Thursday Briefing

Jimmy Buffett will be released today from the hospitalized after falling from a stage during his show in Sydney, Australia Tuesday night. Reports allege that Jimmy crashed into a large gap in the front of the stage during the finale. Fans were then urged to leave as Jimmy lay on the floor in the first row of seats waiting for paramedics. Various reports have surfaced alleging that Jimmy was unconscious for up to ten minutes; flashing lights may have affected his vision and caused the fall; full reports of the incident should surface with the details of the accident as Jimmy recovers.

It seems pretty noteworthy to mention that Charlie Louvin, a Country Music Hall of Fame member as one-half of the Louvin Brothers, died early Wednesday morning after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 83. He received the cancer diagnosis in July.

On the lighter side of things today, Grammy-nominated artist Chris Young has been talking about what it has been like out on tour with Rascal Flatts. After getting used to outdoor shows in the summer, moving inside for the winter months made for an embarrassing moment on stage one night for Chris. “I wasn’t used to how dark it was on stage and where Joe Don left his pedal board,” Chris said, “So I’m walkin’ across the stage and, uh … I stepped right on his gain pedal and so all the sudden it was just like ridiculously loud and he’s starin’ at me goin’, ‘Smooth…that was good man.’” Chris continues touring with Rascal Flatts through March and then will join Blake Shelton for a few stops on the 2011 All About Tonight tour.

Nominees for the 31st Annual Razzie Awards were announced earlier this week and included stars such as Ashton Kutcher, Jennifer Aniston, Robert Pattinson, Miley Cyrus, and her father Billy Ray Cyrus. Billy Ray’s nomination is in the Worst Supporting Actor category for his role in the movie, The Spy Next Door, with George Lopez. Taylor Swift’s 2010 movie Valentine’s Day appeared in a few categories but Taylor herself was not nominated.

Life Is Good Today In Margaritaville

Based on the reception for ZBB a couple of weeks ago, TVs all over Las Cruces will be tuned in to CMT tonight. The episode of CMT Crossroads with Zac Brown Band and Jimmy Buffett premieres tonight. It should be a great show, because as we heard that night, so much of ZBB music has a carefree feel, the complement to Jimmy Buffet’s hits should be fantastic. How did the pairing come about? Zac Brown says that he actually met Jimmy at a retreat for men in the music business, “We were sitting around a fire trading songs, with Jimmy and one other guy for a good two hours. That’s the first time we really got to meet. I told him I had some songs I wanted to play for him, and we just sat around and traded songs. That was just amazing.”

News From Around The Country
Brad Paisley will make his directorial debut at The Nashville Film Festival on April 22nd. Brad’s directorial skills will be featured in two short films - When Mom’s Away, and Teenage Paparazzo. The subject matter has yet to be revealed but many speculate the films will display Brad’s sense of humor. ….. Dierks Bentley will be featured in the April issue of Esquire magazine (hits the stores on March 23rd). He did the two-day fashion shoot in Mississippi in February. At the end of the trip he was challenged to record an original song that included the phrase “Somewhere in Mississippi.” The result will be available for a one-day-only download on March 29th, and the full version of the song will be available April 5th at esquire.com. ….. And while you’re at the newsstand, you may want to pick up a copy of the April issue of Good Housekeeping. Keith Urban shares his favorite home cooked recipe for crust-less quiche.

The Wake of the ACM Nominations

Ever seen a 3-foot pizza? Short of the book of world’s records, “The Big One” is likely the largest single pizza you’ll ever see. You can get one at Fox’s Pizza Den. If get one of today’s Half Off Wednesday certificates, you can get one for half price. Check it out on the main website because there’s nothing better than impressing your kids at their next birthday party with a pizza that’s likely bigger than they are!

If you're in El Paso tonight, you're welcome to join the Eli Young Band for a great show at Whiskey Dicks. Tickets are $15 at Horse N Hound or ticketbully.com. The last time EYB was in El Paso, the show was a sell-out, so door tickets may be scarce. Advance tickets are always the safest bet.

Tomorrow night, Zac Brown Band will be bringing the Breaking Southern Ground Tour to the Pan Am Center. Yesterday, 500 more tickets were opened up. Grab yours so you don't miss the chance to see the ACM-nominated and Grammy-winning band.

News From Around The Country
While reactions to yesterday’s ACM Award Nominations are settling down, one winner has already been named. Montgomery Gentry will receive the 2010 ACM and Home Depot Humanitarian Award. Troy and Eddie will be honored during the April 18th award show for their ongoing community service and charitable giving, especially to the U.S. military. Rascal Flatts, Martina McBride, and Brooks & Dunn, among others, have all been recipients of the Award.

If you’ve been waiting for the CMT Crossroads episode with Jimmy Buffett and Zac Brown Band, set your DVRs for March 19th. Taped before an invitation-only audience in Nashville last December, the two acts will perform each other's hit songs. It should be great to hear ZBB on "Margaritaville" and "Son of a Sailor" and Jimmy on "Chicken Fried" and "Toes."

Carrie Underwood has been working with the Pedigree dog food company to assist with animal shelters and find homes for abandoned animals. For every person requesting to be the company’s friend on Facebook, Pedigree will donate eight ounces of dog food to animal shelters. Last week, Pedigree made a 50-thousand dollars donation to Carrie’s foundation to help build an animal shelter in her hometown of Checotah, OK.