Tag Archives | Little Big Town
A DOLLY FOR CHRISTMAS: The True Story Of A Family’s Christmas Miracle By Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman And illustrated By Morgan Huff
Kelsea Ballerini Invited To Join The Grand Ole Opry
NASHVILLE,Tenn. – (March 5, 2019) – Kelsea Ballerini was surprised on Tuesday night’s show by Opry group Little Big Town with an invitation to become an official Grand Ole Opry member. After Ballerini performed her segment, Little Big Town took the stage to close out the show, inviting Ballerini back to perform the group’s hit “Girl Crush” with them. As the song concluded, the band changed its final lyrics to “Kelsea Ballerini, do you wanna join the Opry?”
“Yes,” Ballerini exclaimed, “I’m gonna pass out I think!” Collecting her thoughts, Ballerini recalled having visited the Opry at age 13 with her mother and knowing then that she wanted to support the Opry, even if only as a fan. “To be on this stage is the greatest gift in the world,” she said. “This is the home of country music, and I get to be a part of it.”
“For the rest of your life,” Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild added.
Ballerini’s formal Opry induction is set for Tuesday, April 16.
“We are thrilled at the thought of Kelsea Ballerini joining the Opry family,” said Opry General Manager Sally Williams. “So many of us at the Opry have been fans of her recordings, her songwriting, and her live performances since she played the Opry for the very first time. Having grown to know her personally in the years since, we love and respect her just as much as a person as an artist. We look so forward to her Opry induction in April and to all the years of great music we’ll share.”
About Kelsea Ballerini:
Two-time GRAMMY nominee Kelsea Ballerini is the only female artist in Country music history, including female duos and groups, to claim #1 with her first three consecutive singles; PLATINUM-certified, #1 smashes – “Love Me Like You Mean It,” “Dibs,” “Peter Pan,” from a debut album [GOLD-certified breakout THE FIRST TIME]. Nominated for Best Country Album at the 61st GRAMMY Awards, her acclaimed sophomore album, UNAPOLOGETICALLY, includes #1 hit “Legends” as a part of the original 12-track compilation all written or co-written by Ballerini. UNAPOLOGETICALLY (Deluxe Edition) includes four new tracks including her collaboration with The Chainsmokers, “This Feeling,” which they performed during the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. With over 75 million streams globally, her current single “Miss Me More” is the award-winning songwriter-artist’s fastest rising single to date on Country radio. The Black River Entertainment artist is now supporting Kelly Clarkson’s MEANING OF LIFE TOUR, before breaking out on her own for her first-ever headline arena trek – THE MISS ME MORE TOUR – with Brett Young (plus special guest Brandon Ratcliff) this spring. Visit KelseaBallerini.com and reach out to her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About The Grand Ole Opry:
The Grand Ole Opry® is presented by Humana®. Opry performances are held every Friday and Saturday of the year, with Tuesday night shows running through December, Wednesday night shows returning this spring, and seasonal Opry Country Classics shows on Thursdays. To plan an Opry visit, call (800) SEE-OPRY or visit opry.com. The Opry presents the best in country music live every week from Nashville, Tenn. Celebrating nine decades of entertainment, the Opry can be heard at opry.com and wsmonline.com, Opry and WSM mobile apps, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, and its flagship home, 650 AM-WSM. The Grand Ole Opry is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties (NYSE: RHP). For more information, visit opry.com.
Miranda Lambert + Little Big Town’s Bandwagon Caravan Comes To An End
For songwriters, an idea for a song may be nothing more than a notion — a scribble on a notepad for years before the timing, message and hook come together. So, it’s not surprising that Country superstars Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town dreamt about a co-headlining tour for years before finally pulling the trigger on their 17-city The Bandwagon Tour.
Saturday’s show at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Chicago marked the tour’s final destination, but not before giving fans one last night of high-energy hits and powerful collaborations unique to the show.
The Sun-Chronicle described the show as “an evening of country music at its best,” and CMT recalled how “everyone stayed until the ugly lights came on…It was almost as if the fans knew that this was the end, and no one wanted it to be over.”
The troupe traversed across the Northeast, Southeast and Midwest regions, playing to at-capacity crowds almost every night and treating them to a once-in-a-lifetime performance of some of the group’s greatest hits—including an hour-long encore that CMT described as feeling “as perfected as it did spontaneous.”
As Pollstar commended Lambert for “her command of the stage and the momentum build of her songs” while declaring that “Lambert at her core is a vocalist committed to the music,” the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette offered that “[Little Big Town’s] four voices coming together are some of the best harmonies that country has to offer” and Pollstar noted that “they are perhaps modern country’s most diverse and musically intelligent act.”
Opening for the quintet was Sony recording artist and country newcomer Tenille Townes, and other special guests included Natalie Hemby, The Steel Woods and Turnpike Troubadours.
Both critically acclaimed artists, Lambert and Little Big Town combine for a total of thirty-six ACM Award wins, twenty-one CMA Award wins and four GRAMMYs. Lambert, who made ACM history when she was named the ACM Female Vocalist of the Year for the ninth consecutive year, was recently announced as the Country Music Hall of Fame ® and Museum’s 15th artist-in-residence and is preparing for the release this fall of her third project with fellow Pistol Annies Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe.
Little Big Town recently hosted a sold-out, year-long residency at Ryman Auditorium and on July 26, the Country Music Hall of Fame ® and Museum launched their new, yearlong exhibit called LITTLE BIG TOWN: THE POWER OF FOUR showcasing the bands’ storied and powerful 20-year history within the country music community.
About Miranda Lambert:
Vanner Records/RCA Records Nashville singer/songwriter Miranda Lambert is the most decorated artist in ACM history as well as the reigning ACM Female Vocalist of the Year, having been bestowed this honor for nine consecutive years. Her accolades include 2 Grammy Awards, 13 (CMA) Country Music Associations Awards, and 32 (ACM) Academy of Country Music Awards as well as many other honors, including the prestigious Harmony Award from the Nashville Symphony.
The Texas native released her most recent effort, a double album titled The Weight of These Wings in November 2016, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. She touts six studio albums to her repertoire; Kerosene (2005), Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2007), Revolution (2009), Four The Record (2011) and Platinum (2014), the latter earning Lambert a GRAMMY Award for Best Country Album, in addition to her previous GRAMMY win for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 2010 for “The House That Built Me.” The first song released from The Weight Of These Wings, “Vice,” received multiple Grammy and ACM Award nominations. Lambert’s previous country radio single, “Tin Man”, which she debuted at the 52nd Academy of Country Music Awards last year (2017) and was awarded Song Of The Year at the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards. www.Mirandalambert.com.
About Little Big Town:
GRAMMY, ACM, CMA, and AMA Award-winning group, Little Big Town — consisting of members Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook — first entered the music scene over 19 years ago with hit songs “Boondocks,” “Bring It On Home,” “Good As Gone” and the GRAMMY-nominated “Little White Church.” Their breakthrough albums Tornado and Pain Killer produced multiple #1 singles, including “Pontoon,” “Tornado,” and “Day Drinking,” as well as the history-making, best-selling country single of the year (2015) “Girl Crush.” Released February 24, 2017, Little Big Town’s last studio album, The Breaker, debuted #1 on the Billboard Country Charts and Top 10 (No.4) on the Billboard 200 to critical acclaim, marking the group’s fourth Top 10 debut on the Billboard 200 chart. The album features their GRAMMY-winning, multi-week #1 single, “Better Man,” as well as “When Someone Stops Loving You.” Current single “Summer Fever” is out now and climbing the charts at country radio.
Little Big Town has earned more than 40 award show nominations and in the past five years has taken home nearly 20 awards, including multiple GRAMMY, AMA, People’s Choice, CMA, ACM awards, and an Emmy award. Currently the reigning CMA and ACM Vocal Group of the Year, the Country Music Hall of Fame inductees (2014) went onto receive their star on the Nashville Walk of Fame in 2017. Also in 2017, Little Big Town hosted a sold-out, year-long artist residency at the famed Ryman Auditorium in Nashville — marking the venue’s first-ever, year-long residency in its 125-year history. The band also recently launched 4 Cellars wine, their first non-musical project as a band, with Browne Family Vineyards. On July 26th The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville launched their new, yearlong exhibit called LITTLE BIG TOWN: THE POWER OF FOUR showcasing the bands powerful and storied 20-year history within the country music community.
For more information on Little Big Town visit LittleBigTown.com or follow them @littlebigtown.
Little Big Town Celebrates The Opening Of Their New Exhibit At The Country Music Hall Of Fame
Grammy-winning vocal group Little Big Town visited the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum on Tuesday, June 26, to celebrate the opening of their exhibition Little Big Town: The Power of Four. The group, comprised of Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook, participated in a special program for fans in the museum’s CMA Theater, where they discussed their musical inspirations, career milestones and personal histories. After the program, they viewed their exhibit for the first time prior to a private reception to celebrate its opening.
Little Big Town: The Power of Four officially opens to the public this Friday, June 29, and runs through June 9, 2019. The exhibition tells the group’s story from the very beginning and recounts the development of individual talents that eventually brought the four together to form contemporary country music’s first two-woman, two-man vocal group.
For more information about the exhibit, visit www.countrymusichalloffame.org
GRAMMY-Award Winning Vocal Group Little Big Town Announce THE BREAKERS Headlining Tour
KACEY MUSGRAVES AND MIDLAND TO JOIN THE HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED NATIONWIDE ARENA TOUR BEGINNING SPRING 2018
TUNE IN TO “THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JIMMY FALLON” TONIGHT (9/20) FOR A VERY SPECIAL PERFORMANCE BY LITTLE BIG TOWN, KACEY MUSGRAVES, AND MIDLAND
THE BREAKERS TOUR TICKETS ON SALE EVERYWHERE ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd AT 10AM LOCAL TIME
After launching a historic sold-out year-long residency at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium, Grammy Award-winning vocal group Little Big Town today announced they will bring their critically-acclaimed harmonies to arenas nationwide starting Spring 2018 with The Breakers Tour. The highly-anticipated multi-city run begins February 8th at Chesapeake Energy Arena Oklahoma City and will visit 26 markets, including stops in Austin, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C. and New York City’s Radio City Music Hall. Additional stops will be announced at a later date. For the first-ever preview of The Breakers Tour, tune in to “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon” tonight (9/20) for a very special performance by Little Big Town,Kacey Musgraves, and Midland.
Tickets for The Breakers Tour go on-sale everywhere Friday, September 22nd at 10am local time. Two enhanced ticket experiences, the ‘Happy People’and ‘The Breaker’ experiences, will be offered throughout the tour. Additional experiences include a meet & greet with Little Big Town, a Q&A; session, exclusive merchandise, and more. To purchase tickets and for more informationon all ticket experiences, visit www.LittleBigTown.com.
Little Big Town’s landmark year to date includes the release of their chart-topping album The Breaker (2/24)- which debuted #1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart and Top 5 on the Billboard 200 All Genre chart-as well as the group’s fifth ACM Award win as Vocal Group of the Year. Additionally, the Multi-Platinum selling Country group was recently inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame and earned their 26th career CMA Award nomination, including nominations for Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year and Music Video of the Year categories.
One of the most well-respected and beloved entertainers in music today, the genre-defying group has “expanded their audience beyond Tennessee” (USA Today) as well as “the definition of country music from the inside” (Newsday) since first entering the music scene more than 18 years ago. Their critically acclaimed album, The Breaker, as well as their recent headlining Ryman Residency, “Little Big Town at the Mother Church,” have garnered the reigning CMA and ACM Vocal Group of the Year praise for their four-part harmonies and progressive sound that “seems to get even better with time” (Forbes).Hailed as a “21st century revival of Fleetwood Mac” (Goldderby) the group has produced hits such as “Boondocks,” “Bring It On Home,””Good As Gone,” and “Little White Church,” as well as their #1 singles “Pontoon,” “Tornado,” “Day Drinking,” and most recently, the history-making best-selling country single of 2015,”Girl Crush,” and this year’s multi-week #1 single, “Better Man.”
2018 Dates For The Breakers Tour Featuring Little Big Town, Kacey Musgraves, and Midland:
Date |
City |
State |
Venue |
|
2/8 |
Oklahoma City |
OK |
Chesapeake Energy Arena |
|
2/9 |
Austin |
TX |
Frank Erwin Center |
|
2/10 |
Grand Prairie |
TX |
Verizon Theatre – Grand Prairie |
|
2/15 |
Columbus |
OH |
Schottenstein Center |
|
2/16 |
Rosemont |
IL |
Allstate Arena |
|
2/17 |
Toledo |
OH |
Huntington Center |
|
2/22 |
Wilkes-Barre |
PA |
Mohegan Sun Arena |
|
2/23 |
Uncasville |
CT |
Mohegan Sun |
|
2/24 |
New York |
NY |
Radio City Music Hall |
|
3/2 |
Reading* |
PA |
Santander Arena |
|
3/3 |
Washington |
DC |
Anthem |
|
3/15 |
Green Bay** |
WI |
Resch Center |
|
3/16 |
Duluth* |
MN |
Amsoil Arena |
|
3/17 |
Grand Forks |
ND |
Ralph Engelstad |
|
3/22 |
Grand Rapids |
MI |
Van Andel Arena |
|
3/23 |
Cedar Rapids |
IA |
U.S. Cellular Center |
|
3/24 |
Sioux City |
IA |
Tyson Events Center |
|
4/5 |
Minneapolis |
MN |
Target Center |
|
4/6 |
Milwaukee |
WI |
BMO Harris Bradley Ctr |
|
4/7 |
St. Louis |
MO |
Chaifetz Arena |
|
4/19 |
Greensboro |
NC |
Greensboro Coliseum |
|
4/20 |
Greenville |
SC |
Bon Secours Wellness Arena |
|
4/21 |
Atlanta |
GA |
Infinite Energy Arena |
ABOUT LITTLE BIG TOWN
Grammy Award-winning group, Little Big Town — consisting of members Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook — first entered the music scene more than 18 years ago with hits such as “Boondocks,””Bring It On Home,””Good As Gone” and the Grammy-nominated single “Little White Church.”With albums Tornado and Pain Killer, they have seen massive success with #1singles “Pontoon,” “Tornado,””Day Drinking,” and most recently the history-making, best-selling country single of 2015,”Girl Crush,” and the recent two-week #1 single, “Better Man.”In October of 2014, the group fulfilled a career milestone and lifelong dreamwhen Reba McEntire asked them to become the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry. Little Big Town has earned almost 40 award show nominations in the past five years has taken home nearly 20 awards, including multiple Grammy, CMA andACM awards, and an Emmy award. They are the reigning ACM and CMA Vocal Group ofthe Year as well as the People’s Choice Awards “Choice Country Group.” At the 2016 Grammy Awards, Little Big Town won “Best Country Group/Duo Performance”and their 13-week #1 song “Girl Crush” received the honor for “Best Country Song.” The group has also received the prestigious ACM Crystal Milestone Award. Released February 24, 2017, Little Big Town’s latest studio album, The Breaker, debuted #1 on the Billboard Country Charts and Top 10(No.4) on the Billboard 200, marking the group’s fourth Top 10 debut on the Billboard 200 chart. The Breaker features the band’s current critically-acclaimed single, “When Someone Stops Loving You.” Little Big Town recently launched its sold-out year-long artist residency at the famed Ryman Auditorium in Nashville- marking the historic venue’s first-ever artist residency in its 125-year history. For tickets to The Breaker Tour and more informationon the last tour date at “Little Big Town At The Mother Church” visit LittleBigTown.com or follow them @littlebigtown.
ABOUT KACEY MUSGRAVES
Grammy Award Winning singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves released her Mercury Records Nashville debut album, Same Trailer Different Park, to massive critical acclaim and recognition. With the No. 1 debuting album on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, she became the first solo female in five years to open at No. 1 with a rookie release, and just the seventh to top the charts in the 22-year Nielsen SoundScan era. The gold-certified album earned Musgraves “New Artist of the Year” at the CMA Awards and also won two Grammy Awards for Best Country Song (“Merry Go ‘Round”), and Best Country Album (Same Trailer Different Park), an ACM Award for Album of the Year (Same Trailer Different Park), and a CMA Award for Song of the Year (“Follow Your Arrow”). Her follow up album, Pageant Material, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard country albums chart and No.3 on the Billboard 200, and earned Musgraves tour slots with Kenny Chesney and Katy Perry, in addition to sold-out headlining dates across the US and abroad at London’s Famed Royal Albert Hall. Hard at work on her next studio project expected for early next year, Musgrave can be seen next on tour with Little Big Town and on Harry Styles’ highly anticipated North American solo tour in 2018.
ABOUT MIDLAND
Originally formed in Dripping Springs, Texas, lead vocalist Mark Wystrach fronts Midland’s rich sound, rounded out by lead guitarist Jess Carson and bass player Cameron Duddy. Rooted in tradition both in sound and style, the band initially garnered attention playing clubs in the Texas region. Already featured in Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly and Billboard, their full-length debut album on Big Machine Records features their #1 song, “Drinkin’ Problem,” and is available everywhere September 22nd. Midland intentionally nods to the wild west with Country music reminiscent of the 1970s and 80s, channeling legends idols Dwight Yoakam and Willie Nelson, both who they previously opened for on the road. Directed by band member Cameron, Midland was nominated for a CMT Music Award for Group Video of the Year. Watch the video here: http://vevo.ly/j6UPkQ. For tour dates and more information visit Midland.com.
#MusicHealsEverything | [Video] Little Big Town & Cheap Trick Talk About The Healing Power Of Music
@littlebigtown & #cheaptrick on the red carpet of #MusicBiz2016 awards today!
A photo posted by FOCUS on the 615 (@focus_on_the_615) on
Caught up with Little Big Town and Cheap Trick on the red carpet at the Music Biz 2016 awards where they were both being honored. Here are their thoughts about the healing and hope that can be found in music.
Watch the video below, and be sure to check out Tom Petersson (Cheap Trick’s bassist & co-founding member) and his wife’s foundation for more musical healing at: www.rockyourvoice.com. He talks about it briefly at the end of this short video.
Have you got your own story to share about how music may have inspired you, comforted, or healed you during a difficult time in your life? We’d love to hear about it, and possibly post it right here on the site for others to see! Just email your story to: patrice@focusonthe615.com. Be sure to include where you’re from and what you do for a living.
Support the artists you love. Buy the music that heals you.
LITTLE BIG TOWN’S KIMBERLY’S SIMPLY SOUTHERN TO AIR ON COOKING CHANNEL BEGINNING JULY 18TH
Little Big Town member, Kimberly Schlapman, and her award-winning cooking show Kimberly’s Simply Southern will be coming to Cooking Channel beginning July 18th airing Saturdays at 3:30pm ET/12:30pm PT. See below for a description of the series and upcoming episode guide.
LITTLE BIG TOWN MAKES BILLBOARD HISTORY WITH LATEST SINGLE “GIRL CRUSH”
GRAMMY award-winning country group, Little Big Town, makes Billboard history as their reign continues atop Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for the 11th consecutive week with their smash hit, “Girl Crush.”
“Girl Crush” From Little Big Town: It’s Not What You Think It Is
Currently, radio stations across the country are being forced to pull from rotation Little Big Town’s newest single “Girl Crush”. This is all due to some angry listeners misinterpreting the song and thinking it’s about lesbians. If it actually was, would that really be so bad? It’s 2015, after all. It’s not, though, so everybody just relax. What the song is really about is a jealous ex-girlfriend wanting to put herself in the place of the current girlfriend. She wants to live vicariously through eyes of the current and desperately wants what the current girlfriend has back. Think we’ve all been there wondering what your ex sees in this other person that they no longer see in you as your heart breaks wanting what you once had back.
LITTLE BIG TOWN PREPARES FOR BUSY PAIN KILLER ALBUM RELEASE SCHEDULE
Newest inducted members of the Grand Ole Opry, Little Big Town, prepares for what will be a busy release schedule for their sixth studio album Pain Killer, in stores Oct. 21. The foursome will wrap up their mentoring session with good friend Blake Shelton on “The Voice” (10/20, 10/21); stop by “Good Morning America” (10/21) for a live performance; broadcast live (8pm eastern) from the iHeart Radio Theatre in New York for iHeart Radio Country Live! (10/22), “The View” (10/23), and will wrap up by making a stop on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (10/30) for an exciting performance with The Roots. Continue Reading →
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