Alan Jackson is extending his Honky Tonk Highway Tour into 2018. This announcement follows his show-ending CMA Awards performance Wednesday night (Nov. 8), celebrating his 2017 induction to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Jackson and his band, The Strayhorns, closed out “Country Music’s Biggest Night” with back-to-back performances of “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow” and “Don’t Rock the Jukebox” (the latter with hosts Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley).

The next leg of his tour opens January 19, visiting arenas, amphitheatres, and festivals.

Jackson is again teaming up with CID Entertainment to offer fans VIP experiences at many of his 2018 shows.

Honky Tonk Highway Tour 2018

Friday, January 19 – Lexington, KY (Rupp Arena) **++
Saturday, January 20 – Little Rock, AR (Verizon Arena) ^^++
Thursday, February 8 – Independence, MO (Silverstein Eye Centers Arena) ^^
Friday, February 9 – Indianapolis, IN (Bankers Life Fieldhouse) ^^
Thursday, February 15 – San Antonio, TX (San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo) **
Friday, February 16 – Grand Prairie, TX (Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie) ^^
Friday, March 23 – Toledo, OH (Huntington Center)
Saturday, May 24 – Pittsburgh, PA (Venue TBD)
Friday, April 27 – Baltimore, MD (Royal Farms Arena)
Saturday, April 28 – Albany, NY (Times Union Center) ^^
Friday, May 4 – Tuscaloosa, AL (Tuscaloosa Amphitheatre)
Saturday, June 23 – Orange Beach, FL (The Wharf) ^^
Friday, July 27 – Central Point, OR (Country Crossing Music Festival) **
Saturday, July 28 – Mountain Home, ID (Mountain Home Country Music Festival) **
Thursday, August 16 – Vienna, VA (Wolf Trap)
Friday, August 17 – Gilford, NH (Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion) ^^
Saturday, September 15 – Charlotte, NC (Spectrum Center) ^^

**Date is already onsale
^^Tickets onsale Friday, November 17
++with special guest Lauren Alaina

Management company Maverick has acquired Big Loud Management for an undisclosed sum, according to Billboard. Big Loud Management’s artists include Florida Georgia Line, Chris Lane, and Dallas Smith, as well as non-country artists Ernest K, Matt Kearney and Mackenzie Porter.

The deal does not include Big Loud’s label and publishing divisions. In 2014, Guy Oseary launched the Maverick venture with Cortez Bryant, Ron Laffitte, Adam Leber, Gee Roberson, Scott Rodger, Larry Rudolph, and Caron Veazey. Nashville management company Spalding Entertainment joined the Maverick umbrella in 2014. In Nashville, Big Loud Management and Spalding will maintain separate offices.

Among the collective’s additional clients are Britney Spears, Madonna, U2, Shania Twain, and more.

Big Machine Label Group hosted its annual CMA Awards After Party in Nashville at FGL House to celebrate “Country Music’s Biggest Night” and the reunion of Sugarland.

BMLG’s Reba McEntire, Ronnie Dunn and Thomas Rhett were part of the awards show’s all-star opening, singing “Hold My Hand.” McEntire performed “Legends” alongside Kelsea Ballerini as well as presented Entertainer of the Year to Garth Brooks to close the show. Thomas Rhett performed his latest chart-topping single “Unforgettable.”

Brett Young presented Song of the Year to Little Big Town, who accepted on behalf of BMLG labelmate Taylor Swift for penning the band’s “Better Man.” (Swift’s highly-anticipated sixth studio album reputation will be released tomorrow).

Alongside label family, friends and industry executives BMLG President/CEO Scott Borchetta toasted with Big Machine Platinum Filtered Premium Vodka to the return of Sugarland, who had presented on the awards show earlier in the night. At the after-party, Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush took the stage to perform smash hits including “Baby Girl” and “Stay.”

Among those in attendance were Mayor Megan Barry, NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson and ABC’s The Bachelorette’s Luke Pell.

Photos Courtesy of Getty Images for BMLG

 

Tanya Tucker has joined recently-launched public relations company Adkins Publicity.

Tucker is the latest in a string of signings with the company, which owner Scott Adkins launched after exiting Webster PR. Others recently added to the Adkins Publicity roster include Gene Watson, Lucas Hoge, Phil Vassar, The Bellamy Brothers, Naomi Judd and Billy Ray Cyrus.

Tucker, a CMA and ACM-winning vocalist known for hits including “Delta Dawn,” “Two Sparrows In A Hurricane,” and “A Little Too Late,” recently performed on TBN’s Huckabee, NBC’s TODAY Show and graced the cover of Closer Weekly. She also recently appeared on Inside Edition, Fox News Edge, The Insider, Lifeminute, Celebrity Page and SiriusXM.