Twenty Years Ago

Can you imagine what it would be like to be a young, wannabe singer, and a major recording label wants to sign you for the next twenty years? That’s either a really confident record label or a freight train destined to crash. Luckily, it worked out for Alan Jackson. Now, the twenty yeas have passed, and the contract is up for the first Arista artist to break into Billboard’s Top 20 with “Here in the Real World.” Alan is still contemplating his future and says, "My contract is up after this, so I guess I'll be doing something for somebody, or on my own. I don't know yet, I guess it's time to start thinking about it now." Alan’s final record for Arista, Freight Train, will be released on March 30th. iTunes is offering a brand new song every week until the full album is released.

Carrie Underwood was only a 7-year-old running around Checotah, Oklahoma when Alan Jackson was signed to a record deal. Now she’s on his same label and turning 27 years old today. Happy Birthday. Here are some fun facts about the birthday girl:

*Carrie’s favorite country singer of all-time is Martina McBride.
*Carrie is in the sorority Sigma Sigma Sigma.
*Carrie played softball and piano for eight years.
*Carrie was never in the bottom three when she was a contestant on American Idol.
*Carrie had never been on an airplane until American Idol.
*Carrie’s American Idol fan base calls themselves "Care Bears" and toss stuffed bears onstage while she's performing.
*Carrie is up for five nominations at the ACM’s this year.
*Carrie was the first woman since 2001 to be named the ACM's Entertainer of the Year in 2009. *Carrie was first runner-up in the 2003 Miss Northeastern State University pageant. Although she didn't take the crown, she did win the talent competition.
*Carrie is afraid to ride motorcycles, four-wheelers, and other recreational vehicles.
*Carrie’s Play On Tour has been rehearsing in Mobile, AL. Expenses to rent the Civic Center, stay in hotels, and hire local crew and catering for two weeks amounted to better than half-a-million dollars.

News From Around The Country
LeAnn Rimes’ straight-to-DVD movie, Good Intentions, was released yesterday. The movie is an off-beat comedy about blackmail, robbery, and family values. The film was shot back in 2007, and is just now making its way to stores. ….. Rascal Flatts’ Joe Don Rooney, and his wife, Tiffany Fallon, are expecting their second child in September. The two already have a 21-month old son, Jagger Donovan. They found out they were expecting while staying at the same L.A. hotel where they learned they were pregnant with Jagger. …. Tim McGraw and his tour sponsor, Outback Steakhouse, have teamed up with Operation Homefront to help support troops, veterans, and their families. Outback is donating one million dollars to the organization, and you can help by eating at an Outback restaurant. …. Big Kenny just visited Haiti and performed twelve concerts in seventy-two hours for the troops there. ….. Dierks Bentley has announced that Alison Krauss and Miranda Lambert will guest star on his bluegrass album, Up On The Ridge, due out this summer. ….. And finally, Keith Urban has announced that American Idol winner Kris Allen will be opening a handful of his shows on his upcoming tour. The two performed “Kiss A Girl” together on the AI finale last year.