February 28, 2007 - A 2-CD set honoring the epic Clash release, "Sandanista," is coming out May 1, featuring The Smithereens, Camper Van Beethoven and Wreckless Eric.
00:02:59 Records, named after a line in The Clash song, "Hitsville U.K.," will release the disc. Boston journalist Jimmy Guterman put the 36-song tribute together.... »»»February 28, 2007 - The prolific Ryan Adams' "Easy Tiger" is due June 5 on Lost Highway. While the final sequence is still being determined, "Easy Tiger" will be comprised of the following tracks: "Goodnight Rose", "Everybody Knows", "The Sun Also Sets", "Halloween Head", "Off Broadway", "Two Hearts", "Tears Of Gold",... »»»February 28, 2007 - The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum starts its new quarterly programming series Poets and Prophets with a salute to songwriter Hank Cochran on March 24.
The interactive Poets and Prophets programs will include one-on-one interviews with the featured songwriter; audio-visual elements, including... »»»February 28, 2007 - Alan Jackson and Brooks & Dunn will hit the road later this year - together. They will launch a co-headlining tour, spanning nearly 30 coast-to-coast dates from May through October, with the kick off May 10 in Virginia Beach, Va. and concluding Oct. 21 in Orlando.
The tour will also feature opening... »»»February 27, 2007 - Rascal Flatts has seen two digital tracks surpass the 1 million paid downloads threshold in the past two weeks.. "What Hurts The Most" and "Life Is A Highway" both crossed the mark, making Rascal Flatts the first country artist in the history of SoundScan to have two songs reach this level.... »»»February 27, 2007 - Jason Aldean will release his second Broken Bow Records album, "Relentless," May 29. The album follows on the heels of his self-titled platinum debut, which spawned three chart-topping radio hits, "Hicktown" (number nine), "Why" (number one) and "Amarillo Sky" (number four).
The first single from the... »»»February 27, 2007 - Honky tonker Daryle Singletary is back with "Strait From the Heart," a collection mainly of covers, on a new label for him, Shanachie. This marks Shanachie's first foray into country. Songwriter Donna Hughes releases her debut, "Gaining Wisdom," on Rounder with help from Alison Krauss, Mary Chapin... »»»February 27, 2007 - Memphis prosecutors dropped assault charges against Hank Williams Jr., citing lack of evidence about the 2006 incident.
A hotel cocktail waitress alleged that Williams yelled obscenities and grabbed her in the March 18, 2006 incident. Williams was in Memphis because two of his daughters were... »»»February 27, 2007 - Nashville songwriters will descend upon New York City in the coming months to participate in the third consecutive CMA Songwriters Series. Returning to Joe's Pub for four nights of shows over the next nine months, the singer/songwriters will take turns performing their hits and telling the stories behind them.... »»»February 27, 2007 - Compadre Records, the Houston roots music label, was bought by Music World Entertainment, owned by Mathew Knowles, father of Beyonce. MWE will now control Compadre's catalog and continue to invest in future projects. Compadre's staff will join the Music World organization to continue label functions as... »»»February 26, 2007 - Montgomery Gentry will host the Academy of Country Music Celebrity Motorcycle Ride to be held May 13 in Las Vegas. After the ride, a concert will feature past and present ACM nominees.
"I love that this is me and Troy's fourth year to host this event," said Eddie Montgomery. "It's something I look... »»»February 26, 2007 - Willie Nelson may oppose war in Iraq, but also supports the troops with his recently released single, "Whatever Happened To Peace On Earth"" available as an online download. The song features Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Michael McDonald,
Patrick Simmons of The Doobie Brothers and Willie's sons Lukas... »»»February 26, 2007 - The Grand Ole Opry will return to the Grand Ole Opry House after a four-month run at the historic Ryman Auditorium this Friday, March 2. Slated to appear during the Opry's first weekend back at the Opry House are Carrie Underwood, Alison Krauss, John Waite, Craig Morgan, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart,... »»»February 26, 2007 - The Flatt & Scruggs television show introduced bluegrass legends Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs to millions of homes in the 1950s and 1960s. On March 27, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and Shanachie Entertainment breathe new life into the show with the DVD release of the "Best of the Flatt &... »»»February 26, 2007 - Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris will close the fourth season of the PBS concert show "Soundstage" March 1. Harris and Knopfler released "All the Roadrunning" last year and toured behind it. The disc was nominated for a 2007 Grammy in the Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album category.... »»»February 26, 2007 - A new eight-song mini-album from alt.-country musical collective Golden Smog will drop in April. Lost Highway will release 'Blood on the Slacks," a take off on Dylan's "Blood on the Tracks," April 24. The group consists of Gary Louris and Marc Perlman of The Jayhawks, Kraig Johnson from Run Westy Run... »»»February 22, 2007 - Kirk Rundstrom, the singer/songwriter/guitarist for Split Lip Rayfield and Scroat Belly, passed away Thursday after a lengthy and heroic battle against cancer.
A statement from the 38-year-old Kansas native's label, Bloodshot, said, "Kirk was, without debate, one of the most dynamic and passionate... »»»February 22, 2007 - Kimberly and Brad Paisley had their first child today. Their healthy baby boy was born at 5 a.m. central at a Nashville area hospital. "Mother and baby are resting comfortably," according to a statement. Kim is currently starring on the hit ABC sitcom "According to Jim" and will next be seen in the... »»»February 22, 2007 - A big night at the Grammys led the Dixie Chicks to seize the top spot on the Billboard country album chart for the week ending March 3. The Chicks, who won 5 Grammys, vaulted from 11 to 1st, displacing Jason Michael Carroll's debut disc, "Waitin' In The Country," which dropped to 9th.... »»»February 21, 2007 - Shauna, who has enjoyed some success as a songwriter, signed with Category 5 Records, becoming its first female artist. A single, "All Kinds Of Beautiful," will hit radio in spring.
President and CEO Ray Termini and Vice President of A&R Billy Joe Walker Jr. have worked behind the scenes developing Shauna's career.... »»»February 20, 2007 - Nashville celebrated Mardi Gras Tuesday by honoring Rascal Flatts, the best selling group of 2006 in any genre.
"An accomplishment like this calls for a celebration," said Country Music Association Chief Operating Officer Tammy Genovese in a press release. "And we were delighted to partner with the... »»»February 20, 2007 - Alan Jackson, George Strait and Jimmy Buffett joined together for the first-time ever May 29, 2004, at Texas Stadium in Dallas. The event will be released featuring all three artists. The disc contains "Seven Bridges Road," recorded for the first time by... »»»February 16, 2007 - Terri Clark and husband Greg Kaczor filed for divorce Friday, February 16th at Nashville's Davidson County Courthouse. A press release from Clark's label, RCA, said, "It is an amicable parting and uncontested."
"This is very sad," the singer said. "Greg is one of my dearest friends and a wonderful... »»»February 16, 2007 - Kenny Chesney will deny on a "60 Minutes" segment to air Sunday that he is gay. Questions arose after the annulment of his marriage to actress Renee Zellweger cited "fraud" as the reason.
In the show, Chesney says, "It's not true. Period. Maybe I should have come out and said, 'No, I'm not (gay),' but... »»»February 16, 2007 - Rascal Flatts' "Me And My Gang" was certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA for sales of more than 4 million units. The multi-platinum sales certification comes 10 months following the release of the CD.
"Me And My Gang" was released 10 months ago and remains the biggest debut of the last year,... »»»February 16, 2007 - The life of the late country music legend June Carter Cash will be celebrated this June 19, 4 days before her birthday, with the simultaneous release of an all-star tribute album and a memoir/biography written by her son, John Carter Cash.
"Anchored In Love: A Tribute to June Carter Cash" (Dualtone)... »»»
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Country News Digest
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February 15, 2007 - The stranglehold on the top of the Billboard country song and album charts changed this week with new numbers one in both categories for the week ending Feb. 24. George Strait scored his 54th number 1 hit on the song chart with "It Just Comes Natural," while newcomer Jason Michael Carroll's debut,... »»»February 15, 2007 - Gretchen Wilson went back to her roots to perform at smaller venues and raise money for charity last week. Five dates in five cities netted more than $163,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Make-A-Wish Foundation.
"This is how I grew up, singing in bars. I miss that intimacy," said Wilson.... »»»February 14, 2007 - Loretta Lynn may be a coal miner's daughter, but soon she can put the word "Dr." before her name because she will receive a honorary doctorate from the Berklee School of Music in March.
Lynn will get an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the Boston school on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry during her... »»»February 14, 2007 - Kenny Chesney will get a profile on "60 Minutes" this Sunday with correspondent Anderson Cooper doing the piece.
"There's something about '60 Minutes'," said Chesney. "It's just a whole other level, of, well, all of it. The questions, the way they committed to shooting us...... »»»February 14, 2007 - Thanks to the success of his debut single, Jason Michael Carroll is perched at number one on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart with his debut disc, "Waitin' in the Country." With first-week sales of 57,608, and a Billboard 200 pop chart entry in eighth, Carroll achievee both the best unit sales and... »»»February 14, 2007 - Thieves broke into the Hollywood home of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill over the weekend, taking an unknown amount of money. Los Angeles police said Tuesday the break in occurred sometime between Friday afternoon and Monday. McGraw and Hill have a home as well in Nashville and were not in Los Angeles during the break in.... »»»February 13, 2007 - For those who thought "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" was the first single of Miranda Lambert's second CD, wrong! "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" is the name of the album coming out May 1st.
In a newsletter sent to fans Tuesday via email, Lambert said, "The 'single' was really just a follow up to the CMA (Country Music... »»»February 12, 2007 - The Americana Music Association named Jed Hilly as new head of the group, it announced Monday.
Hilly replaces Jeff Green, who left the group last year.
Hilly will start as executive director of the seven-year-old trade organization promoting Americana music March 1.
"We pursued Jed for this position... »»»February 11, 2007 - The Dixie Chicks may not have been well received by country radio, but they sure were at the Grammys Sunday, taking home overall album and record of the year, best country album for "Taking the Long Way" and best song for "Not Ready to Make Nice," which they performed.
The trio also won Best Country... »»»February 10, 2007 - Kenny Chesney announced Saturday that his 2007 Flip Flop Summer will start April 12 in Omaha, Neb and conclude with two shows in Atlanta in early September.
"It seems like every year, there are leaks... and questions... and things that someone heard from someone who knew someone, which is fine - except... »»»February 10, 2007 - It took all of 15 minutes for Kenny Chesney to sell out a late July date in the Boston area. Tickets went up for the reigning back-to-back Academy of Country Music's and current and double Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year's Foxboro appearance on July 28 at 10 a.m. Friday.... »»»February 9, 2007 - After spending 13 years with Sony, Patty Loveless is gone from the label. The Kentucky native enjoyed a slew of hits with the Sony label, starting with "Blame It On Your Heart" in 1993. In recent years, however, Loveless has not enjoyed much chart success, landing only three songs in the top 20 since 1998.... »»»February 8, 2007 - The compilation disc "Totally Country 6" was the top selling country album on the Billboard country album chart for the week ending Feb. 17, displacing Carrie Underwood's "Some Hearts," which fell to third.
Once again Rodney Atkins topped the Billboard country song chart with "Watching You," the second... »»»February 8, 2007 - Capitol Records Nashville's Luke Bryan will make his Grand Ole Opry debut on Friday, April 6.
"Hearing 'You've been invited to play on the Grand Ole Opry' is about the sweetest words I could ever hear," said Bryan of getting the phone call about his Opry debut. "This is truly a dream come true and by... »»»February 7, 2007 - Coverage of the ACC and SEC basketball tournaments will feature opening segments with music video from multi platinum-selling Mercury duo Sugarland.
The videos, which will run at the beginning of every session in the tournaments, will feature highlights from this year's ACC and SEC games, along with... »»»February 7, 2007 - The Wailin' Jennys announced Wednesday the addition of Heather Masse to the band, replaacing Annabelle Chvostek. Joining founding members Nicky Mehta and Ruth Moody, the New York-based musician has a bluegrass and jazz background.
Masse is a Jazz Voice graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music... »»»February 7, 2007 - Singer Keith Urban sued artist Keith Urban last Friday, citing confusion over the artist's web site being confused with that of the singer. The suit was filed last Friday by the 39-year-old singer in U.S. District Court in Nashville.
The suit claimed that the artist, who lives in New Jersey, operated a... »»»February 7, 2007 - Trace Adkins received his first gold certification for master ringtone sales in excess of 500,000 for his big hit single "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk." In 2005, Adkins' "Songs About Me" CD, which has the song, went double platinum for sales of more than 2 million. There have been more than 570,000 ringtone... »»»February 6, 2007 - After an 11-year absence, Reba McEntire is returning to CMA Fest.
McEntire last participated in the June event in 1996 when Fan Fair was still at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds and audiences were capped at 25,000 people due to space limitations. "I am thrilled for the opportunity to perform at the CMA... »»»February 6, 2007 - Toby Keith will put out "Big Dog Daddy," his second disc on his own label, in June 12. This marks the first album that Keith will oversee as the sole producer.
Keith also took on a lot of the vocals - lead and background - on the album including all of the vocals on the debut single, "High Maintenance Woman.... »»»February 6, 2007 - Marty Stuart has been tapped to host the 9th Annual Grammy Foundation Music Preservation Project, "The Soul of Country," on Thursday, Feb. 8 in Los Angeles. "The Soul of Country" celebrates the history of country music with performances and appearances by new and old Grammy winners and nominees.... »»»February 5, 2007 - Soul2Soul 2007 will be hitting the road this summer with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill joining forces again.
The husband and wife duo toured last summer with the Soul2Soul II Tour doing 73 shows in 55 cities and became the highest grossing country tour in history. The tour was also the fastest selling tour... »»»February 1, 2007 - There was no change at the top of the Billboard country song and album charts because Rodney Atkins and Carrie Underwood are still number one for the week ending Feb. 10. Atkins has the top song with "Watching You," while Underwood's "Some Hearts" rests at number one on the album chart.... »»»
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