Wednesday, October 14, 2009


Today's country tidbits...

How successful was the All For the Hall concert last night? Too early for complete numbers, but it looks like a good conservative estimate might be about half a million dollars. Country Music Hall of Fame director Kyle Young said it's "easily the biggest fundraising event in the Hall's history." and Keith Urban says so many artists wanted to be part of it that "we easily could have filled two nights. October 5th next year, we're going to do it all again." The show was described by Keith as "one of the greatest open-mic nights we've ever seen in Nashville."

Taylor Swift is no stranger to awards shows, so it's no surprise that she's at the head of the pack with six nominations for the 2009 American Music Awards. The awards will be handed out on November 22nd. Taylor's nominations are for Artist of the Year and Favorite Album in the Pop/Rock category. Jason Aldean, Darius Rucker, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland and Zac Brown Band are nominated in the country category.

Slowly, the details are trickling out of Las Vegas about Garth Brooks' big announcement tomorrow. According to local media, it's going to be a 16-week run at the Wynn Hotel in their big performance theatre. Garth will make the big announcement tomorrow in Las Vegas, and it will stream live on his website.


Charlie Daniels released a Christmas cd this week, and it's star-studded. "Joy To The World: A Bluegrass Christmas" features Jewel, Kathy Mattea, The Grascals, Aaron Tippin, Dan Tyminski, Kathy Mattea and the Cox Family's Evelyn and Suzanne Cox.

Martina McBride teamed up with Oprah to surprise the Texas State Fair crowd. Oprah dressed the part, in new cowboy boots and hat, telling the crowd that she was all "Texified." Martina McBride was part of the show, singing songs from her latest cd, "Shine," as well as Oprah favorite, "This One's for the Girls." The show will air next week.

Carrie Underwood takes to tv for a holiday special December 7 on FOX-TV. Among the musical guests on the show will be Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley and David Cook.

Stars on tv today include Rascal Flatts on the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, Toby Keith on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Taylor Swift on the Oprah show. On GAC's Backstory today, Trace Adkins opens up about all the stories he told in his autobiography, "A Personal Stand," and then some.

And watch for Keith Urban on an upcoming episode of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader. He’s told Jeff Foxworthy he wants to do the show, but he set the bar really low for himself, saying that one of the rare questions he does know the answer to is No I am not smarter than a 5th grader.


Tuesday, October 13, 2009


Today's country tidbits...


Bummed because you can't be in Nashville tonight for the All For the Hall concert, with Keith Urban, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Brad Paisley, Little Big Town, Lady Antebellum, Jason Aldean and Taylor Swift? Cozy up to your computer...it's being streamed live on Keith Urban's website, VCastLive and the Country Music Hall of Fame website, starting at 8:30 eastern, 7:30 central.

Keith Urban is the only country artist nominated for Music Act of the Year for the Australian 2009 GQ Men of the Year Awards, to be handed out on November 25th.

You're not seeing double...that IS Brad Paisley on the covers of two magazines this week. He's on the special edition of People Magazine, which features country artists and their families, as well as on the cover of Country Weekly, where he's telling the story of the death of his Aunt Rita, which inspired the song "When I Get Where I'm Going."

Expect the formal announcement Thursday, but Garth Brooks is about to host a long stint of shows at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, starting early next year. The official announcement will be streamed on Garth Brooks' website on Thursday.

As mentioned here yesterday, Blake Shelton's next single is "Hillbilly Bone," and yes, that IS Trace Adkins singing with him on it.

Love country stars? Love horses? Head to Cracker Barrel, where a new book called "Horse Country" details the life and times of country stars and their favorite horses. Included are Kix Brooks, Eddie Montgomery, Willie Nelson and way too many more to list here.

Sugarland’s Christmas cd is out today – Gold and Green includes a few original holiday tunes from Jennifer and Kristian. And A two-disc collection of Christmas classics, "NOW That’s What I Call A Country Christmas!," features George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift, Reba McEntire, Trace Adkins, Darius Rucker, Kellie Pickler and more. Pick both of the new holiday collections up at your favorite music store now, or order them from the Country Store on this site.

Chris Young has his first career #1 with Gettin’ You Home – the black dress song.

In Justin Moore's song, "Small Town USA" he mentions David Allen Coe. Justin has always admired the singer/songwriter, and last week he got to be on stage with his hero at a show in Houston. They performed several songs together, and Justin is probably still beaming.

DVR Alert! Taylor Swift will be on the Oprah show tomorrow, and tomorrow night, Rascal Flatts will perform their new song, "Why" on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. (10/14)

Happy birthday to Rhett Akins, Marie Osmond and Lacey J. Dalton.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Here are today's country tidbits...

There was some pranking going on last night in Minneapolis, when the first half of Taylor Swift's tour was ending. Taylor broadly hinted that Gloriana would be the prankee, and I'm scouring YouTube to find the video evidence. Check back later today...I'll post what I find for your giggling pleasure.

Looks like the rumors were true...Garth Brooks says the deals are being finalized for shows in Las Vegas some time early next year. Yay...GB in concert!!

Are you part of Blake Shelton's fan club? If you're a BS'er, log into the club page on his website today to hear his next single, "Hillbilly Bone." If you're not a BS'er, you can join today and hear it, or you can wait until tomorrow, when it'll be available for everyone to hear.

Keith Urban on his benefit concert tomorrow night in Nashville: "I began to think about a dedicated show, specifically for the Hall, with a lot of different people involved. And then everyone jumped on board. Before I knew it, everybody was offering their time, from the artists to the vendors. It's a small way for me to give back. The things I've got in my life and that I'm able to do, it's all connected in some way to Nashville. This is where I'd dreamed of being, where I am, and where I want to be, [so] doing this show was a no-brainer to me."

Jason Aldean has a new family member…a Bulldog named Athens. She’s already stolen his heart, and has her own UGA jersey to wear on game days.

PEOPLE has gone country, and is giving fans exclusive photos and taking us behind the scenes with Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert and more.

Random silliness - Jake Owen cut his hair, and fans are aflutter on Twitter about it. They're not happy. No word from Jake about his new 'do, and female fans are praying it will grow back soon.

Didja catch the Possum on CBS Sunday Morning yesterday morning? He was honest and open, especially about his drinking & "no-show Jones" days, and the tour of his house was mind-blowing…wow, that man has won some awards!

On tv tonight: Love And Theft are on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Dierks Bentley is part of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Tim McGraw guests on the Late Show with David Letterman.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Today's country tidbits...

This weekend, a road trip to Nashville might be in order, especially if you can do it on two wheels. Sunday, Dierks Bentley's Miles and Music for Kids celebrity motorcycle ride and concert happens. Registration starts at 10, the ride starts at 1pm at Harley Davidson Cool Springs, and the concert starts at 2 at Riverfront Park. Musicians include Dierks, Darius Rucker, Wynonna, Eric Church, 3 Doors Down, Michelle Branch, and Heidi Newfield.

Congrats are in order for Deana Carter, who married beau Brandon Malone last Saturday on a California beach. The newlyweds are honeymooning in California, driving and camping out.

California's Stagecoach Festival 2010 has a stellar line-up, including Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Brooks & Dunn, Sugarland, Billy Currington, Gary Allan, Phil Vassar, Jamey Johnson and lots more. $99 gets you the whole weekend when tickets go on sale 10/16.

If Brad can do it, Taylor can, too. Taylor Swift has tacked on more tour dates, including several in Australia. Kellie Pickler and Gloriana are along for the ride, too.

The Garth-in-Vegas rumors are still swirling, and Mr. Brooks himself added a bit of fuel to the fire by announcing a press conference this coming Thursday.

The audio is awful, but the video is great. Luke Bryan's son Bo was on stage with him at his cd release concert in Leesburg, GA last week. The little boy's got rhythm, and his daddy's cutes! And you can't even tell that Luke's tour, which started that night, started off badly: he left Nashville for three weeks on the road, and left his undies and belts at home.

American Ride is Toby Keith’s 19 #1 song.


Congratulations and condolences to Jeff Bates, who lost his Mom this past Sunday. He and his wife, Kelly, are expecting their first child in late April of next month.

Artists on tv today - Lady Antebellum is on the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, and Toby Keith visits with Ellen.


Thursday, October 8, 2009

Today's country music tidbits:

Lady Antebellum’s debut cd, Lady Antebellum, has been certified platinum, and after 18 months on the charts, remains in the top 10 best selling country cds on iTunes. Their sophomore cd, Need You Now, will be available on January 26, 2010. Hillary Scott of Lady A says: "This is just beyond anything we ever could have imagined when we sat down to write our first song together in 2006. I wish we could thank every one of the fans personally. that would be the coolest thing in the world for us. Everybody always says they have the best fans in the world, but 'everybody' hasn't met Lady A's fans. they are truly the best!"

As tweeted yesterday, Brad Paisley has announced an American Saturday Night tour extension. He'll play dates in January through March of 2010, with Miranda Lambert and Justin Moore. Tour dates and information is here.

Carrie Underwood has launched a redesigned website, featuring an online store. Fans can pre-order a limited-edition package of Play On, including an 11x17 art print from her album photo shoot.

Jeff Cook, founding member of Alabama and dern good guy, has put together a package of Christmas songs he describes as "varied and not too overplayed." His first solo Christmas album, Christmas Joy, is available starting November 3 from iTunes, Amazon.com and on his website. 50's rock group The Ventures join him on the project's title cut.

Randy Houser’s next cd is due out in the spring of 2010. The first single is Whistlin’ Dixie, and the new songs will be featured on stage in his CMT On Tour stops.

Last night in Nashville, Taylor Swift raked in some more shelf bling. The Nashville Music Awards were handed out for the best locally-made music, and Taylor won for artist, songwriter-artist and country album of the year for Fearless. Lady Antebellum won Best New Artist, and Rascal Flatts won Music Video of the Year for Here Comes Goodbye,

Tim McGraw's latest movie, The Blind Side, isn't even in theatres yet and it's being reported that he's about to start filming another one in January. Tim will team up with Gwyneth Paltrow on a project to be shot in and around Nashville, with some filming apparently happening on his own farm. No word on the project's name or story line.

Dierks Bentley, on the first time he heard one of his songs on the radio, as told to The Boot: "I was driving down I-65 in Nashville, going to drop my dogs off at a friend's house before I went out on the road that weekend. I heard 'What Was I Thinking?' and pulled over the side of the road as I always do and sat there and listened to it. Radio is what got me into country music, so just to hear yourself on the radio just blows your mind!”


Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Today's country music tidbits...

Check out Sugarland getting pranked from a front-row view. At a show last week, strippers interrupted the show, and it's wonderful to see how Jennifer Nettles handled the whole thing.

Lee Ann Womack has launched a free fan club, The Lee Ann Womack Country Music Appreciation Society And Social Club. "I had a fan club when I first started, and then I quit having it because I never felt comfortable taking money from people to be a fan," Womack says. "It's totally free, but you have to agree to my rules, which I think are pretty funny." For example, members are required to admire Lee Ann’s shoes, either in person or on the comments page, refrain from commenting about her not-tall stature and try to attend her concerts and meet & greets when they’re near you.

And in more LeAnn news, LeAnn Rimes will be doing some manual labor today. LeAnn with one "e" was the 2009 recipient of The Home Depot Humanitarian Award at April's 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, so will help build a playground today at Spring Valley Apartments in Murfreesboro. Joining her on the one-day build are volunteers from The Home Depot, Academy of Country Music, KaBOOM!, the United Way of Rutherford and Cannon counties and Murfreesboro community members. Go to Tennessean.com today starting at 10:30 a.m. central time to see live streaming video from the build.

Luke Bryan on songwriting: “That's my inspiration -- trying to speak to a people. I want people to hear my songs and be like, 'Yeah, that guy is just like me."


The only song on “American Ride” that Toby Keith didn’t have a hand in writing is the title cut, which is currently #1 on the charts, proving he can pick ‘em as well as he can write ‘em.

Tube Check : (10/7): Rosanne Cash, Late Show with David Letterman (CBS); Miranda Lambert, Bonnie Hunt Show (syndicated); Toby Keith, Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (NBC).

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Today's country tidbits...

Tim McGraw will perform two nights on CBS-TV's Late Show with David Letterman, Oct. 12 and Oct. 16, with a "Live On Letterman" exclusive concert for CBS.com. Stream the show from the Letterman page on cbs.com on October 12th.

No surprises on the performer list so far...the 43rd Annual CMA Awards co-hosts Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley are among the show's. Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban round out the preliminary list. The CMAs will broadcast live on ABC-TV from Nashville's Sommet Center Nov. 11.

Martina McBride and Trace Adkins hit the road on Sunny D's Shine All Night Tour, along with Blake Shelton and the Lost Trailers. The show stops in 40 cities across the U.S. beginning Nov. 20 in Moline, IL. Other cities on the schedule include Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, Atlanta and Dallas. Complete list of dates here.

Kenny Chesney will do a full-hour on PBS's Austin City Limits next Saturday night (10/17). Kenny says, “There are some things that just define country, no, really American music. All of the greatest artists, singer/songwriters have done Austin City Limits over the years, regardless of genre - and to be a part of such a heritage, well, it's something I'd think every musician would want to do at some point in their career. I'm just blown away that I get to have an entire hour to give my fans this music in a whole different way than I think they're used to.”

Toby Keith will perform at the Nobel Peace Prize concert Dec. 11 in Oslo.Actor/rapper Will Smith and his wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, are co-hosts of the event, which will also feature performances by Wyclef Jean and Donna Summer. Dierks Bentley performed at last year’s concert.

Taylor Swift and Kid Rock are nominated for MTV Europe Music Awards. Swift is up for Best New Act and Kid Rock is up for Best World Stage Performance. The show airs Nov. 5 from Berlin’s O2 World Arena on MTV.

Sugarland rerecorded the Beatles’ “Come Together” for a BBCTV special commemorating the 40th anniversary of Abbey Road. Details on airdates and more soon.

Shopping alert today...great country cd's are available for purchase at your favorite store, or on the Country Store on this site. Enjoy!
Luke Bryan - Doin' My Thing
Toby Keith – American Ride
Colt Ford – Country is as Country Does
Roseanne Cash - The List
Rascal Flatts – Greatest Hits Vol. 1, Special Edition, which includes a poster, 4 live cuts, and an audio interview.