Fans To Decide Brooks & Dunn’s ACM Song

Brooks & Dunn, the best-selling duo in the history of country music, will perform one of their hit songs as voted on by their fans on the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday, April 18. The duo is embarking on their final tour together this summer, and this will mark their final ACM performance as a duo.

Beginning today (3/24), viewers can log onto www.cbs.com/brooksdunn to vote in two phases for one of six favorite Brooks & Dunn songs:

My Maria
Brand New Man
Red Dirt Road
Neon Moon
You’re Gonna Miss Me
Boot Scootin’ Boogie

There is no registration to vote, and fans may vote one time per day. Additionally, a 30-second clip of each song is available for listening. The second phase of voting begins on Wednesday, April 14 when the list narrows down to the top three songs. Fans may again vote to decide which hit song the duo will perform on the broadcast. Voting will continue up until Brooks & Dunn’s final ACM performance on Sunday, April 18.

At this year’s ACM Awards, Brooks & Dunn are nominated for Top Vocal Duo of the Year. As part of the previously announced May 23 tribute concert special, ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn – The Last Rodeo, the duo will receive the Academy’s Milestone Award in recognition of their 20-year record-breaking career. They will be honored for holding the record for the most wins of any artist in the Academy’s history with 26 awards in total, including three Entertainer of the Year awards. They will also be honored for holding the record for most Top Vocal Duo wins, with 15 awards, eight of which are consecutive from 2000-2007.

Trailer Choir

“Rollin’ Through The Sunshine”

Show Dog – Universal Music

Are you sick of this long, cold winter? Are you eagerly awaiting summer’s arrival and the time when you can open the car window to let your hair blow around? So are we. And Trailer Choir is here to help us all into the warmer seasons with “Rollin’ Through The Sunshine,” a little slice of joy that’s impacting radio right now.

“This song is pure Trailer Choir,” says TC member Crystal. “Sometimes you need an escape and that’s what Trailer Choir is all about.” And helping to aid this escape are the natural benefits of hand surfing, Tom Petty, and a rum and coke.

The Show Dog – Universal trio–named About.com’s Best New Country Duo/Group in 2009–originally started as a loose association of musicians and singers, usually including Butter and Big Vinny, traveling the Southeast playing private parties and frat houses. As their fan base began to grow and Crystal was added to the group, the gang realized they might be on to something big. That feeling was validated when Toby Keith introduced himself to them after a show and brought them on tour. All their hard work culminated in the release of their Off The Hillbilly Hook EP, which contains the hit “Rockin’ The Beer Gut” as well as “Rollin’ Through The Sunshine” and “Off The Hillbilly Hook.”

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Meltesen Becomes Country Weekly Assoc. Publisher

Country Weekly magazine has announced the promotion of Jeff Meltesen from Marketing Director to Associate Publisher today. Along with Group Publisher Rita Schneider, Meltesen will oversee Country Weekly’s print and online advertising sales efforts.

Meltesen will continue his role in creating marketing partnership programs with brands to drive the magazine’s advertising revenue, such as the “Wipe It Out” campaign presented by Clorox Disinfecting Wipes which, to date, has featured over 20 country artists and their charities of choice. Meltesen joined Country Weekly as Marketing Manager in 2004. He can be reached at (615) 743-0222 or jmeltesen@countryweekly.com.

SOLID Rocks For Musicians On Call

Nashville’s Society of Leaders in Development (SOLID), raised $1,100 during a Rock Band Karaoke Challenge at Nashville’s 12th & Porter on March 10 to benefit national non-profit Musicians On Call (MOC).

Local companies were enlisted to form their own “Rock Bands” to compete for the title of Rock Stars of Music Row. Each participating company donated $80 for the privilege of competing.

Emceed by local hip-hop artist BigFella, the Rock Band Challenge saw the assembly of 10 “bands” competing for the title of Rock Band Champion. with booking agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) taking first place and the APA team following up at a strong second place.

“Karaoke, Rock Band and an amazing non-profit organization is a recipe for a good time for our deeply rooted music community,” says SOLID President Katie Pope. “It’s my favorite event that I look forward to each year and I am so excited to see it growing larger and gaining more recognition. It allows SOLID to join forces with and benefit a non-profit in the community while having a great time.”

The packed room at 12th & Porter surpassed last year’s event by bringing in more supporters and more than double the proceeds to be donated to Musicians On Call for the second consecutive year.

“Musicians On Call is so grateful to SOLID for hosting the Rock Band Karaoke Challenge and for making us the beneficiary for the second year in a row,” says Musicians On Call’s Nashville Program Director Katy Brown. “This donation will enable MOC to deliver the healing power of music to more than 100 patients in the local Nashville community by bringing a volunteer musician right to their bedside.”Musicians On Call’s Nashville Program Director Katy Brown commented on the success of the event and what it means to the program,

For more information about SOLID, visit www.solidnashville.com.

Big Kenny “ASPIRES” To Help

Continuing with a career that has become equal parts music and philanthropy, Big & Rich’s Big Kenny recently made a generous donation, through the Hope Through Healing Hands Foundation (HTHH), to the College of Public Health at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). The donation supported the creation of the “The Alphin Scholarship to Promote the Integration of Research and Environmental Education in Appalachia” (ASPIRE Appalachia).

ASPIRE Appalachia’s primary goal is to provide two students at the College of Public Health the opportunity to complete their required field placement by working in an Appalachian community. The purpose of these placements is to be consistent with Big Kenny’s and HTHH’s shared altruistic vision of supporting people in the context of who they are and where they live.

On Thursday (3/18) Big Kenny presented his inaugural ASPIRE scholarship to Jodi Southerland and Jenny Hunt on the belief that by helping these two students continue their missions they will, in turn, help countless other individuals throughout their careers.

From Greene County in the Appalachia region of east Tennessee, Southerland is a Doctor of Public Health student in the Community Health Track at Eastern Tennessee State University. Her focus is on the health challenges facing the rural elderly.

Hunt is a Master of Public Health Student in the Health Service Administration track and is from Cocke County in the Appalachia region of east Tennessee. She will carry out her ASPIRE Appalachia work with some aspect of prescription drug abuse, a significant public health problem in the coalfield areas of central Appalachia.

Rich, Rogers and Wy Honor Vets

Country stars John Rich, Wynonna and Kenny Rogers got together in San Antonio, TX this past weekend for a fundraising gala honoring America’s military service men and women who have been injured in the line of duty. More than 25 Wounded Warriors and their families attended the weekend festivities. The occasion was the Grand Opening Salute Gala for the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, the world’s largest Marriott resort.

The star-studded gala culminated in a concert performance from the three artists. Celebrity support of the event reaches all aspects of news, armed forces and entertainment.

All proceeds from the event will be donated to the National Fisher House Foundation, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

Chesnutt Joins “Country Rat Pack”

Mark Chesnutt has announced plans to hit the road this spring and summer as part of Tracy Lawrence’s Country Rat Pack tour. The East Texas native will join the tour for five shows from April 3 to August 15. The new lineup of Chesnutt, Lawrence and Richie McDonald, was announced after former headliner Tracy Byrd pulled out of the tour.

“Tracy Byrd is a very good friend of mine so when they called asking if I could fill in, there was absolutely no hesitation from me; I said yes,” says Chesnutt. “Being a ‘Rat Packer’ gives me a chance to reunite with my old roadhouse buddy Tracy Lawrence and I’ve always respected Richie McDonald. I just can’t wait.”

With more than 30 No. 1 singles between, the three artists promise to deliver a “don’t miss” opportunity for fans.

Roger Miller’s Widow Wins Copyright Fight

Mary Miller, widow of Country Music Hall of Fame member Roger Miller, has emerged the winner in a protracted legal battle over the rights to some of her husband’s biggest hits, including “King of the Road.”

On Thursday (3/18), a federal judge ruled Mary Miller and Roger Miller Music Inc. own the copyrights to the artist’s songs from 1964. Other hit songs on the list include “Dang Me,” “Chug-A-Lug” and “You Can’t Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd.”

U.S. District Judge William J. Haynes also said in a written order that the widow and the company are entitled to about $900,000 for royalties they should have received.

Mary Miller and Roger Miller Music sued Sony/ATV Publishing in 2004 claiming that the right of renewal of the original copyrights for songs from 1958-64 went to her. The widow claimed a right to the songs from 1964 because Miller passed away prior to the beginning of the copyright renewal period. At the time of Miller’s death, copyrights had to be renewed after 28 years.

Roger Miller died from cancer in 1992 at the age of 56.

Chesney On “Oprah;” Grascals Media Stops

Kenny Chesney with Oprah in 2009.

Kenny Chesney is heading to Chicago on Saturday, March 27, to tape an episode of Oprah that is set to air April 9. He will give the superstar host a sneak peak of his Summer in 3-D movie which arrives in theatres on April 21. The 3-D flick captures five of Chesney’s dozen NFL stadium shows from last year’s tour. Chesney also took a field team from Oprah with him to the Florida Keys to document a special afternoon.

The theme from Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3-D, is his new single, “Aint Back Yet.” In other Chesney news, he wrote the forward for the new book from ESPN hosts Mike & Mike, Rules for Sports & Life.

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CMT host Hazel Smith with The Grascals members (L-R) : Jeremy Abshire, Jamie Johnson (front), Terry Smith (back), Kristin Scott Benson and Terry Eldredge.

Two-time International Bluegrass Music Association Entertainers of the Year The Grascals are scheduled for a slew of national appearances to promote their album, The Famous Lefty Flynn’s, due out March 30.

The band’s brand of March Madness kicked off last week with a stop at the GAC studios to perform new single, “The Last Train To Clarksville”—yes, it’s The Monkees’ remake—for the network’s On The Streets program. The show airs today (3/23) at 12 and 8 p.m. CT and again tomorrow.

Fans of Hazel Smith’s entertaining show CMT’s Southern Fried Flicks will find The Grascals heating up her kitchen on Saturday, April 24.

The band will also visit SiriusXM Radio, RFD-TV’s Larry’s Country Diner and National Public Radio’s Mountain Stage.

Next month, The Grascals join Hank Williams Jr., Jamey Johnson and Eric Church on Williams’ Rowdy Friends Tour.

SESAC Promotes John Mullins

SESAC has promoted John Mullins to the position of Senior Director, Writer/Publisher Relations. The performing rights organization’s longtime employee was formerly Director, Writer/Publisher Relations.

As Sr. Director Mullins will continue signing new writers and publishers and providing service to existing writers and publishers, primarily in the Contemporary Christian and Country genres.

Mullins is a native Texan who began his music as a Promotions Rep for Columbia Records while obtaining his degree in Radio, TV and Film from the University of Texas in Austin. Prior to joining SESAC, Mullins worked at Sony/ATV Music Publishing, where he worked closely with artists such as Brooks & Dunn, the Mavericks, Alabama and Lonestar.

“John Mullins is an experienced and knowledgeable professional so it is with great pleasure that I announce this well-deserved promotion,” said Trevor Gale, SESAC’s Senior Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations. “His devotion to all SESAC affiliates is admirable and it is that passion and dedication that establishes him as a very unique music professional. We are confident that John will continue to contribute significantly to SESAC’s continued success.”