Lady Antebellum photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Lady Antebellum is gearing up to own Europe this summer when they take their Own The Night 2012 World Tour across the pond. They will play several shows in six different countries, kicking things off in Dublin, Ireland on July 10. Fans can get more information and start purchasing tickets on February 10 through LadyAntebellum.com.

“Every time we’ve gone over to Europe, the fans there have given us such a warm welcome,” Dave Haywood said. ”It’s an honor for us to be able to travel abroad and share our music with so many other countries. Plus, we love to get out and sightsee and really experience each place we visit.  Europe is going to be a blast!”

Lady A kicked off the U.S. leg of their tour with sold-out and record-breaking shows last week. They will take a break from their tour this weekend to head to the GRAMMY Awards this weekend where they will present and are also nominated for Best Country Album. Continue Reading

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Keith Urban photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Relativity Music Group will release the Act of Valor soundtrack on February 21, featuring original songs written and inspired by the Navy SEAL action-thriller. It will include “For You,” a song written by Keith Urban that is featured in the film’s end credits, as well as music from Lady Antebellum, Sugarland, Trace Adkins, Wynonna Judd, Montgomery Gentry, and more. In theaters February 24, Act of Valor stars a group of active-duty Navy Seals along with actors Roselyn Sanchez, Alex Veadov, Jason Cottle and Nestor Serrano.

Produced and directed by Mike “Mouse” McCoy and Scott Waugh and written by Kurt Johnstad, Act of Valor takes audiences into the secretive world of the most elite, highly-trained force in the modern world as the rescue of a kidnapped CIA operative leads to the discovery of a deadly terrorist plot against the U.S. Inspired by true events, the film combines combat sequences, battlefield technology and heart-pounding emotion.

The track listing for the soundtrack includes Keith’s “For You,” “Guide You Home” (Sugarland), “I Was Here” (Lady Antebellum), “If the Sun Comes Up” (Trace Adkins), “Two Soldiers Coming Home” (Lori McKenna), “The Best I Can” (Jake Owen), “What It Takes”(Montgomery Gentry), “The Best of Me” (Josh Kelley), “Where We Left Off” (Hunter Hayes) and “Whatever Brings You Back” (Wynonna Judd). Continue Reading

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Lady Antebellum photo courtesy of The Green Room PR.

Lady Antebellum kicks off their Own The Night 2012 World Tour tonight, January 27, in Tulsa Oklahoma and have already sold more than half a million tickets for the tour, including sell-outs of some of the nation’s biggest arenas — the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Allstate Arena in Chicago, and American Airlines Center in Dallas.

“We have been really involved in the planning of our tour every step of the way,” Hillary Scott said. “I remember drawing out an idea for our set design on a paper plate, so to now see it come to life is just crazy. We are just so invested in every moment and making it a great experience for the fans, and we’re really excited for everything 2012 has in store.”

“It has only been four years since we were driving around in Charles’ Jeep Cherokee and sharing a hotel room,” Dave Haywood said. “This tour is what we’ve always dreamed of!” Continue Reading

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Lionel Richie sings “Endless Love” with Shania Twain on his new CD, Tuskegee. Photo by Alan Silfen, courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Lionel Richie will release Tuskegee, a collection of 13 of his hit songs recorded as duets with some of the biggest names in country music, on March 27. Duet partners include Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Shania Twain, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson and more.

In addition to the album, the Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions will tape an all-star concert special, Lionel Richie and Friends In Concert at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in Las Vegas on April 2. The special will air at a later date on CBS. Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, and Kenny Rogers are among the artists scheduled to perform.

On Tuskegee, Lionel returns to his roots, paying tribute to his hometown of Tuskegee, Alabama where he was shaped as a man and a musician. He grew up listening to country, gospel, R&B and classical music and it was in Tuskegee that he helped form the Commodores and wrote some of his earliest hits.

“Tuskegee is where it all began, the place where I felt that everything was available and possible,” he said. “It’s where I learned about life and love and the power of music, and the place I built a musical foundation that knows no genres or boundaries.”

The artists who worked with Lionel have their own connections to the legend’s songs. “Every Lionel Richie song that I can think of I had a personal experience with – high school homecomings, proms, you name it,” Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts said. “Lionel was always playing in my house. His music always said what we felt and couldn’t express.”

Says Darius Rucker, who joins Richie on “Stuck On You,” “I wanted to work with Lionel because he is one of my idols. Lionel’s more a part of my DNA really than an idol. It was an absolute honor to work with him.” Adds Jason Aldean, who selected “Say You, Say Me,” “I’ve always been a huge fan. He is probably one of the best singer/songwriters of this generation.”

This isn’t Lionel’s first venture into country music. His songs have been recorded by Conway Twitty, Kenny Rogers and Alabama, while other artists have covered his songs in their sets. He’s performed on the CMA Awards three times and his 2011 performance received two standing ovations.

“When I did the CMAs and the room was singing along with me, it was really more like a family reunion than it was a concert or show,” Lionel said. “It was just great validation to know that the music was accepted like it was.” Continue Reading

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Country music stars sure love Twitter! This week, Miranda Lambert thanks fans for their support after Blake Shelton’s father passed away, Jake Owen  keeps fans updated on his broken collarbone from the waiting room, Josh Kelley shares a photo of wife Katherine Heigl that may land him in the doghouse and Taylor Swift puts her TV remote in its place. Here are our picks for the Top 10 Country Tweets Of The Week.

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/ladyantebellum.

Lady Antebellum – LadyAntebellum: We are all ready and excited! #OwnTheNightWorldTour

Miranda Lambert – Miranda_Lambert: Thank you all for your kindness and prayer. Our family means everything to us. Blake and I appreciate the support so much.

Jake Owen – JakeOwen: In the Dr. waiting on my sentence.. You know it’s not good when he comes in and says “That break is worse than the football teams”. Damn.

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/joshkelley.

Josh Kelley – JoshBKelley: My girl getting her hair done for ONE FOR THE MONEY movie press Continue Reading

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Keith Urban photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Keith Urban’s third annual All for the Hall benefit concert has been rescheduled for April 10 after having to be postponed while Keith underwent and recovered from successful vocal cord surgery. The concert, which benefits the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s All for the Hall fund, will feature performances by Keith, Vince Gill, Alabama, Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Band Perry, Blue Sky Riders, Diamond Rio, Exile, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, The Oak Ridge Boys,  Pistol Annies, Rascal Flatts and Thompson Square.

“My goal for the concert, is really the same as the halls,” Keith said. “To help country fans connect the dots – to find out where their music came from, how its evolved and is still evolving and to hear the artists that have influenced their favorite artists. Country music is like a big beautiful strange family tree and nowhere is that more honored than at the Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum.”

“The first two We’re All for the Hall concerts have been landmarks for this institution,” said Museum Director Kyle Young.  “They have been the most successful fundraisers in the museum’s history, together raising roughly $1 million.  And they have not only set a new standard for fundraising and event coordination, but also brought together an entire community and helped us to see what can be done by individuals when there is a collective passion for a cause. Continue Reading

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Luke Bryan photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Faith Hill, Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, and Zac Brown Band have been added to the lineup for the Nightly Concerts at LP Field during this year’s CMA Music Festival. Jason Aldean, The Band Perry and Carrie Underwood were previously announced as performers. This year’s CMA Fest will take place June 7-10 in Nashville.

Faith will be returning to the CMA Fest stage for the first time since 2008 after debuting her current single, “Come Home,” on the CMA Awards, while Eric will be making his LP Field debut. Fans can purchase tickets through Ticketmaster at Ticketmaster.com or 1-(800)-745-3000. They can also purchase them by calling 1-(800)-CMA-FEST (262-3378). Continue Reading

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 11: Singer Faith Hill performs onstage at the 2012 People's Choice Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on January 11, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

One of the highlights of last night’s People’s Choice Awards was Faith Hill’s performance of her new single, “Come Home,” which she debuted at the CMA Awards last November. Wearing a high-waisted red pants suit and surrounded by floating doors and windows, Faith performed the power ballad with emotion and mouthed a ‘thank you’ to her fans when she was done.

See more photos of the stars at the People’s Choice Awards here >>

Taylor Swift‘s fans spoke loud and clear at the PCAs when they named her their Favorite Country Artist. Blake Shelton, Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban, and Rascal Flatts were also nominated in the Favorite Country Artist category. Taylor wasn’t on hand to accept her award, but she thanked fans before the show for their support.

“Thanks for wishing me luck at the People’s Choice Awards tonight! I’m not there, but I’ll be watching on tv from Nashville!” she wrote on Twitter.

Continue Reading

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Reba McEntire & Blake Shelton photo courtesy of the ACM.

Country Music’s Party of the Year®, the 47^th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, honoring country music’s best and introducing the industry’s hottest emerging talent, will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 8 p.m. live Eastern/delayed Pacific on CBS. The show is produced by dick clark productions and will be hosted for the second consecutive year by Reba and Blake Shelton.

The 2^nd Annual ACM Fan Jam, hosted by Zac Brown Band, will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Sunday, April 1, 2012. This live remote location gives country music lovers the ultimate fan-pass to be part of the 47^th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards!  Throughout the three-hour Awards telecast from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, there will be live ACM Fan Jam performances, via remote, from the Mandalay Bay Events Center by Zac Brown Band and other top-tier music acts, to be announced at a later date.

The ACM Fan Jam includes a profusion of entertainment, prizes and special giveaways only for attendees, including autographed guitars, trip packages to country music events and merchandise.  The ACM Fan Jam continues after the Awards telecasts ends, with performances by Zac Brown and friends. Details will be announced soon. The inaugural ACM Fan Jam, hosted by Sugarland, took place in 2011.

Additionally, the Academy and dick clark productions will tape an all-star concert special, ACM PRESENTS: Lionel Richie and Friends – A Lifetime of Hits, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Monday, April 2, 2012, to air at a later date on the CBS Television Network.  This country collaboration with the legendary Lionel Richie, featuring duets from his upcoming album Tuskegee along with solo performances, will include some of Richie’s greatest hits performed by Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers and many more. Tickets sales from ACM PRESENTS: Lionel Richie and Friends – A Lifetime of Hits will benefit ACM Lifting Lives, which works to improve lives through music. For more information, log onto www.ACMLiftingLives.org or www.ACMcountry.com. Continue Reading

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Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott & husband Chris Tyrell. Photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Congratulations to Lady Antebellum‘s Hillary Scott and Chris Tyrell, who announced to their fans they are officially married through a video posted on the band’s website on Sunday, January 8.

“I’d like to introduce you to Mrs. Hillary Scott Tyrell,” said Chris, as Hillary showed off her new wedding ring.

“We got married, and we just wanted you to hear it from us first,” added Hillary. “We love you, and we’re so excited to be starting our life together, and we just had to let you in on the exciting news.”

The pair were married on Saturday, January 7 during an intimate ceremony surrounded by family and close friends. Hillary and Chris exchanged vows just before sunset in upstate New York. The bride wore a custom Vera Wang strapless mermaid dress with abstract all-over lace underlay, layered tulle skirt with horsehair banding and hand-cut corded lace applique with hand-applied crystal and pearl beading. She complemented the gown with a mantilla veil with hand-cut chantilly lace applique. The groom donned a gray Ermenegildo Zegna suit. According to People.com, Contemporary Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman performed for the couple’s first dance.

Hillary and Chris met in 2010 on Tim McGraw’s Southern Voice Tour when Lady A was the special guest, and Chris played drums for Love & Theft.The couple was engaged last summer around the Fourth of July weekend.

Hillary shared the advice she received from fellow newlyweds. “If I ask(ed) advice to newlyweds, most of them have literally said, ‘At a point during the reception, sneak away, the two of you sneak away and hide behind a wall and look through a window and just observe what’s going on and just see everyone enjoying it and having a great time. It’s like to have that visual, to have that mental picture for the rest of your life.’”

“My only advice, and I’ve told her and told them,” said Hillary’s band mate, Charles Kelley, “[is] I think the first year, it was definitely a learning experience and learning, ‘Getting to know you,’” he sang. “It was just learning how to compromise, and I feel like after that, it really got just easy. And so, just be patient and love each other…”as hard as you can love…,” he sang.

“Oh, boy!” laughed Hillary.

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