Kacey Musgraves takes the #1 spot on Billboard‘s Country Albums chart this week with her debut project, Same Trailer Different Park.  According to Nielsen Soundscan, the set moved 43,496 copies to come in second on the overall Billboard  200 chart behind Justin Timberlake‘s The 20/20 Experience.

You can learn more about Kacey when she’s featured in a profile on CBS Sunday Morning on April 7.  That night, Kacey will attend the 48th Annual ACM Awards,  where she’s up for Female Vocalist of the Year as well as Video of the Year for “Merry Go Round.”  The ACM Awards broadcast April 7 at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

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Gordon Stoker, a member of The Jordanaires, the vocal group that performed on a number of Elvis Presley‘s recordings, died Wednesday. He passed away at his Brentwood, Tennessee, home after a long illness, according to The Tennessean. Stoker was 88.

Stoker initially joined The Jordanaires as a pianist in 1949 but subsequently became a singing tenor with the quartet. They can be heard on Presley’s “Hound Dog,” “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Are You Lonesome Tonight.” 

The Jordanaires, who were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, also performed on Jim Reeves‘ “Four Walls,” Patsy Cline‘s version of “Crazy,” and George Jones‘ “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”

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Alan Jackson builds on his 2006 gospel album, Precious Memories, with the release of a new album of traditional hymns, Precious Memories Volume II, on Tuesday.  He recorded the first album at the request of his mother, Ruth, and it became a big fan favorite.  Those fans always asked Alan about releasing another hymns album, so he and his wife, Denise, set to work choosing the songs to record a few months back.

Alan says, “We just kind of took it where we left off with the last one with all these songs we had, and tried to figure out a few more that would work.”

A lot of fans also pointed out that Alan didn’t actually include the hymn “Precious Memories” on the first Precious Memories album, but he says, “The truth is, we didn’t really sing that song in the Baptist Church.  I don’t think it was in the hymnal.  I don’t know why, but I love the song.”

Alan finally included “Precious Memories” on Precious Memories Volume II, and he adds,”Now it made sense to do it, I guess.  Kind of backwards.  But it’s a cool cut on there now.  I like it.”

Here’s the Precious Memories Volume II track listing:

“Amazing Grace”
“He Lives”
“Just As I Am”
“Love Lifted Me”
“O How I Love Jesus”
“Only Trust Him”
“There Is Power in the Blood”
“Precious Memories”
“Sweet Hour of Prayer”
“When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder”
“Wherever He Leads I’ll Go”

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The Band Perry‘s sophomore album, Pioneer, comes out Tuesday, April 2, and the sibling trio has lined up a Live on Letterman concert webcast Monday, April 1 to promote it.  Fans can catch the show live at CBS.com and Vevo at 8 p.m. Eastern from the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City.  It will also be available afterward on demand.

Look for The Band Perry to sing their new single “DONE.” as well as “Better Dig Two,” “If I Die Young” and “All Your Life” during the show.

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Blake Shelton chose to name his brand-new album Based on a True Story… because he’s either lived through or is currently experiencing the emotions found in every song on the project.  If you take a listen to those songs, it’s pretty obvious Blake is loving life these days.  He’s about to celebrate his second wedding anniversary with Miranda Lambert, and his career is on a roll thanks to his latest hit “Sure Be Cool if You Did.”

When asked about the mostly happy and romantic song selections on the new album, Blake says, “It was just my mindset, I think, overall.”  He adds, “I’m very content with my life, which, I mean, who wouldn’t be?  I know how lucky I am.  I’ll be happy if it stays like this for a long time.”

There are a few sad songs on Based on a True Story… because this is still a country album, but Blake isn’t wallowing in that melancholy vibe like he has in the past.

“I’ve had those years where I made those type of records, and I don’t want to, but probably will have them again,” Blake explains.  “Something will happen one of these days, and it’ll be a part of my music.  Right now, it’s just everything’s pretty awesome.”

As for the album title, Blake worked to come up with something creative since he didn’t want to just name it after a song on the album.

He says, “I listened to it, and I finally just thought, ‘Man, this kinda is my life from start to finish.’  I just thought, ‘That’s what we’ll call it. We’ll just say it’s Based on a True Story.'”

The new single from Based on a True Story… is “Boys ‘Round Here,” featuring Miranda Lambert’s group Pistol Annies on background vocals.

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George Strait is set to release his 40th studio album, Love Is Everything, on May 14 featuring the lead single “Give It all We Got Tonight.” George wrote or co-wrote of the albums 13 tracks, collaborating on some of them with his son Bubba Strait and veteran songwriter Dean Dillon.

Love Is Everything will be released as George continues The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, his final U.S. trek, set to wrap up next year. All 16 shows on the tour so far have been sellouts, and more than 80,000 fans recently came to see George at this year’s Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo at Reliant Center.

Here’s the Love Is Everything track listing:

“I Got a Car”
“Give It All We Got Tonight”
“Blue Melodies”
“I Just Can’t Do on Dying Like This”
“I Thought I Heard My Heart Sing”
“That What Breaking Hearts Do”
“When Love Comes Around Again”
“The Night Is Young”
“Sittin’ on the Fence”
“I Believe”
“Love Is Everything”
“You Don’t Know What You’re Missing”
“When the Credits Roll”

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Trace Adkins explores every facet of love on his new album, Love Will…, and he’s lined up some special guests to help him sing about that enchanting and often elusive emotion.

Grammy winner Colbie Caillat joins Trace on “Watch the World End,” a song you can stream now at TraceAdkins.com.  Trace also welcomes Exile to sing on a cover of their 1978 #1 hit “Kiss You All Over,” while the Harlem Gospel Choir lends their voice to the title cut, “Love Will.”

“I can’t say enough about what Colbie, the Harlem Gospel Choir and Exile brought to the table in their own way,” says Trace. “It is an honor to have such talented performers, songwriters and producers join me on the most inspiring, satisfying album of my career.” 

Love Will… is available for online pre-orders April 2.  If you pre-order the project at iTunes, you’ll get an immediate download of “Watch the World End” with Colbie Caillat.

Track Listing:
“When I Stop Loving You”
“So What If I Do”
“Come See Me”
“Right Now”
“Every One of You”
“The Altar of Your Love”
“Kiss You All Over” (Featuring Exile)
“If the Sun Comes Up”
“Say No to a Woman”
“Watch the World End” (Featuring Colbie Caillat)
“Love Will” (Featuring Harlem Gospel Choir”

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Thompson Square‘s Keifer and Shawna Thompson rocketed to stardom quickly over the past few years, and the story of that journey is told on the duo’s sophomore album, Just Feels Good.  Being on the road with the likes of Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum and, now, Luke Bryan, have had a big impact on the album’s sound too

“We kind of stretched out on this album,” Keifer tells ABC News Radio. “We wanted to play around with a lot more different sounds.  So, sonically, this is not going to even closely resemble the first album.  It’s completely different as far as from a sonic standpoint.  It’s just a 2.0 version of us.”

That experimentation even led Shawna to rap on the new song “Testing the Water,” but the entire project is grounded in Keifer and Shawna’s shared experiences.

Says Keifer, “You can actually sequence the album to the point where it starts when we very first get together on a song called ‘That’s So Me and You’ all the way to ‘What Am I Gonna Do,’ which is a song about Shawna’s dad that we just lost.”

Since those songs they wrote are so personal, any songs that came from outside writers had to reflect Keifer and Shawna’s story too.

“That’s what you have to have when you find outside songs because people are writing for their experience,” Keifer explains.

Thompson Square will support their new album with a concert at Livestream.com Thursday at 4 p.m. Eastern.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

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The country music history book has been rewritten, and we’re guessing Reba must be smiling from ear to ear right about now.

According to the new edition of Joel Whitburn‘s Hot Country Songs 1944 – 2012, Reba has overtaken Dolly Parton as the most successful female act ever based on data from Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart.  Yahoo! Chart Watch reports that Alabama remains the top group, and Brooks & Dunn hold on to their status as the top duo in country music chart history.  Eddy Arnold is the top male artist and top artist overall based on those Hot Country Songs figures.

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The 48th Annual ACM Awards won’t be handed out until April 7, but a few of country’s hottest stars have already been named winners in the off-camera categories. Jason Aldean has been selected to the Crystal Milestone Award in recognition of his sold-out stadium concerts this year. Notably, Jason will become the first country artist to headline a show at Boston’s Fenway Park later this year.

Blake Shelton is being honored with the Gene Weed Special Achievement Award in recognition of his “unprecedented, unique and outstanding achievement” as a coach on NBC’s The Voice. That position has catapulted Blake to household name status and led to his own NBC Christmas special last December.

The Jim Reeves International Award goes to Lady Antebellum this year for their contribution in taking country music to the world. Since their global hit “Need You Now” topped the charts around the world, Lady A has taken their live show to 11 countries on three different continents. Those international dates include three sold-out shows at the Sydney Opera House in Australia and a spot opening for Bruce Springsteen at London’s Hard Rock Calling festival in Hyde Park.  

This year’s Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award goes to The Judds and the late Keith Whitley. The Judds won seven consecutive Vocal Duo trophies from the ACM Awards in the 1980s, and scored 14 #1 hits in less than a decade. Keith Whitley’s small but influential catalog includes the chart-toppers “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” “I’m No Stranger to the Rain” and “When You Say Nothing at All.” He’s also regarded as one of the most respected vocalists of his era. Whitley passed away in 1989 at age 33.

Legendary songwriter Guy Clark and the late Hank Williams are being honored with the Poet’s Award, which honors songwriters who have made outstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions to country music.

These off-camera winners will be recognized at the 7th Annual ACM Honors taking place September 10 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

 

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The ACM Experience event in Las Vegas is shaping up to be as big as the ACM Awards themselves. 

The event runs April 5 through 7 at The Orleans Hotel and Casino, and this year’s ACM Awards co-host Luke Bryan has signed on to host the ACM & Cabela’s Great Outdoors Archery Event on April 6.  Luke’s pal Jason Aldean is taking part in that event along with Kix Brooks, Easton Corbin, Justin Moore and newcomers Chris Janson, Jon Pardi and Thomas Rhett.

Easton and Thompson Square also will sign autographs at the Ram Ride and Drive test track within the ACM Experience.  In addition, fans can meet Thomas Rhett and Craig Campbell as part of the event’s Diet Dr. Pepper Red Carpet Experience, and Dustin Lynch and Joe Nichols will sign autographs at the ACM Expo presented by Roper.

For more information on all of these events and artist appearances is available on the ACM website.

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