Wednesday, July 23

Alan Tops 50 Million Milestone

On the heels of capturing his 33rd #1 country single with "Good Time," Alan Jackson has just achieved another incredible career milestone, surpassing the 50-million mark in album sales.

With more than 100 major industry awards to his credit, Alan says that he's quite comfortable in a career where he has achieved it all:

"I am comfortable. I mean, I've done everything, won everything, sold everything. So I don't have to feel like I have to prove anything. So I don't feel like I'll have to change anything musically to try to fit in. I'll just do what I do and either my fans will still like it or they won't, you know."

Alan is a three-time Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year and the most-nominated artist in CMA history. He has penned 23 of his 33 #1 singles, including his Grammy-winning Best Country Song, "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)."

KU, Kid Rock To Perform At Fashion Rocks

Keith Urban and Kid Rock are among artists set to perform at the 5th annual Fashion Rocks concert as part of New York Fashion Week this fall. The event takes place on September 5 at Radio City Music Hall, and will be a fundraiser for Stand Up To Cancer. CBS will then air the concert in a two-hour special on Tuesday, September 9. Additional performers include Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Black Eyed Peas and more!

Paisley Plays

Brad Paisley's next album, which is a 15-song set of instrumentals titled Play, arrives in stores on September 2. The project will feature several guests including Keith Urban, B.B. King and the late Buck Owens.

Brad shares details on one track in which he invited such guitar greats as Brent Mason, Vince Gill and Steve Wariner to join in:

"One song that I worked up is going to have six guests on it and it's called 'Cluster Pluck.' It's a tribute to my favorite chicken pickers. Things like that are what makes an instrumental record fun."

Would Turner Take This Dance?

Julianne Hough says she'd love to work with label mate Josh Turner on a future season of ABC's Dancing With The Stars. Julianne, a two-time champ on the hit show, says she's been a fan of Josh's since the day his first CD came out.

So what is it about him that makes her think he'd be a good dance partner?

"First of all, I think he is one of the most sexiest singers in country music right now. And you know, just, he's great, a really great guy. I've had a chance to meet him - really nice and humble and just really great. And I don't know, I've just always kinda wanted to dance with him."

When asked if Josh can dance, Julianne laughs and responds, "I have no idea. He says he can't, but everybody says they can't."

Kellie Wants To Dance With The Stars

Kellie Pickler confided in fellow artist and Dancing With The Stars pro Julianne Hough that she would like to kick up her heels on the ABC hit show. Kellie tells OK! magazine,"I used to do gymnastics for a while. I told Julianne I thought it would be fun." While Pickler says she can "go to the clubs and shake it," she admits to having some reservations. She claims, "It would be a challenge for me to learn the technique." But Kellie's not about to trade in her country music career. She shares, "It's only a couple months. It's not like you’re signing on for the rest of your life. I will always be part of country music for as long as the country music family will have me."

Toby Weighs In On Rising Gas Prices

Like most Americans, Toby Keith is concerned about rising gas prices. He warns, "Our government has got to step up," explaining, "They've got to fix that or the desperate people will break out, and it's going to turn into one of those times in our life, I'm telling you." As for how gas prices are affecting business, Toby shares, "We're actually up in concert attendance over the six shows we did last year in the same place, [but] we're off a little bit percentage-wise." Keith is currently on the road with his "Biggest & Baddest Tour," which also features Montgomery Gentry.

Musical Mates

Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush spend so much time together on stage and in the recording studio, it's no wonder that some fans mistake them for a married couple. Jennifer tells USA Today, "People ask us all the time in the meet-and-greets, 'Now, are y'all married?' There's a comfort we have that is not sexual. It feels like family. It's hard for people to understand male/female friends, so it's easier to say 'family.'" As for the constant rumor that Jennifer might launch a solo career, she waves off such talk, noting, "I'm happy where I am, and Kristian is my favorite person to write and create with. I love the environment we've made out on the road as partners."

Playing For The Working Man

Montgomery Gentry's Eddie Montgomery says that so far reuniting with Toby Keith on tour has been a blast. He tells the Las Vegas Sun, "This tour has been great, so far. Totally rockin'. When we started this thing, what we wanted to do was to do this for the workin' man, to price the tickets for the workin'-class people and the people in school. That's what we've done. It's been unbelievable how it's been goin'. If you're wantin' to hear a sad song or a cryin' song, this ain't the show to come see 'cause it's nothin' but rockin' from the time it takes off till it ends." The duo last toured with Toby in the early 2000's on Brooks & Dunn's "Neon Circus" tour.

Blake Seeks More Success 

Blake Shelton says he plans to make the right decisions when it comes time to work on his next album, keeping in mind "what worked and what didn't work" on his current CD, Pure BS. While he thinks it's an unfortunate truth, Blake realizes success in the music industry is about more than just recording songs that reflect his life, as he did with Pure BS. He tells All Access, "You're just kidding yourself if you say, 'Well I'm just going to make my music and everybody else can kiss my a@#,' because if you do that it's a way to end up one of the guys you wonder what happened to. There's things you have to do, to do what you want to do."

Blonde Leading The Blonde

Dolly Parton just returned from a sold out tour of Europe where she performed 17 shows to over 170 thousand fans. Dolly now has her sights set on country radio where she will be releasing a new single called "Shinola," a song she wrote that marks the first time in a Dolly tune that she was bleeped. While back in Nashville, Parton will go into the studio to record vocals for a new song that she wrote for Jessica Simpson's upcoming album. Dolly says, "Well, Jessica Simpson has recorded a song I wrote for her titled 'Do You Know.' Not only did she record it, she sang the living daylights out of it.  Boy, can she sing.  I'm excited and honored that she recorded my song, but equally as excited that I am going to sing on it with her as well.  Guess you could say it's the 'blonde leading the blonde.'"

A Hit Among Fans & Friends

Country fans aren't the only ones raving about Heidi Newfield's first single as a solo artist, "Johnny & June." She's also been getting great feedback from several of her fellow artists. Taylor Swift blogged about the song after this year's ACM Awards, writing, "I got to see Heidi Newfield, who sings one of my FAVORITE songs out right now, 'Johnny and June.'  I have a total song crush on that song.  Brilliantly written." Meanwhile, John Rich says the tune "slays" him. He shares, "I've been friends with Heidi for many years, and she has always impressed me with her passion for country music and her natural ability to rock the socks off of the crowd every time! She is a real honky tonker, and a truly loved artist by the fans." As "Johnny & June" nears the Top 20 on the country charts, it's also gaining popularity online. The song can be found on Heidi's upcoming album, What Am I Waiting For, which hits stores on August 5.

Gill Talks Golf With SI

Sports Illustrated has asked Vince Gill to contribute to their Golf Plus Section in their latest issue on newsstands now. Vince discusses his love of the game in a feature called "Teeing Off, Views and Voices – My Shot." July is Family Golf Month and Vince, wife Amy Grant and daughter Corrina are the spokesfamily for the second consecutive year.

Tuesday, July 22

Double The Pleasure For Sugarland Fans

Sugarland's new album, Love on the Inside, will not officially be released in stores until July 29. However, the duo's fans are getting an early special treat. The CD's Deluxe Fan Edition will be available today with five bonus tracks, an expanded booklet, and a free download of behind-the-scenes footage in the recording studio.

Jennifer Nettles explains why this album is especially for their loyal followers:

"This album is one for the fans for a number of reasons. First of all because when we wrote it we intentionally went back and said, 'What is the music for us when we first became fans? What turned us on to music first, what was it about it? Who did we like? Who were these artists and what were these albums?' That being said, that's the way we actually approached the writing and the recording and the producing of this record."

McGraw May Be In New Movie?

Rumor has it that Tim McGraw is reportedly working on a film called Get Low with Robert Duvall and Sissy Spacek that is slated for release next year. The movie is a thriller based on the real-life story of Felix Bush, a reclusive figure who lived in Tennessee during the early 20th century. McGraw's rep says there is nothing official yet, but Tim is currently considering multiple film offers. In the meantime, he will appear in Four Christmases, set to hit theaters later this year.

Worlds Collide

Carrie Underwood is everywhere these days, appearing on both TV and movie theater screens as she stars in several commercials for Vitamin Water and Nintendo DS. In one of her Vitamin Water commercials, Carrie was able to spend some time with and get to know rapper 50 Cent.

She says that she and 50, who's real name is Curtis Jackson, hit it off right away:

"Um, 50 [laughs] Curtis, he was joking around with me. I was the only girl there so I felt kind of uncomfortable and I was like, a midget next to all these like giant guys. So, yeah he was trying to make me feel at ease and he's a really cool guy. And I feel very sad that his house recently burned down I heard, so I hope he can, you know, figure all that mess out."

AJ Tops Both Charts Now

Alan Jackson's "Good Time" remains at #1 for a second week on the Mediabase Country Singles chart, and the song now replaces Blake Shelton's hit "Home" in the top spot on the R&R/Billboard Country Singles chart.

Alan claims that recording the title cut for his latest CD is what got him and the musicians pumped up about being back in the studio again:

"We've been making records for years and it gets a little routine, and over the last few years all of us have gotten a little stale and bored going in there every year or two, ya know? The guys play on a lot of people's records, and so it gets routine for them, and I think they don't get a chance to play real country music much anymore, ya know? And the first song we cut was 'Good Time.' That's the reason I did it. I said, 'We're gonna cut that song first.' We cut it and everybody was fired up and it set the mood for the whole album."

Garth Helps Say Goodbye To Shea

Last Friday night, Garth Brooks helped make history at the New York Mets' Shea stadium, performing to 50 thousand-plus fans during the ballpark's final show, reports CMT. The concert also included Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and Roger Daltrey of The Who. Dressed in a Mets jersey, Brooks played many of his hits including "Shameless," which was written by Joel. The event was held 43 years after the Beatles' historic show at Shea in 1965, which drew 55 thousand fans and was the first at the stadium. After this year's baseball season, Shea will be torn down to make room for the new ballpark being built across the street.

Guitar Hero

Brad Paisley says that today's music lacks guitar heroes. He tells The Charlotte Observer, "There was a time when every band had a great player. I was watching VH1's I Love the '80s. They've got the hair bands on there. They were talking about 1985. There was so much guitar… These days, it's different. There's a lack. I'm doing my part, trying to play as many solos as possible."

Tough Toby's Tender Side

Toby Keith is revealing his softer side on his current single about lost love that he co-wrote titled "She Never Cried in Front of Me." It's the first single from his new and still-untitled album, which will be released October 28. Toby tells The Tennessean, "It isn't the kind of song I normally put out. The only thing that I can remember that I put out even close to this was 'Rock You Baby' on DreamWorks five years ago." "She Never Cried" is one of the rare songs Toby composed on a piano, and the instrument put him in a different mood than his guitar does. Toby explains, "I don't feel like [ballads] usually do well for me. They aren't responded to or reacted to. They aren't the kind of songs I put in my show. But this one was different. It had a lot of magic about it once we got into the studio. It became not just an album cut, but sounded big and powerful, like a big single. I thought, 'You know what? I haven't done one of those in forever, and I'm going to try it.'" Never fear though - Toby promises there is more attitude to come.

Love On The Race Track

Jewel's new music video for her current single "I Do" features her driving a muscle car in the climax scene from the clip with boyfriend Ty Murray.  Jewel admits she has a need for speed, "Like most kids raised on a ranch I started driving tractors before I started driving cars which thankfully got me acquainted with a stick shift. So years later when I got to be on ABC's Fast Cars And Superstars series where I competed with other celebrities racing stock cars I had an advantage because several of the other competitors had only driven automatics.  I love driving!  For purely selfish reasons I wanted to drive old muscle cars for my video. Yes, I did my own stunts and so did Ty. It was so fun having him in the video since I pretty much wrote the song about him."

Yeah, They Know Who They Are

Montgomery Gentry says that they don't have an identity problem because the duo forged their own identity back at the beginning of their career. Eddie Montgomery tells CMT, "When we got to Nashville, we knew who we were. ... We know what we can sing and what we can't. There's no sense in trying to sing a song that you know you don't believe in. I think with a lot of the younger artists coming in, they really don't know who they are. And that's why sometimes they have problems."

Joe Honors Fallen Friend

Joe Nichols was invited to fire off a 115MM Howitzer field artillery piece before the National Anthem at the recent Country Thunder USA festival. The somber moment was in honor of his good buddy, Anthony Woodham, who recently became a casualty of the war in Iraq.

Jessica Takes The Country Stage

Jessica Simpson played her first country concert over the weekend when she opened for Sara Evans on Saturday at the Country Thunder USA festival in Wisconsin. On stage, Jessica told fans, "I don't know what your perception is of Jessica Simpson or what tabloid you buy, but I just want you to know that I'm just a girl from Texas. I'm just like you. I'm doing what I love and dating a boy." Her boy, football star Tony Romo, was in the crowd and she even dedicated the tune "You're My Sunday" to him.

Meanwhile, Jessica is set to unveil her first-ever fragrance, called Fancy, according to brandweek.com. The perfume will incorporate amber crystals, gardenia and pears, and be available in three different sizes beginning August 15. Prices will range from 30 to 59 bucks.

Mrs. Brooks Cooks It Up

Trisha Yearwood's recent Fourth of July weekend was a busy one at the ranch she shares with husband Garth Brooks. She says, "I was lucky enough to have my entire family out for the Fourth, including my Uncle Wilson and Aunt Beth. He brought out homegrown tomatoes, South Georgia watermelons and authentic Vidalia onions. Talk about 'Georgia cooking in an Oklahoma kitchen!' I had so many tomatoes left over that I actually canned tomatoes for the first time in my life. Yeah, I'm Martha Stewart!"

Jack's More Upbeat Ourdoors

Jack Ingram just concluded the second week of the summer leg of Martina McBride’s "Waking Up Laughing Tour," which has them visiting outdoor amphitheaters rather than the indoor arenas they hit earlier in the year. Jack says there is a difference for him in an outdoor vs. an indoor performance. He elaborates, "Playing the 'sheds' is always cool for artists and fans. Something about playing outside in the evening as the sun goes down in the summer just feels right! It's cooling off, everyone catching the buzz and ready to rock. My set will probably be a bit more upbeat this summer. This winter in the arenas I toned the middle of my set down and got more intimate with acoustic versions of some of my more introspective songs. I think during the summer I won't try to make anybody cry... I'll just have a good time with them and we'll try to blow the roof off the joint!"

Monday, July 21

The New Daddy Gushes

Keith Urban left a special message on his website about his new baby girl. He wrote, "It's been 10 days since the birth of our beautiful new daughter, Sunday Rose, and like any of you who are parents yourselves, we're experiencing the pure bliss of welcoming her into our lives. We're all doing superbly well and we continue to be absolutely overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and well wishes we are receiving. Thank you all for your beautiful notes and prayers." Keith performed his first gig as a father over the weekend at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field during Kenny Chesney's latest "Poets & Pirates" stadium date.

Stunt Trouble For Toby

Toby Keith's Beer For My Horses movie will be in theaters on August 8. A tough guy, Toby says he does most of his own stunt work on the Burt Reynolds-type buddy film, but for the real hard stuff, he does rely on a stunt man. 

However, for one scene in the film, Toby's stunt man was out of commission and the Big Dog Daddy had to step in. It happened when his character jumps on the back of a truck:

"He actually fell off before he was supposed to…he got slung off. And he hit the ground and I think the thing run over him. So I ended up having to do the real tumble off of the… so when you see the guy come flying off of the truck in the movie that really was me. But, it was three in the morning and he's in an ambulance so…but I worked with him a long time."

Has Nashville Star Lost Its Focus?

Miranda Lambert says she will always be grateful for the role Nashville Star played in her career. However, Miranda, who took third place on the show's very first season, is not sure she likes the direction it seems to have gone since making the move to NBC this year:

"This season I was hopin' to love it, and I don't. I think there's some talented people on there, I just think that it's really all about TV. And Nashville Star was...the one thing I loved that set it apart from all the rest of the shows is that it's about songwriting and it's about musicianship and real artists. To me, they went and handpicked characters. And a lot of them, there are some really talented people on there. But it's just the show in general to me is way too trying to be reality and not focusing... And it makes me mad for the artists because they got on there hopin' to showcase who they are and not their drama."

Still, Miranda does plan to tune in for "Original Song Week" tonight when the show airs at 9 PM, ET on NBC. In her opinion, this is the episode that "really counts," noting that it will "separate the artists from the karaoke singers."

Brad's No "Nostradamus"

Brad Paisley tells the Charlotte Observer that when it comes to picking acts for his tours, he's very hands on. Brad says, "I'm fairly involved with it. Whoever is out there first, it's a big deal, because your crowd is going to be sitting through that. You want it to be fun for them. And [I try to give newer artists the same] opportunity … I had when I was new." So with former openers like Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift and Kellie Pickler, it seems Brad has a crystal ball telling him who's going to be big. He says, "I'm not Nostradamus. Anybody could've looked at them and known they were going to be great. I took them out 'cause I liked them."

Bringing Fans Back To Nashville

Dierks Bentley spent his weekend in Europe headlining a tour with sold out stops in England, Ireland, Norway and France.  Now that he's back in the U.S., Dierks is getting pumped up for  main stage slot at the long-running alternative music festival Lollapalooza in Chicago's Grant Park on August 2. He says of the event, "We've always tried to focus on playing new places or spots you maybe wouldn't expect to see a country singer. Whether it is a gig in France or a rock festival like Lollapalooza, the goal is always the same...to bring some new fans back to Nashville with us."

Jessica's Blessing

Jessica Simpson's debut country single, "Come On Over," is proving to be a hit with country radio as it sits in the Top 25 this week on the charts and appears to be heading north.

For Jessica, who releases her debut country album on September 9, the song, which she co-wrote, and it's presence on radio has been like a gift:

"It really came together so quick and kind of wrote itself in a way [laughs]. It just kinda started happening and that's kinda how the single feels right now… like doing everything I never even expected. And the interest that people are showing is… I just didn't expect it. It's such a blessing. But I'm glad that we choose 'Come On Over' to be the first single."

Hough Reacts To Emmy Nod

Julianne Hough was thrilled to learn the news that she's been nominated for a Creative Arts Emmy in the category of "Outstanding Choreography." Julianne's Mambo "Para Los Rumberos" with former Dancing With The Stars partner and champ Helio Castroneves is what earned her the nod. She said, "Wow! I am completely shocked to be nominated and very honored to be in the company of such amazing choreographers. I never dreamed that I would be in the same category with choreographers that I have looked up to for years. The opportunity to be on Dancing with the Stars has been incredible, and Helio was a fantastic partner.  I could not have done it without him." The Creative Arts Emmys will be handed out at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday, September 13.

LBT's Fairchild On New Mellencamp CD

Little Big Town's Karen Fairchild can be heard on John Mellencamp's recently released CD, Life Death, Love & Freedom. Karen contributed her vocals to four of the new project's tracks, including the first single, "My Sweet Love." She says, "This record is definitively John, and as a songwriter he is at the top of his game. He's as relevant as he has ever been and I'm so happy he asked me to be a part of the record." Fairchild also appears in the video for "My Sweet Love," and can be seen this weekend in the forthcoming Life, Death, Love & Freedom documentary, which will air on A&E's Biography Channel. Plus, she will join Mellencamp on Monday morning's edition of CBS' The Early Show, airing live from Chicago, to sing with him on several songs.  This isn't the first time Karen has worked with Mellencamp. In 2006, Little Big Town toured as his opening act and sang on eight songs from his Freedom's Road project, including the single, "Our Country."

"Kellie Pickler" Gets A Date

Almost two years since the release of her debut album, Small Town Girl, Kellie Pickler is set to release her self-titled sophomore album on September 30. She says of the new project, "I'm so excited and proud of the new album. I've learned so much since the first album, like the fact that Budapest is the capital of Hungary. The material on the new album is part small town girl, but also a reflection of the experiences I've had over the last two years. I've matured, some, seen a lot more of the world, and naming the album Kellie Pickler says, 'this album is me, this is who I am and where I am.'"

Lost Trailers' Lost Guitar Found!

The Lost Trailers' Stokes Nielson was recently re-united with a guitar that had been stolen from him after a Nashville policeman found it in a pawn shop. The officer identified the instrument as Stokes' because it was signed by Grand Ole Opry legend Bill Anderson. Anderson says on his website, "Not only did that 'hot' guitar get returned, but the Lost Trailers are also plenty 'hot' themselves these days as an act." Indeed, the group's latest single, "Holler Back," is in the Top 15 on the country charts and continues to climb.

Cochran Recovering From Cancer Surgery

Legendary songwriter Hank Cochran is recovering at a Nashville hospital after having cancerous tumors from his pancreas and lymph node surgically removed. Cochran has written such classics as Patsy Cline's "I Fall To Pieces" as well as George Strait's "The Chair" and "Ocean Front Property." He says, "I feel so blessed. The diagnosis was made very early, and the doctors expect me to make a full recovery." Cochran is expected to remain in the hospital for several weeks.

Rissi's "No Air" Video Debuts Today!

The video for Rissi Palmer's latest single, "No Air," makes its TV debut today on CMT! The clip was filmed on the world-renowned white, sandy beaches of the Turks & Caicos Islands. Rissi gushes, "The islands were nothing short of amazing and I think the video really captures the essence of the song and I can't wait for everyone to see it." "No Air" is Rissi's fastest rising single to date. Palmer's version of the song, originally recorded by American Idol winner Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown, will appear on the re-release of her self-titled debut album later this summer.

Friday, July 18

Flatts' Botox Shot

Rascal Flatts' "Bob That Head" tour features Taylor Swift as the act that hits the stage just before the guys do. According to Jay DeMarcus, having such an energetic and popular act on right before them has forced the trio to step up their game a bit:

 (Jay) "It's neat for us to see somebody as young as she is have such an energy and zeal for the music business, you know. It kind of has re-energized us to be real honest. To have somebody out there before us kicking our butts every night and challenging us to go out there and be the best that we can be is a really, really great thing to have." (Joe Don) "He's trying to say she's like our shot of botox I guess."

So Far, Kenny's Kicking Butt!

We're halfway through the year and Kenny Chesney is the only country act, with the exception of the three-day Stagecoach Festival, to land in the Top 10 of Pollstar's Top 100 Single Events. Kenny's "Poets & Pirates" stadium date in Pittsburgh sits at #10. He scores five additional spots in the Top 30 for stadium stops in Chicago, Baltimore, Phoenix, Cleveland and San Francisco. Additionally, Kenny's "2008 Poets & Pirates Tour" ranks fourth in grosses. Chesney reacts, "You're moving, you're playing, you're not thinking about this stuff. And then you get that call from your promoter or your manager, and you have to stop for a moment and take it in. After all, it wasn't that long ago when we were just starting out touring - and wondering if the people were gonna come. I think that made us really work hard to connect, to find ways to get people to walk away feeling like we'd given them a good show. After all, we're thrilled that they keep coming back 'cause that energy when we're out there is the best feeling in the world…and who wouldn't want more of that if they were a musician."

Opry Family

Grand Ole Opry member Josh Turner will be playing the famous stage of the Opry on Saturday night, which will be broadcast live on GAC. Josh became a member of the Opry last year. While he is currently playing the state fair circuit on the road, Josh was part of the Carrie Underwood tour earlier this year.

It was at that time [in May] that Carrie became a member of the Grand Ole Opry as well. The Opry honor was something Josh shared with the crowd each night on stage. He explains:

"When I was doing my show I would talk about how congratulations were in order for her and how I had just recently got inducted myself back in October. And so I was telling the crowd that Carrie and I were basically like family now, we're like brother and sister, the only difference is she sold a whole lot more records than I have. Then that was when I told them that was exactly why they need to go out and buy a copy of my new album."

Hough Scores An Emmy Nod

Julianne Hough has most recently been getting more attention for her music, but she continues to be earning accolades for her dancing as well. Julianne has been nominated for an Emmy award in the category of Outstanding Choreography. A Mambo routine she put together for ABC's Dancing With The Stars earned her that honor.  Other nominees include High School Musical 2's Kenny Ortega, Charles Klapow & Bonnie Story, and three folks from FOX's So You Think You Can Dance; Wade Robson, Shane Sparks  and Mandy Moore. Julianne will find out if she won when the Creative Arts Emmys are handed out on Saturday, September 13.

Miranda Loves Summer

Summer is Miranda Lambert's favorite season. However, now it's also her busiest time of year as she travels the globe playing fairs and festivals. Miranda says, "I get my laying out done at fairs behind the bus." Prior to that, Lambert says what she looked forward to most in the summertime was going to concerts, including Nashville's annual "Fan Fair," now known as CMA Music Festival. She recalls, "I saw the Dixie Chicks at the state fair in Texas one summer. I drove nine hours to see the "Soul2Soul Tour" [Tim McGraw & Faith Hill] and nine hours back, immediately just turned around after the show and came back. So I was just hardcore man."  

9 To 5 Broadway Details

Earlier this week they announced that the Broadway musical version of 9 to 5 will play the Great White Way later this year. Dolly Parton, who starred in the original 1980 Oscar nominated film, wrote the songs for the production. She says, "When they asked me to write the music for it, I didn't even know that I could do it 'cause I don't even go to Broadway shows that much, but they decided after all these years, which has been 25, 26 years I guess, that 9 to 5 was out, that they were gonna make it a Broadway [show]."

As for the content of some of her new original songs, Dolly reveals, "I've written songs for the boss, I've written songs fo Roz, you know, the company spy, she's the one that's in love with the boss. I wrote a fun little thing for her called 'Red Hot Mama' [and] of course I wrote songs for the whole office to sing."    

Country + Rap = Good Times For All

The Lost Trailers' current Top 15 single, "Holler Back," playfully shows how the phrase can be used in both hip hop and country. As you may have assumed,  the guys aren't too surprised to see those two worlds coming together - with acts like Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson teaming up, for example.  

To band members Ryder Lee and Manny Medina, it's just a sign of the times:

 (Ryder) "Music is so widely available now. You know, it's almost impossible to be just…" (Manny) "Sheltered into a certain type." (Ryder) "Yeah. Put into one kind. I think a lot of people listen to different kinds of music. You know, we play country 'cause I mean I was raised, you know, listenin' to country and a country fan, but I'm a hip hop fan too. I am. I love it and I love rock and I love, you know, all different kinds of music. I think, as a musician especially, if you don't keep ears open, you're gonna be limited. But I think it's cool. I love the worlds colliding for the better. I think it'll make for some really cool music in the future."

Blake's Next Single

How do you follow-up a smash hit like "Home"? Blake Shelton thinks he has just the perfect song! Blake is releasing his new single, "She Wouldn't Be Gone," to radio and premiering it on CMT.com this Monday. He says, "As a country music artist, I'm always looking for 'that song.' Something unique, something special, something that matters. This song has all of the above. What a melody!" "She Wouldn't Be Gone" is from Blake's forthcoming album. The tune will be available for purchase at all digital retailers on July 29. Plus, the ringtone will be available at all carriers on August 3.

For The Love Of The Game

Kix Brooks and duo partner Ronnie Dunn have been playing for fans for over 17 years now and out on the road on their current "Cowboy Town Tour," Kix says it's all still new to him. He tells the Tampa Bay Newspaper, "I love playing, singing and writing. The fact that I walk away from shows and people tell me what a great time they had, that gives me a lot of joy. We're doing what we want to do and people are enjoying it, so I like to think that everybody's winning."

CMA Music Fest Fun Is Coming To ABC!

ABC will air a two-hour special titled CMA Music Festival: Country's Night To Rock on Monday September 8 at 9 PM, ET. Taylor Swift, Kellie Pickler and Julianne Hough will serve as hosts and perform on the show. Additional performers include from Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Trace Adkins, Rodney Atkins, Billy Ray Cyrus, Josh Turner, Jewel, Miranda Lambert, Gretchen Wilson, Bucky Covington and Dwight Yoakam.

Kellie Pickler Unedited

A lot has been written about Kellie Pickler's parents and the fact that her grandparents raised her. So when Kellie is told that she is an example for those dealing with life's hard knocks, she gets a bit uncomfortable. She tells The Detroit News, "It's a compliment, but it's kinda weird for people to call me their role model. They know me through the press. I just think parents should take on the responsibility of being a role model to their kids instead of a singer."

As for her constant press coverage, Kellie says she's the opposite of how she has been portrayed in the press. She explains, "Some of it is my own fault. I have learned that TV is so edited. I am so much more than a five-minute interview or an hour interview edited to five minutes."

Gotta Love That New York Accent!

Lee Ann Womack recently found out that she speaks a different language than the folks in New York City! She was recently in the Big Apple to film the video for her new single, "Last Call." According to Lee Ann, they filmed part of the clip on a rooftop and walked down Houston Street to film another part. But there was one problem! Womack shares, "Being from Texas, I would pronounce this Hyu-ston. For some reason, in NYC, it is pronounced How-ston. I just didn't have the energy to explain to them how wrong they were. So I suppose they're going to pronounce it that way from now on." Womack adds that she still thinks the video turned out "pretty cool."

On The Tube

- Sugarland will serve as co-hosts on today's episode of CMT Top Twenty Countdown. Find out all about the duo's upcoming third CD, Love On The Inside, and their fun platinum ticket sweepstakes. Also, viewers will get the scoop on Toby Keith's "Biggest & Baddest Tour," plus more! The show airs this afternoon at 2 PM, ET on CMT.

- Catch Toby Keith talking about life on the road during tomorrow afternoon's CMT Insider. Plus, find out all about Jessica Simpson's debut country video, "Come On Over," Sugarland's new CD, Love On The Inside, and the upcoming Broadway musical version of Dolly Parton's 9 To 5! The show airs at 1:30 PM, ET on CMT.

- Don't miss performances by Josh Turner, Mel Tillis, Steve Wariner and Tift Merritt on tomorrow night's edition of Opry Live, airing on GAC at 8 PM, ET.

- Tomorrow night, catch intimate conversations with Taylor Swift, Randy Travis and Gretchen Wilson on GAC's CMA Celebrity Closeup. All three artists sat down with Lorianne Crook in front of a live audience at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium to answer fan questions during CMA Music Festival last month. Highlights will include Taylor confessing about her celebrity crush, Gretchen revealing the bad habit she has kicked and the one she hasn't and Randy sharing why he has learned to be careful around both his brother and guns. Don't miss any of the fun when CMA Celebrity Closeup premieres at 9 PM, ET on GAC.

Thursday, July 17

Kenny's Field Of Dreams

Kenny Chesney tells People Magazine that if he weren't playing guitar and singing for millions of fans each night, he'd like to be on a baseball diamond. He admits, "Deep down I would love to play second base for the [Boston] Red Sox. When I was little I wanted to be a baseball player. I wanted to be Pete Rose." Although Kenny played on his high school team, he eventually diverted his attention away toward music, which in a way he says mimics the baseball season. "My life on tour is exactly like a baseball season. It starts in April and ends in September or the first of October," he said Tuesday night in New York, while in town for the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium. "So, their off-season is my off-season, so I get to hang out [with them]."  Kenny counts several major league ballplayers among his best friends – including Kevin Millar from the Baltimore Orioles and Nick Swisher from the Chicago White Sox.

Miranda & Blake Celebrate #1 "Home"

Miranda Lambert laughs that she's taking the credit for Blake Shelton's latest chart-topper, "Home," because she introduced him to the song in the first place.  "Home" is currently enjoying a second week at #1 on the Billboard/R&R Country Singles chart, and Miranda, who sang harmonies for the track, couldn't be happier:

"This song is such a cool song, and the fact that we got to do it together made it even more special. And then we found out on Sunday night, you know, whenever the charts are finally like, 'Ok, you're officially #1,' or whatever. We found out and our families were all together at our house. So we got to toast and celebrate. We toasted with champagne and it was really a cool moment."

Miranda notes that the success of "Home" is also special to her because it's the first #1 song she's ever been a part of. Meanwhile, Lambert recently scored her first Top 10 hit on her own with "Gunpowder & Lead."

Well Here's A No-Brainer!

When it came time for Brooks & Dunn to shoot the video for their latest Top 5 single, "Put A Girl In It," the duo went in the obvious direction. They put about 100 girls, most wearing bikinis, in it! When asked about the beautiful babes, both of the guys denied having anything to do with the decision. Ronnie Dunn told Nashville's WKRN-TV, "We're so over that. Can't believe they did that. It's embarrassing. You start exploiting that stuff and it snowballs." Kix Brooks added, "I guess we already spent the money. It was all we had. You can't turn back now." On the contrary, the director for the video has ratted the guys out, revealing that they actually requested one thousand models, but the budget wouldn't allow it. Brooks & Dunn shot the clip on Tuesday.

Christmas In July

Faith Hill will be releasing her first Christmas album in September, giving fans plenty of time to get in the spirit of Christmas before the holiday season.

The project is one that Faith has been working on for years and she couldn't be happier to finally get it out to the masses:

"I am so excited. It's like an old Doris Day kind of 1940's...I am so excited about this Christmas record. (The) London Boys Choir is on it... I mean, there's a lot of really, really cool stuff. 'Away in a Manger' is just like an Appalachian kind of version of 'Away in a Manger'... but my favorite by far is 'Little Drummer Boy.' It's my favorite Christmas song."

Trace Goes For A "Good Time"

Alan Jackson will be joined by Trace Adkins for 17 dates of his "Good Time" tour this fall. According to The Tennessean, the two will hit the road together in October in North Carolina and run through November 23 in California. Tickets go on sale for the first dates on July 26.

LeAnn In Concert Series

LeAnn Rimes will join Mariah Carey, Gavin Rossdale, Nelly and Nas, among others, in performing as part of the second annual Samsung AT&T Summer Krush, a free summer concert series designed to highlight Samsung's music-centric BlackJack II mobile phone. According to Billboard, the concert series launches July 31 in Los Angeles with an approximately 35-minute performance by Carey at the Hollywood & Highland Center. Portions of the concert will broadcast later that evening on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! LeAnn will perform August 13 at Gilley's in Dallas.

Opry Is In Rucker's Top Three

Despite all the success Darius Rucker has experienced as the front man for Hootie & The Blowfish, he puts playing the Grand Ole Opry high up on the list of his career highlights. Darius, who performed on the historic stage Tuesday night, says he felt the magic hours before the audience even arrived for the show:

"The hair stood up on the back of my neck. I went in for soundcheck and I had my guitar. You know, they don't let people soundcheck, but they were being really cool to me. [laughs] And I go in and I start singin' 'Me & God.' I'm standing there in that circle, I'm singin' 'Me & God' and I get to the second chorus and I stop singin'. The hair's standin' up and I'm tearin' up and I walk off. And my manager's there and I'm like, 'Man, I just sang 'Me & God' at the Opry.' Along with playing with Al Green and playing at the Apollo, it's the three greatest musical moments of my life.

"

Darius says he's proud, but also surprised to have learned he is the first African American to have a Top 20 hit on country radio since Charley Pride twenty years ago. However, he points out, "You can't even mention my name in the same breathe as Charley Pride. Charley Pride is a legend." Rucker adds that doing a duet with Pride somewhere down the line is a goal of his.

Daddy Luke Hits 32

Luke Bryan celebrates his 32nd birthday today while performing for fans at the Ellis County Fairgrounds in Hays, Kansas. Having a four-month old baby boy named Bo at home waiting for Daddy when he gets off the road has changed Luke quite a bit from when he celebrated his last birthday.

Luke says he's not the same Uncle he was to his nieces and nephew last year at this time:

"Yeah, Uncle Luke has changed...It was fun. My nieces and my nephew always kind of prepared me for what I thought parenthood was like, you know? But the thing about them is I could always hand them back to momma and daddy, you know, when they started crying a little too much or whatever. But now I'm the daddy and now I have to try to figure out a way to get him quiet or hand him over to my wife. So, it's really put a whole new perspective on life."

Dierks' Vibe

Dierks Bentley says his next studio album is shaping up with hopes of it topping his last album, Long Trip Alone, which was nominated for a Grammy. He tells GAC, "I think all of my music is tied to a certain theme and feeling and vibe. We've kinda carved out our own niche as far as that type of production and sounds and songs we write. There's a real consistent kind of feel of the music I make." Meanwhile, Dierks' next week will find him playing dates in the UK, France and Norway before heading back to the states to play at Lollapalooza in Chicago.

Fun With A Labelmaker

Lady Antebellum's Dave Haywood has found himself a new toy. On the latest installment of the band's "Webisode Wednesday" video blog, Dave shows off a labelmaker he found in the trailer on the bus. He then demonstrates why having a labelmaker on the bus is quite handy, pointing out all of the things he's labeled. Examples include his bunk, labeled "Quiet Storm," and Charles Kelley's bunk, jokingly labeled "Shorty." Other examples include a drawer for medicine, labeled "Walgreens," and the trash, which he calls "the dipsy dumpster." Check out Dave's labeling fun and a whole lot more at ladyantebellum.com.

A Big Apple Release Day For Sugarland

Tuesday, Sugarland will be in New York to celebrate the release of their upcoming third CD, Love On The Inside, with appearances on ABC's Good Morning America and The View. That same day, the Deluxe Fan Edition of the project will be available in stores nationwide! Five copies will include a special platinum ticket that gives access to the ultimate fan experience, including a trip to this year's CMA Awards in Nashville.

Alan's Major League Relation

Boston Red Sox player Brandon Moss admits that he's a big country music fan. Brandon tells the Boston Herald that his iPod is filled with "anything from alternative rock to classic rock to country to whatever. I love music." So it was quite a shock when the Georgia native discovered at a recent family reunion that he is related to Alan Jackson.  He says, "He's my cousin. It's a distant family cousin." When asked who he would most like to meet, the outfielder said, "Hank Williams Jr. and Willie Nelson. I just love those guys."

CMA Awards Date Announced!

The date has been set for The 42nd Annual CMA Awards! The ceremony will take place on Wednesday, November 12 at Nashville's Sommet Center. Dubbed "Country Music's Biggest Night," the show will be broadcast live on ABC.