Keepin' it Country Media & Radio » CRS

Kelly Clarkson Debuts New Song At CRS

Jeanna D. — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 07:18:08 +0000

In Nashville last week, the annual Country Radio Seminar (CRS) took place. Country music stars were out in abundance at various special events providing everyone in attendance with great performances, brand new songs, cool collaborations, and a whole lot of fun!

One of the biggest nights during CRS week is the Sony Boat Show, and Kelly Clarkson sure did wow the crowd this year!

Clarkson debuted a new song titled, “Ain’t Gonna Like This,” which she co-wrote with her long-time guitarist and close friend, Aben Eubanks. If you follow Clarkson’s career, you will know that a Clarkson-Eubanks collab always results in some great music.

In the song, Clarkson references her musical heroes and influences, and sings her love for all genres of music. “Singin’ what I’m feelin’ inside/I don’t care what it is, what you call it, here it is.” … If you don’t like Reba/If you don’t like Trisha/If you don’t like Aretha/I don’t even wanna meet ya/If none of my heroes make your list/Well then you ain’t gonna like this.” (Big thank-you to Aben Eubanks for the correct lyrics.)

To top off the excitement over the new country track, Clarkson had a little help from her friends, The Pistol Annies, who provided the background vocals for the performance.

Twitter was abuzz with compliments for the song as well as for Clarkson and the Annies. They even got a standing O!

Some of my favorite tweets from the night:

@JosephHudak3: @kelly_clarkson is playing the Sony boat and I may lose my mind. Her voice is That Good. #CRS2013 — Joseph Hudak

@shaunridder: It’s official, @kellyclarkson IS country. We love her. How can you not? #Adorable #CRS2013 @sonynashville — Shaun Ridder

@Linda1Ryan: Woah! @kelly_clarkson cutting it up with the @pistolannies #sonyboatshow #rockinmyworld — Linda Ryan

We hope this song is going to be released to country radio soon. It has the makings of a mega hit written all over it. With its rockin’ country soul vibe, it would be a great follow-up to her current hit ballad, “Don’t Rush.”

And no, Kelly, we don’t like the song… we love it!

There are not any high quality videos of the performance yet, but you can still hear most of the song and hear Clarkson wail some super high notes as only she can. Check it out below.

* Photo by Alan Poizner

Soft-Hearted “Hot Shot” DJ Miller Stages Special Show

Ted Efron — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:39:35 +0000

How do you make a good week a great week? Share your success with others. Case in point: DJ Miller.

The up-and-coming country singer made the rounds at the Country Radio Seminar last week in Nashville. He had plenty to talk about, thanks to his single “Between Sundays,” which entered the Billboard country chart as a “Hot Shot Debut” at #58. In addition, March is shaping up to be “magazine month” for Miller. For March, he’s featured on the cover of Powersource Magazine and the “Debut Spotlight” in CMA Closeup Magazine.

Miller celebrated his success by performing for some very special fans. Thursday night, he took a break from CRS to entertain at the Ronald McDonald House of Nashville, which provides a “home away from home” for families caring for critically ill children in Nashville area hospitals. Miller performed his “Between Sundays,” and played acoustic versions of “The Dance” and “Wagon Wheel.” After the performance, Miller signed autographs, posed for photos and even gave an impromptu guitar lesson to a young fan. (See the video below.)

While Miller is doing good things in real-life, his video for “Between Sundays” is doing good things over the airwaves. Directed by Eric Welch, who has worked with Chris LeDoux and Heidi Newfield, it debuted at #6 on CMT Pure’s Top 12 Countdown. The single was also #1 on Powersource Magazine’s Inspirational Country Music Chart for the month of December. The independent artist has been on an extensive radio tour for the last year, visiting 48 states and more than 250 radio stations across the country. Now that’s what we call commitment to your craft!

To learn more about DJ Miller, visit his website and his Facebook page.

Rascal Flatts To Receive CRS Artist Humanitarian Award

Jeanna D. — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:36:19 +0000

As if we needed another reason to love Gary, Jay, and Joe Don!

Rascal Flatts have always been very involved in various charities throughout their career, and this year they are being honored at the Country Radio Seminar on February 22nd as the 2012 Artist Humanitarian Award recipients.

The trio donated $3 million to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt’s Pediatric Surgery Center in 2010. The super group also serves as spokespersons for the national suicide prevention organization, The Jason Foundation, and have been members of the American Red Cross Celebrity Cabinet for seven years.

CRS Executive Director Bill Mayne stated:

“The board is very pleased to honor Rascal Flatts with the CRS Artist Humanitarian Award. They join a long, distinguished list of celebrities who have received this prestigious award since it was instated in 1990.”

The CRS Artist Humanitarian Award was created to honor country music artists who have displayed extraordinary humanitarian efforts during their career. Past recipients of the award include Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, among others.

CRS will be held February 22-24 in Nashville. Visit www.countryradioseminar.com for more information.

Congratulations to Rascal Flatts on this deserving honor!