Tyler Barham photo by Bobby Hamrick.

Former Next GAC Star finalist Tyler Barham’s new EP, Twenty-One, has landed him in the Top 20 on iTune’s Country Album Chart! The 5-song EP, released on Tyler’s  21^st birthday, reached No. 19 on the chart,  just six months after his self-titled EP reached No. 39. A YouTube sensation, Tyler’s fans rallied behind him to put his album on the charts alongside Taylor Swift. Continue Reading

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Blake Shelton photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Nashville.

If you haven’t had a chance to run out and pick up a Valentine’s Day card for that special someone in your life, let Blake Shelton help you. Fans can go to Blake’s website and send ‘Blake Mail’ to their friends and loved ones customized with a very ‘Blake’ way to say Happy Valentine’s Day such as ‘I can’t wait to see… Who you are when I’m not looking!’   Continue Reading

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Faith Hill photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Nashville; Teleflora Valentine's Bouquet (from The Collection by Faith Hill) courtesy of Teleflora.com.

Guys, if you’re not sure what kind of flowers to get your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day, let Faith Hill help you! Faith has signed on with the flower delivery service Teleflora to create “The Collection by Faith Hill.”

You can see the collection unveiled in Teleflora’s upcoming TV commercial, set to debut during Super Bowl XLV on FOX on Sunday, February 6.  The 30-second spot will air during the second quarter. 

We haven’t seen the spot, but a press release describes it as a ”laugh-out-loud” Valentine’s Day spot staged in a recording studio where Faith steps in to coach her sound tech through a Valentine’s Day dilemma.

“It’s been a lot of fun designing a line of hand-arranged bouquets with Teleflora,” said Faith Hill.  “They’re a great company that takes pride in their products, their flowers – and in their commercials.  I can’t think of any better way to kick-off this partnership than with an ad during the Super Bowl.” Continue Reading

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Gwyneth Paltrow & Tim McGraw from the upcoming movie, Country Strong, in theaters January 7, 2011. Photo by Scott Garfield, courtesy of Sony Pictures USA & Monarch Publicity.

From Crazy Heart to Country Strong, Hollywood and Nashville were tightly linked in 2010.

Tim McGraw, Julianne Hough, Trace Adkins and Carrie Underwood all went in front of the cameras. And artists as diverse as Ryan Bingham, Billy Currington, Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney got their music on the big screen in one way or another.

Country’s role in a large number of movies ranks No. 7 in GAC’s countdown of the dozen top stories of 2010.

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Taylor Swift photo courtesy of Big Machine Records.

At the beginning of 2010, Taylor Swift walked away with four Grammy Awards, including the Album of the Year honor for Fearless. But when the 53rd annual Grammy nominees were unveiled Wednesday night, Taylor’s name was nowhere to be found among the 109 categories.

Stunning? A little, though not entirely. For starters, the eligibility period runs Sept. 1, 2009 through Sept. 30, 2010. Her new album, Speak Now, didn’t come out until late October, so that project is ineligible. “Fearless” and “Mine” were both released as singles, and she had a couple of titles on the Valentine’s Day soundtrack, and any of those could have potentially found a space on the Grammy list. But they didn’t.

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LeAnn Rimes photo courtesy of Curb Nashville.

Ryan Bingham earned a lot of attention for country music when he picked up an Oscar award for the theme from Crazy Heart this weekend, but he’s hardly alone among country recording artists participating in current film projects.

LeAnn Rimes, Dwight Yoakam and Miley Cyrus all have roles in titles that are on the way. Tim McGraw just finished working on another film, and Taylor Swift has racked up more sales for her work on a recent soundtrack.

Here’s a rundown on country’s current ties to Hollywood:

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Josh Thompson's 2010 CD, Way Out Here. Photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Josh Thompson’s debut single, “Beer On The Table,” is an ode to being a man’s man. But even this manly man admits he’s a romantic when it comes to Valentine’s Day. His way to a woman’s heart? Her stomach.

“I’m a big cooking dinner freak,” says Josh. “Lately I’ve been making things that are more healthy. I’m a big fan of grilled vegetables and chicken.”

And beer, of course. Though Josh may offer wine to the lady, one would assume he’d pop a top with his dinner. Josh’s favorite kind of beer? “Whatever’s free and cold,” he says, laughing. Continue Reading

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Billy Ray Cyrus photo courtesy of Walt Disney Records.

Billy Ray Cyrus’ next film just had its premiere, Kenny Chesney is in production on his upcoming 3-D picture, and Tim McGraw’s next movie starts shooting in Middle Tennessee this week.

Country artists have a hand in every part of Hollywood’s business these days, from the initial roll of the camera to the glitter of the post-release awards-show circuit.

Here’s what’s up for country’s stars on film:

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Taylor Swift stars in the upcoming film, "Valentine's Day," in theaters Feb. 12, 2010. Inset, right: Former couple, Taylor Lautner and Taylor Swift.

Gossip sites were all a-Twitter at the end of 2009 over the supposed short-lived romance of Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner, who were required to kiss for their roles in the upcoming movie Valentine’s Day. Though a long-term relationship was not meant to be, one aspect of the project that will live on much longer is the soundtrack, which will feature two new songs from Ms. Swift, as well as material from Willie Nelson, Jewel and new duo Steel Magnolia.

Mirroring the princely tone of “Love Story,” Taylor’s album opener is titled “Today Was A Fairytale.” She also contributes a second song, “Jump Then Fall,” to the 18-song set. Jewel — whose first country hit, “Stronger Woman,” was released in January 2008 — recorded a breathy “Stay Here Forever,” which was released Monday as a single to country radio stations. Two other tracks on the CD are recent hits: Steel Magnolia’s debut single, “Keep On Lovin’ You,” is in the Top 25 on this week’s USA Today Mediabase country list while Michael Franti & Spearhead’s “Say Hey (I Love You)” is Top 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

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Taylor Swift's December 2009 InStyle magazine cover. Photo courtesy of InStyle magazine.

New CMA Entertainer of the Year Taylor Swift has another reason to celebrate — she’s the cover girl on the December issue of InStyle magazine. Fans of this year’s golden girl can pick up a copy of the 3-D cover this Friday, November 20, when it hits newsstands. How does a 3-D magazine cover work? In a press release, the magazine gives these instructions:

Hold the issue up to your webcam and watch Swift come to life in this fashion magazine first:  within seconds, a red bow flies off the page and unravels, while snow falls in 3-D, as a glittering Swift welcomes viewers with a holiday greeting and an inside look at her InStyle photo shoot.

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