Joe Nichols photo courtesy of Show Dog Nashville.

Joe Nichols has joined the 1 for All campaign, adding his name to the growing list of artists and celebrities speaking out in support of the First Amendment. As part of the campaign, Joe will participate in Free To Tweet, a daylong online celebration of First Amendment rights on December 15. During the tweetathon, Americans are encouraged to tweet their support of the First Amendment using the hashtag #FreeToTweet.

Free To Tweet will also give high school and college students the opportunity to win one of 22 $5,000 scholorships. All they have to do is tweet creatively about the First Amendment. More information can be found at FreeToTweet.org.

The 1 for All campaign is the largest of its kind in scope and reach. It uses a fresh approach by featuring celebrities and public figures to tweet, rock, write, read, sing, worship, assemble, petition and much more. 1 for All is a non-partisan campaign launched in 2010 to address a lack of awareness by the American public about the five freedoms provided under the First Amendment. Continue Reading

ShareThis

Randy Travis photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Nashville.

The GRAMMY Museum will host “An Evening With Randy Travis” on September 21. The event will honor Randy’s 25-year career with Randy on hand for a special discussion and acoustic performance. Randy recently released Anniversary Celebration, a duets CD featuring artists such as Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, George Jones, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood among others as well as new songs from Randy.

5 Things You Don’t Know About Randy Travis >>

Over the span of his career, Randy has sold more than 20 million albums. He has had 18 No. 1 singles, won 7 GRAMMY Awards, 10 ACM Awards, 5 CMA Awards and has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, among other honors. He will sit down with GRAMMY Foundation Vice President Scott Goldman to discuss his career and new album before participating in an audience Q&A and performing two songs acoustically. Continue Reading

ShareThis

Kevin Fowler's 2011 CD, Chippin' Away. Photo courtesy of Average Joe's Entertainment.

On the heels of scoring his second consecutive No. 1 hit on the Texas Music Chart with “Hell Yeah, I Like Beer,” Kevin Fowler is set to release his rowdy new album, Chippin’ Away. With a quick tongue and a voice that sounds like an old country highway meeting between Randy Rogers and John Mellencamp, Chippin’ Away offers 11 songs about beer, women, a little more beer, and a few simple pleasures all mixed together with a heavy dose of honky tonk.

Everybody knows you shouldn’t drink too much/ so why’s it always seem like there’s never enough?, Kevin wonders on “Hell Yeah, I Like Beer,” a straight up honk tonk number with no chaser. Swinging guitars with a touch of distortion, loose pedal steel and a pinch of fiddle support Kevin’s warm, road-worn voice on the barroom sing-along. Kevin’s rugged style combines traditional country with a rough-around-the-edges rock element that sounds completely natural. Kicking off with a twanged-out guitar riff, “Girl In A Truck,” (the album’s lead single and other No. 1 Texas Chart hit) is an ode to all those country girls driving jacked-up Fords with mud on the tires. With a melody and vocal delivery that bounces like driving down a back road, Kevin’s voice matches the song’s subject and structure while nimbly moving through thumping chords.

Kevin’s quick sense of humor is on display throughout Chippin’ Away. Even on a ballad like the acoustic-based “Daddies and Daughters,” a song about that special relationship and the protectiveness of a father, Kevin uses an understated joke to help complete the overall picture. Amidst tender guitar and quiet piano, Kevin sings Continue Reading

ShareThis

Willie Nelson photo by David McClister, courtesy of Lost Highway.

Willie Nelson will be inducted into the National Agricultural Hall of Fame in Bonner Springs, Kansas next month. The ceremony is scheduled to take place on August 13, the same day the 26^th annual Farm Aid concert will be held nearby Kansas City. Willie told the Associated Press that he’s “honored and humbled to become the 39th inductee in the Agricultural Hall of Fame.”

Willie organized the first Farm Aid concert in 1985 with John Mellencamp and Neil Young to raise money for family farmers and bring awareness to their economic struggles. All three,as well as Dave Matthews, Jamey Johnson and Jason Mraz among others, are scheduled to perform at this year’s Farm Aid concert. Continue Reading

ShareThis

The Americana Music Association announced its year end Top 100 Albums of the Year.  The Top 100 albums are based on those records reported to the Americana Airplay Chart during the period of November 17, 2009 through November 15, 2010.  We’ll serve up the first half of the list and you can visit the Americana Music Association website to access the full list of all 100 albums…

The Top 50 most played albums, as charted on the Americana Airplay Chart are:

1.       Various Artists, Crazy Heart Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, New West

2.       Rosanne Cash, The List, Manhattan

3.       John Hiatt, The Open Road, New West

4.       Carolina Chocolate Drops, Genuine Negro Jig, Nonesuch

5.       Ray Wylie Hubbard, A Enlightenment B Endarkenment Hint There Is No C, Bordello/Thirty Tigers

6.       Robert Earl Keen, The Rose Hotel, Lost Highway

7.       Band Of Heathens, One Foot In The Ether, BOH Records

8.       Avett Brothers, I And Love And You, Columbia

9.       Patty Griffin, Downtown Church, Credential

10.   Reckless Kelly, Somewhere In Time, Yep Roc Continue Reading

ShareThis

Jason Aldean photo courtesy of Broken Bow Records.

Jason Aldean is one of the most prominent voices in modern country music, but good luck trying to put the guy in a stylistic box.

One of his biggest hits is named after country icon Johnny Cash, and you can’t get much more country than the farm-centered lyrics in “Amarillo Sky” or “Big Green Tractor.” On the other hand, the guitar chords on “She’s Country” sound more like AC/DC than Merle Haggard; his current single, “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” teams Jason with pop singer Kelly Clarkson; and he even has a rap section on “Dirt Road Anthem,” one of the key tracks on his current album My Kinda Party.

Jason grew up on the outskirts of Macon, Ga., and his background brought all of those different musical threads together.

Continue Reading

ShareThis

Willie Nelson photo by David McClister, courtesy of Lost Highway.

Concerts, politics and awards were the order of the day.

Country music kicked off the final quarter of 2010 with some pretty special moments this past weekend, including iconic live dates by Carrie Underwood and Willie Nelson, a public vote involving Sammy Kershaw and an NFL appearance by Country Music Hall of Fame member Charley Pride.

Country’s big moments included:

Continue Reading

ShareThis

Jamey Johnson photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Jamey Johnson is headed to the home of the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday, though he won’t be singing the national anthem or “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” during the final weekend of baseball’s regular season.

Instead, he’s been announced at the last minute as an addition to the lineup for Willie Nelson’s Farm Aid 25: Growing Home For America at Miller Park. Board members John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews and Neil Young were already set for the concert, of course. And so were Norah Jones, Jeff Tweedy, Jason Mraz and the Randy Rogers Band, among others.

And the event has an interesting connection to the top of the country album charts. Jamey’s new double-disc CD, The Guitar Song, came out Sept. 14 and went to No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. Kenny Chesney’s new project, Hemingway’s Whiskey, came out on Tuesday, and it’s already being forecast as the top-selling album in any genre for the week. Since Kenny’s scheduled to be at Miller Park, too, it means artists with No. 1 country albums two of the last three weeks will both appear on the same stage the same day.

Continue Reading

ShareThis

Ryan Bingham photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Film makers want very much for the general public to buy in to the magic of movies. You can count Ryan Bingham among those who believe in celluloid’s power.

After sharing a Golden Globe and an Oscar Award for Best Song with T Bone Burnett for writing the “The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart),” Ryan took home two trophies — Song and Artist of the Year — Thursday during the ninth annual Americana Music Association Honors & Awards in Nashville.

The Americana nods only add to the lists in which Ryan finds himself. The Song of the Year Oscar put him in the company of such songwriters as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Henry Mancini and Irving Berlin — all of whom have won the Film Academy’s Best Song prize at least once. Ryan’s new album, Junky Star, made its chart debut this week, landing at No. 2 on the Billboard Country Albums list. And the Americana Artist of the Year trophy put him on yet another list among such previous winners as Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Neil Young and Jim Lauderdale, who hosted Thursday’s show.

Continue Reading

ShareThis

Willie Nelson photo by David McClister, courtesy of Lost Highway.

In September 1985, Willie Nelson established a charity he hoped would be short-lived. Instead, the work goes on, and on Oct. 2, he’ll present Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope For America.

Willie wore a Milwaukee Brewers jersey for the online announcement on Monday in recognition of the venue, Miller Park. The concert marks the first time that Farm Aid will be held at a major-league baseball stadium. John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews — all of whom serve as board members for the organization — are on tap for the concert. Other acts will be named at a later date.

Willie lamented that Farm Aid is still necessary, noting that the event has “called attention to the problem, but we have not solved the problem.”

Continue Reading

ShareThis