Wynonna Offers Sneak Peek Of Her First New Song Off New Album

Wynonna of The Judds fame has just offered fans a sneak peek of her first single off of her new album, Sing. The title track off the new album can be heard be calling her "mobile mob" phone line.

Wynonna says, "I want you to be the first to hear music off my new album, Sing! Call me right now at 615.823.5578 to join my Mozes mob and get your exclusive advance listen."

Trace Atkins Partners With Clint Eastwood To Assist Veterans

A Hollywood great and a country music icon have volunteered their time to film spots in support of The Honor Flight Network, which is a nonprofit organization that arranges and finances trips for America's veterans to visit their war memorials in Washington, D.C.

Clint Eastwood and Trace Adkins each filmed a 60-second spot to help raise money for honor flights. The spots will air before feature films at over 1,600 movie theatres nationwide. Each spot ends by encouraging audience members to donate to the program.

"When we first envisioned this project, Clint Eastwood and Trace Adkins were at the top of our wish list," said Earl Morse, President and Co-Founder of the Honor Flight Network. "Both are widely known for their outstanding support of our nation's veterans. We are amazed and humbled that they agreed to participate."

Eastwood, an Army veteran himself, has directed two World War II dramas, Flags of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima.

"The brave men and women of the military who served their country with honor deserve to see the memorials that honor them," Eastwood said. "I'm happy to play a role in hopefully raising funds and awareness for this noble cause."

Adkins has charted more than 25 singles on the Billboard country music charts. One of his most powerful songs, "Arlington," is about Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting-place of a quarter of a million of America's veterans.

"With the song Arlington, I've been fortunate enough to connect with many of our nation's veterans," Adkins said. "They've given me much more than I could ever give them. That's why I was happy to participate in this project when approached about it."

The Honor Flight Network has taken almost 20,000 veterans to the WWII memorial and has over 8,000 more on a waiting list. Top priority is given to World War II survivors and terminally ill veterans.

"There's a real urgency to this," Morse explained. "Unfortunately, we are losing thousands of our World War II veterans every day. With the support of Mr. Eastwood and Mr. Adkins, we hope we will be able to fill the need before too much time is lost."

The Honor Flight Network was conceived by Earl Morse, a physician assistant and retired Air Force captain. The inaugural Honor Flight took place in May 2005. Six small planes flew out of Springfield, Ohio, taking 12 World War II veterans on a visit to their memorial in Washington, D.C. In August 2005, an ever-expanding waiting list of veterans led the group to transition to commercial airline carriers. Jeff Miller, from Hendersonville, North Carolina, later developed a chartered flight program with the same goal, called HonorAir. In early 2007, the two combined programs to form the Honor Flight Network. The group's goal is to assist every veteran in America, who is willing and able to get on a plane or a bus, in getting to their memorial.

Happy Birthday To Little Jimmy Dickens- 88 Years Young

That Nashville Sound wishes Little Jimmy Dickens a warm birthday wish for today, his 88th birthday.

You can watch a young Dickens and a young June Carter Cash do a skit for television nearly 50 years ago here.

A regular at the Grand Ole Opry for almost sixty years, Dickens is famous for his humorous novelty songs, his small size, 4'11", and his rhinestone-studded outfits.

Dickens' musical career began in the late 1930s, when he began performing on a local radio station while attending West Virginia University. He soon quit school to pursue a full-time music career, and travelled the country performing on various local radio stations under the name "Jimmy the Kid."

In 1948 Dickens was heard performing on a radio station in Saginaw, Michigan, by Roy Acuff, who introduced him to Art Satherley at Columbia Records and officials from the Grand Ole Opry. Dickens signed with Columbia in September and joined the Grand Ole Opry in August. Around this time he began using the nickname "Little Jimmy Dickens," a name inspired by his height of 4 feet 11 inches.

Dickens recorded many novelty songs for Columbia around this time, including "Country Boy," "A-Sleeping at the Foot of the Bed" and "I'm Little But I'm Loud." His song "Take an Old Cold Tater (And Wait)" inspired Hank Williams to nickname him "Tater."

In 1950 he formed the Country Boys with musicians Jabbo Arrington, Grady Moore and Bob Moore. In 1957 he left the Grand Ole Opry to tour with the Philip Morris Country Music Show.
In 1962 Dickens released "The Violet and the Rose," his first top ten single in twelve years. During 1964 he became the first country artist to circle the globe while on tour, and also made numerous TV appearances including The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Around this time he released his biggest hit, "May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose," reaching number one in the country charts and number fifteen in the pop charts.

In the late 1960s he left Columbia for Decca Records, before moving again to United Artists in 1971. That same year he married his wife, Mona, and in 1975 he returned to the Grand Ole Opry. In 1983 Dickens was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Recently Dickens has made appearances in a number of music videos by fellow country musician and West Virginia native Brad Paisley. He has also been featured on several of Paisley's albums in bonus comedy tracks along with other Opry mainstays such as George Jones and Bill Anderson. They are collectively referred to as the Kung-Pao Buckaroos.

Up And Coming New Nashville- James Dupre (With Exclusive Interview)

Long live the underdog!

James Dupre is a country singer/songwriter from Bayou Chicot, Louisiana. With a unique style that follows traditional country music with a hint of folk rock influence, he is inspired by artists like Jackson Browne, Randy Travis, Vince Gill, Waylon Jennings, Alison Krauss, and Keith Whitley. While he pursues his music career, he works as an EMT-Paramedic for Acadian Ambulance Service and resides in Eunice, Louisiana with his wife Kristen and three sons, Paul, Topher and Nickie.

In the past year, James has posted over 80 home-recorded tracks on his Youtube and Myspace pages. To date, his sites have gathered 1.5 million views and thousands of fans, pushing his on-line presence to the point where people from across the world are requesting songs, tour dates and album releases by the masses. Recently, James began working with world renowned producers Kyle Lehning and Jerry Douglas in Nashville, writing and recording songs in studio.

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/jamesdupremusic or check out the video below our exclusive That Nashville Sound interview.

TNS- What brought you to Nashville?

JD- Well, I think a true miracle. Never in a million years would I have imagined this happening. I just started putting videos of myself singing songs on YouTube, just to see what kind of responses I'd get. After just a few months, a guy from Florida (who is now my manager) calls me up and says that he can help me out if I wanted to give it a shot. He had a couple of contacts in Nashville, one of whom is a guy named Jerry Douglas, the world-renowned dobro player. Jerry heard me and wanted to meet, so my manager and I went up to Nashville. Jerry was interested in helping me out and suggested a few producers that he knew would be interested in working with me. The one that he called up is a guy named Kyle Lehning. Throughout the last year, I've been up there several times, working with some of Nashville's best songwriters, and recording with extraordinary musicians. It's very surreal, and I'm having a great time.

TNS- Looking over your career thus far, what do you rank as a couple of the highlights?

JD- I think the very first time I went to Nashville was one of the most exciting times in my life. This was December 2007, and I was going to meet Jerry Douglas. Another was in June this year, when I stepped into Ocean Way Studios in Nashville for my first recording session. Like I said, surreal.

TNS- What might people be suprised to find out about you?

JD- Well, let's see. I grew up wanting to be a meteorologist. I've always been interested in the weather. Music was always a passion as well, but I was always very shy and did not in public. It was actually in 2002, I was attending the University of Louisiana at Monroe, majoring in Atmospheric Sciences, when I joined a local church band and really opened up to performing, and eventually fell in love with it. After two years at ULM, my wife and I moved down to Eunice, her hometown, and I began to focus on music while working as a paramedic.

TNS- What kind of music are you listening to? What's in your iPod?

JD- I listen to a wide variety of stuff, I'm definitely not narrow-minded when it comes to music. I have songs from James Taylor and Simon & Garfunkel to Willie and Waylon. Journey, Bryan Adams, Iron & Wine, Blake Shelton, Jackson Browne, Sarah McLachlan, Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, Nickel Creek, Matchbox 20, The Beatles, Aaron Neville, Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé, George Strait, and of course I can go on for a while.

TNS- If you had a crystal ball and looked forward ten years, what do you see for yourself?

JD- I'll tell you what I'd like to see, while I know that nothing is guaranteed in this industry, or life for that matter. In 10 years, I'd like to be in the middle of a successful career in music, not because I want fame and fortune, but because this is my passion.. and I've found predicting the weather is pretty difficult these days.

Check out the great song James wrote for his brother- A Hero In My Eyes.

A Big Year For Big Loud Shirt

Independent music publisher Big Loud Shirt has scored again and secured several nods in the world of country music, including Billboard Magazine, the Grammys, the CMAs, the ACMs and NSAI.

Billboard announced its Top Ten Hot Country Songs for 2008 and Big Loud Shirt writers Craig Wiseman (pictured with Ronnie Dunn) and Rodney Clawson nabbed two of the top ten most performed songs in the nation on country radio. “I Saw God Today”, recorded by George Strait, was written by Clawson and landed at #2 while “Love is a Beautiful Thing”, performed by Phil Vassar and penned by Wiseman, came in at #6.

Announced on December 4th, Clawson is nominated for the 2009 Grammy Country Song of the Year for “I Saw God Today” which on November 12th, won the CMAs Single of the Year and was a finalist for Song of the Year. “I Saw God Today” became George Strait’s 56th #1 in April, which broke the mark for #1 records for any artist in any genre. Earlier this year, Clawson was also a finalist for the Academy of Country Music’s Song of the Year award for “Lost In This Moment” recorded by Big & Rich.

“We are so proud to work with Rodney and for our little Music House to have another amazingly blessed year,” said Wiseman. “And next year is looking even better!!”

In 2007, Wiseman had his 16th #1 with Toby Keith for the song “Love Me If You Can”, which, voted on by his songwriter peers, was recognized as one of the heralded ‘Songs I Wished I Had Written’ at the NSAI Awards in the fall of 2008.

Craig has won every major songwriting award including ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year, NSAI Songwriter of the Year, Grammy Country Song of the Year, and CMA and ACM Song of the Year multiple times.

Big Loud Shirt was formed in the fall of 2003 by songwriter/producer Craig Wiseman and has quickly become one of the most successful independent music companies in Nashville. With hits like “Live Like You Were Dying” and “The Cowboy in Me” recorded by Tim McGraw to Carrie Underwood’s Grammy Song of the Year award winning “Before He Cheats” and the two #1 singles “The Good Stuff” and “Summertime” performed by Kenny Chesney, Big Loud Shirt has made a Big Loud impression on the country music scene. Most notably, Big Loud Shirt was ranked #7 on the Billboard Top Ten Publishers, a nation-wide all-genre chart, in November 2007.

In 2006, Big Loud Shirt celebrated the opening of a brand new Music Row office, formed a London publishing company and won the ACM and CMA Song of the Year, “Believe”, by Brooks & Dunn. Wiseman also founded Big Loud Bucks, a worldwide independent copyright administration and licensing company for songwriters and independent music publishers.

Josh Turner Giving Away Autographed Merchandise

Baritone Josh Turner is giving away 5 autographed merchandise bundles to celebrate the re-launch of his MySpace page and the release of his current hit single "Everything Is Fine"! All you have to do is add Josh to your top MySpace friends and add his song "Everything Is Fine" to your MySpace Music Playlist. Once you done that ENTER THE CONTEST and winners will be chosen on or around February 1, 2009.

Visit Josh's MySpace HERE >>

Enter the contest HERE >>

New Lady Antebellum Holiday Song Released Exclusively At iTunes

Lady Antebellum just recorded a new holiday song, "Baby It's Cold Outside” and has released it for download starting today exclusively at iTunes. Dave says “We have always loved this song and thought it would fun to surprise Lady A fans with a holiday tune to close out the year. It’s the time of year to be thankful and grateful, and we certainly feel we were blessed this year by the country music community and by our fans. We hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!”

To purchase the song, click HERE.

Signs Of The Economy- Equity Records Sadly Closes Its Doors

Equity Music, the label co-founded by Clint Black, suspended operations on Tuesday (Dec. 16). In addition to Black, the label's roster also includes Laura Bryna, Carolina Rain (pictured), Kevin Fowler and new artist Blake Wise.

"Our investors tried to find a way to keep the doors open at Equity, but with a struggling industry, an overall decline in discretionary spending by consumers and a total freeze on credit markets, the Board of Directors has been forced to make this difficult decision. ... We want to wish our wonderful staff and artists all the best in all their future endeavors," said label president Tim Wipperman, who will remain with the company.

Little Big Town had recorded two albums for Equity, but the band is now signed to Capitol Nashville.

Here's hoping that all the artists find a place to land soon. We had the opportunity to host Carolina Rain in our hometown this past May and they put on an amazing show. It would be a shame if another label didn't pick them up.

Congratulations To Our Randy Owen Winner

Congratulations go out to our Randy Owen CD & Book Giveaway winner- Laura A. from the great state of Kentucky. She won the the new book BORN COUNTRY and new CD ONE BY ONE from legendary Alabama singer Randy Owen.

CD Review- We Are Enterprise

It's not often that an album comes out that is a must-have because it makes a difference, not just because it's a great one to have in your collection. We Are Enterprise- The Album To Benefit The Rebuilding Of Enterprise High School is one such album.

Country stars such as Clint Black, John Anderson, George Jones and Lorrie Morgan have contributed their talents to "We Are Enterprise" ($13.98, Country Crossing Records). It's a compilation CD, set for release today, that aims to raise money for the rebuilding of Enterprise High School. The school was severely damaged by a 2007 tornado that ripped off parts of the roof and destroyed the gym and football stadium.

Enterprise resident Ronnie Gilley, a real-estate developer and concert promoter, teamed with producer James Stroud to gather 11 songs for the CD, both originals and covers.
Tracks include "Someday" by Clink Black- a typical country inspirational ballad sung with typical Black feeling, "When I Get Down" by John Anderson- another great ballad from the man who brought us "Swingin" and "Dear Lord," a heartfelt honkytonk prayer by Tracy Lawrence. The album is worth the price alone with the near acapella acoustic "Amazing Grace" by George Jones. Shelly Fairchild's "It's All Going To Work Out" is a funky country message song and "You Are So Beautiful" by Lorrie Morgan is a beatufully sung rendition. Aaron Tippin can be heard on "Mighty Good God"; Darryl Worley offers "Katie's Song"; Joe Diffie covers "You've Got a Friend." Overall, nearly every song relays a message of hope and that everything for the good people of Enterprise, Alabama will be alright.

All aritsts and record label net proceeds from the album will be donated to the fund to rebuild Enterprise High School.

You can purchase this album by clicking the link below:

We Are Enterprise: The Album to Benefit Rebuilding of Enterprise High School

That Nashville Sound Toby Keith Classic Christmas CD Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Toby Keith's new holiday album, Classic Christmas Volume I, That Nashville Sound is giving away two of the CD's. All subscribers to the website between now and December 21st will be entered to win one of two of these special prizes. The subscription form is found at the top right of the website just under the masthead. Good luck!

Contest Rules

Enter to WIN a Toby Keith CD

No PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER THIS CONTEST

TERMS: This contest ends at 11:59 PM ET on December 21, 2008.

PRIZE: 2 winners will receive one (1) Classic Christmas Toby Keith CD, given away by That Nashville Sound

ODDS OF WINNING: Odds of winning will be determined by the number of entries received.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CONTEST: You are automatically entered into the Contest when you complete and transmit the on-screen entry form before 11:59 PM ET December 21, 2008. That Nashville Sound is not responsible for transmission and/or computer error. One random selection will be held on or about the following date: December 22, 2008. Limit one entry per individual. That Nashville Sound reserves the right to modify scheduling of the contest without prior notice.

NOTIFICATION: The Prize winner will be notified via e-mail after drawing date. Prize winners do not need to be online at time of notification.

REDEMPTION: The prize will be sent to the winner's home address after confirming eligibility.

ELIGIBILITY: All legal US residents who are 18 years or older may participate in this contest. Employees and their immediate family members (mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter and spouse) of That Nashville Sound are

NOT ELIGIBLE. This contest is void wherever prohibited or restricted by law and is subject to all federal, state and local laws and regulations. Limited to one prize per person.That Nashville Sound and participating promotional companies are not in any way liable for damage, loss or injury resulting from computer malfunctions, misdirected or incomplete entries or acceptance and use of the prize. Winners assume liability for injuries caused or claimed to be caused by participation in this Contest, or the use or misuse of any prizes. That Nashville Sound reserves the right in its sole discretion, to cancel or suspend this contest should virus, bugs or other causes beyond the control of sponsor, corrupt the administration, security or proper play of the contest. Winners may be required to execute an affidavit of eligibility and release which must be completed and returned within 21 days of notification or an alternate winner will be selected. Taxes, and additional shipping, handling and delivery fees in excess of the prize amount, if any, are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. By registering to win the prize, the winner grants That Nashville Sound permission for the use of his/her name and likeness for advertising and future promotion purposes without additional compensation (except where prohibited). Un-accepted prizes may not be awarded. By entering the sweepstakes, you agree to join and review our email list. All email promotions include instructions for removing your name. This contest is subject to these complete and official rules.

That Nashville Sound’s Top 10 Country Albums of 2008

It’s that time of year in which we reflect on the year behind us and count our blessings that we live in a part of the world with a plethora of music that moves the soul. 2007 was a great year for music- most notably the 2007 #1 Alison Krauss & Robert Plant album Raising Sand- but it’s obvious that 2008 was no slouch either. There were some terrific albums that will go down in my collection as favorites. Without further ado…

10. One Flew South- Last Of The Good Guys- Like all the great harmony bands before them- the Eagles, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Mamas and the Papas, Boys II Men and Beach Boys all come to mind- One Flew South simply lets the harmony of their voices stand on their own. It’s unique and two standout tracks, “My Kind of Beautiful” and “She’s A Gift” are some of the best country releases of the year.

9. Rebecca Lynn Howard- No Rules- After not wanting to play by radio’s rules after her smash single “Forgive,” Howard signed with Saguaro Road Records and put together a truly fantastic album. No Rules is a dream, drifting across genre lines without misstep- she combines country, bluegrass, gospel and blues into an musical gumbo that’s a meal for the ears.

8. George Strait- Troubadour- At the age of 55 and after going platinum 32 times in his amazing career, it’s almost unbelievable how King George continues to put out an incredible product that’s both classic and modern enough to be relevant to today’s fickle radio tastes. The album itself is classic Strait gold.

7. Hal Ketchum- Father Time- In an era of over-production, Hal Ketchum decided to record Father Time the old-fashioned way. In the course of two days, Hal and his crack band of respected studio cranked out 14 tunes that speak to the way records used to be recorded- even laying them down on the CD in the same order they were recorded in the studio. It’s beautiful for Hal Ketchum’s signature sound and sensitive vocal prowess, thoughtful lyrics and gentle instrumentation. It will go down as one of the best works of his career.

6. Lady Antebellum- Lady Antebellum- A great first effort- hopefully a hint of more outstanding albums to come, the entire album holds up from start to finish as the group deftly hits home runs with melody and production polish with extra credit for self-written songs. It might be the best of all the albums happily drenched in bright harmonies

5. Darius Rucker- Learn To Live- Darius Rucker has proven that the country roots — the ones so many claim to have had all along — are genuinely his. Every song has something that feels honest-to-goodness country. Of the 14 songs on Learn to Live, it feels like at least 12 of them could be singles. It ranges from the honky-tonk blow-off song, “All I Want,” which is Brad Paisley guitar-infused, to “If I Had Wings,” which shows off Rucker’s softer side. Rucker hasn’t changed course at all, country has just finally found its way to his home in Charleston.

4. Joey+Rory- The Life Of A Song- See? Not all reality television is bad! Bringing beautiful harmonies, top-notch songwriting plus their natural joyfulness, authenticity and romance to traditional country music, Joey+Rory quickly became fan favorites on the CMT show Can You Duet where they finished second. Whether their songs are about cowboy boots, hand-building a home, rodeos or cherished vinyl records, there’s a legitimacy in every word, every note and every song.

3. Jamey Johnson- That Lonesome Song- With an imposing figure, a fu manchu beard that extends down to his chest, an outlaw attitude and a deep baritone voice, Johnson appears first to be the guy who you'd want your back in a bar brawl, not the type whose cd you'd have playing in your mini-van. It would only be with trepidation that any music critic would diss this sophomore effort in fear that he may come kick your ass. This widely acclaimed album is carrying the torch started by Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings so many long years ago. It’s fantastic.

2. Zac Brown Band- The Foundation- Brown and his band mates delivery best in the fact that he covers genres and styles fluidly, dynamically pulling musical styles that cover Americana, blues, island-country, gospel and very traditional country. Brown’s lyrics seem to cover an entire culture of American music in one album. Each song is a seamless patchwork of what sounds best across our radio music dials. The entire album is perfect- amazing considering this is their first album out. It would be the best album of the year if not for…

1. Lee Ann Womack- Call Me Crazy- Her music isn’t about huge power ballads, it’s all about emotive lyrics that draw you into each song. She sings to us, she doesn’t holler. To clarify that, it’s not about the range of her voice or the high notes that she can hit. It not that her voice isn’t beautiful, it’s that she uses it in an understated way to convey the most meaning. Instead of layering her voice over and over in production, her back-up is a trailing steel guitar. It creates an intimate album that’s both lonely and inspiring at the exact same time. The other amazing part? Call Me Crazy comes after some other amazing albums that also have been at the top of her genre. Could the Country Music Hall Of Fame await down the road?

Willie Nelson & Asleep At The Wheel To Release New Album February 3rd

In conjunction with a new concert tour together, Willie Nelson and Asleep At The Wheel plan a brand new album together entitled, simply enough, "Willie and the Wheel." It is due February 3rd. It is a collection of classic western swing songs handpicked by the late music icon Jerry Wexler.

In 2007, Nelson, Asleep At The Wheel, Merle Haggard and Ray Price toured together on the Last Of The Breed Tour showcasing a variety of western and Texas country music styles. "Jerry wanted us to do this album and I'm glad we got to do it for him and that he heard it before he passed on," said Nelson. (Wexler passed away from heart failure in August at the age of 91.)

Asleep at the Wheel, is a multiple Grammy Award-winning Country/Western Swing band based in Austin, Texas. Altogether, they have won nine Grammy Awards since their inception in 1970. In their career, they have released more than twenty studio albums, and have charted more than twenty singles on the Billboard country charts.

Free Hayes Carll Holiday Song Available

Hayes Carll recently performed a brand new Christmas song "I'm Grateful for Christmas This Year" on Imus in the Morning.

To help celebrate the spirit of the season, he’s giving this song away to everyone who signs up for Hayes' mailing list by 12:01 AM on 12/17/2008

Click here to sign-up now

On December 17, you'll receive an email with a link to download this exclusive song free of charge!

If you haven’t already heard of Hayes Carll, you soon will. In the three years since his self-released second album, Little Rock became available, Carll has toured relentlessly in North America and abroad (performing over two hundred shows a year), founded a successful singer-songwriter music festival on the Gulf Coast of Texas, secured a record deal with Lost Highway Records, and has even seen Little Rock become the first self-released album to reach #1 on the Americana Music Chart. He’s only getting started.

On his new album, Trouble In Mind, the 32 year-old Carll navigates his way through both stormy weather and calm, sun-drenched waters with ease, emerging with songs that melt even the hardest heart in town (a feat he manages on the plaintive, world-weary "Don't Let Me Fall") or heat up a roadhouse (like the ruggedly strutting "Wild as a Turkey"). Their impact is heightened by the fact that they're songs born of both immersion in the works of his songwriting heroes and plenty of real world experience.