Thompson Square, Liam Hemsworth, KISS and more added to list of ACM Awards presenters
Thompson Square (AP file)
Up-and-coming country stars Thompson Square, Zac Brown, Brantley Gilbert, Scotty McCreery and The Band Perry, “The Hunger Games” star Liam Hemsworth, “NCIS: Los Angeles” star LL COOL J and legendary rockers KISS are scheduled to be presenters on the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, which will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas from 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday on the CBS Television Network.
It’s ACM Awards Week here on BAM’s Blog, leading up to my live blog of the show Sunday night.
They join previously announced presenters Beth Behrs, Hunter Hayes, Lionel Richie, Taylor Swift and Nancy O’Dell. Additionally, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Sara Evans, Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride with Pat Monahan, Scotty McCreery, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Lionel Richie, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Chris Young, The Band Perry, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts with Steve Martin and Little Big Town have been announced as performers on the ACM Awards broadcast, with Zac Brown Band hosting the second annual ACM Fan Jam at Mandalay Bay Events Center.
Thompson Square, the duo of Miami, OK, native Keifer Thompson and wife Shawna, are nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year, their first ACM Awards nomination. The chart-topping duo’s No. 1 platinum and radio smash, “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not,” was iTunes’ Country Song of the Year (2011) and has grown meteorically to become the most played song at Country radio in 2011 (Mediabase), as well as reach the top of the Billboard Heat Seekers Chart. “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” spent five consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Country Digital Soundscan chart and 12 consecutive weeks as the No. 1 Country Ringtone.
Zac Brown is the frontman of Zac Brown Band, who are nominated for Vocal Group of the Year, the band’s third consecutive nomination in that category. The group has won two ACM Awards, including Vocal Event of the Year for “As She’s Walking Away” featuring Alan Jackson in 2010 and New Vocal Duo or Group in 2008. They also tout a historic series of nine consecutive No. 1 hit singles from their double-platinum major label debut, The Foundation, and platinum No. 1 follow-up album, You Get What You Give.
At the age of 27, Brantley Gilbert already has an impressive list of industry accolades. The deluxe version of the rising star’s sophomore album, Halfway to Heaven Deluxe, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart in September 2011. Collectively, the standard and deluxe versions of Halfway to Heaven have already sold almost 500,000 albums to date. Brantley’s first single on The Valory Music Co., “Country Must Be Country Wide,” recently scored the No. 1 spot at Country radio. As a celebrated songwriter, Gilbert also penned three #1 hits, “My Kinda Party,” “Dirt Road Anthem,” and most recently, “Country Must Be Country Wide.” In addition to playing his own headlining dates, Gilbert is currently on the road with Eric Church for his “The Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour.” For tour dates and more on Brantley, go to www.facebook.com/BrantleyGilbertMusic.
Scotty McCreery’s album, Clear As Day, was certified platinum in just three months, and he was recently named #1 on Billboard magazine’s list of Top New Country Artists for 2011. Clear As Day debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and Top Country Albums charts, making him the youngest man in history to open at the top of the all-genre chart with a debut release. It garnered the highest sales of any country solo album released last year and held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for six weeks. The album’s first two singles, “I Love You This Big” and “The Trouble With Girls” have been certified gold. Currently, he is touring as part of Brad Paisley’s “Virtual Reality Tour 2012,” presented by Chevrolet.
The Band Perry returns to the ACM Awards this year as a first-time Vocal Group of the Year nominee. In 2011, they were honored with the New Artist of the Year award after the largest fan vote in the category’s history. On the heels of celebrating a recent two-week No. 1 with their gold-certified single, “All Your Life,” platinum certification of their self-titled Republic Nashville debut album and recent quadruple-platinum status for sales of more than 4 million for their quintessential No. 1 hit “If I Die Young,” the excitement only continues for The Band Perry.
Currently, Liam Hemsworth stars in the record-breaking movie adaptation of “The Hunger Games,” directed by Gary Ross, in which he portrays Gale Hawthorne and stars opposite Jennifer Lawrence. Hemsworth will next be seen this August starring opposite Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger in “The Expendables 2.” This April, the actor begins production on Dito Montiel’s “Empire State,” in which he plays opposite Dwayne Johnson and Emma Roberts. Hemsworth finished production on the independent feature film “AWOL,” which is set for release this year. Liam’s character, Wright, is a young soldier in Vietnam who decides to go AWOL after being dumped by his hometown girlfriend.
Hemsworth’s breakout role as Will Blakelee in Disney’s hit “The Last Song” earned him a 2010 Young Hollywood Award as well as three Teen Choice Award nominations, winning for “Choice Movie: Male Breakout.” Starring opposite Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear and Kelly Preston, “The Last Song” is based on best-selling author Nicholas Sparks’ novel, who also co-wrote the screenplay.
LL COOL J is an entertainment icon who has found great success crossing into multiple mediums. A two-time Grammy Award winner, recording artist, talented actor, author, NAACP Image Award winner, entrepreneur and philanthropist, he continues to display his wide range of talents with every project. First introduced to the world in 1984 as a Def Jam Records flagship artist, LL is the first rap artist to amass 10 consecutive platinum-plus selling albums. The multi-platinum artist and two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee is currently tied for third place for most Billboard chart debuts by a rap artist. As an actor, LL has successfully transitioned to one of the consistently highest-rated shows on television. He currently stars in the hit CBS primetime drama series, “NCIS: Los Angeles,” and his performance on the show garnered him an NAACP Image Award in 2011 and 2012 for his role of Special Agent Sam Hanna.
KISS remains one of the most influential bands in the history of rock and roll. As one of America’s top gold-record champions, KISS has released 44 albums and sold more than 90 million albums worldwide. Decades of record-breaking tours around the globe have included high-profile appearances at Super Bowl XXXIII, the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and the Rockin’ The Corps concert, dedicated to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The KISS legacy continues to grow, generation after generation. The unparalleled devotion and loyalty of the KISS Army to the “Hottest Band in the World” is a striking testament to the band’s unbreakable bond with its fans and just one of the reasons KISS was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. KISS is currently in the studio recording Monster, the follow up to their 2009 chart-topping album, Sonic Boom, and recently announced a major world tour starting in summer of 2012. For more information on the band, go to www.KISSonline.com or follow the band on Twitter at @KISSonline.
-BAM
Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Toby Keith, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts among Oklahomans competing, performing on 2012 ACM Awards
For the second straight year, Oklahoma natives Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton are co-hosting the Academy of Country Music Awards, airing live from Las Vegas Sunday night on CBS.
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Oklahomans competing, performing on Sunday’s ACM Awards
For the second straight year, Blake Shelton and Reba McEntire will co-host the show, airing live from Las Vegas on CBS.
Oklahomans will have at least one star to root for in almost every major category during Sunday’s Academy of Country Music Awards.
Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Toby Keith, Carrie Underwood, Vince Gill, Thompson Square and Rascal Flatts will represent the Sooner State when the 47th annual ACM Awards air live from 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday on CBS. For the second straight year, Oklahoma natives Shelton and Reba McEntire will co-host the show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Shelton, who lives in Tishomingo, received this year his first nomination for the academy’s top prize, entertainer of the year, along with Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney, who earned a leading nine nominations. For the fifth year, the entertainer award will be fan-voted, with balloting continuing until the third hour of the broadcast at www.VoteACM.com.
In addition, the Ada native will contend for male vocalist of the year and will perform a duet with Lionel Richie of the music icon’s classic ballad “You Are.”
Lambert, Shelton’s wife and fellow Tishomingo denizen, also will perform on the show along with competing for the female vocalist title. Her “Four the Record” is nominated for album of the year, an award she has won twice previously, with her 2007 release “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and her 2009 effort “Revolution.”
Underwood will vie for the female vocalist honor, too, while she and Paisley share a vocal event of their year nomination for their chart-topping duet “Remind Me.” In addition, the Checotah native will sing during the broadcast.
Keith’s “Red Solo Cup” is more than just a cup, it’s a two-time nominee. The rowdy party anthem is up for single record of the year, earning the Norman resident a double nomination as the song’s artist and producer. The star-studded viral video, which has notched more than 13.5 million YouTube views, also got a video of the year nod, and Keith and “special surprise iconic Las Vegas performers” will play the song during the show.
Gill, who hails from Oklahoma City, is a double nominee in the song of the year race as the artist and co-writer of “Threaten Me with Heaven,” the first single from his 2011 album “Guitar Slinger.” Gill wrote the poignant ballad with his wife Amy Grant, Dillon O’Brian and the late Will Owsley.
Thompson Square, which includes Miami, OK, native Keifer Thompson and his wife, Shawna, earned a nomination in the vocal duo category.
Trio Rascal Flatts, which includes Picher-bred guitarist Joe Don Rooney, is nominated for vocal group of the year and will perform their latest hit, “Banjo,” with multi-talented banjo player Steve Martin on the program. Others on the performance lineup include Aldean, Paisley, Chesney with Tim McGraw, Martina McBride with Pat Monahan, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Sara Evans, Keith Urban, Chris Young, The Band Perry and Lady Antebellum.
The fan-voted new artist of the year race is the only major category with no Oklahomans in the running. Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes and Scotty McCreery will vie for the honor, for which online balloting closes just before the broadcast.
The academy recently announced the winners of its off-camera awards, which will be handed out during its sixth annual ACM Honors event Sept. 24 in Nashville, Tenn. Among this year’s Special Awards honorees with Oklahoma ties are Gill, who will get the Career Achievement Award, and the late Roger Miller, who was raised in Erick and will receive the Poet’s Award along with songwriter Bobby Braddock.
LIVE BLOG
Follow along as Entertainment Writer Brandy McDonnell live blogs along with the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards Sunday night at her BAM’s Blog at blog.newsok.com/bamsblog. The ACM Awards will air live from 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday on CBS, with Oklahoma natives Blake Shelton and Reba McEntire co-hosting the show.
Fan-voting for the academy’s top honor, entertainer of the year, as well as new artist of the year continues at www.VoteACM.com.
-BAM
Video: Chris Young break dances on “The Talk”; Reba McEntire appears Friday on the show
The CBS daytime show “The Talk” is celebrating Sunday’s 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards with special guests, segments and live performances this week.
Country superstar and Tishomingo resident Miranda Lambert and ACM Award-nominated performer Chris Young appeared on the show today.
Lambert joined the ladies at the table as a guest co-host, and in the process revealed a secret about Young: he can break dance. Naturally, Young was called on to demonstrate his skills, and he did so quite well.
ACM Awards co-host and country music icon Reba McEntire, who hails from Chockie, will visit “The Talk” and preview the awards show on Friday.
The ACM Awards will be broadcast live from 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The show will be hosted for the second consecutive year by Reba and Lambert’s wife and fellow Tishomingo denizen Blake Shelton.
ACM Awards Week continues here on BAM’s Blog, leading up to my live blog of the show Sunday night.
-BAM
Little Big Town, Hunter Hayes to raise awareness of child hunger during ACM Lifting Lives performance on ACM Awards
Little Big Town
Hunter Hayes
ACM Award winners Little Big Town will partner with ACM Lifting Lives to perform “Here’s Hope,” an original song co-written by singer-songwriter and ACM New Artist of the Year nominee Hunter Hayes, to shed light on child hunger in the United States. This special musical moment, presented by ConAgra Foods’ “Child Hunger Ends Here” campaign, will be performed during the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, airing live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas from 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday on the CBS Television Network.
Hayes will introduce the powerhouse quartet, who will be joined onstage by the Clark County Children’s Choir, to bring this powerful 2012 ACM Lifting Lives moment to viewers.
“When I first learned about ACM Lifting Lives a few years ago, I immediately asked to be part of this amazing organization,” said Kimberly Schlapman of Little Big Town in the announcement. “Lifting Lives seeks out needs and takes care of people. They work hard at giving both children and adults comfort, contentment and happiness. We are so honored and excited to be a part of the very special Lifting Lives moment to end child hunger on the ACM Awards. We can’t wait!”
After learning that more than one in five children in America do not know where their next meal is coming from, Hayes, along with industry-leading songwriters Luke Laird and Barry Dean, was inspired to pen “Here’s Hope.” By using the power of music to touch hearts, the song was written to inspire consumers to join the fight against child hunger.
“What I didn’t realize – and what most people may not know – is that child hunger is not a far away problem; it’s a problem right here in our own backyards,” said Hayes in the announcement. “The good news, though, is that this is a problem we can all help solve together. My hope is that through music, we can inspire people to get involved and finally put an end to child hunger in our country.”
ACM Lifting Lives, which works to improve lives through music, is spotlighting Hayes’ personal passion for ending child hunger and his work with the ConAgra Foods’ “Child Hunger Ends Here” campaign, which will donate up to five million meals this school year to Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization.
“Lifting Lives is dedicated to improving lives through the power of music,” said Lisa Huddleson, Executive Director, ACM Lifting Lives, in the announcement. “By partnering with ConAgra Foods, Little Big Town, Hunter Hayes and consumers, we want to use a song in the telecast to raise awareness about how we can all help eradicated child hunger in the United States.”
“ConAgra Foods is proud to partner with the Academy of Country Music, Hunter Hayes and Feeding America to help solve the issue of child hunger,” said Chris Sinta, Director of Consumer Promotions and Sponsorships for ConAgra Foods, in the announcement. “We believe this partnership, and the performance of ‘Here’s Hope’ by Little Big Town, will drive home the fact that more than one in five children don’t know where their next meal is coming from, raise awareness of our commitment to ending child hunger and reinforce how everyone can help.”
This year’s ACM Lifting Lives show moment with Little Big Town marks the fourth consecutive year of moving performances which have highlighted worthy causes and provided support on behalf of their beneficiaries during the live Awards telecast.
For more information on how to join the fight against child hunger and how to participate in the ConAgra Foods “Child Hunger Ends Here” program, go to www.childhungerendshere.com.
About ACM Lifting Lives
ACM Lifting Lives is the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music dedicated to improving lives through the power of music. Each year, ACM Lifting Lives provides grants to music therapy and music education programs. Other giving includes serving members of the country music community who face unexpected medical or financial hardship through the Diane Holcomb Emergency Relief Fund and partnering with artists to improve lives through music. Since 2009, the ACM Lifting Lives on-stage moment has raised over $200,000 for designated charities. Downloads and direct donations of Norman resident Toby Keith’s performance on the 45th annual telecast, and Darius Rucker’s performance on the 46th annual telecast raised funds and awareness for Wounded Warrior Project and Vanderbilt Kennedy Center respectively. For more information, go to www.ACMLiftingLives.org.
ACM Awards Week continues here on BAM’s Blog, leading up to my live blog of the show Sunday night here on the blog.
-BAM
Thompson Square, Lee Brice to play ACM Experience military tribute Saturday in Las Vegas
Thompson Square
Lee Brice
Lee Brice and Thompson Square, which includes Miami, OK, native Keifer Thompson, will take part in a tribute concert to the military Saturday during the ACM Experience in Las Vegas, according to CMT.com.
The concert is free and open to the public.
Brice is nominated in the ACM’s song of the year category for co-writing the Eli Young Band’s “Crazy Girl,” while husband-and-wife pair Thompson Square received a nomination in the vocal duo category.
Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, JT Hodges, Kip Moore and Craig Morgan also will appear at the event hosted by singer and HLN news anchor Robin Meade. The ACM Experience will take place at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
ACM Awards Week continues here on BAM’s Blog, leading up to my live blog of the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, airing live from 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday from Las Vegas. The awards show will be broadcast on CBS.
-BAM
ACM Awards duets announced: Blake Shelton and Lionel Richie, Rascal Flatts and Steve Martin, Toby Keith and surprise guests, Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney
Tishomingo resident Blake Shelton and Lionel Richie, Rascal Flatts, which includes Picher-bred guitarist Joe Don Rooney, and Steve Martin, Norman resident Toby Keith with surprise Las Vegas guest performers, and Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw are set to perform a variety of special duets and collaborations on the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, to be broadcast live from 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on the CBS Television Network.
ACM Awards Week continues here on BAM’s Blog, leading up to my live blog of the show Sunday night here on the blog.
Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Sara Evans, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Pat Monahan, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Chris Young, The Band Perry, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town and Rascal Flatts have previously been announced as performers on the broadcast.
Blake Shelton and Lionel Richie, “You Are”
Blake Shelton returns to co-host the ACM Awards broadcast alongside Reba for the second consecutive year. He is nominated for two awards, including Male Vocalist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year, marking his first nomination in the Entertainer of the Year category. In 2009, Shelton won Vocal Event of the Year for “Hillbilly Bone,” his chart-topping duet with longtime friend Trace Adkins. Straight off five back-to-back No. 1 hits, his current single “Drink On It” is his fastest-rising single to date and featured on his Grammy-nominated album “Red River Blue.”
Music icon Lionel Richie has created an unforgettable body of work that speaks to the hearts of people of all races, faiths and ages around the world with his universal themes of life, love and loss presented with poetic simplicity and irresistible melodies. He has earned sales of more than 100 million albums, 22 Top 10 hits, five Grammy Awards, an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe and a host of other awards from virtually every other major entertainment organization. His catalog of timeless hits includes “Say You, Say Me,” “Easy,” “Still,” “Hello,” “Stuck On You,” You Are,” “My Love” and “Endless Love.”
Richie will collaborate with an all-star ensemble for “ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert,” the once-in-a-lifetime concert event taping Monday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Shelton and Richie’s performance of Richie’s classic hit “You Are,” a featured duet on Richie’s new album, “Tuskegee,” will air as part of this special concert, to be broadcast Friday, April 13 on the CBS Television Network.
Rascal Flatts and Steve Martin, “Banjo”
Rascal Flatts has won 10 ACM Awards. They are nominated for Vocal Group of the Year, an award they have previously won seven times. In 2007, they were honored with the academy’s Humanitarian Award in recognition of their commitment to serve others, their generosity of spirit and dedication to helping build the dreams of those in need. The group’s highly anticipated new studio album, “Changed,” is out Tuesday.
Steve Martin will be on tour this summer with The Steep Canyon Rangers, performing in some of the most prestigious venues and festivals across the country in support of their Grammy-nominated album, “Rare Bird Alert” (Rounder). The album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Chart and at No. 43 on the Billboard Top 200. Martin is a four-time Grammy Award winner, the latest for “The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo,” which won Best Bluegrass Album (2009). He also won for his collaboration with the legendary Earl Scruggs, who died Wednesday, on “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” (2001) and two for the comedy albums “Wild and Crazy Guy” (1978) and “Let’s Get Small” (1977). Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers were named Entertainer of the Year at the 2011 International Bluegrass Association Awards.
In a unique collaboration with Rascal Flatts, Martin will showcase the banjo during a performance of the band’s new single, “Banjo.”
Toby Keith and special guests, “Red Solo Cup”
Toby Keith is nominated for three awards, including Video of the Year for “Red Solo Cup,” an award which he last won in 2003 for “Beer For My Horses.” He also received a double nomination as artist and producer for Single Record of the Year for “Red Solo Cup.” Keith has won 10 ACM Awards, including two wins for Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year.
Keith and special surprise iconic Las Vegas performers will join him for an unforgettable performance of Keith’s chart-topping smash “Red Solo Cup.”
Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw
Kenny Chesney is nominated for nine awards including Entertainer of the Year, a category he has won four times since 2004. He is nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year, a category he has been nominated in 10 times previously. He is twice nominated for Album of the Year for “Hemingway’s Whiskey,” as both artist and producer, and also earned double nominations for Single Record of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year as both artist and producer for “You and Tequila” with Grace Potter. Chesney is also nominated for Song of the Year for “You and Tequila” with Grace Potter. Chesney recently announced a new album which is due in June, a project following his platinum record, “Hemingway’s Whiskey.”
Tim McGraw has won 14 ACM Awards and has been honored by the Academy with a Career Achievement Award with Faith Hill in 2006. McGraw has sold more than 40 million units and dominated the charts with 32 No. 1 singles. With 7.8 million spins at radio, McGraw was deemed “Artist of the Decade” (2000-2010) by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. His 11th studio album, “Emotional Traffic,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Chart, making it his 13th career No. 1 debut. McGraw is also an accomplished actor, having starred in films such as the Academy Award-nominated blockbuster “The Blind Side” and the critically acclaimed “Friday Night Lights.” This June, McGraw will kick off what is anticipated to be the biggest stadium tour in country music history with old friend Kenny Chesney.
The “Brothers of the Sun” tourmates will take the ACM Awards stage Sunday night for a very special performance.
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: Lionel Richie duets with country stars on new album “Tuskegee”
Music icon Lionel Richie has taken the next step of his storied career with Monday’s release of his highly anticipated new album, “Tuskegee,” which features 13 of his timeless hits performed as duets with country stars.
The album includes Tishomingo country star Blake Shelton on “You Are,” superstar trio Rascal Flatts (including Picher-bred guitarist Joe Don Rooney) on “Dancing on the Ceiling,” and Darius Rucker on “Stuck on You.” On the worldwide, multi-genre album, Richie is also joined by the likes of such superstars as Shania Twain, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffett.
The deluxe edition of the album, which I will review in the coming days, contains a DVD featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the recording sessions with Richie and his duet partners.
Richie will appear on the 47th annual Academy of Country Music Awards, broadcasting live from Las Vegas at 7 p.m. Sunday on CBS. Of course, it’s ACM Awards Week here on BAM’s Blog leading up to my live blog of the show here Sunday night.
On Monday, the Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions will tape an all-star concert special, “ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert,” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The show will air on CBS at 8 p.m. April 13 . Some of his greatest hits will be performed by Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Sara Evans, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Jennifer Nettles, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers and many more.
He also will perform Monday on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” Billy Currington will join Richie on their duet of “Just For You” on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on April 4 and on CBS’ “The Talk” CBS on April 5.
Check out these video previews for “Tuskegee,” including Richie’s duet with Shelton and his performance with Rascal Flatts, Rucker and Little Big Town on November’s Country Music Association Awards.
-BAM
Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire and Chris Young to appear on “The Talk” leading up to ACM Awards
Miranda Lambert
Reba
The CBS daytime show “The Talk” is celebrating Sunday’s 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards with special guests, segments and live performances, including ACM Awards co-host and Chockie native Reba McEntire, country superstar and Tishomingo resident Miranda Lambert and ACM Award-nominated performer Chris Young at 1 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
On Thursday, Lambert will join the ladies at the table as a guest co-host. Also during the show, ACM-nominated singer Chris Young will perform his recent No. 1 hit “You.” Young is nominated for the ACM Male Vocalist and Single Record of the Year awards.
ACM Awards co-host and country music icon Reba will visit “The Talk” and preview the awards show on Friday.
The ACM Awards will be broadcast live from 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The show will be hosted for the second consecutive year by Reba and Lambert’s wife and fellow Tishomingo denizen Blake Shelton.
ACM Awards Week continues here on BAM’s Blog, leading up to my live blog of the show Sunday night.
-BAM
Dierks Bentley and Brad Paisley to perform on ACM Awards
Dierks Bentley
Brad Paisley
Song of the Year nominee Dierks Bentley and reigning Male Vocalist of the Year Brad Paisley are scheduled to perform, and music legend Lionel Richie and reigning Entertainer of the Year nominee Taylor Swift are set to present as part of the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, to be broadcast live from 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on the CBS Television Network.
Oklahoma-born and bred superstars Blake Shelton and Reba McEntire will co-host the show for the second straight year.
Bentley and Paisley join previously announced performers Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride with Pat Monahan, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Chris Young, The Band Perry, Lady Antebellum and Rascal Flatts. Richie and Swift join previously announced presenters Beth Behrs, Hunter Hayes and Nancy O’Dell on the broadcast.
Dierks Bentley received a double nomination as artist and composer for Song of the Year for his critically-acclaimed single, “Home,” which he will perform on this year’s show. A past New Artist of the Year winner, Bentley’s career also boasts nominations for Album of the Year for “Up on the Ridge” and Male Vocalist of the Year. Bentley recently wrapped the Australian leg of his 2012 “Country & Cold Cans Tour” and currently is touring the U.S. for a 20-city spring run.
Brad Paisley is the reigning Male Vocalist of the Year and is nominated for four awards, including his fifth consecutive nomination for Entertainer of the Year and eighth nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year, which he has won five times consecutively between the years of 2006 through 2010. He received two nominations in the Vocal Event of the Year category for “Old Alabama” with Alabama, and “Remind Me” with Carrie Underwood. Also, Paisley just completed the first leg of his “Virtual Reality World Tour 2012” and played to over 218,000 fans with 19 sell-outs. The tour picks back up on May 18 in St. Louis and continues through mid-October.
Music icon Lionel Richie has created an unforgettable body of work that speaks to the hearts of people of all races, faiths and ages around the world with his universal themes of life, love and loss presented with poetic simplicity and irresistible melodies. He has earned sales of more than 100 million albums, with 22 Top 10 hits, five Grammy Awards, an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe and a host of other awards from virtually every other major entertainment organization. His catalog of timeless hits includes “Say You, Say Me,” “Easy,” “Still,” “Hello,” “Stuck On You,” “You Are,” “My Love” and “Endless Love.”
Richie will collaborate with an all-star ensemble for “ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert,” a once-in-a-lifetime concert event taping Monday, the night after the ACM Awards, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It will be broadcast Friday, April 13 on the CBS Television Network.
Reigning Entertainer of the Year Taylor Swift leads solo female nominees with three nominations, including her third consecutive nod for Entertainer of the Year. If Swift wins Entertainer of the Year, this will be her second consecutive win in that category. Swift, a six-time Grammy Award winner, is nominated for the fifth time for Female Vocalist of the Year and for the third time for Video of the Year for “Mean.” In 2011, in addition to winning Entertainer of the Year, Swift was honored with the Academy’s prestigious Jim Reeves International Award, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the acceptance of country music worldwide.
-BAM
Martina McBride and Train frontman Pat Monahan to sing when couple weds live during ACM Awards
Martina McBride
Country music star Martina McBride and Train frontman Pat Monahan are scheduled to perform McBride’s new single “Marry Me” on the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, broadcasting live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas at 7 p.m. Sunday on the CBS Television Network.
To celebrate the message of the song, McBride and Monahan will perform the duet during a very special moment in the show, when a couple will get married live onstage during their performance.
For the first time in ACM Awards history – and perhaps any awards show history – a live wedding ceremony will take place onstage during the performers’ “Marry Me” duet, which is McBride’s current single from her latest album, “Eleven.” The song was written by Monahan and originally released in 2010 as the third single from Train’s chart-topping fifth studio album, “Save Me, San Francisco.”
McBride personally selected the lucky recipients of the onstage nuptials. Couple Christina Davidson and Frank Tucci thought they would never find love again. In July 2009, Frank lost his wife, Danielle, to thyroid cancer and in that same year, Christina lost her husband, Paul, in a tragic drowning accident. As a way to deal with the grief of losing her husband and raising her two sons, Stephen and Paul, on her own, Christina started a support group for young widows and widowers in Washington Township, N.J., where she met Frank. Slowly their friendship blossomed into love as they bonded over their shared views about the challenges of single parenthood and the struggles to keep the memories of their spouses alive. Their wedding will mark a new chapter in their lives, an intimate moment which they will graciously share onstage. The bride will be wearing an Oleg Cassini gown as she recites her vows. Fans can also follow Christina and Frank along their journey to the chapel at www.ACMwedding.com.
McBride and Monahan join previously announced performers Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Sara Evans, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Chris Young, The Band Perry, Lady Antebellum and Rascal Flatts.
Martina McBride is a three-time ACM Female Vocalist of the Year and is nominated again this year in the same category. She was awarded the Academy’s Humanitarian Award in 2003 for her charitable work and, in 2011, was honored by ACM Lifting Lives® for her dedication to raising social consciousness of domestic violence and encouraging female empowerment through songs. Her latest album, Eleven, includes 11 new tracks, six of which she co-wrote. Her current single, “Marry Me,” features Train’s Pat Monahan and is the follow-up to her 25th career Top 10 single, “I’m Gonna Love You Through It.”
Pat Monahan is the lead singer and songwriter for the Grammy Award-winning band Train. The San Francisco-based multi-platinum group’s fifth studio album, Save Me, San Francisco, was certified platinum with three Billboard Hot 100 singles – “If It’s Love,” “Marry Me” and the GRAMMY-winning smash hit, “Hey, Soul Sister.” “Hey, Soul Sister” was the biggest-selling single of 2010 and hit No. 1 on the radio in the U.S. and 15 countries abroad. Train’s new album, California 37, is due out April 17 and will include the single “Drive By.”
It’s ACM Awards Week here on BAM’s Blog, leading up to my live blog of Sunday’s awards show. After reading this touching letter from the bride, I think this wedding is going to be the emotional highlight of the event.
-BAM
