John Schneider is going to be back on TV, and it’s not just in Dukes of Hazzard re-runs on CMT. John is going to be picking up a part on Desperate Housewives as the father of Brian Austin Green’s character, “Keith.” Nice to see that he can put the fatherly acting skills back to use since his character of Clark Kent’s father, Jonathan, was killed off Smallville several seasons ago. John says that he pulls inspiration for his more mature roles from Uncle Jesse’s character on the Dukes of Hazzard, played by the late Denver Pyle, “Loved us dearly, but was never afraid to tell us like it was. Was never afraid to say, ‘Boys, sit down!’ Here’s a couple of things, I’m going to tell you these things.’ Knowledge imparted from “Uncle Jesse” served ‘Bo’ and ‘Luke’ well.”Keith Urban is one of many famous faces taking part in a new campaign for the American Cancer Society. The organization’s campaign “More Birthdays” features different celebrities performing their own renditions of “Happy Birthday.” Artists will also create or donate artwork. Keith says, “I love the spirit of the American Cancer Society's More Birthdays campaign because it celebrates life. The marking of time, especially when spent with family and friends on that special day, helps to remind us of the little things that are most important to all of our lives.” Keith’s rendition will also be turned into advertisements for television, online outlets, and custom e-cards.
This Christmas season, Trace Adkins will serve as a celebrity narrator for Disney World’s Candlelight Processional. The Epcot theme park will be transformed into an international celebration with various festive decorations and live entertainment from different cultures. The Candlelight Processional is a special event that will be held nightly at the American Gardens Theatre using a variety of celebrity voices to tell the story of Christmas, accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra and choir. If you’re making travel plans, Trace’s voice will be used from December 19th to 21st.
And finally, many country musicians were honored at Tuesday night’s ASCAP Awards. Alan Jackson and Dierks Bentley were the evening’s top honorees receiving the ASCAP Founders Award and the Songwriter/Artist of the Year, respectively. Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now," which was co-written by Josh Kear, was deemed Country Song of the Year. Special performances were given by the writers of the year’s top five most performed songs. Those performances included “Need You Now,” by Josh and Lady Antebellum; “Sideways,” by Dierks, “Alright,” performed by Darius Rucker and Frank Rogers, “Big Green Tractor” performed by David Lee Murphy, and “Gettin’ You Home,” by Chris Young.
