21 October 2013

Following the acclaimed success of Country to Country 2013, an outstanding line up of music stars are again heading across the Atlantic for a huge two-day music festival extravaganza at The O2 London on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 March 2014. Also for the very first time Country to Country is coming Ireland on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 March 2014 at The O2, Dublin. Brad Paisley, Zac Brown Band, Dixie Chicks, Rascal Flatts, Dierks Bentley and Chris Young have been confirmed for C2C 2014 as well as Martina McBride who will join the London line-up. Headlining Country to Country 2014 will be Grammy award winning and multimillion selling Brad Paisley as well as the three time GRAMMY award-winning Zac Brown Band. Paisley returns to London after a triumphant show there in 2011 and to Dublin for the first time since 2012. Grammy award-winning Zac Brown Band look forward to their first headline UK and Ireland Arena shows. C2C 2014 will also see the return of country superstars Dixie Chicks, who will be performing in the UK for the first time in eight years and Rascal Flatts who join the lineup after their sold out shows at London O2 Shepherds Bush Empire and Olympia Theatre Dublin this summer. Also confirmed to perform is platinum selling artist Dierks Bentley, and Chris Young who has just released his latest album ‘A.M’. With awards for CMA Female Vocalist of the Year and ACM Female Vocalist plus a GRAMMY win Martina McBride will also join the line-up at The O2 London. Further 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!”

Legendary music icon Kenny Rogers has just landed his 22nd Top 10 Country album with the Billboard debut of YOU CAN’T MAKE OLD FRIENDS at #9 via Warner Bros. Records. The album reunites the multiple Grammy Award-winner with long-time friend and collaborator, Dolly Parton, for a brand new duet on the title track, You Can’t Make Old Friends, and accompanying music video. The bold 11-track recording, highlighted by Rogers’ fresh takes on a diverse array of musical styles including country, soul, folk, rock and even zydeco, is receiving widespread critical acclaim. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel observes “his voice is still an instrument to be reckoned with” and the Associated Press calls YOU CAN’T MAKE OLD FRIENDS “an album that blends the familiar with the challenging, seeking new hits and pursuing new ideas even as he enters the Country Music Hall of Fame this fall.” In a glowing review, Country Weekly notes “you have to give Kenny a ton of credit for being willing to spread his wings in new directions—and even more for pulling it off.” In celebration of the album release, Rogers did a blitz of media appearances that kicked off with an interview and performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on October 2nd. Rogers was also featured on Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family, Extra!, GAC’s Backstory, CBS This Morning, Fox & Friends, Bloomberg TV, Kathie Lee & Hoda on The Today Show, and The Rachael Ray Show. Rogers can be heard performing several new songs from the album live on SiriusXM’s Artist Confidential airing on Prime Country this weekend. He can also be heard guest hosting the nationally syndicated radio program After Midnite all this week through to Sunday, October 20th. 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 release the most varied and complete album of his lifetime. “I can honestly say this may be the best album I’ve ever recorded,” said Rogers. “I’m thrilled with how it turned out. I wanted to really stretch my boundaries and do something a little different. There are songs on this record that I would normally sing, and then there are 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, and Islands in the Stream (with Dolly Parton) 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. Rogers will be inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame later this month on Sunday October 27th.

The Americana Music Association – UK (AMA-UK) will be organising an event at Kings Place near King’s Cross (London) from February 13th to 15th. The Association has decided to call it The Americana Music Association UK Showcase and is programming the event right now. The showcase will comprise of three nights of music in both the larger theatre space and one night in the smaller studio theatre. Further details will be confirmed in the next AMA-UK newsletter. AMA-UK members will get advanced notice to purchase discounted tickets to these concerts. In addition, the AMA-UK fully intends putting on events elsewhere in the UK (i.e. not necessarily in London or Suffolk) during 2014 and is already having talks with some well-known festivals about hosting AMA-UK stages. If you want to host an event and use the AMA-UK logo they will be designing a logo for this very purpose. Designers should contact the AMA-UK with proposals in good time so they can be approved and promoted through Facebook and Twitter and in time on the AMA-UK website.