DIERKS BENTLEY WRAPS FALL LEG OF 2011 COUNTRY & COLD CANS TOUR
WITH SOLD OUT SHOWS

Customizable “Home” Music Video Released to Fans Today

Bentley to Perform "Home" at the White House Tonight For Air on PBS on Nov. 23

Nashville, TN – Nov. 21, 2011 – Multi-Platinum singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley wrapped the first leg of his 2011 Country & Cold Cans Tour this weekend with sold out shows in Boise, ID, Bozeman, MT and Denver, CO. The tour will pick up in Feb. 2012 with first dates scheduled internationally in Canada and Australia.

"It has been a great run to end the tour on...the fans out West came ready to party. The crowd in Boise set a record for beer sales! I'd say that's a pretty good way to wrap up this leg of the 'Country & Cold Cans' tour," laughs Bentley.

Bentley will give fans a chance to create their own personalized music video for “Home” by releasing a customizable version of its official music video. Fans have the ability to upload photos into the video and download or share it virally with friends and family on social media sites across the web. “Home” is the second single off Bentley’s upcoming sixth Capitol Nashville studio album HOME set for release on Feb. 7, 2012. To create a customized video of “Home,” visit: www.dierksbentleyhome.com

Today, the award winning singer/songwriter will perform at The White House as part of PBS’ sixty-minute “Country Music: In Performance at the White House” special. Fans can stream the event live at 7:00P ET today ( http://www.whitehouse.gov/live) and the special also airs this Wed., Nov. 23 at 8:00P ET on PBS.

"Standing in the East Room of The White House last night rehearsing 'Home' was a surreal feeling. No matter who you vote for or what you believe, it is one of the greatest symbols of our country. It is our nation's 'Home,’" says Bentley. "I'm honored to have been asked to perform there, and tonight when I sing this song, I will definitely be thinking about all of the men and women in the military."

For more information and a full list of appearances, visit www.dierks.com.

Photo Caption: Dierks Bentley wrapped the first leg of his headlining 2011 Country & Cold Cans Tour with a sold out show in Denver, CO on Sat., pictured here with Eli Young Band.

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THE RECORDING ACADEMY® ANNOUNCES
2012 GRAMMY HALL OF FAME® INDUCTEES

Diverse Selection of 25 Recordings Added to Collection Residing at the GRAMMY Museum®


SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Nov. 21, 2011) — Continuing the tradition of preserving and celebrating great recordings, The Recording Academy® announces the newest additions to its legendary GRAMMY Hall Of Fame® collection. Highlighting diversity and musical excellence, the collection acknowledges both singles and album recordings of all genres at least 25 years old that exhibit qualitative or historical significance. Through a tradition established nearly 40 years ago, recordings are reviewed annually by a special member committee comprising of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of the recording arts, with final approval by The Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees. With 25 new titles, the list currently totals 906 and is displayed at the GRAMMY Museum®.

"The Recording Academy is dedicated to celebrating a wide variety of great music and sound through the decades," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "We are especially honored to welcome this year's selection of some of the most influential recordings of the last century. Marked by both cultural and historical significance, these works truly have influenced and inspired audiences for generations, and we are thrilled to induct them into our growing catalog of outstanding recordings."

Representing a great variety of tracks and albums, the 2012 GRAMMY Hall of Fame inductees range from Bruce Springsteen's Born In The U.S.A. album to civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech from his historic 1963 address at the March on Washington. Also on the highly regarded list are Cole Porter's "Anything Goes," the Rolling Stones' album Exile On Main St., Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive," Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five's single "The Message," Bill Cosby's comedy album I Started Out As A Child, the Original Broadway Cast recording of "St. Louis Woman," and Tina Turner's "What's Love Got To Do With It." Others inductees include the entire Anthology Of American Folk Music, Gene Autry, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Doris Day, the Serge Koussevitzky-conducted Boston Symphony Orchestra, Los Panchos, Santana, and Paul Simon, among others.

For more information about the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame or the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards® (to be broadcast live on Feb. 12, 2012, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network), please visit www.grammy.com. For updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter and Facebook: www.twitter.com/thegrammys, and www.facebook.com/thegrammys.

For a complete list of GRAMMY Hall Of Fame inductees, please go to:
www.grammy.org/recording-academy/awards/hall-of-fame

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, join the organization's social networks as a Twitter follower at www.twitter.com/thegrammys, a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/thegrammys, and a YouTube channel subscriber at www.youtube.com/thegrammys.

Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw Reunite For 2012 'Brothers of the Sun' Tour

Live at LP Field in Nashville – Saturday, June 23, 2012

NASHVILLE, TN (NOVEMBER 21, 2011 / 9:00 a.m. EST) - Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw will reunite for the musical event of 2012, the 'Brothers of the Sun' Tour. The 18-date stadium tour finds Chesney, who consistently has crowds "eating up his every word and move," joined by “master showman” (Huffington Post) McGraw for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The show is scheduled to take place in Nashville on Saturday, June 23, 2012 at LP Field. 'Brothers of the Sun' will also feature special guests Grace Potter & The Nocturnals and Jake Owen.

TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets go on sale Friday, December 9 at 10:00 a.m. and will be available at the LP Field box office,Ticketmaster or charge by phone at 800.745.3000. Additional fees may apply to ticket prices.

'Brothers of the Sun' will be the first time in 10 years that Chesney and McGraw have hit the road together. The announcement comes on the heels of Chesney's massively successful 'Goin' Coastal' Tour, which blew away more than 1.3 million fans, making it the year's biggest country tour. A four-time CMA Entertainer of the Year winner, Chesney will be honored at CMT’s Artists of the Year event on December 13. "Reality," Chesney's fifth single from 2010’s ‘Hemingway’s Whiskey,' was just shipped to radio.

McGraw is a three-time GRAMMY winner who has had a #1 single in each of the last three decades – 32 in total – including the title track of his most recent album, 'Southern Voice.' His 2010 tour in support of that album was the year's biggest country tour. “Felt Good On My Lips,” from his double-CD ‘Number One Hits,' spent three weeks at #1 earlier this year. McGraw is also an accomplished actor, having starred in films such as the Oscar-nominated blockbuster 'The Blind Side' and the critically acclaimed 'Friday Night Lights.'

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For more information about Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw:
http://kennychesney.com http://www.timmcgraw.com/
http://www.facebook.com/KennyChesney http://twitter.com/thetimmcgraw
http://twitter.com/#!/kennychesney http://www.mcgrawfan.com/
http://noshoesradio.com/index.aspx
http://www.shorefire.com/clients/kchesney

Taylor Swift Wins Again.....

2011 AMA Winners

Artist of the Year: Taylor Swift

Favorite Country Album: Taylor Swift, “Speak Now”

Favorite Pop or Rock Male Artist: Bruno Mars

Favorite Pop/Rock Album: Adele

Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist: Beyonce

Favorite Latin Artist: Jennifer Lopez

Sprint New Artist of the Year: Hot Chelle Rae

Favorite Female Pop Artist: Katy Perry

Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album: Nicki Minaj‘s “Pink Friday”

Favorite Country Band, Duo or Group: Lady Antebellum

Favorite Soul/R&B Album: Rihanna‘s “Loud”

Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist: Nicki Minaj

Favorite Country Female Artist: Taylor Swift

Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo or Group: Maroon 5

Favorite Contemporary Inspirational Artist: Casting Crowns (from Atlanta)

*Explanation of Convoluted Voting: This actually makes “The X-Factor” make sense by comparison, but here’s the deal, straight from the source. Get our your abacus:

American Music Awards nominees are selected from both BigChampagne’s Ultimate Chart and Mediabase. The Ultimate Chart is a ranked list of the most popular artists and songs based on a weighted combination of music sales, radio and TV broadcast, internet streaming and video viewing, and incorporating additional online metrics, including activity on social networks. Mediabase monitors more than 1,800 radio stations in 180 U.S. and Canadian markets, 24 hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week and provides vital airplay and programming information to more than 1,700 affiliate radio stations and every major broadcast group. Winners are chosen by public vote online.

BRAD PAISLEY’S DIARY OF A PLAYER

New York Times Best-Seller List For Two Weeks


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Nov. 17, 2011) Country music superstar Brad Paisley has published his first major book titled DIARY OF A PLAYER with Howard Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. The book was released on Nov. 1 and has been on the New York Times Best-Seller list for two consecutive weeks.

The book is written as a thank-you and pays tribute to the guitar heroes that were and are in Paisley’s life. It is co-written with David Wild, a contributing editor to Rolling Stone and an Emmy nominated television writer and producer.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD IS FIRST ARTIST ANNOUNCED TO PERFORM AT 2012 CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL
CMA Music Festival Four-Day Tickets Make Great Holiday Gifts


Nashville's Signature Music Event Has Benefitted Music Education and Will Once Again Be Filmed for ABC Television Special

NASHVILLE - The iconic CMA Music Festival will once again take over the Downtown Nashville campus for four days this summer, Thursday-Sunday, June 7-10, 2012. The event that USA Today calls "the crown jewel of Country Music festivals" started in 1972 as Fan Fair®. More than 40 years later, the legendary festival has become Nashville's signature music event, which annually attracts thousands of fans from all 50 states and around the globe and has raised millions of dollars for music education in Metro Nashville Public Schools. The event will once again be filmed for an ABC Television special airing later in the summer, shining a national spotlight on both the Country Music format and Music City USA.

Five-time CMA Award winner Carrie Underwood is the first artist announced as performing on the Nightly Concerts at LP Field during CMA Music Festival. Underwood has sold more than 13 million albums; has placed 14 No. 1 singles at the top of the charts; won three CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Awards (2006-2008); and has co-hosted the CMA Awards for the last four consecutive years. After winning "American Idol" in 2005, she made one of her first public appearances at CMA Music Festival, and has been a strong supporter of the event ever since. Underwood last performed at CMA Music Festival in 2010.

Additional artists will be announced in the coming weeks.

"Normally we do not announce talent until February, but we wanted to be sure everyone knew that Carrie has already committed to perform at 2012 CMA Music Festival," said Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer. "She continues to be one of our most requested artists, and we knew the fans would want to be aware so they could go ahead and make plans to attend our event."

Just in time for holiday gift giving, fans can purchase their tickets through Ticketmaster at Ticketmaster.com or 1-(800)-745-3000. They can also purchase them by calling 1-(800)-CMA-FEST (262-3378). Ticket prices are based on the level of seating at LP Field for the Nightly Concerts, and range from $115 to $325 plus handling fees. A limited number of four-day parking passes for LP Field are also available, ranging from $32 to $124 plus handling fees, depen ding on type of vehicle.

Ticket and parking prices are subject to change without notice. All sales are final and non-refundable. Four-day ticket package categories correspond to a different level of seating at LP Field. Children 3 years and younger are admitted FREE. For information on ADA seating, please call 1-800-CMA-FEST.

Fans can stay in the loop by visiting CMAfest.com, the official website of CMA Music Festival, where they can sign up for the CMA Exclusive e-news, follow the CMA Facebook and Twitter feeds for more insider info, play games, and of course see the entire lineup of Country Music's biggest stars as they are announced for the event.

CMA Music Festival celebrates the unique relationship between Country Music artists and their fans in the heart of Music City USA. The artists participate for free, and on their behalf, CMA donates half the net proceeds of the Festival to support music education through the Keep the Music Playing program.

To date, more than $4.7 million has been donated to purchase musical instruments and supplies, providing thousands of Metro Nashville Public Schools students with the resources and opportunities they could not have afforded on their own, and giving many of them a strong reason to remain in school. The total also includes an annual endowment gift for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's Words & Music program, which assists language arts and music teachers with classroom instruction in the basics of songwriting. CMA will announce their donation from the 2011 CMA Music Festival in early 2012.

Featuring concerts, autograph signings, family activities, and more, CMA Music Festival is an unparalleled celebration of America's music. In 2011, the event drew a record-setting 65,000 fans from all 50 states and 26 nations and, for the second consecutive year, sold out each night at LP Field for the star-packed nightly concerts in advance. According to the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, direct visitor spending generated by the Festival totaled more than $30 million. CMA Music Festival is a four-time winner of the International Entertainment Buyers Association's LIVE! Award for Festival of the Year (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010).

CMA Music Festival will once again be filmed for a national television special to air on the ABC Television Network. This is the ninth consecutive year that the event has been filmed for a network television special, a feat no other music festival has achieved. CBS aired the first CMA Music Festival special in 2004, with ABC airing it from 2005 onward. "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" will be executive-produced by Robert Deaton.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“60 MINUTES” PROFILE OF TAYLOR SWIFT TO AIR SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH AT 7 PM ET / PT ON CBS



TAYLOR CELEBRATES 4TH CONSECUTIVE #1 SINGLE, THREE NEW BILLBOARD HOT 100 DEBUTS

NASHVILLE – November 16, 2011 – Four-time Grammy winner and Billboard’s 2011 Woman of the Year Taylor Swift will be profiled this Sunday, November 20th, on CBS News’ 60 Minutes. The segment includes concert and backstage footage from Taylor’s blockbuster Speak Now World Tour, and correspondent Lesley Stahl’s in-depth report offers viewers a candid conversation with Taylor, as well as a first-ever glimpse inside her Nashville condominium. An advance clip from the show is online now at: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7388517n. CBS News may make additional advance clips available at www.60minutes.com and www.60minutesovertime.com in the days leading up to the broadcast. The full profile will be posted online at www.60minutes.com immediately after the show airs.

This week alone, Taylor sold more than 545,000 digital tracks. She debuted three new tracks (songs previously only available on the Target Deluxe Edition of Speak Now) on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, with “If This Was A Movie,” “Ours,” and “Superman,” entering the chart at numbers 10, 13 and 26, respectively. “Movie" marks Taylor’s Hot 100-record-extending eighth title to debut in the Top 10. She also locked down three of iTunes’ all-genre Top 10 spots, including positions #1 and #2, the day after the songs’ release.

Also this week, Taylor, who just last week was crowned Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association (for the second time), reached the #1 spot atop both the Billboard and Country Aircheck/Mediabase Country radio charts, with “Sparks Fly” becoming Taylor’s 4th consecutive #1 single from her 5 million plus-selling Speak Now album, and her 9th #1 song.

The 60 Minutes profile comes on the eve of the November 21st Big Machine Records release of SPEAK NOW WORLD TOUR – LIVE, CD / DVD combo-pak sets of the show. The North American leg of the tour wraps with sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden on November 21st and 22nd, and the tour has been extended into 2012 with shows in Australia and New Zealand.