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From three members of the Country Music Hall of Fame to the current CMA Female Vocalist of the Year, there's a ton of reasons to be excited about this fall when it comes to music. A week-by-week look.
The nominations for the 2nd Annual American Country Awards were announced, and it was a big day for many of the top younger stars in the format. Jason Aldean and the Zac Brown Band led the way with eight nominations each. On their heels were newcomers Thompson Square, who scored seven nominations each. The Band Perry and Taylor Swift also figured prominently in the process, tallying six nods.
One of country music's most successful acts of the 1990s and their lead singer are having a reunion of sorts in 2012. Richie McDonald and Lonestar will be taking to the stage together again for several dates for the first time since 2007.
Richie said that despite his leaving the group, the friendship has remained strong, and that led to discussing getting together again.
"Five years has come and gone since I left Lonestar," he said. "We've all tried other avenues and the fact remains that some things were just meant to be. With the Lonestar 20 year reunion approaching, Dean, Michael, Keech and I got together and have decided we have some unfinished business to take care of. I miss those crazy nights running around on stage making music with my band of brothers. Looking forward to a new chapter in the book of Lonestar and reliving some old memories and also making some new ones for the fans that have been loyal to us through thick and thin."
Lonestar made their initial blast on the Country Music scene back in 1995 with the top ten "Tequila Talkin," and have topped the charts with such records as "Come Cryin' To Me," "Mr. Mom," and their blockbuster 1999 hit "Amazed," which topped the Top Country Singles chart for nine weeks -- marking the longest run at the top since Jack Greene's 1967 hit "There Goes My Everything." The song also hit the top of the Pop charts, becoming the first Country single to do so since "Islands In The Stream" from Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton in 1983.
Fellow member Dean Sams says the reunion will please a lot of the group's fans."The music we've created over the years, along with all of the fans we have made along the way, is something we have never taken for granted," he says. "We have so much more music to offer the country music fans, and truly feel they want us back on the radio and out on the road performing live for them. After a lot of soul searching and long conversations between all of us involved, we are energized and excited to be writing and recording new music together again!"
The band did release one album, "Party Heard Around The World," which featured McDonald's replacement, Cody Collins. Of Collins, the group said they wish Cody the best in his future musical endeavors.
The group's first concert together will be February 26 in London, England at Wembley Arena.
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