GAC Album Review: Ricky Skaggs’ Music To My Ears

After more than 35 years as a professional musician, legendary bluegrass artist Ricky Skaggs is still driven to push his creative boundaries. The multiple CMA, ACM and GRAMMY-award winning singer, who was recently inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame, returns with a vibrant new collection set for release on September 25. Teaming [...] Read More

Top 10 Country Tweets of the Week

Country music stars sure love Twitter! Rascal Flatts’ Joe Don Rooney shows of his and son Jag’s father-son Halloween costume, Chris Young makes a Halloween mistake, Jake Owen teases his ‘scandalous’ new video and Blake Shelton turns serious to reflect on the song he and Miranda Lambert wrote about his brother. Here are our picks [...] Read More

New Artist Spotlight: The Dirt Drifters

By Bob Doerschuk © 2011 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc. Words like “gritty” come to mind when The Dirt Drifters take to the stage. Of course, there’s no shortage of grit out there, but something in the sound of this five-piece separates it from the pack. Maybe it’s the vivid [...] Read More

Country Stars React to CMA Nominations

Country’s biggest stars are reacting to yesterday’s announcement of the 45th Annual CMA Awards nominees. Taylor Swift, Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley and Jason Aldean lead the way with five nominations each. Taylor took to Twitter to thank both her fans and the CMA. “Thanks to you guys and the CMA voters, we got 5 CMA [...] Read More

Jennifer Nettles Returns as Host of CMA Country Christmas

Sugarland‘s Jennifer Nettles will return as host of the second CMA Country Christmas holiday special to air later this year. Featuring several of country’s biggest stars, this year’s concert will tape in front of a live audience on Thursday, November 10 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, the day after the 45th Annual CMA Music [...] Read More