Alan Jackson is kicking off a major media blitz today (July 9) for his latest album Angels and Alcohol with an appearance on NPR and on NPR’s First Listen, where fans can stream the entire new project before its release July 17. He’ll appear on CBS Sunday Morning in a feature on the news program July 12, perform on the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon July 15, and celebrate the new record on album release day on the TODAY show’s Toyota Summer Concert Series live from Rockefeller Plaza.

Angels and Alcohol is Jackson’s first studio album in three years, and includes seven self-penned songs including the title track and the album’s first single “Jim and Jack and Hank” which hit radio this week. The new CD is Jackson’s 15th studio album, and lands 25 years after his debut album Here In The Real World was released.

The new album was produced by Jackson’s longtime collaborator and friend Keith Stegall.

Fans can go here to get an NPR First Listen of Jackson’s new album Angels and Alcohol.

See the track list here.

Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson will receive a prestigious honor for his contributions to the musical world when he is awarded the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in November.

The prize honors a living artist’s lifetime achievement in enhancing cultural understanding and entertaining, informing, and inspiring new generations through his or her music, and whose contributions exemplify the standard of excellence associated with George and Ira Gershwin. Former Gershwin Prize recipients include Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach, the late Hal David, Carole King and Billy Joel.

“Willie Nelson is a musical explorer, redrawing the boundaries of country music throughout his career,” said Librarian of Congress James Billington. “A master communicator, the sincerity and universally appealing message of his lyrics place him in a category of his own while still remaining grounded in his country-music roots. His achievements as a songwriter and performer are legendary. Like America itself, he has absorbed and assimilated diverse stylistic influences into his stories and songs. He has helped make country music one of the most universally beloved forms of American artistic expression.”

Nelson will receive the prize in Washington, D.C. this November and be celebrated with a series of special events.

BMI will introduce six top executives from the worlds of TV, film, and advertising to Nashville in a unique way in August when it hosts Sync THIS! Aug. 11-12. The invitation-only event will provide a creative setting for artists and tastemakers from the Nashville community to foster relationships with music supervisors at the top of their fields and will feature an informative panel, special performances, and private dinners at two new Music City restaurants.

“I’m so excited for this opportunity to bring music supervisors together with talented BMI performers,” said Penny Gattis, Associate Director, Writer/Publisher Relations. “We’re not only showing off the top songwriting talent in Nashville, but also the culinary talent, proving why Nashville is a top destination for all things creative.”

On the first night, East Nashville will be featured with a dinner at POP, hosted by house chef Daniel Herget and restaurateur/chef Sarah Gavigan. A performance by The Muddy Magnolias, DeRobert & The Half-Truths, and Tony Joe White will follow at the Basement East, and Keith Gattis and Friends will cap off the night at an after-party showing off Nashville’s top musicians late into the evening.

The second evening will highlight West Nashville with a dinner at Chauhan Ale House, the new Indian fusion restaurant from Chef Maneet Chauhan. Following the meal, music for the evening will be provided by NF, Lees of Memory and Future Unlimited at the High Watt.

Sync THIS! is being presented by BMI, City National Bank, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Production Music and Capitol CMG to create new opportunities for sync revenue for local songwriters and music publishers.

Rosanne Cash will be the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s 2015 artist-in-residence, where she will present intimate performances on Sept. 2, 3, and 24, at 7:00 p.m.

The first evening, Sept. 2, will feature a full-band performance of her Grammy-winning current album The River and the Thread for the first time in Nashville. The concert will also include favorites from a career spanning almost four decades.

The second evening, Sept. 3, will feature special guests Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams, marking the first time all three women have shared the stage for an entire evening. The first two performances will take place in the museum’s 800-seat CMA Theater.

The third installment of the residency, on Sept. 24, will be held in the museum’s more intimate Ford Theater and will feature Cash with her husband, producer, guitarist, co-writer, and creative partner, John Leventhal.

“Our annual artist residency is in its thirteenth year,” said museum CEO Kyle Young, “and every year audiences have been entertained and inspired by the creativity and generosity of our featured artists. Rosanne Cash, this year’s artist-in-residence, comes to us at the top of her game. On her latest release, The River and the Thread, Rosanne explores her deep roots in the South and delivers some of her best work in an already illustrious career. We are thrilled to welcome her for what are sure to be three unforgettable performances. It is a bonus that she takes the stage for her residency while her father is featured in a special museum exhibit, Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats.”

Ticket prices range from $45-$65 for the Sept. 2 and 3 shows and $85 for Sept. 24 (plus ticketing fee). Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 17, and can be purchased at ticketfly.com. Ticket sales are limited to six tickets per transaction for Sept. 2 and 3 and four tickets per transaction for Sept. 24.

Museum members are eligible for pre-sale beginning at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 9. To purchase a museum membership, visit countrymusichalloffame.org.

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Additionally, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has added three members to its events and catering culinary team. Coming on board are Bobby Hammock, executive chef; David Gordon-Somers, executive sous chef; and Ian Coppock, sous chef; who join sous chef Grace Curley. Collectively, the group brings more than 100 years of culinary experience. It has been a year of growth for the division following completion of a 210,000 square foot expansion last year that created a number of new event spaces and an increase in demand for catering services.

“Last year we hosted more than 400 private events at the museum, a 200 percent increase over 2013. And this year we are on track for even more,” says Sharon Brawner, senior vice president/sales and marketing at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

The museum’s Two Twenty-Two Grill is also going through renovations and being updated later this summer and will include a refreshed menu and full service dining.