Country Stars Ask Fans To ‘Give The Gift Of Music’

Taylor Swift and Chris Young have joined the “Give the Gift of Music” campaign. In their new video testimonials, Swift talks about hearing Faith Hill’s “This Kiss” for the first time, while Young recalls receiving his first guitar as a Christmas gift. The videos launched exclusively in a special “Countdown to CMA” area at http://givethegiftofmusic.info. Previously-posted videos feature Kelly Clarkson, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker and Blake Shelton. The campaign has also launched a contest asking fans to share how a particular 2011 CMA Awards nominee’s music has inspired them. The grand prize winner will receive two tickets to the CMA Awards show in Nashville on November 9th and $1,000. Country music gift packages will go to the second and third place winners.

George Jones Celebrates 80th Birthday

George Jones celebrated his 80th birthday with a throng of well-wishers Tuesday evening before a performance at the Grand Ole Opry. Travis Tritt, Jason Michael Carroll and Eddy Raven were among the artists joining Jones and his wife, Nancy, during the party at Rippy’s in downtown Nashville. Musical tributes were performed at the Opry by Alan Jackson, Lee Ann Womack, Jamey Johnson, the Oak Ridge Boys and others.

George Strait Lands His 24th No. 1 Country Album

George Strait has done it again. His newly released album “Here For A Good Time” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Album Charts this week and No. 3 on the Billboard 200 Chart. It marks his third No. 1 album debut in a row. The title track “Here For A Good Time,” written by Strait, his son Bubba Strait and songwriter Dean Dillon, is Strait’s 89th career single and sits at No. 8 this week on the Billboard and Mediabase/Country Aircheck charts. It marks his 84th Top 10 hit and continues the unbelievable streak of having all but 5 singles in George Strait’s entire 30-year career reach the Top 10 mark – and those five landed Top 20!

Johnny Reid Takes Honors In Canada

Johnny Reid was the big winner at the Canadian Country Music Awards by taking home three awards, including the big award, the Fans’ Choice Awards. Reid’s most recent album, “A Place Called Love,” was the Top Selling Canadian Album of the Year at Sunday’s Gala Awards. He also won CMT Video of the Year (“Today I’m Gonna Try” And “Change The World”) and Male Artist of the Year. Dean Brody took home two 2011 Canadian Country Music Awards: Single of the Year for “Trail In Life” and Album of the Year for “Trail In Life” as well. Terri Clark went home with Female Artist of the Year and trio Hey Romeo took Group or Duo of the Year. Last year’s New Artist Showcase winner Chad Brownlee won his first Canadian Country Music Award for Rising Star.

Country Music Hall Of Fame Calendar

Taylor Swift has the perfect song to play as you flip through the 2012 calendar from the Country Music Hall of Fame –  “Back to December.” Swift is one of 12 stars who are on the calendar. The others are Kenny Chesney, Jamey Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker, George Strait, Sugarland, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Zac Brown Band. The calendar is available now through the Hall of Fame.

Martina McBride Plans Amtrak Tour To Promote New Album

Martina McBride and Amtrak have partnered for a four-day train ride across the nation to promote her upcoming album, “Eleven.” McBride will begin her travels in Los Angeles and conclude the trip in New York City. Stops along the way include Flagstaff, Arizona; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Newton, Kansas; Kansas City, Missouri; Chicago; Cleveland; Pittsburgh; Washington, D.C.; and Philadelphia. McBride will perform intimate concerts for fans in Albuquerque, Chicago and New York City. She will release “Eleven” on October 11th.

Sugarland Named In Stage Collapse Legal Papers

Sugarland have been named as a defendant in a potential lawsuit over that deadly stage collapse at the Indianapolis Fair. They’re in a notice sent to the state attorney general. The legal paperwork was sent by the family of 22-year-old Jennifer Haskell. Sugarland members, agents and employees are among 15 potential defendants. Sugarland and their manager also are named in a tort claim by the parents of Haskell’s best friend, Alina Bigjohny. Haskell and Bigjohny were among seven people who died after the stage rigging collapsed during strong winds before the August 13th concert. More than 40 others were injured. Sugarland was ready to take the stage that day but their tour manager held them back because of weather. Seconds later, winds came through and the stage collapsed.

Alan Jackson, Ozzy Osbourne Help Save Missing Boy

Country singer Alan Jackson and rocker Ozzy Osbourne recently helped save a missing California boy. A song from each artist was played over a loud speaker to lure missing 8-year-old Joshua Robb from his hiding spot. Robb, who is autistic, slipped through a fence at his school in Twin Peaks, California, on Monday. Staff members tried to chase him down, but he scurried into the forest before they could catch up to him. The boy’s father warned that alarming noises would further push the boy into hiding, so he recommended using two of his son’s favorite songs, Jackson’s “Good Time” and Osbourne’s “No More Tears.” “I heard them blaring ‘No More Tears’ and it was a very short time after that, we heard the rescuers had found him,” Ron Robb says. Joshua was a mile or so away from where he’d last been spotted, and rescuers had to lower a basket into a steep ravine to bring the child to safety.

Artist of the day - Lee Ann Womack

• Lee Ann Womack studied music business at Belmont University in Nashville in 1990. Tree Publishing signed her in 1995 after listening to one of her original demos. Her self-titled debut album was released in 1997 and reached the Top 10.
  
• Womack earned her biggest hit with the title track from “I Hope You Dance.” The album earned six Academy of Country Music nominations in 2001 and she took home prizes for Single and Song of the Year. The Country Music Association also named her Best Female Vocalist of 2001.
  
• Lee Ann released “Call Me Crazy,” in 2008. The first single, “Last Call,” hit the Top 20 and received a Grammy nod for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. The album’s second single, “Solitary Thinkin’,” reached the Top 40.
  
• Womack released “There Is a God” in October 2009 as the lead single to her upcoming seventh studio album. The song was nominated for Mainstream Inspirational Country Song in 2010. Womack has revealed a few of the tracks that she has recorded for the album, including “Talking Behind Your Back” and “You Do Until You Don’t.”
  
• In October 2010, Womack contributed the new track “Liars Lie” to the soundtrack for the film “Country Strong.” She also contributed guest vocals to the song “Ring of Fire.”
  
• Following her stint on the George Strait/Reba McEntire tour for the first half of 2011, Lee Ann is working on a new album.
  
• Official Web site: www.leeannwomack.com

Alison Krauss And Union Station Take Off With ‘Paper Airplane’

After a successful summer run, Alison Krauss and Union Station returns to the road this week for a scattering of fall shows spread throughout the U.S. and parts of Europe. The band will travel through 10 Midwest cities for performances, including a Saturday appearance at the Austin City Limits Festival in Texas. A month after wrapping up the U.S. leg, Krauss and crew will head across the pond for a U.K. leg that includes a four-night stand November 12-15 at London’s Royal Festival Hall. Alison Krauss and Union Station unveiled “Paper Airplane” in April. The video for the new set’s title track is currently streaming at Krauss’ website.

Jamie O’Neal Helps Fisher House

Stadium Entertainment has released “My Country Smash Hits 2” in support of the Fisher House, a home for military families dealing with injury or illness. Just like the first volume, the new album includes hit songs from some of country’s biggest artists including Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, Jamie O’Neal, Kenny Chesney, LeAnn Rimes, Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire and more. A percentage of album sales will benefit the Fisher House. It can be purchased at http://soldiercominghome.fargotube.com. Meanwhile, Jamie O’Neal will release a new video for her song “Soldier Coming Home” to help spread the word about “My Country Smash Hits 2” and the Fisher House. She is asking fans to submit a video clip of their soldier coming home. The best video and nine runner ups will make it into the final cut of the video and win an assortment of prizes, one of which is a flyaway to Nashville, a night on the town and an appearance with Jamie on TV to debut the video nationally. Find out more at www.soldiercominghomecontest.com.

‘Country Bumpkin’ Songwriter Dies

Don Wayne, whose songwriting credits include “Country Bumpkin” and “Saginaw, Michigan,” died Monday after a battle with cancer. He was 78. Released in 1963, Lefty Frizzell’s version of “Saginaw, Michigan” spent four weeks at No. 1 on the country chart, becoming his first chart-topper in 13 years. Wayne co-wrote the song with Bill Anderson. In 1974, Cal Smith’s recording of “Country Bumpkin” hit No. 1 on the country chart and won two ACM awards and a CMA award. Smith scored another No. 1 hit with “It’s Time to Pay the Fiddler,” which Wayne wrote with Walter Haynes. Wayne’s songs were also recorded by Eddy Arnold, David Houston, Burl Ives, George Morgan, Del Reeves, Tex Ritter, Jean Shepard, Hank Snow, Ernest Tubb and Hank Williams Jr. Wayne was elected to the Nashville Songwriters International Association’s Hall of Fame in 1978.

Stars Return To Their ‘Day Jobs’ In New GAC Series

In “Day Jobs,” an original series premiering October 2nd on GAC, several of today’s top country stars step away from the stage lights and put in a full day’s work the way they did before they made it big. Each one-hour episode follows three stars as they work a shift in a variety of jobs ranging from offshore oil rig roughneck to cattle rancher, women’s shoe salesman, pilot and waitress. As they work, they realize just how far they’ve come and how those early jobs helped shaped their life today. Every participant agreed to put in a full eight-hour day and some had to undergo additional training. Before Trace Adkins returned to his former job as a roughneck on an offshore oil rig, he had to spend a day in safety training. Joe Nichols had to become certified to drive a forklift before spending a day loading pallets and filling orders in a warehouse and Craig Morgan spent the day training with Army soldiers of the 101st Airborne at Ft. Campbell. “

Hunter Hayes Sets ‘Fall Tour’ Dates

Hot newcomer Hunter Hayes is getting ready to hit the road on his first ever headlining club tour. “The Most Wanted Fall Tour” is set to kick off October 8th in Beaumont, Texas. The tour wraps in mid-November. To sweeten the deal for fans, Hayes is offering fans the chance to purchase two different VIP Coffee House Experience packages, available online at http://packages.artistarena.com/hunterhayes. One package consists of a Hunter Hayes T-shirt, a pre-order option for his self-titled debut album, a commemorative tour laminate and coffee with Hunter at the venue before his show. The second option will include early entry to the venue the night of the show, a Hunter Hayes T-shirt and pre-ordering opportunities for Hunter’s album. Hayes’ album, which includes his Top 30 hit single “Storm Warning,” is set to hit stores on October 11th.

Jaron Lowenstein Introduces The Cordovas

Jaron Lowenstein is taking a detour from his Long Road to Love. The singer/songwriter has teamed up with Joe Firstman, Jon Loyd, Toby Weaver, Johnny Gray and Caleb Gilbreath in a new band called the Cordovas. They released their debut album yesterday. Fans can download the self-titled CD for free at http://thecordovas.com. The CD is also available on iTunes and in physical form at the Cordovas’ live shows. Firstman is the former band leader of NBC’s “Last Call With Carson Daly.” He and Jaron combine their musical influences – ranging from rock to country to Gospel – on the Cordovas release.

Zac Brown Band Plays On

Zac Brown Band is not slowing down following a string of stadium dates on Kenny Chesney’s “Goin’ Coastal” tour and special guest appearances with Kings of Leon in the UK. The band is doing a series of shows starting tomorrow and running into November. Opening will be Sonia Leigh, who signed to Brown’s label Southern Ground Artists. She will make her national album debut with “1978 December” on September 27th, and labelmate Nic Cowan, who co-wrote two songs on ZBB’s most recent album. Zac Brown Band recently enjoyed their eighth consecutive No. 1 single with “Knee Deep” featuring Jimmy Buffett, from their platinum sophomore release, “You Get What You Give.” The band will also hold their second Southern Ground Music & Food Festival in Charleston, South Carolina, this October and continue their “Eat & Greet” tradition at most fall shows, with Southern Ground Executive Chef Rusty Hamlin serving up southern fare from “Cookie” – the band’s custom mobile kitchen.

Lady Antebellum Open Homes Up For People Magazine

The members of Lady Antebellum have opened up the doors of their homes for a new magazine spread. The band, who just wrapped their summer tour with Brad Paisley, returned to their respective properties in Nashville and welcomed People magazine photographers into their living spaces to share a series of personal photos with their devoted fans. Hilary Scott, who recently renovated her 3,400 square-foot bungalow with the help of her drummer fiancé Chris Tyrell, gushed about her getaway, outfitted with flea market finds. She said, “It’s my sanctuary, where I come and feel safe and calm and relaxed.” Dave Haywood showed off his custom urban loft, which is complete with a windowless bedroom in case he needs to catch a few extra hours of rest “in the middle of the day.” Charles Kelley dished about his house, which is the “perfect” size for him and his wife of two years, Cassie McConnell.

Swift Grilled By Ellen

Taylor Swift sat down with Ellen DeGeneres yesterday for one of the toughest – and most hilarious – interviews of her career. Thanks to some awkward, inappropriate questions, Ellen had Taylor shifting in her chair and gazing around the room in disbelief. But it was all in good fun. Some of the questions in the “serious” interview included who was Taylor dating (“nobody”), who she wants to date (“nobody”), and the last person she kissed. Taylor quipped, “I think an 8-year-old kid in the audience last night.” Ellen responded, “That is gross! You are disgusting!” Ellen also asked Taylor how often she washes her hair and how long she spent in prison. When Swift pointed out she was never in prison, Ellen said, “I’m sorry. I’m thinking of my questions for T.I.” Later Ellen surprised the crowd by appearing onstage for a down-home jam of “Our Song.”

Artist of the Day - Miranda Lambert

• Miranda Lambert began entering country talent contests when she was 16 and later appeared in a Ruffles potato chip ad and had a part in the 2001 teen comedy, “Slap Her She’s French.”
  
• She was 17 and still in high school when she formed the Texas Pride Band. She released an independent self-titled CD in 2001.
  
• She finished first in the Texas auditions for “Nashville Star” in 2003 and third overall, which led to a recording contract with Sony. Her first major-label single, “Me and Charlie Talking,” was released in 2004.
  
• Lambert’s debut CD, “Kerosene,” entered the Billboard Country Albums Chart at No. 1 in 2005, earning her an elite spot in music history as only the sixth country artist ever to have their first album debut at No. 1.
  
• Lambert released her second album, the chart-topping “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” in early 2007. Although the title track failed to make the Top 40, the next three singles – “Famous in A Small Town,” “Gunpowder & Lead” and “More Like Her” – were all Top 20 hits, with “Gunpowder & Lead” becoming her first Top 10 in July 2008.
  
• Miranda’s latest album “Revolution” features the hit singles “Dead Flowers,” “White Liar,” “Only Prettier,” and the No. 1 hits “The House that Built Me” and “Heart Like Mine.” “Revolution” debuted at No. 1 and joins her previous two releases that debuted at the top of Billboard’s Country Album Charts.
  
• Lambert is developing at TV show for ABC Family. It’s billed as a private detective show based on her childhood. She married Blake Shelton on May 14th.
  
• Lambert has started a new all-girl band, Pistol Annies, along with Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley. “Hell on Heels,” the trio’s debut album landed at No. 1 on the Billboard Country chart. Miranda is now the first artist in the 47-year history of Billboard’s Country Albums chart to have notched No. 1s solo (her first three, 2005-09) and as part of a separately-named, non-all-star group. The title cut from “Heels” is moving up the charts.
  
• Lambert has unveiled the album art for her upcoming release, “Four the Record.” The LP, her fifth studio effort, hits stores on November 1st. The album’s first single, “Baggage Claim,” has reached No. 13 on the Billboard Country Singles chart.
  
• Official Web site: www.mirandalambert.com

Dierks Helps Fan Propose

Prior to a recent performance in Montana, Dierks Bentley held a meet and greet with his fans when a man asked if he could propose to his girlfriend during Bentley’s hit, “My Last Name.” While Dierks declined that request because it’s difficult to do mid-concert, he confesses that “he sweet-talked me,” so Dierks arranged for the man and his girlfriend to board the bus after the show for a private performance of the tune, during which the proposal would take place. Taking their seats on the bus, Dierks strummed his acoustic guitar and sang the romantic tune, letting the young man sing along with him and even handle parts of the song on his own. The girlfriend remained clueless about the reason for the private concert until her man produced a ring box from his pocket. After the proposal, the fan beamed as he clutched onto his new fiancé. He remarked, “That was the most amazing thing.” It was all caught on tape and serves as episode 31 of Dierks’ “DBTV” web series.