“THE 53RD ANNUAL CMA AWARDS” ADDS NOT-TO-BE-MISSED PERFORMANCES AND COLLABORATIONS BY KELSEA BALLERINI, BROOKS & DUNN WITH BROTHERS OSBORNE, GARTH BROOKS WITH BLAKE SHELTON, DAN + SHAY, KACEY MUSGRAVES WITH WILLIE NELSON, LADY ANTEBELLUM AND HALSEY, OLD DOMINION, BLAKE SHELTON, AND THOMAS RHETT Country Legend Willie Nelson Returns to the CMA Awards Stage for the First Time Since 2012 for a Special Performance with Kacey Musgraves Country Music’s Biggest Night™ to Air Live from Bridgestone Arena Wednesday, Nov. 13 on the ABC Television Network

NASHVILLE—“The 53rd Annual CMA Awards” has announced additional performances and collaborations by Kelsea Ballerini, Brooks & Dunn with Brothers Osborne, Garth Brooks with Blake Shelton, Dan + Shay, Kacey Musgraves with Willie Nelson, Lady Antebellum and Halsey, Old Dominion, Blake Shelton, and Thomas Rhett. Country Music’s Biggest Night™, hosted by Carrie Underwood with special guest hosts Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton, airs live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 8/7c on the ABC Television Network. Brooks & Dunn, an 18-time CMA Awards winner and two-time nominee this year, will perform their hit song “Hard Workin’ Man” with Brothers Osborne, the reigning CMA Vocal Duo of the Year and four-time nominee this year. Brooks & Dunn are also recent inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Brooks, an Entertainer of the Year nominee this year, and Shelton, a three-time nominee this year, will perform their CMA Musical Event of the Year nominated hit, “Dive Bar.” Three-time nominee this year, Musgraves welcomes long-time friend and 10-time CMA Awards winner Nelson to the CMA stage to perform a heartwarming collaboration that fans will soon see has been decades in the making. Nelson last performed on the CMA Awards stage in 2012 in honor of receiving the inaugural CMA Lifetime Achievement Award. In a never-before-seen collaboration, Halsey makes her first-ever CMA Awards appearance, joining six-time CMA Awards winner Lady Antebellum to perform a genre-defying mashup. Female Vocalist of the Year nominee this year, Ballerini is set to perform her latest hit single “homecoming queen?,” while Dan + Shay, a three-time nominee this year, will perform their CMA Single of the Year nominated song “Speechless” from their CMA Album of the Year nominated album Dan + Shay. Old Dominion, reigning CMA Vocal Group of the Year and nominee again this year in the category, will bring their hit “One Man Band” to the CMA Awards stage, while Thomas Rhett, a two-time nominee this year, will perform “Remember You Young” from his CMA Album of the Year nominated album Center Point Road. In addition to his performance with Brooks, Shelton will also hit the stage to perform his three-time nominated single “God’s Country.” Previously announced performers include Eric Church, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Maren Morris, Dolly Parton with for KING & COUNTRY and Zach Williams, P!NK and Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban. Additional performers and presenters will be revealed in the coming weeks. "The 53rd Annual CMA Awards” is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer, Alex Rudzinski is the Director, and David Wild is the Head Writer. For more information on “The 53rd Annual CMA Awards,” please visit CMAawards.com and follow CMA on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Fans can listen to music featuring the CMA Awards nominees and performers, on Amazon Music, Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify, Vevo and YouTube. To celebrate "The 53rd Annual CMA Awards," the official merchandise line featuring tees, sweatshirts and other gifts is now available online. Fans can order by Tuesday, Nov. 5 to receive before the show. Merchandise will also be sold on-site at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 13. About CMA Awards The first “CMA Awards Banquet and Show” was held in 1967. The following year, the CMA Awards was broadcast for the first time – making it the longest running, annual music awards program on network television. The CMA Awards have aired on ABC since 2006. ABC is the network home of the CMA Awards and CMA’s other two television properties, “CMA Fest” and “CMA Country Christmas.” Kelsea Ballerini Photo Credit: Piper Ferguson Brooks & Dunn Photo Credit: Miller Mobley Brothers Osborne Photo Credit: John Peets  Garth Brooks Photo Credit: Blue Rose, Inc.= Blake Shelton Photo Credit: Andrew Accles  Dan + Shay Photo Credit: Catherine Powell Kacey Musgraves Photo Credit: Alexa King Willie Nelson Photo Credit: Pamela Springsteen Lady Antebellum Photo Credit: Dove Shore Halsey Photo Credit: Ryan McGinley Old Dominion Photo Credit: Mason Allen   Thomas Rhett Photo Credit: John Shearer The official key art revealed for “The 53rd Annual CMA Awards,” hosted by Carrie Underwood with special guest hosts Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 8/7c on the ABC Television Network. Photo Credit: Mark Seliger/ABC “The 53rd Annual CMA Awards,” hosted by Carrie Underwood with special guest hosts Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton, broadcasts live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 8/7c on the ABC Television Network. Photo Credit: Mark Seliger/ABC “The 53rd Annual CMA Awards,” hosted by Carrie Underwood with special guest hosts Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton, broadcasts live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 8/7c on the ABC Television Network. Photo Credit: Mark Seliger/ABC

Outlaw Music Festival  

with Willie Nelson & Family, Phil Lesh & Friends, Alison Krauss, Old Crow Medicine Show, Dawes & more

Saturday, June 29 

 Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre St. Louis

 WILLIE NELSON’S OUTLAW MUSIC FESTIVAL TOUR IS BACK!
 ELECTRIFYING LINEUP INCLUDES: WILLIE NELSON & FAMILY, PHIL LESH & FRIENDS,  THE AVETT BROTHERS, ALISON KRAUSS, THE REVIVALISTS,  COUNTING CROWS, NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS, OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW, DAWES,  LUKAS NELSON & PROMISE OF THE REAL, STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES, HAYES CARLL, CASEY DONAHEW, COLTER WALL AND PARTICLE KID

MORE ARTISTS TO BE ANNOUNCED IN THE COMING WEEKS
 TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY MARCH 8 FOR TICKETS & MORE INFORMATION GO TO: outlawmusicfestival.com
 March 5, 2019 - (New York, NY) Willie Nelson, Blackbird Presents, and Mark Rothbaum are thrilled to announce the lineup for the Outlaw Music Festival Tour for the Summer 2019 leg. The incredible lineup of music stars includes Willie Nelson & Family, Phil Lesh & Friends, The Avett Brothers, Alison Krauss, The Revivalists, Counting Crows, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Old Crow Medicine Show, Dawes, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Hayes Carll, Casey Donahew, Matt Mays, Colter Wall, Particle Kid and more to be announced in the coming weeks. (For artists performing in various cities, please refer to the specific market lineups listed below.)

North America’s biggest touring music festival’s Summer Leg starts in Bangor, ME on June 14, 2019 and ends on July 3rd in Dallas, TX.

Each festival tour date will feature a unique range of festival attractions including local cuisine, craft beers, and crafts by local artisans to provide music fans in each city with an unforgettable concert experience.

Tickets for the general public go on sale Friday, March 8th. On sale dates vary in some locations, see http://outlawmusicfestival.com for details. VIP packages including great seats and exclusive festival merchandise will be available. Citi® is the official pre-sale credit card of the Outlaw Music Festival Tour. As such, Citi® cardmembers will have access to purchase pre-sale tickets beginning Tuesday, March 5th at 12 PM (Local for each venue) until Thursday, March 7th at 10 PM (Local for each venue) through Citi’s Private Pass® program. For complete pre-sale details visit http://www.citiprivatepass.com.

“We had so much fun on the Outlaw Music Festival Tour last year that we couldn’t wait to get back out on the road with everyone,” says Willie Nelson.

"The fans told us what they wanted on the Outlaw Music Festival Tour in 2019, and I am thrilled to have delivered this to them. This summer’s lineup with Willie Nelson and our caravan of artists continues to take the Outlaw Music Festival experience to a whole new level,” says Keith Wortman, CEO of Blackbird Presents.

The inaugural Outlaw Music Festival made its debut in 2016 in Scranton, PA featuring Willie Nelson & Family, Neil  Young + Promise of the Real, Sheryl Crow, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Lee Ann Womack, and others. The soldout show was so well received that Blackbird and Nelson decided to take their band of outlaws on the road as a touring festival in both 2017 and 2018. Last year, the Outlaw Tour hosted more than 200,000 fans in amphitheaters and arenas all over the country. From Willie Nelson to Neil Young to Bob Dylan to Van Morrison to Alison Krauss to Sheryl Crow to Sturgill Simpson to Margo Price, fans have shared unforgettable music memories and enjoyed unique vendor villages with local food, drinks, and shopping. VIP ticketholders got a front row experience and exclusive merchandise.

 

WILLIE NELSON, ALISON KRAUSS, THE AVETT BROTHERS, GEORGE STRAIT  JACK JOHNSON, JOHN MELLENCAMP, KRIS KRISTOFFERSON, LEE ANN WOMACK, LYLE LOVETT, NORAH JONES AND THE LITTLE WILLIES, SHERYL CROW, SUSAN TEDESCHI & DEREK TRUCKS, VINCE GILL & MORE TO HEADLINE THE ALL-STAR CONCERT EVENT OF THE YEAR   WILLIE: LIFE & SONGS OF AN AMERICAN OUTLAW SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 2019 BRIDGESTONE ARENA – NASHVILLE, TN

"Willie: Life & Songs of an American Outlaw" | Photo courtesy of Blackbird Presents | Size: 891 KB | Type: JPG | >Download A&E NETWORK TO AIR SPECIAL CONCERT EVENT IN 2019 TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12 AT 10AM CT VIA LIVENATION.COM Nashville, TN // November 8, 2018 — Blackbird Presents, Mark Rothbaum, and Keith Wortman are proud to announce the concert event of the year… Willie: Life & Songs Of An American Outlaw, A Willie Nelson All-Star Concert Celebration. This once-in-a-lifetime concert will take place Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 7PM CT at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN. This historic event will honor living legend Willie Nelson and feature his greatest hits performed by today's biggest superstars. This major event will be filmed and recorded for a major broadcast special slated to air on A&E Network in 2019. Willie: Life & Songs Of An American Outlaw will feature star-studded performances by Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, The Avett Brothers, George Strait, Jack Johnson, John Mellencamp, Kris Kristofferson, Lee Ann Womack, Lyle Lovett, Norah Jones and The Little Willies, Sheryl Crow, Susan Tedeschi & Derek Trucks, and Vince Gill. Additional artists will be announced in the coming weeks, along with surprise guests and unforgettable collaborations to be revealed at the show. Tickets go on sale Monday, November 12, 2018 at 10 AM CT online at Livenation.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, and the Bridgestone Arena box office. VIP packages including great seats and exclusive merchandise will be available. Citi is the official presale credit card of Willie: Life & Songs Of An American Outlaw. As such, Citi card members will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Thursday, November 8 at 10 AM CT until Sunday, November 11 at 10 PM CT through Citi’s Private Pass® program. For complete presale details visithttp://www.citiprivatepass.com. In his 85th year, Willie Nelson is more prolific than ever. In 2018 alone, he's released his 67th studio album (Last Man Standing), a stirring collection of his favorite Sinatra songs (My Way) and headlined the largest touring festival in North America (Outlaw Music Festival). Willie is America’s music hero. It’s hard to put into words what he means to singers, songwriters, musicians, and people all over the world. Through life’s ups and downs, heartbreaks and rewards, Willie and his songs have been a dear and constant friend to all of us. He’s a trusted father figure to millions of Americans by lifting them up through FARM AID and his annual JULY 4th PICNIC. He’s the clear inspiration for dozens of today’s biggest music stars from all genres of music. "Willie and his songs mean everything to music artists and fans alike. Like Willie, they have inspired us to remain true to ourselves in every possible way. This incredible lineup of artists on this show is a testament to that,” says Blackbird Presents CEO Keith Wortman. FOR COMPLETE SHOW DETAILS AND OFFICIAL CONCERT WEBSITE, VISIT: http://willieoutlaw.com #willieoutlaw About Willie Nelson: With a six-decade career and 200 plus albums, this iconic Texan is the creative genius behind the historic recordings of Crazy, Red Headed Stranger, and Stardust. Willie Nelson has earned every conceivable award as a musician and amassed reputable credentials as an author, actor, and activist. He continues to thrive as a relevant and progressive musical and cultural force. In recent years, he has delivered more than a dozen new album releases, released a Top 10New York Times’ bestsellers book, again headlined Farm Aid, an event he co-founded in 1985, received his 5th degree black belt in Gong Kwon Yu Sul, headlined the annual Luck Reunion food and music festival at his ranch in Luck, TX during SXSW, launched his cannabis companies Willie’s Reserve and Willie’s Remedy, and graced the covers of Rolling Stone and AARP The Magazine. In 2015, Nelson published “It’s A Long Story: My Life,” the unvarnished and complete story of his life that landed him on the New York Times’ bestsellers list. He also released a new studio album with Merle Haggard titled Django And Jimmie, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Country album chart and #7 on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart. In November 2015, the Library of Congress honored him with their Gershwin Prize for Popular Song for his contributions to popular music. He is the first country artist to receive the distinguished award. The following year began with the release of Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin, a collection of 11 newly recorded Gershwin classics. The album debuted at #1 on both the Top Current Jazz chart and the Top Traditional Jazz chart, as well as earned him a Grammy Award for the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. In September 2016, came For the Good Times: A Tribute to Ray Price, an album of newly recorded interpretations of 12 Ray Price songs. In 2017, he released two albums of newly recorded performances: God’s Problem Child, with 13 new songs that debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Country album chart and #10 on the Billboard 200, and Willie Nelson and The Boys (Willie’s Stash, Vol. 2), that includes 11 country classics and one brand-new song performed by Nelson and his sons Lukas and Micah. For 2018, he released Last Man Standing in April to celebrate his 85th birthday. It is comprised entirely of songs newly-penned by Nelson (and longtime collaborator and producer Buddy Cannon). In September he released My Way, a collection of newly recorded standards and classic originally made famous by Nelson’s close friend and musical colleague Frank Sinatra. Not a month later, Nelson debuted his new song “Vote ‘Em Out,” an urgent exhortation to citizens everywhere to participate in democracy. He sings “the biggest gun we’ve got; is called the ballot box; so if you don’t like who’s in there; Vote ‘em out…” These new songs and performances add to his classic catalog, and finds Willie Nelson rolling at a creative peak, writing and singing and playing with the seasoned wit and wisdom that comes from the road, which he still travels along performing for fans. About Blackbird Presents: Blackbird Presents is the worldwide leader in the production of large scale concert events, broadcast specials, TV series, music festivals, & tours. Blackbird's recent concerts, broadcast specials and releases include All In For The Gambler: Kenny Rogers’ Farewell Concert Celebration, Sing Me Back Home: The Music of Merle Haggard, The Life & Songs of Kris Kristofferson,Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert, Outlaw: Celebrating The Music of Waylon Jennings, I'll Take You There: Celebrating 75 Years of Mavis Staples, The Life and Songs of Emmylou Harris, Lynyrd Skynyrd: One More For The Fans, The Musical Mojo of Dr. John: Celebrating Mac and His Music, and All My Friends: Celebrating The Songs and Voice of Gregg Allman, the latter of which earned a 2014 GRAMMY® Award nomination for Gregg Allman and Taj Mahal's awe-inspiring performance of "Statesboro Blues." Blackbird Presents is also the creator and producer of The Outlaw Music Festival Tour, in partnership with Willie Nelson and The American Roots Music & Arts Festival, in partnership with Eric Church. Visit us at www.blackbirdpresents.com

Willie Nelson Announces Powerhouse Studio album of 11 Newly-Penned Songs on Latest Album, Last Man Standing  

 

American Music Legend's 11th Studio Album for Legacy Recordings Available on CD, 12" Vinyl and Digital on Friday, April 27 

Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release Last Man Standing, Willie Nelson's new studio album (and 11th for the label), on Friday, April 27.

Arriving just in time for Willie's 85th birthday (April 29), Last Man Standing will be available on CD, 12" vinyl LP and digital formats. The first single from the project is the title track from the album "Last Man Standing" and Willie shared a music video capturing the making of the track today. The album is available for pre-order now and the single is available at all digital outlets. 
Pre-order the album and listen to the single now at https://WillieNelson.lnk.to/lmsFA!1
View the video for "Last Man Standing" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk55FA6_xkM
Last Man Standing, comprised entirely of songs newly-penned by Willie Nelson (and longtime collaborator and producer Buddy Cannon), is the worthy successor to Willie's God's Problem Child, which showcased seven Nelson-Cannon compositions and debuted at #1 on the Country charts. Willie and Buddy have been working together since 2008 with Cannon producing more than a dozen of Willie's albums.
The songwriting duo deploys a unique strategy of shared composition, beginning with back-and-forth text messaging of lyrics with the melodies. On Last Man Standing, Nelson and Cannon's unorthodox approach generated eleven original songs, "Willie's a jazz singer and jazz player. He's an improvisational musician. It's different every time. Get a good take and go with it," says Cannon,
With Last Man Standing, Nelson has added 11 essential new songs to his classic catalog. One of Willie's most personal and introspective albums to-date, Last Man Standing reveals the emotional range of Willie's concerns, from the deeply reflective ("Something You Get Through,"  to the rollicking and playful ("Me and You," "Ready to Roar")
An album that acknowledges the transience of time while marveling at the joy, beauty and surprise the world has to offer, Last Man Standing finds Willie Nelson rolling at a creative peak, writing and singing and playing with the seasoned wit and wisdom that comes from the road.
Willie NelsonLast Man Standing

1. Last Man Standing
2. Don't Tell Noah
3. Bad Breath
4. Me And You
5. Something You Get Through
6. Ready To Roar   
7. Heaven Is Closed 
8. I Ain't Got Nothin'
9. She Made My Day
10. I'll Try To Do Better Next Time
11. Very Far To Crawl 

WillieNelson.com 
LegacyRecordings.com

 

Legacy Recordings Set to Release New Willie Nelson Studio Album, For The Good Times: A Tribute To Ray Price, on Friday, September 16 American Music Legend Honors His Friend and Fellow Country Icon With Fresh Interpretation of 12 Classic Songs Ray Price Made Famous 

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release Willie Nelson's latest album, For The Good Times: A Tribute To Ray Price, on Friday, September 16.

 

On his new album, Willie has teamed up with a pair of longtime friends--producer Fred Foster and conductor/arranger Bergen White--who, like Nelson, are American country music veterans with deep connections to the legendary Ray Price.  Foster and White worked together to complete Ray Price's final album, Beauty Is..., at Nashville's Ocean Way Studios, where Willie Nelson has returned to create the magic of For The Good Times: A Tribute To Ray Price.
For The Good Times: A Tribute To Ray Price celebrates the wide-reaching impact and influence of Ray Price on American pop and country music, from Price's hallmark lush orchestral arrangements (presaging "countrypolitan") to the patented "Ray Price Shuffle," the groundbreaking 4/4 walking bass line which transformed honky-tonk and country-western swing music in 1950s on hits like "Crazy Arms."
Providing musical backup for Willie on six of the album's tracks--"Invitation To The Blues," "Heartaches By The Numbers," "Crazy Arms," "City Lights," "I'll Be There" and "Don't You Ever Get Tired Of Hurting Me"--Willie is joined by The Time Jumpers, the Grammy-nominated Western Swing dream team comprised of Vince Gill (electric and acoustic guitar, harmony vocals), Andy Reiss (electric guitar), Larry Franklin (fiddle), Joe Spivey (fiddle), Kenny Sears (fiddle), Brad Albin (bass), Billy Thomas (drums), Jeff Taylor (piano and accordion), Paul Franklin (pedal steel) and Willie's Family Band harmonica player Mickey Raphael.
For the orchestral tracks on For The Good Times: A Tribute To Ray Price, the Nashville String Machine, a full ensemble featuring violins, violas, cellos, string basses, sax, flute and oboe, accompanies Willie.
A seminal figure in post-WWII American country music, singer/songwriter/guitarist Ray Price began his career singing on the local Abilene, Texas radio program "Hillbilly Circus" in 1948 before joining the "Big D Jamboree" in Dallas a year later.  When CBS picked up the show, Price began garnering his first national exposure.  Moving to Nashville in the early 1950s, Price became friends with country music avatar Hank Williams, going on to manage the Drifting Cowboys after Hank's death in 1953.  That same year, Ray Price formed his own band, the Cherokee Cowboys, a country music ensemble that would employ Willie Nelson as bassist in 1961. 
Friends from their first meeting until Ray Price's passing in 2013, Willie and Ray shared a profound musical bond, exemplified in Price's hit recordings of Willie-penned songs like the career-defining "Night Life" and "It Always Will Be."
A visionary and iconoclastic artist, Ray Price defined and shifted the course of American country music over the course of his career.  In the 1950s and 1960s, he kept grassroots country sounds alive through the infusion of rock 'n' roll and pop music elements, going so far as to utilize drums at a time when the Grand Ole Opry had banned them from its stage.  By the late 1960s and early 1970s, Price became one of the godfathers of "countrypolitan," combining lush orchestral arrangements with smooth-as-silk crooning.  Ray Price's music connected honky-tonk to big band to rock 'n' roll to country swing to pop.  America's musical landscape would look and sound very different without the contributions of Ray Price.
The profound musical relationship between Willie Nelson and Ray Price goes back to 1960, when Nelson, an aspiring singer-songwriter, moved to Nashville to further his career.  Willie's composition, "Night Life," became Ray Price's theme music, the song he'd use to open his shows.  As Willie's star rose in the country music firmament, he continued to collaborate with Price, releasing the albums San Antonio Rose (1980), Run That by Me One More Time (2003) and Last of the Breed (2007), a trio album with Merle Haggard. Ray Price made an appearance, singing "Cold War with You," on Willie's 2012 Legacy album Heroes.
For the Good Times: A Tribute to Ray Price debuts Willie's new interpretations of 12 songs Price made famous, including "Heartaches by the Number," "Crazy Arms," "Night Life," "Faded Love" and "For the Good Times."
Willie NelsonFor The Good Times: A Tribute To Ray Price(Legacy Recordings)
1. Heartaches By The Number (featuring The Time Jumpers)
2. I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me) (featuring The Time Jumpers)
3. Faded Love
4. It Always Will Be
5. City Lights (featuring The Time Jumpers)
6. Don't You Ever Get Tired Of Hurting Me (featuring The Time Jumpers)
7. Make The World Go Away
8. I'm Still Not Over You
9. Night Life
10. Crazy Arms (featuring The Time Jumpers)
11. Invitation To The Blues (featuring The Time Jumpers)
12. For The Good Times
willienelson.com
legacyrecordings.com

 

Farm Aid To Mark 30 Years Of Action For Family Farmers At Music Festival In Chicago On Sept. 19  

 

Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews to bring Farm Aid 30 to FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island ews,

CHICAGO, July 28, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Farm Aid today announced that it will host its 30^th anniversary music and food festival at FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island in downtown Chicago on Sept. 19.
"We organized the first Farm Aid concert in Illinois in 1985 to respond to the people suffering during the Farm Crisis," said Farm Aid President and Founder Willie Nelson. "Thirty years later, in Chicago, we'll bring together so many of the people — farmers, eaters, advocates and activists — who have made the progress of the Good Food Movement possible. At Farm Aid 30, we'll celebrate the impact we've had and rally our supporters for the work ahead."
Farm Aid 30, an all-day music and food festival, will feature performances by Farm Aid board members Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, and Dave Matthews — with Tim Reynolds — as well as Imagine Dragons, Jack Johnson, Kacey Musgraves, Mavis Staples, Old Crow Medicine Show, Holly Williams, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Insects vs Robots and Blackwood Quartet.
In addition to a diverse lineup of music, Farm Aid 30 festivalgoers will be able to experience family farm agriculture firsthand.
Festivalgoers will enjoy family farm-identified, local and organic foods at Farm Aid's HOMEGROWN Concessions^®. At the HOMEGROWN Youthmarket, young people from Growing Power, the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, and Windy City Harvest Youth Farm will be selling fresh apples, pears and baked goods.
In the HOMEGROWN Village, attendees will have the chance to meet farmers from Illinois and across the country. The HOMEGROWN Village also features hands-on activities by local, regional and national farm and food organizations that engage festivalgoers in the ways family farmers are enriching our soil, protecting our water and growing our economy, in addition to bringing us good food for good health. In the HOMEGROWN.org Skills Tent, festivalgoers can dig into food, farming and homesteading DIY demonstrations, such as learning how to identify wild edibles sprouting on city street corners with Chicago foraging guru Dave Odd, of Odd produce.
Leading up to Farm Aid 30, Farm Aid will gather family farmers and farm advocates to celebrate the roots of Farm Aid's work and to engage in conversations about the issues that family farmers face and solutions for overcoming these challenges. These meetings, along with farm tours and other events, will serve to lay the foundation for Farm Aid's continued work to advance family farm agriculture.
"The first Farm Aid concert sparked a family farm movement that has rallied hundreds of thousands in support of a system of agriculture that's good for family farmers, good for the economy, good for the soil and water and good for all of us. Over the years, we've heard from so many people how crucial it is that we continue to work together and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with family farmers as we fight for change," said Farm Aid Executive Director Carolyn Mugar. "At Farm Aid 30 on Sept. 19, we'll celebrate the many actions — small and large — that we are all taking to make a big difference for family farmers. We'll take stock of 30 years of action and strengthen our commitment to work for change in our farm and food system."
To mark its 30^th anniversary and honor the hard work of farmers, eaters, activists and advocates, Farm Aid launched the #Road2FarmAid, a virtual campaign inviting people to share the actions they are taking to support family farmers and grow the Good Food Movement. The campaign acknowledges the important role that each one of us plays in making change and inspires more people to get involved in family farm agriculture. People can participate at road2.farmaid.org and enter to win Farm Aid 30 tickets.
Tickets for Farm Aid 30 will go on sale Monday, August 3, at 10 a.m. CDT. Ticket prices range from $49.50 to $189.50 and will be available for purchase at LiveNation.com, the venue box office and by phone at 1-800-745-3000.
Farm Aid has partnered with Hotels for Hope to offer festival-goers discounted lodging in Chicago. Each room booked through Hotels for Hope (www.farmaid.org/hotels) results in a donation to Farm Aid.
Farm Aid 30 will be webcast live on Saturday, Sept. 19, at farmaid.org. The webcast, Farm Aid 30 Live Presented by Amy's Kitchen, will feature artist performances and stories from family farmers and eaters across the country.
Festivalgoers can enhance their Farm Aid experience with the official Farm Aid 30 mobile app, which will be available for iPhone and Android in mid-August.
In addition, Farm Aid will offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences, from meeting Willie Nelson on his legendary tour bus to joining Farm Aid board artists for a concert kickoff event, available exclusively on IfOnly.com.
For event updates, follow Farm Aid on Twitter (@farmaid) and on Facebook (www.facebook.com/farmaid), and visit farmaid.org/concert.
Sponsors of Farm Aid 30 include Amy's Kitchen, Horizon Organic, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Canidae^® Natural Pet Food Company, Greener Fields Together and Organic Valley. Farm Aid welcomes the participation of the Chicago area business community and offers corporate sponsorship and VIP seating opportunities. For more information, contact Glenda Yoder at glenda@farmaid.org.
Farm Aid's mission is to build a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America. Farm Aid artists and board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews host an annual concert to raise funds to support Farm Aid's work with family farmers and to inspire people to choose family farm food. For 30 years, Farm Aid, with the support of the artists who contribute their performances each year, has raised $48 million to support programs that help farmers thrive, expand the reach of the Good Food Movement, take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.

SOURCE Farm Aid

 

Willie Nelson and Sister Bobbie Team Up on December Day: Willie's Stash Vol. 1, a New Collection of Studio Recordings, Coming December 2  

First Release in Willie's Stash Archival Series Showcases 18 Unreleased Selections from the Willie Nelson Family Songbook

 

NEW YORK,-- Legacy Recordings will release Willie Nelson and Sister Bobbie's December Day, the first installment of the Willie's Stash archival recordings series, on Tuesday, December 2.
An eclectic album collaboration from outlaw country legend Willie Nelson and Sister Bobbie Nelson, December Day debuts intimate new recordings of the siblings performing 18 songs they love.
As brother and sister growing up in Abbott, Texas, Willie and Bobbie Nelson learned to read music and play instruments as pre-teens under the tutelage of their grandparents, who raised them.  They played together in Texas bands early in their careers and Bobbie has been an essential member of Willie's Family Band since its official formation in 1973.  Willie and Bobbie's deeply intuitive musical bond, formed and developed through of decades of practice and spontaneity, can be felt throughout December Day.
With songs personally selected by Willie and Bobbie, December Day includes new versions of gems from Willie's extensive songwriting catalog ("Permanently Lonely," "My Old Peculiar Way") alongside some surprising cover tunes (Al Jolson's "The Anniversary Song," Irving Berlin's "Alexander's Ragtime Band," "What'll I Do" and "Always").
The album's sound is augmented by contributions from other Family Band members, including harmonica player Mickey Raphael and the late Bee Spears on bass on "What'll I Do," recorded during his poignant last session with Willie.
In his first-hand observer liner notes for December Day, Family Band member Mickey Raphael provides fascinating details of the album's performances and insights into the artists' creative process.
"As long as I can remember, Willie and Bobbie, who ride together on Willie's bus, spend some of their traveling time jamming on their favorite songs," Raphael writes.  "Bobbie has a travel size keyboard on the bus and Willie's guitar, Trigger is always by his side. This is where the idea for December Day was born. 'Why not record our favorite songs like we play them for ourselves?' Bobbie asked...
"...When it comes to a brother-sister collaboration with the longevity of Willie and Bobbie, there is beauty in keeping things simple. 'Less is more' is the underlying theme. We've heard these songs before but not like this. The spontaneity born out of familiarity is what this record, December Day, is all about.
"It's not rocket science, it's alchemy."
The Willie's Stash series will present a variety of releases, personally curated by Willie Nelson, culled from decades of recording and touring, a singular career that's established Willie Nelson as an American musical icon.
December Day is Willie's fifth release since signing to Legacy Recordings in 2012. His last Legacy release, Band Of Brothers, was released in June 2014 and hit No. 1 on Billboard's Country Albums chart.
December Day is produced by Buddy Cannon and recorded by Steve Chadie at Pedernales Recordings Studio in Austin, Texas.
Musicians on the album include Willie Nelson (Trigger) and Bobbie Nelson (piano, B-3 organ) with Mickey Raphael (harmonica), Kevin Smith (bass), Bee Spears (bass), Billy English (drums, percussion) and David Zettner (acoustic guitar).

Willie Nelson and Sister BobbieDecember Day(Willie's Stash, Vol. 1)

1. Alexander's Ragtime Band (Irving Berlin)

2. Permanently Lonely (Willie Nelson)

3. What'll I Do (Irving Berlin)

4. Summer of Roses / December Day (Willie Nelson)

5. Nuages (Django Reinhardt)

6. Mona Lisa (Ray Evans & Jay Livingston)

7. I Don't Know Where I Am Today (Willie Nelson)

8. Amnesia (Willie Nelson)

9. Who'll Buy My Memories (Willie Nelson)

10. The Anniversary Song (Al Jolson & Saul Chaplin)

11. Laws of Nature (Willie Nelson)

12. Walkin' (Willie Nelson)

13. Always (Irving Berlin)

14. I Let My Mind Wander (Willie Nelson)

15. Is the Better Part Over (Willie Nelson)

16. My Own Peculiar Way (Willie Nelson)

17. Sad Songs and Waltzes (Willie Nelson)

18. Ou-es tu, mon amour  (Emile Stern & Henri LeMarchand) / I Never Cared for You (Willie Nelson)

willienelson.com
legacyrecordings.com

New Willie Nelson Album, To All The Girls... Enters Billboard 200 at #9

 

Willie's Latest for Legacy is Artist's 1st Top 10 Billboard 200 Album Since 1982

NEW YORK, -- To All The Girls... , Willie Nelson's new studio album and third for Legacy Recordings, has debuted at #9 on the Billboard 200, the artist's highest position on the nation's popular albums chart since Always On My Mind peaked there for three weeks at #2 in 1982.  Willie's latest debuts at #2 on the Top Country Albums chart.

Released stateside on Tuesday, October 15, 2013, To All The Girls... has begun charting in other territories including Canada (where Willie's reached Top 20 on iTunes Top Album, #3 on the Country chart and #6 on Amazon); Australia (where he's hit #2 on the iTunes Country chart) and the UK.
Recorded mainly in Nashville, To All The Girls... is a collection of newly recorded duets between American musical legend Willie Nelson and an A-list roster of contemporary pop-country women singers including Dolly Parton, Mavis Staples, Sheryl Crow, Loretta Lynn, Wynonna Judd, Rosanne Cash, Alison Krauss, Miranda Lambert, Tina Rose, Carrie Underwood, Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones, Secret Sisters, Brandi Carlile, Lily Meola, Shelby Lynne, Melonie Cannon and Paula Nelson.
I must be the luckiest guy in the world  
Thank you ladies
For singing with me  
Lov  
Willie
The artist's second new album release in 2013, his 80th birthday year, To All The Girls... is the third new Willie Nelson album since his historic deal with Legacy Recordings was announced in February 2012.
Heroes, his first for Legacy, was released May 2012, and spent five consecutive weeks at #1 on the Americana Radio Chart.
The critically-heralded Let ' s Face The Music And Dance, Willie's second Legacy album, was released on April 16, 2013 (two weeks before Willie's 80th birthday) and featured a range of pop, rock, jazz and country classics chosen by Nelson.
The artist's third full-length album of new music to be released in a 16 month period, To All The Girls... celebrates Willie's 80th birthday year with duet performances of classic songs from America's country, pop and gospel repertoire.
The success of To All The Girls... is latest in a banner year for the pop country patriarch who, in addition to releasing three essential new albums in 16 months, penned a rollicking memoir, "Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die - Musings from the Road" (published by HarperCollins in May 2012) which hit the New York Times bestselling non-fiction list.
For this memorable occasion, Willie wears fashion designer John Varvatos on the To All The Girls … album materials.  Varvatos also features Willie along with his two sons, Lukas Nelson and Micah Nelson, in the brand's Fall 2013 campaign, which includes striking black and white images and a short film lensed by Danny Clinch.
To All The Girls...
track listing

1. Dolly Parton - From Here To The Moon And Back
2. Miranda Lambert - She Was No Good For Me
3. Secret Sisters - It Won't Be Very Long
4. Rosanne Cash - Please Don't Tell Me
5. Sheryl Crow – Far Away Places
6. Wynonna Judd - Bloody Mary Morning
7. Carrie Underwood - Always On My Mind
8. Loretta Lynn - Somewhere Between
9. Alison Krauss - No Mas Amor
10. Melonie Cannon - Back To Earth
11. Mavis Staples - Grandma's Hands
12. Norah Jones - Walkin'
13. Shelby Lynne - Til The End Of The World
14. Lily Meola - Will You Remember Mine
15. Emmylou Harris - Dry Lightning
16. Brandi Carlile - Making Believe
17. Paula Nelson - Have You Ever Seen The Rain
18. Tina Rose - After The Fire Is Gone

About Willie Nelson
With a six-decade career and a catalog of more than 200 albums to his credit, the iconic Texas singer-songwriter Willie Nelson has earned a permanent position in pop music's pantheon with songs that combine the sophistication of Tin Pan Alley with the rough-and-tumble grit and emotional honesty of country music. He brought pop and country together on the radio in the early 1960s with unforgettable songs like "Crazy" (Patsy Cline), "Hello Walls" (Faron Young), "Funny How Time Slips Away" (Billy Walker), "Night Life" (Ray Price) and others and, by the mid-1970s, had become a superstar in his own right as a prime mover of a revolutionary and thriving outlaw country music scene. The Red Headed Stranger, Willie's first album for Columbia Records in 1975, catapulted the artist to the front ranks of popularity, making his a name familiar in country and city households across America and around-the-world.
A seven-time Grammy Award winner, Willie Nelson has received numerous accolades including American Music Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards, Country Music Association Awards and others. He is a co-founder of Farm Aid, an annual series of fundraising events which began as an all-star benefit concert in 1985 to raise money for American family farmers. He continues to lobby against horse slaughter and produces his own blend of biodiesel fuel. An old-school road-dog troubadour with new school wheels, Willie plays concerts year-round, tirelessly touring on Honeysuckle Rose III (he rode his first two buses into the ground), taking his music and fans to places that are always worth the ride.
WillieNelson.com
LegacyRecordings.com
SOURCE Legacy Recordings