Lionel Richie’s Platinum album “Tuskegee” is on sale for only $5 on Amazon.com! If you don’t already have this album GO GET IT NOW! It is AMAZING!

The country duets album, which held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top 200 for two consecutive weeks, sits at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart for the fourth week since its March 26 release.

The album features duets of 13 of his timeless hits with Jason Aldean, Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, Billy Currington, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson, Jennifer Nettles, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton and Shania Twain.

The $5 price is only good for a limited time so HURRY!

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Lionel Richie’s Tuskegee has been certified platinum for reaching sales of 1 million, a feat accomplished in an impressive five weeks.

“This album continues to amaze me and I am so grateful for all that it has accomplished,” Richie says. “Just when I think it couldn’t get any bigger, Tuskegee reaches a new level of success. When I came up with the idea for Tuskegee, I didn’t want to be confined by boundaries of age, genre or demographics. I am thrilled with how well this album has been received by people from all walks of life. It is truly living up to the vision we had when we created it.”

The country duets album, which held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top 200 for two consecutive weeks, sits at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart for the fourth week since its March 26 release.

Tuskegee is the best-selling country album of 2012 and the first country album in more than a year to spend two consecutive weeks atop the Billboard 200. It is the exciting new chapter in a storied career that includes album sales of more than 100 million, 22 Top 10 hits, five Grammys, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a host of other awards.

While this is certainly not the first time Richie has topped the Billboard 200, this is his first No. 1 album on the country albums chart. He joins Ray Charles as the only artists in history to have No. 1 albums on both the Billboard Country Albums and R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts.

This is the album’s fifth consecutive week in the Top 5 of the Billboard Top 200. The album was released on March 26 and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the country albums chart. It was his best sales week since SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991.

The album features duets of 13 of his timeless hits with Jason Aldean, Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, Billy Currington, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson, Jennifer Nettles, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton and Shania Twain.

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!

10. There is only one thing @BrettEldredge loves as much as music – fish. “No fish I will not make out with you!?”

9.  @LeeBrice recently got sponsored by Bud Light – here’s what he had to say about that! “Id like to thank bud light for sponsoring me.. It’s like a duck being sponsored by water!”

8. Every once in a while we just need a good joke.  This week @FrankieBallard provided that. “Commercial flight has become so plane…”

7. This week music lost one of it’s greatest people. @ThompsonSquare had the best words for the loss “Thanks Dick Clark for all the wonderful memories from my childhood watching American Bandstand! #RIPDICKCLARK Shawna”

6. Sometimes I wonder how Jerrod Niemann (@JRodFromOz) comes up with these things “Not sure if love is completely blind…probably more like a cyclops with cataracts”

5. I can’t imagine standing in the Opry circle, let alone being on the walls of the Opry. @DariusRucker has experienced both “Seeing this on the @opry wall tonight… Totally speechless.”

4. @MartinaMcBride is one of the most grounded people in country music – “Having a great talk with my husband this morning on the back porch. Best friend. Good coffee. Beautiful morning. Life is good.”

3. Leave it to @DierksBentley to live out a song “anchorage Alaska…question: is it possible to party until the sun comes up when it never really goes down this time of year?! let’s try!!”

2. At least I’m not the only one that gets bothered by this – @ChrisYoungMusic tweeted: “Good lord. It’s just Country. Not Country and Western people.”

1. I guess it takes a country legend to get @BlakeShelton speechless! “‘@merlehaggard: Blake congratulations on your number one!!!’ Everybody stop!! Hats off.. Moment of silence.. Merle Haggard just tweeted me!!”

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Darius Rucker will for the third time be hosting “Darius And Friends, a benefit for St. Jude presented by GAC.” The concert and corresponding celebrity golf tournament take place on Monday, June 4th, and will both raise funds to help St. Jude provide the best care possible to children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases at no cost to their family.

The concerts alone have helped raise more than $100,000 for St. Jude with the support of friends like Rodney Atkins, Easton Corbin, Radney Foster, Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, Justin Moore, Jerrod Niemann, Jake Owen, Kid Rock and more.

“This has become my favorite way to start off the week of CMA Fest – golf and music for a great cause. With the support of our friends at GAC, Gaylord Springs, and the Wildhorse Saloon, we’ll be able to raise even more for St. Jude. Ever since I made my first visit to the hospital,” Rucker continues, “I was so moved, I knew I needed to be part of it and support it in any way possible. These events allow me to honor the outstanding work of the researchers, doctors and staff at St. Jude and I’m honored to be able to help contribute to their efforts.”

This year’s events begin early in Nashville at the Gaylord Springs Golf Links with the St. Jude Darius And Friends Golf Classic. For more information on registration and sponsorship opportunities, please visit the St. Jude official site.

Although Rucker has not announced his fellow artists joining him for the 2012 concert, fans can expect to see more great music and good times, as it is sure to be a night to remember. Most importantly, 100 percent of ticket sale proceeds will help St. Jude continue its mission of finding cures and saving children battling cancer and other deadly diseases.

DariusRucker.com members will have early access to tickets beginning today, April 17, with sales opening to the general public April 21st. Tickets may be purchased at the Wildhorse Saloon (615-902-8200) and on www.ticketmaster.com.

Performer news and information to follow in the coming weeks.

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!

On Monday, April 2nd, ACM PRESENTS: Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert was taped at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The special concert event of country music collaborations with the legendary Lionel Richie will air Friday, April 13, 2012 on the CBS Television Network (9:00-11:00 PM ET/PT).

The special features duets from Richie’s latest album Tuskegee, out now, along with solo performances. Some of Richie’s greatest hits were performed by today’s hottest artists including Jason Aldean (“Say You Say Me”), Luke Bryan (“Running with the Night”), Sara Evans and Marc Anthony (“Endless Love”), Martina McBride (“Still”), The Band Perry (“Penny Lover”) and Lady Antebellum (“Truly”). Duets with Richie included: “My Love” with Kenny Chesney, “Sail On” with Tim McGraw, “Hello” with Jennifer Nettles, “Lady” with Kenny Rogers, “Stuck On You” with Darius Rucker, “Brick House” with Big & Rich and “Dancin’ On The Ceiling” with Rascal Flatts. Nicole Richie joined her dad at the piano for a very special moment in the show.

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!

Photo Source: Getty Images for ACM

Lionel Richie’s Tuskegee debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart this week and is his highest-charting album since 1986. With sales of 198,892, it is also the best-selling debut by any country artist this year.

Tuskegee, a collection of 13 of his beloved international hits performed as duets with today’s country stars, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200, behind Madonna. This is his best sales week since SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991, according to Billboard. His last appearance in the Top Two was in October 1986, when Dancing on the Ceiling held the No. 1 spot for two weeks.

“I am ecstatic!” Richie says. “These songs are like my children, so I am overwhelmed that they are being embraced by several generations of music lovers. I am so grateful to all of my duet partners for bringing their own distinctive styles and personalities to this album and interpreting these songs in fresh new ways.

“I haven’t had this much fun in the studio since the Commodores. I will treasure the memories of working with these country stars for the rest of my life. I’ve made so many brand-new old friends from this album.

“I have loved my time in Nashville and can’t wait to spend more time there writing songs and collaborating in the studio. It inspires me creatively and being there just makes my heart feel good.”

Tuskegee has become an immediate worldwide hit, debuting at No. 1 on Canada’s Top Albums chart and reaching the Top 10 album charts in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Holland and Sweden. This is his first No. 1 album in Canada in the SoundScan era and his first No. 1 album in Canada since his sophomore solo album, Can’t Slow Down, in 1983.

“What makes this so special is that I am able to experience all of this with my children,” he says. “They are too young to know about the Commodores or anything that I did in the eighties. They just know me as the dad who drives them to school. I’m glad they finally get to see what I do for a living!

“It’s also special because I can share this with my Tuskegee family. Keep in mind that these were the folks who encouraged me when the rest of the world had never heard of Lionel Richie or the Commodores. I discovered that I was a songwriter in Tuskegee, Alabama, and this is where I wrote all of these songs. The roots of my writing, my storytelling, are from the South. I am thrilled that the city and the people that made me who I am today are being honored by the warm embrace this album has received. How fortunate I have been to discover that you can go home again.”

Tuskegee has been an extremely satisfying full-circle moment for Richie, who has earned album sales of more than 100 million, 22 Top 10s, five Grammys, an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe, and a host of other awards.

His duet partners on Tuskegee are Jason Aldean, Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, Billy Currington, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson, Jennifer Nettles, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton and Shania Twain. The deluxe edition of the album contains a DVD featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the recording sessions with Richie and his duet partners.

CBS will air ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends– In Concert on Friday, April 13th at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. The show serves as a tribute to Richie’s influential career and features solo performances by Richie as well as duets with Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Jennifer Nettles, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers, Darius Rucker and Blake Shelton. It also includes performances of his songs by Jason Aldean, Marc Anthony, Sara Evans, The Band Perry, Martina McBride, Big & Rich, Luke Bryan, Sara Evans, Lady Antebellum.

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!

The Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions announced today that Marc Anthony, Darius Rucker and Big & Rich will complete the all-star lineup of artists scheduled to perform at the ACM PRESENTS: Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert taping tonight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The special will air Friday, April 13th on CBS .

ACM PRESENTS: Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert  is a special concert event of country music collaborations with the legendary Lionel Richie, featuring duets from his latest album Tuskegee, out now, along with solo performances. Some of Richie’s greatest hits will be performed by today’s hottest artists including Jason Aldean (“Say You Say Me”), Luke Bryan (“Running with the Night”), Sara Evans and Marc Anthony (“Endless Love”), Martina McBride (“Still”), The Band Perry (“Penny Lover”), Big & Rich (“Brick House”) and Lady Antebellum (“Truly”). Duets with Richie include: “My Love” with Kenny Chesney, “Sail On” with Tim McGraw, “Hello” with Jennifer Nettles, “Lady” with Kenny Rogers, “Stuck On You” with Darius Rucker, “Dancin’ On The Ceiling” with Rascal Flatts and more surprises.

Ticket proceeds from ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert will benefit ACM Lifting Lives, which works to improve lives through music.

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!