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Lee Ann Womack Joins George Strait & Reba McEntire On Tour

The King of Country Music George Strait has added award-wining and platinum recording artist Lee Ann Womack to his previously announced arena tour with Entertainment Superstar Reba McEntire. The tour kicks off in early 2010 and continues through late Spring.

Jimmy Buffett, Zac Brown Band Booked for Next CMT Crossroads

Jimmy Buffett and the Zac Brown Band have been booked for the latest episode of CMT Crossroads. The performances will be filmed in front of an invitation-only audience in Nashville in December. It will air on CMT in March. Buffett will release a new album, Buffet Hotel, on Dec. 8. The Zac Brown Band's hits include "Chicken Fried," "Whatever It Is" and "Toes," all from their platinum album, The Foundation.

The Lia Show & Gibson Guitar Team Up

The Lia show partnered with Gibson and donated a guitar to the Moyer Foundation for an auction benefiting Camp Erin. Camp Erin is a bereavement camp designed for children ages 6-17 who have experienced the death of a parent, friend or loved one. Along with other auction items, The Moyer Foundation was able to raise well over $1.2 million. Special thanks to Gibson Guitars for allowing us the chance to team up with the Moyer Foundation!

More info at The Moyer Foundation and Gibson Guitar

Taylor Swift Claims Entertainer of the Year Prize at CMA Awards

CMA Awards at Nashville's Sommet Center, although Lady Antebellum and Darius Rucker made major news, too.

In addition to nabbing the coveted entertainer of the year trophy, Swift won the female vocalist award and also claimed album of the year honors for Fearless and the video of the year award for "Love Story."

Lady Antebellum's "I Run to You" was named single of the year, and the trio also ended Rascal Flatts' six-year reign as vocal group of the year.

Rucker, who embarked on a solo career after multi-platinum success as lead vocalist for Hootie & the Blowfish, won the CMA's new artist award. In doing so, he not only solidified his mainstream country career, he also became the first black artist to win the CMA's new artist award or, as it was once named, the Horizon Award.

Brad Paisley, who co-hosted the awards show with Carrie Underwood, won two awards, including the male vocalist prize. His collaboration with Keith Urban on "Start a Band" was named musical event of the year.

Swift's acceptance speeches ranged from the humorous to the heartfelt. During her comments after her female vocalist win, she said, "I want to thank Reba McEntire and Faith Hill for being themselves." Adding a reference to her encounter with Kanye West at the MTV Video Music Awards, she noted, "And I want to thank everybody in the room tonight for not running up on the stage during my speech."

Regarding the album of the year victory for Fearless, she said, "This album is my diary, and so to all the people who voted for me for this, thank you for saying that you like my diary. That's the nicest thing, the nicest compliment."

At age 19, Swift is the youngest person ever named the CMA's entertainer of the year.

Darius Rucker Will Start Recording New Album in December

Darius Rucker will start recording a new album in December, he told reporters backstage at the CMA Awards on Wednesday night (Nov. 11) in Nashville. His first country album, Learn to Live, was released by Capitol Nashville in 2008 and is certified platinum for shipments of 1 million units. "We've pretty much written most of it," he said of the new project. "It's almost done. We're going to start recording next month." He expects to release one more single from Learn to Live. "Right after that, there will be a single from the new record, and the record will be out sometime next year." Rucker won the CMA Award for best new artist.

George Strait, Reba McEntire Announce 2010 Tour

George Strait and Reba McEntire will tour together in early 2010, starting Jan. 22 in Baltimore and visiting 19 cities before concluding on April 10 in Des Moines, Iowa.

"I can't wait to get back out there and perform some of my new favorites from Twang along with hits the fans already love," Strait said in announcing the tour. "And with my friend Reba, we will make it a really spectacular night."

Strait and McEntire also performed together in June at the opening of the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium in Arlington, Texas.

For full list of tour dates click HERE

Montgomery Gentry, Jamey Johnson Join Country Throwdown Tour

Montgomery Gentry, Jamey Johnson, Little Big Town and Jack Ingram will serve as headliners for the Country Throwdown Tour 2010, an amphitheatre tour that will feature one main stage and two side stages. Eric Church, the Eli Young Band, Jonathan Singleton & Grove, the Lost Trailers, Ryan Bingham and Emily West are also part of the tour which will begin on May 13 and conclude on June 20. The complete schedule will be announced at a later date.

Billy Currington Tapped for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Billy Currington will be featured in the 83rd annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City to be broadcast live Nov. 26 on NBC. In addition to Currington, other musical guests will include Andrea Bocelli, Carly Simon, Boys Like Girls, Katherine McPhee, Gloria Gaynor, Ziggy Marley with Judah Marley and Jimmy Fallon and the Roots. Meredith Vieira, Matt Lauer and Al Roker of NBC's Today will offer interviews and commentary during the parade.

Taylor Swift Sells Out 15 Shows of Fearless 2010 Tour Within Minutes

Taylor Swift sold all available tickets to 15 of her upcoming concerts on the Fearless 2010 tour within minutes when they went on sale Friday (Oct. 23). The arena dates include two shows each in Newark, N.J., Uniondale, N.Y., Philadelphia, Houston and Detroit, along with other performances in Washington D.C., Dallas, Kansas City, Austin, Texas, and Corpus Christi, Texas. Her U.S. tour with Kellie Pickler and Gloriana begins March 4 in Tampa, Fla. Swift's upcoming television appearances include Dancing With the Stars on Tuesday (Oct. 27), The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Thursday (Oct. 29) and as host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live on Nov. 7.

Kenny Chesney Tops All Tours: JoBros, DMB, Springsteen + Beyonce

At a time when the economy is in frenzy, USA Today took a look at the touring industry as a way of gauging the state of the music business - and found in their front Living Section story “tours stay strong.” And the nation's paper got down to the nitty gritty, it wasn't a rap, classic rock or pop act, but 4-time and reigning Country Music Association and 4-consecutive Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney.

As Billboard's Touring Editor Ray Waddell said, “Seven straight years above a million tickets sales, unprecedented…,” while Steve Jones and Jack Gillum's wrote the “What He Did” Note accompanying Chesney's #1 Ranking, “The country star remains the undisputed heavy weight touring champ.” Though the Sun City Carnival Tour was his shortest tour to date - and charging the lowest ticket prices of any major headliner - Chesney was also the only act on the list to play NFL Stadiums across the nation.

“You know,” Chesney says of the honor, “to me, it's about rocking the fans… and I never want to have a ticket price that keeps the people who buy my records or listen to my songs in their truck from coming out and partying with us. If I can make sure there are always seats people can afford - and even try to keep the best seats where they're reasonable for what they are - then I feel like I can keep having the party of the summer when I go out. Again, to me, it's about that moment and having fun with your buddies…

“And when you look at some of the other names on that list, well, I'm blown away… cause those are some great shows, too! I know I've been out to see a few of them when we were off, and to be in company with Elton John - who's out with Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen or my friend Dave Matthews, it makes you extra grateful that people chose to make you a part of their summer.”

Though Chesney will not be mounting a major tour next year, he'll be doing isolated shows - “It wouldn't be summer for me without the fans. It just wouldn't,” he explains - and working on some very special projects, including a new record. Look for Chesney and Matthews on “The CMA Awards” broadcast live on ABC, Wednesday Nov. 11.

Garth Brooks Emerging From Retirement With Solo Shows at Wynn Las Vegas

Garth Brooks will come out of retirement with a solo acoustic show to begin Dec. 11 at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas. Brooks and Steve Wynn, chairman of the board and CEO of Wynn Resorts, revealed the series of special engagements during a Thursday afternoon (Oct. 15) press conference at the hotel and casino in Las Vegas.

Brooks will be performing one show on Fridays, two on Saturdays and one on Sunday. Wynn is providing a private jet for Brooks to commute from his Oklahoma home where he lives with his three daughters and his wife, singer Trisha Yearwood . The five-year deal calls for Brooks to perform only during specific weeks each year to be announced on a quarterly basis. Tickets are priced at $125 and will go on sale Oct. 24 for the first five weekends. The specific dates are Dec. 11-13, Jan. 1-3 and 22-24 and Feb. 12-14 and 26-28.

Brooks has only played a handful of concerts since retiring in 2001. His engagement at Wynn Las Vegas evolved from a series of conversations he had with Wynn. He eventually performed an informal concert in the theater for several of Wynn's friends and special guests, including Bette Midler. Afterwards, Wynn broached the possibility of Brooks performing an extended engagement.

"He said it was something he thought people should hear," Brooks said. "That was sweet. I told him he couldn't afford me." He then added, "I was wrong."

Brooks reiterated his desire to spend as much time as possible with his daughters, who are now aged 13, 15 and 17.

"I am a fortunate guy that has got to live his life playing music for people, and the people have always taken care of me," he said. "In 2001, I announced my retirement to go home and raise our kids in Oklahoma. When Steve Wynn approached me about playing, he did something different than anybody else had. He didn't throw money at me."

Instead, Brooks said, Wynn understood the desire to devote time to his family.

"Every argument you ever had of why you didn't do this, he had an answer for," he said.

Brooks concerts are expected to run 90 minutes and will occasionally include special guest performers.

"It's a one-man show, so there's going to be a lot of disappointment after that first weekend," he joked. "Coming out and just playing -- just me and a guitar -- takes me back to the first days I got to play. I was lucky enough to do a place called Wild Willie's Saloon in Stillwater, Okla, before I moved to Nashville and started touring. That's what this is going to be for me. It's a chance to slowly get back into it to see what people like, what they don't like. It's going to be very intimate."

Brooks says he's especially looking forward to performing regularly at the Encore Theater.

"I'm always in buildings that are built for sports," he said. "I love sports, and I feel lucky to have arenas and stadiums. But I've never played in a place built for sound like this. When I hear myself, I go, 'Who the hell is that?' It's a beautiful hall."

Carrie Underwood Plans Two-Hour Variety Special for Fox Network

Carrie Underwood is planning a two-hour variety special that will air Dec. 7 on the Fox network. Confirmed guests include Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley and fellow American Idol winner David Cook, with additional guests to be announced. The program has not yet been titled. Along with her hits and holiday classics, Underwood will perform music from her new album, Play On, which is scheduled for a Nov. 3 release. The special will be executive-produced by Simon Fuller and directors Nigel Lythgoe and Adam Shankman.

Forbes lists Country Music's Top Money Makers for 2008: