Mindy McCready is released from jail

Mindy McCready, who was sentenced in September for violating probation from a 2004 drug arrest, has been released from jail.

The 32-year-old country singer was released Sunday morning, said a clerk at the Williamson County jail.

The violation occurred in July when McCready was accused of scuffling with her mother and resisting arrest at her mother's home in Fort Myers, Fla.

She still must serve two years' probation.

Her attorney, Lee Ofman, said McCready has learned her lesson and will stay out of trouble.

She had a No. 1 single in 1996 with "Guys Do It All the Time."

Country Music - Who we lost in 2007

In 2007, the world lost two of its most revered Country Music Hall of Fame members --
Porter Wagoner and Hank Thompson -- along with a host of other influential singers, songwriters, musicians and executives. Here's the roll call:

Patrick Bourque, 29, former bassist for Emerson Drive, Sept. 25 in Montreal.

Frank Callari, 55, former manager of the Mavericks, Ryan Adams, Lucinda Williams and Junior Brown, Oct. 26 in Nashville.

Henson Cargill, 66, recording artist whose signature hit was the 1968 "Skip a Rope," March 24 in Oklahoma City, of complications from surgery.

Tex Davis (real name William Doucette), 93, former record promoter and co-writer of the Gene Vincent rock classic "Be-Bop-A-Lula," Aug. 29 in Nashville.

Ralph Ezell, 54, former bass player for the group Shenandoah, Nov. 30, in South Dakota, of an apparent heart attack.

Dan Fogelberg, 56, award-winning singer and songwriter, Dec. 16 in Maine, of prostate cancer.

Ray Goins, 71, bluegrass banjo player and former member of the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers and the Goins Brothers bands, July 2 in Pikeville, Ky.

Lee Hazlewood, 78, record producer and songwriter best known for writing Nancy Sinatra's 1996 hit, "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'," Aug. 4 in Henderson, Nev., of renal cancer.

Doyle Holly, 70, former bassist for Buck Owens' Buckaroos and later a solo artist, Jan. 13 in Nashville, of prostate cancer.

John Hughey, 73, former steel guitarist for Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, Vince Gill and the Time Jumpers, Nov. 18 in Nashville.

Pete (Sneaky Pete) Kleinow, 72, steel guitarist and original member of the Flying Burrito Brothers, Jan. 6 in Petaluma, Calif., following a battle with Alzheimer's.

Hilly Kristal, 75, founder of New York's CBGB music club, Aug. 28 in New York City, of lung cancer.

Janis Martin, 67, rockabilly singer once billed as "the Female Elvis," Sept. 3 in Durham, N.C., of cancer.

George McCorkle, 60, co-founder of and guitarist for the Marshall Tucker Band, June 29 near Nashville, of cancer.

Robert W. McLean, 60, investment manager and philanthropist who donated Mother Maybelle's signature 1928 Gibson L-5 guitar and Bill Monroe's 1923 Gibson F-5 mandolin to the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, circa Sept. 25 in Shelbyville, Tenn., an apparent suicide.

Terry McMillan, 53, harmonica player and percussionist, Feb. 2 in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

Jim Nesbitt, 75, writer and performer of such comic country songs as "Please Mr. Kennedy" and "A Tiger in My Tank," Nov. 29 in Florence, S.C.

Jim Porter, 79, steel guitarist and one of the earliest members of Hank Williams' Drifting Cowboys band, Dec. 15 in Hoover, Ala.

Boots Randolph, 80, pop recording artist ("Yakety Sax," "Hey, Mr. Sax Man") and former Nashville A-team saxophone sideman, July 3 in Nashville.

Del Reeves, 73, Grand Ole Opry star, impressionist and recording artist ("Girl on the Billboard," "The Belles of Southern Bell"), Jan. 1 in Centerville, Tenn.

Glen Sutton, 69, member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and producer and former husband of singer Lynn Anderson, April 18 in Nashville, of an apparent heart attack.

Clarence "Tater" Tate, 76, former fiddler and bass player in Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys band and later a sideman for other mainstream bluegrass acts, Oct. 17 in Jonesborough, Tenn., of lung cancer.

Hughie Thomasson, 55, pioneering southern rock guitarist and member of the Outlaws band, Sept. 9 in Brooksville, Fla., of an apparent heart attack.

Hank Thompson, 82, songwriter, bandleader, member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and singer of the 1952 hit "The Wild Side of Life," Nov. 6 near Fort Worth, Texas, of lung cancer.

Porter Wagoner, 80, singer, songwriter, producer, television personality, member of the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame and career-making mentor to Dolly Parton, Oct. 28 in Nashville, of lung cancer.

Irving Waugh, 94, radio and television broadcaster instrumental in gaining national television exposure for country music during the '50s and '60s and who subsequently championed the creation of Fan Fair and the construction of the Opryland theme park, April 27 in Nashville.

Chickie Williams, 88, long-time performer on the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree and wife of fellow Jamboree cast member, Doc Williams, Nov. 18 in Wheeling, W.Va.

Lawton Williams, 85, writer of the country standards "Fraulein" and "Farewell Party," July 26 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Hy Zaret, 99, writer of the lyrics for "Unchained Melody," July 2 in Westport, Conn.

NOT NEWS: Jessica Simpson Goes Country

Jessica Simpson has again mentioned she will be recording a country album in 2008.

And then the world says, "Thanks Jessica, for reminding us of something you said months ago".

I wonder how that whole "chicken of the sea tuna" problem is working out for her?

Nicole Kidman Rep Denies Pregnancy Story

Nicole Kidman is not pregnant, her Australian press representative has said.
Kidman's expecting a baby was first reported by the U.K.'s Daily Mail, which said The Hours Oscar winner, 40, had told friends and family members over Christmas that she and her husband of 18 months, Keith Urban, were expecting their first child together.

But the Melbourne Hearald Sun quotes Kidman's Australian publicist as denying the Mail's story.

"It is incorrect," the spokeswoman tells the paper. "She must have had about 30 babies by now."

As for Kidman, says the rep, "She's in Australia making a film" – director >b>Baz Luhrman's epic Australia, costarring Hugh Jackman – "and her family are in Australia. She's happily ensconced away somewhere having a few days break. It's the silly season. As far as we're concerned, it's another rumor out of London." However, a friend of Kidman's tells the Herald Sun it is "conceivable" that the actress is nearly three months pregnant.

"She did have a small baby bump a month ago, so it would be reasonable that she'd now be three months and telling her friends and family," the unnamed friend is quoted as saying.

Kidman and former husband Tom Cruise adopted two children during their 1990-2001 marriage: Isabella, now 14, and Connor, 12.

Reba & Hubby Make a Good Team

Reba McEntire says that keeping her career and life in order isn't easy, and she couldn't do it without some help.

"I have the attention span of a 2-year-old," she tells OK magazine. "I like to jump from project-to-project." So how does she manage to keep it together? She says it's her better half, husband and manager Narvel Blackstock, who keeps things in line.

"Narvel makes sure we take the time to schedule properly," she says. "We work as a great team not only as artist and manager, but as husband and wife and best friends. We can argue and we can communicate and put business aside and take off and have a great vacation and fight when we come back."

Baby for Luke!

After a year of one career milestone after another, Luke Bryan got the best news of all recently: he and his wife, Caroline, are expecting the couple's first child in March.

"We're going to have a new baby boy," Luke tells The Tennessean. "I got me a fishing partner on the way."

They plan to call the baby Thomas Boyer Bryan. "I've never been able to pick out anything, so the fact I already have a child's name is exciting," Luke says.

In the last year, Luke was named Country Music Artist to Watch in 2007 by Billboard magazine, scored a No. 1 hit as a songwriter with Billy Currington's "Good Directions," made his debut on the Billboard charts with his Top 20 hit "All My Friends Say," released his debut album I'll Stay Me and made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry.

"It was just highlight after highlight," says Luke. "Last Christmas I was just coming off a radio tour and was just excited about 2007 getting here and it being my chance to make a splash. It's nice to have my first year in the music business behind me. It's just been a really great, blessed year."

As 2008 and the birth of his son approaches, the expectant dad says he's made a few resolutions that he hopes will not only make him a better person, but also a better parent.

"I get so many things on my plate I get scatterbrained," he says. " My resolution is to get one thing and get it done. As far as vices go, I don't drink too much and I don't raise too much cane anymore. And I'm going to try and get to church a little more."

In 2008, watch for Luke as he hits the road with Trace Adkins' American Man tour. Luke's second single, "We Rode in Trucks," is currently on the radio.

When the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie

It's amore! Chace Crawford's clan is crazy about Carrie Underwood.

"His whole family loves her," a friend of the couple tells the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. "They are really perfect for each other."

How close are the duo of six months (who started dating in July but didn't go public until October)? After the American Idol winner, 24, spent Thanksgiving with the Gossip Girls hottie, 22, at his parents' home in Dallas, she joined his relatives on part of her Christmas vacation as well, Us confirms. "They spent Christmas together and had a wonderful time," a source says.

"His parents are fond of her and think she's extremely talented," an insider tells Us. "And they believe 'Carrie Crawford' would be a great addition to the family!"

Underwood, meanwhile, has no regrets about her July split from Tony Romo. "She thanks her lucky stars she isn't with Tony anymore!" adds a source. "She thinks it's a joke he's with Jessica Simpson and sees him as a player. Carrie and Chace call him 'the player' and Jessica 'the ditz.'"

Rascal - Tones

Rascal Flatts Ringtones Now Available
Text 'Rascal' To 55655

For the first time ever, Rascal Flatts’ music – including favorites “Take Me There” and “Bless The Broken Road” – are now available as mobile phone ringtones and ring-backs. Fans can text the word ‘RASCAL’ to 55655 to download their favorite Rascal Flatts ringtones to their mobile phones.

Another way to get Rascal Flatts in your phone... get one of them shrink rays, and shove them little rascals in the headphone jack.

Big Kenny ... mending

Maybe he has Spiderman bandaides... those are awesome.

Big & Rich's Big Kenny will be sidelined for part of the New Year while he undergoes rehab for a neck injury sustained in a car accident involving a drunk driver a few years ago.

John Rich tells Billboard: "It's killing him. At the CMA Awards it was all he could do to get out there and get through it. It was hard for him to even hold his arm up to play the guitar. The doctors are telling him that for all intents and purposes, he doesn't need to tour next year. They're going to put him through some real aggressive rehab for his neck."

John also said that the time off the road will allow both men to "do a lot of stuff on the creative side." While Big Kenny will probably spend a fair amount of time in the studio and writing songs, he's also working on a Broadway play and a feature film, in addition to writing songs. The duo will do a small tour of Canada January 9 - 21.

Year Ends Well For Carrie

Carrie Underwood's Some Hearts CD was the top country album of 2007, according to Billboard, and her follow-up, Carnival Ride looks as if it could follow suit.

Carrie's brand new single from Carnival Ride, "All-American Girl," was co-written by Carrie herself along with Nashville songwriters Kelley Lovelace and Ashley Gorley. As Carrie tells Dial-Global, each writer put some of their own history into the song.

"I think everybody kind of put their own viewpoints on it, and for me it was being the last of three girls," she says. "I was my parents' last-ditch effort at having a boy — not that there's anything wrong with having girls — but I know that they would probably have liked to have switched things up a little bit and had a little boy."

Carrie is keeping busy after Christmas, as she is slated to perform live in New York's Times Square on New Year's Eve as part of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2008. Her tour with Keith Urban begins January 31 in Connecticut.

No Acting For Brad

While Brad Paisley's videos are like mini-movies and often feature popular actors including his wife, Kimberly, Brad says he has no interest in pursuing acting himself.

"I'm the least interested in acting of any artist I know of," he tells Entertainment Weekly. "I hate it every time we have to do a music video. As much as I love the end result, I hate the process. I hate standing there having to act like something I'm not most of the time. And anytime I've done anything like a TV show, it's a lot of hours for comparatively very little pay, and more than that, very little result."

Brad also says he's rather not be told what to do by anyone. "They tell you what to wear, what to say, where to stand, how to look, stand up straight, now you're on your mark — as opposed to 'Ladies and gentlemen, Brad Paisley,' and it's my show, with my clothes, and I'm gonna stand [where I want to], and here's what I'm gonna say next. I like that kind of control. I'd have to give up all of that to do any acting. No thanks."

Spend New Years with GAC

GAC kicks off its annual countdown of the Top 50 Videos of 2007, Thursday, December 27 at 8pm. The first night features videos 50 through 39, with special guest Miranda Lambert. Friday's broadcast welcomes Emerson Drive, Saturday features Josh Turner, Sunday features Jewel, and the final night, counting down videos 12 through 1, is co-hosted by Blake Shelton.

Tune in every night at 8 p.m., December 27 through December 31!

Taylor in THE FUTURE

There will be robots... we assume.

With a Grammy nomination and record-breaking sales of her debut album and the singles released from it under her belt, Taylor Swift is already looking ahead to the future.

"I'm actually in the middle of recording the second album, so I can't even wait," she tells AOL Music. "I'm writing every song on it, just like I did my first album, and it's going to be better than the first."

Despite the phenomenal success she's experienced, Taylor is not resting on her laurels. "I never get comfortable with success. I absolutely love it," she says. "I freak out and get excited, but it doesn't make me feel like I have to work less hard on the second record. It makes me work harder."

Taylor also says she's not nervous about a sophomore slump. "I have complete confidence the second record will beat the first creatively in all directions," she says. "It'll be so much cooler because these songs I've been writing out on the road. I've had two more years of life behind me. I'm really excited to get this out there and for people to hear the new music."

Miranda Learns to Laugh

Things are going great for Miranda Lambert these days with a critically acclaimed album, her second Grammy nomination and a great relationship with boyfriend Blake Shelton.

"It's awesome to be with someone who's your best friend," she tells AOL Music. "He brings out the best in me. And he's a truly honest person. I don't think he's ever lied to me — not even about something small. He gives me a sense of humor. He always tells me that I'm miserable because I don't laugh that much. I have a weird sense of humor. He keeps me laughing all the time. That's the most important thing — to have fun."

Miranda says she's also become more secure in the relationship and doesn't get jealous or worried even though their careers often separate them. "Blake is a very secure person, and he never gets jealous," she says, "so I think that rubs off on me, which is good, because I had the tendency to before. But he really makes me feel confident in who I am, so I don't worry about it."

Blake once described Miranda as "a very real person who hasn't let fame go to her head, a feisty blond from Texas who doesn't doesn't apologize for being who she is." Miranda laughs at the description and says, "He'll deny saying all of that. He always says nice things about me in interviews, and then I'll ask him about it and he'll go, 'I didn't say that!'"

Joe Nichols Debuts New Single On The Tonight Show

Joe Nichols will help the Tonight Show With Jay Leno ring in the new year when he performs his brand new single on the show January 3, 2008. Joe will play "It Ain't No Crime," the second single from his critically acclaimed CD Real Things. The Tonight Show goes back into live production the night before Nichols' performance and the week promises to be a ratings bonanza for Leno and team.

... Or, Jay and Joe are writers strike scabs. However way you wanna look at it.

Faith Hill Could Become First Lady

Faith Hill tells US Weekly, someday she could become First Lady of Tennessee, if her husband, Country superstar Tim McGraw, decides to run for governor. (Isn't that how it works for... pretty much everyone?)

Faith says, "Tim has talked about maybe running for office, and I know how passionate he is about things. When he says he really wants to do something, he'll do it. I can't imagine what it would be like to be the First Lady of Tennessee, but who knows? I don't rule it out. It's dangerous to say never."

Tim for GOV!

Randy Travis is a ‘National Treasure’

So here is BOB... having some nice Holiday fun, and we hit the movie theatre. There, low and behold we found Country Icon Randy Travis featured in the movie National Treasure, Book of Secrets. Travis played himself, during a scene that took place at Mt. Vernon.

He sang parts of two songs and looked and sounded fantastic. One of the songs he sang was "Better Class Of Loser." The movie, National Treasure was ‘bonzo’ at the the box office king this weekend, raking in over $45 million.

So a lot of people saw our little Randy-poo.

Blake Shelton's 'Choir' Places 3rd In NBC 'Clash Of The Choirs'

Blake Shelton and his Team Shelton choir didn’t take the #1 spot on NBC Clash of the Choirs but are very proud of their showing. After a week of hard work and nervous anticipation the 20 member choir and Shelton were thrilled with their performances and placing 3rd in the competition. Placing 1st was Nick Lachey’s choir from Cincinnati, OH and 2nd was Patti Labelle’s from Philadelphia, PA.

After it was announced that Shelton’s choir came in third the host of the show, Maria Menounos of Access Hollywood, surprised all the choirs by announcing that GE was making a $50,000 donation to the charity of each of the four choirs that did not win the competition.

“I couldn’t be prouder of this group of talented and energetic young people – they’ve worked hard the last three weeks and it’s amazing how they have jelled – both vocally and as a team,” says Shelton. “I’m not disappointed at all – I’ve had the time of my life and was thrilled we made it to the finals. And then when they announced that GE was donating $50,000 to each of the charities of the choirs that didn’t win – it just made everything that was already great even better. To be able to present Project Rebuild and the MWR this money just gives me the best feeling in the world.”

Toby Keith's Family Awarded $2.8M for Father's Death

Toby Keith's family has been awarded $2.8 million in a wrongful death lawsuit involving Keith's father, who was killed in a traffic accident in 2001. A jury in McClain County, Okla., concluded that the accident could have been avoided if the owners of a charter-like bus had replaced their brakes after inspectors had told them that they "urgently" need to be fixed. The accident occurred on March 24, 2001, when a pickup driven by Keith's father, H.K. Covel, was sideswiped by another vehicle. Covel's pickup then went across the median of Interstate 35 and into the path of the bus.



Toby on his "Reason for the Season"
Toby Keith, who released his second Christmas album, A Classic Christmas this year, tells Country Weekly that he focuses on the spiritual significance of the yuletide season.

"Other than family, Christmas means one thing — the birth of Jesus," he says. "That's pretty much the whole reason for the season to me." Toby adds that he's not really looking for a special gift under the tree. "I tell everybody not to get me anything, because I've got everything. But if someone gives me something that's practical and doesn't cost a lot — that makes sense with me."

Toby does remember one gift that meant a lot to him as a child. "When I was about 7, I got the coolest bicycle ever — it was gold and had big fat slick about four inches wide on the back."

Shooter Jennings Does Major Television In 2008

Kicks Off New Year On Letterman, CSI & Leno Shows
Shooter Jennings will kick off the new year with a series of high-profile network television appearances in support of his third studio album The Wolf, including a two song performance on CBS' ratings juggernaut CSI: Crime Scene Investigation on Jan 10 at 8pm.

"It's awesome for my music to be recognized and chosen by these music supervisors, who I'm sure had their pick of any country artist in Nashville," said Jennings. "We had a blast during the taping, and this is a great avenue to get songs like 'This Ol Wheel' and 'Higher, which are crowd favorites, heard by the masses."

Jennings has also been tapped to usher the Late Show with David Letterman back into production following the writers' strike on Jan. 2, 2008 with a performance of "This Ol Wheel." A profile piece in the New York Times and a performance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno follow later in the month.

Brad, Carrie and Alan -- Going GOSPEL!

Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, and Alan Jackson have all contributed their talent to a gospel album recorded at the Grand Ole Opry. “How Great Thou Art: Gospel Favorites Live From The Grand Ole Opry” will be released on February 5 on Sony BMG.

The artists and songs include:

“I’ll Fly Away” - Charlie Daniels
“Blessed Assurance” - Alan Jackson
“Precious Memories” - Patty Loveless
“Take My Hand Precious Lord” - Ronnie Milsap
“Family Bible” - Ricky Skaggs
“Just A Closer Walk With Thee” - Sara Evans
“Old Rugged Cross” - Brad Paisley
“Wayfaring Stranger” - Trace Adkins
“Where No One Stands Alone” - Loretta Lynn
“Give Me Jesus” - Vince Gill
“A House Of Gold” - Dierks Bentley
“How Great Thou Art” - Carrie Underwood

Keith Urban Can Handle the Paparazzi

The paparazzi continue to be part of Keith Urban's life now that he's married to actress Nicole Kidman, but he says the adjustment hasn't been too difficult.

Keith tells The Tennessean, "I just kind of roll with it. I don't take it too seriously. Much of it is a bit of nonsense, quite frankly, so I just keep a bit of a lighthearted approach towards it all. At the same time, I've learned to be as protective as I can with my private life, but also just navigating through those waters of the fact that people want to know certain things, and that's okay. And then I have a right to a certain privacy. So it's finding the balance that seems appropriate."

Despite the couple popping up in various publications from time to time, Keith says he and Nicole actually "lead a pretty quiet, simple life."

It gets in your head

SHEDAISY's "Deck The Halls"... a small stocking stuffer for you, now.

George Strait goes SEVEN TIMES PLATINUM

This is George Strait’s year! His 2004 double album, “50 Number Ones“, has sold 7 million units (3.5 million per disc, which are added together for the certification total), making it seven-times platinum.

He’s also up for a few Grammy nominations with his song “It Just Comes Natural” and best country male vocal performance for “Give It Away.”

Family #1 for Tim & Faith

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill say that since becoming parents, their priorities have always been clear: family is first, second and third. Music... maybe 4, 5, or 6.

The Washington Post reports that all aspects of Tim and Faith's careers are worked around their family obligations. Their tours are arranged around school schedules, and during the school year, Mom and Dad, who long ago made a pact not to be apart for more than three days, take turns driving the girls to school and picking them up.

"With three kids, and school, and Girl Scouts, gymnastics and softball and basketball [Tim coaches the last two] — that's why we only tour in summer," Tim explains. "The rest of the year we're just taxi drivers with a credit card."

According to Tim, it's not a question of balance, but of family priorities. "We have a list of everything that our family has to do — children-wise, individual-wise, husband-and-wife-wise — and we update it every month, and that's the first thing on the list. We hand it in to both our management offices and say, 'This is what we're having to do this month, anything that we do work-wise has to negotiate around these things.' "

"We love doing what we do," Faith adds. "We love more being a family and being normal and being Mom and Dad — that's our pleasure in life, doing the things we do every day."

Miranda Wine

Miranda Lambert and her family are getting into the wine business with their private label Red 55 Winery, named after Miranda's first pickup, a candy-apple-red 1955 Chevy.

On Miranda's website, her parents, Rick and Beverly Lambert write: "A good deal of time went into developing this private wine label, and the reason is simple: We believe in families working hard together and celebrating success when it finally comes. Just like wine, the music industry offers no overnight sensations. Many years of hard work go into the product the public ultimately experiences."

The Lamberts partnered with the family of Lou Viney Vineyards of Winnsboro, Tex., to "bottle a wine worthy to put Miranda's name on."

Wines currently available go by the names of Red 55, Electric Pink (Miranda plays a pink guitar), Belle and Kerosene. In early 2008, look for Gunpowder & Lead Merlot and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Sweet White to be added to the lineup.

I Tunes likes Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift Named Best New Artist of Year By iTunes

Taylor Swift, the first bonafide Country star of the MySpace generation, reached another digital milestone this week when her hit single “Teardrops On My Guitar” was lauded by iTunes as their #1 selling country song for 2007. In addition, iTunes has released their Best of 2007 Editor’s Choice lists, naming Taylor as Best New Artist. Taylor, who celebrated her 18th birthday just last week, is consistently the most popular Country artist on MySpace, averaging 100,000 music streams a day on the site. Her total MySpace streams have surpassed 31 million.

This week also marked Taylor’s biggest sales week to date at retail, with fans showing their support for Taylor at the cash registers by snapping up an incredible 98,820 copies of her debut CD this week alone. This week Taylor Swift ranks at # 4 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and at # 9 on Billboard’s all-genre Top 200 Albums chart, an incredible feat considering that her CD is now 59 weeks old. Rounding out Country’s Top 5 albums are the new releases from The Eagles (6 weeks old), Carrie Underwood (7 weeks old), Garth Brooks (5 weeks old), and Rascal Flatts (12 weeks old.)

Taylor’s current single, “Our Song,” which she wrote by herself, is in its second week at #1 on the Country radio charts and in its 4th week in the # 1 position atop the CMT video chart. Taylor is now the youngest person to single-handedly write and sing a # 1 country single entirely on her own.

Tim McGraw & Dwight Yoakam in New Movie

Tim McGraw and Dwight Yoakam head back to movie screens along with Jon Favreau, Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn in the upcoming romantic comedy Four Christmases.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Favreau and Tim will play Dallas and Denver, two bullying siblings who delight in tormenting their brother, Brad (Vaughn), during the holidays. Dwight will play Pastor Phil, the overly zealous partner of Brad's new wife's, Kate (Witherspoon), mother (Mary Steenburgen).

Pastor Phil persuades the young couple to act in his church's nativity play, one of many chaotic events during their visits to different sets of parents. Sissy Spacek, Kristin Chenoweth and Robert Duvall also star in the film, set for release during next year's holiday season.

Between recording albums and touring with his wife, Faith Hill, Tim has appeared in such features as Friday Night Lights and The Kingdom, while Dwight has had supporting roles in Sling Blade, Panic Room, Hollywood Homicide and Wedding Crashers.

Chuck Wicks STEALS a RECORD

Chuck Wicks celebrates the fastest rising single from a debut artist in 2007 with his Top 15 single, "Stealing Cinderella," which continues to climb the charts.

The song, which Chuck co-wrote with Rivers Rutherford and George Teren, tells the touching story of a young man who is asking for his girlfriend's hand in marriage. Chuck will release his debut album, Startin' Now, on Jan. 22, 2008.

"It is overwhelming and very humbling how country radio has embraced this single," Chuck says. "As a new artist, to achieve a Top 15 single is a huge accomplishment that I am so proud of, especially on a song that I co-wrote."

Chuck, a Delaware native, moved to Nashville several years ago and paid his dues parking cars to pay the bills and writing songs to hone his craft. His hard work has paid off with the upcoming release of Starting Now, on which he wrote 10 of 11 songs, including his current hit.

Chuck will be the opening act on the Brad Paisley's 2008 Bonfires & Amplifiers tour, which kicks off on Jan. 16 in Denver.

Jason Aldean likes being a dad... just not cartoons

With a few days off the road for the holidays, Jason Aldean is enjoying spending time with his family, including his oldest daughter, Keeley, who he says is "4, going on 16."

"She'll talk to you like she's in her mid-20s," Jason tells Dial-Global. "She uses words that I don't even know what they mean! She's really smart. I know everybody says that about their kid, but she's very smart, very cool. It's just weird that sometimes when I'm talking to her I forget that I'm talking to a 4-year-old."

Realizing that Keeley gets much of her new vocabulary from TV, Jason says he often jokes with her, "I know you're not getting that from Dora the Explorer, so where is that coming from?"

Jason foresees he will have some challenges when Keeley becomes a teenager. "Believe me, I was a teenage guy. I know what's up!" he says. "I know all the stories. Any guy who comes to my house trying to give me some line — I've used it myself, so it ain't gonna happen."

Jason, who also has a 4-month-old daughter named Kendyl, says that when you have kids, every day you learn something new. He adds, "It's been a very cool experience being a dad."

Chris Cagle on the NAUGHTY LIST

Chris Cagle has been charged with misdemeanor assault after a benefit concert at the Cactus Moon Cafe nightclub in Tucson. Chris was reportedly being asked repeatedly for multiple autographs by an angry woman, even after he had already given her several. The woman began to call Chris names, and he then allededly punched the woman's boyfriend in the face.

Police said Chris explained what had happened and cooperated with the investigation, but the woman's boyfriend has decided to press charges.

NEW GARTH MUSIC VIDEO

GAC will broadcast the world premiere of Garth Brooks' new video with Huey Lewis of the latter's classic hit "Workin' for a Livin'" tonight at 8:30 p.m.

The video places Garth and Huey in the center of the racing action at Atlanta Motor Speedway, performing on a race track as cars zoom past. "It's all about the working man in all of us," Garth says. "All of us have that whole thing of you're working for Uncle Sam, you're working for your kids' education. You're always working for someone else ... I think Huey Lewis brings the essence of the blue-collar mentality to it. I'm really enjoying myself working with a guy that's all heart and soul and at the same time talented. That's the kind of people I like to hang around with."

OR You can watch the video online now at GACTV.com.

Kenny Has Arm Surgery!

Kenny Chesney has been spotted around town in Nashville with his arm in a sling, but his management says it's nothing serious.

So what happened to the country star? A source tells People magazine that Chesney underwent a "minor procedure to his shoulder" to treat pain resulting from an "active lifestyle" and that he is recovering nicely. Chesney's reps had no further comment.

We're going to sign his cast... someday.

Clash of the Choirs

Don’t miss Blake Shelton tonight on Clash of the Choirs! The two-hour premiere airs tonight at 7pm on NBC.

Five celebrities put together an amateur choir in their hometowns to compete live for the title of America’s best choir. Blake will go up against Michael Bolton, Patti LaBelle, Nick Lachey and Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child in the competition.

Kenny Chesney Anxious to Be Onstage

Kenny Chesney is already working out the details for his 2008 Poets & Pirates summer tour, and tickets to his Boston stadium show recently sold out in record time.

As his career continues to evolve, Kenny tells Dial-Global that being on stage is still as exciting as it has ever been. "Somebody asked me the other day, they said, 'Do you still get nervous?' And I said, 'No, not really. I get anxious.' And there is a difference. You get anxious to do it. I don't get nervous that I'm gonna fall on my face 'cause I've done that and I know it will probably happen again. And I forget the words and that's probably gonna happen again.... But I get anxious to feel the energy and that never goes away."

Kenny says one reason he doesn't get nervous is that he and his band are a well-oiled machine these days. "It just seems like when me and the guys go up there now, it's not that it's old hat or whatever you call it, it just kind of came together really easy."

Kenny's arena tour will feature Keith Urban, Sammy Hagar, LeAnn Rimes and Gary Allan.

Flashback Friday: Martina McBride’s O Holy Night

Martina McBride singing “O Holy Night” a cappella and live several years ago.

Carrie Goes 2X Platinum--Sets More Records

She is the preeminent female country artist of the past two years, and now, reigning ACM Top Female Vocalist, double Grammy winner, and back-to-back CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Carrie Underwood sees her 19 Recordings/Arista Records/Arista Nashville album, Carnival Ride, simultaneously RIAA-certified Gold, Platinum, and Double Platinum for sales of two million units.

Released on October 23, Carnival Ride has already launched the multi-week #1 smash, “So Small,” Underwood’s fifth consecutive country chart-topper after four #1 singles from her 6x-Platinum debut blockbuster, Some Hearts. Carrie’s continued success is celebrated in the year-end issue of Billboard, where she is #1 across multiple categories including Top Country Artist and Top Country Artist – Female (both based on sales and airplay), and #1 among Top Country Album Artists (based on sales). Outside the country categories, Carrie’s phenomenal 2007 is clear to see in the all-genre Billboard 200 Artist Recap, which ranks the pride of Checotah, Oklahoma, as the #1 best-selling female artist of the 2007 chart year.


Billboard also shows Carrie’s juggernaut Some Hearts as the Top Country Album for the second consecutive year, making Carrie the first female artist in Billboard history to earn back-to-back honors for Top Country Album. Only one other artist – Charlie Rich, in ’73 and ’74, with his landmark Behind Closed Doors – has ever accomplished this feat.


Sales now in excess of 6.1 million copies, Some Hearts this year became the best-selling female country debut in history. No album – in any genre – to release since Some Hearts (on November 15, 2005) has surpassed the disc’s powerhouse sales to date.


On the airplay front, the 2007 Year in Music recap from R&R reflects the strength of Carrie’s support at country radio, where she is the year’s #1 female artist.


Carrie's new single is now on BOB, “All-American Girl,” she will also well as be toasting New Year’s Eve with Carrie when she performs live in New York City’s Times Square on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2008 on ABC.

Alan Jackson, Tony Blair in White House Video

Two unlikely actors -- Alan Jackson and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair -- are featured in the latest White House online video featuring the first family's Scottish terriers, Barney and Miss Beazley. President Bush, wife Laura and daughters Jenna and Barbara also have roles in the seven-minute video titled Barney Cam VI: Holiday in the National Parks. In it, the canines dream of becoming junior park rangers while they wander around the White House. In one of the dream sequences, Jackson makes a cameo appearance and says, "Junior park ranger? OK, Barney, now you've gone country." In a subsequent dream sequence, Blair congratulates the two dogs after they're named junior park rangers. "Well done," he says. "As someone born in Edinburgh, Scotland, it's always good to see the Scots doing well."

View the video.

Keith Urban Plays Intimate Show in Toronto

... Sounds steamy.

Keith Urban played a three-song acoustic set to 200 fans who gathered Tuesday (Dec. 11) at a Future Shop electronics store in downtown Toronto. The same day, concert promoters announced that Urban will headline a major outdoor concert in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Aug. 30. The concert, billed as Country Rocks 2008, will also feature several popular Canadian acts, including Charlie Major and Aaron Pritchett. Urban performs a Thursday night (Dec. 13) arena show in Toronto as he continues his Canadian tour.

Jason Aldean Launches First Solo Tour Of US & Canada

It has been a long haul for platinum selling country music star Jason Aldean, who has been rocking live audiences since age 14 in bars and clubs across the Southeast. Beginning in January 2008, Aldean will kick off his solo Relentless Tour in Columbia, MO and will travel to 20 cities in the U.S. and Canada through early March. Tickets are on sale now.

"I have learned a lot from being on the road with Rascal Flatts this year about the kind of arena tour I want to have one day," said Aldean. "But, the first step is to go back to some smaller venues and keep building our fanbase one show at a time. We won't stop playing until everybody in the place is on their feet and having a good time."

A Stocking Stuffer

Some old school Reba singing, "I'll be Home for Christmas"... why? No reason. Tis the season.

Travis Tritt LAWSUIT.

Travis Tritt has filed a $10 million lawsuit against Category 5 Records, the Nashville-based label that released his latest album, The Storm, in August. Filed Tuesday (Dec. 11) in federal district court in Nashville, Tritt alleges that Category 5 and label president and CEO Ray Termini misrepresented the company's financial resources and expertise and denied him creative control over his recordings. Termini is also CEO of Haven Healthcare, a nursing home chain that is based in Middletown, Conn. The Connecticut attorney general's office is investigating Haven Healthcare, which declared bankruptcy in November, to determine if Termini illegally used Medicaid funds to help launch the record label. Termini has denied misusing the money. Tritt, who has a four-year contract with the label, claims Category 5 currently owes him almost $400,000. Established in 2005, Category 5 also released Sammy Kershaw's Honky Tonk Boots album in 2006.

Lonestar Joins Sara Evans and Many Others To Appear On Holiday Special This Weekend

Multi-platinum recording group Lonestar will join Sara Evans, Wayne Newton, Paula Abdul, Jerry Seinfeld, Emmett Smith, Olivia Newton-John among other celebrities for an hour of holiday cheer this Sunday, December 16th on ABC at 5 PM!
Lonestar have combined authentic Country music with the joys of Christmas this holiday season with the release of their new CD titled "My Christmas List." The album features eleven newly recorded songs, highlighted by the energetic vocals delivered by Cody Collins. In addition to nine Christmas classics like Joy To The World, Silent Night, and Jingle Bells, this Lonestar CD features two new songs written especially for this project.

"I think this Christmas CD is very special in that it has more of our heart and soul collectively as a band than ever before," said drummer Keech Rainwater. "It features great Christmas songs arranged and recorded in a powerful and unique way."

The new album is on sale at all Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations and online at crackerbarrel.com.

Chug-a-lug-a-luging in his Puh-puh-puh-plower

He's an INTERNATIONAL HARVESTOOOOOR!!!

Craig Morgan's 'Trick My Tractor' Nets Tons Of Entries.

Craig Morgan’s latest single, “International Harvester,” is generating huge fan response, and fans are now customizing their tractors for a new contest on Morgan’s website. “Trick My Tractor” runs through January 4th, 2008 on Craig Morgan's Website.

In just a few weeks at radio, “International Harvester,” is generating unparalleled fan response. The song is rapidly ascending the Top 20 at country radio, reaching an audience of more than 13 million listeners a week. “International Harvester” is the #15 most downloaded country song on iTunes, and Craig’s weekly CD sales have more than doubled since the single hit the airwaves. Sung from the perspective of the guy driving the tractor that is holding up traffic, “International Harvester,” is the third consecutive hit single from Craig’s current Broken Bow Records CD Little Bit of Life.

To enter Trick My Tractor, fans are asked to submit photos of their tricked out tractors, lawn mowers, push mowers, anything and everything they use to take care of their property, to Craig's Website. Whether they’re souped up with all customized features, or just tricked out with at theme, wants those photos!

More than 50 photos have been submitted since the contest’s launch earlier this month, and the winning entry, as determined by Craig and a “distinguished panel of judges,” will win a brand new 8 GB iPod Touch, plus a signed Craig Morgan Prize Pack of Craig’s CDs. And, one runner up will receive an autographed Copley CA-20N acoustic guitar.

Craig created this new contest after an overwhelming number of testimonials poured into his website in response to his recent single “Tough.” Fan enthusiasm for that song carried over onto the internet, and what started out to be a small contest on Craig's website ended up generating huge response.

Sugarland Attacks Rumors

Rumors say, "Ouch".

Successful country duos always seem to be plagued by rumors that they are splitting up — and Sugarland is no exception — but Jennifer Nettles would like to put those rumors to rest once and for all.

"Half of them want to break us up and the other half think we're married, still, which is not the case...neither of those," she tells Dial-Global. "I have said it before and it bears to be repeated that we love working together and we love writing together, and while we are massively supportive of each other in our own individual endeavors, we are happy where we are. I am happy where I am and I know he is too."

Jennifer and partner Kristian Bush were in the middle of their first headlining tour when they got word that their second album, Enjoy the Ride, was certified double platinum for album sales in excess of 2 million units. The duo is enjoying their ride, with only a few shows remaining before they wrap up in Huntsville, Ala., on December 15.

Kristian says headlining a tour is like winning the Super Bowl every night. "It's probably the most fun thing you can do," he says. "It's what you imagine when you were like 6 years old and you're jumping up and down on your bed as the stage and you're doing all sorts of tricks...to actually go through with it and to walk out from some curtain that drops and then you come out and everybody goes crazy. You can get yourself so caught up in it that you can't believe you're there. You have to kind of pinch yourself and thank God."

Taylor's first number 1

I guess you could say... her number 1... number 1?

Taylor Swift's "Our Song" tops both the R&R/Billboard and Mediabase country singles charts this week, making her the youngest artist to write and sing a No. 1 single entirely on her own.

Sitting at No. 6 last week, "Our Song" has made the biggest jump to the top of the charts since Tim McGraw's "Just To See You Smile" went from No. 6 to No. 1 10 years ago — a neat coincidence since Taylor's debut single was titled "Tim McGraw." Taylor's leap to No. 1 is also the biggest for a female artist since Tim's wife, Faith Hill, took her debut single, "Wild One," from No. 6 to No. 1 in 1994.

Taylor also made some personal career history as this is her first No. 1 song. In addition, over the weekend she crossed the 31 million mark for music streams on her MySpace page, further establishing herself as the first bona fide country star of the MySpace generation. Also this week, "Our Song" entered the Top 10 on the most-added songs on Facebook. Taylor is the only country artist on this chart.

"The fact that this was a song that I wrote in 20 minutes and the fact that it is now a real life, actual No. 1 song, I haven't quite taken it in yet," Taylor tells Dial-Global. "I'm absolutely blown away and I'm absolutely honored that country radio would embrace me like that. They've been so kind to me in the past with 'Tim McGraw' going Top 5, 'Teardrops' going to No. 2 and now I have a No. 1 song and I can't stop smiling. It's awesome!"

To top it all off, Taylor's debut album recently went double platinum, signifying two million in sales. "It blows my mind sometimes that my album got to be No. 1 for eight weeks this year," she says, "especially because I wrote every song on that album. And it's hard to figure out why. I think maybe because the songs on there, I really just put everything into them. We put six or seven songs on there that we thought could be singles because we wanted to make sure that it was the best thing we could put out there. Also, we toured as much as we possibly could. Two nights out of every three this year, we were playing shows, and that's not counting travel days. So maybe that has something to do with it."

Taylor's latest sales milestone means she'll be getting some new ink very soon. She reveals that she thought the two million mark was so unreachable that she once promised to get a heart-shaped tattoo on her foot if the album ever got there. Now that it has, she plans to follow through with several folks at her label joining in.

Sara Evans To Host ABC's 'The View'

And will sing for Bawbwa WaWa.

Sara Evans will head to New York City this week to co-host ABC’s The View.
Evans is one of many recent celebrity co-hosts including Kate Walsh and Gloria Estefan to fill-in while Elisabeth Hasselbeck, The View’s regular co-host, is on maternity leave. Evans will be guest co-host on December 12 and December 14.


“I am so excited about being on The View,” explains Evans. “It is such an honor to be asked to co-host. I am going to just have fun with the girls.”


Evans recently released a Greatest Hits album which features her Top 10 hit, “As If,” as well as three other new songs including “Love You with All My Heart,” “Pray for You” and “Some Things Never Change,” all four co-penned by Evans. The album also includes three Top 5 singles and four No. 1 songs from Evans 10 year career, including “No Place That Far,” “Born to Fly,” “Suds in the Bucket,” “A Real Fine Place to Start,” and “I Could Not Ask for More,” among others.

Dierks -- Mayor for a day

Not our mayor, but that would have been cool, huh?

A day after being nominated for four Grammy Awards, Dierks Bentley received another honor when he was named honorary mayor for the day in Glen Falls, N.Y.

Dierks received the honor at a press conference before his concert at the Glens Falls Civic Center, the Post-Star reports. He listened attentively as Mayor Roy Akins read a lengthy proclamation listing various milestones in his life and career. At one point, he interrupted the mayor and quipped, "My life's story played out before me. Is this a proclamation or a funeral?

"Believe me, I'll be pulling this out (the proclamation) on stage tonight and using this in some way with the show," Dierks told Mayor Akins. "This is an amazing thing."

Dierks offered to switch places with the real mayor at the city's holiday tree lighting in City Park later on Friday evening if Akins would stand in for him at a pre-concert reception. "I'll tell you what," he said, "I'll go plug the tree in and you can do the 100 person meet-and-greet I've got lined up for tonight."

After the proclamation, Dierks spoke about how artists such as Hank Williams Jr. influenced his musical style. "You know I was about 17 years old and I was listening to all kinds of different music," he said. "His [Williams] music, there's a lot of loud guitars, but it's still country. It kind of mixes country and rock, and it kind of mixes all the things I love about music."

Hank Jr.'s songs sparked an interest in other veteran artists. "From Hank Jr., I kind of discovered Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson, and kind of looked backwards instead of going forward," Dierks said. "And I still do. I was up till about five o'clock in the morning last night listening to Merle Haggard."

Taylor in MINNESOTA

She wasn't hanging out with us but she said she would call... we're still waiting.

On Saturday Taylor Swift was at the Mall of America in Minnesota, where she judged the Holiday Holla competition in which teenagers wrote lyrics about driving issues set to familiar Christmas tunes.

Taylor told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that she felt well qualified for the assignment for All-State's Keep the Drive campaign — and not because of all her recent career accolades, including last week's Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. She revealed that she has been in a few fender benders herself.

"I've been in three wrecks, each of which were not my fault," she said. "They were because people weren't paying attention and hit my car."

The latest accident occurred two weeks ago when she was stopped at a light and got rear-ended. "It was a car full of teenagers who were texting while driving," she said. "When I got out of the car, they started freaking out because they had my CD in their car. It really kind of drove it home for me that you really need to pay attention while you're driving, especially when teens have got so much technology that we can be focused on things other than driving. You need to have the self-control to not pay attention to that."

The Holiday Holla event culminated with Taylor presenting winners Danny Luebke and Carl Turner with the $15,000 grand prize, followed by the lighting of the Holiday Holla tree, an 11-foot tall tree strung with 6,000 lights to symbolize the 6,000 teen lives that Keep the Drive hopes to save in 2008. After the lighting ceremony, Taylor performed five songs, including the holiday favorite "Santa Baby."

Beer For My Horses -- THE MOVIE

Toby begins production on new film

Toby Keith will begin filming his new movie, Beer for My Horses, in February.

Toby describes the movie, based on his hit single with Willie Nelson, as "an action adventure film that is also situationally funny." Toby will star in the film along with rocker Ted Nugent while a character will be written for Willie, if his schedule allows. " We're shooting the first week in Oklahoma, where it starts at," says Toby, "and we're shooting the rest of the movie in maybe the Santa Fe area, somewhere around Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico." For more on Toby, check out his cover story in the Dec. 31 issue of Country Weekly, which hits newsstands Dec. 17

Be Exclusive With Reba

Reba McEntire's new Love Revival will be sold exclusively at Hallmark Gold Crown stores in January and February, Billboard reports.

Reba is the latest in a string of artists to release holiday-related albums through the retailer. Josh Groban, Michael Buble and Martina McBride have put out Valentine's Day sets, while George Strait, Michael McDonald, James Taylor and Barry Manilow have done Christmas releases.

When Reba agreed to participate, there was a hitch. "I said, 'I'd love to,'" she recalls, "but the problem is, I didn't have that many love songs that I've recorded during my 31-year career, believe it or not." Cliff Williamson, who works for Reba, went through her back catalog and found what they were looking for.

The set includes Reba's 1993 duet with Vince Gill, "The Heart Won't Lie," which spent two weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. The title cut is an amped-up gospel-style piano thumper that first appeared on her 2003 set, "Room to Breathe." "Somebody," a 2004 No. 1, is also included.

In addition, the album contains four songs recorded exclusively for Hallmark, among them a version of Restless Heart's 1987 No. 1 single "I'll Still Be Loving You" and three songs — "Bad for My Own Good," "With You I Am" and "Big Blue Sky" — that Reba had considered, but never wound up using, for previous projects.

Keith is a George groupie!!!!

Keith Urban says one tune he is "really, really loving right now" is George Strait's "How 'Bout them Cowgirls," which is a big Top 5 hit already.

Keith tells MSN Music that when he recently bought Strait's CD, It Just Comes Natural, he played that song eight times in a row. "It pulls me right back into all the reasons I got into country music," he says. "It just sounds like a classic song."

Keith says he also sees a lot of his wife, Nicole Kidman, in the song, which is one reason it appeals to him so much. "All the traits he's singing about fit her to a T. Really just everything about it — that essence of strength. It's just beautiful."

Going to the rodeo!

Brooks & Dunn's "Cowboy Town" has been adopted as the official song of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the next two years. Written by Ronnie Dunn, Larry Boone, and Paul Nelson, "Cowboy Town" captured the spirit of the Wrangler NFR as the title track to Brooks & Dunn's current album. Known as the world's richest and most prestigious rodeo, the Wrangler NFR runs December 6–15 and features the top 15 contestants competing for a share of the $5.5 million purse in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle-bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding.

The partnership calls for "Cowboy Town" to be played nightly during the Grand Entry, when all 118 Wrangler NFR contestants are introduced. In addition, Brooks & Dunn will perform "Cowboy Town" live to open the evening's events on Thursday, December 13.

"This is an extremely important partnership for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo," said Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events. "This gives the NFR a themed opening song from one of America's iconic artists, something that we've never had before. "'Cowboy Town' will be a cornerstone of the 50th anniversary celebration next year."

Toby Keith a football man

Toby Keith, a one-time football player for the semi-pro United States Football League's Oklahoma City Drillers, loves his sport and immerses himself in it as much as he can.

Dial-Global reports that Toby takes on the role of coach for his son Stelen's team and never strays far from his beloved Oklahoma State University team.

"I've coached my little boy's little league team the last three years — which they went undefeated and won the championship by the way," he says. "The 'steel man' plays nose guard. That's one of the things that I know a lot about, and I'm very tight with the coaching staff and my friends and my family at Oklahoma (State) University. I've got one team and I follow them wherever they go. I go to their bowl games and everything. It's a great form of entertainment for me to kick back and go."

Toby will more than likely be at a bowl game in January as his college team of choice is eligible to play in one of three bowl games this year.

Flashback Friday

Flaaaaaashbaaaaaack

George Strait in Pure Country.

Darryl Worley Weds Kimberly

In a small private ceremony in Columbia, TN, Darryl married girlfriend Kimberly Perkins last Sunday.

With only family and a few close friends present, including Darryl's band and road crew, the two exchanged vows in a ceremony that was officiated by Darryl's father and co-manager Rendy Lovelady.

Darryl's brother, Tom, served as best man.