Pistol Annies’ 2013 CD, Annie Up. Photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

When the all-girl trio Pistol Annies– made up of Miranda Lambert (aka “Lone Star Annie”), Ashley Monroe (“Hippie Annie”) and Angaleena Presley (“Holler Annie”) – released their gritty 2011 debut, Hell On Heels, the collaboration was initially thought of more as a side project. Yet, given the girls’ uncanny chemistry and gift for captivating realism, it was obvious that the group was more than just a one-off. Next week on May 7, Pistol Annies return with their follow up, Annie Up, a 12-round blast signaling that these three Annies are just getting started.

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Pistol Annies 2013 album cover, courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Pistol Annies are packing up their makeup, heels and lots of fabulous outfits to head to New York City for the launch of their sophomore album, Annie Up. The trio will debut their new single, “Hush Hush, on the Today Show May 7, the same day the album arrives in stores.

“We are so excited to release the new album,” Miranda Lambert said. “It’s been like waiting for Christmas morning to come.” Even though the release is highly anticipated, the trio feels at peace about the record. Continue Reading

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George Jones photo courtesy of Webster PR.

Following the announcement of George Jones‘ death on Friday, April 26 in Nashville, many of George’s fellow country stars offered their thoughts. Visit our George Jones photo gallery for photos spanning his legendary career.

Remembering George Jones: Photo Gallery >>

Keith Urban tweeted, “If I’m blessed enough to make it there, I look forward to you giving me the grand tour. Rest in peace George Jones!!!!!”

Alan Jackson released this statement: “Well, heaven better get ready for some great country music. While George was known for his wild and crazy days, I’ve known him for 25 years as a friend. He had grown into a real good man. Of course, he’ll always be the greatest singer and interpreter of real country music – there’ll never be another. Like the song says, ‘You know this old world is full of singers, but just a few are chosen to tear your heart out when they sing. Imagine life without them…Who’s gonna fill their shoes.’”

Blake Shelton tweeted, “Really REALLY bad news. We’ve lost a country music legend. And I’ve lost a hero and a friend. Goodbye George Jones…”

“I believe if you ask any singer who was the greatest country music singer of all time, they would say ‘George Jones’,” said Barbara Mandrell in a statement. “He was without question and by far the BEST! I first met and worked with him when I was 13 years old; I am so very grateful that he was my friend.”

Loretta Lynn said, “It’s a sad day for country music and a great loss for those of us who knew him. I was blessed to call George my friend. He was one of the best country singers there ever was. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Nancy, and all of his family. It’s a sad, sad day.”

George Strait shared this memory: “The most special memory was when he gave me my medallion at the Hall of Fame Ceremony. He actually was the one that did the actual induction. And what a special night that was. We’re just gonna miss George so much. This came as a total shock to me. I didn’t even know that George was in the hospital. To the whole music industry, it’s gonna be a big void not having George out there. But you know, we’ve got his music — and that music will live forever. He did a lot of crazy things in his career and no matter how crazy he got, everybody still loved him because that’s just the kind of guy that George was. We’re just all gonna miss him. It’s a sad day for the music business, for sure.”

“My friend, the greatest singer of all time, has passed,” tweeted Brad Paisley. “To those who knew him, our lives were full. To those of you who don’t: discover him now.”

Brad also released this statement: “George Jones’ life is an example of so many wonderful things. How someone’s God-given gifts can make this a richer, better place.  How one human being can overcome adversity, addiction, and life threatening obstacles time and time again.  That it is not the stumble or fall that counts, but the willingness to stand again. How a keen sense of humor and a twinkle in a person’s eye can still prevail even after all of life’s hard knocks.  How mistakes, missteps, and bad choices are not the end of the world if a person chooses to turn them into something good. And George’s life is above all the strongest example of how the love of a great woman can get a man through anything. All of this made its way beautifully into every note of the greatest voice country music will ever know.  And one of the greatest friends you could ever have. We miss you already, George.”

Dierks Bentley, who is still a member of George Jones’ fan club, said he’s “heartbroken,” and tweeted, “nancy and @gjpossum had a beautiful marriage and special relationship. love you nancy. long live the possum. gonna miss my buddy. real sad.”

Vince Gill tweeted, “There aren’t words in our language to describe the depth of his greatness. I’ll miss my kind and generous friend.”

Little Big Town said, “There will never be another George Jones. You are and always will be country music. Rest in peace. #GeorgeJones”

“He had a voice that was the truth, raw and unfiltered,” said Kenny Chesney. “You cant get any realer, any more tortured or any more alive. No one can do what George Jones does, and that’s why 50 years later, he still stands out as one of the greatest singers in any genre of all time.

“We were great friends, but it was really more like a father/son relationship,” added Kenny. “He even showed up in Lexington, Kentucky two years ago to surprise me onstage for my birthday… all the way from Nashville, to surprise me and sing ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today’ with me, which will be one of the greatest memories of my life.”

“When I was just staring out, and I was picked to open the George Jones/Tammy Wynette Reunion Tour, I thought I’d made it,” continued Kenny. “Then one night, George asked me if I was heading home because he and Nancy had a plane, and they’d take me,” Chesney recalls. “I remember sitting there on that jet, thinking, ‘This can’t be happening…’ because he was George Jones, and I was some kid from nowhere…’ I’m sure he knew, but he was generous to kids chasing the dream, and I never forgot it.” Continue Reading

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Vince Gill photo by Tim Wright, courtesy of UMG Nashville.

The spirit and talent of Music City will be highlighted in filmmaker Chris McDaniel’s new documentary, Music City USA, which premieres at the Nashville Film Festival on April 24. Chris grew up a few hours outside of Nashville and interviewed dozens of artists and industry members, including Vince Gill, Charlie Daniels, Montgomery Gentry, Josh Thompson, Mike Wolfe from American Pickers, Larry Gatlin, Marty Stuart and many more.

Music City USA will highlight those who make the music and those behind the scenes as well as how the community banded together in the wake of the 2010 flood that devastated Nashville. Many who appear in the film talk about what makes the city so special to them even as the national spotlight turns to the city, thanks in part to ABC’s Nashville. Continue Reading

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Kentucky HeadHunters photo by Ash Newell, courtesy of LCMedia.

The Kentucky HeadHunters will be inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Lexington Center Bluegrass Ballroom on April 12. The museum is located in Renfro Valley, Kentucky, home of Bill Monroe, Merle Travis, The Everly Brothers, Loretta Lynn, Rosemary Clooney, Dwight Yoakam and many more.

Now in their 45^th year, the band was formed on Richard and Fred Young’s family farm in Edmonton, Kentucky with cousins Greg Martin and Anthony Kenney. Then called Itchy Brothers and sometimes referred to as “The Best Known – Unknown Band in the South,” the group had several close brushes with record deals in the ’70s, including Led Zeppelin’s Swansong Records and Capricorn. Continue Reading

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LAS VEGAS, NV – APRIL 07: Luke Bryan attends the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards held at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 7, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Michael Tran/FilmMagic)

The winners have been revealed for the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards! Fans named Luke Bryan Entertainer of the Year with a record breaking 1.1 million fans casting their votes in the Entertainer of the Year and New Artist of the Year categories combined. Luke co-hosted the ACM Awards along with Blake Shelton and picked up Vocal Event of the Year with Jason Aldean and Eric Church for “The Only Way I Know” on the GAC live red carpet pre-show.

Miranda Lambert picked up Female Vocalist of the Year for the fourth consecutive year. She also took home Single Record of the Year as artist and Song of the Year as artist and composer for “Over You.” With four trophies, she was the night’s big winner. She joins Reba and Loretta Lynn as the only other artists to win Female Vocalist of the Year four or more times. Continue Reading

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For the second straight year, the Grand Ole Opry is teaming up with country stars, radio stations, attractions and other partners from across the country for a digital Easter Egg Hunt via Twitter on Friday, March 29. Prize eggs will be hidden around Nashville as well as in mystery cities across the U.S. Fans will receive clues by following @Opry on Twitter on Friday.

Among the prizes hidden in the eggs are tickets to see Alabama, Terri Clark, Kacey Musgraves and more at the Opry, autographed CDs and merchandise from Trace Adkins, Garth Brooks, Josh Turner and Carrie Underwood among other and much more. Continue Reading

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Kacey Musgraves photo courtesy of Mercury Nashville.

By Bob Doerschuk

© 2013 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

One strength of country music is its ability to mirror real life. Rarer is the artist whose stories come to us not washed in neon but raised from a deeper, dreamier place.

Kacey Musgraves is one such anomaly. Born in Mineola, Texas, she made her performing debut at 8. A year later, she wrote her first song. She appeared on Nashville Star in 2007 and moved to Nashville shortly after that, just 20 years old.

Read our review of Kacey Musgraves’ Same Trailer Different Park >>

As a writer, she’s made a good start, placing songs with Miranda Lambert (“Mama’s Broken Heart”) and Martina McBride (“When You Love a Sinner”). A co-write with Trent Dabbs, “Undermine,” played on the second episode of ABC’s Nashville. Continue Reading

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Jason Aldean photo courtesy of Broken Bow Records.

Today, the Academy of Country Music is announcing the winners of awards that will not be televised during the 48^th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, due to time constraints. The ceremony will be telecast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 8 p.m. live ET/delayed PT on CBS. Special Awards, Industry Awards, MBI (Musician, Bandleader, Instrumentalist) and Songwriter of the Year honorees will be feted at the 7^th Annual ACM Honors event on September 10, 2013 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

SPECIAL AWARDS

Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award – Keith Whitley and The Judds have been chosen to receive the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award, honoring individuals who are pioneers in the country music genre.

Keith Whitley brought a blend of traditional bluegrass, classic country and contemporary songwriting influences to his timeless recordings. Although his catalog is regrettably small, this Kentucky native stands as one of the most respected vocalists of his era, thanks to a rich baritone that effortlessly conveyed the emotion of any song. Whitley first entered the Top 10 in 1986 with “Ten Feet Away,” setting the stage for enduring ballads like “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” “When You Say Nothing at All” and “I’m No Stranger to the Rain,” all of which reached No. 1 before Whitley died in 1989 at age 33.

The Judds gave country music an acoustic boost in the 1980s, ultimately racking up 20 Top 10 hits. They picked up seven consecutive ACM Awards in the Vocal Duet category, as well as a Song of the Year trophy for “Why Not Me.” Their winning streak began in 1984 with “Mama He’s Crazy,” the first of 14 No. 1 hits. Fans also identified with the ups and downs of Naomi and Wynonna’s mother-daughter relationship, adding another dimension to modern classics like the nostalgic “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days)” and the empowering “Love Can Build a Bridge.”

Past recipients of the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award include Alabama, Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, Charlie Daniels, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, George Jones, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, the Oak Ridge Boys, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Jerry Reed, Tex Ritter, Marty Robbins, Kenny Rogers, Billy Sherrill, Ricky Skaggs, Mel Tillis, Randy Travis, Conway Twitty, Porter Wagoner, Hank Williams, Hank Williams Jr., Bob Wills and Dwight Yoakam, among others.

Crystal Milestone Award – Jason Aldean has been chosen to receive the Crystal Milestone Award, which is given to an artist or industry leader to commemorate a specific, remarkable achievement.

Jason Aldean soared to stadium headliner status in 2012. He sold out his first stadium show last year, moving more than 27,000 tickets for Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. All tickets were purchased more than two months in advance. Aldean’s arena show tickets went quickly too. He sold 24,000 tickets in two minutes for his Indianapolis show, along with 20,000 seats in just four minutes in St. Louis. Aldean is now swinging for the rafters with his “Night Train Tour.” Stadium shows on the itinerary include Wrigley Field in Chicago, Sanford Stadium in Athens, GA, and Boston’s Fenway Park—which sold out in seven minutes, setting a venue record and making Aldean the first country act to headline the historic ballpark. The Academy is honoring Aldean for this remarkable achievement.

Past recipients of the Crystal Milestone Award include Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Gayle Holcomb, Jennifer Nettles and Taylor Swift.

Gene Weed Special Achievement Award – Blake Shelton has been chosen to receive the Gene Weed Special Achievement Award, which acknowledges unprecedented, unique and outstanding individual achievement in country music.

Blake Shelton stepped into his role on NBC’s The Voice as a well-known figure in country music circles. Now he’s a household name to millions of viewers who appreciate his lively personality, his honest approach toward aspiring talent and his camaraderie with pop stars like Christine Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine. That broad appeal paved the way for a network special to coincide with his first holiday album, Cheers, It’s Christmas. A three-time ACM Awards co-host, Shelton is climbing the charts with “Sure Be Cool If You Did.” Look for his “Ten Times Crazier Tour” starting in July.

Past recipients of the Gene Weed Special Achievement Award include Garth Brooks, George Burns, Jeff Foxworthy, Willie Nelson and George Strait.

Jim Reeves International Award – Lady Antebellum has been chosen to receive the Jim Reeves International Award, which is presented to an artist for outstanding contributions to the acceptance of country music throughout the world.

Lady Antebellum seized the day with their “Own the Night World Tour,” ultimately performing to more than a million fans in 11 countries and three continents. Along with packing venues in the U.S. and Canada, the trio sold out three shows at the Sydney Opera House in Australia. Band members Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott also accepted the honor of opening for a musical hero, Bruce Springsteen, at London’s Hard Rock Calling. A three-time winner in the ACM Vocal Group category, Lady Antebellum will release its fourth studio album, Golden, in May, likely taking their newest hit “Downtown” around the globe.

Past recipients of the Jim Reeves International Award include Garth Brooks, Dick Clark, Roy Clark, Merv Griffin, Alan Jackson, Charlie Nagatani, Buck Owens, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, among others.

Mae Boren Axton Award – Tommy Wiggins has been chosen as the recipient of the Mae Boren Axton Award, which is given in recognition of years of dedication and service by an outstanding individual to the Academy of Country Music.

Tommy Wiggins co-founded the organization that is now the Academy of Country Music. While pursuing opportunities performing on radio and on stage, Wiggins lived in Tucson and Nashville before relocating in 1960 to Los Angeles, where he appeared on local television shows. Along with releasing several singles on Stadium Records, Wiggins launched a radio industry publication titled D.J.’s Digest. In 1964, he teamed with songwriter Eddie Miller and club owners Mickey and Chris Christensen to stage a Los Angeles-based awards show and form the Country Western Music Academy–later renamed the Academy of Country Music–to draw attention to country artists based on the West Coast.

Past recipients of the Mae Boren Axton Award include John Dorris, Rod Essig, Gayle Holcomb, Jack Lameier, Marge Meoli, Ray Pilzak, Gaynelle Pitts, Gene Weed and David Young.

Poet’s Award – Guy Clark and Hank Williams have been selected to receive the Poet’s Award, which honors songwriters for outstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions throughout their careers in the field of country music.

Guy Clark has earned the respect of countless songwriters by crafting his compositions with wit, wisdom and warmth. This native Texan made a lasting impression with his 1975 debut album Old No. 1. His extensive songwriting catalog includes cuts by Johnny Cash (“Texas 1947”), Kenny Chesney (“Hemingway’s Whiskey”), Rodney Crowell (“She’s Crazy for Leaving”) and Ricky Skaggs (“Heartbroke”). Meanwhile, his own recordings of “L.A. Freeway” and “Desperadoes Waiting for a Train” make listeners feel as though they know him personally. The 2011 collection, This One’s For Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark, received a Grammy nomination for best folk album.

Hank Williams remains one of the most revered songwriters in history. A native of Alabama, Williams’ commercial style found a champion in music publisher Fred Rose in 1946. Despite a brief career, Williams catalog includes “Cold, Cold Heart,” “Hey Good Lookin’” and “Your Cheatin’ Heart.” His compositions have been recorded by Tony Bennett, Jimmy Buffett, Norah Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis, Charley Pride, Linda Ronstadt and Hank Williams Jr., among many others. The legendary figure was found dead on Jan. 1, 1953. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961 and received the 1973 ACM Pioneer Award. Hank Williams will be honored posthumously.

Previous recipients of the Poet’s Award include Bill Anderson, Bobby Braddock, Hank Cochran, Merle Haggard, Tom T. Hall, Harlan Howard, Roger Miller, Fred Rose, Don Schlitz and Cindy Walker. Continue Reading

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

Willie Nelson, Carole King and Annie Lennox will be presented with honorary doctor of music degrees by Berklee College of Music president Roger Brown at Berklee’s commencement ceremony, Saturday, May 11. Annie Lennox will speak at the ceremony, addressing more than 900 Berklee graduates, their parents and invited guests.

The honorary doctorate recipients are being recognized for their achievements and influence in music, and for their contributions to American and international culture. Past recipients include Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Smokey Robinson, Steven Tyler, Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jones, Juan Luis Guerra, Loretta Lynn, Paco de Lucía, David Bowie, the Edge, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Chaka Khan, Bonnie Raitt, George Clinton, Alison Krauss, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff.  Continue Reading

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