They like and respect each other as artists, so Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert released a video on Twitter. Here’s what the video had to say: “[Miranda] What are you doing here? Good to see you! It’s been a while. [Dierks] I know we should go on tour or something to kinda catch up. [Miranda] That’d be awesome. [Dierks] That’d be pretty cool. It’d be epic. [Miranda] Let’s do it, like, in January. [Dierks] This January? [Miranda] Yeah! [Dierks] Alright...Locked & Reloaded? [Miranda] Yeah! [Dierks] Alright. Let’s do it!” They’ll tour together starting January 17th, and of the tour, Miranda says, “This will be a tour of epic badassery.” Just what does that mean? Dierks wants to provide memories like the one he has of a Garth Brooks concert: “I remember seeing him when I was 17 at American West Arena in Phoenix. I was at the very top row. I actually touched the top of the arena building with my brother who was seven. You know no videos...no video walls or anything. I really felt like he was singing directly at me. It was a huge...had a huge influence on me.” Here’s the Twitter video, in case you missed it…



Lady Antebellum’s new holiday album is out, and “On This Winter’s Night” is not just the title track, it’s the only original song on an album full of classics. Why did they make that decision? “We wanted to try our hand in writing one song for this. We didn’t want the record to be a lot of original. At least for us, for the holiday season, we just want to have Christmas songs that we love and that we know. We thought our fans would feel the same way. But this one – we tried to incorporate the emotions and feelings around Christmas. All the fun stuff but all the serious stuff as well.”
Taylor Swift will vote by absentee ballot this year, as she’ll be out of the country promoting her new album, “Red.” It doesn’t seem to need much promotion – it’s #1 in 32 countries already and will sell over a million units this week. What does Taylor do with all the money she’s making? She told ET that she was “raised by a financial advisor,” so she knows it’s important to save and invest her money. According to Taylor, her dad told her, “Save your money! Don’t be stupid about it!” 
She said “no” to American Idol and The X Factor, but Dolly Parton would say “yes” to The Voice if she was invited to be part of it. She says the difference is that there’s not as much judging on The Voice as there is on the other two shows, and according to Dolly, “I hesitate to judge people.” 
Yes, Sara Evans was in a car accident this past week, but it wasn’t that Sara Evans. It was an Ohio teenager named Sarah Evans with an “h” who wrecked her car, causing Sara Evans without an “h” to take to her Twitter account to stop the confusion and rumors. The Ohio teen was cited for failure to yield to a stop sign and wasn’t hurt. The woman in the car she hit was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries. 

The Peoples Choice Awards won’t be handed out until January, but you can start voting for your favorites right now.
For this week, anyway, Jason Aldean holds down the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 album chart as well as the top spot on the Billboard Country Album chart. In his debut week last week, he sold 409,000 copies of “Night Train.” He’ll need to enjoy that chart position this week, because when next week’s charts are released, Taylor Swift will top them both, since she sold over half a million copies just on Monday of this week.
Taylor Swift is on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Martina McBride is on Anderson Live today. 

Carrie Underwood is blowing away the competition – her #1 song “Blown Away” is spending its second week on top of the Billboard Country Singles chart and has just been certified platinum. It’s her 16th #1 song, and with those two weeks and with the one week she owned the charts when “Good Girl” hit #1, she now has spent more time at the top of the country charts than any other female country artist this year. That could be about to change…

She sold nearly 4 million downloads before yesterday, and now that “Red” is officially out, Taylor Swift is anxious to hear what her fans think of it: “There’s a lot on this record. There are a lot of different things reflected on this album, and I think that it’s gonna be so interesting to hear people’s different opinions on the different songs ‘cause each one is so different from the others. It’s um...it’s an interesting thing listening to the record top to bottom.” And since it’s release week, you know Taylor will be on TV everywhere – The View on Wednesday, The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Thursday and on Katie with Katie Couric on Friday.

Chris Young is following up #1 songs “Tomorrow” and “You” with “I Can Take It From There.” Chris says his new song has been special from the very beginning: “I wrote this song with two guys in Nashville that have had a whole bunch of cuts together. And it was cool. I’ve always wanted to write with ‘em, and one of ‘em bein’ Rhett Akins, who…I’ve known Rhett forever. And it was exciting just to get in the room with him and hang out — him and Ben Hayslip — and we kinda got on this idea and finished it so fast. I immediately took it out and started playin’ it at live shows, and people reacted to it. And that’s one of the things that I’ve kind of kept as a hallmark of when I love something just listenin’ to it recorded, and then when it also works live, it’s a really, really good sign.”

There was a Garth sighting in Nashville on Sunday, as he, Connie Smith and Hargus “Pig” Robbins were officially inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Asked how he was feeling before the ceremony, Garth Brooks replied, “This might be the biggest night of my career. I’m so excited and so nervous and feel so undeserving and excited at the same time.” He could have been nervous about who was in the audience to witness his induction: George Strait, James Taylor, Merle Haggard, Ronnie Dunn and Bob Seger.
Kix Brooks’ movie, “Thrift Store Cowboy,” debuted at the Hollywood Film Festival over the weekend. Couldn’t get there to see it? Here’s the official trailer – check out a moustache-free Kix… 
 
Lady Antebellum is out with their Christmas album, “On This Winter’s Night.” The title track was written by the trio, and the album includes holiday classics, too. What would Charles Kelley’s perfect winter night be? “The perfect winter’s night to me would be just all the family together. As you get a little older and everybody has their jobs and then families and kids, it definitely becomes a harder and harder thing to get everybody together at once.” 
Florida Georgia Line will release their debut album, “Here’s To The Good Times,” featuring their hit song, “Cruise,” on December 4th. 
Sara Evans is working on a new album, but don’t hold your breath – it won’t be out until late spring or early summer of next year. 
Since first becoming headliners in 2004, Rascal Flatts have sold over seven million tickets. They were given a giant commemorative ticket at the Nashville show last Friday night. 

The first female country music superstar has passed away. Kitty Wells, who rose to fame in the 1950’s, was the first woman ever to top the country charts. She did it in 1952 with “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels,” a controversial song that was banned by many country stations and from the stage of the Grand Ole Opry for a time. She was the first female country singer to be given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and received many other honors, earning her the nickname, “The Queen of Country Music.” Kitty Wells was 92 and passed away from complications following a stroke.

Told you yesterday that Taylor Swift is atop the Forbes Magazine list of top earners under 30. We know what she does in her professional life, but what does someone so wealthy do in her down time? According to Taylor, “I go home and I like, either have dinner with my friends, or by myself. Then, I’ll watch Friends until I go to sleep.”

Miranda Lambert is still being quiet – hopefully she can play her shows this coming weekend. Meanwhile, the video for Pistol Annie’s new song, “Takin’ Pills,” is raising Cain – and eyebrows! “We love that song. It’s fun. We wrote it on the bus. It’s how we just describe…we would describe ourselves if we had put this band together at 18, right out of high school. And it’s exaggerated, of course, but we would have probably been bums on the street at this point because I don’t know that we could have made it through all that, but that’s a fun one to do, live, too. People love that.” See what all the fuss is about…



Garth Brooks says he’s still two years away from going back out on tour, because he’s still raising his girls. About his daughter Allie, Garth says, “My youngest has got it. She’s got the bug, but she’s got the goods, too.” She wants to pursue music and he’s not going to try to talk her out of it.

With seven kids in the house, Sara Evans spends a lot of time playing referee – especially during the summer time: “Our kids are very competitive...to a negative sometimes. We try to rein that in all the time like, ‘Right now what we’re doing is just for fun. This is not the NBA. This is not the NFL. This is for fun. So, chill out!’ So, we really try to teach them...be competitive, but don’t be ridiculous [laughs]. Have fun!”

Congratulations to Eli Young Band. “Even if it Breaks Your Heart” is the #1 country song this week, meaning that they now have back-to-back #1’s. “Crazy Girl” was their first #1 song.

Craig Morgan is on Rizzoli and Isles tonight and Kip Moore is on Conan O’Brien, performing “Beer Money.”

Today's Country Tidbits

Congratulations to Tim McGraw, as his song “Better Than I Used to Be” has been certified gold. What else does he have to celebrate? “It’s a busy summer ya know. My middle daughter goes into high school next year, so I’ll have two daughters in high school. We’re getting ready for that. My youngest goes into 5th grade. It’s going to be a busy year coming up – there’s a couple movie projects in the works. The tour and new album hopefully coming out in the fall. My wife’s finishing up an album, so it’s a pretty busy time in the McGraw household.” 

Lady Antebellum has sold out all of their tour stops in Australia, and Charles Kelley is hoping to see more of the country during this trip: “Well I remember I was so jetlagged the first time. They all kept getting mad at me because I wanted to sleep during the day. So I didn’t get to do much site-seeing. I believe in jetlag now – it’s such a long flight.” 

Carrie Underwood is playing her first show in England tonight, at the sold-out Royal Albert Hall. She’s been having fun sight-seeing, but is suffering a little bit of jet lag, too. 

CMT Crossroads this Saturday night is Joe Walsh & Friends. The “friends” are Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney, Sara Evans, Luke Bryan, Hunter Hayes and Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top. Guess which song Joe and Brad will do together? “You know I’ve always thought ‘Life’s Been Good,’ is as perfectly written as something could be. Both lyrically with its sarcasm and its outlook, but also structurally with the licks that start it – and take little sort of amendments in the middle. It’s amazing.” 

This past Friday night in Cleveland, Brad Paisley treated his tour mates, band and crew to a bit of late-night fun after the sold-out concert. They all took over the Grand Prix go-kart track at Fun ‘n’ Stuff, racing until 3am. 

Kenny Chesney is on the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon tonight and the Today Show tomorrow morning. And a “way-in-advance” DVR alert – Kenny Chesney will perform live from a barge on the Hudson River in New York on the 36th Annual Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks special on NBC.

Today's Country Tidbits

Next week is the 3rd Annual ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp in Nashville, and some of music city’s stars will be there working with the developmentally disabled kids. Luke Bryan, Big & Rich, David Lee Murphey, Lauren Alaina and Paul Worley are just some of the names associated with this event. Campers participate in a songwriting workshop, recording session and get a live show at the Grand Ole Opry just for them. 

Kenny Chesney has a new pal – a puppy named Pancho. A friend gave him the dog in the hopes he might “learn to attach to something.” Kenny says he’s getting very familiar with pet supply stores and that Pancho will be the four-legged crew member on the Brothers of the Sun tour this summer. 

In Nashville, musicians take care of each other. Jan Grantt, wife of session musician Kevin “Swine” Grantt, has ovarian cancer and no health insurance. Kevin is part of Toby Keith’s Incognito Bandito band, and they’ll be performing at Nashville’s 3rd & Lindsley on June 19th. It’s a benefit show to help pay for Jan’s treatments, and Craig Morgan, Josh Thompson, Darryl Worley and Carl Jackson will all be part of the show. A quick peek at Toby’s tour schedule shows he’s off from the 16th through the 22nd of June. Hmmmmmm…think he might show up?

There are fans, and then there are FANS. Paul Eckhart hasn’t missed a single show at the Grand Ole Opry in 40 years. Obviously he lives in Nashville, making it easier for him to go, but this is an incredible streak that the Opry will celebrate tomorrow night. Paul, along with his wife and family, will sit on the front row and be honored with the first-ever Opry Fan Award. He’ll be gifted with some other surprises, too, so watch the live show to see history made.

Blake Shelton is in his red chair, taping another season of The Voice. Can he keep up the hectic pace? “The reason that you want the four of us is because we’re viable artists right now –current. We can’t do both if we do back-to-back seasons and I’ve been hammering them about it. But, I look forward to it and I love it. I can’t imagine not being part of The Voice ever. I’d love to do it from now on, but it just needs to work. So something has gotta give, ya know?” Blake celebrates his 36th birthday on Monday.

Carrie Underwood’s song “Good Girl” is already platinum – wow, 16 weeks to sell a million downloads...amazing! Her next single is “Blown Away” and it’s already doing well, even before being officially released. “‘Blown Away’ the single it’s already doing really well, as far as whatever - numbers and all that. But, it’s exciting to see people get behind it. And it’s exciting to see people like what we’ve done – because we did work hard.”

Sara Evans will sing the National Anthem at the NBA Finals Game Two tonight between the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder. It airs on ABC.

Today's Country Tidbits

Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney kick off their “Brothers of the Sun” tour tomorrow and Kenny wants his fans to be protected. Well, their eyes, anyway! He and Costa Sunglasses just released five new custom sunglass designs, all with his signature and palm tree logo inside the frame. Part of the proceeds goes to the Coastal Conservation Association. About touring with Tim, Kenny says, “I think it’s going to be very special for us. But the people that are going to benefit the most are the people that have lived with our music for a while now. And see that we’re being all mixed into one stage, everything we’ve been through to get to that point in our lives and our career. That doesn’t happen in everybody’s life and career.”

Dierks Bentley headed for Washington DC tomorrow, where he’ll perform after the Washington Nationals play baseball, hosting the Atlanta Braves. One song that’s a fan favorite already is “Home,” and according to Dierks, there’s a special group of fans who love it the most: “One of the first times I played this song, a girl came up to me that had been in the Navy and told me just how much the lyrics meant to her and since then as the song has gone up the charts more and more, just hearing from so many different fans in the military saying how much the lyrics really affect them, so it’s just awesome to have a song out there that we can sing to our fans and they can sing back to us, and we can really honor those families that are making a huge sacrifice for all of us.”

The next CMT Crossroads is star-studded. Joe Walsh picked “some old friends and some new friends” to share the stage with him. The show will include Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Luke Bryan, Sara Evans and Hunter Hayes, and it will air on June 23rd.

Martina McBride is in the current issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine, telling about her first experience with drinking wine. She confesses to “drinking Tickle Pink by Boone’s Farm, while riding around the Kansas dirt roads with friends listening to Def Leppard or Journey.” Her palate has grown more sophisticated, and she says she likes to have champagne on hand for special occasions.

Rodney Atkins headlines the second annual “Music City Gives Back” benefit concert for the American Red Cross June 5th on Lower Broadway between Second and Fourth Avenues in Nashville. In addition to Rodney, Lee Brice, Thompson Square, Josh Thompson, Clint Black, The Farm, Jana Kramer, Mallary Hope and The Willis Clan are part of the show. The concert is free – the Red Cross will be taking donations – and the Wrangler Facebook page will webcast the show live starting at 5pm Central.

Happy birthday to Ronny Dunn, who turns 59 today.

Today's Country Tidbits

Sugarland has put it "In the Hands of the Fans" for their tour, which kicks off April 5th in Toledo, OH. Fans can text, tweet, Facebook and call in song requests, which will determine the set list for each show. Jennifer Nettles says, "If it’s on one of our records or if we’ve played it on stage it is fair game.” Lauren Alaina and Canaan Smith will be along for the ride.

Dr. Seuss' "The Lorax" opens as an animated movie tomorrow, and Taylor Swift plays the part of Audrey. She thinks people will love the story, saying, “I think my fans and anybody will love The Lorax because it’s just got this magical essence to it. I mean, there’s something...there’s something so insane about the story. There’s such loss, but there’s such hope at the end of it. And that’s always been my favorite thing about this story.” Betty White, Danny DeVito, and Zac Efron also voice characters in the movie version of the classic children's book. Taylor won't be in the states for the movie opening tomorrow - she's in Australia, taking her "Speak Now World Tour" down under.

In Taylor gossip, not news, one online celebrity-watcher site has spotted Taylor Swift and Tim Tebow together twice in the past week.

Keith Urban is still in Australia filming "The Voice," but wanted to celebrate his second week at #1 with "You Gonna Fly." He arranged for a Nashville-area high school marching band to go to the Capitol Nashville building and march through it, playing "You Gonna Fly" for everyone who helped get it to #1. Here's video of the band learning the song and taking it to Capitol...

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are in Australia, and while Faith was sound-checking, Tim showed off one of his hidden talents...

Joe Don Rooney is excited that Jay DeMarcus and his wife Ali are having a boy. Joe Don has it all planned out: “[Joe Don] I think I wanted Jay to have a boy just...you know, just because he’s got a little girl and just experiencing that boy bond is really special. And, you know, I needed Jagger to have a duo partner. So, maybe he’s got one now. [Jay] They’re gonna start rehearsing as soon as mine’s out of the womb. [Joe Don] And the other thing is, Britney could be the lead singer, so... ‘cause Gary’s daughter can sing like a bird.” Boy DeMarcus is due August first, and the new Rascal Flatts album, "Changed," will be here April 3rd.

How did Sara Evans react when the guys from Rascal Flatts gave her a Jeep as a tour gift? Let her tell it: “So I – I got them a really nice watch and I’m like ‘Oh my gosh I am so sweet I mean they probably didn’t get me anything.’ And I’m, just was so proud of myself for getting them these watches and my manager says you know Gary, Jay, and Joe Don want to come and give you a gift. And I am like ‘Oh that’s just because I got them the watches, that’s sweet. You know, they’re probably going to give me some flowers or something.’ They come on the bus and he holds up a keychain, an Alabama keychain with a key on it. And I – I feel like I was such a dork because I didn’t, I was in shock I’m like ‘I gave you a watch.’”

Do you watch horse races? If you're a Toby Keith fan, be sure to watch the Kentucky Derby the first Saturday in May and root for "Reckless Jerry." That's Toby's horse from his Dream Walkin' Farms.

Zac Brown Band's tour sponsor, Jack Daniels, has enlisted the guys to do a couple of tv commercials for them:

Professional Bull Riders will use Ronnie Dunn's new song, "Let the Cowboy Rock" in their promotional campaign this year.

The tweet of the day is from Blake Shelton: "Folding the third pile of laundry Miranda has handed me tonight... This is bull!! Clothes should be disposable like toilet paper!!!"

Today's Country Tidbits

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy birthday to Steve Holy, who turns 40 today.

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

Today's Country Tidbits

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

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

January 12th – Charleston, WV

January 13th – Roanoke, VA

January 14th – Hershey, PA

January 19th – Columbia, MO

January 20th – Peoria, IL

January 21st – Columbus, OH

January 26th – Albany, NY

January 27th – Providence, RI

January 28th – Atlantic City, NJ

February 9th – Jacksonville, FL

February 10th – Birmingham, AL

February 11th – Little Rock, AR

February 17th – Wilkes-Barre, PA

February 18th – E. Rutherford, NJ

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

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

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

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

The Band Perry performs on Dancing With the Stars tonight.

Happy birthdy to Josh Gracin who is 31 today.

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

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

Today's Country Tidbits

Taylor Swift is tied with Giselle Bundchen, Ellen DeGeneres and Judge Judy Sheindlin on Forbes' "Entertainment's Highest-Earning Women" list. The list takes into account gross income, less manager fees and taxes, from May 2010 to May 2011. The four made $45 million each. Topping the list is Oprah Winfrey, who made $290 million.

Speaking of Taylor, she's featured in New Yorker magazine, and the reporter says there were times during the interview she thought Taylor was close to "bursting into tears." Talking about her next album, Taylor revealed she's written about 10 songs so far, and the theme is loss and moving on. Look for the project sometime in 2012.

Luke Bryan's Farm Tour 2011 wraps up tomorrow in Carrollton, Georgia and he's not just entertaining fans, he's providing college scholarships at each tour stop. Luke says, “The main thing that I hope that the kids that receive the scholarship’s, what I hope they get out of this, is, ya know, an opportunity to go to, heck, to even just have some money for them to help them out on school; I mean, to think, to allow them to dream bigger; and having, ya know, an opportunity at a great education.”

Congratulations to the CMT Artists of the Year - Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley and Taylor Swift. Criteria for the award include sales, radio airplay, concert ticket sales and cmt.com traffic. There'll be a 90 minute special on December 13th, honoring the award winners.

Miranda Lambert wants you to hear her new song, "Mama's Broken Heart," and wants to give you some prizes, too. It's as easy as uploading a photo and sharing the link - good luck, and check out the song while you're there.

In the November issue of Ladies' Home Journal, Miranda Lambert graces the cover and covers her upcoming album, her career and her marriage to Blake Shelton. Says Miranda, "When I see Blake playing with his wedding ring, it reminds me that somebody has my back forever." Here re some more fun tidbits:

HOW THEY STAY SANE: “We live in Oklahoma, two hours from any city, and it's a haven. Just being in the woods, sitting around a fire being normal, keeps us sane.”

HOW SHE COMMENTS ON THE VOICE: “Some days I was like, ‘Why did you pick that song? Why did you make her sing that?’ He'd say, ‘Why don't you just go be the coach?’ It's funny. He listens, though.”

THEY MAY BE MOVING: “We actually want to build a house but we have to find the time to do it. As long as there's somewhere for him to hang his deer heads, I can do what I want.”

The continuing war between Sara Evans and her ex-husband Craig Schelske has come to this: she's gotten a restraining order to keep him from publicly discussing their relationship, divorce and custody battle over their three children. An unnamed source has told reporters that this is a violation of Craig's First Amendment rights and he won't take it lying down.

Congratulations to Ella Mae Bowen, who's the newest addition to the Big Machine Label Group, home of Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts and Rebe. Ella Mae sings "Holding Out for a Hero" on the "Footloose" remake sountrack.

The tweet of the day is from Chuck Wicks: "Who the "F" passes a Waffle House when they're drunk...Brandon.....you're fired."

Today's Country Tidbits

Brad Paisley's H2O II tour wrapped up over the weekend, and the pranks were flying. First, though, Brad replaced Edens Edge's door mat that he torched earlier this year. Sunny Sweeny launched pink flamingos and a toilet into the middle of Brad's set, and Brad and Scotty McCreery sent remote control water-gun trucks onstage to soak Blake Shelton while he played.

Jason Aldean's latest song, "Tattoos on this Town," seems like a straight-ahead ode to pride of place. The video premiers today, and according to Jason, “I think it’s gonna be something that’s a little different from anything we’ve done before with the way we kinda of tie it all in at the end. It starts out probably like you would think, you know, showing a young couple together, ‘carving-their-names-in-a-tree’ kinda deal. And then from there, it kinda takes you on a different path, I think, than people that listen to the song think it’s going to.” Watch for a patriotic slant, something Jason't proud of.

With seven kids between them, Sara Evans and Jay Barker had to have some house rules to keep their home a happy one. As Sara tells People magazine, "The kids love each other like Jay and I love each other. It just really works." To keep it working, here are the house rules: Keep it Cozy, Keep Things Organized, Keep Dinner Simple and Keep Sleeping. That last rule applies to letting Mom and Dad sleep until at least 10am on Saturdays.

Lady Antebellum was supposed to be on CBS Sunday Morning yesterday morning, but the segment was moved to this coming Sunday morning. Set your DVRs.

Dierks Bentley is part of Jimmy Fallon's tribute week to Pink Floyd. They're releasing two box sets this week, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon features a different artist each night performing a Pink Floyd classic. Dierks Bentley will sing "Wish You Were Here" Friday night. Other acts are Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, The Shins and MGMT.

Chris Young is on the Late, Late Show with Craig Fergson and Luke Bryan is on Access Hollywood.

Happy birthday to Lynn Anderson, who is 64 today, Olivia Newton-John, who turns 63 and Doug Supernaw who is 51.

The tweet of the day is from Miranda Lambert: "What did the gingerbread man step in? Cookie sheet!"

today's country tidbits

People have called Tim McGraw and Faith Hill the Barbie and Ken of country music, and soon they'll be the country version of Barbie and Ken. Barbie Collector Editions is releasing a Tim and Faith collector edition of dolls to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary. The dolls are on back-order until September first, but you can place your order now if you've got about $70 to spare.

Garth Brooks will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on October 16th, along with Alan Jackson, in the Songwriter/Artist category. Songwriter honorees are John Bettis, Thom Schuyler and Allen Shamblin.

Alan Jackson will be part of the Washington National Cathedral three-day commemoration of the 10th anniversary of 9/11. "A Call to Compassion" will feature Alan as part of "A Concert for Hope" on Sunday night, September 11th. The Washington National Cathedral was the national gathering place for mourning, reflection and prayer in the wake of the tragedy, so it's only fitting that it serve as the place to honor the dead, address the need for more healing and raise awareness for the need to create a more hopeful world. "A Concert for Hope" will be broadcast live on ABC from 8-9pm Eastern time.

More details on why Alan Jackson will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame this October. He's either written or co-written 24 of his 35 #1 songs, plus other artists have taken songs he wrote or co-wrote to #1, too. Randy Travis owes "A Better Class of Losers" to Alan, and Clay Walker's "If I Could Make a Living" came from his fertile mind, too. His music is honest, straightforward and back-to-basics, which resonates with country music fans. It also resonates with those who give out awards - he's won Song of the Year honors from the CMA, ACM and Grammys, plus he was ASCAP's Country Songwriter of the Year in 1993, 1994 and 1998. ASCAP recognized Alan as the Country Songwriter/Artist of the Year in 2002, 2003, 2008 and 2009, and in 2010 that organization gave him the prestigous ASCAP Founders Award. The Nashville Songwriters Association recognized Alan as their Songwriter/Artist of the year in 1991, 1992, 2002, 2007 and 2008. From the award shows, he's garnered a total of two Grammys, 16 CMA awards and 17 ACM awards. But going into the Hall of Fame doesn't mean he's ready to retire - his new single, "Long Way to Go," is climbing the charts, and he says he feels energized now that he's working with EMI Records and releasing his albums on his own label, ACR, or Alan's Country Records.

Little Big Town lend their soaring harmonies to an oldie but a goodie - the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" - in this week's Scattered, Smothered and Covered.

Have you seen the video to Sara Evans' new song, "My Heart Can't Tell You No?" It's a remake of the Rod Stewart hit, and Sara knew as she recorded it that it would be a single, as it's a song she believes is deserving of being widely heard.

Condolences to the family of Meagan Toothman, who was scheduled to be removed from life support yesterday afternoon after her organs were harvested. Meagan is the seventh victim of the stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair during Sugarland's tour stop there. Sugarland posted this video of the tribute they did last Thursday night...

Congratulations to Dierks Bentley, who lands the #1 spot on the country charts with "Am I The Only One." It's his 8th #1 song.

New music in stores today is by Pistol Annies. "Hell on Heels" is the debut cd of the trio, featuring Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley.

Happy birthday to Ira Dean and to Becky Robertson of Carter's Chord.

Martina McBride is on the Today Show this morning.

The tweet of the day is from Jaron and the Long Road to Love: "when life gives me lemons I put em in my cervezas."

Today's Country Tidbits

Last night on The Voice, Blake Shelton's mentee, Dia Frampton, came in second to Adam Levine's Javier Colon. The voting was incredibly close - only a 2% difference between first and second place. Dia and Miranda Lambert did a lovely duet on "The House the Built Me." Blake truly enjoyed being part of the show and is in talks with producers to be in the next series. But just in case, he's asked for a keepsake from the set: “I have, I’ve asked Mark Burnett if I can take my chair home with me after the show is over and he offered to sell it to me.” The Voice Live On Tour kicks off in July and hits most of America's major cities, taking the top 8 contestants along for the ride.

Tonight in Michigan, Toby Keith's "Locked & Loaded" tour kicks off, and tomorrow night in Milwaukee, the video for "Made In America" will be shot during the show. Toby recorded the song right after coming back from a USO tour of the Persian Gulf, and loves the feel of it, saying, “It just, talks about being American made to the core and living here in the greatest country in the world where every day is Independence Day.”

Toby Keith did the first of a series of benefit shows for the Bluebird Cafe this week, and while final numbers on the money raised aren't available yet, one thing is for certain: attendees had a major concert experience in a very intimate space. It was a non-politically correct night, as you'd expect from Toby, Scotty Emerick and Bobby Pinson, and the three-hour show featured songs from "Weed With Willie" to "American Soldier," Toby passing bottles of his new Wild Shot mezcal and stories about anyone and everyone in Nashville. He more than lived up to what you'd expect from NSAI's Artist/Songwriter of the Decade. In other Toby news, he's having a bit of success at the tracks lately. His three-year-old colt, Sherriff Cogburn, placed second in the quarter of a million dollar Iowa Derby race on Saturday at Prairie Meadows.

Jake Owen catches major air in his video for "Barefoot Blue Jean Night." No, he didn't use a stunt double, either!

Tags: Barefoot Blue Jean Night, Jake Owen, Jake Owen Videos

The 2011 Teen Choice Award nominations are out, and Taylor Swift raked in six. She's up for Female Artist, Female Country Artist, Country Single for "Mean," Love Song for "Mine," Break-Up Song for "Back to December" and Choice Red Carpet Fashion Icon: Female.

Zac Brown Band will debut the video to "Knee Deep," their Jimmy Buffet collaboration, today on their website.

Wanna work out like Kenny Chesney? Mens Health magazine has modified Kenny's ultra-intense (300 push-ups in 10 minutes, for example) workout for mere mortals.

Montgomery Gentry and Kansas are the featured musical acts for Darryl Worley's Tennessee River Run September 15th through 17th at the Pickwick Landing State Park in Tennessee. Tickets for the fun go on sale this Saturday.

The July issue of Self Magazine features some of country music's prettiest stars talking about their favorite comfort foods. Carrie Underwood likes pizza made with a tortilla crust, topped with spinach, olives, onions and bell peppers. Sara Evans loves the honey-beer ham that her mom makes, and Miranda Lambert shares her love of raspberry-lemon-yogurt bread. Sara Evans is also in Shape magazine, discussing fitness and stress-reducing exercises.

Thinking about going to the Grand Ole Opry for a show this summer? Buy your tickets today or tomorrow, use the offer code SMR48 and you'll have a buy one, get one free deal.

Today, you can get a free download of Gloriana's "Soldier Song" from their Facebook page. You have to grab it before July 7th, though.

Wynonna is the headliner for the 29th Annual Independence Day Concert in Warner Robins, Georgia tomorrow. The American Armed Forces Network will tape the show and broadcast it on the 4th of July. Wynonna is also on Morning Express with Robin Meade on HLN this morning.

Congratulations to Justin Moore who has the #1 country album this week with "Outlaws Like Me." And Taylor Swift has notched her 8th career #1 song with "Mean." It's #1 on one of the major country charts, and Blake Shelton's "Honey Bee" is #1 on the other for the third week in a row.

Happy birthday to Dwayne O'Brien, the guitarist for Little Texas. He's 48 today.

The tweet of the day is from Blake Shelton: "I'm so hung over right now I just tried to add more water... To my dog."

Today's Country Tidbits

Congratulations to Scotty McCreery, the winner of season 10's American Idol. Both Scotty and Lauren Alaina were prepared for the other one to win. According to Scotty, “Me and her have been together since day one and we’re gonna stick together.” And Lauren chimed in, "He's my best friend and I love him and I couldn't be happier for him." Carrie Underwood made a special appearance and duetted with Lauren Alaina on the show. 122 million votes were cast Tuesday night in the lowest-rated performance finale in American Idol's history.

Reba and Blake Shelton threw a benefit concert for tornado victims in Oklahoma, and Blake told the story watching the tornado that did so much damage to a town close to him. “It was coming literally directly to my house. Being the, you know, the smart guy that I am I walked outside and stood in the driveway and we actually filmed the tornado…it was only about, you know, a mile and a half from our house and we filmed it come out and it touched the ground for a minute and then it went away and it kept moving east and ultimately ended up going through Tushka.” Donations are still being accepted - text “OKGIVE” to 27722 to make a one-time $10 donation, added to your cell phone bill. Funds will be donated to The mGive Foundation for the benefit of the Tushka Disaster Relief Fund. Checks can also be made out to the Tushka Disaster Relief Fund and mailed to: 101 SE 1st Street, Tushka, OK 74525.

An online charity auction is underway through mid-June, with proceeds benefiting Musicians on Call. Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Dolly Parton and Gwyneth Paltrow have all donated memorabilia and meet & greet opportunities. Sports stars have also donated items, so check out the auction and be generous!

Luke Bryan is on tour with Tim McGraw, and Tim had a birthday this week. Luke interrupted Tim's set to sing him the birthday song, with a little help from the audience.

Speaking of Luke, a new CMT Crossroads is in the offing, featuring Luke Bryan and the Doobie Brothers. The special has already taped and it premiers June 24th on CMT.

Sara Evans had a #1 party for "A Little Bit Stronger" yesterday in Nashville. The songwriters, Luke Laird, Hillary Lindsey and Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott, were also at the party. According to Sara, “When the album was all done and we knew that ‘Little Bit Stronger’ was the first single, I knew that as soon as I heard it. I…I said, ‘That is the first single, no question…We have to name the album Stronger.’ And it’s a great song! You know, it’s a song that everybody can relate to. Very well written.”

Did you miss Sara Evans on Dancing With the Stars? Here she is...

People are going "huh??" over Craig Campbell's new song, "Fish." It'll either shock you or make you laugh out loud...you've been warned!

Congratulations to Jason Aldean, who has the #1 country album for the 4th week in a row with "My Kinda Party." The album has been on the charts for 29 weeks, never outside the top 5.

Loretta Lynn's ranch, The Plantation, will be featured on an upcoming episode of Ghost Adventures on the Travel Channel. The show's hosts visit with Miss Loretta and hear stories about the many ghostly encounters she and her family have had on the property. The episode will air June 10th.

John Rich is on the Ellen DeGeneres show today.

Happy birthday to Hank Williams Jr., who turns 62 today.

The tweet of the day is from Kellie Pickler: "I wish these dang cicadas would watch where their going. They keep flying in my hair. Maybe I should use bug spray instead of hairspray??"

Today's Country Tidbits

Donations are still being collected for the tornado victims by the American Red Cross, who benefited from the "Music Builds: The CMT Disaster Relief Concert" on Thursday night. The show will re-air tomorrow night on HLN, and you can see the performances here right now.

Today's Country Tidbits

John Rich is just one episode away from tying with Trace Adkins as runner-up on Celebrity Apprentice. Trace did it in the 2008 season and John's on a big roll in the 2011 season. If he makes it through this Sunday night's episode, where two people will be fired, he'll only be one episode away from winning the whole shebang. His charity is St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and of them he says, "I went to St. Jude with Lonestar when I was 20, and I still haven't gotten over it. I've always wanted the opportunity to take what I've built for myself and apply it to helping St. Jude, and Celebrity Apprentice has been the perfect opportunity for that." Hit up iTunes for the song he's dedicated to St. Jude to help him raise a million dollars for his favorite charity. "For the Kids" is the song, and also the title to a six-pak album he has coming out next week.

Josh Turner's concert in Stockton, California was good for at least four people. At the show, two couples got engaged. Just before he sang "Would You Go With Me," Josh dedicated the song to brand-newly-engaged Jeff and Alma, calling them to the stage and telling them, "Now you two stay together, alright?" Later in the show, someone in the crowd passed a note to Josh, who read it and then handed the mic to the guy. That man proposed to his girlfriend, too. Both women said "yes" and Josh joked with the single members of his band, "You don't have anyone you want to ask, do you? It seems to be contagious!"

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert still aren't divulging details about Saturday's wedding, except that Neal McCoy is the musical entertainment, the ceremony will be somewhere in Texas and venison is on the menu. No details have leaked out about Miranda's bachelorette party last weekend in Lexington, KY, but I'm looking for them and will let you in on any photos I find.

Good news on the Keith Urban artwork that was stolen from out in front of a salon in Wisconsin - the huge fiberglass hand sculpture has been returned to the owner. A young man reported that he found the piece and thought it had been thrown away. When he heard the news that it was stolen, he promptly returned it and refused the cash reward. No word on whether he accepted the concert tickets and meet & greet passes Keith added to the reward.

It was just a matter of time - Keith Urban is getting his own fragrance. He's working closely with a custom beauty company to create the perfect "aura of Keith." He joins Taylor Swift, Shania Twain, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as country artists with a signature scent.

Brad Paisley's "This is Country Music" comes out on May 23rd, and tv shows are lining up to have him on. He'll be on "Good Morning America," "The Late Show with David Letterman" and "Hannity" on the 24th, and on the 25th he'll perform on "The View."

Kid Rock will be the next roastee on Comedy Central's Roast ceries. The show will be taped in August.

This Saturday, the restoration of the Grand Ole Opry House following last year's floods will be featured. Lester Holt conducts the tour and is shown being the guest announcer at the Opry and playing bass for Luke Bryan. Here's a sneak-peek.

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

Zac Brown Band is on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight, Taylor Swift is performing on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and Steve Earle is on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Happy anniversary to Trace Adkins and wife Rhonda, who celebrate their fourteenth wedding anniversary today.

Happy birthday to Mark Herndon of Alabama, who is 57.

The tweet of the day is from Sara Evans: "Walked in to use restroom here and my song was playing! I never said a word! So weird!"

Today's Country Tidbits

Tickets for the Taylor Swift dress rehearsal/benefit concert "Speak Now...Help Now" go on sale Thursday morning at 11 Eastern. The show is May 21st at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena and is the final dress rehearsal before her "Speak Now" tour kicks off in North America. Each ticket is $50 and includes a commemorative t-shirt for those who go to the concert.

This Thursday night's benefit concert for tornado victims just got a few more stars. Joining Hank Williams Jr, Alabama, Ronnie Dunn, Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Sara Evans and Alan Jackson are Trace Adkins and Little Big Town. The show, "Music Builds: CMT Disaster Relief Concert" airs at 9 Eastern on CMT and CMT.com. All money collected during the benefit concert goes to the American Red Cross. You can donate $10 now by texting REDCROSS to 90999.

David Nail is hosting a flood relief concert in Missouri on May 27th.

Dierks Bentley reveals some of his pre-show rituals...

Chris Young's next album, "Neon," streets July 12th. It includes his current hit song, "Tomorrow."

Tonight is the night that Reba joins Blake Shelton on "The Voice," adding another coach to his team.

The tweet of the day is from Trent Tomlinson: "I just found out that the building I live in has a restaurant that delivers food to your condo till 5 in the morning! #winning"

Today's Country Tidbits

Sunday night when the President went on TV to let us know that Osama bin Laden had been taken out, Rascal Flatts was on stage at the Stagecoach Festival in California. A member of their crew told them, and Jay DeMarcus announced the news to the 50,000 fans. He said, “I hope I speak for everyone here when I say, ‘Osama bin Laden, I hope you rest in pieces.’” The crowd erupted in cheers of "USA, USA!"

Tennessean.com has a photo gallery from the Stagecoach Festival for your viewing pleasure.

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert have recorded another duet. The song is called "Red River Blue" and was written by Ray Stephenson and Buddy Owens. No one is quite sure who's album it will land on at this point. Their last duet, "Draggin' the River," was on a Blake Shelton album. Since both Blake and Miranda are working on new cds now, it could be either one.

Told you yesterday that Lady Antebellum's next single is "Just a Kiss" and that they'll do it Thursday night on American Idol. If you want to hear it right now, you can. You can also buy the song at Wal-Mart stores and on iTunes.

Taylor Swift will play the closing concert at the 2011 CMA Music Festival. She'll take over the LP Field stage on June 12th. And a change was made to the previously announced schedule - Reba is now performing Friday night, not Saturday night.

Congratulations to Sara Evans, who has the #1 country song this week with "A Little Bit Stronger." It's her 5th #1 song.

Jake Owen's "Barefoot Blue Jean Night" gets "drunked" in a Nashville recording studio...

Condolences to Amy Grant, whose Mother, Gloria Dean Napier Grant, passed away on Saturday. She was 80.

There's a new Randy Travis album out today, exclusively at Cracker Barrel. It's a 12-song collection of previously unreleased tracks and solid hits, including "Forever and Ever, Amen," "1982" and "Three Wooden Crosses." Proceeds from the sale of the cd benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. If you can't stop by a Cracker Barrel, you can buy the album online at their site.

Colt Ford's new cd, "Every Chance I Get," is out today, featuring performances by Tim McGraw, Eric Church, Craig Morgan and Josh Thompson.

Shania Twain is on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" today, and Blake Shelton is on "The Voice" tonight.

Happy birthday to Eric Church, who celebrates his 34th birthday today, and also the 5th anniversary of signing his first major record deal. Cactus Moser of Highway 101 is 54 and John Hopkins of Zac Brown Band is 40.

The tweet of the day is from James Otto: "So Pakistan had no idea Bin Laden was in the Country? I'm callin B.S. & I don't mean @blakeshelton"

Today's Country Tidbits

Imagine being Kenny Chesney, doing a meet & greet before a show and meeting a family that planned their entire vacation around attending one of his shows. According to Kenny, “I couldn’t have imagined that when I was a kid dreaming in East Tennessee about what I wanted to do with this that it would have grown into this. And have people come to a meet and greet going, ‘Well, we planned our whole summer vacation around what you’re doing.’ That just blows me away.”

Now THIS is a mash-up! Faith Hill and Tim McGraw are part of an all-star cast of a country-themed production of William Shakespeare's "The Merry Wives of Windsor." The show will be May 9th at UCLA's Royce Hall. The music of the late Hank Williams will be featured in the production, and other stars include William Shatner, Christina Applegate, Kenneth Branagh, Eric Idle and Martin Short. The proceeds benefit the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles. I hope someone tapes this and turns it into a tv show, or at least a YouTube video series.

Jason Aldean taped an episode of CMT's "Invitation Only" on Tuesday. The air date hasn't been announced yet, but he played an 8-song set that included "My Kinda Party," "Amarillo Sky," "Why," "The Truth," "Crazy Town," "Hicktown," "She's Country" and "Dirt Road Anthem."

Carrie Underwood is on the cover of US Weekly, and the article talks about "How Marriage Changed Me." She offers “Just learning how to live together has been fun and frustrating and everything in between.” As for kids, she says they have plenty of time and are content with their furry dog family for now.

Are you male, between the ages of 18 and 26 and a country singer with range and twang? Then Mercury Records is looking for you. Mercury is the home of Billy Currington, Jamey Johnson and Sugarland, and they're looking to give one lucky singer a record deal.

Amazon.com has a sale going on - 100 albums for only $5 each. Some of the country artists include Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert and Tim McGraw. Check it out!

Chad Ochocinco of the Cincinnati Bengals is a country music fan. Yesterday he tweeted, "In the gym listening to @ashleygearing song entitled 'Five More Minutes' on repeat; awesome song. Something about country music is compelling." Welcome to what we've known for a long time, Ochocinco! By the way, that tweet earned Ashley Gearing 300 new followers in less than an hour.

Feel better wishes to Michelle Branch, who was in a car accident yesterday while picking her son up from school. A woman ran a red light and T-boned Michelle's car. She reports that they only had minor scrapes and are just shaken up.

Congratulations to Sara Evans. Her "A Little Bit Stronger" song has been certified gold for sales of over half a million copies.

Saturday, Danny Gokey is in the movie "Truth Be Told" on Fox. Sunday, Ashton Shepherd will be on the Aaron's 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, John Rich will be on Celebrity Apprentice and promises to put Gary Busey in his place, The Judds' show will be on OWN and Rascal Flatts is on "Inside West Coast Customs" on Discovery's HD Theater.

Happy birthday to Roy Clark, who turns 78 today.

The tweet of the day is from Blake Shelton: "Re-writing my fav Easton Corbin song... Girl I'm not plus size in low rise From behind thats mostly crack I'm a little more chunky than fat"

Today's Country Tidbits

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

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

Top Artist

Taylor Swift

Justin Bieber

Eminem

Rihanna

Lady Gaga

Top Billboard 200 Album

Lady Antebellum

Taylor Swift

Eminem

Susan Boyle

Justin Bieber

Top Duo Group

Lady Antebellum

Black Eyed Peas

Bon Jovi

Linkin Park

U2

Top Billboard 200 Artist

Taylor Swift

Lady Antebellum

Eminem

Justin Bieber

Susan Boyle

Top Female Artist

Taylor Swift

Rihanna

Ke$ha

Lady Gaga

Katy Perry

Top Streaming Song (Audio)

Lady Antebellum – Need You Now

Taio Cruz – Dynamite

Bruno Mars – Just The Way You Are

Nelly – Just A Dream

Eminem feat. Rihanna – Love the Way You Lie

Top Country Album

Jason Aldean – My Kinda Party

Taylor Swift – Speak Now

Lady Antebellum – Need You Now

Zac Brown Band – The Foundation

Sugarland – Incredible Machine

Top Country Artist

Jason Aldean

Zac Brown Band

Taylor Swift

Lady Antebellum

Kenny Chesney

Top Country Song

The Band Perry – “If I Die Young”

Lady Antebellun – “Need You Now”

Miranda Lambert – “House That Built Me”

Sugarland – “Stuck Like Glue”

Taylor Swift – “Mine”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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