BLAKE SHELTON BEGINS ONE-WEEK COUNTDOWN FOR BODY LANGUAGE ALBUM RELEASE (5/21)

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Set to Headline NBC’s “Citi Music Series on TODAY” (5/21)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (May 13, 2021) – As the one-week countdown begins for the release of superstar Blake Shelton’s highly anticipated 12th studio album Body Language, the superstar is also gearing up for his headlining performance on NBC’s “Citi Music Series on TODAY.” Shelton is set to perform several songs spanning over the 8am, 9am, and 10am hours, including tracks from the new record and catalog fan favorites.
Body Language, a 12-song collection of standouts, includes his 28th career No.1 smash “Happy Anywhere” (with Gwen Stefani) and current Top 15 and climbing single “Minimum Wage.” Fans can pre-order the album HERE, also receiving a download of the two tracks as well as brand new ballad “Bible Verses” (LISTEN HERE). Written by up-and-coming songwriters Joe Fox, Andrew Peebles, and Brett Sheroky, the track has been described as one of Shelton’s “best songs in recent years” by Rolling Stone, stating, “the conflict in Shelton’s delivery is palpable.” See the full track listing below.
Of the new album, Shelton says, “We’ve been working on this record for years and certainly the pandemic slowed us down, but it’s probably the best process that I’ve had to make an album because you can’t live with them any longer than I’ve lived with these songs,” he says. “And I still feel as strongly as I do about them. That makes me have even more confidence in the record.”
Over the past 20 years since Shelton’s career launched, the superstar has cemented his place in country music history with more than 8.5 billion global on-demand streams, 11 million career album U.S. sales and award wins approaching the hundreds – all of which began with his debut single “Austin.” Just last month, Shelton celebrated the track’s 20th anniversary with a performance on the 56th ACM Awards (HERE) and a pre-order for a limited edition 7” “Austin” vinyl on his website (HERE). The vinyl features B-side track “Problems At Home” as it originally did almost two decades ago.
Shelton shows no signs of slowing down as his current single “Minimum Wage” approaches Top 10 on country radio. The superstar recently performed the track on the 56th ACM Awards (WATCH HERE) and CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (WATCH HERE), also chatting with Colbert about the song, his Super Bowl commercial appearance and his engagement (WATCH HERE).
Beyond his country music career, the multimedia entertainer has earned widespread recognition as a seven-time champion coach for the Emmy Award-winning television show The Voice. The NBC singing competition is serendipitously in its 20th season. Shelton, a long-time Grand Ole Opry member, has also found success in his Ole Red partnership with Ryman Hospitality, with restaurant and venue locations currently in Tishomingo, Nashville, Gatlinburg and Orlando.
BODY LANGUAGE TRACK LISTING
1.    Minimum Wage (Nicolle Galyon, Jesse Frasure, Corey Crowder)
2.    Body Language (feat. The Swon Brothers) (Colton Swon, Zach Swon, Matt McGinn, Ryan Beaver)
3.    Happy Anywhere (feat. Gwen Stefani) (Ross Copperman, Josh Osborne, Matt Jenkins)
4.    Now I Don’t (Jessi Alexander, Alysa Vanderheym, Michael Hardy)
5.    Monday Mornin’ Missin’ You (Jessi Alexander, Deric Ruttan, Josh Thompson)
6.    Corn (Craig Wiseman, Matt Dragstrem, Chris Tompkins, Rodney Clawon)
7.    Makin’ It Up As You Go (Brad Tursi, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
8.    Whatcha Doin’ Tomorrow (Dallas Davidson, Kyle Fishman, Casey Beathard)
9.    The Girl Can’t Help It (Ben Hayslip, Josh Osborne, Mark Holman)
10. The Flow (Shane McAnally, Ross Copperman, Josh Osborne)
11. Neon Time (Jaron Boyer, Michael Tyler, Ben West)
12. Bible Verses (Joe Fox, Andrew Peebles, Brett Sheroky)

Mother’s Day Video Card From Dobie Gray

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In 1972, legendary singer/songwriter and humanitarian Dobie Gray won a recording contract with Decca Records (shortly before it became part of MCA) to make an album with producer Mentor Williams—Paul William’s brother—in Nashville. Among the songs they recorded at the Quadrafonic Sound Studios, co-owned by session musicians Norbert Putnam and David Briggs, was Mentor Williams’ “Drift Away“. Released as a single, the song rose to #5 on the US pop chart and remains Dobie Gray’s signature song. It placed at #17 in the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1973, sold over 1 million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA on July 5, 1973. In the mid-1970s, he moved permanently to Nashville and signed for Capricorn Records, writing songs in collaboration with Troy Seals. He increasingly concentrated on songwriting, writing songs for a variety of artists including Ray Charles, George Jones, Johnny Mathis, Charley Pride, and Don Williams.

On his passing in 2011 Dobie left 100% of his musical assets and all royalties in a trust to benefit St. Jude Children Research Hospital and The Tennessee School for the Blind. Among his catalogue of songs is a touching tribute to his mother and all mothers, “In My Mother’s Eyes”. The Dobie Gray Trust released the song and video on YouTube in celebration of Mother’s Day.

Free to view and share, the proceeds from this video streaming will go to the Dobie Gray Trust to support the kids at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and The Tennessee School for the Blind.

Watch the video on YouTube:

Facebook: Dobie Gray Trust

Twitter: @DobieGray2

[email protected]

Paige King Johnson Releases Mother’s Day Tribute Single, “She Holds This House Together” For Her Mom

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Country music singer/songwriter Paige King Johnson has released a lyric video and music video for her latest single, “She Holds This House Together” written for her mom just in time for Mother’s Day. Behind beautiful words, the lyric video features Johnson enjoying a nice North Carolina afternoon reminiscing all that her mother has done for her and how thankful she is for the woman who has ‘held her house together.’ The music video is a collage of old photographs of Paige and her mother throughout the years. This heartwarming sentiment arrives just in time for Mother’s Day, as Paige pays tribute to the strong woman that she has become because of her mother’s example. “She Holds This House Together” reminds fans to show their appreciation to their mothers today and every day, and is available to stream and download on all digital services now.

Watch the lyric video premiered on Country Sway HERE.

Watch the Newsmax interview and video premiere HERE.

View the full music video premiered online on Digital Journal HERE.

“Sometimes it takes a while for a song to find its place in the world, and that is very much the case with ‘She Holds This House Together’. I wrote this song last June with my co-writer, Mike Astrachan, and we both loved the song the moment it was finished. This release is special to me because this song is very much a tribute to my sweet Momma, but also a tribute to all the other strong and selfless mothers out there that keep their family’s world spinning every day,” shares Paige.

Aside from dedicating sweet words in homage for all her mother has done for her in “She Holds this house together,” Johnson has been busy working on more new music that will be released this summer and has numerous tour dates scheduled in the south throughout the year. She will also be hosting her second annual ‘Country Yard Party‘ music festival in Angier, North Carolina on May 22. The show, with a promise to be even bigger than last year, provides a lively outdoor environment and introduces exciting young North Carolina talent, along with a stellar performance from Johnson herself.

For ticket information, please visit HERE.

“Paige King Johnson’s performance and tribute to mothers really encapsulates the true meaning and appreciation we should all have for moms everywhere,” Bernard Porter, Owner of PCG Artist Development Records.

Check out & share Paige King Johnson’s ‘Songs About Momma’ Spotify Playlist HERE!

To keep up with everything Paige King Johnson, visit HERE and follow the socials linked below.

ERIC CHURCH EARNS BACK-TO-BACK NO. 1 DEBUTS ON THE ALL-GENRE BILLBOARD TOP ALBUM SALES CHART AS SOUL REPLACES HEART IN THE TOP SPOT

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All Three Albums from the Heart & Soul Project Remain in the Top 10 as Current Single “Hell Of A View” Hits Top 5 at Country Radio

Church Also Tops the All-Genre Artist 100 Chart & Becomes First Country Artist to Simultaneously Occupy the Top Two Spots on the Vinyl Albums Chart

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As critical acclaim for Eric Church’s new triple album Heart & Soul continues to roll in, the 10-time GRAMMY nominee is also making waves atop the Billboard charts. Not only does the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year replace himself atop the all-genre Top Album Sales chart, as Soul takes over the No. 1 spot following Heart’s chart-topping debut last week, he also continues to occupy three of the Top 10 spots with the expansive project: Heart at No. 9, the fan-club exclusive & at No. 3 and Soul at No. 1.

In addition, Church sits atop the all-genre Billboard Artist 100 chart while also becoming the first country artist to simultaneously occupy the top two spots on the Billboard Vinyl Albums chart since its inception in 2011, with Soul and & at No. 1 and 2 respectively. Meanwhile at radio, his current single “Hell Of A View” off the Soul album also enters the Top 5 on the Mediabase chart.

The ambitious triple project has received glowing reviews from fans and critics alike, with Variety celebrating Church as “a flexible, emotional singer whose songwriting and curatorial skills go beyond country’s current crop of boys-own crooners, with an experimental edge, but without forgetting its traditions” while Rolling Stone praises the “urgent, seat-of-your-pants records,” noting that “the Nashville maverick delivers his biggest, boldest statement.”

“The albums feature some of the most liberating and freewheeling work of the 44-year-old country star’s career,” adds Entertainment Weekly, reflecting that “the three-part project also reflects the lightning-in-a-bottle energy of the sessions that made it.”

Church also plans to take that energy to the road this fall for his appropriately titled The Gather Again Tour. As part of what Billboard described as “Church’s crusade to get fans vaccinated – and bring concerts back,” he has planned a 55-city run of full-capacity arena dates through the U.S. and Canada, kicking off this September in Lexington, Ky. and wrapping in May 2022 at New York City’s iconic Madison Square Garden. Church Choir pre-sales begin tomorrow, May 4, with tickets on sale to the general public beginning this Friday, May 7. A full list of dates is available HERE.

For more information, visit www.ericchurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter @ericchurch and Instagram @ericchurchmusic.

Dierks Bentley and Fancy Hagood visit The Doctors and give back to Music Health Alliance

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Nashville, TN — May 5, 2021 — Multi-Platinum entertainer Dierks Bentley and Singer/Songwriter Fancy Hagood recently appeared on The Doctors to talk about how Music Health Alliance is “a game-changer” for the music community and how the non-profit has provided aid to musicians during the pandemic as well as the destructive tornadoes that devastated parts of Tennessee last year.

Based in Nashville, MHA has provided free healthcare advocacy and support to more than 15,000 music industry members across 48 states in the non-profit’s first eight years – songwriters, musicians, performers, producers, engineers, venue operators, artist managers, agents, publishers, business managers, and more – by providing access to medicine, mental health resources, COVID-19 relief, diagnostic tests, lifesaving transplants, end of life care and many other necessary services, saving more than $60,000,000 in healthcare costs for the nationwide music community in less than a decade. Entirely funded through grants and individual and corporate donations, financial support from the music community is critical to continue MHA’s advocacy and free services. For every $1 donation, MHA is able to provide $30 in life-saving healthcare resources to Heal The Music.

Celebrate the spirit of giving and collaboration and support our music community by making a donation to Music Health Alliance today during The Big Payback HERE.

MHA fights so those in our industry never have to feel alone in a health crisis and removes obstacles so patients can receive lifesaving care. Its services are free to any person who has worked in the music industry for three or more years or who has credited contributions to 4 commercially released recordings or videos. Spouses, partners, and children of qualifying individuals may also receive access to the non-profit’s services from birth to end of life.
To learn more about Music Health Alliance’s free services,
contact MHA at 615-200-6896 or [email protected]
Request assistance: musichealthalliance.com/request-assistance
Donate to Music Health Alliance: musichealthalliance.com/donate-to-heal
Sign up for the free newsletter: http://bit.ly/StayConnectedMHA

JUSTIN MOORE GOES BACK TO HIS ROOTS — STRAIGHT OUTTA THE COUNTRY OUT NOW VIA THE VALORY MUSIC CO.

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NASHVILLE, TN (April 22, 2021) – Multi-PLATINUM selling Country artist JUSTIN MOORE releases a collection of eight traditional Country songs on STRAIGHT OUTTA THE COUNTRY, available everywhere today, Friday, April 23 via The Valory Music Co. Featuring co-writes with Rhett Akins, Casey Beathard, Randy Montana, HARDY and others, each song finds Moore embracing his signature Arkansas-twang, evoking nostalgia for his own rural upbringing.

“It goes without saying that I’m thrilled to have a chance to put out a new project. In a window of time where we have all searched for bright spots to cling to, STRAIGHT OUTTA THE COUNTRY has certainly been one for me,” shares Moore. “We have had this music in our hip pocket since we released LATE NIGHTS AND LONGNECKS and were looking for the perfect time to release it. To me, this feels like a continuation of that album that I think fans will be able to hear.”

The new music features his latest single “We Didn’t Have Much,” plus an acoustic version of the Top 25-and-climbing track. Listen to Jeremy Stover-produced collection STRAIGHT OUTTA THE COUNTRY here: https://justinmoore.lnk.to/StraightOuttaTheCountryPR.

“I’m hopeful everyone is as excited to hear new music as we are to put it out, and I look forward to everyone hearing it. Though, I mostly look forward to everyone seeing it out on tour soon,” Moore continues. “Well and safe wishes to everyone from deep in the heart of our biggest cities to the ones straight outta the country.”

Moore is back to live shows with a tour sponsored by Bobcat Company in major markets across the United States. For tickets and more information, visit justinmooremusic.com/tour.

STRAIGHT OUTTA THE COUNTRY TRACKLIST:
1. Hearing Things (Rhett Akins, Kelly Archer, Chris Stevens)
2. Consecutive Days Alive (Casey Beathard, Monty Criswell, Jeremy Stover)
3. We Didn’t Have Much (Paul DiGiovanni, Randy Montana, Jeremy Stover)*
4. She Ain’t Mine No More (Justin Moore, Paul DiGiovanni, Jamie Paulin, Jeremy Stover)
5. More Than Me (Justin Moore, Paul DiGiovanni, Chase McGill, Jeremy Stover)+
6. Straight Outta The Country (Michael Hardy, Cam Montgomery, Josh Thompson)
7. You Keep Getting Me Drunk (Rhett Akins, Kelly Archer, Paul DiGiovanni)
8. We Didn’t Have Much – Acoustic (Paul DiGiovanni, Randy Montana, Jeremy Stover)
* Produced by Jeremy Stover & Scott Borchetta
+ Produced by Jeremy Stover & Paul Digiovanni

Listen to Top 25 Single “We Didn’t Have Much” Here

Ryan Kinder Runs The Country Music Gamut On Debut Room To Dream Two new singles “Hell Is” and “Blame” available now; Album out July 31st

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April 23, 2021 – Nashville, TN – “It’s a riff-roaring rock with a sweet side of Southern soul.” That’s how country music’s newest renaissance man Ryan Kinder describes the sound of his debut album Room To Dream, and he’s certainly not wrong. In the age of fitting a mold, Kinder has preserved the influences and nuances which set him apart from the crowd on his road warrior ascent to streaming stardom. Room To Dream leaves distinctive space for the fuzz-laden guitar licks and the feel-good drum programming; Kinder’s signature blend that has attracted droves of fans through exceptional musicianship and electrifying live shows. Yesterday, fans were treated to sneak peeks of two songs from Room To Dream ahead of its July 31st release.
Yesterday, Sounds Like Nashville premiered “Hell Is,” a radio-ready heartbreaker inspired by an argument overheard in a YMCA locker room. Kinder remembers, “I began writing on my Notes app on my phone immediately and brought what I wrote into the session I had that day with Kevin Bard and Clare Dunn.” “‘Hell Is’ brings to life the raw, agonizing emotions that follow a heartbreak,” the Sounds Like Nashville article reads. “With its genre-blurring arrangement, Kinder’s soul-crying delivery is augmented as he recounts his insufferable emotional state.” On the other hand—and further illustrating the ground Kinder covers on Room To Dream—Raised Rowdy shared a video for “Blame,” a huge-sounding, guitar-laden rocker driven along with stomps, claps, and thick background vocals. Raised Rowdy praised the track, stating, “It’s loud, hits hard, and gets your attention from the start,” before claiming, “the track highlights just how powerful his vocals truly are while giving listeners a taste for his range at the same time.” Fans can hear both of these singles now at this link.
Kinder’s “dream” started way back on a family vacation in Destin when he was roused from a backseat nap by his mom’s John Mayer CD. “As a kid, so many things can catch your interest, and they’re fleeting, but this enraptured me. I was locked into these lyrics,” he remembers. “I took the record from her and listened to it and listened to it.” The encounter inevitably led to a switch to guitar class in middle school and hours on hours of learning to play on a borrowed instrument. Eventually, Kinder got his own guitar and started building his momentum by playing local bar gigs before he was of age. His dad would sit by the door with the bouncer while his mother slept in a booth because she worked the early shift of a nursing job.
Things started moving quickly after that. When Kinder enrolled in college in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, he carved out a schedule of going to class on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, then playing gigs on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Then on Sunday, he’d drive up to Nashville to write songs with his mentor, Nashville producer Keith Stegall (Alan Jackson, George Jones, Zac Brown Band), and other songwriters before driving back to Alabama on Monday afternoon to start the whole cycle again. A couple of unfortunately short-lived record deals came and went before Kinder secured the opening slot on a huge tour with some of his heroes; ZZ Top and John Fogerty. It was on that tour that Fogerty gave Kinder a piece of advice that’s carried him steadily through to today. “Don’t play to the empty seats,” he imparted. “It took me a couple of days to figure out what he was talking about,” Kinder says, “and it was as simple as playing to the people who are there, who care enough to come early and hear the guy that nobody knows about. I think about that every time I go on stage.”
Today, Kinder is a proudly independent artist and he’s ready to share Room To Dream. “I had a lot of time to figure out what I wanted to do after a certain time in my life, and all these songs came together with different aspects of who I was when I wrote them,” he concludes. “It was a beautiful realization that some of the bad things and not-so-fun situations led to the opportunity for me to have the room to dream, and to really be myself.”
Room To Dream Tracklist:
Something
Hell Is
Room To Dream
Tangled Up
Blame
Southbound
Want
Friends
Jane
Nothing But Time

RHYTHM, REBELLION AND RESPECT RATTLE ERIC CHURCH’S SOUL

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year and 10-time GRAMMY nominee Eric Church continues to give fans new music with today’s release of Soul, the third chapter of his critically acclaimed Heart & Soul trilogy. Featuring nine songs, including current Top 10 single “Hell Of A View,” the album is the final installment of music from his now-famous sequestered session in rural North Carolina early last year.

“The thing that made it three projects, to me, was the songs grouped together differently,” Church recently explained to Rolling Stone regarding his decision to split the music into a triple album. “Once they started grouping up is when I truly saw the project. Before that, I loved the recordings… but I couldn’t figure out: what is this? I think a listening experience should be condensed; this is what it is – it’s meant to be done and then you move to the next one – and I think that’s where we came up with the three albums.”

The full three-part project has already garnered significant praise from fans and critics alike, with The Wall Street Journal noting “Eric Church and company have stepped up to the challenge of delivering more than a double album’s worth of pointed, memorable recordings for tough times, with frankness, hope – and engaging sounds.”

“Heart & Soul is a concept record of sorts,” adds Rolling Stone in the lead review of the April print magazine, “about the everlasting power of music – the music he makes and the music he loves, which spans the gamut from the Doors to Bobbie Gentry to Elvis and Guns N’ Roses.”

Indeed, even within the themed grouping of Soul tracks, Church offers a breadth of musical influences and deliveries, with Billboard proclaiming that “each song tells its own full, vivid story with no word or note wasted.”

Opener “Rock & Roll Found Me” is a direct reflection of the immensely creative state Church found himself in during the monthlong consistency of producing new song ideas daily. The song’s title was inspired by a single line from the “Rocketman” Elton John biopic, which Church watched with his family in an attempted reset between scheduled writes.

“There’s a line when he stands up and he says, ‘I was however many years old when rock and roll found me,’” Church notes. “As soon as I heard it, I asked my wife to pause the movie and I picked up a guitar that was beside me and wrote ‘Rock & Roll Found Me.’ That’s all it took – I was so in tune with creativity at that point in time that it was all I needed to hear for a song to pour out of me.”

From rebellious numbers “Break It Kind Of Guy” and “Bad Mother Trucker” to funky, playful takes on romance in “Look Good And You Know It” and “Where I Wanna Be,” as well as bare-boned ballads “Bright Side Girl,” “Jenny” and “Lynyrd Skynyrd Jones,” each track further reveals the results of Church’s uniquely creative writing and recording process.

Fans can hear these new songs and more as Church’s longstanding SiriusXM show, Outsiders Radio, takes over Y2Kountry on SiriusXM Channel 61 for the second straight weekend (starting today, April 23, and running through this Sunday, April 25). In addition to sharing brand new songs from Soul, the programming will also feature music from Church’s personal playlist as well as live shows recorded during past tours.

Church plans to hit the road for a brand new tour this fall, appropriately titled The Gather Again Tour. As part of what Billboard described as “Church’s crusade to get fans vaccinated – and bring concerts back,” he has planned a 55-city run of full-capacity arena dates through the U.S. and Canada, kicking off this September in Lexington, Ky. and wrapping in May 2022 at New York City’s iconic Madison Square Garden. Church Choir pre-sales begin Tuesday, May 4 with tickets on sale to the general public beginning Friday, May 7. A full list of dates is available HERE.

For more information, visit www.ericchurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter @ericchurch and Instagram @ericchurchmusic.

Soul Track List
Lyrics linked HERE, songwriters in parentheses
1. Rock & Roll Found Me (Eric Church, Casey Beathard, Driver Williams)
2. Look Good And You Know It (Eric Church, Jonathan Singleton, Travis Meadows)
3. Bright Side Girl (Eric Church, Jeff Hyde, Scotty Emerick, Clint Daniels)
4. Break It Kind Of Guy (Eric Church, Casey Beathard, Luke Dick)
5. Hell Of A View (Eric Church, Casey Beathard, Monty Criswell)
6. Where I Wanna Be (Eric Church, Casey Beathard, Jeremy Spillman, Ryan Tyndell)
7. Jenny (Eric Church)
8. Bad Mother Trucker (Eric Church, Casey Beathard, Luke Dick, Jeremy Spillman)
9. Lynyrd Skynyrd Jones (Casey Beathard)

About Eric Church
Reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year and 10-time GRAMMY nominee Eric Church has spent the past year-plus releasing new music at a relentless pace; providing a glimpse into the marathon session during which he spent nearly a month writing and recording a song per day – including current Top 10 single “Hell of a View” – while sequestered in rural North Carolina. The resulting project, his critically acclaimed new triple album, Heart & Soul, is available now.

Just as unique as Church’s approach to recording and releasing music is his tenacity on the road. During his most recent outing, 2019’s Double Down Tour, Church played back-to-back nights of two unique shows in each market sans opening act, giving every city’s fans six-plus hours of his iconic music. The tour also featured a massive stop at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, where he broke the venue’s concert attendance record with more than 56,000 fans in attendance and became the first artist to sell out the venue with a solo lineup. Church also took to the field at Tampa Bay’s Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, February 7 to perform the National Anthem with R&B star Jazmine Sullivan ahead of Super Bowl LV and will return to the road for The Gather Again Tour this fall.

A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner, and 10-time GRAMMY nominee, Church has amassed a passionate fanbase around the globe known as the Church Choir as well as a critically acclaimed catalog of music. His previous album, Desperate Man, earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album (his third nod in the category) and produced his most recent No. 1 hit, “Some Of It.” Additional releases include the Platinum-certified Sinners Like Me (“How ’Bout You,” “Guys Like Me”), Carolina (“Smoke a Little Smoke,” “Love Your Love the Most”) and Mr. Misunderstood (“Record Year,” “Round Here Buzz”), the Double-Platinum certified The Outsiders (“Like a Wrecking Ball,” “Talladega”) and the 3x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 22 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified singles.

DEVIN DAWSON DELIVERS AN EXCITING FULL-BAND SET WITH THE PINK SLIP EP LIVE, AVAILABLE NOW

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (April 23, 2021) – For an artist such as Devin Dawson, destined for sold-out arena tours filled with eager and engaged fans, nothing tops the feeling of performing live. Getting his start in a heavy metal band, Dawson is well acquainted with putting on a compelling performance, which he is now delivering to fans digitally with The Pink Slip EP Live (LISTEN HERE). The six-song collection was recorded during a full-band, no-audience set in Nashville, TN last year to keep live music alive during COVID-19.

“In a year where live music was pretty much wiped off the face of the earth, this EP was a muse for my creative heart,” explained Dawson. “We recorded this project in late August 2020, still in the middle of the ‘unknown’ and dreadfully missing the connection of an audience and the one of a kind feeling of playing live. This was the first time my band and I had played these songs since we finished recording them earlier that year and was the first time I had really sang in months. The first time I got to have a taste of the ‘live show feeling’ that I had probably taken for granted. I’m so glad we got to immortalize this moment. It will always remind me how lucky I am to be an artist, to be able to play live, and to be surrounded by the best band and fans in the world.”

The Pink Slip EP (LISTEN HERE) was released this past January and was the first new music from the Warner Music Nashville / Atlantic Records artist since his critically acclaimed debut album, Dark Horse, building on the edgy confidence he had pioneered. Sounds Like Nashville raved about the EP, stating it “boasts an overall vibrant and effervescent sound, perfect with pop-leaning production and storytelling that’s authentically country,” with Taste of Country claiming “Dawson has always been a solid lyricist, but under the watch of producer Jay Joyce, he’s proving that his sound can successfully expand.” Entering a new headspace filled with hope, he delivered his anything-is-possible truth in the six songs that Billboard described as “a more uplifting direction,” going on to say “it suits him.”

Dawson most recently topped the charts again as a featured artist alongside Lauren Alaina on HARDY’s “One Beer,” which received a nomination for Music Event of the Year at the 56th ACM Awards. This follows the massive success of his GRAMMY-nominated, ACM and CMA Single of the Year, “God’s Country,” that he co-wrote for superstar Blake Shelton. The multi-week No. 1 also landed Dawson his first-ever ACM and CMA award nominations for Song of the Year, adding to his previously earned nods from the ACM, CMT Music, Radio Disney, BMI and MusicRow Awards.

Called “one of country music’s most tender and articulate wordsmiths” by The Tennessean, the acclaimed singer/songwriter has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, ELLEN and TODAY in addition to receiving overwhelming critical praise from outlets such as HUFFPO, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Entertainment Weekly, People, ELLE, AXS, HITS and more. The Nor-Cal native has also toured with major label artists including Maren Morris, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and label-mates Brett Eldredge and Dan + Shay.

COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME MEMBER RAY STEVENS’ SLOW DANCE AVAILABLE TODAY

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Nashville, Tenn. (April 23, 2021) — Country Music Hall of Fame member Ray Stevens has released his third album of 2021, and it’s only April! The new twelve-track record of love songs, Slow Dance, released today via Curb Records.

On Slow Dance, Stevens reimagines the most treasured love songs of yesteryear, but the way he would have recorded them. Fans will recognize the beloved songs like “I’ll See You In My Dreams,” “Stardust,” “This Is All I Ask,” and “What A Wonderful World” but will be surprised by the way the comedic legend delicately reconstructs each meticulously chosen track.

“There are certain songs that fit the moment, and to make up this Slow Dance collection, I have chosen the ones that I remember best or that cause a bit of nostalgia to creep in when I hear them,” explains Stevens.

Dropping four albums in total this spring, the fourth and final album, Nouveau Retro (What’s Old Is New Again), drops on May 21.

On June 18, fans can purchase all four new albums — Great Country Ballads, Melancholy Fescue (High Class Bluegrass), Slow Dance, and Nouveau Retro (What’s Old Is New Again) — all together in a special-edition box set, Iconic Songs of the 20th Century (The Soundtrack of Our Lives).

Slow Dance is available now through all digital platforms. Click here to stream/download now.

For more information on Ray Stevens, his new albums, and the special-edition box set, visit raystevens.com.

Slow Dance Track Listing:
1. Only You (And You Alone)
2. Unforgettable
3. Make Believe / It’s Only Make Believe (Medley)
4. The Great Pretender
5. I’ll See You In My Dreams
6. (Swaying To The Music) Slow Dancing
7. Answer Me
8. Stardust
9. As Usual
10. Dream
11. This Is All I Ask
12. What A Wonderful World

About Ray Stevens
Twelve-time nominated and two-time GRAMMY® Award winner Ray Stevens has spanned the generations with more than 60 years of comedic musical talent, including songs such as his multi-million selling hit “The Streak” and his classic pop standard “Everything Is Beautiful.” Throughout his career, Stevens has sold more than 40 million albums. In 2018, the music legend opened his very own Nashville entertainment venue, the CabaRay Showroom, a 35,000 square foot music venue where, during non-COVID-19 times, Stevens performs weekly live concerts. He is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, has a star on the Music City Walk of Fame, and was formally inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in the fall of 2019.

For more information on Ray Stevens, visit raystevens.com.