Swift Scores Five Teen Choice Awards

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Swift at last night's awards ceremony.

The Teen Choice 2012 Awards were presented last night at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, CA. The show aired live on FOX. Hosted by Demi Lovato and Kevin McHale, the special honored actress Kristen Stewart with the Ultimate Choice Award.

This year, teens logged on to www.teenchoiceawards.com and cast more than 134 million votes in support of their favorite celebrities from film, television, music, sports and fashion.

Taylor Swift won five surfboards:
Choice Movie Voice as Audrey, “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax”
Choice Female Artist
Choice Single by a Female Artist for “Eyes Open”
Choice Female Country Artist
Choice Country Song for “Sparks Fly”

Hunter Hayes was voted Choice Male Country Artist and Lady Antebellum took home Choice Country Group.

Last night’s wins bring Swift’s career Teen Choice award total to 20, making her the most awarded star in Teen Choice history.

See the complete winners list here.

DeMarcuses Welcome Baby Dylan

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Jay DeMarcus sported scrubs onstage at Rascal Flatts' Detroit concert on Friday. He traveled to Nashville for Dylan's birth and made it to the Motor City in time for the show.

Rascal Flatts bassist and vocalist Jay DeMarcus and his wife Allison, a former Miss Tennessee and a current CMT personality, welcomed their second child on Friday, July 20. Son Dylan Jay DeMarcus was born in Nashville at 4:02 p.m., weighing 7 pounds and 11 ounces, and measuring 20 ½ inches long.

Mom and baby are doing fine and were expected to go home from the hospital over the weekend.

Dylan joins sister Madeline Leigh who was born December 17, 2010.

Emmy Noms With Nashville Ties

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Tim McGraw and Lionel Richie at ACM Presents: Lionel Richie And Friends–In Concert

[UPDATED 7/23] It turns out that many of the same Nashvillians worked on two nominated shows listed below: ACM Presents: Lionel Richie And Friends and Country Music (In Performance At The White House). John Jarvis, Stuart Duncan, Paul Leim, David Hungate, Kerry Marx, Paul Franklin, Andrea Zonn and Arnold McCuller participated in the Washington show. Emmy nominated Music Director Steve Gibson tells MusicRow, “I share this nomination with them.” With the exception of Hungate, Leim and Franklin, this is the same group of players that worked on the Lionel Richie program. The other Nashville musicians on the Lionel Richie special were Larry Paxton, Eddie Bayers, and Tommy White, with former Nashvillian Edgar Struble as MD.

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[ORIGINAL POST]

A few folks with Nashville ties scored Primetime Emmy Nominations, revealed this morning (7/19) in Los Angeles by Jimmy Kimmel and Kerry Washington of the ABC drama Scandal. Honors will be presented in two ceremonies: Sept. 15 at the Creative Arts Awards and Ball, and Sept. 23 live on ABC-TV.

• ACM Presents: Lionel Richie And Friends – In Concert is nominated for Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Variety Series or Special. Details: CBS, Dick Clark Productions, Inc. in association with the Academy of Country Music, Paul Sandweiss (Post Production Mixer), Biff Dawes (Music Mixer), J. Mark King (Production Mixer)

• Tony Bennett: Duets II is nominated for Outstanding Variety Special. The album and related PBS television special included duets with Andrea Bocelli, Michael Buble, Natalie Cole, Sheryl Crow, Aretha Franklin, Josh Groban, Faith Hill, Norah Jones, Lady Gaga, k.d. lang, John Mayer, Willie Nelson, Queen Latifah, Alejandro Sanz, Carrie Underwood, and Amy Winehouse. The Nashville sessions were recorded at Ben’s Studio on Music Row. Details: a presentation of THIRTEEN’s Great Performances, RPM TV Productions, with Exec. Producer Danny Bennett and Producer Jennifer LeBeau. For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is series producer; David Horn is executive producer. The sessions were filmed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe.

• Matthew West is nominated for Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics for “The Heart Of Christmas,” which was used in a film by the same name. Details: My Three Sons Films, God & Country Entertainment in association with GMC.

• Country Music (In Performance At The White House) earned a nomination for Outstanding Musical Direction for Steven A. Gibson, Music Director. The show featured performances by Darius Rucker, Lyle Lovett, Kris Kristoffersen, Lauren Alaina, The Band Perry, Dierks Bentley, Alison Krauss and James Taylor. Details: PBS • WETA Washington, DC and Bounce, an AEG Company. 

Among the leading nominees is AMC’s Mad Men with 17 nods, FX’s American Horror Story with 17, the History Channel’s Hatfields & McCoys with 16, ABC’s Modern Family with 14 and Showtime series Homeland with nine. Today’s nominations reiterate the growing trend of top writers, producers and actors leaving the major broadcast networks for cable. Complete list here.

If you have more Nashville-related Emmy news, please email news@musicrow.com.

Radney Foster Marks 20th Anniversary of Acclaimed Album

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To celebrate the 20th anniversary of his acclaimed album Del Rio, TX, 1959, singer-songwriter Radney Foster will release Del Rio, Texas, Revisited: Unplugged and Lonesome on his own Devil’s River Records on Aug. 14.

Foster’s new Del Rio, TX Revisited: Unplugged and Lonesome reinvents his hallmark solo debut. “This time everyone was in the same room, with live takes with no fixes and no headphones,” says Steve Fishell, who produced the original Del Rio and played guitars on Revisited. “We have all new tempos and new grooves. Imagine the original version of Eric Clapton’s ‘Layla’ compared to his 1992 live unplugged version and you’ll get the idea.”

Gloriously transformed high watermarks include “Don’t Say Goodbye,” “A Fine Line” and “Went For A Ride.” Elsewhere are timeless favorites (“Old Silver”) and new bonus additions (“Me and John R.”). The album was recorded with musicians Dixie Chick Martie McGuire (fiddle), Jon Randall Stewart (guitar), Glenn Fukunaga (doghouse bass), Michael Ramos (keyboard) and Fishell at Austin’s Cedar Creek Recording.

Radney Foster Tour Dates:
July 21 – Grand Ole Opry, Nashville, TN
July 28 – Texas Rangers Ball Park, Arlington, TX
August 1 – Waterloo Records, Austin, TX
August 2 – KNBT Free Concert Series, New Braunfels, TX
August 4 – Ring of Fire Ranch Rodeo, Boerne, TX
August 5 – Live Oak Music Hall, Fort Worth, TX
August 8 – Opry at the Opera House, Napa, CA
August 14 – Grimey’s New & Preloved Music, Nashville, TN
August 16 – Eddie’s Attic, Decatur, GA
August 18 – Franklin Theater, Franklin, TN
August 29 – Antone’s, Austin, TX
August 30 – Dosey Doe, The Woodlands, TX
August 31 – Cheatham Street Warehouse, San Marcos, TX
September 6 – Michael Hearn’s Big Barn Dance Music Festival, Taos, NM
September 27 – Main Street Crossing, Tomball, TX
October 4 – Leaside, Columbia, SC
October 25 – Mucky Duck, Houston, TX
November 1 – Natasha’s Bistro and Bar, Lexington, KY
November 16 – Mile High Station, Denver, CO

Johnny Cash Music Festival Set For TV Broadcast

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The Johnny Cash Music Festival television special featuring performances by Rosanne Cash, John Carter Cash, Kris Kristofferson, George Jones, and Rodney Crowell is scheduled to air on GAC on July 28, PBS (check local listings) and RFD TV on July 26 and 28.

On July 31, both the Johnny Cash Music Festival 2011 DVD and a special live CD will be available in stores and online. Proceeds from sales will benefit the Johnny Cash Childhood Home Project.

The special was shot at last year’s inaugural concert. The second annual event is scheduled for Oct. 5 at 7:00 pm on the campus of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro with Willie Nelson, Dierks Bentley, the Civil Wars and Rosanne Cash.

Tickets range from $37.50, $75, and $150 (premium tickets include a meet-and-greet). Additional information and tickets are available here.

CD Track Listing
1. “Tennessee Flat Top Box” Rosanne Cash
2. “I Got Stripes” George Jones
3. “Sunday Morning Coming Down” Kris Kristofferson
4. “Daddy Sang Bass” Dailey & Vincent
5. “Wind Beneath My Wings” Gary Morris & Matt Morris
6. “Pickin’ Time” Rosanne Cash
7. “After All This Time” Rodney Crowell
8. “Same Old Me” George Jones
9. “Me And Bobby McGee” Kris Kristofferson
10. “No Memories Hanging ‘Round” Rosanne Cash & Rodney Crowell
11. “Hallelujah” Gary Morris & Matt Morris
12. “When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder” Dailey & Vincent
13. “I Still Miss Someone” Rosanne Cash

Josh Abbott Signs with Warner/Chappell

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Picture (L-R): BJ Hill, Sr. Director, A&R, Warner/Chappell; Alicia Pruitt, Sr. Director, A&R, Warner/Chappell; Josh Abbott; Steve Markland, VP, A&R, Warner/Chappell; and Phil May, GM/VP, Warner/Chappell.

Warner/Chappell Music signed a worldwide co-publishing agreement with rising country songwriter Josh Abbott of the Josh Abbott Band. Abbott recently released his record Small Town Family Dream and also just signed a recording agreement with Warner Music Nashville. Abbott’s current single, “Touch,” is at No. 43 on the country charts this week, and was co-written by Abbott, Warner/Chappell songwriter Jay Clementi and Radney Foster.

Skaggs to Exhibit Photographs at Ryman Show

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Ricky Skaggs returns to the Ryman stage Thurs., July 26 as part of the annual Springer Mountain Farms Bluegrass Nights series.

Prior to the concert, the Ryman will host a special exhibit of Skaggs’s photography in the upper lobby area of the venue. An avid photographer, he recently hosted his third exhibit in Jonesborough, TN. Skaggs captures sweeping landscapes and the reality of small town America on his Nikon D3 using Nikkor lenses. Prints from the exhibit will be available for sale. Skaggs will be available to sign artwork and other merchandise for fans approximately fifteen minutes after the end of the concert.

Entry into the exhibit is included with the concert ticket price and will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $26.50 and are on sale through the Ryman box office, online at ryman.com, or by calling (615) 889-3060.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. and will be preceded by 650 AM WSM’s “Pickin’ on the Plaza” featuring A Step Ahead from 6:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. The free plaza show takes place just outside the main entrance near the statue of Captain Tom G. Ryman. Pucketts Grocery’s food truck, Trolley Parton, will also be on the plaza starting at 5:00 p.m.

CountryBreakout No. 1 Song

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Kenny Chesney‘s “Come Over,” the second single from his fifteenth studio album Welcome To The Fishbowl, has catapulted to the No. 1 spot on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart in only ten weeks.

The hit written by Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, and Josh Osborne, has been described by Chesney as a song “about two people that are as broken as their relationship.” The song describes a couple that keep going back to each other because it’s familiar, and although the relationship has run its course, sometimes it’s easier to reconnect than move on. The sultry lyrics include:

I turn the tv off, to turn it on again
Staring at the blades of the fan as it spins around
Counting every crack, the clock is wide awake
Talking to myself, anything to make a sound

(Chorus)
I told you I wouldn’t call, I told you I wouldn’t care
But baby climbing the walls gets me nowhere
I don’t think that I can take this bed getting any colder
Come over, come over, come over, come over, come over

You can say we’re done the way you always do
It’s easier to lie to me than to yourself
Forget about your friends
You know they’re gonna say
We’re bad for each other
But we ain’t good for anyone else

Pollstar‘s mid year tour rankings list Chesney, who is on the Brothers of the Sun tour with Tim McGraw, as country music’s top grossing touring act. In other Chesney news, he will be saluted with the Crystal Milestone Award at the ACM Honors Sept. 24 at the Ryman Auditorium.

YouTube video

World Famous Headliners Debut Music Via Big Yellow Dog

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The World Famous Headliners will debut music produced by Jusin Niebank on Aug. 21 via Big Yellow Dog Music.

The group is a collaboration between hit songwriters and musicians Big Al Anderson (“All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down,” “Big Deal,” “Unbelievable,” “The Cowboy in Me”); Shawn Camp (“River of Love,” “Would You Go With Me,” “How Long Gone,” “Two Pina Coladas”); Pat McLaughlin (“Lynda,” “Tell Me About It,” “Songs About Rain”); Michael Rhodes on bass (John Fogerty, JJ Cale, Joss Stone, Bob Seger), and drummer Greg Morrow (Joe Cocker, Johnny Cash, Dixie Chicks).

The band’s team includes Al Moss handling radio promotions, Paul Lohr’s New Frontier for booking, Tamara Saviano overseeing publicity, and John Paul heading marketing and label initiatives at Big Yellow Dog.

Upcoming dates 
Aug. 19 – 3rd & Lindsley, Nashville, TN
Aug. 21 – In-store at Grimey’s New & Pre Loved Music, Nashville, TN
Oct (TBD) Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, San Francisco, CA

For more information click here.

Charlie Cook On Air: Country Olympics Edition

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We are just a week away from when the world converges on London for the start of the 2012 Olympics. The Olympics go back to about 778 BC. The Olympics have a few years on Country Music but there is a question about Little Jimmy Dickens. Apparently there is a photo of him in the first Triathlon.

I thought that it would be interesting to predict which Country Music artists would win specific events. Okay, interesting is a strong word, but you try to come up with 52 ideas for this column.

The original Olympics were held in honor of Zeus. We’re going to hold our version of the 2012 Olympics in honor of Scott Borchetta. Zeus too was the father of the sky and thunder. (As an aside…look up Zeus and tell me if he and Scott don’t go to the same barber.)

You know that NBC is providing Olympic coverage on every possible transmission form. Along with their TV networks, you will be able to view the events online and on your smartphone.

I reached out to CMT and GAC but they had no interest in our country version, so your humble reporter will be your only source for these games.

For the London Olympics countries staged time trials and preliminary events to choose the best athletes to represent their respective nations. In this version I chose the contestants and the winners. This way I could cut the two week competition to about 700 words on this page.

Okay, let’s get right to it. First a word from our sponsor: The 2012 Country Music Version of the London Olympics is brought to you by Country Radio everywhere. Tune one in today.

The US Basketball team has been in the news lately with the Dream Team verbally squaring off against this year’s team. No such controversy with our Gold Medal winning team of:
Blake Shelton
Hunter Hayes (every team needs a point guard)
Trace Adkins
Charles Kelley
Taylor Swift

Craig Morgan takes aim.

Shooting
Gold: Craig Morgan
Silver: Miranda Lambert
Bronze: Rodney Atkins
I was tempted to make a smart aleck remark here, but we have already established that these three people are armed and are good shots.

Gymnastics
Gold: Kellie Pickler
Silver: Carrie Underwood
Bronze: Sara Evans
This is going to be the most beautiful balance beam ever.

Weightlifting
Gold: Zac Brown
Silver: Toby Keith
Bronze: Lee Brice
This was very close. The order was decided on who I thought I might run into first. Plus these guys are all helping hold up their respective labels.

Judo
Gold: Kenny Chesney
Silver: Kimberly Perry
Bronze: Darn, I wish I hadn’t used Hunter Hayes earlier.

Fencing
Gold: Brad Paisley
Silver: Rodney Atkins
Bronze: John Rich
Okay here I cannot depend on your getting the connection of fencing and rapier wit so I am just going to point it out. Otherwise this makes no sense. And cut me a break on using Rodney twice after saying I wouldn’t with Hunter. This is a lot harder than it looks.

Diving
Gold: Taylor Swift
Silver: Dierks Bently
Bronze: Eddie London
This is kind of an inside joke for the Bronze. You would have to have been around Country Music for a long time. And chill out, Taylor and Dierks were not hurt badly.

Wrestling
Gold: Tim McGraw
Silver: Mike Curb
Bronze: The rest of us.

Swimming
Gold: Keith Urban
Silver: Jason Aldean
Bronze: Gary Allan
This one is strictly for the female fans. I am not sure if any of them can even swim.

And the most important of all of the events: the Decathlon. This takes strength, perseverance and the willingness to focus all of your energy on just these ten events. The most important ones for our contestants are DISCus throw, pole vault (the ability to jump others on the chart), the high jump (I will also accept the highest entry) and the marathon. This was a tough one but based on MY criteria:
Gold: George Strait
Silver: Tim McGraw
Bronze: Randy Owen

I hope that you enjoy the 2012 London Olympics. I hope that we hear the “Star Spangled Banner” after every event. Good luck to the USA team.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MusicRow.)