Keith Urban photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Keith Urban will return to the stage for the first time since undergoing successful vocal cord surgery late last year with a performance on the Grand Ole Opry February 3. Keith’s performance will take place as the Opry wraps its winter run at the historic Ryman Auditorium. The Opry returns to the Grand Ole Opry House the next day.

Other artists scheduled to appear on the Opry with Keith are Charley Pride and the Oak Ridge Boys, with more artists to be added. Keith is also scheduled to perform on the Opry on March 9 at the Opry House. Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Del McCoury, Craig Morgan, Ricky Skaggs, Josh Turner and more will appear on the Opry stage in coming weeks. Continue Reading

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Country music stars sure love Twitter! In this week’s edition of Top 10 Tweets, Brad Paisley extends a peace offering, Laura Bell Bundy pays off some travel karma debt, Scotty McCreery reveals his role in a Brad Paisley prank and Miranda Lambert is embarassed by her parents while watching them on Tom’s Wild Life. Here are our picks for the Top 10 Country Tweets Of The Week.

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/DierksBentley.

Dierks Bentley – DierksBentley: just got some funny pics from tonight in Minnesota. first up…girl overboard!

Brad Paisley – BradPaisley: Gave @edensedge a new Razorback floormat tonight. So there.

Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts – JayDeMarcus: I am beside myself. We were asked to be members of the Grand Ole Opry tonight!!! The greatest honor ever!!! Can’t believe it, am I dreaming?

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/whitneyduncan.

Whitney Duncan – WhitneyDuncan: It’s crazy to think that I lived here for awhile…I miss it… Continue Reading

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Lee Ann Womack & Alan Jackson performing during Opry member George Jones' 80th birthday party. Photo by Chris Hollo, courtesy of Schmidt Relations.

Country music’s most famous show is returning to television. The Grand Ole Opry_® will return to GAC: Great American Country for six star-packed “Opry Live” episodes to begin airing Tuesday, Oct. 4. The first show scheduled to air, an 80^th birthday salute to country legend George Jones, was filmed last night and will feature performances by Alan Jackson, Jamey Johnson, The Oak Ridge Boys, Lee Ann Womack, and more.

Shows airing on Saturdays, Sundays, and Tuesdays in subsequent weeks will feature a who’s who of new stars, superstars, and legends of country music, including: Trace Adkins, Lauren Alaina, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Sara Evans, Martina McBride, Ronnie Dunn, Scotty McCreery, Kellie Pickler, Rascal Flatts, LeAnn Rimes, Randy Travis, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood and more. Airdates will be announced at Opry.com and GACTV.com. Continue Reading

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Country music stars sure love Twitter! In this week’s edition of Top 10 Tweets,  Jake Owen celebrates his first No. 1, Miranda Lambert ‘flirts’ with a fellow artist, Hunter Hayes takes a one minute flight and The Band Perry spies some friends trying to copy The Beatles. Here are our picks for the Top 10 Country Tweets Of The Week.

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/FrankieBallard.

Frankie Ballard – FrankieBallard: That was the greatest!! Johnny Van Zant is the coolest dude on earth! He gave me his hat after the show:)

Jake Owen – JakeOwen: Wow.. Thanks to every fan, songwriter and country radio for giving me my FIRST #1 record. I’m so blessed and thankful. Ahhh! Happy dance!!

Kellie Pickler – KelliePickler: You can buy an education but you can’t buy common sense.

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/Miranda_Lambert.

Miranda Lambert – Miranda_Lambert: Shhhh. I’m flirting with @chrisyoungmusic while @blakeshelton is on stage:)!!!! He just looked over here! Hehehe Continue Reading

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Darius Rucker’s recent performance at the Grand Ole Opry, featuring an appearance by Abbey Umali, MDA 2011 Goodwill Ambassador, will air as part of the MDA Labor Day Telethon, set to air September 4 from 6 PM/ET until midnight. Photo by Chris Hollo, courtesy of Schmidt Relations.

Grand Ole Opry performances by Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride and Darius Rucker will air during the MDA Labor Day Telethon on Sunday, September 4. The telethon will be carried on approximately 160 stations around the country from 6 PM/ET until midnight.

The Muscular Dystrophy Association is a nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases. The organization funds worldwide research, provides comprehensive health care and support services, as well as advocacy and education. Continue Reading

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Left to right: Joe Bonsall, Duane Allen, Dickens, Opry Vice President & General Mgr Pete Fisher, William Lee Golden, Richard Sterban. Photo by Chris Hollo, courtesy of Schmidt Relations.

GAC congratulates the Oak Ridge Boys, who were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry this evening by Opry member Jimmy Dickens!  The legendary country music group made up of William Lee Golden, Joe Bonsall, Richard Sterban, and Duane Allen was invited to join the Opry last month by Dickens, who surprised the group by walking onstage dressed as a 4’11” William Lee Golden, including long beard and sunglasses.

Tonight the group was surprised onstage by a video greeting from President George Bush. “I cannot think of any group or any person who deserve this honor more,” President Bush said, explaining that he’d been an Oak Ridge Boys fan since he first heard the group from inside the White House while they were singing “Elvira” on the White House lawn. “I ran outside like a little kid,” he said, “and I’ve been blessed to call them friends ever since. I think of the Opry and the Oaks both as American icons, beloved from coast to coast and known around the world. I can’t think of a better union. I love you boys, and my best to everyone at the Grand Ole Opry, one of my favorite places in America.”

After Dickens presented the members of the group with their Opry member awards, Joe Bonsall spoke first for the group, saying, “We’ve always been a friend of the Opry. We’ve always believed in the Opry and loved and respected every member of this brotherhood and sisterhood of country music. We’ve been nervous wrecks all day long because we knew how special this would be. This is a meaningful night, and is it different tonight than it ever has been when we’ve come down here to sing? You bet your life it is!” Continue Reading

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Country music stars sure love Twitter! Here at GAC, we follow them too. This week, Jake Owen takes a big risk as he continues planking across the country, Blake Shelton and Chris Young engage in a Twitter battle while together in NYC (check their Tweets for a full account!), The Oak Ridge Boys celebrate a big honor and Luke Bryan hits the lake. Here are our picks for the Top 10 Country Tweets Of The Week.

Photo courtesy of twitter.com/jakeowen

Jake Owen – @jakeowen: In Boston… Planking my ass off.

Blake Shelton – @BlakeShelton: @ChrisYoungMusic I’m next to you in a car and you have gospel hair… In a bad way.

Chris Young – @ChrisYoungMusic: Um… Did you see your album cover? Ha “@blakeshelton: Great dinner with @ChrisYoungMusic.. His hair was still very gospely…”

Josh Turner – @JoshTurnerMusic: Taking a tour of the school damaged by the tornado in Ringgold, GA Continue Reading

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Opry member Little Jimmy Dickens invites the Oak Ridge Boys to join the Grand Ole Opry. Photo courtesy of Schmidt Relations.

A show at the Grand Ole Opry can be full of surprises — and tonight was no exception. Congratulations to the legendary Oak Ridge Boys, who were invited to join the Grand Ole Opry! The quartet, made up of William Lee Golden, Joe Bonsall, Richard Sterban, and Duane Allen, will be formally inducted into the Opry family on Saturday, August 6.

After the Oaks performed their hit “Y’All Come Back Saloon,” 62-year Opry member Jimmy Dickens surprised the group by walking onstage dressed as a 4’11” William Lee Golden, including long beard and sunglasses. “All my life I’ve wanted to be a little bitty Oak Ridge Boy,” Dickens announced to raucous laughter in the Opry House. “On August 6th, I will become the newest member of the Oak Ridge Boys, and at that time, you will become the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry!”

Joe Bonsall responded for the group, saying, “Jimmy, that’s the funniest thing we’ve ever seen, first of all. This is a brotherhood and sisterhood unlike any other. We have been friends Continue Reading

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Country music stars sure love Twitter! Here at GAC, we follow them too. This week, John Rich steals Donald Trump’s slippers, the Oak Ridge Boys remember the late, great Mel McDaniel, Ashton Shepherd and her husband Roland enjoy some beach time before heading to Las Vegas for the ACM Awards and more. Here are our picks for the Top 10 Country Tweets Of The Week.

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/johnrich.

John Rich:   @johnrich    MR.TRUMP! I Kidnapped your slippers! 1MILL for their safe return to your multi-billion dollar feet!  JR 

Justin Moore:  @JustinColeMoore    Ok…traces new song “just fishin” is what country music is all about. Badass!!! Wow

Brett Eldredge:  @bretteldredge    I think I saw Steven Segal in the airport.. Or was that just a dude with a pony tail & a hawaian shirt..Ah screw it, I’ll just say its Segal

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/taylorswift13.

Taylor Swift:  @taylorswift13    I can’t believe we get to play at the O2 in London tonight! I’m so excited, I’m wearing my beloved panda sweater.

Oak Ridge Boys:  @oakridgeboys    Mel McDaniel always told us how he once worked in a gas station and would fill up @DUANEALLEN ‘s car… RIP MEL… Stand UP… Testify!

Martina McBride:  @martinamcbride    13 yrs ago God brought a special angel to us.She is kind,caring, funny,talented,& beautiful from the inside out. Happy Birthday sweet Emma.

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/DierksBentley.

Dierks Bentley:  @DierksBentley    hmmmmm….

Kellie Pickler:  @kelliepickler    I am so sick of city life and traffic…ready to move back to the country. Continue Reading

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Crystal Bowersox makes her Grand Ole Opry debut February 25. Photo courtesy of the Grand Ole Opry.

Crystal Bowersox thought she was only visiting the Grand Ole Opry Friday night, hanging backstage to listen to the Oak Ridge Boys, Bo Bice and Vince Gill perform but she got the surprise of her life when instead of just visiting the Opry, she made her Grand Ole Opry debut.

Before the Oak Ridge Boys performed, Opry announcer Mike Terry introduced Crystal who waved to the audience from the side of the stage. After the Oak Ridge Boys performance, which also featured Bo, Vince Gill — serving as the segment’s host — invited Crystal onstage. Continue Reading

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