Congratulations to Dawn Kenyon, Brian Steinert and Jim Kronewitter! Each wins a pair of tickets and meet and greet passes for the Kevin Fowler Concert at the Graham County Fair in Hill City Saturday, July 27, 2013.
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NASHVILLE (AP) – One of Luke Bryan’s marks of success is seeing his family more. He says he was “super super busy” the beginning of the year, but now he sometimes gets a weekend off. He says they even had a two-week vacation together. Bryan says he now travels on his own bus, so he can have his family travel with him. Before that, he used to travel with 12 guys, and he says that wasn’t a good environment for a wife and kids. Bryan has announced he will do another “Farm Tour” in October to raise money for scholarships for students from farming families.
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Easton Corbin sings about talking his way out of a traffic ticket in his latest single, “All Over the Road,” but he wasn’t so lucky with a cop who pulled him over in Illinois. Easton was hauling a motorcycle he’d just purchased back to Nashville in his truck when he hit a construction zone. The interstate went down to one lane, and Easton had to speed up to merge in front of a semi truck.
He tells ABC News Radio, “You know, it’s only about 45 or 50 in this construction zone. Well, by the time I get past this semi, I’m going 80.”
Immediately after Easton got in front of the truck, a cop came speeding up behind him, pulled him over, and told him he was actually doing about 85 miles per hour.
Easton admits, “I just started cringing — a construction area going that fast. And he said, ‘Man, I just couldn’t let you go.'”
As if getting the ticket wasn’t enough, one of Easton’s fans posted the news about his ticket on his Facebook page. He took a big financial hit from the ticket as well.
“I had to hire an attorney to come pay my ticket,” Easton says. “It ended up costing me a thousand bucks. I was like, ‘I will never speed again in my life.’ I was about to pass out when I heard what it was gonna be.”
Luckily, Easton has someone else to drive his tour bus as he heads to Adrian, MI for a show Wednesday night.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
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Toby Keith only agreed to appear on the cover of Forbes magazine as “Country’s $500 Million Man” and talk about his finances because his publicist convinced him to do it. In an interview with The Oklahoman, Toby admitted he’s totally uncomfortable talking about his income, which totaled about $65 million last year alone. In fact, he hasn’t even read the Forbes article yet.
“I’m just a boy from Oklahoma that still drives a pickup truck,” Toby says. “I got some hot rod cars in my barn and in garage ’cause I can — cars I grew up loving — but I’m a pickup guy.”
A big chunk of Toby’s fortune comes from his live shows. He’ll rake in some more cash for his show in Minot, ND Friday night.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
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Alabama teamed up with some of country’s biggest stars — including Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney and Florida Georgia Line — for their new Alabama & Friends album. The project, which hits stores August 27, also features two brand-new songs from the group.
As for the superstar guests on the album, Alabama guitarist Jeff Cook says, “It’s very much an honor that they’d take part in an Alabama tribute. We had a lot of fun working with them, and I think the finished product testifies to both the fun and the quality that went into it.”
Eli Young Band, Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts and Trisha Yearwood are among the other stars performing with Alabama on the album. Jamey Johnson closes the album with the Alabama classic, “My Home’s in Alabama.”
Alabama is currently selling out shows on their Back to the Bowery tour. They’ve just added a date at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Sunday, November 3.
Alabama & Friends track listing:
“Tennessee River,” Jason Aldean
“Love in the First Degree,” Luke Bryan
“Old Flame,” Rascal Flatts
“Lady Down on Love,” Kenny Chesney
“The Closer You Get,” Eli Young Band
“Forever’s as Far as I’ll Go,” Trisha Yearwood
“She & I,” Toby Keith
“I’m in a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why),” Florida Georgia Line
“That’s How I Was Raised,” Alabama
“All American,” Alabama
“My Home’s in Alabama,” Jamey Johnson
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
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Blake Shelton kicked off his Ten Times Crazier tour over the weekend with two shows in Virginia and a Sunday-night date in New York state. Blake is the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, but his busy schedule as a coach on The Voice has kept him off the road a lot lately. That show has also raised his profile enormously, translating into bigger ticket sales for this trek.
“I think if it hadn’t been for The Voice and the success of that show, probably my music career wouldn’t have gotten to the level that it’s at,” Blake says. “I want to make the most of it. This is what I’ve been waiting for my whole life is to headline some of these bigger arenas and amphitheaters.”
A member of Blake’s team on The Voice has won the show’s last three seasons, so he obviously knows how to pick talent. Blake used those skills to choose his opening acts on this tour, Easton Corbin and Jana Kramer.
He says, “I know ’em both, and they’re both good kids. I call ’em kids. That’s how old I’m getting now, but they are. They’ve got a lot of energy.”
For the latest Blake tour dates, head over to BlakeShelton.com.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
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Are Miley Cyrus‘ parents giving their marriage another chance?
E! News’ Ken Baker indicates that Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus, who announced in June that they are divorcing, have reconciled. He says in a report published on E!’s website, “I spoke to Tish and she told me they both woke up and realized they love each other and decided they want to stay together.”
Baker adds, “They recently went into couples therapy, something they hadn’t done in 22 years of being together, and it’s brought them closer together and really opened up their communication in amazing ways.”
Billy Ray previously filed for divorce in 2010, but withdrew his petition several months later.
The couple has three children together, including Miley. Billy Ray Cyrus also adopted Tish’s two children from a previous relationship.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
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Tim McGraw and Faith Hill‘s estate south of Nashville could be yours for the bargain basement price of $20 million. The couple is unloading the 753-acre property they acquired in 2001, according to the Real Estalker blog. This estate includes an antebellum mansion once owned by country legend Hank Williams, Sr. as well as several other smaller homes. The property sits along the Harpeth River, and also features a few ponds, barns and dirt road trails.
Tim and Faith’s main residence is closer to downtown Nashville in the ritzy suburb Belle Meade.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
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Luke Bryan will kick off his fifth annual Farm Tour October 2 in Statesboro, GA. The eight-city outing includes five cities in Luke’s home state of Georgia. Money raised from the shows will once again go to college scholarships for students from farming families. Concert venues will be announced soon, and you can find out where to buy tickets for each show at LukeBryan.com/FarmTour.
Farm Tour Cities:
10/2 — Statesboro, GA
10/3 — Athens, GA
10/4 — Columbia, SC
10/5 — Macon, GA
10/9 — Villa Rica, GA
10/10 — Auburn, AL
10/11 — Tallahassee, FL
10/12 — Valdosta, GA
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
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Luke Bryan‘s schedule is literally non-stop these days as he prepares to release his new album, Crash My Party, next month and perform sold-out shows on the Dirt Road Diaries tour at the same time. That doesn’t leave much time for Luke to be at home with his wife, Caroline, and their two young boys, Bo and Tate. So, he’s bringing them along on the road with him this weekend.
Luke tells ABC News Radio, “I’m getting the bikes’ tires pumped up and we’ll put bikes under the bus, and gonna buy some inflatable swimming pools, and just put ’em out there by all the buses and let ’em play and ride their bikes and throw the baseball and have fun.”
Luke puts a premium on having fun with his family, but keeping the lines of communication open with his wife is just as important. Even though Luke is arguably country’s hottest star right now, he and Caroline face the same challenges as any other couple.
“Well, you have just have to figure it out with any marriage,” he says. “If I was a banker, I’d come in and I’d be in a bad mood one day, and she’d be in a bad mood one day. So, you just have to figure it out.”
Luke’s album, Crash My Party, comes out August 13. The deluxe edition with four extra songs is available exclusively at Target.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
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Jason Aldean has learned by trial and error what he can and can’t do in country music. It turns out headlining stadium shows is one of the things he does very well. Jason will play Chicago’s Wrigley Field Saturday after performing two sold-out dates at Boston’s Fenway Park last weekend. Triumphant moments like this are the result of taking risks over the course of his career.
“I have always tried to do things in my career that would push myself, and by doing that I have figured out what I could do well and what I couldn’t do well,” Jason tells the Chicago Sun-Times. “I’m not scared of falling on my face. God knows I have done that plenty of times.”
Fans at the Wrigley Field show will get to hear Jason duet with show opener, Kelly Clarkson, on their monster hit “Don’t You Wanna Stay.” Jake Owen and Thomas Rhett are also on the bill.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
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Dierks Bentley is the latest public figure to speak out against the Rolling Stone cover featuring a photo of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokar Tsarnaev. Dierks posted a picture of someone, presumably himself, holding the magazine, with the tweet, “childish but had to d-ck the cover of @rollingstone in airport. Keep your 1st amendment & ill keep my 7 bucks. #mericah.”
As previously reported, some members of the media claim the image — a self-taken photo that shows the 19-year-old Russian immigrant with tousled hair — is reminiscent of pictures of rock icons like Bob Dylan and The Doors‘ Jim Morrison that previously have graced the front of the magazine.
Brad Paisley also tweeted against the Rolling Stone cover Wednesday, saying it was “in poor taste.”
Tsarnaev pleaded not guilty last week to 30 counts associated with the bombing. He’s accused of working with his older brother, Tamerlan, to set off a pair of bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15 that killed three and injured more than 260 others.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
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Country music got a little love when the Emmy nominations were announced Thursday morning in Los Angeles. Nashville‘s Connie Britton snagged an Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series nod for her role as country star Rayna James on the ABC drama. Blake Shelton‘s NBC talent competition, The Voice, is going up against ABC’s Dancing with the Stars in the Reality Competition Program category. Kellie Pickler of course won this season of Dancing with the Stars, which also featured Wynonna as a contestant.
In addition, the song “I’ll Never Get Out of this World Alive” from Nashville is up for the Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics Emmy. It was written by Sarah Buxton and Kate York.
A complete list of nominees can be found at Emmys.com/Nominations. The 65th Annual Emmy Awards, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will be held at the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles Sunday, September 22.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
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