DiPiero, Scotty Emerick, David Lee Murphy and Josh Thompson. It is part of a two-night stand by the series at Joe’s Pub. The night before, Bob, Scotty and David Lee will be joined by Billy Currington.

“The CMA Songwriter’s Series is such a cool event,” Craig said. “I’m looking forward to returning to Joe’s Pub and joining Josh, Bob, David and Scotty for some great country music songwriting and storytelling.” Continue Reading

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Kenny Chesney photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

If you can’t make it to Boston tonight to see Kenny Chesney and fellow songwriters Bob DiPiero, Matraca Berg, Brett James, Wendell Mobley and Craig Wiseman as part of the CMA Songwriter’s series, you can stream the event online. NoShoesRadio.com and CMASongwritersSeries.com will both carry the show from Boston’s Royale Nightclub starting at 8/7c.

Tonight’s show isn’t your only chance to catch Kenny in Boston this weekend, however. Kenny has moved his show scheduled for Sunday, August 28 to tomorrow, August 26, in light of the impending arrival of Hurricane Irene. Following the devastating stage collapse as a result of high winds just before Sugarland took the stage at the Indiana State Fair almost two weeks ago, Kenny made the decision to move the show with the safety of his fans in mind. Continue Reading

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Kenny Chesney photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Kenny Chesney will take part in the popular CMA Songwriters Series when it makes its debut in Boston on August 25. Kenny will appear with songwriters Matraca Berg (“You and Tequila,” “Strawberry Wine”), Brett James (“Jesus Take The Wheel,” “When The Sun Goes Down”), Wendell Mobley (“I Melt,” “There Goes My Life”), Craig Wiseman (“Live Like You Were Dying,” “The Good Stuff”) and Bob DiPiero (“Southern Voice” “Clear Blue Sky”), who will also serve as the evening’s host. The show is at the newly renovated Royale Nightclub.

“We are extremely excited to be working with CMA for the first time here at Royale,” said Jamison La Guardia, Director of Marketing and Events for Royale Nightclub. “Having a world class artist such as Kenny Chesney performing along with some of the best songwriters from Nashville will surely make this an event to remember!” Continue Reading

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Trace Adkins photo courtesy of Show Dog-Universal Music.

Kix Brooks, Trace Adkins and Buddy Jewell are among the latest acts taking time from their schedules to honor the soldiers who put their lives on the line for their country.

Kix is in the midst of a Middle East tour, Buddy just headed out with with a package of country singers that will visit four countries, and Trace is set to appear on a TV special with a military theme before his own USO journey.

Not that it’s anything unusual for country acts. Among the artists who’ve lent themselves to the USO in the past are Toby Keith, Neal McCoy, Chely Wright, Craig Morgan, Kellie Pickler and the Zac Brown Band.

Here’s what some of country’s stars are doing with the USO:

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Taylor Swift photo courtesy of Big Machine Records.

Taylor Swift couldn’t ask for much better timing. As she heads into the last week of promotion for her new album, Speak Now, she was named Songwriter/Artist of the Year Sunday night during the Nashville Songwriters Association International’s annual songwriter awards at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel.

Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin took Song of the Year for penning the emotional Miranda Lambert hit “The House That Built Me,” and Chris DuBois earned Songwriter of the Year for his work as an author of Craig Morgan’s “This Ain’t Nothin’” and the Brad Paisley singles “Then” and “Welcome To The Future.”

The awards were part of a formal evening that saw four new members added to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and had 11 titles recognized by the songwriting community as the cream of the crop: Songs I Wish I’d Written. That list included “Need You Now,” “White Liar,” “Big Green Tractor” and Taylor’s “You Belong With Me.”

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The CMA Board of Directors and nearly 400 Washington luminaries attended an intimate evening of acoustic music in the Coolidge Auditorium in the Library of Congress' Jefferson Building with performances by Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn, Bob DiPiero, Lorrie Morgan, John Rich of Big & Rich, Randy Scruggs, and Victoria Shaw. (l-r) U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, Morgan, CMA Board President-Elect Gary Overton, Shaw, and Rich. Photo: Mitchell Layton, courtesy of CMA.

Libraries are meant to be quiet, but John Rich and Kix Brooks helped a passel of country figures make some important noise Tuesday in Washington, D.C., as the Country Music Association presented a show in conjunction with the Library of Congress.

“Story Tellers And Story Keepers” featured Kix, John and Lorrie Morgan, as well as ace musician Randy Scruggs and noted songwriters Victoria Shaw and Bob DiPiero, representing voices from several sectors of Nashville’s best-known industry. Delivered to a room that included influential lawmakers, the concert also allowed the music-makers to mingle with their guests in a pre-show reception.

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