A number of country artists including Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Montgomery Gentry, RaeLynn, Eric Paslay, Maddie & Tae and Maren Morris offered campers a musical experience to remember during ACM Lifting Lives’ 2016 Music Camp in Nashville.

Campers from across the country joined in karaoke with Montgomery Gentry at Winners Bar, attended a meet-and-greet with Maddie & Tae at the Wildhorse Saloon, and co-wrote the song “Happy Together” with Eric Paslay and songwriter/producer Ross Copperman. In addition, they spent time at Nashville’s Ocean Way studio with Carrie Underwood, heard Maren Morris at the Bluebird Cafe, and chatted with RaeLynn at Seacrest Studio in Nashville. The week wrapped with Rascal Flatts performing alongside the campers at the Grand Ole Opry, while the campers performed “Happy Together.”

 

“Just to see how much fun they are having, and how proud they are of themselves for creating a song…they are just a ray of sunshine,” said Underwood. “It’s really amazing just to see them all come together and work together and write an adorable song.”

“Just to see these kids and how energized they are, to get up here and sing and their passion for music, there’s nothing like it,” said Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry.

“This is the first time I’ve done karaoke, so talk about nervous, I was real nervous. Of course, they get up and do it like pros,” added Eddie Montgomery.

 

 

“It’s important to me to give back in this way because I just know how shy of a kid I was,” said Morris. “Music helped me so much to break through those barriers, those communication barriers. It’s always been therapeutic for me.”

“They remind me that there is a bigger reason for what I do,” said Copperman. “Music really does touch people.”

The week-long residential program is open to campers nationwide, talented in music, with Williams syndrome. The Camp has a dual purpose of studying Williams syndrome while providing music enrichment through performance and education. ACM Lifting Lives funds the costs of the Camp, enabling the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities to advance its mission of improving the lives of individuals with Williams syndrome and their families through research, training and service.

 

 

 

 

Cassadee Pope will serve as a guest host on Los Angeles country station KKGO for the summer, weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The announcement coincides with her latest single and music video, “Summer,” as well as the EP of the same name.

During her shifts, she will provide commentary about her own songs and favorites from other artists.

“I used to live in LA and listened to KKGO every day so it’s pretty cool to join them on-air this summer,” Pope said. “I have a lot of songs already cued up in my mind, and I hope the fans will like hearing some of my playlists!”

“Cassadee Pope is an extraordinary artist and we are thrilled to work with her as she brings exclusive content to our listeners during the month of July,” states KKGO Station Manager Michael Levine.

Pope will also take part in the live broadcast of A Capitol Fourth from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on July 4. The show will air from 8-9:30 p.m. ET on PBS, the American Forces Network and across NPR member stations nationwide.

BMI and Lex Music Group will present new music from the band Lit at Tootsie’s Rooftop on July 6. The free show is open to the public. It also marks the beginning of a 30-city North American summer tour.

As Sony/ATV Nashville songwriters, the band has been immersing themselves in the country music genre. Their rock hits include “My Own Worst Enemy” and “Miserable.” They joined Dustin Lynch to perform “My Own Worst Enemy” at Stagecoach Festival earlier this year.

Kelsea Ballerini, Lee Ann Womack, and Little Big Town are among the country artists taking part in ABC’s upcoming music series Greatest Hits. Each episode of the six-episode series will highlight a five-year period in music, ranging from the 1980s-2000s. The first episode debuts Thursday (June 30) at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

The show is the brainchild of ABC execs and Ken Ehrlich, who also serves as executive producer for the annual Grammy awards.

Ballerini, the hitmaker behind “Love Me Like You Mean It,” “Dibs,” and her latest, “Peter Pan,” will co-host the show alongside veteran TV show host Arsenio Hall, known for his days hosting The Arsenio Hall Show. That series ran from 1989 through 1994 and welcomed a variety of artists, including Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men.

“I had never worked with her before, though obviously I was aware of her. She is terrific and a hard worker. Man, she comes across great,” Ehrlich tells MusicRow of working with Ballerini.

In addition to Ballerini, fellow country artists Little Big Town and Lee Ann Womack will also appear in various episodes. Womack and Rachel Platten will mix Womack’s signature “I Hope You Dance” with Platten’s “Stand By You.” Meanwhile, Little Big Town will make two appearances on two different shows.

“They love Alicia Keys, so they did ‘Fallin’,’ and they do a great version of ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis,” Ehrlich notes.

While the show’s content covers three decades of hits, the time frame for putting the show together was exceedingly brief. Ehrlich and his team taped performances from 40 artists in less than 20 days. Even with the country star power provided by Little Big Town, Ballerini, and Womack, the brief window for filming nixed the opportunity for more country artists to be involved. Ehrlich hopes for more country artists to appear if Greatest Hits returns for a second installment.

“We did reach out and there were three or four other country acts we wanted on the show, but it was about availability,” Ehrlich says. “We had to do the whole show in basically two-and-a-half weeks and I just couldn’t get them. We had talked about Zac Brown and Brad Paisley and Keith Urban. There were several acts we would have loved to have on the show. They were unavailable, though they’ve all said when it comes around again, they would love to do it.”

The series’ June 30 premiere episode will feature chart-topping songs from 1980-1985, with performances by Pitbull, REO Speedwagon, Ray Parker, Jr., Jason Derulo, Kenny Loggins, Kim Carnes, Rick Springfield and Kool & The Gang. Ehrlich estimates each taping took place before approximately 800 audience members.

“I doubt there was anyone over age 30 in most of the audiences, and they knew the words to every song,” Ehrlich says. “We’ve taken a number of acts who have had great hits in those years and asked them to do those songs, but we’ve surrounded them with a much more contemporary look—sets and lighting. In essence, you are being reintroduced to a lot of music you grew up with, but you are looking at it in a new house.

“You can be 18 years old or 40 years old, and still relate to Boyz II Men or En Vogue, or for that matter, to the current acts we worked with like Miguel or Jason Derulo. This show covers it all.”

Greatest Hits will premiere Thursday, June 30 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

The Grand Ole Opry will present free tribute performances to country legends on Friday and Saturday (July 1 and 2) on the Opry Plaza. The music will begin at 5 p.m. and is set to salute artists like Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn.

The band 50 Shades of Hay will perform on Friday, while Shelley Skidmore & Greg Bates will sing on Saturday. Food trucks and bar service will be available.

The weekend’s Opry line-up includes Vince Gill, Connie Smith, Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, Ricky Skaggs, Love and Theft, and more.

In July, Opry House Backstage Tours will run seven days a week along with Opry performances each Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday night.

Among those appearing later in the month include Steve Wariner (July 5); Chris Janson, The Grascals (July 6); Josh Turner, Lorrie Morgan, Pam Tillis, Clare Bowen, Craig Morgan (July 8); Cam, Justin Moore (July 12); Roy Clark, Craig Campbell (July 15); Lauren Alaina, Scotty McCreery, Del McCoury Band (July 19 & 20); Charlie Daniels Band, Hillary Scott & the Scott Family, Brothers Osborne (July 26); and Oak Ridge Boys, Eric Paslay, Dailey & Vincent (July 27).