Colt Ford Announces 2012 Tour

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Average Joes Entertainment’s Colt Ford will kick off the first leg of his 2012 Declaration of Independence Tour on Apr. 6 in Albany, GA. Labelmates The Lacs, JB and the Moonshine Band, Rehab and Lenny Cooper will open for Ford on the 20-city tour wrapping June 9 in Belvin, AR.

General admission ticket packages start at $25. Fans who purchase pre-sale tickets will be sent an exclusive 4-song EP with cuts from Ford, The Lacs, JB and the Moonshine Band and Cooper. For more ticket information and tour packages, visit www.coltford.com.

General admission tickets go on sale Feb. 15 and can be purchased through etix.com and www.coltford.com.

2012 “Declaration of Independence” Tour Dates:

4/6/2012     Albany, GA – Sasser Flea Market*
4/7/2012     Florence, AL – Alabama Music Hall of Fame*
4/13/2012    Forest, MS  – Scott County Coliseum
4/14/2012    Monroe, LA – Ike Hamilton Expo Center
4/15/2012    New Braunfels, TX – Whitewater Amphitheare
4/20/2012    Hiawassee, GA – Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds
4/21/2012    Florence, SC – Eastern Carolina Agricultural Fairground*
4/27/2012    Danville, VA – Carrington Pavilion
4/28/2012    Beckley, WV – Beckley Raleigh County Convention Center
5/4/2012     Fort Smith, AR – Phoenix Expo Center
5/5/2012     Shelbina, MO – Shelby County Fairgrounds
5/11/2012    TBA
5/12/2012    Blytheville, AR –  Arkansas Aeroplex*
5/18/2012    Pinnacle, NC – Jomeokee Campground
5/19/2012    Cookeville, TN – Scooter’s Biker Bar
5/25/2012    Brunswick, GA – TBA
5/26/2012    Lake Wales, FL – Triple Canopy Ranch
5/27/2012    Perry, FL – Iron Horse Mud Ranch
6/1/2012     Lake Charles, LA – Lake Charles Civic Center
 (on-sale 2/16)
6/2/2012     Pensacola, FL – Pensacola Interstate Fair Grounds
6/8/2012     Wichita, KS – The Cotillion
6/9/2012     Blevins, AR – The Hilarosa ATV Park

Additional tour dates will be announced at a later time.

*Rehab Opens

Big Machine Names Purcell SVP Promotion

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Big Machine Records announced today that Jack Purcell has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Promotion. The promotion to SVP comes as Purcell celebrates his sixth year with the label. Among other duties in this position, Purcell will continue spearheading relationships between radio and BMR’s talented artist roster, which includes superstars Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts and hot newcomers Edens Edge and Ella Mae Bowen.

“Jack Purcell has become one of the strongest leaders in the business when it comes to airplay at Country Radio,” explains Big Machine Label Group President/CEO Scott Borchetta. “He took a massive leap of faith with me to build this company from scratch, and he has never veered from the plan while always adding greatly to the vision. This promotion is beyond deserved and I’m so proud of him and all of his accomplishments while at the helm of the Big Machine.”

Purcell has led the charge at radio as Vice President of Promotion since joining Big Machine Records in 2006. Prior to his tenure at the label, he worked at Warner Bros. for 17 years, exiting as Senior Vice President of Promotion in 2002. He also held a similar post as Head of Promotion at Audium/Koch alongside industry legend Nick Hunter.

“We’re having a blast doing what we do,” adds Purcell. “Scott has created a campus and culture that is unlike any other record company for which I’ve worked. It’s an honor to lead this Ferrari of a promotion team while championing the airplay of this incredible, historic artist roster. Long live!”

Purcell will continue to report directly to Borchetta and can be reached via 615-324-7773 or [email protected].

Nashville Artists Appearing on Act Of Valor Soundtrack

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The soundtrack for the upcoming feature film, Act of Valor, will be released Feb. 21 by Relativity Music Group and distributed by Capitol Nashville. It features new and original songs from top names in Nashville.

The Bandito Brothers’ film, produced and directed Mike “Mouse” McCoy and Scott Waugh, stars a group of active-duty Navy SEALs and will be released to theaters Feb. 24. Nashville will get an exclusive premiere on Tues., Feb. 7.

The track list includes:

For You — Keith Urban (Monty Powell, Keith Urban)
Guide You Home— Sugarland (Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles)
I Was Here– Lady Antebellum (Hillary Scott, Victoria Shaw, Gary Burr)
If the Sun Comes Up— Trace Adkins (Ray Scott, George Teren)
Two Soldiers Coming Home— Lori McKenna (Lori McKenna, Fred Wilhelm)
The Best I Can— Jake Owen (Jake Owen, Phillip White)
What It Takes— Montgomery Gentry (Barry Dean, Andrew Dorff, Troy Verges)
The Best of Me— Josh Kelley (Josh Kelley, Kyle Jacobs, Rachel Thibodeau)
Where We Left Off”— Hunter Hayes (Hunter Hayes, Barry Dean)
Whatever Brings You Back— Wynonna (Phillip White, Ronnie Bowman)

Relativity Music Group was formed in 2009 and has since provided music supervision, publishing and soundtrack services for films including Bridesmaids, Dear John, Repo Men, Love Happens, Brothers, and 30 Rock. The company plans to release 15-20 soundtracks per year via its licensing and distribution agreement with ADA/Warner Music Group with soundtracks for upcoming 2012 releases already on the horizon for Haywire, Mirror Mirror, and The Raven.

The Act of Valor soundtrack is available for pre-order on the iTunes store now.

DJ David Hall Passes

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David Hall in-studio. Photo from Lightning100.com

Longtime Nashville DJ David Hall passed away over the weekend. He was a fixture on the Music City radio scene for more than 30 years and was working at Lightning 100 as PD and afternoon drive host, entertaining listeners with his signature phrase: “David Hall rocks y’all.”

Born in 1954, the Kentucky native moved to Nashville in 1980. He had long runs at then rock stations WKDF (1980-88) and WGFX (1988-93). He had been at L100 since ’93, where he also hosted “Lightning 100 Unplugged” on Sunday mornings, and the on-air live music series “Nashville Sunday Night” at 3rd and Lindsley.

According to his co-workers at L100: “David’s steadfast professionalism and charm were hallmarks of his time at the helm of Lightning 100. He was THE face and THE voice of Nashville rock radio and Lightning 100, spanning decades at the microphone. He was a fierce advocate of many Nashville artists…He brought them to Nashville radio and the rest of the world via live broadcast and the internet every Sunday with Nashville Sunday Night.”

[Updated w/ Ratings] Country Stars Shine on Super Bowl, “The Voice”

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Lambert and Shelton perform "America The Beautiful"

Updated [2:30 p.m.] Last night’s Super Bowl drew 111.3 million viewers to become the most-watched television program in U.S. history, according to fast national data released by Nielsen. Last year’s Super Bowl attracted 111.0 million viewers.

The season two premiere of The Voice that followed the Super Bowl averaged 37.6 million viewers overall.

• • • •

[Original post] Country stars shined on last night’s Super Bowl. Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton opened the night on the field with a duet of “America The Beautiful.” Kelly Clarkson soared on the national anthem.

In a pre-taped performance segment, Faith Hill’s usual theme song for NBC Sunday Night Football was reworked specifically for the big game.

Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles recorded a new version of the Hank Williams classic “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” which was used in a spot for Pepsi MAX last night.

Following the Super Bowl, Shelton returned to the coach’s chair for the second season premiere of hit NBC show The Voice. Shelton was also featured along with his cohorts Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, and Cee-Lo Green for a Tarantino-spoofing Voice promo spot.

Shelton and Lambert’s version of “America The Beautiful” is available on iTunes.

Dierks Bentley Leaves Town For “Home”

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Dierks Bentley’s sixth studio album Home hits stores tomorrow (Feb. 7) and he’s been ratcheting up his visibility to support the release. Following his lauded sold-out performance last Thursday night (Feb. 2) at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, he will kick off release week by making the media rounds in New York and Los Angeles.

First up, Bentley will make consecutive performance appearances today (Feb. 6) and tomorrow (Feb. 7) on NBC’s Today. He has a New York concert date scheduled for Feb. 8, and that same day he will play a song for The Late Show With David Letterman‘s evening broadcast. He’ll also be delivering a full set for the show’s Live On Letterman webcast program. Bentley will wrap release week and begin the next on the West Coast when he appears as a presenter on the 54th Annual Grammy Awards Feb. 12, and performs on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Feb. 15.

“We worked so hard and spent so much time writing and recording this album,” said Bentley. “Now we get to criss cross the country and get it in the fans’ hands…I’m sure I’ll be running on adrenaline the entire time. I’ve got a few surprises planned along the way too.”

After his Ellen appearance, Bentley will fly straight to the first show of his 2012 Country & Cold Cans Tour in Vancouver, BC.

Bentley’s Album Release Concert Shows Virtues of “Home”

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The enthusiasm of the fans lining the pews last night (Feb. 2) at the Ryman Auditorium was matched only by the enthusiasm of performer Dierks Bentley. The album release concert was a night-long love affair between Bentley and the audience, comprised of fans, collaborators, and members of the music industry.

His passion translated equally across new songs from Home, due out Tuesday (Feb. 7), and nearly decade-old hits. Bentley showcased with pride his latest tunes, a quality mix of traditional country (“Heart of A Lonely Girl”), and contemporary hits-in-waiting (“5-1-5-0”). The album has already yielded radio success with the poignant title track, and party-hearty “Am I The Only One.”

Guests who appear on the recordings also joined him on stage. Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild is a splendid duet partner on “When You Gonna Come Around,” and Bentley’s three-year-old daughter, Evie, is an adorable guest on “Thinking of You.”

The evening exemplified Bentley’s widely varying influences, with covers including Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” and Hank Williams’ “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” which Bentley used as a clever transition into his kiss-off hit, “How Am I Doin.’” He laughed, “Sorry, Hank. I had to find a way to get into this song.” It was one of a slew of back-catalog favorites he offered including “Every Mile A Memory,” “Lot of Leavin’ Left to Do,” and “Free and Easy (Down The Road I Go).”

Bentley was thrilled to revisit his previous bluegrass-roots project Up On The Ridge, joined by guest Del McCoury for “Draw Me A Map,” and U2’s “Pride (In The Name of Love).” Gathered around the center stage mic, the singers and band members were a visually striking image, with McCoury’s grey jacket and silver hair standing in sharp contrast to Bentley and company’s black attire.

Talented opener Will Hoge shared the honor of being one the last performers on the Ryman’s historic stage before it is replaced. He hopped from piano to guitar to harmonica throughout his set, touching on as many influences as Bentley. Appropriately, Hoge recounted, “People are always asking me, ‘Will Hoge, are you a country artist, a rock artist or a soul artist?’ The answer is yes.”

Hoge had plenty of reasons to celebrate with his hometown crowd. His song “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” is the current single by Eli Young Band and he is heading out on tour with Bentley.

 

Pandora Partners With Pepsi For Exclusive Grammy Content

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Pandora Radio has teamed with PepsiCo and The Recording Academy on a video series featuring original content to promote the 54th Annual Grammy Awards Best New Artist nominees.

The video series will feature exclusive interviews with nominees The Band Perry, Bon Iver, J. Cole, Nicki Minaj and Skrillex. The artists discuss the evolution of their careers and share their excitement to receive a nomination and be present for the Awards.

There are also newly created Grammy genre stations on Pandora in conjunction with the video series, including country, pop and dance, rock and alternative, R&B and more.

The 54th Annual Grammy Awards will be held Sunday, Feb. 12 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and broadcast live on CBS at 7 PM/CT.

Photo Friday (2/03/12)

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Lawrence Music Group celebrated its one-year anniversary Wednesday (2/1) by entertaining a packed house at Nashville’s famous Bluebird Café for an evening of words and music presented by ASCAP. The round featured artists and writers who have joined forces with Tracy Lawrence’s record label, publishing and artist management company during the year such as American Idol’s Lacey Brown, Rick Huckaby, Jonny Houlihan, and producer/songwriter Flip Anderson. “It’s been an exciting year for us,” said Tracy Lawrence. “We founded the company on the core principal that music would be the foundation for everything we do. It’s important even in this digital age we continue to provide opportunities for artists and songwriters to create music, which is the cornerstone to the Nashville music community.”

(L-R) ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, Rick Huckaby, Lacey Brown, Tracy Lawrence, Flip Anderson, Jonny Houlihan, LMG V.P. Business Relations, Alex Torrez

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The Valory Music Co’s Thomas Rhett showcased his singing and songwriting talents to an industry crowd recently in Las Vegas at the House of Blues Foundation Room. Rhett performed several songs including his new single “Something To Do With My Hands,” which impacts Country Radio on February 21. The Band Perry, who were in Las Vegas on Brad Paisley’s Virtual Reality World Tour 2012, also stopped by to show Rhett some love.

Back Row: L-R Tina Ferguson (KRTY/San Jose), George Briner, Brooke Yancey, Joel Burke (KASE/Austin), John Zarling, Shari Roth, Brandon O'Brien (WUSH/Norfolk), Scott Mahalick (KUPL/Portland), Candice Chase, Justin Chase (KCYE/Las Vegas), Nate Deaton (KRTY/San Jose), Jake Basden FRONT ROW: L-R Virginia Davis (B.A.D. Management), Scott Borchetta, Neil Perry (TBP), Kimberly Perry (TBP), Thomas Rhett, Reid Perry (TBP), Mandy McCormick, JoJamie Hahr, Sue Wilson (WQMX/Akron)

Music City Goes Back to its Roots at Loveless

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Missy Werner joins Chris Jones & the Night Drivers for "Hero in Harlam"

Not even a thunderstorm could keep crowds from gathering at Loveless Cafe’s Music City Roots last night (2/1). Consequently, there wasn’t a free parking space to spare, as bluegrass lovers made their way into the barn, eager to hear the Lonesome River Band, Darin and Brooke Aldridge, Chris Jones & the Night Drivers, Special Consensus and Darrell Scott.

A Roots Crew member films the show

Hosted by Jim Lauderdale, the show kicked off with the Lonesome River Band who were followed by husband and wife duo Darin and Brooke Aldridge. Both acts treated the audience with authentic bluegrass soul and talent.

Sammy Shelor of the Lonesome River band is nominated for SPBGMA Banjo Performer of the year. Meanwhile, “Sweethearts of Bluegrass,” Darin and Brooke, boast five SPBGMA Bluegrass Award nominations including album of the year, gospel group of the year, vocal group of the year, guitar player of the year (Darin) and contemporary female vocalist (Brooke).

Chris Jones & the Night Drivers wooed the audience with tracks off their forthcoming compilation album, Lost Souls and Free Spirits. At the closing of their segment they surprised the crowd by inviting Missy Werner to the stage. Greeted with warm applause, Werner joined the group to sing, “Hero of Harlan,” a moving song about a young man who lost his life during war.

Members of Special Consensus sit down for an interview in between sets

Special Consensus sped things back up, shifting the mood with their foot-tapping rhythms. The group also has two SPBGMA nominees: David Thomas and Greg Cahill. Thomas is nominated for Bass Player of the Year, while Cahill has been tapped for Banjo Player of the year. After their high energy performance, Greg talked a little about their upcoming album Scratch Gravel Road. He shared the key to making the album was “good songs from good friends.”

Darrell Scott performs

As the evening dwindled down, the audience welcomed the final act of the night, Darrell Scott, with wild applause. Scott kept the excitement up with a high energy number before slowing it down with a performance of “Someday.” The highlight of the evening though was Scott’s performance of the hit, “It’s A Great Day To Be Alive.” A number of audience members joined in, singing along to the words Scott penned years ago. The song was made popular in 2000 by Travis Tritt.

Music City Roots, which was worth braving the rain for, takes place every Wednesday at 7 PM back in the Loveless’ Barn. Next week’s acts include Henry Wagons, Kindling Stone, Chatham County Line, The Mosier Brothers and Lilly Winwood. Lightning 100 also broadcasts the show live every week. More information on upcoming shows can be be found here.