NashvilleGab - Country music news and Nashville celebrity gossip

Lady Antebellum launch inaugural Ping Pong & Songs fundraiser

Well this sounds fun. To help raise money for their new Lady AID organization, the group is launching their very first Ping Pong & Song fundraising event on March 23rd in Nashville. 

From Lady A's website:

Inspired by a combination of the band’s favorite backstage hobby and their love of songwriting, the event includes a celebrity ping pong tournament and an in-the-round style songwriters’ night, both benefiting the group’s newly created charitable initiative LadyAID™.

Tickets for both portions of the event go on sale this Friday, February 15th at 10:00A CT throughLadyAID.org.
 
“This is really a dream day for us…getting friends and fans together to play ping pong, play music and raise money for LadyAID,” said Dave Haywood. “Charles and I…better known as ‘The Dynasty’…will challenge anyone who wants to try and take us at the table!  It's going to be a total blast.”
 
With registration to the tournament, players will receive a commemorative player kit and two tickets to the finals and concert portion of the event. Individual tournament finals tickets and ticket bundles are also available for purchase. All proceeds will benefit LadyAID™.

For more ticket information or to make a donation, visit www.LadyAID.org

The Farm's Damien Horne plays Salvation Army bell ringer for Christmas

Well here's a good reason to pay attention to just who is ringing those bells at the Salvation Army kettles while you're out Christmas shopping. 

Damien Horne from the group The Farm posted this picture to Twitter showing how he's helping out this year. 

Merry Christmas Everyone !!! #begrateful pic.twitter.com/qR6LTeju

According to his bio, Damien has a long history with the Salvation Army that started back when he was 11 and sang at his local Salvation Army Church. 

Kelly Clarkson Spreads Holiday Cheer at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt with Musicians On Call Nashville (from the mailbag)

The Christmas spirit was alive and well when the multi-platinum-selling singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson stopped by Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt yesterday afternoon to sing and celebrate the season with patients, staff and families through Musicians On Call (MOC) Nashville.

Clarkson, who recently released her Greatest Hits – Chapter One album, visited with the children and performed an acoustic set in the Children's Hospital Theatre. The songstress led the packed room in a sing-along of her favorite holiday carols including "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer," "White Christmas," and "All I Want for Christmas is You." Clarkson encouraged singing and dancing, and the children were happy to oblige. Following the show, the kind-hearted entertainer generously offered to visit the rooms of patients unable to attend.

"This is such a special time of year and I'm so happy to be able to share it with all of these great kids. I'm probably having just as much, if not more, fun than they are," exclaimed Clarkson. "I heard about Musicians On Call from a friend of mine," she continued, "and I thought this would be the perfect way to get involved with a hospital music program here in Nashville. I love playing for the kiddos!!"

Meet some famous folks for a good cause (from the mailbag)

Christmas 4 Kids continues to spread holiday cheer to hundreds of underprivileged children throughout Middle Tennessee with their third fundraising event of the year. The Annual Tour Bus Show and Artist Meet & Greet will be held on Monday, December 17, at the Hendersonville Wal-Mart located at 204 North Anderson Lane from 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM. 

For a small donation (ticket information below), fans can visit the tour buses of more than fifty artists and celebrities as well as meet artists who will be present signing autographs and giving fans an inside look at their mobile home-away-from-home. All proceeds from the event will go to Christmas 4 Kids, a not-for-profit organization that has been in existence for over 25 years and provides underprivileged children with the funds to shop and purchase Christmas gifts for family and loved ones – something most have never had the opportunity to do before. For more information on Christmas 4 Kids, please visit www.christmas4kids.org.

Kenny Rogers to Join Forces with bergenPAC and Englewood Fire Department for Toy Drive Collection In Wake of Hurricane Sandy (from the mailbag)

Kenny Rogers is teaming up with the Bergen Performing Arts Center and the Englewood Fire Department in Englewood, New Jersey, with the help of sponsors Fisher-Price and Mattel, to collect toys this holiday season for children in need in Bergen County, New Jersey, including areas severely hit by Hurricane Sandy.  Always an important event in the community, the annual holiday toy drive will carry special significance this year taking into account the devastation Hurricane Sandy caused throughout the state of New Jersey. 
 
Rogers, who brings his 23-city Christmas and Hits Tour with special guest Billy Dean to the bergenPAC on Wednesday, December 19, will match monetary donations up to $10,000 to purchase toys for the drive.  In addition, Fisher-Price has generously donated 200 toys, and Mattel is offering a special discount on toys purchased with monetary donations raised during the drive, assuring that every donation received will go even further. 
 
Donations to the toy drive can be made in three ways:

Sarah Darling takes part in the sweetest, yummiest national campaign ever (from the mailbag)

Country music rising star Sarah Darling and MoonPie's Vice President of Marketing, Tory Johnston announced the '"Home to Me' Sweepstakes" and partnership with the Tennessee-based national brand today.

The Black River Entertainment recording artist will be featured on several hundred thousand cartons of the nationally distributed Chocolate 12-count Single Decker MoonPie. Available at all four MoonPie General Stores, the item will also be carried nationally at grocery outlets including Bi-Lo, Harris Teeter, Ingles, Food Lion, Food City, Piggly Wiggly and many other chain and independent grocery stores.

"MoonPie and country music go pretty much hand in hand," said Tory Johnston. "We believe Sarah is one of country music's next big stars and we're excited to feature her on-pack and give our consumers a chance to win a dream trip to Nashville to watch her perform at the Grand Ole Opry. You could say we're expecting the moon and the stars to align on this one!"

Gary Allan Supports Hurricane Sandy with New Single (from the mailbag)

Multi platinum artist Gary Allan has launched a Donate and Download program to support Red Cross and their disaster relief efforts. Allan is giving away a free download of an exclusive acoustic version of his new hit single “Every Storm (Runs Out Of Rain)” as incentive for fans to donate to the Red Cross.

Earlier this week, USAToday.com hosted the world premiere of the official video for Allan’s single, tagged with a message encouraging people to donate to the Red Cross. Allan was scheduled to headline a show in Atlantic City the week Sandy hit. The show, like many others in the northeast, was cancelled due to the storm. 

Allan shot the video for his new single just two weeks later in Nashville, TN. Shortly afterwards, Allan and his team started to realize how timely his song was, and that it could be used as a tool to help others in need. When disasters like Superstorm Sandy devastate communities, your support helps ensure the Red Cross is there to provide warm meals, shelter, and hope to families when they need it most.

“My song ‘Every Storm (Runs Out Of Rain)’ is about hope and light at the end of the tunnel." said Allan. "With the devastation in the northeast region by Sandy, I thought this song was extremely timely. I wanted to partner with the Red Cross on this because they have always offered hope for those in need.” 

Allan has made a commitment to give away this exclusive acoustic version of his single for free. For more information on Gary Allan, visit his official site at www.garyallan.com. "Every Storm (Runs Out Of Rain)" is available now on iTunes.

Kenny Chesney to Kick-Off 122nd Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign with LIVE Performance at Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day Game (from the mailbag)

Photo courtesy Dallas Cowboys' Facebook

The Salvation Army and the Dallas Cowboys announced today that music superstar and football enthusiast Kenny Chesney will rock Cowboys Stadium on Thanksgiving Day to kick-off The Salvation Army's 122nd annual Red Kettle Campaign. Kenny's performance will be televised LIVE nationally on FOX during halftime of the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game against the Washington Redskins on November 22, 2012 at 3:15PM (CT). The concert marks the 16th year of the Thanksgiving Day partnership between the Dallas Cowboys and The Salvation Army, in which time the Red Kettle Campaign has raised more than $1.5 billion.

And now through November 11th, fans of the Cowboys and Kenny Chesney can visit www.SalvationArmyUSA.org/BoysofFall for a chance to win a trip for four to Dallas to see the Thanksgiving Day game -- including on-field passes for the halftime show performance and a meet-and-greet with Kenny. To enter, just submit a short (60-seconds or less) video featuring youth (pre-collegiate) football highlights. Selected videos may be featured during the Dallas Cowboys halftime show on Thanksgiving Day. One lucky Grand Prize winner will also win a trip for four to see the game live and in-person. Complete contest rules and details are available at www.SalvationArmyUSA.org/BoysofFall.

Josh Kelley and his wife, Katherine Heigl, honored for their commitment to adoption

(Photo: The Christian Post/Napp Nazworth)

Well good for Josh Kelley and his actress wife Katherine Heigl.  The pair along with R&B star Ne-YO were honored last month for their foster care work and commitment to adoption.

The three were recognized by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption as "National Angels in Adoption" during an awards gala in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, September 13. 

Katherine Heigl, who has an adopted sister as well as two adopted daughters with Josh Kelley, said at the event, "Adoption has always been a part of my life and my family. Josh and I are honoured to be selected as National Angels in Adoption and we hope this recognition will help raise awareness of the millions of children worldwide who are without families."

In case you've never heard it, check out the song Josh wrote called Naleigh Moon about his first adopted daughter.  The video is precious. 

Tim McGraw handed out puppies as well as homes to veterans

This video is too precious.

As most fans are probably aware, Tim McGraw not only spent his time on the highly successful Brothers of the Sun Tour with Kenny Chesney this summer, but he also presented free homes to wounded veterans and servicemembers in need with the help of Operation Homefront and Chase bank. 

But did you know that Tim also handed out puppies?

Yep, at least once, Tim got to present a little girl with a puppy at the same time he was on hand to welcome the family to their new home. 

Watch as the Connor family in Rhode Island sees their new home AND new family member for the first time.