Tim McGraw's Saturday Night Live Debut This Weekend NOT As Musical Guest
Tim McGraw will be making his debut on NBC's Saturday Night Live this weekend - but not as the musical guest. He's slated to host the show. The singer's SNL stint is stemming from his acting career, and comes just days before his next film, Four Christmases, opens in theaters. McGraw has said that he's looking forward to the appearance but admits he's not exactly known for comedy. However, he adds that he hopes the time he's spent with his Four Christmases co-stars Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon, and Jon Favreau has been, "good training" for the sketch comedy show. This week's SNL musical guests are rappers Ludacris and T-Pain. McGraw is only the fifth country singer to host Saturday Night Live, and the first to do so in nearly ten years. Garth Brooks was the last country star to take the helm for the show. He's done it twice - in November 1999 and February 1998. Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson have also served as Saturday Night Live hosts. Faith says, "Oh, he's going to be great. He is. I mean, it's a whole 'nother thing for him. You know, I'm the comedy girl in the family. He is not. But he really is funny. It's going to be good. He has a very dry sense of humor. They like you to take stories that have actually happened and he has no problem picking on himself, making fun of himself. And that's what they like." It sounds like the McGraw's are making it a working vacation in New York. Faith will be performing on the Today Show Concert Series on Monday (November 24th), as well as signing her holiday CD Joy To the World at the Virgin MegaStore in Times Square. She's also taping The View, an appearance on Late Show with David Letterman and her portion of NBC's Rockefeller Tree Lighting special.
Tim & His Roadies 2002 Bud Light Ad
A Toby Keith TV Christmas
Toby Keith is starting his holiday celebrations a little early. He's slated to appear in a few seasonal specials over the next several weeks - including two this weekend. On Friday he'll be part of CMT's Larry The Cable Guy's Star Studded Christmas Extravaganza, and he joins Willie Nelson in appearing on Comedy Central's A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All. For that special Toby sings "Have I Got A Present For You." It'll make its debut on Comedy Central Sunday, while seven rebroadcasts are slated over the next five weeks. In addition, a DVD of A Colbert Christmas will hit stores Tuesday, with money raised going to the charity Feed America. Keith will also be included on Songs For The Holidays, a special culled from performances on the syndicated Ellen DeGeneres Show. And on Christmas Day CMT will rebroadcast the 2007 special A Toby Keith Classic Christmas, which includes performances of such songs as "Winter Wonderland," "I'll Be Home For Christmas," "Little Drummer Boy," and "The First Noel."
MG & USO Team Up
Montgomery Gentry has teamed up with Vault soft drink and the USO to let our overseas troops know that they are being thought of. Eddie and Troy are featured in special store displays where fans can pick up postcards to be delivered to the troops. Eddie Montgomery explains how it works: "Anywhere you see Coke products, or see the Vault product, go in and you can grab a postcard. And you know, I know the Internet is huge and all that. But there's still nothing that touches somebody like a handwritten letter sometimes. And even if it's just to say thank you, and it's already got the stamp on it and everything else. Write thank you on the card, put it in the mailbox, and we'll make sure it gets over to our heroes overseas." The goal of the campaign is to send one million postcards to the troops over the holidays. Troy Gentry tells us that he and Eddie knew they wanted to be part of the program from the very beginning. "The USO and Vault came to us knowing that we're big supporters of our military. And you know the holidays is a time when families get together, and unfortunately for those across the seas working and doing what they do for us, they're not able to be home. So I just want them to know that they're thought about through the holiday seasons, and they are missed not only by their families, but by us as civilians too." Besides looking for the postcards on Vault in-store displays, you can visit mycokerewards.com and click on Vault's Call For Support. You can contribute money and Coke reward points to the USO through the site. Montgomery Gentry are a part of Larry The Cable Guy's Star Studded Christmas Extravaganza, airing on CMT Friday night (November 21st) at 8:00 p.m. CT. Toby Keith, Terry Bradshaw, Rodney Atkins, Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, Lewis Black, Blake Shelton, Tony Orlando, Fred Willard, Joey Fatone, Terry Fator, Nadine Valazquez, and Emily West are all also a part of the special.
Reba Back to Broadway?
It seems to be just speculation at this point, but New York Post columnist Michael Riedel reports that Reba McEntire may head back to Broadway next year in a revival of Cole Porter's Anything Goes. The story holds merit because of McEntire's triumphant Broadway run in Annie Get Your Gun in 2001. She won over both critics and the crowds alike in her role as Annie Oakley, turning a show that was on the brink of shutting down into the hottest ticket in town, according to Riedel. Riedel reports that Annie Get Your Gun regularly grossed close to $1 million a week with Reba at the helm. Broadway producers have offered Reba roles since Annie, but she was tied up with her work on her sitcom Reba. Now that it's out of the way, she would have more time to spend on the other coast. Ethel Merman originally played the role of Reno Sweeney, the nightclub singer in Anything Goes. Merman also created the role of Annie Oakley.
Who's Up For AMAs?
Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, and Rascal Flatts are among the two-time country nominees heading into this weekend's American Music Awards. Brooks and Underwood are in the running for Favorite Male and Female Artist, while the trio is up for Favorite Band, Duo, or Group. The three all face off for Favorite Album, with Brooks' The Ultimate Hits meeting Underwood's Carnival Ride and Rascal Flatts' Still Feels Good. Brooks' competition for Favorite Male includes Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley, while Underwood is up against Reba McEntire and Taylor Swift for the Favorite Female honors. Brooks & Dunn and Sugarland are the other Band, Duo, or Group contenders. Swift is also slated to be a performer at the event. The Eagles are among the top nominees, earning three bids in the Pop/Rock and Adult Contemporary categories, and getting a nod for the all-genre Artist of the Year. R&B singer Alicia Keys leads the pack with five chances to win. The 36th Annual American Music Awards will be presented in a ceremony at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles on, and air on ABC on Sunday.
Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley Among People's Sexiest Men
Blake Shelton is one of the sexiest men alive. At least that's what People magazine thinks. The country hunk is included in the publication's annual "Sexiest Man Alive" issue. Shelton tells People he thinks his appeal stems from his truck, which isn't exactly sparkling. But he notes that's the point, explaining, "The wussiest thing a guy can do is drive a clean truck. Dents, scratches, and mud - that's manly." Other country stars making the list include Tim McGraw and Brad Paisley. Australian actor Hugh Jackman - who's co-starring in the upcoming film Australia with Keith Urban's wife Nicole Kidman - tops the list. People's Sexiest Men Alive issue hits newsstands Friday.
The hottest of the hot, from Matt to Usher, flash before your eyes. Can you name them all? 100 Sexy Men in 1 Minute
Blake's Startin' Fires in NYC
Emerson Drive Awaits Baby
Last year, Emerson Drive was a band of bachelors. This year, three of the five bandmembers tied the knot. Now, fiddle player David Pichette is anxiously awaiting the birth of not only his first child, but the first baby for the band. Pichette says: "I'm excited. I've been excited. I'm having a little girl. And she's going to be here in the next week, we're not too sure when. She's all healthy and everything. It really gives me such another appreciation of life. And the bond that you develop with your wife, throughout the whole nine months. It just makes me a very happy man." Pichette laughs that while his bandmates Brad Mates and Mike Melancon also got married this year, they are waiting to see how he handles fatherhood before they take the plunge: "I think they're testing it out on me. They're going to see how it goes. Then they're going to be like, alright, it wasn't that bad for Dave, so... (laugh)." Pichette revealed that last year's death of former bandmate Patrick Bourque influenced his decision to get married and start a family. He says that up until that time, he had always concentrated on his art. Bourque's death made him realize there is more to life.
Taylor Swift #1 Again
Taylor Swift's sophomore album Fearless debuted at the top of Billboard's Top 200 Album Chart, with sales of 592,304 copies in its first week in stores. This marks the best first week sales by a female artist in all genres of music, as well as by a country artist in 2008. It's the fourth best overall, behind Lil Wayne, AC/DC, and Coldplay. The picture is even more interesting when you look at Swift's downloads. She sold 129,046 copies of the album digitally, making Fearless the biggest country digital album debut in the history of Nielsen's Soundscan, and the 4th biggest digital album debut to date, behind Coldplay, Jack Johnson, and Kanye West. Swift also reached another huge online milestone today, surpassing the 120 million mark for music streams on MySpace, where she is consistently at the top of their highest ranking artists in all genres of music. She has had more than 20 million MySpace streams in the past 10 days. The only other country artists to debut at #1 on the Top 200 chart were Alan Jackson, George Strait, and Kenny Chesney. "White Horse," a track from Fearless that was featured on the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy, will debut at #13 on Billboard's all-genre Hot 100 singles chart this week, giving Taylor her 6th Top 20 debut of 2008. This breaks the all-time Billboard record for the number of Top 20 debuts in a calendar year by any artist. In addition, Taylor's 6 debuts and 7 total tracks on tomorrow's charts each tie her with Hannah Montana for the most by a female artist in a single week. Of the 13 tracks on Fearless, 11 have now spent time on the Hot 100. "Love Story," the lead single from Fearless, is currently in its second week at #1 on both the Billboard and USA Today/Country Aircheck country radio charts. Taylor's album will be released worldwide early next year.
Lee Ann's Last Call
Lee Ann Womack is slowly climbing the charts with "Last Call", the debut release from her new album Call Me Crazy. Womack tells us that the song struck her from the beginning. "I wasn't a hundred percent sure if I was going to cut it the first time I heard it, but I knew I loved it. So we saved it and saved it. And we came down to the end of the session one day and we went in and cut it and I'm so glad we did it. 'Cause I love the feel of it. And I knew lyrically that I liked what it said. Usually I'm the one doing the calling. (laugh) And I love it. I'm really, really proud to have it as the first single." Womack has confessed in the past that she absolutely loves sad and moody songs. She says that even though it might help her career to sing more light, uptempo tunes, she continues to be drawn to heavier fare. Still, she looks for songs that take listeners on a journey: "I don't often like uptempo songs. You know, everybody has to have their thing that they do. Instead of looking for uptempo songs, I try to find songs with energy. Even "Last Call," you might not consider to be uptempo, but it's got really good energy in it, a good drive. You feel like it's taking you somewhere. That's more important to me than uptempo." Womack says that she thoroughly enjoyed working with producer Tony Brown on his album. He observed that she "thought too much," and he encouraged her to just focus in on what she needed to do. Brown just earned two CMA Awards, for producing George Strait's Troubador Album and Single of the Year.
Clint Black: Celebrity Apprentice
Clint Black is competing on the new season of Celebrity Apprentice, and we're sure he's hoping to do as well as Trace Adkins did last year. Adkins made it all the way to the top two, finally losing to Piers Morgan in the final episode. The new season will premiere after the first of the year, but Black is reportedly now in the process of taping the series. GACTV.com reports that Black did contact Adkins and asked about what he should expect. Adkins advised him as best he could. TMZ.com reports that other contestants include Andrew Dice Clay, professional poker player Annie Duke, Brian McKnight, Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, Herschel Walker, skater Scott Hamilton, Khloe Kardashian, Dennis Rodman, and Joan and Melissa Rivers. Black has sued his manager/accountant over financial concerns regarding their partnership in Equity Records. Maybe he'll be asking The Donald for some business advice! So can Clint Black handle himself around self-centered, attention-grabbing celebrities like Joan Rivers and Dennis Rodman?
Martina McBride To Share A Blue Christmas With The King Through Magic Of Video
By Brian Mansfield
Special for USA Today
Elvis and Martina McBride spend a Blue Christmas together. Martina McBride was just shy of 2 when Elvis Presley filmed his 1968 "comeback" TV special. This year, the country singer steps back in time 40 years to join the King of Rock 'n' Roll in a video for "Blue Christmas." The effect is similar to Celine Dion's American Idol duet with Presley on "If I Can Dream" in 2007, but producer George Flanigen says the process used for the illusion was entirely different. "They took Elvis out of the '68 special and put him on the Idol stage," he says. "We were taking Martina to the '68 special." The posthumous collaboration also appears on Elvis Presley Christmas Duets, a new album that pairs Presley with singers such as Carrie Underwood, Amy Grant, and Olivia Newton-John. In the original footage - the only existing video of Elvis performing a Christmas song - a leather-clad Presley appears with his band on a small stage at the center of a studio audience. In the video, McBride walks out of the audience and sits next to him. "There's a spot between (guitarist) Scotty Moore and Elvis that's open, like somebody should have been sitting there," says Flanigen. "We're like, 'We could probably figure a way to put her with Elvis.' We scoured the footage and picked shots of Elvis throughout the whole special to be able to put them together. There are shots where he and Martina share the frame, where he looks over at her, where she looks back at him and sings and smiles." McBride filmed her parts in front of a green screen. "It took four weeks" to piece together, Flanigen says.
Watch ABC News' "Sneak Peek" here...
THE ORIGINAL VERSION from the Elvis 68 Comeback Special
VIDEO: "Start A Band"
Brad Paisley's partnership with fellow artist and guitarist Keith Urban on "Start A Band" has moved from the realms of stellar audio work to an intriguing visual collaboration. The two opened last week's 42nd Annual CMA Awards with a live performance of the song. That came just days after they finished editing a video for the single that has an Xbox feel. "It's [set] in an arcade with a bunch of kids playing Guitar Hero to us, with us on the screens, and they're having this duel," Brad said after finishing his CMA hosting duties. "It's to sort of make the point of a new generation [getting] into [playing] a little better - and not just Guitar Hero, but pick up the real thing eventually, too. Chicks dig real guitar from what I can tell."
Paisley & Urban "Start a Band"
Country Stars Playing With Paper Dolls
A kick-off party for Project Paper Doll, an effort to help raise money for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, was held Monday evening (Nov. 17) in the hospital's theater. More than 50 celebrities, including country artists Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, and Carrie Underwood, all contributed to the fundraising project by decorating their very own wooden dolls in the shape of the Nashville hospital's logo. Monday's event included a display of the dolls that will be auctioned on eBay in three different groups from Nov. 28 through Dec. 17. Country artists attending Monday's event included Luke Bryan, the Lost Trailers, and American Idol alumnus Kristy Lee Cook.
Rolling Stone's Country Singers
While Aretha Franklin tops Rolling Stone's tally of The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, a number of country stars are also on the list. Johnny Cash just missed the top 20, landing at number 21, while Hank Williams Sr. is in the top 30. George Jones has the number 43 spot, with Patsy Cline not far behind at number 46. Dolly Parton makes the cut at number 73, Merle Haggard lands at number 77, and Willie Nelson has the 88th position. The country legends got support from a number of rockers. Rollingstone.com has a number of ballots posted. Cash and Hank Sr. show up on ballots from ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, Jones and Nelson earned votes from Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, and R&B veteran Solomon Burke named Cline and Tammy Wynette - who ultimately didn't make the cut - as his favorite vocalists. Country stars also participated in the survey. Carrie Underwood, Loretta Lynn, and Merle Haggard are among those who cast ballots. Hag's top 20 list is among those posted on the Rolling Stone website. His number one pick - Lefty Frizzell.
Trace's Screaming Fan
Trace Adkins was surprised when he found out he was receiving a star in the Music City Walk of Fame this month. He was even more surprised to find out that one of his fellow inductees is a huge Trace Adkins fan. "This man can sing!" the incomparable Little Richard exclaimed at the induction. "He's good! God has blessed him. He's really good. This guy's got it goin' on." Not only has the R&B legend heard Trace's recordings, he's also seen the "Muddy Water" video, which features a guest appearance by Trace’s Celebrity Apprentice competitor Stephen Baldwin. "Trace made me wanna go in the muddy water," Little Richard said. "I am serious. That'll make you wanna get right in the water. Trace is almost preachin'! I’m goin', 'Take me to the water!' Woooooo!" - "Little Richard knows who I am!" Trace beamed. "That’s unbelievable! He started talkin' about 'Muddy Water' a little while ago, and I'm like, 'Is anybody else listenin' to this?'" Fully recovered from his encounter with Little Richard, Trace is looking forward to the release next Tuesday of his tenth album, X. The same night, GAC will premiere Trace Adkins: X (TEN) Days, a special shot during a September USO tour in the Middle East. Trace also appears next week in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, along with Miley Cyrus, James Taylor, and Darius Rucker.
WE ARE ENTERPRISE: The Album To Help Rebuild Enterprise High School Coming In December
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (November 17, 2008)-Country Crossing Records is pleased to announce plans to release WE ARE ENTERPRISE: The Album To Help Rebuild Enterprise High School, a collection of moving and inspirational songs recorded by some of the most renowned names in country music to embrace the community of Enterprise, Alabama and assist in rebuilding the Enterprise High School.
[On Thursday, March 1, 2007, the small town of Enterprise, AL (population just over 23,000) was struck by a massive EF4 tornado, leaving a swath of devastation in its wake. In the heart of the storm's path was Enterprise High School. The tornado ripped the roof from parts of the school, destroyed a hallway, the gymnasium and the football stadium. Eight students lost their lives in the devastation. In total, the storm was responsible for nine deaths and more than 120 injuries. With damages estimated at $307 million, the entire community was left paralyzed. Since then, the students of Enterprise High School have been attending classes in trailers and temporary outlets. The high school is due to be rebuilt by the 2010-11 school year at a cost of over $80 million.]
Spearheading the WE ARE ENTERPRISE project is Enterprise resident Ronnie Gilley, who partnered with music industry legend James Stroud. The pair, who executive produced the project, assembled an incredible cast of country music giants to create an extraordinary album to assist with the overwhelming cost of the construction of the new Enterprise High School. WE ARE ENTERPRISE is stacked with songs contributed by award-winning, multi-platinum-selling, country music superstars Deborah Allen, John Anderson, Clint Black, Joe Diffie, Shelly Fairchild, George Jones, Tracy Lawrence, Richie McDonald, Lorrie Morgan, Aaron Tippin, and Darryl Worley. The 11-song line-up features a number of new songs crafted exclusively for this project (Worley's "Katie's Song," "This Is The Time," by Deborah Allen and Shelly Fairchild's "It's All Gonna Work Out") plus some new takes on timeless classics ("You've Got A Friend" by Diffie, Morgan's "You Are So Beautiful" and "Amazing Grace" by Jones). The album is slated for a December 16, 2008 release and will be available in retail outlets as well all major digital outlets (iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, and WalMart.com). To commemorate the release within the Enterprise community, several of the artists will travel to Enterprise on street date to make two in-store appearances tentatively scheduled to take place at Wal*Mart locations in Enterprise and Dothan. (Information on participating artists and confirmed retail locations and times will be announced shortly.) All record company and artist net proceeds from sales of the WE ARE ENTERPRISE will be donated to the fund for the rebuilding of the high school.
Enterprise High Tribute Video
Carrie Scores a Bachelor
from The Boot - by Robyn Flans
We've heard all the rumors, and now we know it's (possibly) true - Carrie Underwood has a new beau. According to the November 17 issue of US Weekly magazine, the Idol beauty and former Bachelor Travis Stork are indeed an item. "They have been dating. They are a lovely couple," Martin Pavell, the father of Stork's brother-in-law, told US Weekly of the duo that has reportedly become known as "Cork," according to insider in Nashville. (Can we please stop with this hybrid-name thing? "Cork" is really just too far.) US reports that Stork, who serves as one of the medical experts on the new daytime series The Doctors, has been visiting Underwood during her current tour, and cites the New York Daily News report that the two were seen in Manhattan following the unveiling of her wax figure at Madame Tussauds, in addition to a citing at a Toronto restaurant earlier in October. While the 36-year-old Stork had given the final rose to a fellow Nashville resident Sarah Stone during The Bachelor: Paris finale broadcast in 2006, the two split up by the time they were asked to do the post-finale press, as they admitted they had grown apart during the time they were required to be apart after the show's finale. Stork and Underwood have been reportedly seeing each other since August. A huge step up from Romo if you ask me.
McGraw Not So Hot
Tim McGraw had to pack the weight on for his role in the soon-to-be released holiday movie Four Christmases starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon. The plot: Brad and Kate are a perfectly happy couple with no intention of getting married. In fact, with both sets of parents divorced and remarried, they're pretty cynical about the whole "family" thing. But to their dismay, the weather conspires against their plans to leave town on Christmas. Now, instead of being family-free over the holidays, they have to visit four different households, each visit more grueling than the last. Even if their romance manages to survive the ordeal, it will certainly never be the same. Watch the trailer below.
Four Christmases Trailer
Billy Ray Rethinks Obama Invite
Billy Ray Cyrus is backtracking on saying an invitation was extended to the Obama girls to be on Hannah Montana. "Oh, to tell you the truth now, this thing got a lot bigger, a lot quicker than I ever planned," he said after the CMA Awards. "I just mentioned about them being on the show, and it snowballed." Now Billy Ray isn't so sure it's a good idea for the future first daughters to be on TV. Billy Ray says, "As a daddy, I'll say to [Obama] what I say to any daddy, you may not want your daughter to get into show business."
McCready at 14:59
Mindy McCready is calling her affair with baseball great Roger Clemens one of her biggest mistakes (and buddy, she's made a few). In an interview with the syndicated TV news magazine series Inside Edition, the country singer says she's especially sorry for how her relationship with Clemens affected his wife. Clemens has denied having an affair with McCready. But the singer says they began their relationship when she was 16 - noting several years passed before it turned physical. She says it wasn't something they tried to hide, and they never snuck around or had a secret rendezvous, but would vacation together. McCready adds that she's the one who ended the affair, after she realized that Clemens was not going to leave his family for her. McCready is now trying to get her career back on track. She was released from custody on Halloween after serving a month in jail on a probation violation, and calls life behind bars "humiliating" and "degrading." She recently made her post-jail performance debut, singing the National Anthem before a Nashville Broncos basketball game. McCready also recorded the new single, "I'm Still Here."
Brooks & Dunn Getting Some Help From Reba On "Cowgirls Don't Cry"
Reba McEntire joined Brooks and Dunn on stage at last week's (November 12th) CMA Awards to sing with them on their hit "Cowgirls Don't Cry." Even before that, the three friends went into the studio to record a studio version of the song which has been released to country radio. They have also filmed a music video, to start airing by the end of November. Ronnie Dunn, who co-wrote the song with Terry McBride says that "dueting" with McEntire was an easy decision, because he had her in mind when he was writing the song. The pre-Reba version of "Cowgirls Don't Cry" had already climbed into the top twenty on the country singles charts. Dunn says he first started thinking about the concept of the song when he and McEntire teamed up to write "Does the Wind Still Blow In Oklahoma" for McEntire's Duets album. McEntire grew up in a rodeo family. Brooks and Dunn and McEntire teamed up for the hit "If You See Him/If You See Her," which became a number one hit in 1998.
Behind-The-Scenes with Reba
Stars on Shania's Return
The CMA was so excited that Shania Twain would be appearing at The 42nd Annual CMA Awards last week (November 12th), that they promoted her as a surprise guest. Not that folks in the Nashville media were all that surprised by the night of the show, since there had already been several Shania sightings. Her fellow country stars seemed to be very happy to see the superstar performer, if only on the stage. Backstage, Carrie Underwood told reporters: "I actually didn't see her. I mean, everything happened so fast. She was a like a super-secret surprise guest. So they kind of kept her under wraps. But you know it was great to have her back. It's definitely been a while since she's really hung out with all of us. So I think everybody missed her. And it was definitely good to have her back."Kenny Chesney, who was handed the Entertainer of the Year trophy by Twain, was sympathetic over Twain's highly-publicized divorce from Robert John "Mutt" Lange after 14 years of marriage. "Relationships are hard anyway. For anybody. But it's even tougher when it's a spectator sport, you know? So, I wish her all the best. I think she's obviously an amazing artist and it was really great to have her be a part of this night. I think that she can do anything that she wants to do." The CMA Award show crowd gave Twain a standing ovation when she walked onto the stage. Twain wore a low-cut dress on the award show. When Chesney went up to accept his Entertainer of the Year trophy, he drew a big laugh from the crowd when he told Shania, "You look really good," before starting his speech. When a reporter brought up Twain's name backstage, Chesney pointed out that he "flirted" with her onstage. Speaking of Kenny Chesney, he and Brad Paisley had a couple of special guests at the awards ceremony: their dads. See the photo on the right. David Chesney sat with his son during the ceremony, then the two continued the party at the Sony BMG bash. "The fourth is just as exciting as the first," Chesney told reporters about being the reigning entertainer of the year winner. "I know it won't go on forever, but I'm not quite ready to give this award up yet."
Zac Brown's Foundation
Zac Brown Band sold 30,000 copies of their first two independent albums and play around 200 dates a year. Tomorrow (November 18th), the band will experience their first national album release with The Foundation. Their timing couldn't be better. Their debut radio single "Chicken Fried" is sitting at Number Two on the Mediabase country singles charts. Zac Brown, who co-wrote all but two of the songs on The Foundation, says that the success of "Chicken Fried" is introducing more and more people to the band's live shows: "I've been doing it twelve years now and building a grassroots fan base. And now, with the support of radio and the support of the nation now, we're able to sell out rooms we've never been to. And get the chance to go prove ourselves live, which is our strength. Our strength as a band is playing live and overdelivering there." Brown goes on to promise those who like the sound of the new album that they will not be disappointed when they see the Zac Brown Band live: "I'm proud to be one of those bands that if they get the record and they like it and fall in love with that, then they come see our show, and it will exceed expectations. And it's important. 'Cause there's nothing worse than going to see a band that you love their record and then they're terrible live. It's fabricated. There's nothing fabricated about us. We're real. We might not be the prettiest guys out there, but we give it everything that we have. We dedicate our lives to the music and we will always do that." Zac Brown Band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Brown, bassist John Hopkins, fiddler Jimmy De Martini, guitarist/organist Coy Bowles, and drummer Chris Fryar.
Tracy's Turkey Fry 2008
Tracy Lawrence will be hosting the Third Annual Tracy Lawrence Mission Possible Turkey Fry on November 25th. As in years past, Lawrence will be frying turkeys in the parking lot of the Nashville Rescue Mission. Not only does the event provide much needed food for Nashville's homeless, it also raises awareness and community support for the organization. Lawrence states: "I'm so honored to have the chance to do this for the third year in a row. I'm very appreciative of the opportunity to give back to the Nashville area and hope we're able to help a lot of people over the holiday season." During the event, Lawrence and his crew will deep fry 400 turkeys, which translates to 6,500 meals to feed the men, women, and children served by the Nashville Rescue Mission during the holiday season. The day of the event, the Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders will be on hand to collect donations of canned goods, clothing, and cash. Those who donate the first 100 items will receive a signed Tracy Lawrence CD. Expect several of Lawrence's country music friends to show up to lend a hand. Last year, he was joined by Wade Hayes and Jason Aldean.
Swift Blogs About CMA's
Taylor Swift writes about her CMA experiences at myspace.com/taylorswift. She has this to say about her red carpet dress. "My red carpet dress weighed about 400 pounds. Actually, about 30. But it was still heavy. It was like dragging around two small children, dangling from my ankles. And it made a lovely jangling noise whenever I walked. It was made out of huge jewels, platinum chips, and other metal-ish things that would fall off at random intervals throughout the night . . . and my dad would reach down and pick each one up and say 'Ebay.'"
- Swift also blogs:
- "...when Brad Paisley ran down into the front row and kissed Kimberley's stomach (she's pregnant) before accepting his award, Kellie (Pickler), my mom, and I all started crying. That's probably the sweetest thing I've ever seen."
- "... the real moment that brought on this wave of gratitude was when Shania Twain HERSELF walked up and introduced herself to me. Shania Twain, as in ... The reason I wanted to do this in the first place. Shania Twain, as in... the most impressive and independent and confident and successful female artist to ever hit country music. She walked up to me and said she wanted to meet me and tell me I was doing a great job. She was so beautiful, guys. She really IS that beautiful. All the while, I was completely star struck. After she walked away, I realized I didn't have my camera. Then I cried."
- "You know, last night made me feel really great about being a country music fan in general. Country music is the place to find reality in music, and reality in the stars who make that music. There's kindness and goodness and....honesty in the people I look up to, and knowing that makes me smile. I'm proud to sing country music, and that has never wavered. The reason for that being.. nights like last night."
Reba & Kelly: 2 Worlds 2 Voices 2 Nite! Special Ticket Values Still Available
Tickets available through Ticketmaster. Charge by phone at 715-6000.
Economic Stimulus Packages Available!
A 4 PACK OF TICKETS for $100 total
A Student Discount - $30 per ticket
A Military Discount - $30 per ticket
This unique tour, combining both superstar bands and both superstar acts on one stage for a combined non-stop set, sold out 15 markets from mid-January to mid-February of 2008. The tour has received unanimous rave reviews. Concert attendees can expect to hear each act's biggest hits and favorite songs performed together in one seamless, no-intermission show.
Reba McEntire
Kelly Clarkson
Reba & Kelly "Because of You"
Joe Jonas Explains Breakup
By Sharon Cotliar on People.com
In a heartfelt letter to fans, Joe Jonas addresses his recent breakup with Taylor Swift, saying that certain "issues" led to a "change of heart." Although he doesn't mention Swift by name, the teen idol makes clear in his MySpace post he's referring to the country star, who has been speaking and singing about the split. "Several things I will state with all my heart," writes Jonas, 19, who's now quietly dating actress Camilla Belle. "I never cheated on a girlfriend. It might make someone feel better to assume or imply I have been unfaithful but it is simply not true. Maybe there were reasons for a breakup. Maybe the heart moved on. Perhaps feelings changed. I am truly saddened that anything would potentially cause you to think less of me." Although Swift, 18, told Ellen DeGeneres that Jonas broke up with her in a 27-second phone call, Jonas explains in his posting on the Jonas Brothers page that he was not the one to end the conversation abruptly. "For those who have expressed concern over the '27 second' phone call, I called to discuss feelings with the other person," he writes. "Those feelings were obviously not well received. I did not end the conversation. Someone else did. Phone calls can only last as long as the person on the other end of the line is willing to talk." Jonas doesn't go into the specific reasons for the split. "Anytime you are in a relationship for any length of time there are going to be issues," he writes. "Sometimes they resolve. Other times they lead to a change of heart. This was the case recently." He concludes by writing, "I wish the best for the other person, but could not sit back any longer and leave our fans with a wrong impression of the truth. Hope this helps enlighten a little."
Toby Snubs CMA Awards
While his country music peers descend on Nashville this Wednesday for the 42nd Annual Country Music Awards, Toby Keith is participating in this year's ceremony the same way he has participated over the past four years - by not participating. Keith says he gets no respect from the country music industry, so this is his way of returning the favor. He tells People.com, "I know everybody is going to say it's sour grapes, but I don't care - it's not. I haven't been to a CMA Awards show in four years. They screwed me 'till I finally saw the light." Keith has been nominated for 27 CMAs over the years, but has only won two. His fans certainly don't seem to notice. Keith's latest album That Don't Make Me A Bad Guy debuted at number one on the country charts last week and he was named the top-earning country star by Forbes magazine this year. That's an honor, Keith says he'll take over an award any day. He says, "That's the one I want to win. I want to be the Mac Daddy of Forbes!"
John Rich Being Sued
John Rich has had a lawsuit filed against him by rock musician Jerry Montano following an October incident in which Rich somehow managed to break Montano's nose in a late night, drunken incident at the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood. According to TMZ.com, the suit, filed on Monday (November 10th), reportedly claims that Rich assaulted Montano with a beer bottle when a fight over a girl turned belligerent. Montano is suing for unspecified damages to cover medical and court costs. Montano, formerly of the band Hellyeah, did not press charges at the time of the incident and seemed to brush it off, declaring that it was an accident caused by too much alcohol by both parties.
How 'Bout Them Titans!
Music City finds itself in a position its never been in before. Nine games into their season, Nashville's hometown football squad is the NFL's only undefeated team. While some in Nashville complain that the Tennessee Titans are only getting grudging respect from sportscasters, even local fans, including many of country's top stars, are just a tad bit surprised by the team's success. We asked Faith Hill, who sings the NBC NFL Sunday Night Football theme - how 'bout them Titans?! "How about them Titans? It's pretty awesome, isn't it? They're really... it's not just luck anymore. They're really a great team. They really are. Very excited." And when we asked Alan Jackson how he thought the season may turn out: "Oh God, I'd hate to predict that. But I think they... they've got a tougher schedule coming up the next few weeks. So that will really, I think, make a statement if they can pull some of those off it will make them look like a real threat out there. So I think they've got a pretty good shot." The country stars do a lot to support the Titans in Nashville. Titans Coach Jeff Fisher returned the favor Wednesday night (November 12th). He attended the CMA Awards, and was seen backstage chatting with Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney. The two perhaps compared football notes, and then hugged and went off to do separate interviews.
Exclusive Taylor Swift Interview
Shania Twain Returns To Nashville As CMA Awards Presenter - Plus: Full CMA Recap And Performance Videos!
Shania Twain presented the CMA Award for entertainer of the year on Wednesday night (Nov. 12) in Nashville, marking her first U.S. television appearance since she separated from her husband, songwriter-record producer Robert "Mutt" Lange, in May. The audience greeted her with a standing ovation. "It's good to see all of you, too," she said. "I hope to be seeing a lot more of you." She has reportedly been writing songs for a new album. Up!, her last album of all-new music, was released in 2002. Twain won the CMA's entertainer of the year trophy in 1999 - her only CMA Award. Twain presented this year's award to Kenny Chesney. It was Kenny Chesney's fourth Entertainer of the Year Award. Accepting his award, Chesney said, "It's very wonderful to stand up here and hold this trophy for the fourth time. I love what I'm doing." Carrie Underwood took home female vocalist of the year for the third year in a row and her CMA co-host Brad Paisley won male vocalist of the year for the second year in a row. Rascal Flatts was vocal group of the year and Sugarland was named vocal duo of the year. Lady Antebellum picked up best new artist. Full recap below...
ABC's Complete List of Winners
ABC's 2008 CMA Thank You Cam
More CMA 2008 Performance Videos:
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Full CMA Recap:
The CMAs, broadcast on ABC, are more of a concert than an awards show, with a whopping 21 performances in the show's three hours. Most of the artists were all about the music, just playing or singing without special effects or backup dancers. There were a couple of exceptions, though. Taylor Swift wore a blue princess-inspired ballgown while ballroom dancers swirled around her and then "magically" ended up in a white gown. Sugarland was surrounded by open umbrellas lying on the stage and backed by an animated shower of fireworks on giant screens. Paisley joked that Sugarland got their set at a discount sale from the Beijing Olympics. Chesney had a beach-inspired set for his performance with reggae legends The Wailers. Paisley joked about sharing a dressing room with him and being annoyed by all the sand on the floor. Alan Jackson had dozens of line dancers in the aisle dancing away while he sang "Good Time."
The evening included some Hollywood star power with Aussies Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman (Mrs. Keith Urban); and hometown girl Reese Witherspoon. Underwood joked that it was nice to have movie stars there who are all good singers, but she hoped they weren't planning on quitting their day jobs. All three actors are promoting new movies. Jackman and Kidman are in Australia, and Witherspoon is in Four Christmases.
Rapper Lil' Wayne - wearing a Tennessee Titans jersey - joined Kid Rock on stage for the song "All Summer Long." Apparently he was just along for the ride, though, because he didn't rap or sing. Instead, he stayed in the background most of the time and pretended to play guitar.
When Paisley won his award, he ran into the audience towards his wife in the front row - and then, as a joke, veered left toward Urban and hugged him instead. Then he went back and hugged his wife and knelt down to plant a kiss on her belly. She's expecting their second child.
Shania Twain was the "surprise superstar guest" chosen to hand out the entertainer of the year award. She sure surprised Chesney with her cleavage-revealing gown. He seemed to forget where he was for a moment, telling her "you look great." Then he regained his composure and began his acceptance speech.
Jewel Selling Hollywood Home
Jewel has decided she doesn't need her home in the Hollywood Hills anymore and has reportedly put the 1,781-square-foot house up for sale for $1,750,000. Built in 1938, the Spanish-style house has two baths, a home office, a three-car garage, and a kitchen with a cooking island, a Viking stove, and a Sub-Zero refrigerator. Jewel's main residence, which she shares with husband Ty Murray, is a 2,200-acre ranch in central Texas.
Josh Gracin's New Baby
Josh Gracin and his wife Ann Marie welcomed Isabella Sophia into the world yesterday (November 12th). Isabella is the fourth child for Josh. He now has three daughters (Isabella, Briana, and Gabby) and one son (Landon). We happen to know that Josh was really hoping that the new baby would be a boy. Josh himself has four sisters, and he really wanted Landon to have a brother. He even consulted a Chinese birth calendar to try to conceive a boy, but evidently that didn't work.
John Michael Montgomery: TV Host
John Michael Montgomery has signed on to co-host the Sticks & Stones Outdoor Adventures television show. Montgomery is an avid outdoorsman and according to the press release, a good marksman. Montgomery released his new album Time Flies in October, on his own Stringtown Records. Montgomery will begin his co-hosting job in 2009.
The 42nd Annual CMA Awards Are Live Tonight On ABC - Anything For Alan?
Alan Jackson has more CMA nominations than anyone else in history, and his four nods in 2008 raise his total to 79. Out of that, he has only won 16 awards, prompting Alan not to hold out a lot of hope of hearing his name called as a winner tonight (November 12th) at The 42nd Annual CMA Awards. But it seems he's happy with the trophies he already has at home: "Oh, I'd say I lose everything. (laugh) I've won everything there, some of them twice. I've been nominated more than anybody. So I never go in there anticipating a win. You know, I told them a few years ago when they were still giving me awards, I said man you all need to start voting for some of these younger guys. You know, got to keep the industry going." Jackson is in the running for Male Vocalist of the Year and stands to win two trophies - Video and Song of the Year - for his hit tune "Good Time." The CD of the same name is also up for Album of the Year. Jackson single-handedly wrote every song on the disc. That could prompt voters to acknowledge the accomplishment, which would sit well with Jackson's sensibilities. "I've always felt like if you have something really exceptional, a song or something, it's nice to still get recognized. If the song competes, you know. As far as the award for me for Male Vocalist or something, you know I've already won that. But it's always nice to win." Jackson says that part of the reason he was able to write so many songs for Good Time was the length of time it took to release and promote his gospel album and his project with Alison Krauss, neither of which were initially intended to be mainstream releases.
The Inside Scoop from Nashville Kat:
I'd heard the surprise performer tonight is Bruce Springsteen dueting with Rodney Atkins but my insider says it's Shania. She was spotted here [in Nashville] Tuesday & it makes sense cuz her fan club gave away 2 tickets to the show & they've only ever done that when she was gonna be there. Performers tonight include Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney'll be singing with The Wailers, plus Alan Jackson, Lady A, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Kellie Pickler, Martina, Darius Rucker & the Eagles. Julianne Hough & Craig Morgan host the CMA Red Carpet special on ABC – 30 minutes before the show & CMT's Red Carpet pre show is at 6 Central. Presenters tonight include Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon & Joaquin Phoenix. Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus present as well & they're on "Good Morning America" today. I hear Miley's boyfriend, Justin Gaston plans to walk the red carpet with she & Billy Ray tonight. A guest presenter tonight will do the Entertainer of the Year award, could it be Shania?
The 42nd Annual CMA Awards air live TONIGHT on ABC from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. CT.
CMA Awards All Access Episode 1
Carrie's $60 Million Accessories
Carrie Underwood has agreed to sport the world's largest emerald sets tonight as she co-hosts The 42nd Annual CMA Awards. Valued at over $60 million, the jewels are from Jonathan Arndt Gallery, which has previously provided jewelry for stars appearing at the Oscars, Grammys and Academy of Country Music Awards. Underwood will also debut the Premier Johnathon Arndt Jeweled Watch Line Collection. The jeweled timepieces are valued between $85,000 and $680,000 per watch.
Blake Shelton's CMA Flask
Blake Shelton will always remember the night in 2007 when his girlfriend Miranda Lambert won the trophy for ACM New Female Vocalist. He remembers it because he was in the restroom when her name was called. He has not made the same mistake again, and doesn't intend to tonight at The 42nd Annual CMA Awards. "I will not be in the restroom at any... unless she's sitting next to me and she looks ahead on the program and says it's like an hour before I'm up for anything, there's no way I'm leaving my seat ever again. I've never caught so much crap before in my life as whenever I went to the bathroom and she won her 20 awards." Shelton may have a difficult time keeping that promise. He has revealed to us that he has been known to stash a flask or two of his favorite beverage in his coat pockets. But that's only because the award shows don't have beer vendors roaming the aisles: "You want to know what the worst thing about award shows is, they don't sell beer at those things. And if they do, I can't get from the place I'm sitting down there, up to where they sell the beer and be able to get back in enough time between the commercial breaks or something. It's really not very cordial. And that's really the only way a person can sit through one of those things, if you ask me to, by the way." Shelton tells a great story of the night a few years ago when Tim McGraw hailed him in a hallway at an award show, having heard that Shelton had the hidden flasks. He says having McGraw ask for a swig was like having John Wayne ask to shoot your gun.
Taylor's Midnight Party
Very early Monday morning (November 10th), Taylor Swift blogged on her myspace page about how excited she was for her fans to hear her new Fearless album, due in stores the next day. After describing the many emotions and experiences she wrote into the music, Swift wrapped it up with "Midnight tonight. Be there." She then wrote in a P.S.: "I heard a great place to buy the first copy is the Wal Mart in Hendersonville, TN. It's so great, I might just go there myself and pick one up." True to her implication, Swift did indeed show up at the store around the stroke of midnight, with her ever-present video camera. After purchasing a copy, she took time to sign CDs for fans who had seen the post, and shown up to buy their own copies. CMT reports more than 4.5 million viewers tuned in for CMT Crossroads: Def Leppard And Taylor Swift over the special's initial four airings. About the album, Swift blogs: "These songs tell the story of my freshmen year of high school, and the day I met Abigail. They tell the story of the guy who apologized over and over again without ever meaning it. The story about saying goodbye to someone when you don't want to, because you can't breathe without them. The story of the boy who never realized he was with the wrong girl, and that the right one was right there in front of him. The story of my childhood, and the moment I realized my mom was the best friend I'll ever have. The memories of running and laughing and having the best days with her."
Kenny & Wailers Be Jammin'
It would have been good to have been a tourist wandering the streets of lower Broadway on Tuesday night (November 11th) in Nashville. Kenny Chesney and his new reggae friends The Wailers were inspired by their Monday night (November 10th) rehearsal for the CMA Awards at Nashville's Sommet Center and weren't ready for it to be over. So they placed a few phone calls and booked themselves across the street at the famed Tootsie's Orchid Lounge. Chesney said of The Wailers, "That's the thing about these guys. They come to play. They are music people, and it's about what happens when people come together to play songs... to share... and be in the moment." Chesney and his road band played for an ho
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