Jason Aldean was proud to be part of the show Opening Act last night, giving 16-year-old Kylie Morgan a chance to open for him on one of his My Kinda Party tour stops. Jason had help from Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Trace Adkins and Keith Urban when he was a baby act, and knows what that kind of support can mean: “For a new artist, it’s so important and such a big deal for your career and to help get your career of the ground, so it’s a big deal.” He goes on to say, “To be able to kinda pay it forward and do that for another new act, it’s cool. I mean, that’s the way it should be...helping other artists, other acts reach their goal of becoming a country music star.”

Taylor Swift now has a collection of 20 surfboards. What will she do with them all? She’s not telling yet, but it’s a safe bet that they’re not all hanging on her condo walls. With the five surfboards she won at the Teen Choice Awards Sunday night, she’s now the most-awarded female ever in the Teen Choice Awards’ 13-year history.

Keith Urban finds inspiration in a lot of places. He’s working on his next studio album and says this about where he is in country music right now: “There really is something particular that’s in—of all things—a Waylon Jennings song. There’s a song he wrote called, ‘Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way.’ And that song for me has always been like the perfect summation of what I love about playing country music.”

Phil Vassar’s Canadian fans got way more than they bargained for at the Craven Country Jamboree in Saskatchewan. He played his scheduled 90 minute set on stage, went backstage to the VIP tent, which was filled with people who wanted more. He sat down at a piano and played for another two hours, then he and his band went back to the main stage and played another 45 minutes for those who were camping at the festival. At 3am!! His manager finally dragged him off-stage so they could make it to the airport for their 6:40am flight to Nashville.

Love & Theft’s new cd is out today, and here’s what they have to say about the sound of it: “I think it sounds more organic and raw than our first album. The vibe we were looking for is better suited for a live tracking session in a room where you’re singing live and going back and fixing vocals as opposed to trying to make it sound polished and perfect.”

Red Solo Cup is on fire! Toby Keith now has his first double-platinum single ever. The song went platinum for a million paid downloads in January and has now been certified double-platinum. Congrats to Toby, who was such a natural in the video.



Craig Morgan is on the “Road Warriors” segment of Morning Express With Robin Meade on HLN.

Today's Country Tidbits

What did you do – and what did you think about – on Independence Day? The 4th of July evokes a lot of memories and emotions from country artists. Here are some of them…

Dierks Bentley: “The definition of America to me is getting the chance to travel across the county in a tour bus, stepping on stages, whether it be county fairs, state fairs, arenas, rock bars, the Opry stage - anywhere across this county and looking across the crowd and seeing the people. The people to me are what America is all about.”

Tim McGraw: “Country music, baseball, trucks – look from where I came from, the small town I grew up in, the situation I grew up in – I don’t think there’s any other country in the world that I could have had the success I had, and come from where I come from.”

Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts: “I used to watch my Uncle Jimmy light firecrackers and then hold them until they got down to the end and toss them. You’ve got to throw it. You can’t hold it that long. You’ve got to throw it sooner than later. I was about 12 years old when it went off in my hand. Oddly enough my fingers were numb for a few minutes, but it didn’t do any damage.”

Carrie Underwood: “America really is, you know, the land of opportunity. It’s the only place in the world that I could try out for some show and win and…amongst hundreds of thousands of people…and go on to do great things. I mean, it’s just the land of ‘anything could happen.’ The people in it are what makes it great.”

Eric Church: “The Fourth of July growing up for me, we would always go on the lake. We didn’t live on the lake, but we would always go to the lake. I had a buddy who had a pontoon. We would always get on the pontoon - you’d go out and tie all of the pontoons together and just have a big time.”

Jake Owen: “Some of my favorite Fourth of July memories were spent on Lake Blackshear down in Georgia with all of my family. I was always in charge of driving home from Tennessee and picking up all of the fireworks. My nieces and nephews always got excited when I rolled in because they knew I had all of the fireworks, but it was always a great memory and I miss not getting to do that as much as we used to.”

Andy Griffith, the star of Matlock and The Andy Griffith Show, passed away on Tuesday, and country artists mourn the loss. Two who worked with him, Brad Paisley and Randy Travis, weigh in with their thoughts on the loss of an icon. According to Brad, “You know, when you think of ‘Andy Taylor,’ the character that Andy Griffith played on the show, he was the ultimate sort-of stand up guy. He was the guy you could count on. If he gave you his word, he was gonna keep it. If he, you know...he was trustworthy, he was a good dad to his son, he passed on great lessons and every show pretty much had a great message.” Brad asked Andy Griffith to help him out on the 2008 hit, “Waitin’ On A Woman.” Brad said, “He’s my favorite TV character of all time, and to be able to take that guy and not only honor the song with his presence, but in some ways honor him. He’s just as proud of it as I am. It’s just a great thrill for me.” Randy Travis worked with Andy Griffith, and talked about working with him: “I got to know him personally while working on Matlock. I actually did two episodes two years, back to back, and I found him to be one of the nicest, easiest to like, down to earth man I ever met in my life. So it was just an incredibly good experience for me.”

Charles Kelly of Lady Antebellum pranked Darius Rucker during the final show of their tour. Darius closes his set with Prince’s “Purple Rain,” and Charles, all decked out as the tallest Prince impersonator ever, showed up on stage to help. Watch him crack Darius up…



Sugarland is offering one fan the chance to join them onstage August 9th and sing “Baby Girl” at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip motorcycle rally. You have to post a video of yourself singing the song and complete an entry form on their website. Good luck!

If you were part of BamaJam last month, you helped do good deeds in the Wiregrass area. BamaJam 2012 is donating $25,000 to 17 area organizations as a way to thank the southern Alabama region for supporting the annual music festival.

Congratulations to Phil Vassar, who has been named Distinguished Virginian by the Virginia Association of Broadcasters. A native of Lynchburg, VA, Phil has distinguished himself as a successful singer/songwriter and has a man cave full of awards. This latest one honors him for substantial contributions to the wellbeing of Virginia, it’s citizens and the broadcast industry.

Today's Country Tidbits

Dierks Bentley is in love with country music right now. Not just his, but everyone else’s, it sounds like! “As far as the new stuff out there, country stuff, probably just people I’ve toured with – Miranda [Lambert’s] record is great, Eric Church’s record is great. That ‘Springsteen’ song is awesome. Everything Blake [Shelton] is putting out I really enjoy. His last single “Drink On It” just has that classic sound to it. ‘Fly Over States,’ that song is unreal – it’s probably my favorite Jason [Aldean] song.” He’s headed for Washington DC this weekend, where he’ll perform after the Washington Nationals play baseball, hosting the Atlanta Braves.

The Band Perry is wrapping up their debut album’s success with one final single, “Postcard From Paris.” As it climbs the charts, they’ve been writing material for their next cd, which could be out late this year. The trio had a writing session with one of Kimberly Perry’s musical heroes, Sheryl Crow. According to Kimberly, “A huge influence of mine has always been Sheryl Crow. I just love how lyrically she is so creative and completely unique to herself. She’s a strong lady, a fantastic performer and she’s got a little spit fire herself. I’ve always looked up to Sheryl.”

Jake Owen is getting set to hit the road on the Brothers of the Sun tour with Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw, and his newest single, “The One That Got Away,” is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. About the song, Jake says, “It’s a true song for me. It’s the one on the record that I wrote, just about my hometown and the way that girls and their families would come to town during the summer and then they’d leave three months later, go back up north, start school. They would always leave, and there’s this one girl in particular I just remember I never saw her again.”

Got a huge Taylor Swift fan in your life? Planning a trip to Nashville this summer or fall? Then you have to stop by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum for the “Taylor Swift: Speak Now – Treasures from the World Tour” exhibit. It features costumes, props and even the Juliet balcony Taylor rode in as she flew over the audience singing “Love Story.”

Phil Vassar’s video for “Don’t Miss Your Life” is out and it’s as touching and as personal as you might expect. Tissue alert!



Gary Allen has turned in the final recordings for his next album. We don’t know the name yet, and we don’t know the release date, but Gary says the project covers everything from breaking up to healing. He’s on the road, headlining the Country Throwdown Tour, which is in Michigan on Friday.

Congrats to Kip Moore, who has the #1 song again this week with “Somethin’ Bout a Truck.”

Trisha Yearwood is on a re-run of The View today, and Wynonna celebrates her 48th birthday today.

The tweet of the day is from Martina McBride: “Kids in the pool. Music playing. Making fresh guacamole. Sun shining. It’s summer! #lifeisgood”

Today's Country Tidbits

Brad Paisley's H2O II tour has been romping around the country, with newcomer Brett Eldredge on board for some of the shows. This past weekend was his last show on the tour, so he

wanted to show Brad his appreciation for being included...and also maybe prank the prankmaster just a little bit. Brad's ride of choice is a Chevy Corvette when he's not on his tour bus, and Brett decided to give Brad a new 'Vette, complete with a "Paisley" license plate. Brett arranged to replace Brad's full-sized red Corvette with this sporty yellow one. But Brad didn't have to worry...his real 'Vette was nearby, plus now he has a special ride for his two boys.

Pranks on Brad's tour continued, with openers Edens Edge stealing the West Virginia doormat outside his tour bus and replacing it with an Arkansas Razorback mat. Showing his displeasure with the "gift," Brad lit it on fire.

Some artists are really open with their fans, including them in play dates. Case in point - Jake Owen, who tweeted an invitation for people to join him at the river yesterday. He offered to bring the boat, the wake board, beer and a towel. He even gave the exact address of the boat ramp so anyone who wanted to play on the water with him could be there. Wow...tha

t's a life wide open!

Luke Bryan was on the Today show yesterday, and took a special gift to Hoda and Kathy Lee. Beer for breakfast, anyone?

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

After the show, Luke must have had a clumsy moment, because he tweeted a photo of himself after getting some stitches in his forehead. He didn't offer up any explanation about how it happened, though.

John Rich aced Celebrity Apprectice, and has kept a video blog during and after his journey. Here's the last vlog entry.

While we're playing with videos, have you seen the one shot in Phil Vassar's back yard?

Congrats to Eric Church, who sits atop the Billboard Country Album chart again this week with his new release, "Chief."

Trace Adkins is on Chelsea Lately! tonight, and Jerrod Niemann is on the Ellen DeGeneres show today.

The tweet of the day is from Justin Moore: "Guys...chill. I'm the farthest thing from a Yankees fan. I said I'm at Yankee stadium, not go Yankees. GO BRAVES!!!"

Today's Country Tidbits

Best wishes to Josh Scott Jones and Meghan Linsey of Steel Magnolia. Wedding bells are thinking of ringing, as the two of them are engaged. Megan's sporting an engagement ring that belonged to Josh's great grandmother, and they're looking at July 10, 2012 as a possible wedding date. That's also Meghan's birthday.

Lady Antebellum revealed their new video for the song "Just a Kiss" this week...

The cd featuring the song will be out September 13th, but you can pre-order "Own the Night" now.

Phil Vassar has customized his song, "Let's Get Together," and it's become the Arizona Rattlers theme song and rallying cry. The Rattler Hum is lighting up the arena football world, and from the looks of the players, they're delighted with their country romp.

Taylor Swift is on the cover of the current issue of Teen Vogue.

On Jimmy Kimmel Monday night, Steel Magnolia debuted their new single, "Without You."

Darius Rucker is on The Early Show today, and tonight on "The Voice," Miranda Lambert duets with Dia Frampton, Blake Shelton's mentee. Marty Stuart is on the Late Show with David Letterman tonight. Dolly Parton is on Fox & Friends and VH1 Morning Buzz today, and on the Moby in the Morning network radio show tomorrow morning.

The tweet of the day is from Blake Shelton "Ok I'll admit that I'm drunk... But am I seeing this right?!!!! Am I?!!!! Am I?!!!!" yfrog.com/kf9noej

Today's Country Tidbits

Jason Aldean joins American Idol Season One winner Kelly Clarkson tonight on American Idol, where they'll duet on their #1 song, "Don't You Wanna Stay." Jason knew the song was special from the first time he heard it, but he also knew that it needed Kelly Clarkson on it. According to Jason, “I called my producer and I said, ‘Man, this is it.’ You know and he goes, ‘Well who do you want?’ I said, ‘Well I want Kelly Clarkson but I don’t know if we are going to be able to get her. You know, she’s not really in the country world over here.’ And so I… she was who I wanted but I really didn’t… I really kinda felt like it might be a long shot to get her. You know just to my surprise it just worked out. We got her the song, she fell in love with the song, and came in and just, I mean, nailed this thing. I mean just killed it.” The song spent three weeks at #1 on the country charts.

The Billboard Award nominations were announced yesterday, and country gets a nice nod in the noms. Here's hoping that when they hand out the awards on May 22nd in Las Vegas, country artists will take home at least some of the all-genre awards. Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum are the leading country nominees. Here's the list:

Top Artist

Taylor Swift

Justin Bieber

Eminem

Rihanna

Lady Gaga

Top Billboard 200 Album

Lady Antebellum

Taylor Swift

Eminem

Susan Boyle

Justin Bieber

Top Duo Group

Lady Antebellum

Black Eyed Peas

Bon Jovi

Linkin Park

U2

Top Billboard 200 Artist

Taylor Swift

Lady Antebellum

Eminem

Justin Bieber

Susan Boyle

Top Female Artist

Taylor Swift

Rihanna

Ke$ha

Lady Gaga

Katy Perry

Top Streaming Song (Audio)

Lady Antebellum – Need You Now

Taio Cruz – Dynamite

Bruno Mars – Just The Way You Are

Nelly – Just A Dream

Eminem feat. Rihanna – Love the Way You Lie

Top Country Album

Jason Aldean – My Kinda Party

Taylor Swift – Speak Now

Lady Antebellum – Need You Now

Zac Brown Band – The Foundation

Sugarland – Incredible Machine

Top Country Artist

Jason Aldean

Zac Brown Band

Taylor Swift

Lady Antebellum

Kenny Chesney

Top Country Song

The Band Perry – “If I Die Young”

Lady Antebellun – “Need You Now”

Miranda Lambert – “House That Built Me”

Sugarland – “Stuck Like Glue”

Taylor Swift – “Mine”

Darius Rucker is one of five celebrities added to the Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet. The group promotes Red Cross services by donating time, responding to disasters and lending help to those in need. Darius was part of the fund-raising efforts after last year's Nashville floods, helping to raise over $1.7 million.

Phil Vassar teamed up with Little Big Town to play a benefit concert for the Miller Home, rasing money and awareness for the organization, which provides a safe haven for girls aged four through 18. They played a sold-out concert in Lynchburg, VA and raised over $100,000 for the cause. Phil also sweetened the pot, throwing in two private dinners with him at his Nashville home, and those sold for over $10,000.

Toby Keith will take his "Locked & Loaded" tour to Europe this fall. He's added 12 shows in the UK, Holland, Germany, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Told you yesterday about Taylor Swift buying a new home for her parents - $1.4 million for a 1920's mansion that's been recently renovated. But Taylor didn't stop her shopping spree there - she bought herself a home in Los Angeles because she spends a lot of time there and wanted a "home away from home" in southern California.

Congratulations to Kellie Pickler for making People's Most Beautiful People list.

Congratulations to Blake Shelton, who has now sold more digital singles in the first week of availability than any other male country artist. Last week his brand new song, "Honey Bee," sold 138,000 copies. Nice hit!

Keith Burns of Burns & Poe has a daughter, Savannah Leigh, who is battling leukemia. Savannah is hospitalized at Egleston Children's Hospital in Atlanta and is in dire need of platelets and blood. On April 19th in Gainesville, GA, there'll be a blood drive to help supply her needs, as well as those of other kids in her situation. Call 770-538-0500 to schedule an appointment or to get more information.

Did you miss seeing Sara Evans on the Tonight Show? Here ya go...

The search will continue today for the cousin of Whitney Duncan. Holly Bobo, who lives about 100 miles northeast of Memphis, was abducted from her home yesterday afternoon. Her brother witnessed the kidnapping and is helping police. Holly is 20 years old, 5'3", blonde with hazel eyes and was last seen wearing a pink shirt and light blue jeans. Anyone with information should call the Sheriff's Department at 731-852-3714.

Catch Jason Aldean on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson after watching Jason and Kelly Clarkson on American Idol tonight.

Happy birthday to Miss Loretta Lynn, who turns 79 today.

The tweet of the day is from Brad Paisley: "Tying to think of a funny tweet. Nothin."

Today's Country Tidbits

As we head into Memorial Day weekend, it's good to remember those who serve. Zac Brown Band did a USO tour in April, and filmed it. They've produced it up and titled it, "For Those Who Serve." Part one is online now.

Tuesday, former oil platform worker Trace Adkins paid tribute to the 11 rig workers whose lives were lost in the April 20th explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. Diamond Rio was also part of the commemoration ceremony.

Trace is about to be the one honored, as he'll be awarded the Daughters of the American Revolution's Medal of Honor for his patriotic leadership and humanitarian works.

Congrats on new wall bling to:
Sugarland - "Enjoy the Ride" is triple platinum
Zac Brown Band "The Foundation" and Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" cds are double platinum. Lady A's song, "Need You Now," is triple platinum.
Brad Paisley's "She's Everything" is platinum, and Kenny Chesney's "Out Last Night" and "Never Wanted Nothing More" have both gone gold.

The members of Rascal Flatts, alongside a highway, picking up trash? No, it's not court-ordered service for traffic violations, it the guys doing their part to keep a beautiful state beautiful.



And Rascal Flatts want to make you their Roadie for a Day at the show of your choice.

Rumors are flying that the Carrie Underwood/Mike Fisher wedding is happening very soon. Right now, they're just rumors...

Uncle Kracker will release a country album on June 22nd. "Happy Hour: The South River Road Sessions" will include his current hit, "Smile."

Legacy Recordings has a new "Set List" on the way July 13th, featuring remastered live performances from Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Alabama and other country greats.

Don't forget to watch Darius Rucker's concert on the Speed channel Saturday night.



Brad Paisley will be part of the 2010 National Memorial Day Concert Sunday on PBS.

Happy birthday to Phil Vassar, who is 46 today, and to Wynonna, who turns 46 on Sunday.

Today's Country Tidbits

You know when Montgomery Gentry plans a summer tour, it's a big one. Well this year, it's a throwdown. The Country Throwdown Tour 2010 stars Montgomery Gentry, and packs the stage with Jamey Johnson, Little Big Town, Jack Ingram, Eric Church, Eli Young Band, the Lost Trailers, Heidi Newfield, Ryan Bingham, Jonathan Singleton & The Grove and Emily West. And if that's not quite enough entertainment, a Bluebird Cafe tent will also be on site, featuring up and coming singer-songwriters. The party starts May 14 in Tampa and runs through June 20th.

News every serious Zac Brown Band fan needs: Pre-order their new live DVD/CD set and get access to the best seats at their Atlanta show before they go on sale to the public this Friday.



The whole scoop is here...do this now!

New artists have been added to the BamaJam line-up. Kenny Chesney, Bocephus and Jamey Johnson are now joined by Gretchen Wilson, Gregg Allman, Robert Earl Keen and loads more stars already on the ticket. Hit the website to get tickets before they're all gone.

Miranda Lambert was thrilled to get her first #1 song with "White Liar," but was a little bit conflicted about it, too. Jason Aldean's "The Truth" had to be knocked out of the #1 slot, and it was co-written by her dear friend Ashley Monroe. Thankfully, the two are still friends. Meanwhile, she's still on cloud 9 about her six ACM nominations: “Every nomination I get I’m just so thankful that I’m still getting a nomination. You know what I mean? You never know when it’s going to be like, ‘Okay you’re old lets move on to the next.’ I’ve gotten nominations for the past three years now, and I really cherish it”

Dierks Bentley's bluegrass project has a name and a tentative release window. "Up on the Ridge" is due out in early summer, and features some great guests: Miranda Lambert, Alison Krauss and the Del McCoury Band. He says this is his version of bluegrass, not just "banjos cranked up to 11."

Tim McGraw spent a little extra time with Robin Roberts after his Good Morning America stint, and told a story on his Mom. When he was about 8, the family moved from one school district to another, and on the first day there, she marched him into the Principal's office and said if he acted up, the Principal had her permission to paddle him. Tim laughed and said it must have worked - after all, look how he's turned out. He might walk a little funny, is all, he quipped. Tim's working with Longhorn Steak House to help the military. You can help, too...just head for your neighborhood Longhorn, order off the special Operation Home Front menu and most of the proceeds go to help soldiers.

Yeah, there's an app for that. If you want to stay totally connected to all things Taylor Swift and you have an iPhone, here's your All Things Taylor app. In other Taylor news, she's the only country artist to crack the top 10 in Glamour Magazine's 50 Most Glamorous Women in the World for 2010. She lands at the number 6 spot.

Phil Vassar has partnered with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for their St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway. One lucky winner gets a brand new half-million dollar home in Franklin, Tennessee. Phil helps kick off the event with a free concert at The Factory in Franklin, on March 24th. Phil says, “St. Jude is an amazing organization and I’m more than happy to lend my time for such a worthy and necessary cause.”

Trisha Yearwood is about to be a very busy lady. Her second cookbook, "Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood" comes out on April 6th, and her book tour starts on the 7th. During April, she'll be ping-ponging across the country like a madwoman, visiting upscale cooking stores and bookstores in support of the project, which includes recipes for Garth's Breakfast Bowl, Tennessee Jambalaya and Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake. Trisha promises recipes that are easy plus yummy.

Gary Allan's new cd, "Get Off on the Pain" is in stores today, and he's scheduled to be on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight.

Today's Country Tidbits

It's official: Cash Rich is here, son of John and Joan Rich. Cash was born Sunday morning in Nashville. Mom and son are doing fine, and Daddy is as proud as a peacock.

Reba will be the host of the 45th ACM Awards on April 18th in Las Vegas. This is her 12th time hosting the show, which always has good ratings. The following night, in the same venue, CBS will tape a special, "Brooks & Dunn - The Last Rodeo." Since most of the stars will be in town for the ACM Awards, it was easy to get guests for that special. Already committed: Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Reba. Tickets for both events go on sale Friday.

Speaking of Brooks & Dunn, their website has undergone a complete transformation. Check out their new, last rodeo look.

Phil Vassar will spend a week in the UK at the end of this month, promoting his latest cd, "Traveling Circus" and playing a handful of intimate shows. The venue in Glasgow, Scotland takes the cake for the best bar name ever: King Tut's Wah Wah Hut!

Taylor Swift is back in the studio, working on the follow-up to "Fearless." She's got the same musicians who played on that project, so we know that what comes out of these sessions will be good.

And it looks like two of the three Dixie Chicks are working on an album. Natalie Maines isn't part of the project, which could come out later this year. Sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robison have been recording demos, and there's no word yet on what they'll call their duo.

Rascal Flatts tour kicks off Friday night. The "Unstoppable" tour re-starts in Connecticut and rolls across America, landing in Texas in mid-March.

Jason Aldean is gearing up for the continuation of his "Wide Open" tour, and promises a few new twists onstage.

This year marks a decade of wedded bliss for Vince Gill and Amy Grant - or does it? They're the cover couple on Good Housekeeping magazine, and they are pretty honest about how hard it's been to blend their families and balance each other's bad parts. Vince admits to a temper and Amy admits to a stubborn streak. The February issue is on newsstands today.

Jimmy Wayne's last tweet last night: "I began this walk with no intentions of asking 4 help 4 myself; just support 4 MMH. I'm in awe of how many people have offered both." We are a land of good people.

Birthday wishes for Keith Anderson, Ricky Van Shelton and Ray Price today.

Roseanne Cash will be on The Late Show with Conan O'Brien on Tuesday, talking about "The List" and performing "Sea of Heartbreak."

Today's Country Tidbits

Charlie Daniels has worn a lot of hats in his career, and now he can ad a "tv commercial star" hat to that collection. Geico is now introducing the "Rhetorical Question" campaign, a new line of commercials illustrating the "best of the best" concept, and Charlie Daniels is the star of one of them.

Meanwhile, Taylor Swift wraps up 2009 as People Magazine's most Intriguing Person of the Year. She'll have to buy another condo to house all of the awards she earned this year!

Word is out that Carrie Underwood's diamond is a 5-carat stone, but she's not satisfied in the sparkle category. She's shopping for the costumes she'll wear onstage during her "Play On" tour, and wants to be like Reba and Loretta Lynn...sparkly, looking great and sounding great. She hints that there'll be more costume changes on this tour than on the last one, and that's saying something!

Phil Vassar is working on a Broadway play. Actually, the play is written, and he's in charge of writing the songs for it. He says it's a lot different than writing a 10 or 12 song album. He said, "I’m 10 or 12 songs into this thing. I never realized how many songs are in a Broadway show.” Might have to ask for a raise, there, Phil!

Josh Gracin is writing, writing, writing songs in preparation for being in the recording studio next week.

Justin Moore got up at 4 this morning, bundled up for the 20-degree weather and is hunting today. He says there's nothing better than watching the sun come up while sitting in a blind.

Big fan of the late Johnny Cash? Then you'll be delighted to learn that there's a new cd coming out by him in February. It's disc number 6 from recordings he made in 2003 while working with Rick Rubin. No word on a track list yet, but the title is "American VI: Ain't No Grave."

Tonight on CBS, catch the Kennedy Center Honors concert. Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland is part of the tribute to Bruce Springsteen, singing a medley of his songs.

Today's country tidbits...

Just how popular is Taylor Swift? She's playing her first stadium show next June in Massachussetts, and the tickets went on sale last Saturday. The show sold out in 20 minutes. That's about 70,000 people who bought tickets that fast. Kellie Pickler and Gloriana will again share the stage with Taylor.

Lady Antebellum is performing the National Anthem this Sunday at the Titans/Rams game. Then they'll do it again at the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day in New Orleans, when the University of Florida and the University of Cincinnati slug it out.

The Country Thunder lineup has been announced, and it stars Kenny Chesney. Tickets are available now for the July event in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin. Also on the bill: Sugarland, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Billy Currington, Craig Morgan, Jo Dee Messina, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Randy Houser, David Nail, Gloriana and loads more great country artists.

Rascal Flatts is playing the Grand Ole Opry this Friday night. Since it's winter weather, the Opry is originating from the Ryman Auditorium, making the shows extra-special. And they're going on tour in 2010 with Darius Rucker. If you have an AT&T Universal Card, you can buy tickets today, before they go on sale to the public.

Remember I told you that Kellie Pickler was going to be part of a large donation to Nashville-area schools at the show she hosted last night? Well, the check was, indeed, quite large: over a million dollars was donated by the Country Music Association so that kids could continue to have music education in their schools. All proceeds from the CMA Music Festival go to this cause, so it was a very good year at the CMA Fest in June!

The Carrie Underwood special on Monday night boosted Fox to #2 on the night, behind CBS. Catch her latest song, "Temporary Home" as it was sung live on the show. She also performed her tribute to her Mom, "Mama Don't Worry," and sang with Dolly Parton.

Jason Michael Carroll loves to perform so much that he told The Tennessean, "They pay us to bring our gear into town and set it up and tear it down. We play for free." He's got a few more stops to make before heading home for Christmas. With four kids, you know there's a lot of shopping and wrapping to do!

Phil Vassar wants to wish you Merry Christmas with music. He's offering a free download of five acoustic Christmas songs, one which features his daughter, Haley. By the way, his new cd, "Traveling Circus," is available next Tuesday.

Today's country tidbits...

What did some of your favorite artists do for their Thanksgiving yesterday? Tim McGraw says that he and Faith have the same sort of day that most people do - they either travel to relatives' homes or have everyone over to theirs. Taylor Swift spent the day with her Mom's extended family, mostly women, who Taylor says "have this genetic cackle, and they stand in the kitchen and it's the loudest sound. It like breaks sound barriers. It's like out of a movie." Lee Ann Womack enjoyed eating her hubby, Frank Liddell's cooking, saying he's an amazing cook. Blake Shelton confesses that Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday, because it happens in the fall, which is his favorite season, and involves eating a lot of food, and he really chowed down. Chris Young said the family always splits up - women inside, talking, men outside, shooting. Martina McBride just loved spending a no-stress day with her family.

On the strength of his new song, "Everywhere I Go," Phil Vassar has moved up the release date of his next cd by two months. "Traveling Circus" will be out on December 5th, about two months earlier than planned. Phil produced all of the music himself, he uses his road band on it, and his friend and high school art teacher Jason Erwin painted all of the album art. He and Kenny Chesney co-wrote one of the tracks, "I Will Remember You," and the cd also includes "Bobby With an I."

What did Tim McGraw think of working with co-star Sandra Bullock? He said, "She's just a very cool, friendly, down-to-earth person. For me, she always reminded me of like my best friend's little sister." He also enjoyed being clean-shaven for the part, removing his trademark goatee. He said the maintenance time was less and the chore of shaving was much easier. If you haven't seen "The Blind Side" yet, take a break from shopping today and go see it.

Carrie Underwood was named one of the best-dressed people of the week in People magazine for her new, shorter hairdo and the beautiful blue dress she wore at the AMAs last Sunday.

Kenny Rogers kicks off his annual Christmas concert tour tonight in Louisiana, and will be on the road until December 23rd. He says, “I’ve always loved this season, because people, in general, are truly different. Look around . . . they smile more, they’re more gracious and generally seem happier.”