Caution: Hot Bachelors Ahead

Yesterday, it was revealed that Gary Allan took the lion’s share of the votes to become Country Weekly’s hottest bachelor. The rest of the Top 10 have been announced. Are you ready?

Gary Allan – is it the tattoos or just something sexy about getting off on the pain?
Chris Young – always ranked highly, it will be a devastation to the voting public if Chris ever marries.
Josh Thompson – ladies are lovin’ a man that can bring home the beer.
Chuck Wicks – six words: dance routines in the silk jammies.
Keith Anderson – who doesn’t love Mr. XXL?
Danny Gokey – last year’s Idol voters are still fresh in practice for their man.
Jake Owen – a man that promises an 8 second ride cannot NOT get the ladies attention.
Bucky Covington - Buckaneers love their man. Just wait, the country audience in general hasn’t even heard his sexy song yet.
Phil Vassar – the piano man is still tinkling the ivories of the voter’s hearts.
Stephen Barker Liles – from Love & Theft. One third of the group is married; the other third will surely be envious of this title.

News From Around The Country
Joe Nichols has been named the new face of Roper Apparel and will soon be featured in the company’s advertising and marketing campaign. ….. Toby Keith will embark on a USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour later this month with seventeen shows in eleven days for U.S. troops. Toby will be visiting Afghanistan, and his band will be supporting him on several of the shows. On these USO Tours, Toby says he breaks out the funs songs for the soldiers, “My songs for the troops are a little different, they are a little humorous. I’ve got my own little group of songs. She didn’t say no, she said hell no, I try to entertain the troops with a smile.” Toby recently received the Distinguished Service Award from the Military Officers Association of America which recognizes civilians who give back to military personnel. ….. And finally, it you wanted a better look at the childhood videos that were playing behind Lady Antebellum when they performed on the recent ACM Awards, you can see them in their latest Webisode Wednesday video.

Tuesday Newsday

Wow! What a show last night. ABC’s presentation of the CMA Music Fest: Country’s Night To Rock … rocked! Most performers were given airtime for one song each, with a few notable superstar exceptions, so the variety was excellent. Since it was a pre-recorded production, fans were spared the technical gaffes present in most live award shows, and the corrective post-production techniques were kept to a minimum, making it a great national showcase for country music. The only disappointment sensed from fans flooding message boards last night was in regards to the behind-the-scenes portions that were intertwined with the performances. All in all, the show was a great showcase for America’s music. Next up, the CMA will be in the spotlight with award nominations tomorrow in New York and Nashville. Comment and let us know about your favorite performances.

News from Around The Country….
It was predicted that it would happen, and now it’s been announced. Toby Keith’s latest movie Beer For My Horses will be released on DVD this November. Toby says a lot of extras will accompany the disc. Tim McGraw’s 2000 release Greatest Hits has officially been certified six-times Platinum by the RIAA. The news comes just as Tim gets ready to release his third collection of singles titled Greatest Hits, Volume 3 on October 7th.

George Strait’s next project is for his littlest fans … and future fans. Hushabye Baby: Lullaby Renditions of George Strait is coming out November 18. George is the latest in a series of country artists whose hits have been re-recorded as lullabies for the Hushabye CD series. The new album's songs maintain the traditional country sound, while adding soothing instruments to create music intended to lull infants to sleep. Now, if you just can wait for your next fix of new Strait music, how about George’s take on “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven”? Yes, Kenny Chesney’s latest hit of the same name. It’s available on ITunes. George recorded the song with the intention to put it on Troubadour. In the meantime, he had played the song for Kenny at a tour stop in Alabama, and when it didn’t make the final cut for George’s album, Kenny jumped at the chance to record it.

September is Hunger Action Month, and Phil Vassar is teaming up with CMT to raise money for the hunger-relief organization Feeding America. Phil re-recorded a special edition of the title song to his newest CD Prayer of A Common Man to be sold exclusively at Rhapsody.com. Proceeds from the download will go to Feeding America through the end of the year.

And don’t laugh, but even after the major flop of TV’s Secret Talents of the Stars, Clint Black is giving stand-up comedy another try. Clint’s new comedy special is coming to TV in October. Clint Black is giving comedy a second shot. Apparently, TV executives were so impressed with Clint’s comedic skills, they approached him about doing his own TV special. He’s been practicing with several gigs at a Nashville comedy club. On second thought, DO laugh this time! It helps the ratings.

Have You Hugged Your MooMoo Today?

Happy Half Off Wednesday! If homemade sausage and fresh baked bread is too much to resist, then you’d better hurry back to the main page to save half at Savino’s Ristorante Italiano. Half price certificates go on sale at 6 am, while supplies last.

Out in the world of country music, Brooks & Dunn finally got their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The honor was announced some time ago, yet it was just this week that the star was made official. Dr. Phil McGraw and his wife, Robin, presented Kix and Ronnie with the 2,367th star on Hollywood Boulevard, right across the street from the historic Roosevelt Hotel and right next to Morgan Freeman’s star.

Clay Walker has announced the launch and inaugural ride of the Band Against MS Bike Team. Set to take place this October in Tennessee, the 2008 Jack Daniel’s “Bike to Jack & Back” bike ride will raise money for the fight against MS. More than 750 riders are expected to participate in the 75-mile bicycle ride from Franklin, TN to Lynchburg, TN, home of the Jack Daniels distillery. Riders will stay overnight and then head back to Franklin the next day.

History’s first Elvis Presley duets album will be released on October 14th. The latest configuration of Elvis music will pair the King with the leading ladies of country music to sing holiday favorites. Elvis Presley Christmas Duets features Elvis’ original vocals from holiday performances that were originally recorded for yuletide albums in 1957 and 1971. Pairings announced so far include:

• "I'll Be Home For Christmas" — Carrie Underwood
• "Blue Christmas" — Martina McBride
• "Here Comes Santa Claus" — LeAnn Rimes
• "Silent Night" — Sara Evans
• "Merry Christmas Baby" — Gretchen Wilson
• "Silver Bells" — Anne Murray
• "White Christmas" — Amy Grant
• "O Little Town" — Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman of Little Big Town
• "Santa Claus Is Back In Town" — Wynonna Judd

Late night TV viewers will want to set your DVRs for tomorrow night (August 7th). Phil Vassar is scheduled to make an appearance on the David Letterman Show.

The Blog Mouse has also learned that Kellie Pickler has a new man in her life. But don’t give up yet, guys. This little fella is a Chihuahua named MooMoo. She got the dog at an Oregon pet store last week, and says his name is because he is “black and white like a little cow.” MooMoo will share Kellie’s home with her cat named Pickles.

Now, do you know someone that could use a hug? How about a big ol’ XXL hug from Keith Anderson? For fun, how about clicking on Keith’s new website, Somebody Needs A Hug. You’ll see a message from Keith and the opportunity to send a virtual hug from Keith to someone who might be having a bad day. Be sure to click the previews of Keith’s messages. They’re funny.

And if you can stand one more piece of Half Off Wednesday entertainment, how about checking out the debut video from Justin Moore, “Back That Thing Up.” Sorry ladies. This one is definitely directed with the Y chromosomes in mind. Easy boys, they’re only video babes.

Red or Green?

If you answered GREEN, you're probably a fan of La Fuente Mexican Restaurant’s famous green chile dishes. Better hurry if you want to save half. La Fuente certificates are available this morning at 6 am during Half Off Wednesday while supplies last.

Ever wanted to be a teenager again? Here’s a chance to relive the days of giggly adolescence when it meant everything just to be close enough to the stage to grab the leg of your favorite pop tart. Monday night in Anaheim, California, Taylor Swift was the surprise guest at a Jonas Brothers concert. The only teenager any attendance who didn’t have a camera was in the 85th row of the third balcony. The rest of them had lenses locked on their favorite Jonas Brother, so it’s no surprise that dozens of clips of Taylor’s appearance have popped up overnight. The Blog Mouse weeded out one of the better ones so you can experience the screaming, bobbing, and hormonally enhanced love fest of a pop concert.


Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Alan Jackson and Brooks & Dunn led the list of mainstream country artists nominated for the Inspirational Country Music Awards. Kenny landed nominations for “Never Wanted Nothing More” as Song of the Year and “Don’t Blink” as Video of the Year. Alan was nominated for “Small Town Southern Man” and George took home a nod for “I Saw God Today.” Ronnie and Kix landed in the Song of the Year and Video of the Year categories with “God Must Be Busy.” Also up for Video of the Year is Carrie Underwood for “So Small”; Tim McGraw for “If You’re Reading This” and Phil Vassar for “Love Is a Beautiful Thing.” The awards will be handed out October 16th.

James Otto has partnered with CMT to collect your funny D.U.I. stories. That’s Dialing Under the Influence. Themed after a song on the Sunset Man CD, the “Drink and Dial” contest is asking fans to call 1-866-877-4268 and share funny stories about your drunken dialing indiscretions. Fess up quick, the contest ends August 3rd. The six best stories will be turned into short, animated films to be featured on CMT. The grand-prize winner will also receive an iPhone (breathalyzer not included).

From around the web:
Sara Evans is going to be the spokesperson for a new family meal time campaign, sponsored by Libby’s. The point of the campaign is to encourage families to gather around the table for a meal together. Wynonna is going to put a cover of Merle Haggard’s “Are The Good Times Really Over” on her next album, scheduled to be released this fall. Cledus T. Judd is getting married again. The 4th “Mrs. Judd” is a massage therapist Cledus met at the chiropractor’s office while he was seeking treatment for injuries sustained in a softball game. And finally, Gretchen Wilson has won ESPN”s Baseball Tonight video contest, which had fans voting for their favorite version of the seventh-inning stretch classic “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.” Gretchen’s country version of the song was among an eclectic group of 9 videos, and Gretchen couldn’t be more thrilled that the fans chose it as best since she is such a fan of the game. "My mom had me in the girly stuff first -- ballet and dance classes. But as soon as I was old enough to make my own decisions, I was playing baseball," Gretchen said. “I took after my Uncle Vern. He was an all-star back home."