Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood to host CMA Awards (Reuters)

NASHVILLE, Tenn (Reuters) – Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will co-host the 45th annual Country Music Association Awards on November 9, sharing the duty for the fourth time, they said on Monday.

The two made the announcement via Facebook from the set of their new video, "Remind Me."

The CMA Awards, which annually are among the highest honors for country singers, will be handed out at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, and will be broadcast live by ABC.

"We wanted to take a minute to share some very exciting news," Underwood said in the announcement that was available on YouTube. "The CMA has asked Brad and me back to host the CMA Awards in November."

Paisley had also tweeted earlier that he and Underwood were shooting the video, and photos from both that tweet and the CMA announcement showed them on an undisclosed beach.

"Can you believe that?" asked Paisley, who won the CMA Entertainer of the Year award last year. "I can't wait to do it again."

CMA chief executive Steve Moore said both Underwood and Paisley "have the unique qualities of humor, talent, credibility and natural rapport that makes them a hit with fans and the industry audience."

The awards show honors country music's biggest stars from the previous year, with some of the genre's best-known singers handing out 12 awards including Entertainer of the Year, Male and Female Vocalist of the Year, and Album of the Year.

Other awards are Single and Song of the Year, Group of the Year, Vocal Duo, Musical Event, Musician of the Year, Music Video and New Artist of the Year.

(Reporting by Vernell Hackett; Editing by Andrew Stern and Bob Tourtellotte)

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Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood to host CMA Awards

Singer Brad Paisley accepts the Male Vocalist of the Year award at the 46th annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas April 3, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Steve Marcus

NASHVILLE, Tenn | Mon Jul 11, 2011 12:48pm EDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn (Reuters) - Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will co-host the 45th annual Country Music Association Awards on November 9, sharing the duty for the fourth time, they said on Monday.

The two made the announcement via Facebook from the set of their new video, "Remind Me."

The CMA Awards, which annually are among the highest honors for country singers, will be handed out at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, and will be broadcast live by ABC.

"We wanted to take a minute to share some very exciting news," Underwood said in the announcement that was available on YouTube. "The CMA has asked Brad and me back to host the CMA Awards in November."

Paisley had also tweeted earlier that he and Underwood were shooting the video, and photos from both that tweet and the CMA announcement showed them on an undisclosed beach.

"Can you believe that?" asked Paisley, who won the CMA Entertainer of the Year award last year. "I can't wait to do it again."

CMA chief executive Steve Moore said both Underwood and Paisley "have the unique qualities of humor, talent, credibility and natural rapport that makes them a hit with fans and the industry audience."

The awards show honors country music's biggest stars from the previous year, with some of the genre's best-known singers handing out 12 awards including Entertainer of the Year, Male and Female Vocalist of the Year, and Album of the Year.

Other awards are Single and Song of the Year, Group of the Year, Vocal Duo, Musical Event, Musician of the Year, Music Video and New Artist of the Year.

(Reporting by Vernell Hackett; Editing by Andrew Stern and Bob Tourtellotte)

View the original article here

Brad Paisley is hero to sons for songs on "Cars 2"

Brad Paisley performs at the 45th annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada April 18, 2010.

Credit: Reuters/Robert Galbraith

By Vernell Hackett

NASHVILLE, Tenn | Thu Jun 16, 2011 1:46am EDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn (Reuters) - Brad Paisley's star shines brighter in the eyes of his young sons for writing two songs for the soon-to-be released animated movie "Cars 2."

Huck, 4, and Jasper, 2, are thrilled their 38-year-old father can recite tidbits about the making of the Disney movie and provide access ahead of its June 24 opening in theaters.

Paisley's songs for "Cars 2" are polar opposites of his album, "This Is Country Music," which tops the "Billboard" country album chart.

"My friend John Lasseter, who directed the movie and runs Pixar, called me and asked if I'd mind stepping out of my comfort zone and write a song for the movie with British pop star Robbie Williams," Paisley told Reuters.

"It really was out of my comfort zone, more like Led Zeppelin or The Who, but it was really fun," said Paisley, who won a Grammy in 2008 for Best Male Country Performance for his hit "Letter to Me."

In the movie, Lightning McQueen (a race car voiced by Owen Wilson) and tow truck Mater (Daniel Whitney, known as Larry the Cable Guy) head overseas to compete in the first World Grand Prix. Nothing goes as planned, and Mater discovers some things are not as they seem in this tale of intrigue.

"The theme of the movie encompasses spies, cars, international intrigue and comedy, which is really a 'Collision of Worlds,' so that's what we called the song," said Paisley.

A second song, "Nobody's Fool," was also a change for the singer-songwriter whose hits include "American Saturday Night," "Alcohol," and "Online."

"It's me doing more of an Eric Clapton-type blues ballad about the saddest part in the film, when Mater realizes that since people think he's playing the part of a fool, he is a fool. But Mater also realizes that's just who he is, and that was inspiring to me."

The soundtrack from Walt Disney Records arrived in stores on Wednesday.

WHEELING JAMBOREE

As for his regular job, Paisley's latest offering, "This is Country Music," honors the music that he grew up singing and playing in the small town of Glen Dale, West Virginia. At 13 he began performing on radio's "Wheeling Jamboree."

A major thrill was to record with his musical heroes, the group Alabama, on a tune Paisley wrote called "Old Alabama."

Randy Owen, lead singer of that group, recalled how nervous Paisley was when cuing up the final mix of the song.

"His hand shook when he turned the CD player on, and I thought how neat that someone respects the music and the people who had gone before him to be nervous about playing me the song," Owen said.

"I really did grow up playing more of their music in those venues I played in the Ohio Valley than anybody else," Paisley said of Alabama. "When I played Randy the song for the first time, I wanted him to feel the magic that I felt."

"We learn from the people we like," Paisley said, of the model for his "H20II: Wetter and Wilder" tour.

"I remember Randy and Alabama hauling those semi-trucks down the road, and putting on a show at the Civic Auditorium in Wheeling with all these lights and a set like nobody had ever seen before ... they were this gargantuan group that rewrote the book. So yeah, I aspire to that grand scale of touring."

Fans have learned to expect the unexpected from the Country Music Association's reigning "Entertainer of the Year." Paisley lives up to his reputation with sizzling guitar solos, innovative stage antics and hit after hit.

His opening acts are hot as well: Blake Shelton is one of the judges of NBC's show "The Voice," and Jerrod Niemann has a recent hit in "One More Drinkin' Song."

The tour includes an afternoon of music from artists Sunny Sweeney, Brett Eldredge and Eden's Edge, along with water rides and a simulator where fans race alongside Brad in his Corvette.

(Editing by Andrew Stern)

View the original article here

Brad Paisley is hero to sons for songs on "Cars 2" (Reuters)

NASHVILLE, Tenn (Reuters) – Brad Paisley's star shines brighter in the eyes of his young sons for writing two songs for the soon-to-be released animated movie "Cars 2."

Huck, 4, and Jasper, 2, are thrilled their 38-year-old father can recite tidbits about the making of the Disney movie and provide access ahead of its June 24 opening in theaters.

Paisley's songs for "Cars 2" are polar opposites of his album, "This Is Country Music," which tops the "Billboard" country album chart.

"My friend John Lasseter, who directed the movie and runs Pixar, called me and asked if I'd mind stepping out of my comfort zone and write a song for the movie with British pop star Robbie Williams," Paisley told Reuters.

"It really was out of my comfort zone, more like Led Zeppelin or The Who, but it was really fun," said Paisley, who won a Grammy in 2008 for Best Male Country Performance for his hit "Letter to Me."

In the movie, Lightning McQueen (a race car voiced by Owen Wilson) and tow truck Mater (Daniel Whitney, known as Larry the Cable Guy) head overseas to compete in the first World Grand Prix. Nothing goes as planned, and Mater discovers some things are not as they seem in this tale of intrigue.

"The theme of the movie encompasses spies, cars, international intrigue and comedy, which is really a 'Collision of Worlds,' so that's what we called the song," said Paisley.

A second song, "Nobody's Fool," was also a change for the singer-songwriter whose hits include "American Saturday Night," "Alcohol," and "Online."

"It's me doing more of an Eric Clapton-type blues ballad about the saddest part in the film, when Mater realizes that since people think he's playing the part of a fool, he is a fool. But Mater also realizes that's just who he is, and that was inspiring to me."

The soundtrack from Walt Disney Records arrived in stores on Wednesday.

WHEELING JAMBOREE

As for his regular job, Paisley's latest offering, "This is Country Music," honors the music that he grew up singing and playing in the small town of Glen Dale, West Virginia. At 13 he began performing on radio's "Wheeling Jamboree."

A major thrill was to record with his musical heroes, the group Alabama, on a tune Paisley wrote called "Old Alabama."

Randy Owen, lead singer of that group, recalled how nervous Paisley was when cuing up the final mix of the song.

"His hand shook when he turned the CD player on, and I thought how neat that someone respects the music and the people who had gone before him to be nervous about playing me the song," Owen said.

"I really did grow up playing more of their music in those venues I played in the Ohio Valley than anybody else," Paisley said of Alabama. "When I played Randy the song for the first time, I wanted him to feel the magic that I felt."

"We learn from the people we like," Paisley said, of the model for his "H20II: Wetter and Wilder" tour.

"I remember Randy and Alabama hauling those semi-trucks down the road, and putting on a show at the Civic Auditorium in Wheeling with all these lights and a set like nobody had ever seen before ... they were this gargantuan group that rewrote the book. So yeah, I aspire to that grand scale of touring."

Fans have learned to expect the unexpected from the Country Music Association's reigning "Entertainer of the Year." Paisley lives up to his reputation with sizzling guitar solos, innovative stage antics and hit after hit.

His opening acts are hot as well: Blake Shelton is one of the judges of NBC's show "The Voice," and Jerrod Niemann has a recent hit in "One More Drinkin' Song."

The tour includes an afternoon of music from artists Sunny Sweeney, Brett Eldredge and Eden's Edge, along with water rides and a simulator where fans race alongside Brad in his Corvette.

(Editing by Andrew Stern)

View the original article here