Jack Ingram made a promise to himself to write a song a week all this year, and so far he's on track. "Songwriter" magazine is following his progress. Read about it and hear the first cut, "America," on their website.
Shopping alert: Reba's going to add a line of purses and totes to her Dillard's merchandise. “I love purses and handbags. Matter of fact, we’re going into that real soon at Dillards. Big, they’re not going to be little petite purses yet. Maybe later.” By the way, she's a practical woman who still uses a purse she bought eleven years ago!
This weekend, Dolly Parton hosts a flood relief fundraising weekend at Dollywood, Dollywood's Splash Country and Dixie Stampede in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Proceeds from this weekend will all go to flood victims in middle Tennessee.
Here's the scoop on the big flood relief donations Sunday night: The ACM Lifting Lives initiative gave a quarter-million dollars, Big Machine Music Group, Delta Airlines, Jack Daniels distillery and Scripps Networks (parent company of GAC tv) each gave $100,000, as did Brad and Kimberly Paisley. Comcast, Humana and Ferguson Bath & Kitchen Gallery each gave $50,000, the box office take for the show was $44,000 and Hard Rock International gave $20,000. You can still donate to Music City Keep On Playin' to help rebuild Nashville. Online donations are still being accepted, or you can text GAC to 501501 to make a $10 donation.
At a Dierks Bently tour stop, Dierks found perhaps his biggest little fan, and he proclaimed her "better than any award!"
Dierks wraps up his "Up On The Ridge" tour this Saturday night at the Ryman in Nashville.
Jason Aldean is almost ready to award prizes in his Road Trips and Guitar Picks video contest. The finalists are posted, and the top three vote-getters will win a prize pack loaded with a Flip camera, iTunes gift card and autographed goodies. This is fan-voted, to go to it!
Look for "Now That's What I Call the USA (The Patriotic Country Collection) in stores on June 15th. Why do you want it? Because it features Carrie Underwood's "All American Girl," Trace Adkins' "Arlington," Brooks & Dunn's "Only in America" and tons more great songs about life in the USA. Out the same day is "Now That's What I Call Music! Volume 34" and it has a couple of country songs on it, too...Lady Antebellum's "American Honey" and Miranda Lambert's "The House That Built Me."
Joe Nichols is on the Tonight Show tonight.
Happy birthday to George Strait who turns 58 today, and David Nail, who turns 31.
