Kellie Pickler chats with Suzanne Alexander about her new CD, 100 Proof, and chats with fans live on Facebook.com/GAC. Photo by Cheryl Ecton.

We had such a great time hanging with Kellie Pickler last night! Kellie visited our studio and did a live broadcast of The Collection, hosted by Storme Warren. Kellie and Storme watched some of her videos and Kellie took calls on the air from some lucky fans.

Immediately after shooting The Collection, Kellie did a live chat with fans on our Facebook page, via UStream. If you missed last night’s chat, don’t worry — we recorded it and you can watch it right here! During the chat, Kellie discusses Continue Reading

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Craig Morgan photo courtesy of Monarch Publicity.

Have you written the next big country music hit? If you think you have, don’t forget to enter the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau’s fifth annual Music City Songwriting Competition. Craig Morgan is serving as the honorary ambassador.

The competition will accept entries through January 31, 2012 and is open to amateur songwriters only. All entries received January 27-29 will be reviewed by noted Nashville producer/songwriter Doug Johnson. Doug’s top pick will have the opportunity to perform the song before a Craig Morgan show in 2012.

Songs may be submitted on CD to Music City Songwriting Competition, P.O. Box 190633, Nashville, TN 37219 or as an MP3 file online at www.americansongspace.com/contest/musiccity2011. Submission fee for the first song is $25. Each additional song is $15. For more information and to enter a song, please visit www.themusiccitysongwriter.com.

The winning songwriter will receive a $1,000 cash prize, two roundtrip Southwest Airline tickets to Music City and spend five nights at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel in downtown Nashville during CMA Music Fest. While in town, the winner will be interviewed on GAC as well as Sirius XM’s “Music Row Happy Hour with Storme Warren.” Craig Morgan will also offer a mentoring session and autographed CD to the winner.

The winning song will be played on Sirius XM Radio’s “Music City Connection: Heroes Behind the Hits,” a monthly radio show recorded and produced by the Nashville CVB, and the winner will be featured in American Songwriter Magazine. Additionally, the winner will receive a writing session with a professional songwriter, a demo recording session at Sound Stage Studio and a single song publishing deal with Black River Entertainment. Complimentary admission to over 30 Nashville attractions and a pair of Durango boots, as well as two four-day tickets to CMA Music Fest, are also included.

Entries will be narrowed down to the top 25 which will then be judged by a panel of top names in the Nashville music industry, including Craig Morgan, Grammy-winning songwriter Tim Nichols, ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, Lawrence Music Group’s Alex Torrez, GAC and Sirius XM personality, Storme Warren and Nashville CVB President, Butch Spyridon. Judges will rate each song based on the following criteria: melody, composition, originality, lyrics and, most importantly, commercial appeal. Continue Reading

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Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/jakeowen.

Jake Owen underwent surgery in Nashville yesterday after breaking his collarbone in a snowboarding accident on Friday the 13th while  in Crested Butte, CO for the BMI Songwriter’s Festival. Jake shared the story via Twitter and with GAC’s Storme Warren. “Man, it wasn’t like I was doing anything crazy,” he said. “That’s why this is such a freak accident but the reality is if you’re not falling, you’re not learning.”

Jake caught a flight back to Nashville as soon as possible. where his doctor confirmed he’d suffered multiple fractures in his collarbone and recommended surgery immediately. Because of the recovery time and weeks of rehabilitation, Jake had to reschedule his January tour dates. His doctors said they expect him to make a full recovery.

“I’m so bummed that I have to postpone some shows but I promise you this, I’ll be back out on the road as soon as possible,” he said. “I probably won’t be able to hold a guitar for a while but I can still perform.”

Last night, Jake tweeted the photo above, saying “I’m out y’all. Took longer than expected. I’m a lil groggy but I’ll b back at it soon. Thanks for all your kind words.”

Jake’s sold-out shows originally scheduled for January 18 and 19 at Joe’s Bar in Chicago, IL have already been rescheduled for April 18 and 19. The shows originally scheduled for January 20 and 21 at Island Resort & Casino in Harris, MI have been rescheduled for April 20 and 21. Continue Reading

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Kellie Pickler photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Kellie Pickler – with her quick wit and engaging personality – is the perfect star for live television.  In the first-ever LIVE episode of The Collection, Wednesday, January 18 at 8 p.m. Eastern, Kellie sits down with host Storme Warren to talk about the making of several of the music videos in her catalog.  The platinum singer/songwriter has made videos for many of her top hits including “Best Days of Your Life,” a song she co-wrote with Taylor Swift, “Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You,” and “I Wonder.”

Throughout the telecast, members of the TV and viral audience will have the opportunity to submit questions to Kellie via GAC’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/GAC (clicking on the ‘Kellie Pickler chat’ tab).  The questions chosen will be sent to Storme’s on-set iPad and he will share them with his guest.

Following the one-hour show, Kellie will continue engaging fans through an online chat on the GAC Facebook page.

“We loved the idea of doing something live and interactive with Kellie, an artist our fans have loved since she released “Red High Heels,” said GAC GM/SVP Sarah Trahern. “She is often at the top of our fan-voted chart and when Kellie and Storme get together for a live hour of television, who knows what will happen?”

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Fan voting for the ACM New Artist of the Year semi-finalists runs from Jan. 16-30, 2012!

Eight of country music’s most talented newcomers — each competing for the Academy of Country Music’s New Artist of the Year honor – will be featured on ACM Showcase, Monday, January 16 at 8/7c on GAC, check schedule for more times. The 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will be held Sunday, April 1, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Host Storme Warren will interview Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes, JT Hodges, Scotty McCreery, Justin Moore, David Nail, Jerrod Niemann and duo Thompson Square, catching up with each on the remarkable year they’ve had. These eight semi-finalists were chosen by the first round of ACM professional membership voting and the fans will help choose the three finalists. Online voting is now open at gactv.com/acm and closes Monday, January 30 Noon ET and fans may vote once per day. When the three final nominees are chosen, online voting for the New Artist of the Year honor begins Monday, March 19, at 3pm ET by logging on to VoteACM.com. Continue Reading

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Storme Warren with Blake Shelton backstage at the 2011 CMA Awards. Photo courtesy of Cheryl Ecton.

Headline Country on GAC – the only entertainment news show on television devoted exclusively to country music – will begin airing new weekly episodes in 2012 with the first episode airing Thursday, January 12, 10 p.m. Eastern.  The show had been bi-weekly.

Host Storme Warren has established himself as a true country music insider and is often the first call an artist makes when they have news to share. With this expanded format, Storme will continue to provide viewers with unprecedented backstage and behind the scenes access to country music’s biggest events and celebrations and will share intimate, in-depth interviews with the format’s top stars. Storme travels the globe to cover the format he loves and it’s taken him to festivals in Japan, Australia and Europe as well as military base visits in several countries.

“GAC’s dedication to bringing country music fans as close as possible to the stars is undeniable,” Storme says. “As a weekly outlet, Headline Country will provide a constant window to Music Row and we look forward to expanding our coverage of country music around the globe.”

“Storme is tireless and he and his crew work hard to be where the biggest stories in country music are taking place,” says GAC GM/SVP, Sarah Trahern. “It’s great that our fans will now get twice as much news delivered in a timely fashion.”

Headline Country is produced by Surfing Moose Productions; Executive Producers Larry Fitzgerald, Mark Hartley, Storme Warren and Supervising Producer, Jeremy Weber.

Don’t miss the Headline Country: 2011 Year In Review special, airing this Sunday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. Eastern!

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Craig Morgan photo courtesy of Monarch Publicity.

The Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB)’s fifth annual Music City Songwriting Competition is underway, with Craig Morgan serving as the honorary ambassador.

The competition will accept entries through January 31, 2012 and is open to amateur songwriters only. Songs may be submitted on CD to Music City Songwriting Competition, P.O. Box 190633, Nashville, TN 37219 or as an MP3 file online at www.americansongspace.com/contest/musiccity2011. Submission fee for the first song is $25. Each additional song is $15. For more information and to enter a song, please visit www.themusiccitysongwriter.com.

The winning songwriter will receive a $1,000 cash prize, two roundtrip Southwest Airline tickets to Music City and spend five nights at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel in downtown Nashville during CMA Music Fest. While in town, the winner will be interviewed on GAC as well as Sirius XM’s “Music Row Happy Hour with Storme Warren.” Craig Morgan will also offer a mentoring session and autographed CD to the winner. The winning song will be played on Sirius XM Radio’s “Music City Connection: Heroes Behind the Hits,” a monthly radio show recorded and produced by the Nashville CVB, and the winner will be featured in American Songwriter Magazine. Additionally, the winner will receive a writing session with a professional songwriter, a demo recording session at Sound Stage Studio and a single song publishing deal with Black River Entertainment. Complimentary admission to over 30 Nashville attractions and a pair of Durango boots, as well as two four-day tickets to CMA Music Fest, are also included.

Entries will be narrowed down to the top 25 which will then be judged by a panel of top names in the Nashville music industry, including Craig Morgan, Grammy-winning songwriter Tim Nichols, ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, Lawrence Music Group’s Alex Torrez, GAC and Sirius XM personality, Storme Warren and Nashville CVB President, Butch Spyridon. Judges will rate each song based on the following criteria: melody, composition, originality, lyrics and, most importantly, commercial appeal. Continue Reading

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LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 05: Singer Jason Aldean poses in the press room with the awards for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Singer of the Year: Male, Single of the Year: Vocal Collaboration, Touring Artist of the Year and Music Video: Group or Collaboration at the American Country Awards 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on December 5, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

If you missed last night’s second annual American Country Awards, don’t worry! GAC will re-air it Saturday, December 17, 10 p.m. Eastern. The two-hour music spectacular aired live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas last night and allowed fans to vote for their favorite artists in many diverse categories.

Co-hosted by Trace Adkins and Kristin Chenoweth, the show includes performances by Scotty McCreery, Blake Shelton, Toby Keith, Alabama, Chris Young, The Band Perry, Thompson Square, Eli Young Band, Pistol Annies and others.  The special will also include appearances by Josh Turner, Lauren Alaina, Miranda Lambert, Jordin Sparks, The Big Show, the JaneDear girls, Bill Engvall and Rodney Carrington.  The Great American Country Video of the Year Award was presented by GAC’s Storme Warren, Hunter Hayes and Pro Rodeo Hall of Famer Larry Mahan to Blake Shelton for his “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking” music video.  Nominees in that category were determined by airplay on GAC.

“Giving fans a chance to vote for their favorite country artists has been a cornerstone of GAC programming,” said GAC VP/Programming, Suzanne Gordon.  “By also doing so, the American Country Awards honor both the fans and their favorite performers.”

Check out our complete ACA section for winners, photos & more >>

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George Strait photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Rodeo and country music have always had a close relationship. In Garth Brooks‘ hit, “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old),” he sings of “a worn out tape of Chris LeDoux.” Chris, of course, was a former world champion bronc rider and a Capitol Nashville recording artist. Chris even recorded George Strait‘s ode to rodeo, “Amarillo By Morning,” before George did.

George, as most of his fans know, sponsors his own Team Roping Classic in San Antonio each year. He is no slouch as a roper either, and has been sponsored by Wrangler Western Wear, a brand synonymous with rodeo, for years. In a recent interview with our own Storme Warren, George remembered the multi-talented LeDoux, who passed away in 2005:

GAC is celebrating  the union of rodeo, country music and Wrangler in December by broadcasting the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo live, December 1-10 at 10/9c each night. Plus, eight-time All-Around Champion, Trevor Brazile plays host to Suzanne Alexander and Joe Nichols on his ranch, deep in the heart of Texas in our special, Inside the WNFR 2011. Whether you are new to the sport and or a die-hard fan, this must-see show gives you the 4-1-1 on all the rodeo event categories from Steer Wrestling and Barrel Racing, to the death-defying Bull Riding event.

See more of our interview with George Strait »

Check out GAC’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo section »

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Storme Warren & Blake Shelton backstage at the 2011 CMA Awards. Photo by Cheryl Ecton.

This week’s Top 20 Country Countdown is coming at you straight from The 45^th Annual CMA Awards! Host Storme Warren caught up with some of country’s biggest stars both on the red carpet and backstage at the awards and also chatted with the night’s big winners, including Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, The Band Perry and Taylor Swift. Tune in tonight at 8/7 CT to catch all the action, glitz and glam as well as this week’s Top 20 videos!

Photos, videos and more from the CMA Awards! >>

Top 10 Moments from the CMA Awards! >>

GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown is chosen by you, the viewers, so head over to our voting page and cast your votes daily for your favorite videos! Continue Reading

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