Today is finally the day Jason Aldean’s new album, “Night Train,” comes out. Just what is a night train? Jason explains: “Thinking back to the days where it was me and 12 of us on a bus, pulling a trailer. Me and my band and crew, all of us on one bus pulling a trailer. Now here we are a couple years later and there’s eight or nine semis – eight or nine buses. We all file out of the venue every night and it looks like a freight train going down the interstate. It kind of puts it in perspective for me of how far things have come over the past few years.”

Trace Adkins doesn’t back down from a showdown, so when he was invited to be part of the All-Star Celebrity Apprentice season, he did it, in spite of some misgivings: “I’ve been uncomfortable being myself in certain situations because I’m a realist and I think I’m a fairly intelligent person, so I’ve realized from time to time that I’ve been in places and situations that I had no business being in...such as The Apprentice.” The show premieres in the spring of next year and features only past contestants, trying again to not get fired.

Lots of disappointed people in Nashville on Sunday, as Dierks Bentley had to cancel his Miles & Music for Kids event due to high wind and the chance of severe weather. In a statement, Dierks said, “It's the last thing we wanted to do but safety is the priority. HUGE thanks to all the fans, riders, sponsors & artists who always come out to support us & Vandy Childrens Hospital.” There’ll be an announcement on his website when the charity ride and concert are rescheduled. Kix Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Brantley Gilbert and Chris Young were on tap for this past Sunday – they’re all hoping to be part of the event when it finally happens.

Gary Allan’s new song parallels his life. He co-wrote “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)” with Hillary Lindsey and Matt Warren, and says about the experience, “We really go in a roll for about a week there. I think it’s a perfect single just because of what it says. I think I have been through a ton – and every storm runs out of rain. I think it’s like a coming above the water song – finally.” He’s sharing his private life on the song, but he'll kick off 2013 in a very public way – playing the House of Blues in Las Vegas. Tickets are on sale now.

Rascal Flatts is having so much fun on the road that they’re extending the “Changed” tour into the winter months. The Band Perry will open for them on the 20-show stint beginning January 10th.

Florida Georgia Line has a top 20 hit on their hands, and “Cruise” has just gone gold. Newcomers Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley have been friends since college and have seen their star rise quickly this year. According to Tyler, “It’s insane! I remember when we released our first little EP out on iTunes together…we were so excited to sell like – [Brian] 500… [Tyler] Yeah like, 500! So yeah, it’s pretty amazing, and it’s wild. I mean, there’s really not a whole to say about it other than it’s pretty surreal!” They’re on tour with Jake Owen and got the gold plaque while on stage during the opening night of the tour.
Scotty McCreery is in his first semester of college and aced his first math test, earning a 98. He doesn’t love math, but does love his 8am golf class, because it’s honing his game: “It’s gotten a lot better. It’s come a long ways in a year. On the road now, with time in the morning, I’ve been playing a lot more than usual. So, it’s coming along.” 
New music out today includes Jason Aldean’s “Night Train,” Jamey Johnson’s “Livin’ For A Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran,” and Scotty McCreery’s “Christmas With Scotty McCreery.”

You’re not on it either? The Blake Shelton and Friends Cruise set sail yesterday, and Blake says there’ll be shenanigans, and someone might have to go overboard: “Well it won’t be Trace—although he may put us over the weight limit. I don’t know, I’d say—Easton’s gonna be there. I don’t think any of us would miss him if we through him over.” Also along for the ride are Jerrod Niemann, Neal McCoy, Lee Brice, Brett Eldredge, Randy Houser and Jana Kramer. Jana’s got mixed feelings about going on a cruise: “I’ve never done a cruise before because I’m really claustrophobic and I’m afraid – or if I get motion sickness. I was like, ‘You know what I’m getting over a fear, and hanging with some of my buddies on a boat. I get to bring my mom – it’s going to be awesome. I can’t wait to play and then meet people and hang out – go swimming and tan!”

In the wake of video showing an admittedly drunk Jason Aldean flirting with American Idol contestant Brittany Kerr in Hollywood, Jason Aldean says that the situation, though tough, is taken care of: “You can handle it two ways, you can go hide and run from it or you can get up and face it and deal with it and that’s kinda what we tried to do and just kinda move on, you know? And the main thing is that me and my family are OK.” He talked with CMT Insider and that segment aired this past weekend.

Jason Aldean is planning to hit a few more stadiums during his 2013 tour, saying that the sellout at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio was pretty awesome. According to Jason, “This next year we’ll probably dabble in it a little more, try a couple places and really just try to build on that. There’s not a lot of people that can do that [consistently], and that’s where we’re trying to figure it out —can we do that in certain markets? Or can we do that on a consistent basis? That’ll be a little bit of a learning pro­cess for us over the next year.”
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s Soul2Soul show in Las Vegas kicks off in December, but preparations are in high gear now, and Tim says it’s pretty cool: “It’s different to think somebody offers you a ton of money to come do three years in Vegas or something, and they say ‘Here’s your theater and you can build it like you want it...’ For all we’ve done in our career past, and all we hope to do in the future with our careers, to have this sort of moment to do this thing for these ten weekends and then to turn the theatre over to us and build what you want is sort of rare.” 
Jamey Johnson and Alison Krauss performed on the David Letterman Show Friday night. They collaborated on a song on his “Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran” album which comes out tomorrow. He’ll announce tour plans later this week. 
Luke Bryan announced some tour plans – he’ll kick off his first headlining tour on January 17th in Evansville, Indiana, with shows running through at least March. Thompson Square and Florida Georgia Line will open on the first leg of the tour. 
Taylor Swift’s new album, “Red,” doesn’t come out until the 22nd, but she’s working the publicity angle hard. She’s on the cover of the October 24th issue of Rolling Stone Magazine, presumably dishing some details of her love life, and has partnered with Keds to release a new, limited-edition line of “Red” footwear. But wait, there’s more – she’s also partnered with Walgreens, where you’ll find a Taylor Swift Store, with t-shirs, tour books, backpacks, journals and lots more. And of course, “Red” will be on sale one minute after midnight on October 22nd at all Walgreens stores. 
Keith Urban will receive the Harmony Award from the Nashville Symphony in a gala later this year. The award honors him for his work to help the Country Music Hall of Fame, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Habitat for Humanity. 
Trishia Yearwood is on The View and Josh Turner is on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight.

It’s fall, and so a certain superstar’s thoughts turn to – baking? Yep, Taylor Swift loves to log a little kitchen time, especially in the fall: “It’s about to be baking overdrive, because fall is when you start baking cinnamon type things – pumpkin type things. So there’s going to be pumpkin bread that I make a lot of, and give it to people. That’s what I do in the fall, and also Starbucks gets the pumpkin spice lattes which I’m really excited about.” She should also be excited to have the #1 and #2 songs on iTunes – at #2, her current single, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” and at #1 is the song she sang on the Stand Up 2 Cancer telethon, “Ronan.”

Keith Urban’s song, “For You,” is headed for the top of the charts. Written for the soundtrack to the movie, “Act of Valor,” Keith says the scene in the movie where the Navy SEAL dives onto a live grenade to save a platoon of men was the inspiration: “He sacrificed his life for everybody else, and that seemed like the most profound moment in the film of sacrifice, and that’s really what the song is about. But we couldn’t figure out where to write the song from. Sort of out of the wonderful heavens I said to my co-writer, ‘What would the soldier say, the second after he died? Let’s write the song from that perspective.’” The song is at #6 with a bullet on the Billboard Country chart.

With a CMA nomination for Musical Event of the Year, Willie Nelson is hoping that he can get onstage with Jamey Johnson, Kris Kristofferson and Snoop Dogg to perform “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die” on the CMA Awards show: “Well I hope so! I’m up for it. And all the other guys—you know Jamey lives there so that wouldn’t be hard to get in there. We gotta get Snoop and Kris over there, so—it shouldn’t be a problem.” Snoop now calls himself Snoop Lion instead of Snoop Dogg – what does Willie call him now? “Yeah I’m gonna wait and see if he changes it again. I’ll just keep calling him Snoop – whatever.” The CMA Awards are November first at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

Josh Turner’s song, “Time is Love,” has sold half a million copies and has been certified gold. That tickles Josh, not just for him but also for the songwriters – Tony Martin, Mark Nesler and Tom Shapiro. According to Josh, “I really love their work, and I just really understood where they were coming from with this song. It was a message I wanted to say, and I felt like it would showcase my voice in a great way.” That’s not the only heavy metal Josh got this week – “Your Man” and “Would You Go With Me” have both been certified platinum for selling a million copies each.

Rascal Flatts have been at this hit-making thing for over a decade, and will get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Monday. They join other country artists like Garth Brooks, Reba and Brooks & Dun, and credit those artists with their success: “We really learned, too, by watching people like Garth Brooks through the years, Reba McEntire and their productions and their shows, and being on tour with Brooks and Dunn, and people like that that have taught us that there’s more to live shows than just playing music—there’s a lot more to it to make the experience really whole.” Walk of Fame‘s website will stream the ceremony live Monday at 11:30 Pacific time, and Monday night, catch them on the Tonight Show, performing “Come Wake Me Up.”

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.

The Hollywood rumor mill is running hot and heavy that Brad Paisley will be the next new American Idol judge. Could be – if they don’t need him before January. Here’s what he’s up to between now and then: 26 stops on his Virtual Reality World Tour, probably co-hosting the CMA Awards, heading to Sweden and Norway for some shows, spending a couple of weeks with his family during the holidays and recording his next album. Phew! In contrast, the newest American Idol judge, Mariah Carey, has nothing scheduled between now and the end of the year, according to her website. Ultimately it’s up to Brad – can FOX dangle enough dollars in front of him to jam one more thing into his jam-packed schedule? I’ll keep you posted.

Steven Tyler vacated an American Idol seat, but has been busy with Aerosmith’s new album…and with Carrie Underwood. She and Steven recorded “Beautiful” together several months ago, and the cut landed on the new project, “Music from Another Dimension!” which drops November 6th. About working with Steven Tyler, Carrie said, “He’s a wonderful guy and I look for any opportunity possible to just be in his company, you know, because he’s just so talented and so cool.”

Maxim magazine’s next issue is a salute to the military, and Kellie Pickler graces the cover in a pin-up style photo. She’s a proud supporter of the military, making multiple trips to the Middle East and adding a star tattoo for each trip. Kellie says, “It’s so wild the sacrifices that they make that we don’t even know about. And not just our service men and women, but their families as well, you know? To sit and know that your husband or wife is in Afghanistan fighting a war...it makes it hard to sleep at night.” Maxim’s August issue hits newsstands next Tuesday.

Jake Owen’s new song, “The One That Got Away,” has spawned some new swag. According to Jake, “We have t-shirts we sell on the road that say, ‘I’m the One That Got Away,’ but yeah, my wife…she probably will…she’ll scratch part of that out and say, ‘I’m Not the One That Got Away.’”

Willie Nelson and Jamey Johnson have teamed up for the 2012 Railroad Revival Tour. They’ll travel in vintage rail cars from Georgia to California, playing eight shows along the way at outdoor venues near the tracks. Joining them are the rock group Band of Horses and actor/musician John C. Reilly. Here’s where the train will stop…

Oct. 20: Duluth, Ga.
Oct. 21: TBA
Oct. 22: Memphis, Tenn.
Oct. 23: Oklahoma City
Oct. 24: Old Town Spring, Texas
Oct. 26: Tempe, Ariz.
Oct. 27: San Pedro, Calif.
Oct. 28: Oakland, Calif.

Jay DeMarcus finally got to spend some time with his new son this week. Allison had an emergency c-section Friday afternoon, and Jay was able to fly home from Detroit in time for the delivery. As soon as Dylan was born, Jay had to fly back out for concerts last weekend. When he got home Monday he says he held his son all day long. When their daughter Madeline met Dylan, the 18-month-old said “Hi baby!” and kissed him on the cheek. Awwww….

Did you miss Love and Theft on FOX & Friends? Here you go…

Today's Country Tidbits

Last night, Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman were two of the prettiest people at the Golden Globes Awards, where Nicole was a presenter. And he could be up for one himself next year, because he's co-written a song for the movie, "Act of Valor." Will we see Keith on the big screen any time soon? “I was actually in a theater group when I was a kid for about three years. We did quite a few stage productions, which was really my starting board for learning how to perform on stage. So, I’d love to do some of that down the track. I wouldn’t want it to interfere with my music.” So, maybe that's a "maybe, someday."

Tim McGraw has been a country star for two decades, and as he gets set to start his next 20 years with a new record label, he's reflecting on what's made his success possible. Is it his voice? His tenacity? His good looks? Nope - Tim says, “I’m very fortunate. I’ve been able to be around great people, great songwriters...great artists. I just...I’ve been able to put myself in a position to be surrounded by great people who have helped me guide my career in the direction I’ve always wanted it to go. That’s the beauty in anybody having a great career. It’s the people that are around you.”

Jake Owen is rough and tough, and ready to try anything. Which he did Friday, trying his hand at snow boarding in Colorado. He was doing great - right up to the point that he wiped out and broke his collar bone. He tweeted, after his visit to the hospital in Crested Butte, "Guess I charged this mountain a little too hard." It's not his first broken collar bone - he did it as a kid when he crashed a four-wheeler.

Hillary Scott has been named one of Cosmopolitan Magazine's "Fun Fearless Females" in the February issue, on newsstands now.

Make it three in a row for Jamey Johnson - he won his annual bet with Matthew McConaughey. The two wager $500 to the winner's favorite charity over the BCS Championship game. Jamey predicted Alabama would win, Matthew took LSU and Bama shut the Tigers out. Jamey donated his winnings to Gamblers Anonymous.

Congrats to Eric Church on "Drink in My Hand," the #1 country song in America this week.

Happy birthday to Ronnie Milsap, who is 69 today, Jim Stafford, who turns 68 and James Young of the Eli Young Band, who is 32.

The tweet of the day is from Jaron and the Long Road to Love, as he was watching the Golden Globes last night: "Is Jane Fonda recycled? How is she that hot?" If you want more where that came from, check out Jaron's Facebook page or Twitter feed. He was on a roll last night!

Today's Country Tidbits

For all of his career, it's been Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors. Now, it looks like they may have parted ways. A message from Tim on his Facebook page reads, “As some of you might know, there have been some recent changes in my band. Change can be hard, and it’s not something you come to lightly. I couldn’t be more proud of the music we’ve created together over the years, and I’ll treasure the memories. I know you will join me in wishing everyone only the best in their future endeavors. Thanks for all the unwavering support you’ve shown me over the years, and I can’t wait to continue our journey … See you all soon!” Tim's website still shows his Dancehall Doctors' photos and bios, so not sure what's up, but I'll keep you posted.

Alan Jackson played a street party in Nashville last night and killed it. Eric Church was also part of the fun as the two performed the annual Capitol Records Street Party. It's a free appreciation event for the city of Nashville. Eric's been trying to stay pretty close to home, as he and wife Katherine are expecting their first child any day. According to Eric, “We’ve been trying to get him used to the bus, even though we’ve not had him yet. Katherine’s been riding the bus a lot, getting used to the shaking and movin’ so. It’s funny now, he’s a bit of a kicker and puncher. He’s fine if she’s movin’. If she stops movin’, he’s kickin’ and punchin’, which is ironic because I punch a lot on stage. So, we’ll see what happens with that in a few years.”

Keith Urban is excited about the CMA Awards. No, not because he might win Male Vocalist of the Year or Entertainer of the Year, but because he gets to strap on a guitar. “I look forward to being able to play on award shows. That is the absolute that matters most to me is getting to play, ‘cause the other stuff is – I don’t know about the other stuff – I know about playing and that’s the only thing I know about.” He's got about six weeks more to wait, as awards night is November 9th.

Got a Wii game console? Then you probably want to check out Country Dance 2, which is due out this holiday season. More than 30 of the hottest country songs will be part of it, including Brad Paisley's “Old Alabama,” Dierks Bentley's “Sideways,” Jason Aldean's “My Kinda Party,” Keith Urban's “Better Life” and Luke Bryan's “Country Girl (Shake It For Me.)”

Just in time for stuffing the stocking of the Taylor Swift fan in your life, she'll release a "Speak Now World Tour - Live" cd/dvd set on November 21st.

Are you a huge Jamey Johnson fan? If so, break out the plastic or checkbook and get set to pony up $125 this Sunday. "This Ride...In Color, and in Pictures" is a photo book by Melinda J.P. Harlan, featuring stories, quotes and observations from some of Jamey's closest friends and idols. The book is a rare peek into the life of the man who says, "My dream already came true...all I ever wanted was to get to just ride around and sing country music." A portion of the proceeds will be donated to five charities: The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's Hatch Show Print, Darryl Worley Cancer Treatment Center, Southeastern Beefmaster Breeders Assoc. College Scholarship Fund, Alabama School of the Deaf and Blind's Music Education Program and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. There will only be 2,500 copies of the book released on the 25th, and each one is signed and numbered.

Jake Owen's "Barefoot Blue Jean Night" has just been certified platinum for over a million in sales.

And from the "no surprise there" department, Lady Antebellum's new cd, "Own the Night," is not just the top-selling country cd, it's also #1 on the Billboard 200, with sales of 347,000 in the past week.

The tweet of the day is from Jewel: "I drove! To town! By myself! The baby is with a sitter! My first time away! Ok, its just to get my teeth cleaned, but still- kinda crazy -ha"

Today's Country Tidbits

Road trip alert - Zac Brown Band will throw a huge three-day food and music festival October 21-23 at Charleston, SC's Riley Park. In other ZBB news, the guys have a new tour sponsor - Jack Daniels. Old No. 7 will back the tour, take part in the Eat and Greets with adult beverages, and Zac Brown Band will be featured in advertising and responsible drinking messages. The partnership kicks off at Red Rocks in Morrison, CO on September 5th. If you can't make it to the show, there'll be special commemorative bottles of Jack Daniels for sale soon, with some of the proceeds going to Camp Southern Ground.

Yesterday's blog told you about Alan Jackson's invitation to be part of the national 9/11 recognition event this year. After yesterday's earthquake, the host venue is in trouble. Washington National Cathedral reports that at least three of the spires have fallen off of the central tower and the tower itself appears to be leaning. Structural engineers will be on site later today to assess the damage and see if the show can go on.

More George, more often. George Strait's "Here For a Good Time" streets on September 13th, and a week later, a greatest hits collection, "Icon," will be out. The 11-song collection includes nine #1 songs. Here's the track list:

Amarillo By Morning

Ocean Front Property

All My Ex's Live In Texas

Love Without End, Amen

I Cross My Heart

Check Yes Or No

I Just Want To Dance With You

Living And Living Well

Give It Away

I Saw God Today

River Of Love

Chomping at the bit to hear new Lady Antebellum music? Head over to Amazon.com for 30-second previews of all of the songs on "Own the Night," which streets on Septeber 13th. The trio is really excited about the new songs, suggesting, “[Hillary] ‘Dancing Away with my Heart’ for sure…It’s very Lady Antebellum. [Dave] Yeah, there’s one called ‘Friday Night’ that we’ve been playing live. It’s a fun tempo, just kinda good electric guitar kinda rocker. So, you know, that would be one they could definitely check out.” The "Own the Night" tour kicks off November 11th in Knoxville, TN.

Another ZZ Top tribute album is set to be released on October 11th, and includes Jamey Johnson covering "Tush."

Brad Paisley is enjoying his time in Europe, and the Old World fans are enoying Brad, singing along to all of his songs, even the album cuts. He did three sold-out shows in Ireland last weekend, with fans coming from as far away as Spain. He's off to Scandanavia this week.

Congratulations to the President and CEO of Big Machine Label Group Scott Borchetta, who will be honored with the TJ Martell Foundation Spirit of Excellence Award at the November 3rd gala. The other honorees are Arnold Palmer and Drew Carey. Big Machine is the home of Taylor Swift, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts and many more Nashville luminaries.

Last night at a Taylor Swift concert in Los Angeles, Justin Bieber hit the stage for a song. What happened next is the tweet of the day, so be sure to scroll down and read it. He promised in July that he would surprise fans with an appearance and duet with Taylor on his hit, "Baby" after he found out she was singing it in concert. Enjoy...

Rascal Flatts' current song, "Easy," is a duet with Natasha Bedingfield. But, Natasha can't be on tour with them, so how does that work on stage? Tour mate Sara Evans to the rescue. According to the band, “We asked her, and she loved the song and was willing to stick around…it’s hard for somebody that’s been offstage for an hour-and-a-half to get pumped up to come back out and do one song, so, we’re very, very grateful to her that she decided to come out and do that with us each night. And it is one of my favorite moments of the show, to be quite honest.”

Big & Rich have remade the Kenny Loggins hit, "Footloose," and here's a peek at the video...

Here's a peek at the behind-the-scenes world while Martina McBride was filming the video for "I'm Gonna Love You Through It."

Tomorrow night, "CMT Unplugged: Martina McBride" wll be webcast on the Starburst Facebook page as well as on the Unplugged CMT page. Martina will perform music from her upcoming album, "Eleven," as well as talk about the making of the album.

http://unplugged.CMT.com

This coming Monday night, check out Dateline NBC, because Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton and Pistol Annies will be featured.

Alison Kraus & Union Station are on the Ellen DeGeneres Show today.

The tweet of the day is from Taylor Swift: "You think you've heard LOUD screaming in your life.. Then @justinbieber comes out and does a surprise song during your show. Woah. Unreal."

Today's Country Tidbits

The Teen Choice Awards were last night, and Taylor Swift was up for six awards. She brought home five - she won the top award of the night, Ultimate Choice Award, and also took home surfboards for Female Artist, Female Country Artist, Country Single for "Mean," Break Up Song for "Back to December" and Red Carpet Fashion Icon. Jason Aldean won the Male Country Artist and Lady Antebellum won the Country Group surfboard. Taylor was the only country artist to appear in person at last night's award show.

Last week, Ronnie Dunn won several MillionAir awards, because his songs have been performed over 60 million times. Ronnie has an extensive catalog of songs he's written, and says his favorite of them all is "Neon Moon." He credits "Boot Scootin' Boogie" as the song that let him know he could write: “’Boot Scoot’ was kinda the first one that I would feel these little bumps out in the bars and beer joints in Oklahoma. And it wasn’t written as a line dance…at the time, I thought I was being a heavy lyricist, writing about the cowboy lifestyle.”

Wanna smell just like Keith Urban? You soon can, as the guitar hero is set to launch his first fragrance next month. Here's what we know about it - the name is Phoenix. Keith said he didn't want to name it after himself, putting men in the position of having to answer, "I'm wearing Keith Urban" when asked about their cologne. You can pre-order it now, if you can't wait until September.

Jake Owen's "Barefoot Blue Jean Night" has been certified gold for half a million digital downloads. About the tune, Jake says, “This song’s changing my life and it’s kind of ironic, because the song is true to my life. So, it’s kind of weird to say that a song is changing your life, although it seems very true to it. You know, running around Florida, barefoot, growing up, just really hit home to me. My life’s all about having fun and being with my friends and being on the water. It really, kind of, felt like home.”

Congratulations to the Oak Ridge Boys, who were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night. Little Jimmy Dickens did the honors, and a video featuring former President George Bush was part of the ceremony. President Bush remarked, "I think of the Opry and the Oaks both as American icons, beloved from coast to coast and known around the world. I can’t think of a better union. I love you boys, and my best to everyone at the Grand Ole Opry, one of my favorite places in America.”

Talking about the Opry, there are some great, road-trip-worthy shows coming up this month and next. Check out Clint Black on August 9th, Vince Gill and Martina McBride on August 13th, Charlie Daniels Band and Randy Houser on the 16th, Trace Adkins and Edens Edge on the 23rd, Rascal Flatts on September 6th and October 8th, and Alan Jackson with Jamey Johnson on the 13th.

Catch Eric Church on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight.

Happy birthday to Mel Tillis, who is 79 today, and Mark Wills, who is 38.

The tweet of the day is from Josh Thompson: "Can't wait for the rotary cell phone. Should be epic."

Today's Country Tidbits

Jason Aldean leads the list of nominees for the 2011 CMT Music Awards with four. He's up for Video of the Year, Male Video Artist of the Year, Collaborative Video for his duet with Kelly Clarkson and Best Web Video of the Year for "My Kinda Party." Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift and Zac Brown Band all have three nominations, and Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Reba and Sugarland all earned nominations, too. You can vote for your favorites now through June 7th. The awards will be handed out on June 8th.

This year's Country Throwdown Tour will have its final stop at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth for Willie Nelson's 4th of July Picnic & Throwdown. The picnic has been Willie's longstanding tradition, and is always a huge party, so concluding the Country Throwdown Tour there was a natural. The tour features Willie, Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser, Lee Brice, Brantly Gilbert and tons more great artists.

Brady Seals loves musical instruments, especially vintage ones. Collecting them has been his hobby, and now he's turned his hobby into a business. He's teamed up with instrument historian Gabriel Hernandez to form Music City Pickers. If you've got old guitars, banjos, or other band gear and would like to turn them into cash, check out their new service.

Luke Bryan's new song, "Country Girl (Shake it for Me)" sold 105,498 digital copies it's debut week, tearing up the charts faster than any song he's had before and selling more in one week than any of his other songs. The song will be on his next cd, due late out this summer. And to cap off a good bunch of news, Luke's song, "It's a Shore Thing," was nominated for CMT Music Award's Best Web Video of the Year. Check it out...

The late Gene Autry's things are being auctioned off next month in Los Angeles, including the Steinway & Sons mahogany piano that he wrote 640 songs on, including "Here Comes Santa Claus." His white Resistol cowboy hat is also part of the auction, being handled by A.N. Abell Auction Company.

Tim McGraw is on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon tonight.

The tweet of the day is from Blake Shelton: "Re-writing my fav Garth song.. I got friends with ugly faces Unibrows and could use some braces They smile, I yell Is your tongue in jail?"

Today's Country Tidbits

Florida was hogging all the country music stars yesterday! In addition to those at Daytona, Kenny Chesney did a show in Palm Beach, Florida for the Everglades Foundation. The benefit concert happened because Jimmy Buffett, who is on the Board of Directors of the foundation, invited Kenny to be their musical guest this year. Kenny wasn't lonely on stage - Jimmy Buffett joined him on the songs "Back Where I come From" and "Come Monday," and Mac McAnally joined Kenny for "Down the Road."

It was a big country music day at Daytona yesterday, as Dierks Bentley and Brad Paisley took the infield stage to perform just before the Daytona 500. Martina McBride nailed the National Anthem and Brad Paisley drove the pace car, sayint it was "the most ridiculously exciting thing" he's ever done. Rodney Atkins was part of Daytona, too, working the Crown Royal stage and announcing the winner of the annual Crown Royal "Your Name Here" 400. The event at Richmond International Raceway is given the name of the grand-prize winner in Crown Royal's sweepstakes, but this year, the race will have two first names: Crown Royal Presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400. US Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Matthew Hansen was the grand prize winner this year, chosen from 5 military finalists who have shown themselves to be heroes. Matthew's godmother nominated him for his service during three deployments to Iraq, and for continuing to serve with courage and faith after losing his twin brother Daniel. Daniel lost his life during combat operations in Afghanistan when a roadside bomb exploded. NASCAR hits Richmond on April 30th with the running of the "Crown Royal Presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400." 43 drivers are signed up to compete for that very special trophy.

Lady Antebellum headlined the Gift of Music concert, a benefit for the Dustin J. Wells Foundation music program. Friday night, they played the Wild Horse Saloon in Nashville, and here's a minute from the show:

Zac Brown is putting his money where his heart is. He's building a place for special-needs kids to learn about music, life and health skills. Camp Southern Ground will be about 40 minutes south of Atlanta, and while it isn't in existence quite yet, it does have a website.

How did Alan Jackson know he'd hit it big? A little piece of his childhood landed in the Country Music Hall of Fame. “Sometimes I do “Chasing That Neon Rainbow” onstage, and I set the song up talking about growing up and the first radio I remembered. And it was the one that Daddy won at the Pepsi-Cola plant for some employee thing. Later when that was a hit, they put that radio in the Hall of Fame, and I tell the fans onstage, if you ever come to Nashville, go to the Hall of Fame and you can see that radio in there!”

Eric Church doesn't have anything in the Country Music Hall of Fame yet, but he does see his fan base growing and giving his shows a life of their own. “Somehow, over the last four years, they’ve really taken ownership of the music themselves. It’s about them singing it, or toasting beers with the guy beside ‘em that they don’t know, or body surfing through the crowd, I mean whatever it is. That’s what I’m there to witness, and it that don’t fire you up, then you’re dead, you know?”

Judds fans, put a big red "X" on your calendar April 10th. That's when their 6-episode series "The Judds" will debut on OWN. The show follows the mother/daughter duo on their final tour, and the newly svelte Wynonna explained their travel arrangements: “Let me tell you why we have to have separate buses. We’re gonna be so busy, the only time I’m gonna have to myself is literally when I’m in the shower and sleeping. When you go on the road with your mother, you’re never alone.”

Congratulations to Jamey Johnson - his album "Guitar Song" has been certified gold, for half a million copies sold. The party was on Friday at the Palm in Nashville, just before Jamey took the stage at Bridgestone Arena, opening for Kid Rock.

On this day in 1996, Garth Brooks' album "Fresh Horses" was certified gold, platinum and triple plantinum on the same day. That was 15 years ago, when more people bought albums and cd's than now. Now it's much more common for singles to go platinum quickly, because of the popularity of downloading only one or two songs from an album instead of buying the entire album.

And going way back in history - did you ever wonder how long Little Jimmy Dickens has been part of the Grand Ole Opry? On this day in 1948, he made his Opry debut. That's 63 years as a fixture at the Opry. Congrats, Little Jimmy!

Nicole Kidman opens up about her fertility struggles at People.com

Uncle Kracker is in the studio in Nashville, working on his 5th studio album. He says he's got 20 songs ready to record, and will work pretty quickly, because he hits the road on March 17th with Kenny Chesney. Uncle Kracker has teamed up with legendary producer Keith Stegall, who has worked with Alan Jackson and Zac Brown Band among many others, and tells fans to expect this album to sound "more Americana." The first single should be released in early May with the album due out late this summer.

If you missed Kenny Chesney's new documentary "The Color Orange" on ESPN last night, here's a little bit of it:

Happy birthday to Mary Chapin Carpenter, who turns 53 today.

Jason Aldean will be on the Ellen DeGeeres show and on Conan tomorrow.

The tweet of the day is from Brad Paisley: "Seriously,driving the pace car was about the most ridiculously exciting thing I've ever done. & @JeffGordonWeb was bumping me.tradin' paint!"

Today's Country Tidbits

Here's the complete list of nominations for the ACM Awards, which will be handed out April 3rd live from Las Vegas, with Reba and Blake Shelton hosting the show.

Entertainer of the Year

· Jason Aldean

· Toby Keith

· Miranda Lambert

· Brad Paisley

· Taylor Swift

· Keith Urban

Top Male Vocalist of the Year

· Jason Aldean

· Brad Paisley

· Blake Shelton

· George Strait

· Keith Urban

Top Female Vocalist of the Year

· Miranda Lambert

· Reba McEntire

· Taylor Swift

· Carrie Underwood

· Lee Ann Womack

Top Vocal Duo of the Year

· the JaneDear girls

· Joey + Rory

· Montgomery Gentry

· Steel Magnolia

· Sugarland

Top Vocal Group of the Year

· Lady Antebellum

· Little Big Town

· Randy Rogers Band

· The Band Perry

· Zac Brown Band

Top New Solo Vocalist of the Year (Previously Announced)

· Eric Church

· Easton Corbin

· Randy Houser

Top New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year (Previously Announced)

· the JaneDear girls

· Steel Magnolia

· The Band Perry

Album of the Year [TIE] (awarded to Artist, Producer, Record Co.)

· Hemingway’s Whiskey – Kenny Chesney (BNA); Produced by: Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney

· Need You Now - Lady Antebellum (Capitol Records Nashville); Produced by: Lady Antebellum, Paul Worley

· The Guitar Song – Jamey Johnson (Mercury); Produced by: Arlis Albritton, Dave Cobb, The Kent Hardly Playboys

· Speak Now – Taylor Swift (Big Machine Records); Produced by: Nathan Chapman, Taylor Swift

· Up On The Ridge – Dierks Bentley (Capitol Records Nashville); Produced by: Jon Randall Stewart

· You Get What You Give - Zac Brown Band (Southern Ground / Roar / Bigger Picture / Atlantic); Produced by: Zac Brown, Keith Stegall

Single Record of the Year [TIE] (awarded to Artist, Producer, Record Co.)

· A Little More Country Than That – Easton Corbin (Mercury); Produced by: Carson Chamberlain

· As She’s Walking Away - Zac Brown Band Featuring Alan Jackson (Southern Ground / Roar / Bigger Picture / Atlantic); Produced by: Zac Brown, Keith Stegall

· If I Die Young – The Band Perry (Republic Nashville); Produced by: Paul Worley

· Love Like Crazy – Lee Brice (Curb Records); Produced by: Lee Brice, Doug Johnson

· The Boys Of Fall – Kenny Chesney (BNA); Produced by: Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney

· The House That Built Me - Miranda Lambert (Columbia Nashville); Produced by: Frank Liddell, Mike Wrucke

Song of the Year (awarded to Composer, Publisher, Artist)

· A Little More Country Than That – Easton Corbin; Composers: Rory Lee Feek, Don Poythress, Wynn Varble; Publishers: A Sling And A Prayer Music (ASCAP), Chrysalis One Music (ASCAP), Don Poythress Songs (ASCAP), Precious Flour Music (BMI), Universal Music-MGB Songs (ASCAP), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)

· As She’s Walking Away – Zac Brown Band Featuring Alan Jackson; Composers: Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette; Publishers: Angelika Music (BMI), Weimerhound Publishing (BMI)

· If I Die Young – The Band Perry; Composer: Kimberly Perry; Publishers: Pearlfeather Publishing (BMI), Rio Bravo Music, Inc. (BMI)

· Love Like Crazy – Lee Brice; Composers: Tim James, Doug Johnson; Publishers: Mike Curb Music (BMI), Sweet Radical Music (BMI), T-Bird’s Music (BMI), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)

· The House That Built Me – Miranda Lambert; Composers: Tom Douglas, Allen Shamblin; Publishers: Built On Rock (ASCAP), Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (BMI), Tomdouglasmusic (BMI)

Video of the Year (awarded to Producer, Director, Artist)

· Hillbilly Bone – Blake Shelton Featuring Trace Adkins; Producer: Randy Brewer; Director: Roman White

· Only Prettier – Miranda Lambert; Producer: Trent Hardville; Director: Trey Fanjoy

· Stuck Like Glue – Sugarland; Producer: Tony McGarry; Director: Declan Whitebloom

· The Boys Of Fall – Kenny Chesney; Producer: Don Lepore; Director: Shaun Silva

· The House That Built Me – Miranda Lambert; Producer: Trent Hardville; Director: Trey Fanjoy

Vocal Event of the Year (awarded to Artist, Producer, Record Co.)

· As She’s Walking Away – Zac Brown Band Featuring Alan Jackson (Southern Ground / Roar / Bigger Picture / Atlantic); Produced by: Zac Brown, Keith Stegall

· Blue Sky – Emily West Featuring Keith Urban (Capitol Records Nashville); Produced by: Mark Bright

· Coal Miner’s Daughter – Loretta Lynn, Sheryl Crow and Miranda Lambert (Columbia Nashville; Produced by: John Carter Cash, Patsy Lynn Russell

· Cold Beer – Colt Ford Featuring Jamey Johnson (Average Joes); Produced by: Shannon Houchins, Adrian Young

· Good To Be Me – Uncle Kracker Featuring Kid Rock (Top Dog/ Atlantic / Bigger Picture); Produced by: Kid Rock

Today's Country Tidbits

Dierks Bentley will do a small-venue tour this spring. Starting March 17th, he'll be playing three- to four-thousand-seat venues, which he really enjoys. Says Dierks, "it should be intimate which I kind of really like doing in the Spring. It's kind of becoming a ritual to start of the year with at tour that's really just smaller." Josh Thompson and Miss Willie Brown are his opening acts on this Jagermeister-sponsored tour. Dierks is currently in the studio, working on the follow up to his Grammy-nominated "Up On the Ridge" project.

The Country Throwdown Tour 2011 is getting ready to roll this summer, with Willie Nelson, Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser, Lee Brice, Brantley Gilbert, Craig Campbell and Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real all performing. The tour kicks off May 27th and includes 16 stops so far.

It's official - Alan Jackson and Sony Music Nashville aren't an item anymore, after 22 years together. No word on who Alan will sign with, but his former labelmate, Martina McBride, is now with Big Machine Records and loving it, so it wouldn't be a surprise if Alan made that move, too.

The performer line-up at the Grammy Awards just got a little better. Lady Antebellum, who are up for six awards, will be performing on February 13th.

Eddie Montgomery has a clean bill of health after his surgery for prostate cancer in December. He and Troy Gentry played at the Grand Ole Opry, and are packing for an 8-day USO tour of South Korea and Japan which starts Sunday.

Jason Aldean's "My Kinda Party" tour kicks off in Little Rock, Arkansas tonight.

The line-up for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival has been announced, and Jamey Johnson, Willie Nelson, Kid Rock, Ricky Skaggs and Jimmy Buffett are all part of the fun. The festival runs April 29th through May 8th.

Toby Keith has a music video collection about to hit stores. "10" will be available on March 8th, and you guessed it - it will feature videos to 10 songs from Toby.

New RIAA certifications are out, and Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" and Taylor Swift's "Speak Now" are both triple-platinum. Sugarland's "The Incredible Machine" is platinum, Keith Urban's "Get Closer" and Zac Brown Band's "You Get What You Give" are gold.

Keith Urban is on the Oprah show today.

Happy birthday today to Teddy Gentry and Ray Stevens.

The tweet of the day is from Craig Morgan: "What happens in Vegas ends up on twitter"

Today's Country Tidbits

Dierks Bentley, his wife Cassidy and their two-year-old daughter Evie got a wonderful Christmas gift - baby girl Jordan was born in the wee hours of December 25th. Proud daddy Dierks tweeted, "say what u want about santa’s physique, but no arguing his impeccable timing! evie wanted a little sis for Xmas & JORDAN just arrived!" Mom, baby and proud big sis are all doing well. Dierks is a little worried, tweeting, "she chose the banjo driven part of mumford & sons ‘awake my soul’ as her walk on music… could be a troublesome sign!"

It's the last Monday of 2010, so bring on the lists!

BILLBOARD’S BEST OF 2010: TOP ARTISTS

1) Lady Gaga

2) Taylor Swift

3) Eminem

4) Lady Antebellum

5) Ke$ha

6) Usher

7) The Black Eyed Peas

8) Justin Bieber

9) Rihanna

10) Drake

In alphabetical order, compiled by CMT, here's a list of all of the country music "Greatest Hits" packages that came out in 2010:

Trace Adkins – The Definitive Greatest Hits: ‘Til the Last Shot’s Fired

Chris Cagle – Best of Chris Cagle

Dixie Chicks – The Essential Dixie Chicks

Kevin Fowler – Best Of…So Far

Highwaymen – The Essential Highwaymen

Alan Jackson – 34 Number Ones

Larry the Cable Guy – The Best of Larry the Cable Guy

Tim McGraw – Number One Hits

Brad Paisley – Hits Alive

Gretchen Peters – Circus Girl: The Best of Gretchen Peters

Blake Shelton – Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton

Hank Williams – The Complete Mother’s Best Recordings…Plus!

Gretchen Wilson – Greatest Hits

Various Artists – NOW That’s What I Call Country: Volume 3

Garth Brooks warmed it up for them, and Wednesday night, Zac Brown Band takes the stage at Bridgestone Arena. They're promising to keep the show pretty much the same as it is in smaller venues, though, eschewing the flashy screens, moving stages and special effects that many artists employ when they move to bigger venues. “It’s not in my nature,” said Zac. “The worst thing for me as an artist is having to dance for somebody by trying to be anything that I’m not. Sometimes, business people want to give direction, but the fans are reacting to what we do. We’re a legitimate band, and you can’t fake that, and it’s all hard work that lands the result.”

There's a website designed for teens called "DoSomething.org" The idea behind it is to make teens aware of the many ways they can help to improve the earth and easily hook them up with the organization of their choice. DoSomething.org has come out with their Top 20 Celebs Gone Good, and Taylor Swift checks in at #3 for giving half a million to middle Tennessee flood relief and her ongoing work to promote literacy.

Tomorrow night is the airing of the CBS special, "The Kennedy Center Honors." Merle Haggard is one of the honorees, and he is serenaded by Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Jamey Johnson, Kid Rock, Kris Kristofferson, Vince Gill and Sheryl Crow. The event actually happened earlier this month, but was taped to air tomorrow night.

The tweet of the day is from Miranda Lambert: "Dear Santa... Next year please send me some little helpers to help me clean up this mess:)"

Today's Country Tidbits

The LA premier of "Country Strong" was Tuesday night, and all of the stars were there, including co-star Tim McGraw with his wife Faith Hill on his arm. Reba McEntire and her hubby Narvel Blackstock were there to see the show, and Reba gives the movie two thumbs up. After the movie, the country music contingent, Gwyneth Paltrow included, all went out for a late dinner together.

Rascal Flatts year-long celebration of a decade in music concluded last night at the Grand Ole Opry. They performed, and were recognized by Karl Dean, mayor of Nashville, for their great music and good works. He said, in his official Mayoral Proclamation, "This is such a privilege to be here tonight to thank you in person for all that you do for the community and for the children in this city."

When NBC's "Who do You Think You Are?" returns for the second season, Tim McGraw will be one of the people digging into his past and trying to decipher his family tree. The show follows people around the world as they work with historians and research their own roots. Also appearing in the new season, which premiers January 21st, are Ashley Judd, Vanessa Williams, Rosie O'Donnell, Kim Cattrell and Steve Buscemi.

The ratings weren't great but the post-show sales boost was. After the airing of the initial American Country Awards, performers saw a nice sales increase in their product. Easton Corbin's self-titled debut cd saw a 58% sales increase, Josh Turner's "Haywire" was up 68% and Blake Shelton's "Hillbilly Bone" sold 75% more after the show. Nice!

What did boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal get for Taylor Swift for her birthday? A vintage Fender Grestsch guitar, signed by Chet Atkins. It's reported to have set him back $11,000. Nice!

Pretend you're the Mom of a big country superstar. What on earth do you give him for Christmas? That's Kenny Chesney's Mom's dilemma - whenever she asks him about something she wants to give him, he's already got it. What does he really want? Green beans. Says Kenny, “My mom and grandmother can green beans themselves. I love it, because it’s what I grew up with.” Watch out, Kenny...you're about to be inundated with home-canned beans!

Congrats to The Band Perry, whose debut album has gone platinum, signifying sales of over a million units.

Congratulations to Jamey Johnson. His double-disc cd, "The Guitar Song," has gone gold for sales of half a million units.

And congratulations to Taylor Swift, who has the top selling country music album again this week. She even sold 11% more this week than last, moving 201,000 units.

The tweet of the day is from David Nail: "Can't believe we just landed on this runway, ridiculous in Rochester, NY. Can't be safe at all!"

Today's Country Tidbits

Jason Aldean threw a benefit concert last Friday night, and $132,000 is going to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. It's his 5th year of hosting the concert, and the first time it's been anywhere but Nashville. He decided that going forward, he'll pick a different city each year, and he wants to thank everyone in Evansville, IN who showed up to the concert wearing pink. His best friend's wife died from breast cancer at a very young age, and that spurred Jason and his wife to create this fund-raiser.

Reba is enlisting the help of her fans to launch her upcoming cd, "All The Women I Am." It streets on November 9th, and she's got an online contest, offering prizes to the fans who show the most creativity in letting the world know about the cd release. Enter photos and videos, and be sure they show a lot of people being exposed to your creative message. Good luck!

Chris Young wants you to go to the CMA Awards in style. He's looking for a winner of a black dress designed by Carmen Marc Valvo, a pair of tickets to the CMA Awards, two tickets to the red carpet viewing area and limo service for the night. Guys, you can enter, too, but please promise not to wear the black dress!!

Last night, Blake Shelton was on the 600th episode of Chelsea Lately, and he took her a couple of presents. He made up a couple of tank tops for her, one saying "Hot Mess Blake Shelton on my 600th episode" and the other saying "Kiss My Country A**." She declared him her favorite person to follow on Twitter, and on a serious note, Blake said that being made a member of the Grand Ole Opry will be the highlight of his professional life and marrying Miranda Lambert will be the highlight of his personal life.

Jamey Johnson is on the Late Show with David Letterman tonight.

The tweet of the day is from Dierks Bentley: "glad my mom used to wash my mouth out with soap.no time to buy toothpaste in NYC.brushing with soap.surprisingly zestfully clean feeling"