Craig Morgan

The Craig Morgan Charity Ride is set for Saturday, August 7th and Sunday, August 8th, 2010, in Morgan’s hometown of Dickson, Tenn. (30 miles west of Nashville). Proceeds from the two-day event, which includes a ride and concert will benefit the Craig Morgan Charity Fund.

On Saturday, August 7th, the event will kick-off in Van Leer, TN (near Dickson), where you can join professional motocross riders Kevin Windham, Cowboy Kenny Bartrum, Fred Andrews, Barry Hawk and others for a motocross exhibition and a group trail ride – fun for the entire family. Gates will open at 8:00 am, exhibition and ride begin at 10:00 am and lunch will follow at 11:00 am.

The Ride tickets are as follows:
Pre-registration: Ride Tickets $40.00 and includes lunch
Day of Registration tickets $45.00 and includes lunch
Spectator tickets are available for $15 and include lunch.

Sunday, August 8th, Craig will host an acoustic concert with special guest Aaron Tippin at the Dickson Middle School in Dickson, TN. Doors will open at 6:00 pm the show will start at 7:30 PM. Tickets for this event are $35.

This years sponsors include: Fly Racing, Tennsco, The Dickson Herald, Tri-Star, Whitt’s Barbecue, The Dickson Shopper, Dikson Graphics, Mary K, McNeal M.D. and the Tennessee Bun Company.

Tickets may be purchased by clicking the link below, or you can visit your local Tri-Star Bank. Check local listings for locations.

http://bit.ly/CMCharityRide

More details are available at www.craigmorgan.com.

Jay and Allison

Rascal Flatts bassist and vocalist Jay DeMarcus and his wife, former Miss Tennessee and CMT Personality, Allison are anticipating the birth of their first child in January of 2011.

“Allison and I are thrilled about becoming parents. I am confident Ali will be a wonderful mother because she has done an incredible job raising me over the past six years,” says Jay.

“Jay and I are thrilled to let everyone know we are going to be parents! We can’t wait and are ecstatic to share our news,” adds Allison.

Jay and Allison were married May 15, 2004 in Nashville, Tenn.

Pickler, Miranda,and Underwood all to Wed

Kellie Pickler, 23, will join Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert in making wedding plans soon. Her boyfriend,songwriter Kyle Jacobs, proposed to her on a Florida BeachonJune 15th.

People Magazine reports:The couple met through friends about 2½ years ago, and Pickler, who was raised by her grandmother after her mother left and her father went to jail, says she learned how to have a healthy relationship from her new fiancé. “Kyle took away all my fear of marriage and has shown me the way love is supposed to be,” she says.

Surely one of the networks wants to pitch Carrie, Miranda, or Kellie a TV special as they plan the nuptuals!

Free Concert Set For CMT

update:The 90-minute CMT Presents Jimmy Buffett & Friends: Live From The Gulf Coast, originally scheduled for Thursday, July 1^st has now been rescheduled to air live and commercial-free on Sunday, July 11^th at 7PM Eastern time on CMT. Special guests are yet to be determined.  Performances will be simulcast live on Radio Margaritaville, available on Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio, all CMT Radio Network affiliates, and streamed live on www.CMT.com.

Jimmy Buffett has been seen on the news lately reacting to the Gulf Oil Spill. Now he’s responding with music and his pals Zac Brown and Kenny Chesney are playing along with a free concert on the Alabama coast to show support for the Gulf region.

The Alabama tourism department says the show will be July 1 on the beach at Gulf Shores.

Buffett’s website says the concert is meant to demonstrate support for the people, businesses and culture of the Gulf Coast. It will be broadcast live on CMT.

Buffett (who has a and his Coral Reefer Band will be joined in Gulf Shores by Sonny Landreth, Kenny Chesney,Zac Brown (who crossed roads with Jimmy recently)  Band, Jesse Winchester and Allen Toussaint.

In a new benefit twist a special Tshirt will be designed for the concert. It will be available online and at the show.

Country music has grown up and now has it’s own list and you may be surprised what stars have all the buzz versus what singing sensations have all the bank.

The mag wisely points out that there are over 2,000 country radio stations that send writers money for more income for artists/writers noting that eight of the ten most played artists on radio last year were country artists.    For this tracking, Forbes looks at concert box office receipts, merch and cd/download money, publishing royalties and endorsement/licensing deals.   The tracking time is between June 2009 to June 2010. We would have thought Swift would have topped things during the time frame… but maybe next year.

1. Kenny Chesney tops the list with estimated earnings of $50 million, down a bit last year’s $65 million.
2. Toby Keith $48 million
3. Taylor Swift $45 million
3. Rascal Flatts $45 million
5. Tim McGraw $30
6. Keith Urban $28
7. George Strait $25
8. Brad Paisley $22
9. Alan Jackson $15
10. Carrie Underwood $13

See The Whole Forbes Story HERE

Win / Wynn for Garth?

Garth Brooks has knocked out capacity shows and recieved fantastic write-ups for his intimate Encore Theater shows at Wynn Las Vegas.  Now — more tickets for the next series of concerts are being made available and they’ll go on sale on Saturday, June 19 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets are available exclusively at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-877-65-GARTH. Tickets are $125 plus fees and tax.

 

Concert Dates:

 

September 10, 11, 12  — October 1, 2, 3 —  October 22, 23, 24

November 5, 6, 7 — November 19, 20, 21

Concert times:

Fridays 8 p.m., Saturdays 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m., Sundays 8 p.m.

Please note that the name for each individual ticket holder must be provided at time of purchase or the transaction will be cancelled. Tickets will not be available for purchase at the Wynn Box Office on June 19.

Here’s more from the official Press Release

UNAUTHORIZED TICKET SALES

Specific measures have been put in place in an effort to ensure that the tickets for concerts are accessible to fans at face value and through authorized sales channels exclusively. Fans are discouraged from purchasing tickets through unauthorized channels as these tickets will be cancelled.

Please note the following booking procedures and rules and regulations:

At time of purchase, the full name of each person attending the concert must be provided. No changes will be permitted after completion of the order. Incomplete orders will be cancelled.
Limit 4 concert tickets per order or per person or per credit card.
Tickets will be available for pick-up at Will Call at Wynn Las Vegas on the day of the concert. Tickets are not available in advance.
Purchaser will be required to show valid, government-issued photo ID, confirmation number and actual credit card used for payment.
Each individual ticket holder must be present with purchaser to collect tickets upon presentation of valid, government-issued photo ID.
Tickets must be picked up no later than one-hour prior to show time or will be subject to cancellation with no refund.
The age limit for concerts is five years or older; anyone under 16 years must be accompanied by an adult.
Cellular phones, cameras, flash photography and audio/video recording devices are not permitted inside the theater. If you use any of these devices you will be escorted out of the theater.
All ticket sales are final and are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Visit www.visitwynn.com/terms/garthtickets for a complete list of terms and conditions.

About Garth Brooks

Certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as the #1-selling solo artist in U.S. history, Garth Brooks has sold in excess of 128 million albums. He is the only solo artist in RIAA history to have six albums top the 10 million mark. His most recent release, The Ultimate Hits, has been certified five times platinum. Garth became the first artist to put out a simultaneous edition of his latest collection for a charitable cause. November 6, 2007 saw the launch of the pink edition of The Ultimate Hits, available only at the Susan G. Komen Web site. His body of work — including the groundbreaking No Fences, Ropin’ The Wind, The Hits and Double Live — propelled country music as a genre to the front pages of newspapers worldwide and the covers of magazines, to the point where Forbes declared on its cover, “Country Conquers Rock,” and featured Garth in a major music piece. According to the RIAA, Garth Brooks is the top-selling solo artist of the 20th century.

The key to his record-setting success lies within the personality and talent of Garth Brooks. It has been said that through the 1990s, Garth’s only real competition was himself. He brought daring individualism and a love of music to the table. His wide range encompasses a variety of styles which include working-class blues, honky tonk, bluegrass and arena rock. His easy-going, approachable charisma was matched only by his fearless willingness to take chances and step outside the lines. He has had an unprecedented run so far, and opened the doors for many more country artists to follow.

Garth has received every accolade the recording industry can bestow on an artist, including two Grammys, 17 American Music Awards, 11 Country Music Association Awards, 18 Academy of Country Music Awards, five World Music Awards, 12 People’s Choice Awards and 36 Billboard Music Awards. He was named “Artist of the ‘90s” at the 1997 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, received the Artist Achievement Award at the 1997 Billboard Music Awards and was named “Artist of the Decade” at the American Music Awards in 2000 and the Academy of Country Music Awards in 1999.

In the midst of one of the most successful careers in music history, Garth retired in 2001, delivered his last record for Capitol Records and moved back to Oklahoma to raise his children. While in retirement, when called upon by events greater than his own self-interest, he returned to the stage. The latest of these was when the President himself requested that Garth headline President Obama’s Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial. He performed as Barack and Michelle Obama, their girls, Joe and Jill Biden and a crowd of over 300,000 lined the mall from the Lincoln Memorial all the way to the Washington Monument. It was a moment in history when all did the “wave” to Garth’s performance of “Shout” while the President sang along. Once again, Garth was called upon by the network to perform for President Obama’s very first late night TV appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. When the Governor of California asked for Garth’s help, he responded by performing five concerts in two days, where proceeds from 83,000 tickets sold were donated to efforts to prevent fire catastrophes. Portions of the live concerts were shown as a TV special, “Garth Brooks: Live in L.A.” where viewers donated to the organization Fire Intervention Relief Effort (FIRE).

Oct. 15, 2009, Brooks announced that he was out of retirement: “I am naturally nervous, but it feels good to be out from under the low ceiling of ‘retirement’ I put on myself.” Brooks has entered a five-year “relationship” with Las Vegas resort developer, Steve Wynn.

Wy and Naomi Tour Again

Country Music’s legendary duo, The Judds, delivered a riveting performance for over 10,000 fans in downtown Nashville as they launched this year’s 2010 CMA Music Festival. Wynonna and Naomi Judd helped kick off what USA Today calls “the crown jewel of Country Music festivals,” setting the stage for their highly anticipated final tour, The Judds: The Last Encore. It has been over 10 years since their 2000 “Power To Change” tour, and this final reunion promises to be nothing short of spectacular.

In typical fan-friendly Judd fashion, Wynonna and Naomi recently invited dedicated “Judd Heads” and country music fans across the country to name their upcoming tour in The Judds “Name That Tour” contest. The response was overwhelming. Thousands of fans jumped at the opportunity to solidify their place in Judds HERstory and ultimately Jacqualine Budgell from Murfreesboro, TN was chosen as the lucky winner.

According to Naomi, The Last Encore tour is an opportunity to celebrate the relationship with their fans one last time. “There is nothing like music and laughter to connect people,” she says. “How I’ve missed that encounter with the very ones who’ve allowed us that awesome privilege! I’m counting the days till I can be back on my bus, visiting their towns.”

In addition to their enduring 26-year relationship with the fans, Wynonna shares her sentiment on reuniting with her mother, Naomi, again. “This tour gives me a chance to enjoy where Mom and I are in our relationship. I look forward to celebrating our personal and professional journey…together.” And, for the fans who have followed their journey together through the years, this final curtain call will be yet another reason to celebrate.

The tour will kick off on November 26, the day after Thanksgiving, in Green Bay, Wisconsin and will continue on to their home state of Kentucky with a play in Louisville alongside dates in Salt Lake City, UT, Los Angeles, CA and Las Vegas, NV. The Judds will close their final tour with a full circle moment in Phoenix, AZ where their 2000 “Power To Change” tour began. The Judds: The Last Encore tour will feature new Judds and Wynonna music from the upcoming album while also shining a bright light on all of the fan’s Judds and Wynonna favorites. And for the first time ever, they will also celebrate the holiday season during their final tour by weaving several classic Christmas songs in their immensely diverse set list.

The Judds agent, Greg Oswald, of William Morris Endeavor Entertainment shares “The Judds have been a major force on the arena level now for three consecutive decades. The response from buyers when we made The Last Encore show available was overwhelming. So many offers and not enough time to do them all!”

And, it wasn’t just concert promoters who jumped at the chance to offer an up close and personal evening with The Judds. The Judds’ friends at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital also wanted to share in the excitement by partnering with the darlings of Country Music. For more than two decades, the country music industry has generously supported the organization through fundraising and personal relationships. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance, so no child is ever denied treatment because of their family’s inability to pay. The ongoing relationship between St. Jude and The Judds prompted the girls to include and honor the work of St. Jude on their final tour.

The Judds: The Last Encore Tour will visit the following cities:

11/26 – Green Bay WI – Resch Center
11/27 – Mt. Pleasant, MI – Soaring Eagle Casino
11/28 – Moline, IL – i wireless Center
11/30 – Prior Lake, MN – Mystic Lake Casino
12/2 – Columbus, OH – Value City Arena – Schottenstein Center
12/3 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
12/4 – St. Charles, MO – Family Arena
12/5 – Council Bluffs, IA – Mid-America Center
12/7 – Colorado Springs, CO – World Arena
12/8 – Broomfield, CO – 1STBank Center
12/9 – Salt Lake City, UT – EnergySolutions Arena
12/11 – Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
12/12 – Sacramento, CA – Arco Arena
12/15 – Los Angeles, CA – Nokia Theatre L.A. Live
12/16 – Santa Ynez, CA – Chumash Casino
12/17 – Rancho Mirage, CA – Agua Caliente Casino
12/18 – Las Vegas, NV – Mandalay Bay Events Center/Arena
12/19 – Phoenix, AZ – US Airways Center

About The Judds
Kentucky natives, The Judds, are one of the most successful country music duos of all time – amassing fourteen number-one hits and over 60 industry awards including multiple CMA, ACM and GRAMMY awards. After launching their career with RCA Records in 1984, The Judds sold 20 million albums in just 6 short years. By 1989, The Judds were one of the top-grossing and most popular touring acts in America. But at the height of their career, Naomi Judd announced she would have to retire from the music business due to health complications. To say goodbye to their fans, they launched the 116-city Judds Farewell Tour selling more concert tickets than anyone that year with the exception of The Grateful Dead and The Rolling Stones. Nearly ten years after her health turned around, the pair reunited on Dec. 31, 1999 for a New Year’s gala performance, and a reunion tour in 2000. They came together again at last year’s 2009 CMA Music Festival and captivated the massive audience with their homespun, acoustic harmonies that felt as revelatory as they did when they first shot onto the country music scene 26 years ago. Encouraged by that performance and driven by the fans, the duo decided to tour one last time for 2010’s The Judds: The Last Encore.

Kenny Chesney On Tour

Thursday night during what used to be known as Fan Fair will host Kenny at the Hard Rock. Kenny web radio station starts covereage at 7pm Thursday at NoShoesradio.com and the 6 + writers start playing at 8p

On tap for the show at Nashville’s Hard Rock Café, which sits at the lowest part of Broadway, right at the top of the Cumberland River are Mac McAnally (“Down The Road,” “Back Where I Come From”), Craig Wiseman (“The Good Stuff,” “Ain’t Back Yet,” “Summertime”), Brett James (“When The Sun Goes Down,” “Out Last Night”), Neil Thrasher (“There Goes My Life,” “I Lost It”), Wendell Mobley (“There Goes My Life,” “How Forever Feels”) and Casey Beathard (“Don’t Blink,” “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems”).

The show – which has already sold out of VIP tickets – benefits Musicians on Call.

“There’s a point where I just can’t do everything,” Chesney admits. “The idea of a year off was to get a mental break… but then you have projects, be it the 3-D movie, making this record or something we’ll be announcing shortly… and it’s June, and you’ve not stopped for a second. I was joking that getting back out on tour next summer not only gets me back out with my fans, but I’ll get some rest…

“But that doesn’t mean I don’t hate I’m not in town this week… and I’m honored that some of the best songwriters I’ve ever heard – and have had the pleasure to work with – agreed to get together for my fans and do something a little special. This is kinda like the way, when I’m lucky, I get to hear the songs, and they’re gonna share it with all the fans – with the money going to Musicians on Call, which gets music to critically ill children who’re too sick to even leave their beds.”

Rumor has it a couple more writers of Chesney’s most enduring hits might just show up. Could it be Paul (“She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy”) Overstreet? Maybe Scotty (“Keys In The Conch Shell,” “Soul of a Sailor”) Emerick? And let’s not forget that No Shoes Radio’s own Mark Tamburino has co-written a pair of Chesney hits: “I Go Back” and “I’m Alive.”

“These guys have written hits for everyone,” Chesney laughs, whose co-written David Nail’s current “Turning Home” and Rascal Flatts three week #1 “Take Me There” beyond his own hits. “Tim (McGraw), Keith (Urban), Toby (Keith), the Flatts, Strait, Buffett, Gary Allen, Reba, Faith, you name it…It’s not just my songs, but a whole lot of music – from the source – for anybody who loves songs.”

Tickets are $10 at www.TicketAlternative.com. They will also be available at the Hard Rock on a first come, all gone basis. With just two Festival dates and his final pair of July concerts at the Las Vegas Hard Rock, this is a pretty great way to see Kenny Chesney’s music come to life.

Blake and Miranda set to Wed

The timing must have finally felt right for country stars Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert.  The two are engaged according to THE BOOT and People Magazine. They say he popped the question in Oklahoma May 9th

Shelton, 33, and Lambert, 26, are both riding high with award accolades and hit records (like Hillbilly Bone and House That Built Me) and a stars aligning engagement may be the one thing o push them both into superstar status.    Blake had recently joked about ring shopping and Miranda says Blake called her dad to get his blessing.

Miranda is proud of the ring (rightfully so) she’ll be showing it off in the next issue of People Magazine (out May 14th).