Legendary Artist Headlines  Ascend Amphitheater During  AMERICANAFEST℠ 2017

(Nashville, Tenn. Press Release)   May 12, 2017 — The Americana Music Association℠ is proud to announce Van Morrison as the recipient of the 2017 Americana Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting at the Americana Honors & Awards program at the historic Ryman Auditorium on Wednesday, September 13. Morrison will also headline the Ascend Amphitheater on Thursday, September 14, with special guest Shana Morrison, during the 18th annual AMERICANAFEST℠ in Nashville, TN, September 12-17, 2017.
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The Ascend Amphitheater performance will be Van Morrison’s first in Nashville in eight years. His daughter Shana Morrison will open the evening. The show will be a separate ticketed event and will go on sale to the general public Friday, May 19 at 10 AM Central, via  www.ascendamphitheater.com. AMERICANAFEST℠ conference registrants and members of the Americana Music Association℠ will have a special pre-sale opportunity starting on Tuesday, May 16.

Nashville, TN (Press Release) – Country music icon, Martina McBride has forged a thriving career marked by numerous milestones including  May 12th, 2017 as she celebrates the 25th anniversary of her debut album, The Time Has Come.  Fans around the world can join in on the celebration over the Memorial Day weekend (May 26-28) with special programming on  SiriusXM, CMT, and Spotify. 
 
After moving to Nashville on New Year's Day 1990, Martina waited tables, sang demos, and made a self-produced demo tape that eventually landed her a deal with RCA Nashville. She was introduced to the country music world in 1992 with her debut album, The Time Has Come. This album garnered three singles and landed her the opening spot on the Garth Brooks tour that same year. 
 
It was Martina’s sophomore album, The Way That I Am, that saw the Kansas native hit her stride with monster hits like “My Baby Loves Me,” “Life #9” and “Independence Day.” The video for “Independence Day,” depicting the effects of domestic abuse, became one of country music and Martina’s most iconic videos, landing at the #2 spot on CMT’s 100 Greatest Videos in Country Music, winning the 1994 CMA Video Of The Year, and propelling Martina into the conversation about domestic violence.  She has spoken to young women at high schools about warning signs of an abusive relationship, and has been the spokesperson for both the  National Network to End Domestic Violence  and the  Love Is Respect  campaign.

Josh Radnor (best known to millions for his role on How I Met Your Mother) teams with Ben Lee as new duo Radnor and Lee who recently debuted their new tune “Be Like The Being.” A dynamically uplifting, spiritual folk-pop tune, "Be Like The Being" instills the feeling of pure joy in the listener’s core via the infectious melody, sweet violin, heavenly harmonies, and foot-stomping chorus. It's enlightening, charming and perfectly delightful.
Stream the track below. 

May 9, 2017 (Press Release)  - Actor/musician Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother) and indie-troubadour Ben Lee have formed a new indie-pop duo by the name Radnor and Lee. The duo's debut LP is due out later this year, and their new single "Be Like The Being" recently premiered at Yahoo Music who called Radnor & Lee's music, "Witty, hopeful, yearning, joyful, searching and meditative."

The music of Ben Lee has taken a decidedly more spiritual turn over the past decade. Whether this path developed from his finding solace in a deeper devotion to his wife and family or from the world we live in becoming increasingly volatile, Lee has chosen to use his music as a divining rod for inner peace. The Jewish-born, Hindu musician has not shied away from exploring spirituality or religion, an area that many musicians fear to tread.  Lee began his career as a young teenager in the early 90’s, in the Australian lo-fi punk band Noise Addict, who were discovered by taste-making artists Sonic Youth and the Beastie Boys. This began a now almost 25-year career of producing intelligent and spiritual indie-pop songs that have soundtracked Ben’s inner life in music.

(Press Release) God's Problem Child, Willie Nelson's new studio album (and 9th for Sony/Legacy Recordings) has entered the Billboard Country chart at #1, making it the artist's second US country chart-topper in less than two years. Nelson's 6th Legacy release, Django and Jimmie, an unforgettable musical collaboration with Merle Haggard, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country chart in June 2015.  God's Problem Child   is Willie's first album to debut all-new songs since Band of Brothers (his 4th Legacy release) reached #1 on the Billboard Country chart (and #5 on the Billboard 200) in June 2014.  Willie's new album has also entered the Billboard 200 at #10 and is his third Legacy release to break into the Top 10 pop charts.
 
God's Problem Child is being lauded in both the mainstream and underground press as an essential addition to the Willie Nelson catalog with The Wall Street Journal naming it one of "This Spring's Best Country Albums."
 
Willie has lensed several music videos for songs from God's Problem Child.  These include "Still Not Dead", which pokes fun at the many exaggerated reports of his demise he's heard over the years, and the album's closer,  "He Won't Ever Be Gone,"  a song written by Gary Nicholson which pays tribute to Willie's outlaw country comrade, Merle Haggard. (Haggard's last album was 2015's  Django and Jimmie, his musical  collaboration  with Willie Nelson.)
 
An album that reflects on mortality while marveling at the beauty and absurdity of it all, God's Problem Child finds Willie Nelson at one of the creative peaks of his career, writing and singing with the seasoned wit and wisdom that can only come from the kind of life he's living.
 
Nelson continues making music every day. When he's not in the studio, Willie's on the road and performed more than 100 live shows in the past year. Coming up on his calendar are a number of tour dates in June and July including the Outlaw Music Festival and Willie Nelson's 4th of July Picnic in Austin.  For details on Willie's upcoming performances.