Mary Steenburgen and Friends In-The-Round Friday

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Mary Steenburgen has recruited her songwriting friends for a special in-the-round performance on Fri., Oct. 14 at the Hermitage Hotel.

The Academy Award®-winning actress has been coming to Nashville to write in recent years and has been working with stellar tunesmiths who will join her at the upcoming show including Shawn Camp, Kim Carnes, Trent Dabbs, Kat Danson, Barry Dean, Natalie Hemby, Audrey Dean Kelley, Luke Laird, Lori McKenna, and Troy Verges.

The event corresponds with the Southern Festival of Books & Americana Music Festival and proceeds benefit The Oxford American, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Tickets are $250 per person. Click here to purchase, or call 501-320-5730.

Check MusicRow.com tomorrow morning for an exclusive interview with Steenburgen.

Nashvillians Among American Music Awards Nominees

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American Music Awards nominees were revealed today, and the list includes several Nashville artists. The show will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Sun., Nov. 20 on ABC.

Adele leads with four nominations. Among the artists with multiple nods are Taylor Swift and The Band Perry with three each, and Jason Aldean with two. See Nashville list below.

Country Music
Favorite Male Artist: Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton
Favorite Female Artist: Sara Evans, Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift
Favorite Band, Duo or Group: The Band Perry, Zac Brown Band, Lady Antebellum
Favorite Album: Jason Aldean, My Kinda Party; The Band Perry, The Band Perry; Taylor Swift, Speak Now

Contemporary Inspirational
Favorite Artist: Casting Crowns, Tobymac, Third Day

Artist of the Year
Taylor Swift, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lil Wayne, Katy Perry

Sprint New Artist Of The Year
Hot Chelle Rae (Pop/Rock category)
The Band Perry (Country category)
Thompson Square (Country category)

American Music Awards® nominees are selected from both BigChampagne’s Ultimate Chart and Mediabase. For the fifth year, winners will be determined by online fan voting. Details on voting, and complete nominations list at AMA.abc.com.

 

“Footloose” Premiere Pics

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The premiere of Footloose has held last week at the Franklin Theatre. The flick starring Julianne Hough and others opens nationwide on Friday (10/14). Catch Blake Shelton performing the signature song tonight (10/11) on the Dancing with the Stars results show on ABC at 8:00 PM CST.

All photos by Alan Mayor.

The cast and director (L-R): actor Miles Teller, director Craig Brewer, actor Kenny Wormald, actress Julianne Hough and soundtrack star Blake Shelton.

 

Big and Rich ft. Gretchen Wilson perform "Fake ID" on the soundtrack

Whitney Duncan contributes "So Sorry Mama" to the soundtrack.

Jason Aldean Delivers

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MusicRow staffers and Jason Aldean. (L-R) Back—Jon Freeman, David M. Ross and Sherod Robertson; Middle—Michelle Stephens and Caitlin Rantala; Front—Christie King, Sarah Skates and Jason Aldean.

Jason Aldean stopped by MusicRow’s corporate world headquarters on 17th Ave. S. to say, “Thanks” and deliver a double platinum/2 million units sold plaque for his latest album, My Kinda Party.

“I still remember,” laughed Aldean, “my first-ever award was presented by MusicRow during its CRS party in 2006. It was a CountryBreakout Chart Award.”

Aldean’s star has been exploding. He set attendance records this past summer with his My Kinda Party tour which has been extended into 2012.

Aldean is also tied for the most CMA nominations with five nods for the 45th Annual Awards, including his first ever in the categories of Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year. His current Top 20 single “Tattoos On This Town” is the fourth release off his double platinum album My Kinda Party and follows three consecutive platinum-certified and No. 1 hits for the disc. Aldean currently claims the top selling country album of the year.

Aldean’s RIAA Album Awards
Jason Aldean/Gold/11-8-05; Platinum/3-6-07
Relentless/Gold/10-1-07
Wide Open/Gold/6-24-09; Platinum/11-30-09
My Kinda Party/Gold/12-7-10; Platinum/1-14-11; Double Platinum/9-7-11

Toby Keith: New No. 1, New Song, New Video

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TKO Artist Management celebrated Toby Keith's No. 1 single, "Made In America," at this past weekend's Atlanta stop on his standing-room only Locked & Loaded Tour Presented by Ford F-Series. (Back, L-R): TK Kimbrell - Pres./Owner, Berkley Myers - Assist. to TK, Laura Covington - Dir. of Special Markets, Toby Ketih, Cassie Petty - General Manager, Alex Bridge - Artist Representative, Taylor Shults - Artist Representative, (Front, L-R): Emily Jennings - Receptionist, Misha Williams - Publishing Administrator & Jessica Johnston - Office Assist.

Toby Keith celebrates his 29th No. 1 single, “Made In America.” It topped MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart and is one of the fastest rising releases of his career.

For Keith, the song is almost an unexpected hit. “I’ve done so much patriotic stuff that I have people sending me and bringing me those kinds of ideas daily,” he says. “And when I hear most of this stuff it’s like, I’ve already done that. I’ve already done my warrior song— ‘American Soldier.’ I’ve already done my battle cry— ‘Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue.’ I’ve already done my fun uptempo— ‘American Ride.'”

Frequent Keith co-writer Bobby Pinson offered up an idea anyway. “We got to talking about how when we were kids, if your car broke down your dad could take a wrench, WD40, bailing wire and a screw driver and about fix it,” Keith explains. “We jumped on that, started writing. I just couldn’t get past thinking that my old man was that old man.”

“Made In America” is one of 11 new tracks on Clancy’s Tavern, which will be released Oct. 24. A Deluxe Edition also includes four extra songs that are covers recorded live at Keith’s 2010 Incognito Bandito club show at The Fillmore in New York City.

A new song from Keith’s Clancy’s Tavern is “Red Solo Cup,” an ode to the classic party beverage receptacle written by Brett and Jim Beavers with Brad and Brett Warren. The four writers also star in the song’s video.

Guests in the clip include TV host Craig Ferguson; sports icons Roger Clemens and Larry Bird; fishing guru Jimmy Houston; entertainers Jeff Dunham (with Bubba J), Carrot Top and Lance Burton; and fellow recording artists Sammy Hagar, Ted Nugent, Eric Church, Joe Nichols, JT Hodges, Carter’s Chord, Rose Falcon and Trailer Choir’s Butter.

 

Mat Kearney Sets Hometown Show

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Mat Kearney

Nashville singer-songwriter Mat Kearney has announced a homecoming tour date Oct. 20 at the Cannery Ballroom. Kearney is currently on a headlining tour supporting his latest album Young Love, which was released in August and hit No. 1 on iTunes and No. 4 on Billboard. Following the Nashville show, Kearney’s tour will continue through Nov. 20 in Minneapolis, MN. Full dates here.

Kearney also recently performed a special acoustic set on a New York City rooftop for Baeble Sessions, offering selections from Young Love including his current hit “Hey Mama” (video below). Check out the performance video, as well as an exclusive interview, here.

 

Watch the full video at Baeblemusic.com

Lambert Goes Hipstamatic

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Miranda Lambert has teamed with the popular iPhone app Hipstamatic to offer fans an exclusive “Listen & Create” contest merging her music with the app’s unique analog camera settings.

For the contest, fans will hear the premiere of Lambert’s song “Mama’s Broken Heart” from her forthcoming Four The Record, and submit photos using Hipstamatic’s numerous lens, flash, and film options for a chance to win an autographed guitar.

“Listen & Create” is live now here and ends Oct. 18. Hipstamatic is one of the best-selling iPhone apps of all time, and Apple named it “App of the Year” for 2010.

Lambert’s Four The Record is due Nov. 1, and she will perform on the 45th Annual CMA Awards live from the Bridgestone Arena Nov. 9. She’s nominated for CMA Female Vocalist of the Year, an honor she won last year, as well as Musical Event of the Year for her collaboration on Loretta Lynn’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”

The Band Perry, Triple In One

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The Band Perry‘s hit single, “If I Die Young,” has been certified Triple Platinum for sales exceeding 3 million. This milestone arrives as the family band marks the first anniversary of the release of its self-titled debut album on Republic Nashville.

The Band Perry will also perform on ABC’s top-rated Dancing with the Stars the Results Show on Tuesday, Oct. 18 and will soon announce a list of upcoming appearances that will take them through the remainder of 2011.

“Although we’ve planned, prepared and prayed for this moment for the past thirteen years, we’re still a little overwhelmed by the warm welcome we’ve been given,” said Kimberly, Neil and Reid Perry. “Birthdays have always been celebrated big in this family, so to have a one-year-old album and hear that ‘If I Die Young’ has touched so many people; it makes us feel that we’re sharing our celebration with all of you.”

“It’s hard to believe that all of these incredible accolades have come from The Band Perry’s very first album…but they have! What an amazing way to celebrate the one year anniversary of their debut release with 5 CMA Award Nominations, a Dancing with the Stars performance and a certified Triple Platinum single with ‘If I Die Young!'” said Jimmy Harnen, Republic Nashville President.

McBride’s Train Trek Promotes Music and Breast Cancer Awareness

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Martina McBride’s epic coast to coast train ride, dubbed Eleven Across America is underway traveling from Los Angeles to New York City. The Amtrak-sponsored journey is timed to promote the artist’s new album Eleven, in stores today (Tues.) and also raise support for breast cancer. A crowd of press, fans and breast cancer survivors all climbed aboard the Pink Together Express in Los Angeles on Monday morning, and began the journey to Flagstaff, AZ the train’s first stop.

Day one included the Flagstaff arrival at 2 a.m. and a warm welcome from over 600 fans who filled the train station. Arrival times are purposely being kept secret until close to the last minute, so fans are spreading the word and keeping in touch via social networks like Twitter and Facebook. Martina’s website also has a special blog covering her daily reports daily. Martina told the crowd, “This is what it’s all about, making a memory together, and this is a memory we’ll share forever.”

One of the songs on the new album, “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” is, as Martina explains, “A very moving song about someone loving someone through breast cancer. When I first heard the song I was so touched by it.”

That song is one of the reasons why this promotional adventure is being used to do more than just draw attention to music, it’s also about helping to draw attention and support for breast cancer awareness month. In fact, Martina will light New York’s Empire State building pink at the close of this Eleven Across America journey, an event sponsored by the Stanford Women’s Cancer Center.

For up to the minute reports and details of where the train will stop check @martinamcbride on Twitter.

(Stop #3 is Albuquerque, N.M. 10/11 @12:38 am)

Martina, standing in front of her specially bannered train, talks with the 2 a.m. fans and well-wishers in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Magic Mustang Ropes New Creative Director

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Keithan Melton

Magic Mustang Music has added Keithan Melton as Creative Director for the publishing company where he will be involved in all day-to-day creative activities.

Most recently Melton was in a similar role at Wide Open Music Group. He previously spent three years as the Creative Director for Sea Gayle Music. Over the course of Melton’s career he has placed songs with Trace Adkins, Jake Owen, Danny Gokey, Love and Theft, James Otto, Blake Wise and more.

“We’ve been very fortunate to be able to grow so quickly as a company,” says Magic Mustang Sr. Creative Director Juli Newton-Griffith. “With the hiring of Keithan, who has been able to hit the ground running, we have the perfect addition to our team.” The company represents songwriters Jason Aldean, Thompson Square, Sherrie Austin, Ash Bowers, Rob Hatch, Kristy Lee Cook, Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, John Edwards, Rich Redmond and Westin Davis.

Melton is already on the job and can be contacted at [email protected].