Photo courtesy of Showboat Records.

GAC extends condolences to the family, friends and fans of songwriter Liz Anderson, mother of “Rose Garden” singer Lynn Anderson. Liz passed away October 31 at the age of 80 from complications of heart and lung disease. Liz and her husband Casey were successful songwriters, with Merle Haggard’s “(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers” and “(I’m A Lonesome) Fugitive” among their compositions.

Born in Roseau, Minnesota, Liz played mandolin as a child and sang in her local church choir. At 13, her family moved to Grand Fork, North Dakota and at 16, she married husband Casey. Lynn was born a year later. In 1957, the family moved to Sacramento, California where the limited popularity of country music led Liz to start writing songs. Casey was a member of the Sherriff’s Posse which was going to take part in the National Centennial Pony Express Celebration . He convinced his wife to write a song in honor of the Pony Express, which went on to be named the celebration’s official song.

Liz began publishing songs and made friends with the growing country music community in Bakersfield during the early 60s. Some of her earliest hits were “Be Quiet Mind” recorded by Del Reeves and “Pick of the Week” recorded by Roy Drusky. Many artists in the 1960s recorded at least one of her songs on their albums, including Charley Pride, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Kitty Wells, Connie Smith and Bill Anderson. She went on to publish more than 260 songs during her career and earned five BMI Awards. Continue Reading

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Reba McEntire photo courtesy of The Valory Music Co.

Reba McEntire will headline the International Festival of Country Music when the festival returns to Wembley Arena in London for the first time in 20 years on February 26, 2012. This will be Reba’s first performance in the UK in 12 years.

“My band, crew and I are really looking forward to going back to Europe to play our music,” Reba said. “The last time we performed there was in 1999!  We have been very busy for the last 10 years doing the Reba TV show and concerts in North America. Now, we are so excited to be able to travel abroad and do both our new and old songs for our European audience, who has always been so good to us.”

“I’m bringing the International Festival of Country Music back after over twenty years due to popular demand,” Mervyn Conn, festival founder and CEO of MM Events Ltd., said. “The regard for Country Music has grown significantly in the UK since the first year I promoted this event and I believe that now is the time to reintroduce this once hugely popular event to converted fans of country music and to a new and emerging group of country music lovers.” Continue Reading

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Clockwise from top left: Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley & Taylor Swift.

Topping the list of final nominees with five nominations each for The 45^th Annual CMA Awards are Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, and Taylor Swift. Right on their heels are The Band Perry and Zac Brown Band, who each received four nominations as a group, while individual members Kimberly Perry (of The Band Perry), Coy Bowles and Zac Brown (of Zac Brown Band) each earned a solo nod as a songwriter.

“‘Country Music’s Biggest Night(tm)’ is shaping up to be a tight race with an outstanding group of new and established nominees topping the list,” said Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “With no clear frontrunner there will be a heightened level of excitement and anticipation for the CMA Awards in November.”

The 45^th Annual CMA Awards will be hosted for the fourth time by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood and broadcast live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 8-11 p.m. Eastern on ABC.

For the sixth year, the announcement of the final nominees in five of the 12 CMA Awards categories was made live on ABC News’ Good Morning America with The Band Perry and Jake Owen delivering the news from the heart of New York City’s Times Square. Finalists in the other seven categories were announced by Jerrod Niemann and CMA Vocal Duo and New Artist of the Year nominees Thompson Square from the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, which was home to the first broadcast of the CMA Awards in 1968.

Jason Aldean received first-time nominations in five categories in 2011 including Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Album for My Kinda Party, produced by Michael Knox; and Single and Musical Event of the Year for “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Kelly Clarkson, also produced by Knox. Jason has two prior nominations including the Horizon Award in 2007 and in 2008 when the category changed names to CMA New Artist of the Year. Kelly was last nominated in 2007 for Musical Event of the Year with Reba McEntire for “Because of You.”

Jason’s golden touch in 2011 extended to songwriters Brantley Gilbert and Colt Ford, who penned his “Dirt Road Anthem,” nominated for Song of the Year.

CMA’s reigning Entertainer of the Year, Brad Paisley, received five nominations for Continue Reading

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l-r: Josh Turner photo courtesy of UMG Nashville; Carrie Underwood photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville; Blake Shelton photo courtesy of WBR Nashville.

The Grand Ole Opry and Cracker Barrel have teamed up to release four new albums. The three-CD series Grand Ole Opry Classic Collection and the contemporary Our Kind of Country albums together feature more than 50 legendary and contemporary country music stars spanning six decades.

“The classic collection is truly ‘classic’ in every sense of the word,” said Julie Craig, marketing manager for Cracker Barrel.  “It’s as close to an Opry experience as you can get without actually being in the Opry House.  Listeners will enjoy high quality sound on every track, songs by historically renowned artists and enduring examples of some truly great performances. And Our Kind Of Country is an incredible showcase of the Opry’s current superstars and more recent additions—a dozen of the Opry’s best available on one CD for the first time.”

Trace Adkins, Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood, Josh Turner, Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Martina McBride and more are featured on the Our Kind of Country album. All artists are Grand Ole Opry members and have collectively won every major award presented by the Country Music Association. Continue Reading

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If you’re going to be in or around Nashville during the month of May, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is the place to be. The Museum has all sorts of country music-centric events going on, from ‘Cookin’ Out Country’ which is a weekly outdoor lunch at the Museum with country music artists including Bryan White and Darryl Worley. There are several concerts and movie showings and of course, the Medallion Ceremony, which will induct Reba McEntire, Bobby Braddock, and Jean Shephard into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Some of the big events coming up this month are listed below and you can see the complete schedule HERE.

Cookin’ Out Country

May 4 – Richie McDonald
May 11 – Darryl Worley
May 25 – Bryan White

Serving lunch from 11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Performances – 11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Autograph Signings – 12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Hot Nights at the Hall -Three Nights of Amazing Music

Friday, June 17 – The Night Train to Nashville Reunion Concert, with house band led by Jimmy Church

Friday, July 8 – Stealing Angels

Friday, August 5 – Carter’s Chord Continue Reading

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Tammy Wynette photo courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

The curtain is preparing to close on the Tammy Wynette: First Lady of Country Music, Presented by Great American Country Television Network, which opened in the Country Musc Hall of Fame and Museum’s East Gallery on August 20, 2010. In anticipation of the exhibit’s June 12 wrap date, the Museum has planned a lineup of Wynette-themed programs, including a series of film screenings and a special program starring Georgette Jones on Saturday, May 28.

Born Virginia Wynette Pugh on May 5, 1942, Tammy wrote and sang honest and autobiographical songs about suffering. heartbreak, strength and survival.  Her body of work includes 20 No. 1 hits that continue to resonate with fans. She was formally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998. Georgette is the daughter of Tammy and George Jones. She made her first musical appearance beside her parents at age three and her first recording at 10 with her father. She will perform some of her mother’s most popular songs as well as original numbers and will also discuss her mother’s impact on country music. She will stick around to sign autographs in the Museum’s store after the show. Continue Reading

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Jennifer Nettles, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood and The Judds perform during the Girls' Night Out: Superstar Women Of Country concert. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

If you were in Las Vegas last Monday night and were lucky enough to attend the Academy of Country Music’s Girls’ Night Out: Superstar Women Of Country taping, you saw many once-in-a-lifetime performances. Each part of the show – which spotlighted honorees Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, The Judds, Sugarland‘s Jennifer Nettles and Martina McBride – featured a musical collaboration as well as a video tribute and performance salute. Click HERE to see photos from the taping!

Country Aircheck reports that Miranda’s fiancé Blake Shelton sang “Famous In A Small Town” for her. Miranda also debuted her new group Pistol Annie with Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley to perform “Hell On Heels.” Vince Gill sang “Jesus Take The Wheel” for Carrie, who then joined Vince on “How Great Thou Art.” Rascal Flatts performed “Why Haven’t I Heard From You” for Reba, who sang “The Heart Won’t Lie” with the Flatts. John Fogerty performed “Rockin’ With The Rhythm Of The Rain” for the Judds. Wynonna and Fogerty then performed “Proud Mary,” while Naomi Judd observed. Sugarland partner Kristian Bush hosted a video tribute for Nettles, who joined Ronnie Dunn on “Let Him Fly.” Dunn also performed Sugarland’s “Stay.” Little Big Town and McBride sang Linda Ronstadt’s “When Will I Be Loved.” Honoree Loretta Lynn couldn’t attend the taping because of recent knee surgery, but she spoke via a satellite video feed. Continue Reading

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Jean Shepard, Reba McEntire & Bobby Braddock are the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Photos courtesy of the CMA.

Kix Brooks and the Country Music Association announced today that Bobby Braddock, Reba McEntire and Jean Shepard will become the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

“We are inducting royalty this year,” said Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “Jean and Reba are two of Country Music’s most revered queens, and Bobby Braddock is a king of songwriting. All three of them refused to follow the crowd; instead, creating their own unique paths. I cannot imagine what Country Music would be like today without these three talented individuals and all of their accomplishments. They each continue to inspire me with their latest performances, albums, compositions, and productions.”        

Bobby Braddock was inducted under the Songwriter Category which was created in 2009. Bobby is known for such hit songs as Tammy Wynette’s “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” and what is regarded as one of the best country music songs of all time, George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” He has also written more recent hints such as Billy Currington’s “People Are Crazy” and Toby Keith’s “I Wanna Talk About Me” Continue Reading

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Brad Paisley photo by Mark Kalbfeld, courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Brad Paisley released a double album, Hits Alive, just five weeks ago, but it won’t be long before an all-new studio album reaches stores.

Brad plans to issue This Is Country Music April 19, naming the project after the song he debuted last month on the Country Music Association Awards. Beginning Monday, you can download the song for free for one week at www.thisiscountrymusic.com and pre-order the album. That gives you the opportunity to get additional content before the album’s release.

At the end of that one-week period, the single can be purchased at all traditional digital outlets, in addition to www.thisiscountrymusic.com.

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BMI Icon Billy Sherrill and Taylor Swift with her awards for BMI Songwriter of the Year and Co Writer of BMI Song of the Year and BMI President Del Bryant at the 58th Annual BMI Country Music Awards at BMI on November 9, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for BMI)

Through songs such as “Mine,” “White Horse” and “Fifteen,” Taylor Swift has shown a real appreciation for great drama and complex character development.

This week, she’s experienced drama firsthand. On Tuesday, she won BMI’s Country Songwriter of the Year award, becoming the youngest person ever to claim it. And she and co-writer Liz Rose shared Country Song of the Year for “You Belong With Me,” recognized as the most-played country title over a full year, according to the performing rights organization.

Just a day earlier, Taylor sang at a funeral for a friend.

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