Pics From Birthday Bash 21

The concession stands on the side

Some of the crowd at Birthday Bash 21

My view of the stage at Birthday Bash 21

Hunter Hayes on the video screen at Birthday Bash 21

B-93 Birthday Bash Begins Tomorrow

Since the line-up was announced in April, country music fans have been excited for the 21st edition of the B-93 Birthday Bash which gets started at noon Saturday. From newcomers Rachel Farley and Tyler Farr to fan favorites like Randy Houser, Uncle Kracker and Hunter Hayes to the headliner Gary Allan, Saturday will only be a taste of what is to come Sunday.

Fans will recognize Farley's first single "Ain't Easy". Birthday Bash features new artists who have a chance to make it big, and they are showcased at this event.

Farr's single "Redneck Crazy" can currently be heard on the radio and fans can expect more music from him in the future.

Hayes' debut album has produced two big hits. "Wanted" and "Somebody's Heartbreak" went number one on the country charts and his current single "I Want Crazy" is climbing up the charts.

Houser just charted his first number one single with "How Country Feels" and his latest single "Runnin' Outta Moonlight" is currently on the country charts.

While Uncle Kracker is not a country artist, he did have a country hit with "Smile". He will rock the stage Saturday with his hits.

Allan has produced several country singles and fans will hear them as he closes the show. Some of his singles include "Watching Airplanes", "Nothing On But The Radio" and his latest number one hit "Every Storm".

For more information on the B-93 Birthday Bash, visit www.b93.com

CMT Music Awards Bring Party to Downtown Nashville

The CMT Music Awards, which aired Wednesday night from the Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville, were packed with performances from the biggest artists in country music.

The show opened with a performance by Jason Aldean with Lenny Kravitz. Then Aldean fell beneath the stage where a group therapy session was in full swing. Because this was Aldean's first time as an award show host, he was in need of advice. The comedy skit included long time host of the Academy of Country Music Awards, Reba McEntire, as well as 2013 ACM Awards hosts Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan and current hosts of the Country Music Association Awards, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.

Each award for the CMT Music Awards were voted for by he fans. Florida Georgia Line picked up the award for Breakthrough Video of the Year as well as Duo video of the year for their smash hit "Cruise". Lady Antebellum took home the buckle for Group Video of the Year for "Downtown". Miranda Lambert was awarded the Female video of the year award for her latest chart topper "Mama's Broken Heart", while her husband Blake Shelton won the award for Male video of the year. The CMT performance of the year went to Miranda Lambert for her emotional single "Over You"  that she wrote with Shelton. Collaborative video of the year award went to Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, and Eric Church for their song "The Only Way I Know". The ultimate award, Video of the year, went to Carrie Underwood for her clip "Blown Away". Underwood won the award last year for "Good Girl", the first single off of her "Blown Away" album.

While there were awards given out, there were also performances jam-packed into the show. Hunter Hayes performed his latest single "I Want Crazy" on a stage outside the arena, which was packed with the fans who were not able to get seats inside. Luke Bryan also performed his latest single "Crash My Party" in a bar downtown. Some of the other performances included Taylor Swift, who sang her song "Red". She wore a red dress and had dancers who twirled red flags around her, Miranda Lambert, Darius Rucker, Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban, Kacey Musgraves, and Little Big Town. Carrie Underwood shared an emotional performance of her latest single "See You Again" as a tribute for the tornado victims in her home state of Oklahoma. She was backed up by a church choir toward the end. There were also performances from up-and-coming artists on the Nationwide Insurance Stage before commercial breaks. "American Idol" runner-up Kree Harrison sang the chorus of her first single "All Cried Out", Dustin Lynch with "Cowboys And Angels", and many others sang shortened versions of their songs.

The show kicked off Country Music Association (CMA) Festival week in Nashville, which will include nightly concerts at LP Field from Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum, and Taylor Swift, just to name a few. There will also be autograph signing sessions, a charity softball game, shows at the Grand Ole Opry, and countless other activities. Fans flock to Nashville from all over the world for this event.

For more on the CMT Awards visit www.cmt.com, and for more on the festival visit http://www.cmaworld.com.

Kellie Pickler Takes "Dancing With the Stars" Title

Kellie Pickler and her professional dance partner Derek Hough were crowned the new champions of the reality competition "Dancing With the Stars" Tuesday. The two hoisted the mirrorball trophy over their heads, which will makes its way back to Nashville with Pickler. The country music singer never thought she would make it to the end of the competition. To complete her judges points, Pickler and Hough danced an instant jive, where they received their song less than an hour before they had to perform their dance. The judges praised her and said the jive was a perfect way to end her journey on the reality competition.

Pickler's performances were consistent each week of the competition. She found a dancer inside herself, and her dance partner made those dreams come true with difficult choreography for her to conquer each week. The freestyle dance is usually what decides the winner of "Dancing With the Stars", and this year that was no exception. While the freestyle was changed to a super-sized freestyle this season, Pickler and Hough decided to do a stripped down performance of pure dancing, which received a perfect score and standing ovation from the judges. The two received the most Twitter responses and performed the encore dance during the finale.

Disney star Zendaya placed second, while Baltimore Ravens receiver Jacoby Jones took third place. Alexandra Raisman, the olympic gold medalist, ended up with fourth. The popular reality show will return in September for season 17.

B-93 Will Celebrate Its 21st Birthday June 8-9 at The US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin

In the past, B-93 (93.7 FM) has featured big names in country music like Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, The Band Perry, The Zac Brown Band, Little Big Town, Eric Church, and Jake Owen. This year the summer festival will have new acts as well as familiar ones.

Day one of the bash includes up-and-coming artists Tyler Farr and Rachel Farley. Familiar artists Hunter Hayes, Randy Houser, Uncle Kracker, and headliner Gary Allan round out the list of acts for the June 8 portion of the country music festival.

The festival continues June 9 with up-and-coming artists Charlie Worsham, Kacey Musgraves, and The Henningsens (who have written several of The Band Perry's hits). The line-up continues with fan-favorites Lee Brice, Florida Georgia Line, and headliner Billy Currington.

While the radio station gives out free tickets at locations around West Michigan, there are also reserved seats available close to the stage. All ticket information, the line-ups for both days, frequently asked questions and more can be found at www.b93.com.

"The Voice" Finalists Prove Why They Are Still Standing

The top 12 contestants on "The Voice" performed live Monday night. Each contestant will rely on America's votes to put them through to the top 10, and will be revealed tomorrow night.

Holly Tucker, a member of Team Blake, sang "With A Broken Wing" by Martina McBride. The performance was filled with emotion passion and Blake Shelton revealed that Tucker did McBride proud as well as the city of Nashville. Tucker has changed throughout the competition from a shy girl to a confident young woman.

The Swon Brother's, who are the competition's first duo to make it this far, performed an acoustic version of "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes?" by the late country music singer George Jones. This song showed another side of the duo who had sung more upbeat songs like "Fishing In The Dark" last week.

Danielle Bradbery, the youngest contestant on the reality television show, took on "Wasted" by Carrie Underwood. Shelton wanted to see how far her range could go. The judges praised her, and her coach, Shelton, said it was her best performance to date. Just a normal teenager before she auditioned for "The Voice", she impressed three of the judges with her version of Taylor Swift's hit "Mean", and Bradbery has become more comfortable on the stage throughout the competition. Due to the fact that she had never performed in front of a large audience before, Bradbery has come a long way.

Other memorable performances included Judith Hill from Team Adam who sang "You've Got A Friend" by Carole King. Hill showed a softer side of herself and gave the coaches what they expected. Sasha Allen from Team Shakira, took on Heart's "Alone" and showed why she is a powerhouse singer. The night ended with Team Adam's Amber Carrington who sang Martina McBride's hit "I'm Gonna Love You Through It" as a tribute to her mother who she lost to cancer. Shelton also said she probably made McBride proud with the performance as well as Nashville.

Top 3 "American Idol" Contestants Greeted at Emotional Hometown Visits

Candice Glover, Kree Harrison, and Angie Miller traveled to their respective hometowns this past weekend and were greeted with open arms by their families. 

Candice Glover visited her hometown of St. Helena Island, South Carolina and was reunited with her parents and six siblings. She took part in a parade and concert. Glover sang three songs Wednesday, but her final song impressed the judges the most. The 'Idol' producers chose "Somewhere" from the musical "West Side Story" and Glover showed off her vocal range as she always does. The performance received a standing ovation from the judges.

Kree Harrison landed in her hometown of Woodville, Texas and was greeted by her sister. In her hometown package, it was mentioned that her father was killed in a plane crash and her mother was killed in a car crash. Harrison and her sister visited their childhood home. Harrison channeled her emotion when she performed the Rascal Flatts song "Here Comes Goodbye", a song chosen by the judges. Harrison told the story well and it was dubbed her best performance so far in the competition. Harrison also had a parade in honor of her and performed at a concert.

Angie Miller was greeted by her parents and brother in Beverly, Massachusetts. She visited the elementary school where she attended kindergarten and was greeted by a large crowd of people. She also participated in a parade and performed a concert. Miller also did an interview with the local television news station. The governor of Massachusetts declared May 4 as Angie Miller day. Nicki Minaj told Miller that she finally came "full circle" tonight, especially after her last performance of Emeli Sandé's song "Maybe". Miller was back on the piano, where she seems to be the most comfortable.

The top 2 will be revealed tomorrow on the results show which airs at 8 p.m. on FOX.

Hunter Hayes To Play Day One of B-93 Birthday Bash

B-93 (93.7 FM), the country music radio station in Grand Rapids, celebrates their birthday each year with a free concert for their listeners. The station will celebrate their 21st birthday this summer on June 8 and 9. The artists on day one of the two-day party include well-known artists like Uncle Kracker, Randy Houser,  Hunter Hayes, and headliner Gary Allan. The first day will also include upcoming artists Tyler Farr and Rachel Farley. The Sunday line-up features familiar artists Lee Brice, Florida Georgia Line, and newcomers Kacey Musgraves, The Henningsens, and Charlie Worsham.

Hunter Hayes, who will play day one, is a 21-year old from Louisiana. According to hunterhayes.com, Hayes has always had his mind set on music. He recorded his first album at the age of 9, and another at 10. He did not go to prom or parties in high school because of musical commitments. In his spare time, he wrote songs.

He charted his first number one song with 'Wanted', and that was followed up by 'Somebody's Heartbreak', which also hit number one recently. Hayes debuted his new single 'I Want Crazy' at the Academy Of Country Music Awards in April. 

Also, according to hunterhayes.com, on his debut album Hayes wrote or co-wrote each song, co-produced the album, and played all of the instruments. Hayes and his parents moved to Nashville in 2008 so he could work on this debut album. He has been the special guest on Carrie Underwood's Blown Away Tour, which kicked off in September of last year, and is currently on its second leg.

Recently, Hayes performed with Stevie Wonder on an episode of "Dancing With the Stars" and appeared on an episode of "The Celebrity Apprentice" last Sunday. He is also scheduled to perform as part of the "Today" show Toyota Concert Series on June 21.

The Voice Playoffs: Night Two

Team Blake and Team Shakira performed on night two of the The Voice playoffs. Each team member performed individually, together, and Shakira and Shelton performed Lady Antebellum's smash hit 'Need You Now'.

While Shelton has a team of four country artists, it was not a surprise that each one sang a country song.    Holly Tucker, a Baylor University student and marching band member, opened the individual performances with the Leann Rimes song 'How Do I Live'. Tucker showed the range of her voice and proved why she got a four chair turn during the blind auditions. For the Swon Brothers, Shelton picked 'Fishing In The Dark' by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The duo had the audience clapping along and received praise from the coaches. Justin Rivers sang 'Meet In The Middle' by Diamond Rio. He also had the audience clapping along and received positive critiques from the coaches. Up last was Danielle Bradbery, the youngest contestant in the singing competition. Bradbery sang 'Maybe It Was Memphis' by Pam Tillis and coach Adam Levine said she is "one of the one's to beat". While she sang the Taylor Swift hit 'Mean' during the blind auditions, Bradbery was able to show off the range of her voice during her performance Tuesday.

Team Blake performed the Little Big Town hit 'Boondocks' for the group performance. Bradbery and Tucker blended their voices together as well as Tucker and The Swon Brothers. The number was filled with high energy.

Team Shakira's team performances began with Garrett Gardner who performed 'Imagine' by John Lennon and showed the coaches why he came back to audition this year. R&B singer Kris Thomas performed 'When I Was Your Man' by Bruno Mars and received praise from the coaches for his unique voice. Latin rocker Karina Iglesias sang 'Let's Stay Together' by Al Green and showed a different side of herself. Even though Levine let her go, he knew another coach would steal her because of her strong vocals. Sasha Allen ended the evening with 'Oh! Darling" by The Beatles. Allen's vocal proved to be powerful.

Team Shakira performed the Queen hit 'We Are The Champions' and had the audience involved in the performance.

The top 16 will be revealed Wednesday at 8 p.m. on NBC.

The Voice Goes Live Monday Night

The Voice saw its first night of live performances Monday with Team Adam and Team Usher. Each team member had an individual performance as well as two group performances. The audience was also treated to a performance by coaches Usher and Adam who sang Stevie Wonder's hit 'Superstition'.

During the package for Usher's team, he was seen coaching his members in a boxing studio. The key to performing their group number was breathing and they were able to practice their number while boxing. In a previous episode, Usher was seen with team member Michelle Shamuel doing push-ups to help her prepare for her performance.  These unique coaching styles have helped move the contestants forward in the competition where only the voice matters, not what the contestants look like. Usher's team members are Michelle Shamuel, Vedo, Cathia, and Josiah Hawley.

Before Levine's team performed their group number, the package showed them receiving style advice from Levine's stylist. She helped them pick their wardrobe for Monday's performance and the contestants mentioned that their style has evolved since they first auditioned for the show. Levine's team members are Amber Carrington, Judith Hill, Sarah Simmons, and Caroline Glaser.

Team Blake and Team Shakira perform Tuesday, which begins at 8 p.m. on NBC and the top 12 contestants are revealed Wednesday.

Country Music Invades Reality TV

If you are a fan of reality television, you have probably noticed one of your favorite country music artists on these shows in the past few months.

Keith Urban sits on the judging panel on "American Idol" along with Nicki Minaj, Randy Jackson, and Mariah Carey.  With experience from the judging panel on the Australian version of The Voice, Urban gives contestants advice that will help them improve each week and for their future careers. During one of his critiques, Urban told blues/country contestant Kree Harrison that she will probably become a member of the Grand Ole Opry someday. He will hit the road this summer for his Light The Fuse Tour.

While Urban can be seen Wednesday's and Thursday's in primetime on FOX, Blake Shelton can be seen as a coach on NBC's singing competition "The Voice", which airs Monday's and Tuesday's on NBC.  He sits along returning coach Adam Levine of the pop group Marroon Five, as well as new coaches Shakira and Usher.  Shelton's team member won the show the last two seasons and he is vying for another win this year.  While his team features a mixture of genres, Shelton, a country artist in his own right, has chosen several country artists this season to complete his team for the knock-out rounds, which begin tonight at 8 p.m. Shelton kicks off his Ten Times Crazier Tour this Summer.

The third reality competitor was actually on a reality competition herself. Kellie Pickler, who is now a top competitor on "Dancing With the Stars", began as a contestant on American Idol on the fifth season in 2006.  Pickler placed sixth that season.  Now she can be seen Monday and Tuesday evenings dancing alongside professional dancer Derek Hough. While fellow country artist Wynonna Judd was eliminated, Pickler is still in the running for the mirror ball trophy.

"American Idol" airs Wednesday's and Thursday's at 8 p.m. on Fox, while "The Voice" airs Monday's and Tuesday's at 8 p.m. "Dancing With the Stars" airs Monday's at 8 p.m. and Tuesday's at 9 p.m.