On September 29, Nashville will become the official home of the world’s first public garden to honor entertainment icons with a display of namesake flowers. The Nashville Music Garden, located at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Demonbreun in the Hall of Fame Park (across from the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum) is a one-of-a-kind “Garden of the Stars” that pays tribute to the artists, songwriters, authors, television personalities, industry leaders, venues, organizations, and icons who have made a positive impact on Nashville’s entertainment community.

The Nashville Music Garden is home to the Nashville Music Garden Collection, an assortment of over six dozen flowering plants whose names include Barbara Mandrell, Grand Ole Opry, Minnie Pearl, Pretty Woman, Purple Haze, Elvis, Ring of Fire, Tennessee Waltz, Alabama, Chantilly Lace, Dolly Parton, Kiss an Angel Good Morning, Hank Williams, Reba McEntire and Amy Grant, just to name a few.

The star-studded open-to-the-public dedication ceremony, which begins at 10:30 AM on Tuesday, September 29, will be emceed by long-standing country music television personality Ralph Emery. Recent Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Barbara Mandrell and Grammy award-winner Lynn Anderson will serve as celebrity hosts. Other celebrities confirmed to attend are Patti Page, Donna Fargo, Steve Holy, Little Jimmy Dickens, Jeff Cook of Alabama, Irlene Mandrell, Marty Raybon, Janice Wendell, Joe Moscheo of the Imperials (Elvis Presley), Gunnar Nelson, songwriters Jeffrey Steele, Shane Minor, Bart Allmand and Buzz Cason, and the families of songwriter Ben Peters, The Big Bopper, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, DeFord Bailey, Minnie Pearl and Jimi Hendrix with more to be announced in the coming weeks. Officials from the State of Tennessee and Mayor Karl Dean will also be in attendance.

The first 500 attendees will receive long-stemmed Rio Roses and biscuits from the Loveless Cafe. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.nashvillemusicgarden.com.

The event is presented by LifeWorks Foundation in partnership with Metro Parks & Recreation and is sponsored by Hilton Nashville Downtown, Nashville Predators Foundation, BSA, Inc. Event Services, AVI-SPL, Rio Roses, Ilex…for Flowers, WSIX, Food Security Partners of Middle Tennessee, Nashville Rose Society, Nashville Symphony, RFD-TV and Loveless Cafe, with additional support from MidSouth Roses, Christie’s Daylilies, Daylily World, Grayson Couture, American Rose Society, The Cocoa Tree, Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum and At Your Service Chauffeuring.

Kellie Pickler’s video for her newest single, “Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You,” makes its world television premiere during CMT Top 20 Countdown tomorrow (9/11) 10:00–12:30 p.m. CT and online at CMT.com immediately following. Filmed in the Dominican Republic, the new video was directed by Roman White.

In addition, CMT Power Picks becomes CMT Power Pickler on Mon., Sept. 14 at 9:00 a.m. CT. The hour-long show will include Pickler’s entire video collection.

“Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You” can be viewed on CMT, CMT.com and the 24-hour music channel, CMT Pure.
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Universal Records South’s Phil Vassar is releasing his next single “Everywhere I Go” from his fifth studio album entitled Traveling Circus, in stores later this fall. “Everywhere I Go,” written by Vassar and Jeffrey Steele, is an emotional song about healing and remembrance. Listen to it here.
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Veronica Ballestrini’s debut album, What I’m All About, has been released exclusively online and features her lead-off single, “Amazing” which landed on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart and is quickly climbing.

Produced by Cliff Downs (Whiskey Falls, Ashley Gearing), the album contains six songs Ballestrini wrote, including the hit “Amazing” and title track “What I’m All About.” The Connecticut native offers pop-country crossover and her album will be released on TimBob Records.

Currently Veronica is on the road visiting radio and playing dates across the country with recent shows opening for Natasha Bedingfield and Eric Hutchinson.

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Bryan White’s new single, “The Little Things” has been shipped to radio with his eighth studio album, Dustbowl Dreams, set to be released digitally on Sept. 28. “The Little Things” co-written by White, James Dean Hicks and Erik Bledsoe, is available as a free download using a widget created by Maxx Company. The widget is complete with the story behind the song and a performance video of White. For a limited time, fans can view the widget and download the single on www.bryanwhite.com. He co-produced Dustbowl Dreams and co-wrote eight out of its ten songs.

White is a Grammy winner and has had six No. 1 singles, two platinum records, two gold records, and joined forces with Shania Twain for the monster hit, “From This Moment On.”

Trace Adkins will headline the Southern Shindig concert on Fri., Sept. 25 at the Loveless Barn. This event is part of the annual Soldier Ride, which honors wounded soldiers. Tickets include dinner, beer, wine and the concert, and are on sale now at www.southernshindig.org or by calling 904-405-1156. All proceeds go to programs that support America’s wounded soldiers.

The bike ride, Soldier Ride Nashville, will take place the next day (9/26). For details or to register, go to www.soldierridenashville.org.

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Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant in Historic Downtown Franklin is sponsoring a benefit concert for the American Cancer Society tonight (9/10) featuring singer-songwriters Leslie Satcher, Allen Shamblin, Big Al Anderson, and James Slater. Show begins at 7:00 p.m. Reservations are $40 and includes dinner and the concert. Call 615-794-5527. $25 of each reservation will be donated to the American Cancer Society.

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The Sound Kitchen Studios will host the We Are Building Lives concert on Oct. 8 featuring Lane Brody, Saving Abel, Mark Slaughter, Keni Thomas, Eric Lee Beddingfield, and more. There will be a meet and greet with the artists as well as a cocktail reception. Proceeds will go to We Are Building Lives’ efforts to support Nashville’s homeless veterans. Details and tickets at www.wearebuildinglives.org.

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Friends of Warner Parks will hold a Full Moon Pickin’ Party tomorrow night (9/11). Musicians and music fans alike are invited to the Steeplechase Barn at the Equestrian Center in Percy Warner Park from 7:00 –11:00 pm. This fundraiser features bluegrass music under the light of a full moon. And all the proceeds from the laid-back affair will go directly back to Warner Parks to ensure preservation, protection, funding educational programs and special projects including camp-outs and hayrides for inner city kids.

Admission is $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Children 6 and under free, $10 for 7-15 year olds. Pickers with a BLUEGRASS instrument are $5. Details and tickets may be purchased online at www.Nowplayingnashville.com.

Barbara Mandrell with Steel Guitar Hall of Fame founder DeWitt Scott ("Scotty") accepting her Hall of Fame honor. Photo: Donna Stroup

Barbara Mandrell became the first woman to be inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame at the International Steel Guitar Convention in St. Louis, MO on Saturday, September 5.

Known as the “Sweetheart of the Steel,” Mandrell was a multi-instrumentalist by the time she was 10. She was on tour with The Johnny Cash Show by age 13 and had her first Billboard chart record at age 21. Her NBC variety show, Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters drew nearly 40 million viewers weekly and introduced a nation to country music. Earlier this year, Mandrell was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and now accepts the honor of joining the ranks of elite masters of the steel guitar.