Today's Country Tidbits

Congratulations to the soon-to-be-members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Jean Shepard is the Veteran, songwriter Bobby Braddock is the non-performer, and in the Modern Era Artist Category, Reba McEntire is the honoree. They'll be inducted into the Hall of Fame in October.

It was a bittersweet day for Reba yesterday, as she's at the hospital with her Dad, who is in grave condition following a stroke. She told The Tennessean that being part of the Country Music Hall of fame was her father’s dream for her, too, and that she was glad to be able to give him the news before he became comatose. “I asked Momma if she thought it registered, if she thought he understood it,” Reba told the reporter. “She said, ‘Yeah, I do.’ It was very important for Daddy, like the first time I ever performed at the Grand Ole Opry, and this was another milestone he was waiting on, so I’m so glad I got to tell him before it was too late." Listen to her describe the emotions here.

Brad Paisley has announced his H2O II World tour, kicking off May 28th in Pittsburgh at Heinz Field, the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He'll bring along Blake Shelton and Jerrod Niemann on the main stage, and the Water World Plaza Stage will be populated with Brent Anderson, Edens Edge and Sunny Sweeny. The Water World Plaza will include a fishing simulator, dunking booth, slip & slide and all sorts of other water fun. The tour will include 5 stadiums among it's 33 stops, with an international leg which includes London, Dublin, Stockholm, and Oslo.

The Band Perry is going to the Ballet this weekend. The Nashville Ballet, to be exact, as they take part in a 25th anniversary celebration of the ballet, spotlighting the work of dance icon Twyla Tharp. The Band Perry will provide live music for the event, along with Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Pat Alger. The benefit is this Saturday and features another country performer, Julianne Hough, as Master of Ceremonies.

Happy birthday to Larry Stewart, the lead singer for Restless Hearts. He's 52 today, and bluegrass legend Doc Watson turns 88 today.

The tweet of the day is from Jack Ingram: "I'm always conflicted- is watching some1's life fall apart LIVE on tv good entertainment,criminal or,at the very least, just sad? U tell me."

Today's Country Tidbits

Miranda Lambert is excited to hit the road again after the holiday break. "The Revolution Continues" tour fires up February 24th in St. Louis, and there's a little something different this time around. Not only will she play her own hits and fan favorites, but she'll also cover some of her favorite songs from other artists. Says Miranda, “The covers are what sort-of keeps me excited because it’s a break away from my normal thing…my music every night. You know, learnin’ new covers and havin’ different covers to throw in the set every night definitely keeps it interesting for us as…as the band up there.” In March, she'll take a break from the American road to hit the road in Australia with Alan Jackson.

Brad Paisley is rounding up a who's who to be part of his next cd. Alabama joined him in the studio, as has Clint Eastwood, who is whistling on an otherwise instrumental track called "Eastwood." Also scheduled to be part of the project are Don Henley, Marty Stuart and Sheryl Crow.

Congratulations to Sugarland on platinum status for "The Incredible Machine." It's sold more than a million copies, boosting their cumulative sales to over nine million albums.

Last week, Taylor Swift did a concert aboard the cruise ship, Allure of the Seas. Here's what it looked like...

Dierks Bentley and Jack Ingram will be part of what's being called Texas' Largest Tailgate on Sunday afternoon before the Super Bowl. Bud Light sponsors the concerts and will stream them live.

Fans are admitting to watching Dierks Bentley's silent studio feed for hours on end. Dierks is in Asheville, NC recording his 6th studio album. The broadcasting happens whenever the band is in the studio, so if you want to watch the process, you can. When I checked early this morning, there was nothing going on, no one in the studio, and still 23 viewers were logged in.

Friday night, the History Channel goes country. Brad Paisley's "H2O Tour" will be the focus of "Modern Marvels," a show that follows the set-up, break-down and move of a huge concert from city to city.

This Saturday, Reba's son Shelby Blackstock hits the track for his pro-driving debut at Daytona. Well, actually, he's already raced the race - it will air Saturday on the Speed Channel at 3pm Eastern. Mama Reba was there, cheering on her son, and probably holding her breath a little bit. Reba said, "Watching Shelby on the track racing 170 mph was the biggest rush I've ever had. We're very proud and very thankful to God for keeping him safe."

Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" is getting Gleeked after the Super Bowl this Sunday night. The special episode also features Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

If you missed Billy Currington on the Tonight Show, catch up here.

If you'll be in or near Nashville on Saturday, stop by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Admission is free Saturday, made possible by the Ford Motor Company Fund. "Ford Community Day" allows free access to the Hall of Fame and the museum, plus there's a musical petting zoo for kids to learn all about musical instruments. Hours are 9 to 5, Central.

The ACM nominees will be announced this morning. Look for a post with the complete list later today.

In stores today, the JaneDear Girls' self-titled debut. You know them for the song "Wildflower" and know their producer, John Rich of Big & Rich.

Happy birthday to Don Everly of the Everly Brothers, who turns 74 today, and to Del McCoury of the Del McCoury Band, who turns 72.

The tweet of the day is from Kimberly Perry of The Band Perry: "Up and ahem. Up and atom. Up and Adam. Up and at em!"

Today's Country Tidbits

Alan Jackson is a hot ticket in Australia. Tickets to his third show sold out in only 23 minutes. That show was added after tickets to the first two sold out quickly. It's his first time headlining in Australia and he's looking forward to meeting his Down Under fans. The tour starts March 4th and includes Miranda Lambert and Australian Jasmine Rae.

Congrats to Jewel and her bull-riding hubby Ty Murray. They are expecting their first child later this year. Married since 2008, the two have been trying to start a family with no success, and Jewel waited until she was in her second trimester to announce the news. The couple live on a ranch in Texas and are converting the guest room into a nursery.

If you're in Virginia and see a familiar face on tv with your Governor, you're not seeing things - that is Garth Brooks in a public service announcement, talking about the natural beauty of Virginia. He was there to work on the Lifetime Network movie "Unanswered Prayers" which was filmed entirely in Virginia. That song was #1 on this day in 1991.

The ACM Awards are coming up in April, and this year there's a big change. After solo-hosting the show for the last 12 years, Reba will have a partner this year - Blake Shelton. The two are great friends, plus Reba's son is Blake's manager, so the pairing is a natural. The awards will air on April 3rd live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The Bellamy Brothers are crying foul, saying that the new Brittny Spears song is a bit too close to their big hit, "If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body, Would You Hold It Against Me." Her song is called "Hold It Against Me" and the theme is pretty much the same - in a bar, pick up line. According to the Bellamys, they feel ripped off. No word from the Spears camp, but one listen will tell you that both were probably inspired by the same lame pick-up line, and the Bellamy Brothers song is by far the better one.

Here's maybe the final year-end list for 2010. It's late because the company keeps tabs right up through New Year's Eve. Here's the list of th Top 10 Country Dance Club hits of 2010, according to Marco Club Connection:

1) “Stuck Like Glue” – Sugarland

2) “All About Tonight” – Blake Shelton

3) “Hillbilly Bone” – Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins

4) “Need You Now” – Lady Antebellum

5) “Giddy On Up” – Laura Bell Bundy

6) “Country Done Come To Town” – John Rich

7) “Roll With It” – Easton Corbin

8) “Why Don’t We Just Dance” – Josh Turner

9) “Turn On The Radio” – Reba

10) “Pretty Good at Drinkin’ Beer” – Billy Currington

And Keith Urban has made an interesting list - he's the only country artist on Runhundred.com's list of the best workout songs of January 2011. "Put You In A Song" will help you keep that New Year's resolution about working out, so load it up and get going!

There's a new country music magazine out. Look for Country Music Profiles in music stores. The premier edition features Rodney Atkins on the cover and includes an interview with Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery-Gentry.

Tours re-starting this weekend include Rascal Flatts' "Nothing Like This" tour and the George Strait/Reba/Lee Ann Womack tour.

Catch Faith Hill on the Today show this morning and on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon tonight. She's making the rounds talking about her new partnership with Teleflora. Blake Shelton was supposed to be on the David Letterman show tonight but couldn't get to New York because of the snow storm.

Happy birthday to Ray Price, who is 87, William Lee Golden of the Oak Ridge Boys who is 72, Ricky Van Shelton who turns 59 and Keith Anderson, who is 42 today

The tweet of the day is from The Band Perry: "Photo-shooting with our pups and Purina. Should it hurt our feelings that Dakota/Addie/Mose are more photogenic than us three??"

Today's Country Tidbits

If you're planning on going to the George Strait, Reba and Lee Ann Womack concert in the new year, and you'll be at a Friday show, George has a message for you: wear red. "Starting this Friday, we are we are going to wear red shirts to every Friday tour date and we encourage fans to do the same. I want to see a building full of red shirts if possible." Through the website redshirtfridays.org, he's asking fans to show support to the troops by wearing red every Friday. George served four years in the Army in the 1970's, and wants the members of the military to know that we remember they're away from home, and in harm's way.

If you missed Jimmy Wayne on the CBS special, "A Home for the Holidays," he's posted his segment on the Project MMH website.

Little Big Town has a holiday message for you...

And Tim McGraw and Gwyneth Paltrow are sharing their duet, "Me and Tennessee" before the movie comes out.

Congratulations to Dolly Parton, who is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award Grammy. Several will be handed out on February 21st, the night before the Grammy Awards show airs live from Los Angeles. Other recipents include The Ramones, The Kingston Trio and Julie Andrews.

And congrats to Lady Antebellum, whose "Need You Now" cd will be triple platinum before we ring in the new year.

Happy birthday tomorrow to Jimmy Buffett, Babara Mandrell, Steve Wariner and of course, the star of the day.

The tweet of the day is from Zac Brown: "Please don't skimp & get the cheap cookies again this year. Santa's still a bit peeved about last year."

Today's Country Tidbits

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Today's Country Tidbits

Last night the Grammy Nominations Concert was held, and the nominees were announced. Lady Antebellum is up for six Grammys and Miranda Lambert is up for Grammys for best country song and best country album. Dierks Bentley has three nominations, including two in the country collaboration category. A complete list of nominees is available, but here's where our country artists showed up:

Record of the Year

Lady Antebellum - Need You Now

Album of the Year

Lady Antebellum - Need You Now

Song of the Year

Lady Antebellum - Need You Now

Miranda Lambert - The House That Built Me - Tom Douglas & Allen Shamblin, songwriters

Best Female Country Vocal Performance

Jewel - Satisfied

Miranda Lambert - The House That Built Me

LeAnn Rimes - Swingin'

Carrie Underwood - Temporary Home

Gretchen Wilson - I'd Love To Be Your Last

Best Male Country Vocal Performance

Jamey Johnson - Macon

Toby Keith - Cryin' For Me (Wayman's Song)

David Nail - Turning Home

Keith Urban - 'Til Summer Comes Around

Chris Young - Gettin' You Home

Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals

Zac Brown Band - Free

Dailey & Vincent - Elizabeth

Lady Antebellum - Need You Now

Little Big Town - Little White Church

The SteelDrivers - Where Rainbows Never Die

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals

Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert & Jamey Johnson - Bad Angel

Dierks Bentley, Del McCoury & The Punch Brothers - Pride (In The Name of Love)

Zac Brown Band & Alan Jackson - As She's Walkin' Away

Blake Shelton & Trace Adkins - Hillbilly Bone

Marty Stuart & Connie Smith - I Run To You

Best Country Instrumental Performance

Cherryholmes - Tattoo of a Smudge

The Infamous Stringdusters - Magic #9

Punch Brothers - New Chance Blues

Darrell Scott - Willow Creek

Marty Stuart - Hummingbyrd

Best Country Song

The Breath You Take - Casey Beathard, Dean Dillon & Jessie Jo Dillon

Free - Zac Brown

The House That Built Me - Tom Douglas & Allen Shamblin

I'd Love To Be Your Last - Rivers Rutherford, Annie Tate & Sam Tate

If I Die Young - Kimberly Perry

Best Country Album

Up On The Ridge - Dierks Bentley

You Get What You Give - Zac Brown Band

The Guitar Song - Jamey Johnson

Need You Now - Lady Antebellum

Revolution - Miranda Lambert

This week's Lady Antebellum Webisode Wednesday is a look back at 2010. Hmmm - maybe they should have waited 'til the Grammy noms were announced before looking back at the year!

Blake Shelton had a chat with the Academy of Country Music, and they turned it into a cool little video. Be sure to watch the out-takes at the end.

As reported here yesterday, Eddie Montgomery's wife of more than 20 years had him served with divorce papers late Tuesday evening. He was having dinner with his 23-year-old daughter at his steak house when the process server showed up. According to Eddie's publicist, Tracy told him she can't deal with the stress of someone going through cancer. They have four children and a grandchild. Eddie plans to have surgery to remove a cancerous tumor on his prostate after this weekend's show in Charlotte, NC.

Golf and country music continue to mix at the PGA Greenbrier Classic. The 2011 tournament will feature shows from Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and Reba. To see the shows, you have to have tournament tickets.

Wanna have a spa day, complete with Faith Hill as your lunch companion? You can...good luck!

Dairus Rucker is on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight.

The tweet of the day is from Billy Currington: "who else looks in the refrigerator one minute and finds nothing and then goes back two minutes later as if something is going to appear.."

Today's Country Tidbits

Gonna have to wait a while to see Keith Urban on stage for his Get Closer 2011 tour. It'll kick off June 16th in Mobile, and hit 44 cities before it wraps October 15th. For Keith, playing live is the best part of what he does: “I’ve always felt that the best live concert experiences tap into a deep need in all of us to feel a part of something...to belong. I’m bringing the big boom box and an arsenal of songs and I can’t wait to throw this party!”

The project has been in the works all year, and finally will be heard starting February 8th. So many artists wanted to be part of a Waylon Jennings tribute that the project has grown to three volumes. "Waylon - The Music Inside Volume 1" will be released in February, with 2 and 3 coming out later in 2011. The first single will be Alabama - yes, the entire band got together to do this - covering "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way." Also on the project are Trace Adkins, Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser and James Otto. You can pre-order the V-Album starting December 1 and get the Alabama song as a free download when you do.

This year, the CMA Awards show on ABC, with performances by the biggest country stars, had it's highest ratings ever. This year, the American Music Awards on ABC, with only one country performance, had it's lowest ratings ever. Do you think some changes might be made next year to the American Music Awards? I'm guessing so!

CMT has named Jason Aldean, Taylor Swift, Zac Brown Band and Lady Antebellum as their Artists of the Year, and to celebrate, are offering you the chance to win prize packs from each artist. You only have until December 9th to sign up. The CMT special honoring these artists airs on December 3rd at 8 Eastern time on CMT.

Did you miss seeing Garth Brooks on the Tonight Show last Friday? Here you go.

Tomorrow, Taylor Swift will be on the Ellen Degeneres show and on Chelsea Lately. Thursday night, she has a tv special, "Speak Now" on NBC at 8. Sugarland is part of another tv special at 8 Eastern on Thanksgiving night, this one on CNN. "CNN Heroes - An All-Star Tribute" is hosted by Anderson Cooper, and features Sugarland singing "Stand Up."

It's not country music, but it is pretty entertaining. Someone made a mash-up of the top tv catch phrases over a 60-year time span. It takes only 2:26 to watch - check it out and see how many of the shows you know.

Happy birthday to Miley Cyrus, who turns 18 today.

The tweet of the day is from Reba: "You may be a Redneck this Thanksgiving if you still have your red solo cup with your name on it from last year! Guilty...."

Today's Country Tidbits

Darius Rucker has written and produced a song for the PGA Tour, to raise money for the PGA charities. The song will be available early in 2011, and all proceeds will go to The First Tee and other PGA initiatives. The song, named "Together, Anything is Possible," will be part of PGA tour tv broadcasts, and there are plans for a "making of the song" video, along with public service announcements recorded by Darius. As an avid golfer himself, Darius was honored and delighted to be part of this project.

Martina McBride has changed record labels. After 18 years with RCA Nashville, she's now on the roster of Republic Nashville, the new home of Rascal Flatts. Republic is part of Scott Borchetta's Big Machine music empire, home of Taylor Swift.

It was a star-studded night last night in Nashville, as "Country Strong" had its industry premier. At the theatre were the film's stars, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw with wife Faith Hill, Tobey Maguire, Leighton Meester and country music luminaries like Martina McBride, Luke Bryan and Kix Brooks were in attendance. The movie won't open for the rest of us until January 7th, 2011.

New stars were added to Nashville's Walk of Stars. Rascal Flatts, Kris Kristofferson, Mel Tillis, Little Jimmy Dickens, Bobby Hebb and Eddy Arnold all were honored with their own stars in the Walk of Fame Park in downtown Nashville.

Kellie Pickler answered fan questions via her twitter account last night and revealed that she'll be co-hosing the red carpet coverage at the CMA Awards tomorrow night, wearing a Pamela Roland gown and that she and Kyle can't wait to have kids.

Gloriana took a float on the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East and performed for the troops.

Tonight, Jason Aldean is performing at the Hard Rock in Nashville. Can't be there? Don't worry...grab a beer and hit the internet - the show is streaming live and free, starting at 6:45 Eastern.

Congrats to Keith Urban, whose "Defying Gravity" cd has earned platinum status.

People.com has a photo gallery of country stars and their furry friends. There's also a photo gallery of Brad Paisley shots. Just like Brad, sometimes serious, sometimes silly.

Tomorrow night at the CMA Awards, look for Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban to be part of the opening performance. And during commercial breaks, look for Carrie Underwood's debut as the face of Olay beauty products.

New music out today includes Reba's "All The Women I Am" and Blake Shelton's "Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton" greatest hits package.

The tweet of the day is from Jack Ingram: "That was strange! I walk off the plane only 2 hear me welcome me 2 Nashville International Airport! I thought my voice sounded weird on tape"

Today's Country Tidbits

So who's the King of Nashville? Today, it's Garth Brooks, who sold out 9 shows at Bridgestone Arena Saturday afternoon. One show was announced, and it went on sale at 11am Eastern. All 13,000 tickets were sold in less than 5 minutes, melting down GarthBrooks.com and Ticketmaster.com. Several other dates at the arena were available, so tickets were put on sale for those, too. When the dust settled, there are Garth Brooks shows December 16, 17, 19, 20, 21 and 22, with two shows per night on December 16, 21 and 22. Why all the frenzy? His is widely considered to be the best live show ever in country music, and these shows will be his first full-band concerts in Nashville since 1998. In all, over 140,000 tickets were sold in just a couple of hours, and more than $3.5 million will go towards re-building middle Tennessee after the devastating floods this year.

Tonight is the premier of "Country Strong" in Nashville. It'll be a star-studded night, but if you didn't get invited, it'll be a while before you get to see Tim McGraw and Gwyneth Paltrow in their new movie. It doens't open for the rest of us until January 7th, 2011.

When Lady Antebellum does their show in Charles & Dave's hometown of Augusta, GA a week from today, they're in for a special acknowledgement. The city will hold a street-re-naming ceremony in their honor. A road near James Brown Arena will be re-named "Lady Antebellum Way." The mayor notes, “I think it is just an appropriate thing to do, and we always want to celebrate Augustans that have gone on to do well and make it big. They definitely have.”

It's been such a hit, they're continuing the show. George Strait, Reba and Lee Ann Womack will hit the road again in January for the winter leg of their tour. On-sale dates will be announced on George Strait's website, but here are the show dates:

Jan. 14: Austin, Texas (Frank Erwin Center)

Jan. 15: Oklahoma City (Ford Center)

Jan. 27: Tallahassee, Fla. (Leon City Civic Center)

Jan. 28: Jacksonville, Fla. (Veterans Memorial Arena)

Jan. 29: Tampa, Fla. (St. Pete Times Forum)

Feb. 4: Fresno, Calif. (SaveMart Center)

Feb. 5: Las Vegas (MGM Grand Garden Arena)

Feb. 17: Indianapolis (Conseco Fieldhouse)

Feb. 18: Cleveland (Quickens Loan Arena)

Feb. 19: Auburn Hills, Mich. (The Palace)

March 4: Cincinnati (US Bank Arena)

March 5: Chicago (Allstate Arena)

March 25: Lubbock, Texas (United Spirit Arena)

March 26: Las Cruces, N.M. (Pan American Center)

April 1: Denver (Pepsi Center)

April 2: Salt Lake City (Energy Solutions Arena)

April 8: Columbia, Mo. (Mizzou Arena)

April 9: Louisville, Ky. (KFC Yum! Arena)

Shania Twain is apparently in talks with the honchoes at the Coliseum in Las Vegas. No word on when her shows there might happen.

Catch Reba on Good Morning America tomorrow morning.

The tweet of the day is from Billy Currington during the Garth ticket frenzy on Saturday: "really cool that Garth Brooks can sell out 6 shows n nashville n only few minutes after being gone 10 years. GREAT ARTIST loved by so many"

Today's Country Tidbits

Taylor Swift has done something that hasn't been done in two years. Her "Speak Now" cd sold over a million copies last week, making it the first album since Lil Wayne's "The Carter III" accomplished that feat in 2008. In the country music world, it's been since Garth Brooks' "Double Live" came out in 1998 that an artist moved a million units in a week. One out of every 5 cds sold last week was Taylor Swift's "Speak Now."

Starting tonight with the ABC-TV special by Robin Roberts and going all through next week, country music will be everywhere on your tv as we close in on the 2010 CMA Awards. Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley and NASCAR's Jeff Gordon will kick off the day next Wednesday on Good Morning America, with Dierks performing a free concert on the plaza outside Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, and Brad and Jeff presenting the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze to the winner of the Chevrolet Salutes America's Heroes service member contest. Tonight's special, "In the Spotlight with Robin Roberts: All Access Nashville" features peeks into Carrie Underwood's life and interviews with many of the top CMA Award nominees.

Josh Turner's #1 party for "All Over Me" was yesterday in Nashville. It featured shades, string bikinis and Coppertone 45. Sure hope it was indoors near a pool...no, wait...the "string bikinis" were long t-shirts that the song's three co-writers wore, airbrushed with bodacious womens' bodies wearing teeny bikinis. The shades and sunscreen were real. This is Josh's second #1 song this year - the first was "Why Don't We Just Dance."

Reba gets real about "All The Women I Am" which comes out next Tuesday...

Reba McEntire on iLike - Get updates inside iTunes

Only 20 more days til this year's Mission Possible turkey fry, hosted by Tracy Lawrence as a benefit for the Nashville Rescue Mission. In its fifth year, the event has become a huge pre-Thanksgiving draw for Nashville celebrities and a major fund-raiser for the Mission. The turkey fry is open to the public, and donations are encouraged.

Carrie Underwood's turn on the silver screen happens on April 15, 2011 when "Soul Surfer" comes out. She plays a youth counselor who works with a surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack.

Keith Urban has declared that he'll spend more time with his family in 2011. He's structuring his tour schedule so he's gone for a few days and then home for a few days. He doesn't want to be on the road for weeks at a time, missing out on watching daughter Sunday grow up.

The tweet of the day is from Martina McBride: "Can't believe nxt 2 wks! Fittings,Crossroads w/Train, Country Strong Premiere, Big Announcements, BMI Awards, CMA's, CMA Christmas taping...

Today's Country Tidbits

Jason Aldean threw a benefit concert last Friday night, and $132,000 is going to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. It's his 5th year of hosting the concert, and the first time it's been anywhere but Nashville. He decided that going forward, he'll pick a different city each year, and he wants to thank everyone in Evansville, IN who showed up to the concert wearing pink. His best friend's wife died from breast cancer at a very young age, and that spurred Jason and his wife to create this fund-raiser.

Reba is enlisting the help of her fans to launch her upcoming cd, "All The Women I Am." It streets on November 9th, and she's got an online contest, offering prizes to the fans who show the most creativity in letting the world know about the cd release. Enter photos and videos, and be sure they show a lot of people being exposed to your creative message. Good luck!

Chris Young wants you to go to the CMA Awards in style. He's looking for a winner of a black dress designed by Carmen Marc Valvo, a pair of tickets to the CMA Awards, two tickets to the red carpet viewing area and limo service for the night. Guys, you can enter, too, but please promise not to wear the black dress!!

Last night, Blake Shelton was on the 600th episode of Chelsea Lately, and he took her a couple of presents. He made up a couple of tank tops for her, one saying "Hot Mess Blake Shelton on my 600th episode" and the other saying "Kiss My Country A**." She declared him her favorite person to follow on Twitter, and on a serious note, Blake said that being made a member of the Grand Ole Opry will be the highlight of his professional life and marrying Miranda Lambert will be the highlight of his personal life.

Jamey Johnson is on the Late Show with David Letterman tonight.

The tweet of the day is from Dierks Bentley: "glad my mom used to wash my mouth out with soap.no time to buy toothpaste in NYC.brushing with soap.surprisingly zestfully clean feeling"

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

The American Music Awards nominations were announced yesterday, and voting is underway. Lady Antebellum is tied with Eminem for the highest number of nominations, with 5 each. Lady A is nominated in the appropriate country categories, but also has noms as Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist and Breakthrough Artist of the Year. Scroll down to yesterday afternoon's post for the list of country artists and their nominations. The show will air November 21st on ABC.

Darius Rucker dishes about band names, acceptance and why he's a dork...

The counting is over and the total is revealed: this year's "We're All for the Hall" benefit concert, led by Keith Urban, raked in nearly half a million dollars for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. That's about twice what last year's show brought in, and will go a long way towards care of the exhibits and educational programs.

Martina McBride shares a behind-the scenes "We're All for the Hall" peek at rehearsals and the show.

Last night's show at the Ryman Auditorium was a tribute concert for Loretta Lynn. She brought a date - Garth Brooks. The two of them ended up onstage, duetting on "After the Fire is Gone." Also performing at the gala were Martina McBride, Kid Rock, Gretchen Wilson, Jack White, Lee Ann Womack and Reba McEntire, who was the host for the event. The evening was billed as "A Grammy Salute to Country Music Honoring Loretta Lynn" for 50 years in country music. She was honored with The Recording Academy's President's Merit Award last night.

A new television network has debuted this week, and what better way to gain the public's attention than to debut a Taylor Swift special over three nights. The Hub network, which replaces Discovery Kids, is geared towards a 6-to-11-year old audience, and "The Making of the Fearless Tour" will air in three parts on October 22nd, 23rd and 24th at 7pm Eastern time.

Speaking of the Golden One, Taylor has a secret wish that is yet to come true: she wants to see her music sold at Starbucks. “I go there every day and stare longingly at the CDs they sell" says Taylor. Starbucks execs, take note!

Happy birthday to Rhett Akins, Lacy J. Dalton and Marie Osmond today.

The tweet of the day is from David Nail: "I have the sweetest dog, she knows I'm leaving tomorrow, she knows what the bags being packed means. She won't let me out of her sight!"

Today's Country Tidbits

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Today's Country Tidbits

Congrats to Joe Don Rooney and wife Tiffany Fallon on the arrival of their second child, Raquel Blue. Her older brother, two-year-old Jagger Donovan, is already in love with his new baby sister, according to Joe Don: "Yesterday, he gave her kisses and tried to feed her cookies. We feel blessed and are ready for the sleepless nights ahead."

Fall is a busy season for Carrie Underwood as well as for her hubby, Mike Fisher. He's heading into hockey season, with games all over the continent, and she's on the second leg of her "Play On" tour, plus will co-host the CMA Awards, plus at some point this fall, her movie, "Soul Surfer" should be released. She plans to be home on 12/20, though, and plans to be with Mike to celebrate the one-year anniversary of getting engaged.

Reba's upcoming cd, "All The Women I Am," includes a cover of Beyonce's "If I Were a Boy," proving once again that a great song is a great song, no matter who sings it.

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Want a peek at Tim McGraw's upcoming movie, "Country Strong?" Here you go!

Last night, Taylor Swift helped kick off the 2010 NFL season with a live show in New Orleans. Sunday night, she'll be part of the MTV Video Music Awards, though lips are tightly sealed about whether or not she and Kanye will share a stage again this year - this time on purpose!

Tonight's "Stand Up to Cancer" telethon will feature Martina McBride, Kris Kristofferson and Lady Antebellum. Tonight, Blake Shelton guests on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Sunday, Kenny Chesney's football documentary will re-air on ESPN2. On Tuesday, catch the Judds on the Oprah Winfrey show.

Kenny Chesney's "Invitation Only" episode will debut on September 27th.

Happy birthday on Sunday to George Jones and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland.

The tweet of the day is from Kellie Pickler: "Watching the game. My fiance' is from MN, so the room is intense. I've got my Coors, so I'm good to go."

Today's Country Tidbits

The Brooks & Dunn "Last Rodeo" last show ended at about 11:45 central time last night, marking the end of the most successful duo ever. Kix and Ronnie started off as songwriters and were put together by record executive Tim DuBois in 1991. Over the years, they've charted more than 50 singles, with 20 of those going to #1. In 1992 they started raking in awards, and just from the major award shows, they picked up 67 trophies. The show last night featured most of their biggest hits, and after seven songs, Kix told the crowd, "Thanks for making the last go-around for us very special. This is not a funeral… we came to party…and I hope you guys are not in a hurry. Cause this is the first time all year that I've got about 15 min to go to get home…" There was one special guest - Reba joined them on stage, singing just one chorus of "Cowgirls Don't Cry." She got a standing ovation.The show lasted more than three hours, and the two encore songs were "Boot Scootin' Boogie" and "Brand New Man." When the house lights were turned back on, the band could be seen, still on stage and all hugging each other. Tennesseean.com has a slide show of last night's last concert.

Blake Shelton is featured on People.com talking about his "All About Tonight" six-pak, his favorite song on it, and what it's really like to sing a duet with Miranda Lambert.

There's a Loretta Lynn tribute cd in the works, and the Country Music Hall of Famer hand-picked the women she wanted on it and the song each would sing. "Coal Miner's Daughter: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn" will feature Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Reba, Gretchen Wilson and Lee Ann Womack. Oh, and she picked a few guys, too - Alan Jackson, Steve Earle and Kid Rock will be part of the project. It hits stores on November 9th.

New Taylor Swift greeting cards are out, exclusively at Target.

The tweet of the day is from Brad Paisley: "Recording with Darius today. Its between a song we wrote and a Bluegrass version of Ebony and Ivory. Tuff choice."

Today's Country Tidbits

Toby Keith has taken his songwriting high-tech. He used to write with pen and paper, then with a digital voice recorder, which he lost often. Now he uses his iPhone, where he claims to have an entire library filled with completed songs and song ideas. He jokes that he carries a gun to protect his iPhone!

At some point this week, the producers of American Idol are expected to announce the judges for the upcoming season. Randy Jackson - probably. Steven Tyler of Aerosmith fame - probably. Shania Twain - probably, though she's keeping the lowest profile about it. But last week, Jason Owen announced his departure from the Senior Vice President's spot at Universal Music Group to become Shania Twain's new manager. If that's not gas on a fire I don't know what is!

Wanna own a dress that Reba wore on the CMT Awards? She's donated one to charity and the eBay auction is on now. There's still over 3 days to go before the auction closes, so if you've got some bucks to spare and you're a Reba fan, here's your shot!

In Nashville baby-boom news, Josh Turner and his wife Jennifer have discovered that their third child will be a boy, like his older siblings Hampton and Colby. Their son is due late this year or early 2011. Here's the clip of Josh Turner co-hosing the Today show last Friday morning.

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And while we're in a video mood, here's Taylor Swift's video for "Mine," which premiered Friday night.

Friday night in Washington state, Keith Urban and Dave Mayer hit the stage and wowed the crowd with their guitar antics.

Think this was a rowdy crowd? Friday night at Montgomery/Gentry's concert, the venue sold out of beer and Jim Beam!

Kenny Chesney's football documentary aired on ESPN yesterday afternoon. Did you see it? It got rave reviews, and was a great tease for the dvd, which is scheduled for a November release.

Here's an early reminder - the three-hour CMA Music Festival special hosted by Tim McGraw airs Wednesday night from 8-11 eastern on ABC. "Country's Night to Rock" features the best performances from the CMA Music Festival, and includes a private, super-secret performance of Taylor Swift's "Mine," done at her marathon autograph signing session.

Happy birthday to Kitty Wells, who turns 91 today.

The tweet of the day is from Blake Shelton: "Quote of the day.... "Wouldn't you rather be motorboatin' than showboatin'?!!!" - Miranda Lambert"

Today's Country Tidbits

James and Amy Otto's daughter, Ava Katherine, made her arrival just before midnight last night. As he was touring with Toby Keith and Trace Adkins, he tweeted that he feared he wouldn't get home in time to be there when she was born. Plenty of time, James...he got home Sunday, and his first child was born late Tuesday.

Randy Travis will celebrate 25 years in country music by releasing a duets cd, featuring songs with Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson and Josh Turner. Randy notes that he and Carrie had great success with their first duet, "I Told You So," but haven't decided which song to do for their second. No release date for the project has been announced yet.

The annual Charlie Daniels Band & Friends concert, a benefit for Christmas 4 Kids, will happen on November 22nd at the Ryman in Nashville. Joining CDB will be Montgomery Gentry, Jake Owen and Sawyer Brown. Tickets are available September 1st for fan club members and September 15th for everyone else.

Darius Rucker's video for "Comeback Song" is on CMT and it's here, too.

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Martina McBride will be part of the huge "Stand Up to Cancer" 17-network telethon on September 10th. She'll perform with Natasha Bedingfield, Queen Latifah, Aaron Neville and Dave Stewart. The all-star musical collaboration will be led by Stevie Wonder and will air at 8pm eastern time.

Did you miss Martina McBride co-hosting the Today show yesterday morning? Never fear - here she is.

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John Rich got the co-host chair today, Trisha Yearwood gets it tomorrow and Josh Turner co-hosts the Today show Friday. In other tv-country star news, Little Big Town will be on Fox & Friends tomorrow morning and Luke Bryan will wrap up the day on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Did you ever want a sneak-peek into Reba's bedroom? She's designing bedding for Dillard's now, and tweeted that she likes the new Gramercy Park line so much, she's got it in her own bedroom.

The country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is about to have a growth spurt. A $250 expansion will include a hotel built by Omni Hotels & Resorts, and an expansion of the museum. It will connect to the new Music City Convention Center, which is already under construction. It's all scheduled to open in 2013.

Congrats to Blake Shelton, who has the #1 song in the country for the second week in a row with "All About Tonight."

Happy birthday to Billy Ray Cyrus and Jo Dee Messina today.

The tweet of the day is from Brad Paisley: "Honored 2 be @ Opryhouse refurbed circle of wood reinstalling. The circle is unbroken. Well unless yours truly trips carrying it..."

Today's Country Tidbits

Saturday night, Brad Paisley headlined a huge, sold-out country music stadium festival in Foxboro, Massachussetts. Along with Brad were Jason Aldean, Darius Rucker, Miranda Lambert and Easton Corbin. The show was smokin' hot, and the concert reviews were uniformly glowing. Robin Roberts of Good Morning America showed up, film crew in tow, so some of it will end up on tv, no doubt. Many people think of country music as a "southern thing" or a "midwestern thing" but New England proved that country music fans are everywhere.

Reba and George Strait are about to take their show out on the road again. Next month, they'll embark on a short tour that takes them into some of the country's top arenas, and Reba remembers 40 years ago, when her shows didn't reach quite so many people. “I was on a flatbed truck doing two shows for the same 78 people. So to be in an arena filled with people is a wonderful thing. When you walk out there and hear that audience screaming and clapping and having a wonderful time, it’s great!”

Miranda Lambert will be out with a six-song acoustic dvd, "Revolution: Live by Candlelight" on October 12th. It'll include performances of her favorite songs from "Revolution" and the stories behind the songs. Amazon.com has it available for pre-preorder now.

Congrats to Blake Shelton for topping both the album and single charts last week with "All About Tonight."

The Today Show goes country this week. Blake Shelton co-hosts the 4th hour today, Martina McBride tomorrow, John Rich on Wednesday, Trisha Yearwood Thursday and Josh Turner takes the seat on Friday.

Tonight on CMT, Miranda Lambert's "Invitation Only" episode premiers. She sings all of her fan favorites, and a few of her own favorites, too. And Willie Nelson performs on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson tonight.

The tweet of the day is from Blake Shelton: "Blake Shelton's tip of the week... If you don't think you're insecure, then why do you insist that you're not?"

Today's Country Tidbits

The next chapter in Taylor Swift's songbook is due out on October 25th. Called "Speak Now, Taylor

describes the album ths way: "These songs are made up of words I didn’t say when the moment was right in front of me. These songs are open

letters. Each is written with a specific person in mind, telling them what I meant to tell them in person." The cover art was unveiled yesterday, and the video for "Mine" debuts on CMT, MTV, VH1 and MTV International on August 27th, at the same time on all of the networks. What time? 9pm eastern.

Part 4 of Zac Brown's "For Those Who Serve" documentary is available now. Go watch it, but don't forget to write a letter of appreciation to a US soldier while you're there.

CMT.com has Reba's new video, "Turn On the Radio." And now, so do you!

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Congrats to Blake Shelton, who not only has the #1 country single this week, but also has the #1 country album with "All About Tonight."

Tuesday night, Blake Shelton was scheduled to be at the Grand Ole Opry, and he was. But the audience got a surprise - Miranda Lambert joined him onstage, too. As she left the stage, Blake told the audience, "That's my future wife." Tomorrow night, it won't be a surprise - both are scheduled to be performing at the Ryman Auditorium when the Opry originates from there.

Kid Rock has a new cd coming out on November 16th, and he's got some superstar help on it. Trace Adkins sing along on the track "Feels Good to Me" and Martina McBride duets on "Care." Kid says the title cut will be the first single, and it's all about how fortunate we all are to be born in a country that is free.

Trace Adkins was on the Today show this morning and will be on The O'Reilly Factor tonight at 8 and 10 eastern on Fox. Then tomorrow morning, catch him on Fox & Friends at 8am eastern.

Happy birthday to Eddy Raven, Lee Ann Womack and Clay Walker today.

The tweet of the day is from Martina McBride: "Emma told me she had 2take our trash in 4 for

sumthing they r doing n Soc. Studies. Lots of moms going thru their trash this am, no doubt!"