Party At The Opry

It was a star-studded salute to Vince Gill at the Grand Ole Opry over the weekend. The celebration was in honor of Vince's 20th anniversary as an Opry member. Opry legends Little Jimmy Dickens, “Whisperin’ Bill” Anderson and Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Jean Shepard all stepped out to honor Vince. Emmylou Harris took the stage with Vince to sing her hit “Two More Bottles of Wine” and “If I Needed You.” The night also included a special video montage of Vince’s great moments with his Opry family and a special performance by his daughter, Jenny Gill, who made her dad proud and earned a standing ovation with his song “If You Ever Have Forever In Mind.” Vince said, “Having my daughter Jenny here is perfect, because the first time I was ever invited to play here—I’d waited my whole life to get that invitation—I turned down because she had a talent show that Saturday night, and I promised I’d play guitar for her. I said, ‘I can’t believe I’m saying no, but I promised my kid I’d do that. I’m gonna do that.’” Vince’s wife, Amy Grant sang “Better Than A Hallelujah” and “True Love,” which she wrote for her hubby. A touched Vince closed out the show with his hits, “Look At Us” and the song he says landed him his first appearance on the Opry, “When I Call Your Name.”

When George Strait’s 39th studio album, Here for a Good Time, drops on September 6th, look for Faith Hill to join George on “A Showman’s Life,” which laments the not-so-publicized side of a musician’s life. The song also appeared on Gary Allan’s 2003 record See if I Care, as a duet with Willie Nelson.

Six Nashville Metro Police officers were suspended after taking an off-duty job escorting Taylor Swift and her security team around Music City. The Tennessean reports that the officers had received approval from their superiors to take the job, which paid more than $30 an hour, but then top brass rejected it. It was then that the officers decided to go ahead and do it anyway, hoping that their superiors wouldn’t find out. According to the article, Taylor was “unaware” of the approval problems, as was Firefly Entertainment, the company that hired them for her. “As soon as Firefly was made aware that there was a problem, they stopped using these officers immediately,” Taylor’s spokeswoman assured.

Kellie Pickler will make her TV acting debut on the CW’s show, 90210, this fall. Kellie will play “Sally,” the country-singing cousin of “Austin” in one episode of the upcoming season, as well as sing her latest single, “Tough.” 90210’s 4th season begins September 13th on the CW.

Alan Jackson Moves To Capitol Records

After a long relationship with Arista Nashville, Alan Jackson is moving to Capitol Records. New music will be released as as a joint venture between his label, ACR (Alan's Country Records), and Capitol/EMI Records Nashville. Alan recently exited his old label after completing his contract. Capitol and EMI's country roster includes Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker and Keith Urban, along with several new artists.

Kellie Pickler, Gary Allan, Kix Brooks, and Big Kenny will all don a kilt as part of the Dressed To The Kilt fashion show in New York City on April 5th. Kellie has Scottish in her heritage so the event has always been for her. This year’s theme is Country Chic – where Scottish couture meets country cool. Proceeds from will benefit Paralyzed Veterans Of America and the Wounded Warrior Project through Sir Sean Connery’s Friends Of Scotland non-profit. Connery and Lady Connery will host the event.

Watch for Sugarland on American Idol tonight. And finally, congratulations to Patty Loveless, John Michael Montgomery, Steve Wariner, Keith Whitley, The Goins Brothers, Molly O’Day and Larnelle Harris who are being inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame this year.

Pickler and Paisley

More details about Kellie Pickler’s January 1st wedding to Kyle Jacobs have come out. Kellie visited with Ellen DeGeneres on her show this week, and she said that her Caribbean wedding became small because she had originally planned a much larger affair. Kellie told Ellen, “Every time [I looked at] the guest list, it was like, ‘Oh my God, I hate half these people!” This convinced her to scrap plans for the larger wedding and simply elope on New Year’s Day. She said there were no plans except to pack a dress and a suit. “We didn’t know what kind of cake we were going to get. We didn’t know what food we were going to have…it was the most incredible day of my life,” she said. Ellen wrapped up the interview by throwing Kellie a surprise bachelorette party.

Brad Paisley’s had a busy week. On Tuesday, his son Huck turned four-year-old. Huck asked to celebrate his birthday at the Nashville Zoo. Brad’s wife, Kimberly, is a huge supporter of the Zoo, and Brad was impressed that the animals are brought out for the kids to pet at birthday parties. Meanwhile, some of Brad’s most creative fans created a bobblehead version of him and sent it on a cross-country adventure to help bring attention to an important cause. Late last year, the Bobblehead Brad was featured in an online music video spoof of Brad’s hit, “Water”. Now the doll has made a trek across America to 15 cities, documented by fans with pictures. Click here for more information about the Water=Hope Campaign. And finally, check out this picture of the custom Brad Paisley Corvette that was sold at auction this past weekend to a man in Washington. Proceeds went to the Kids Wish Network’s Hero program.

Busy Thursday

Kellie Pickler and her husband, Kyle Jacobs, have shared their wedding photo from the beach. The two called-off the large Nashville affair they were planning when they realized that the point of a wedding - the bride and groom and God - were getting lost among the details.

News From Around The Country
Blake Shelton will be co-hosting the ACM Awards alongside Reba McEntire and co-parenting new pups with Miranda Lambert. The 46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards broadcasts live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 3rd on CBS. The two new puppies were rescued from the side of the road. They've named them Virginia Bluebell and Black Betty. According to Miranda, Black Betty is a spaz and Virginia is sweet and shy. The couple now has a total of seven dogs.….. Alan Jackson’s song “Good Time” is featured in a new ad for GE and its ecomagination technology initiative. In the ad, people of various professions are seen participating in a massive around-the-world line dance which begins as the song is heard on a radio. ….. Gwyneth Paltrow is adding to her resume with a new cookbook, My Father’s Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family and Togetherness, dedicated to her late father, producer Bruce Paltrow. The book includes 150 recipes and pictures of Gwyneth at home with her family and friends. ….. Shania Twain will be honored by her home country when she’s inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame during the 2011 Juno Awards on March 27th. Shania has won 12 Juno Awards throughout her career in addition to 5 Grammys, 4 ACM Awards, and 2 CMA Awards. …… Sara Evans has released a newnovel, Softly & Tenderly. This is the second of a three-part series, Sweet By and By. The third part promises a lot more drama; Sara has been working on it since September.

And finally, be looking for the new game Country Dance for Wii to be released sometime in the spring. In the game, players use the Wii remote to dance along to more than 25 hit country songs and earn points based on how well you’ve danced. Some of the songs included are:
Carrie Underwood, “Cowboy Casanova”
Brad Paisley, “Water”
Sugarland, “Stuck Like Glue”
Trace Akins, “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk”
Tim McGraw, “Just to See You Smile”
Zac Brown Band, “Chicken Fried”
Rascal Flatts, “Life is A Highway”
Blake Shelton, “All About Tonight”
Miranda Lambert, “White Liar”
Johnny Cash, “Ring of Fire”

"Country Strong" Ticket Giveaway

Coming up on Friday, Country Strong opens in theatres nationwide, including our own Allen Theatres. We’ll get the chance to see Tim McGraw play opposite Gwyneth Paltrow, as the husband and manager of a down-and-out country star trying to make a comeback. Stay tuned for the chance to call in and win a pair of tickets to the movie. Otherwise, stop by the new Steel Magnolia Boutique in Mesilla on Friday for a chance to pick up a pair of tickets. Tim McGraw will make several TV appearances this week in support of the movie. Check out Good Morning America on ABC and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on NBC on Wednesday; Thursday, see Tim on Chelsea Lately (E!); and Friday on The Martha Stewart Show. Meanwhile, Gwyneth Paltrow will host NBC’s Saturday Night Live next Saturday, January 15th. This will be her third time hosting the show.

Wedding bells were ringing loudly in the Caribbean on New Year’s Day. Media was quick with the news of Shania Twain’s second marriage, but also tying the knot in an intimate ceremony on a private island in the Caribbean was Kellie Pickler and Kyle Jacobs. It's not surprising that Kellie chose to say her vows on the beach, considering that’s where they got engaged and she's a big fan of the ocean. Kellie posted tweets yesterday afternoon that read – "Private Island. Caribbean. Cigar in one hand, Rum in the other. Someone just called me "Mrs. Jacobs."....sounds nice :)" "Yes, it's true, @kylecjacobs and I said "I Do!" Thank you Jesus!" Kyle also posted a tweet that read, "It's official...I'm Mr. Pickler..." With a new husband and home in Nashville, Kelly admits she’s grown up quite a bit since her early days on the scene, and feels more confident than ever. Kellie said, “I know who I am better now, than I what I did when I was, you know, just turned nineteen and moved to Nashville, so I have a better sense of who I am, and everyday I’m learning more and more about what I like and what I don’t like…I’ve learned a lot.” Kellie kicks-off a series of spring performances January 29th.

The People's Choice Awards air tonight on CBS. Kid Rock is set to perform during the night and Taylor Swift has been confirmed as attending. Country artists are represented in several categories including:

Favorite MALE ARTIST
Eminem
Enrique Iglesias
Michael Bublé
Tim McGraw
Usher

Favorite FEMALE ARTIST
Carrie Underwood
Katy Perry
Lady Gaga
Pink
Taylor Swift

Favorite COUNTRY ARTIST
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban
Lady Antebellum
Rascal Flatts
Taylor Swift

Favorite TV GUEST STAR
Betty White - Community
Britney Spears - Glee
Carrie Underwood - How I Met Your Mother
Demi Lovato - Grey's Anatomy
Neil Patrick Harris – Glee

And finally, The Man in Black, Johnny Cash, makes his long-anticipated debut on Rock Band this week. Eight of Johnny’s most-loved songs are available for download and play in Rock Band 3 as of Tuesday. Classics such as “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I Walk The Line,” and “Cry, Cry, Cry,” are just some of the tunes you will enjoy. The entire pack costs $13.49 on the Xbox 360, Wii, and Playstation consoles.

Webcast + 60,000 People

Yesterday, over 60,000 fans tuned in to Taylor Swift’s webcast as she released new details behind her upcoming album and first single. Taylor’s third album Speak Now, will be released worldwide on October 25th, following her brand new single “Mine,” which is scheduled to hit radio mid-August. Taylor says, “The new single is about my tendency to run from love, and finding the exception to that.” Taylor also revealed she is planning a world tour following the album, and plans to visit some of her favorite places including, Ireland, Latin America, and Italy. The album which is co-produced by Nathan Chapman, will feature 14 different tracks – all of which were solely written by Taylor.

Keith Urban has collaborated with such artists as Brad Paisley, John Mayer, and John Fogerty. Now he’s completely switched gears and recorded with The Wiggles and he didn’t even do it to impress his daughter Sunday. Keith says, “She’s not hip to The Wiggles yet. But I did do a song with them recently, so hopefully when she’s into them, she’ll think Dad’s cool ‘cause he sang with The Wiggles. We did a cover version of “England Swings” by Roger Miller.”

Trace Adkins will be starring alongside Mathew McConaughey in next year’s drama The Lincoln Lawyer. The film portrays the story of a lawyer who does business out of a Lincoln Town Car while representing a prestigious Beverly Hills client. Trace will portray the leader of a bike gang. It’s a small role, but Trace looks forward to it because it’s easy, and it only takes three days out of his schedule.

Kellie Pickler has added a new addition to her family with the adoption of a ten-month-old Weimaraner puppy named Tucker. The new dog will join Kellie’s other three dogs Pixie, Maddie, and MooMoo as she tours with Rascal Flatts. The band better watch out because Kellie says that she often gives away rescue dogs at concerts. "If I see a dog sitting anywhere on the road, I'm going to put him on the bus and try to find him a home. I've been notoriously known for giving animals away at concerts." Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus, or Joe Don Rooney may wind up with a dog of their own.

And finally, if you're a fan of Gloriana, you'll be able to get an inside look at the band's Long Hot Summer tour this Friday, as they stream their live performance at Churchill Downs music festival in Louisville, Kentucky. Check it out at 4:35 pm on the band’s website.

Wednesday With Walker

The video’s done. If you missed the Clay Walker concert in the park on Sunday night, or you just want to see the good parts again, here you go.


Speaking of Clay, last week when we spoke to him he was in Florida for his annual golf tournament. As it turned out, Clay and his charity organization Band Against MS, made a $50,000 donation to Dr. Lauren Krupp during the 3rd Annual Clay Walker Charity Classic’s Gala event on June 30th. The donation will help support research on childhood multiple sclerosis in Stony Book, New York.

Tim McGraw has launched a free application for iPhones and iPod Touch. The service includes exclusive news, Tim’s tour dates, and more. You can also download a new live version of his music video for “Still.”

And finally, Kellie Pickler has partnered with Staples and the website, dosomething.org, for a national school supply drive “Give Back Pack.” You’ll soon be able to check out this website to get involved. You can sign up to have Kellie as your pack leader in exchange for exclusive content. For every member who joins Kellie’s pack, she will donate one dollar -up to five-thousand dollars - to “Do Something 101.” The program ends on September 18th, and select winners will have a chance to meet Kellie and receive special autographed merchandise. There will also be school supply collection bins at the office supply chain’s retail stores.

Wedding Bells Will Be Ringing

More wedding gossip from the lovely ladies of country. Carrie Underwood was spotted at the Palazzo hotel and casino in Las Vegas Friday night dancing the night away with several girl friends. Many think this was Carrie’s bachelorette party considering fiancé Mike Fisher had his bachelor party in Miami last weekend. No official wedding date has been announced; however, there are rumors that claim Carrie and Mike will tie-the-knot at the Ritz Carlton at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia – halfway between Atlanta and Augusta, on July 10th. Sources claim she has rented out the entire hotel for friends and family. Rooms are currently unavailable at the hotel that weekend, though it may just be a coincidence. ….. And how about that ring that Kellie Pickler received? It’s a round brilliant center diamond in a pave setting; it’s a similar shape to Carrie’s ring. Kellie has said that she doesn’t care what it looks like; it could be from a Cracker Jack box and she’d still be happy to be engaged to Kyle. …… Meanwhile, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert held their engagement party on June 23rd. Guest Martina McBride tweeted, “Good Lord! This Blake and Miranda engagement party is out in the freaking boonies!” She later states the party was great and worth the trip. She even sang karaoke including “Does He Love You,” with Miranda, and “I Love Rock and Roll,” with Blake.

And speaking of Miranda Lambert, she recently honored two of her favorite Texas teachers for the "Behind Every Famous Person is a Fabulous Teacher" campaign. Miranda chose teachers who she felt helped her the most as a youngster, by helping her get over stage fright and helping insure that she graduated. High school teachers Janice Caldwell and April Coker were flown to Nashville last week for a photo shoot. Then Miranda made sure the ladies got tickets to the sold-out Nashville Rising concert and a personal invitation to her engagement party. "I was so excited," said Mrs. Caldwell about when she found out she was being honored. Meeting Reba McEntire was one of the highlights for Mrs. Caldwell, "When you are standing there and Reba McEntire hugs your neck, I said, 'Oh my goodness'". "But, this is the neat thing. I am putting it all on Facebook and so many of my former students said, 'Reba McEntire should have been excited to have been hugged by Mrs. Caldwell.'"

Brides Happen In Three's

Mike Fisher turned country boys on their ears when he proposed to Carrie Underwood last winter. A fairly quick summer wedding is rumored. Meanwhile, as the spring passed, Blake Shelton finally proposed to make it legal with Miranda Lambert and their wedding plans are underway and aimed at next spring. Now Kellie Pickler gets to join the bride’s club. After a 2 ½ year relationship, songwriter Kyle Jacobs stepped up to be the man that put a ring Kellie’s finger when he popped the question on June 15th, a landmark date in her life (the date she lost her grandmother, Faye Pickler.) With Kyle choosing what had always been a “sad and hard” day for Kellie, both feel like they had her grandmother’s blessing. Sharing details of the proposal, Kellie says that they were just taking a stroll on the beach when they came upon a blanket with champagne and candles that Kyle had arranged to be waiting. Kellie says she’s the happiest she’s ever been and plans to have her father, who has been sober for a year, walk her down the aisle.

Meanwhile, the Underwood-Fisher affair is rumored to be getting closer. Mike Fisher was spotted this past weekend with about 20 guys having a bachelor party in Miami. Sources say that ‘Lil John was the DJ at the party, and Mike appeared to be very relaxed while he enjoyed a few drinks with his friends. When questioned about the wedding date, all the couple’s spokespeople will say is that they are aiming at the original date which has never been changed since it was set. That’s helpful. Reporters will just have to stay on wedding watch and write about it after it happens. As far as the honeymoon, Carrie has said that Mike is in charge of planning that, so she has no idea where they’ll be going. Several sources are reporting that the couple will head to Tahiti and Bora Bora for eleven days and the latest rumor is the couple will wed in less than 3 weeks.

Rascal Flatts have been named Ambassadors, or celebrity spokesmen, for The Jason Foundation, a project that helps educate youth and students on how to recognize and how to help when a friend might be struggling with thoughts of suicide or life in general. The guys will show their public service announcement during their “Nothing Like This” tour when it launches this weekend in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Loretta Lynn's "Coal Miner's Daughter" and Willie Nelson's “Red Headed Stranger” were among the 25 recordings named to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress on Wednesday. The recordings were recognized for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Loretta's signature song was released in 1970. Willie's album was issued in 1975. All recordings must be at least 10 years old to be inducted. Recordings by Tupac Shakur, R.E.M., Patti Smith and The Band were also named to the registry, which now includes 300 titles spanning the years 1913 to 1995.

Country Music Rankings

If you’ve ever wondered where country music ranks among the average American consumer, count on the people at Harris Poll to find out. Accoridng to an online poll of 2,230 adults, Tim McGraw, George Strait, Rascal Flatts and Alan Jackson are among America's Top 10 favorite musical acts. Celine Dion led the list, with Tim charting at number 5, George at number 7, Rascal Flatts at number 8 and Alan tying with Frank Sinatra at number 9. In a demographic breakdown of the results, Rascal Flatts ranked highest among single women and people between the ages of 18 and 33. Tim was tops with respondents from the Midwest. Rounding out the Top 10 were U2 (No. 2), Elvis Presley and the Beatles (tied for No. 3) and Lady GaGa (No. 6).

As long as we’re looking at numbers and rankings today, are you ever curious to know the All-Time Top 24 from American Idol? The good people at Billboard have ranked them for us:
24. Allison Iraheta
Album Sales: 96,000
23. Diana DeGarmo
Album Sales: 167,000
22. Danny Gokey
Album Sales: 124,000
21. William Hung
Album Sales: 240,000
20. Kimberley Locke
Album Sales: 240,000
19. Taylor Hicks
Album Sales: 780,000
18. Blake Lewis
Album Sales: 367,000
17. Bo Bice
Album Sales: 738,000
16. Katharine McPhee
Album Sales: 417,000
15. Elliot Yamin
Album Sales: 687,000
14. Josh Gracin
Album Sales: 787,000
13. Jennifer Hudson
Album Sales: 798,000
12. Adam Lambert
Album Sales: 685,000
11. Kris Allen
Album Sales: 310,000
10. Ruben Studdard
Album Sales: 2,600,000
9. Fantasia
Album Sales: 2,300,000
8. David Archuleta
Album Sales: 968,000
7. Kellie Pickler
Album Sales: 1,300,000
6. Clay Aiken
Album Sales: 4,900,000
5. David Cook
Album Sales: 1,300,000
4. Jordin Sparks
Album Sales: 1,300,000
3. Chris Daughtry
Album Sales: 5,700,000
2. Carrie Underwood
Album Sales: 11,500,000
1. Kelly Clarkson
Album Sales: 10,600,000

B&D Scootin' Boots' To Las Cruces

By now you’ve heard the great news that Brooks & Dunn are brining The Last Rodeo Tour to Las Cruces. (Be sure to Become A Fan on Facebook so you get these kinds of updates) The show is Sunday, May 23rd at the Pan Am Center. Tickets will go on sale on April 10th at the Pan Am Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets. The special guests are Jason Aldean and Tyler Dickerson (“Tell Your Sister I’m Single”). Stay tuned for further information. While we’re waiting for our live show, we can watch Brooks & Dunn on TV. Be sure to participate in the voting to determine Kix & Ronnie’s final ACM Awards show performance as a duo. Click Here to choose between “My Maria,” “Brand New Man,” “Red Dirt Road,” “Neon Man,” “You’re Gonna Miss Me,” and “Boot Scootin Boogie.” The ACM Award show will air April 18th.

News From Around The Country
Taylor Swift is nominated for two Kid’s Choice Awards this weekend in the Favorite Female Singer and Favorite Song categories. The Nickelodeon sponsored awards show features children's favorites in the categories of TV, Music, Movies, Sports, Video Games and Books; it airs Saturday night. ….. Rascal Flatts will spend their spring break with Ellen Degeneres as they head to Orlando Studios in Orlando, Florida this weekend to pre-tape a performance of “Unstoppable” to air on her show April 2nd. …… Kellie Pickler has decided to make some changes to her website and fan club. The new website will launch in late April and will give fans greater access to music, photos, videos, and message boards. ….. This past weekend at the Celebrity Fight Night auction in Arizona, three Reba McEntire fans bid nearly one million dollars to have lunch with her, with all the proceeds go towards raising money for Parkinson’s disease research.

And finally, Brad Paisley admits the new short film he directed, When Mom’s Away, originated as a prank on his wife. After Kimberly left the house to go away on business, Brad and his band bought a life-size baby doll, to replicate his two-year old son, and recorded it doing horrible things. In the film, Brad wanted to see how far down the hill the stroller would go, and also has the doll shooting a revolver at a target. When Kim returned home, Brad left the video on that table with a note “‘Press Play.” Brad said, “It was horrifying, but hilarious." When Mom's Away, is scheduled to be screened at the Nashville Film Festival on April 22nd.

CRS - Can Remember Stuff

Good Monday morning. Now that country radio folk, including yours truly, have had the weekend to get home and recover from the whirlwind that is CRS, let’s see if we CAN Remember Stuff! So many things are going on, often times simultaneously, that it’s good to look back and review some of the highlights or announcements that may have been missed.

With Kenny Chesney off the road this summer, it looks like Brad Paisley is picking up the slack on the festival-style concert experience. To open the H20 summer tour, Brad’s pulled the A-list of new talent together, including Darius Rucker, Josh Thompson, Miranda Lambert, Steel Magnolia, Easton Corbin, and Justin Moore. The tour kicks off in May. ….. Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, and Kellie Pickler took home award plaques as souvenirs from CRS. Carrie’s award was for 20 million “Digital Transactions;” Miranda got a gold plaque for her album Revolution, and Kellie took home a platinum decoration for one million digital downloads of “Best Days of My Life.” ….. Bryan Adams showed up as the surprise guest at one of the many industry parties that go during CRS Week. He sang “Summer of ’69,” and “Run To You,” after which Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood jumped up to sing their respective Bryan Adams covers. ..... Rupert showed up. A name not often associated with country music, Rupert Boneham from Survivor Hereos vs. Villians was spotted mingling among the radio and record folk. ….. A little bit of baby talk was also heard in the hallways, and no, it wasn’t from radio people who were spending a little bit too much free time away from microphones. Luke Bryan spilled the news that he and his wife, Carolyn, are expecting their second child in August. Their first son, Bo, will be turning two in March. James Otto was also pretty giddy about the news that he and his wife, Amy, will be welcoming their first child, also in August. … There was also talk in the hallways on Friday of what would have been Johnny Cash’s 78th birthday. How fun is this? By pure coincidence, the 10 billionth song was downloaded on iTunes on Friday, and it was Johnny Cash’s “Guess Things Happen That Way.” iTunes checked the account records, and it was a 71-year-old man, Louie Sulcer of Georgia, who downloaded the tune, and to his surprise, he received calls from both Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Johnny Cash’s daughter Rosanne Cash. Apple also threw in a $10,000 iTunes credit for the lucky downloader.

Tuesday Taylor and TV

Taylor Swift has earned two nominations for Nickelodeon’s Kid’s Choice Awards. Taylor is up for Favorite Female Singer, alongside Beyonce, Lady Gaga and her BFF Miley Cyrus. Her hit, “You Belong With Me,” is up for Favorite Song, competing against The Black Eyed Peas' “I Gotta Feeling,” Lady Gaga's “Paparazzi” and Miley's “Party in the U.S.A.” The 2010 Kids Choice Awards will air live, March 27th on Nickelodeon. ..... And how have things been on the Australian leg of the Fearless Tour? If you follow Taylor on Twitter, you may have seen her post telling fans about how she and her band went and fed wild possums after a concert. Although it was an innocent night of fun, the Australian Department of Sustainability and Environment issued this statement in response: “DSE advises people not to feed wild animals... it can disrupt their natural behavior and it can cause some animals to lose their natural fear of people, making them vulnerable to attack." Meanwhile, Taylor took time to shop while in Australia, and she purchased two ancient Chinese birdcages and a lavish Indian silk cushion.

On TV This Week
Kellie Pickler will appear on The Ellen Degeneres Show today as part of Ellen’s Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras celebration. …..Brad Paisley will appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live tomorrow night.

Free Randy Houser Show Tonight

Randy Houser plays tonight. Head out to the NMSU Homecoming bonfire to check out Randy’s style of rockin’, gritty country. You know “Anything Goes” and “Boots On” from The Country Station; but remember that Randy also co-wrote “Honkytonk Badonkadonk” (Trace Adkins) and “Back That Thing Up” (Justin Moore). Even though Randy doesn’t perform his hit co-writes, now you know what kind of music you’re in for tonight. Don’t miss it. The show is FREE! Pep Rally activities start at 7; The Jennies open the music part of the show; Randy Houser will take the stage to headline!

The People will speak. The first round of the People’s Choice Awards nominees have been announced and there’s plenty of country to vote for. You can log on and vote until November 8th. Final nominees with be announced November 10th.
Favorite Breakout Artist
Lady Antebellum
Zac Brown Band
(up against Lady Gaga, Adam Lambert)

Favorite Country Artist
Brad Paisley
Carrie Underwood
Jason Aldean
Keith Urban
Kenny Chesney
Lady Antebellum
Miranda Lambert
Rascal Flatts
Reba
Sugarland
Taylor Swift
Toby Keith

Favortie Female Artist
Carrie Underwood
Taylor Swift
(up against Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, P!nk, Katy Perry)

Favorite Male Artist
Keith Urban
Toby Keith
Tim McGraw
(up against Kanye West, Jay-Z)

Favorite Pop Artist
Taylor Swift
(up against Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson)


News From Around The County
Country artists seem to be spending a lot of time at the salon lately to prepare for the CMA Awards next month. Julianne Hough has been tweeting that she has had her hair taken to a darker shade of blond; Kellie Pickler has made good on her recent threats to go red. She’s now looking for a whole new wardrobe to match. We’ll have to be on the lookout for pictures. …. Kenny Chesney is not taking the entire year of 2010 off. He wanted to take a break from the workload of planning and executing his own major tour, but he will be appearing for isolated concerts at the Bayou Country Superfest in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on May 30th, and then he will appear at 2010 BamaJam taking place June 3rd through 5th near Enterprise, Alabama. …. Keith Urban left his final U-S concert of the year by way of taxi. While playing the last few bars of “Better Life,” Keith took to the audience floor, walked through the halls of Buffalo’s HSBC Arena and out into the street where he donned a jacket, turned in his guitar and left the arena in of all things, a taxi. Fans didn’t know whether the images they saw on the video screens were real or not. But when the band stopped playing and the confetti flew, they knew that what had happened was in fact real. Keith wanted to incorporate the most popular form of NY transportation into his show. And he beat the rush for taxis after the show! …. And finally, congratulations to John Rich and his wife, Joan. They are expecting their first baby, reportedly a boy.

Feel Good Friday News Fiesta

Video has emerged of the Paso Robles incident when Tim McGraw kicked a fan out of his show. Check it out here. Tim’s name also comes up in relation to a book coming out from Bluegrass player Ralph Stanley. In the memoir The Man of Constant Sorrow, Ralph reportedly alleges that Tim McGraw was disrespectful to him. The incident happened in 2002, when both were up for Grammy Awards, which Stanley won for Best Male Country Performance. The autobiography is due out this fall.

News From Around The Country
The Dolly Parton written Broadway musical, "9 To 5," is closing on September 6th, but will be going on the road for a national tour. Kellie Pickler and the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition crew surprised the Terpenning family yesterday at their home in Beavercreek, OH. As the celebrity volunteer, she’ll help with the demolition, building process and later this week, Kellie will perform at the family’s final and emotional reveal.
And finally, on the heels of this week’s news that Gretchen Wilson parted ways with Sony Records, she has announced that she will be starting her own label, Redneck Records. A new single is expected to arrive at The Country Station sometime in September, and the new album I Got Your Country Right Here will be out in November.

It Sure Is Monday

News From Around The Country
The Great Country Blog is on baby watch this week. Any day now, Josh Turner and his wife, Jennifer, will welcome their second child. Let’s hope for her sake, that she is not as overdue as Kimberly Williams-Paisley earlier this year. After the well received show The Judds put on at the CMA Music Fest, the question naturally arises, will Naomi and Wynonna record together again? Wynonna says that the door is always open, and jokes that if they get enough emails they’ll consider it. During the CMT Music Awards last week, Bill Engvall made quite the bit out of Kellie Pickler’s pet monkey; the thing is, Kellie doesn’t have the monkey anymore. Kellie says that traveling with Ella became nearly impossible so she asked her sister Courtney to take care of her for the duration of a trip. When Kellie returned, the monkey had grown so attached to Courtney, Kellie let her keep the monkey. The rest of her menagerie includes Moo Moo the Chihuahua, Pickles the cat and a snake. For more about Kellie, check out the latest issue of OK Magazine.

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.

18 Days and Counting

Fans are counting down to the beginning of CMA Music Fest, this Thursday through Sunday in Nashville. Safe travels to readers who will be attending. Back here at home, The Country Station is counting down the days until we give aways the Harley! Just 18 more X's on the calendar until someone wins!

News From Around The Country

To follow the new tradition of pre-releasing songs from upcoming albums, starting today Brad Paisley is leaking the tracks from American Saturday Night. One song will be released through iTunes each week with “Water” being the released today, “American Saturday Night,” June 16th and “Everybody’s Here,” June 23rd. Each track purchased will count toward the purchase of the full album on June 30th.

Kellie Pickler revealed some interesting stories when she appeared on Ellen recently. She talked about the time she got out of a traffic ticket because the cop’s wife was a fan of hers. Kellie said that she had been at a photo shoot and was anxious to go home. So when she didn’t see anyone coming down a one-way street, she yielded instead of coming to a full stop at an intersection. An undercover cop was watching and pulled her over. When he asked for her license and registration, Kellie handed him her license which was taped together because it had broken in the washing machine and her registration that was from 2008. She went on to say that all of a sudden there were about five police cars surrounding her vehicle. The cop let her go without a ticket saying his wife was a fan but then asked that she step out of the car so all of the other police officers could get a picture with her. When solicited for further interesting tidbits, Kellie told Ellen that if she were to ever meet Eastwood, she would have the desire to lick his face. Kellie admitted that may come across as rude, however, since he’s a married man and instead would settle for a high five.

Wednesday Notes

The CMT Music Awards are just a couple of weeks away. The performance lineup continues to grow. Kellie Pickler, Lady Antebellum, and Darius Rucker have recently been added to the show. These are the only fan-voted awards, so don’t miss the link at the top of the page to get your votes in.

If Dancing With The Stars withdrawl syndrome is starting to set in, try dreaming about which other country stars you would like to see on the show. Just leave out Dierks Bentley. Dierks says, “I have no dance moves. I was asked to be on the first season of DWTS, and whether I wanted to or not, it was like, ‘Ah, sorry. There’s just no hope for me. I don’t care if you get the best trainer in the world.’”

Here’s something that you can watch. Steve Azar will be featured on The Golf Channel on July 6th taking lessons from the pros. Steve will join 13-time PGA Champion Kenny Perry for a lesson on fine-tuning a short game. You’ll also learn Steve’s secret to long drives.

Tuesday Newsday

This November in Washington, D.C., Tim McGraw and Faith Hill will perform during Country United: Advancing Medicine from the Frontlines to the Homefront, an event to support the nation's wounded warriors. The symposium and gala are supported by the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine and the Tug McGraw Foundation. Tim and Faith are co-chairing the event that will raise money to help advance medical care and improve quality of life for service members and civilians. Faith is also scheduled to provide the keynote address.

News From Around The Country
Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry is rocking a new look at concerts. At a performance in Louisville, Kentucky over the weekend, Troy appeared with his hair was spiked into a funky do and his eyes were rimmed with guy-liner. When asked about his new look, he said that his stylist is a big fan of American Idol and apparently of Idol runner up Adam Lambert. Kellie Pickler has another pet. Her boyfriend Kyle surprised her with a blue-eyed puppy. The new dog’s name hasn’t been announced yet, but does join Kellie’s cat, Moo-Moo the Chihuahua and Boots the snake. Miranda Lambert raised $120,000 for the Humane Society of East Texas during her 2nd Annual “Cause for the Paws” concert. Carrie Underwood is going to have her own exhibit at The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Included in the exhibit is the merlot silk taffeta gown that Carrie wore at the 2009 Academy of Country Music Awards, where she became both Female Vocalist Of The Year and Entertainer Of The Year. The exhibit will be open the rest of 2009.