Ice Toes

If Dierks Bentley is freezing his shorts, it must be New Year’s Day. On schedule, Dierks took his annual dip in the frigid water's of Nashville's Percy Priest lake last Saturday. It's a ritual he started several years ago and began filming two years ago. Dierks says, "When it reaches and starts crawling up your board shorts and hits the mid section, it's definitely game on. There's no backing down now. The coldest spot for me actually was my feet. I went in there barefoot, and I was in my truck with the heater on high with like the air coming out of the bottom for like ten minutes trying to get movement back in my toes." Dierks' band mates chickened out of the winter swim, but he says that they will have to make up for it this spring while they're on tour.

Forbes magazine has released their list of the Top 20 highest earners in Hollywood for 2010. The only country star on the list is Taylor Swift at #19. Here’s the complete list:

1) Oprah Winfrey - $315 million
2) James Cameron - $210 million
3) Tyler Perry - $125 million
4) Michael Bay - $120 million
5) Tiger Woods - $105 million
6) Jerry Bruckheimer - $100 million
7) Steven Spielberg - $100 million
8) George Lucas - $95 million
9) Beyonce Knowles - $87 million
10) Dr. Phil - $80 million
11) Simon Cowell - $80 million
12) Jerry Seinfeld - $75 million
13) Britney Spears - $64 million
14) Lady Gaga - $62 million
15) Madonna - $58 million
16) Sandra Bullock - $56 million
17) Ellen Degeneres - $55 million
18) Miley Cyrus - $48 million
19) Taylor Swift - $45 million
20) Judge Judy Sheindlin - $45 million

For the third year, you will have the chance to vote in two categories of the Academy of Country Music Awards. The nominees for Top New Solo Vocalist are Eric Church, Easton Corbin, and Randy Houser. In the category of Top New Vocal Duo or Group, nods were given to The Band Perry, The JaneDear Girls, and Steel Magnolia. Fan voting will be open between January 27th and February 24th. The winners in each category will go on to compete for the title of Top New Artist. The 46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will be broadcast on CBS, April 3rd.

Here’s some good news to start the year. Just days before attending the Kennedy Center Honors early last month, Merle Haggard received the news that he’s cancer-free. “I think I'm all right now,” Merle said, “I went down and had a checkup just prior to going back for this little gig and I was clear. I didn't have anything, and that's an awful good sign." In 2008, Merle underwent surgery to have a cancerous part of his lung removed. Merle also said a once-talked-about album with Willie Nelson may now involve close friend Kris Kristofferson. “I'm sure if we're healthy and live to do it, we'll do it,” he said. “We thought about the title: The Musketeers. You know, because there's the three of us.”

And finally, Craig Morgan can now add top-rated TV host to his resume. In its first season on The Outdoor Channel, Craig Morgan: All Access Outdoors has risen to become the network’s #1 rated hunting show on Saturday mornings. The show chronicles Craig’s life both on stage and out in the field as an avid outdoorsman. He also welcomes professional athletes and fellow country artists on as guests each week.