Songwriter Hall of Fame Inductees

The Songwriters Hall of Fame will induct six new members at the 42nd Annual Induction & Awards Dinner on Thursday, June 16th in New York City.




Garth Brooks, Leon Russell, John Bettis, Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly and Allen Toussaint will become the newest members inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Garth Brooks has been certified by the RIAA as the No. 1 selling solo artist in U.S. history. He has sold more than 128 million albums and is the only solo artist in RIAA history to have six albums top the 10 million mark. His songwriter credits include hits "If Tomorrow Never Comes," "The Thunder Rolls," "Unanswered Prayers" and more.

Leon Russell's classic songwriting credits include "A Song For You", "This Masquerade", "Delta Lady", "Tight Rope", "Bluebird", "Back To The Island", and "Hummingbird". Leon will also be honored with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s first Award for Musical Excellence in March.

Other inductees include John Bettis, whose songwriting efforts have sold more than 250 million records worldwide; musician, songwriter and record producer Allen Toussaint; and Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly, a songwriting duo who co-wrote five No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, including "Like A Virgin", "True Colors", and "Eternal Flame".

More Upcoming Releases

Brad Paisley will be releasing his new album, This Is Country Music, May 24 with Arista Records. Brad will once again be teamed with longtime producer Frank Rogers for this new release. It's his first all-new studio album since 2009's acclaimed American Saturday Night. He did release the compilation, Hits Alive, in November last year.



The lead single - title track This Is Country Music - is already a hit at radio.

The digital single for This Is Country Music is available, and fans who pre-order the album for $9.99, will also receive an immediate download of the single. In addition, pre-orders will entitle purchasers periodic access to exclusive content.

Brad is also currently headlining his H2O Frozen Over Tour.

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I'm very excited to see that Matraca Berg, a Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame inductee, will be releasing a new album, The Dreaming Fields, on May 17th. It will be her first new release in 14 years.



Matraca's new album will cover many sensitive issues like domestic violence, fading beauty, selling the family farm, and a son sent off to war.

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Kenny Rogers will have a second album released through the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store exclusive music program when The Love of God comes out on March 7. The album will be an inspirational collection of classic songs, along with new recordings of some contemporary songs. There will be some great guest appearances on the album, including The Whites, Winfield’s Locket, and Point of Grace.



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Jeff Bates' new release is out today. It's titled, One Day Closer, and is his second album for the Black River label.



The album covers the circle of life that Jeff has experienced in recent years with the deaths of his parents and the birth of his daughter. Along with the six song EP, Jeff also recorded a live DVD that features all the music from the album with bonus tracks highlighting some of his previous singles.

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The inimitable Ralph Stanley releases A Mother’s Prayer on April 19th.



The Rebel Records release will be a collection of newly recorded hymns and spirituals. Also making contributions to the album are Sara Evans, Billy and Terry Smith, Dewey Brown (fiddler for Clinch Mountain Boys), and Ralph's grandson Nathan Stanley.

Bandit records to release new George Jones album

Bandit Records will be releasing the first new George Jones material in over 5 years as part of a compilation called "George Jones: Hits". New songs include "I ain't ever slowin' Down", written by Al Anderson and Stephen Bruton and "I should have called" written by Eddie Raven. Both new songs were produced by George's long time producer, Keith Stegal, in 2006. Also featured on the album are some of The Possum's biggest and most iconic hits such as, "The Window Up Above", "Take Me", "The Grand Tour", "White Lightin" ,and his signature song "He Stopped Lovin’ Her Today".

The 24-song compilation will be released this Tuesday, February 15th and sold exclusively at Wal-Mart Stores, the 24 song compilation will be released on Feb. 15th.

Mandrell boots return to Fontanel

Nashville, Tenn. -- February 7, 2011 -- Marc Oswald (pictured above left), co–owner of The Fontanel Mansion & Farm, and Jaime Dudney (picture above right), director of hospitality (and Mandrell’s daughter), recently accepted one-of-a-kind memorabilia from the Nashville Music Garden to remain on permanent display at The Fontanel.

The highlight of the exhibit, the inspiration for the Nashville Music Garden logo, is a beautiful bouquet of vibrant roses artfully arranged in a pair of Mandrell’s personalized boots. “One of our main intentions when we opened the Fontanel Mansion and Farm to the public last year was to give country music fans the opportunity to step inside the life of a Hall of Fame entertainer,” said Fontanel co-owner Marc Oswald. “To have a pair of Barbara Mandrell’s boots on display in the mansion, along with the photos from the beautiful Nashville Music Garden, really adds to the experience of our guests.”

Pat Bullard, Nashville Music Garden founder, also presented The Fontanel with a collage of photos and memorabilia from the September 2009 Nashville Music Garden dedication ceremony. Country greats honored by the Nashville Music Garden and featured in the new exhibit at Fontanel include Little Jimmy Dickens, Brenda Lee, Lynn Anderson and Pam Tillis.

"Only in Nashville could there be the one and only Nashville Music Garden and only at The Mansion at Fontanel have Barbara’s boots found their way back to her room for all country music fans to enjoy every time they visit," said Bullard.

For more information on Nashville Music Garden visit www.nashvillemusicgarden.com

Info from Kaleidoscope Media