CMT Honors Decade’s Greatest Hits

CMT will commemorate the first decade of the 21st century with a two-hour special, “CMT’s 40 Greatest Songs Of The Decade.” The show premieres November 13th and pays tribute to Country’s Top 40 Videos from 2000 to 2010.

See Rascal Flatts By ‘Invitation Only’

Rascal Flatts are the next act to be featured on the CMT “Invitation Only” series, Rascal Flatts. The all-new episode premieres November 15th. The performance is taped before a small studio audience in Nashville, where Gary, Jay and Joe Don answer questions from the audience and perform some of their biggest hits. They will also introduce some of the music from their new album, “Nothing Like This,” which drops the day after the show’s premiere.

Tracy Lawrence To Fry Up Turkeys For Homeless

Tracy Lawrence, friends and colleagues are set to gather to feed those less-fortunate on Thanksgiving. Tracy’s 5th Annual Mission Possible Turkey Fry will be November 23rd in Nashville. In the years that this event has been held, they have donated more than 4,000 turkeys and meals – valued at over $84,000 to the Nashville Rescue Mission. In addition, cash donations from the event have exceeded $100,000.

Taylor TV

Taylor Swift has a slew of TV appearances next week surrounding the release of her new album, “Speak Now.” She’ll play a special concert at the United Nations in New York on Monday that will stream online globally via MTV’s many websites. On Tuesday, she performs on the “Today Show” as well as the “Late Show with David Letterman.” On Wednesday, Swift will appear on “Live with Regis & Kelly” and take part in a special literacy event as part of Scholastic’s 90th anniversary literary campaign. She’ll also attend the unveiling of a wax figure of herself at Madame Tussaud’s. Swift will perform a special concert at JFK airport, then fly to the west coast with a group of contest winners. She will tape an episode of the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” slated to air November 1st, and also perform on “Dancing With The Stars” on November 2nd.

Darryl Worley Cancer Treatment Center Opening Set

The grand opening of the Darryl Worley Cancer Treatment Center is set for November 3rd in Savannah, Tennessee. Located on the campus of the Hardin Medical Center, the new facility has been planned since 2004. The Darryl Worley Foundation, the medical center and the Hardin County Community and Healthcare Foundation have raised $1.7 million toward their $2 million goal for the project. They hope to reach the total before work on the center is completed early next year. Worley has raised money through his annual “Tennessee River Run” festival in Savannah.

How Toby Handled Bullies

Toby Keith has strong thoughts about bullying. “Yeah, bullying is bad, but in my generation, my father wouldn’t allow that to happen,” he told CNN. “My father would say, ‘Do whatever you have to do to shut it down, you know. Fight.’ We would fight the bully. If you let the guy bully you every day at school, it’s going to continue to go. So it’s better to take that ass-whooping the first day and get it over with, and then they usually leave you alone.” Toby says that is advice he’s lived by throughout his life.

Nettles To Host CMA Christmas Special

Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland has signed on to serve as host of “CMA Country Christmas,” a special to be taped in Nashville. The holiday show will be taped in front of a live audience on November 11th and will air November 29th on ABC. Kellie Pickler has been added to the list of performers, which includes Sheryl Crow, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, Darius Rucker and Sugarland.

Taylor Swift Gets ‘Mean’

With this week’s release of “Mean,” Taylor Swift topped her own Billboard record – which she set last week for Most Top 10 debuts on the Billboard Hot 100 in the history of the chart. The four songs from “Speak Now” released early as part of an iTunes rollout all reached No. 1 on the all-genre downloads chart within hours of their release, and paid song downloads from “Speak Now” now top 1.8 million.

Lady Antebellum Re-Lives ‘Worst Gig Ever’

More than 1,000 people showed up at a gas station to help Lady Antebellum relive their “worst gig ever.” The trio performed their hit song “Need You Now” yesterday, along with two other songs during a free mini-concert at the Mayfield Mobil station in Milwaukee. The concert was a re-enactment of a performance the band once described as their “worst gig ever” – when they performed at a nearby truck stop at the crack of dawn on opening day of deer hunting season, long before they became stars.

Brad Paisley’s ‘Hits Alive’

Brad Paisley, who has delivered one of the year’s hottest country tours with his “H2O World Tour,” will release the double-disc “Hits Alive” on November 2nd. In live or studio versions, the collection includes 15 of Paisley’s No. 1 songs and four that hit the Top 5, plus the instrumental “Time Warp” and Brad’s current single, “Anything Like Me.” Featuring 21 individual songs, the two discs sport 24 total tracks, some presented both in live and studio versions.

Jamey Johnson’s Video Premiering

Jamey Johnson’s video for “Playing the Part,” directed by Matthew McConaughey, premieres this week. “Entertainment Tonight” will feature the world premiere today. VEVO will premiere the full-length director’s cut on at www.vevo.com and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage will be available online at www.people.com. It is the first music video ever directed by McConaughey and the first video from Johnson’s No. 1 double album, “The Guitar Song.” Johnson, who is currently on tour, will perform on NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” on October 26th.

Gary Allan To Undergo Vocal Cord Surgery

Gary Allan has had to cancel a couple of dates in December due to minor vocal cord surgery he’ll undergo next month. His shows in Cherokee, North Carolina, on December 11th and Las Vegas on December 31st will be rescheduled. Gary’s October and November dates will not be affected. The procedure to remove a polyp from his vocal cord will take place in late November. Gary is expected to make a full recovery and is set to resume his tour schedule in the middle of February.

Dierks Bentley Celebrates Fifth Annual Miles & Music For Kids

Dierks Bentley’s fifth annual “Music and Miles for Kids” benefit event on Sunday was a roaring success. The fundraiser benefits Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Dierks was able to add over $250,000 to the already $1.2 million that has been raised through the charity so far. The benefit concert included performances by Luke Bryan, Laura Bell Bundy, Mat Kearney, Miranda Lambert, Del McCoury, Heidi Newfield and Jerrod Niemann. More than 1,200 motorcycle enthusiasts and country music fans lined up for miles behind Bentley for a bike ride from Columbia, Tennessee, to Nashville’s Riverfront Park.

Phil Vassar To Headline New Year’s Eve ‘Bash On Broadway’

Phil Vassar will headline the second annual New Year’s Eve “Bash on Broadway” in downtown Nashville on December 31st. Phil will be joined by Heidi Newfield, Nashville rocker Will Hoge and MuzikMafia’s Damien Horne. The New Year’s Eve bash, which will be free and open to the public, will be hosted by Storme Warren.

Kenny Chesney Releasing New Single, DVD

Kenny Chesney is releasing “Somewhere With You” as the second single from his latest album, “Hemingway’s Whiskey.” The single follows Chesney’s No. 1 “The Boys of Fall.” In addition, Chesney’s football documentary, “Boys of Fall,” will be released on DVD exclusively at Walmart on November 9th. The DVD offers the never-before-seen, full-length 90-minute version of the documentary, along with bonus features, behind-the-scenes footage and commentary.

Taylor Swift To Perform At CMAs

Taylor Swift has been booked to perform at the 44th annual CMA Awards show in Nashville. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will serve as hosts at the November 10th event. Previously announced performers include Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Reba, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Sugarland, Underwood and Keith Urban. In addition, special duet performances will feature Zac Brown Band with Alan Jackson and Miranda Lambert with Sheryl Crow in a tribute to Loretta Lynn’s 50th anniversary as a recording artist.

Is Taylor Swift’s New Song About John Mayer?

A song on Taylor Swift’s upcoming album, “Speak Now,” is reportedly about a brief fling she had with John Mayer. “Dear John” drops hints about a romance with an older man. The two first met to record a duet, “Half of My Heart,” on “Battle Studies,” the latest album from the 32-year-old. Swift has neither confirmed nor denied that the song is about Mayer, but she does have a history of writing songs about the men in her life, including Joe Jonas, Taylor Lautner and Kanye West.

Rascal Flatts Reveal Track List For ‘Nothing Like This’

Rascal Flatts’ upcoming album, “Nothing Like This,” will not only include the hit single “Why Wait” but will also feature a collaboration with pop star Natasha Bedingfield on a song titled “Easy.” The trio will also release an exclusive version at Walmart, featuring bonus footage from the filming of the video for “Why Wait,” featuring David Arquette, Ron White, Wayne Newton, Penn & Teller and Carrot Top. The package will also contain the video in its entirety as well. The album comes out November 16th.

Rascal Flatts Wrap Tour

Rascal Flatts wrapped the first leg of their “Nothing Like This Tour” last weekend in Irvine, California, closing out the year with 650,000 fans attending 56 shows. The “Nothing Like This Tour” will continue with a second leg in 2011 with special guests Chris Young and Luke Bryan. Dates will be announced soon.

T.J. Martell Foundation Gala Set

Charlie Daniels, Colbie Caillat and Enrique Iglesias will perform during the 35th annual T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS Research awards gala set for October 27th in New York City. Daniels will be presented the foundation’s Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award and Kenny Loggins will receive the Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award. Jaron and the Long Road to Love will also attend the gala that includes a tribute to heavy metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio, who died in May after a battle with cancer.

The Eagles Close Out Austin City Limits

The Eagles helped wrap up this year’s Austin City Limits music festival in Austin, Texas, on Sunday. The band joined Norah Jones and the National for the final day of the fest. Crowds of about 65,000 packed the festival, which featured an eclectic mix of performers including Muse, the Strokes, Phish, M.I.A., Monsters of Folk, Sonic Youth, Vampire Weekend and Spoon. The Eagles set was their first after a handful of canceled shows due to the recent illness of singer Don Henley.

Brad Paisley Continues Sell-Outs

Brad Paisley’s highly successful “H2O World Tour” has just finished a Canadian run of four sold-out shows and a gig in Grand Forks, North Dakota, over the weekend with another sold-out show. Darius Rucker and Justin Moore will continue with the tour as special guests and more dates will be announced soon.

The Band Perry Gets Hometown Love

The Band Perry is from the close-knit community of Greeneville, Tennessee. They traveled home Sunday, just before their debut album release, to give a free public performance to say “thanks” for the town’s support throughout the years. Over 5,000 people showed up for the festivities held in historic downtown Greeneville. The band was honored by the announcement that Greene County had declared the week of October 10th “The Band Perry Week.” The Band Perry gave a special five-song acoustic performance and stayed for over four hours to sign autographs and chat with their hometown supporters. “The Band Perry” drops today, featuring the gold-certified single “If I Die Young” and the Top 20 hit “Hip To My Heart.”

Sugarland Goes Unplugged

Sugarland will debut a Deluxe Edition of their new album, “The Incredible Machine,” on October 19th. In addition to 11 songs, the package offers a documentary titled “Blood Love Hope Lust and Steam” that chronicles the creation of the album and tour of the same name. It also includes the video for the “Stuck Like Glue,” as well as a never-before-seen live performance music video for the title track.

Alan Jackson To Play ‘Concert For The Coast’

Alan Jackson will perform a free concert at The Wharf in Orange Beach, Alabama, on October 30th for the final installment of the “Concert for the Coast” series. The event is an ongoing effort to lure visitors back to the pristine white beaches of the Gulf Coast following the BP oil spill. Upcoming free concerts will feature Bon Jovi on October 15th and Brad Paisley on October 17th, both of which will be held on Gulf Shores Public Beach.

Trisha Yearwood Baking In The Big Apple

Trisha Yearwood took part in the New York Wine and Food Festival this past weekend, signing copies of her cookbooks and talking about her down-home southern recipes. But one thing she didn’t do was sing. “I’m not the singing cookbook lady,” Trisha told the crowd during a Q&A session when someone requested a musical number. She opted instead to talk about her simple approach to cooking. “I’m the KitchenAid diva,” she said, proclaiming her fondness for culinary gadgets.

Tim McGraw’s ‘Number One Hits’ Due Next Month

Tim McGraw’s latest compilation, “Number One Hits,” will be released on November 30th. The double-album includes 22 singles ranging from 1994’s “Indian Outlaw” through 2009’s “Southern Voice.” The collection also includes McGraw’s new single, “Felt Good on My Lips,” as well as a dance mix of “Indian Outlaw.”

Willie Nelson Stays On The Road With ‘Country Music’

Willie Nelson has again added more tour stops to his North American road trip behind his recently released studio effort, “Country Music.” The outing now pulls into 17 cities throughout the Midwest and the South before wrapping December 10th in Newkirk, Oklahoma.

Carrie Goes Home

Carrie Underwood performed a sold-out show Sunday night in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for nearly 12,000 fans. The show was the closest concert to Underwood’s hometown of Checotah, Oklahoma, approximately 45 minutes away. Underwood also performed in Dallas Saturday night for over 10,000 fans. Special guests were Billy Currington and Sons of Sylvia. Underwood’s “Play On Tour” will play over 100 cities in 2010 before wrapping December 19th in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Gloriana Get Dirty For A Good Cause

Gloriana are getting their hands dirty for a good cause. The band members were photographed with their hands in oil to show that environmental cleanup is, literally, in our hands. The photo was taken as part of the sp[OIL]ed campaign, which partners with www.protectourcoastline.com to raise money for fishermen, shrimpers and those working with natural wildlife of the Louisiana coast.

Happy B-Day Opry!

It was a very happy birthday at the Grand Ole Opry Saturday night as Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, Trace Adkins, Del McCoury, Bill Anderson, Roy Clark, Sunny Sweeney and more helped ring in the legendary show’s 85th year. More than 8,800 fans packed the newly renovated Grand Ole Opry house, which reopened last month after a massive makeover to repair damage from floods that devastated the building back in May. Upcoming performances at the Opry this month include the Charlie Daniels Band, George Jones, the Judds, Oak Ridge Boys, Blake Shelton, Randy Travis and another appearance by Trace Adkins. Visit www.opry.com for tickets.

BlackHawk Plan Benefit Concert In Honor Of Late Bandmate

BlackHawk will headline the” 6th Annual Tricky Hoedown” concert Saturday, honoring the memory of bandmate Van Stephenson, who lost his battle with cancer in 2001. The “Tricky Hoedown” will be held at the On the Farm ranch, located just a few miles outside of Nashville. Joining BlackHawk’s Henry Paul and Dave Robbins for this year’s festivities include Freddie Way, Emma King & the Heartsets, Brother Trouble, and host Rob Bironas of the Tennessee Titans.

Trace TV

Trace Adkins will make appearances tonight on “Chelsea Lately” and tomorrow on “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.” Adkins’ latest album, “Cowboy’s Back in Town,” was released in August. Adkins is also planning to perform for U.S. troops in the Middle East during a USO tour.

Zac Brown Band Headlining NASCAR Festival

The Zac Brown Band will headline a free concert near Miami as part of a two-day festival billed “Coca-Cola Fuels NASCAR Championship Drive.” Taking place in South Beach, the event was created to thank fans as part of Ford Championship weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Ford 400, the last race of the NASCAR season, takes place November 21st. The Zac Brown Band will perform November 18th.

Garth Brooks Helps Habitat For Humanity

Garth Brooks and hundreds of volunteers built and repaired houses in Birmingham, Alabama, as part of the 27th annual Habitat for Humanity Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project. An avid supporter of Habitat, Brooks worked in the Wylam Oaks subdivision of Birmingham. He also performed for Habitat supporters on Thursday. Throughout the week, volunteers helped build or repair a total of 86 homes in Washington, D.C.; Baltimore and Annapolis, Maryland; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota; and Birmingham, Alabama, as part of the Carter Work Project.

Taylor Swift Sued By Former Manager

Taylor Swift’s former manager is suing her for millions he claims he’s owed in commissions for helping launch her career. The legal wrangling dates back to 2007 when Dan Dymtrow initially sued Taylor and her parents, claiming they breached a management contract by paying him only $10,000. Dymtrow, who has also represented Britney Spears, signed Swift in April 2004, but stopped overseeing her career in July 2005, the year before she broke big with her single “Tim McGraw.” Dymtrow claims he should have been paid commission for his work. The Swift camp argues that Dymtrow failed to obtain the required court approval of his management contract with Taylor, which was necessary because she was a minor.

Kenny Chesney Tops Charts With ‘Hemingway’s Whiskey’

Kenny Chesney’s latest album, “Hemingway’s Whiskey,” poured into the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Top Country Album chart as well as the all-genre Billboard 200. With 183,000 copies sold, the album becomes Kenny’s 10th to hit No. 1 on the country chart and his sixth No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The album is also his ninth Top 10 on the Billboard 200, and his eighth consecutive disc to debut inside the Top 10 on that chart.

Jimmy Wayne Performs For ‘Angels’

Since bringing his Meet Me Halfway walk across America to an end in August, Jimmy Wayne has continued to spread awareness for teen homelessness. Last night, Jimmy participated in the 12th annual “Angels in Adoption Gala” in Washington, D.C., saluting those who work to make a difference for children who need families. Jimmy was asked to perform “Elephant Ears,” a song he wrote about a child growing up in the foster care system. This year’s Angels in Adoption honorees included actresses Kristin Chenoweth and Rhea Perlman, TV’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” and 140 others who have worked to support children in foster care or adoption.

Keith Urban Joined By All-Star Friends At ‘All For The Hall’

Tuesday night’s “We’re All For The Hall” benefit, organized and hosted by Keith Urban, brought out Nashville’s elite in a sold-out event at the Bridgestone Arena. The line-up included Keith Urban, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Martina McBride, Charley Pride, Dolly Parton, Miranda Lambert, Alison Krauss, Billy Currington and John Mayer. The total raised is not yet known, but last year’s event raised $500,000.

ACM Charity Donations Reach $800,000 For 2010

The Academy of Country Music’s charitable program, ACM Lifting Lives, has donated $800,000 this year for a variety of projects, including flood relief in Middle Tennessee. Among this year’s recipients are programs and facilities recommended by country artists to receive funding. They included Darius Rucker’s request for Pattison’s Academy, a school in Charleston, South Carolina, that serves the needs of disabled children. Jack Ingram suggested Grounded in Music, a program providing music education and mentorship to children in Central Texas. Danny Gokey requested Sophia’s Heart Foundation in Nashville, which offers an after-school music and arts program for children. Rodney Atkins made the request to expand the music education program at the Holston Home, a Greeneville, Tennessee, orphanage he lived in prior to being adopted as an infant.

Trace Adkins Planning Third Tour Of Middle East

Trace Adkins is returning to the Middle East to perform for U.S. troops during his third USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour of the region. On his previous tours, he performed in Iraq, Afghanistan and Bahrain.

Trisha Yearwood Performing At USO Event

Trisha Yearwood will be performing tonight at the USO’s annual gala. The event in Washington salutes the military and their families. Yearwood will sing and Bill Engvall will host. The event will be streamed live on www.Military.com.

Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood Performing At CMAs

Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood again will be doing double-duty at the CMA Awards. Not only will they host again, as previously reported, but they’ll also perform. Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire, George Strait, Sugarland and Keith Urban have also been added to perform. They’ll join previously announced performers Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton and the Zac Brown Band with Alan Jackson. The CMA Awards air November 10th on ABC.

Taylor Swift Wins Trademark Case

Taylor Swift has won a court fight against 16 individuals she claimed violated her trademark by selling counterfeit merchandise bearing her name and picture. A federal judge in Nashville granted a default judgment last week permanently barring 16 individuals from making or selling Taylor Swift merchandise. Swift claimed in the suit that her merchandise enforcement team found numerous individuals selling fake goods across the country during her 2009 tour, including T-shirts with her image on them.

The Opry – There’s An App For That!

The Grand Ole Opry has launched a free mobile app just in time for fans to celebrate the Opry’s 85th birthday this weekend. The Opry app is available at www.opry.com/app. The Opry’s Birthday Bash Weekend will include appearances by Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, Trace Adkins, Roy Clark, Bill Anderson, Jimmy Wayne and Crystal Gayle, among others. The celebration continues throughout the month of October, with shows featuring country greats like George Jones, The Judds, Blake Shelton and the Charlie Daniels Band.

Keith Urban Asks Fans To Help Choose Album Cover

Keith Urban has turned to fans to help him decide which photo will appear on the cover of his new album, “Get Closer,” due out November 16th. In a statement on Facebook, the Aussie singer gives fans the option to vote on a close-up with a woman’s arm wrapped around him or a shot on a bed with his guitar. So far the bedside photo is in the lead.

Court Yard Hounds Tackle Tough Subject

The Court Yard Hounds, a duo made up of the Dixie Chicks’ Emily Robison and Martie Maguire, have recorded a song called “Ain’t No Son.” Emily is particularly challenged by the song because it is subject matter that makes a lot of people uncomfortable and requires her to take on a point of view that she doesn’t agree with. The song was written in response to a film that Emily found disturbing. “We wrote it after Emily had watched a documentary about families who throw their young boys out of the house when they find out they’re gay,” Martie said. “She was really disturbed by that mentality. She doesn’t like having to sing it from the father’s perspective, because she really has to become that person when she’s singing it.”

Blake Shelton Invited To Join Grand Ole Opry By Tweet

When Blake Shelton was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry last week, the singer was asked to join in a very new way. Following a performance of “Hillbilly Bone” with his buddy and Grand Ole Opry member Trace Adkins, Shelton received a Tweet from Adkins that read “You are invited to join the Grand Ole Opry. See you on 10/23/2010!” “This right here is the highlight of my career,” Shelton told those in attendance. Shelton’s fiancé, Miranda Lambert, was also excited about the news, tweeting, “I am engaged to a member of the Grand Ole’ Opry!!!! That rocks:)” Blake will be officially inducted October 23rd.

Katie Armiger On The Cover Of Justine Magazine

Katie Armiger graces the cover of Justine Magazine’s October/November issue. The lifestyle magazine for teens is on newsstands now. Katie’s new album, “Confessions of a Nice Girl,” will be out tomorrow.

Joe Nichols Does Well With 5th Graders

Joe Nichols did pretty well on “Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader.” His appearance on the CMT show last week has netted him $125,000 for Camp Barnabas/SE Missouri, which caters to young people with special needs. His younger sister, Kelli, has attended the camp for several years.

Gretchen Wilson Giving Away A ‘Country Million’

Dollar General and Gretchen Wilson are teaming up to give folks the chance to win $1 million in the “Country Million” sweepstakes, running through December 15th. More than 5,500 prizes will be awarded. The grand prize winner will receive a trip to Nashville and $1 million. Other prizes to be awarded include cash, Gretchen Wilson CDs and Dollar General gift cards. Gretchen is currently on tour promoting her latest CD, “I Got Your Country Right Here.” She recently partnered with the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and the Ad Council to launch a national PSA campaign to help high school dropouts get started on the road to a GED diploma. For complete sweepstakes details visit www.dollargeneral.com.

Bluegrass Music Association Awards

Dailey & Vincent won Entertainer of the Year for the third straight time at the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards last night. Propelled by the success of two albums, including “Vincent & Dailey Sing The Statler Brothers,” the group won five awards at the Ryman in Nashville. You can find a complete list of winners online at www.ibma.org.

New Rascal On The Way Has A Name

Rascal Flatts bassist Jay DeMarcus and his wife Allison announced in July that they are expecting their first child, a baby girl, in January. Now, with the due date four months away, the proud parents are sharing their daughter’s name: Madeline Leigh. Jay says they’ll call her Maddy.

LeAnn Rimes Delaying New Release

Fans will have to wait a little longer for LeAnn Rimes’ “Lady and Gentlemen.” One of the reasons is that Rimes is adding a new recording of “Blue,” along with a bonus track, to the set. In a video message, Rimes says it’s been 15 years since her original version of “Blue” was released. And she was 13 at the time. She says now that she’s 28, she’ll do it again. LeAnn adds that even though the album is being delayed from its original October release, it “should be in your hands soon.”

Opry Celebrates With ‘Spirit Of Nashville Day’

The Grand Ole Opry is inviting Music City to celebrate its homecoming during “Spirit of Nashville Day” tomorrow. The day will offer free tours of the newly-refurbished Opry House, free music in the Plaza beginning at noon with a free 6:00 p.m. performance by The Band Perry, and special Opry shows recognizing persons affected by May’s flood as well as many others who assisted with flood recovery efforts. Mayor Karl Dean will join the evening’s show as an Opry Guest Announcer. Performers include Charley Pride, Craig Morgan and Academy Award-winner Kevin Costner. Dierks Bentley, who is celebrating his 5th Opry anniversary with an Opry appearance tonight, will host his own Opry House tour for fans around the world on the Opry’s Facebook page, beginning at 10 a.m.

Rodney Atkins Is Beautiful

Rodney Atkins is having quite a fall with his mega-hit “Farmer’s Daughter” sitting at No. 5 this week on the charts. The song comes from the album “Cracker Barrel presents Rodney Atkins.” Meanwhile, Atkins has been named one of Nashville’s 25 Most Beautiful People by Nashville Lifestyles. Rodney took a break from the studio Wednesday night to attend a party last night for the honorees. He joined a few other friends that made the list this year, including fellow artist Troy Gentry.

Jamey Johnson To Join ‘Farm Aid’

Jamey Johnson will join the all-star lineup for “Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America” on Saturday in Milwaukee. Johnson will join Farm Aid president and founder Willie Nelson and board members John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews with Tim Reynolds, as well as Kenny Chesney, Norah Jones, Jason Mraz, Jeff Tweedy, Band of Horses, Amos Lee, Robert Francis, BoDeans, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Randy Rogers Band and The Blackwood Quartet. Tickets are still available and limited seats on the field were recently released to the public. Tickets can be purchased at the Miller Park box office, by phone at 414.902.4000, or online at www.tickets.com. 

Frankie Ballard, Ty Stone To Tour With Uncle Kracker

Frankie Ballard and Ty Stone will hit the road with Uncle Kracker next month for his inaugural country music club tour. The 18-date “It’s Good To Be Me Tour 2010” kicks off November 3rd in Athens, Georgia, and concludes December 12th in Wabash, Indiana. The tour takes its name from Uncle Kracker’s “It’s Good to Be Me” single featuring Kid Rock, which debuted on the charts this week. “They should call it the ‘Detroit-Country-Rocks-In-Your-Face-Tour,’ because we’re all from Michigan,” Frankie said. Ballard won Kenny Chesney’s “Next Big Star” regional competition in 2008. As a result, Frankie opened for Chesney at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids and Ford Field in Detroit.

Miranda Lambert Brings Country To The Big Apple

New York City’s Terminal 5 was packed to capacity Wednesday night for the start of CMT’s ninth annual “CMT on Tour,” this year featuring Miranda Lambert, Eric Church and Josh Kelley. David Nail and Lady Antebellum were spotted in the crowd, as was Josh’s wife, actress Katherine Heigl, who danced along to most of Miranda’s set. On the heels of their Beacon Theater performance, Lady A and David opted to spend an extra night in New York to catch the show before flying to St. Louis to continue their current headlining tour.

Jason Aldean To Host Concert For The Cure

Jason Aldean is in the middle of his extended “Wide Open” tour, which has him crisscrossing the country over the next few months. One of the shows will be very special to Aldean. His Evansville, Indiana, gig is where he’ll host his fifth annual Concert for the Cure on October 15th, donating all proceeds to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. “Most of my long-time fans know that I had a really good friend die of breast cancer when she was only 29,” Jason told The Boot. “The day she passed away, my family decided that we would always do something to carry on her memory and to help in the fight. Everybody I know has been touched by it; they say a woman dies every 69 seconds from it. October is breast cancer awareness month.”

Montgomery Gentry Greatest Hits Package Canceled

Rumors have been spreading recently that Montgomery Gentry and Columbia Records Nashville had ended their decade-long relationship. Now a greatest hits package from the duo that was to be released this week has been nixed. Eddie and Troy posted a note on their website reading: “As you may have heard, there were plans to release a Greatest Hits yesterday, but we wanted to make sure you knew that would not be happening. BUT, know that we are working on an album of brand new material. We are more motivated than ever to get the biggest and baddest Montgomery Gentry album ever out there! Hang in there and we’ll get that done as quickly as we can.”

Jamey Johnson To Produce Blind Boys Of Alabama Album

Jamey Johnson is joining forces with gospel greats the Blind Boys of Alabama to make the group’s next album, and he’s recruited some fellow artists to lend their voices to the project. Jamey brought the Blind Boys out onstage last week to perform some old-time gospel favorites with him during his concert at the Montgomery Performing Arts Center. He also performed with them back in March at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame awards ceremony, when he received the Hall of Fame’s Rising Star Award. Jamey has lined up a week of Nashville sessions for the quintet, recruiting Vince Gill, George Jones, Hank Williams Jr. and the Oak Ridge Boys, among others, to sing on the album. Jamey is even bringing in his father to sing on one song. No word on when the project is slated for release.

Stars Lining Up To Perform At CMA Awards

Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton have signed on to perform at the 44th annual CMA Awards show in Nashville. Zac Brown Band and Alan Jackson will also take the stage at the November 10th event. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will serve as hosts.