Pam Tillis & Kris Thomas photo courtesy of Absolute Publicity.

Pam Tillis and rising R&B star Kris Thomas have recorded a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Elvis Presley. “Two Kings” blends the sounds of soul, country, pop and gospel and was appropriately released in the week between Elvis’ birthday and Martin Luther King Day. Pam wrote the song with Brenda O’Brien,whose family owned the Memphis night club, The Plantation Inn, which was both a hot spot frequented by celebrities and a melting pot of races and social classes during the height of the Civil Rights movement.

“Martin Luther’s contribution to civil rights is an unassailable matter of history and Elvis’ disregard of the division of race in music helped change it forever,” Pam said. ”My friend Brenda O’Brien, who grew up during the turbulent times of the civil rights struggle, right in the middle of the Memphis music scene, saw the connection and brought the song idea to me. All I did was help her see her vision through.”

“The message of this song is so powerful and relevant, especially in our world today and all the connections to Memphis make this song really special to me, being a Memphis native,” Kris said. “Plus, being able to sing and work in the studio with Pam was such a thrill and an education for me.”

Watch the “Two Kings” video!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Kris and Pam filmed the video for the song in Memphis earlier this year. “Two Kings” is available for purchase at all digital retail outlets.

Kris has another country connection besides his duet with Pam. Check out his incredible cover of Carrie Underwood’s “I Know You Won’t” HERE.

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Craig Morgan photo courtesy of Monarch Publicity.

Craig Morgan has announced the lineup for his 5^th annual Charity Ride and Concert to be held August 6 and 7 in his hometown of Dickson, Tennessee. The event, which benefits Billy’s Place, a home for temporarily displaced children in Dickson, will include a celebrity dirt bike ride, a sporting clay shoot and a concert.

The event kicks off on Saturday, August 6 with a celebrity dirt bike ride. Kevin Windham, Cowboy Kenny Bartram, Fred Andrews, Randy Hawkins, Ricky Carmichael, Andrew Short and Bucky Covington have been confirmed for the ride.  On Sunday, Craig will perform along with Bucky, Pam Tillis and Sarah Darling.

All events are open to the public. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.craigmorgan.com, or at all Tri Star Banks.

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Reba McEntire photo by Russ Harrington, courtesy of the Valory Music Co.

“Let the blubbering begin!”

Gerry House, who’s been the morning man to the stars as a fixture on Nashville’s morning radio for most of the last three decades, signed off Wednesday on his very last shift for WSIX-FM. It’s a retirement from regular morning shows, but not a retirement from his life’s work as a writer and comedic talent.

Gerry announced his departure some three months ago, and the stars have either called in or come by the studio in droves over the last week to wish him well. Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban have had funny and/or sentimental moments. On Wednesday’s shift, the well-wishers included Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton and Reba McEntire.

WSIX Vice President Tom English announced the station was renaming the studio as “The House,” in honor of Gerry and his House Foundation show.

“It’s a very, very sad day for Nashville, but a great day for you,” Brad said.

“I know impending doom is waiting just around the corner,” Gerry quipped. “But,” he added with a wink, “I don’t wanna be negative about it.”

The send-off was significant. Morning radio personalities are supposed to inspire, motivate or at least entertain people as they battle traffic on their drive to work, a place many of those commuters dread. Being bubbly and funny before the sun comes up is a talent, often taken for granted, and Gerry had the added task of doing his job in Music City, where many of the artists whose songs he played listened to his show and the things he said about them.

Those stars were often the butt of Gerry’s jokes, but he won them over by the droves, able to poke fun at them — or, more appropriately, with them — in part because he is one of them. In addition to his on-air work, he’s recorded a couple of comedic albums, and he’s written such hits as George Strait’s “The Big One,” Pam Tillis’ “The River And The Highway,” LeAnn Rimes’ “On The Side Of Angels” and Reba’s “Little Rock.” He’s also written some of the lines Reba, Brad and Carrie Underwood have delivered when they hosted awards shows for the Academy of Country Music or the Country Music Association.

“The first time that you interviewed me years and years ago, you were wearing a tuxedo shirt with a bow tie,” Reba remembered. “I’ll never forget that. I was thinkin’, ‘What in the world is this guy doin’?’”

Gerry’s final shift ended with an appropriate mix of sentiment and weirdness. He played his dad’s favorite country song — Hank Snow’s appropriately titled 60-year-old classic “I’m Moving On” — and aired the Roy Rogers & Dale Evans theme “Happy Trails.” He also made the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” the final song of his shift.

Big Machine Records bought the final commercial for $1,500, all of which was donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. Taylor, The Band Perry, Reba, Rascal Flatts and label president Scott Borchetta all wished Gerry well in the spot, which ended with the static sound of a needle that’s reached the end of a vinyl record.

Even then, Gerry was making a quick exit. He was slated to fly around noon to New York with his wife, Allyson, to detox from more than 30 years of 3 a.m. wakeup calls.

“You can sleep late now,” Reba noted.

“That’s the whole deal,” Gerry replied.

“Peace and music, love as always,” Gerry later told his listeners as he left. “Godspeed. Which is 35 miles an hour.”

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Trailer Choir & Pam Tillis backstage at the 4th Annual Country Weekly Fashion Show & Concert, at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville on June 8, 2010. Photo by Kendra Motycka, courtesy of Country Weekly.

They’re always fashionable, but on Monday, June 8, stars including Clay Walker, Pam Tillis and Bucky Covington amped up their style even more at the 4th Annual Country Weekly Fashion Show and Concert, raising more than $20,000 for Musicians On Call.

The event was hosted by Clay and emcee’d by GAC’s own Suzanne Alexander, and also featured Luke Bryan and Joe Nichols along with models including Pam, Bucky, Bo Bice, Aaron and Thea Tippin, Trailer Choir, Katie Armiger, Sarah Darling, Whitney Duncan, Danielle Peck and others. See photos here >>

“Country Weekly is thrilled to be able to support Musicians On Call and the amazing work they do,” said Lisa Konicki, editor in chief. “Our 4th fashion show and concert was a success due to the hard work of many people and we thank the artists, sponsors, staff and crew that brought it all together seamlessly.”

We caught up with the stars backstage just before they strutted the catwalk:

Musicians On Call, a nonprofit organization formed in 1999, brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities. Musicians On Call uses music to promote and complement the healing process for patients, families and caregivers.

The Country Weekly Fashion Show and Concert was sponsored by Durango, Wrangler, Roper, Silpada Designs and Lifetime Television.

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Rodney Atkins photo courtesy of Curb Nashville.

Chevy: The Official Ride of Country Music will help kick off the 2010 CMA Music Festival on June 9 with “The Sixth Annual CMA Music Festival Kick-Off Parade” at 11:30 a.m. Central through the streets of downtown Nashville.

Brenda Lee will serve as Grand Marshal and other artists participating in the parade include Lynn Anderson, Katie Armiger, Rodney Atkins, The Band Perry, Bo Bice, Ash Bowers, Carter Twins, Jeff Cook, Diana DeGarmo, Fast Ryde, Colt Ford, Brantley Gilbert, Gloriana, Josh Gracin, The Grascals, The Harters, Buddy Jewell, KingBilly, Jesse Lee, LoCash Cowboys, Lonestar, Jerrod Niemann, James Otto, Danielle Peck, Point of Grace, Marty Raybon, Pam Tillis, Trent Tomlinson, and Chuck Wicks. Members of the National Guard will drive artists along the parade route in Chevy vehicles, including the all new 2011 Silverado HD and the Military Specialty Camaro.

“Chevrolet has had a longstanding, natural relationship with country music, commonly and proudly rooted in American tradition,” said Phil Caruso, Chevrolet Sales Promotion Manager. “We’re excited about this year’s festival and happy to provide fans access to their favorite artists and opportunities to experience Chevrolet’s newest products and technologies.”

After the parade, “The Fifth Annual CMA Music Festival Block Party” will take place on the Chevy Music Stage on the Bridgestone Arena Plaza. The event is free and open to the public and performances are scheduled by David Nail, Chuck Wicks, Jerrod Niemann, Joe Nichols, and Randy Houser.

“CMA is proud to have such a great partner in Chevy,” said Sheri Warnke, CMA Vice President of Strategic Partnerships. “These two great events will certainly help rev up the excitement for this year’s Festival.”

Four more days of live entertainment on the Chevy Music Stage follow The Block Party and are also free and open to the public. Among those scheduled to perform are Bomshel, Mark Wills, Emily West, Ash Bowers, Whitney Duncan, and Jason Michael Carroll.

Country Music fans will have the opportunity to test drive brand new Chevys during CMA Music Festival. Chevy will donate $10 for every test drive to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee to aid relief efforts for victims of the recent floods.

Chevy is also giving away a ticket upgrade to the Nightly Concerts at LP Field, will host activities, appearances and meet and greets on the Chevy Stage in the Sports Zone and will also have a booth in the Greased Lightning Fan Fair Hall.

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Clay Walker photo courtesy of Curb Records.

Clay Walker is positioned nicely on the chart with the video for “She Won’t Be Lonely Long,” and he’ll drop in to talk with host Nan Kelley this weekend during GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown.

Currently at No. 6 on the countdown, the song is the title track for Clay’s next album, due out June 8. On the day of release, he’ll be spending time with GAC, joining network personality Suzanne Alexander to handle the host/emcee duties during the fourth annual Country Weekly Fashion Show and Concert at Nashville’s Wildhorse Saloon. The event, which raises money for a hospital-visitation agency called Musicians On Call, will also feature Aaron Tippin, Joe Nichols, Bucky Covington, Love And Theft, Pam Tillis and Bo Bice, among others.

The fashion show will be a major event on the Music City calendar that week. It comes the day before the CMA Music Festival Parade, which sets up the four-day CMA festival in downtown Nashville. Clay performs at the Riverfront Stage on the opening day of the event that Thursday in a lineup that also includes the Judds, Colt Ford, Jake Owen and Diamond Rio, among others.

The fashion show is also part of a renaissance for the Wildhorse Saloon, which officially reopens June 4 after cleanup from this month’s floods.

Top 20 Country Countdown counts down the week’s top country videos from No. 20 to No. 1 as voted by viewers on each week on GACTV.com. A new countdown premieres every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on GAC and airs again Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET; Sundays at 1 p.m. ET; and Mondays at 10 a.m. ET. Viewers can vote for their favorite videos, as well as purchase Top 20 artists’ albums and ringtones at GACTV.com.

THIS WEEK’S CHART:

1. Carrie Underwood “Temporary Home”
2. Miranda Lambert “The House That Built Me”
3. Kellie Pickler “Makin’ Me Fall In Love Again”
4. Reba McEntire “I Keep On Lovin’ You”
5. Lady Antebellum “American Honey”
6. Clay Walker “She Won’t Be Lonely Long”
7. Jewel “Stay Here Forever”
8. Danny Gokey “My Best Days Are Ahead Of Me”
9. Martina McBride “Wrong Baby Wrong”
10. Luke Bryan “Rain Is A Good Thing”
11. Emily West “Blue Sky”
12. Laura Bell Bundy “Giddy On Up”
13. Uncle Kracker “Smile”
14. Bomshel “19 And Crazy”
15. Tim McGraw “Still”
16. The Band Perry “Hip To My Heart”
17. Brad Paisley “Water”
18. Zac Brown Band “Highway 20 Ride”
19. Craig Morgan “This Ain’t Nothin’”
20. Alan Jackson “It’s Just That Way”

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Taylor Swift photo courtesy of Big Machine Records.

Taylor Swift is walking through yet another door, becoming the first country songwriter to win the Hal David Starlight Award at the Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony in June.

Introduced in 2004 to recognize young composers already working at a substantial creative peak, the award’s previous honorees include pop, rock and R&B singer-songwriters Rob Thomas, Alicia Keys, John Mayer, John Legend, John Rzeznik and Jason Mraz. The Starlight Award is named for Songwriters Hall of Fame chief Hal David, who’s a substantial writer himself, known for such titles as Julio Iglesias & Willie Nelson’s “To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before,” Ronnie Milsap’s “It Was Almost Like A Song,” B.J. Thomas’ “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head” and Dusty Springfield’s “The Look Of Love.”

“Taylor Swift is one of the brightest musical talents to emerge in recent years, and represents the true epitome of the Starlight Award,” Hal says. “She possesses an undeniable talent as a songwriter, expressive singer and performer, and we are proud to present her with this well-deserved honor.”

Slated for June 17 at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel, the ceremony will also see the Hall of Fame inductions of Leonard Cohen, Jackie DeShannon, David Foster, Johnny Mandel and five members of Earth, Wind & Fire. All of those writers work primarily outside of country music, though a couple have had some impressive results within the genre. Jackie, best known for her recording of “What The World Needs Now,” earned a country hit in 1994 when Pam Tillis covered “When You Walk In The Room.” David Foster wrote Anne Murray’s 1986 single “Now And Forever (You And Me)” and produced several Kenny Rogers hits, including his 1983 duet with Sheena Easton, “We’ve Got Tonight.”

The all-genre Songwriters Hall of Fame has inducted such substantial authors as Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Stevie Wonder. Its membership also includes a number of country figures — Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Hank Williams and Loretta Lynn, among them.

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Dierks Bentley photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

No, they’re not leaving their “day jobs” as country artists, but Dierks Bentley, Pam Tillis and Jim Lauderdale will moonlight as deejays for Nashville’s legendary radio station, 650 AM WSM. On March 15 the station will kick off a series of new midday shows hosted by various award-winning artists. 

The three weekly one-hour shows hosted by Dierks, Pam and Jim will air Monday – Wednesday at 2 p.m. CT.  The shows can also be heard online at http://www.wsmonline.com/ or as podcasts via iTunes.

You’re not likely to hear a strict “Top 40″-type playlist on the shows — these will be songs that the artists want to play, so expect a nice mix of country, bluegrass and Americana music. There may also be in-studio guests and jam sessions.

You can hear Dierks’ Monday show, “The Thread,” followed on Tuesdays by fellow CMA honoree, Pam, and her “Lettin’ My Roots Show.”  Jim, a Grammy and Americana Music Association award-winner, takes Wednesday duties with “The Jim Lauderdale Show.”

Thursdays will be shared by various artists, with Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor guest hosting the first Thursday show on March 18, and Diamond Rio’s Dana Williams following on March 25.

“650 AM WSM is a country music institution,” says Dierks. “I can’t believe they are turning the controls over to me for an hour every week. It’s the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”

“I’m so happy to have this show on the mighty WSM,” adds Jim. “It is a thrill and an honor!”

“We look forward to having these diverse artists as part of the station line-up,” WSM Operations Manager Joe Limardi said. “It’ll be exciting to listen to them taking their turn on the other side of the microphone, stepping into the shoes of renowned station DJs that have filled the airwaves for 85 years. WSM continues to be on the cutting edge of programming like no other radio station in the country through digital media and an expanded playlist to encompass ‘all things country.’”

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Keith Urban photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Nearly three weeks after a Jan. 12 earthquake destroyed large swatches of Haiti, the response from country music’s community is heartening. Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, Pam Tillis, Big Kenny, Restless Heart and Toby Keith are just some of the artists who found ways to get involved.

They’ve donated their time, their voices and their money, and in one particular instance, one unintended result was a confirmation that the recording industry has crossed a barrier as it continues to evolve in the digital age. Taylor and Keith were both featured on the multi-network special Help For Haiti Now, which was immediately released as a digital-only album. It quickly sold more than 170,000 copies and came in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 all-genre albums chart. It marks the first time in history that the top album in the country could not be purchased in a physical format.

Here’s a summary of the ways country stars have reached out to help:

• Taylor covered Better Than Ezra’s “Breathless” on Help For Haiti Now while Keith joined Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock in a performance of Bill Withers’ classic “Lean On Me.” Diehard country fans might also note that Justin Timberlake was joined by supporting vocalist Matt Morris, an artist signed to his record label. Matt’s father is former country hitmaker Gary Morris.

• More than 90 artists gathered at Nashville’s Ocean Way Studio Wednesday to record “Come Together Now,” a song written by Michael W. Smith and two other contemporary Christian artists to raise money for Haiti. A smattering of country stars took part in the session, including Restless Heart, Lee Greenwood, the Oak Ridge Boys and Wynonna. The lineup also included Phil Stacey, who briefly had a country deal after competing on “American Idol”; Chris Sligh, who authored the Rascal Flatts hit “Here Comes Goodbye”; and Don Poythress, who wrote Easton Corbin’s “A Little More Country Than That.”

• Pam Tillis joined Buddy Jewell, John Cowan and Mandy Barnett last week in a Nashville benefit concert, according to The Tennessean. The artists joined with a volunteer chorus for a performance of Handel’s Messiah, with proceeds being funneled to Haiti through the Nashville chapter of the American Red Cross.

• Bucky Covington manned a Haiti helpline, Country Aircheck reported, to take donations in an Indianapolis fundraiser two weeks ago.

• Three members of the Lost Trailers chipped in at Atlanta Cares For Haiti, a benefit staged by Antwan “Big Boi” Patton of the hip-hop duo OutKast.

• Big Kenny personally flew to Haiti to look for a friend, Walt Ratterman, who was staying at a hotel in Port-au-Prince when the 7.0-magnitude quake struck. The friend is one of the thousands of people who have never been found. Big Kenny eventually flew back to Nashville to recuperate, though he hopes to go back to Haiti and continue helping.

• A slew of acts raised $75,000 Sunday in a Help Austin Help Haiti benefit. Among those participating: the Joe Ely Band, the Flatlanders, Shawn Colvin, Asleep At The Wheel, Bruce Robison, Kelly Willis, Reckless Kelly and Robert Earl Keen.

• Toby Keith donated seven semi trailers in Nashville to collect goods and supplies for Project Haiti. The trailers will be set up at Stage Call, 1420 Cowan Court, until Tuesday, when they head to Haiti. For a list of requested supplies, visit Toby’s website.

• It’s also quite possible that one or more country stars will get involved in a 25th anniversary remake of “We Are The World.” Lionel Richie, who co-wrote the song with Michael Jackson, will reunite with producer Quincy Jones to record the new version Monday, according to Billboard. Quincy has declined to name the artists expected to participate, though the session is timed to take advantage of the Grammy lineup, which includes such country acts as Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Lady Antebellum. Country stars Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers and Waylon Jennings were on hand for the original recording under the name USA For Africa in 1985. That multi-million-selling single amassed more than 40 acts, including Bruce Springsteen, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder and Kim Carnes.

• You can still donate to the cause for the next six months at https://www.hopeforhaitinow.org.

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Tim McGraw photo by Danny Clinch, courtesy of Curb Records.

#10 on GAC’s Top Stories of 2009 |  View all »

You can count on seeing country music in certain places on television. It’s a 24/7 proposition on GAC. And the daily talk shows — including “The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien” and “The Late Show With David Letterman” — obviously need a good smattering of country acts to fill out the music slots on their programs.

But country artists did an excellent job in 2009 in grabbing a larger share of acting roles and musical moments on TV and in the movies. Led by Tim McGraw’s part as Sandra Bullock’s husband in The Blind Side, by Taylor Swift’s TV acting debut on “CSI” and by the bevy of country stars who appeared on the platinum soundtrack to Hannah Montana: The Movie, the genre was well represented in the visual media in the last 12 months.

The highlights include:

• Tim McGraw was initially reticent to play the father of a high-school football star when he was approached about The Blind Side, since he’d already had a similar role in the movie Friday Night Lights. The chance to act opposite Sandra Bullock — and the quality of the script — changed his mind, and the movie ended up being a No. 1 box-office hit and got Sandra a Golden Globe nomination.

• Hannah Montana: The Movie brought attention to plenty of Nashville acts, beginning with the picture’s star, Miley Cyrus, and her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus. Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift both contributed to the soundtrack, and they were featured on screen, too, as was Bucky Covington.

• Taylor Swift appeared as a dead body, stabbed in the heart with a pair of scissors, in her CBS guest slot on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” She also contributed a live performance of “Should’ve Said No” to the motion picture Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience. She was featured twice on “Saturday Night Live” — as the musical guest in January and as both the musical guest and guest host in November. Look for her back on the big screen in 2010 in the movie Valentine’s Day.

• “Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special” gave the multi-platinum singer two hours of prime-time exposure on FOX. The highlights included a duet with Brad Paisley on “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man” and a collaboration with Dolly Parton on “I Will Always Love You.”

• The neighborly “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” was — as it has been throughout its history — very kind to country stars, who are in turn quite kind to the folks they’re helping out on the show. Kellie Pickler, Trace Adkins and Clint Black all pitched in during the year.

• Clint became the second country star to participate in Donald Trump’s “The Celebrity Apprentice,” though his contribution was marred by an on-again, off-again feud with the series’ ultimate winner, Joan Rivers.

• Lee Ann Womack and Tracy Byrd acted in the movie Noble Things, though it received only a smattering of theatrical showings before coming out on DVD. The soundtrack’s contributors include Clay Walker, Tracy Lawrence, Pam Tillis and Mark Chesnutt.

• Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett shared a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song for a Motion Picture, honoring “The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart).” Merle Haggard also performed over the closing credits of Michael Moore’s controversial movie Capitalism: A Love Story. And Jimmy Wayne’s version of the 1975 Orleans pop hit “Dance With Me” appeared in the indie pic Love N’ Dancing.

• “America’s Got Talent,” “Dancing With The Stars” and “American Idol” all brought in country performers to augment their lineups. Reba McEntire and Rascal Flatts were featured on “AGT,” Chuck Wicks and then-girlfriend Julianne Hough competed on “DWTS” and “Idol” guests included mentor Randy Travis and Kris Allen’s finale partner, Keith Urban. Shania Twain also popped into Chicago to serve as a guest judge for the 2010 “Idol” season.

• Several country stars are already in line for the big screen in 2010. Tim McGraw is set to shoot his next movie role in January, Dwight Yoakam and Kris Kristofferson have completed filming their parts in Princes Of Night, and Julianne Hough is cast for next year’s remake of Footloose.

What was your favorite TV or movie moment from the past year that featured a country star at the center of the action?  Leave a comment below and let me know!

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