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Listen to GARY ALLAN talk about opening up on the Brooks & Dunn Last Rodeo tour!

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· Carrie Underwood Talks Wedding & 'Surprise' Honeymoon

Carrie Underwood is getting closer to becoming Mrs. Mike Fisher, all the while crossing the country on a headlining tour and promoting her latest single and album. So, where does she find the time to plan a wedding?

Time is not really an issue for Carrie, because she has professional help organizing the big day. "I have a really great planner, and both of us are really busy," Carrie said. "I still have a tour to finish, and theres a lot of great things going on this summer. It's getting through all that and taking one step at a time and lots of phone and email conversations."


After the vows and rings are exchanged, the first dance is finished and the cake is cut, the Oklahoma native and her new husband will be taking off to celebrate their new marriage by themselves, although Carrie is not sure where the honeymoon will take place. "I don't know where it is," the superstar explains. "It's a surprise. That was Mike's project, and I have no clue where we're going, which is nice. I know it'll be warm. That's about it."

Don't expect Carrie and Mike to be listed in the local gift registry, since they have not officially registered for any wedding presents. "We really didn't register, because we just want people there," says the smiling 27-year-old. "The basics are always nice, a nice wine or something. We can write your name on it when you come over for dinner. We break it out, but we just want people there. That's the best gift."

A date for the nuptials has not been made public, but one thing that is public is Carrie's current single, 'Undo It,' which climbed into the Top 10 on the country charts and is country's No. 1 digital download for the week.

 

· Tim McGraw Says He Will Leave Curb Records After Next Album

During a wide-ranging question-and-answer session McGraw confirmed he will leave Curb Records following the release of his next album, which will probably be out during the last quarter of this year.

He said the album has already been recorded but is not yet mixed and that it contains one song he co-wrote with the Warren Brothers and Martina McBride. He also explained he recorded the album with studio musicians rather than using his own band, the Dancehall Doctors, as he did on the past four albums.

"It's time for a fresh sound," he said. He added that he will probably return to recording with his band on future albums.

Wearing jeans, a form-fitting gray T-shirt and a black cowboy hat, McGraw walked into the room and stopped at the front row to embrace Mike Borchetta, the man who gave him his first record deal in 1991 by signing him to Curb. Borchetta now captains Lofton Creek Records. The singer then seated himself onstage facing Waddell for an hour of back-and-forth patter before a mostly-industry crowd.

Recalling how he got started in country music, McGraw said he pawned his high school ring to buy his first guitar. He learned to play it during his first summer in college, he said, by watching videos on CMT to learn how to form chords.

McGraw said that in 1989 he sold everything he owned, came to Nashville on a Greyhound bus and set up temporary residence at the Hall of Fame motel near Music Row.

 

· Rascal Flatts Fans Camp Out for 20 Hours to Meet the Band

Rascal Flatts fans hoping to score tickets to Saturday's autograph session and mini-concert at CMA Music Fest hit the pavement Friday night ... and stayed there, for 20 hours or more. Die-hard Flatts fans camped out in chairs, made makeshift beds and even broke out air mattresses to sleep right on the hot and steamy sidewalk outside of the Nashville Convention Center. By 6:30 PM, a line of a few dozen people had already formed in anticipation of the rare Flatts autograph signing, and fans from as far as Pennsylvania were excited at the prospect of seeing their favorite band up close and personal ... even if it did mean they had to forgo a big concert down the street at LP Field and a good night's sleep.

"I'm taking second shift for a friend, but we've been here since noon today," said Jason Chestnut from Christiana, Pa., who held the coveted place at the head of the growing line.

Debbie Rash, also from Pa., was spending part of her third CMA Music Festival experience in line to see the band and says she's stood in line to see the guys before, but never for this amount of time. "We spent the night last year to see Taylor Swift, and I stayed on the sidewalk on a Friday night for Tim McGraw. I tried for Lady Antebellum but I didn't get it. But I got a Tim McGraw ticket."

Tickets to the event were to be handed out at 8:30 AM Saturday, so eager Flatts fans weren't taking any chances on missing out on the special celebration in honor of Rascal Flatts's 10-year anniversary.

 

· Shania gets a royal wedding invitation?

So, THE royal wedding of this decade is rumored to be gearing up to take place real soon....the wedding of Prince William and his very-patient girlfriend of 7 years, Kate Middleton.
Of course, the wedding plans might go a bit more smoothly if William actually proposed first, but that's neither here nor there.
So why should you care about a royal wedding, you ask? Well dangit, you should care because the royal wedding that may or may not be taking place in the near or far future just might have a little country in attendance in the form of Shania Twain.
Yes, for some strange reason Shania is rumored to be on the royal wedding guest. Not sure how she's tied to the royal family, but good for her if she's scored an invite to the sure-to-be-lavish royal nuptials.


· Blake Shelton Getting Ready for a 'Six Pak' Summer

Blake Shelton garnered a No.1 hit and a CMT Award with the title track off his debut 'Six Pak,' 'Hillbilly Bone,' which partnered him with Trace Adkins. And even though that project is only three months old, the Oklahoma native says fans will have another collection by the end of summer.

The innovative concept -- releasing six songs on one CD at a time, instead of waiting for a full album of tunes -- clearly works for the recently engaged singer. The first 'Six Pak' debuted at No. 3 on the multi-genre Billboard 200 chart and No. 2 on the Country Albums chart. But for Blake, the concept was more about practicality than potential chart success.

"Nashville has been looking for ways to try to get people back into the stores and buy albums again," Blake says. "You hear a song on the radio these days, and you just pull out your phone and buy it off the internet right then, and you forget about it. We're looking for ways to remind people that we still make albums, and there's still cool music that you may or may not hear on the radio. So we decided to do a six-song album, and it's really cheap! It's like five dollars and change."

The next 'Six Pak,' scheduled for an August 10 release date, shows all the signs of being a huge success as well. His first single from that project, 'All About Tonight,' has become the fastest-rising single of his career.

· Trace Adkins Heads Back to High School TONIGHT

 

The graduating class of Piedmont High School in Monroe, N.C., will see a tall order (6' 6" to be precise!) filled when Trace Adkins appears as guest speaker at their June 14 graduation ceremony TONIGHT. And just how did the students get so fortunate to snag such a high-profile speaker? They asked. Seniors Ashley Price and Jackson Hargett reportedly wrote to Trace telling how much it would mean to their class if he could speak at their graduation, and Trace graciously accepted. "I think it's awesome that he's the speaker, and that he's doing it for free," senior Kristin Keesler, 18, says (quotes via Nashville Gab). "It's actually a real big treat for our school's 50th graduating class. I'm a real big country music fan, so to have him is really awesome." Student Dillon Helms adds, "We're a country school, so to have a country music star here is pretty big. Country music is very big at Piedmont." Trace graduated from Sarepta High School in his Louisiana hometown in 1980. He was one of 32 graduating seniors that year. · Luke Bryan Reveals Baby Name


Luke Bryan's second son will be named Tatum Christopher, the proud dad reports..

"Tatum is a guy from my hometown, and then my brother's name was Chris," Luke explains to us of the name choice for the baby boy, who is due in August. "So then we'll have Bo and Tate -- sounds like two little rednecks!"

Big brother Bo, whose full name is Thomas Boyer Bryan, was born in March 2008, just a little over a year after Luke and wife Caroline tied the knot.

Having two little boys seems fitting for the Georgia-bred 'Country Man.'

"It's so rewarding to watch him grow, watch him learn, show him tractors and airplanes on the computer and then go down the street and he's freaking out when he sees a tractor," Luke says of Bo. "It's fun making him like the little things that you want to make him like!"

The new baby is the icing on the 2010 cake, as Luke is having an incredible year so far. In February, his No. 1 hit, 'Do I,' reached gold sales certification, selling more than half a million downloads. He picked up his first-ever ACM Award in May, winning the prestigious Best New Artist honors. And he took home a CMT Award Wednesday night, for Breakthrough Video of the Year for 'Do I.'



Wynonna and Naomi Announce 18-City Final Reunion Tour

Nashville, TN – (June 10, 2010) Country Music’s legendary duo, The Judds, delivered a riveting performance for over 10,000 fans in downtown Nashville as they launched this year’s 2010 CMA Music Festival. Wynonna and Naomi Judd helped kick off what USA Today calls “the crown jewel of Country Music festivals,” setting the stage for their highly anticipated final tour, The Judds: The Last Encore. It has been over 10 years since their 2000 “Power To Change” tour, and this final reunion promises to be nothing short of spectacular.

In typical fan-friendly Judd fashion, Wynonna and Naomi recently invited dedicated “Judd Heads” and country music fans across the country to name their upcoming tour in The Judds “Name That Tour” contest. The response was overwhelming. Thousands of fans jumped at the opportunity to solidify their place in Judds HERstory and ultimately Jacqualine Budgell from Murfreesboro, TN was chosen as the lucky winner.

According to Naomi, The Last Encore tour is an opportunity to celebrate the relationship with their fans one last time. “There is nothing like music and laughter to connect people,” she says. “How I’ve missed that encounter with the very ones who’ve allowed us that awesome privilege! I’m counting the days till I can be back on my bus, visiting their towns.”

In addition to their enduring 26-year relationship with the fans, Wynonna shares her sentiment on reuniting with her mother, Naomi, again. “This tour gives me a chance to enjoy where Mom and I are in our relationship. I look forward to celebrating our personal and professional journey...together.” And, for the fans who have followed their journey together through the years, this final curtain call will be yet another reason to celebrate.

The tour will kick off on November 26, the day after Thanksgiving, in Green Bay, Wisconsin and will continue on to their home state of Kentucky with a play in Louisville alongside dates in Salt Lake City, UT, Los Angeles, CA and Las Vegas, NV. The Judds will close their final tour with a full circle moment in Phoenix, AZ where their 2000 “Power To Change” tour began. The Judds: The Last Encoretour will feature new Judds and Wynonna music from the upcoming album while also shining a bright light on all of the fan’s Judds and Wynonna favorites. And for the first time ever, they will also celebrate the holiday season during their final tour by weaving several classic Christmas songs in their immensely diverse set list.

The Judds agent, Greg Oswald, of William Morris Endeavor Entertainment shares “The Judds have been a major force on the arena level now for three consecutive decades. The response from buyers when we made The Last Encore show available was overwhelming. So many offers and not enough time to do them all!”

And, it wasn’t just concert promoters who jumped at the chance to offer an up close and personal evening with The Judds. The Judds’ friends at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital also wanted to share in the excitement by partnering with the darlings of Country Music. For more than two decades, the country music industry has generously supported the organization through fundraising and personal relationships. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance, so no child is ever denied treatment because of their family’s inability to pay. The ongoing relationship between St. Jude and The Judds prompted the girls to include and honor the work of St. Jude on their final tour.

The Judds: The Last Encore Tour will visit the following cities:

11/26 – Green Bay WI – Resch Center
11/27 – Mt. Pleasant, MI – Soaring Eagle Casino
11/28 – Moline, IL – i wireless Center
11/30 – Prior Lake, MN – Mystic Lake Casino
12/2 – Columbus, OH – Value City Arena – Schottenstein Center
12/3 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
12/4 – St. Charles, MO – Family Arena
12/5 – Council Bluffs, IA – Mid-America Center
12/7 – Colorado Springs, CO – World Arena
12/8 – Broomfield, CO – 1STBank Center
12/9 – Salt Lake City, UT – EnergySolutions Arena
12/11 – Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
12/12 – Sacramento, CA – Arco Arena
12/15 – Los Angeles, CA – Nokia Theatre L.A. Live
12/16 – Santa Ynez, CA – Chumash Casino
12/17 – Rancho Mirage, CA – Agua Caliente Casino
12/18 – Las Vegas, NV – Mandalay Bay Events Center/Arena
12/19 – Phoenix, AZ – US Airways Center

· Billy Currington's 'Beer' Brews His Best Numbers Yet

Billy Currington's video for 'People Are Crazy' may not have won the 2010 CMT Award for Male Video of the Year -- the nod went to Keith Urban for 'Til Summer Comes Around' -- but he's still got plenty to celebrate this week.

Billy's single 'Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer' is the fastest rising and biggest selling, first week digital single of his career. The numbers tally up to 21,000 track sales -- a 42% increase from the success he had with 'Don't." 'Beer' is the debut single from Billy's new album that will be out in September.

Billy says 'Beer' was inspired by fond memories of growing up in Rincon, Ga.

"Our Friday night parties weren't in somebody's house. They were in a field somewhere with a bonfire," he tells Country Weekly. "We had trucks with loud stereos and kegs in the back ... I've got good memories of dirt roads."

 

· Julianne Hough's New CD Will 'Sizzle' With Energy

Julianne Hough is getting ready to release her sophomore CD, 'Sizzle,' and the blond beauty says it will allow her fans to finally get to know who she really is through her music.

"To me, it just feels way more me," Julianne says. "The whole record has this rush, this energy, but still kind of moody. It is like me to a 't.'"

The new record, the follow-up to her 2008 debut, started production while the 21-year old was going through several big changes. "There's a lot of personal situations that I've gone through that are on the record," she reveals. "I wrote a lot of songs with Sarah Buxton and Blair Daly. It was literally like a therapy session. I had just broken up with a boyfriend [fellow artist Chuck Wicks], so, of course, I wanted to write about that. And then starting to date somebody and those first initial feelings. I feel a little more mature. I think there's a lot more depth to this new record."

One song specifically hints to the rumors of a budding new relationship. "There's a song called 'Butterflies,' and it was basically like, I feel like I've been a little numb this whole time, like I haven't really felt those butterflies for a long time and they've kind of just been sleeping, and this person woke them up."

Each song, she says, reflects how she was feeling as she dealt with different situations, which makes it hard for her to decide which track she likes the most. "I can't even decide what my favorite song is off the record, because I think they change," she explains. "One week I'm obsessed with 'Wildfire' and then the next week I'm obsessed with 'That's What the Night Is For' and the next week I'm obsessed with 'That's So Wrong.'"

In addition to promoting her new album, the professionally-trained dancer recently announced she would rejoin the cast of 'Dancing With the Stars' this fall. The budding actress will also appear in the upcoming film, 'Burlesque,' opposite Christina Aguilera and Cher. Her new CD will hit stores in November.


· Chris Young Fans Help Him Celebrate Birthday, No. 1 Hit

Chris Young fans had a rare opportunity to go behind the scenes with the singer Thursday, as he celebrated his first multiple-week No. 1 single, 'The Man I Want to Be,' during CMA Music Fest in Nashville. Fans were invited to join Chris at what is usually a music-industry-only event, as he and songwriters Tim Nichols and Brett James were honored with plaques and certificates of appreciation from music publishers, performing rights organizations and Chris' record label, Sony Nashville.

Sony also surprised Chris with a plaque commemorating digital sales of his single, 'Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song),' noting that he's also closing in on a Gold record for sales of 500,000 of his sophomore disc, 'The Man I Want to Be.'

"This is a total surprise; I had no idea I was getting this," Chris said when the plaque was presented to him. "Thank you all; I never thought that I would be able to accomplish something like this."

The label also helped Chris celebrate his 25th birthday a few days early with cake and balloons, and fans were invited to sing 'Happy Birthday' to him prior to his blowing out the candles on the cake.

Chris did a brief performance, singing 'The Man I Want to Be' along with 'Geting You Home' and a couple of other tunes. He invited special guest Gene Watson to join him onstage to sing the Merle Haggard classic 'Mama Tried.' Gene congratulated Chris, then turned to the gathering of fans and said, "Of all the young new artists out there today, Chris is one that is real, and a lot of them are not."

The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native admitted to the crowd that he didn't want to listen to the song when it was first brought to him. "I thought I had recorded enough ballads, and I told everyone I wasn't going to cut another one. Then they brought me this song and I said no, I'm not going to listen. They told me they thought I ought to, and I was a little upset that they were insisting that I listen to it. I finally agreed, and once I heard it, I knew I had to cut it. I just fell in love with it on the spot."

Songwriter Tim Nichols recalled that from the time he turned the song into his publisher and they got it to Chris and it was recorded took about seven or eight hours, a time-frame that is almost unheard of for an artist to hear a song and record it.


· DIXIE CHICKS REVIEW: New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/12/arts/music/12chicks.html?ref=music


· Don Williams Coming Out of Tour Retirement

Don Williams fans will have a few more chances to see the 'Gentle Giant' in concert. The Texas native, who will be officially inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame later this year, is returning to the road for a limited number of concert dates in the fall.

The smooth-voiced singer who will join Jimmy Dean as the newest member of the Hall of Fame at the Medallion Ceremony in late October, had a string of hits throughout his career, including 17 No. 1's. Among his chart-toppers were 'Tulsa Time' and 'You're My Best Friend.' Other hits include 'Good Ole Boys Like Me,' 'Rake and Ramblin' Man' and 'Some Broken Hearts Never Mend.' He also had a major pop-crossover hit with 'I Believe in You' in 1980. Before Don became a solo country star, he was a member of the folk-pop group the Pozo-Seco Singers.

The CMA Male Vocalist of the Year in 1978, Don's single 'Tulsa Time,' was named CMA Single of the Year and was later covered by Eric Clapton. He made an appearance as a band member in the 1975 film, 'W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings,' starring Burt Reynolds, and in 'Smokey and the Bandit 2,' which starred fellow country star Jerry Reed. Ironically, Don also cut a song titled 'If Hollywood Don't Need You (Honey I Still Do),' in which he admonishes his lost love, "If you see Burt Reynolds, would you shake his hand for me."

The entertainer's trademark beaten-up Stetson was given to him to wear in 'W. W. and the Dixie Dancekings.' Although he had not worn hats very much prior to that film, he liked the style that they shaped for him and started wearing it after the movie was released. He once joked that he felt undressed if he went out without it.

Don announced his Farewell Tour of the World in 2006 and true to the name, he performed both in the U.S. and overseas, where he has a rabid fan following. His final concert to date took place in Memphis on Nov. 21, 2006.


· Lee Ann Womack: Journalist

Call Me Crazy Maybe, But Award-Winning Singer Makes People Debut

The idea that George Strait would be one of People Country's Hottest Gys surprises no one. After all, the man they call King George - currently on tour with Reba McEntire, including a 56,000+ show in San Antontio - has defined everything about what makes a cowboy sexy for over two decades, and has only become more handsome over time.

So when People Country wanted to celebrate the man who has come to define the word “hot” for country fans across America, they knew it would be tricky to come up with something that felt new. Rather than make it about the picture, they figured they would ask someone who knew him as a man, an artist and a fan: his touring partner, duet partner and friend Lee Ann Womack.

“When they called at first I thought it was a… uhm… prank,” says the concentrated stick of true country. “I'm not one of those people out there writing essays, or standing up talking about this or that. But my publicist said, 'No, they're serious… They think you can give them a take on George Strait that someone just writing about him cause they like his music can't…'. And that made me feel honored that they'd pick me for something like that."

“Although, I have to say, it's harder than I thought, because once you get started you realize what hasn't been said about George Strait?! He's a great singer with song sense… He's a gentleman… He's funny… He really is a cowboy… He's got class… He doesn't need the spotlight… He's handsome… You know, it's all pretty much been said.”

Regardless, the editors of People Country were thrilled with Womack's 150 words. They didn't even ask for a re-write! Opening with “He's the ultimate gentleman, the ultimate cowboy” and closing with “No one makes country music - and looks as good doing it - like my friend George Strait,” the ever-over-achieving woman with the 6-pack of CMA Awards can now add “published writer” to her long list of accomplishments.

People Country - with Hottest Country Guys -- hits newsstands next week. Lee Ann Womack is in the studio, working on the follow-up to her Call Me Crazy.

Dresses & Boots:

 

Oppressive heat and humidity couldn't deter thousands of dedicated supporters of the 2010 CMA Music Festival. Free fans, $1 sodas and Metro shower tents cooled down attendees as they waited in long lines to meet some of their favorite artists in the Lower Broadway honky-tonks. One out-of-town couple camped out as early as 10pm last night to be the first into the Nashville Convention Center to meet Patty Loveless at the Greased Lightning Fan Fair Hall.



Tim McGraw is the host for CMA Music Festival: Country's Night To Rock. The ABC-TV special airs Wednesday, Sept. 1.


Successful Enterprise: The third annual BamaJam Music and Arts Festival drew approx. 109,000 attendees (aggregate gate count of 300,000) and generated more than $6 million for the county and city of Enterprise, AL. According to the event's publicist, every hotel in a 50-mile radius was booked and more than 2,000 jobs were created during the three-day festival.


REHASH LIST

· Trace Adkins received the National Society of Daughters Of The American Revolution's most prestigious award over the weekend. Adkins was presented the DAR Medal of Honor for outstanding service and leadership to his state and nation as well as for patriotic and humanitarian contributions.

Handheld Taylor Swift karaoke will be available with the release of the Mix Me In2 Taylor Swift app. The iPhone program allows fans to mix themselves into "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me" by replacing existing instruments and vocals to make them new tracks. The final versions can then be uploaded to Swift's website and personal Facebook and Twitter pages. Rock, acoustic, urban, piano and coffee house versions of the songs are available with purchase. Other tracks are available at additional cost. The app will be unveiled Sunday (6/13) during Swift's 13-Hour Meet & Greet. Details here.

The Big Dog Daddy Toby Keith will go "Pops" – the Boston Pops that is – during the Symphony Orchestra's Fireworks Spectacular live from the Charles River Esplanade July 4 at 10pm ET on CBS-TV. The Late Late Show's Craig Ferguson will host the special. Details here.

New Jamey Johnson music is available at online stores and at his website here. The track "Macon," which he premiered at the 2010 CMT Music Awards, is from his upcoming double-CD album The Guitar Song (out Sept. 14). A new free iPhone app is also downloadable here.

Patty Loveless' "Drive" for DRIVE4COPD is available for free download to anyone who takes a five-question screener to determine their risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease here.
Russia's acclaimed Bolshoi Ballet Academy has enrolled Lee Ann Womack's 16-year-old niece Joy, who is among only 90 foreign students. The New York Times captures Joy's journey at the academy in a 16-photo slide show viewable here.