 It hasn’t been that long since Blake Shelton was denied entry to a popular Nashville restaurant/bar because he was wearing a ball cap, Wranglers and cowboy boots. The country singer was ticked, that day, and as he walked away, the song that’s now track two on his new Hillbilly Bone album — “Kiss My Country (Expletive)” — was running through his head.
“I wasn’t welcome there,” Shelton said. “I thought, ‘I’m not going to change to fit in with your crowd.’ That’s why it’s the perfect song for me. People figure out who they are and they’re defensive about it sometimes. That’s who I am.”
That take-it-or-leave-it attitude has helped Shelton further propel his already successful career over the last couple of years. And judging by the 71,000 copies Hillbilly Bone sold in its first week on store shelves, country music fans decided to take it. The sales number was high enough to earn Shelton his highest-ever debut on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart (No. 3) and land him at No. 2 on Billboard’s country albums chart.
Read More at Tunein.com (Tennessean.com)
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 Warner Bros. Records Recording Artist James Otto is getting his fans ready for summertime with his feel-good, new single “Groovy Little Summer Song.” The single is a rollicking look at beach life and a timeless celebration of wind and waves, icy drinks and summer love. “Groovy Little Summer Song” song was released to radio this past Monday, March 8 and will be featured on his forthcoming album, set for release later this year.
The track was co-written by Otto with Al Anderson and Carson Chamberlain, and co-produced by Otto and Grammy Award-winning record producer and session guitarist Paul Worley (Big & Rich, Dixie Chicks).
Otto says about the single, “It's got that spring break vibe, a groove and a feel that just says summertime to me," says James. "It's a feel-good song that lends itself to partying, and nights on the beach, or time out on the lake."
Warner Bros. Records and GRAMMY nominated Otto spawned Billboard’s No. 1 Hot Country Song with “Just Got Started Lovin’ You,” the lead single off of his debut album, Sunset Man, in 2008. Sunset Man, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart, scored three singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and remained in the Top 5 Country Albums chart for six weeks after its release in April 2008. Last year, Otto won an ACM and CMA Award in the Song of the Year category as a co-writer for “In Color” (a track that also earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song).
For further information on James Otto, please visit www.jamesotto.net.
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Lady Antebellum rehearsed for their first ever Ryman show on March 14th; the Grammy-award winning Trio accomplished multiple feats within the first few months into the New Year. Including as mentioned, winning at The Grammy's, selling 1 million copies of Need You Now & selling out three shows inside The Ryman auditorium, Nashville's Mother Church of Country Music. The band is off to a great start! The performance from The Ryman looks to be a mixture of the older classic tunes with the new from their original Lady A albums.
Click on the Photo Above to view video footage & to view more photos from the rehearsal. |
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Country star Trace Adkins, American Idol favorite Bo Bice and Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain are among the songwriters helping Nashville’s Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival expand its horizons for the 2010 installment, which takes place March 30 through April 3 at eight Nashville music venues.
Photo by: Bev Moser
www.momentsbymoser.com
Songwriter/Singers L:R: Chris Wallin, Bo Bice, Jonathan Cain (Journey), & Rachel Thibodeau
Bice and Cain were on hand at the 2010 Tin Pan South preview party Tuesday afternoon at The Rutledge, where organizers announced the line-up for this year’s festival. Like many of the festival’s biggest names — including country stars Kathy Mattea, Heidi Newfield, Julie Roberts and Steel Magnolia — Bice and Cain are artists who are famed for their performing skills as well as their writing.
For More Photos from Preview Party, CLICK HERE
“We are so excited about this year’s festival, because, guys, in addition to all of the fabulously talented country songwriters and artists, we’ve got a real live rock star,” said Lisa Harless of Tin Pan sponsors Regions Bank, referring to Cain.
In fact, the festival has more than just one rock star this year. Cain is in good company with Bill Champlin of Chicago, Kyle Cook of Matchbox Twenty, Better Than Ezra frontman Kevin Griffin and Louisiana soul-rocker Marc Broussard.
Tin Pan South also continues to spotlight musical talents who have been wildly successful behind the scenes. Award-winning country songwriters Dave Berg, Gary Burr and Rivers Rutherford are scheduled to perform, along with a collection of rock/pop heavy-hitters, including production/writing partners Drew Ramsey and Shannon Sanders (who are behind songs for India.Arie, Jonny Lang, Jesse McCartney and Robert Randolph).
Up-and-coming talents and many of Nashville’s non-country young guns are also represented on the 2010 Tin Pan South Schedule: Butterfly Boucher, Katie Herzig and Jeremy Lister — who’ve all taken part in busy local songwriter collective Ten Out Of Tenn — are all scheduled to perform.
Among the eight venues hosting shows are expected singer-songwriter havens such as the Bluebird Café and Douglas Corner, and newcomer the Hard Rock Café will host unique events like a Thursday night show from classic rock hit-makers Ides of March (“Vehicle”) at its recently revamped music venue.
Now in its 18th year, The Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival bills itself as the world’s largest all-songwriter music festival. Last year’s fest saw over 9,000 fans attending more than 70 festival-hosted shows. The festival is presented by Regions Bank and produced by the Nashville Songwriters Association International.
Source: Tennessean.com Dave Paulson at dnpaulson@tennessean.com
View the Full Schedule Here
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