After pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of marijuana possession, Willie Nelson and his tour manager David Anderson were each sentenced to six months of probation and $1,024 in fines.  

Nelson and Anderson along with Bobbie Nelson and two bus drivers were issued citations in St. Martinville, LA on September 18 when state troopers discovered marijuana and hallucinogenic mushrooms on the entertainer's tour bus.  The citations against the two bus drivers were dismissed.

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Today the Academy of Country Music is announcing that country music superstars Jason Aldean, Vince Gill, Little Big Town, Josh Turner and new artist Taylor Swift will perform as part of the sold out 42nd ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS.  The ceremony, which honors country music’s top talent as well as the industry’s hottest emerging talent, will be broadcast LIVE from MGM GRAND in Las Vegas on Tuesday, May 15th, 2007 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.  
 
Jason Aldean is nominated for Song of the Year and Video of the Year for “Amarillo Sky”. Last year he won the Top New Male Vocalist Award. 
 
Vince Gill is nominated for Album of the Year for These Days and Vocal Event for Building Bridges with Brooks & Dunn and Sheryl Crow, and has previously won six Academy of Country Music Awards. Last year he was the recipient of the ACM/The Home Depot Humanitarian Award.
 
Little Big Town is nominated for Top Vocal Group and Top New Vocal Duo or Group. This will be the second time they perform on the Academy of Country Music Awards. 
 
Taylor Swift is nominated for Top New Female Vocalist, her first Academy of Country Music Award nomination. This is the first time she will perform live on a network-televised country music awards show. You can also see her 3-5 minute ‘Road to the ACM Awards’ diary entries on Cingular, Sprint and Verizon wireless as part of a CBS mobile campaign.
 
Josh Turner is nominated for Song of the Year and Single Record of the Year for “Would You Go With Me” and for Vocal Event of the Year for “Me and God” featuring Dr. Ralph Stanley and Marty Roe, Dana Williams and Gene Johnson of Diamond Rio. 
 
Presenting awards at the 42nd ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS are Terri Clark, Montgomery Gentry’s Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry, Tracy Lawrence, Blake Shelton, Michelle Stafford of “The Young and the Restless,” Hannah Storm of  “The Early Show,” and The Wreckers’ Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp.   
 
These artists join previously announced 42nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards performers Rodney Atkins, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, George Strait, Sugarland, Carrie
Underwood and Reba McEntire with special guest Kelly Clarkson. McEntire will host the event for an unprecedented 9th time. 
 
The 42nd ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS ceremony honoring country music’s top talent as well as the industry’s hottest emerging talent, will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.
 
The ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC, an artist and industry- driven organization, exists to produce a world-class network television awards show, and its associated events, to provide the financial resources to ensure the on-going philanthropic work of its Charitable Fund. Academy of Country Music Charitable Fund promotes and supports music education and humanitarian programs that transform the human spirit. Through its charitable donations, the ACMCF works towards two main goals: encouraging Learning Through Music and Healing Through Music. The Academy, which is comprised of more than 4,500 professional members and more than 40,000 associate members, was established in 1964 and is headquartered in Encino, Calif.  
 
The ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS is produced for television by dick clark productions.  The show is executive produced by Allen Shapiro and R.A. Clark, produced by Barry Adelman and directed by Louis J. Horvitz. The executive in charge of production is Bob Bardo, and the executive in charge is Francis LaMaina.  
 
For more information on the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS and the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC, please visit www.acmcountry.com. For more information on the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC CHARITABLE FUND, please visit www.acmcf.org.  

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Bucky Covington’s self-titled debut CD opens at #1 on Nielsen Soundscan’s Country Top 75 chart with 61,000 units sold. Covington’s debut CD also enters Nielsen Soundscan’s all genre top 200 chart at #4 and is the only new country act to open inside the top five this year. This puts him in good company as only two other country acts, including Tim McGraw and Martina McBride, have debuted inside the top 4 on Nielsen Soundscan’s Top 200 chart this year.

With 61,000 units sold in the first week, this gives Covington the distinction of having not only 2007’s biggest unit debut from a new country artist, but also the best first week sales and highest Top 200 debut for any new male country artist since Billy Ray Cyrus in 1992.

The lead single, “A Different World,” is poised to break inside the top 20 on the country radio charts on the heels of this record-breaking release week. In the months leading up to the launch of his debut album, Bucky Covington performed for country radio programmers and made on-air visits to radio stations across the country. He also completed an astonishing 16 hours of radio interviews last week in support of the release of his debut album.

“American Idol was a great launching pad for my career in country music,” says Bucky, “but I couldn’t have had this amazing debut if it weren’t for the support of country radio and my fans.”

Lyric Street Records is a part of Disney’s Buena Vista Music Group. The Buena Vista Music Group is the recorded music and music publishing arm of the Walt Disney Studios.

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Multi-platinum selling Warner Bros. recording artist Blake Shelton will release his fourth studio album on May 1, 2007.  PURE BS – that’s pure Blake Shelton – is Shelton’s first studio album in three years.

Shelton utilized the talents of three producers this time around – Bobby Braddock (who produced the first three albums), Brent Rowan and Paul Worley.  Each pushed Shelton to new levels and took him out of his comfort zone.  PURE BS showcases Shelton’s powerful and expressive voice on the vastly diverse collection of songs.  Ranging from the first single, “Don’t Make Me,” reaching from the top to bottom of his vocal range on the love-lost forever story, “The More I Drink,” a rousing party song in which alcohol turns the song’s character into a “dancing machine,” and “She Don’t Love Me,” a sad tale of a lost love that doesn’t care anymore.  

PURE BS also highlights Shelton’s impressive songwriting skills on three of the tracks, “This Can’t Be Good,” an up tempo song about young people just having fun, “I Have Been Lonely,” relays the pain of leaving your love and realizing it was a mistake and “The Last Country Song,” which references John Anderson’s “Swingin’” and George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today” – heroes of Shelton.  Anderson and Jones both sing on the record.

As an artist, Shelton has shown steady growth and momentum since his impressive 2001 debut, which earned him the title of Radio & Records magazine’s breakthrough country artist that year. His hits run the gamut from the sweet sentiments of his six-week #1 debut single, “Austin,” and two additional multi-week #1 singles with “The Baby” and “Some Beach.”   Shelton has had multiple #1 videos, including “Ol’ Red,” “Heavy Liftin’,” “Some Beach,” “Goodbye Time,” “Nobody But Me” and his current single “Don’t Make Me.”   Blake Shelton’s Barn & Grill video collection has been certified gold.

Upcoming Shelton media appearances include Clear Channel’s “Stripped,” currently available, a Country Weekly feature in issue dated May 7 and also GAC’s May “Artist of the Month,” CMT’s “Insider” May 5, CNN’s “Headline News” May 6 and Jimmy Kimmel Live on May 8.

Track Listing

1.  This Can’t Be Good***                
2.  Don’t Make Me**
3.  The More I Drink**                                       
4.  I Don’t Care  *
5.  She Don’t Love Me**                                  
6.  Back There Again***
7.  It Ain’t Easy Bein’ Me**                             
8.  What I Wouldn’t Give***
9.  I Have Been Lonely*                                     
10.  She Can’t Get That*
11.  The Last Country Song*

Produced by Bobby Braddock*
Produced by Brent Rowan**
Produced by Paul Worley***

For additional information on Blake Shelton go to www.blakeshelton.com

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Great American Country network, where country music lives all the time, will once again be LIVE on the “Orange Carpet” to catch the brightest stars of country music as they arrive for the 42nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. GAC’s live 2007 ACM Pre-Awards Special begins May 15 at 7 p.m. ET outside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

GAC’s 2007 ACM Pre-Awards Special will be the No. 1 place for fans to see their favorite country music artists and get the most up-to-date information as the artists stop by to chat with GAC hosts Suzanne Alexander, Nan Kelley and Storme Warren.

“GAC delivers a connection to the stars,” said Sarah Trahern, senior vice president of programming for GAC. “The annual ACM Awards gala is country music’s party of the year. It is only natural that GAC will be there to bring it home to the fans who cannot attend.”

This marks the second consecutive year that GAC will host the LIVE pre-awards telecast that will feature country music’s biggest stars and show viewers what their favorite performers are wearing, what they’re thinking and how they’re feeling as they arrive for the ACM Awards, which airs live on CBS that evening. GAC will be the only television network to provide live pre-show coverage.                                                                              

GAC’s live 2007 ACM Pre-Awards Special is the centerpiece of the network’s coverage leading up to the ACM Awards presentation. (All times ET)

 
    * March 12-April 28: Academy of Country Music and GAC Present:…, a nine-part special series highlighting each of the nine acts nominated for ACM Awards in the Top New Male Vocalist (Rodney Atkins, Craig Morgan, Chris Young), Top New Female Vocalist (Miranda Lambert, Kellie Pickler, Taylor Swift) and Top New Duo or Vocal Group (Heartland, Little Big Town, The Wreckers)  categories. Hosted by GAC’s Lorianne Crook.

    * May 3-9, 8 p.m. weeknights: The primetime show GAC Nights, hosted by Suzanne Alexander, will highlight music and news from ACM nominees.

    * May 7, 10 p.m.: Two-hour ACM Video Preview Special, co-hosted by GAC’s Nan Kelley and featuring artists and music nominated for ACM Awards.

    * May 11, 8 p.m.: GAC’s Storme Warren hosts a special one-hour edition of Country Music Across America devoted entirely to the 2007 ACM nominees.

    * May 11, 9 p.m.: GAC’s Nan Kelley recognizes ACM Award nominees during a special edition of GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown.

    * May 12, 8 p.m.:  GAC presents a special ACM-themed Grand Ole Opry Live featuring encore performances by ACM nominees including Carrie Underwood, Vince Gill, Kellie Pickler, Taylor Swift, The Wreckers, Big & Rich, Craig Morgan, Rodney Atkins, Josh Turner, Martina McBride and Little Big Town

    * May 15, 7 p.m.: GAC’s LIVE 2007 ACM Pre-Awards Special welcomes the stars as they arrive on the Orange Carpet. Hosted by GAC’s Suzanne Alexander, Nan Kelley and Storme Warren.

About the Academy of Country Music
The ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC, an artist and industry-driven organization, exists to produce a world-class network television awards show, and its associated events, to provide the financial resources to ensure the on-going philanthropic work of its Charitable Fund. Academy of Country Music Charitable Fund promotes and supports music education and humanitarian programs that transform the human spirit. Through its charitable donations, the ACMCF works towards two main goals: encouraging Learning Through Music and Healing Through Music. The Academy, which is comprised of more than 4,500 professional members and more than 40,000 associate members, was established in 1964 and is headquartered in Encino, Calif. For more information on the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS and the Academy of Country Music, please visit www.acmcountry.com.

About Great American Country
Great American Country is America’s main street for the widest variety of country music, its artists and the lifestyles they influence. In addition to country music videos, GAC features original programming, special musical performances and live concerts, and is the exclusive television home of the Grand Ole Opry. GAC is available in more than 46 million households and online at http://www.GACTV.com.

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Joe Nichols will perform the National Anthem, as well as a free concert, at this weekend’s Aaron’s 499 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Race at the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, AL. The April 29th concert is part of the Garnier Fructis “Rock Your Style” concert series.

"I'm on the road so much I very seldom get to actually go to a NASCAR event," Nichols said. "The closest I have gotten this year was the Sound and Speed dinner in Nashville, where I got to meet some of NASCAR's best. Talladega is the biggest and fastest track on the circuit, so to be able to sing the National Anthem and watch the race will be a real treat for me."

Nichols is currently in the studio working on the followup to his hit CD, III, which is scheduled to street late summer/early fall 2007.

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