New York, NY – January 20, 2006 – United Stations radio Networks, Inc., and independent leader in the creation and marketing of network radio programming today announced programming plans for Country Giants, its popular series of musical tributes to today's country music superstars. This year’s line-up of two-hour radio programs will feature four star-studded biographical salutes and one expansive eight-hour series, all honoring Country Music’s reigning performers. The first four programs will be broadcast around the major holidays in 2006. Additionally, a month-long, four-part, eight-hour series airing in October will showcase the best Country music of the 21st century. Country Giants is produced by Neil Haislop's Country Forever Productions and begins airing nationally the second weekend of February. Each two-hour show will be available on CD on a market exclusive, barter basis through United Stations.
The Country Giants programming lineup for the 2006 series is as follows:
Show One: Valentine’s Weekend of Feb. 11-12
GARTH BROOKS and TRISHA YEARWOOD
Show Two: Memorial Day Weekend of May 27-28
ALAN JACKSON and KENNY CHESNEY
Show Three: July Fourth Weekend of July 1-2
TIM McGRAW and MARTINA McBRIDE
Show Four: Labor Day Weekend of Sept. 2-3
SHANIA TWAIN and TOBY KEITH
Two of Country music’s favorite artists, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, were married December 10th, 2005 during a private ceremony at their Oklahoma home, making the newlyweds the perfect match to salute on Valentine’s Day Weekend. Brooks’ album Ropin' the Wind became the first country album to debut at the top of the pop charts. Yearwood started her career as Brooks protégé (and backup singer) and her self-titled debut album, released in 1991, rocketed the lead single "She's in Love With the Boy" to the top of the Country charts. In 1997 and 1998, Yearwood took home Female Vocalist of the Year awards from the CMA and ACM, respectively, and she also picked up her first solo Grammy for "How Do I Live," giving her a sort of country equivalent of the Triple Crown. Both Brooks and Yearwood made spectacular returns to country’s forefront in 2005 with the release of Yearwood’s new album, Jasper County, and her hit single “Georgia Rain.” Brooks reappeared on the charts with his #1 hit “Good Ride Cowboy” – a tribute to Chris LeDeoux - a new box set of CD’s and the new Brooks/Yearwood duet, “Love Will Always Win.”
Fifteen years into his career, Alan Jackson has sold more than 40 million albums and scored more than 30 No. 1 singles -- 21 of which he either wrote or co-wrote. His 2002 single about the tragic events of September 11th titled "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" won Jackson his first Grammy. Also in 2002 at the CMA’s the song netted Jackson awards for song of the year, single of the year, and album of the year - for Drive - while being named male vocalist and entertainer of the year. In 2002 he tied Johnny Cash for the most CMA wins in one year.
Since his arrival on the Country music scene in the 1990’s, Kenny Chesney has been one of Country’s fastest rising stars. His Greatest Hits, released in 2001, sold more than 3 million copies. Last year on our Country Winners special, Chesney was crowned the one most successful artists of 2005 winning Top Country tour of the year for playing to over 61 million fans and his two Platinum plus albums, Be There (Songs from an Old Blue Chair) which sold one million copies, and The Road and the Radio which sold just under two million copies. Chesney accomplished all of this while weathering the highly publicized annulment of his four-month marriage to actress Renee Zellweger.
Two-time Grammy winner Tim McGraw teamed up with Warner Bros. recording artist Faith Hill for the Spontaneous Combustion tour in 1996, and the two married in October of that year. Following his Greatest Hits released in 2001, his album Set This Circus Down birthed three No. 1 singles, "Grown Men Don't Cry", "Angry All the Time" and "The Cowboy in Me”. McGraw won two awards at the 2005 American Music Awards, taking the trophies for favorite male artist in the country music category and favorite country album, Live Like You Were Dying. McGraw kicked off 2006 by winning the People’s Choice, all-genre “Favorite Male Performer” award.
Acknowledged as one of the top contemporary vocalists alive today, Martina McBride has recorded some of the most memorable hits in Country music. In 2001, eighteen of her most important tracks were compiled on Martina McBride’s Greatest Hits CD. She continued to rack up hits -- including "A Broken Wing", "Happy Girl”, "Wrong Again”, "Whatever You Say, I Love You" and "Love's the Only House" -- and captured her first CMA female vocalist award in 1999. In 2003 her studio album, Martina, landed her third female vocalist trophy from the CMA. She begins 2006 scoring a Platinum-certified CD of tributes to her favorite country artists called Timeless.
Shania Twain, Country’s most successful female artist of all time, is a five-time Grammy Award winner and the only artist in the history of the RIAA’s Diamond Award to have three consecutive releases designated as Diamond Award releases, signifying sales of over 10 million copies each. In 1999 Twain took home entertainer of the year trophies from the ACM and the Country Music Association, and that same year Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) named her both country songwriter of the year and pop songwriter of the year. Her hit single “You're Still the One" was crowned BMI's country and pop song of 1999. In 2005, the Canadian-born songstress accepted the Order of Canada -- that nation's highest honor for lifetime achievement due to her dedication to eliminating child hunger.
Toby Keith’s last two releases, Unleashed and Shock’n Y’all, have been among the most successful and talked about albums in contemporary music. In 2005 Keith’s “As Good As I Once Was" took home the CMA for music video of the year, and his first album - titled White Trash With Money –is slated to be the debut in spring 2006 from his own record label called Show Dog Nashville. "Get Drunk and Be Somebody," an anthem that serves as the project's initial single, was released in December 2005. Keith has just started his highly anticipated Big Throwdown tour.
Country Giants is produced by Neil Haislop's Country Forever Productions. Haislop is recognized as one of Country Radios leading writers, researchers and producers. His 10-year association with United Stations includes his role as producer of the Country Giants series as well as the popular year-end "Heroes & Winners" specials and other seasonal specials. Haislop is also the author of "The Giants of Country Music," released by Billboard Books.
Country Giants joins United Stations’ numerous other country music program offerings including the Crook & Chase Countdown, Academy of Country Music, American Christian Music Review (ACMR), Country Comedy, Holiday Country Specials, The Road and Thunder Road as well as the daily Country news and show prep from the Launch Radio Networks. United Stations Radio Networks, Inc., is the nation's largest independently owned and operated radio network. The company currently distributes and produces multiple format specific services to nearly 4000 rated radio stations across the country including Adult Contemporary, Album Rock, Contemporary Hit, Country, Oldies, Smooth Jazz, Talk and Urban. The New York-based company was founded in 1994 by radio pioneers Dick Clark and Nick Verbitsky.
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