Sheryl Crow is Recording a Full-On Country Album and Brad Paisley is Helping Her With It!

This will NOT surprise you. SHERYL CROW is finally plunging all the way into country music. The "Minneapolis Star-Tribune" flat-out asked Sheryl if she's "ready" to make a country album. Sheryl said, quote, "Funny you should ask. I'm working on it right now. I'm doing some work with BRAD PAISLEY. I've been doing a lot of writing. Hopefully it'll be out early next year." As far as what it will sound like, she's going ALL old school. She says, quote, "I had a huge response after I sang 'Coal Miner's Daughter' with LORETTA LYNN." (--on the 'CMA Awards') "That's the kind of country music I really love, the old-fashioned JIMMIE RODGERS, CARTER FAMILY, Loretta Lynn kind of country music. It will be more old-fashioned than it will be new country." It's not clear if Sheryl is making a permanent switch to country, or just doing this one album. She's been living in Nashville for a while and isn't leaving. She said, quote, "I love the people down here. I love the music down here. It just suits me better." Plus, as you know, Sheryl and KID ROCK have had two country singles "Pictures" and "Collide". And she performed on Brad Paisley's song "Life's Railway to Heaven", along with MARTY STUART and CARL JACKSON.

The First Round of Performers for This Summer's CMA Fest

They just announced the first round of performers and I can honestly say, they didn't hold back.

The performers are . . . Trace Adkins, Sheryl Crow, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton and Keith Urban.

And yes, more names will be announced in the coming weeks. The CMA Fest runs June 9th through June 12th in Nashville.

Click Here To Follow The Schedule!