Easton Corbin photo by James Minchin, courtesy of UMG Nashville.

One of the most storied groups of performers in Las Vegas history is the Rat Pack, the informal conglomeration of entertainers that included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop.

Easton Corbin is at the head of a new pack in Las Vegas Monday night, joining Lady Antebellum as the top nominees for the inaugural American Country Awards, with seven nominations apiece. Carrie Underwood came in with six, and Miranda Lambert and Josh Turner each picked up five for the ACAs, which will be handed out tonight on FOX at 8/7c based on voting by fans.

Easton’s had a good year, netting No. 1 singles with “A Little More Country Than That” and “Roll With It.” Still no one was more surprised than him to discover his name at the top of the list.

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Taylor Swift photo courtesy of Big Machine Records.

Taylor Swift couldn’t ask for much better timing. As she heads into the last week of promotion for her new album, Speak Now, she was named Songwriter/Artist of the Year Sunday night during the Nashville Songwriters Association International’s annual songwriter awards at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel.

Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin took Song of the Year for penning the emotional Miranda Lambert hit “The House That Built Me,” and Chris DuBois earned Songwriter of the Year for his work as an author of Craig Morgan’s “This Ain’t Nothin’” and the Brad Paisley singles “Then” and “Welcome To The Future.”

The awards were part of a formal evening that saw four new members added to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and had 11 titles recognized by the songwriting community as the cream of the crop: Songs I Wish I’d Written. That list included “Need You Now,” “White Liar,” “Big Green Tractor” and Taylor’s “You Belong With Me.”

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Lady Antebellum photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

When Miranda Lambert set a record for female acts by picking up nine awards nominations this week from the Country Music Association, no one was more surprised than her.

But that wasn’t the only shock-a-roonie of the two-day nominations announcement. Lady Antebellum achieved something that’s never been done before, Steel Magnolia and The Band Perry each accomplished something that’s probably been done only once. And Miranda did something that’s only happened twice.

Here’s a bevy of CMA trivia that you may not have seen anywhere else:

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Easton Corbin photo by James Minchin, courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Easton Corbin turned a rare trick this year when his debut single also became his first No. 1 hit, and he’ll make an appearance with host Nan Kelley on this weekend’s edition of GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown.

Easton topped the chart with “A Little More Country Than That,” which became the first debut by a male solo artist to go to No. 1 since Dierks Bentley did it in 2003. That puts Easton in some pretty good company. But so does his voice, which has been compared to George Strait. And his touring opportunities, which this summer include a stint on Brad Paisley’s H2O Tour.

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Easton Corbin photo by James Minchin, courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Easton Corbin celebrated his birthday on Monday, April 12 in style — with a No. 1 party for his debut single, “A Little More Country Than That.” GAC’s own Shanna Strassberg caught up with the birthday boy at BMI to chat about his awesome present, his upcoming tour with Brad Paisley on the “H2O World Tour” (sponsored by GAC) and the new single, “Roll With It.” Watch the interview below: Continue Reading

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Country Music Hall of Fame member Tom T. Hall.

There’s a segment of older artists who resent the current crop of performers, who represent change for a genre that’s held in high regard by its previous crop of talent. Country Music Hall of Fame member Tom T. Hall is not one of those crabby old-guard dudes.

“Music is an art form,” he told a passel of programmers Thursday at the Country Radio Seminar. “It should not be done the way it used to be done. If we do it the way they used to do it, that’s copying.”

Not that T. is above getting crabby.

“I do resent,” he allowed, “the fact that they’re makin’ so much money!”

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