Randy Houser may have another #1 song on his hands, as “How Country Feels” is rocketing up the charts. It’s the first single from his next album, and even though he didn’t write it, he knew it was something special: “The first time I heard it, I heard that you know, ‘Let your hair down! Hair down!’ I went, ‘Aw, man.’ You know, I was hooked. There was no way I was not recording that song.” He’ll be a busy boy tonight, playing the Opry at the Ryman, then heading down the street to the Wildhorse Saloon to be part of Justin Moore’s benefit concert for Hurricane Sandy victims.

Dustin Lynch’s new song, “She Cranks My Tractor,” is very different from his first hit, “Cowboys and Angels.” What’s it all about? Dustin explains: “It’s definitely not about tractors; it’s about my dream girl. You know? It’s about a country girl that’s wilder than I am and kinda makes me come outta my shell, so that’s what that song means to me.” The woman in the video would crank a dead man’s tractor – check it out…



Blake Shelton isn’t winning any romance points with Miranda Lambert, it seems. In an interview with E! News, he was asked what he would give his wife for Christmas. He reminded the reporter that Miranda was very rich, and why should he blow a lot of his money on her when she could blow a bunch of her money on herself. He went on to say he might draw her a picture or something like that. Since we know Blake’s sense of humor, I’m guessing he’ll come up with a fabulous gift for Miranda.

The Band Perry feels cheated! They were in Europe last week, touring, and completely missed fall: “We live over in East Tennessee in the mountains so the leaves are all pretty over there, but I felt like we left and it was summer and we came back and all the trees were bare.” It’s ok, guys…you’ll see it next year, maybe while you’re on the road with Rascal Flatts.
Actually, Mike Gossin of Gloriana has some good advice for people whose lives are moving too fast: “I would say just savor the moment more. It all happened so fast for us. We didn’t really take it for granted, but I think we could have just realized more and been a little bit more appreciative of everything that was going on around us.” 
Garth Brooks fans, in case you missed it, be on the lookout for the “Gartha Stewart” episode of Trisha’s Southern Kitchen on the Food Network. Garth and wife Trisha Yearwood collaborated on black bean lasagna, TY Thai salad and peanut butter balls. The peanut butter balls are apparently something Garth and his daughters have made for years, and they looked really yummy!

Randy Houser and his wife Jessa welcomed their first child earlier this year and Randy says that fatherhood is changing him as a man, as a songwriter and as a performer: “I’m not gonna be a sippy cup country kinda guy, but there’s things I won’t say—I mean, I’m not out writing songs about ‘I’m going to pick up 15 women and we’re gonna get naked in the hot tub’ you know—it’s not gonna be any of that crap anymore!” Uh –huh – and you know that somewhere, someone’s got a bet down on when Randy Houser will include the words “sippy cup” in a song!

The names are being released, though we know it’s going to be a stellar line-up. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood are hosting the CMA Awards on November first, and the first batch of performers announced are Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Kelly Clarkson and Little Big Town. Tickets go on sale at Ticketmaster outlets Saturday at 11am Eastern time.

Here’s something else we know – Reba won’t be co-hosting the ACM Awards in 2013. She’s bowed out of the role she’s had for 13 years, officially passing the torch to Blake Shelton, her co-host for the past two years. How does Blake feel about hosting for as many years as Reba has? “I can’t imagine doing it as long as Reba—the two I’ve done have taken years off my life!” He does also say, “I’ll be honest with you, I have as much fun hosting that thing as I do sittin’ in the audience and watching it and laughing along with whoever’s doing it, but it is fun!”

Lady Antebellum is touring Australia right now and have added a TV appearance to their itinerary: they’ll appear on the hit show, “X-Factor” for the top 10 finalist episode, set to air next week. They’ll be playing shows through Wednesday, when they wrap up the tour at the iconic Sydney Opera House.

Little Big Town tops the Billboard Country album chart with their new release, “Tornado.” That’s two weeks running that their sales have dominated country music, and they’re pleased with the success their unconventional recording method is reaping. Usually artists use session musicians, not their road band, when they record an album, but not this time. Phillip Sweet explains, “We would come in at night and record – and kind of like a live show with our band. We would be a little loose, having a good time – maybe have eaten a little dinner together. And just go in there and make music, hit record and that’s what happened.” Apparently magic happened, as they scored their first #1 song with the album’s first single, “Pontoon.”
Happy birthday to Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town.

Kimberly Perry co-hosted the “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” with Luke Bryan last night, and she had a blast. She enlisted her brothers in The Band Perry to help her prepare for her hosting duties: “Oh goodness, for me, I didn’t know what a co-host was supposed to do. You see the pro’s like Carrie and Brad on the CMA Awards, and it’s like well, ‘You have some big shoes to fill.’ I actually practiced for my interviews because I had never done an interview before. You guys have a really tough job! Reid, Neil and I, they played Brad 1 and Brad 2 in the bus before I went out and did that and kind of threw me some curve balls. That’s what I did to prepare.”

Tim McGraw understands the power of a song, and also that artists have to dish up different types of songs in order to stay relevant to their fans. What’s his secret? “The key is finding good ones. There’s always a place for ones that don’t say a whole lot that are just fun, too. I mean I’ve had a few of those and I have no problem with those. It’s like, I go to the movie, I like to have some chocolate covered peanuts, you know, but I also like a heavy movie. And there’s places for all of it.” His latest song, “Truck Yeah,” falls into the “chocolate covered peanuts” category – here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the video…



Yes, that was Charlie Daniels being featured last night on Monday Night Football on ESPN. It’s not the first time he’s done that gig – every week during the 2006 football season, Charlie was part of an all-star band that opened the show.
All the Pistol Annies are now off the market. Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton have been married a couple of years, Angaleena Presley married Jordan Powell in May and now Ashley Monroe is engaged to Chicago White Sox pitcher John Danks. Here’s the photo she tweeted to announce the news… 

 

The ACM Honors stage just got hotter. Dierks Bentley is hosting the show, and Randy Houser, Luke Bryan, Jana Kramer, Kellie Pickler, Ashley Monroe, Rodney Crowell and Daily & Vincent will all be part of the entertainment next Monday night at the Ryman. The evening celebrates the winners of ACM awards given out before the televised portion of the show, as well as special honorees.

Lee Brice’s song, “Hard to Love,” has been certified gold for half a million copies sold. What’s the song about? Lee explains, “It’s a song about me. It’s a song about a lot of guys. So it’s a country strong and it’s really about every man in the world – not just country music men.”

Easton Corbin’s new album, “All Over The Road,” is out today, and he says the two years he spent living life have helped his sophomore project: “The more you grow, the older you get and obviously the more experiences you go through in life. I think it opens up some stuff, maybe some new territory to cover on a record, ya know.”

Dwight Yoakam is out with his first new music in seven years – “3 Pears” is out today, and Dwight produced the project. Why did a new album take so long? “I was continuing to hopefully evolve as a producer and learn. You know, you only have yourself to blame for whatever works or whatever doesn’t.”

It’s the year of the bus fire, apparently. Joe Diffie has joined Chris Young, Jerrod Niemann, Lee Brice and Randy Houser on the list of artists whose buses have caught fire this year. Joe’s went up in flames in the early hours of the morning last Friday while they were traveling between shows. The driver safely stopped it, evacuated it and a nearby truck stop helped them get back on the road after the damage was repaired. No injuries – same as with all of the other bus fires.

Even superstars have guilty pleasures, and Lady Antebellum fessed up to theirs in their latest webisode – they’re enthralled by Honey Boo Boo. Charles Kelley says it’s his favorite show on tv, and Dave Haywood says sometimes they have to take a Honey Boo Boo break, even while recording their fourth studio album! No word on when the album will be out – if they keep watching trash tv, it could be a while!



Dierks Bentley just celebrated his 10th #1 song in Nashville at the Tin Roof. He showed up in his ’67 Camaro and told the crowd, “I can’t believe there’s 10 of them, but um...it’s just, I think you put ‘em all together they tell a nice story of my music, my sound and my career so far. But, um...it’s weird. I can’t believe it!”

Darius Rucker has five #1 country songs so far, and just released “True Believers,” the first single from his third country album, due out early next year. About the song, Darius says, “It’s such a defiant song for me. It’s just a song of, ‘I’m gonna make my life work no matter what you all say or think.’ And I’ve lived my life like that for 46 years now.”

Josh Turner’s summer was very busy, what with touring, putting out a new album, “Live Across America,” in partnership with Cracker Barrel, and trying to keep up with his three boys during their summer vacation. What sorts of things does a famous Dad do with his sons? “Sports things or basketball or baseball or just playing outside. You know, anytime we have good weather or even when we don’t we’re trying to get outside and go down to the creek or walking through the pasture or fishing in the pond or whatever it may be so a lot of different things we can do just at home.”

This morning, Jason Aldean and Lady Antebellum announce the final nominees for the CMA Awards on Good Morning America.

Today's Country Tidbits

Kenny Chesney is celebrating release week of “Welcome to the Fishbowl” with a free concert on the Jersey Shore today. The show will be webcast live from the beach in Wildwood, NJ at 8:30pm Eastern on VEVO. Then tomorrow he’ll be up late, guesting on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and Friday morning he’ll be up early to be part of the Today Show. About the album, Kenny says fans will hear a new, more honest Kenny: “That’s the most important thing for me, is to be able to dig a little deeper than we’ve been, and take the audience on a little but different journey than we’ve been. And to be able to do that, I really feel like I gotta – as hard as it is – is to be incredibly honest. And to show what it took to record the song. I think they’re going to hear it in my voice in some of these songs.”

Luke Bryan is part of the 3rd annual ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp this week, visiting with musically talented but developmentally disabled kids in the studio. He’s really looking forward to one part: “I’m gonna stop by the studio and just pat ‘em on the back, get some hugs, get some pictures, and I’m looking forward to hearing the song. I’m sure it’ll be great, and cheer ‘em on, and I can’t wait to see their performance and see them get out there and do what they do so well. And that really feels special, and they have such a great way of brightening our day.”

The football team does it up right in Detroit. The Lions’ head coach, Jim Schwartz, is a big fan of Randy Houser and missed him the last time he played in Detroit. So Jim decided to create an event for Randy to headline. “Coach’s Kickoff” will be held at Ford Field in Detroit on August 5th and will feature an autograph session with the team, followed by an open team practice and Randy’s concert. Tickets go on sale this Friday.

Keith Urban has decided to kick off his 2013 tour in Australia. Make plans for shows in Brisbane on January 25th and 26th. According to Keith, it’ll be “new music, new show – it’ll be a blast!”

Jennifer Nettles is on cloud 9 with the upcoming birth of her first child. She and Justin Miller were married in November of last year, and their baby is due in November of this year.

Pistol Annies have created a new online community called The Henhouse. There’s “dating advice you won’t get from your momma,” according to Miranda Lambert, as well as music, a video channel for fans to share their inspirations and more. The project got its start one night on the tour bus as the ladies were dishing out dating advice to a member of their crew. Perhaps alcohol was also involved…

Carrie Underwood graces the cover of the Canadian version of Elle Magazine.

Congrats to Eric Church, who has the #1 song again this week with “Springsteen.” “Springsteen’ is one of those songs that every night that I sing it, I can remember being 16 years old at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Charlotte, North Carolina – my first amphitheater experience up there on the lawn. And I can remember spreading that blanket down, and I can still see the faces of the people that were there with me.”

Lee Brice will be on the Today show tomorrow morning. In addition, he’s celebrating the platinum status of his #1 song, “A Woman Like You.”

Today's Country Tidbits

Yesterday was Father’s Day, and here are some country music Dads with their thoughts on fatherhood:

Jason Aldean: “My girls are 9 and 4. I’m the Dad that’s gone a lot, and I think my wife’s more the disciplinary. Then when I get home I’m kinda the cool parent, because I take up for them and save the day. She hates me for that but they love me for it – that’s all that counts.”

Keith Urban: “The first thing is probably just having someone call you dad. I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh! I’m her dad! That’s amazing.’ That’s probably the first thing to me. I don’t know, I mean, the different personalities that our two daughters have, that’s amazing.”

Randy Houser: “I really, really love being a daddy. I mean, I’ve done a lot of cool things before, but there is nothing that compares. And I don’t expect anything, I don’t care. I got the gift of my little boy every day, so I don’t need a Father’s Day, to be honest.”

Ok, so Carrie Underwood’s not a dad, but she has one, and about him she says: “My dad’s the kind of person that most likely he’ll never, you know, look at me or my sisters and say, ‘Hey, I’m proud of you,’ or ‘You’re doing a great job,’ or anything like that, but I catch him, like, watching things that he’s taped of me on TV and stuff like that. You know, that means a lot.”

Zac Brown Band is teaming up with ESPN and Major League Baseball for the State Farm Home Run Derby on July 9th. They’ll do a medley of “America the Beautiful” and “Chicken Fried,” along with their new song, “The Wind.

Zac Brown Band, Toby Keith and Brad Paisley are ponying up some concert tickets to support charity. ACM Lifting Lives and Tickets-for-Charity.com will be handling the contests, with proceeds going to the stars’ favorite charities: Camp Southern Ground for ZBB, The Toby Keith Foundation and St. Jude Target House for Brad Paisley.

The Band Perry is working with legendary producer Rick Rubin, who is best known in Nashville for his work with Johnny Cash, but he’s also produced award winning albums for Adele, Tom Petty, Nine Inch Nails and the Beastie Boys. They’re about halfway through the work the new album and Kimberly Perry says they’re wearing Rick out with questions about Johnny Cash.

Some heavy metal has been earned: Jason Aldean’s “Dirt Road Anthem” is triple-platinum, his duet with Kelly Clarkson, “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” is double platinum and Carrie Underwood’s “Good Girl” is platinum.

Kenny Chesney’s “Welcome to the Fishbowl” is out tomorrow.

Happy 36th birthday to Blake Shelton today!

Today's Country Tidbits

The Band Perry is on an amazing climb to the top, with a quadruple-platinum single ("If I Die Young") a two-week chart-topper ("All Your Life") and now the news that they have to top-selling single of any artist in the last 18 months with "If I Die Young." Kimberly Perry says it's all by design: “We’ve spent our whole lives working toward this moment. I mean, we’ve dedicated every minute to music since I was 15, Reid was 10 and Neil was 8. So, you’re talking about a 13-year journey towards the last 12 months. And it’s just been really, really wonderful to see all the blood, sweat and tears that we’ve dedicated for so many years in life really come to fruition.”

Garth Brooks will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum this fall as the "Modern Era" inductee. Connie Smith will be honored as the "Veterans Era Artist" and in the "Recording and/or Touring Musician Active Prior to 1980" category, Hargus "Pig" Robbins will join the Hall. Garth is, not surprisingly, humble about the honor: “This is a wonderful day...a day of joy, a day of honor. I still can’t believe it. It’s kind of a funny day ‘cause you mix it with a lot of humbleness...guilt...for being here among these names.”

Didn't get enough of Brad Paisley's Virtual Reality World Tour 2012? No worries - he's continuing the tour from May 18th through October 20th, adding new bells and whistles to keep the show fresh for fans. According to Brad, “It’s all about content. It’s really about, what do we do on these songs. How do we make something like ‘American Saturday Night’ look a little different than last year? What do we do? And that’s where my video company is so great at that. I mean they showed me animation that they’d done, this 3-D looking graphic stuff that’s different from what we were using.” The Band Perry and Scotty McCreery will continue on most of the tour, with Miranda Lambert joining the fun for some July and August shows.

Luke Bryan hit a lick in front of his biggest audience - 71,000 at RodeoHouston. He was awed by the experience: “It was an amazing sight, an amazing thing to be a part of and definitely a big dream...you know, Houston Rodeo was something I’ve always dreamed of doing and to be on that stage and look up and see 71,000 with their hands up jumping up and down it was a surreal experience.” He closed out the show with "Country Girl (Shake it for Me)" getting off the stage and dancing with the audience.

Bad night last night for Jerrod Niemann - he and his band were playing a benefit for St. Jude in Chattanooga, TN. As they wrapped up their show at 10:45, the alarm went up - their tour bus was on fire. Lee Brice was also part of the show last night, and you'll remember that his bus went up in flames in January.

Been waiting for new music from Lee Brice? Mark April 24th on your calendar - that's when "Hard 2 Love" comes out.

Congrats to Randy Houser and his wife Jessa Lee - they welcomed a baby boy to their family yesterday. It's the first child for both of them.

The tweet of the day is from Jerrod Niemann: "To be honest, thank the good Lord that @leebrice was here tonite or I'd be freddy Krueger"

Today's Country Tidbits

When Brad Paisley sings "Remind Me" in his live shows, he duets with a virtual Carrie Underwood. He wrapped up his winter tour in Knoxville and as he was singing "Remind Me," a real, live duet partner joined him on stage and really surprised him...

In other Carrie news, check out the cover of her album, "Blown Away," which streets May first...

In Las Vegas the night after the ACM Awards, many stars are staying in town to tape "ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends." Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Martina McBride, Lady Antebellum, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Jennifer Nettles, Sara Evans and Luke Bryan are just a few of the artists who'll be featured on the show. Lionel himself is blown away by how country artists found his music: “To listen to them go, ‘Lionel, I can’t believe I’m doing this because you know when I was a kid ‘Sail On’ was this song,’ or ‘Stuck on You’ was this song. And they’re telling me these stories. Jennifer Nettles tells a story about how her mother took her to a fair, you know, and that’s how she heard ‘Hello’ for the first time. I mean, come on! Are you kidding me?”

Congrats to Kenny Chesney, who tops the country charts this week with his song, "Reality." What's his? “Everybody has their way of getting away from it, whether it’s – for me it’s a beach bar on the boat underneath the stars or with my band on the stage even thought that is our reality but that’s a great part of our reality.” His next album streets on June 19th.

They have one #1 song, "Crazy Girl," under their belts and another one climbing the charts. Eli Young Band isn't resting on their laurels, though: “With all these tour opportunities we have and the ability to be in front of these large crowds that probably wouldn’t or may have not seen us before, we’re kind of retooling our show and tweaking it a bit. You know, we’ve always been a road band. We’ve always pride ourselves on putting on a good show, but I think every year we sort of have to figure out how we can do better than the year before.”

Thompson Square has teamed up with ChildFund International to help at-risk children. For the rest of this year, fans who sign up and sponsor a child will get an autographed copy of Thompson Square's debut album.

He may be Your American Idol, but Scotty McCreery will probably warm the bench today. He was the pitcher on his high school baseball team up until his Idol schedule made him choose one or the other. Today is Garner High School's season opener, and Scotty will be there. He's been working out, but doesn't expect to play quite yet, telling reporters “I’m in an adult world now, but I want to be able to play baseball with my friends.”

A new biography of Johnny Cash is in the works. Former LA Times music critic Robert Hilburn is writing "In Search of Johnny Cash," a look at the Man in Black's childhood and rise to stardom. No release date has been set yet.

Luke Bryan's "Spring Break 4: Suntan City" is out today. How does he do this, year after year? “We kind of come back in the beginning of the year and we start writing for it. I typically have about twenty, twenty-five days to try to write Spring Break material so I get with a couple writers and we um – we just want to make a fun little album.”

Neal McCoy has new music out today - his new project, "XII," produced by Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, reflects his live shows: “It’s similar to what I’ve done on all my albums. I try and put a little bit of everything on there. I want it to be like coming to a show of ours and in our shows were are notorious and have been for my whole career of doing kind of crazy stuff.”

Congratulations to Randy Houser, who tweeted in the wee hours of this morning that he's about to be a daddy. He and Jessa Lee Yantz were married last September.

Happy birthday to singer/songwriter Skip Ewing, who is 48 today.

The tweet of the day is from Uncle Kracker: "Confidence...It's that feeling you get right before you fully understand the situation."

Today's Country Tidbits

The nominations for the CMA Music Awards were announced yesterday and there are four artists with five nominations each: Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton and Taylor Swift. The Band Perry and Zac Brown Band each have four nominations, with additional nominations in the songwriter category for Kimberly Perry of the Band Perry and Coy Bowles and Zac Brown of the Zac Brown Band. The awards will be handed out on November 9th on ABC, with Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood hosting the event again this year. Here's the list:

Entertainer of the Year

Jason Aldean

Brad Paisley

Blake Shelton

Taylor Swift

Keith Urban

Single of the Year (Award goes to Artist and Producer(s))

“A Little Bit Stronger”

Sara Evans

Produced by Tony Brown

RCA Nashville

“Colder Weather”

Zac Brown Band

Produced by Keith Stegall and Zac Brown

Southern Ground Artists/Atlantic Records

“Don’t You Wanna Stay”

Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson

Produced by Michael Knox

Broken Bow Records

“Honey Bee”

Blake Shelton

Produced by Scott Hendricks

Warner Bros. Nashville

“If I Die Young”

The Band Perry

Produced by Paul Worley

Republic Nashville

Album of the Year (Award goes to Artist and Producer(s))

All About Tonight

Blake Shelton

Produced by Scott Hendricks

Warner Bros. Nashville

My Kinda Party

Jason Aldean

Produced by Michael Knox

Broken Bow Records

Speak Now

Taylor Swift

Produced by Nathan Chapman and Taylor Swift

Big Machine Records

This Is Country Music

Brad Paisley

Produced by Frank Rogers

Arista Nashville

You Get What You Give

Zac Brown Band

Produced by Keith Stegall and Zac Brown

Southern Ground Artists/Atlantic Records

Song of the Year (Award goes to Songwriter(s))

“Colder Weather”

Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette, Levi Lowrey, and Coy Bowles

“Dirt Road Anthem”

Brantley Gilbert and Colt Ford

“If I Die Young”

Kimberly Perry

“Mean”

Taylor Swift

“You and Tequila”

Matraca Berg and Deana Carter

Female Vocalist of the Year

Sara Evans

Miranda Lambert

Martina McBride

Taylor Swift

Carrie Underwood

Male Vocalist of the Year

Jason Aldean

Kenny Chesney

Brad Paisley

Blake Shelton

Keith Urban

New Artist of the Year

The Band Perry

Luke Bryan

Eric Church

Thompson Square

Chris Young

Vocal Group of the Year

The Band Perry

Lady Antebellum

Little Big Town

Rascal Flatts

Zac Brown Band

Vocal Duo of the Year

The Civil Wars

Montgomery Gentry

Steel Magnolia

Sugarland

Thompson Square

Musical Event of the Year (Award goes to each Artist)

“As She’s Walking Away”

Zac Brown Band featuring Alan Jackson

Southern Ground Artists/Atlantic Records

“Coal Miner’s Daughter”

Loretta Lynn, Sheryl Crow, and Miranda Lambert

Columbia Records Nashville

“Don’t You Wanna Stay”

Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson

Broken Bow Records

“Old Alabama”

Brad Paisley featuring Alabama

Arista Nashville

“You and Tequila”

Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter

BNA Records

Musician of the Year

Sam Bush – Mandolin

Jerry Douglas – Dobro

Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar

Dann Huff – Guitar

Mac McAnally – Guitar

Music Video of the Year (Award goes to Artist and Director)

“Honey Bee”

Blake Shelton

Directed by Trey Fanjoy

“If I Die Young”

The Band Perry

Directed by David McClister

“Mean”

Taylor Swift

Directed by Declan Whitebloom

“Old Alabama”

Brad Paisley featuring Alabama

Directed by Jim Shea

“You and Tequila”

Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter

Directed by Shaun Silva

Well, it looks like they snuck this one in during a holiday weekend. Randy Houser married his fiance, Jessa Lee Yantz, last Friday in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. According to People Magazine, 20 friends and family members were on had to witness the marriage, for which the couple wrote their own vows. Seems like only yesterday we were talking about the astonishing 300-diamond ring he gave her. They got engaged in July, so didn't waste any time in pulling the trigger on a life together.

Eric Church is touring with Toby Keith, and when they're not on stage, they're huddled up on a bus, writing. According to Eric, “We’ve been threatening to do it for a while and it’s a neat thing to just pop up on his bus and write.” He'd like to record one of the songs they collaborated on, but says he wouldn't be too upset if Toby beats him to it.

Dierks Bentley's "Miles and Music for Kids" Nashville ride happens on October 16th, and includes the Eli Young Band, Colt Ford and Josh Thompson. There'll be more artists announced between now and then, and the ride and concert benefit the Monroe Carell Jr. Childrens Hospital at Vanderbilt. Dierks will do a Chicago ride on October 9th.

Taylor Swift's "Speak Now Help Now" tornado benefit concert on May 21st raised three quarters of a million dollars. Taylor has earmarked $150.000 of that to give to Tuscaloosa schools to help restock supplies and materials lost during the April tornadoes.

"CMT Insider Special Edition: 2011 CMA Awards Nominations" will air today at 11:30am Eastern tme. The 30-minute special features in-depth coverage of all of the nominations, artists and the awards show itself.

The tweet of the day is from Chris Young: "Literally got woken up by my phone ringing. Not a morning person. But then I found out I'm nominated for CMA New Artist. So I was ok with it"

Today's Country Tidbits

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

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

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

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

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

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

Catch Eric Church on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight.

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

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

Today's Country Tidbits

People are buzzing about the Brad Paisley/Carrie Underwood video for "Remind Me." It's a hot video in more ways than one, and Carrie wanted to be very careful about the treatment for the song, saying, “We had to go very delicate in how we did it because, obviously, we’re both separately married to other people, and it would be weird with our friendship. Like being in this love-y, smushy, gushy, story.” Extra went behind the scenes of the filming, and you can see it here.

In August, tons of country artists will band together to help celebrate the 40th anniversary of George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh. Jason Aldean, Kix Brooks, Jason Michael Carroll, Terri Clark, Ronnie Dunn, SAra Evans, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Steel Magnolia, Jewel, Whitney Duncan and Edens Edge will all support the Month of Giving.

Jerrod Niemann is on tour with Brad Paisley, a well-known prankster. Jerrod's trying hard to avoid the dreaded on-stage pranking, and has developed what he hopes is a fool-proof plan. He changes his set list every night, and according to Jerrod, “Part of it’s just to keep it fresh but, really, the main reason I change my set list every night is just in case Brad decides to prank me, and he says, ‘Hey, after this song is when we’re going to go out.’ There’s no telling if I’ll even play that song. So, it’s kind of a defense mechanism as well.”

The 10th annual Charlie Daniels Band & Friends benefit concert for Christmas 4 Kids will happen November 21 at the Ryman Auditoum. Phil Vassar and Sawyer Brown will be part of the show.

Congrats to Randy Houser, who got engaged over the weekend. He and Jessa Lee Yantz, a singer-songwriter, will tie the knot in the Dominican Republic. According to Randy, "I finally found the person that I can’t be without. Jessa makes me a better person every day, and I look forward to spending the rest of my life with her.”

Miranda Lambert is busy building a music empire - too busy, it seems, to pursue a different dream. She's a huge fan of the show "Law and Order: SUV" and would love to make a guest appearance someday. But not today. According to Miranda, “I have a real strong drive to build an empire. That’s what I’m trying to do, so, to build an empire you don’t take off work.” Her girl-group debut cd, Pistol Annies' "Hell on Heels," is out August 23rd and Miranda's 4th studio album, "Four the Record," drops on November first.

According to the LA Times, Blake Shelton being compared to George Clooney is "not an entirely irresponsible comparison." I hope they mean that in a good way!

Loretta Lynn was well enough to return to the concert stage this weekend, gracing the Grand Ole Opry with her presence Saturday night.

Today is the one-year anniversary of Jimmy Wayne's "Meet Me Halfway" walk across America. He arrived at HomeBase Youth Services in Phoenix, Arizona, walking the last few miles on a broken foot.

The tweet of the day is from Justin Moore: "Had a blast at the brickyard today. Got to present Paul Menard with the trophy in victory lane alongside Reba. Be jealous!"

Today's Country Tidbits

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

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

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

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

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

Tim McGraw is on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon tonight.

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

Today's Country Tidbits

Kenny Chesney let a handful of Nashville music executives and media in on his Goin' Coastal Tour Wednesday afternoon. He showed off his set and the set list, taking his band through all the songs that will be part of his tour this year. One surprise - the never-before-heard third verse to "Young." Kenny says he thought that verse dated him when he first recorded the song, so he left it out. Says Kenny, "Ten years later, it's funny how a song catches up with you." The tour kicks off next Thursday in West Palm Beach, FL and includes Billy Currington, Uncle Kracker and Zac Brown Band. Kenny will be part of March Madness' Final Four celebration, putting on a free concert in Houston. His "Summer in 3D" special airs on GAC tonight.

Luke Bryan rocked the beach in Panama City, FL this week so hard that an additional show had to be added. His "Spring Break 3: It's a Shore Thing" featured Luke and his band playing his own music, plus covers of Cee Lo Green, Eminem, David Allan Coe, Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Alabama and Nelly. Said Luke onstage, "This is the funnest thing I get to do all year."

Craig Campbell watched a YouTube video posted by Vince and Amy Spicocchi, who live in Ohio. The video was made by Vince, who is a fireman, about his family. Amy, who is a registered nurse, gave birth to quintuplets on August 3rd, 2010 but the five babies were so small that they were hospitalized and the medical bills mounted up. This week, when Craig was playing a concert in Akron, Ohio, he sent a limo to the couple's home and treated them to dinner, his concert and a meet and greet after the show, where he presented them with identical onesies for the babies and a check to help offset the medical expenses. Craig, who has two daughters of his own, said, “It was beautiful. All of us were crying by the end of the night, it was so special.” Here's the video that inspired Craig.

An Australian family got a little larger on the first night of Alan Jackson's tour there. A couple had tickets for the show, even though it was the woman's due date. They drove seven hours to attend the show, and near the end of Alan's set, her water broke. Their daughter Olivia Joyce was born a couple of hours later.

Blake Shelton is the host for the first ever NRA Country/ACM Celebrity Shoot on April 2nd. It's part of the fun surrounding the ACM Awards, and will be held at Nellis Air Force Base just outside of Las Vegas. Celebrities will captain teams of 5 shooters in this clays competition.

Congratulations to Eric Church, whose "Smoke a Little Smoke" has been certified gold.

Country goes to town on March 21st, as Brad Paisley, Reba, Carrie Underwood, Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock and others perform at The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington DC. The event is a celebration of former President George H.W. Bush's leadership in promoting volunteerism and will be taped to air on March 28th on NBC.

Rascal Flatts' concert special airs on ABC tomorrow night and they're also part of Ron White's Comedy Salute to the Troops on CMT. John Rich is on Celebrity Apprentice Sunday night.

The tweet of the day is from Jake Owen: "Do yourself a favor and make someones day today. It will make you both feel good."

Today's Country Tidbits

A California family had a bittersweet day on Monday. Allison Greene was 31 years old, with a loving husband and a three year old daughter. As she battled cancer, she kept an upbeat, "I'm going to beat this" attitude which lifted everyone around her. When she lost the battle last week, friends made a tribute video and posted it on YouTube. One of the things Allison and her husband Brian planned to do after she beat cancer was to go to a Brad Paisley concert, and that wish was part of the video. Who showed up at Allison's celebration of life? You guessed it...

It was a rough afternoon for Randy Houser yesterday - his tour bus caught fire while he and the band were prepping for a show in Charleston, SC. Everyone got off the bus safely, but all of their personal belongings and gear were destroyed in the fire. Would be nice to know what Randy was about to say as this video ends...

Jake Owen has been chosen to do the pre-race concert at NASCAR's Kansas 400 at the Kansas Speedway on June 5th.

Darius Rucker will headline Nashville's July 4th celebration at Riverfront Park.

Sara Evans was on GMA yesterday, promoting her new cd, "Stronger" and performing...

The show name gets longer and the artist line-up gets bigger. The Academy of Country Music's "Girls' Night Out: Superstar Women of Country - The Concert of the Year" has added the Judds and Loretta Lynn to the line-up. Other honorees include Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Jennifer Nettles, Reba and Carrie Underwood. The show will tape April 4th, the night after the ACM Awards are handed out, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Each woman will perform during the special, and some guys will be included, too. Ronnie Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Vince Gill, Jason Aldean and Blake Shelton will be part of the fun. You can, too...The Grand Ole Opry is giving away a trip for two to the taping of the show...and to the ACM Awards the night before. Good luck!

The Show Me Music and Arts Festival 2011 will be June 17-19 in Springfield, MO, and it has a star-studded lineup, too. Trace Adkins, Tim McGraw, Little Big Town, Big & Rich with Cowboy Troy and 2 Foot Fred, Kellie Pickler, Joe Nichols, Gloriana, Steve Holy, David Nail, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Love and Theft, Jessie James, the McClymonts and Matt Kennon will all perform.

And no other details yet, but Willie Nelson's annual 4th of July Picnic will be in Luckenbach, TX this year.

Sara Evans is on Hannity today, Jerrod Niemann is on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and Rascal Flatts is on Good Morning America this morning. Their "Nothing Like This" special airs Saturday night on ABC.

Happy birthday to Carrie Underwood, who turns 28 today, and to Daryl Singletary, who is 40.

The tweet of the day is from Blake Shelton: Awe.... The view from my downtown L.A. suite. Sunshine, beautiful women, the Hollywood hills and oh yes two dudes making out...

Today's Country Tidbits

Brad Paisley celebrated 10 years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry over the weekend. Some of his favorite Opry moments were compiled into this tribute video...

Taylor Swift is in Europe, taking her country music magic to Belgium this past weekend...

Expect a few names in the weeks to come, but for now, Rascal Flatts is still very tight-lipped about their upcoming Flatts Fest. According to Jay DeMarcus, “It’s gonna be an interactive midway type of theme at the front. We’ve got a lot of acts on there and some of the acts we’re still trying to work out deals with but we’re really excited about the people that we do have. So, it’s gonna be a great show. It’s gonna be an event, it’s not just gonna be a…you know, an opener and a closer.” Think June for a time-frame. Rascal Flatts celebrated their 12th #1 single, "Why Wait" last week in Nashville.

Randy Houser is touring with Willie Nelson this year, and Willie Nelson is one of his Mom's musical idols. Matter of fact, he has a pretty embarrassing story to tell on his Mom: “When he came to Jackson, my Momma ran up under the…the uh rope when he came off the bus and jumped on him and straddled him. And she said she’d never been so embarrassed in her life when he looked at her like she was crazy. But it’s so funny to…you know, think about my momma tellin’ that story and here we are and, you know, I’m goin’ on tour with Willie.” I'm thinking he needs to think twice about giving her a backstage pass...!

Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry have joined Average Joe's Music. Montgomery Gentry worked with Tom Baldrica, president of Average Joe's, for 17 years when he was with Sony.

John Rich is part of the new season of "Celebrity Apprentice" which premiered last night. On the show, the contestants were divided into teams by sex - men vs. women - and had to sell pizza to see which team could win the most money. John Rich was the best on his team at getting people into their pizza restaurant, but the women smoked the men in fund-raising. John made it through to the next episode, as he managed to not get fired by Donald Trump. He held a premier party at his home in Nashville last night, and it's rumored that Justin Bieber was at the party.

Congratulations to Colt Ford, who will be recognized by the Georgia General Assembly for his contributions to music and the state of Georgia at 1:30 this afternoon. The event is open to the public.

Carrie Underwood is the focus of Celebrity Concentration on People.com today.

The tweet of the day is from Martina McBride: "Just had no motivation today. Tired. Then my 16 year old came in the room. Her energy is contagious. Now we are out shopping! #luckyme"

Today's Country Tidbits

The CMA Awards are coming up, and the record labels are wooing the industry voters with creative reminders of just how great their nominee is. Perhaps the most creative so far is one for Reba, shot on the Saturday Night Live set.

Sugarland has been invited to be part of the "2010 VH1 Divas: Salute The Troops" special on December 10th, along with Katy Perry, Paramore, Nicki Minaj and Keri Hilson. The show is staged for thousands of military members at MCAS Miramar in San Diego. Wonder how Kristian Bush feels about being called a "diva?"

Lady Antebellum posted a sepia-toned, unplugged version of "Something Bout A Woman" this week...enjoy!

Did you miss Trace Adkins on Chelsea Lately earlier this week? Check it out here, as the two trade shots and Trace describes his alcohol allergy.l

Toby Keith was on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson...

When Keith Urban's cd, "Get Closer," comes out on November 16th, Target will have an exclusive edition with three new tracks and four live recordings.

Want the title cut from Randy Houser's "They Call Me Cadillac?" For free? Amazon.com has it for you.

Billy Currington will be on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson tonight.

Happy birthday today to Kimberly Schlapman of Little Big Town, Alan Jackson on Sunday and Josh Gracin on Monday.

The tweet of the day is from Brad Paisley: "IN A WORLD,where 33 miners are trapped under the earth..How will they escape?Starring:Antonio Banderas,George Lopez, Dwayne"the Rock"Johnson"

Today's Country Tidbits

Kenny Chesney showed up at a pep rally at Celina High School in Texas Friday afternoon. What students thought would be a regular pre-game pump-up turned into Kenny's thank-you note to the team and community for their help with his documentary. The school and team are featured prominently in it.

Next month, a two-volume set of country songs will be released. These are songs you know by heart, but versions you've never heard before. Songs like "Jesus Take the Wheel," "I Hope You Dance" and "The House That Built Me" will be released in their demo versions, just the way your favorite country artists heard them when they decided to record them. "Original Songwriter Demos" is due out on October 19th.

Every artist needs a "hook"...something that sets them apart in the eyes of their industry and to fans. With Trace Adkins, he says there's no song so nasty he won't cut it. Songwriters send their dirty songs to Trace, who is collecting them for a special project he'll release under a fictitous name. He won't tell us the name he'll use, but he has already recorded three songs. One of them ended up on his new cd, "Cowboy's Back in Town" and if you've heard the phrase "bow-chica-bow-wow" you get the "Brown Chicken, Brown Cow" joke.

Travis Tritt is working on a movie role. "Fishers of Men" is shooting in Georgia, using the Cairo county jail for some scenes. The movie is due out in January.

Today, catch Taylor Swift on the Rachel Ray show. Tonight, Kenny Chesney's "Invitation Only" episode debuts on CMT. Randy Houser is on Jimmy KImmel Live and the Zac Brown Band is on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

The tweet of the day is from Jason Aldean: "I'm sittin in a deer stand for the first time this year and have not even seen a squirrel, much less a deer."

Today's Country Tidbits

When the Carrie Underwood tour hits the road with Billy Currington on the bill, there'll be a little bit of dog hair backstage. Carrie travels with her rat terrier, Ace, and Billy travels with his chocolate lab, Pace. Despite the size difference, the boys will probably get along famously...hope so, anyway, with those rhyming names! Wonder if Carrie and Billy will write a song together about their dogs?

Last night, the Zac Brown Band streamed their concert from Red Rocks live on their website, causing a slight internet meltdown. If you tried and failed to log on, no worries - it'll be available soon as a dvd, in all likelihood.

Everybody's going country, it seems. The Eagles' Don Henley has been working on a solo project which he describes as a country album. It doesn't have a release date yet. And Michael Waddell, co-host of the Outdoor Channel's show, "Bone Collector," has teamed up with Rhett Akins and Dallas Davidson to record a country cd that he promises will be an "album that every hunting enthusiast will want in their collection." The project hits stores a week from tomorrow.

Congrats to Big Kenny Alphin and his wife Christiev on the adoption of their baby boy. Dakota joins four-year-old brother Lincoln.

Randy Houser will be on Good Morning America tomorrow morning and on Jimmy Kimmel Live a week from tonight.

The tweet of the day is from Martina McBride: "Ive discovered as long as u have ripe tomatoes,fresh basil,good olive oil,& a little salt u will not go hungry!Bonus if theres crusty bread"

Today's Country Tidbits

Today, the Zac Brown Band will play a special concert in Texas. Is it at a stadium? No. A huge arena? No. It's actually in a school auditorium. Zac Brown Band teamed up with Campbell's Soup in their "Labels for Education" competition, with the school collecting the most labels winning a meet & greet plus a show by the Zac Brown Band. The students at Bynum School have a surprise for the band, though - the kids will perform a song they've created just for them.

Want to own a piece of history? NASH2O, a Nashville-based charity founded in the wake of the spring floods, has collected ruined instruments from Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Vince Gill and many more and will put them up for auction starting October 12th. There will be a launch party in Nashville that day, with many of the artists in attendance. The instruments have been cleaned and are being sold as collector's items, not as musical instruments because of the damage they've sustained.

Jason Aldean's "My Kind of Party" drops on November 2nd, but he threw a launch party for industry types this week at the barn on his Nashville property. Now, don't think cows and horses - Jason's barn has a shuffleboard court, a pool table, full kitchen and big screen tv. Now that's a man-cave!

Can you wait until next week? September 22 is the day the world will learn who the new American Idol judges will be. Steven Tyler of Aerosmith has declared himself a shoe-in, rumors are that Jennifer Lopez has sealed a $12 million deal, and Shania Twain, Harry Connick Jr., Elton John and Chris Isaak have all been batted around as strong possibilities. If Shania wants it, hope she gets it. It would be good to have some country represenation on that show.

This year's "We're All for the Hall" concert, organized by Keith Urban and a benefit for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, will be October 5th at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Tickets go (or went, depending on when you read this) on sale at 10 this morning.

Here's your advance warning - you're going to want to drop some bucks at the music store on Tuesday, so pick up an extra job or two over the weekend to cover it. Zac Brown Band, Randy Houser, Billy Currington, Walker Hayes and Mel Tillis all have new cds out Tuesday. Randy Houser has a simple solution for fans who are torn between buying Zac's cd or his: "We've been telling people that whenever you go to the store to buy his, make sure you pick up mine," he says. "Or when you go buy mine, make sure you pick up his. We don't give a damn. We're all family. We're all just as proud of one another as we are of ourselves."

Speaking of the Randy one, hear all of the tracks from "They Call Me Cadillac" before it comes out Tuesday.

Catch Trace Adkins on Anderson Cooper's AC360 tonight on CNN.

Happy birthday to Jeff Bates and Trisha Yearwood on Sunday.

The tweet of the day is from Kellie Pickler: "I am so excited! Just got my grandpa Ken a oneway flight. He's coming on tour with me tomorrow. Might kidnap him and not let him go home. :)"

Today's Country Tidbits

Taylor Swift' live webcast, scheduled to start at 5 p.m. Eastern time, is all about her new album, the process of songwriting and what fans can expect from this next project. She's decided to take over the internet with it, with the chat available on TaylorSwift.com, Ustream.tv/taylorswift, MySpace.com/TaylorSwift and Facebook.com/TaylorSwift. All of the sites allow fans to interact via a chat window on all sites.

Billy Currington has been spending a lot of time in Hawaii, and has picked up a new talent - ukelele. “All my friends that I meet over there, they all play the ukulele so they’ve been showing me some cords and I gotta friend over here in the U.S. that’s been teaching me lately. I’m right now like the beginning stage like I was when I first started playing guitar at 17. I’m just starting to get the cords down, cause it’s so different than playing guitar. And uh, it’s been fun playing that thing.”

Jewel and her husband, bull-rider Ty Murray, are embarking on a two-month motorcycle trip across America. Jewel calls it a once in a lifetime adventure. Knowing her, there'll be updates from the road, so watch for news of their travels here.

There's a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute album out today, featuring country artists covering southern rock classics. "Sweet Home Alabama: The Country Music Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd" features Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser, Eric Church and more. Flynnville Train's "Redemption" is also out today.

Tweet of the day is from Blake Shelton: "Just saw "the house that built me" video by ML..... Never felt more pride in my life...."

Happy birthday to Radney Foster, who turns 51 today.