Country music was very good to Billy Ray Cyrus. His smash debut single, “Achy Breaky Heart,” made the Kentucky native a national star and paid the bills for his family for many years, before Billy Ray successfully branched out into TV and film, most recently playing a country singer in the TV series, Hannah Montana. However, Hannah Montana star and Billy Ray’s daughter, Miley Cyrus, has some pretty harsh words for the musical genre. Continue Reading
Ryan Bingham earned a lot of attention for country music when he picked up an Oscar award for the theme from Crazy Heart this weekend, but he’s hardly alone among country recording artists participating in current film projects.
The Golden Globe Awards are often hailed as the movie industry’s warm up for the Oscars, and it certainly worked that way for Ryan Bingham.
When “The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart)” won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song in January, Ryan was off chatting at the bar, leaving co-writer T Bone Burnett to deliver a somewhat bewildered acceptance speech.
Ryan learned an important lesson for Oscar night: stay in your seat. And he did exactly that on Sunday, until “The Weary Kind” won again. Ryan and T Bone shared the podium at the Kodak Theatre, though Ryan did most of the talking, including a sweet dedication to his wife, Anna Axster.
Over 75 artists gathered in Hollywood on February 1, 2010 to record the 25th Anniversary version of "We Are The World."
On February 1, over 75 stars gathered at the Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood, CA to record the 25th Anniversary version of “We Are The World.” The collection of artists and celebrities was incredible, from Akon to Zac Brown and everyone in between. Lionel Richie, who produced the original version with Michael Jackson, was on hand once again to help produce this all new 2010 version.
Proceeds from this new recording and the accompanying video will go directly to Haitian relief efforts through the We Are The World Foundation. If you want to help out you can got to iTunes and download the song or video at www.iTunes.com/wearetheworld or you can text “world” to 50555 to donate $10 via your mobile account.
I already mentioned Zac Brown, but some other artists with a tie to country music you’ll catch a glimpse of in the video include Sugarland, Julianne Hough, Miley Cyrus, and Jeff Bridges.
I applaud all the stars for taking time out to participate in this uplifting project and for continuing to help drive fund-raising efforts for Haiti. There are way too many stars to mention by name in this post, so just click on the video below and see for yourself. Have fun trying to spot all your favorites…
Leave me a comment and let me know what you think of the 2010 version of “We Are The World” and tell me what other country stars you would like to have seen in the video…
The Winter Olympics brings hockey, figure skating, ski jumping and bobsledding back to television beginning Friday. So if you were Rascal Flatts and wanted to redo one of your hits for the Olympics, what would you call it?
“‘Bob That Sled,’” Flatts guitarist Joe Don Rooney laughs.
Actually, the group has put new lyrics to its current single, “Unstoppable,” for inclusion in a digital-release Olympics album, 2010 AT&T Team USA Soundtrack, which also features Gloriana’s “The World Is Ours Tonight” and Sugarland’s “Wide Open” alongside tracks by Mariah Carey, 3 Doors Down, Hoobastank and the All-American Rejects.
He knows when to hold ‘em, and there’s no need to fold ‘em: The man they call The Gambler hopes to pull an ace out of his sleeve with a television special, “Kenny Rogers: The First 50 Years.”
Kenny hasn’t found a TV home for it yet, but he has got a date and place for the shoot: April 10 at the Foxwoods Resort Casino’s MGM Grand Theater in Mashantucket, Conn. He also has a bunch of friends lined up to help out: Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Alison Krauss, Wynonna and the Oak Ridge Boys.
Twenty-five years after Kenny Rogers’ then-manager Ken Kragen helped coordinate the landmark USA For Africa single “We Are The World,” the song was re-recorded Monday in Los Angeles with a cast of characters that apparently dwarfed the original, which featured nearly 50 artists of the time.
With Quincy Jones back to produce and Lionel Richie, who co-wrote the song with Michael Jackson, at the center of the event, more than 100 artists were expected to take part, according to CNN, though none of the artists who played on the first version were asked back this time. That means no Bob Dylan, no Bruce Springsteen, no Tina Turner and no Paul Simon. Country music’s Willie Nelson was on that first version, too.
Even without Willie, and without Kenny, country has a role again in the 2010 version. Zac Brown, Sugarland, Julianne Hough and Miley Cyrus are among the artists who joined the crew in Los Angeles, according to an official release. They sang alongside Tony Bennett, Barbra Streisand, the Jonas Brothers, Celine Dion, Wyclef Jean, Jason Mraz, Jeff Bridges, Josh Groban, Pink, Usher and Carlos Santana.
So the holidays are over and you’re thrilled to be back at work… right? Sorry if the answer’s no, but we all gotta do what we all gotta do. And just like the rest of us, country artists are going back to work en masse this week. Rascal Flatts tapes an acting role; Keith Urban, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood hit an awards show; and Brad Paisley is kicking off the next leg of his current tour.
Really. That really is work, as it’s defined in their job descriptions.
Taylor Swift performs “Forever & Always” at “The 43rd Annual CMA Awards,” on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009, live from the Sommet Center in Nashville on the ABC Television Network. Photographer: John Russell / CMA. Provided by Country Music Association.
The top news story in country music is unavoidable. Taylor Swift was everywhere, doing everything and reaching everybody in 2009. She appeared in movies with the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus; headlined her first concert tour; showed up on two different episodes of “Saturday Night Live”; won Entertainer of the Year from the Country Music Association; sold more records than anyone else in the year; crossed into the pop charts; contributed to albums by John Mayer and Boys Like Girls; and finally turned 20 in December.
Oh, and she earned lots of unintended sympathy by simply being on an awards-show stage at the same time as some perpetually angry guy named Kanye West.
On Tuesday, July 21, 2009 Brad Paisley performed for the President, First Lady and family, members of Congress and White House staff in the historic East Room of the White House. Photo credit Ben Enos.
The inauguration of Barack Obama put an emotional start on 2009 as America installed its first African-American president, and country had a role in that event. But it was just the start of a relationship between country and the new commander in chief: Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Charley Pride and Alison Krauss + Union Station would also sing for the world’s most powerful man as the year unfolded.
Garth Brooks and Jennifer Nettles had high-profile moments in January when they performed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in “We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration.” Garth delivered several of his hits, including “We Shall Be Free,” a song that was inspired by the 1992 Los Angeles riots in the wake of the racially divisive Rodney King verdict. Jennifer teamed with James Taylor and John Legend for a version of “Shower The People,” performed in front of a row of American flags.
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