Top 20 host Nan Kelley welcomes Lionel Richie to the set.

GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown is welcoming a very special guest this week! The legendary Lionel Richie is in the studio to talk with host Nan Kelley about his new album, Tuskegee, a collaborative project with some of country music’s biggest stars including Kenny Chesney, Shania Twain, and Rascal Flatts.

Besides chatting with Lionel, Nan will also be counting down this week’s Top 20 videos, chosen by you! Tune in tonight at 9/8c catch Lionel Richie on this special episode of Top 20. Check the full schedule »

Read our review of Lionel Richie’s Tuskegee >>

If you missed the last few episodes of Top 20 or want to re-watch some of your favorite interviews, head over to our Top 20 section for videos, photos and more! You can also catch Top 20 Extras, cast your votes, and take a look at the current chart to see where your favorite videos land. Visit Top 20 »  Continue Reading

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Lionel Richie's 2012 CD, Tuskegee. Photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

If you’re a younger fan of country music, let’s say under the age of 35, then chances are the superstar guests on Tuskegee, Lionel Richie’s new collection of duets in stores March 27, might be a bit more familiar than the man who rocked “Dancing On The Ceiling” in 1986. However, in a twist not often realized, Lionel actually influenced many of the country stars on the album through his own work as a singer/songwriter – and a country one at that.

Alabama, Conway Twitty and Kenny Rogers have all recorded and released Lionel’s music. Kenny even scored a massive hit with “Lady,” a song that ranks No. 47 on Billboard’s All Time Top 100. On Tuskegee, a record consisting of 13 of Lionel’s best-known songs, it becomes increasingly apparent just how much “country” there is in his soul.

For the most part, Tuskegee features standard contemporary country instrumentation. Crisply produced acoustic/electric guitars, light pedal steel, hints of mandolin and a tight rhythm section fill out the majority of tracks. Yet, when listening to classics like “Stuck On You,” a duet of swirling harmonies with Darius Rucker, it’s lyrics like, Oh I’m leaving on that midnight train tomorrow, that stick out for their classic country imagery and ramblin’ man themes. On “Sail On,” Lionel and Tim McGraw trade verses between rolling lines including, It was plain to see that a small town boy like me wasn’t your cup of tea. Strong country elements were always a part of Lionel’s songwriting, and Tuskegee gives him the chance to explore this in more depth.

Lionel was born and raised in Tuskegee, Ala., which gives weight to the album’s title and the larger meaning of returning to his country roots for this project. Though there’s not much twang in his voice, Lionel sounds completely at ease in these arrangements. On “Say You, Say Me,” his soulful phrasings and natural feel flow over the acoustic guitars and pedal steel with an intimate familiarity. Jason Aldean joins here, and the song takes on a spontaneous feel when Lionel suggests singing the refrain ‘one more time’ during the song’s close. Lionel’s veteran touch is felt throughout the record, but most strikingly on rootsy works like “Deep River Woman,” which features the beautifully textured harmonies of Little Big Town. Here, and on songs like the piano-based “Easy” with Willie Nelson, Lionel’s timbre and inflection find the song’s swaying current with uncanny precision and feel, singing the famous line, I’m easy like Sunday morning. Continue Reading

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Just like we always like to do, GAC asked fans to help decide which videos should make one of our special countdowns!  And once again, you came through in a big way.  Thanks to everyone who voted for GAC’s Top 50 Videos of the 2000s earlier this year.  And, a huge thanks to our amazing host, Neal McCoy, for making sure the trip through the countdown was a good time for all!  Congratulations to Carrie Underwood who topped the countdown with her smash hit video “Before He Cheats.”  You can check out the complete list below and be sure to leave us a comment and tells what you think! Continue Reading

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Lionel Richie sings “Endless Love” with Shania Twain on his new CD, Tuskegee. Photo by Alan Silfen, courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Lionel Richie will release Tuskegee, a collection of 13 of his hit songs recorded as duets with some of the biggest names in country music, on March 27. Duet partners include Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Shania Twain, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson and more.

In addition to the album, the Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions will tape an all-star concert special, Lionel Richie and Friends In Concert at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in Las Vegas on April 2. The special will air at a later date on CBS. Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, and Kenny Rogers are among the artists scheduled to perform.

On Tuskegee, Lionel returns to his roots, paying tribute to his hometown of Tuskegee, Alabama where he was shaped as a man and a musician. He grew up listening to country, gospel, R&B and classical music and it was in Tuskegee that he helped form the Commodores and wrote some of his earliest hits.

“Tuskegee is where it all began, the place where I felt that everything was available and possible,” he said. “It’s where I learned about life and love and the power of music, and the place I built a musical foundation that knows no genres or boundaries.”

The artists who worked with Lionel have their own connections to the legend’s songs. “Every Lionel Richie song that I can think of I had a personal experience with – high school homecomings, proms, you name it,” Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts said. “Lionel was always playing in my house. His music always said what we felt and couldn’t express.”

Says Darius Rucker, who joins Richie on “Stuck On You,” “I wanted to work with Lionel because he is one of my idols. Lionel’s more a part of my DNA really than an idol. It was an absolute honor to work with him.” Adds Jason Aldean, who selected “Say You, Say Me,” “I’ve always been a huge fan. He is probably one of the best singer/songwriters of this generation.”

This isn’t Lionel’s first venture into country music. His songs have been recorded by Conway Twitty, Kenny Rogers and Alabama, while other artists have covered his songs in their sets. He’s performed on the CMA Awards three times and his 2011 performance received two standing ovations.

“When I did the CMAs and the room was singing along with me, it was really more like a family reunion than it was a concert or show,” Lionel said. “It was just great validation to know that the music was accepted like it was.” 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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Martina McBride photo courtesy of Republic Nashville.

This year saw the return of four of country music’s biggest female stars: Martina McBride, Sara Evans, Shania Twain and Faith Hill.

Martina changed records labels and released her first new album, Eleven, since 2009. The album spawned the hits “Teenage Daughters” and “I’m Gonna Love You Through It.” Martina celebrated the release by embarking on a cross-country train tour, which ended with a special performance at the Empire State Building.

Read our review of Martina McBride’s Eleven! >>

“This is such an amazing time in my life and my career,” Martina said when she announced her new album’s release. “I feel like I’ve been given the support and power to go into the studio and write and create an album that pushes the boundaries of what people expect of me, while still being true to myself.”

Sara released her first new music since 2005’s Real Fine Place when Stronger hit store shelves on March 8. The album featured the No. 1 hit CMA-nominated hit “A Little Bit Stronger,” which was also a part of the movie Country Strong. Sara also returned to the road, touring with Rascal Flatts on their Flatts Fest summer tour and performed on both the ACM and CMA Awards.

“This song has had the biggest emotional response of any other single I’ve ever released,” Sara said after “A Little Bit Stronger” reached No. 1. “I think it is because almost everyone has gone through a difficult time in their life and most people can relate to the line in the song ‘even on my weakest days, I get a little bit stronger.’” Continue Reading

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THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE -- 7UP Finale Part 2: Sweet Victory -- Pictured: (l-r) Donald Trump, John Rich -- Photo by: Heidi Gutman/NBC.

Country stars were well-represented in reality TV in 2011. From The Voice and American Idol  to Celebrity Apprentice and The Biggest Loser, stars were giving up their guitars and putting on their game faces or else signing for their chance to be music’s next big thing.

Perhaps the biggest reality star from the country music realm ended up being Blake Shelton. Blake took on the role as a coach on NBC’s The Voice alongside artists Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera and Maroon 5‘s Adam Levine. Blake coached team member Dia Frampton all the way to a second place finish, winning over America in the process. Blake will take Dia on tour with him in 2012 and he’ll return to the coach’s chair when the second season of The Voice premieres on NBC January 5.

American Idol has been known to springboard the careers of several country artists — and season 10 proved no different. It was an all-country Top 2 with Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina being voted into the finale by fans across America. Scotty went on to win, but both artists released highly-successful debut albums and singles in 2011 and will hit the road on major tours in early 2012.

“This is pretty wild, I gotta say,” Scotty told Billboard after winning. “It’s a whole lot more than I bargained for coming into this. I never would have expected it. But I’m handling it well — this is what I asked for, and it’s my new life, so this is a really crazy ride so far.”

American Idol Finale Photo Gallery >>

John Rich continued the country tradition of doing well on Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice. John won the competition over Marlee Matlin in what Trump’s daughter Ivanka said was the closest finale in the show’s history. John was awarded $250,000 for his charity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, bringing his total for the hospital to over one million dollars. Continue Reading

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Shania Twain and her husband, Frédéric Thiébaud, on their January 1, 2011 wedding day. Photo credit: Robert Evans, RobertEvans.com.

Several country stars tied the knot in 2011. Two of them even kicked off the year with New Year’s Day nuptials in tropical places! Shania Twain married husband Frédéric Thiébaud in Puerto Rico on New Year’s Day in front of 40 close friends and family. Shania announced their engagement on her website on December 21, 2010.

Kellie Pickler and husband Kyle Jacobs also tied the knot on New Year’s Day. The pair scraped their plans for a big Nashville wedding and eloped to Antigua where they were married at sunset. “We didn’t have anything but us and God and our minister,” Kellie told People, “and I can’t think of a word that can quite describe how perfect it was.”

LeAnn Rimes married actor Eddie Cibrian on April 22 at a private home in California. The 40 guests invited believed they were attending an engagement party but were surprised with a wedding ceremony. The couple exchanged personalized vows and Eddie’s sons Mason and Jake, from his previous marriage, were in attendance. “I’m looking forward to settling down,” LeAnn told People before her wedding. “Settling into our life.”

Chely Wright, who made headlines in 2010 when she came out, married her partner, Lauren Blitzer, during a ceremony at Lauren’s aunt’s home in Connecticut on August 20. Since Lauren is Jewish and Chely is Christian, both a rabbi and a reverend presided over the wedding. “The freedom of being out and open about who I am allowed me to find and fall in love with Lauren – the most amazing woman I’ve ever known,” Chely told People. Continue Reading

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Lionel Richie and Shania Twain photo by Alan Silfen, courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Lionel Richie has been added to the list of performers at this year’s CMA Awards. Lionel will debut select duets from his upcoming country duets album, Tuskegee. Lionel is scheduled to perform selections from the album with duet partners Little Big Town, Darius Rucker and Rascal Flatts. The CMA Awards will air live on ABC on November 9 at 8/7 CT.

Tuskegee contains 13 duets with some of the biggest names in country music. Other artists joining Lionel on the album include Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney, Billy Currington, Jason Aldean, Shania Twain, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffett.

“As my songwriting progressed, I realized that my songs perfectly translated to the country genre,” Lionel said. He was born and raised in Tuskagee, Alabama. “I am a country boy and proud of it. To do this project just felt natural,” he said. Continue Reading

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Lauren Alaina's 2011 CD, Wildflower. Photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

With immediacy and energy on the opening track “Georgia Peaches,” Lauren Alaina makes it clear that she has studied her country well. Way beyond the city lines, lies a cowboy’s paradise/ honeysuckle on the vine, growing up on Southern time, she sings proudly of her country upbringing. After a quick fiddle hook, she’s giving shout-outs to fellow peach state heroes Alan Jackson and Jason Aldean.

Lauren, runner up on the tenth season of FOX’s singing competition American Idol, was raised on country music in Georgia and auditioned for the show in the center of it all; Nashville, TN. Now, on her debut album Wildflower, the sixteen-year-old showcases her musical roots on a tight collection that features coming of age stories with a need to make her own path.

Through slow acoustic guitars, fiddle and light pedal steel on “The Locket,” Lauren uses her dynamic voice to tell a love story reminiscent of the film The Notebook. Her voice hints at early Carrie Underwood while she sings to a grandmother, You made a promise to the boy inside your locket. On “I’m Not One Of Them,” chunky, pop-hook guitars support her as she displays vocal textures similar to Shania Twain classics like “That Don’t Impress Me Much.” Here, the music has a modern edge and the lyrical content follows suit with lines like, I’m not some notch on your Facebook wall.

5 Things You Don’t Know About Lauren >>

Lauren continually makes statements about the need to follow one’s heart. This is most clearly expressed over the twang heavy guitar of “Growing Her Wings.” Through a blend of classic country melody and teenage angst delivery, Lauren sings, She’s dreaming about the girl she’s gonna be, stuck in Rice County, growing her wings to describe a sheltered teenage girl yearning to break free. On the grooving “Tupelo,” acoustic guitars, fiddle and rolling drums set the tone as Lauren sings of a young couple falling in love under the July sun. Her voice takes on Southern soul as a B-3 organ plays lightly in the background.

The album’s first single, “Like My Mother Does,” is a mid-tempo power ballad that allows Lauren to show off her strong voice and steady control. I see myself like my mother does, she sings through the chorus, continually gaining strength. During the song’s climax, Lauren lets it fly as her technical ability is impressive. She’s a rock, she is grace/ She’s my angel, she’s my heart and soul/ She does it all, Lauren sings, holding certain syllables for emphasis.

Wildflower, produced by Byron Gallimore, is a cohesive collection that captures this moment for Lauren. On one hand, she’s Continue Reading

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