Taylor Swift performs at the Nightly Concert on the Vault Concert Stage LP Field Thursday, June 5 in Downtown Nashville during the 2008 CMA Music Festival. Photographer: John Russell / CMA
Each week country music expert Neil Haislop answers your questions!
Q: Will Taylor Swift be at CMA Music Fest this year? It's my first year going and I was wondering if I could find out who's going to be there.
(Ronnie, Clayton, GA)
A: Ronnie, Taylor Swift actually worked for the CMA Festival, taking other singers from place to place the summer before she broke open her career. She has performed at every CMA Festival since. It's too early for the CMA to tell us any of the people that might be booked for the Festival (June 11 thru 14) ?but, I think Taylor may be there for at least one night. When you look at Taylor's tour dates for this year, she has shows booked on the first three nights of the festival — June 11, 12 and 13. Her show on the 13th is with Keith Urban in Atlanta, so it would be easy for her to get to Nashville on the 14th for some of the CMA Festival activities, including the final big stadium show. I can't confirm that yet, but keep checking cmafest.com/2009 periodically to see if they've announced the festival lineup.
Q: I read an earlier Q&A where you mentioned a Sugarland headlining tour for 2009, but as we know, they're opening for Kenny and Keith. Does this mean no headlining tour, or is it just the international shows and a few in the States? Hopefully not — I've gotta see Jennifer and Kristian in concert!
(Acacia, Kent, WA)
A: Acacia, Sugarland will begin their 9-city European tour in Aviano, Italy on March 6, and ends March 20 in Ireland. Then, Sugarland will resume with a 2009 leg of their highly successful Love On The Inside tour. The nationwide tour will kick off on April 10 in their hometown of Atlanta, GA. The tour will feature Mercury Nashville recording artist Billy Currington, singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson, singer-songwriter Eric Hutchinson and RCA recording artist Jake Owen. Visit sugarlandmusic.com to see the tour dates that run through October 2.
Q: Is Diamond Rio is coming out with anything new? They are one of my favorite bands and I would like to know what they are up to. Thank you!
(Nakoma, Old Town, ME)
A: Nakoma, Diamond Rio's latest album releases were their Greatest Hits Vol. 2 and their recent Christmas album, Christmas Time Is Here. The release of two specialty albums usually gives an artist time to work on the next new studio album. There is no announcement yet, but you can expect a new release from them sometime this year.
Q: When will Luke Bryan and Eric Church be releasing new music? I enjoyed both of their first albums, and am really looking forward to follow ups from both artists.
(Kannon, Findlay, OH)
A: Kannon, we don't have a release date yet for Luke Bryan's new album due out later this year. But Eric Church's new one, Carolina, is released on March 24.
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