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Ava Rowland Releases Music Video for Latest Single “Love Away The Lonely”

Ava Rowland Love Away The Lonely

“Love Away The Lonely ” Available to Download and Stream

Rising country singer/songwriter Ava Rowland shows off her playful side with the release of her music video for her latest single, “Love Away The Lonely“. Ava lures her past love back onto the scene, proving there’s no need to be alone when she’s always around as a shoulder to lean on. The high-spirited video channels retro style with ’70s aesthetics, bright colors, lava lamps, record players, and more! “Love Away The Lonely” was premiered by Sounds Like Nashville and is available to download and stream!


Here is Ava’s premiere with Sounds Like Nashville.

“I’m excited to share my single and music video for Read more →


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MICHAEL W. SMITH, CARRIE UNDERWOOD ON “CMA COUNTRY CHRISTMAS”

Carrie Underwood Michael W. Smith CMA Country Christmas
Carrie Underwood Michael W. Smith CMA Country Christmas

Michael W. Smith (l) and Carrie Underwood perform during “CMA Country Christmas” airing Monday, Dec. 1 on the ABC Television Network. Photo Credit: John Russell / CMA

NASHVILLE – Carrie Underwood makes her “CMA Country Christmas” debut with a special duet with Michael W. Smith during this year’s holiday special. Hosted by Jennifer Nettles, “CMA Country Christmas” airs Read more →


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CMA COUNTRY CHRISTMAS HOSTED BY JENNIFER NETTLES

Country Christmas

jennifer nettles host cma country christmasTickets Available For CMA Country Christmas

Two-Hour Special Tapes Friday, Nov. 7 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville Featuring Performances By Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge, Sara Evans, Lucy Hale, Hunter Hayes, Little Big Town, Idina Menzel, Nettles, LeAnn Rimes, Michael W. Smith, and Carrie Underwood

Nashville Audience Encouraged to Bring an Unwrapped Toy to the Taping to Make the Holidays Brighter for Children in Need

Listen to Jennifer Nettles talk about hosting this years event below.

NASHVILLE – Some of the most powerful and emotionally moving voices in music come together to celebrate the holidays on “CMA Country Christmas,” which tapes in front of a live audience Friday, Nov. 7 (7:30 PM/CT), at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. The special, which features Jennifer Nettles hosting for the fifth year, airs this holiday season on the ABC Television Network. Read more →



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Kayla Calabrese – New Artist Spotlight – CMA Close Up interview

kayla calabrese

Kayla CalabreseYou can thank the CVS drugstore chain for getting Kayla Calabrese excited about Country Music. After all, she was born in Pine Beach, N.J., far from the nearest ranch or honky-tonk. Her family is pure Italian-American. Though she definitely enjoyed singing, Calabrese grew up dreaming more of being a doctor than a Country crooner.

All of that changed when she and her mother took part in a scavenger hunt for tickets to a Martina McBride concert in Reading, Pa. Amazingly, they beat everyone else to the CVS pharmacy where the prize was hidden behind some greeting cards. With that, a new dream took shape.

At 17, Calabrese made the pilgrimage to Nashville. There, she earned a nursing degree from Belmont University, worked at Baptist Hospital and taught gymnastics. She also met Kent Wells, who mentored her as she began writing songs and produced her as she recorded her debut EP.

The self-titled results were released digitally by Go Time Records in September. As co-writer on all six tracks, Calabrese shows that she knows how to come up with a hook and, as a singer, drive it home. With McBride and Carrie Underwood evident among her influences, she shines against powerful instrumental backdrops.

On the power ballad “Kiss Me,” which she wrote with Tami Hinesh, the message rolls out over muscular guitar arpeggios. It’s Calabrese’s buoyant delivery that bats this single all the way from the Jersey shore into the heart of Country.

kayla calabreseIN HER OWN WORDS

MUSICAL HERO

“Martina McBride.”

ALBUM ON YOUR PLAYLIST

“Right now, it’s Sara Bareilles, The Blessed Unrest.”

DREAM DUET PARTNERS

“Martina McBride and Idina Menzel.”

MOMENT YOU WISH YOU COULD RELIVE

“I don’t really believe in regrets. Everything happens for a reason. I am where I am today because of the decisions I have made.”

TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Believe. It’s my favorite word.”

On the Web: www.KaylaCalabrese.com

On Twitter: @KaylaCalabrese

 

By Bob Doerschuk

© 2014 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.


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2013 CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL FIRST ARTISTS ANNOUNCED TO PERFORM

cma music festival

Nashville’s Signature Music Event Benefits Music Education And Will Once Again Be Filmed for ABC Television Special

luke bryan 2013 CMA Music Festival

NASHVILLE – The one-of-a-kind, award-winning 2013CMA Music Festival takes over downtown Nashville for four days this summer, Thursday through Sunday, June 6-9, with a star-packed lineup that includes Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Carrie Underwood, and more artists to be announced soon.

The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience began in 1972 as Fan Fair®, bringing 5,000 fans to Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. More than 40 years later, the legendary festival has become the city’s signature music event, which annually attracts tens of thousands of fans from all 50 states and around the globe and has raised millions of dollars for music education. The event will once again be filmed for an ABC Television special airing later in the summer, shining a national spotlight on both Country Music and Music City.

lady antebellum 2013 CMA Music Festival“What an exciting lineup – and we are just getting started,” said Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “Ticket sales are stronger than ever and we are always researching and developing ways to enhance the Festival experience for our attendees and the artists who continue this time-honored tradition of giving back to the fans.”

Bryan was nominated for CMA Male Vocalist and Album of the Year for tailgates & tanlines and will launch his first headline tour, the “Dirt Road Diaries Tour,” this week. Bryan last performed at CMA Music Festival in 2012, where he also co-hosted the “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” special on ABC last summer.

Platinum-selling group Lady Antebellum, made up of members Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, and Hillary Scott, has won seven CMA Awards, including Vocal Group (2009-2011), Single (2009 for “I Run to You” and 2010 for “Need You Now,” which also earned them an additional Award for producing), and New Artist of the Year (2008). They last performed at the Festival in 2012.

carrie underwood 2013 CMA Music FestivalReigning CMA Vocal Group of the Year, Little Big Town – consisting of members Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook – has received a career total of 11 CMA Award nominations and two wins in 2012 for Single of the Year for “Pontoon” and their first Vocal Group of the Year trophy.

A five-time CMA Award winner, Underwood will also perform on the Nightly Concerts at LP Field during 2013 CMA Music Festival. Underwood has won three CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Awards (2006-2008); and has co-hosted the CMA Awards for the last five 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 2012.

Fans can purchase 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 $125 to $350 plus handling fees. A limited number of four-day parking passes for LP Field are also available (parking is not included in the Festival ticket price), ranging from $60 for Cars to $140 for an RV/Motorcoach, plus handling fees.

Ticket and parking prices are subject to change without notice. All sales are final and non-refundable. Four-day ticket pricing corresponds to seating levels 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 and of course see the entire lineup of Country Music’s biggest stars as they are announced in the coming weeks.

CMA Music Festival celebrates the unique relationship between Country Music artists and their fans in the heart of Music City. 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 $6.1 million has been donated to purchase musical instruments and supplies, providing thousands of students with the resources and opportunities they could not have afforded on their own, and giving many of them the motivation to remain in school. The total also includes a $1 million endowment 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 the donation from the 2012 CMA Music Festival in February.

Featuring concerts, autograph signings, family activities, and more, CMA Music Festival is an unparalleled celebration of America’s music.

In 2012, more than 450 artists performed more than 200 hours of concerts. The event drew a record 71,000 fans daily from all 50 states and 24 nations and for the third consecutive year sold out each nightly concert at LP Field. According to the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, direct visitor spending generated by the Festival totaled more than $35 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 10th consecutive year that the event has been filmed for a network television special, a feat no other music festival has achieved. “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” will be executive-produced by Robert Deaton.

CMA Music Festival is organized and produced by the Country Music Association. Fan Fair® is a registered trademark of CMA. Chevrolet™ is the Official Ride of Country Music. Transitions Optical; The Official Eyewear of the CMA Music Festival.