Billy Currington photo by Danny Clinch, courtesy of UMG Nashville.
BILLY CURRINGTON
From small-town Son of the South to hot new artist to bona fide country star, Billy Currington has seen it all. In 2003 he burst onto the Nashville scene with his self-titled debut album, and proceeded to burn up the charts with Top Ten singles "I Got a Feelin’" and "Walk a Little Straighter." Billy’s latest effort, Little Bit Of Everything, is just what it claims to be – a little bit of everything...
Blake Shelton photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Nashville.
BLAKE SHELTON
"Home" took Blake into new musical territory, stretching him vocally and stylistically, helping him expand his audience to include those who might have missed the more traditional approach he'd taken to that point. Startin' Fires, his fifth album, completes that journey, establishing him in the process as one of country music's most talented and versatile song stylists.
Brad Paisley photo courtesy of SonyBMG Nashville.
BRAD PAISLEY
After five albums—the double-platinum fourth was crowned Album of the Year by the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music—the West Virginia favorite son has established a fresh sound and a distinct creative path. Rooted in traditional country sounds, yet as modern as a hybrid vehicle, Paisley's music draws on humor, sincerity, compassion, instrumental prowess and unique song topics to give him a style all his own.
Reigning CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Carrie Underwood poses for photographers on the red carpet at the November 6, 2007 BMI Country Awards. Photo courtesy of BMI.
CARRIE UNDERWOOD
She hit the spotlight as an American Idol and hasn't looked back since. Carrie has hit #1 with every single she has released to date, and has won several Grammys as well as a host of trophies from the AMA, ACM, CMA, People’s Choice and Billboard, among many others. Your time will not be "wasted" when you visit her Ultimate Fan Photo gallery.
Dolly Parton photo courtesy of Dolly Records.
DOLLY PARTON
An internationally renowned superstar, the iconic and irrepressible Parton has contributed countless treasures to the world of music entertainment, penning classic songs and successfully erased the line between country and pop music without noticeably altering either her music or her image.
Musicians Cheyenne Kimball, Mike Gossin, Rachel Reinert and Tom Gossin of the band Gloriana. Photo courtesy of Emblem Music.
GLORIANA
Amid the soaring four-part harmonies and electric stage presence, it's clear that Gloriana represents an exciting new and vibrant force in country music. The group — Tom Gossin, Mike Gossin, Rachel Reinert and Cheyenne Kimball — consists of four uniquely talented and enthusiastic young musicians joining forces to create a fresh, one-of-a-kind sound that reflects the best of today's Nashville.
Keith Urban performs at the Nightly Concert on the Vault Concert Stage LP Field Friday, June 6 in Downtown Nashville during the 2008 CMA Music Festival. Photographer: John Russell / CMA
KEITH URBAN
Asked if he’s proud to be bringing so many people into the large world of country music, Keith says, "If what I do encourages people to discover country music, including artists that I grew up listening to, then I’m grateful for the opportunity. I see it as a diverse genre, from the traditional to the contemporary. The point is that there is a lot of great music of all sorts out there to discover."
Kenny Chesney photo courtesy of Sony BMG Nashville.
KENNY CHESNEY
Kenny Chesney’s love affair with the ocean goes back almost as far as his first breakout hits, and it certainly colored his Billboard Top 200 #1 debut, Be as You Are: Songs from an Old Blue Chair, an intimate collection of self-penned songs celebrating the life the Luttrell, Tennessean found in the Caribbean. Now, with Lucky Old Sun, Chesney’s created a project that not only honors the time he’s spent on the water, but also dives a little deeper into the essence of the man he’s become there.
KingBilly photo courtesy of Echo Music.
KINGBILLY
The band that lives together plays together. The 6 members of KingBilly — Donny, Josh, John, Matt, Kevin and Charlie — all live in a house in Nashville. They take advantage of the close quarters by using every opportunity to write, collaborate and rehearse with their roommates/band mates.
Little Big Town photo courtesy of Equity Music Group
(l-r) Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Roads, Jimi Westbrook
LITTLE BIG TOWN
The group is unique in country music in its configuration of two men with two women. It is also unlike any other in that there is no single lead vocalist—all four are capable of taking lead lines, and do so. Also unusual is the fact that for most of their performances, the larger-than-life Little Big Town voices are accompanied solely by Phillip and Jimi's guitars. Those voices blend so effortlessly that you would think they'd been singing together since childhood.
Phil Vassar photo by Jim Wright, courtesy of Universal Records South.
PHIL VASSAR
Those who best understand Phil Vassar – good-time, whirling-dervish-on-the-piano, hardest-working-man-in-country-music Phil Vassar – also understand the ongoing evolution of his mostly self-penned music. And Prayer Of A Common Man, his fourth studio album and first for Universal Records South, adds several more layers of artistic expression to his deepening repertoire.
Rascal Flatts photo courtesy of Lyric Street Records
RASCAL FLATTS
Five studio albums into their incredible career, the members of Rascal Flatts find themselves firmly atop the music world. Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney have scaled unbelievable heights in the eight years since their debut, and yet with the release of Still Feels Good, they find their fortunes still rising.
Rodney Atkins photo courtesy of Curb Nashville.
RODNEY ATKINS
A native of small-town East Tennessee, the adopted son of a loving family and the proud father to a family of his own, Atkins understands regular lives because he still leads one. "People always talk about image - ‘You're the guy in the ball cap, the All-American country boy,'" says Atkins, who does indeed still favor caps to cowboy hats. "But if the songs don't connect with the folks listening, then none of that stuff matters."
Singer Taylor Swift arrives to the 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards at the Staples Center on February 10, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com
TAYLOR SWIFT
She's taking the country world by storm. She's a singer, a songwriter and an explosion of energy and passion on stage! Taylor Swift's self-titled debut album has sold over 2 million copies and she's the reigning CMA Horizon Award winner. Did we mention her recent GRAMMY nomination? She might have "teardrops on her guitar" but we promise that her fan photo gallery won't have any "pictures to burn."
Trace Adkins at the Nightly Concert on the Vault Concert Stage LP Field Saturday, June 7 in Downtown Nashville during the 2008 CMA Music Festival.
TRACE ADKINS
He is, quite simply, country music's Alpha male, a towering presence in an era when larger-than-life personalities are a rarity. His instantly recognizable baritone has been cutting through the airwaves and energizing concert hall speakers for well over a decade as he has established himself as a major force in contemporary country. Get your "badonkadonk" in gear and give us your best shots.
Whitney Duncan photo by Jeff Lipsky, courtesy of Warner Bros. Nashville.
WHITNEY DUNCAN
For Whitney Duncan, it's always been about the right relationships. They helped shape her as a young girl, nurturing her passion for music in a small Tennessee town. They were there to support her efforts to break into the upper reaches of the music business as a teenager. And, not long ago, when her path seemed uncertain, she knew she would find them again.
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