XM Kicks Off New Season of Original Music Programming

Starting in June, XM Satellite Radio music fans will hear fresh installments of the popular original XM series Artist Confidential and Artist 2 Artist, as well as the latest addition to XM's original programming lineup: Offstage. The Dixie Chicks, Pretenders, David Gilmour and Rob Thomas will be some of the artists featured during this new season of XM's original music programming, along with many other celebrated stars of rock, pop, country, hip-hop and classical music.

The Dixie Chicks' episode of "Artist Confidential" premieres  on Monday, June 19th at 9pm ET on XM's Highway 16 (XM 16), and fans of The Pretenders can catch their "Artist Confidential" episode on Monday, August 7 at 6 pm ET on The 80s channel (XM 8). Encore broadcasts of both episodes will air on other XM channels during the summer.

The summer season of "Artist Confidential" also will feature Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, The Cars, The Doobie Brothers, INXS, Steven Stills of Crosby, Stills and Nash, and the first-ever "Artist Confidential" to be broadcast in 5.1 surround sound, featuring Alan Parsons.

In addition to "Artist Confidential," XM will premiere a new installment of the original bi-monthly XM series, "Artist 2 Artist," in which emerging stars interview their personal music legends about their life as an artist. The new episode features rising pop star Anna Nalick interviewing Rob Thomas will premiere on Monday, July 10th at 6pm ET on Flight 26 (XM 26).

Also premiering this summer is XM's newest original music series, "Offstage." Each month "Offstage" hands over the microphone and XM's vast music library to a well-known artist to play the music they want and speak their mind. A new episode of "Offstage" will premiere each month, with encores airing throughout the following weeks. To kick off this new series Joe Elliot and Phil Collen of Def Leppard will serve as the first "Offstage" hosts on XM's Boneyard (XM 41) premiering Monday, June 5th at 7pm ET.

Future episodes of "Offstage" will be hosted by a variety of rock and hip-hop icons, including Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, Ray Davies of The Kinks, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Greg Allman, Joe Walsh of The Eagles, and others.