Country Weekly Kick Off Party benefiting Musicians On Call.

Easton Corbin, Dustin Lynch, Greg Bates and Chris Janson will perform during Country Weekly magazine’s annual CMA Music Festival kick off celebration on Tuesday, June 4. The event takes place at the Hard Rock Café in downtown Nashville with all proceeds benefiting Musicians On Call Nashville, a non-profit organization that brings live and recorded music to patients in healthcare facilities.

Tickets are available now and range from $30 for general admission up to $500 for a VIP table that includes meet-and-greet opportunities with all four artists. All attendees will have the opportunities to walk a red carpet, complete with bright lights and a backdrop for photos.   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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The Academy of Country Music has announced the country artists and television stars participating in the open-to-the-public ACM Experience, a family-friendly country music lifestyle event set for April 5-7 at The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The event will offer opportunities for the public to meet some of their favorite stars, get autographs and take photos leading up to the ACM Awards.

The ACM Experience and ACM Expo hours of operation are Friday, April 4 from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., Saturday, April 6 from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. and Sunday, April 7 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. PST. For more information, visit www.theacmexperience.com.

The GAC Booth – Kenny Foster will greet visitors on Friday, April 5 from 4:45-5:15 p.m. and Danielle Peck from 6:30-7:00 p.m. Guests can also win a Kenny Chesney-signed guitar, get a sneak peek at the new season of Farm Kings, watch highlights from ACM Red Carpet broadcasts and more. Additionally, fans can get a custom photo with GAC show hosts that can be shared from their smart phones and meet GAC personalities Suzanne Alexander, Storme Warren and Nan Kelley, who will be at the booth throughout the weekend.   Continue Reading

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Craig Campbell’s 2013 album, Never Regret.

Craig Campbell announced through his Facebook page that his sophomore album, Never Regret, will be released May 7. The 12-song project, produced by Keith Stegall and Matt Rovey, will feature the lead single “Outta My Head.”

Following the release of his album and in honor of his late father, Craig will host the inaugural Celebrity Cornhole Challenge to benefit the TJ Martell Foundation’s colon cancer research efforts on June 4. The tournament will take place in downtown Nashville’s Public Square from 2 p.m. -7 p.m. as the unofficial kickoff to the 2013 CMA Music Festival. Continue Reading

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Greg Bates photo courtesy of Republic Nashville.

Greg Bates spent some of last year on tour with Brantley Gilbert as part of Brantley’s headlining Hell On Wheels Tour. He admits that the bill seemed odd at first, even to him.

“It was definitely an interesting pairing to go out and be on the road with Brantley,” Greg said. “Our music is not similar, other than having the country name to it and it was something that I was not worried about but definitely, it caught my attention just like I’m sure it caught some fans’ attention before they came to the show.” Continue Reading

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Hunter Hayes photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Nashville.

Little Big Town and Hunter Hayes will headline the Blue Ridge Music Festival at Salem Stadium in Salem, Virginia on June 1. Charles Esten, who plays Deacon Claybourne on ABC’s Nashville, Gloriana, Colt Ford, Greg Bates, Will Hoge and The Skip Castro Band will also perform.

“We are very pleased to be partnering with Mike Smardak and the fine people at Outback Concerts on this event and hope to make the Blue Ridge Music Festival an annual event in Salem Stadium,” Carey Harveycutter, Salem’s Director of Civic Facilities, said. Continue Reading

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The Band Perry photo courtesy of Republic Nashville.

The Academy of Country Music has announced the ACM Party for a Cause Festival, a 2-day outdoor music festival on April 5-6 during the Week Vegas Goes Country leading up to the ACM Awards. The Band Perry and Dierks Bentley are set to headline the event, which will raise awareness and funds for a variety of charities. Donations on behalf of Big Machine Label Group, General Mills and ACM Lifting Lives will be made during the festival.

“Party for a Cause Festival is adding another layer to The ACM Experience for fans to celebrate country music, as well as learn more about these very deserving organizations,” Bob Romeo, CEO of The Academy of Country Music, said. “The Academy has a long history of supporting charitable causes, and we’re honored to be partnering with Big Machine Label Group and these talented artists for such a worthy endeavor.” Continue Reading

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Greg Bates photo courtesy of Republic Nashville.

As the follow up to his Top 5 debut single, “Did It For The Girl,” Greg Bates has released “Fill In The Blank” as his next single. He co-wrote the song with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne. Their co-write had started off slow so they went to lunch. When they came back, things started to click.

“That was one of the most fun days when I wrote that song,” Greg said. “Josh was telling a story and he finished his story with, ‘Well, you could just fill in the blank with what happens next,’ and we all kind of looked at each other. We had – I call it a Nashville moment – where we had one of those moments where we all kind of looked at each other. And then within about forty-five minutes we had the song done.” Continue Reading

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Little Big Town photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Little Big Town, Josh Turner, Kacey Musgraves and Greg Bates have been added to the special “Grand Ole Opry at CRS” show set for Wednesday, February 27 during Country Radio Seminar in Nashville. They join a lineup that includes Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Vince Gill, Dustin Lynch and Scotty McCreery.

“We are excited about the reaction to this event at the Seminar,” CRS Executive Director Bill Mayne said. “Support from both the Radio and Records community has been overwhelming. It will certainly be one of the highlights of CRS this year.” Continue Reading

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Greg Bates photo courtesy of Republic Nashville.

According to Greg Bates, 2012 was the best year of his life so far. Looking ahead to 2013, he’s planning on music –and lots of it. “In 2013 I really just want to get a few more songs out to the public,” he said. “We put an EP out last year and it’s something that I was really proud of, but at the same time, I know we’ve got a lot more music where that came from.”

He’s planning to release his debut album sooner rather than later. “It’s gonna be really good to get the full record out early in 2013 and try to get the people more music,” he said. “I think that’s the main thing for me, it’s just to get as much music out there as I possibly can and go play as many shows as I possibly can between now and the end of next year.” Continue Reading

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