Americana Assc.’s Star Lyric Sheet Auction

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lyric1

Parton's lyrics to "I Will Always Love You"

Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Bon Jovi are among the superstar artists and songwriters who have donated handwritten lyric sheets to an auction to benefit the Americana Music Association.

The auction is the centerpiece of an evening of entertainment called An American Artform, which includes performances by acclaimed singer/songwriter John Hiatt and friends. Tickets also include cocktails and hors d’ouerves from the Clean Plate Club.

An American Artform will take place Monday, Dec. 14 at Tinney Contemporary Gallery in Downtown Nashville from 6:00-9:00 p.m. Tickets are $75 per person and may be purchased only by calling the Americana Music Association 615-386-6936.

Nelson's lyrics to "On The Road Again"

Nelson's lyrics to "On The Road Again"

Artists who have donated the personally handwritten and signed lyrics include: Bon Jovi, Jimmy Dale Gilmore, Buddy Miller, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patty Griffin, Willie Nelson, Rosanne Cash, Nanci Griffith, John Oates, Guy Clark, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Cowboy Jack Clement, John Hiatt, Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, Monty Holmes & Leslie Satcher, John Prine, Rodney Crowell, Jack Ingram, Darrell Scott, Joe Ely, Miranda Lambert, JD Souther, Phil Everly, Jim Lauderdale, Marty Stuart, Jimmy Fadden, Michael McDonald, Chip Taylor, Peter Frampton, James McMurtry, Dan Tyminski, Mary Gauthier, Tift Merritt, and Lucinda Williams.

To view the artwork and bid online go to www.americanamusicauction.com.

Tonight: Carrie’s Christmas Special W/ Paisley, Parton

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carrieCarrie Underwood headlines a two-hour holiday variety special tonight (12/7) on FOX. She will perform Christmas classics, as well as music from her new album Play On and her other monster hits.

Underwood will be joined on stage by special musical guests including fellow Country stars Dolly Parton and Brad Paisley. Also on board to appear are David Cook, Kristin Chenoweth, Christina Applegate and Sons of Sylvia. Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special airs tonight at 7 PM/CT on FOX.

Hit Songwriters Set For Nashville Underground Show

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nuNashville Underground, the record label started by artist/songwriters/husband-and-wife team Lari White and Chuck Cannon to showcase Music City’s elite group of tunesmiths is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this month.

Lari White

Lari White

They’ve lined up an all-star concert of hit writers and put together a new 4-disc retrospective set to mark the occasion. Performing at 3rd & Lindsley on Dec. 10 at 7 PM, will be Bob DiPiero, Chuck Jones, Jill Colucci, Danny Flowers, Gary Burr, Angela Kaset, Victoria Shaw, Pam Rose, Mary Ann Kennedy, and Stephen Allen Davis.

The box set called 10 Years of Nashville Underground – The Complete Sampler Series Vol. I-IV is available for pre-order at www.nashvilleunderground.com for $19.95. Pre-order customers will receive a free autographed copy of Cannon’s Love and Money CD and a Nashville Underground T-shirt.

Chuck Cannon

Chuck Cannon

Tickets to the 10th Anniversary concert are $10 and can be purchased in advance at www.3rdandlindsley.com or at the door. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the NSAI legislative fund.

Jason Aldean Goes Platinum

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jason aldean newOnly eight months after its release, Jason Aldean’s third studio album Wide Open has been certified Platinum by the RIAA for shipments of one million copies. This makes Aldean the first solo country artist in 2009 to release an album that earned Platinum status in the same calendar year. Wide Open sales were spurred by the No. 1 hits “She’s Country” and “Big Green Tractor.”

Aldean’s first live DVD Wide Open Live & More has also been certified Gold as he wraps up the best year of his career. And he shows no signs of slowing down as his single “The Truth” hits No. 15 on MusicRow’s Country Breakout chart this week.

“Getting my first platinum album back in 2006 was one of the proudest moments in my career so far,” said the Broken Bow Records artist. “Put this one at the top of that list too. 2009 was a really special year for me, and I have so much to be thankful for going into the holidays!”

Brooks And Dunn Map “Last Rodeo”

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brooksdoneBrooks & Dunn are going out with a bang. After announcing their pending retirement earlier this year, the duo has planned a farewell tour launching April 23, 2010 and running through August 8, 2010. The Last Rodeo will be a celebration of their 20 hitmaking years together, with 47 shows including a yet-to-be-announced Nashville stop.

Brian O’Connell, concert promoter Live Nation’s President of Nashville Touring, is helping oversee the nationwide run. The tour follows the recent release of Brooks & Dunn’s career-spanning double-disc collection, #1s … and then some.

Hall of Fame Extends Williams Family Exhibition

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wmsThe Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s critically acclaimed exhibition Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy, Co-Presented by SunTrust and Ford Motor Company, which was originally scheduled to close on December 31, 2009, has been extended through December 31, 2011. The Museum will expand the exploration of the Williams family’s legacy with the addition of new artifacts on loan from the family and other sources. Installation will be complete in March 2010.

CMHOFAccording to Director Kyle Young, Family Tradition has been the most popular and critically acclaimed exhibit in the Museum’s history. “This is due not only to the family’s iconic stature and its influence on generations of artists,” he said, “but also because of the participation of the members of the Williams family, each of whom has generously loaned us heirlooms and artifacts, and helped to tell the truest and most complete story about their family to date.”

The museum is also preparing to unveil additions and revisions to its core exhibition, Sing Me Back Home: A Journey Through Country Music, in May 2010. It will be expanded, updated, and reinvigorated with new exhibits, new themes, new content, a new look, and more video and audio.

Check out the Hall’s updated Web site here.

Martell Fun Run A Big Success

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- The T.J. Martell Foundation recently surprised the Creative Artist Agency's staff at their weekly Wednesday morning meeting with an assortment of hot, delicious Dunkin' Donuts and classic coffee as a sweet reward for leading the Music Industry Challenge in support of the upcoming 2nd annual Dunkin' Donuts Family Fun Run & Walk-A-Thon

The T.J. Martell Foundation recently surprised the CAA staff with Dunkin' Donuts as a reward for leading the Music Industry Challenge in support of the Dunkin' Donuts Family Fun Run & Walk-A-Thon.

The 2nd Annual Dunkin’ Donuts Family Fun Run & Walk-A-Thon was a sweet success, drawing a crowd of over 600 families for the recent 5K race in Nashville’s Centennial Park, and netting $30,000 for the T.J. Martell Foundation. Hosted by Eddie and Taj George and Family, the event featured energetic performances by teen favorites pureNRG, Madison Cain and actor/singer Luke Benward, plus a family picnic and games.

Taj and Eriq George with Star Wars Characters at the Dunkin' Donuts Family

Organizers Taj and Eriq George with Star Wars characters at the Family Fun Run

On race day, the final tallies came in for the T.J. Martell Music Industry Challenge and Creative Artist Agency (CAA) was named the winner for recruiting the largest team with over 34 individuals participating. As the grand prize winner, CAA is receiving the music industry team trophy and a Dunkin’ Donuts breakfast bash.

“I give the credit to CAA agent and team coach Blake McDaniel who is an avid runner and daily inspired our staff to rally around such a great cause,” said John Huie, Co-Head of CAA Nashville and T.J. Martell Foundation Board Member. “I challenge anyone else in the music business to try and beat us next year!”

Proceeds will benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation’s mission of funding innovative cancer research at the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

Rascal Flatts Opt For Digital-Only Holiday EP

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rfRascal Flatts have a new seasonal EP available only at digital music outlets. Unwrapped features the holiday classics “White Christmas,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Jingle Bell Rock” and an a cappella rendition of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” Bundled along with these tracks is the music video for “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” which was filmed during an overnight shoot at New York City’s historic Roosevelt Hotel.

The Lyric Street group has had major success with digital sales, amounting to a total of 22.5 million paid digital downloads.

Huffman Rice Open Bus Driver Training Program

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busChip Huffman, President of tour bus company Nitetrain Coach Co., and longtime music business executive Tandy Rice of Top Billing, have partnered to launch Huffman & Rice, offering bus driver training and driver placement. The first session of The Celebrity Bus Drivers Academy will be held Wednesday, March 3 through Saturday, March 6, 2010 at the Williamson County Agricultural Center in Franklin, Tenn.

A transportation executive for 20 years, Huffman co-founded Nitetrain Coach in 1986. The company provides 50-60 buses (all Prevost Le Mirage XL II’s, primarily slide-outs) as year-round tour transportation for artists including Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Kings of Leon, Korn and Tool.

Rice has owned Top Billing, Inc. since 1968, and has worked with such superstars as Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner. More recently he helped start the George Jones University, and was an adjunct music business professor at Belmont University.

Read more from the Nashville Post. For more information or to apply to the Academy, contact Rice at 615-297-2771 or log on to www.huffman-rice.com.

John Rich, Steel Magnolia, Carter’s Chord at Christmas Parade Tonight

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Carter's Chord

Carter's Chord

Steel Magnolia and Carter’s Chord are among the performers at tonight’s (12/4) tree lighting ceremony to kick off the Nashville Christmas Parade, where John Rich will serve as grand marshal. The tree lighting ceremony is at 6 p.m., with Rich and Mayor Karl Dean at the Public Square, near the intersection of Second Avenue and Union Street. Fireworks will follow at 7 p.m., and then the parade at 7:15 p.m.

Hosted by Piedmont Natural Gas, the parade starts at 6th and Broadway and continues east to 2nd Avenue before crossing the Woodland Street Bridge to the LP Field. The entire event will be recorded for later broadcast on Nashville TV station, Metro Channel 3.

The parade will cause road closures starting at 4 p.m. Adding to downtown traffic tie-ups tonight will a 5K run, the Gaither Homecoming concert, and regular rush hour.

The 2009 parade theme is “Share the Warmth of the Holidays.” Proceeds benefit Share The Warmth, an energy assistance program that helps those who struggle to pay their home energy bills.