From GAC

Joe Don Rooney (lead guitar in Rascal Flatts) went back to Oklahoma this week, though this trip is a sad one rather than a homecoming celebration.

According to Country Aircheck, Joe Don returned to Picher, Okla., to help with the cleanup after the town was severely damaged by tornadoes and thunderstorms. According to the Asssociated Press, 114 homes were destroyed and seven people lost their lives. In a town of approximately 800, those numbers are particularly devastating.

 Among those who died was one of Joe Don’s high-school friends. The area, which was already the site of open mine shafts and acidic water, will not receive rebuilding aid from the government. Money will be given, however, for relocation assistance.

That Joe Don has gone to help out should come as no surprise. It’s the perfect statement for Rascal Flatts’ status as the winner of the Home Depot Humanitarian Award at this Sunday’s 43rd annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, airing on CBS. Rascal Flatts has a chance to win Top Vocal Group for a record-tying sixth straight year. The band is also up for Entertainer of the Year.

 
ACM Entertainer of the Year nominee's-Rascal Flatts announced they are kicking off a new tour on June 13 in St Louis, Missouri. It will be called the "Bob That Head Tour." Along for the ride are red hot Taylor Swift and songwriters Wendell Wobley and Neil Thrasher.

The Flatts "Still Feels Good Tour" has been highly successful and was ranked as the best selling country tour for the first part of 2008 according to pollstar. Rascal Flatts have played for over 2 million fans the last two years in 156 cities. 

“We hope our fans look forward to our shows as much as we do,” says lead singer, Gary LeVox. “We want to give them an evening of entertainment that can take their minds off of life’s pressures and lift their spirits, if just for a few hours. See you on the road!”

Since their career launched in 2000, Rascal Flatts has sold over 17 million albums, scored 9 #1 singles and 17 top 10 hits and each of their five albums are multi-platinum sellers. They are the reigning CMT, ACM and CMA Vocal Group of The Year with six, five and five respective consecutive wins. They will be honored as the 2008 Academy of Country Music/The Home Depot® Humanitarian Award recipients during the ACM Awards show in May. This honor, in part, due to their dedication to raising funds for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, where in the past 3 years they have donated 2.2 million dollars, as well as their work on the American Red Cross Celebrity Cabinet board. Rascal Flatts is currently nominated as ACM Entertainer of the Year and Vocal Group of the Year.

Taylor Swift, widely hailed as the first bonafide country music star of the MySpace generation, recently surpassed the 45 million mark for music streams on her MySpace page, where she is consistently ranked Country’s #1 artist. Her self-titled debut CD has sold 3 million copies and has spent 18 weeks so far in the #1 position atop Billboard’s Country CD Sales Chart.Taylor currently has singles climbing both the country and pop radio charts, and she has nine songs on iTunes’ Best Selling Country chart. Taylor won 2008 CMT Music Awards for Video of the Year and Female Video of the Year and is the reigning CMA Horizon Award winner, as well as the Nashville Songwriters Association International’s Songwriter / Artist of the Year. She is the first female solo artist in country music history to wrote or co-write every song on a platinum-selling debut CD, and she leads the field of female nominees for this year’s ACM Awards with three nominations.

Wendell Mobley and Neil Thrasher are among Nashville’s most gifted songwriters. Between the two they have penned songs for Rascal Flatts- “Take Me There,” “Fast Cars and Freedom” and “I Melt”; Kenny Chesney- “I Know How Forever Feels,” “There Goes My Life,” “I Lost It,”; Alabama’s “We Can’t Love Like This Anymore” as well as hits for Trace Adkins, Montgomery Gentry, Pat Green, Lonestar, Reba McEntire, Diamond Rio, Carrie Underwood, Trisha Yearwood, and more.

Hey Flatts fans, the time has finally come it's May 1st and voting for the ACM's Entertainer of the Year has started!! The guys need our help. This year is the first time the Entertainer Of The Year award is chosen by us the fans! We all know that Gary, Joe Don, and Jay are amazing people, who appreciate their fans, give back to the community, have sold millions of records, numerous number one hits and top 10, and are selling out concert's every night. Now is the time to give back to something to the guys and help them take home the big one this year.

So let's ROCK the VOTE! Go to: http://www.cbs.com/specials/43acma/vote/
and cast your vote for RASCAL FLATTS!! Make sure to spread the word, every vote counts!! 

From CNNmoney.com 

The Academy of Country Music and The Home Depot(R) announced today that multi-platinum country music group RASCAL FLATTS will be the 2008 recipient of the Academy of Country Music/The Home Depot(R) Humanitarian Award, to be presented during the 43rd ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS ceremony honoring country music's best and hottest emerging talent. The show will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 18, 2008 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. In its seventh year, the Humanitarian Award recognizes country music artists who serve others, have a generous spirit and help build the dreams of those in need. The members of RASCAL FLATTS -- Jay DeMarcus, Gary LeVox and Joe Don Rooney -- were selected by a special blue-ribbon committee comprised of executives in the country music industry as well as local and national philanthropic leaders for their ongoing community service and charitable giving of their time and talent. "We have been blessed with some incredible successes in our career the past couple of years," said Rooney. "The most rewarding thing for us is the opportunity to give back to our communities. We'd like to thank The Home Depot and the Academy for recognizing us in such a humbling way." As the recipient of the Humanitarian Award, RASCAL FLATTS will receive a beautiful crystal trophy designed by Tiffany & Co. during the live CBS telecast. They will also be honored with a playground donated by The Home Depot and the Company's national nonprofit partner KaBOOM!, which envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. The playground will be built by The Home Depot volunteers and community members in the city of RASCAL FLATTS choice. Past recipients of the Humanitarian Award include Brooks & Dunn, Vince Gill, Lonestar, Martina McBride, Neal McCoy and Reba McEntire.

"The Humantarian Award embodies the kind of giving spirit that the Academy strives to foster within the industry," said Bob Romeo, executive director of the Academy of Country Music. "The selfless giving to others by artists like Rascal Flatts helps bring that spirit to life, and makes us so proud to be part of the country music community."

"Philanthropy and giving back are embedded in The Home Depot culture and are at the core of the Humanitarian Award," said John Ross, vice president of advertising for The Home Depot. "The members of Rascal Flatts show a true dedication to charitable giving and community service and exemplify the values represented by both The Home Depot and the Academy of Country Music. We are proud to recognize them for their contributions and impact on improving our local communities."

Directed by Robert Deaton and George Flanigen, the clip was shot in Los Angeles last month, using a combination of performance footage and small visuals of everyday people helping others in crisis. The video gives the American Red Cross prominent space, appropriate since Rascal Flatts — comprised of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney — has been a member of the agency's national celebrity cabinet since 2004.

Written by Jeffrey Steele and Alissa Moreno, "Every Day" is the third single from the group's platinum album Still Feels Good. It's currently in the Top 10 on the Country Aircheck singles chart.

Check out the link below to watch the latest music video from Rascal Flatts!!

 http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--59259390

 
Rascal Flatts won Group Video Of the Year for "Take Me There" at tonight's CMT Awards. 

"It's great to be able to be home and be able to do this. It's more like a party than an awards show," singer Gary LeVox said. Adds Jay DeMarcus , "Thank you so much to the fans, first of all. Everybody knows this is fan voted, and we love you guys. We’ve got the best in the world."

Here are a few pictures from on the set of Rascal Flatts video Every Day! No offical release date of the video has been announced. The Flatts will appear on CMT's Top 20 Countdown next week with Lance Smith. So stayed tuned! It could be premiered on the countdown next week! *Photo Credit to CMT.com*

Rascal Flatts are scheduled to perform on the Today Show's Summer Concert Series. They will perform on July 11th. 

In other news, they are shooting a video for their recently released single "Every Day." In just 4 weeks the song has rose to #12 on the country charts and just charted on hot 100. Keep requesting everyone! :)

Also, while your at CMT.com don't forget to VOTE for Rascal Flatts for the CMT Music Awards!! They are up for Video Of The Year "Take Me There", Group Video of the Year- "Take Me There", and Director of the Year- Shaun Silva!  

 Rascal Flatts recieved two ACM nominations this morning. For the first time in ACM history, fans will choose the entertainer of the year winner. Fan voting begins May 5, and more details will be announced at a later date, according to the ACM.

The awards show will air live on CBS May 18th from Las Vegas.

Entertainer of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Rascal Flatts
George Strait
Keith Urban

Top Vocal Group
Diamond Rio
The Eagles
Emerson Drive
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts