George Jones photo courtesy of Webster PR.

George Jones’ final Nashville concert, set for November 22 at Bridgestone Arena, has expanded once again. Cyndi Lauper, Don McLean and Billy Ray Cyrus have been added to the lineup of the sold-out show. Last week, George announced the additions of Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt, Pam Tillis, Kathy Mattea, Tracy Lawrence, Patty Loveless, Joe Diffie, Mark Chesnutt and T. Graham Brown.

“Now, people may not know this, but I have been a fan of Cyndi’s since I first saw her years ago at the Grammy awards, what a thrill it was to hear she will be part of this final celebration,” George said. “Don McLean and I first met in the ‘70s, here in Nashville, and I love his singing, his songwriting, and I know his performance will be just as special as when I first saw him sing. Billy Ray is an old friend and someone I have spent many times together, bless his heart for wanting to be with me on this show. I love and respect all these singers.” Continue Reading

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Patsy Cline.

By Eileen Sisk

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

The Grand Ole Opry suffered the biggest loss of talent in its 87-year history when a small plane carrying Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins, along with Cline’s manager Randy Hughes, crashed on the evening of March 5, 1963, in a heavily wooded area roughly 100 miles west of Nashville.

The singers had performed at a benefit on March 3, in Kansas City, Kan., for the family of radio DJ “Cactus” Jack Call, who had died in a car accident a little more than a month earlier. Foggy weather kept them from flying out immediately, and they had to wait a day before they could leave.

Operator error was cited as the cause of the crash because Hughes was not instrument-rated and took off despite warnings of severe windy conditions after a fuel stop in Dyersburg, Tenn. The clock on the plane stopped at 6:18:15 p.m., while Cline’s wristwatch stopped almost 17 minutes later at 6:30 p.m. Continue Reading

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Patsy Cline

The Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum will pay tribute to one of country music’s most iconic artists, the inimitable Patsy Cline, with Patsy Cline:  Crazy for Loving You, a biographical exhibit opening Friday, August 24, 2012, for a 10-month run in the museum’s East Gallery.  The exhibition will run through June 10, 2013.

Opening weekend festivities will include an August 25 panel discussion featuring Patsy’s husband, Charlie Dick, and daughter, Julie Fudge, Country Music Hall of Fame member Harold Bradley and singers George Hamilton IV and Jan Howard; an August 25 concert featuring Bradley, singer-songwriter Jessi Alexander, Always…Patsy Cline star and singer Mandy Barnett, duo Striking Matches and singer Emily West; and an August 26 screening of the documentary Patsy Cline:  Sweet Dreams Still.  The panel discussion and concert are included with museum admission and free for Continue Reading

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Frankie Ballard photo courtesy of Warner Music Nashville.

The lineup for the 2012 CMA Music Festival’s Bud Light Stage at the Bridgestone Plaza and the new BIC Soleil Bella Beach Stage have been announced. The two concerts will provide fans with over 40 hours of concerts for free. The CMA Music Festival takes place June 7-10. “Live music is a hallmark of CMA Music Festival and we are excited to be able to add a new stage and even more performances this year,” Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer, said.

The BIC Soleil Bella Beach Stage is a new addition to this year’s CMA Music Festival with concerts and activities starting at 11:00 AM/CT each day during the Festival. The Bud Light Stage at Bridgestone Arena Plaza, at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway, is a fan favorite and a great place to catch up and coming country artists.

Artists currently scheduled to perform at the Bud Light Stage at Bridgestone Arena Plaza include:

Thursday, June 7
11:00 AM – 11:25 AM            Jeff Bates
11:45 AM – 12:10 PM             Greg Bates
12:30 PM – 12:55 PM             Julie Roberts
1:15 PM – 1:40 PM                  Tyler Farr
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM                “Classic Country Show” featuring Moe Bandy, T. Graham Brown, Jane Fricke and Gene Watson, hosted by Moore  & Moore
3:20 PM – 3:45 PM                  Trent Tomlinson
4:05 PM – 4:30 PM                  Miss Willie Brown
4:50 PM – 5:15 PM                  Cledus T. Judd

Friday, June 8
11:00 AM – 11:25 AM             Eric Paslay
11:45 AM – 12:10 PM              Rose Falcon
12:30 PM – 12:55 PM              Katie Armiger
1:15 PM – 1:40 PM                   Exile
2:00 PM – 2:25 PM                  The McClymonts
2:45 PM – 3:10 PM                  Frankie Ballard
3:30 PM – 3:55 PM                  Big Smo
4:15 PM – 4:40 PM                  Drake White
5:00 PM – 5:25 PM                  Blackberry Smoke Continue Reading

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Edens Edge photo courtesy of Big Machine Records.

Have you made your New Year’s Eve plans yet? Check out where you can catch some of your favorite country stars ringing in 2012, both live and on TV:

Edens Edge will perform at the third annual “Bash On Broadway” in Nashville along with The Farm, Jeffrey Steele and headliner Lynyrd Skynyrd.The free show will take place on Broadway beginning at 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and will be broadcast live to a national audience on Sirius XM Radio. GAC’s Storme Warren will serve as emcee.

The Band Perry will close out the year with a performance on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest, as part of the Los Angeles celebration. The special will air on ABC December 31.

Rodney Atkins, Joe Nichols and Lauren Alaina will perform live from the Las Vegas strip during FOX’s American Country New Year’s Eve Live special. Hosted by Rodney Carrington, the special will also feature performances by Eli Young Band and Toby Keith and include coverage from the ball drop at New York City’s Time Square. Tune in to FOX at 11/10c December 31 to catch it.

Chris Young will be headlining a New Year’s Eve show at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth, Texas.

Sarah Darling will headline the 4^th annual New Year’s Eve Beach Ball Drop at Pier Parkin Panama City Beach, FL. Taking the stage at 10:45 p.m., Sarah will be the final performer before the 800-pound glowing beach ball begins its descent and final countdown to 2012.

The Grand Ole Opry will ring in 2012 with Friday and Saturday night Opry performances at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. John Conlee, Craig Morgan, Mandy Barnett, Jeannie Seely, Jimmy Wayne, Little Jimmy Dickens and Jean Shepard are all on the schedule for the December 30 show, while Little Jimmy Dickens, Jimmy Wayne, Jett Williams, Jan Howard, Mandy Barnett and Dailey & Vincent are all scheduled to appear on December 31.

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Mandy Barnett photo courtesy of Suzanne Kessler.

‘Tis the season for parties, presents and eating. Lots of eating, especially sweets! We asked some of your favorite stars to share their most cherished holiday memories of family traditions and recipes. Some of them even shared those recipes with us — and now we’re passing them along to you! Check out our 12 Days of Country Cookies section for stories & recipes from artists including Martina McBride, Montgomery Gentry, Eli Young Band, Randy Owen and more! In fact, we couldn’t stop at just 12 days; we have a few bonus recipes. Here’s one from singer extraordinaire, Mandy Barnett. Watch the video below and then follow the recipe for a yummy holiday treat!

Ingredients for pie:
3 egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue)
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup boiling water
1 oz. chocolate

Directions: Mix cornstarch and sugar, add boiling water. Cook on medium heat until thick. Add chocolate, finely cut, and egg yolks. Cook in double boiler until thick. Pour into baked crust, cover with meringue and brown.

Ingredients for meringue:
Beat egg whites, adding 1 tsp. sugar for each egg white. Put on pie and bake in oven at 350 degrees until brown. Enjoy!

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Rascal Flatts is invited to join the Opry by member Vince Gill. Photo by Chris Hollo, courtesy of Schmidt Relations.

The Grand Ole Opry is celebrating their 86^th birthday the whole month of October  and this weekend will mark the Opry’s official Birthday Bash. If you can’t make it to Nashville, you can catch a lot of the action on GAC during episodes of Opry Live scheduled to air on Saturday, October 8 and Tuesday, October 11.

On Friday, October 7, Jason Michael Carroll, Crystal Bowersox, Mandy Barnett, Ricky Skaggs, Connie Smith and The Whites are just some of the talents on the Opry’s schedule. Mandy Barnett will sign copies of her CD Sweet Dreams and her new Christmas album, Winter Wonderland, in the Opry Shop from 5:30 to 6:30 prior to the show.

On Saturday, October 8, Jean Shepard, Charley Pride, Craig Morgan, Ronnie Dunn (who will be making his Opry debut as a solo artist) and Rascal Flatts, who will be inducted as the newest members of the Opry family, are on tap, among others. You can catch the show live on GAC during Opry Live at 9/8 CT.

Taking the Opry stage on Tuesday, October 11 will be Chris Young, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, LeAnn Rimes, Montgomery Gentry, Sara Evans, Scotty McCreery and Trace Adkins. Some performances will be broadcast live on Opry Live at 8/7 CT on GAC. Other performances from the night will be filmed for an episode of Opry Live to air October 29 at 9/8 CT. Continue Reading

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Jean Shepard & Mandy Barnett

The Grand Ole Opry is inviting fans to set sail with classic country music artists aboard the Royal Caribbean International’s Voyager of the Seas. Famed country music broadcaster Ralph Emery, along with fellow Hall of Fame member Jean Shepard, Jan Howard, Jeannie Seely, T.G. Sheppard and Mandy Barnett will entertain fans on this year’s Opry Country Classics Cruise from January 28 to February 4, 2012. The cruise will leave from New Orleans with stops at three ports of call.

“We are delighted that the Grand Ole Opry is sailing with Royal Caribbean again,” said Vicki Freed, senior vice president of Sales, Trade Support and Services, Royal Caribbean International. “Every guest will enjoy Voyager of the Seas innovative onboard amenities and world-renowned Gold Anchor Service from our friendly and engaging staff and crew. Country stars and fans alike will have a great time aboard Voyager of the Seas, especially during our first season back in the exciting city of New Orleans.” Continue Reading

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Mandy Barnett photo courtesy of http://www.myspace.com/mandycarolbarnett.

In celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the release of Patsy Cline’s “Crazy,” critically acclaimed vocalist and stage performer Mandy Barnett is releasing her new album, Sweet Dreams, on May 24. The release also coincides with Mandy’s leading role return to the Ryman stage in Always… Patsy Cline. The show makes its six-week reprise beginning July 17. On Sweet Dreams, Mandy takes on 12 of Patsy Cline’s most legendary songs.

Track Listing:

1. Always
2. Bill Baily, Won’t You Please Come Home
3. Crazy
4. I Fall To Pieces
5. Faded Love
6. Have You Ever Been Lonely
7. Life’s Railway To Heaven
8. She’s Got You
9. So Wrong
10. Strange
11. Walkin’ After Midnight
12. Sweet Dreams

Mandy recently visited our studio and revealed 5 things you may not know about her. Her list is one of our favorites — check it out! Continue Reading

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Carrie Underwood backstage at the 45th Annual ACM Awards on April 18, 2010. Photo by Jenny Dew, GAC Staff.

Given her public demeanor and the way fellow artists talk about her, it’s appropriate to think of Carrie Underwood as a friendly, classy lady.

But she does have a mean streak. She put it to work in writing “Undo It,” her latest single.

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