7 October 2013

Legendary music icon Kenny Rogers returns with his brand new album YOU CAN’T MAKE OLD FRIENDS on October 8th via Warner Bros. Records. Fans can stream the record in advance of release through October 7th on Amazon.com. The 11 track album reunites Rogers with long-time friend and collaborator, Dolly Parton, for a brand new duet on the title track, You Can’t Make Old Friends, while the official music video was exclusively debuted on Good Morning America last month. With a collaboration of producers, including Kyle Lehning, Warren Hartman, and Dann Huff, YOU CAN’T MAKE OLD FRIENDS is Rogers’ first country album since the release of Water & Bridges in 2006. Rogers considers this upcoming release the most varied and complete album of his lifetime. “I can honestly say this may be the best album I’ve ever recorded,” added Rogers. “The musical diversity is extraordinary. It goes from songs I would normally sing, to songs I would normally never even listen to. In this business, you do albums to both grow artistically, and for the sheer love of music. We chose what I think are the most diverse and best songs I’ve ever had access to.” A trailblazing recording artist, vocalist and entertainer, Rogers has sold more than 120 million records worldwide and recorded more than 65 albums during his illustrious 56 years in show business. Rogers has charted a record within each of the last seven decades and scored a hit single in the past six. He was the first country artist to consistently sell out arenas and quickly became a pop superstar as well – his 28 Billboard Adult Contemporary Top 10’s is fourth-best all time among men, trailing only Elton John, Neil Diamond, and Elvis Presley. Rogers has recorded 12 No. 1 albums and 24 No. 1 hits – The Gambler, Lady, Lucille, Coward Of The County, She Believes in Me, Islands in the Stream (with Dolly Parton) and Every Time Two Fools Collide (with Dottie West) among them. His Greatest Hits album has sold over 24 million copies worldwide to date. He is the RIAA’s 8th best-selling male artist of all time with one Diamond album, 19 Platinum albums and 31 Gold albums. www.kennyrogers.musiccitynetworks.com

In just a short five months after its grand opening, the Johnny Cash Museum, the latest attraction in Music City, lands at the top of both the Forbes and National Geographic must see travel destinations lists. Forbes recently released a list of the Top 5 “Must-See” Nashville destinations and put The Johnny Cash Museum in the number one slot. That acknowledgement was followed the very next day with an unbelievable honour from National Geographic. National Geographic published a list of the worldwide top four “Pitch Perfect Museums,” museums dedicated to a single musician. The Johnny Cash Museum earned the top honour beating out the ABBA museum in Stockholm and the Kalakuta museum in Nigeria. “It’s a great honour to receive the ongoing positive comments and rankings from top publications and organisations,” says founder Bill Miller. “It’s a tribute to and validation of Johnny Cash’s continuing popularity and our ability to honour him with a top notch venue in an amazing city.” About The Johnny Cash Museum Earning the AAA Gem rating, Johnny Cash Museum experience has quickly spread around the globe with outlets like CNN, The NY Times, The NY Post, Billboard, Vogue, Southern Living, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, Yahoo, Huffington Post, London’s NME, etc. all buzzing about the attraction. One can never predict who they will see at the museum as Cash family and band members are often inside in addition to celebrities like Former VP Al Gore, Grammy and country music legend Lynn Anderson, The Mavericks, The Oak Ridge Boys, American Pickers’ Mike Wolfe, Ashton Shepherd, etc. Located at 119 Third Avenue South between Demonbreun and Broadway, the museum is en route between the tourists circulated Broadway strip and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Schermerhorn Symphony Centre. The JCM is open every day from 11 AM to 7 PM CST. General admission is $14 with discounts for students, members of the military, etc. Many never before seen historical documents, letters, awards, costumes and instruments take the visitor on a three dimensional journey through Johnny Cash’s life with interactive technology provided by the Nashville based Griffin Technologies. The museum, designed by the Temeka Group in collaboration with Bill and Shannon Miller, unites the extensive and acclaimed collection of Bill Miller, long-time friend of Cash’s and founder of the official Johnny Cash website, www.johnnycash.com, and pieces from friends, colleagues and family members including his daughters, son and siblings. The collection features the earliest known Johnny Cash letters and documents as well as the handwritten manuscript to the last song ever written by the prolific songwriter, just days before his passing. Visitors also are given an extensive look into Cash’s non-entertainment related life including his childhood and early adulthood and his service in the United States Air Force. To stay updated on the museum and Johnny Cash, visit www.johnnycash.com or www.johnnycashmuseum.com.

The O2, southeast London, has become one of the world’s most popular entertainment venues. Its owners Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) will be appointing Tom Miserendino as the President and Chief Executive of AEG Europe, on Thursday 4th October. The O2 is AEG’s flagship venue in Europe, hosting a variety of events including the ATP World Tour tennis championships next month. AEG also owns a number of leading entertainment sites in Scandinavia and Germany. These will all be overseen by Miserendino. Miserendino will be taking over from Jay Marciano who relocated to AEG’s headquarters in Los Angeles earlier this year, after his promotion to Chief Operating Officer. The management reshuffle has followed an attempt to sell the entire company for as much as £6 billion. The sales process attracted interested bidders from around the world, but was aborted by AEG. Miserendino has most recently been working as the head of AEG Live, the touring and concert arm of the group. He has worked for AEG for over a decade. Mr Miserendino is expected to take over European operations at the start of December –one of AEG’s most important regions outside of its home market in the US.

The O2 and SJM Concerts in association with the Country Music Association have announced details of the 2014 Country To Country Festival set to take place at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday and Sunday March 15 and 16. Headlining Country to Country 2014 will be Grammy award winning and multimillion selling Brad Paisley. Paisley is a critically acclaimed singer, songwriter, guitarist and entertainer who with 22 number one singles in the US returns to The O2 after a triumphant show there in 2011. After a storming set at Glastonbury 2013, three time GRAMMY award-winning Zac Brown Band return to the UK to also headline the event. Having toured extensively in the US the band look forward to their first headline UK Arena show. C2C 2014 will also see the return of country superstars the Dixie Chicks, who will be performing in the UK for the first time in eight years. Rascal Flatts join the lineup after their phenomenal two sold out shows at London O2 Shepherds Bush Empire in July. Also confirmed to perform is platinum selling artist Dierks Bentley, and Chris Young who has just released his latest album ‘A.M’ A further two special guests are soon to be announced to complete the prolific line up. Legendary broadcaster Bob Harris will again be compering the festival: “It is a very exciting time for Country music in the UK. C2C 2013 was a fantastic experience and next year’s festival promises to be another massive milestone.  I am thrilled to be compering again and providing huge coverage on ‘Bob Harris Country’ on BBC Radio 2 when Nashville comes to London.  See you at the O2!” The inaugural C2C 2013 event set the standard very high, welcoming over 17,000 fans from around the UK, Ireland and Europe to The O2 for the weekend. CMA Board President Ed Hardy said: “CMA is proud of our support and involvement in C2C. The reaction of the fans after the first year and the outstanding support from our artist’s community gives us the opportunity to broaden our music in the UK and Europe. This celebration of Country Music at The O2 is fast becoming an annual tradition and we are excited to play a part in growing the country music genre in the international marketplace.” With more artists still to be announced C2C: Country to Country is not to be missed: Tickets on sale at 9am Friday 11 October from: www.axs.com/c2c / 08448 24 48 24 and www.gigsandtours.com / 0844 811 0051