On September 16, 2015, the City of Memphis declared that Third Street would be renamed B.B. King Blvd. in honor of the late B.B. King.

“Holding All The Roses” Featured on EA Sports’ Madden NFL 16 Soundtrack

ZZ Top Tour Continues; New Dates Announced for Europe & US

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (September 1, 2015) – This is shaping up to be a banner year for the Atlanta-based band Blackberry Smoke. The hard workin’, ass kickin’ southern rock outfit has been playing sold-out shows around the world to an ever-expanding audience since the February release of Holding All The Roses, their critically-acclaimed debut for Rounder Records and fourth studio album. Blackberry Smoke, who is currently on tour with legendary rock band ZZ Top, have announced new dates in Europe and the US, extending into early 2016, which will kick off with the group headlining the Outlaw Country Cruise in February.

Blackberry Smoke will perform their latest single, “Rock and Roll Again,” on TBS’s CONAN on Sept. 14. The video for the upbeat love song, which was shot on location in Atlanta, will also be unveiled in September. The performance comes just in time for the digital release of their new EP Wood, Wire and Roses on September 18.

And just in time for football season, “Holding All The Roses,” the title track from the EP, will be featured on the soundtrack for EA Sports’ Madden NFL 16, which dropped on August 25. Madden NFL 16 marks the return of the legendary EA Trax soundtrack, recognized as the industry’s foremost music showcase. In addition to Blackberry Smoke, the Madden NFL 16 soundtrack features more than 30 tracks from artists you already know and love, including The Weeknd, Yelawolf, Lee Brice, twenty one pilots, James Bay and Sigma. The mix also includes brand new music from John Newman, Don Broco, Robert DeLong, Fashon, and Rag‘n’Bone Man.

“For the last few years, our Madden soundtracks focused on recreating the stadium experience,” explains Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing for EA. “But with Madden NFL 16, we’ve now returned to our roots for introducing new artists and new music. This soundtrack is truly one of our most adventurous, and one we think fans will enjoy the mix of genres and artists we’ve included. Once again, ‘Madden Music’ will define the sound of the upcoming season.”

Blackberry Smoke is scheduled to play the following tour dates, presented by Ole Smoky Moonshine.

Blackberry Smoke On Tour

**with ZZ Top

9.1 Ascend Amphitheater, Nashville, TN**
9.3 Bold Sphere Music, New Orleans, LA**
9.4 Music Hall of Fair Park, Dallas, TX**
9.7 Rialto Theatre, Tucson, AZ
9.10 Thunder Valley Casino Resort, Lincoln, CA**
9.11 Mountain Winery, Saratoga, CA**
9.12 Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, CA**
9.13 Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay, San Diego, CA**
9.16 Idaho Center Amphitheater, Boise, ID**
9.17 The Depot, Salt Lake City, UT
9.18 Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, Telluride, CO**
9.20 CAM-PLEX Heritage Center, Gillette, WY**
9.22 Bismarck Civic Center, Bismarck, ND**
9.23 The Swiftell Center, Brookings, SD**
9.25 Pinewood Bowl Amphitheater, Lancaster, NE
9.26 McGrath Amphitheater, Cedar Rapids, IA**
10.1 Paradiso Grote Zaal, Amsterdam, Netherlands
10.3 Academy, Birmingham, UK
10.4 Academy, Sheffield, UK
10.5 Academy, Newcastle, UK
10.6 Academy, Manchester, UK
10.8 The Forum, London, UK
10.9 Lafayette Theatre, Lafayette, IN
10.10 Madison Theater, Covington, KY
10.17 BUT Madrid, Madrid, Spain
10.18 Sala Bikini, Barcelona, Spain
10.20 Trabendo, Paris, France
10.22 Alcatraz, Milan, Italy
10.23 Dynamo, Zurich, Switzerland
10.24 Flex, Vienna, Austria
10.26 C-Club, Berlin, Germany
10.29 Debaser Medis, Stockholm, Sweden
10.30 Mejeriet, Lund, Sweden
12.6 MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
12.8 MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
2.7 – 2.11 Outlaw Country Cruise, Miami, FL

About Blackberry Smoke:
Holding All the Roses compellingly captures the energy, attitude, and honesty that have already helped to make Blackberry Smoke one of America’s hottest live rock ‘n’ roll outfits, a truly grass-roots phenomenon with a large and fiercely loyal fan base. The 12-song set—produced by Grammy-winner Brendan O’Brien, whose previous production clients have included AC/DC, Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young—showcases the Atlanta-based quintet’s emotion-charged mix of bluesy rock, gospel soul, and country, with Charlie Starr’s raspy twang matched by his and Paul Jackson’s snarling guitars, Brandon Still’s hauntingly expressive organ and piano, and the propulsive sibling rhythm section of Richard and Brit Turner. The songs’ appeal is further elevated by the band’s three-part vocal harmonies and elaborate arrangements that make judicious use of fiddle and added percussion. The depth displayed throughout Holding All the Roses demonstrates how Blackberry Smoke has evolved from rough-edged club act to arena-ready rock ‘n’ roll juggernaut as well as continues to steadily extend and expand the Southern rock tradition.

Nashville, Tenn. (September 1, 2015) – Internationally loved country music icon, Don Williams, is set to bring his hits to fans old and new when he kicks off his 2015 Tour in September. “Mercy, the fans have kept us going for years, and I am glad to share the music with them once again,” says Williams.

Williams first came to prominence in the 1960s as a member of the folk group The Pozo-Seco Singers. The trio recorded several hit records, with the biggest being “Time.” By 1971, Williams had gone solo, and had signed a publishing deal with Jack Clement. The Hall of Fame producer was so taken with Don’s style that he offered him a recording contract with his JMI Records in 1972. Early hits included “Atta Way To Go” and “Come Early Morning,” as well as “We Should Be Together,” which became his first Billboard top ten hit from 1974. He then moved to ABC / Dot (Later MCA), where the hits increased. Tracks such as “Rake and Ramblin’ Man,” “Tulsa Time,” and “Nobody But You” helped to make him one of the most-played artists on Country Radio in the 1970s and 1980s. He took home the Male Vocalist of the Year trophy from the Country Music Association in 1978, and notched his biggest hit in 1981 with “I Believe In You,” which also crossed over to the top-30 on the Hot 100.

Subsequent moves to Capitol Nashville and RCA kept Williams on the charts into the 1990s, as he continued to play for huge crowds on the road. His success in the United States is well-documented, but the music of Don Williams has made him an international star – with followings in such places as England and New Zealand. He has placed 52 singles in the top-40 on the Country charts in the United States, with 17 going all the way to the top spot. Williams was a member of the Grand Ole Opry in the 1980s, and appeared in the films W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings and Smokey & The Bandit II with Burt Reynolds.

Williams’ most recent album was 2014’s Reflections, which earned the singer his highest peak on the Country Album chart in three decades. Known as “The Gentle Giant,” Williams was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010.

Don Williams 2015 Tour Dates
Sept. 9th – Dodge City, Kansas – United Wireless Arena
Sept. 10th – Colorado Springs, Colorado – Pikes Peak Center
Sept. 11th – Deadwood, South Dakota – Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel
Sept. 14th – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Pantages Playhouse Theatre
Sept. 15th – Regina, Saskatchewan – Conexus Centre of the Arts
Sept. 16th – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – TCU Place
Sept. 17th – Edmonton, Alberta – Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Sept. 19th – Calgary, Alberta – Jack Singer Hall Epcor Centre
Sept. 20th – Kelowna, British Columbia – Kelowna Community Theatre
Sept. 23rd – Boise, Idaho – The Morrison Center
Sept. 24th – Pocatello, Idaho – Stephens Performing Arts Center
Sept. 25th & 26th – Wendover, Nevada – Peppermill Concert Hall
Oct. 14th – Clearwater, Florida – The Capitol Theatre
Oct. 15th – Bremen, Georgia – Mill Town Music Hall
Oct. 16th – Pigeon Forge, Tennessee – Country Tonight Theatre
Oct. 17th – Pigeon Forge, Tennessee – Country Tonight Theatre
Oct. 18th – Newberry, South Carolina – Newberry Opera House
Oct. 20th – Durham, North Carolina – Carolina Theatre of Durham
Oct. 22nd – Huntsville, Alabama – Von Braun Center Concert Hall
Oct. 23rd – Paducah, Kentucky – The Carson Center
Oct. 24th – Branson, Missouri – Oakridge Boys Theatre
Nov. 7th – Lula, Mississippi – Isle of Capri Casino
Nov. 8th – Bartlesville, Oklahoma – Bartlesville Community Center
Nov. 9th – Omaha, Nebraska – Kiewit Concert Hall at The Holland
Nov. 12th – Kansas City, Missouri – Ameristar Casino and Hotel
Nov. 13th – Norman, Oklahoma – Riverwind Casino
Nov. 14th – Bossier City, Louisiana – Riverdome Horseshoe Hotel
Nov. 15th – San Antonio, Texas – The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
Nov. 18th – Stafford, Texas – Stafford Centre
Nov. 19th – Midland, Texas – Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center
Nov. 20th – Austin, Texas – Paramount Theatre
Nov. 21st – Arlington, Texas – Arlington Music Hall

Presented At 40th Annual National Old Time Music Festival at Plymouth County Fairgrounds in LeMars, Iowa

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (September 1, 2015) – Last night, a member of the Western Music Association Hall of Fame, Rex Allen Jr., was awarded with a standing ovation the Lifetime Achievement award by the National Traditional Country Music Association. The prestigious ceremony took place at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds in LeMars, Iowa and was hosted by founder and lover of all traditional music, Robert Everhart. The annual 7 day festival boasts 650 different performers on 10 different stages. Rex Allen Jr. is also in their Hall of Fame.

Rex shared, “My heart was full as I looked into the crowd and took it all in. I’m proud of my roots and I’m thankful there are still so many that appreciate wonderful classic Country & Western music.”

Rex Allen Jr. will also sit down with Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame DJ and radio host, Keith Bilbrey, for an intimate, in-depth interview on the all-new series, “Reflections,” later this month on Heartland TV, The Family Channel, Angel Two (DISH TV), AMG-TV, Country TV (New Zealand) and DTC Cable. “Reflections” with guest Rex Allen Jr. will air on September 28 (check your local listings for times in your area).

Country music fans will love this new intimate sit-down series as it reveals unknown details about the artist, their music and their videos. For instance, did you know Rex Allen Jr. narrated more than 80 Walt Disney films? Or the fact that he is a legitimate cowboy, riding bulls and bucking broncos for 2 years straight out of high school. These are the kinds of fun facts country music lovers everywhere can discover by tuning into the highly anticipated series “Reflections.”

About Rex Allen Jr.
Began his career playing rhythm guitar for his famous dad, the singing actor Rex Sr. He’s been a rodeo clown; a hit-making country singer (with six Top 10 hits under his belt, including “Two Less Lonely People,” “Lonely Street” and “No, No, No (I’d Rather Be Free)”; star of his own TV series (TNN’s Yesteryear, from 1994 – 96); narrator of Jim Carrey movie Me, Myself And Irene; and writer, director and actor in the stage show Gone Country, a Las Vegas hit of the late ’90s.

Rex Allen Jr., tour schedule
Oct. 1-3 Willcox, AZ – Rex Allen Days
Oct. 07 Green Valley, AZ – CPAC
Oct. 14 Visalia, CA – Mavericks
Oct. 24 Colorado Springs, CO – Stargazers Theatre
Nov. 05 Crossville, TN – Palace Theatre