Aug
12
Taylor Swift will be inducted into the International Bowling Hall of Fame. Photo courtesy of gobowling.com.
Taylor Swift is best known for her songwriting and her singing, but that’s not what has propelled her into a hall of fame.
Taylor has been added to the International Bowling Hall of Fame in a popularity vote that had her competing against pop singer Justin Bieber, sports star Dwight Howard and comedian Bill Murray, among others.
Jim “Moose” Brown, a songwriter known for “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” is also getting a place in the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame, and Buck Owens has been permanently installed in a sidewalk hall, the Bakersfield Walk of Stars.
Details on these Hall of Fame inductions:
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Aug
12
Photo courtesy of Atlantic Records/Southern Ground Artists, Inc.
When the Zac Brown Band serves up its next album, You Get What You Give, Sept. 21, it will feature several bonus appearances.
Jimmy Buffett and ace bluegrass guitarist Tony Rice both show up, as does Alan Jackson, who sings on “As She’s Walking Away,” which was released as a single earlier this week.
Alan contributed, in part, because he and the band have a similar connection: Keith Stegall produces both acts, and that made it a little easier to line everything up. It makes for a unique collaboration — Alan is decidedly traditional country, while the Zac Brown Band has one foot in country and the other in a sort of jam-band philosophy.
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Mar
29
Tim McGraw photo by Danny Clinch, courtesy of Curb Records.
He’s touring, he’s finished work on a movie and has yet another on the way. Now Tim McGraw’s been added to the lineup for a concert TV special and there’s speculation that he — or another of his fellow country stars — could become the halftime entertainment at next year’s Super Bowl.
Fitting in more recording sessions might be difficult, but you can bet Tim will be doing that, too.
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Mar
8
Alan Jackson photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.
This week is a significant milestone for Alan Jackson: It marks 20 years since “Here In The Real World” climbed into the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Since then he’s landed more than 50 titles in the Top 10, literally taking him from rags to riches.
Alan was one of the first artists to break through after Arista Records opened its country division, and he’s been with the label ever since, although it appears those days are numbered. What the future holds for him remains to be seen.
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Feb
5
Kenny Chesney photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.
Come Sunday, much of the world will be watching the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts battle it out for the NFL’s title at the Super Bowl, though most people’s seats won’t be as good as those of some of country’s biggest stars. Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney and Rascal Flatts guitarist Joe Don Rooney will be in the house at Miami’s Sun Life Stadium — as will Carrie Underwood, who sings the national anthem.
The game presents a particular predicament for Kenny. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning hails from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville — Kenny’s home turf — and they became good enough friends that Kenny actually sang at Peyton’s wedding. But Kenny’s also pals with New Orleans coach Sean Payton and has worked out with the Saints before. He and Jimmy were both at the Louisiana Superdome to see New Orleans beat the Minnesota Vikings in person in the NFC Championship Game.
Colts? Saints? You won’t see Kenny putting his money down on either team.
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Jan
8
Elvis Presley image used by permission, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.
Elvis Presley, George Jones, June Carter Cash and Sheldon Kurland — a key musician in the growth of Nashville’s music industry — are all receiving recognition for their legacies in ways that range from sad to historical to simply amusing.
Elvis and June are being commemorated by public institutions, Sheldon is being remembered by friends after his death this week, and one of the Possum’s most infamous moments was documented in a piece of art by a fellow musician.
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May
12
Mac McAnally wins the 2008 CMA Musician of the Year Award. Photo credit: John Russell / CMA.
By Bob Doerschuk
© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.
What does it take for a musician to earn the respect of their peers? One would think the key lies in what you play. But, truth be told, plenty of players can nail a lick like sharpshooters pinging skeets from the sky.
Sometimes it’s more what you don’t play that counts. And in the case of guitarist extraordinaire Mac McAnally, winner of Musician of the Year at the 2008 CMA Awards, that may have made all the difference.
Make no mistake: McAnally can pick with the best in the business. He’s recorded 11 studio albums, including his upcoming debut on Show Dog Nashville, written multiple No. 1 hits including the recent duet with Kenny Chesney “Down the Road,” produced albums for Jimmy Buffett, Little Feat, Sawyer Brown and Ricky Skaggs among others and is an expressive singer too, on backup or lead. Continue Reading
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Dec
26
Kieth Urban photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.
GAC’s Fan-Voted Top 50 Videos of 2004!
Each year GAC asks fans to help us choose the best of the best country music videos released during the prior 12 months for our year end Top 50 Videos of the Year countdown. Here are the voting results for 2004 based on videos released and added to the GAC playlist from Nov. 1, 2003 to Oct. 31, 2004.
- Keith Urban – “You’ll Think Of Me”
- Gretchen Wilson – “Redneck Woman”
- Kenny Chesney/Uncle Kracker – “When The Sun Goes Down”
- Tim McGraw – “Live Like You Were Dying”
- Toby Keith – “American Soldier”
- Terri Clark – “Girls Lie Too”
- John Michael Montgomery – “Letters From Home”
- Shania Twain/Billy Currington – “Party For Two”
- Big and Rich – “Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)”
- Kenny Chesney – “There Goes My Life” Continue Reading
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