George Strait-Reba McEntire tickets sell out in an hour in Tulsa, setting BOK Center record
George Strait
Reba McEntire
Tickets to the upcoming George Strait and Reba McEntire concert at Tulsa’s BOK Center sold out in less than an hour Saturday morning, according to a news release from the venue. This marks the first time in the history of the BOK Center that more than 18,000 tickets have been sold for one event.
“The demand for this show is phenomenal,” said John Bolton, general manager of the BOK Center, in a news release. “It has been as high as all the shows we’ve had in the past and it’s the most number of tickets sold since the venue opened.”
Strait, Reba and special guest Lee Ann Womack will play to the thousands of fans in Tulsa on Feb. 20. This marks Strait’s first appearance there in more than 13 years.
With a career spanning more than 25 years, Strait has the most No. 1 singles of any artist in history with 57 to date. He has sold more than 67 million records, and with 33 different platinum or multi-platinum albums, holds the most RIAA platinum certifications in country music and the third in all genres, behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley.
Strait’s recent release “Twang” debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and the Top Country Albums chart. This is the fourth time in Straits career that a new release has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and the 13th time debuting at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart. The current single and title track sits at No. 12 on the charts.
Strait recently scored Grammy nods for best male country vocal performance for “Living For The Night,” best country collaboration with vocals for “Everything But Quits” with Womack and best country album for “Twang.”
At the 2008 Country Music Awards, George became the artist with the most CMA Awards in history with album of the year for “Troubadour” and single of the year for “I Saw God Today.”
His platinum-selling “Troubadour” was named best country album at the 51st Grammy Awards, and in 2008, Strait was the fifth artist ever to receive the Academy of Country Music’s Artist of the Decade honor. Strait also has won 19 Academy of Country Music Awards including entertainer of the year.
McEntire’s latest hit, “Consider Me Gone,” is the longest-running No. 1 single of the Oklahoma-born superstar’s career. With its fourth week at No. 1, Reba joins fellow Oklahoma native Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift and Gretchen Wilson as the only female country artists to log more than three weeks at No. 1 in the past 10 years. Her reign of No. 1 hits now spans four decades. The multimedia superstar, who was raised in Chockie, was also recently recognized by Billboard, Country Aircheck and Mediabase as the biggest female hit-maker in country music history.
One of the most successful female recording artists in history, Reba has sold more than 55 million albums worldwide, and her last 13 studio albums have all achieved platinum-plus status. The two-time Grammy Award-winner is also an acclaimed film, TV and Broadway actress. Reba signed with The Valory Music Co. in November 2008. The move reunited the multimedia entertainer with industry leader Scott Borchetta, now president and CEO of Big Machine Records and sister label The Valory Music Co.
Womack has sold more than 6 million albums, won two Grammys, numerous other milestone awards, and received notoriety for her 2005 album “There’s More Where That Came From.” The album swept the CMA Awards for album of the year and single of the year for “I May Hate Myself In The Morning.” She also is known for her No. 1 singles “The Fool,” “A Little Past Little Rock,” “I’ll Think Of A Reason Later” and the mega smash “I Hope You Dance.”
Womack’s current album “Call Me Crazy” has garnered critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard and The New York Times, to name a few. In 2009, she was nominated for top female vocalist at the ACM Awards and single “Last Call” was nominated for a Grammy for the best female country vocal performance category. She was also nominated for musical event of the year with Strait for “Everything But Quits” at the CMA Awards.
Womack will vie for three Grammy awards at Sunday’s ceremony, for best female country vocal performance for “Solitary Thinkin’,” best country collaboration with vocals for “Everything But Quits” with Strait and “best country album for “Call Me Crazy.” Her current single, “There Is A God,” is in the Top 40 on the charts and climbing.
For more information on the tour, go to www.GeorgeStrait.com.
- BAM
Tickets to George Strait and Reba McEntire’s Tulsa show go on sale Jan. 23
The BOK Center today confirmed that country legends George Strait and Reba McEntire, along with special guest Lee Ann Womack, will perform at 7 p.m. Feb. 20 at the arena, 200 S Denver.
Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Jan. 23 and will be available online at www.bokcenter.com, at the Arby’s Box Office and all Tickets.com outlets, or by phone at (866) 7BOKCTR.
Tickets are priced at $81.50 and $91.50.
Strait, a 17-time Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year nominee, will kick off his arena tour Jan. 22 in Baltimore, and this time, he’s bringing along a very special lady – Chockie native Reba.
The superstars performed together for the first time in many years for a sold-out crowd at the inaugural event last summer at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Selling out in less than an hour, fans and critics proclaimed the show one hot ticket. The concert was hailed by the Dallas Morning News as “an extravaganza” that “showcased Strait at the pinnacle of his musical game” and Ft. Worth Star Telegram wrote “Reba McEntire’s performance was a breathtaking master’s class in effortless brilliance.”
With 57 No. 1 hits, 33 multi-platinum albums and countless sold-out shows year after year, Strait, who holds the record for the most CMA wins, is known for giving fans exactly what they want and expect. This year will be no exception, he promises.
“I can’t wait to get back out there and perform some of my new favorites from ‘Twang’ along with hits the fans already love,” says Strait in a news release. “And with my friend Reba, we will make it a really spectacular night.”
Strait’s recent release, “Twang,” debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and the Top Country Albums charts. This is the fourth time in Strait’s career that a new release has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and the 13th time debuting at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart. It has become a critically acclaimed album and received rave reviews in USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, People, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, The Boston Globe, Billboard and many more.
Strait co-wrote three songs on “Twang,” including the debut single, “Living for the Night.” The current single and title track of the album sits at No. 22 on Billboard and Mediabase/Country Aircheck chart.
At the 2008 CMA Awards, the King of Country became the artist with the most CMA Awards in history with Album of the Year for “Troubadour” and Single of the Year for “I Saw God Today.”
In addition, his platinum-selling “Troubadour” was named Best Country Album at the 51st Grammy Awards. Last April, Strait was the fifth artist ever to receive the Academy of Country Music’s Artist of the Decade honor. Strait has won 19 Academy of Country Music Awards including Entertainer of the Year.
With a career spanning more than 25 years, Strait has 57 No. 1 singles to his credit, which is the most of any artist in history, including Elvis Presley. He has sold more than 67 million records, garnering him 33 different platinum or multi-platinum albums – the most RIAA platinum certifications in country music and the third in all genres, behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley.
One of the most successful female recording artists in history, McEntire has sold more than 55 million albums worldwide, earned 33 No. 1 singles and was recently recognized as the biggest female hit-maker in country music history by Billboard, Mediabase and Country Aircheck. She is the winner of 15 American Music Awards, 12 Academy of Country Music Awards, nine People’s Choice Awards, seven Country Music Association Awards and two Grammy Awards.
Reba’s new album, “Keep On Loving You,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart – her first solo studio album to do so. With 11 No. 1 albums, she holds the record as the female artist with the most No. 1 albums in the history of the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The superstar also recently scored her second consecutive Top 10 single of 2009, as the fastest-rising single of her career, “Strange,” ascended the Top 10 on the USA Today/ Country Aircheck Chart powered by Mediabase).
In November 2008, McEntire signed with The Valory Music Co., reuniting her with multimedia entertainer and industry leader Scott Borchetta, president and CEO of Big Machine Records and sister label The Valory Music Co.
See the rest of the 2010 George Strait/Reba McEntire tour dates after the break.
Reba McEntire to host 2010 ACM Awards; academy to honor Brooks & Dunn
Reba McEntire (Associated Press file photos)
Brooks & Dunn
As I reported last week, the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 18 on CBS. The awards show will again be hosted by Oklahoma native and music, film and television legend Reba McEntire.
In addition, the academy will tape an all-star concert special, “ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn – The Last Rodeo,” at the same location the following night to air at a later date on CBS, according to a news release from the network.
McEntire, who will host for the 12th time, has won 12 Academy of Country Music Awards, including the first-ever annual Academy of Country Music/The Home Depot Humanitarian Award for outstanding philanthropic work.
This will be the fifth year the ACM Awards will be based at the MGM Grand and the eighth year the show will be held in Las Vegas. Nearly 15 million viewers tuned into last year’s awards, a 21 percent increase over the previous year.
“No one does it better than Reba McEntire,” said Orly Adelson, President of dick clark productions and executive producer of the awards, in the news release. “She always brings spunk and personality to the show and we are honored to have the queen of country music back to host the awards for the 12th time.”
Kix Brooks and former Tulsan Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn, the bestselling duo in the history of country music, will receive the academy’s Milestone Award in recognition of their 20-year record-breaking career during the tribute concert special, “ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn – The Last Rodeo.” They will be honored for holding the record for most wins by any artist in the academy’s history with 26 awards in total, including three entertainer of the year awards. They will also be honored for holding the record for most top vocal duo wins, with 15 awards, eight of which are consecutive from 2000 through 2007.
Artists already scheduled to perform at the taping of ”ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn – The Last Rodeo” are superstars Carrie Underwood, who hails from Checotah; Rascal Flatts, which includes Joe Don Rooney of Picher; McEntire; Kenny Chesney; and Keith Urban, with many others to be announced soon.
“Brooks & Dunn have defined country music for 20 years,” said Bob Romeo, Executive Director of the Academy of Country Music, in the release. “With this all-star concert tribute, the Academy is honored to recognize Kix and Ronnie for their contributions to the country music industry, fans and to all the artists they have helped get a break in this business.
Brooks & Dunn have notched 23 No. 1 hits, sold more than 30 million records and won more than 80 major industry awards during their career. In August 2009, they announced they would retire as a duo in 2010 and embark on a final farewell tour this summer called “The Last Rodeo.”
The tour is set to make a stop in Tulsa on May 28, according to www.brooks-dunn.com.
-BAM
Reba McEntire to appear on “The Singing Bee” season premiere Friday
Reba McEntire (Associated Press photo)
Oklahoma native Reba McEntire will make a cameo appearance during the season premiere of “The Singing Bee” Friday on CMT.
The network’s highest-rated series is hosted by Melissa Peterman, who co-starred in McEntire’s sitcom, “Reba.”
“The Singing Bee” tests contestants’ knowledge of lyrics to well-known country and pop songs, and those who fail to accurately sing the correct lyrics are eliminated from the competition. New one-hour episodes will debut weekly.
For more TV news, check out Penny Soldan’s informative blog at http://blog.newsok.com/television.
-BAM
2010 Academy of Country Music Awards set for April 18
Reba McEntire hosts the 2009 ACM Awards in Las Vegas. The 2010 awards show will take place April 18, again at the MGM Grand in Vegas. (Associated Press file photo)
The Academy of Country Music today confirmed the date for the 2010 ACM Awards.
The 45th ACM Awards will take place Sunday, April 18 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Last year, Oklahoma-born Reba McEntire hosted the show, while her fellow Okie Carrie Underwood won the entertainer of the year award.
-BAM
George Strait interviews tourmate Reba McEntire for Country Weekly magazine
George Strait interviews his tourmate and fellow country superstar Reba McEntire for the cover story of the Jan. 11 edition of Country Weekly magazine, on sale now.
Strait and McEntire, along with Lee Ann Womack, will embark on a 19-city tour later this month. The tour is set to make a Feb. 20 stop at Tulsa’s BOK Center. While the BOK Center Web site doesn’t have any information on the show, www.reba.com says tickets will go on sale Jan. 23.
In the Country Weekly story, titled “Reba & Me,” McEntire talks to Strait about her favorite songs (including one of Strait’s), her early days of touring, future challenges and more.
The Oklahoma native says she and husband/manager Narvel Blackstock are “always together” and have traveled on the road as a team for 30 years.
The Jan. 11 issue of the magazine also includes a story titled “Carrie Underwood: The Day She Almost Quit” that should interest Oklahoma country fans.
-BAM
Carrie Underwood making holiday TV appearances this week
Carrie Underwood in “Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special” (Fox photo)
Country superstar Carrie Underwood this week will make a couple of holiday TV appearances.
An encore airing of “Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special” will be on Fox from 7 to 9 p.m. today. Along with musical and comedy bits from Underwood, the special features performances from Tulsa-connected “American Idol” David Cook, fellow Oklahoma native Kristin Chenoweth, Dolly Parton and Brad Paisley.
Underwood will join host Faith Hill, fellow Oklahoma native Reba McEntire and Mary J. Blige on the annual “A Home For The Holidays” special, which will air on CBS from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday.
On both shows, Underwood can be seen performing her current single, “Temporary Home,” which she co-penned with Luke Laird and Zac Maloy, the latter formerly of Oklahoma City band the Nixons.
For more TV news, check out Penny Soldan’s great blog at http://blog.newsok.com/television.
-BAM
Reba McEntire’s famed red dress exhibited at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Reba McEntire’s dress from her performance of “Does He Love You” at the 1993 CMA Awards is exhibited at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. (Photo by Lee Rowe)
“Reba McEntire: Put On Your Red Dress, Baby,” a spotlight exhibit featuring the attention-grabbing red gown worn by superstar Reba McEntire on the 1993 Country Music Association Awards telecast, is open now at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tenn.
The exhibit will be on view through June 13.
Designed by McEntire’s longtime stylist, Sandi Spika, the silk and jersey gown, with its plunging neckline and strategically placed sequins, shocked some viewers when the Oklahoma native wore it for her performance of “Does He Love You” with Linda Davis.
Reba later said, “I got more press off that dress than if I’d won Entertainer of the Year.”
In the three decades since her 1976 debut single was released, McEntire has become one of the most popular and acclaimed artists in American music. The Chockie native has sold more than 40 million records and won dozens of awards, including Grammy Awards in 1986 and 1993 for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female, and Best Country Vocal Collaboration, respectively; and four consecutive Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year awards (1984-87). In 1986, she was honored as CMA’s Entertainer of the Year.
McEntire has also enjoyed a successful acting career. She garnered stellar reviews for her portrayal of Annie Oakley in “Annie, Get Your Gun on Broadway,” has appeared in a dozen films, and starred in the sitcom “Reba.”
McEntire’s latest album, “Keep on Loving You” (Valory Music), was released in August. In 2010, she will co-headline a national tour with George Strait. The tour will make a Tulsa stop on Feb. 20.
For more information about the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, go to www.countrymusichalloffame.org.
-BAM
Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton share childhood experiences in Country Weekly magazine
Several country stars, including Oklahomans Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton and Carrie Underwood, share their memories of both tough and tender childhood times and the lessons they learned from them in the Dec. 14 Country Weekly magazine cover story.
In the story, titled “What We Learned Growing Up,” Underwood recalls her early days playing softball in school, while Trace Adkins remembers the days when he could ride around on a minibike on just a quarter’s worth of gas, according to a news release.
Shelton and McEntire are pictured on the Country Weekly cover, but the release doesn’t specify what memories they shared with the mag.
The Dec. 14 issue is on sale now.
-BAM
UPDATED: Kings of Leon, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert among Oklahomans nominated for Grammys
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts and Charlie Wilson are among the musical standouts who will represent Oklahoma at the 2010 Grammy Awards.
The Recording Academy announced nominees in the top Grammy categories during a televised concert Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
Rockers Kings of Leon have earned four Grammy nominations, including nods in the cross-genre record and song of the year categories for their hit “Use Somebody.” The band also was nominated for best rock song and best rock vocal performance with vocals for “Use Somebody.”
“It’s pretty cool to have a record people can tolerate for that long,” said Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill backstage at Wednesday’s concert, referring to the band earning nominations from the same album two years in a row.
Released in December 2008, “Use Somebody” is the second single from the band’s fall 2008 album “Only By the Night,” which last year was nominated for the best rock album Grammy.
Kings of Leon includes three brothers —Caleb (vocals, guitar), Nathan (drums) and Jared (bass) Followill — and their first cousin Matthew Followill (lead guitar). Matthew and Nathan were born in Oklahoma City, and the Followills grew up crisscrossing the Bible Belt between Memphis, Tenn., and Oklahoma City with the brothers’ Pentecostal preacher father.
Alice in Chains, which includes Jerry Cantrell, who has an Atoka ranch, is nominated for best hard rock performance for “Check My Brain,” from the band’s album “Black Gives Way to Blue.”
In the country music categories, several Oklahoma stars will vie for awards. Checotah native Carrie Underwood (pictured left) is nominated for best female country vocal performance for her chart-topper “Just a Dream.” She will compete in the best country collaboration with vocals category for her rendition of “I Told You So” with Randy Travis.
Tishomingo resident Miranda Lambert also is nominated for best female country vocal performance for her brokenhearted ballad “Dead Flowers.”
Duo Brooks & Dunn, which includes former Tulsan Ronnie Dunn, is nominated for best country performance by a duo or group with vocals for the tearjerker “Cowgirls Don’t Cry.”
Trio Rascal Flatts, which includes Joe Don Rooney of Picher, also earned a nomination for best country performance by a duo or group with vocals for the heartrending “Here Comes Goodbye.”
In other genres, Tulsa native and GAP band founder Charlie Wilson (pictured right) garnered two 
nominations, for best R&B album for “Uncle Charlie” and best male R&B vocal performance for “There Goes My Baby.”
Tom Paxton, a Bristow High School and University of Oklahoma graduate, is featured on the compilation “Singing Through the Hard Times: A Tribute to Utah Phillips,” which is nominated for best traditional folk album.
Tulsa-born actress Alfre Woodard scored a nod for co-producing “Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktale,” a nominee for best spoken word album for children.
Mason Williams, who grew up in Oklahoma City, earned a nomination for best historical album for co-producing “Woodstock — 40 Years On: Back to Yasgur’s Farm.”
“My Dusty Road,” a box set chronicling the career of Okemah-born songwriting icon the late Woody Guthrie (pictured left), is nominated in the best historical album and best album notes categories.
In the classical categories, Norman-born harpist Yolanda Kondonassis shares her first Grammy nomination with flutist Joshua Smith and violist Cynthia Phelps for best chamber music performance. The nod is for their performance of late Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu’s “And Then I Knew ‘Twas Wind,” from their album “Air.”
Pop diva Beyonce earned a leading 10 nominations, among them, album of the year for her double CD, “I Am … Sasha Fierce,” song of the year for her hit anthem, “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” and record of the year for “Halo.” Contemporary country star Taylor Swift was close behind with eight nominations, including nods for album of the year for her sophomore CD “Fearless” and record and song of the year for “You Belong With Me.”
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards will be handed out Jan. 31 in Los Angeles, with the show televised live on CBS.
To see the nominees in all 109 Grammy categories, go to www.grammy.com.
Contributing: The Associated Press.
-BAM
