Prepping for The Super Bowl

Tomorrow, The Country Station will be annoucing the winner of "The Big Game" prize package so you can throw the ultimate party for 20 of your friends this Sunday. Today is your last day to send entries through the main website.

If you can’t watch Super Bowl XLV on TV this Sunday, your next option is to listen to it on the radio. Our sister station, AM 570, will be airing the game; therefore, you’ll hear Lady Antebellum’s “Stars Tonight” remixed just for the pre-game radio coverage. The new version, which includes highlights from the Packers’ and Steelers’ winning seasons, will air on more than 640 stations in the Westwood One network, including KSNM.

Elsewhere in Super Bowl entertainment, the cast of Glee will perform Lady Antebellum's “Need You Now” in a new episode premiering on Fox immediately after the football game. ..... Dierks Bentley and Jack Ingram will be in Dallas, Texas during the Super Bowl this weekend to join a host of other performers for what’s being called “Texas’ Largest Tailgate.” The concert will be streamed live online at the sponsor’s website. ….. CMT Crossroads will go live with Faith Hill and The Pretenders during The Super Bowl Fan Jam on Saturday on CMT. … And look for Keith Urban to be a part of a Super Bowl pre-game concert broadcast on FOX.

Sugarland's latest album, The Incredible Machine, has been certified platinum by the RIAA for shipments of more than one-million units. It's the fourth album from Sugarland to be certified platinum or better, bringing their career album sales to 9 million. ….. Brad Paisley’s been calling on several stars of country and Hollywood for his upcoming album, This Is Country Music. It was recently revealed that Alabama was in the studio with Brad recording tracks for the new album. Now, Clint Eastwood is offering up his talents on an instrumental track titled, “Eastwood”. Referring to Clint’s whistling, Brad tweeted, “Seriously. I think he has potential, this kid. Or should I say punk.” Other stars slated to be included on the CD are Sheryl Crow, Marty Stuart, and Don Henley of the Eagles.

Hope You Have A Dual-Channel DVR

With the ACM’s approaching, you don’t have to turn too many channels this week to catch a country star on TV. But you might need a dual-channel DVR to catch conflicts. Tonight, Lady Antebellum is the musical guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, as well as the Late Show With David Letterman. Alan Jackson will also appear on Jay Leno Wednesday, while Gloriana performs on Jimmy Kimmel Live. We mentioned yesterday that Blake Shelton and Bombshel will be on the Price Is Right on Friday. And then on Saturday, Jack Ingram is scheduled for two songs on The Early Show.

And if that isn’t enough for you, clear more room on the DVR for The Celebrity Apprentice this Sunday, opposite the ACM’s. Trace Adkins will be back in New York to sit in Donald Trump’s boardroom when he acts as celebrity advisor on an episode where the current contestants will be given the task of creating image makeovers for Emily West and Luke Bryan. Considering the remaining contestants include Cyndi Lauper, Brett Michaels from Poison, and Sharon Osbourne, among others, this could be a scary proposition. Good thing Trace will keep them in line with country. Trace was the runner-up to winner Piers Morgan of the 2008 reality series, and raised a half-million dollars for the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network.

And finally, watch for the return of Shania Twain to American Idol. As a guest judge during Idol’s Chicago auditions earlier this season, Shania proved she has an ear for talent. This time, Shania will return as a mentor to the contestants. Unlike some of past season nine mentors, Shania has plenty of experience to draw on after being in the business for nearly two decades, selling over 65 million albums and winning five Grammys.

Jack Is Nearly Smarter Than a 5th Grader

If you blinked, you missed Jack Ingram ride onto the set of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader on a child’s bicycle – complete with flowery basket! The intro was fast, and the rest of the show was faster. Jack whizzed through the elementary school questions pretty quickly, although he did use up his peeks and cheats before the end of the test. He had to answer the last few questions on his own, but luckily by that point, he was reduced to 1st and 2nd grade questions. Like Bucky Covington and Heidi Newfield before him, Jack used the strategy of starting with the harder 5th grade questions while he had the help of the kids. Big Kenny had done the opposite; he started in 1st grade and grew up throughout the test. Nonetheless, Jack’s strategy worked. Along the way, he missed the question about the color of the visual spectrum that is closest to an x-ray. He said “green;” the answer was “violet.” And although he played it like he was just checking with the kids to confirm his answer about fruit in an Aesop fable, he had no idea! But in the end, Jack did answer enough to earn $25,000 for his charity, Tom’s Shoes. When it came to the bonus question, Jack, like Bucky, chose to leave while he was ahead and not gamble Tom’s shoe money down to a consolation prize. Jack Ingram became the third 5th grade dropout of the week. Emily West takes the test tonight to wrap up country music week.

News From Around The Country
Big Kenny’s new solo will be coming out in November in a very unique package - it’s biodegradable cardboard infused with flower seeds. …. Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard, Kenny Rogers, Hank Williams, Junior, and Randy Travis were among the few honored Tuesday night during the 2nd Annual ACM Honors event. Randy received the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award. … Brad Paisley will be the musical guest on The Jay Leno Show on Monday; and The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien on Wednesday. …. Jewel recently taped a Christmas special for HGTV. The show will share decorating tips as hosts help Jewel decorate her home in Texas for the holidays. The special airs December 6th. … And finally, if you’d like a wakeup call from Toby Keith, sign up at his website. Toby will give fans a wake up call October 6th reminding them to go out and grab his new album American Ride.

Bucky Is Nearly Smarter Than a 5th Grader

“If your dog goes to the doctor more than you do … you just might be a redneck!” Jeff Foxworthy had to break out his trademark jokes after Bucky Covington revealed that he writes a lot of checks to a veterinarian, the answer to the 1st grade vocabulary question, “’Vet’ is the shortened form of what word for a type of doctor who cares for animals.” Last night on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader, Bucky nearly aced the grade school test on his own. He only had to rely on a 10-year-old for two questions – once to be saved when he incorrectly answered “Amsterdam” as a European country, and the second time when he had absolutely no idea what the period of Roman peace and prosperity was called. In both cases, Bucky’s classmates knew, so he was able to cheat. Combined with his own impressive pool of knowledge, Bucky got to $24,500 with one of his cheats remaining. Seemingly confident in his answer to the last question, he wanted to hold on to the cheat for bragging rights. But just to play along and finish the game with the kids, he peeked at his classmate’s paper just to be sure. After all, it was the dreaded 1st grade spelling question – his worst subject! Either way, the final answer was correct and Bucky earned an A+ and $25,000 for his charity, the Arthritis Foundation. Yet when it came time for the bonus US History question, the enthusiasm Bucky displayed throughout the show toned down to common sense. He said that his mom had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and that he had seen the work that the foundation does through other fundraisers. While he knew they’d make good use of $250,000, he decided that they’d love $25,000 more than $2500. Just when it looked like he might be smarter than a 5th grader, Bucky pulled a surprise move and dropped out of school!

Tonight, Jack Ingram wheels up to the desk; and Friday Emily West wraps up country music week.

Heidi Newfield Drops Out of the 5th Grade

Last night on “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader” Heidi Newfield played for the National MS Society. Citing her mother’s battle with MS, she wanted to play for a charity that was close to her heart. Throughout the grade school test, Heidi answered most of the questions herself, but she did lose some money early on when she got a question about the Louisiana Purchase wrong and then tried to cheat off the paper of a classmate for another question. Trying to help Heidi, the young student had answered an elementary question about world geography with what looked like a misspelling. However, when Jeff Foxworthy questioned him as to the intent of his answer, he stated what sounded like a completely different sea and was therefore marked incorrect. So with incorrect answers, she was never going to reach the $25,000 level; but she could have answered the bonus question about ancient history to try to increase the pot to $140,000. Instead, Heidi chose to drop out of school and walk away with $14,000 to fund research to cure Multiple Sclerosis.

Tonight, Bucky Covington tries to outsmart the kids; tomorrow Jack Ingram takes a turn at the desk; and Friday Emily West meets the 5th Graders.



Other stuff to watch on CMT: This weekend is a CMT Big Music Weekend, with nine new videos hitting the airwaves. Plus, some artists will be on hand to introduce their videos with special segments filmed just for this weekend. Here are the new videos to look for:

· Carrie Underwood – “Cowboy Casanova”
· Tim McGraw – “Southern Voice”
· Kenny Chesney (featuring Dave Matthews) – “I’m Alive”
· Keith Urban – “Hit the Ground Runnin’”
· Sugarland – “Keep You”
· Reba – “Consider Me Gone”
· Miranda Lambert – “White Liar”
· Billy Currington – “That’s How Country Boys Roll”
· Michelle Branch – “Sooner or Later”

Big Kenny Isn't Smarter Than a 5th Grader

“I’ve learned to be resourceful,” said Big Kenny, describing his studies since grade school. When you don’t know the answer – look it up – or cheat. And cheat he did. Big Kenny copied off his classmates papers when necessary, took their help and advice, did fairly well on his own, and ultimately answered all the questions up to the $25,000 level. All he missed was the math question, “If Malachi has 10 dozen video games, how many scores of video games does he have?” The correct answer is six. Then it came time for the bonus round. $250,000 looked more enticing than the consolation prize of $2500, so Big Kenny had to at least take the chance. It was a world history question. And it was clear that he didn’t know about the Spanish conquistadors who originally explored what is now modern day New Mexico and Arizona. Remembering the old saying, “It is better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all,” Kenny locked in his final answer of “Christopher Columbus” and unfortunately lost all that he had won. Big Kenny walked away with the $2500 for his charity, Love Everybody, an organization he described as doing good work around the world, including the recent building of a school in rural Sudan.

Tonight, Heidi Newfield gives it a go; tomorrow Bucky Covington goes back to school; Thursday Jack Ingram plays for his gold star; and Friday Emily West meets the 5th Graders.

An Entire Week of Blond Moments

It’s Country Music Week on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader! Watch CMT at 6pm (Mountain) each night this week to see Jeff Foxworthy quiz the country stars on grade school subjects. It’s interesting to note that all of this week’s contestants share the same hair color. So be prepared for some great “blond moments” when the singers are forced to cheat off 5th graders to win some money for charity. Tonight, it’s Big Kenny from Big & Rich, playing for his charity Love Everybody. Be sure to check back on this blog later tonight for the recaps!

Tomorrow, Heidi Newfield will play; Wednesday Bucky Covington will try to make the grade; Thursday Jack Ingram matches smarts with the kids; Friday Emily West goes back to school.

News From Around The Country
Blake Shelton's brow-raising tweets have lead to him to be entered in the Mr. Twitter U-S-A contest for September and so far he is in the lead. The link to the contest is on his website and fans can vote every 20-minutes. Should Blake win in the U-S, he would then go on to a global competition for the world crown. … Lady Antebellum’s “I Run To You,” is being featured in the fall commercial campaign for the financial services giant TIAA-CREF. … Love and Theft have been asked to join the Jason Aldean Tour. … And finally, Trisha Yearwood has been asked to host the annual “Christmas at Belmont.” She’ll join over 400 university students and faculty singers, as well as the Nashville Children’s Choir. It will take place at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, and will be nationally aired on December 23rd on PBS.

A Big Green Ringtone

Jason Aldean continues to ring phones across the nation. “Big Green Tractor” won the top spot on the Billboard all-genre Ringscan chart. Yes, they keep track of such things. This is great news for country music, since it shows that more people are downloading a country ringtone than they are ringtones from Jay Z, Drake, Mariah Carey, and The Black Eyed Peas. And speaking of the song’s success, it’s been certified Gold for digital sales, and it’s been a four-week chart topper, making Jason the only artist to hold that position in more than 18 months. Brad Paisley’s “Letter to Me” had a four-week run in Feb. 2008.

Ouch! The Young & Wild(er) Tour just started, and Eric Church has already fractured his foot; yet he continues to perform. It happened back on September 4th in Syracuse, but we’re just now hearing about it because Eric refuses to let it affect any of his shows. “As my fans know, I get pretty excited on stage and stomp my feet,” explains Eric. “The combination of the stomping and the fact that our crowds are crazier than ever led to me breaking my foot. I refuse to miss a show over this, so for the time being, I’ll be doing the rest of the shows from a stool. I’m still gonna bring it, and I expect our fans to do the same.” To see what kind of a show Eric does … how ‘bout this little memory from the time that Eric was in Las Cruces to play the NMSU bonfire…..



TV Notes
Taylor Swift will appear on ABC’s The View this morning where she will perform two songs and sit down for a conversation with Barbara Walters and the ladies on the show.... Tonight, Rascal Flatts will perform on the Season Finale of NBC’s America’s Got Talent. Shakira, Leona Lewis, Cirque du Soleil and other special guests are also scheduled to perform. …. John Rich will appear on Fox News Channel's Hannity's America tonight. … And finally, don’t forget to set your DVR next week for Country Music Week on Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? Here’s the appearance schedule:
Monday, 9/21 – Big Kenny (playing for Love Everybody)
Tuesday, 9/22 – Heidi Newfield (playing for National MS Society)
Wednesday, 9/23 – Bucky Covington (playing for the Arthritis Foundation)
Thursday, 9/24 – Jack Ingram (playing for Tom’s Shoes)
Friday, 9/25 – Emily West (playing for the Alzheimer Foundation of America)

Country Sets Records and Goes Back To School

Congratulations to Reba McEntire and Jack Ingram. For the 2nd time in her career, Reba McEntire has the top album on Billboard’s Top 200 Album Chart. Keep On Lovin’ You sold 95-thousand copies in its first week. Jack Ingram owns a Guinness World Record for "the most radio interviews in 24 hours." To promote his album release this week, Jack did 215 interviews in 24 hours. After a talkative day, the last thing Jack said was, “After the last 24 hours, I officially have nothing left to say.” Jack more than doubled the previous record which was 96 interviews.

Here's something to look forward to! Are country stars smarter than 5th graders? We’ll find out when the new season of the popular Jeff Foxworthy-hosted program moves to CMT. Set your DVRs! Guest contestants will tackle subjects ranging from geography to social studies in order to benefit their favorite charity. We'll be sure to follow this upcoming series here on blog!

Here’s the official “Country Music Week” line-up for ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5TH GRADER? - - -
Monday, 9/21 – Big Kenny (playing for Love Everybody)
Tuesday, 9/22 – Heidi Newfield (playing for National MS Society)
Wednesday, 9/23 – Bucky Covington (playing for the Arthritis Foundation)
Thursday, 9/24 – Jack Ingram (playing for Tom’s Shoes)
Friday, 9/25 – Emily West (playing for the Alzheimer Foundation of America)

Kenny Chesney has written a song, “This Is Our Moment,” to be used exclusively on ESPN's college football game and studio telecasts during Dick's Sporting Goods Kickoff Week (September 3-7) and Championship Saturday (December 5) as well as select season games and bowl games. ESPN will debut the song during its pregame show on September 3rd at 7 PM. Kenny was inspired to start writing the song on a cocktail napkin last fall during a dinner in Nashville with play-by-play announcer Brett Musburger, football analyst Kirk Herbstreit and producer Bill Bonnell. Kenny was a guest on ESPN's College Game Day telecast from Vanderbilt during their game against Auburn last year.

And speaking of football, Faith Hill's "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night" will return as the theme song for NBC's Sunday Night Football for the third season. It will make its first appearance this season on September 13th, in a matchup between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, and will continue to be heard throughout the NFL season.

Feel Good Friday!

Happy Feel Good Friday!! So you have a fair chance to judge its leanings for yourself, here's the video that everyone will be talking about this weekend... Toby Keith "American Ride"

Toby Keith   More CMT Music  

Jack Ingram fans will be glued to the tube in coming days. Your man will be making appearances on the Tonight Show tonight, Army Wives on Sunday night, plus, Jack has taped an episode of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Jack plays for money towards the charity, Toms Shoes. Jack was once a camp counselor and one of his campers is the “chief shoe giver” for Toms Shoes…you’ve probably seen the commercials on TV. For more 5th grade quizzes, CMT will run the syndicated episodes starting Monday September 21st.

King George on The New Album

George Strait’s highly-anticipated new album Twang is coming out on Tuesday. Listen to George talk about the project and predict his legacy.

DVR Settings
Trace Adkins will make a guest appearance on A&E’s reality show Gene Simmons Family Jewels this Sunday, August 9th. In the show, Simmons travels to Nashville to take a bickering country band under his wing, and Trace stops by the studio to surprise him. And then on August 16th, Jack Ingram will be making his guest appearance on Army Wives. Also, plan ahead for August 31st – the airing of CMA Music Fest: Country’s Night to Rock.

You Don't Mess Around With Tim

The Tuesday news leads off with Tim McGraw, ejecting another fan from one of his concerts. It happened last Sunday night in Paso Robles, CA. Apparently, Tim thought a male fan was acting inappropriately towards a woman in the crowd. It’s not clear what exactly the man was doing, but allegedly Tim saw something that was enough for him to stop the show and tell the man, “You don’t treat a woman like that.” The crowd roared its approval and Tim did not continue the show until security escorted the man out.

News From Around The Country
This past weekend, Alan Jackson hosted Aquapalooza at Lake Martin, the Alabama lake where he spent a lot of time while growing up. 35,000 fans floated in for the show. It was taped to be shown on CMT on Labor Day Weekend. Taylor Swift has set a new attendance record at the North Dakota State Fair. Over 50,000 folks showed up to see the show, the first time attendance has surpassed 40-grand according to fair officials. Although North Dakotans are not the only Midwestern fans to be lovin’ them some country music. Nebraska fans have started what could become a new tradition at at Jack Ingram shows. This past weekend, when Jack broke into “Barefoot and Crazy,” he encouraged the crowd to take off their shoes. The crowd took it one step further when they started throwing their shoes and flip flops on the stage. By the end of the song, Jack was surrounded by hundreds of pair of shoes, so he started picking them up, signing them, and throwing them back into the crowd! And finally, if you missed Oprah’s country show back in April, it will repeat tomorrow.

More Fan Fare Tonight

The CMT Music Awards take place tonight, and as with all award shows, some surprises are in store. Rumors have been circulating that Taylor Swift will be appearing with rapper T-Pain; she will not confirm or deny the speculations, saying only that everyone should watch to find out. And in CMT’s continuing efforts to broaden country music’s appeal, tonight you’ll see presenters from all fields of entertainment: sports, rock stars, models, rappers, comedians, and TV personalities. There may even be some country music on the show. The show starts at 5 in our time zone with the red carpet arrivals, followed by the award show from 6 – 8:30pm.

It’s also interesting to note that this year CMT is getting away from the gift bags full of expensive indulgences that are traditionally given to celebrities at award shows. Instead, CMT One Country will be giving the gift of food to 130 school-aged children. With the donation of 20-thousand dollars to their non-profit partner, Feeding America, CMT One Country will be able to feed those children for the entire 2009-2010 school year through the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee’s BackPack Program. The 2009 CMT Music Awards sponsors, Sears and Land’s End, also donated backpacks which will also be autographed by artists and auctioned for another CMT One Country benefit.

News From Around The Country
Last week, Jack Ingram, Jason Aldean, Jason Meadows, and Trent Willmon participated in an artist steer riding contest with the Championship Bull Riding League. After lasting just three seconds, Jack was thrown and landed flat on his back. No serious injuries for him or the other artists, but Jack admitted that it would be his first and last time taking an 8-second ride. Josh Turner has recently presented a young woman from his high school in South Carolina with the first scholarship from the Josh Turner Fund for the Arts. Martina McBride helped raise 72-thousand dollars through an auction on Saturday for the YWCA. PETA has revealed the winners of its Sexiest Vegetarians Poll and Kellie Pickler tied with Heroes' Milo Ventimiglia for first place. George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today” is among 25 recordings from various genres that will be added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry this year.

Ready for Memorial Day Weekend

It's Friday! ! School's let out for the summer, Memorial Day Weekend is upon us, and it's time for some R&R! This Sunday is K-Great 104 Country Day at the Southern New Mexico Wine Fest. Join us to enjoy the music of The Moonshiners at 12:15 and The Josh Grider Trio at 3:15. Enjoy your rest on Monday, please recreate responsibly, and remember the real meaning of the long holiday weekend: the nation's fallen soldiers.

News From Around The Country

Jack Ingram is set to appear on the Lifetime show Army Wives. The show captures the live, love, and challenges of military families. He’ll perform his new song “Barefoot & Crazy,” on an episode which airs in August. Jason Michael Carroll will throw the first pitch, sing the National Anthem, and sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” at Wrigley Field on Tuesday. Reba McEntire fans looking for a tropical vacation better work on some reservations in a hurry. Reba gets a chance to do a working vacation at the Bahamian Atlantis resort on July 3rd. The 81st Legislature of the State of Texas filed the appointment of Willie Nelson as their 2009 Texas State Musician. And finally, heading into Memorial Day Weekend, don’t forget that The National Memorial Day Concert, from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol is Sunday night on PBS. Hosted by Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna, the 90-minute concert features Trace Adkins singing “Till The Last Shot's Fired.”

He Didn't Steal Cinderella

The crowd loved them, but Chulianne fell to the middle of the pack on last night's Dancing With The Stars premiere with a waltz that didn’t live up to the romantic hype of the real life couple. Scoring 20/30 was better than Ty Murray’s 14, but still not near the level of early leaders Gilles & Cheryl and Shawn & Mark. Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough did a powerful waltz that many times appeared that Chuck, the man who’s supposed to lead, was being overpowered by the always ambitious Julianne. One of the judges said it looked like Chuck was chasing her around the floor. That was pretty accurate for a waltz that should have been slowed down in intensity but notched up in romance between the lovebirds. The real kiss at the end, versus the traditional head peck, should become a Chulianne staple throughout the season. The countriest couple should stick around a good long time, as there are plenty more that need dismissing first. Likeliest first to go: Holly & Dmitry. Holly Madison was the last minute replacement for injured Jewel. Their routine was a passable 18, with props for the last minute training, but Dmitry’s new and Holly doesn’t have the same following as some of the other Stars. This couple may not be as endeared to the audience as the singers, athletes, and goofballs. Biggest surprise of the night: Melissa & Tony. Melissa Rycroft was the 11th hour replacement for injured Nancy O’Dell. After two hours of hearing about how little they practiced, Melissa & Tony were no where near the stink league. They learned THAT in two days? Oh, but viewers learned in post-dance interview that Melissa has had ballet experience and she’s a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. No wonder she can dance and learn routines quickly. In a field of amateurs that saw an NFL player clunking around the dance floor, it will be interesting to see where the voting public throws support. And if they would just let Ty Murray dance in his cowboy boots, he may get comfortable enough to move his feet! Next show: Next Monday. Photo: last season’s champion Derek Hough and his new partner Lil’ Kim.

Carrie Underwood will be heard back on American Idol this season. She has recorded a version of Mötley Crüe’s “Home Sweet Home” which will be played when contestants are voted off the show. It will be available as a digital single on iTunes on March 16th. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Humane Society of the United States. Carrie said, “I’ve always loved this song, and besides being very fitting for Idol, to me, the title is also very fitting with animal rescue and finding animals their own homes.” PS: Today is Carrie’s 26th birthday!

Rascal Flatts is now in the game to release songs on iTunes before the new album is released. Unstoppable is coming out on April 7th; the first single “Here Comes Goodbye” is available to download today. Next, look for “Forever” on March 17th, “Love Who You Love” on March 24th and “Things That Matter” on March 31st.

News From Around The Country
Jack Ingram will be going out on his first USO tour to Guantanamo Bay at the end of March. Tanya Tucker is going to be releasing an album full of classic country covers on June 2nd. Shania Twain appears on the cover of the March 30th issue of First magazine. And sadly, Grand Ole Opry star Hank Locklin passed Sunday at his home in Brewton, Alabama at age 91.

Don't You Know Who I Am?

Final voting is underway to determine your favorite song of 2008 from among KGRT's Top Requests. Blake Shelton found an early lead to try to take a win home, Carrie Underwood is keeping her dream close behind, and Bucky Covington has found some momentum on his walk toward the top. Voting will be open through the New Year.

Congratulations to Charles Kelley, the tallest third of Lady Antebellum. According to Us Weekly, Charles broke out the diamonds Christmas morning and popped the question to Cassie McConnell, his two-year girlfriend. No wedding date has been announced. Charles and Cassie’s engagement came just two days after his brother, Josh Kelley, and his wife, Katherine Heigl, celebrated their first wedding anniversary.

If you’ve got any connections to Australian bookstores, you may be able to get a hold of an unauthorized biography of Keith Urban. Fortunate Son: The Unlikely Rise of Keith Urban, written by Jeff Apter, is due next month and is supposed to cover Keith’s childhood through his rise to international superstardom, including his time with wife, Nicole Kidman, and the birth of their daughter, Sunday Rose. The book is being released in Australia on January 5th, no word on if or when it would be released in the U.S.

And here’s a story that will make your holiday travel seem a bit less stressful. You took your ID with you, right? Well you were one step ahead of Jack Ingram. Recently, Jack found himself at the Austin airport sans ID. Bound for an early morning flight, "I got this sinking feeling when I realized that I forgot my wallet!" Jack said. "I knew I didn't have time to go home and make it back in time for the flight. I decided to forge ahead and see what happens when you don't have a wallet."

At the ticket counter, Jack laid on the charm. And just then, in a stroke of perfect timing, a young child approached to gush to Jack about what a big fan he was, leaving the ticket agent to ask if she should know him. “Well, no, but you would if you listened to country music, or,” Jack added, “if I had my ID." From there, the agent should be made employee of the month, because she not only went online to look him up on the internet to prove his identity, she said she would try to help him get through security.

"To make a long story short, she had to mark up my boarding pass with red ink and sent me with the head of security off to the metal detectors. When I got there, they searched me up and down and in between, asked me such probing questions as, 'Who else lives in your house?' and 'What kind of car do you drive?' And guess what? I passed! They let me through! I made it to Kansas City!"

So what happened on the way home? Jack was still without a wallet. No ID. No money. No credit cards. But he’s got a lot of charm. That worked to his advantage again to get through ticketing and security! To eat, Jack went to the airport coffee shop and found a clerk who was willing to accept his American Express card because he could recite the number by heart! "So at least I was well fed for my return flight home, but the flight sat on the tarmac connecting in Houston for five hours because we were in an ice storm, so my excitement was short-lived. I finally made it home by 4:30 AM, but only after I managed to get 20 bucks from a fan working the parking garage at the Austin airport -- because I still had no money and I needed it to get my truck out! What a day!"

What’s the moral to this story? Jack says, "If you ever forget your ID and wallet and need to fly, remember this story. It's going to take you a long time in security and you have to be really nice to the ticket agent and everyone else, but you don't need to be a recording artist or anything else, just keep your cool and remember who you live with!"

No Shoes. No Shirt. Not A Problem!

And a splashing good Thursday to you! The cutest picture of the week is credited to Country Weekly magazine. Afterall, it’s never painful to flip through the latest issue and find a little shirtless eye candy staring back at you.

That's Bucky Covington and his soaked air guitar at a resort in Jamaica. The picture comes from a collection of photos that recount the trip in the lastest issue of the magazine. Bucky, Jack Ingram, and James Otto recently performed in the exotic locale at a private function. All parties reported to have a great time on the short trip, which allowed them to participate in various resort activities with their families and friends. But you gotta love a grown man who heads straight for the water slides! Bucky loves the water so much he should have gills.

Musically, Bucky’s latest single, “I’ll Walk,” is steadily walking up the charts - nearly top five or top teens depending on your chart of choice. The Country Station’s favorite unofficial music video also continues to walk through the search engines in long strides of popularity. Be sure to check it out in the right sidebar. James’ latest single, “For You,” splits its growth on the charts between the top ten and the top forty. And Jack Ingram just sent a new single our way this week. Listen for “That’s A Man” among the fresh tracks.

If you're looking for a chance to party - here it is! Roger Creager brings his CD release party to El Paso tonight. The party starts at 8 at Take II, 6315 N. Mesa. Drop in and help Roger celebrate the new CD Here It Is.

Carrie Underwood has been named in People magazine’s annual Best and Worst Dressed issue. This Naeem Khan dress that she wore to the Movies Rock event in Los Angeles not only earned her the title of “Best Exotic” outfit, it was enough to get on the cover. Carrie’s stylish fashion was also praised earlier in the year when she was named the Red Carpet Female Fashion Icon at the Teen Choice Awards.

And finally, if you don’t get by Alan Jackson’s website much, you may want to check it out soon if you’ve ever wanted to be in a music video. Alan is looking for footage of good ol’ country boys, doing everyday country boy stuff. Deadline is October 6th. The winning videos will make up the official video for Alan’s new single, “Country Boy.” There are plenty of ol’ boys in Southern New Mexico that hunt and shoot and rodeo and ride around in the dunes. How cool would it be if some footage of local country boys playing in the desert made the video?

What A Story ...

It’s Half Off Wednesday fight fans! 2 for 1 tickets go on sale at 6 am for Powerhouse Sports Presents Live Wire full contact cage fighting. Hurry before the ever-popular fight tickets sell out.

To get you in the mood for Zane Lewis in concert this Sunday at the Harvest Wine Festival, check this out: This smashing moment from the CMA Music Fest in Nashville this past June should give you an indication of what kind of rockin’ show we’re in for on Sunday. And if you missed the video for Zane’s latest single “Welcome to the Southland” just scroll back down to Monday’s post.

For those that will be in front of the television for at least part of the Labor Day weekend, the 43rd Annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon begins Sunday. This year’s crop of country artists who will be out to help Jerry’s kids include Reba McEntire, Sugarland, Tracy Lawrence, Jimmy Wayne, and a grown-up Billy Gilman.

The fall TV season is shaping up and again there will be a country star on Dancing With The Stars. Although this time, the country star is the teacher! Julianne Hough will take part in the seventh season of Dancing With the Stars with dance partner Cody Linley. The 18-year-old actor who played Jake Ryan on Hannah Montana is the youngest celebrity ever to compete on the hit show. The rest of this year’s celebrity cast includes Lance Bass, chef Rocco DiSpirito, Olympic beach volleyball player Misty May-Treanor, Olympic runner Maurice Greene, Toni Braxton, Kim Kardashian, Cloris Leachman, Ted McGinley, Brooke Burke, comedian Jeffrey Ross, football player Warren Sapp and Susan Lucci. The show premieres September 22nd on ABC.

Album news:
Kenny Chesney releases his next album Lucky Old Sun October 14th. Following Sugarland's lead, Kenny is releasing a Deluxe Fan Edition of the CD that will include the songs “Boston,” “Soul of a Sailor,” and live versions of “Got A Little Crazy” and “Guitars and Tiki Bars.” Rascal Flatts is putting out their first Greatest Hits package on October 28th. The 16-track CD will include 13 of their biggest hits and 3 Christmas songs, “White Christmas,” “Jingle Bell Rock” and an a capella version of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” The three holiday tracks will be available as part of the Rascal Flatts CD for a limited time and will be the only Christmas songs available from the band. And the next project from Tracy Lawrence will be a Christian album. It’s a project his parents have always wanted him to record and he says now was the perfect time to record the CD with songs that could be country or Christian. Tracy even wrote a few songs with his pastor while working on the project.

Ever seen the dog tags that Jack Ingram wears? Believe it or not, Jack explains that he wears the tag as a sign of loyalty to his favorite burger joint, Whataburger. "It seemed appropriate to wear," Jack says with a grin. "It brings back memories of playing for burgers and beer back at Adair's in Dallas when I was starting out." Explaining the rest of his tags, Jack says, “I also wear a 'Never Lost' tag, taken from a Hertz rental car, on the chain with a 'Dreams Come True' tag that Sugarland gave me when we toured together. I just thought, as a touring musician, being never lost and staying on course is important. Of course, maybe what I am really trying to convey is that I am never lost on my way to a Whataburger!"

And finally, another WhataStory from Trisha Yearwood. Last week, Trisha was on her way home from a three-day, 60-mile walk to benefit the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation. "We had been in the air for almost an hour when we heard a loud pop," Yearwood tells People magazine. That pop was a window towards the front of the plane that cracked at 30,000 feet. "The flight attendant came back and told us to remain calm," Trisha explained. "That's when we saw the two pilots with the oxygen masks on. Hearing them breathe like Darth Vader made it a little harder to stay calm." As the crack in the window got bigger and bigger, the plane made an emergency landing in Baltimore before the window completely shattered. After a few hour delay, Trisha was able to get a safe flight home to Oklahoma.

Is today Friday? Or is it the OTHER Friday?

You don’t have to wait until "Every Other Weekend" to have a video here on the Great Country Blog. Here's the latest from Reba McEntire, co-starring Joanna Garcia and Steve Howie.



For more viewing pleasure, check out Randy Travis making the rounds to promote his new album next week with David Letterman, Regis and Kelli, and on the Today Show and Good Morning America. Around The Bend is Randy’s first country album in eight years and will be in stores on Tuesday.

Also, don’t miss Jack Ingram as a celebrity judge on the upcoming reality-competition show Next GAC Star. The reigning ACM Top New Male Vocalist says he'll try to balance critiquing the contestants with mentoring them. "It's never easy to act as an expert and 'judge' someone else whose music style or approach may be different from yours," Ingram says. "But I think I can assist these artists by providing feedback they can take into consideration and use to better their music." Look for the show September 3rd. Also be on alert for Kelli Pickler’s new video for “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful.” The clip was just shot at a high school in Nashville, at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, and at a roller rink, where Kelli donned roller skates for the first time since she left her pre-Idol fast food job. And if you think Kelli is graceful on roller skates, maybe someday we’ll see her dancing. Kelli’s hinted to her new friend and two-time Dancing with the Stars champion, Julianne Hough, that she’d like to give that show a go one of these days. That’s wait and see kind of talk from an eager young artist.

Back in the sightless world of audio, lately your listening pleasure has included a lot of Taylor Swift. And for good reason. Miss Taylor has done something no woman in country music history has done. The continuing momentum of “Should’ve Said No” makes Taylor the only solo female act in the 44-year history of the Billboard Country Charts to place her first five singles in the Top 5. Patsy Cline never did that. Dolly Parton never did that. Not even Reba McEntire did that. And if you’re counting, her debut CD – on which she wrote or co-wrote every song – has been number one on the Billboard Country Albums Chart for 23 of the 89 weeks it has been in stores.

Now what’s the latest on Sunday Urban? No pictures yet. Reportedly, Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman turned down lucrative offers for the first official baby photos, and instead decided to release one on their own when they’re ready. They’re not ready. So we wait. Meanwhile, the parents are gushing about the newborn, “We feel immensely blessed and grateful to be given this beautiful baby girl. She's an absolute delight.” And would you believe who sent a room full of flowers? Tom Cruise. "Tom was one of the first people to get in touch and he sent her enough flowers to fill a room," said a source. A handwritten note was also sent to the couple from the Prime Minister of Australia.

Who else has happy news around the web this Feel Good Friday? Clay Walker and his inaugural Clay Walker Charity Classic managed to raise over $72,000 on behalf of his non-profit charity Band Against MS (BAMS). And finally, you may not have heard that Olivia Newton-John has married John Easterling. Reportedly the couple had two secret ceremonies - the first on June 21st with no guests on a mountaintop in Peru; the second private ceremony on June 30th on the beach of Florida’s Jupiter Island. Reports say the pair kept the nuptials under wraps until their Fourth of July barbecue where they shocked guests with the news that they had tied the knot. The 59-year old actress has known the 56 year-old entrepreneur, who owns the natural health based Amazon Herb Company, more than 15 years but the two did not start dating until 2007.

Have a great weekend. The Blog Mouse will be on patrol for pictures of Sunday Urban.