Big Country Notes for MAY 1

RASCAL FLATTS PLACE THEIR EIGHTH SINGLE AT TOP OF CHARTS

Rascal Flatts members are standing tall today. Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney learned yesterday that their single “Stand” has gone to number one on the “Country Aircheck” singles charts. This is the group’s eighth single to reach number one. It’s their third single overall from the “Me and My Gang” album. The guys were in the studio when they got word. They’ll perform the song on the ACM Awards Show May 15th in Las Vegas. The show airs at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

BRAD PAISLEY LOVES INTRODUCING HIS FANS TO NEW ARTISTS

Brad Paisley’s “Bonfires and Amplifiers” tour got underway last Thursday in Chattanooga, Tennessee. On it he’s introducing three major new acts in country music – Kellie Pickler, Jack Ingram and Taylor Swift. Brad says, quote, “People like George Strait and Alan Jackson helped me early in my career … so I think I should do that for someone else.” Bradley is on the road despite recently admitting he hates to leave new son Will (William Huckleberry) at home with wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley. The tour travels to Evansville, Indiana on Thursday, Moline, Illinois on Friday and Champagne, Illinois on Sunday.

Brad and Kimberly are featured in this week’s “People” magazine. The two discuss how their routine has changed since the baby was born. Kimberly says of her beauty routine, quote, “I’ve lowered my standards since Will was born. We’re not high maintenance at all. We spend our time in sweats and we’re lucky if we shower!
” 5th Gear” – Paisley’s fifth studio album -- is due out June 19th.

BLAKE SHELTON IS LOST IN THE 80’S ON NEW ALBUM OUT TODAY

Blake Shelton’s “Pure BS” doesn’t mean what you might think. It means “pure Blake Shelton” and the singer says for the first time in his career he made an album that is exactly what he wanted. He says, quote, “I fell in love with country music in the 80’s and that’s what I wanted for this album … so if someone says the songs sound old that makes me very proud.” The eleven-song disc includes three tunes co-written by Blake. There are also guest appearances by George Jones and John Anderson on “The Last Country Song.” Blake introduces two new producers on the project – Brent Rowan and Paul Worley. They joined long-time producer and songwriter Bobby Braddock to give Shelton a good combination of serious songs mixed with a few that show off Shelton’s wit. Of the new producers, Shelton says, quote, “They helped me find more of myself that I didn’t know was there. I had to dig down deeper and be uncomfortable again … and feel like I had something to prove to that them.”

MIRANDA LAMBERT RELEASES NEW ALBUM TODAY

Miranda Lambert has surely been an ex-girlfriend but she’s definitely not crazy, though on her new album, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” she seems a little of both. The eleven songs reflect that wild side of Miranda, the one that includes a touch of southern rock. The songs also show her softer side with tunes including “More Like Her” and “Love Letters.” Lambert says, quote, “To me, country music should be something that brings out an emotion in someone.” While she wrote or co-wrote eight of the songs, Miranda says she put aside a few of her songs for better ones written by other songwriters. Her criteria for picking an outside song – it has to sound like something she would have written. She says, quote, “I think I’m always going to write for where I am in my life…[and] I think I’ll always look back and go ‘I remember that time in my life’ for every record I make.”


KEITH URBAN CONTINUES TO WOW EUROPEAN FANS

Keith Urban played to a sold-out crowd at London’s Sheppard’s Bush Empire last Tuesday and Wednesday. The crowd knew every song, even those from his latest album “Love, Pain and the whole crazy thing,” singing along to every word. His successful performances in England follow sold-out shows in Germany. After crowd-pleasing shows in Manchester and Birmingham, England, Urban heads for his native Australia. He kicks off the “Love, Pain and the whole crazy World” tour in Brisbane on May 11th – 12th. He’ll make use of the break by rehearsing his band for the rest of the tour.
Glam.com bestowed the title of “Sexiest Singer” to Keith in its online poll of 60-thousand people.
Keith told “E! News Daily” that he has always wanted to be a father. While negating rumors that wife Nicole Kidman is pregnant, Urban says he hopes he will be ready when the time arrives for them to have a child.

MARTINA McBRIDE SAYS SHE HAS NO SET ROUTINE BEFORE GOING ONSTAGE

Martina McBride dazzles her audience without going through any checklist before she hits the stage. She told CMT.com that although she knows she should warm up her voice before she goes on she doesn’t always do it. She says, quote, “I try to drink lots of water before I go on … and I either eat an hour or two before I go on or I wait until afterwards.” She also goes through a spiritual moment where she, quote, “says a little prayer asking God to bless the show and to let the music do what it's meant to do, whatever that may be. I always have lots of candles in my dressing room.” She adds that her voice gets stronger the longer she sings, which is why she does “Broken Wing” and “Independence Day” toward the end of the show.

QUICK BITES

Wynonna Judd performed “Ain’t Misbehavin’” Sunday night during a tribute to jazz vocalist Ella Fitzgerald. The special will be a part of PBS-TV’s “Great Performances” series. Others on the show include Stevie Wonder, who made a surprise appearance, along with Natalie Cole and Nancy Wilson of Heart. Fitzgerald, who died in 1996, would have been 95 last Wednesday. The show will air June 6th on PBS. A companion CD will be released by Verve Records on June 6th.

Little Big Town and Sarah Buxton will perform at The Recording Academy's ninth annual GRAMMY Block Party next Tuesday in Nashville. The invitation-only party may draw as many as one thousand music industry professionals in Nashville to the performances.

Taking a cue from the name of their recent tour together, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Hank Williams Jr. are looking for their number-one “Rowdy Frynd.” Fans who think they qualify may post a 30-45 second clip on the Rowdy Frynds YouTube website, www.youtube.com/group/rowdyfrynds. Submissions can be of people singing, dancing or otherwise demonstrating why they are the artist’s rowdiest friend.

Grand Ole Opry member Dr. Ralph Stanley will sing for the Queen of England when she is in Richmond, Virginia to address the state’s General Assembly. The Queen and His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, will be there to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown.

Michael Peterson has launched his new website www.michaelpetersonmusic.com. The site has many new features and tools including an interactive jukebox to exclusive, behind-the-scenes audio and video features.

Stella Parton, Jeannie Seely, Charlie Louvin, Razzy Bailey and Stonewall Jackson will be on the annual ROPE concert June 7th at Nashville Night Life Theatre near the Opryland complex.

Pam Tillis, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Alison Krauss were among the performers who played the 20th annual MerleFest music festival in Wilkesboro, N.C. this past weekend. The four-day festival is a tribute to the memory of Watson's late son, Merle.