FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 7.18.08

NASHVILLE, TN – Almost two years since the release of her debut album, Small Town Girl, which has sold nearly 800,000 copies, Kellie Pickler is set to release her self-titled, sophomore album on September 30.

“I’m so excited and proud of the new album,” said Pickler. “I’ve learned so much since the first album, like the fact that Budapest is the capital of Hungary,” she laughed. “The material on the new album is part small town girl, but also a reflection of the experiences I’ve had over the last two years. I’ve matured, some, seen a lot more of the world, and naming the album Kellie Pickler says, ‘this album is me, this is who I am and where I am,’” she continued.

The album’s lead single, “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful,” is an up-tempo, positive message about inner beauty and addresses the issues of body image and societal pressures on young women. Other songs on the album include “Best Days Of Your Life,” a song she co-wrote with her pal Taylor Swift while on the road together last year. Taylor recently joined Kellie in studio to record background vocals on the song.

The album will also feature “Rocks Instead Of Rice,” a song that Kellie wrote with “Before He Cheats” writers Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear and has been performing on the road this summer. It’s a tongue in cheek look at a woman at the wedding of a former boyfriend and how much more gratifying the experience would be if the guests were throwing rocks instead of rice.

Produced by Chris Lindsey, this album allowed Kellie to enjoy the process of making an album, whereas Small Town Girl was recorded while Kellie was on the American Idol Tour, so she didn’t have the ability to be as involved. With Kellie Pickler, she’s been part of the creative process from the beginning, working with Lindsey on arrangements, instrumentation and song selection.

Leading up the September 30 release of Kellie Pickler, she is spending the summer on tour before co-hosting and performing on the CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock, which will air on September 8 on ABC.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 22, 2008

Nashville, TN – Superstar Alan Jackson just scored the 33rd #1 single of his career with “Good Time,” the title track to his 17th album, and he achieves another incredible career landmark with news that he has now crossed the 50-million album sales milestone.

A native of small-town Newnan, GA, Jackson was the first artist signed to the fledgling Arista Nashville record label in 1989, and with the release the following year of his debut album, Here in the Real World, his songs immediately connected with fans – leading to four #1 singles from that record alone.

Over the course of 16 Gold, Platinum, and Multi-Platinum albums leading up to the release this past March of Good Time, Jackson has become one of country music’s most respected and honored artists.

Sony BMG Nashville Chairman Joe Galante praised, “It’s a short drive from Georgia to Tennessee, but it’s a long way to 50 million albums sold! Alan’s songs and shows have propelled him to this incredible level of success. He has never lost touch with the fans, and they’ve shown their appreciation year after year with #1 singles and Platinum sales.”

With more than 100 major industry awards to his credit, Jackson is a three-time Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year and the most-nominated artist in CMA history. A prolific songwriter, Jackson penned 23 of his 33 #1 singles, including his GRAMMY-winning Best Country Song, “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning).”

Jackson’s Good Time collection recently became the fourth album of his career to debut simultaneously at #1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums and all-genre Billboard 200 sales charts. The 17-song release also marked a career first for Jackson, as the only time he has been the sole writer on each of the songs on his album.

Universal Republic Rockers Will Perform Live At 2008 State Farm Home Run Derby July 14 Before Packed House At Legendary Yankee Stadium
 
(New York, NY – July 8th, 2008)  Acclaimed Universal Republic rock band 3 Doors Down continue to ride high and fast with their hit single called “It’s Not My Time,” with the Mississippi/Nashville fivesome grabbing Major League Baseball’s ‘prime time’ spotlight on Monday, July 14, 8:00PM EST at legendary Yankee Stadium for the coveted opening slot to MLB’s 2008 State Farm Home Run Derby.  The 21st installment of All-Star’s popular Long-ball Fest is the centerpiece of MLB’s All-Star festivities surrounding the 79th MLB All-Star game, which will be played at Yankee Stadium the following evening, Tuesday, July 15. 

The 2008 State Farm Home Run Derby and one song from their special performance by 3 Doors Down will be broadcast live by ESPN.  Currently celebrating their 11th year of live State Home Run Derby coverage, the event is traditionally one of the network’s highest-rated summer programs.  ESPN also recently used new music from the band as a complement to its productions throughout the month of June. 

3 Doors Down will treat a sold-out Yankee Stadium audience and millions of ESPN fans to 2 songs prior to the slugging contest, including their current hit “Its’ Not My Time” from their recently crowned gold-plus fourth album 3 Doors Down.  They will also perform their first smash single “Kryptonite” for the capacity crowd at the stadium.  The myriad of All-Star events taking place from July 11-15, including the 3 Doors Down show are part of a long list of tributes to the farewell season of fabled Yankee Stadium, which will be torn down at the end of the 2008 season and replaced by a new venue next door.  “We’re particularly thrilled to play at such a great event,” stated 3 Doors Down frontman Brad Arnold.  “To be able to also tip our hats and say thanks to Yankee Stadium is an additional honor.  Home Run Derby is always one of the most fun sporting events to watch, and to be able to perform for the fans who will be savoring every moment will be a real treasured moment for all of us.”

3 Doors Down will also be launching their much anticipated summer tour – the Wrigley’s Extra Fruit Sensation Summer Tour – scheduled to kick off in less than two weeks on July 9 in Maryland Heights, MO with rock warriors Staind and Hinder also joining the bill.  The band will be performing a slew of new songs on the 20 city trek culled from their recently released smash album 3 Doors Down.  The CD topped the Billboard Top album chart and the coveted iTunes Album chart during its opening week in late May, and has gone on to become one of the most consistent rock bestsellers of 2008.  The new album has also snagged rave reviews, with the Associated Press affirming that  ’3 Doors Down has offered the strongest collection of their career.’  The band is currently readying their second single from the album, “Train.”

TOUR DATES:

7/9/2008 Maryland Heights, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
7/11/2008 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center
7/12/2008 Milwaukee, WI Marcus Amphitheater
7/13/2008 Tinley Park, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
7/16/2008 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
7/18/2008 Hartford, CT New England Dodge Music Center
7/19/2008 Harrington, DE Delaware State Fair
7/20/2008 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center
7/22/2008 Mansfield, MA Comcast Center
7/23/2008 Portland, ME Cumberland County Civic Center
7/25/2008 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake Theme Park Resort
7/26/2008 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center
7/27/2008 Hershey, PA Hershey Park Stadium
7/29/2008 Evansville, IN Roberts Stadium
7/30/2008 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
8/1/2008 Kearney, NE FirsTier Event Center
8/2/2008 Council Bluffs, IA Westfair Amphitheare
8/3/2008 Duluth, MN Bayfront Festival Park
8/6/2008 Sturgis, SD The Legendary Buffalo Chip
8/8/2008 Saskatoon, SK Credit Union Centre
8/21/2008 St. Paul, MN Minnesota State Fair Grandstand
8/23/2008 Calgary, AB Pengrowth Saddledome
8/24/2008 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
8/26/2008 Vancouver, BC General Motors Place
8/27/2008 Seattle, WA WaMu Theater
8/29/2008 Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay Events Center
8/30/2008 Kelseyville, CA Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa Amphitheare
8/31/2008 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
9/3/2008 Denver, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
9/4/2008 Valley Center, KS Kansas Coliseum
9/6/2008 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
9/7/2008 Burgettstown, PA Post-Gazette Pavilion
9/10/2008 Pikeville, KY Eastern Kentucky Exposition Center
9/12/2008 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain
9/13/2008 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion
9/14/2008 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheatre
9/16/2008 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion
9/17/2008 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
9/19/2008 Bossier County, LA CenturyTel Center
9/20/2008 Dallas, TX Superpages.com Centre
9/21/2008 The Woodlands, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
9/23/2008 Lafayette, LA Cajundome
9/25/2008 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre
9/26/2008 Atlanta, GA Lakewood Amphitheatre
9/27/2008 Orange Beach, AL Amphitheater at the Wharf