Neal McCoy returns to his former job as shoe salesman on GAC's Day Jobs.

Before Neal McCoy made his mark in the country music industry, he was a shoe salesman specializing in women’s footwear. In the latest episode of GAC’s Day Jobs, Neal returns to his former 9-5 lifestyle  to see if he still has what it takes. The episode premieres on October 16 at 8/7 CT.

On Day Jobs, today’s top country stars return to their former day jobs to see if they can still cut it in the occupations that once helped make ends meet as they dreamed of the spotlight. They discover just how far they’ve come and realize just how much those early jobs helped shape their lives today.

Neal spent three years working as a shoe salesmen at a local department store before his music career took off. It was the first place he came into contact with the general public. “It’s good grooming for you,” he said. “In the music business, you have to deal with different folks every day, different personalities all the time.” Continue Reading

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Neal McCoy photo courtesy of Webster & Assoc.

Neal McCoy has been a busy man! In the next three months, Neal will release two new projects. In November, DPTV Media will release a concert CD and DVD collaboration that pairs Neal with Les Brown Jr. and his Band of Renown. Music of Your Life with Les Brown Jr. and His Band of Renown, Starring Neal McCoy, and Special Guests Charley Pride and Janie Fricke will be released November 8 and will include a 13-song CD and 21-song DVD.

In January, Neal will release an album called XII. Produced by Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton and Brent Rowan, this will be Neal’s 12^th studio album and his first on his new label home, Blaster Records. His first single from the album, “A-OK,” written by Barry Dean, Luke Laird and Brett Eldredge, will be released this month.

“My DPTV project with Les Brown gave me the opportunity to do something I always wanted to do, sing with horns and a Big Band,” Neal said. “And I’d like to do more of that. Having Miranda and Blake involved in ‘XII’, the first project at my new label, Blaster Records, is huge for me. Not only do they have great vision, but they know when to have fun and when to get serious along with being fantastic musicians. I’m so excited about everything that’s coming up.” Continue Reading

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Trace Adkins on the set of Day Jobs.

Before the hit songs, awards and thousands of screaming fans, country stars held day jobs just like those who love their music. In Day Jobs, an original series premiering on Sunday, October 2 at 8 PM/ET, several of today’s top stars step away from the stage lights and put in a full day’s work the way they did before they made it big.

Each one-hour episode of Day Jobs follows three stars as they work a shift in a variety of jobs ranging from offshore oil rig roughneck to cattle rancher, women’s shoe salesman, pilot and waitress. As they work, they realize just how far they’ve come and how those early jobs helped shaped their life today.

Every participant agreed to put in a full eight-hour day and some had to undergo additional training. Before Trace Adkins returned to his former job as a roughneck on an offshore oil rig, he had to spend a day in safety training. Joe Nichols had to become certified to drive a forklift before spending a day loading pallets and filling orders in a warehouse. Continue Reading

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GAC asked you, the fans, to help us pick the Top 50 Videos of the ’90s and all this week host Neal McCoy counted  them down! Here’s the final list — we hope each song title brings back lots of good memories! See the re-air times for the series HERE.  Check out the list below and leave us a comment to tell us about your favorite video from the ’90s.

GAC’s Top 50 Videos of the ’90s: Continue Reading

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Tim McGraw in his 1994 video, "Indian Outlaw."

Tim McGraw’s “Indian Outlaw” came in at No. 49 on GAC’s Top 50 Videos of the ’90s and with good reason. In the video, directed by Sherman Halsey, a long-haired Tim is center stage for most of it, performing the song - with some killer dance moves – while couples tear up the dance floor around him. In other scenes, he takes off on a motorcycle, a female friend along for the ride. The song was a Top 10 hit for Tim in 1994, but if producer James Stroud had had his way, the song would have never been recorded.

“I hated that song,” James told GAC. “I told Tim not to cut that song. I begged him not to cut it. He said, ‘Look it’s my career, I’ll cut it, let’s cut it.’ So I cut it. I thought it was the worst thing in the world. Of course we fought about it. He said I want it for the first single anyway. The bottom line was, we went and did this song. We worked on it as hard as we could.”

James ate his words when the song became a hit – in more ways than one. “We put the record out,” he said. “I told him it wasn’t going to be a hit. I was absolutely wrong. The thing blew up. And of course he has this big, huge hit called “Indian Outlaw” now. Then I realized, after all this, that I published it. So, I really like it now.”

Check out the video below Continue Reading

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(l-r): Keith Anderson, JT Hodges, Neal McCoy.

GAC went to the experts – you, the viewers – to help us compile the Top 20 Tailgating Songs and the Top 50 videos of the 90s. Your votes have been counted and the results will be revealed beginning this weekend in two GAC specials, Top 20 Tailgating Songs premiering August 13 at 9/8 CT, and Top 50 Videos of the ’90s premiering on August 15 at 8/7 CT.

“GAC viewers always respond enthusiastically when we invite them to pick their favorite programming, and ‘Top 20 Tailgating Songs’ and ‘Top 50 Videos of the ‘90’s’ puts the fans in the driver’s seat for 7 prime time hours!” said Suzanne Gordon, VP of Programming for GAC.  “From a great party mix to some of the best videos you haven’t seen in a while, these fan-voted specials prove that country music is the perfect soundtrack for the end of summer!” Continue Reading

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Nan Kelley with Little Big Town at Country Thunder Arizona. Photo credit GAC staff.

On this week’s Top 20 Country Countdown, Nan Kelley traveled to Florence, Arizona to the Country Thunder festival. Tune in  tonight at 8/7 CT to catch our interviews with Martina McBride, Little Big Town, Rodney Atkins, Neal McCoy and The Bellamy Brothers!

Plus, starting this week you can enter GAC’s Top 20 for $20,000 Sweepstakes.  The Grand Prize winner will receive $20,000 in cash.  Be sure to tune in each week and watch for Nan to give out the name of our featured “hitmaker” so you can also enter for your chance at our weekly $1,000 cash giveaway.  Get complete details and enter now »

The Top 20 Country Countdown is chosen by you, the fans, so head over to our voting page and choose your favorites! You can vote once a day!

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Steel Magnolia photo courtesy of Big Machine Records.

Wisconsin’s Country Thunder festival has added several more artists to their lineup. Craig Morgan, Lorrie Morgan, Steel Magnolia, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Stealing Angels and Jason Jones join a previously announced lineup that includes Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Martina McBride, Darius Rucker, Zac Brown Band, and Easton Corbin.  More artists will be announced in the coming weeks.

The four day festival will take place July 21-24 this year. Four day passes are available now and single day tickets will be made available closer to the event. Country fans are invited to camp out  at the venue and to check out Country Thunder’s brand new website.

The announced lineup includes: Continue Reading

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Trace Adkins photo courtesy of Show Dog-Universal Music.

Kix Brooks, Trace Adkins and Buddy Jewell are among the latest acts taking time from their schedules to honor the soldiers who put their lives on the line for their country.

Kix is in the midst of a Middle East tour, Buddy just headed out with with a package of country singers that will visit four countries, and Trace is set to appear on a TV special with a military theme before his own USO journey.

Not that it’s anything unusual for country acts. Among the artists who’ve lent themselves to the USO in the past are Toby Keith, Neal McCoy, Chely Wright, Craig Morgan, Kellie Pickler and the Zac Brown Band.

Here’s what some of country’s stars are doing with the USO:

Continue Reading

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Photo courtesy of the Academy of Country Music and Getty Images.

Montgomery Gentry got together with associates from The Home Depot this past Wednesday to build a custom playground designed by KaBOOM! at the Booker T Washington Academy in Lexington, KY.  The playground was built in their honor as part of the ACM/Home Depot Humanitarian Award they received this past April at the 45th Annual ACM Awards show.

Following that awards show,  Montgomery Gentry asked country music fans and consumers to help select the city where the new KaBOOM! playground would be built.  Over 54,000 votes were cast and Lexington, KY came out on top.

The ACM/Home Depot Humanitarian Award is presented annually to recognize country music artists who serve others, have a generous spirit and help build the dreams of those in need. Past recipients of the Humanitarian Award include LeAnn Rimes, Rascal Flatts, Brooks & Dunn, Vince Gill, Neal McCoy, Martina McBride, Lonestar and Reba McEntire.

Click here to learn more about the Academy of Country Music »

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