Country Music News

October 31st - November 9th, 2008

Adam Gregory releases new single

Big Machine/No Strings Attached/Midas Records recording artist Adam Gregory has released his second U.S. single, "What It Takes," to radio, garnering double digit adds in its first week.

Gregory follows up the success of his Top 30 summer anthem "Crazy Days" with a more mature ballad, an emotional delivery that finds the singer looking inward and wondering aloud "What It Takes" to meet the expectations of the song's protagonist.

Gregory co-wrote the song with much of the same group that delivered his first single: Lee Brice, Kyle Jacobs and Joe Leathers. The addition of Greg Crowe rounded out the songwriting team. Keith Follese and Brad Allen co-produced the track, as well as the entire album, due out in early 2009.

"The idea for the song actually came about after a conversation my manager had on the telephone with his girlfriend at the time," says Gregory. "He turned to me after he hung up and said, 'Adam, I don't know what it takes to be her man,' and something just clicked right then and there. We knew we had something. I picked up the guitar and we started writing. We later finished the song in Fort Pierce, Florida with Lee, Kyle, Joe, and Greg."

Late last week, Gregory was in Nashville to shoot the video for "What It Takes." The video, which was directed by Roman White, will be released in the coming weeks

Craig Morgan inducted into the Grand Ole Opry

BNA Records recording artist Craig Morgan became the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry tonight, inducted by Opry member John Conlee before an Opry House audience including family, friends, and fans.

Officially welcoming Morgan as an Opry member, Conlee said, "I had the great pleasure of being the Opry member to first bring him on this stage the first time he guested on the Grand Ole Opry, and what an honor that was. As we've become friends…it was plain to me that no one loves the Grand Ole Opry more than this young man right here. He loves it as much as he loves his country, and he's proven that with his service to his country before." Turning to Morgan, Conlee continued, "I'm proud to call you friend and I'm proud to call you 'brother Grand Ole Opry member Craig Morgan'. Welcome to the family, sir."

"Thank you so much," Morgan replied. "I didn’t prepare a speech because I knew I would probably mess it up. I am extremely honored and grateful to the Grand Ole Opry. I am proud to be a part of it and I hope I can uphold its standards."

Lane Brody to release new single

Country songstress Lane Brody is heading back to the airwaves in the coming weeks with a new single titled "Found in Each Other."

Written by Brody, she describes the song as "a dedication between two people to each other." The new single is the first that Brody has produced entirely by herself.

Renowned music critic Robert K. Oermann agrees, calling the single "Absolutely a winner. Lane has always been a world-class singer."

Brody has spent considerable time in the studio recently, writing, singing and producing many of the tracks for her new album, On the Wings of Songs. Almost three years in the making, it follows her critically acclaimed Pieces of Life album, which continues to draw positive response and sales across the globe. The single "That's Where Love Comes In" topped the Powersource Playlist.

Trace Adkins, Martina McBride, and Randy Travis to be added to Walk of Fame

Trace Adkins, Martina McBride, and Randy Travis are among the latest list of people to be added to the Music City Walk of Fame. The latest additions to the Walk of Fame will be unveiled in a ceremony in the Hall of Fame Park in Nashville on November 9th at 2 p.m.

George Strait ACM Artist of the Decade

George Strait has been named the Artist of the Decade by the Academy of Country Music. George will receive his special honors at a taped event on April 6th. The event will be broadcast by CBS sometime in 2009. George is the fifth artist to receive this special honor. Previous recipients included Marty Robbins in 1969, Loretta Lynn in 1979, Alabama in 1988, and Garth Brooks in 1998.