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 The middle portion of yesterday’s No. 1 party at Cabana celebrating the success of Keith Urban’s infectious hit, “Long Hot Summer,” wasn’t all that much different from a lot of other such events on Music Row. Effusive and well-deserved praise was offered up to Keith and Richard Marx, his co-writer on the tune; plaques were awarded; hugs were given and jokes were told (no, in spite of what Richard said, he and Keith did not meet on Craigslist).
But before the actual award ceremony began, as Keith and Richard took a few questions from the media, Keith revealed some of the challenges he encountered during his lengthy period of complete silence following successful vocal surgery in November. In addition to saying how difficult it had been trying to communicate at social events by writing on his little white pad—“by the time I had written down a comment, everyone had moved on to another topic”—he said he had developed a sore neck by trying to nod enthusiastically enough to let people know he was responding “Absolutely!” instead of “sure.” He also addressed how he dealt with having two small children who weren’t really able to understand why he wasn’t talking to them. To help overcome that, the ever-creative Keith recorded himself reading some of the kids’ books before he had his surgery. “Then, I’d hold a book and turn the pages while the recording played.” Very ingenious and very sweet to think of doing that.
The end of the event was also special as Keith invited a couple of YouTube performers—Leslie Strong of Hazard, Ky., and Patrick Woolam of Kansas City, pictured, right—to come onstage and play “Long Hot Summer” with Keith, Richard and a couple of Keith’s band members. Keith and Richard couldn’t keep the smiles off their faces as Leslie kicked off the tune with a perfect rendition of the tune’s signature guitar lick. Then as Patrick took charge of the lead vocals, the whole room realized what a special moment was happening in front of the 200 or so industry insiders. In short, Leslie kicked buttocks on the guitar and Patrick nailed the vocal. And a surprise moment happened when Keith took over lead vocal duties during the song’s bridge, jumping the gun slightly on his planned first post-surgery performance at the Ryman Auditorium Feb. 3. To say Leslie and Patrick were thrilled would be a huge understatement. But it was absolutely in character for Keith to want to share the stage and the spotlight at an event planned to honor him. He’s one of Nashville’s true good guys, and it’s great to have him back performing again.—David Scarlett
Photos: David Scarlett
Contact: dscarlett@nashville.com or jerry@nashville.com
 Entertainer of the Year
Jason Aldean
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Blake Shelton
Taylor Swift
Female Vocalist of the Year
Sara Evans
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Male Vocalist of the Year
Jason Aldean
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Blake Shelton
Chris Young
Vocal Group of the Year
The Band Perry
Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band
Vocal Duo of the Year
Love and Theft
Montgomery Gentry
Steel Magnolia
Sugarland
Thompson Square
Album of the Year
Chief — Eric Church
Four the Record — Miranda Lambert
Hemingway’s Whiskey — Kenny Chesney
My Kinda Party — Jason Aldean
Own The Night — Lady Antebellum
Song of the Year
“Crazy Girl” — Eli Young Band (Liz Rose, Lee Brice)
“Home” — Dierks Bentley (Brett Beavers, Dierks Bentley, Dan Wilson)
“Just A Kiss” — Lady Antebellum (Dallas Davidson, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott)
“Threaten Me With Heaven” — Vince Gill (Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Dillon O’Brian, Will Owsley)
“You and Tequila” — Kenny Chesney (Matraca Berg, Deana Carter)
Single Record of the Year
“Crazy Girl” — Eli Young Band
“Don’t You Wanna Stay” — Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson
“Red Solo Cup” — Toby Keith
“Tomorrow” — Chris Young
“You and Tequila” — Kenny Chesney feat. Grace Potter
Vocal Event of the Year
“Country Boy” — Aaron Lewis feat. George Jones and Charlie Daniels
“Don’t You Wanna Stay” — Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson
“Old Alabama” — Brad Paisley feat. Alabama
“Remind Me” — Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood
“You and Tequila” — Kenny Chesney feat. Grace Potter
Video of the Year
“Tattoos On This Town” — Jason Aldean
“Homeboy” — Eric Church
“Red Solo Cup” — Toby Keith
“Just a Kiss” — Lady Antebellum
“Mean” — Taylor Swift
Songwriter of the Year
Rhett Akins
Dallas Davidson
Ben Hayslip
Luke Laird
David Lee Murphy
Contact: jerry@nashville.com
 Event entertainment booking service GigMasters.com today revealed its fifth annual ‘Rising Star Award’ winners for 2011. The award recognizes the nation’s top-earning entertainers in over 125 performer and vendor categories. Six new event-based award categories were added this year to recognize the performers who booked the most weddings, children’s parties and corporate events in 2011.
The Nick Carver Band won two Rising Star Awards: Top Cover Band and Top Wedding Band. The band, which is based in Murfreesboro, Tenn., is led by singer Nick Carver and includes Tony Hartman, Al Janelle, Taylor Lonardo, and Michael Sharp.
A native of Covington, Tenn., Carver is a 2007 graduate of MTSU’s Recording Industry Management program. He worked at the Country Music Association from 2008-2010, and at Webster and Associates PR from 2007-2008.
“We are honored to receive these two Rising Star Awards from GigMasters,” said Carver. “To be recognized as their top-earning entertainer in two categories is very humbling, especially when you consider they book thousands of acts.”
The Nick Carver Band has performed at clubs, events, and private parties all over the Southeastern United States. They also fulfilled a longtime goal in 2011 when they made their debut at the legendary CMA Music Festival in Nashville with a performance in the Power Zone
“The Rising Star Award is GigMasters’ highest honor and our way of recognizing our finest party entertainers,” said GigMasters’ VP of Marketing, Marissa Latshaw. “It’s a real point of pride among our members and a testament to their hard work, talent, and professionalism.”
For more information on the Nick Carver Band, contact Scott Stem here.
 Today Trace Adkins announced the SONGS & STORIES TOUR, which will visit many of America’s most beautiful theaters this Spring. These intimate evenings of powerful performances will incorporate stories, both humorous and meaningful, that pay homage to Adkins’ working-man roots and rich musical heritage. Tickets for March dates go on sale to the public on Friday (1/27), more dates are expected to be added. A full list of dates and ticket info is below.
Inspiration for the SONGS & STORIES TOUR came as Trace released his 10th studio album, Proud To Be Here, last summer with a CMT Invitation Only special. The special featured new hits “Just Fishin’” and “Million Dollar View,” a Q&A session and the most-loved songs from Adkins’ twenty year career. The taping was so fun for Trace and his guests that he began laying plans for a tour.
“I’ve had many narrow escapes and blessings in my life. The right song at the right time has been my saving grace and that’s something I have in common with the audience. Sharing meaningful songs, stories and some laughs ‘around the campfire’ is the Country music tradition and I’m looking forward to it.”
Fans can share their own stories, questions and the songs that have inspired or shaped their lives on the Songs & Stories page at www.traceadkins.com.
From humble beginnings as a small-town Louisiana roughneck, to a Country super star with a twenty year career of hits, to his recent roles as outspoken author and actor, Adkins’ life parallels the songs he sings. His albums showcase a range of earnest tributes and party anthems with humor and depth – the Songs & Stories Tour promises to offer the same.
TICKET ON-SALE DATES:
· March dates: public on sale Friday, 1/27 (Fan club pre-sale begins Mon. 1/23.)
· April & May dates: public on sale Friday, 2/3. (Fan club pre-sale begins Mon. 1/30).
SONGS & STORIES TOUR DATES (MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED):
March 8 Des Moines IA Hoyt Sherman Place
March 9 Kansas City MO The Midland by AMC
March 10 Peoria IL Civic Theater
March 15 Milwaukee WI Riverside Theater
March 16 Rochester MN Mayo Civic Theater
March 17 Grand Forks ND Chester Fritz Auditorium *Fan presale 1/30, public on-sale 2/3
March 22 Birmingham AL Alabama Theatre
April 12 Ashland KY Paramount Arts Center
April 14 Toledo OH Stranahan Theater
April 18 Louisville KY The Palace Theater
April 19 Spartanburg SC Memorial Hall
April 20 Charlotte NC Ovens Auditorium
April 25 Denver CO Paramount Theater *fan presale 1/23, public on-sale 1/27
April 27 Salina KS Stiefel Theater
April 28 Tulsa OK Brady Theater
May 3 N. Charleston SC North Charleston Performing Arts Center
May 4 Savannah GA Mercer Theater *fan presale 1/30, public on-sale 2/10
May 10 Davenport IA Adler Theatre
May 11 South Bend IN Morris PAC *fan presale 1/30, public on-sale 2/4
May 12 Memphis TN Orpheum Theatre *fan presale 1/23, public on-sale 1/27
May 17 Atlanta GA Cobb Theater
Contact: jerry@nashville.com
 Photo by Jason Kemp Rascal Flatts bassist and vocalist Jay DeMarcus and his wife Allison, a former Miss Tennessee and a current CMT personality, are anticipating the birth of their second child this summer. The baby will become a younger brother or sister to their daughter Madeline Leigh, born December 17, 2010.
“This was definitely a huge surprise, but we’re so thankful and excited that Maddie is going to have a brother or sister,” says Jay. “We’re really gonna have our hands full!”
“Jay and I are thrilled about completing our family. Madeline is going to love having a sibling and we are bracing ourselves for the many sleepless nights ahead,” adds Allison.
Jay and Allison were married May 15, 2004 in Nashville, Tenn.
Contact: jerry@nashville.com
 Photo by James White Carrie Underwood will release her new single, “Good Girl,” to country radio on February 23. The five-time Grammy winner’s new CD will arrive later this spring. Underwood wrote the track with Chris DeStefano and Ashley Gorley, who co-wrote two of Underwood’s No. 1 hits “Don’t Forget to Remember Me,” and “All-American Girl.” Once again Carrie teamed up with Mark Bright, who produced her two previous albums as well as seven tracks from her debut album Some Hearts.
Since releasing Some Hearts in 2005, Underwood has sold more than 14 million albums with Some Hearts, 2007’s Carnival Ride, and 2009’s Play On. She’s amassed 14 No. 1 singles, six of which she co-wrote, and became the first country artist in history and the only American Idol winner ever to achieve 10 No. 1 singles from their first two albums.
Underwood is a current Grammy Award nominee and a five-time Grammy Award winner, a two-time Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year, a three-time Country Music Association and ACM Female Vocalist winner, and a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Contact: jerry@nashville.com
The Smokin’ Hit Songwriters Seminar is coming up again on March 16, 17 & 18th, 2012 and Nashville.com is giving away 4 scholarships for the popular Seminar. Join host Marla Sitten and and Daisy Dern with “Smokin’ Hit songwriters” Dave Gibson, Wynn Varble and Gary Hannan for a fall songwriting seminar/retreat at Jim Oliver’s Smoke House in beautiful Monteagle, Tennessee November 11th-13th, 2011. The world famous Smoke House has become a muse for the songwriting community. Dozens of hit songwriters have performed and written in private retreats at The Smoke House. Come experience the magic for yourself at Jim Oliver’s Smoke House!
Learn songwriting tips from these pros who have written the hit songs “Have You Forgotten” (Darryl Worley), “Waitin’ on a Woman (Brad Paisley), “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off” (Joe Nichols), “Back When I Knew It All” (Montgomery Gentry) and many more. Relax at Jim Oliver’s Smokehouse Restaurant, Lodge & Trading Post for a weekend with some of the best songwriters in the business as they share their stories, insights, wisdom, experiences and practical advice about songwriting.
For your chance to attend this amazing seminar just send an email to jerry@nashville.com The first 4 lucky songwriters will win! Each Scholarship has a $195.00 value (does not include food and lodging).
What the Seminar Includes
Songwriting Contest #1: A Special Friday night open mic featuring original song performances by the first 30 participants to sign-up for the seminar. Songs will be judged by a panel and the winner will receive a one hour writing session with Hit songwriter, Dave Gibson!
Songwriting Contest #2: Participants 31-100 who sign up for the seminar can submit a recorded demo to be judged by a panel. The winner will receive a one hour writing session with Hit songwriter, Dave Gibson!
Saturday Songwriting Seminar from 11am-2pm, followed by a Q & A session. Relationship Building from 2:30pm-5:00pm, BRING YOUR BUSINESS CARDS! The day wraps up with an in-the-round performance by Dave Gibson, Chris Wall, and Ira Dean from 7:30pm-10:30pm.
Sunday from 11am-2pm will be Career Advice, Publicity/Promotion and Networking 101 Clinic with industry media and public relations pro, Marla Sitten, and Savannah Music Group publisher and former Mercury recording artist, Daisy Dern.
Spend some quality time with some mega-hit songwriters! For more information click here.
Contact: jerry@nashville.com
 Brad Paisley might be the hardest working man in country music. As if he doesn’t have enough to do with his Virtual Reality World Tour, he made time last week to visit with Sean Hannity to promote his new book DIARY OF A PLAYER. Then he performed three sold-out shows before heading to San Francisco to provide the musical halftime entertainment for the NFC Championship Game last Sunday. Paisley joked with Sean Hannity saying “Hey, did I tell you about my idea for a video, with you and Michael Moore fishing together?” The two laughed about the unlikely pairing of political polar opposites. You can read more about Brad and his visit with Hannity in this months Cigar Aficionado.
Contact: jerry@nashville.com
 Music icon Lionel Richie will release Tuskegee, a collection of 13 of his international hits recorded with some of the biggest names in country music, on March 27 on Mercury Nashville.
His duet partners on Tuskegee include Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Billy Currington and Little Big Town.
On this worldwide, multi-genre album, Richie is also joined by the likes of such superstars as Shania Twain, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffett.
In addition, the Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions will tape an all-star concert special, Lionel Richie and Friends “In concert” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 2. The show will air at a later date on the CBS Television Network. Some of his greatest hits will be performed by Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers and many more.
Tuskegee is an exciting new chapter in a career that has seen album sales of more than 100 million, 22 Top 10s, five Grammys, an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe, and a host of other awards.
Richie returns to his Southern roots to pay tribute to his hometown of Tuskegee, Alabama, where he was indelibly shaped as a man and a musician. He was exposed to country, gospel, R&B and classical music while growing up, and it was in Tuskegee where he helped form the Commodores and wrote his first hits, including “Sail On” and “Easy.”
“Tuskegee is where it all began, the place where I felt that everything was available and possible,” he says. “It’s where I learned about life and love and the power of music, and the place I built a musical foundation that knows no genres or boundaries.
“Doing this album was coming back to the beginning, back to basics, back to home,” he says. “The part of it I love the most is that the journey has been one of discovering myself. By the time I got back to Nashville, I clearly knew that the roots of my songwriting, my storytelling, were from the South.”
It’s also been a process of rediscovering the hits that have served as the soundtrack of the lives of generations around the world. “Every Lionel Richie song that I can think of I had a personal experience with – high school homecomings, proms, you name it,” says Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts, who duets on “Dancin’ On the Ceiling.” “Lionel was always playing in my house. His music always said what we felt and couldn’t express.”
Says Darius Rucker, who joins Richie on “Stuck On You,” “I wanted to work with Lionel because he is one of my idols. Lionel’s more a part of my DNA really than an idol. It was an absolute honor to work with him.” Adds Jason Aldean, who selected “Say You, Say Me,” “I’ve always been a huge fan. He is probably one of the best singer/songwriters of this generation.”
Once again, Richie is following his songs as they take him back to country, where they have been welcomed for more than two decades. Conway Twitty recorded “Three Times a Lady,” Kenny Rogers famously sang “Lady” and Alabama recorded “Deep River Woman.” Artists such as Tim McGraw, Darius Rucker and Rascal Flatts perform his songs in their shows. He has performed on the Country Music Association Awards three times, and his 2011 performance receive two standing ovations and was recognized as the highlight of the evening.
“When I did the CMAs and the room was singing along with me, it was really more like a family reunion than it was a concert or show,” he says. “It was just great validation to know that the music was accepted like it was.”
Lionel Richie’s Tuskegee Track-Listing:
“You Are” with Blake Shelton
“Say You, Say Me” with Jason Aldean
“Stuck On You” with Darius Rucker
“Deep River Woman” with Little Big Town
“My Love” with Kenny Chesney
“Dancing On The Ceiling” with Rascal Flatts
“Hello” with Jennifer Nettles
“Sail On” with Tim McGraw
“Endless Love” with Shania Twain
“Just For You” with Billy Currington
“Lady” with Kenny Rogers
“Easy” with Willie Nelson
“All Night Long” with Jimmy Buffett
Contact: jerry@nashville.com
 Photo by Russ Harrington Dog lovers are never shy about publicly parading their pooch pride. But too often cat affection is locked behind closed doors. No more, says the makers of Fresh Step® litter.
In honor of Cat Appreciation Month this February, the makers of Fresh Step litter have teamed up with cat-loving country star Kellie Pickler to ask cat lovers to flood Facebook with images of them wearing their favorite cat-centric clothing.
Don’t have any kitty couture? No problem. The Fresh Step brand has partnered with Pickler and fashion designer Geren Ford to design a must-have limited-edition cat sweater. The sweater will be available for purchase online at www.aspcaonlinestore.com, with 100 percent of proceeds benefiting the ASPCA® (The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®). Cat lovers who aren’t in the market for a new sweater can get in on the fun, too. The Fresh Step Facebook page houses an online application that lets people digitally place the Pickler sweater onto a photo of themselves on Facebook. The Fresh Step litter team will donate $1 to the ASPCA for every photo posted, through March 15, 2012, up to $100,000.
“It’s time for cat lovers to truly display their cat pride,” said Pickler, whose new album 100 Proof launches this week. “I collaborated with fellow cat lover and designer Geren Ford to create a sweater that we hope any cat parent would wear to show their kitty pride and that all animal lovers can wear in support of the ASPCA.”
The oatmeal heather-colored tunic “Kitty Crooner” sweater with green sequin embellishments celebrates Pickler’s country roots and gives wearers a modern vintage look. The sweater will be available for purchase at here for $35 while supplies last.
The makers of Fresh Step litter are committed to helping cats and, since 2001, have donated more than $2.5 million to the ASPCA.
Contact: jerry@nashville.com
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