Miranda Lambert Will Never Record a Christmas Album . . . Thanks to Blake Shelton!

MIRANDA LAMBERT is one of the performers on BLAKE SHELTON'S holiday special "Not So Family Christmas", which airs December 3rd on NBC. During the taping she was asked if she'll ever record a holiday album, and she shut that door hard.  She said, quote, "I will never do a Christmas album because Blake wears me out with Christmas music. "He listens to it all year round. I love Christmas music and Christmas, but Blake does enough for both of us." Miranda also thinks the season is too commercialized. She added, quote, "They start playing Christmas music before Halloween. By the time it gets here, I'm over it. I get burnt out. "

Christina Aguilera Says Blake Shelton is "A Good Country Boy"

Is CHRISTINA AGUILERA saying wonderful things about BLAKE SHELTON because they're super tight or because she's promoting their new duet "Just A Fool"? Yeah, probably both. She told CHELSEA HANDLER, quote, "I adore Blake. All the guys on 'The Voice' and I are close but Blake in particular. We used to have a seat next to each other, we banter a lot, we make jokes, we make fun of the other guys. "He's just a good time, he's a good country boy. We have a song called 'Just A Fool' on the record and it's my first approach at trying a little country."  (BTW--Christina's new album "Lotus" drops November 13th.)

Blake Shelton: Country Music vs Today Pop & Rock.

BLAKE SHELTON did an interview with "Cowboys & Indians" magazine . . . and they asked if he agrees that what's coming out of Nashville is today's version of pop music. He does. He said, quote, "Yes, I would say in some ways it is. "You see, with country music, there's two things about it. And I hear CEE LO [GREEN] say this a lot, too, which is interesting because I would consider him a pop/R&B artist. Lyrically, country music is so in-depth. "There are writers who spend days, weeks, months, sometimes a year on one song. And making sure they're writing something special. "Sure, sometimes it might only take 15 minutes.  But they're always making sure they're writing something that connects with people. It's not about a gimmick." He went on to say "It's not over anybody's head. It's easy to sing along to, and it's easy to understand. "When you're in your car and you're driving from work back home, or vice versa, you don't want to think too hard about what you're listening to on the radio. "You want to smile or have a moment when you go back to something in your life that you like to remember. "I think with pop and rock these days the music gets away from that a little bit. Don't get me wrong: I think there's some great pop music overall. But I think there's so much emphasis on the writing in country music. That's the difference."

Miranda Lambert Is Still Not Ready To Be Pregnant and Blake Recorded a Song with Christina Aguilera

Some Country critics say "Oh, how we wish MIRANDA LAMBERT and BLAKE SHELTON would stop with the excuses and start popping out some sassy little offspring." Actually, their excuse is a solid answer . . . they're way too busy to give kids the attention they need. Miranda tells "Good Housekeeping", quote, "We've been married almost a year and a half, but have only been in the same place together for about five months. I don't want to raise a child on a bus or in L.A. I want to be a little more settled." Miranda does leave the door open a little bit, though. She adds, quote, "Part of me thinks I should try to plan it, and part of me thinks God has a plan for my life, so why would I ever try to maneuver that?" -By the way . . . Blake Shelton recorded a song with his "Voice" co-star CHRISTINA AGUILERA. It's called "Just A Fool", and it'll be on Christina's new album "Lotus", which is due out November 13th.

Blake Shelton's Cheers, It's Christmas Features Miranda Lambert, Kelly Clarkson, Reba, Michael Buble and Blake's Mother.

Blake Shelton's new holiday album, Cheers, It's Christmas, is in stores this week featuring guest appearances from his wife Miranda Lambert and her group Pistol Annies as well as from Kelly Clarkson and his mother Dorothy.  Blake also wanted to record a song with Reba on the album about their shared home state of Oklahoma at Christmastime.  The only problem with that was Blake didn't know any songs about an Oklahoma holiday.That's when his bass player Rob, his fiddle player Jenee and another songwriter friend Trent set out to write one. Blake says, "The three of 'em sat down, and a couple of weeks later I got an email from Rob that said, 'Listen to this.' And they had written this song called 'Oklahoma Christmas.'" Blake loved the song, which includes a lot of inside references for his fellow Oklahomans.
"Being born and raised in Oklahoma, I could not have written that song any better myself," Blake says.  "I mean, there's a lot of inside jokes and things that you'd have to be from Oklahoma to even understand."
Blake also includes a duet version of "Home" with Michael Buble on Cheers, It's Christmas.

Reba McEntire Is Not Hosting Next Year's ACM Awards . . . Will Blake Shelton Go It Alone?

REBA MCENTIRE announced she is not going to host next year's ACM Awards. Reba and BLAKE SHELTON co-hosted the last two ACMs...and she's already anointed him as her successor.
Shetold "Country Weekly", quote, "I've passed the torch to Blake. I'm a huge Blake Shelton fan." Blake hasn't said anything about this yet . . . but he seems to have a plan. At least that's what the ACMs are saying. They released this statement, quote, "Reba has hosted the ACM Awards a record 14 times since 1986, and we fully understand and support her decision to focus her energies on her new television project.
 "We've known about this for a while and have something very special planned with Blake returning . . . he's got something big up his sleeve . . . that we’ll be announcing soon. Stay tuned!"

Blake Shelton's Success on The Voice Influencing Direction of His Next Album.

Blake Shelton's latest #1 hit, "Over," leans a bit more in the pop direction, and he might not have released the song to radio had it not been for his increased exposure on NBC's The Voice.  Blake sees that song, which is included on his album Red River Blue, as a kind of bridge from country to the pop and rock fans he's picked up as a TV star. It's not that Blake is catering to the pop audience just because of The Voice. He says, "I made Red River Blue album before The Voice even happened.  We were done with that record, and it just kind of happened that way." Now that Blake is back in the studio working on a new album, he finds himself reeling in the pop sound in favor of a return to more country-oriented styles. "I don't want to ever lose my core out there, you know what I mean," Blake explains.  "I don't want them to feel like, 'Oh, you know, he's Hollywood now.'" Don't expect Blake to put out a hardcore country album though.  He's determined to keep up his streak of seven consecutive #1 hits that started back in 2009 with "Hillbilly Bone." Says Blake, "The most important thing that I have going in my life right now is this momentum at radio. It's just so exciting. That's way more important to me than The Voice or any other things that I may have going on."

Taylor Swift is the Country Artist with the Most Twitter Followers. But You Probably Can't Guess Who's Number Two.

The website MusicRow.com keeps track of how many Twitter followers each country star has. It's an exhaustive list that goes all the way to 100. It's no surprise that TAYLOR SWIFT is #1 with over 18 million followers. No one else is even close. But I was blown away when I saw DOLLY PARTON coming in second with a little over two million followers. Not disappointed, just surprised. I thought it would be Twitter addict BLAKE SHELTON  . . . who is third with a little under than two million. But I AM calling foul on #4, JENNETTE MCCURDY. Yes, she released a country album . . . but she's only ranked that high because she plays Sam on Nickelodeon's "iCarly", starring MIRANDA COSGROVE. Anyway, here is your Top 10:

#1.)  Taylor Swift . . . 18,703,353
#2.)  Dolly Parton . . . 2,155,012
#3.)  Blake Shelton . . . 1,947,246
#4.)  Jennette McCurdy . . . 1,498,817
#5.)  Miranda Lambert . . . 1,361,744
#6.)  Kenny Chesney . . . 1,006,647
#7.)  Billy Ray Cyrus . . . 998,333
#8.)  Brad Paisley . . . 929,711
#9.)  Lady Antebellum . . . 863,201
#10.)  Carrie Underwood . . . 769,764

A couple of this year's biggest stars just missed the Top 10. LUKE BRYAN was 11th with over 748,000 followers and JASON ALDEAN was right behind at #12, with close to 695,000.

By the way...you can follow the Wolf on Facebook & Twitter by simply visiting our website!

www.hudsonvalleycountry.com

- Hammer

Blake Shelton to Release Cheers It's Christmas on October 2!

Blake Shelton will release his first holiday album, Cheers It's Christmas, on October 2, and he's lined up an eclectic array of guest stars for the project. Joining him for duets on the album will be his buddy Reba, pop crooner Michael Buble, who will mentor Blake's team on the upcoming season of The Voice. And, most surprisingly, his mother. Blake and his mom, Dorothy Shackleford, co-wrote a song called "Time for Me to Come Home" for the project, and the two perform it as a duet. As for his duet with Michael, it's a reworking of "Home," which Michael co-wrote and scored a hit with, and that Blake subsequently took to the top of the charts. Blake's duet with Reba on the project, meanwhile, will mark the first time the two have ever performed on a disc together. In addition to the aforementioned tracks, the songs on Cheers It's Christmas include classic holiday songs, which Blake recorded with a full orchestra at Capitol Records' legendary studios.

Blake Shelton and The Voice Coaches Do Battle in New Promo; Blake to Announce Christmas Album Details Monday!

The Voice returns on September 10, and in a new promo, Blake Shelton and his fellow coaches prove they'll stop at nothing to discover a new and exciting talent. It actually pretty funny...especially when you find out whos "Voice" they're chasing after in the promo! In other Blake news, he will reveal details on his upcoming Christmas album Monday. Look for Blake to talk about the holiday offering on E!'s Chelsea Lately that night.

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.

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."

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.

Blake Shelton Releases Live DVD Exclusively at Walmart

Blake Shelton has a new live DVD out exclusively at Walmart. Titled Live: It's All About Tonight, it features Blake performing "All About Tonight," "Hillbilly Bone" and "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking," among other hits. The DVD also includes Blake's videos for "Honey Bee" and "God Gave Me You." You can also purchase Blake's new DVD on Walmart.com

Local Resident Crowned Champion!

Local resident Jermaine Paul from Harriman, NY was crowned the winner of The Voice! Jermaine was on Team Blake (no shock there)! To read all about it, just click the link below! CONGRATULATIONS Jermaine and Blake!

Click Here For The Full Story!

Eric Church Ruffles Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert's Feathers with Reality TV Comments...

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert aren't very happy with Eric Church. In a new interview in Rolling Stone, Eric bluntly shares his feelings on artists that get their start on musical competition shows like The Voice and American Idol.

He says, "Honestly, if Blake Shelton and Cee Lo Green ----ing turn around in a red chair, you got a deal? That's crazy. I don't know what would make an artist do that. You're not an artist." The Rolling Stone writer notes that Eric raises his voice and becomes angry as he continues saying, "If I was concerned about my legacy, there's no ----ing way I would ever sit there [and be a reality-show judge]. Once your career becomes something other than the music, then that's what it is. I'll never make that mistake. I don't care if I ----ing starve."

Eric's Rolling Stone interview appears in the latest print issue only and has not been published online yet. Blake Shelton responded to Eric's comments with a tweet, "I wish I misunderstood this…"

Miranda wasn't so kind with her response though. She got her start on the TV talent competition Nashville Star and tweeted Monday, "Thanks Eric Church for saying I'm not a real artist. Or @kellyclarkson, @carrieunderwood & @keithurban. Your welcome from the tour in 2010."

Eric did serve as the opening act for Miranda on the road for part of 2010. Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood are both American Idol winners, and Keith Urban is currently serving as a mentor on Australia's version of The Voice. Eric released a statement late Monday clarifying the comments in Rolling Stone. He says they were "part of a larger commentary on these types of reality shows and the perception they create, not the artists involved with the shows themselves."

He goes on to explain that shows like The Voice and American Idol make it seem like artists can take a shortcut to success and don't show the hard work that goes into making a music career successful once the cameras stop rolling. "Every artist has to follow up television appearances with dedication towards their craft, but these shows tend to gloss over that part and make it seem like you can be ordained into stardom," says Eric. "I have a problem with those perceived shortcuts, not just in the music industry." Responding directly to Miranda's tweet, Eric adds, "I have a lot of respect for what artists like Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, and my friend Miranda Lambert have gone on to accomplish. This piece was never intended to tear down any individual and I apologize to anybody I offended in trying to shed light on this issue. " Eric expresses gratitude to the artists and fans that have helped him so far, and says he didn't mean for his "comments to undermine their talent and achievements."

Why Miranda and Blake Won't Work Together Very Often.

We’ve heard Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert singing together on songs like “Home” and “Better in the Long Run,” from Miranda’s latest CD. But if you’re hoping for an entire album of duets, you might have to wait awhile. Miranda says the couple actually prefers to keep their collaborations few and far between. “We work pretty well together because we don’t do it often,” she believes. “I think that the key is we sort of pick and choose what we want to do together as artists because we don’t ever want the business to get in the way of our personal relationship.” She also thinks only working together every now and then helps keep their work together “special.” The two have already completed an entire CD together -- as producers. The two headed up Neal McCoy’s latest album, XII, which came out last month.

Blake Shelton Says Taylor Swift "Truly Deserved" the ACM Entertainer of the Year Award

If you know someone who is irritated that TAYLOR SWIFT picked up another Entertainer of the Year award, send them over to BLAKE SHELTON. He totally has her back and believes she's deserving of the trophy. That's what Blake was telling everyone backstage at the ACMs. He said, quote, "Taylor deserves it, she truly does. I don't think there's anybody with half a brain that would stand up here and say otherwise. "She's done a lot for us in country music, but take that out of the mix even and she's just one of those once in a lifetime stars that comes along that makes a difference and we're lucky enough in country music to call her one of us. "And that's pretty cool." Of course, it wouldn't be a Blake Shelton speech without some of his brilliant irreverence. He then added, "(But) I'm always gonna make fun of her in my monologues, so she might as well get used to that."

Blake Shelton is "People Country's" Hottest Guy of 2012.

"People Country" magazine's list of the Hottest Country Guys of 2012 will be on newsstands today,but they did leak some details ahead of time.
BLAKE SHELTON grabbed the top spot . . . which, of course, means he's on the cover. And then there's his reaction to the honor. He says, quote, "I think it’s funny because there is nothing about me, if I was a girl, that I would think is sexy." Blake's wife MIRANDA LAMBERT offers her take on why he's so dreamy. She says, quote, "The minute he opens his mouth and starts talking to you, he makes you smile. That's what made me think, 'Oh my gosh, this guy is awesome.'" Other country stars who made the list include . . . in no particular order . . . Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Chris Young, Kenny Chesney, Dierks Bentley and David Nail. For some reason, David Nail's people were the only ones who jumped on the news early and squeezed a statement out of him. David said, quote, "I could say what everybody always says, 'You don't see me in the morning.' But I know that this is a huge compliment . . . and it's nice to know people think you're desirable. I think in my case, the music has a lot to do with it."

Super Bowl 46: The National Anthem and Other Performances...

Kelly Clarkson did not have a Christina Aguilera moment Sunday while performing the national anthem at the Super Bowl at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Unlike Christina, who muffed the lyrics to "The Star-Spangled Banner" at last year's Big Game, Kelly delivered a clean rendition of the song. She was backed by the Indianapolis Children's Choir. In case you placed a bet on how long Kelly's rendition of the national anthem would last, she clocked in at around one minute, 35 seconds. Before Kelly had her moment in the spotlight, Blake Shelton and his wife, fellow country music superstar Miranda Lambert, performed a duet of "America the Beautiful." All three artists have a connection to NBC, which aired the Super Bowl. Shelton is a judge/coach on The Voice -- which premiered after the Super Bowl broadcast -- and he will welcome Lambert and Clarkson as guest mentors on his team this season. The official start of NBC's Super Bowl game broadcast began with a new version of Faith Hill's Sunday Night Football theme. It was the same music, but with revised lyrics to coincide with the Super Bowl.

(ABC News)