Dierks Bentley Recruits Stellar Line Up For “Miles and Music”

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Dierks Bentley's Miles and Music for Kids has raised over $2 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals across the country.

Dierks Bentley’s “Miles & Music for Kids” will return to Nashville Sun., Oct. 14 for the seventh annual celebrity motorcycle ride and concert. The event begins at Harley-Davidson of Columbia, Tenn. with a scenic hour-long motorcycle trek ending at downtown Nashville’s Riverfront Park. Following the ride, Bentley will host a family-friendly jam-style concert with special guests Sheryl Crow, Chris Young, Brantley Gilbert, The Cadillac Black and Craig Campbell joining him on the ACM Lifting Lives main stage. More artist announcements will be made in the coming weeks.

“I really want to blow Miles & Music out this year and make it bigger than ever,” said Bentley. “We’ve had the chance to help a lot of communities across the country, but the heart and soul of this event is in downtown Nashville with Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and the artists and friends who come out and help us raise money. It’s my favorite thing we do all year.”

Since hitting the pavement in 2006, “Miles & Music for Kids” has held 12 events in seven US cities to raise over $2 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals across the country.

Tickets for the Nashville event go on sale Fri., Aug. 17 at 10 AM/CT through Ticketmaster. Fans can purchase tickets for the ride, concert and receive a commemorative T-shirt for $50, or attend the concert for $20. Special VIP packages are also available. All proceeds from the event will benefit Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. For more ticket info, visit www.dierks.com.

Dolly and Cracker Barrel Celebrate Gold

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Pictured (L-R): Dolly, Danny Nozell, Cracker Barrel's Julie Craig. Photo: Alan Mayor

Dolly Parton helped Cracker Barrel achieve its first-ever RIAA Gold certification with the two-disc set, An Evening With… Dolly, available exclusively through the restaurant chain.

Since its April 2 release, the DVD/CD debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top DVD Music Videos Chart and has sold in excess of 50,000 units required for certification, a first for Dolly Records in the U.S., with previous Gold certifications in Australia and the UK.

The two-disc set, which features two previously unreleased live bonus tracks, is available for $11.99 exclusively through Cracker Barrel stores and online.

During the announcement, Parton also remarked on the status of her water and snow park planned for Nashville. “Gaylord is involved at the moment with changes of their own, so we are waiting until they have everything straightened out. Nothing has been signed yet, but I won’t put my name on it or be involved unless it’s exactly right for me and for everyone else.”

Creative Nation Expands Team

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Julie Stuckey. Photo: Sarah Lee

Creative Nation has announced the addition of Julie Stuckey as Creative Manager, reporting directly to company co-owner/GM Beth Laird.

“We are so excited to have Julie Stuckey as the newest addition to the Creative Nation team,” says Beth Laird. “After working with her for a year at BMI, I knew her outgoing personality and unique creative approach fit perfectly with our vision.”

Stuckey most recently served int he writer/publisher relations department at BMI. She began her career as marketing coordinator for The Amphitheater at the Wharf in Orange Beach, AL, eventually moving to Nashville to work for GAC as well as the licensing department at SESAC. A native of Beatrice, AL, Stuckey graduated from Auburn University in 2007 and received her masters from the University of Alabama in 2008.

Congratulate her here.

Beth and Luke Laird launched Creative Nation earlier in 2012 and have signed songwriter Barry Dean, who co-wrote Little Big Town’s summer hit “Pontoon.” Creative Nation also recently formed an exclusive partnership with L.A.-based Pulse Recording, which is responsible for hits such as Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” and more.

Aug/Sept ’12–On The Cover: Kenny Chesney

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Kenny Chesney has sold over 30 million albums, nearly 20 million digital transactions and over one million concert tickets every year for eight consecutive years. He’s had 24 No. 1 singles, 10 No. 2 singles and 39 Top 10 singles. His latest single, “Come Over,” was certified Gold in just over 9 weeks, making it the fastest Gold single certification in Chesney’s career. Chesney has won many recent honors including CMT Awards Artist of the Year (2011), CMA Awards Music Video of the Year “You and Tequila” with Grace Potter (2011), and other awards over the years including CMA Entertainer of the Year, ACM Entertainer of the Year, People’s Choice Awards Favorite Male Singer, American Music Awards Artist of the Year and more.

Chesney’s 13th studio album, Welcome to the Fishbowl, delivers great songs penned by Chesney himself and a diverse mix of top-shelf songwriters. Chesney, who produced the album with longtime collaborator Buddy Cannon, says that in making the album he felt “solid in his skin” in his roles as songwriter, producer and interpreter of songs. “I’d been through a lot emotionally since Hemingway’s Whiskey came out, and I think that’s reflected in this record,” he says. “My main goal when I went into the studio was to be honest with my fans and myself as a songwriter and a creative person. I do feel like, now more than ever, that I’m comfortable at being authentic, wherever that leads me. That’s why I’m proud of this record, because every song on it has been an evolution.”

Chesney says striking a balance between taking his fans in new directions and giving them what they want is a conscious choice that he specifically strived for on the previous album. “When you’ve been as blessed as I’ve been with all the songs I’ve had on the radio, it would be really easy to internally get complacent,” Chesney admits. “Any artist could be tempted to say, ‘this is what’s always worked, so this is what I’m gonna do.’ But, especially before I went in to cut Hemingway’s Whiskey, I realized that I just can’t keep re-releasing ‘Beer in Mexico’ every time. That song has its place, I love it and I’m proud I wrote it. But I really felt like it was time for me as an artist to find songs and write songs where the melodies were different and what it was saying was different. To be able to push myself as an artist, and more importantly push my audience but not alienate them, that’s a fine line to walk. And I think we did that with [Whiskey’s] ‘Somewhere with You’ and ‘You and Tequila,’ and I think there are several moments on this record that will do that, too.”

Chesney welcomes both veteran fans and newbies. “I’m excited about the people that have been on this train with me a long time, listened to my music, dreamed this dream with me and saw everything that has happened,” he says. “I’m excited for them to hear this music and the evolution of where it’s at, and where I’m going. And I’m also excited for those people that are at their first show, that never bought one of my records, that don’t know anything about me at all. If Welcome to the Fishbowl is their first Kenny Chesney record, I’m really glad that this is their first one. I’m that proud of it.”

Artist Name: Kenny Chesney
Hometown: Luttrell, TN
Birthday: March 26
Label: Blue Chair Records/Columbia Nashville
Current Album: Welcome To The Fishbowl
Current Single/Video: “Come Over”
Current Producer: Buddy Cannon & Kenny Chesney
Management: Morris Artists Management, Clint Higham
Booking: Dale Morris & Associates, Mike Betterton
Recent Hits: “The Boys of Fall,” “Somewhere With You,” “You & Tequila”
Awards: 4 time CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year
RIAA Certs to date: More than 30 million albums sold. More than 20 million digital transactions.
Interesting Facts: Produced two sports documentaries for ESPN, Boys of Fall and Color Orange: The Condredge Holloway Story.

Baldrica Resigns As Average Joes President

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Average Joes Entertainment President Tom Baldrica has announced that he is resigning from his position with the label, effective August 31.

“I believe in Average Joes Entertainment and everything it stands for,” explains Baldrica. “I have loved every minute of my time at the helm, and I wish the company nothing but great success in the future. I will be forever grateful to Colt Ford, Shannon Houchins and the entire AJE family for the time we’ve spent together. This has been a very emotional and difficult decision to leave, but as my next opportunity plays out, it will become clear why this was the proverbial ‘offer I couldn’t refuse.'”

Baldrica originally joined the independent label as President in April 2011, following 17 years with Sony Music Nashville.

Love and Theft Single Certified Gold

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Love and Theft’s RCA debut single “Angel Eyes,” has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, selling in excess of 500,000 downloads.

“Angel Eyes” is the duo’s lead single from its self-titled album. The song was co-written by Jeff Coplan, Eric Paslay and Love and Theft member Eric Gunderson. The song holds the No. 2 position this week on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout chart as well as the Billboard and Mediabase country songs charts, and sits at No. 6 on the Billboard Digital Country Songs chart. The music video for “Angel Eyes” is rapidly approaching two million views on VEVO.com.

“Ever since I started playing music, it has been a dream of mine to have a song or album go gold,” says Gunderson. “Thank you to everyone who made this happen for us.” Love and Theft member Stephen Barker Liles adds, “Holy Moly! We are so excited about our first ever gold single. Anytime people spend their hard earned money, it’s an honor and we are truly humbled.”

The duo is having a blast out on the road this summer on Brad Paisley’s Virtual Reality World Tour, performing on the “Virtual Opry” stage through September 29.

Nashville Artists Join “MDA Show of Strength” Special

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Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Hot Chelle Rae, and Tim McGraw are set to headline the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s Labor Day weekend entertainment special, MDA Show of Strength.

The show, featuring more than a dozen of today’s top entertainers, also will include inspirational “stories of strength” about families affected by muscular dystrophy and related diseases.

“We couldn’t be more excited about the show and the incredible talent we have lined up this year,” said MDA Interim President Valerie Cwik, M.D. “MDA is in business to save and enhance lives. Our show will both entertain and urge the American public to answer the call to support critically important research and services for more than a million Americans affected by neuromuscular diseases.”

In addition to Underwood, Bryan, Hot Chelle Rae and McGraw the following stars also are scheduled to appear: All-American Rejects, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, B.o.B, Brandy, Gavin DeGraw, Karmin, Carole King, Alanis Morissette, OneRepublic, Eva Simons, Paula Abdul, Max Adler, Jann Carl, Diana DeGarmo, Lou Ferrigno, Benji Madden, Joel Madden, Jesse McCartney, The Miz, Nancy O’Dell, Khloe Kardashian Odom, Pitbull, Alison Sweeney, Will.i.am, Ace Young and more.

“This year’s show gives everyone involved a unique opportunity,” said MDA Show of Strength Executive Producer RAC Clark. “We have a chance to tell a series of compelling stories about MDA families while delivering quality entertainment. In doing so, we can raise public awareness of MDA’s long-standing mission of help for today and hope for tomorrow.” Clark is a longtime executive producer of the Academy of Country Music Awards and the son of the late Dick Clark.

MDA Show of Strength, a three-hour prime-time broadcast special, will air on Sunday, Sept. 2, 8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. CT. The show will include performances and celebrity appearances from Hollywood, Nashville and New York. The show will be broadcast over MDA’s Love Network of almost 150 television stations across the country and streamed from mda.org. Local cutaways in each market will feature area families, sponsors and MDA service programs. For a list of stations, visit mda.org/showofstrength/love-network.

Google Updates Search Algorithms

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Google announced today (8/10) that it is updating its search algorithms beginning next week to factor in valid copyright removal notices for sites. Those sites with higher numbers of removal notices may appear lower in search rankings, and therefore help users find legitimate sources of content more easily, such as a song on NPR’s website, streaming music on Spotify, or television on Hulu.

“This change is an important step in the right direction – a step we’ve been urging Google to take for a long time – and we commend the company for its action,” commented RIAA Chairman and CEO Cary Sherman in a response.

Google’s announcement goes on to say the company is now processing more copyright removal notices daily than the entirety of 2009. The company claims to have examined more than 4.3 million URLs in the past month, which will now be used in future searches.

Jana Kramer Sings Nationwide Insurance Jingle

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Jana Kramer has been signed by Nationwide Insurance to sing the company’s “On Your Side” commercial jingle in its new “Join the Nation” campaign.

The commercials debuted during the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics and will continue to air nationally throughout the next year.

Kramer’s debut single, “Why Ya Wanna,” broke into the Top 10 this week and has sold nearly half a million copies. She is currently on Brad Paisley’s Virtual Reality Tour through fall, performing on the “Virtual Opry Stage.”

Jana Kramer’s upcoming tour dates as follows:

August 10 – Bethel, NY–Bethel Woods Center for the Arts*
August 11 – Darien Lakes, NY–Darien Lakes Performing Arts Center*
August 12 – Arlington, WA–Festival of the Rivers
August 14 – Roseburg, OR–Stewart Park – Music on the Half Shell
August 16 – Tulsa, OK–BOK Center*
August 17 – Southaven, MS–Snowden Grove Park & Amphitheater*
August 18 – Dallas, TX–Gexa Energy Pavilion*
August 19 – Brownsville, OR–Bi-Mart Willamette Country Music Festival
August 24 – Raleigh, NC–Time Warner Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek*
August 25 – Bristow, VA–Jiffy Lube Live*
September 13 – Virginia Beach, VA–Farm Bureau Live*
September 14 – Charlotte, NC–Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
September 15 – Atlanta, GA–Aaron’s Amphitheatre
September 27 – Jacksonville, FL–Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
September 28 – Tampa, FL–GARY Amphitheatre
September 29 – Wellington, FL–Cruzan Amphitheater

* Indicates Brad Paisley Virtual Reality tour date

Artist Updates (8/10/12)

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Garth Brooks has been added to the lineup for the upcoming “Teachers Rock” benefit August 18 at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. He joins previously announced performers Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Josh Groban, Fun., Usher, and Adam Levine. Presented by Walmart and “Won’t Back Down,” the event benefits Teach For America, Donors Choose, and Feeding America’s Backpack Program. Additional appearances will be made by Meryl Streetp, Viola Davis, Maggie Gyllenhaal and more. The program will air on CBS August 18 at 7 pm/CT.

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Chris Young will take over the network when he becomes CMT’s VJ For a Day. The hit singer of “Neon” will select his favorite music videos in the one hour special, which will air Wednesday, August 15 at 9 am/CT. The network is also offering a Neon Sweepstakes for fans to win a custom Neon sign and video chat with Young. More info here.

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Photo: Kevin Hees

Lisa Marie Presley will make her Grand Ole Opry debut on Tuesday, August 21, in a show that also includes Rascal Flatts, Del McCoury Band, and the Time Jumpers. Presley’s new Americana-tinged album Storm & Grace (Universal Republic/XIX Recordings) was produced by T Bone Burnett. The singer’s father, the King of Rock & Roll Elvis Presley, made only one appearance on the Opry. In 1954, he sang his version of Bill Monroe’s “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” and received compliments on the arrangement from the bluegrass master.

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Country rockers Flynnville Train recently kept more than 5000 fans on their feet during a 75 minute set at the 31st Piknik Country Festival in Mragowo, Poland. The band performed songs including “Home,” “Nowhere Than Somewhere,” and new single “The One You Love.” Polish country singer Lonstar joined the group for a performance of “Last Good Time,” and also interviewed the group for Polish National Television. Following the show, Flynnville Train signed autographs for three hours.

Flynnville Train is interviewed by Lonstar for Polish National Television. (L- R): Joseph Shreve, Brian Flynn, Tommy Bales, Brent Flynn and Lonstar