ACMs move to April, name George Strait Artist of the Decade
Thursday, October 30, 2008 – The 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will be held one month earlier than usual. The 2009 event will be staged April 5 in Las Vegas instead of mid-May. George Strait also will be honored as Artist of the Decade. The Academy will tape a new special for Strait at the same location on Monday, April 6th to air at a later date on CBS. This marks the first time the Artist of the Decade Award will be delivered during its own, unique televised event.
Reba McEntire will host for the 11th time. She has won 11 Academy of Country Music Awards including the first-ever annual Academy of Country Music/The Home Depot Humanitarian Award for her outstanding philanthropic work. This is the second year the ACMs will take place on a Sunday, the fourth year the show will be based at MGM Grand and the seventh year the show will be held in Las Vegas.
Strait will receive the award in recognition of his record-breaking career of nearly 25 years. Only four other acts have been so honored, including Marty Robbins in 1969, Loretta Lynn in 1979, Alabama in 1988 and Garth Brooks in 1998. Strait has won 19 Academy of Country Music Awards including Entertainer of the Year in 1990. Strait also holds the record for the most number 1 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts and currently has 56 number one singles to his credit. He has sold more than 68 million records, garnering him 32 different platinum or multi-platinum albums resulting in the most RIAA platinum certification in country music and the third in all genres, behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley.
Tickets for both events go on sale on Thursday, Nov. 6.
More news for George Strait
CD reviews for George Strait
Twang
Twenty-six albums and 28 years into his recording career, George Strait still has a few tricks up his sleeves. While making musical intents clear from the title track, written in part by Jim Lauderdale, there are a few changes here.
First off and perhaps most shockingly, the quiet Texan wrote 3 of the 13 songs, including the hit single (Living for the Night with long-time cohort Dean Dillon and Strait's son Bubba. The younger Strait penned the very fine Arkansas Dave about a convict by »»» |
Classic Christmas
George Strait, just like his last name suggests, gives it to us straight in the CD notes. "For this album, I selected Christmas songs - the ones I grew up hearing and singing - and added a little country flavor to make them sound more like me." And dang if he ain't right on the money! This is a 10-song Christmas CD - his third - with familiar songs that all sound like Strait tunes. So when he gets to track four, Jingle Bells, the music swings nicely in that winning Strait way. »»» |
Troubadour
George Strait seems to get better with age. "It Just Comes Natural" from 2006 was one of his best. The 12 songs on his 37th CD almost all turn the trick as well. Strait once again benefits from very strong material from the likes of Buddy Cannon (and Randy Hardison with the ballad "It Was Me"), Leslie Satcher (the title track and "House of Cash," a strong duet with Patty Loveless, who given a chance to shine, sounds as fine as ever in this tribute to June and Johnny »»» |
Editorial: A fine night for Taylor Swift –
Taylor Swift's showing at the Country Music Association awards Wednesday night was no surprise. In some respects, it was invigorating to see someone who was not male and not around umpteen years like some of her male counterparts take home the biggest prize of the night, entertainer of the year. »»»
Concert Review: Radney Foster sparks a revival –
Radney Foster told fans that he came home from the University of the South one weekend early in his college career and told his parents in the wee hours of the morning that he wanted to quit college and head to Nashville to pursue a music career. His parents agreed...fortunately.
Three decades later, that resulted in Foster playing songs on this... »»»
Concert Review: Neko Case overcomes obstacles –
The opening of Neko Case's show was unusual to say the least. "I'm angry right now," said the red head. "We just had a big fight with the promoter. We're going to sing weird, but we're actually very happy to be here."
Making quite clear that she was not a happy camper, Case still channeled her musical energies... »»»
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Play On
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Old Things New
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Girl of the Century
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Family Circle
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