CMT Music Awards Performers Confirmed: Taylor Swift, Luke Bryan, Hunter Hayes & More
Filed under: Alt-Country, Americana, Awards, Concert News, Country News, CMT Awards
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Taylor Swift leads a list of country's hottest stars set to perform at the CMT Music Awards next month.
Swift, Miranda Lambert's Pistol Annies, Luke Bryan, Hunter Hayes and Little Big Town are the first performers announced for the June 5 awards show.Carrie Underwood 'Goats' Hunter Hayes With Blown Away Tour Prank
Filed under: Tour Spotlight
It's back. The goat that became famous during a remix of Taylor Swift's 'I Knew You Were Trouble' has resurfaced, this time sabotaging a Hunter Hayes song as he sang it live. And Carrie Underwood was the mastermind behind it all -- the superstar pranked her Blown Away Tour opener during his set in Alberta, Canada on Saturday (May 18).
Hayes was performing when video of the goat appeared on the screens at each side of the stage. Two goats were shown, with the other being the same one featured with Swift's song earlier this year.Carrie Underwood Says She's 'Queen of Awkward' in Marie Claire Interview
Filed under: Country News
Kids, hugs, family, fans ... Carrie Underwood is shockingly honest about it all during a recent interview in Marie Claire magazine. "I was the accident," she says when explaining why she's not "softer." "I have the only-child syndrome going on."
"She was never really a people person," the singer's mother, Carole, reveals in the same article. The family -- including two much older sisters -- never talked about feelings. They weren't "huggy," Underwood dishes, so her reserve can be mistaken as icy, sometimes even by husband Mike Fisher. Early on in her career, this created problems. She would have panic attacks when fans closed in around her. It made her nervous.Chely Wright Delivers Twin Boys
Filed under: Country News
They're over a month early, but Chely Wright's twins are "thriving" after being delivered on Saturday (May 18) in New York City. Wright and wife Lauren Blitzer weren't expecting until July, but had previously said it was likely the singer would give birth early, as is often the case with twins.
Darius Rucker and Willie Nelson Given Honorary Doctorates
Willie Nelson was awarded an honorary doctorate alongside Carole King and Annie Lennox at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. on Saturday (May 11). The next day, the University of South Carolina presented the same honor to Gamecock Darius Rucker, who also had a chance to speak to the school's graduating class.
"I want you to take time, take some real time," Rucker said, according to the Greenville News in South Carolina. "Find something that makes you want to give 'til it hurts." Later he told the story of perhaps his most important day at USC. It happened in the shower.Jennifer Nettles Preparing Solo Album
Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland has announced that she's recording a new solo album, and hopes to have it out this fall. The singer shares she's working with famed producer Rick Rubin on the project -- her first since giving birth to her son Magnus last December.
Nettles took to Twitter to make the announcement, linking to a profile of the album in Rolling Stone. She says the project will be more intimate and emotional than anything she's done with partner Kristian Bush in Sugarland. Some of the songs she wrote on her own, while others she worked on with songwriters like Sara Bareilles and Butch Walker.Kellie Pickler Advances to 'Dancing With the Stars' Finals
Filed under: Country News, TV
Kellie Pickler learned she'd advance to next week's 'Dancing With the Stars' finals during Tuesday night's (March 14) results show. The country singer was the second contestant of the remaining five deemed as safe. For the first time ever, four dancers will compete during the show's final week.
Pickler and partner Derek Hough's dazzling Argentine Tango earned a perfect 30 from the judges on Monday night, but a 28 after her Flamenco left the 'Someone Somewhere Tonight' singer in a tie for third. It's not clear if any of the remaining four contestants were truly in danger, but Disney star Zandaya was the last to be called safe after a disappointing total of 55 on Monday.Kree Harrison Debuts Potential Single 'All Cried Out' During 'American Idol' Finale
Filed under: Country News, TV
The winner of Season 12 of 'American Idol' has been decided, but Kree Harrison and Candice Glover are waiting patiently today -- alongside millions of voters nationwide -- to learn who received the most votes. Harrison, a country singer, debuted what would be her winning single during Wednesday's performance finale. 'All Cried Out' is a soaring ballad that the judges felt brought the best out of the singer.
'All Cried Out' was the second of three performances for the Texan, who competed against 23-year-old Candice Glover for the title of the next 'American Idol.' Harrison would be the third country singer to win the competition, following Scotty McCreery in Season 10 and Carrie Underwood in Season 4. She began the night singing Sarah McLachlan's 'Angel,' a song chosen by series creator Simon Fuller. It was a powerful performance that earned praise from the four judges, but they agreed that Round 1 went to Glover, who sang 'Chasing Pavements' by Adele.Kree Harrison Named 'American Idol' Runner-Up
Kree Harrison took finishing second to Candice Glover on 'American Idol' as graciously as possible on Thursday night (May 16). The country singer from Texas was the first to smile and hug 23-year-old Glover as she broke into tears. "This is not he end of the road," Harrison said afterward, speaking about her career.
"I'm so proud of her and I am proud of myself for getting this far and I couldn't believe I was standing there with her at the finale," Harrison told Hollywood Life.
Glover struggled with her words during her emotional celebration with friends, fellow Season 12 contestants and family. "Three years," she said, sobbing and referring to her three separate tryouts for the reality television show.Lady Antebellum's 'Golden' Tops Billboard Album Sales Chart
Filed under: Charts, Country News
Lady Antebellum's new album has debuted at the top of the Billboard album sales chart. The trio have the No. 1 album in the country with 'Golden,' topping the soundtrack to 'The Great Gatsby,' the latest 'Now That's What I Call Music' compilation and the new project from Pistol Annies.
'Golden' sold over 167,000 copies in its street week, making it the group's third straight studio album to land at No. 1. The commercial success backs mostly positive critical comments for Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood. It's a dip in sales from their previous two albums, however. 'Own the Night' sold 347,000 in 2011 and 'Need You Now' sold 480,000 in 2010.Man Arrested After Midnight Swim Near Taylor Swift's Rhode Island Home
Filed under: Country News
A 22-year-old Chicago man was arrested after he allegedly tried to swim up to Taylor Swift's new Rhode Island home. The incident happened around 2AM Wednesday morning (May 15). He was taken into custody and charged with trespassing after admitting his plan to police.
The man's name has not been released, but according to TMZ he admitted to swimming one mile to a beach near Swift's home, spotted her security team and decided to swim back to where he came from. That's when he was discovered and approached by police. According to the Weather Channel, average Rhode Island coastal water temperatures for this time of year are near 60 degrees.Randy Travis Suing to Prevent Release of Naked Arrest Video
Randy Travis is seeking $100,000 and a judgement that all information pertaining to his arrest on August 7, 2012 not be released to the public from Public Information Act requests. That information includes the arrest transcript and the police video shot while the naked singer was taken into custody.
In January, Travis pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated and received two years probation, a $2,000 fine and a 180-day suspended jail sentence. The judge agreed that the dash camera arrest video and transcript should not be released to the public.Ray Price Hospital Update: Singer Is 'Good and Improving Daily'
Filed under: Country News
Country great Ray Price is still in the hospital, but feeling better after being admitted last week for severe dehydration. A note from his wife Janie offers new details about what sent the 'Make the World Go Away' singer to the hospital initially.
According to a message posted on his official Facebook page, Price was on medication for post-radiation syndrome. The medication caused him to have "extreme diarrhea," resulting in heavy loss of body fluid. After five days, Price has been upgraded to "good and improving daily."Taylor Swift Admired George Jones' Passion for Performing
It's been three weeks, but Nashville is still grieving the loss of George Jones. Taylor Swift recently opened up about what she'll remember about the country legend. While the two stars seem worlds apart sonically, they share a common bond.
"George Jones never stopped wanting to be onstage," Swift tells Billboard. "He played live shows until the day he died, and that passion for performing is something I look up to."
The Possum died on April 26 after a week-long hospitalization. He was remembered during an emotional ceremony at the Grand Ole Opry on May 2. Country stars like Vince Gill, Brad Paisley and Alan Jackson took the stage to tell stories of the 81-year-old and to play his music.Taylor Swift Dominates at 2013 Billboard Music Awards
Filed under: Country News
Taylor Swift stole the show at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards, winning eight awards and delivering one of the more creative and eye-catching performances of the night. The singer sang '22' surrounded by a rotating cast of dozens of backup dancers before accepting honors for Top Artist, Top Album and more.
Swift was nominated for 11 awards in all, but lost to Maroon 5, Justin Bieber and Psy in the Top 100 Artist, Top Social Artist and Top Streaming Song categories, respectively. While Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and Carrie Underwood were also nominated for awards, only Swift brought a trophy back to Nashville. She swept the country categories, including Top Country Artist, Top Country Album ('Red') and Top Country Song ('We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together').Tim McGraw Stops Atlanta Show to Help Ailing Fan
Sunday night's stop on the Two Lanes of Freedom Tour was moving forward as usual when Tim McGraw spotted a fan in the first few rows who was struggling. Paula Whitten says she sat down after feeling faint, but collapsed when she stood back up.
That's when McGraw snapped into action. According to Whitten, he hopped off stage and handed her water. "He actually gave me a hot water at first," she told KICKS 101.5 in Atlanta. The singer then found some cold water and stayed with her. "He was talking to me and talking to the medics to try to get me up," she says.Tim McGraw's 'Superstar Summer Night' Special to Air May 19
Tim McGraw and a dozen or so other artists from country, rock and hip-hop came together in Las Vegas one night after the 2013 ACM Awards to film the 'ACM Presents: Tim McGraw's Summer Night' television special. The footage will finally air this Sunday (May 19) on CBS, with performances from Taylor Swift, Ne-Yo and John Fogerty said to be the highlights.
Swift and Keith Urban join McGraw to deliver his current single, 'Highway Don't Care,' which features the pop-country starlet on supporting vocals and Urban on guitar. Ne-Yo is one of many artists to perform his own music with McGraw -- the two sing a ballad called 'She Is.' Rapper Pitbull joins the country superstar to sing 'Felt Good on My Lips.'Trace Adkins Named Winner of 'All-Star Celebrity Apprentice'
Filed under: TV
Trace Adkins didn't show much emotion upon being named the winner of 'All-Star Celebrity Apprentice,' but there's little doubt that those representing the American Red Cross were celebrating. By besting magician Penn Jillette, Adkins earned another $250,000 for the charity, bringing his total raised to over $1.5 million.
Sunday night's two-hour finale recapped the final ice cream challenge and included cameos by country stars like Billy Ray Cyrus and Thompson Square, 'American Idol' singer Taylor Hicks and NFL quarterback Tim Tebow. Tebow presented a $300,000 donation to Adkins' team, accounting for more than half the money he raised on that night.Willie Nelson Raises More Than $120K for West, Texas Explosion Relief
Filed under: Country News
Willie Nelson turned his 80th birthday bash into a fundraiser and gathered over $120,000 to benefit two towns devastated by the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas. The singer's representatives presented two checks to separate parties on Monday (May 13).
The West Volunteer Fire Department received a check for $81,000 while the town of Abbott, Texas (Nelson's hometown) received about $40,000. Fourteen people were killed and over 200 injured when an explosion occurred on the evening of April 17. The cause of the blast has not been revealed, but Texas law enforcement said on Friday that they'll be launching a full criminal investigation of the explosion.Jennifer Nettles to Make First Post-Baby Appearance at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards
Filed under: Country News
For the first time since giving birth to her son Magnus in December, Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland is stepping into the spotlight. The singer will present an award at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards this Sunday (May 19).
Nettles joins an A-list group of country stars slated to perform or present. Taylor Swift, Kacey Musgraves and the Band Perry will perform during the ABC broadcast. Shania Twain, Florida Georgia Line, Kid Rock and Hayden Panettiere of the ABC show 'Nashville' join Nettles as presenters.