Three Things You Need to Know About the Supreme Court's Decision to Uphold Obama's Health Care Reform

Yesterday, in a somewhat surprising decision, the Supreme Court voted five-to-four to uphold "Obamacare". Here are three important things you need to know about that Supreme Court decision and what it means to you. 

#1.)  THE SUPREME COURT RULED OBAMACARE IS CONSTITUTIONAL. The Supreme Court wasn't ruling on whether these reforms are good ideas or sound policies, they were just ruling on whether they're Constitutional. That's why CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS voted for it. He's a conservative appointed by GEORGE W. BUSH. But he voted to uphold health care reform because he felt it did NOT go against the Constitution. The big debate centered on the wording of the bill, which said it would PENALIZE Americans who didn't obtain health insurance. Congress can't Constitutionally penalize anyone. But they CAN tax us. Roberts believed the penalty was really a tax, based on the way it was structured, which is why he voted to uphold it. The four liberal judges also voted for it.


#2.)  THIS STILL DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN COUNT ON OBAMACARE HAPPENING.  Instead, this just makes it one of the central issues of the November election . . . if not THE central issue.
MITT ROMNEY has vowed to repeal Obamacare if he's elected. Yesterday, he said, quote, "What the Court did today was say that Obamacare does not violate the Constitution. What they did not do was say that Obamacare is good law." If Obama's re-elected, he'll keep pushing it forward. Yesterday he said the Court's decision is, quote, "a victory for people all over the country." If that does happen, and the health care reform continues going through, about four million people will pay the tax for being uninsured when it goes into effect.


#3.)  SO, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?  The "Washington Post" put together a very simple but informative calculator, where you can roughly calculate what this will mean for you and your family financially. I recommend checking it out.

You can find the calculator here

What's Your Favorite Country Song with "American" in the Title?

July 4th is around the corner, so Taste of Country asked fans to choose their favorite country songs with "American" in the title. They came up with seven of them. Here they are:

--"All American Girl", Carrie Underwood

--"American Child", Phil Vassar

--"American Honey", Lady Antebellum

--"American Honky-Tonk Bar Association", Garth Brooks

--"American Made", Oak Ridge Boys

--"American Saturday Night", Brad Paisley

--"American Soldier", Toby Keith

You can cast your vote at TasteOfCountry.com.

The Avengers Coming to DVD on Sept. 25!

The year's biggest film, Marvel's The Avengers, will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 25. The superhero flick has made over 600 million dollars at the domestic box office to date. That's not all. Marvel has put together a 10-disc, six-movie Blu-ray box set called Phase One -- Avengers Assembled that will include copies of The Avengers plus five other superhero movies it's released in recent years, such as Iron Man and its sequel. No word yet on a release date, though a trailer for the box set just hit the Web.
Super Hero Geeks, we can now rejoice!

LADIES!! Brantley Gilbert is Country Music's Sexiest Bachelor

Last week we were tied up in knots trying to figure out who would end up as Taste of Country's sexiest bachelor. Okay fine, we were mildly interested . . . but the women out there were totally into it, and they voted. There were only eight names on the ballot and the winner ended up being . . . BRANTLEY GILBERT. He pulled in 37% of the vote.  Here are the results:

#1.)  Brantley Gilbert

#2.)  Chris Young

#3.)  Kenny Chesney

#4.)  Scotty McCreery

#5.)  Billy Currington

#6.)  Hunter Hayes

#7.)  Chuck Wicks

#8.)  Jerrod Niemann


(--You can check out the percentage of votes each contestant received, here.)

Eric Church Doesn't Regret One Single Thing

ERIC CHURCH is still projecting that badass attitude as someone who's not going to compromise his beliefs for anyone. He was asked to name ONE THING that he regrets . . . but he just couldn't go there.
He said, quote, "I'm not a guy who has a lot of regrets. I wouldn't change anything. I've always been very candid, and I've always stood for what I believe in, right? And sometimes, that's gotten me in trouble.
"But I wouldn't change it . . . I am who I am."

A Man Tries to Take His Grandfather's Ashes Home And a TSA Agent Spills Them On the Floor!

Last week, John Gross of Indianapolis, Indiana was leaving Orlando, Florida with his late grandfather's ashes.  The ashes were in a sealed jar that was marked "Human Remains." At the Orlando airport, a TSA agent was searching his bag, and John asked her to be careful. She wasn't. She opened the jar . . . then accidentally spilled John's grandfather's ashes on the floor. He says, quote, "She didn't apologize. She started laughing. I was on my hands and knees picking up bone fragments. I couldn't pick it all up. I mean, there was a long line behind me." He's asking for an apology from the TSA. The TSA website says crematory containers have to pass an X-ray . . . but they shouldn't be opened under any circumstances.  A spokesman says they're investigating the incident.

Gary Allan's Next Album Will Be "Up" and "Hopeful"

GARY ALLAN admits that his last two albums were pretty heavy, mostly because that's just where his head was. But his next one will have a more positive tone. He tells "Billboard", quote, "It's super rock, super up. "It seems like a lot of the stuff I was writing this year was just up and hopeful stuff. I'm usually the sad writer, but I think I was able to step away from that this time. "(But) I'm just in a really good place, mentally, and this just reflects that. Every album I do is just about where I'm at, at the time." Gary says the new album is almost done . . . but there's no word when it will be out.

Scotty McCreery Joins Tim McGraw On Stage in Charlotte, NC.

Scotty McCreery reunited with his pal Tim McGraw on stage in Charlotte, NC, Sunday night. Tim brought the former American Idol champ out to sing "I Like It, I Love It" during his set on the Brothers of the Sun tour stop with Kenny Chesney. Scotty tweeted to Tim, "It was awesome! You're the man!"
This isn't the first time Tim and Scotty have shared the stage. They performed a duet of Tim's hit "Live Like You Were Dying" on the 2011 American Idol finale before Scotty was crowned the winner. Scotty also covered Tim's "Please Remember Me" as this season's American Idol exit song.

Nashville Man Kicked Out of Kenny Chesney Concert for Looking Like Kenny Chesney!

A Nashville man was kicked out of Kenny Chesney's Saturday-night concert in Music City for looking too much like Kenny Chesney. Nathan Blankenship was dressed similar to Chesney -- wearing a sleeveless shirt and straw cowboy hat -- and he told reports that people sometimes say he looks like the country star.  Blankenship says, "I can't help the way I look."

Security at the concert venue, LP Field, claims Blankenship was causing a disturbance among fans who thought they were seeing Chesney in the audience.  Security personnel escorted Blankenship out of the stadium as a result.

He says, "I think the way they handled it made it seem worse, like they were really escorting Kenny Chesney through the crowd." It seems Nathan Blankenship has been through this kind of thing before, though.  An official at LP Field says Metro Nashville police knew about Blankenship looking like Chesney before the concert began.  Apparently, country stars at previous Nashville concerts have spotted Blankenship in the crowd and thought he was causing a similar disturbance. Blankenship is also upset about having to give up his $200 concert ticket to the show.  Kenny Chesney's camp released a statement Monday saying they didn't know about Blankenship getting kicked out of the concert until it was reported in the media. Concert promoter Kate McMahon of The Messina Group says they are reaching out to Blankenship to make the situation right.

Check Out Some Songs Carrie Underwood Recorded When She Was 14!

CARRIE UNDERWOOD fans probably know about this . . . but I didn't. Way before "American Idol" . . . when she was around 13 or 14 . . . Carrie had a budding music career. She recorded a bunch of songs and almost signed a Nashville record deal. The whole thing fizzled out and she went back to Oklahoma to finish high school and, eventually, college. Anyway, there is an entire album of songs from back then.  It's called "Broken Wings" . . . and it's all cover songs from artists like the Dixie Chicks, Martina McBride and Jo Dee Messina. It's for sale on a website called SoundsBox.com, and it'll cost you $1.76.  No joke.  If that's too rich for your blood, individual songs are 14-cents apiece.  Or if you're super cheap, you can listen to samples for free! :)

The Ultimate Baseball Fans Dream Prize!

Okay, baseball fans get ready for this prize! All this week (June  25th - June 29th) your prize with The Mystery Movie Clip game will be what you see here! The Ultimate Baseball fans prize pack!

Yankeeography: Pinstripe Legends. A 16 DVD set plus a 32 page bound book. MLB Triple Header:  A 3 disc set with the best of the MLB. Plus The Official Major League Baseball World Series Film Collection. A 20 disc set with official filmed World Series highlights from 1943-2009!

ALL OF THAT for a little bit of movie smarts!

All of the movies this week will be "Baseball" movies. So brush up on your baseball flix and good luck!!

Here's Why Wynonna Didn't Invite Her Mom and Sister to Her Wedding

When WYNONNA JUDD announced that she got married back on June 10th, she didn't mention WHY her mom NAOMI and her sister ASHLEY weren't there. Well, the official reason is because they were NOT INVITED. And they weren't invited because she didn't want them bothering her. (???) Wynonna told "Us Weekly", quote, "If I know Ashley, she would have re-positioned my dress, or Mom would have given me a Kleenex to stuff in my bra, or told me, I have something in my teeth. I just didn't want that. I just wanted to get married!" Sounds pretty lame, right?  I swear "Us Weekly" didn't buy it either because then they asked her to explain her "rocky family dynamic." Her answer spoke volumes. She said, quote, "We're getting ready to sit down with our life coach and re-evaluate what we want out of this relationship. We just don't have a lot of contact right now, if any, because we're all doing our own thing. "I'm also [going to] have a meeting with Ashley, and re-do our family contract, and re-set our boundaries. It's just really healthy."

(--Family contract?  Life coach?  Can't these people just say what's on their mind, hug it out, and then sit down for some barbecue and beer?)

Miranda Lambert Hosts 5th Annual Cause for the Paws Concert Friday

Miranda Lambert hosts her 5th Annual Cause for the Paws concert in Beaumont, TX Friday to benefit her Mutt Nation Foundation. Proceeds will go to provide support for homeless and neglected animals. The show takes place in Ford Park and features Josh Abbott Band and Wade Bowen joining Miranda on the bill. For those who can't make it to the show (Like Me!) but still want to help the cause, Miranda has launched a Mutt Nation Foundation eBay auction running through this weekend. Items up for bid include signed memorabilia from Miranda, Carrie Underwood, Scarlett Johansson and others.

The Good News: John Cena Has Granted His 300th Wish for the Make-A-Wish Foundation!

Pro wrestling gets a pretty bad rap in the media . . . and sometimes it is deserved.  But these guys DO perform good deeds now and then.  Especially JOHN CENA. John recently granted his 300th wish for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, making him the organization's all-time leader. (--It's not clear if these guys are second and third, but Make-A-Wish notes that MICHAEL JORDAN has granted 200 wishes, and KOBE BRYANT has granted 100.) On yesterday's "Good Morning America", Cena surprised a 7-year-old boy who suffers from a spinal condition with tickets to the upcoming, 1,000th episode of "Monday Night Raw". Cena says he wants to grant 1,000 wishes.  He is the Make-A-Wish Foundation's most requested celebrity. HULK HOGAN started the trend of wrestlers granting wishes . . . and back in the '80s, HE was the foundation's top dog.

The NEW "Brady Bunch"?

SARA EVANS and her husband JAY BARKER may expand their "Brady Bunch"-style family.  They have seven kids between them . . . but none together . . . so "OK Magazine" asked if they're considering popping out another.  Sara said, quote, "We would actually love to, yes.  That would be a blessing.  We'll see."

Jake Owen Doesn't Think He's All That for Having Two Number One Hits

JAKE OWEN has had back-to-back number one singles with "Barefoot Blue Jean Night" . . . and "Alone With You".  That kind of success could go to his head . . . but he won't let it. Jake says, quote, "There's a number one song every single week.  So, by no means do I think that I am anything special since I've had two number ones.  I'm very thankful and grateful, and I am very blessed."

Way to go, Jake! Well put. We know that there's a lot more number one singles for Jake, thankfully he knows how to be humble and grateful for be blessed with success.

Brad Paisley In A TV Commercial With Jack!!

You may have heard that BRAD PAISLEY did a commercial for Jack in the Box. And yes, Brad actually has a conversation with the dude wearing the spherical Jack head...and NO it was not Jack Hammer. :)

Would You Like to Vote for Country Music's Sexiest Bachelor?

Taste of Country is asking fans to choose country music's sexiest bachelor. They have a list of eight candidates . . . leave off Jake Owen, Randy Houser and Lee Brice because recently got married.
Here are the choices ladies, going from youngest to oldest: Scotty McCreery, Hunter Hayes, Chris Young, Brantley Gilbert, Chuck Wicks, Jerrod Niemann, Billy Currington and Kenny Chesney.
You have a week to cast your vote at TasteOfCountry.com. They'll announce the winner NEXT Wednesday, June 27th. As of last night, Chris Young was destroying the competition . . . but Kenny Chesney had a strong showing!

Taylor Times Two: Taylor Swift to Join James Taylor at July Concert!

Taylor Swift was named after Rock and Roll Hall of Famer James Taylor, who even joined her onstage in New York City last year during her Speak Now tour.  Now, Swift plans to return the favor.
Sources confirm to The Berkshire Eagle that Swift will join James onstage during James' July 2 show at Tanglewood, the prestigious concert venue in Lenox, Massachusetts.  James will perform at Tanglewood July 2, 3, and 4.  Some seats are still available for his three-night stand. When Taylor joined Taylor onstage at New York's Madison Square Garden on November 22, they performed James' classic hit "Fire and Rain" together, and he played guitar while she sang her hit "Fifteen."

Blake Shelton Premieres Fiery Video for "Over"

Blake Shelton's fiery new video for "Over" premiered on CMT Friday. The clip features Blake performing the song standing in the middle of a burning house. It's a nod to the line in the song, "If I could light the world we could sit and watch it burn." Of course, there is a beautiful female lead in the video, but she never actually shares screen time with Blake. We're not sure if Miranda Lambert had anything to do with keeping them apart. "Over" is the latest single from Blake's album, Red River Blue.

Is Tim McGraw Trying to "Out-Buff" Kenny Chesney?

TIM MCGRAW and KENNY CHESNEY are in the middle of their summer tour.  All the PR has been about their friendship . . . but I'm seeing something else. It looks like Tim is trying to "out-buff" Kenny.
Last Friday Tim Tweeted a shirtless photo of him holding an athletic shoe. As usual, he's all muscled-up . . . but now he's super cut, just like Kenny. Looks like he's 10 pounds lighter than he used to be. And check this out, Tim has been going out of his way on the tour to get Kenny to eat fattening crap. Kenny told CMTs Country Countdown USA, quote, "Tim knows I've been trying to lean my body down so I can fit in the jeans I wear onstage.  I think he's figured out that on Sunday, I'll eat whatever I want. "So, to test my will power he'll send me a dessert every day. He sent me a whole red velvet cake one day, and he knows I love red velvet cake. I think he's trying to do anything he can so he'll be skinnier than me."

Just as a side note...when Tim was on the road with Luke Bryan for the Emotional Traffic Tour, Tim had Luke's Ford Bronco painted up in graffiti! Removable paint of course. But Tim is known to be a prankster.

Miranda Lambert Gets Flowers from Blake Shelton; Chris Young Says Goodbye to On Fire Tour.

Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton are away from each other a lot of the time, but they find ways to express their love for each other across the miles. Miranda tweeted a picture of a big bouquet Saturday night with the caption, "My sweet husband sent me these." The photo was taken on Miranda's tour bus before her show in Missouri on the On Fire tour. Saturday night's show also marked Chris Young's last night on the On Fire tour. He tweeted, "If I have said it once I have said it 1,000 times…@Miranda_Lambert is amazing! Thanks for having me."

Kenny Chesney Does Not Have Time to Post Stuff on Twitter.

These days, every artist NEEDS to have a presence on the social networks.  But that doesn't mean they're the ones posting stuff.  For example, KENNY CHESNEY leaves that to his people . . . because he's just too damn busy. He says, quote, "I don't have time.  I'm running a company.  I'm doing everything I've gotta do to do what I do."  Kenny's not leaving the door completely closed, though.  He adds, quote, "Maybe one day . . . maybe soon." Speaking of Kenny:  MSN is offering an "exclusive first listen" to his song "Sing 'Em Good My Friend". It's a track on his upcoming album"Welcome To The Fishbowl", which drops Tuesday.  (--You can listen to it here.)

Carrie Underwood Dresses Like a Dude Offstage.

Carrie Underwood is a regular on best-dressed lists, but she's not great at dressing herself in everyday life. When she doesn't have to dress up, Carrie admits to actually wearing guy's clothes too. When it comes to casual wear, Carrie says, "I dress like a dude. Sometimes I spray my husband's cologne on myself because it smells so good. I don't like the women's stuff, so I buy a small [size] in guy's sweatshirts." Carrie will be wearing multiple, high fashion outfits on her Blown Away tour, kicking off this September in North America. She plays Royal Albert Hall in London Thursday, June 21 before heading to Australia for a run of shows later this month.

A Homeless Man Gets to Keep the $77,000 He Found in a Park in January!

46-year-old Timothy Yost is a homeless man in Bastrop, Texas. On January 18th, he went to Fisherman's Park so he could wash his feet in the Colorado River. That's when he noticed a bag, sitting on the bank of the river. Timothy looked inside and found 70 $100 bills and 40 gold Krugerrands, which are South African gold coins worth about $1,700 each.  All together, the bag was worth about $77,000. The money was wet, so Timothy took the cash to a bank and asked if he could exchange it for dry bills. They told him he had to wait until the money dried . . . and called the police. The police took custody of the bag, placed ads and waited several months, but they weren't able to find its owner.  (--Someone came forward, and police thought he was credible . . . but then he withdrew his claim for some reason.)

The Bastrop city council voted unanimously to let Timothy have the loot!

(Statesman.com)

Brantley Gilbert Is Blowing his Hard-Earned Cash on . . . A New House

Now that BRANTLEY GILBERT is making money he's doing what most young stars do . . . he's blowing it on silly stuff, like a plot of land and a new house!  Brantley bought property in his hometown of Maysville, Georgia and is building a new home. He says,  "[It] should be finished first week in July. I'm stoked about it.  I can't wait.  I hadn't picked out a fence yet or a gate, which I'm sure I'm gonna have to do really soon. "None of the landscaping has even been talked about, so I may just be moving into a dirt spot at first but we're gonna get it figured out. But I'm excited about it."

You go, Brantley! You've earned it!

The Darth Vader Kid From the Volkswagen Super Bowl Ad Needs Open Heart Surgery.

Remember the "Darth Vader kid" from that awesome 2011 Volkswagen Super Bowl commercial?  Well, his name is MAX PAGE.  He's seven years old, and today, he'll be undergoing open-heart surgery. Max was born with a heart defect, and the surgery will replace his pulmonary valve and repair a hole in his heart.
In an e-mail to the website BusinessInsider.com, Max's mom says she and Max have spoken about the upcoming surgery extensively, and even made a list of things he CAN DO while he's recovering. That way, he won't focus on all that things he CAN'T do this summer. She said, quote, "[Max told me], 'Mom I don't have a choice. I have to go through it. I don't like it and it's still scary . . . but I have to. So I think I might as well go through it with a good attitude.'" When he's not acting, Max helps raise money for other kids with heart conditions. And he asked his mom to include this message from him in her e-mail . . .
"Kids, if you use your FORCE and dream big, you can achieve anything.  We may be small . . . but we're mighty!" 

(--You can read the whole e-mail here.)

Eric Church Picks Up First Platinum Single for "Springsteen"

Things are going especially well for Eric Church these days. His latest single, "Springsteen," has just become his first platinum-selling single, and Eric describes hitting that milestone as "surreal." "It’s a testament to everybody else out there that feels kinda the way I did," Eric says. "You know, every time they hear that song, they’re 16 or 17 or however old they are again, and they’re back at that concert experience for them." "Springsteen" is included on Eric's latest album, Chief. Eric is also celebrating the gold certification of his 2006 debut album, Sinners Like Me.

Taylor Swift Receives "Star of Compassion" Award!

 Add another award to Taylor Swift's already overloaded trophy shelf: She's been given the 2012 "Honorary Star of Compassion Award" by Northwest Tennessee Disaster Services, a non-profit group that supports disaster relief and education. Over the past few years, Taylor has raised or donated hundreds of thousands of dollars for disaster relief. In 2008, she donated all the proceeds from her merchandise sales at the CMA Music Festival to the Red Cross disaster relief fund, and that same year, she gave $100,000 to the Red Cross in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to help the victims of flooding there. After the Tennessee floods of 2010, Taylor donated $100,000 to a flood relief telethon, and donated another 100 grand later that year to rebuild a playground in Hendersonville, Tennessee, that had been damaged by the floods.  Last year, she sold tickets to the dress rehearsal for her Speak Now tour and donated the money to victims of tornadoes in the U.S. Southeast. In a statement, the group's director said, "Taylor Swift has inspired the small community of Northwest Tennessee with her uplifting words and music of encouragement and has become a positive role model for the young and old alike here."

New York City Principal Nixes Performance of "God Bless the U.S.A." at Kindergarten Graduation!

 

 

A principal in New York City has caused a stir after canceling a performance of Lee Greenwood's patriotic song "God Bless the U.S.A." at a kindergarten graduation. According to the New York Post, the PS 90 principal, Greta Hawkins, thought the opening lines "If tomorrow all the things were gone/I’d worked for all my life/And I had to start again/with just my children and my wife" were a little too dark for five-year-olds to sing. She also reportedly said they didn't want to offend people of other cultures at the ceremony. New York City Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott is standing by the principal's decision, and now Lee Greenwood himself is stepping in. He released a statement Monday saying he wrote "God Bless the U.S.A." about the love he has for America and struggle to remain free Greenwood continues,  "Our country was founded on the principle that it welcomes people of all cultures and gives them the same rights we have as citizens. However, I feel compelled to echo the faith or our forefathers who all believed in God and a respect of a higher authority." Greenwood goes on to say that denying the children at PS 90 the right to sing "God Bless the U.S.A." offends him as a Christian. "My song is about hope, faith, spirit and pride," Greenwood explains. "How could that be wrong on any level?" Reportedly, the principal was going to let the kids sing the Justin Bieber hit "Baby" instead, but the New York Post says that plan has been dropped after it was criticized.

Kenny Chesney Appears in New Commercial for ESPN's SportsCenter

Kenny Chesney stars in the latest commercial for ESPN's SportsCenter.  In the spot, Kenny tries to avoid ESPN anchor Steve Levy's attempts to sit with him at the "cool table" in the ESPN cafeteria.  The lighthearted commercial was filmed at ESPN's campus in Bristol, CT. Kenny really enjoyed heading back to ESPN.  He says, "I got to see a lot of the anchors I've become friends with over the years, a lot of the people who come to our shows." Kenny's Brothers of the Sun tour with Tim McGraw is certainly packing in crowds at stadiums across the country. The show played to nearly 100,000 fans over the weekend at back-to-back shows in Dallas and Kansas City. Kenny's new album, Welcome to the Fishbowl, is due out June 19, featuring his latest single, "Come Over."

Blake Shelton's Busy Recording Schedule Keeps Him from Hosting Fan Club Party.

Blake Shelton met with fans for an autograph session during CMA Music Festival, but he didn't have time to host his regular fan club party this year. Blake hasn't been in Nashville very much lately, and he had to use his time this past week to record his new studio album and an upcoming Christmas album too.
The only time Blake could have hosted his fan club party was in the morning, but he says, "Breakfast things, that's stupid to me. I mean, nobody wants to get up at 5 a.m." Blake usually hosts his party at night at the Wildhorse Saloon, but it just didn't happen this time around. "I want it to be fun, and I just couldn’t have done that this week and got everything done that I needed to," Blake says. "So, I wussed out."
Blake did perform at the CMA Music Festival over the weekend. He'll most likely appear on ABC's CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock special coming up September 17.

Carrie Underwood Speaks Out in Support of Gay Marriage

Carrie Underwood speaks out in support of gay marriage in a new interview with London newspaper The Independent. It turns out Carrie and her husband Mike Fisher attend a gay-friendly church in Nashville too. "As a married person myself, I don't know what it's like to be told I can't marry somebody I love and want to marry. I can't imagine how that must feel," Carrie says. "I definitely think we should all have the right to love, and love publicly, the people that we want to love."

Carrie's interview appeared in The Independent in advance of her sold-out show at London's Royal Albert Hall coming up June 21.

Report: Ronnie Dunn Parts with Longtime Record Label!

Ronnie Dunn has parted ways with his longtime record label, Arista Records, a division of Sony Music Nashville. According to TheBoot.com, Ronnie posted a message on his Facebook page, saying, "Deal with Sony is over. Next chapter. Moving on." That post has since been taken down.
A request for comment from Ronnie's rep was unanswered at press time. Sony Music Nashville had no comment. Ronnie has been with Arista Records since the release of Brooks & Dunn's 1991 debut album, Brand New Man.

I'll keep you posted on this one!

Hammer

Lauren Alaina Contributes Background Vocals to New Aerosmith Album!

Lauren Alaina got to know Steven Tyler during her time competing on American Idol, and now the Idol judge and Aerosmith frontman has pulled Lauren in to sing on his band's new album. Lauren contributed background vocals to a song called "Oh Yeah" that's expected to show up on Aerosmith's new album, Music from Another Dimension. Lauren says, "The fact that I got to go in the studio with Aerosmith, that's fine with me. I mean, who gets to say that? Not many people." Steven Tyler was actually in the studio with Lauren when she recorded her part for the album. "He's really awesome, and he's a buddy of mine," Lauren says. "So, I get to say Steven Tyler's my friend. So, pretty lucky." Aerosmith's album, Music from Another Dimension, is due out August 28, and a few reports indicate Carrie Underwood may be contributing her voice to the project too. In the meantime, Lauren is releasing her new single, "18 Inches," to radio. The song was co-written by Carrie Underwood and is included on Lauren's debut album, Wildflower.

Kellie Pickler's Date to the CMT Awards Was a Soldier Wounded in Iraq.

KELLIE PICKLER brought a date to Wednesday's CMT Awards but he wasn't her husband, Kyle Jacobs. His name is Sgt. Sean DeBevoise, and he's a Marine who was wounded in Iraq back in 2006.
Kellie Tweeted a picture of them at the show on Wednesday and wrote, quote, "Me and my date." Kellie met Sgt. DeBevoise at a charity event in North Carolina, and he invited her to the Hope For Our Heroes, Got Heart, Give Hope Gala, which went down last month in Washington D.C. Kellie couldn't make it so she invited him to the CMT Awards. Sgt. DeBevoise story is pretty compelling. He was wounded in combat several times and at one point was told he’d never walk again. He proved everybody wrong.

Here's the date photo Kellie posted to Twitter.

2012 CMT Music Awards Winners List.

Here are the winners of the 2012 CMT Music Awards, held in Nashville Wednesday night. Lets see how you did with yuor picks:

Video of the Year
Carrie Underwood -- "Good Girl"

Male Video of the Year
Luke Bryan -- "I Don't Want This Night to End"

Female Video of the Year
Miranda Lambert -- "Over You"

Group Video of the Year
Lady Antebellum -- "We Owned the Night"

Duo Video of the Year
Thompson Square -- "I Got You"

USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year
Scotty McCreery -- "The Trouble with Girls"

Collaborative Video of the Year
Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood -- "Remind Me"

CMT Performance of the Year
Jason Aldean -- "Tattoos on This Town" from 2011 CMT Artists of the Year

Make Your CMT Music Award Picks!

The CMT Awards are on tonight at 8. Below my picks are in bold. Go ahead and make you guesses! Let's see how many we get right!

Video of the Year
Jason Aldean -- "Dirt Road Anthem"
Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter -- "You and Tequila"
Toby Keith -- "Red Solo Cup"
Lady Antebellum -- "We Owned the Night"
Miranda Lambert -- "Over You"
Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood -- "Remind Me"
Rascal Flatts featuring Natasha Bedingfield -- "Easy"
Blake Shelton -- "God Gave Me You"
Taylor Swift featuring the Civil Wars -- "Safe & Sound"
Carrie Underwood -- "Good Girl"

Male Video of the Year
Jason Aldean -- "Dirt Road Anthem"
Luke Bryan -- "I Don't Want This Night to End"
Eric Church -- "Drink in My Hand"
Toby Keith -- "Red Solo Cup"
Blake Shelton -- "God Gave Me You"
Keith Urban -- "Long Hot Summer"

Female Video of the Year
Sara Evans -- "My Heart Can't Tell You No"
Miranda Lambert -- "Over You"
Martina McBride -- "I'm Gonna Love You Through It"
Kellie Pickler -- "Tough"
Taylor Swift -- "Ours"
Carrie Underwood -- "Good Girl"

Group Video of the Year
Eli Young Band -- "Crazy Girl"
Lady Antebellum -- "We Owned the Night"
Pistol Annies -- "Hell on Heels"
Rascal Flatts -- "Banjo"
The Band Perry -- "All Your Life"
Zac Brown Band -- "Keep Me in Mind"

Duo Video of the Year
Love and Theft -- "Angel Eyes"
Montgomery Gentry -- "Where I Come From"
Sugarland -- "Tonight"
The Civil Wars -- "Poison and Wine"
Thompson Square -- "Glass"
Thompson Square -- "I Got You"

USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year
Lauren Alaina -- "Georgia Peaches"
Brantley Gilbert -- "Country Must Be Country Wide"
Hunter Hayes -- "Storm Warning"
Scotty McCreery -- "The Trouble with Girls"
Pistol Annies -- "Hell on Heels"
Thompson Square -- "I Got You"

Collaborative Video of the Year
Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter -- "You and Tequila"
Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood -- "Remind Me"
Rascal Flatts featuring Natasha Bedingfield -- "Easy"
Lionel Richie with Shania Twain -- "Endless Love"
Taylor Swift featuring the Civil Wars -- "Safe & Sound"
Zac Brown Band featuring Jimmy Buffett -- "Knee Deep"

CMT Performance of the Year
Jason Aldean -- "Tattoos on This Town" from 2011 CMT Artists of the Year
Lady Antebellum -- "Dancin' Away with My Heart" from 2011 CMT Artists of the Year
Little Big Town -- "Fix You" from Music Builds: The CMT Disaster Relief Concert
Blake Shelton -- "Footloose" from Invitation Only: Blake Shelton
Sting and Vince Gill -- "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" from CMT Crossroads: Sting and Vince Gill
Steven Tyler and Carrie Underwood -- "Just a Dream/Dream On" from CMT Crossroads: Steven Tyler and Carrie Underwood from the Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam

Toby Keith and Kristen Bell Hosting Star-Packed CMT Music Awards TONIGHT!

Toby Keith and Kristen Bell are set to co-host tonight's CMT Music Awards, though they only met Monday. They seemed to be having fun with each other at a press conference Tuesday to promote the show, though. When someone asked what Kristen would be wearing on the show, she explained, "You get to sort of formulate an arc in your wardrobe, and it's really silly and girly, but it's a whole lot of fun." That's when Toby broke in, saying, "I have a nice skirt. A little knee-high job with some pumps." Though she's never been to Nashville before this week, Kristen is a big country music fan. The invitation to host was a bit random, and Kristen says, "Honest to God, I don't know how I got here. They just invited me, and I squealed." Toby is an old pro at the CMT Music Awards, and he's taken home several of the show's belt buckle awards in the past. Toby even hosted the show a few years ago with Pamela Anderson, and he likes the spontaneous feel of this awards show. "To me, it's not as sterile as the other awards shows," Toby explains. "It's more hang out, hang loose and the whole night's funner. They've got a wonderful package together this year." Jason Aldean, Ronnie Dunn, Sara Evans, Alan Jackson, Jake Owen and Kellie Pickler will be on hand to give out trophies. Other presenters include actresses Hayden Panettiere, Denise Richards and Ashley Greene. Dax Shepard, Tom Arnold, Steve Austin, Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti, Jordin Sparks and American Idol finalists Colton Dixon and Skylar Laine round out the presenters list. The 2012 CMT Music Awards broadcast live on CMT and CMT.com tonight at 8.

Are Carrie Underwood and Steven Tyler Recording a Country Song Together?

Some big time AEROSMITH blogger with too much time on his hands claims STEVEN TYLER and CARRIE UNDERWOOD are recording a country duet together. Apparently it's a country ballad that Aerosmith recorded last summer. And Carrie laid down her vocals a few days ago to make it a duet. There's no word on the name of the song, but it's supposed to be on Aerosmith's next album, "Music From Another Dimension", which comes out August 28th.

I'm hoping this is true. We all remember Carrie and Steven tearing it up at the 2011 ACMs!

Brad Paisley Wants to Duet with...Lady Gaga?

Brad Paisley took some time out from making his new studio album to perform on ABC's Good Morning America Friday. In addition to singing "Working on a Tan," "Water" and "Waitin' on a Woman" for the crowd in New York City's Central Park, Brad also revealed that he'd like to duet with Lady Gaga someday. We're not sure if he was serious or not. Before his set, Brad also tasted a few culinary delights from The Chew's Mario Batali on GMA. We'll keep you posted on any news surrounding Brad's upcoming album.