Garth Brooks Has New Concert Dates For Wynn Las Vegas

Garth Brooks has performed to sold-out crowds and rave reviews at the intimate Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas since December 2009. 


Steve Wynn made an increase in ticket prices: “My decision to raise the ticket price was a simple one. The demand for Garth was so overwhelming that it caught us by surprise. We could fill a theater many times the size of this, twice a night.”


Garth had a reaction to the ticket price increase.
“I am flattered Steve Wynn believes in me as an entertainer and my deal with him is not affected by ticket price. My only concern is the audience. Right now, the Vegas audiences are some of the best I have ever played for and I’d hate to see that change for whatever reason,” said Garth Brooks.


Concert Dates:
December 3, 4, 5
January 21, 22, 23
February 11, 12, 13
February 25, 26, 27
Concert times:
Fridays 8 p.m., Saturdays 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m., Sundays 8 p.m.


Tickets are available exclusively at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-877-65-GARTH.       

Miranda Lambert To Perform At Grammy Nominations Concert December 1st

Miranda Lambert has joined the Grammy Nominations Concert Live lineup. The event is set to take place this Wednesday, December 1 in Los Angeles. 


LL Cool J will host the event and in addition to Lambert, Justin Bieber, B.o.B., Bruno Mars and Katy Perry will also perform. This is the third year that the Grammy nominations will be announced LIVE on TV.


The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards will take place February 13.  

Alan Jackson To Receive Greatest Hits Award At Inaugural ACAs

Alan Jackson has been tapped to receive the Greatest Hits Award at the American Country Awards. Jackson, who has sold more than 50 million albums over his 20-year career, will also perform on the inaugural broadcast airing live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Monday, Dec. 6 at 8pm ET on FOX.  


The American Country Awards Greatest Hits Award is presented to a performer who has produced an extensive catalogue of No. 1 hits throughout his/her chart-topping career. The award also recognizes the artist’s many contributions to the genre of country music.  

George Strait Has More Top 10 Hits Than Anyone

George Strait has just hit the charts with his 83rd Top 10 hit.


Strait's current single "The Breath You Take" has become his 83rd song to hit the top 10 on the charts making him only second to Eddy Arnold who had an even more impressive 92 Top 10 hits. George Jones who has had 78 songs hit the top 10, Merle Haggard who has had 71, and Reba McEntire who has had 59.  

Dinner with Carrie Underwood & Mike Fisher Raises $48K

Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher attended a charity dinner on Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010, at Fratelli restaurant in Kanata. The evening saw a celebrity dinner for eight 
with Underwood and Fisher raising $48,000 for children’s charities after the item was auctioned off to the two highest bidders, at $24,000 each.


According to CMT Underwood and Fisher donated this dinner date to help raise money for the Roger’s House pediatric palliative care facility and Candlelighters Childhood 
Cancer Support programs. When the Valentes called Fisher to see if he could donate something they could auction off, he reportedly said, “Throw in a dinner with me and Carrie.” The 
opening bid for this four-course dinner for 10 was $7,500.

$25 Kenny Chesney Tickets By Mistake In Philadelphia

Ticketmaster recently made a very large boo boo and it's the Philadelphia Chesney fans who are getting the short end of the stick.

Ticketmaster recently sold tickets for Kenny Chesney's June 18, 2011, concert in Philadelphia for the awesome price of $25.  Now it's saying ooops, that there was a "pricing error" and the tickets were supposed to actually have been sold for $99.50 a piece.


Well instead of just sucking it up and honoring their mistake, Ticketmaster has decided to apologize and give people the opportunity to get a refund or pay the difference and get their tickets at the nearly $100 price. From an email that was sent out to the people who bought the $25 tickets...


Dear Kenny Chesney Fan,
On behalf of Lincoln Financial Field, we regretfully inform you that there was a pricing error on your tickets for:
Kenny Chesney
Lincoln Financial Field
June 18th, at 4:30PM


Unfortunately, the wrong price was placed onto the system due to an inadvertent error by the venue's box office. The ticket price you paid was $25.00, plus applicable service charges, however the correct price for your seats is $99.50, plus applicable service charges.


What do I need to do?
If you'd like to keep these seats for the show, please reply to this email by December 3rd at 7:00PM EST with authorization to charge your credit card the correct price (an additional $74.50 per ticket purchased), and please include the following account number x-xxxxx. Your current tickets will still be valid for use on the day of the show.


Prefer a refund? You don't have to do anything – if we don't hear from you by December 3rd at 7:00PM EST, we'll refund your card the full amount automatically. If you prefer a refund, please discard the tickets we sent you – they will be canceled and won't get you in.


Please accept our sincere apologies for this error.
Ticketmaster Fan Support


The tickets went on sale November 13th but the exact amount of tickets bought at the wrong price is unknown.  Considering that the stadium holds 70,000 people, the amount could be huge. 

“American Idol” – Changing Days and Adding More Country

More changes are coming to “American Idol.”  It will air a day later in the week. Instead of Tuesdays and Wednesdays, it will air Wednesdays and Thursdays.


And, the new season of “Idol” will have more twang. Producer Nigel Lythgoe tells TV Guide.com they’re seeing a wider-range of talent than in previous seasons, 
including many country, indie and jazz singers. The new season of “American Idol” starts January 19.

Trace Adkins Wants To Give The TSA Agents A Show At The Airport

Trace Adkins chatting with Fox Business News the other day, was asked about whether he would prefer to go through the TSA "porn machine" or the TSA "grope."  

Trace's answer: "I'm gonna stand there with my hands on my hips and let 'em take my picture and I hope I'm goin' commando that day, honestly." Trace says, "If the guy wants to feel me up I'm going to stand there and loudly proclaim, 'Oh yeah, ohhhhh yeahhhhh.'"   

Waylon Jennings Tribute Album Set for February Release

An all-star tribute album honoring the late Waylon Jennings is set to hit stores on February 8, 2011. 'The Music Inside: A Collaboration Dedicated to Waylon Jennings, Vol. I' features a host of country music's finest, including supergroup Alabama, who reunited specifically for the project.


Three volumes total will be released throughout 2011, with the first including Waylon covers by Jamey Johnson, Sunny Sweeney, Trace Adkins, Randy Houser, and Waylon's widow, Jessi Colter. Every performance on the compilation earned the blessing of Jessi and her only son with Waylon, country-rocker Shooter Jennings.


The first single from the Waylon tribute album will be Alabama's rendition of 'Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way,' which will be released to country radio stations on November 29. 


"What an opportunity for us to go back in the studio, play and record live like we used to, and pay tribute to a true legend in music; not in country music ... in music period," says Randy Owens of Alabama. 


"This is probably as close as I'll get to being a real outlaw," adds Alabama's Teddy Gentry. "Thanks Waylon!"


"Waylon was one of a kind," continues Alabama's Jeff Cook. "We did a lot of his songs in our early years. It's nice to be a part of this tribute album!"


To preview Alabama's version of 'Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way' and for more information on the tribute album, visit Waylon's website. 


The Music Inside: A Collaboration Dedicated to Waylon Jennings, Vol. I' Track Listing:


1. 'This Time' – Jamey Johnson


2. 'Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way' – Alabama


3. 'I'm a Ramblin' Man' – Randy Houser


4. 'Belle of the Ball' – Shooter Jennings


5. 'Good Hearted Woman' – Sunny Sweeney and Jessi Colter


6. 'Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's Done Got Out of Hand' – James Otto 


7. 'Just to Satisfy You' – John Hiatt with Waylon Jennings


8. 'Rose in Paradise' – Kris Kristofferson and Patty Griffin


9. 'You Ask Me To' – Trace Adkins


10. 'Go Down Rockin'' – Waylon Jennings


(Bonus Track) 'The Wurlitzer Prize (I Don't Want To Get Over You)' – Chanel Campbell   

Taylor Swift Named Most Influential on Twitter

Taylor Swift was recently named one of the most-influential celebrities on Twitter by 'Entertainment Tonight.'


Other celebrities that Taylor has mentioned include media guru Oprah Winfrey, pop star Lady Gaga, actress Demi Moore and actor husband Ashton Kutcher, pop superstar Britney Spears, reality personality Kim Kardashian, talk host Ellen Degeneres, pop star Justin Bieber and President Barack Obama.


Lady Gaga, with more than seven million followers, has the most followers. Taylor's number of followers, at 4,652,491 beats the Queen of talk shows, Oprah Winfrey, by more than 66,000.    

Garth Brooks and Kid Rock Are Still iTunes Holdouts

Although the Beatles music finally will be sold on iTunes, there still are some big holdouts. 


Garth Brooks is one. He, Kid Rock and some others refuse to allow their music to be sold on iTunes. Some artists want more control over prices. Others don’t like the idea that buyers can chop up their albums and buy individual songs.

Billy Currington Is Pretty Good at ... Blending Tea?

Billy Currington is somewhat of a health nut, preferring natural foods and beverages over artificial substitutes. Every time he discovers a new health drink or dish, the Georgia native tends to want to recreate it in his own kitchen. 


"I've been making my own tea," Billy says. "I've found all these flowers from the islands down there, so I started ordering them. They're different kinds, and [you] dry them out and use honey and these flowers and spring water, and so I've been making my own tea. [laughs] It's pretty good, too! Anything that seems kind of healthy, I always go for that over the rest. I'm weird. [laughs]"


The island-loving singer's tea includes rose hips, hibiscus and numerous other flowers ground together to make a unique blend of the refreshing beverage, which we feel he should start marketing to natural food stores!


"I don't really drink a lot of beer, to be honest," he admits. "When I do, I like weird beers. I like to mix it up. I go from a Blue Moon to that dark beer, Guinness, to a Budweiser back to a Pabst Blue Ribbon, whatever. I don't care. [laughs] I don't drink enough to care."
 

Rodney Atkins Happy to be 'Driving' Again

Rodney Atkins is happy to be back on top. The 'Farmer's Daughter' singer admits it wasn't long ago he saw his career heading too quickly in the wrong direction, and credits his welcome second chance to an unlikely source. 

"We went from playing coliseums and [Nashville's] LP Field to state fairs," Rodney tells Nashville's Tennessean newspaper. "I guess that's the wake up call -- the 'What?' The 'OK, what just happened here that I was obviously oblivious to?'"

Rodney poured his heart and soul into preparing his new album. But while he was on the road touring, he discovered Curb had chosen, mere months before his new album was to hit shelves, to replace new songs he had recorded with songs from previous sessions. The label additionally changed the title from Rodney's choice of 'Simple Things' to 'It's America.'

"I felt like I had no control over what was going on," Rodney says. "Thank God for my wife. She's just between the eyes with what to do in real situations. We started with us being apart so much, and the frustrations from that. I was upside down. I wasn't me. Your reality becomes your fantasy and your fantasy becomes your reality. You try, but all you're doing is phoning it in, and when you hold out on life, life holds out on you."

With the support from his loving wife, Tammy Jo, and a newfound determination, Rodney took the reins again. He met with everyone on his team, including his booking agent and his business manager, and regained his rightful role as boss. "I'm driving, but that don't mean people are riding for free," Rodney asserts. "The days of me being gone and staying gone and people staying home making money off that are over."

He will also appear at next month's American Country Awards.

Find out where Rodney is playing here, and read his full interview with the Tennessean here. 

Countdown To Christmas With The CMA

Celebrate the holiday season online where country artists share their favorite holiday memories at CMA Christmas and then tune in Monday, Nov. 29 when “CMA Country Christmas” airs on the ABC Television Network (9:30-11:00 PM/ET). Each day a new artist or celebrity will be featured in addition to exclusive behind-the-scenes stories and interviews at facebook.com/CountryMusicAssociation.   


Some of the highlights include rare footage of a then, 12-year-old Brad Paisley strumming a guitar and singing the first song he ever composed, "Born on Christmas Day" before he performed an acoustic version of "What Child is This."

Blond-tressed vixen, Kellie Pickler in a red, satin gown that would have turned Mrs. Claus's cheeks crimson, sang "Santa Baby."

Little Big Town, performing a stunning version of "Go Tell It On The Mountain" as well as providing their signature harmonies to a Sugarland performance of "Winter Wonderland." 

Forget the sleigh, it was a guitar-driven cover of "Run, Run, Rudolph" with Sheryl Crow and Brad Paisley.

Pulling heartstrings on the homefront, Rascal Flatts included messages to our military heroes recorded at Fort Campbell Air Force base during their salute of "I'll Be Home for Christmas."

Martina McBride's soaring vocal on "O Holy Night."

A favorite among the children in the audience was Reba, surrounded by eight swooning Santas, singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town."

Darius Rucker performing what is sure to become a holiday classic, "Candy Cane Christmas."

LeAnn Rimes' rollicking take on the Brenda Lee classic "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" complete with dancing sailors. 

And of course, the full cast finale of "Jingle Bell Rock."

Mark Wills Recovering After Life-Saving Surgery

Mark Wills had his large intestine ruptured. It happened last month and Mark says even the medical staff was shocked by the amount of toxins that had been "spewing" inside of him and poisoning his system. After a successful surgery, doctors bluntly informed Mark that had he wasted any more time getting to the hospital, he would have died.


"There's not many more ways to bring you down to reality or put you in your place or make you realize how fragile life is when your doctor tells you, 'Dude, you were dying,'" Mark tells The Boot. "Once that shock sort of wears off, then you realize what you're leaving. That's where it really bothers you. It never dawned on me how precious your time is and how quickly it can be gone. 


Mark has been spending a majority of his recovery time at home near Atlanta, Ga. with his wife Kelly and their two daughters, Mally (12) and Macey (7). Mark admits that he is having a hard time adjusting to all the downtime.


Prior to his medical emergency, Mark had been in the studio working hard on what he calls his "best work yet." Six songs for the album have been completed thus far. Mark will head back into the studio to finish the project in early 2011.

Blake, Brad, Keith, & Tim Make People’s 100 Sexiest Men List

Four country men have made the cut several times in People magazine’s 100 Sexiest Men Alive List… Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, and Tim McGraw. 


Watch the 100 Hottest Men in a Minute video here.

Lady Antebellum, George Jones Among Florida's Strawberry Festival Performers

George Jones and Lady Antebellum, are part of the musical lineup for the 2011 Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City. Several artists will be appearing at the festival for the first time, among them Easton Corbin, Jamey Johnson and Chris Young and gospel stalwarts the Gaither Vocal Band.


The Strawberry Festival, held annually since 1930, will take place March 3 through March 13. Among the schedule’s other highlights are an appearance by The Judds as part of their announced final tour and a visit from Chubby Checker, who taught America to do the twist in 1960.


Tickets will be available on the festival’s website.    

Faith Hill, Conan O'Brien to Lend Voices to Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis

Faith Hill will join forces with late-night talk show host Conan O'Brien to help out the 23rd Annual Bob Costas Benefit for SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center next spring.


Conan will lighten the mood at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Mo. April 2, prior to Faith taking the stage with a rare performance.


All proceeds from the event will benefit St. Louis' Bob Costas Cancer Center, which was established more than 40 years ago. The center is a vital part of Cardinal Glennon hospital and contains a four-bed bone marrow/stem cell transplant unit and a pediatric research center, among other features.


Tickets to the fundraiser are on sale now, priced from $35 - $125. Sponsorship levels that include pre-show dinner options are also available. To purchase tickets, call (314) 577-5605 or visit the SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center's website here. 


Faith's latest song is 'Give In to Me,' which she recorded for the 'Country Strong' movie soundtrack. 'Country Strong,' which stars Faith's hubby, Tim McGraw, and Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow, hits theaters nationwide January 7, 2011. The movie's soundtrack can be found in stores now.

Uncle Kracker Tells a Tale of Two Kenny's

Uncle Kracker experienced country radio success with the Kenny Chesney duet, 'When the Sun Goes Down,' back in 2006. Around that time, Kenny offered his rocker buddy some helpful advice on what it takes to be successful in the genre.


"Kenny always told me that if you're going to do anything, don't do it half-heartedly," Uncle Kracker tells The Boot. "It made a lot of sense. Just being in and out of Nashville as many times as I have in the past 10 years, I know how lucky I am to still be making records after 11 years now. “


"I think I learned a lot not only from Kenny, but from Kid Rock as well," Uncle Kracker adds. "They've both been big mentors. They are like older brothers. If there's one thing that I've learned from each of them it was never go into anything half-heartedly. I really believe that if your heart's not in it that you should not be doing it."


Uncle Kracker's next country milestone? It would be to work with another legendary Kenny!


"I would love to do something with Kenny Rogers," he says with a grin. "I just think he is one of the greatest dudes ever. When I was really young, I used to think that I was Kenny Rogers. [laughs] I would slick my hair back, sit in my room with a guitar and sing 'Coward of the County' until I couldn't talk anymore. So Kenny Rogers is definitely someone I want to work with. I used to wish that he was my dad. Remember that movie 'Six Pack'? [Kenny's character's] name was Brewster. He raced cars. When I was young, my dad raced cars, too, and they kind of looked alike at the same time, but I always remember Kenny Rogers being much nicer.[laughs]"


Uncle Kracker is on the road over the next few weeks with country newcomer Frankie Ballard opening the shows. Click here for a complete list of dates where the two will be stopping.

The Band Perry Getting Noticed

Currently holding the #4 spot at Country radio, The Band Perry will be all over television promoting their current single, “If I Die Young” and self-titled album.  The band has three American Country Award nominations (12/6) and will perform on ABC’s The View on December 15th.


The trio of siblings, Kimberly, Neil and Reid Perry have had one of the most impressive recent debuts in Country music. Before their album was even released, the band learned of their CMA nomination for Vocal Group of The Year. Shortly thereafter, the album was released on Oct 12, 2010 and entered the charts at #2 (Country) and #4 (Billboard Top 200). In fact, theirs was the highest debut by any Country group since 2006. 


You can catch The Band Perry on tour:


12/4/2010 Fort Wayne, IN Neon Armadillo
12/7/2010 Tucson, AZ The Maverick
12/8/2010 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater
12/9/2010 Mobile, AL Pure
12/12/2010 St. Charles, MO Family Arena
12/19/2010 Pittsburgh, PA Heinz Field Arena


FREE DOWNLOAD
Sign Up for the Newsletter and receive a FREE download of The Band Perry’s “Independence (Acoustic)”  track, click here. 

Taylor Swift Reportedly Spending The Holidays With Jake Gyllenhall

Taylor Swift and Jake Gyllenhaal were both in England last weekend.  Jake reportedly chartered a private jet for Taylor to come visit him.  A source revealed to Celebuzz “Jake wanted some quality time with Taylor. If he hadn’t done this, they would have missed each other as he had to fly back to the States. He hired a jet which would easily have set him back £100,000.”


Celebuzz is also reporting that the two plan on spending the holidays together.  Their source revealed “The two are already planning to spend the holidays together. And Jake plans to meet Taylor in Paris at the beginning of the new year, where she’ll be performing.”


Their source continued to reveal how Taylor and Jake first came to know each other.  “Maggie [Jake's sister] introduced Jake to Taylor. Maggie and Taylor met at a charity event. Maggie thought Taylor was such a sweet girl with a good head on her shoulders. She seemed very down to earth and not at all spoiled or seemed like fame had gone to her head. She seemed extremely grounded and very mature for her age. So, Maggie thought she’d be a great match for her brother.”     

Trace Adkins To Host American Country Awards, Additional Performers Announced

Trace Adkins will host and perform on the American Country Awards, airing live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Monday, Dec. 6 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. Additionally, Easton Corbin, Steel Magnolia and Uncle Kracker are also set to perform during the two-hour primetime special.


The event will also feature previously announced performers Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts, Reba, Blake Shelton and Josh Turner, as well as participants Laura Bell Bundy, Rodney Carrington, Jewel, Lady Antebellum, Bret Michaels, Ty Murray, Jeff Dunham, Michael Waltrip and Elliott Sadler.


Fans can still vote once each day for their favorite nominees in the Artist of the Year category HERE until Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010. 

Kevin Costner To Host ‘CMT Artists Of The Year’

Academy Award winner Kevin Costner is set to host “CMT Artists of the Year.” The 90 minute special will honor Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and the Zac Brown Band. The inaugural “CMT Artists of the Year” will air December 3.   

Alan Jackson’s ’34 Number Ones’ Hits Stores Next Week

Next Tuesday, Alan Jackson releases 34 Number Ones, a career-spanning, double-disc collection featuring all of Jackson’s No.1 hits to date, including the recent chart-topping smash, “As She’s Walking Away,” with Zac Brown Band featuring Alan Jackson. 34 Number Ones also contains Jackson’s next single, “Ring of Fire,” a fresh take on a Johnny Cash classic. Written by June Carter (wife of Johnny Cash) and Merle Kilgore, “Ring of Fire” was the biggest hit of Cash’s career, staying at number one on the charts for seven weeks in 1963. “Ring of Fire” ranked #4 on CMT’s 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music in 2003 and #87 on Rolling Stone’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.


A 16-time award winner at both the CMA and ACM Awards, Jackson is also a GRAMMY-honored songwriter, with career sales of more than 50 million albums.     

Eddie Montgomery Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer

Montgomery Gentry‘s Eddie Montgomery, 47, announced Thursday via press release that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.


“I will be undergoing surgery to remove the cancerous tumor in December,” Eddie said. “I will be back in January ready to rock for all the fans! Please keep my family and I in your prayers.”


According to the duo’s official website, Montgomery Gentry’s last tour date of the year is December 4.  

Win a Taylor Guitar from Taylor Swift!

Country Music Television and Sony, Taylor Guitars is giving one lucky Taylor Swift fan a day they’ll never forget in The Taylor Swift Speak Now Sweepstakes. The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity begins for one grand prize winner with a flyaway to meet Taylor Swift on tour in support of her latest album, Speak Now. Prior to the concert, the winner will receive a digital camera pack from Sony and a training session with a Sony photo expert to learn tips and tricks for capturing great live performance shots. At the concert, the lucky winner 
will be able to enjoy and shoot Taylor’s performance from the press pit.


The grand prize winner will also take home a swag bag from Taylor Guitars and an autographed Taylor Swift Baby Taylor guitar (TSBT). Designed by Taylor Swift, the TSBT is just three-quarters the size of a standard Dreadnought, with a slim 1 11/16-inch neck and a comfortably compact shape. The guitar is an inviting size for a young player’s smaller hands or anyone who likes to pick up and play on the go. With the TSBT, Swift has said that she hopes to inspire others to express themselves through music.  “I wanted to share my passion for playing guitar with my fans,” she says. “For a beginner, finding the right guitar can be intimidating, but this guitar, it’s the perfect size. Even if you’ve been playing for years, it’s a great size to travel with.”


To win this special experience with Taylor Swift, fans can click here to enter the sweepstakes, or they can bid on the same package through CharityBuzz.com.   

Johnny Cash Being Inducted into the Gospel Music Hall Of Fame

Johnny Cash is being remembered for performing gospel. He’ll be inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. He’s one of four performers or groups who’ll be honored at a ceremony January 24th in Hendersonville, Tennessee, outside of Nashville.

Johnny was raised on gospel music and he turned to religion and Christian music midway through his career when he was trying to overcome his problems with addiction.

Kid Rock Announces Tour With “Very Special Guest” Jamey Johnson

Kid Rock announced the first 3 months of his “Born Free” tour that comes in support of his new album that hit stores this week. The kickoff of the tour comes in the form of a 40th birthday party Kid Rock is throwing for himself with 60,000 of his closest friends at Detroit’s Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions football team. The stadium will be renamed ”40 Field” in honor of the occasion. The special show will include surprise guests and plenty of surprises. Tickets for the Detroit celebration will go on sale November 26th while tickets for the tour will go on sale December 3rd and 4th.

The headlining tour will also feature very special guest Jamey Johnson, whose new album The Guitar Song has been drawing rave reviews from fans and critics alike. The album, which will not be available via iTunes, will be available at all major retailers including Target, Wal-Mart, Meijer, Amazon, and FYE  and also at, for the first time ever, non-traditional retailers Little Caesars, Radio Shack, and Boot Barn, as well as on ww.KidRock.com. You will also see the full tour schedule on www.KidRock.com.

Meet The Newest Member Of The Rascal Flatts Family – Raquel Blue Rooney

Rascal Flatts member Joe Don Rooney and his wife Tiffany appear in the December issue of People magazine’s country edition with plenty of pictures to introduce their new little girl.


The couple also dished on the birth of Raquel, which was much easier this time around for Tiffany than it was when she gave birth to the couple’s son, Jagger, who is now 2.  “I had a tough delivery with Jag,” Tiffany recalled.  “So that anxiety sets in — I was crazy nervous again… It was tremendously easier this time. I was anxious right outside the hospital, like, ‘Oh no, this is going to be hard again.’ But it was actually a joy to be there, I didn’t want to leave!”


When it came to picking out a name for their baby, Joe Don says it was a little bit difficult.  ”We had so many names picked out,” Rooney, 35, explained. “It’s harder to choose a girl’s name because there are so many that are beautiful — it’s hard to narrow it down… Jag calls her Sissy. But Raquel feels right; when Tiffany said it, it felt right in my gut and my heart. Just like when she said Jagger, that felt exactly right.”


You can see more on the Rooney family by picking up the December issue of People Country.

Join the Oak Ridge Boys for Christmas

The Oak Ridge Boys will be bringing their Christmas show back home to Nashville and are doing so at the newly renovated Gaylord Opryland Resort on December 21st.


The Boys are thrilled to be ending their holiday tour in Nashville.  “It’s such an honor to play the last day of our tour this year in our hometown. It will provide a great opportunity for all of our local friends, fans and family to celebrate Christmas with The Oak Ridge Boys,” The Oaks’ Joe Bonsall explains, “we have been doing a full out Christmas tour since 1988, and since we last brought the tour to Nashville, our children have grown and we all have grandkids. The Boys are back home for Christmas in Nashville at Opryland…I’m not sure how it gets any better!”


VIP and Basic show ticket packages are available now by calling 1-888-677-9872. Packages include overnight accommodations at Gaylord Opryland Resort with a private viewing of the Gaylord Opryland’s Hall of Trees, as well as dinner prior to the Christmas concert. General show tickets are also available.  

Blake Shelton Leaks Humorous Details of His Family Ties to Reba

Blake Shelton & Reba McEntire share the same management company -- Reba is managed by her husband, Narvel Blackstock, while Blake is managed by Narvel's son, Brandon. Backstage at last week's CMA Awards following his wins, Blake provided this story:


"[In 2005], I was on tour with Rascal Flatts, and I was going through a lot of changes in my life," explains Blake. "One of which was a divorce, [and one] that a lot of people didn't know about ... record company troubles and trying to make some changes there. Another was a management change. Word got out, I was a young kid and had some songs on the radio, that I was looking for management. I will never in my life forget this, because Brandon Blackstock -- Narvel's son and Reba's stepson -- he was the tour manager for Rascal Flatts at the time. The way it works on the Rascal Flatts tour that I found out is, they get out there and they're running around crazy and they do their show and 'good night.' They go back behind the [stage], and they have to pee by then. Well, there's no time to go all the way to the bathroom because they have an encore to do. So, there's milk jugs back there with holes cut out of the top -- and I don't care if they get mad at me for this -- but they have to go. So, they pee in these milk jugs, right?"


"Part of that tour was that I came out during the encore and sang the last song with them," Blake continues. "So, they had already come out, did their show, came back, peed in the jugs and went back out and started the encore, and I'm just standing back there and Brandon Blackstock's standing right there and walks up to me and he says -- and it's real loud -- he says, 'Hey! I heard you're looking for a new manager, and I want you to think about me,' as he was holding two milk jugs full of urine in both of his hands. I remember going, 'What an idiot! What are you talking about?' But the guy was very persistent ... I finally just decided that kind of passion is what I need in my career is a guy like that, and a guy with the power of a Narvel Blackstock and the power of a Reba McEntire."


"When I made the decision to do it, I found out yes, they are a company, but they're a family. When you're brought into that, they treat you like family," adds Blake. "When Reba was standing there emotional and was crying, and Narvel was crying ... I've been with them for five years now, and it's been a battle. I mean, every day has been a grind and it's just not been easy. [It's] like when you've been pushing on a wall and pushing, and that moment when it finally hits the ground, that's kind of what it felt like [to win the CMA award]. It's awesome!"


Blake’s next scheduled tour stop is in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., November 20. Check here for more Blake Shelton tour dates.

StubHub To Donate Profits From Garth Brooks Tickets Sales To Flood Relief

StubHub, the world’s largest ticket marketplace, announced yesterday that it will donate all profits from secondary ticket sales to next month’s series of Garth Brooks concerts in 
Nashville to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. StubHub will not profit from any ticket sales to the event.


Garth Brooks’ charity concerts will be held on December 16th, 17th, 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN. To donate to the Flood Relief, please click HERE.  

Lady Antebellum Surprises Teachers at Hometown School in Georgia

Lady Antebellum visited the hometown of band members, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, to give back to the Augusta, GA community. During their visit, Charles, Dave and Hillary Scott, surprised three teachers from Lakeside High School with an award and $3000 worth of school supplies in support of the national “A Day Made Better” cause.


Lady Antebellum surprised the teachers on-stage with new supplies from OfficeMax including printers, digital cameras, desk chairs, and essential materials and thanked the 
teachers for going above and beyond to ensure their students receive the best possible education. The surprise took place during the “Acoustic Lunchbreak with Lady Antebellum” concert benefiting MCGHealth Children’s Medical Center. Through their participation, Lady Antebellum hopes to encourage widespread support for teachers across the country.  

Toby Keith Refuses to 'Politic' His Way Into Awards

Toby Keith, has won only two CMA awards in his career, which has spanned more than 17 years, hasn't been nominated for the coveted trophy since 2005. 


Toby says he has other things to do.  
"I can go spend the rest of the year working on my Ford endorsement, making a movie, doing commercials, doing music," Toby tells the Toronto Sun." I can do other things instead of going into town five or six times a year trying to politic my way into an award. It hasn't affected me one bit."


Toby says he made the decision several years ago to separate himself from the way other country artists operate. "I don't live in Nashville and it's just negative energy," he continues. "It's 364 days a year of politicking, trying to get that stuff and then one night watching 13 out of 15 come from the same label. I just said about five years ago, 'I'm not going no more.' And I haven't been back."


The American Country Awards have nominated Toby for Touring Headline Package of the Year and is set to perform on the show next month.   

Jason Michael Carroll Releases Christmas Album

Jason Michael Carroll released his very first Christmas album on November 15th.  
It’s available on iTunes and other online retailers.


“I have always wanted to do a Christmas album and as you can image having four children at home we do spend a lot of time singing around the tree.  When I heard ‘Christmas on the Farm’ I knew that was the song and one I thought radio would love to play.  My kids have always wanted me to do a Christmas album, so with that song as the lead and my children’s favorite ‘Joy to The World’, I knew we had to do it,” says Jason Michael Carroll.  Jason is also set to release a full-length studio album in 2011.   

American Music Awards Show Performers Announced

Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts, Reba, Blake Shelton and Josh Turner are set to perform at the AMERICAN COUNTRY AWARDS airing live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Monday, Dec. 6 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.


The inaugural two-hour event will also feature appearances by country recording artists Laura Bell Bundy, Rodney Carrington, Jewel, Lady Antebellum and Bret Michaels; rodeo star Ty Murray; comic Jeff Dunham; and NASCAR drivers Clint Bowyer, Michael Waltrip and Elliott Sadler. Hosts, performers and additional presenters will be announced soon.


Fans can still vote once each day for their favorite nominees in the Artist of the Year category, at www.theacas.com until December 4, 2010.


Visit www.theacas.com for the complete list of categories and nominees.