NASHVILLE (AP) – Mary J. Blige and Lady Antebellum are joining the lineup for “CMA Country Christmas.” Characters from “Peanuts” are also joining the special, which will be hosted by Jennifer Nettles. Other performers include Trace Adkins, Luke Bryan, Sheryl Crow, Lucy Hale, Jake Owen, Kellie Pickler, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker and Michael W. Smith. “CMA Country Christmas” airs December 2 on ABC.
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Congratulations to The Robertson Family of A&E’s Duck Dynasty, UMG/Nashville and EMI Nashville for topping the country albums chart withDuck The Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas, which sold more than 69,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Thomas Rhett‘s self-titled album (Valory) and Toby Keith‘s Drinks After Work (Show Dog-Universal) bowed at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.
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Quicken Loans will be the presenting sponsor for the final leg of George Strait‘s The Cowboy Rides Away Tour 2014, starting in January. Of the 26 stops, 16 have already sold out and four have yet to release tickets. Quicken is planning fan promotions to enhance the concert-going experience. “It is an absolute honor to sponsor George Strait’s final tour,” says Quicken Pres./CMO Jay Farner. “George means so much to country music fans everywhere, and we can’t wait to help him create a concert experience of a lifetime for those who have supported him for so many years.” More here.
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NASHVILLE (AP) – Kenny Rogers says it’s been quite a month for him. He just got inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and last night he was honored for lifetime achievement at the Country Music Association Awards. Darius Rucker led a singalong of “The Gambler” as part of the tribute to Rogers. Jennifer Nettles was Rogers’ new duet partner for “Islands in the Stream.” Rogers congratulated Rascal Flatts for their rendition of First Edition’s “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In).” He joked he was glad he could introduce them to the psychedelic era.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The entertainer of the year trophy at the Country Music Association Awards is one of the most coveted honors in the genre, but sometimes it’s OK to lose – like when George Strait is a nominee.
Strait won his third entertainer of the year award and his first since 1990 Wednesday night against country music’s current hitmakers, and no one seemed disappointed. Blake Shelton – one of five performers with a leading two victories – was excited to lose to the 61-year-old whose popularity defies his age.
Shelton was one of five top winners with two trophies apiece, along with Florida Georgia Line and the trio of Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw and Keith Urban, who won music video and music event of the year for their “Highway Don’t Care” collaboration.
2013 CMA Awards Winners:
Entertainer of the Year
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Blake Shelton
George Strait – WINNER!
Taylor Swift
Female Vocalist of the Year
Kelly Clarkson
Miranda Lambert – WINNER!
Kacey Musgraves
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Male Vocalist of the Year
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Blake Shelton – WINNER!
Keith Urban
Vocal Group of the Year
Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town – WINNER!
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band
Vocal Duo of the Year
Big and Rich
Florida Georgia Line – WINNER!
Love and Theft
Sugarland
Civil Wars
Thompson Square
New Artist of the Year
Lee Brice
Brett Eldredge
Florida Georgia Line
Kip Moore
Kacey Musgraves – WINNER!
Album of the Year
Blake Shelton, ‘Based on a True Story’ – WINNER
Carrie Underwood, ‘Blown Away’
Taylor Swift, ‘Red’
Kacey Musgraves, ‘Same Trailer Different Park’
Little Big Town, ‘Tornado’
Song of the Year (Awarded to Songwriters)
Lee Brice, ‘I Drive Your Truck’ – WINNER
Miranda Lambert, ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’
Kacey Musgraves, ‘Merry Go Round’
Little Big Town, ‘Pontoon’
Darius Rucker, ‘Wagon Wheel’
Single of the Year
Florida Georgia Line, ‘Cruise’ – WINNER
Tim McGraw (Feat. Keith Urban and Taylor Swift), ‘Highway Don’t Care’
Miranda Lambert, ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’
Kacey Musgraves, ‘Merry Go Round’
Darius Rucker, ‘Wagon Wheel’
Musical Event of the Year
Blake Shelton (Feat. Pistol Annies), ‘Boys ‘Round Here’
Florida Georgia Line (Feat. Nelly), ‘Cruise’
Kelly Clarkson (Feat. Vince Gill), ‘Don’t Rush’
Tim McGraw (Feat. Keith Urban and Taylor Swift), ‘Highway Don’t Care’ – WINNER!
Jason Aldean (Feat. Luke Bryan and Eric Church), ‘The Only Way I Know’
Music Video of the Year
Carrie Underwood, ‘Blown Away’
Blake Shelton (Feat. Pistol Annies), ‘Boys ‘Round Here’
Lady Antebellum, ‘Downtown’
Tim McGraw (Feat. Keith Urban and Taylor Swift), ‘Highway Don’t Care’ – WINNER!
Miranda Lambert, ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’
Little Big Town, ‘Tornado’
2013 Pinnacle Award
Taylor Swift – WINNER!
Musician of the Year
Sam Bush
Paul Franklin
Dann Huff
Brent Mason
Mac McAnally – WINNER
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Not only can Keith Urban play a guitar, he can apparently sell them, too. The country crooner introduced his new Urban Guitar Collection viaHSN Sunday (11/3) and more than 20,000 of them were snapped up in Urban’s debut appearance. See what all the fuss was about and get yours here. Don’t have a flair for the fretboard? Don’t sweat it. Urban also offers a host instructional DVDs.
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LAS VEGAS (AP) – Shania Twain will oversee thousands of running Santas. Twain will serve as the grand marshal for the Las Vegas Great Santa Run on December 7. The 5K race draws as many as 10,000 runners, many of whom dress in Santa costumes.
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PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (AP) – So far holograms have been used in concerts to bring dead musicians back to life on stage. This time, it’s to show Dolly Parton as a ghost. Parton’s hologram will play the Ghost of Christmas Past in “A Christmas Carol” at her Dollywood resort in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, starting on Saturday. The holograms of other actors will be used to portray the Ghost of Christmas Present, the Ghost of Christmas Future and Jacob Marley. Parton says she thought it was crazy when she was told she was going to be turned into a hologram, but when she saw it on stage, she couldn’t believe it.
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NASHVILLE (AP) – George Strait knows he got one vote for entertainer of the year at the Country Music Association Awards. He voted for himself. Strait says he had a great year and any time he gets nominated it’s special, but he’s still nervous. He’s competing for that award against Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton — and any of them would be happy if Strait won as well. Swift says Strait let her open his shows when she was just 17 and she still gets a text from him now and then wishing her well. Shelton says two artists will be viewed as having the greatest influence on country music: Hank Williams Senior and Strait. The CMAs will be tonight in Nashville and air live on ABC.
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NASHVILLE (AP) – Brad Paisley hopes you laugh as well as sing along to the Country Music Association Awards. He says it’s a well-thought-out show and they put a lot of effort into the comedy as well as the performances. He wants the opening monologue to be memorable, so that in a few years viewers will look back on that and know it was 2013 because of the things he poked fun at. Paisley and Carrie Underwood will host the awards for the sixth straight time. Taylor Swift and Kacey Musgraves lead the nominations with six each. The CMAs will air live from Nashville tonight on ABC.
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LOS ANGELES (AP) – Dolly Parton will play herself in a holiday movie for Lifetime. “A Country Christmas Story” is the story a biracial girl in the Appalachians who defies her family because she wants to be a country star. She goes to Dollywood and enters a singing competition hosted by Parton. Brian McKnight will play the girl’s father. “A Country Christmas Story” airs this Saturday.
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NEW YORK (AP) – Carrie Underwood and the cast of “The Sound of Music” will give a sneak peek of what they’ve been rehearsing during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. They will appear in the first hour of the parade. The parade will be shown Thanksgiving Day on NBC.
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NEW YORK (AP) – Buck Owens had a nearly photographic memory, and before he died he recorded his memories onto cassette. Those stories have now been compiled into Owens’ autobiography, called “Buck ‘Em!” Among the things he covers include being one of the first country musicians not to live in Nashville, but in Bakersfield, California. He also discusses his multiple failed marriages, the death of his musical partner Don Rich, hosting “Hee Haw” and his exploits on tour. “Buck ‘Em!” is in stores today.
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