Easton Corbin photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

The 6^th Annual GAC Kick-Off Breakfast, the unofficial start of CMA Music Festival, is set for Wednesday, June 5 at 7:00 AM at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. Easton Corbin and Eric Paslay are the first two artist announced to perform. Additional artists will be added in the coming weeks.

Tickets for the event are $45 and include music performances, autograph sessions where fans will have their photos taken by professional photographers and loaded onto an easy access website, admission to the museum and a hearty country breakfast.

Tickets go on sale Friday, May 10 starting at 10a ET and can be purchased  HERE » Continue Reading

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Sara Evans photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Nearly 50 artists have been confirmed for the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage during CMA Music Festival June 6-9 in downtown Nashville. Sara Evans will kick off the performances on June 6 at 10 a.m. This marks the first time she has opened the festival.

“Sara is the perfect choice to launch the daily concerts on the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage because of her great repertoire of hit music and undeniable connection to our fans,” Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer said. Continue Reading

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George Jones photo courtesy of Webster PR.

Following the announcement of George Jones‘ death on Friday, April 26 in Nashville, many of George’s fellow country stars offered their thoughts. Visit our George Jones photo gallery for photos spanning his legendary career.

Remembering George Jones: Photo Gallery >>

Keith Urban tweeted, “If I’m blessed enough to make it there, I look forward to you giving me the grand tour. Rest in peace George Jones!!!!!”

Alan Jackson released this statement: “Well, heaven better get ready for some great country music. While George was known for his wild and crazy days, I’ve known him for 25 years as a friend. He had grown into a real good man. Of course, he’ll always be the greatest singer and interpreter of real country music – there’ll never be another. Like the song says, ‘You know this old world is full of singers, but just a few are chosen to tear your heart out when they sing. Imagine life without them…Who’s gonna fill their shoes.’”

Blake Shelton tweeted, “Really REALLY bad news. We’ve lost a country music legend. And I’ve lost a hero and a friend. Goodbye George Jones…”

“I believe if you ask any singer who was the greatest country music singer of all time, they would say ‘George Jones’,” said Barbara Mandrell in a statement. “He was without question and by far the BEST! I first met and worked with him when I was 13 years old; I am so very grateful that he was my friend.”

Loretta Lynn said, “It’s a sad day for country music and a great loss for those of us who knew him. I was blessed to call George my friend. He was one of the best country singers there ever was. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Nancy, and all of his family. It’s a sad, sad day.”

George Strait shared this memory: “The most special memory was when he gave me my medallion at the Hall of Fame Ceremony. He actually was the one that did the actual induction. And what a special night that was. We’re just gonna miss George so much. This came as a total shock to me. I didn’t even know that George was in the hospital. To the whole music industry, it’s gonna be a big void not having George out there. But you know, we’ve got his music — and that music will live forever. He did a lot of crazy things in his career and no matter how crazy he got, everybody still loved him because that’s just the kind of guy that George was. We’re just all gonna miss him. It’s a sad day for the music business, for sure.”

“My friend, the greatest singer of all time, has passed,” tweeted Brad Paisley. “To those who knew him, our lives were full. To those of you who don’t: discover him now.”

Brad also released this statement: “George Jones’ life is an example of so many wonderful things. How someone’s God-given gifts can make this a richer, better place.  How one human being can overcome adversity, addiction, and life threatening obstacles time and time again.  That it is not the stumble or fall that counts, but the willingness to stand again. How a keen sense of humor and a twinkle in a person’s eye can still prevail even after all of life’s hard knocks.  How mistakes, missteps, and bad choices are not the end of the world if a person chooses to turn them into something good. And George’s life is above all the strongest example of how the love of a great woman can get a man through anything. All of this made its way beautifully into every note of the greatest voice country music will ever know.  And one of the greatest friends you could ever have. We miss you already, George.”

Dierks Bentley, who is still a member of George Jones’ fan club, said he’s “heartbroken,” and tweeted, “nancy and @gjpossum had a beautiful marriage and special relationship. love you nancy. long live the possum. gonna miss my buddy. real sad.”

Vince Gill tweeted, “There aren’t words in our language to describe the depth of his greatness. I’ll miss my kind and generous friend.”

Little Big Town said, “There will never be another George Jones. You are and always will be country music. Rest in peace. #GeorgeJones”

“He had a voice that was the truth, raw and unfiltered,” said Kenny Chesney. “You cant get any realer, any more tortured or any more alive. No one can do what George Jones does, and that’s why 50 years later, he still stands out as one of the greatest singers in any genre of all time.

“We were great friends, but it was really more like a father/son relationship,” added Kenny. “He even showed up in Lexington, Kentucky two years ago to surprise me onstage for my birthday… all the way from Nashville, to surprise me and sing ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today’ with me, which will be one of the greatest memories of my life.”

“When I was just staring out, and I was picked to open the George Jones/Tammy Wynette Reunion Tour, I thought I’d made it,” continued Kenny. “Then one night, George asked me if I was heading home because he and Nancy had a plane, and they’d take me,” Chesney recalls. “I remember sitting there on that jet, thinking, ‘This can’t be happening…’ because he was George Jones, and I was some kid from nowhere…’ I’m sure he knew, but he was generous to kids chasing the dream, and I never forgot it.” Continue Reading

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Back row (l-r): CMA Board President, Ed Hardy; Neil Thrasher; Rodney Clawson; Ben Hayslip; CMA Chief Executive Officer, Steve Moore; Josh Kear; CMA Board Chairman, Troy Tomlinson; and Brantley Gilbert. Front row (l-r): Eric Paslay; Dierks Bentley; Shane McAnally; and Chris Young. Photo by Donn Jones/CMA.

Dierks Bentley, Chris Young and Eric Church were among a dozen songwriters honored at the annual CMA Songwriters Luncheon. They were each presented with the CMA Triple Play Award honoring songwriters who pen three chart-topping hits in a 12-month period.

“People from all over the world recognize that Nashville is not only Music City, but the epicenter of the songwriting community,” Troy Tomlinson, President and CEO, Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville, said. “CMA celebrates this important membership group. The presentation of the Triple Play Awards is just another example of CMA’s commitment to honoring the creators of song.” Continue Reading

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The cast of ABC’s Nashville, (l-r): Hayden Panettiere, Charles Esten and Connie Britton. Photo courtesy of Facebook.com/NashvilleABC.

In May, The Hollywood Reporter reported that ABC had picked up the pilot of the music industry drama series Nashville. Largely filmed in Nashville, the primetime show stars Hayden Panettiere as breakout country star Juliette Barnes and Connie Britton as Rayna James, 40-year-old superstar and mother of two who is forced to tour with Juliette Barnes to save her career.

The premiere episode of Nashville opened with scenes filmed on location at the Grand Ole Opry with cameos from Little Jimmy Dickens, Eric Paslay and the Del McCoury Band. The show has since showcased places rich in country music history such as the Bluebird Café and the Ryman Auditorium. Continue Reading

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Alan Jackson photo courtesy of ACR/EMI Records Nashville.

Like many of us, country stars will be tucking in to a Thanksgiving dinner come Thursday. And just like us, they have favorite dishes to reach for when they gather around the table. For Alan Jackson, a traditional side dish is his ‘must-have’ menu item.

“My favorite Thanksgiving dish would be the homemade dressing, cornbread-based kind of dressing, that we always have with turkey,” he said. “That recipe is a kind of a combination of my mama, and Denise has taken it and perfected it over the years, so that me and my children really enjoy it.”

Dierks Bentley is all about the traditional Thanksgiving dinner centerpiece  – the turkey. “You gotta have a big turkey,” he said. “Thanksgiving is not possible without a turkey. My dad’s always been the one to cook and carve it, but in years here recently, I’ve been taking over those duties. Big responsibility.” Continue Reading

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Lady Antebellum photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Thanksgiving is a time for creating memories as well as sharing them. For Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley, his favorite Turkey Day memory involved a lot of food.

“One of my most memorable Thanksgiving memories was probably the first year that me and my two brothers decided to start our annual eating contest where we ate throughout the whole day,” he said. “We started that morning and weighed ourselves and at the very end of the night, we weighed ourselves out and all three of us equally gained five pounds. I wish we had a more accurate scale to decide the winner, but we all tied. Five pounds!” Continue Reading

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Eric Paslay photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Eli Young Band’s “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” is up for Song of the Year at Thursday’s CMA Awards. A songwriter’s award, the nomination is the first for Eric Paslay and Will Hoge, who penned the song.

“Getting nominated for a CMA is crazy,” Eric said. “There’s always that hidden secret in you as a musician, as a songwriter and as a singer of like, ‘Maybe someday, I’ll get nominated.”

Vintage CMA Awards Photos — 1960s through 1990s >>

CMA Awards Photos — 2000s >>

“Even If It Breaks Your Heart” was a chart topper, but it struck a chord with not only fans but fellow musicians. For them, the song — about chasing a dream, no matter how impossible it may seem — is a reality they live each day. Continue Reading

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The cast of ABC’s Nashville, (l-r): Hayden Panettiere, Charles Esten and Connie Britton. Photo courtesy of Facebook.com/NashvilleABC.

ABC’s Nashville debuted Wednesday, October 10 and opened with Eli Young Band’s No. 1 hit “Even If It Breaks Your Heart.” Filmed entirely in Nashville, the show stars Hayden Panettiere as rising star Juliette Barnes and Connie Britton as Rayna Jaymes, a superstar who’s spotlight is fading.

Sights in the first episode of Nashville included the historic Grand Ole Opry, The Bluebird Cafe, Printers Alley, LP Field, the General Jackson river boat, Opryland Hotel and downtown Nashville. There was also plenty of drama to go around of both the personal and professional variety.  Watch the opening scene here:

Music from Edens Edge, Greg Bates and more was also featured in the premiere episode. Several country artists made cameos such as Little Jimmy Dickens, Eric Paslay and the Del McCoury Band. Nashville airs on ABC on Wednesdays at 10/9 p.m. CT.

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Country’s biggest stars are reacting to yesterday’s announcement of the 46th Annual CMA Awards nominees. Eric Church leads the way with five nominations including Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for Chief and both Single and Song of the Year and Music Video of the Year for “Springsteen.”

Eric lost his phone swimming in the Gulf of Mexico on vacation this past week and had no idea he’d been nominated at all. When he returned to Nashville yesterday, he was brought to his manager’s office where the press release from the CMA was projected on an oversized screen. His team waited for his reaction.

“I really don’t even know what to say!” he said. “I’m still a little bit in shock… I’m truly speechless. I think it’s a testament to the fans that believed in the music, loved the music, and told people about the music because otherwise we don’t really have the track record to be the most nominated at this point in our career. I think that it’s truly because of the fans. They did something I think is going to be judged as pretty special.”

Complete list of the 46th Annual CMA Awards Nominees >>

Blake Shelton heard his name called several times as well. He’s nominated for four CMA Awards, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Single of the Year for “God Gave Me You.” He and wife Miranda Lambert are also nominated for Song of the Year, awarded to the songwriter, for Miranda’s hit single “Over You.”

“I never get tired of these ‘Oh-My-God-How-Did-This-Happen?!!’ moments,” Blake said. “Thank you to country radio and everyone who casts a CMA vote. I am truly honored.”

Jason Aldean and his pal Luke Bryan announced five categories of this year’s CMA nominees live on Good Morning America before heading to B.B. King Blues Club and Grill to announce the remaining categories during a live stream. Jason’s name was called three times, including in the coveted Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year categories, while Luke learned he’s nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year. Continue Reading

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