Sugarland photo by Jennifer Tzar, courtesy of UMG Nashville.
Ever been to a concert and left disappointed because you didn’t hear your favorite song? Sugarlandis going to make sure that doesn’t happen by leaving their next tour up to the audience. The duo’s ‘In the Hands of Fans Tour’ which will rely solely on fans to choose what songs they will perform in each city. If Sugarland has recorded it or performed it, then the song is eligible for the set list.
“This year’s tour is based around the concept of putting the show into the hands of the fans,” Jennifer Nettles said. “THEY will make the requests that will help form the set list and guide the show. Through texts, handwritten signs, the Internet, Twitter, Facebook, phone calls made during the show and selections directly from the stage, the fans will become the conductors as well as the audience. If it’s on one of our records or if we’ve played it on a stage it is fair game.”
Watch the ‘In The Hands of Fans Tour’ commercial here:
The tour will kick off April 5th in Toledo, Ohio and select dates will feature special guests Lauren Alainaand Canaan Smith. Fans will be able to start making requests soon and can sign up HEREto be alerted when the request lines open. Continue Reading
Randy Montana is a new daddy! He and wife Montgomery welcomed their first child, a girl, on February 27th. Named Sullivan Mae, she weighed in at 8 lbs., 4 oz., and measured 19 ½ inches long. Sullivan is the first granddaughter of legendary songwriter Billy Montana who penned such hits as “Suds In The Bucket” and “More Than A Memory.
Randy released his debut album last summer which contained his single, “1,000 Faces.” He spent time touring with Sugarland and Taylor Swift at the end of last year
The Act Of Valor Soundtrack is available in stores now.
The film Act of Valor, currently in theaters, is the fictional story of a Navy SEAL team working to recover a kidnapped CIA operative. Like other Hollywood action films, the movie showcases adrenaline-pumping combat scenes along with other elements like modern battlefield technology. Unlike other Hollywood films, Act of Valor also features true-to-life, active-duty Navy SEALs.
To complement the film, Relativity Media released the official soundtrack, Act of Valor: The Album. Top country artists including Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Sugarland, Jake Owen and others appear on the record with songs they wrote for the film. Two elements about this project are particularly alluring. First, this soundtrack is less a collection of previously released music picked to match a film, and more a set of songs that were written for and inspired by the movie. Second, the majority of songs on this album were written by the artists that perform them, providing an even deeper look at the feelings and thoughts these artists have about war. Continue Reading
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
Keith Urban’s latest video is a thriller. “For You,” written by Keith for the Act of Valor soundtrack, is about the sacrifices our U.S. servicemen and women make to defend our country. The video features Keith and his band in the desert while explosions go off around them, cut between footage from the Act of Valor film.
“I loved the challenge of writing for a film,” Keith said. “I’ve never done that before. After seeing Act Of Valor, my co-writer and I wanted to capture the essence of not only what these men and women do so extraordinarily, but how that relates to all of us. ‘Valor’ shows us what they are willing to give their all for, which made me wonder, ‘What am I willing to give my life for?’ ‘For You’ is intended to allow the listener to define who that is for them.”
The main concert stage collapses during a storm at the Indiana State Fair on August 13, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The stage fell just before country duo Sugarland were scheduled to perform, killing seven people and injuring as many as 50 more. (Photo by Joey Foley/Getty Images)
Sugarland‘s legal team and management have responded to claims of negligence filed against them in a civil lawsuit related to the Indiana State Fair stage collapse last summer, reports USA Today. Victims filed the lawsuit on November 22 in Marion Superior Court, claiming negligence on the part of Sugarland and other companies contributed to the tragedy.
Seven people were killed and more than 50 were injured when a gust of wind brought down the stage on August 13, 2011, moments before Sugarland was scheduled to perform. The lawsuit alleges that Sugarland and companies neglected to build a secure stage and failed to monitor deteriorating weather conditions, saying the show should have been canceled and the crowd evacuated as conditions worsened.
In response to the lawsuit, Sugarland’s lawyers claim the stage collapse was the result of “gust of wind of unprecedented intensity” and was “a true accident, or act of God.” They stated they “had nothing to do with the construction of the venue” which was handled by fair officials and Mid-America Sound Corp. They said the plaintiff’s claims were caused by “an open and obvious danger” and that some or all of their injuries “resulted from their own fault.”
Sugarland named Indiana State Fair officials, Indiana State Police, and members of the labor union who helped construct the stage and the state of Indiana as partly responsible for the tragedy. They also denied that the band had supervisory authority over the stage setup. Continue Reading
Ed. note: You may have seen North Dakota native Gwen Sebastian during the blind auditions for The Voice, the talent show starring country superstar Blake Shelton. Gwen impressed the four coaches with her rendition of Sugarland‘s “Stay” — and she chose to be on Team Blake for the competition. We asked Gwen to keep a journal for us during her time on The Voice. Check back each Tuesday for updates from Gwen!
Gwen Sebastian photo courtesy of Susan Niles Public Relations.
Love…
On the day before Valentine’s Day, one where I was hoping for a good chick flick like The Notebook or Pretty Woman, I found myself watching…..The VOICE! That’s all I needed to see. The “love” was there. In James Massone’s, as Cee Lo said, “calm, smooth” voice. In Katrina Parker’s rendition of “One of Us.” In Jordis Unga’s dad’s dance after seeing his daughter wow the coaches. And in Erin Willett’s strong powerful voice, being cheered on by her parents. Blake made it clear to Erin that he wanted her on his team because, “I love to see people react to music like that.”
There was love in each performance, but what about between the coaches? Now for those of you who watched The Voice last year and have seen the first few episodes of season two, who could avoid noticing the tension between the coaches, and particularly last night, even between Blake and Adam, who obviously respect each other on and off that stage?
I believe that when we see Blake, Adam, Cee Lo and Christina fight for a chance to work with each performer, it’s not only competitiveness, but a love for finding new talent. That’s how I felt when I was up on that stage. They seemed very genuine in their words and made it very clear that they wanted to be there — that each coach was there to help us become better. Last night, Adam said, “We’ve all been rejected at some point, so don’t give up”. I believe Adam, Blake, Cee Lo and Christina see a bit of themselves in each of us. They see that we all share the same goals, the same dream and the same love. That love is…music.
Ed. note: You may have seen North Dakota native Gwen Sebastian during the blind auditions for The Voice, the talent show starring country superstar Blake Shelton. Gwen impressed the four coaches with her rendition of Sugarland‘s “Stay” — and she chose to be on Team Blake for the competition. We asked Gwen to keep a journal for us during her time on The Voice. Check back each week for updates from Gwen!
Gwen Sebastian photo courtesy of Susan Niles Public Relations.
About Me…
Hi everyone! How cool is it that GAC is letting me tell you my story about The Voice! I’ll keep you up to date each week after the show airs and chat about my experience, as well as dish on some little tidbits of news.
In case you don’t know about me, here I go (in one paragraph):
I grew up on a farm outside of a little town (about 900 people) called Hebron, ND and have hundreds, yes, hundreds of cousins (117 and counting, just on my dad’s side-yikes!) I went to the same school K-12 and my graduating class had 20 students. My nickname is “Lunchbox,” which I happily go by since one of my favorite things is FOOD! I have a younger brother, whom I look up to not only because he gave me the cutest nephew in the world, but because he has proudly served his country. My parents are farmers and ranchers and they taught me a lot about hard work and determination and how to make your own fun when “there’s nothing else to do.” I love riding horses and still do when I go back home. Along with farming, my parents are musicians, so I grew up singing with them as much as I could. I always had a dream to move to Nashville to play country music. That leads me to my next story: Why I chose to sing “Stay” and why I knew I wanted to be on Team Blake!
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - FEBRUARY 12: Singer Whitney Houston (L) and Bobbi Kristina Brown arrives at the 2011 Pre-GRAMMY Gala and Salute To Industry Icons Honoring David Geffen at Beverly Hilton on February 12, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Whitney Houston wasn’t a country artist, but she inspired and touched the lives of many country stars all the same. As news of her death on Saturday in Beverly Hills spread, artists took to Twitter and Facebook to express their sympathy and offer their condolences. Dolly Parton had the privilege of having Whitney record her song, “I Will Always Love You,” for The Bodyguardsoundtrack in 1992. The song went on to become one of Whitney’s signature hits.
“Mine is only one of the millions of hearts broken over the death of Whitney Houston,” Dolly said in a statement on her website. “I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song, and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, ‘Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed.’”
As her co-star in The Bodyguard, Kevin Costner, who performs with his band Modern West, urged Whitney to record “I Will Always Love You.” Watch this video from 2009 as Kevin talks about starring with Whitney in the movie and urging her to record a ‘little country song’ her camp wasn’t so sure about.
LeAnn Rimes took the news of Whitney’s death hard, tweeting “Whitney Houston was the first cd I ever bought. She had a God given gift. Hopefully, she’s singing with angels now.” Later, as LeAnn was preparing to go onstage, she tweeted again, sharing how Whitney inspired her:
“I can’t stop crying. I have a show to do soon. Wow, I learned how to do what I do because of 3 great women, one being Whitney. She was always so kind to me. This is not gonna be an easy show for sure. I’m doing what she taught me to do by listening to her records over & over as a little girl. Her death is very surreal.”
Many more country stars tweeted their shock, grief and condolences:
Martina McBride- @martinamcbride: So sad about Whitney. She was one of my singing idols. Prayers going up for her family, especially her daughter.
Jewel- @jeweljk: What a shame, not just because a great voice is silent, but a great LIFE is ended way too early. My thoughts are with her family
Sugarland – @Sugarlandmusic: A beautiful voice and a talent beyond compare. You will be missed. –K
Luke Bryan – @LukeBryanOnline: On the bus listening to Whitney. Very heartbreaking to lose someone that defined my generation. Voice of an angel. A very sad day.
Jason Aldean – @Jason_Aldean: Very sad to hear about the death of Whitney Houston…. What an amazing talent she was.
Darius Rucker photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.
President Barack Obama revealed his 2012 playlist, reports the Huffington Post, and it turns out he’s got pretty diverse musical tastes. Bruce Springsteen, Al Green, Arcade Fire, No Doubt and Wilco all made his list, but he’s got a good amount of country on his iPod as well. Sugarland, Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker, Zac Brown Band and Montgomery Gentry are all listed as presidential favorites.
Darius Rucker’s “This” and “Learn To Live,” Sugarland’s “Everyday America” and “Stand Up,” Dierks Bentley’s patriotic “Home,” Zac Brown Band’s “Keep Me In Mind,” and Montgomery Gentry’s “My Town” are all among President Obama’s favorite songs at the moment. Continue Reading
