Crook & Chase Reach “200” Milestone

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Premiere Radio Networks has announced that, with the addition of 102.5 KNIX-FM in Phoenix, Arizona, The Crook & Chase Countdown has hit a broadcasting milestone of 200 stations. The Nashville-based program joined Premiere’s lineup in October 2009. Since then, the program has continued to grow and receive industry recognition, including a 2010 nomination for an Academy of Country Music Award in the “National On-Air Personality” category.

Crook and Chase commented, “We welcome KNIX with open arms to our family of affiliates!  It’s all about teamwork, and we are blessed to be working with the best!”

“KNIX is the definitive Country music brand in Arizona, and we’re excited to further solidify that position by adding Crook & Chase to the lineup,” says KNIX Program Director Mark Medina. The show has deep heritage, while still sounding current and fresh.”

Each week, Crook and Chase count down the top thirty country songs as they welcome stars including Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Martina McBride, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts and many others.

Rucker Hosts “Hootie” Golf Tourney

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Steve Azar, Colt Ford, Dan Tyminski and Jack Ingram will join Darius Rucker at the annual Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament. Joining those country stars at the golf tournament with the very long name will be Hootie & the Blowfish members Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, and Jim “Soni” Sonefeld. The event is scheduled for April 12 at the Dye Club at Barefoot Resort & Golf in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

“Country music artists and country radio have really embraced me, so it’s great to see so many of my new friends joining us in an effort to raise money for the Hootie & The Blowfish Foundation,” said Rucker. “Each year, the list of great athletes and celebrities continues to grow, and to know we come to Myrtle Beach to have fun and raise money for a great cause.”

Other PGA Tour players attending this year include Jim Furyk, John Daly, Woody Austin, Rich Beem, and LPGA player Kristy McPherson. Other celebrities and athletes participating in the event include wrestler Ric Flair (“The Nature Boy”), NASCAR’s Kyle Petty and Michael Waltrip, NFL Hall-of Famer Gale Sayers, along with Bernie Kosar, Jim McMahon, Kordell Stewart, and Boomer Esiason.

All proceeds from the event benefit the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation, which supports the educational needs of children in South Carolina and the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation. Last year, the event raised $155,000 for various South Carolina charities. Click here for more information.

Zac Brown Finds Way To Fans’ Hearts Through Food

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Multi-talented musician Zac Brown is using his newfound star status to share one of his other loves with fans—food. He has a new cookbook out, a line of seasonings, and is hosting Eat And Greets on tour.

The Southern Ground cookbook offers 27 of the former chef’s favorite comfort-food recipes such as Southern Fried Chicken, Hearty Brunswick Stew, Farmer’s Fried Green Tomatoes and Revival Peach Cobbler; alongside personally selected photographs, poems and passages. The recipes are even printed on removable index cards to preserve the book while cooking.

The singer-songwriter also has a Southern Ground Grub Food Line featuring GA Clay Rub, and Brown Sauce, coming soon. He first created the recipes for his former Atlanta restaurant, Zac’s Place.

On the first leg of their national Breaking Southern Ground tour, Zac Brown Band began hosting “eat-and-greets.” This year they’ll continue the pre-show ritual by inviting upwards of 75 fans from each show to join the group while dining on southern-cuisine specialties created by Brown.

“Obviously we’re always working on our music, but with this tour we’re building an experience that involves all senses to ensure that it blow fans away every time,” says Brown. “When people come to our show, we want them to smell the food cooking, taste our favorite recipes, watch our home videos of the road, listen to some great new artists and feel our excitement—a full five-sense experience.”

McBride Video Premiere; Love And Theft At NASCAR Hall of Fame

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VEVO.com premiered Martina McBride’s latest video “Wrong Baby Wrong” this morning (3/16). The VEVO Network, which includes VEVO.com and VEVO on YouTube, is among the top 10 video content networks and is the number one entertainment-music service on the web with over 35 million monthly unique visitors. “Wrong Baby Wrong” is from McBride’s latest chart-topping album, Shine (RCA Nashville). The single is currently No. 25 and climbing on MusicRow’s Country Breakout Chart. VEVO’s “Wrong Baby Wrong” premiere follows recent network exclusives featuring Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, Timbaland and Justin Timberlake, Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Bon Jovi, and AC/DC.

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Love And Theft will perform at the grand opening of the NASCAR Hall of Fame on May 11 in Charlotte, N.C. The show will be a homecoming for one member of the trio, Charlotte native Eric Gunderson, who grew up in the area and attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The band also features members Stephen Barker Liles, and Texan Brian Bandas. World Wide Open, the band’s debut album on Lyric Street includes the hits “Runaway” and “Dancing In Circles.”

Eagles, Urban, Chicks Hitting The Road

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A superstar tour featuring The Eagles, Dixie Chicks and Keith Urban will open June 8 in Toronto. Eight stops at North American arenas were announced today (3/16), with Urban set for five of those shows. It will be the first time these artists have toured together.

With 35 years of hits, The Eagles (Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit) are one of the highest grossing touring acts ever. Urban has been touring steadily with sold-out shows; meanwhile this will be the first time The Dixie Chicks (Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire, and Emily Robison) have performed a concert together in four years.

Promoter Live Nation is offering American Express® Cardmembers early access to tickets beginning Monday, March 22 at 10:00 AM. Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Monday, March 29, 2010 at 10:00 AM. The run is also using All-In ticketing, which allows fans to purchase tickets without any added fees.

June 08 – *Toronto, ON: Rogers Centre
June 10 – East Rutherford, NJ: New Meadowlands Stadium
June 12 – Boston, MA: Gillette Stadium
June 14 – Philadelphia, PA: Citizens Bank Ball Park
June 15 – Washington, DC: Nationals Park
June 19 – Chicago, IL: Soldier Field
June 22 – *Winnipeg, MB: Canad Inns Stadium
June 24 – *St. Louis, MO: Busch Stadium

*Keith Urban is not appearing at these concerts.

Matt Hargis Promoted At Capitol; Absolute Publicity Adds Mary Michael

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Steve Hodges, Senior Vice President, Promotions for Capitol Records Nashville announced today (3/16) the promotion of Matt Hargis to Director Regional Promotion for the Southeast. He will replace Angela Lange who has joined EMI Records Nashville as Vice President of Promotion.

Hargis has been with Capitol Records Nashville since 2006 and has most recently spearheaded national radio syndication and special projects for the label which is home to Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker, Kenny Rogers, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Emily West, Jennette McCurdy and Walker Hayes.

“Matt is one of the hardest working individuals in the music business,” explains Hodges. “I’m elated that he has agreed to take over the Southeast Region.  He has been, and will continue to be, an integral part of our Capitol team.”

“I am very excited to tackle this new challenge,” shares Hargis. “I want to thank Mike Dungan, Steve Hodges and Shane Allen for this amazing opportunity. I look forward to continue building on the great partnership Angela Lange has worked so hard to cultivate between Capitol Nashville and all of our radio friends in the Southeast.”

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Don Grubbs and Mary Michael

Publicist Mary Michael has joined the Nashville-based firm Absolute Publicity, Inc. as Managing Partner and Account Executive. Absolute Publicity is headed by President and CEO Don Grubbs. Effective immediately, Michael will be overseeing the company’s plans for expansion, and assist with publicity services for the roster which includes Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers, Pam Tillis, WWE’s Mickie James, Jeff Cook, Danielle Peck, American Idol’s Mishavonna, Pro-wrestling Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler, Scott Lindsey, Nash Street and Tay Humphrey.

Contact them at:

Don Murry Grubbs, President / CEO
o. 615.275.8380
[email protected]

Mary Michael, Managing Partner
o. 615-310-1159
[email protected]

1009 16th Ave S
Nashville, TN 37212

CMT Awards Date; NSAI/CMT Song Contest Winners

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The ninth annual CMT Music Awards are set for Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. The show is open to the public and will air on CMT and CMT.com.

The first round of nominations will be announced on Monday, April 5, with host and performance details to be revealed at a later date. CMT’s awards show usually draws an all-star list of performers who are in town for the CMA Music Festival, running June 10-13.

Fans can get more information via Twitter (@FollowCMT) or by becoming a fan of the CMT Music Awards on Facebook.

Tickets to the show go on sale Saturday, April 10 at all Ticketmaster outlets and the Bridgestone Arena Box Office.

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CMT also partnered with the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) for the 10th Annual NSAI Song Contest Presented by CMT. Industry judges selected “I Am Wordless,” written by Tonya Poe of Pittsburg, KS; David Garcia of Tampa, FL; and Wayne Smotherman of Nashville; as the Grand Prize Winner.

Poe also co-wrote “Too Close To Sunday Mornings,” submitted by Gerry Grothues of Belleville, WI, which earned the CMT Listeners’ Choice Award after receiving a majority of the 450,000 online votes cast this year. This is the first time a writer has garnered top honors in both the industry and fan-voted categories in the same year.

As part of the prize package, Poe and her co-writers will perform their winning song during Tin Pan South. They will open for Rhett Akins, Scooter Carusoe, Brandon Heath and Lee Thomas Miller at Douglas Corner Cafe on Tuesday, March 30, at 9:00 p.m. The Grand Prize package also includes a mentoring session with Jewel, a single-song publishing contract with a major publisher, a three-day trip to Nashville, tickets to the 2011 CMT Music Awards, a Gibson guitar and much more.

Luke Bryan, Gloriana, Joey + Rory Win ACM Awards, Move To Next Round

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The Academy of Country Music and Great American Country (GAC) announced this morning (3/16) that Luke Bryan, Gloriana and Joey + Rory have been named Top New Solo Vocalist, Top New Vocal Group and Top New Vocal Duo, respectively. The three winners will move on to compete for the Top New Artist award, which will be given out at the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Sun., April 18. The show will be broadcast live on CBS at 7 PM/CT from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Luke Bryan

All three are first time ACM Award winners. The awards were chosen via online fan voting, and all of these winners went to extra lengths to drive their followers to the polls. Bryan recruited celebrity friends for a campaign video and placed it online. Joey + Rory wrote a song for the occasion and posted it on the web. Gloriana—who has been touring with social media queen Taylor Swift—has long used web initiatives to engage fans.

Each winner will perform and receive their trophy on the Trace Adkins-hosted GAC special “ACM Top New Artists,” premiering Thursday, April 1 at 9:00 PM/CT and airing multiple times before the Academy of Country Music Awards. For the first time ever, the special will be taped during the regularly-scheduled Tuesday Night Opry at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

Voting for overall Top New Artist will take place at www.VoteACM.com powered by CBS.com beginning Thursday, April 1 and will end at 7 PM/CT on Sunday, April 18.

More on the winners:

Gloriana

Luke Bryan released his sophomore album, Doin’ My Thing, on Capitol Records Nashville in October 2009, debuting at #2 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. The CD includes his #1 gold single “Do I” and new smash hit “Rain Is A Good Thing.” Bryan is currently headlining his own dates as well as opening for Jason Aldean on the “Wide Open Tour” and will be a featured act on Miranda Lambert’s upcoming spring tour.

Joey + Rory

Gloriana’s self-titled album debuted at #2 on the Billboard Country Album Chart and #3 on Billboard’s Top 200 and was the best selling debut by a country group in 2009. It includes hit singles “Wild At Heart,” “How Far Do You Wanna Go?” and their current single “The World Is Ours Tonight.” The group, who won the fan-voted Breakthrough Artist Award at the American Music Awards, is currently on tour with Taylor Swift. Gloriana is a four-member vocal group featuring brothers Tom and Mike Gossin along with Rachel Reinert and Cheyenne Kimball.

Winner of Top New Vocal Duo, Joey + Rory, have a huge year ahead of them. They have already started on a U.S. arena tour and will release their sophomore album simply titled Album #2 in the summer. Husband and wife duo Joey + Rory started performing as a duo for the audition of the CMT series, “Can You Duet,” in early 2008.

Photos: Underwood Starts Tour; Lambert Scores Gold Single

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Carrie Underwood’s Play On Tour opened March 11 in front of a sold-out crowd at the Sovereign Center in Reading, PA with special guests Craig Morgan and Sons of Sylvia. The Play On Tour, hydrated by vitaminwater® and sponsored by PEDIGREE® Brand, is currently slated to run through June 20 in Saskatoon, SK at the Credit Union Centre.

(L-R): Donna DiBenedetto, AEG; Carrie Underwood; and Zane Collings, SMG Regional General Manager.

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Miranda Lambert’s first No. 1 hit single “White Liar” scored big recently with the announcement of its RIAA Digital Single Gold Certification. Her follow-up single, “The House That Built Me,” impacted country radio last week with support from over 100 stations. Both songs are from her Gold certified studio album, Revolution.

Pictured (l-r): Sony Music Nashville Marketing VP Tom Baldrica, Sony Music Nashville Chairman Joe Galante, Sony Music Nashville EVP A&R Renee Bell, Lambert, Sony Music Nashville SVP Sales & Operations Paul Barnabee, Sony Music Nashville Digital Business VP Heather McBee.

Cauley Music Partners With Cool Vibe

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Trailer Choir's Big Vinny

Cauley Music Group, the company founded by Lane Caudell and Bob Crumley, has entered a joint publishing partnership with Cool Vibe Publishing. The deal covering current and future songwriters has Cauley purchasing a stake in Cool Vibe, and providing administrative services.

As part of the agreement covering current and future songwriters, Cauley adds tunesmiths Vencent Hickerson aka Trailer Choir’s “Big Vinny,” Isaac Rich, and Phoenix Mendoza to its staff. Rich has been writing since childhood and is a co-writer on Tyler Dickerson’s inaugural release, “Tell Your Sister I’m Single,” on Lyric Street Records. Phoenix Mendoza began his professional career with Warner Chappel in 2006 and has experience as a songwriter and performer.

The Crauley roster is made up of Blake Mevis, Danny Wells, Jennifer Hicks, Jamie Tate, Caudell and Crumley. Mevis, writer of“Fool Hearted Memory” and “Brokenheartsville,” oversees day to day operations for Cauley.