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TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC - SEPT 2 
Faith Hill is encouraging her fans to help those who have been evacuated from their homes because of Hurricane Gustav. Faith posted a message on her website asking fans to donate supplies to shelters and local churches who are to the region to lend a hand. Supplies that are most needed include bottled water, baby formula, diapers, flashlights and batteries.
Rumors are once again swirling around Carrie Underwood, and this time she's being coupled with multiple gold-medal Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. According to the National Enquirer, the pair has exchanged digits and are texting and calling to set up a date in Nashville. Apparently the country star suggested dinner and the athlete feared his 12-thousand calorie a day diet would not make a good impression, so plans are still uncertain...as is the validity of the budding relationship.
Many people were surprised to hear Brooks and Dunn's "Only in America" played after Senator Barack Obama's speech last week at the Democratic National Convention. George W. Bush used the song four years ago in his bid for re-election. Though Kix Brooks is closely associated with the Republican Party, his co-writer on the song was Don Cook, a hard-core Democrat. And not only does the song cross party lines, it pretty much knows no boundaries. It will be featured in the upcoming Kelsey Grammer movie An American Carol. Kix says, "Kelsey Grammer is playing 'Scrooge.' I don't know how it fits, but it is cool that it does."
 Brad Paisley was thrilled that Andy Griffith agreed to appear in the video for "Waitin' on a Woman." The sheriff of Mayberry was his first pick. He says, "I can write a list, a really long list, of the iconic older actors that could play this part, and list them in order in terms of who would be my perfect choice for who I would see in my mind sitting down on a bench with me. He is first on that list."
Brad has a little bit of a break from touring, but he heads back out September 18th in Atlanta.
Martina McBride thinks that the key to her success is that, as a wife and working mother, she has a lot in common with many of her fans. She tells Illinois' Naperville Sun, "I think there's just something in me that's really down to earth and normal and relatable, and they see somebody they feel they could have lunch with." Martina says her home life is consumed with helping her three girls with their homework, doing laundry and picking up after her family. She tells us, "I'm not magic, I do it the same way anybody else does it, which is, you just do it."
In between tour dates, Martina has been in the studio working on a new C-D. -- Rosemary Young
LeAnn Rimes and her hubby of six years, Dean Sheremet, reportedly have renewed their wedding vows. In Touch Weekly reports that the couple exchanged vows again on Saturday at the Calistoga Ranch in Napa Valley, California. LeAnn and Dean were first married in February of 2002.
Garth Brooks and the family pop group Hanson were on hand for a ribbon-cutting at the new BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma Saturday. Though Garth isn't scheduled to play at the arena, he told the Tulsa World, "Some of the greatest artists in the world will be coming through here, and I can only hope that I will be one of them."
America United: In Support of Our Troops -- a T-V variety show honoring our military -- will feature country stars Toby Keith, Jessica Simpson, Clint Black and Joe Nichols, as well as Snoop Dogg, Pam Anderson, Janet Jackson and stars from all genres of entertainment and music. The show airs Sunday at 9:00 p-m [ET] on A-B-C.
Alan Jackson says he wrote his new single, "Country Boy," about the fans he sees at his concerts. The song, about a country boy heading down the road in his truck and offering a lady a lift, came about after Alan noticed the number of four-wheel-drive pick-up trucks in the parking lot at his concerts. Fans who want to see Alan sing the tune on the Grand Ole Opry need to get their reservations in for September 20th. That's Jackson’s next scheduled appearance on the live radio show.
The Republican National Convention was dimmed by the advance of Hurricane Gustav but the music kept on playing. Last night John Rich and Carter’s Cord kept up the energy, as their show turned into a benefit for the American Cross Hurricane Relief Fund. Across town, LeAnn Rimes and the Bellamy Brothers performed at Red Rhythm and Rimes, a show aimed to, quote, "keep Florida a RED state." On Wednesday Charlie Daniels is slated to sing at a benefit for the Creative Coalition, an entertainment industry-based organization that supports arts education. The same night Clay Walker and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee’s Capitol Offense band are expected to perform for the Republican Governors Association event in St. Paul. Additionally, Gretchen Wilson, Rich, and Cowboy Troy are set to entertain at an event hosted by AT&T. Rich is also scheduled to perform his song "Raisin’ McCain" during the convention.
Toby Keith, Clint Black, Joe Nichols, and Jessica Simpson will take part in ABC’s "America United: In Support of our Troops." The two-hour special was taped at Camp Pendleton, and includes footage from shows in Iraq and Fort Benning, Georgia. The feature will highlight performances, human interest stories, and special tributes to U.S. soldiers around the world. Also included in the show are ZZ Top, Snoop Dogg, Janet Jackson, Sam Moore, and Jordin Sparks. "America United: In Support of our Troops" will air on ABC Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
The day after he would have turned 75, a DVD featuring some of Conway Twitty’s biggest hits is being released. "Conway Twitty: Greatest Hits Live" includes rare live footage captured in 1993. The Twitty family is now issuing the live performances, which include "It’s Only Make Believe," "Hello Darlin’," "Slow Hand," "You’re Never Been This Far Before," and "Desperado Love." Twitty had 55 number one hits during his lengthy career, a record that was only recently broken by George Strait. "Conway Twitty: Greatest Hits Live" is now in stores.
Trisha Yearwood will soon be greeting people visiting Georgia. The singer’s music will be featured in welcome centers across her home state in a program initiated by The Georgia Department of Economic Development.
Dolly Parton’s video for "Shinola" was recorded before 18-thousand fans at London’s O2 Arena. Parton will perform the song during appearances on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on September 19th and the syndicated "Ellen DeGeneres Show" on September 22nd.
VERN Gosdin will unload "40; Years of the Voice" this fall. The four-CD set will include 14 previously unreleased songs along with hits including "Chiseled in Stone," "Set ‘em Up Joe," and "I Can Tell By The Way You Dance." The collection is due in stores in November.
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TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC - SEPT 3 
Jerry Reed has died. He passed away Monday in Nashville after a long illness. According to "The Tennessean" newspaper, the 71-year old singer-songwriter was under hospice care and had suffered from emphysema for several years. Reed was well respected studio musician as well as a performer. Among his best known songs are "When You’re Hot, You’re Hot," "Lord Mr. Ford," and "She Got The Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)." Reed's songs were also recorded by such stars as Elvis Presley, Porter Wagoner, Brenda Lee, the late Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Bobby Bare. Jerry had said his biggest thrill was to listen to others performing songs he wrote. Friends recall the day Jerry got a call from Elvis Presley’s producer, asking him to come to RCA’s Studio B and record the same guitar licks for Presley's version of "U.S. Male" that Jerry had played on the original. Reed also made his mark as an actor, starring in the three "Smokey and the Bandit" movies with Burt Reynolds. He also wrote and recorded the movie’s theme song, "East Bound and Down." Reed's other screen credits include "W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings," "The Waterboy," "Gator," and "Concrete Cowboys." In his later years Reed became an advocate for veterans to receive better care. A private funeral was held in Nashville Tuesday. Reed is survived by his wife, Priscilla, and two daughters.
Faith Hill, who performs the theme for Sunday Night Football on N-B-C, shares a recipe and writes the forward to the N-F-L Sunday Night Cookbook, which is in stores now. The book includes 150 recipes from players, top chefs and the broadcast team.
More details are coming out about LeAnn Rimes and husband Dean Sheremet's "wedding" festivities. People-dot-com reports that LeAnn and her husband celebrated her 26th birthday and their upcoming seventh wedding anniversary with a three-day blowout at Calistoga Ranch in Napa Valley, California this past weekend. The festivities included a seven-course dinner and dancing on Saturday night. LeAnn says, "We waned to remember how blessed we are and how excited we still are about each other." LeAnn and Dean are ready to embark on the next phase of their relationship -- parenthood. LeAnn says, "We're ready, definitely." They were married on February 23rd, 2002.
Some of Reba McEntire's biggest songs will be released on a three-disc collection called 50 Greatest Hits, that hits stores on October 21st. The set will include her hits from 1984 to present with liner notes written by Reba.
It’s a match made in Hollywood. Dwight Yoakam and Kris Kristofferson portray a couple of bad guys in the upcoming film "The Last Rites of Ransom Pride." Dwight is a minister with the bad habit of killing people, while Kristofferson has the role of an outlaw. The film, set in 1910, also stars Scott Speedman, Jason Priestley, Cote de Pablo, and Lizzy Caplan. Caplan's character is a woman trying to bring the remains of her boyfriend, an outlaw who was murdered, back to Texas for burial. The script was co-written by singer/songwriter Ray Wylie Hubbard, who describes the film as, quote, "an action-packed Western about a band of badass Texas outlaws." Hubbard penned the Texas outlaw classic "Up Against the Wall Redneck Mothers." Filming on the movie will begin this fall in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Although the movie is not expected to be released until next year, fans can see Yoakam in "Four Christmases" this holiday season and Kristofferson in "Blue Powder," which will open on New Year’s Eve.
Willie Nelson's life has been filled with his favorite thing – music – but now the veteran performer is trying his hand at a new creative outlet – writing. He's teamed up with Mike Blakely to pen "A Tale Out of Luck," which hits stores Wednesday. The book takes a bit of the real cowboy and a dash of the Hollywood cowboy to make a story that’s filled with adventure. Cowboys, rustlers, men on the right side of the law, saloon girls, and a few Indians cross paths, leading to an unpredictable end.
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TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC - SEPT 4 
Some members of the country music community are showing their support to John McCain in his bid for the presidency. At the Republican National Convention Wednesday night John Rich, Gretchen Wilson, and Cowboy Troy teamed up for a unique patriotic performance, blending of the Pledge of Allegiance with "The Star Spangled Banner." Then Wilson and Troy left the stage to Rich, who sang "Raisin' McCain," the song he wrote for the Arizona senator. The performance led into the formal delegate count, in which McCain was officially named the Republican nominee for president. The Republican National Convention is currently under way in St. Paul, Minnesota, and will wrap up on Thursday.
Additional details on LeAnn Rimes and hubby Dean Sheremet's Labor Day celebration of their seventh anniversary celebration have been detailed in the new issue of People magazine. The couple invited 30 close friends to join them at the Calistoga Ranch in Napa Valley where they held a "seven-year-itch" party. The couple's seventh anniversary isn't until February 23rd, but LeAnn tells People, "We wanted to remember how excited we still are about each other." She also said that the event was "one last hurrah with our friends" before they start a family.
LeAnn Rimes has teamed up with the American Academy of Dermatology and National Psoriasis Foundation for the Stop Hiding from Psoriasis campaign. LeAnn, who has battled psoriasis since she was two, wants to empower other sufferers to stop hiding from the disease and not let it limit them. She says, "Over the years, I've had to deal with the emotional and physical toll psoriasis has had on my self-esteem and confidence, but today I no longer let psoriasis define who I am or how I feel about myself." She also wants to educate the public about the disease. She explains, "It's more than just a skin disorder. It's an auto-immune disease that can affect you joints, it can effect your nails, it can affect your whole being, the way you live your life." LeAnn recommends those who are suffering from psoriasis to stop hiding and start living life again.
The long-awaited release of An America Carol, featuring Trace Adkins as the "Angel of Death," has been scheduled for an October 3rd release. Of his character, Trace says, "I'm the guy who performs the same function that the Grim Reaper did in the Charles Dickens' tale - he's showing this guy what the future could possibly look like and is trying to scare him straight." Fans shouldn't be concerned that the star is abandoning his music career. Earlier, Trace told us, "I'm never going to stray far away from what puts groceries on the table and that's singing country music. You've got to dance with the one that brought you." An American Carol also features Kelsey Grammer, Leslie Neilsen, Dennis Hopper, James Woods and Jon Voight.
Faith Hill fan club members who pre-order her first Christmas album, "Joy to the World," will receive a special gift from the singer. Members of FaithFullAccess can pre-order the eleven-song album from her website, www.faithhill.com and get a free download of both the video and mp3 of Faith performing "That’s Alright Mama," from the TV special "Elvis: Viva Las Vegas." In addition, those who place an advanced order for "Joy to the World" will receive it on September 29th, the day before the album is released in stores. The CD’s first single is a new song, "A Baby Changes Everything."
Joe Nichols is among the new inductees headed into the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame. He'll be joining fellow inductees including the Wilburn Brothers, rockabilly performer Ronnie Hawkins, blues player Sonny Boy Williamson, and soulful trumpeter Wayne Jackson for the event, set for November 15th. Others in the Arkansas Hall include Johnny Cash, the Browns, Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn and Glen Campbell.
Kenny Rogers may have recorded his last album. According to CMT.com, Rogers is thinking about retiring so he can enjoy watching his twin sons grow up. This year Rogers is marking his 50th anniversary in the music business. His new album, "Kenny Rogers: 50 Years," is currently available exclusively at Cracker Barrel.
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TODAY IN COUNTRY - SEPTEMBER 5 
When Jessica Simpson takes the stage of the Grand Ole Opry for the first time on Saturday night, she'll be in great company. On the show, which is being billed as Ladies Night, is country legend Loretta Lynn, Patty Loveless and Crystal Shawanda. Jessica says of her debut, "I'm honored to be singing here -- on this stage, which has such a rich and amazing history. I get chill bumps just thinking about it." After the Opry, Jess flies to New York where she'll be on Good Morning America's Fall Concert Series, The C-B-S Morning Show, Rachael Ray, The View and the Late Show With David Letterman.
Jessica Simpson 's ten-year plan includes making records, getting married and having babies. She tells Fox News that she's excited about the impending birth of her sister Ashlee's baby. She says, "I have the dreams of every normal person. I want to be a great aunt." Though she's been a celebrity for a long time now, she's still not used to getting written up in the tabloids. She explains, "It's a challenge for me to act like it's just part of my career. If they knew your heart, they wouldn't be talking about you like this." Jessica's first country album, Do You Know, comes out Tuesday.
The gossip pages continue to fan the flames of the reported feud between Carrie Underwood and Jessica Simpson. O-K magazine cites a so-called "pal" saying, "[Carrie] finds Jessica's love of putting her life on display pretty desperate. She laughed at the People cover, because it's the same one Jess did about John Mayer -- same smile, same look, except she's a little fatter." The alleged friend doesn't say if those are direct quotes or if she's putting words into Carrie's mouth.
According to Stockton, California's Record, Sara Evans won't return to the studio until January, but she assures listeners that the new project will be worth the wait. She says, "I'm excited to see how this new album unfolds. I have tons of ideas that are ready to go. I'm in a different place now than I've ever been and I'm happier than I've ever been before." Sara's new single, "Lost," is from Billy: The Early Years -- the soundtrack from the new biopic on evangelist Billy Graham. She says, "The song talks about faith and how no matter what circumstances you're encountering, if you're a Christian and have a devoted faith in the Lord, there's nothing that can keep you low."
Sara is also appealing to the public for donations to the American Red Cross website to assist those affected by recent Hurricane Gustav. The country star serves on the National Celebrity Cabinet for the organization. -- Tammy Ragusa
Website: AmericanRedCross.Org/Evans
There will be less firewater and more suds flowing when Mark Chesnutt celebrates his 45th birthday tomorrow. He tells us, "I used to drink whiskey and all that, but I don't really do that anymore. I just like a good, cold beer. It's refreshing. And it kind of lubricates the old vocal chords." The country traditionalist continues to tour in support of his latest C-D, Rollin' With the Flow, which includes the single "Come on In, the Whiskey's Fine." Mark appears tomorrow night in Expo Junction, Vermont.
You might be Jeff Foxworthy if you're celebrating the big five-oh tomorrow. The "You might be a redneck if..." creator and host of Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader claims that a sense of humor isn't just a living for him, it's a necessity for most country music folks. He tells us, "Not very many of them take themselves too seriously. I mean, we kind of have the ability to laugh at ourselves because we all realize that we're two decisions away from picking up trash at the side of the road."
The new season for Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader kicks off tonight on FOX.
The Bio Channel is presenting a two-hour special covering Elvis Presley's early years, narrated by Kris Kristofferson. The show, Biography: Elvis in Tupelo, premieres next Thursday at 9:00 p-m [ET]
Faith Hill debuts her theme song for NBC’s Sunday Night Football this weekend. She will perform her customized "Waiting All Day For Sunday Night" for the Indianapolis Colts vs Chicago Bears game at Lucas Oil Stadium in the Colts’ hometown. Hill says, quote, "It was a thrill to be invited back again this year. I love being part of the Sunday Night Football family." In addition to the theme song, Faith contributed one of her recipes to the new "NFL Sunday Night Football Cookbook," which came out this week. Faith wrote the introduction to the cookbook, which includes 150 recipes from players, chefs and members of the NBC sports news team.
LeAnn Rimes says even pal Keith Urban is asking her and her husband, Dean Sheremet, when they are going to start a family. Rimes tells "People" magazine that she and Dean talk about it all the time. She admits that they are ready for a family. LeAnn and Dean renewed their marriage vows over Labor Day Weekend in California. The couple threw a party for 30 close friends at Calistoga Ranch in Napa Valley. It was their seventh anniversary. After watching a video from their wedding, Dean admitted to "People," quote, "Were we crazy or what? We were kids." Photos and additional comments from LeAnn and Dean are in the September 15th issue of "People" magazine, on newsstands today.
The musical "9 to 5" opens tomorrow at Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. The show will feature 19 original songs by Dolly Parton, who starred in the original movie with Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. Dolly says she’s written a song for just about every character in the production. When Robert Greenblatt got the idea to make a musical out of the hit movie, he knew there was one thing he had to have. Greenblatt told "Variety" magazine that he had to connect with Parton to see if she was interested in writing the songs for the play. His introduction to the singer came through his friend Melissa Etheridge, who was taping a "CMT Crossroads" with Dolly in Nashville. Greenblatt flew to Nashville to meet with Parton, who told him she would, quote, "give it a try." Alison Janney, Stephanie J. Block, Megan Hilty and Marc Judisch star in the Los Angeles production, which will have a five week run. It is then scheduled to open at the Marquis on Broadway on March 24, 2009.
Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison album will celebrate its 40th anniversary on January 13th. In honor of the recording, "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison: Legacy Edition" is being released with previously unreleased material, including a film documentary shot behind the walls of the prison. This footage captures the response of the inmates to Cash as he performs. One of the most poignant moments on the DVD comes when Cash sings "Greystone Chapel," a song written by Glen Shirley, himself a Folsom Prison inmate. There are also interviews with Cash’s daughter Rosanne, Merle Haggard, Marty Stuart and former inmates who were at the show. "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison: Legacy Edition" includes two CDs and one DVD. It will be in stores on October 14th.
Charlie Daniels will sing the National Anthem at the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Houston Texans game in Pennsylvania Sunday. He will also perform his hit "In America" during halftime.
On the Grand Ole Opry this weekend: Jessica Simpson makes her debut performance as do The Road Hammers. Also on the show are Loretta Lynn, Crystal Shawanda, Patty Loveless and other Opry greats.
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Music NewsTODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC - SEPT 3
Jerry Reed has died. He passed away Monday in Nashville after a long illness. According to "The Tennessean" newspa (...more)
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