AMERICAN IDOL's SIMON COWELL's fiance is 14 years younger than he. Do you feel that's o.k.?
wolf news
Alan The Working Man
Alan Jackson makes a living singing about the working man, and while he may be a superstar with a big house and a lot of money today, it wasn't always that way. As Alan shares, he was once a real blue collar working man: "You know, I'll tell ya, I know I still write about a lot of that kind of stuff... there was a time, Denise and I laugh about it every now and then, but not long after we were married I worked at the Kmart warehouse in Newnan [Georgia] for a couple of years, and I drove a forklift, and I worked the second shift."
Jackson's current single, "It's Just That Way" is already a Top 20 hit and continues to climb the country charts. The song will be featured on his new album Freight Train, which lands in stores on March 30.
New Gary Tunes Tuesday!
Tuesday marks the release of Gary Allan's new album, Get Off On The Pain. There will be a regular version and a deluxe version that includes an extra song, "Long Summer Days," and three live versions of past hits.
Gary describes his new project and hints at what fans can expect: "I think [with] this album... we managed to get a piece of the other ones, just so it's got some history to it, if that makes sense. ...but at the same time I feel like we broke new ground to stuff that I haven't done before... [I'm] always trying to pioneer into something that I haven’t done, just so that it keeps evolving for me, but I think we managed to lock down some of the past."
Get Off On The Pain includes Allan's first hit from the CD, "Today," and the title cut is the second single. Look for him to make an appearance Tuesday on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Country At The OSCARS
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill were excited to attend The Academy Awards and walk the red carpet. Tim had mentioned on ABC's Good Morning America last week that the Oscars would be a new experience for him, and it was "nice" that his movie The Blind Side was nominated for Best Motion Picture. (It lost to The Hurt Locker.) Of course, McGraw and Hill were also rooting for his co-star, Sandra Bullock, to capture Best Actress in a Leading Role, and indeed, she won her first Oscar!
For a list of OSCAR WINNERS, click here and scroll down!
Country music as a whole also got a vote of confidence from The Academy with Crazy Heart. Jeff Bridges, who stars as faded country music star Bad Blake in the flick, won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role. His co-star, Maggie Gyllenhaal, was nominated for her work in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role; however, she lost to Mo'Nique who starred in Precious. Also of note, Ryan Bingham and T-Bone Burnett won the Oscar for Best Original Song for "The Weary Kind" from Crazy Heart.
Swift On Your iPhone?
Taylor Swift's official iPhone application will be available in the iTunes app store on Tuesday. Filled with many interactive features, such as Facebook and Twitter connectivity, the app is a new way to stay plugged in with the superstar. The app is enabled with push notification so that any time she releases new music, videos, photos, etc., you'll be instantly updated on your iPhone! You can also see Swift's most up-to-date tour information, share photos from the shows and find other Taylor fans in your area.
Zac Brown Band's Plans
For their second Nashville release, Zac Brown Band will offer a live DVD/2-CD set with six new tunes, titled Pass The Jar, due out on May 4. The group recorded the concert at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta in October, according to CMT. The DVD features 18 performances with guest appearances by Kid Rock, Little Big Town, Joey & Rory, Shawn Mullins, Angie Aparo and Aslyn.
Frontman Zac Brown tells the Minneapolis Star Tribune that as a youngster his influences didn't always match those of his classmates. He said, "When everybody my age was listening to Nirvana, I was listening to James Taylor, Jim Croce, Dan Fogelberg, Gordon Lightfoot [and] Cat Stevens. James Taylor is the single biggest influence I have, period. The James Taylor Greatest Hits tape, I stretched three of those till they just snapped."
For Zac, their music is about breaking down doors. He explains, "We have songs that go reggae, funk and bluegrass. The world is ready for that diversity, as long as the quality of it is there. There is so much exposure to so many things because of the Internet. I am Southern and I am country, but I love great music of all kinds."
Cheetos And Style
Miranda Lambert tells OK! Magazine that when she and Blake Shelton have a fight, he knows just what to bring her to make up. She says, "I love Cheetos, but I try not to eat those, so I usually go with a 100-calorie pack of Cheetos, which aren't near as good. Every time if I've ever had a fight with a boyfriend or anything they always bring me Cheetos to make up... It's just the way to my heart."
Miranda also talks about style and what she likes to see her boyfriend wear. She shares, "Well, I learned I'd better like plaid, because that's what he's gonna wear... plaid shirts, Wranglers and boots. That's what I like him in. You always know it's him. He's definitely who he is in his style, and doesn't care if people like it."
Trisha's Second Cookbook Is Set
Trisha Yearwood will release her second cookbook, Home Cooking With Trisha Yearwood: Stories And Recipes To Share With Family And Friends, on Tuesday, April 6 from publisher Clarkson Potter. It's the follow-up to her best-selling 2008 collection of recipes, Georgia Cooking In An Oklahoma Kitchen.
Once again, Trisha teamed with her mother, Gwen Yearwood, and sister, Beth Yearwood Bernard, for her latest project, and husband Garth Brooks wrote the forward this time as well. Trisha will embark on a book tour on April 7 in Princeton, New Jersey that is slated to hit 14 cities before wrapping up April 25 at the L.A. Times Book Festival.
Danny Lands Eyewear Deal
Country newcomer and former American Idol finalist Danny Gokey is known for his eyewear and has signed his first long- term endorsement deal: a two-year marketing agreement with Wisconsin Vision. Under the agreement, Gokey will wear up to 60 pairs of Wisconsin Vision glasses, be featured in Wisconsin Vision Milwaukee-area marketing campaigns including television and outdoor advertising and social media, and make personal in-store appearances. Danny shares, "Milwaukee will always be home, and supporting area-based businesses is important to me."
Dierks Gives Bluegrass Album Details
Dierks Bentley has a new CD due out this summer, titled Up On The Ridge. He's said many times that if he hadn't discovered bluegrass, he never would have become a country singer or landed a record deal. His love for country was kindled by the energy and artistry of bluegrass, and he's never lost his passion for it. Dierks shares, "This album won't come as a surprise to my hard core fans. They've asked me, 'When are you going to make a bluegrass record?' And I was just waiting for the right time." With a grueling tour behind him, Bentley felt liberated to pursue this project of the heart. He explains, "I didn't want this to be 'Dierks Bentley and friends' or a 'Dierks does bluegrass' kind of album. I wanted each song to have something special about it, and in the end I think each song really does have its own thing going on."
Up On The Ridge features Bentley working with some of the finest acoustic musicians in the world, including long-time collaborators the Del McCoury Band and a magical new musical partnership with Chris Thile and the Punch Brothers. The album also features a number of vocal and instrumental contributions ranging from Alison Krauss and Miranda Lambert to Tim O'Brien and Sam Bush, among many others. Dierks wrote some of the songs, but there are unexpected sources, such as Bob Dylan. Bentley elaborates, "It's my version of bluegrass music. It's not just banjos cranked up to eleven. It throws out a big net."
T I D B I T S
-- Congratulations to Billy Currington, whose single "That's How Country Boys Roll" snags him his third consecutive #1 and fifth chart-topper overall. The feat ends the multiple-week run at the top for Josh Turner's "Why Don't We Just Dance" on both the Mediabase and the Billboard Country Singles charts. It also marks the first time Billy has been a writer on a #1 hit.
-- Taylor Swift's "Fearless 2010 Tour" began its run through U.S. arenas last weekend, wowing Florida crowds with sold-out shows in Tampa, Orlando, and Ft. Lauderdale/Sunrise. Taylor plays seven different instruments over the course of the two-hour show, which features three acts and eight costume changes. The 39-date tour is visiting arenas and stadiums in 31 cities in 25 states and provinces in the U.S. and Canada over the next three months.
-- Carrie Underwood is headlining this year's Stadium of Fire on July 3rd in Provo, Utah. It's a huge Independence Day celebration broadcast to U.S. military men and women in over 100 countries!
-- John Rich's home has apparently been the victim of a vandal. He recently posted on Twitter that he would give anyone one thousand dollars if they gave him information on who vandalized his gate.
-- Reba McEntire will host The 45th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards. The special will take place Sunday, April 18, in Las Vegas and will air live on CBS at 8 PM, ET. For the FULL LIST of nominees, click here and scroll down!
