Florida Georgia Line Welcomed into Country Music Fold Thanks to "Cruise"

Florida Georgia Line star is definitely on the rise, and their fellow country stars are taking note. Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, and Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles have all tweeted about their love for Florida Georgia Line's debut hit, "Cruise," and that makes the duo's Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley very happy.
"It's super neat to see in country music, I mean, the encouragement and the camaraderie, the sense of family that there is," Tyler tells ABC News Radio. " I don't know if it's just in this genre or what, but it's just cool. Everybody lifts everybody up and encourages each other." Florida Georgia Line has also becoming buddies with their tourmates this fall Jake Owen and Love and Theft. Jake even featured Florida Georgia Line on his recently released Endless Summer EP too. As they  continue making music, Florida Georgia Line plans to extend that same welcoming attitude. Tyler says, "[We] look forward to being able to do that down the road for whoever's up and coming next." Florida Georgia Line's debut album, Here's to the Good Times, comes out December 4.

Taylor Swift Still Keeps in Touch with Conor Kennedy AND She'll be performing on Thursday's "X Factor"

TAYLOR SWIFT does NOT trash every guy she's ever dated. She claims to be "incredibly close" with TAYLOR LAUTNER and now we're hearing she's still on speaking terms with CONOR KENNEDY.
According to the "New York Post", Taylor and Conor still talk on the phone and there's a solid chance they'll see each when she attends the RFK Gala on December 3rd. Apparently, the only reason they broke up was because Taylor knew she'd be out of her mind busy promoting "Red" plus there's that little issue of Conor still being in high school. Taylor will also be performing her song "State of Grace" from her new album "Red" on Thursday's "X Factor". It'll be the first time she's performing that song on TV.

The Band Perry Debuts Big at iTunes with "Better Dig Two".

The Band Perry made quite a splash last week with the premiere of their new single, "Better Dig Two." The song hit #1 on the iTunes Country Songs chart and #3 on the overall songs tally there, with 82,000 copies sold in the first week. They also performed "Better Dig Two" on the CMA Awards last Thursday and filmed the song's video on Friday. "Better Dig Two" is the lead single from The Band Perry's sophomore album, due out in April 2013. After taping a performance on ABC's CMA Country Christmas Saturday, The Band Perry headed over to Europe. They've got shows all this week in Sweden, Norway, Ireland and the U.K.

Brad Paisley Finds Deeper Meaning Performing "Southern Comfort Zone" at Grand Ole Opry.

Brad Paisley's latest single, "Southern Comfort Zone," talks about seeing his home in Tennessee through new eyes after touring the world playing music. The song took on even deeper meaning when Brad recently performed it on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. He was there to invite his friend Darius Rucker to become an Opry member when the show's management team unexpectedly asked him to sing. Brad says, "I went out with an acoustic guitar and sang that. And it’s a different song by yourself without the band rockin’ behind you." Singing that song on the same circle of wood on the Opry stage where country legends including Hank Williams, Sr. and Patsy Cline have stood was a big moment for Brad. He explains, "I'm standing in the circle, in my musical home, which I've been in love with since the first time I was allowed there to play." Brad goes on to draw parallels between Tennessee and the fictional home of the hobbits in J.R.R. Tolkien's celebrated trilogy, saying, "It's the Shire in Lord of the Rings. It's the place that's beautiful, ideal to live, which I appreciate more now after having seen the world." Look for Brad's new album featuring "Southern Comfort Zone" to come out next spring.

Jason Aldean's Song "1994" Is a Salute to Joe Diffie . . . and Jason is Doing a Stadium Tour Next Summer

JASON ALDEAN'S new album "Night Train" has a song called "1994" . . . but it's NOT about that particular year. It's actually a salute to one of Jason's musical heroes, JOE DIFFIE. The song name checks a bunch of Joe's hits . . . and even calls out his name repeatedly. CMT asked Joe for his take.  He said, quote, "It's really an honor. When I heard it, I was stunned. "I was like. 'You gotta be kidding me.'  It's pretty flattering they went that far with it. It's one thing to hear a song title or your name mentioned, but when it started into the 'Joe.  Joe.  Joe Diffie' part, that's cool right there." Speaking of Jason Aldean:  He's doing a huge stadium tour next summer . . . and has already announced two big dates. One is Chicago's Wrigley Field . . . and the other is Fenway Park in Boston (Pictured Above). Miranda Lambert, Jake Owen and Thomas Rhett will open.

You can check for updates at JasonAldean.com.

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.

Brad Paisley Will Fulfill the Wish of a Dying Man . . . By Playing the Guy's Custom-Made Guitar on His Next Album.

It's pretty cool when entertainers take the time to bring light into someone's life. This is one of those times.  A Pennsylvania man suffering from terminal cancer had a dying wish to have BRAD PAISLEY play his prized custom-made guitar. The man's name is Lee Feldman and he told York, Pennsylvania's WPMT-TV, quote, "I had this dream. And I said, 'Who can I find that can play the frets off a guitar?' And the voice came out and it said, 'Brad Paisley.'" Word got back to Brad and they met before his concert last Saturday. Brad agreed to play the guitar in a song on his next album. Feldman is very pleased. He said, quote, "That's the greatest thing I wanted to hear. I don't want that guitar to be a trophy. I didn't want it to sit and collect dust. I want somebody to play it and that's why I gave it to him."

Dreams REALLY DO come true...

There aren't many professional singers who can hold their own with MARTINA MCBRIDE. So how awesome was it when Martina let a 13-year-old join her on stage for a song. AND the girl totally nailed it!!
Her name is Kate Falcon and she was at Martina's show last Friday in Nashville. Martina invited her up to the stage and they did Martina's song "Anyway". They trade verses early on and then Martina was so impressed she turned it over to the girl and actually took a seat.

Only in Country Music can this kind of magical moment happen for a 13 year old girl!
-Hammer

Justin Moore is NOT going to court.

JUSTIN MOORE says he has NOT been served legal papers on that lawsuit from a songwriter claiming he co-wrote Justin's hit "Backwoods". He's also pretty confident the whole thing is frivolous. He says, quote, "I know and the good Lord knows that we wrote that song and didn't steal it from anybody." 
(Taste of Country)

Hunter Hayes' Hit "Wanted" Has Turned Into a Wedding Song Favorite.

I once heard ROBERT PLANT refer to LED ZEPPELIN'S "Stairway to Heaven" as "the wedding song". Meaning that it went from being something hip . . . to the silly song your drunk Uncle Tony dances to at your cousin's reception. Well, HUNTER HAYES says his song "Wanted" has become a wedding favorite . . . but he isn't the least bit disappointed about it. He says, quote, "This one girl actually sent me a Facebook message at the time and she said, 'I just want you to know, my fiancée and I have been looking for our first dance, the perfect first dance, fighting over it the whole time.' "And she said, 'For the first time ever we looked at each other halfway through this song and we both knew what we were thinking and we both want this to be our first dance at our wedding.'"

Taylor Swift Debuts "Ronan" on Stand Up to Cancer Telethon.

Taylor Swift premiered a new song Friday night during the Stand Up to Cancer telethon, which aired on several networks.The ballad "Ronan" was inspired by a boy named Ronan Thompson, a 3-year-old who died last year from neuroblastoma, which is cancer of the nerve tissue. Taylor wrote the song after reading his mother's blog, and even gives her a co-writing credit on the song. Following the telethon, the song was released on iTunes, with proceeds benefiting cancer charities.

Just an FYI, make sure you have the tissues handy.

Talent Comes In All Size Packages!

Now, to close out the week, here is a video of a very talanted little lady that I had the pleasure of meeting at Bethel Woods. She is the sweetest young lady you can ever want to meet and has the personality to back it up. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you "Molly". Molly what a pleasure it was to meet you.

Jason Aldean Is Not Worrying About the Follow-up to "My Kinda Party"

There's really only one downside to having a monster album like JASON ALDEAN'S "My Kinda Party" and that's making sure the follow-up isn't lame. Wait, there's another downside. It's nonstop questions about the follow-up. Jason has fielded his share, but he's not letting it get to him. He says, quote, "Honestly, I tried to just not even worry about it. To go in with the mindset of trying to top ['My Kinda Party'] or make an album that sells more than the last, you can't really do that. If you start to think that way, you're gonna set yourself up for failure."

Darius Rucker Releases His "Defiant" New Single "True Believers"

Darius Rucker's new single, "True Believers," hits the airwaves this week as the first single from his third country album, due out next year.  Darius co-wrote the song with hit Nashville writer Josh Kear, who brought in the initial idea for "True Believers." "It’s such a defiant song for me -- the message that, ‘My life works for me, whether it’s what you agree with or not,’" Darius says,  "and it’s something I am really proud of as a singer and a writer." As for his next album, Darius plans to offer fans something a little different.  He says, "It’s really all about the songs, and I think ‘True Believers’ is a great sample of what’s to come from my third album."

10 Years In The Making...

It's been 10 years since Little Big Town released their self-titled debut album. Looking back on the past decade, band member Jimi Westbrook recalls a lot of major life experiences that have shaped the group into who they are today. Collectively the four members have experienced the death of a loved one, failed relationships, marriage and parenthood since their 2002 debut. "We've just been through a lot," Jimi said  "It's really cool to stand next to these people and think about all of that and how that's kind of formed this relationship. I think all that is kind of why we're here doing what we're doing at the moment, you know, all of that history." This moment is a very big one for Little Big Town. They're on track to score their first #1 country hit ever with "Pontoon" in the coming weeks. It's the lead single from their new album, Tornado, coming out September 11. The intense bond between the members of Little Big Town is still evident on Tornado. Band member Kimberly Schlapman explains, "I think you can hear the time we've spent together and the experiences we've had together and the comfort level we have with each other. I think it comes across. It's pretty cool." Little Big Town's Phillip Sweet adds that the band is in the best place they've ever been creatively and personally.

Dierks Bentley Gives Fans an Early Taste of Country & Cold Cans EP

Dierks Bentley's Country & Cold Cans EP is due out Tuesday, August 21, but he's already sharing a fun, new song from the project over at Yahoo! Music. Titled "Grab a Beer," Dierks loves how straightforward the song is, calling it a "no-brainer."

"There's plenty of beer-drinking songs in country music, but I like how it has a little bit of soulfulness to it," Dierks says. "It ended up being kind of dirty and fun, and I think my fans will really enjoy it."
Dierks adds that there's no marketing plan behind Country & Cold Cans. He just wanted to record songs that reflect his live show.

Dierks kicks off his Country Cold Cans: Back to College tour Monday, August 20 at the University of Georgia in Athens.  Check out Dierks.com for the full itinerary.

Josh Turner Shares Powerful Fan Story About His Latest Hit "Time Is Love"

Josh Turner's latest hit, "Time Is Love," really hit home with one of his fans in Texas.  A few months back, Josh met a woman in a wheelchair at his concert in San Antonio who was the first fan to tell him how "Time Is Love" touched her life.  Her husband had taken ill and was admitted to the hospital's I.C.U. Josh explains, "She was only allowed to see him for 15 minutes a day.  So, every time she would go in, she would make sure she was there on time, and that she would stay until they kicked her out." Like Josh sings in the song, the woman would tell her husband "Gotta run" when it came time to go. "One day driving home she heard 'Time Is Love' come on the radio, and she just broke down crying," Josh says. "She said, 'This is our story, you know. This is our story because for us time is love. You know, I only have this 15 minutes a day.'"
Josh is always amazed to hear how his songs affect fans' lives in ways he'd never imagined. Says Josh, "You hear a fan come along with a completely different perspective that just makes you realize time and time again the power of music and how it can relate to people in their own peculiar way and their own specific situation."

"Time Is Love" is the lead single from Josh's new album, Punching Bag, now in stores.

Eric Church Films "Creepin'" Video, Gets Springsteen's Approval on "Springsteen.

Eric Church recently shot the video for his new single, "Creepin'," and he describes it as the most "out there" video he's ever done. Eric got to take on a part other than himself in the clip too. He said, "We got to actually wear some different clothes and do something kind of unique and cool for us, which we've never done. So, can't wait for people to see it." Eric says the "Creepin'" video should be out soon.

As for his most recent #1, "Springsteen," Eric has learned that Bruce Springsteen himself is a fan of the song.  He heard through Bruce's management staff that Bruce heard "Springsteen" and loved it.
When asked how that reaction made him feel, Eric says, "Aw hell, it made me feel incredible. I'm such a huge fan." While Eric's song inspired by Springsteen spent two weeks at #1 on the country chart earlier this year, Eric points out that Bruce recently released a new, hit album, Wrecking Ball, and is still packing stadiums at age 62. "I mean, to be that age and have all that going on, that has to be kind of cool," Eric says. "You know, it would be for me."

Taylor Swift's New Single is On Pace to Set a Download Sales Record!

TAYLOR SWIFT'S new single, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" came out late Monday but it's already on pace to sell between 450,000 to 500,000 downloads by Sunday. If that happens, it'll be the biggest sales debut for a digital song by a woman. It'll also be a career-high sales week for Taylor.
I believe that there are many more "Milestones" in the future for Taylor Swift! Keep going Taylor, you deserve it!

Eric Church Loves His "Odd" New Single, "Creepin'".

Eric Church's latest single "Creepin'" may be his most left-of-center song on the radio yet. It's the first track on Eric's platinum-selling album Chief, and Eric says he loves how it kicks off the album in an unexpected way. "Not only the title is 'Creepin’,' but it kinda creeps in," explains Eric. "It starts in one dynamic, and it ends in a totally different dynamic." Eric also loves how loose and odd "Creepin'" is, and he's gotten a lot of fun reaction from people when they first hear the song. "One of the best quotes I had, somebody heard it recently for the first time, and they got through listening to it and their response was 'What the hell?'" Eric says. "And they went back and listened to it again...they love it. It was just one of those things you didn’t expect." Eric will reveal more about the story behind "Creepin'" on GAC's Noteworthy at the Opry, airing Saturday, August 18 at 9 p.m. ET.