Country music stars sure love Twitter! This week, the legendary Merle Haggard joins Twitter – sending a few interesting tweets! – and a member of his management team shares the photo of him sending his very first Tweet. Plus, Lee Brice celebrates his first No. 1, Jake Owen celebrates his engagement to Lacey Buchanan and Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley welcome Keith Urban to the Grand Ole Opry family. Here are our picks for the Top 10 Country Tweets Of The Week.

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/stevenhaddad.

Steven Haddad, Artist Manager – StevenHaddad: Helping the Legend Merle Haggard send his very first Tweet! #merlehaggard #cma #cmchat #nashville #countrymusic #tourlife #livinglegend

Merle Haggard – MerleHaggard: Greetings all participators, especially all you sweet potaters. There’s always something new… Any songwriters find a rhyme for that?

Lee Brice – LeeBrice: Cheers y’all… My first number one single.. Can’t believe it, hope y’all are having one with me tonight..

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/taylorswift13.

Taylor Swift – TaylorSwift13: Recording the next album. So happy. Continue Reading

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Martina McBride photo courtesy of Republic Nashville.

Individual tickets to the Nightly Concerts at LP Field during CMA Music Festival will go on sale Saturday, April 14 at 11/10 AM CT. Tickets will be $40 for general admission in the upper deck of LP Field and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1 (800) 745-3000 or through CMAfest.com or 1 (800) CMA-FEST (262-3378).

Four-day ticket packages are still available and start at $125 per person. They include admission to all four Nightly Concerts as well as all daytime festival activities, including the Fan Fair Fall where artist autograph signing sessions are held. Children three years and younger are admitted free.

Additionally, Martina McBride, Jake Owen and Hunter Hayes have been added to the Nightly Concerts. This will mark Hunter’s first performance at LP Field during CMA Music Festival. CMA will announce more artists joining the lineup soon. The Nightly Concerts will once again be filmed for a concert special airing on ABC later in the year.

The current lineups for the Nightly Concerts are as follows in alphabetical order:

Thursday, June 7:  Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley, and Zac Brown Band

Friday, June 8:  The Band Perry, Brantley Gilbert, Jake Owen, Blake Shelton, and Carrie Underwood   Continue Reading

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Suzanne Alexander & Toby Keith backstage at the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 1, 2012.

GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown hit the red carpet at the ACM Award with hosts Nan Kelley and Suzanne Alexander. They caught up with some of your favorite country stars both on the carpet and backstage. Between chatting with the stars, they counted down this week’s Top 20 videos!

Miss Friday night’s premiere? Check the schedule for re-airs throughout the weekend to catch interviews with Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Scotty McCreery, Chris Young, Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton. Check the full schedule »

On the charts this week, the Top 5 remain unchanged with Carrie Underwood still in the top spot. Luke Bryan’s latest video, “Drunk On You,” makes its countdown premiere in the No. 13 spot with Lionel Richie and Shania Twain’s “Endless Love” debuting at No. 19.

This Week’s Chart:

1. Carrie Underwood – “Good Girl”
2. Alan Jackson – “So You Don’t Have To Love Me Anymore”
3. Lauren Alaina – “Georgia Peaches”
4. Miranda Lambert – “Over You””
5. Katie Armiger – “Scream
6. Keith Urban – “For You”
7. Taylor Swift – “Ours”
8. Lady Antebellum – “Dancin’ Away With My Heart”
9. Josh Turner – “Time Is Love”
10. Thompson Square – “Glass”
11. Keith Urban – “You Gonna Fly”
12. Taylor Swift feat. The Civil Wars – “Safe & Sound”
13. Luke Bryan – “Drunk On You”
14. Gloriana – “(Kissed You) Good Night”
15. Lee Brice – “Woman Like You”
16. Jake Owen – “Alone With You”
17. Craig Morgan – “This Ole Boy
18. Dierks Bentley – “Home”
19. Lionel Richie with Shania Twain – “Endless Love”
20. Rascal Flatts – “Banjo”

GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown premieres every Friday night at 9/8c with re-airs throughout the weekend. Click here for a complete schedule.

Vote daily for GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown »

Browse GAC’s All-Star Top 20 Photo Gallery »

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Ronnie Milsap

Ronnie Milsap, Phil Vassar and The Lost Trailers will headline the fifth annual Dustin J. Wells Gift of Music benefit concert. Scheduled to be held on April 24 at the Wildhorse Saloon in downtown Nashville, all proceeds will benefit Nashville’s W.O. Smith Music School. A select group of students will also perform as well as additional special guests to be announced in the coming weeks.

The Dustin J. Wells Foundation was established by Nashville cosmetic dentist Dr. Dennis Wells in memory of his son, a young gifted musician. Stars including Dolly Parton, Rascal Flatts, Dierks Bentley, Keith Anderson, Little Big Town and Ronnie Dunn have helped the foundation raise nearly $300,000 for the W.O. Smith Music School, an institution that makes music education accessible to children from low income families throughout Middle Tennessee.

Tickets start at $49 for general admission and can be purchased by calling the Wildhorse box office at (615) 902-8211 or by going to the Wildhorse box office inside their retail store. A special VIP offer is available for $1000 that includes premium seating, dinner, a signed guitar and a meet and greet. Continue Reading

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Actor Ashton Kutcher, musicians Jay DeMarcus, Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean and Jake Owen pose backstage at the 47th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 1, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for ACM)

Anyone strolling the halls backstage at the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards Sunday night might have thought they were experiencing April Fool’s Day visions. While walking down one hallway, they might have come face to face with the rock group KISS. Heading in another direction, they might have found rapper LL Cool J. Or they might have met actor Ashton Kutcher and singer Marc Anthony within the space of a few minutes. Or maybe they would’ve seen Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw casually chatting in the hallway with Taylor Swift and Martina McBride.

As Jason Aldean said when asked about that diversity, “This is a country awards show; it’s our show. But I think great music is great music. As an artist, you have a ton of respect for other artists, no matter what kind of music they play.”

Jason won Single of the Year and Vocal Collaboration of the Year with Kelly Clarkson for their duet “Don’t You Wanna Stay.” He continued with his assessment of the awards show as he spoke to reporters backstage in the ACM Awards Press Room. “I met LL at the GRAMMYs this year; he’s a really cool guy. I’d never met KISS and that was interesting. The great thing about music is crossing genres. Look at Kelly and I; she’s not a country act but we did this song together. It’s okay to like different things. You don’t have to like one style of music. I grew up listening to everything.  I love coming to these shows and getting to meet people like that and seeing people. It’s a cool thing. I think those meetings lead to collaborations. I think it’s great for the industry and great for music in general.”

KISS presented Group of the Year to Lady Antebellum.  “KISS was the coolest thing on the red carpet,” said Lady A’s Charles Kelley. “All we could focus on was them coming in because they looked larger than life. They had 12-inch heels on. We didn’t realize they were going to be giving our award to us tonight.”

Entertainer of the Year winner, Taylor Swift, shared the details of her busy weekend with the media backstage. “This weekend has been amazing. Yesterday I was at the Kids’ Choice Awards and I had never been there before. The First Lady (Michelle Obama) gave me the award for Charitable Contributions and Giving Back. I had never met her before, and I was so nervous. She’s a role model, and she was so cool and so nice! I met her daughter and it was an amazing time. Then I flew to Vegas and this happens. I’m really happy right now.”

Taylor also took time to acknowledge the role her fans had in her becoming Entertainer of the Year. “I am so amazed that they keep doing such incredibly nice things for me. They have done so much for me in the last couple weeks, it has been amazing. I just want to hug them all the time and thank them for everything. It really blows my mind.”

Eli Young Band took home Song of the Year for “Crazy Girl,” written by Lee Brice and Liz Rose. Lead singer Mike Eli admitted he wasn’t sure whether to get up when he heard the band’s  name called. “I kept waiting for someone to say April Fool,” he said with a laugh. “It is totally surreal for us, starting out as a grass roots band, just four guys making music in college bars. Now here we are.”

Lee admitted that receiving the award for Song of the Year was cool, but “it’s even cooler for the Eli Young Band.” The singer/songwriter explains that he and Liz wrote the song in 2002 or 2003. “It had been around awhile and I had wanted to record it myself, but the timing wasn’t right. Then these guys heard it and wanted it and I could see how sincere they were about it. I’m so happy for them.”

The win for Lee and the Eli Young Band was a first for both.

Toby Keith kept the party going all night, from the red carpet to the press room. He walked backstage to speak with the media, drinking his own brand of spirits, Wild Shot Mezcal – in a red solo cup, of course. Continue Reading

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GAC hosts Suzanne Alexander, Storme Warren & Nan Kelley on the red carpet at the 47th Annual ACM Awards. Photo by Sara Kauss.

GAC is the only place where you will relive all of the star power, excitement and emotional moments from the 47^th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards when we re-air Sunday night’s telecast Monday, June 4 at 9 p.m. Eastern. 

Broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the show is co-hosted by Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton, and features performances by Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Sara Evans, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Pat Monahan, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Chris Young, The Band Perry, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town and Rascal Flatts, along with special duets and collaborations performed by Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton & Lionel Richie, Rascal Flatts & Steve Martin.

Once again GAC was the exclusive live television outlet for the Academy’s celebrity arrivals for the event. ACM Red Carpet Live with hosts Suzanne Alexander, Storme Warren and Nan Kelley features lively interviews with many of the top ACM nominees and performers and will re-air at 8 p.m. Eastern on June 4.

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Jake Owen photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

The Academy of Country Music announced today that Marc Anthony, Ashton Kutcher, Jake Owen, LeAnn Rimes, Grace Potter, and Eli Young Band are scheduled to present as part of the 47^th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards . The ceremony, which honors country music’s top talent as well as the industry’s hottest emerging artists, is produced for television by dick clark productions and will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 8 p.m. live ET/delayed PT on CBS.

Anthony, Kutcher, Owen, Rimes, Potter, and Eli Young Band join previously announced presenters Beth Behrs, Zac Brown, Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes, Liam Hemsworth, LL COOL J, KISS, Scotty McCreery, Nancy O’Dell, Lionel Richie, Taylor Swift, The Band Perry, Sugarland, and Thompson Square.

Previously announced ACM Awards performers are Continue Reading

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Nan Kelley visits Miranda Lambert on tour and interviews her for Top 20 Country Countdown. Photo by Meaghan Mitchell.

GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown was hot this week! Host Nan Kelley headed to Louisville to catch up with Miranda Lambert on her On Fire Tour and also got to chat with Chris Young and Jerrod Niemann. Plus, Rascal Flatts shared secrets from the set of their “Banjo” video, all while Nan counts down the Top 20 videos of the week! Miss Friday night’s premiere? Check the schedule for re-airs throughout the weekend!

On the chart this week, Carrie Underwood claims the top spot with her new video, “Good Girl.” Alan Jackson is the lone male in the Top 5, coming in at No. 2 while Lauren Alaina, Miranda Lambert and Katie Armiger round out the first five videos on the countdown. New videos from Love and Theft and Josh Turner make their debuts this week at No. 17 and No. 18 respectively.

This Week’s Chart:

1. Carrie Underwood – “Good Girl”
2. Alan Jackson – “So You Don’t Have To Love Me Anymore”
3. Lauren Alaina – “Georgia Peaches”
4. Miranda Lambert – “Over You””
5. Katie Armiger – “Scream
6. Keith Urban – “For You”
7. Lady Antebellum – “Dancin’ Away With My Heart”
8. Keith Urban – “You Gonna Fly”
9. Taylor Swift feat. The Civil Wars – “Safe & Sound”
10. Taylor Swift – “Ours” Continue Reading

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Sugarland photo courtesy of UMG Nashville; Zac Brown photo courtesy of Atlantic Records.

The Academy of Country Music announced today that Zac Brown, Brantley Gilbert, Liam Hemsworth, LL COOL J, Scotty McCreery, The Band Perry, KISS, Sugarland, and Thompson Square are scheduled to present as part of the 47^th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. The ceremony, which honors country music’s top talent as well as the industry’s hottest emerging artists, is produced for television by dick clark productions and will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 8 p.m. live Eastern/delayed Pacific on CBS.

Brown, Gilbert, Hemsworth, LL COOL J, McCreery, The Band Perry, KISS, Sugarland, and Thompson Square join previously announced presenters Beth Behrs, Hunter Hayes, Lionel Richie, Taylor Swift and Nancy O’Dell.
Previously announced ACM Awards performers are Continue Reading

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Country music stars sure love Twitter! This week, Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge Boys, Loretta Lynn and Dierks Bentley pay tribute to the late Earl Scruggs, Sara Evans and Carrie Underwood prep for the ACM Awards, Martina McBride gives a special birthday shout out to her daughter and Jake Owen hangs with Jay Leno. Here are our picks for the Top 10 Country Tweets Of The Week.

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/joebonsall.

 Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge Boys – JoeBonsall: Ban-Joey and EARL

Loretta Lynn – The_LorettaLynn: My love and prayers go out to the Scruggs family. Earl was in my book the best banjo picker in the world. He will be missed. Loretta

Dierks Bentley – DierksBentley: Lost one of the pillars of bluegrass music and country music today. rest in peace #earlscruggs! thanks for a lifetime of music to listen to!

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/SavannahGuthrie.

Savannah Guthrie of The Today Show – SavannahGuthrie: Lionel Richie is here!!! Fiesta. Forever. @todayshow Continue Reading

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