Inside Music Row

Hitting number one with a song is a great thing for any artist, but it’s even more special when it’s a song you also wrote.  Dierks Bentley co-wrote “I Hold On” with his good friend Brett James, and as luck would have it…the song took the number one spot on the charts earlier this year.  This became the 11th career number one for Dierks as an artist and a songwriter, while it marked the 16th chart topper for Brett.  Kelly Lynn caught up with the writers at a party at Nashville’s Pour House to celebrate.

Hey there!  I'm Kelly Sutton.  We are so glad you’re here for another Inside Music Row!  We've got lots coming up on today’s show, so let’s get started!  Willie Nelson will release new material with Sony and Legacy Recordings next week.  “Band of Brothers” features 14 performances, plus nine brand-new songs.  Since October’s release of his last project “To All The Girls…”, which was Willie’s first top ten album in more than thirty years, fans have been anxious for more.  “Band of Brothers” is Willie’s first album of mostly new original material in almost twenty years.  Willie says “it’s good to be writing again,” and I’m sure his fans will agree.

Alan Jackson might be somewhat used to being at the top of the country charts, but his latest gospel album “Precious Memories Volume Two” was named Top Christian Album at the Billboard Music Awards.  This album was a follow up to his 2006 almost double platinum “Precious Memories” project, and is a collection of traditional hymns that Alan just wasn’t able to fit on the first album.  More than a year after its release, the new volume remains in the Top 50 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.

Average Joe’s Entertainment is now more than just a record label.  The premiere issue of “The Average Joes” full color comic book will hit stores July first.  The comic book features Colt Ford and his friends as superheroes selflessly saving the world and fighting crime in the name of justice.  Look for the new material available at Wal-Mart in Colt’s new album “Thanks For Listening” as well as other select outlets and live shows.

Lee Ann Womack has waited almost seven years to release new music, but that wait is almost over!  “The Way I’m Livin’” will arrive in stores September 23rd as her first release on Sugar Hill Records.  The high impact title track was just released to radio last week.

Now it's time to go Inside The Song.  Lee Anna Culp’s latest single is “Big Love,” which she came up with almost by accident.  Here is Lee Anna talking about that song, which asks some tough questions.

Amanda and Tyler Wilkinson have grown up in the music business.  As two-thirds of the group The Wilkinsons, they had plenty of success in the late 1990s with hits like “26 Cents” and “Fly.”  After following their dreams with other projects for a while, they are back together as a duo under the name Small Town Pistols.  We were able to hook up with them at a recent showcase in town to hear all about their new sound.  Here’s Kelly Lynn with more.

Twenty-five years after Roy Orbison celebrated the release of his final masterpiece “Mystery Girl,” Roy’s sons have put together a new package commemorating that special project.  Now “Mystery Girl Deluxe” brings together the album’s original ten songs, plus nine previously unreleased studio and work tape demos.  Also available in the set is a new one-hour documentary which includes rare archival footage of Roy in the studio.  Jennifer Vickery caught up with Roy’s boys Alex and Roy, Junior to talk about the amazing new project.

The Eli Young Band celebrated their very first number one hit in 20-11 with “Crazy Girl,” which went on to become the year-end number one song on the Billboard charts for that year.  They’ve since followed that up with a number one for “Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” and now their most recent chart-topping hit “Drunk Last Night.”  We caught up with the guys along with songwriters Laura Veltz and Josh Osborne at a party to celebrate that song’s success.

We are so glad you’ve joined us for another Inside Music Row!  We’ve got plenty of entertainment news for you this week, so let’s get started!  Miranda Lambert releases her new “Platinum” album this week, just in time for CMA Music Fest.  In just a few short weeks, she’ll hit the road on her new “Platinum” tour, presented by Crystal Light.  The new show will glitter with a platinum theme, and include hits from all five of her albums.  Miranda will hit up 30 cities across North America before wrapping September 20th in Honolulu.  I can just imagine the wrap party there!  Look for Justin Moore and Thomas Rhett to join her on select dates.

Brad Paisley will be all over the road this summer, and all over your television, too!  Brad is spending the summer out on tour on the new Country Nation World Tour, presented by Kraft Cheese.  He also has a new album set to launch August 26th, which includes his hit single “River Bank.”  Brad will also join Kesha and Ludacris along with host Josh Groban on the new ABC “Rising Star” singing competition series.  Look for the program to premiere Sunday, June 22nd, which is the first interactive music competition with the audience giving the final say in real time.  No matter where you look…Brad will be there.

Construction is coming along very well on the new Dreammore Resort at Dollywood in the Great Smoky Mountains.  The new resort will open next summer while the theme park celebrates its 30th anniversary.  Dolly recently released new renderings of the project, which has been a dream of hers for many years.

Now it's time to go “Inside The Song.”  Jo Dee Messina’s latest project shows off her versatility as an artist and as a writer, from country to rock to a little R-and-B.  We had a chance to talk to her about that new album, which includes the more soulful “Take It.”

CMA Music Fest is in full swing this week here in Nashville, but be on the lookout for tons of artists to hit the road again next week after spending a few days here in Music City.  Let’s take a quick look at who’s going where and when.

Jamie O’Neal took the country world by storm when she released “There Is No Arizona” back in the year 2000.  Since then, she’s expanded her experiences as a songwriter, producer, and record label owner, but she always kept that love of performing.  She’s back now with “Eternal,” her first new album in five years, which is a collection of songs that infuses country classics with fresh energy.  Kelly Lynn hooked up with Jamie to learn all about the new project, which hits stores this week.

Songwriters Ben Hayslip and Rhett Akins have tons of number one hits between the two of them, so when you add Jason Aldean to the mix…you’re almost guaranteed to have another big hit.  “When She Says Baby” is the latest single written by Ben and Rhett that was picked up by Jason, and sure enough…it took the top spot on the charts in no time.  We caught up with them at a party to celebrate that song’s success.  

Rascal Flatts has been entertaining fans now for over fifteen years, and they’ve accumulated tons of awards, number one hits, and platinum albums.  It’s refreshing to see they are not taking their previous successes for granted.  They are still doing everything they can possibly do to give back to their current generation of fans, while also appealing to a new generation.  We were able to hook up with the guys to talk about the new “Rewind” album, which went on sale earlier this month.  Here’s Kelly with more.

Hey there!  I'm Kelly Sutton.  We are so glad you’re here for another Inside Music Row!  We've got lots in store for you today, so let’s get started.  While Jake Owen is out on the road “Beachin’” this summer, he’ll also be recording documentary-style videos for “Days Of Gold” tour sponsor Discover Boating.  These personal stories will show how boating affects his life and music, and will be featured throughout the tour as “Stories of Discovery.”  As a native of Vero Beach, Florida, much of Jake’s life has been spent out on the water, so this seems to be a natural fit.

One year after the death of country music icon George Jones, the scholarship fund at Middle Tennessee State University bearing his name has raised over 170-thousand dollars.  The fund was established shortly after his passing, and will help many students get a quality college education.

Country star and television host Craig Morgan has set July 20th as the date for his eighth annual celebrity off-road trail ride and outdoor concert.  The family-friendly event will start with an autograph session with celebrity riders, and include a riding exhibition, group trail ride, lunch, and an outdoor show in Craig’s hometown of Dickson, Tennessee.  Proceeds will benefit the Dickson County Craig Morgan Foundation, which helps assist foster children in the area.

Kristian Bush, otherwise known as one half of the platinum-selling duo Sugarland, has reunited with longtime producer Byron Gallimore for his first-ever solo album.  Kristian is currently out on the road with his “Put Your Soul In It” tour, so time is quite limited to work on the new project, but look for the lead single to hit radio this summer on Byron’s own Streamsound Records.

It’s a little early to be thinking about holidays, but the Christmas For Kids charitable organization works throughout the year to bring Christmas joy to children throughout the Midstate.  The third annual Celebrity Golf Tournament brought out plenty of participants to raise money for the group, which helped over 400 children have a brighter holiday last year.

Now it's time to go Inside The Song.  Logan Brill has a track on her latest “Walking Wires” album called “Write It On Your Heart.”  We thought that was a great title, so we asked her where she got the idea for that song.