2018 Performance Lineup Revealed For CMA Fest

The Country Music Association proudly reveals the initial artist lineup for this year’s CMA Fest. Now in its 47th year, CMA Fest boasts an exceptional bill of hundreds of artists performing on 11 stages throughout downtown Nashville Thursday through Sunday, June 7-10.

Billboard named CMA Fest its No. 1 Country Music festival in the U.S. in 2017, raving, “When it comes to great Country Music festivals, this one has been – and is – the gold standard.” Last year’s CMA Fest drew sold-out crowds and the largest fan engagement by Country Music fans in the event’s history from visitors from all 50 states and nearly 20 international countries. CMA Fest is the longest-running Country Music festival in the world with proceeds going directly to helping enrich and sustain music education programs across the country through CMA’s nonprofit arm, the CMA Foundation, thanks to every artist at the festival donating their time.

Photo Credit: CMA

Taking the nightly NISSAN STADIUM stage this year are Country Music superstars Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge, Charles Esten and Friends, Florida Georgia Line, Dustin Lynch, Old Dominion, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Charley Pride, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Ricky Skaggs, Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Lee Ann Womack, and Brett Young. Several acts join this year’s Nissan Stadium lineup for the first time with full sets and special performances including Brown, Combs, Dan + Shay, Old Dominion, Pardi, Pearce and Young. In addition, Lauren Alaina and Bebe Rexha will make guest appearances. Stadium gates open daily at 6:00 PM with performances starting at 8:00 PM. A limited number of four-day tickets for the nightly performances at Nissan Stadium are still available at CMAfest.com/tickets or through the CMA Box Office at 1-800-CMA-FEST.

Always a fan favorite, RIVERFRONT STAGE returns once again with a lineup that will keep crowds rocking from 10:00 AM-5:15 PM each day. Reigning CMA New Artist of the Year Jon Pardi kicks things off Thursday, June 7 (10:00 AM). Additional artists scheduled include A Thousand Horses, Lauren Alaina, Frankie Ballard, Lee Brice, Chase Bryant, Cam, Craig Campbell, Easton Corbin, Jordan Davis, Devin Dawson, Gavin DeGraw, Russell Dickerson, Drake White and The Big Fire, Lindsay Ell, Tyler Farr, Hunter Hayes, Walker Hayes, High Valley, Home Free, LANCO, Chris Lane, LOCASH, Maddie & Tae, Scotty McCreery, William Michael Morgan, Parmalee, Eric Paslay, Carly Pearce, Cassadee Pope, RaeLynn, Michael Ray, Dylan Scott, Canaan Smith, Corey Smith, Granger Smith, The Cadillac Three, Morgan Wallen, and Aaron Watson.

Located in Walk of Fame Park, the BREAKOUT STAGE will entertain crowds daily from 10:30 AM-4:55 PM with performances by Jimmie Allen, Abby Anderson, Kassi Ashton, Drew Baldridge, Chris Bandi, Big Smo, Ashley Campbell, Crowder, Jacob Davis, Delta Rae, Cale Dodds, Adam Doleac, Clare Dunn, Brooke Eden, Riley Green, Trent Harmon, Sundance Head, James Barker Band, Jillian Jacqueline, Krystal Keith and Lance Carpenter, Jon Langston, Love and Theft, Ashley McBryde, Logan Mize, Steve Moakler, Muscadine Bloodline, Jerrod Niemann, Luke Pell, Josh Phillips, Radio Romance, Maggie Rose, Runaway June, Dylan Schneider, Sister Hazel, SmithField, The Wild Feathers, Michael Tyler, Walker McGuire, Waterloo Revival, and Charlie Worsham.

Returning for a second year, the BUDWEISER FOREVER COUNTRY STAGE will take place from 11:00 AM-4:45 PM daily. Featuring some of the biggest names in Country Music from recent decades, this year’s lineup includes Keith Anderson, David Ball, John Berry, BlackHawk, Terri Clark, Mark Collie, Billy Dean, Joe Diffie, Exile, “Forever Country, Never Forgotten: A Tribute to Those Lost from Country Music,” Andy Griggs, Wade Hayes, Ty Herndon, Honky Tonkin’ with Tracy Lawrence (and special guests), Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, Little Texas, Lonestar, Mila Mason, Terry McBride, Lorrie Morgan, Heidi Newfield, Jamie O’Neal, Lee Roy Parnell, Restless Heart, Shenandoah, Doug Supernaw, The Bellamy Brothers, Mark Wills, Darryl Worley, and Michelle Wright.

Outdoor daytime performances at Budweiser Forever Country, Riverfront and Breakout stages are free and open to the public. All artist lineups are subject to change.

Guided by the generosity of the Country Music community, proceeds from CMA Fest are used to drive the CMA Foundation’s mission of enriching and sustaining music education programs. Through strategic partnerships, professional development and grant distribution, the CMA Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), has invested over $20 million in 85 programs across the national public school system, after school programs, summer camps and with community outreach organizations.

Additional stage lineups, Fan Fair X activities, and more will be announced in the coming weeks. Don’t miss a beat—get connected with CMA on CMAfest.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and sign up for CMA Country Connection emails to receive the latest news as soon as it’s announced.

CMA Fest will once again be filmed for a three-hour national television special to air on the ABC Television Network. This is the 15th consecutive year the festival has been filmed for a broadcast event. “CMA Fest” is executive produced and written by Robert Deaton and directed by Gary Halvorson.

Tyler Rich Releases Music Video for Debut Single “The Difference”

Northern California charmer Tyler Rich is quickly distinguishing himself as one of Country’s leading men and isn’t afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. With his new music video for “The Difference,” available now on Vevo + syndicators, Tyler genuinely embraces the song’s sentiment throughout scenes with his fiancée Sabina Gadecki. Watch below or click here.

Director Mason Dixon filmed scenes with the real-life couple and their dogs Abby and Charlie around his current home base of Nashville, TN. Strolling and snuggling on location in the Germantown and East Nashville neighborhoods, their on-screen courtship intensifies as Tyler demonstrates that she is more than casual fling. Going all in, he wants to make sure she knows – “There’s a difference between ‘miss ya’ and ‘I miss your face’ / There’s a difference in ‘what’s goin’ on’ and ‘baby, how was your day’ / Yeah, there’s a hell of a difference in sayin’ three words / Or kinda just meanin’ two / There’s a difference in ‘love ya’ and ‘I love you’ / And I wanna be the difference.”

Tyler immediately related to “The Difference” upon hearing the lyrics, which Rhett Akins, Ben Burgess, Devin Dawson and Jacob Durrett penned. “The phrases are so reflective of the relationship that I have with my fiancée,” expressed Tyler. “Soon after meeting her I knew she was the one. I would text her and say ‘love ya’ and she would respond with ‘you mean I love you?’ To me it was the same thing but now I know better!”

Officially impacting Country radio on April 2, “The Difference” (The Valory Music Co.) is available now through all digital partners and has already crossed over 1 million streams. Already finding better odds since giving up his Economics degree for music, Tyler has caught the attention of SiriusXM as a coveted Highway Find, a CMT Listen Up 2018 artist and will open for Justin Moore at Ryman Auditorium on May 2.

For the latest updates and more, visit TylerRichMusic.com.

More Performers and First Round of Presenters Announced for the 53rd Annual ACM Awards

The Academy of Country Music® revealed that multi-ACM Award®-winning artists Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Blake Shelton and Keith Urban have been added to the stellar lineup of performers for the 53RD ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS™, honoring country music’s superstars and hottest emerging talent. It was also announced that New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, “Entertainment Tonight” host Nancy O’Dell, actress Rebecca Romijn and Olympic Alpine Skier Lindsey Vonn have been added as presenters for the ceremony.

The 53rd ACM Awards®, hosted by Reba McEntire, will broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 15, 2018 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.

Previously announced ACM Awards performers include Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Bebe Rexha and Thomas Rhett. Additional acts and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks.

Walker Hayes Re-Releases 8Tracks Vol. 1 & 2

Walker Hayes hasn’t been afraid of the unconventional route, and now he’s thanking his fans for supporting his unorthodox path to success with a re-release of the music that paved the way for his career. Originally released in Summer 2016, Hayes has re-released 16 songs from his 8Tracks Vol. 1 & 2, available digitally today.

The 8Tracks Vol. 1 & 2 consist of 16 work tapes, created in Hayes’ studio on Music Row dubbed ‘The Shack.’ In Summer 2016, without a record deal on the horizon, Hayes gave away the self-produced tracks for free, and with the help of tastemakers and early supporters, Hayes gained thousands of new fans throughout the country. iHeart Radio personality, Bobby Bones, caught wind of the first release and guided his listeners’ attention to a track called “Shades,” which Bones tapped as the “song of the summer.” Building on the momentum, Hayes released the second set of 8Tracks in Aug. 2016, and by Jan. 2017, the recently revived Monument Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, announced Hayes as one of its flagship artists.

“I have been so fortunate to get to do things in a unique way this time around. My team has let me take risks and create music that is authentic to me – even though it might not sound like anything else,” expresses Hayes. “Today, we’re putting out the music that got me here. I’ll never forget the way fans’ reactions made me feel when I first put these 8Tracks out. They are homemade and they are the foundation of who I am. This is my way of saying ‘thanks’ for everyone’s support. I hope old fans are excited to hear them again and I hope new fans love them just as much.”

The re-release comes on the heels of Hayes’ first Top 10 single “You Broke Up With Me,” which has notched nearly 400,000 in sales and 105 million streams. Although several songs, like “You Broke Up With Me,” made it to his debut album, boom., fan favorites like “Lela’s Stars,” “The Comedian” and “Break The Internet” are available only on the 8Tracks.

2018 is off to a roaring start for the artist on the rise. Hayes launched his Good As Gold Tour, marking Hayes’ first headlining club tour, boasting six sell outs and counting. He is also on the road as part of Kelsea Ballerini’s Unapologetically Tour. This past week, Hayes made his London debut with a performance at the O2 Arena as part of C2C, followed by a headlining set at SXSW’s Pandora at The Gatsby in Austin, TX.

For more information on Walker Hayes, visit www.walkerhayes.com and follow him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @WalkerHayes.

8Tracks Vol. 1 (Good Shit)
1. “You Broke Up With Me” (Walker Hayes, Thomas Archer, Kylie Sackley)
2. “Beautiful” (Walker Hayes)
3. “Dollar Store” (Walker Hayes, Scott Stepakoff)
4. “Mind Candy” (Walker Hayes, Thomas Archer)
5. “Stay Sober” (Walker Hayes, Doug Waterman)
6. “Shades” (Walker Hayes, Cliff Audretch)
7. “Beer in the Fridge” (Walker Hayes, Shane McAnally, Matt Jenkins, Scot Sherrod)
8. “Bad Thing (Good Shit)” (Walker Hayes, Josh Jenkins, Matthew McVaney)

8Tracks Vol. 2 (Break The Internet)
1. “Break The Internet” (Walker Hayes, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
2. “You’re Happy” (Walker Hayes, Brandon Kinney)
3. “Halloween ft. Nicolle Galyon” (Walker Hayes, Nicolle Galyon)
4. “Face On My Money” (Walker Hayes, Josh Osborne, Nicolle Galyon)
5. “Beckett” (Walker Hayes, Shane McAnally)
6. “The Comedian” (Walker Hayes, Josh Jenkins, Matt Jenkins)
7. “Lela’s Stars” (Walker Hayes, Matt Jenkins, Tyrus Morgan)
8. “Your Girlfriend Does” (Walker Hayes, Trevor Rosen, Brad Tursi)

Upcoming Tour Dates:
March 16 – 8 Seconds Saloon in Indianapolis, Indiana*
March 17 –  St. Andrews Hall in Detroit, Michigan*
March 24 –  Saddlebags in Savannah, Georgia*
April 5 – PlayStation Theater in New York, New York~
April 6 – Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey~
April 7 – The National in Richmond, Virginia~
April 19 – Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon~
April 20 – Knitting Factory in Spokane, Washington~
April 21 – Showbox SoDo in Seattle, Washington~
April 25 – Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara, California~
April 26 – Buck Owens Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, California*
April 27– Clos LaChance Winery in San Martin, California*

*Good As Gold Tour dates
~Unapologetically Tour dates

Miranda Lambert Launches Virtual Book and Announces New Single Heading To Country Radio

Vanner Records/RCA Records Nashville and GRAMMY Award-winner Miranda Lambert will release “Keeper of the Flame,” Lambert’s fourth radio single off her critically acclaimed, PLATINUM-certified, double album The Weight Of These Wings, on April 16th to country radio.

Lambert wrote “Keeper of the Flame” along with Natalie Hemby and Liz Rose, and prior to the release of her sixth studio album, The Weight Of These Wings, Lambert named her 2016 tour the “Keeper Of The Flame” Tour.

Upon its release in late 2016, The Weight of These Wings was accompanied by a deluxe, hardbound book, containing exclusive images and details about the album’s creative and recording process of which only a few hundred copies were printed. Now, those images and words have been combined

Lambert launches her a one-of-a-kind, interactive Virtual Book for The Weight Of These Wings, where fans can visit The Weight Of These Wings.com, connect to their own Spotify accounts with a single click, and stream all of The Weight Of These Wings double album 24 songs, which were originally spread across two CDs (and six sides of vinyl), thematically dubbed ‘The Nerve’ and ‘The Heart.’

Take a tour of the virtual book HERE.