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Home Free Premieres Hypnotic Cover Of “Helplessly Hoping”

By on April 27, 2018 in In The Press

Photo credit: David McClister

All-vocal phenom HOME FREE is back with a new cover video, showcasing their otherworldly harmonies with a captivating version of Crosby, Stills & Nash’s “Helplessly Hoping.”

The quintet recently performed their swelling version of the classic track during an off-mic moment at their sold-out headlining debut at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, marking the only time they’ve ever performed the track live.

Watch Home Free’s transcendent take on “Helplessly Hoping” here.

The group also made a splash at the ACM Awards Official After Party in Las Vegas, sharing a bill with New Female Vocalist of the Year Lauren Alaina, New Male Vocalist of the Year Brett Young, New Duo/Group of the Year Midland, and many more.

They’ve just announced a special one-night-only engagement with Country Music Hall of Famers and legendary vocal group The Oak Ridge Boys on June 21 in Lincoln, NE. The powerhouse crooners have collaborated on a signature cover video of “Elvira” which has earned more than 10 MILLION views. The Oaks’ Duane Allen has also called Home Free “the only group that I’ve seen in years that could capture what we captured and carry it further” (Rolling Stone Country).

HOME FREE TOUR DATES:

MAY 2018

02 | Duluth, MN – Symphony Hall at Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (NOT MANY TICKETS REMAIN)

03 | Joliet, IL – Rialto Square Theatre (NOT MANY TICKETS REMAIN)

04 | Elkhart, IN – Lerner Theatre

05 | Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theatre

06 | Madison, WI – Orpheum Theatre (NOT MANY TICKETS REMAIN)

08 | Manhattan, KS – McCain Auditorium

10 | Eau Claire, WI – State Theatre (SOLD OUT)

11 | Brookings, SD – Swiftel Centre (NOT MANY TICKETS REMAIN)

12 | Fargo, ND – Fargo Auditorium (LESS THAN 20 TICKETS REMAIN)

13 | Mankato, MN – Mankato Civic Center

JUNE 2018

10 | Nashville, TN – CMA Fest Riverfront Stage

15 | Branson, MO – Mansion Theatre

21 | Lincoln, NE (with The Oak Ridge Boys) – Pinewood Bowl Theater

22 | Denver, CO – Levitt Pavilion Denver

23 | Sandy, UT – Sandy Amphitheater

JULY 2018

11 | Lancaster, PA – American Music Theatre

12 | Hampton Beach, NH – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom

13 | Keene, NH – Colonial Theatre

14 | Uncasville, CT – Wolf’s Den at Mohegan Sun Casino

15 | Verona, NY – Turning Stone Resort and Casino

19 | Greenville, SC – Peace Center Concert Hall

20 | Orkney Springs, VA – Shenandoah Valley Music Festival

27 | Seymour, WI – Outagamie County Fair

28 | Lakeside, OH – Hoover Auditorium

For more information on Home Free, visit www.homefreemusic.com.

Follow Home Free on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

About Home Free:

Since being crowned NBC’s The Sing-Off victors, all-vocal quintet Home Free has made their mark on the music scene selling more than 350,000 copies combined of their popular albums, embarking on four major national tours and amassing over 220 million YouTube views. In 2016, FULL OF (EVEN MORE) CHEER – an expanded version of their popular holiday album, FULL OF CHEER – debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, cementing the band as Country music’s top all-vocal entertainers. The release of their third studio album, COUNTRY EVOLUTION, elevated the band “from auxiliary entertainment to headlining attraction” (Times Leader) and hit #4 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. Produced by Darren Rust, the deluxe version includes five originals and nine new renditions of hit songs that showcase the band’s undeniable talents, tight harmonies and intelligent arrangements that are uniquely their own. Home Free’s breakout debut album CRAZY LIFE (2014) hit #1 on iTunes Country chart and #4 overall. Their latest project TIMELESS hit shelves September 22, debuting at #2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Founded in 2000 during collegiate years, the five-man band from Minnesota has been electrifying crowds with their live show for nearly a decade, performing together for packed audiences at major festivals, fairs, colleges and theatres. Their extensive touring and reputation as extraordinary showmen has built a loyal fanbase while bringing their homegrown Country style into the national spotlight.

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The Debut Single From Black River’s Abby Anderson Is Digitally Available Now

By on April 27, 2018 in In The Press

Black River Entertainment songwriter/artist Abby Anderson’s debut single “Make Him Wait” is digitally available now. Currently on her national Country radio promo tour, Anderson is set to open for Russell Dickerson on select dates before a jampacked CMA Music Festival week of performances and appearances.

Written by Anderson along with GRAMMY-nominated hit songwriter Tom Douglas and hit songwriter/producer Josh Kerr who also produced the single, the empowering message in “Make Him Wait” serves as a reminder to trust your worth.

In a recent Instagram post, Anderson expressed her hope for “Make Him Wait” saying, “I’m sharing a little bit of my heart and the truth that I was brought up knowing. And honestly, I hope that this song serves as a reminder of how precious you are, how cherished you should be, and above all, to trust your worth with someone worth your trust.” View the full Instagram post here.

Last month, Anderson gave fans a sneak peek into the single with the release of an acoustic performance video of “Make Him Wait,” which can be viewed here.

The Dallas, Texas, native was recently named one of CMT’s Next Women of Country for 2018, a CMT Listen Up Artist – #18for2018, one of Pandora’s “2018 Country Artists to Watch” as well as The Boot’s “2018 Artists to Watch.”

Prior to making her solo move to Nashville at 17 years old, Anderson worked hard to finish school early and get a head start on her dream of a career in music. Upon arriving in Music City, she began paying her dues by playing gigs in local favorites, including The Bluebird Café, The Listening Room Café, and the Tin Roof, among others, while working as a nanny. Her hard work and perseverance paid off a few years later as Anderson was surprised by Black River Entertainment with a publishing and record deal during a charity event at the Ryman Auditorium in 2017.

Upcoming Tour Dates:

05/23/18 – Club Rodeo – San Jose, CA

05/31/18 – House Of Independents – Asbury Park, NJ

06/01/18 – Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun – Uncasville, CT

06/02/18 – Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA

06/05/18 – Cannery Ballroom – Nashville, TN

*06/09/18 – Breakout Stage, CMA Music Festival – Nashville, TN

07/04/18 – Flannagan’s – Dublin, OH

*Stay tuned for updates

For fans looking to stay in the loop on Abby, please visit AbbyAndersonMusic.com to sign up for her mailing list. For more information on Abby, follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

ABOUT BLACK RIVER ENTERTAINMENT:

Underneath the Black River Entertainment umbrella is a family of record labels, a management company, a GRAMMY-winning publishing company, and state-of-the-art recording studios.

Black River Records, Black River Americana, Black River Christian and Passport Productions make up the family of record labels. The combined roster of artists includes Abby Anderson, Kelsea Ballerini, Jacob Davis, and Ronnie Milsap; Carolina Story; Hannah Kerr and Josh Wilson; and Nikita Karmen. Thrive Management provides artist management services within Black River Christian.

Black River Publishing is home to many talented writers including: Hit songwriters/producers Bobby Huff and Josh Kerr, songwriters/artists Ben Caver, Eddie Garcia, Nikita Karmen, Scott Stepakoff, Anna Vaus, and Nick Wayne, songwriters/Black River recording artists Abby Anderson, Carolina Story, Jacob Davis, Hannah Kerr and Josh Wilson, and the catalogues of hit-songwriter/Black River Recording artist Kelsea Ballerini, hit songwriters/producers Doug Johnson, Forest Glen Whitehead, and GRAMMY-winning songwriter Josh Osborne. For more information about Black River Publishing, please visit www.blackriverpublishing.com.

Owned and operated by BRE, the historic Sound Stage and Ronnie’s Place studios are located on Nashville’s famous Music Row and have set the standard legendary artists/musicians/producers have appreciated since the late 1960s. Artists from multiple genres have cut hits in these studios including 50 Cent, Kelsea Ballerini, Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, Casting Crowns, Alice Cooper, Sam Hunt, Miranda Lambert, Jerry Lee Lewis, Reba McEntire, Craig Morgan, PHISH, Taylor Swift, Shania Twain and Keith Urban.

Part of the Pegula Sports and Entertainment family, which includes the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, AHL’s Rochester Americans, NLL’s Buffalo Bandits, HARBORCENTER, Buffalo Marriott HARBORCENTER, KeyBank Center, and IMPACT Sports Performance, Black River Entertainment and its entities are based in Nashville, TN. For more information, please visit www.blackriverent.com.

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Cassadee Pope Celebrates The Release Of New Music With A Little Help From Her Friends

By on April 25, 2018 in In The Press

Last night, Cassadee Pope celebrated the release of new music with a dynamic performance in front of fans and industry friends at Analog at Hutton Hotel.

Pope kicked off the 11-song set with her brand new single “Take You Home”, which was released independently and currently has over 2 million streams to date.


Surprise guest Chris Young took the stage to perform their GRAMMY-nominated duet and No. 1 single “Think of You.” Before Young left the stage, he proclaimed Pope as “one of the finest singers on the planet.” A medley of songs brought Pope’s BFF’s Maren Morris, Lindsay Ell, Kalie Shorr, Mickey Guyton, Maggie Rose, Natalie Stovall, Kelleigh Bannen and Hannah Ellis to the stage for an impromptu dance party, ending with a performance of Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling.”

“There was a lot of love in the room last night,” said Pope. “Looking out into the audience and seeing so many friends and people who have helped me through the past year, I felt a sense of camaraderie and support that I have never felt anywhere else. I’m so grateful to be part of such an amazing community of creative people who ‘get’ one another and lift each other up. Plus, it feels really awesome to know that people are embracing my new music!”


Following Pope’s victory on Season 3 of NBC’s The Voice, the singer’s powerhouse voice, inimitable presence, and endless charm has transformed her into a force of nature beloved by millions worldwide.

###

For more information on Cassadee Pope, log onto:

www.cassadeepope.com

Or follow her on Facebook

Instagram and Twitter

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Live Nation To Launch National Concert Week With $20 All-In Ticket Offer For Summer

By on April 23, 2018 in In The Press


Today Live Nation announced ‘National Concert Week’ will take place April 30 through May 8 with an exclusive $20 all-in ticket offer for fans to celebrate the kickoff to its biggest summer season. The deal will include over 1.5 million tickets to 2,000+shows across Live Nation’s roster of summer tours including Comedy, Country, Hip-Hop, Latin, Metal, Rock, Pop, and more.

For one week only, fans can get their hands on the $20 all-in tickets Monday, April 30 at 8:00 am local time at
NCW.LiveNation.com, through Tuesday, May 8 at 11:59 pm local time.

DJ Khaled shared his excitement about the ticket offer from 45,000 feet, encouraging music fans to nab their tickets to the hottest summer shows. Watch the video
HERE.

Produced by Live Nation, National Concert Week is a time for artists and fans to celebrate their love of live music. To launch the week, Live Nation
will hold a special media event in New York featuring dozens of their touring artists.

Talent in attendance talking about their upcoming summer tours will include Paramore, Lindsey Stirling, Bush’s Gavin Rossdale, Jeff Beck, Counting
Crows’ Adam Duritz, Ann Wilson of Heart, Evanescence’s Amy Lee, Foreigner’s Mick Jones, 3 Doors Down, Bad Company and Free’s Paul Rodgers, Coheed and Cambria, Collective Soul, Pentatonix, O.A.R., Poison, Soul Asylum, Stone Temple Pilots, Styx, Taking Back
Sunday, The Cult, The Offspring, Whitesnake, and more.

Helping kick off National Concert Week, Shania
Twain will perform on TODAY show April 30th. Paramore will perform on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert May 1st.

Nationally Touring Artists With Live Nation’s $20 All-In “National Concert Week” Ticket Offer:

311 / The Offspring

3 Doors Down / Collective Soul

5 Seconds of Summer

Alan Jackson

Arcade Fire

Avenged Sevenfold / Prophets of Rage

Backstreet Boys

Beck

Bon Jovi

Brad Paisley

Breaking Benjamin / Five Finger Death Punch

Bush / Stone Temple Pilots / The Cult

Charlie Puth

Chicago / REO Speedwagon

Chris Brown

Coheed and Cambria / Taking Back Sunday

Counting Crows / LIVE

David Blaine

Dead & Company

Def Leppard / Journey

Dierks Bentley

Dwight Yoakam / Lucinda Williams / Steve Earle

Enanitos Verdes / Hombres G

Erasure

Foreigner / Whitesnake / Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening

Game of Thrones

G-Eazy

Godsmack / Shinedown

Gov’t Mule / The Avett Brothers

Hall & Oates / Train

Halsey

Imagine Dragons

Janet Jackson

Jason Aldean

Jeff Beck / Paul Rodgers

Joe Biden

Juanes / Mon Laferte

Keith Urban

Kesha / Macklemore

Kevin Hart

Kid Rock

KIDZ BOP LIVE 2018

Kygo

Lady Antebellum / Darius Rucker

Lindsey Stirling / Evanescence

Logic

Luis Miguel

Luke Bryan

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Maroon 5

Miranda Lambert / Little Big Town

Ms. Lauryn Hill

NEEDTOBREATHE / JOHNNYSWIM

Niall Horan

ODESZA

Ozzy Osbourne

Paramore

Pentatonix

Poison / Cheap Trick

Post Malone

Rascal Flatts

Ray LaMontagne

Rise Against / AFI

Rob Zombie / Marilyn Manson

Rod Stewart / Cyndi Lauper

Shakira

Shania Twain

Steely Dan / The Doobie Brothers

Styx / Joan Jett and the Heartbreakers

The Smashing Pumpkins

Thirty Seconds To Mars

Vans Warped Tour

Weezer / Pixies

Zac Brown Band

For a full list of participating artists, please visit
NCW.LiveNation.com.

To see a complete list of Live Nation’s summer tours and festivals, please visit livenation.com.

About Live Nation Entertainment:

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation
Media & Sponsorship. For additional information, visit
www.livenationentertainment.com.

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Carrie Underwood To Release New Studio Album CRY PRETTY On September 14

By on April 18, 2018 in In The Press

Photo Credit: Randee St. Nicholas

Multi-platinum global superstar Carrie Underwood will releaseCry Pretty, her first studio album on Capitol Records Nashville on September 14. The title track and lead

single was released worldwide on April 11 and is the most added song at Country radio this week. “Cry Pretty” has already topped the iTunes Top Songs charts in 12 countries and quickly racked up over 1.3 million streams in the U.S. with only two days of reporting. In addition to co-writing the single with Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna,
and Liz Rose (aka The Love Junkies), Carrie is co-producing her album with fellow writer/producer David Garcia.

Underwood says, “At this point in my career, I feel stronger and more creative than ever. I think you can hear that in this new album. It’s emotional, it’s soulful, it’s
real, and we also have some fun on there too. I hope everyone loves it as much as I have loved making it.”

On Sunday night at the 53rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards™, Underwood took home her 14th career ACM Award for Vocal Event of the Year for “The Fighter,” her collaboration with Keith Urban, after bringing the audience to their feet with her emotional performance
of “Cry Pretty.” Billboard ranked the “vocal dynamo” performance as the best of the night, touting “this is how you do an award show performance” while Rolling Stone noted that Underwood “channeled her inner country-soul diva” during the “knockout rendition.”

Underwood, who is a seven-time Grammy Award winner, gives fans an intimate look inside her recording and co-producing process for
Cry Pretty in this exclusive album trailer.

# # #

CARRIE UNDERWOOD emerged from the promise of her 2005 American Idol win to become a true multi-format, multi-media superstar, spanning
achievements in music, television, and film. A seven-time GRAMMY® Award winner, she has sold 64 million records worldwide and recorded 26 #1 singles, 13 of which she co-wrote. In 2013, the Grand Ole Opry member starred as Maria von Trapp in NBC’s three-hour
holiday blockbuster, the Emmy®-winning The Sound of Music Live!, whose airings attracted 44 million viewers. Her latest platinum studio album, Storyteller, produced four #1 hits. 2017 marked her fifth season as the voice of primetime television’s
#1 program, Sunday Night Football and last November, she co-hosted the CMA Awards for the tenth consecutive year. Earlier this year, she released the hit event anthem “The Champion” featuring Ludacris, which she wrote with Brett James, Chris DeStefano
and Christopher Bridges PKA Ludacris and was produced by Jim Jonsin to open NBC’s Super Bowl and was incorporated into NBC’s coverage of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

www.carrieunderwoodofficial.com

www.carrieunderwood.fm

Facebook.com/CarrieUnderwood

Twitter: @carrieunderwood

Instagram: @CarrieUnderwood

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Kane Brown Premieres New Song After Sunday’s ACM Awards

By on April 16, 2018 in In The Press

After last night’s ACM Awards, “New Male Vocalist of the Year” and “Vocal Event of the Year” nominee Kane Brown debuted the encore performance of his never-before-released acoustic song “Heaven” on Xfinity On Demand.

If you missed it, you can still check out Kane’s performance of “Heaven” exclusively on Xfinity On Demand and at xfinity.com/ACMAwards.

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Winners Announced For The 53rd ACM Awards

By on April 16, 2018 in In The Press

Winners have been announced for the 53rd ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS™, which aired LIVE earlier this evening on the CBS Television Network from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Hosted by multimedia superstar, Reba McEntire, the ACM Awards named Jason Aldean as Entertainer of the Year, the evening’s biggest honor. This is the third consecutive win for Aldean in this category and his 13th overall ACM Award win.

Miranda Lambert won ACM Female Vocalist of the Year for the ninth consecutive year and is the current record holder for most consecutive wins in this category. Lambert also won ACM Song of the Year for “Tin Man” along with co-writers Jack Ingram and Jon Randall, receiving two awards, both as artist and songwriter. With these wins, she now has 32 ACM Awards, and is the most-awarded artist in ACM Awards history, a record previously held by Brooks & Dunn.

Chris Stapleton won ACM Male Vocalist of the Year, his second win in this category. Stapleton also won an additional two awards as both artist and producer in the ACM Album of the Year category for From A Room: Volume 1.

Brothers Osborne won ACM Vocal Duo of the Year for the second consecutive year. The duo also won ACM Video of the Year for “It Ain’t My Fault,” along with directors Wes Edwards and Ryan Silver and producer Tiffany Davies. ACM CEO Pete Fisher surprised the duo with these awards, presenting them during CMT’s Facebook Live coverage of the ACM Awards red carpet.

Lauren Alaina, Midland and Brett Young were also previously announced winners for ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year, ACM New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year and ACM New Male Vocalist of the Year, respectively. The winners received a surprise phone call from host Reba McEntire last month notifying them of the news and were also surprised with the actual ACM Award in the days leading up to the show. Jon Pardi presented Alaina with her ACM Award during rehearsals,

Midland received their ACM Award at the ACM Stories, Songs & Stars: A Songwriter’s Event Benefitting ACM Lifting Lives® and Luke Bryan presented Young with his trophy at the Cumulus/Westwood One Radio Remotes.

Old Dominion won ACM Vocal Group of the Year Award, their first award in this category. They previously won ACM New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year at the 51st ACM Awards in 2016.

Rhett Akins was announced as the winner of this year’s ACM Songwriter of the Year Award (off-camera category) on Friday at the ACM Stories, Songs & Stars: A Songwriter’s Event Benefitting ACM Lifting Lives, which was presented to him by reigning ACM Songwriter of the Year award winner Lori McKenna.

Country Music’s Party of the Year featured a superstar lineup of featured collaborations and powerful performances. The awards telecast honored three of country music’s hit songs from 1993 with the “ACM Flashbacks” segments, with Toby Keith and Blake Shelton performing Keith’s celebrated No.1 debut single “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” Alan Jackson and Jon Pardi performing Jackson’s ACM Award-winning hit “Chattahoochee” and Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson performing Reba’s GRAMMY® Award-winning hit “Does He Love You.” Additional collaborations included Kane Brown and Lauren Alaina performing the multi-platinum, No. 1 hit “What Ifs,” Bebe Rexha with Florida Georgia Line performing the chart-topping hit “Meant to Be” and ACM Vocal Event of the Year winner Keith Urban and Julia Michaels performing Urban’s new single “Coming Home.”

The ACM Awards also featured performances by ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year Lauren Alaina, ACM Entertainer of the Year Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dan + Shay, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Chris Janson, Lady Antebellum, ACM Female Vocalist of the Year Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, ACM New Duo or Group of the Year Midland, Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, ACM Vocal Event of the Year winner Carrie Underwood, ACM New Male Vocalist of the Year Brett Young and Chris Young.

Following is the list of winners in the 14 categories voted on by the membership:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Jason Aldean

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Miranda Lambert

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Chris Stapleton

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR* (Off Camera Award)

Brothers Osborne

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

Old Dominion

NEW FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Lauren Alaina

NEW MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Brett Young

NEW VOCAL DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR

Midland

ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

From A Room: Volume 1 – Chris Stapleton

Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton

Record Label: Mercury Records

SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

Body Like A Back Road – Sam Hunt

Producer: Zach Crowell

Record Label: MCA Nashville

SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]

Tin Man – Miranda Lambert

Songwriter(s): Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert Jon Randall

Publishers: Beat Up Ford Publishing (BMI), BMG Platinum Songs (BMI), Lonesome Vinyl Music (BMI), Pink Dog Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (BMI), SWMBMGBMI (BMI)

VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]* (Off Camera Award)

It Ain’t My Fault – Brothers Osborne

Director: Wes Edwards, Ryan Silver

Producer: Tiffany Davies

VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

The Fighter – Keith Urban featuring Carrie Underwood

Producers: busbee, Keith Urban

Record Label: Capitol Nashville

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR* (Off Camera Award)

Rhett Akins

For a complete list of past and present wins and nominations, please visit ACMcountry.com and search the ACM Awards Database located on the Homepage.
About the Academy of Country Music Awards

The 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards™ is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the country music industry. The show is produced for television by dick clark productions and broadcasted LIVE from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 15, 2018 at 8:00 PM live ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan, R.A. Clark, Barry Adelman and Mark Bracco are executive producers. Pete Fisher is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.

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Ninth Annual “Darius Rucker And Friends” Benefit Concert Set For Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium Monday, June 4 

By on April 16, 2018 in In The Press


With diverse guests – from Brooks & Dunn and KISS’ Tommy Thayer, to Jamey Johnson and Radney Foster – for nearly a decade, singer/songwriter and 3x GRAMMY winner Darius Rucker has spearheaded an event focused on amazing music, memorable collaborations and heartfelt stories resulting in over $1 million-and-counting raised for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Rucker continues that tradition this summer with his 9th Annual “Darius and Friends” benefit concert. The event, which unofficially kicks-off CMA Music Fest week, is set for Monday, June 4 returning to Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium for a second year. Pre-sale tickets will be available Tuesday, April 17 at 10 a.m. CT and tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 20 at 10 a.m. CT at www.ticketmaster.com.

 

“When you see first-hand what this organization can do for families, it’s remarkable,” Rucker reflects. “Over the years we’ve met so many survivors, families of patients and volunteers whose lives have been changed by St. Jude. It’s one of my favorite shows of the year.”

The New Yorker calls Rucker’s voice “extraordinary: rich, round, and full of nuance,” and perhaps the same can be said for his heart. Rucker made a commitment to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital after touring the facility known around the globe for treating childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases in 2008.

Friends performing with Rucker in past years have included Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Randy Houser, Charles Kelley (Lady Antebellum) and Kenny Rogers, among others. The lineup for this year’s event will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets to the 9th Annual Darius & Friends start at $50 for General Admission and go up to $150 for VIP options. Tickets will be available through the Ryman box office and www.DariusRucker.com.

For more information on “Darius and Friends,” please visit www.DariusRucker.com.

About St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Since opening more than 50 years ago, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has changed the way the world treats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. No family ever pays St. Jude for the care their child receives and, for every child treated here, thousands more have been saved worldwide through St. Jude discoveries. The hospital has played a pivotal role in pushing U.S. pediatric cancer survival rates from 20 to 80 percent overall, and is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted to children. It is also a leader in the research and treatment of blood disorders and infectious diseases in children. St. Jude was founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas, who believed that no child should die in the dawn of life. Join that mission by visiting stjude.org or following us on facebook.com/stjude and twitter.com/stjude.

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Sugarland Returns With New Studio Album BIGGER On June 8

By on April 12, 2018 in In The Press

New Set is Available to Pre-Order on April 13

Track List Officially Unveiled Today

Will Perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live! May 2GRAMMY® Award-winning superstar duo SUGARLAND announced their highly anticipated sixth studio album, titled BIGGER, will be released on June 8 and will become available for preorder on April 13. Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush co-wrote nearly all of the songs on the album, which was co-produced by Kristian, Jennifer, and Julian Raymond. The project’s lead single, “Still The Same,” is currently climbing the Country radio charts ahead of the duo’s spring-summer STILL THE SAME 2018 TOUR.

After taking a hiatus to pursue a series of high profile solo projects, BIGGER is the duo’s first new music in seven years and the first project under their new joint venture with Big Machine Records and UMG Nashville. It will be available to pre-order at digital retailers as well as the title track, “Bigger,” available to download on April 13.

As fans have come to expect from Sugarland, BIGGER embodies the musical spirit of the band: it contains tracks both uptempo and upbeat as well as powerful message songs that address specific issues facing the world. “Our hopefulness and our sparkiness and our joy is one of the things I think we do uniquely well, especially in the country format,” says Jennifer of the set’s sunnier material. “We offer that in a unique way.”

The bold graphics of the recently unveiled album cover conjure up images of a circus tent, representative of both that fun side and some of the more enigmatic content on the project, which was written over and influenced by the course of the past six months. “This album has a whole bunch of mystery,” says Kristian, who has been enjoying peeling back the layers of the production and the nuanced songwriting. “I’m listening to it every two days just to see what’s in it. I have entire pints of blood in that thing, but I still don’t know where it all came from, and I love that.”

Recently featured on the cover of USA Today’s Life section, the duo will give fans a taste of the new material when they appear on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! May 2.

Their STILL THE SAME 2018 TOUR kicks off May 25 and will visit 48 cities in the U.S. and Canada, but the duo has already delighted audiences in the U.K. with their new material, earning standing ovations during their performances at the C2C: Country to Country festival in March.

Since the band’s inception in 2002, Sugarland has sold nearly 10 million albums domestically, earned seven No. 1 singles to date and amassed more than 260 million on-demand streams, making Sugarland one of the most popular Country music duos of all time.

Lauded by Entertainment Weekly as one of the format’s “most successful and beloved acts,” both members of the duo say their time away from writing and recording together has only made them come back stronger and, yes, BIGGER.

“We have always enjoyed playing in the margins and stretching the format,” says Jennifer. “But it’s fun to have taken this time away and seen how the format has expanded and how music has evolved. Before, we were playing in the margins. Now, the margins have moved, and that’s fun to hear.”

“It’s not like we stopped creating with [2010 album] THE INCREDIBLE MACHINE,” adds Kristian. “We kept going, but like a good Netflix show you skipped seasons three and four and now you’re seeing season five and you’re reminded of why you loved it. We didn’t really hit pause on anything. We both got on treadmills that were even faster in some ways. But we made a promise to come back, and we kept that promise.”

 

BIGGER TRACK LIST

1. “Bigger” | Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles

2. “On A Roll” | Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles

3. “Let Me Remind You” | Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles

4. “Mother” | Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles

5. “Still The Same” | Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles

6. “Lean It On Back” | Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles

7. “Babe (featuring Taylor Swift)” | Taylor Swift, Pat Monahan

8. “Bird In A Cage” | Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles

9. “Love Me Like I’m Leaving” | Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles, Tim Owens

10. “Tuesday’s Broken” | Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles

11. “Not The Only” | Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles

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This Summer’s Hottest Tour: The Life Tour: starring Boy George & Culture Club And The B-52s With special Guest Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey

By on April 11, 2018 in In The Press

Grammy Award winning legends Boy George and Culture Club have revealed plans for a major 2018 U.S. headline tour with the multi-platinum selling band The B-52s. Announced today, The Life Tour: starring Boy George & Culture Club and The B-52s with special guest Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey, will visit 40+ cities across the U.S. kicking off June 29 in St. Augustine, FL going thru October 5th.Tickets for the tour will go on sale in select cities beginning Friday, March 23. See below for full tour itinerary, fans should check local listings for more details on the shows in their markets.

“We put together an amazing show that is going to be filled with hits and fabulous memories, we know it will be hands down this summer’s best night out,” said Boy George.

BOY GEORGE AND THE CULTURE CLUB 2018 TOUR DATES

All dates and venues subject to change. The lineup will feature B-52s and Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey for all dates unless otherwise noted below:

*Culture Club only

**B-52s only

^Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey only

About Boy George & Culture Club

After more than two decades and 150 million singles & records sold globally, 2018 marks a new era for Boy George and Culture Club, as they are currentlyworking on their first new music in 20 years. The tour setlist will celebrate some of their biggest hits plus gives fans an advance listen to new songs.

Since their inception in 1981 Culture Club have sold more than 50 million albums and 100 million singles totaling 150 million worldwide, led by their classic hits, “Do YouReally Want to Hurt Me,” “Karma Chameleon,” and “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya.” The group is fronted by British singer/songwriter Boy George, who is universally recognized as one of music’s iconic artists of all time. George was recently presented with the Ivor Novellolifetime achievement award in 2015 for his contribution to the music industry. As the first multi-racial band with an openly gay front man, Culture Club has set many records, including being the first band since The Beatles to have three Top Ten hits in Americafrom a debut album. The band reunited in 2014 embarked on two worldwide sold-out tours in 2015 and 2016. Looking ahead, 2018 marks a new era for Boy George and Culture Club, as they are set to commence on a 45-date tour this summer and are currently workingon new music. Roy Hay, Mikey Craig and Jon Moss make up the remaining original line up set to tour.

About the B-52s

It is well known that the B-52s are The World’s Greatest Party Band. And nearly 40 years and over 20 million albums into their career, there can be no doubt as to why theyremain one of rock music’s most beloved and enduring bands. Any mystery concerning the band’s longevity and ongoing appeal is immediately solved when exposed to a B-52s concert experience. From groundbreaking songs like “Rock Lobster,” “Dance This Mess Around”and “Private Idaho,” to chart-topping hits like “Love Shack” and “Roam” and “Deadbeat Club,” to their thrilling reemergence on the pop scene with their 2008 CD Funplex, the B-52s’ unforgettable dance-rock tunes start a party every time theirmusic begins.

Formed on an October night in 1976 following drinks at an Athens, GA, Chinese restaurant, the band played their first gig at a friend’s house on Valentine’s Day 1977. Namingthemselves after Southern slang for exaggerated ‘bouffant’ hairdos, the newly-christened B-52s (Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Keith Strickland, Cindy Wilson and Ricky Wilson) began weekend road trips to New York City for gigs at CBGB’s and a handful of othervenues. Before long, their thrift store aesthetic and genre-defying songs were the talk of the post-punk underground. A record deal soon followed and their self-titled debut disc, produced by Chris Blackwell, sold more than 500,000 copies on the strength oftheir first singles, the garage rock party classic “Rock Lobster,” and “52 Girls.” The B-52s began to attract fans far beyond the punk clubs of the Lower East Side — galvanizing the pop world with their ‘stream-of-consciousness’ approach to songwriting andoutrageous performance. They had clearly tapped into a growing audience for new music that was much larger than anyone could have anticipated.

As they take their party-music revolution into the 21st century the B-52s show no signs of slowing down, serving up their own unique blend of music and showmanship to millionsof fans around the world.

About the Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey

For nearly three decades fans of the Thompson Twins have been waiting for more live performances from one of the most iconic bands of the eighties. Now The Thompson Twins’Tom Bailey, with a new band, will be touring and performing the Thompson Twins hits. The Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey features Tom Bailey on vocals, keyboards, guitar, harmonica and percussion. His all-female band feature Charlotte Raven on vocals and keyboards,Amanda Kramer (The Psychedelic Furs/Information Society) on vocals and keyboards and Paulina Szczepaniak on electronic drums.

Much to TT fans delight, Bailey began writing contemporary songs again in 2016 and will be releasing a new album in 2018. The first track ‘Come So Far’ was released as a singlein June 2016. Written from the perspective of a refugee in the current crisis the song is a moving portrayal of a refugee abandoning their home and moving in to the unknown. “I know where I’ve come from…don’t know where I go”. The single was released throughCooking Vinyl and all proceeds went to refugee charity Médicins Sans Frontières. A special numbered and signed 7” vinyl version of the single was also released through Pledge Music.

The music and videos of the Thompson Twins became a fixture on hit radio and music television throughout the world in the eighties. They were the soundtrack of our lives.Tom Bailey is at last performing those songs again that meant so much to so many.

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