Randy Houser may have another #1 song on his hands, as “How Country Feels” is rocketing up the charts. It’s the first single from his next album, and even though he didn’t write it, he knew it was something special: “The first time I heard it, I heard that you know, ‘Let your hair down! Hair down!’ I went, ‘Aw, man.’ You know, I was hooked. There was no way I was not recording that song.” He’ll be a busy boy tonight, playing the Opry at the Ryman, then heading down the street to the Wildhorse Saloon to be part of Justin Moore’s benefit concert for Hurricane Sandy victims.

Dustin Lynch’s new song, “She Cranks My Tractor,” is very different from his first hit, “Cowboys and Angels.” What’s it all about? Dustin explains: “It’s definitely not about tractors; it’s about my dream girl. You know? It’s about a country girl that’s wilder than I am and kinda makes me come outta my shell, so that’s what that song means to me.” The woman in the video would crank a dead man’s tractor – check it out…



Blake Shelton isn’t winning any romance points with Miranda Lambert, it seems. In an interview with E! News, he was asked what he would give his wife for Christmas. He reminded the reporter that Miranda was very rich, and why should he blow a lot of his money on her when she could blow a bunch of her money on herself. He went on to say he might draw her a picture or something like that. Since we know Blake’s sense of humor, I’m guessing he’ll come up with a fabulous gift for Miranda.

The Band Perry feels cheated! They were in Europe last week, touring, and completely missed fall: “We live over in East Tennessee in the mountains so the leaves are all pretty over there, but I felt like we left and it was summer and we came back and all the trees were bare.” It’s ok, guys…you’ll see it next year, maybe while you’re on the road with Rascal Flatts.
Actually, Mike Gossin of Gloriana has some good advice for people whose lives are moving too fast: “I would say just savor the moment more. It all happened so fast for us. We didn’t really take it for granted, but I think we could have just realized more and been a little bit more appreciative of everything that was going on around us.” 
Garth Brooks fans, in case you missed it, be on the lookout for the “Gartha Stewart” episode of Trisha’s Southern Kitchen on the Food Network. Garth and wife Trisha Yearwood collaborated on black bean lasagna, TY Thai salad and peanut butter balls. The peanut butter balls are apparently something Garth and his daughters have made for years, and they looked really yummy!

Eric Church had a party in Nashville this week to celebrate the platinum success of his album Chief, as well as the two-week stint at the top of the charts for the song “Springsteen.” At the party, Eric said, “There are moments I think in your life that you just want to kind of pause and go, ‘Is this my life?’ This is one of ‘em. It’s been an unreal year. From Chief coming out, to ‘Springsteen’ and ‘Drink In My Hand’ before that.” His gifts included a pair of platinum sunglasses, a commemorative bottle of Jack Daniels with a platinum label, a keg of Jack to refill the bottle when it gets empty, and a platinum-label box of cigars.

Danica Patrick had fun working with Miranda Lambert on the video for “Fastest Girl in Town.” According to the race car driver, “She was really sweet. She’s got a lot of pep and a lot of spark. I just feel like her and I are sort of kindred spirits and we could be trouble together.” In case you’d like to see their collaboration again, here you go…



Taylor Swift and Conor Kennedy, the son of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have apparently been spending some quality time together. Reports have them attending church, eating pizza and strolling hand-in-hand on the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. Taylor is 22 and Conor is 18. The New York Post has a photo spread.

Gloriana member Tom Gossin has set a date to wed his girlfriend of ten years, Jamie Moffett. The couple will have until October of 2013 to plan the event, and Jamie has already told Tom that he will NOT be singing at the wedding. About the group’s current song, “(Kissed You) Goodnight,” co-written by Tom, he says, “It’s just about a situation I think everybody’s been in on a first date, and I was always real shy...like I could never make that first move. And so, I think I wrote a song about what I wish I was like back in the day...a little more confident.”

There’s a new young ‘un in the Eli Young Band – Mike Eli and his wife Kacey have been graced with a baby girl. Kline Olivia Diaz is the couple’s first child, and about the experience, Mike says, “I feel like I accomplished something quite special there. You know, the career is one thing, but makin’ a baby’s another.” EYB hits the road with Rascal Flatts again next week, as both of the new dads on the tour had time off with their little ones. (Jay DeMarcus and his wife welcomed their second child just 10 days ago.)

Jamey Johnson has invited George Strait, Willie Nelson, Vince Gill and many more country artists to join him for a tribute album to Hank Cochran, considered one of the greatest songwriters in the history of country music. Jamey says Hank influenced him “not only as an artist and songwriter, but also as a person.” Check out the song list and artists:

Livin’ For a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran Track Listing

1. “Make the World Go Away” – Jamey Johnson and Alison Krauss
2. “I Fall to Pieces” – Jamey Johnson and Merle Haggard
3. “A Way to Survive” – Jamey Johnson, Vince Gill and Leon Russell
4. “Don’t Touch Me” – Jamey Johnson and Emmylou Harris
5. “You Wouldn’t Know Love” – Jamey Johnson and Ray Price
6. “I Don’t Do Windows” – Jamey Johnson and Asleep at the Wheel
7. “She’ll Be Back” – Jamey Johnson and Elvis Costello
8. “Would These Arms Be in Your Way” – Jamey Johnson
9. “The Eagle” – Jamey Johnson and George Strait
10. “A-11” – Jamey Johnson and Ronnie Dunn
11. “I’d Fight the World” – Jamey Johnson and Bobby Bare
12. “Don’t You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me” – Jamey Johnson and Willie Nelson
13. “This Ain’t My First Rodeo” – Jamey Johnson and Lee Ann Womack
14. “Love Makes a Fool of Us All” – Jamey Johnson and Kris Kristofferson
15. “Everything But You” – Jamey Johnson, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson and Leon Russell
16. “Livin’ for a Song” – Jamey Johnson, Hank Cochran, Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson

Congrats to Zac Brown Band, as their “Uncaged” cd lands at the top of the Billboard 200 again this week.

Congrats to Kenny Chesney, who has his 24th #1 song with “Come Over.” It tops the country charts this week, after only 11 weeks on the chart. About the song, Kenny says, “It is a very emotional and it’s a…more of a comfortable song being with someone that you’re just used to being with because you just…the idea of moving forward is scarier than the idea of staying in what’s comfortable, and I think we all relate to that.”

Good news for Miranda Lambert and her fans – she’s feeling better after some enforced rest, both physical and vocal, and is ready to get back out and chew up some stages. About her doctor-ordered rest, Miranda said she’d “been going 90 to nothin’ and it caught up” with her. While on vocal rest, she received a plaque for her latest gold record, “Baggage Claim.”

Toby Keith has rescheduled his Army Concert Tour at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin because he has to have his gallbladder removed. It’s an outpatient procedure, but it will sideline him for a little while. Gretchen Wilson will fill in for him tomorrow.

Cracker Barrel is teaming up with Josh Turner to release “Live Across America” on August 27th. The 12-track collection was recorded live at 12 different tour stops on his 2012 tour. Are you sensing a theme?

Gloriana will perform Friday morning on FOX & Friends as part of their summer concert series. Their new album, “A Thousand Miles Left Behind,” is out, and Tom Gossin explains the title: “A Thousand Miles Left Behind signifies how much we’ve toured – being that we’ve stayed on tour for about five years now and been around the world a couple times. It’s been crazy, so it has a literal meaning. Figuratively speaking – just all that we’ve learned. You know, it’s like every mile we learned a new lesson on the road.”

He’s being hailed as the boy version of Taylor Swift, and like Taylor, Hunter Hayes knows where the magic is in country music –it’s the song: “You know when I write a song, I definitely want it to be from me – definitely want it to be a real life thing. My favorite songs are songs that I relate to, songs that mean something to me – because someone else wrote from their heart. So, I wanted a record full of those songs.” His self-titled debut album has spawned his first gold record – the current single, “Wanted.”

Little Big Town is on the syndicated show, Better TV, today.

Brad Paisley is apparently still considering sitting at the judge’s table on American Idol. His tour is taking a short hiatus until August 10th, and apparently meetings are set for next week to discuss whether or not he can make his schedule mesh with A’s. The Band Perry has been opening for him, and when Kimberly Perry was asked about Brad and reality TV, she threw out another reality show idea: Celebrity Apprentice. According to Kimberly, “He’s always thinking, that guy. And um—so I’d have to—yeah, ‘BP’ on that one!” Perhaps there’ll be an answer, one way or the other, soon about Brad and his TV future.

Gloriana’s new cd, “A Thousand Miles Left Behind,” is out today. Band Member Mike Gossin says their sophomore project is pretty personal: “We’re very very proud of it. I think this album is much more organic and has a more mature sound to it. There was a lot of emotions and heart that went into making this record. It’s really the story of the past three years of our lives.” “A Thousand Miles Left Behind” includes Gloriana’s top-5 hit, “(Kissed You) Goodnight.”

Miranda Lambert’s new single finally has a video, and Danica Patrick is part of it. It’s fun – here you go, but buckle in!



Luke Bryan has been touring with Jason Aldean this year, but he’s planning for 2013, when he’ll head out on tour as the headliner: “We’re already getting our game plan together and thinking about stuff we can do to really set ourselves apart and be—you know, to come out with a really big bang for my first run at headlining. We’re really excited about everything that we’ve talked about thus far.”

Darius Rucker and his rock band, Hootie and the Blowfish, have several tour dates set for August, and according to Darius, there’s still one more Hootie record and tour left in them. He doesn’t know when, but enjoys the four or 5 dates a year they always do.

Fans of Scotty McCreery and Christmas have some celebrating to do – apparently he’s in the studio right now, recording a Christmas album. No release date or title yet – I’ll keep you posted.

Precious metal has been earned: Trace Adkins’ “You’re Gonna Miss This” has been certified platinum, and “Ladies Love Country Boys” has gone gold. Also getting gold certification are Little Big Town’s “Pontoon” and Toby Keith’s “She Never Cried in Front of Me.”

Toby Keith has turned down a chance to be a judge on American Idol. He told FOX producers that he was “too busy” to take on the judges role for season 12, but he would have been a great choice. Toby isn’t one to pull punches and is known for saying just what he thinks, kind of like Simon. Still no official word of who the third judge will be, and no further word on whether Brad Paisley is still being considered. Lauren Alaina is all for Brad being the choice: “I think that would be really cool. He has a great personality and every time I’ve talked with him he’s been super nice. He is really cool. I think that would be a good move for the show.”

Oh, to have had an invitation to this dinner: Reba invited Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Jennifer Nettles and her new hubby over for a night of food, drink and story-swapping: “Yeah, we were hanging out and they came over to the house for dinner. It’s just great to have friends that are in the business that you can talk about. We all sat around after dinner telling road stories. It’s just fun! Jennifer Nettles was over there with her husband Justin just having a great time.” That’s not all Reba and Blake have shared recently: “Blake is a character! I got to sing with him on his Christmas album...a single that he asked me to sing on for his Christmas album.” That album should be out in a couple of months.

Dierks Bentley has decided to release just four songs in his next project, an EP called Country & Cold Cans. It’ll be out on August 21st and was produced by rocker Jaren Johnston of the band Cadillac Black. That group will be part of Dierks’ Country and Cold Cans: Back to College Tour, which kicks off next month. The tour stops at UGA on August 20th, University of South Carolina on the 21st and The Grove at the University of Mississippi on August 22nd.

Kenny Chesney will be part of the Farm Aid concert on September 22 in Hershey, PA. He credits his small-town upbringing to his desire to help America’s family farmers. Willie Nelson, John Mellenamp, Dave Matthews and Neil Young are also part of the show.

Dierks Bentley and Carrie Underwood are the country celebrities participating in CBS’s benefit concert special, Teachers Rock.” It will tape on August 14th and air on August 18th. Proceeds from the event benefit Teach For America, Feeding America and DonorsChoose.org.

Sugarland will be inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame on October 14th this year. They’re going into the hall in the Performer category – there will be eight other inductees from other areas of Georgia’s music industry.

Heads up on an event that always sells out fast: the 11th Anniversary of the Charlie Daniels Band & Friends Concert happens at the Ryman in Nashville on November 19th. Phil Vassar and Thompson Square are already confirmed to be part of this benefit for Christmas 4 Kids.

Miranda Lambert co-hosted The View last week, and brought along Pistol Annies to perform their new song, “Takin’ Pills.” Watch the whole episode if you’d like.

http://abc.go.com/watch/the-view/SH559080/VD55222128/the-view-725

Gloriana is on Good Morning America and Martina McBride is on Opening Act tonight.

Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw sit atop Pollstar’s Top 20 Concert Tour list and their Brothers of the Sun tour has earned the moniker “top-grossing summer tour.” So far they’ve taken in over $4 million in ticket sales. Other country acts making the list include Lady Antebellum at #14, taking in $490,000, Miranda Lambert at #16, making $432,000, and Eric Church at #20 with $320,000 in concert earnings.

Tornado warning! Little Big Town’s fifth studio album, Tornado, will be out September 11th. Kimberly Schlapman knows the album is special and has a new energy – here’s why: “This time we decided to use the guys that travel with us on all our shows, and it gave it such a fresh spirit. Everybody was just out there having fun and just putting out the very, very best that they had, and it was so creative. I think you can hear the spontaneity and the energy and the freshness in the music.” The first single on the album, “Pontoon,” has already gone gold.

Gloriana has hit a milestone – they have their first top-5 song with “(Kissed You) Good Night.” It’s the first single from A Thousand Miles Left Behind, which drops on July 31st. Tom Gossin says the project is a hint at the band members’ personal lives: “It’s really the story of the past three years of our lives...different experiences that we went through on the road, different experiences that we were experiencing in our own personal lives and our lives with each other and we’re very, very proud of it.”

Colt Ford is out with a new song, and it features Jake Owen. “‘Back’ is me doing what I do. It’s Jake Owen doing what he does. It’s me at my best –being honest and real, and open with the fans – which is what I’ve always tried to do.” Check it out…



College football season hasn’t even cranked up yet, but Lady Antebellum has already signed to perform at the FanFest just before the Belk Bowl on December 27th in Charlotte, NC. All three Lady A’ers are huge football fans – they even watch games on their tour bus when they’re on the road.

DVR alert – September 17th at 8pm Eastern on ABC, the CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock will air. Co-hosted by Kimberly Perry and Luke Bryan, the show will feature all the best performers from the CMA Music Festival this year: Zac Brown Band, Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley, Rascal Flatts and tons more…Kix Brooks, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Scotty McDreery, Jake Owen, Blake Shelton, The Band Perry, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Hank Williams, Jr.

Today's Country Tidbits

Taylor Swift, Tease. She’s working on her next album, which will probably be released before the end of this year, and said to her fans, “I’m writing you from Nashville, where I just sat in a big room with a lot of people and made a lot of decisions about a lot of things happening very soon Stuff is about to happen.” Yeah, but when? I’ll keep you posted.

Zac Brown Band’s new cd, Uncaged, has been out for a day and rabid fans have discovered the song Zac branded as a “baby-making song.” Here’s what he says about the sound of “Overnight:” “That’s straight up R&B baby! I’m about to get tender on ya. It’s definitely us – it sounds like us. But, the arrangement and everything is straight up R&B.” Meanwhile, their first single from the album, “The Wind,” is blowing up the charts, landing inside the top 20 just a couple of weeks after its release. The video for the song is animated and lots of fun – check it out!



Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher celebrated their second wedding anniversary yesterday. Was it a romantic event? Hard to tell, but here’s what Carrie had to say: “For a lot of guys, you know, it takes a little more effort. All that romance stuff doesn’t just come naturally. I’m generally fine. I love just hanging out on a Friday night watching TV”

Saturday night in Nashville, Ringo Starr played the Ryman. It was his 72nd birthday and in the audience were Brad Paisley, Kix Brooks and Joe Walsh. Ringo invited them on stage for the encore, “With a Little Help From My Friends.”



Congrats to Little Big Town, who were asked to write and sing “Good Afternoon” as the theme song for the new ABC show, Good Afternoon America. "Sometimes you get unexpected opportunities as an artist," Karen Fairchild says. "We loved getting the chance to write and record a song for such a cool show." Little Big Town will be on the show August second, singing the theme song and Pontoon live.

Martina McBride has rented a house in LA and will be there for the next few weeks as part of the show Opening Act. Her 14-year-old daughter Emma is enrolled in some acting classes, because that’s her dream right now. According to Martina “It goes by so fast, so I try to...you know, make the most of it and do everything that I can. They’re all going through different things and it’s just fun!”

Pistol Annies have a new video – “Takin’ Pills” – and it’s pretty entertaining!



FarmAid 2012 will be September 22nd at HersheyPark Stadium in Pennsylvania.

Congrats to Gloriana, who have a gold record on their hands with “(Kissed You) Good Night.”

Brantley Gilbert has the #1 country song this week with “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do.”

Josh Turner is on Good Morning America and Zac Brown Band will be on the Late Show with David Letterman tonight.

Today's Country Tidbits

Jake Owen may be learning a lot about performing by being part of the Brothers of the Sun tour, but he’s learning something else, too: diet tricks of the big stars! According to Jake, “Kenny pretty much sticks to chicken, salmon and broccoli. And I have been trying to do the same – I’ll mix in an occasional brew here and there. But he’s really good with his diet, and Tim looks amazing. His body looks like he’s 22 years old. I’m just trying to keep up with those guys.”

It’s not the 4th of July yet, but don’t tell Alan Jackson, Easton Corbin and Gloriana. They’re starting early at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, celebrating with military families there. The show’s open to the public and will include a major fireworks display.

It’s lucky 13 for Toby Keith – his I Love This Bar and Grill added a Dallas, Texas location this week. They’re not just a bar and restaurant, they also provide a concert venue as part of the package, and according to Toby, they’re a hit! “They’re really doing well! They’re going like gangbusters.” Well, yeah…have you had the French fries?

Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley have become great friends, and Carrie describes Brad as being like her big brother: “Kim and his kids are just absolutely amazing, and they’ve always been super sweet to me. And it’s just nice to have people that you work with that you really enjoy, and you enjoy being around. And he and Mike [Fisher] have hung out together, and it’s just nice to have that in your life.” Right now, Carrie and Mike are in Australia, where she’s taken her Blown Away tour.

Zac Brown Band has been added to the Road to Ram Jam sweepstakes, where Ram Trucks get a year-long lease to a 2012 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn truck. At the end of the lease, the trucks will be auctioned off, with proceeds going to the military charity of the artist’s choice. Other artists include Kellie Pickler, Brantley Gilbert and Easton Corbin.

Kellie Pickler has teamed up with ConAgra foods and Feeding America this summer to provide meals for hungry kids, and she’s very passionate about the project: “This is just a really great way to spread the word and awareness and get people involved in something so important. These are kids, they can’t fend for themselves – they need us. It’s our responsibility, whether they’re our kids or not, it is still our responsibility as human beings to help these children.” Did she have cake for her birthday yesterday? Not home-made – she had to hit the road early yesterday, headed for tonight’s show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Tim McGraw is busy and in-demand – he’s reading scripts for his next movie role, though he hasn’t found it yet, and just turned down an offer to appear on Broadway. Tim says he “can read fifty scripts and not find anything.” He’s had better luck with songs – he’s chomping at the bit to get his new album out to fans.

Congrats to Kenny Chesney – “Welcome to the Fishbowl” debuted atop the country album sales chart, selling nearly 200,000 copies. It was #2 on the all-genre chart. He says he put his heart and soul into the songs: “Bein’ in that driver’s seat to, you know, try to reach inside somebody’s heart live is a great seat to be in. And to figure out which songs of these that you think is gonna do it the most is a balancing act when you’re recording your record and when you’re done with it.”

Today's Country Tidbits

Did you stay up late Saturday night? If so, hope you were watching CMT, because the Crossroads episode with Joe Walsh and Friends was awesome. According to Joe, “This whole show is country with some rock ‘n roll sprinkled on top and people that I really believe in...or dear friends.” One of those friends is Brad Paisley: “I said, ‘Yeah, I’d love to.’ I’m friends with Joe. We’ve been friends for a little while and share common interests.” Another, Luke Bryan, was blown away to be included: “If you would’ve told me that this opportunity to do this Crossroads could’ve ever been presented to me and they were gonna recommend that I do ‘Life’s Been Good,’ life has been good, because that would’ve been my first pick.” If you missed it, don’t despair – CMT will re-air the show, so you can catch it soon.

Rascal Flatts are not just entertaining fans, they’re helping to fill hungry bellies while on tour. They’ve teamed with Outnumber Hunger Live, and at every tour stop, the Outnumber Hunger tour but will also be there, along with a check to help the local food bank dish up 5,000 meals. This campaign has helped Feeding America secure six million meals since it began in March.

Carrie Underwood spent last week entertaining and charming the English, and this week she’s off to Australia. Carrie says that Great Britain isn’t a hotbed of country music fans, but that she’s trying to help change that, and the audiences were warm and welcoming.

Country music stars have to find some way to entertain themselves on the road. Dierks Bentley, the Eli Young Band and rock group Cadillac Black had a bit too much fun reenacting the battle scene from Braveheart. Thankfully no horses were used in this version…



Montgomery Gentry has teamed up with the Buffet, Inc. chain of country restaurants to sell their “Rebels on the Run” cd as a fund-raiser for The Armed Services YMCA. Eddie and T-Roy wanted to find a way to help military families, and this seemed like a great fit. You’ll find it in Country Buffet, HomeTown Buffet, Old Country Buffet, Fire Mountain and Granny’s Buffet locations.

Gloriana is enjoying major chart success with their song, “(Kissed You) Good Night.” Josh Kear and Gloriana member Tom Gossin wrote the song, apparently after overhearing a conversation between two girls who were talking about boys and good night kisses. Gloriana’s Rachel Reinert flipped the first time she heard it: “All three of us really saw something special in it. And I especially really liked the ‘pushed you up against the wall’ lyric. I thought that was a really powerful lyric.” The song is the first single from “A Thousand Miles Left Behind,” their album coming out July 31st.

Martina McBride is joining the “Opening Act” crew, scouring the internet for undiscovered artists. The winners get to be the opening acts for headliners like Jason Aldean and Brad Paisley. The show premiers on the E! network July 9th.

Did you miss Kenny Chesney’s live concert from a NJ beach last week? You can watch it any time you want to, right here.

Trisha Yearwood is such a good cook and natural tv performer that The Food Network has picked up her Trisha’s Southern Kitchen for a 13-episode season, beginning this fall. According to Trisha, “The positive response from viewers was overwhelming and truly gratifying."

The Band Perry is on the Ellen DeGeneres Show today.

Today's Country Tidbits

Last night Lady Antebellum played their “Rebuilding Henryville Charity Ball.” They had intended to do a prom show for a deserving high school somewhere in America, but the winning high school didn’t want a prom – they wanted a fund-raiser to help the people of Henryville, Indiana rebuild after a horrific tornado outbreak destroyed the town. Looking at the crowd that attended last night, there were some “prom-goers,” and Charles Kelley talked about his first prom experience: “I remember my first prom being very nervous, and I got all dressed up in a nice little tux, first time I ever wore a tux, and it was very exciting. I didn’t rock the top hat, but looked sharp that night.”

This Sunday on the Oprah Winfrey Network, Oprah goes to Nashville to interview Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher on a new episode of “Oprah’s Next Chapter.” This is the first time Mike and Carrie have allowed cameras into their home, and the first time the two of them have done an interview together. They talk about adjusting to married life, balancing two successful and fast-paced careers, and they also take Oprah to the piece of land where they’re planning on building their dream home. Carrie told the story of her birthday celebration and how Mike came through, big time: “I said I wanted romance, and he did that on the 9th – the day before my birthday. He had this beautiful dinner set up and got me out of the house. They like decorated our house, and there was candles everywhere. It was gorgeous.” The show will air Sunday night from 9 to 10pm Eastern time.

Miranda Lambert is on the cover of Self magazine, and in the article she discusses the 15 things she’ll never apologize for, staying slim and fame, saying, "I'm a small-town girl. When you're famous, whoever you were before comes out more. So if you were an ass, you'll be even more of an ass." There’s a great photo spread of her, too.

Gloriana will be on “The Bachelorette” on Monday night, singing their current song, “(Kissed You) Good Night.” They love doing tv, but they really love touring: “We’re looking forward to getting out on the road this summer and just touring away. One thing that has been a staple for our band since we started almost five years ago is that we haven’t stop touring since. We pretty much make it home one, two, maybe three days a month, but other than that we love being on the road – we tour year round. We’re a live band, love playing shows, so yeah.”

Carrie Underwood’s “Blown Away” owns the top of the Billboard 200 for the second week in a row. It’s the third album to land at the top of the all-genre chart, but is the first time one of hers has been there for more than a week. 

Congrats to Rascal Flatts, whose new cd, “Changed,” has already been certified gold.

The tweet of the day is from Colt Ford: “Just signed some stuff for a fan at the store and met his Mama. It was cool-if was not for y’all I would not be here I love y’all THANK U!”

Today's Country Tidbits

Carrie Underwood likes kids, but she's not ready to have any yet, so she stopped by PS22 in Staten Island, New York to sing with the school chorus. The kids nailed her song, "Good Girl," and the drummer has mad skills!

Keith Urban is launching a new video feature, and episode one is online. In the first Urban Chat, he's backstage with Seal, Kelly Clarkson and David Foster.

Colt Ford had a rough night last night - he didn't see a bank of speakers, tripped and fell off the stage. He's got "a few broke ribs and hurt knee," as he put it on Twitter, but says he'll be alright. He was doing a show in Danville, Virginia on Friday and kept his date in West Virginia on Saturday night.

Saturday in Nashville it was the St. Jude Marathon, and country music (of course!) was involved. Danny Gokey was one of the runners and Rodney Atkins and Gloriana provided the post-race entertainment.

Blake Shelton performs his new single, "Over," on The Voice tonight.

Tonight, Carrie Underwood will be on the David Letterman show, and Thursday night she'll perform on American Idol. Her cd, "Blown Away," comes out tomorrow.

Happy birthday to Willie Nelson, who is 79 today. He's in Maui, where he likes to spend Monday nights with friends: “We play in Maui, I have a little hideout out in the back of the house next to the ocean out there where we play poker a lot.  Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson and a lot of my friends from Maui, we’ll get together on Monday nights or whenever and play poker.”

The tweet of the day is from John Rich: "I'm being very inappropriate right now."

Today's Country Tidbits

Toby Keith is reported to be spitting mad after a golf club he owns was robbed. Last Wednesday, a man walked into the BelMar golf club in Norman, Oklahoma, stole cash from the bar's register and walked away without being caught or questioned. Toby released surveillance tape to the local tv station and is asking people to identify the culprit so justice can be served.

It happened again Saturday night at a Tim McGraw show - rowdy guys down front almost got an entire row of concert-goers tossed. A couple of guys got into it and were fighting, and Tim told them, “Dude, calm down, calm down. If it happens again, that entire row is gone.” Apparently the emotions cooled down in the audience so that the Emotional Traffic could keep on rolling onstage. If you're going to a Tim McGraw show, mind your manners!

Tomorrow night in Nashville, Luke Bryan will give a free concert at the Grand Ole Opry House. It's the 4th annual "Summer Krush" concert series and part of the show will be filmed to will air on Jimmy Kimmel Live on August 11.

Lady Antebellum's "Own the Night," due out September 13th, has 12 tracks, with 10 of them penned by Hillary Scott, Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley. The trio also have co-produced the project, ensuring that the songs sound exactly as they imagined them as they were writing. They worked with Paul Worley, co-producer of "Need You Now," so we can probably expect more huge hits. The first track on the project, "Just a Kiss," is the fastest-rising single ever for Lady A.

Gloriana is working to decide their future as former member Cheyenne Kimball plans her wedding after splitting from the band earlier this month. According to Tom Gossin, “We’ve got some creative decisions to make with whether or not we…maybe go on a search for a new member or, you know, maybe even keeping it as a three piece and changing things up a little bit. We’re working through all that right now. But we’re definitely pressing on. We’ve got this album that we can’t wait for people to hear.”

Kid Rock has a rough-guy-tough-guy image, but he's got a softer side. He's a sucker for a sad story, especially when he's on tour. According to Kid, “If I’m reading a newspaper…see something that’s just an ugly story, sometimes I just try to re-instill a little faith in human nature in people and send a check or do something nice for them.” Awwwww...

Darius Rucker's video for "I Got Nothin'" is on CMT...and right here.

Tags: I Got Nothin', Darius Rucker, Darius Rucker Videos

I don't know about you, but I want that library!

Keith Urban's song "Days Go By" was the astronaut wake-up song early Monday morning. It was the crew's last full day on the International Space Station, as they pack up and prepare to return to Earth on Thursday morning.

Shania Twain has been invited to be on Michael Buble's Christmas album. The two are duetting on "White Christmas," and according to Michael, “We did it bouncy. I was inspired by ‘Home Alone,’ the Drifters.” No release date yet for the project, but Christmas is coming in five months, so you know it's going to be before then.

Congratulations to Jason Aldean, who has the #1 country song in America this week with "Dirt Road Anthem."

The tweet of the day is from Martina McBride: "Is everyone out doing something fun besides me? #Iwantadatewithmyhusbandrightn​ow"

Today's Country Tidbits

Gloriana is now a trio, as Cheyenne Kimball left the band over the weekend with a tweet. At the end of a show in Missouri, she didn't return to the bus. After waiting as long as they could, the rest of the band took off for their next show, and Cheyenne tweeted, “Fans, I'm no longer going to be a part of Gloriana. It's been a great 4 years and thank you for all of ur support. See u soon.” In a prepared statement, the group's Tom and Mike Gossin and Rachel Reinert said, "We need you to know that Gloriana will absolutely continue on. We couldn't imagine our lives any other way ... We wish Cheyenne the best of luck in whatever lies ahead for her." Last night, she tweeted, "Don't worry you guys. I will be giving my side of the story soon. Xo" No word on what Cheyenne is planning, but at this point the remaing three plan to release their next album this fall.

Remember last year, when Jimmy Wayne walked 1,700 miles across America to raise awareness of teen homelessness? i20productions is making a documentary of the trek, and Jimmy say it's "a great opportunity for us to spread the message even further. I am incredibly grateful that the people involved in the company understand the plight of these foster children, who age out of the system and are left without any options." He's also written a book about the 8 months he spent walking from Nashville to Arizona.

Dierks Bentley knows how to enjoy a day off, and will do almost anything for a beer...check this out!

It's official...Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will once again host the CMA Music Awards. That was the big announcement yesterday, and it marks their 4th year in a row of co-hosting country music's biggest night.

Congrats to Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher, who celebrated their first wedding anniversary over the weekend at the exclusive Blackberry Farms resort in the Smokey Mountains of east Tennessee. Their actual anniversary was on July 10th, but they managed to squeeze a whole weekend out of the celebration.

Congrats to Taylor Swift, whose "Speak Now" cd has already gone quintuple-platinum for 5 million units sold. And kudos to Justin Moore, who has his second #1 song with "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away."

Did you miss seeing Ashton Shepherd on the Tonight Show? Oh, no you dih-uhn!

Catch Blake Shelton on the David Letterman Show tonight, LIVE! with Regis and Kelly tomorrow morning and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon tomorrow night.

New music out today is Blake Shelton's "Red River Blue," Ashton Shepherd's "Where Country Grows" and Chris Young's "Neon." If you like your country stars on DVD, you're in luck...Trace Adkins' turn in "The Lincoln Lawyer" is in stores today, as is Martina McBride's CMT Crossroads episode with Train.

The tweet of the day is from Blake Shelton: "My new album is out in less than 12 hours!! I can't wait to hear it!! I was so drunk when recorded it I can't remember whats on it..."

Today's Country Tidbits

Last week, Gloriana was invited to be part of a Motown tribute at the White House. They posted a video blog about the experience, so here's your behind-the scenes taste of the show that will air tonight on PBS.

If you have tickets for the Grand Ole Opry this weekend, you have an extra bonus - Brad Paisley will be part of the Opry All-Star Weekend, joining Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, The Band Perry and lots more big stars. Lucky you!

At Brad's show Saturday night in Nashville, while he was performing "Then," applause from the back of the arena stopped the show and drew the attention of the audience as well as Brad. Turns out a guy thought it was the perfect time, place and song to propose to his girlfriend, so he got down on one knee as Brad sang. And she said "yes."

Yesterday, Reba debuted her video for "If I Were a Boy" on Oprah.com. Check it out, along with the wide-ranging interview, here.

Lionel Richie is working on a duets album and will sing with Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker and now, according to some gossip columns, is trying to work a deal to have Taylor Swift join him on the project. He's even picked the song out - his song "Angel." No word on whether or not she'll agree, but her producer, Nathan Chapman, is part of the project, so it just might happen. No word on a release date.

Lady Antebellum is the latest in a long line of musical stars to sing the birthday song for The American Cancer Society, official sponsor of birthdays.

And James Otto is the latest in a lengthening line of Nashville artists to part ways with their record label. He tweeted that he and Warner Brothers Records have mutually agreed it's time to end their relationship. James promises it's not the last we'll hear from him, though.

Meanwhile, Gwyneth Paltrow could be signing a record deal soon. She's apparently in talks, though she's not identifying the label. Kelly Clarkson is urging her to record, saying, "You have such an honest and captivating voice!” The producers of Glee appreciate her vocal chops, too - she's set to perform Stevie Nicks' song "Landslide" on an upcoming episode.

Are you a Rascal Flatts fan? On Facebook? Like to make videos? There's an app for that. Rascal Flatts has put an app on their Facebook page that lets you upload your own photos and videos and create a video for their song, "I Won't Let Go." The best submission wins a trip to the set of Rascal Flatts' next music video shoot.

This morning at 9:30 Central, Kix Brooks will reveal the newest inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The 2011 inductees include a contemporary artist, a heritage artist and a songwriter. Watch the fun here.

Congratulations to Taylor Swift, who is #1 this week with "Back to December" on one major country chart, and congratulations to Jason Aldean, who is #1 this week with "Don't You Wanna Stay" on the other major country chart.

New music today from Staind singer Aaron Lewis. "Town Line" is his foray into country, and features guest vocals from Charlie Daniels, Chris Young and George Jones.

On tv tonight, Aaron Lewis is on Jimmy Kimmel Live and Gloriana performs during "The Motown Sound: In Performance at the White House" on PBS.

Happy birthday to Vince Gill's former wife Janice, who turns 57 today, and to Justin Bieber who is 17.

The tweet of the day is from Jack Ingram: "Man, I do love Randy Newman! He can't sing either but in that Kristofferson kind of awesome way! The kind o way I wish I couldn't sing way!"

Today's Country Tidbits

Miranda Lambert is flying high, but there's not a chance that all this success will go to her head. She says her family and friends keep her grounded, adding, “my mom would kill me if I got diva on her.” Miranda's Grammy performance of "The House That Built Me" is available for download on iTunes.

Road trip alert - and you've gotta be quick about it! Today in Nashville at the Center Stage Theatre, a TV special is being taped. No word on which network is filming, nor what the show will be called, but the show includes Luke Bryan, Kid Rock, Gretchen Wilson and Sheryl Crow in concert. Filming begins at 12:30 Central time with Luke on stage first. This is a free show, first come, first seated, but you have to be wearing summer clothes. Space is limited, so if this sounds like fun to you, get moving and good luck!

Gloriana has been invited to be part of a concert at the White House in celebration of Black History Month and Motown Records' legacy. The concert, "The Motown Sound: In Performance at the White House" will be filmed, is set to air March 1 on PBS, and also features Smokey Robinson, Sheryl Crow, Natasha Bedingfield, Jamie Foxx and John Legend.

Have you seen the new GE commercial where people are line-dancing around the world to Alan Jackson's "Good Time?" Well, here's your chance to organize a dance to it, too, and win a big prize. There's a $10,000 home appliance makeover being offered up by GE, along with 20 years of drinking water to developing countries through "Charity: Water." Get your friends dancing and upload the video to the special YouTube page to be entered to win. Good luck, and happy dancing!

Jewel and hubby Ty Murray are working on a name for their little cowboy, due in early July. It's the couple's first child, and they've been trying for a few years, so have a baby name list a mile long. When asked who she hopes her son will take after most, Jewel replied, "My husband's a bull rider and I'm a musician ... hopefully he'll take after me because I don't want him riding bulls! It's just so dangerous.”

Did you miss Darius Rucker on Good Morning America? Here he is, performing "This."

Congrats to Jason Aldean, who is at the top of the Billboard Country Album Chart again this week with "My Kinda Party."

And congrats to talented newcomer Randy Montana, who will be part of the pre-race festivities at the Daytona 500 on Sunday. He'll play a concert in the midway outside the track, so the show is free and open to the public.

Keith Urban is on Good Morning America this morning, and Clay Walker is on HGTV's "Selling New York" tonight, looking for a slick city condo, but shocked at the huge price tags,

Happy birthday to Bryan White and Larry the Cable Guy today.

The tweet of the day comes from Josh Thompson: "Aaaaand were Florida bound. Well, we gotta get the bus started first but then were out of here"

Today's Country Tidbits

Love country music? Love Twitter? Support our troops? There's an auction going on called TwitChange, with proceeds going to the military's "Operation Once in a Lifetime." Fans and followers can bid on the chance to be followed, re-tweeted or mentioned by their favorite star. Brad Paisley, Reba, Sara Evans, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill and Billy Ray Cyrus are all part of the fun.

Carrie Underwood walked the red carpet at the Golden Globe Awards show solo last night. Hubby Mike Fisher couldn't go with her because of his hockey schedule. Carrie's song, "There's a Place For Us," was nominated for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture, but lost to Diane Warren's song, "This Won't Be the Last of Me." Also spotted walking the red carpet were Nicole Kidman, who was nominated for Best Actress in a Drama for "Rabbit Hole," and hubby Keith Urban, dubbed one of the sweetest couples of the night by reporters.

Zac Brown Band sang the National Anthem at the Falcons/Packers game on Saturday night. For Atlanta fans, that was the highlight of the game.

Lady Antebellum is in the studio, focused on writing and recording album number three. Charles Kelley says that they're taking inspiration from nostalgic moments the trio had over the past year. Tomorrow night's episode of NCIS will feature "Hello World" by Lady A.

Darius Rucker has teamed up with the PGA and iTunes to raise money for charities across the country. Download his song, "Together Anything is Possible" from iTunes and all proceeds go to the PGA Tour Charities.

People.com has Taylor Swift beauty tips, especially the secret to her perfect curls. The secret? No blow drier ever. “I can’t do it. I’m really impatient, so I just let it air dry,” she tells People.

Gloriana band member Tom Gossin had surgery on his knee last week, to repair a torn meniscus. It was an injury he toured with last year, but decided to have fixed once the tour and the holidays were over. “I made it,” he tweeted after the operation. “All is well…The doctor said that my meniscus was more torn than Natalie Imbruglia.” Tom’s using his down time after surgery to write songs for Gloriana’s next album.

Donald Trump is a busy man - he's rumored to be very serious about running for President, but in the meantime, he's selected the celebrities who'll be part of the 11th season of "Celebrity Apprentice." John Rich will be part of the fun, and with him on the show, you know anything is possible! The new season kicks off March 6th on NBC.

And 11 seems to be a popular number today. The 11th annual Golden Moose Awards will be handed out Thursday night, celebrating the best in outdoor television show programming. Craig Morgan's show is nominated in three categories, Best Fishing, Best Sound Design and Best Commercial for Millennium Tree Stands. Blake Shelton is the featured performer. You can watch the awards show on The Outdoor Channel Thursday night.

Condolences to the family and friends of Tommy Crain, former Charlie Daniels Band guitarist and co-writer of many of the band's hits, including "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." Tommy passed away at home last Thursday. He was 59 years old.

Happy birthday to Steve Earle who is 56, Kid Rock who turns 40 today and Amanda Wilkinson of The Wilkinsons who is 29.

The tweet of the day is from Jo Dee Messina: "Love is..... giving up the bite size kit kat you find in the freezer"

Today's Country Tidbits

If you're planning on going to the George Strait, Reba and Lee Ann Womack concert in the new year, and you'll be at a Friday show, George has a message for you: wear red. "Starting this Friday, we are we are going to wear red shirts to every Friday tour date and we encourage fans to do the same. I want to see a building full of red shirts if possible." Through the website redshirtfridays.org, he's asking fans to show support to the troops by wearing red every Friday. George served four years in the Army in the 1970's, and wants the members of the military to know that we remember they're away from home, and in harm's way.

If you missed Jimmy Wayne on the CBS special, "A Home for the Holidays," he's posted his segment on the Project MMH website.

Little Big Town has a holiday message for you...

And Tim McGraw and Gwyneth Paltrow are sharing their duet, "Me and Tennessee" before the movie comes out.

Congratulations to Dolly Parton, who is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award Grammy. Several will be handed out on February 21st, the night before the Grammy Awards show airs live from Los Angeles. Other recipents include The Ramones, The Kingston Trio and Julie Andrews.

And congrats to Lady Antebellum, whose "Need You Now" cd will be triple platinum before we ring in the new year.

Happy birthday tomorrow to Jimmy Buffett, Babara Mandrell, Steve Wariner and of course, the star of the day.

The tweet of the day is from Zac Brown: "Please don't skimp & get the cheap cookies again this year. Santa's still a bit peeved about last year."

Today's Country Tidbits

Shania Twain is engaged. The official word came out yesterday afternoon, after rumors had been swirling. Apparently Shania has been engaged for a couple of months, and she's sporting a 3 carad diamond solitaire ring. The marriage to Mutt Lange broke up because Mutt became involved with Marie-Anne Thiebaud, Shania's former best friend. Now Shania is engaged to Marie-Anne's former husband, Frederic Thiebaud. Sounds like the premise for a movie or a soap opera, doesn't it?

Love Darius Rucker? Have an iPhone? There's a free app for that.

Sugarland has a Christmas greeting for you. They've even decorated their website with falling snow.

Gloriana wants to sing you a Merry Christmas, using Casio guitars and a bossa nova beat.

Jack Ingram's Acoustic Motel series goes Christmas, and he has to get a little help with the lyrics!

Top 10 lists are still coming out - this is the New York Times' top 10 albums of 2010, and three of them are by country artists. Congrats, Taylor Swift, Gary Allan and Jerrod Niemann!

1) Rick Ross – Teflon Don

2) Taylor Swift – Speak Now

3) Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

4) Drake – Thank Me Later

5) Titus Andronicus – The Monitor

6) Gary Allan – Get Off On the Pain

7) DJ Drama & Fabolous – There Is No Competition 2: The Funeral Service

8) Justin Bieber – My World 2.0

9) R. Kelly – Love Letter

10) Jerrod Niemann – Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury

Happy birthday to Lee Roy Parnell, who turns 54 today, Brad Warren of The Warren Brothers, who turns 42, and to Eric Gunderson of Love And Theft, who turns 26.

The tweet of the day is from Kellie Pickler: "Everytime I hear "Pretty Paper" I sing along and pretend that Willie and I are singing it together at the Grand Ole Opry."

Today's Country Tidbits

Nicole Kidman, snake lover? Apparently so. She and hubby Keith Urban have a Tennessee farm, where they raise alpacas. Daughter Sunday Rose loves to take the alpacas for walks, and Nicole admires them for their sweet nature and lovely long eyelashes. But she's expressed the desire to add more odd pets to the collection: snakes. Says Nicole, “I'd love to get snakes, I love them. They might not be a good idea around the baby though." Hmmmmm, wonder what sort of snake Nicole has in mind? Must be a big one!

Starting in January, we'll see Taylor Swift in a whole new way - she's the spokesperson for CoverGirl's new NatureLuxe line of cosmetics.

Whoa, Nellie!! According to InTouch magazine, Jake Gyllenhaal has asked Taylor Swift to help him pick out a house in Los Angeles. According to the report, he's pretty sure she's "the one" and wants to be sure his house suits her taste. This after only a few weeks of dating? Either he's moving too fast or the magazine is making stuff up. No word on Taylor's take on all of this.

Using the same attorney who got him off on the 1994 pot charges, Willie Nelson will fight his latest misdemeanor pot possession charge. Joe Turner isn't revealing his strategy, but does say he's trying to "produce another miracle" for Willie.

Keith Urban is on the Ellen Degeneres Show today.

The tweet of the day is from Gloriana's Tom Gossin: "I think manual transmissions should be mandatory...that would solve the whole texting while driving thing!"

Today's Country Tidbits

Don't know how much it went for, but last night, one of 100 attendees at an exclusive fund-raising dinner in Ottowa won a catered dinner for 8, including dinner guests Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher, in the winner's home. The opening bid was $7,500 and the money raised will go to The Roger's House, a pediatric palliative care facility, and the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Support Programs.

Keith Urban is playing a show in Dallas tonight at West Village. It's a free show, and is first-come, first in the door. If you're in Dallas, you should be in line right now!

Apparently some Carrie Underwood fans have embarked on a hate campaign against Taylor Swift, posting truly ugly messages to her on Facebook and Twitter. Didn't their Mamas teach them that you can't lift someone up by tearing someone else down?

Brad Paisley's crew pranked Justin Moore onstage at the final show of the 2010 H2O tour. Watch as Justin gets duct-taped to a dolly and fitted with a blonde wig for "I Can Kick Your Ass."

During the show, Brad quipped, "In case you missed it, last week I got some really great news. I saved a bunch of money on my car insurance and they handed me an award, too." The CMA Entertainer of the Year was joined onstage by Roy Clark for an instrumental version of "Ghost Riders in the Sky," performed a request made by a 3-year-old (Beyonce's "Single Ladies") and the tour was capped off with the encore song, "Alcohol," with Brad, Roy Clark, Justin Moore and Darius Rucker all pitching in.

And big congratulations to Brad Paisley for 14 #1 songs in a row - "Anything Like Me" is on the top of the charts this week.

Taylor Swift's Speak Now World Tour 2011 will play 87 shows in 19 countries on four continents. Phew...I'm tired just thinking about it! The tour begins February 9th in Singapore, and hits North America on May 27th. While in the States, Taylor will play six stadium shows.

Taylor Swift is on Chelsea Lately on E! tonight, and Garth Brooks is on the Oprah Winfrey Show today.

Country music is all over your television for Thanksgiving. Watch Carrie Underwood on CBS's "Thanksgiving Day Parade," Gloriana on NBC's "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade," Keith Urban playing the halftime show for the Cowboys/Saints game on Fox, Josh Gracin singing the National Anthem before the Lions/Patriots game on CBS, Taylor Swift's album release special, "Taylor Swift: Speak Now" on NBC tomorrow night, Dolly Parton on Live with Regis and Kelly, and finally James Otto and Ronnie Milsap perform on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

The tweet of the day is from Brad Paisley: "For all of you guys air traveling for Thanksgiving, be safe, and don't forget to tip the bag handlers. And the luggage handlers too."