Photo by Leslie Paczosa 2013
Luke Bryan recently performed at a Children’s Hospital Gala, and he had some help from Pro Quarterback Peyton Manning.
May 062013
May 032013
This summer, Grammy Award winning country artist Tim McGraw will be extending his HomeFront program by awarding 31 mortgage-free homes to deserving veterans and their families. The nationwide program, which was launched last year in a collaborative effort between Chase and Operation Homefront, presented over 30 newly-renovated homes to wounded warriors and service members. This year, the group plans to double their efforts by awarding one home during each one of his 31 tour stops.
McGraw’s connection to the armed forces started at home in the company of many active duty service members. “My sister’s a veteran of the first Gulf War. My uncle was a Vietnam veteran and my grandfather was a World War II veteran,” says McGraw. Since then, he’s always felt “a deep sense of respect and obligation to our troops.”
These endeavors are a part of McGraw’s greater mission to raise awareness and support about issues regarding employment, homeownership, and education. An estimated one million service members are expected to transition out of the military by 2016. With figures as high as these, it’s essential as McGraw points out, to help veterans return back to civilian life as smoothly as possible.
In collaboration with the Homes on the HomeFront program, Chase has committed to provide 100 mortgage-free homes to deserving veterans over the next five years.
“We are grateful to our service members, veterans and their families for their service and sacrifices,” said Frank Bisignano, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Executive Officer of Mortgage Banking at JPMorgan Chase & Co. “We are honored to partner with Tim McGraw and Operation Homefront to award mortgage-free homes. It’s a small way to say thank you to people who have done so much to protect our nation and our freedom.”
McGraw’s Two Lanes of Freedom 2013 tour kicked off in Birmingham on May 2 followed by 30 other cities through July. Up-and-coming artists Brantley Gilbert and Love and Theft will also be featured on the tour which will be stopping in West Palm Beach and Tampa next weekend!
Watch Tim McGraw discuss the HomeFront program in a CNN interview here.
May 022013
photo courtesy of Absolute Publicity
Country music trio Aaron Tippin, Joe Diffie, and Sammy Kershaw are scheduled to debut their new 12-track album, All in the Same Boat, at the end of this month. Inspired by the success of their current tour, “Roots & Boots,” the album is a blend of all-new music and familiar fan favorites like Tippin’s smash hit “Kiss This” and Kershaw’s number one hit “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful.”
“I decided to go with two brand new songs and one old Neil Young song, ‘Heart of Gold,’ for my tunes on the album,” says Diffie. “I think fans will really enjoy the whole thing. We had as much fun making the album as we do on the road!”
Aaron Tippin penetrated the country music scene with his debut single, “You’ve Got to Stand For Something,” followed by his other hits “Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly,” “There Ain’t Nothing Wrong with the Radio” and “Kiss This.”
Oklahoma native, Joe Diffie, has topped the charts since the 90s with his ballads including “Home,” “Pickup Man,” and “Bigger Than the Beatles.” His repertoire includes four gold and platinum albums as well as twenty top 10’s.
Grammy-nominated country artist Sammy Kershaw has more than thirty singles to date and two gold-certified albums. His mainstream hits include “Cadillac Style,” “Third Rate Romance,” and “Queen of My Double Wide Trailer.”
Fans that can’t wait until May 28 to pick up All in the Same Boat can watch the music video here or pre-order it on iTunes and Amazon starting May 14.
“It’s one of those with a surprise ending,” says Diffie. “Somehow, we all three survived!”
All in the Same Boat Track Listing:
1. All in the Same Boat
2. Kiss this
3. Heart of Gold
4. She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful
5. The Way You Look Tonight
6. On and On
7. The Route I Took
8. I’m Hangin’ On
9. Misery Loves Company
10. I Love to Work
11. He Believed
12. Old Friends
May 012013
SFCM Featured Artist Hannah Mahoney has released a new song titled “I Left My Heart in California” along with a music video. Check it out and tell us what you think of it!
May 012013
George Jones’ funeral will take place tomorrow (Thursday, May 2nd) at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, TN at 11:00am (eastern) and will be open to the public.
The services will be aired live on CMT and GAC, and you can also tune in on the radio with SiriusXM’s Willie’s Roadhouse (Ch. 56), who will also be broadcasting the service. Fans around the world can listen online at wsmonline.com or watch online at opry.com.
“The caliber of speakers and performers is a testament to what George Jones meant to everyone in the world,” says publicist Kirt Webster. “Nancy is overwhelmed by the love and support of not only George’s fans, but also the music community, public figures and friends.”
Performing at the service will be the likes of Charlie Daniels, Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, Alan Jackson, Ronnie Milsap, Kid Rock, The Oak Ridge Boys, Brad Paisley, Randy Travis, Travis Tritt, Tanya Tucker, and Wynonna. Former First Lady Laura Bush, Kenny Chesney, Grand Ole Opry VP&GM Pete Fisher, Governor Bill Haslam, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Barbara Mandrell, and CBS News’ Chief Washington Correspondent Bob Schieffer will all make special remarks.
Fans not able to attend can leave a special message about George Jones at: http://tinyurl.com/GJtribute