Thanks to everyone who voted in this week’s CMT Power Picks!

Tuesday – Jason vs. Joe Nichols – WIN! Great job!
Wednesday – Jason vs. Craig Morgan – WIN!
Friday – Jason vs. Darius Rucker – WIN!

Next Tuesday, Jason faces off with Caitlin & Will.

Be sure to VOTE for Jason!

CMT Power Picks puts the hottest videos against each other, and your votes decide which gets played and which goes away. Contenders are announced online and on-air.  During the show, you vote on CMT.com, watch as the biggest videos battle for play, then enjoy the winner! CMT Power Picks airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET.

Jason’s up for Male Video of the Year for “She’s Country” – CLICK HERE to vote!

The first round of voting for the 2009 CMT MUSIC AWARDS runs from April 13 through May 11, only at CMT.com, where fans will select from the top nominees in each category. On Tuesday, May 19, CMT will announce the four finalists in each of the categories, except VIDEO OF THE YEAR. Fans can then vote online at CMT.com through June 15 to determine the winners of the 2009 CMT MUSIC AWARDS. The final nominees for VIDEO OF THE YEAR will be announced at the beginning of the live show and fans can vote at CMT.com and via text message throughout the live broadcast (ET/CT only) to determine the night’s big winner.

Country music’s biggest stars will rock Nashville when the 2009 CMT MUSIC AWARDS premieres LIVE on Tuesday, June 16 on CMT and CMT.com.

Embedded video from CNN Video

K102 in Minneapolis hosted a “drive-thru” last Tuesday on Wide Open‘s release date. Fans from miles around lined up to get their photo taken with Jason and have their new CDs signed.

CLICK HERE to check out some photos! Take a look at the K102 website for all of the pictures!

The sales story that has Music Row buzzing this week is that of indie-label underdog Jason Aldean, whose third disc WIDE OPEN posted 108,960 in first week sales. The country rocker’s debut is enough to garner the No. two spot on Billboard’s Country Albums Chart and the No. four position on the all-genre Billboard Top 200 chart.   This marks the best opening week of Aldean’s career to date and a nearly 10 percent increase since his last release in 2007.

“I knew that there was some excitement building for the new album because the crowds at our shows have been crawling the walls when we break into ‘She’s Country,'” says Aldean.   “I just had no idea that it would be this big. This blows my mind.   I feel like the luckiest guy in the world right now.”

Even critics are showing up in record numbers in support of his latest release with Entertainment Weekly calling him “better than ever before.”

“Jason Aldean, the cowboy-hat-wearing rising country star from Georgia, is pretty much in a league of his own on his latest country-rock release, Wide Open.”
Boston Globe

 “More depth than the two-dimensional cutouts that dominate today’s country airwaves.”
Washington Post

“Jason Aldean Rocks Hard On New CD…Aldean’s big, dramatic voice sounds best with a fast-thumping tune pushing him into overdrive.”
Associated Press

“I have always been criticized for my music being ‘too rock’ or ‘not country enough,’ and so I’m just excited that some of those guys are finally coming around to my way of thinking,” laughs Aldean.  “It feels really good to finally get some props for our country sound we’ve been working to create for the last decade!”

The lead single “She’s Country” is currently a Top five radio hit and last week, it hit the No. one spot on iTunes all-genre ringtone chart.   Aldean is currently headlining his WIDE OPEN arena tour and will also open a handful of dates for superstar Keith Urban in the coming months.   Fans can catch Aldean perform on The Bonnie Hunt Show, and Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Jason will be playing a mini-concert on the Jimmy Kimmel Live outdoor stage on Friday, May 1, and he wants you and all your friends to be there! Here’s how:

• Date: May 1
• Time: 6:45pm
• Where: 6840 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028 (located directly across the street from the Kodak Theatre/Hollywood & Highland Complex). CLICK HERE FOR MAP

You will see Jason perform live at the OUTDOOR Pontiac Garage Stage but will NOT see the Jimmy Kimmel Live show in person, but they will have the show on the Plasmas while you wait.

Everyone must be at least 16 years old and have a valid state/government issued ID or passport (with a visible date-of-birth) to attend. High School ID’s must have a visible birth date.

Dress comfortably, but please do not wear elaborate patterns or large logos, as they are not camera-friendly.

No digital or video cameras, cell phones, pagers, books or food will be allowed in the outdoor stage. Please leave these items in your car. BACKPACKS OR LARGE PURSES WILL NOT BE ALLOWED!

Aldean Army members can check out some behind the scenes footage from Jason’s video shoot with CMT Cribs!  Watch the video HERE!

Summer is just around the corner, and GAC is celebrating by letting YOU vote for the Top 20 Summer Songs! Jason’s in the running for “Hicktown” – CLICK HERE to vote!

Jason will be playing at the Couer D’ Alene Resort in Worley, ID on September 13th.  Tickets go on sale nation wide through TicketsWest on April 24th, but if you are an Aldean Army member, we have the promotional code for you to get tickets now!

Aldean Army pre-sale promotional code: cdacasino

Jason will be playing at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, TN on June 12th.  Tickets go on sale nation wide through Ticketmaster on Saturday, May 2nd, but if you are an Aldean Army member, we have the promotional code for you to get tickets now!

Aldean Army pre-sale promotional code: wideopen

**PLEASE NOTE: Although the show is through Ticketmaster, your regular unique password will not work for this pre-sale.  Please use the promotional code above.

Multi-platinum country rocker Jason Aldean stormed the country singles chart (Mediabase) this week, snagging the No. one spot with his smash hit “She’s Country.”    This marks Aldean’s second career No. one hit and his sixth Top 10.  

“Man, it’s hard work to get up to that No. one spot, and I don’t take it for granted,” said Aldean.   “I’ve got a small, but mighty team…from the guys at the label to my crew out on the road.  Thanks to them and all my friends at country radio, we’ll be celebrating extra hard this week.”
 
The guitar-driven track was debuted with a lights-out performance on the 2008 Country Music Awards and went on to become the fastest rising of his career to date.   Over the last few months it has been the most streamed country song on myspace, one of the most downloaded country songs of the year and the no. one ring tone in all genres.

Aldean turned heads earlier this month with one of the biggest sales stories of 2009 as his third disc WIDE OPEN posted 108,960 in first week sales. The debut was enough to garner the No. two spot on Billboard’s Country Albums Chart and the No. four position on the all-genre Billboard Top 200 chart.   It marked the best opening week of Aldean’s career to date and a nearly 10 percent increase since his last release in 2007.

Aldean is currently headlining his WIDE OPEN arena tour and will also open a handful of dates for superstar Keith Urban in the coming months.   Fans can catch Aldean perform on The Bonnie Hunt Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.   For a full list of tour dates and television appearances, visit www.jasonaldean.com.