Sterling Marlin & Steadman Marlin to Duel in the Late Model Series Full Throttle 200

NASCAR veteran Sterling Marlin will take on his son, Steadman, along with current Fairgrounds Late Model Series champion Andy Johnson, former champion Mark Day, and many others in the running of the Late Model Series Full Throttle 200 presented by Nossi College of Art on Saturday, May 23.

Join the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway for a night of exhilarating racing in seven different series. Pit gates open at 11:00 AM while grandstand gates open at 4:00 PM.

650AM WSM To Air This Is My America Special Over Memorial Holiday Weekend

WHO: Selected writers and performers from the This Is My America project, including Billy Dean, Jenny Gill, J Fred Knobloch and Sarah Majors.

WHEN: Interview excerpts, vignettes and songs from the album will be aired throughout the weekend (May 23-24) and on Monday, May 25 (Memorial Day). Full interviews can be heard Thursday (Jenny Gill and Sarah Majors) at 9 a.m. and Friday (J Fred Knobloch) at 9 a.m.

WHERE: On radio station 650AM WSM and online at www.WSMOnline.com.

WHAT: Interviews with selected writers and performers from the This Is My America box set will discuss the project, its origins and the songs that tell the Story of America. Vignettes that tell the stories behind the songs will also be aired. Sampler CDs will be given away throughout the promotion, and listeners can register to win a full-length This Is My America box set.

An epic concept album, This Is My America is a three-disc set of original material that captures the spirit of America and chronologically recounts its history over 64 tracks (38 songs and 26 spoken narratives). Fifty-eight of America's finest award-winning singers and songwriters (Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Billy Dean, Kathy Mattea, Mark O'Connor, Beth Nielsen Chapman, the Nashville Symphony and the Fisk Jubilee Singers, among others) contribute to this one-of-a-kind release.

Unlimited Streaming Music + 5 MP3s for $5

Charlie Daniels Recruits Marty Stuart For Surprise Opry Appearance

Charlie Daniels poses with Marty Stuart prior to his Grand Ole Opry performance in Nashville on Saturday, May 16. In spirit of the Opry's tradition of unexpected appearances, Daniels invited Stuart on stage to play during his set for a performance of "Long Haired Country Boy."

Pictured: Marty Stuart (l) and Charlie Daniels perform at the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday, May 16, 2009.
Photo Credit: Dean Tubb.

Holly Williams to Perform Hits of Hank Sr. & Hank Jr. For Opry Country Classics

Holly Williams is set to take the legendary Opry stage Thursday, May 21 at 7:15pm Central Time for Opry Country Classics’ “Families in Country Music” night, where she will perform hits by her grandfather (Hank Williams Sr.) and father (Hank Williams Jr.). To hear her performance, tune in to Sirius XM, or log on to www.wsmonline.com.

Holly Williams’ Mercury Nashville debut titled Here With Me is slated for release June 16.

A.A. Bondy Summer Tour Dates to Include Saquatch and Bonnaroo Music Festivals

A.A. Bondy will hit the road for a summer tour next month, beginning June 5th at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, MA and ending July 7th at Spanish Moon in Baton Rouge, LA. Bondy is also confirmed to perform this weekend at the Sasquatch Music Festival in Quincy, WA and June 14th at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, TN.

Bondy's debut, American Hearts, was re-released by Fat Possum in April 2008 after its original release by Superphonic in 2007. Spare and arresting with timeless appeal, the album was an underground favorite among fans and critics. Bondy performed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, while NPR noted in a 'Song of the Day' pick: "By the time 'How Will You Meet Your End' reaches its own dramatic and doomstruck end, Bondy has cemented his status as a fatalistic troubadour with few modern peers." Bondy is currently in a Mississippi studio finishing his sophomore album; a release date on Fat Possum will be announced soon.

A.A. Bondy Tour Dates:

May 23 Quincy, WA Sasquatch Music Festival
June 5 Northampton, MA Iron Horse Music Hall
June 6 Brooklyn, NY Bell House
June 8 Philadelphia, PA Kung Fu Necktie
June 9 Pittsburgh, PA Club Cafe
June 11 Arlington, VA Iota
June 12 Charlotte, NC Snug Harbor
June 14 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Music Festival
June 15 Columbus, OH The Basement
June 16 Indianapolis, IN Radio Radio
June 17 Pontiac, MI The Pike Room
June 18 Chicago, IL Schubas Tavern
June 19 Milwaukee, WI Club Garibaldi
June 20 Minneapolis, MN 400 Bar
June 22 Denver, CO Hi Dive
June 23 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
June 25 San Francisco, CA Café du Nord
June 26 Visalia, CA Cellar Door
June 29 Phoenix, AZ Modified Arts
July 7 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon

26th Annual International Country Music Conference

The 26th annual International Country Music Conference will be held May 21-23 at the Gordon E. Inman Center at Belmont University. The gathering will feature a cross-section of panels touching on many aspects related to the industry.

In all, the event will more bring together more than 30 panels. Renowned author and country music expert Don Cusic will co-host the panel, “Defining Country Music: What It Is and Does It Matter?” Additional panels will cover international topics (“Teaching Country Music in Australia: Teaching Australian Country Music”), regional interests (“A Cajun Music Mystery: Dr. James F. Roach, ‘Song of the Crocodile,’ and the First Commercial Recording of a Cajun Folksong”) and political themes (“Barack Obama, Country Music Stardom, and a New Black American Narrative”).

Among the artists who will be profiled are Bill Monroe, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Waylon Jennings and Kitty Wells.

10% Off to Celebrate the 2009 Summer Concert Season

FULL THROTTLE 200 at Fairgounds Speedway in Nashville

Join with race fans on Saturday, May 23rd for a night of heart-stopping, high-octane battles on the track at the Fairgrounds Speedway near downtown Nashville.

Gates open at 11:00 A.M. for the running of the rescheduled Late Model Full Throttle 200 plus six other racing divisions. The speedway will host three exciting 200-lap Late Model races throughout the 2009 season.

Racing gets under way at 5:00 P.M. in the Legend and Bandoleros divisions and starting at 6:30 P.M. the remaining five divisions will begin competing. The Full Throttle 200 will proceed under the lights at the .596 oval asphalt track as Sterling Marlin, Steadman Marlin, Andy Johnson, Mark Day and many other Late Model stars attempt to tame the tricky track.

A special little girl, Bailey Dozier, will WOW the crowd with her rendition of the national anthem at 6:30 P.M. You don’t want to miss this talented eight-year-old sensation as she makes her debut at the Fairgrounds Speedway.

A beautiful one-carat diamond pendant from Crown Jewelers in Franklin, Tennessee will be given away to one lucky lady this weekend, so hang on to your ticket stub and check it often.

The Fairgrounds Speedway will observe Memorial Day weekend by having a moment of silence to celebrate and commemorate our active and veteran soldiers for their bravery and service at home and abroad.

See full Saturday schedule below….

FULL THROTTLE 200
Saturday – May 23, 2009
Special Thanks to Our Veterans

11:00am Registration/Pit Gates Open

1:00pm 1st Practice Begins
Legends 1:00-1:05 Super Truck 1:33-1:43
Bandoleros 1:07-1:12 Sportsman 1:45-1:55
Thunderstox 1:14-1:19 Late Model 1:57-2:07
Super Stock 1:21-1:31

2:10pm 2nd Practice Begins
Legends 2:10-2:15 Super Truck 2:38-2:48
Bandoleros 2:17-2:22 Sportsman 2:50-3:00
Thunderstox 2:24-2:29 Late Model 3:02-3:12
Super Stock 2:31-2:36

3:20pm Driver’s Meeting

4:00pm Grandstand Gates Open
Qualifying
Legends Super Truck
Bandoleros Sportsman
Thunderstox Late Model
Super Stock

5:00pm Legends (25 Laps)
Bandoleros (20 Laps)

6:30pm National Anthem
Thunderstox (25 Laps) Sportsman (30 Laps)
Super Stock (30 Laps) Late Model (200 Laps)
Super Truck (40 Laps)


All times/events are subject to change
** Preliminary Rain Date for this event will be Saturday, May 30th**

AristoWorks is One of Music Row's Best-Kept Secrets

Since 2005, new media marketing company AristoWorks has quietly grown into one of Music Row's best-kept secrets for clients looking to create or expand their existing online presence.

A division of The AristoMedia Group, AristoWorks specializes in identifying and creating online exposure opportunities for entertainment artists and music industry clients. Some of AristoWorks' services include web design and development, social network management, fan-base management, viral marketing campaigns and strategic content placement on an ever-growing number of music discovery sites.

Websites for Buddy Lee Attractions, Jamie O'Neal, Adam Gregory, Nine-Entertainment, iShine Live and Mission Six are just a few of the projects AristoWorks has completed in recent months. Music Row magazine's radio chart database was custom-designed and developed by AristoWorks' new media manager Jon Walker.

"Technology can be like Elmer's glue," says Music Row's publisher and editor David Ross. "When it works as advertised, you spread it on and forget about it. AristoWorks' Jon Walker has built two projects for Music Row - our Country Breakout Chart system and our Contact Directory. Both have stuck like glue."

While similar new media operations are operating in Nashville, Walker notes that AristoWorks' realistic prices and manageable roster of clients has allowed the company to grow.

"It's important to us that our clients feel valued and that we have a very direct relationship to help communicate ideas and opportunities," says Walker. "We've been able to successfully minimize our overhead by utilizing proprietary tools that allow us to plan, promote and analyze our success for each campaign."

AristoWorks continues to recognize and exploit emerging online opportunities, such as their recent agreement with Top 10 music discovery portal Jango.com, where AristoWorks artists can expose their music to more than six million users' radio playlists.

For more information on AristoWorks and their services, visit www.AristoWorks.com.

Holly Williams - "Here with Me"

Mercury Nashville is set to release HERE WITH ME, the label debut album from singer-songwriter Holly Williams, on June 16th. Holly Williams comes from country music royalty -- Hank Williams (her grandfather), Hank Jr. (her dad) and Hank III (her half-brother) -- and HERE WITH ME contains a raw, emotional honesty that does her lineage proud.

FREE DOWNLOAD of Holly's new single “MAMA”

Listen to tracks from HERE WITH ME!

Preds Top Draft Pick Colin Wilson to Appear at Open House Sunday, May 17th

As part of the Nashville Predators Open House this Sunday, Colin Wilson (2008 1st Round Draft Pick and 2009 NCAA Champion) will host a Meet & Greet / Autograph Session with fans from 2-4pm.

*NEW* Full Season, Half Season and 13-Game Plans buyers will receive:

• $100 Predators Pro Shop credit and 20% Discount
• $104.50 OFF select locations from 104.5 The Zone – Look for the GREEN tags!
• FREE Predators Fan Pack including a T-shirt, Predators Yearbook, and more

Everyone can enjoy:

• FREE Ice Cream and Slushies
• Photo Ops with Gnash & Predators Dancers (bring your camera)
• Inflatable Games and Kids Activities
• Locker Room and Building Tours
• Face Painting

Open House at the Sommet Center from 2-5PM, Sunday, May 17th.

Lonestar, Little Big Town, and Keith Anderson, Add CMA Fest Charity Events

Lonestar, Little Big Town and Keith Anderson are among the artists who’ve committed to a trio of charitable events in Nashville during the days surrounding the CMA Music Festival next month.

Bowling, a motorcycle ride and a fashion show are among the newly announced additions to the schedule, which already includes the City of Hope celebrity softball game and Marty Stuart’s Late Night Jam June 10. It all surrounds the CMA festival, which features four days of concerts at LP Field plus the opportunity to meet dozens of artists and get their autographs.

Among the latest attractions:

• The Lonestar & Friends Strike Out For The Kids bowling party, sponsored by GAC, takes place June 8 with receipts slated for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Trent Tomlinson, Chris Young, Buddy Jewell and Bo Bice are expected to attend the annual fundraiser at Music City’s Hermitage Lanes.

• Little Big Town is eyeing June 14 for its Ride For A Cure. The motorcycle caravan will depart from Harley-Davidson in Nashville’s suburbs and wind up 30 miles down the road at the Harley dealer in Columbia. The day will end with a multi-artist concert, with proceeds slated for the T.J. Martell Foundation, which supports cancer and AIDS research. Other acts have yet to be named, though last year’s ride drew James Otto, Heidi Newfield and Chuck Wicks, among others.

• Keith Anderson, John Michael Montgomery, Mark Wills and Katie Armiger will join numerous other performers at the Wildhorse Saloon June 10 for the Country Weekly fashion show and concert. The event will benefit Musicians On Call, an organization that lines up artists to perform bedside shows for patients recovering from illness.

Muddy Waters Live at the Fillmore Auditorium