This album is AMAZING!  I have my review copy and can’t stop listening to it!  Check out the behind the scenes footage from the recording of Tuskegee!  The new album Tuskegee will be in stores March 27th!

Lionel Richie’s Tuskegee Track-Listing:
1. “You Are” with Blake Shelton
2. “Say You, Say Me” with Jason Aldean
3. “Stuck On You” with Darius Rucker
4. “Deep River Woman” with Little Big Town
5. “My Love” with Kenny Chesney
6. “Dancing On The Ceiling” with Rascal Flatts
7. “Hello” with Jennifer Nettles
8. “Sail On” with Tim McGraw
9. “Endless Love” with Shania Twain
10. “Just For You” with Billy Currington
11. “Lady” with Kenny Rogers
12. “Easy” with Willie Nelson
13. “All Night Long” with Jimmy Buffett

Country Girl wants you to be a Tattle Tale! Have you been to a country concert lately? Run into a country artist while out on the town? We want to hear all about your country music news and entertainment. Email me at countrygirl@countrymusictattletale.com

Music icon Lionel Richie will release Tuskegee, a collection of 13 of his international hits recorded with some of the biggest names in country music, on March 27th.

His duet partners on Tuskegee include Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Billy Currington and Little Big Town. On this worldwide, multi-genre album, Richie is also joined by the likes of such superstars as Shania Twain, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffett.

In addition, the Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions will tape an all-star concert special, Lionel Richie and Friends “In concert” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 2nd. The show will air at a later date on the CBS Television Network. Some of his greatest hits will be performed by Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers and many more.

“Tuskegee is where it all began, the place where I felt that everything was available and possible,” he says. “It’s where I learned about life and love and the power of music, and the place I built a musical foundation that knows no genres or boundaries.

“Doing this album was coming back to the beginning, back to basics, back to home,” he says. “The part of it I love the most is that the journey has been one of discovering myself. By the time I got back to Nashville, I clearly knew that the roots of my songwriting, my storytelling, were from the South.”

It’s also been a process of rediscovering the hits that have served as the soundtrack of the lives of generations around the world.

“Every Lionel Richie song that I can think of I had a personal experience with – high school homecomings, proms, you name it,” says Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts, who duets on “Dancin’ On the Ceiling.” “Lionel was always playing in my house. His music always said what we felt and couldn’t express.”

Once again, Richie is following his songs as they take him back to country, where they have been welcomed for more than two decades. Conway Twitty recorded “Three Times a Lady,” Kenny Rogers famously sang “Lady” and Alabama recorded “Deep River Woman.” Artists such as Tim McGraw, Darius Rucker and Rascal Flatts perform his songs in their shows. He has performed on the Country Music Association Awards three times, and his 2011 performance receive two standing ovations and was recognized as the highlight of the evening.

“When I did the CMAs and the room was singing along with me, it was really more like a family reunion than it was a concert or show,” he says. “It was just great validation to know that the music was accepted like it was.”

These innovative musical interpretations have given new meaning to his songs while serving as a powerful reminder of the timelessness of his impressive body of work. He asked the other singers to select the songs and ignore his original version and instead perform the song as if it were their own. “I wanted it the way they would do it in their show, which means I captured their essence. You make the song a Willie Nelson song. You make the song a Rascal Flatts song.

“It’s special to the point where it sounds new again, so I’m excited just as the writer, as the original parent of this child. I’m excited to see another generation embrace the music.”

Richie says recording Tuskegee was perhaps the most fun he’s ever had in the studio.

“Tuskegee is going to be one of the most special albums I’ve ever done in my life. This is something that’s going to be so special forever because it’s a moment in time when these artists all got together and celebrated some music,” he says. “What started out as a collaboration of a group of very talented, very successful artists ended up growing into brand new, very good friends.”

Lionel Richie’s Tuskegee Track-Listing:
1. “You Are” with Blake Shelton
2. “Say You, Say Me” with Jason Aldean
3. “Stuck On You” with Darius Rucker
4. “Deep River Woman” with Little Big Town
5. “My Love” with Kenny Chesney
6. “Dancing On The Ceiling” with Rascal Flatts
7. “Hello” with Jennifer Nettles
8. “Sail On” with Tim McGraw
9. “Endless Love” with Shania Twain
10. “Just For You” with Billy Currington
11. “Lady” with Kenny Rogers
12. “Easy” with Willie Nelson
13. “All Night Long” with Jimmy Buffett

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com

10. This week the tour bus that Lee Brice and @TylerFarr use caught fire. They were able to save some items “Coincidence that my Tim Tebow book was unharmed in the bus fire?? I think not! He’s fireproof”

9. To stay on topic, @CraigCampbellTV had bus troubles this week also “Bus door key pad broken…getting close to show time…may have to where the clothes we have on #theshowmustgoon”

8. On his first major country tour, @ScottyMcCreery knows how to stay connected with those at home “skype really comes in handy on the road..”

7. Sometimes @JimmyWayne has the best inspirational sayings “‘it’s not success when all you have to show for it is money’ #happiness”

6. This isn’t the first time that @BrettEldredge has thought outside the box “I wonder if Siri ever gets tired of living in that little iPhone….. #nolegroom #claustrophobia”

5. Before looking forward at an album release week, @KelliePickler found time to look back “Found a picture of me & Kyle fishing’ at one of Saddam’s Palaces on a USO tour. #BringingTheRedneckToAPalaceNearYo”

4. Last week @JakeOwen broke his collar bone; this week a check-up was in store “In the Dr. waiting on my sentence.. You know it’s not good when he comes in and says “That break is worse than the football teams”. Damn.”

3. Blake and @Miranda_Lambert experienced a loss this week – Blake’s dad. Here is what Miranda said “Thank you all for your kindness and prayer. Our family means everything to us. Blake and I appreciate the support so much.”

2. This week we lost a legend. Little Big Town (@LBTmusic) summed it up best “We’re saddened to hear of Etta James passing today. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family. Her voice has been and will always be a part of all of our lives. In our wildest dreams we could have never imagined having the chance to hear her record a piece of music we wrote. Hearing her sing “Boondocks” is an honor we will treasure forever.”

1. After a successful first weekend tour, @BradPaisley had a celebratory cigar. “If you ever wondered if you can light a cigar with a laser, well you can.”

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

Keith Urban and Vince Gill, this year joined by an all-star lineup of some of country music’s most loved groups, will return to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday, April 10, for a concert to benefit the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum. Reserved seating tickets, which are priced at a family friendly $25 and $35 (does not include Ticketmaster surcharge), will go on sale January 27 at 10:00 a.m. A limited number of VIP ticket packages will also go on sale on January 27th at Ticketmaster.com. (Complete ticket purchase information is below.)

The show—which will feature performances from an all-star line-up including Urban, Country Music Hall of Fame members Vince Gill and Alabama, Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Band Perry, Blue Sky Riders, Diamond Rio, Exile, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, The Oak Ridge Boys, Pistol Annies, Rascal Flatts and Thompson Square—again promises to be a one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-lifetime evening of music, friendship and camaraderie.

“My goal for the concert, is really the same as the halls’,” said Urban. “To help country fans connect the dots – to find out where their music came from, how it’s evolved (and is still evolving) and to hear the artists that have influenced their favorite artists. Country music is like a big beautiful strange family tree and nowhere is that more honored than at the Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum.”

All for the Hall is the museum’s first-ever non-bricks-and-mortar fundraising initiative. The campaign addresses the not-for-profit educational institution’s need for long-term financial security and provides a safety net for its work. Through ongoing exhibit schedules, scholarly publications and hundreds of school and family programs annually, the museum teaches its audiences about the enduring beauty and cultural importance of country music. Museum Board President Gill created and has led the institution’s All for the Hall fundraising initiative since 2005.

“The first two We’re All for the Hall concerts have been landmarks for this institution,” said Museum Director Kyle Young. “They have been the most successful fundraisers in the museum’s history, together raising roughly $1 million. And they have not only set a new standard for fundraising and event coordination, but also brought together an entire community and helped us to see what can be done by individuals when there is a collective passion for a cause.”

Tickets ($25 and $35, plus Ticketmaster surcharge) go on sale January 27 at 10:00 a.m. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, the Bridgestone Arena box office or by phone at (800) 745-3000. Phone, internet and outlet orders are subject to a convenience fee.

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com

10. @JoeDonRooney of Rascal Flatts managed to get a shot of his clock in the celebration “Happy New Year y’all!”

9. I guess not everyone celebrates the new year with open arms. @FrankieBallard tweeted “Happy effin New thing…”

8. As a father, @JustinColeMoore just doesn’t have the energy to celebrate New Years “You know you’re gettin older when you’re fallin asleep in your recliner on new years eve at 8:04 pm”

7. 2011 was a great year for @JakeOwen – I can’t wait to see what is in store for 2012 “Happy New Year Y’all. 11,000 feet yesterday snowboarding and sea level today playing golf with my Dad and nephews. Thanks for a great year.”

6. I guess one person isn’t having a weight loss goal for 2012. Sunny Sweeney (@GettinSweenered) tweeted “I’m not fat. I’m just harder to kidnap. Happy 2012!”

5. Why go where millions of people are when you can have New York to yourself? @JulianneHough did just that “Walking back to the hotel on the empty streets of NY after watching the matinee of The Book of Mormon! #EPIC”

4. She might be touring with King George in early 2012, but who knows what @MartinaMcBride has in store for the rest of the year! “Just wanted to say thanks to all my fans, friends, and family for making 2011 such an amazing year! I am so looking forward to 2012!”

3. It’s hard to believe that @KelliePickler got married a year ago – it seems like yesterday! “A year ago today, I married my best friend.”

2. Did anybody take advantage of the AAA service last night? @LBTmusic (Little Big Town) tried to spread the news about it! “Have a great time tonight, if you need a ride call the AAA Tipsy Tow phone number at 1-800-AAA-Help. Shortly after, a tow truck will be…”

1. Any Eve’s out there, New Year’s Eve has to be awkward! @BradPaisley posted “Happy New years eve eve!Unless your name is Eve,then Happy New Years Eve Eve, Eve.Unless your name is Steve.& Happy New Years Eve Eve,Steve.”

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

Top New Tweeter of the Year- @Danny Gokey

Top Tweet by a New Artist -
@DavidNail - “Just met a girl today in M/G in my T-shirt, she was so excited she had tears, had a sign with Clouds lyrics, guess what got added to set!”

Top Tweeting Group of the Year- @LBTmusic

Top Tweet by a Group-
@LadyAntebellum – “watching the show Hoarders and I feel like I have a solution. @Americanpicker should join forces with the peeps on Hoarders. junk solved. ck”

Top Tweeting Duo of the Year- @SugarlandMusic

Top Female Tweeter- @Miranda_Lambert

Top Tweet from a Female-
@KelliePickler - “perhaps we ship the dirty politicians overseas and let them stand on the front line.-without pay.”

Top Male Tweeter of the Year- @BlakeShelton

Top Tweet from a Male –  
@ChrisYoungMusic -“I was kinda down today… and then I remembered my dad survived lung cancer and I still have the man I look up to in my life #perspective”

Top Tweeter of the Year- @BlakeShelton

Top Tweet of the Year- It is a tie….

@KelliePickler -“perhaps we ship the dirty politicians overseas and let them stand on the front line.-without pay.”
@JimmyWayne - “I FREAKIN’ LOVE COUNTRY MUSIC !!!”

Hashtag of the Year – @ChrisYoungMusic
#CincoDeDamnIt

A BIG thank you to everyone who voted for your favorite country tweets of 2011!  And an EXTRA BIG thank you to Scotty B. @stupidkid2150 who puts together CMTT’s Top Tweets every Sunday for us!

Here’s looking at a great 2012 full of dreams come true!

Country Girl wants you to be a Tattle Tale! Have you been to a country concert lately? Run into a country artist while out on the town? We want to hear all about your country music news and entertainment. Email me at countrygirl@countrymusictattletale.com

Some of today’s hottest country stars will join members of the Band of the Air Force Reserve along with The Air Force Strings from Washington D.C. to present Holiday Notes From Home—a TV special to air over the Christmas holiday on the Armed Forces Network (AFN). The program is sponsored by the Air Force Reserve Command.

Holiday Notes From Home will be broadcast in 177 counties to over 1.7 million people all around the world, including Iraq and Afghanistan along with every military installation overseas and all the ships and submarines at sea. It will also air on Great American Country (GAC).

Country hitmakers Little Big Town and Lee Ann Womack took some time out of their busy schedules to join hosts, chart topping country artist, Clay Walker and Great American Country’s (GAC) Nan Kelley, to give something back at this time of year and deliver this heart-felt holiday tribute, produced specifically for the men and women of our military and their families. This show also included a pre-show performance by southern country/rocker Adam Fisher.

This time of year can be especially difficult for our troops—separated from their families during a season that is all about family and tradition. The show will bring a little bit of “home” to those serving the call of freedom around the world. Christmas carols, the holiday spirit and the newly restored Opry stage decorated for the holidays will hopefully bring military families closer together and help them experience the magic of the season.

“This concert is for all of our troops who are continually deployed overseas, all of their families who are left behind, and for the employers who make such a big difference in those families lives,” said Lt. Gen. Charles E. Stenner, Jr., Chief of the Air Force Reserve. “If we can give just a little back to all those groups of people, I want to do this each year.”

Great American Country (GAC) air dates and times
(please note all times are in eastern time zone):
12/22/2011 08:00 PM
12/23/2011 12:00 AM
12/23/2011 11:00 AM
12/23/2011 05:00 PM
12/24/2011 07:00 PM
12/25/2011 10:00 AM

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com