THE SHOW MUST GO ON!

Concert Tour Goes On For Injured Chesney....

Kenny Chesney has been given the go-ahead to continue his concert tour - despite injuring his foot onstage in South Carolina on Saturday night ... ouch.

Chesney hurt his foot on machinery lifting him up onto the stage, but the brave singer freed his stuck limb and carried on performing.


He tells People.com, "Dr. Elrod got that the last thing I want to do is cancel shows, but also that I don't want any kind of lasting damage... because being able to hit that stage and really rock the fans is important to me.

Taylor Goes Triple Platinum

No... not platinum blonde -- the hair stays the way it is -- her album has sold 3 million copies!!!! Taylor says she is, "FREAKING OUT!", over the news :-)

Tim - The Merchandiser

First his own flavor of Fritos and now...
Tim McGraw has announced that he’s partnering with Coty to launch his first-ever fragrance this August. McGraw by Tim McGraw will be an appropriately down-to-earth, woodsy scent with touches of aged whiskey. And yes, he will be starring in the ad campaign.

VIDEO: Kenny's Injury

If Kenny Chesney plays his cards right, he may be able to wrangle some serious workers comp out of this.

As it is, Kenny sustained appeared to be a bone-crushing injury during a sold-out concert Saturday in Columbia, S.C.

The 40-year-old appeared to be in obvious pain after making his entrance into the 44,424-strong Williams-Brice Stadium after getting his right foot caught in between a rising platform and the stage itself.

Toby Under Fire... Literally

Country star Toby Keith was trying to give 2,500 soldiers at a military base in Kandahar, Afghanistan, a break from the action, but instead he and his band came under fire along with the rest of the troops.

Keith, on an 18-show USO tour through the Persian Gulf, was right in the middle of his song "Weed With Willie" when mortar fire on the base interrupted him Thursday night.

"We all ran about 100 yards to a concrete bunker," says Keith's agent, Curt Motley, who is also on the USO tour. Keith, 46, and his band hunkered down with the soldiers in a bunker about an hour, signing autographs and posing for shots to pass the time.

When the all-clear was sounded, Keith (who says he likes all three 2008 Presidential candidates), returned to stage – against the advice of a coalition MP.

"He went right to the verse he was in and finished his show!" said Motley.

Keith's 14-day USO tour – his sixth in as many years – continues through this week.

Carrie Breaks Down

Carrie Underwood broke down in tears onstage in Atlanta, Georgia on Thursday, while performing a song inspired by her mother.

The American Idol star began sobbing during a rendition of Don't Forget to Remember Me, on the latest leg of her tour supporting Keith Urban.

Audience members tell People.com that Underwood struggled through the song, but couldn't overcome her tears.

Tim... Chips?

Tim Mcgraw Lands Potato Chip Honour....!?

Fans can now taste country star Tim McGraw - he has his own flavor of potato chips.

Tim McGraw's Spicy Jalapeno Fritos will hit Wal-Mart stores across America at the beginning of next week. (Starting April 28)

McGraw will appear in upcoming TV and print ads for Fritos, which have been dubbed the "official snack" of the singer's new tour which begins on May 9th in Tampa, Florida.

Oh, and for those keeping score -- available exclusively at Wal-Mart
- Tim's New Greatest Hits Album
- Tim's New Chips

... hmmmmmm.

Taylor - The Superstar of Tomorrow?

Taylor Swift has repeatedly gone places recently where country artists have rarely been welcomed, landing cover slots on "Blender" and "Rolling Stone" magazine. Now she's becoming the first musician in any genre to receive the Superstar of Tomorrow honor during the 10th annual Young Hollywood Awards at the Avalon, located along the Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.

The Superstar of Tomorrow trophy has successfully gauged performers who have risen quickly in the acting ranks. Among its previous winners are Katherine Heigl, Shia LaBeouf, Jessica Alba and Brandon Routh. Taylor will pick up the honor when the awards are handed out on Sunday.

Taylor will also be the cover girl for the June issue of Seventeen magazine, and she's scheduled as a guest on ABC's Good Morning America Tuesday and on Live With Regis And Kelly Wednesday.

Taylor's current video, "Picture To Burn," ranks No. 5 on GAC's Top 20 Country Countdown

Little Big Town Makes Changes

Ch-ch-ch-changes!!!!

Part of the story of Little Big Town’s history was a frustrating recording contract in which the band made a ton of compromises, only to come up with an album that didn’t really work. To add insult to injury, they got dumped by the label.

Now they’re changing labels again, leaving the independent company where they first found success to sign with a major. The band officially left the Equity Music Group yesterday in favor of a new deal with Capitol Records, which has bought the rights to both of their Equity albums, The Road To Here and A Place To Land.

And after a lengthy wait, they’ll finally follow up last fall’s single "I’m With The Band" with a new single, yet to be announced.

Whichever song they choose, Little Big Town is looking to raise its status a bit

"We’re perfectionists and strivers," group member Karen Fairchild said recently. "So we keep going and going, always reaching for that next level, whatever that might be and never feel like we’ve made it. I guess we’re still really hungry and excited about doin’ [music], and don’t take any of it for granted."

The band is currently nominated for Top Vocal Group in the 43rd annual Academy of Country Music Awards, slated for May 18 in Las Vegas.

Miranda Lambert -- Investigated for Assault

Miranda maybe seems a little angry in her songs... but in real life too???

A Texas woman is accusing country singer Miranda Lambert of getting physical during an argument at a bar on Saturday night.

Aisha Esbay says she approached Lambert for a picture, only to have Lambert refuse. After Esbay's friend was similarly rebuffed, Esbay confronted Lambert.

"I asked her why she was so rude," Esbay tells PEOPLE, "and she started yelling these hurtful things at me."

Esbay alleges that Lambert pushed her multiple times. A publicist for Lambert had no comment on the allegations.

The Smith County Sheriff's Department is investigating the incident.

More on Trace's Flick

Trace Adkins recently finished filming in Los Angeles on a movie that puts a new spin on a Christmas classic, but don't look for the picture during the holidays. Producers hope to get it out much sooner - perhaps in August.

The movie is American Carol, written and directed by David Zucker, responsible for the spoofs Airplane! and The Naked Gun. American Carol is a satire of the Charles Dickens novel A Christmas Carol, but it uses a different holiday to tell its story.

"American Carol, instead of bein' set around Christmas, is set around the Fourth of July," Trace says. "The Scrooge character just doesn't think that the Fourth of July should even be recognized anymore, so the spirits come and beat the hell out of him and show him why he should be a little more patriotic and this and that. But it's a comedy, and I had a blast doin' it."

Trace plays one of the ghosts in the movie, which — according to IMDB.com — also employs several characters out of history, including Jimmy Carter, John F. Kennedy and Adolf Hitler. Among the actors joining Trace in the picture are Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Hopper, Jon Voight and Leslie Nielsen.

In the meantime, Trace's role in Trailer Park Of Terror is on the docket for discussion at the Nashville Film Festival tonight. The movie is showing in Green Hills, and Trace is expected to field questions from the audience afterward.

Trace on Young and the Restless

Trace Adkins will be appearing on the May 2nd episode of The Young and the Restless on CBS. Adkins makes an appearance in Genoa City to help Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) surprise his wife, Phyllis (Michelle Stafford), for their first anniversary.

He’ll perform, “You’re Gonna Miss This.”

Miley to write memoirs

Miley Cyrus is coming to a bookstore near you (of course, she IS everywhere else): The 15-year-old actress and singer is writing her memoirs.

The book, to be published by Disney next spring, will center on Cyrus' rise to fame and the guidance of her mother, Leticia. It will also include unseen family photos.

"I hope to motivate mothers and daughters to build lifetimes of memories together and inspire kids around the world to live their dreams," the Us Power Girl said in a statement.

"I am so excited to let fans in on how important my relationship with my family is to me," the Hannah Montana star added.


... Oh, and if you're thinking "doesn't a person write their life story AFTER they've been famous for more than a year or two?"... yeah... that is usually how it works. But when you're Hannah Montana...

Toby --- Shipping Out

Toby Keith will be heading back to the Persian Gulf soon to perform for troops in a USO tour. This will be his sixth USO tour and will perform 18 shows in 6 days this round. He will also sign autographs, pose for pictures and express his gratitude to America’s armed forces.

He has worked with the USO since 2002, totaling over 100 shows in 10 countries:

“There’s no denying I am definitely busy these days but no matter how busy I am, I always make the time to visit our nation’s troops,” said Keith. “They all mean a lot to me and my trips overseas to visit them is what I look forward to every year. I only wish everyone had the opportunity to travel with the USO as it’s been the experience of a lifetime for me.”

Joe Diffie Opens Vaults --- Cashes In

If Garth Brooks can do it, fellow Oklahoman Joe Diffie can pull music out of the vaults, too.

In a move akin to Garth's release of the album The Lost Sessions, Joe Diffie went through the more than 100 songs he's written and started releasing them online in a series he calls "basement tapes." They can be heard on his website or his MySpace page for free, and downloaded for 99 cents.

"Like most artists who have been as lucky as I've been to have such a long career, there are many songs I love that have never made it onto any of my records," Joe says. "I've decided to make some of my favorites available for my friends and fans to download. I'll only leave them on the site for a short time; then I'll replace them with more."

Last night, Joe's MySpace page featured "I'm Holdin' On," "Til Death" and "Tapestry Of Heartaches."

Even as Joe's been dusting off the old recordings, he's also been working on another album of new material. The CD is reportedly close to completion.

Trace Shocked by HIS Movie

Trace Adkins got excited when director Steven Goldmann approached him about playing a satanic character in the horror movie "Trailer Park Of Terror," which made its Tennessee debut Saturday night during the Nashville Film Festival. With his booming voice and imposing countenance, he figured the role would help him shock a few people.

"Goldmann, he wanted me to do this devil-type character," Trace notes, "and I looked at the [scenes] that he sent me, and I was like, 'Yeah, man, that'd be fun, and it'll only take me a day to do it. Sure, I'll do it.' And I didn't read the script. I didn't know what the movie was about."

Trace was stunned when he finally saw the film for the first time Thursday night with his wife. The picture features explosions, cannibalism, an amputation and various other forms of physical mutilation. Trace knew it was a horror movie, so that part didn't surprise him. What did come as a shock was the amount of simulated ? er ? "...romance" onscreen.

"I looked at Rhonda, and I was like, 'Oh my God ? what have I done?'" Trace says.


Trace is expected to appear at the Nashville Film Festival when Trailer Park shows again on Wednesday. A distribution deal for the picture hasn't yet been finalized.

Wanna Live in Kenny's House?

The Los Angeles Times reports Kenny has put a five-bedroom, five-bath house in Malibu, Calif., on the market for a hefty $7.95 million... JUST, 7.95 million... chump change, baby!!! The place has 3,700 square feet of space and a view of the Pacific Ocean. If you didn't know that Kenny had a house on the West Coast, you're not alone. Apparently, he bought the place rather quietly in February for $7.4 million. So if he gets his asking price, that's a tidy $550,000 profit.

Meanwhile, the Times piece also indicates Kenny has a home on the market in the Virgin Islands for a whopping $14 million. That abode features more than 10,000 square feet of space with a 9,100-square-foot deck, seven bedrooms and a 1.7-acre plot.

... Woah.

LITTLE Miley's BIG Donation

Teen millionairess Miley Cyrus has donated $1,000 to the California church she visits every week, according to reports.

The religious 15-year-old makes the generous hand outs to the Montrose Church, in the outskirts of Los Angeles.

A friend tells American magazine Star,"She gave even more during the Easter holiday".


Even $1,000 a week is little to Cyrus, who was recently revealed to be the richest teen in Hollywood - having made $18 million in just one year.

Taylor On The Cover Of Rolling Stone!

Blonde beauty Taylor Swift has managed to grab the hearts of the country community and her crossover into pop has been a hit. It’s no wonder Rolling Stone included the lovely young lady in the annual "Best of Rock" issue, which hits newsstands May 1.

“Swift is a rare blend of goofy teenager and polished saleswoman, which has let her tap into a huge market of country-loving teens. She can trade Napoleon Dynamite quotes for hours, but she's also mastered the art of smooth-talking radio station personnel: her manners are as perfect as her complexion,” raves the magazine.

Miranda in OK MAGAZINE

Miranda Lambert is in the next issue of OK MAGAZINE, here's little piece of the interview...

When she’s not wowing crowds with her heartfelt hits, hanging with Keith Urban or being bedazzled by Beyoncé (“She walked right by me and my boyfriend at the Grammys, and I almost broke his hand off I was squeezing so hard!”), Miranda Lambert, 24, can be found at her Oklahoma farm. “It’s my paradise,” the Texas-born singer, who dates fellow country star Blake Shelton, tells OK!. “I don’t have to wear makeup. I don’t have to look cute. I can just be who I am.”

Sara Evans -- Getting Hitched THIS SUMMER!

Sara Evans plans to get married. She'll do it this summer, though she's not sure what date. In fact, she doesn't know much at this point, except what gown she'll wear and who she's marrying - Birmingham sports-radio host Jay Barker.

"I hired a wedding planner, and she's doing it all," Sara told The Tennessean. "That's the way I am. I just give something over to somebody. But I do have my dress." ... The dress, probably more important than the groom! ... Right, ladies?

Nicole's Morning Sickness

Bleh... Nicole Kidman may be an Oscar winner, but she can't escape one of the most common afflictions among pregnant women everywhere.

"I’ve had severe morning sickness," the expectant actress, 40, told Access Hollywood on Monday – when she and husband Keith Urban hit the red carpet at the CMT Awards in Nashville.

Kidman, wearing a figure-hugging red dress that revealed a burgeoning baby bump, also admitted to wondering if the most difficult part is yet to come.

"[I'm] good actually, really good. Waiting for the third trimester," she said. "Everyone says that is hard work."

Tim Tim Tim!

Trying to figure out what to do with that tax rebate check? Tim McGraw has a combo package that should keep the economy moving nicely - and it's a real bargain at the same time.

Tim is combining both of his best-of albums in a combo pack for release exclusively at Wal-Mart April 29. Titled Greatest Hits: Limited Edition, the double album features 31 tracks, including 21 that reached No. 1. The songs range from his first success, "Indian Outlaw," to the 2006 hit "My Little Girl," and they include collaborations with wife Faith Hill and rapper Nelly.

The combo, previously released separately as Greatest Hits and Tim McGraw Reflected: Hits Vol 2, is listed at $11.88.

The Limited Edition track list includes:

• Indian Outlaw
• Don't Take The Girl
• She Never Lets It Go To Her Heart
• I Like It I Love It
• Just To See You Smile
• It's Your Love
• Where The Green Grass Grows
• For A Little While
• Please Remember Me
• Something Like That
• My Best Friend
• Maybe We Should Just Sleep On It
• Down On The Farm
• My Next Thirty Years
• Let's Make Love
• Live Like You Were Dying
• My Old Friend
• Like We Never Loved At All (with Faith Hill)
• The Cowboy In Me
• When The Stars Go Blue
• Real Good Man
• She's My Kind Of Rain
• Grown Men Don't Cry
• Not A Moment Too Soon
• Watch The Wind Blow By
• Over And Over (featuring Nelly)
• Everywhere
• Beautiful People
• Red Ragtop
• My Little Girl (from the motion picture "Flicka")
• I've Got Friends That Do

CMT MUSIC AWARDS

We have videos and all the winners for ya!!!! Whoo hoo!! That's reporting... kinda!

Billy Ray and Miley


Billy and Miley perform "Ready, Set, Don't Go"... sounds pretty good considering Miley has strep throat!!!


Video Of The Year

--Taylor Swift – “Our Song” (Director: Trey Fanjoy)

Male Video Of The Year

--Trace Adkins – “I Got My Game On”

Female Video Of The Year

--Taylor Swift – “Our Song”

Group Video Of The Year

--Rascal Flatts – “Take Me There”

Duo Video Of The Year

--Sugarland – “Stay”

USA Weekend Breakthrough Video Of The Year

--Kellie Pickler – “I Wonder”

Collaborative Video Of The Year*

--Bon Jovi featuring LeAnn Rimes – “Till We Ain’t Strangers Anymore”

Performance Of The Year (New Catagory)

--Kellie Pickler – “I Wonder” from the 41st Annual CMA Awards (ABC)

Supporting Character Of The Year (New Catagory)

--Rodney Carrington for Trace Adkins’ “I Got My Game On”

Wide Open Country Video Of The Year

--Alison Krauss and Robert Plant – “Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On)”

Tearjerker Video Of The Year (New Catagory)

--Kellie Pickler – “I Wonder”

Comedy Video Of The Year (New Catagory)

--Brad Paisley – “Online”

Tim --- WRITES BOOKS!

Tim McGraw knows a thing or two about kids, since he and Faith Hill have three daughters, and he's expected to release a children's book this fall, according to People.com.

"My Little Girl", Planned for release in October, the book features a foreword written by Faith. Tim has been involved in several book projects in the past, including the 2002 Simon & Schuster release Tim McGraw & The Dancehall Doctors: This Is Ours and the 2004 Rutledge Hill title Live Like You Were Dying.

6 Months Pregnant???

Keith and Nicole last night at the CMT Music Awards... bet you can't guess which is 6 months pregnant!!! ... Seriously, where is the baby?

Taylor's Getting Schooled

Taylor Swift hasn't yet graduated from high school, so you can imagine she's doing all the studying she can.

But history and math are not at the top of her list these days, unless you're talking about the history of country music or doing the math on the number of times her music's been streamed on MySpace. The biggest part of her education of late has come from paying attention to the acts she's opened for on tour.

"You can learn so much from watching how these guys approach their work on the road," she told USA Weekend. "Kenny [Chesney] is up at the crack of dawn, walking around the venue, getting to know everyone from the sound check guys to the people who sell the souvenirs to the fans. Then Rascal Flatts stages this big production with all the flash. And George Strait? It's all about the music with him. He pays so much attention to building up the song, with the arrangements and the band and his singing. I'm so lucky to have these experiences. I can take something from each of the people I've toured with for my own act."

Concerts are not her only concern. Taylor's also started recording her sophomore album, which is expected later this year.

New Randy Travis!

Randy Travis’s newest single, “Faith In You,” debuted yesterday on GAC. The video was shot in Los Angeles at The Million Dollar Theater, features a love story of two people set through time. What do you think? Give us a jingle, 232-4-BOB.

Sugarland ... "We don't feel good"!

Sugarland made its first-ever to Australia last month, crossing 13 time zones to do a mere seven shows in the land Down Under. Perhaps in recovery from the travel, they were forced to cancel a pair of shows this week - in Wilmington and Asheville, N.C. - citing illness.

Translation: The went to Australia. Now they're laid up. They're sick.

Trace's Acting Gigs

Trace Adkins is making quite an impression on New York and Los Angeles these days. And he hopes that will lead to a nice secondary career as an actor.

He appears in the horror movie Trailer Park Of Terror, which screens this month at the Nashville Film Festival. He just finished working on a Kelsey Grammer picture, An American Carol, which should be out in time for Christmas. And he shot a guest role for the CBS soap opera The Young And The Restless.

Viewers of The Young And The Restless will also have the opportunity to hear some country music. Trace performed "You're Gonna Miss This" on the episode he taped this week; it's slated to air May 2.

All About The "Tens" For Brad

"Success," Brad Paisley says, "is more difficult than failure in many ways. It's also more fun."

Brad stared his success — and some of the people who helped him achieve it — in the face last night as Arista Nashville threw a party to celebrate the multitude of "10s" in his career: He's been signed to the label 10 years, he's had 10 No. 1 hits, and he's sold 10 million albums. And, as it turns out, he's also tied with George Jones and Loretta Lynn for 10th place on the list of Country Music Association awards nominations; each of them has been on the list 38 times — and all of Brad's have come since the year 2000.

Carrie Says, "Take it like a man"!

... Jeez, Carrie Underwood. Really? That's the quote we're getting today? Ok.

Carrie Underwood returned to "American Idol" last night, singing a George Michael chestnut, "Praying for Time," during the "Idol Gives Back" special.

Since Carrie's been on that same stage in front of the same judges, she's quite familiar with the pressures of singing in front of Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and — especially — Simon Cowell. And she's stunned at some of this year's contestants, who've actually questioned Simon's assessments from the stage.

"His role, I guess, is to be the bad guy, so I get so, so angry when I see contestants up there arguing with him," Carrie told Fox News. "Just take it. Get up there, and take it like a man."

Keith & Toby -- Real Estate News

Hmm, a story about business and money on BOB? Just to make it more fun, we'll randomly hide the word "milk" throughout the story. Enjoy.

Keith Urban and Toby Keith... milk... are now owners of multiple properties in the U.S., though the stories involving Keith's holdings have created a ton of question marks, and milk.

The Los Angeles Times reported over the weekend that Keith and Nicole Kidman had purchased a home in L.A.'s milk Brentwood neighborhood for $7 million. The story has, in fact, raced across the Internet, though one lone voice, milk & Access Hollywood, says a representative for Nicole insists the couple did not buy the property.

Meanwhile, The Nashville Post indicates Keith and Nicole have definitely bought a home in the Forest Hills section of Music City for $3.47 million. The sale of the house in question was made through an agency that kept the real buyers' names secret (and favorite kind of milk a secret, too), and many in the media speculated that Jessica Simpson was the new owner. According to The Post, Keith and Nicole now own two properties in the Nashville area. They also have a home in Australia and maybe/maybe not one in Los Angeles. Keith's milk representative declined to comment.

Toby, meanwhile, is expanding his chain of milk & I Love This Bar & Grill establishments. The Phoenix-based East Valley Tribune reports he's building a 2,400-square-foot restaurant with an 80-foot, guitar-shaped bar and a stage for live performances in Mesa, Ariz. The club, which would likely open around the end of the year, would be his fourth I Love This Bar property, alongside holdings in Oklahoma City, Las Vegas and North Kansas City, Mo. ... Milk.

Josh Turner -- IN A MOVIE!

Josh Turner To Tackle Role In Billy Graham Movie

Production of the Billy Graham Biopic, Billy The Early Years, has begun in Tennessee, with much of the filming taking place in the Nashville area, reports Variety magazine.

Josh Turner has scored his first acting role in the movie. Turner will play the role of Graham’s musical counterpart, George Beverely Shea.

Just a guess... Josh will probably sing. Just a guess...

Why's Everyone Laughing at Clint Black???

"I really got the feeling that people were laughin' at me." .... NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ... Oh, wait, keep reading BEFORE the rage sets in --

Had Clint Black been singing, that would've been devastating. But he was trying his hand at stand-up comedy, so laughs were a good thing. Clint did a short string of jokes last night on the CBS show "Secret Talents Of The Stars," a six-week competition in which 16 celebrities work in areas outside their normal realm of entertainment.

After receiving some coaching from comedian Garry Shandling, Clint did a short routine that included a jab at his usual profession. He noted there's a cure for every kind of ache — backache, toothache, etc. — except for heartache. "That's why," he added, "we invented country music and alcohol."

Bounced were R&B singer Mya and Star Trek actor George Takei, who attempted to reshape himself as a country singer. Though coached by Montgomery Gentry, George — best known for his role as Mr. Sulu — confessed "the beat has always been a big challenge to me," and he proved it by getting lost in a short version of Willie Nelson's "On The Road Again."

Look for Jo Dee Messina to tackle urban dance as four more contestants appear in next week's installment.

Beam Me Up... Eddie and Troy!

Montgomery Gentry On Secret Talents Of The Stars
Big-Buzz New Series Debuts Tonight On CBS
Montgomery Gentry will make an appearance on the premiere episode of Secret Talents Of The Stars airing tonight (4/08) on CBS. The award-winning duo joins the show to coach former “Star Trek” star Mr. Sulu, George Takei, as he preps for his country crooning debut.

“Man, how cool to be rockin’ with Mr. Sulu. I’m such a Trekkie,” admits Eddie Montgomery. “Beam us up to the Semi-Finals.”

Carrie Breaks Up Over Text!

Carrie Underwood isn't crying a river over her recent split from Chace Crawford.

"We broke up over text, so it's like 'peace out,'" Underwood, 25, told Extra at the Idol Gives Back taping in Hollywood Sunday. "It was completely mutual, we're both fine."

She said they haven't talked "in a while, but I mean, I don't dislike him. So it's no big deal."

Their relationship "just didn't work," Underwood added, "and we both knew it didn't work and [there are] no hard feelings at all whatsoever."

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban will raise their new baby in L.A.

Baby Kidman-Urban has a new cib for its... crib.

The couple bought a home just down the road from her ex Tom Cruise in L.A.’s Brentwood neighborhood, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Price tag: $7 million.

The five-bedroom digs, located at the end of a cul-de-sac, features rolling lawns, koi ponds and city views, as well as 5,600 square feet.

Kidman last lived in the neighborhood with ex Cruise, but sold that home four years ago for $10.5 million after her divorce was finalized.

Kidman and Urban, both 40, who wed in June 2006, will welcome their first child in July.

She has two adopted children, Connor, 13, and Isabella, 15, from her marriage to Cruise.

Emerson Drive -- BRING US SOME CRACKER JACKS!!!!

... And we don't care if we ever come back! Take us out to the baaaaall gaaaame... It's a good thing the guys in Emerson Drive like baseball, because they'll see plenty of it next week. The band will appear at two home openers in the Midwest Monday and Tuesday, singing the national anthem in Chicago and Kansas City.

"This is going to be fun," lead singer Brad Mates says. "I'm a big baseball fan, and season openers are always exciting. It's a real honor to be part of these opening days for the White Sox and for the Royals. Plus, they've given us great seats — not a bad way to spend an afternoon or two."

Kenny Talks about the "Summer Time"

... And brings "horns on tour with him". "We had them on the stadium shows last year, and it was so great, we had to bring the horn section out for the entire tour." And with that pronouncement, Kenny Chesney added a horn section to the band for his wildly anticipated Poets & Pirates 2008 Tour.

Led by Sax player Jim Horn, known for his work on U2's "Angel of Harlem," the Rolling Stones' Goats Head Soup and Jackson Browne's "Running on Empty," as well as being part of the legendary Mad Dogs & Englishmen Tour and the Concert for Bangladesh, the four piece section also includes Steve Herrman, Chris Dunn and Scott Ducaj.

"These guys are the very best of the best," says Chesney. "They've worked with everyone you can imagine in pop music, so they think about these songs in ways that give them more dimension. Songs everybody knows get a new shine, some more juice and it just really takes things up a notch when they're onstage.

Everyone want to be a BIG STAR

After Kenny Chesney's announcement last week that he was instituting a Big Star talent competition that would let local bands open the show on his Poets & Pirates Tour, he was overwhelmed by the interest. His website and his record company were deluged by people asking for more information about how to enlist in the competition, which will allow a winning act to audition for executives at Sony BMG, the parent of BNA Records.

"I didn't know what to expect," Kenny says. "In some ways, it was a crazy idea, and in others, it's a lot of work, but when I look at those fans, think about their dream and how I might get somebody doing what I was doing a few years ago a little bit closer to it, it just seemed like the right thing. This response shows me the fans are as psyched up about it as I am."

More info on the contest available at KennyChesney.Com

Trace Adkins Appears In New Comedy American Carol

TRACE --- THE ACTOR!!

Trace Adkins, fresh off a season of Donald Trumps’ Celebrity Apprentice and with a number one single You’re Gonna Miss This, will join the cast of David Zuckers’ new comedy American Carol, currently shooting in Los Angeles.

Trace plays The Spirit of Christmas Future -- the Grim Reaper -- who uses his special musical abilities to bring insight to 'Scrooge,' in an effort to help him avoid an inevitable and tragic end.

The other cast includes Kelsey Grammer, Serdar Kalsin, Geoffrey Arend, Robert Davi, Jillian Murray, Chris Anglin and a host of "celebrity" cameos including Jon Voight, Leslie Nielsen and Dennis Hopper.

TROUBADOUR - TOOOODAY!

George Strait grew up as a musician playing western swing in the dancehalls of Texas, and he's continued to include swing material regularly in his shows even after he became a star. Still, he hasn't actually recorded a swing tune on one of his albums since at least 1993.

He finally sank his teeth into one for his new album, Troubadour, which is released today. The track is called "That West Texas Town," and it's notable not only because it returns him to the style associated with the late Bob Wills, but also because it marks the first time George has recorded a duet with Dean Dillon. Dean wrote George's very first hit, "Unwound," and he's gone on to write a dozen more, including "The Chair," "Famous Last Words Of A Fool," "Ocean Front Property" and "She Let Herself Go."