Today's Country Tidbits

Lots of wedding anniversaries this week – Blake and Miranda, Martina and John, Keifer and Shawna – so let’s hear what the stars have to say about their significant others. Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton just celebrated their first wedding anniversary and Miranda says he’s hot because he’s a regular guy: “I think it’s just that he doesn’t care if he’s hot. He’s like a man’s man – he’s not girly at all. He knows how to fix stuff, he knows how to ride a tractor – he’s a man’s man that’s what I like about him.” Shawna and Keifer Thompson of Thompson Square are celebrating their 13th anniversary, and Kiefer says that Shawna likes that he’s a take-charge kind of guy: “It’s fun like that though. It’s definitely not a chauvinistic thing – she likes me to take care of things, and I like to take care of her. So it works. It’s a good ying and yang.” Martina and John McBride have shared 24 years together and share a desire to be good partners to each other: “That’s really important, is just sort of being there every day. Things we do for each other is—just consideration—you know? Specifically, I think it’s just being a great partner, and seeing what your partner needs and doing it for them. For me, just the fact that John will call me up to ask me if there’s anything I need on the way home from work, at the grocery store.” Rascal Flatts’ Jay DeMarcus and wife Allison are also celebrating an anniversary this week.

Did you miss Joe Nichols on GAC’s Backstory? It re-airs tonight, and on it he shares, for the first time, his incredibly tough childhood: "My dad had a lot of bad habits," Nichols admits. "He was a hardcore drinker ... When my mom and dad got divorced, it was real nasty. My mother put me and my brother in a car and drove us to her cousin's house; she lived in this one-bedroom little shack in Garfield, AR. My mother pulled up in the car and said, 'I'm going to leave you boys here,' and took off. And we lived in a laundry room for the next six months ... I think that's where I developed this incredible distrust for everybody. Today, I still don't trust a soul." The show airs tonight at 9 Eastern and tomorrow morning at 10 on GAC.

What are you doing in October? You could be sailing with Blake Shelton, Trace Adkins, Justin Moore, Easton Corbin, Randy Houser, Jerrod Niemann and Neal McCoy on the Blake Shelton and Friends cruise, leaving Miami on October 14th. Where will you sail? Does it really matter?

In his latest Urban Chat, Keith Urban shares a little bit of studio time in Scotland with you…



Fall television will feature country music and lifestyle, as Reba’s comedy, “Malibu Country” and the drama “Nashville” will both premier this fall. Reba stars as a single mom who moves her family to Malibu to re-start a sagging singing career, and Nashville stars Connie Britton as a country artist at the peak of her career, with upstart Hayden Panettiere as the competition.

The tweet of the day is from John Rich: “Had a GREAT hang with J.Foxworthy 2day! Dude, let’s rawk this thang! U might be a redneck if u follow @foxoutdoors!”

Today's Country Tidbits

The legendary Dick Clark passed away yesterday in Los Angeles, apparently of a heart attack. Though best known for his work in the world of pop music, America's Teenager liked all kinds of music and appreciated it for what it adds to our lives: “I mean, music is truly the soundtrack of our lives. No matter what your age, what vintage you are...whatever’s music’s going on scores what’s happening every single day of your life.” Country artists took to Twitter to offer their thoughts, and Reba remembers working with him on the ACM Awards: “One time Dick Clark said, ‘Alright, Keith Urban...they can’t find his guitar. Get out there and stretch!’ And I went [mumbles]...And I got out there and went [mumbles]. Finally, here comes Dick and he’s standing right beside me and I said, ‘Dick, I tried! I just couldn’t think of nothing to say!’ It was a real cute moment. One that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.” Carrie Underwood is saddened by the loss of the legend, saying “What an amazing life he led and what an impact that he had on entertainment, on the television world. I did get to work on projects that he was a part of and you just never, ever, ever, ever, ever heard anything negative said about that man, and he is certainly somebody that made his mark and will certainly be missed.”

One leaves and one arrives - congratulations to Joe and Heather Nichols, who are the parents of a baby girl. Born Tuesday, Dylan River Nichols is doing fine, and daddy Joe says, “We have been trying to have a baby together for many years, and this gift is not something we take for granted.” Joe and Heather have been married since 2007.

Jake Owen didn't have a ring when he proposed to girlfriend Lacey Buchanan last week, but he made up for it - he went to Atlanta to work with a designer, and this is what they came up with - 2.5 carats of everlasting sparkle...

In case you're wondering, Taylor Swift isn't dating Harry Styles of the band One Direction, nor is she dating football phenom Tim Tebow. She's hard at work on her next album, according to pictures she's posted on Twitter this week.

Dierks Bentley's new song, "5-1-5-0," is a fan favorite on tour, and Dierks understands the song's appeal: “I don’t think it’s a gonna-change-the-world type of song lyrically, but I think it’s definitely gonna help some people drink some cold beer this summer and after ‘Home,’ it’s kind of a nice change of pace and I think it’ll be a fun song to have out on the road.”

Congrats to Carrie Underwood, whose "Good Girl" is gold already.

The tweet of the day is from Blake Shelton: “So proud I had the chance to shake hands with Dick Clark in my lifetime... Great man..”

Today's Country Tidbits

Blake Shelton and Adam Levine have decided to raise money for charity in an innovative way - they've set up a curse jar on the set of "The Voice." Adam confesses to cursing a lot during taping of the show, so he set up the curse jar. Blake decided to play along, so any time either of them lets fly with a bad word, they put $100 in the jar. No word on which charity will get the windfall.

"Tuskeegee" is out today. It's the duets projet Lionel Richie has been working on for the last couple of years. He loved working with country acts, and they loved working with him. According to Blake Shelton, who sings with Lionel on "You Are," “He came over and introduced himself and thanked me 50 times for being there and I felt ridiculous, you know, with him thanking me!” About his country collaborators Lionel says, “I have never laughed that much since the days of recording with the Commodores in a recording studio. You would figure it would be a lot of pressure...not at all. I mean, Tim McGraw was hilarious, you know, along with Kenny Chesney...along with...all of them.”

Carrie Underwood's new album, "Blown Away," is out May first, and she's written or co-written half of the songs on it. Why not all of them? “My stuff is basically submitted like everybody else’s and I do my best to be objective. I mean, I’ll be the first one to listen to one of my songs and be like, ‘Nah! It’s not good. I don’t like it. Next!’ And I feel like I can be pretty hard on myself, as well as everybody else, because we just want the best stuff.”

In other Carrie news, she's performing at the Grand Ole Opry tonight. “The Opry is just a great place to go and be yourself and sing. Obviously since I have a new song, I’ll probably be doing that because it’s fun to have new material. I don’t get tired of the songs that I sing, but I just feel like I see so many familiar faces in the audience every single time and it’s really nice to have new stuff to do for them – as well as for me.”

Steel Magnolia, who broke up at the end of last year, are officially back together, at least where making music is concerned. Joshua Jones reveals, “We’ve been through a lot this year and we’re making a record right now, so we’re looking forward to the future and kind of showing a new side of us too and digging in deep on this next record.” They're up for Vocal Duo at Sunday night's ACM Awards.

Thursday night's American Idol results show will be a little bit country. Scotty McCreery will perform his new single, "Water Tower Town," and contestants will perform songs by their musical heroes. Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert are a couple of country artists who's songs could get the Idol treatment Thursday.

Martina fans, head up - she'll make an "important announcement" today.

There are two major country music charts: Billboard and Country Aircheck, and they usually agree about the #1 country song each week. Not this week. On Country Aircheck this week, Taylor Swift has the #1 country song in America with "Ours," while the Billboard chart lists Jake Owen's "Alone With You" at the top.

If you missed out on it the first time around, pick it up today - Alan Jackson has re-released "Precious Memories," a gospel album he originally produced for his mom. According to Alan, “We just had so many people still wanting it, it’s just amazing – that thing has sold and sold. I still want to do another one, my momma she’s getting pretty elderly now and doesn’t get out much, but I’d really like to do another version of that for her.” He has another album due out later this year which will include his new song, "So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore" and another Zac Brown Band collaboration.

Lionel Richie and Little Big Town are on the Today show this morning. Sugarland performs twice on Dancing With the Stars tonight, and Lionel Richie and Jason Aldean visit with David Letterman.

The tweet of the day is from Joe Nichols: "A message to Tim Tebow..... The 'high road' is a lonely place..... But it's an awesome view..."

Today's Country Tidbits

Jason Aldean is totally in love with his new song, "Fly Over States." He shot the video this week at an airport just outside of Nashville, and says, “I remember talking from day one about that song and wanting to make sure it was a single at some point off this record and, um, you know, finally got to a point where you know we were able to put it out there, and um, which is cool. You know a song that’s been around that long and you finally get to put it out there and give people a chance to hear it and see what they think about it.”

Dierks Bentley's Canadian tour leg lent itself to some fun off the stage. Dierks is a huge hockey fan, playing in an amateur league in Nashville when he's in town. He hit the ice with the Calgary Flames after one of their practice sessions, playing a half-ice pick-up game and loving every minute of playing with the pros.

Eric Church is a devoted dad. Not only are wife and son on tour with him in a custom Airstream trailer, fitted out as a nursery, but he's been known to finish a show and walk straight offstage into a diaper change. Eric is fascinated by how quickly son Boone is picking up technology, saying “What’s funny is they love iPhones. They love iPads. I mean, it’s amazing that they’ll...how quick that they’ll reach out and know how to spin a screen, or know how to light...it’s, it’s unreal you know, at four-and-a-half months old that he can do some of those things. You know, I think back to the toys I used to have and we used to play with car keys [laughs]. You know? And now people got cell phones and iPads.”

Hank Williams Jr. kicks off the "Taking Back America Tour" next month in Florida. Along for the ride are Jamey Johnson, Chris Young, Josh Thompson, George Thorogood and 38 Special. Bocephus says the current state of America has inspired his songwriting: “Oh yeah! Oh yeah...me? Yeah. Remember, I was the one with ‘Don’t Give Us a Reason’ and ‘American Can Survive’? Yeah, things are looking up!”

Chris Cagle sings the National Anthem before the Nationwide Series DRIVE4COPD 300 in Daytona this weekend, and his face will be on Mike Wallace's Chevy.

They guys from Rascal Flatts were given the CRS 2012 Humanitarian Award yesterday in Nashville. They were recognized for their work for the American Red Cross, the childrens hospital in Nashville and other charities they support.

Rascal Flatts largesse extended to Sara Evans - they gave her a new Jeep yesterday as a thank-you for touring with them.

Lady Antebellum has the Billboard #1 on the country chart this week, and played a sold-out show last night in Nashville, where they brought some surprise guests Luke Bryan and Sara Evans onstage. Success can be crazy-making for some people, but not for Hillary Scott: “I think we’re all happier. I mean, I think we’ve always had a really close friendship from the very beginning, I mean with Charles and Dave knowing each other for years. But, I think we’ve seen each other grow and I know I can...I’ll speak for myself that I’m in a much happier place.”

Happy birthday to Steve Holy, who turns 40 today.

The tweet of the day is from Joe Nichols: "I'd rather set my head on fire and put it out with a toaster than watch another minute of Larry Crown. Need another Gump movie..."

Today's Country Tidbits

Jason Aldean is selling out arenas like crazy, and it's because he understand the economy is tough for a lot of people. He says it was just common sense to sell tickets for $40 instead of $80 and sell more of them. He's excited about his next album, which he says has a party feel and features famous Nashville collaborators.

Taylor Swift co-stars with Zac Efron in the animated film, "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax" and of course the tabloids have already decided they are a couple. Taylor pointed out on the Ellen DeGeneres Show yesterday that the movie is animated, and animated co-stars don't fall in love. Not only that, they recorded their voice-overs on opposite coasts. Taylor did teach him how to play guitar, and they duetted on the show.

Keith Urban has another #1 song with "You Gonna Fly." He didn't write it, but it was love at first listen: “I didn’t write it. It was brought to me, and I loved it straight away. ‘One, two, three, baby, don’t think twice’ – love that. I’m in! There’s just so much about the song that I loved immediately. I like the swagger, that’s…I like the guy in the song, you know?” Preston Brust and Chris Lucas of LoCash Cowboys wrote it, and it's the 4th single from Keith's latest album.

Joe and Heather Nichols will be hearing the pitter-patter of little feet soon. The couple, married in 2007, have been trying to get pregnant for quite a while and it's finally happened for them. The baby is due this spring, and will have a big sister - Joe has a 13 year old daughter from a previous relationship.

Finally some details on the movie the guys from Rascal Flatts have been working on. It will be in theatres on April 5th, and that's the only night it will play. "Rascal Flatts CHANGED: One Night Exclusive Theatre Event" will feature concert footage, songs from their upcoming album and scenes from their personal lives. Tickets go on sale in early March.

Country music can make for odd friendships. Case in point - Martina McBride and Blake Shelton. She seems so proper and he seems so ... well, definitely NOT proper! But the two are very close friends, and Martina says, “I just think underneath all that craziness is a really good person and you know I’m really drawn to that. Just both...sweet as can be. I mean, I love Miranda too, so it’s really cool to have that friendship.”

Carrie Underwood releases new music next week, and gives us a sneak-listen of the song "Good Girl."

Inductees to the Songwriters Hall of Fame have been announced - Don Schlitz, who wrote Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler," along with Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Seger, Jim Steinman, Tom Jones and the songwriting team of Harvey Schmidt will be honored June 14th in New York City.

Today in country music history, Brad Paisley's first single, "Who Needs Pictures," was released in 1999. Johnny Cash proposed to June Carter in 1968, and in 1956 Elvis Preslet opened for Little Jimmy Dickens at the City Auditorium in Waycross, GA.

The tweet of the day is from Jason Aldean: "Shot the video for "fly over states" today!! Looks cool. Cant wait for yall to see it."

Today's Country Tidbits

Blake Shelton has decided to take a cruise, and we're all invited. Don't worry - you've got plenty of time to save up for it. The Blake Shelton and Friends cruise happens October 14th through 21st, 2012. You'll sail the Norwegian Jewel from Miami to San Juan, St. Thomas, Tortola and Nassau, with nightly concerts from so-far unannounced "friends."

How hot is Taylor Swift? So hot that tickets to her sold-out Washington DC concerts today and tomorrow are being used as congressional fund-raisers. Meanwhile, Taylor's enjoying covering other artists' songs during her shows. Here, she gives her take on Eminem's "Lose Yourself" and Uncle Kracker's "Smile."

Joe Nichols has been tapped to host the ACM Honors, a night to recognize the special award winners and off-camera category winners for the 46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. The event takes place September 19th at the Ryman, and honorees include Garth Brooks, Reba and Taylor Swift. Tickets will be available through Ticketmaster, if you want to be there.

Toby Keith had to cancel a concert Sunday night in Canada due to a bad case of laryngitis. The only cure is vocal rest, so that's what Toby's doing right now. He tweeted, “Laryngitis & doc’s advice forced me to cancel my show at BVJ. Hate that I had to do that. Thx to Ronnie Dunn 4 extending his set & thanks to u all 4 ur get well messages." No word on whether future shows will have to be rescheduled. He made the video to his latest song, "Made in America," before laryngitis set in.

Trace Adkins' new cd, "Proud to be Here," drops today. With hit after hit under his belt, how does Trace choose songs for each new album? He told Lon Helton, “I appreciate the craftiness of the songwriters in coming up with ways to say something sappy without it being sappy. That’s what I don’t like about love songs. It’s just that over the top, sappy, sweety crap. I just don’t like that kind of stuff. I don’t wanna sing it, and I don’t even want to hear it! I don’t mind the love songs that have that sexy thing about them, there’s something else implied that’s not just the sappy side of love, but that aggressive sexy part if it. I dig that, but my wife won’t let me talk about it out loud.”

Want one more track from Eric Church? You can get a free song download by tweeting or sharing the link to Eric's website.

It's time for the 12th annual NSAI song contest, and this year, there's a lyric-only category. If your dream is to be a songwriter, you need to enter this contest. The grand-prize winner gets a mentoring session with Charlie Daniels. Enter your song or lyrics before October 31st for a shot at prizes ranging from membership in the NSAI, a performance at the Bluebird Cafe and a recording session.

Congratulations to Chris Young, who's earned gold status with "The Man I Want to Be."

More congratulations to Zac Brown Band and Jimmy Buffett, who've hit the top of the charts with their collaboration, "Knee Deep." It's the Zac Brown Band's 7th #1 song.

Trace Adkins is on the Today Show this morning and Extra this evening.

The tweet of the day is from Blake Shelton: "Quote of the day.... "The problem is that your hair is so dark and your scalp is so bald..." -Clint Bowyer"

Today's Country Tidbits

Blake Shelton and fellow "Voice" coaches Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera and Adam Levine are wrapping up this season of the show, which ends next week. Will there be another season for these particular judges, or will next season's show feature new faces in the oversized chairs? According to Blake, “You know, I think everybody involves wants that to happen. Now, whether the reality of it is…with four different artists that are doing completely different things and a network that has a…time schedule that they want things to happen in and…who knows what will happen? But, I’d hate to miss it, you know?” The Voice airs tonight at 9 Eastern on NBC, and Blake's team will perform on tonight's show. According to him, watch for some surprises.

Darius Rucker can add "Doctor" to his list of accomplishments, though his doctorate is an honorary one, granted by the Medical University of South Carolina. Darius says, “It was one of those honors that…One of those things that I don’t expect and then when it happens, it’s unbelievable. It’s great though, I asked my lawyer if I…If I was filling out an application and, you know, it says ‘Mr.’ and ‘Mrs.’ and ‘Dr.’, if I can fill in, ‘Dr.’ and legally I can. So that’s awesome!” He was given the doctorate to honor all of the charitable work he has done and continues to do in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina.

Justin Moore's sophomore album is in stores today. "Outlaws Like Me" includes the song, "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away," which is inching closer to #1 on the country charts. Of the album, Justin says, “I’m excited about it. I’m really proud of it. I think it’s a little more diverse than the first one. I wanted to go in and make an album that was more country than the first one, which everybody looks at me like I’m crazy when I say that! And I think it’s the best songwriting that I’ve ever done. You know anything you do over time, you should get better at it.” Justin is part of Rascal Flatts' "Flatts Fest" tour this summer.

Tim McGraw was playing a show at The Gorge in Washington. A very drunk female fan was causing problems near the front of the stage, and Tim called her out, called her up on stage and had her escorted out of the show. Another couple of fans who wouldn't settle down also got thrown out. Once the unruliness was under control, Tim resumed the show. If you go to a Tim McGraw concert, keep your drunk & disorderly to a minimum or Tim will get you, too!

And new bride Miranda Lambert surprised hubby Blake Shelton with a serenade for "Mr. Lambert" on his birthday on Saturday...

Hot on the heels of being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Garth Brooks is up for induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in the Songwriter/Artist category. Also nominated are Alan Jackson, Amy Grant, Larry Gatlin and Townes Van Zandt. Only one of them will be inducted during the October 16th dinner and induction ceremony in Nashville. Member voting is underway by secret ballot.

How sweet is this? Joe Nichols' 2011 tour sponsor is Dunkin' Donuts. Joe will be part of a live video chat Wednesday at 7pm Eastern to discuss the details of the show and whatever else people want to chat about. To be part of it, fan Dunkin' Donuts on Facebook.

And while we're talking food and country music, Cracker Barrel stores have something new - a compilation album of Grand Ole Opry members. The 12-cut cd features Reba, Alan Jackson, Martina McBride, Montgomery Gentry, Trace Adkins, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Josh Turner, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Diamond Rio and Terri Clark. And coming soon, another Cracker Barrel/Grand Ole Opry collaboration - a three-cd series featuring live performances at the Opry. The "Classic Collection" will be organized by duets, outlaw performers and classics.

Congratulations to Blake Shelton for being #1 again this week with his song "Honey Bee."

Happy birthday to Kathy Mattea, who turns 52 today, and to Porter Howell of Little Texas, who is 47.

The tweet of the day is from Reba: "Just want to let you all know that my Daddy is back home after a long stint in hospitals & rehab. Thanks so much 4 all your prayers"

Today's Country Tidbits

More details are coming out about this summer's "Flatts Fest" tour with Rascal Flatts, Sara Evans, Easton Corbin and Justin Moore. The tour hits 23 cities between June 18th and September 18th, and the pre-show festivities will be almost as much fun as the show. There'll be a Karaoke challenge, and the top prize is the chance to open for Rascal Flatts in 2012. There'll be a "Why Wait" chapel where one person at each show gets the chance to renew their vows, get engaged or get married before the show. There'll also be a scavenger hunt using cell phones and the Flatts Fest wi-fi hot spot. Check in, then look for the scavenger hunt signs, scan the QR code and have chances to spin the prize wheel for prizes like meet & greets, autographed guitars and birthday phone calls from Rascal Flatts. But wait, as they say on the cheesy late-night tv commercials, there's more! There's also the Flatts Fest Fan Zone, complete with life-size cut-outs of the band you can take pictures with, a Rascal Flatts museum and the Ask Flatts corner, where fans get videoed asking questions of the band. Some questions will make it to the big screen and be answered onstage. Here's where Flatts Fest lands this summer:

6-18 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live

6-19 Virginia Beach, VA Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach

6-25 Chicago, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

6-26 Maryland Heights, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

7-8 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center

7-9 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center

7-22 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center

7-23 Noblesville, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center

7-28 Atlanta, GA Lakewood

7-29 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

7-30 Raleigh, NC TWC Music Pavilion

8-4 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre

8-11 Hartford, CT Comcast Theatre

8-12 Darien Lake, NY Darien Lakes PAC

8-19 Tampa, FL 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre

8-20 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre Park

9-9 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheatre

9-10 Denver, CO Comfort Dental Amphitheatre

9-11 Albuquerque, NM HardRock Casino Albuquerque Presents The Pavilion

9-15 Sacramento, CA Sleep Train Amphitheatre

9-16 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre

9-17 San Bernardino, CA San Manuel Amphitheatre

9-18 San Diego, CA Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre

Brad Paisley kicks off his H2O II: Wetter & Wilder World Tour tonight in Virginia Beach. Blake Shelton and Jerrod Niemann are along for the ride. His Water World Plaza includes concerts from Edens Edge, Sunny Sweeney, Brett Eldredge and the JaneDear Girls, a fishing simulator, dunking booth, slip 'n slide and other water fun. Brad is an inveterate prankster and years ago, he pulled a stinky prank on Blake Shelton. According to Brad, “I went on his bus and said, ‘How ya doin’?’ He said, ‘Good.’ I just went over there to see him. And while I was standing there, I had an air freshener, one of those stick-up air fresheners, and stuck it, twisted it open. We’d replaced the contents with raw chicken…as opposed to an air freshener…I feel bad about that now…but I’m ready. I’m preparing.” He says he's spent $200 preparing a prank for Blake while they're on tour this summer. Meanwhile, if you want to check out Brad Paisley's informal in-concert, WalMart has a new sound check available for viewing.

This fall, Luke Bryan headlines the 10th annual "CMT on Tour." The "Tailgates & Tanlines" shows will also include Lee Bryce and Josh Thompson on the 25-show series.

Taylor Swift is a huge success, which makes it easy for people to take pot-shots at her, thinking that she got where she is because of luck or connections. According to Taylor, those people don't have it quite right. “I honestly was raised never, never to expect that you are entitled to success. So you work an extra mile. That‘s why I learned guitar. ‘Cause I was like, ‘You know what, there‘s no guarantee that I will make it, there‘s not even half a guarantee that I will make it. I‘ve got to learn things that make me different, and I‘ve gotta learn things that make me more interesting’.” Her success is proof to the adage, "the harder you work, the luckier you are!"

Could there be an Alabama reunion tour in the works? Maybe - Jeff Cook is quoted on Bradenton.com, saying that the band is talking about the possibility of doing 20 shows next year, and that it never felt right for a band named Alabama to end their career in North Dakota. Their last concert was there in 2004. Jeff goes on to say that if they do reunite for a tour, there'll be new music and maybe even a new album.

American Idol winner Scotty McCreery and runner-up Lauren Alaina will stand in the circle next week during the CMA Music Festival. They'll both perform on the Grand Ole Opry Friday June 10th. Also on stage that night are Randy Travis and Billy Ray Cyrus. You can be there, too, if you'd like. They'll be up bright and early for the City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge on Saturday.

Joe Nichols and Roper Apparel and Footwear have inked a long-term endorsement deal. Joe looks good in Roper anything.

Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina were on the Today show yesterday, where they talked about having the support of their Moms, relationship rumors and they duetted on Randy Travis' chestnut, "I Told You So." Check it out...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Thompson Square is on Fox & Friends, Ronnie Dunn is on Entertainment Tonight, Ray Stevens is on Freedom Watch on FOX, and Kenny Chesney is the focus of a special on CMT.

Happy birthday to Too Slim of Riders in the Sky.

The tweet of the day is from Blake Shelton: "I'm so hung over right now I just brewed a fresh pot of Copenhagen..."

Today's Country Tidbits

When Kenny Chesney's "Goin' Coastal" tour stopped in Wichita, Kansas last week, something magical happened. 14-year-old Carrington Walker had tried to get tickets to the show, but wasn't able to find any. An anonymous donor sent her tickets, and went a step further. Carrington has been battling lymphoma for three years and when Kenny Chesney got ready to sing "Summertime" he called her up on stage with him and he serenaded her. Carrington called the experience "amazing" and said she went to sleep with a smile on her face that night.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs went country last night in Nashville, as Carrie Underwood, Vince Gill and Jo Dee Messina all performed after the first period of the game. Carrie's husband, Mike Fisher, plays for the Nashville Predators, who lost to the Anaheim Ducks 6-3. Their series is tied, 2 to 2, with another game tomorrow night.

Miranda Lambert is on the cover of Health Magazine, which hits newsstands tomorrow. She talks about growing up on a farm, staying in shape on the road and knowing that the food on her dinner plate had been running around on the farm not long before she ate it. According to Miranda, her parents were pretty clear about animals: "They explained that not every animal was a pet — some were providing for our family. It sounds weird to other people, but I look at it like, there are some animals you feed and some animals that feed you."

Martina McBride's new single, "Teenage Daughters," talks about her experience of having them, but what was she like as a teenage daughter? “Well I was very rebellious and I was very ready to get out on my own. I didn’t understand why I had to have all these rules and people telling me what to do. And I was really into music and wanted to travel and sing with a rock band and you know. I wanted to be just out there on my own.” Which explains the line in the song, "At seventeen, she’s just like me when I was seventeen so I don’t blame her."

Jennifer Nettles has launched the "Jennifer Nettles Presents The Attic Community Playground Online Auction." You can bid on meet and greet experiences with Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride, Reba, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock, Bon Jovi, Katy Perry and of course Sugarland through May 11th. Proceeds benefit the Playground, which gives music education opportunities to kids.

Country artists will add some sparkle to the Barnstable-Brown Kentucky Derby Eve Gala in Louisville, Kentucky on May 6th. Miranda Lambert, Montgomery Gentry, Kix Brooks, Lee Ann Womack, Travis Tritt and Wynonna Judd are all expected to attend. No word on whether the women will be in hats, but I'll be on the lookout for pictures for you!

The free concerts on the 2011 CMA Music Festival Riverfront stage are going to be awesome - Gary Allan, Darryl Wroley, Phil Vassar, Billy Ray Cyrus and Terri Clark are among the performers scheduled. Gary Allan kicks off the daily concerts at 10am on Thursday, June 9th.

Next Wednesday, The Band Perry will be on the third hour of the Today show, announcing the nominees for the 2011 CMT Music Awards. Voting on the awards begins as soon as the nominees are announced, and the awards will be handed out on June 8th at Bridgestone Arena.

If you want to shop at the Grand Ole Opry's online store, today's your day. Use the code ONEDAYSALE at checkout to get 25% off of almost everything available. The sale is today only, so get shopping!

So yesterday it was reported that "Pray for You" by Jaron and the Long Road to Love had been certified gold for half a million units sold. Yesterday was also the day that the platinum plaque arrived at Jaron's agent's office. Looks like the RIAA is a little behind on their press release updating! Congrats to Jaron ATLRTL on his first platinum single!

Joe Nichols is headed to Australia next week for his third tour of the Land Down Under. He'll do some face time on TV while he's there.

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers will be on the Late Show with David Letterman tonight.

The tweet of the day is from David Nail: "Traumatic events have a way of never leaving you, last years flood has cause me to fear storms to the point that I slept two hrs last night!"

Today's Country Tidbits

Reba is just blown away by how far her Dad, Clark McEntire, has come since suffering a debilitating stroke in March. Doctors didn't expect him to make it, and according to Reba, “I’m not kidding, we had planned the funeral three times. We’ve selected songs, we’ve picked out where he’s going to be buried, and now he’s just done a complete turnaround.” She knew he was out of the woods when she called her Mom at the rehabilitation facility where her Dad is receiving treatment, to tell her about her son's Grand-Am race in Alabama. Reba's Mom told her to tell it to her Dad, and held the phone for him. “I talked and I talked and pretty soon I heard him clear his throat, and I stopped talking and he said, ‘Well, does it look like he’s got a chance?’ I almost dropped the phone. He’s lucid. He knows what he’s talking about, and he asked me a question. I said, ‘Well yeah, Daddy, he might have a chance.’ And he said, ‘Well alright, tell him to drive fast and safe.’” Reba's got her fingers crossed that he'll be able to make the trip to Nashville this October to see her inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Darius Rucker must be the neighborhood's most fun Dad. Not only do his kids get to go to his Monday After the Masters charity golf tournament if they want to, they just might get a trip to Disney World soon. “My kids have the deal, where if I get a number one, they get a trip to Disney. And I forgot that I told him that, and my son says to me the other day, ‘Daddy, where’s, how’s ‘This’ doing on the charts?’ And I’m like ‘Ahh, it’s doing good buddy, its number five.’ He’s like, ‘Yessss!’ I was like, ‘What?!’ He was like, ‘Disney World!’ I said, ‘Not yet, buddy!” The way "This" is racing up the charts, it could happen very soon!

Gary Busey was fired last night on The Celebrity Apprentice, after he led the men's Team Backbone to a loss in the Omaha Steak challenge. According to John Rich, who is one of three men left on the show, “The stuff that Gary Busey does off-camera is worse than what he does on camera. He tries to make you crazy and he does make you a little bit crazy.”

Rascal Flatts is being sued by their former mamagement team at Turner Nichols. The suit was filed early last week, seeking continued commission on income from deals negotiated while Turner Nichols was representing Rascal Flatts. A touring agreement which runs through 2013 was negotiated, and the managment company wants royalties from the ABC television special, DVD sales and proceeds from recording agreements and tour sponsorships. Publicist Jessie Schmidt had this two-sentence response from Rascal Flatts: "We are disappointed they have chosen to file, as we had hoped to address these issues privately. However, we hope that this can be resolved amicably."

Joe Nichols played a charity concert at Billy Bob's Texas on Saturday, raising money for the Red Cross relief efforts in Japan. The $10 per ticket show was sold out, and additional donations poured in from attendees. The day before that show, he performed his latest single, "The Shape I'm In," at a USO show in Washington DC. He's pledged all of the profits from that song to the USO to help soldiers returning from the war with broken bodies and minds. The show in DC raised nearly $575,000 for the USO of Metropolitan Washington.

Joe's wasn't the only big show in Texas over the weekend. Jewel threw a free concert for her fans, who came from as far away as Australia, France and Great Britian. For the fans who couldn't be there, she streamed the show live on her website, and also will have cds of the show available on her site. She played for three and a half hours, pulling out album cuts, some of which she had never performed live before. TexFest, as the show was called, was her way of thanking her fans for their support, whether or not her songs land high on the charts.

David Nail was busy doing a show and Randy Owen showed up to sing along...

Danny Gokey, his brother Charles and sister Angie and friend Ruben Burgos had a little a capella fun with doo wop.

Colt Ford has a new tv show on the Outdoor Channel called Mud Slingers. They visit Trucks Gone Wild events across the country, filming the action and Colt busts out a song or two.

Toby Keith will play two songs tomorrow night on "Dancing With the Stars."

The tweet of the day is from Brad Paisley: "Not sure about this new @NASCAR tandem racing at Talladega. I haven't seen this much adolescent bumping and grinding since prom."

Today's Country Tidbits

Miranda Lambert is featured on the cover of Cowboys & Indians magazine, where she spilled a few details, including her wedding date - May 14th - but didn't say where the wedding would be. She also revealed that, after their big CMA night, they went back to Oklahoma, where Blake burned a brush pile and Miranda made chocolate chip cookies.

Taylor Swift will feature several up-and-coming artists on the North American part of her "Speak Now World Tour 2011." Performing before NeedToBreathe will be a rotation of Randy Montana, James Wesley, Danny Gokey, Frankie Ballard, James Wesley, Hunter Hayes and Charlie Worsham. The tour kicks off May 27th in Omaha. This weekend, the European leg of the tour begins in Brussels.

Joe Nichols is heading to Australia to headline one of Australia's largest country music festivals, along with Alan Jackson, this weekend. The festival also features Storme Warren as host, Buxton Hughes, Emerson Drive and Jack Ingram, along with a host of Australian country stars. The "CMC Rocks the Hunter" music festival happens on the Hope Estate in Australia's Hunter Valley, a major wine-producing region about two hours from Sydney.

As Ronnie Dunn's first solo single, "Bleed Red," races up the charts, what's Kix Brooks up to? Well, in addition to hosting a weekly radio show and producing great wines, he's heavy into making movies. He's wrapped up filming for "Thriftstore Cowboy" and has been given the leading role in "The Last Ride," which begins filming in May in Arizona. He hasn't abandoned music, though - he's about halfway through writing songs for a new album. When can we hear it? According to Kix, "I’m not in a hurry and I’m not saying when it’s going to come out because when it’s done and I’m proud of it, it will come out.”

There's something about old friends and old trucks, and Dierks Bentley, famous for wearing cowboy boots held together by duct tape, loves his first and only truck, Big White, and shares her "best features" in this video.

Rascal Flatts members Gary Levox and Jay DeMarcus feel very responsible for Jusin Bieber's new 'do. They jokingly told reporters, “[Gary] It was actually our idea for his hairstyle. [Jay] It really was. [Gary] As you can tell by some of the pictures we were the ones that actually cut it. [Jay] I didn’t realize that a tweeted photo was the shot heard ‘round the world. [Gary] But we all gathered enough hair to put our kids through college and we’re real excited about that. [Jay] You can see some of it on eBay under eBay user name ‘Levox 12’. [Gary] Feel free to put a bid in!” In reality, Justin gave some of the shorn locks to Ellen DeGeneres, who put them on eBay in a charity auction. The snipped-off hair sold for $40,668. Proceeds benefit an animal charity.

Trace Adkins will host a private screening of his upcoming movie, "The Lincoln Lawyer," Monday night in Nashville. He plays Eddie Vogel, a tough guy helped by the title character, a lawyer played by Matthew McConaughey. The movie opens the 18th of this month.

Would Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles go on "Dancing With the Stars?" She loves to dance, after all - but this sounds like a "no:" “[Jennifer] I would love to be able to dance all day—without being on the television show. That would be cool, like if somebody wants to volunteer to come and you know just dance with me all day and teach me the stuff, [Kristian] Like a surrogate dancer? [Jennifer] Yeah, without being on TV for that!”

Kellie Pickler is playing a free concert in Indianapolis on April 2nd as part of the fun at the NCAA Women's Final Four.

Lady Antebellum's song "Need You Now" will be featured on "Glee: The Music, Vol. 5" which hits stores next Tuesday. Gwyneth Paltrow will also be on that cd.

Thompson Square is on The Tonight Show tonight.

The tweet of the day is from Eddie Montgomery: "HELLYEAH!!! It's wilder than a Charlie sheen party here at the wildhorse tonight !!!!"

Today's Country Tidbits

Congratulations to Zac Brown and his wife Shelly, who welcomed their 4th daughter in four years into the world. Joni Mason Brown weighs seven pounds, 14 ounces and is doted on already by older sisters Justice, Lucy and Georgia. Joni was born at home, and mother and daughter are doing great. Dad Zac is popping buttons, he's so proud.

Joe Nichols performed during the AFC Championship game halftime, but has no prediction as to which team will win Sunday's Super Bowl. Says Joe, “You know what? I wish I could predict it. There’s two really really great teams. Both of them are on fire. Both of them are playing exceptionally well. And both of ‘em got great quarterbacks. So my prediction for the Super Bowl is it’s gonna be one heck of a game. Not sure who’s gonna win. I think it all depends on who plays faster. Because I believe it’s artificial turf down there and usually on those things, fastest usually wins.”

Faith Hill is pretty psyched for her part in this weekend's Super Bowl festivities, saying of working with The Pretenders, “So excited, are you kidding?! Yeah, I’m really excited, they’re great! To be able to do some of the songs that I’ve known for a really long time—‘Brass In Pocket’ just reminds me of my days back at MacLauren High School in Star, Mississippi. Oh yes!” "CMT Crossroads: Faith Hill and The Pretenders"airs live from the Super Bowl Fan Jam Saturday night at 10 Eastern on CMT.

Luke Bryan hosted a fund-raiser for Keep the Music Playing, an organization which promotes music education in schools. The All Stars Concert Tuesday night included performances by six music groups from Nashville public schools and kicked off the signing of this year's All Stars poster. Luke's signature is the first on it and it will be auctioned off during the CMA Music Festival.

Speaking of the CMA Music Festival, the first round of stars signed to perform this year will be announced on February 10th at 10am Central time, but you have to "like" CMA on Facebook to get the info first.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has a big surprise for Alan Jackson. Oops...now it's not a surprise! He's being induced into the Star Trail of Fame during his March 18th appearance at the show. Since his 1992 debut at the show, he's attracted over a million concert-goers. Quipped Alan, "I know there's always a whole lot of people out there when I walk out on that stage, but I never imagined they'd added up to a million!"

The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards are just over a week away, and presenters are being announced. Blake Shelton and Dierks Bentley will represent country music. Gwyneth Paltrow will perform, but not "Country Strong." She'll be part of a performance which includes Cee Lo Green and the Jim Henson Company Puppets. Country performers we know are performing are Lady Antebellum and Miranda Lambert. More performers will probably be announced between now and February 13th.

It's official - Toby Keith's daughter Krystal is signed to his record label, so he's her boss at home and at work. He's famous around Show Dog Records for being a hands-off boss with the artists unless they ask for his help, which Krystal apparently has. No word on when we might expect Krystal's first album.

Happy birthday to singer/songwriter Matraca Berg, who is 47, and Jessica Harp, who is 29.

The tweet of the day is from Zac Brown: "I guess now would be a good time to welcome the new baby Brown into this world"

Today's Country Tidbits

If it's January, most of the Nashville studios must be packed with country stars working on new cd's. Booking studio time right now could be tough, with Brad Paisley, Toby Keith, Trace Adkins, Martina McBride, Dierks Bentley, Lady Antebellum, Jake Owen, Kellie Pickler, Little Big Town, Gloriana, Justin Moore and Love and Theft all logging some time behind the mics. Lady A's Charles Kelley says, of their touring experience last fall, "We wrote almost every day, and I feel like we've got some great material. It's so funny because somehow in the busiest year of our lives we were able to write more. I really don't know how we slept." Will keep you posted on album release dates, but it looks to be an exciting year for country music!

Congratulations to The Band Perry, who celebrated their first #1 hit yesterday in Nashville. "If I Die Young" topped the chart for them, and got the attention of Tim McGraw, who invited them to tour with him this summer. How have the three siblings managed their success? Their Mom is their road manager and home-school teacher, and their Dad stays home to pay for their dreams. For that reason, Kimberly Perry calls their #1 accomplishment a family victory. “You know, it’s a really wonderful thing and our… our family, our parents as well, have poured a lot of financial support, spiritual support, emotional support into the last decade. And so, truly, today is like the pinnacle moment of true celebration of a lot of hard work as a family.”

The CMA usually hands out awards, but on May 17th, they'll be receiving an award. The Leadership Music Dale Franklin Award will be given to the CMA in recognition of the leadership that organization shows in both music and philanthropic avenues.

A week from today, Miranda Lambert and Ronnie Dunn will meet ath the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville at 7:30 in the morning to announce the nominees for the 46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. The show airs live on April 3rd from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on CBS, co-hosted by Reba and Blake Shelton.

Jewel and her rodeo hubby Ty Murray are expecting a baby boy. Jewel told People magazine that Ty even did a little dance as they left the doctor's office. No exact due date has been announced, but Jewel is in her second trimester, so the nursery should be full of a bundle of joy by June.

And if you thought the Zac Brown Band was a litte quiet right now, you're right. They're taking a little break while Zac and his wife await the arrival of their 4th daughter, due around Valentine's Day.

In stores today, Joe Nichols Greatest Hits, which includes his current hit, "The Shape I'm In." Online today, get a three-song preview of Thompson Square's self-titled debut, set for release on February 8th.

Wynonna is busy today, showing up on the Today Show, Access Hollywood and the Joy Behar Show.

The tweet of the day is from Brad Paisley: "Nope. Never. Absolutely no way. Not once. Woops. Other than this. RT @michunte: @BradPaisley do you ever tweet your fans :)???"

Today's Country Tidbits

From the "it had to happen" file, a teen has invited Taylor Swift to be his prom date. He did it in style, with a YouTube video of him performing her song, "Our Song," re-lyriced to "Our Prom."

Was that a hint about an upcoming baby in Keith Urban's liner notes on "Get Closer?" “I continue to be brought to my knees by this love of ours,” Keith wrote to Nicole. “I just want to be a better man, for you, and father for our heavenly Sunday Rose…all we need is faith.” And Faith was born just before the turn of the year. Hmmmmmm...coincidence?

Did you catch Martina McBride and Joe Nichols at last night's Steelers/Jets game? Martina sang the National Anthem and Joe performed during the halftime show. Pittsburg prevailed, and that's the third time Martina has sung the Anthem at a Steelers playoff game and they won, so she's 3 and 0. The Superbowl is on February 6th in Dallas, and will be Steelers vs. Packers. Keith Urban is part of the pre-game fun on Superbowl weekend.

Joe Nichols' video for "The Shape I'm In" is released today, and Joe included some of his heroes in the video. Meet the heroes and learn about The Survivor Foundation.

And maybe it was just what the team needed to get fired up for their victory yesterday - Thursday night in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Brad Paisley was joined on stage by Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers for "I'm Still a Guy." Aaron was supposed to sing a line of the song, but had trouble hearing, so just started high-fiving people onstage. Later, Aaron and a whole bunch of other Packers hit the stage for the encore, "Alcohol." The Packers soundly beat the Bears yesterday afternoon.

The JaneDear Girls debut cd hits stores February first, but you can hear the tracks now on their Facebook page.

Joe Nichols' greatest hits package will be released tomorrow.

Happy birthday to Ray Stevens, who turns 72 today.

The tweet of the day is from Jewel, who gets extra credit for the creative hashtag: "Ok. Seriously. I am a writer. I swear. I will write. A song. I wont procrastinate watching another NCSI marathon. #pickupyourguitardamnit"

Today's Country Tidbits

Garth-o-mania kicked off last night in Nashville, as Garth Brooks did not one but two shows at Bridgestone Arena. The 9-show stand of full-band, full-on country music shows continue tonight through next Wednesday, with Trisha Yearwood and Karyn Rochelle onstage every night, and surprise guests showing up when they want to play. Last night, Garth was joined by Steve Wariner, and the two of them lit up "Longneck Bottle." Steve also performed his song, "Some Fools Never Learn," to the delight of the crowd. The show was broadcast live on the Armed Forces network, and proceeds from all of the concerts go to flood relief for middle Tennessee. The set list is expected to change, but here's last night's:

Rodeo

Papa Loved Mama

The Beaches of Cheyenne

Two of a Kind, Workin’ on a Full House

Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)

Shameless

Unanswered Prayers (Acoustic)

We Shall Be Free (Played slideshow of flood damage photos)

The Thunder Rolls

**Longneck Bottle (with Steve Wariner)

Steve Wariner performs “Some Fools Never Learn”

Baton Rouge

The River

Burnin’ Both Ends of the Night

**In Another’s Eyes (with Trisha Yearwood)

Trisha Yearwood performs “She’s In Love With The Boy”

More Than a Memory

Friends In Low Places

The Dance

ENCORE: Ain’t Goin’ Down (‘Til the Sun Comes Up)

Country stars continue to pony up for flood relief. Many have donated items for an online auction which ends at noon today. If you're looking for truly one-of-a-kind Christmas gifts and you have deep pockets, go shopping for a great cause - helping to rebuild middle Tennessee after last spring's flooding. Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton and many more top country stars have donated autographed items, and some even throw themselves into the prize package, offering tours, meet & greets, etc.

Congratulations to Josh Turner and his wife Jennifer - son #3 has arrived. Crawford Marion Turner arrived Monday evening, a little early but just fine. He'll be called Marion and joins Colby Lynch, who's 18 months, and Hampton Otis, who's 4 years old.

Blake Shelton is thanking Joe Nichols for his latest hit. "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking" was originally recorded by Joe and is on his "Real Things" cd. Blake heard it, loved it, and when it didn't get released as a single, he cut it. Joe is thrilled with the success Blake's having with the song, just as Blake is thrilled about Miranda Lambert's success with "The House That Built Me," a song Blake was supposed to record. Good thing country artists are friendly and civilized - can you imagine this kind of sharing in any other musical genre?

Rascal Flatts and Justin Bieber will team up on a song destined for Justin's next album. Gary LeVox's two daughters, Brittany (10) and Brooklyn (6) suffer from Bieber Fever, so he's very familiar with Justin's music!

Dierks Bentley is hosting a pre-Grammy bash again, and tickets - a precious few! - will be available today on Dierks' website. The Grammy Awards will be handed out on Sunday, February 13th, and Dierks' party is planned for Saturday the 12th. Dierks is up for three Grammy awards this year.

On April 3rd in Las Vegas, the 46th Annual ACM Awards will be handed out. The following night, the ACM will tape an all-star concert special called "Girl's Night Out: Superstar Women of Country." Tickets for both events go on sale January 19th at 10am Pacific time. Proceeds from the Girls Night Out taping will go to the ACM Lifting Lives foundation.

Lyle Lovett is on The Tonight Show on NBC and Trace Adkins is on The Talk on CBS. And the American Country Awards will re-air tonight on the Speed Channel.

Happy birthday to Tracy Byrd, who turns 44 today.

The tweet of the day is from Brad Paisley: "Working like a dog on the new album. Where does that expression come from? My dog is the laziest animal on the planet!"

Today's Country Tidbits

Keith Urban is in Australia today, filming two episodes of the Oprah show at the Sydney Opera House. He announced the Australia dates on his 2011 Get Closer World Tour, featuring Lady Antebellum as his opening act. In case you'll be Down Under in April, tickets for these shows go on sale January 21, so get 'em quick!

Friday, April 8 – Adelaide Entertainment Centre

Saturday, April 9 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

Tuesday, April 12 – Tamworth Regional Entertainment & Conference Centre

Thursday, April 14 – Sydney Entertainment Centre

Friday, April 15 – Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Joe Nichols has been quietly launching songs up the country charts for years, and his first greatest hits package is in the works. January 25th is the release date for the collection, which includes "Brokenheartsville," "The Impossible," and "Cool To Be A Fool" up to his latest, "The Shape I'm In."

HBO will be filming a mini-series in the spring, and probably in Tennessee. Why Tennessee? Because country artists are a big part of the cast of "To Appomattox." Rascal Flatts, Kix Brooks, Dwight Yoakam and Laura Bell Bundy will all be part of the show, and no, they won't be playing some Civil War nightclub scene. Rascal Flatts will also be producing the soundtrack for the series, providing original songs as well as their interpretations of traditional American music. They've tapped Kix, Laura, Dwight and John Ondrasik (from the band Five for Fighting) to assist with the soundtrack.

Tim McGraw has been cast in the action-adventure movie, "Safe House." He's excited about the action part of it, saying, "I get to play actually something action-packed. Shoot people and all that stuff. I’m looking forward to all that stuff." The movie also stars Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds and should be out in early 2012.

Tim's latest movie won't be out for another few weeks, but here's another song from "Country Strong." Garrett Hedlund plays Beau Hutton, an up and coming country songwriter, and sings "Chances Are."

You’re watching Country Strong - Clip No. 2. See the Web's top videos on AOL Video

What does a big fan give to Taylor Swift for Christmas? A light display on his house, synced to "Love Story."

More details about the Shelton/Lambert wedding are trickling out - they'll serve venison instead of the more traditional chicken or beef, and it'll be from deer they've harvested. And Blake is promising some surprise guests at the wedding - he's in charge of the music and entertainment and has had a blast lining up artists. May in the hill country of Texas is still all we know for sure about the date and place.

Get free Christmas songs from great country artists from People.com.

Kix Brooks is spending this week entertaining the troops as part of a USO tour show. Also traveling with him are Robin Williams, Lance Armstrong and other celebrities. They'll wrap up the tour this weekend, in time to be home with their families for Christmas.

Congratulations to Jason Aldean, who's been named Billboard Magazine's #1 Male Country Artist and the Top Independent Artist of the Year.

The Judds are on Larry King Live tonight. Tomorrow, The Band Perry is on The View.

The tweet of the day is from Jake Owen: "damn.. and my tag is expired. I'm rolling gangsta."

Today's Country Tidbits

Carrie Underwood's video for "Mama's Song" debuted today on VEVO and is here now...

The full moon makes for strange bedfellows. Yesterday, Jack Ingram checked into a hotel. The person at the front desk gave him a key, and when he used it, he found Joe Nichols on the bed!! OOPS!!

Last night in Nashville, a star-studded guitar pull happened: Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, Lionel Ritchie and Taylor Swift. She tweeted, "Just played an acoustic show with Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, and Lionel Richie-- it was one of those magical nights..One of those nights I just need to remember every detail of. All of us sitting on stools, taking turns playing songs and telling stories." Hope someone taped it and will make a tv show out of it!

The Grand Ole Opry birthday bash is getting bigger by the minute. The 85th Birthday Bash will be October 8th & 9th at the re-opened Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, and will feature Taylor Swift, Trace Adkins, Dolly Parton, Crystal Gayle and Charles Osgood of CBS Sunday Morning fame. More stars are expected to be added to the weekend of shows, so you might want to think about a road trip.

Since Kenny Chesney's cd comes out Tuesday, you know he'll be all over tv next week. Here's the scoop: Monday night, his CMT Invitation Only episode premiers. Tuesday morning, catch him on Good Morning America. Then Friday night, he'll be on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He's excited about this album because his time in the studio was so much more relaxed than it was for the last five albums. "I would get off the road on a Sunday night, then I would go in the studio on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and try to make a record. The whole time I was on my BlackBerry thinking about what time we had to leave Thursday, talking to my road manager, doing this or doing that. In the meantime, I was sitting there with the guitar players telling them what I'm hearing in my head." At noon today, you can hear the entire cd online.

Gloriana's Cheyenne Kimball is engaged to marry Casey Twist, a singer/songwriter from Arkansas. No date has been announced, but the "Wild at Heart" singer has broken a lot of boys' hearts with this news.

JoDee Messina will sing the National Anthem before the Nashville Women's Running Magazine Half-Marathon, then will run in the event. After a shower and maybe a nap, she'll perform at the Grand Ole Opry tomorrow night. Nice Saturday!

Willie Nelson is on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson tonight. Monday, Randy Houser will be on Jimmy Kimmel Live and Zac Brown Band will be on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

The tweet of the day is from Jack Ingram: "Just accidentally lived out many women's fantasy- on accident! Hotel gave me a key and a room. I opened door 2 find Joe Nichols n the bed!!!"

Today's Country Tidbits

More bling for Bentley...Dierks Bentley, that is. He'll have to find space for another shiny award, as he hauled home the ASCAP Artist/Songwriter of the year title at Tuesday's gala. Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood of Lady Antebellum shared Song of the Year honors with their co-writer, Josh Kear, for "Need You Now." During his acceptance speech, Josh thanked Charles Kelley's wife Cassie for letting him attend their songwriting session on her birthday. Nice gift...wonder if she gets to decide where that trophy goes?

Rascal Flatts new video for "Why Wait" is inspired by "The Hangover" and is tons of fun. How could it not be, with Ron White pretending to be one of the boys? See if you can pick out all the stars who appear in this video.

Rascal Flatts More CMT Music More CMT Music Videos

Nickelback played Nashville this week, and Joe Nichols joined them on stage to help them sing "Rockstar." Got it here, but please note - there's some rough language on it...

Wow...what a fun night this will be! Willie Nelson and Woody Harrelson are hosting "Willie & Woody's All-Star Texas Hold 'Em Charity Tournament at the Hustler Casino Los Angeles on September 27th. Dinner, a silent auction and of course poker are just part of the fun...you know Willie will pull out his guitar. There's only space for 50 spectators and 200 players, so if you want in, better hurry!

Loretta Lynn gets a huge salute on October 12th at the Ryman. The Recording Academy's Salute to Country Music Honoring Loretta Lynn will be hosted by Reba, who will be joined onstage by Martin McBride, Gretchen Wilson, Lee Ann Womack and more country stars, serenading Loretta with her hit songs.

Merle Haggard has canceled 10 concert dates due to chest congestion. He was diagnosed with lung cancer a couple of years ago and wants to take it easy instead of pushing through a possible complication.

In case you care, LeAnn Rimes tells why she cheated.

Darryl Worley's Tennessee River Run kicks off today in Savannah, TN.

Happy birthday to David Bellamy of the Bellamy Brothers...he turns 60 today.

The tweet of the day is from James Otto: "So all day yesterday my baby Ava was quite & sweet & and a perfect angel & all night long was a holy terror. Already acting like her dad."

Today's Country Tidbits

The CMA nominations are all out for this year, and Miranda Lambert is the leader, with 9 nominations. Lady Antebellum as a group have 5, and in three categories, Miranda is competing with herself. For single of the year, song of the year and for music video of the year, she's nominated for "The House That Built Me" and "White Liar." In Single of the Year and Vocal Event, she's up against her "financy," Blake Shelton. Anybody else notice that Jason Aldean's name is nowhere to be found on this list? What's up with that?

Entertainer of the Year

Lady Antebellum

Miranda Lambert

Brad Paisley

Keith Urban

Zac Brown Band

Female Vocalist

Miranda Lambert

Martina McBride

Reba McEntire

Taylor Swift

Carrie Underwood

Male Vocalist

Dierks Bentley

Brad Paisley

Blake Shelton

George Strait

Keith Urban

Album of the Year

(Award goes to artist and producer.)

Need You Now

Lady Antebellum

Producers: Paul Worley and Lady Antebellum

Play On

Carrie Underwood

Producers: Mark Bright and Max Martin

Revolution

Miranda Lambert

Producers: Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke

Twang

George Strait

Producers: Tony Brown and George Strait

Up on the Ridge

Dierks Bentley

Producer: Jon Randall Stewart

Musical Event

(Award goes to each artist.)

"Bad Angel"

Dierks Bentley featuring Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson

"Can't You See"

Zac Brown Band featuring Kid Rock

"Hillbilly Bone"

Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins

"I'm Alive"

Kenny Chesney with Dave Matthews

"Till the End"

Alan Jackson with Lee Ann Womack

New Artist

Luke Bryan

Easton Corbin

Jerrod Niemann

Chris Young

Zac Brown Band

Vocal Group

Lady Antebellum

Little Big Town

Rascal Flatts

The Band Perry

Zac Brown Band

Vocal Duo

Brooks & Dunn

Joey & Rory

Montgomery Gentry

Steel Magnolia

Sugarland

Single of the Year

(Award goes to artist and producer.)

"A Little More Country Than That"

Easton Corbin

Producer: Carson Chamberlain

"Hillbilly Bone"

Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins

Producer: Scott Hendricks

"Need You Now"

Lady Antebellum

Producers: Paul Worley and Lady Antebellum

"The House That Built Me"

Miranda Lambert

Producers: Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke

"White Liar"

Miranda Lambert

Producers: Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke

Song of the Year

(Award goes to songwriter.)

"A Little More Country Than That"

Songwriters: Rory Lee Feek, Don Poythress and Wynn Varble

"Need You Now"

Songwriters: Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Josh Kear

"The House That Built Me"

Songwriters: Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin

"Toes"

Songwriters: Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette, John Driskell Hopkins and Shawn Mullins

"White Liar"

Songwriters: Miranda Lambert and Natalie Hemby

Music Video

(Award goes to artist and director.)

"Hillbilly Bone"

Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins

Director: Roman White

"Need You Now"

Lady Antebellum

Director: David McClister

"The House That Built Me"

Miranda Lambert

Director: Trey Fanjoy

"Water"

Brad Paisley

Director: Jim Shea

"White Liar"

Miranda Lambert

Director: Chris Hickey

Musician

Paul Franklin -- Steel Guitar

Dann Huff -- Guitar

Brent Mason -- Guitar

Mac McAnally -- Guitar

Randy Scruggs -- Guitar

The CMA Awards will air Nov. 10 on ABC.

Brad Paisley has been having such a good time on the road that he's extended his H2O World Tour through November 20th. Darius Rucker and Justin Moore are the openers for him. The new shows are on Brad's website.

Joe Nichols says he'd be a baseball fan no matter what city he grew up in, but since he lived in St. Louis and his Dad was a security guard at Busch Stadium, he's a rabid fan of baseball and the Cardinals. So much so that he's featured on MLB.com's "Major League Artist" page. In other Billy Currington news, he's broken the attendance record at the Kentucky State Fair's Cardinal Stadium. Charlie Daniels was the previous record-holder, and his record stood for more than 20 years, until Billy Currington showed up last weekend. More than 20-thousand people packed the stadium to see him play.

Tim McGraw will be in Atlanta on October 2nd to accept the True Ally Award at the 2010 Men Stopping Violence Annual Awards Dinner. Tim and Faith have raised thousands of dollars for womens shelters, and that's what he'll be honored for.

Don't forget - tonight's the night for "Country's Night to Rock." It's the best parts of the CMA Music Festival, reduced to a three-hour tv special. Performances by Reba, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldea, Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum and Taylor Swift are the highlights, but not the only ones you'll see. Tim McGraw hosts the show, which airs from 8-11 eastern tonight on ABC.

The tweet of the day is from David Nail: "Validation is a funny thing, it comes in different shapes, sizes, times, etc. Congrats Luke, Miranda and Lady A, you guys inspire me!"