Randy Owen and John Rich. Photo courtesy of St. Jude.

Randy Owen presented John Rich with the first-ever Randy Owen Angels Among Us Award during the annual songwriter’s dinner at the Country Cares for St. Jude Kids seminar over the weekend. The award recognizes a member of the country music industry who has demonstrated commitment and dedication to kids battling cancer and other deadly diseases at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Last year, John won NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice, where he competed on behalf of St. Jude and raised more an $1.4 million for the organization.

“St. Jude holds a very special place in my heart,” John said. “It’s like no other place and I’m just so honored to help raise awareness for this organization and to receive the first-ever Angels Among Us Award from Randy.”

“This past year John really embodied what Country Cares for St. Jude Kids is all about,” Randy said. “It’s really unbelievable to look back over the past 23 years and see what the country music industry has helped us accomplish for St. Jude. This award is a way for us to say thank you to select members of the industry for their continued commitment and support.”

Randy organized Country Cares for St. Jude Kids in 1989 when he appealed to fellow country music artists, radio stations, and country fans to help support St. Jude’s mission. Since it began, Country Cares has raised more than $400 million for St. Jude. Continue Reading

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Martina McBride with St. Jude patient Christian. Photo courtesy of St. Jude.

Randy Owen, Martina McBride, Kix Brooks, Lauren Alaina and Edens Edge were among more than 25 country artists who made their way to Memphis over the weekend to tour St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and visit with several patients and their families as part of Country Cares for St. Jude Kids Seminar. The seminar kicks off Country Cares for St. Jude Kids’ radiothon season.

Country Cares was started by Randy Owen in 1989 after he appealed to his fellow country artists, radio stations, and loyal fans to help support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude. Since it began, Country Cares has raised more than $400 million for St. Jude.

“There’s no way you can walk through the halls at St. Jude and not think of your own children,” Martina McBride said. “I’m going to hug them a little tighter when I get home, I can tell you that. This is such a wonderful place of hope. Anything that we can do to help St. Jude, we should just do it, because they are literally saving lives and finding new cures for cancer that they share with the whole world.” Continue Reading

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Kix Brooks photo courtesy of the Country Music Association.

Tim McGraw surprised Kix Brooks with the news that he won his second CMA National Broadcast Personality of the Year Award. Kix, who hosts ‘American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks,’ received the call from Tim during Monday night’s taping of the weekly countdown program.

Tim’s call to Kix wrapped up a day of surprise phone calls for several radio stations and broadcast personalities. Taylor Swift called CMA Station of the Year and CMA Personality of the Year winners in the Major, Large, Medium, and Small Market categories from her Nashville home Monday morning. Kid Rock called his hometown radio station, WYCD, to let Chuck Edwards and Linda Lee of “Edwards & Lee” know they won the CMA for Major Market Broadcast Personality of the Year. Other than Kix, these are the first CMA wins for all station and personality winners.

“Winning your first CMA Award is a special moment for anyone, and we’re so happy Tim, Kid Rock, and Taylor were able to help us recognize the great work from these talented broadcasters,” Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer, said. “Country radio is the foundation of our industry, and it is our honor to shine the spotlight on those who are working tirelessly to share Country Music with their communities.” Continue Reading

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Deborah Allen photo courtesy of DeborahAllen.com.

Deborah Allen has released her first book, a children’s Christmas story called The Loneliest Christmas Tree. Written in 1986 but not released until now, the 54 page book tells the inspirational story of a lone Christmas tree facing the threat of urban development and the hero that comes to its rescue.

“The idea for this book first came to me many years ago,” Deborah said. “I was writing every day, anxious to see what was going to develop next in the story. It was around this same time that I had forged a friendship with a local Nashville woman who happened to be living on the streets. The character in the book, Christmas Carole, is named after that woman, and she turns out to be the hero in the story. Unfortunately, she passed away several years ago.”

Deborah teamed up with artist Molly Brooks, daughter of Kix Brooks, to design and illustrate the story. “I am so proud of all the wonderful illustrations created by Molly Brooks,” Deborah said. “Her brilliant eye and artistic hand truly brought my story to life! When I discovered that Molly was born the same year I wrote this book – and coincidentally on Christmas Eve – I knew it was a sign that she was meant to be a part of ‘The Loneliest Christmas Tree.’  She did an incredible job, and every single page is beautiful!” Continue Reading

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Miranda Lambert (3rd R) and her bachelorette party attend the 137th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 7, 2011 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Miranda Lambert spent her last weekend as a single woman with her bridesmaids in Louisville, Kentucky, celebrating her upcoming wedding to Blake Shelton and taking in the Kentucky Derby according to The Examiner. Miranda and her bridesmaids were spotted at several Derby-related events and Miranda joined Easton Corbin on stage at Forth Street Live Thursday night. Continue Reading

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Jean Shepard, Reba McEntire & Bobby Braddock are the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Photos courtesy of the CMA.

Kix Brooks and the Country Music Association announced today that Bobby Braddock, Reba McEntire and Jean Shepard will become the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

“We are inducting royalty this year,” said Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “Jean and Reba are two of Country Music’s most revered queens, and Bobby Braddock is a king of songwriting. All three of them refused to follow the crowd; instead, creating their own unique paths. I cannot imagine what Country Music would be like today without these three talented individuals and all of their accomplishments. They each continue to inspire me with their latest performances, albums, compositions, and productions.”        

Bobby Braddock was inducted under the Songwriter Category which was created in 2009. Bobby is known for such hit songs as Tammy Wynette’s “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” and what is regarded as one of the best country music songs of all time, George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” He has also written more recent hints such as Billy Currington’s “People Are Crazy” and Toby Keith’s “I Wanna Talk About Me” Continue Reading

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Dierks Bentley photo courtesy of artist.

It rained. And rained. And rained some more.

Nashville took in over 13 inches of water in a 48-hour period in May, and some areas of the region were swamped with as much as 20 inches. It was more than the rivers and streams could handle, and by May 3, the drainage system was overflowing. The stage and much of the floor seating at the Grand Ole Opry House was covered, water seeped into one room at the Country Music Hall of Fame, LP Field — the site of the CMA Music Festival — became a swamp, and an instrument storage unit was drowned, destroying guitars and equipment owned by Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Toby Keith and Vince Gill, among others.

It took a while for people to notice outside of Middle Tennessee. The focus of the major news organizations at the time was on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. So Music City rolled up its sleeves and started digging out on its own.

The Nashville flood is No. 1 on the list as GAC concludes its countdown of the top country news stories of 2010.

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Brooks & Dunn photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

When they first came to national attention with “Brand New Man” in 1991, Brooks & Dunn were an unlikely combo — a couple of guys who moved to Nashville with dreams of becoming solo performers who were sort of glued together by a Music Row executive.

By the time Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn wound it down with the Last Rodeo Tour in 2010, they had become the most commercially successful duo in country music history — better known than Country Music Hall of Famers the Louvin Brothers with more hits than Hall of Famers the Everly Brothers.

The Brooks & Dunn breakup ranks No. 5 as GAC counts down the dozen top stories of the past year.

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Trace Adkins photo courtesy of Show Dog-Universal Music.

Kix Brooks, Trace Adkins and Buddy Jewell are among the latest acts taking time from their schedules to honor the soldiers who put their lives on the line for their country.

Kix is in the midst of a Middle East tour, Buddy just headed out with with a package of country singers that will visit four countries, and Trace is set to appear on a TV special with a military theme before his own USO journey.

Not that it’s anything unusual for country acts. Among the artists who’ve lent themselves to the USO in the past are Toby Keith, Neal McCoy, Chely Wright, Craig Morgan, Kellie Pickler and the Zac Brown Band.

Here’s what some of country’s stars are doing with the USO:

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Rascal Flatts photo courtesy of Big Machine Records.

April marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, and Rascal Flatts is one of several country acts that will remember that moment in American history by appearing in a mini-series.

“To Appomattox” is named after the site where the South eventually surrendered, and the project will employ the guys in a couple of ways. They’ve been enlisted to produce the soundtrack, according to a website devoted to the production. And they’ll also have roles as soldiers. That’s a little bit different than their last attempt at acting, when they appeared as themselves on the CBS drama “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”

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