ACM and CMA Vocal Group of the Year Lady Antebellum and their fans are joining together to help out Nashville flood recovery efforts. The trio announced today that all proceeds from their sold out fan club event on June 10 will benefit Nashville flood relief. In addition, a live stream of the intimate concert will be available on their web site for a minimum $5 donation. The live stream of the show will be hosted on www.ladyantebellum.com and www.livestream.com. After participating in GAC’s Music City Keep on Playin’ benefit at the Ryman, the trio is eager to keep the Nashville flood in the spotlight.

“It was great to be a part of the benefit at the Ryman…to see how everyone is coming together for Nashville and the surrounding areas is really inspiring,” says Dave Haywood.  “We want to keep doing our part because it isn’t over yet…Music City has a long way to go. Streaming the event online is a cool way for us to include more of our fans in this event, and all the money goes to a great cause.”

To order tickets for the live stream concert please visit www.ladyantebellum.com/live.

More than 70,000 people have shown their appreciation to U.S. soldiers stationed across the world by submitting letters at their local Ram Truck dealership or Zac Brown Band’s recent concerts. However, for the Ram Truck Brand and Zac Brown Band that is simply not enough. The Ram Truck Brand and Zac Brown Band partnered for Letters for Lyrics, a national letter-writing campaign aimed at U.S. soldiers deployed around the world. Together, they want to send 1 million letters of appreciation to U.S. soldiers and they will not stop until they reach that goal.

In exchange for writing a letter to a U.S. soldier, participants receive a special compilation CD titled, Breaking Southern Ground. This exclusive CD features three new songs from Zac Brown Band, as well as music from artists signed to Zac Brown’s label, Southern Ground Artists – Sonia Leigh, Nic Cowan and Levi Lowrey.

“The Ram Truck Brand has been moved by the kindness and gratitude that has been expressed so far to our men and women in the military,” said Fred Diaz, President and CEO, Ram Truck Brand. “As we head into Memorial Day – a holiday that remembers those who dedicated their lives for our freedom – I encourage everyone to take a few moments this week to visit their local Ram Truck dealership to write a letter of support to our military men and women who show commitment and valor to this great country.”

“We’re so proud of the immediate response we’ve received for ‘Letters for Lyrics’ over the past two weeks,” said Zac Brown. “The support our fans have shown and the stories they’ve shared with us about how the campaign has moved them to show their appreciation is truly inspirational. This Monday, as we observe Memorial Day, we’ll show our respect for the U.S. men and women who have given their lives in the military service and send our thoughts to those out there protecting our country and way of life. We ask that everyone help us show your appreciation for their heroic efforts.”

Soldiers’ Angels, a nonprofit organization, will deliver the letters on behalf of the Ram Truck Brand and Zac Brown Band. Soldiers’ Angels is a volunteer-led organization with over 225,000 members providing aid and comfort to the men and women of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, along with veterans and their families.

“We are proud of the way America stands wingtip-to-wingtip in support of our American service members and encourage everyone to head to their local Dodge Ram Trucks dealership or Zac Brown concert and participate in one of the greatest collaborative troop support outreach projects in the history of the global war on terror,” said Patti Patton-Bader, Soldiers’ Angels Founder.

As part of the “Letters for Lyrics” campaign, RamTrucks.com also debuts the video installment of For Those Who Serve, a documentary of Zac Brown Band’s visit to U.S. soldiers stationed in the Persian Gulf. This exclusive behind-the-scenes video is directed by Darren Doane, the CMT-nominated director of Zac Brown Band’s live Pass the Jar DVD (Southern Ground/Atlantic) and their music video for the No. 1 hit “Toes.” Doane traveled with the band to the Persian Gulf to document the moving experience, capturing footage of the band performing for the troops and meeting with the men and women in uniform. Chapters from Doane’s documentary will debut on RamTrucks.com throughout the campaign.

Nashville’s two most progressive music events, Next BIG Nashville (NBN) and Leadership Music Digital Summit (LMDS) have united to create the best of both within a week-long conference and festival. The combined events will take place September 28-October 2 in Nashville. Both NBN and LMDS have had major impacts on the cultural landscape of Music City over the last five years, bringing music and creative minds to Nashville as well as giving a platform for the city’s best and brightest.

“This move made so much sense for us,” says NBN co-founder Jason Moon Wilkins. “The quality and credibility Leadership Music’s speakers, alumni and attendees bring to the new combined event is invaluable. The performing NBN bands will be exposed to more industry insiders and digital innovators. The potential for new creative collaborations increases and this really furthers our mission of telling the full story of Music City and the countless crossroads, musical and business, that run through it.”

Karen Oertley, Executive Director, Leadership Music, adds, “By combining Leadership Music’s Digital Summit and Next BIG Nashville, we are able to offer the best of the best in one event. Attendees will learn from a stellar lineup of speakers and panelists by day and hear incredible music by night. This promises to be a ‘must attend’ event for everyone with an interest in the future of music and entertainment.”

For five years Next BIG Nashville has showcased the future of music by featuring artists from the world of rock, pop, hip hop, indie, roots, and more performing throughout the city, accompanied by informative industry panels and speakers. During the same five years, the Leadership Music Digital Summit has been on the cutting edge of music and digital media by hosting panels, discussions and demonstrations featuring key players and innovators dedicated to the creative, business and legal aspects of digital music in the new millennium. With the combined success, knowledge and experience of NBN and LMDS, the united events will prove to be one of the most important and valuable music industry events taking place today.

The announcement of the newly merged event has drawn praise from both civic and industry leaders.

“The Chamber believes that supporting the evolution and growth of the music industry is one of the most important economic development objectives that we can have as a city,” says Janet Miller, Chief Economic Development Officer, Nashville Chamber of Commerce. “The alignment of the Digital Summit with Next BIG Nashville is a huge step forward in creating the sort of focal point that we as a city need to be perceived as a thought-leader in the industry and to further cement our place as the best music city in the world.” Butch Spyridon, President, Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau says, “Outstanding work by all involved! This is a brilliant collaboration, at an extremely opportune time. The dividends will pay off for both organizations for years to come.”

The union of Next BIG Nashville & Leadership Music Digital Summit will provide opportunities for independent artists, established artists, application developers, digital graphics designers and music industry employees of any capacity. Attendees can listen to and discuss topics with managers, labels, ISPs, songwriters, mobile operators, consumer product developers, digital music services, retailers, publishers and content aggregators during the day.  At night, see 150+ emerging and established artists in 15+ venues in one of the most important cities in music history. More details and earlybird tickets coming in early June.

Artist Craig Morgan has become a spokesperson for Not Alone, an organization that empowers warriors and families dealing with combat stress through training, education, counseling and support. “When I heard about what Not Alone was doing, I knew I wanted to be involved,” said Morgan. “We can’t sit quietly aside while our country’s bravest are struggling. They put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms and they deserve to be honored and know that if they need help, they are not alone.”

Thousands of military men, women and their families struggle with the after effects of combat and the difficulties transitioning to life back at home. American soldiers of the 21st century are serving in combat longer than almost any U.S. soldiers in the nation’s past, often serving multiple deployments with little break in between. Three in 10 soldiers show signs of mental illness or marital problems after their third and fourth deployments. In his role as spokesperson for Not Alone, Craig will bring awareness to this resource through his website, media interviews and concert appearances. Craig is currently a part of Carrie Underwood’s “Play on” tour, where he will perform for hundreds of thousands of fans through June.

Prior to becoming a country music star, Craig Morgan spent over 10 years of active duty in the Army and additional years in the Army Reserves.  He is an avid supporter of America’s military personnel and a recipient of the 2006 USO Merit Award. to learn more about Not Alone visit www.notalone.com or www.craigmorgan.com.