James Otto recieves Purple Heart -- Country Hound, 10/25

Being a recipient of a Purple Heart often means the person was awarded this in the name of the President due to an injury or death that resulted from service.  However, this was not at all the case of country singer and U.S. Navy veteran James Otto, who was recently given the honorable medal by a U.S. Marine.

Otto saw the Marine at his Oct. 15 show in Dallas, whom he had previously spoken with before that event.  The last time the two met, Otto invited the Marine on his tour bus to chat.

"He was really moved by the song 'In Color' and he had given me his POW hat with his Iraq campaign medal and his Afghanistan campaign medal," Otto said in a recent interview with The Boot.  The service man wishes to remain anonymous.  "He had been wounded and a prisoner-of-war for 18 months. People don't really realize how many guys out there have been wounded or taken hostage and been through those nightmares."

The reason Otto performs ‘In Color,’ which was made famous by Jamey Johnson, is due to the history he shares with such veterans, and how he is able to relate with the emotional affects taken on those who serve and their families.  This is also the reason Otto co-wrote a song about the only two people who have laid down their lives for others – ‘Soldiers and Jesus.’

"When I sang 'Soldiers and Jesus' [at the Dallas show], he ended up saluting me through the whole song," Otto said of the Marine. "It really touched me that it meant something to him."

The two met up later, and as they were talking, the Marine placed a Purple Heart in Otto’s hands and asked him to keep it.

"I said, 'I can't take this. Why are you giving this to me? I don't deserve this. This is yours,'" Otto said. "He said he had several and wanted me to have it...I'm really honored and I'll be proud to keep it for the rest of my life."

In the past, Otto has received other servicemen’s dog tags when they were thrown on stage, but never anything as impacting as a Purple Heart.

"I am a Christian man who served in the military myself. When things like this happen, I know the song is reaching the guys it should reach,” Otto said.  "When I wrote 'Soldiers and Jesus," I loved the song but I debated whether I was the right guy to deliver it. My wife and others pushed me to cut the song because they said, 'You know how closely you're related to the military,'" Otto said. "The truth and heart of the message rings true to me especially the line 'one fights for my life and one fights for my soul.'

Source: http://www.theboot.com/2010/10/22/james-otto-purple-heart/

The Judds Last Encore -- Country Hound, 10/25

It has been said that all good things must come to an end, and country music is no exception to the rule.  Naomi Judd and daughter Wynonna Judd who made a named for themselves almost two decades ago as The Judds have announced that their career as a duo has come to an end, and to celebrate this they are releasing a final album and kicking off their Last Encore tour.

“We're doing business differently than we've ever done," Wynonna said on ABC's 'Good Morning America.' "New music, new attitude, new boundaries, new relationship, new way of doing business with our family. We're sort of a work-in-progress. We're the poster family for healing through music. The fans have given us this chance to celebrate 18-20 shows in front of a live audience, which is a little scary."

The two have been placed in the spotlight for many years, and have been open to the public with their personal struggles on and off stage, but they are now happy to say they are both in a better, healthier place. "We're new and improved, thanks to our therapist, who said that we can do this tour because we're OK to go out in public unsupervised now," Naomi said. "We always have been transparent."

The Judds are determined now, more than ever, to use their name – which has gotten them many places through the years – to bring betterment to others, as well. “We're working with St. Jude. It's a win-win," Wynonna said. "After 25 years, you've got to have a purpose past having a famous name, which is a great way to get a seat in a good restaurant in New York. After that, what do you do? So 25 years later, we want to celebrate with the fans."

As for their Last Encore tour, they will be playing shows from the past and present – including songs that have yet to be heard. The truth of the matter is, we've got new material, but we'll be doing the classics," Wynonna said. "The stuff you got married to -- or divorced to -- but we'll also have new stuff."

The tour is set to begin the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, as a way to celebrate with the Judds and dance off the turkey drowsiness. "If you're tired of your family, come see us," Naomi said. "We'll make your family seem like royalty."

Earlier this year, Wynonna released ‘Love Heals,’ her solo CD sold exclusively at Cracker Barrel stores. "I like to team up with champions," she says. "The people at the Cracker Barrel corporation love me and I love them. It's a general store. It's southern. You have the food you grew up on. I think it's important to have music with your gravy."

The first single from their upcoming album was recently released, ‘I Will Stand By You.’  The album is set to hit stores in the spring.   The tour will be running through Dec. 19.  For tour dates visit thejuddstour2010.com.

Source: http://www.theboot.com/2010/10/22/the-judds-good-morning-america/

Jason Aldean nominated, donates -- Country Hound, 10/20

Last week, CMT named Jason Aldean as one of its “Artist of the Year” and will be honored alongside other country music stars such as Carrie Underwood, Zac Brown Band, Lady Antebellum and Taylor Swift during a television special later this Fall.  His rocketing success has been notably marked by the sales of 3.5 million copies of his first three albums and nine hits, and now he has most recently received several other nominations.

The nominations fall under the categories of “Favorite Country Male Artist” and “Favorite Country Album” with the American Music Awards, on top of a nomination for “Male Artist of the Year” by the American Country Awards.  The multi-platinum country boy spent more weeks at number one on the radio and sales charts more than any other male artist in the past 18 months within a nine-week period.

The nominations undoubtedly hold a special place in Aldean’s heart.  “...it’s people saying, ‘hey, we’ve been watching what you’re doing, and we dig it,” Aldean said.  “The AMA nominations are especially cool because I’ve never been up in the album category before, so I’m really proud of that because I do feel like it was a special project that really connected with the fans, and it really helped take my career and my live show to a new level.”  

However, admist all of his success, Aldean does not lose sight of giving back.  As part of his 5^th annual “Concert For The Cure,” he recently donated the proceeds from his Oct. 15 concert in Evansville, Ind. to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

The Evansville arena, Roberts Stadium, was covered in pink to support the cause, leading the most money in the event’s history to be raised – an astonishing $132,000.

“We started this in memory of a close friend, and I know she would be proud of how much we were able to donate from the show in Evansville,” Aldean said.  “I saw a lot of fans in the crowd wearing pink too, and thanks to them and everyone else that came out, we were able to raise more money than ever before.” 

For more information on Jason Aldean visit jasonaldean.com.

Brad Paisley renames tour -- Country Hound, 10/20

Brad Paisley has always been known for not only his guitar playing abilities, but his sense of humor as well.  Paisley has been touring since the end of May on his successful H2O World Tour, which he announced will officially be continuing through the first of 2011 and is renamed the H2O Frozen Over Tour.

Along with superstar Paisley on his tour, he will continue to be joined by Darius Rucker, while welcoming Jerrod Niemann as a special guest.  Rucker won the 2009 CMA Award for Top Male Vocalist of the Year, while Niemann was nominated for the 2010 CMA Awards for New Artist of the Year.

The H2O Tour has already played to over 750,000 fans over the course of a mere five months.  Paisley’s Frozen Over leg will be launched in Green Bay, WI on Jan. 20, and it is scheduled to run until its end in Nashville on Feb. 26.

However, before Paisley can kick off the rest of his tour, he is set to release his next album on Nov. 2.  The album, Hits Alive, will include live performances from his H2O concerts as well as original studio tracks.  Paisley will also be co-hosting the CMA Awards on Nov. 10 for the third-consecutive year, and he is also nominated for three CMA Awards (Entertainer, Male and Video (“Water”).

For more information on Brad Paisley, on-sale information, and tour dates for the H2O Frozen Over Tour, visit bradpaisley.com.

Darryl Worley cancer center -- Country Hound, 10/20

Soon, cancer patients in Savannah, Tenn. and surrounding cities will no longer need to travel long distances to receive radiation and chemotherapy, all with a great thanks to country star Darryl Worley.  Worley had a dream and plan of opening a cancer treatment center, and on Nov, 3 that dream will become a reality upon the grand opening of the new Darryl Worley Cancer Treatment Center. The ceremony will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT and include comments from Worley and other key speakers.

"We will be so pleased to show the new center to our community on November 3," Charlotte Burns, CEO Hardin Medical Cente, said. "The center is a tribute to the generosity and commitment of Darryl, the Hardin Medical Center Board, the foundations, and our neighbors and friends. It will stand as a reminder of our determination to care for one another and share hope with those we serve.

The center, located on the campus of the Hardin Medical Center in Savannah, Tenn, was originally scheduled to open in early 2011, but the early opening means help for those in need much sooner.  The Darryl Worley Foundation and representatives of Hardin Medical Center, as well as the Hardin County Community and Healthcare Foundation, have been working since 2004 to raise enough money to meet their $2 million goal for the project.  So far, they have managed to pull together and raise $1.7 million and hope to reach their goal by completion.

"The generosity of all the donors from around the country and the Savannah area has been amazing," Worley said. "I think it’s very surreal that this has happened so fast and just confirms that we are doing God's work. This is a defining moment in my lifetime and career."