And here’s video of Miranda and BLAKE SHELTON performing “America the Beautiful” at yesterday’s Super Bowl.  (–The song starts at the 0:52 mark.)

KEITH URBAN made a triumphant return to the Grand Ole Opry on Friday.  It was his first appearance since last year’s vocal surgery.  (–You can check out a “greatest hits” video from his appearance, here.)

COLT FORD’S fourth studio album, “Declaration of Independence”, is scheduled to drop May 1st.  So, he’s launching a tour to promote it.  It’ll kick off April 6th in Albany, Georgia.  (–Colt’s site has the dates.)

BILLY RAY CYRUS is writing a memoir.  And since he wants people to actually buy it . . . he’s promising to talk with “great candor” about his daughter MILEY CYRUS.  Will you care?  Anyway, the book is titled “Hillbilly Heart” and it’s supposed to come out next year.  (Full Story)

ALAN JACKSON is selling his massive estate in Jupiter Island, Florida . . . which is 80 miles north of Miami.  It’ll run you a mere $14.9 million, but hey, there’s an 8,700-square-foot beachfront mansion plus an acre of sand dunes.  (–You can check out photos, here.  Scroll down to “Click here for a tour of Jackson’s house”.)

DOLLY PARTON is partnering with the Opryland people to build a new theme park in Nashville, Tennessee.  It’ll be a water park in the summer . . . and then change over to a snow park in the winter.  Pretty cool.  They haven’t announced a name yet.  The park is due to open 2014.  (Tennessean)

RASCAL FLATTS announced their next album will be called “Changed” . . . and it’s going to drop April 3rd.  And yes, it includes their latest single, “Banjo”.  (RascalFlatts.com)

STEVE MARTIN and his bluegrass band the STEEP CANYON RANGERS are launching a tour.  The first leg kicks off February 10th in Reno, Nevada.  (–You can pick up dates on Steve’s site.)

Lady Antebellum is at it again! The trio’s latest installment of “Webisode Wednesday” features a new “Lady Haze” and this time Jason Aldean is the victim. Special guest Colt Ford is featured with Lady A singing “Country Club Anthem.”

Country music star Miranda Lambert, who lives in Tishomingo, OK. releases “Baggage Claim,” the feisty first single from her hotly anticipated upcoming album “Four the Record,” today on iTunes.

With “Baggage Claim,” the sassy Texan is back in woman scorned territory, but she’s more firm than incendiary, definitively kicking to the curb a guy she’s let drag her down long enough. It’s a promising hint of what’s to come with her fourth studio album, due out Nov. 1.

Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley will release “Hell on Heels,” the debut album for their all-girl trio the Pistol Annies, on Aug. 23.

Here’s a first listen at “Baggage Claim,” courtesy of YouTube:

–Blake’s album was one of six new debuts in the “Billboard” Top 10 this week.  Chris Youngs new Album NEON debuted at #4

1.)  (NEW)  “Red River Blue”, Blake Shelton  (116,000 copies)

4.)  (NEW)  “Neon”, Chris Young  (73,000 copies)

We’ve seen videos of Marines asking stars on dates, so here’s the inevitable video of a Marine asking out a country star.

–Her name is Nicole McCoy and she wants LUKE BRYAN to accompany her to the Marine Corps Ball in Albany, Georgia.  (–No word yet from Luke, but I’m thinking it’s a long shot.  He’s married with two kids.)

MONTGOMERY GENTRY will be performing at the first-ever USO Homefront Concert.  It’s for military families and volunteers and it’s going down next Tuesday in Louisville, Kentucky.  The concert will also air on the Pentagon Channel and the Armed Forces Network.

DWIGHT YOAKAM has brought in alt-rock superstar BECK to help him with his next album.  No word on a release date.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD and her husband MIKE FISHER taped an anti-bullying video.  It’s called “Do It For Daron” . . . and it’s in honor of Daron Richardson, a 14-year-old girl who took her own life after years of harassment.

SARA EVANS is learning a few things about RASCAL FLATTS as one of the opening acts on their tour, (–along with JUSTIN MOORE).  For example, they bring along a good supply of hair products.

–Sara says, quote, “I know I don’t use as much hair-care product as they do.  Because my hair is just long and straight and that’s all I do.  I don’t even like to curl my hair . . . I think less is more.  But I know where to go if I need hairspray or gel.”

If you’re looking for new reading material take a cue from Luke Bryan

–He said, quote, “I read ‘A Long Way Gone:  Memoirs of a Boy Soldier’ by Ishmael Beah.  I never read ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, so I’m gonna start on that next.  It’s in my bunk.

–”I got my iPad, and I’m trying to buy books on that, but I kind of like a book.  At the end of my life, when I’m old, I want to have all these shelves full of books.  So I’m just gonna do the book thing.”

(–”A Long Way Gone” is the true story of a 12-year-old boy in Africa’s Sierra Leone who was forced to become a soldier.  It’s a brutal, but encouraging story.  I haven’t had the pleasure, but after looking it up, I’m all over it.)

THOMPSON SQUARE decided to play every single role in their new video “I Got You”.  We’re talking leads, extras and even audience members.  Every single human you see is either KEIFER THOMPSON or SHAWNA THOMPSON.

Remember actress JULIETTE LEWIS?  She’s been in tons of movies, including “Natural Born Killers” and “Cape Fear”.  Well, now she’s in the ZAC BROWN BAND video for “Knee Deep” . . . and she’s pretty funny.  Oh, and JIMMY BUFFETT’S in it too, but you already knew that.  (Video) 

JASON ALDEAN will star in the next episode of CMT’s  “Invitation Only”.  It airs July 29th.  (Full Story)

–It’s a little over eight minutes long and it goes from their rehearsal all the way through the reception.  The preacher pronounces them married at around the 6:10 mark.  And it looks surprisingly like a normal wedding, full of drinking and dancing and hugging.

–The main difference, of course, is that famous people like REBA MCENTIRE, NEAL MCCOY and MARTINA MCBRIDE pop up here and there.

Click The pic to See!

–He said, quote, “I enjoy music too much to narrow it down and say I’m just going to do a country album.  Plus, the artists have to do so much stuff in country, and I’m a lazy butt.  I don’t want to have to sign autographs and go talk to radio about my single.

BROOKS & DUNN was one of the most successful acts in country music history.  So it’s interesting to hear RONNIE DUNN compare and contrast those days with his career as a solo artist.  He said, quote, “In September, we had eight semis and six buses.

–”I’m down to one bus and a horse trailer now.  And I love it!  I really enjoy playing venues and staying under the radar, tightening up the band and getting a sound and a vibe of just how this solo thing feels.  The few dates that we’ve played are a blast.”

Brad Paisley is part of an all-star lineup that will celebrate the 4th of July by performing on NBC’s Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks special. The show will also feature a performance by superstar Beyonce and will be hosted by Nick Lachey. (Pronounced LA-SHAY)

Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks will air on Monday, July 4th, beginning at 8pm Central.

Little Big Town covers Adele’s smash hit “Rolling In The Deep” in the latest installment of their “Scattered, Smothered & Covered” series! Where they cover tunes from other genres. Check it out on the blog:

According to “The Star”, there’s a LEANN RIMES “LOVE” tape floating around that was filmed over two years ago . . . when she was still married to Dean Sheremet. 

–The tape was supposedly stolen from a “moving truck” . . . and there’s no word who has possession of it. 

–Dean Sheremet isn’t denying the tape exists.  He told the “Star”, quote, “Things like this happen.  We were married for eight years, we did a lot of [stuff]!”  Naturally, LeAnn is issuing a public denial while privately scrambling to keep it under wraps. 

REBA MCENTIRE You can always check Reba Dot Com for updates. will be launching a 31-city arena tour in the fall.  The Band Perry, Steel Magnolia and Eden’s Edge will open the shows.  Dates and details are still being worked out.

it’s one of the Canadian diva’s most candid moments that sparked a flurry of Twitter and Facebook activity. Walking to the stage to announce the winner of CMT’s Best Male Video of the Year, Shania Twain slipped in her high heels and caught herself as she landed on her knees.

While many didn’t even catch the slip, Shania decided to address the faux pas upfront by releasing a homemade explanation.

Luke Bryan rocked his performance of current smash hit “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” Wednesday night at the CMT awards and ended his evening with the knowledge he was the top-searched term on Google, according to the engine’s Trends website.

Earlier this week Luke’s Facebook fans have reached an all-time high just shy of 1.5 million users. No doubt due to the great response the single “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” has received at country radio, and just announce he’ll headline this fall’s CMT ON TOUR: Luke Bryan Tailgates & Tanlines,” as well as his upcoming album, due in stores August 9, “Tailgates & Tanlines.”

Keep up to date with Luke by visiting his official website, www.LukeBryan.com.

 –“Shania:  Still The One” will begin its run on December 1st.  (–Shania’s website has the dates and details.)Just as Carrie Underwood did before him, Kenny Chesney sat down in Nashville this week to be the guest speaker at Billboard‘s Country Music Summit. Among the topics covered by Chesney were his annual summer tour, his promise to himself to take some time off, the influence that George Strait‘s tour had on him, and the time when he played a show on his 30th birthday and no fans showed up. Watch the video below to see Kenny’s conversation…

http://video.billboard.com/services/player/bcpid1126070790?bctid=982152694001

Fans will soon be able to own a copy of Soul Surfer, the movie in which Carrie Underwood made her acting debut. The film will be released to DVD and Blu-Ray on August 2.

Video Director of the Year – Trey Fanjoy (award-eligible videos include Miranda Lambert’s “The House That Built Me” and Blake Shelton’s “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking”)

Duo Video of the Year – Sugarland “Stuck Like Glue”

Collaborative Video of the Year – Justin Bieber featuring Rascal Flatts – “That Should Be Me”

CMT Performance of the Year – Zac Brown Band and Jimmy Buffett – “Margaritaville” from CMT Crossroads: Jimmy Buffett and Zac Brown Band

USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year – The Band Perry – “If I Die Young”

Nationwide On Your Side Award – The Band Perry

Best Web Video of the Year – Blake Shelton – “Kiss My Country Ass”

Female Video of the Year – Miranda Lambert – “The House That Built Me”

Group Video of the Year – Lady Antebellum – “Hello World”

Male Video of the Year – Blake Shelton – “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking”

Video of the Year – Taylor Swift “Mine”