Trace Adkins & Kristin Chenoweth

Trace Adkins will return as host of the second annual American Country Awards, this time joined by Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth. The ACAs will air live from Las Vegas on Monday, December 5 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox and are the only country music awards show that is fan voted in both traditional categories and previously unrecognized areas such as touring.

Last year’s inaugural ACAs last year featured performances by Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Easton Corbin, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts, Reba, Blake Shelton, Steel Magnolia, Josh Turner, The Band Perry and Uncle Kracker. Laura Bell Bundy, Rodney Carrington, Jeff Dunham, Travis Pastrana, Jaron and The Long Road to Love, Jewel, Lady Antebellum, Jennette McCurdy, Bret Michaels, Ty Murray, Jerrod Niemann, Michael Waltrip and Lee Ann Womack also appeared.

Nominees, performers and presenters for this year’s show will be announced at a later date. Browse photos from last  year’s show >>

Trace just released his latest album, Proud to Be Here. Read our review >>

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Dolly Parton visits with GAC host Nan Kelley on the set of Top 20 Country Countdown.

On GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown this week, the fabulous Dolly Parton stops by to talk with Nan Kelley about her new album, Better Day, as well as her upcoming world tour and how much she’s looking forward to traveling abroad. If you missed last night’s premiere, check the schedule to catch a re-air throughout the weekend!

On the chart this week, Chris Young claims the top spot with his steamy “Tomorrow” video. After an impressive debut at the top of the charts, Margaret Durante’s “Maybe Tonight” falls off the countdown while Thompson Square’s new video, “I Got You,” checks into the countdown for the first time at No. 19.

This Week’s Chart:

1. Chris Young – “Tomorrow”
2. Blake Shelton — “Honey Bee”
3. Taylor Swift – “Mean”
4. Trace Adkins – “Just Fishin’”
5. Luke Bryan – “Country Girl Shake It For Me”
6. Brad Paisley – “Old Alabama”
7. Justin Moore – “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away”
8. Keith Urban – “Without You”
9. Ronnie Dunn – “Bleed Red”
10. Martina McBride – “Teenage Daughters” Continue Reading

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Country music stars sure love Twitter! Here at GAC, we follow them too. This week, Chris Young tries a new look, Blake Shelton congratulates the winner of The Voice and Brett Eldredge falls victim of autocorrect. Here are our picks for the Top 10 Country Tweets Of The Week.

Chris Young photo courtesy of Twitter.com/ChrisYoungMusic.

Chris Young – @ChrisYoungMusic: Me as Justin Bieber’s older brother… Haha

Blake Shelton – @BlakeShelton: Congrats @Javstwtr… Well done my friend. As for YOU Adam… I’ll get you next time!!! Buah ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

Brett Eldredge – @BrettEldredge: @FrankieBallard dude your name autocorrects to “Grannies” on my phone haha Continue Reading

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GAC host Nan Kelley caught up with Carrie Underwood backstage at the Grand Ole Opry during their star-studded CMA Music Festival show on Tues. June 7, 2011. Photo courtesy of GAC Staff.

GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown went to the Grand Ole Opry with host Nan Kelley to catch up with Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride, Darius Rucker, Lady Antebellum, and Jerrod Niemann as the Opry kicks off this year’s CMA Music Festival. If you missed Friday’s premiere, check the schedule to catch a re-air throughout the weekend!

It’s a week of hellos and goodbyes on the countdown. We say hello to new videos from Brad Paisley, Jennette McCurdy and Dierks Bentley while we bid farewell to a few countdown mainstays like Sara Evans‘ “A Little Big Stronger,” Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson’s “Don’t You Wanna Stay” and Blake Shelton’s “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking.” Blake still has a video on the countdown, but “Honey Bee,” after a couple of weeks atop the charts, has fallen to No. 2 with Taylor Swift’s “Mean” taking the top spot.

This Week’s Chart:

1. Taylor Swift – “Mean”
2. Blake Shelton — “Honey Bee
3. The Band Perry – “You Lie”
4. Chris Young – “Tomorrow”
5. Keith Urban – “Without You”
6. Rascal Flatts – “I Won’t Let Go”
7. Brad Paisley – “Old Alabama”
8. Martina McBride – “Teenage Daughters”
9. Billy Currington — “Let Me Down Easy”
10. Luke Bryan – “Country Girl Shake It For Me” Continue Reading

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Country music stars sure love Twitter! Here at GAC, we follow them too. This week, Chuck Wicks showed off his latest ‘trophy,’ Scotty McCreery came to a realization and the fellows of Emerson Drive shared a peek into their future – of sorts. Here are our picks for the Top 10 Country Tweets Of The Week.

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/ChuckWicksMusic

Chuck Wicks – @ChuckWicksMusic: 12ft 700lbs plus!!! With a Bow!!! Wow!!

Josh Thompson – @TheJoshThompson: Wrote with the guy who wrote “Oh Mickey”! I couldn’t help but sing that song and clap, all day. I think he got angry.

Storme Warren – @StormeWarren: Indy car engines sound like the cicadas in my yard. Only not as loud. Continue Reading

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Lady Antebellum & Darius Rucker photos courtesy of Capitol Nashville; Blake Shelton photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Nashville.

Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Blake Shelton, KISS,  Amy Grant, Donny & Marie, Darius Rucker, Jennette McCurdy, Danny Gokey and Katy Perry are just some of the celebrities who have donated personal experiences, meet-and-greets, studio experiences and more to help Capitol Records Nashville Sr. Director of New Media, Dawn Gates, raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Dawn, a candidate for their Nashville Woman of the Year, is hosting the Celebrity eBay Auction as one of many of fundraising efforts to try and personally raise $50,000 by the end of May.

The celebrity auction is hosted in honor of a special young friend of Dawn’s, Tanner Page, who was diagnosed in June 2009 at age 5 with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. Tanner is currently undergoing chemotherapy maintenance treatments. The auction began April 19, 2011 and will end April 29, 2011. It can be viewed and bids placed at www.ebay.com/allaccessforlls. Continue Reading

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Joey + Rory enjoy some time with a St. Jude patient at Country Cares for St. Jude Kids seminar.

Country music stars Randy Owen, Ronnie Dunn, Justin Moore, The Band Perry, Jake Owen, Joey + Rory and Casey James were just a few of the stars to descend on St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to help officially kick-off the annual Country Cares for St. Jude Kids radiothon season. Country Cares brings together all facets of the music industry with one goal: to support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude.

More than 30 artists including Katie Armiger, Frankie Ballard, Craig Campbell, Due West, Margaret Durante, Edens Edge, Ashley Gearing, the JaneDear girls, The Grascals, Walker Hayes,  JT Hodges, Steve Holy, Josh Kelley, Jennette McCurdy, Randy Montana, Troy Olsen, Jessica Ridley, Joanna Smith, Darren Warren, Karli Whetstone and Eli Young toured the hospital to meet with patients and help raise awareness for St. Jude, the nation’s top children’s cancer hospital. Continue Reading

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Danny Gokey photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Years ago, Schlitz used to hail itself as “the beer that made Milwaukee famous.” It even inspired a hit song, Jerry Lee Lewis’ “What’s Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made A Loser Out Of Me).”

Schlitz beer bit the dust, though it’s been revived in the last few years, and Danny Gokey has brought back a little attention to the city where Schlitz was brewed. In fact, “American Idol” decided to hold auditions there for its upcoming season specifically because of Danny’s history.

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Dierks Bentley photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

When Dierks Bentley booked his Miles & Music For Kids charity motorcycle ride for rainy Seattle, he had to know it was a possibility that the event would get drenched.

That possibility became reality. The city was hit with a heavy downpour last Saturday, but the good folks of Washington State still came out in full force. They raised $50,000 for Seattle Children’s Hospital, as Dierks continues his work for kids charities. Since he established the Music & Miles program in 2006, he’s raised a whopping $1.3 million in all.

“Rainy days aren’t typically when most people are itching to get out the motorcycle for a leisurely afternoon ride,” Dierks says. “But we’ve come to learn over the last few years of putting these rides on that motorcycle riders may look big and bad, but they have a heart of gold, and it would take a lot more than a little rain to deter them.”

Dierks has another Miles & Music date on the horizon, but it’s just one of numerous charity events that country stars are undertaking in the near future. They include:

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Photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville. Photo credit: Andrew Southam

If any of you out there have school age children then you no doubt know who Jennette McCurdy is.  Jennette stars as “Sam” the wise-cracking partner of “Carly,” played by Miranda Cosgrove, on the hit Nickelodeon show iCarly.   I have three kids myself and at least two of them are huge fans of the show.  I’m fairly certain I have seen all or part of every episode of iCarly that’s ever been made.

Earlier this year I was surprised to learn of Jennette’s musical aspirations, and just a little skeptical.   There seems to be a lot of actors gone country lately so I decided to take a wait and see approach.  Well, the wait is over and Jennette has released her debut song and video for “Not That Far Away.” I was pleasantly surprised with the song.   She has a natural talent and her voice is well suited for country music. My kids love the song and video, probably because they are big fans of hers from iCarly, but also because she’s good. Continue Reading

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