Adkins forges on, to release new album in August (AP)

By CHRIS TALBOTT, AP Entertainment Writer Chris Talbott, Ap Entertainment Writer – Wed Jun 15, 7:45 am ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Life is full of highs and lows for Trace Adkins right now.

The country singer is forging on after losing his house in a fire June 4, announcing during his performance at the CMA Music Festival last weekend that he's going ahead with plans to release a new album in early August.

Adkins hasn't missed a performance and doesn't expect to after briefly returning home from Alaska following the fire to check on his family.

"My wife (Rhonda) and kids, they're the only ones I'm concerned about," Adkins said in a phone interview Tuesday from Burlington, Iowa. "And it's a huge adjustment for them. I think they're still in shock."

A faulty power strip under a workbench in the family's garage was the cause of the fire. Adkins takes a "that stuff was just stuff" attitude. But the loss does enter his mind often and sometimes from strange angles.

"I realized I needed a shave and I had to go buy some razors," Adkins said. "Just little things like that, you just don't even think about it and then all of the sudden you say, `I need ... oh, I don't have that anymore.'"

His excitement over "Proud to be Here" leavens some of the emotional upheaval in his life. He calls it his favorite album "in a long time," and thinks it shows the kind of range he finds satisfying, from straight-up country to R&B-flavored songs and deep blues.

"I think I've gotten a little closer to the reason I moved to Nashville and got in this business in the first place, which was to make Ronnie Milsap records," Adkins said. "I've never made any secret about that. All I'm doing is copying Ronnie Milsap. What I mean by that is I always loved the way Ronnie was able to do what he wanted to do, the kind of music that he wanted to do. And he did everything well."

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Online:

http://www.traceadkins.com

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Contact Chris Talbott at http://www.twitter.com/Chris(underscore)Talbott or http://www.twitter.com/AP_Country .

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Expanded "O Brother" soundtrack arriving August 16 (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) – An expanded edition of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," the biggest-selling soundtrack of the last decade, will be released August 16.

Grammy- and Oscar-winning producer T Bone Burnett oversaw the 17-track bonus disc that features artists who appeared on the original album (John Hartford, Norman Blake, the Fairfield Four, the Cox Family and the Peasall Sisters), plus some who did not (Colin Linden, Alan O'Bryant, Ed Lewis and Van Dyke Parks).

Of the new tracks, only one, Burnett's "Cow Road," was heard on-screen. Previously released tracks from Duke Ellington, Ed Lewis and the Prisoners and the Kossoy Sisters are included as well.

The "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" film was released in 2000. The film's soundtrack, which came out in January 2001, sold 3.46 million copies that year, according to Nielsen Soundscan, on its way to winning the Grammy for album of the year.

Shortly after the ceremony, "O Brother" went to No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, nearly 15 months after its release. Hailed for exposing bluegrass, early country, blues and gospel to audiences, the soundtrack sold 2.73 million copies in 2002, landing it in the year-end top 10 for a second year. To date is has sold 7.6 million copies.

Besides album of the year and compilation soundtrack Grammys, the album won awards for Dan Tyminski, Harley Allen and Pat Enright (country collaboration with vocals) and Dr. Ralph Stanley (country vocal performance, male).

The music from "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" spawned a Nashville concert that lead to a sold-out U.S. tour. The soundtrack for the documentary film of the Nashville show, "Down From the Mountain," won Burnett the Grammy for traditional folk album.

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Kid ready to Rock Detroit baseball park in August (AP)

DETROIT – Kid Rock stormed a Detroit riverfront beach with friends by paddleboard Thursday to announce a hometown concert at the city's baseball park this summer.

Rock, Detroit Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom and retired Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios used paddleboards to cross the Detroit River to Belle Isle. A bare-footed Rock then strolled to a beachfront microphone and lectern and said during a news conference that he'd be playing Comerica Park Aug. 12 with opening act Sammy Hagar and the Wabos.

The hit-making rocker said he decided to combine both activities after Chelios called him a day earlier and asked if he wanted to go paddleboarding

"I thought it was just a good way to showcase Detroit, Belle Isle," Rock said of his water-based arrival plan on the island park in the river that separates Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. "Come out with some friends. Let everybody know that Comerica Park's coming with Sammy Hagar. Everybody wins, right?

"I brought some beers for everybody here."

Rock, who was born Robert Ritchie and grew up in and lives in suburban Detroit, is known for dabbling in a variety of musical styles, from hip-hop and hard rock to country and Southern rock. He counts as his biggest hits "Picture," "All Summer Long," "Bawitdaba" and "Born Free."

Thursday's news came on the heels of an announcement that Rock will be going out on the second leg of his "Born Free" tour, which kicks off July 2 in Cincinnati.

He last played Comerica two years ago and performed a special birthday show at Ford Field, Detroit's NFL stadium, in January when he turned 40. He also recently accepted an award from the Detroit branch of the NAACP and held a news conference with Mayor Dave Bing at which he donated a total of $50,000 to five area charities.

Rock, during his beach press conference, worried his profile may be getting a bit too high in the Motor City.

"I should probably go away for a while," he said. "Sometimes you feel a little overexposed. People are getting sick of me."

Still, Rock said he's been in discussions to be the subject of a Comedy Central roast — if it's filmed in Detroit.

"I'm not going to go to L.A. or Las Vegas and get teased," he said. "If they come to Detroit and create some commerce here ... bring it on. I don't care."

Rock said Hagar signed on when the Red Rocker was told he would get the chance to take the stage alongside his friend from Detroit for at least a song or two.

"It's going to be one hell of a party," Hagar said via a statement sent to The Associated Press. "Detroit will never be the same."

Hagar is a longtime solo artist and has been a member of Montrose and Chickenfoot, but is best known as the former frontman for Van Halen. His best-selling memoir, "Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock," was released in March.

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Greyson Chance's debut album set for August release (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Billboard) – Greyson Chance -- the teen singer/songwriter who just over a year ago became a YouTube sensation with a cover of Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" -- has announced that his debut album, "Hold On 'Til the Night," will be released on August 2 through Ellen DeGeneres' eleveneleven imprint, in tandem with Maverick/Geffen.

Chance stopped by "Ellen" on Monday to announce the release date and perform his new single, "Unfriend You," and he tells Billboard.com that he counts Snow Patrol and Coldplay as his main influences on the album, which will feature soul, rock and pop stylings. He also says that a handful of songs, including "Unfriend You," will focus on heartbreak and overcoming personal struggles -- a pair of subjects he's all too familiar with, even at 13.

"When all this first started ... they started putting me in the studio and I was cutting records, and it was a mixture of being excited and being very nervous," says Chance. "I didn't really know who I was at this moment, so I took this record to evolve into myself and put myself in my music. And also, I was going through a heartbreak at the time, and that's where most of the lyrics come from. This record really helped me gain courage and strength, and for the fans, I hope they gain courage and strength from it as well."

Chance recently wrapped a co-headlining tour with fellow teen star Cody Simpson, and recently shot a music video for "Unfriend You" that he says will include "an artistic piano scene" as well as a lot of silly string. Chance says that he has a few things left to tweak on the full-length, and will return to Los Angeles next month to finish it up with producers The Matrix (Jason Mraz, Avril Lavigne) and Ron Fair (Lady Gaga, the Black Eyed Peas).

"I'm gonna' be yelling at the producers going, 'Noo, turn that drum up, turn that drum down!' and they're gonna be going, 'No, you're 13, shut up!'" he says with a laugh. "It's all in good fun ... we have so much fun in the studio and they really respect what I'm trying to do with my music, and I respect them as well."

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

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Jeff Bridges to release self-titled album in August (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Oscar winning actor Jeff Bridges will release his self-titled major-label debut album on August 16, record company Blue Note said on Monday.

The album is being produced by Bridges "Crazy Heart" collaborator, T Bone Burnett, and features material by several songwriters as well as Bridges' own compositions.

Bridges, 61, told Reuters last fall that "Crazy Heart", which won him a best actor Oscar playing a washed-up musician, led him to the creation of the album.

"I've gotten into my music a lot and I think that's a direct result of 'Crazy Heart'," he said.

"Jeff Bridges" features such songwriters as Burnett, Stephen Bruton, John Goodwin, Greg Brown and Thomas Cobb.

Bridges himself wrote or co-wrote four out of the 11 songs on the album. Roseanne Cash, Ryan Bingham, Sam Phillips and Benji Hughes appear as guest vocalists.

Bridges and Burnett first met in 1980 and worked together on the 1998 film "The Big Lebowski." Burnett co-wrote several of songs for "Crazy Heart" included "The Weary Kind," which won the Oscar last year for best original song.

(Editing by Jill Serjeant)

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