Country Weekly is "Stuck On Lionel".

Pop music icon Lionel Richie recently learned the hard way that making a country album is anything but "Easy." However, Lionel told CW he only had himself to blame for the time it took to record his upcoming duets project, Tuskegee, which features some of country’s brightest stars joining him on his biggest hits.

"I decided no to let them sing the songs like I would do them," Lionel admitted. "I wanted Jennifer Nettles to sing it like she would sing it and I'd follow her."

All in all, Lionel described the experience as "magical," proclaiming, "I'm excited, and by the way, I lived through it. Nine months later and lots of medical care, that album is now done."
 
For more of Country Weekly's interview with Lionel Richie, pick up a copy of this week’s issue.

10 Years After Hitting Nashville, He Celebrates His 1^st #1 at ASCAP

Nashville: “People who know me, know that I can get teary,” cautioned David Nail in front of the backdrop at ASCAP’s Music Row offices, where over 100 people had gathered to help celebrate “Let It Rain,” the Grammy-nominated vocalist’s first #1 single. Not only did the single make history as the longest rising #1 since the inception of the country radio charts, but Nail also co-wrote the song of mistakes and consequences with Jonathan Singleton.

Along with the musicians who played on the album, co-producer Chuck Ainlay, his touring band, Universal Music Group Chairman Luke Lewis and the assembled MCA Promotion and Marketing staffs, Nail had a “this is my life” moment to consider the long road from Kennett, Missouri to the top of the country charts. As he said, “There was a point when I was so low, I didn’t know… and I called Jason (Sheer, who owns the Tin Roof), who told me I was playing there that night. He didn’t ask me, he told me.

“I swear, that call and that night changed everything,” he continued. “If I hadn’t gone out to the Tin Roof and sung, I would’ve gone back home to Missouri.”

Travis Hill, on behalf of Carnival Music, summed it up best when he said, “There are projects in town considered best guesses, good odds, calculated shots, and then there’s labors of love. For Carnival, Universal Music Group and (manager) Brian Wolf, that’s what this journey has been… and for a song to make this kind of chart history, that’s the kind of passion it takes across the board. More than luck, more than focus, more than persistence, more than talent, more than hard work… it takes a labor of love. This party signifies that everyone else is catching up and catching on to the faith we’ve shared for years: that David Nail is an amazing artist, a true entertainer and, simply, the best singer we know.”

 Presentations were made by the Country Music Association, the Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc., BMG Music Publishing and ASCAP, whose Ryan Beuschel also gave Nail a guitar to commemorate his first #1. After 48 weeks, a lot of white-knuckle moments, and last minute pushes by the MCA Promotion team and the faith of country radio, David Nail had finally arrived in the #1 Club.

 Co-writer and brand new daddy Singleton joked that “Someone told me we could’ve had a baby in the time it took this song to go #1… and (my wife and I) did!”

 “There are so many people to thank, so many people who believed and helped and fought,” Nail said. “There have been so many moments when it felt like it would all fall apart, but people kept in there with us. They didn’t want to give up, either, and that’s maybe the mark of making a difference with a song or an album: when people care enough to not just move on. Right now, I feel like the luckiest man in the world.”

 Pausing for only a moment to thank the people who came, he posed for pictures, did interviews and then headed straight to his bus for a string of Texas and Arizona dates before starting a California run. “The Sound of A Million Dreams” is slated to follow up “Let It Rain” as Nail’s next single. He will also be seen in Country Radio Seminar’s New Faces Showcase in Nashville.

Lionel Richie and Shania Twain "Endless Love" is available today at WalMart and online.  "Endless Love" is from Lionel's country duets album TUSKEGEE, in stores March 27th.

SIRIUSXM’s “OUTLAW COUNTRY” station will broadcast an hour-long special on SATURDAY FEBRUARY 4th, at 5p (ET) titled “WAYLON: THE MUSIC INSIDE, VOLUME II.” 

It’s hosted by HILLBILLY JIM and will feature songs from the three-volume collection of songs on “WAYLON: THE MUSIC INSIDE.” It will also feature songs and stories from HANK WILLIAMS JR., JESSI COLTER, SHOOTER JENNINGS, JAMEY JOHNSON, and JOSH THOMPSON. The new album will be available on TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7th.

» www.allaccess.com

Not only has Toyota reinvented the Camry, but they've also "created" the first blender that plays Lionel Richie. Check out Toyota's Super Bowl 2012 car commercial on Washingtonpost.com

David Nail’s slow burn soul country has been garnering attention from places as diverse as the Sundance Film Festival to “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and the word of mouth buzz is seeing the man who just scored his first #1 with the 48 week old “Let It Rain” doing capacity business in various small halls. With his Southern steeped sounds – including gospel, piano from Rolling Stones’ musical director Chuck Leavell, and blues from the Delta – Nail’s kind of country has caught the ear of pop singer/songwriter Gavin DeGraw, who asked him to team up for a run through Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee in March.

“Gavin is such a great singer,” says the Kennett, Missourian. “What he does with popular music is kind of what I hope I can do with country: blur the lines of what people think, but also turn up the passion when you sing – because that’s the one thing all people relate to.”

Obviously Nail’s passion has already made a pretty significant mark on the Midwest. His first run of 2012 took the man who co-wrote “Let It Rain” through an oversold show in Cincinnati, capacity plays in Chicago and a capacity-raised concert in Columbus, Ohio.

“When the people come out, I think they’re looking to feel something,” Nail continues. “They’re looking to have someone else know what’s going on in their life. They enjoy hearing a band like mine: guys who know how to play, and who every night are gonna try to push those songs even further than they ever have. You can see it on their faces…

That’s one of the things I really like about Gavin, too. He doesn’t limit himself to what something’s supposed to be. He lets the music really push him and it takes them to some great places.”

Already the pair’s latest date, March 16 at Brick Street in Oxford, Ohio, is sold-out. Tickets remain for the other six dates, starting March 8 at Buster’s in Lexington, Kentucky.

“It proves what I believe: people love music for what it is, not what we call it,” says the son of a small town high school band director. “They know if it feels real and true. I think Gavin’s fans are gonna sense that in my music, and I know my fans probably already know all about Gavin, so it’s a win/win for everybody coming to the shows.”

 Check out David covering Gavin DeGraw's 'I Don't Want To Be' with Yahoo Music at Yahoo.com

Over-Capacity Midwest Run Primes for Upcoming West Coast Run

Nashville: With a slowed down, almost sultry romp through Waylon Jennings’ “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way,” David Nail closed the final set of a beyond capacity run through the Midwest this weekend. After thanking the crowd (pushed to almost 1300) at Columbus, Ohio’s Bluestone Theater for believing in dreams and believing in music, he returned for an encore that blended a funky take on the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” The night then came to a close with a charged version of the Commodores’ “Easy” before heading into a soul-churning version of “Turning Home,” dedicating it to the fans “who make all this possible.”

 “This is what I believe music can do,” Nail said after leaving the stage. “This is what brings people together: it’s life, and it’s the songs, and it’s what happens when you bring all that together.”

 With over-capacity crowds at the Brick Street Bar outside Cincinnati, Joe’s Bar in Chicago and the Bluestone, the groundswell around David Nail – who co-wrote his first #1 and the longest consecutive rising single to the top in charts history ("Let It Rain") – continues to grow. With a run through Florida, Texas and Arizona, the Grammy-nominated vocalist will hit the West Coast with a vengeance in mid-February.

 “Everywhere we go, the crowds are getting bigger and people are telling their friends,” says the Southern-steeped vocalist. “We played the same place in Columbus last year to a little over 300 fans. This time, they raised the capacity from 1100 to 1300 for us, because so many people wanted to come out and hear the band.”

 Starting Feb 3 at the Dallas Bull in Tampa and swinging through the Everglades Seafood Festival, Nail will play El Paso, Mesa and Flagstaff before decamping at Bakersfield’s historic Crystal Palace on Feb 11, as well as a Feb 15 stop at the legendary Troubadour in West Hollywood. Nail will also play San Jose and Davis, California, before winding it all up in Las Vegas.

 “The whole point of making music is to bring people together,” explains the Kennett, Missourian. “When we’re onstage and you look out into the crowd, you can’t imagine how one more person could fit in that room-- but they’re all swaying together or putting their hands up. That kind of community is a powerful thing… and to me, that’s what music is all about.”

 With voting for the Academy of Country Music “Best New Artist” category coming to a close, people are still chattering about Siri’s seeming obsession with David Nail. Click below to see the vignette. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJZ2KY7cRBk )

 And the critics are just as enthusiastic. After deeming Nail’s second release “Stunning,”Billboard cited it as one of their “Top 10 Country Albums of 2011,” Entertainment Weekly wrote “a voice that’s even easier listening than Keith Urban’s” and USA Today proclaimed, “Listen, and let your dreams run wild.”

For complete tour dates check out davidnail.com

Winners will get 2 tickets for the George Strait tour. We’re giving away tickets for multiple shows, so pick the venue that’s closest to you and enter to win tickets for that night! Read the offical rules and enter the sweepstakes on facebook.com

Fresh from the Sundance Film Festival, David Nail takes his music back to the people. Having taken some time off for the holidays and to update his live show, the Grammy-nominated vocalist hits the road for several weeks starting January 25.

Lionel Richie Unveils Tuskegee, Featuring 13 of His Hits Performed as Duets with Country Stars, on March 27

The Academy of Country Music Will Honor the Music Legend in a Star-Studded Tribute on April 2 Airing Later on CBS

NASHVILLE, TN – Music icon Lionel Richie will release Tuskegee, a collection of 13 of his international hits recorded with some of the biggest names in country music, on March 27 on Mercury Nashville. 

His duet partners on Tuskegee include Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Billy Currington and Little Big Town.

On this worldwide, multi-genre album, Richie is also joined by the likes of such superstars as Shania Twain, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffett.

In addition, the Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions will tape an all-star concert special, Lionel Richie and Friends "In concert" at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 2. The show will air at a later date on the CBS Television Network. Some of his greatest hits will be performed by Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers and many more.

Tuskegee is an exciting new chapter in a career that has seen album sales of more than 100 million, 22 Top 10s, five Grammys, an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe, and a host of other awards.

Tuskegee is also a musical homecoming that feels like a heartwarming reunion with a beloved friend. He proves that you can go home again as he returns to his Southern roots to pay tribute to his hometown of Tuskegee, Alabama, where he was indelibly shaped as a man and a musician. He was exposed to country, gospel, R&B and classical music while growing up, and it was in Tuskegee where he helped form the Commodores and wrote his first hits, including “Sail On” and “Easy.”

“Tuskegee is where it all began, the place where I felt that everything was available and possible,” he says. “It’s where I learned about life and love and the power of music, and the place I built a musical foundation that knows no genres or boundaries.

“Doing this album was coming back to the beginning, back to basics, back to home,” he says. “The part of it I love the most is that the journey has been one of discovering myself. By the time I got back to Nashville, I clearly knew that the roots of my songwriting, my storytelling, were from the South.”

It’s also been a process of rediscovering the hits that have served as the soundtrack of the lives of generations around the world. “Every Lionel Richie song that I can think of I had a personal experience with – high school homecomings, proms, you name it,” says Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts, who duets on “Dancin’ On the Ceiling.” “Lionel was always playing in my house. His music always said what we felt and couldn’t express.”

Says Darius Rucker, who joins Richie on “Stuck On You,” “I wanted to work with Lionel because he is one of my idols. Lionel’s more a part of my DNA really than an idol. It was an absolute honor to work with him.” Adds Jason Aldean, who selected “Say You, Say Me,” “I’ve always been a huge fan. He is probably one of the best singer/songwriters of this generation.”

Once again, Richie is following his songs as they take him back to country, where they have been welcomed for more than two decades. Conway Twitty recorded “Three Times a Lady,” Kenny Rogers famously sang “Lady” and Alabama recorded “Deep River Woman.” Artists such as Tim McGraw, Darius Rucker and Rascal Flatts perform his songs in their shows. He has performed on the Country Music Association Awards three times, and his 2011 performance receive two standing ovations and was recognized as the highlight of the evening.

“When I did the CMAs and the room was singing along with me, it was really more like a family reunion than it was a concert or show,” he says. “It was just great validation to know that the music was accepted like it was.”

These innovative musical interpretations have given new meaning to his songs while serving as a powerful reminder of the timelessness of his impressive body of work. He asked the other singers to select the songs and ignore his original version and instead perform the song as if it were their own.  “I wanted it the way they would do it in their show, which means I captured their essence. You make the song a Willie Nelson song. You make the song a Rascal Flatts song.  

“It’s special to the point where it sounds new again, so I’m excited just as the writer, as the original parent of this child. I’m excited to see another generation embrace the music.”

Richie says recording Tuskegee was perhaps the most fun he’s ever had in the studio. “Tuskegee is going to be one of the most special albums I’ve ever done in my life. This is something that’s going to be so special forever because it’s a moment in time when these artists all got together and celebrated some music,” he says. “What started out as a collaboration of a group of very talented, very successful artists ended up growing into brand new, very good friends.” 

Lionel Richie’s Tuskegee Track-Listing:

1. “You Are” with Blake Shelton
2. “Say You, Say Me” with Jason Aldean
3. “Stuck On You” with Darius Rucker
4. “Deep River Woman” with Little Big Town
5. “My Love” with Kenny Chesney
6. “Dancing On The Ceiling” with Rascal Flatts
7. “Hello” with Jennifer Nettles
8. “Sail On” with Tim McGraw
9. “Endless Love” with Shania Twain
10. “Just For You” with Billy Currington
11. “Lady” with Kenny Rogers
12. “Easy” with Willie Nelson
13. “All Night Long” with Jimmy Buffett

First, he really is about as country as Bruce Springsteen. That’s a compliment.  Springsteen’s working class ethos has more in common with country music greats of days gone by than anybody on the country radio dial today.

Second, Moore sings with equal parts of authority, sincerity, and conviction.   That’s what made “Mary Was the Marrying Kind” heartbreaking, and what makes “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck” invigorating.

Sure, it’s a laundry list of the small town lifestyle, and we’ve had more than enough of those lately.  But Moore doesn’t sound like he’s pandering.

No, if anything, he sounds like he’s reveling in the pleasures that await him at the end of the week after forty hours at the factory.   That’s a welcome change from those who sound like high schoolers who hit up that back country road on their way home from the mall.

To see what "grade" Country Universe gave Kip, check out countryuniverse.net

Now that Kip Moore’s “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck” is inside the Top 30, the country singer says his shows are "a whole different experience."

 “You can definitely see what locations of the country they’re playing it in,” Moore says. “I’ll be in the North East in some of the clubs and it will be slamming capacity. I’ll be the only artist on the bill and the whole crowd will sing that thing start to finish.”

Now that Kip Moore’s “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck” is inside the Top 30, the country singer says his shows are a whole different experience.

Read full story on the tennessean.com

"I wanted to do a country album," Richie said backstage at the CMA Awards, "and found out that every country act down here knows the lyrics [to my songs] better than I do, so I thought, 'Let's change this thing around and do a duets album and give everyone a chance to give their interpretation of what the songs are all about. 'Instead of getting everyone to sing the track that I created, I wanted Rascal Flatts to come in and create a Rascal Flatts track and sounds like themselves, make 'Dancing on the Ceiling' sound just like them. Then Shania Twain came in with 'Endless Love' and Jennifer Nettles with 'Hello' and Willie Nelson with 'Easy Like Sunday Morning'"

Pick up the latest copy of Billboard Magazine to read the full story

DISClaimer Single Reviews, from MusicRow.Com, awards Canaan the DISCovery Award.

"As far as this week’s newcomer prize goes, I was all set to present it to Hodges, but it turns out that he had a Show Dog platter last summer (Hunt You Down) that I was also enthusiastic about. So that leaves softly earnest Canaan Smith as our DisCovery Award winner."

Read full article on Musicrow.com