The loss of music legend George Jones is being felt around the world, so it only seems fitting that the celebration of his legacy be open to all who are in mourning.

According to a press release sent out Monday morning, a funeral for Jones will be open to the public this Thursday, May 2nd, at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. The service is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. (EST). In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that contributions be made to the Grand Ole Opry Trust Fund or to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

“George would have wanted his fans and friends everywhere to be able to come and pay their respects along with his family,” Jones’ publicist, Kirt Webster, said in a statement.

Everyone here at OurStage HQ has their own memory associated with Jones’ career. For some, he was the first artist they shared with their grandparents. For others, Jones was an inspirational tale of how one could be an outlaw, grappling with life’s struggles, and still find success in mainstream America. Whatever he was to you, we’d love to hear it. Comment below and let us know what the life of George Jones meant to you. Continue reading ‘George Jones’ Funeral Will Be Open To The Public’

Tragic news this morning, as we have recently learned Country songstress Mindy McCready died yesterday at the age of 37.

McCready, known mostly for her strong of hits in the mid-90s, reportedly shot and killed herself last night at her Arkansas home; her body was found on her front porch by local authorities. She is survived by two children, Zander and Zayne.

More information on McCready’s death can be found on PopDust.

Losing a member of the music community at any age is hard, especially when there is children involved. Please join us in honoring McCready’s career by clicking below and enjoy her hit, “Guys Do It All The Time.” Continue reading ‘R.I.P. Country Star Mindy McCready’

Wilco‘s Solid Sound Festival is announcing the line-up for their Solid Sound Festival over the course of the alphabet. That is, they are slowly posting the names of the acts in alphabetical order over on their Facebook page.

I wonder how long country music awards shows think they’re going to be able to claim Taylor Swift as a country artist. I think that train has sailed. Swift was among this year’s nominees for Album of the Year at the Country Music Awards for her shit-kickin’, twang fest Red, and garnered four other nominations, including Entertainer of the Year. Miranda Lambert, another Entertainer of the Year nominee, ties Swift with a total of five nominations.

The big leaders, though, are Eric Church, with seven nominations around his album Chief, and Hunter Hayes, with six, including Song of the Year and Single of the Year (because maybe the Song of the Year will be a deep cut, right?) for his song “Wanted.”

The 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will be broadcast live on CBS on April 7th and will be hosted this year by Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton.

See the full list of nominees below.

Continue reading ‘Academy of Country Music Awards Nominees’

Warm up your hashtag trigger finger, because this week Free Ticket Friday is back. Win free tickets to any US-based show you want, just by tweeting at OurStage or interacting with us on Facebook. Yeah, we can’t believe it’s that easy either. Here’s what you have to do:

TWITTER ENTRY:

1. Follow @OurStage on Twitter.

2. Retweet the #FreeTicketFriday tweet (posted at 1PM on Fridays).

FACEBOOK ENTRY

We’re also giving you the opportunity to win over Facebook:

1. Make sure to “like” the OurStage page.

2. Interact with our Facebook contest post (Like, Share, or Comment)

Once you interact with the contest links you’ll be automatically entered to win a pair of tickets to the US-based concert of your choosing. Past winners have already snagged tickets to see Green Day, Maroon 5, The Killers at Madison Square Garden, and Jay-Z at one of his historic first shows at the Barclays Center. If you’re on Twitter or Facebook all the time anyway, why not win some free tickets while you’re at it?

Click here for the official rules.

If you’re among the many who cringe at the thought of partaking in any Super Bowl Sunday festivities, fear not. Just because you don’t want to paint your face the color of your favorite team, wear your favorite player’s jersey, or spend the day jumping up and down screaming in joy (or anguish) doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time this weekend. In fact, with most people preoccupied by the game, there’s a lot to do with no crowds to deal with, and since you probably have no obligations, might as well take advantage. We’ve put together a list of five entertainment alternatives for those wishing to sit out the “big day” this Sunday. Check them out after the jump. Continue reading ‘Five Entertainment Alternatives For Super Bowl Sunday’

We do not cover country music nearly enough, and the following song is reason enough for us to cover the genre more in the months to come.

Lady Antebellum have been one of the highlights of country music in the pop world over the last few years, and with the release of their lyric video for “Downtown” today it seems likely they’ll stay atop the chart for the foreseeable future. The song has a relatively simple verse/chorus/verse pop structure, but there is a sincerity in the music that is near impossible to deny. Everything about your being will want to like this song, so stop waiting around and click below to enjoy “Downtown.”

“Downtown” will be available for purchase on all digital retailers beginning next Tuesday, February 5.

If you enjoy Lady Antebellum, check out OS act Bronze Radio Return!

One of the music industry’s largest and most highly anticipated events, South by Southwest, has just announced a third wave of bands who will be performing at the festival. For those not doing the math, that brings the list to just under a whopping 1,300 live acts set to take the stage in Austin, Texas this March. Newcomers to the lineup include Tegan and Sara, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Black Lips, and Vampire Weekend. You can check the full list of performing acts for this year’s festival right here.

If you like Tegan and Sara check out OurStage artist Vic and Gab.

More like this:

• Tegan And Sara Release Official Music Video For “Closer”
• SXSW Turns 25 And A Look Back At South Bys Past

The people have spoken. The 2013 People’s Choice Awards were held yesterday at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, CA and the results don’t seem to surprise many. Katy Perry walked away with four awards, including Favorite Female Artist as well as Music Video, Favorite Pop Artist, and Favorite Fan Following – referring of course to the KatyCats.

Other notable award recipients include One Direction who was awarded Favorite Album and Favorite Song, Jason Mraz who was awarded Favorite Male Artist, and Taylor Swift who was awarded Favorite Country Artist.

Performances throughout the night featured Jason Aldean who belted “My Kind of Party” and R&B favorite Alicia Keys, who sang “Girl on Fire,” as well as “New Day.” Christina Aguilera also performed her ballad “Blank Page” and did so in style, dressed in white and surrounded by candlelight. Perhaps the most entertaining performance of the show was The Wanted‘s acceptance speech, wherein the members broke into an a cappella of “Afternoon Delight.”

All the winners are can be viewed after the jump.

Continue reading ‘The 2013 People’s Choice Awards Results’

It’s officially awards season. Sure, it can be an obnoxiously gratuitous, self-congratulatory time, but there’s always a little entertaining drama to keep things interesting. Then, of course, there are the performances to look forward to. And now, music enthusiasts, the first batch of performers for the Grammy Awards have made the rounds.

Among this year’s Grammy performers will be first timers The Black Keys and fun., along with Taylor Swift, Mumford & Sons, and Rihanna. All these performers are nominated in various categories, including fun., Mumford & Sons and the Black Keys competing for Album of the Year.

View the full list of nominees right here and don’t forget to tune in as LL Cool J returns to host the 55th Annual Grammy Awards live at 8p.m. EST Sunday, February 10th on CBS.

If you like Mumford & Sons check out OurStage artist Kory Murphy.

More like this:

• Five Questions We Have For The GRAMMYs
• Mumford & Sons ‘The Road To Red Rocks’ DVD Trailer