The love-buzz around Taylor Swift continues, as she's been spotted several times with Glee star Chord Overstreet. Chord says his unusual first name came from his Dad, who is Nashville singer-songwriter Paul Overstreet. Chord is the third child in the family, and "three chords and the truth" rings true in the Overstreet clan, I guess!
Congratulations to The Band Perry and Eric Church. They've won the ACM Top New Duo or Group and Solo awards. They're competing for Top New Artist in the second round voting, which begins on March 11, along with Entertainer of the Year voting.
There was a little bit of country at the Academy Awards last night. Nicole Kidman was there with hubby Keith Urban. She was nominated for her role in "The Rabbit Hole" but lost the Best Actress Oscar to "The Black Swan's" Natalie Portman. And Gwyneth Paltrow sang part of the Oscar-nominated song, "Coming Home." That song was written by Tom Douglas, Hillary Lindsey and Troy Verges, but it lost the Best Original Song Oscar to "We Belong Together" from Toy Story 3. Taylor Swift wasn't spotted at the actual awards show, but she did attend a ton of Oscar-related parties in LA leading up to last night's gala.
Saturday night, Brad Paisley wrapped up his "H2O Frozen Over" tour in Nashville, telling the crowd early in the show that his doctor and his insurance agent were both in the crowd, so he felt like he had to behave. Apparently his alter-ego, "Mascot Brad: didn't feel like he had to toe the line - the guy in the big-headed Brad Paisley costume rolled out a portable bar and served as bartender to a host of VIPs on the side of the stage. As they were drinking and toasting, Brad got help with his encore song, "Alcohol." Darius Rucker, Jerrod Niemann and Sheryl Crow joined him onstage and on mic for the extra-lubricated version of the song.
Another tour featuring Brad Paisley - sort of - has been documented in a YouTube video. Fans have sent Bobblehead Brad all over the country, where he's had adventures like riding a steel bull, gettin' busy with various Barbies wearing Ken's clothes and hanging with assorted dogs and babies. It appears that this tour may not be quite over, but nothing is set in stone.
As that tour wraps up, another short tour is getting ready to launch. Alan Jackson and Miranda Lambert were scheduled to be headed to Australia for their sold-out tour which kicks off Friday in Melborne, but there's a change in plans. Miranda is sick and can't make the tour, which breaks her heart. Though only a week long, the tour will get Alan in front of nearly every Aussie that cares to see the show, which seems to be most of them!
Keith Urban will be doing a homecoming tour as his "Get Closer World Tour" kicks off in Australia with Lady Antebellum in April. When he finishes there, he'll come back to the states and add Jake Owen and The Band Perry to various dates in the US and Canada.
Tomorrow, the lead singer for rock group "Staind" releases his first country effort. Aaron Lewis' first single is "Country Boy" and says this project is not a stretch for him: “I don’t have a twang, I don’t have a southern accent, I’m not from the south, but I’m from the sticks. And I grew up huntin’ and fishin’ and trappin’ and doin’ very, quote-unquote country things. You know, you’ll never catch me in a pair of cowboy boots or a ten gallon hat but…by life, I’m pretty country.”
Zac Brown Band is on the David Letterman show tonight.
Happy 34th birthday to Jason Aldean. He's taking a few days off the road before his tour cranks back up in Virginia with Eric Church this Thursday.
The tweet of the day is from Martina McBride: "So NOT motivated today. To do anything. But I did make a big pot of gumbo. So my house smells good. Have the windows open. Happy."
