Keepin' it Country Media & Radio » Lionel Richie

Tim McGraw Finds Out Who His Friends Are

Jennifer Swirsky — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 01:14:27 +0000

As we found out years ago, Tim McGraw, along with country music pals, Kenny Chesney and Tracy Lawrence, found out who his friends are. Well, Tim has teamed up with those friends to create a compilation disc, entitled “Tim McGraw & Friends,” scheduled for release by Curb Records on January 22, 2013. Colt Ford helped Tim out on the track, “Twisted,” which will be the first single off the special compilation disc. The album will be exclusively available at Walmart and will include 11 individual tracks:

1. Sail On – Featuring Lionel Richie
2. Twisted – Featuring Colt Ford
3. Owe Them More Than That – Featuring Kenny Rogers
4. Me And Tennessee (from The Motion Picture Country Strong) – Featuring Gwyneth Paltrow
5. Middle Age Crazy – Featuring Jerry Lee Lewis & Jon Brion
6. Can’t Hurt A Man – Featuring Randy Travis
7. Find Out Who Your Friends Are – Featuring Tracy Lawrence
8. Cold Cold Heart – Featuring Tony Bennett
9. Milk Cow Blues – Featuring Ray Benson
10. Bring On The Rain – Featuring Jo Dee Messina
11. It’s Your Love – Featuring Faith Hill

You can pre-order your copy of “Tim McGraw & Friends” by clicking here.

Lionel Richie Receives First-Ever CMA Nomination

Lydia Picknell — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:23:53 +0000

It’s almost hard to believe that a musical icon like Lionel Richie can still be receiving “firsts” in the industry today. He’s been nominated for his first-ever Country Music Association (CMA) Award for his duet with Darius Rucker with “Stuck On You” for Musical Event of the Year.

Lionel shares:

“I am thrilled to receive my first nomination from the CMA. I am so grateful to the country music community for embracing this project and making me feel so at home. To share this nomination with my friend Darius Rucker makes it even more special. I have a CMA nomination and a friend for life. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

Darius is just as excited as Lionel is over the nomination:

“I was so honored to have sung with Lionel and am overjoyed with this nomination.”

“Stuck On You” appears on Lionel’s platinum-certified Tuskegee. 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. Richie has garnered 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.

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.

Lionel Richie To Mentor Winner of The NSAI Song Contest

Nicole Piering — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 02:43:25 +0000

Lionel Richie is riding high in 2012, with Tuskegee being the best-selling album of the first half of 2012. Aside from just being a chart-topper, he’s adding another role to his roster, signing on as the mentor for the grand prize winner of The Nashville Songwriter’s Association International’s popular NSAI Song Contest Presented by CMT. The contest begins on Wednesday, August 1, 2012 and runs through October 31, 2012.

The contest will celebrate one Grand Prize Winner, one CMT Listeners’ Choice Winner, and one Lyric-Only winner. The Grand Prize winner will have an opportunity to spend one hour being mentored by Lionel Richie. Other great prizes include a single-song professional demo, tickets to the 2013 CMT Music Awards in Nashville, a private tour of CMT studios, a performance at The Bluebird Café, meetings with major music publishers, a one-year membership to NSAI and more. For more, visit nsai.cmt.com.

Past winners have found success ranging from signing an artist development deal to securing a music publishing staff writer deal. This nationwide platform is for songwriters in all genres to submit their best tunes for consideration.

Lionel Richie Has Best Selling Country Album of 2012

Lydia Picknell — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 13:54:45 +0000

It’s official! Lionel Richie‘s “Tuskegee” is the best-selling country album for the first half of 2012. The record has sold an approximate 912, 000 copies, which is more than any other release so far this year, by the year’s mid-point on July 1st. That’s the halfway point for Soundscan’s tracking year. Lionel is in second to Adele’s “21″ for all-genre best sellers. To date, Lionel’s now topped sales with more than 934,000 copies sold of his country duets project.

“Tuskegee” claimed the number one spot on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart for two consecutive weeks, and sat atop the Billboard Country Albums Chart for an impressive four weeks in a row. In only five weeks, “Tuskegee” was certified platinum for selling more than 1 million copies.

“What a year!” Richie says. “This album has taken me on an unforgettable journey filled with new friends, new jokes and new musical inspirations. I am overwhelmed and humbled by the success of Tuskegee and am thrilled by how it has been embraced by music lovers of all ages and backgrounds around the world.”

Lionel’s album was released back on March 26th and debuted at the number two spot on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Country Albums chart. It was his best first-week sales that Soundscan has tracked since 1991. It’s become an immediate worldwide hit, debuting at number one on Canada’s Top Albums Chart, and reaching the top 20 albums charts in 10 different countries. It went top 10 in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Sweden. It was his first number one debut in Canada since Soundscan started tracking, and his first number one record in Canada since his 1983 release “Can’t Slow Down.”

The album features 13 duets of Lionel’s biggest hits with some of the brightest stars in country music. Artists featured on the record include Shania Twain, Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Buffett, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Jennifer Nettles, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers, Darius Rucker, Jason Aldean and Billy Currington.

Lionel will be performing at Boots and Hearts Music Festival in Bowmanville, Ontario this August. We’ll be there, will you? Tickets are still available for this amazing country music festival, which runs August 9th through to the 12th at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. For more information, or to get your tickets before they sell out, visit bootsandhearts.com/.

Kenny Rogers Wows at CMA Music Fest, Rocks Bonnaroo & Performs at Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction

Nicole Piering — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 02:50:12 +0000

In the past week alone, Kenny Rogers has done more than some artists do in years. On Saturday, he hit the LP Field stage for CMA Fest, on Sunday, he took the stage at Bonnaroo and on Thursday, he hit New York City to perform at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

At LP Field, Rogers played four songs to a sold-out crowd, and at Bonnaroo, he thrilled the crowd. He was the only artist to play at both events, and at Bonnaroo, he was joined on stage by Lionel Richie to perform “Lady.” He then later joined Phish on stage to perform “The Gambler.” Billboard Magazine called his appearance “spellbinding,” ”breathtaking, and “one of the 10 best performances of Bonnaroo 2012.”

On Thursday night, Rogers took the stage in New York City in honor of songwriter, Don Schlitz, the writer of “The Gambler.” Schlitz, who has penned several timeless hits, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame this year.

Kenny is currently on a world tour that will cross the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Asia. He is also working on his autobiography, entitled “Luck or Something Like It,” which is scheduled to be released on October 2nd. He will also begin working on a new record with acclaimed producer Dann Huff.

Kenny Rogers 2012 Tour Dates

6/15      Luhrs Performing Arts Center – Shippensburg, PA
6/16      MGM Grand at Foxwoods – MGM Grand Theater – Mashantucket, CT
6/20      Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino – Eagle Pass, TX
6/22      IP Casino Resort & Spa – IP Showroom – Studio A – Biloxi, MS
7/13      Alabama Theatre – North Myrtle Beach, SC
7/14      Chastain Park Amphitheatre – Atlanta, GA (With Glen Campbell)
7/20      Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino – Coarsegold, CA
7/27      Meadowbrook – US Cellular Pavilion – Gilford, NH (With The Oak Ridge Boys)
7/28      Parc Beauséjour – Rimouski, QC, Canada
8/10      CBS Arena – Christchurch, Addington, New Zealand (With Glen Campbell)
8/12      Vector Arena – Auckland, New Zealand (With Glen Campbell)
8/15      State Theatre – Sydney, NSW, Australia (With Glen Campbell)
8/16      State Theatre – Sydney, NSW, Australia (With Glen Campbell)
8/18      Darwin Festival – Darwin, N. Territory, Australia
8/21      Perth Convention Centre – Perth, Australia
8/23      Palais Theatre – Melbourne, VIC, Australia (With Glen Campbell)
8/24      Newcastle Entertainment Centre – Newcastle, NSW, Australia (With Glen Campbell)
8/26      Gympie Muster Outdoor Festival – Gympie, Queensland, Australia
8/29      Adelaide Festival Theatre – Adelaide, Australia
9/09      Wayne County Fair – Wooster, OH
9/24      Bloomsburg Fair – Bloomsburg, PA
9/28      Durham Fair – Durham, CT
10/12    Arena Theatre – Houston, TX
10/13    WinStar Casino – Thackerville, OK
10/18    Taipei, Taiwan – National Taipei University Stadium
10/21    Singapore, Singapore – Singapore Indoor Stadium
10/23    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Arena of Stars
10/26    Seoul, Korea – Olympic Hall

Additional tour dates, including the 2012 Christmas & Hits Tour, to be announced.

Lionel Richie to Perform at Boots and Hearts Music Festival

Nicole Piering — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 19:32:18 +0000

Music Icon, Lionel Richie has been added to the already star-studded Boots and Hearts Music Festival, taking place at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on August 10-12. Richie has sold over 100 million albums, had 22 Top 10 hits, received five Grammys, an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe and a host of other awards from virtually every other major entertainment organization. His latest platinum album, Tuskegee, a country duets album that features songs with Blake Shelton, Jennifer Nettles, Jason Aldean and more, hit #1 on the Billboard Charts. It is the second-best selling album of the year, and makes Richie the second artist (behind Ray Charles) to ever have a #1 on both the Country and R&B/Hip-Hop Charts.

“We are truly thrilled to have Lionel Richie perform on the same night as Carrie Underwood, and couldn’t be more excited about all great new additions to the line-up” said Shannon McNevan, partner and executive director, Republic Live, the promoter and producer of the festival. “Country music fans are in for a memorable festival. Where else could you see such a wide-range of talent like Tim McGraw, Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow and Alabama – all while camping with friends or family?”

Tickets are available at http://www.bootsandhearts.com.

“Now That’s What I Call Country” To Hit Shelves

Jennifer Swirsky — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 01:41:45 +0000

“Now That’s What I Call Country: Volume 5,” the latest installment in the popular NOW series, will be released on June 12th. Country music fans can hear hits by some of their favorite artists, including: Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Lionel Richie, Lady Antebellum and more.

Now That’s What I Call Country includes fifteen #1 singles and eighteen total tracks from today’s country music superstars and exciting new artists. The track list is as follows:

1. Toby Keith – “Red Solo Cup”
2. Eric Church – “Drink In My Hand”
3. Luke Bryan – “I Don’t Want This Night To End”
4. Jake Owen – “Alone With You”
5. Blake Shelton – “God Gave Me You”
6. Lionel Richie w/ Jennifer Nettles – “Hello”
7. Lady Antebellum – “Just A Kiss”
8. Eli Young Band – “Crazy Girl”
9. Taylor Swift – “Sparks Fly”
10. Miranda Lambert – “Baggage Claim”
11. Rascal Flatts – “Banjo”
12. Keith Urban – “You Gonna Fly”
13. The Band Perry – “All Your Life”
14. Brad Paisley – “Old Alabama” (Featuring Alabama)
15. Brantley Gilbert – “Country Must Be Country Wide”
16. David Nail – “Let It Rain”
17. Chris Young – “You”
18. Dierks Bentley – “Home”

Which artists and tracks are you most excited to have on one compilation disc?

Lionel Richie, Brantley Gilbert, Kip Moore, and Carrie Underwood Earn RIAA Gold Awards

Robyn Fleenor — Tue, 22 May 2012 01:43:53 +0000

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) today announced that Lionel Richie’s first album in five years, “Tuskegee,” was certified RIAA Gold in just one month this April. The RIAA also awarded Brantley Gilbert his first Gold album award for “Halfway to Heaven.” “Country Must Be Country Wide” off the album earned Gilbert his debut Gold digital single in January. Kip Moore also earned a premiere digital song certification and first Gold single for “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck.”

America’s sweetheart Carrie Underwood also earned a 2x multi-Platinum certification for “Jesus Take The Wheel.” Underwood also earned her 13^th career Gold digital single award for “Good Girl.”

For a complete list of all album, single, mastertone and video awards can also be accessed at www.riaa.com.

Lionel Richie’s Tuskegee Certified Platinum

Lydia Picknell — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:37:17 +0000

Well, this didn’t take very long. Lionel Richie‘s country duets album “Tuskegee” has already been certified platinum by the RIAA for selling over one million copies since its release. The album has been a huge success for the music legend, spending two weeks at number one on Billboard’s Top 200 chart, and four weeks at the top spot on the Country Albums Chart. He’s managed all this impressively in just five weeks.

Even with a career as long as Lionel’s, he’s still surprised by what his project has achieved already:

“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.”

“Tuskegee” remains the best-selling country album so far in 2012. It’s also the first country album in almost a year to spend two consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard 200. Lionel has sold more than 100 million albums in his career, 22 top 10 hits, five GRAMMY awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and many more achievements. It’s not the first time Lionel has had a number one album, but it’s first time having a country album go number one.

“Tuskegee” has become a world-wide hit, including earning the number one spot in Canada and top 20 in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Holland, Australia, Hong Kong, and Sweden. It’s his first number one album in Canada in the SoundScan era, and his first number one album in Canada since his sophomore album “Can’t Slow Down” in 1983.

Lionel Richie Hits Number One

Lydia Picknell — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:47:15 +0000

Congratulations to Lionel Richie and the team at Mercury Universal! His country duets album, “Tuskegee,” is number one on the Billboard Top 200 chart, and again number one for the second week in a row on the Billboard Country Albums chart. It’s the best-selling album in the United States for the second week in a row, selling more than 128,553 copies this week alone for a total of 422,856 so far. The album, released on March 26th, is already approaching gold status, which is awarded by the RIAA for sales exceeding 500,000 copies.

It’s the album’s third consecutive week in the Top 5 of the Billboard Top 200. “Tuskegee” is the best-selling debut album by any country artist so far this year. It’s Lionel’s best first-week sales according to Soundscan, which first began tracking in 1991.

“I love the feeling!” Richie says. “You cannot beat the feeling of sitting on top of the charts. I had almost forgotten what it feels like, but now that I am there, I know exactly what it feels like. It feels great! It is really a very exciting time and I am enjoying the ride.”

Lionel is quick to thank the 13 different duet partners who joined him on this special album.

“With a record like this, you can’t take the bow alone,” he says. “You take it with the wonderful talent that came onboard and believed in this project. It is just amazing to have all of the very talented artists, producers and musicians who participated in this. This was one big family reunion, as far as I am concerned. We take the bow together because it was an outstanding group effort.

But most important of all, Lionel wanted to thank his fans for their support with his new venture.

“To the fans, thank you for allowing me to enjoy what I do for all of these years, and for enjoying what I do. I thank you for being a part of my story.”