Trisha Yearwood, Shania Twain, Gary Allan and more added as ACM Awards presenters
Trisha Yearwood
The Academy of Country Music has announced that Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter John Mayer will perform with Brad Paisley at the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.
In addition, Owasso resident Trisha Yearwood and fellow country superstars Gary Allan, Faith Hill, Shania Twain, Chris Young and Eli Young Band have been added as presenters.
The ACM Awards, which will be co-hosted by Luke Bryan and Tishomingo resident Blake Shelton, will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas from 7 to 10 tonight on the CBS Television Network.
Shelton, his wife Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Thompson Square, Toby Keith, Vince Gill and Rascal Flatts are among the superstars with Oklahoma ties who have been nominated for ACM Awards.
Yearwood’s husband, Garth Brooks, and fellow Country Music Hall of Famer George Strait will play a special tribute in honor of the late, great Dick Clark during the show. To read more about the special performance, click here.
Plus, Shelton, Lambert, Underwood and Brooks have been confirmed as performers for the show, and Lambert and Reba McEntire, the show’s former longtime host, have been previously announced as presenters.
To read my ACM Awards preview, click here.
And follow my live blog of the ACM Awards starting at 7 tonight here at BAM’s Blog!
Here’s a rundown of what’s coming up on tonight’s show:
Performers:
Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Kelly Clarkson, Hunter Hayes, Jewel, Miranda Lambert, John Mayer, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Stevie Wonder, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Pistol Annies and The Band Perry. Brad Paisley will headline the 3rd Annual ACM Fan Jam, along with special guests Dierks Bentley, Hunter Hayes, and New Artist of the Year nominees Brantley Gilbert, Jana Kramer and Florida Georgia Line.
Presenters:
Country music artist Gary Allan, “2 Broke Girls” star Beth Behrs, Vegas star Michael Chiklis, Grammy Award winner Sheryl Crow, “The Big Bang Theory’s” Kaley Cuoco, music star John Fogerty, “omg! Insider” co-anchor Kevin Frazier, country music artist Faith Hill, San Francisco 49ers NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, country music artists Miranda Lambert, Scotty McCreery and Kacey Musgraves, “Entertainment Tonight” co-anchor Nancy O’Dell, country music artists Jake Owen, Reba, Shania Twain, Keith Urban, Trisha Yearwood, Chris Young and Eli Young Band, and A&E’s “Duck Dynasty” stars Willie & Korie Robertson.
-BAM
ACM Awards preview – Interview: Oklahomans to be well represented at Sunday’s ACM Awards
Luke Bryan, left, and Blake Shelton
A version of this story appears in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman. To read more about the tribute to Dick Clark featuring Garth Brooks and George Strait, click here.
Oklahomans to be well represented at ACM Awards
Blake Shelton co-hosts; Garth Brooks teams for the first time with George Strait; and Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood Thompson Square, Toby Keith, Vince Gill and Rascal Flatts are nominated for awards.
That’s just the way R.A. Clark, the show’s executive producer, likes it.
“Not to discount any of the other states, but a lot of great country performers come out of Oklahoma: Reba, Toby, Vince, Garth, Blake, I’m sure I’m missing a few. But I mean, there seems to be a hotbed of creativity of folks that … touch the experience of America. That, to me, comes out of those folks that come from Oklahoma. But the folks who come from Texas, I’m sure I’m gonna hear from them, or from anywhere else where the country music performers come from,” Clark said in a teleconference earlier this week.
“RAC, they’re texting right now from Texas,” Academy of Country Music CEO Bob Romeo dead-panned.
“Yeah, RAC, George Strait’s on Line 2,” cracked Jack Sussman, Executive Vice President of CBS specials and live programming.
“I just think it’s an interesting coincidence that there seems to be a lot of folks who come out of Oklahoma who rise to the forefront in country music,” Clark added, laughing.
The 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas from 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday on CBS. Shelton, his wife Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Thompson Square, Toby Keith, Vince Gill and Rascal Flatts are among the superstars with Oklahoma ties who have been nominated for ACM Awards.
In addition, Shelton, Lambert, Underwood and Brooks have been confirmed as performers for the show, and Lambert and Reba McEntire, the show’s former longtime host, have been announced as presenters.
An Ada native, Shelton will co-host for the third year, with Luke Bryan joining for his first live TV co-hosting gig.
“They have a great natural repartee. I’m so glad we have a 5-second delay because you’re never know what’s gonna happen with them,” Clark said, laughing again.
“For the record, RAC, I think it’s a little longer than 5 seconds,” Sussman said, later revealing it will be an 8-second delay. “These two guys genuinely like other, they have a great time together, and on occasion, they might forget they’re on live television,” Sussman said.
The gregarious co-hosts are unlikely to forget that Shelton and his wife of two years are making history: Romeo said as far as he knows, the Tishomingo residents are the first husband and wife in ACM history to compete for the top prize, entertainer of the year. Bryan, Jason Aldean and reigning ACM entertainer of the year Taylor Swift will compete with Shelton and Lambert for the entertainer award.
To add even more intrigue, Shelton and Lambert share a song of the year nomination for co-writing her heartbreaking ballad “Over You.”
“I can just tell you one thing about those two people, who I know very, very well. “They truly support each other and just have such great satisfaction in each other’s success. They’re two of the biggest talents in this format or any format today, and the fact that they’re married is just amazing coincidence,” Sussman said.
“I would be willing to bet that Blake or Luke will have something to say.”
A Texas native, Lambert also will compete as a recording artist for single and song of the year for “Over You” and will defend her title as female vocalist of the year. Along with their shared song of the year nod and his entertainer of the year nomination, Shelton garnered his third consecutive nomination for male vocalist of the year.
Checotah native Carrie Underwood snagged two ACM Awards nominations: for female vocalist of the year and album of the year for her 2012 release “Blown Away.”
Reigning ACM vocal duo of the year Thompson Square, comprised of Miami, OK, native Keifer Thompson and his wife Shawna, will defend the title at the 2013 awards.
Norman resident Toby Keith is nominated for male vocalist of the year, while Norman native Vince Gill shares a nomination in the vocal event of the year category with original “American Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson for their collaboration “Don’t Rush,” which she will perform on the show.
Rascal Flatts, which includes Picher-bred guitarist Joe Don Rooney, also received a nomination in the vocal event category for “Easy,” the band’s heartrending ballad with British pop singer Natasha Bedingfield.
Shelton and Lambert won’t be the only Oklahoma-Texas connection during the ACM Awards: Brooks and Texas troubadour George Strait will team up for the first time to play a special tribute to Clark’s late father, Dick Clark.
“When you talk about Garth, when you talk about Luke, you talk about Blake, you talk about Taylor, the fans find them to be real. They can relate to them,” Romeo said. “I think when people can relate to you — that artist — and their music, I think that’s what makes an artist go to that superstar level.”
ON TV
The 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas from 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday on CBS. Tishomingo resident Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan will co-host the show.
Shelton, his wife Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Thompson Square, Toby Keith, Vince Gill and Rascal Flatts are among the superstars with Oklahoma ties who have been nominated for ACM Awards.
Follow my live blog of the show here at BAM’s Blog.
-BAM
Photos and video: Toby Keith thanks 100 workers laboring on OK Kids Korral for Oklahoma pediatric cancer patients
Toby Keith, foreground, and construction workers look at the progress of construction of the OK Kids Korral, 818 NE 8 Street, in Oklahoma City Monday, April 1, 2013. Photo by Paul B. Southerland, The Oklahoman
Toby Keith speaks to construction workers at the OK Kids Korral, 818 NE 8 Street, under construction in Oklahoma City Monday, April 1, 2013. Photo by Paul B. Southerland, The Oklahoman
Construction workers building the OK Kids Korral, 818 NE 8 Street, taking photos with their cell phones as they listen to Toby Keith speak in Oklahoma City Monday, April 1, 2013. Photo by Paul B. Southerland, The Oklahoman
Oklahoma country music superstar Toby Keith and folks associated with his Toby Keith Foundation and Manhattan Construction on Monday thanked the 100 workers who have been laboring since June 2012 on the OK Kids Korral, reports my fine colleague Joey Stipek.
The OK Kids Korral is a state-of-the-art 25,000-square-foot facility under construction at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center to house pediatric cancer patients and their families during treatment. The OK Kids Korral will provide a safe, convenient and cost-free place for families, many of whom travel a great distance, to connect with each other and focus on the well-being of their child.
Exterior work is nearly complete on the $8.5 million, 25,000-quare-foot building at NE 8 and Laird, Juliet Nees-Bright, executive director for the Toby Keith Foundation, told Joey.
“We’re moving all the construction workers inside to start the interior work on dry wall, painting and all the finishes,” she said.
The lodge will include 12 overnight suites and four daytime suites.
It also will include a dining hall, a game room, a gourmet kitchen, indoor and outdoor playgrounds and a movie theater which doubles as a safe room in the event of a tornado.
Keith said the OK Kids Korral is a deeply personal project 10 years in the making. Construction is to be finished by fall.
-BAM
Toby Keith to appear tonight on “Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson”
Toby Keith speaks to construction workers at the OK Kids Korral, 818 NE 8 Street, under construction in Oklahoma City Monday, April 1, 2013. Photo by Paul B. Southerland, The Oklahoman
Oklahoma country music star Toby Keith will appear tonight on “The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” which airs at 11:35 p.m. weekdays on CBS.
Earlier today, the Norman resident was on hand, along with folks associated with his Toby Keith Foundation and Manhattan Construction, to thank the 100 workers who have been laboring since June 2012 on the OK Kids Korral as construction on the home-away-from-home facility for pediatric cancer patients and families moves inside.
The OK Kids Korral is a state-of-the-art 25,000-square-foot facility under construction at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center to house pediatric cancer patients and their families during treatment. The OK Kids Korral will provide a safe, convenient and cost-free place for families, many of whom travel a great distance, to connect with each other and focus on the well-being of their child.
Look for more of The Oklahoman and NewsOK’s coverage of Keith’s OK Kids Korral visit Tuesday.
-BAM
Krystal Keith to release EP on April 16
The release of Oklahoma singer Krystal Keith’s full-length country music debut album “Whiskey & Lace” is still a few months away, but her record label is readying the release of an EP as the song “Daddy Dance With Me” builds a buzz.
Best known for performing a duet on national television with her famous father, Toby Keith, Krystal has focused a lifetime immersed in music on the upcoming release of her debut album. Prior to that release, however, the self-titled EP is being released by Show Dog-Universal on April 16.
The move was pushed by reaction to the track “Daddy Dance With Me,” which was an unexpected addition to the project, according to a news release.
“It was a complete surprise,” Krystal says in the release of the song she wrote with Mica Roberts and Sonya Rutledge for her own wedding. “I wanted a song that honored my dad and was something special on my wedding day. So I wrote and recorded it behind his back. The idea was to have a song that no bride and father had ever danced to before; it was my gift to him.”
Needless to say, the accomplished singer and songwriter was stunned.
“He actually talked all the way through the dance,” Krystal says in the release. “I think he was kind of in shock that I pulled one over on him. When I started telling him the lyrics, he said, ‘I’ve never heard a wedding song from the daughter’s perspective.’”
Pushed to include the song on her album, Krystal found others’ reactions were similar to her father’s.
“I was just so excited to get it out there so other brides and dads could dance to it, too,” she says in the release.
Encouraged by the early response, the label – co-owned by her father – advanced an EP release to make the song available for Father’s Day and summer weddings. A video will also be released on April 16.
Here are the “Krystal Keith” EP tracks:
Doin’ It
Can’t Buy You Money
What Did You Think I’d Do
Daddy Dance With Me
-BAM
Toby Keith receives BMI “Million-Air” honors for songs with 15 million spins
Broadcast Music Inc. recently honored superstar Oklahoma country music superstar Toby Keith with BMI “Million-Air” Awards at a studio on Music Row in Nashville, Tenn.
According to MusicRow.com, BMI’s Jody Williams and Clay Bradley presented the longtime BMI songwriter with several awards representing songwriting and publishing credits of more than 15 million air plays for some of the Norman resident’s biggest hits, including “How Do You Like Me Now?,” “Beer For My Horses,” “She Never Cried in Front of Me,” “God Love Her,” “I Love this Bar” and “Who’s Your Daddy?”
“Toby Keith is a stalwart BMI songwriter, who we’ve been honored to work with since early in his career. With these honors, he now stands at over 80 million performances and shows no signs of stopping,” said Bradley, BMI’s Assistant Vice President of Writer/Publisher Relations.
The BMI “Million-Air” Award is given to songwriters, composers and publishers whose songs accumulate more than 1 million U.S. broadcast performances. The designation has been bestowed upon many of BMI’s iconic songwriters, including Sir Paul McCartney, Dolly Parton, Isaac Hayes and Roy Orbison.
I’m a very average golfer, You know, I’m in the race horse business, I’m a singer, I’ve done movies. I do all these things in regular life, and there’s one thing that I do better than all of that and that’s songwriting,” Keith told me in an interview last fall.
“When I was growing up, everybody that I loved — rock, country, pop, whatever — wrote their own music. It was what I gravitated to. And it wasn’t like, ‘Well, this guy doesn’t write his stuff so I’m not buying it.’ It just didn’t strike me when I heard something after four or five things from somebody: I liked ‘em but I didn’t love ‘em enough to buy it. And then all of the sudden you look in my music collection and 99 percent of ‘em wrote their own stuff: Seger, the Eagles, Billy Joel, Jim Croce, Haggard, Willie, Cash, Dolly Parton, Charlie Daniels, Hank Jr., just whatever you had at that time. Kiss. Kiss of all things. In junior high, I had two or three Kiss albums; they wrote their own stuff,” he added.
“There’s a connection there that they wrote it that makes you grip into it more. It’s not that you knew they wrote it, that’s just what I was attracted to for some reason. So it’s like I could always subconsciously tell.”
-BAM
2013 ACM Awards nominations: Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert both nominated for entertainer of the year
Blake Shelton, left, and Miranda Lambert arrive at the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday, April 1, 2012 in Las Vegas. (AP file)
A version of this story will appear in Thursday’s The Oklahoman.
Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert both nominated for Academy of Country Music entertainer of the year award
Carrie Underwood, Thompson Square, Vince Gill and Rascal Flatts also will represent the Sooner State at the 48th Annual ACM Awards April 7 in Las Vegas.
Tishomingo is now home to a potential family feud.
Husband-and-wife country music superstars Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, who live near the Johnston County seat, both will contend for the entertainer of the year title when the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards are handed out April 7.
Carrie Underwood, Thompson Square, Toby Keith Vince Gill and Rascal Flatts are other superstars with Oklahoma ties who have been nominated for ACM Awards.
Shelton will co-host the ACM Awards for the third consecutive year. First-time co-host Luke Bryan will join him when the show airs live April 7 from MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas and airs on CBS.
Bryan, Jason Aldean and reigning ACM entertainer of the year Taylor Swift will compete with Shelton and Lambert for the top award.
“I’m so happy to be nominated! The butterflies are always there when the names are being announced. I feel so blessed. Celebrating!” Lambert wrote on Twitter after the nominations were announced Wednesday.
The reigning ACM female vocalist, Lambert earned five nominations, including her second entertainer of the year nod. Along defending her female vocalist title, the Texas native also will compete as a recording artist for single of the year and as an artist and writer for song of the year, both for “Over You,” the heartbreaking ballad she penned with her husband.
Along with their shared song of the year nod and his entertainer of the year nomination, Shelton garnered his third consecutive nomination for male vocalist of the year.
The Ada native also received Wednesday a favorite male singer nomination for Nickelodeon’s fan-voted Kids’ Choice Awards.
Checotah native Carrie Underwood snagged two ACM Awards nominations: for female vocalist of the year and album of the year for her 2012 release “Blown Away.”
Reigning ACM vocal duo of the year Thompson Square, comprised of Miami, OK, native Keifer Thompson and his wife Shawna, will defend the title at the 2013 awards.
Norman resident Toby Keith is nominated for male vocalist of the year.
Norman-born and Oklahoma City-bred superstar Vince Gill shares a nomination in the vocal event of the year category with original “American Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson for their collaboration “Don’t Rush.”
Rascal Flatts, which includes Picher-bred guitarist Joe Don Rooney, also received a nomination in the vocal event category for “Easy,” the band’s heartrending ballad with British pop singer Natasha Bedingfield.
Fan voting for entertainer and new artist of the year will begin online on March 25. Fan voting for new artist will close just before the show starts on April 7, and balloting for the entertainer title will end during the third hour of the live broadcast.
Oklahoma also will be well-represented when the ACM industry awards are given out in autumn. Tulsa’s Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Thackerville’s WinStar World Casino are nominated for casino of the year, while Tulsa’s BOK Center is up for venue of the year. Two Tulsa teams are vying for medium-market on-air personality of the year: Cash and Carey of KWEN-FM and Rowdy Yates, Sunny Leigh & Carly Rush of KVOO-FM.
See the full list of major ACM Awards after the break.
Here are the 2013 Academy of Country Music Awards nominations, with Oklahomans marked in bold:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
· Jason Aldean
· Luke Bryan
· Miranda Lambert
· Blake Shelton
· Taylor Swift
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
· Jason Aldean
· Luke Bryan
· Eric Church
· Toby Keith
· Blake Shelton
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
· Miranda Lambert
· Martina McBride
· Kacey Musgraves
· Taylor Swift
· Carrie Underwood
VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
· Big & Rich
· Florida Georgia Line
· Love and Theft
· Sugarland
· Thompson Square
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
· The Band Perry
· Eli Young Band
· Lady Antebellum
· Little Big Town
· Zac Brown Band
NEW MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
· Lee Brice
· Brantley Gilbert
· Hunter Hayes
NEW FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
· Jana Kramer
· Kacey Musgraves
· Sunny Sweeney
NEW VOCAL DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
· Florida Georgia Line
· Love and Theft
· Thompson Square
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR [Winners of New Male, New Female & New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year]
· Florida Georgia Line
· Brantley Gilbert
· Jana Kramer
ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
· Blown Away – Carrie Underwood (19/Arista Nashville)
Produced by: Mark Bright
· Chief – Eric Church (EMI-Nashville)
Produced by: Jay Joyce
· Red – Taylor Swift (Big Machine Records)
Produced by: Jeff Bhasker, Nathan Chapman, Dann Huff, Jacknife Lee, Max Martin, Shellback, Taylor Swift, Butch Walker, Dan Wilson
· Tailgates & Tanlines – Luke Bryan (Capitol Nashville)
Produced by: Mark Bright, Jeff Stevens
· Tornado – Little Big Town (Capitol Nashville)
Produced by: Jay Joyce
SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
· Even If It Breaks Your Heart – Eli Young Band (Republic Nashville)
Produced by: Mike Wrucke
· Over You – Miranda Lambert (RCA)
Produced by: Chuck Ainlay, Frank Liddell, Glenn Worf
· Pontoon – Little Big Town (Capitol Nashville)
Produced by: Jay Joyce
· Springsteen – Eric Church (EMI-Nashville)
Produced by: Jay Joyce
· Wanted – Hunter Hayes (Atlantic/WMN)
Produced by: Hunter Hayes, Dann Huff
SONG OF THE YEAR [Award to Composer(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]
· A Woman Like You – Lee Brice
Composers: Phil Barton, Johnny Bulford, Jon Stone
Publishers: 3JB Music (BMI), Adios Pantalones (SESAC), Hears That Skyline Music (SESAC), Sixteen Stars Music (BMI), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)
· Even If It Breaks Your Heart – Eli Young Band
Composers: Will Hoge, Eric Paslay
Publishers: Cal IV Songs (ASCAP), Will Hoge Music (BMI)
· Over You – Miranda Lambert
Composers: Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton
Publishers: Pink Dog Publishing (BMI), Sony ATV/Tree Publishing (BMI)
· Springsteen – Eric Church
Composers: Eric Church, Jeff Hyde, Ryan Tyndell
Publishers: Bug Music (BMI), Ole Purple Cape Music (BMI), Sinnerlina (BMI), Sony ATV/Tree Publishing (BMI)
· Wanted – Hunter Hayes
Composers: Hunter Hayes, Troy Verges
Publishers: Happy Little Man Publishing (BMI), Songs From The Engine Room (BMI), Songs Of Universal Inc. (BMI)
VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Award to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]
*Off Camera Award
· Creepin’ – Eric Church
Producer: Iris Baker
Director: Peter Zavadil
· Merry Go ‘Round – Kacey Musgraves
Producer: Perry Bean, Kacey Musgraves
Director: Perry Bean
· Tornado – Little Big Town
Producer: Iris Baker
Director: Shane Drake
· Wanted – Hunter Hayes
Producer: Stephanie Reeves, Eric Williams
Director: Traci Goudie, Patrick Hubik
· We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together – Taylor Swift
Producer: John Nguyen
Director: Declan Whitebloom
· The Wind – Zac Brown Band
Producer: Ben Kalina
Director: Mike Judge
VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
*Off Camera Award
· Don’t Rush – Kelly Clarkson Featuring Vince Gill (19/RCA/Columbia Nashville)
Produced by: Dann Huff
· Easy – Rascal Flatts Featuring Natasha Bedingfield (Big Machine Records)
Produced by: Dann Huff, Brian Kennedy, Rascal Flatts
· Feel Like A Rock Star – Kenny Chesney (Duet With Tim McGraw) (Blue Chair/BNA)
Produced by: Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney
· Let It Rain – David Nail Featuring Sarah Buxton (MCA Nashville)
Produced by: Chuck Ainlay, Frank Liddell
· The Only Way I Know – Jason Aldean With Luke Bryan & Eric Church (Broken Bow)
Produced by: Michael Knox
-BAM
Toby Keith breaks attendance records for the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, to be made honorary Texan
Oklahoma country music star Toby Keith broke all attendance records for the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, according to a news release. Not only did he sell out the venue, but his was the biggest crowd they have ever had since the event started in 1950.
Keith’s next performance stop also will be in Texas at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Feb. 25.
And, as part of the Texas Heritage Songwriters’ Hall Of Fame Weekend, the Norman resident will be presented with an official certificate from the Office of the Governor hereby declaring Keith an Honorary Texan. Other notable Honorary Texans include Bob Dylan, Russell Crowe, Bob Hope and many others. The event will take place on Sunday, March 3, at ACL Live at The Moody Theater, where Keith will deliver a special performance in honor of his most loved songwriters, Texas-born and Oklahoma-bred Roger Miller.
“Roger Miller was so intelligent that many of the greats would follow him around just for inspiration, just to hear him talk. He said some of the most famous quotes ever,” said Keith in the release. “If you want to hear cleverness, you want to hear wit, and you want to hear charm – you want to hear a ‘Class A’ songwriter, it’s Roger Miller.”
Keith is preparing to put the hammer down on a new tour called, appropriately, the “Hammer Down Tour.” Presented by longtime partner Ford F-Series, the run begins on June 8 in Ozark, AR. Joining him on this party is special guest Kip Moore.
Touring in support of his current album “Hope On The Rocks,” Keith will bring his acclaimed live show and its breakneck set list of hits, not the least of which is the album’s title track single, “Hope On The Rocks.”
See the Clinton native’s tour schedule after the break.
Toby Keith, Luke Bryan and Thompson Square to play inaugural Flatlands Country music festival in Kansas City
Toby Keith
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Oklahoma country music superstar Toby Keith and Luke Bryan will headline the inaugural Flatlands Country music festival, planned for Sept. 12-14. The country music and camping festival will take place at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan.
Bryan, named Favorite Male Country Artist at the 2012 American Music Awards, will headline on Fri., Sept. 13. Reigning Billboard Country Artist of the Decade Keith will be the featured performer on Saturday, Sept. 14.
Reigning Academy of Country Music vocal duo of the year Thompson Square, comprised of Miami, OK, native Keifer Thompson and his wife Shawna, also are on the lineup for the first Flatlands festival.
Here are the other acts on the lineup:
Darius Rucker
Love and Theft
Rodney Atkins
JT Hodges
Kevin Fowler
The Charlie Daniels Band
For more information, go to http://flatlandsfestival.com.
-BAM
Toby Keith launching his “Hammer Down Tour” in June
One of the top touring draws of his era, Oklahoma country music superstar Toby Keith is preparing to put the hammer down on a new tour called, appropriately, the “Hammer Down Tour.” Presented by longtime partner Ford F-Series, the run begins on June 8 in Ozark, Ark., according to a news release
High-profile stops include Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Sturgis Buffalo Chip. Prior to the start of the tour, Keith will headline the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, a night at the four-day festival Country Thunder in Florence, Ariz., and a night at the blockbuster Stagecoach festival in Indio, Calif. Forbes’ 2012 top-earning country artist thanks in no small part to his standing-room-only tours, the Norman takes to the road again with dates set through September. Joining him on this party will be special guest Kip Moore.
Touring in support of his current album “Hope On The Rocks,” Keith will bring his acclaimed live show and its breakneck set list of hits, not the least of which is the album’s title track single, “Hope On The Rocks.” Like most of his crowded stable of smashes, the song was written by the man himself.
Keith remains the primary creative force behind a remarkable career that, in 2012, reached new milestones: His “Red Solo Cup” was certified as the biggest viral event in country music history. His 10th annual United Service Organization tour again took him to international hotspots to boost the morale of America’s fighting men and women.
And his “Live In Overdrive Tour” played a succession of packed houses, as its successor will, as well.
Confirmed dates – subject to change – are posted after the break, with more to be added soon. (Although Keith doesn’t typically bring his tour to his home state, in the past couple of years, he has played a few Oklahoma casino shows.)
In just seven months, Kip Moore scored two consecutive No. 1 singles from his debut album, “Up All Night,” which was the best selling debut album from any country artist released in 2012. His first career No. 1 single, “Somethin’ ‘Bout A Truck,” held the top spot on both charts for two weeks, making him the first solo artist in four years to have a debut album’s first single go No. 1 for multiple weeks. His current single, “Hey Pretty Girl,” was just released to radio and shows a softer side to Moore than his previous singles have explored.
