Carrie Underwood helps Randy Travis celebrate 25 years as a Grand Ole Opry member. Photo by Chris Hollo, courtesy of Schmidt Relations.

The Grand Ole Opry_® presented by Humana_®  paid tribute to Randy Travis as he celebrated 25 years in country music and as an Opry member tonight on the Tuesday Night Opry. Randy was honored in song by fellow artists who appear with him on his newest CD, Anniversary Celebration.

“It’s amazing to me to be celebrating my 25^th anniversary in the music business on this stage because of the way I grew up and what I grew up listening to,” Randy said onstage.

5 Things You Don’t Know About Randy Travis >>

Randy’s portion of the show opened with the Opry member and John Anderson performing “Diggin’ Up Bones,” followed by “Is It Still Over,” a collaboration with Carrie Underwood.  Josh Turner joined Randy on Continue Reading

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Gene Watson photo courtesy of GeneWatsonMusic.com.

Gene Watson and his band and crew are fine after their bus nearly flipped over in route to a show in Sandstone, Minnesota. The bus’s GPS system had set them on a narrow gravel road to the venue and when the bus driver pulled over to let an oncoming truck pass, the road crumbled beneath them. The bus narrowly avoided falling into a boggy area and instead landed on its side and stayed that way. They were just eight miles from the venue when the accident happened.

Four tow trucks were called to the scene. The first three trucks were too small to pull the bus out, so a 50 Ton rotator truck was called in to haul the bus back into the road. Gene and his band, who climbed out of the bus through a window, were driven to the venue with no instruments and wearing their traveling clothes.

The show must go on, however, so Gene and his band played the first of two shows in their traveling outfits and borrowed an opening band’s instruments. Gene’s pedal steel player borrowed a pedal steel from 80 miles away that arrived just in time for the first show. Continue Reading

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Randy Travis photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Nashville.

Randy Travis is recovering at home after fainting mid-song during his performance on Sunday at The Crystal Heart Gala, an annual benefit for the Huguley Memorial Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas reports the Washington Post. In a room full of doctors, Randy was treated immediately by Drs. Jeff Beeson and Steve Davis.

Monday, the doctors issued a statement to The Associated Press saying Randy had been suffering from laryngitis due to chronic allergies and had taken several over-the-counter medications. “Mr. Travis was overcome by a combination of dehydration, over-the-counter allergy medications, and caffeine use,” the statement said. “This, combined with the heat of the stage lights, caused him to pass out.” Continue Reading

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Martina McBride on the Grand Ole Opry. Photo by Chris Hollo, courtesy of Schmidt Relations.

The Grand Ole Opry will celebrate its 86th birthday the whole month of October with a list of all-star artists and special shows and events, many of which will be aired on GAC during episodes of Opry Live.

The party kicks off October 4 when the Opry honors Randy Travis for 25 years in country music and as an Opry member. Carrie Underwood, Connie Smith and Josh Turner are just a few of the artists scheduled to be on hand to honor Randy. Several performances from the night will be part of an episode of Opry Live to air on GAC October 15 at 9/8 CT.

The Opry’s Official 86th Birthday Bash Weekend will be held October 7 and 8 and feature performances from Charley Pride, Rascal Flatts and the solo Opry debut of Ronnie Dunn. Other events scheduled for the weekend are a Saturday afternoon birthday concert featuring Mel Tillis and a free Opry Plaza Birthday Party. GAC will broadcast the birthday party live on Opry Live at 9/8 CT.

Chris Young, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, LeAnn Rimes, Montgomery Gentry, Sara Evans, Scotty McCreery and Trace Adkins are all scheduled to appear on the Opry October 11. The night will also include a live broadcast of Opry Live at 8/7 CT. Other performances from the night will be filmed for a an episode of Opry Live to air October 29 at 9/8 CT. Continue Reading

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Randy Travis photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Nashville.

The Grand Ole Opry will honor Randy Travis as he celebrates 25 years in country music and as an Opry member on October 4. Randy will perform and also be honored by fellow artists who appear with him on his new duet album, Anniversary Celebration. Carrie Underwood, John Anderson, Josh Turner, Gene Watson, Connie Smith and Joe Stampley are among the artists scheduled to appear. Several performances from the night’s show will be part of an episode of Opry Live which will air on GAC on October 15 at 9/8 CT.

“Randy’s impact on country music over the past 25 years is evident both in the array of celebrated artists who have joined him on this acclaimed anniversary album as well those who will be accompanying him on the Opry stage next month,” Pete Fisher, Opry vice president and general manager said. “It will be a great show, celebrating the legacy of a truly special artist.” 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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Randy Travis photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Nashville.

The GRAMMY Museum will host “An Evening With Randy Travis” on September 21. The event will honor Randy’s 25-year career with Randy on hand for a special discussion and acoustic performance. Randy recently released Anniversary Celebration, a duets CD featuring artists such as Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, George Jones, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood among others as well as new songs from Randy.

5 Things You Don’t Know About Randy Travis >>

Over the span of his career, Randy has sold more than 20 million albums. He has had 18 No. 1 singles, won 7 GRAMMY Awards, 10 ACM Awards, 5 CMA Awards and has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, among other honors. He will sit down with GRAMMY Foundation Vice President Scott Goldman to discuss his career and new album before participating in an audience Q&A and performing two songs acoustically. Continue Reading

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Carrie Underwood photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville; Lady Antebellum photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

The first round of the ICM Faith, Family & Country Awards nominees has been announced. Awards will be given out in 22 categories during the 17th Annual Inspirational Country Music Awards Show which will be held on October 28 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville.

Nominees this year include Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Ronnie Dunn, The Roys, The Band Perry, Josh Turner, Jeff Bates, Randy Travis, Ricky Skaggs, and George Strait among others. Film nominees include Toy Story 3, Secretariat, and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Trader. The top 5 finalists in all categories will be announced on August 30.

The 2011 ICM Faith, Family & Country Awards are the finale of Inspirational Country Music Week, presented by the Inspirational Country Music Association. This year’s event will be held October 24-28 in Nashville at various locations including the Millennium Maxwell House and Wildhorse Saloon.

“We are very pleased to have the Millennium Maxwell House as the host location of the week’s event, as well as the historic Wildhorse Saloon as a setting for a planned Appreciation Luncheon to be held during ICM Faith, Family & Country Week for media and participants,” ICM-Association Executive Director Jason Higgins said. “Combined with the awards presentation for the first time this year being held in the incomparable setting of the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, we feel we are showcasing a real commitment to all that makes Nashville ‘Music City’.”

The 2011 Top 10 ICM Faith, Family & Country Awards first round nominees:

Entertainer

Chuck Day
Jeff Bates
Johnny Lee Cook
Mary James
Point of Grace
Ricky Skaggs
Russ Murphy
Steve Richard
The Roys
Tommy Brandt Continue Reading

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As FM radio expanded in the early ’90s, Americans who only knew cowboy hats and a couple of Willie Nelson songs were introduced to stars like Garth Brooks, George Strait and Reba McEntire. It was a great time for country music; the genre was booming and the rest of America was taking notice. Here’s our list of the Top 10 artists who defined country music in a decade when the format reached new frontiers. As with any list, we know there are many more than 10 who impacted the genre. If you don’t see your favorite here, leave us a comment at the end and let us know which artists helped define the ’90s for you! And, don’t forget to cast your vote for GAC’s Top 50 Videos of the ’90s! Vote now »

Garth Brooks photo by Mark Tucker, courtesy of Pearl Records.

Garth Brooks

Garth charted more number one hits (19 in the 1990s) and sold more albums (current tally 128 million, making him the second best-selling American solo artist of all-time behind Elvis) than any other country artist. He is the recipient of 18 ACM awards, 11 CMA awards and 2 Grammys, as well as 16 American Music Awards. However, these staggering facts and figures only tell part of the story of how he defined country music throughout the ’90s; Garth was a one-man country music marketing machine. Through incorporating elements of rock music into his songs and amping up his live shows with an endless supply of energy (remember the music videos of Garth running around stage with a wireless headset mic and joyfully smashing guitars?), Garth brought country music to the mainstream masses. Even people who “don’t like country music” have his Greatest Hits album featuring songs like the classic and universally known “Friends in Low Places,” which, be assured, someone will be singing in a New York City karaoke bar tonight. And not only did Garth headline major concerts in the US, including his free Central Park performance for 980,000 fans in 1997, he was a worldwide phenomenon touring such locales as Brazil, Europe and the Far East as the symbol of American country music. Continue Reading

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Randy Travis photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Nashville.

This year marks Randy Travis’ 25^th year in the country music industry. It’s a milestone many artists only dream of reaching, but for Randy, 25 years doesn’t seem all that long. “Gosh, it seems like maybe it should be five years at the most,” he told MLive.com. “It goes so quickly. No, there’s no way it’s been 25 years.”

To celebrate the milestone, Randy has released Anniversary Celebration, a 17-song CD of duets featuring artists including Brad Paisley, Zac Brown Band, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Josh Turner and more singing both classic and new Randy Travis songs. For nearly a year, Randy and his team, Warner Music Nashville VP of A&R Cris Lacy, producer Kyle Lehning and manager Lib Travis, listened to songs to choose the best ones for the special album.

“As you listen to it, there are some new (songs), some old,” Randy said. “On the new songs, we were just sitting and listening to some things as we were finding them. That is interesting when you’re trying to listen to music and say, ‘OK, this would work for me and whoever it might be.’ That’s exactly what we did. We sat. We listened. Cris Lacy, Kyle Lehning, we go through these songs and just make decisions based on the singers we wanted.” Continue Reading

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