ERIC CHURCH HAS A TOUGH CHOICE

Eric Church sat down with us on Friday morning to talk about a number of exciting things, including his Academy of Country Music award for Top New Solo Artist. He's now nominated for Top New Artist, competing against The Band Perry in a fan-voted award. But the same weekend as the ACM Awards, the NCAA Basketball Final Four championship will take place in Houston. Eric said if his favorite team, the North Carolina Tarheels, make it, he will commute between cities.

I’m a basketball nerd. Two years ago, when Carolina won the national championship, I watched it from a hotel room in Vegas. And here’s what broke my heart: I had a chance to have suite passes in Detroit, and I was stuck in Las Vegas. This year, I can get to Houston on Saturday, and get back to Vegas for the show on Sunday.

This is a unique experience because not many artists can go on an awards show having already won Top New Solo Artist. That takes a lot of pressure off. I like having won that award because we won it our own way. I’ve not had #1 songs. We’ve been different. I’m proud we got here, and I’m proud it’s fan voted. That’s why we won.

I’m competitive. I want to win every award a guy can win, then change to falsetto and win the Female Vocalist awards. I like The Band Perry, so it’s bittersweet that one of us will have to lose. I sent them a text and said, “I’ll vote for you if you vote for me.” The way I see it is I net two extra votes. But we get to play on the show and see what happens. I don’t make music to win awards, because if I have to change who I am to win awards, it’s a disservice to the music.

TOBY KEITH POURS A WILD SHOT

Toby Keith was in Nashville a couple weeks ago to unveil his own personal brand of Mezcal tequila, Wild Shot. He held a press conference at the BMI building on Music Row, where he explained his new product:

The question on a lot of minds is, why mezcal?

There has been a surge in the mezcal market. It's easy to get another tequila, but not many people are doing anything with mezcal. I saw the success my friend Sammy Hagar has had with Cabo Wabo, so instead of being a competitor in the tequila market, I wanted to do as I always do and get in on the ground floor where there is a lot of room for growth.

Will Wild Shot come complete with a worm at the bottom of the bottle?

Oh yeah, you don't want to miss out on that! You don't want to be the last guy holding the bottle either. They say the worm causes visions, but I think it's just reaching the bottom of bottle. If you're there when that happens, I don't think the worm has that much to do with it. [laughs]

Your latest single, 'Somewhere Else,' has a different feel to it. You've described the guy in it as 'the biggest loser in the world.' What made you choose it as a single now?

'Somewhere Else' is the third single off my album 'Bullets in the Gun,' and it is my favorite thing on the album. It's different from anything I've done, but at same time we didn't feel it was the right song to pull as the first single. After touring and and seeing the reaction to it, it makes you proud as a songwriter when you get that melody and word play going on. It's got a real homey, organic feel to the lyric, like you're singing about your neighbor. It's got a light feel to it, but it's about a serious issue. It's one of my favorite things I wrote last year and I am happy for it to get out.

The production sounds a little different for you, too.

When we were recording it, we wanted to take time to create its own vibe. We muted a harmonica and really spent a lot of time trying to create almost a percussion track out of the harmonic and drum sticks. I knew it would be single, so we spent more time than usual trying to create a different vibe for it.

You're nominated for ACM Entertainer of the Year. How do you feel about fans voting for the honor?
It's wonderful to have fans vote on Entertainer of the Year these last several years. I haven't been an award-friendly guy, and I kind of gave up on them years ago. I said all along if you let the fans vote, no one can complain. If you don't get nominated or don't win, you can't gripe. There's no place for politics playing into music. It's a fan-based industry; we all survive off our fans. I told a young man that we just signed the other night that all we can do is put our music out there and then it's up to the fans. Putting politics into it never made sense to me. If you don't win or get nominated, then work a little harder next year.

TRACE ADKINS IS BORN TO BE WILD

Trace Adkins returns to this silver screen this weekend, appearing in "The Lincoln Lawyer," a new movie starring Matthew McConaughey. In it, Trace plays Eddie Vogel, the leader of a biker gang who needs a lawyer. Enter McConaughey in a mobile office, the back seat of a Lincoln Town Car. Trace actually met Matthew last year at the ACM awards: "I've met him a few times and as long as he's not playing his bongos naked, we'll be OK."

Trace is actually only in the movie briefly, at the begining and end. But he makes his time count. So as the leader of a biker gang, does Trace actually beat someone up? "I oversee and direct a beating but I don't personally take part. I've got people who do that for me now, Lon. I just point out the victims."

Trace and his wife Rhonda attended the movie premiere, along with McConaughey, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy, and more.

KENNY CHESNEY HONORS HIS HERO

Kenny Chesney was in Knoxville a few days ago, hosting a premiere of his latest sports documentary: "The Color Orange: The Condridge Holloway Story." Kenny was joined by a number of University of Tennessee alumni, including former quarterback Peyton Manning, and a number of ESPN hosts and analysts, including Kirk Herbstreet. Kenny spoke to us outside the historic Tennessee Theater about making this latest film, as well as his upcoming tour and ACM nominations.


What is it about this story you wanted to tell? The fact that it hadn’t been told before was something I couldn’t believe. Condridge being the figure he was, and broke such a racial barrier, and nobody recognized it. Anytime you do something first, you pay a price, and Condridge handled it with such grace and style, and with such a positive attitude and it was inspiring to me. He was such an athlete, he was Michael Vick in 1972 and 73. We know the stats, but I wanted everyone to know what kind of person he was, how humble he was, and odds were against him becoming that person. That’s why when ESPN asked us to do this, that’s why I wanted to do this film, to show people what kind of person he is.

How did it change you? Lotta people say he didn’t play in the NFL, the NFL didn’t give him a chance, but he didn’t focus on what he didn’t have. He focused on what he had, and was thankful for it. There are so many life lessons in Condridge’s story We all have adversity, we all have hurdles, I certainly have. I don’t think I handled it as well as Condridge did his. Making this film makes me wanna be a better person, and it was a gift from God ESPN asked us to do this. I would have done this anyway because he was such a huge sports figure in my life. Condridge Holloway is the reason that I love sports in the first place, so to be able to tell this man’s story, and apply it to your life, I didn’t expect that. But in ways it was a God-send.

We finished Boys of Fall film in August, and the part they loved was my connection with Condridge Holloway. When they saw what he meant to college football, and they saw he meant so much to me that I wore his orange #7 jersey to get my school picture made in, that was important to them, and they wanted to make that connection. When ESPN called me, we’d just finished Boys of Fall, and I was gonna take the next 3 months off and learn how to surf before I went back on tour. Then they said we want you to make a film on Condridge Holloway, but we want it to air in February. I was sitting with my feet in my pool, but realized I had to do this. We had a chance to make a film that was gonna mean a lot to generations of people who were invested in college football and understood Condridge’s journey. That was more important than us being tired. Once we got into it, it gave me more energy. So I’m so glad we did it.

Would you do another one? I didn’t know we were going to do Boys of Fall. It became an expensive obsession, but if you told me in 09, I’d say you were crazy. I made two films because I made too films I was passionate about. I don’t know what else that would be. If a story comes along that we can sink our teeth into, that we’re passionate about, it might be sports, but never say never. I enjoy the process, and we work well together, I enjoy taking an idea and bringing it to life on screen. It may take several years if we do it again. I gotta go on tour. I gotta think about that.

Have you rested? I have, I feel like I’ve had time off. I don’t feel like I stopped, but I’ve had mentally time away. I’m ready to go back out, I miss the energy, I miss the excitement from the first note of every night, the band’s anxious, sounding better than ever, working hard to rehearse, to have the love affair we experience with the fans is second to none, but that’s why I feel we needed the time off, I needed to protect that at any cost. Now we’re ready to go back.

ACM nomination for Album & Single: I’m very proud of them, the fact that the album was nominated, I took a lot of extra time with Hemingway’s Whiskey. I had a whole nother album done, but knew it wasn’t right. I scrapped all of it except Boys of Fall, Somewhere With You, and a song called Seven Day. But I was afforded, because I didn’t tour, I was afforded the luxury of time. That’s why I’m excited about the album nomination.

FAITH HILL IS A CHEESE-HEAD

We got a chance to speak with Faith Hill last week in Nashville. She has several things to talk about, including this weekend's Super Bowl and her CMT Crossroads special with the Pretenders. While she is in Dallas for the Crossroads, she told me she'll return to Nashville Sunday for a Super Bowl party at home with family and friends.

Who is your pick for the Super Bowl? The Green Bay Packers. I don’t know why I’ve chosen the Packers, both teams could walk away with the big prize. I think it’s going to be a close game, but I have a feeling about the Packers, they look so good in the last round of games, really strong, both offense and defense, and I only go by feeling. My picks don’t have anything to do with strategy, it’s just a gut feeling.

You have heritage with the Packers: Yes, with Brett Favre playing with the Packers for so many years, a fellow Mississippian, but that really isn’t the reason, I just have a feeling they’re going to win.

Saturday night, you will do CMT Crossroads with The Pretenders. What do they mean to you? Oh my gosh, “Brass in Pocket” is like an anthem when I was in high school. “I'll Stand By You” is one of the greatest songs ever written. I always reference that song when I’m preparing for an album or writing, it’s such a powerful lyric. Chrissie has so much attitude, it just oozes out of her, she’s such a stylist, I’ve been living with all of her music for the past few weeks since we decided to do this, but we haven’t had a proper rehearsal yet. It’s a live show, we’ll keep it live, keep it real!

Which song of theirs are you most looking forward to singing? “I'll Stand By You.”

And which song of yours are you looking forward to hearing from her? “Cry.”

Her voice is lower than yours: Yes its much lower but has so much character, but it has so much charcter, she’s a stylist. Her writing, it has a lot of country influence, reminds me of Johnny Cash.,

You just released a new perfume, called True. What kind of person wears True? Someone who wants a fresh clean crisp feeling. It’s floral but not overpowering, so there’s a nice sandlewood musk on the bottom note, which warms it up a little bit, but it’s a floral scent.

Did I notice some lemon? It’s mimosa! There’s a little bit of that. But citrus? The yuzu flower is maybe a little bit, but not much.

I noticed that two hours after I sprayed it, it was still there. Why? That was important to me, cause I wanted women to spray this in the morning headed out the door for work or their day, and not have to reapply it, which happens a lot, so that was important.

How do you do that? Musk helps in that regard to give it longevity. It’s nicer too as they day goes on. It’s soft and clean and fresh.

Let’s say a couple buys their respective McGraw Silver cologne and Faith Hill True perfume. Do the scents work together? Yes actually they do. That’s a very good question! You win the prize today. Yeah they do because they’re not overpowering and they’re not offensive, which is important, especially if you live in a house where both people wear fragrance.

Explain the name True: I just felt it was a representation of first me as a woman, and it’s just genuine. I thought it was a nice strong name.

I understand you’re working on new music, and writing some songs. So talk about writing: I started writing when I first moved to Nashville, and somewhere I stopped writing and I don’t know why. My career was moving so fast, then got married and had children, and didn’t have time for it. But it’s a craft I respect more than anything as an artist, and always have, so it’s not something I assume I can do, so it’s taken a while to get back into the routine of writing. But I’ve written with a lot of people I respect, and it’s been good for my mind, I’m a little upset at myself that I haven’t done this already. But the timing is good. I realized this is what I need to be doing. Because no one knows better what you want to say.

JOE NICHOLS FEELS GREAT

This week, Joe Nichols released his first Greatest Hits collection. In honor of that, I spoke with him at his record label office in Nashville. Joe had just returned from singing the halftime show at the AFC Championship in Pittsburgh, and was about to take a vacation in Cancun. He was relaxed and very happy, as one can see in this interview.

What comes to mind when you see a Greatest Hits record: I look at that list of songs, and think about each song, each memory I have during the recording process, what each song means, and its really cool, I'm very proud of what we've accomplished and proud the fans have given me a chance to keep delivering songs to them all these years, it's been a roller coaster ride, ups and downs, but it's ended up in this first chapter, and I think it's a good way to close this first little book.

What did you expect your career to be like in 2002? I didn't know what to expect, I was just wide-eyed and overwhelmed, amazed at the opportunities, meeting my heros like Merle Haggard and George Jones, hearing they approved of what I do, it was priceless to me. That first year was OMG moments. To have songs go to #1 was amazing, it was what I always hoped I'd achieved and didn't think I'd accomplish.

Your album covers have changed over the years. The first four, you were looking very serious. But you're actually laughing in this new album cover. Talk about that: I look at the progression and it's not just photos, but if you look at my life personally it's probably a mirror image of how I've gone through life. It's no coincidence of the album covers, some were dark, some were guarded, and some felt cold, but Old Things New was first stone-faced, but then they changed the album cover. As my mind gets better, as my spiritual life gets happier, it shows in the pictures we take and the music we make, and with the Greatest Hits, that's probably the happiest pictures you'll see of me! (laughs)

Let's take about the current single, "The Shape I'm In." It's included on the Greatest Hits, and you just released a video for it that involves the soldiers. Why? One of the things that happened to me when I visited Iraq, my appreciation for them increased 20-fold. You don't have a lot of admirable people today. But these military folks I met in Iraq and Kuwait, that's whow I want my children to be. I want them to be disciplined, apprciative, and proud, to serve a greater purpose than themselves. So when I went to Iraq, this video made more sense. The song is about a break-up, but we wanted the video to be broader, about the guys who come back from overseas, that are missing a limb, those guys can overcome tremendous adversity and hold their heads up. That's bravery and courage.

As part of this you're working with The Boot Campaign. Explain that: Marcus Luttrell is a true American hero. The Boot Campaign is in Texas where they take celebrities to pose for pictures in military boots, to show we're walking in their shoes, to say thank you, so The Boot Campaign hooked us up with Marcus Luttell and he had to be in this video.

You're just back from Pittsburgh, where you sang at the AFC Championship. Have you warmed up yet? (Laughs) It took a while to get over that stinging sensation after the numbness. That was a cold game, I think it was 6 degrees, I've rarely played a show that cold. But it was a great game! All the things you want in a great game, but that cold bites you to the bone.

So who are you rooting for? I've always been a Tennessee Titans fan and Dallas Cowboys fan, those are my teams now, but Pittsburgh is a great town, and I enjoyed being there, so Go Steelers this year.

Have you ever been to a Super Bowl? I got to play the Super Bowl a few years ago when it was the Patriots & Giants in Phoenix. I didn't have a dog in the fight, but I had two tickets and I had a great time. My wife isn't much of a football fan, but she enjoyed it.

Did you meet any of the Steelers? No, they invited me to meet them, but it was way too cold.

So there aren't any new songs on the Greatest Hits, so what's next for you musically? We're in the studio right now working on our next record, and it'll be out in July. I don't want to say too much because it's not set in stone, but very excited about the first single, gonna be some tempo, some fun, some springtime fun, gonna be good.

Taylor Swift Speaks Now!

We had a chance to "speak now" with Taylor on her new CD.

So what's this record about? This album is about the last two years of my life, and it seemed like every emotion I felt was intense. I feel like trying to navigate love and relationships are what I’ve written about on this album.

So at what point did you know the album was done? There was a moment when I knew this album was done. It was when I’d written a song called “Story of Us.” I knew I needed to talk about that part of that relationship in particular, and the pain it causes you. So that’s when I put it down and knew I’d written everything for this album.

That's a sad song, yet it sounds joyous: I think it’s fun to write songs where the way the music sounds is different than what the lyrics say. Like the song "Speak Now" is about a dramatic situation where you’re interrupting a wedding where your ex-boyfriend is about to get married, and you crash into the whole thing, make this speech in front of everyone, and they’re horrified that you’re there, but it’s said with an uptempo kind of glint of the eye. I like the juxtaposition of a happy skippy melody and a sinister lyric.

Why did you title the album Speak Now? For me, calling the album Speak Now comes from the song Speak Now, which is based on the moment in wedding when they say “speak now or forever hold your peace.” And I think that’s a metaphor for a lot of situations we find ourselves in life, where we wait to say how we feel until it’s almost too late.

Talk about song #13: The song Last Kiss is one of the most personal songs I’ve ever written. It talks about completely reminiscing on a relationship, almost like the last email you’ll write but never send, it’s the most desperate of desperate songs I’ve written. You wish you could say “I miss everything about you that you didn’t know I noticed. Why is this over?” So it’s a gut-wrenching song, and pretty fitting that it’s song #13.

You wrote a song on the last album for winning Horizon Award. So was there a song on this album for winning entertainer? There is a song called Long Live, the last song on the album, and it’s a song to my crew who did this with me, the fans, all the people I jumped up and down with in the last 2 years. It makes references to Grammy night, CMA night, and talks about how I feel about all of those accomplishments. It deals with it from every angle, like you never know if it’ll ever happen again, so celebrate it. That’s an important song for me and a reason why it’s last.

You recently did a songwriter benefit for Hall of Fame, why did you do a benefit for them? Country Music Hall of Fame has always been important to me, because the history of country music matters. The fact that people can come to Nashville and be reminded of that, it’s something that’s fascinating to me. Also, selfishly getting to be in the room with Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson, and Lionel Ritchie, it wasn’t hard to talk me into that. I remember being blown away with how authentic those people were. Talking about life and music, Kris Kristofferson blows me away, so much wisdom. I love Lionel, the background on my phone now is a picture of us giving each other a high five.

The photos, the cover, what’s the story: Doing the photo shoot for the album booklet is important because I want to visualize all the songs on the record. There are songs that conjure a visual, and I’m excited for people to see the booklet, because there are pictures that pretty clearly show what each song is about. The cover image is one I chose because there’s a look on my face that I’m about to say something. I like to show movement, like on the last album with my hair, and this time it’s movement in my dress, like a painting, and that’s a theme on the entire album. It’s a striking purple, I like that color and I’m glad it’s on my album

Trace Adkins Gets Stuck

By now, you've probably seen the video of Trace Adkins trying to get into NASCAR legend Richard Petty's car. If you haven't, here it is:

As it turns out, the video only tells half of the story. When Trace co-hosted Country Countdown USA, he told Lon Helton, "Getting in it wasn't that difficult. Getting OUT was the hard part! I thought they were literally gonna have to cut the top off and get the jaws of life to get me out of there. I started to kind of panic cause I couldn’t get out of the dang car."

Actually, if you watch the video, you can see the main problem was there is no door. Drivers get in through the window. Getting out simply reverses the process. As Trace said, "There’s no room to maneuver to get out that window. You have to get out of the seat and turn and slide out on your back. It’s a young man’s game, I’ll tell you."

So the question is: Trace, how did they finally get you out? "Due to humiliation, I was not gonna remain stuck in that car. I was gonna claw my way out somehow. Finally I was able to wriggle my way out."

Trace Adkins co-hosted Country Countdown USA over the weekend of August 14-15. His new CD, "Cowboy's Back In Town," will be released on August 17.

LISTEN to Trace tell this story HERE: http://www.countrycountdownusa.com/uploads/10-33_Trace_car.mp3

KEITH URBAN CHATS WITH GENTLE GIANT

Last October, Keith Urban hosted the All for the Hall benefit for Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame & Musem. At the time, he said he hadn't toured the facility in a few years, and was hoping to also bring his wife Nicole Kidman. That tour finally happened last week. Keith told Country Countdown USA host Lon Helton that he and his wife received a private tour of the Hall on March 31st. "There's so much to see, and we only had an hour. Don Williams, who's one of my absolute all time heroes, had just sent a few things to the Hall for display, including his hat with the little acorns on the front. It was heavy for me to see that. He also sent in some original lyrics, and it was great to be able to see actual changes he made in the manuscript." But that wasn't Keith's only contact with his idol. He told Lon that earlier, he received a phone call from the legend. "I was driving in my car, my phone rings and don't recognize the number, so I answer it hesitantly, and this booming baritone voice says, 'Hey is this Keith? It's Don Williams.' And I literally didn't know what to do. I almost wrecked the car. That was one of the best phone calls I ever got in my life." Don will officially become a member of the Hall next month. Keith says he's hoping to attend.

Keith will encounter Hall of Famers from the Rock world in June when he plays several stadium shows with The Eagles. "We got a call from The Eagles management about us going out with them, and we thought it was a great chance to play. I mean, when will I get a chance to play with The Eagles? It's going to be fantastic." Also on the bill will be the Dixie Chicks. Keith once played guitar on their song, "Some Days You Gotta Dance" from their second CD. But he told Lon he hasn't seen them in a long time. "I haven't heard from them or had much to do with them in a long time. It's been a while since I've seen them." Keith will do five stadiums in June.

Keith has been touring less in 2010, which gives him more time to spend with his wife and daughter. Sunday Rose is now 20 months old, and he told Lon he's been enjoying fatherhood. "When she goes 'daddy,' I go, Wow that's me! That keeps coming on at different times. I never thought it would happen for me, because it happened later in life. I got to where I thought maybe it's not my journey, and that's OK. But lo and behold we had a little girl. We went driving this morning to get some coffee, and she's in the back going 'dubadubadub' so we just started singing along, and she was giggling, I just love it. I think she's got a good musicality about her. Sometimes if I warm up my voice, I hear her imitating me."

Keith Urban is Lon Helton's co-host on Country Countdown USA over the weekend of April 10-11, 2010. For audio and pictures, go to http://www.countrycountdownusa.com/

CARRIE LEARNS A SUPER SECRET

Carrie Underwood learned something new when she sang the National Anthem at this year’s Super Bowl. She tells Lon Helton of Country Countdown USA that she never knew people bet money on the time it takes to sing the anthem. “We went to a party, and more than anything men would come up and ask. “How long do you think the anthem’s gonna be.’ People even texted Mike, my fiancé how long it was gonna be. I said, ‘That’s cheating! What time do they have for it?’ They said ‘1:42.’ But I felt like I was cheating. I felt dirty. If I lost some people some money, I’m sorry. I didn’t have music. I had a click track in my ears, so I could keep some sort of time, but it dropped out at the end. So I could have gone faster or slower.”

The Super Bowl was just one of the topics they discussed. Carrie also performed in the Michael Jackson tribute at the Grammy Awards. “It was great, the coolest part for me was being in rehearsal with Celine Dion, Usher, Jennifer Hudson and Smokey Robinson, everybody walked in, no egos, they were there for a common purpose, to honor someone in a way the people around him wanted to be honored. They could have picked any one of his songs, but they wanted “Earth Song” because that was his love and passion. It was cool they asked us to do that song. I never met Michael, but the people who had, to see how emotional they got, made me want to do my best. I met Smokey Robinson before, but never sang with him. He’s just warm and sweet. There was one moment when we were in rehearsal, someone said we should do something, and he said, ‘I second that emotion.’ It was really cool. Celine Dion was amazing. All the ladies were in one dressing room, and she was doing her vocal warm-ups, and it was really cool. She does stuff I can’t do. She speaks in French a lot too. I didn’t know what she was saying.”

Carrie has branched into acting lately. She appeared in an episode of the CBS-TV show “How I Met Your Mother.” Carrie told Lon it was her first real TV show experience. “It was good, I’d do it again. While you’re filming it, the clothes and hair were different for me because I was playing a character. I usually wear a lot more make-up, and they had me more natural. I got to play with a pig, that was cool. We had a little problem with the pig. They were three days old, and they were adorable, but at one point, one of my co-stars said, ‘What is that?” And it was on my dress, so you can imagine what it was. So I had to ask for a new dress. They just had one back-up dress. The pig didn’t mess that one up.”

One other acting project on Carrie’s schedule this year is a movie called “Soul Surfer,” the true story of Bethany Hamilton, a surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack. Carrie told Lon, “There’s so many amazing things in this story. Her dad was in surgery when they brought her in. Not only did she bounce back afterwards, but she learned how to surf with one arm.” Carrie character plays an integral part in Bethany’s rehabilitation. “I was her youth leader who was instrumental in helping them all through. I’m honored. This is one of those things at the end of my career and think I was a part of it. It doesn’t matter how many people see it. It was a wonderful thing to be a part of. It makes you want to be a fighter. If she can face that, you can face anything.”

Back in February, Carrie appeared at the annual Country Radio Seminar in Nashville. Her record label puts together an incredible show for radio programmers, and Carrie did a couple of very special duets. The first was with Miranda Lambert on the classic Cree dance Clearwater Revival song “Traveling Band.” Carrie says the song was Miranda’s idea. “I asked to sing with her, and texted her about it, but didn’t know what to sing. So she says, ‘I like old rock,’ and we went back and forth on a song until I said, ‘What about CCR?’ She goes, ‘I love them.’ And she suggested Traveling Band because her band knew it, so we did it. But we never rehearsed it. That was the first time we sang it. That was a lot of fun. I think that’s going to be the first of more. I also told my record label that we need to do some side project with all the women. Write our own stuff, see what we can do.” Then at the end, rocker Bryan Adams was introduced, did a couple hits by himself, then brought out Brad Paisley, and then it was Carrie’s turn to sing. “I got to sing “It’s Only Love” with Bryan, he originally did that with Tina Turner, and he’s a nice guy. I was impressed at us! We had a lot of fun, there was one note when we were singing, and we both held it for a crazy amount of time. We were able to let loose and have some fun.”

Lon Helton's interview with Carrie Underwood aired on Country Countdown USA over the weekend of March 27-28, 2010. Excerpts are available at the show's website, http://www.countrycountdownusa.com/

TAYLOR SWIFT POISED FOR A BIG GRAMMY NIGHT

Taylor Swift continues her dominance at awards shows. The country-pop crossover sensation is among the top nominees for the 52nd annual GRAMMY Awards, with bids in eight categories. Her hit "You Belong With Me" is up for Record and Song of the Year as well as Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, while her hit "White Horse" is putting her in the running for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song and her track "Breathe" with Colbie Caillat is giving her a shot at Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals. Meanwhile, Swift's CD "Fearless" is up for Album of the Year and Best Country Album.

Keith Urban is another top country contender. He's up for four awards including Best Male Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Album. George Strait, Lee Ann Womack, Lady Antebellum, and the Zac Brown Band are also in the running in multiple categories, along with Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, and Jamey Johnson. Brooks & Dunn, Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Trace Adkins, Billy Currington, and Sugarland are among the hopefuls as well.

Nominees in select categories for the 52nd annual GRAMMY Awards were revealed in a TV concert special which aired on CBS Wednesday night. Sugarland and Dwight Yoakam were among the stars who participated in the announcement event, which took place at the Club Nokia in Los Angeles. The 52nd annual GRAMMY Awards will be presented in a ceremony at L.A.'s Staples Center on January 31st, also on CBS.

A list of nominees for select General Field and Country categories for the 52nd annual GRAMMY Awards follows.

GENERAL FIELD:

Record Of The Year:
Beyonce, "Halo"
Black Eyed Peas, "I Got A Feeling"
Kings of Leon, "Use Somebody"
Lady GaGa, "Poker Face"
Taylor Swift, "You Belong With Me"

Album Of The Year:
"I Am...Sasha Fierce," Beyonce
"The E.N.D.," Black Eyed Peas
"The Fame," Lady GaGa
"Big Whiskey & The GrooGrux King," Dave Matthews Band
"Fearless," Taylor Swift

Song Of The Year:
Lady GaGa, "Poker Face"
Maxwell, "Pretty Wings"
Beyonce, "Single Ladies"
Kings of Leon, "Use Somebody"
Taylor Swift, "You Belong With Me"

COUNTRY:

Best Female Country Vocal Performance:
Miranda Lambert, "Dead Flowers"
Martina McBride, "I Just Call You Mine"
Taylor Swift, "White Horse"
Carrie Underwood, "Just A Dream"
Lee Ann Womack, "Solitary Thinkin'"

Best Male Country Vocal Performance:
Trace Adkins, "All I Ask For Anymore"
Billy Currington, "People Are Crazy"
Jamey Johnson, "High Cost Of Living"
George Strait, "Living For The Night"
Keith Urban, "Sweet Thing"

Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal:
Brooks & Dunn, "Cowgirls Don't Cry"
Zac Brown Band, "Chicken Fried"
Lady Antebellum, "I Run To You"
Rascal Flatts, "Here Comes Goodbye"
Sugarland, "It Happens"

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals:
Dierks Bentley & Patty Griffin, "Beautiful World"
Kenny Chesney & Mac McAnally, "Down The Road"
Brad Paisley & Keith Urban, "Start A Band"
Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis, "I Told You So"
Lee Ann Womack & George Strait, "Everything But Quits"

Best Country Song:
"All I Ask For Anymore," Casey Beathard & Tim James, songwriters (Trace Adkins)
"High Cost Of Living," Jamey Johnson & James Slater, songwriters (Jamey Johnson)
"I Run To You," Tom Douglas, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum)
"People Are Crazy," Bobby Braddock & Troy Jones, songwriters (Billy Currington)
"White Horse," Liz Rose & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)

Best Country Album:
Zac Brown Band, "The Foundation"
George Strait, "Twang"
Taylor Swift, "Fearless"
Keith Urban, "Defying Gravity"
Lee Ann Womack, "Call Me Crazy"

SUGARLAND "FEELS GOOD" ABOUT GRAMMY BID

Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush note they're excited about receiving a GRAMMY nomination. The duo took part in Wednesday night's live televised event unveiling the hopefuls in select categories, and were on hand to learn they were a contender for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "It Happens." Following the announcement on CBS, host LL Cool J asked the country stars about their bid. Nettles said being recognized by the Recording Academy, quote, "feels good," noting that GRAMMY night is "the biggest night in all of music." Regarding the difference between the GRAMMYs and country music-specific award shows, the singer added, quote, "It's a big honor when we win country awards, but to be here at the GRAMMYs, you know, nominated, that's nice, yeah."

A collaboration between the rapper and the country duo could also be in the making. When asked how it felt to get the nomination, Kristian Bush told LL, quote, "It feels like you need to come play with us," to which LL responded, quote, "Anything can happen. I'm open to it." Nominees in select categories were revealed in a TV concert special which aired on CBS Wednesday night. The 52nd annual GRAMMY Awards will be presented in a ceremony at L.A.'s Staples Center on January 31st, also on CBS.

GARTH BROOKS TO PLAY LAS VEGAS

Garth Brooks is making his official performance comeback. The country superstar teamed up with Las Vegas developer Steve Wynn Thursday October 15th to announce a five-year run at the Encore Theater at the Wynn Las Vegas. The show is being described as a walk through Brooks' musical journey, and are slated to feature solo acoustic performances in an intimate setting. But the singer admitted that his wife Trisha Yearwood would most likely make many guest appearances. Brooks also said he'd be welcoming friends to join him for shows, and suggested that some dates might feature him with his band. He emphasized that his goal was to make each show special, and promised that no two performances would be the same. Brooks, who retired from showbusiness in 2001 to dedicate himself to his now-teenage daughters, added that his children are still his top priority. He noted that he signed on with Wynn with his family's blessing.

Earlier that morning, Brooks appeared on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville where he announced that he was coming out of retirement. At the same time, he said that he didn't see a new album or a tour coming for five years.

Brooks will be playing 15 weekends a year at the Encore, which includes one show on Fridays, two on Saturdays, and one on Sundays. He'll begin his Vegas run on December 11th. Tickets for the first five weeks go on sale October 24th.

DIERKS BENTLEY RIDES FOR KIDS

It was sunny and about 70 degrees as Dierks Bentley began his 4th annual Miles & Music Celebrity Motorcycle Ride. Several hundred riders joined Dierks, as well as Montgomery Gentry's Troy Gentry and Wynonna. The group traveled about 15 miles from a shopping center south of Nashville to the Riverfront Stage in downtown Music City. There, Dierks met up with Darius Rucker and Eric Church for a concert. The Ride benefits the Vanderbilt University Children's Hospital, and it took on new meaning for Dierks this year. The night before last year's Ride, his daughter Evie was born in that hospital. Now she's happy and healthy, and getting ready for her first Halloween. Dierks will expand his Miles & Music Ride to his hometown of Phoenix next months, and other cities next year.

MIRANDA LAMBERT DEBUTS NEW ALBUM IN NASHVILLE

Miranda Lambert releases her third album, Revolution, on September 29. She performed the entire project, from start to finish, in a special sold-out show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium last week. Fans from around the country attended the show, and reacted enthusiastically to the new music. Miranda’s boyfriend, Blake Shelton, co-wrote three songs on the album. Before performing “Me And Your Cigarettes,” she told the audience that Blake was on the road, and unable to join her. Also missing were Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood of Lady Antebellum, who co-wrote “Love Song.” However, mid-way through the show, Miranda acknowledged that there was at least one celebrity in the house. Taylor Swift was seated in the front row of the balcony. She brought her guitar player and a member of the rock band Paramour as her guests. After doing the entire 70-minute album in order, Miranda took a short break, and returned to do three classics: Merle Haggard’s “The Way I Am,” Patsy Cline’s “Crazy,” and the Hank Williams song “Settin’ The Woods on Fire.” While singing “Crazy,” Miranda stepped away from the microphone to demonstrate the power of her voice without amplification. Then, she did 5 of her hits, ending the show with “Gunpowder & Lead.”

TAYLOR SWIFT JOINED BY FAITH HILL IN NASHVILLE

Taylor Swift told the sold-out Nashville crowd, "I've been waiting for this night for a long time," and she didn't disappoint. Her two-hour show Saturday night featured numerous costume changes, set changes, pre-taped video segments, and an intimate performance with just guitar and harmony singers. And then, after performing her debut hit, "Tim McGraw," she said, "I've got a surprise for you, and I think you're gonna like it. Here's Faith Hill." The two then performed Faith's hit "The Way You Love Me." She later told the audience "Tim McGraw is in the house." No doubt, he and Faith brought their three little girls as well. The show was punctuated by long periods of applause, where Taylor stood silently and took it all in, obviously enjoying the moment. An hour after the show ended, Taylor and her band were on a plane to New York, where she was to appear on the MTV Video Music Awards.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD DEBUTS NEW MUSIC FOR CMT

Saturday night, Carrie Underwood performed for the CMT series "Invitation Only," where she debuted several songs from her forthcoming third album, "Play On." The show featured the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year in an intimate club-like setting, performing for about a hundred or so people. She also answered their questions on a wide range of subjects. She told them she was a huge Star Trek fan, saying "I should be a Trekkie for Halloween."

When asked which of her new songs is her favorite, she chose "Temporary Home," saying "It was inspired by the book Purpose Driven Life. I feel like I was supposed to write and sing this song." Other new songs included "Undo It," which she wrote with American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi, "Mama's Song," and current single "Cowboy Casanova." "Invitation Only," featuring Carrie Underwood will debut on the Dish Network on November 3, with the CMT debut taking place in December.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD'S FIRST MAJOR POST-ACM INTERVIEW

Carrie Underwood accepted the Entertainer of the Year trophy at the Academy of Country Music Awards on April 5, 2009. That fact we know. But what happened AFTER she got the award? Country Countdown USA host Lon Helton covered that subject and more during Carrie’s first full-length radio interview since winning country’s top award.

For example, Carrie received the award from actor Matthew McConaughey. Prior to handing out the award, he told the audience he once tried to gain the attention of a couple girls by saying he made George Strait’s boots. In her acceptance speech, Carrie, who was still in shock from winning the award, blurted out, “I wanna see those boots Matthew!” Carrie told Lon that her comments may have been misunderstood. “It was just a joke. It was just something that flew out. Afterwards, I said 'Oh mom I’m sorry!' totally joking again, and then different media outlets said 'Carrie apologizes,' and I really didn’t, because I had nothing to apologize for. I was just being silly. Things come out weird in print.” Carrie had a few moments with Matthew as they walked off the stage. So what did she say to him? “I saw him right after the show, and I was like, “I hope I didn’t embarrass you. I embarrassed myself!”

Also on stage as Carrie accepted her Entertainer award was the host of the show, Reba McEntire. Reba had won the same award in 1994, so she knew how Carrie was feeling. Afterwards, Carrie told Lon she spoke with Reba. “She was so excited I won, so for someone like her to seem so genuinely happy for me meant a lot. She sent me a present which really meant a lot. She sent me a vase from Tiffany’s. It’s beautiful. I have no idea what I’m gonna do with it. Nothing in my house is nice enough to put this near. So it was really nice.”

Carrie told Lon winning the award was totally unexpected. “It had been a wonderful night anyway. I had the Female Vocalist award in my pocket. I could leave now, I’m a very happy girl. And I was just talking with my mom, and it was something I didn’t expect at all. I know my fans love to vote, but the other nominees, it was like I didn’t have a chance!”

One of the “other nominees” in the Entertainer category was Kenny Chesney. She ran into him as she was on her way to the stage to accept the award. Afterwards, Lon asked Kenny what he said to Carrie, and he said “I told her I was proud of her and I wanted her to know that not everyone gets to stand in that spot, so when you walk in there, take it all in.” Lon played that quote for Carrie, who said, “I’ve known Kenny since I started, I went on tour with him, and so much has happened since then. So for him to tell me he was proud of me meant a lot. I also talked with Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts later that night, who said a lot to me about enjoying the experience.”

One of the other highlights of the night (besides winning the Entertainer award) was when she performed “I Told You So.” The performance was flawless, but what caused people to talk was Carrie's incredible red dress. “It was interesting to figure out the logistics of making that dress work. My stylist showed me a picture of it, and I was willing to try. Then I saw it in person, and it was a lot of fabric! It’s even more fabric than you can see. They may have even made it smaller. Getting into it was a challenge. I thought I was going to have it pre-placed and have me walk into it. The dress stood up on it’s own. So I got into it from the top. It was interesting. I’m glad it was just me and my stylist. Reba was nice enough to let me use one of her side-of-stage changing areas. It took a few people to get me into it. It took five people to carry the dress on the stage. Then afterwards there was something people didn’t see. There was a part of the stage that was supposed to come down so the audience couldn’t see us as we moved off. I waited a second, nobody came, so I just scooped up the dress to get off stage. Everybody laughed, and I hoped it wasn’t filmed, but people wondered why the audience was laughing. That’s why.”

After winning the award, Carrie went to a few post-awards parties. Carrie told Lon she got together with Kellie Pickler and Miranda Lambert at the Sony Music party. “After the show, we had a really good time afterwards. I’m surprised we didn’t do more damage than we did. So it was a lot of fun hanging out with the girls.” Alan Jackson was also at the Sony party, and Carrie gave her mom a thrill by introducing her to Alan. “My mom had fun with him at the ACM after-party. I don’t think she ever met Alan before. So she got to meet him. It was great to speak with him that night, because he was my first concert when I was just a little girl, so to sit at a table and talk about whatever is exciting. He reminds me of my dad, but nicer. He’s probably the same way now as when he started, which is so cool.”

Although she has just won the Entertainer of the Year award, Carrie says there are no plans for a tour this year. Instead, she’s starting work on her third album. “I’m doing lots of thinking about the next album, and lots of writing, we should be going into the studio for the first round within the next couple weeks. We’re writing with a lot of the same people who I wrote with on Carnival Ride. I feel like I’ve found my place as a writer, and I look forward to doing more of it.” As far as singles, Carrie says “I Told You So,” is very likely to be the last single from Carnival Ride. So there may be a few months where there isn’t new music on the radio. “I don’t want people to get tired of me, and it won’t be much of a gap, because they’ll be wanting to release a single before the album comes out.” In the meantime, look for Carrie to perform on the finale of American Idol next month, and then on the Grand Ole Opry on June 9th as part of CMA Music Festival.

You can hear more of Lon Helton’s interview with Carrie Underwood, where she talks about appearing on the Oprah show, performing on the Grammy Awards, and much more on CMT’s Country Countdown USA over the weekend of April 25-26, plus highlights will be posted at CountryCountdownUSA.com

Credit: Official photos courtesy of Getty Images

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS GOES ON THE INTERNET

When country music goes to Las Vegas for the annual Academy of Country Music Awards, there are many planned events, but also a lot that is unexpected. Certainly the Awards TV show on Sunday night is the main event. But there are a lot of other things going on in town, starting with the annual radio remote, where 50 of the nation’s largest radio stations broadcast live from the MGM Grand Hotel. That’s where Country Countdown USA host Lon Helton was camped out, taping video interviews with the stars for the show’s new Video Player.

Lots of country’s biggest stars came by the remote site to speak with Lon, including Faith Hill, who was in town for the Artist of the Decade tribute to George Strait. Faith told Lon about the first time she went to a Strait concert. “When I was 14, I pleaded with my brother to drive me from Mississippi to Houston to see George at Gilley’s. And I told him, ‘I’m gonna open for him someday.’ So when I got the job to open for him, my brother Steve was the first person I called. He epitomizes what is great about country music.”

The host of the ACM Awards TV show, Reba McEntire, came by as well. She previewed her new single, “Strange,” which she performed on the show. While she was there, Lon gave her an award as the most-played country female artist in the history of the Mediabase chart.

Rascal Flatts dropped by the set on Friday afternoon. They’d just flown in from LA, where they attended the premiere for the Hannah Montana movie. Joe Don told Lon they weren’t able to stay for the movie because they had to fly to Vegas. They walked the red carpet, and got to talk with Miley & Billy Ray Cyrus. The other reason they were in Vegas was to host the annual ACM golf tournament, which took place Saturday morning.

One of the celebrities at the Westwood One radio remote was NFL star Jared Allen of the Minnesota Vikings. Lon asked him about the big trade involving Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears. That means they’re now in the same division. “I was just goofing with him the other day. I got to play against him when I was in Kansas City, so now I can play against him in Chicago. So now twice a year, I get to peal the back of his head off the turf! I love the guy, but business is business!”

Other stars who came to the remote included Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift, John Rich, Heidi Newfield, Jason Aldean, Rodney Atkins, Miley Cyrus, and many more.

Saturday night, after the radio remote, there was a small ceremony where the ACM presented the awards for Radio Station and Radio Personality of the Year. Sugarland was on hand to do the honors. Lon was given his award for National Personality of the Year.

Sunday afternoon, lots of fans gathered outside the MGM Garden Theater for the red carpet activities. The biggest screams came when a black Escalade pulled up, and Keith Urban jumped out. The crowd screamed even louder as he ran to the other side of the car and opened the door for his wife, actress Nicole Kidman. Keith signed a few autographs for some happy fans before heading in for the Awards show. Other stars on the red carpet included Alan Jackson, Trace Adkins, Taylor Swift, and many more.

You can watch all of Lon’s video interviews by going to CountryCountdownUSA.com and clicking on the Video Player.

2008: The Country Year in Review

It was one year ago when Taylor Swift celebrated her 18th birthday and first #1 in the same week. One year later, she’s now 19, has 3 #1 hits and has sold 5 million records, making her the year's top country seller. What a difference a year makes! She released her second album, "Fearless," in November. It sold over 600,000 copies the first week, and was well past platinum by the end of the year. She won two CMT Music Awards in April, including Music Video of the Year. Taylor made one of the most memorable awards show performances during the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, where she did "Should've Said No" with an on-stage costume change and ended the number under a cascade of water. It earned her a standing ovation. Taylor toured with Rascal Flatts all year, which allowed her to perform in front of over a million fans.

While Taylor was #1 in album sales, Kenny Chesney had country's top tour. He celebrated his 40th birthday in March, had four #1 songs, and two Entertainer of the Year trophies. He also released another album, “Lucky Old Sun,” featuring the #1, “Everybody Wants to Go To Heaven.” Kenny performed for over a million fans for his 6th straight year, but it wasn’t without incident. During his first his first stadium show in Columbia SC, Kenny caught the side of his foot in a hydraulic lift that brings him on stage. Although nothing was broken, Kenny had a sore foot for several weeks.

Several country stars became parents for the first time in 2008. Luke Bryan and his wife had a boy they named Bo. Keith Urban and wife Nicole Kidman welcomed daughter Sunday Rose. Rascal Flatts guitar player Joe Don Rooney became father of son Jagger. Dierks Bentley added a daughter named Evie.

Alan Jackson was busy in 2008. He released an album in April that featured 17 song that he all wrote by himself. Two of the songs went to #1 during the year. He celebrated his 50th birthday in October. His record label held a party in Nashville to commemorate sales of 50 million albums in his 19 year career.

Trace Adkins spent the first half of the year competing on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice. For four months, TV viewers watched as this cool cowboy competed with a tough group of celebrities. Tiffany Falon, wife of Rascal Flatts Joe Don Rooney, was also part of the show, but was the first to be eliminated. Trace made it all the way to the finale, where he lost to the “evil Brit,” Piers Morgan. The night of the finale, Trace found out his hit, “You’re Gonna Miss This,” had just become the #1 song in the country.

Carrie Underwood spent most of 2008 on the road, promoting her second album, “Carnival Ride.” She started the year on a co-headline tour with Keith Urban. Then she did her own headline tour. At the end of the year, she had performed for over a million fans. She also picked up the ACM and CMA Female Vocalist awards for the second time, as well as a Grammy.

Toby Keith released his second movie in August. It was based on his hit song, “Beer for My Horses.” Three months later, he put out a new album titled “That Don’t Make Me a Bad Guy.” Toby’s “Biggest & Baddest” tour featured Montgomery Gentry. He made his fifth USO tour of the Middle East.

Toby wasn’t the only country star who was in movies during 2008. Trace Adkins played the devil in two films during the year. Dwight Yoakam and Tim McGraw starred in “Four Christmases.” Tim also released a cologne, a children’s book, and his 3rd Greatest Hits CD.

Sugarland released their third album in 2008. “Love On the Inside” sold over 300,000 copies its first week, and was one of the year’s top sellers. They won a string of awards, including the ACM Single and Song of the Year for “Stay.” In November, they were named Vocal Duo of the Year for the second time by the CMA, plus “Stay” was selected at Song of the Year.

It was also a stand-out year for Brad Paisley. He picked up his first Grammy in February. He had three #1 hits, including “Letter To Me” and “Waitin’ On a Woman.” He launched his Paisley Party tour in June, featuring Jewel, Chuck Wicks, and Julianne Hough. During that tour, Chuck & Julianne began dating. In November, Brad released his first “guitar album,” featuring a duet with Keith Urban. He also won Male Vocalist of the Year from the ACM and CMA.

There were a number of artists from other genres who found success in country during 2008. Jewel was one of the first. Hootie & the Blowfish lead singer Darius Rucker had his first country #1 with “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It.” Kid Rock had a Top 5 country hit with “All Summer Long.” Jessica Simpson released her first-ever country album during the year. Hannah Montana, also known as Miley Cyrus, recorded a Top 5 duet with her father Billy Ray Cyrus.

Lots of artists had breakthrough hits during 2008. Lady Antebellum had their first Top 5 with “Love Don’t Live Here.” It helped them win Top New Country Group from the ACM and Top New Artist from the CMA. Chuck Wicks made a Top 5 debut with “Stealin’ Cinderella.” Newcomers the Zac Brown Band went straight to #1 with “Chicken Fried.” Former Trick Pony lead singer Heidi Newfield had a Top 10 with “Johnny & June.” Plus we had debut Top 20s from Randy Houser, Ashton Shepherd, and Crystal Shawanda.

But the newcomer with the biggest hit of the year was James Otto. His song, “Just Got Started Lovin’ You” spent two weeks at #1, and became the most-played song on country radio in 2008. The song was actually released in August of 2007, and didn’t peak until June of 2008. That long, slow rise powered the song to the top of the year’s airplay chart.

All in all, another incredible year in country music!

BACKSTAGE WITH TOBY KEITH



It was a windy day when our plane landed in Salt Lake City. The sun was shining, but there were storm clouds in the distance, so it was going to rain…we just hoped it wouldn’t interfere with the concert. The storm began as I drove to the venue. But as I got off the interstate, and traveled the local streets to the amphitheater, it started to clear up. It was still a little windy, but the rain was over.

I pulled into the artist entrance, saw all the buses and trucks, and knew I was at the right place. The guard had my name on his VIP list, so I parked the car and went to find the folks from Toby’s record label. In addition to Toby’s manager, ShowDog had sent the West Coast regional and the VP of National Promotion to make sure all went well. We met up outside the door to one of the backstage lounges. They were getting it ready to become The Thirsty Monkey, Toby’s exclusive backstage experience for a small group of contest winners.

They had instruments set up, couches, chairs, and a table with refreshments. Off to the left was a road case with a couple of framed documents given to Toby by the Marines during his recent trip to Iraq. We were about two hours before show time, and soon, the contest winners would arrive for a private pre-show party with Toby.

About a half hour later, the winners arrived, escorted by on-air folks from the area radio stations. They came in, sat down and got ready for an exclusive pre-concert concert. Several other artists from Toby’s label were there. Carter’s Chord, The Trailer Choir, and Toby’s longtime back-up singer Mica Roberts. The last to arrive was Toby Keith himself, dressed in a white sweatshirt, cargo shorts and a baseball cap. He welcomed everyone, and then sat down to play a song from his new CD. The told the group about meeting one of his heroes, Eddy Raven. The two wrote a song for Toby’s new CD called “Cabo San Lucas,” and Toby played it for the crowd. Then Carter’s Chord, The Trailer Choir, and Mica Roberts each got a chance to sing a song. After that, Toby signed autographs and posed for pictures.

After the Thirsty Monkey show, we followed Toby to his bus for the CCUSA interview. Toby’s bus is a huge black rig with extensions on the sides that allow for more interior room. On one side was a huge flat screen TV, where Toby was watching a college football game. On the other was a booth where Toby & Lon did their interview. It had been about a year since their last conversation, and there was a lot to cover. Toby’s second movie, “Beer For My Horses,” was released in August. He’d had another incredible trip to Iraq. And he’d completed a new CD called “That Don’t Make Me a Bad Guy.”

The first order of business was to talk about the tour. Toby’s Biggest & Baddest tour was wrapping up this weekend. He’d been out all summer with Montgomery Gentry. They first met during Brooks & Dunn’s Neon Circus tour in 2001. Toby told Lon that despite the high price of gas, his fans had come out in record numbers in 2008. The next subject was Toby’s movie, “Beer For My Horses.” Toby said it was a pleasure to make the movie. When asked if he’d do another one like it, Toby said, “Beer for My Horses was my baby, and it may be my only kid!” However, he’s reading scripts for parts in other movies, perhaps for 2010.

The main subject for the conversation was Toby’s new album, “That Don’t Make Me a Bad Guy.” In addition to this weekend’s edition of Country Countdown USA, Lon also hosted a world premiere of the album, which is airing on radio stations all this week. They talked about most of the songs on the CD, including Toby’s current #1 song, “She Never Cried In Front of Me,” and the new single, “God Love Her.” Toby described the new song this way: “I wanted to write about a preacher’s daughter baptized in dirty water. This is my kind of song, about a bad boy on a motorcycle and the girl who loves him.” Lon & Toby also talked about Toby’s 11 year old son, Stelen, this year’s USO Tour, and an upcoming Christmas Special with Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central.

The interview ended just in time for the show. We left the bus, and on our way to the amphitheater, we ran into Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry, who was getting ready for the show. Eddie & Lon chatted for a bit, and then Eddie got the call to go on stage. Lon brought his wife, so they went to their seats. I went to the sound board out in the middle of the amphitheater. It was the final night of the tour, so there were a few pranks. During Montgomery Gentry’s set, someone from Toby’s band came up dressed like Eddie. Then during Toby’s show, Eddie himself came out to join Toby on “Get Drunk & Be Somebody.”

It was a great show, with Toby running through all of his hits, including a few that he hasn’t done in a while. You can share in all of our experiences with Toby at our web site: http://www.countrycountdownusa.com/ There are audio clips from the show, as well as pictures and video. Plus you can enter to win a 2009 Ford F-150 and go on the road with Toby next year. Our thanks to Toby, his management, and his record label for all their help in bringing this experience to the fans. This is Toby’s 15th year as a recording artist, and we’ve been there from Day one. We look forward to at least 15 more years with Toby in the future.