Thursday Update

Have you seen the NBC series Who Do You Think You Are? It will be returning for its second season on January 21st, and Tim McGraw will be just one of the celebrities trying to dig up a long-lost family history on the program. Cameras follow the stars around the globe as they explore their family trees with the help of several historians and genealogists. Other celebrities participating in the new season are Steve Buscemi, Ashley Judd, Vanessa Williams, Rosie O’Donnell, and Kim Cattrall.

More country stars will be brushing up on their history in order to take part in the upcoming HBO Civil War mini-series, The Appomattox. Rascal Flatts announced their participation earlier this week. Now, Kix Brooks, Laura Bell Bundy, and Dwight Yoakam are on board with the 8-hour long mini-series where they’ll play real Americans who were part of the Civil War. Rascal Flatts will also produce the soundtrack for the series which will feature original material and new versions of Civil War era music.

News From Around The Country
USO Tour veteran, Keni Thomas, along with fellow artists Emily West, Buddy Jewell and Alana Grace, will join Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth Preston as part of the annual 2010 Hope and Freedom USO Tour. Designed as a variety show, the 11-day tour will launch this week and deliver a much-needed break to troops during the holiday season. …… Jamey Johnson's 25-song double album, The Guitar Song, has been certified Gold. The project also received two Grammy nominations including one in the Country Album of the Year category. ….. The Band Perry has officially gone platinum. Siblings Kimberly, Reid, and Neil Perry received official RIAA Platinum status for selling over one-million copies of their #1 single, "If I Die Young." …… And finally, Lee Ann Womack is hoping to draw attention to the plight of women and girls in Malawi, Africa by teaming up with the charity, Join My Village. Fans can visit the groups website and click on links to support the cause. Lee Ann will also appear in PSAs in hopes of getting 100,000 of her fans to join the effort.