When the 2012 CMA Music Festival kicks off its four-day event on Thursday, June 7, in Nashville, Tenn., HGTV joins in the excitement of the ultimate Country Music fan experience by opening the doors to its star-studded venue, The Lodge. Along with GAC, DIY Network and Travel Channel, The Lodge offers fans a unique interactive experience, live musical performances and autograph signings with popular Country Music stars and lifestyle television personalities.

“The CMA Music Festival audience is as passionate about Country Music as HGTV’s audience is about their homes, making The Lodge an excellent way to engage our fans,” said Denise Conroy-Galley, HGTV’s senior vice president, marketing and creative services. “This event provides our viewers with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to connect with both our talent and some of today’s popular country artists.”

CMA Music Festival attendees and fans will have the opportunity to attend various autograph signings and acoustic performances from a host of Country artists and HGTV and DIY Network stars at The Lodge in Fan Alley. Fans can enter for the chance to attend by visiting GACTV.com/CMAFest and looking for the banner advertisement for the official sweeps entry page and rules beginning at approximately 5 p.m. ET on May 23rd. Entries must be received by noon ET on May 30th, 2012. The giveaway is open to legal residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia, 18 years of age or older. Fans will also have an opportunity to win access to these signings and performances at the event and details about these opportunities will be posted on the GAC Facebook or Twitter page during CMA Music Festival week. No purchase necessary to enter or win.

Fans unable to visit The Lodge can keep tabs on all of the festivities through several interactive elements at GACTV.com/CMAFest. They can also follow event activities on Twitter at #TheLodge and on HGTV’s Facebook page with a special CMA Music Festival tab, which will feature daily posts of behind-the-scenes content, a rolling Twitter feed, time-lapsed videos that chronicle each White Room Challenge design from start-to-finish, and trivia questions about HGTV, DIY Network, GAC and Travel Channel.

Schedule of Events at The Lodge by HGTV (All times CT.):
Thursday, June 7:
11:00 AM Lauren Alaina & Rodney Atkins (signing)
1:00 PM Thompson Square & Jake Owen (signing)
2:00 PM: The Vanilla Ice Project’s Vanilla Ice (signing)
3:00 PM: Josh Thompson (performance and signing)
4:00 PM: HGTV Design Star’s “Sparkle” Josh Johnson (signing)
5:00 PM: Dierks Bentley (performance and signing)
7:30-9:30 PM: Gary Allan (private, invite-only event)
Friday, June 8:
9:00 AM: Going Yard’s Chris Lambton (signing)
11:00 AM: Little Big Town (signing)
1:00 PM: Easton Corbin (signing)
3:00 PM: Kellie Pickler (signing)
4:00 PM: Room Crashers’ Todd Davis (signing)
5:00 PM: Casey James (performance and signing)
Saturday, June 9:
9:00 AM: Property Brothers’ Drew and Jonathan Scott (signing)
11:00 AM: Bucky Covington (performance and signing)
1:00 PM: Love & Theft (performance and signing)
3:00 PM: Kip Moore (performance and signing)
4:00 PM: Secrets from a Stylists’ Emily Henderson (signing)
5:00 PM: Kix Brooks (performance)
Sunday, June 10:
11:00 AM: Sarah Darling (performance and signing)
12:00 noon: Katie Armiger (performance)
1:00 PM: Scotty McCreery (signing)
2:00 PM: The Antonio Treatment’s Antonio Ballatore (signing)
3:00 PM: Luke Bryan (signing)

Connect with CMA online at CMAFest.com, Facebook.com/CMA and Twitter.com/CountryMusic.

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com Don’t miss a country music beat! Sign up to receive free email updates or subscribe to CMTT via RSS today!

Jake Owen and Florida Georgia Line have officially joined the line-up of performers for the 8th Annual Stars For Second Harvest benefit on Tuesday, June 5th, at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN.

Songwriters Dallas Davidson (“I Don’t Want This Night To End,” We Owned The Night,” Just A Kiss”) and Rodney Clawson (“Drink On It,” “Drunk On You,” “Amarillo Sky”) will join Craig Wiseman on stage for the songwriter round. Presented by The Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and Hosted by acclaimed hit songwriter Craig Wiseman, this concert features unplugged acoustic style performances by some of country music’s brightest songwriters and a special performance by one of country biggest stars. Sponsored by O’Charley’s, this not-to-be missed evening helps to raise awareness of hunger issues in Tennessee. This is the 8th year for Craig Wiseman to host the show and the first year to host the event during CMA Fest.

Concert tickets are on-sale now for $50.00 and $35.00 via ticketmaster.com, ryman.com or by phone 800-745-3000. For preferred VIP seating please contact the Second Harvest Food Bank at 615-329-3491. Proceeds from the concert to benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee in their efforts to feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in our community. For more information contact Brittany Hansen at 615.329.3491 or visit their website at www.secondharvestmidtn.org.

CMTT has your chance to win your way into the event!!!! Click here to enter!

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com Don’t miss a country music beat! Sign up to receive free email updates or subscribe to CMTT via RSS today!

Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw are hard at work and started their first joint rehearsal Thursday (May 10) for their upcoming tour, “Brothers of the Sun.”  According to MSN.com the rehearsal lasted more than three hours.

“Yesterday’s rehearsal with Tim and I and our bands was as electric and exciting as we anticipated,” said Chesney in a press release accompanying the photo. “It’s been a long time since we’ve played on stage together and the chemistry and excitement is just so natural. It’s going to be a dream come true to have our years of friendship come together on stage for what will be one unpredictable, loud, hell of a summer, and I can’t wait.”

“Brothers of the Sun”  will play more than 20 stadiums across the country, and more than 700,000 tickets have already been sold. Opening acts include Grace Potter & The Nocturnals and Jake Owen.

CMTT wants you to be a Tattle Tale! We want to hear what you have to say about country music and your favorite artists. Email Jessica at countrygirl@countrymusictattletale.com. Don’t miss a country music beat! Sign up to receive free email updates or subscribe to CMTT via RSS today!

Edens Edge on WhoSay
15. Watch out for a takeover from @EdensEdge this summer.  They are Too Good To Be True! “We’re having a blast at our video shoot today for Too Good To Be True!!!! Can’t wait for you to see it! DB”

14. In lieu of a little reality show drama, newcomer @ChaseRiceMusic made this statement that I find quite fitting “All this hatin goin on between country artists right now. Y’all…chilllll, smile, and have a drink.”

13. Hey @BrettEldredge I think my mom could give your mom some competition “Todays the day where everyone tells you why their mom is better than your mom…well my mom is better than your mom! The best!”

12. @LBTmusic spent a little time on a boat last week.  I think Karen forgot her water shoes though “Now here is Karen’s shoes #pontoon”

11. Couldn’t have said this better myself @LauraBellBundy “Bob Marley said ‘complaining is prayers to the devil.’ Today I’m taking account of all the things I HAVE…not the things that I don’t have.”

10. Sometimes we all need to take a step back and appreciate what we have as @JRodFromOz pointed out this week “News just said several soldiers returned home to TN today from overseas. Welcome home & thank for your unbelievable service!!! #hugefan”

9. Following the theme from the last two tweets, here is a little motivation from @BillyCurrington “life is like a tree. love are the leaves. sometimes u cant c the beauty til theyve fallen. look a little deeper into the forest today ! amen”

8. This week Blake Shelton was victorious on The Voice.  @Miranda_Lambert showed her joy in this tweet “Ahhhhhhhhhh!!! Team Blake did it!!!!!”

7. Maybe a few CDs from now @KipMooreMusic will be able to fly private “3 types of babies on planes: A. Cute and calm B. investigative C. Pissed ….just said goodbye to C”

6. The Blue Angels had @KelliePickler flying in style this week. Maybe Kip Moore should get their number “Early flight…can’t wait to get home. After flying with the Blue Angels, flying commercial is definitely a downgrade…ha ha.”

5. I think the techie in @KristianBush is taking over – foreign invasion? “So I must have reset my login while in Paris and @iTunesMusic thinks I live there. The romantic in me won’t change it.”

4. @MartinaMcBride could write the story of my life based on this tweet “Couldn’t sleep last night. Too much music in my head…”

3. After a little time in cuffs, @JakeOwen had one of the best days of his life – his wedding “A best friend for life. I now have a wifey my face hurts from smiling. What a wonderful way to start the rest of my life.”

2. @BlakeShelton has a found the only weight loss plan that is guaranteed to get you to the end – don’t try “In order to keep the focus on my music and NOT my image I’ve decided against losing weight…”

1. It looks like @CarrieUnderwood buying her own CD on it’s release day was lucky.  She ended up at Number One on the Billboard Charts. “Just bought “Blown Away!” Glad they finally have a section for us country folk! Ha ha!”

Don’t forget to follow Country Music Tattle Tale (@CMTT) on Twitter

If you have any Tweet of the Week suggestions let me know!

Scotty B. – cmttreviewer@yahoo.com
Twitter @stupidkid2150

It is official….Jake and Lacey are finally Mr. and Mrs. Owen.

They tied the knot Monday morning in a sunrise ceremony in Jakes’s hometown of Vero Beach, Fla.

PEOPLE magazine reported that Lacey wore a Amsale gown and veil and while Jake was casual in a white linen Armani shirt and Tommy Bahama drawstring pants. Of course both had to be barefoot on the beach as the sun rose over the ocean.

Jake told PEOPLE that it was his idea to have a sunrise wedding because….”it’s symbolic of the dawn of a new day and starting our new life together”. Awwwe!

Jake popped the big question to Lacey on stage at his alma mater, Vero Beach High, his past April during his song “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You”.
The beautiful ceremony was a family-only affair. Jake’s twin brother Jarrod served as best man while Lacey’s sister Leah was her maid of honor.

After the couple exchanged vows and their first kiss, the party walked to the patio of the Vero Beach Hotel and Spa for champagne, cake cutting and a sit-down brunch.

“I’m looking forward to being a husband, someone his wife relies and leans on,” said Jake, who will hit the road for the Brothers of the Sun tour on June 2nd.

Lacey added… “He gives me so much love, that it’s the best place of my life, and having the commitment of marriage means everything.”

AshleyFig
Country Music Gossip Queen on K92.3 Orlando’s Country
Follow Me! @ashfig

As we all know Cinco de Mayo was yesterday and it looks like Jake Owen was arrested for partying a little too hard!! He shared a photo of himself on twitter in handcuffs next to a cop car after 11:30PM ET — just hours after he got done preforming and hanging out with me at Runaway Country in Melbourne, FL!! Jake tweeted out with the photo above….

“I just got arrested in my own hometown”

After that post, he tweeted more about the arrest saying

“I was wearing an old man mask and the sheriff decided to rip me out of Steak And Shake and embarrass me in front of my family. Classic.”

At first I couldn’t tell if this was a joke or not since the arrest occurred in his hometown of Vero Beach, FL, but supposedly he tweeted out

“You give a guy a gun and a badge and he thinks he’s John Wayne” & “Thanks Indian River County Sheriffs Office. Unreal.”

“I’m calling it a night. My mom cried. My Dad was embarrassed,” “I lived out another day. Happy Cinco De Mayo.”

Those tweets have since been deleted and replaced by

“Y’all I apologize. The IRC Sheriff was doing their job. I love hometown. I had too good of a time on Cinco de Mayo.”

This afternoon, Jake was still reeling from his very public comments via Twitter.

I want to publicly apologize again for bringing to light a situation that I overreacted to.  I embarrassed myself and my family and most importantly the great people of my hometown.  The Sheriffs were doing their jobs and I made an immature decision to announce it to the world. This is me talking.  Not some puppet that is reciting what he “should” say. I take full responsibility. Again, what’s done is done, but I am truly sorry.

The funny thing is when Jake was with me at Runaway Country hours before he got cuffed, he kept saying today was all about having a good time. He was even drinking a Corona during our backstage interview with a sombrero on his head! He also made sure to add that today people shouldn’t make a big deal about Cinco de Mayo because to him, it’s “Everydayo of Mayo”!

I can’t blame Jake for being a little upset about getting arrested, yet I understand why he deleted the negative tweets. You don’t want fans blowing it out of proportion or taking their anger out as well. He did the right thing.  On the bright side, at least he wasn’t detained by the cops since he was tweeting and sending photos out. I would’ve pulled the old…..”Do you know who I am???!!”, which I’m sure he eventually did! Looks like he went out with a bang!

AshleyFig
Country Music Gossip Queen on K92.3 Orlando’s Country
Follow Me! @ashfig

The Super 8(R) hotel brand has launched its “Country Prize You Can’t Buy Sweepstakes,” giving country music fans throughout the U.S. the chance to win a VIP prize pack complete with travel accommodations, Jake Owen concert tickets and a private backstage tour.

Launched through a sponsorship with Premiere Networks, fans can enter by visiting the website of one of three hit Premiere radio shows, including After MidNite with Blair Garner ( www.aftermidnite.com ), The Big D and Bubba Show ( www.bigdandbubba.com ) and The Crook and Chase Countdown ( www.crookandchase.com ). Once on the site, fans must click on the Super 8 sweepstakes link and complete and submit a short online form. Entries must be received by May 13th and are limited to one per person.

“It’s no secret that country music is a passion of many Super 8 guests, which is why we are so excited to offer them this once in a lifetime opportunity,” said John Valletta, president of the Super 8 brand. “Whether it’s a country music concert or a day at the race track, with more than 2,200 hotels around the world, the Super 8 brand helps fans stay close to the things they love.”

The complete prize pack includes a three day, two night trip for two to see Jake Owen in concert during the Brothers of the Sun Tour on June 3rd in Atlanta, Ga., complete with round trip coach airfare, accommodations for two nights at a hotel, two VIP concert tickets and a private backstage tour. For full details as well as terms and conditions, visit any of the above Premiere Networks.

This marks the first of eight months of the Super 8 hotel brand’s Country Prize You Can’t Buy Sweepstakes. Each month, through November 2012, fans will have the opportunity to enter again for a chance to win a VIP experience to see a different country music star, with eight experiences being given away in total. For the latest information, be sure to visit the brand’s website at www.super8.com or its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/super8 .

Reservations and information are available by calling (800) 800-8000 or by visiting www.super8.com .

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com Don’t miss a country music beat! Sign up to receive free email updates or subscribe to CMTT via RSS today!