Jennifer Nettles Announces Lineup and Charity Component for This Year's CMA Country Christmas.

Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland returns as host of the CMA Country Christmas special again this year.  The show will tape November 3 in Nashville and air this holiday season on ABC. Along with performances from Jennifer, the show lineup also includes Dierks Bentley, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Scotty McCreery, The Band Perry and Keith Urban. Pop star Colbie Caillat, R&B singer John Legend and Welsh soprano Katherine Jenkins are also on the bill. Fans attending the show taping are encouraged to bring unwrapped toys for underprivileged children in the Nashville area this holiday season too. Jennifer says, "It is such a joy to watch this holiday special grow -- in not only its talent roster, but moreover in its charitable celebration of the season." Jennifer will also be very pregnant when the show tapes November. She's expecting her first child later that month, so don't expect her to dance like she did on last year's CMA Country Christmas. "It will be slower this year," Jennifer says with a laugh, "but you know what, it will be just as celebratory and just as fun for me." Jennifer's also thinking about her on camera wardrobe for the show. "You think, 'Alright, what am I going to be able to move in?' What's going to look halfway flattering, you hope, especially on television." If anything, this year's CMA Country Christmas will give Jennifer a chance to really document the time she was pregnant as part of a highly-produced TV special. She says, "When else is the timing, who knows if it will ever coincide in the same way again, and I think that's obviously, personally, I'm saying that's very special." We'll let you know once ABC announces an airdate for the CMA Country Christmas special.

Country Stars React to the Death of Andy Griffith

BRAD PAISLEY worked with ANDY GRIFFITH directly, but lots of Country stars were moved to comment on his passing on Tuesday.  Here's what Brad and few others had to say on Twitter.

Brad:  "Andy Griffith entertained the world.  He improved our lives, and I was so proud to work with him call him a friend.  Love you Andy.  Go rest."

SCOTTY MCCREERY:  "RIP Andy Griffith.  We lost a legend today that provided me and my family some great quality time around the TV filled with some good laughs."

HILLARY SCOTT:  "Heaven gained a talented man today.  Mr. Andy Griffith, thanks for giving me amazing memories with my family growing up watching your show!"

CHRIS YOUNG:  "Andy Griffith made so many memories for multiple generations . . . R.I.P."

RODNEY ATKINS:  "Rest In Peace Andy Griffith.  Praying for his family, friends and fans."

THE BAND PERRY:  "We'll miss you, Andy Griffith . . . thank you for all the laughs and memories."

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.

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!

Scotty McCreery Was Hit in the Throat with a Baseball...

Despite being, like, everywhere, SCOTTY MCCREERY is still on his high school baseball team in Garner, North Carolina. But he had a scare during a game last week that could have been disastrous. Scotty was pitching whenthe opposing batter hit a one-hopper back to the mound that nailed him in the throat. Fortunately, Scotty recovered in time to throw the batter out and stay in the game. A record company suit confirmed that Scotty was not injured. He'll be fine. What is the odds of that even happening??

ACM New Artist Of The Year, Scotty McCreery, Will Attend North Carolina State University.

ACM New Artist Of The Year, SCOTTY MCCREERY, has said all along that winning "American Idol" will not stop him from going to college. Well, it's official. After being accepted to four schools, Scotty announced he'll be attending North Carolina State University in Raleigh.
He's not abandoning his singing career either. Last week Scotty told "People" how he plans to balance the two. He said, quote, "I'll head out on the weekends on the road or something. We're gonna work it out."

Carrie Underwood Sends Words of Encouragement and Gifts to American Idol Hopefuls.

It's been quite a few years since Carrie Underwood was crowned the winner of American Idol, but she still makes a point to reach out to the contestants on the show every season. Idol season 11 contestant Hollie Cavanagh tweeted over the weekend thanking Carrie for a necklace the country star sent her. Hollie said, "I wear it everyday, and I almost cried reading the letter." Carrie tweeted back, "You're very welcome! I never miss a show! You guys are so good. Can't wait to hear what you all come up with!" Country fans will definitely want to tune in to American Idol this Thursday as season 10 champ Scotty McCreery performs on the results show. That airs at 8 on Fox.

Amazon Black Friday Week Deals Feature Scotty McCreery, George Strait, Taylor Swift & More!

The Black Friday deals keep coming as the hectic shopping day grows nearer. Amazon is now offering up a platter of music-related items that will be on sale, and there are plenty of country stars — Scotty McCreery, George Strait and Taylor Swift, just to name a few — whose merchandise will be discounted this week. On Thursday, Nov. 24, country music fans can snag a copy Scotty McCreery’s debut and chart-topping album ‘Clear as Day‘ for just $5! Joe Nichols‘ LP ‘It’s All Good‘ will also be sold at a fraction of the original price on Thanksgiving day. The following day is Black Friday, and there will be tons of CD’s on sale that day. If you like George Strait, you can purchase a copy of his latest album ‘Here for a Good Time‘ for only $5. Toby Keith‘s ‘Clancy’s Tavern,’ Lauren Alaina‘s ‘Wildflower,’ and Alison Krauss‘ ‘Paper Airplane‘ are also being sold at the discount price of $5. Brad Paisley fans can also get a deal on ‘This Is Country Music‘ if they are willing to spend $6 on the disc. On Sunday and Monday, Nov. 27 and 28, Lady Antebellum‘s wildly popular ‘We Own the Night‘ album will be on sale for $7 on Amazon.com, while Taylor Swift’s ‘Journey to Fearless‘ DVD will be listed for only $7 as well. If you love country music or are looking for some great and cheap Christmas gifts, get your mouses ready to seize those Black Friday deals on Amazon! The feverish shopping frenzy will be worth it, since you won’t see discounts like this for the rest of the year!

(Taste Of Country)

Trace Adkins Delivers Perfect Rendition of National Anthem at World Series Game 2

Someone over at MLB sure loves country music. Scotty McCreery sang the National Anthem at the first game of the World Series. He was followed by fellow country superstar Trace Adkins, who belted out the song before Game 2 between the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals. Adkins took off his black hat, obviously a display of respect since everyone removes their caps during the National Anthem, and delivered a perfect rendition. His deep voice resonated throughout a packed Busch Stadium in St. Louis. He was spot on, and it was a roaring rendition like only he could deliver. We love how he nailed the “free” part at the end of the song, too. While Scotty McCreery suffered a brief microphone malfunction, Adkins had no technical difficulties and didn’t stumble lyrically at all. But we have to admit we knew that somehow Trace Adkins would get this right. He’s a proud American who knows his National Anthem word-for-word and would probably consider flubbing the lyrics an act of treason — or at the very least, a slap in the face of his country. The series shifts to Arlington, Texas on Saturday. Ronnie Dunn is slated to sing the National Anthem at that game, which is further evidence that MLB hearts country music. It’s a country trifecta of National Anthems across the first few games.

Brad Paisley Reveals 2012 Tour Dates With Scotty McCreery, the Band Perry

The dates for the first leg of Brad Paisley‘s highly anticipated 2012 tour, featuring Scotty McCreery and the Band Perry, have been revealed. The tour is set to kick off on January 12 in Grand Rapids, Mich., and will continue on into March. Twenty cities for the Camobunga! 2012 World Tour have been confirmed thus far, with more dates expected to filter in as the launch time nears. He’ll be co-hosting the 2011 CMA Awards, set to air on November 9, alongside Carrie Underwood. McCreery just released his debut album, ‘Clear as Day,’ which remains at No. 1 on Billboard’s country chart this week.

(Taste Of Country)

Keith Urban Pitched One of His Songs to Scotty McCreery

This year's "American Idol" champ SCOTTY MCCREERY was planning to put all original material on his debut country album and then KEITH URBAN dusted off one of his old songs and offered it up. That changed the plan.
Scotty explains, quote, "There's technically going to be one cover. Keith Urban pitched a song my way, and it's one he did way back when he was part of the band THE RANCH. "He's on tour right now so we don't know, but he said he might play guitar on the track." As far as the sound of Scotty's debut album well, I'll let him explain. He says, quote, "It's not going to be poppy. That's one thing we stayed away from. I grew up with the old-school stuff, so I didn't want to completely stray from that. "We've got the rocker songs, the up-tempo stuff. But when we slow it down, the songs get more intimate, and you can definitely hear some of the more classic elements." (--Scotty's album "Clear As Day" is due out October 4th.)
One more thing about Scotty McCreery PeopleTV.com asked if any of the big-time artists he's met have left him star-struck. He mentioned CARRIE UNDERWOOD and TIM MCGRAW.

Could "American Idol's" Scotty McCreery Be the Next Taylor Swift?

SCOTTY MCCREERY may or may not end up winning "American Idol". It's down to him and LAUREN ALAINA. But I'm willing to bet he's going to have a solid career either way. And here's why. He's already writing songs that can make young girls cry. That's according to Scotty's longtime guitar teacher, a man named Gary Epperson. He said, quote, "I heard (Scotty) do a song about a girl. "It was about how she had broken his heart and the girl at the party (was) cryin'." Obviously, one song doesn't make a career . . . but this does prove Scotty has skills. The kind of skills that have made TAYLOR SWIFT one of the biggest stars on the planet.