Always wanted a place in New York City? You’re in luck – Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman are selling their duplex, and you don’t have to worry about parking. The 3,248 square foot home has a vehicle elevator that will lift your car to your private rooftop parking. You’ll also get teak floors, custom cabinetry and a lovely view of the midtown skyline. And you’ll shell out just under $13 million to have it all. Meanwhile, Keith and Nicole will continue to raise their two daughters at their Nashville home. 

Yesterday Taylor Swift was on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. She’s been there a lot, and says that Ellen is one of her favorite talk-show hosts: “She’s one of the most amazing people, and I think she’s so good at what she does. She just makes people so happy.” Well, yeah, but she does like to make Taylor scream and squirm – check out the walk through Ellen’s Haunted Hallway… 


In his early days in the music business, Brantley Gilbert and his band worked hard for every nickel, and sometimes needed more than they had. That’s how a car Brantley loved came to be owned by someone else: “I had a sixty-eight Mercury Cougar that we went flat broke and needed some equipment. We got rained on and we didn’t have insurance on anything. I loved this car and I sold it to a guy for $4,000. He told me that day that he’d sell it back to me whenever I wanted for $4,000. This was probably six or seven years ago. He wants twelve grand for it! [laughs] I talked to him a month ago and I am not going to pay him that much! He’s going to have to come down a little bit.” These days he spends most of his time on a tour bus, but he could probably figure out some car time. 
Luke Bryan is getting pumped about the CMA Awards next week, because he’s up for two major awards: Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year. He’ll celebrate, no matter what: “If we win it’ll be a big deal. You know, it’ll be an amazing night for me and we’ll have the time of our lives and enjoy it. And if I don’t, we’ll approach the year to try to make the best album and the best songs and kind of go from there, but for me it’s always enjoying this and celebrating nominations.” He’ll be performing on the show, so has a bit of distraction to help calm his nerves. 
Toby Keith shows us all how not to win an award: tell country fans you won’t show up, even though you’re nominated. Toby told a Country Weekly reporter, “Hell no, I ain’t showing up. I gotta go get a root canal that day, or something fun.” His song, “Red Solo Cup,” is nominated for Music Video of the Year, and the song’s success has surprised Toby: “I’ve got 80-million spins as a songwriter and it’s my only, I didn’t write this song, it’s my only song that’s ever got pop airplay to speak of. Ryan Seacrest made it the ‘Spring Break Song of 2012.’” 
Next Thursday night, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will host the CMA Awards show for the 5th straight year. Is that a record? Not even close – Vince Gill hosted the show for 12 years, so they have a ways to go. Speaking of Vince, he, Hunter Hayes and Keith Urban have been added to the list of performers for country music’s biggest night. The show airs live on ABC Thursday, November first. 
Montgomery Gentry released a four-song EP entitled Friends and Family, and it includes their new song, “I’ll Keep the Kids,” co-written by Eddie Montgomery about his divorce from his wife of 20 years, Tracy. 
Taylor Swift is on Katie with Katie Couric today.

Today's Country Tidbits

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

The Band Perry is on the Ellen DeGeneres Show today.

Today's Country Tidbits

Country stars spent yesterday honoring fallen soldiers – here are their thoughts on Memorial Day…

Luke Bryan: “My dad served in Vietnam and it’s so cool that he can always walk around for the rest of his life and say, ‘I went to Vietnam, and I served.’ I hate that I’ll never be able to say that, but I guess kinda my way of serving is getting down here and trying to play for the troops.”

Craig Morgan: “There’s two things that are important in my life and that’s security of my nation, and the security of my family. And the security of my nation comes first. Most people would not appreciate or understand that, but without the security of this nation I can’t take care of my family.”

Kip Moore: “Both of my grandparents, on my mom and my dad’s side, were both in the war and protected this country. So I’ve always had a patriotic side to me, and I don’t think sometimes we grasp how lucky we are.”

Kiefer Thompson of Thompson Square: “We’ve always been big supporters of the military. My dad was in the Army. Shawna’s daddy was a Vietnam vet. Her cousin’s been in Afghanistan and Iraq both – two tours. It’s just...we love our country you know? Every time, if something comes up, if we can do it, we do it!”

And here are some thoughts from country stars on performing for the military…

Toby Keith: “They mean everything to me. They show up at my show every night. Their families show up. I represent a piece of American pie for them. It’s way more special than I ever intended or thought it ever could be.”

Craig Morgan: “I remember being in Korea and having Sawyer Brown and Charlie Daniels. It was very impacting; it takes away a little bit of aggravation and tension for a few minutes. You get a taste of home, and there’s nothing like that.”

Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry: “I just love it more and more every time I go. Me and T we talk about it all the time, every time we go we wanna do more and stay longer. We just don’t thank them enough. When you see our America heroes man, they’re totally awesome.”

George Strait has been named one of the 21 sexiest men over 50 by AARP. Ya think??

Well, they’ve been married a week now – hope all is still well in the newleyweds’ world. Angaleena Presley of Pistol Annies married her boyfriend Jordan Powell one week ago today in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The tweet of the day is from Rodney Atkins: “Grateful to the men & women past & present & their families for their courage & many sacrifices not just today but everyday God Bless y'all”

Today's Country Tidbits

As we head into Memorial Day weekend, Randy Travis has something he’d like you to think about: “Wanted to ask everybody to remember that this time, this vacation day this year is not just about a trip to the lake or a cookout. Remember our men and women in the military and say a special prayer for them, and always keep them in your thoughts on these Memorial Days.”

Carrie Underwood loves all kinds of music, not just country, and sometimes that can cause her some grief: “I grew up a lover of music and if you look on my iPod, I have the most random stuff. We’ll go to photo shoots, and they’ll take my iPod and push shuffle and I’m always so worried about what’s gonna pop up, just because it’s the most random mix of music ever.” Her “Blown Away” album is at the top of the Billboard charts again this week for the 3rd week in a row.

Luke Bryan celebrated his first, but probably not last, platinum album this week. “Tailgates and Tanlines” has sold over a million copies, and Luke truly appreciates what has happened around him: “It’s kinda like a college degree. When you get one, no one can take it from you, and when you get to say the rest of your life that you’ve got a Platinum album, that really means something and it’s a lot of hard work, a lot of effort, a lot of people that have worked hard and made this stuff happen.”

Last night, Kelly Clarkson was part of the new Duets show on ABC. What does she look for in a great singer, and hope for in a Duets partner? “I think the cool thing about country music, and not even just country music but just powerful women, you know, like Reba or Trisha or Dolly or Loretta or Annie Lennox or Whitney Houston, like, all these women, it’s more than just music. It’s just…I don’t know, it’s like a…you believe in it. You believe in all those artists. And it’s…I love that.”

The Tug McGraw Foundation’s Celebrity Sporting Clay Shootout has added a lot more fire-power: Luke Bryan, Eddie Montgomery, Troy Gentry, Keith Anderson, Brantley Gilbert, Josh Thompson, Brad and Brett Warren, Steve Holy, Josh Gracin, Craig Campbell, Jon Pardi and Jeff McMahon all join Tim McGraw in drawing a bead on flying pottery. In addition to the shooting, there’ll be a silent auction, all raising money to fight brain cancer. The Nashville Gun Club hosts the June 5th event.

Eddie Montgomery had a rough day yesterday. He was on a plane, waiting to take off, but the plane wasn’t leaving and the flight attendants weren’t serving. The reason? Apparently the Vice President was there, and for some reason it was a breach of security to let fellow fliers get buzzed. Eddie tweeted, “ThEY WON'T SERVE US CaUsE the vice PRES,is here,been sitting on Tarmac 2 fu# hours no beam and no AIr hey vice pres,ur ass owes me a drink!”

Montgomery Gentry is on Fox & Friends in the morning, and on Sunday, Martina McBride sings the National Anthem at the Indy 500.

The tweet of the day is from Miranda Lambert: “Um...will someone call the woods and have them tell my husband to get home. Thanks.”

Today's Country Tidbits

Last night, Montgomery Gentry led a salute to America’s heroes with a special performance at the Grand Ole Opry. About the special military appreciation night they said, “We just don’t thank them enough. When you see our American heroes, man, they are just totally awesome!” You’re totally right, guys!

Garth Brooks and Troy Aikman have teamed up to raise money for special facilities at children’s hospitals, and they dedicated one last week. The two superstars showed up at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Ft. Worth Texas to dedicate the Child Life Zone. It offers young patients an arcade and a professional recording suite, where kids can record their own music videos and songs. Garth and Troy spent hours at the facility, making kids’ smiles broader than cowboy hat brims.

Rascal Flatts and Farmers Insurance have teamed up to make a lot of Rascal Flatts fans very happy, and two fans will be over the moon! The “Star For A Day” contest is up and running, and 10 fans per Rascal Flatts tour stop will win tickets, a private meet & greet with the band, dinner at the crew catering tables, a private backstage dressing room and a package of tour merchandise. Everyone who enters is also in the hat for the grand prize tickets to the CMA and another Rascal Flatts meet and greet. Go get entered quick – the tour kicks off in June!

Big & Rich have new music out, and Saturday they hit the road for a summer tour. The video for “That’s Why I Pray” was released yesterday and you can hear the song and see the video here…



Taylor Swift is the top country nominee for the Teen Choice 2012 Awards. She nominated in four categories, including the all-genre Female Artist category. Blake Shelton is nominated in three categories, including the all-genre Male Artist category. The awards will be handed out on July 22nd.

Three country cuties landed on the Maxim 2012 Hot 100 list. Taylor Swift is the 26th hottest, Julianne Hough is at #47 and Kellie Pickler landed at #72. Topping the list is supermodel Bar Fefaeli.

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s announcement of Tim McGraw’s new label comes another country music label change. Joe Nichols and Show Dog Universal have parted ways. Joe tweeted, “I’m very thankful for Show Dog and what they have done for me.” Stay tuned for where he will land – I’ll let you know.

New music out this week includes Ronnie Dunn’s special Cracker Barrel release. “Ronnie Dunn – Special Edition” includes a couple of previously unreleased tracks, and a portion of the proceeds benefits the Wounded Warriors Project. Ronnie says the song “Singer in a Cowboy Band” describes him to a “T”: “I mean hey I’ve played all those states – I played all those bars, all those holes in the wall, that’s just part of the process coming up through the deal. At the end of the day I’m just a singer in a cowboy band, or a wannabe singer in a cowboy band. However you want to interpret that.”

Scotty McCreery is on American Idol tonight.

Happy birthday to Jewel, who turns 38 today.

The tweet of the day is from Miranda Lambert: “I just heard the worst song ever. It was pitched to Blake. People actually finish songs that shi**y and then demo them? Why?”

Today's Country Tidbits

Jason Aldean kicked off the summer leg of his concert tour this past weekend in Atlanta, with two sold-out shows with nearly 40,000 fans partying with him. Ludacris joined him for “Dirt Road Anthem, sending the audience into a frenzy. Here’s a peek at how it went down…



Before going on stage, most bands have a ritual. Many don’t share theirs, but Zac Brown does. “We all throw our hands in right before we go onstage—everybody in the band—and I look every single person in the eye and on the count of three, we all say, ‘Ooooh, girl!’ That’s what gets it all started. We don’t ever do it—we don’t ever have a show without doing that first.”

Last week, Jason Aldean was surprised onstage by one of his musical heroes – Tracy Lawrence. Jason and Luke Bryan were onstage, singing Tracy’s hit “Time Marches On” when Tracy sauntered out onto the stage to join them. Fans were treated to twenty minutes of the trio riffing through some of Jason’s music as well as “Sticks and Stones” and “Paint Me A Birmingham.”

Congratulations to Taylor Swift, who was given the prestigious Woman of the Year award at the Billboard Music Awards last night. Kris Kristofferson did the induction, calling her “one of the most successful artists in country music”

Tomorrow night’s Dateline is special for two reasons: first, it’s their 20th anniversary special, and second, Carrie Underwood will be featured on it. The show, which airs at 10pm Eastern, will feature Hoda Kotb and Carrie remembering 2005, when Carrie won season 4 of American Idol, then talking about what’s happened in her life since then: the Grammy awards, multi-platinum albums, record breaking tours and her hunky hubby.

Tuesday night’s Grand Ole Opry red carpet will feature not gowns and tuxedos but brogans and camo. It’s a “Salute to the Troops Red Carpet Parade” tomorrow night and the public is encouraged to show up and cheer the arrival of the Tennessee National Guard as they arrive to be honored guests. The Opry features Montgomery Gentry, Rascal Flatts, Mark Wills, Kellie Pickler and lots more country greats. The show begins at 7, and the red carpet festivities start at 6 Central.

The June issue of Men’s Health magazine hits newsstands tomorrow, and Kenny Chesney is on the cover. Kenny likens performing onstage to sprinting on a treadmill at level 15 for two hours. No wonder he’s so skinny!

This Sunday, Martina McBride will sing the National Anthem at the Indy 500.

The tweet of the day is from Colt Ford: “My Son turned 13 Today. Hug your kids tell them you love them cause it goes by way to fast. Happy Birthday Reynolds. I love you buddy”

Today's Country Tidbits

Would you like to own one of the dresses Reba wore on the ACM Awards Sunday night? The cobalt blue, high neck, cutaway-shouldered gown is being auctioned off on ebay, with proceeds going to the non-profit Feeding America. Reba and her stylist Terry Gordon designed the dress, which was made by Universal Studios Couture. It's a size 6, and the high bid as of 5am Eastern this morning was $3,150, with 6 days to go in the auction.

Next time you go to a Jason Aldean show, wear your best country concert duds and smile pretty - you could be on a DVD one day. According to Jason, “We actually film every show, so just in case, that at some point, we wanted to put together a live DVD and just kind of a cool little thing from the road, we tape every single show.”

Kelly Clarkson played the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles Tuesday night, and her pop fans got a little country kick. Blake Shelton was in town for his show, "The Voice," and joined Kelly on "Don't You Wanna Stay," singing Jason Aldean's part. Later in the show, Reba strolled on stage to sing their hit, "Because of You." And Michelle Branch of The Wreckers also hit the stage to sing a little with Kelly, who just released a country version of her pop hit, "Mr. Know It All."

Alison Krauss and the Eagles are about to become Doctors of Music. The stars are the latest to be given honorary doctorates, recognizing them for their accomplishments and influence in the music world, from the Berklee College of Music. They'll don their caps and gowns on May 12th for commencement.

Congrats to Toby Keith, whose "Red Solo Cup" has gone platinum for sales of over a million. Toby says, “I’ve got 80-million spins as a songwriter and I didn’t write this song...it’s my only song that’s ever gotten pop airplay to speak of. Ryan Seacrest made it the Spring Break song of 2012.”

And Lionel Richie tops the country charts with his country duets album, "Tuskeegee." He's pretty clear the album's title is perfect: “There’s a great line in life that says, ‘Most the time in life you can’t go home.’ In this case I can. This is going to be a full circle. I’m going to revisit these songs again and it could only be called Tuskegee.” April 13th is the debut of the ACM duets special on CBS, featuring Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Lady Antebellum, The Band Perry and more of country's best.

Kellie Pickler is on American Idol tonight, performing her song "Where's Tammy Wynette" from her "100 Proof" album.

Happy birthday to Pat Green, who turns 40 today, and Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry, who is 45.

The tweet of the day is from Kellie Pickler: "I ain't talking to Siri till she learns how to speak with a southern accent. #StepItUpiPhone"

Today's Country Tidbits

Sunday night's ACM Awards will include something that hasn't happened before - a televised wedding. As Martina McBride and Pat Monahan of the rock group Train duet on "Marry Me," Christina Davidson and Frank Tucci will be saying their vows. The couple met in 2009 at a support group for young widows and widowers, and love grew from there. They were chosen by Martina to win a pretty amazing wedding package, including the high-profile ceremony.

Country stars are spending some time this week with their wardrobe assistants, getting their look just right for the red carpet and the award show. Reba, co-hosting again with Blake Shelton, says she's ready: “You know, honestly after 14 years of doing this, Terry Gordon and I are getting it down to a science and we already have our clothes ready. They’re ready! This is the first time we’ve been this prepared. It just worked out! So, we’re really tickled.”

Blake Shelton is up for Entertainer of the Year, and in typical Blake form, he's low-key about his chances: “I’m not going to sit here and be like other artists that’ll say, ‘Welllll...it’s just ya know.’ I’m pumped about it – it’s cool. I don’t know what my chances are of winning it, but I don’t hope somebody else wins it I’ll tell you that.” Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, Jason Aldean and Kenny Chesney are Blake's competition for EOY. Fan voting is continuing, if you want to cast your ballot for your favorite.

Kenny Chesney is also up for Album of the Year for "Hemingway's Whisky." He opened up about the project, saying, “There is a big part of me that really wants to be on stage and never do a ballad ever. But, there’s also a part of me that wants to write a record like Be As You Are and Lucky Old Sun because that’s how I live a lot of my life, so I think with this album...with Hemingway’s Whiskey, I have kind of combined a little bit of those two worlds.”

Vocal Duo nominees Montgomery Gentry have been a duo for a long time, and attribute their success to that fact: “I think it’s just our chemistry we were friends before we became business partners. We grew up playing music together – horseback riding, motorcycle riding, hanging out in the bar, shooting pool – we were just buddies. I think that chemistry is what kept us together for so many years.”

Jason Aldean is breaking venue attendance records on his tour stops, and he is pretty humble about why: “I think the biggest thing right now is trying to keep ticket prices at a price that it’s not ridiculous for people to spend. I mean, a couple and their kids go to a show, they don’t want to spend $500 to go see a show. I wouldn’t go see Elvis for $500…we’re not that good, know what I mean?!” He's 18 for 18 on show sell-outs on his tour so far this year - I'd say maybe they are that good!

Taylor Swift will be honored with The Big Help Award during the Nicklodeon Awards this Saturday night. First Lady Michelle Obama will be on hand to give the award to Taylor, recognizing her for modeling philanthropic behavior to her fans and encouraging them to help in times of need. In other Taylor news, she's expected to make around half a million dollars for the two songs she wrote for "The Hunger Games" soundtrack album.

Dierks Bentley's beloved Chevy pick-up, "Big White," may have seen its last mile. Dierks tweeted a photo of the well-worn truck on the side of the road, with the message, "Man down! Big White finally hit a wall today. Lonesome." No word on whether the truck that brought him to Nashville will be repaired.

Happy birthday to Reba, who turns 57 today. Rodney Atkins is celebrating his 43rd birthday.

The tweet of the day is from Neal McCoy: "I'm so sober, I just walked into a Liquor store and shouted- Do I look like Blake Shelton to you? Where's your Bacardi?"

Today's Country Tidbits

Fan voting is open for two of the ACM Awards. The fan voted awards are Entertainer of the Year and New Artist of the Year. In the running for EOY are Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton and Taylor Swift. Up for New Artist of the Year are Hunter Hayes, Brantley Gilbert and Scotty McCreery, and you can vote for your favorite in each category right up to the beginning of the show.

George Strait continues to raise the bar for the rest of country music. With "Love's Gonna Make it Alright" he has a second #1 song from the album, "Here for a Good Time," and has now racked up 59 #1 songs in a career spanning 31 years. What's his secret for success? “You know I’ve always thought that, whether I’m writing or not, you know, I’ve gotta pick the best songs. I’m not just gonna sing them because I wrote them. You know—I’ve gotta find the best songs to make the best record I can make.” His first charted single was "Unwound" in 1981 and his first #1 song was "Fool Hearted Memory" in 1982.

Jason Aldean knows how to treat his fans. Four Nashville fans drove to Illinois and camped out at the Civic Center box office, waiting to buy tickets for his May 10th concert. When Jason found out about it, he had some pizzas delivered to them. The camping paid off, too - the fans are in the front row for the show.

There's been football fever in Tennessee, and the stars aren't immune. Martina McBride offered Peyton a record deal and some free voice lessons. The Grand Ole Opry offered Peyton an open invitation to perform on the Opry, plus a VIP parking space. Carrie Underwood was hoping that Peyton would choose Tennessee, but now that it looks like Denver will be his town, Carrie said: "I like Tebow! I mean, obviously it was Manning fever for a couple days around here. But yeah, I just really want the Titans to be all that they can be!"

Speaking of Carrie Underwood, her new cd, "Blown Away," is out May first, and she's talkin' tour: “It’s going to be a lot of fun. It will be this fall and then potentially – we’ll see how that goes and then hopefully be able to add more dates in the spring next year. I’m just really looking forward to it it’s going to be really good and we have plenty of time to put it all together and make it really big.”

Garth Brooks is downsizing a bit. He unloaded 142 acres of raw land he owned in Oklahoma, raking in $2.7 million in the process. The land will become a community near Edmond, OK.

Day after tomorrow, country stars will gather with guns and guitars in Dothan, Alabama for the 11th Annual Country Goes Huntin' event hosted by Rhett Akins. Billy Currington, Eddie Montgomery, T-Roy Gentry, Rodney Atkins and more country stars will be part of the fun - Rhett Akins explains: “We pair up artists with hunting pros and we turkey hunt for two or three days. At the end of the event we have an acoustic jam where we raise money for different charities.” The Wounded Warriors Foundation is the biggest recipient.

Blake Shelton is working on a Christmas album for release this fall.

Lee Brice co-hosts the 4th hour of the Today show this morning.

Happy birthday to Ranger Doug, the frontman for Riders in the Sky, who is 66 today.

The tweet of the day is from Blake Shelton: "So completely awesome that people mouth off to me but can't comprehend the fact that I actually have the NERVE to defend myself..."

Today's Country Tidbits

Montgomery Gentry's new song, "Where I Come From," has cracked the top 10 on the country charts and is still climbing. Eddie Montgomery says their video take on the song was inspired by friends in their hometowns: “I’m very, very proud, and when you see a couple ‘ol boys that you went to high school with or watched playing football in high school and the next thing you know they’ve signed up for the military and they’re off to Iraq...you go like, ‘Man,’ you know it really hits you at home then.”

Luke Bryan is in Panama City Beach for spring break. He's the entertainment now that he's a grown up, but he remembers the shenanigans from when he was a teen: “One of my buddies...I’ll leave all the names out of it, but he got us banned from all of Thomas Drive down in Panama City. He threw a couple of TVs out of the hotel room...we had a great time though, it was all a part of being a kid, all a part of growing up.”

How does Carrie Underwood keep that killer body? She says she's 95% vegan, pays attention to where food comes from and would rather eat at home so she's in total control. Hubby Mike Fisher would rather go out to restaurants, which Carrie tolerates and manages with the LiveStrong.com phone app. Did you miss her new video when it was posted here Monday? Here it is again, so you can see how she's doing on her diet...

Billy Currington kicks off his first headlining tour this month, taking David Nail and Kip Moore on the road with him. He toured with Kenny Chesney last year and paid attention to how he kept his fans enthralled: “Yeah, he gets out there and talks to ‘em. I was like, ‘Dang! Do I gotta do that?!’ I thought you just come and here and sing! But he’ll carry on for a while!” If you're female and like to sing, you could be in luck- Billy will bring someone up on stage at each tour stop to sing Shania's part on "Party for Two."

Craig Morgan is looking forward to this Sunday night, when he makes his acting debut. He's part of the Lifetime series, "Army Wives." What was his role? “That was cool because I got to perform as myself. I did have a few talking lines I can’t tell you a whole lot about the show I’ll get in trouble, I’m not supposed to talk about it but I can tell you I’m in it and that’s pretty cool.” The show airs Sunday night at 9 Eastern on Lifetime.

Happy birthday to Kristian Bush of Sugarland who is 42 today, and to Michael Martin Murphey, who is 67.

The tweet of the day is from Rhonda Adkins, wife of Trace: "RhondaAdkins: If I could only tweet the jokes Trace is telling about sausage and beavers.. I'll let Trace do that"

Today's Country Tidbits

Oh, to have been in the audience for this - Darius Rucker's annual benefit for the childrens hospital in his home state of South Carolina raised $260,000. The show wasn't a typical Darius country set - he did 90 minutes of Sinatra music, backed by an orchestra which was led by Sinatra's long-time conductor. Darius is proud of this event, saying “Giving back is what you’re supposed to do. I’m a blessed individual. God has blessed me with a great life, and great kids, great wife, and you know I like helping people if I can – and giving back is how I do it I guess.”

Taylor Swift had a sit-down with an MTV reporter, talking about her new album, which should come out late this year - IF she quits writing long enough to get into the studio. She says she's been writing like crazy for the past year and will continue writing until she has literally zero time left to work on lyrics. According to Taylor, “With my feelings and things that I discover through love and through loss—writing about that is the only way that I feel better about that. And the only way that I get past it is when I’m standing onstage and I’m singing the words to that song, and I look down and someone is singing them back to me. ‘Cause it makes me feel like I’m not alone.”

Montgomery Gentry's first single for their new record label, "Where I Come From," is running up the charts, and T-Roy is really proud of it: “Every time I hear that song, I think about back home, I think about my family, and where I lived. Those years of growing up with all the neighborhood kids and hanging out and just playing ball in the front yard, and not having a care in the world.”

Lady Antebellum's members are still shocked over winning a Grammy, and they chat about that and Hillary dishes about Miranda Lambert and Lady Gaga's budding friendship as they shared a row at the Grammy Awards:

Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift and Toby Keith are all nominated in the 25th Annual Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards, which will be handed out March first.

David Nail has picked up two gold certifications, one each for "Red Light" and "Let it Rain." That's a great track record for him so far, and he says the reason is the songs: “I feel like with this record, a lot of it, you make your job as an artist so much easier if you pick great songs and you pick songs you’ve lived or experienced. I feel like that’s something I’ve done well with.”

Blake Shelton has already signed up for season 3 of The Voice. All four judges will return, with Christina Aguilara raking in $10 million and the rest of them having to settle for $6 million for the season.

Happy birthday to Bryan White, who turns 38 today, and to Larry the Cable Guy, who turns 49.

The tweet of the day is from Jake Owen: "One of my main goals again this year is to try a local brew in every city. Oxford, MS thanks for a good time and a good beer."

Today's Country Tidbits

Taylor Swift doesn't quite top this list, but she's doing really well to come in second. Forbes' list of the Top Earning Women in Music is out, and Taylor's at #2, just behind Lady GaGa. Carrie Underwood is also on the list, at #7. Taylor earned $45 million in the last 12 months, and Carrie earned $20 million.

Oh, dear...country music has a new scandal. Rodney Atkins was arrested and booked on domestic assault charges on November 21st, though the story just broke late yesterday morning. His wife, Tammy Jo Atkins, says that he tried to smother her with a pillow, and then threw her down the hallway, all in front of their son. He says she's lying, and he's filed for divorce. A hearing for the divorce case is scheduled for December 20th, and there's no word on when or if Rodney will have to stand trial for the events of November 21st. They were married in April of 1998 and have a 10-year old son, Elijah.

Also in November, Shania Twain's stalker pleaded guilty. The 51-year-old former doctor agreed to stay away from her. But yesterday, Joe Palumbo appealed his own guilty plea in the hopes of being acquitted in a new trial. Currently, he has to stay half a kilometer from Shania. His medical license was suspended in May of this year after he broke an agreement to stay away from her.

Jason Aldean has given Taylor Swift a big gift this holiday season - the gift of recognition for what she's doing for country music. In an interview with USA Today, Jason said, “Taylor has gone out and brought a whole new fanbase to our world. All these teenage girls that might not have listened to country before, she has brought them all into our genre. Nobody else is really doing that.” With two daughters, Jason's probably very familiar with the appeal of Taylor to the young, female crowd.

Brad Paisley is getting set to kick off his Camobunga tour in January, and is planning a bunch of "oh-wow" effects for fans. He says his camo inspiration was Porter Wagoner, who a young Brad saw leave the Opry building not in his famous sparkly Nudie suit, but in camo. “He comes out and he’s wearing a camo hat, and a Bass Pro Shops camo shirt, and camo pants, and that’s what he wore outta here. I remember thinking, ‘Well, that is just perfect!’ There’s something about it that’s very country.”

Montgomery Gentry and the Professional Championship Bull Riders are teaming up for a 2012 arena tour. Each stop includes a concert, followed by bullriding competitions.

On a tiny NASCAR note, congratulations to David Ragan and his new fiance, Jacquelyn Butler. They were engaged yesterday. Wedding details are to be announced.

Vince Gill is on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight and Craig Campbell is on Fox & Friends Weekend tomorrow.

The tweet of the day is from Blake Shelton: "Just found out the hard way that its not legal to relieve yourself in your yard in LA... Even though I was gonna pick it up!!!"

Today's Country Tidbits

Today is Veterans Day, and it's a day when we should take a minute to thank our military heroes who are willing to walk through fire for us. Country music artists know what we owe our veterans:

Dierks Bentley: “I think Veteran’s Day is something that happens once a year, but I think in the country community it really is something we are and need to be thinking about 365 days a year because those folks need us.”

Eric Church: “What I respect and admire is the sacrifice that those guys and girls go through for us to live the way they want to live too. And, again, I’m very thankful for the sacrifice that those guys endure. It’s something that’s always been very important to me and always will be.”

Craig Morgan: “There’s two things that are important in my life and that’s the security of my nation and the security of my family. The security of my nation comes first. Most people would not appreciate or understand that. But, without the security of this nation, I don’t have the security of my family...I can’t take care of my family. If it weren’t for those men and women there...stationed there and standing ready there, then we would be fighting terrorism at home on a much greater front.”

Kellie Pickler: “I get asked all the time, ‘Well, I don’t know how to...I can’t go to Afghanistan. What can I do?’ And it’s small things like saying thank you that make the biggest difference because it shows appreciation and it shows that you respect what they’re doing, regardless if you agree or disagree with what’s going on.”

It was Christmas in Nashville last night, as country's biggest stars lined up for the taping of the "CMA Country Christmas" special that will air December 1st on ABC. Some of the highlights of the show Jennifer Nettles hosts again this year include:

Sugarland performing a bi-lingual version of “Silent Night.”

Darius Rucker crooning “Winter Wonderland.”

Lauren Alaina sings “Grown Up Christmas List."

Vince Gill and Miss Piggy duet on “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”

Scotty McCreery takes on “The First Noel”

Little Big Town belts out a bluesy version of “Santa Claus is Back in Town” with Keith Urban on guitar.

Rascal Flatts performed “White Christmas”

The show will close with all the stars back on stage, singing a medly of Christmas songs.

Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland was very frank with reporters backstage at the CMA Awards when asked about their next album. She replied, "We're in the writing – actually, we're in the resting process, let me be real frank. We just got off tour two weeks ago after two years of being on the Incredible Machine tour and after obviously quite a tumultuous year. We're taking a few months off just to chill, relax and sleep in our own beds and contemplate on how we want to approach what's next."

The ratings for this year's CMA Award show were bigger than last year's - the 35 million viewers topped last year's telecast by nearly 3 million viewers.

Did you miss Thompson Square on Jimmy Kimmel Live after the CMA Awards? Here you go...

Lady Antebellum kicks off their "Own the Night" tour tonight in Knoxville.

Steve Martin and the Lonesome River Band wll be on the Late Show with David Letterman and Billy Currington is part of the UNC vs. Michigan State game tonight on ESPN.

The tweet of the day is from Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry: "Well we didn't win and that sucks. me and t will just work harder for next year"

Today's Country Tidbits

It's Halloween, and what is Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry doing tonight? Hanging with his 8-year-old daugher Kaylee, and doing the trick-or-treat thing. According to T-Roy, “We will be home for Halloween. We usually try to block off that time to spend with our kids. And all the kids in my neighborhood are running around from door to door, so it’s great.” No word on what Troy will be dressed as, though it's pretty well-known that he's a Batman fan.

Luke Bryan loves Halloween - mostly for the candy. “We’re looking forward to trick-or-treating, and doing it in our neighborhood. You can find out a lot about your neighbors by what kind of candy they put out. Well, like, full bars of Snickers bars, that’s…Reese’s cups, ya know, stuff like that. The ole chocolate popcorn ball of stuff, that, that’s no good.”

Justin Moore doesn't like Halloween, not one dang bit - well, maybe a tiny bit, this year. “Well, maybe I’ll like it a little better this year, since Ella’s old enough to maybe trick-or-treat a little bit, but…I think she’s going to be a cat. We’ve been practicing with her the meow and that kinda stuff. I’ve just never liked Halloween. I can’t stand it. It’s like the one holiday that I just, I don’t know why, but I never got. As a kid, I never dressed up, I didn’t want my face painted or nothing. I was a strange kid. I was a stranger kid than I am adult, if you can imagine that.”

And Kellie Pickler likes Halloween for the decorating opportunities. “Kyle came home from work one day, and he looks up and I’m hanging off the roof. He’s like, “Baby, get down from there!” I’m like, hanging spider webs, draping it from one corner of the house to the next, and…yeah, we had big spiders, we had a big witch on our porch. We, yeah, we went all out last year. I don’t know what we’re gonna do this year, though.” Not much more time to plan it, Kellie!

A topless photo of Taylor Swift? Nah - but a tabloid website is claiming that they might have one. TMZ says Taylor's legal team has threatened to sue and is demanding a retraction and apology.

Congrats to Lady Antebellum, Justin Moore and Ricky Skaggs, who all won awards Friday night at the 17th Annual Inspiration CMA Faith, Family and Country Awards. Lady A won best video for "Hello World," Justin Moore won Mainstream Inspirational Song for "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away," and Ricky Skaggs took home the Entertainer of the Year award.

Miranda Lambert is in the latest issue of Us Magazine, and talks about how she and Blake Shelton chill out at home. “Nothing too fancy; no big date nights. We cook meat out on our smoker, then we watch TV. I’ve really gotten into ‘Law & Order: SVU,’ and he loves funny movies. One of our staples is ‘Bad Santa.’ It’s wack, but so good! Also, deer season is coming up, so I’ll be back and we can go out hunting a lot. Hanging out together helps us stay friends, which is the most important thing.” Her new album, "Four the Record," comes out tomorrow, and Miranda will be on the Today show, talking it up. Wednesday, she'll be on Live with Regis and Kelly.

It's a couples thing - Tim McGraw and Faith Hill will both release new music cds in 2012. Tim's still all roiled up in a lawsuit with his previous record label, and Faith is still working on the music she'll offer, so release dates are TBA, but I'll keep you posted.

Gloriana is in the studio today, recording a Christmas song.

Happy birthday to Darryl Worley, who is 47.

The tweet of the day is from Chris Young: "That awkward moment when you think a girl is dressed up for Halloween, but really she just has bad make-up."

Today's Country Tidbits

Lady Antebellum has announced more dates for their "Own the Night" tour. They're planning nearly 60 shows between now and June of 2012, with Darius Rucker and Thompson Square on the road with them for the 2012 dates. The first leg of the "Own the Night" tour starts November 11th with Josh Kelly, Randy Montana and Edens Edge supporting the show.

Rascal Flatts announced their 2012 tour plans, and the "Thaw Out 2012" tour kicks off January 12th. So far, more than a dozen dates have been announced and there'll be more to follow. This is the indoor version of their summer tour - they'll launch a new show next summer. Sara Evans and Hunter Hayes are along for the opening act ride. Here are the show dates:

January 12th – Charleston, WV

January 13th – Roanoke, VA

January 14th – Hershey, PA

January 19th – Columbia, MO

January 20th – Peoria, IL

January 21st – Columbus, OH

January 26th – Albany, NY

January 27th – Providence, RI

January 28th – Atlantic City, NJ

February 9th – Jacksonville, FL

February 10th – Birmingham, AL

February 11th – Little Rock, AR

February 17th – Wilkes-Barre, PA

February 18th – E. Rutherford, NJ

Dierks Bentley likes his motorcycle rides, likes to party and likes life on the road. For his two kids, though, he envisions something quite different: “Total double standard. Totally fine for me to ride motorcycles and do the things I do. But, yeah, they’re not gonna be allowed to ride motorcycles, they’re not gonna be allowed to date, they’re not gonna be allowed to be in cars…no. I know it’s going to be really tough as they get older ‘cause I’m, I’m very protective. I have a feeling Evie’s going to be a little bit of a wild child, she’s been on the back of a motorcycle, she’s been on the bus a lot, she likes hanging out with the crew. She’s a fun girl.” Evie is three and baby Jordan turns 1 on Christmas day. We can only hope Dad mellows a bit with his rules by the time they're old enough to drive.

Sara Evans sang the National Anthem before last Saturday night's NASCAR race. Miss it? Here you go...

Montgomery Gentry's new cd, "Rebels on the Run," is out today. What's it about? Eddie Montgomery answers that: “You know we hear a lot of stories out there, man, over the years playing the night clubs. And nowadays when we go out and hang out, we hear a lot of stories coming through when we play shows and stuff like that, and you know—I reckon the easiest way to put it is we sing about the good, the bad, the ugly, and the party on the weekend, man! That’s it, we want to sing about everyday people.” Eddie and Troy Gentry hit the road this weekend and join Jay Leno for the 28th Annual Love Ride Motorcycle Rally on Sunday.

Congratulations to Blake Shelton on his 10th #1 song with "God Gave Me You." That's the #1 song on the Billboard Country Chart. On the Country Aircheck chart, George Strait holds down the top spot for his 58th career #1 song, with Blake in second place. How has George managed to snag 58 #1 songs? “It’s tough to get a #1 record. But, I’ve been fortunate through the years to be able to find some good songs and…got a great promotions department and everybody at MCA records has been behind me for all these years and it’s been a good team.”

The Band Perry performs on Dancing With the Stars tonight.

Happy birthdy to Josh Gracin who is 31 today.

Check out the Sandy Weaver Country Facebook page for a picture that Brad Paisley tweeted...it's Brad, Southpark style, and it's great.

The tweet of the day is from David Nail: "CMA dress shopping with my wife today, and let's just say, she's gonna have to find a second job!"

Today's Country Tidbits

Alan Jackson and Garth Brooks were inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame over the weekend. Only to Merle Haggard has written and recorded more #1 country songs than Alan Jackson. According to Alan, “It’s one of the coolest honors for me because I’ve always been more about the music, and I’ve always been especially proud to be able to be a writer and to have songs that affect people that they enjoy. And, you know, to be included in the writers here in Nashville, that’s uh…some of the best music in the world comes out of this town.”

Yesterday, Dierks Bentley's Miles & Music for Kids event rolled into Nashville. Charles Kelly of Lady Antebellum hit the stage with Dierks to sing "Long Trip Alone" and "How Am I Doin'." Colt Ford, Eli Young Band and Josh Thompson also performed for the crowd at Riverfront Park. The day of bikes and country music raised over $200,000 for the Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Over the weekend, Taylor Swift covered The Dixie Chicks and Rascal Flatts in concert. Check it out here...

Miranda Lambert tweeted a country girl solution to forgetting to pack eyeliner - use a Sharpie. She played a private show in Denver last night. It was her 9th show in 11 days, and she didn't pack well for it, apparently. After the show, she tweeted that the Sharpie eyeliner stayed put, and she wondered if Blake Shelton would like her new smokey eye trick.

On Friday, Carrie Underwood helped build a playground at Marshall Elementary School in Checotah, Oklahoma, her hometown. She assembled playground components, planted flowers and helped paint the playground's mural. More than 200 volunteers showed up to lend a hand, and the project was completed in less than 8 hours.

Keith Urban is headed to Australia early next year to be part of the Australian version of the hit tv show, "The Voice." Keith will be one of the coaches on the show, just like Blake Shelton is on the American version.

Easton Corbin is on vocal rest and is just sick about having to cancel shows. He issued a statement to his fans and tickholders: "I wanted to let all my fans know I am truly sorry I have had to cancel shows this month." The next scheduled show date is October 27th.

Tomorrow, Montgomery Gentry's first studio album since 2008 comes out, and Troy Gentry is really pleased with the way "Rebels on the Run" turned out. “Eddie and I try to find songs that people can identify with. You know, things that, you know, whether it be up or down…just the different knocks of life that people are going through that we think they can associate with.”

Martina McBride's "Invitation Only" premiers on CMT.

Happy birthday to Alan Jackson, who turns 53 today, and Earl Thomas Conley who is 70.

The tweet of the day is from Dierks Bentley: "wide awake thinking about today. over 200k raised by our fans and motorcycle riders for Miles and Music for Kids. unreal. good good stuff."

Today's Country Tidbits

The NFL is going pink during October for breast cancer awareness month, and Martina McBride is kicking things off by performing the National Anthem before the Baltimore Ravens - New York Jets game on Sunday. Watch for lots of pink on the players, the field and on Martina.

Now we know what's up with Steel Magnolia's Joshua Scott Jones. The duo had to cancel last week's shows, and Megan Linsey, the other half of Steel Magnolia and Josh's fiance, resumed their tour over the weekend with solo concerts. Joshua posted on the band's website, “God has been on my heart to announce and make public that I have entered a rehabilitation and treatment facility to address issues related to alcohol and substance abuse. Hundreds of thousands of people in the world struggle with these battles daily, therefore I am sincerely grateful for all thoughts and prayers at this very poignant juncture in my life and career. I would also like to thank my family, friends, record label and management team for being so supportive and having an active hand in my recovery process.”

Dierks Bentley was on the Jimmy Fallon show last night, performing Pink Floyd's classic song, "Wish You Were Here." He was excited to be part of the project, saying “Country music’s 90-percent of what I listen to, and always really have since I’ve been about 17 years old, but, I mean, Pink Floyd’s, ya know, one of the biggest rock bands of all time. When you hear that Pearl Jam’s going to do it. A buddy of mine plays guitar for Pearl Jam. A buddy of mine plays for Foo Fighters. Those are bands I really think are great. To be on the same, ya know, same show and part of the same deal they’re all doing was kind of a no-brainer.” Missed it? Here you go...

Congratulations to Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, who won the International Bluegrass Music Association's Entertainer of the Year award last night in Nashville. During his acceptance speech, Steve said, “I want to thank all the other nominees ... for losing." The award is given to the entertainer who does the best job of taking bluegrass to a wider audience. After the show, Steve said to reporters, “It really means a lot, sort of like winning two Oscars. It’s something we work very hard at and I kind of started from scratch. I mean I’ve been playing banjo for 50 years, but performing in a band I’ve never done. I’ve done it for about two years ... You know, the hardest part was talking and tuning.”

LeAnn Rimes was on the Ellen DeGeneres Show yesterday, talking about eating disorders, affairs and her new cd.

Tim McGraw's next movie, "Dirty Girl," comes out October 7th. He plays the estranged dad of a girl who's trying to find him. According to Tim, "I'm only in a small part in the movie, but it's a pretty pivotal part ... It's about a girl's journey to find her dad ... It's something that's dear to me, and something I related to."

Taylor Swift has some perfume coming out. Check out the commercial for "Wonderstruck."

Are you a fan of college football? Then you need Colt Ford's "Tailgate: College Football Versions, Vol. II" Colt drops college and university names into his game-day song, "Tailgate."

Lady Antebellum is the musical guest on Saturday Night Live tomorrow night and CBS Sunday Morning. Martina McBride sings the National Anthem before the Jets/Ravens game on NBC Sunday. Scotty McCreery is on the Today show Monday morning.

Happy birthday to Marty Stuart, who turns 53 today, and Eddie Montgomery, who is 48. Will he party? What do you think? “You know, shoot, anywhere me and ‘T’ try to show up, we try to make it a party. So, you know, cause it’s…that’s what it’s all about man is livin’ life.”

The tweet of the day is from Blake Shelton: "I'm so hung over right now I just spent 10 minutes trying to turn down the volume on my coffee maker..."

Today's Country Tidbits

Toby Keith tops Forbes Magazine's "Country Music's Highest-Paid Stars" list, raking in $50 million in the past year. His money comes not just from his music and tour dates, but also his "I Love This Bar & Grill" restaurants, his "Wild Shot Mezcal" and a sponsor relationship with Ford. Taylor Swift is second with $45 million, Brad Paisley is third at $40 million, Tim McGraw comes in fourth with $35 million and Rascal Flatts is a close 5th at $34 million.

Fun news about the CMA Awards - all five of the Entertainer of the Year nominees - Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban - will perform during the show. Tickets for the show go on sale to the public this Saturday at Ticketmaster.

Luke Bryan kicks off his third annual "Farm Tour" next week in South Carolina. Luke loves these little-town shows, saying “We just wanna have a little fun in the fall. And these things are a big event for these towns. I just love the fact that people can come out and have a big time, listen to some music, and…it’s just a fun experience.” He's on the road now, and wraps up his show with a little Lady Gaga. Don't believe me? Check out Luke's rendition of "Bad Romance"...

Last night in New York, Vince Gill and Sting shared the stage for a taping of CMT Crossroads. The two have known each other for 14 years and are great friends, and both had been looking for a way to work together. During the invitation-only concert, they swapped licks on Vince's "Whenever You Come Around," "These Days" and "Liza Jane." From Sting's catalog, they chose "Fields of Gold, "Shape of My Heart" and "Every Breath You Take." They also both whipped out guitars and had fun with a guitar jam. "CMT Crossroads: Sting and Vince Gill" will air in November. On October first, Vince will be part of Sting's 60th birthday concert, along with Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and Lady Gaga.

Randy Travis celebrates 25 years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry on October 4th. Carrie Underwood and Josh Turner are just two of the stars turning out to fete Randy. Parts of the show will air on GAC's "Opry Live" on October 15th, and there are still tickets available if you're up for a road trip.

Montgomery Gentry's new cd, "Rebels on the Run," won't be out until October 18th. The release date was pushed back because the guys decided to give away a motorcycle in conjunction with the release. One of the cd cases will include a "golden ticket" that the winner will exchange for a custom-made chopper from Demented Cycles.

There's fantasy baseball, fantasy football and now...fantasy hunting? Yep, and Craig Morgan is the first country artist to sign on as a player. There's over $60,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs, so you might want to pick a team!

Happy birthday to Faith Hill, who turns 44 today. She wants to share her gifts with her daughters - “I guess the greatest gift that I could give my girls is a sense of self worth and just…to be happy, learn to be happy, try to be happy.” By the way, Faith is working on a new album, though there's no word on a potential release date.

The tweet of the day is from Jo Dee Messina: "Love is ... carrying leftover mac and cheese 1/2 way across country, through secuity, on plane, for a 2 year old"

Today's Country Tidbits

George Strait has worn a lot of hats in his life, but he's about to don a new one. He's been a troubador, a business man, movie star, cutting-horse competitor and soon, he's going to be a grandfather. George's son Bubba and his wife Tamara are expecting their first child, and King George is over the moon. “Norma and I are having a great time, and my son and his new wife – they’ve been married, they were married last December – they’re expecting a baby in February, so I’m going to be a grandfather.”

Lady Antebellum is having a crazy-busy year, and the fall should be even crazier, with a new album on September 13th, a tour that kicks off November 11th, three big-city acoustic events and all of the media madness that goes with a new album and tour. Lady A's Hillary Scott is also planning a wedding, to fiance Chris Tyrell. When is she finding time to work on the wedding? “[Hillary] I’ve met the wedding planner a lot. But going into this album, the tour—it will definitely still be something that I’m working on, but I tried to get a lot of the big decisions out of the way before all this has picked up. I haven’t gotten my dress yet. I’m starting to kinda stress about that, but umm… [Dave] They’ve got some a Target, I saw the other day… [Hillary] Perfect!”

Blake Shelton didn't write the title track to his current cd, "Red River Blue" but it sounds like it could be a story about Blake and Miranda. Turns out, it is. The songwriter is Buddy Owens, a friend of Blake's, and as Blake tells it, “At some point along the way, Miranda and I had gotten in a fight and broken up for one of our week-long breakups, or two days or whatever. But at this moment, I had seen him that night and he asked how she was doing, and I said, ‘Aw, Man. Ya know, I screwed up.’ He said, ‘Aw, Man, I hate that, ya know.’ He went and wrote a song about a guy from Oklahoma and a girl from Texas breaking up, and about how the Red River is, ya know, the great divide, symbolic, between the two.” Catch the now-happily married couple Monday night on Dateline NBC at 10pm Eastern.

Taylor Swift is up for an award at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night. Interesting note about the awards - when the nominees were first announced, Taylor's name wasn't anywhere in the list, after raking in Moonmen over the last several years. Someone at MTV must have taken note of that and decided to ensure that the Golden One would participate, and suddenly a new category, Best Video with a Message, had a gang of nominees, with Taylor as one of them. Her song "Mean" is up against Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie," "Firework" by Katy Perry, "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga, "F******* Perfect" by Pink and "Make It Stop" by Rise Against. Taylor's not scheduled to perform on the show.

If you're in a doctor's office this fall, check out the magazine table. Carrie Underwood is on the cover of Vim & Vigor, distributed to health care practitioners only, and in the article she talks about her vegetarian diet and her exercise routine to keep those legs in shape.

On September 6th, The Band Perry and Jake Owen will announce 5 categories of nominees for this year's CMA Awards on ABC's Good Morning America. Then Jerrod Niemann and Thompson Square wll announce seven categories, wth the Jane Dear Girls revealing the Broadcast awards finalists. The awards will be handed out on country music's biggest night, November 9th, live from Nashville on ABC.

Montgomery Gentry is getting set to slap the jumper cables on the Sylvania 300 - they're the pre-race entertainment at the September 25th race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Jake Owen will turn 30 this weekend on tour with Keith Urban. They'll be in Dallas, Texas, so you can expect some big doins' for the milestone. How does Jake feel about hitting the big 3-0? “I had some pretty awesome things happen in my 20s. And so as I’m turning 30, I’m just at a place now where I think about my life more than I think about just day-to-day. When you’re 22, 23 years old, and you’re just going day-to-day, you don’t think about the ‘bigger picture’. You don’t think about ‘Damn, I’m 30! My kid – if I don’t have a kid ‘til I’m 40 – he’s not gonna wanna throw a baseball when he’s 10 with his 50-year-old dad!’ You know?!”

I don't usually predict #1 songs, but it's looking like Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will log a #1 with their collaboration, "Remind Me," next week. I'll either say "I told you so" or I'll eat crow in this space next week.

Chris Young is on Fox & Friends, Kellie Pickler is on the Ellen DeGeneres show and Emmylou Harris is on Late Night with David Letterman tonight.

Happy birthday to Jmmy Olander of Diamond Rio, who is 50 today. Tomorrow, Jeff Cook of Alabama turns 62, and on Sunday, Shania Twain turns 46, Jake Owen turns 30 and LeAnn Rimes turns 29.

The tweet of the day is from Joe Don Rooney of Rascal Flatts: "Thinking about the East Coast tonight Hoping Hurricane Irene loses her power and doesn't do very much damage this weekend! #PrayersGoingUP"

Today's Country Tidbits

Last night in New Mexico, Sugarland's "Incredible Machine" tour resumed after the tragedy last weekend that claimed five lives. Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush asked fans to donate to a relief fund for the families of those injured and killed, and stagehands wore t-shirts honoring Nathan Bird, the stage hand who was up in the light rigging when the stage roof collapsed. He died at the hospital a couple of hours later. Just before last night's show, Jennifer led a moment of silence in honor of the victims.

The ACM is donating $661,000 to the ACM Lifting Lives Foundation, and the money was generated by the "Girls Night Out: Superstar Women of Country" special. The money is being gifted in the names of the performers and honorees, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, the Judds, Loretta Lynn, Reba, Jennifer Nettles, Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Ronnie Dunn, Sara Evans, Little Big Town, Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts, Pistol Annies, Vince Gill, John Fogerty and the Jane Dear Girls.

Brad Paisley is on the European leg of his world tour, and he loves playing overseas. According to Brad, it's pretty easy to be incognito. “There’s a really great audience there, and there may not be a lot of people that love country music, but if there’s several thousand, they’re all going when you go play there. I mean, no one in the city knows who you are when you walk through except the people lined up. The best time to walk around in London is when they’re lining up for your show, because that’s it. That’s the only people who care about you. And they’re out in front of the theater. Go out the back and you can just go anywhere you want.” Scroll down for video of the encore performance that featured Rolling Stone guitarist Ron Wood.

Jake Owen loves his fans and loves to share his day-to-day exploits with them. When he needs stitches, he shows the photos. When he needs some fun time on the water, he invites his fans to come and play with him. Twitter is the medium he's using to keep in touch, and according to Jake, “I think Twitter’s supposed to be used, at least from my perspective, it’s supposed to be used for talking to people on a real level, you know? That’s why I do real things like that. I mean, I’m not scared. I’m a human being. If I invite someone out there that’s a weirdo that shows up to come on my boat, I’ll kick ‘em off in the water, man.”

Didja miss The Band Perry on Jimmy Kimmel Live? Here you go...

and their other performance...

When you're a big-time country music star, you get to be part of peoples' most important life moments. Case in point - Dierks Bentley got to help a guy propose to his girlfriend. Of course she said "yes!"

Told you yesterday about Brad Paisley being joined onstage by Rolling Stone guitarist Ron Wood. The two swapped licks on "Let the Good Times Roll" and according to Brad, "We've never rehearsed. But we don't care. Do we?" They ended the show, joined by Darius Rucker, with a rousing performance of "Alcohol."

Remember that Shania Twain took a fall when coming down the aisle at the CMT awards? The fabulous shoes she was wearing, which she blamed for the fall, are on eBay, being auctioned off for charity, the "Shania Kids Can" fund. The bid at the time of publication was $16,500. Pony up your credit card, if you're a huge Shania fan!

If you're a huge George Jones fan, you'll want to be in Nashville on September 30th for the Tuesday night Opry show. That night will honor George Jones, and celebrate his 80th birthday. Guests will include Alan ackson, Montgomery Gentry, Joe Diffie, Jamey Johnson, Pam Tillis and the Oak Ridge Boys.

New music on the way from Montgomery Gentry. "Rebels on the Run" hits the streets October 4th. It's their 7th studio album.

Randy Travis and Josh Turner are on the Tonight Show, and Trace Adkins is on Chelsea Lately. Sunday night's "True Blood" episode will feature Taylor Swift's song, "Haunted."

Happy birthday to Eddy Raven as he turns 67 today, Clay Walker, who is 42 and Lee Ann Womack, who's 45. Sunday Kenny Rogers turns turns 73.

The tweet of the day is from Chris Young: "I was kinda down today... and then I remembered my dad survived lung cancer and I still have the man I look up to in my life #perspective"