CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL: COUNTRY'S NIGHT TO ROCK - TONIGHT!

(from countrymusicfever.com)

Kimberly Perry, of The Band Perry, and Luke Bryan will be cohosting the show that begins at 7pm on ABC.

Lots of great performances from CMA Music Fest that happened in Nashville June 7-10th, plus behind the scenes fun, interviews and late-night jam sessions.

Performances from:

• Jason Aldean
• Dierks Bentley
• Kix Brooks
• Luke Bryan
• Eric Church
• Brantley Gilbert
• Hunter Hayes
• Faith Hill
• Alan Jackson
• Lady Antebellum
• Miranda Lambert
• Little Big Town
• Martina McBride
• Scotty McCreery
• Jake Owen
• Brad Paisley
• Rascal Flatts
• Blake Shelton
• The Band Perry
• Carrie Underwood
• Keith Urban
• Hank Williams Jr.
• Zac Brown Band

A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS 25TH ANNIVERSARY

(from blog.gactv.com)

I can't believe it's been 25 years since I bought the very first A Very Special Christmas cassette.  (Yes, I bought the cassette!)  I can remember exactly when I bought it.  I was with my Grandma P at the Wisconsin Rapids Mall.  The Eurythmics "Winter Wonderland" is still one of my all-time fav Christmas songs.

The 25th Anniversary CD comes out October 16th and includes music from Rascal Flatts, The Band Perry, Vince Gill, Christina Aguilera, Francesca Battistelli, Michael Buble, Cheap Trick, Amy Grant, Dave Matthews, Jason Mraz, One Republic and Wonder Girls.

There will also be a Contemporary Christian Version called A Very Special Christmas: Bringing Peace on Earth released the same day.

The albums will benefit the Special Olympics (as always).

CHRISTMAS MUSIC FROM LADY A

(from gactv.com)

Very excited to have Christmas music coming out from Blake Shelton, Scotty McCreery, and now Lady Antebellum!!!

On This Winter's Night comes out October 22nd.

Here's the Track Listing

1. A Holly Jolly Christmas
2. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home
3. All I Want For Christmas Is You
4. I'll Be Home For Christmas
5. This Christmas
6. The First Noel
7. On This Winter's Night
8. Let it Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
9. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
10. Silent Night (Lord Of My Life)
11. Blue Christmas
12. Silver Bells

CONGRATULATIONS

to the winner of the $15,000 Home & Yard Give-a-way TOM STOFFLET!

Enjoy all the fabulous prizes Tom!

Thanks to our fabulous partners for making this happen!

CHEERS, IT'S CHRISTMAS

(photo from tasteofcountry.com)

Blake Shelton's first Christmas CD comes out the day before my birthday (thank you Blake!), October 2nd.

The CD features plenty of great duets, with the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Reba, his wife Miranda, and his mom, Dorothy Shackleford.

You can pre-order right now.

Here's the track listing for Cheers, It's Christmas:

1. Jingle Bell Rock - featuring Miranda Lambert
2. White Christmas 
3. Oklahoma Christmas - featuring Reba
4. Let It Snow
5. There's a New Kid In Town - featuring Kelly Clarkson
6. Santa's Got a Choo Choo Train
7. Home - featuring Michael Buble
8. Winter Wonderland
9. The Christmas Song
10. Blue Christmas - featuring the Pistol Annies
11. I'll Be Home for Christmas
12. Silver Bells - featuring Xenia Martinex (one of his Voice contestants)
13. Time For Me To Come Home - featuring Dorothy Shackleford
14. The Very Best Time of Year - featuring Trypta-Phunk

What a great list of songs and duet partners.  Would anyone mind if I played these songs on October 2nd?  LOL

CMA NOMINATIONS

(photo from www.cmaworld.com)

The Country Music Association Awards will be hosted by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley.  Watch them on ABC November 1st.

Entertainer of the Year
Jason Aldean
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Blake Shelton
Taylor Swift

Album of the Year 
Chief - Eric Church
Four the Record - Miranda Lambert
Home - Dierks Bentley
Own the Night - Lady Antebellum
Tailgates and Tanlines - Luke Bryan

Male Vocalist of the Year 
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Blake Shelton
Keith Urban

Female Vocalist of the Year 
Kelly Clarkson
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Vocal Group of the Year 
Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band

  

Vocal Duo of the Year
Love and Theft
Sugarland
The Civil Wars
Thompson Square

New Artist of the Year
Lee Brice
Brantley Gilbert
Hunter Hayes
Love and Theft
Thompson Square

Music Video of the Year
"Come Over" - Kenny Chesney
"Over You" - Miranda Lambert
"Pontoon" - Little Big Town
"Red Solo Cup" - Toby Keith
"Springsteen" - Eric Church

Single of the Year
"Dirt Road Anthem" - Jason Aldean
"God Gave Me You" - Blake Shelton
"Home" - Dierks Bentley
"Pontoon" - Little Big Town
"Springsteen" - Eric Church

Song of the Year (songwriters award, artist in parentheses)
"Even If It Breaks Your Heart" - Will Hoge, Eric Paslay (Eli Young Band)
"God Gave Me You" - Dave Barnes (Blake Shelton)
"Home" - Dan Wilson, Brett Beavers, Dierks Bentley (Dierks Bentley)
"Over You" - Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton (Miranda Lambert)
"Springsteen" - Eric Church, Ryan Tindell, Jeff Hyde (Eric Church)

Musical Event of the Year
"Dixie Highway" - Alan Jackson featuring Zac Brown
"Feel Like a Rock Star" - Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw
"Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die" - Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg, Kris Kristofferson, Jamey Johnson
"Safe and Sound" - Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars
"Stuck on You" - Lionel Richie with Darius Rucker

Musician of the Year
Sam Bush
Paul Franklin
Dan Huff
Brent Mason
Mac McAnally

KELLIE PICKLER HELPS FIGHT HUNGER

She's partnered with the Hunger-Free Summer Campaign and ConAgra Foods Foundation.  As part of the campaign you can download a free activity booklet, "The Hunger Avengers," that gives you an opportunity to donate a meal to Feeding America, and it teaches kids about hunger. 

You can downlaod the booklet from the ConAgra Foods, Inc. Facebook Page.  For every booklet downloaded from now until September 3rd, the ConAgra Foods Foundation will donate the monetary equivalent of one meal to Feeding America, up to 500,000 meals.  If you share the link to your own Facebook news feed the foundation matches that with an additional meal for a child.

SCOTT NICOL IS BACK IN THE USA!!

You can catch him on my show Monday at 4pm.

Scott is here in America to debut his new album Burning Days.  The Burning Days Tour will be all over the area.  Make sure you stop down and see Scott.  Some of his shows are acoustic and some include his band Luminous Storm.

(photo from webcom-online.com)

Scott Nicol Concerts 2012

July 6- Playground Park, Green Lake 3:00-7:00pm

*July 7- Riverside Park, Fox Lake 5:30-9:30pm

*July 8-Ripon Community Church, 155 State St., Ripon

8:30am, 9:45am &11:00am

*July 8-Mugs Coffee Shop, 307 Watson St.,Ripon 1:30 pm

July 8-New Hope Family Life Center 109 Watson St., Ripon

7:00-9:00pm

July 9- live on WXRO 95.3fm 4:00 pm

July 9- Sieppel Center Beaver Dam 6-8pm

July 9- Stooges Bar-Beaver Dam 8:30pm

July 10-Schaumburg Dinner Club, N11935 Co Rd A, Randolph

5:30-9:00pm

Music on the patio rain or shine (no cover charge)

July 12-Botanicals Floral Studio, 1081 E Johnson St.Fond du Lac

Meet the artist 6:00pm concert 7:00pm

*July 12 Trinity Bar and Restaurant, Fond du Lac 9:30pm

*July 13- Free concert in the Park (Cambria) 7:00-10:00pm

Live with Josie Passantino www.josieshow.com

in case of rain the concert will be held at the

Cambria Fire Dept. Community Center

*July 14- Free concert in the Park(Hein Park, Markesan)

in case of rain the concert will be held at the Markesan fire station

7:00pm-10:00pm

July 15-Marsh Haven Nature Center, W10145 Hwy 49,Waupun 1:00-3:00pm

July 15-The Corner Pocket, 301 Dewitt St., Portage 5:30-?

July 16-Hydro Street Brewing Co. & Eatery,

152 W. James St.Columbus 7:00-9:00pm

July 18 America Restaurant, 329 Watson St., Ripon 6:30pm-?

*These concerts are with the band Luminous Storm (Bring a chair to the concerts in the park)

Other concerts are solo acoustic

PLEASE HELP

The Dodge County Humane Society is in financial dire straits and NEEDS your help.  Right now, the financial reports show that the shelter ONLY has enough money to keep it operational for a FEW WEEKS!!!!  The DC Humane Society houses 20 dogs, 75 cats, and an animated bird named Taylor right now.

Our shelter is awesome because they do everything they can to keep from euthanizing the animals, but that means they need to be taken care of.  Plus, the mortgage needs to be paid on their wonderful building.

If you can help financially that is terrific.  Please drop off your donation at the shelter, or send it to:
DCHS
N6839 State Hwy 26
Juneau, WI 53039

The animals THANK YOU for the help!

HANK WILLIAMS MOVIE

(photo from blog.gactv.com)

The little kid from E.T.:The Extra Terrestrial (who isn't exactly a kid anymore - he's 40!) is going to play Hank Sr. in what is being called a "quirky" biopic about the late Hank Williams life.  It's called The Last Ride and will chronicle the final days of Hank Sr.'s life.  He died of heart failure on New Year's Day 1953 at the young age of 29.  The Last Ride will debut June 29th in New York and Los Angeles and have a wide release after that.

 (photo from moviespad.com)

Here's Henry as Hank Sr.

(photo from cinema.theiapolis.com)

LIVE LADY A CHAT TODAY

Today at 1:30 the trio sits down to chat with us on their Facebook page.

Tune in and hear what they have to say.

Kenny Chesney will be in concert live tonight on the beach in Wildwood, NJ and you can watch.  Around 7:30 click here.

In case the link doesn't work here it is.  http://bit.ly/N3OsYK

Jonathan Demme (who directed Silence of the Lambs) is directing this "happening" (his word, not mine).

POLLSTARS TOP 10 CONCERT TOURS

Four country artists make the list for the first half of 2012!

1. Bruce Springsteen - $1,996,815
2. Cirque du Soleil - "Michael Jackson" - $1,635,745
3. Radiohead - $1,114,246
4. Red Hot Chili Peppers - $825,373
5. Jason Aldean - $643,521
6. Lady Antebellum - $599,061
7. The Black Keys - $526,361
8. Miranda Lambert - $441,338
9. Blake Shelton - $358,959
10. Jeff Dunham - $358,959

CMT CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS

CMT One Country will again make donations to the charities of choice for each winner at the CMT Music Awards tonight.  Here's a slight list.

• Blake Shelton - Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
• Miranda Lambert - MuttNation Foundation
• Carrie Underwood - CATS Foundation
• Eli Young Band - St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
• Jason Aldean - Susan G. Komen for the Cure
• Rascal Flatts - Monroe Carell Children's Hospital

NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL COUNTRY

VOLUME 5 - comes out next week - June 12th.  The album contains 15 Number one songs and three additional big hits.

(photo from countrymusicislove.com)

Track Listing

1. Toby Keith - Red Solo Cup
2. Eric Church - Drink In My Hand
3. Luke Bryan - I Don't Want This Night To End
4. Jake Owen - Alone With You
5. Blake Shelton - God Gave Me You
6. Lionel Richie w/ Jennifer Nettles - Hello
7. Lady Antebellum - Just a Kiss
8. Eli Young Band - Crazy Girl
9. Taylor Swift - Sparks Fly
10. Miranda Lambert - Baggage Claim
11. Rascal Flatts - Banjo
12. Keith Urban - You Gonna Fly
13. The Band Perry - All Your Life
14. Brad Paisley f/ Alabama - Old Alabama
15. Brantley Gilbert - Country Must Be Country Wide
16. David Nail - Let It Rain
17. Chris Young - You
18. Dierks Bentley - Home

LAST DAY TO VOTE

Talking about the CMT Music Awards which are Wednesday.  Today is your last chance to pick your favs.

Go to CMT.com and VOTE!

(photo from cmt.com)

A LADIES DUETS ALBUM

Lorrie Morgan and Pam Tillis are teaming up for a duets album after having a great time on the "Grits & Glamour" tour (LOVE that name).  Lorrie wrote on her website, "I am currently working n a new album of duets with Pam Tillis, set to be released this summer!  Together, we are co-writing songs for the project and selecting material from some of Nashville's hit songwriters.  The tour continues through October.

CMT AWARDS UPDATE

(from cmt.com)

Remember, you can  vote online at CMT.com, and on your mobile device at CMT Mobile or get the CMT Insider app for you iPhone, iPad and Android through June 4th to vote..

6/1 - Just received word on who would be performing on the Nationwide Insurance stage.

• Lauren Alaina
• Casey James
• Jana Kramer
• Scotty McCreery,
• Kip Moore
• The Farm

Nationwide will award the Nationwide Insurance On Your Side Award to country music's best new live act - which we choose.  Vote at CMT.com through Monday (6/4).  2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series champ Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will announce the winner on the show.

Nationwide On Your Side Award nominees

• Eli Young Band
• Brantley Gilbert
• Jake Owen
• Thompson Square

Performers (updated 5/24)

• Luke Bryan
• Eric Church
• Toby Keith
• Willie Nelson
• Pistol Annies
• Rascal Flatts
• The Band Perry
• Hank Williams Jr.
• Carrie Underwood
• Brad Paisley
• Kenny Chesney
• Little Big Town
• Zac Brown Band
• Lady Antebellum

RANDY TRAVIS - THE GOOD AND THE BAD

Let's start with the good news.
   Randy has recorded a new theme song for Champion Bull Riders that you'll hear when the show airs this Sunday on the FOX Sports Network.  The song is titled "Unbelievabull," and it's all about the bull-riding lifestyle.  Randy says, "My fascination with the sport of bull riding encouraged me to take part in this special project.  I appreciate the CBR for allowing me to represent thier great organization; and, look forward to years of 'unbelievable' opportunity in store for all of us."


The bad news.
   Randy is accusing his ex-wife, Elizabeth, of trying to sabotage his career.  Randy says that Elizabeth told some personal details in an attempt to ruin his career.  Plus, he say claims that she tried to inflate her travel reimbursement requests, thus earning more money from him than was owed her.  Randy and Elizabeth filed for divorce in 2010, but she remained his manager until 2011 when he fired her, which lead to a lawsuit that she filed claiming breach of contract.  She's asking for full management fees, he's trying to block her from getting money from his future shows.

GEORGE STRAIT IS SEXY....DUH!

King George just turned 60 and he's still got it!  He is on the AARP's list of Men on Fire for 2012 - The 21 Sexiest Men Over 50.  A few other hunks on the list?  George Clooney, Jon Bon Jovi, Antonio Banderas and Denzel Washington.

(photo from georgestrait.com)