Check out a preview of George’s album below in a video with The King himself, and let us know if you’re going to be picking up your copy today.

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“Love Is Everything” will feature 13 tracks, including the top 15-and-still-climbing single “Give It All We’ve Got Tonight,” and four songs co-written by George himself, and his son, Bubba Strait, and Dean Dillion. His current single is on track to become George’s 60th number one single of his career, and fans wanting to help him get his 60th can visit sixtyforsixty.com, use hashtag #60for60 and request the single at your local radio station. The movement is aiming to get George his 60th number one before his 61st birthday on May 18th.

In the midst of his two-year final U.S. tour, The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, Strait recently set an all-time attendance record at Reliant Center when he closed out this year’s Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, performing to a crowd of 80,020 fans. The tour has so far sold out 16 of 16 venues played. Were you one of the lucky few to score tickets to his farewell tour?

Are you going to pick up George Strait’s brand new album? What is your all-time favorite George Strait song?

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Couples:

There is no better way to kick this thing off than by discussing the 48th Annual ACM Awards host, Blake Shelton, and his blonde bombshell of a wife, Miranda Lambert. On their own, each of these two artists (whom we here at Keepin’ It Country just adore!) looks sensational. Blake looks absolutely dapper in his gray jacket, black shirt, and charcoal tie, while Miranda’s dress is just the perfect amount of flash to go with her shining personality. However, we believe each forgot to consider his/her own best accessory on the red carpet — each other! Silver and gold = giant no no, unless we are talking jewelry … We girls always make exceptions for jewelry!

If you have eyes, you know that Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are gorgeous and insanely talented. Talk about a couple whose children who hit the DNA lottery!  However, natural beauty and undeniable talent does not always equate to great decisions. This particular ACM orange carpet appearance leaves a bit to be desired. Is Tim wearing a blazer or a fleece hoodie from Aeropostale? Is his shirt a collector’s item from “Saturday Night Fever”? And Faith looks like a flapper who found out she was hitting the orange carpet and decided to show her love for the Miami Dolphins (Fins to the left! Fins to the Right!). Questionable choices aside, these two are still smokin’, regardless of what they pull off the hangers on any given awards show Sunday!

It was really nice of Madame Tussaud’s to donate these wax figures of Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman. Oh wait, it’s really them! Nashville’s favorite Australian duo hit the red carpet at the ACMs looking fabulous. With their matching hairdos and apparent affinity for all things crushed velvet, Nicole and Keith dazzled…and probably sweated up a storm in the Las Vegas dry heat.

The Collaborations:

Rascal Flatts teamed up with cross-genre sensation, Kelly Clarkson, to sing “What Hurts the Most” at the 2006 ACMs. No question about it, the fashion choices (and stellar performance) by this collaboration surely were not hurting on this night! Ladies first — Kelly always kills it when she wears red, and this night was no exception. The plunging front shows some skin, but leaves plenty to the imagination. Kelly looks classy, comfortable, and chic on the red carpet and on the arms of country music’s popular trio. The men of Rascal Flatts look a little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n roll in vests, blazers, and t-shirts, while sporting some chest. Here’s to you, boys! Here’s to you!

Wait, is this a country awards show? Yes, yes it is. And it looks like Jem has returned from the 1980s to investigate whether Janie really does have a gun. Steven Tyler (of Aerosmith … not of American Idol, youngsters) joined Carrie Underwood during the 2011 ACM Awards to entertain country music fans with his unparalleled voice, while Carrie, once again, showed off  her incomparable leg muscles. Steven dons an all-white ensemble, including a long coat, that shows off his rocker side without leaving the country folk thinking he had gone “craaaaazy craaaaazy”. Carrie looks like she grabbed her red star earring, asked Synergy to change her into Jem so she and the Holograms could battle The Mizfits. However, because she is Carrie, and because she is a goddess, she somehow pulls off what looks like Black Swan meets Girl Interrupted flawlessly.

No, really. Is this a country awards show? Also in 2011, Rihanna joined Jennifer Nettles on stage at the ACM Awards, proving once again that different genres are becoming more and more accepting of our favorite music. Let’s start with Rihanna. Unlike Steven Tyler, Rihanna doesn’t quite pull off the all-white look. In fact, with that hairdo, she looks like a Q-Tip that was dipped in iodine (likely to soothe the pain of all of us who had to endure the length of her performance). We love Jennifer Nettles. A lot. And her outfit proves one very important thing to us…She is psychic and was foreshadowing her future as a “Duets” coach. Jennifer clearly was already planning the moment she took the stage with J. Rome to perform “You’re the One That I Want” from “Grease”. On the other hand, if she chose to break into some MC Hammer dancing in those pants, that would not be shocking either.

The Co-Host No More:

We will truly miss Reba hosting this year’s awards show. Reba has become a staple on the ACMs and, while we are excited for her that she has huge projects consuming her time, this installment of the awards will be an adjustment. Reba has had some amazing moments throughout the years, but discussing all of Reba’s awards, successes, and seamless performances is no fun; and we want to have fun! As such, here are some of Reba’s not-so-amazing fashion moments in ACM history.

Thumbs up, Reba? We think not. Bad color, bad fit, bad design. Oh, and the carpet DOES, in fact, match the drapes…

Cheeeeeese! Oh Reba, clearly someone just put a mirror in front of you for the first time right when the photographer was clicking the camera because you look like you’ve just seen a ghost. Or you really need to find the ladies’ room. And thank heavens the pixie do is no more!

We saved the best for last. We rarely render ourselves speechless, but we very well may be at a loss for words here. Considering a blog is meant for words, we will leave it at this:  A picture is worth a thousand of them!

Who will we fall for and who will fall victim to us on the red carpet? Who will carry home the big awards and who will go home simply holding a flask? Whose performances will shine and who will be outshone? Don’t forget to tune in this Sunday, April 7th, at 8:00 p.m. EST on CBS to find out!

Other things to look forward to during this year’s ACMs:

Tim McGraw will perform “Highway Don’t Care” with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban;

Hunter Hayes will world premiere his new single “I Want Crazy” and then be joined later by legendary music icon Stevie Wonder;

Kelly Clarkson will perform “Don’t Rush”;

Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley and Hunter Hayes will perform together live from ACM Fan Jam;

Country superstar Reba will introduce the George Strait and Garth Brooks performance. As previously announced, Strait and Brooks will perform together for the first time ever to pay tribute to Dick Clark. Each will perform a version of one of their classic hits and then join together for a very special moment;

Jewel will partner with ACM Lifting Lives to perform a live mash-up of her chart-topping hit “Hands” combined with “Fill a Heart,” an original song written by singer-songwriter Tori Kelly. This special musical moment, presented by ConAgra Foods’ Child Hunger Ends Here campaign, will be performed at the 48^thANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS FAN JAM.

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Unfortunately, we were unable to make it to the ACMs this year because of budgetary reasons, so we’ll be live-tweeting them from home along with you! Make sure you join us Sunday afternoon for our exclusive KEEPIN’ IT COUNTRY PRESENTS… Jason Charles Miller stageit show at 3 pm EST, before the ACMs kick off live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas at 8 pm EST. Use hashtag #KIC to join in our fun!

The ACMs will kick off with a big opening performance of “Boys ‘Round Here” with Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Pistol Annies, Sheryl Crow, and Brad Paisley.

Jewel will perform a special Lifting Lives segment with a mash-up of her hit single “Hands Clean” and “Fill A Heart,” an original song by singer-songwriter Tori Kelly.

Hunter Hayes will get two pretty cool performances – he’ll be debuting his new single “I Want Crazy” with Stevie Wonder, and will mix in one of Stevie’s big hits. Hunter will return later in the show with Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley live from the ACM Fan Jam. How did Stevie and Hunter get together? Turns out Hunter covers Stevie’s songs on tour, and Stevie discovered them and became a fan of Hunter.

Taylor Swift will have country superstars Keith Urban and Tim McGraw joining her for “Highway Don’t Care.”

Luke Bryan will be debuting a brand new single “Crash My Party” during the award show..

Kelly Clarkson will be performing her country single “Don’t Rush” with a special, announced guest. Is it Vince Gill? We don’t know, but we know he was approached along with someone else.

Reba will introduce a very special duet performance from Garth Brooks and George Strait who will be paying tribute to the late Dick Clark. It’s going to be a pretty emotional performance, so make sure you tune in for this one.

Do you have any questions about the ACMs? We’ll answer what we can on Facebook and Twitter!

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“Dick helped make country music accessible to a larger fan base and his efforts will not be forgotten. Garth and I were so grateful when we each received the ACM Artist of the Decade Award, so it’s only fitting that we’ll be honoring him with this tribute performance at the ACMs,” said George Strait.

Garth added, “I commend the Academy on naming the ACM Artist of the Decade Award after Dick Clark.  Although there is no award the entertainment industry has that can match the magnitude of the star Dick Clark was, and still is, it is an honor to get to be a part of the Academy’s tribute to him.  There may be others who have contributed as much to the music industry, but there is definitely no one that has contributed more than Dick Clark.  He was music’s best friend, and a dear friend to me.”

Previous recipients of the ACM Artist of the Decade Award include Strait in 2009, Brooks in 1998, Alabama in 1988, Loretta Lynn in 1979 and Marty Robbins in 1969. The ACM Dick Clark Artist of the Decade Award is an Academy honor bestowed on a country music artist only once every decade.

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Airing live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on CBS, the show will be hosted by Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan, who have become affectionately referred to as “Bluke” on Twitter.

The above artists join an already star-studded show that features performances by Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, George Strait and the Band Perry.

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The tour stop will take place on June 1, 2013 and will mark Strait’s eighth performance at the venue since he opened the facility that is affectionately referred to as, “The house they [the city] built for George.” 

Strait’s The Cowboy Rides Away Tour placed No. 1 on Pollstar’s Concert Pulse last week, averaging $1.4 million in gross sales per show, topping Justin Bieber, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Dave Matthews Band, and The Who (top 5 respectively).

trait is currently working on a forthcoming album slated for release late spring. The album will feature his current single, “Give It All We’ve Got Tonight,” which is Top 15 and climbing. The single could mark Strait’s 60^th No. 1 on longtime label, MCA Records Nashville. Fans are encouraged to visit sixtyforsixty.com to help spread the news.

The tour will continue next weekend with a record-breaking stop of over 77,000 in attendance at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Check out The King of Country Music’s upcoming tour dates below and make sure to let us know if you’ll be going!

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Set to take the stage that night are: Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, George Strait, and The Band Perry.

The big event will take place on Sunday, April 7th. With Shelton & Bryan hosting this year, the show will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.

We can’t wait!

More performers will be announced in the upcoming weeks so check back with us for updates!

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We discussed his background, who he’d LOVE to duet with, country music in NYC, his oddest job (hint: I’ve fallen and I can’t get up) and more! Plus, what’s it like to open for Blake Shelton? Read on to find out!

KIC:  For those readers who may be ‘meeting’ you for the first time in this blog, can you give us a little bit of a back story as to how you began performing?

JC: Well, I started playing piano when I was 8 and guitar around 13 . My first professional gig was playing blues in a music joint in Kansas City … I was concert trained and went to band camp too ha. I moved to New York City and started playing around clubs in all kinds of genres (jazz to hard rock)  and was discovered and had many ups and downs like a lot of folks in the music business. I sure can say that you can never, ever, ever give up. Everyone has THEIR time.. I hope and this feels like for all the years and hard work I’ve put into my craft that it’s my time. We’ll see.

KIC:  Your site describes your sound as “modern country mixed up with southern rock and roll and some New Orleans style.” That’s pretty eclectic – who do you liken yourself to?

JC: I don’t know.. my piano style comes from New Orleans guys especially Dr. John who was my mentor, but also guys like Benmont Tench (Petty), Roy Bittan (Springsteen)…So as far as my voice I’m not sure.. I tell people that I’d like to be seen as a piano playing Brad Paisley. He’s a virtuoso on guitar and supremely talented singer/songwriter/performer – that’s where I see myself but I don’t think I sound like anyone in particular vocally or piano playing wise.

KIC:  You currently live in NYC, do you feel that it’s harder to make it as a country artist there? (It’s def harder to be a country fan here!)

JC: Oh yeah, we just got our first country station (Nash FM 94.7) in 17 years! Country fans are in NYC but up until recently, the artists didn’t come through town and there’s not a lot of places to play country music especially if you want people to listen and pay attention. I hope that changes. There are die hard country fans even in NYC but it’s only starting to get the attention it deserves here.

KIC:  Tell us the story behind your new single, “Wasted on Love.”

JC: I had the idea floating around my head and the title and came up with a lot of the music and some lyrics. I sent it to my co-writer Milton L Brown (“Any Which Way You Can”, “Every Which Way But Loose”) who is just amazing at putting words down on paper that move me. We have this amazing chemistry – who knew? He’s a legend and is 80 years old but we write all of our songs together and I couldn’t be luckier to have such a great co-writer.

KIC:  Your previous single “Life Ain’t Fair” received a ton of buzz and critical acclaim. Did you set out to top it with “Wasted on Love”?

JC: We put “Life Ain’t Fair” out on our own with no promo or anything and sent it to the music press and they just felt it was special and did a lot of write ups on it of which I was so grateful for. It was my first time reaching out to the country music community in Nashville and they welcomed me with open arms. I wish we could have gotten it to radio because folks always ask me, ‘When do I hear “Life ain’t fair” on the radio?” I guess it’s never too late. I had a feeling about “Wasted on Love” when we finished it the day before we cut it in Nashville. I knew it was special and it just felt like a hit even though I don’t write that way. I write what sounds good to me and hope the fans like it. We struck a deal and we’re releasing it through our own imprint label, DOWNHOME / THC: MUSIC and through Ingrooves/ Fontana. I can’t wait for every to hear it!

KIC: What is the writing process like for your music? Where do you get your inspiration from?

JC: Normally Milton and I will talk about what I’m looking for song wise and he will send me a lyric and I’ll turn around and write the music and maybe change a line or two here and there but he’s so damn good at this and knows what I’m looking for in words as far as meter etc. I’d say most of our songs are written that way. The other way is I’ll come up with a musical hook, title and maybe a few lines here and there and we’ll trade it back and forth. We never write in the same room together and just trade back and forth over email. Technology has it’s perks!

KIC:  You opened for Blake Shelton – How did that happen?

JC: A guy we’re working with submitted me to Blake’s people and then it took months before I heard back because Blake had to listen to me since he always picks his openers. I told him how grateful I was for such an amazing opportunity and his fans have become very loyal to me and now I’m recording with Kevin , Beau , Tracy and Rob from Blake’s band as we speak so there’s a connection there. I hope I get the opportunity to open more shows for Blake, he’s a great guy.

KIC:  You’re currently working on new music with Producer Toby Wright & Blake Shelton’s touring band. Has that been a major pinch me moment for you?

JC: As  write this, I’m getting ready to go to pre-production and head into the studio tomorrow to record the new music.. I’m so excited to work with Toby, who’s sold over 55 million albums in the hard rock format, but has also done Wallflowers, Chris Whitley. We have been spending a lot of time on SKYPE getting ready for the sessions and I want him to bring a unique sound  to contemporary music . The rock element makes perfect sense to me because a lot of country is heavily rock oriented nowadays. I like the idea of bringing the piano into the contemporary country rock format in a  new unique way. that’s our goal. I knew Kevin from Blake’s band and asked if he wanted to get the rest of the band  to do a record with me and Toby and they said yes. We’re gonna try and create magic in the studio!

KIC:  What’s been the best moment of your career thus far?

JC: In country music, opening for Blake in my hometown in front of my friends and family and thousands of fans who stood in 100 degree weather was an amazing experience. I’ve had a few really great moments in my career but that definitely stands out as one of them.

KIC: Have you had to work any super odd jobs while pursuing music?

JC: WOW, uh yeah, it’s a long list  but one that stands out is I sold  Life Alert – that button: “Help I’m falling and I can’t get up.”

KIC:  You can tour with two other artists – who do you put on the bill with you?

JC: Brad Paisley, George Strait

KIC:  What’s one thing you’d like our readers to take away about you after reading this interview?

JC: First off, thank you for taking the time to interview me and for all of your continued support. There are so many talented country artists and so much music to choose from so I hope your readers listen to me and realize that I’m not like another artists out there. I am so grateful to country fans who are the best on the planet. I just want to give you the best music I can that’s honest, pure and rocks your ass off.

Lightning Round:
All time favorite country song:  “Take These Chains From My Heart” – Hank Williams but I’d like to throw in Merle Haggard’s “The Way I Am “, “When You Say Nothing At All”  - Keith Whitley , and “Troubadour” from George Strait because it’s impossible to name just one or even a few…

Guilty pleasure:  I watch a lot of TV shows.. all kinds but I love Duck Dynasty, Property Brothers, the League and tons of other shows too many to name .. thankful for Netflix!

Dream Duet Partner: Miranda Lambert

Celebrity Crush:   Scarlett Johansson, but my girl said I have a “man-crush” on Paul Rudd haha

Last song listened to:   “Lover’s Eyes” – Mumford and Sons

Favorite place in NYC:   I really like this Tibetan spot next to my apartment called Tsampa…

Favorite Pizza Topping: mushrooms

Make sure to follow Josh on Twitter, Facebook and visit his official website at www.joshcharlesmusic.com.

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Ben Hayslip was awarded Songwriter of the Year for his co-writing efforts on Blake Shelton‘s “Honey Bee,” Luke Bryan‘s “I Don’t Want This Night to End,” Martina McBride‘s “I’m Gonna Love You Through It,” and Craig Morgan‘s “This Ole Boy.” Other honors also went to Dierks Bentley, David Nail, and Darius Rucker. And, as a surprise, the King of Country, George Strait, showed up to pick up an award as well.

CMA Awards week continues tonight with the Broadcast Music, Inc. (“BMI”) awards. Thursday night is the event everyone is awaiting — the CMA Awards, hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, which airs live from Nashville at 8:00pm ET on ABC.

Congratulations to all the award winners! We can’t wait to see who takes home the highly coveted CMA Awards on Thursday night!

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