Country Music News

CARRIE HELPS HOME STATE...COUNTRY MUSIC FEST...AND MORE.

Carrrie Underwood wrapped up her 2012-2013 "Blown Away Tour" last night in Abbottsford, British Columbia and a one million dollar donation is being made to the Red Cross for disaster relief. The charitable contribution to the Red Cross derives from the tour’s concert proceeds and was established when it launched in spring 2012.

BENEFIT FOR TORNADO VICTIMS...KELLIE WINS DWTS...AND MORE

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert performed a special duet of "Over You" on Tuesday night's episode of NBC's The Voice. The couple performed the emotional song to commemorate the victims of the devastating tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma, on Monday.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 5/22/13

Monday's shocking tornado in Moore, Oklahoma cut a path of destruction through the heart of the Oklahoma City suburb. Moore is the hometown of Toby Keith and the singer released statement expressing his thoughts and prayers for the community that is so close to his heart. "This storm has devastated the community that I grew up in...."

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 5/21/13

George Strait's single "Give It All We Got Tonight" topped the chart over the weekend, giving the singer his 60th number one song. This historical milestone makes George the only artist in any genre to place 60 number one songs on the charts.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 5/20/13

Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles has announced that she is currently in the studio working on her first solo album. Nettles' new record will be released this fall and she will work with respected producer Rick Rubin on the project. Rubin is the founder of Def Jam Records and the previous copresident of Columbia Records.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 5/17/13

Several country acts will be on hand to present awards during the 2013 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night. Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles, Shania Twain, Florida Georgia Line and Kid Rock have all been confirmed as presenters at the annual award show with Hayden Panettiere, Celine Dion, Miley Cyrus, Alanis Morisette, Wiz Khalifa, and more.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 5/16/13

Lady Antebellum's fourth studio album, Golden, sold more than 167,000 copies in its first week, giving the trio their third consecutive number one debut on Billboard's all-genre Top 200 chart. The fans have responded to their new music with such support and the group enjoys hearing about the connection it makes with them.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 5/14/13

Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland recently revealed the first picture of her five-month-old son, Magnus Hamilton. Nettles and her husband,Justin Miller, welcomed Baby Magnus late last year and the singer took to her blog on Mother's Day to share not only the picture, but a very special message as well.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 5/13/13

Kenny Chesney appeared as an opening act for George Strait when he was playing stadium shows on the "George Strait Country Music Festival" in the late 1990's and early 2000's. Now, Chesney is selling out stadiums of his own and Strait is retiring from the road next year, leaving us to wonder if the two will ever tour together again.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 5/10/13

Brad Paisley and his wife Kimberly lead busy lives and their hectic schedules can often take them away from their children. When Brad and his wife aren't home, the singer is glad that his mother and father can be there to help out with the kids.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 5/9/13

Taylor Swift is busy playing sold-out stadiums and arenas all across North America on "The Red Tour." Now, due to the fan demand for her shows, the singer has announced that her epic tour will make its way overseas later this year, to the land "Down Under." Swift will kick off the trek with an arena date in Auckland, New Zealand on November 29...

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 5/8/13

Carrie Underwood will perform the opening theme for NBC's Sunday Night Football. Underwood will sing "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night" to kick-off the primetime broadcasts of the NFL matchups on Sunday night. Carrie says, "I am thrilled to be a part of NBC's Sunday Night Football and am so honored they asked me...."

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 5/6/13

Lady Antebellum's Need You Now album found great success on pop radio and that left the group with a chance to perhaps cross into the pop genre. Charles Kelley tells USA Today, "We had a door open that we weren't really planning on opening with pop radio (on Need You Now). So, let's be honest...."

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 5/2/13

The funeral for George Jones will take place at The Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville starting at 10 AM CT today. The service will be open to the public and doors will open at 9 AM. The funeral service will also be broadcast live on the national television networks CMT, GAC, RFD, and FamilyNet.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 5/1/13

Kenny Chesney has established the Spread the Love Fund to help victims of the Boston Marathon bombings get the help they need. The fund will work with Boston Medical Center to help pay for prosthetics as well as the ongoing care and physical therapy the victims will require.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/30/13

The funeral service for George Jones, who passed away on Friday at the age of 81, will be held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville on Thursday. The service will start at 10 AM CT and will be open to the public. A private service for friends and family members of the late singer will be held tomorrow at an undisclosed location.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/29/13

Country music icon George Jones died Friday at the age of 81 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Jones had been hospitalized since April 18 with fever and irregular blood pressure. George's career spanned over fifty years and he recorded more than 160 charting singles.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/26/13

Dierks Bentley took to Twitter on Wednesday night to reveal that the size of his family will be getting a little bigger and he is asking Tim McGraw for advice. Bentley tweeted, (sic) "so my wife and i will be changing our family defensive strategy come the fall. switching from MAN-to-MAN to ZONE. #3! advice @thetimmcgraw?!"

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/25/13

Savannah, Georgia's, WSAV-TV reports that Billy Currington was indicted by the Chatham County Grand Jury in Georgia yesterday for making "terroristic threats" against a man named Charles Harvey Ferrelle. The singer was also indicted on the charge of abuse of an elderly person because Ferrelle was over the age of 65.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/24/13

Extra reports that Brad Paisley will guest star on the season finale of ABC's drama Nashville. Brad's wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, has appeared on the show several times and she will also be featured in the finale episode. Paisley is slated to play himself on the hit show.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/23/13

The nominees for the 2013 Billboard Music Awards have been announced and Taylor Swift shares the lead alongside fun. and Maroon 5 with 11 nominations each. In addition to being nominated in various country music categories, Swift is also up for awards in several all-genre categories such as Top Female Artist, Top Billboard 200 Album for Red, Top Hot 100 Artist as well the night’s most coveted prize, Top Artist.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/22/13

Wednesday’s explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas, hit very close to home for Lone Star State native Willie Nelson. According to various reports, the blast killed some 14 people, including several first responders, and injured hundreds of others. The town of West is about six miles away from Nelson’s hometown of Abbott, Texas.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/19/13

After the news broke of Wednesday night’s explosion at a fertilizer factory in West, Texas, several country musicians took to social media to express their thoughts of prayer as the search for survivors continues. The blast devastated a four-block area, killing at least 15 people and injuring over 160.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/18/13

Brad Paisley’s eighth studio album, Wheelhouse, has debuted at number 1 this week on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart with more than 100,000 albums sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. This marks Brad’s seventh consecutive studio album to debut at the top spot on the chart.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/17/13

The whole nation is praying for the city of Boston after the horrific bombings near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday afternoon. So it was no surprise when several country musicians took to social media after the tragedy to express their condolences and thoughts of prayer for the people who were killed or injured in the attack.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/16/13

Lady Antebellum’s single, “Downtown,” has taken the top spot on both the Billboard and Mediabase charts this week, giving the trio their seventh career number one single. “Downtown,” also sold more than 500,000 digital downloads and has spent the last two weeks at number one in Canada.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/15/13

Jason Aldean took his “2013 Night Train Tour” to the University of Georgia on Saturday night, where he played for over 60,000 fans at the school’s Sanford Stadium. Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett, and Jake Owen joined Jason for one of the biggest events in country music this year.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/12/13

Blake Shelton has been married to Miranda Lambert for almost two years now and in that time, the singer has made it known that he would never cheat on his wife. In fact, Shelton is so committed to Miranda that he wouldn’t even play another woman’s man in a music video.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/11/13

The Country Music Association announced yesterday that Bobby Bare, Kenny Rogers, and producer/songwriter “Cowboy” Jack Clement will become the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. The announcement came at a press conference hosted by Bill Anderson in the Hall of Fame's Rotunda.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/10/13

After winning the award for Entertainer of the Year at the ACM Awards on Sunday, Luke Bryan posted a video on YouTube thanking his fans for making that dream become a reality. Bryan says, “I have been yelling and partying and screaming and shouting and crying, really every emotion you can have."

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/9/13

Blake Shelton has already said that he will perform at the wedding of Kelly Clarkson and her fiancé Brandon Blackstock. But now, Clarkson has revealed that Blake’s role at the wedding will be more than just singing.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/8/13

The 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards took place last night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan cohosted the night's ceremony that honored the top artists in country music. Luke took home the night's top honor, Entertainer of the Year and Miranda Lambert took home 4 trophies in three categories.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/5/13

Blake Shelton will open the telecast of the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards with a special performance of his new single, “Boys ‘Round Here.” During the special performance, Blake will be joined by his co-host Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley on guitar, Sheryl Crow, and Pistol Annies.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/4/13

The presenters at the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards were announced yesterday and they include 2 Broke Girls star Beth Behrs, Vegas star Michael Chiklis, Grammy award-winner Sheryl Crow, The Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco, music star John Fogerty, omg! INSIDER co-anchor Kevin Frazier, San Francisco 49ers NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick...

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/3/13

ABC’s Good Morning America will premiere a portion of the new music video for Rascal Flatts’ current single, “Changed,” today. The video will feature actor Charles Esten, who also stars as the character Deacon on ABC’s hit series Nashville.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/2/13

Luke Bryan will introduce his brand-new single, “Crash My Party,” during the upcoming telecast of the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday. Bryan’s debut performance of the song will give fans their first taste of what’s to come on the singer’s forthcoming fourth studio album.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 4/1/13

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert have been married for almost two years now and a lot of people want to know when the couple plans on having a baby. E! recently caught up with Shelton and asked the singer if they planned on expanding their family anytime soon. Blake said, "I don't see why not. I mean, we're married...."

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/29/13

The title of Kenny Chesney’s new album, Life On A Rock, may refer to living on an island, but Chesney won’t be alone on this rock. For this record, Kenny has recruited two of music’s most legendary artists and together they will get this island party popping. Willie Nelson and the Wailers Band will join Chesney on the upcoming album.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/28/13

Carrie Underwood will return to the American Idol stage next week when she performs her new single, “See You Again” on Thursday, April 4. The song was written by Carrie, Hillary Lindsey, and David Hodges, and is the fourth single off her platinum-selling Blown Away album. Since winning Idol in 2005, Underwood has sold 15 million records.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/27/13

Keith Urban has been in the studio recently working on his upcoming album and he plans on giving fans a taste of the new music when he hits the road this summer on his “Light the Fuse Tour 2013.” Keith tells USA Today, "Even if the record is not out at the beginning of the tour, we will be doing songs off the new album on the tour...."

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/26/13

Lady Antebellum revealed more details about their upcoming album, Golden, that is set to be released on May 7. The band shared the record’s track-listing as well as the approach they took making the new album. On this album, the group pushed the boundaries of their music and made some changes.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/25/13

The Academy of Country Music has announced the winners of awards that will not be televised during the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, due to time constraints. Lady Antebellum, Jason Aldean and Blake Shelton are among some of the off-camera winners at the annual award show. The ceremony will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/22/13

Alan Jackson performed to a sold-out crowd for the 5th annual "Stars Go Blue" benefit concert at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Wednesday night. Proceeds from the concert benefit "The Blue Note Fund," which is a charity that provides colon cancer patients with grants to help them meet their financial obligations. Craig Campbell opened the show and played a 30-minute set that included his current single, "Outta My Head."

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/21/13

George Strait and Garth Brooks will perform together for the first time in history to pay tribute to Dick Clark at the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. Strait and Brooks are the two most recent ACM Artist of the Decade Award recipients and it has also been announced that the prestigious award will be renamed.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/20/13

Carrie Underwood's latest single, "Two Black Cadillacs," topped the Mediabase country airplay chart this week, giving Carrie her 17th number one single. "Two Black Cadillacs," which was the third single released off Underwood's Blown Away album, also becomes her 8th number one as a songwriter.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/19/13

The Academy of Country Music has announced that Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum, and Little Big Town have been added to the lineup of performers at the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. These artists will join the previously announced performers.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/18/13

Grand Ole Opry star Jack Greene passed away at his Nashville home on Thursday of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. Greene had been a member of the Opry since 1967 and was 83 years old. Jack was born and raised in Maryville, Tennessee, and began his career in radio as a teenager in Maryville and Knoxville.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/15/13

With the kind of success Taylor Swift has been having lately, it's really no surprise that everyone wants to work with the young super-star. Swift has recently collaborated with British singer Ed Sheeran, the Civil Wars and hip-hop artist B.O.B on different projects and even Miranda Lambert has expressed her desire to team up with her.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/14/13

Luke Bryan's Spring Break …Here to Party album made its debut at number one on the Billboard Top 200 album chart with nearly 150,000 copies sold. This marks Bryan's first number one on the all-genre Billboard Top 200 album chart. The songs included in the collection are from his previous four Spring Break releases.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/13/13

Love and Theft’s Eric Gunderson and his wife, Emily, are excited to announce the birth of their son, Camden William Gunderson. Camden was born on March 10th in Nashville and is the couple's first child. A statement regarding the birth of the baby boy says, "He arrived earlier than his expected May due date..."

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/12/13

A rep for Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott has confirmed to Us Weekly that she and husband, Chris Tyrell, are expecting a baby girl. Scott shared the news that she was pregnant on Facebook in December. She said, "Chris and I are excited to announce that our Christmas gift has arrived a little early this year! We are having a baby!"

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/11/13

Luke Bryan appeared on E!'s Chelsea Lately on Thursday night and the show's host, Chelsea Handler, asked the singer about hosting the upcoming ACM Awards. Luke told her that he was co-hosting the event with Blake Shelton and he couldn't pass up the opportunity to talk about his fellow crooner.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/8/13

A memorial service was held in remembrance of Mindy McCready at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville on Wednesday night. Friends and family members attended the service to commemorate the life and talent of McCready, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on February 17. People reports that more than 200 people were in attendance.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/7/13

The Academy of Country Music has announced that Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, George Strait and The Band Perry are scheduled to perform at the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. This is the first round of performers announced for this year’s broadcast with more performers to be announced.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/6/13

Taylor Swift graces the cover of the April issue of Vanity Fair magazine and in the featured article, she opens up about her dating life and who she has actually dated over the past couple of years. Swift said, “If you want some big revelation, since 2010 I have dated exactly two people.”

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/5/13

Kellie Pickler's drummer, Gregg Lohman, was seriously injured in a car accident on Saturday. Nashville's WKRN reports that the accident occurred on Interstate 65 south near Glendale, Kentucky, at around 11:30 AM. Lohman was transported to the University of Louisville Hospital to be treated for his injuries.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/4/13

Bass guitarist for Toby Keith's band, Carl "Chuck" Goff Jr., died in a car accident on Wednesday night at the age of 54. KOCO-TV reports that the accident involved two vehicles and occurred near Slaughterville, Oklahoma at about 7:45PM local time. Authorities said that one vehicle was found on top of the other.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 3/1/13

Taylor Swift calls Nashville her home and living in a town with so many talented musicians has no doubt left its indelible mark on the singer. So it's no surprise when Swift says that she looks up to some of Music City's most notable residents as her idols.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 2/28/13

George Strait was honored with the Country Radio Broadcasters Career Achievement Award during the Country Radio Hall of Fame induction in Nashville on Tuesday night. The Country Radio Hall of Fame induction kicks-off the annual Country Radio Seminar in Nashville and radio personalities and other members of the music industry filled the ballroom.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 2/27/13

Mindy McCready's funeral was held yesterday in her hometown of Fort Myers, Florida. Mindy was laid to rest nine days after she died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at her home in Heber Springs, Arkansas. People magazine reports that 400 mourners attended the service that was held at Crossroads Baptist Church. Two police cars escorted the white hearse.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 2/26/13

Brad Paisley took to Twitter on Sunday and Monday to update his fans about the new water-purification stations opening in Haiti. One of the pictures Paisley posted shows him standing with several children in front of one of the new water stations. In the caption, Brad says, "Thanks to [charity] #LiveBeyond, these kids can drink clean water."

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 2/25/13

Mindy McCready's funeral is scheduled for tomorrow in her hometown of Fort Myers, Florida. The funeral will be held at Crossroads Church and will be private. A memorial for the late singer is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, March 6 at the Cathedral of The Incarnation in Nashville, Tennessee.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 2/22/13

According to E! Online, Taylor Swift is being sued by the Florida-based ticketing company, Fire USA, Inc. The ticketing company said that Taylor took a $2.5 million advance fee to headline the Capital Hoedown music festival in Ottawa, Canada, last August and did not return it when the show was scrapped.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 2/21/13

It appears that the bitter legal dispute between Tim McGraw and his former label, Curb Records, is coming to a close. The Tennessean reports that the Tennessee Supreme Court has refused to hear Curb Records' appeal of a lower court's ruling.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 2/20/13

Lady Antebellum announced the release of their upcoming album while appearing on ABC's Good Morning America yesterday. The new record, Golden, is the trio's fourth studio album and will be released on May 7. The album's title is also the name of a song that appears on the record and it's a word that holds a special meaning for the group.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 2/19/13

Various media sources have confirmed that Mindy McCready at age 37 has died from a self-inflicted gunshot. E! News reports that McCready shot herself and her dog and that her body was found Sunday around 4 p.m. on the front porch of her home in Heber Springs, Arkansas. It was neighbors who called the police when they heard the gun shots.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 2/18/13

Various media sources have confirmed that Mindy McCready at age 37 has died from a self-inflicted gunshot. E! News reports that McCready shot herself and her dog and that her body was found yesterday around 4 p.m. on the front porch of her home in Heber Springs, Arkansas. It was neighbors that called the police when they heard the gun shots.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 2/15/13

The Band Perry revealed the title of their upcoming sophomore album yesterday. The album, Pioneer, is set to be released on April 2 and is the follow up to their platinum-certified debut album. The sibling trio also took to social media platforms and unveiled the album's cover.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 2/14/13

The Academy of Country Music has announced the nominees for the 48th annual Academy of Country Music Awards. Eric Church leads the pack with seven nominations, including Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year. Hunter Hayes trails close behind with an impressive six nods.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 2/13/13

There have been rumors floating around that Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift don't like each other. According to Us magazine an insider said that the two singers had even planned on avoiding each other while at Sunday night's Grammy Awards. But Underwood put those feud rumors to rest during an interview with CBS This Morning's Gayle King.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 2/12/13

Taylor Swift opened up the 55th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday night with her performance of her hit single, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” For the performance, Taylor was dressed like the Mad Hatter wearing a white top hat and tails with shorts and tall white boots.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 2/11/13

Blake Shelton and his fellow coach on The Voice, Adam Levine, have what some may say is a bromance as the two coaches have been chummy on and off the set of the show. Blake even took their bro-love to the next step last year when he photo shopped his face onto a picture of Adam embracing his then supermodel girlfriend and posted it on Twitter.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 2/8/13

Lady Antebellum were guests on CBS's The Talk on Wednesday and host Sharon Osbourne wasted no time to ask the question that is on everyone's mind. Osbourne asked Hillary Scott how she was feeling with a baby in her belly. Scott responded saying, "I'm doing really good."

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 2/7/13

Blake Shelton may be married to Miranda Lambert, but that didn't stop the singer professing his love to another one of America's sweethearts, Betty White. Blake appeared on Betty White's 2nd Annual 90th Birthday Special Tuesday night on NBC. White was not able to attend the event because she was sick with the flu.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 2/6/13

Blake Shelton and Reba have a close relationship with each other as Reba's husband, Narvel Blackstock, is Shelton's manager. They showed their chemistry together when they hosted the ACM Awards for the past two years. Even though the two singers aren't blood relatives, Blake is slated to play Reba's kin on an upcoming episode of her ABC sitcom.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 2/5/13

Jason Aldean's single, “The Only Way I Know,” hits the top of the charts this week giving the singer his eleventh career number one song. The song is the second single released from his platinum Night Train album and lands Jason his seventh consecutive chart-topper. The song also features Luke Bryan and Eric Church.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 2/4/13

Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott is just the latest country addition to NBC's The Voice. Adam Levine has chosen the singer to be a mentor on his team for Season 4 of the show. Scott tells Access Hollywood, "I was so excited to join Adam for a couple days on The Voice. It’s an honor to mentor his team… he’s going to have some tough choices...."

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 2/1/13

Kelly Clarkson's fiancé, Brandon Blackstock, proposed to her last month and now she is in the midst of planning for her wedding day. But now Clarkson has one less thing to worry about arranging as she already has a wedding singer confirmed for the big day. Kelly reveals that she has accepted Blake Shelton's offer.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/31/13

Army veteran Brendan Marrocco's armored vehicle was bombed in Iraq in 2009. The solider lost all four of his limbs in the blast, becoming the first U.S. serviceman to survive a quadruple amputation. TV station WEHT reports that six weeks ago, doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital performed a double-arm transplant on Marrocco.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/30/13

Mindy McCready appeared on NBC's Today show yesterday where she denied any involvement in the death her boyfriend David Wilson. Wilson died of what was initially reported to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound on January 13 at their shared home in Heber Springs, Arkansas. Mindy has not been named as a suspect in the case.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/29/13

Taylor Swift recently announced that she has signed an endorsement deal with the soda giant Diet Coke. Swift made the announcement on a You Tube video, saying, "I wanted to share some news with you because we're actually making it official with one of the great loves of my life," she then held a can of the beverage up.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/28/13

Blake Shelton has offended people with his comments before, but this time Shelton's words have upset two of country music's legendary artists. The infamous comments were made on GAC's Backstory: Blake Shelton when Blake knocked fans of old country music who do not understand the progression of the genre's music.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/25/13

Taylor Swift has made one of her fans a very happy girl. 17-year-old Kayla Kincannon's dream came true when Swift met with the teen for lunch in Nashville. Kayla has been battling brain cancer over the last year and her family and friends had started a social media campaign to get her to meet the singer. The campaign worked and Kincannon traveled to Music City.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/24/13

Kenny Chesney will kick off his "No Shoes Nation Tour" with a show at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on March 16. The stadium is home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team and the arena sports a giant pirate ship inside of it. Kenny is set to release his new single.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/23/13

Well, Brantley Gilbert's 28th birthday couldn't have gone any better. That's because when Brantley asked Jana Kramer to marry him over the weekend, she gave him the best present a man could get: a Yes! Jana accepted Brantley's marriage proposal on Sunday at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/22/13

The Academy of Country Music has announced that Hunter Hayes, The Band Perry, and Dierks Bentley will perform at a outdoor music festival in Las Vegas in the days leading up to the 48th Annual ACM Awards, which will air April 7 on CBS. The festival will take place at the Orleans Hotel and Casino on April 5-6.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/21/13

Blake Shelton announced his brand new headlining tour called the "Ten Times Crazier Tour" that will kick off this summer. The tour will feature openers Easton Corbin andJana Kramer. General public ticket on-sale for the Shelton concerts will go on-sale in March.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/18/13

Blake Shelton has just announced the dates for his "Ten Times Crazier Tour," which will take him out on the road throughout the summer. The trek will kick off on July 19 with a show in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and it will run through October. Special guests Easton Corbin and Jana Kramer will join Shelton on the tour.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/17/13

Carrie Underwood and her husband, hockey player Mike Fisher, have been married for 2 years now and with the recent NHL lockout, the couple has been spending a lot more time together. Well, the lockout is over and Mike will now hit the road with his team the Nashville Predators.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/16/13

Tim McGraw announced the dates for his "Two Lanes of Freedom 2013 Tour" yesterday. The 30-city tour will kick off with a show in Birmingham, Alabama on May 2 and will continue with shows through July. The trek will feature special guests Brantley Gilbert and Love and Theft. The tour gets its name from McGraw's upcoming album, Two Lanes of Freedom, which will be released on February

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/15/13

Producer and songwriter, David Wilson, passed away on Sunday at the age of 34 years old. Wilson was the boyfriend of Mindy McCreedy and the father of their nine-month-old son Zayne. David also helped to raise Mindy's six-year-old son Zander. McCreedy says in a statement, "Today, we mourn the loss of my life partner...."

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/14/13

Blake Shelton seems to be doing it all lately with coaching NBC's The Voice and continuing his musical career. But the singer admits that when his schedule got to be a little too hectic, he almost gave it all up. Blake tells Wetpaint, "Oh my God. It sucked. I don't care who wants me to say that or not...."

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/11/13

Brad Paisley appeared on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday night where he performed his latest single, "Southern Comfort Zone." The single appears on Paisley's upcoming album and he sat down with Jimmy Kimmel to make a big announcement and revealed that the album will be named Wheelhouse. The album will be released on April 9.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/10/13

Taylor Swift is nominated for three awards at The 55th Annual Grammy Awards, including her Record of the Year nod for, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together." The award show will take place on February 10 in Los Angeles and has just been announced that Swift is also slated to perform at the event.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/9/13

It was announced yesterday that Luke Bryan will join Blake Shelton in co-hosting The 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. Bryan will replace long-time emcee Reba in co-hosting duties at the show; Reba announced in September that she would no longer host the event. The award show will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/8/13

Before Neil and Reid Perry joined their sister, Kimberly, in forming The Band Perry, they had other musical duties to attend to. Neil says , "I was 8 (years old), Reid was 10. Kimberly started her band, and she needed roadies so Reid and I said, 'We'll help you out for a little bit.'

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/7/13

The Academy of Country Music has launched a “Tweet to Unlock” campaign to reveal the date of the 2013 ACM Awards and who will be co-hosting the event with Blake Shelton. Longtime ACM Awards host Reba stepped down and will not return for the 2013 show, leaving co-host Blake Shelton without a partner.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/3/13

Jon Stewart is hosting the MusiCares salute to Bruce Springsteen this year. Elton John, Neil Young, Mumford & Sons, Sting, Mavis Staples and Kenny Chesney will be among more than a dozen performers who will help pay tribute to Springsteen during the February 8th benefit concert. Springsteen is MusiCare’s Person of the Year.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 1/2/13

Mike Auldridge, a Dobro master and founding member of the bluegrass group Seldom Scene, died from cancer December 29th at a hospice near his home in Silver Springs, Maryland. His death came one day short of his 74th birthday. Starting as a guitar player, Auldridge switched to the Dobro when he was 17.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 12/28/12

Jason Aldean will make his acting debut in the filmSweetwater that stars Ed Harris and January Jones. The film will make its premiere at the "Sundance Film Festival" in Park City, Utah, which runs from January 17-27. The film is set during 1886 in New Mexico Territory and is about a young widow (played by Jones).

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 12/27/12

DoSomething.org has published its annual "Celebs Gone Good of 2012" list. The list gives the top twenty celebrities who have made the most significant impact in their charitable work for the year and topping the list is Taylor Swift. Swift is recognized for her ongoing work for young people battling cancer.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 12/26/12

Kelly Clarkson's new fiancé, Brandon Blackstock, is Blake Shelton's manager and Blake says he had a part in Blackstock popping the question. Shelton told US Weekly, "I told Brandon, man, you need to grow up and figure out that you need to marry this girl."

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 12/21/12

LeAnn Rimes has drawn harsh criticism for her performance with Carly Rose Sonenclar on Wednesday’s “X Factor.” The 30-year-old country star joined the 13-year-old singing prodigy for a duet of “How Do I Live.”

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 12/20/12

Jake Owen’s hometown concert in Vero Beach, Florida, raised $125,000 for local children’s charities. Owen performed Saturday at the Sports Village for 6,200 fans, marking the final stop of this year’s “CMT on Tour.” All proceeds from that show will benefit the Jake Owen Foundation.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 12/19/12

Shania Twain covers the new issue of Vegas, which is fitting since she just started her two-year residency at Caesars Palace in Sin City. In the story, Shania shares that she is ready to work on a new album, what makes her show more glamorous and how it really feels to be on the comeback trail.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 12/18/12

LeAnn Rimes will perform her new single, “Borrowed,” for the first time on late night television on Jay Leno’s show tonight. The song will then be available for download on iTunes. Rimes’ new album, “Spitfire,” is due out in spring 2013.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 12/17/12

Reba McEntire is getting an “Idol” for a daughter-in-law. Kelly Clarkson announced via Twitter she has gotten engaged to her longtime beau, talent manager Brandon Blackstock. “I’M ENGAGED!!!!!” she tweeted Saturday. “I wanted y’all to know!! Happiest night of my life last night! I am so lucky and am with the greatest man ever!"

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 12/14/12

Kenny Rogers Partners With New Jersey Community For Toy Drive
Kenny Rogers is partnering with the Bergen Performing Arts Center and the Englewood Fire Department in Englewood, New Jersey, to collect toys for children in need in Bergen County, an area of New Jersey hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. Kenny will bring his “Christmas and Hits Tour” with special guest Billy Dean to the

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 12/13/12

Taylor Swift’s “Red” is back at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 Albums chart for a fourth non-consecutive week. The set has sold an additional 167,000 copies, up 22% over the previous week. This is Taylor’s 21st week overall at No. 1 on the chart.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 12/12/12

The Country Music Association’s CMA Songwriters Series is returning to the United Kingdom and Ireland in February 2013 with Kristian Bush, Brett James, Chris Young and host Bob DiPiero playing dates in Dublin, Ireland, Belfast, Northern Ireland and London. The CMA Songwriters Series began in 2005 in New York.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 12/11/12

The American Country Awards aired last night. Luke Bryan pretty much took it all, nabbing nine awards. Jewel and her husband, bull rider Ty Murray, took to the stage to announce the Artist of the Year winner. Luke Bryan beat out Lady Antebellum, Zac Brown Band, Taylor Swift and Jason Aldean for the night’s big prize.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 12/10/12

2012 CMT Artists of the Year, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood were revealed as the 2012 CMT Artists of the Year during Saturday night’s premiere of a star-studded CMT special. Hosted by Rascal Flatts and Hayden Panettiere, the 90-minute special was taped earlier in the week.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 12/7/12

Kenny Chesney has added a second New England date to his summer “No Shoes Nation” tour. Chesney will appear at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, on August 23rd, one day prior to his previously-scheduled concert there. Tickets for the new show go on sale today. Chesney’s tour will begin March 16th in Tampa, Florida.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 12/6/12

Kenny Rogers is in the midst of his annual Christmas concert tour, but he plans releasing some new music next year. Rogers says he and producer Dann Huff are five songs into an album he plans to release. Rogers is also planning some duets for the new set, including “You Can’t Make Old Friends” with Lionel Richie.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 12/5/12

Taylor Swift was with the Kennedys once again on Monday night as she was honored by her ex-boyfriend’s family at the Ripple of Hope Awards. The singer was given a Ripple of Hope trophy to recognize her commitment to social change through her music. She also performed at the event.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 12/4/12

Just before Thanksgiving, Little Big Town member Kimberly Schlapman’s brother-in-law Allen was killed in a traffic accident while visiting his family in Tennessee for the holiday. Thomas Allen Schlapman, 45, of Lynchburg, Virginia, died at Williamson Medical Center after his motorcycle was struck by an oncoming car that crossed the center line on Franklin Road.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 12/3/12

Great musical performances and touching stories of adoption will combine for an entertaining seasonal special, “A Home for the Holidays With Rascal Flatts,” airing on CBS December 19th. Rascal Flatts – Jay DeMarcus, Gary LeVox and Joe Don Rooney – will host the special and also perform.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 11/30/12

After playing the pre-game show last year at the prestigious Discover Orange Bowl, Jake Owen will be the halftime performer at this year’s college football showdown. It happens January 1st at Miami’s Sun Life Stadium in Jake’s home state of Florida.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 11/29/12

Jake Owen’s life these days can only be measured in degrees of awesomeness. He’s earned his third consecutive No. 1 single, selling out show after show on his own headlining tour and, as we reported yesterday, he and wife Lacy welcomed a baby girl, Olive Pearl, on Thanksgiving Day.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 11/28/12

Jake Owen is having a really good week. He and wife Lacey welcomed their first child, daughter Olive Pearl, on Thanksgiving and just a few days later Jake scored his third consecutive No. 1 single with “The One That Got Away.” It’s also the first No. 1 Jake has had as a songwriter.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 11/26/12

Jake Owen’s wife Lacey has given birth to their first child, daughter Olive Pearl Owen, in Nashville. The baby weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces when she was born Thursday. “Today is the greatest day of my life. Turkey baby!!! Happy Thanksgiving,” Owen tweeted, alongside a photo of his new daughter. The couple married in May.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 11/23/12

TOBY'S DAUGHTER SIGNS TO HIS LABEL
Toby Keith is surely a proud parent as his daughter Krystal Keith has just signed as a recording artist on his Show Dog-Universal record label. According to the biography on Krystal's website, her parents helped her get to where she is today by allowing her talents to develop over time and by following a tougher grassroots path. She says,

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 11/21/12

Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale have announced tour dates in support of their new duets record “Buddy and Jim.” The two friends will play a sold out Music City Roots show tonight and appear on The Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium on December 15th before boarding the Cayamo Cruise in January. Official tour dates begin February 1st.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 11/20/12

Taylor Swift’s “Red” CD has sold nearly 3 million copies worldwide in three weeks, Big Machine Records said yesterday. Swift’s fourth studio album is No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album list for a third consecutive week The CD features the hit songs “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “Red” and "Begin Again."

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 11/19/12

Swift Dating One Direction’s Styles?
“X Factor” host Mario Lopez said he saw Taylor Swift and One Direction’s Harry Styles hand-in-hand on the set of the show. Swift, 22, recently broke up with Conor Kennedy and could now be dating Styles, 18. Lopez said Styles was on the “X Factor” set Thursday during Swift’s rehearsal for a performance of

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 11/16/12

Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Florida Georgia Line, Colbie Caillat and “Nashville” star Hayden Panettiere will be presenting awards at the 40th annual American Music Awards taking place Sunday in Los Angeles. Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Christina Aguilera, Nicki Minaj, Pitbull and Linkin Park will perform during the ABC telecast.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 11/15/12

Keith Urban announced the first leg of his 2013 North American tour yesterday in an online video short filmed with tourmates Little Big Town and Dustin Lynch. The video shows Urban in a car with Lynch and the four members of Little Big Town on a road trip, singing a bunch of non-country cover songs. The now “American Idol” judge will return to Australia.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 11/14/12

Rascal Flatts On ‘Chelsea,’ ‘The Voice’
Rascal Flatts will appear on E!’s “Chelsea Lately” and NBC’s “The Voice” on November 19th and 20th respectively, to celebrate the release of their DVD project, “Rascal Flatts: All Access & Uncovered.” The DVD will be available on November 19th. The DVD includes exclusive

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 11/13/12

Taylor Swift will sing in the New Year. She’ll perform in Times Square during “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” Ryan Seacrest will host for the first time without Dick Clark, who died last April. The evening will start with a two-hour tribute to Clark hosted by Fergie and Jenny McCarthy.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 11/12/12

Carrie Underwood announced she would donate all the proceeds from her concert in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. “We’re so glad to be here, and even more glad to be here this evening,” she told the audience at the Boardwalk Hall Friday night.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 11/9/12

Toby Keith and Luke Bryan will join Jason Aldean, George Strait and Martina McBride at the 2013 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. “X Factor” judge Demi Lovato is also booked at the annual rodeo event which runs several weeks. Keith will kick things off on February 25th.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 11/8/12

Carrie Underwood will head to New York today between headlining shows on her “Blown Away Tour” to perform her No. 1 hit “Blown Away” on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” The Platinum-certified song was Underwood’s 16th No. 1 single.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 11/7/12

Taylor Swift says the response to her latest album, “Red,” has been “unbelievable.” Swift was speaking at Westfield London shopping mall Tuesday, where she was switching on the Christmas lights. Speaking after the big moment, she said, “I had hoped that my fans would get what I was doing there..."

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 11/6/12

Brad Paisley has become quite an ambassador of country music over the years, not only co-headlining the CMA Awards for the past five years in a row, but also touring internationally as well as stateside. Later this week, Brad will be making another overseas trek, playing shows in Sweden on Thursday and Friday before playing a pair of weekend gigs in Norway.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 11/5/12

Taylor Swift’s song “The Last Time” is allegedly about her ex-boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal. Swift – whose new album “Red” sold 1.2 million copies last week – has revealed the break-up song is about an “unreliable guy” and refers to a Hollywood lifestyle, sparking rumors it is about the 31-year-old actor.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 11/2/12

The 2012 Country Music Association Awards crowned its new king and queen: Blake Shelton and his wife Miranda Lambert, who together scored a total of five trophies last night. Co-hosts Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley opened the 46th annual CMA Awards with a country version of Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger”: “We got moves like Haggard.”

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 11/1/12

Taylor Swift Has Monster Sales Week
Record sales this year have been so weak that sales of less than 100,000 copies in a week can mean a NO. 1 album. That’s why it’s a huge deal that Taylor Swift sold 1.2 million copies of her “Red” album its first week of release. That puts it solidly at No. 1. Swift is the only woman to have two albums sell more than a million copies

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/31/12

Shania Twain is gearing up for her Las Vegas residency and she’s already had what she calls her “first favorite moment.” She tweeted a photo of her with Elton John, saying “a genuine welcome hug from music hero Elton John backstage in ‘our’ dressing room.”

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/30/12

Taylor Swift and Luke Bryan have joined the lineup for the Grammy nominations concert on December 5th in Nashville. Swift will co-host the event with LL Cool J. Meanwhile, Bryan will perform at the concert, as will Maroon 5. This will be the first time the Grammy nominations concert will be held in Nashville.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/29/12

Taylor Swift has announced a 58-date concert tour across the United States and Canada to support her latest album, “Red.” The concert marathon kicks off March 13th in Omaha before concluding September 21st in Nashville. The tour will see Swift traveling to 29 states and three Canadian provinces.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/26/12

Taylor Swift has broken up with Conor Kennedy after dating the high school senior several months, Us Magazine claims. “They quietly parted ways a while ago,” a friend told the magazine. “It was just a distance thing. No hard feelings. They’re fine.”

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/25/12

It’s safe to say Brad Paisley met a lot of his fans on tour this year. He played to over one million fans in the U.S. on his “Virtual Reality World Tour.” The domestic run just wrapped up, but he still has six international shows scheduled for November. Paisley is also hosting and performing on the CMA Awards in November.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/24/12

Taylor Swift is on target to become the first female artist in the Nielsen SoundScan era (1991 to present) to have a pair of albums sell more than a million units in a single week. Billboard reported that first-day sales for “Red” exceeded 500,000 units. That included a record opening at Target, which had an exclusive deluxe version.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/23/12

Garth Brooks is now 50 years old and kicking around ideas for a comeback. He says “we’re just going to start. It’s going to be fun.” Brooks retired to raise his kids and now his youngest daughter, Allie, is a junior in high school. His wife, Trisha Yearwood, says Allie is ready for them to go on the road again.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/19/12

Miranda Lambert says her and husband Blake Shelton’s schedules are too hectic to start a family anytime soon. Lambert tells Good Housekeeping magazine that she doesn’t “want to raise a child on a bus or in L.A.” and she wants to be “a little more settled” before embarking on motherhood.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/19/12

Miranda And Blake Not Quite Ready For Parenthood
Miranda Lambert says her and husband Blake Shelton’s schedules are too hectic to start a family anytime soon. Lambert tells Good Housekeeping magazine that she doesn’t “want to raise a child on a bus or in L.A.” and she wants to be “a little more settled” before embarking on motherhood. Lambert, who graces

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/18/12

One thing about Kenny Chesney is that fans always know they can expect some cool songs, but Kenny says that giving fans what they don’t expect can be part of the fun of making music.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/17/12

Darius Rucker was formally inducted into the Grand Ole Opry family last night by Opry member Vince Gill. Presenting Rucker with the Opry Member Award, Gill said, “I don’t think there’s a more beloved guy in our music business than you…"

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/16/12

With her latest hit single, “Blown Away,” Carrie Underwood says there’s a lot that she loves about the song, including the fact that it inspired her to cut loose and show another side of herself.
Carrie says that “Blown Away” and other songs on her album helped define the CD package art, inside and out.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/15/12

Tim McGraw has recorded a new song with Ne-Yo. The song, “She Is,” will be on Ne-Yo’s “R.E.D.” album, which drops November 6th. “R.E.D.” stands for “Realizing Every Dream.” This isn’t the first time the country star has worked with an R&B artist.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/11/12

The next music Shania Twain records might have a jolly sound to it. She tells Up! Magazine that she’s been “dying to do a Christmas album for so long” and now is the best time to do that. Twain is launching her “Still The One” concert series in Las Vegas in December.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/10/12

John Rich’s protégé is the first winner of the CW music talent show “The Next.” Country singer Michael Ray won the fan-voted competition, earning a recording contract with Atlantic Records and the chance to open for his mentor on the show. Rich dropped to his knees when Ray was named the winner.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/9/12

Taylor Swift has revealed the complete 16 songs for her upcoming album, “Red.” In addition to previously announced songs, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “Begin Again,” “I Knew You Were Trouble” and the title track, the album also includes...

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/8/12

Kenny Rogers is on the promotional trail for his new book “Luck or Something Like It,” and while chatting with “CBS This Morning,” Kenny addressed the long-standing rumors of a past romance with Dolly Parton. He and his “Real Love” and “Islands in the Stream” duet partner did not go down that road.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/5/12

Keith Urban is the man in the middle. The new “American Idol” judge had to play peacemaker between Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey. Video leaked to TMZ shows Minaj and Carey in a heated and profane argument. Urban says he feels like the United Nations.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/4/12

Taylor Swift released her new single “Red” this week but she is definitely in the black. Swift is No. 3 on Forbes magazine’s annual list of Entertainment’s Highest-Paid Women and at 22 she is the youngest. Swift earned an estimated $57 million this year.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/3/12

Taylor Swift is giving $10,000 and concert tickets to a Boston school for the deaf after a prank during an online contest promising an on-campus performance by the singer. Horace Mann School for the Deaf was disqualified from the contest because many of the votes were from pranksters.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/2/12

Taylor Swift thinks John Mayer is “presumptuous.” The 22-year-old singer was outraged to discover that her ex-boyfriend assumed her 2010 break-up anthem “Dear John” was penned about him, but refuses to hear exactly what he thinks of her or the song.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 10/1/12

A spoof of Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” is currently being used as the “official” song of the NHL lockout. The lockout began on September 16th when, after the league’s existing collective bargain agreement expired, team owners and players couldn’t agree on new terms.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 9/28/12

Taylor Swift’s Banjo Player Welcomes Baby Girl
Taylor Swift’s banjo player, Mike Meadows, and his wife, Brittany, have welcomed a baby girl. The little addition, named Sophie, was born on September 21st. Meadows was on hand for the birth of his daughter, but left quickly to fly to Las Vegas for the 2012 iHeartRadio Music Festival.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 9/27/12

Swift To Play Joni Mitchell
Taylor Swift will reportedly play Joni Mitchell in a new movie. Swift has signed on to play Mitchell in the adaptation of Sheila Weller’s book “Girls Like Us.” The book chronicles the lives of Mitchell, Carly Simon and Carole King. Allison Pill (“Midnight in Paris”) and Olivia Thirlby are said to be in talks to portray King, and

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 9/26/12

Taylor Swift Releases New Single
Taylor Swift has released a new single from her album “Red,” called “Begin Again.” The song debuted on iTunes at midnight yesterday after a preview on “Good Morning America.” This is the second single from “Red,” which will be released on October 22nd. The first was “We Are Never Ever Getting Back

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 9/25/12

Brad Paisley Music Maniac
Brad Paisley is “in the zone” as his new single, “Southern Comfort Zone” gets ready to rampage radio. Written by Brad and two longtime friend and co-writers, Chris Dubois and Kelley Lovelace – the team behind Brad chart-toppers “Water,” “Online” and “Remind Me.” “Southern Comfort Zone”

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 9/24/12

Taylor Swift To Share ‘Red’ Songs Through ‘GMA’ And iTunes Countdown
Taylor Swift’s “Red” will be released October 22nd and Taylor has devised a unique way to unveil tracks in staggered fashion, beginning this week. A brand new track will be revealed exclusively through the iTunes store each Tuesday leading up to the release date for the next four

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 9/21/12

Taylor Swift Webcast Sends Her Back to School
Taylor Swift is making a virtual return to schoolrooms to promote reading. On October 24th, Taylor will participate in a live webcast with classrooms all across America. During the webcast, sponsored by Scholastic, Taylor will share her thoughts on the importance of reading and how literature has inspired her. Taylor will also take questions

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 9/20/12

Keith Urban Talks ‘Idol’
New “American Idol” judge Keith Urban heard tons of songs from singers of all different talent levels in New York City. His reaction? “My kinda crazy,” Keith tweeted Tuesday. Before things started, Keith told a reporter that he wanted to be “authentic” but not cruel. “I did similar shows when I was very young in

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 9/19/12

Grand Ole Opry Goes Pink
The Grand Ole Opry is joining Women Rock For The Cure in the fight against breast cancer on October 30th with the Opry’s fourth annual “Opry Goes Pink” show. Kellie Pickler, who recently shaved her own head to show solidarity to a childhood friend facing cancer, will flip the switch on the Opry’s barn backdrop, turning it pink for the night.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 9/18/12

Martina McBride’s ‘Essential Compilation’ Due Next Month
“The Essential Martina McBride,” a 40-song compilation of music recorded during her tenure at RCA Records, will be released October 22ns. The two-CD set includes her hits and also collects several duets, including “Still Holding On,” a collaboration with Clint Black for his 1997

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 9/17/12

?Martina McBride Tour Adds Christmas Dates
Martina McBride has added 16 holiday concerts to her tour schedule. She will continue her “One Night” tour of theaters through the fall. Her next scheduled headlining performance is September 28th at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Her “Joy of Christmas” concert dates will begin November 23rd in Atlanta and conclude

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 9/17/12

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 9/14/12

Swift Goes Deluxe
Taylor Swift will issue a deluxe edition of her fourth studio album, “Red,” through Target. The deluxe edition of the album includes six bonus tracks, three new songs and three remixes. The CD will be in Target stores and on Target.com starting October 22nd. The disc also contains the hit first single “We Are Never Ever Getting Back

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 9/13/12

Faith Hill Returns To NBC For ‘Sunday Night Football’
Faith Hill has returned for her sixth consecutive season as country music’s ambassador to “Sunday Night Football,” performing the theme song “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” to kick off the game between the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers this past Sunday. Hill originally recorded the

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 9/12/12

Rascal Flatts Getting Their Star
Rascal Flatts will be honored with a star on the Walk of Fame on Monday. The star will be located in front of the Sergeant Supply Store at 6664 Hollywood Boulevard. To cap off the special day, Rascal Flatts will be on “The Tonight Show” to perform their new hit, “Come Wake Me Up.”

Yoakam Debuts New Music
Dwight Yoakam

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 9/11/12

Brooks Joins Bentley Benefit
Kix Brooks has been added to the artist lineup for Dierks Bentley’s seventh annual “Miles & Music for Kids” celebrity motorcycle ride and concert scheduled for October 14th in Nashville. This year’s lineup on the ACM Lifting Lives main stage also includes Sheryl Crow, Chris Young, Brantley Gilbert, The Cadillac Black and Craig Campbell.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 9/10/12

Rimes Takes Break From Treatment, Performs
LeAnn Rimes performed a concert in Wisconsin for the first time since she was admitted to a treatment facility for anxiety on August 29th. Rimes gave fans a taste of new material in the 14-song, 70-minute concert Friday at the Eau Claire Regional Arts Center in Eau Claire. “I’m totally cool and so happy; I think I’m about to

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 9/7/12

Taylor Swift Closes MTV’s Video Music Awards
Taylor Swift closed out this year’s MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles with the first-ever live performance of “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” the debut single from her upcoming album “Red.” Sporting a retro nautical-striped top and shorts, and backed by a band wearing plush-animal costumes,

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 9/6/12

Tim McGraw, Faith Hill Plan Set List For Las Vegas Show
When Tim McGraw and Faith Hill take the stage for their new Las Vegas show, their focus will be on performing together, which means they won’t be singing a lot of their individual hits. The pair have been finding songs they can sing together, such as classics from Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty or George Jones and Tammy Wynette.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 9/5/12

Taylor Swift Donates Red Shoes To Raise Money For Charity
Taylor Swift has donated a pair of her own red shoes for an online auction to raise money for a charity that provides shoes to people living in poverty. Swift’s autographed red flats are part of a fundraising bid by an organization called Soles4Souls. The auction also includes shoes from a host of other celebrities, including

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 9/4/12

Country Celebs React To Clint Eastwood’s Speech
Clint Eastwood is earning bad reviews for his performance at the Republican National Convention. While he entertained the lively crowd, everyone from film critic Roger Ebert to comedian Roseanne Barr have taken jabs at his rambling speech. But country stars tweeted encouraging words: Charlie Daniels said, “Clint Eastwood made my

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 8/29/12

Taylor Swift Sends A Jet To Pick Up Conor Kennedy
Taylor Swift reportedly sent a jet to pick Conor Kennedy up from the Kennedy home in Massachusetts because she missed him while she was in Nashville. Swift left the home in Hyannis Port over a week ago to work and promote her new single “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” The romance started in July, but a source tells

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 8/28/12

Kix Brooks Goes Hollywood
After Brooks and Dunn split up in 2010, Kix Brooks rode off into the sunset – and straight into a movie career. He’s done two films so far and starred in one of them – a Western called “To Kill A Memory.” Brooks says he was a bit intimidated by the hardcore Hollywood actors who got in his face during the fighting scenes. He says he

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 8/27/12

Randy Travis In Trouble Again
Randy Travis, 52, is in trouble with the law again. Travis, who was arrested August 8th and accused of drunken driving, has been charged with simple assault, a misdemeanor, after getting involved in a dispute at his Texas church Thursday evening. According to People magazine, Travis’ fiancée and her estranged husband were arguing, reportedly over

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 8/24/12

LeAnn Rimes Re-Launches Her Fan Website
LeAnn Rimes is giving her fan website a makeover. She launched an all new LeAnnRimesWorld.com yesterday. And for members of her “Spitfire Social Club,” she’s offering exclusive access to personal photos and blog posts. Rimes says she’ll be “digging into the old times and breaking into an exciting new phase” of her

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 8/23/12

Yoakam Debuts New Album Track
Dwight Yoakam previewed his forthcoming CD, “3 Pears,” by exclusively debuting “A Heart Like Mine” on RollingStone.com. The track is one of the 12 songs off of his new album being released September 18th. A few more select tracks will debut in advance of the album’s release. Yoakam also just launched his album pre-sale on his

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 8/22/12

Swift Plays ‘VH1 Storytellers’ For Winning School
Taylor Swift will perform an acoustic concert for a winning college or high school this fall as part of “VH1 Storytellers” series. The show will air on VH1 November 11th. The contest is open to accredited colleges and high schools in the 48 continental U.S. states, and runs through September 23rd. Students can vote

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 8/21/12

Willie Feeling Better, Not Hospitalized
Willie Nelson had altitude troubles but no hospitalization for breathing problems, his daughter said in explaining why he canceled a fundraiser near Denver. “The papers have apparently blown things out of proportion,” Amy Nelson said. “He did cancel the [Colorado] show because he did not feel that he could give an adequate vocal

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 8/20/12

Wynonna’s Husband Injured In Motorcycle Crash
Wynonna Judd’s husband, who is also her drummer, has been seriously injured in a motorcycle crash in South Dakota. Michael Scott “Cactus” Moser and Judd went for a ride on separate bikes in Deadwood, South Dakota, on Friday before a scheduled concert, which Judd cancelled after the accident. Moser collided with an

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 8/17/12

Ashton Shepherd Exits MCA Nashville
Ashton Shepherd has parted ways with MCA Nashville, a label spokesperson has confirmed. She released two albums for the label: “Sounds So Good” in 2008 and “Where Country Grows” in 2011. Her singles included “Takin’ Off This Pain,” “Sounds So Good,” “Look It Up” and “Where Country

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 8/16/12

Pregnancy Makes Jennifer Nettles Emotional
Pregnancy makes Jennifer Nettles emotional. She told the TV show “Good Day LA” that during the first three months, she “cried all the time.” She said she cried while taping the show “Duets,” and she begged the producers: “Please don’t make me that girl.” Nettles and husband Justin Miller

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 8/15/12

Rodney Atkins Headed To Pittsburgh For CMA Songwriters Series
Rodney Atkins is taking part in the first CMA Songwriters Series in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, set for September 12th. He’ll be joined by Luke Laird and host Bob DiPiero.

Trace Adkins To Host GAC’s ‘Great American Heroes’
Trace Adkins is hosting a new series on GAC this fall called

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 8/14/12

How Lady A Stays Creative On The Road
Lady Antebellum has a secret to staying creative on the road: Red Bull. Hillary Scott says it also helps that the three of them travel on the same bus and have a pop up studio in one of their dressing rooms on tour. She says they write together all the time and record work tapes in the studio. She says they’ve written over 30 songs already this

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 8/13/12

Lisa Marie Presley To Make Grand Ole Opry Debut
Lisa Marie Presley is following in her dad’s footsteps 35 years after he died. She is set to make her Grand Ole Opry debut on August 21st. Elvis performed on the stage in 1954. He sang the Bill Monroe classic “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” Lisa Marie recently released the Americana album “Storm and Grace.” Others

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 8/10/12

Band Perry Get Creative In Their Basement
The best song ideas come to The Band Perry in their parents’ basement in East Tennessee. Problem is, they’re never home anymore. Reid Perry says the hardest thing about touring as much as they have over the past year is finding time to be creative. So they’ve had to learn to be adaptable and write songs for their upcoming album on

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 8/9/12

Tim McGraw Becomes A Comic Book Star
Tim McGraw is set to invade comic book industry. Comic book publisher Bluewater has chosen McGraw as the subject of their newest graphic novel, “Fame.” The forthcoming issue will chronicle McGraw’s rise from humble beginnings to being a successful recording artist. The singer has scored 23 No. 1 hits and has sold more than 40 million

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS 8/8/12

Swift Has ‘Cool News’
Taylor Swift will get with her fans online via YouTube on August 13th. Swift will talk directly to fans and answer questions in real time. “I really want to talk with you about something...I want to share some news with you. Some really cool news. I’m not going to go into it too much, but it’s cool,” she said in a YouTube posting on