Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles In Pepsi Superbowl Ad

Sugarland’s Grammy-winning lead vocalist Jennifer Nettles pairs with Pepsi MAX for a brand new 30-second spot that will debut during Super Bowl XLVI.

The brand has long been known for featuring great music as part of its Super Bowl ads and tapped Nettles to record a renowned country ballad that will accompany the spot.

The Pepsi MAX commercial entitled “Check-Out” is the newest edition to the brand’s playful Cola Wars campaign. Also featured in the commercial will be entertainment icon Regis Philbin.

Taylor Swift With LL Cool J For 2012 Grammys Promo

Swift is up for three Grammys this year including Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song for “Mean” as well as Best Country album for Speak Now.

Taste Of Country has the full story (click to read it) If you're not checking Townsquare Media's "Taste" site out daily and subscribing to their emails, you're missing a lot!

Wynonna = Diversity

The five-time Grammy® Award winning artist, New York Times best-selling author and one half of the most successful duos in the history of country music, Wynonna, is juggling an exciting new palette of creative agendas, both personal and career related, head-on.

With her music topping the 30 million mark in sales, the anticipation continues to build as Wynonna prepares for her next studio project. With significant studio time already under her belt, Wy is blocking time to finish writing and recording the newest collection of original music much to the excitement of her legions of fans.

And, The Judd legacy continues with the announcement of their famed television docu-series “The Judds” currently airing on GAC – Great American Country. The reality series, which debuted as the network’s highest rated show to date in April 2011 on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN Network, allowed cameras to follow the intricacies of The Judds’ often emotional Last Encore tour—their first reunion on the road after a 10-year sabbatical from their role as iconic mother/daughter duo.

For the first time ever, Wynonna will travel to Australia to perform in the 3-day CMC Rocks the Hunter music festival in March. Judd will share the stage with industry heavyweights Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Dierks Bentley and many others during Australia’s biggest international country and roots festival.

Taking a breath to concentrate on the ‘personal,’ Wynonna is still basking in the after-glow of the Christmas Eve proposal from Highway 101 drummer, Cactus Moser. Fans will be able to catch the happily engaged couple on the road together as “Wynonna & The Big Noise,” as shows are being set for a series of 2012 concert dates. As for ‘setting THE date’ for the forthcoming wedding –that’s still high on Wynonna’s personal

ACM Honors Lionel Richie 4/2

The music icon will release a collection of 13 of his international hits recorded with some of the biggest names in country music, on March 27. In addition, the Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions will tape an all-star concert special, Lionel Richie and Friends "In concert" at the MGM Grand Garden Arena,at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The show will air at a later date on the CBS Television Network. Some of his greatest hits will be performed by Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers and many more.

The album "Tuskegee" is a new chapter in a career that has seen album sales of more than 100 million, 22 Top 10s, five Grammys, an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe, and a host of other awards and is also a musical homecoming that feels like a heartwarming reunion with a beloved friend. He proves that you can go home again as he returns to his Southern roots to pay tribute to his hometown of Tuskegee, Alabama, where he was indelibly shaped as a man and a musician. He was exposed to country, gospel, R&B and classical music while growing up, and it was in Tuskegee where he helped form the Commodores and wrote his first hits, including "Sail On" and "Easy."

"Tuskegee is where it all began, the place where I felt that everything was available and possible," he says. "It's where I learned about life and love and the power of music, and the place I built a musical foundation that knows no genres or boundaries. Doing this album was coming back to the beginning, back to basics, back to home," he says. "The part of it I love the most is that the journey has been one of discovering myself. By the time I got back to Nashville, I clearly knew that the roots of my songwriting, my storytelling, were from the South."

It's also been a process of rediscovering the hits that have served as the soundtrack of the lives of generations around the world. "Every Lionel Richie song that I can think of I had a personal experience with - high school homecomings, proms, you name it," says Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts, who duets on "Dancin' On the Ceiling." "Lionel was always playing in my house. His music always said what we felt and couldn't express."

Says Darius Rucker, who joins Richie on "Stuck On You," "I wanted to work with Lionel because he is one of my idols. Lionel's more a part of my DNA really than an idol. It was an absolute honor to work with him." Adds Jason Aldean, who selected "Say You, Say Me," "I've always been a huge fan. He is probably one of the best singer/songwriters of this generation."

Once again, Richie is following his songs as they take him back to country, where they have been welcomed for more than two decades. Conway Twitty recorded "Three Times a Lady," Kenny Rogers famously sang "Lady" and Alabama recorded "Deep River Woman." Artists such as Tim McGraw, Darius Rucker and Rascal Flatts perform his songs in their shows. He has performed on the Country Music Association Awards three times, and his 2011 performance receive two standing ovations and was recognized as the highlight of the evening.

"When I did the CMAs and the room was singing along with me, it was really more like a family reunion than it was a concert or show," he says. "It was just great validation to know that the music was accepted like it was."

Lionel Richie's Tuskegee Track-Listing:

"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 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
"All Night Long" with Jimmy Buffett

Keith Urban Performs At His Own #1 Party

Urban was honored at a party at a local Nashville hotspot to celebrate the success of his recent No. 1 hit, “Long Hot Summer,” along with his co-writer and friend Richard Marx.

The two singer-songwriters revealed that writing “Long Hot Summer” was more than just putting words to music; it was actually a testament to their friendship.

“We had an ‘issue’ with each other and I learned a lot about the importance of friendship,” says Keith. “[The song] wasn’t born of a quota to write a song. It was born of a want for us to reconnect, and the song was a by-product of that desire.” While they had to reschedule the party a couple of times, the celebration was very important to both of them. “This is important,” says Richard. “I love this guy, and this song is a great testament to our friendship.”

A special moment came near the end of the fete when Keith pulled a couple of young adults up on stage to perform "Long Hot Summer," along with him and Richard. He combed through tons of YouTube videos to find two talented aspiring musicians and fly them to Nashville to join him for the party. Patrick Woolam, who fronts his own band in Kansas City, was featured on lead vocals, while Leslie Strong, from Hazard, Kentucky, showcased her talents on the guitar and matched Keith lick for lick. The two didn’t appear nervous at all in front of an industry crowd made up of publishers, producers, songwriters and label executives, and in fact, seemed like they belonged on stage.

This was the pair’s third hit song they wrote together. Their first, “Better Life,” went to No. 1 in 2004, while “Everybody” hit the Top 5 in 2007.

Carrie Underwood To Release First Single From Forthcoming Album

“Good Girl,” appears on country radio on February 23. The five-time Grammy winner’s new CD (that's your first look at the cover photo) will arrive later this spring.

Underwood wrote the track with Chris DeStefano and Ashley Gorley, who co-wrote two of Underwood’s No. 1 hits “Don’t Forget to Remember Me,” and “All-American Girl.” Once again Carrie teamed up with Mark Bright, who produced her two previous albums as well as seven tracks from her debut album Some Hearts.

Since releasing Some Hearts in 2005, Underwood has sold more than 14 million albums with Some Hearts, 2007’s Carnival Ride, and 2009’s Play On. She’s amassed 14 No. 1 singles, six of which she co-wrote, and became the first country artist in history and the only American Idol winner ever to achieve 10 No. 1 singles from their first two albums.

Underwood is a current Grammy Award nominee and a five-time Grammy Award winner, a two-time Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year, a three-time Country Music Association and ACM Female Vocalist winner, and a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry.

Get Ready For April Fools Day ACM Excitement

YOU can be one of the lucky fans who gets to announce this year’s nominees for ACM Entertainer of the Year! The Academy, CBS and dick clark productions will host the first-ever ACM digital press conference via ACM social media channels this Thursday, Jan. 26th at 6:30 a.m. PT to announce the nominees for the 47th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS.

ACM Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/AcademyOfCountryMusic
ACM Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/ACMawards

Superstar and Academy of Country Music Awards co-host Reba will participate leading up to the event, with more VIP SURPRISE GUESTS to announce categories via videos posted in real time to fans and media simultaneously. The press conference will culminate with country music FANS announcing the nominees for Entertainer of the Year.

Fans are invited to visit the ACM YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/acmcountry to learn how to post videos announcing the name of the artist(s) they would like to see receive an Entertainer of the Year nomination. On Thursday, January 26th during the real-time digital press conference fans can watch to see if their video submission is used to announce their pick for the Academy’s biggest prize. And they’re in good company: Past participants in the ACM nominations press conferences have included Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Reba, Blake Shelton, Sugarland, Carrie Underwood and many more!

Rascal Flatts To Receive Radio Seminar's Humanitarian Award

The multi-platinum selling trio of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney are receiving the honor based on their charitable contributions and humanitarian endeavors throughout the band’s career. In 2010, the group donated $3 million to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt’s Pediatric Surgery Center. They currently serve as celebrity spokespersons for the national suicide prevention organization, The Jason Foundation, and have been members of the American Red Cross Celebrity Cabinet for the past seven years.

According to CRS Executive Director Bill Mayne, “The board is very pleased to honor Rascal Flatts with the CRS Artist Humanitarian Award. They join a long, distinguished list of celebrities who have received this prestigious award since it was instated in 1990.”

Rascal Flatts will receive the CRS 2012 Artist Humanitarian Award at 10:30 a.m. in the Nashville Convention Center immediately following the seminar’s Keynote Address. CRS 2012 is held Feb. 22-24, 2012, in downtown Nashville, Tenn. $499 Regular Rate registration expires Friday, Jan. 27. On-Site registration increases to $599 effective Jan. 28. Visit www.CountryRadioSeminar.com to register today.

They Did It Again In Denver

Denver's Channel 9 has the photos as Tim Tebow was on a different kind of stage than he is used to on Saturday night.

Instead of making plays on the field, Tebow joined Brad Paisley at his sold-out show at the Pepsi Center.

You Tube has featured an Oct 6, 2008 video of Tebow onstage with Paisley at the University of Florida O'Connell Center in Gainesville, FL for several years, making everyone wonder if they'd do it again this year.

And, they did not disappoint.

Brad's website adds this news: Paisley will provide the musical halftime entertainment for the Eighth NFC Championship Game on Sunday, January 22. The San Francisco 49ers will host the New York Giants at Candlestick Park at 6:30pm ET and the game will air on the FOX network.

Montgomery Gentry's “Where I Come From” Is About You

Following on their early anthems like "My Town" and "Hell Yeah" becoming indelible parts of the honky-tonk landscape,

“It's a song that's about our fans. Regardless of where you end up in life, you always remember your hometown. There are special things you remember in life, and your childhood days and high school years,” explains Troy Gentry. “ I think anyone who hears this song will be able to listen to and reflect on their earlier years in life, and the place they grew up, and appreciate the lyrics of the song.”

It's the first single off their seventh studio album, Rebels On The Run, released late in 2011.

Fans can catch them on the road co-headlining a tour with The Professional Championship Bullriders. The multi-city arena tour kicked off earlier this month with new dates added:

Jan 21 Grand Forks, ND - Alerus Center with the Professional Championship Bullriders
Jan 27 Lake Charles, LA - L'Auberge du Lac Hotel & Casino
Feb 3-4 Chicago, IL - Sears Centre Arena with the Professional Championship Bullriders
Feb 25 Clear Lake, IA - Surf Ballroom
Feb 26 Prior Lake, MN - Mystic Lake Casino & Hotel
March 10 West Palm, FL - WIRK's 3rd Annual Rib Round up
March 24 Dothan, AL - Toadlick Music Festival
April 14 Cleveland, OH – Wolstein Center with the Professional Championship Bullriders
April 21 Syracuse, NY - SRC Arena with the Professional Championship Bullriders

Merle Haggard Has Pneumonia; Postpones January Tour Dates

The country music great has been admitted to a Georgia hospital and has postponed the rest of his concert dates in January, his spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Haggard, 74, entered the Macon hospital on Tuesday night after he cancelled a show in that Georgia city seven minutes before he was to take the stage because he was too ill to perform, said Frank Mull, his tour manager and close friend.

A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Haggard is best known for songs including Mama Tried, Okie from Muskogee and The Fightin' Side of Me.

Haggard had been scheduled to perform again on Wednesday night in Columbus, Georgia, but that show and the rest of the January slate will be rescheduled for April, according to Haggard's Los Angeles-based publicist Tresa Redburn. Haggard will take time off to recover and resume his tour in February, Redburn said. Haggard lives in Northern California.

Jake Owen And Blake Shelton Postpone Tour Dates

Jake has rescheduled this week's Chicago shows for April 18th and 19th. Jake had to have surgery yesterday to fix multiple fractures in his collarbone - the result of a snowboarding accident.

Condolences to the Shelton family on the passing of Blake's father, Dick Shelton. Rescheduled Dates: Bismarck, ND - March 20th, Rapid City, SD - March 21st, Bozeman, MT - March 22nd and Billings, MT - March 23rd for always-a-trooper Blake.

Ronnie Dunn, "Contemporary Rock Star"

His brand-new guitar-heavy single, “Let The Cowboy Rock” proves the songster has learned a thing or two over his iconic 20-year career about finding one’s own voice in music, including the fact that die-hard American country music knows no bounds.



Fans eager for a sneak peak of the music video can click HERE. It was filmed partly in Pendleton, Oregon during the Pendleton Round-Up with rider Blake Knowles (lead character) with additional footage of Dunn shot in Salt Flat, Utah and Nashville, Tennessee with The Stage on Lower Broadway serving as a backdrop.

Follow Dunn on Twitter at @SingaInABand and Facebook at www.Facebook.com/RonnieDunnMusic.

The Band Perry Is In A Great Position To Review Country Concerts

Over the past year they have had a chance to open for a wide variety of headliners including Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban and Reba and for them each new tour is an opportunity to win over new fans.

As Reid explains, "With all the artists we've been out with over the past year, we're seeing so many different people that wouldn't necessarily come out to a TBP show but, you know, fingers crossed and hopefully we're winning some of them over so in the future they would, you know, buy a TBP ticket and come out to see one of our shows as well."

While the Brad Paisley tour, which kicked off last Thursday, is another great opportunity to reach even more fans, Kimberly, Reid and Neil are excited to be part of the Virtual Reality Tour 2012 because Kimberly says, “One thing I've heard about the Paisley tour is that he's just such a great guy and we're just so excited to be a part of that. I'm really looking forward to it. Honestly it, since day one, has been one of the tours that we have so been, sort of, like crossing our fingers for. We so wanted to be a part of, of what he's doing out there on the road."

You can see a complete list of The Band Perry‟s 2012 tour dates on their web site.

Brad Paisley, Scotty McCreery, Charlie Louvin Get Newspaper Ink

Lorilee Craker of the The Grand Rapids Press obviously had a great time last Thursday night at the solo debut of “American Idol’s” last winner McCreery and the launch of Brad Paisley’s Virtual Reality Tour (click to read her review).

A sold-out house at Van Andel Arena gave big love to Paisley, whose show was a spectacular mash-up of high-tech lights, gimmicks and old-fashioned country. It was country meets the future, and the future looked dazzlingly bright.

Brad Paisley with Scotty McCreery and The Band Perry (click to see 30 photos)

Meanwhile, AP's Chris Talbott reports that he's already found his favorite book of 2012.

"Satan Is Real: The Ballad of the Louvin Brothers" is a delight. Charlie Louvin's memoir of his time with his brother, Ira, and the tragic end to one of the most influential duos in the history of American music is like a Louvin Brothers song: simple and plainspoken, yet powerful and resonant.

That's what makes country so vital: it's growing today, yet following a long and deep tradition.

CMA MusicFest Stage Starts To Fill

Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Faith Hill, reigning CMA Vocal Group of the Year Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, and Zac Brown Band have joined the performance lineup for the Nightly Concerts at LP Field during 2012 CMA Music Festival. The event that USA Today calls "the crown jewel of Country Music festivals" will once again take over downtown Nashville for four days this summer, Thursday-Sunday, June 7-10, 2012.

2011 CMA Award winners Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, and five-time CMA Award winner Carrie Underwood were previously announced as performing at the legendary Festival, which has grown since starting in 1972 as Fan Fair® to become Nashville's signature music event. Additional artists will be announced in the coming weeks.

Bryan was nominated for CMA New Artist of the Year in 2010 and 2011. His most recent album is the Gold-certified tailgates & tanlines, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, and features the Platinum-certified digital single "Country Girl (Shake It for Me)" and the Gold-certified digital single "I Don't Want This Night to End."

Church, who will make his debut performance on the Nightly Concerts at LP Field this year, was nominated for CMA New Artist of the Year in 2011. His most recent album is the Gold-certified Chief, which debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard Top 200 and Billboard Country Albums charts, and features the Gold-certified digital single "Homeboy."

Hill returns to CMA Music Festival for the first time since 2008. She debuted her long-awaited new single "Come Home" on "The 45th Annual CMA Awards" in November. She is a three-time CMA Award winner, including Female Vocalist (2000), Vocal Event (1997 for "It's Your Love" with husband Tim McGraw), and Music Video of the Year (1998 for "This Kiss"). Her seventh new studio recording is set for an early 2012 release.

Lady Antebellum has won seven CMA Awards, including Vocal Group (2009-2011), Single (2009 for "I Run to You" and 2010 for "Need You Now," which also earned them an additional Award for producing), and New Artist of the Year (2008). Their current album is the Platinum-certified Own the Night, which debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard Top 200 and Billboard Country Albums charts.

Paisley has won 14 CMA Awards, including Entertainer (2010), Male Vocalist (2007-2009), Album (2006 for Time Well Wasted), Horizon (2000), Musical Event (2004 for "Whiskey Lullaby" with Alison Krauss, 2006 for "When I Get Where I'm Going" with Dolly Parton, and 2009 for "Start a Band" with Keith Urban), and Vocal Event of the Year (2001 for "Too Country" with Bill Anderson, George Jones, and Buck Owens). He has also co-hosted the CMA Awards with Underwood for the last four years (2008-2011). His current album is This is Country Music, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, and contains the Platinum-certi fied digital single "Remind Me" (his duet with Underwood).

Rascal Flatts has won seven CMA Awards, including Vocal Group of the Year (2003-2008) and the Horizon Award (2002). Their current album is the Platinum-certified Nothing Like This, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and features the Platinum-certified digital single "I Won't Let Go" and the Gold-certified single "Easy." Rascal Flatts, who is only one of four acts to have six consecutive albums debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart in the last decade, will release a new album later this spring.

Zac Brown Band has won one CMA Award in 2010 for New Artist of the Year. Their current album is the Platinum-certified You Get What You Give, which debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard Top 200 and Billboard Country Albums charts, and features the Platinum-certified digital single "Colder Weather."

Fans can purchase their tickets through Ticketmaster at Ticketmaster.com or 1-(800)-745-3000. They can also purchase them by calling 1-(800)-CMA-FEST (262-3378). Ticket prices are based on the level of seating at LP Field for the Nightly Concerts, and range from $115 to $325 plus handling fees. A limited number of four-day parking passes for LP Field are also available, rangin g from $32 to $124 plus handling fees, depending on the size of vehicle.

Country Music On TV

Faith Hill performed "Come Home" and Taylor Swift claimed the country award on last night's People's Choice Awards.

American Idol judge Randy Jackson believes Scotty McCreery has ended the perception that Idol winners don't have as great a career as the runner-ups. Jackson believes that each winner and singer is different, and it's all about making amazing and competitive songs. The new season of American Idol starts January 18th on Fox.

Chris Young will be making his debut appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres Show to sing his latest hit, “You”! Be sure to catch the episode when it airs on January 17th!

Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton pair-up again as hosts of this years Academy of Country Music Awards. The 47th annual show will be held Sunday, April 1, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The ACM’s Fan Jam also will return for a second year. This time Zac Brown Band will host the parallel event at the Mandalay Events Center.

Keith Urban Writes And Records New Movie Soundtrack

“I loved the challenge of writing for a film. I’ve never done that before. After seeing Act Of Valor, my co-writer (Monty Powell) and I wanted to capture the essence of not only what these men and women do so extraordinarily, but how that relates to all of us. 'Valor' shows us what they are willing to give their all for, which made me wonder, 'what am I willing to give my life for?' ‘For You’ is intended to allow the listener to define who that is for them.”

Urban's song for the heart-pounding Navy SEAL action-thriller Act of Valor, “For You,” marks the first time that Keith has written and recorded a song specifically for a motion picture, and it will be featured during the film’s end credits.

In theatres February 24, the Bandito Brothers’ Act of Valor stars a group of active-duty Navy SEALs along with Roselyn Sanchez, Alex Veadov, Jason Cottle and Nestor Serrano and tells a powerful story of contemporary global anti-terrorism.

Urban’s current single “You Gonna Fly” is currently #10 on the country radio charts and climbing.

Rodney Does Kimmel

Rodney Atkins will be making a return appearance to the ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live! stage Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 12:00 a.m. ET/11:00 p.m. CT. Atkins is set to sing the multi-week No. 1 single and title track of his current album, “Take A Back Road,” in celebration of its RIAA Platinum® Single Certification having surpassed the 1 million mark in digital sales. Atkins will end the show with a performance of his brand new single, “He’s Mine.”

“The last time I was on the show, Guillermo [Rodriguez] and I performed a little skit – or I guess song, if you can call it that – honoring our active and former military on Veterans Day,” shares Atkins, “so I’m looking forward to seeing him again as well as performing on the show.”

This time, ya have to think that Jimmy will have some provocative questions for Rodney.

Atkins begins his year of touring this February with a stop in Verona, NY. His tour has him stretching the country from upstate New York to south Mississippi and western Oregon, including a USO visit with our troops.

Miranda and Carrie Branch Out

Miranda Lambert is set to make her acting debut in something larger than a music video, according to the Nashville Tennessean.

Lambert, whose new album, Four the Record, recently went gold, will appear on the next season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as an actress who is sexually assaulted by a reality television producer.

Judging from the tweet Lambert sent out on Saturday, she couldn’t be happier.

“Ya’ll I’m so freaking excited to be on my favorite show ever!!!”

Lambert’s episode also will feature Michael McKean, who played singer David St. Hubbins in This Is Spinal Tap, as the shady producer, and Harry Connick Jr., who is joining the show for several episodes as Detective Olivia Benson’s love interest.

"The Celebrity Column" also reports that Carrie Underwood performs at the Nordstrom Symphony Fashion Show on Feb. 28 at Schermerhorn Symphony Center. The event, which is from 6 to 10 p.m., includes a cocktail reception, an exclusive presentation of Oscar de la Renta’s Pre-Fall 2012 clothing line, and dinner.

Tickets are $150 a person for cocktails and the fashion show or $300 for cocktails, fashion show and dinner, and are available at www.nashvillesymphony.org.

Justin Moore Takes Time To Enjoy Fatherhood

Moore admits when his first daughter, Ella Kole, was born he didn't really get to enjoy the process of fatherhood because he says, “Nobody can really prepare you for how to handle it and it was right at the point where I was enjoying some success so I was gone a lot and didn't get to be as big a part of the whole process as I would like to have been.” But since his second daughter, Kennedy Faye, was born just this past November, he‟s made a conscious effort to try to be more present and enjoy the little moments that come with having a new baby.

“I don‟t think my wife and I really took the time to enjoy the whole process [with Ella], so
we‟re trying to do so this time.” Luckily Justin had some time off the road to spend with his wife and two daughters over the holidays, but that will soon come to an end when he hits the road with Blake Shelton on his Well Lit & Amplified Tour beginning January 12th.

CMT Southern Fried Flicks' Hazel Smith to feature Jessi Colter & Jamey Johnson

Average Joes Entertainment, in conjunction with Scatter Records, announced the official release date for The Music Inside: A Collaboration Dedicated to Waylon Jennings, Volume II.

CMT's Smith is pictured with Jamey Johnson and Jessi Colter

The album will be available for pre-sale purchase digitally on January 24, 2012, with availability at retail starting on February 7, 2012.

The eleven-track album, and the second of a three volume series dedicated to the late Waylon Jennings, features country music artists performing the hit songs that made Jennings a household name. The Music Inside, Volume II boasts a solid lineup of artists each of who were heavily influenced by Jennings’ legacy.

“I feel like this project could very likely break another sound barrier,” says Colter. “Waylon was so original. For his songs to be sang by other people and to take me somewhere else is not an easy task.”

Recording for the three volume series started over three-and-a-half years ago, and has been a labor of love for Jennings’ widow Jessi Colter; son Shooter Jennings; and guitarist Reggie Young. They, along with producer Witt Stewart, have assembled a star-studded roster of artists to pay tribute to Jennings and highlight his undeniable musical and cultural influence.

Colter adds, “I’ve been pleasantly surprised of the fact that the people involved chose to make the songs their own. They add something to it and to me that’s what makes it interesting. They made it their own because they could never walk in Waylon’s tracks. They’d be stepping in holes.”

Waylon Jennings is recognized as one of the key players of country music’s ‘outlaw’ movement. Jennings was in good company with fellow artists of his time including Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson. They were the musical talents who defined a new genre of music with rebellious attitudes, which, in turn, translated over into their music. The ‘outlaw’ rebellion denied Nashville’s straight-laced model and brought the era of whiskey-drinkin,’ bar brawlin,’ woman lovin,’ country music to the forefront.

The Music Inside: A Collaboration Dedicated to Waylon Jennings, Volume II Track Listing:

1) Lonesome, On'ry and Mean - Dierks Bentley
2) Waymore’s Blues - Hank Williams Jr.
3) Good Ol' Boys - Montgomery Gentry
4) I Ain't Livin’ Long Like This - Justin Moore
5) Bob Wills Is Still The King – Jack Ingram
6) Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line – Colt Ford
7) Rainy Day Woman - Pat Green
8) Love of the Common People - Josh Thompson
9) Mama - Jessi Colter
10) Dreaming My Dreams With You – Jewel
11) A Long Time Ago – Wyatt McCubbin (BONUS TRACK)

The Music Inside: A Collaboration Dedicated to Waylon Jennings, Volume I, was released last year and available now.

Brad Paisley Re-Names His Upcoming Tour

Just a week before the launch of his new tour, Brad Paisley announced plans to re-brand the outing, a move that likely has whatever company is printing up his t-shirts and other tour merchandise scrambling.

The tour that was originally announced as the The Camobunga! 2012 World Tour in October has now been re-christened as the Virtual Reality World Tour 2012. It kicks off Jan. 12 in Grand Rapids, Mich. Tour openers The Band Perry and Scotty McCreery remain on board.

The singer favors video screens and eye-popping visual tricks in his shows. During the month of December, Paisley and his band had several days of tour rehearsals and stage set-up, and it was during those rehearsals that the singer decided the tour needed a new name.

“When you see plans and sketches on paper it’s one thing, but to actually see it in real life is something else,” he says in a prepared statement. “That’s what happened to me when we were in tour rehearsals. When I saw the visuals and how exciting and sometimes mind-blowing they were, I just felt the tour name needed to reflect what the fans were going to see. For two hours each night of the tour they can be taken away from reality—literally.”

- From veteran entertainment journalist Phyllis Stark's One Country blog

David Nail Celebrates Glen Campbell

With his own “Let It Rain” poised at #2 and fighting to make the top of the charts, David Nail made good on the dream of a lifetime: getting to see celebrated vocalist/guitarist Glen Campbell at the Ryman Auditorium on his final tour.

A long cited influence on the Kennett, Missourian, seeing the man known for “Galveston,” “Wichita Lineman,” “By The Time I Get To Phoenix,” and “Gentle On My Mind,” who is now faced with advancing Alzheimer’s Disease, provided inspiration and a sense of connection for the young man who’s already been given a Grammy nomination for his own vocal abilities.

“Obviously some of his ability comes from muscle memory,” says the man who was an accomplished baseball player earlier in life, “but the heart, the soul that he brings those songs, that comes from some place deep inside. That – even with teleprompter – is why he is an artist who made such a mark, and who continues to influence people like me all these years later. I didn’t experience him on the radio, I found him… and Glen Campbell – who I found some time in the 90s through a Greatest Hits I played top bottom again and again – defines what it means to be a singer.”

So great was Nail’s desire to experience his idol, that the often subdued musician left his wife Catherine – celebrated on his brand new Turning Home’s restrained ballad of the same name -- home on her birthday to attend the show.

James Keach, a noted film producer/writer/director whose work includes “Walk The Line” and “The Long Riders,” is currently at work on a documentary about the former CMA Entertainer of the Year. When he heard about Nail’s reverence for Campbell, Keach offered a last minute invitation to sit for an interview for the as yet untitled project, which is next heading to New York City to capture Campbell’s Jan. 7 show at Town Hall and interview leading specialists from the Mayo Clinic.

“When I turned the guys in my band, who’re even younger than me, onto Ghost on the Canvas (Campbell’s final recording), they didn’t really know who he was,” Nail says. “Now it’s something every one of them is suggesting we play on the bus. He hasn’t just survived, he’s remained an artist who makes a mark, which is something I think anyone who does this should aspire to.”

Nail, who last year saw an Academy of Country Music Single of the Year nomination for “Red Light” and Grammy Vocal nod for “Turning Home,” is hoping to see yet another dream come true – as “Let It Rain,” the sweeping ballad about owning the consequences of one’s mistakes, is poised to possibly become the first #1 in a career that David Nail has spent a lifetime trying to build.

“It’s been a year of incredible firsts... the Academy of Country Music nomination, the Grammy nomination, singing ‘America The Beautiful’ at the World Series 7th game, performing with Train, getting to tour with Taylor Swift and Lady A, who’re coming into their own dreams, too, in such a powerful way. I called my album The Sound of a Million Dreams because that’s how it feels – and every day, it seems like another one comes true… And certainly that’s what having a #1 record would be.”

Urban Renewal

CountryTune.com reports folks in Texas could be the first to hear Keith Urban sing again after his surgery. Urban is scheduled for a February 10th fundraising performance at the Austin City Limits Moody Theater.

From there, Urban is set to perform at the Rodeo and Stock Show in San Antonio the following night.

Is There A Country Song Called "Golf And Target?"

Nashville's Country Aircheck interviewed Little Big Town’s Jimi Westbrook this week and he says playing golf keeps him sane as the band tours together.

"A lot of times you’re in these buildings all day long, and it’s nice to unwind outdoors. The girls go to Target. We should own stock there. We were out for three weeks straight over the summer, and we have a lot of people on our bus with all our babies, so it can get stressful. At one stop, the girls rented a car and spent four hours at Target."

Dierks Bentley Comes "Home"

The multi-PLATINUM singer/songwriter's forthcoming sixth Capitol Nashville studio album is titled "HOME," and will be in stores Feb. 7.

One of country music's most distinguishable voices, Bentley returns with a mainstream country collection for the first time since 2009.

“I definitely stepped away and explored some things that were more on the fringe of country music for a little while,” said Bentley. “So, this record feels fresh. It doesn’t feel like a continuation of any other project or series of recordings. I love being able to try different things musically, and I'm so thankful my fans have followed me to those places. But, I feel like my real 'Home' is in the center of country music."

Bentley stands out among his contemporaries as the only country singer who can claim performances from Lollapalooza to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Bonnaroo to the CMA Music Festival, a true artist carefully tailoring his sets to each. He’s a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and last fall was invited to perform "Home" for the President at the White House. This devotion to developing all sides of his musicianship took Bentley on a successful journey into bluegrass music last year with his acclaimed and GRAMMY nominated album UP ON THE RIDGE. And over his diverse career, the CMA "Best New Artist" winner has sold over five million albums, scored eight No. one hits at country radio and collected 10 GRAMMY nominations.

Bentley will return ‘Home’ for a special album release show at Nashvlle's historic Ryman Auditorium on Feb. 2. The second leg of the Country & Cold Cans tour will resume on Feb. 15 with the first dates scheduled internationally in Canada and Australia.

Nashville NEW YEAR'S EVE Ends On A Half Note

The Nashville New Year's Eve bash that was celebrated at Riverfront ended on a "Music Note" drop, which didn't quite make it all the way down.

See Nashville Country Club's NYE Coverage from both that event and also The Band Perry in New York, by clicking here.

Emotional Traffic

With 2012 freshly out-of-the-box, Tim McGraw’s former label Curb Records offers an adrenaline rush to country music’s new year with the January 24 release of his latest album — a long-awaited studio project from the iconic performer named ‘Artist of the Decade’ by Nielsen BDS. Of the sessions that produced the new music, McGraw termed it in an interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer on August 9: “…certainly one of the best records we’ve ever made.”

The label is finally releasing it after losing the performer's lawsuit to end his contract just last month. Curb Records is set immediately to further announce the availability of two digital single releases from the new package which will be exclusive to iTunes and available prior to Emotional Traffic reaching its official in store street date of Tuesday, January 24.

In summer 2012, Tim McGraw will join Kenny Chesney on the “Brothers of the Sun Tour,” already anticipated to become one of the highest grossing tours of the year across all genres.