Today's Country Tidbits

Imagine the schedule-juggling necessary for the normal working mother, then add to it the demands of touring as part of your work, and trying to get home to spend special times with your kids. Martina McBride had a stressful day yesterday, trying to fly home from Memphis in order to go trick-or-treating with her girls. Nope - no flight would do it, so Martina rented a car and high-tailed it home on the interstate. She made it just in time, reporting that she had one happy devil in her back seat. Phew!

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are collaborating - not on a duet, but on a duo of fragrances. Soul2Soul is actually a pair of fragrances in one package, one feminine and one masculine. Faith tells Women's Wear Daily that the process of designing a fragrance is like baking, explaining that the different mixes of essential essences produce completely different aromas. The fragrance set hits stores in February and the price point is under $20.

The American Country Awards will be handed out on December 5th, with Trace Adkins as one of the hosts. Performing on the show will be Blake Shelton, The Band Perry, Eli Young Band, Thompson Square and Pistol Annies. The awards will be handed out live on FOX.

Speaking of award shows, Vince Gill, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban will gang up to perform a tribute to Glen Campbell on the CMA Awards next week (November 9th) on ABC.

Thompson Square's Shauna and Keifer are excited to be part of the CMA award show. “[Shawna] It has not sunk in with me yet. It probably won’t sink in until the red carpet and then I’ll be like ‘Oh, my gosh! This is really happenin’.’ [Keifer] Yeah, you know…last year to go to the CMAs as a, as a spectator, then be nominated this year, it’s pretty freaky. It’s pretty crazy.”

Today is the day that Brad Paisley goes from being a guitar hero to an author. Actually, the book's been written for quite a while, but today's the day it hits store shelves. "Diary of a Player" is a tribute to the musical influences Brad has had, and perhaps the major musical influence was his Grandfather, when he gave Brad a guitar at the age of 8. According to Brad, “It’s really an inspirational book in the sense—I don’t think I was destined to do this. You know, that could be argued. I don’t know what I’d be doing. I don’t know that it was a guarantee that I would have made my way to the Opry or country music at all if it weren’t for a grandfather that sort of said, ‘Don’t let this get away from you. This could be the greatest thing that ever happens to you in your life,’ as far as that instrument goes.”

Today is also the day that Jimmy Wayne, the country artist who walked across America last year, becomes a published author. His book, "Paper Angels," is fiction but Jimmy says the characters are based on people he's known in his life. He weaves his tough upbringing as a homeless child into the story.

Miranda Lambert is on the Today Show this morning, talking about her new cd, "Four the Record," out today. It's been two years since "Revolution" caused a revolution in her career. How is this new one different? “I feel like I’ve come a long way in my normal life, not just my career. I’ve grown a ton in my career, but I’ve also grown as a person, and I usually reflect where I am in life on my albums. And, this album has humor in it, and it has some sad songs and some happy songs. It kinda has a little bit of everything, and I think before I wasn’t open-minded enough to put a little bit of everything on an album, but I was ready to on this one.”

Congratulations to Blake Shelton, who has the #1 country song in America this week with "God Gave Me You."

Happy birthday to Big Kenny Alphin of Big & Rich, Bill Anderson, Lyle Lovett and Keith Stegall.

The tweet of the day is from Jake Owen: "Going to bed feeling safe about my neighborhood. Lot of little Superman and Batmans running around"

Today's Country Tidbits

Eric Church ticked off his record label last August, taking the entire month off instead of raking in cash by touring. He needed the time off to hide out in a cabin in North Carolina to write songs for "Chief," his latest album. He took a month off the grid - no computer, no phone, no tv, in order to let his creativity flow. The cd's name comes from his grandfather's nickname. According to Eric, "He was chief of police, but he spent every weekend either making or participating in Wilkes County moonshine." Eric's new cd is getting shining reviews from the critics!

Alan Jackson gets ideas for songs in odd places, and there's no telling how many #1 songs he'd have by now if he could just remember them all. According to Alan, “There’s been a lot of places I’ve been, whether it’s a restaurant or bar, or somewhere with people, and you get some kind of little hook or idea that you can’t, you try to remember. A lot of times I get the ideas in places like that, and then I don’t write ‘em down, and then you forget what the idea is anyway.” He's working on a new cd, due out this fall.

Trace Adkins has a new cd coming out Tuesday, and the first single, "Just Fishin'," is doing well. Also on the album is another duet with Blake Shelton called "If I Was a Woman, I'd Love a Man Like Me." About the cut, Trace remarks, “I didn’t know if there would be anybody in this business that would be silly enough to sing ‘If I Was a Woman, I’d Love a Man Like Me’ other than Blake. But, it’s just a perfect song for he and I to do together and the way that we wrote the song pointed straight at Blake.” Their last duet, "Hillbilly Bone," went #1 so both have high hopes for this one.

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's oldest daughter, Gracie, is taking after her parents in more ways than one. Tim describes his 14-year-old daughter this way, “She grew up all over the sudden last year. She’s 5-foot-6 or 5-foot-7 and looks like a beach volleyball player.” Don't be surprised to see Gracie McGraw's name in tv or movie credits someday, as she's totally immersed in school theater programs and wants to be an actress when she grows up. Apples don't usually fall far from the tree!

ESPN is doing a high school makeover show called "Rise Up." It premiers on September 13, features athletic makeovers for deserving high schools, and the reason I'm telling you about it is that Kenny Chesney will provide the theme song for the show.

Zac Brown Band has partnered with Gander Mountain, seller of outdoor gear and specialty items, to carry the Southern Ground product line. The nationwide chain will carry Zac's cookbooks, spices and sauces, along with a hat being sold to benefit Soles4Souls, a charitable group that gives shoes to those who need them.

Kix Brooks is the featured speaker at the 30th Annual Alumni & Fan Preseason Kickoff at Louisiana Tech next month. Kix graduated from that school in 1978 with a degree in communications.

Chris Young is on Jimmy Kimmel Live! tonight.

Happy birthday to Bill Engvall, Bobbie Gentry and Duncan Cameron of Sawyer Brown.

The tweet of the day is from Jimmy Wayne: "someone said 'I like my coffee like I do my women' I thought ground & stored in the freezer. Was that weird?"

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

Kenny Chesney did the first of 11 stadium shows on Saturday night in Tampa. He'd been missing something in his life: “I missed the connection and the energy of the stage last year and me and the guys are excited. There’s a lot of … you know, we’re really anxious to feel that energy again.” On Thursday night, Kenny's idol, Joe Namath, was in the audience, cameras found him while Kenny was singing "The Boys of Fall" and Joe's face ended up on the huge screen behind Kenny for part of the song. Touching...

Trace Adkins' movie, "The Lincoln Lawyer," came in at #4 in the box office over the weekend, behind Limitless, Rango, and Battle: Los Angeles. How did Trace and the movie's star, Matthew McConaughey, get along on the set? Apparently really well, according to Trace: “I just hung out with Matthew. You know, we come from the same part of the country, same oil patch. His father worked in the same oil field I worked in. You know, we just sat around and talked about a bunch of the old bars we used to go to around there. It was weird that we’d been to the same places but never run into each other.”

Sugarland fan? American Idol fan? You won't need an app for that - Jennifer and Kristian are performing on American Idol during this Thursday's results show.

Eric Church and The Band Perry are vying for Top New Artist at the ACM awards on April 3rd. They're also co-hosting a "road to the ACM's" vlog online.

Jimmy Wayne was the featured speaker at the 30th annual National CASA (court appointed special advocate) conference yesterday in Chicago. He's the national spokesperson for the group.

When you think of Cher, you think of long, dark hair and over-the-top, revealing outfits at awards shows. Do you also think of country music? You will - Cher's working on her first recording project in a decade, and the album will be country. Apparently she has a lot of fans who listen to country music, so that's the impetus behind this decision. No word on when to expect the cd.

Steve Martin is about to hit the road with the bluegrass band, Steep Canyon Rangers, to promote his second bluegrass album, "Rare Bird Alert." Catch them tonight on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report."

The tweet of the day is from Martina McBride, home from a week of spring break at the beach: "Back home sweet home. I see lots of laundry in my future."

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

The number-crunchers are still working on the total, but Jake Owen has presented a $30,000 check to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and a $33,000 check to the Mardy Fish Foundation after his benefit concert last weekend. Jake headlined, with Little Big Town as the opening act, and it looks like the 5th annual "Mardy's Tennis and Jake's Music Fest" will raise over $125,000 for youth charities.

Carrie Underwood's movie, "Soul Surfer," won't be out until April 15th, 2011, but there's a special website designed for ministers to use to share the very inspirational story of Bethany Hamilton. Carrie plays Sara, the youth counselor who helped Bethany through her recovery.

Congratulations to Reba, who has notched 35 #1 songs. If you or someone you know is a huge Reba fan, you can get personalized birthday greetings from her through StarGreetz. The messages cost $2.99 each.

Leighton Meester, one of the stars of the movie "Country Strong," might be giving Nashville a try. She loved the city, and has some serious singing chops, saying she looked to Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood as role models for her to follow when prepping for the movie. She even worked with Taylor Swift's producer in order to get some southern warmth in her vocals.

The CMA is giving away "Country Strong" prize packs. You can win two tickets to see the movie when it comes out on January 7th, a copy of the soundtrack, two t-shirts and two hats.

ABC is re-running their CMA Country Christmas show tonight, and CBS has their annual "A Home For The Holidays" show, this year featuring Jimmy Wayne to share his story of homelessness and hope.

The tweet of the day is from Martina McBride: "The whole house slept in today...feels like Christmas break has officially started."

Today's Country Tidbits

Congratulations to Rodney Atkins, Billy Currington and Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry. They've been named to Nashville Lifestyle's list of 2010's Most Beautiful People.

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw decorated a Fender Stratocaster that's being auctioned off to help put music in schools across the country. The Little Kids Rock auction includes a total of 29 Stratocasters, and the auction runs until October 21st.

Darius Rucker is hosting a songwriting contest. He's asking writers to send their best, and the winner gets a mentoring session with Darius.

And Randy Houser is offering up an autographed guitar in his contest.

Also helping out a good cause, Montgomery Gentry has painted their website pink for October. Real men Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry are lending their support for breast cancer awareness month, and a re-designed website will be unveiled on November 1.

Looking for Kenny Chesney's "The Boys of Fall" documentary on DVD? It won't ship until November 9th, but you can pre-order it now.

Jimmy Wayne's book, "Paper Angels," will be released soon. It was in the works before his walk across America, and he signed the book deal during the walk. He's proof-reading it a couple of times before it goes to the printer, and is very excited at the progress of the project.

New music out tomorrow includes Toby Keith's "Bullets in the Gun." He says he's put his heart and soul into this cd: “I just feel rejuvenated as a writer. I’m writing all the time, and instead of just writing fifteen or twenty things, so I have a lot more songs to select from on this album.”

Kenny Chesney is on the Ellen Degeneres show today.

The tweet of the day is from Jack Ingram, who's been staying up reeeeeallly late: "2 sunrises in a row... Good weekend. Good shows. Hung w/Charlie Daniels... Good 2 b home. Good 2 b."

Today's Country Tidbits

If you're in the Atlanta area or can be by 7pm tonight, you can play along with a Sugarland Scavenger Hunt. Hit their FaceBook page & join it to get the announcement at 7pm, then be the first to find one of the three Incredible Machine Tour Costume packages that'll be stashed somewhere around town. One package has a pair of tickets to their sold-out show Thursday in Alpharetta, GA. Good luck!

Zac Brown Band finished up in the studio yesterday, laying down tracks for their upcoming cd, "You Get What You Give," due out September 21st. Zac tweeted that he's "uber-psyched" with the project.

The video for Miranda Lambert's "Only Prettier" is out, starring Miranda, Kellie Pickler, Lady A's Hillary Scott and Laura Bell Bundy as powder-puff girls and greasers. Look carefully at the guys - there are some surprise guests, too.

Nominations were announced yesterday for the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, and country music's only representative is Taylor Swift. She's nominated for Best Female Video for "Fifteen." Crossing fingers that Kanye West isn't allowed in the building again this year.

Taylor Swift will perform her new song, "Mine," on the "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" tv special on September first. The top-secret performance was taped in Nashville during the CMA Music Festival in June. Tim McGraw hosts the show, which includes performances from Brad Paisley, Reba, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood and most of country music's biggest stars.

Carrie Underwood shares some of her healthy eating tips with WebMD, including the fact that she doesn't usually eat the catered band food at her concerts. Her rule? If she doesn't know what's in it, she doesn't eat it. She goes to the grocery store and shops for her own food, and she enjoys the shopping trips. According to Carrie, "I would hate to see the day when someone else had to buy my groceries for me!”

Jimmy Wayne thought all the hoopa was over with in Arizona when he finished his walk across America. Not so - he returned to Nashville yesterday to a hero's welcome. After seven months of walking across America, he was met by kids from Nashville's Monroe Harding Children's Home, the staff at his record label, Valory Music, and dozens of fans. When asked what was the first thing he was going to do when he got home, he had a one-word reply: laundry.

Brad Paisley will release a greatest-hits project on November 2nd called "Hits Alive." The double-disc's track list hasn't been released yet.

Craig Morgan is on Hannity tonight on the Fox News channel.

Our tweet of the day is from Chris Young, apparently responding to the rumor that Brett Favre is again retiring: "My only comment about all this is Brett Favre is my favorite quarterback of all time. That is all."

Today's Country Tidbits

Rascal Flatts fans, rejoice - there's new music on the way from the band. The new song, "Why Wait," has already been sent to radio stations across America and the new album, "Nothing Like This," drops November 16th. There's a new energy in this project as Rascal Flatts moves from their old label, Lyric Street, to Big Machine, the same label as Taylor Swift. At yesterday's press conference, Jay DeMarcus joked, "I'm just thrilled Taylor let us on the label. What, she's in Europe? Let's get this deal done!"

In more Jay DeMarcus news, he and wife Allison found out they're expecting a baby girl in January.

How big a sports fan is Kenny Chesney? The video for his football-themed song, "The Boys of Fall," will premiere on ESPN's "SportsCenter" just before noon eastern this coming Monday, and re-air at 2pm. Kenny Chesney says of the video, "I have friends in this video ... a lot of my heroes are in this video. It has been one of the highlights of my life." The video uses shots filmed for Kenny's upcoming football documentary, "The Boys of Fall," which features Sean Payton, Joe Namath, John Madden, Bill Parcells and many more football greats from college ball and the pros.

Love Blake Shelton? Then you have a date with him Sunday night, when he does a live chat in downtown Nashville. If you're in - or could be in - Nashville on Sunday, enter to win a ticket to the event so you can be at the chat in person. The chat will stream on Blake's website and also on CMT.com.

Yesterday, I showed you Lady Antebellum's spoof of Lee Brice's "Love Like Crazy." Lee Brice weighs in today on being the target of their sharp wit and pen: "This is really funny, and I am honored that Lady A decided to tackle my song. I understand that mine is the second song they've spoofed and only two songs in, they've perfected the craft. Hey guys, how about a writing session in the next few weeks?”

Jimmy Wayne will wrap up his cross-country walk to spotlight the problem of teen homelessness this weekend in Phoenix, Arizona. He started on January 1st and has walked through all kinds of bad weather. He'll arrive in Mesa, just outside of Phoenix, tomorrow and will give a free concert at Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar and Grill." Sunday morning, he'll finish the walk, ending up at HomeBase Youth Services in Phoenix. At least one marching band will be walking the last mile with him, and many fans and friends are expected to walk with him, too.

Mark your calendar - will be September 16-18 in Savannah, Tennessee. Music, golf and a motorcycle poker run are just parts of the weekend of fun.

Happy birthday to Neal McCoy, who turns 52 today.

The tweet of the day is from James Otto: "My wonderful wife & baby mamma totally spoiled me on my Birthday & bought me an I-pad. Daddy Likey"

Today's Country Tidbits

There's a baby boom in Nashville. James Otto and his wife are expecting, Jay De Marcus and his wife are expecting, Dierks Bentley and his wife are expecting, and now Josh Turner and his wife Jennifer are expecting their third child early next year. They have two sons, Hampton and Colby, and are excited to add to their brood.

The next Tim McGraw movie isn't out until December, but the first single from the soundtrack is available on iTunes, and online for your listening pleasure at The Boot. It's by Gwyneth Paltrow, backed up by Vince Gill and Patty Griffin, and is the title cut, "Country Strong."

If you're up for a road trip, head to Phoenix, AZ to be part of the Jimmy Wayne Meet Me Halfway walk's ending. He'll headline a free concert at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill in Mesa on Saturday, and has invited supporters to join him for the last mile of the walk in Phoenix on Sunday.

Congratulations to Carrie Underwood, who has her 13th consecutive #1 song with "Undo It." She will perform on the Today show this Friday morning, and there's a Facebook page where fans can submit questions she might be asked during the broadcast. Not surprisingly, most of the questions so far have to do with her wedding. Wanna ask a question? Fire away!

When Kellie Pickler saw herself on the 2010 CMT Music Awards, it was a wake-up call to give up two of her favorite things: beer and fries. She's even going to try to get in the habit of going to the gym so she can look better in her wedding dress.

Jaron and the Long road to Love will perform on the Tonight Show tonight. Dierks Bentley will perform on two late-night tv shows this week - tonight he'll be on the Late Show with David Letterman, singing "Fallin' For You," and Wednesday he'll be on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, peforming "Draw Me a Map."

Reba's on the cover of Cowboys & Indians magazine, on newsstands now.

New music this week includes Craig Morgan "That's Why - Collector's Edition" at Cracker Barrel stores.

Happy birthday to Cheyenne Kimball of Gloriana who turns 20 today.

The tweet of the day is from Taylor Swift, after Paul McCartney's Nashville concert last night: "As I suspected! Paul McCartney is charming and endearing in person."

Today's Country Tidbits

Joe Nichols had a rough weekend. While flying Delta, he took along four guitars as checked
baggage. The airline lost two of them and apparently didn't try very hard to make Joe feel like they
cared or were doing their best to find them. He had a show Saturday night, and half of his guitars
were missing. He took to Twitter with his frustration, so it might have made him feel better...but it
didn't get his guitars back yet...

Trace Adkins spent three days on a movie set, playing a role in Matthew McConaughey's next move, "The Lincoln Lawyer." We won't see the results until sometime next year.

Meanwhile, Toby Keith's new cd, "Bullets in the Gun," will be released on October 5th. The first song, "Trailerhood," is climbing charts across America, looking like it could be his 20th #1 song.

Faith Hill has been doing some song-writing lately, though she's not saying when the resulting cd might come out. She's also waxing nostalgic about the vegetable gardens her folks always had, and is wanting to do something like that with her three children. Faith Hill, playing in the dirt? Don't be surprised, and you know she'll grow the tastiest, prettiest veggies ever.

Keith Urban is working on a project with Australian kiddie-supergroup, The Wiggles. He says, "Having a two-year-old, I'm not going to turn down the Wiggles." They're recording the Roger Miller classic, "England Swings."

Crib news for Dierks Bentley and his wife Cassidy, who are expecting child #2 in December. The sex of the new baby isn't known, but we do know that big sister Evie is excited to see her new sibling.

Dierks Bentley played an outdoor show in Raleigh, NC on Saturday night, and he posted before and after photos of his band.









Wow...it's not just the heat, it's the humidity, too. Look at those soaking-wet shirts!



Reba spent all day Saturday in a photo shoot for her next cd. They did eight different set-ups, with
costume changes, hair and make-up changes for each one. She said it was a very long day but
tons of fun, and remembered back to the shoot for her very first album - one outfit, a couple of
rolls of film and they were done. Times have changed! Oh, and the cd? There are six songs finished for it so far, they're back in the studio today, and it should be out November 9th.

And Saturday was the day Uncle Kracker got back from his extra-long USO tour. He left the States just before July 4th to entertain the troops in Europe and the middle east.

Gretchen Wilson is the poster child - literally! - for literacy, teaming up with Dollar General Literacy Foundation and the Ad Council to encourage high-school drop-outs to get their GEDs. She got hers at 34.

Lady Antebellum has been dethroned by a Judge. "Need You Now" has been on top of Billboard's Country Album chart since its release in January. Not any more - Jerrod Niemann's debut cd, "Judge Jerrod and the Hung Jury," landed in the #1 position on the strength of the single, "Lover, Lover."

As Jimmy Wayne nears the end of his walk across America, he's once again talking about doing more walking. Arizona to the west coast and Tennessee to the east coast, so he can truly say he's walked across the entire continent is his goal for 2011.

If you're a big Alabama fan, you should probably make plans now to be in Orlando on October 16 & 17. Full details won't be announced until Friday, but it looks like an Alabama reunion concert could be taking place there.

The tweet of the day is from Kellie Pickler: "Mandalay sent me some beautiful sparkly dresses to wear on the Rascal Flatts tour! Yip-eeeee!!! :)"

Today's Country Tidbits

Tomorrow, you can see Carrie Underwood's wedding photos. People Magazine has Carrie on the cover in full wedding regalia. Her dog Ace wore a pink, crystal-encrusted tuxedo and groom Mike was in traditional black. The wedding reportedly cost upwards of half a million dollars, and the money the couple got from People for the exclusive wedding pictures is going to charity. Carrie's first public appearance as Mrs. Fisher will be on June 30th, when she'll be on the Today show.

Big stars still have stars. Kenny Chesney's new song, "Boys of Fall," is all about high school football and the life lessons it has to offer. Broadway Joe Namath heard it and tweeted, "Says it all, Kenny Chesney's "Boys of Fall." Love it!" Kenny Chesney was blown away by that tweet.

It's the newest trend in music sales - bundle packs for those who want to pre-order. Blake Shelton's "All About Tonight" six pak bundles include the cd, a guitar-shaped bottle opener and an "All About Tonight" poster. For a bit more, you can get a t-shirt in your bundle pack if you'd like. Pre-order now on Blake's website.

Toby Keith's new song, "Trailerhood," is pretty entertaining but gets even better with the video visuals.

Jimmy Wayne tweeted that his crew needed the use of an RV for the last part of his Meet Me Halfway trek across America. Phoenix country station KNIX helped him out, through their connection with an advertiser, and got him a really nice ride. And even though his mission is serious, he still manages to find some fun along the way.

American Idol tryouts kick off this weekend in Nashville. Hope they find some of the great hidden talent that lives in Music City!

The tweet of the day is from Craig Morgan: "Just finished tapeing Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader To answer your question No Im not" Not sure I would have told that...

Today's Country Tidbits

Got big bucks, a love of Garth Brooks and fast cars? Then you probably want to know about this auction. As a fund-raiser for Garth's "Teammates for Kids" foundation, a 2011 Mustang Shelby GT350 is being auctioned off this weekend. The winner gets the car, the autographs of Garth and Carroll Shelby on the car, a tour of the Las Vegas Shelby America facility and a special performance by Garth Brooks. As of this morning, the high bid was $150,000. Dig deep...or maybe just dream...

Miranda Lambert will headline CMT On Tour this fall, with opening acts Eric Church and Josh Kelley. The dates haven't been announced yet, but the tour will hit 28 cities starting September 29th.

Zac Brown Band's new cd, "You Get What You Give," will be out September 21st. Zac likes that phrase so much it's been tattooed on his arm for years, and the band decided to go with it as the name for their follow-up to "The Foundation." One of the cuts on the new alubm, "Colder Weather," was written with Kid Rock at Kid's studios in Detroit in the middle of the night. Zac was so jazzed with it that he woke his band up to record the song right away. This weekend, they're opening shows for the Dave Matthews Band in New York and Washington DC.

Jewel was part of a "Funny or Die" prank in a karaoke bar.

Undercover Karaoke with Jewel from Jewel

July 31st is the day that Jimmy Wayne will arrive in Phoenix, AZ to officially end his walk across America. He's invited anyone who wants to join him to walk with him that day into town, and advises them to bring sunscreen and water. Wonder how many bottles of sunscreen he's gone through on this walk?

Not sure if this is country music news, bowling news or a bit of both. Taylor Swift, who's been spotted bowling many times, is nominated for induction into the International Bowling Museum Hall of Fame. Also nominated are Justin Bieber, Kim Kardashian and Bill Murray, all celebrities who promote the sport of bowling just by playing it. You can vote online until August 7th, and when you vote you get a free game of bowling on August 7th, the day three thousand bowling centers across America try to break the world record for the most bowling games played in a 24-hour period.

Keith Urban is headlining the Grammy Foundation's "Starry Night" concert next Sunday night in Los Angeles. It's a benefit for music education programs in high schools.

Sammy Kershaw, Mark Chesnutt and Wayne Toups are playing a free "Concert for the Coast" this Sunday in Houma, LA.

Joe Nichols is taping an episode of "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader."

Carrie Underwood is on the Ellen DeGeneres Show today.

The tweet of the day is from David Nail, who got to be part of the Baseball All-Star fun by playing in the All Star & Celebrity softball game: "Afraid to fall asleep tonight, today was so amazing. Ozzie Smith and Paul Molitor told me I looked like a legit player..."

Today's Country Tidbits

Carrie Underwood and hubby Mike Fisher are in Bora Bora and Tahiti for their honeymoon, arriving by private jet early Monday. If you're hoping to see some wedding photos, you only have to wait until tomorrow, when People.com is supposed to be sharing them.

Think you know your country music? Prove it, and you could win an Brad Paisley autographed Gibson guitar, cash or a trip to Nashville and VIP Opry tickets. The Grand Ole Opry and Humana have teamed up to present the Country Music Video Challenge for Flood Relief. Sign up and play, compete with friends and test your knowledge of country music trivia. Humana pays $1 each time someone plays, with proceeds benefitting The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

Congratulations to Luke Bryan, who has his second consecutive number one song with "Rain Is a Good Thing." "Do I" went to number one earlier this year, and Luke says it's a dream come true, courtesy of the fans. “You know it’s just an amazing experience, just to travel the country and watch the fans grow and grow. And then put a song out and watch them support it through radio and through buying your album.”

Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan have been having so much fun touring together that they're staying out on the road through the fall. According to Jason, "There are a few things to count on: the music will be loud, the beer will be cold and college football will be on every TV backstage and in the parking lot." Uncle Kracker will open four shows because of schedule conflicts with Luke.

Jack Ingram prides himself on not missing a show. Over the weekend, storms in Houston plus a delayed flight equaled no way for him to get to a show in South Dakota. Well, there was one way - he chartered a plane for $17,000, drove through the storm to the airport where the plane was waiting and flew in style to his South Dakota gig. He said he arrived in sunny South Dakota just in time to hit the stage.

Concert revenue is down from this time last year, but two of the top 5 revenue-producing tours in the past 12 months have been by country artists. Taylor Swift is at the #3 spot on MSN.com's list with $34.2 million and the George Strait/Reba tour is at #5 with $29.8 million in revenue.

Jimmy Wayne is walking 18 miles a day and should reach Phoenix by the end of this month. When he started in January, he thought this trek might take "a couple of months." On arrival, he'll have been out in the weather almost every day since January first, meaning seven full months on the road. But as stories of people adopting teens to keep them from being homeless at 18 continue to roll in, Jimmy knows that the seven months have been worth it, as he has opened our eyes to the problem of homeless teens in the foster care system.

David Nail was part of the MLB All-Star and Celebrity game at Angels Stadium on Sunday and scored a lot of tv time on ESPN when they aired the game last night. Before becoming a country music singer/songwriter, David had intended to play in the major leagues, but was injured the first year of college ball. For the record, he hit a home run, got to high-five supermodel team-mate Marissa Miller and got to hang out with some of his baseball heroes. So what if his team lost?

In semi-related baseball/music news. John Fogerty's baseball bat-shaped guitar has been restored and will go on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum this month. The guitar was underwater for five days when Nashville flooded.

New on iTunes today is Darius Rucker's "Come Back Song."

New music in stores today - Jerrod Niemann's "Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury," whose 20 tracks include 8 comedy skits and 12 songs.

Catch Clay Walker on Lopez Tonight and Jaron and The Long Road To Love on Extra this evening.

The tweet of the day is from Uncle Kracker: "Tossin an turn in nashvegas. Recording an acoustic set with CMT in the am."

Today's Country Tidbits

Jimmy Buffett's big free concert today has been postponed until the 11th of July, but that didn't stop the Parrothead King from doing a show anyway. He put on an impromptu show last night, playing for several hundred fans. LuLu's Restaurant in Gulf Shores, owned by his sister Lucy Buffett, was the happening place as hundreds of people jammed in to sing along to all of Jimmy's crowd favorites. When he sang "Margaritaville," he changed the lyric to "It's all BP's fault," much to the delight of the crowd. The free concert on July 11th will air on CMT at 7pm eastern, and features Zac Brown and other special guests.

Kenny Chesney, who won't be at the rescheduled show, is featured in the current issue of "Men's Journal" as part of their how to do summer right guide. Kenny's contribution is his four-part plan of how to "Party Like Kenny Chesney."

Congrats to Rascal Flatts' Jay DeMarcus and his wife Allison, who are expecting their first child. Jay says, "I am confident Ali will be a wonderful mother because she has done an incredible job raising me over the past six years." The baby is due in January of 2011.

Jimmy Wayne is still walking across America to raise awareness of the problems teens in foster care face when they become 18. Yesterday he crossed into Arizona, so his goal of Phoenix will happen in the next two weeks. He's been walking since January first, and has weathered all that Mother Nature has to throw at him: snow, ice and freezing temperatures, heavy rain storms, rattlesnakes and now 100+ temperatures in the desert. In his 1700 mile trek, he has about 250 miles to go.

Travis Tritt has decided to launch his own record label for his upcoming cd. He says he's planning to keep it just for his own music, and he won't be signing other artists. No name has been settled on yet, nor is there a release date for his new project.

Colt Ford has put a Twilight Saga spin on his video for "Chicken and Biscuits."

This Saturday morning is the premier of Craig Morgan's new series on The Outdoor Channel. "Craig Morgan: All Access outdoors" follows Craig's life on tour and in the wilderness. Catch it at 11am eastern time.

Also on Saturday, Lady Antebellum's Charles Kelley will be part of a CBS special, "David Feherty's American Journey." The show airs at 2pm eastern, and follows the very funny golf commentator as he explores his new country. David became an American citizen about a month ago.

The tweet of the day comes from James Otto, who is Jay DeMarcus' brother-in-law: "@JayDeMarcus & @allisondemarcus announced they're expecting a baby this year which means I'm gonna not only be a dad this year but an uncle"

Today's Country Tidbits

Last night, Miranda Lambert taped an episode of CMT's Invitation Only. The show's casual atmosphere really suited Miranda, who enjoyed answering audience questions like, "What do you do on a regular Saturday night?” and “Which one of your songs best showcases who you really are?” to “Would you ever write an autobiography, and if you did, what would you title it?” She didn't read the questions before the show, and gave honest if sometimes rambling, replies. The show will air later this year.

And big congrats are in order for Miss Miranda...for the third week in a row, her song, "The House That Built Me" is number 1.

The number one party for Joe Nichols' "Gimme That Girl" was Monday evening in Nashville. Chicken fingers and banana pudding shots were on the menu, and of course the songwriters were there. Dallas Davidson, Ben Hayslip and Rhett Akins co-wrote the song, and Rhett talked about how he and Ben have been writing together for two decades. "Ben and I have been writing songs since we were 14 years old. His mama has videos of it. We never thought we'd be here." The song stayed at #1 for three weeks, and is the fastest-rising song in Joe Nichols' career so far.

How hot is Jason Aldean? A pair of concert tickets & backstage passes is offered on eBay. The auction just started and is a benefit for Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. As of early this morning, there were 20 bidders, with the high bid at $560. Still 9 days to go in the auction, in case you want to meet Jason Aldean and support a great cause, too.

The Super Bowl concert series will wrap up on September 10th at Cowboy Stadium with a show that also celebrates the Cowboys' 50th anniversary as an NFL team. Who's the star of the show? Tim McGraw has been tapped to do the honors. Go, country music!

Poor Justin Moore...in March, someone stole a guitar from his show, and now someone has broken into his house to steal stuff. A wallet and some of his memorabilia were taken. Thankfully, no one was at home at the time of the robbery.

Jimmy Wayne is featured in People Magazine, and that exposure is generating even more ways for him to get the word out about the plight of homeless teens. He's still in New Mexico, walking to Phoenix, Arizona, but will take some time off the walk to perform a few concerts.

People.com has a photo gallery from last week's CMA Music Fest. The artists autographed, and in some cases, defaced, their pictures. Funny stuff!

Tweet of the day is from Brad Paisley: "As I watch this BP oil coverage, all I keep thinking is"why can't SouthPark be in season rt.now?!" you want justice? 2 words:South Park."

Today's Country Tidbits

How much does Carrie Underwood know about her upcoming wedding? A lot, but she's not talking much. It'll be on a farm in Tennessee and they aren't registered anywhere. Carrie says having the 250 guests attend is all the gift they need. How much does she know about the honeymoon? Not much at all. Fiance Mike Fisher has planned a surprise vacation for the two, and all Carrie knows is that it will be warm. By the way, did you see the cutest moment of the CMT Music Awards? When Carrie's name was announced for Video of the Year, she handed Mike her purse before going up on stage. Wonder what his NHL compatriots thought of that? I hear some trash-talking being cooked up!

Told you last December that Darius Rucker and Brad Paisley had written a song together, and that Darius hoped to record it as a duet with Brad. That recording session happened yesterday. No word on the song's release date, but it has to be awesome!

Gotta Garth? New shows will go on sale Saturday morning at 10 Pacific time for his stint at the Wynn Las Vegas theatre. The shows will be September 10 through 15, October 1-3 and 22-24, November 5-7 and 19-21. Tickets are $125 each.

More names have been added to the Tim McGraw/Faith Hill-led "Nashville Rising: A Benefit Concert for Flood Recovery" scheduled for June 22nd in Nashville. We already knew that Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Brooks & Dunn, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Amy Grant, Miley Cyrus, Michael W. Smith and LeAnn Rimes would be part of the show. Now so will Toby Keith, Blake Shelton, Montgomery Gentry, ZZ Top, Billy Ray Cyrus and Julie Roberts. The show is sold out except for a limited number of VIP packages.

Stories continue to come out in the wake of another successful CMA Music Festival. Blake Shelton's fan club party was a fund-raiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and Blake told his fans to request whatever songs they wanted to hear and he'd donate $20 for each one he didn't know. His bill topped $500, which he cheerfully paid. ESPN's Erin Andrews was there and requested "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound" with one catch - she wanted Dierks Bentley, who was in attendance, to perform it. Dierks complied. Miranda Lambert and Laura Bell Bundy were also there and were happy to perform "Proud Mary" when that one got requested.

What did it look like and sound like when Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins hit the stage Sunday night at the CMT Music Festival?



The number-crunchers are having their way with the CMA Music Festival and are finding a lot of good news. Four day ticket package sales were up 33% from last year, daytime attendance at the Riverfront shows was up 6.4% from last year and nighttime concert attendance was up nearly 17%. CMA Chairman Steve Moore said, "After all we have been through, and all the hard work everyone contributed to getting the venues and businesses ready for our fans, this is a huge win for everyone who cares about Music City. This community needed a big win and we got it."

Forbes magazine is out with its annual top ten list of country artists. Based on ticket sales, merchandise and album sales, publishing deals, royalties and endorsements, here's the top 10 country money-makers from June of 2009 to June of 2010:

1. Kenny Chesney $50 million
2. Toby Keith $48 million
3. Taylor Swift $45 million
3. Rascal Flatts $45 million
5. Tim McGraw $30
6. Keith Urban $28
7. George Strait $25
8. Brad Paisley $22
9. Alan Jackson $15
10. Carrie Underwood $13

And another list - this time, People Magazine's 25 Hottest Guys in country music. Topping the list is Tim McGraw, though Faith Hill gets speechless around Kris Kristofferson and George Strait. George made People's list, along with Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley and Billy Currington. The entire list is in the current issue of People magazine.

What's Rascal Flatts got planned for fans during their 10th anniversary tour? Music, music and more music. They're trying to cram in as many hits as they can from their first decade, so that every fan gets to hear their favorite song. Chris Young and Kellie Pickler are the opening acts of the tour, which kicks off June 25th in Raleigh, NC. And this fall, they'll be shooting a miniseries called "To Appomatox" to air on HBO.

The 2010 Teen Choice Awards nominees have been announced, and up for favorite female artist are Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. In the country-specific categories, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker and Keith Urban are up for male artist, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Gretchen Wilson are up for female artist, and Gloriana, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland and Zac Brown Band are all vying for group recognition. The awards will be handed out on August 9th on Fox-TV.

Did you love the moment on the CMT Awards when two Rebas - the real one and the Saturday Night Live version - were on stage together? Help get Reba a hosting job on Saturday Night Live and we can all see more of it.

Jewel is treating concert-goers to a song about their town. She's out on her Star Light Cafe tour, and goes sight-seeing at each stop, looking for what makes each city unique. She then writes a song about the town, usually just hours before the show. She also takes photos, and those show up on screens behind her as she plays the song during the show. Nice touch!

First it was a walk, then it became articles in People and O magazines, and now it's going to be a book. Jimmy Wayne will write about his walk across America to focus national attention on the problems teens suffer when they age out of the foster care system. He signed the book deal yesterday, as he continues his Project Meet Me Halfway walk. He's expected to reach his destination, Phoenix, around the 4th of July.

Quote of the day, from Trace Adkins, talking about his first grandson, who's due to be born in November to his daughter Tarah. “He’s well hung. My daughter showed me pictures…pretty impressive.”

Tweet of the day, from James Otto: "Went to breast feeding class with my wife tonight & I gotta say I don't know how y'all woman do it. I've never been so happy to be a man."

Sammy Kershaw is on Larry King Live today, talking about the oil spill and its effect on the Gulf Coast. Tomorrow, Lonestar stars on The Price is Right.

Today's Country Tidbits

Serious guitar fans and fans of Brad Paisley need to get out their checkbooks. Gibson Guitars is making only 300 Brad Paisley Gibson Acoustic J-45's, based on the 1942 J-45 Legend, set up according to Brad's preferences and sporting his autograph. The guitar will set you back just a bit over five grand, but you do get a hardshell case, owner's manual, Gibson's Gold Warranty and a certificate of authenticity.

During the 2010 CMT Music Awards next Wednesday, there will be performances of previously unreleased music. Jamey Johnson will debut "Macon" from his next cd, due out in the fall. Keith Urban and John Mayer will duet on "Hit the Ground Running," a cut from "Defying Gravity" which hasn't been released, and LeAnn Rimes will do her version of the John Anderson chestnut, "Swingin,'" from her upcoming cd, "Lady and Gentlemen." The award winners are chosen by fans, and voting is still going on.

What's Keith Urban's favorite part about award shows? “I think every award show that Nic and I’ve been to—I sit there and say, ‘Look at these seats we’re in. This is incredible.’ I mean, because it’s not always going to be like that. You know, bit by bit, your seat gets moved and moved and moved over the years and before you know it…you’re sitting miles away. This is just sort of a magical time. Neither of us want to take it for granted. [We] really want to appreciate it while it’s here.”

As a salute to her lucky number 13, Taylor Swift will host a 13-hour-long autograph session at the CMA Music Festival next week, on June 13th. Kellie Pickler decided to host her autograph signing inside Opry Originals: The Shop. She'll sign for a couple of hours, then will perform for everyone in the store.

If you can't make it to the CMA Music Festival in Nashville next week, never fear. ABC will be there, filming every bit of it, and winnowing it down to the best stuff, which will air on September first. Yes, all the big stars will be part of it.

Jake Owen had a surprise proposal during his concert in Baton Rouge, Louisiana over the weekend. Bayou Country Superfest attendee Jason proposed to Britney on stage. The newly engaged couple danced as Jake performed his next song.

A couple of weeks ago, Dolly Parton pledged that a weekend's gate receipts from her Sevierville, TN theme parks would go to flood relief. Yesterday she presented a quarter-million dollar check to Nashville's mayor and United Way.

Even though he's walking through New Mexico right now, Jimmy Wayne is helping Nashville recover, too. He's partnered with Bryan Foods to donate 2,500 pounds of food to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee to go to those most affected by the disaster.

Luke Bryan is in USA Weekend in a newspaper near you this weekend, but you don't have to wait to read the interview.

If you're a fan of old-school George Strait, this'll make your hat twirl: George Strait is re-issuing the classic George Strait Live on DVD exclusively at WalMart on June 15th. The footage has been digitally remastered and optimized for surround-sound. The show was taped at the Dallas Reunion Arena on New Year's night. The show rang in 1987, and features sons like The Fireman, Amarillo By Morning, All My Ex's Live in Texas and more vintage George. And fall tour dates have been announced as the George Strait, Reba McEntire and Lee Ann Womack machine continues it's trek across America. The tour will stop in Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New York and Minnesota before concluding Oct. 22 in Fargo, N.D.

Lady Antebellum has made chart history with their song, "Need You Now." It's now the longest-running number one song by a country group on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The song has been atop the AC chart for 10 weeks, beating the previous record holders, Rascal Flatts, who were #1 on the AC chart in 2006 with "What Hurts the Most."

Today's Country Tidbits

Just four weeks ago, large portions of Nashville were so flooded that even the 50-foot-high flood marker in Riverfront Park was completely submerged. It was the largest non-hurricane natural disaster in US history, and next week, just 5 weeks later, Nashville welcomes visitors from all over the world to the 2010 CMA Music Festival. Stages are being erected, parade routes are being re-drawn and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau has launched a "Thanks for Visiting, We're Glad You're Here" campaign. Bureau President Butch Spyridon said, "Attendees could have gone anywhere, but we're glad they're spending their vacation here in Music City. The traffic is usually an inconvenience, but this year it's going to be a blessing for Nashvillians."

The 20th Annual City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge is Monday night at Nashville's Greer Stadium. Among those playing on the Grand Ole Opry team are Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean and Craig Morgan. On Blair Garner's After Midnight team are Luke Bryan, Vince Gill, Joe Nichols and more of Nashville's finest.

Congratulations to Miranda Lambert, who has her second #1 song with "The House That Built Me," a song that made her cry when she first heard it, and still makes her cry sometimes when she performs it, especially when family is in the audience. “Grandma was on the front row—and it’s general admission, mind you—she’s up there, like, head-banging and stuff—“The House That Built Me” came up and she was standing there, and she’s kind of like me— she doesn’t cry, she’s kind of a tough woman—and she just had big tears in her eyes and of course, I just couldn’t even finish.”

There's good money in wrecked cars. The owners of a California company that auctions off wrecked cars for insurance companies has purchased Alan Jackson's 135-acre estate outside of Nashville. It went on the market last year, listed at $38 million, and sold for $28 million to Willis and Reba Johnson. Don't feel too bad for Alan, though - that sale price is more than twice as much as any single-family home has ever sold for in Middle Tennessee.

Jimmy Wayne is still walking across America to shine a light on the plight of homeless teens. People Magazine has mentioned his trek a time or two, but yesterday a crew flew to New Mexico and drove out into the dessert to cover Project Meet Me Halfway.

Luke Bryan is celebrating June by putting the mp3 version of the cd, "Doin My Thing" on sale for only $5.

Live Nation, a major concert promoter and venue owner, has a goal of filling every seat this summer. In order to do that in a soft economy, they decided to declare June the month of no service charges on their tickets. Check out the venues near you and the concerts coming to them, plus buy tickets service-fee-free, on their website.

That Kid Rock cd I told you about last week? It's due out September 7th and will feature some really special guests - Martina McBride, Zac Brown, Sheryl Crow and Bob Seger will show up on Kid's country project.

Catch Dierks Bentley on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Today's Country Tidbits

The Brooks & Dunn special last night was a tribute to two men who've had 23 number one songs, sold over 30 million albums and who have won more ACM awards than anyone else - 27, with three being Entertainer of the Year awards. The star-studded show was taped in Las Vegas, right after the ACM award show.

Lady Antebellum is ready to hit the road as headliners. The 35-city Need You Now 2010 tour launches on September 20th and runs through November. David Nail is the opening act.

Alan Jackson's Freight Train tour is over already - Saturday night, Charleston West Virginia was the last stop. Chris Young, who was his opening act, tweeted that it was over way too soon, and really enjoyed learning from AJ on the tour. “Alan was a huge, huge influence on me and still is. And you know, I think that’s one of those things. I mean, he is that guy. He is a traditionalist, singer/songwriter. I probably run around on stage a lot more than Alan does, but other than that…. I mean, it’s really been amazing to watch his show.”

Taylor Swift leads the Billboard Hot Tours list, with $8.1 million in revenue from eight tour stops. She's made their list six times this year, but this is the first time she's topped it.

Jimmy Wayne has made it to Albuquerque New Mexico in his walk across America. He estimates he'll reach Phoenix Arizona on July 8th, and you know there'll be a huge party when he does. As a former homeless teen, he's spending half of this year simulating what life is like for homeless teens, who have gotten too old for foster care and have no one to lean on. The kindness of strangers has lifted Jimmy's spirits along his trek. Learn more and follow Jimmy's progress on the official Project Meet Me Halfway website.

Danny Gokey's flood relief center is open and taking donations. His non-profit Sophia's Heart Foundation is providing food, water, clothing, cleaning supplies and other needed items to people who lost their homes in the Nashville floods. Mail or drop off donations to 5320 Hickory Hollow Parkway, Antioch, TN 37013, or make a $10 donation by texting ONEHEART to 85944.

Country Weekly features a story about how country artists are helping with Nashville's flood relief efforts. A story that's not in there features Trace Adkins, who's raising money on his tour stops and radio station visits. In Portland, Oregon, his visit to a radio station raised a guitar case full of cash when he offered to do an impromptu meet and greet for anyone who donated at least $5. Fans flocked to the studios, and Trace signed everything from a hubcap to a pair of bull horns.

Looking for a new place to call home? Got about seven and a half million dollars to plunk down on it? Then you might be interested in Sheryl Crow's 150-acre estate outside of Nashville. It comes complete with a recording studio.


New music available tomorrow includes a 3-song download from iTunes by Chris Young. He says his musical influences are Keith Whitley, John Anderson and Vern Gosdin, and he's recorded versions of their biggest hits. The "Voices EP" features "Chisled in Stone," "I'm Over You" and "Swingin."

Happy birthday to Rosanne Cash, who turns 55 today.