Members of the band Gloriana pictured here left to right: Cheyenne Kimball, Mike Gossin, Rachel Reinert and Tom Gossin. Photo courtesy of WMG Nashville.

The band posted the following message on their website on July 11:

As you may have heard, Cheyenne Kimball chose to leave our band. We need you to know that Gloriana will absolutely continue on. We couldn’t imagine our lives any other way.

We are 100 percent committed to all of you, our fans and supporters. As planned, we will debut our new music video this week and will continue touring and supporting “Wanna Take You Home” while finishing up our new album. We wish Cheyenne the best of luck in whatever lies ahead for her.

Much love,
Tom, Rachel, and Mike – Gloriana

Gloriana first hit the country music scene back in 2009 with their breakout gold-certified hit single “Wild At Heart.”  On the heels of releasing their self-titled debut album, Gloriana won the fan-voted-on American Music Award for Breakthrough Artist.  The album’s success led to two years on the road, during which the band performed in front of millions worldwide as Taylor Swift’s handpicked opening act on her Fearless Tour. They also opened shows for Jason Aldean, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, and the Zac Brown Band. In 2010, Gloriana won the Academy of Country Music’s Award for Top New Vocal Group and were nominated for a Teen Choice Award for “Choice Country Group.”

Earlier this spring the band released their latest single “Wanna Take You Home,” a song set to be the lead single on their yet to be named sophomore album.  The band recently wrapped up shooting the official music video for the single which is still slated for release later this week.

Watch Gloriana’s music videos and exclusive interview clips here »

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Tune in for this special Mother’s Day themed Top 20 show co-hosted by Luke Bryan and his mom LeClaire as they count down your votes for the Top 20 videos of the week. In this episode — which premieres tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern — you’ll also see interviews with Jo Dee Messina, Gretchen Wilson, Laura Bell Bundy and more!

And to spend more time with Trisha Yearwood and her mom, be sure to tune in for Trisha Yearwood: From Our Kitchen To Yours.  This one-hour special features Trisha, her sister and mom in the kitchen of her Nashville home swapping stories and whipping up family recipes. Check out these exclusive photos from her kitchen »

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Reba McEntire photo courtesy of the Valory Music Co.

Reba McEntire as one of the many country stars who’ve joined the Twitter craze.

Dial-Global reported that yesterday, Reba’s tweet said she was doing interviews all day (including an interview with GAC and GACTV.com). She also busted her husband Narvel Blackstock’s client Blake Shelton, who has been tweeting like a madman and isn’t always very nice or “PG” in his tweets.

Reba posted, “Do u think Blake Shelton Drunk Tweets? Read his Tweets! Sounds like it to me…

I’m just sayin’…” Later, Reba Twittered, “To all my Tweebas! I told Blake to clean up his Tweets! My mama is reading them! Yes, he does spell better when he drinks…”

Blake’s response? “Just found out Reba’s mom is following me. So… like I was saying, I’m about to have some kool-aid and watch cartoons…”

Reba’s visit to GAC was just as entertaining. While at the studio, she discussed her upcoming CD, Keep On Loving You. She also filmed a GACTV.com “Guide To…” web series, which will debut in August, in which she gives pointers on the three items every woman should have in her wardrobe, keeping romance alive, what really happens backstage at awards shows, and several more topics.

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Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert at the CRS-40/Digital Rodeo "40th Anniversary Jam: A Musical Thanks to Radio" at Cadillac Ranch. Photo: Bev Moser/CRB

Blake Shelton regularly starts fires on his Twitter page and constantly jokes onstage and in interviews, so it’s understandable that fans would wonder if rumors of a secret marriage to girlfriend Miranda Lambert are true.

AOL’s The Boot reports Blake told a Detroit radio station, “Why would I keep that? That would be a huge publicity shot in the arm for me… There would be no reason to keep that a secret.” Blake jokingly adds this about their three-year relationship: “It’s going as well as can be expected with a sick guy like me and a short-tempered killer like her.”

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Taylor Swift photo courtesy of Big Machine Records.

Last Saturday night in Kansas City, MO, Taylor Swift joined Keith Urban for what was her final stop on his 2009 Escape Together World Tour. To make sure she left a lasting impression, Taylor and her bandmates schemed a plan to prank Keith during his performance of “Kiss A Girl.”

The plan was executed to perfection as Taylor and team stormed the stage disguised as the band KISS. The outfits and facepaint were done to perfection. And if that was not enough, additional pranksters hit the stage dressed as lifesize Hershey kisses. Keith seemed unfazed by the assault, although Taylor did step in a couple times to sing the lyrics as Keith appeared to crack up nearby. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this video is worth a million more.

Following the event, Taylor updated fans on her Twitter, “Last night on tour with Keith Urban. Pranking is a must. How about rushing his stage during “Kiss a Girl” dressed like this? It went down.”

Coincidently, Keith Urban’s Escape Together World Tour hits Hershey, PA on August 18. Don’t rule out a repeat performance by the life size Hershey Kisses at this show, but don’t count on another surprise performance by “KISS” anytime soon.

In other Taylor news, rap producer Timbaland recently told radaronline.com that he wants to work with the country superstar. “I think the main person I want to get is Taylor Swift,” he said. “I love her voice. I just think me and her can do something amazing.”

Timbaland contacted Taylor’s reps, but to no avail. “Her people said that she was busy,” he added. “She wanted to do it, but you know, there’s all these people you gotta go through and her people said she was busy? but I’ll make it happen.”

The producer says fans can expect a fusion of hip-hop and country if they record together. “It would have a country swing, but just a little bit of me. I know how to do that real good.”

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Chiuck Wicks and Julianne Hough photo courtesy of GAC Staff.

When Julianne Hough has a wrinkle that needs ironed out, she knows just who to put to work: Chuck Wicks is always ready with a helping hand and a hot iron.

“My tour must-have is an iron, because I hate having wrinkled clothes,” he told OK! magazine. “When I go onstage, I think my mother would kill me if I looked like a sloppy mess.”

Chuck’s affinity for eliminating wrinkles has reduced Julianne’s workload in an area of personal grooming and maintenance that’s viewed by many males with contempt.

“Next time he’s on the bus, I’m sure he’ll iron something for me,” she said. “He loves the iron. I’ve never known a guy to love his iron as much as Chuck.”

“I’m so good at ironing,” he boasted, “that if we’re doing a show — especially if Julianne and I are doing a show together — she will literally ask me to iron her stuff, because she has that much faith in my ironing skills. That’s pretty big time.”

They’re not on tour together this weekend, but Chuck will certainly have his iron with him beginning Friday as he begins a (pardon the pun) pressing four-day run to Carey, Ohio; Middlebourne, W. Va.; Silver Creek, N.Y.; and Lucasville, Ohio.

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Taylor Swift photo courtesy of Big Machine Records.

Taylor Swift has shown impressive acting chops in her music videos, so it was only a matter of time before the young superstar hit the big screen. Website thehollywoodgossip.com reports that Taylor will be in the upcoming romantic comedy, “Valentine’s Day,” due out Feb. 14, 2010. Joining Taylor in the ensemble cast is Julia Roberts, Patrick Dempsey, Anne Hathaway, Bradley Cooper and Jessica Biel.

Filming is already underway and the website also reports that Taylor’s been hanging on the set with “Twilight” star Taylor Lautner. Hinting at – and hoping for — a possible romantic relationship, the site gushes, “? our focus is entirely on Taylor and Taylor. How could it not be?!? He’s single. She’s single. He’s cute. She’s cute. And they share the same first name! Wouldn’t these two make an absolutely delicious couple?”

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Billy Currington photo by Danny Clinch, courtesy of UMG Nashville.

The Associated Press reports that the Big Valley Jamboree festival in Camrose, Alberta, Canada was canceled on Sunday after a powerful thunderstorm caused an outdoor stage to collapse, killing one person and injuring 75 others. A member of Billy Currington‘s band was among the injured.

Billy’s label, Mercury Nashville, released a statement, saying Billy “was taken to the hospital and suffered a minor concussion but is expected to make a full recovery. He has been released from the hospital and has returned to his home in Nashville. Currington’s bass player Alex Stevens was pinned under the wreckage of the stage for half an hour while rescue personnel removed debris to free him. Stevens underwent immediate surgery to repair a severed artery and nerves in his left arm and is currently receiving treatment in Nashville.”

Late this morning, Billy posted this tweet on his Twitter page: “The boys and I are very grateful to be home and for life itself. We thank you for your prayers and concern and will see you on the road again soon.” Additionally, from his home in Nashville, Billy released this statement: My heart goes out to the family of Donna Moore who was killed and all of the other fans who were hurt on Saturday.”

Additionally, the AP adds that Camrose Police Chief Darrell Kambeitz said about 21 of the injured were taken to hospitals, two of whom were in critical condition.

Billy and his band had just finished their set and actor Kevin Costner and his band Modern West were just about to take the stage when the storm hit. Officials said there was little advance warning of the storm.

“We had people on the stage at 5:57 p.m., and the storm struck between 5:57 p.m. and 6 p.m,” said Kambeitz.

Kevin’s manager, Nick Meinama, told the AP both he and Kevin were caught underneath the stage.

“He was unhurt. I was unhurt. We wiggled our way out,” Meinama told CTV News Sunday. “We found that our road manager and guitar player had been hurt, but the ambulance and the paramedics were here instantly to take them to the hospital.”

Meinama said the two were later released from the hospital and were flying back to the U.S.

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Alan Jackson photo courtesy of SonyBMG Nashville.

The same day Alan Jackson filled a Nashville club this month with a free concert celebrating his 20th anniversary as a recording artist, a lengthy story in The Nashville Scene indicated he was planning to put his suburban mansion, Sweetbriar, up for sale.

Not too many people can afford the hefty $38-million price tag, but a bundle of pictures of the home — both inside and out — can be viewed at http://realestalker.blogspot.com/2009/06/alan-jacksons-southern-spread.html. Occupying 19,000 square feet, the home has six bedrooms, seven bathrooms and two half-baths, plus a 20-car garage. Add to that a gymnasium, three ponds, and a boathouse on their 135-acre spread, and you get an idea of what selling 50 million albums can do for your lifestyle.

While the Jacksons can afford about whatever they want, it seems, but their lifestyle is no longer suited much for a place he compares to Disney World.

“We realized, as our girls got older, that they don’t really use the property much,” he told The Scene. “Once they get to be teenagers, they’re mostly hanging out with their friends and on the iPod and cell phones in their rooms. If I’d had three boys instead of girls, they might be out here fishing and riding four-wheelers or something.”

Alan plans to build a new home on a smaller lot nearby. In the meantime, he’s contributing to the Fourth of July celebration in his original hometown. The Newnan Times-Herald reports he’s recorded a version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” to be played at the fireworks celebration Saturday in Newnan, Ga.

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GAC host Nan Kelley with Craig Morgan and Carrie Underwood after the 19th Annual City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge on June 10, 2009. Photo courtesy of GAC Staff.

Many of country music’s biggest stars — including Carrie Underwood, Josh Turner, Joe Nichols and Darius Rucker — took part in Wednesday’s City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game, and a bevy of singer-athletes will join host Nan Kelley on this weekend’s edition of GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown.

The game — played at Greer Stadium, home of the AAA Nashville Sounds — was held in the evening this year, nicely avoiding the heat and rash of sunburns that accompanied last year’s match. Chuck Wicks, Julianne Hough, Luke Bryan, Jason Michael Carroll and Keith Anderson all took the field during the event, which adds to the artist-fan intimacy that’s at the backbone of the annual CMA Music Festival.

“That’s really the biggest difference I’ve seen in coming into country is the fans — fans and people just in general,” Darius told the national radio show GAC Nights: Live From Nashville, comparing his solo career to his work with Hootie + The Blowfish. “Like in radio, they expect to be your friend. If you’re a nice person, they want to be your friend, and you know, I see people when I’m on the road or even when at home, people, they want to come up and say ‘Hey.’ It’s no big deal, and it’s really cool ‘cause just to be accepted in the country community coming from the rock and pop world, and to be accepted the way I have been is unbelievable.”

Top 20 Country Countdown counts down the week’s top country videos from No. 20 to No. 1 as voted by viewers on each week on GACTV.com. A new countdown premieres every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on GAC and airs again Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET; Sundays at 1 p.m. ET; and Mondays at 10 a.m. ET. Viewers can vote for their favorite videos, as well as purchase Top 20 artists’ albums and ringtones at GACTV.com.

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite videos daily!

THIS WEEK’S CHART:

1. Kellie Pickler “Best Days Of Your Life”
2. Taylor Swift “You Belong With Me”
3. Reba McEntire “Strange”
4. Billy Currington “People Are Crazy”
5. Lady Antebellum “I Run To You”
6. Carrie Underwood “I Told You So”
7. Keith Urban “Kiss A Girl”
8. Alan Jackson “Sissy’s Song”
9. Miley Cyrus “The Climb”
10. Jason Aldean “She’s Country”
11. Kenny Chesney “Out Last Night”
12. Rascal Flatts “Here Comes Goodbye”
13. Dierks Bentley “Sideways”
14. Gloriana “Wild At Heart”
15. Rodney Atkins “It’s America”
16. Trace Adkins “Marry For Money”
17. Taylor Swift “White Horse”
18. Darius Rucker “It Won’t Be Like This For Long”
19. Billy Ray Cyrus “Back To Tennessee”
20. Zac Brown Band “Whatever It Is”

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