Country Music News for the Country Music Enthusiast

Thanks for the Music is proud to present Celebrity Spotlight on these fine Country Music artists.

Spotlight On:   

The 2nd Annual
American Country Awards

Jason Aldean Earns Six Awards; Carrie Underwood and Thompson Square Each Win Three Awards.  Toby Keith Honored with Artist of the Decade Award.
 
Two-Hour Special Featured Performances by Co-Hosts Trace Adkins and Kristin Chenoweth, Alabama, Toby Keith, Eli Young Band, The Band Perry, Scotty McCreery, Pistol Annies, Blake Shelton, Thompson Square and Chris Young.

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Kathy Mattea - Inducted Into The West Virginia Music Hall Of Fame.  The 2011 West Virginia Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was held on October 15, 2011 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, West Virginia.  Kathy Mattea was inducted this year along with, Billy Cox, Connie Smith, Butch Miles, Diamond Teeth Mary, Jack Rollins and Tommy Thompson.   
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LeAnn Rimes at the Edgewater Casino E Center in Laughlin, NV
LeAnn Rimes performed at the Edgewater Casino E Center in Laughlin, NV on October 1, 2011.  It was a sold out show.  Throughout her show, Rimes mixed in many of her hits, and most of the songs from her new album titled Lady & Gentlemen, which Rimes co-produced with country music legend Vince Gill and longtime co-writer Darrell Brown. The songs from the new album were many Rimes grew up on.
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The 2011 Craven Country Jamboree
The 2011 Craven Country Jamboree was held July 14-17, 2011. 
Intense rains flooded the grounds this year making it look like the event would not happen, but by moving the campsite to a hill and leaving the stage and grandstands at the original site it became a reality. 
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Fan Fair Week in Nashville, TN with Kathy Mattea, R.O.P.E., & Marty Stuart
Fan Fair week was in Nashville, TN June 6-12, 2011. The CMA Music Fest was held June 9-12th.

• On June 8, 2011, Kathy Mattea held her annual Fan Club party (the Blunch) at the Station Inn in Nashville, TN.
• June 8, 2011 the R.O.P.E Summer Spectacular Reunion of Country Duets event was held at the Al Menah Shrine Temple in Nashville, TN. 
• Marty Stuart's Late Night Jam Sells Out and Donates Over $30K To MusiCares        
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Country Thunder 2011 in Florence, AZ
It was a heck of a party with non-stop music for everyone.  The thousands of fans were entertained by some of country music's biggest stars including Toby Keith, Martina McBride and Jason Aldean, Sara Evans, Neal McCoy, Rodney Atkins, The Bellamy Brothers, Little Big Town, Clay Walker and many, many more.  Country Thunder is by far the funnest and most exciting country music festival in Arizona.
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Celebrity Fight Night XVII
$6.6 million raised at Muhammad Ali's Celebrity Fight Night XVII.  Halle Berry, Bob Parsons, Red McCombs and Cristie Kerr honored.  Performances by Matchbox Twenty, Kelly Clarkson, American Idol's 2011 finalists, Bret Michaels and more.
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The 2011 Grammy Awards
The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards were help on February 13, 2011 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA.   Here is the list of the Country Music Winners.   continued.....

Spotlight on 51st annual Grammy Awards 
The 51st annual Grammy Awards were given out on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009 at the Staples Center in downtown L.A.  The big winners included Coldplay, Lil Wayne, Adele, Brad Paisley, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss..............continued

DOLLY PARTON 
"Backwoods Barbie"--the album's title track--is featured as one of the songs for the "9 to 5" musical, for which DOLLY wrote all the music and lyrics (marking yet another career first for the unstoppable legend).  The show premieres at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles September 20 (previews began September 3) and hits Broadway April 23, 2009 at the Marquis Theatre............. continued

KATHY MATTEA & "COAL"
Kathy Mattea held her new CD release party in Nashville on March 6, 2008.  Mattea's great band consists of Ireland's Amon O'Roarke plays fiddle, David Spicher plays upright bass and Bill Cooley on guitar..............continued

Spotlight On 15th Annual Country Thunder USA
The 15th Annual Country Thunder USA was held April 17-20, 2008 in Florence, AZ.  What a great 4 days of Country Music, camping, good food and fun in the sun.   This years line up included Sugarland, Derks Bentley, Kellie Pickler, John Fogerty, Sawyer Brown, Phil Vassar and many, many more.   The Country Music Stars had the fans dancing in the isles...............continued.

Garth Brooks
GARTH BROOKS: LIVE IN L.A.! from Staples Center in Los Angeles played over two days, January 25 & 26, 2008. The concerts raised money for Southern California 2008 Fire Intervention Relief Effort (F.I.R.E.) in California, a campaign of the McCormick Tribune Foundation. Selling 85,000 tickets in less that an hour, Brooks is the only artist in Staples Center history to sell out five concerts in one hour and play five concerts in two days.........continued...

We Fest
Soo Pass Ranch, Detroit Lakes, MN
Once again Lynn Kitty and Tom Katt have definitely outdone themselves. Each year it continues to get better and better. Starting off this year with Carolina Rain, a chance meeting in a church choir turned into something awesome for this up and coming trio. On to John Anderson who is always a crowd favorite and quite frankly a We Fest regular who can certainly get the people "Swingin". It is more than certain that "Me and God" were happy to take in the tremendous vocals of Josh Turner...........................continued..

The Arizona Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame 2007 Induction Ceremony
The Arizona Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame 2007 Induction Ceremony was held at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, AZ, September 23, 2007.   The 2007 Inductees were: Rex Allen, Sanford Clark, The Herndon Family & Handlebar J, Stevie Nicks, Buck Owens, Jerry Riopelle, Linda Ronstadt, Steven Spielberg, Dwight Tindle, The Tubes, and Mr Lucky's.........continued...

Reba McEntire
From the moment you hear the voice, you know it: fierce and powerful, clear and passionate, a voice that could belong to no one else but the woman millions of fans the world over know only as Reba. So what do you do when you're the owner of that iconic voice -- and the embodiment of a genre-bending artistic presence that spans the worlds of music, screen and stage? If you're Reba McEntire, you find creative soul mates in 11 other amazing voices and produce a groundbreaking collection of music simply titled Reba Duets............. continued...

CMA Music Fesitval
On Monday, June 4, the Fourth Annual CMA Global Artist Party serves as an unofficial kick off to CMA Music Festival. The concert, hosted by Jace Everett and showcasing seven artists from Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom, begins at 6:15 PM at The Stage on Broadway. ..........................continued...

Country Thunder USA
This years Country Thunder USA will be held on April 12 through April 15, 2007 at  20585 E. Price Station Rd. in Florence, Arizona.  For a full lineup read on!......................continued...

George Strait
The album in question, titled IT JUST COMES NATURAL, is being released in a year that marks Strait's 25th anniversary as a recording artist, and coincides with the announcement that he is the most recent addition to the Country Music Hall of Fame. It's also coming out alongside the jaw-dropping news that George Strait has become the all-time leader for Number One Country singles, as the album's opening track, "Give It Away," recently became his 53rd song to top the charts.....continued...

Vince Gill
This didn't start out as a set of four very different CDs. 
There was no plan to record forty-three original songs and gather them into an unprecedented offering of diverse, accomplished artistry. When Vince Gill went into the studio with some trusted musical colleagues back in September 2005, he intended to assemble another in a long line of first-rate albums, mixing a little hard-core country, maybe a bluegrass number or two, perhaps a sacred tune. But-thanks in part to the Beatles-things turned out differently.           continued...

Heartland
All it takes for a popular regional act to be catapulted into the national spotlight is one special song. Suddenly home-town-heroes find themselves climbing the charts and enjoying that first brush of stardom. That is exactly what's happening to Heartland, a talented band of Alabama musicians who are rapidly becoming the most talked about new act in country music. The catalyst for the group's current success is the poignant ballad "I Loved Her First," which is becoming one of the most added new songs at country radio. Though one hit song can serve as a launch pad, it takes talent, hard work and an arsenal of solid material to build a career.  continued...

Paulette Carlson
A life well lived is the best foundation for a successful music career. So as Paulette Carlson enters the next chapter in her career, the petite blonde with the distinctive voice is infusing her music with a wealth of experiences that take her artistry to a new level......continued...

Country Thunder USA 2006; Florence, AZ
This years Country Thunder USA was a huge success with many great entertainers including Brooks & Dunn, Travis Tritt, Phil Vassar, Big & Rich, Randy Travis, Ray Scott, Larry the Cable Guy, Neal McCoy and many more.....continued...

Celebrity Fight Night XII for Parkinson's Center
Celebrity Fight Night was a huge success to aid the parkinson's center. The gala event was founded by Jimmy Walker. It benefits the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute and about 30 other Arizona charities.  continued...

Kathy Mattea
“I’ve had an interesting career arc,” she says. “And I’ve managed to land in a place that really fits who I am and what I want to do at this point in my life. I have managed to live through stardom without burning out, and feel very clear about how I want to spend my time and energy, musically and personally. It was always my goal to be able to look back from this place. It’s a good feeling.”  continued...

Toby Keith - Honkytonk University
Twelve years and 12 albums in, Toby Keith's run as a country singer, songwriter, musician and entertainer is entering a new phase. The first began with his 1993 signing to Mercury Records and closed with the 1999 release of his first greatest hits collection. The second began with his subsequent move to DreamWorks Records and closed last year with the release of his Greatest Hits 2.  more..

12th Annual Country Thunder USA Arizona
Contest Offers Aspiring Acts a Chance To Perform on the Main Stage and Win $3000 Cash!   (Nashville, TN) – Country Thunder USA in Florence, Arizona announced today that they are accepting applications for their 3rd fan-based, online, reality, talent competition --The Young Guns Contest-- where the public votes a winner onto the CTUSA main stage. The Young Guns Competition began in 2004 for both CTUSA events in Arizona (April) and Wisconsin (July). The contest is back as a result of immense interest and participation. For this year’s Arizona event, one lucky contender will win cash and share the marquee with some of the biggest names in country music, including Rascal Flatts, Brooks & Dunn, Big & Rich, Darryl Worley, LeAnn Rimes, and many more. Last year’s Young Guns Arizona 1st Place winner Laurie Hayes is also scheduled to return this year as a CTUSA performer.    

George Strait
With 50 Number Ones, George Strait marks a monumental career achievement: The two-CD set celebrates a landmark that distinguishes the Texan from every singer of his generation. 
An accomplishment of this magnitude deserves and equally significant response. What better way to honor the feat than by collection all of the top hits in one historic package? So, as a tribute to George Strait's massive and enduring success, MCA Records is releasing 50 Number Ones, a unique hit package honoring the most successful country singer of his generation. 

Jennifer Licko
Jennifer Licko is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboard player, and a premier Highland Dancer. Coming from North Carolina, by way of Florida, New York and now living in Ireland, she’s a proud reflection of Ireland's thriving music scene. Formerly a singer on the Irish pub and Scottish festival Circuit, Jennifer has performed all over the US, Ireland, UK, and western continental Europe. Her experience in many different worlds has influenced her music and writing deeply. Once struggling to stick to one style and persona, she now expresses herself most honestly by recognizing her passion for many different styles. 

TOBY KEITH: SHOCK’N Y’ALL
Toby Keith is the reigning Academy of Country Music Entertainer of The Year; United Stations Radio Networks named him the most successful country artist of the new century; and he was 2002’s #1 concert-ticket seller in county music, according to Pollstar. His achievements in songwriting (12 of his 16 # 1 hits have been self-penned), radio airplay (eight Billboard country #1’s and eight R&R country #1’s from his DreamWorks Records alone), and sales of more than 13.5 million speak for themselves.

Kathy Mattea Records New Christmas Album for 2003
Ten years after winning a Grammy award for Good News, a collection of Christmas songs, Kathy Mattea returns to the subject with a holiday album that adds a decade’s worth of artistic and spiritual growth to the earlier disc’s strengths. Joy For Christmas Day is a wide-ranging yet coherent set that, like it predecessor, highlights the “good news” of the holiday and its spiritual message with a thoughtful blend of old favorites and new songs while ranging even more widely across musical boundaries.

S.H.A.R.E.:  
A new music CD from Nashville country music artists promotes recovery from drug and alcohol addiction and benefits treatment and recovery programs. The Songs of Hope, Awareness, and Recovery for Everyone (SHARE) CD, coordinated and produced by a volunteer coalition of Nashville-based drug and alcohol treatment professionals and music industry executives, is set to arrive in stores on August 25. The release is timed to coincide with National Recovery Month in September.

Jessica Andrews - 
Since lauching her career with 1999's Heart Shaped World and achieving a mojor chart breakthrough with 2001's Who I Am, the big-voiced Tennessee native has emerged as one of the country music's brightest stars. In that space of time, she also won the Academy Of Country Music's Top New Female Vocalist award, scored her first #1 single, with "Who I Am," and shared stages with the likes of Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Trisha Yearwood.

Kathy Mattea
Kathy Mattea has always let her heart be her guide. From leaving her native West Virginia for Nashville at 19, through the musical journey to her new album, ROSES, the two-time Grammy winner and multiple CMA and ACM award winner has followed a path of discovery that has never let her astray. "I’ve always thought that if I can learn to listen to my heart and make music from there, everything else will take care of itself." And so it has.

George Strait
When George Strait first visited Nashville, he was told his music was behind the times. Looking back, it’s clear he was a sign of the times, a bellwether who pointed the way to greater popularity and prosperity for country music.

Kathy Mattea  
The year was 1989, and Kathy Mattea had just won her first of two consecutive CMA Female Vocalist of the Year awards on the strength of her first No. 1 hits: The day after the ceremony, Mattea got on a plane for an extended musical pilgrimage to Scotland. "I had this gut level feeling that it was really important to go - that it would somehow have big meaning later in my life," she recalls.

Victoria Shaw  
After much reflection and with two critically acclaimed albums under her belt, singer-songwriter Victoria Shaw purposefully changed directions. In a bold career move, Shaw stopped recording for Warner Bros. Records and chose to record an independent record instead. "It was a life long dream of mine to be on a major label, and now I can say I recorded for Warner Brothers," Shaw says.

Mary Chapin Carpenter
There is a feeling that begins to take hold when listening to the songs of Mary Chapin Carpenter. The words seem to capture perfectly something you have always tried to say. As she sings, the warmth and timbre of her voice reminds you that, in the end, everything will be alright. It's these songs which touch upon real life experiences, whether it's winning the lottery or mourning lost love, that make Mary Chapin Carpenter such an accomplished and gifted artist.

EmmyLou Harris.
Nobody in the music business has aged as gracefully as EmmyLou Harris. Born in Alabama on April 2, 1947, her career has both spanned and spawned musical genres. Yet her low-key, private lifestyle and understated, almost shy, public personality convey the message that EmmyLou is a dedicated artist in a class apart from many of today's celebrity-conscious performers.

Garth Brooks  
has set a new standard form country music success. In an unprecedented feat for a country artist, Garth's third album, Ropin' the Wind, reached the number-one spot on Billboard's pop music charts the first week of its release.

Dolly Parton - 
Country music had never witnessed such an amalgam of high energy, lyrical wit, arresting vocal style and outrageous glamour as Dolly Parton brought to the format in the late 1960s. The bubbly Sevier County, Tennessee, native drew heavily on her Smoky Mountain childhood for musical inspiration.

Suzy Bogguss - 
Mention the name of Suzy Bogguss to anyone in Nashville and you'll invariably draw a fond smile and a soft response like, "Boy, I just love her." Even the most jaded residents of the city's famed Music Row entertainment district melt when they talk about this luminous woman; it's almost as if they can physically feel the warmth of her talent.

Kathy Mattea - 
Simplicity, authenticity, are Kathy's guide posts in touring to support Love Travels. She wants to simplify so that she can establish intimacy and connection with her fans. To her, that's what the music is all about. "I don't care if my audience is 500, 5,000 or 5 million. I just want my audience to be able to find me, and for us to experience it together."