Chris Young, Mandy Barnett and Billy Ray Cyrus Announce New Projects

RCA Nashville revealed the news that GRAMMY nominated singer/songwriter Chris Young will release his highly anticipated third studio album, Neon, on July 12. Neon, which features the smash lead single “Tomorrow,” the fastest-rising single of Young’s career, will include ten brand new songs from the singer. Produced by James Stroud, 7 of the 10 songs from Neon were co-penned by Young, including “Tomorrow.” The “heartfelt ballad,” as declared in a recent People review, has scanned more than 225,000 digital downloads since its release in February.

Vocalist and stage performer Mandy Barnett is set to release her stunning new album Sweet Dreams on May 24th on the Opry Music imprint. The highly anticipated album launch occurs in conjunction with her leading role return to Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium stage in the musical production Always…Patsy Cline.


Sweet Dreams provides Barnett with an opportunity to honor not only beloved music icon Patsy Cline, but also the songs she made famous and the songwriters who crafted the timeless tunes. The album includes Cline's well-known signature hits such as "Crazy," "I Fall To Pieces," and "Faded Love." Barnett leaves her unique and powerful vocal stamp on these songs and others, like the Irving Berlin standard "Always" and "Strange." The project, produced by Steve Gibson, features many of Nashville's most talented studio musicians. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of Patsy Cline's hit "Crazy," which was written by Willie Nelson.

Billy Ray Cyrus, multi-platinum artist, returns to his patriotic roots with the June 28 release of his new album I'm American on Buena Vista Records. Cyrus' collection of songs dedicated to the spirit of being American features special guest appearances by Amy Grant and country artists (also veterans) Jamey Johnson, Craig Morgan and Darryl Worley. Cyrus' single, "Runway Lights," will be shipped to Country radio later this month, and will be the theme song to his upcoming TLC "Surprise Homecoming" series that debuts on May 30, in which the artist will greet troops coming home from the war.


Inspired by a 2009 USO tour in which Cyrus performed for the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, Cyrus has dedicated the album to a new generation of troops, while paying respect to all veterans past and present. The album will feature eight songs – "Runway Lights," "We Fought Hard," "Keep The Light On," "Stripes and Stars," "I'm American," "Nineteen" and "Old Army Hat." The album will also include a newly re-recorded version of "Some Gave All," the song and title of his debut album released in 1992, which was dedicated to the men and women of the U.S. military, and earned Cyrus the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's Entertainers Award.