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 Dierks Bentley Sets Funny or Die Record with “Drunk on a Plane”

Greenroom PRAfter performing for more than 50,000 fans on the Riser tour this weekend, Dierks Bentley takes to TV to reach an even wider audience. He plays the Today show Tuesday morning on NBC, before singing his hit “I Hold On” that evening on ACM Presents:  An All-Star Salute to the Troops on CBS. Wednesday night finds Dierks on the Late Show with David Letterman.

Last week, Dierks debuted his video for “Drunk on a Plane” on Funny or Die, getting the most votes for “funny” in the website’s history.

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By |2014-05-19T18:00:19-05:00May 19th, 2014|Music News|Comments Off on  Dierks Bentley Sets Funny or Die Record with “Drunk on a Plane”

Kenny Chesney and Reese Witherspoon Recreate a Johnny & June Moment

Sony Music NashvilleReese Witherspoon reprised her role as June Carter Cash for a moment Saturday night, as Kenny Chesney called her onstage to sing "Jackson" at the House of Blues in New Orleans. The occasion was a fundraiser for Matthew McConaughey and Drew Brees' charities, called Just Keep Livin' and Dream Foundation, respectively.

Afterwards, the Oscar winner Instagrammed a photo of her performance with Kenny, with the hashtag "amazing night." Reese won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2006 for her portrayal of Johnny Cash's wife in Walk the Line.

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By |2014-05-19T18:00:12-05:00May 19th, 2014|Music News|Comments Off on Kenny Chesney and Reese Witherspoon Recreate a Johnny & June Moment

Tim McGraw Shows Off His Fitness for Men’s Health

Greenroom PRTim McGraw reveals his latest secrets for staying in tip-top shape, as he steps onto the cover of the July/August issue of Men’s Health. The magazine is also treating two fans to the VIP treatment at Tim’s June 27 stop on the Sundown Heaven Town Tour. The winner scores roundtrip airfare and a two-night hotel stay in Chicago as well. You can enter to win on the Men’s Health website.

This isn’t the first time the magazine has put a country star front and center, featuring Kenny Chesney on the June 2012 cover. Tim’s issue goes on sale June 24.

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By |2014-05-19T14:01:01-05:00May 19th, 2014|Music News|Comments Off on Tim McGraw Shows Off His Fitness for Men’s Health

Keith Urban Plans Performance with Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr. for American Idol Finale

FOXEven though Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick, Jr. are hoping to perform together Wednesday on American Idol, deciding what to sing hasn’t been easy.

“The three of us have been trying to figure out a song we can do for the final,” Keith says. “It's proved to be a bit challenging to find one song that works for all three of us, 'cause we are very, very different musically and vocally even. So we may put together several songs in sequence that we can do.”

Keith says that’s when having a record producer around comes in handy.

“We got Randy Jackson on that trying to figure out a game plan… but I hope we get to do that 'cause I'd really like to sing with them, both of them.”

Find out what the judges come up with, Wednesday at 8 p.m. Eastern on the American Idol season finale on Fox.

 

By |2014-05-19T10:00:06-05:00May 19th, 2014|Music News|Comments Off on Keith Urban Plans Performance with Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr. for American Idol Finale

Luke Bryan Named Top Country Artist at Billboard Music Awards

Image Credit: Joseph LlanesLuke Bryan won two awards, including top country artist, Sunday at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.  Luke also won top country album for Crash My Party.

Florida Georgia Line took home the Billboard trophy for top country song for their hit "Cruise.”

Luke and Florida Georgia Line teamed up for a rendition of “This Is How We Roll.” Luke later performed "Play It Again.”

Carrie Underwood received the fan-voted Milestone Award.  Backstage, Carrie told reporters, "It's always a wonderful surprise when my name is called, and I know my fans love to vote and they're so supportive."

Carrie and Miranda Lambert debuted their new collaboration "Somethin' Bad" on the show, and Carrie said backstage, "It was so much fun...I felt like we got to be strong women onstage and feed off each other, and it was just a great performance in my head! I hope I go back and watch it and think that still!"

Carrie also said work on her new album was looking "really good."

Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard said backstage the duo enjoyed the show's mix of different genres.  "For us, growing up listening to country radio, pop, rock, Christian, everything, all across the map, it's the coolest thing to see so many amazing people gather for one common goal and one common love and that's music." The duo also said they were expecting to release a new album in October.

Backstage, Luke was asked about the fact that he appeared to be drinking while sitting in the audience. He copped to it. "I've learned that the right amount of drinks chills you out for award shows so, there's a perfect little threshold.  Yeah, we keep it a little 'under the chair!'"

He also spoke about bringing his kids with him to Las Vegas and attempting to explain Sin City's appeal to them. "I was like, 'You know how y'all love Disney World?  Well, Vegas is mommy and daddy's Disney World. So they kinda understood after that!"

Michael Jackson was brought back to life -- sort of -- on Sunday night. A hologram of the King of Pop, surrounded by real-life backup dancers, performed "Slave to the Rhythm," off the recently-released posthumous album Xscape. Wearing red pants and a golden jacket, the hologram showed off many of MJ's patented moves -- the spins, the gyrations, the kicks into the air.

Justin Timberlake was the night's biggest winner, collecting seven awards, including top artist.

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By |2014-05-19T05:00:48-05:00May 19th, 2014|Music News|Comments Off on Luke Bryan Named Top Country Artist at Billboard Music Awards

Brantley Gilbert Bares His Soul About Breakup with Jana Kramer on “Just As I Am”

ValoryFor fans who want to know the intimate details of Brantley Gilbert's breakup with Jana Kramer, you'll find the answers on his new CD, Just As I Am.

"It was the real thing," he says of the romance.  "We went at it. We went at it hard and fast. It's definitely a love story that's a huge part of my life, always will be, and I was proud to represent it on the record. It's part of that chapter."

Since he's been writing and recording, Brantley says he's always been brutally honest about his life. So it really wasn't an option to leave out even an unpleasant part.

"The past four-and-a-half years there was a lot of the good, and the bad and the ugly in there," he says, looking back on his country career so far. "I didn't skip anything... I take a lot of pride in being able to say I don't sing anything I don't write on. I don't write about anything I hadn't been through. I tell people, these albums are chapters of my life. Well, if you're gonna say that you damn well ought to live by it."

Brantley met Jana in June of 2012, and by January of the next year, he and the actress-turned-singer were engaged. But by August of 2013, they'd called off the wedding.  He's quick to say rumors that circulated about the breakup were false, and what really happened is much less exciting.

"The stories that came up around that thing, I'll be the first one to tell you, they're not true. Obviously there's a situation in relationships that exist where things just don’t work," he says candidly. "That's what happened to us."

In fact, Brantley says the gossip about his ill-fated love affair actually reminds him of high school, and he's still somewhat mad about it.

"The stories that were surrounding that whole deal that were made up -- I had heard that Nashville was the biggest small town in America. I graduated with 66 people. Now, we could come up with a hella some stories. You know what I mean, and bend the truth like nobody's business without breaking it, but when that happened and that went down, that was really the one thing that would make me pretty angry, and there's some folks that's lucky they ain't got a dent in their head, and it ain't over," he laughs.

Even though the song "Dust" was written specifically about the breakup, Brantley's quick to point out there were some positives to come out of his time with Jana too.

"It's not just the negative things," he interjects.  "Man, there are a lot of good things. More good than bad."

In the end, Brantley says he has no hard feelings toward Jana and he wishes her well.

"She is an absolute wonderful person," he reflects. "I think the world of her. She's going to make someone a wonderful, wonderful wife -- a wonderful, wonderful mother. Just between us, things didn't work."

Just As I Am is new in stores and online today.

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By |2014-05-19T05:00:47-05:00May 19th, 2014|Music News|Comments Off on Brantley Gilbert Bares His Soul About Breakup with Jana Kramer on “Just As I Am”

Nashville Notes

Burke/Triolo Productions/ ThinkstockRosanne Cash competes against ex-husband Rodney Crowell for Artist of the Year at the 2014 Americana Honors & Awards. She's also up for Album and Song of the Year at the ceremony to be held September 17 at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium.

Steel Magnolia's Meghan Linsey is launching a PledgeMusic campaign to fund her first solo EP.

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By |2014-05-19T05:00:46-05:00May 19th, 2014|Music News|Comments Off on Nashville Notes

Country Artists Infiltrate All-Genre Categories at 2014 “Billboard” Music Awards

ABC/Dick Clark ProductionsEven though there are only three exclusively country categories at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards, country artists are extraordinarily well-represented in the all-genre nominations.

Luke Bryan takes on Beyonce, among others, in two categories:  Top Billboard 200 Artist and Top Billboard 200 Album.  He also squares off with the likes of Justin Timberlake for Top Male Artist. Luke does get some country competition for the fan-voted Milestone Award, as he and Carrie Underwood go up against Ellie Goulding, Imagine Dragons, John Legend and OneRepublic.

Taylor Swift grabs a nod for Top Social Artist, while Alan Jackson even vies for Top Christian Album, thanks to the second volume of his Precious Memories recordings. Top Duo/Group nominee Florida Georgia Line will take the stage, in addition to performances from Luke Bryan and a duet from Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert .

The 2014 Billboard Music Awards air live from Las Vegas Sunday night at 8 EST on ABC.

Here are the nominees in the country categories:

Top Country Artist

Luke Bryan
Florida Georgia Line
Darius Rucker
Blake Shelton
Taylor Swift

Top Country Album

Garth Brooks, Blame It All On My Roots
Luke Bryan, Crash My Party
Florida Georgia Line, Here's To The Good Times
The Robertsons, Duck The Halls:  A Robertson Family Christmas
Blake Shelton, Based On A True Story

Top Country Song

Luke Bryan, "Crash My Party"
Luke Bryan, "That's My Kind Of Night"
Florida Georgia Line Featuring Nelly, "Cruise"
Darius Rucker, "Wagon Wheel"
Blake Shelton Featuring Pistol Annies & Friends, "Boys 'Round Here"

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By |2014-05-18T05:00:57-05:00May 18th, 2014|Music News|Comments Off on Country Artists Infiltrate All-Genre Categories at 2014 “Billboard” Music Awards
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