Rascal Flatts plays series of charity shows, including a May 28 Tulsa benefit
Rascal Flatts and Boyz II Men at Arnold Palmer’s “Music For Champions”
Rascal Flatts and Muhammad Ali at Ali's Celebrity Fight Night event
TULSA – Charitably minded trio Rascal Flatts is one of country music’s biggest bands, performing sold-out shows in arenas nationwide. On May 28, the vocal group will help raise money for Folds of Honor by performing a special concert at The Joint inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
Tickets are $125 and go on sale April 12. All proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Folds of Honor Foundation.
Rascal Flatts are comprised of lead vocalist Gary LeVox, bassist/vocalist Jay DeMarcus and guitarist/vocalist Joe Don Rooney, who was raised in Pitcher.
Since their musical debut in 2000, Rascal Flatts have sold more than 21 million albums and 25 million digital downloads and delivered 13 No.1 singles to the top of the charts. They were the most played country group on radio in 2011 and are the most awarded country group of the past decade, earning more than 40 trophies from the American Country Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards, American Music Awards, Country Music Association Awards, People’s Choice Awards and more.
Their new album, “Changed,” due in stores Tuesday, is the second release for the band on Big Machine Records. The upcoming release follows “Nothing Like This,” which debuted at No.1 on the Billboard Country albums sales chart.
Rascal Flatts are one of only a few country acts to debut seven consecutive studio albums at No.1. “Nothing Like This” went on to become a platinum-selling album, featuring two No.1 hits, including the certified platinum single “I Won’t Let Go” and “Why Wait,” and a top 5 hit with the gold-certified “Easy,” featuring pop sensation Natasha Bedingfield.
The band is known for its many charitable efforts. In 2007, the trio was honored with the ACM’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.
On March 19, Rascal Flatts was in Orlando, Fla., headlining a concert at Hard Rock Live as part of Arnold Palmer’s “Music For Champions” event, benefiting the TJ Martell Foundation. Palmer said, “It was a fantastic evening. Boyz II Men and Rascal Flatts were both wonderful. They put on a great show, very entertaining. I loved it.” At the end of the evening, Boyz II Men joined the members of Rascal Flatts on stage to perform “Live Is A Highway.”
Rascal Flatts performed also performed recently at the J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Ariz., for the “Muhammad Ali’s Celebrity Fight Night XVIII.” This annual black-tie event, which raised 9.1 million dollars this year, is put on by the Celebrity Fight Night Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1994 by Jimmy Walker. Monies raised at this event goes to the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, as well as several other worthy charities. Each year dozens of celebrity guests attend the event, which has raised nearly $80 million dollars in 18 years.
Based in Owasso, the Folds of Honor Foundation provides post-secondary educational scholarships for children and spouses of military service men and women killed or disabled while serving our great nation. To date, nearly 2,600 scholarships have been awarded through the Folds of Honor. There are currently more than one million dependents of military service men and women, 87 percent of whom do not qualify for educational assistance from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and other governmental programs. Folds of Honor seeks to honor military families by providing educational support and opportunities to ensure that no one is left behind.
For more information, go to www.foldsofhonor.org.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa is located off of Interstate 44 at exit 240. Ticket prices and information on upcoming shows are available online in The Joint section of www.hardrockcasinotulsa.com. All guests must be 21 years of age or older.
-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
Video: Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy announces “Anchorman” sequel plans on “Conan”
Will Ferrell appeared in character as Ron Burgundy Wednesday night on “Conan” to play a killer flute solo, make a few off-color jokes, insult host Conan O’Brien – and announce plans for a long-awaited sequel to his 2004 comedy “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.”
“It’s official, there will be a sequel to ‘Anchorman,’” he said, declaring that he and Paramount Pictures have come to terms on a follow-up before playing himself offstage via another rocking flute solo.
Earlier, Paramount had declined a musical plan put forth by Ferrell and director Adam McKay that also included a proposed Broadway stage show, according to the Associated Press. No details on the project were immediately available but McKay, producer Judd Apatow, and co-stars Paul Rudd and Steve Carell are expected to return.
As Ron Burgundy might say, “Great story. Compelling, and rich.”
-BAM
Video: Kevin Durant on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant appeared in rather charming and stylish fashion Wednesday night on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” He talked about his love for Oklahoma City (although I got the sense that KD was getting a bit tongue in cheek with his exaggerated claims of OKC as a sleepy hamlet), his now-famous flag football game in Stillwater and his backpack style statement last season.
The Thunder takes on the Los Angeles Lakers tonight at the Staples Center, with tip-off at 9:30 p.m. The game will air on TNT.
In other Thunder news, Serge Ibaka will be back in OKC and hosting a fashion show to benefit Allied Arts Friday. To read more (and get quite an eyeful of Serge in male model mode), click here.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on March 29, 2012: Watch “Real Genius” at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s Science on Screen
Today’s featured event:
Watch the movie “Real Genius” at 7:30 tonight at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, as part of the museum’s Science on Screen program.
The 1985 comedy stars Val Kilmer and Gabriel Jarret as teenage geniuses who develop a high-powered laser under the tutelage of an unscrupulous professor (William Atherton). To go with the film, Oklahoma City native Adam Mock, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Central Michigan University, will discuss the latest science of laser technology and its applications.
The Oklahoma City Museum of Art and Tulsa’s Circle Cinema have joined forces for the Science on Screen series, which creatively couples feature films with presentations by scientific experts to advance public understanding of science and technology. To read my feature on the program, click here.
For more information, go to www.okcmoa.com. For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: RIP Earl Scruggs
Bluegrass legend and pioneering banjo player Earl Scruggs died this morning in Nashville, Tenn. He was 88.
Scruggs died of natural causes, but his passing leaves an unnaturally large hole in the fabric of American music, since his legacy is so tightly woven into the bluegrass, country and roots music we hear today.
“It’s not just bluegrass, it’s American music,” bluegrass fan turned country star Dierks Bentley told the Associated Press. “There’s 17- or 18-year-old kids turning on today’s country music and hearing that banjo and they have no idea where that came from. That sound has probably always been there for them and they don’t realize someone invented that three-finger roll style of playing. You hear it everywhere.”
Since I agree with the AP’s assessment that it’s impossible to overstate Scruggs’ importance and impact on our country’s music, I’ll let the music do the talking:
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: Norman Music Festival 2012 bands Olivia Tremor Control, Woods, Horse Thief, Brother Bear and more
In the past couple of weeks, the organizers of the Norman Music Festival have been unveiling bits and pieces of the lineup for the fifth annual free event, set for April 26-28.
So far, the festival will include Main Stage headliner Portugal. The Man and Jack Daniels Stage headliner Hayes Carll.
Also, Tulsa’s funky Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey and self-proclaimed American band Red Wanting Blue will be featured on this year’s Main Stage. Other bands scheduled to perform on this stage include Weekend Hustler, Rainbows are Free, Crown Imperial and Modern Rock Diaries. Stillwater art-pop band Other Lives, who have been touring this year with Radiohead, will appear on the Main Stage, too.
Along with Carll, the Jack Daniels Stage will include The Giving Tree, Parker Millsap, The Damn Quails, Alejandro Escovedo, Krystal Keith (yep, daughter of Toby), Possum Posse, and Camille Harp and John Calvin.
In the lead-up to NMF, I’m launching today a special edition of my Wednesday Video Spotlight in which I will showcase a selection of the performers from the festival here on my blog.
Since the NMF organizers announced today on Facebook the April 26 lineup for The Opolis stage – Eureeka, Horse Thief, Brother Bear, MMOSS, Shi++y Awesome, Woods and Olivia Tremor Control – let’s start there, shall we?
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: Trailers for “Dark Shadows,” “Rise of the Guardians,” “On the Road” and more
Now that “The Hunger Games” has gotten off to an astounding start – it’s taken in nearly $175 million since opening last weekend, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com – here are some promising trailers to upcoming films that we can start anticipating:
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: Tenacious D releases star-studded video “To Be the Best,” planning Tulsa show
Legendary rockers Tenacious D are making a comeback, with a new star-studded music video called “To Be the Best,” an upcoming album dubbed “Rize Of The Fenix” and a summer tour that will include a July 21 show at Tulsa’s Brady Theater.
In “To Be the Best,” the duo of Jack Black and Kyle Gass uproariously chronicles their split after the box-office failure of their 2006 film “Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny” and subsequent comeback, which they make with the help of an unlikely duo of mentors: Dave Grohl and Josh Groban. The video also features Maria Menounos, Tim Robbins and Val Kilmer in what may well be my favorite role of his in the past 10 years.
Tenacious D will be touring in the U.S. and Europe in support of their new album this summer. Tickets to the July 21 Tulsa show will go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. They are priced at $41.50-$47. For more information, go to www.bradytheater.com.
“Rize Of The Fenix” is due out May 15. Here’s the title track:
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: Kristin Chenoweth sings “Jesus, Take the Wheel” on “GCB”
Broken Arrow native Kristin Chenoweth’s version of “Jesus, Take The Wheel,” which propelled fellow Okie Carrie Underwood to her first No. 1 single, made a splash after Chenoweth debuted her version on her soapy new ABC show “GCB.”
Due to fan reaction, Warner Music Nashville has made the track available on iTunes. Also available on iTunes is Joanna Cotten’s “If I’m Gonna Be Bad.”
“GCB” airs at 9 p.m. Sundays on the ABC Television Network. Each Sunday, the ABC Music Lounge will feature songs from that week’s “GCB” episode and video clips from the show. The “GCB” soundtrack will be available from Elektra Nashville May 8. Fans can click on www.abcmusiclounge.com or visit iTunes each week to purchase the featured song. Chenoweth’s “Blessed Be the Ties That Bind,” The JaneDear girls’ “Good Girls Gone Bad,” Emily West’s “Cross My Heart” and Don Derby’s “Roll In The Hay” are also available now.
“GCB” is based on Kim Gaitlin’s book “Good Christian Bitches,” however, ABC has said the show’s name stands for “Good Christian Belles.” Chenoweth, portrays the character Carlene Cockburn, nemesis of character Amanda Vaughn, portrayed by actress Leslie Bibb. The show focuses on Amanda as she returns to her hometown of Dallas.
The show has been controversial because of its portrayal of Christians, and The Oklahoman’s Religion Editor Carla Hinton recently asked state viewers to weigh in on the show. To read her story, click here.
-BAM
