Country Star Stalker

‘Tuskegee’ Due March 27th - Darius made it, Can Lionel? What do you think?

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:30:01 PST

‘Tuskegee’ Due March 27th
Lionel Richie’s album of duets with country artists, “Tuskegee,” has been scheduled for a March 27th release. Richie collaborated with 13 country artists for the project. The track list includes “You Are” with Blake Shelton, “Say You, Say Me” with Jason Aldean, “Stuck on You” with Darius Rucker, “Deep River Woman” with Little Big Town, “My Love” with Kenny Chesney, “Dancing on the Ceiling” with Rascal Flatts, “Hello” with Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles, “Sail On” with Tim McGraw, “Endless Love” with Shania Twain, “Just for You” with Billy Currington, “Lady” with Kenny Rogers, “Easy” with Willie Nelson and “All Night Long” with Jimmy Buffett. The album is named for his hometown of Tuskegee, Alabama.

Nettles Sings Hank In Pepsi MAX Super Bowl Commercial - Should Hank be allowed to perform at the Big game?

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:30:00 PST

Nettles Sings Hank In Pepsi MAX Super Bowl Commercial
Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles has recorded Hank Williams’ “Your Cheatin’ Heart” for a Pepsi MAX TV ad to debut Sunday during Super Bowl XLVI. The ad, part of the company’s “cola wars” campaign, centers around a sales rep for a competing soft drink company who buys a bottle of Pepsi MAX at a grocery store, wins a major contest and is greeted by Regis Philbin. The company is also sponsoring a concert series in Indianapolis leading up to the Super Bowl. The Univision Pepsi Musica Fan Jam concert, set for tomorrow, will feature Latin music stars. The VH1 Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam, featuring Gym Glass Heroes, B.o.B and the All-American Rejects, airs live Thursday on VH1. The company’s pre-Super Bowl party, featuring One Republic and Melanie Amaro, is set for Friday. The third Fan Jam concert, “CMT Crossroads: Steven Tyler & Carrie Underwood From the Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam,” premieres Saturday on CMT.

Kris Kristofferson Talks About Bob Dylan Covers Album

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:30:03 PST

Kris Kristofferson Talks About Bob Dylan Covers Album
Kris Kristofferson considers Bob Dylan a personal friend but says he was an inspiration and a hero before their friendship began. Johnny Cash introduced them while Kristofferson was working as a janitor at Columbia Recording Studios in Nashville in the 1960s. Now, at 75, Kristofferson says he’s been around long enough to understand and appreciate Dylan’s impact on music. He says, “If you look at pop songs before Dylan, none of them were poetry like his are. He opened up the doors for creative writers and made songwriting to me what it is today.” On the new “Chimes of Freedom” Dylan covers album, Kristofferson does “Quinn the Eskimo.” Other performers on the album include Sugarland, Dierks Bentley and Miley Cyrus. The Avett Brothers add their voices to a Dylan song Johnny Cash had done, “One Too Many Mornings.” Money raised from “Chimes of Freedom” goes to Amnesty International.

Worley Signs Record Deal

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:30:01 PST

Worley Signs Record Deal
Darryl Worley has signed a recording contract with Tenacity Records/Crazytown and will release his first single, “You Still Got It,” in March. Worley has had hits with “I Miss My Friend,” “Have You Forgotten” and “Awful, Beautiful Life.” His last disc was 2009’s “Sounds Like Life” for Stroudavarious Records, which went out of business. A seventh album, “God & Country,” never was released as a result.

Tim McGraw Covers It All In New Album - What do you think of the new album?

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:30:03 PST

Tim McGraw Covers It All In New Album
Tim McGraw’s longtime producer explains why the singer’s “Emotional Traffic” album sounds country but has shades of other styles. Byron Gallimore says he and McGraw continued a trend with “Emotional Traffic” they started with earlier albums. They include not only including country material, but there are songs with streaks of R&B, pop and rock. The producer says McGraw uses his voice to pull the songs back into country territory. “Emotional Traffic” has the No. 1 hit, “Felt Good on My Lips.”

Artist Of The Day: Montgomery Gentry

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:30:02 PST

Montgomery Gentry

This Kentucky duo is made up of Gerald “Eddie” Edward Montgomery and Troy Lee Gentry. Eddie’s brother is John Michael Montgomery.
Their debut album, 1999’s “Tattoos & Scars,” hit the Top 10 and included the singles “Hillbilly Shoes,” “Daddy Won’t Sell the Farm,” “Lonely and Gone” and the Charlie Daniels collaboration “All Night Long.”
They were named the CMA’s Duo of the Year in 2000, breaking a run of eight consecutive years by Brooks & Dunn. They hit No. 1 on the charts in 2004 with “If You Ever Stop Loving Me” and again in 2005 with “Something To Be Proud Of.”
Montgomery Gentry’s 2006 “Some People Change” album delivered three consecutive top five singles, including the No. 1 “Lucky Man” and “What Do Ya Think About That.”
Montgomery Gentry’s 2009 studio album, “Back When I Knew It All,” yielded a multi-week No. 1 hit with “Roll With Me.” The duo also released “For Our Heroes” last year. The set, available exclusively at Cracker Barrel, benefits the Wounded Warrior Project.
Montgomery Gentry grabbed their 14th Academy of Country Music nomination last week for Top Vocal Duo of the Year.
The duo is on now Average Joe’s after a career on Sony Nashville. They dropped their most recent CD, “Rebel’s on the Run,” last October. Montgomery Gentry’s latest single is “Where I Come From.”
Official website: www.montgomerygentry.com

Jesse Jackson Enters Fray Over Grammy Cuts

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:30:00 PST

Jesse Jackson Enters Fray Over Grammy Cuts
The Rev. Jesse Jackson is hinting at protests over the Recording Academy's cuts to the Grammy categories and he wants to meet with the president of the organization. Jackson sent a letter to president and CEO Neil Portnow about the Academy's decision to cut the categories from 109 to 78. He said after talking to members of the entertainment community, he asked that the Rainbow Push Coalition “meet with you urgently to express our concerns and to see if we might help resolve this conflict ... and allow the Grammys to do what they do best.” Portnow said Friday that he was willing to talk with Jackson. Jackson clarified that he wanted “cooperation, not confrontation” with the Academy, but added there may be a protest of the February 12th show, which is being held in Los Angeles, if his talks with the Academy didn't go well. Some of the categories eliminated include instrumental awards in pop, rock and country; traditional gospel; children's spoken-word album; Zydeco or Cajun music album; and best classical crossover album. Men and women also compete against each other for vocal performance categories instead of separating the two genders.

Danny Gokey Gets Married

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:30:00 PST

Danny Gokey Gets Married
“American Idol” alum Danny Gokey has married model Leyicet Peralta, his manager revealed. The couple said “I do” among family and friends in Florida yesterday. This is the second marriage for Gokey, 31, who tragically lost his first wife Sophia in 2008 after a routine surgery for congenital heart disease. But her spirit lived on for Gokey and Peralta on their big day. The couple asked their guests that all gifts be in the form of a donation to Sophia’s Heart, the children’s charity founded by Gokey to honor his late wife.

Blake Shelton, Cee Lo Green Working On New Song

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:30:01 PST

Blake Shelton, Cee Lo Green Working On New Song
Blake Shelton and Cee Lo Green both serve as coaches on “The Voice,” which will kick off its second season on February 5th. The pair are also working on a song together. In a promo teaser for the new season, Shelton says, “I think it would surprise you how good it would sound… me and Cee Lo together. In fact, we’re working on a song together. True story.” Shelton also said it would be “so cool” to collaborate with Cee Lo. Green backed Shelton up, saying, “Yeah, I have a song I’m trying to get Blake on right now as we speak. I’m supposed to go into the studio sometime soon.”

Willie Nelson, Yoko Ono To Appear On Occupy Wall Street Album

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:30:00 PST

Willie Nelson, Yoko Ono To Appear On Occupy Wall Street Album
Willie Nelson is joining forces with other famous musicians who share his stance on the Occupy Wall Street movement by contributing to the album “Occupy This Album: A Compilation of Music By, For and Inspired by the Occupy Wall Street Movement and the 99%.” The album is expected to be released in the spring. Joining Nelson on the first-ever benefit record for the Occupy movement are Yoko Ono, Crosby & Nash, Debbie Harry, Devo, Tom Morello, Thievery Corporation, MOGWAI, Third Eye Blind, Jackson Browne, Ladytron, Our Lady Peace, Warren Haynes, Rain Phoenix, Yo La Tengo, Lucinda Williams, Matt Pless, The Guthrie Family, Loudon Wainwright III, Joseph Arthur, DJ Logic and more.

Reba McEntire To Appear On ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:30:01 PST

Reba McEntire To Appear On ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’
Reba McEntire is set to appear on the third season of NBC’s ancestry searching show “Who Do You Think You Are?” which will unmask McEntire’s family past. “It’s official,” Reba tweeted, sharing, “my episode of @nbcwdytya will premiere on Mar. 2!” In this teaser preview of Season Three, McEntire is seen stepping onto a boat and gets emotional as she says, “Wow, I wanna know why that little boy was on the ship. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to rest until I know why.” Other celebs joining Reba on this season’s journey include actresses Helen Hunt, Rita Wilson, Edie Falco and Marisa Tomei, as well as actors Blair Underwood, Martin Sheen and Rob Lowe and former NFL player Jerome Bettis.

Miranda Lambert Reschedules Concert To Attend Friend’s Funeral

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:30:01 PST

Miranda Lambert Reschedules Concert To Attend Friend’s Funeral
Miranda Lambert has rescheduled her performance this coming Friday in Tallahassee, Florida, in order to attend a funeral for her childhood friend, Mark “Tex” Adams, who passed away last week. The new date for the show has been set for May 17th. Lambert tweeted about her friend’s “tragic accident” last week, clearly upset by the unexpected news. Adams was killed in a traffic accident in Florida when he pulled over on the side of the road to assist a stranded motorist and a vehicle drifted to the shoulder, striking both cars. Adams was the only person killed in the crash. Lambert and Adams had been friends since they were both nine-years-old. News of her friend’s death came just days following the passing of her father-in-law, Blake Shelton’s dad.

Lambert’s ‘Law & Order’ Episode To Air February 8th

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:30:00 PST

Lambert’s ‘Law & Order’ Episode To Air February 8th
Miranda Lambert’s guest appearance on NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” airs February 8th. In the episode, an aspiring actress is found unconscious in Central Park with drugs in her system and evidence of sexual trauma. Lambert is cast as another actress who is in danger of being assaulted by the producer of a reality TV show. Harry Connick Jr. and Michael McKean also guest star in the episode.

Montgomery Gentry Cap ‘Unbelievable’ Year

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:30:01 PST

Montgomery Gentry Cap ‘Unbelievable’ Year
Montgomery Gentry grabbed their 14th Academy of Country Music nomination last week for Top Vocal Duo of the Year with Eddie Montgomery saying it capped an “unbelievable” year. “This last year has been just unbelievable,” Montgomery said. “We have a new album that T and I are so proud of, a new label that is rockin’, and the support we’ve had from our friends at radio and on the road is just awesome.” Troy Gentry adds, “We are really proud to be nominated and blessed to be living our dream for as long as we have been. As always, we are truly humbled to be included in this category once again.” The duo is on Average Joe’s after a long career on Sony Nashville.

Toby Keith Named No. 1 For Trucks

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:30:03 PST

Toby Keith Named No. 1 For Trucks
Not only does Toby Keith have a hit single in “Red Solo Cup” and three Academy of Country Music nominations, he also is the No. 1 truck guy, according to the Chicago Tribune. The newspaper recently named Toby the No. 1 spokesman for full-size trucks. Keith’s tours have been sponsored by Ford’s F-Series since 2003, and the Tribune notes, “Toby looks like a truck owner, acts like a truck owner and looks comfortable talking with truck owners.” Keith was nominated last week for Video of the Year and twice for Single Record of the Year as the song’s artist and producer. All were for “Red Solo Cup.”

Artist Of The Day: LeAnn Rimes

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:30:00 PST

LeAnn Rimes

Margaret LeAnn Rimes started singing when she was only 2. By age 11 she recorded her first album, “All That,” which was released on a small, independent label. Her major-label debut, 1996’s “Blue,” made her a star at age 13 and earned her two Grammys, one of which was Best New Artist – marking the first time a Country artist ever captured that honor. She also picked up the CMA Horizon Award in 1997.
Since then, LeAnn has sold more than 37 million albums and scored numerous hit singles including “One Way Ticket,” “I Need You,” “Nothin’ ‘bout Love Makes Sense,” “Probably Wouldn’t Be This Way” and “How Do I Live,” which spent a record-setting 69 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.
Rimes’ career tanked with the pop-oriented “Twisted Angel” album in 2002, her first disc not produced by her dad. But she returned to her country roots and bounced back with her seventh studio album, “This Woman,” in 2005. It reached No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
LeAnn’s 2007 album “Family” includes the single “Nothin’ Better to Do” as well as a duet with Jon Bon Jovi on “Till We Ain’t Strangers Anymore.” The album – her first featuring all original material she wrote or co-wrote – reached No. 2. The single “What I Cannot Change” scaled Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart and spawned Rimes’ first book of the same name – an inspirational work based on the concepts of peace and acceptance.
Rimes married backup dancer Dean Sheremet in 2000. She made headlines by announcing plans to divorce Sheremet and going public with her relationship with actor Eddie Cibrian, her romantic interest from the TV movie “Northern Lights.” Her divorce was finalized in June 2010. She and Cibrian were married in April 2011.
Rimes released a new single, “Give,” in June 2011. It is the third single from her new covers album, “Lady and Gentlemen,” released last September. The other two are “Crazy Women” and her updated rendition of John Anderson’s “Swingin’.” She is also working on another album featuring original material.
LeAnn is featured in the “Re:Generation Music Project" documentary, set to be released in theaters on February 16th. The doc explores music’s past, present and future and offers five revolutionary collaborations, including Rimes singing “Wayfaring Stranger” with Ralph Stanley.
Official Web site: www.leannrimesworld.com

ACM Nominees - Who is your pick for "Entertainer of the Year"?

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:30:00 PST

ACM Nominees
Kenny Chesney led the pack when nominations for the 47th annual Academy of Country Music Awards were announced yesterday morning. Other top nominees included Lady Antebellum, Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Toby Keith, Taylor Swift, the Eli Young Band and Grace Potter. Chesney’s nominations include Entertainer of the Year, an award he has won four times since 2004, and Male Vocalist. He also received two nominations each for Album of the Year for “Hemingway’s Whiskey” and for the Single Record and Vocal Event categories for “You and Tequila,” his collaboration with Grace Potter, and is listed in the Song of the Year category for “You and Tequila.” The nominees were revealed online via Facebook and Twitter during the ACM’s first-ever digital press conference. Reba McEntire, who will again co-host this year’s show with Blake Shelton, began the event with a video message before the nominations were read during video postings by Lionel Richie, Beth Behrs of “2 Broke Girls”, Nancy O’Dell and Michael Ausiello of TVLine.com. Coinciding with activities surrounding the April 1st awards show, Richie will be honored during a taping of “ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends in Concert,” a CBS special scheduled to air later this year. CBS will air the ACM Awards live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Nominees for the 47th annual ACM Awards include:

Entertainer of the Year: Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton and Taylor Swift.

Male Vocalist: Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton and Chris Young.

Female Vocalist: Sara Evans, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood.

Vocal Duo: Love and Theft, Montgomery Gentry, Steel Magnolia, Sugarland and Thompson Square.

Vocal Group: The Band Perry, Eli Young Band, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts and Zac Brown Band.

Album of the Year: “Chief” – Eric Church, “Four the Record” – Miranda Lambert, “Hemingway’s Whiskey” – Kenny Chesney, “My Kinda Party” – Jason Aldean and “Own the Night” – Lady Antebellum.

Single Record of the Year: “Crazy Girl” – Eli Young Band, “Don’t You Wanna Stay” – Jason Aldean W/ Kelly Clarkson, “Red Solo Cup” – Toby Keith, “Tomorrow” – Chris Young and “You and Tequila” – Kenny Chesney F/ Grace Potter.

Song of the Year: “Crazy Girl” – Eli Young Band, “Home” – Dierks Bentley, “Just a Kiss” – Lady Antebellum, “Threaten Me With Heaven” – Vince Gill and “You and Tequila” – Kenny Chesney F/ Grace Potter.

Video of the Year: “Homeboy” – Eric Church, “Just a Kiss” – Lady Antebellum, “Mean” – Taylor Swift, “Red Solo Cup” – Toby Keith and “Tattoos on This Town” – Jason Aldean.

Vocal Event: “Country Boy” – Aaron Lewis F/ George Jones and Charlie Daniels, “Don’t You Wanna Stay” – Jason Aldean W/Kelly Clarkson, “Old Alabama” – Brad Paisley F/ Alabama, “Remind Me” – Brad Paisley Duet With Carrie Underwood and “You and Tequila” – Kenny Chesney F/ Grace Potter.

Campbell To Join Shelton, TBP At Grammys - Who is one artist you MUST see before they stop touring?

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:30:01 PST

Campbell To Join Shelton, TBP At Grammys
Glen Campbell – currently out on the road for his “Goodbye Tour” – will join current Grammy nominees The Band Perry and Blake Shelton for a special performance on the 54th Annual Grammy Awards on February 12th in Los Angeles. Shelton is up for two awards: Best Country Solo Performance for “Honey Bee” and Best Country Album for “Red River Blue.” The Band Perry is nominated for Best New Artist. Previously announced performers include nominees Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson, Coldplay and Rihanna, Foo Fighters, Bruno Mars, Paul McCartney and Nicki Minaj.

Eric Church Kicks Off Arena Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:30:00 PST

Eric Church Kicks Off Arena Tour
Eric Church has gone from singing in clubs to headlining in arenas. He says he just mentioned to someone that he feels like he and the band were just in clubs last year. Then he stops himself and says “Wait a minute. We ‘were’ in clubs last year.” He says it’s true “it’s been a big jump. It’s been a fast rise since ‘Chief'" was released. But Church says his path with his band has been different from a lot of artists because he’s always performing. He says “we built our career on the road.” Eric Church’s “Blood, Sweat and Beers” tour started last week.

Merle Haggard Returns Home - Would you blame him for canceling his tour?

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:30:01 PST

Merle Haggard Returns Home
Merle Haggard has returned to his home in northern California after being treated for pneumonia and other ailments at a hospital in Macon, Georgia, a spokesperson said yesterday. Haggard, 74, canceled a January 17th tour date in Macon and was admitted to a local hospital. He left the hospital on Friday and planned to return to California on his tour bus. However, he returned to the Macon hospital and was also diagnosed with three stomach ulcers, eight polyps in his colon and diverticulitis of the esophagus. He underwent surgery for lung cancer in 2008.

Artist Of The Day: Carrie Underwood

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:30:00 PST

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood won Season Four of “American Idol.” Her debut album, “Some Hearts,” sold 7 million copies, spent over 100 weeks on the charts, and yielded a slew of No. 1 hits including “Inside Your Heaven,” “Jesus, Take the Wheel” and “Before He Cheats.” In addition, Carrie scored another Top 10 Billboard hit with her charity single, “I’ll Stand by You.”
Her second album, “Carnival Ride,” was released on October 23, 2007. It produced five No. 1s: “So Small,” “All-American Girl,” “Last Name,” “Just a Dream” and “I Told You So.”
Underwood dropped “Play On,” her third studio set, in November 2009. The record debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200. First-week sales also marked the biggest one-week sales total for a female recording artist in 2009 and second-best sales week for the country genre as a whole in 2009. “Cowboy Casanova,” “Undo It” and “Temporary Home” all hit No. 1. “Mama’s Song” peaked at No. 2. Her new single is “Songs Like This.”
In April, 2010 Carrie became the first female in ACM history to capture two Entertainer of the Year trophies. She’s also taken home a special statue for her “triple crown” of ACM wins – Entertainer of the Year, Top Female Vocalist and Top Newcomer.
Underwood married hockey center Mike Fisher of the Ottawa Senators July 10, 2010.
Underwood won Artist of the Year at the inaugural American Country Awards. She also won Female Artist Of The Year, Album Of The Year for “Play On,” Single Of The Year: Female for “Cowboy Casanova,” Touring Headline Package Of The Year, and Music Video: Female for “Cowboy Casanova.”
Underwood made her big screen debut in “Soul Surfer” in April 2011.
Underwood is listed in the 2012 Guinness Book Of World Records as the Female Country Artist with Most No. 1 Hits on the country chart from 1991 to present, tied with Reba McEntire.
Carrie appears on Randy Travis’ 2011 duets album that celebrates his 25th anniversary of country music, “Anniversary Celebration.” Carrie also appears on Tony Bennett 2011 duets album, “Tony Bennett: Duets I,” singing Randy’s 1989 chart-topper “Is It Still Over?”
Carrie Underwood will release her new single, “Good Girl,” on February 23rd. Her new CD will arrive later this spring.
Carrie Underwood has amassed more than 14 million in album sales and has placed 14 No. 1 singles on the charts. She is a current Grammy Award nominee for her co-written hit single “Mama’s Song” in the Best Solo Country Vocal Performance category. Additional award accolades include 5 Grammy’s, a 2-time win as the Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year, a 3-time win as both the Country Music Association’s and Academy of Country Music’s Female Vocalist winner, 7 CMT Music Awards, 6 American Music Awards, and many more. She is also a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Carrie Underwood and Steven Tyler will share the stage in a “CMT Crossroads” special airing live from Indianapolis on February 4th, the night before Super Bowl XLVI. “CMT Crossroads: Steven Tyler & Carrie Underwood From the Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam” will take place at the Pepsi Coliseum at the Indiana State Fair Grounds.
Official website: www.carrieunderwoodofficial.com

Merle Haggard Returns To Hospital For More Treatment - Wishing the Hag a speedy recovery!

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:30:01 PST

Merle Haggard Returns To Hospital For More Treatment
Merle Haggard says he’s nearly over the case of double pneumonia that has kept him in Georgia hospital for most of the last week. Doctors found the 74-year-old had several other ailments while he was recovering in a Macon, Georgia, hospital. They diagnosed him with three stomach ulcers, eight polyps in his colon and diverticulitis of the esophagus. Haggard checked into a hospital and postponed his January tour dates last Tuesday after contracting pneumonia. He checked himself out Friday and tried to make the ride home to Redding, California, on his tour bus. Haggard quickly realized he wasn’t up to the trip and returned to Macon, his spokeswoman said. Haggard is now undergoing a more aggressive antibiotic treatment for pneumonia. The singer had part of a lung removed a few years ago while fighting cancer. It’s unclear how Haggard’s tour to support his latest album, “Walking in Tennessee,” will be affected. His website shows his next date is February 28th in Tucson, Arizona.

Scotty McCreery To Start College Classes Next Fall - Do you think he will be able to have a normal "School life"?

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:30:00 PST

Scotty McCreery To Start College Classes Next Fall
Scotty McCreery says he plans to continue his education and has already been accepted into college. The “American Idol” said he will finish his final year of high school during his upcoming stint opening for Brad Paisley and will start college in the fall. The young man is wise enough to note, “In the music business today, you’ll be around and in a few months everybody forgets about you. I want an education to lean back on." Scotty says he’s thrilled to hit the stage on Paisley’s “Virtual Reality World Tour.” "I’m pumped," he says. "I think this is going to be kind of laid back and fun. Brad is an easygoing guy."

Kellie Pickler Designs Cat Sweater For ASPCA - Would you buy one for you cat?

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:30:01 PST

Kellie Pickler Designs Cat Sweater For ASPCA
Kellie Pickler has designed a sweater for fellow cat lovers to show their feline pride in honor of Cat Appreciation month this February. All the proceeds from the sweater go to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Pickler worked with Fresh Step litter to design a vintage-style sweater with a cat playing a banjo on the front. "It’s for all ages," the singer said of the sweater. "If you’re a teenager, in your twenties or older...You could rock this at 90 – I would!" Cat lovers can post pictures of themselves on Fresh Step’s Facebook page throughout Cat Appreciation month and Fresh Step litter will donate $1 for every fan who posts a picture. Fresh Step litter also created an app that lets people digitally Photoshop one of Pickler’s one-of-a-kind sweaters to a photo of themselves on Fresh Step’s Facebook page. Pickler has been a cat lover since age 5. But when she married songwriter Kyle Jacobs last year she’s had to give up her pet cat. "My husband is severely allergic to cats," Pickler said. "We tried to make it work, but he ended up developing asthma." Pickler’s latest album, "100 Proof," was released yesterday.

Tritt, Niemann, Gilbert Join Country Stampede - How much would you pay to see the show?

noreply@blogger.com (Web Guy) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:30:02 PST

Tritt, Niemann, Gilbert Join Country Stampede
Travis Tritt, Jerrod Niemann and Brantley Gilbert are among the new acts announced to the line-up for the Country Stampede festival in Kansas in late June. Toby Keith, Zac Brown Band, The Band Perry and Luke Bryan were previously announced to play. Steve Holy was also added to the schedule.