Kenny Chesney (L) and Lionel Richie perform onstage during Lionel Richie and Friends in Concert presented by ACM held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 2, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Country music superstars like Kenny Chesney,  Tim McGraw and Martina McBride will pay tribute to the legendary Lionel Richie in ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert. The concert special airs Friday, April 13 at 9/8 p.m. Central on CBS. During the show, country stars will perform some of Lionel’s biggest hits as well as duets featured on Lionel’s new album, Tuskegee.

Artists performing include Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Sara Evans, The Band Perry, Big & Rich, Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker, Little Big Town, Jennifer Nettles, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers, Blake Shelton and Marc Anthony. Lionel’s daughter, Nicole Richie, also makes a special appearance.

See photos from Lionel Richie & Friends Concert! >>

Duets with Lionel during the show include “My Love” with Kenny Chesney, “Sail On” with  Tim McGraw, “Hello” with Jennifer Nettles, “Lady” with Kenny Rogers, “Stuck On You” with Darius Rucker, “Dancin’ On The Ceiling” with Rascal Flatts, along with surprises.

Watch exclusive backstage videos from the Lionel Richie & Friends Concert! >>

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Luke Bryan photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Luke Bryan and Willie Nelson will take part in the Billboard Country Summit, reports Billboard. Held June 4-5 the Cannery Ballroom in Nashville as the unofficial kickoff of CMA Music Festival, the third annual Country Summit will look at several segments of the country music industry including radio, touring, publishing and digital technologies.

On June 4, Luke will take part in the Artist Development Case Study. Key members of Luke’s team, including his manager Kerri Edwards at Red Light Management and agent Jay Williams of William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, will discuss the strategic moves that have taken Luke to headliner status. They will also talk about what comes next for Luke as his career continues to grow.

Willie will visit the Country Summit on June 5 to be interviewed by Billboard executive director Ray Waddell. In town for a show that night at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Willie will talk about – whatever he wants. With a catalog that includes some of country music’s greatest song, his work with Farm Aid, and having played thousands of shows, he will have plenty to discuss with the panel, including his new album, Heroes, which will be released May 15. Continue Reading

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Martina McBride photo courtesy of Republic Nashville.

Individual tickets to the Nightly Concerts at LP Field during CMA Music Festival will go on sale Saturday, April 14 at 11/10 AM CT. Tickets will be $40 for general admission in the upper deck of LP Field and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1 (800) 745-3000 or through CMAfest.com or 1 (800) CMA-FEST (262-3378).

Four-day ticket packages are still available and start at $125 per person. They include admission to all four Nightly Concerts as well as all daytime festival activities, including the Fan Fair Fall where artist autograph signing sessions are held. Children three years and younger are admitted free.

Additionally, Martina McBride, Jake Owen and Hunter Hayes have been added to the Nightly Concerts. This will mark Hunter’s first performance at LP Field during CMA Music Festival. CMA will announce more artists joining the lineup soon. The Nightly Concerts will once again be filmed for a concert special airing on ABC later in the year.

The current lineups for the Nightly Concerts are as follows in alphabetical order:

Thursday, June 7:  Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley, and Zac Brown Band

Friday, June 8:  The Band Perry, Brantley Gilbert, Jake Owen, Blake Shelton, and Carrie Underwood   Continue Reading

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Suzanne Alexander & Toby Keith backstage at the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 1, 2012.

GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown hit the red carpet at the ACM Award with hosts Nan Kelley and Suzanne Alexander. They caught up with some of your favorite country stars both on the carpet and backstage. Between chatting with the stars, they counted down this week’s Top 20 videos!

Miss Friday night’s premiere? Check the schedule for re-airs throughout the weekend to catch interviews with Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Scotty McCreery, Chris Young, Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton. Check the full schedule »

On the charts this week, the Top 5 remain unchanged with Carrie Underwood still in the top spot. Luke Bryan’s latest video, “Drunk On You,” makes its countdown premiere in the No. 13 spot with Lionel Richie and Shania Twain’s “Endless Love” debuting at No. 19.

This Week’s Chart:

1. Carrie Underwood – “Good Girl”
2. Alan Jackson – “So You Don’t Have To Love Me Anymore”
3. Lauren Alaina – “Georgia Peaches”
4. Miranda Lambert – “Over You””
5. Katie Armiger – “Scream
6. Keith Urban – “For You”
7. Taylor Swift – “Ours”
8. Lady Antebellum – “Dancin’ Away With My Heart”
9. Josh Turner – “Time Is Love”
10. Thompson Square – “Glass”
11. Keith Urban – “You Gonna Fly”
12. Taylor Swift feat. The Civil Wars – “Safe & Sound”
13. Luke Bryan – “Drunk On You”
14. Gloriana – “(Kissed You) Good Night”
15. Lee Brice – “Woman Like You”
16. Jake Owen – “Alone With You”
17. Craig Morgan – “This Ole Boy
18. Dierks Bentley – “Home”
19. Lionel Richie with Shania Twain – “Endless Love”
20. Rascal Flatts – “Banjo”

GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown premieres every Friday night at 9/8c with re-airs throughout the weekend. Click here for a complete schedule.

Vote daily for GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown »

Browse GAC’s All-Star Top 20 Photo Gallery »

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Lionel Richie's 2012 CD, Tuskegee. Photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Lionel Richie’s new album, Tuskegee, a collection of 13 of his biggest hits performed as duets with country stars, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart this week. This marks Lionel’s highest-charting album since 1986 and is the best-selling debut by a country artist so far this year. Tuskegee debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart, coming in behind Madonna.

“I am ecstatic!” Lionel said. “These songs are like my children, so I am overwhelmed that they are being embraced by several generations of music lovers. I am so grateful to all of my duet partners for bringing their own distinctive styles and personalities to this album and interpreting these songs in fresh new ways.”

Read our review of Lionel Richie’s Tuskegee >>

Lionel is already looking forward to more days in Music City. “I have loved my time in Nashville and can’t wait to spend more time there writing songs and collaborating in the studio,” he said. “It inspires me creatively and being there just makes my heart feel good.”

Tuskegee is a hit outside of the United States as well. The album debuted at No. 1 on Canada’s Top Albums chart and is in the Top 10 in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Holland and Sweden. Tuskegee is Lionel’s first No. 1 album in Canada in the SoundScan era and his first No. 1 album in Canada since his Can’t Slow Down album in 1983.

“What makes this so special is that I am able to experience all of this with my children,” Lionel said. “They are too young to know about the Commodores or anything that I did in the eighties. They just know me as the dad who drives them to school. I’m glad they finally get to see what I do for a living!”

Besides sharing the album with his children, Lionel appreciates the chance to share the record with those who influenced and supported him from the beginning. He named his album Tuskegee after his hometown of Tuskegee, Alabama as a way to pay tribute to his roots. Continue Reading

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GAC host Suzanne Alexander in her sunroom. Photo by Joe Hardwick.

When she’s not interviewing country’s biggest stars or rodeo champs, you’ll most likely find GAC host Suzanne Alexander relaxing in her Nashville-area home in her rustic, spacious sunroom.

“I love the outdoors, and this room lets me enjoy that, while providing shelter from the Tennessee bugs,” says Suzanne.

Suzanne’s sunroom is the first room featured in our new online series, “My Favorite Room.” Also in the new series is a gallery of Trisha Yearwood‘s Nashville kitchen.

Take a tour of Suzanne’s home retreat here and read the stories behind some of her most cherished knick knacks >> Continue Reading

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LAS VEGAS, NV - APRIL 01: Singer Lionel Richie arrives at the 47th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 1, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

The Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions announced today that Marc Anthony, Darius Rucker and Big & Rich will complete the all-star lineup of artists scheduled to perform at the ACM PRESENTS: Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert taping Monday, April 2, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.  The special will air Friday, April 13, 2012 on CBS.

ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert is a special concert event of country music collaborations with the legendary Lionel Richie, featuring duets from his latest album Tuskegee, out now, along with solo performances.  Some of Richie’s greatest hits will be performed by today’s hottest artists including Jason Aldean (“Say You Say Me”), Luke Bryan (“Running with the Night”), Sara Evans and Marc Anthony (“Endless Love”), Martina McBride (“Still”), The Band Perry (“Penny Lover”), Big & Rich (“Brick House”) and Lady Antebellum (“Truly”). 

Duets with Lionel include: “My Love” with Kenny Chesney, “Sail On” with  Tim McGraw, “Hello” with Jennifer Nettles, “Lady” with Kenny Rogers, “Stuck On You” with Darius Rucker, “Dancin’ On The Ceiling” with Rascal Flatts and more surprises. Continue Reading

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Country stars were all a-twitter about the ACM Awards! In this special ACM Awards-themed edition of Top 10 Tweets, The Band Perry shares their first kiss, Brad Paisley tries a new look, Hunter Hayes and Luke Bryan have fun performing and Lee Brice and Scotty McCreery share their gratitude. Here are the Top 10 Tweets about the ACM Awards – and a few bonus ones!

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/thebandperry.

The Band Perry – TheBandPerry: We all remember our first KISS.

Carrie Underwood – CarrieUnderwood: Happy #aprilfools! I’ve pranked my mom, @mikefisher1212 and various people here at #ACM‘s! Ah ha ha ha! Who’s next?

Lady Antebellum – LadyAntebellum: Great and hilarious start to the #ACMs. Loving @blakeshelton & @reba! Going to be a great night!

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/BradPaisley.

Brad Paisley – BradPaisley: Probably not my new look. But I’ll try anything once. Thanks for the jam Zachary Continue Reading

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GAC hosts Suzanne Alexander, Storme Warren & Nan Kelley on the red carpet at the 47th Annual ACM Awards. Photo by Sara Kauss.

GAC is the only place where you will relive all of the star power, excitement and emotional moments from the 47^th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards when we re-air Sunday night’s telecast Monday, June 4 at 9 p.m. Eastern. 

Broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the show is co-hosted by Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton, and features performances by Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Sara Evans, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Pat Monahan, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Chris Young, The Band Perry, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town and Rascal Flatts, along with special duets and collaborations performed by Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton & Lionel Richie, Rascal Flatts & Steve Martin.

Once again GAC was the exclusive live television outlet for the Academy’s celebrity arrivals for the event. ACM Red Carpet Live with hosts Suzanne Alexander, Storme Warren and Nan Kelley features lively interviews with many of the top ACM nominees and performers and will re-air at 8 p.m. Eastern on June 4.

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Jake Owen photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

The Academy of Country Music announced today that Marc Anthony, Ashton Kutcher, Jake Owen, LeAnn Rimes, Grace Potter, and Eli Young Band are scheduled to present as part of the 47^th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards . The ceremony, which honors country music’s top talent as well as the industry’s hottest emerging artists, is produced for television by dick clark productions and will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 8 p.m. live ET/delayed PT on CBS.

Anthony, Kutcher, Owen, Rimes, Potter, and Eli Young Band join previously announced presenters Beth Behrs, Zac Brown, Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes, Liam Hemsworth, LL COOL J, KISS, Scotty McCreery, Nancy O’Dell, Lionel Richie, Taylor Swift, The Band Perry, Sugarland, and Thompson Square.

Previously announced ACM Awards performers are Continue Reading

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