MANCHESTER, TN – JUNE 16: Kacey Musgraves performs during day 4 of the 2013 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 16, 2013 in Manchester, Tennessee. (Photo by Gary Miller/WireImage)

Kacey Musgraves had a whirlwind weekend. After performing in front of 50,000 fans at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium in the rain as part of Kenny Chesney’s No Shoes Nation Tour Saturday, she headed back to Tennessee to fulfill a lifelong dream of performing at Bonnaroo on Sunday.

Kacey was one of the only country acts on this year’s Bonnaroo bill. She played a 60-minute set on the Which Stage, including her debut hit “Merry Go ‘Round” and her current single, “Blowin’ Smoke.” She also pulled out a few covers, including Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” and Weezer’s “Island In The Sun.” Continue Reading

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Dierks Bentley photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Dierks Bentley will live chat with fans tonight from the set of the “Bourbon in Kentucky” music video shoot in Nashville, TN.  Fans can join the chat beginning at 6 p.m. Central by visiting dierks.com/stream to stream, ask questions and go behind the scenes on the set as Dierks preps for the overnight shoot.

“Bourbon In Kentucky” is the lead single off Dierks’ upcoming seventh studio album RISER, due this fall. It explores the dark internal emotions of loss and disconnection told through Dierks’ intense vocal performance. People has already claimed the song one of its “Hot Picks” and awarded it handsomely with 3 out of 4 stars.

Dierks will pick back up in July on the Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley: Locked & Reloaded Tour through October. For more information on the live stream and for a full list of tour dates, visit www.dierks.com.

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Kip Moore photo by Stephen Shepherd, courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Kip Moore has a number of musical artists who have inspired him, but it was weekend fishing trips with his father that formed his early love of lyrics and later inspired him to pursue songwriting.

“He would just play all those classic records – Little River Band, Jackson Browne, Springsteen, Seeger, Willie Nelson, the Red-Headed Stranger, Kristofferson, Sam Cooke,” he said. “He’d be singing the songs and telling us why it was such good music. I looked up to him so much, that’s the music I gravitated towards and that’s what I continue to listen to. Whenever I think about those old fishing trips, that’s what I think about is on the way down there, him singing those songs and all of us singin’ ‘em.” 

Top 20 Country Songs About Dad >>

For Dierks Bentley, his father, who passed away last year, also inspired him to pursue music. Dierks credits his dad for his career today.

“My dad is my biggest influence in country music because my dad loved country radio,” he said. “We always drove around listening to country radio and George Strait, Hank Williams and Randy Travis and all these guys. Without him, I wouldn’t be doing this, that’s for sure.”

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Dierks Bentley photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Dierks Bentley and wife Cassidy are expecting their third child, a boy, later this year. The couple are already parents to young daughters Evie, 4, and Jordan, 2 and while Dierks enjoys being a man, he also loves coming home to a house full of women.

“It’s a totally different reality that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world,” he said. “Just hanging with my girls and doing the things we do and seeing life through their eyes, it’s incredible. It takes a man to do it. It’s not a boys’ game. I love the juxtaposition to be able to be that man and to also go on the road and act like I’m 13 years old and play video games all afternoon waiting for the fans to show up. So, it’s really a blessing to be able to do both.”

Dierks’ daughter Evie made her Ryman Auditorium debut in 2012 singing “Thinking of You” with her dad (as she does on the studio version on Dierks’ Home album). Check out this adorable duet from Dierks and Evie: Continue Reading

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Country music stars sure love Twitter! This week, Lady Antebellum and Little Big Town face off, Taylor Swift sings with the Rolling Stones, Dierks Bentley remembers his father and Kellie Pickler can’t stay off the dance floor. Plus, find out what you get when you cross Luke Bryan and a whale! Here are our picks for this week’s Top 10 Country Tweets Of The Week:

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/ladyantebellum.

Lady Antebellum – LadyAntebellum: It was an epic battle. #CMAfest #pingpongsongs @lbtmusic

Carrie Underwood – CarrieUnderwood: Good luck to my love @mikefisher1212 at the @klovefanawards tonight! Sad I’m not there to hold his purse if he wins!

Dierks Bentley – DierksBentley: dad died a year ago today. he always liked funerals that were “short on the service, long on the cocktails!” having one now for him. miss him

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/taylorswift13.

Taylor Swift – TaylorSwift13: Filing this under ‘never in my wildest dreams’.Thank you @RollingStones for inviting me to Chicago to sing with you. Continue Reading

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CMA Music Festival 2013

CMA Music Festival is set for this week, June 6-9, in Nashville. Fans look forward to country’s biggest festival all year long but they aren’t the only ones. Country stars look forward to it too.

“Music Fest is like nothing else,” Darius Rucker said. “I say all the time that country music is the only genre that could have something like that. It’s truly amazing, when I come that weekend, people are everywhere and they want to be your best friend. It’s always cool and I love coming here.”

Photos from Darius Rucker & Friends Benefit Concert >> Continue Reading

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Country music stars sure love Twitter! This week, Kix Brooks is in Moore, Oklahoma for Healing In the Heatland while Carrie Underwood reflects on her journey and Miranda Lambert takes a shortcut. Plus, Martina  McBride’s oldest daughter graduates from high school, Luke Bryan enjoys Cajun country and Kacey Musgraves has an interesting ice cream truck experience. Here are our picks for this week’s Top 10 Country Tweets Of The Week:

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/KixBrooks.

Kix Brooks – KixBrooks: In Moore trying to digest it – the flags really help

Carrie Underwood – CarrieUnderwood: 8 years ago today, I won @AmericanIdol and tonight, I sang with the @RollingStones! Wow, so much has happened! #Thankful

Miranda Lambert – MirandaLambert: I just rolled the push mower through the house from the front porch to mow the back yard. Shortcuts are good sometimes. (Don’t tell Blake)

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/DierksBentley.

Dierks Bentley – DierksBentley: can’t think of a better way to spend Memorial Day #patriotscups. unbelievable vibe here. #usa Continue Reading

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Dierks Bentley photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Dierks Bentley has released “Bourbon in Kentucky” as the first single from his new album, Riser, due out this fall. The track looks at the dark emotions of loss and disconnection and features Kacey Musgraves on background vocals.

“I’ve never heard anything like ‘Bourbon’ before,” Dierks said. “I really love the angst of it. I’ve been there before where you can’t drink your way through a heartache or a broken heart. There’s such an aggressive lonesomeness in this song.” Continue Reading

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Kenny Chesney photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Regardless of your plans this summer, GAC has a show for you! We’re unveiling new series, documentaries and concert specials — plus, you’ll meet an amazing family with 12 children living out the American dream. There will also be music specials from Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley and a biodoc on Gary Allan!

The Willis Clan is our new series about a hard-working, tight-knit American family, their struggles and their victories. Premiering June 27 at 8/7c, the series follows Toby and Brenda Willis, who are raising 12 children to be successful – and in some cases award-winning – singers, songwriters, dancers and athletes. While some may find their ways unconventional, the family is balanced with equal parts love and discipline.

GAC has teamed with Dollywood in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this summer to present The Great American Country Show featuring a special appearance by a legendary country music performer, a cast of six singers backed by a six-piece band and video appearances by our hosts Storme Warren, Suzanne Alexander and Nan Kelley. Continue Reading

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LAS VEGAS, NV – APRIL 07: Musician Brad Paisley performs onstage during the 48th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards – ACM Fan Jam After Party at Orleans Arena on April 7, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jerod Harris/ACMA2013/Getty Images for ACM)

“I thought it would be the mission statement that basically said, ‘Here’s where we are, here’s where we’re going,’” Brad Paisley says of “Southern Comfort Zone,” his most recent No. 1 hit and the first single from his recently released Wheelhouse album.  “I think it sets the tone for where we’re going.”

The country star performs new music and chart-topping hits and gives fans a look at the staging for his Beat This Summer Tour Presented by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® in Brad Paisley Spins the Wheelhouse: Live in Vegas, a 90-minute special premiering Wednesday, May 29, 10 p.m./ET on Great American Country.

The concert was shot at The Orleans in Las Vegas where Brad and his band were surrounded by staging that featured spectacular lighting, special effects and animation. Many fans expressed themselves through hand-drawn signs, one of which earned a very young fan her own autographed acoustic guitar right off the back of the singer.

Watch a sneak peek >>

“It was a special treat for GAC to get the first glimpse of Brad’s new tour and we’re excited to share it with viewers,” said GAC VP/Programming Suzanne Gordon. “Once again he’s put a lot of thought and imagination into his live show.”

Brad talks honestly about stepping behind the console to produce his latest album and to work without “supervision.”   Continue Reading

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