Reba McEntire photo courtesy of The Valory Music Co.

Reba brought along a film crew to a recent show at the Cajun Dome in Lafayette, Louisiana to capture the hits, the energy, and the production of her live show. The footage was turned into All the Women I Am, a 90-minute concert special that will premiere on GAC March 17 at 10/9 CT.

“I’m thrilled to be partnering with GAC for this special,” Reba said. “We had a blast out on the road with our new production this past fall, and I hope that all the fans who tune in enjoy it as much as we did.”

Reba’s last televised concert special aired more than 15 years ago. GAC is proud to bring this concert experience into fans’ living rooms, giving them a front row seat to one of country music’s biggest superstars. “GAC is honored that Reba came to GAC to share her first TV special since the mid-90s with our viewers,” Suzanne Gordon, GAC VP of Programming said. Continue Reading

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Photo courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum.

When the Encyclopedia of Country Music was first published in 1998, it became an instant reference and definitive source on country music. Now, the second edition of the book has been released by Oxford University Press and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The new edition, compiled by museum staff, features new entries on artists who have profoundly influenced country music in recent years, including Kenny Chesney, Dixie Chicks, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and more.

More new entries in the book focus on the most important studio musicians, songwriters and music executives in the last decade. It also explores the latest and most critical industry trends, such as the digital revolution, the shifting politics of country music, and the impact of American Idol. The importance of Nashville to country music and even the stage costumes worn by country stars are also featured in the new edition.

“I’ve loved country music all my life, and it still amazes me how much more I can learn about it,” Reba McEntire said. “The Encyclopedia of Country Music will be a reference book for the next generation of country music lovers to learn about the folks I was blessed enough to get to know and work with. I will enjoy reading it and getting reacquainted with our history.” Continue Reading

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Reba McEntire & Blake Shelton photo courtesy of the ACM.

If you’ve heard any rumblings this morning about Reba McEntire‘s death, don’t worry — it isn’t true! A website called “Global Associated News,” which seemingly makes a habit of publishing fake stories (according to the site’s disclaimer), reported that Reba died this morning in Austria while filming a movie.

As the story began being re-Tweeted and shared on Facebook, Reba’s label, The Valory Music Co., released this statement in response: Continue Reading

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As the ACM Nominations came in yesterday, the honored stars were quick to respond. Kenny Chesney leads the way with nine total nods, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Album of the Year. Kenny received the news just as he learned his Brothers of the Sun Tour with Tim McGraw has already sold over half a million tickets.

“It’s an honor to receive so much love from the Academy of Country Music after all they’ve done to support my music over the years,” Kenny said. “I can’t wait to get back on the road with my good friend Tim and throw one big spring break party all summer long.”

Blake Shelton is nominated for Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year. He learned of his ACM nominations a week after losing his father, Dick Shelton. “The support I have felt this week is overwhelming,” Blake said. “Thank you everyone for this honor.”

Jason Aldean took to video to thank his fans for all of their support after learning he’s nominated for six ACMs, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Album of the Year.


Jason Aldean on WhoSay

SEE THE FULL LIST OF ACM AWARDS ARTIST NOMINEES HERE >>

Reigning ACM Top New Solo Vocalist Eric Church is nominated for Video of the Year for “Homeboy” and his latest album, Chief, is up for Album of the Year. He sees the Album of the Year nod as an especially high honor.

“I’ve never minced words about the fact that my passion is making great records for the sake of the music,” he said. “The fact that the ACMs have nominated us for the album category is quite the honor and frankly the one I revere the most. “Homeboy,” both musically and visually, is a song that tells a compelling story. I have a very special place in my heart for the video, and I’m very grateful that it is getting recognized. It’s been one hell of a year!”

Chris Young woke up on a tour bus en route to his next show on Miranda Lambert’s On Fire Tour to learn he’s nominated for both Single Record of the Year for his No. 1 hit “Tomorrow” and Male Vocalist Of The Year. He also recorded a video message to share his excitement with his fans.

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Have you ever watched the stars announce the nominees at an awards show press conference? Sure you have! But now, YOU could be one of the folks doing the announcing! Beginning today, you can visit the ACM YouTube Channel to learn how to post a video announcing the name of the artist or artists YOU would like to see receive an Entertainer of the Year nomination.

On Thursday, January 26, the ACM will host the first-ever ACM digital press conference (also hosted by CBS Television and dick clark productions) via the ACM social media channels, www.facebook.com/AcademyOfCountryMusic and www.twitter.com/ACMAwards.

The press conference will announce the nominees for the 47^th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, Country Music’s Party of the Year®, to be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 8 p.m. live ET/delayed PT on CBS.

During the real-time digital press conference, you can watch to see if your video submission was chosen to announce your pick for the Academy’s biggest prize. If your video is selected, you’ll be in good company. Past participants in the ACM nominations press conferences have included Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Reba, Blake Shelton, Sugarland, Carrie Underwood and many more!

Academy of Country Music Awards co-host Reba will participate in the nominees announcement, with more VIP surprise guests to announce categories via videos posted in real time to fans and media simultaneously.  The press conference will culminate with country music fans announcing the nominees for Entertainer of the Year.

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Reba McEntire & Blake Shelton photo courtesy of the ACM.

Country Music’s Party of the Year®, the 47^th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, honoring country music’s best and introducing the industry’s hottest emerging talent, will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 8 p.m. live Eastern/delayed Pacific on CBS. The show is produced by dick clark productions and will be hosted for the second consecutive year by Reba and Blake Shelton.

The 2^nd Annual ACM Fan Jam, hosted by Zac Brown Band, will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Sunday, April 1, 2012. This live remote location gives country music lovers the ultimate fan-pass to be part of the 47^th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards!  Throughout the three-hour Awards telecast from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, there will be live ACM Fan Jam performances, via remote, from the Mandalay Bay Events Center by Zac Brown Band and other top-tier music acts, to be announced at a later date.

The ACM Fan Jam includes a profusion of entertainment, prizes and special giveaways only for attendees, including autographed guitars, trip packages to country music events and merchandise.  The ACM Fan Jam continues after the Awards telecasts ends, with performances by Zac Brown and friends. Details will be announced soon. The inaugural ACM Fan Jam, hosted by Sugarland, took place in 2011.

Additionally, the Academy and dick clark productions will tape an all-star concert special, ACM PRESENTS: Lionel Richie and Friends – A Lifetime of Hits, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Monday, April 2, 2012, to air at a later date on the CBS Television Network.  This country collaboration with the legendary Lionel Richie, featuring duets from his upcoming album Tuskegee along with solo performances, will include some of Richie’s greatest hits performed by Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers and many more. Tickets sales from ACM PRESENTS: Lionel Richie and Friends – A Lifetime of Hits will benefit ACM Lifting Lives, which works to improve lives through music. For more information, log onto www.ACMLiftingLives.org or www.ACMcountry.com. Continue Reading

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Reba McEntire photo courtesy of The Valory Music Co.

Reba McEntire will be featured on an episode of the new season of Oprah’s Master Class, which will profile actors  including Jane Fonda,  Goldie Hawn, Sidney Poitier and Morgan Freeman, media mogul Ted Turner, musician Jon Bon Jovi, and professional athletes Grant Hill and Laird Hamilton.

In Reba’s episode, she recalls the tragic 1991 plane crash that killed seven of her band members and her tour manager. Continue Reading

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Blake Shelton photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Nashville.

Each year GAC asks fans to help us choose the best of the best country music videos released during the prior 12 months for our year end Top 50 Videos of the Year countdown. Here are the voting results for 2011 based on videos released and added to the GAC playlist from Nov. 1, 2010 to Oct. 31, 2011.

1. Blake Shelton — “God Gave Me You”
2. Jason Aldean w/Kelly Clarkson — “Don’t You Wanna Stay”
3. Keith Urban — “Without You”
4. Jason Aldean — “Dirt Road Anthem”
5. Brad Paisley & Carrie Underwood — “Remind Me”
6. Blake Shelton — “Honey Bee”
7. Lady Antebellum — “Just A Kiss”
8. Alan Jackson — “Long Way To Go”
9. Scotty McCreery — “I Love You This Big”
10. Trace Adkins — “Just Fishin’” Continue Reading

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Taylor Swift on stage during her Speak Now...Help Now benefit concert at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN on May 21, 2011. Photo credit Christie Goodwin.

When tornadoes ravaged the southeast in the spring, country stars picked up their guitars and went to work, raising money through a series of concerts and benefits to aid recovery and relief efforts. Tornadoes struck seven states in the South, killing 329 people and destroying entire communities.

Alabama spearheaded ‘BAMA RISING: A Benefit Concert for Alabama Tornado Recovery’ at Birmingham’s BJCC Arena on June 14 for Alabama tornado victims. The concert raised funds for relief efforts and featured performance from Brad Paisley, Martina McBride, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Kellie Pickler, Sara Evans and Darius Rucker, just to name a few. There was also an online auction component. The benefit raised more than $2 million for tornado relief efforts.

“We are so thankful that the show was a huge success and that we’re going to be able to do positive things to help those that the storm hurt so badly,” Randy Owen said. “The response has been incredible, and it’s a real tribute to the people of Alabama to see them helping their fellow Alabamians.”

Taylor Swift also pitched in, making the decision to open the doors of her final dress rehearsal for the North American leg of her Speak Now World Tour to fans as a fundraiser. One hundred percent of ticket sales from the Speak Now… Help Now show went directly to help tornado victims. Taylor expanded her fundraising efforts by streaming two performances during the Speak Now … Help Now benefit event.

View Taylor Swift’s Speak Now… Help Now photo gallery »

“I was watching the coverage of the tornadoes backstage at rehearsals, and I wanted to do something for the families affected by the damage,” Taylor said. “I’ve never opened a rehearsal to the public before, but I felt that inviting my fans to the last rehearsal for the Speak Now Tour would be a great way to raise money.”

Taylor’s Speak Now… Help Now show raised more than $750,000. Continue Reading

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Blake Shelton & Miranda Lambert on the cover of Us Weekly. Photo courtesy of Us Weekly.

There was more than one Royal Wedding in 2011. The world’s eyes may have been on Prince William and Kate Middleton, but the May 14^th wedding of Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert were the nuptials that had country fans buzzing. The couple tied the knot at the Don Strange Ranch in Texas in front of 550 friends and family. The guest list included  Reba McEntire, Cee Lo Green, MartinaMcBride , Dierks Bentley, Lady Antebellum‘s Charles Kelly and the Bellamy Brothers.

Miranda chose to wear her mother’s dress for the ceremony. “My parents have been married for 33 years, so this dress is already a good-luck charm,” she told Us Weekly. Under the dress, Miranda wore custom-made Casadei cowboy boots. She changed into a shorter dress for the reception. Her bridesmaids wore Old Gringo boots and custom-made gowns by Priscilla of Boston’s Mark Bower.

The wedding was full of personal touches by the bride and groom. As the wedding party took their places, Blake sang a song he’d written for the wedding, called “Let’s Grow Old Together.” Bridesmaid and fellow Pistol Annie member Ashley Monroe sang “Makin’ Plans,” a song Miranda wrote for Blake that appears on her Revolution album. “I was thinking about not crying, then when I got close, I didn’t think of anyone else,” Miranda told Us Weekly. “It was just me and Blake.”

Browse photos from some of Blake and Miranda’s most memorable moments »

Even Blake couldn’t hold back the tears on his wedding day. He became emotional when Miranda’s dad, Rick, gave her away. “I couldn’t get over how beautiful she was,” Blake told the magazine.

“Blake is a jokester,” Miranda said, “but he was really serious when he said his vows.” But Blake couldn’t be entirely serious. Within his vows, the pastor included “to put Miranda before hunting,” causing the guests to erupt into laughter. Continue Reading

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