George Strait photo by Danny Clinch, courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Easter falls this year on April 4, and if that holiday motivates a little spiritual consideration, a couple of new music compilations have been put together to aid your connection to the Almighty.

One’s a country-specific collection that rolls George Strait, Keith Urban and Josh Turner in among a dozen hitmakers. The other drops Carrie Underwood into an ongoing pop series that places her alongside the likes of Daughtry, Natasha Bedingfield and The Fray.

The country-centered collection, Sunday In The Country: 12 Inspiring Hits From Today’s Top Country Artists, is being released by New Haven Records with proceeds benefiting the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Diamond Rio, Trace Adkins and Tracy Lawrence all contribute tracks to the project, which extends a country-gospel tradition.

The other album, NOW That’s What I Call Faith, hits the market March 23, the same day as a standard entry in the series, Now That’s What I Call Music! Vol. 33. Carrie’s “Jesus, Take The Wheel” is featured on the Faith CD with such pop titles as The Fray’s “You Found Me,” Mat Kearney’s “Closer To Love” and Daughtry’s “Home.” The album appropriately blends them with numerous gospel and contemporary Christian acts, including Third Day, Mary Mary, Brandon Heath and Switchfoot.

“Jesus, Take The Wheel” is apparently not just a song to Carrie. Her beliefs inform her life — including her engagement to hockey player Mike Fisher.

“Mike has improved my walk with God,” Carrie told People magazine. “It’s important to me, because down the road, I want someone who will help shape our kids into people who make the world a better place.”

The complete track list for Sunday In The Country follows:
• Josh Turner, “Long Black Train”
• Diamond Rio, “I Believe”
• Keith Urban, “But For The Grace Of God”
• Martina McBride, “Blessed”
• Tim McGraw, “Drugs Or Jesus”
• Trace Adkins, “Muddy Water”
• Vince Gill, “Go Rest High On That Mountain”
• Steve Wariner, “Holes In The Floor Of Heaven”
• Tracy Lawrence, “Up To Him”
• Alabama, “Angels Among Us”
• Lee Ann Womack, “Get Up In Jesus’ Name”
• George Strait, “I Found Jesus On The Jailhouse Floor”

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. photo courtesy of Wortman Works.

The Country Music Association has announced the first group of presenters for The 43rd Annual CMA Awards,” hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, and airing live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

The first celebrities announced as Awards presenters during “Country Music’s Biggest Night” are NASCAR superstar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.; stars of ABC’s “The Middle,” Neil Flynn and Patricia Heaton; Julianne Hough; nominee Randy Houser (for both New Artist and Music Video of the Year for “Boots On”); nominee Jake Owen (New Artist of the Year); Kellie Pickler; CMA Award winner LeAnn Rimes; and ABC News’s Robin Roberts, co-anchor of “Good Morning America” and host of the upcoming “Robin Roberts: Bright Lights. Big Stars. All Access Nashville” ABC television special (airing Nov. 10).

In addition, trio Love And Theft will host the Pre-Telecast Awards, which are given out during the half-hour before the televised event begins. Among the Awards presented during this time are the CMA Broadcast Awards, which recognize the Broadcast Personality and Station of the Year in four categories (small, medium, large, and major market) as well as the National Broadcast Personality of the Year.

Performers already announced include Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney and Dave Mathews, Billy Currington, Vince Gill and Daughtry, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and Zac Brown Band, with more to be named soon.

Tickets for the 2009 CMA Awards can be purchased by logging on to www.ticketmaster.com; calling (800) 745-3000; or in person at the Sommet Center box office, located 501 Broadway (corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway, in Nashville).

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Kenny Chesney (l) photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville; Dave Matthews photo courtesy of Red Light Management.

When Kenny Chesney performs at The 43rd Annual CMA Awards on Nov. 11, he’ll share the mic with rock artist Dave Matthews on their new duet, “I’m Alive.”  Kenny and Dave recorded the song for Kenny’s Lucky Old Sun album and it’s also the current single from Kenny’s  Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 CD.

“I’m Alive” was originally recorded by Willie Nelson for Willie’s 2008 album, Moment Of Forever (which was produced by Kenny).

Other performers already announced include Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Billy Currington, Vince Gill and Daughtry, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Zac Brown Band.

The 43rd Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Brad and Carrie, airs live from the Sommet Center in Nashville on Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Kenny, the four-time and reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year (2004, 2006-2008), is tied with Garth Brooks as the top winner in this category. He has received seven CMA Awards, including Album of the Year in 2004 for When the Sun Goes Down, which he co-produced with Buddy Cannon. This year, he has three nominations: Entertainer, Male Vocalist, and Musical Event with Mac McAnally for “Down the Road.” Kenny has sold more than 25 million albums, achieved 19 No. 1 hits, debuted five albums at No. 1 on the all genre Billboard Top 200 Albums chart, and for the last eight years has sold more than one million concert tickets annually, making him the biggest ticket seller in any genre in this century. 

Dave Matthews will be making his debut appearance on the CMA Awards. The singer/songwriter/actor has sold more than 32 million albums as leader of the acclaimed Dave Matthews Band and won three Grammy Awards. Dave Matthews Band’s current album is the Platinum-certified Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart in June. This accomplishment ties them with Metallica as the only bands in chart history to debut five consecutive studio albums at No.1. With over 16 million tickets sold, Dave Matthews Band was named the top-drawing American band in the world by Billboard.

Tickets for the 2009 CMA Awards can be purchased by logging on to www.ticketmaster.com; calling (800) 745-3000; or in person at the Sommet Center box office, 501 Broadway (corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway, in Nashville). Ticket prices begin at $110 for Upper Level. All ticket prices include sales tax.

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Carrie Underwood photo by Matthew Rolston, courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Thanks to its theme nights, “American Idol” requires its contestants to ricochet between a variety of styles, from Motown to alternative rock. And “Idol” graduate Carrie Underwood is definitely working a stylistic range as she introduces a new farewell song for the year on Wednesday’s competition.

Carrie’s already in country’s Top 15 with her remake of Randy Travis’ stone-cold country ballad “I Told You So.” Now she’s serving up a new version of hard-rock band Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home.” Just as Daniel Powter’s “Bad Day” and Daughtry’s “Home” were used in seasons past to bid adieu to the participants that get voted off “Idol,” Carrie’s track will also be a send-off to vocalists as the show’s roster gets trimmed.

Carrie never experienced what it’s like to be canned; she did win the competition, after all. But she knows what it’s like to watch people get voted off of “Idol,” and it’s not a fun experience — especially because the “Idol” contestants are competing in Los Angeles, under enormous pressure, separated from the people they know.

“You move out away from your family, away from your friends and you have this tight little network of people,” she told MSNBC. “That’s all you know, so it really is difficult to see somebody go home.”

But the “Idol” experience is obviously worth it. Carrie used the show as a launching pad for superstardom. Her version of “Home Sweet Home” will be released on iTunes with a portion of the proceeds designated for the Humane Society.

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