Brantley Gilbert is going up against his fiancé, Jana Kramer, and his pals in Florida Georgia Line in the fan-voted race for ACM new artist of the year this year, but don’t worry about any awkward moments between these friendly country stars. Brantley says it’s OK whoever takes the trophy home.

Florida Georgia Line actually opened shows for Brantley a few years back, and he tells ABC News Radio, “I couldn’t be more proud of those guys. They’re kicking some tail right now.  It really wouldn’t hurt my feelings regardless of who wins.” He adds, “If Jana or I win, it’s going to the same house. If Florida Georgia Line wins, they’re on the label with us, so it’s all still in the family.”

Brantley points out that all three acts have already won ACM Awards too. He took the ACM new male vocalist trophy while Jana has been named ACM new female vocalist, and the Florida Georgia Line guys are getting some hardware as the ACM new duo or group winners. All three acts will accept their awards and perform on Monday night’s GAC special ACM Top New Artist: 2013, hosted by reigning new artist winner Scotty McCreery.

As for Jana, she sees winning an ACM Award as a big vote of confidence from country fans and industry insiders alike.

“To be a part of a family, and to be even acknowledged is something that I’m like, “What?” Jana tells ABC News Radio. “So, it’s really cool. I feel like I’m doing something right, finally.”

Jana and Brantley will display their individual ACM trophies on their respective shelves in the music room downstairs at their house in Nashville. While Jana admits Brantley has a lot more industry accolades to display than she does right now, she says with a laugh, “I’m just gonna have my one little trophy in the middle. It’s gonna be great.”

Fan voting in the ACM new artist of the year and entertainer of the year categories is now underway at ACMVote.com. Fans can vote once per day until the 48th Annual ACM Awards are handed out Sunday, April 7 at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS. Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton serve as co-hosts.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

Blake Shelton returns for a fourth season as a coach on NBC’s The Voice Monday night with veteran coach Adam Levine and new coaches Usher and Shakira. Blake has coached the winning contestant on the last two seasons of the show, but the new coaches have been coming on very strong as they’ve filmed this season’s blind auditions.

Blake says, “It wasn’t play time. They were very serious. They were determined to win this thing, you know. Adam and I were like, ‘Hey! Alright, I see how it is now, you know.'”

When trying to recruit team members, Usher and Shakira actually used Blake’s winning streak against him. They told the hopefuls there was no way Blake could win the show three seasons in a row, and their tactics really messed with Blake’s confidence.

He says, “Then I started going, ‘I bet people are tired of me winning.  I probably won’t win this thing three years in a row,’ and it starts working into your own mind.”

This season of The Voice is the first one without coaches Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green, though they both have an open invitation to return to the show in the future. Blake knows he can’t stay on The Voice forever either. When he decides to leave the show, Blake says it will be for good.

“I don’t see me ever walking away and then coming back,” he explains. “That just doesn’t make sense to me. I think it’s a phase, and once that chapter’s over, it’s over.”

Blake Shelton will welcome Sheryl Crow as his team mentor this season, and Lady Antebellum‘s Hillary Scott will provide guidance for Adam Levine’s team too.

In other Blake news, his new album, Based on a True Story…, comes out Tuesday. Look for him to promote it with a performance on NBC’s Today Tuesday morning followed by appearances on Live! with Kelly and Michael and NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday.

Blake’s promotional rounds continue on NBC’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno on April 2 and CBS’s The Talk and E!’s Chelsea Lately on April 3. The promotional blitz culminates with Blake co-hosting the 48th Annual ACM Awards with Luke Bryan on Sunday, April 7 on CBS.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

Rum is never in short supply at a Kenny Chesney concert, and now it seems Kenny is launching his own line of the libation, Blue Chair Bay. There is a video of Kenny introducing the beverage posted on YouTube. In the clip, Kenny explains all the elements he worked to capture in the taste of his rum.

More details on Kenny’s rum are expected soon, and fans can keep an eye on BlueChairBay.com for any developments.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

Brad Paisley will release a special edition of his new album, Wheelhouse, exclusively at Cracker Barrel on April 9.  That’s the same day the project hits stores everywhere, but the Cracker Barrel version includes three exclusive bonus tracks.  Cracker Barrel is also sponsoring Brad’s summer tour.

Brad’s new album features the #1 hit “Southern Comfort Zone,” the current single, “Beat This Summer” and collaborations with everyone from rapper LL Cool J and pop star Mat Kearney to Charlie Daniels and Dierks Bentley.  That diverse lineup is an indication of the kind of freedom Brad gave himself creatively on this album.

“The real test for me as a musician, songwriter, artist, whatever, is to see what happens when you take off the restrictor plate,” Brad says of making Wheelhouse.  “You take off the muzzle a little bit and see what you write.  See what you write when you don’t think there’s boundaries.”

Brad wrote and recorded this album in a farm house on his property near Nashville, which freed him up from having to deal with booking time in a traditional recording studio.  That was a blessing and a curse at different times during the recording process.

He says, “It’s a good way to do it, but you have to kind of keep yourself on track because there’s nothing like clocking in somewhere to make you busy.”

The fact that Brad produced this record on his own kept him focused on staying creative too.

“There was so much that was riding on it that the pressure of making sure it was what I wanted it to be kept me busy, you know,” Brad says, adding, “I can always find inspiration to create a song if there’s enough going on in my life.”

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

Dustin Lynch is set to make his late night TV debut Monday performing on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! Look for Dustin to sing his latest single, “She Cranks My Tractor,” as well as his #1 debut hit, “Cowboys and Angels.”

Dustin is now on the road with Justin Moore‘s Outlaws Like Me tour, and he’ll join Keith Urban‘s tour this summer. Go to DustinLynchMusic.com for a complete list of tour dates.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

Alan Jackson headlined the Stars Go Blue benefit concert for the Colon Cancer Alliance Wednesday night at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, and Alan has a very personal connection to that cause.  His wife Denise survived a battle with colon cancer several years ago, and she is the person who convinced Alan to perform the show.

Alan was happy to oblige saying, “That’s the easiest thing I can do is walk out there and sing, and it’s nice to have your music do something other than just go out and entertain people normally, and be able to use your music to help a cause like this.”

Though many of the audience members had been through cancer battles of their own, Alan made it clear he was there to have a good time.  The set list was dotted with Alan’s mighty catalog of hits including “Livin’ on Love,” “Gone Country,” “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow,” “Good Time” and many more.

The only somber moment of the night came when Alan performed “When I Saw You Leaving,” an emotionally charged song Alan wrote about Denise’s cancer battle.   It was the first time he’d performed that song since recording it for his 2012 album, Thirty Miles West.

Country newcomer Craig Campbell opened the show, and he sought out a spot on the bill because of his personal experience with colon cancer.  Craig’s father died of the disease at age 36, and that has prompted Craig to get screened regularly.

He says, “I’ve been having colonscopies.  I’ve had two.  I’ve had one at the age of 26 and one at five years.  But yeah, it’s a personal thing.”

Craig has opened shows for Alan before, but he’d never met the country legend before Wednesday night.  Craig and Alan have the same producer, Keith Stegall, so they had plenty to talk about when Alan invited Craig onto his bus before the show.

Says Craig, ” When I walked on his bus, we was talking a minute, and then he’s like, ‘Keith played me your album.  I love it.’ And then he started naming off songs off my record.  I just thought that was the coolest thing.”

For more information on the fight against colon cancer, go to CCAlliance.org.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

Lee Brice‘s star is on the rise thanks to his #1 hits and his recent stint on Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley‘s Locked and Reloaded tour. He’ll play to many more fans on the road with Brad Paisley and Chris Young from May to October.

Lee tells TheBoot.com, “Being out with Brad is gonna be an experience that I’ll have with me all the rest of my life. I’m really excited about that.”

Lee heads to Nebraska for a show this Saturday night. He’s taking some time off in April to tie the knot with his longtime girlfriend Sara Reeveley.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

Tim McGraw has been at the top of the country music world for the better part of two decades now, so it’s hard to believe he’d never taken his music to London until last weekend.  Tim made multiple media appearances on top of playing the C2C: Country to Country Festival at London’s 02 Arena.  All the promotion paid off when Tim’s latest album, Two Lanes of Freedom, bowed at #1 on the iTunes Country Album chart in the U.K. this week.

Tim also took the stage with his pal Ne-Yo at the R&B star’s London show to sing their song “She Is.”  Ne-Yo will be one of the special guests on ACM Presents: Tim McGraw’s Superstar Summer Night. That show tapes in Las Vegas April 8 and will air on CBS at a later date.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

Thompson Square‘s career is in a sweet spot right now, which is why they named their upcoming sophomore album Just Feels Good.  The same can be said for the married duo’s experiences on Luke Bryan‘s Dirt Road Diaries tour too. They’re on that trek all year long with tour mates Florida Georgia Line, and the chemistry between the performers that the fans see on stage isn’t just an act.  It turns out they’ve all become fast friends in the last few months

Thompson Square’s Keifer Thompson tells ABC News Radio, “It’s not like, ‘You’re the opener.  I’ll see you on stage, and we’ll act like we’re best buddies.  And then get the heck off my stage.  Don’t come in.  Don’t even think about coming and drinking my alcohol.’  That sort of thing, it’s not like that at all.”

Keifer’s wife and duo partner Shawna Thompson adds that they’ve been hanging out and partying with the Florida Georgia Line guys quite a bit.  She’s also grateful to Luke, who allows them the tools they need to put on the best show possible for the fans.

Says Shawna, “Luke has just been so sweet and let us use all of the stage, all of his lights. ‘Whatever you need, use it.’  Just good people.  Just good people to be out there with.” 

Thompson Square has been performing new music on this tour, including their latest single, “If I Didn’t Have You.”  Their sophomore album, Just Feels Good, is out this Tuesday.

 

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

George Strait and Garth Brooks are teaming up for a joint performance at the ACM Awards in honor of the late Dick Clark, who began producing the ACMs in 1979. He passed away last year.  Also, the ACM Artist of the Decade Award will be renamed the ACM Dick Clark Artist of the Decade Award in his honor. George was given that award for the 2000s, and Garth took it for the ’90s.

Garth commends the Academy for renaming the trophy in honor of Dick Clark, saying, “There may be others who have contributed as much to the music industry, but there is definitely no one that has contributed more than Dick Clark.  He was music’s best friend, and a dear friend to me.”

George adds that Dick Clark made country accessible to a wider audience. He says, “Garth and I were so grateful when we each received the ACM Artist of the Decade Award, so it’s only fitting that we’ll be honoring him with this tribute performance at the ACMs.”

The 48th Annual ACM Awards will broadcast live on CBS from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 7 at 8 p.m. Eastern.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

The Road to the Ram Jam all-star country music series continues, with Easton Corbin‘s 2012 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn now up for auction.  Easton drove the truck for the past year, and the money raised through its auction at eBay.com/RoadtoRamJam will benefit the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund. That organization honors Americans in the Armed Forces who have sacrificed life or limb in the line of duty by awarding college scholarships to their children.

Easton says, “I definitely encourage my fans to bid on the auction.  They get a great truck out of the deal and also provide college scholarships to some well-deserving young people.”

Easton’s Ram is the fifth and final truck to go up for auction as part of the Road to the Ram Jam.  Zac Brown‘s truck recently went for $39,300 with proceeds going to his Camp Southern Ground.  Brantley Gilbert‘s Ram truck raised more than $34,000 for the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.  Billy Currington‘s truck raised about the same amount for Team Rubicon, while Kellie Pickler‘s truck brought in more than $36,000 for the USO Warrior and Family Care program in January.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry