Country Comes Home: Grand Ole Opry Announces Sept. 28 Re-Opening of Opry House as Historic Circle of Wood is Returned to Opry Stage – MarketWatch

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug 25, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Country music’s most famous show is coming home.

Grand Ole Opry officials today announced that the show, displaced from its permanent home due to May’s historic Nashville flood, will return to the Grand Ole Opry House with a star-packed show Tues., Sept. 28. Among the artists scheduled for the show are Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels Band, Diamond Rio, Jimmy Dickens, Del McCoury Band, Montgomery Gentry, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Mel Tillis and Josh Turner. The show will air live on GAC: Great American Country. Read the rest of this entry »

Country Music Continues to Shame Regular Music Industry

Had you assumed that country-music acts still managed to sell albums because their targeted demographics hadn’t yet fully embraced the Internet? Well, how do you explain this: While the rest of the live music industry is slumping in 2010, country-music concerts are selling and selling. According to a new report, big names like Brad Paisely, Taylor Swift, and Jason Aldean continue to see robust sales, thanks in part to relatively low ticket prices. Says Clarence Spalding, who manages Aldean and Brooks & Dunn: “There’s not a single country artist out there that’s not doing well.” Thanks for rubbing it in, Clarence Spalding! [Billboard]

via Country Music Continues to Shame Regular Music Industry — Vulture.

Kenny Chesney Rules, Taylor Swift Moves Up On Forbes’ Biggest Country Moneymakers List | AHN

For those behind the curve who think Country Music is some small, inconsequential cousin of Pop Music, soak this in: not only is Taylor Swift selling more records than anybody, but the Forbes list of top money earners turns up some very serious bucks among Country stars. As AHN reports…

Kenny Chesney continues to top Forbes’ list of Country Music’s 10 Top Earning Artists in 2010. Also ranking #1 last year, he pulled in an estimate earnings of $50 million from 2009-2010. His 2009 tour reportedly grossed $71 million, earning an average of $1.6 million a night. Read the rest of this entry »

Brad Paisley, Lady Antebellum Lead GAC’s Flood Relief Effort | GAC News & Notes

The stars came out in a big way, as did a number of companies and the American people when GAC presented Music City Keep On Playin’ — A Benefit For Flood Relief.

Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum and Dierks Bentley were among the artists who delivered nearly 20 songs during Sunday’s three-hour live special from Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. The event raised more than $1.7 million as of midnight CT and counting. Read the rest of this entry »

GAC to Air Flood Relief Concert with Brad Paisley, Lady A & Others

The first national telethon and concert event to raise money to aid victims of last weekend’s flooding disaster in middle Tennessee has been announced by Great American Country Television, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau and Gaylord Entertainment. Music City Keep on Playin’ – A Benefit for Flood Relief will air commercial-free on GAC, Sunday, May 16, 8– 10 p.m. Eastern. Read the rest of this entry »