The Judds release new Essential Collection.

New Album Hits Stores Today with Twelve Classic Hits and 2 New Tracks

NASHVILLE, TN – The Judds, country music’s most celebrated mother-daughter duo, have released a new album entitled I Will Stand By You: The Essential Collection. The new compilation will feature twelve classics as well as two brand new songs: “I Will Stand By You” and “Back Home” (featuring Alison Krauss). These new songs celebrate the first time the legendary duo have recorded together since 2004 when Naomi joined Wynonna for “Flies On The Butter,” which is also featured on the album.

Along with the two new tracks, I Will Stand By You: The Essential Collection features fan favorites such as “Mama He’s Crazy”, “Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout The Good Old Days)”, “Turn It Loose” and their anthem, “Love Can Build A Bridge.”

The Judds were recently recognized as the most award-winning female duo in ACM history. They joined Loretta Lynn, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Jennifer Nettles, Reba and Carrie Underwood for the ACM Girls Night Out: Superstar Women of Country. The all-star celebrity event will air on CBS April 22. The iconic duo will also star in their own television documentary series simply titled, The Judds,on the new Oprah Winfrey network (OWN). The show captures Wynonna and Naomi’s unprecedented moments together as they navigate the intricacies of their first tour in 10 years. “The Judds” 2-hour premiere starts at 9pm EST on Sunday, April 10th on OWN.

I Will Stand By You: The Essential Collection is in stores now.

Source: Webster & Associates, LLC

Neal McCoy brings his Multi-Platinum Career to Blaster Records

NASHVILLE, TN – Neal McCoy, referred to by fans & musical comrades as ‘The Entertainer’s Entertainer', is bringing his multi-award winning, multi-platinum career to the roster of Blaster Records, as announced this week by label Chairman Tom Porter.

The consummate performer boasts a career track of three platinum album certifications, beginning with his breakthrough disc “No Doubt About It” in 1994, which produced back-to back #1 singles with both the title track and Wink. McCoy has gained Entertainer of the Year honors twice on his way to winning numerous industry and fan voted awards. His endearing style and charismatic music helped the Texas native to earn multiple Top 10 singles along with gold certification on the Billboard charts.

One of the industry’s most active touring artists, McCoy is credited with amassing a major fan following and brand loyalty in his 21 year career in the industry—a fact attributed to his consistent dedication to showmanship and producing innovative new music. Anticipation has already started to build for his eleventh studio project-- under the new alliance with Blaster - slated for a January 2012 street date.

McCoy’s latest endeavor in the field of entertainment introduced his talents as an author with the release of his first book, A NEW MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB: Heroes I’ve Met And The Mountains They Climb Every Day.
Blaster Records label head Tom Porter stated about making the signing announcement: "Anytime you can add a performer of the caliber of Neal McCoy to your label roster, you can't help but feel an inexplicable and exhilarating advantage in the popular world of country music. Blaster Records is excited and honored to be a part of Neal’s incredible team and we look forward to big things in the future.”

In signing to the growing Blaster roster, McCoy joins break-out brother duo Brother Trouble as a major immediate concentration in the label’s focus in the field of country music.

Source: Webster & Associates, LLC

Who are The Carter Twins? Find out here...

NASHVILLE, TN – Growing up in Akron, Ohio, 20-year-old twins Josh and Zach Carter were surrounded by music from the time they were born. Their mother worked in country radio and encouraged their interest – Zach stole time at her piano, while she taught Josh “Stairway to Heaven” on the guitar.

The family recently relocated to Nashville from South Carolina so the twins could pursue their music career full-time under the development of CMT and Meteor 17. Still settling into their new digs, Josh and Zach spent the summer working with some of Music City’s best songwriters and crafting as many as 60 songs in just six months. Their debut album has collaborations with Charles Kelly (Lady Antebellum), Liz Rose (Taylor Swift), Tia Sillers (“I Hope You Dance” and numerous #1 hits) and a host of other top tunesmiths.

Their first single, “Heart Like Memphis,” garnered national attention, making them one of the fastest-rising new artists on the digital charts. The Carter Twins are outselling over the current country chart titles on downloads, out streaming nearly all new country acts on My Space, out searching over half the current country acts on Google – thus showing they totally connect with audiences, both on the radio and live.

Their album, set for release in early 2010, is being produced by Frank Rogers, Billboard magazine’s #1 country producer of the Year (25 #1 singles). Their touring agent is CAA Nashville chief Rod Essig and the rest of CAA who are deeply involved working on all aspects of the twin’s multimedia career. Their media and career direction is being helmed by Spencer Proffer and his staff at Meteor 17. Their career publicist is Diana Baron, former A&M publicity chief who works in a similar capacity for artists such as Alan Jackson, Colbie Caillat and handles all press efforts for the Special Olympics, amongst other clients.

The Carter Twins were in the select nomination group for this year’s CMT Awards, being in the nomination pool for Best New Duo as well as Breakthrough Video of The Year.

Source: Facebook.com/CarterTwins

by Jason Rzucidlo americajr@americajr.com

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SAGINAW, Mich. -- At the young age of 16, Margaret Durante started touring with a band all over the east coast. She enrolled at Clemson University in South Carolina, but left school to pursue her dream of music in Nashville. Durante met up with Laura Stroud, a publishing and A&R executive. The two started working together towards a record deal for Durante. The new country artist also recorded two songs for the new Disney Channel tween series, Shake It Up. One of the two songs, "Watch Me," was used as the theme song during the premiere episode.

"I've been singing my whole childhood," Durante said in an exclusive phone interview. "My parents were very encouraging. I was singing in choirs, weddings, things like that. I've had the opportunity to sing in front of a live audience. I was very lucky to meet James Stroud, my producer. Shania Twain was my first concert. I listened to the Dixie Chicks. My mom played Mary Chapin Carpenter, Bonnie Rait, Melissa Etheridge, Tracy Chapman. I loved all kinds of music. Those were the artists that I really respected and admired."

What's the story behind your song, "Mississippi's Crying"?

"It was a song that my two friends, Shelly Fairchild and Stephony Smith, wrote," she explained. "I didn't know them at the time, but I heard the song. Shelly was performing it at a Nashville venue on a weeknight. I was sort of freaked out that I dropped out of college and I was living on my own in Nashville. I didn't really know anyone. It was a big change to go through. I heard that song and it was one of those few situations in which you hear a song one time through and you want to play it. I knew I was in a wonderful position to find wonderful people to collaborate with. I became friends with Shelly and Stephony after the show. We wrote our first song together. It's going to be on the album later this year."

Please give me some highlights of your debut EP that was released titled, Maybe Tonight.

"It's a four-song EP and two of the songs, 'Paper Chains' and 'Maybe Tonight' I co-wrote," the new country music star added. "The other two are songs that I found that really relate to me. I wanted to share them with the audience. I wrote 'Maybe Tonight' with Blair Daly and Rachel Proctor. That song was written about a year ago. We were looking at the songs at hand and I was in that early stage of relationship where everything's exciting and there's a lot of anticipation and they can relate to that. We started writing this really catchy song and it took us one afternoon to finish it. It just came very naturally. I played it for my producer, James, and he fell in love with it and helped me bring it to life. It was the first song I wanted to release on the EP because I think it's a great introductory song. It shows a light-hearted side of my personality. I think it's a way to introduce yourself to your fans."

Can you give me a preview of your upcoming performance at the 98 KCQ Country Music Fest on June 18?

"Yes, over the summer, I'm looking forward to it," Durante said. "Last time I was in Saginaw was for the KCQ Golf Tournament where I did really badly. I'm excited to come back and meet the listeners. I'm going to be playing the four songs from the EP and I have a full album coming out at the end of this year. So I'll probably be playing a bunch of originals from that album. It's an 11-song album, six of which I wrote. There's some fun uptempto songs on it, there's also ballads about heartbreak and coming-of-age. It will be released in August."

She also recorded two songs for the new Disney Channel tween series, Shake It Up.

"I was introduced to a production team called Hot Rush Productions through my friend," the new country artist explained. "They invited me to sing on the series, Shake It Up, that they were writing music for. It sounded like a really cool opportunity. I've been working on my country album the past few years and I didn't think it was anything. It ended up being the songs that they aired on the show. It was kind of cool."

Where do you hope to be in the next five years?

"I'm going to have my full album, hopefully another album out after that," she added. "I want to be touring as much as I can, getting in front of the audience, interacting with listeners. I have really big hopes for the next five years. I'm really excited to get more music out there."

What would be your advice for students studying music to break into the industry?

"I think my education became very specialized when I moved to Nashville," Durante said. "It was no mystery to figure out what I wanted to do to be a performer in country music. I think it's something that you have to totally immerse yourself into. If you're not sure, you have to be sure, you have to totally jump into the pool.

by Jason Rzucidlo americajr@americajr.com

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SAGINAW, Mich. -- David Bradley grew up in Sunderland, England and worked as an oil engineer in Siberia. He worked for every major oil company in the world. Bradley's first band consisted of engineers and the guys played all over the United Kingdom. He went on as a solo artist and had the rare opportunity to mix his tracks at the famed Abbey Road Studios in London. His first album was titled Songs From a Dirt Road and it is now available on iTunes and CD Baby. Then, he moved to Nashville, Tenn. where he is getting started as a solo country music artist.

"I randomly met up with some jazz musicians in Russia, up in Siberia," Bradley said in an exclusive phone interview. "I cut a little project out there, a little album out there. We mixed and mastered it down at Abbey Road. The guy in there said, 'Man, this is a real American-sounding album. You need to get this to somebody in America.' He passed the information down to the lady who is now my manager. It's not exactly your normal road into music."

The new country singer says his musical influences were Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban as he was growing up.

"The country theme is not huge in the U.K.," he added. "My father was in the oil business before me and he used to bring home cassettes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson and Kenny Rogers when I was growing up. So I guess that was influencing me towards country. I've always listened to country. I moved to the United States three and a half years ago."

What's the story behind your first single "Soak It Up"?

"When I first moved to Nashville, I lived right on Music Row," the country star explained. "I just wanted to move out of town a little bit, have a little bit of space and out in the country. I moved out right by a big lake in Nashville. I got a dog and a pick up truck. It was winter time--there was nobody around. The dog and I walked around the lake. Then, spring time arrived and there was pick up trucks of young guys and girls headed out to the lake for the weekend, barbecuing, drinking. Who needs the caribbean? You can just get out by the lake in Nashville. There's a beach, there's a barbecue pit, girls, sun, water. You just get out and soak it up. We decided to write it. That was my first single."

Please give me some highlights of your debut album, Movin' On?

"The highlights would be the single that's out right now, 'Hard Time Movin' On,'" Bradley said. "It's really my moving on from the oil business to country music. The new single featured Rodney Crowell on background vocals. It's the story of a phone call from a guy to his ex-girlfriend or wife just saying 'I know you've got a new guy and I don't want to cause any problems, but I just wanted to hear your voice. I'm just saying hello, I'm having a hard time moving on.' I love the song, love to sing it and it's got a real great meaning and message behind it. To me, there's no anger in it. It's just I'm having a hard time, but I don't blame you for anything. That's the highlight of the album, I think."

Can you give me a preview of your upcoming performance at the 98 KCQ Country Music Fest on June 18?

"Yeah, we're very excited to do that," he added. "We just played the radio station there in Saginaw. As you walk into the front reception area of the radio station, they showed me an aerial photograph taken back in '96 I think he said. I think that was the year Kenny Chesney was headlining. There was about 100,000 people all on this island all facing this stage. He said, 'We're going to book you for that.' I said, I can't wait to get out there. I haven't seen Ojibway Island yet. I don't know what it kind of looks like. But you walk across to it I guess. It sounds fantastic. I can't wait to get out there and play in the summer."

Bradley said he has a big rockin' show planned for Saginaw's Ojibway Island.

"We open up normally with a song about beatin' the devil down," the new country star explained. "There will be the single that we will let people feel a little. By in large, it's going to be a big party atmosphere. With 'Soak It Up' song out by a lake, I normally take inflatable monkees and palm trees and throw them out into the audience and we have a good ole time."

Will this be your first time performing in Michigan?

"No, two weeks ago we just finished a radio tour," Bradley said. "I was in everywhere from Kalamazoo to Grand Rapids, Saginaw, Traverse City, Frankenmuth. We were all over Michigan, loved it. Last year, I played the Davison Flag Festival, just outside of Flint, Mich."

Where do you hope to be in the next five years?

"I hope to be back on Ojibway Island headlining the festival," he added. "That's what I hope to be doing. People listening in can find me on Facebook. I don't have huge teams of people that are working Facebook for me. It's all me. If you send me a message, it will be me. I'll read it and reply back to everyone I can. The new album is available for download on iTunes. If you're like me and you like the actual CD, go to CDBaby.com or Amazon.com and you can request a copy of that album, Movin' On."