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Nominees for 2012 ACM Awards to Be Announced This Week
For the first time ever, the Academy of Country Music is taking a totally different spin on the way they unroll their awards. This year, they’re hitting the internet and announcing the 2012 ACM Awards nominees on Facebook and Twitter, with the bulk of the nominations being unveiled during a digital press conference on Thursday, Jan. 26 at 6:30 AM PT.
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Rascal Flatts Reveal Plans to Help Neonatal Center at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital
In the past five years, Rascal Flatts have raised more than $3 million for the Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Because of the band’s determination to make a difference, the hospital named their pediatric surgery center the Rascal Flatts Surgery Center. Now, more attached to the hospital’s children than ever, the band is jumping into its next project.
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Garth Brooks Named Best-Selling Artist of Soundscan Era
With 2012 just beginning to unfold, Billboard and the Nielsen Company compiled their annual year-end music industry report, providing a top 10 list of the best-selling artists of the entire Soundscan era. Sitting atop the list is Garth Brooks with a whopping 68.5 million sales, more than 3 million over the number two artist on the list — The Beatles with 63.3 million.
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Dolly Parton to Help Launch New Water, Snow Park in Nashville
Two of Nashville’s biggest entertainment moguls announced last week that they will be partnering for a new 114-acre family entertainment zone in Nashville. Dolly Parton‘s Dollywood Company is embarking on this new project with Gaylord Entertainment, the company that owns the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, as well as the Ryman Auditorium, Wildhorse Saloon, WSM-AM and more of Nashville’s main attractions.
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Taylor Swift Headed to Sundance Film Festival
In her recent cover story in Vogue, Taylor Swift was portrayed with class and a sharp intellect. In an interview where she was zipping around from one designer to another, chatting excitedly and raving about each new collection, Swift also opened up about the iconic figures who have resonated deeply with her during her life and career.
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Taylor Swift Covers Vogue, Talks ‘Crash-and-Burn Heartbreak’ and Relationship Red Flags
Taylor Swift has been sporting a new look lately, with her trademark locks straightened into a more chic coiffure as if to say she’s stepping into a new phase of maturity, or a new benchmark in life. Swift’s new look made its most recent appearance on the February cover of Vogue, with Swift in a wide-rimmed floppy hat, her deep blues sparkling against her daffodil shirt.
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Dolly Parton Raps With Queen Latifah on ‘Today’
Appearing on the ‘Today’ show this morning because of their new film ‘Joyful Noise,’ Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah took the descriptor “cross-genre” just one step further. When host Ann Curry pointed out that hip-hop and country had an intersection in the two artists, Parton innocently said, “We never thought about that. We just thought it’d be rap stuff,” and then she jumped right into a rap with Latifah beat-boxing at her side.
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Keith Urban Records New Song ‘For You’ for ‘Act of Valor’ Movie
Keith Urban has won Grammys, toured the globe and released more hit singles than he can count on two hands, but there’s one thing the country megastar had never done — until now, that is. For the first time in his career, Urban took on the challenge of writing and releasing a song specifically for a movie. Collaborating with hit songwriter Monty Powell, he co-wrote the a song called ‘For You’ for the Navy SEAL action thriller ‘Act of Valor,’ in theaters Feb. 24.
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Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert Working on New Music With John Fogerty
Rocker and former Creedence Clearwater Revival member John Fogerty recently announced that he’s been working on a new record for the past few months with several superstar guests, including Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert and the Foo Fighters. Though the album doesn’t yet have an official release date, Fogerty is set to tour this year, hitting Australia and New Zealand and potentially adding a North American leg of the tour at a later date.
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Ronnie Dunn Concert Interrupted by Fire Alarm Scare
Ronnie Dunn made quite a lasting impression at his ‘Green Nights’ benefit concert Saturday night at Nashville’s historic Franklin Theatre. Halfway through the Brooks and Dunn hit ‘Ain’t Nothin’ ‘Bout You,’ Dunn and his fans were interrupted by the blaring of the venue’s fire alarms. Though the country star and his band finished their song, they did heed the warning to exit the stage until the venue could be deemed safe and fireless.
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The Band Perry’s ‘All Your Life’ Inspires Marriage Proposals
After the tongue-in-cheek feel of their single ‘You Lie,’ the Band Perry are calling their most recent single, ‘All Your Life,’ a “bona fide love song,” according to their Republic Nashville label. Referring to ‘You Lie’ as a “cheatin’ song,” Reid Perry says, “Naturally, in country music after a cheatin’ song you release a love song. And ‘All Your Life’ is our tribute.” The Perrys have seen firsthand the effect their love song has on crowds.
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Eric Church Announces Second Leg of 2012 Tour Dates
EMI recording artist Eric Church released his most recent album, ‘Chief,’ in July, and now he’s riding the waves of that record’s popularity with the overwhelming response to his headlining tour — the Blood, Sweat and Beers Tour. Because of the success of his tour to this point, Church just announced that he’s adding a second leg to the tour, including cities like Nashville, New York City, Minneapolis and more.