Lady Antebellum Nominated For 2012 Brit Awards

The 2012 Brit Award nominees have been announced and Lady Antebellum is up for the International Group award, an accolade bagged last year by Arcade Fire. Other acts up for the prestigious award include Fleet Foxes, Foo Fighters, Jay-Z/Kanye West and Maroon 5. The band was also nominated for a 2012 Music Award from Australia’s Country Music Channel for International Artist of the Year.

Grammy Performers

The Grammys have begun to announce the performers for the 54th annual awards show and Foo Fighters, Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, Bruno Mars and Jason Aldean are on the initial list. The show, which airs live on CBS on February 12th, will mark the first Grammy performance for Aldean and Minaj. There is no word yet on whether the night’s most-nominated artist, Kanye West, will perform, or whether Adele will be recovered enough from her vocal surgery to make an appearance.

Kelly Clarkson To Sing National Anthem At Super Bowl

Kelly Clarkson will sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl. A person familiar with the entertainment plans tells The Associated Press Clarkson will do the honors in Indianapolis on February 5th. Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton will sing "America The Beautiful" before the game.

Artist Of The Day: Reba McEntire

Reba McEntire

• Reba Nell McEntire had her first charting single in 1978 with “Three Sheets in the Wind” / “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight.” That was followed by a bigger hit, 1980’s “(You Lift Me) Up to Heaven.” Her first No. 1 single came in 1982 with “Can’t Even Get the Blues.”
  
• McEntire snagged the top spot on the all-genre Billboard 200 with 2006’s “Reba Duets.” The first single, “Because of You,” a hit for Kelly Clarkson, earned Reba her 55th Top 10 and became her fastest-climbing song since 1998’s “Forever Love.”
  
• Reba’s single “Strange” debuted at No. 39, marking the highest solo chart debut of her career. The song is the lead single from her No. 1 album “Keep On Loving You,” released in August 2009. “Strange” also marked Reba’s second consecutive Top 10 single of 2009. The second single, “Consider Me Gone,” became the longest-running No. 1 song of her career. “I Keep On Loving You” was released as the third single. It entered the Top 10 on the Hot Country Songs chart, becoming her 59th Top 10 hit on that chart and peaking at No. 7.
  
• Reba was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on May 22, 2011. Her Idol, Dolly Parton, inducted her.
  
• Reba’s latest album, “All The Women I Am,” was released in November 2010. It includes the singles “Turn On The Radio,” her cover of Beyoncé’s hit “If I Were A Boy,” “When Love Gets A Hold Of You,” and her new single, “Somebody’s Chelsea.” Reba is currently on the road with her “All the Women I Am” tour with the Band Perry, Eden’s Edge and Steel Magnolia.
  
• Reba McEntire, who earned a Golden Globe nomination as Best Actress as the lead in her “Reba” sitcom, will star in a pilot for a new ABC sitcom called “Malibu Country” later this year. She hopes the next step is that the show becomes a regular series. “Reba” ran from 2001 to 2007.
  
• Reba and Blake Shelton will return as co-hosts of The ACM Awards, taking place on April 1st in Las Vegas.
  
• McEntire will be featured on an episode of the new season of “Oprah’s Master Class,” which will profile actors  including Jane Fonda, Goldie Hawn, Sidney Poitier and Morgan Freeman, media mogul Ted Turner, musician Jon Bon Jovi, and professional athletes Grant Hill and Laird Hamilton. In Reba’s episode, she recalls the tragic 1991 plane crash that killed seven of her band members and her tour manager. She will also be featured in the new season of NBC’s genealogy series “Who Do You Think You Are?” in which celebrities explore their family history. The third season premieres February 3rd.
  
• Official Web site: www.reba.com
  

Hunter Hayes To Perform On ‘Good Morning America’

Hunter Hayes will use an off-day on the 2012 Rascal Flatts “Thaw Out Tour” to appear on “Good Morning America” later this month. The singer will perform his hit “Storm Warning” on morning television for the first time on January 24th. He will also be performing at the Highline Ballroom in the Big Apple on January 25th.

Faith Hill’s People’s Choice Awards Performance

For country music fans, Faith Hill’s performance of her new song “Come Home” was the highlight of the 2012 People’s Choice Awards last night. The singer returned to the national spotlight for just the third time in recent years, singing the song that she debuted at the CMA Awards in November. With the emotions of the song heavy on her face, Hill immersed herself into the powerful ballad. “Come Home” is the lead single from her still untitled new album, due out later this year.

Miranda Explains What Makes Blake Sexy

Blake Shelton is on the cover of Redbook’s Hottest Husbands issue and his wife, Miranda Lambert, explains why. “Blake is a real man’s man. He’s not one of those girly guys at all!” she says. “He’s definitely a country boy, and what you see is what you get. ... When he’s at home, he wears camo, and sometimes the same camo over and over again without washing it.”

Whitney Duncan’s Ex Moves To CMT’s ‘Sweet Home Alabama’

Whitney Duncan surprised many with the revelation that she was married to singer Donny Fallgatter of the band KingBilly when she appeared on the CBS hit show “Survivor” last season – especially since she began a romance with fellow contestant Keith Tollefson while on the series. But Donny is no longer mourning the failed marriage and is involved in a reality TV competition himself. The singer-songwriter is now appearing on CMT’s “Sweet Home Alabama,” as one of 22 bachelors vying for the affection of South Carolina beauty Paige Duke. “Everything came out in the tabloids more recently than the divorce proceeding started – that’s just how Tennessee works,” he tells Country Weekly of the split from Whitney. “I had moved on by that time and it was a great time for me to try my luck with Paige.” Donny is one of 11 guys from the country, who live in a house with 11 big-city residents, each of them trying to win Paige’s heart. Donny’s divorce from Whitney was finalized late last year.

Messina Gives Birth To Second Son

Jo Dee Messina and her husband Chris Deffenbaugh welcomed their second son into the world yesterday. Jonah Christopher Deffenbaugh was born at a Nashville hospital. He joins three-year-old big brother Noah. “Noah couldn’t wait to hold his little brother,” Jo Dee said. “He’s so good with him. God has blessed us so much.” In spite of having her hands full, Jo Dee has been writing her unique blog, FumblingMom.com, where she offers tips for busy mothers like herself, along with funny anecdotes, personal stories, photos and more.

McCreery Achieves Platinum

Scotty McCreery’s debut album, “Clear As Day,” has been certified platinum just three months after its release. The release debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and Top Country Albums charts, making him the youngest man in history to open at the top of the all-genre chart with a debut release. It also garnered the highest sales of any country solo album released last year. “Clear As Day” was first on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for six weeks. The first single, I Love You This Big, was also certified gold. Scotty begins his first country music tour tonight when he joins Brad Paisley’s “Virtual Reality Tour 2012” The tour, which also features the Band Perry, kicks off in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Uncle Kracker Launching ‘Hometown Tour’

Uncle Kracker will launch his “Hometown Tour” with the gigs starting on March 1st in Illinois and continuing through April. Support throughout the tour will come Sonia Leigh and Ty Stone. Tickets for select shows go on sale to the public starting tomorrow. Uncle Kracker’s “Hometown Tour” supports the recent release of his new single, “My Hometown,” the song is the first single from his as-yet-untitled upcoming album. Uncle Kracker is putting the final touches on the new release with more details to come shortly.

Artist Of The Day: Gloriana

Gloriana

• Gloriana was formed four years ago with brothers Tom and Mike Gossin along with Rachel Reinert and Cheyenne Kimball.
  
• Before the band’s foundation, Kimball was the 2002 winner of the competition “America’s Most Talented Kid” and a solo artist on Epic Records.
  
• Gloriana released their debut single, “Wild at Heart,” in February 2009. It became a Top 15 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and the highest-selling country music debut single of 2009. The group’s self titled debut album was released on August 4, 2009. It peaked at No. 2 on Top Country Albums and No. 3 on the Billboard 200. The album’s second single, “How Far Do You Wanna Go?” was released in September.
  
• Gloriana won the American Music Award’s Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2009 and the 2010 Academy of Country Music’s Top New Vocal Group award.
  
• The band’s third single, “The World Is Ours Tonight,” debuted in early 2010. It was included on a March 2010 reissue of the band’s debut album.
  
• Cheyenne Kimball has left Gloriana. No reason was given for her departure. The group now consists of brothers Tom and Mike Gossin and Rachel Reinert.
  
• Gloriana latest single “(Kissed You) Good Night,” will be on their upcoming album, "A Thousand Miles Behind," the follow up to their self-titled debut album. The song marks Gloriana’s first single without Cheyenne Kimball. The new album’s first single was “Wanna Take You Home.”
  
• Gloriana’s “Almost Paradise” is on the deluxe versions of the “Footloose” soundtrack.
  
• Gloriana's new video for “(Kissed You) Good Night” will premiere on the ABC Family Channel tomorrow during the airing of "A Walk to Remember." Megan Park stars in the video. She's acting in two ABC Family projects: "The Secret Life of An American Teenager" and "A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song." Immediately after the video airs on TV, it'll be available on abcfamily.com.
  
• Official website, www.gloriana.com
  

Justin Moore Booted From Dallas Restaurant

Justin Moore says he experienced some less than stellar service at one Dallas, Texas, steak and seafood restaurant earlier this month. In a rant on Twitter, Moore called out Truluck’s Seafood Steak and Crab House, claiming he was unnecessarily kicked out. Justin immediately hit his Twitter feed after the incident on January 5th, with this warning for fans: “Literally, just got kicked out of a place in Dallas. TRUE LUCK’S! DO NOT GO THERE! Was tossed for attempting to hit on two girls. This was according to the toolbag managing the place.” He added: “Apparently, he is unaware of my wife and 2 daughters. Had to be the most bizarre experience of my life ... Felt like Julia Roberts in pretty woman.” Moore was in Dallas to attend the annual Cotton Bowl football game.

Reba, Blake To Host ACM Awards

The ACM Awards will take place on April 1st in Las Vegas with returning hosts Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton. The awards ceremony will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and air live on CBS. The Zac Brown Band will perform at the ACM Fan Jam at Mandalay Events Center during the taping. Meanwhile, a TV special titled “ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends – A Lifetime of Hits” will be filmed on April 2nd and aired later on CBS. Richie’s guests will include Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers, The Band Perry and more. Richie is expected to release an album of duets with country artists this spring.

Keith Urban Writes, Records Song For New Film

Keith Urban has written and recorded a new song titled “For You” to be included in the new movie “Act of Valor.” It marks the first time Urban has written and recorded a song specifically for a movie. The track will be available digitally on February 21st and will be played during the film’s end credits. “Act of Valor,” a thriller about active-duty Navy SEALS who fight global terrorism, will in theaters on February 24th. Active duty Navy SEALs will be featured in the fictional screenplay.

Miranda Lambert To Guest On ‘Law And Order: Special Victims Unit’

Miranda Lambert will make her acting debut on “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.” She’ll play an actress who accuses the producer of a reality show of sexually assaulting her. The producer will be played by Michael McKean. An airdate for the episode has not been announced.

Bryan, Bentley Go Gold, Niemann Goes Platinum

Dierks Bentley and Luke Bryan have reached gold status with hit singles while Jerrod Niemann has earned his first platinum certification. Bentley’s “Am I the Only One” and Bryan’s “I Don’t Want This Night to End” have been certified gold to signify 500,000 digital downloads. In addition, Bryan’s “Do I” and Niemann’s “Lover, Lover” have reached platinum status marking one million digital downloads. Bentley’s new album, “Home,” will be released on February 7th. Bryan will resume his tour with Jason Aldean this month and Niemann will open shows on Miranda Lambert’s upcoming tour.

Eric Church Expands Tour

Eric Church is adding more stops to his “Blood, Sweat and Beers” tour. He’s adding 25 dates to this headlining tour, including stops in New York City, Minneapolis and Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

Scotty McCreery Ends Perceived ‘Idol’ Winner Jinx

“American Idol” judge Randy Jackson says Scotty McCreery has ended a recent perception that “American Idol” winners don’t have as good a career as second-place finishers. Of course, each winner and each singer is different. And Jackson says “it depends on the artist.” He also says making “an amazing, competitive record” is crucial. After “Smash” premieres next month on NBC, Katharine McPhee will be front and center as one of the stars. But do you remember Taylor Hicks? McPhee came in second the year Hicks won “American Idol.” Fourth-place finisher that year was Chris Daughtry, who has a very successful music career. Winning Idol does not mean a career awaits. Randy Jackson says Scotty McCreery has broken that apparent pattern. He puts McCreery in the same category as Rihanna and Lady Gaga when it comes to record sales over the past few months. Jackson says simply “it’s all about the songs.”

Artist Of The Day: David Nail

David Nail

• David Nail grew up in a small town in Missouri, the son of a former high school band director whose musical collection included Stevie Wonder, Elton John and the Beatles.
  
• Nail turned to country in the 1990s and became a big fan of Glen Campbell. He moved to Nashville right after high school but returned to Missouri after a year. Two years later, he gave Nashville another try, completing an album for Mercury Records, but it was not released.
  
• After taking a break from the music business to help coach a baseball team, Nail was introduced to music publisher and producer Frank Liddell. The partnership led Nail to sign another record deal with MCA Nashville. His MCA album, “I'm About to Come Alive,” was released in 2009. He was nominated for a Grammy (Best Male Vocal Country Performance) for “Turning Home,” and an ACM nomination for Single of the Year for “Red Light.”
  
• David Nail’s sophomore album, “The Sound of a Million Dreams,” was released November 15, 2011. The new album includes Nail’s No. 1 hit, “Let It Rain.” It marks his first No. 1. "Let It Rain" made VEVO's Best Country Videos of 2011 list.
  
• Nail will be opening for Billy Currington on his 2012 tour.
  
• Official website: www.davidnail.com