Archive | August, 2012

Taylor Swift’s 4th Album Entitled RED Set To Release October 22nd

By on August 18, 2012 in In The Press

Nashville, TN – August 13, 2012 – Taylor Swift’s highly-anticipated fourth studio album will be released worldwide on October 22nd, Taylor herself announced this evening during a live YouTube web chat with her fans.

Entitled Red, the album will be released on Big Machine Records and contains 16 tracks. After writing her last album (Speak Now) entirely by herself, for this record Taylor collaborated with several artists, producers, and songwriters she had always wanted to work with.

“For the last two years, I’ve been working on an album called Red,” Taylor says. “I called it Red because of the tumultuous, crazy adventures in love and loss that it chronicles. In my mind, when you experience love that’s fast paced and out of control and mixes infatuation, jealousy, frustration, miscommunication, and all of those lovely emotions…in retrospect, it all looks red.”

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Craig Morgan’s 6th Annual Charity Weekend Is A Huge Success

By on August 17, 2012 in In The Press

Nashville, TN…(August 15, 2012)…Country Music superstar and award winning television host Craig Morgan is thrilled with the results of his 6th annual Charity Motocross Ride, Concert and Sporting Clay Shoot.  The two-day’s events and auction raised more than $73,000, bringing the four-year total to $250,000.

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What A Year! Celebrating Our 1 Year Anniversary As FOCUS on the 615

By on August 16, 2012 in Special Events

We’re celebrating our 1 year anniversary today as FOCUS on the 615! Thank you so much for continuing to read this site and helping us to grow.  It’s been a pretty amazing ride and hard to believe it’s only been a year since I first started the site.  Great things are in the works right now and hoping it’s only going to get better from here.   So, stay tuned! 🙂

Also, while you’re at it, let us know what you would like to see more of on this site.  Any suggestions are welcome!

Thanks again for your continuing support and reading FOCUS on the 615! Much appreciated and we (Matt and I) plan to continue bringing you more fun, music-filled interviews, pictures, videos, etc. directly from Nashville!

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Bucky Covington’s 1st Race In Legends Car Is Huge Success Raising Awareness For HELP THE GOOD GUYS

By on August 16, 2012 in In The Press

Nashville, TN…(August 15, 2012)… Country Music Star Bucky Covington was ecstatic on Saturday August 11th when he got the chance to drive a Legends Race Car and play a full band show for fans at the Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, all in support of Help The Good Guys. Although Covington only got a few practice laps the week before the race, he had a strong finish in the middle of the pack with no damage to the car. The track presented Bucky with a 7-foot tall trophy to recognize his work on behalf of Help The Good Guys, an organization that supports fire fighters injured in the line of duty. Also, attendance at the Fairgrounds Speedway was boosted because of the Covington’s involvement in the weekend’s festivities, reaching a final count of over 10,000 spectators.

“I’m always glad to do what I can to support injured fire fighters through Help The Good Guys,” says Covington,  “and getting to experience driving a race car for the 1st time made it that much more memorable. I am so thankful to the Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville and to the Young Racing family for giving us such a meaningful opportunity.” Proceeds from the race and concert go to Help The Good Guys, an organization providing immediate financial relief to fire fighters and their families who have been injured on duty. 

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Martina McBride To Headline 3rd Annual Hymns Hams & Jams Benefitting The Shalom Foundation

By on August 15, 2012 in In The Press, Special Events

Nashville, TN (August 14, 2012) Country music superstar Martina McBride is sharing her time and talents in a special concert from Nashville’s Loveless Barn to benefit The Shalom Foundation and its medical program in Guatemala.

The August 21 Hymns, Hams & Jams concert, headlined by Martina McBride, will also feature a live auction with legendary songwriter Bob DiPiero. GAC and Sirius XM personality Storme Warren will host the event. Auction items include tickets to the 2012 World Series, Garth Brooks and Sugarland autographed guitars, a private bus party, concert tickets, backstage VIP experiences and more! Tickets to this exclusive event are available through The Shalom Foundation at 615-595-5811 or by contacting Executive Director Allison Bender, abender@theshalomfoundation.org.

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Jerrod Niemann’s Reveals FREE THE MUSIC Album Cover And Track Listing

By on August 11, 2012 in In The Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The album cover for Sea Gayle Records/Arista Nashville recording artist Jerrod Niemann’s October album release Free The Music is no longer on lockdown. The art was revealed this morning online by USA Today, where Jerrod shares, “This album is my interpretation of how I feel about country right now,” and that means horns, fiddles and steel guitars. Read the full story for more. Free The Music is available for pre-order now on Amazon.com and will be available in stores and online October 2, 2012.

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Rodney Atkins Joins Kellie Pickler, Josh Turner, Keith Urban, & More On “The Choice” For Soles4Souls

By on August 11, 2012 in In The Press
Nashville, Tenn.–More than 30,000 people around the world, many of them children, have already received a pair of shoes as the result of the recently released country charity single “The Choice.”  A who’s-who list of 19 major country artists, including Rodney Atkins, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Kellie Pickler, Josh Turner, and Keith Urban, collaborated on the song which benefits the nonprofit organization Soles4Souls.
“When I was approached to contribute vocals on ‘The Choice,’ I immediately reverted back to my adolescence and when I first heard ‘We Are The World’ in the ‘80s.  The impact that song and message had worldwide is still incredible,” shares Atkins.  “Today, we have the opportunity to make an impact on children and adults in a very real way, and I hope people will once again come together to support this song benefitting Soles4Souls.”
 
Never before in the history of country music have so many stars united on one single song.  Other artists participating include Vince Gill, Billy Gilman, Amy Grant, Steve Holy, Wynonna Judd, Richie McDonald, Ronnie Milsap, Craig Morgan, LeAnn Rimes, Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis, Diamond Rio, and Montgomery Gentry.
“For every download, a pair of shoes is provided to a person in need,” continued Atkins. “It’s really that simple.” 
Fans can download the song HERE and support the campaign by tweeting the following message:
“Join @RodneyAtkins @KeithUrban @JoshTurnerMusic @kelliepickler & more to benefit @Soles4Souls Download #TheChoice http://bit.ly/HMfNFQ”
All participating artists donated their time and talents to the project.  The proceeds from each download of the song go to Soles4Souls. Based in Nashville, the nonprofit organization collects new shoes to give relief to the victims of abject suffering and collects used shoes to support micro-business efforts to eradicate poverty.
“The Choice” was released by Cotton Valley Records on April 16 and is available via digital download on iTunes, Amazon, and a host of other sites.  Corporate sponsors include retailer Gander Mountain and Regal Entertainment Group, the largest cinema company in the United States, which has promoted the song on all of its 6,775 screens nationwide.
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Dolly Parton Celebrates Going Gold With AN EVENING WITH…DOLLY

By on August 11, 2012 in In The Press

Dolly PartonNashville, TN (August 10, 2012) – The first-ever Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® two-disc set, An Evening With… Dolly, has earned a Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Gold award and today Dolly got to celebrate!  The DVD/CD was RIAA certified just four weeks after its April 2 release date and its debut at #2 on Billboard’s Top DVD Music Videos Chart.

“In true Dolly fashion and always on the cutting edge, Dolly was the first to be Sound Scanned in Cracker Barrel’s exclusive music program, and now their first gold record,” said Dolly’s Manager/President of Dolly Records Danny Nozell.

The RIAA gold award marks a first for Cracker Barrel and the first for Dolly Records in the U.S., with previous Gold certifications in Australia and the United Kingdom.

“I’m thrilled that so many fans are listening to my songs and taking a look behind-the-scenes of my European tour,” said Dolly.  “I had a wonderful time performing in London and I think the audience did too.  It’s exciting to be able to share my experiences with Cracker Barrel fans.  And I have to tell you, I’m even more excited that An Evening With… Dolly earned the first Gold in the Cracker Barrel exclusive music program.  That’s just icing on the cake.”

The first-ever Cracker Barrel two-disc set was the second project with Dolly Parton and is available for $11.99 exclusively at all Cracker Barrel locations and online at crackerbarrel.com.

CD Track Listing:Dolly Parton
1.   Two Doors Down
2.   Jolene
3.   Coat of Many Colors
4.   Only Dreaming
5.   Little Sparrow
6.   The Grass is Blue
7.   Do I Ever Cross Your Mind
8.   Here You Come Again
9.   Islands in the Stream
10.  9 to 5
11.  I Will Always Love You
12.  Shattered Image*
– previously unreleased live bonus track
13.  My Tennessee Mountain Home*
– previously unreleased live bonus track

An Evening With… Dolly DVD Track Listing:
1.   Two Doors Down
2.   Jolene
3.   Backwoods Barbie
4.   Coat of Many Colors
5.   Only Dreamin’
6.   Better Get to Livin’
7.   Shinola
8.   Little Sparrow
9.   The Grass is Blue
10.  Do I Ever Cross Your Mind
11.  Here You Come Again
12.  Islands in the Stream
13.  9 to 5
14.  I Will Always Love You
15.  Jesus and Gravity

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Creative And Marketing Pro Wade Hunt Launches SWADE Creative

By on August 9, 2012 in In The Press

Nashville, TN…(August 9, 2012)…After more than twenty years combined editorial, entertainment and agency experience, former Sony Music Vice-President Wade Hunt is bringing his diverse creative and artistic expertise to a new venture, SWADE Creative. The Nashville based firm will provide a unique and comprehensive offering of creative services, ranging from traditional creative direction, imaging, marketing and advertising to brand development, logo, illustration and package design.

“With the launch of SWADE Creative, I’m excited to bring my entertainment, editorial and marketing experience to provide a wide array of creative solutions for my clients,” shared company founder Wade Hunt.

After graduating from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Hunt started his career with Whittle Communications, a national editorial company specializing in single-sponsor editorial products. His clients included M&M/Mars, Colgate, Purina and major car manufacturers. He moved to Nashville in 1993 to join the creative department of Arista Nashville, later growing to the position of VP/Creative Services for Sony Music. In this role he oversaw creative direction for all print, video and photographic projects for the company’s four record labels (Arista, RCA, BNA and Columbia) and was integral in the growth and development of artists including Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride and Miranda Lambert.

Hunt then broadened his experience base to help start the Nashville office of CatapultRPM Marketing, whose clients include Mars Petcare (Pedigree, Cesar, Temptations, Whiskas), Nutro, Sara Lee and Chiquita. As Vice-President/Creative Director he was responsible for all creative direction and campaigns for shopper marketing and consumer product goods.

Creative Director and Company Owner, Wade Hunt, can be reached at swadecreative@me.com or 615-717-7134. Follow the company on Facebook and Twitter and view a portfolio at www.swadecreative.com

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Bucky Covington Honored At 51st Annual IAFF Convention For His Work With Help The Good Guys

By on August 9, 2012 in In The Press

Photo: Bucky Covington (left) and IAFF President Harold Schaitberger (right)
Photo Credit: Jocelyn Augustino

Nashville, TN…(July 30, 2012)… Bucky Covington recently attended the 51st Annual International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Convention held in Philadelphia, PA, where IAFF President Harold Schaitberger surprised Covington before his full band performance with a personalized Fire Fighter helmet to thank him for his passionate work with the organization’s Charitable Foundation. Over the last year Bucky has been working closely with Help The Good Guys and the IAFF Charitable Foundation to provide financial relief to injured fire fighters and their families, hosting benefit events, visiting burn centers and burn camps and making donations from his music and merchandise sales.

Throughout the three-day convention, Bucky shared with the 3000+ attending IAFF members his efforts with Help The Good Guys and their goals to help Fire Fighters in the U.S. and Canada. Covington will be releasing his sophomore album Good Guys on September 11th with a portion of the proceeds from the first week sales benefitting the IAFF Charitable Foundation.

Next up for Bucky is a Legends Car Race on August 11th at the Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, TN where he will drive a custom made Legends Racecar to benefit Help The Good Guys and the Nashville Local 140 Fire Fighter’s Relief Fund. Following the race he’ll perform a concert from the fairgrounds to round out the evening’s entertainment, all to benefit our country’s brave fire fighters.

About Bucky Covington: Bucky Covington’s self-titled debut CD opened at #1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart with the biggest first week sales for any debut country artist that year. He went on to become the best selling debut artist that year and delivered three consecutive Top 10 hit singles to country radio. In addition to competing on the fifth season of American Idol, Bucky’s national television appearances have included Good Morning America, Live with Regis and Kelly!, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Tonight Show and Fox & Friends. His new single “Drinking Side Of Country” has just been released to country radio and will be included on his highly anticipated sophomore CD Good Guys, expected September 11, 2012. To learn more about Bucky Covington, connect at www.buckycovington.com or follow him on Twitter @buckycovington.

ABOUT HELP THE GOOD GUYS: Thousands of firefighters suffer duty related injuries or illness every year. Many are permanently injured with life altering disabilities and are unable to return to work. Help The Good Guys serves to honor and support our country’s injured Fire Fighters who are experiencing financial crisis due to work related injuries. Founded by medically retired Metro Nashville police officer Mickey Milam, the organization seeks to ease the emotional and financial burden for our wounded community heroes. To learn more, visit www.HelpTheGoodGuys.com.

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