The Band Perry Visits Hometown to Raise Funds

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(L-R): Neil Perry, Jocelyn Keefer, Kimbery Perry and Reid Perry

Greeneville, TN’s Doak Elementary School recently received help in its efforts to raise funds and awareness for the Greene County Relay for Life from hometown celebrities, The Band Perry. The trio initially offered an autographed photo for the campaign, then decided to make a surprise visit last Thursday (4/5), recognizing the students’ dedication. The annual fundraising campaign benefits the American Cancer Society.

Every year, the school works to honor the memory of late teacher Lisa White, a cancer victim who was a long-time supporter of the Greene County Relay for Life. Since White’s passing, the Doak School has held an annual fundraising campaign, which raised more than $34,000 last year. This year $35,000 was the goal.

“Cancer is something that has touched our lives,” Kimberly Perry, who has a friend who teaches at the school, said. “We had an aunt who passed away from cancer, and Lisa White was a dear friend of ours. To honor those ladies’ lives in this way — and to raise some money for the American Cancer Society — is something we like being a part of.”

Tonight (4/10), The Band Perry will help raise funds for the Country Music Hall of Fame at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for “We’re All for the Hall.” The trio will also appear on ACM PRESENTS: Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert, this Fri., April 13 on CBS.

Online Services Company Idea Den Adds Three Staffers

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Dale Manning

Dale Manning, founder and President of digital marketing company Idea Den announced three recent hirings today (4/10). Joining the team are Brian Foyster, Brendan O’Malley and Jon Wright, who will work with clients including Chris Cagle, Craig Campbell, Casting Crowns, Third Day and Alice Cooper. The new staffers will also focus on Idea Den’s marquee product FanTorrent, which is a fan engagement and content management system designed to unify commerce, content, communication and analytics.

Brian Foyster is on board as director of online marketing and publicity. His career path includes marketing, production and promotion roles at Hopeless Records, Epitaph Records, Warner Bros., Sony BMG and Bigger Picture Group.

Brian Foyster

Brendan O’Malley is serving as director of business development and client services. Prior to joining Idea Den, O’Malley was senior project manager for Avon Voices, an online global singing and songwriting competition.

Jon Wright is the project director of online services. Wright’s credentials include an eight-year stint as creative director and managing partner with MusicCityNetworks. Wright joined the Idea Den team in 2011 and has contributed to the company’s expansion and the development of new software.

Manning’s experience includes time at Hewlett-Packard and integrated marketing company powerhouse, CMD Agency. In addition, he has created and sold four technology ventures to progressive brand-building companies. He has received numerous Addy and Rosey awards.

Jon Wright

Brendan O'Malley

Artist Updates (4/10/12)

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Show Dog-Universal sister trio Carter’s Chord (Becky Robertson, Emily Fortney, Joanna Ott) is releasing the video for “Love A Little Bigger” exclusively on VEVO April 16. The group traveled to the Dominican Republic to shoot the video in conjunction with humanitarian organization World Vision. Emily wrote the song after the girls traveled to Guatemala and experienced the terrible poverty of the area. See behind the scenes shots from the shoot here.

Photo: Front row: World Vision US's Lee Broadwell, Producer April Dace, SDUs Natalie Moore, CCs Becky Robertson, Carolay Montes de Oca Peralta, Director Chris Hicky, CCs Emily Fortney, CCs Joanna Ott, World Vision Dominican Republic's Claudia Martinez, Back Row: TKO Artist Management's Alan Good, WV USs Michael Bianchi, Agripina Peralta Brito, Director of Photography Dave Ogle, WV USs Mike Severson, WV USs Charles Dorris

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Gretchen Wilson has joined ZZ Top’s Gang of Outlaws Tour, which also features 3 Doors Down. The journey kicks off May 25 in Manchester, NH. Full dates and tickets are available at GangOfOutlaws.com.
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Big Loud Mountain’s upcoming duo Florida Georgia Line (Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley) has released its debut single “Cruise” to iTunes today (4/10). The song will also be shipping to country radio later in April, and appears on the duo’s forthcoming Joey Moi-produced EP. Listen here.

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Shooter Jennings has recently released his album Family Man, and is scheduled to appear on The Late Show With David Letterman tonight (4/10), IMUS tomorrow (4/11), and The View on Thursday (4/12). Jennings’ latest single “The Deed and the Dollar” is currently climbing MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart at No. 65.

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Ray Stevens is currently promoting his new release Encyclopedia of Recorded Comedy Music with a series of media appearances. Earlier today (4/10), the legendary funny man performed on Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends, and also has upcoming appearances 4/14 and 4/15 on RFD-TV’s Crook & Chase.

WME Signs Bri Bagwell For Booking

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Bri Bagwell

Upcoming 24-year old country artist Bri Bagwell has signed an exclusive booking representation deal with William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME). Agent Henry Glascock will represent Bagwell.

“Seeing my name on WME’s roster next to artists like Miranda Lambert and Reba is a dream come true,” said Bagwell.

A native of Las Cruces, NM, Bagwell has made an impact in the Texas music scene, recently sharing the stage with artists such as Miranda Lambert, Eli Young Band, Josh Abbott Band, and Pat Green.

In June 2011, shortly after departing from the set of the inaugural season of CMT’s Next Superstar, Bagwell released her debut album, Banned from Santa Fe.

Recently, she teamed up with Texas whiskey maker, Rebecca Creek Distillery, to promote her single “Whiskey.” The video for the single will premiere at a hometown performance at the Rio Grande Theater in Las Cruces on April 21.

April Tour Dates

April 13 – Lone Star Saloon with Casey Donahew Band – Uvalde, TX
April 14 – The Tap – College Station, TX
April 15  – Billy’s Icehouse – New Braunfels, TX
April 21 – Rio Grande Theater – Las Cruces, NM
April 24 – Texas Music Theater – San Marcos, TX
April 25 – Humphrey’s Bar & Grill – Hunstville, TX
April 26 – Saxon Pub – Austin, TX
April 27 – Killeen Municipal Amphitheater with Whiskey Myers – Killeen, TX
April 28 – Luckenbach Dancehall with Asleep at the Wheel – Fredricksburg, TX

Alan Jackson Plans New Album Release

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Alan Jackson will release his new album Thirty Miles West on June 5. The collection is his first with ACR (Alan’s Country Records) and EMI Records.

The album, recorded with long-time producer Keith Stegall, is climbing the charts with its first single, “So You Don’t Have To Love Me Anymore,” which currently sits at No. 15 on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Cart.

“I grew up on Highway 34 outside of Newnan, Georgia, and that’s where we came up with Thirty Miles West,” said Jackson. “I think we were about thirty miles west of the official part of the Dixie Highway that runs through Georgia.”

Jackson has sold nearly 60 million albums worldwide. He has written or co-written 25 of his 35 No. 1 singles, putting him in the elite company of songwriters Paul McCartney and John Lennon who’ve written and recorded more than 20 chart-topping songs.

Jake Owen Proposes At Hometown Show

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Photo: J. Patrick Rice

Jake Owen proposed to girlfriend Lacey Buchanan Saturday night (4/7) onstage in his hometown Vero Beach, FL during the performance of his hit “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You.” The sold out crowd of 5,500 included many family and friends of the couple; the bride-to-be is also a Florida native.

“Lacey is the answer to all of my prayers,” said Owen. “She is an amazing person and I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”

Owen is riding back-to-back hit singles from his latest album Barefoot Blue Jean Night, including the title track and “Alone With You.” He is following up with third single “The One That Got Away.” “This song is a true story,” explained Owen, who wrote it with Dallas Davidson and Jimmy Ritchey.

In addition, Owen is featured in Entertainment Weekly’s all-genre list of “The 30 Greatest Artists Right Now,” People Country’s “Hottest Guys” issue, and Country Weekly’s “Hottest Bachelor” issue.

The Bazel Group Launches Getmebookings.com

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Nashville booking agency The Bazel Group has announced the launch of getmebookings.com. The new service is aimed at artists, comedians, and speakers with no professional representation, or who need to take charge of their bookings.

“We have had such great response from our launch of getmebookings.com that we can now pass the savings along to the performers,” says Ed Bazel, CEO of The Bazel Group, Inc.

The Bazel Group has 35 years of experience in the entertainment industry and specializes in concerts and comedy shows. A campaign through getmebookings.com includes a customized email campaign, follow-up phone calls from agents

“The best part of this is that our campaigns are documented so that the performer can review real statistics of who has been called, who has read their email, clicked through, etc. I doubt that you will find many agencies that do this for their clients,” adds Bazel.

The company is currently offering an introductory rate of $295 to use the service. More info here.

Keith Urban Donates “For You” Royalties

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Keith Urban recently debuted his new song “For You,” which paid tribute to US Navy SEALS, during the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. Urban wrote the song specifically for the motion picture Act of Valor, and it is featured on the film’s soundtrack.

“I felt so privileged and honored to have been given the opportunity to be a part of Act Of Valor and to shine a different kind of light on the work that the SEALS do,” said Urban.

Urban has announced that he will donate all his artist and publishing royalties from the song to the Navy SEAL Foundation, which helps SEAL families with financial assistance, support networks, and sponsored activities. “For You” can be purchased through Urban’s website or iTunes and Amazon.

The Aussie artist’s philanthropic spirit will also be on display tomorrow (4/10) at the 3rd Annual “We’re All for the Hall” benefit concert for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The all-star musical event takes place at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and features performances from Urban, Vince Gill, Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, The Band Perry, Little Big Town, Thompson Square, Pistol Annies, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Alabama, The Oak Ridge Boys, Exile, Diamond Rio, and Blue Sky Riders (Kenny Loggins, Gary Burr, Georgia Middleman).

New Shawn Colvin Album Features Nashville Collaborators

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Shawn Colvin

Singer/songwriter Shawn Colvin will release her new album, All Fall Down, on Nonesuch Records June 5. The album is her eighth studio recording and features an all-star guest list of Music City talent.

All Fall Down features 11 songs and was produced by Colvin’s longtime friend Buddy Miller at his Nashville home. The album also includes special performances from Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Jakob Dylan, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Bill Frisell, Viktor Krauss, Brian Blade, Stuart Duncan, and Julie Miller, among others.

Colvin wrote or co-wrote eight of the album’s tracks, including “Change Is On The Way,” which was co-written with the touring group consisting of Buddy Miller, Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin and Colvin, called Colvin’s Three Girls and Their Buddy. The title, “The Neon Light of the Saints” was specifically written for an upcoming episode of HBO’s Treme, on which Colvin was a guest star last season.

In conjunction with the album’s release Colvin will also release her memoir, Diamond in the Rough (published by William Morrow/HarperCollins), tracing the highs and lows of her life.

In the 22 years since the release of her debut album, Colvin has won three Grammy awards, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year in 1996 for “Sonny Came Home.”

All Fall Down track list:
1. All Fall Down
2. American Jerusalem
3. Knowing What I Know Now
4. Seven Times the Charm
5. Anne of the Thousand Days
6. The Neon Light of the Saints
7. Change Is On the Way
8. I Don’t Know You
9. Fall of Rome
10. Up On That Hill
11. On My Own

Facebook Purchases Instagram

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Facebook announced today it will be acquiring popular mobile photo-sharing app Instagram. The agreement is valued at approximately $1 billion in cash and Facebook shares, and is expected to close later this quarter.

According to a post on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s timeline, the Instagram team will be joining Facebook, but the Instagram brand will continue to be built and grown independently. Zuckerberg also noted that keeping Instagram connected to other networks than Facebook is important, and his company would be “building on Instagram’s strengths and features rather than just trying to integrate everything into Facebook.”

Instagram initially launched for Apple’s App Store in October 2010, and the Android version debuted last week on April 3, 2012.