Big Country Notes for Sept 25

RASCAL FLATTS RELEASES NEW ALBUM TODAY

Rascal Flatts' new album “Still Feels Good” arrives in stores today. The disc features the group's latest single, “Take Me There.” When the trio's previous disc, “Me and My Gang,” hit the streets in April 2006, it sold 722-thousand copies its first week out. That figure held as the highest for the past 17 months in all genres of music, topped just last week by rapper Kanye West with sales over 900-thousand. Joe Don Rooney, Gary LeVox and Jay DeMarcus wrote or co-wrote several songs on the 15-track project. The album also includes a duet with Jamie Foxx on “She Goes All The Way.” Rascal Flatts will be prominent on TV in promoting the disc. The group's scheduled appearances today include ABC's “Good Morning America” and CBS' “The Late Show with David Letterman.”

MORE ARTISTS ANNOUNCED AS PERFORMERS FOR CMA AWARDS SHOW

Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley, Sugarland, Josh Turner, and Carrie Underwood are among the latest performers to sign on for the upcoming 41st Annual CMA Awards. However, while Brooks & Dunn will take the stage, they say they won't be returning to host the show again this year. They're nominated for Vocal Duo, a category they have won a record 14 times. Paisley's a top nominee, tied with George Strait with five bids. Paisley's a contender for Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Album for “5th Gear,” Single for "Ticks," and Music Video of the Year for "Online." Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush make their debut in the Vocal Duo category after receiving nominations as a trio in previous years. Turner is nominated for Male Vocalist for the first time. Underwood has three nominations -- Female Vocalist, Single, and Music Video of the Year with "Before He Cheats." The 41st Annual CMA Awards will be presented in a ceremony in Nashville and air on ABC on November 7th.

MIRANDA LAMBERT BRINGS ENERGY TO THE STAGE

Miranda Lambert says performing keeps her sane. The singer typically gives high energy shows, and she has the on-stage charisma to draw the audience into her music. It doesn't take long for her to have the whole room rocking with her. Lambert has been on tour this summer with Toby Keith. They'll wrap up their trek this weekend in Texas, with shows in Corpus Christi on Friday and Hidalgo on Saturday. But next month fans will be able to catch Miranda at the Big State Festival in College Station, Texas on October 13th.

RASCAL FLATTS HELPING OUT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

Rascal Flatts continues supporting the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. The band has donated more than 829-thousand-dollars to the medical center. The funds were generated with the trio's benefit show in Nashville last Friday night. Rascal Flatts annual concert was the biggest solo fund-raising event for the hospital for a third consecutive year, and this time around topped last year's contribution. In 2006 the group was able to give the facility just over 817-thousand-dollars from their show.

BABY ON THE WAY FOR JENNINGS FAMILY, NOT CYRUS CLAN

Shooter Jennings is on his way to becoming a dad. The singer tells Nashville's "Tennessean" newspaper that he and his girlfriend, actress Drea de Matteo, are expecting a daughter in November. Meanwhile, Billy Ray Cyrus isn't on his way to becoming a grandpa. Reps for his daughter, Miley, are denying rumors that the 14-year-old "Hannah Montana" star is pregnant. The rumor started when someone apparently doctored an interview Miley had done with teen magazine "J-14," and posted it online. "J-14" has also added a post on its site saying it never reported that the young actress and singer was expecting.

TAYLOR SWIFT CONTINUES MARKING CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Taylor Swift has reached another online milestone. On Friday she surpassed the 25-million mark for music streams on her MySpace page. The new figure came just 16 days after she had topped 24-million mark. Swift attributes the increase to her new single “Our Song.” She'll perform the tune for the first time on television when she visits ABC’s “Regis & Kelly” on October 10th. In addition, Taylor will be featured in the October 5th issue of “Daily Variety.” She'll be profiled as a Young Talent Up and Comer in the magazine’s first annual Youth Impact List. That same week Swift will be featured in “Us Weekly’s” annual Style Issue, which will hit newsstands on October 4th.

GENE WATSON MIXES ERAS WITH NEW CD

Gene Watson’s new album is a little of the old and a little of the new. On “In A Perfect World” he includes some of his favorite songs that have already been hits, among them Merle Haggard’s “Today I Started Loving You Again” and the Buck Owens’ classic “Together Again.” Watson explains, quote, “What I had to do was pick some songs that I really liked yet at the same time I knew I could make my own.” For his new tunes Watson invited some of his friends to stop by the studio and sing with him. Vince Gill, Joe Nichols, Mark Chesnutt, Rhonda Vincent, and Connie Smith are among those who make guest appearances on the project. Watson says words cannot express his gratitude to these artists who contributed to the album, which he calls “a thrill” to make. “In A Perfect World” arrives in stores today.

QUICK BITES

Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” has become one of the longest-running chart singles of all-time. The song has been on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 55 weeks. Only eight songs in the history of the chart that have logged more time on the tally.

Ricky Skaggs and the Whites will sign autographs at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville on October 1st.

Steve Earle new CD “Washington Square Serenade” will be released today. It’s his first album in three years.

In Stores Today:

Rascal Flatts – “Still Feels Good”
Gene Watson – “In A Perfect World”
Randy Travis – “Songs of the Season”
Steve Earle – “Washington Square Serenade”
Bobbie Nelson – “Audiobiography”
Whiskey Falls – “Whiskey Falls”

And Happy Birthday today to Randy Jones, the chief inmate of the WDHR AM Asylum.