Big Country Notes for Feb 27

MONTGOMERY GENTRY ONCE AGAIN HOST ACM MOTORCYCLE RIDE

It’s the freedom of the road that keeps Montgomery Gentry riding their motorcycles, and the duo will ride for charity on May 13th when for the fourth time they’ll host the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Celebrity Motorcycle Ride in Las Vegas. Riders will cruise through Nevada’s desert and then up into the mountains before arriving at their final destination, Fremont Street. There, country artists will participate in the finale, a concert that will feature past and present ACM award nominees as well as newcomers to the industry. Eddie Montgomery says, quote, "It's something I look forward to every year—I'm happy to be a part of it!" Troy Gentry says, quote, "It's been incredible to watch it grow from 100 bikes to over 15-hundred bikes.” He adds, quote, “It's impressive that these amazing people and fellow artists donate their time and money for such a worthy cause and charity. I'm flattered to say I'm involved."
· To register for this year’s Academy of Country Music Celebrity Motorcycle Ride, go to www.acmcountry.com. Registration fees start at 30 dollars. Proceeds benefit the Academy of Country Music® Charitable Fund, which promotes music education and humanitarian programs.
· The motorcycle ride precedes the Academy of Country Music awards. The show will be broadcast live from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 15th at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

KENNY CHESNEY CAN’T BELIEVE HE’S IN SWIMSUIT ISSUE OF “SPORTS ILLUSTRATED”

Kenny Chesney admits that the swimsuit issue of “Sports Illustrated” is one that he never missed buying, but now fans can find him in the 2007 issue, currently on newsstands. Kenny says, quote, “Me and my fraternity brothers used to go right out and buy the swimsuit issue when we were in college. I can’t believe I’m in it.” Chesney is paired with Marisa Miller in an ocean scene that has him dressed for the beach and her dressed in not very much. Chesney says the two were able to get acquainted during the shoot. He says, quote, “I could tell doing this shoot, we had very similar lives. We’re both very normal people, but then the lights come on, she becomes this other person. People who seem me onstage know what that means…” Other celebrities in the issue are Jimmy Buffett, rockers Aerosmith, rapper Kanye West and pop star Beyonce.

TRACE ADKINS MEETS HIS TALLEST FAN

Trace Adkins has found a fan he can look up to. When the singer was at a concert in Pennsylvania recently, he met Otis Key of the Harlem Globetrotters. Key is six-foot-ten-inches tall, four inches taller than Adkins. Otis, who’s in his tenth season as a Globetrotter, was in University Park doing interviews for an upcoming event and heard that Atkins was playing. Since Trace is one of his favorite singers, the basketball player stopped by to see the concert. Reports are that Otis sang along to every song. In even better news, Atkins’ song “Ladies Love Country Boys” went to the number one spot on the “Billboard” country charts and the Mediabase country charts this week.

CRAIG MORGAN GOES GOLD WITH DEBUT ALBUM

Craig Morgan must be living right: His debut album “My Kind of Livin'” has been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. Morgan celebrated the milestone yesterday at a party in Nashville. The singer says, quote, “It’s exciting and I’m excited for the label. It’s a huge accomplishment.” Morgan explains that it takes great songs and hard work to accomplish a Gold record. Craig says, quote, “Without a great song we couldn’t do what we’ve accomplished. Secondly, there’s a lot of hard work by a lot of people that goes into making this happen.” Morgan believes in hard work. Today he’s in Washington, D.C. to perform for teens graduating from a school sponsored by the U.S. Army. Craig says, quote, “The Army takes these underprivileged or high school students that the system says won’t succeed … and they have an 82-percent rate of success with these students who wouldn’t otherwise have received a high school diploma.”

DANIELLE PECK ALREADY WORKING ON SOPHOMORE PROJECT

Danielle Peck says she’s trying to make time to write songs for her new album. Peck says, quote, “It has been harder to write as much as I would like because of my jam-packed schedule on the road.” She adds, quote, “I do make time when I have more than one day home at a time.” While Peck says she has songs that she didn’t record on her debut album, she is writing tunes for her sophomore disc, which she hopes to begin recording soon. She says, quote, “I am also meeting with publishers and they are playing me some amazing songs. I can’t wait to get into the studio!” Danielle is finding time in her busy schedule to host a benefit for her favorite charity, Safe Haven, on March 26th in Nashville. Safe Haven is a Nashville-based organization that provides shelter to homeless families. For more information go to www.safehaven.org.

KELLIE PICKLER HAS HER OWN IDOL MOMENT WHEN SHE MEETS DOLLY PARTON

Kellie Pickler is at a loss for words. Yesterday morning she went to her record label, thinking she had a meeting there. Instead she was introduced to her music idol, Dolly Parton. Pickler says, quote, “I was so star struck … and I knew I was going to cry … but I didn’t want to because I was afraid my eyelashes would fall off.” Pickler says Dolly told her she had fake eyelashes too so, quote, “We have something in common … we’re both fake.” Picker was thrilled that Dolly also had on red high heels. She says, quote, “I almost didn’t wear mine today. She had this little red bag to match her heels and we got pictures.” Kellie says she’s always been a huge fan of Parton’s and has studied her work. She says, quote, “I admire her as a person, songwriter, performer – her whole career. To meet her and have her be exactly the way you want her to be was refreshing and incredible.”

JUNE CARTER CASH “ANCHORED IN LOVE” ON TRIBUTE DISC

"Anchored in Love: A Tribute to June Carter Cash" releases June 19th with contributions by Emmylou Harris, Carlene Carter, Ronnie Dunn, and Willie Nelson along with actor Billy Bob Thornton and pop singer Sheryl Crow. The latter met June when she sang on Johnny Cash’s “American III” disc. June’s son, John Carter Cash, says of Crow, quote, “When my mother passed away, Sheryl was there at the funeral, and she got up and sang some music with Emmylou.” Crow sings “If I Were a Carpenter” with Willie on the tribute album. Carter says, quote, ”It was a heartfelt thing, a matter of the spirit, and also to pay respect to my mother and father’s great original recording, when my parents turned the Tim Hardin song into a duet.”

QUICK BITES

New Music From An Old Friend,” featuring Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and other singer/songwriters, is in Target stores today. The disc includes a new and old tune by these writers and others, among them pop stars Kenny Loggins and Richard Marx. “New Music From An Old Friend” is one of the new releases from The Spotlight Music Series from Target.

John Berry has a new “Greatest Hits” collection. Included on the disc are “Your Love Amazes Me,” “She’s Taken a Shine” and “Change My Mind.”

Taylor Swift’s self-titled album is the Country Pick Of The Month for February on British Airways.

Tanya Tucker was among the guests at the Oscar party “Night of 100 Stars.” The formal sit-down dinner viewing party included past Oscar winners and nominees and celebrities covering every spectrum of the entertainment business. Tucker says, quote, “A great friend of mine, designer Peter Nygard, insisted that I go to this year’s event. I’m such a huge fan of a lot of the actors that were there.”

Keni Thomas’ “Alabama Home” is the official theme song for Talledega Superspeedway’s 2007 Race Events. The song, written and performed by Thomas, promotes five separate race events at Talledega. Fans can also find Keni’s music on Domino Pizza’s home page, www.dominos.com. The pizza chain is offering free music downloads, a chance to appear in their new TV commercial, and an opportunity to participate in the new Fan Fuel NASCAR(R) sweepstakes. Thomas has been in the studio recording his new album with producer Brent Maher.

John Anderson’s first video in six years, “A Woman Knows,” will debut Thursday on CMT’s Top 20 Countdown at 4pm CT. “A Woman Knows” is set to enter rotation at CMT and CMT Pure this weekend.