Entertainment blogging from The Oklahoman's Brandy McDonnell

Ronnie Dunn, Sara Evans headlining ACM concerts in Las Vegas

Former Tulsan Ronnie Dunn, along with Sara Evans, will headline the Academy of Country Music Concerts at Freemont Street Experience April 1-2 in Las Vegas.

The concerts take place in conjunction with The Week Vegas Goes Country, the week of the 46th

Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, which will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 3 on the CBS Television Network.

For the fifth year in a row, the Academy of Country Music will present free and open-to-the-public concerts on two stages in downtown Las Vegas at Fremont Street Experience.

Dunn is launching a solo career after 20 years as half the iconic duo Brooks & Dunn, which broke up last summer. The Grammy-winning duo sold tens of millions of albums and was among the most awarded country music acts in history.

Six months after splitting from longtime musical partner Kix Brooks, Dunn has released his first single and is planning a summer release for his as-yet untitled new album.

“This is the record I’ve waited all my life to do,” Dunn told the Associated Press last week after announcing the ACM Awards nominations with Tishomingo resident Miranda Lambert. “We just wrapped it up.”

The single, “Bleed Red,” was released last week and became the most added new song of the week, according to Country Aircheck and Billboard.

Dunn produced the album himself and enjoyed making his own way after being half of a duo for two decades.

“It is refreshing,” he told the AP.

When discussing his plans for the future last year, Dunn vowed he’d hit the road in a simpler fashion than he’d done with Brooks & Dunn: He said instead of a big bus, he’d find a secondhand van and an old horse trailer, load in some equipment and hit the road in search of a welcoming beer joint.

He says he’s sticking to that plan as another stage of his career unfolds.

“I’m not going to get wrapped up into all that overhead,” he joked to the AP.

Dunn will play a solo show May 7 at Thackerville’s WinStar World Casino. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. March 4. For more information, go to www.winstarworldcasino.com.

-BAM

---

Tulsa’s BOK Center earns 2nd nomination for Academy of Country Music’s venue of the year

For the second year in a row, Tulsa’s BOK Center has been nominated by the Academy of Country Music for venue of the year. In order to be considered for this award, the venue must have bought or promoted at least five country concerts during the prior calendar year of Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2010 and be in good standing with all agents. The BOK Center hosted these country concerts last year:

• George Strait with Reba McEntire

• Tim McGraw

• Hank Williams Jr.

• Brooks & Dunn

• Carrie Underwood

• Brad Paisley

Venue of the year is an off-camera award presented at the annual “ACM Honors” event held in Nashville at a later date. The award is considered a part of the 46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards and will be voted on by the professional membership of the academy.

The BOK Center will be competing for the award against the following venues:

First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre – Chicago, IL

Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion – Gilford, NH

Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN

Sprint Center – Kansas City, MO

About the Academy of Country Music Awards:

The 46th Academy of Country Music Awards is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the country music industry. The show is produced for television by dick clark productions and will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 3 on the CBS Television Network. McEntire, who hails from Chockie, and Blake Shelton, who lives in Tishomingo, will co-host the awards show.

-BAM

---

2011 ACM Award nominations list

---

Miranda Lambert earns 7 ACM Award nominations

The country music world continues to revolve around Miranda Lambert

The fiery singer-songwriter, who lives in Tishomingo, has earned seven Academy of Country Music Award nominations, the most of any solo artist. Lambert and former Tulsan Ronnie Dunn announced the ACM Award nominees in a press conference this morning at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tenn.

Oklahoma stars Toby Keith, Blake Shelton, Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood also will contend for ACM Awards.

The 46th Annual ACM Awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas at 7 p.m. April 3 on the CBS Television Network. McEntire, who hails from Chockie, and Shelton, Lambert’s fiance and fellow Tishomingo resident, will co-host the show.

Lambert is competing for the first time for ACM entertainer of the year, and Keith, who lives in Norman, received his lone nomination in the academy’s top category. Others vying for the entertainer title include Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban.

Surprisingly, Underwood did not garner an entertainer nomination, even though she earned the fan-voted award the past two years. Last year, the Checotah native became the first woman to win twice in the ACM’s top category.

Along with her entertainer nod, Lambert is nominated for single record and song of the year for her emotional hit “The House That Built Me” and received two nominations for video of the year, for “The House That Built Me” and her sassy “Only Prettier.” The Texas native is nominated for vocal event of the year with Sheryl Crow and Loretta Lynn for their rendition of Lynn’s classic hit “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”

Lambert also will have the chance to defend the top female vocalist title she won last year. She will compete against McEntire and Underwood, who received their only ACM nominations in that category, along with Taylor Swift and Lee Ann Womack.

With her seven ACM nominations, Lambert maintains the career momentum started with the fall 2009 release of her celebrated third album “Revolution.” She is set to perform and vie for three awards on the Feb. 13 Grammy Awards, and she is writing songs for her hotly anticipated fourth album. She also announced Monday that she will renew her first headlining tour, which launched last year, on Feb. 24; “The Revolution Continues” tour will come to the University of Oklahoma’s Lloyd Noble Center on April 7, four days after the ACM Awards.

In addition, Lambert is set to marry Shelton in the spring. An Ada native, Shelton received two ACM nominations, for top male vocalist and for video of the year for the raucous mini-movie to “Hillbilly Bone,” his hit duet with Trace Adkins. Shelton won his first ACM trophy last year for vocal event for “Hillbilly Bone.”

Following Lambert’s leading seven nods, Zac Brown Band is nominated for five awards, including top vocal group, album of the year for “You Get What You Give,” and song, single record and vocal event of the year for “As She’s Walking Away,” featuring Alan Jackson. Frontman Zac Brown received four more individual nods for producing “You Get What You Give” and producing and writing “As She’s Walking Away.”

Kenny Chesney also garnered five nods, for album of the year for “Hemingway’s Whiskey” and as producer and artist for his single record of the year contender “The Boys Of Fall,” for which he also is nominated for video of the year.

For the ACM Awards, 2011 looks to be a big year for hot newcomers, with The Band Perry, Easton Corbin and Lee Brice earning multiple nominations. The upstart presence is particularly seen in the top vocal duo and vocal group categories.

With last year’s breakup of Brooks & Dunn, the duo category includes The JaneDear Girls and Steel Magnolia, two pairings that just released their debut albums in the new year, along with Joey + Rory, Montgomery Gentry and Sugarland.

In the group category, venerable trio Rascal Flatts, which includes Joe Don Rooney of Picher, was left out despite releasing a new album in 2010. The group contenders include The Band Perry, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Randy Rogers Band and Zac Brown Band.

Fan voting for the previously announced top new solo vocalist and top new vocal duo or group has begun  at www.VoteACM.com and www.GACtv.com/ACM and will close Feb. 24. The winner in each category will be announced in March and will move on to compete for top new artist.

Fan voting for entertainer of the year and top new artist will begin March 11 at www.VoteACM.com and continue through April 3, with top new artist voting halting before the awards show and entertainer balloting closing during the third hour of the live broadcast.

-BAM

---

Miranda Lambert, Ronnie Dunn announcing ACM Awards nominees Tuesday morning

Country music stars Miranda Lambert and Ronnie Dunn, who both have Oklahoma ties, will announce next week the nominees for the 46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

The nominees will be announced Tuesday from the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville, Tenn., during a live press conference beginning at 7:30 a.m.

Lambert, who won her second ACM album of the year last year, lives in Tishomingo. Dunn, who won many ACMs as half of now-defunct duo Brooks & Dunn, is a former Tulsa resident.

The ACM Awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 3 on the CBS Television Network.

Reba McEntire, who hails from Chockie, and Blake Shelton, Lambert’s fiance and fellow Tishomingo resident, will co-host the show.

For more information, go to www.acmcountry.com, and check back with BAM’s Blog for my continuing coverage of the nominations and the show.

-BAM

---

Miranda Lambert and Ronnie Dunn to announce ACM Awards nominees Tuesday

Country music stars Miranda Lambert and Ronnie Dunn, who both have Oklahoma ties, will announce next week the nominees for the 46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

The nominees will be announced Tuesday from the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville, Tenn., during a live press conference beginning at 7:30 a.m.

Lambert, who won her second ACM album of the year last year, lives in Tishomingo. Dunn, who won many ACMs as half of now-defunct duo Brooks & Dunn, is a former Tulsa resident.

The ACM Awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 3 on the CBS Television Network.

Reba McEntire, who hails from Chockie, and Blake Shelton, Lambert’s fiance and fellow Tishomingo resident, will co-host the show.

For more information, go to www.acmcountry.com, and check back with BAM’s Blog for my continuing coverage of the nominations and the show.

-BAM

---

Ronnie Dunn releasing first post-Brooks & Dunn single “Bleed Red”

Former Tulsan Ronnie Dunn is releasing his first post-Brooks & Dunn single. “Bleed Red,” is the lead track from his upcoming solo debut album for Sony Music Nashville.

Produced by Dunn, and penned by Tommy Lee James and Andrew Dorff, “Bleed Red” is a ballad that Dunn says, “knocked me out from the first listen. I genuinely felt the spirit of the lyrics in my gut. It’s a really big song, and it needed to be sung.”

Beginning today, fans can preview a snippet of “Bleed Red” at www.RonnieDunn.com. The full song will be available to country radio Sunday, the same day that fans will be able to hear the full version of on Dunn’s site. It will hit digital outlets Feb. 8.

Dunn’s debut solo album is set for release later this year.

For two decades, Dunn was half of the blockbuster country music duo Brooks & Dunn. He and Kix Brooks ended their successful musical partnership last year, and it’s great to hear Dunn’s warm voice again on the snippet of “Bleed Red.”

-BAM

---

BAM column: Oklahoma music stars rocked through 2010

From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.

Oklahoma music stars rocked through 2010

Pardon me if my ears are still ringing from 2010.

It’s a common side effect from standing near an epicenter of musical greatness, so I’m not complaining.

Oklahoma’s vast and diverse musical scene practically quaked with success and possibilities in 2010.

Tishomingo country star Blake Shelton hit his “Hillbilly Bone” with Trace Adkins, and the raucous duet became the first of back-to-back chart-toppers for the Ada native. Shelton, who swapped traditional albums for a pair of Six Paks, also joined the Grand Ole Opry and proposed to his country music sweetheart and Tishomingo neighbor Miranda Lambert in 2010.

Lambert continued spinning off hits from her 2009 album “Revolution,” notching the first two No. 1s of her career with “White Liar” and “The House That Built Me.” She set a record by earning nine nominations for the Country Music Association Awards, and she and Shelton affirmed their status as the genre’s new power couple when they took home five trophies between them at the CMAs.

Checotah native Carrie Underwood, who wed pro hockey player Mike Fisher in July, expanded her repertoire into acting last year, guest-starring on the sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” and filming her movie debut in “Soul Surfer,” which will open in theaters in April. The “American Idol” also earned her first Golden Globe nomination for co-writing “There’s a Place for Us,” the end credits theme for the big-screen adaptation of “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.” We’ll find out if she won when the Globes are handed out Sunday night.

Rascal Flatts, which includes former Pitcher resident Joe Don Rooney, released its first album on new label Big Machine Records. Chockie-bred diva Reba McEntire notched her 59th Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and launched a superstar tour with George Strait, which is coming Saturday to Oklahoma City. Toby Keith continued to pay tribute to his late friend and fellow Oklahoman Wayman Tisdale, playing his hit ode “Cryin’ for Me (Wayman’s Song)” on April’s Academy of Country Music Awards, before reloading his career with the release of his 15th studio album, “Bullets in the Gun.”

Several Oklahoma country music standouts did our fair state proud when Nashville, Tenn., was devastated by May floods. Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill, who was raised in Oklahoma City, organized the first of the many star-studded telethons, while Owasso couple Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood played last month a series of nine sold-out concerts that raised a projected $3 million for the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

Cross Canadian Ragweed and Brooks & Dunn broke my heart with breakups, but my hopes were rekindled when Ragweed frontman Cody Canada re-emerged with new band The Departed and former Tulsan Ronnie Dunn set a 2011 solo show in Thackerville.

Oklahoma’s country music stars weren’t the only ones celebrating big achievements in the past year. Edmond teen Greyson Chance channeled Lady Gaga and achieved YouTube stardom before his 13th birthday. Former Tulsa teen trio Hanson finally pushed their 1997 global hit “MMMBop” to the back of people’s memories with their equally catchy “Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’,” which was accompanied by a clever music video tribute to “The Blues Brothers” featuring a cameo by “Weird Al” Yankovic.

While Oklahoma City-born and bred singer-songwriter Audra Mae was delivering “gypsy cowgirl soul” on her auspicious debut album, rockers Kings of Leon, which includes Oklahoma City-born members Matthew and Nathan Followill, offered a brand a rock that was more “Back Down South” for “Come Around Sundown,” the follow-up to their Grammy-winning 2008 breakout album “Only

By the Night.”

Songwriting great Jimmy Webb, who hails from Elk City, revisited some of his defining hits, including “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Galveston” and “Wichita Lineman” on “Just Across the River,” a duets album that paired him with singing stars such as Gill, Glen Campbell and Billy Joel. And songstress Judy Collins cut the defining rendition of Webb’s gorgeously complex ballad “Gauguin” as the closer to her 2010 album “Paradise.”

But few musical storylines could match the comeback of Tulsa Sound man Leon Russell, a triumphant return conceived by Elton John and produced by T Bone Burnett. For years, Russell, a shining rock star in the 1960s and ’70s, languished in relative obscurity, but John set out to restore the Lawton native to his proper place in the modern music pantheon. Their album “The Union” debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, giving Russell extra exposure that undoubtedly helped him gain the attention of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Russell’s upcoming inauguration into the rock hall, set for March 14 in New York City, is sure to be just one highlight of 2011. I hope the new year rocks even harder. My ears can take it.

ONLINE

Golden Globes live blog

Find out whether Carrie Underwood wins the Golden Globe for best original song from a motion picture when Brandy McDonnell live blogs the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards starting at 7 p.m. Sunday at BAM’s Blog, http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog. The Globes will air live from Beverly Hills, Calif., at 7 p.m. Sunday on NBC, with Ricky Gervais as host.

---

Ronnie Dunn plans spring solo show at Thackerville’s WinStar World Casino

Former Tulsan Ronnie Dunn, who until last year was part of superstar country duo Brooks & Dunn, is planning a solo show this spring at WinStar World Casino in Thackerville.

Dunn will play May 7 at the casino. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, March 4.

Ticket prices are set at $40 for general admission, $50 for premium, and $60 for VIP. They can be purchased by calling the casino box office at (800) 622-6317.

Dunn and his longtime musical partner Kix Brooks parted ways in 2010 after their “The Last Rodeo Tour,” which stopped in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Although they are still sharing the website www.brooks-dunn.com, they each have a few solo tour dates listed.

Besides the May WinStar show, Dunn has three other performances listed, all at jamborees on the West Coast.

Dunn also has a cover of “She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinkin’ Double)” on the soundtrack to the new country music-driven movie “Country Strong,” in theaters today.

For more information on his Thackerville concert, go to www.winstarworldcasino.com.

-BAM

---

Carrie Underwood wins six prizes at inaugural American Country Awards

Carrie Underwood was named the first-ever American Country Awards artist of the year tonight, as Fox debuted its fan-voted country music awards show live from Las Vegas.

The Checotah native earned five other prizes at the inaugural ACAs, including female artist of the year, touring artist of the year, album of the year for “Play On” and single and music of the year by a female artist for “Cowboy Casanova.” She was lucky in Vegas, winning all six awards for which she was nominated.

“I’d like to thank God for giving all the artists, all the people in this room, and all the fans watching back home and myself the biggest love for the best music in the world, country music,” Underwood said, cradling the Fender Stratocaster guitars the ACAs handed out in lieu of trophies.

“We have had the most amazing year out on the road, and of course, we wouldn’t be doing anything if there weren’t people sitting out there in the audience. So to everybody that came out to see us (or) anybody else out here, you guys are awesome supporting us like you do. God bless the fans.”

It was the second time this year Underwood has taken home the top prize at a country music awards show. She was named entertainer of the year at April’s Academy of Country Music Awards, also staged inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Vegas.

Both are fan-voted prizes, proving the 2005 “American Idol” winner still knows how to marshal her fervent fan base when it comes time to cast ballots.

The ACAs became the fourth country music awards show of the year, after the ACMs, June’s Country Music Television Awards and last month’s Country Music Association Awards.

The new show experienced obvious growing pains, with some of its numerous performances cut short as it came close to running over its two-hour time slot. Although she won six awards, Underwood took the stage only once; Brad Paisley’s male artist of the year win wasn’t even announced on air.

Ada native Blake Shelton, who gave the opening performance, and show host Trace Adkins earned the music video and music video by a male artist prizes for the mini-movie to their raucous chart-topping duet “Hillbilly Bone.” But the ornery host informed Shelton that the show was over on time and proceeded to thank the Tishomingo resident’s fans, fiancee Miranda Lambert and himself on Shelton’s behalf.

When Adkins gave Shelton the chance to say one thank you, the befuddled Oklahoman jokingly expressed his gratitude for air.

Norman resident Toby Keith was honored as a Video Visionary and played his cinematic new single “Bullets in the Gun.” Rascal Flatts, which includes Picher-bred guitarist Joe Don Rooney, earned the Decade Award, and the band performed a medley of its hits.

Venerable star Alan Jackson also played a medley of a few of his 34 chart-toppers before accepting the Greatest Hits honor.

Newcomer Easton Corbin and hot trio Lady Antebellum went into the show tied with a leading seven nominations each. Lady A won group of the year along with single of the year, single by a group and music video by a group for the smash “Need You Now.”

Corbin earned three Fenders for breakthrough artist, along with single and music video by a breakthrough artist for his hit “A Little More Country Than That.”

Josh Turner garnered the single of the year by a male artist for the country radio favorite “Why Don’t We Just Dance.”

Other stars with Oklahoma ties to earn ACA nominations included Lambert, Brooks & Dunn, and Reba McEntire, who performed her latest hit “Turn on the Radio.” Tulsa comic Rodney Carrington was one of the show’s presenters.

For more on the American Country Awards, go to my live blog of the event by clicking here.

---

Powered by Wordpress | WP Premium theme by WP Remix
Copyright 2007. BAM's Blog. All rights reserved

• Home
• RSS Feed
• About the Author
• Contacting BAM’s Blog
• Newsok | A&E