The Band Perry photo courtesy of Republic Nashville.

The Band Perry took a bit of a risk when it released “If I Die Young” this year. But the latest development for the trio is essentially a thumbs up for the siblings’ willingness to trust their guts.

“This just in,” the band tweeted on Wednesday. “If I Die Young is now GOLD!! 500,000 in sales and counting!! A million thank yous to each one of you who lent your ears and hard earned dollars.”

“If I Die Young” defied some conventions in the music business. People generally respond to songs that fit their mood, so music execs figure that the public is more responsive to upbeat songs in the summer and to ballads in the winter. “If I Die Young” was released in May, setting them up to have a slow song about mortality airing in summer months when a lot of people are thinking of vacations and the beach.

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Kevin Costner photo courtesy of Universal Republic/Universal Records South.

Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of a devastating natural disaster that killed a fan and injured members of Billy Currington’s band when a storm whipped through the Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose, Alberta.

The Big Valley producers halted the 2009 festival after the stage collapsed, though they didn’t fold up their tent permanently. The Jamboree was back at the same site this weekend, and attendance for the first two days was up over last year by 10%, according to The Edmonton Journal.

Not that last year was forgotten. During that edition of the Jamboree, a freak storm amassed with little or no warning while Billy was onstage Aug. 1. He was hospitalized briefly with a concussion. His bass player, Alex Stevens, was pinned underneath the stage for 30 minutes and required surgery for a severed artery in his left arm. Two members of Kevin Costner’s band, Modern West, were injured at the side of the stage, one fan was crushed to death when speakers toppled on her, and about 75 other concert-goers were injured.

So when the Jamboree resumed this year, “Amazing Grace” was played Saturday, CBC News reported, to remember Donna Moore, the fan who died. And when lightning started snapping in the distance during Miranda Lambert’s set on Friday, producers had her take a break just four songs into her set. Ultimately, they erred on the side of safety and shut down the show for the night.

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Keith Urban photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Country music festival, Country Thunder USA, will be back in 2010 with three big headliners — Keith Urban, Willie Nelson and Kid Rock.

The outdoor festival (sponsored by GAC) will be held at the Canyon Moon Ranch, in Florence, Arizona. A full 4-day general admission pass is $99.00 –and passes are now on sale.  One day event tickets will also be available closer to the event. VIP and sponsorship packages are also available with added perks of hospitality tent access, preferred parking, and premium concert seating. Organizers encourage early bird tickets as the event is expected to sell-out.

The announced line-up includes: Continue Reading

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Billy Currington photo by Danny Clinch, courtesy of UMG Nashville.

The Associated Press reports that the Big Valley Jamboree festival in Camrose, Alberta, Canada was canceled on Sunday after a powerful thunderstorm caused an outdoor stage to collapse, killing one person and injuring 75 others. A member of Billy Currington‘s band was among the injured.

Billy’s label, Mercury Nashville, released a statement, saying Billy “was taken to the hospital and suffered a minor concussion but is expected to make a full recovery. He has been released from the hospital and has returned to his home in Nashville. Currington’s bass player Alex Stevens was pinned under the wreckage of the stage for half an hour while rescue personnel removed debris to free him. Stevens underwent immediate surgery to repair a severed artery and nerves in his left arm and is currently receiving treatment in Nashville.” Continue Reading

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