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DOLLY PARTON SET TO CHAT WITH MUSIC LOVERS FOR “LEGENDS ON TWITTER” Q&A THIS SUNDAY APRIL (27TH)

Dolly Parton, one of the most innovative, creative, and trendsetting artists in pop culture, will participate in @TwitterMusic‘s “Legends on Twitter” series to host her first-ever Twitter Q&A with music lovers on Sunday, April 27th at 4pm (CT), just prior to her scheduled live performance on QVC® during the “Dolly Parton Q Sessions Live from Nashville – featuring ‘Blue Smoke’” broadcast. Fans can join the conversation by submitting questions directly to Dolly athttp://bit.ly/DollyQA, or by tweeting using the hashtag #AskDolly.
Dolly’s ever growing Twitter fan base includes over 3 million followers, proving why Dolly is the most sought after and honored female country performer of all time. Achieving 25 RIAA certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards, she has had 25 songs reach number 1 on the Billboard Country charts, a record for a female artist. She has 41 career top 10 country albums, a record for any artist, and she has 110 career charted singles over the past 40 years. All-inclusive sales of singles, albums, hits collections, paid digital downloads and compilation usage during her Hall of Fame career have reportedly topped a staggering 100 million records world-wide. She has garnered 7 Grammy Awards, 10 Country Music Association Awards, 5 Academy of Country Music Awards, 3 American Music Awards and is one of only five female artists to win the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year Award. Dolly was inducted as a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.  And the litany goes on.

Dolly’s career has spanned nearly five decades and is showing no signs of slowing down.  An internationally-renowned superstar, the iconic and irrepressible Parton has contributed countless treasures to the worlds of music, film and television.  Some of her hit films have included Nine to Five, Steel Magnolias, The Best Little Whorehouse in TexasRhinestone, Straight Talk, and Joyful Noise.  Parton received two Oscar® nominations – one for writing the title tune to Nine to Five and the other for Travelin’ Thru from the film Transamerica.

# # #

For more information on Dolly Parton please visit:

www.dollypartonentertainment.com

Facebook: Facebook.com/DollyParton

Hashtag: #BlueSmokeWorldTour

Twitter: Twitter.com/DollyParton

Tumblr: OfficialDollyParton.tumblr.com

Google+: Plus.Google.com/+DollyParton

QVC, the Q and the Q ribbon logo are registered service marks of ER Marks, Inc.

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GRAMMY FOUNDATION GRANT PROGRAM AWARDS $200,000 FOR MUSIC RESEARCH AND SOUND PRESERVATION

The GRAMMY Foundation® Grant Program announced today that more than $200,000 in grants will be awarded to 15 recipients in the United States to help facilitate a range of research on a variety of subjects, as well as support a number of archiving and preservation programs. Research projects include a study on memory retention through music in patients with Alzheimer’s disease; and the benefits of music training in strengthening the ear to prevent noise-induced hearing loss. Preservation and archiving initiatives include a project to preserve more than 650 rare interviews with country music performers and professionals spanning 1959–2000; and the preservation of more than 250 original transcription disks of the historic radio series “The Goldbergs.” A complete list of grant awards and projects is below. The deadline each year for submitting letters of inquiry is Oct. 1.Guidelines and the letter of inquiry form for the 2015 cycle will be available beginning May 1 at www.grammyfoundation.org/grants.

 

“Over the course of its history, our GRAMMY Foundation Grant Program has awarded more than $6 million to more than 300 worthwhile initiatives,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy® and the GRAMMY Foundation. “Our grantees are noteworthy for the range and ambition of their endeavors, and this year’s group includes such varied initiatives as the preservation of 400 recordings of innovative performances by pioneer composers and performers of jazz, world music and new music to a project that will be the first to identify how music can facilitate stroke patients’ abilities to understand everyday speech. We are proud that the GRAMMY Foundation Grant Program can be a philanthropic leader in the areas of archiving, preservation and scientific research.”

 

Generously funded by The Recording Academy, the Grant Program provides funding annually to organizations and individuals to support efforts that advance the archiving and preservation of the recorded sound heritage of the Americas for future generations, as well as research projects related to the impact of music on the human condition. In 2008, the Grant Program expanded its categories to include assistance grants for individuals and small- to mid-sized organizations to aid collections held by individuals and organizations that may not have access to the expertise needed to create a preservation plan. The assistance planning process, which may include inventorying and stabilizing a collection, articulates the steps to be taken to ultimately archive recorded sound materials for future generations.

 

Preservation Implementation

 

Country Music Foundation, Inc. — Nashville

Awarded: $10,810

The project will help preserve 650 rare and historic interviews with country music performers, songwriters, and industry personnel recorded between 1959 and 2000 by transferring existing CD-Rs to WAV files. Interviews address country music’s transition from its folk roots to a commercial idiom and from rural to urban settings; its adaptation to media; the social diversity of country music performers and audiences; and changing sounds and styles.

www.countrymusichalloffame.org

 

Creative Music Foundation, Inc. — Woodstock, N.Y.

Awarded: $11,600

The goal of the CMS Archive Project is to finalize the restoration of historically and artistically important audiotapes from the Creative Music Studio’s archive of more than 400 recordings of innovative performances by pioneer composers/performers of jazz, world music and new music. The CMS Archive of recordings is unique in its artistic breadth and depth.  The archive will be housed at the Columbia University Library in New York City for research and educational purposes.

www.creativemusicfoundation.org

 

New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture — New York

Awarded: $20,000

The New York Studio School’s extensive, historically significant lecture archive captures intellectual currents and cross-currents over 50 years with audio and video recordings of artists, musicians, poets, critics, historians, and scholars. The goal of this project is to digitize the audio portion of the archive, which spans 25 years and includes 790 lectures on audio reels and cassettes, in order to ensure long-term preservation and accessibility of this unique cultural resource.

www.nyss.org

 

The Regents of the University of California — Los Angeles

Awarded: $19,350

UCLA Film & Television Archive holds 600 original transcription disks of the historic radio series “The Goldbergs.” More than 250 of these disks contain rare, culturally important episodes not available online or at any other institution. Currently, these disks are in need of preservation and thus inaccessible.

www.cinema.ucla.edu

 

Special Collections and Archives, Albertsons Library, Boise State University — Boise, Idaho

Awarded: $11,747

Idaho is underrepresented in the history of Western music. Special Collections and Archives has a collection of 225 acetate discs and reel-to-reels of Ione Love Thielke’s recordings of her taking regional poetry and putting it to her music, her radio programs, and recording local musicians. By digitizing and making the recordings freely available online, researchers and the public will have access to a portion of never-before-accessible Idaho music.

library.boisestate.edu/special

 

Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience — Seattle

Awarded: $13,114

The Wing will preserve 251 Chinese opera tapes recorded from 1960 – 1975. Several operas were recorded in one of the oldest Chinese opera clubs in the country, Seattle’s Luck Ngi Musical Club. The tapes will be cataloged and digitized, enhancing their permanent collection by enabling the museum to better depict the history and culture of the Chinese-American community through this classical art form via their exhibitions and research. www.wingluke.org

 

Preservation Assistance

 

Corporacion de las Artes Musicales/Pablo Casals Museum — San Juan, Puerto Rico

Awarded: $5,000

The Corporacion de las Artes Musicales/Pablo Casals Museum will identify deterioration factors in this unique musical documentary collection and design strategies to safeguard and preserve the musical heritage of Latin American and Puerto Rican symphonic composers and musicians from the Casals Festival and the Puerto Rico Symphony, founded by maestro Pablo Casals, in 1956. These measures will allow the collection to be accessible to researchers, music students and the general public and put Puerto Rico at the forefront of musical conservation along the Caribbean.

www.cam.pr.gov

 

Genesee Valley Council on the Arts — Mt. Morris, N.Y.

Awarded: $5,000

Since 1976, ethnomusicologist and State University of New York Geneseo Professor James Kimball has conducted extensive recording and fieldwork of traditional music and musicians in New York State. The resulting archive contains approximately 900 hours of unique audio and video recordings of master folk musicians. The project will focus on the description, cataloging and stabilization of the recordings, in preparation for a long-term preservation project with SUNY Geneseo.

www.livingstonarts.org

 

Jim Metzner — Kingston, N.Y.

Awarded: $4,992

The goal is to prepare a sound archive for preservation, focusing on DATs, which are most at risk. Preparation involves organizing, labeling, cataloging, stabilizing and refining an existing database. The collection includes music and ambient sound field recordings from around the world since the ’70s. Jim Metzner has produced LPs, CDs and several award-winning radio series with recordings from Boston, Brazil, Cuba, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, San Francisco, and Turkey .

www.jimmetznerproductions.com

 

Texas Folklife — Austin, Texas

Awarded: $5,000

Texas Folklife has an archive of audio recordings of Texas folk and traditional arts performances, field recordings, and interviews dating from 1984. With this phase of the project, they will hire consultants from the University of Texas School of Information Sciences for the planning, assessment, and preparation of their archive holdings. Ultimately, they hope to make this archive available for researchers, folklife enthusiasts and the general public alike.

www.texasfolklife.org

 

Scientific Research

 

Arizona State University Foundation — Tempe, Ariz.

Awarded: $19,464

Stroke is the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States, and more than 1 million Americans currently have language impairments (i.e., aphasia) due to stroke. This project will be the first to identify how music can facilitate stroke patients’ abilities to understand everyday speech. These findings will provide new avenues for aphasia rehabilitation and for effectively communicating with stroke patients with aphasia.

neuroimaging.lab.asu.edu/

 

University of California, Davis — Davis, Calif.

Awarded: $20,000

Recent studies suggest that Alzheimer’s disease patients retain memory for music from their past, despite poor performance on standard assessments of memory function. Research methods that can explain this apparent sparing of memory remain lacking. This project will validate, in adults with memory loss and age-matched controls, a semi-structured interview method for quantitatively comparing music-evoked and traditionallycued autobiographical memories.

atonal.ucdavis.edu/projects/memory_emotion/index.shtml

 

University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco.

Awarded: $19,636

Musical rhythms serve to focus attention at select time points by forming expectations for future events. This ability to anticipate stimuli is a fundamental feature of cognition, resulting in optimal perceptual and memory performances, which are known to decline in elderly adults. This project will assess rhythm training as a means to mitigate age-related declines in anticipatory attention, perception, and memory.

www.gazzaleylab.ucsf.edu

 

University of Maryland, College Park — College Park, Md.

Awarded: $20,000

This project will explore why musicians show advantages in second-language learning as adults, particularly in learning the sound structure of new languages. It will investigate how “low-level” advantages in auditory processing and “high-level” advantages in sound category learning are related to musical training and speech sound learning. This work has implications for musical instruction, second-language learning and our general understanding of auditory cognition.

lmcl.umd.edu

 

University of Memphis and the University of Memphis Research Foundation — Memphis, Tenn.

Awarded: $20,000

This project will examine the potential benefits of musical training in strengthening the ear and preventing noise-induced hearing loss. Minute sounds produced in the cochlea, otoacoustic emissions, will be used to noninvasively measure hearing health and physiological function. Comparison between musician and non-musician listeners will assess whether long-term musicianship can change the ear’s vulnerability and/or susceptibility to acoustic trauma.

www.memphis.edu/acnl/

 

The GRAMMY Foundation was established in 1988 to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture. The Foundation accomplishes this mission through programs and activities that engage the music industry and cultural community as well as the general public. The Foundation works in partnership year-round with its founder, The Recording Academy, to bring national attention to important issues such as the value and impact of music and arts education and the urgency of preserving our rich cultural heritage. In recognition of the significant role of teachers in shaping their students’ musical experiences, The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation have partnered to present the Music Educator Award. Open to current U.S. music teachers in kindergarten through college, the first Music Educator Award was presented at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception during GRAMMY Week 2014. For more information about the Music Educator Award, please visitGRAMMYMusicTeacher.com. For more information about the Foundation, please visit www.grammyfoundation.org. For breaking news and exclusive content, please like “GRAMMY in the Schools®” onFacebook, follow the GRAMMY Foundation on Twitter(@GRAMMYFdn), and join us on Instagram (@GRAMMYFdn).

 

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THOMPSON SQUARE DEBUTS “TESTING THE WATER” / DUO REACHES #1 IN AUSTRALIA/ ON COVER OF NASH MAGAZINE

This week, multi-platinum selling duo Thompson Square released its new single “Testing the Water” to U.S. Country Radio.  The fun-filled, frolicking splasher embodies the carefree sound and spirit of summer in the “holler,” including a memorable, double-entendre hook soon to become an anthem at swimming holes everywhere.

“Testing the Water,” written by hit songwriters Luke Laird, Shane McAnally and Hillary Lindsey, is the third single from Thompson Square’s sophomore album, JUST FEELS GOOD, and the follow-up to the #1 “If I Didn’t Have You” and Top 5 “Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking About.”

“Testing the Water” is available on iTunes now:http://smarturl.it/T2TestingtheWater

Watch the official lyric video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkK4L20hh6Q

Two-time ACM and CMA “Vocal Duo of the Year” Thompson Square also recently added a chart-topping record half a world away to its growing list of accolades when the duo’s song “Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking About” reached #1 on Australia’s Official Country Airplay Chart, powered by The Music Network.

“We feel very honored to be a part of Australian country music history,” said Keifer Thompson. “We just left Australia and fell in love with it.  This makes it even better.  A huge thanks for country radio and all of our fans down under.  Hope we get to see you again soon. “

Thompson Square recently took its 2014 JUST FEELS GOOD TOUR to fans and military bases across Australia and Asia. The husband/ wife duo of Keifer and Shawna Thompson is featured on the cover of NASH Magazine, included with the April 28th issue of Country Weekly, as the two discuss their five weeks abroad and connecting with fans half a world away.  The issue is on newsstands now.

Thompson Square’s 2014 JUST FEELS GOOD TOUR is back stateside and dates are continuously being added.  Visithttp://www.thompsonsquare.com for the latest news and dates. #JustFeelsGoodTour

ABOUT THOMPSON SQUARE
With two #1 smash singles, five Top 15 hits, seven awards and over 25 nominations (including 2 GRAMMY as well as American Music Award and Teen Choice Award nods), Thompson Square is one of today’s hottest Country music acts.

The husband/wife duo of Keifer and Shawna Thompson (married 14 years) made music history when it earned awards from both the ACM andCMA for “Vocal Duo of the Year” in 2012.  Thompson Square was awarded its second consecutive ACM Award for “Vocal Duo of the Year” in April 2013.

Thompson Square’s breakthrough hit “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not”has surpassed two million in sales, was the #1 Digital Soundscan Single for 5 weeks straight, the #1 Country Ringtone for 12 consecutive weeks and the Most Played Song at Country Radio in 2011 (Mediabase). Thompson Square followed that success with the award winning hit, “I Got You,” and critically-acclaimed “Glass.”  Thompson Square’s star continues to rise in 2013 with the #1 GOLD selling heart-tugger “If I Didn’t Have You” and its hit, “Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking About,” which was a Top 5 U.S. Country Radio hit and topped the Australian Country Radio charts. Both songs can be found onthe duo’s current album, JUST FEELS GOOD.

THOMPSON SQUARE LINKS: 

#JustFeelsGoodTour

@thompsonsquare

http://www.facebook.com/thompsonsquare

http://youtube.com/thompsonsquare

http://instagram.com/thompsonsquare

http://www.thompsonsquare.com

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CRAIG MORGAN IS OFF TO THE RACES FOR 2014 FAN CLUB PARTY

Craig Morgan is off to the races for his 2014 official fan club party! The “Wake Up Lovin’ You” singer will showcase his sporty side as he challenges fans to a go-kart race at Music City Indoor Karting & Entertainment Center on Wednesday, June 4 from 9-11am. Attendees will also be treated to a light breakfast, acoustic concert and meet & greet with Morgan.

 

Tickets are available to the public HERE beginning today at 10am CDT. General admission tickets are $25 to include race spectator tickets, breakfast, acoustic concert and meet & greet. A limited number of VIP tickets allowing attendees to get behind the wheel and challenge Craig can be purchased for $50 while quantities last.

 

The Black River recording artist’s latest single, “Wake Up Lovin’ You” is currently at number 15 on the chart and sold nearly 11,000 downloads last week.  “Wake Up Lovin’ You, written by Josh Osborne, Matt Ramsey and Trevor Rosen is featured on Morgan’s recently released album The Journey (Livin’ Hits).

 

ABOUT CRAIG MORGAN: One of country music’s best-loved artists, Craig Morgan has made a name for himself with massive radio airplay of his signature hits:  “Bonfire,” “Almost Home,” “Redneck Yacht Club,” “That’s What I Love About Sunday,” “International Harvester” and “This Ole Boy.” He’s recently released his new album The Journey (Livin’ Hits), featuring the soulful single “Wake Up Lovin’ You,” on Black River Entertainment. Craig received one of country music’s highest honors when he was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 2008. Prior to becoming a country music and TV sensation, Craig Morgan spent nearly nineteen years serving our country in the Army and Army Reserves.  He is an avid supporter of America’s military personnel and a recipient of the 2006 USO Merit Award. In addition to a prolific country music career, he hosts the award-winning show “Craig Morgan: All Access Outdoors,” airing on Outdoor Channel. For more information on Craig Morgan, visit www.craigmorgan.com and engage with him onFacebookInstagram and Twitter.

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GEORGE STRAIT ADDS JUNE 5 STOP IN HIDALGO, TEXAS TO FINAL LEG OF THE COWBOY RIDES AWAY TOUR

Only a few dates remain on the final leg of recently crowned ACM Entertainer of the Year and reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year George Strait’s The Cowboy Rides Away Tour Presented by Quicken Loans, but Strait is announcing today the addition of a tour stop Thursday, June 5 at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas. Tickets for the added show will go on sale to the public at10:00 a.m. on Friday, May 2.
As only the “King of Country” can, Strait has wooed fans of all generations at every packed-in show on his final concert tour. The only act in the history of music to have a Top 10 hit every year for over three decades, Strait announces the addition after his sold-out stop in Tulsa, Okla. Saturday night, which prompted Tulsa World to rave: “For every song, Strait sounded spot on with his iconic voice. The Texas twang was as good as it’s ever been. [. . .] So many of these songs have deep connections to the generations of fans. Several people [. . .] brought emotional reactions several times, no doubt pleased with not just the song, but how it still remained iconically good, holding up in this changing popular country landscape.”
After The Cowboy Rides Away Tour wraps in June, Strait will continue to record new music for longtime label home MCA Nashville and will perform select dates across the country. Remaining dates for The Cowboy Rides Away Tour are as follows:
May 23, 2014 Tiger Stadium│Baton Rouge, La.
*Bayou Country Superfest
May 31, 2014 Gillette Stadium│Foxborough, Mass.
*With special guests Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
June 5, 2014  State Farm Arena│Hidalgo, Texas
June 7, 2014  AT&T Stadium│Arlington, Texas
*With special guests Jason Aldean, Asleep At The Wheel, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, and Martina McBride
For more information, please visitwww.georgestrait.com. 
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Sandra Lynn Premieres “You Belong” Video on CMT

It’s a big day for rising country star,
Sandra Lynn, as she premieres her video “You Belong” on
CMT.com<http://cmt.com/> and
CMT Pure, in addition to releasing her debut EP to iTunes.

“You Belong,” written by Lori McKenna, Travis Meadows and Jeremy Spillman,
is the first track on Sandra’s debut EP, produced by Jay DeMarcus of Rascal
Flatts. The EP also features “Stones” and “Hangin’ Witchu”, two songs that
showcase Sandra’s powerful vocals.

The talented Trey Fanjoy (Miranda Lambert’s “Over You” and “Mama’s Broken
Heart”, and Keith Urban’s “Long Hot Summer,” to name a few) directed the
stunning video for “You Belong”. Trey worked hand in hand with Sandra on
the story and visual concept. Sandra shares, “‘You Belong’ is an inspiring
song that encourages us all to escape negativity and recognize our
self-worth, but most importantly to follow our dreams — a message I can
really relate to”.

Sandra Lynn invited friends to play a role in her debut music video as
well. Daneel Ackles (One Tree Hill) and Colin Egglesfield (Something
Borrowed, The Client List) help to bring Sandra’s vision to life.

You can watch the video for “You Belong” on Sandra Lynn’s
CMT<http://smarturl.it/YouBelongCMT> artist
page as well as CMT Pure. Sandra Lynn’s self- titled EP available now on
iTunes <https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sandra-lynn-single/id867047032>.

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The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum Partners with “SAE Institute Nashville” to Foster Education

The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, located on the first floor of the Historic Nashville Municipal Auditorium, is partnering with the “SAE Institute Nashville” to bring students from the school’s music business program into the museum to foster education of music history. The first group of students toured the Music City attraction on April 9, 2014. This will be a program happening each semester.

“It’s important to understand the history of any industry, no matter what it is. But it’s particularly important in the music industry when there is so much focus on a musician’s inspiration and influence,” said Joe Chambers, founder of the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.

The museum will not only provide tours to “SAE” students on a regular basis, but interns will also be involved in the museum and it’s day-to-day operations.

“SAE is thrilled with every opportunity to enrich our students’ educational experiences. The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum is a terrific organization with a wealth of artifacts and multimedia experiences which during our tour added tangible value to our already robust curriculum,” said Jonathan Parrish, SAE’s Marketing Coordinator.

The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum honors session musicians of many different genres of music. On display are instruments from musical greats such as Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and Jimi Hendrix. Also honored are the studio musicians who played on 80 to 90 percent of the most legendary recordings of all time. SAE Institute Nashville is a post-secondary creative media school located on Music Row. Offering Associate Degrees and Diploma Programs in both Music Business and Audio Technology, SAE prepares students for vibrant careers in the creative media industry with top of the line audio industry gear, award winning faculty, and a cutting edge curriculum.

“We’re excited to be partnering with a reputable institution such as SAE. An appreciation for music history is essential for aspiring music professionals, so we’re looking forward to this partnership,” Chambers said

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CITI® PRESENTS RASCAL FLATTS’ ALBUM RELEASE PARTY – A SPECIAL EVENING FEATURING A NIGHT OF WINE AND PAIRINGS AND AN EXCLUSIVE ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE

Citi® today announced it will present the Rascal Flatts’ Album Release Party in celebration of their forthcoming ninth studio album REWIND, on Big Machine Records. In support of the May 13 release, this exclusive event will take place at 7:00 pm at the famed Avalon nightclub in Los Angeles where attendees will enjoy an acoustic set and each song paired with wine based on the tempo and lyrics. 100% of ticket sales for this event will be donated to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville.

 

“Rascal Flatts’ REWIND is one of the most anticipated country albums of the year and we’re honored to partner with the band for a very special evening celebrating their new release,” said Jennifer Breithaupt, SVP of Entertainment Marketing, Citi. “The intimate setting and wine pairings with songs will make the evening especially memorable.”

 

Tickets to this exclusive event will be available for purchase only with a Citi card beginning tomorrow, April 22nd at 10:00 am PST. More information on how to purchase tickets can be found at www.citiprivatepass.com.

 

“We’re immensely proud of our new album and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with some of our closest fans,” said Rascal Flatts’ lead singer Gary LeVox. “We can’t wait for our fans to hear REWIND and look forward to kicking things off with Citi in Los Angeles next month.”

 

As the best-selling and most-awarded Country group of the past decade, Rascal Flatts (Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney) has sold over 22.5 million albums and over 28 million digital downloads since their musical debut in 2000. The Superstar group has delivered 14 #1 singles to the top of the charts and have the distinction of being one of only four acts during the SoundScan era to have seven consecutive studio albums debut at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. Rascal Flatts has earned over 40 trophies from the ACAs, ACMs, AMAs, CMAs, People’s Choice Awards and more. In 2012, they reached a new career milestone with over seven million concert tickets sold and will hit the road again this Spring with the REWIND Tour 2014. For tour information, new music and more, visit www.rascalflattsrewind.com.

 

Citi regularly offers Citi credit and debit cardmembers access to purchase tickets to a variety of events via Citi Private Pass, the bank’s entertainment access program. In 2013, Citi offered cardmembers more than 5,000 music events, ranging from preferred tickets and early access to top concert tours to curated special events with Grammy-award winners and VIP experiences including pre-show performances and Q&A. Last year, Citi sponsored the Rolling Stones’ 50 & Counting Tour mobile app. In addition, Citi presented “Katy Perry’s: We Can Survive” benefit concert and exclusive cardmember pre-show experience at the famed Hollywood Bowl. Other experiences have featured artists such as Lady Gaga, Band of Horses, John Mayer, Lady Antebellum, and more.

 

About Citi

Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.

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CMA ANNOUNCES HANK COCHRAN, RONNIE MILSAP, AND MAC WISEMAN AS NEWEST MEMBERS OF THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME

The Country Music Association announced today that Hank CochranRonnie Milsap, and Mac Wiseman will become the newest members of the revered Country Music Hall of Fame.

Milsap will be inducted in the “Modern Era Artist” category, while Wiseman will be inducted in the “Veterans Era Artist” category. Cochran will be inducted in the “Songwriter” category, which is awarded every third year in a rotation with the “Recording and/or Touring Musician Active Prior to 1980” and “Non-Performer” categories. Cochran, Milsap, and Wiseman will increase membership in the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame from 121 to 124 members.

“Induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame is the highest honor achievable for a Country Music artist, songwriter, or industry leader and this year’s inductees are all highly deserving,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “Hank’s songs have been recorded by everyone from Burl Ives to Etta James, George Strait to Ella Fitzgerald. Mac is a revered figure in the world of bluegrass and a founding Board member of the Country Music Association. And Ronnie is an incredibly gifted pianist and performer who is also one of the most successful and versatile crossover artists in our genre.”

“When you start listening to the radio as a kid, you want to hear your songs on there, because songs are bits of people’s lives, including your own,” said Milsap. “Then you dream that your songs and your music will mean enough to the people that, one day, they’ll put you in the Hall of Fame. Not for you, exactly, but for all the songwriters and musicians and especially the fans who tell you their life is in your songs. To me, that’s what the Hall of Fame is all about: how many people’s lives were held in your music. So many people I admire and have heard my story in their songs are already in the Hall, and I love the idea that maybe my music meant – to others – what those artists have meant to me.”

“Being a founding member of CMA, I have always been proud of my role in helping make Country Music popular,” said Wiseman. “Being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame is the icing on the cake and certainly a highlight of my career.”

Induction ceremonies for Cochran (who passed away in 2010), Milsap, and Wiseman will take place at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in the CMA Theater later this year. Since 2007, the Museum’s Medallion Ceremony, an annual reunion of the Hall of Fame membership, has served as the official rite of induction for new members.

CMA created the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961 to recognize noteworthy individuals for their outstanding contributions to the format with Country Music’s highest honor.

“All these distinguished Southerners overcame serious hardship before finding the opportunity to hone their talents to professional levels and make the inspired Country Music that has led to this moment,” said Kyle Young, Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “Their indelible mark has earned them Country Music’s highest honor, membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame.”

Songwriter

Hank Cochran – Garland Perry “Hank” Cochran was born Aug. 2, 1935 in Isola, Miss. After his parents’ divorce when Cochran was nine, he moved to Memphis to live with his father. But post-Depression life proved to be difficult and Cochran’s father ended up placing him in St. Peter’s Orphan home. After Cochran’s third attempt at running away from the orphanage, his father took him back to Mississippi to be raised by his grandparents.

At the age of 10, Cochran was playing guitar and singing at church. At 12, he and his uncle Otis hitchhiked from Mississippi to Hobbs, N.M. to work in the oilfields. But work as a roughneck was not only physically demanding, but dangerous. So after spending two years in the oilfields, Cochran headed to Los Angeles. Once there he got a job at a Sears & Roebuck. The company insisted he return to school since he was not yet 16.

While in Los Angeles, Cochran entered various amateur talent contests in the area with much success, giving him the idea to form a group to play at clubs and local events. His search for a guitar player led him to Eddie Cochran (no relation) who shared his passion for music. The teens formed a rock ‘n’ roll duo called The Cochran Brothers, which had minor success.

After the duo disbanded, Cochran made the move to Nashville in January of 1960 and began working as a songwriter for Pamper Music. That year he penned “Make the World Go Away,” which was recorded by both Ray Price and Eddie Arnold.

In addition to writing songs for Pamper Music, he also helped the company sign other songwriters, as well as acquire songs and get them recorded. Among those he signed to the publishing company’s roster was Willie Nelson, whom Cochran discovered singing at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge.

In April of 1961 Patsy Cline released Cochran’s “I Fall to Pieces” (co-written with Harlan Howard), which afforded Cochran the opportunity to give up his extra jobs and become a full time songwriter. Soon after, Cochran was playing guitar with Justin Tubb on the Grand Ole Opry, touring with Price, and scoring his first hit as a recording artist with the Top 20 single “Sally Was a Good Old Girl.” He also earned three BMI Awards for songs he had written on his own, and became a co-owner (along with Price) of Pamper Music.

In 1974 Cochran was unanimously voted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

In 1996, Cochran topped the Americana chart as a recording artist with Desperate Men: The Legend and the Outlaw. In 2002 he released another album, Livin’ For a Song: A Songwriters Autobiography.

Cochran’s songs have been recorded by a wide variety of artists including Chet Atkins, Junior Brown, Jimmy Buffett, Johnny Cash, Elvis Costello, Bing Crosby, Vern Gosdin, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, Tom Jones, Loretta Lynn, Dean Martin, Wayne Newton, Elvis Presley, Reba, Linda Ronstadt, George Strait, and Lee Ann Womack. He has penned some of music’s classic tunes including “She’s Got You,” “Set ‘Em Up Joe,” “The Chair,” “Is It Raining At Your House,” “Miami, My Amy,” “Ocean Front Property,” and “Don’t You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me.”

His catalog has generated more than 36 million performances, which, if played back-to-back, would amount to more than 200 years of continuous airplay.

Cochran passed away on July 15, 2010 surrounded by friends, family, and music – Jamey Johnson, Billy Ray Cyrus, and producer/songwriter Buddy Cannon were passing a guitar around in Cochran’s bedroom, singing songs and telling tales.

Veterans Era Artist

Mac Wiseman – Malcolm B. “Mac” Wiseman was born May 23, 1925, in Crimora, Va. At six-months old, Wiseman contracted polio, which he felt was a blessing. Because of his illness, he was kept inside and was not subjected to the field work that most children of the rural Shenandoah Valley were expected to do. His father would set the phonograph up by the wood stove and Wiseman would listen to old records over and over. His mother would write the lyrics from songs she heard on the radio into composition books for young Mac.

In 1943, Wiseman applied for a job at the Merck and Co. chemical plant, but because of the polio damage to his leg, he was turned down. That was when he made the decision to pursue his music.

Wiseman attended the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music in Virginia with help from the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, which would later become the March of Dimes. There Wiseman excelled in a radio course and accepted a job offer from WSVA in Harrisonburg, Va., where he read the news and farm reports and spun pop and Country records.

In 1946, Wiseman joined Molly O’Day’s band, where he developed a love of classic Country.

In 1948, Wiseman made his first foray into what would become known as bluegrass music. He joined Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs as a member of the Foggy Mountain Boys, singing high harmonies and booking the band’s first concert dates. And in 1949, he joined Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys where he played the Grand Ole Opry for the first time. He also recorded the classics “Traveling This Lonesome Road” and “Can’t You Hear Me Callin’” with Monroe. He left the band in 1949 to set out on his own.

Wiseman soon attracted the attention of the independent label Dot Records and was offered a recording contract. In 1951, Dot released Wiseman’s first single, “Tis Sweet To Be Remembered,” which became a career-making song and earned him the nickname the “voice with a heart.” Wiseman went on to record other classics including “Love Letters in the Sand,” “Jimmy Brown, the Newsboy,” “Ballad of Davy Crockett,” and “Shackles and Chains.”

Wiseman became a record executive in 1957 when he was tapped to head the Country Division of Dot Records. And in 1958, Wiseman was instrumental in the founding of the Country Music Association, becoming the organization’s first Secretary/Treasurer, demonstrating the respect he had earned as both an artist and a record executive.

During the 1960s Wiseman was a staple on the folk festival circuit and on college campuses. But he also played Carnegie Hall in 1962 on a bill headlined by Johnny Cash, which garnered him rave reviews inThe New York Times.

From 1966 to 1971, Wiseman was Program Producer and Talent Director for the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree. During his tenure he stabilized the cast of performers and gave bluegrass prominence.

Most recently, Wiseman has released his music on his own Wise Records including a six-disc boxed set entitled The Mac Wiseman Story, featuring songs he recorded in the 1970s and a DVD collection calledMac Wiseman – An American Treasure. In 2007, he recorded a duet album with John Prine, Standard Songs for Average People, which was released by Oh Boy Records. He has also just completed an album with Merle Haggard, Vince Gill, and The Isaacs that will be released in 2014 and is also being interviewed for inclusion in the upcoming Ken Burns PBS documentary on Country Music. Wiseman will also be the first inductee into the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music Hall of Fame later this month.

Modern Era Artist

Ronnie Milsap – Ronnie Lee Milsap was born Jan. 16, 1943, in Robbinsville, N.C. A congenital disorder left him almost blind, and he was raised by his grandmother in the Smoky Mountains until the age of five, when he was sent to the Governor Morehead School for the Blind in Raleigh, N.C.

Showing an interest in music early on, at the age of seven his teachers recognized that he had considerable musical talent. He began studying classical music and learned several instruments, eventually mastering the piano.

His youthful passion for rock music led him to form a band with some high school classmates called The Apparitions. Briefly attending Young Harris College on a full scholarship, Milsap left before graduating to pursue a career in music.

In the early 1960s, Milsap played his first professional gigs as a member of J.J. Cale’s band. In 1965, he released “Total Disaster,” his first single as a solo artist, which achieved some local success in the Atlanta area.

In 1965, Milsap signed with New York-based Scepter Records where he scored an R&B Top 5 with the Ashford and Simpson-penned “Never Had It So Good.” While at Scepter, Milsap shared concert stages with James Brown, Stevie Wonder, and Ray Charles, who encouraged the young man to apply himself to music.

In 1969, Milsap moved to Memphis to become a session musician. Working with the legendary Chips Moman, he played keyboards on Elvis Presley’s “Kentucky Rain” and can be heard singing background on “Don’t Cry Daddy.” When not doing session work, Milsap and his ensemble served as the house band at the local music hotspot T.J.’s Club.

In 1970, Milsap found success on the pop charts with “Loving You Is a Natural Thing.” He recorded and released his eponymous debut album – produced by Dan Penn – in 1971.

In 1972, Milsap was performing at the Whiskey A-Go-Go where Charley Pride happened to be in the audience. Impressed with his soulful singing style, Pride encouraged Milsap to focus on Country Music. Moving to Nashville later that year, he began working with Pride’s manager, Jack D. Johnson. A year later, he signed with RCA Records and later that same year released his first Country single, the Top 10 “I Hate You.”

In 1974, Milsap scored two No. 1s: “Pure Love” and “Please Don’t Tell Me How the Story Ends,” which won his first Grammy. Another No. 1 followed the next year with “Daydreams About Night Things.”

In 1976, Milsap solidly established himself as one of Country Music’s biggest stars. A string of seven No. 1 hits in a row, including “(I’m a) Stand By My Woman Man,” “What a Difference You’ve Made in My Life,” and “It Was Almost Like a Song,” which was the most successful single of the 1970s. “Songwas the singer’s first crossover hit, peaking No. 7 on the adult contemporary chart and paving the way for Milsap to be named Billboard’s Artist of the Year (in any genre) in 1976.

This string of hits also kicked off a remarkable run in American pop music. With songs “(There’s) No Getting Over Me,” “I Wouldn’t Have Missed It For the World,” “Any Day Now,” “Stranger In My House,” “Lost in the Fifties Tonight,”  “She Keeps the Home Fires Burning,” “Snap Your Fingers,” and “Where Do the Nights Go,” Milsap did not leave the Top 10 for 16 years.

Milsap also received myriad awards and accolades during this period. He won four CMA Album of the Year Awards (1975, 1977, 1978, and 1986), three CMA Male Vocalist of the Year trophies (1974, 1976, and 1977), and the coveted CMA Entertainer of the Year Award (1977). In addition, he won five Grammys for Best Male Country Vocal performance (1974, 1976, 1981, 1985, and 1986) and one Grammy for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals in 1988 for the Kenny Rogers duet “Make No Mistake, She’s Mine.”

In 1993, Milsap left RCA and signed with Liberty Records and released the album True Believer.  In 2000, he released the two-CD set, 40 No. 1 Hits.

In 2004, Milsap recorded Just For a Thrill, a collection of American popular/jazz standards, which was nominated for a Grammy. Returning to Country in 2006 at his original home of RCA Records, he released My Life. It was followed in 2009 with Then Sings My Soul, a two-CD set collection of hymns and gospel songs.

On March 18 of this year, Milsap released Summer #17, his 31st album, which he describes as an homage to the music that inspired him. Hailed byUSA Today, The Tennessean and NPR: National Public Radio, the set pays tribute to the influences that shaped Milsap’s singular brand of soul-steeped Country.

With 40 No. 1 hits and more than 35 million albums sold, Milsap remains one of Country’ Music’s most successful and beloved crossover artists. At 71, he continues to tour the country, playing his music for multiple generations of music lovers.

About CMA: Founded in 1958, the Country Music Association was the first trade organization formed to promote a type of music. In 1961, CMA created the Country Music Hall of Fame to recognize artists and industry professionals with Country Music’s highest honor. More than 7,000 music industry professionals and companies from around the globe are members of CMA. The organization’s objectives are to serve as an educational and professional resource for the industry and advance the growth of Country Music around the world. This is accomplished through CMA’s core initiatives: the CMA Awards, which annually recognize outstanding achievement in the industry; the CMA Music Festival, which benefits music education and is taped for a three-hour special; and “CMA Country Christmas,” featuring Country artists performing original music and Christmas classics for broadcast during the holiday season.  All of CMA’s television properties will air on the ABC Television network through 2021.

 

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CMT’S ACCLAIMED MUSIC SERIES “CROSSROADS” CELEBRATES ITS 50TH EPISODE WITH A BLOCKBUSTER PAIRING OF KATY PERRY AND KACEY MUSGRAVES

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FRANCHISE HISTORY “CROSSROADS” WILL AIR ON CMT, VH1, MTV, MTV HITS AND PALLADIA

CROSSROADS to Premiere June 13 on CMT

For more than a decade, CMT has been pairing together country and non-country artists for episodes of the flagship music series CMT CROSSROADS, which has delivered some of the most unforgettable performances on television. Next up are global superstar Katy Perry and recent Grammy-winner Kacey Musgraves, who will appear in the 50th episode of the critically acclaimed and longest-running music series of the network, it was announced today at CMT’s Upfront presentation. For the first time in the series history, this all-new episode of CROSSROADS will not only air on CMT, but it will also air on multiple channels including VH1, MTV, MTV Hits and Palladia. The two stars will swap lyrics and share stories in a performance to be taped live in Los Angeles, before embarking on a tour together later this summer. CMT CROSSROADS: KATY PERRY AND KACEY MUSGRAVES will premiere on Friday, June 13 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CMT. Air dates for the VH1, MTV, MTV Hits and Palladia airings will soon be announced.

“This is without a doubt one of the best pairings in the 50 episode history of the Crossroads franchise,” says John Hamlin, senior vice president music events and talent, CMT. “Both Katy and Kacey are killing it right now in their respective formats—due in large part because their music is built on authenticity and great song writing. Those songs reflect a 2014 view of the world as seen from two different points of view. Better yet, they are good friends who are very, very excited to get on stage and share their music with one another.”

“From the moment I heard ‘Merry Go Round’ by Kacey Musgraves, I knew we were cut from the same songwriter’s cloth,” said Perry. “I have been a fan and a friend of hers from the beginning, always championing her prolific songs every opportunity I get. To me, Kacey Musgraves is an artist that should be a household name because she offers a unique perspective with her writing style. It’s going to be a BLAST to play on each other’s songs this ‘Crossroads.’ It will be a preview to our Prismatic World Tour road trip this summer, WHICH I CAN’T WAIT FOR!”

“I’ve been such a HUGE fan of Katy and her vision since I found out about her. And since she’s found out about me, she’s been an amazing light and friend to me. So, joining forces with her for ‘Crossroads’ is going to be incredible,” exclaimed Musgraves. “In some ways we’re on opposite ends of the spectrum, but in a lot of ways our music makes total sense together. Her songs, while having grit, are so fun and it’ll be a cool challenge to throw a little country on ’em. I love her brain and her heart and I can’t wait for our two musical worlds to collide!”

Katy Perry cemented her status as a best-selling superstar with the global success of her second studio album, Teenage Dream, which debuted at #1 in 8 countries and spent over two years on Billboard’s Top 200 album sales chart. She became the only female artist to have 5 #1 singles from one album on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (“California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “Firework,” “E.T.” and “Last Friday Night”). The special edition, Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection, added “Part of Me” and “Wide Awake” to Katy’s list of nine Top 40 chart-toppers (dating back to her multi-platinum debut album, 2008’s One of the Boys, which generated four hit singles: “I Kissed A Girl,” “Hot N Cold,” “Thinking of You” and “Waking Up In Vegas”). “Roar,” the first single from her new album, PRISM, became Katy’s 10th #1 Top 40 track after debuting at #1 on iTunes in 68 countries with 557,024 downloads in its first week of release, the biggest digital song sales week of 2013. A successful follow-up single, “Unconditionally”, was released in late 2013, followed by “Dark Horse”, which helped Katy set the record at Top 40 for most total weeks (46) at #1 in the Billboard airplay chart’s archives. Katy begins her “PRISMATIC WORLD TOUR” on May 7 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Nashville-based singer/songwriter, Kacey Musgraves released her Mercury Records Nashville debut album, “Same Trailer Different Park,” this past spring to massive critical acclaim and recognition. The album, which she co-produced with Shane McAnally and Luke Laird, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart making her the first solo female in five years to open at No. 1 with a rookie release, and just seventh in the 22-year Nielson SoundScan era. The album includes her top 10 single “Merry Go ‘Round,” “Blowin’ Smoke,” “Follow Your Arrow” and “Keep It To Yourself.” She’s received CMT Music Award and Teen Choice Award nominations, and has taken home the award for “New Artist of the Year” at 2013’s CMA Awards. Musgraves also recently won two Grammy Awards for Best Country Song (“Merry Go ‘Round”) and Best Country Album (“Same Trailer Different Park”). She has performed on the “Today Show,” “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” “Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “2013 CMT Music Awards,” “Billboard Music Awards 2013” and the “56th Annual Grammy Awards.” Most recently, Musgraves received five ACM Award nominations including Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year (Artist and Producer/”Same Trailer Different Park”), Song of the Year (“Mama’s Broken Heart”) and Video of the Year (“Blowin’ Smoke”). She is currently on tour with Lady Antebellum and will tour with Katy Perry later this summer.

CMT CROSSROADS debuted January 13, 2002 with Elvis Costello and Lucinda Williams and since has showcased dream musical partnerships including Kid Rock and Hank Williams, Jr.; Ray Charles and Travis Tritt; Dave Matthews and Emmylou Harris; Bon Jovi and Sugarland; Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire; Def Leppard and Taylor Swift; Sting and Vince Gill; John Mayer and Keith Urban; Steven Tyler and Carrie Underwood; Stevie Nicks and Lady Antebellum; and One Republic and Dierks Bentley to just name a few.

CMT CROSSROADS is produced by Tom Forrest and Kathryn Russ. John Hamlin, Margaret Comeaux and Bill Flanagan serve as executive producers for CMT.

CMT, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is the leading television and digital authority on country music and entertainment, reaching more than 92 million homes in the U.S. CMT and its website, CMT.com, offer an unparalleled mix of music, news, live concerts and series and is the top resource for country music on demand. The network’s digital platforms include the 24-hour music channel, CMT Pure Country, CMT Mobile and CMT VOD.

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