Big Country Notes for APR 11

LITTLE BIG TOWN GETTING READY TO TOUR WITH MARTINA McBRIDE

Kimberly Roads of Little Big Town is thrilled to be going on tour with Martina McBride beginning this Thursday. The singer says while it will be exciting to open shows for McBride, she’s just as anxious to talk to Martina about how she handles her career and being a mother. Rhodes is pregnant with her first child and says she’ll be asking for some advice from Martina about being a mom on the go. Rhodes' bandmate Karen Fairchild says, quote, “I heard she [Martina] had done an interview and talked about giving Kimberly advice which I think is so cool.” McBride’s tour kicks off Thursday in Kansas City, Missouri, then continues on to Rosemont, Illinois on Friday and Sunday.

JOHNNY CASH HOME BURNS TO GROUND

The Hendersonville, Tennessee home formerly owned by Johnny and June Carter Cash has burned to the ground. “The Tennessean” reports it is believed that sealant being used during the renovation of the home caught on fire yesterday afternoon. According to WSMV-TV, all but one of the Hendersonville Fire Department’s engines responded to the blaze but it was too late to save the home. No one was injured in the fire. The home is now owned by pop star Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, who bought the property in 2006. WKRN-TV reports that the singer planned to move into the renovated mansion in July. The Cash family lived in the home for 35 years. Johnny Cash's brother, Tommy, was among the bystanders who watched the blaze, along with the Oak Ridge Boys' William Lee Golden. Golden calls the fire "devastating," noting he'd been in the house many times as a guest of the Cashes.

DIERKS BENTLEY WILL TAPE “AUSTIN CITY LIMITS” ON APRIL 25TH

It may be a long trip from Nashville to Austin, but Dierks Bentley definitely won’t be alone when he heads to Texas’s state capitol to tape “Austin City Limits” on April 25th. Dierks is thrilled to be asked to do the show. He says, quote, "It is amazing to look at the list of singer/songwriters who have been asked to play “Austin City Limits”; people like Rodney Crowell, John Prine and Emmylou Harris It is definitely an honor to be invited to Austin for this." The Austin City Limits' show will air as part of the series 33rd season this Fall. Other upcoming appearances for Bentley include a performance of his Top 10 single "Long Trip Alone" on the CMT Music Awards Monday and tour stops in Knoxville, TN, Norfolk, VA, and Richmond, VA, this week.

RASCAL FLATTS STILL WRITING SONGS FOR UPCOMING ALBUM

Rascal Flatts plans to release a new album this fall. Group members Gary LeVox, Joe Don Rooney and Jay DeMarcus say they are still writing songs for the upcoming project. LeVox says, quote, “Every chance we get we’ve been writing. It’s an ongoing labor of love for the three of us.” In fact, the three were just in Los Angeles co-writing with pop singer/songwriter Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds. Apparently Edmonds is a fan of the group. He was in Nashville to salute the group, who were one of the Honors 2007 recipients feted Monday night by the Nashville chapter of The Recording Academy. <>
Rascal Flatts is up for two CMT Music Awards next Monday night. Their songs “What Hurts the Most” and “Life is a Highway” are both nominated for Group Video of the Year. “What Hurts the Most” is also in the running for Video of the Year. The group is slated for the opening performance on the awards show, which air on CMT at 8 p.m. Eastern.

JOSH GRACIN TO PERFORM FOR LAURA BUSH IN NASHVILLE

Josh Gracin will perform for First Lady Laura Bush at the Third Annual Helping America’s Youth (HAY) Regional Conference tomorrow in Nashville. HAY was established to raise awareness about the challenges facing youth and to motivate caring adults to connect with youth in three key areas: family, school and community. Attendees from eleven states are set to participate in the two-day conference. Gracin has three children and says he is committed to supporting the principals of HAY and other similar activities. He is a spokesperson for the National Guard Youth Challenge Program. He stays involved with that association through visiting programs, filming public service announcements and appearing at events.

TRACE ADKINS SAYS MESSAGE OF NEW SINGLE IS TIMELY

Trace Adkins says he doesn’t set out to change the world with his music, but he does hope his new single “I Wanna Feel Something” will make people stop and think. Trace says, quote, “I recorded this song because I think the message is timely. We’re just so overwhelmed and bombarded with information that it’s hard to get a rise out of us anymore -- about anything.” He adds, quote, “It seems like it has to be something really shocking for us to stop and go, wow!" This is Trace’s third release from his “Dangerous Man” album. It also marks his debut as a producer. Adkins co-produced the single with songwriters Casey Beathard and Kenny Beard. Adkins continues his “Dangerous Man” tour to Florence, Arizona on Thursday, Mesquite, Nevada this Friday and Wendover, Nevada on Saturday.

CMT MUSIC AWARDS OFFER ALL-STAR TRIBUTE TO KRIS KRISTOFFERSON

Kris Kristofferson will celebrate the good times Monday night when he is honored at the CMT Music Awards. An on-air tribute featuring Gretchen Wilson, Keith Urban, Willie Nelson and actor Russell Crowe will honor the recipient of the Johnny Cash Visionary Award. Rosanne Cash will present the award to Kris. Kristofferson has a career that spans several decades and multiple talents, among them songwriter, singer, actor and humanitarian. He recorded as a solo artist and as part of The Highwaymen with Willie, Waylon Jennings and Cash. He has starred in movies including “A Star is Born” with Barbra Streisand and the three “Blade” movies. Among his hit songs are “Why Me, Lord,” “Help Me Make It Through The Night,” “Me and Bobbie McGee” and “Sunday Morning Comin’ Down.” The show will air live from Nashville on CMT Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern.

SARA EVANS NANNY SUES SINGER FOR DEFAMATION

Sara Evans’ former nanny, Allison Clinton Lee, is suing the singer and her attorneys for defamation. In her divorce filing, Evans claimed Lee was the person Evans’ husband, Craig Schelske had an affair with. “The Tennessean” reports that Lee is claiming that her name was smeared because of the allegations. Both Lee and Schelske denied the affair happened. The former nanny asked for a public retraction of the accusation. She also claims that Evans made, quote “slanderous and libelous statements” about her in the divorce filing and through her attorney to the media. Lee and her husband are seeking three million dollars in punitive and compensatory damages.

SINGER WILLIE NELSON TO DEVELOP COUNTRY-THEMED CASINO CHAIN

Music legend Willie Nelson has a casino chain in the works. According to the "New York Daily News," the singer has teamed with New York racetrack entrepreneur Richard Fields to develop a number of country-themed casinos. Nelson's manager, Mark Rothbaum, says of the plan that "it's just one to start, but who knows where it's going to go." In 1999, Fields teamed with "The Apprentice" star and real-estate mogul Donald Trump, with hopes of landing a casino deal with the Seminole Indians of Florida. He then dropped Trump to work with another developer. Trump then sued Fields, although Fields claimed that what he did was legal. (Metro Source)

CMT MUSIC AWARDS ADDS PRESENTERS

Big & Rich, Blake Shelton and Randy Owen of Alabama have been added as presenters on the CMT Music Awards Monday night. They join Barbara Mandrell, Jason Aldean, Josh Turner, Kellie Pickler, LeAnn Rimes, actress Melissa Peterman (“Reba”,“CMT Comedy Stage”), Miranda Lambert, celebrity chef Paula Deen, comedians Rodney Carrington and Ron White, wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin and Taylor Swift. Performers include Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Hank Williams Jr., a special performance by Keith Urban from Australia, Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Toby Keith and Bon Jovi. Among those honoring the Johnny Cash Visionary Award winner Kris Kristofferson in an on-air tribute are Gretchen Wilson, Rosanne Cash, filmmaker Martin Scorsese, actor Russell Crowe, Willie Nelson and producer Don Was. The awards are fan-voted and honor music videos from the past year. Friday is the last day for fans to vote for their favorite videos. The show will air live from Nashville on CMT Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern.

The final nominees for Video of the Year will be announced at the beginning of the show, and fans can vote at CMT.com, as well as via mobile phone, throughout the live broadcast to determine the night's big winner.

QUICK BITES

Hank Williams, Jr. and Lynyrd Skynyrd kick off their 20-date "Rowdy Frynds” tour tonight in Huntsville, Alabama. The tour rolls through June 16th, ending in St. Charles, Missouri.

Marty Stuart and Jerry Lee Lewis will be among the performers at "A 50 Year Grammy Legacy" celebration on April 26th in Jackson, Mississippi. The event is part of the State of Mississippi's ongoing "Birthplace of America's Music" campaign. Grammy Award winners and nominees from the state will be honored, including Elvis Presley, B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Faith Hill, John Lee Hooker, Tammy Wynette, Charlie Pride and Conway Twitty. Proceeds will benefit the Mississippi Blues Foundation's "Blues Trail project."

Jack Ingram is scheduled to make an appearance on Saturday’s "CBS Saturday Early Show."