Just in case you were somehow thinking that this year’s CMA Music Festival didn’t quite have enough star power already, organizers have added even more country stars to the list of performers.

Martina McBride, Jake Owen and Hunter Hayes are the newest artists to be announced for the festival. These additions join an already star-packed lineup that include Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton and Rascal Flatts, among many, many others.

The annual Nashville festival will be held at the city’s LP Field June 7-10 this year. In addition to the nightly concerts in the football stadium, CMA Fest also will include daytime concerts at Music City’s Riverfront Park. Also in the park will be autograph signings, celebrity events, fan club parties, family activities and more.

If you are not able to attend the festivities, you will be able to catch up later when portions of the concert are broadcast on television. “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” will air on ABC later in the summer after the festival. The show has been televised every year since 2004.

The festival initially debuted as Fan Fair in 1972, and is now one of the biggest country festivals in the nation. Last year, the event set a record when 65,000 country music fans attended the event. The Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau reports that the local economy receives around $30 million due to the influx of festival attendees to the city.

In addition, the CMA donates half of the net proceeds from the CMA Festival to Keep the Music Playing, which is an organization that provides musical instruments and other supplies to public schools. An additional portion of the proceeds go to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Words and Music Program. That program is designed to help students learn the craft of songwriting from Language Arts and Music teachers in the classroom.

Martina McBride is no stranger to the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards, but this year her performing role will be quite different than it has been in past years when she becomes a wedding singer.

During the 47^th annual ACM awards, which will be held Sunday, April 1 of this year, McBride and Train lead singer Pat Monahan will perform their duet “Marry Me” as a couple gets married on stage. McBride herself hand-picked the couple, and explained in a statement how the event came to be.

“When I was asked to perform ‘Marry Me’ with Pat on the ACM’s, the first thought that popped into my head was, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if we actually had a couple get married live on the show while we sang the song?,’” she said. “I think it’s so special that we will be witnessing the union of these two wonderful people that we will all be sharing that moment together. Pat wrote such a beautiful song, and I can only imagine how powerful and sweet this moment is going to be for all of us.”

McBride hand picked the couple, Christina Davidson and Frank Tucci, when she heard the story of how they got together. Both had lost their respective spouses tragically in 2009, and later met at a support group Davidson had started in Washington Township, N.J. Davidson explained how she feels about the event in a letter posted on the official ACM website.

“Getting married in Las Vegas at the ACM Awards as Train, one of my favorite bands, sings “Marry Me” with Martina McBride would be a wonderful way to start my life with my fiancé, Frank, and our three boys Frankie, Stephen and Paul. Our path to marriage hasn’t been easy, but we know that, as we marry, our lives – and the lives of our children – will be filled with happiness and love.”

Perennial best seller George Strait is packing up the tour van again next year to hit the road for a string of recently announced tour dates. Ok, ok, this is George Strait, so “tour van” probably actually means lavishly equipped bus and/or private jet. Still, the 12 dates announced for January and February 2012 will be his first outing supporting his most recent album, Here For a Good Time, which was released last month.

Here For a Good Time, which entered the country chart at number one, is Strait’s 39th studio album. The title track for the album was the first single released and, at number two on the country chart this week, marks Strait’s 73rd Top 5 single, out of 89 singles he has released (84 of those have placed in the top 10). In addition, he’s enjoyed 57 number one hits and Here For a Good Time marks his 24th number one album. With those kinds of numbers, it doesn’t have to be said that tickets for these shows will go fast.

The tour will kick off January 27 in Lafayette, La. and will continue through February 25, also hitting towns in Georgia, Florida, Arizona, Oklahoma, Nevada, Utah and Kansas. Joining Strait on the tour will be Martina McBride, who released her eleventh album—appropriately title Eleven—earlier this week.

Strait released a statement concerning McBride’s presence on the tour:

“I love Martina. She’s been on our tours before and she’s great. I’m really looking forward to the tour. Martina will definitely make it a special night.”

In addition to those dates, Strait also will be playing a benefit for victims of the wildfires that swept through central Texas this summer. The show will be held October 17 in Austin, and other performers will include Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett and the Dixie Chicks.

George Strait, with his new album scheduled to be released early next week to stores, is preparing to take to the road. Strait announced he will start to tour in January 2012. However, he didn’t reveal any specific dates or cities. He did however announce that Martina McBride will be opening for him.

In his press release, Strait said, I love Martina. She has toured with us before. She is great. I really am looking forward to this tour. The night will definitely be special with Martina there.

This fall, McBride is also releasing a new album. On October 11, “Eleven” will be available, featuring “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” and “Teenage Daughters.”

“Here For a Good Time,” the 39th album from Strait, will be available on September 6. The featured title track is “A Showman’s Life,” a duet Strait sings along with Faith Hill. The set contains seven songs co-wrote by Strait. It is Strait’s most personal album from him in a long time according to the early reviews. Strait will be releasing a new greatest hits compilation on September 13.

On June 14, Alabama, the country music legends, will be reuniting to perform a rare concert. The show will be for a good cause. “’Bama Rising: A Benefit Concert for Alabama Tornado Recovery” is set to take place in Birmingham, AL at BJCC Arena. Other artists that are scheduled to perform include Ashton Shepherd, Darius Rucker, Kellie Pickler, Brad Paisley, Jake Owen, David Nail, Montgomery Gentry, Martina McBride, Little Big Town, Taylor Hicks, Sara Evans, Sheryl Crow, Luke Bryan, Bo Bice, Dierks Bentley and Rodney Atkins.

In a statement concerning the show, Randy Owen of Alabama said, I am hoping this will bring help and happiness to my fellow Alabama citizens. I think it’s very important to do this benefit. I want all Alabamians to feel a part of this. I am hoping we can pull together and help get through Alabama’s worst natural disaster ever. I appreciate my country music friends and everyone who is involved or helped.

Funds that are raised at “Bama Rising” will benefit victims of the tornadoes that ripped through Alabama and other parts of the south in April 2011. In addition to proceeds from ticket sales, additional funds are being raised through event corporate sponsorships.

Tickets for the concert will be going on sale on May 20 via Ticketmaster and range in price from $150 to $24. VIP packages will also be available.

After his surprising victory in the recently concluded NBC talent show “America’s Got Talent” last summer, Hancock County’s very own Michael Grimm will be coming home not only to a heroes’ welcome celebration, but to pay it forward as well, by co-headlining a special weekend show at the Hancock County Multi-Purpose Center with country music superstar Martina McBride, which aims to uplift the tourism industry in the area amidst the devastating effects of the oil spill which have severely affected the economy of the states in the gulf region.

The two-night gig will have Grimm performing on the first night on November 19 while McBride performs on November 20 alongside Louisiana native and buzzed artist Marc Broussard.  Both shows will begin at 7 PM with gates opening at 5 PM.  Both nights will also feature an array of opening acts to be announced later.

Tickets for each show go for $14.95 but if you opt to see both shows, you can get tickets for both nights at a special bundled price of $20.  Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster booths located in select video stores or by calling 1-800-745-3000.  Those who would be checking-in in Hancock County hotels affiliated with the event on the night of the concerts will receive a complimentary pair of tickets.

The annual “Stand Up to Cancer”  event, which is aimed at increasing cancer awareness, uplifting the hopes of those afflicted with the disease and raising funds for continuous cancer research, will once again bring the biggest names in pop culture – celebrities, sports and news personalities and famous cancer survivors – for a night of good will, up-to-date knowledge and information, and a celebration of life and hope for both cancer patients and survivors.

Featuring performances from Stevie Wonder, Queen Latifah, Martina McBride, Natasha Bedingfield, Dave Stewart and Aaron Neville, the SU2C event will be hosted by Katie Couric, Brian Williams and Diane Sawyer and will feature the newest findings, studies and insights on cancer research as relayed by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the latest development on the SU2C dream teams and inspiring stories from famous cancer survivors.

Among the cancer survivors attending the event are Christina Applegate who survived breast cancer, champion cyclist Lance Armstrong who survived testicular cancer, “Dexter” star Michael C. Hall whose Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is currently in remission, uterine cancer survivor and “The Nanny” star Fran Drescher, Emmy nominee and “Modern Family” star Sofia Vergara who successfully battled thyroid cancer and many more.

The hour-long event will be simultaneously broadcasted over 18 channels, among which are NBC, ABC, FOX, CBS, HBO, E!, Showtime, Discovery Health, and VH1 to name a few.  The event will be aired on September 10 at 8 PM EST and PST, and 7 PM CST.

The first telethon on a national basis for raising money for Tennessee flood victims just got more air time and more star power. Keb’Mo, Martina McBride and Keith Urban are recent additions to the performers who will play at the GAC “Music City Keep on Playin’- A Benefit for Flood Relief.” They join performers that were announced earlier, including Will Hoge, Randy Montana, Jaci Velasquez CeCe Winans, Kellie Pickler, Rodney Atkins, Dierks Bentley, Lady Antebellum and Brad Paisley.

James Denton, Nashville native and actor from “Desperate Housewives,” has also been recruited by GAC to be a co-host for the telethon, along with Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Brad Paisley’s wife and actress from “According to Jim.” Other presenters include Bill Cody, Storme Warren, Nan Kelley and Suzanne Alexander of GAC, Gina ad Pat Neely from the Food Network Show “Down Home With the Neelys,” as well as Travel Channel’s Samantha Brown from the show “Passport to great Weekends” and Adam Richman from “Man v. Food.”

Due to increased participation and overwhelming demand coming from the community in Nashville, three extra hours have been added to the telethon. During those hours volunteers and celebrities will be answering phones to collect the donations that are called in. All proceeds will go to Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. The organization will be distributing funds to the needy.

GAC’s telethon for flood relief will be aired live from the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville at 8 pm on Sunday May 16 and be re-aired at 11:00 pm as well as 2:00 am. The phone lines will remain open. The telephone will be carried on satellite Sirius/XM radio as well.

Middle Tennessee experienced its worst flood in many decades, and quite possibly the worst ever. Over 15 inches of rain descended on the area during a period of 48 hours. A federal disaster was declared, with damages totally over $1.5 billion. Thousands of people lost their homes. A majority of them did not have flood insurance to assist with rebuilding.

A couple new dates have been added by Trace Adkins and Martina McBride to their co-headlining “Shine All Night” tour, which started lighting stages up all over the country since it launched last November.

Included in the new dates are two shows in Canada. The pair will be in Saint John, New Brunswick on March 16 and in Halifax, Nova Scotia on March 17. They will also visit Norfolk VA on April 24. The outing will be kicking off in Little Rock, AR on January 22, with the trek stretching over four months. Currently they are scheduled to visit 33 cities.

Three of the concerts now scheduled at the end of the outing- Greensboro, NC on April 30; Duluth, GA on May 1; and Columbia SC on May 2- were rescheduled. They had been originally set as dates for December, but were moved because of scheduling conflicts. Blake Shelton will be filling in for Adkins on these dates.

“Shine,” the latest and 10th studio set from McBride, was released last March. The album was co-produced by Dann Huff (Bon Jovi, Carrie Underwood) and McBride, and hit the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top Country Albums’ chart. The set also spawned “Ride,” the album’s hit single.

“Shine” follows “Waking Up Laughing” from 2007, which debuted on Billboard’s 200 chart in the No. 3 spot and spawned the hit singles “For These Times” “How I Feel,” and “Anyway.”

Adkins continues supporting his 10th album, entitled appropriately as “X.” The set was released last fall and made it to the No. 7 spot on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. “Muddy Water,” the lead single from the album, continues climbing the country charts. It can be found streaming no the MySpace page of Adkins.

In this time of making your hard earned dollar go further, Martina McBride and Trace Adkins are offering a two-for-one special. The two country stars will be teaming up for a winter tour that will stretch through 40 different cities. This is a co-headlining tour so both artists will be playing their normal full sets. The “Shine All Night” tour is sponsored by Sunny D and GMC. For complete tour information, visit Martina McBride Tour.

McBride released her most recent album “Shine” in March which climbed to the number 1 spot on the Billboard Country album charts. The album, produced by Dann Huff (Carrie Underwood, Bon Jovi), spawned the popular single “Ride.”

Adkins is supporting his 10th Album entitled “X” which was released last fall. His single “Muddy Water” has been making progress on the country singles charts as the record peaked at 7 on the country charts.

2009-10 Martina McBride / Trace Adkins Tour Dates
November 2009
20 – Moline, IL – I Wireless Center
21 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
22 – Milwaukee, WI – Bradley Center

December 2009
3 – Colorado Springs, CO – World Arena
4 – Park City, KS – Hartman Arena
5 – Oklahoma City, OK – Ford Center
10 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum Complex
11 – Columbia, SC – Colonial Center
12 – Duluth, GA – Gwinnett Center
13 – Birmingham, AL – BJCC Arena

January 2010
22 – Little Rock, AR – Verizon Arena
23 – Independence, MO – Independence Event Center
24 – Council Bluffs, IA – Mid-America Center
29 – Reading, PA – Sovereign Center
30 – Worcester, MA – DCU Center
31 – Fairfax, VA – Patriot Center

February 2010
11 – Dallas, TX – Nokia Theatre
12 – Beaumont, TX – Ford Park
13 – Bossier City, LA – CenturyTel Center
14 – Pensacola, FL – Pensacola Civic Center
19 – Buffalo, NY – HSBC Arena
21- Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
25- Ft. Wayne, IN – Allen County War Memorial
26- Cleveland, OH – Wolstein Center
27- Pittsburgh, PA – Petersen Events Center
28- Highland Heights, KY – The Bank of Kentucky Center

March 2010
5 – Champaign, IL – Assembly Hall
6 – Evansville, IN – Roberts Stadium
12 – Richmond, VA – Richmond Coliseum
14 – Manchester, NH – Verizon Wireless Arena
26 – St. Louis, MO – Scottrade Center
27 – Green Bay, WI – Resch Center
28 – DeKalb, IL – NIU Convocation Center

April 2010
8 – Loveland, CO – Budweiser Events Center
9 – Rapid City, SD – Don Barnett Arena
10 – Bismarck, ND – Bismarck Civic Center