Willie Nelson News

Nelly, Joe Nichols, David Nail, Jana Kramer and Parmalee have all been added to the lineup of the First Annual TAILGATE FEST (LATailgateFest.com) headlined by country music super star Toby Keith, taking place Saturday, September 1, 2018 (Labor Day Weekend) on the outdoor grounds of the Forum in Los Angeles (Inglewood). As a one-day country music and tailgating extravaganza, TAILGATE FEST caters to the fans who show up hours before to turn the preshow into the party. It brings the stage outside to the tailgate. No packing up the party to head inside, no need to stop that game of cornhole, no need to stuff all your belongings in your pockets to last you the evening. Fans will fire up those barbeques, crack open those coolers, play games and tailgate in the hot California sun while they listen to their favorite country stars from their own tailgate as TAILGATE FEST brings the stage to the tailgaters!

Guitar slinger Jesse Dayton has released his new protest song “Charlottesville” via Rolling Stone Country today. The track was written in the wake of the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, VA in August 2017 that tragically saw counter-protestors injured and killed.  The track appears on his forthcoming album The Outsider, out June 8, 2018 on Blue Elan Records. Listen and share “Charlottesville” here. Preorder The Outsider here.

SiriusXM has announced that 50 year Grand Ole Opry veteran, Jeannie Seely, will be joining the Willie's Roadhouse family as an on air personality on Willie Nelson's exclusive classic country channel.  

Centenary Stage Company's annual Summer Jamfest returns to the Lackland Performing Arts Center.  This year's Jamfest features Lee Rocker of The Stray Cats on Saturday, July 14 at 8PM; the George Gee Swing Orchestra on Saturday, July 21 at 8PM; Hair running July 27 through August 5 and YESSONGS: The concert on Saturday, August 11 at 8PM. All performances will be held in the Sitnik Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center at 715 Grand Ave. Hackettstown, NJ.

SiriusXM announced today that U2 will launch an exclusive, limited-run SiriusXM channel, The U2 Experience, on channel 30 beginning Friday, June 1.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing has extended its worldwide deal with songwriter and artist Luis Fonsi whose hit “Despacito” is the most-streamed song of all time.

Songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, whose classic song 'Stand By Me' just received worldwide acclaim for its climactic performance at the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, will be inducted into the American Jazz Walk of Fame in Kansas City, MO on Saturday, June 2. Their names will be embedded in a bronze medallion on the sidewalk near the Jazz Museum. Their 1952 song classic '(Going to) Kansas City' is now considered to be the city's anthem.

Superstar recording artists Jennifer Hudson, Ryan Adams, Kane Brown and Julia Michaels have been added as special performers on the star-studded season finale of NBC's four-time Emmy Award-winning musical competition series “The Voice,” airing Tuesday, May 22 (9-11 p.m. ET/PT). 

Anderson East is nominated for “Emerging Artist of the Year” at the 2018 Americana Music Association Honors & Awards. The annual awards show is scheduled forSeptember 12 at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium.

On June 29, Charles Lloyd & The Marvels will release Vanished Gardens (Blue Note), a transcendent new album that presents the fascinating collaboration between NEA Jazz Master saxophonist and composer Charles Lloyd and acclaimed GRAMMY-winning singer and songwriter Lucinda Williams. Together they weave several threads of American music (Jazz, Blues, Americana, Country, and Rock) into a thrilling and uplifting new musical hybrid. The first single “We've Come Too Far To Turn Around,” a new gospel-informed song written by Williams, is available today to stream or download. The Marvels are Bill Frisell on guitar, Greg Leisz on pedal steel guitar and dobro, Reuben Rogers on bass, and Eric Harland on drums. Vanished Gardens was produced by Lloyd, Dorothy Darr, and Don Was.

Songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, composers of some of the greatest blues, jazz, R&B, and rock and roll hits of all time, will be inducted into the American Jazz Walk of Fame in Kansas City, MO on Saturday, June 2.  Their names will be embedded in a bronze medallion on the sidewalk near the Jazz Museum. 

Two-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated band The Milk Carton Kids have announced plans for a North American fall headline tour where they will be joined by special guests, The Barr Brothers. Additional dates will be added soon. Tickets for all newly announced dates go on sale this Friday, May 18. The Milk Carton Kids' upcoming schedule includes a number of additional summer headline shows as well as festival appearances at such gatherings as Pasadena, CA's Arroyo Seco Weekend, Calgary Folk Fest and Rocky Mountain Folks Fest in Lyons, CO. For updates and ticket information, please visitwww.themilkcartonkids.com.

On Friday, May 11, prolific performer Ty Taylor collaborated with the team behind LA's hit series "For The Record" to debut his new solo album Nouveau Mid-Century Romance Songbook. Taylor, best known as the lead singer of classic soul and rock 'n' roll band Vintage Trouble, will light up the stage at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills for this official album release concert along with special guests Matthew Morrison, Tracie Thoms, Brenna Whitaker and Chris Pierce. Directed by Anderson Davis, the evening will kick off with a Jazz showcase from exceptional artists including Spencer Day, Olivia Kuper Harris, Myles Nuzzi and Dylan Meek and will be followed by Taylor's collection of modernistic tracks inspired by mid-century jazz standards.

The First Annual TAILGATE FEST (LATailgateFest.com) will debut on Saturday, September 1, 2018 (Labor Day Weekend) on The Forum's grounds (Inglewood) in Los Angeles as a one-day country music and tailgating extravaganza. TAILGATE FEST caters to the fans who show up hours before to turn the parking lot into the party. It brings the stage outside to the tailgate. No packing up the party to head inside, no need to stop that game of cornhole, no need to stuff all your belongings in your pockets to last you the evening. Fans will now be able to bring their own grills, coolers, games, and more to enjoy the show from their own tailgate as TAILGATE FEST brings the stage to the tailgaters!

Brooklyn, New York's The National Reserve release their debut full-length album Motel La Grange (Ramseur Records) today, May 11. TNR was busy this spring with several tour stops that included a jam packed SXSW including Willie Nelson's Luck Reunion after party. Earlier this spring, TNR opened for John Moreland in Asheville, NC. Moreland was hooked and he immediately reached out to his management to arrange more shows with TNR; They will support Moreland on four dates this July.  TNR will also be playing several festivals this summer including Camp Jam in the Pines, FloydFest, XPoNential Music Festival and Bristol R&R Reunion. 

Academy of Country Music Female Vocalist Of the Year, Grammy nominee and multi-million selling '80s icon Sylvia is set to release her newest CD,SECOND BLOOM - The Hits Re-Imagined, on Red Pony Records June 8. The album is available for pre-order now from iTunes and CD Baby.  Fans who order digitally will receive'Like Nothing Ever Happened' as an instant gratification track. Those who prefer a disc, will have their album autographed by Sylvia and receive an email containing instructions on how to obtain their 'grat track' download.

Norah Jones first emerged on the world stage with the 2002 release of Come Away With Me, her self-described “moody little record” that introduced a singular new voice and grew into a global phenomenon, sweeping the 2003 GRAMMY Awards and signalling a paradigm shift away from the prevailing pop music of the time. Since then, Jones has sold nearly 50 million albums worldwide and become a 9-time GRAMMY-winner. She has released a series of critically acclaimed and commercially successful solo albums, as well as albums with her collective bands The Little Willies and Puss N Boots. Her music weaves a rich tapestry that combines the threads of several bedrock styles of American music: country, folk, rock, soul and jazz, frequently transcending genres. Jones has collaborated with artists as diverse as Willie Nelson, Outkast, Herbie Hancock, Foo Fighters, and Danger Mouse, and been described as “pop music's mistress of alchemy…” (The Independent).

On Today, May 11, prolific performer Ty Taylor will be collaborating with the team behind LA's hit series "For The Record" to debut his new solo album Nouveau Mid-Century Romance Songbook. Taylor, best known as the lead singer of classic soul and rock 'n' roll band Vintage Trouble, will light up the stage at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills for this official album release concert along with special guests Matthew Morrison, Tracie Thoms, Brenna Whitaker and Chris Pierce. Directed by Anderson Davis, the evening will kick off with a Jazz showcase from exceptional artists including Spencer Day, Olivia Kuper Harris, Myles Nuzzi and Dylan Meek and will be followed by Taylor's collection of modernistic tracks inspired by mid-century jazz standards.

Today, Lincoln Center announced the 2018 season of Midsummer Night Swing, bringing people from all walks of life together to experience an array of sounds and dance styles from Tuesday, June 26 to Saturday, July 14, 2018. This iconic New York social dance party will feature 15 nights under the stars, with outdoor dance lessons and live performances paying tribute to the histories of Lindy hop, swing, mambo, salsa, blues, and more, while welcoming newcomers and dance pros alike to experience the joy of social dance.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing has won Publisher of the Year at the BMI Pop Awards.