Kraft Entertainment, the producers behind the successful festival has announced that the festival will once again be held at the Gillette Stadium located in Boston. Tickets, priced at $82.50, $52.50, and $29.50 have already gone on sale since Jan. 30. Here’s a look at the top three artists lined up for the festival.

Brad Paisley (http://bradpaisley.musiccitynetworks.com/)
With the successful release of his eighth studio album, “American Saturday Night,” he has successfully cemented his spot as one of the top male artists in the genre today, producing a string of hit country music songs. “Then,” the album’s first single just became the 14th No. 1 song of his career. His other hit songs include “Whiskey Lullaby,” “Time Well Wasted,” “When I Get Where I’m Going,” “Waitin’ on a Woman,”‘Online,” and “Start a Band.” Paisley has also received numerous awards including three Grammys (Best Country Instrumental Performance for 2008 and 2009, Best Male Country Vocal Performance for 2009); a host of ACMs (Album of the Year for 2005 and Top Male Vocalist of the Year for 2007, 2008 and 2009, to name a few); and major awards from the CMAs (Album of the Year for 2006 and Male Vocalist of the Year for 2007, 2008, and 2009), among many many others. Paisley is still in the thick of his “Paisley Party Tour,” dishing out new country songs for his fans.

Darius Rucker (http://www.dariusrucker.com/)
Former front man for defunct band “Hootie and the Blowfish,” Rucker has successfully crossed over to country music to critical and commercial acclaim.  His debut album helped made him a bona fide country star through hits such as “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” “It Won’t Be Like This for Long,” and “Alright,” all of which reached No. 1 on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart. In 2009, Rucker was nominated for three awards—Male Vocalist of the Year, Favorite Male Artist, and New Artist of the Year—at the 2009 Country Music Awards. Winning New Artist of the Year helped solidify his status as the first African-American country music artist to have won in nearly 30 years. Currently, Rucker is busy recording his second album containing new country songs, and is on tour with Rascal Flatts for the last leg of the “American Living Unstoppable Tour.”

Jason Aldean (http://www.jasonaldean.com/)
Aldean, known for his no-nonsense country music songs, has had three albums released through Broken Bow Records: Jason Aldean, Relentless, and Wide Open. Together, all three albums have produced nine hit singles which graced the Billboard country singles charts, most of whom went straight to No.1: “Why,” “She’s Country,” “Big Green Tractor,” and “The Truth.” Aldean is currently headlining the “Wide Open Tour.”

Twelve-time host, Reba McEntire, herself a recipient of no less that twelve ACM awards, will again grace the awards ceremony, a night typically filled with performances of the previous year’s top country songs. According to Orly Adelson, President of Dick Clark Productions and the Executive Producer of the ACM Awards, McEntire was a logical choice because, “no one does it better than Reba McEntire. 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.”

Since its inception in 1964, the ACM Awards has honored the country music industry’s best musical talents for almost half a century. Previous winners include the music industry’s best and brightest stars- a who’s who of the country music scene for the past years. Its most prestigious award, The Artist of the Decade, has been given to country music heavyweights such as Marty Robbins (1960s), Loretta Lynn (1970s), Alabama (1980s), Garth Brooks (1990s), and George Strait (2000s). Another major award, Entertainer of the Year, have been given to the likes of Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Roy Clark, Barbara Mandrel, Garth Brooks, and Brooks and Dunn, as well as newer artists such as Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney, and Carrie Underwood.

As reported in a country music blog, this year, fans also get to vote for the artists who will win in the three Top New Artist Categories. The nominees for this year’s new artist categories are Luke Bryan, Jamey Johnson, and Chris Young for Top New Solo Vocalist; Bomshel, Joey + Rory, and Steel Magnolia for Top New Vocal Duo; and Eli Young Band, Gloriana, and The Lost Trailers for Top New Vocal Group.

Some of the artists that have already signed on to perform their hit country songs in what is expected to be a star-studded event include McEntire, Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and Rascal Flatts. Another special event which has been announced as part of the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards celebration this year is the all-star concert special, “ACM Presents” brooks and Dunn- The Lat Rodeo,” which will be taped the following night at the same venue. This show will later be aired over on CBS. This comes as a special tribute for Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, who together, became the best-selling duo in the history of country music. They will also be feted with the Milestone Award in recognition of their career achievements.

In a statement, Bob Romeo, Executive Director of the Academy of Country Music, explained why they chose to do the special. “Brooks & Dunn have defined country music for 20 years.” He added, “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.”

The likes of Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, and Dolly Parton evoke images of traditionally-clad country singers decked in western-style frocks and ensembles. These are all great artists in their own and rights and have held supremacy in more ways than one. However, at present, new artists have continued to reshape and slowly change our perceptions regarding women in country music. Today, country love songs are not just about heartaches and broken relationships anymore.

In the 1990’s, artists such as Faith Hill, Shania Twain, and Lee Ann Womack first opened the doors with their brand of country music doused with sex appeal and tremendous commercial and crossover potential. Today, artists such as Miranda Lambert, Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum, and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland continue in this tradition, giving audiences a different and, dare we say, bolder image of modern day country singers. Let’s take a look at their career highlights.

Miranda Lambert (http://www.mirandalambert.com/)
Twenty-six year old Miranda Leigh Lambert first broke into the scene through her participation in the 2003 season of Nashville Star, a reality TV program aired over at NBC. Her third place finish did not prevent her from eventually achieving superstardom. She later signed with Epic Records, through which she released her debut album, “Kerosene.” All four singles from the album- “Bring Me Down,” “Kerosene,” “Me and Charlie Talking,” and “New Strings”—were certified Top 40 hits. In 2007, she transferred to Columbia Records Nashville and recorded her sophomore album, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” which produced her first Top 10 hit (”Gunpowder & Lead”). All of her three albums debuted at the No. 1 Spot on the Billboard Country Music Album Charts. She has been nominated for Grammys, CMAs and ACM awards in which she won a Top New Female Vocalist award in 2007.

Hillary Scott (http://ladyantebellum.blogspot.com/)
Scott is, of course, one-third of the fast rising group Lady Antebellum (known for their harmony-driven country love songs), which recently grabbed the Award for Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group for “I Run To You” at the recent Grammy Awards, successfully establishing their hold of the category over veterans such as Rascal Flatts and Brooks & Dunn. After graduating from high school, Scott, a country singer by heart, worked with singer-songwriter Victoria Shaw, through which she met her future band mates. Scott, a native of Nashville, TN, is not just a pretty face with a big voice, she is also an award-winning songwriter recognized for her contributions to “Love Don’t Live Here” and “Lookin’ for a Good Time,” two of Lady Antebellum’s hit songs.

Jennifer Nettles (http://www.sugarlandmusic.com/)
The sexy, on-stage presence of Nettles helped propel Sugarland as one of the fast-rising musical acts of today. Together with Kristian Bush, Nettles successfully translated their electrifying stage performance into hit singles and multi-platinum record sales. Prior to joining Sugarland, Nettles had already been an established singer working the Atlanta, Georgia music circuit through her previous bands, Soul Miner’s Daughter and the Jennifer Nettles Band. Like Scott, Nettles is also an established singer and songwriter, co-writing songs with Cory Jones for two Soul Miner’s Daughter albums, “The Sacred and Profane” (1996) and “Hallelujah” (1998).

Founded in 2003, Sugarland was originally a duo consisting of Bush and Kristen Hall. It later became a trio when Nettles came on board as the lead singer. Amidst controversies, Hall left the band in 2005, restoring Sugarland into its original format. Although all three members became part of Sugarland just a few years ago, they all respectively enjoyed successful solo careers. Bush, a native of Knoxville, TN, was the other half of the rock duo Billy Pilgrim dishing out together with Andrew Hyra. Hall had already been a folk singer-songwriter and a roadie for the Indigo Girls. Nettles, on the other hand, used to be the front woman dishing out country music songs for Atlanta-bands called Soul Miner’s Daughter and the Jennifer Nettles Band.

Collectively, all three artists have been responsible for the great success of Sugarland’s debut album, “Twice the Speed of Life,” which was released in 2004. Four tracks from the album all had Top 20 spots at the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts including “Baby Girl” (No. 2), “Something More” (No. 2), “Just Might (Make Me Believe)” (No. 7), and “Down in Mississippi (Up to No Good)” (No. 17) all contributing to outstanding record sales of two million copies. This album also earned them a Grammy nomination for the Best New Artist Award. The success of their debut album was followed by their equally successful sophomore album entitled, “Enjoy the Ride,” twoTop 10 hit songs- “Want To” and “Settlin’.”

In Sugarland’s short lifetime, the duo has already released three albums, all of which have been certified hits. Their third album, “Love on the Inside,” featuring new country songs such as “All I Want to Do,” and “Already Gone,” as well as a cover of the old hit “Life in a Northern Town,” among others. This was followed by their Love on the Inside Tour, which was later released into a DVD containing the duo’s performances while on the road.  At present, the duo can boast of a harvest of awards from the major award winning bodies such as the Grammys, the CMAs, the CMT Music Awards, and the ACM awards. The highlights include Vocal Duo of the Year (CMT, 2007 and 2009), (CMA, 2008); Song of the Year (ACM, 2008); and Best Country Collaboration With Vocals (    Grammy, 2007): to name a few.

At present, the duo is set to headline “The Incredible Machine” tour and will be releasing their fourth studio album containing new country songs this year. Get more Sugarland news and updates at: http://www.sugarlandmusic.com/.

Lady Antebellum-consisting of Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, and Dave Haywood- is slowly but surely carving its own place in the history of country music and in the hearts of their fans because of their country songs featuring superb vocal harmonies. Judging from the number of articles mentioning the band’s name and recent awards in the country music blog universe, it appears that the band has won the approval and respect of critics and fans alike. In winning the Award for Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for their single “I Run To You” at the 52nd Grammy Awards held last January 31, the band has successfully wrested the honor from more established artists such as Brooks & Dunn and Rascal Flatts.

The self-titled debut album from which the track has been lifted is a huge success. It holds the distinction of being the first album by a new duo or group to debut at the top spot on the Billboard Top Country Albums charts. Thus far, it has produced hit singles including “Love Don’t Live Here,” which reached the No .3 spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, “Lookin’ for a Good Time” (No. 11), “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” (No. 3), and the award-winning single, “I Run to You,” which is also the band’s first number one single.

Just a few days before winning their first Grammy Award, country music blog posts were filled with speculations regarding Lady Antebellum’s second album entitled, “Need You Now.” Admittedly, the band members were not as confident, while recording simply because they thought they could suffer from the sophomore jinx. In an interview with Billboard.com, Kelley shared, “I think we definitely put a lot of pressure on ourselves with the success of the first record that we wanted to make one that surpassed it.” He added, “We definitely don’t want to get into…the sophomore slump. We want to be doing this for a long time and also live up to the expectations of some of the awards we’ve been lucky to get, the CMAs and stuff.”

It seems that their worries are unfounded because already, the album’s title track has spent five weeks as the No. 1 song on Billboard’s Country Songs chart. It has also peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100 Singles chart and has been certified platinum. Currently, the album’ second single, “American Honey,” is also climbing the top 20 on the Country Songs chart. When asked about the continuous success they have been receiving in the form of awards and hit singles, Kelley says, “It feels like a lot of people in the music industry and Nashville in particular are backing us and basically giving their stamp of approval, and we want to make them proud. We feel a lot of support. It’s just nice to know there’s a lot of people rallying around us.”

When asked about plans for the future, Kelly added that they are “gonna try to up our production a little bit. We feel like there’s obviously a lot more people aware of who we are, so they’re probably going to expect a little more out of us now. We do, too, so it’ll be a nice next step up for us.”

The whole community of fans, musicians, artists, and country music blog writers will surely be waiting for more hit songs from this band for many years to come.

Music wasn’t initially in the picture for Holy. He came from a large family whose occupation had been with their drilling business. In fact, if not for the music, Holy may have established a career here as well. Fortunately, Holy had developed an interest for music, which was his way of dealing with the death of his father, and later, his father. Clearly seeing country music love songs as his redemption, says Holy, “Music was the only thing that gave me relief.”

Upon his graduation from high school, Holy found himself among the 500 aspiring talents auditioning for “The Johnnie High Country Revue” in nearby Arlington, Texas. Little did he know that his involvement with the famed talent show will give him the break he had been waiting for; he finished first in the competition and went on to become Entertainer of the Year as voted by the show’s fans. After honing his musical skills throughout the Texas country music scene for several years, he eventually caught the attention of LeAnn Rimes and his father, Wilbur, who signed him to famed Nashville label Curb Records. Wilbur would later produce his debut album “Blue Moon.” At the same time, LeAnn also helped introduce him to a wider audience when she asked him to open for Rimes at the Las Vegas Hilton in 1998.

His debut single called “Don’t Make Me Beg,” was released in October 1999, and his debut album went on to produce two more Top 20 singles, culminating in his biggest single of the time, “Good Morning Beautiful.” This song introduced him to a wider audience when it was featured in the Jennifer Lopez movie. In 2006, Holy scored another hit with wildly popular “Brand New Girlfriend,” from an album of the same name released under Curb Records.

What sets Holy apart form his peers is that he is never afraid to experiment. In fact, he refuses for his music to be pigeonholed to just one stereotype citing various influences such as Charlie Rich, Mickey Gilley, John Conlee, Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, and even a variety of Doo-Wop vocal groups as his vocal influences. In fact, in his Las Vegas show one would also hear him cover hits from artists such as the Commodores, Roy Orbison, and Dean Martin.

Of his songs, Holy says, “There’s no common thread in any of them. Basically, what’s going on in my life at the time is what I focus on musically.” Currently, he is busy working on his third album, which is set to be released early next year where it will be announced in our country music blog. The single “Might Have Been,” is already generating positive buzz. “People in radio have said this is probably going to be my biggest hit yet,” says Holy.

He adds, “Life is good, I think. I’m real excited. I can’t wait!” Indeed, it has been an interesting journey so far and country music fans will surely be waiting for his next album.

This album closely follows previous releases by Nelson, known for his wide range of musical influences, which he is never afraid to explore and produce great albums from. Just recently, Nelson released a solo album called “American Classic,” in which he explores the jazzified sound of standards with artists such as Diana Krall and Norah Jones. Prior to this, Nelson has also done collaborations with country singers such as Ryan Adams, Kenny Chesney, Wynton Marsalis, and even Toots Hibbert.

This time, Nelson has done it again, releasing a collaborative project with the best Western swing band in the US, none other than Asleep on The Wheel. Already, this album has been hailed by critics and fans as one of the best to have come out in 2009. It consists of twelve tracks handpicked by legendary producer Jerry Wexler consisting of songs that represent the history of Western swing—right from its Dixieland and blues roots. The tracks included are “Hesitation Blues,” “Sweet Jennie Lee,” “Fan It,”  “I Ain’t Gonna Give Nobody None o’ This Jelly Roll,”  “Oh! You Pretty Woman,” “Bring it on Down to My House,” “Right or Wrong,” “Corrine Corrina,” “I’m Sittin’ on Top of the World,” “Shame on You,” “Won’t You Ride in My Little Red Wagon,” and  “South,” which features Paul Shaffer and Vince Gill.

As for Asleep at the Wheel, “Willie and the Wheel” is a long overdue project whose early beginnings could be traced back almost two decades back when legendary producer Jerry Wexler first met the members of the band. It is quite ironic that Wexler had been initially reluctant to sign the band. Says Asleep at the Wheel band leader Ray Benson with a chuckle, “He said the guitar player needed to practice — me — and he was right!”

Nevertheless Benson and Wexler eventually became friends and when Benson learned of how Wexler had once hand-picked tunes that he thought would suit Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel, he approached Nelson about the project, and the rest is history. Fortunately, even though Wexler died in 2008. Willie and the Wheel were already able to complete the album, culminating in its release this year as a tribute to the great producer at the same time.

This collaboration though is not a flash in the pan because Benson’s band has already played with Nelson over the years on country love songs and more. Says Benson of Nelson’s quirky musical style, “It’s idiosyncratic and unusual and totally original and unique. That’s the appeal: You do things the Willie way, or you fall flat on your face.” He adds, however, that “He’s a joy to play with. My drummer said he treats time like an avant-garde jazz musician. I love it. It’s amusing, it’s stimulating, it’s great fun!”

Lambert first broke into the mainstream through her third-place finish in the 2003 season of Nashville Star, an American idol-styled program for country music hopefuls. On the strength if her performance in the competition, she went on to sign with Epic Records which produced her groundbreaking album “Kerosene.” It was such a resounding success that the album was certified platinum by RIAA and produced four hit singles including, “Me and Charlie Talking,” “Bring Me Down,” “Kerosene,” and “New Strings,” all of which made their marks within the Top 40 hits of the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. Upon transferring to the Nashville arm of Columbia Records, Lambert made more history when her  second album, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” was released in 2007 and again produced Top 40 hits such as “Famous in a Small Town,” “Gunpowder & Lead,” and “More Like Her.”

About “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” Lambert says, “I definitely put more of myself out there on this one. People hear songs like “Kerosene” and even “Gunpowder & Lead” from “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and think I’m always that badass, but if you listen to the record and hear songs like “Desperation” and “More Like Her,” the softer side comes through. And at first I was like, “Crap, I just said a whole lot about myself and now there’s no going back!” but fans and critics have responded so well I guess it was a good thing to do!

When asked about what it is like to be a professional musician, Lambert answered, “Well, I always like to remind folks I’m just a normal girl. I love music and I love songwriting and always have. Now it just so happens to be my job—but it’s the best job out there! I like to balance the craziness by surrounding myself with good people and so far that has really helped me keep things in perspective.”

This perspective has helped her maintain her accessibility and her down to earth nature compared with other stars. These are certainly rewarded by her fans who continued to support Lambert as she released more hit singles and albums, especially the recently released and aptly titled, “Revolution.”

At this rate, Lambert is set to reap more awards and commercial success in the future. The healthy and positive attitude she exudes, which of course influences young country music fans, will ensure that she will continue to be a name to reckon with as a singer and more importantly, as a songwriter.

Country music artists

In December 2005, country music superstar Garth Brooks made a handsome donation to Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital in his hometown of Yukon, Oklahoma. The main stipulation in the contract was that the hospital management must use the money to build a cancer treatment facility that will be named after Brooks’ mother, Colleen Brooks, who died from cancer in 1999. Now, the artist drew both criticism and support for suing the same hospital for of $500,000 for alleged breach of contract.

In reports aired over CNN affiliate in Oklahoma City, KOKH, the controversial lawsuit has been filed in the District Court of Rogers County, Oklahoma, which basically asks that the donation be returned because the original contract had not been honored by Integris management. According to the original agreement, the donation should have gone to the establishment of a medical facility named after Colleen Brooks. However, although the hospital has undertaken a $27 million dollar renovation, to date, the building is yet to be built and in fact, there are indications that it will not be built at all as originally intended.

The lawsuit mentions that hospital officials showed building models during the preliminary meetings around the time when the donation was made. However, when an inquiry was made, it was found that the management had only informed Brooks in a vague manner that the donation would be “earmarked” for future use. To these allegations, the hospital’s top management is confident that this was just a misunderstanding. Although Crowe and Dunlevy attorney Terry Thomas, who is part of a team representing the hospital, declined to comment further, a spokeswoman for Integris stated that the hospital management was fully “optimistic that it will come to a swift and amicable end.”

Not everyone, however, is in a conciliatory mode. City council member John Tipps said, “Yukon has done a lot to help promote Garth Brooks over the years, and this is what he does to return the favor, sue our hospital over a misunderstanding.” He further told the The Yukon Review, “Maybe Yukon should consider removing his name from the street signs and the water tower. This is very unfortunate for the hospital, City of Yukon and its citizens.”

Due to the controversial nature of the case, country music fans are also divided with regards to the issue. While there are those who believe that Brooks has all the right to sue for breach of contract, there are also those who believe that making a donation should not have entailed stipulations in the first place.

No matter what the public opinion is, Brooks seems to be heartbroken over the whole ordeal. According to Brooks’ spokesperson, “This is deeply personal. This deals with his mother, the hometown and the people he grew up with.” Nevertheless, the singer is apparently determined to do what is right.