they will launch a brand new tour beginning this summer, Farmers Insurance presents “The American Band Tour.” The tour will feature an all band set-up with Little Big Town, Eli Young Band and Edens Edge opening. The shows will begin in Hartford, Conn., on June 15 at the Comcast Theatre. Please check www.rascalflatts.comfor up to date tour information.RASCAL FLATTS ANNOUNCE NEW TOUR
they will launch a brand new tour beginning this summer, Farmers Insurance presents “The American Band Tour.” The tour will feature an all band set-up with Little Big Town, Eli Young Band and Edens Edge opening. The shows will begin in Hartford, Conn., on June 15 at the Comcast Theatre. Please check www.rascalflatts.comfor up to date tour information.KEITH URBAN FILMS “THE VOICE” DOWN UNDER
Keith Urban is set to begin a film. Later this month, Urban will head to Sydney for a week of filming for the Australian version of “The Voice”. Urban will pop back and forth to Australia over the next few months while maintaining a busy schedule here in the United States that includes a second show at the Opry, the much anticipated third annual “All For The Hall” benefit concert on April 10th among other appearances and performances.
“It’ll be a blast spending a little time in Australia working on The Voice, getting the opportunity to try and help some killer raw talent blossom,” said Urban. ”And I have a feeling that being immersed in that new kind of “everything is possible” energy, will have a real inspiring and liberating effect on creating new music for my new album!”
Much of Urban’s time over the course of the year will be spent at home in Nashville, where he’s already begun writing and finding songs for his next album. No release date set as of yet.
REBA VICTIM OF DEATH HOAX
US Magazine reports that Reba fell victim to an Internet death hoax, when an erroneous report <http://reba.mcentire.mediafetcher.com/news/top_stories/actress_austria.php>; circulated Monday that the singer had fallen to her death while climbing a mountain in Austria.
The only catch? Originating from a Web site that dubs itself “Global Media News,” the report called McEntire an “actress” rather than singer. As McEntire quickly became a trending topic Monday, eagle-eyed readers of the initial report spotted a disclaimer, which declares the site fake.
If you heard recently that Reba McEntire is dead…it AIN’T TRUE!
“This story is 100% fake! This is an entertainment website, and this is a totally fake article based on zero truth and is a complete work of fiction for entertainment purposes” the disclaimer read.
McEntire took to her Twitter page <http://www.whosay.com/rebamcentire/content/205975?code=dqx1lrw>; to dispel the rumor Tuesday.
“There is a rumor going around that I died after falling off a mountain in Austria yesterday while shooting a movie,” she blogged. “While I would love to be shooting a movie in Austria, I definitely did not fall off a mountain! Nor am I dead! I am alive and kicking!!!”
Reba isn’t the only singer to be the subject of a death hoax. Earlier this month, “RIP Cher” became a top trending topic on Twitter, and the 65-year-old entertainer replied to her fans in turn. “Lovelies…I’m not going anywhere till I finish this f–king album,” Cher wrote. “The only RIP I know how to do is ‘rip it up.’”
REBA SELLS NEW SITCOM IDEA
TV GUIDE REPORTS – Reba McEntire may be returning to TV soon!
ABC has ordered comedy pilots Malibu Country, which will star the country singer-actress Reba McEntire, and Prairie Dogs, from That ’70s Show <http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/that-70s-show/100433>; ‘s Jackie <http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jackie-filgo/283003>; and Jeff Filgo <http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jeff-filgo/283004>; .
In Malibu Country, McEntire stars as a broke divorcee who moves her family to Malibu where she attempts to revive her music career while keeping her children from being corrupted by the city. McEntire will reunite with Reba showrunner Kevin Abbott <http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/kevin-abbott/250332>; , who will write and executive-produce the pilot, along with Mindy Schultheis <http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/mindy-schultheis/283023>; , Michael Hanel <http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/michael-hanel/283020>; , Pam Williams, Dave Stewart <http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/dave-stewart/284722>; and Narvel Blackstock.
WILLIE NELSON SIGNS HISTORIC NEW DEAL WITH LEGACY RECORDINGS
Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, has entered into a historic new record deal with American legend and innovator Willie Nelson. The deal marks a label homecoming for Nelson, who, from 1975-1993, cut a phenomenal string of top-selling singles and albums for Columbia Records, beginning with 1975′s seminal smash Red Headed Stranger.
Forthcoming Willie Nelson titles under the Legacy imprint will include newly recorded songs and performances as well as archival releases, personally curated by the artist, drawn from all phases of his career including his recordings for RCA Records and others.
Under the new agreement, fans can look forward to five brand-new Willie Nelson albums, with the first slated for release in spring 2012.
KELLIE PICKLER’S NEW ALBUM, 100 PROOF, DEBUTS BIG
Kellie Pickler’s third album, 100 Proof, debuts at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and at No. 7 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart today, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
“I’m so proud of this album,” shares Pickler. “I want to thank the fans so much for buying it and supporting country music. I know these are hard times economically and the fact that people spend their hard earned money on 100 Proof is humbling.”
100 Proof has critics touting praise for Pickler with Entertainment Weekly calling 100 Proof Kellie’s “meatiest, most adventurous output yet.” The Miami Herald said “a major label won’t release a more authentic or better country album in 2012 than Pickler’s surprisingly terrific 100 Proof.” The Associated Press calls 100 Proof “hardcore country” and describes the song, “Stop Cheatin’ On Me,” as being “drenched in old-fashioned heartbreak.”
Parade shares that Pickler is “bearing her Southern soul” on 100 Proof and The New York Daily News says that “100 Proof has a far greater sense of place, with steel guitars, fiddles and banjos that don’t just sound like tokens but rather integral parts of the song. The opening cut, ‘Where’s Tammy Wynette,’ earns its invocation of the icon with a feisty tune and a wide vocal arc.”
AMY DALLEY TO RELEASE ALBUM ON MARCH 27, 2012
Amy Dalley is set to release her new album, Coming Out Of The Pain, via Rock Ridge Music on March 27, 2012. Coming Out Of The Pain is Dalley’s second full-length and combines classic pop-country with the edge of heartland rock, as well as Dalley’s intimate lyrics and dulcet vocals. The album was produced by Dalley and husband/engineer/writing partner Jack Sizemore (also a member of Jason Aldean’s band), along with New Voice Entertainment.
NEW MUSIC FROM ADAM GREGORY and STEPHANIE GRACE
.Adam Gregory is set to release his new single and six-song album, Different Places.
Release date U.S. and Canada on Feb. 28.
The first single, “High On You,” ships to Country radio the same day Different Places is released on Feb. 28. Gregory co-wrote four of the six songs on the album, including the “High On You” single. Chart-topping songwriters Victoria Shaw, Frank Myers, James Dean Hicks, Steve Bogard and Clay Mills also contribute co-writes on the project. Gregory, a native of Edmonton, Alberta, and a Nashville resident since 2006, had been writing and recording new material for Different Places over the last 12 months.
“I’m really excited for my new music to finally come out and give people a taste of what I’ve been working on for the last year or so,” says Gregory. “I had considerable input in terms of the songwriting and song selection for this project, and I think the writing is a little more mature, a little more personal than my last project.”
STEPHANIE GRACE – “IF YOU ASKED ME”
But if you ask me, 15 year-old Stephanie sounds more like a 35 year old in school girl’s clothing.
“If You Asked Me,” is a mature enough song to have been recorded by any number of 20 or 30-some contemporary divas. It’ll be interesting to hear more of her music.
Stephanie Grace, is from Pennsylvania. At the age of seven she started singing. From then on she entered several singing contests and in 2006 she was the Kids Country Idol Contest Winner for her local radio station and won the experience of singing at Fallfest with a crowd of 40,000 people. From 2008 to 2009 she performed at the 27th Annual Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards in Philadelphia and opened up for American Idol contestant, Bucky Covington at the Schaefferstown Fair in PA. She most recently played at Tootsie’s Nashville with their house band.
CHRIS YOUNG SCORES FIFTH CONSECUTIVE NUMBER ONE SINGLE WITH “YOU”
Chris Young joins ACM Awards co-host and The Voice star Blake Shelton as one of only two solo artists to top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart with their five most recent singles as “You” surges to the top this week.
“I am ecstatic,” says Chris after hearing the news. “I’ve been excited for each #1 and to have five in a row feels amazing!”
“You,” written by Young with Luke Laird, is the follow up to his #1 smash “Tomorrow” from his highly acclaimed third album NEON, which opened at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 in July of 2011. The song has racked up over 350,000 downloads.

