FAIR OAKS, Calif. (AP) – Kevin Sharp has died. The country music singer had a series of hits during a career that started in the late 1990s. He was 43 and died from complications from past stomach surgeries and digestive issues. Sharp was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer when he was a high school senior. The Make-A-Wish Foundation made it possible for Sharp to meet music producer David Foster, who helped him jump-start his music career. Perhaps his biggest hit was “Nobody Knows,” a single from his 1996 debut album.

 

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – It’s considered “new” music – even though it has been around for close to 65 years. The recordings of country music legend Hank Williams were done for a taped show that aired on early country music stations – and sponsored by a Texas plant nursery. “The Garden Spot Programs, 1950” feature two dozen songs and jingles on tape. Most of the tapes were lost – but the copies from one station in Iowa survived. The recordings were transferred, restored and mastered for release. The project will be available starting May 20 for both download and on vinyl.

 

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(AP) – If you’re the type who prefers vinyl music over digital, tomorrow is your day. Acts like Devo, The Allman Brothers Band, Dolly Parton, Public Enemy, Korn and R.E.M. will have exclusive releases for Record Store Day. It’s meant to help out independent record stores with releases not sold in big outlets. David Bowie will have a “1984” picture disc, and Harry Mancini’s “The Pink Panther” will come out on pink vinyl. Vinyl will not be the only thing available. Eric Clapton, Tegan (TEE’-gan) and Sara and My Chemical Romance will issue T-shirts, Jake Bugg will release a live album on CD, and Green Day and Skrillex will have releases on cassette. The selection will vary from store to store. Find out which artists and which stores are participating at www.RecordStoreDay.com .

 

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Brad Paisley will guest star opposite his wife Kimberly in the 11th season finale of CBS-TV‘s Two And A Half Men May 8 at 8pm CT. No details on his role just yet, though.

 

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NEW YORK (AP) – Zac Brown Band have added a bassist. Matt Mangano joins the band as its eighth member. That doesn’t mean John Driskell Hopkins is leaving. He’s just moving to other instruments. He plans to play guitar, baritone guitar, ukulele, and banjo as well as bass and upright bass. Zac Brown Band will kick off their Great American Road Trip Tour on May 24 in Lincoln, Nebraska.

 

 

 

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In case you thought it might be fun to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the ACM Awards in Dallas next year, you’ll want to put those travel plans on hold. Tickets for the ACM Party for a Cause: 50 Years of Music and Memories April 17-18, 2015 at Globe Life Park and the ACM Awards at AT&T Stadium April 19, 2015 sold out Tuesday in 18 minutes. If you’re counting, that’s 70,000 tickets, making it the biggest and fastest-selling event in ACM history. “We want to thank the fans for their continued support,” says CEO Bob Romeo. “We’re working hard to plan more events to accommodate as many fans as we can. Country music is alive and well in North Texas!” Tickets may be made available as staging becomes finalized, and ACM A-list members will be notified first. Sign up here.

 

 

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NASHVILLE (AP) – When Kenny Rogers gets into something, he REALLY gets into it. Rogers says he used to play tennis 8 hours a day for 15 years. He says he was so good he was nationally ranked. He can’t do it any more, so he’s turned his attention to photography. He says it’s a good way to spend time when he’s on the road. Rogers says he’s come across a psychological term for what he does: “impulsive obsessive.” He says that means he gets impulsively involved with something and then he’s obsessed with it.

 

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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) – Blake Shelton will play in the sand next summer. He will perform a free show on the beachfront in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on July 31. It’s a promotional event to attract visitors to the area. Last year, 50,000 people showed up to a free Jimmy Buffett concert on the beach in Atlantic City.

 

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Eric Church will launch The Outsiders World Tour Sept. 11 in Bossier City, LA; more than 31 dates are confirmed thus far. Dwight Yoakam will guest on each date, with alternating openers Brothers Osborne, Brandy Clark and Halestorm. On-sale dates will be available at EricChurch.com, and the best seats at each venue will be paperless to avoid scalping. Fans also have the chance to gain access to pre-sale tickets by becoming a member of the Church Choir fan club. Joinhere.

 

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NASHVILLE (AP) – The project Mark Collie has been working on for 13 years is finally seeing the light of day. His documentary, “The Mountain,” will be screened at film festivals later this year. It’s a film that followed him as he performed at Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary for prisoners. The album version “Alive at Brushy Mountain” came two years ago. Collie will also appear with Amy Grant in an independent feature film called “The Secret Handshake.”

 

 

 

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