Brad Paisley photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.
Dating back to the “Celebrity” video, Brad Paisley’s developed a running friendship with former “Star Trek” actor William Shatner, which created a weird moment in Brad’s household a year ago.
Shatner had a movie in the Nashville Film Festival, and when he went to Music City, Brad invited him out to visit at the farm. And William apparently had a pretty good time.
Jason Aldean photo courtesy of Broken Bow Records; Ashley Monroe photo courtesy of myspace.com/ashleymonroe.
In the space of four days, “The Truth” provided some rather incredible symmetry for singer-songwriter Ashley Monroe. On Friday, Ashley was invited to sing the song during Miranda Lambert’s set in Knoxville at Thompson-Boling Arena — the same venue where Ashley once sat in the nosebleed seats to watch Shania Twain. On Monday, she was the belle of the ball at a Music Row party as Jason Aldean and others toasted her for the song’s recent ascent to No. 1.
The truth about “The Truth” is that the road from conception to the top of the charts was a four-year run. Now 23, Ashley co-wrote the song at age 19 with songwriter Brett James. The two set up a creative office on the living-room floor while his wife was in the kitchen and his kids were goofing around under the coffee table.
Alan Jackson's beach-themed birdhouse. Photo courtesy of The Birdhouse Thing.
Now’s your chance to own a home designed by your favorite country star! Disclaimer: you can’t actually live in this home unless you are a bird. GAC and The Grand Ole Opry have partnered with The Birdhouse Thing organization to offer you the opportunity to bid on one-of-a-kind, autographed birdhouses designed by country superstars including Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Sara Evans, Alan Jackson, LeAnn Rimes and many more. Proceeds benefit The W.O. Smith Music School. Hurry and get your bids in now — the auction closes on March 23. Continue Reading
Bridgette Tatum photo courtesy of Route Forty-Nine Records.
The Country Radio Seminar is a tough nut for a new artist to crack. Between the official performances, the unofficial side events and general hanging about by the genre’s stars, an attendee can catch the likes of Alan Jackson, John Rich, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Craig Morgan or Darius Rucker. How does an artist who hasn’t even released an album get some attention?
In the case of Bridgette Tatum, working her feisty single “(I Like My) Cowboys Dirty,” you rename the hotel’s Bridge Bar as the Bridgette Bar. You slap your video on the club’s screens, throw over-sized banners along the glass walls, set out Bridgette Tatum placards on all the tables and put the waitresses in “(I Like My) Cowboys Dirty” T-shirts — or, better put, dirty T-shirts. Not enough? It helps that your record company is owned in part by NASCAR driver Ryan Newman — bring him in to race in a video game with guests and promise attendees you have a special “Dirty” drink just for them.
Bridgette’s already started making a name for herself as a co-writer of the massive Jason Aldean power-chord special “She’s Country,” but even with those credentials, CRS is a tough sell. She wasn’t even the only artist in the Bridgette Bar on Wednesday night. You could spot former Shenandoah vocalist Marty Raybon, newcomer Katie Armiger and even much-publicized Mindy McCready. And Kix Brooks might well have been headed for the Bridgette Bar when he rolled into the lobby of the Renaissance Nashville Hotel around 11 p.m.
David Lee Murphy, writer of Jason Aldean's "Big Green Tractor," celebrates with Jason at the platinum party for his Wide Open CD. Photo by Chris Hollo, courtesy of The GreenRoom.
One of the biggest hits of 2009 was Jason Aldean’s “Big Green Tractor,” which went to No. 1 for four weeks in the fall and — combined with the power-packed previous single, “She’s Country” — launched his concert sales into a whole new stratosphere.
The song, written by 1990s hitmaker David Lee Murphy and Jim Collins, used the tractor as a literary vehicle for the escapism that a relationship can provide. But Jason’s not completely sure that the tractor itself wasn’t the attraction in the song.
“I told the writers if they have any more tractor songs, be sure to send them to me,” Jason told The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader.
Keith Urban photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.
Keith Urban, the Zac Brown Band, Brad Paisley and Martina McBride are among the first round of acts who’ve been revealed for the annual CMA Music Festival June 10-13, a weekend that promises to bring plenty of tourism to Tennessee.
The Nashville-centered festival — which also promises Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, Reba McEntire, Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum and Darius Rucker — occurs the same weekend as the ninth annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival 65 miles away in Manchester. That event is a multi-genre draw, though country music plays a role, too. The Zac Brown Band is booked, as it was last year, for both festivals. Bonnaroo also lists Miranda Lambert, Jamey Johnson, Kris Kristofferson and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band among this year’s attractions.
The CMA Festival is particularly beneficial to country artists. Some of the money raised by the event is donated to Nashville music education programs — last year’s festival generated more than $1 million for schools. In addition, highlights from the festival’s stadium concerts have for several years formed the backbone for an ABC special in the late summer or early fall.
Luke Bryan photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.
The unusual winter weather that’s repeatedly hit the South this year has caused a lot of discussion in Nashville about the region’s inability to cope. Transplanted Northerners are shocked every time Music City schools close over one or two inches of the white stuff; Southerners point out that because snow is so infrequent, local governments don’t make the investments northern communities do in snow-removal equipment, forcing earlier closures.
In the middle of all the snow this year, Luke Bryan is trying to move into a new house. It seemed like a good idea at the time. He’s just had his first No. 1 single, he’s headlined smaller venues, and his career is clearly on an upswing. But nothing, to quote an old adage, ever goes as planned.
Sara Evans photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.
More than three years after her world fell apart practically on a public stage, Sara Evans has re-established her personal life and now hopes to get her career chugging along at its previous pace.
In the fall of 2006, she quit “Dancing With The Stars” as her marriage to politician Craig Schelske crumbled amid a series of accusations and lawsuits. The court documents, often available online, gave plenty of fodder for gossip, and she frequently saw her name in the tabloids. Even more frequently, her own fans chose up sides and played armchair psychiatrist.
Sara’s only now starting to talk about the way her family was turned upside down and the way it challenged her as a mother.
Our very own Shanna Strassberg — GAC’s talent manager — recently attended Jason Aldean’s party celebrating the platinum status of his CD, Wide Open. Shanna talked to Jason about a variety of topics, including his choice of songs, his dedicated fans and the unique bar he and his wife recently opened in a barn on their property. Click below to watch the interview! Continue Reading
Loretta Lynn photo courtesy of Interscope Records.
More than 100 trophies will be handed out on Sunday at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards to honor the best in music in 2009. Overlooked, but maybe just as important, are a few honors that recognize artists and musicians — including Loretta Lynn, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and guitarist Harold Bradley — for efforts that span a much broader scope of time.
The Dirt Band’s “Mr. Bojangles” has been added to the Grammy Hall of Fame, certifying it as a recording of long-term influence. Loretta and the late Roy Orbison are among the artists who will be hailed Saturday in Los Angeles with Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards. That same night, Harold will receive a Trustee’s Award for his work as a session musician, studio owner and former president of the Nashville chapters of the Recording Academy and the Musicians Union.
As if that’s not enough, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame have both been featured in the news in the last week.
Take a trip inside the world of country music with host Storme Warren! Watch full episodes of Headline Country now.
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