Big Country Notes for OCT 10

LEANN RIMES TALKS “FAMILY”

LeAnn Rimes is calling her new disc her “most revealing and intimate album” to date. She explains that she drew on her own experiences for “Family,” and the material, quote, “talks about relationships between a husband and wife, between mother and daughter and also among my friends, who are very much my extended family.” The singer wrote 12 of the 14 songs for the project. She penned many of the tunes with her husband, Dean Sheremet, while she also worked with other Nashville writers as well. She teamed up with Marc Broussard to write and record one of the duets on the disc. The two tracks she didn’t write are her duets with Reba McEntire and Bon Jovi.

UNDERWOOD, MCGRAW, RASCAL FLATTS TOP COUNTRY AMA NOMINEES

Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts are the top country nominees for the upcoming American Music Awards. Underwood's “Some Hearts,” McGraw's “Let It Go,” and Rascal Flatts' “Me And My Gang” face off for Favorite Album – Country. Tim, along with Toby Keith and Brad Paisley, is in the running for Favorite Male Artist – Country, and Rascal Flatts is up against Brooks & Dunn and Big & Rich for Favorite Band, Duo or Group – Country. Underwood's second bid is for Favorite Female Artist – Country. Martina McBride and Taylor Swift are her competition. Swift says she's very excited to be vying for the award, especially since the winners are determined by the fans. This year – for the first time – award recipients in all categories will be determined by online voting at http://ama.abc.com. Votes will be collected through November 1st. The 35th annual American Music Awards will be presented in a ceremony in Los Angeles and air on ABC on November 18th. Here is a complete list of the 2007 American Music Awards country nominees: Favorite Male Artist Toby Keith Tim McGraw Brad Paisley Favorite Female Artist Martina McBride Taylor Swift Carrie Underwood Favorite Band, Duo or Group Big & Rich Brooks & Dunn Rascal Flatts Favorite Album Tim McGraw - "Let It Go" Rascal Flatts - "Me And My Gang" Carrie Underwood - "Some Hearts"

TRISHA YEARWOOD TO OPEN FOR GARTH IN KANSAS CITY

Trisha Yearwood will be the opening act for her husband, Garth Brooks, when he plays his shows in Kansas City next month. She singer originally declined to take the opening slot because her album will be released that week. But when tickets sold out in less than two hours for the original show and other nights were added, Yearwood realized it was a great opportunity. She says, quote, “I basically said ‘Why wouldn’t I want to sing in front of 153-thousand people and get to be with my husband every night?’ So I said yes.” Trisha says both she and Garth were shocked to discover the demand to see him in concert. Her new album, “Heaven, Heartache, and the Power of Love,” will hit stores November 13th. Brooks' nine-night Kansas City, Missouri run is set for November 5th through the 12th, with a final show on the 14th.

TOBY KEITH, KENNY CHESNEY TO HELP SAMMY HAGAR CELEBRATE

Kenny Chesney and Toby Keith will help rocker Sammy Hagar kick off his U.S. tour at his birthday bash in Cabo San Lucas this weekend. Hagar will be celebrating his 60th at his Cabo Wabo Cantina on Saturday. Other friends, including Ted Nugent, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers and celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse are also expected to attend. It’s tradition for Hagar to celebrate his birthday with what he calls the “ultimate” birthday party. Last year more than 15-hundred fans lined up for the chance to gain admittance to the event.

RASCAL FLATTS OFFER ADVICE TO MUSIC BUSINESS NEWCOMERS

The guys in Rascal Flatts have some sage advice for folks who want a career in music. They note that the most important thing is to never give up. A close second is to understand that to be taken seriously, the newcomer has to make the decision to move to the town where their music is recorded, be that Nashville, New York or Los Angeles. With their multi-platinum success and sold-out tour schedule, the band members likely know what they're talking about. Rascal Flatts' latest studio effort, “Still Feels Good,” debuted at the top of the Billboard charts. The band will launch its next round of tour dates in Chicago on Friday.

DIERKS BENTLEY'S MEANINGFUL MUSIC

Dierks Bentley writes much of the music he records. He says he tends to record his own material because he wants to be able to say every line in each song means something to him. Bentley has been working on his next album, which he admits is probably a year away from being released. For the upcoming project he’s been teaming with writers he hasn't worked with before in order to come up with something different for the new project. Bentley's current songwriting partners are Rodney Crowell, Radney Foster and Jim Lauderdale.

RAUL MALO PULLING DOUBLE DUTY IN NEW YORK CITY
Raul Malo will be busy today. He’ll be performing at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s “All for the Hall” concert with Vince Gill, Trisha Yearwood, Jewel and Patty Griffin at the Nokia Theater. He agreed to the show even though he'd already committed to performing at an all-star tribute in honor of Elton John. Malo says, quote, “I made sure that I could arrange my schedule to take part in both events. No way was I going to be up there and not show up for our Hall of Fame!” He’ll take the stage at Carnegie Hall for the Elton salute, before heading over to the Nokia for the country show. Malo will be back in Nashville tomorrow for a sold out concert at the Belcourt Theater.

BELLAMY BROTHERS JOIN WITH FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY ON TOUR

The Bellamy Brothers have started working with Food For The Hungry as their tour sponsor. The duo's fans will be able to sign up to help children who are suffering and hungry around the world. David Bellamy says, quote, “We feel very fortunate to be able to work with Food For The Hungry as they have done so much in providing aid and care to children in places that have been struck by disaster, like New Orleans and Peru.” He adds that it’s a great way to work with their fans to help provide relief to those in need. The Bellamy Brothers' involvement with the charity begins with the duo's performance in Waco, Texas tonight.

QUICK BITES

Montgomery Gentry are lending their talents to the Fourth Annual Kenny Beard & Friends Writers in the Round on Tuesday. Other performers will include Paul Overstreet, Jeff Bates and newcomer Aly Cutter. All funds raised from the concert will benefit the Mt. Juliet Christian Academy.

Dierks Bentley and Ricky Skaggs will perform a benefit concert later this month for Butch Baldassari. The respected Nashville musician, record producer and adjunct associate professor of mandolin at Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music is battling cancer. Others on board for the show include songwriter Shawn Camp, The Grascals and the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble, which Butch founded. All proceeds will go to Baldassari and his family. More information is available online at www.mandolincafe.com. The site is also accepting donations. The concert is set for the Martha Rivers Ingram Performing Arts Center at Blair School of Music in Nashville on October 22nd.

Van Zant will perform a special acoustic concert for troops on Sunday. The duo, featuring brothers Johnny and Donnie Van Zant, will be in Ft. Hood, Texas for the event.

Big Country Notes for OCT 8

GARTH MANIA HITS KANSAS CITY

Garth Brooks' concert plans have grown – and ticket demand has kept pace. According to CMT.com, the country superstar has sold out a total of nine shows in Kansas City, Missouri. Initially the entertainer had promised Wal-Mart he would perform on November 14th as a “thank you” to the company for its marketing efforts on his behalf over the last couple of years. But when tickets went on sale Saturday the one show turned into nine shows; after each date was sold out, a new one was added. The concerts, set for Kansas City's Sprint Center, are set for November 5th through the 12th, then the final show on the 14th. Those first eight dates sold out within two hours. Brooks' latest best-of collection, the three-disc “The Ultimate Hits,” will hit stores on November 6th.

BRAD PAISLEY CONTINUES TOUR INTO 2008

Brad Paisley will keep his “Bonfires and Amplifiers” tour on the road into next year. The singer has announced a new set of dates for the trek, which extend the journey into February. He'll launch the new set of 16 shows in Denver on January 16th. The singer credits his sponsorship with Hershey’s in allowing him to keep ticket prices affordable and give the fans a state of the art show. Paisley says he enjoys the visual aspects of his performance, noting, quote, “It’s really fun and impressive to see what we have going on behind us, from an almost holographic Alison Krauss appearing to virtual fire and 56 amplifiers that turn into TV’s.” The technology also enables Krauss to sing with Brad on their hit “Whiskey Lullaby.” Brad notes, quote, “You really believe she’s there.” Rodney Atkins and newcomer Chuck Wicks are the openers for the trek. His next show will be in Grand Forks, North Dakota on Thursday.

The newly announced dates for Brad Paisley's “Bonfires and Amplifiers” tour:

Jan. 16 Pepsi Center in Denver, CO
Jan. 17 Casper Events Center in Casper, WY
Jan. 18 Metra Park Arena in Billings, MT
Jan 19 Adams Fieldhouse in Missoula, MT
Jan. 23 Idaho Center in Boise, ID
Jan. 24 Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City, UT
Jan. 26 Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas
Jan. 27 TBD
Jan. 31 Fed Ex Forum in Memphis
Feb. 1 Thompson Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN
Feb. 2 Macon Centroplex in Macon, GA
Feb. 15 Sommet Center in Nashville, TN
Feb. 16 TBD
Feb. 21 Resch Center in Green Bay, WI
Feb. 22 Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, IL
Feb. 23 TBD

BROOKS AND DUNN SAY THEY’LL NEVER BE EQUAL TO THEIR HEROES

Brooks & Dunn's Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn say they just can't grasp that they've won more Country Music Association awards than Merle Haggard. Kix notes he just doesn't feel like his duo is in that league, explaining, quote, "When I think about Merle Haggard I can't say my name or Brooks and Dunn in the same sentence." He and Ronnie both agree that while it is cool to be able to hang out with the singers and songwriters who are their heroes, they'll never be able to accept that they are equals. Kix admits he finds it a little intimidating that people like Kris Kristofferson even know who he is.

Brooks & Dunn have 19 CMA trophies. The performers, who are among the nominees for Vocal Duo of the Year, are scheduled to perform on The 41st Annual CMA Awards, which will air on ABC on November 7th.

TAYLOR SWIFT HAS NEW MUSIC ON THE WAY

Taylor Swift has a gift for her fans just in time for Christmas. Next month the singer will release “The Taylor Swift Limited Deluxe Edition,” an enhanced version of her Platinum self-titled debut disc. The new package is a CD/DVD dual set which will contain three new tunes and a special home movie of her life over the past year. Swift compiled and edited the film herself. The singer was also involved in all aspects of assembling the project. Taylor says she wanted to compile a project for her fans that encompassed her music, her live performances, and insight into her life. Other extras in the set include her first Grand Ole Opry performance of her hit “Tim McGraw” and behind-the-scenes footage of her video shoots for the songs “Teardrops On My Guitar” and “Our Song.” “The Taylor Swift Limited Deluxe Edition” hits stores on November 6th.

LEANN RIMES TO BE HONORED BY “REDBOOK” MAGAZINE

LeAnn Rimes is among the honorees at the “2007 Strength & Spirit Awards” event later this month. “Redbook” magazine is celebrating a decade of honoring “ordinary women leading extraordinary missions.” Rimes will be recognized for her charitable and community efforts. The other honorees are Ashley Judd, and Ali Larter. The “2007 Strength & Spirit Awards” will be held October 22nd in New York City. In other LeAnn news, she’ll be performing the duet “When You Love Someone Like This” with Reba McEntire on the 41st annual CMA Awards next month. The song appears on “Reba: Duets” and LeAnn’s upcoming CD “Family,” which will arrive in stores tomorrow.

MIRANDA LAMBERT LEARNED NOT TO “JUDGE THE BOOK BY ITS COVER”

Miranda Lambert says when she first met Travis Howard on “Nashville Star” she didn’t like him. Now the two frequently write songs together. Lambert says that when they met she was just a small town girl from Texas, while he was from Georgia but had been living in Los Angeles. Miranda says he looked very different from anyone she'd ever seen before, which was somewhat off-putting, but after she heard some of the songs Travis had written, she changed her mind about him. The two co-wrote Lambert's current single, “Famous In A Small Town,” which is on her CD “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.”

QUICK BITES

Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Toby Keith, and Carrie Underwood are coming out to support their native Oklahoma. The singers will join fellow Oklahomans Blake Shelton and singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb to perform at the Oklahoma Centennial Spectacular on November 16th.

Vince Gill and Amy Grant will be guests on NBC’s “Weekend Today” this Saturday. In addition, Amy’s memoir “Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far” will arrive in stores next Tuesday. Her “Greatest Hits,” a special edition CD/DVD package, was released last week.

Tonight in New York City Little Big Town will be celebrating their new album “A Place To Land” with a release party and intimate performance. While there, they are making the media rounds. “A Place To Land” will hit stores on November 6th.