Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Today's Country Tidbits

Billboard Magazine has crunched the numbers and come up with the top ten country artists of the last 25 years, based on charted songs and albums. Here's their list:

1. George Strait
2. Garth Brooks
3. Reba McEntire
4. Alan Jackson
5. Tim McGraw
6. Randy Travis
7. Toby Keith
8. Kenny Chesney
9. Alabama
10. Brooks & Dunn

Awards shows are known for their bling-filled celebrity gift bags, but this year, the CMT Music Awards stars won't be getting any goodie bags. Instead, the money will be donated to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, allowing them to provide more than 160,000 meals. Trisha Yearwood is the spokesperson for this initiative, and she'll be talking it up on the red carpet tomorrow night, as well as being part of the check presentation on Thursday.

Tim McGraw has teamed up with Fritos to donate half a million dollars to local charities all along the "Southern Voice" tour route.

Zac Brown Band's "For Those Who Serve" documentary is being debuted online, and part two is available for viewing. And congratulations to Zac Brown and his wife. They're expecting their 4th daughter.

The surprise performer for Friday night's CMA Music Festival concert has been announced, and it's CMT Music Awards host Kid Rock.

Got an iPhone? Fan of Toby Keith? There's an app for that.

Ever wonder what stars would wish for, if they had three wishes? Here are three country stars' answers:

Darius Rucker: “World peace, world peace, and world peace.”
Jake Owen: “For everybody in my family to live happy and healthy lives, for myself—to continue to live a happy and healthy life. My third wish would be to have three wishes again!”
Luke Bryan: “Perfect health forever, happiness, and that my family could all live in the same town—all on one street.”

At the City of Hope celebrity softball game yesterday, the rivalry between the Grand Ole Opry Team and the After Midnight team fired up, with a bit of trash talk and an extra inning needed to settle the score. In the end, After Midnight beat Grand Ole Opry 15 to 10. Fans were treated to a surprise, as were Carrie Underwood and her fiance, Mike Fisher. A bridal shower broke out on the field, with the couple getting gifts from members of both teams.

People.com has a country music quiz online. See how you do!

And what's Trace Adkins doing this coming Monday? He's going back to high school. He's been asked to be the commencement speaker for the Piedmont High School's 50th graduating class, so he'll head to North Carolina and do the honors. Graduating senior Ashley Price wrote to him, telling him how much it would mean to her graduating class if he were their speaker. He was so moved by the request that he's doing this for free and even paying all of his own travel expenses.

New music out today includes Dierks Bentley's "Up On The Ridge" which features guest artists Miranda Lambert, Jamey Johnson, Vince Gill, Alison Krauss and Kris Kristofferson. Jewel's "Sweet and Wild," Ty Herndon's "Journey On," Clay Walker's "She Won't Be Lonely Long" and Lee Brice's "Love Like Crazy" are all in stores today, too.

Rascal Flatts is on the Elen DeGeneres show today.