 International
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The 2008 CMA Music Festival will
take place Thursday through Sunday, June 5-8, in Downtown
Nashville and tickets are available now. Fans who want to
experience the excitement of the Festival firsthand, can order
tickets by calling 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378); visiting
CMAfest.com to download an order form to fax or mail; or
visiting Ticketmaster.com to buy online or charge-by-phone at
(615) 255-9600. Prices do not include applicable handling fees.
Ticket prices are subject to change without notice. All sales
are final and non-refundable.
The Gold Circle section is already sold out and tickets are
selling at a rapid pace. Fans are encouraged to order early for
best available seating. Four-day ticket packages correspond to a
different level of seating at LP Field. Children 3 years and
younger are admitted free.
2008 CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL FOUR-DAY TICKET PACKAGE PRICES
LEVEL ADULT 12 & YOUNGER
Gold Circle (Floor) SOLD OUT N/A
Floor Level $165 $116
Lower Level $145 $102
Club Level $135 $95
Upper Level (GA) $110 $78
CMA Music Festival is organized and
produced by the Country Music Association. CMA Board member Tony
Conway is the Executive Producer of CMA Music Festival. Premiere
Radio Networks is the official radio broadcaster. Chevy: The
Official Ride of Country Music. Mary Kay® is the Official Beauty
Sponsor. Fan Fair® is a registered trademark of CMA.
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Charlie Daniels, Rodney Atkins and Taylor
Swift will perform at the 11th Annual Christmas For Kids Benefit
Concert Monday, Nov. 19
at the Ryman Auditorium. Tickets are available at
www.christmas4kids.org. All proceeds from this and other events
such as the Tour Bus Show will be donated towards the children's
Christmas shopping excursion.
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Ex-Elvis girlfriend Linda Thompson and actress Raquel Welch are
among those sharing their memories of The King with "Ladies Home
Journal." Thompson notes that Elvis was a needy man who liked
having a mother figure in his life, one of the roles she says
she was happy to play for him. But she adds that he was very
paternal as well, both towards her and to his daughter, Lisa
Marie. Thompson also says Elvis didn't want to die young, but
had looked forward to the future. She says he especially wanted
to see Lisa Marie grow up and have a family of her own, and he
wanted to be a grandfather. Also included are actress Mary Ann
Mobley, who co-starred with Presley in "Harum
Scarum;"
and rockabilly singer Wanda Jackson, an early girlfriend who
also toured with Elvis in 1955 and '56 and saw first-hand how he
skyrocketedd
from obscurity to superstardom. The women are featured in the
August issue of "Ladies Home Journal."
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TV Land is planning special programming throughout August in
honor of the 30th anniversary of Presley's death. The "Concert
Weekends" will include broadcasts of the "Elvis: '68 Comeback
Special," "Aloha From Hawaii," and
"Ed Sullivan's Rock 'N' Roll Classics: Elvis Presley." The
channel will also present a mix of Presley films -- such as
"Love Me Tender," "Easy Come, Easy Go," "Speedway,"
"Roustabout," "Fun in Acapulco," and "Paradise Hawaiian Style"
-- with other documentaries and made-for-TV movies about The
King.
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Hank Williams Jr. will be honored as a “CMT Giant” with his own
two-hour special. “CMT Giants” will air in November on CMT.
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“Air Castle of the South: WSM and the Making of Music City”
will be published in November by the University of Illinois
Press. Written by Craig Havighurst, the book explains how the
country radio station transformed Nashville, Tennessee into a
city known for music and entertainment.
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Floyd Cramer played piano on Patsy Cline’s record of “Crazy”
along with Walter Haynes on steel guitar, Buddy Harmon on drums,
Grady Martin on lead guitar and Bob Moore on bass
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Charlie Louvin will open a series of concerts for Lucinda
Williams beginning July 14 in Kansas City. The 13-city tour will
conclude Aug. 1 in Council Bluffs, Iowa
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Emmylou Harris and the Grascals will be performing at the
International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Fan Fest
October 5th -7th in Nashville, Tennessee
at the Grand Ole Opry House.
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Forty-four
people were arrested in Canada during a four-day country music
festival that featured Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Big &
Rich, and Gretchen Wilson. Some 23,000 people showed up for the
final day of the Craven Country Music Jamboree in Craven,
Saskatchewan. Ten people were arrested for impaired driving, but
the Royal Canadian Mounted Police also investigated five
assaults, two assaults with a weapon, four sexual assaults and
seven thefts.
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Charlie Louvin celebrates his 80th birthday on July 7th
and will celebrate with a performance at the Grand Ole Opry and
on the ”Midnight Jamboree” at Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop near the
Opry House. Sunday he will celebrate the world premier of his new
video “Ira,” which is about his brother Ira Louvin, at the Country
Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
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July 2nd,1956, Elvis Presley recorded “Don’t Be Cruel”
and “Hound Dog” at the RCA Records’ New York studios. When the two
songs were released as a double-sided single later that year, they
hit number one and stayed there for eleven weeks. That session
also marked the first time that Elvis used the gospel trio the
Jordanaires as his backup group.
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The Nashville
Convention & Visitor's Bureau estimates the combined total
attendance for the recent
2007 CMA Music Festival was 191-thousand people.
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Charlie Daniels was awarded the Secretary
of Defense Medal during a recent visit to the Pentagon, for his
exceptional public support of the armed forces. Charlie has
performed at 20 military installations around the globe for
America military personnel.
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Lee Greenwood will perform “God Bless the U.S.A.” at the "Living
the American Dream” U.S. citizenship ceremony on Wednesday. The
Department of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will host
the giant U.S. Citizenship Ceremony at the Magic Kingdom at Walt
Disney World. Over one thousand immigrants from over 50 countries
will be sworn in as American Citizens on Main Street USA.
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Willie Nelson
will headline a press conference and ground breaking of the
expansion of the Sequential Pacific Biodiesel plant in Salem,
Oregon on July 6th 2007. The singer is also scheduled for concert
dates in the area that week, including that night in Eugene,
Oregon and the next night in Bend, Oregon. Nelson will arrive in
his biodiesel powered tour bus for the July 6th event.
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The International Bluegrass Music Awards will be held October 4th
in Nashville, Tennessee at the Grand Ole Opry. The award show is
part of the World of Bluegrass week, October 1st
through 7th.
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Willie Nelson has recorded "I Hear You Knockin'" for the Fats
Domino tribute album, “Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats
Domino,’”which will be in stores on September 25th.
Other artists on the album include Elton John, Paul McCartney, and
Tom Petty. Proceeds from sales will be used to purchase musical
instruments to be donated to public schools in New Orleans,
Domino's hometown.
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Crystal Gayle and Dwight Yoakam will be inducted into the Kentucky
Music Hall of Fame in 2008.The Hall of Fame is located in Renfro
Valley, Kentucky.
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Visit
CMAfest.com today to listen to the
first in a series of "Road Stories" from today's road warriors -
those artists hitting the pavement to take Country Music to the
fans!
First up is Show Dog Nashville group
Carter's Chord , who spoke
with us recently following an acoustic performance at the CMA
offices.
Look for upcoming "Road Stories" from artists including Eric
Church, Cowboy Crush, Ray Scott and more!
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'Country's Night To Rock' is Monday, July 23!
ABC TELEVISION NETWORK TO AIR CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL SPECIAL
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Country Music’s hottest concert event of the summer – CMA Music
Festival – is bound to be television’s hottest summer special when
“CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” airs Monday, July 23
(9/8c) on the ABC Television Network.
The special was taped Thursday through Sunday, June 7-10, during
the Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience - the CMA Music Festival
- in Nashville.
Several of today’s top hit makers are already scheduled to appear
on the special including Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Big & Rich,
Brooks & Dunn, Sara Evans, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Kellie
Pickler, Rascal Flatts, LeAnn Rimes, Sugarland, Josh Turner,
Carrie Underwood, and Reba McEntire in a duet with Kelly Clarkson.
More artists will be announced soon. This is the third time ABC
will broadcast this special, which invites the whole country to
America’s biggest Country Music celebration.
“The fans and their relationship with the artists and their
passion for the music is the cornerstone of the Festival,” said
Tammy Genovese, Chief Operating Officer for the Country Music
Association. “That relationship and our artists’ ability to
deliver an unbeatable stage performance is what sets this special
apart. It is a terrific platform for reaching music enthusiasts
with a front-row seat to some of today’s most dynamic
entertainers.”
Both the concerts and the interaction between the artists and fans
will be captured in the special with heart-pounding performances
interspersed with heart-warming encounters between the artists and
their avid admirers. Taped exclusively for the special, cameras
will follow the stories of several Festival attendees, who will
have their dreams come true when they are granted surprise,
once-in-a-lifetime meetings and personal encounters with their
favorite Country stars.
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Jason Aldean: A Year To
Remember
By Keith Ryan Cartwright
© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service /
Country Music Association, Inc.
Sitting on his bus parked outside of the Pengrowth Saddledome in
Calgary, Canada, Jason Aldean paused to gather his thoughts before
declaring, "Yeah, it's been a weird year."
If you consider snow in Las Vegas weird, yeah, it has been a weird
year for Aldean. And if you consider the fire that ravaged
Treasure Isle, the studio he was using to record the follow-up to
his Platinum self-titled debut, it's been a really weird year for
the Georgia native.
"I almost had a heart attack," Aldean recalled, of the phone call
he received from producer Michael Knox. "He was like,
'Everything's cool, but the studio caught fire.' I was really
nervous. You hit stuff the first time that's just on instinct. I
would have hated to try and recreate it ... but once he said the
masters were fine, I was OK."
"The first single is 'Johnny Cash,' and we really mixed it in a
ring of fire," joked Knox, who started mixing the new album two
days later amidst the reconstruction process. "We had to mix in
all the ash and change clothes twice a day. It was awful, but I
had no choice."
The fire happened on a Saturday in mid February, while Aldean was
in Vegas filming a video with director Wes Edwards for "Johnny
Cash." During an otherwise cold month in Music City, the emerging
singer/songwriter thought a trip to the desert would have been a
reprieve from the winter-like weather. Not so, as it snowed the
day he filmed the video.
"I sure hope this is not a sign of things to come in '07," said
Aldean, only half in jest.
For the past two years, though, everything has seemed to be
working, especially since the release of his sophomore album
Relentless, a groove-laden collection that borders on a rock 'n'
roll sound.
"We're ready for some new music," he admitted. Two years ago, when
Knox and his touring band cut Aldean's debut, no one knew exactly
who would make up his fan base. This time, however, they have a
better idea of who the fans are and what they want.
"The first record struck a nerve," Aldean said. "You want songs
you like and songs they can relate to, but it's kind of a
balance."
If the early success of "Johnny Cash" forecasts how fans and radio
will react to the new album, then Aldean is poised for his fourth
trip into the Top 10. Less about Cash as a person and more about
the Man in Black as a symbol of freedom, "Johnny Cash" resonated
immediately with those who have heard the hardhitting tune about a
man willing to abandon his cramped routine for a life with fewer
constraints.
"It embraces the attitude of Johnny Cash," Aldean explained. "I
was going to put it on my first record."
Unfortunately, the publishers of the song wound up holding it for
another artist. Though disappointed, Aldean responded by cutting "Hicktown,"
which like "Johnny Cash" included John Rich of Big & Rich and
Vicky McGehee among its writers. (Big Kenny also co-wrote on "Hicktown,"
while Rodney Clauson shares writer credits on "Johnny Cash.")
Amidst the success of the first album, Aldean and Knox never
stopped listening to "Cash," and when they started selecting songs
last year, fortunately for them, "Cash" hadn't been recorded. "I
still wanted to cut it," Aldean said. "'Hicktown' was a great song
to introduce us with, and 'Johnny Cash' became a great intro to
the second album."
"The cut you hear on the radio is the one I cut at Warner
Chappell," Knox explained. "It was the one I cut to get him his
record deal and the one that everyone passed on. We just went in
and remastered it."
Aldean's growth as a singer is evident on Relentless. Be it the
vocals of "Grown Woman," a duet with Miranda Lambert, the swampy
"I Break Everything I Touch," or the hard-driving "Back in This
Cigarette," Aldean solidifies the raucous, goodtime attitude he
established the first time around.
"It's more me personally finding my niche," Aldean explained,
"knowing what I like to sing, what comes off in the live shows and
what works for me. It has the same vibe as the first album. There
are some cool things on there, and we cut some things that may
never be heard on the radio but they were cool to us." The "we" he
refers to is the band he's toured and recorded with for the past
nine years. They've embraced their success as a group, with Aldean
pointing to one particular show in Portland, Ore., late in 2005,
as the moment they knew their collective efforts were beginning to
pay off.
"The crowds were getting a little bit bigger," Aldean said. "Until
then they were honky tonks and we just happened to be there, but
that night they were coming to see us. We started playing 'Hicktown'
and they started singing back, word for word. That's when I
realized we were making an impact outside of Nashville and
Georgia.
"We're still building a fan base. We had a couple big weeks. But
it's been a steady build, which is great 'cause now we're getting
ready to drop the second album. It's perfect timing."
It hasn't always been this perfect.
In the summer of 2003, Aldean was ready to "throw in the towel,"
as he put it. His first record deal didn't materialize into
anything. His publishing deal was about to expire and it didn't
look as though it would be renewed. He was married to his high
school sweetheart and they were expecting their first child to go
along with a mortgage and two car payments he could no longer
afford.
Just days before moving back to his hometown of Macon, Ga., and
reprioritizing what was most important to him, he got a call
saying that Broken Bow founder Benny Brown, who resurrected Craig
Morgan's career, was interested in signing him. Aldean stopped
applying for new jobs, put off the move home, and by January 2004,
he was signed.
His debut Platinum-selling album spawned three successive Top 10
hits: "Hicktown" (No. 9), "Why" (No. 1) and "Amarillo Sky" (No.
4). More than 18 months later it remained the oldest release on
Billboard's Top 20 Country Albums Chart.
The sweetest part of this picture, Aldean noted, is the creative
freedom that transpires when "not only are you an artist on a
label, but you experience everything together for the first time.
It doesn't happen every week. When a milestone happens, it's a big
deal - and it should be."
The milestones and success he had at radio have led also to
extensive touring, which hasn't been easy on his family. But,
Aldean observed, "you have an obligation to your career. It's not
ideal for all families ... but it's our lifestyle."
On the Web: jasonaldean.com
Photographer: Kristin Barlowe
Photography courtesy of Broken Bow Records.
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Charlie Louvin will perform at the Country Music Hall of Fame and
Museum's Ford Theater on July 8, the weekend he turns 80. Louvin
will also premiere a music video for "Ira," a song featured on his
new self-titled album featuring guest appearances by numerous
artists. The video was shot at Shangri-La Records in Memphis,
Tenn., with additional footage shot in Louvin's hometown of
Manchester, Tenn. He wrote the song as a tribute to his late
brother, Ira Louvin, who was killed in an automobile accident in
1965. The Louvin Brothers were inducted into the Country Music
Hall of Fame in 2001.
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The Country Music Association awards will be held November 7th
in Nashville, Tennessee. They will air on ABC at 8:00 p.m.
Eastern.
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Kris Kristofferson has been named the Country Music Hall of Fame's
artist-in-residence this year. He will perform at the Museum's
Ford Theatre on Aug. 14 and 15.
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Music City Hitmakers, July
20-22
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Gaylord Opryland presents Music City Hit
Makers, July 20 -22, 2007. Spend an intimate weekend with some of
Nashville’s top songwriters who have written hits for artists like
Tim McGraw, Montgomery Gentry, Rascal Flatts, Martina McBride and
Faith Hill. Enjoy pool parties, writers rounds and concerts by
Jeffrey Steele, Crossin’ Dixon, Randy Houser, and Lee Brice .
Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) will offer
onsite workshops featuring your favorite hit songwriters. Perfect
for music enthusiasts or anyone who wants an authentic and fun
Music City experience. For tickets and package information, call
1-888-OPRY-872 or visit
www.gaylordopryland.com .
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Rodney Atkins Goes Deep
By Bob Doerschuk
© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service /
Country Music Association, Inc.
There's a message buried within the lyrics on Rodney Atkins' If
You're Going Through Hell album.
Actually, there are two. The more obvious one is suggested by the
visual references that bring its stories to life. Thompson's Barn,
Martin's Creek, that old gray fence: All of these places in his
songs are real. There's a deeper meaning, though, which reveals a
lot more than this artist's home ground: Atkins simply will not
record, or even sing, a song that doesn't tell some truth about
his life.
"That's all I can sing about," he affirmed, speaking shortly after
completing a promotional video for Target near his home. "Greg
Hill, from my management company [Red Light Management], has this
picture of me from a photo shoot, wearing the clothes I wear every
day - the ball cap, the T-shirt. And whenever we listen for new
songs, he says to me, 'Okay, this guy in the picture - would he
sing this song? Will folks feel comfortable with him doing it?'
That's how I choose what I sing; it comes from how I live."
This was true when Atkins, an East Tennessee native, released his
Curb Records debut, Honesty, back in 2003. Someone who followed
the rules of radio-friendliness might not have picked the title
cut for a single. Atkins himself was dubious. Luckily, for 13
years now, he has worked closely with producer/songwriter/musician
Ted Hewitt, who knew that keeping it real counted more than
keeping it commercial. And so, sensing that title song "Honesty"
would connect, he challenged his friend to give it another shot.
"It was a four-minute ballad and another song was already slated
as the first single," Hewitt recalled. "But I believed that Rodney
would come around. He's a strong person. He can be set in his
ways. But I respect that. And we respect each other to the point
that if one of us is passionate about a song the other isn't sure
about, we try to find what it is that he feels."
"The guy that drives a truck views things differently from the guy
who puts on a suit every day and runs a company," Atkins said. "So
when I heard 'Honesty' I thought, 'Well, that's kind of nice. It's
so nice that it's gooey.' But Ted made me understand that it's
about what people face every day. And I still get e-mails from
folks in major corporations as well as truck drivers about how
this song affects them."
"Honesty" made it into the Top 5, but the title cut from If You're
Going Through Hell and the second single, "Watching You," both
climbed to the top of the charts while the album went Gold within
the first four months of its July 2006 release date. And it's no
coincidence that both songs reveal even more of who Atkins is.
"It's funny," said Dave Berg, who co-wrote three of the tracks on
this album. "Sometimes when we're writing, Rodney will play me a
song that he's heard, something that blows him away, but he'll say
that he's not interested in recording it because it's not really
him. So when we started writing 'In the Middle,' I could see how
it does reflect where he's at in his life right now. He is that
everyday, blue-collar guy, living the songs he sings."
"I want to let people know through my music about my life, the
decisions I make and the things I hold dear, like family and
growing up in the South," Atkins explained. "People talk about
getting around the kitchen table to eat supper. We don't do that:
We eat on the front porch, which looks out onto the old
tar-and-chip road that leads to our house. That's where the good
road ends - the blacktop - and the gate used to be, when they had
cattle on our property. We can see that road from the porch, and
then across from that is another field and then the woods. At
night you can look up and see all the stars."
The people with whom he shares this Eden are as important as the
land itself. "When the alternator goes down, you call your
neighbor," he said. "You ask if they can come over and help you
work on this, and they do it. Or if they see you doing fencing,
they'll pull their truck over and help you out. To me, that's the
American way of life. When I listen to Alan Jackson, that's how he
feels to me - like my neighbor. I want my songs to hone in on that
too."
The songs on If You're Going Through Hell are snapshots taken from
this world, especially the ones with his name among the writer
credits: "About the South," a litany of lifestyle icons ("We
believe the Book of John and we drive John Deere."); "Wasted
Whiskey," an old-school jukebox lament that doesn't forget to
recommend having a designated driver; and "In the Middle," which
is actually about as close as a song can get to taking a picture
of one man's life and homestead - it's so close to the bone that
Atkins jokingly described it to co-writer Berg as "directions to
our house."
"When I signed my record deal and went through the different
producer situations while making my first album, I kind of forgot
what brought me here and the kinds of songs that changed my life,"
Atkins said. "After I finished that album and went on the road, it
came back to me: 'Oh, yeah, I'm singing to people, not to a bunch
of record executives. This is what I love.' The music business is
in Nashville, but out here it's just music."
All of that is true, but it's true as well that success will
change even some of those things that a Country Music
star-on-the-rise holds dear. With his schedule growing more
demanding while he gears up to go on tour in April with Martina
McBride and Little Big Town and 90-minute drives into Nashville
for meetings or flights out of town, Atkins and his wife Tammy Jo
are thinking about the unthinkable: leaving their home up on the
ridge and moving closer to the city.
"Yeah, we're talking about that," he admitted. "But we're not
talking about moving into town. Wherever we wind up, I've got to
have some land around me, somewhere to ride four-wheelers and get
out into the woods, because we're still the same folks we always
were. I'm that guy who doesn't put the toilet paper on right or
leaves something spilled on the counter or makes too much noise in
the morning when he goes out fishing. Luckily, Tammy Jo loves me
for who I am - not who I was or who I'm going to be, but in that
moment, right then. So no matter where we go from here, these are
the best years of my life."
On the Web: rodneyatkins.com
Photographers: Erick Anderson and Eric Welch
Photos courtesy of Curb Records.
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New Artist Spotlight:
Lantana
By Kristen Scherer
© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service /
Country Music Association, Inc.
Is Country Music ready for another prodigiously talented trio of
females emanating from the Lone Star state? With their debut
album, Ubridled, the three veteran musicians who comprise Lantana
answer with a Texas-sized "yes." Texans Karol Ann DeLong and Biz
Haddock, and Alberta, Canada-native Dalene Richelle came together
in a creative and supportive club scene in Dallas and the musical
magic and personal chemistry were evident immediately.
"We were three strangers who are now three friends," said group
founder Haddock. "We've become kindred spirits; we laugh, we cry;
we pull each other along."
Produced by Bill Green and released in September 2006 on BGM
Records, Lantana's 13-song debut covers a lot of ground,
reflecting the trio's wide-ranging influences that include
everything from gospel and R&B to Don Henley and Dolly Parton.
Right out of the box, Lantana's debut single, "Country as a City
Girl Can Be" (written by Billy O'Rourke and Mitch Stephen), hit
the Top 10 on the Best in Texas chart and stayed there for 12
weeks. The trio contributed one of their own songwriting
collaborations to the album, the fiddle-driven "The Juice Ain't
Worth the Squeeze," and showcased its softer side with the release
of their sophomore single, the heartfelt ballad, "Let Somebody
Love You."
Lantana played some springtime dates in France and Switzerland,
the perfect warm up for the band's appearance at the 2007 CMA
Music Festival in Nashville.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS:
WHICH SONG WOULD YOU SECRETLY LIKE TO COVER?
DeLong: "'At This Moment' by Billy Vera & The Beaters."
Hadock: "'Don't Mess Around with Jim' by Jim Croce."
Richele: "'Sweet Child of Mine' by Guns and Roses."
WHAT BOOK IS ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND?
DeLong: "The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream by
Paulo Coelho."
Hadock: "Phillip Yancy's What's So Amazing About Grace."
Richele: "Living Buddha Living Christ by Thich Nhat HanH."
WHAT SONG DO YOU WISH YOU HAD WRITTEN?
DeLong: "'I Will Always Love You.'"
Hadock: "Sarah McLachlan's 'I Will Remember You.'"
Richele: "'I Hope You Dance.'"
On the Web: lantanamusic.com
Photographer: Melissa Webb
Photo courtesy of BGM Records.
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John Carter Cash, has written a book about his mother. “Anchored
in Love: An Intimate Portrait of June Carter Cash,” and includes
stories of June’s life on the road with the Carter Family when she
was only a child and stories about her life with Cash. John
includes information about her various marriages, her own trial
with drugs and her skill as a musician and entertainer.
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Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings and Don
Williams will receive the Cliffie Stone Pioneer award from the
Academy of Country Music during a reception on June 20th 2007 in
Nashville, Tennessee
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JohnnyCash.Com Radio is streaming weekly broadcasts featuring
interviews with Cash family members, associates, friends and fans,
plus discussions of Johnny Cash's 50-year long career, music,
sound bites from the Man In Black himself, interactive contests
and more.
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DON'T MISS MONOLITH ... BE PART OF HISTORY
MONOLITH marks the first ever multi-day, multi-stage
festival at Colorado's world-renowned Red Rocks Amphitheatre!
A must-visit destination for any music fan, MONOLITH Festival
offers the perfect excuse to finally visit the legendary outdoor
venue. Hosting 50+ bands on 5 stages, MONOLITH promises an
exceptional and intimate (only 9000 tickets will be sold!)
festival experience sure to go down in rock history.
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THE FLAMING LIPS * CAKE * THE DECEMBERISTS *
KINGS OF LEON * SPOON * CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH * ART BRUT *
EDITORS * JULIETTE & THE LICKS ** TURBONEGRO * GHOSTLAND
OBSERVATORY * BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE * WILLIAM ELLIOTT WHITMORE
* DAS EFX * THE DEARS * FLOSSTRADAMUS * KID SISTER * WHITE RABBITS
* BOB LOG III * IAN BALL OF GOMEZ * VIENNA TENG * ROCKY VOTALATO
and 40+ more!
Get the complete day-by-day lineup at
www.monolithfestival.com
Submit your artist now before the June 20th deadline, for a chance
to perform at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
Monolith Festival * September 14-15, 2007 * Morrison, CO
MonolithFestival.com
Monolith Festival * Red Rocks September 14-15, 2007 Morrison,
Colorado
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Tickets for 2008 CMA Music Festival
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On Sale Nationwide Now!
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2008 CMA Music Festival will take place
Thursday through Sunday, June 5-8, in Downtown Nashville and
tickets are available now.
Tickets for 2008 CMA Music Festival were available to Music
Festival attendees during the event and available nationally,
today. The Gold Circle section is already sold out and tickets are
selling at a rapid pace – up 25 percent over 2006 and 76 percent
over 2005. Fans are encouraged to order early for best available
seating.
Order online at
Ticketmaster.com
or by calling
1-800-CMA-FEST or (615) 255-9600. Prices do not include applicable
handling fees. Ticket prices are subject to change without notice.
All sales are final and non-refundable.
Four-day ticket package categories correspond to different levels
of seating at LP Field. Children 3 years and younger are admitted
FREE.
2008 CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL FOUR-DAY TICKET PACKAGE PRICES
LEVEL ADULT 12 & YOUNGER
Gold Circle (Floor), Adult & Youth - SOLD OUT
Floor Level, Adult - $165
Floor Level, Youth - $116
Lower Level, Adult - $145
Lower Level, Youth - $102
Club Level, Adult - $135
Club Level, Youth -$95
Upper Level (GA), Adult - $110
Upper Level (GA), Youth - $78
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CMA Music Festival Fans
'Keep the Music Playing'
The artists and celebrities participating in CMA Music Festival
donate their time. They are not compensated for the hours they
spend signing autographs and performing. In appreciation of their
exhaustive efforts, CMA donates half the net proceeds from the
event to music education on their behalf through a partnership
with the Nashville Alliance for Public Education called “Keep the
Music Playing.”
To date, CMA has donated more than $1.1 million to worthy causes
on behalf of the artists who participate in the Festival for free
– including $368,500 from the 2006 CMA Music Festival for “Keep
the Music Playing.” Several students groups participated in the
Festival including drum corps from Hillwood High School and
Hunters Lane High School, who marched in the Kick-Off Parade along
with students from the Nashville School of the Arts, which
received a Chevy Silverado truck to transport band equipment to
community performances as part of the “Keep the Music Playing”
campaign.
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2007 CMA Music Festival Breaks
Attendance Record
More than 191,000 Country Fans Attend
Kelly Clarkson, Ted Nugent and Rascal Flatts Surprise Fans With
Drop-Ins
© 2007 Country Music Association, Inc.
NASHVILLE – CMA Music Festival set a new aggregate attendance
record in 2007 with 191,154 people attending the four-day
Festival, June 7-10, in Downtown Nashville.
“It was an amazing event on many different levels – from the
outstanding lineup of artists; to our incredibly enthusiastic
fans, who traveled from around the globe to be here; to the
outpouring of support from Nashville and our surrounding
communities,” said Tammy Genovese, CMA Chief Operating Officer.
“Each year I find myself saying this, and it is happening again in
2007, but this is the best CMA Music Festival ever.”
Attendance at the Festival hit an all-time high. Single concert
tickets for the Nightly Concerts at LP Field were up 14 percent
from 2006. In fact, CMA opened the upper level of LP Field to meet
the demand for four-day ticket packages and single night concert
tickets. CMA also experienced a 20 percent increase in the sale of
four-day ticket packages.
Fans enjoyed themselves and made it known at the Box Office.
Tickets for CMA Music Festival 2008, June 5-8, went on sale
Saturday and Gold Circle four-day ticket packages sold out in a
record 90 minutes. By Sunday, advance sales bested sales during
the same period in 2006, by a robust 25 percent.
“You know you are giving the fans what they want when they put
down their hard-earned money for an event and we haven’t even
announced who will be performing,” Genovese said. “That speaks to
the dedication of our fans, the popularity of the Festival and the
strength of our format.”
Aggregate attendance has grown from 124,000 in 2003, to 132,000 in
2004, 145,000 in 2005, to 161,000 in 2006, and now more than
191,000. Increased sales of four-day ticket packages and single
concert tickets at Riverfront Park and LP Field contributed to the
growth, as well as record attendance at CMA Music Festival’s free
areas – including the Crisco® Family Zone, CMT® Fun Zone and
Chevy™ Sports Zone.
Several factors accounted for the increased attendance: sales of
four-day ticket packages outpaced 2006 sales; there was an
extensive local advertising campaign to drive awareness;
additional free performance stages were added; and with the
exception of a brief storm Friday, hospitable weather helped
stimulate sales of single-day tickets. Even on Sunday, four-day
tickets, which allowed access to LP Field, the Convention Center
and the Riverfront concerts, were still being sold.
Surprise appearances are a hallmark of this event. And 2007 didn’t
disappoint. The first night at LP Field included an unannounced
appearance by first season “American Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson,
who joined Reba McEntire on two songs – “Does He Love You” and
their recent duet release “Because of You.” On Friday evening
Motor City madman Ted Nugent joined Montgomery Gentry onstage for
a ferocious rendition of his classic “Cat Scratch Fever.” And
reigning CMA Vocal Group of the Year Rascal Flatts made a surprise
concert appearance the following night.
“We love giving our fans something special and unexpected,”
Genovese said. “It is amazing to hear the stadium erupt in
applause when an unannounced guest steps out on that stage.”
At its heart, CMA Music Festival is – and always will be – about
the fans and their relationship with the artists and the music.
The theme is universal and in 2007, Festival attendees came from
every state and 21 foreign countries.
The Festival got underway Wednesday with “The Third Annual CMA
Music Festival Kick-Off Parade” with an estimated crowd of 10,000
spectators Downtown. Following the procession, the fun kicked into
high gear with “The Second Annual CMA Music Festival Block Party”
at the Chevy Music Tour Stage on the plaza at The Sommet Center,
formerly Nashville Arena. Jason Michael Carroll, Mark Chesnutt,
Elizabeth Cook, Cowboy Troy, Jennifer Hanson and Darryl Worley
performed for an estimated crowd of 5,000 according to police.
Nightly Concerts at LP Field
In all, 32 acts participated in the star-packed Nightly
Concerts at LP Field. The lineup Thursday included Trace Adkins,
Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire with
special guest Kelly Clarkson, The Wreckers, and a two-song
acoustic performance by Jason Michael Carroll. Pre-show activities
included Jennifer Hanson, singing the national anthem, the
participation of the United States Marine Corps Recruiting Station
Nashville Color Guard, and a fly over by three Air Force FA-18s
from The Checkerboards of Marine Fighter Attack Squadrons VMFA
533, 122 and 312, from Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort, S.C.
During her first performance at the Festival in 11 years, McEntire,
was obviously moved by the adoring crowd’s thunderous welcome. She
spoke with heartfelt gratitude when she said, “Ah, it’s good to
hear that.”
Fans were treated to performances Friday by Jason Aldean, Sara
Evans, Little Big Town, Montgomery Gentry with guest Ted Nugent,
Sugarland and Carrie Underwood, who made her first Festival
appearance in 2005 after being named American Idol. Former
“American Idol” finalist Bucky Covington performed an acoustic
set.
Saturday’s lineup included Billy Ray Cyrus, Martina McBride, Jo
Dee Messina, surprise guest Rascal Flatts, LeAnn Rimes and Josh
Turner. “Nashville Star” winner Angela Hacker delivered an
acoustic performance.
Sunday rocked the house with Rodney Atkins, Big & Rich, Billy
Currington, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Kellie Picker, Taylor
Swift, Gretchen Wilson and an acoustic performance by Telstra Road
to Tamworth winner Morgan Evans of Australia. Apollo Ohno’s
professional dance partner Julianne Hough from “Dancing with the
Stars” introduced Big & Rich.
“This is the best night of the year for people who love Country
Music,” Wilson proclaimed to her cheering supporters.
Greased Lightning® Daytime Stages
Fan favorite Terri Clark got the 2007 CMA Music Festival
off to an energetic start Thursday morning with her distinctive
brand of power Country at the kick-off concert at Riverfront Park.
Fans were waiting before dawn to see the leave-’em-rockin’
singer/songwriter. And the concert venue on the banks of the
Cumberland River stayed packed all day and every day after.
Clark bonded with her audience immediately through a subject that
was on everyone’s mind – the already-rising temperature that
morning: “This is supposed to be the hottest day this year, of
course, because it’s the first day of CMA Music Festival!”
Joining Clark in the opening morning show were John Anderson,
Craig Morgan, Jamie O’Neal and Chris Young. And the dual stages
bustled throughout the four days with a rich array of performers
from both major and independent record labels. In all, 101 acts
performed more than 33 hours of concerts. The concerts stopped for
90 minutes Friday due to a downpour with lightning and high winds,
but the artists and fans returned when the storm passed without a
single missed performance.
A half block away on the third-floor, rooftop patio at Graham
Central Station overlooking Riverfront Park, “Good Morning
America” Weather Anchor Sam Champion interviewed artists Bucky
Covington and The Wreckers live on the ABC Television Network in
front of an enthusiastic, sign-toting crowd.
Fan Fair® Exhibit Hall
The state of continuous commotion that’s been the standard
for the Fan Fair Exhibit Hall was back in force with 349 artists
and celebrities appearing at the Nashville Convention Center.
Exhibit booths sold out with 212 exhibitors. Attendance over the
four days was up 15 percent from 49,507 in 2006 to 56,244 in 2007.
As in previous years, dedicated fans camped out on the street
outside of the Exhibit Hall starting at 8:00 PM, not only in hopes
of being the first in line for autographs when the doors opened
the following morning but also to share in what has become a
special tradition for this group. As one of these early arrivers
commented, “We’re friends from all over the country. It’s like a
reunion.”
Observers estimate that Carrie Underwood attracted the longest
autograph lines, due in large part to the fact that she dedicated
the bulk of her time Saturday to meeting her fans and signing more
than 600 signatures. Other popular artists included Trace Adkins,
Big & Rich, Jason Michael Carroll, Billy Currington, Billy Ray
Cyrus, Beverley Mitchell, Montgomery Gentry, Gretchen Wilson,
Chris Young among many, many more. Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn
made a surprise appearance in the Exhibit Hall Thursday. One of
the Fan Fair highlights was when Big Machine Records presented
Taylor Swift with a Platinum plaque in their booth for her
self-titled debut so she could share the moment with her fans.
Rock singer John Waite (“Missing You”) made his CMA Music Festival
debut by signing in the Borders® Books & Music booth on Friday.
And CMA COO Tammy Genovese stopped by to congratulate Country
Music Hall of Fame member Bill Anderson on having an Exhibit Hall
booth every year since the Festival began as Fan Fair in 1972.
The Acoustic Corner Presented by Mary Kay, which launched in 2004
as a showcase for independent artists, featured 24 solo or group
performers. The area on the second floor of the Convention Center
hosted a steady stream of fans.
Borders Books & Music
Borders had locations at the Exhibit Hall, Riverfront and
LP Field. The Top 5 selling titles belonged to Jason Michael
Carroll, Stephen Cochran, Beverley Mitchell, Carrie Underwood and
Chris Young. Other bestselling artists included Jason Aldean, Big
& Rich, Bucky Covington, Emerson Drive, Little Big Town, Sugarland,
Taylor Swift and Josh Turner. Organizers said autograph sessions
for several of the top-selling artists in the Borders’ booth
contributed to their sales success.
“One of the goals with this event is to help build a marketing
platform for developing artists,” Genovese said. “With the variety
of artists on the list, it tells me that our fans are discovering
new music at CMA Music Festival and they aren’t waiting until they
get home to buy it.”
Chevy Sports Zone
CMA’s free Chevy Sports Zone was a huge hit with
participants and fans looking for fun and friendly competition
among celebrities, artists and athletes.
On Thursday the surest shot at the “The Sixth Annual Andy Griggs
Celebrity Archery Tournament” was Rusty Tabor, winner of the 2006
tournament. He retained his crown after tying with Craig Morgan at
43 points each and then winning a five-target shootout (42 to 39).
Rhean Boyer of Carolina Rain finished third with 41 points.
On Friday, “The Steve Azar Celebrity Sports Challenge” proved to
be a fan favorite with an amazing array of sports champions and
celebrities competing along with Azar and other artists. In the
end, the Blue Team was victorious with Andrew Abide (a.k.a., the
“dentist to the stars”), Rocky Calmus (linebacker, Titans/Colts),
Jeanne Cho-Hunicke (LPGA Tour player), Ray Lloyd (pro wrestler),
Ryan Lucotch (PovertyNeck Hillbillies), and Scott Reeves (Blue
County) winning with a score of 98.
Sunday’s “The Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race”
had fans revved up. Country Music artists and celebrities raced
against the clock through an obstacle course on a New Holland
compact tractor and the winner was Todd Fritsch, with a track time
of 52.6 seconds, followed by Tennessee Titan Ben Hartsock (54
seconds) and artist Billy Yates (54.5 seconds). Fritsch shaved 1.4
seconds off 2006 victor Wade Hayes’ winning time of 54 seconds.
As an added attraction, Jay Leno’s Eco-Jet, biodiesel-powered
automobile was on display at the Sports Zone on Saturday and
Sunday.
Chevy Music Tour
The Chevy Music Tour free area on The Sommet Center plaza
buzzed with activities featuring vehicle displays, interactive
consumer experiences, games, and the Chevy Ride & Drive event. The
Chevy Music Tour Stage featured 25 daily performances including a
showcase of Bluegrass music and a Latin Country Music Show.
Visitors were also able to test-drive an Avalanche, Cobalt SS,
Colorado Crew Cab, HHR, Impala SS, Tahoe or one of three
Silverados (1500 Crew Cab, Extended Cab or HD with Duramax).
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Crisco Family Zone
The Crisco Family Zone was a popular destination Sunday for
the Crisco® Family Picnic, featuring free lunch for the first 500
attendees. The meal was made from recipes found in the Crisco®
Country Favorites Vol. III Recipe Book. Nationally-recognized chef
Jon Ashton conducted cooking demonstrations throughout the
Festival.
Before the Festival got officially underway, the Crisco Country
Favorites Cook-Off Contest took place Wednesday at the Downtown
Hilton Hotel. The Cook-Off winner was culled from thousands of
mouth-watering entries. Of the 12 finalists who competed in
Nashville, Beth Royals, of Richmond, Va., was the Grand Prize
winner for her tasty Coffee Toffee Tart. Saturday fans gathered
under a tent in the Family Zone for “The 24th Annual YW Celebrity
Auction hosted by Martina McBride” with proceeds supporting
programs to benefit victims of domestic violence. The auction,
which has been hosted by McBride since 1995, raised $103,603. The
highest bid was $12,000 for a collection of six Platinum albums
McBride solicited on the spot from some of her famous friends; an
autographed photo paired with a VIP package from McBride brought
$7,250; and a meet and greet and tickets to see Reba McEntire
raised $3,400.
The Music City’s Rising Star Youth Vocal Soloist Competition was
held in the Crisco Family Zone with students from 35 states
competing. The Top 5 finishers were announced Saturday on the
Greased Lightning Daytime Stages. Earlier that day artist Erika Jo
participated in a separate award ceremony at the Wildhorse Saloon.
Winners included: Tara Clance, 16, of Georgia, fifth place;
Brianna Tyson, 14, of California, fourth place; Keeghan Nolan, 15,
of Vermont, third place; Amanda Stathos, 16, of Virginia, second
place; and 16-year-old Avery Hovey of Tennessee was the first
place finisher.On Sunday, Greased Lightning and stars gave back to
those in need by helping to construct the frame of a Habitat for
Humanity home for a Nashville family. Artists participating in the
construction project included Clayton Bellamy of The Road Hammers,
Blue County, Ty Herndon, Jason Meadows and Bryan White .
Chris McCarthy, President of the Nashville Area Habitat for
Humanity remarked: “CMA Music Festival fans are like our
volunteers – eager to help out and have a great time in the
process.”
CMA Celebrity Close Up Presented by Great American Country
The inside track is what CMA Celebrity Close Up is all about with
a lively question and answer format hosted by media personality
Lorianne Crook. And she treated the audience of more than 2,500 to
a bit of insider information with guests Trace Adkins, Terri
Clark, Charley Pride, Neal McCoy, Montgomery Gentry and Josh
Turner during two sessions on Thursday.
Great American Country (GAC) was the presenting sponsor of the
celebrity gab sessions, which were taped for two television
specials by the same name on the Country-themed cable network.
“CMA Celebrity Close Up” will premiere on Wednesday, July 18 (9:00
PM/ET); and the second special premieres on Monday, July 30 (8:00
PM/ET). Schedule subject to change.
CMA Music Festival After Hours™
A record 19 Downtown Nashville clubs participated in CMA Music
Festival After Hours™ offering drink discounts and special events
for festival goers and Nashvillians.
Setting the tone for each night’s revelers was “The Official CMA
After Hours Kick-Off Concerts” following the Nightly Concerts at
LP Field in the Hard Rock Cafe parking lot. The free concerts
Thursday through Saturday featured Emerson Drive, Lantana and The
PovertyNeck Hillbillies.
Another new feature of After Hours in 2007 was the Hard Rock Cafe
Writers Night, Thursday through Saturday, featuring some of
Nashville’s most successful tunesmiths in the round – trading
stories and playing the songs that made several artists household
names.
ABC Daytime
Real life drama is a staple of both Country Music lyrics and
daytime television series, and the artists and actors met at the
crossroads during 2007 CMA Music Festival when the ABC daytime
stars of “All My Children,” “One Life to Live,” and “General
Hospital” made their first appearance during the Festival.
Daytime actors that attended CMA Music Festival included Colin
Egglesfield (Joshua Madden) and Justin Bruening (Jamie Martin)
from “All My Children”; Kathy Brier (“Marcie McBain”), John-Paul
Lavoisier (“Rex Balsom”), and Kassie DePaiva (Blair Cramer) from
“One Life To Live”; and Rebecca Herbst (“Elizabeth Spencer”) and
Greg Vaughan (“Lucky Spencer”) from “General Hospital.”
The actors made several appearances in the Fan Fair Exhibit Hall
and introduced concerts, but the highlight for fans had to be “Fun
in the Sun,” Saturday at the Wildhorse Saloon, with interviews,
performances, dance lessons, and many more activities for more
than 1,200 faithful fans.
ABC Block Party
The ABC Block Party hosted by Matt Gallant on Saturday included
“Ugly Betty” look-alikes, “Dancing with the Stars” champion Cheryl
Burke, and ABC trivia games testing participants knowledge of
“Brothers and Sisters” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” Jason Michael Carroll
also performed for the packed crowd.
Media Coverage
Nearly 700 journalists were credentialed for 2007 CMA Music
Festival representing more than 200 domestic and international
media outlets. Among the domestic outlets at CMA Music Festival
were “48 Hours,” ABC.com, ABC Radio Networks, Associated Press,
Blender, CMT, CNBC, Country Weekly, “Fox & Friends,” GAC, Getty
Images, "Good Morning America," People, Premiere Radio Networks,
Reuters, The Sportsman Channel, The Tennessean, TV Guide, and USA
Today.
Sponsorship
Sponsorship is a key element to the marketing, fan
experience and financial support of the Festival. More than 55
partners gave out more than 300,000 product samples. Greased
Lightning Cleaning Products passed out more than 33,000 samples of
their product and ran out Sunday afternoon. In addition to food
samples and coupons, Crisco and The J.M. Smucker Company
distributed more than 140,000 premium items.
The CMA Music Festival Fun Team treated fans to a wide array of
premiums and samples including Cutter® Wipes, Yankee Candle ™CAR
JAR® air fresheners, Crest Toothpaste, CMA Awards T-shirts, Mary
Kay lip gloss samples, and iTunes® digital sampler cards.
ABC Television Special – Monday, July 23
As previously announced, the Festival was filmed for a
two-hour television special “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night
to Rock” scheduled to air on the ABC Television Network Monday,
July 23 (9:00-11:00 PM/ET). This is the third year the special
will air on ABC. The primetime special debuted on the CBS
Television Network in 2004.
Both the concerts and the interaction between the artists and fans
will be captured in the special with heart-pounding performances
interspersed with heart-warming encounters between the artists and
their avid admirers. Taped exclusively for the special, cameras
followed the stories of several Festival attendees, who had their
dreams come true when they were granted a once-in-a-lifetime
meeting and personal encounter with their favorite Country stars.
On the Web
CMAfest.com the official Web site of 2007 CMA Music
Festival, had 387,473 visitors from January 1- June 11, an
increase of 23 percent from the same time period in 2006.
Fans online coordinated a party at Buckwild Saloon on Saturday
through the CMA Music Festival MySpace page, where a maximum
capacity crowd of filled the club. CMA surprised the fans with an
autograph session by Emerson Drive and an acoustic performance by
Lady Antebellum – all of which was filmed for an upcoming CMA
Webisode.
For up-to-the-minute information about tickets, travel
information, schedules, artists appearing at 2008 CMA Music
Festival and more, visit
www.CMAfest.com and sign up for Exclusive, a periodic
e-newsletter with exciting artist features and Country Music news.
CMA Music Festival is organized and produced by the Country Music
Association. CMA Board member Tony Conway is the Executive
Producer of CMA Music Festival. Premiere Radio Networks is the
official radio broadcaster. Chevy: The Official Ride of Country
Music. Borders® Books & Music: The Official Music & Book retailer
of CMA Music Festival. Additional promotional partners include
American Airlines, BMI, Carl Black Chevrolet, CiCi’s Pizza®, CMT®,
Coca-Cola®, Country Weekly, Crisco®, Cutter®, Dr Pepper®, GAC
Great American Country, Gallo Family Vineyards, Gibson Guitar®,
Greased Lightning Cleaning Products®, Hard Rock Cafe Nashville,
Mary Kay®, Music Festivals®, New Holland Agriculture Equipment
S.p.A., On the Run® at Exxon, Prilosec OTC®, Purity® Dairies,
Radisson Hotel Nashville Airport, The Sportsman Channel®, Super
8®, Wrangler®, and Yamaha Motor Corp., USA. EMT services are
provided by Vanderbilt Sports Medicine and Vanderbilt Life Flight.
Fan Fair® is a registered trademark of CMA.
Smucker's®, JIF®, Crisco®, Hungry Jack®, Martha White®,
Uncrustables® and White Lily® are registered trademarks of The J.M.
Smucker Company.
CMA Exclusive!
VISIT US ONLINE
CMAAWARDS.COM
CMAFEST.COM
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Emmylou Harris
will headline the inaugural Cayamo music cruise, February 4
through February 10th 2008 and will take fans through
Cozumel, Mexico, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica. Tickets for
“Cayamo: A Journey Through Song,” go on sale June 25.
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Dolly Parton will join the Girl Scouts on June 15 at a
presentation at her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
More than 1000 Girl Scouts will join Dolly to lead her in the Girl
Scout Promise and present her with the lifetime membership pin.
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The Farm Aid benefit concert will be held at
Randalls Island in New York City on September 9th.
Performers will include Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil
Young and Dave Matthews.
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- Billy Ray Cyrus
- New Artist Spotlight:
Bucky Covington
By Kristen Scherer
© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service /
Country Music Association, Inc.
With Bucky Covington 's arrival in Nashville, sightings of "American Idol"
veterans along Music Row have become almost routine.
Thankfully, Covington's Country credentials are as real as they come and his
singing is anything but routine. Growing up with his identical twin brother
Rocky in Laurinburg, N.C., Covington was still a kid when he started
listening to and imitating Tim McGraw, George Strait and Travis Tritt on the
family's karaoke machine.
At 19, he heard guitarist Jeff Healey's "Angel Eyes," and his fate was
sealed.
"The minute I heard it, I pictured myself on the stage playing guitar and
singing," Covington said. "It was the best, warmest feeling I've ever had.
So I bought an electric guitar."
Obsessed, it wasn't long before he had mastered the basics and was looking
for a band. His first groups were decidedly rock oriented, but over the
course of the next few formative years, the singer gravitated more and more
to Country, finally hooking up with regional favorites Southern Thunder,
where he would learn the ropes on the road and find himself musically.
Covington's first "American Idol" season five audition - a thousand miles
away in Memphis, Tenn., - coincided with Hurricane Katrina and was canceled.
Following a subsequent audition in nearby Greenville, N.C., he made it to
Hollywood and into the finals. Among the many post-competition calls he
received was one from fellow contest winner Mark Miller, whose band, Sawyer
Brown , launched their hit career after winning the top prize on "Idol"
predecessor "Star Search."
Covington and Miller immediately hit it off, and, with Miller and Dale
Oliver producing, Covington was soon in the studio recording his self-titled
Lyric Street Records debut, released on April 17.
His debut single, "A Different World," was written by Jennifer Hanson, Tony
Martin and Mark Nesler .
IN HIS OWN WORDS:
WHO IS YOUR MUSICAL HERO?
"Elvis Presley. His showmanship was second to none and he had such wide
appeal because his music crossed into every genre."
WHICH SONG WOULD YOU SECRETLY LIKE TO COVER?
"Elvis' 'Suspicious Minds.' That's the song that got me listening to Elvis."
WHAT BOOK IS ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND?
"The Bible."
On The Web:
buckycovingtonmusic.com ;
myspace.com/buckycovington
- This Week at the Opry
For tickets and more information, visit
opry.com/CMAFest or call 1-800-SEE-OPRY.
- Montgomery Gentry
- Little Big Town: Music, Momentum
& Mellencamp
By Phyllis Stark
© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service /
Country Music Association, Inc.
For Little Big Town, the creative process never stops, not even in the
bathroom.
Take group member Karen Fairchild, who recently came up with a verse and
chorus of a new song while showering at a hotel. Worried about losing the
idea, she hollered for her husband and band mate, Jimi Westbrook, to bring
her something to record on. He soon produced a cell phone set to "video"
mode and - given her wet and naked state - laughingly advised her to turn it
toward the wall.
"So I recorded in the shower," Fairchild recounted. "You can hear water
dripping and the whole verse and chorus, and all you can see is tile."
That's typical of this hard charging band's "always on" work ethic. In 2006,
they did about 220 tour dates, sandwiching key media opportunities including
"CMT Crossroads" and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in between. They also
found time to land two CMA Awards nominations, two GRAMMY nominations and
celebrate RIAA Gold certification of their Equity Music Group album, The
Road to Here. The album has since gone Platinum.
In other 2006 milestones, The Road to Here topped Billboard's all-genre
year-end list of top independent albums, and the band was named Billboard's
independent artist of the year. Their first hit single, "Boondocks," sold
more than 100,000 in digital downloads, scoring the band a Gold digital
certification from the RIAA.
In the midst of all that, they found time to sing backing vocals on eight
tracks from John Mellencamp's recently-released Freedom's Road album,
including the single "Our Country," which was featured in a national ad
campaign for Chevrolet. Little Big Town toured with Mellencamp as the
opening act for his spring 2006 tour.
Westbrook was shocked when he got a call from Mellencamp asking the band to
record with him because even though Little Big Town had performed "Pink
Houses" with him every night on stage, Mellencamp had never really spoken to
them. "I didn't even know if he knew my name," Westbrook said.
Over the course of recording with him, however, the band members say they
became friends and developed a new level of respect for the mercurial
Mellencamp. "He's a real man of action," Fairchild said. "He has some strong
opinions and strong political views. Not that we share all of them, but you
have to admire him because he's an activist. He's not just some guy who
spews off at the mouth and then doesn't go do something about it. He really
gets out there and tries to make a difference."
In June 2007, Little Big Town returned for a second consecutive year to perform,
at CMA Music Festival. Also, Little Big Town hit the road with an
artist sure to remember their names - Martina McBride - for three months. They're trying to slow down their schedule
enough to finish recording their third album, due from Equity Music Group in
the fall.
Repeating the successful formula used on The Road to Here, they'll once
again co-produce the new album with their songwriting collaborator, Wayne
Kirkpatrick, in his Nashville-area studio.
"It's too good a place of safety and creativity to not do it again,"
Fairchild said of Kirkpatrick's studio.
Added band member Phillip Sweet, "I'm looking forward to going to work in
that environment with that same group [of musicians] because there's a well
full of creativity there."
In that environment, said Westbrook, "It's easier to open yourself up and
expose your guts."
While the recording and writing process will be the same, the band's
attitude and confidence level is completely different this time around.
Before recording The Road to Here, Little Big Town had been dropped by Sony
Music Nashville after the one album they had recorded for that label became
both a commercial and critical disappointment.
Thus, when they went into the studio with Kirkpatrick they were a bit beaten
down and their confidence was shaky. As the process of recording that album
wore on, however, that confidence rose as their sound and direction became
defined.
"We were so second guessing our every move for a little while," said
Fairchild of that time. "Toward the back half of the record where we got
more confident, but the front half we kept going 'Gosh, is this right? Are
we on the right path?' Now, we really know and, of course, now we've had
some affirmation that we were on the right path."
Sweet said their success over the past year has provided, "a clarity of
direction about who we are. It's helped us define our 'thing' a little bit
more."
The band's roadwork has also boosted its collective confidence. "Night after
night it just solidifies, this is us. This is our voice,'" Westbrook said.
Band member Kimberly Roads anticipates some happier tunes this time around.
"When we wrote [songs for] The Road to Here, we were all at very low points
in our lives," she said. "Now we're not, so it'll be interesting to see what
comes out."
Westbrook also thinks the album can't help but have an upbeat feel overall.
"It's a positive time in all of our lives and that's going to come through."
In the midst of a crazy year, members of Little Big Town found time to wed,
including Fairchild and Westbrook, who surprised fans with their news after
having kept their romance secret.
Another surprise wedding took place in late November when Roads married
longtime friend Stephen Schlapman on a private island in the Caribbean.
Schlapman had already quit his job to come out on the road with the band and
handle merchandise sales. It was announced in late February that the couple
is expecting their first child later this year.
The last single member of the band, Sweet, married Rebecca Arthur in late
March.
Despite being able to travel with spouses, working the road as hard as
Little Big Town does isn't always pleasant, as the band learned last summer
when it played a string of county fairs in rainy, muddy conditions.
"Everywhere we went it was a mud pit," Fairchild recalled. "The conditions
would be horrible and we felt so sorry for the fans. They would be drenched
and muddy. Then we would get out there and we would have a ball and they
would have a ball. The two hours on the stage is completely cool," she said.
"It's managing the other 22 that can be a challenge."
Still, the band enjoys life on the road. "It's like going to camp with your
friends," Sweet said. "You get on the big bus and you all pile up together.
The living conditions are a little tight, but you do it because you love
it."
"Everybody has hard jobs," Roads added. "When you look at ours, it ain't
hard."
After years of struggling, the band has trouble pulling back on its tour
dates, even to write and record a new album.
"If we were to really slow down a whole lot we'd be nervous," Westbrook
said. "It's still hard to say 'no' when the offers come in."
"For eight years we sang for free and we really didn't know you could make
money singing," Fairchild explained. "It wasn't three years ago when we were
begging someone to book us."
"We wanted this really bad," Roads said. "We worked for many, many years and
when the momentum began, we were afraid to say 'no' to anything because we
wanted it so bad for so long."
"When children come, we may pare it back a little bit," Fairchild said of
their tour schedule. Until then, it's full steam ahead.
A popular misconception outside the music industry is that as soon as an act
lands a record deal and puts out a successful album, they are instantly
wealthy. That is, of course, far from reality, especially when any profits
must be split among four band members.
Little Big Town has seen little financial reward thus far, although that
situation continues to improve. Fairchild, who has a degree in early
childhood education, remembers hoping just a few years ago to one day make a
school teacher's salary. Roads reports that three years ago, the band's
income was below the poverty level.
"We could have applied for food stamps," Fairchild quipped. "Maybe we should
get some government cheese for the bus," Sweet added. And while things have
certainly improved, Fairchild said, "Last year's income tax returns were
laughable. But you do what you've got to do. I'd much rather make music and
be poor and happy."
Now that the band is hot, they've recently gotten offers from other labels
trying to poach them. Some offers are from the same label executives who
passed on the band when they were shopping for a new label deal after
leaving Sony. But all four band members emphatically say they have no desire
to move on.
"The great thing about where we are with Equity is we make every decision,"
Fairchild said. "We sit as a team and hear input from the knowledge that's
in the room, but then ultimately [label President] Mike [Kraski] will look
at us and go 'What's the single going to be?'"
"We're not going to go anywhere else and get that," Westbrook said.
Meanwhile, as the band celebrates Platinum sales for The Road to Here,
they're getting help from an unlikely place. Fairchild's parents regularly
visit retail stores and check the CD stock. If they can't find their
daughter's album, they'll go into what Fairchild calls "covert operations"
mode, asking to speak to the store's music buyer, then reporting their
findings to the label's sales team.
With supporters like that, double Platinum sales can't be far away.
On the Web:
littlebigtown.com
Little Big Town will perform at CMA Music Festival in Downtown Nashville on
Friday, June 8 at the Nightly Concert at LP Field. Four-day CMA Music
Festival tickets and single night tickets to the individual Nightly Concerts
at LP Field are still available to purchase at Ticketmaster.com or
Ticketmaster outlets.
-
Montgomery Gentry, Charley Pride and Neal McCoy will tape a session of "CMA
Celebrity Close Up Series" June seventh at the Ryman Auditorium in
Nashville for G-A-C for a future television broadcast.
-
- Dolly
Parton helped raise half a million dollars to build a new hospital with a
benefit concert in Sevier County, Tennessee, where she grew up.
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The
free 2007 Opry Plaza Parties begin Memorial Day Weekend, Saturday, May 26th
and will run every Saturday night through July 28 beginning at 5:30 p.m. on
the Opry Plaza concert stage located in front of the Opry House, Acuff
Theatre, and the Opry Museum. Artists
scheduled to perform throughout the summer includes Mandy Barnett, Elizabeth
Cook, Carolina Rain, John England & the Western Swingers, Jim Lauderdale,
Chris Young, Gail Davies, The Derailers and more.
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- Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, Joe
Diffie and Mark Chesnutt will join The Grand Ole Opry Memorial Day Weekend
to honor members of the United States military. The Opry’s salute to the
military will continue through Labor Day Weekend. The series includes
special shows, recognition of military personnel, and special offers. Other
performers on the Memorial Day weekend show are Hal Ketchum, the Del McCoury
Band and Porter Wagoner. There will be performances from the Opry stage and
military performances and displays in the Opry Plaza.
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Vince Gill
and Ricky Skaggs will headline
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Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs will headline “Bluegrass at the Ryman,” July
5th and July 19th, respectively. Others in the lineup include Earl Scruggs
on June 21st; Rhonda Vincent on June 28th, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver on
July 12th and Mountain Heart and The Grascals on July 26th.
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