Still Dancing!

JULIANNE HOUGH is still dancing -- right on up the music charts!

Her self-titled debut sold 67,000 copies in its first week, according to Billboard, placing her at a solid number three on the Top 200 chart.

The "Dancing with the Stars" champ parlayed her TV success into a record deal with Mercury Nashville based on the success of her digital single "Will You Dance with Me" last year.

Released just last week was her first music video, "That Song in My Head," the first track off the album, which is currently a top 100 single.

"I've always wanted to sing country music," the 19-year-old told Billboard. "I've been singing as long as I've been dancing and it's actually a bigger passion of mine."

She is now prepping to tour as the opening act for BRAD PAISLEY. They'll hit the road starting June 11 in Albuquerque, N.M.

... At least she has the hat?

In an obvious attempt to prove that she's the real McCoy when it comes to country music, the "Come On Over" country-newcomer made dang sure to be seen sporting a cowboy hat upon arriving at LAX airport in Los Angeles today.

... Hear Jessica Simpson's new country single right here on BOB.

Shania --- Revealed.

With her split from husband Robert John "Mutt" Lange a source of public curiosity, Shania Twain is featured on the cover of the new "People" magazine with the stirring headline "Shania Betrayed."

The magazine claims to have the first interview with Marie-Anne Thiebaud, the assistant that has been accused of having an affair with Mutt and wrecking Shania’s relationship. Marie-Anne tells People, "You cannot believe everything you read in the press" and denies the affair ever happened. Mutt has also denied being romantically linked with the assistant.

People, however, still cites sources close to the couple who maintain Mutt cheated and continues to have a relationship with Marie-Anne. Those sources also indicate Shania is "devastated" and that she left him to be with her family in Canada.

The break-up puts Shania on the cover of People for the first time since June 1999. The issue is on newsstands beginning TODAY!

Taylor BOBs with Rascal Flatts

Rascal Flatts kicks off its Bob That Head Tour next month with Taylor Swift as its red-hot opening act. Having just won the Academy of Country Music’s Top New Female Vocalist trophy, the 18-year-old Taylor’s in a much different position than when she first toured with the band, and she’s looking forward to being a part of their show again.

"Being on tour with Rascal Flatts is kind of a cool little thing for me," she told GAC Nights: Live From Nashville. "They were the first people who ever took me out on a major tour when I was 16 and was out there with just me and my guitar opening shows for them. That was something that I’ll never forget, and I’ll always love them for that. So it’s cool being out on the road with them and getting to go on right before they play."

BOB that head! BOB that head! BOB that head! --- THINK THEY'RE TELLING US SOMETHING?!?!?!

Chris Cagle to JAIL... and back

In the chorus of Chris Cagle’s "What Kinda Gone," he questions, "Is it whiskey night or just a couple of beers?" And if he had it to do over again, his Tuesday night would likely have involved a little less alcohol and a little more control.

Chris and his girlfriend, Jennifer Tant, were booked at 4:40 a.m. yesterday after a domestic dispute in which both suffered minor head wounds, according to Nashville’s WTVF-TV. Police indicated both were intoxicated and had gotten into a dispute on the way home from a local bar. They reportedly hit each other with a purse and an umbrella, and both refused to leave the house, which police indicated they share.

Tennessee law requires defendants in domestic abuse cases remain jailed for 12 hours, requiring Chris to remain incarcerated until 4:40 p.m. Central Time. That made for a tight schedule, since he was slated to perform at Midnight Rodeo in Ocala, Fla., at 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time. An Associated Press story that ran in the afternoon noted that Chris’ managers still expected him to play the date. Despite their early-morning rancor, Chris and Jennifer left the jail holding hands.

Chris has undergone enormous personal challenges and has said repeatedly in recent interviews that he was focused on ending the negativity that has dogged him. In 2005, he told The Tennessean he had given up alcohol, inspired by the impending birth of his son. Two months later, he posted a note on his website indicating the baby was not his. He has heard people publicly discuss his career as if it was history and was charged in December with assault over a dispute with a fan who wanted multiple autographs.

What Trace Thinks About IDOL

With this year’s "American Idol" having run its course last week, the television schedule is running without fresh "Idol" episodes for the first time since January.

But there are still plenty of "Idol" graduates in circulation — especially in country music, where Carrie Underwood, Josh Gracin, Kellie Pickler, Bucky Covington and Phil Stacey can all be heard on the radio dial. One guy who completely understands all that is Trace Adkins, who saw his celebrity increase when he made it all the way to the final episode on NBC’s "The Celebrity Apprentice." The "Idol" competitors practically demand a recording deal, Trace says, because of the exposure they’ve received.

"That’s a no-brainer," he laughs. "When somebody’s been on network television that many times, any record executive that has sense to put his pants on the right way should sign that act — if nothin’ else, just for one album, ‘cause that first one is gonna sell. The next one might not, but that first one will."

Lost Trailers perform with Kenny

In Grand Rapids, MI, on day two of a two day shoot for the music video for their top 30 hit song, "Holler Back," The Lost Trailers were shooting still photos while video cameras were being rolled into place when Kenny Chesney's tour manager called looking for them. "Hey, Kenny's trying to find you guys," guitarist and songwriter Stokes Neilson excitedly recalled. To which Stokes replied, "Isn't he on stage?" The voice on the other end of the phone said, "yea and he wants you guys to join him!"

With that news, the 5 Lost Trailers sprinted out the door and ran the half mile trek to the Arena. When the winded Trailers arrived on side stage, Kenny brought them out for a cover of Steve Miller's "The Joker." "It was thrilling," said Stokes. "10 minutes before we were shooting photos for our video and now we're onstage at sold out Van Andel Arena with Kenny Chesney! We've been playing together since high school and to look over and see Potter on drums and my brother (Andrew) at the keys, Manny on bass, I've been handed a guitar and Ryder out there singing with Kenny, it's more than a career highlight, it's a lifelight."

"When we got off stage, we all had texts and voicemails from the director saying 'where are you guys, we're ready too start shooting the video'" Stokes laughed.

Lead singer Ryder Lee said, "Kenny is the Entertainer of the Year not only because he works his tail-off, but also because he's a great guy. Not only did he come over to our show and video shoot the night before, he invited us on stage to play with him. That's the kind of person he is."

No college for Miranda

It’s a good thing music has become a worthwhile career for Miranda Lambert, because she didn’t have a backup plan.

When she went to high school in Texas, she was a self-described "horrible student," who was so consumed by music that her grades suffered. The only place she got an A was in choir.

So when it came time to look into college, she chucked that idea and turned music into a fulltime pursuit.

"My college was gettin’ on a motor home that was like a 1985 model and going around the country," she told Dial-Global. "That was my college. People always asked me, ‘Well, what’s your back-up plan?’ A lot of older people always go, ‘You need to go to college.’ I’m like, ‘Why?’ I mean, ‘So I can fail and waste $60,000 of my parents’ money that they don’t have?’ I just knew that it wasn’t for me. I just figure now, if I keep doing this, I’ll have a retirement and my back-up plan is to go be a back-up singer for somebody or be a songwriter and get a mailbox check."

Dierks thinking about THEME CDs

(EVEN COOLER WOULD BE A DIERKS THEME PARK!!!), uh, nevermind.

Dierks Bentley has made a nice mark for himself during the 21st century, already piling up enough hit singles to warrant his first greatest-hits album. But Dierks is thinking beyond simply being a commercial success. He wants to take chances by doing some music that’s a little left-of-center, and he’s hoping to get a shot at that in the future.

"There’s a couple of records I’d like to do down the road," he told Dial-Global. "One would certainly be an acoustic/bluegrass kind of album. I’ve always cut a bluegrass song on every record and love acoustic records. So I’d like to do something like that — maybe Dierks and Del and friends, you know, Dierks and Del McCoury, or something like that, if he’d do it. But also I’d love to do a live record. Our live show is so different from our studio performances that I think it would make for an interesting record, ‘cause it’s a totally different deal."

Taylor Getting A Diploma!

Commencement ceremonies are taking place at high schools and colleges all across the U.S., and one graduate who’s got it pretty good this year is Tennessee senior Taylor Swift. She’s been homeschooled, and she worked so hard at her studies last year that she only had to take two classes this year to make it to graduation day. Picking the two classes was pretty easy.

"I chose public speaking and musical performance," she laughingly told GAC Nights: Live From Nashville. "So I kind of coasted my senior year, as seniors usually do. Musical performance: I was on tour with Rascal Flatts and Brad Paisley, so that occurred every night — me singing in front of people happened a lot this year. And public speaking: Every single time I did a radio interview, every single time I got on stage and said, ‘How we doin’, Houston?’ — you know, that’s public speaking. So, senior year’s been pretty good."


It's true, think about it --
"How we doin' tonight folks" is PUBLIC SPEAKING CLASS
Singing for them is -- BAND/MUSIC CLASS
Appearing in magazines is -- PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS

Billy Ray ain't no Seacrest

After five seasons on cable television, "Nashville Star" shifts to network TV this summer with its June 9 debut on NBC. As a result, cricitcs are already making comparisons between the country competition and "American Idol" — especially since the weekly on-camera crew for each show includes a host and three judges. Billy Ray Cyrus takes the emcee reins for "Nashville Star," but he’s quick to diffuse any thoughts that he might somehow try to emulate "Idol"’s Ryan Seacrest.

"We’re two different animals," Billy Ray told Reality TV World. "He’s a great human being. He’s a fantastic host. I mean, there’s no doubt he’s doing what he was born to do. He’s amazing at it. That show wouldn’t be knocking down the incredible numbers that they’re knocking down without the fact that he was right there in the seat of that thing, from the foundation, doing a great job. He’s a great host. I’m not him, nor will I ever attempt to be."

Billy Ray also has no interest in attempting to critique any of the contestants, in great part because he’s grown sensitive to criticism ever since he took it on the chin from critics with his debut single "Achy Breaky Heart."

"Thank goodness I’m not a judge, because I watched judges and I watched the producers of the show trying to narrow down this list for the finalists," he said. "And quite frankly, it was pretty tough, because the level of competition has risen tremendously — I mean tremendously. This was just an outpouring of great talent."

BEER FOR MY HORSES --- MOVIE --- AUGUST!!!

Toby Film Set For August

Toby Keith’s new movie, Beer for My Horses, is set to be released August 8.
The movie, based on Toby’s hit single, was co-written by Toby and comedian Rodney Carrington and traces the adventures of small-town lawmen. “It will be a hilarious action comedy in the spirit of the Smokey and the Bandit films,” Toby tells Neil Haislop’s Nashville IQ. Beer for My Horses marks Toby’s second feature film. His debut, Broken Bridges, was released in 2006. Go to tobykeith.com and catch some sequences featuring Toby, Rodney and one of the movie’s co-stars, rock singer Ted Nugent.

Carrie is Cleaning UP!

Carrie Underwood has been highly visible the last week, winning the Top Female Vocalist trophy at the American Music Awards and performing "Last Name" on the "American Idol" finale. But TV is not the only place she’s been cleaning up.

One of the by-products of life on tour is that things go unattended at home. So when she gets back to her house in Nashville, Carrie finds time for a vacuum cleaner and a duster.

"When I go home, I don’t do anything," she told Dial-Global. "I clean my house. I’m a cleaner. And when I get home, there is like a thick layer of dust over everything, so I get home and I blow off some steam by cleaning, which my mom never would have thought would have ever happened, ‘cause I was the messiest child in the world."

... She should get some Pledge... it's "Lemony-Fresh", you know!

Kenny Partys in Vegas

Kenny hit up the Playboy Club in Vegas... think he had a good time?

Julianne Hough!

Julianne Hough is already well-known from Dancing with the Stars, in which she puts her professional ballroom training to good use as the youngest performer ever on the show. She won the overall title her first year with the show for coaching her dance partner Olympic speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno.

She’s breaking out into the country music scene now with her debut self-titled album, which was released this Tuesday and is available at stores everywhere and Amazon.com.

Julianne will be joining Brad Paisley on his summer concert tour this summer, along with Jewel and Chuck Wicks, and she has been chosen to sing the National Anthem at this year’s Indy 500 race!

Kenny On Marriage

He was just a chapter in "Bridget Jones' Diary!" :-(

Kenny Chesney ranks among the most eligible bachelors in country music, but it appears he still longs for a relationship that will stand the test of time.

"I thought I was ready once before, but I wasn’t," Kenny told People magazine, alluding to his four-month marriage to actress Renee Zellweger. "If I get married again, I’m going to give it 150 percent."

At the time Kenny and Renee called it off, People carried a story in which friends of the couple said they had too many commitments and didn’t really spend much quality time together. Kenny keeps a busy tour schedule for a big chunk of every year, and when he’s not touring, he’s writing songs, recording and plotting out the next tour.

Understandably, Kenny took it hard when they broke up.

"There was nothing that made me happy," he said, of the post-relationship period. "You can’t fall in love as hard and fast as we did and not have some residual effects."

The two stayed friends after their annulment, and Kenny now refers to their romance and break-up as "a life lesson."

Kenny turned 40 less than two months ago, and he claims to have turned a corner in his outlook on life: "This is the happiest I’ve been in a long time."

Kenny's New Corona Commercial

If you were watching the ACM Awards Sunday night you probably caught Kenny Chesney’s new commercial for Corona beer! Corona is one of the sponsors for Kenny’s current “Poets and Pirates” concert tour.

The commercial was filmed in Cancun, Mexico, and the behind-the-scenes video above includes a great interview with Kenny talking about working with Corona and his Poets and Pirates show.

Who's Your DADDY!??!?!?!

... Keith, Dierks or Joe Don?

The list of country music pregnancies just got a little longer. In addition to Keith Urban and Rascal Flatts’ Joe Don Rooney, Dierks Bentley is now among the stars who are primed to become papas.

Dierks unveiled the news yesterday in an online post to members of his fan club, telling readers that "Cass’s eggo is preggo!"

"We are excited about adding onto the family," Dierks added, "but we aren’t too sure how the current kids — Jake and George [their dogs] — are going to feel about it. Cass and I have gone back and forth about finding out or not finding out whether it’s a boy or girl, but at this point, we are keeping it a surprise until it happens this fall. I’m really excited to join the club that so many of my friends and fans are already part of."

Joe Don suggested in one of Rascal Flatts’ acceptance speeches during Sunday’s Academy of Country Music Awards that his wife, Tiffany Fallon, could deliver any day. And Nicole Kidman was described by People magazine as "very pregnant" when she attended the awards with Keith. Asked if the baby was kicking, Nicole told a reporter, "Not right now, but it has been."

Keith and Nicole are reportedly due in July.

Taylor makes a splash at ACMS

Tee-hee, get it? "Splash"... oh, wait, maybe you should watch the video, then you'll get it.

ACM Roundup!

Kenny Chesney Wins Fourth ACM Entertainer Award @ Sunday Nights ACM Awards
Brad Paisley, Sugarland Win Two Each

Kenny Chesney won the top award of the evening for Entertainer of the Year award. For Kenny, this was a four year sweep of the award. Kenny said, "This one is really extra special because long before I had a hit record, the fans always came to the shows. I want to thank you guys for voting and for being there for me," Chesney said. After thanking God and business associates, he added, "I want to thank my mom and dad for having sex so many years ago and being responsible for me being up here tonight. But seriously, a lot of great artists and people who mean a lot to this business have stood up here in years past, and I'm honored to be up here for the fourth year in a row. God bless y'all."

Chesney led the nominations with 11 and would up taking home 2 of them.


Here are the Winners:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Kenny Chesney

TOP MALE VOCALIST

Brad Paisley

TOP FEMALE VOCALIST

Carrie Underwood

TOP VOCAL GROUP

Rascal Flatts

TOP VOCAL DUO

Brooks & Dunn

TOP NEW MALE VOCALIST

Jack Ingram

TOP NEW FEMALE VOCALIST

Taylor Swift

TOP NEW DUO OR VOCAL GROUP

Lady Antebellum

ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – Miranda Lambert (Columbia) Produced by Frank Liddell, Mike Wrucke

SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company

Stay/Sugarland, Produced by Kristian Bush, Byron Gallimore, Jennifer Nettles/Mercury

SONG OF THE YEAR [Award to Composer(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]

Stay/Sugarland/Writer: Jennifer Nettles/Publishers: Jennifer Nettles Publishing (ASCAP)


VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Award to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]

Online – Brad Paisley/Producer: Frames Per Second/Director: Jason Alexander

VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]

Find Out Who Your Friends Are – Tracy Lawrence With Tim McGraw and Kenny

Taylor is gonna roll the dice!!

... And... probably is doing well enough that she doesn't have to play the "penny slots" like us.

Taylor Swift has attended the Academy of Country Music Awards twice, and both times, her status as a minor created some logistical problems in getting from place to place. But for this weekend’s 43rd annual awards, that’s no longer an issue.

"I’m 18 now, so they’re not gonna rush me through the casinos because they don’t want to get caught," Taylor told the national radio show GAC Nights: Live From Nashville. "I’m not gonna gamble or anything, but at least this time I can kind of leisurely walk through the hotel casinos and my management and label isn’t running to put a mask over my face."

Better put, they won’t need to hide her age. But Taylor might have trouble getting through the casino without getting stopped by someone looking for an autograph. In fact, her experiences at Vegas are a pretty good gauge of her career progress.

"The first time I came out on the red carpet and the photo pit, [the photographers are] all like, ‘Who’s that?’" she recalled. "And then the second time I went to the ACMs, I was nominated for Top New Female Vocalist, and I got to perform, and I got to meet Tim McGraw, which was very exciting. And this year, I’m really excited because this is really the first time I’ve been nominated for more than one category."

Taylor’s nominated once again for Top New Female, but she’s also up for Top Female Vocalist and her debut CD is one of the finalists for Album of the Year. The ACMs will air SUNDAY NIGHT ON CBS!

SHANIA TWAIN --- GOING THRU THE BIG D

... And I don't me Dallas!!

Singer Shania Twain has split from her husband of 14 years, producer Robert "Mutt" Lange.

"Shania Twain and her husband, music producer Robert 'Mutt' Lange, are separating after 14 years of marriage," spokesman Jason Owen said,. "This is a private matter and there will be no further comment at this time."

Alan's "Space" Online

Alan Jackson is not the biggest fan of the Internet. His associates say he refuses to use e-mail, and Alan says his biggest reason for being online is to find old cars or auto parts.

His slow-to-accept-it view of technology influences one of the songs on his latest album, "I Still Like Bologna," and it was part of his humorous 1999 hit "www.memory." As it turns out, Alan is so uninterested in the web that he was stunned when disc jockeys started asking him in interviews about his MySpace page.

"They asked me what I thought, and I said, ‘I didn’t even know I had a MySpace,’" he told The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "I had to go on [the Internet] and look at it. But somebody had set it up, and then my fan club got involved and took it over."

The record business has complained for a number of years about the loss of album sales to online downloading, but Alan figures he’s a bit lucky since many country fans still want the physical CD in their hands. People who do download music often just buy just a single or a few tracks, instead of an entire album, and that’s hurting the sales for a lot of artists in every genre.

"The thing about country music is there are a lot of people who still buy the albums, and they’re less likely to download," he said. "But I think for really young people, that’s just the way they access music. My kids don’t download illegally, but they listen to all styles of music, and they don’t go out and buy CDs. They just download the songs they like. And sadly, that’s what’s affecting all the record sales that drive the business."

Whatever it’s doing to music sales, concert ticket sales in country music are going gangbusters. Alan’s next slated appearance is June 7 at Nashville’s LP Field during the CMA Music Festival. He’ll be joined on the bill that night by Trace Adkins, Rodney Atkins, Craig Morgan, Kenny Rogers and Little Big Town.

Brad's Trophies Live with Mom & Dad

Awwww, hear that, ladies? He LOVES his parents SOOOOO much!!!! Isn't he dreamy????

Brad Paisley's parents might want to clear a little space in their display cabinet. He could take home as many as four trophies at Sunday's Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas. And if he wins, the awards will go directly to his mom and dad.

"I like winning awards," he told the Copley News Service recently. But "I don't like reminders of the past all that much. Nor do I have time to dust or polish the statuettes, so my parents take care and display most of them at their house. Somehow they keep track of it all."

With Paisley's nine Country Music Association awards, seven ACMs and a Grammy, the Paisley parents already have a fairly full house.

At Sunday's show (to broadcast on CBS at 7 p.m. central), Paisley is up against Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, George Strait and Keith Urban for the fan-voted award of Entertainer of the Year.

Brooks And Dunn's First Novel!

Brooks & Dunn’s first novel, "The Adventures Of Slim & Howdy," is now in bookstores, thanks to their co-writer, Bill Fitzhugh, who did most of the work on the project.

The characters, Slim and Howdy, grew out of the small western stories the duo has written for the liner notes of its albums, but the characters’ story grew significantly with the creation of the new book. In fact, the plot took several turns, since Kix and Ronnie got Bill to do three or four different rewrites. It seems he took their original suggestion — to make it feel like Pulp Fiction — a little farther than they intended.

"He took it dark," Ronnie told Dial-Global. "It’s hard. I don’t know how he can do it. If it weren’t directly related to what we do, I might go with that ‘R’ rating or something. He’s crazy, kind of wacky. But I’ve never done some of those things he wrote."

Which is, of course, why they call it fiction. Filled with lots of capers and strange twists, the book finds the two characters — Slim & Dusty, not Kix and Ronnie! encountering angry boyfriends and dangerous card sharks in a 272-page read. There is some talk of possibly turning the book into a movie.

Kellie's New Single -- Debuts At ACMs

Kellie Pickler will be debuting her next single, “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful,” at the ACM Awards this Sunday, May 18th. The single is the first release from her second album which will be released later this year. The single will debut on the radio in June.

About the song Kellie says: “I’m so excited to be performing on the show and doubly so, to be debuting the new single. It’s such a great song, with a positive message, and it’s different than any other song I’ve recorded before.”

Kellie is also up for an ACM Award for Top New Female.

The Tim FRITO Revolution!!!

After introducing his line of Fritos corn chips to Wal-Mart stores in April, Tim McGraw looks to put his Spicy Jalapeno flavor in more stores with a full roll-out this fall. ... WOOOO HOOOOO!

A Fritos commercial featuring Tim has already started running on television, as the partnership with the snack food company gets under way. Fritos is also the official snack of the Live Your Voice Tour, which kicked off Friday in Tampa, with opening acts Jason Aldean and Halfway To Hazard.

"Fritos corn chips bring back memories of growing up in Louisiana," Tim says. "We ate a lot of spicy foods and still do, and these have a nice kick to them. With the support of Fritos brand, we are looking forward to a great tour; having the opportunity to introduce some of the best up-and-coming names in country music to fans across the country will make this tour even more exciting."

John Michael Montgomery --- In Rehab

John Michael Montgomery has checked himself into an unspecified rehabilitation center to combat a problem with substance abuse.

He cancelled all his concert dates and personal appearances for 30 days last Friday, citing severe anxiety attacks and a sleep disorder as the symptoms that spurred him to enter a program.

"I will be disappearing for a while to try and defeat the demons that have stripped me of my energy of life and good health for so many years," he said in an official statement. "I assure you that however long it may take, I’m gonna fight to the end and come out stronger."

Assuming the program is completed in 30 days, that will have John Michael back in circulation in time for the September release of his next album, Time Flies, which will be issued on his own label, Stringtown Records.

Carrie Joins the Opry!

Carrie Underwood was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry last night by fellow inductee Garth Brooks.

Carrie made her debut at the Opry in 2005, just two weeks after her win on American Idol. She said she had always dreamed of going to the Opry and maybe someday even being a member:

Giving the award a kiss, Underwood beamed, “This is going to have a very special place in my awards case.” Her voice breaking, she continued, “I want to thank everybody at the Opry for having me as part of your family because it is such a great family to be a part of…it really means everything to me. I am so blessed.”

Rod Stewart Wants To Go COUNTRY

Something To Ponder...
Reuters reports that Rod Stewart would like to do a COUNTRY project.

He says, "There's a Country & Western album I'd love to do, although the record company doesn't want it. We are still in the throes of talking about it, [but] I very much doubt whether we will get it done this year."


........... EEEEEEEEW!

Garth Performing at ACMs

.... You'd never know the guy was retired, would ya?

Garth Brooks will be in Las Vegas during the "43rd annual Academy of Country Music Awards" to perform a medley of his hits at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The slot comes in conjunction with a nationally televised presentation of the ACM’s Crystal Milestone Award, a new honor given to an artist or industry leader "to commemorate a specific, remarkable achievement." The ACM originally gave him the trophy last November in Hollywood when the Recording Industry Association of America recognized him for shipments of 123 million units, making him the leading solo artist in U.S. history.

"I am flattered and humbled by what this award means," Garth says. "The fact that they have never awarded it before makes me feel the respect and the faith they have in me as an artist, and I will continue to work my butt off to make sure they are happy with their choice."

Garth has claimed 18 ACM awards in the past, including Artist of the Decade for the 1990s. Hosted by Reba McEntire, the show will air on CBS May 18, beginning at 7 p.m.

Kellie Gives "The Grammy" Award... Get It? .. "Grammy"... "Grandma"...

Kellie Pickler will sing on Capitol Hill Wednesday afternoon to help honor grandparents who raise their grandchildren.

It's a deeply personal issue to Pickler, who was raised by her grandparents in North Carolina after her parents divorced and her mother left when the country star was only 2-years-old.

The Idol alum will perform her song "My Angel," written for her grandparents, Faye and Clyde Pickler, at the AARP's third National GrandRally. The event hopes to raise awareness of and support for "grandfamilies" like the Picklers.

"I know the struggles they face," said the singer, who has donated nearly $50,000 to the AARP's Grandparent Foundation.

John Rich VS American Idol

Paula Abdul caught plenty of flak last week when she critiqued two performances on "American Idol" by contestant Jason Castro, even though Jason had only sung one song. Among those less than impressed was Big & Rich’s John Rich, who will be a judge this summer when "Nashville Star" airs on NBC.

"'American Idol' infuriates me as an artist," John said during a Los Angeles press event, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "They’re being fake about it. When you can’t make a cognizant comment about someone’s performance and you’re commenting on something that happened the day before, why don’t you just walk up on stage and slap them right across the face while you’re at it? As an artist, I would just flip them the bird and walk off the stage. She wasn’t even paying attention to what was going on."

Ratings for "Idol" are down 10 percent this year, creating some concerns that the show has peaked. "Idol" producers have reportedly polled viewers about changing the format, while others have suggested that guests such as Neil Diamond and Andrew Lloyd Weber haven’t really appealed to the youthful audience they seek.

John believes the show has become phony.

"We have to respect the fans’ ears and eyes and give them something that’s for real," he said. "Don’t try to con them. And I think that’s why ‘American Idol,’ in my opinion, is just dive-bombing. I can’t stand watching it. I wouldn’t want to be on that show now if you gave me a $100 bill."

Trisha's Bonus Holiday

Trisha Yearwood’s never experienced labor pains, but she likely finds herself being appreciated this Sunday on Mother’s Day. When she married Garth Brooks, she became part of a household that already included three girls, and she’s had to learn on her feet what it’s like to be a mom. One of her first decisions was not to refer to herself as a stepmother.

"I call it bonus mom," "Stepmom evokes Cinderella stories in my head, so I like bonus mom. Jada Pinkett Smith taught me that one. I was somewhere talkin’ about it. I said, ‘I’m looking for a better word,’ and she says, ‘Bonus mom.’ I’m a bonus mom. That’s better. It just changes everything."

The kids’ perception of her is not the only thing that’s been altered in her relationship with Garth’s daughters. So has Trisha’s view of her responsibility to them.

"I guess I realized for the first time as an adult the sacrifice that parents make for their kids," she said. "I really had to learn that it’s not all about me. And I’d love to say that I knew that before, but, you know, I’m still struggling with it. When you don’t have children, you can be selfish, and when you do have children — whether you birthed them yourself or whether you have them by marriage — you can’t be first. They have to be first."

Taylor Hits The Road With Rascal Flatts

Rascal Flatts’ Still Feels Good Tour ranked as the top country concert draw during the first quarter of the year, and now country music’s most-popular trio — Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney — are ready to launch the Bob That Head Tour June 13.

"We hope our fans look forward to our shows as much as we do," Gary says. "We want to give them an evening of entertainment that can take their minds off of life’s pressures and lift their spirits, if just for a few hours."

The guys will get help during those few hours from a couple of acts with their own unique track records. Eighteen-year-old Taylor Swift, who seems to set a new industry precedent about once a month, is slated for the dates, which begin in St. Louis and close Sept. 26 in Bossier City, La. Also opening are songwriters Neil Thrasher and Wendell Mobley, who’ve written several Rascal Flatts hits: "Fast Cars And Freedom," "I Melt" and "Take Me There." Neil and Wendell began opening for the Flatts during the last tour when Kellie Pickler had to cancel a show in February. They filled in at the last minute and basically earned their own opening slot.

Oh... and by the way, this tour overlaps with something... some sort of "Fest" that "We" would like to go to in Detroit Lakes...

Gretchen Wilson, at 34, finishes high school

The redneck woman, has a diploma!


Gretchen Wilson has a mantel full of awards in her Lebanon home. Despite all her successes, the 34-year-old songwriter was one of 20 percent of Tennesseans without a high school diploma. But no longer.

Wilson, who dropped out in ninth grade, passed her General Educational Development exam in April and will don a cap and gown during a May 15 graduation ceremony.

Wilson told The Tennessean that her 7-year-old daughter was the big reason to finally finish, saying, "I certainly don't want her to think you can be this successful without an education."

Kenny -- Back on the horse... stage

Like any good cowboy, if you fall off the horse – or get your foot jammed between the stage and a hydraulic lift – you get right back on. That's exactly what Kenny Chesney did when he resumed his "Poets & Pirates" tour Thursday night before a sold-out crowd at Austin's Frank Erwin Center.

"I had eight shots in my foot [to deaden the pain] and I wasn't sure how it was going to feel," Chesney told PEOPLE exclusively after the concert. "I gotta tell you, once I hit that stage, it felt great."

Five days before, Chesney, 40, injured his right foot, sustaining a hematoma and crushing his toes when the foot became wedged between a platform and the stage at the beginning of his concert in Columbia, S.C.

Luckily, no bones were broken, because his foot had been protected by a sturdy pair of his trademark cowboy boots, which had to be cut off at the end of the show.

"It happened so fast, I was pretty much in shock during the first two or three songs," Chesney says. But he continued playing, even though it was obvious to concertgoers that he was in pain. "I didn't know what was wrong. I knew it was bad, but I didn't know what it was."

Chesney continues his 48-city tour with a show tonight. The three-time Entertainer of the Year winner will also perform at the May 18 Academy of Country Music Awards, where he is up for a record 11 awards. Though it will take several months for his foot to fully heal, he showed no signs of taking it easy Thursday night, jumping and stomping before the crowd.

"I feel bad that I didn't get to give the people everything I intended to," he says, "but I gave 'em everything I had."

ACM - Entertainer of the year - voting is ON

Voting is now open as fans are enlisted for the first time to name the Entertainer of the Year during the 43rd annual Academy of Country Music Awards May 18. The winner will be announced during the show, broadcast from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, George Strait and Keith Urban are all in the running for the trophy, which will be decided through an online ballot.

That certainly avoids a worst-case scenario, which Brad says would be to "line us up like on 'American Idol' where we're standing there on the stage ? there's just dark music, and they come across us as numbers flash for 'If you like Brad Paisley's performance, dial ...'" Had the ACM chosen that course for balloting, Brad says he would be seen at the awards "sitting there sobbing."

Instead, voting is being conducted at voteacm.com. All five Entertainer candidates are expected to perform on the awards, including Kenny, who recently damaged his right foot in an onstage accident.

Country Music Has --- MOST BEAUTIFUL(s)

"People" magazine's annual list of the "Most Beautiful People" in the world hits newsstands tomorrow, and country music looks to have a big impact on the issue.

Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus and Barbara Mandrell are all featured in "Most Beautiful" sections on People.com, indicating they're each featured in the list.

For the average person, it'll likely come as a bit of a relief to discover that some of the most attractive celebrities have the same insecurities as everyone else. Carrie, for example, feels inadequate whenever there's a red-carpet event.

"I feel more beautiful when I see the pictures after," she tells People. "I'm like, 'I wish I had felt like I looked like that when I was actually there.'"

Taylor, in one of her more insecure periods, tried to give herself a bit of a Marilyn Monroe look, though she was a bit erratic with it.

"I went through a period of a week in seventh grade where I would draw on a beauty mark on my face with a black Sharpie," she confessed. "I'd put it in different places — on my upper lip or on my cheek. I don't know what I thought people would think — that I had a travelling beauty mark or something! I realized that was ridiculous and stopped doing it."

Carrie, Barbara and Miley are all repeats. Each of them was in the 2007 "Most Beautiful" issue.