"Merry Go 'Round" singer/songwriter Kacey Musgraves certainly has much to be merry about: the former (in 2007) Nashville Star contestant performed on today's episode of TODAY on NBC, download sales of "Merry" recently rode past 500k (making it eligible for GOLD certification from the RIAA), she's nominated for several ACM Awards, and oh yeah - her new album Same Trailer Different Park rolls into stores today. The much anticipated album by the 24-year old is co-produced by Musgraves, Shane McAnally and Luke Laird. She co-wrote all of the album's twelve tracks - and also in fact even warrants some thanks for her pen's part in Miranda Lambert's confidently crazy current single "Mama's Broken Heart." Plus along with local Nashville songwriter Trent Dabbs, she co-penned the poignant "Undermine," which was featured via the voices of Hayden Panettiere and Chip Esten on ABC's hit show Nashville.

Also of note: she even recently performed on the much-loved Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, after an especially exuberant intro from Jimmy, who just a few nights ago also interviewed Hayden Panettiere about her Nashville moves and music-making. --© MC

"Same Trailer Different Park day!" she shared today via Twitter. "I can hardly contain myself!" Last night she Tweeted: "Ok I'm FORCING myself to sleep now but I love all of you lots. Thankful.❤ Big day tomorrow. Thanks for being part if it."

The TODAY show video (which features Musgraves playing a banjo bedazzled with pink rhinestones) should be viewable here.

This past Sunday Kacey was the subject of a four-page profile titled “With A Rebel Twang” in the highly regarded New York Times Magazine.

Reviews of Park are already "rolling" in. Rolling Stone gave Kacey’s debut outing a glowing four out of four star review and labeled her as an “Artist To Watch.” The iconic music magazine says “Same Trailer Different Park proves Musgraves is for real,” adding: “The album showcases a songwriting voice you won’t hear anywhere else in pop: young, female, downwardly mobile, fiercely witty.”

With her album now in stores (Buy it for $8.99 on Amazon), Kacey will attend the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards held in Las Vegas on April 7 where she holds THREE nominations; nominations include Female Vocalist of the Year and Video of the Year (Artist & Producer). She had previously received a nomination for New Female Vocalist.

Catch Kacey on the road this summer with Kenny Chesney on the No Shoes Nation stadium tour, which just kicked off this past weekend in Tampa, FL. For a full list of tour dates please visit www.kaceymusgraves.com.

The Mavericks – Built to Last
By Holly Gleason

© 2013 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Take one quavering tremolo guitar chord, a rattlesnake shaker, some Farfisa carny keyboards and a few picante horn punctuations, and you’re on the brink of “Back in Your Arms Again,” written by Raul Martinez, Gary Nicholson and Seth Walker, the opening track of In Time, the first new music in seven years from the celebrated progressive Country sensation known as The Mavericks.

More than 20 years after their first critically acclaimed major label release, From Hell to Paradise, the Miami-born, two-time CMA Vocal Group of the Year has as much brio and bravado as ever. “We went in saying, ‘We’re gonna make music like men,’ and that’s what we did,” said Raul Malo, the singer with the voice of plush leather and VSOP brandy. “We weren’t sure what was going to happen, but we came to play and everyone played beautifully.”

Though some members had not been in the same room for many years, drummer Paul Deakin, bassist/guitarist Robert Reynolds and longtime collaborators Jerry Dale McFadden on keyboards and Eddie Perez on guitar, found the spark instantly. Classic song forms, top-shelf musicianship and a desire to mine all the music they’ve been exposed to resulted in an album that moves from cocktail noir to neo-salsa, vintage jukebox Country and ballads that will take your breath away.

With the silky retro heartache of “In Another’s Arms” (written by Raul Malo), the percolating dance rhythms of “As Long as There’s Loving Tonight” (Malo, Alan Miller and Seth Walker) and the slow-building “Bolero”-inspired “Call Me When You Get to Heaven” (Malo), In Time is a bouquet of diverse styles. Recording in just five days, with co-producer Niko Bolas, known for his work with Neil Young, mixing as they went, the group exposed the drama embedded within these straightforward songs. The results draw listeners while steeping them in a kaleidoscope of influences.

Former 'Nashville Star' signs record deal, makes tracks with 'Train'

Jared Ashley, a fan-favorite singer-songwriter who shone brightly as a finalist on the fourth season of TV show Nashville Star, is now set to even more fully blast off - with a radio tour and new record deal among his starring roles. Blaster Entertainment President Mike Dennison has announced Ashley's signing to the Blaster Records roster.

As such, Ashley will begin a national radio tour the first week of February in support of his debut single, “Last Train To Memphis,” with the wistful track making stops at radio in the spring. He co-wrote "Train" with Nick Sturms and around-town music man wagon-wheeler (particularly when Nashville becomes "Smashville") Jeremy McComb. In addition to an aggressive touring schedule that sees him perform 180+ shows a year (currently including several upcoming sweet spots in Georgia), Ashley is a prolific songwriter, co-writing eleven of the fourteen tracks on his 2011 self-released debut album. At least five of those songs are being reworked for inclusion on his Blaster full-length debut, along with a selection of newer songs he’s been writing. --MC

For even more info including quotes from Ashley, a video for the single, and more Nashville music news please go here: http://www.examiner.com/article/forme...with-train

GARY ALLAN’S ALBUM SET YOU FREE DEBUTS AT NO. 1 ON BILLBOARD COUNTRY ALBUMS CHART AND BILLBOARD 200

“EVERY STORM (RUNS OUT OF RAIN)” REACHES NO. 1 ON THE BILLBOARD COUNTRY AIRPLAY CHART MARKING ALLAN’S FIFTH NO. 1 SONG

MCA Nashville recording artist Gary Allan has made a career off of songs about rain, and now he's returned to the top of the charts with the release of his ninth studio album, Set You Free. Selling 106,109 albums in its debut week (January 22nd), Set You Free currently sits in the No. 1 position on the Billboard Country Albums Chart and Billboard Top 200 Pop Chart. This is Gary’s first No.1 Billboard Top 200 debut and third No. 1 debut on the Billboard Country Albums Chart.

Plus, Allan’s first single off Set You Free, the RIAA Gold certified “Every Storm (Runs Out Of Rain),” reached the top position on the Billboard Country Airplay Chart, Mediabase/Country Aircheck and Music Row charts this week. With “Every Storm (Runs Out Of Rain)” reaching the top position, this marks the fifth time he has had a No. 1 song. Additionally he has had twelve Top 10 hits.

“It has been a while, but it feels really good,” says Gary. “I would especially like to thank all of my fans and everyone at radio. I would also like to thank everyone on my team who has helped to get me to this point. This is a great feeling!”

Gary performed "Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno last Wednesday, January 23rd. To watch his performance please click here: http://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/m...ndex.shtml

Last week, its video debuted at the #1 spot on GAC's Top 20 Country Countdown.

For more Nashville-related music news, please visit http://tinyurl.com/3vydmqu .

Fans of Martina McBride recently wrapped a three-month mission to fund a breast cancer research grant in honor of their favorite country music star. The Grammy Award-winning superstar is treating "Team Martina" to a special "Sound Check for A Cure" event at her sold-out concert at the West Virginia University Creative Arts Center in Morgantown this Saturday, January 12.

"Team Martina," organized in the summer of 2011 following the release of Martina's Top 5 hit "I'm Gonna Love You Through It," is approaching $40,000 via online fundraising through the T.J. Martell Foundation, the music industry's largest charity that funds leukemia, cancer, and AIDS research. Members signed up in September to raise money for the special grant in Martina's name, which will be used to fund breast cancer research at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Donations are still being accepted via http://www.teammartina.com.

At Saturday's special event, Team Martina will be personally thanked by Martina, pose for a team photo with her, and get a special glimpse into her routine prior to her taking the stage for the show. The team will also share dinner together, and two female members will shave their heads as a show of support for chemotherapy patients. The group has also chosen to share this fun afternoon with some local cancer patients who have been invited as special guests.

"This has been truly amazing," said Martina, who specifically mentioned the Team Martina fundraiser during an October 26 interview on the "Today Show." "Their original goal was $15,000, and I am so proud of them for what they did. TJ Martell is such a wonderful organization, and I know this money will go a long way toward cancer research."

Martina will hit the road with George Strait for his The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, which begins January 18, 2013 in Lubbock, Texas. Just prior to the holidays, she wrapped up her wildly successful 16-city Joy of Christmas Tour.

For more news, tour dates, ticket information and more, visit http://www.MartinaMcBride.com

Martina's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/martinamcbride?fref=ts

Dwight Yoakam launches into 2013 with a performance Wednesday, January 2 on NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” (This is actually his second 'Tonight' performance in only a few months' time to promote music from his new album "3 Pears.")

The Grammy-winning country music innovator is riding a new wave of success and acclaim with his latest album, 3 Pears, and single “A Heart Like Mine.” He has dominated best-of-2012 lists including Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, the Village Voice and NPR. Rolling Stone picked “A Heart Like Mine” as one of the year’s best singles.

Dwight has been included in more critics’ year-end lists in 2012 than any other country artist, and 3 Pears broke the 2012 record for spending the most weeks at #1 (eight) at Americana radio. "3" marks Yoakam's 26th studio album and is his highest-charting debut on the Billboard 200 and Billboard Country Albums chart.

For the latest Dwight info and tour dates, visit:

http://www.dwightyoakam.com
http://www.facebook.com/dwightyoakam
https://www.twitter.com/dwightyoakam


***If you missed the performance, click the following link and skip to the 37:35 mark to see (the night's other guests were Betty White and Kevin Hart) - http://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/v...013/n31130

Big & Rich To Receive CRS 2013 Artist Humanitarian Award

Warner Music Nashville duo Big & Rich has been announced as the recipient of the CRS 2013 Artist Humanitarian Award, to be presented at Country Radio Seminar on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013.

Big & Rich’s charitable endeavors date back more than a decade and are too numerous to mention individually. Their humanitarian efforts have ranged from visiting individual patients in hospitals, to staging benefit concerts for the Country Music Hall of Fame and the 173rd Airborne Memorial, to their well-documented U.S. and international outreach. The duo has made a point throughout their career to help underprivileged children and families in struggling countries like Uganda, Sudan, Haiti and Kenya, among others.

St. Jude Children's Hospital, Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the 173rd Airborne Memorial Fund, Project Clean Water, Nashville’s Mt. View elementary school, the Special Olympics, Vanderbilt Hospital, Second Harvest Food Bank and the Nashville Symphony are just a few of the causes the chart-topping, Grammy-nominated duo have donated their charitable efforts to.

“Big Kenny Alphin and John Rich individually and collectively have used their success to set a personal example for all of us to follow as humanitarians,” says CRS Executive Director Bill Mayne. “Their selfless contributions have gone a long way to help make life better for countless men, women, and children, both today and tomorrow.”

Big & Rich will receive the CRS 2013 Artist Humanitarian Award at 10:30 a.m. in the Nashville Convention Center, immediately following the CRS Keynote Address.

WILLIE NELSON PRESENTED WITH THE CMA LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

NASHVILLE – Country Music Hall of Fame member and musical icon Willie Nelson was presented with the inaugural CMA Lifetime Achievement Award Thursday during “The 46th Annual CMA Awards.”
On receiving the two-foot tall Award from Brad Paisley, Nelson smiled and said, "Wow. You could do push-ups with this. This is a great honor. Thank you to the CMA."

“Willie is an iconic musical legend and innovator,” said Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “Even as he approaches his 80th birthday, Willie continues to be a lasting and meaningful influence on our music and artists. There is no one more deserving of this honor than Mr. Willie Nelson.”

The Lifetime Achievement Award was created and meant to be presented to an iconic artist who has attained the highest degree of recognition in Country Music. The award recognizes an artist who has achieved both national and international prominence and stature through concert performances, humanitarian efforts, philanthropy, record sales, and public representation at the highest level.

In creating the award, the CMA Board of Directors determined that the artists receiving this award must have positively impacted and contributed to the growth of the genre throughout a course of years that have proven to have an unprecedented and provides historical impact on fans and industry alike.

The Award was approved by the CMA Board in July. And now that it has been presented to Nelson, it will be renamed the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.

Kenny Chesney to Kick-Off 122nd Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign with LIVE Performance at Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day Game

"Boys of Fall" Online Video Contest at www.SalvationArmyUSA.org/BoysofFall Gives Fans a Chance to Win a Trip to Dallas for Game

ARLINGTON, Texas, Oct. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Salvation Army and the Dallas Cowboys announced today that music superstar and football enthusiast Kenny Chesney will rock Cowboys Stadium on Thanksgiving Day to kick-off The Salvation Army's 122(nd) annual Red Kettle Campaign. Kenny's performance will be televised LIVE nationally on FOX during halftime of the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game against the Washington Redskins on November 22, 2012 at 3:15PM (CT). The concert marks the 16(th) year of the Thanksgiving Day partnership between the Dallas Cowboys and The Salvation Army, in which time the Red Kettle Campaign has raised more than $1.5 billion.

And now through November 11(th), fans of the Cowboys and Kenny Chesney can visit www.SalvationArmyUSA.org/BoysofFall for a chance to win a trip for four to Dallas to see the Thanksgiving Day game -- including on-field passes for the halftime show performance and a meet-and-greet with Kenny. To enter, just submit a short (60-seconds or less) video featuring youth (pre-collegiate) football highlights. Selected videos may be featured during the Dallas Cowboys halftime show on Thanksgiving Day. One lucky Grand Prize winner will also win a trip for four to see the game live and in-person. Complete contest rules and details are available at www.SalvationArmyUSA.org/BoysofFall.

"There are great traditions in America -- especially Thanksgiving, family and football. For 16 years the Dallas Cowboys and The Salvation Army have been an American tradition and I'm happy to be a part of it," said Kenny Chesney. "I'm calling on all of my fans to not only give back this year but also send in their best football highlights videos for a chance to see me live in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day."

As one of the most exciting performers in country music, Kenny has sold more than 10 million concert tickets over the past 10 years. Kenny's performance comes on the heels of his most recent studio album, Welcome to the Fishbowl, which debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart and has yielded the hit singles "Feel Like a Rock Star" "Come Over" and the current "El Cerrito Place." Kenny has sold more than 27 million albums and had 24 #1 singles. He is a four time Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year and is nominated again this year for the award. He also has four Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year Awards.

CMA Inducts Garth Brooks, Hargus “Pig” Robbins and Connie Smith into Country Music Hall of Fame
By Bob Doerschuk

© 2012 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

The sky could not have been more blue, or the weather more agreeable, on Sunday afternoon, October 21, when Country Music notables began arriving at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Hundreds of spectators had gathered on the far side of Demonbreun Street, stretching the full block from Fifth to Sixth Avenue in Downtown Nashville and clustering near the drop-off point where WSM AM/Nashville radio personality Bill Cody heralded each celebrity’s red carpet appearance.

In tuxedos, gowns and Western attire, they had gathered to celebrate the inductions of three giants into CMA’s Country Music Hall of Fame, the highest honor bestowed in the Country Music world.
CMA announced this year’s inductees in March: Garth Brooks in the Modern Era category, Hargus “Pig” Robbins in the category for Recording and/or Touring Musician Active Prior to 1980 and Connie Smith in the Veterans Era vote. (Each was chosen through a nomination and voting process instituted in 1964 by CMA. Details on categories, history and all else related to the Hall are available on CMAworld.com/info/Hall-of-Fame.)