Sunday night, Rascal Flatts was in concert in New Mexico, and stopped the show to remember the tenth anniversary of 9/11.
Miranda Lambert has several treats in store for us when "Four the Record" comes out November first. This project was very collaborative, according to Miranda: “I just have a lot of people on this album that are an influence to me or that are a hero of mine or that are friends. It’s a community on this record, and I love that because, ya know, as a songwriter you always have that little tinge of ‘Well, I wrote this song, or I could cut this one.’ But, I didn’t have that on this album because I knew my strongest songs and I knew what I needed. So, I leaned on my other favorite artists to do that.” Miranda co-wrote songs on the project with Lady A's Charles Kelly, Pistol Annies' co-horts Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley, and duets on "Better in the Long Run" with hubby Blake Shelton. The deluxe version of the album will include a bonus DVD featuring Miranda telling the stories behind each song.
Zac Brown Band wraps up their arena stops with Kenny Chesney and hit the road on their own this fall. Starting Thursday and running through November 12th, the boys are barnstorming America, taking their rootsy country and eat & greets with them. Here's where you can find them:
9/15 - Boise, ID - Taco Bell Arena
9/16 - Portland, OR - Memorial Coliseum
9/17 - George, WA - The Gorge
10/14 - State College, PA - Bryce Jordan Center
10/15 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live
10/16 - Virginia Beach, VA - Farm Bureau Live
10/21-10/23 - Charleston, SC - Southern Ground Music & Food Festival at Blackbaud Stadium
10/28 - Jacksonville, FL - Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
10/29 - Biloxi, MS - Mississippi Coast Coliseum
10/30 - The Woodlands, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
11/12 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
Congratulations to Jake Owen, who's celebrating his second week at #1 on the country charts with "Barefoot Blue Jean Night." The original version had Jake swapping lines with guest vocalist Jerrod Niemann: “I called Jerrod while I was making the…the record that day. I was, ‘Dude, you’re one of my, like, really good friends, come over here and sing on this song.’ So, in the part of the song where I said, ‘Cadillac, horns on the hood,’ I would go, ‘My buddy Jerrod had his daddy hook us up good.’ And, then Jerrod comes in singing on the original track, going, ‘Girls smile when we roll by.’ And, then, so it’s us going back and forth.” Jake's label persuaded him to re-record the track without Jerrod, feeling it would be a stronger song with just Jake singing. Sorry, Jerrod...
In the latest issue of Nashville Lifestyles magazine, Taylor Swift is interviewed, talking about her favorite things in Nashville. One of those things isn't a thing at all - it's Faith Hill. According to Taylor, "I think my favorite person in Nashville is Faith Hill. She's been my idol since I saw her on both VH1 and CMT when I was about 10. I loved how she was taking country music to bigger audiences and her grace in the spotlight. Since I put out my first album, Faith has been a welcoming and warm presence in my life, time after time." Taylor goes on to say that Faith has always been supportive of her, sending flowers on her birthday and cookies when she's sick.
Brantley Gilbert made music before his current hit, "Country Must be Country Wide." With his new label affiliation, the decision was made to bring back one of his older releases, "Halfway to Heaven." Brantley is pleased, but a little unsure about the deluxe edition: “I never thought I’d see that word and my name on the same product, or piece of paper, but I saw it the other day for the first time and it was kind of weird. We added three new songs, ya know, that, it’s themed album, it told a story. It kind of had some open ends at the end of it, and I feel like they tie up some loose ends. And, really, uh, since we released that record the first time, my life, ya know, had been through some other things, so I, kinda, got to update that chapter of my life.”
New music in stores today includes Lady Antebellum's third cd, "Own the Night," Pistol Annies' "Hell on Heels," Brantley Gilbert's "Halfway to Heaven - Deluxe Edition" and Steve Holy's "Love Don't Run."
Lady Antebellum is on the Today Show this morning.
Happy birthday to Joe Don Rooney of Rascal Flatts, who turns 36 today.
The tweet of the day is from Joe Don Rooney: "My b'day wish, is to get so many followers that it shuts twitter down for a day!!! :)" Go ahead y'all - tweet away to @JoeDonRooney
