Country Music News

Gas prices, struggling economy, and artist cancellations could make this the last Stagecoach Festival.

The 2009 Stagecoach Festival (California’s Country Music Festival) planning is well underway, but some fear that the days of country music pilgrimages may be coming to a close. The past few years have seen a decline in ticket and merchandise sales for many event organizers and this year expects to be even worse. Fans who are are struggling with keeping their homes, or scraping pennies just to fill up their gas tanks certainly don’t have the luxury of buying music festival tickets or paying the expenses that are incurred on the trip there and back. Even lesser-known artists have been backing out of recent festival appearances because of high touring costs.

But don’t tell that to these country concert stars. Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum have already signed on to appear at  the 2009 Stagecoach Festival in spite of the obvious financial concerns. They will be joined by fellow artists Darius Rucker, Kid Rock, Little Big Town, Chris Cagle,  and many more! Tickets go on sale next week, and the success of this festival may determine the future of the event.

The 2008 ACM Awards are done and we’ve got your winners right here!

Winners of the 2008 Academy of Country Music awards got to party it up Vegas style as they celebrated another year of milestones and fan appreciation. Reba McEntire hosted the festivities and as always, the winners were gracious, and excited.

“A singer is nothing without inspiration. I thank my wonderful wife, Kim, who is not here tonight. I probably ought to thank my son for the first time for inspiration. I am so honored to carry the torch another year, and thank God for all the blessings in my life.”-Brad Paisley

“There are so many people who deserve to be thanked for this, but I am going to thank one. And that’s a person that used to love to go to lunch with her friends and cook dinner for her family and sleep in her bed every night. She gave that all away and left that all behind to go on the road with her 16-year-old daughter. … And then she was sleeping in rental cars and in airplanes and rental cars with her mouth wide open because she was so tired. And so Mom, thank you so much! I love you! This is for you!” - Taylor Swift

“It means so much to me that you guys really relate to this song and that you accept it. Thank you so much to my partner Kristian Bush and to Gail Gelman [manager] for believing in this song before anybody did. Thank you to Luke Lewis and your whole staff at Mercury to have big ones enough, that when we came to you and said, ‘Hey, let’s put a song without drums on the radio,’ you said, ‘Sure!’” Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland

Album of the Year: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Miranda Lambert
Entertainer of the year: Kenny Chesney
Single of the Year: “Stay,” Sugarland
Song of the Year: “Stay,” Sugarland (Jennifer Nettles, composer)
Top Female Vocalist: Carrie Underwood
Top Male Vocalist: Brad Paisley
Top New Duo or Vocal Group: Lady Antebellum
Top New Male Vocalist: Jack Ingram
Top new New Female Vocalist: Taylor Swift
Top Vocal Duo: Brooks & Dunn
Top Vocal Group: Rascal Flatts
Video of the Year: “Online,” Brad Paisley (Jason Alexander, director)
Vocal Event of the Year: “Find Out Who Your Friends Are,” Tracy Lawrence with Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney
For a full recap of all the winners presented on and offstage, visit the ACM’s official website.

In a world of young stars making concessions to big labels in order to get a contract, Martina McBride will have no part of it! It’s come to be the accepted practice that most country artists will produce albums according to the record company’s specifications as part and parcel to their record deal. The label chooses the songs, picks the singles, and just has “the talent” along for the ride. Martina McBride however, finds it all a strange concept.

“I hear stories about record companies telling people what to sing and producers telling people what to sing and all that, and it’s foreign to me, because I’ve always had complete artistic control,” she tells The Grand Rapids Press. “I’ve always been able to record exactly what I wanted to record, and I have a big say in what singles are released, and I’m very involved in the studio.”

And when asked about the experience of owning her own studio:

“I’ve loved producing and creating,” Martina says. “When I listen to a song on the radio, I’m analyzing the drum sound and what the bass player is doing and how much [echo] is on the vocal.”

Look for some of Martina McBride’s hands on work her 2008 “Waking Up Laughing” tour where she teams with opening acts Jack Ingram and Lady Antebellum.