Garth Brooks photo by Mark Tucker, courtesy of Pearl Records.

Garth Brooks turned 50 on Tuesday, but it wasn’t his milestone birthday he and a small group of famous friends and family celebrated on Music Row. Garth helped surprise his longtime producer Allen Reynolds by renaming a recording studio in his honor, reports The Tennessean. Formerly known as Jack’s Tracks, the studio in which Reynolds has produced all but one of Garth’s albums will now be known as Allentown Studios.

“It’s a really emotional day for me,” Garth said. “My wife (Trisha Yearwood) said, ‘It’s your 50th. Dream as big as you want.’ And I couldn’t find anything in my heart that I wanted to do more than to see this guy get a little bit of what’s due.”

Garth bought the studio two years ago from Reynolds, who purchased it from the original owner and namesake, Cowboy Jack Clement, in 1975. Clement was on hand for the renaming, as were Trisha, Kathy Mattea, Emmylou Harris, and Steve Wariner, among others. An engraved ‘Allentown Studios’ sign was unveiled in the studio lounge. Reynolds, now retired, was told he was going to the studio to celebrate Garth’s birthday.

“It feels great,” he said. “It feels better to see all of the people that were here today. It’ll be a hard habit for me to break to stop calling it ‘Jack’s Tracks.’ It’s a joy to me that he bought it and has kept it a musical place, because you never know, it could have been blown down like the place across the street, and turned into apartments or something going up.”

The studio, purchased by Garth to help protect it, has been preserved in its original state, with linoleum floors and wood-paneled walls that give no reason to believe the studio is responsible for the third highest-selling catalog in music history. “It was always a treasure to me, this building, and this studio, and the ability to have a place where the environment was under my control and it was conducive to music,” Reynolds said. “That’s what this place is about.”

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Garth Brooks photo by Mark Tucker, courtesy of Pearl Records.

TulsaWorld.com reports a jury awarded Garth Brooks$1 million Tuesday night in a civil dispute involving Garth and a naming-rights promise he said was made by the largest health-care system in the state.

A Rogers County jury deliberated for three hours in awarding him $500,000 on breach of contract and fraud claims against Integris Rural Health Inc. and only 15 minutes before awarding the same amount of punitive damages.

The amounts were the legal maximums in this case.

Garth, who lives near Owasso but grew up in Yukon, sued Integris in 2009, alleging that it reneged on a promise to name a new women’s health center at a Yukon hospital after his mother, Colleen Brooks, in exchange for his $500,000 donation. Colleen Brooks died of complications from cancer in 1999.

“My mom was bigger than all of this and always has been,” Garth said outside the courtroom after the verdict. “It’s almost like she was free again to get to approach this again.

“One day Mom’s name is going to go on the women’s center right there where the hospital is. But that hospital won’t be owned by Integris when it happens, I can tell you that. That’s my dream.”

In awarding the fraud claim, the jury of nine women and three men found that Integris acted in “reckless disregard” and “intentionally with malice toward others.”

Additional actual damages of $150,000 that initially were awarded by the panel were stricken by District Judge Dynda Post because they exceeded the maximum allowed by law.

Juror Beverly Lacy of Inola said the panel “wanted to show them not to do that anymore to other people who couldn’t take them to court if they needed to.”

To read the rest of the article, click HERE.

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Rascal Flatts photo courtesy of Big Machine Records. Photo credit Chapman Baehler.

Rascal Flatts will receive the CRS 2012 Artist Humanitarian Award during Country Radio Seminar on Wednesday, February 22 in Nashville following the event’s keynote address. The band was chosen to receive the honor based on their charitable contributions and humanitarian endeavors throughout their career.

Some of the band’s charitable work includes a donation of $3 million to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt’s Pediatric Surgery Center in 2010; and currently serving as celebrity spokespersons for the national suicide prevention organization and The Jason Foundation. They have been members of the American Red Cross Celebrity Cabinet for the last seven years.

“The board is very pleased to honor Rascal Flatts with the CRS Artist Humanitarian Award,” CRS Executive Director Bill Mayne said. “They join a long, distinguished list of celebrities who have received this prestigious award since it was instated in 1990.”

The CRS Artist Humanitarian Award was first given out in 1990 to honor country music artists who have shown exceptional humanitarian efforts throughout their career.  Tim McGraw and Faith Hill received the award last year. Other recipients include Trace Adkins, Randy Owen, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, Reba, Vince Gill, Garth Brooks and Charlie Daniels, among others.

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Garth Brooks photo by Mark Tucker, courtesy of Pearl Records.

Garth Brooks appeared in an Oklahoma court on Tuesday as jurors were selected to hear his claim that an Oklahoma hospital refused to name a building for his late mother, Colleen Brooks, after he donated $500,000, reports the Associated Press. Garth claims he made the donation to Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital in Yukon because he believed part of the building would be named after his mother. He is suing to have the money returned.

Integris says the donation was unconditional and they have done nothing wrong by not naming a building after Colleen. “Unfortunately, talks broke down or did not continue or Mr. Brooks was not satisfied with the options we were offering, and that’s when he decided to sue,” hospital spokesman Hardy Watkins said.

Garth and wife Trisha Yearwood were on hand as jurors were selected. With Garth’s superstar status, the jury had to be selected carefully. Integris lawyer Terry Thomas, who said he was a pop music fan, asked potential jurors if they were able to separate Garth from his celebrity status.

“If Mr. Paul McCartney or a Mr. Brian Wilson were sitting there, I couldn’t sit there, I just couldn’t,” he told the jurors. “That’s what we’re looking for here. If you’re just not going to be able to determine that Mr. Brooks (is wrong), I need to know at this point.”

None of the jurors were removed from consideration. Twelve jurors were sworn in, with plans to pick an alternate. Integris says they have had several discussions with Garth about naming options, including for a women’s center and renaming the hospital itself. The money donated by Garth remains unspent in a hospital account. Opening statements began Wednesday.

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Alan Jackson photo courtesy of Schmidt Relations.

Alan Jackson isn’t known for being talkative. In fact, the shy superstar rarely does interviews. That’s why you don’t want to miss our exclusive new special, Backstory: Alan Jackson, premiering this Thursday, Dec. 22 at 10/9c! Alan and his wife Denise sat down for a rare open and candid chat about his remarkable career, as well as their marriage and family.

The problems he and Denise experienced in their marriage in the ‘90s are well-documented. “God took our mess and made something wonderful out of it,” Denise said. “We have the marriage we always wanted and I don’t think we would’ve had we not gone through that separation.” Their love and strong commitment to one another got them through what was possibly the most difficult year of their lengthy union. In 2010, Denise was diagnosed with cancer, a diagnosis that shocked their family.

“I just couldn’t believe it, it was unreal,” said Alan.  “To see her go through that, it was the hardest thing I’ve ever been through. I’ve been taking care of her since she was 16, but I couldn’t do anything to help her. It was tough.”

“But there were blessings in it,” Denise says. “For my children to see my faith in a situation like this, I think it made a profound impact on them.”

A member of the now-famous country music new artist “Class of ’89″ (classmates included Garth Brooks and Clint Black), Alan has charted an amazing 35 No. 1 hits and wrote or co-wrote 24 of them. “It’s great to see an artist like Alan Jackson who knows who he is, who doesn’t waver based on what’s going on.  He just keeps being Alan,” says Lee Ann Womack.

Alan clearly knows what works and has always kept it simple.  “Most of the singers I admire – Gene Watson, Charley Pride – they just sing,” he says.  “They’re not out there doing anything crazy.”

Here’s a sneak peek of Backstory: Alan Jackson:

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Luke Branquinho, 2011 PRCA World Champion Steer Wrestler. Photo by Mike Copeman, courtesy of PRCA.

GAC’s exclusive live coverage of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas on December 1-10 brought in historic ratings for the network. The WNFR delivered a network record of 9.8 million viewers across all telecasts, 4.1 million in adults ages 25-54. GAC was able to connect the interest country music fans have for rodeo by including Trace Adkins, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Travis Tritt and Chris Young in their coverage. Craig Morgan served as a roving reporter for Inside the WNFR which took fans behind the scenes of the rodeo.

“The connection between country music fans and the rodeo lifestyle has never been stronger,” GAC President Ed Hardy said. “Our bringing live coverage of the entire Wrangler NFR has brought hundreds of thousands of new fans to experience both WNFR and GAC.”

This was GAC’s first year serving as as the home of the WNFR, sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. GAC also carries the PRCA’s Xtreme Bulls Tour and its championship rodeos. The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo brings nearly 200,000 fans to the Thomas & Mack Arena each year, an event that is sold out years in advance.

“The PRCA is overwhelmingly pleased with the move to GAC,” PRCA Commissioner Karl Stressman said. “We strongly believe that GAC’s commitment to the PRCA, including consistent time slots, LIVE coverage of all 10 rounds of the Wrangler NFR and year-round promotion will not only help us better serve our current fan base, but will also provide our great sport with the depth and quality of coverage that will help us develop new fans. The success of this year’s WNFR only proves our shared synergies and we are looking forward to a continued partnership with GAC.”

“This is, as they say, a ‘good ride,’” Ed Hardy said. “There is no better fit than GAC viewers, country music fans, and fans of professional rodeo. We can’t wait ‘til next year.”

If you missed our live coverage, catch up with photos, video highlights and more HERE.

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LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 05: Singer Jason Aldean poses in the press room with the awards for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Singer of the Year: Male, Single of the Year: Vocal Collaboration, Touring Artist of the Year and Music Video: Group or Collaboration at the American Country Awards 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on December 5, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

The fans have spoken and it was Jason Aldean who walked away the big winner at the American Country Awards. Jason picked up no less than six Fender guitars at country music’s only fan-voted awards, including the top prize for Artist of the Year. Jason also picked up trophies for Male Artist of the Year, Touring Headline Package of the Year, Single of the Year: Vocal Collaboration for “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Kelly Clarkson and Album of the Year for My Kinda Party.

“This is a little ridiculous now,” Jason said as he accepted the Artist of the Year award. “It’s been a crazy year and so many people to thank. I could stand up here for an hour and thank everyone I needed to… my band, everybody who plays on my records, my crew out on the road, the fans for coming to my show. It’s definitely ‘My Kinda Party.’ Thank you so much!”

See photos from the American Country Awards! >>

Also winning big on the night were last year’s six-time winner Carrie Underwood, and first-time winner Thompson Square. Both acts took home three guitars each. Carrie’s “Mama’s Song” was named Single of the Year: Female and Music Video of the Year. She also picked up the award for Artist of the Year: Female.

“Everybody at the fan club, you guys vote like crazy and support all of us and we thank God for you every single day of our lives,” Carrie said as she accepted her guitar. “Thanks to my family and friends and Mike, I love you and miss you! His teammates are going to make fun of him for that. Sorry babe. I have got an amazing 2012 planned for all of you. We’re going to have a lot of fun. Thanks so much!”

Thompson Square picked up Single of the Year: Group, Single by a New Artist and Video by a New Artist for “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not.” The duo also performed their No. 1 hit during the show. “Whoa, you guys, thank you so much,” Keifer Thompson said while accepting Single of the Year by a Group. “This is the first time we’ve ever won anything, so please be patient.”

Co-hosted by Kristin Chenoweth and Trace Adkins who peppered the night of performances and awards with hysterical skits and commentary as well as their own performances, the ACAs counted down the Top 10 Artists of the Decade throughout the show. The list included names like Brad Paisley, Garth Brooks and Keith Urban but it was Toby Keith who picked up the ACA for Artist of the Decade.

“Thank you very much,” he said. “Hell, anybody can have a good decade, right? As long as the fans keep coming. I want to thank the fans. You guys keep us out on the road and keep requesting our stuff and keep us in business. We’ve had a great decade and I hope we have another one. I’m ready to party in Vegas!” Toby closed down the ACAs with a rousing rendition of his latest single, “Red Solo Cup.”

Alabama took home the guitar for the Greatest Hits Award. The band, who performed a medley of their hits, “Tennessee River,” “If You’re Gonna Play In Texas” and  “Mountain Music” during the show, are planning a comeback in 2012. “I’m just so proud that we get a chance to share this with our fans all around the world that have been so great to us all these years,” Randy Owen said. “And tonight we share this wonderful freedom to play our music because of those great men and women all over the world that are serving our country. I thank you. God bless.”

Blake Shelton delivered one of the most memorable performances of the night. He performed his recent No. 1, “God Gave Me You,” which the audience, including wife Miranda Lambert, sang back to him. At one point, Blake, who dedicated one of his two wins to his father, who is hospitalized with pneumonia, stepped away from the microphone, moved by the power of the ballad. At the end of his performance, he took a gracious, emotion-filled bow.

The American Country Awards aired live from Las Vegas on FOX. Tune in to GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown on December 9  at 8/7 CT for all the action from the red carpet and backstage! Check out our complete coverage from the ACAs! >>

American Country Award Winners

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George Strait photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Rodeo and country music have always had a close relationship. In Garth Brooks‘ hit, “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old),” he sings of “a worn out tape of Chris LeDoux.” Chris, of course, was a former world champion bronc rider and a Capitol Nashville recording artist. Chris even recorded George Strait‘s ode to rodeo, “Amarillo By Morning,” before George did.

George, as most of his fans know, sponsors his own Team Roping Classic in San Antonio each year. He is no slouch as a roper either, and has been sponsored by Wrangler Western Wear, a brand synonymous with rodeo, for years. In a recent interview with our own Storme Warren, George remembered the multi-talented LeDoux, who passed away in 2005:

GAC is celebrating  the union of rodeo, country music and Wrangler in December by broadcasting the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo live, December 1-10 at 10/9c each night. Plus, eight-time All-Around Champion, Trevor Brazile plays host to Suzanne Alexander and Joe Nichols on his ranch, deep in the heart of Texas in our special, Inside the WNFR 2011. Whether you are new to the sport and or a die-hard fan, this must-see show gives you the 4-1-1 on all the rodeo event categories from Steer Wrestling and Barrel Racing, to the death-defying Bull Riding event.

See more of our interview with George Strait »

Check out GAC’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo section »

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“Whiskey Lullaby” – Brad Paisley & Alison Krauss

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“Hurt” – Johnny Cash

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“Midnight In Montgomery” – Alan Jackson

Shot in black and white under a full moon amidst the headstones of an empty cemetery, Alan’s “Midnight in Montgomery” music video reaches beyond the grave to beckon the ghost of Hank Williams, Sr. Kneeling by Hank Sr.’s grave in the dark night, Alan smells “whiskey in the air” before seeing the legendary figure before him. The song’s acoustic arrangement and stirring harmonies only add to the haunting nature of the video that won the 1992 CMA Award for Music Video of the Year.

“Gravedigger” – Willie Nelson

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“Barton Hollow” – The Civil Wars

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“The Thunder Rolls” – Garth Brooks

Recently ranked as Time Magazine’s No. 7 Most Controversial Video of all time, Garth Brooks’ emotionally charged tale of domestic violence burns with intensity. The 1991 CMA Music Video of the Year opens with an abusive husband leaving his mistress at their motel room in the middle of a storm. Lightning flashes reveal details like his wife’s black eye as she waits at home for his return. However, set against thundering acoustic guitars and pounding drums, a fight ensues upon his arrival and the abused wife pulls a gun. The last shot shows Garth standing across the street from the house as a patrol car pulls up.

“Kerosene” – Miranda Lambert

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“Haunted Heart” – Sammy Kershaw

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“Jolene” – Mindy Smith featuring Dolly Parton

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“Sittin’ Up With The Dead” – Ray Stevens

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Country music is full of legends, ghosts and eerie events. This is our list of the Top 10 Most Haunting Country Videos, but there are many more out there. If your favorite isn’t on the list, tell us what it is!

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Shelby Blackstock, Reba McEntire, Scott Borchetta & Dan Wheldon. Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/reba.

IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon’s life was honored last weekend with a private funeral on Saturday in St. Petersburg, Florida and a public memorial on Sunday at Indianapolis’ Conesco Fieldhouse, in the city where Dan won his 2011 Indy 500 championship. Dan was killed in an accident during the IndyCar race at Las Vegas on October 16.

Several country music stars were on hand at Sunday’s memorial to help honor Dan’s memory. Garth Brooks performed “The Dance” and Reba preformed “If I Had Only Known.” The Band Perry performed a medley of “Go Rest High On That Mountain” and “Amazing Grace.”

Dan’s family was in attendance. CNN reports they issued a message through Dan’s manager, Adrian Sussman. “They’d like you to know how much they appreciate the amazing outpouring of sympathy, flowers, gifts and notes of condolences,” Sussman said. “It’s been a great comfort for them to know that there are so many others that share in their grief.”

Wynonna Judd, whose sister Ashley is married to IndyCar driver Dario Franchitti, sang at Dan’s funeral on Saturday. GAC extends condolences to the family, friends and fans of Dan Wheldon.

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