Blake Shelton photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Nashville.

GRAMMY nominations are in and the stars are reveling in the good news. Blake Shelton received nominations in three of the four country categories, including Best Country Solo Performance for “Honey Bee,” Best Country Song for “God Gave Me You” and Best Country Album for his album, Red River Blue.

“It’s one thing to be acknowledged by the GRAMMY voters for one of your songs, but to have two songs nominated, and the album that they’re both off of, is an emotional experience,” Blake said. “I may never have something like this in my career again and I’m darn well going to enjoy it!”

Tying Blake for most country GRAMMY nominations is Jason Aldean. The three nominations are also Jason’s first GRAMMY nods. Up for Best Country Album for My Kinda Party, Best Country Solo Performance for “Dirt Road Anthem” and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Kelly Clarkson, Jason also performed “Dirt Road Anthem” with rapper Ludacris, during the GRAMMY Nominations Concert.

“I was totally stunned, and it all happened so fast,” Jason said. “I was feelin’ a pretty big adrenaline rush from our performance with Luda, and then to be told we had three nominations was just crazy. We were flying pretty high all night… there was definitely some celebrating on the flight back to Nashville.”

While all three nominations are special, Best Country Album is a dream come true for Jason. “That ‘Album’ nomination is what artists dream of their whole career,” he said. “And then for both the duet with Kelly and ‘Dirt Road’ to get some recognition, which were both different kinds of songs for us this year, it’s just incredible.”

Eric Church received his first ever GRAMMY nomination in the Best Country Album category for his album Chief. “The GRAMMYs are the ultimate honor for any recording artist,” Eric said. “It’s very cool that they recognized Chief in what I feel is the most coveted category. I got into the music business because of great records and the feelings they imparted on my heart. I’ve poured everything I am into making those kinds of albums, and I am very thankful for this nod.”

Thompson Square found themselves nominated for two GRAMMY awards. They are up for Best Country Duo/ Group Performance  as well as Best Country Song for “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not.” “We both could not believe the news of our Grammy nominations,” Keifer Thompson said. “When our manager told us we really thought he was playing some sort of sick joke on us. We can’t thank the Grammys enough for such a prestigious honor!” Continue Reading

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Neil Perry, Kimberly Perry and Reid Perry of The Band Perry backstage at The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live! Countdown to Music's Biggest Night at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on November 30, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Nominations for the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards® were announced tonight by The Recording Academy®  on “The GRAMMY® Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music’s Biggest Night®,” which aired live on CBS.  From the country category, fans got to see The Band Perry perform their new song “Independence,”  Jason Aldean took the stage with Ludacris to perform “Dirt Road Anthem,” and Sugarland joined forces with Lady Gaga to close out the show with a performance of “You And I.”

The Recording Academy changed up and whittled down the categories this year — here are the ones related to country music and few others you might be interested to see…

Best New Artist (all genres)

The Band Perry
Bon Iver
J. Cole
Nicki Minaj
Skrillex Continue Reading

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Bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley.

Jaw-dropping.

There’s probably not a better phrase to describe an all-star band that’s being put together by producer T Bone Burnett. Bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley, who sung the Grammy-winning “O Death” on T Bone’s O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, will share the stage with keyboard players Elton John and Leon Russell, eclectic rocker Elvis Costello, Americana artist Neko Case and actor Jeff Bridges under the banner T Bone Burnett’s Speaking Clock Revue. They’ll be assembled Oct. 24 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif., during the second day of Neil Young’s annual Bridge School Benefit.

The rock-and-country mix in T Bone’s ensemble is reflective of the multi-genre texture of the event’s larger lineup. Country-rock pioneers Buffalo Springfield will reunite for the weekend, and country’s Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson will play the same stage as Americana’s Lucinda Williams, classic-rockers Jackson Browne and Billy Idol, and modern-rock bands Pearl Jam and Modest Mouse.

The link between country artists and their pop and rock peers is strong these days. And it’s in full force in a lot of ways. Among other notable examples:

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Bill Monroe photo courtesy of www.myspace.com/williamsmithmonroe.

Bill Monroe, widely regarded as the father of bluegrass, may soon get the same sort of movie treatment that’s been given to Johnny Cash and Ray Charles.

Actor Peter Sarsgaard, known for his work in “Jarhead” and the new “Knight And Day,” is in the early stages of development in a film about the late mandolin player, according to The Wrap. Peter is apparently a big fan of Bill, who played a central role in creating and shaping the acoustic genre named after his band, the Blue Grass Boys.

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Josh Turner photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

“I never had so many people open for me!” Josh Turner exclaimed Wednesday at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. “Wow!”

Indeed, 14 artists preceded him in that legendary venue, though another three sang after him as well as the Universal Music Group Nashville showcased its talent for Country Radio Seminar registrants in a unique format that provided a microcosm of the wide net that contemporary country represents.

Sugarland, David Nail, Jamey Johnson and Vince Gill were particular standouts as the acts performed just one song apiece. Collectively, the music ranged from bluegrass influences to blue-eyed soul; the acts stretched from brand new artists who haven’t yet released a single to one member of the Country Music Hall of Fame; and their backgrounds ran the gamut from Broadway to TV performer to Texas troubadours.

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Josh Turner photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Josh Turner’s new album Haywire got off to a great start, selling 85,000 copies in its first week to land at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and at No. 5 on the all-genre Billboard 200. And that news comes as the CD’s first single, “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” holds steady at No. 1 on the Top Country Songs list.

Josh may be hot in the present moment, but part of his success has comes by learning from the past. Randy Travis was a symbolic mentor for him during his formative years, and he’s worked with such previous hitmakers as Trisha Yearwood, Ralph Stanley and Diamond Rio to build his career since he started recording.

But Josh was getting an education about artistry and the music business long before he made his way from South Carolina to Nashville. The stories of established artists can be found in many settings, and Josh looked to those people’s histories to pick up creative nuances or even motivation.

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Elvis Presley image used by permission, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

Songwriter Aaron Schroeder, bass player Jack Cooke and recording artist Big Bill Lister — musical figures who played a role in the careers of Elvis Presley, Ralph Stanley and Hank Williams — each died in the last week, leaving cultural contributions they accomplished while working in the shadows of some very significant artists.

Their biggest moments spanned from the early 1950s to the current decade, with pop hits, Grammy-winning recordings and a much-loved novelty hit on their resumes.

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