Rascal Flatts get star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Rascal Flatts will be on the West coast next week when their stat is dedicated on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star will be located at 6664 Hollywood Blvd. in front of Sergeant Supply Store. The event took place Monday morning at 11:30. Congrats to the trio on another huge accomplishment.

Kenny Rogers announces autobiography

Kenny Rogers' first ever autobiography, Luck or Something Like It, will be published October 2 by William Morrow. Kenny talks about his childhood, the breakup of his band,  the First Edition, and the challenges he has faced  as a solo artist. It ought to be a great insight into an  otherwise private artist.

Keith Urban becomes American Idol Judge

Fox network offically announced Sunday (Sept. 16th), that Keith Urban and rapper Nicki Minaj are the newest American Idol judges.

Keith said in a statement distributed  by his publicist "It's really an honor to have been invited to be a part of the American Idol family. I'm looking forward to working with everyone and to seeing the same passion that I have for music in all of the participants."

This announcement follows weeeks of rumors and spectulation that Keith and Minaj would be joining Mariah Carey and Randy Jacksonas judges for season twelve. Mariah confirmed she would be back again in July. Randy has been a judge ever since the show first began.

Although the American Idol producers contacted other country music artists about becoming a possible judge, the rumors of Keith's selection for a spot intensified last week when he announced that  he would not be returning for another season of the Australian version of The Voice.

This should be interesting to watch American Idol again and see Keith as a judge instead of Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler, who will be missed. Now as they say in show biz "On with the show!"

Carrie Underwood likes healthy foods & doritos

I always thought that Carrie Underwood only ate healthy foods. However, she has admitted to liking truck stop doritos. I guess this just proves we're all just human and that every once in a while it is good to stop and enjoy the nacho cheesiness. Carrie told The Tennessean newspaper making good food choices is the eeasiest when she is  on the road. "I spend my days off, and this is the weird thing about me, I really love the grocery store so much. If I'm having a bad day, I go to the grocery store to buy groceries. There are so many things in my life that I can't control, but is something about me that I can control every single bit of it. I think that has something to do with it, too. I kind of become a health food nut when I'm on tour," Underwood says. "But, that's not to say we won't stop at a truck stop occasionally and I won't grab a bag of Doritos." After all you only life one so I say enjoy it.

LeAnn Rimes to Perform on VH1′s Save The Music Songwriters Series

LeAnn Rimes will perform at the VH1 Save The Music Foundation’s Songwriters Music Series on September 20. The event is taking place at William Hill Estate in Napa, Cal., and follows the kick-off event with Robin Thicke in Chicago last April. Napa is actually the second stop in the series, which has a show planned for Halloween in New York City.

“I am thrilled to be a part of the VH1 Save The Music Foundation’s Songwriters Music Series,” LeAnn said. “Music is such an important part of my life and I’m happy to help spread awareness about the incredible work VH1 Save The Music is doing to keep music education programs in our schools. I look forward to a great show!”

“We are thrilled to have such an incredible talent in LeAnn Rimes perform at Songwriters Music Series Napa,” Paul Cothran, Vice President & Executive Director of the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, said. “This has been a great platform for us to spread awareness about the importance of music education and raise funds to help restore programs nationwide. With LeAnn Rimes’ help, we hope to surpass the funds raised in 2011 and we are certainly in for a great evening!”

Taylor Swift’s New Single to Make Record-Setting Debut

During a live webcast on Monday, Taylor Swift announced her new album, Red, is set to be released October 22. She also debuted the first single from the project, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” during the chat and then released it immediately afterward. According to Billboard, the single is poised for a record-setting chart debut.

“The title of Taylor Swift’s new single clearly isn’t about her relationship with radio or her adoring buying public,” the article said. “‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ appears headed for the upper part of next week’s Billboard Hot 100 chart, thanks to its immediate acceptance across multiple radio formats and a projected record first-week digital sales total.”

The single was also released to iTunes and Google Play late Monday, followed by other digital retailers on Tuesday. Fans have been snatching up the song in a hurry and extremely strong first-week numbers are expected to be reported as a result.

“‘Never’ has the retail record books in its sights,” the article continued. “Industry sources suggest that the song may sell between 450,000 to 500,000 downloads by the end of the Nielsen SoundScan tracking week on Sunday (August 19). That large a sum could earn ‘Never’ the biggest sales debut for a digital song by a woman, as well as a career-high sales week for the country/pop superstar.”

According to Time, the song “will certainly be the newest, most popular breakup anthem.” Billboard praises both the song and Taylor saying “with ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,’ Swift expands an already impressive songwriting range to incorporate a biting sarcasm within her deep-rooted confidence.”

“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” hit No. 1 in all genres on iTunes in the U.S. in under an hour, and has since reached No. 1 in 24 additional countries. The track is in the top 20 in 40 other countries and is scheduled to be released soon in Mexico, UK, Japan and Germany.

Willie Nelson Cancel Fundraiser

Legendary Country music singer Willie Nelson had to cancel a fundraising performance in Colorado due to health problems.

Fred Bartit, the host for the fundraiser was quoted in The Denver Post as saying " I was told Willie woke up and had trouble breathing, so he was taken to the hospital.”

The fundraiser which was called “Lulu’s Barkin’ BBQ” was going to be raising money for a Denver-area Humane Society animal shelter.

The spokesman for the shelter, Chris Gallegos, also confirmed that Willie Nelson canceled his appearance. However, Mr. Gallegos did not disclose the reason for the cancellation due to confidentiality.

Here's hope it is not too serious and Willie can get back to feeling well and like his self again.

Wynonna Postpones Concert Dates After Husband Cactus Moser was in Motorcycle Accident

Wynonna has postponed a series of concerts after her husband Michael Scott “Cactus” Moser, 55, was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident late Saturday (Aug. 18) near Hill City, S.D. Moser plays drums in his wife’s band. Moser scored four No. 1 country hits back in the ’80s, as a member of the band Highway 101,
The couple were riding their Harley-Davidson motorcycles prior to Saturday’s scheduled concert at the Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel and Casino in Deadwood, S.D., when Moser drifted across the center line of the highway and collided with the driver’s side door of a Chevrolet Malibu. The driver of that car, 59-year-old Michael Bruce, declined medical treatment.
Wynonna, who was riding ahead of her husband and was not involved in the accident. Moser was transported to Rapid City Regional Hospital and is being treated for serious. However, Mosser's injuries were non-life threatening. Moser was cited for driving on the wrong side of the road and not having a license to operate a motorcycle.
Wynonna has postponed Saturday’s concert, as well as four other dates scheduled for later this week in Canada. “The outpouring of prayer and support from friends, family and fans has been a blessing,” she said in a written statement. “Cactus is a champion. I love him deeply, and I will not leave his side.” Judd and Moser were married on June 10 at her farm near Nashville.

Lisa Marie to Make Opry Debut

Lisa Marie Presley will make her Grand Ole Opry debut on August 21. Lisa Marie’s latest album, the Americana release Storm & Grace, is her debut on Universal Republic/XIX Recordings. The project was produced by Grammy-winner T Bone Burnett.

Lisa Marie’s father, Elvis Presley, made his one and only Opry appearance on October 2, 1954 where he sang his version of Bill Monroe’s “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” As written in Peter Guralnick’s Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley, producer Sam Phillips was worried about seeing Bill Monroe backstage that night, concerned about his reaction to Elvis’ cover of the song.

Rascal Flatts, Del McCoury Band, and The Time Jumpers are also among the artists on the schedule for August 21. To plan an Opry visit, call (800)SEE-OPRY or visit opry.com.

Randy Travis Found Naked & Arrested for DWI After Car Crash

Country music legend Randy Travis was arrested for driving while intoxicated after wrecking his car late Tuesday (Aug. 7) night.

Reports also have surfaced that someone called the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office because a man was found lying naked in the middle of the road. Cops found Travis and his 1998 Pontiac Trans Am, which he had run into barricades on the side of the road.

Once in the back of the police car, the naked Travis reportedly threatened to shoot and kill the officers, which led to him being charged with “retaliation and obstruction,” a felony. It is apparent in his new mugshot Travis suffered some minor injuries from the car crash.

It is still unknown why he was naked. According to Grayson County Records, he was released this morning after posting bonds totaling $21,500.

This was the second time the country star has been arrested this year. He was charged with public intoxication the night of the Super Bowl after police found him drunk inside his car outside a Baptist church in Sanger, Texas.

Scotty McCreery: Different and yet the Same

Of course, Scotty McCreery's life was turned upside down when he won American Idol. That's a given, and you really have to be ready for that massive change when you first step in front of the judge's table. But fortunately for Scotty McCreery he is still the same guy he was before. "My life has changed, but I think the person I am pretty much stayed the same," he told the M Live website before he played a show in Michigan last week. "I went from being an average teenager working at a grocery store in the country, to playing music every night and doing what I loved. It's been a huge blessing. I learned a lot of things last year about the industry and about myself." He credits good family, good church, good morals and a small hometown with helping him to stay grounded. However, in a couple of weeks, McCreery will be starting his first year of college at North Carolina State University, with most of his classes on Mondays and Wednesdays so that then leaves his Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays free for touring.

Eli Young Band’s Mike Eli and Wife Welcome Baby Girl

Frontman Mike Eli and his wife, Kacey, a marketing director, welcomed daughter, Kline Olivia Diaz into the world on Monday (July 30) in Dallas. The little girl is the first child for the couple, weighed in at 6 lbs. and 15 oz. and is 20¼ inches long. She was expected to arrive in August.

“They tell you about this feeling that is beyond comparison…” the ‘Even If It Breaks Your Heart’ hitmaker told People, adding, “and the moment Kacey and I laid our eyes on little Kline we understood it’s absolutely the coolest thing ever!”

Needless to say, he’s excited to be a new dad. In naming Kline, Eli and his wife carried on the tradition of ‘K’ names, which apparently run in their family. Eli won’t be able to be on diaper duty for too long though. The singer will get to enjoy a few days of quality time with his little one before he and the band are expected onstage with Rascal Flatts in Charlotte next week.

Toby Keith to Undergo Surgery

Toby Keith is set to go under the knife this week, but that will not keep him away from the stage and the limelight for long.

Keith will have his galbladder removed after being in pain for some time.

According to a report from Got Country, Toby Keith has rescheduled his Aug. 2 performance at Fort McCoy for Aug. 30. However, he will be back on the stage Friday (Aug. 3) in Detroit Lakes, Minn., to continue his Live in Overdrive Tour.

Here is wishing Mr. Toby Keith a fast and healthy recovery.

Glen Campbell cancels international concert dates

Glen Campbell has ended up canceling his tour in Australia and New Zealand next month for health reasons. He was to be joined by Kenny Rogers. The Country Music Hall of Famer is battling Alzheimer’s disease and according to his spokeswoman, the singer was not up for “the very long flight that it would require.”

The tour dates were scheduled to be Glen’s last international stop on his Goodbye Tour. Kenny Rogers will continue with the tour as planned which kicks off on August 10 in Christchurch, New Zealand. Australian country artist will fill in as special guests.

Glen, best known for his hits like “Gentle On My Mind,” ‘’Wichita Lineman,” and “Rhinestone Cowboy,” received the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award earlier this year. He also made his final appearance at CMA Music Festival. Glen has shows scheduled cross the U.S. through October.

Best of wishes go out to the singer and his family during the battle of this awful disease.

Jay DeMarcus, of Rascal Flatts, welcomes his second child

Rascal Flatts member Jay DeMarcus and his wife, Allison, are celebrating the birth of their second child. Dylan Jay DeMarcus was born yesterday afternoon (July 20) in Nashville, and weighed 7lb. 11oz. Both the little one and mom are said to be “doing well in a local hospital.”

Jay was in Detroit when wife, Allison went into labor, but he hopped a flight from the Motor City to Music City and arrived just in time to watch his new son be born. Without even ditching his hospital scrubs, he then hightailed it back to Michigan to perform with Rascal Flatts.

Dylan is the couple’s second child, and back in December 2010, the pair welcomed daughter Madeline Leigh. Big congratulations go out to Jay and Allison DeMarcus!

Miranda Lambert cancels concert dates

It is hard to believe that the tough country girl could get sick but especially bad enough to have to cancel a show.

Miranda's publicist told the Boot that "Due to overextending her voice, Miranda Lambert has been placed on vocal rest. She is under the care of her doctor and hopes to return to the road next weekend."

Thoughts and prayers go out to the East Texas country singer and her husband, Blake Shelton, as she tries to rest and get well again.

Top 100 greatest country songs

This is the top 100 greatest country songs according to Taste of Country. I must admit I was surprised by a few of the songs on this list but I was more surprised by the songs that were not on the list. When you read this see what you think and let me know.

100. Achy Breaky Heart – Billy Ray Cyrus
99. Big Green Tractor – Jason Aldean
98.  How Do I Live – Trisha Yearwood
97. Take This Job And Shove It – Johnny Paycheck
96. That’s What I Love About Sunday – Craig Morgan
95. Elvira – Oak Ridge Boys
94. If You’re Going Through Hell – Rodney Adkins
93. Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses – Kathy Mattea
92. Brokenheartsville- Joe Nichols
91. Boondocks – Little Big Town
90. Long Black Veil – Lefty Frizzell
89. Before the Next Teardrop Falls – Freddy Fender
88. One More Day – Diamond Rio
87. Riding With Private Malone – David Ball
86. Honky Tonk Badonkadonk – Trace Adkins
85. Easy Loving – Freddie Hart
84. Long Black Train – Josh Turner
83. If I Die Young – The Band Perry
82. She Wouldn’t Be Gone – Blake Shelton
81. Highwayman – The Highwaymen
80. Gettin’ You Home – Chris Young
79. Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On – Mel McDaniel
78. It’s a Great Day to be Alive – Travis Tritt
77. I Swear – John Michael Montgomery
76. Have You Forgotten – Darryl Worley
75. A Better Man – Clint Black
74. El Paso – Marty Robbins
73. Guitars, Cadillacs – Dwight Yoakam
72. Bless the Broken Road – Rascal Flatts
71. Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine – Tom T. Hall
70. You’ll Think of Me – Keith Urban
69. Mama He’s Crazy – The Judds
68. I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song) – Brad Paisley
67. Make The World Go Away – Eddy Arnold
66. swingin – John Anderson
65. Thank God I’m a Country Boy – John Denver
64. Redneck Woman – Gretchen Wilson
63. Act Naturally – Buck Owens
62. Stay – Sugarland
61. Rose Garden – Lynn Anderson
60. Boot Scootin’ Boogie – Brooks & Dunn
59. Let Your Love flow – Bellamy Brothers
58. Delta Dawn – Tanya Tucker
57. Need You Now – Lady Antebellum
56. Flowers on the Wall – The Statler Brothers
55. Drivin’ My Life Away – Eddie Rabbitt
54. Breathe – Faith Hill
53. Fishin’ in the  Dark – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
52. For the Good Times – Ray Price
51. Harper Valley P.T.A. – Jeannie C. Riley
50. Independence Day – Martina McBride
49. Still – Bill Anderson
48. Don’t Make My Brown Eyes Blue – Crystal Gayle
47. Bop – Dan Seals
46. Wide Open Spaces – Dixie Chicks
45. Could I Have This Dance – Anne Murray
44. Stand by Your Man – Tammy Wynette
43. Help Me Make It Through the Night – Sammi Smith
42. Strawberry Wine – Deana Carter
41. You Never Even Called Me by My Name – David Allan Coe
40. Smoky Mountain Rain  - Ronnie Milsap
39. Chicken Fried – Zac Brown Band
38. King of the Road – Roger Miller
37. When You Say Nothing at All – Keith Whitley
36. Holes in the Floor of Heaven – Steve Wariner
35. Fancy – Reba
34. Amazed – Lonestar
33. Before He Cheats – Carrie Underwood
32. I was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool – Barbara Mandrell
31. How Do You Like Me Now?! – Toby Keith
30. Always On My Mind – Willie Nelson
29. Summertime – Kenny Chesney
28. I Believe in You – Don Williams
27. Mountain Music – Alabama
26. Margaritaville – Jimmy Buffett
25. Check Yes or No – George Strait
24. The House That Built Me – Miranda Lambert
23. Okie From Muskogee – Merle Haggard
22. Rhinestone Cowboy – Glen Campbell
21. Forever and Ever, Amen – Randy Travis
20. Any Man of Mine – Shania Twain
19. Heartbreak Hotel – Elvis
18. Hello Darlin’ – Conway Twitty
17. Love Story – Taylor Swift
16. A Country Boy Can Survive – Hank Williams Jr
15. Don’t Take the Girl – Tim McGraw
14. God Bless the USA – Lee Greenwood
13. Go Rest High on That Mountain – Vince Gill
12. Coal Miner’s Daughter – Loretta Lynn
11. Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning) – Alan Jackson
10. Good Hearted Woman – Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson
9. I Will Always Love You – Dolly Parton
8. I Hope You Dance – Lee Ann Womack
7. Hey Good Lookin – Hank Williams Sr.
6. The Devil Went Down to Georgia  - Charlie Daniels
5. Crazy – Patsy Cline
4. The Dance – Garth Brooks
3. He Stopped Loving Her Today – George Jones
2. Folsom Prison Blues – Johnny Cash
1. The Gambler – Kenny Rogers

I was disappointed that there was no Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue and American Soldier both by Toby Keith. I also felt Jackson and Ring of Fire should have been on here somewhere. 

Country Independence Day Playlist

Happy 4th of July to everyone. This is just a few songs that I know are out there Country wise for patriotism and 4th of July. Please feel free to tell me the ones I missed. And once again Happy 4th of July to everyone!!

1.       God Bless the USA – Lee Greenwood

2.       American Soldier – Toby Keith

3.       Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly- Aaron Tippin

4.       4th of July – Shooter Jennings

5.       Only in America – Brooks And Dunn

6.       Independence Day – Martina McBride

7.       American Child – Phil Vassar

8.       Living in the Promised Land – Willie Nelson

9.       America – Waylon Jennings

10.   Luckenback, Texas – Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson

11.   Homeland – Kenny Rogers

12.   Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue – Toby Keith

13. Mama Don't let your Baby's Grow up to be Cowboys - Willie Nelson

14. Riding with Private Malone- David Ball

15. Travellin' Soldier - Dixie Chicks

Andy Griffith Dead at 86

Andy Griffith, an actor most notably as the small-town sheriff on the long-running TV show that bore his name, died today, Tuesday, July 3, 2012, at his home on Roanoke Island in North Carolina. He was 86 years old.

            His death was confirmed by the Dare County sheriff, Doug Doughtie.

Mr. Griffith was already a star, with rave reviews on Broadway in “No Time for Sergeants” and in Elia Kazan’s film “A Face in the Crowd,” when “The Andy Griffith Show” made its debut in the fall of 1960. And he delighted a later generation of television viewers in the 1980s and ’90s in the title role of the courtroom drama “Matlock.”

But by the late 1960s, the younger viewers networks prized were spurning cornpone, and Mr. Griffith had decided to leave to make movies after the 1966-67 season. CBS made a lucrative offer for him to do one more season, and “The Andy Griffith Show” became the No. 1 series in the 1967-68 season. But Mr. Griffith had decided to move on, and so had the zeitgeist. “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In,” with its one-liners about drugs and Vietnam, and “The Mod Squad,” about an integrated police force, were grabbing a new generation of viewers.

But the characters in “The Andy Griffith Show” — Barney (Don Knotts), Gomer (Jim Nabors), Opie (Ron Howard), Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier) and the rest, including Gomer’s cousin Goober Pyle (George Lindsey, who died in May) — remained tantalizingly real to enthusiasts who still gather online and sometimes in person in fan clubs to watch the old reruns.

Beginning with the lead in Elia Kazan’s film “A Face in the Crowd” in 1957, the story of a rough-hewn television personality who becomes a power-crazed megalomaniac, Mr. Griffith brought an authenticity to dark roles.

From the 1970s to the 1990s, Mr. Griffith starred in no fewer than six movies with the words “murder” or “kill” in their titles. In 1983, in “Murder in Coweta County,” he played a chillingly wicked man who remains stone cold even as he is being strapped into the electric chair.

Mr. Griffith’s fans may have imagined him as a happy bumpkin, but he enjoyed life in Hollywood and knew his way around a wine list. His career was controlled by personal manager, Richard O. Linke, who forbade Mr. Griffith to solicit advice from anyone else, even his wife.

“If there is ever a question about something, I will do what he wants me to do,” Mr. Griffith said in an interview with The New York Times Magazine in 1970. “Had it not been for him, I would have gone down the toilet.”

Far from the relaxed, gregarious, drawling Andy Taylor, Mr. Griffith was a loner and a worrier. He once hit a door in anger, and for two episodes of the second season of “The Andy Griffith Show” he had a bandaged hand (explained on the show as an injury Sheriff Taylor sustained while apprehending criminals).

But the 35 million viewers of “The Andy Griffith Show” would have been reassured to learn that even at the peak of his popularity, Mr. Griffith drove a Ford station wagon and bought his suits off the rack. He said his favorite honor was having a 10-mile stretch of a North Carolina highway named after him in 2002. (That was before President George W. Bush presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.)

Another honor was having his character place No. 8 on TV Guide’s list of the “50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time” in 2004. (Bill Cosby’s Dr. Cliff Huxtable was No. 1.) But one honor that was denied him was an Emmy Award: surprisingly, he was nominated only once, for his role in the TV movie “Murder in Texas,” although Mr. Knotts won five Emmys as Deputy Fife on “The Andy Griffith Show” and Ms. Bavier won one as Andy’s aunt. The show itself was nominated three times but also never won.

Andy Samuel Griffith was born in Mount Airy on June 1, 1926, the only child of Carl Lee and the former Geneva Nann Nunn. His father was a foreman at a furniture factory. Mr. Griffith described his childhood as happy, but said he never forgot the pain he felt when someone called him “white trash.”

After seeing the trombonist Jack Teagarden in the 1941 film “Birth of the Blues,” he bought a trombone from Sears, Roebuck & Company with money he earned sweeping out the high school for $6 a month. He wheedled lessons out of a local pastor, who later recommended him to the University of North Carolina, where he won a music degree and married Barbara Edwards. He moved on from the trombone to singing, and for a while hoped to be an opera singer.

After first aspiring to be a minister, he tried teaching music and phonetics at the high school in Goldsboro, N.C., but left after three frustrating years. “First day, I’d tell the class all I knew,” he told The Saturday Evening Post, “and there was nothin’ left to say for the rest o’ the semester.”

In spare moments Mr. Griffith and his wife put together an act in which he posed as a preacher, telling jokes about things like putting frogs in the baptismal water, and she danced. They played local civic clubs.

In 1953, speaking to a convention of the Standard Life Insurance Company in Greensboro, Mr. Griffith, in his preacher persona, told a comic first-person tale about attending a college football game and trying to figure out what was going on. Some 500 discs of his monologue were pressed under the title “What It Was, Was Football,” and it became a hit on local radio. Mr. Linke, then with Capitol Records, scurried to North Carolina to acquire the rights and to sign Mr. Griffith.

Mr. Linke began guiding Mr. Griffith’s career in television and nightclubs. His break came in 1955, when he was cast in the Broadway play “No Time for Sergeants” as a mountain yokel drafted into the Air Force — a role he had already played on television, on an episode of “Playhouse 90.” The New York Journal-American called him “an engaging and brilliant natural,” and the play was a hit, running for almost two years. He played the same role in the 1958 film version, with what Bosley Crowther of The Times admiringly called “staggering simplicity.”

In Mr. Griffith’s first movie, “A Face in the Crowd” (1957), he played a far more complicated role: a mentally unbalanced vagrant who is discovered playing the guitar in an Arkansas jail and becomes a beloved television star until he is undone by his dark side. Mr. Griffith told The Times Magazine that he was so consumed by the stormy character that it affected even his marriage.

In 1959, Mr. Griffith returned to Broadway in the musical comedy “Destry Rides Again,” in a role that had been played in films by Tom Mix, James Stewart, Joel McCrea and Audie Murphy. Though reviews were mixed, Newsday declared, “There isn’t a more likable personality around than Andy Griffith.”

The pilot of “The Andy Griffith Show” was actually an episode of “The Danny Thomas Show” in February 1960. Danny Williams (Mr. Thomas) is arrested by a sheriff for running through a stop sign while driving through Mayberry.

Sheldon Leonard, producer of Mr. Thomas’s show, intended “The Andy Griffith Show” to fit the image of its star. Mr. Griffith negotiated for 50 percent ownership, which enabled him to be a major player in the show’s development.

A critical element to the show’s success was casting Mr. Knotts as the inept but lovable sidekick. So was the simple but appealing formula: characters would confront a problem, then resolve it by exercising honesty or some other virtue.

When Mr. Knotts left the show in 1965, a year after Mr. Nabors, Mr. Griffith said he became “nervous” about its future. Some principal writers had also left, and critics and viewers perceived the later years of the show as lacking the sparkle of earlier scripts and more lovable stars. Ratings, however, never tottered.

In the 1968-69 season, Mr. Griffith produced a follow-up series, “Mayberry R.F.D.,” with Ken Berry starring as a widowed farmer and many of the regular characters returning. It ran three seasons.Mr. Griffith’s acting career stalled after he left the show. Despite signing a five-year deal with Universal Pictures, he said he was not offered roles he wanted to play. “I thought I was hot stuff and would go right into the movies,” he said in an interview with The Virginian-Pilot in 2008. “It didn’t work out that way.”

He returned to television in the fall of 1970 with “The Headmaster,” but it lasted only until January. It was replaced by “The New Andy Griffith Show,” but that was not a success, either, and was off the air by the summer. Then came a slew of made-for-TV movies.

In 1984, he played a deceptively laid-back prosecutor in the mini-series “Fatal Vision,” impressing NBC enough to make him the star of a TV movie, “Diary of a Perfect Murder,” which served as the pilot for a new series. Mr. Griffith played an unassuming but cagey defense lawyer in that series, “Matlock,” which made its debut in 1986 and went on to have an even longer life than “The Andy Griffith Show,” running until 1992 on NBC and for three more years on ABC.

Mr. Griffith continued to play occasional movie and television parts, and in 1996 recorded a gospel album, “I Love to Tell the Story: 25 Timeless Hymns,” that went platinum and even won a Grammy.

In the 2009 movie “Play the Game,” he played an 80-something widowed grandfather who lives in a nursing home and awkwardly jumps back into the singles game. He tries Viagra and experiences oral sex, and says the words “horny” and “erection.”

One thing that had always bothered Mr. Griffith was people’s assumption that in his depiction of Sheriff Taylor he was pretty much playing himself. He said he not only threw himself into creating a textured persona for the small-town lawman, but also helped write almost every episode — though he didn’t receive writing credit.

Jake Owen to be A Father

It’s been an amazing year for Jake Owen, and it just got a lot better. The country singer  announced that his wife Lacey Buchanan Owen is pregnant with their first child. The couple is expecting a little girl to arrive in November.

Owen shared the good news with People magazine Monday afternoon. He married Buchanan after a short engagement during a sunrise ceremony back on May 7.

“The way we saw it, the baby news was a bonus on top of the engagement,” Owen says, adding, “but we didn’t want anyone to think we were getting married because Lacey was pregnant, and we wanted to celebrate our wedding first.”

The singer reveals that the couple found out Lacey was expecting after Jake had already asked her father for permission to propose. “From the day I met her, there was no doubt in my mind I wanted to marry her, and we always knew we wanted a family,” he says. “Not only do I have a beautiful wife I get to spend my life with, I’m getting a baby too!”

Owen continues, “You know with other people’s babies, they’ll say, ‘Do you want to hold the baby?’ And I always am excited to do that, but then you have to give the baby back. Now we get to keep the baby!”

The couple’s first ultrasound was Monday (July 2), meaning Owen had to rush home from a Brothers of the Sun Tour stop in Cincinnati, Ohio to be there. He says his sister believes that the Chinese Birth Calendar can predict baby gender, so they expected to be told to expect a boy. “So when the technician said it was a girl, were were like, ‘Are you sure?’” he recounts.

Just after visiting the doctor’s office, Owen hit Twitter, writing “Greatest day of my life. Point blank. Best ever. Wow.”

Tim McGraw battling with Curb Records

The battle between Tim McGraw and Curb Records still wages on. In the latest turn of events, the court has ruled in favor of Curb Records’ request to postpone  the trial until they have had a chance to review additional evidence surrounding Tim’s signing with Big Machine Records back in May and when the 20 songs for Tim’s Big Machine Records debut album were recorded.

The Court of Appeals will soon hear the appeal of the Nashville trial judge’s earlier ruling, which stated an injunction would not be issued pending the trial to prevent Tim from signing with a new label. The court also ruled that while Tim was not prevented from signing with another label, he may be liable for his failure to perform under his Curb contract. The Court of Appeals will determine whether an injunction should have been issued.

While Tim is now a Big Machine Artist, Curb Records has asked the Courts to find that Tim is still under their contract and the 20 recordings from which he plans to release an album on Big Machine Records belong to Curb, as they were recorded during the term of his Curb Records contract.

Tim and his counsel released a response to Curb Record’s public statements stating that the Court’s only ruling at this time was to postpone the trial at the request of Curb Records. “There was no ruling about anything else, and specifically there was no ruling regarding the substance of either party’s claims in the lawsuit ,” the statement read. “The Court’s ruling did not affect, in any way, Mr. McGraw’s relationship with Big Machine Records.”

“The Court’s Order on the postponement and its prior ruling issued back on December 8, 2011 are now public documents and are available on the web site of the Davidson County Chancery Court Clerk,”  the statement continued. “Mr. McGraw and his counsel believe that the rulings speak for themselves, and that it is not proper for either of the parties to issue a press release regarding these matters.”

Luke Bryan to Perform on GMA

Luke Bryan will perform on Good Morning America’s ‘Summer Concert Series’’ on Friday, July 13. The series takes place in New York City’s Central Park with performances from some of music’s biggest artists. Fans can catch Luke Bryan’s performance between 7-9 a.m. on ABC.


The concert is free and open to the public. Fans who want to catch Luke Bryan’s performance in person are encouraged to arrive at Rumsey Playfield via the 72nd street entrance on Fifth Avenue at 6 a.m.

Emily Robison is expecting again

Emily Robison is expecting her fourth child, a rep for the musician confirmed.

“She’s excited!” the rep tells PEOPLE magazine. She also added that the baby is due in early September.

This will be the Dixie Chicks and Court Yard Hounds singer’s first child with her boyfriend Martin Strayer. Robison, 39, is also mom to  7 year old twins Juliana Tex and Henry Benjamin and son Charles Augustus, 9½, with her ex-husband Charlie Robison.

Jennifer Nettles is Pregnant

 The Sugarland singer and reality television judge is close to five months pregnant! The band’s manager broke the news to People on Monday morning.

“They are thrilled beyond belief,” Gail Gellman said. Last November, Nettles married longtime boyfriend Justin Miller during a small, private ceremony in Tennessee. The new arrival — the first for both of them — should coincide with the couple’s first wedding anniversary.

The 37-year-old Nettles is always glowing on stage or in front of the camera, but this summer she’ll no doubt be extra smiley, in addition to being extra tired. The band has a solid wall of shows planned through early September. It’s impressive that Nettles has been able to keep this secret from fans and reporters during recent shows on the In Your Hands tour. Congratulations to the happy couple!

Jason Aldean in a movie.

It is rumored that, Georgia native, Jason Aldean is in talks about being in a movie. However, there is no word yet as to what this movie will be about or even what the movie will be titled. So looks like all of us Jason Aldean Fanatics will have to stay tuned for more information as it is released.

Carrie Underwood in a Hollywood movie?

Carrie Underwood told the sun in the U.K. that she loves Reese Witherspoon so much. She would love it if Reese would play her in a movie. Carrie stated that her and Reese are about the same height,  stature and Reese can also sing. Country music lovers will best remember Reese Witherspoon for her role as the lovely Miss June Carter (Cash) in the movie Walk the Line.  So maybe we will be seeing a movie about Carrie Underwood soon. There is no telling though.

Country Music Father's Day playlist

Randy Travis & Kenny Chesney - He Walked On Water
Craig Campbell - Family Man
Big Kenny - Long After I'm Gone
Sawyer Brown - The Walk
Daniel Smith - Man Like Me
Gary Allan - Tough Little Boys
Collin Raye - I Think About You
Dierks Bentley - My Last Name
Eric Church - Sinners Like Me
Blaine Larsen - The Best Man
Trace Adkins - Just Fishin'
Rodney Atkins - Watching You
Kenny Chesney - There Goes My Life
Ty Herndon - Hands of a Working Man
Bucky Covington - A Father's Love (The Only Way He Knew How)
Billy Ray Cyrus - Ready, Set, Don't Go
Holly Dunn - Daddy's Hands
Collin Raye - She's With Me
Craig Morgan - Lotta Man (In That Little Boy)
Pat Green - Dixie Lullaby
Brad Paisley - Anything Like Me
Billy Yates - Daddy’s Radio
Jack Ingram - Measure Of A Man
Alan Jackson - Drive (For Daddy Gene)
Jamey Johnson - The Dollar
Brooks & Dunn - Proud of the House We Built
Darrell Scott - A Father's Song
Lonestar - Mr. Mom
Lonestar - My Front Porch Looking In
Tim McGraw - My Little Girl
Brad Paisley - He Didn't Have To Be
Reba McEntire - The Greatest Man I Never Knew
George Strait - Love Without End, Amen
Conway Twitty - That's My Job
Carrie Underwood - All-American Girl
Keith Urban - Song For Dad
Chuck Wicks - Stealing Cinderella
Marty Raybon - Daddy Phone
Trace Adkins - You're Gonna Miss This
Jeff Carson - Butterfly Kisses
Rodney Atkins - My Old Man
Heartland - I Loved Her First
Tracy Lawrence - Til I Was A Daddy Too
Dolly Parton - Daddy
Paul Overstreet - Seein' My Father In Me
Darius Rucker - It Won't Be Like This For Long
Lonestar - I'm Already There
Lonestar - My Front Porch Looking In
Chase Rice - My Old Man
George Strait - So Much Like My Dad
Reba McEntire - The Greatest Man I Ever Knew
Doug Supernaw - I Don't Call Him Daddy
Randy Travis - He Walked On Water
Zac Brown Band - Highway 20 Ride
Keni Thomas - That One Is My Dad
Lee Roy Parnell - Daddies and Daughters
Jace Everett - Between A Father And A Son
Derek Sholl - Cat's In The Cradle
Craig Morgan - Walking In My Father's Shoes
Chris Young - It Takes A Man
Alabama - In Pictures
Alan Jackson - Home
Billy Ray Cyrus - Busy Man
Andy Griggs - If Heaven
Billy Currington - Walk A Little Straighter
Billy Dean - Let Them Be Little
Trace Adkins - Then They Do
High Valley - The Only Way He Knew How
Travis Rush - You'll Find Your Way
Toby Keith - My List
Travis Tritt - I See Me
Blake Shelton - When Somebody Knows You That Well

These were just a few I could think of about fathers and the relationships we have with our father.

Miranda Lambert think of Walgreens as "Girl Heaven"

There's a new story in Parade magazine about Miranda Lambert. One of the questions is how she finds balance between both her work and life. And she has an answer to that question. But I believe the real answer lies in one of her latest tweets. "I went ape $hit in Walgreens. I had 3 of the big bags full! Lashes, gloss, magazines, smart water, nail polish, etc. ...Walgreens = girl heaven," Miranda wrote. And any of us girls know exactly what she is talking about. We might go in for shampoo, but we'll come out ready for extreme makeovers, extreme diets, mani/pedis, housecleaning, book club and, if we're lucky, even a girl's night in.  But here is what Lambert told Parade about the balance between her career and her marriage to Blake Shelton: "I try to make sure that I have the right amount of time at home and time on the road. I definitely don't ever want to burn out at my job. I also need to have a personal life and be able to go home and be normal. I try to plan my schedule around when Blake's going to be home, so we can have a little bit of normalcy." I have a strong feeling that a Walgreens run would fall under "normalcy" for Miranda.

George Strait turned 60

The king of country music, George Strait, turned 60 back on May 18. So a big happy birthday goes out to the reigning king of country music, George Strait. He’s had a very long career and an interesting life, much of it has been spent outside the glitter and glare of Nashville. Here’s a few things that you may or may not know about George that I found to be very interesting.

George’s parents, Doris and John, divorced when he and his siblings were young. Following their divorce his mother left with their sister, and the boys were raised by their father. George has remained a private person about the relationship he has with his mother and sister. However, George was close with his older brother Buddy, who he organized the George Strait Team Roping Classic.

A George Strait interview is an extreme rarity. This is not because he’s shy or a diva. It’s just because he does not like doing them. He prefers to keep a low profile and focus on his family and his music.
Something else that George doesn’t like doing is music videos.

George served in the U.S. Army. He enlisted in 1971, and was stationed in Hawaii as part of the 25th Infantry division. He married Norma soon after, and on October 6, 1972 they had their first child, Jenifer.
In 1975, George was honorably discharged from the Army. He then returned back to the state of Texas and went to college where he earned a degree in Agriculture from Southwest Texas State University, which is now known as Texas State University in San Marcos.

George hasn’t always been confident though about the material he’s written. For instance, he never thought “Living And Living Well” was that strong of a song. The public, though, begged to differ, because it went all the way to Number 1 in 2002. However, George also confessed that he can’t remember all of his songs. I can't blame the guy with as many songs he has written and sang in 30+ year music career.

If you think George’s first movie role was Pure Country, like I did you’d be wrong. Back in 1982, George appeared as himself in the film The Soldier, an film about terrorists plotting to detonate a plutonium bomb in a Saudi oil field. Perhaps George and Chuck Norris have something in common.

George doesn’t talk much about the loss of his daughter Jenifer. She was just 13 years old when she died in a car accident in 1986. Jenifer was the passenger and was ejected from the vehicle and killed instantly.
In an interview with USA Today, George admitted that his 2005 song “You’ll Be There” makes him think of his daughter. “I’m a religious person. I honestly believe we will see each other in heaven someday,” he said. “I wanted to do the song badly. The writer, Cory Mayo, held that song out because he knew I wanted to do it, and he waited until I had the chance. It was kind of him to do that.”

One of George’s biggest regrets in his career is laying down his songwriting pen early in his career. On his first few albums George wrote quite a bit, but gave it up when other things got in the way.
George’s son Bubba helped his dad get back into writing again. Bubba helped by co-writing seven of the songs on Here for a Good Time.

It’s hard to believe that the current ‘king of country music’ is not a member of the Opry, but it’s true. We’re not exactly sure why, but there is speculation that one possible reason is that since George lives in Texas, it’s hard for him to really make the time commitment to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. I hope to see George one day as a member of the Grand Ole Opry though.

Not only does George hold the record for more Number 1 hits than any other artist, but he also has the most CMA and ACM wins and nominations in country music history. However, George is closing in on yet another record as well, for the most Top 10 records. Eddy Arnold currently holds that record with 92. To beat him, George would need to make about 3 more albums.

George may have more Number One hits than any other country artist, with nearly 60 of them and still counting. However, not all of his best songs made it big. Some of them only reached Top 5 or Top 10. Songs that didn’t hit the top of the charts include “Run,” “The Fireman,” “True” and in more recent years “You’ll Be There” and “Wrapped.”

Information retrieved from http://wqyk.cbslocal.com/2012/05/18/ten-things-about-george-strait-who-turned-60-friday/

Taylor Swift Named Most Influential by Forbes

Taylor Swift ranked 11th on a list of the most 100 influential celebrities published by Forbes.com on Wednesday (May 16). Forbes, a financial publication, ranked the celebrities in terms of earnings and net worth as well as their level of media visibility and fame. Jennifer Lopez placed first on the list, followed by Oprah Winfrey at No. 2 and Justin Bieber at No. 3. Meanwhile, Toby Keith placed 49th, just ahead of Kenny Chesney at No. 53. Brad Paisley ranked No. 68 and Larry the Cable Guy landed at No. 91.

Taylor Swift's $4 million pledge to the Hall of Fame

Taylor Swift has pledged $4 million to fund a brand new education center at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, TN. At more than 7,500 square feet, the space will encompass parts of two floors and feature three classrooms and a state-of-the-art children's exhibit gallery. It is scheduled to open to the publc in early 2014. Taylor's gift is the largest contribution by an individual artist in the museum's complete 45-year history Which prompted the museum to name the new space the Taylor Swift Education Center. However, the museum is currently expanding their facility from 140,000 square feet to more than 350,000 square feet.

Death of Music Icon, Dick Clark

Richard Wagstaff "Dick" Clark  was an American radio and television personality, best known for hosting American television's longest-running variety show, American Bandstand, from 1957 to 1987. He also hosted the game show Pyramid and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, which transmitted Times Square's New Year's Eve celebrations worldwide.

As host of American Bandstand, with his strong communication skills, he was a "primary force in legitimizing rock 'n roll," not only to teenagers, but also to America's adult population. The show gave many new music artists their first exposure to national audiences, including Ike and Tina Turner, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, the Talking Heads, and Simon & Garfunkel. His shows were among the first where blacks and whites performed on the same stage and the live audience seating was desegregated. Singer Paul Anka claims that his show was responsible for creating a "youth culture," and due to his youthful appearance, Clark was often referred to as "America's oldest teenager".

As a successful businessperson, he served as chairman and chief executive officer of Dick Clark Productions, part of which he sold late in his life. He also founded the American Bandstand Diner, a restaurant chain modeled after the Hard Rock Cafe. Beginning in 1973, he created and produced the annual American Music Awards show, similar to the Grammy Awards.

Clark suffered a massive stroke in December 2004. With speech ability still impaired, Clark returned to his New Year's Rockin' Eve show on December 31, 2005/January 1, 2006. Subsequently, he appeared at the Emmy Awards on August 27, 2006, and every New Year's Rockin' Eve show through the 2011/2012 show. Clark died on April 18, 2012, after suffering a heart attack following a medical procedure.

He was born on November 30, 1929 in Bronxville, New York, and was raised in nearby Mount Vernon. His only sibling, older brother Bradley, was killed in World War II.

After graduating from A.B. Davis High School (now A.B. Davis Middle School) in 1947, Clark started working in the mailroom at WRUN, an AM radio station in Rome, NY, that was owned by his uncle and managed by his father. Almost immediately, he was asked to fill in for the weatherman, and then within a few months he was announcing station breaks.

While attending Syracuse, Clark worked at WOLF-AM, then a country music station. After graduating in 1951 with a degree in advertising and a minor in radio, he returned to WRUN for a short time where he went by the name Dick Clay. After that, Clark got a job at the television station WKTV in Utica, NY. His first television-hosting job was on the show Cactus Dick and the Santa Fe Riders, which was a country-music program. He later would replace Robert Earle as a newscaster.

Clark was principal in pro broadcasters operator of 1440 KPRO in Riverside, California, from 1962 to 1982. In the 1960s, he was the owner of KGUD AM/FM (later KTYD AM/FM) in Santa Barbara, California

American Bandstand

In 1952, Clark moved to Philadelphia suburb Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, where he took a job as a disc jockey at radio station WFIL, adopting the Dick Clark handle. Clark was responsible for a similar program on the company's radio station, and served as a regular substitute host when Horn went on vacation.  In 1956, Horn was arrested for drunk driving and subsequently dismissed.  On July 9, 1956, Clark became the show's permanent host.

Clark with audience during 1957 show

Bandstand was picked up by the ABC television network and renamed American Bandstand. It debuted nationally on August 5, 1957 with Clark interviewing Elvis Presley. The show took off, due both to Clark's natural rapport with the live teenage audience and dancing participants and the non-threatening image he projected to television audiences, including many parents being introduced to rock and roll music. In 1958, the show was added ABC's Saturday night line up. By the end of year, viewership had exceeded the 20 million mark, and featured artists were "virtually guaranteed" a large sales boost after appearing on the show.

In the 1960s, the show's emphasis changed from merely playing records to including live performers. During this period, many of the leading rock groups of the 1960s had their first exposure to nationwide audiences. A few of the many artists that were introduced include Ike and Tina Turner, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, the Talking Heads and Tom and Jerry who later would come to be known better as Simon and Garfunkel.

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve

In 1972, Clark produced and hosted Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, the first of an ongoing series of specials still broadcast on New Year's Eve. The program has typically consisted of live remotes of Clark in Times Square in New York City, counting down until the New Year ball comes down. After the ball drops, the focus of the program switches to musical segments taped prior to the show in Hollywood, California. The special is live in the Eastern Time Zone, and it is delayed for the other time zones so that they can ring in the New Year with Clark when midnight strikes in their area.

ABC has broadcast the event on every New Year's Eve since 1972 except in 1999 when it was preempted for ABC 2000 Today, news coverage of the milestone year hosted by Peter Jennings. However, during that broadcast, Clark, along with ABC News correspondent Jack Ford, announced his signature countdown to the new year. He was a correspondent, according to the transcript of the broadcast released by ABC News. Ford had been assigned to Times Square during the broadcast, and thus, Clark's role was limited. Nevertheless, he won a Peabody Award for his coverage.

Clark was unable to host the 2004/05 edition of the show, as he was recovering from his stroke; Regis Philbin substituted as host for him. Having not been seen in public since his stroke, Clark announced in an August 2005 statement that he would be back in Times Square for the annual tradition, bringing along Hilary Duff and Ryan Seacrest as co-hosts. In the same press release, it was announced that Seacrest would eventually take over as the sole host should Clark decide to retire, or be unable to continue. As planned, Clark returned to the show for the 2005/06 countdown, although Ryan Seacrest served as primary host. On air, he stated, "Last year I had a stroke. It left me in bad shape. I had to teach myself how to walk and talk again. It's been a long, hard fight. My speech is not perfect but I'm getting there." Before counting down to 2006, he mentioned he "wouldn't have missed this for the world."

Reaction to Clark's appearance was mixed. While some TV critics (including Tom Shales of The Washington Post, in an interview with the CBS Radio Network) felt he was not in good enough shape to do the broadcast, stroke survivors and many of Clark's fans praised him for being a role model for people dealing with post-stroke recovery.

From 2005 to 2011, Clark co-hosted New Year's Rockin Eve with Seacrest. In the four decades it has been on the air, the show has become a mainstay in U.S. New Year's Eve celebrations. Watching the ball in Times Square drop on Clark's show was considered an annual cultural tradition for the New Year's holiday for the last decades of his life.

Radio programs

Clark also had a long stint as a top-40 radio countdown show host. He began in 1963, hosting a radio program called The Dick Clark Radio Show. It was produced by Mars Broadcasting of Stamford, Connecticut. Despite his enormous popularity on American Bandstand, the show was only picked up by a few dozen stations and lasted less than a year.

Photo of Clark in 1963. His ABC radio show was called "Dick Clark Reports".

On March 25, 1972, Clark hosted American Top 40, filling in for Casey Kasem. In 1981, he created The Dick Clark National Music Survey for the Mutual Broadcasting System.  The program counted down the Top 30 contemporary hits of the week in direct competition with American Top 40. Clark left Mutual in 1986, and Charlie Tuna took over the National Music Survey. Clark then launched his own radio syndication group; the United Stations Radio Network, or Unistar, and took over the countdown program, "Countdown America". It ran until 1994, when Clark sold Unistar to Westwood One Radio. The following year, Clark started over, building a new version of the USRN and a new countdown show: "The U.S. Music Survey". He served as its host until his 2004 stroke.

Dick Clark's longest running radio show began on February 14, 1982. "Rock, Roll & Remember" was a four hour oldies show named after Clark's 1976 autobiography. The first year, it was hosted by veteran Los Angeles disc jockey Gene Weed. Then in 1983 voice over talent Mark Elliot co-hosted with Clark. By 1985, Clark hosted the entire show. Pam Miller served as producer. Each week, Clark would profile a different artist from the Rock and Roll era. He would also count down the top four songs that week from a certain year in the 1950s, 1960s or early 1970s. The show ended production when Clark suffered his 2004 stroke. However, re-runs continue to air in syndication and on Clark's website "dickclarkonline.com".

Beginning in 2009, Clark merged elements of "Rock, Roll and Remember" with the syndicated oldies show, "Rewind with Gary Bryan". The new show was called "Dick Clark Presents Rewind with Gary Bryan". Bryan, a Los Angeles radio personality, serves as the main host. Clark contributed profile segments.

Grand Ole Opry member Mel McDaniel

      Does anyone know what happened to Mel McDaniel? I found out that answer. McDaniel passed away last year on March 31st. The Grand Ole Opry star died after a lengthy battle with lung cancer. The singer, whose biggest hits included 'Stand Up,' 'Louisiana Saturday Night' and the 1984 No. 1, 'Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On,' was born in Checotah, Okla., which is also the birthplace of Carrie Underwood.
      He was the son of a truck driving father and he was inspired to pursue music after seeing Elvis Presley perform. He taught himself a few guitar chords at the age of 14 and performed at a high-school talent contest. He made his professional debut at age fifteen performing in a talent contest at Okmulgee High School. While in high school, he played in several local bands. Soon after graduation, began working as a musician in Tulsa clubs. While in Tulsa, he recorded several singles for local label (J.J. Cale) and wrote and produced his first single, “Lazy Me”. After marrying his high school sweetheart, McDaniel began performing in Tulsa. However, he decided to leave Oklahoma.. He moved to Nashville for a brief period of time in 1969, just before he relocated to Alaska in 1971, where he played the club scene in Anchorage. After two years there, he returned to Nashville and landed a job as a demo singer and songwriter with Combine Music. With the help of music publisher Bob Beckham, Mel was signed to contract at Capitol Records in 1976 and he released his first single, “Have a Dream on Me”. After five years, his career finally took off with “Louisiana Saturday Night” in 1981. Then in early 1985 he scored his only #1 hit with "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On". His other Top 10 hits during his career include "Right in the Palm of Your Hand" (later covered by Alan Jackson in 1999), "Take Me to the Country", "Big Ole Brew", "I Call It Love", and "Real Good Feel Good Song". Several more hits followed and then on January 11, 1986, at the age of 44, Mel McDaniel was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and made frequent appearances on the show.McDaniel was also inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2006.
      On November 14, 1996, he survived a nearly fatal fall into an unmarked orchestra pit while he was performing at the Heymann Performing Arts Center in Lafayette, Louisiana. That is what ended his touring career and he underwent several surgeries thereafter. Although he did continued to record and perform, McDaniel never fully recovered from his injuries. In 2006, McDaniel released an album entitled 'Reloaded.'  He suffered a heart attack in June 2009 and was in a medically-induced coma.
      On February 19, 2011, McDaniel entered into the hospital where the singer was diagnosed with stage 3 terminal lung cancer. This news came just one day after McDaniel had finished the recording of his final album, which is titled 'The Last Ride.' He died at his home on the evening of March 31, 2011 as a result of the disease. He was 68.
     May Mel McDaniel rest in peace and be in a much happier place. Deepest condolences go out to all his wife (Peggy), and the rest of his family, friends and his fans.


Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_McDaniel
http://www.theboot.com/2011/04/01/mel-mcdaniel-dead/

Mindy McCready Has Strange Baby Mix-Up

     Mindy McCready announced yesterday that she and her music producer boyfriend David Wilson welcomed a son, Zayne, into the world on Monday. Now while this sounds like a typical celebrity baby announcement, it however has a twist. McCready had previously announced that she was expecting twins.
     When asked by E! News to clarify why the star delivered only one baby rather than two, her rep said, "At the time of the initial announcement surrounding Mindy's pregnancy, in consideration of her size, Mindy was certain she was carrying twins; a misinterpreted sonogram seemed to support her feelings and excitement." As recently as December she spoke about being pregnant with twins. She and her doctors "misinterpreted" the initial sonogram.

     "Zayne is truly a blessing and a joy," McCready and boyfriend David Wilson announced in a statement. "It was a long and trying pregnancy; we're so happy he's here. There are no words to convey how happy we are."

     This is McCready's first child with Wilson. The singer has a six-year-old, Zander, with her ex Billy McKnight.

Sources:
http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/our-country/mindy-mccready-strange-baby-mix-173807196.html
http://omg.yahoo.com/news/mindy-mccready-gives-birth-001000458.html

Day of Country History

     There are some interesting things that have happened on April 8th in country music. Therefore lets take a stroller down country memory lane together.
     It was one year again today that Carrie Underwood made her acting debut in a movie called "Soul Surfer" which was based on a true story. Back in 2006, the group Rascal Flatts started a four-week stay at #1 on Billboard with their song  "What Hurts The Most." Mary Chapin Carpenter's album "Shooting Straight In The Dark" becomes the first certified gold album for her in 1992. The late great Keith Whitley picked up a #1 single on Billboard with his song "I'm No Stranger To The Rain" back in 1989.  In 1988, Randy Travis went double-platinum for the second time in his career, with his "Storms Of Life" album. Kenny Rogers portrayed "The Gambler" in a special made for CBS. He was totally awesome in his portrayal of the gambler.

 

Pickler returned to Idol

Kellie Pickler returned to American Idol this past Thursday night (April 5) to perform "Where's Tammy Wynette," which is a track from her new album, 100 Proof. If you remember she was a finalist during Idol's fifth season. Kelly Pickler's tour includes her next stops in Albuquerque, N.M. for April 12 and then at the Country Thunder music festival in Florence, Ariz., on April 13. Her next single is suppose to be the title track off her new album 100 Proof.

The Possum released from the hospital

George Jones was discharged from a Nashville area hospitalon Tuesday, April 3rd after being treated for an upper respiratory infection. He is now continuing his recovery at home. The 80-year-old singer, nicknamed The Possum, was hospitalized back on Thursday, March 29 after he canceled a March 24 concert in Peoria, Ill. Initially he was just scheduled for an overnight stay, but he remained in the hospital where the doctors treated him with antibiotics. According to the Country Music Hall of Fame member's website, Mr. Jones will resume his touring schedule again  with an appearance at a casino in Mahnomen, Minn. on  April 20.

Ashton Kutcher's ACM awards dress

        Ashton Kutcher arrived at the Academy of Country Music Awards Sunday night to be able to present the award for Female Vocalist of the Year. But before presenting he showed up in a ridiculous and completely over the top cowboy outfit. He also tried to sing George Strait's I Cross My Heart. I found that to be extremely wierd and disturbing. He is singing a song about unconditional love and fidelity but yet he and wife, Demi Moore, had a very public break-up.
        I want to know if this was Kutcher's way of punking the country music industry. It also seems that many country stars were wondering the exact same thing. East Texas's own Miranda Lambert tweeted Monday: "Was Ashton Kutcher making fun of country or is it just me?" And country singer Justin Moore went so far as to call Ashton a "douche" on the singers Twitter account. He went on to clarify "I don't care for people making a mockery of the way country artists dress." Kutcher responded to Miranda's accusation on his very own Twitter account Tuesday. He stated that he is "one of The biggest country music fans you've ever met." He then went on to say that he "Wasn't making fun at all." He also congratulated Miranda again on her success at the ACMs. She took the award for Female Vocalist of the Year and also won the award for Album of the Year.

47th Annual ACM Awards.

     The ACM awards were held Sunday in Las Vegas, Nevada. The hosts for the star studded event were the fabulous Reba McEntire and the good looking Blake Shelton. This  year some of the winners were surprizing to me but then their were others I had already expected would be named the winners.
     The Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award recipients for this years award show went to Emmylou Harris, Billy Sherrill, Ricky Skaggs and Dwight Yoakam.
     The Crystal Milestone Award went to the four-time ACM Entertainer of the Year Mr. Kenny Chesney.
      The Career Achievement Award went to Vince Gill.
     The Jim Reeves International Award went home with Alan Jackson.
     The 2011 Poet's Award which is given to songwriters for outstanding musical and/ or lyrical contributions throughout their career went to both Bobby Braddock and Roger Miller. Braddock joined the Country Music Hall of Fame last year. Bobby gave us hits live Tammy Wynette's D-I-V-O-R-C-E, Tracy Lawrence's Time Marches On, Toby Keith's I Wanna Talk About Me and George Jones' He Stopped Loving Her Today. Which are all wonderful songs in my opinion. Mr. Miller past away in 1992. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame back in 1995. However, his music has been keep alive through some of the stars we know and enjoy listening to. Alan Jackson kept it alive with "Tall, Tall Trees." Brooks and Dunn also helped contribute to keeping the legacy going by recording "Husbands and Wives."
     Taylor Swift took home the award for Entertainer of the Year. She beat out some pretty stiff competition this year.
     Co-host Blake Shelton took the award for Male Vocalist of the Year.
     While Blake's wife, the fabulous and lovely Miranda Lambert took both the award for Female Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year with her.
     The award for Vocal Duo of the Year went to Thompson Square. They had a huge year though and I think they deserved it.
     Vocal Group of the Year went to Lady Antebellum.
      The award for New Artist of the Year went to American Idol winner Scotty McCreery. Scotty has had an explosive year but has the voice to back it up. I believe that Scotty could be the George Strait of the next generation of country.
      The Single of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year went to Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson's song Don't You Wanna Stay.
       The Song of the Year the Eli Young Band and the song Crazy Girl.
      The Video of the Year is Toby Keith with Red Solo Cup.
    

Winners were annouced at the ACMs and also on http://www.acmcountry.com/welcome.html

Scotty McCreary going to college

Season 10 American Idol winner Scotty McCreary was honored at his record label. The reason behind the great honor was his debut album, Clear As Day, went platinum. If anyone has not got this album yet, I strongly recommend getting it. My husband and me have bought two copies of the cd. The news comes the same day that Scotty McCreary, now 18, decided to enroll at North Carolina State Univeristy. There has been no word yet if Scotty will also play sports forNCSU. Scotty has said after two years he might transfer to a university closer to Nashville.