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Post by flowergirl44 on Jun 24, 2006 21:32:44 GMT -5
Brandon will be missed! Taken from The Tennessean Newspaper regarding Rascal Flatts's own Jay DeMarus: Jay sure is one funny little Rascal Jay DeMarcus — member of Rascal Flatts, producer of legendary pop group Chicago, comic genius. Jay co-hosted the Miss Tennessee pageant preliminary competition Wednesday night with wife and former Miss Tennessee Allison Alderson. And Jay stole the show down in Jackson, Tenn., Allison reports. Seems Jay wasn't much for sticking to the script. First of all, he would just wander onto the stage when he wasn't supposed to be there, and he'd just start talking to Allison in the middle of the show. "I got bored backstage," he explained to the crowd. Then at one point, Jay was supposed to say, "We promised you excitement and here it is." Then he was supposed to introduce the next act. Instead, Jay said, "We promised you excitement tonight and here I am. Let's give me another round of applause!" The audience, laughing, complied. The pageant's big finale happens Saturday night; for better or for worse, Jay will be on the road that night doing his regular gig.
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Perp
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Post by Perp on Jun 25, 2006 1:12:35 GMT -5
Here's some 'news', sorta...
25 different topics were updated today (Saturday, June 24) in the Pulse Country forum. I wonder if that's some kind of record? It seems like a lot more than average, even for this rather busy board! :)
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drock89
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Post by drock89 on Jun 26, 2006 11:50:58 GMT -5
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Post by cari2521 on Jun 27, 2006 18:48:03 GMT -5
According to this article from CMT.com, Jack Ingram's first full-length studio album for Big Machine Records will be released in October. His first single from the album will probably be "Measure of a Man", by Radney Foster.
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Perp
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Post by Perp on Jun 28, 2006 18:24:51 GMT -5
From Countrynation.com: $eattle loves Chesney -- Kenny Chesney's recent tour stop in Seattle left him trying to cram a total of $2,893,955.00 into his wallet. Life is hard. Last Saturday night's show was the highest grossing concert in the city, going all the way back to 1980, according to Pollstar.
"When they tell us we made more money than the Stones, Metallica, Madonna, Paul McCartney, U2, Van Halen's Monsters of Rock and Pink Floyd, that tells me that country music is plenty healthy," Chesney says.
Go count your money.
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drock89
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Post by drock89 on Jun 28, 2006 18:39:33 GMT -5
From BMI.com: Merle Haggard To Be Honored as BMI Icon at 54th Annual Country AwardsCountry music legend Merle Haggard will be honored as a BMI Icon at the performing right organization's 54th annual Country Awards, the oldest awards saluting country's top music makers. The black-tie, invitation-only gala, which will also recognize the past year's most performed BMI country songs, is set for Nov. 4 at the company's Music Row offices. The Icon designation is given to BMI songwriters and artists who have had "a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers." Haggard, who will be saluted with an all-star musical tribute that evening, joins an elite list of past honorees that includes Dolly Parton, Bill Anderson, Loretta Lynn and Charlie Daniels, among others. It is impossible to overstate Merle Haggard's place in the country music pantheon. A talent of mythic proportions, he is arguably one of the greatest American songwriters of all time and is credited with being one of the architects of the country music sound. From "Mama Tried" to "Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down," "Ramblin' Fever" to "Today I Started Loving You Again," Haggard is the man in his songs -- a reflection and creator of Americanism, and a true champion of the working man. A two-time BMI Country Songwriter of the Year, Haggardís four-decade career has earned him a total of 58 BMI Awards, including 48 Country Awards, nine Pop Awards and one R&B Award, as well as 10 ACM Awards, six CMA Awards, two Grammys, the Recording Academyís Lifetime Achievement Award, an IBMA Award, and induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Hosted by BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and Nashville Writer/Publisher VP Jody Williams, the 54th Annual Country Awards will recognize the songwriters and publishers of the top BMI country songs played on American radio and television during the previous year. In addition to the Icon presentation to Haggard, BMI will also bestow its highest honors on the Country Songwriter of the Year, Country Publisher of the Year and Most Performed Country Song of the Year, also know as the Robert J. Burton Award.[/b]
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drock89
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Post by drock89 on Jun 29, 2006 13:54:44 GMT -5
From Billboard Radio Monitor: XM Nabs NelsonJune 29, 2006 By Phyllis Stark XM Satellite Radio's classic country channel "Hank's Place" (channel 13) is being re-named "Willie's Place," effective July 10. Its namesake, Willie Nelson, has joined the company as "proprietor" of the channel, where his role will include providing creative direction and exclusive programming. In addition to changing the name, XM is building new studios for "Willie's Place" at Nelson's BioDiesel Truck Stop in Carl's Corner, Texas. The channel will begin broadcasting live from Carl's Corner in 2007. "I have been a fan of XM and Hank's place since the very beginning," Nelson said in a prepared statement. "They put a lot of thought and hard work into making the channel sound as good as it does, so I feel privileged to be a part of it."
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rowdawg21
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Post by rowdawg21 on Jun 29, 2006 22:59:19 GMT -5
Here's some 'news', sorta... 25 different topics were updated today (Saturday, June 24) in the Pulse Country forum. I wonder if that's some kind of record? It seems like a lot more than average, even for this rather busy board! :) 28 topics were updated today.
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Perp
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Post by Perp on Jun 29, 2006 23:29:30 GMT -5
Yeah, even very recent topics get relegated to Page Two lately. I guess that's a sign of a healthy board, but if I took a break from the board for a few days I'd be hard-pressed to catch up!
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EmersonDrive13Rocks
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Buy COUNTRIFIED today!!!!! Includes #1 HIT "MOMENTS" as well as "A Good Man" and "You Still Own Me"!
Joined: December 2005
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Post by EmersonDrive13Rocks on Jun 30, 2006 0:14:52 GMT -5
I can't keep up with every topic so I just check the ones I'm interested in.
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drock89
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Post by drock89 on Jun 30, 2006 12:35:05 GMT -5
NASHVILLE SKYLINE: Johnny Cash's Musical Farewell From the Grave
New American V CD Is His Most Affecting Ever(NASHVILLE SKYLINE is a column by CMT/CMT.com Editorial Director Chet Flippo.)
Four years after Johnny Cash's seeming last studio album American IV comes the new American V: A Hundred Highways, set for release Tuesday (July 4). Though he never sounder weaker in voice, in many ways the new work is, to me, the most emotionally effective and affecting thing he has ever done. Though weak in voice and almost completely blind by then, his spirit was never stronger, and that spirit shines through strongly on these intense performances. They are not musically pretty but they will grab and hold your attention through sheer will. The more fragile Cash became physically, it seemed the more he gained acute insights into the music he wanted to round out his life and career. This CD reflects a man who had come to terms with his own mortality and who could unflinchingly look eternity in the eye. In many ways, the entire album is confessional. On the opening song, Larry Gatlin's "Help Me," the lines "I never thought I needed help before/Thought that I could get by myself" cut through to your very soul. Cash continues, "But now I know I just can't take it anymore/And with a humble heart on bended knee/I'm begging you please for help." He converts Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind" -- which I had heretofore regarded as a relatively carefree song -- into a dark night of the soul of a dying man. Similarly, Don Gibson's "A Legend in My Time" becomes a wryly brooding, almost bleak look back at Cash's own life and legend. In the same way, Ian Tyson's "Four Strong Winds" becomes a bittersweet farewell message. He again says farewell to his late wife, June Carter Cash, with "Rose of My Heart" and with the mournful words of Hank Williams "On the Evening Train," singing, "I pray that God will give me courage/To carry on till we meet again/It's hard to know she's gone forever." The last song Cash ever wrote, "Like the 309" (which returns to the train-sound rhythm of Cash's first single "Hey Porter"), and the other Cash original, "I Came to Believe," seem songs of resignation from a man at last at peace with himself and with the world. Interestingly, I'm seeing a few backlashes in online chats and Web sites of people who are dismissing this and the whole of the American Records series as being sort of too far away from Johnny's past and the glories of his Sun Records years and his Folsom Prison era. Well, I can understand staunch traditionalists, but still ... let the man breathe a little. Then there are those attacking the American Recordings series for being too modern and for Cash covering rock songs by the likes of Trent Reznor and Nick Cave. Well, I say screw 'em. A great song is a great song, no matter who wrote it, and Cash obviously was a champion of that theory. His song catalog in recent years is pretty much impervious to attack, as far as I'm concerned. There are people who say they are unconvinced by Cash's obviously world-weary attitude toward the end of his life and seem a bit offended by his faltering vocals on these last recordings. Well, I say, of course he sounded weak. He was dying. This is the voice of authenticity. He still felt he had something to say. And he obviously did, and the work is powerfully effective. The songs are made much stronger, I think, by Cash's determined efforts to make them work. He put his heart and soul into these recordings. And there are those questioning the underpinnings of this album and the matter of determining what Cash would want for instrumentation and accompaniment. Cash recorded these songs -- and about three dozen more -- as only vocal tracks, with his guitar, in the months before his death. So it was up to producer Rick Rubin to do the arrangements and add the musical backing. With primary musical backing coming from Heartbreakers Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench and from slide guitarist Smokey Hormel, who had all worked with Cash before, it was a smooth and natural and logical glide, it seems to these ears. The music is all of a piece. Finally, you know, certain recent developments with a certain female music trio inevitably bring back memories of when Cash was totally exiled from the country music industry for being too old. His record label dropped him, country radio quit playing him, and he became a non-person on Music Row for many years. What was his reaction? First, he withdrew to the road and his fans there. And he never, as far as I recall, complained publicly at the treatment he received from Nashville and the country music industry. Then, after the redemption of his first American Recordings work, came the violent, kick-out-the-footlights-Cash blowout of old, with his full-page Billboard ad depicting him literally giving the finger to Music Row and to country radio. After that, he shut his mouth, did no interviews about it and settled down to doing what he did best -- and that was writing and recording great music. He reinvigorated and reinvented himself, made some great new albums and won Grammys and found a whole new audience. I guess others could learn from his example. If they choose to.
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avalyn
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Post by avalyn on Jul 1, 2006 9:12:13 GMT -5
06/30/06 : Tim And Faith Postpone Two Shows By
Tim McGraw is suffering from bronchitis and upon the recommendation of his doctors has been ordered to rest for a few days in order for a quick recovery. Sold out Soul 2 Soul II tour dates in Cleveland, Ohio and Charleston, West Virginia have been postponed. The Cleveland show has been rescheduled for July 30 and a decision will be made soon on the rescheduling of the Charleston show. Tim and Faith are looking forward to resuming the tour July 5th in New Orleans where the net proceeds from the show will be donated to Gulf Coast relief efforts.
credit:faithhill.com
Tonight was suppose to be my show but I'm not upset about it being postponed because I'm all about Tim being better and all.
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sbp17
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Post by sbp17 on Jul 8, 2006 6:32:29 GMT -5
A hodgepodge of news...
Countrystars.com....
Countryweekly.com...
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drock89
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Post by drock89 on Jul 8, 2006 11:17:43 GMT -5
Farm Aid comes to New JerseyPHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (AP) -- The seeds of Farm Aid were planted in Philadelphia in 1985 when Bob Dylan, performing in the Live Aid benefit for Africa, said something should be done to help American farmers. Now Farm Aid is coming to the region for its 19th fundraising concert, to be held September 30 at the Tweeter Center in Camden, New Jersey. Farm Aid co-founder Neil Young made the announcement Thursday at Reading Terminal Market, a downtown Philadelphia landmark known for its fresh produce. Organizers said the location makes sense because half the land in Pennsylvania and New Jersey is used for agriculture, and the area boasts more than 200 farmers' markets. Benefit concerts have been held in a dozen states since 1985. The Philadelphia region is the second area in the Northeast to host one; two were held in the Washington area in 1999 and 2000. This year's lineup includes Young and his Farm Aid co-founders, Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp. Dave Matthews, who joined the Boston-based organization's board of directors in 2001, will also perform. Farm Aid's goals include supporting family farms, fighting corporate agriculture, advocating fair prices and encouraging people to buy food grown locally. The organization has raised more than $29 million over two decades, officials said. Young, who grew up in small town in Canada surrounded by farms, said the problems faced by family farms seem to get "swept under the rug." "It is unfortunate that we have to continue doing this," Young said. "I really hope that we don't have to do Farm Aid forever." SOURCE
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drock89
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Post by drock89 on Jul 8, 2006 11:18:10 GMT -5
Dolly Parton Reflects on Her Greatest Moments[/URL] She Discusses Elvis, 9 to 5 and Her Latest No. 1 Hit Editor's note: CMT Greatest Moments: Dolly Parton premieres Friday (July 7) at 8 p.m. ET/PT.Everybody -- yes, everybody -- knows Dolly Parton. Whether it's her magnificent Dollywood theme park, her eloquent "I Will Always Love You," her bubbly roles in the films Steel Magnolias and 9 to 5, her shapely figure on the cover of Playboy or her double Oscar nominations for songwriting, Parton has proven that a country star can dream without boundaries. Here, the Country Music Hall of Fame member talks to CMT producer Jeremy Thacker about several highlights from her brilliant career. CMT: Is it true that Elvis also wanted to record "I Will Always Love You"?Parton: I hesitated to tell it for a long time because I thought maybe people would not take it right because it was Elvis. But Elvis loved "I Will Always Love You," and he wanted to record it. I got the word that he was going to record it, and I was so excited. I told everybody I knew, "Elvis is going to record my song. You're not going to believe who's recording my song." It's like one of those things I told everybody. I thought it was a done deal because he don't just say he's going to do something. Anyway, he sent word that he loved it and he was doing it. They get to town and they call and they ask if I want to come to the session -- and, of course, I was going to go. Then Colonel Tom [Parker, Presley's manager] gets on the phone and said, "You know, I really love this song," and I said, "You cannot imagine how excited I am about this. This is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me as a songwriter." He said, "Now you know we have a rule that Elvis don't record anything that we don't take half the publishing." And I was really quiet. I said, "Well, now it's already been a hit. I wrote it and I've already published it. And this is the stuff I'm leaving for my family when I'm dead and gone. That money goes in for stuff for my brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews, so I can't give up half the publishing." And he said, "Well then, we can't record it." I guess they thought since they already had it prepared and already had it ready, that I would do it. I said, "I'm really sorry," and I cried all night. I mean, it was like the worst thing. You know, it's like, "Oh, my God ... Elvis Presley." And other people were saying, "You're nuts. It's Elvis Presley. I mean, hell, I'd give him all of it." I said, "I can't do that. Something in my heart says, 'Don't do that.'" And I just didn't do it, and they just didn't do it. But I always wondered what it would sound like. I know he'd kill it. Don't you? He would have killed it. But anyway, so he didn't. Then when Whitney [Houston's version] came out, I made enough money to buy Graceland. (laughs) Tell us about making 9 to 5 with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.9 to 5 will always be special to me because it was my first movie. It's kind of like my first love. And even though I did other things after -- and, hopefully, will do other things, as well -- that one will always be special because it was the first time I had ever done a movie. I had never even seen a movie made. I made a lot of silly mistakes that they laughed at me about. Like, I memorized the whole script, not knowing. I thought you did a movie like a play. I thought you started it and you went straight through it. I didn't know that you stopped and started so many times. But, anyhow, I memorized it. But I was very excited because I had been offered movies before. But up until then, I hadn't seen anything I really wanted to do because my music was more important. But when this came along, Jane Fonda was a huge star. Lily Tomlin, I was crazy about. She was a big star at the time, too. And so I thought, "Wow, this can only be great. And if it's a big success, then I'll just be in there with them, and I'll be part of it. And if it's a big flop, I'm just gonna blame them. I'll go back to singing." On the set with all the people, I made a lot of great friends. I had the great opportunity to write the theme song for it, which I wrote right on the set. ... I would do the "Working 9 to 5/What a way to make a living." Then I'd watch what was going on all through the day on the set, and I'd get inspiration, and I'd go back to the hotel at night and work on the verses. It was really a labor of love all the way through, and it turned out to be a little classic. You were on the cover of Playboy. Even though you didn't take anything off, people just gasped.I think people gasped when I was on the cover of Playboy because they thought I probably had some nude layouts inside, but I did not. I just wore that cute little bunny suit that the girls wear at the club -- well, my own version of it -- and the little bunny ears and all. Actually, they did a very good article inside the magazine. That was when I was beginning to grow and cross over in the business. I was having some pop records and had good management, so therefore I had some good PR people, and they were putting together these types of things. But I'm not embarrassed by that. Every now and then, somebody will bring that cover of an old magazine. Some old horny man will still have it -- "Will you sign this for me?" Have slobber specks on it and stuff. (laughs) But I sign it. You just had a No. 1 song with Brad Paisley with "When I Get Where I'm Going." You are one of the only artists who has had a Top 10 hit in the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and 2000s. How does that feel?It feels great to be No. 1, no matter whose coattail you're riding on. In that particular case with Brad Paisley's song, I just felt very lucky to be a part of that. That was a great song, first of all. The guys that wrote that, it came straight from their heart, and it was based on some truth in their lives. Then, Brad, of course, is one of the great singers and one of the most precious people in the entire world. And he asked if I would come sing on it. I said, "Is anybody else going to be singing?" Because I was trying to figure out what harmony part I'd sing. He said, "No, it's just going to be you and me." I said "So can I just sing anything I want to on it, just whatever I feel led to sing?" He said, "Absolutely. That's exactly what I want you to do." So I got in the studio. He had already put his part down, and I had the headphones on and I just sat. You know, just like I always do. I just said, "Just be here. Just feed me what you want me to do." And so I just started singing. The song first of all really touched me, and then when I started singing and heard our voices together, it really inspired me to sing the way that I sang it. And the tears were rolling down my face just hearing the song and hearing our voices together. It made me see every dead person, every dead relative I had ever loved and lost. It made me have hope that they were really there. That song just touched my soul, and what came out of me was just what God put in my heart to sing. That song, to this day, every time I hear it, the tears come to my eyes. And I lost my mom and dad not terribly long ago, and I'm going to cry. It touches me, and I was just very proud. It wasn't about being No. 1. It was about being a part of something great. You're known by one name, like Madonna or Cher. How do you feel to be a pop icon? Do you consider yourself that?Oh, I don't know how I consider myself. I'm just Dolly. To me, I'm still just that little ragged girl that grew up dreaming in the Smoky Mountains, and now I'm seeing it come true. That's a great feeling. I'm very grateful. The older I get, the more I realize how lucky that I've been. A whole lot of it has to do with luck. You've got to have talent, and I've always had more guts than I've had talent. But I always try to back it up. I'm willing to work, though. I work hard for everything I get. I've been blessed, and it's like when people know my name, that's a great, great honor. And so I wouldn't put me there with Madonna. Maybe Methuselah. (laughs)
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sbp17
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Post by sbp17 on Jul 8, 2006 11:45:05 GMT -5
Thanks for the Dolly interview, SGG. That was priceless, especially the line about buying Graceland.
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drock89
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Post by drock89 on Jul 8, 2006 12:20:25 GMT -5
Thanks for the Dolly interview, SGG. That was priceless, especially the line about buying Graceland. No problem. I personally enjoyed the 'horny old man' comments. hehe. God bless Dolly Parton! I love that woman!!
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Jim King
Gold Member
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Post by Jim King on Jul 8, 2006 12:42:47 GMT -5
My favorite comment was "slobber specks." Or worse...yuck!
I never knew about Elvis and "I Will Always Love You." What a terrific story!
~ Jim
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sbp17
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Post by sbp17 on Jul 9, 2006 5:57:24 GMT -5
From cmt.com
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drock89
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Post by drock89 on Jul 9, 2006 11:58:17 GMT -5
^^ And even more big albums are on their way in Q4. This should be a good year for country, as will next year.
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jared
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Post by jared on Jul 9, 2006 15:06:19 GMT -5
The HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL SOUNDTRACK is the highest selling album of the year thus far?!?!?! That's frightening in my book.
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Post by rpclarksonswimmer1 on Jul 9, 2006 18:36:38 GMT -5
Reba is recording a duets album, due out by the end of this year, and already confirmed artists for the project include one of the guys from Big & Rich, and Kelly Clarkson.
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sbp17
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Post by sbp17 on Jul 9, 2006 18:38:16 GMT -5
Thanks...but you mean one of the guys from Brooks & Dunn. Reba is recording a duets album, due out by the end of this year, and already confirmed artists for the project include one of the guys from Big & Rich, and Kelly Clarkson.
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sbp17
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Post by sbp17 on Jul 11, 2006 4:44:17 GMT -5
Rimes To Have Leg Surgery.
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Post by luvhonkytonk on Jul 11, 2006 5:51:41 GMT -5
Thanks...but you mean one of the guys from Brooks & Dunn. Reba is recording a duets album, due out by the end of this year, and already confirmed artists for the project include one of the guys from Big & Rich, and Kelly Clarkson. That would be Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn.
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Post by cari2521 on Jul 11, 2006 6:02:59 GMT -5
From Yahoo (excerpts):
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Perp
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Post by Perp on Jul 11, 2006 12:08:19 GMT -5
Regarding the last paragraph of the previous article... So Men and Mascara (the single) was a hit? Um, OK. Given the single's R&R and Billboard chart history, you have to laugh at how publicists live a la-la land, stretching the very definition of the word hit to the breaking point.
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avalyn
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Post by avalyn on Jul 11, 2006 17:23:04 GMT -5
credit: sugarlandfan.com
Sugarland’s Kristian Bush recalls his reaction when fans first started to sing along to their songs in concert.
“I’d seek those people out and give them a guitar pick,” he says with a laugh. “Now I don’t have near enough picks.”
That’s what happens when the world falls in love with your music. It’s already been a year of extraordinary firsts for Sugarland, the chart-topping singer-songwriter duo of Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush. For starters, their Mercury Nashville debut, Twice the Speed of Life, was certified Double Platinum. In addition, they received the award for Breakthrough Favorite New Artist at the American Music Awards (their competition included artists from all genres of music.) Plus, radio and fans alike have embraced all of their singles: “Baby Girl,” “Something More,” “Just Might (Make Me Believe)” and “Down in Mississippi (Up To No Good).”
As the accolades keep coming, Jennifer and Kristian are hard at work on what their fans want most: The sophomore Sugarland CD, due out this fall.
It’s a major understatement to say that Sugarland has come a long way fast. A mere year ago they were still a relatively unknown newbie act when they received a standing ovation after their performance of their debut single, “Baby Girl,” at the Academy of Country Music Awards.
Fast forward to this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards, Sugarland was back in a big way and this time there was no “unknown” about it. Piloted by Jennifer’s powerhouse, country-soul vocals and Kristian’s passionate harmonies and playing, the entertainers were nominated for a whopping five awards. Nettles upped that impressive tally to a total of six with her nomination in the Vocal Event of the Year category for “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” her #1 duet with Bon Jovi.
Before the night was out, Sugarland took home the trophy for Top New Duo/ Vocal Group. “It feels like such a welcome and hopefully an open invitation to this community,” says Jennifer.
A lot has happened since January, when original third member Kristen Hall left the group to concentrate on her songwriting. Nettles and Bush kicked off the New Year in style with an appearance on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, they were invited back for their second appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and also performed on the CMT Music Awards.
In a major career coup, Sugarland landed a highly-prized Best New Artist nomination at this year’s Grammy Awards, a category that includes all genres of popular music. They also performed their hit “Something More” at the Grammy’s. Backstage, Jennifer and Kristian rubbed elbows with living icon Paul McCartney, who complimented them on their sound check.
“I had to pinch myself,” Kristian says, recalling the pat on the back he received from Sir Paul.
“A Beatle,” concurs Jennifer with an awed laugh. “It makes me stutter to even talk about it.”
Sugarland has quickly made a name for itself as one of the rockingest country acts on the road, and this year they’ve joined forces with two of the biggest acts in popular music. Fans have been treated to a series of high-octane Sugarland appearances as they opened for Kenny Chesney on his record-shattering The Road and The Radio tour. As summer heats up, Sugarland hits the road with country super-duo Brooks & Dunn.
These high-profile support slots are giving audiences across the country the chance to witness performances firsthand by the fiery and dynamic duo. First there’s Jennifer, the blond powerhouse who belted it out in Baptist church as a kid, then spent a decade ruling the Atlanta club circuit. Then there’s the charismatic Kristian, the former alternative folk-rocker who grew up listening to college radio favorites The Replacements and R.E.M. Together, the two singular performers of Sugarland create an artistic partnership that is as unique as it is compelling.
And what’s the biggest news of all for Jennifer and Kristian this year? Between the tours and the TV appearances and the awards shows, Sugarland has found the time to get back in the studio to begin recording their highly anticipated sophomore CD, expected to hit store shelves this fall. The multitalented, hands-on duo are co-writing the material, as well as co-producing the project with revered Nashville producer Byron Gallimore (Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Lee Ann Womack).
“You have to believe in what you’re saying,” Jennifer says about Sugarland’s songwriting philosophy. “With this record I believe every word that I sing, every single one.”
“It feels like the work of a lifetime,” says Kristian.
Sugarland has been test-driving some of their new material out on the road. “The response has been so overwhelming that I’m just chomping at the bit to get this record out there and let people hear it,” Jennifer says.
Living through one extraordinary career triumph after the next, Jennifer and Kristian remain sincerely grateful for all the highlights that have come their way. Chief among them is the personal friendship and professional collaboration they have forged in Sugarland.
“It feels like a gift, and I’m just thankful for it every day,” says Kristian about his artistic partnership with Jennifer. “Who else can you sit across from in a rocking chair when you’re 70 and say, ‘Hey, remember playing the Grammys? Do you remember when Paul McCartney came up and said, ‘Hey, I really dig your sound-check’?”
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Post by flowergirl44 on Jul 11, 2006 18:09:19 GMT -5
From people.aol.com/people/article/0,26334,1212695,00.html Rascal Flatts Rock the White House TUESDAY JULY 11, 2006 05:00PM EST By Marion Hixon When Rascal Flatts performed at a Presidential dinner for the Special Olympics Monday night, the band's Jay DeMarcus got the ultimate high-school troublemaker's revenge, banging away at the piano in the White House's East Room. It turns out that DeMarcus, when he was on a school tour of the White House years earlier, got in trouble for sneaking past the velvet ropes and sitting at the piano. "And now I get to play on it – ha!" DeMarcus boasted to his VIP audience, which included the President and First Lady. Added lead singer Gary LeVox, "You sound good playing in the White House legally!" DeMarcus, LeVox and bandmate Joe Don Rooney were the featured entertainment at the black-tie dinner party celebrating the 85th birthday of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and her work with Special Olympics. President Bush and Laura Bush tapped their feet to the trio's music, while sitting behind them, Maria Shriver and her husband, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, mouthed the words to the group's hit "Bless the Broken Road." Vanessa Williams, Olympic figure skater Scott Hamilton and Barbara Walters were among the guests who dined on "chilled avocado soup with crispy shredded filo shrimp" and "potato-crusted Colorado lamb with rosemary-lemon coulis." Still a troublemaker at heart, DeMarcus joked to the well-heeled group, "Was anyone else's soup cold?"
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sbp17
8x Platinum Member
Joined: July 2005
Posts: 8,485
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Post by sbp17 on Jul 11, 2006 18:50:42 GMT -5
The actual Soundscan totals will be out tomorrow and since #1 and #2 were so close, they may swap positions but its great to see the great Johnny Cash at the top according to a preliminary sales report from HitsDailyDouble. Unfortunate, however, is the dismal fact that the 80K range is VERY low for a #1 cd.
For the first time since its release, the Chicks will concede the number one position on the country albums chart. They will drop to #3 while Rascal Flatts remains at number 2. They are only separated by $3K on HDD so there is the potential that they could swap positions as well.
LW TW artist / album label power index % change -- 1 JOHNNY CASH LOST HIGHWAY/IDJ 84,834 -- AMERICAN V: A HUNDRED HIGHWAYS 3 2 NELLY FURTADO GEFFEN 83,268 -15% LOOSE 1 3 INDIA.ARIE UNIVERSAL MOTOWN 66,044 -59% TESTIMONY: VOL.1, LIFE & REL... 5 4 RIHANNA DEF JAM/IDJMG 57,488 -9% A GIRL LIKE ME 6 5 RASCAL FLATTS LYRIC STREET 56,853 -5% ME AND MY GANG 7 6 GNARLS BARKLEY DOWNTOWN/ATLANTIC ATL G 55,987 -5% ST. ELSEWHERE 2 7 DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL VAGRANT 54,121 -61% DUSK AND SUMMER 4 8 DIXIE CHICKS OPEN WIDE/MONUMENT/COL 53,415 -29% TAKING THE LONG WAY 9 9 HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL WALT DISNEY RECORDS 50,176 -11% SOUNDTRACK 11 10 YUNG JOC BAD BOY/ATLANTIC/ATL G 45,914 -5%
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