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KHAZ Country Music News: Nancy Jones Unveils Plans for George Jones Monument

khaz george jones 20130503One of the newest stops for sightseers at CMA Music Festival this week is expected to be the grave site of George Jones, who passed away April 26. The country legend was laid to rest at Nashville’s Woodlawn Cemetery, and Thursday, his widow announced plans for an elaborate monument.

“Earlier this week a plaque was placed at Woodlawn Cemetery to announce a Monument to be constructed in the coming months,” Nancy writes on Jones’s website, next to an image of the plaque.  “Thank you for all your love and support shown to George and me.”  Fans who visit the grave site will be able to see a rendering of the monument on the plaque.

What was to be Jones’ “final Nashville concert” at the Bridgestone Arena is set to continue as an all-star tribute, with R&B legend Sam Moore, Charlie Daniels, Garth Brooks, Travis Tritt, The Oak Ridge Boys and more set to play the November 22 show.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

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KHAZ Country Music News: Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker and More Featured on New Children’s Country Album, “Frog Trouble”

khaz frog trouble 20130606A new project featuring Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Josh Turner and Kacey Musgraves is aimed squarely at the pre-school set. Grammy-nominated children’s writer Sandra Boynton has recruited those stars and more to sing on her new country album and illustrated songbook, Frog Trouble, due out September 3.

Brad lends his voice to the song “Copycat,” and Darius is featured on “Beautiful Baby.” Dwight Yoakam, Alison Krauss and rocker Mark Lanegan of Queens of the Stone Age fame are also featured on the project.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

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KHAZ Country Music News: Scott McCreery to Perform on A Capitol Fourth Special in Washington, D.C.

khaz scotty mccreery 20130308Scotty McCreery is headed to Washington, D.C. for the 33rd annual A Capitol Fourth special on PBS. The show airs from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, July 4 at 8 p.m. ET.

Other stars on the show include Barry Manilow, Glee star Darren Criss, Broadway star Megan Hilty and American Idol season 12 winner Candice Glover. Dancing with the Stars host Tom Bergeron will serve as emcee.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

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KHAZ Country Music News: Vince Gill and Steel Guitarist Paul Franklin Pay Tribute to Buck Owens and Merle Haggard on “Bakersfield”

khaz bakersfield 20130606Vince Gill and celebrated steel guitar player Paul Franklin will release their album, Bakersfield, on July 30 paying tribute to Bakersfield, CA icons Buck Owens and Merle Haggard.  Vince describes this project as just as much of a guitar record as a singing record, but he had a blast singing Buck and Merle’s songs just the same.

“I guess what I’m real proud of is that when it’s one of Buck’s songs, I sing it very much in that vein.  And the Haggard songs are very much in the vein he sang,” Vince explains.  “With Buck’s songs, you won’t find much vibrato in my vocals, and with Merle’s, it will come down to a low note and that quiver.”

Merle Haggard even gave his blessing to the project by writing the album liner notes.  The album features Vince and Paul’s version of Merle’s classics like ‘The Fightin’ Side of Me” and “The Bottle Let Me Down” as well as Buck’s hits like “Together Again.”

Bakersfield is now available for pre-order at VinceGill.com.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

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KHAZ Country Music News: George Strait Mourns the Loss of His Father, John Byron Strait

George StraitCondolences to George Strait, whose father, John Byron Strait, died Tuesday at age 91. He had been hospitalized for much of the last month.

George says in a statement, “We are grateful for the time over the last few weeks we were able to spend with Daddy before he passed away. I want to thank everyone for their prayers and support during this difficult time as we mourn our family’s loss.”

John Strait was a junior high math teacher and a rancher on his property outside Big Wells, TX. The funeral will be private, and the family requests donations to The Jenifer Strait Memorial Foundation in lieu of gifts.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

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KHAZ Country Music News: Easton Corbin Played a High-Flying Gig Last Week

khaz easton corbin 20130604Easton Corbin played for a truly captive audience last weekend on a Southwest Airlines flight from Nashville to Las Vegas.  The show was part of the Southwest Airlines’ Live at 35 program in conjunction with Taylor Guitars.  Easton played his hits “Roll with It,” “A Little More Country than That” and “Lovin’ You Is Fun” on a travel-sized Taylor guitar. That instrument will be given away in a sweepstakes open now through June 14 at Southwest.com/TaylorTour.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

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KHAZ Country Music News: Kacey Musgraves Is Thankful for Her Warm Welcome into Country Music

khaz kacey musgraves 20130604Kacey Musgraves couldn’t ask for a better 2013 so far.  Her debut album, Same Trailer Different Park, bowed at #1 on Billboard‘s Country Albums chart in March, and her top 10 debut single, “Merry Go Round,” earned her a gold certification for 500,000 paid downloads.  Her new single, “Blowin’ Smoke,” is now climbing the country chart, and Kacey is thrilled to be embraced by country fans and radio programmers alike.

She tells ABC News Radio, “I just want to let everybody know how thankful I am being on the other side of getting the record out, and having people just really love it, it just makes me feel good ’cause I poured a lot of myself into it.”

As for the success of “Merry Go Round,” Kacey is thankful her sparsely produced song about secret lives in small towns made such a big dent at country radio.

“I can’t believe that I got to come out of the gate with a song that is so near and dear to my heart and means so much to me,” Kacey says. “It’s a big part of me, and I’m just really happy that they helped me get it so far off the ground.”

Kacey’s having big success on the road too.  After wrapping up a stint on Little Big Town‘s Tornado tour earlier this year, she’s now opening Kenny Chesney‘s No Shoes Nation tour all summer long.  Kenny even invites Kacey on stage at select shows to sing a duet version of his sexy song, “Come Over,” but that invitation to sing never comes with an advance notice.   

Says Kacey, “It’s always kind of an off-the-cuff thing.  I was just standing side stage and his guitar tech comes over and says, ‘Hey, Kenny wants you to sing, like now.’ I’m like, ‘Ahhh!'”

Since “Come Over” is such an intimate song, Kacey admits she does get a little flirtatious with Kenny during the performance.  It’s all just part of the act though.

“You gotta get into it a little bit,” Kacey says, “but it just kind of does make me laugh a little bit, like, ‘Oh, Kenny. You know, Come over, Kenny.  Or I’ll come over to your island.  Don’t worry.'”

In all seriousness, Kacey is in awe of the way Kenny holds massive crowds in the palm of his hand every night.

She explains, “It’s just cool seeing him like every time, bring his total A-game, and his band too.  It’s been a learning curve for me.  I’m sure he gets tired, like every other human.  He never lets it show, ever.”

Kacey joins Kenny on the bill for his show at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia this Saturday.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

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KHAZ Country Music News: Rodney Atkins Announce Lineup for Tuesday’s Music City Gives Back Concert

khaz rodney atkins 20120502Rodney Atkins will host his third annual Music City Gives Back benefit concert Tuesday night in downtown Nashville. Justin Moore, Jana Kramer and Josh Thompson join Rodney on the bill for the free show. Donations of duct tape, work gloves, flashlights and other materials will be collected on site to help those affected by the May 20 tornado in Moore, OK.

“Each year I gather some of my friends together to put on this show and have fun with our fans before CMA Music Fest, but the reason we get up here is to help the community come together to give our support to those in need,” Rodney says.  “With the recent disaster in Moore, I knew that’s where we had to focus our efforts this year.”

If you can’t make it to Nashville for the show, it will be live streamed starting at 7 p.m. ET at Facebook.com/WranglerWestern.

 

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KHAZ Country Music News: “Now That’s What I Call Country Vol. 6” Compilation in Stores June 11

khaz NOW 20130603Some of country’s hottest hits are included on the new Now That’s What I Call Country Vol. 6 compilation, coming out next month. Luke Bryan‘s “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” kicks off the track listing, and chart-toppers from Little Big Town, Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Lady Antebellum, and The Band Perry round out the 18-track album.

Now That’s What I Call Country Vol. 6 hits stores June 11.  Here’s the track listing:

Luke Bryan, “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye”
Little Big Town, “Pontoon”
Taylor Swift, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
Carrie Underwood, “Good Girl”
Jason Aldean, “Take a Little Ride”
Kip Moore, “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck”
Lady Antebellum, “Dancin’ Away with My Heart”
Hunter Hayes, “Wanted”
The Band Perry, “Better Dig Two”
Miranda Lambert, “Fastest Girl in Town”
Dierks Bentley, “5-1-5-0”
Brad Paisley, “Southern Comfort Zone”
Josh Turner, “Time Is Love”
Gary Allan, “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)”
Jake Owen, “The One That Got Away”
Chris Young, “I Can Take It from There”
Love and Theft, “Angel Eyes”
Easton Corbin, “Lovin’ You Is Fun”

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KHAZ Country Music News: Toby Keith Planning Oklahoma Tornado Benefit Concert, Says Ronnie Dunn

khaz toby keith 20130513It looks like Moore, OK native Toby Keith is planning a benefit concert for the victims of the May 20 tornado there. Ronnie Dunn will be a part of the show too.  He tells Tulsa World Toby is heading up the plans, and Garth Brooks is said to be on the bill as well. The benefit concert will reportedly take place in Norman, OK around the 4th of July.  More details are expected soon.

Oklahoma resident Blake Shelton hosted a tornado benefit concert in Oklahoma City Wednesday night featuring performances from Luke Bryan, Rascal Flatts, Miranda Lambert and Darius Rucker among others.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

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KHAZ Country Music News: Lee Brice Gets Wedding Ring to Fit His “Big, Fat Hands”

khaz lee brice sara 20130603If you see Lee Brice on the road this summer, make sure and look for that new, black wedding band he’s wearing on his left hand.  Lee tied the knot with his longtime love, Sara,  last month in Missouri, and he had to get that big ring specially made to fit what he calls his “fat, big hands.” 

The ring issue started when he and Sara went shopping for rings earlier this year.  He says, “They had these kinds of bands and stuff, and I was like, ‘That’s going to look so puny on my hand.'”

Lee loved that one black ring in particular, but the jeweler couldn’t order it in a wider size. That’s when Lee came up with a brilliant plan.

Says Lee, “I asked him, ‘Can you just put two together?’  So, he just put two of ’em together to make it wide enough for me.”

While Lee isn’t quite sure what that black ring is made of,  he has been assured it’s a very durable material.

“They said it would just be tough and rough, ’cause I beat stuff up,” Lee says. “So, the ring is really cool.”

Having that ring on his finger is also a big relief for Lee. He and Sara have been together for years and even have a four-year old son together named Takoda.  Lee is happy about their next steps as a family together.

He says, “Before, not being married, it felt like it was a little bit, just wasn’t right yet.  It wasn’t quite started right yet.  So, it just felt great to me to be able to say, ‘Hey, here we are.  We’re married, and we’re a family.'”

Go to LeeBrice.com to see where the family man is playing next.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

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KHAZ Country Music News: Brad Paisley Is Highly Flattered by John Fogerty’s Guitar Imitation on Their New Duet

khaz brad paisley john fogerty 20130603Rock legend John Fogerty‘s new album, Wrote a Song for Everyone, is now in stores featuring collaborations with Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert and Brad Paisley among others.  John teamed up with Brad on the song “Hot Rod Heart” for the project, and the two have known each other for a while.  Brad considers John a “great man” and “a tremendous guitar player.”  That’s why Brad was a little taken aback at John’s guitar set up in the studio when they recorded “Hot Rod Heart.”

Brad says of John, “He’s actually a fan of my guitar playing in a way that’s very, very flattering to me.  He’s bought the same amp and guitar set-up that I use, and when we recorded our song together, he used the same exact amp style and bought a Crook Telecaster like I play and got a bender put in it just like I have.”

Brad admits it was bizarre, but flattering seeing one of his own heroes take that kind of time to study his guitar set-up.

He says, “Probably no finer compliment I have ever had as a player than to see John Fogerty want to sort of purchase something I use.”

Zac Brown Band also performs with John singing the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic “Bad Moon Rising,” and Alan Jackson joins John on a new version of “Have You Ever Seen the Rain.”

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

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KHAZ Country Music News: Shania Twain Honored for Making Las Vegas Smell Great

khaz shania twain 20130603Shania Twain has won multiple awards for her music, but her latest trophy from the Scent Marketing Institute has more to do with her keen sense of smell. Shania recently picked up a SMItty award from the organization for Most Innovative Use of Scent Marketing for her Vegas show, Shania: Still the One.

Here’s how she earned it. At the top of the concert, the air in the The Colosseum at Caesars Palace is infused with Shania’s fragrances Still the One Day and Still the One Night before transitioning into a saloon scent reminiscent of leather, and then into a campfire fragrance.

Shania says, “Creating my new show, Shania: Still the One, was artistically fulfilling, and receiving this award is yet another level of reward I hadn’t even imagined.  I’m proud of this unexpected achievement.”

If you’re interested in smelling it all for yourself, tickets for Shania’s show are available at ShaniainVegas.com. Her two fragrances, Still the One Day and Night, are available at The Colosseum boutique.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

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