Johnny Cash Is iTunes’ 10 Billionth Song Sold

As we reported yesterday, Apple announced that music fans have downloaded over 10 billion songs from the iTunes Store. The 10 billionth song, “Guess Things Happen That Way” by Johnny Cash, was purchased by Louie Sulcer of Woodstock, Georgia, who will receive a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card.

Oak Ridge Boys To Receive SGMG President’s Honor

The Southern Gospel Music Guild (SGMG) has announced that The Oak Ridge Boys will be the 2010 recipients of the SGMG President’s Honor during the SGMG Harmony Honors in Nashville on April 19th. All four members of The Oak Ridge Boys – Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden, and Richard Sterban – will be in attendance to accept the honor.

Dolly Parton’s Trinkets & Treasures Opens March 12th

Dolly Parton will be present for the official grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony of her first-ever retail store, Dolly Parton’s Trinkets & Treasures, on March 11th in Nashville. Located in an old storefront in historic downtown Nashville, the 1,000 square-foot store reflects Dolly’s “Coat of Many Colors” influence with a mix of pink, yellow, red, blue, green and purple – both in the interior and exterior.

Rascal Flatts Celebrates Decade

Rascal Flatts’ Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney celebrated their 10th anniversary Wednesday with an acoustic gig in Nashville. Gathered at Nashville’s Renaissance Hotel with more than 300 country radio programmers and DJs, Rascal Flatts played Shenandoah’s “Church On Cumberland Road” with Marty Raybon, along with their own version of “Jessie’s Girl” called “Bubba’s Girl.” Rascal Flatts honored several country radio stations and programmers who have distinguished themselves with support for the group. All honorees received a custom Rascal Flatts 10-year commemorative Les Paul guitar.

Luke Bryan And Wife Expecting Baby No. 2

Luke Bryan and his wife, Caroline, are expecting their second child in August. Bryan says having son Bo, who turns 2 in March, helped ease their nerves about parenting. “When you successfully brought one (child) in the world, you are a little more confident in your ability to do it the second time,” he says. “We’re a little more relaxed.”

Blake Shelton Headlining The Ryman

Blake Shelton has scheduled his first headlining show in Nashville at the Ryman Auditorium on March 18th. Jessica Harp, formerly of the Wreckers, will open the show. Shelton will release a six-song album, “Hillbilly Bone,” on Tuesday. His upcoming concerts also include a performance at the Houston Rodeo on March 13th.

Brooks & Dunn Announce Final Concert

Brooks & Dunn’s final concert will take place August 10th in Nashville at the arena currently known as the Sommet Center. Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn made the announcement yesterday at the Nashville Convention Center during Sony Music’s luncheon at the Country Radio Seminar. In August 2009, Brooks & Dunn revealed plans to dissolve their musical partnership after a final tour in 2010. The Nashville concert will raise money for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s All for the Hall initiative. The Sommet Center is expected to be renamed the Bridgestone Arena in March.

Jimmy Wayne’s Faster Than He Thought

Even with blisters on one of his toes, Jimmy Wayne is making better time on parts of his awareness walk than he imagined. Jimmy writes on his Twitter page: “guestimated that it would take me 4 days to walk from Talahini to Mcalaster, Oklahoma. Did it in 3 days! Yesssssss!!” Wayne says he’s going to be in Oklahoma City soon. Jimmy is walking from Nashville to Phoenix, raising awareness about foster kids who are at risk for being homeless as they get too old to be in foster homes.

Reba McEntire Returns To Fight Night

Reba McEntire will return as host of this year's Celebrity Fight Night event, her fifth time as emcee. The gala, which pairs celebrities and sports stars, has raised more than $60 million during the past 15 years to benefit the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix, as well as other numerous charities. This year, Glenn Frey of the Eagles will headline the performances. Scheduled to receive the Muhammad Ali Sports Achievement Award is IndyCar and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, while film producer Jerry Weintraub is expected to be honored with the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award. Celebrity Fight Night XVI will take place March 20th in Phoenix.

Trace Adkins Receives Humanitarian Award

Trace Adkins was named the Country Radio Broadcasters' Artist Humanitarian of the Year yesterday at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville. Adkins, who has performed for U.S. troops during two USO tours of Iraq and Afghanistan, is an active supporter of several charities. In accepting the award from Randy Owen, last year's recipient, Adkins said, "What an honor. The first concert I ever went to was Whitesnake. The second was Alabama."

Justin Moore Shows Off Baby Daughter

Justin Moore has given fans the first glimpse of his newborn baby daughter, Ella Kole. Ella was born February 11th and her picture is currently circulating on several country music blogs. "She and my wife are perfect," Moore told The Boot. "Both are doing great. All I can say is, ‘Wow!’ It's the most unbelievable thing I've ever been through ... so thankful." Moore is currently on the road with Brad Paisley and Miranda Lambert.

Terri Clark On The Road

Terri Clark is keeping the road hot on her “Unplugged & Alone” tour, which will see her crisscrossing North America through September. The tour kicked off February 18th in Indianapolis. The trek is in support of Clark’s new studio album, “The Long Way Home.” Terri will perform in Dubuque, Iowa, tonight.

Darryl Worley Cancer Treatment Center Breaking Ground

Darryl Worley's vision and dream of one day opening a cancer treatment center in his hometown is finally coming true. The groundbreaking ceremony of The Darryl Worley Cancer Treatment Center is set to take place in Savannah, Tennessee, next Wednesday. In 2005, Worley and representatives of Hardin Medical Center and Hardin County Community and Healthcare Foundation joined forces to open The Darryl Worley Cancer Treatment Center, which will offer both radiation and chemotherapy treatment. The building will be located on the campus of Hardin Medical Center. The center hopes to open its doors by early 2011.

Carrie Underwood’s On ‘How I Met Your Mother’ Monday

Carrie Underwood has a role in Monday’s installment of the CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother.” She plays the role of Tiffany, described as "an enigmatic pharmaceutical sales rep."

Lady A Hits A Million

Lady Antebellum has become the first act to have a million-selling album in 2010, with "Need You Know." Lady A, which has the No. 2 selling disc, behind Sade's "Soldier of Love," sold 144,000 this past week. The disc has now sold 1,041,000 units in four weeks of release.

Brooks & Dunn announcement tomorrow!!

 

BROOKS & DUNN will be holding a press conference tomorrow at 3:10 PM (EST)…check out the links below…..

 

http://www.brooks-dunn.com/ or http://www.ustream.tv/channel/brooks-and-dunn-live

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LUKE BRYAN A WIMP WHEN HE’S SICK

Luke Bryan’s wife Caroline and son Bo were sick last week but thankfully Luke hasn’t caught the stomach bug yet. He says he’s got a high tolerance for pain but when it comes to being sick, he’s a wimp.  “I could break my arm and do a show but I hate to throw up. I think I would rather have a snake bit me then throw up. It just drives me crazy.” Luke is currently on tour with Jason Aldean. Check out the video for his new song “Rain is a Good Thing,”

"Rain Is a Good Thing"

Luke Bryan | Luke Bryan Videos | New Country Songs

Let us know what you think of the song and video!!

BLAKE SHELTON’S ULTIMATE BOB SLEDDING TEAM

Blake Shelton prefers the summer Olympics to the winter Olympics so he hasn’t been watching a lot of the events. But if he had to form his own bob-sledding team, he’d have a good looking team.  “My Bob sled team would consist of Kelly Picker, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Katy Perry, and Shania Twain. Miranda would be the one obviously nearest to me.” Blake is quick to point out his team selection has nothing to do with looks and everything to do with skills.  “Talent, these girls are very aerodynamic and they are good athletes. That’s what I am going for.” Blake will help Reba McEntire announce the nominees for the Academy of Country Music Awards next month. The awards take place April 18th.

Chesney Apps Himself

Kenny Chesney? There’s an app for that! Just about anything Kenny can be had with the new app, available free in the iTunes Store. Not only can any of his shows be located, but you can go to the box office and buy tickets, invite your friends and even use the iPhone’s GPS to give you directions straight to the parking lot. Much of the music is available in the store – by song and album, plus both Chesney gear and cool No Shoes Radio stuff too. There’s also exclusive news and updates.

Darius Rucker Joins Musicians On Call

Darius Rucker has joined Musicians On Call, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities. Darius says, “Hospitals like the VA are so incredible for recognizing this benefit and incorporating it into their treatment to break up the monotony and improve each patient’s quality of life.” Tomorrow, Darius visits Tennessee Valley Healthcare System’s VA Hospital. Next Wednesday, he hosts an intimate performance at Hard Rock Cafe Nashville, kicking off their month-long March On Stage campaign benefiting MOC. The benefit also features Jypsi.

Jackson’s ‘Freight Train’ Leaving The Station

Alan Jackson’s “Freight Train Tour” will kick off this spring, about one week after his new CD, “Freight Train,” is released. The tour starts April 8th in Estero, Florida, and ends May 23rd in Lexington, Kentucky, hitting 15 cities. Josh Turner and Chris Young will open. “Freight Train,” out March 30th, includes eight Jackson originals plus four more, including “It’s Just That Way,” the first single, and a duet with Lee Ann Womack on the Vern Gosdin classic “Till the End.” Jackson will launch the album with March 30th appearances on “Today” and the “Late Show with David Letterman,” an April 4th appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and an April 5th appearance on “Ellen,” his first on that show.

Gloriana’s Olympic Effort

Gloriana has released the new single “The World Is Ours Tonight” from the “AT&T Team USA Soundtrack” for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. The single is at iTunes. Through February 28th, all proceeds go to Team USA. Gloriana recorded the song exclusively for the soundtrack.

Vegas Lovin’ Garth Brooks

After two hours of performing at the Encore Theater at Wynn in Vegas on Friday, the lights came up, the show was over and Garth Brooks went backstage to have dinner. About 15 minutes later, a stagehand came back and told Brooks the audience was still there, standing like they were when he left the stage. Brooks went out to check himself, and sure enough the whole crowd was still standing there. So Brooks grabbed his guitar, walked back out onstage and played another 45 minutes. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my career,” Brooks said. Brooks is staging another round of solo shows at the venue with tickets going on sale February 27th. Find out more online at www.wynnlasvegas.com/boxoffice.

Trace Adkins Upbeat

Trace Adkins has another album in the works and says eight songs are done so far. Trace says Toby Keith told him that “the music has got a smile on it.” Adkins says maybe that’s just a reflection of where he is in his life right now. He says he’s “feeling more optimistic, more upbeat.” “It’s really hard to say why, but it’s just this change and it’s reflected in the music.” Trace Adkins, Martina McBride and Sarah Buxton take their “Shine All Night” tour to Fort Wayne, Indiana, on Thursday.

Jimmy Wayne Robbed

Jimmy Wayne is experiencing some of the same things homeless people do. Their belongings get stolen. Wayne tweeted about the theft, writing that somewhere in the Hot Springs, Arkansas, area his orange and black suitcase was taken from the RV that’s been going alongside him as he walks. Wayne says all his stage clothes and his cold-weather gear were in the suitcase, including a leather jacket. Wayne writes that the RV obviously states on the exterior that it is part of his walk to raise awareness about kids who are at risk for homelessness. Jimmy started his walk from Nashville to Phoenix on New Year’s Day.

Paisley’s ‘American Saturday Night’ Takes On The West Coast

Brad Paisley’s “American Saturday Night Tour” hit the West Coast big-time last weekend with sold-out shows in Fresno, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Reno. At The Staples Center in Los Angeles, 13,000 fans showed up along with some familiar names including William Shatner, The Jonas Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Sheryl Crow. Miranda Lambert and Justin Moore are the tour’s special guests. The tour takes this week off and concludes next weekend with shows in Knoxville, Greenville and Charleston, South Carolina.

Sarah Buxton Brings Viewers New 3D Video Experience

Sarah Buxton is teaming up with CMT to give fans a new reality experience. Fans will be able to engage with Buxton as active participants in an all new 3D online experience. Visit CMT.com to print a unique symbol that, when held up to a computer’s Webcam, will bring Buxton’s “Outside My Window” music video to 3D virtual life. Fans can visit www.sarahbuxton.com/ar and hold the symbol up to their Webcam starting tomorrow to become Buxton’s virtual guitar player.

Jake Owen Uses Super Glue On Battle Wound

Jake Owen is sporting a huge gash between his eyes. Jake posted a photo on his Twitter account with a caption that reads “Stitches or not?” he then joked, “You should see the other guy!” Taking a tip from an old athletic trick, Jake applied a little super glue to the wound and tweeted, “the superglue worked alright ... guess I’ll have a nice Frankenstein scar! Battle wounds ... !” Jake didn’t reveal how he messed up his face. Hopefully it will heal before he heads to D.C. on March 2nd to perform during the 2010 NAB State

Alan Jackson’s New Video

Alan Jackson’s new video for “It’s Just That Way” debuts today. The video version was written by Alan’s oldest daughter, Mattie. The video was filmed at an old farmhouse near Nashville. Alan’s next album, “Freight Train,” is due out March 30th. Mattie makes her journalistic debut in the June issue of “Cooking With Paula Deen.”

Lady A Unveils ‘American Honey’ Video

Lady Antebellum unveiled the music video for “American Honey” Friday on Oprah.com. The song is the first video that Oprah has ever debuted. The premiere was timed with the group’s first appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” where they performed a medley of “Need You Now” and “I Run To You.” You can see the video at www.oprah.com/ladyantebellum.

Buxton Sets Record With ‘Window’

Sarah Buxton’s lead single, “Outside My Window,” from her self-titled debut album, sold more than 12,000 paid downloads last week, marking the biggest opening digital single sales from a debut album for any female country artist in the history of Nielsen Soundscan. The album comes out tomorrow. Buxton will be in Nashville to celebrate the release with a show at The Rutledge. Prior to the concert, Buxton will offer a behind-the-scenes look at her debut CD with “Premiere: Sarah Buxton” on GAC. The special showcases Buxton’s take on the songs “Stupid Boy,” “Space” and “Big Blue Sky.” Buxton will open for Martina McBride and Trace Adkins on the “Shine All Night” tour beginning Thursday in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

Reba, Blake Shelton To Reveal ACM Nominees

Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton will be in New York on March 2nd to reveal the nominees for the Academy of Country Music Awards during “The Early Show.” McEntire and Shelton will be interviewed by co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez during the segment. Shelton will also perform. The 45th annual ACM Awards will take place in Las Vegas on April 18th. McEntire will host the live telecast on CBS.

Trisha Yearwood Still Singing

As Trisha Yearwood gets ready to promote her latest cookbook, fans are wondering if she’s giving up music. Trisha wrote on her Twitter page: “For those of you who are asking, NO!!! Never going to stop singing. It’s what I do!” Yearwood’s last album was the “Love Songs” compilation that came out two years ago.

Taylor Swift’s Possum Trouble

Taylor Swift and her band are going through possum-backlash now. After Wednesday night’s show in Melbourne, Australia, Swift and the band tweeted that they went to a park “for some midnight wild possum feeding.” But a spokesman for Australia’s Department of Sustainability and Environment said while they know that people who feed wild animals “often have the best intentions” but feeding wildlife “can cause some animals to lose their natural fear of people, making them vulnerable to attack.”

Carrie Underwood Says Adopt A Dog

Carrie Underwood appears in a public service announcement advocating that people adopt dogs from their local shelters. The PSA was sponsored by dog food maker Pedigree, which is also the sponsor of Underwood’s “Play On” tour. In the commercial, the Underwood explains the benefits of adopting a dog, adding, “I can’t imagine life without my dog, Ace.”

Faith Hill On ‘Project Runway’

Faith Hill will be a guest judge when the season finale of “Project Runway” airs in April. The episode was filmed Friday in New York City

Trisha Yearwood’s New Cookbook

Those of you who loved the southern recipes in Trisha Yearwood’s first cookbook can soon whip up even more of Trisha’s culinary favorites. The singer’s new cookbook, “Home Cooking With Trisha Yearwood: Stories and Recipes to Share With Family and Friends,” is set for release on April 6th. Trisha borrowed some recipes from her family and friends, including her grandmother’s strawberry cake, husband Garth’s mother’s cabbage rolls, and Trisha’s mother’s homemade waffles.

Moore Daddy

Justin Moore and wife Kate welcomed their first child, daughter Ella Kole on February 11th. Ella weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces. She was 18 inches long. “She and my wife are perfect,” Justin said. “Both are doing great. All I can say is, wow! It’s the most unbelievable thing I’ve ever been through ... so thankful.”

Danny Gokey’s Video Making Waves

As Danny Gokey heads toward the March 2nd release of his debut album, “My Best Days,” excitement over Danny and his music continues to soar. In its first chart week, Danny’s music video for his single, “My Best Days Are Ahead of Me,” made an impressive debut on GAC’s weekly fan-voted Top 20 Country Countdown, earning a No. 3 chart slot in the episode that premiered Friday night.

Brad Paisley Scores Another No. 1

Brad Paisley celebrated Presidents Day in style yesterday as his smash hit, “American Saturday Night,” marched into the No. 1 spot on the Mediabase country airplay chart, becoming his 12th consecutive No. 1 single and the 16th of his career. Paisley is now second only to country legend Sonny James as the solo country artist with the most consecutive No. 1 singles in country chart history. “American Saturday Night” follows “Welcome to the Future” and “Then” as the third chart-topping single from Paisley’s “American Saturday Night” album. Paisley is currently on the road with his “American Saturday Night Tour” and will be performing on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” tomorrow.

Darius Rucker Joins Michelle Obama’s ‘Let’s Move’ Campaign

Darius Rucker has signed on to be the spokesperson for CMT’s promotion of First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign. Rucker will be appearing in public service announcements that will spread the message of “Let’s Move,” aimed at rallying America’s youth to get active and fight childhood obesity.

Brad Paisley Visits Jimmy Kimmel

Brad Paisley’s “American Saturday Night Tour” continued its hot streak with three sold-out shows recently and Billboard listing the tour as No. 1 country tour for 2010 so far. The tour took a break this weekend and picks back up with shows in Fresno, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Reno beginning Thursday. Miranda Lambert and Justin Moore are special guests on the tour. While on the West Coast, Paisley will make an appearance on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” with an interview and performance on the Bud Light Golden Wheat Outdoor Stage Wednesday. 

Church Battles Snow

Eric Church hit the road last week headlining the “Jägermeister Country Tour” despite extraordinary weather conditions in the northeast. The shows in Baltimore and Philadelphia were postponed due to the record breaking snowfall. However, Eric, his band and crew made it to the Fillmore Irving Plaza in New York for Wednesday’s show despite blizzard conditions. Church hated to disappoint fans who couldn’t make it to the show due to the treacherous weather so he is honoring tickets to the rescheduled Philadelphia and Baltimore shows, as well as personally refunding any unused tickets for the New York City show. The Philadelphia show was rescheduled for yesterday and the Baltimore show rescheduled for February 22nd.

Bryan Debuting iheartradio Show

Luke Bryan will premiere his iheartradio performance tomorrow. The three-song session, which was filmed recently in Los Angeles, features Bryan’s recent No. 1, “Do I,” plus his current and fastest-rising single to date, “Rain Is A Good Thing.” Bryan also performs a cover of One Republic’s hit song “Apologize.” All three songs featured in the session can be found on Bryan’s sophomore album, “Doin’ My Thing.” Bryan is currently opening for Jason Aldean’s “Wide Open Arena Tour.”