Paisley and Underwood Spotlight Exhibit

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Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will be featured at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in a spotlight exhibit set to open January 18. The exhibit, Hosts with the Most: Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, will include stage costumes worn by the artists when they hosted the 2010 CMA Awards last November. The exhibit is scheduled to stay open through June 30.
On display will be a black ensemble worn by Paisley, including a John Richmond jacket with gold-beaded lapels; and a pleated tulle ballerina dress, embellished with 15,000 rhinestones, worn by Underwood. The gown was designed by Georges Chakra, who used a traditional Turkish embroidery technique called sarma that was highly prized in the court of the Ottoman Empire.
The November 10, 2010 telecast marked the third consecutive year that Paisley and Underwood co-hosted the CMA Awards. Paisley was named CMA’s Entertainer of the Year that night.

Chris Young's Radio Redux

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Are you having deja vu of hearing “voices”? Chris Young’s current single “Voices” is making its way up the radio charts for a second time. The same recording of the same song is resting at No. 12 on MusicRow’s Country Breakout chart after 22 weeks on the list—this go ‘round.
The track was first released by RCA Nashville in 2008 as the lead single from The Man I Want to Be. Co-written by Young, Chris Tompkins, and Craig Wiseman, the song originally made it to No. 65 on the Country Breakout chart.
“Voices” is No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and if it makes it to the top, it will be the first time since Randy Travis’ 1986 chestnut “On the Other Hand,” that a re-released single hit the pinnacle.
Young has had back-to-back No. 1’s with “Gettin’ You Home” and “The Man I Want to Be.” He is nominated for his first GRAMMY Award next month for Best Male Country Vocal Performance (“Gettin’ You Home”). He joins Luke Bryan on the second leg of Rascal Flatts’ Nothing Like Tour, kicking off January 14.

Sugarland Tops Country Dance Club Song List

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Marco Club Connection, a Nashville-based Country music dance venue marketing company, has released its seventh annual list of the year’s most requested Country dance club songs, with Sugarland’s “Stuck Like Glue” taking the top spot.
“As Country music continues to incorporate more and more of a Pop element, the dance clubs can be a very important tool in breaking an artist,” says Club Connection Venue Marketing Specialist Bobbe Morhiser. “Look no further than Laura Bell Bundy for proof of that. ‘Giddy On Up’ was huge in the dance clubs, and for a brand new artist to place in Club Connection’s top five at the end of the year is very impressive.”
2010 Top Ten Country Dance Club Hits:
1. “Stuck Like Glue” – Sugarland
2. “All About Tonight” – Blake Shelton
3. “Hillbilly Bone” – Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins
4. “Need You Now” – Lady Antebellum
5. “Giddy On Up” – Laura Bell Bundy
6. “Country Done Come To Town” – John Rich
7. “Roll With It” – Easton Corbin
8. “Why Don’t We Just Dance” – Josh Turner
9. “Turn On The Radio” – Reba
10. “Pretty Good At Drinkin’ Beer” – Billy Currington
Club Connection surveyed more than 240 club owners, DJs and dance instructors from across the country to compile its Top Ten rankings. A complete archive can be viewed at www.MarcoClubConnection.com.
A division of secondary radio promotion company, Marco Promotions, Club Connection specializes in marketing dance club singles to nightclubs and dance venues. Club Connection maintains a national database of more than 240 venues and world-renowned dance instructor contacts, reaching more than 200,000 club patrons each weekend.

Parton To Be Honored During Grammy Week

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>>Reminder: Voting closes tomorrow (1/12) for the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, which will be held at the L.A. Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, and broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
>>A flurry of Grammy related events will surround the awards show. On Sat., Feb. 12, the Recording Academy will honor Dolly Parton with a Lifetime Achievement Award. She joins fellow honorees Julie Andrews, Roy Haynes, Juilliard String Quartet, The Kingston Trio, Ramones, and George Beverly Shea. Also being honored at the invitation-only event in Los Angeles will be Trustees Award winners Al Bell, Wilma Cozart Fine and Bruce Lundvall; and Technical Grammy winners Roger Linn and Waves Audio.
>>On Feb. 11, Barbra Streisand will be saluted as the 2011 MusiCares Person of the Year at a special event celebrating her exceptional artistic achievements as well as her philanthropic work. LeAnn Rimes is among the top-notch performers, a list which also include Bebe Winans, Tony Bennett, Seal, Donna Summer, Stevie Wonder, Jeff Beck, Herbie Hancock, Diana Krall, Barry Manilow and Kristin Chenoweth. Proceeds from the event at the Los Angeles Convention Center will support MusiCares, which ensures that music people have a place to turn in times of need.
>>The invitation-only Nashville Grammy Nominee Party is next Tuesday, January 18, at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel.

Verizon To Sell Apple's iPhone

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iPhone lovers, rejoice. After what seems like years of speculation, the beloved Apple Inc. smartphone will finally be unshackled from the oppressive tyranny of AT&T and available for use through the Verizon Wireless network. Viva la revolucion!
Verizon’s version of the iPhone 4 will be available for purchase Feb. 10, with the 16 GB version retailing for $199.99 and the 32 GB edition going for $299.99. A special Verizon-only feature will allow the phone to serve as a mobile hotspot connecting up to five devices. No information has been released on the cost of data plans, but tuaw.com reports that Verizon’s Android phones have the mobile hotspot capability for $20/month on top of the $30/month unlimited data plan. Apple originally released iPhone 4 for sale through AT&T in June 2010.
This development will likely allow Verizon to siphon significant business from AT&T, whose exclusive contract with Apple to carry the iPhone has been a major competitive advantage. And with Verizon’s network being the nation’s largest, Apple stands to reap great rewards from tapping its massive customer base.
So this begs the question: who will be making the switch?

BMI Live Offers Royalties For Any Size Show

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BMI has launched BMI Live, a program enabling songwriters to register their concerts, regardless of venue size, to be considered for payment.
Mike O’Neill, BMI Senior Vice President, Repertoire and Licensing, says the program is designed to ensure that performing songwriters in any stage of their careers receive payment for concerts of all sizes, from coffee shops to football stadiums.
Available only online, BMI Live is open to all of the organization’s affiliates. To qualify, songwriters need to enter their live musical performances on www.bmi.com. Songwriters can submit performances up to six months after the show date.
BMI will pay royalties to both writers and publishers via direct deposit in its June distribution for performances occurring July 1 through December 31, 2010. Concert performances eligible for the June royalty distribution must be entered by March 31, 2011. The distribution from BMI Live will be made quarterly after this initial June 2011 launch.

McGraw Tour Presale; Hill's Floral Collection

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Presale tickets for select dates of Tim McGraw’s recently announced Emotional Traffic Tour will be available today (1/11) for those registered at mcgrawfan.com. The trek gets underway in spring with special guests Luke Bryan and The Band Perry. Shows available for presale include Corpus Christi, TX (4/8); Bossier City, LA  (4/10); Savannah, GA (4/17); and Wichita, KS (5/19). Additional dates for the tour are expected to be announced shortly, and tickets will go on sale to the public Saturday, January 15.
The other half of the McGraw household is also keeping busy, as Faith Hill has announced “The Collection by Faith Hill” in collaboration with Teleflora, the world’s leading flower delivery service. The collection was developed with Teleflora to reflect Hill’s style and taste, and will be revealed during a high-visibility Super Bowl XLV commercial spot on Fox Sunday, February 6. Hill will star in the Valentine’s Day-themed ad, which will feature the collection’s first installment, the Valentine’s Bouquet.

Garth Tickets at Wynn Las Vegas

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The next series of Garth Brooks concert dates at the Wynn Las Vegas were recently announced, and tickets will go on sale Saturday, January 15. Brooks has performed to sold-out audiences at the hotel’s intimate Encore Theater since December 2009 when he announced that he would end his retirement and become a resident headliner at the Wynn Las Vegas. Tickets for these concert dates are $225 plus service charge and tax ($253 total).
Concert Dates:
March 25 & 26
April 8 & 9
June 3 & 4
June 24 & 25
July 22 & 23
Concert times:
Fridays: 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.
Saturdays: 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.
Tickets are available exclusively at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-877-65-GARTH.

“All About Tonight” Goes No. 1

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The Georgian songwriting trio of Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins and Ben Hayslip, also known as the “Peach Pickers,” celebrated their third No. 1 song in a year at a party held at BMI on January 7. Recorded by Blake Shelton, “All About Tonight” hit No. 1 in 2010 as did “All Over Me,” recorded by Josh Turner and “Gimmie That Girl” by Joe Nichols. “All About Tonight” also marks the 45th No. 1 single produced by Scott Hendricks.

(L-R) back: BMI’s Jody Williams; Warner Music Nashville’s Chris Stacey and John Esposito; BMI’s Leslie Roberts; EMI Music Publishing Nashville’s Ben Vaughn; producer Scott Hendricks; and BMI’s Perry Howard. Front: Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson, and Ben Hayslip. Photo: Steve Lowry

News Items: Ballard, Wilson, Casting Crowns

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Frankie Ballard’s Opry Debut • Gretchen Wilson Quits Smoking • Casting Crowns On Huckabee


Frankie Ballard Makes Opry Debut

Warner Bros. Records newcomer Frankie Ballard made his Grand Ole Opry debut on Friday (1/7) at the historic Ryman Auditorium. Ballard got the crowd going with his new single “Tell Me You Get Lonely” and the up-tempo rocker “Get On Down The Road.” His debut album will be released later this year.

(L-R): Pete Fisher, VP/GM Grand Ole Opry; Frankie Ballard; and Steve Buchanan, Pres. Grand Ole Opry Group.


Gretchen Quits Smoking

In front of over 1000 New Year’s Eve revelers in Rosenberg, Texas, Gretchen Wilson smoked her last cigarette. Following the concert, she threw away her remaining cigarettes, lighters, ash trays and any other reminders of her long-time habit. “I figured if I said it from stage in front of my fans, I’d stick to it. And so far I have,” said Wilson.

(L-R): singer/songwriter and backup vocalist Bekka Bramlett and Gretchen Wilson.


Casting Crowns Performs On Huckabee

Grammy, AMA and Dove Award-winning Artist of the Year Casting Crowns performed its new single “Glorious Day” on FOX News Channel’s Huckabee show last weekend (1/8). Governor Huckabee interviewed lead singer and Pastor Mark Hall about the group’s dedication to student and family ministry in Atlanta and the groups’ hit songs and platinum-selling albums. With special guests Huckabee on bass guitar and FOX correspondent Lauren Green on keys, the band debuts its third radio single off its Gold album Until the Whole World Hears.

(L-R): Mark Hall, Melodee DeVevo, Gov. Mike Huckabee, Lauren Green, Juan DeVevo and Blair Masters.