Sugarland says their tour manager saved them, following Sunday’s tragic events which left countless injured and five dead.

The country duo had been scheduled to take the stage a few minutes prior to a 60-70 mph gust of wind blowing the stage down at Indianapolis State Fair. Nearly 100 people were crushed, with many injuries and five deaths, including Nathan Byrd, the daredevil stagehand. Miraculously, the duo weren’t injured during the stage collapse.

It was all because of Hellen Rollens, their tour manager. She made the decision just minutes before the collapse that the conditions were too unsafe for Sugarland to take to the stage in spite of the fact that others were telling the pair to go on stage.

Rollens informed Gail Gellman, the full manager for the band, that she had gone by her intuition instead of anything else. It appears now that the last minute decision made by Rollen’s might have saved the lives of the Sugarland band members. Gellman praised Rollens in a Washington Post story.

Gellman said, it’s very important for a tour manager to understand weather conditions when playing outdoors. We have always discussed not putting our band out there to play during heavy rain, lightning or wind.

Everyone was inside a prayer circle, preparing to take the stage. The stage fell just as Hellen walked down the ramp. Her decision of holding them for a minute, literally save each crew and band member’s life.

Sugarland, particularly its female half Jennifer Nettles, is slowly becoming a force to reckon with in the country music scene, kind of like this generation’s Reba McIntyre. So influential, she was able to raise $50,000 for the Attic Community Playground through an online auction. The money raised will be used to allow more children to be exposed to musical and creative education, a cause that is dear to Nettles’ heart. “I don’t take it lightly that people see and watch and are interested in what I do. Our fans trust us and we trust our fans not only artistically but to uphold a [standard].”

And that ‘standard’ or level of creativity is what gravitates their fellow artists, regardless of genre, towards the critically acclaimed and chart topping duo. The fan and critical reception for Jennifer Nettles and Rihanna’s duo for the song ‘California King Bed’ at the recently concluded ACM Awards was astounding and extremely positive, with both artists seeming to break the barriers surrounding their own respective genres. And that’s just the beginning.

“One time Paul McCartney stopped us in a hallways [at an awards show] and said ‘I like your sound check. We were like ‘Arg! You’re Paul McCartney!’ I think the thing that startles me the most is when people who are famous or movie stars or musicians stop and tell you they are fans. That blows my mind! I get really excited about it,” tells Nettles’ Sugarland partner, Kristian Bush, who recalls the incident with a gush.

But perhaps they shouldn’t look too far or across the pond for their biggest fan. Constant tour companion Little Big Town, who joins them again in their ongoing Incredible Machine Tour, is not just their biggest fan but close friends as well, a friendship that was forged and transcends both the hard hitting pavement and music.

“They are just great people and friends. We always love to tour with them,” says Little Big Town lead Karen Fairchild. On the road, the two groups have joined forces in covering some pretty good classics, ranging from Dream Academy’s “Life in a Northern Town” to Madonna’s “Like a Prayer”.

Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles spearheads an online auction for the benefit of the Attic Community Playground. The auction, which will run through the website CharityBuzz, has been up and running since yesterday, April 20, and will continue to be till May 11. Among the items up for bidding are concert tickets and VIP backstage passes to see any of the following artists who are set to hit the pavement this year: Kenny Chesney, Katy Perry, Bon Jovi, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Kid Rock, Reba McEntire, Sheryl Crow, Martina McBride and of course, Sugarland.

The Attic Community Playground holds a dear spot in Nettles’ heart, as it continues to provide art education, particularly music education and training, for youngsters. Nettles, as well as other musicians, performers and artists, realize the fact that art programs are slowly becoming endangered – if not extinct – facets of school curricula, with continuous internal budget cuts and lack of external funding and support system. “This is an extremely sad fact not only because I enjoy a career in the arts, but I enjoyed and benefitted from studying the performing arts as a kid. ACP hopes to help provide students with opportunities for experiencing and studying the arts so they can develop their self-expression, emotional exploration and self-confidence,” shares Nettles.

Meanwhile, Sugarland has just released their follow-up single to “Stuck Like Glue”. Through iTunes, “Tonight”, the duo’s new single from their “Incredible Machine” release, can now be downloaded, while the video can be streamed online via AOL starting today. The video features Nettles being chic and sophisticated, kind of like skimming through a fashion magazine with Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush’s voices playing in the background.

“We were inspired in writing this song by the emotional longing we heard in the soundtracks of iconic 80?s movies like the Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink and Say Anything. The feeling of being so in love that you would trade everything for just one day with that someone,” explains Bush. He also adds, “This song is an event every night we play it. When Jennifer gets to the first big ‘Always’ and holds it forever, and the band finally kicks in, and the electric guitars rumble to life under her note, it really turns the room into a stadium. I love how the audience start to cheer and scream and how that energy carries us and the song to a new place. It makes a man want to play guitar!”

The song is now receiving more than ample airtime both on radio and music video channels since debuting earlier this week.

The Sugarland radio station is ready to be debuted by Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles. However, one would think that because there are only 4 albums to their name, they would quickly lose listeners if that’s all they played. Luckily, Bush and Nettles will be playing the songs of their own personal favorite singers along with their own.

Nettles stated, “I’m so excited to give fans this look behind the curtain at Sugarland and show what makes Kristian and me tick. People may be surprised about some of our musical influences, and we’ve got some great stories to share.”

These musical influences include the Cure, Coldplay, Arcade Fire, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, R.E.M. and many more. They will all share time on the fledgling radio station.

Even though both singers are enthusiastic about their new project, they are also hoping that understanding the links between bands will aid in gaining fans from all genres. Bush said, “We are really lucky. Country music is often built in such a way that separates singers from the song. We don’t do that. We write all our own songs and we write about things we know. In that way, we find a connection with the people around us.”

The Sugarland radio station is produced by A.P.E. Radio.

Rihanna goes country for one night at the upcoming ACM Awards in Las Vegas this April via a rare duet with Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles for the song “California King Bed”, RiRi’s new single. She could not contain her excitement that she had to tweet about it: “I’m so bloody excited to be performing at the ACM’s! What an honor…” Apparently, she had also gone British.

Apart from Rihanna and Jennifer Nettles who, along with her Sugarland half Kristian Bush is in the running for the ACM Top Vocal Duo of the Year award, all six ACM Entertainer of the Year nominees namely Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert and Toby Keith, will be performing in the said event as well. Alabama, Dierks Bentley, Zac Brown Band, Carrie Underwood, Sara Evans, James Taylor, Ronnie Dunn and Martina McBride are also appearing in the event as special performers.

The 46th Annual Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards will be held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on April 3. Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton will be hosting while Ryan Seacrest, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson and Nancy O’Dell are among the night’s presenters.

One of country music’s biggest names today, the dynamic duo Sugarland, just made its ‘American Idol’ debut on Thursday night. They performed their current single out of their chart topping “Incredible Machine” release, “Stuck Like Glue”, and to say that the performance brought the house down, could be an understatement.

‘Idol’ audiences definitely loved the duo, they were moving to the beat of the song, swaying and bobbing their heads and arms here and there, clapping their hands to every beat and even singing along to the lyrics: “wo-oh, wo-oh, stuck like glue…”. Certainly the audience didn’t mind the twang in Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush’s diction; after all, they might be a little fed up with finalist Scott McCreery, as the show’s “resident” country performer, week after week.

I must say, this song ain’t just a catchy one, it can really stick to your head like glue. And it is also the perfect stress and tension reliever for the night since it was a results night episode for the show, where one finalist gets the boot.

If you can’t get enough of Sugarland, or Jennifer Nettles, you can see her onstage again, this time in tandem with Rihanna as the two perform the latter’s new single, “California King Bed” for the ACM Awards on April 3. The event will be aired by CBS on the same day, at 8 PM.

After covering obscure but classic hits like The Dream Academy’s “Life in a Northern Town”, Mumford and Sons’ “Sigh No More” and “Walking in Memphis” by Marc Cohn, Sugarland and Little Big Town taps on another hit to give it a country flavor, and it’s not just any other hit, it’s one of the biggest pop tracks in the late ‘80s by the Queen of Pop herself, Madonna’s “Like a Prayer”.

The two acts do the rare and ingenious rendition at one of Sugarland’s shows, where Little Big Town composed of Philip Sweet, Jimi Westbrook, Kimberly Schlapman and Karen Fairchild give the awesome duo a hand – as usual – in rendering the pop dance classic twangy with a southern flair that will make you “put your dancing shoes on”, as Jennifer Nettles puts it.

Little Big Town plays as support act for Sugarland’s ongoing Incredible Machine Tour. The country duo, on the other hand, is slated to make their first ever appearance on ‘American Idol’ on the results episode on Thursday night.

Amidst their hectic tour schedule, Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles still managed to find time to dance in her jammies in Sara Bareilles’ new video “Uncharted”.

Joining her in the video collage of “uncharted” dancing moments are other singers like Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, rapper Pharell, OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, Ben Folds, Laura Jansen, Cary Brothers and even Josh Groban.

This won’t be the first time Nettles is caught at a candid moment on cam. Sugarland’s ACM nominated music video “Stuck like Glue” also features the female singer’s comedic antics which made her more endearing and popular to the duo’s fans.

Sara Bareilles will be joining Sugarland in its on-going Incredible Machine tour. Bareilles, along with country music newbie Casey James, Matt Nathanson and Little Big Town will be taking turns in the opening act spot for the country duo’s sold out tour, which is scheduled to wrap in October after hitting 60 cities.

A number of dates and stops in Sugarland’s “Incredible Machine” tour will have its tickets sold via Tickets-for-Charity, an organization which vends concert tickets while giving the buyer the opportunity to pick either the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation or Habitat for Humanity, to which ticket proceeds will be donated.

Those purchasing Sugarland tickets via the organization can choose from general admission to the finest seats available in their preferred venues, while enjoying the crisp and fine sounds that Sugarland has been known to play.

“It’s a pretty intense time…From the first note, we are going for the jugular. We like to play everything you know and then a couple things you don’t, to keep it fun and exciting,” says Kristian Bush, one half of the country duo, of how they stage their shows in an interview with online music resource, The Boot.

Pollstar ranks the “Incredible Machine” tour as one of 2010’s most successful tours by a recording artist. Sugarland’s next stop for the current leg of the tour is Houston, TX scheduled on March 3.

Casey James, “American Idol” alum, is joining Sugarland on the road.

The season 9 fan favorite whose debut album will be released this spring by BNA Records, is opening for the country superstars on eight March dates in mainly secondary markets to help him get his legs wet for arena shows.

In a statement that was released to Idol Worship James said, I am very excited.  I think this will be an incredible opportunity for me to play for people who love great music.  I’m so anxious to get out there so I share my new music with all the fans.

Currently James is working on songs in a studio in Nashville for his debut album.  Shortly after he was eliminated from “Idol” he relocated from Texas to Music City.  He finished in third place on “American Idol” where he was well loved for his good looks, easy going nature and blues guitar chops.

In 2010 Sugarland’s tour was one of the most highest grossing outings for the year.  This year they are poised to sell out again.  Tickets for their show at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington, Indiana sold over in just a few minutes.