Check out our latest interview with country music star Rodney Atkins. We caught up with the singer/songwriter to discuss his latest album “Take A Road Back,” his involvement with Crown Royal’s Heroes Project, highlights from his latest tour with Darius Rucker, a special message to his fans and more!

Read the full interview with Rodney Atkins here: http://www.countrystarscentral.com/rodneyatkinsinterview.htm

Entertainment icon, singer-songwriter and esteemed actor, “The Gambler” himself, Kenny Rogers celebrates another milestone in his storied career with the release of his first-ever inspirational record titled, “The Love of God.”

Read more here: http://www.countrystarscentral.com/theloveofgodnov11.htm

Country music star, Show-Dog Universal recording artist Joe Nichols returned to Joe’s Bar in Chicago on Saturday September 17th, 2011 for a sold-out show....

Read more here: http://www.countrystarscentral.com/joenicholsreviewsep11.htm

CHICAGO, IL (June 10, 2011) - Country music superstar, Mercury Nashville recording artist Billy Currington was honored by Country Stars Central at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill on Thursday June 9th, 2011 with a presentation of his recent May 2011 cover story. We’d like to congratulate Billy Currington on his seventh #1 single “Let Me Down Easy” from his latest album “Enjoy Yourself.” You can catch Billy Currington in concert all summer long on Kenny Chesney’s “Goin’ Coastal” tour.

Check out our interview with Billy Currington: http://www.countrystarscentral.com/billycurringtonchat11.htm  

Check out a review from the Kenny Chesney tour: http://www.countrystarscentral.com/kennychesneyshowmay11.htm  

Marks First New Single From The Music Superstar In Six Years

Los Angeles, CA – OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network viewers will experience the world premiere of the first new single in six years from country/pop superstar Shania Twain during the finale episode of “Why Not? with Shania Twain” airing Sunday, June 12 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

“Today Is Your Day” will be exclusively available on iTunes immediately following the world premiere on OWN starting Sunday, June 12 at 11 p.m. ET/PT. Mercury Nashville will service the song to country radio stations after the show’s airing.

“Today Is Your Day” is the first song Twain has written solo in six years, and the creation process for the single was documented throughout the docu-series “Why Not? with Shania Twain” currently airing Sundays on OWN. Twain is seen as she works through the lyrics, meets with vocal doctors and a grief counselor and embarks on unexpected adventures throughout North America that test her courage and self-confidence in an effort to reclaim her life.

In an all new episode titled “Finding My Voice” airing this Sunday, June 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, Twain has a one-on-one vocal training session with legendary vocal coach Eric Vetro before meeting with famed music producer David Foster to discuss producing her new single “Today is Your Day.”

Twain then reaches the end of her tour on Sunday, June 12 at 10 p.m. ET/PT in the finale episode titled “Endless Love,” as she marries Frederic Thiebaud and shares never-before-seen wedding footage from the Bahamas. As Twain faces her final challenge, recording a duet of "Endless Love" with superstar Lionel Richie, she reflects on the journey that has brought her to this point in her life.

Shania Twain rose to fame in the early 1990s with her 1993 debut album Shania Twain (1993), and achieved worldwide success with her 1997 album Come On Over, which became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician, and the best-selling country album of all time.  A five-time Grammy AwardÒ winner, Twain has also achieved major success as a songwriter, winning 27 BMI Songwriter awards. To date, she has released four studio albums as well as a greatest hits album and has sold over 75 million albums worldwide, including more than 50 million in the U.S., making her the top-selling female country artist of all time.

Shania's first memoir, From This Moment On, was released in bookstores across the country on May 3rd and quickly climbed the New York Times best sellers list.  The memoir was published by Atria Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster.

About OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK

A joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery Communications, OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK is a multi-platform media company designed to entertain, inform and inspire people to live their best lives.  OWN debuted on January 1, 2011, in approximately 80 million homes on what was the Discovery Health Channel.  The venture also includes the award-winning digital platform, Oprah.com.  For more information, please visit www.oprah.com/own and www.press.discovery.com/us/own.

NASHVILLE, TN – Mercury Nashville/19 Recordings/Interscope artist Scotty McCreery has made country music history with his first single, “I Love You This Big,” which has the highest-charting debut for a new artist in more than two decades.

“I Love You This Big” debuts at No. 32 on Billboard’s Nielsen BDS-based Hot Country Songs chart. This is the highest debut for a new artist’s first single since the chart began using BDS data the week of Jan. 20, 1990, according to Billboard.

The song, which hit No. 1 on iTunes, reached No. 3 on the Billboard Digital Songs chart with 171,404 units sold, while a compilation album featuring 14 of his performances from America Idol, entitled American Idol Season 10: Scotty McCreery, reached No. 12 on the Billboard Top 200 all-genre albums chart and No. 3 on the country albums chart with 23,196 units sold.

“I am humbled and shocked by this news,” says Scotty. “I can’t tell you what it means to me to be on the same charts as my musical heroes.  I want to thank my fans and especially country radio for their support.

“I continue to be amazed by everything that has happened to me in such a short time.”

Scotty won Season Ten of American Idol on May 25. A record-breaking 122.4 million votes were cast for Scotty and Lauren Alaina, the runner-up, and 38.6 million viewers tuned in to see the winner’s name announced.

The song was sent to radio on May 24 after Scotty debuted the song on American Idol. 

“This is such a special song to me, so I am thrilled that it is getting such a great reception at country radio. What I love about ‘I Love You This Big’ is that it can mean different things to different people.  It could be about the relationship between a couple in love or a parent and child.”

The 17-year-old singer is receiving big love from WQDR in Raleigh, N.C., which is located six miles north of his hometown, Garner, N.C. Not only is the station leading all Billboard panelists with more plays in the first week, but it has dubbed itself “Scotty 94.7” and incorporated the new name into an American Idol-inspired logo.

“I feel like the words ‘thank you’ aren’t enough,” he says. “I wish I could find more words to express my gratitude to everyone. I still can’t believe how people are supporting me in so many ways.”

Scotty will travel to Nashville next week to begin recording his debut album. He will present at the CMT Music Awards on Wednesday and participate in other CMA Music Festival activities, including the City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game on Saturday, June 11. He will make his Grand Ole Opry debut on Friday, June 10.

He will perform on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on June 15. He will be featured on the American Idols Live tour that begins July 6 in Salt Lake City, Utah, and runs through September.

He will also perform on ABC’s Good Morning America on Aug. 12.

Country music traditionalist, Republic Nashville recording artist, Sunny Sweeney caught up with CSC to discuss her latest single “From A Table Away,” admiration for country legend Loretta Lynn, performing at the Grand Ole Opry plus much more…

Check out the complete interview here: http://www.countrystarscentral.com/sunnysweeneyinterview.htm

By OSKAR GARCIA

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- On the final track of their new album - their first together in 30 years - Donny and Marie Osmond give a nod to difficult times.

"Sun follows rain, strength follows pain," the duo sings before echoing the song's title. "We will find a way."

It's a motto that Marie Osmond has taken to heart over the past year. She's still grieving after her son Michael Bryan committed suicide in Los Angeles in February 2010.

"Some days are harder than others, and you take it one day at a time," she said recently. "Yeah, those anniversaries are tough - it's coming up his birthday here in a few days."

But while Marie Osmond, 51, is still mourning the loss of her son, she is also marking a period of rebirth. She wed her first husband, Stephen Craig, on Wednesday, on what have been the birthday of Michael and her late mother Olive. Craig and Osmond were originally married in 1982 and have one son, Stephen.

Also this week, she and her brother Donny released "Donny & Marie," which has them revisiting their country roots. Marie Osmond rose to her own fame as a country artist in the 1970s, with her hit "Paper Roses" reaching No. 1 on the country charts in 1973.

Marie said the timing felt right for a new album because fans were asking, and they found good songs and collaborators. The album was produced by Buddy Cannon, a country producer known mainly for his work with Kenny Chesney.

"He's so good to work with in terms of the selection of the songs and finding the songs that work with our voices," Donny, 53, said. "It was a pleasure to work with him."

Between numerous TV appearances and their live Las Vegas show, slated to run through the end of next year, the Osmonds have proven that they're still in demand after several decades of performing. During a half-hour appearance last month on home-shopping network QVC, the Osmonds sold 10,000 copies of their new album in 30 minutes, their whole allotment for the show.

Both Osmonds said it made sense to connect with fans on a personal level with the album. During a performance last week in Las Vegas, Marie recounted a story of being with two mothers whose children were donor and receiver of a heart transplant.

"Little did I know at that time what it would feel like to lose a child," Marie said before dedicating a song to her son.

Marie opened up about the death in a November appearance on Oprah Winfrey's television show, saying her son's suicide was "probably the hardest thing" she's been through.

It was the most serious blow after a series of setbacks. In 2007, when she placed third on "Dancing with the Stars," she famously fainted on the show as she dealt with personal troubles off of it.

"Emotionally, you have to be really pulled together and I was going through a divorce, my son went into rehab, my father died," Marie said last week.

"Going into the finals, it was tough - my dad - it kind of ripped my heart out it was just really tough to focus."

Marie and Donny Osmond include some of their own personal stories in their Las Vegas show. They feel especially connected to their fans, who have watched the most famous siblings from the Osmond entertainment clan grow up since they were kids, including their highly successful "Donny & Marie" variety show in the late 70s.

"There are times when people come up ... and they feel like you're part of the family because we were in their homes every week," Donny said. "We grew up with it. I hear that all the time: 'We grew up together.'"

"And then I say: 'We never grew up,'" Marie said.

Online:

www.DonnyandMarie.com

www.Donny.com

www.MarieOsmond.com