Hillary Scott photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott has been selected by Cosmopolitan as one of six Fun Fearless Females featured in their February issue, on stands now. Joining Hillary on the list are Dakota Fanning, Zoe Saldana, Lucy Hale, Rose Byrne and Freida Pinto. This year marks the 15th Anniversary of Cosmopolitan‘s “Fun Fearless Awards,” which recognize entertainers and show business professionals who have had extraordinary years in their careers and have taken bold risks in their professional and personal lives.

In the short interview, Hillary reveals what she’s learned by being in a group with two other guys. “Guys can brawl about something and then just move on,” she said. “Women don’t do that. I’ve learned that I have to just say ‘What are you yelling about?’” Continue Reading

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Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott & husband Chris Tyrell. Photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Congratulations to Lady Antebellum‘s Hillary Scott and Chris Tyrell, who announced to their fans they are officially married through a video posted on the band’s website on Sunday, January 8.

“I’d like to introduce you to Mrs. Hillary Scott Tyrell,” said Chris, as Hillary showed off her new wedding ring.

“We got married, and we just wanted you to hear it from us first,” added Hillary. “We love you, and we’re so excited to be starting our life together, and we just had to let you in on the exciting news.”

The pair were married on Saturday, January 7 during an intimate ceremony surrounded by family and close friends. Hillary and Chris exchanged vows just before sunset in upstate New York. The bride wore a custom Vera Wang strapless mermaid dress with abstract all-over lace underlay, layered tulle skirt with horsehair banding and hand-cut corded lace applique with hand-applied crystal and pearl beading. She complemented the gown with a mantilla veil with hand-cut chantilly lace applique. The groom donned a gray Ermenegildo Zegna suit. According to People.com, Contemporary Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman performed for the couple’s first dance.

Hillary and Chris met in 2010 on Tim McGraw’s Southern Voice Tour when Lady A was the special guest, and Chris played drums for Love & Theft.The couple was engaged last summer around the Fourth of July weekend.

Hillary shared the advice she received from fellow newlyweds. “If I ask(ed) advice to newlyweds, most of them have literally said, ‘At a point during the reception, sneak away, the two of you sneak away and hide behind a wall and look through a window and just observe what’s going on and just see everyone enjoying it and having a great time. It’s like to have that visual, to have that mental picture for the rest of your life.’”

“My only advice, and I’ve told her and told them,” said Hillary’s band mate, Charles Kelley, “[is] I think the first year, it was definitely a learning experience and learning, ‘Getting to know you,’” he sang. “It was just learning how to compromise, and I feel like after that, it really got just easy. And so, just be patient and love each other…”as hard as you can love…,” he sang.

“Oh, boy!” laughed Hillary.

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Lady Antebellum photo courtesy of The Green Room PR.

Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott is working with a Franklin, Tennessee family to start an orphanage in Haiti, reports The Tennessean. Missy and Mike Wilson adopted one child from Haiti and are in the process of adopting another. The two girls, Tia and Naika, are two of six Wilson children.

The Wilsons have previously been involved with Haiti via ministries. One of the Wilson’s children, Katie Erie, traveled to Haiti to participate in an internship at a children’s home in 2010. Just eight days after her arrival, she was left stranded with 48 children and 12 other workers after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked the island. Since then, the Wilsons have made dozens of trips to Haiti to deliver goods and help.

Hillary has traveled with the family to Haiti and pledged her help both financially and emotionally. “To watch how the Wilson children have adapted, it’s a model we want to take into Haiti,” she said. Continue Reading

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NASHVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 08: Kelli Cashiola and Dave Haywood attend the 59th Annual BMI Country Awards on November 8, 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for BMI)

Lady Antebellum‘s Dave Haywood sure knows a thing or two about romance! People magazine confirms Dave popped the question to girlfriend Kelli Cashiola on Monday night.

Dave staged a memorable proposal. After picking Kelli up from work (Kelli is the VP of Marketing/Brand Management for Warner Music Nashville), he asked her to put on a blindfold as they drove down her street. Once home, Kelli found that Dave had decorated every room in the house. And then they walked outside, where Dave had spelled out ‘Will you marry me?’ with a string of lights. As Dave placed the ring on her finger, Kelli of course said “Yes!”

The happy couple has not yet set a wedding date. It’s likely it’ll be after the wedding of Dave’s band mate, Hillary Scott, who’s expected to marry her fiancé, Chris Tyrrell, in the spring.

Congratulations and best wishes to Dave and Kelli!

Since Lady A is taking a brief break for the holidays, we bet they’ll be eating their favorite family Christmas dishes! Check out our interviews with them & get the recipes for these yummy treats in our 12 Days of Country Cookies section:

Dave Haywood — Divinity
Charles Kelley — 10-Layer Chocolate Cake
Hillary Scott — Sour Cream Pound Cake

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Shania Twain and her husband, Frédéric Thiébaud, on their January 1, 2011 wedding day. Photo credit: Robert Evans, RobertEvans.com.

Several country stars tied the knot in 2011. Two of them even kicked off the year with New Year’s Day nuptials in tropical places! Shania Twain married husband Frédéric Thiébaud in Puerto Rico on New Year’s Day in front of 40 close friends and family. Shania announced their engagement on her website on December 21, 2010.

Kellie Pickler and husband Kyle Jacobs also tied the knot on New Year’s Day. The pair scraped their plans for a big Nashville wedding and eloped to Antigua where they were married at sunset. “We didn’t have anything but us and God and our minister,” Kellie told People, “and I can’t think of a word that can quite describe how perfect it was.”

LeAnn Rimes married actor Eddie Cibrian on April 22 at a private home in California. The 40 guests invited believed they were attending an engagement party but were surprised with a wedding ceremony. The couple exchanged personalized vows and Eddie’s sons Mason and Jake, from his previous marriage, were in attendance. “I’m looking forward to settling down,” LeAnn told People before her wedding. “Settling into our life.”

Chely Wright, who made headlines in 2010 when she came out, married her partner, Lauren Blitzer, during a ceremony at Lauren’s aunt’s home in Connecticut on August 20. Since Lauren is Jewish and Chely is Christian, both a rabbi and a reverend presided over the wedding. “The freedom of being out and open about who I am allowed me to find and fall in love with Lauren – the most amazing woman I’ve ever known,” Chely told People. Continue Reading

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Reid Perry, Kimberly Perry and Neil Perry of The Band Perry accept an award at the 45th annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on November 9, 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

Tonight’s 45th Annual CMA Awards belonged to The Band Perry, who took home three trophies — New Artist of the Year, plus Single of the Year and Song of the Year for their signature song, “If I Die Young.”

TBP’s Kimberly Perry remembers writing the song by herself at the Perry family home. “It was so organic,” she said backstage in the CMA Awards press room. “The song only took one day to finish, and I only got it halfway finished and took it to my mom, and was going to take it into town [Nashville]… and she said to finish the other half. So I went back and finished it.”

Other big winners of the night included country’s power couple, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert — who won Top Male & Top Female Vocalist — and Taylor Swift, who took home the night’s top honor, Entertainer of the Year.

Complete List of CMA Award Winners >>

We loved seeing all the CMA Awards red carpet and show fashion, from Laura Bell Bundy‘s dramatic Continue Reading

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Lady Antebellum‘s Hillary Scott and songwriter Anthony Smith were the top winners at last night’s SESAC Awards in Nashville, held at The Pinnacle at Symphony Place. The Tennessean reports the royalties-collecting organization SESAC gave Hillary its songwriter of the year award for the third time in the last four years.

Hillary won the award for co-writing three Lady A hits: “Just a Kiss,” “Need You Now” and “Our Kind of Love.” But according to her friend and mentor (and co-producer of Lady A’s first album) Victoria Shaw, Hillary’s award for writing “A Little Bit Stronger,” recorded by Sara Evans, most likely held a special place in her heart.

“That song was her,” Victoria told the paper. “That wasn’t the boys (Lady A’s Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood) and her. Not that she doesn’t adore that,” she said. “But this really let her be her own entity.

“That separation and that recognition is probably one of her most proud moments. I know how proud I am when someone else records one of my songs. They’re not doing it to be nice. They’re not doing it as a favor. They’re doing it because they think that’s going to help their career. And when it does, it’s the ultimate compliment to the songwriter.”

SESAC awarded Anthony Smith with its Song of the Year trophy. Anthony won for the song he co-wrote with Chris Young, “Tomorrow.” Chris even surprised Anthony by Continue Reading

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Kristin Chenoweth photo courtesy of Facebook.com/KristinChenoweth.

Kristin Chenoweth is going back to her country roots with the release of her new album, Some Lessons Learned, on September 13. The album will include her current single, “I Want Somebody (Bitch About),” which is a tongue-and-cheek song about finding love. The songs on Kristin’s album explore her experiences as a woman.

Some Lessons Learned was produced by Bib Ezrin, known for his work with KISS and Pink Floyd. It features songs written by top songwriters including Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum, Dolly Parton, Diane Warren and Victoria Shaw among others. Kristin wrote two songs, “What Would Dolly Do?” and “Mine To Love.” This is Kristin’s fourth album on Sony.

“Look at my recording career and it’s kind of funny,” Kristin said. “It’s all so different! This album is more along the lines of what I grew up singing, like the music I sang in church in Oklahoma. When I was hired at nineteen to sing at Opryland in Nashville, that’s what I wanted to do. I never anticipated my career going in all these great directions – which I’m grateful for! I’m finally getting to do what I want.” Continue Reading

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Lady Antebellum photo courtesy of The Greenroom PR.

The members of Lady Antebellum were enjoying their lives as students on September 11, 2001. Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood were in college at the University of Georgia while Hillary Scott was still in high school. When Charles woke up that morning, he had a very different day in mind.

“It was my birthday believe it or not,” Charles said. “Yeah. 9/11. So, I was in college, and yeah, it was wild. I mean, woke up, was getting ready to go to class. And I had a roommate come in and say, ‘Man, turn on the TV. Classes are canceled. You won’t believe…’ He had had an earlier class, and he comes in and says, ‘Turn on the TV.’ And we all got up and watched it. It was just wild. So, it’s hard to put into words. But I can [still] remember it and everybody can. It had such a huge effect on everybody.” Continue Reading

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Lady Antebellum's 2011 CD, Own The Night. Photo courtesy of The Greenroom PR.

In the roughly year-and-a-half since Lady Antebellum released their breakout album Need You Now, the young Nashville trio has quickly turned into one of the most recognizable and promising acts in any genre. Need You Now, with worldwide sales in excess of five million copies and five Grammy awards to its credit, introduced fans to the group’s dynamic harmonies and powerful delivery. Now, on their third album, Own The Night, Lady A shows their continued growth with a set of 12 songs wrapped in emotion and displaying a vibrant presence.

Working again with Producer Paul Worley, Own The Night focuses much of its attention on individual moments in time. “Dancin’ Away With My Heart,” with wistful open chords and a dreamy guitar melody, captures the interaction between older versions of two young first loves. I brush the curls back so I can see your eyes, Charles Kelley sings with a comfortable familiarity before Hillary Scott adds, And the way you move me was like you’re reading my mind. On the ballad “As You Turn Away,” Hillary takes the lead to explore the exact moment a heart breaks at the end of a relationship. Over deep, dramatic piano tones and stirring strings, Hillary sings with touching sadness through the bridge, One step my heart is breaking, one more my hands are shaking/ The door is closing and I just can’t change it. Charles adds backing harmonies in a poignant display of what makes Lady A so special. Continue Reading

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