NASHVILLE, TN (May 1, 2015) – Last night (4/30), Black River Entertainment recording artist
Kelsea Ballerini shined in Grand Rapids, MI, at the kick off of
CMT’s
“Next Women of Country”
tour – the network’s first-ever ladies-only tour. Ballerini is
co-headlining the run with Jana Kramer, which will make 10 stops across
the country this spring, including Chicago, Nashville and Orlando.
“I’ve been looking forward to this tour for quite a while, and this
first night was full of girl-power,” shares Ballerini. “I feel so
excited about where women are in Country music right now, and to be able
to be one of the faces that gets to represent that with Jana, is such a
big deal.”
With
an energetic live show and playful tunes, it’s no wonder that Ballerini
is gaining the attention of other headlining acts and will be joining
select dates on Lady Antebellum’s WHEELS UP Tour throughout the summer.
Ballerini’s debut single “Love Me Like You Mean It” (Ballerini, Kerr,
Whitehead, Carpenter) is on the verge of Top 10 at Country Radio and
released to rave reviews with Billboard praising the song as an “…Uptempo, take-charge anthem…”
The sassy tune will be featured on her highly anticipated debut album, THE FIRST TIME,
releasing May 19th. Producers Forest Glen Whitehead (Black River
Publishing) and Jason Massey highlight Ballerini’s adept songwriting
across the 12-track project. Fans can get in on the excitement early
with the album now available for digital pre-sale.
Newly crowned one of CMT’s Next Women of Country, Ballerini has
been garnering enormous buzz with a recent shout-outs from Superstars
Taylor Swift, Little Big Town, Kristian Bush and TODAY’s Hoda Kotb as well as landing on several 2015 “Ones to Watch” lists, including Billboard, Country Weekly, The Huffington Post, CBS Local’s Radio.com, Spotify, #CMChat, Country Music Is Love and more.
Hailing from Knoxville, TN, Ballerini moved to Nashville, TN at age 15
to chase the dream of becoming a songwriter. At age 19, she signed a
publishing deal with Black River Publishing in 2013 and later that year
signed a record deal with Black River Entertainment.
Announced 2015 tour dates for Kelsea Ballerini:
*CMT NEXT WOMEN OF COUNTRY tour dates
** Lady Antebellum WHEELS UP tour dates
April 30 – The Intersection | Grand Rapids, MI*
May 1 – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill | Cincinnati, OH*
May 2 – Indianapolis, IN
May 7 – House of Blues | Cleveland, OH*
May 8 – Joe’s Bar | Chicago, IL*
May 9 – Lafayette Cajundome | Lafayette, LA**
May 10 – The Pageant | St Louis, MO*
May 12 – 3rd and Lindsley | Nashville, TN*
May 14 – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill | Orlando, FL*
May 15 – The Swamp | Fort Walton Beach, FL*
May 17 – The Fillmore | Charlotte, NC*
May 28 – House of Blues | Myrtle Beach, SC*
May 29 – Harrisburg, PA
May 30 – Philadelphia, PA
May 31 – Fort Wayne, IN
June 4 – Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion | Bangor, ME**
June 6 – Heinz Field | Pittsburgh, PA
June 13 – BankPlus Amphitheater | Southaven, MS**
June 14 – Walmart MP | Rogers, AR**
June 17 – Wichita, KS
June 19 – Bands in the Backyard | Pueblo, CO
June 26 – Chippewa Music Fest | Cadott, WI
June 27 – Whitaker Ballpark | Lexington, KY
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Black River Entertainment
