Tag Archives | Craig Morgan

Jack Daniel’s “Operation Ride Home”: Helping Reunite Service Members And Families For The Holidays

Craig Morgan Will Serve As National Spokesperson

Craig MorganFor the second year in a row, the Jack Daniel Distillery will donate more than $100,000 to help service members and their families travel from bases to homes across the U.S. through “Operation Ride Home” this holiday season.

And as with last year’s effort, the famed distillery will be asking its friends to visit www.jdoperationridehome.com and contribute what they can to help in the campaign.  Through travel vouchers for plane tickets and pre-paid debit cards for gas, lodging and food, the distillery hopes to surpass the overwhelming success of last year’s effort that helped send 721 Fort Campbell soldiers and their families home last year.  In addition to Jack Daniel’s contribution, more than $24,000 was collected from the general public through the donation site.

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Song Review: More Trucks Than Cars By Craig Morgan

While I have sometimes criticized artists for being too cliche about their subject matter for their country songs, Craig Morgan has made a career out of writing songs that paint a portrait of life in small towns in the south and he does it well.  Puts me in mind of visits to my relatives’ towns in Arkansas during the summertime growing up and a simpler time.  This is what he’s known for and he does it right with strong vocals to go along with it.   I love the pictures that he paints with his songs.  They just make me feel good. Continue Reading →

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Craig Morgan Releases New Song “More Trucks Than Cars” To Radio

Nashville, Tenn. – August 13, 2012 – Country music star and award-winning TV host Craig Morgan will release his latest single “More Trucks Than Cars” from his recent album This Ole Boy.  Written by Morgan with Phil O’Donnell and Craig Wiseman, the song is an anthem for the southern lifestyle, depicted in stars that light the night sky, biscuits, grits and gravy, ‘Ole Glory’ flying high and a landscape where you’ll sooner spot a truck before you see a car. And Morgan can wholeheartedly relate to his lyric “meanwhile back in Tennessee we’re raising our babies and our own green beans.” Craig Morgan’s “More Trucks Than Cars” is available today via PlayMPE for airplay on country radio with an August 27 impact date.

The song is equally relatable to metropolitan areas of the U.S. where there is no shortage of hard-working Americans ad a touch of the southern lifestyle is a hot commodity.  While in New York earlier this year, Morgan was surprised at the number of trucks he spotted amongst the sea of yellow cabs in Manhattan.

The new album This Ole Boy, his first new music in three years and debut release on Black River Entertainment, is co-produced with his longtime creative partner Phil O’Donnell.  Morgan co-wrote 6 of the 12 songs on the new record including this latest single release, “More Trucks Than Cars.”

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

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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Craig Morgan’s 6TH Annual Charity Event – This Weekend – Final Details Announced

Nashville, TN…(August 7, 2012)…Counting down the final days leading up to Craig Morgan’s 6th annual charity weekend, the country music star and award-winning TV host is excited to announce the final list of music, motocross, and celebrity friends joining him for the weekend’s festivities.

On Saturday, August 11, motocross stars Destry Abbott, Fred Andrews, Cowboy Kenny Bartram, Randy Hawkins, Kevin Windham, and country star Bucky Covington will take part in an exhibition and trail ride in Vanleer, Tennessee. Later that night, country music star Darryl Worley and HLN “Morning Express” host and “Brand New Day” singer Robin Meade along with the evening’s emcee, GAC host and TV personality Nan Kelley, will take the stage in concert with Morgan to support the Craig Morgan Charity Fund.

On Sunday, August 12th the popular Celebrity Sporting Clay Event will take place from the Tennessee Clay Target Complex in Nashville.  This year’s event, a 12-station course, will feature an exhibition by “The Ultimate Shooter” Tim Bradley.

Proceeds from the two-day event will benefit the Craig Morgan Charity Fund, a component fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.  The Craig Morgan Charity Fund continues to raise funds to establish Billy’s Place, an organization that will benefit foster children in Dickson County and throughout Middle Tennessee.

Fans can take part in the event by bidding on auction items via eBay through Friday, August 10th.   Items include a Husqvarna for a day experience, allowing fans to ride in style alongside motocross stars at Saturday’s ride.   Concert attendees on Saturday night will also have the opportunity to bid on live and silent auction items including a Pre-Owned Volkswagen Passat GLS, high end MAC Tools chest, music, tv, and sports memorabilia, and more!

All events are open to the public with tickets on sale at NowPlayingNashville.com as well as all TriStar Bank locations in Dickson.

Craig Morgan Charity Weekend
Dirt Bike Ride/Trail Ride
Date: August 11, 2012
Location: Paul Allen Farm 1286 Bell Hollow Rd., Vanleer, TN
Registration Opens: 8:00 AM
Ride and Exhibition Start Time: 10:00 AM
Tickets: $40 pre-registration; $45 day-of registration; $15 spectator. All ticket prices incl. lunch
Motocross stars Destry Abbot, Fred Andrews, Cowboy Kenny Bartram, Randy Hawkins and Kevin Windham plus country star Bucky Covington will take part in an exhibition and group trail ride with Craig Morgan

Craig Morgan Concert
Date: August 11, 2012
Location: Dickson Middle School 401 East College St., Dickson, TN
Doors Open: 6:00 PM
Concert Start Time: 7:30 PM
Tickets: $25 adult; $10 children 12 and under
Darryl Worley and Robin Meade will join Craig Morgan in concert, hosted by GAC’s Nan Kelley

Sporting Clay Event
Date: August 12, 2012
Location: Tennessee Clay Target Complex 1100 County Hospital Rd., Nashville, TN
First Flight:  9:00 am Registration; 10:00 am Shoot
Second Flight: Noon Registration; 1:00 pm Shoot
Tickets: $100 per competitor with prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place competitors
Includes lunch and 12:30pm exhibition with “The Ultimate Shooter” Tim Bradley

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 his latest hit, the title track to his new record This Ole Boy. The new album, his first release on Black River Entertainment, boasted a Top 5 debut on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart when it released on February 28, 2012. 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 over 10 years of active duty in the Army and an additional nine years in the 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” on The Outdoor Channel with season 3 set to debut July 1. For more information on Craig Morgan, please visit www.craigmorgan.com or follow him on Twitter @CMorganmusic.

ABOUT BILLY’S PLACE: The idea for Billy’s Place was born while Craig Morgan was serving as an Assistant Sheriff’s Deputy in Dickson, TN and named for his wife Karen’s father. The organization will support foster children in Dickson County and throughout Middle Tennessee. Craig’s continuing charitable mission is to eventually build and maintain a home called Billy’s Place for temporarily displaced children in Dickson County Tennessee and to provide lasting funding for the home. His long term goal is to start additional Billy’s Place homes around the country. The annual Craig Morgan Charity Weekend, encompassing a motocross ride, concert and sporting clays shoot, raised more than $95,000 last year in support of Billy’s Place and other children’s welfare organizations.

ABOUT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE:  The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee oversees more than 840 charitable funds, providing customized philanthropic solutions with flexibility for donors, nonprofit organizations and the community. In the past 20 years, The Community Foundation has distributed more than $596 million to community programs and institutions. It is located at 3833 Cleghorn Avenue, #400, Nashville, Tennessee 37215. For more information, call 615-321-4939 or visit www.cfmt.org.

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Video Highlights From CMA Music Festival 2012

CMA Music Festival

Photo credit: Courtney Davidson

Check out these fun video clips of performances and appearances during CMA Music Festival from Julie Roberts, Glen Templeton, Craig Morgan, Sarah Darling, Due West, and Jesse Lee!

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Focus on the 615 at CRS 2012

And that’s a wrap. Averaging four hours of sleep per night, around noon on Friday we finished up our last of 23 interviews for CRS week. Aside from all of these (stay tuned to watch them all here), the week consisted of exclusive performances, incredible after parties and an overload of fun.

CRS again is the Country Radio Seminar, a weeklong event at the Nashville Convention Center “created to provide a platform and structure for education and growth for the Country Music format, serving as the conduit connecting the interests of Country Radio with the Country Music Industry” (crs.org). Our job was to cover it as part of the media… therefore we hung out in the media room and interviewed artists instead of going to the educational seminars. Not a bad gig.

Tuesday

Day 1 was Tuesday, a day that proved just a warm up for the week ahead. We started at Warner Music where we caught up with The Dirt Drifters, HER & Kings County and Ty Stone. HKC are some of the most energetic people we had the good fortune of meeting.

“Y’all kicked our hangover to the curb like a Bloody Mary.”
– HER & Kings County

You’re welcome guys.

Then it was up to the Bridge Bar (a cool lounge area located on the walkway over Commerce Street) to meet up with The Roys, DJ Miller and Mark Cooke. Six interviews ain’t bad for a days work, and then we were invited to attend the Country Radio Hall of Fame induction ceremony, followed by the Sony-hosted after party featuring Brent Anderson, Wade Bowen and Jerrod Niemann. They all brought the house down, especially Niemann’s finale, a cover of the classic Pride and Joy.

Wednesday

Now we come to the day where we almost had TOO MUCH fun. No kidding, it was almost hard to process it all.  The day started early with an interview with The Farm, a great group of people, then Gloriana, who I’ve had my eye on since their first single Wild At Heart three years ago. Then finally, I got to meet Jana Kramer who is in fact the sweetest person in the entire world.Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan

Then came lunch at The Ryman, one of the best musical venues in the country, for a performance by nearly the entire Universal Music Group roster. I won’t mention them all, but it started off with none other than King George Strait. Let me tell you, there is not a lot that can trump watching Troubadour live in The Ryman Auditorium as the sun shines through the stained glass windows. But if there was one thing that could, it was the way they closed the show: with Lionel Richie. And he immediately brought out one of his biggest fans to perform with him: Luke Bryan. They played Easy (Like Sunday Morning) one of my favorite songs of all time, and after a well-deserved standing ovation, we were back to the media room. So yeah, that was lunch.

After this, we caught up with Marlee Scott, Frankie Ballard and Jason Mitchell. Soon thereafter we found ourselves at a meet-and-greet with most of the aforementioned artists in attendance, along with Josh Turner, Scotty McCreary, Lauren Alaina, Luke Bryan, Craig Morgan, and others. No interviews with those folks unfortunately, but all very nice people.

But we weren’t done yet: after that was the sold out Lady Antebellum concert at Municipal Auditorium. Thompson Square opened the show in incredible fashion before Darius Rucker took the stage, singing a couple Hootie & the Blowfish classics as well as a Nashville favorite Family Tradition. Then it was Lady A’s turn, and they put on one impressive show. They played all the hits, and even featured surprise cameos from Luke Bryan (performing Do I, co-written by Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood) and Sara Evans (who performed Stronger, co-written by Hillary Scott). After the show we were exhausted… oh, but not done yet.Faith Hill

The after party was a Warner Music gathering with an 80’s theme. Artists played one of their own songs followed by an 80’s classic. On the roster were (among others) HER & Kings County, Ty Stone, Jana Kramer, THE FARM, Jason Jones, The Dirt Drifters, Frankie Ballard, Hunter Hayes, and Big & Rich who performed a rousing rendition of Madonna’s Like A Virgin.

Cue exhaustion.

Thursday

After Wednesday, Thursday became a blur of sleep deprivation masked with too much caffeine. Of the interviews I remember, we had Glen Templeton, Due West, Amber Hayes, Jessie James, Deborah Allen, Adam Gregory, Maggie Sajak and Bucky Covington (forgive me if I forgot anyone). By the time Bucky finished out the day our batteries were drained figuratively AND literally (Bucky’s interview ran slightly short due to the death of the camera battery).

Lunch featured an acoustic set by Alan Jackson, and shortly thereafter we had a few hours where I was able to go home and nap before the Black River Entertainment showcase featuring Glen Templeton, Sarah Darling and Due West.

Friday

An easy day today! Only two interviews with icon Billy Dean and the lovely The McClymonts, and then on to lunch with Faith Hill! She debuted two new songs during her performance, and sounded as good as ever.

After a little break, we were back for the New Faces of Country Music show. The pre-show and happy hour featured a performance by The Lost Trailers, before we adjourned into the performance hall to see Hunter Hayes, Eli Young Band, Sunny Sweeney and David Nail. Thompson Square was also set to perform, but had to cancel due to an unfortunate death in Shawna’s family. The performances were amazing, and the after party was equally as amazing with everyone cutting loose after a long week.Hunter Hayes

We have pictures of all this excitement on our Facebook page, and will be sure to post these interviews online as soon as possible, so be sure to check back often! We would also like to thank each artist for their time, their management for their patience, and everyone who was involved with CRS for their hard work and dedication to an extraordinary week. Thank you!

 

 

Below is a recap of our CRS interviews:

The Dirt Drifters

HER & Kings County

Ty Stone

The Roys

DJ Miller

Mark Cooke

The Farm

Gloriana

Jana Kramer

Marlee Scott

Frankie Ballard

Jason Mitchell

Glen Templeton

Due West

Amber Hayes

Jessie James

Deborah Allen

Adam Gregory

Maggie Sajak

Bucky Covington

Billy Dean

The McClymonts

CRS 2012

 

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Craig Morgan Prepares To Release New Album On February 28th

This Ole BoyNashville, TN…(January 9, 2012)…Country music star and TV host CRAIG MORGAN is preparing to release his sixth studio album, This Ole Boy, on February 28. The release marks Morgan’s first new music in nearly three years, and his first with Black River Entertainment after signing with the label in April 2011.

Hollywood actress Angie Harmon (Rizzoli & Isles/TNT) stars alongside Morgan in the sweet and surprising music video clip for the title track lead single.  The video, directed by Kristin Barlowe, was filmed in Arrington, Tennessee late last year. Entertainment Tonight will exclusively premiere the music video TODAY at ETOnline.com. The video can be seen on various TV and online platforms in the coming days, and will be available for digital download later this month.

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” and “International Harvester”. His newest single “This Ole Boy,” currently climbing the country radio charts, is the title track to his upcoming sixth studio CD, releasing February 28, 2012. 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 over 10 years of active duty in the Army and an additional nine years in the Army Reserves.  He is an avid supporter of America’s military personnel and a recipient of the 2006 USO Merit Award. For more information on Craig Morgan, please visit www.craigmorgan.com or follow him on Twitter @cmorganmusic.

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Album Review: Looking For America by Mark Wills

Mark Wills - Looking For AmericaMark Wills’ newest, Looking For America is… predictable. Not predictable in a “Mark Wills” kind of way – because frankly, I haven’t heard all that much of his stuff before. No, predictable as in a “country music beating a dead horse” kind of way. Every topic of each of Wills’ songs has been done before, over, and over… and over. The album as a whole is by no means bad, just… we get it.

Yes, Mark Wills is talented. Yes, there’s certainly a market for it. But how bout a little originality? Maybe it’s because I have been listening to country music forever, or maybe I just didn’t have my morning cup of coffee; but I found myself getting close to the end of many of the tracks and simply hitting next.

Before I explain myself further, I would like to point out that there is one original song that is an anomaly to my critique: Phantom of the Opry. I like the idea for that song.

But here’s what I mean: The first song on the album is Rockin’ The Country.  It featured such nauseatingly obvious lines as “Hey y’all, yee haw / Little bit of hillbilly, little bit of outlaw” and instrumentation that could be found in any old Jason Aldean, Craig Morgan or Rodney Adkins song.

I wasn’t optimistic going in to the title track, Looking For America. And sure enough, not only was it cliché with respects to America songs, it was cliché with respects to songs about the good ol’ days… the old one-two punch to the horse recently murdered by Rockin’ The Country. But just to make sure the “American” horse was truly dead, the next song is about a soldier! Ok, I actually really like the lyrics to this one; it would be an admiral song on a record with more diversity. However, given the circumstances, it didn’t reach it’s greatest potential. Not to mention, it’s on the album twice, the second time as an acoustic version.

Then we get into a song about forgetting your problems. Another good song lyrically, but it’s about dancing “like there’s no yesterday,” (just a tad corny) and nothing caught my ear about it. Following that were songs about heartbreak, being in love, heartbreak again, The Phantom of the Opry, and then heartbreak again. Actually all of these songs were well written, so for those who enjoy lyrics, this is a good album.

On that note, as you may know, an artist who writes his own music automatically jumps up several notches on my critiquing scale. Well, it’s no doubt this album has great lyrics; it features some of Nashville’s best… but Mark Wills isn’t one of them. He co-wrote one song, and it was the one I lost interest in. However, there are songs penned by Chris Tompkins (Before He Cheats, Voices), the Warren Brothers (Red Solo Cup, Anyway), Brett James (Jesus Take The Wheel, When The Sun Goes Down) and Lee Brice.

I would never turn anyone away from listening to this album, but it will quickly get lost in the shuffle.

Looking For America track listing:

1. Rockin’ The Country

2. Looking For America

3. Crazy Being Home

4. Like There’s No Yesterday

5. Rather Be

6. The Whole World

7. Smokin’ Gun

8. Phantom Of The Opry

9. Where Did I Lose You

10. Crazy Being Home (Acoustic Version)

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