(AP) – Billy Ray Cyrus’s new album “Change My Mind” will be out on October 23. Cyrus says the 10-song CD is a personal one and he’s lived through every emotion expressed in every song. They come to him, he says, when he’s “dealing with heavy stuff.” And if he’s “going through something emotional” he says the songs “pour out.” The only way he knows how to express himself he says is to “write it all down.”
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(AP) – “Christmas with Scotty McCreery” is hitting the store shelves in less than two weeks. McCreery says his goal for the holiday album – his first – was to make an album that would make both him and his fans feel good. He tells GAC that he “just wanted it to be holly and jolly and really lift people’s spirits in the Christmas season because it’s supposed to be a really happy time.” But, he says, he also wanted to “get across the real reason for the season” and that’s why he chose the song ‘Christmas in Heaven’ – his favorite on the album. He says he knew he wanted to record the song after listening to the first verse. The album is available October 16.
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Lee Brice knows that lovin’ a music man is not always easy for his fiancée, Sara and their son, Takota, so when he heard “Hard To Love” he knew it was a perfect fit – not just for him but for most guys in general:
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(AP) – Luke Bryan says writing songs is “pretty weird and crazy and pretty special all at the same time.” Bryan is in the middle of his Farm Tour but he’s headed back into the studio to work on a new album next month. According to The Boot, Bryan wants to shake things up a bit but he doesn’t want to change his music too much and risk losing fans. He told The Boot he’s already got some new songs for the album and is hoping to write some more that help him grow as an artist.
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(AP) – “It all begins with a song” as the slogan says. And now The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame has a permanent home at the city’s new convention center. Nashville’s Mayor Karl Dean announced the plans yesterday. He called songwriters the unsung heroes of the city’s country music industry and called the new Music City Center a fitting space to showcase and honor their creativity. The Hall of Fame is expected to be complete in time for the opening of the Music City Center this coming spring.
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(AP) – Tanya Tucker has postponed a December concert because of undisclosed “health concerns.” That’s according to an upstate New York newspaper (Oneonta Daily Star). The show originally scheduled for December 9 was to be the 53-year-old singer’s last 2012 tour date. It has been rescheduled for August 17 of next year. There’s been no official public statement from Tucker or her representatives. The information was released by the executive director of the Foothills Performing Arts Center where the December 9 concert was scheduled to take place. The “Delta Dawn” singer’s last major release is her 2009 “My Turn” album, a collection of country cover tunes.
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(AP) – Scotty McCreery has been racking up accolades and awards ever since his winning performance on “American Idol” last year. He’s got a platinum album, ACM and CMT Music Awards and now he has a new museum exhibit dedicated to his achievements. The North Carolina Museum of History is currently showcasing objects donated by McCreery, including the outfit he wore for his final duet on “Idol” back on May 25, 2011. McCreery sang “Live Like You Were Dying” with country music star Tim McGraw. The outfit consists of a black leather jacket, jeans, T-shirt and cross necklace. The exhibit also includes the lyric sheet for “Live Like You Were Dying,” along with his gold record for his first album, “Clear as Day.” The exhibit runs through January 4.
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(AP) – He grew up the son of sharecroppers in Mississippi and became one of country music’s biggest stars. Now the Smithsonian in Washington has acquired memorabilia from Charley Pride’s life, including a pair of boots and one of his guitars, for the upcoming National Museum of African American History and Culture. Pride says it was difficult to part with some of the items, but it’s nice to know that they will be in a museum where he can always go visit. Dwan Reece, the museum’s curator of music and performing arts, says Pride is “a great example of a man transcending the barriers of race who was accepted by audiences because he was a good country singer.” Pride, at 78, is still touring and heads to Ireland this month and the U.K. next month. He has three Grammy Awards, dozens of No. 1 hits and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000. The Smithsonian new museum is scheduled to open in 2015.
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Garth Brooks will conclude his three-year run of shows at the Wynn Las Vegas with the final show set for November 17. Garth started his one-man residency there in December 2009 after Wynn CEO Steve Wynn convinced him to sign on.
Garth says, “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Wynn. Mr. Wynn told me that the Wynn audiences were some of the best in the world and he was right.”
Tickets for the final concerts are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-877-65-GARTH.
The final concert dates:
October 5, 6
October 26, 27
November 16, 17
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Read On ABC News Radio: http://abcnewsradioonline.com/music-news/2012/10/3/garth-brooks-to-perform-final-show-at-wynn-las-vegas-novembe.html#ixzz28GLfwDTB
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(AP) – Darius Rucker’s conversion to country is now complete: He’s joining the Grand Ole Opry. Rucker performed on last night’s Opry and received a visit from unannounced guest Brad Paisley, who surprised him with the invitation. Rucker rose to fame as the frontman for South Carolina rockers Hootie and The Blowfish, but began to pursue his lifelong passion for country music a few years ago. He will release his third country album early next year.
The 46-year-old is the third black performer to hold Opry membership, joining Country Music Hall of Fame members DeFord Bailey and Charley Pride. Rucker will be inducted into the Opry on Oct. 16. That show will air live on GAC.
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(AP) – Trace Adkins says that when his home was destroyed in a fire last year, the Red Cross was among the first on-site to offer assistance. Now, Adkins is returning the favor, so to speak. He is the newest spokesman for the 2012 American Red Cross Holiday Giving Campaign. Adkins says he and his family were fortunate because they only lost ‘things’ that could be replaced. But he says “that’s not the case for every victim of disaster.” Adkins is urging the public to make charitable donations, send cards to servicemen and women and donate blood as part of the Giving Campaign. The Red Cross has an online catalog for tax-deductible charitable donations that provide shelter, as well as basic necessities for disaster victims and military comfort kits. It is also collecting holiday greeting cards to distribute to military personnel based overseas throughout the season.
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(AP) – Kenny Rogers’ memoir, “Luck or Something Like It” hit bookstore shelves today. The autobiography covers lots of ground including Rogers’ Depression-era Texas childhood and his struggles with his marriages. One thing he didn’t tell-all about is his plastic surgery. In a “CMT Insider” interview Rogers says he did write a section about it but his manager said, “Let’s not go there.” Rogers says he’s not embarrassed that he had plastic surgery but admits he never liked the way his eyes looked “after the fact.”
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