Welcome to '9

Happy New Year! A lot of exciting things are on the horizon for country music in 2009. Many new singles will be released in coming weeks. Superstars have planned new music and big tours. Several up-and-comers are planning sophomore albums. And you never know who is just around the corner to blow us away as the next new thing in ‘9. We’ll follow it all here on this blog. Thanks for reading.

As a matter of fact, we’d like to take a moment to thank all of our readers who come to this blog from all corners of cyberspace. Since its inception, The Great Country Blog has welcomed visitors from 58 countries around the world. The United States, Canada, and Germany lead the pack. From the U.S., visitors have come from 49 states and the District of Columbia. (Hello? Anyone in Vermont listen to country music?) Obviously the most visits come from New Mexico, so yay, we’re finally first on some kind of list! Howdy to our readers in Las Cruces, Albuquerque, Mesilla Park, Santa Fe, Corrales, Sunland Park, Alamogordo, Ruidoso, and Kirtland AFB. The next most loyal states are California, Texas, New York, and Tennessee. So here’s another big shout out to readers in West Hollywood, El Paso, New York City, and Nashville.

We’d also like to thank all the fan clubs and message boards that post our links, a few of you more so than others! From various sources, certain artist’s fan bases follow The Great Country Blog like ducklings waddling behind mama. You’re welcome for the coverage. One in particular, who shall remain nameless to protect impartiality, rates nearly as many referrals as Google! So yes, we see where you’re coming from, who you’re searching for, and what content you’re interested in. We will strive to continue to be a fun resource in 2009.

The end-of-year poll will stay up a little longer to allow everyone a chance to recover from the holidays and vote. So far, only Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, and Bucky Covington fans are awake. Now that's the most unlikely 3-way battle you will have ever heard of! So since it’s a Feel Good Friday, let’s spotlight our (so far) Top 3 Artists of 2008:

CARRIE UNDERWOOD:
Carrie opened 2008 co-headlining with Keith Urban on the Love, Pain, and the Whole Crazy Carnival Ride Tour. That run transitioned into her own Carnival Ride Tour which was in the southwest region twice in ’08. Josh Turner opened at the El Paso stop in May, and Little Big Town got the show started in Las Cruces in November. Last year, Carrie made return appearances on Saturday Night Live and American Idol. Randy Travis asked her to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Garth Brooks did the induction. Carrie won the ACM Top Female Vocalist for the second time and the CMA Female Vocalist of the Year for the third time. In addition to her singles, special songs were released from Idol Gives Back and the cure-for-cancer campaign Stand Up To Cancer. She’s working on her next album, and her dog has his own website. It was a good year for the all American girl.

BLAKE SHELTON:
Blake started ’08 reeling in his choir’s third place win on the holiday ’07 special, Clash of the Choirs. The Country Station played the heck out of “Home” and it became his 4th #1 song by July. He even got a chance to sing the song with its originator, Michael Buble. Blake saw a rare award nomination when the video for “The More I Drink” was up for a CMT Music Award as Comedy Video of the Year. A good bit of the year was spent readying his fifth CD Startin’ Fires, which was moved up in release due to the immense success of the single “She Wouldn’t Be Gone,” the video for which debuted at #1 on GAC’s Top 20 Countdown. Blake and his girlfriend, Miranda Lambert, enjoyed such a great reaction to a co-concert in the summer, they went out on their own fall tour together. He was named one of People’s Sexiest Men Alive, and was lookin’ pretty sexy at Country Weekly as well. The year was a little more than pure BS for Blake.

BUCKY COVINGTON:
Early ‘08 earned Bucky awards and big performances. CMT gave him the Golden Mouse Award for having the Most Streamed Video From A New Artist. He made a return appearance on the Grand Ole Opry and served as an opening act on Dierks Bentley’s Throttle Wide Open Tour. Music Row gave Bucky the Major Label Breakout Artist of the Year Award, and he performed as part of the Class of ’08 at the prestigious New Faces of Country Music Show. A major nomination came from the CMT Music Awards for Breakthrough Video of the Year. Summer touring gave Bucky a major sponsor, took him to many fan’s hometowns, and put him on the major festival stages, including the televised CMA Music Fest. ABC used Bucky to act as a TV tour guide; The Outdoor Channel aired a special feature on Bucky and his ATV Adventures. And in October, Music Row charted “I’ll Walk” as his first #1 song. It was good to be Bucky this past year.