Country Music

Filed under: Country News The story of June Carter Cash comes to life in the Lifetime TV movie 'Ring of Fire,' starring Jewel. The folk singer plays Johnny Cash's wife in a made-for-television movie that's centered around her life and career before and during her marriage to the Man in Black. Jewel filmed the movie in Atlanta last year, tweeting more than one picture of herself dressed as Carter Cash. The resemblance is uncanny. In March, a four-minute scene from the movie was revealed at Rolling Stone. Despite a lack of acting credits, Jewel had no trouble capturing the flirty, feisty and funny charm of the late songstress.

Filed under: Country News George Strait's new album is full of No. 1s for the country legend. One week after the lead single 'Give It All You Got Tonight' became Strait's 60th No. 1 single, 'Love Is Everything' debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard country album sales charts. Strait's latest project moved just under 120,000 copies in its street week, good for No. 2 across all genres behind rockers Vampire Weekend. Lady Antebellum is the closest country competitor. The trio is at No. 5 on the all-genre chart with 56,000 copies of 'Golden' sold in its second week available.

Filed under: Country News Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert are stepping up to help victims of Monday's EF5 tornado that decimated areas of Moore, Okla. The 'Mama's Broken Heart' singer's MuttNation Foundation is one of three animal charities on the scene to help displaced animals and families with nowhere to put their pets while they recover. According to KOTV-TV, Oklahoma's Secretary of Agriculture Jim Reese invited MuttNation to assist. Along with Red Star Rescue and North Shore Animal League, Lambert's pet charity have deployed two mobile rescue vehicles. "I'm so proud that MuttNation Foundation can help even a little," Lambert posted on her Facebook page Thursday afternoon.

Filed under: Country News Nominees for the 2013 Teen Choice Awards are trickling in, and Taylor Swift is among the stars with the most nods. Her three nominations are the most for acts in country music. No other country singer is nominated for an award outside of the country categories. While more nominees are expected to be announced, Swift's current honors include nods in the Choice Female Artist, Choice Female Country Artist and Choice Smile categories. She's up against two ex-boyfriends in the latter category: Harry Styles and Taylor Lautner. Best friend Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato round out the smilers.

Reigning CMA Vocal Group of the Year Little Big Town will host the summer’s hottest television music event when ABC  airs “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” on Monday, Aug. 12th (8:00-11:00 PM/ET). “It’s an incredible honor to be hosting this year’s CMA Fest,” said Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town. “We could not [...]

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Willie Nelson and Family, headed by one of music’s most spectacular singers, songwriters and all-out showmen, will play a one-night-only cabaret-style show to benefit the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF) and the military men and women of our nation on June 5, 2013 at the Four Seasons Restaurant in New York City, it was announced [...]

Little Big Town recently took the stage at Rolling Hills Farm in Franklin, TN in an effort to raise money for Blood:Water Mission, a local non-profit committed to empowering communities to work together against the HIV/AIDS and water crises in Africa. This event is the second house concert that Little Big Town has performed for [...]

Rascal Flatts photo courtesy of Schmidt Relations. Rascal Flatts kick off their Live & Loud Tour on Friday, May 31 in Jones Beach, New York with The Band Perry and Cassadee Pope along as special guests. The band has added new tailgating events for their fans prior to the start of each show. Fans can begin their concert experience by tailgating before the show doors open in the @FarmersFans Zone, which is free. They can see a fully-customized Rascal Flatts off-road vehicle, complete with games that include some of the band’s favorite hobbies like archery and golf. Dance Y’all will also participate in the tailgate experience by teaching fans dance moves and offering them the opportunity to enter a “dance off” for a chance to dance onstage with the Farmers Insurance Dance Y’all Experience Featuring Laura Bell Bundy. Traditional tailgate games like a basketball shootout, ladder golf or a bean bag battle can be found as well. Fans can even test their Rascal Flatts knowledge with LIVE & LOUD tour trivia and sign up to win an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2013 CMA Awards in Nashville. Once the gates open, fans can visit the Farmers Insurance tents on the concourse for more fun by taking a spin on the Farmers We Plan, You Jam prize wheel, snap a photo at the Farmers Insurance photo booth or Tweet or Instagram a picture using #WeAreFlatts to get a free commemorative printout. The Live & Loud Tour runs through October. ShareThis

Ash Bowers photo courtesy of Loud Mouth Entertainment. The 2013 CMA Music Festival will take pace in downtown Nashville June 6-9 with no less than six free stages featuring live music throughout the day and into the evening as well as countless activities. Tickets for the Nightly Concerts at LP Field sold out a record-setting six weeks in advance of the 2013 Festival, but fans will still have many chances to catch their favorite artists at CMA Music Festival. Performance lineups for the previously announced Chevrolet Riverfront Stage and Bud Light Stage at the Bridgestone Arena Plaza are available at CMAfest.com, but those schedules are just the beginning of what fans can expect from country music’s biggest festival. Everything from autograph signings, meet-and-greets, cell phone charging stations, product demonstrations, auctions, giveaways, and more will take place in Downtown Nashville throughout the festival. Outdoor spaces are free and open to the public. Some of this year’s events include: Transitions Performance Park New in 2013, Transitions® adaptive lenses will host Transitions Performance Park, where fans can get an enhanced view of the CMA Music Festival from atop Transitions’ two-story viewing platform. Fans will be able to test Transitions products, look through customized viewfinders and star in their own professional photo shoot. Additionally, daily concerts will take place with the Marshall Tucker Band making their first-ever CMA Music Festival appearance to kick things off on Thursday, June 6 at 11 a.m. with a performance. Other artists set for performances include Ash Bowers, Holly Williams, Due West, Danielle Peck, Julie Roberts, Jeff Bates, Kristy Lee Cook and many more. The Buckle The Buckle covers three blocks of Broadway and will host a variety of free performances and activities beginning with concerts presented by ASCAP on Thursday, June 6 and Sunday, June 9 from 11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Performers include Brent Anderson, Trent Willmon, Chris Cavanaugh and many more. June 7-8, the ABC Television Network returns to the CMA Music Festival with the ABC Summer Block Party. There will be special appearances by ABC fan favorites including Jason Thompson and Nancy Lee Grahn from General Hospital and Chef Carla Hall from The Chew, musical performances, autograph signings, games, photos, free giveaways and much more! The Buckle will also host wall-to-wall activities including The History Channel’s Cross-Country Cookout and appearances by the stars of the network’s hit TV series Swamp People in both The History Channel and Gander Mountain booths. Fans will be able to sample food, enter to win one-of-a-kind trips, sing karaoke and visit several exhibitors. Fan Alley Fan Alley welcomes fans into a community where memories will be shared and friendships made. The Chevrolet Roadhouse Stage will feature daily concerts with two dozen of country’s best rising talent each day. Carolyn Dawn Johnson will kick off the performances with Tyler Barham, Weston Burt, Striking Matches, Dakota Bradley, Kingston and more also scheduled to take the stage. BMI Tailgate Party The BMI Tailgate Party returns for a second year. Located right off the Cumberland River outside LP Field, the stage will feature a selection of BMI’s songwriters, artists, and DJ Du warming up the audience before they enter LP Field for the Nightly Concerts. Performers at the BMI Tailgate Party include Thomas Rhett, Joel Crouse, Josh Thompson, Jon Pardi and more. Ninth Annual CMA Music Festival Kick-Off Parade and Eighth Annual CMA Music Festival Block Party The Ninth Annual CMA Music Festival Kick-Off Parade is set for June 5 at 11 a.m. with Kix Brooks serving as Grand Marshal. In addition to country stars and other celebrities riding in a wide variety of Chevrolet vehicles, the parade will feature the Keep the Music Playing All Stars Marching Band, which is made up of high school musicians representing several Metro Nashville Public Schools, the