Red, White & Blue Blog: October 2013

Thursday, October 31, 2013

KFLAG COUNTRY MUSIC UPDATE

Taylor Swift has peformed for millions of fans, but later this month, her audience will include some members of royalty. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, will be among the 200 guests in attendance at the Centrepoint Winter Whites Gala at Kensington Palace on November 26th. The black tie event benefits Centrepoint's efforts in ending youth homelessness.
The bill also features co-headliner Jon Bon Jovi and pop singer James Blunt.
FAST FACTS

Taylor takes her Red tour to New Zealand for three shows beginning on November 29th, followed by a few shows in Australia before wrapping up the year.

Lady Antebellum recall their days of trick-or-treating, and Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott each definitely have their favorites.
Charles tells us candy corn and raisins are big Halloween don'ts! "Candy corn's the most hated. Favorite would have to be Skittles. Love Skittles! (Dave) Yeah, the candy corns and those candy corn pumpkins, like all the little versions of that plastic-tasting candy corn stuff . . . (Charles) Candy's just gotten so good now. I mean, those things can't compete anymore. (Dave) Yeah, you got Sour Patch Kids in the market today. How can you compete with something like that? (Charles and Hillary laugh) (Charles) I love that commercial where the boy goes, 'We can't go over to the dentist's house. He's handing out floss!' I was like that's hilarious! I remember there was a guy that always handed out raisins. It's like, 'Dude, come on! Raisins?!' (Dave) It's the one night a year you're supposed to just have some candy. What's the big deal? (Charles) The raisin guy! (Hillary) I love Nerds, too. (Charles) Yeah, those are good. (Hillary) Nerds."
Hillary's infant daughter, Eisele, may be too young to collect candy this year, but she tells us the baby will be dressed up. "We have two outfits. Her daddy actually went and picked out a lion cub and an elephant. I thought it safer to have two just in case she has an accident, so either way she'll look really cute (laughs)."
Lady Antebellum will release their Golden Deluxe CD featuring their current single, "Compass," on November 11th.
Their live DVD, On This Winter's Night, is in stores this week.

Jana Kramer seems to be back in the dating game since breaking off her engagement to Brantley Gilbert back in August. The singer has been spotted at a couple of her California tour dates recently holding hands with actor Scott Eastwood.
Jana and Scott, who is the son of Clint Eastwood, were reportedly together on October 26th and 27th in San Diego and Anaheim.
A source told Us Weekly, "They are definitely into each other." A friend of the actor's reportedly added, "It's not like Scott to commit so fast, but he's really into her."
Jana and Brantley dated for about a year-and-a-half.
She is reportedly working on a new album.

Thomas Rhett will kick off his headlining club tour tonight (Thursday, October 31st) in Jacksonville, Florida. Thomas tells us he will definitely be in the Halloween spirit when he takes the stage. "I think this is my first year that I will play a show on Halloween, so I think my wife's gonna be down there and I think we decided to dress up like Danny and Sandy from Grease. My hair's getting to that point now where I could probably do some sweet 70s slicked back and wear the leather jacket and stuff so . . . I've always wanted to play a show in a Halloween costume, so I guess this would be a good excuse to do it."
Today also marks the beginning of an exciting football weekend in Jacksonville. Thomas says that while he won't be there for the big game, he's looking forward to the energy of the crowd. "That whole weekend's gonna rock. You know, being in Jacksonville . . . Saturday is the Georgia Florida game in Jacksonville, which is the biggest tailgate party in the world, so there will probably be one or two people at this show just kind of being there for the whole weekend partying, so that's gonna be a lot of fun, especially being Halloween. People will all be dressed up in costumes and me and the band will, too, so it will be fun."
The tour continues this weekend with shows on Friday (November 1st) in Atlanta; on Saturday (November 2nd) in Chicago; and on Sunday (November 3rd) in Minneapolis.
Thomas' debut album, It Goes Like This, was released on Tuesday (October 29th).
The title track sits at Number One for the third week in a row.
FAST FACTS

Thomas will also headline the Taste of Country Christmas tour beginning on November 7th in Abilene, Texas and running through December 14th in Victoria, Texas.

Eric Church has put his trick-or-treating days behind him, but he says there was one Halloween in particular that really stands out to him. While he was still living in North Carolina, he and a couple of friends went to nearby Chapel Hill to visit with some friends who were students at the University of North Carolina. The town's main street, called Franklin Street, fills up with partyers every Halloween who are all decked out in costumes.
Eric says he and his buddies were unaware that they had to be in costume until they were already on the way, so they made a quick stop to pick something up. He tells us: "We stopped at a costume place in Greensboro, North Carolina. It's Halloween, so there's a run on everything, and they had the full costume, Sesame Street outfits. The real deal. The real ones (with) feathers and fur. We were Elmo, Cookie Monster and I was Big Bird, and the Big Bird was the actual Big Bird. It's about 7-foot-4, and you looked out of the body and then you had these straps that went on since the head was a lot higher. There's a lot of beer involved in Franklin Street, so we get down there and as the night went on, my straps broke, so the head would pivot. And so, I would be walking one way and the head would be facing the other, and it just became this funny . . . I didn't know the head was on backwards. I had no idea. I see out of the body, so I'm just kinda walking around and people were talking to my ass-end. (laughs) The whole time people would come up and start talking and go, 'Hey, turn around.' And I'd turn around, and they'd go, 'No turn around.' It was a mess."
Eric will participate in the tribute concert to George Jones, taking place on November 22nd at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. The show is already sold out.

Billy Currington says that growing up, Halloween was the best time of year. He always dressed up, but he definitely had one repeat costume.
Billy tells us: "You know, when I was a kid, I loved the trick and the treat. I loved dressing up. I was always wanting to be Dracula. That was my favorite guy. But, of course, who doesn't love going door-to-door and getting these buckets of candy? [laughs] So, love, love Halloween."
Billy recently topped the charts with "Hey Girl," the eighth Number One of his career.
FAST FACTS

"Hey Girl" has been certified gold for sales of more than half a million downloads.

It's the debut release from Billy's latest album, We Are Tonight.

Joe Nichols and his family are in the Halloween spirit. Joe, his wife Heather, and their one-year-old daughter, Dylan, all plan on dressing up tonight (Thursday, October 31st).
Joe tells us about little Dylan's Halloween costume and how the holiday is a family affair. "We're thinking about maybe a spider. She's really into cats so we might do a cat, but definitely as a family (we) love to dress up. Like I'll dress up, mom dresses up, baby dresses up, all that stuff. We're very festive when it comes to the holidays. We really go all out, and I enjoy most of it except for taking all the decorations out of the friggin' attic. It usually takes like a month to get out of the attic and then a month to put back in the attic and it's just a nightmare. We've got stuff in the garage, it goes in the yard, it goes in the trees, it goes everywhere, so we really do it up well but it takes great effort."
Joe's Top 10 single, "Sunny And 75," is the debut release from his new album, Crickets.
CHECK IT OUT

33 Family Halloween Costumes That Are Absolutely Fantastic: http://tinyurl.com/lppt6a4

There's a new reality show about housewives, and this time it's coming from Music City. The new TNT show, Private Lives of Nashville Wives, gives a reportedly unscripted look inside the lives of a group of women, including Betty Malo, the wife of The Mavericks lead singer, Raul Malo; Sarah Davidson, the wife of award-winning songwriter Dallas Davidson; and Erika Page White, a former soap opera star on One Life to Live and wife of Bryan White.
The series is set to premiere on February 24th at 9 p.m.
CHECK IT OUT

Kenny Chesney will be spotlighted on CBS' Sunday Morning, airing on Sunday (November 3rd)) at 9 a.m. ET. It has been eight years since the superstar was profiled on the popular weekend show as he took on his first handful on NFL stadiums. These days, Kenny can boast playing 19 stadiums, and that's just this year on the No Shoes Nation tour which wrapped up in August.
Kenny said, "I've grown a lot as an artist, as a person, and I think that was something that maybe intrigued them. A lot of soul searching goes into what we do, and I think that interested them as much as anything."
In addition to capturing the final weekend of the No Shoes Nation tour - marking his 10th and 11th sell-outs of Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA - the crew joined Kenny on an emotional tour of Boston Medical Center, which partners with him for the Spread the Love Fund. After visiting the Emergency Unit, Kenny also had the opportunity to meet with several of the Fund's beneficiaries, to hear their stories, share their courage and, especially, their optimism.
Kenny said, "Watching what happened on TV, which the entire nation did, really threw me, but to see these amazing people who're putting their lives back together, to hear their stories and see the way they approach getting their lives back . . . I was, well, moved beyond words."
Kenny will spend 2014 concentrating on his next album and skip touring.
FAST FACTS

His latest album, Life On A Rock, was released in April.

The lineup of acts has been finalized for the Playin' Possum! The Final NO SHOW concert to honor the late George Jones on November 22nd in Nashville, and it's a long one!
Here is the complete list in alphabetical order: Alabama, Alan Jackson, Baillie & the Boys, Big & Rich, Bill Anderson, Blake Shelton, Bobby Bare, Brad Paisley, Brenda Lee, Chad Warrix (Halfway to Hazzard), Charlie Daniels, Collin Raye, Craig Morgan, Dailey & Vincent, Daryle Singletary, Dierks Bentley, Eddy Raven, Emmylou Harris, Eric Church, Eric Lee Beddingfield, Gary Morris, George Strait, Greg Bates, Gretchen Wilson, Jamey Johnson, Janie Fricke, Jeanne Pruett, Jeannie Seely, Jessi Colter, Jett Williams, Jim Ed Brown, Jim Lauderdale, Jimmy C. Newman, Jimmy Wayne, John Conlee, John Michael Montgomery, Josh Turner, Kathy Mattea, Kentucky Headhunters, Kid Rock, Larry Gatlin, Lee Ann Womack, Lee Greenwood, Leona Williams, Lisa Matassa, Little Jimmy Dickens, Lorrie Morgan, Lynn Anderson, Mandy Barnett, Mark Collie, Martina McBride, Megadeth, Miranda Lambert, Montgomery Gentry, The Oak Ridge Boys, Pam Tillis, Patty Loveless, Ray Stevens, Reba McEntire, Rodney Atkins, Ronnie McDowell, The Roys, Sam Moore, Shooter Jennings, Stonewall Jackson, Suzy Bogguss, T. Graham Brown, Tanya Tucker, Teea Goans, TG Sheppard, Thompson Square, Tracy Lawrence, Travis Tritt, and Vince Gill.
Organizers also say there will be some surprise guests, which will likely include Garth Brooks.
The concert at the Bridgestone Arena is already sold out.
George died in April at the age of 81.
FAST FACTS

November 22nd was originally set to be the last concert of George's career.

His best known hits include "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair", "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes", "White Lightning" and "He Stopped Loving Her Today."

Dolly Parton has announced a New Zealand concert date as part of the Australian Blue Smoke World tour on February 7th at Auckland's Vector Arena. This is the first time in over three decades that the superstar has performed at that venue. Dolly's new Blue Smoke CD will be released soon, although a date has yet to be announced.

Blake Shelton's mom, Dorothy Shackleford, has just released her first novel, called Time for Me to Come Home. Inspired by real holiday memories, the book is described as a "sweet and funny story that celebrates the spirit of Christmas and the true meaning of finding your way back home."
Dierks Bentley and Brantley Gilbert have been added to the list of performers at the 2nd Annual Taste of Country Music Festival, taking place June 13-15 at Hunter Mountain Resort in the scenic Catskills Mountains. They join the previously announced headliner Brad Paisley. Festival tickets go on sale on Friday, November 8th at 10 a.m. ET at tasteofcountryfestival.com.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

COUNTRY TRIVIA

Q. What was the name of Dolly Parton's first gold record in 1977?
A. Here You Come Again

ON THE TUBE

KENNY CHESNEY: NO SHOES NATION/GAC 10:00AM, 7:00PM (ET)

LADY ANTEBELLUM: OWN THE NIGHT WORLD TOUR/GAC 11:00AM (ET)

GHOST ADVENTURES: LORETTA LYNN/GAC 5:00PM (ET)

CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS

Darryl Worley (49)
Mike Collins (Astronaut, the member of the Apollo 11 crew who stayed in the module while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon) (83)
Jane Pauley (Newscaster and former Today show co-host) (63)
David Ogden Stiers (Actor, played Major Charles Emerson Winchester on M*A*S*H) (71)
Piper Perabo (actress, Covert Affairs, Cheaper By the Dozen, Coyote Ugly) (37)
Vanilla Ice (rapper, real name Robert Van Winkle) (46)
Adam Horovitz (AdRock of the Beastie Boys) (47)
Rob Schneider (comic actor, Deuce Bigalow, Male Gigolo, The Hot Chick) (50)
Larry Mullen, Jr. (drummer of U2) (52)
Peter Jackson (film director, the Lord Of the Rings trilogy, King Kong) (52)
Dermot Mulroney (actor, Young Guns, My Best Friend's Wedding, About Schmidt) (50)
Deidre Hall (actress, Days Of Our Lives) (66)
Stephen Rea (actor, The Crying Game ) (67)
Ron Rifkin (actor, Alias, Brothers & Sisters) (74)
Dan Rather (former news anchor, CBS) (82)
Adam Schlesinger (bassist, Fountains Of Wayne) (46)
Brian Doyle-Murray (actor, Caddyshack, Saturday Night Live, JFK, Wayne's World, Groundhog Day; brother of Bill Murray) (68)
Darryl Worley (country singer) (49)
Russ Ballard (singer-guitarist, Argent) (68)
Lee Grant (actress, Damian: The Omen II, won Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Shampoo) (87, disputed)
Rogers Stevens (guitarist, Blind Melon) (43)
Justin Chatwin (actor, Shameless, War of the Worlds, The Invisible) (31)
Willow Smith (actress/singer, daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith) (13)

ON THIS DAY

George Strait's single "Love's Gonna Make It Alright" was released to radio in 2011.
Trace Adkins earned a gold single for "You're Gonna Miss This" in 2008.
Kellie Pickler's debut album, Small Town Girl, was released in 2006.
Jamie O'Neal's debut album, Shiver, was released in 2000.
Shania Twain's "Honey I'm Home" became her seventh Number One country single in 1998.
SHeDAISY signed a recording contract with Lyric Street Records in 1997.
Paulette Carlson announced she was leaving Highway 101 in 1990.
Emmylou Harris recorded "If I Could Only Win Your Love" and her first single, "Too Far Gone," in 1974.
Loretta Lynn's Number One single "Coal Miner's Daughter" charted in 1970.

INDUSTRY NEWS

ASHTON KUTCHER'S NEW GIG DESIGNING TABLETS: Ashton Kutcher is teaming up witch tech company Lenovo to help design a new tablet called the Yoga. According to a statement released by the company, the actor is on board "to develop and market the Yoga line of tablets by providing input and decision-making into design, specifications, software and usage scenarios." Kutcher reacted to the news saying, "This partnership with Lenovo brings together my love of technology and design that makes your life better. I can't wait to dig in and help Lenovo develop future mobile computing products, starting with the Yoga Tablet. Lenovo is all about innovation and strong leadership. Entrepreneurship is part of their DNA, and I couldn't ask for a better fit."
CHANNING TATUM IS WORKING ON A REALITY TV PROJECT: Magic Mike star Channing Tatum is developing a new hour-long reality pilot for A&E focusing on the Saints & Sinners restaurant-bar on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Tatum and pal Keith Kurtz opened the establishment together last fall. It is not known whether the 33-year-old recent dad plans to appear on the series.
COMEDY CENTRAL RENEWS 'BRICKLEBERRY': Comedy Central has announced plans for a third season of the animated series Brickleberry. The show is executive produced by Daniel Tosh and airs immediately after his clip show Tosh.0 on Tuesdays. The 13-episode third season of Brickleberry will premiere in 2014.
BOB BARKER TO RETURN TO 'THE PRICE IS RIGHT': Bob Barker will celebrate his upcoming 90th birthday by returning as host of The Price Is Right for one day on December 12th. The game show will also pay tribute to the former host that entire week. Barker spent 35 years with the show before retiring in 2007.
RICHARD GERE WANTED FOR 'THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL' SEQUEL: Deadline is reporting that Fox Searchlight is trying to recruit Richard Gere to join the cast of the planned sequel for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Gere would join the original actors including Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton and Maggie Smith. The first film was released in 2011 and grossed $136 million worldwide but was made on a $10 million budget.

CELEBRITY GOSSIP

OPRAH DOES NOT HAVE JENNY MCCARTHY ON HER S**T LIST: Jenny McCarthy appeared on Watch What Happens Live on Tuesday (October 29th) and revealed that she is scared that Oprah would beat her up and that she is probably on her s**t list. Winfrey responded on Wednesday (October 30th) by tweeting, "@JennyMcCarthy don't have a s--t list If I did you'd never be on it. Wishing you only good fortune, love and light and watching @theview"
NATALIE PORTMAN ISN'T A JUDGY PARENT: After becoming a parent in 2011, Natalie Portman says she has become more open-minded about other people's parenting techniques. She recently told UK's The Telegraph, "I love being a mom. I'm less judgmental than before I had a kid. The biggest thing I've learned is that parenting is a totally different experience for every person. Everything is cool, there are no rules -- I mean, apart from not hurting your kid. Some people breastfeed until their babies are 5, and some don't breastfeed at all. There are no rules about what it means to be a feminist, or a good mother. For some, it's going to be right to go back to work. For others, it's going to be right to stop working completely."
MICHAEL FASSBENDER OPENS UP ABOUT HIS AWKWARD YEARS: Michael Fassbender may have established his position as a Hollywood hunk after several nude scenes in Shame and as a young Magneto in X-Men: First Class but he tells the UK version of Elle magazine that it wasn't always so easy for him. The 36-year-old explains, "I've never really thought of myself as good-looking. I think of myself as, you know, all right. I used to have bad acne as a teenager, so all of this is a bonus now, the fact that I don't have pimples anymore. And my hair was also, you know, unfortunate. I had really long hair. I mean, I tied it back most of the time, but I had all these frizzy bits coming off the top." He goes on to discuss all of the new attention he gets from women saying, "I'm not oblivious to it. It's not like I think I've become more charming or good-looking overnight. But, no, I haven't lost any respect for women. I'm an all right judge of character, so you can figure these things out."
DAVID BECKHAM MAY BE STARTING A SOCCER TEAM IN MIAMI: Sports Illustrated is reporting that David Beckham is preparing to lay down $25 million to start up a Major League Soccer team in Miami. His wife, Victoria Beckham, will reportedly lend a hand by trying to raise hundreds of millions of dollars to help get the league off the ground. David told CBS4 over the summer, "I think bringing an MLS team here to South Florida would be exciting. I think Miami fans are very passionate about their sports and very passionate about winning."
NEIL PATRICK HARRIS SAYS COMING OUT IS AN INDIVIDUAL THING: How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris may be living out and proud with his partner and their two children but he recently told Huffpost Live that coming out is a "very individual thing." He adds, "I don't think doing it in an exploitative way makes sense. I just feel like that whole world is very personal. Here's a good analogy -- if you're going to jump into the pool and you're not sure how to swim, it's probably not so effective to just push someone into the pool...It's probably not the best way." Harris discussed his own coming out saying, "For me, I fell in love with a dude and started spending all my time with him. And therefore, you don't want to be suppressive of that. As I started working more frequently, with more eyes on us, I figured that that was inevitability and the opposite would be, again, suppressive. I didn't want to disrespect David. I didn't want to make David feel like he didn't exist in my life and at the same time I didn't want David's identity to be, 'The guy that's dating me.' It's a very individual thing."

SOURCE CONFIRMS KERRY WASHINGTON IS PREGNANT

Reports say that Kerry Washington is definitely pregnant. Rumors have been swirling that the Scandal star was expecting her first child with hubby San Francisco 49ers star Nnamdi Asomugha, but there hadn't been any official word.
Yesterday (October 30th), a source told Us Weekly that Kerry is about four months pregnant. Another source told E! Online, "She had planned to wait longer because the pregnancy is being well hidden on Scandal with her trademark coats, but it will be pretty obvious on Saturday Night Live this Saturday. So she decided to start telling people now."

So what will happen to her character Olivia Pope on her hit show Scandal? Sources say that the network and executive producer Shonda Rhimes are in the early stages of trying to figure out how to address Kerry's pregnancy onscreen.
Another inside said that it is "unlikely" that Olivia will get pregnant, saying that it would "slow Olivia and the show down." More than likely, Olivia's pregnancy will be hidden and the production schedule may be altered as needed.

SIDE NOTE

Kerry's rep hasn't confirmed or denied that she is pregnant.
Kerry married Nnamdi back in June.

CHECK IT OUT

Kerry Washington steps out in public for the first time since pregnancy news: http://tinyurl.com/q6z3o8f

GEORGE CLOONEY IS OVER ALL OF THE ROMANCE RUMORS

George Clooney has developed a bit of a playboy reputation in Hollywood but his three latest rumored romances with Katie Holmes, Croatian model Monika Jakisic, and Amal Alamuddin are all fake according to the actor. The 52-year-old felt it necessary to put an end to all the stories by telling People, "Three different stories in three weeks. I should be an athlete. But, no of course, it's all made up."
Clooney's rep. Stan Rosenfield also addressed the subject saying, "George wants this Monika crap to stop. He wants Katie to get a break, and he wants Amal to be able to prosecute cases without being hassled because she had one dinner with George and four others...I even asked George if these rumors were true and he said he never comments on his private life, but in the interest of stopping the harassment of all three of these women, he felt he should."

A source close to the actor explained that he hasn't dated Monika in several years, he was seen simply hugging Holmes at a premiere, and that he is working with Amal on a surveillance satellite program over Syria.
He is supposedly not dating anyone at the moment. He was most recently linked to Stacy Keibler but they split up over the summer.

CHECK IT OUT:

10 Dos and Don'ts for Dating Multiple People: http://bit.ly/17Y56hE
51 Pictures of George Clooney Through the Years: http://bit.ly/JgaBzs

KRISTEN STEWART AFFAIR STILL STINGS FOR LIBERTY ROSS

Liberty Ross, the ex-wife of the director that Kristen Stewart had an affair with last year, is still dealing with the aftershock of the scandal -- 15 months after the story broke. The model opens up in the December issue of Vanity Fair about when she first found out about the photos and what her life has been like since.
Liberty claims she only found out about the pictures from then-husband, Rupert Sanders, 20 hours before they were on the cover of Us Weekly. She tells the magazine, "I was able to be completely secluded. I just visualized being this sort of Masai warrior. I was just going to stand very still and very strong, and just let it all roll past me. I tried to keep as far away from it as I could and to understand that this is my family and it's the most precious thing to me." She also explains the difficult decision to end their marriage saying, "It was horrible. It was really the worst, really the worst. I'm not a quitter. I've done everything I could to be the perfect wife and mother and really support my husband. But I didn't have any more to give, you know? It's very strange for me because my parents have been together for 50 years, so divorce is something I never, ever thought I would do."

The 35-year-old goes on to say, "I have no words to describe what we went through. But I think, for me, something always has to completely die for there to be a rebirth. And, for me, I feel like I'm going through a rebirth."
Liberty is rumored to be dating music producer Jimmy Lovine.

CHECK IT OUT:

Moving Past Infidelity: http://bit.ly/1htYP4F

NO RETIREMENT FOR JUDI DENCH

78-year-old Judi Dench won't let her age keep her from doing what she loves. Despite a recent knee-replacement surgery and dealing with deteriorating vision, the Academy Award winner spoke with UK's Daily Mirror about her decision not to give up the acting game any time soon.
Judi explained, "I'm not feeling my age at all. I am about 43, a tall, willowy, blond 43-year-old with long legs. I don't want to slow down at all. We don't say the word retirement in our house. Old and retired are totally banned. Energy keeps me going. We are in the minority of people who are doing a job we chose to do and can make a living at. Why aren't we running to work every day?"

Dench also opened up about her recovery from her recent surgery saying, "When I had it done on September 6, I said to my surgeon, 'On October 16, I will walk up a red carpet unaided,' and so I did. You set your mind to a goal and go for it."
Her next film Philomena hits theaters on November 27th.

CHECK IT OUT:

7 Old People Who Gave Retirement the Finger: http://bit.ly/Hq1IkA
10 Celebrities Who Threw in the Towel Way Too Early: http://bit.ly/ZuXOh5

KRISTEN BELL'S DECISION TO HAVE A SECRET WEDDING

Many celebrity couples try to outdo each other with star-studded lavish weddings but Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard are just happy to be married. Kristen discussed their decision to tie the knot in secret while promoting her new film Frozen to E! News.
When asked how their lives have changed since their quiet ceremony on October 16th, the 33-year-old responded, "It's slightly more exciting, like it feels like we just had a holiday or something, but not much has changed. But we've been waiting for a long time, and for very specific reasons, and it was small and private and everything that we wanted." Kristen went on to say that they have no plans to throw a party to celebrate the marriage but their family and friends are welcome to. She added, "I have no desire to. I'm happy."

Dax appeared on Monday's (October 28th) Jimmy Kimmel Live and joked about their lame wedding by telling Jimmy that it only cost them $142 and he doesn't even have a ring yet. He told the host, "Friends of ours came to the courthouse, and it was just Kristen and I at this lonely courthouse, so they brought us this cake afterwards. 'The World's Worst Wedding.' How many people can say they threw 'The World's Worst Wedding'?"
Kristen and Dax have a seven-month-old daughter named Lincoln.

CHECK IT OUT:

The Dos and Don'ts of Making a Courthouse Wedding Special: http://glmr.me/xKZVMA
13 Top Secret Celebrity Weddings: http://frsky.me/Ib3Nzx

HEADLINE NEWS

HEALTH SECRETARY ON HOT SEAT: Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius appeared before a congressional committee yesterday, to offer a public apology for the technical difficulties that have plagued the national healthcare database. She spent a hard three and a half hours answering questions and criticisms leveled by opponents of the program. Ironically, the website crashed while she was testifying. Sebelius blamed that event, and similar service disruptions on Sunday and Tuesday, on a subsidiary of Verizon Communications that is operating the site under contract with the government.
On specific issues:

Secretary Sibelius refused repeated demands to estimate how many Americans have successfully purchased insurance through the exchange. She said that the numbers will not be available until mid-November, but that it will be small because of the launch problems.
Responding to claims that many Americans are receiving letters canceling their current health coverage, Sibelius said that plans are being discontinued only if they do not meet the minimum consumer protections under the new law. She said those plans can be replaced with better plans at a similar cost or less.
Intensive repairs to the website are underway. The health care exchange is improving daily, and will be fully functional by the end of November, Sibelius said.

OBAMA APPROVAL SLIDES: Only 42 percent of Americans approve of President Barack Obama's performance in office, according to the results of the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. That is his lowest approval rating ever, and is down five points from earlier in October. The pollsters say that no single issue is to blame. It's an accumulation of issues. These include the allegations of spying by the National Security Agency; the debate over chemical weapons in Syria; the government shutdown, and, now, criticism of the flawed rollout of the Obamacare health insurance exchanges.

Congress is even more unpopular. A full 63 percent of those polled would like to see their own Congressional representatives kicked out of office.

CHECK IT OUT:

More poll results: http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/30/21252250-nbcwsj-poll-obama-approval-sinks-to-new-low?lite

FED KEEPS RATES LOW: The two-week government shutdown delayed and distorted some of the key statistics on the health of our economy. That is one reason being given for a Federal Reserve decision, announced yesterday, to continue to keep short-term interest rates near zero for the foreseeable future, and to keep stimulating the economy through purchases of Treasury securities. The report was generally optimistic, citing growing strength in the economy despite the impact of continuing cuts in federal spending.

U.S. stocks fell slightly on the news. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 61 points, to 15,619 for the day. The Nasdaq was down 21 points, to 3,931. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell 9 points, to 1,763.

TODAY'S FYI:
THE RICHEST PERSON YOU MAY KNOW: Most of us can name the richest person in America. That would be Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, at a net worth of $70 billion. But few of us can name the richest person in the state in which we live. The website Wealth-X has put together a list of the richest people in each of the 50 states. Forty-one states can now boast their own billionaire. But it takes a mere $300 million to be the richest resident of Wyoming, and $400 million to top the list of Alaskans. Many of the names on the list aren't famous, though you may have heard of Warren Buffett, of Nebraska, and Michael Bloomberg, of New York State.
CHECK IT OUT:

The full list by state: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/who-richest-person-every-state-8C11499715

SMOKING AGE RAISED TO 21: Starting six months from now, you'll have to be at least 21 years old to buy a pack of cigarettes in New York City. That's the result of a new law passed by the City Council yesterday. Opponents argued that you can drive, vote and fight in a war before you're 21. Supporters cited evidence that people who start smoking at an early age are more likely to become addicted. The youth smoking rate has declined by more than half in New York City since Mayor Michael Bloomberg started pushing restrictions on tobacco use in 2007.
HOTTEST JOB SKILL: If you want a good, steady job, learn to speak a foreign language fluently. That's the job skill most in demand, according to the Department of Labor. The U.S. Army, the New York City Police Department, many Fortune 500 companies, websites, hospitals, schools and, of course, the U.S. State Department are all looking for skilled interpreters and translators. (Interpreters translate speech. Translators focus on written language.) The median salary for such work is currently $43,000 a year.
GOOGLE AGOG AT SPY REPORT: The head of the National Security Agency has flatly denied a report in The Washington Post that the agency secretly tapping into data stored by Google and Yahoo in order to spy on the private communications of foreigners. Both companies said they never gave the government permission for such access. A Google spokesman said the company was "outraged" at the report. But Army General Keith Alexander, head of the NSA, said it never happened. He said the agency can and does, with a court order, request data from those companies as necessary, but does not have direct access to their servers.
MONET PAINTING GETS PRICIER: A British billionaire who bought a painting by Claude Monet at a London gallery for $32 million has paid another $10 million to keep it, after the work of art was discovered to be stolen. Hedge fund manager Alan Howard knew the painting had belonged to Imelda Marcos, the one-time first lady of the Philippines who was famous for her extravagant lifestyle. But he didn't know that the painting vanished when the Marcos regime was overthrown in 1986, and rightfully is the property of the Philippines government. A former Marcos employee is currently on trial in New York on charges related to the theft.

The painting is "Japanese Footbridge Over the Water-Lily Pond," one of Monet's beautiful views of his garden near Paris. It was painted in 1899.

RUSSIAN GOODIE BAGS WERE BUGGED: At least no one can say that we're the only country spying on our friends abroad. Two Italian newspapers reported yesterday that the goodie bags given by Russian leader Vladimir Putin to 20 world leaders at an economic summit in St. Petersburg last month were bugged. Items in the goodie bags included USB drives and phone chargers. The president of the European Union is a suspicious sort, so he had his techies check them out. Sure enough, they were programmed to tap into emails, text messages and phone calls, presumably to send that data right back to Moscow. President Obama got a goodie bag, too, but he probably knows a spy device when he sees one. The Russians deny the report. They say they're shocked, shocked!
SPORTS:
RED SOX WIN WORLD SERIES WITH GAME 6 WIN OVER CARDINALS 6-1: The Boston Red Sox are the champions of baseball after beating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-1 last night (October 30th) to win the World Series 4 games to 2 for their third title in 10 years. Making it all the sweeter for Boston, this was the first time they'd won the championship at home in Fenway Park since 1918, and they earned the title after finishing in last place last year, joining the 1991 Minnesota Twins as the only teams to win the World Series one season after finishing in last place.
Shane Victorino got Boston on the board first with a three-run double in the third inning, then Stephen Drew got a solo home run in the fourth, followed by two RBI singles in the same inning by Mike Napoli and Victorino. The Cardinals' lone run came on an RBI single by Carlos Beltran in the seventh inning off of Red Sox starter John Lackey, who became the first pitcher to start and win a World Series clincher for two different teams, having previously done it in Game 7 for the Los Angeles Angels in 2002. The win was put away by Boston closer Koji Uehara on a Matt Carpenter strikeout for the final out. [Look in "Last Night's TV Audio" for sound from the game.]

David Ortiz was named the World Series MVP after batting .688 with two home runs, six RBIs and eight walks. He is the only player remaining from the 2004 Red Sox team that broke the "Curse of the Bambino" by winning the championship for the first time since 1918.
After the Boston Marathon bombings in April, the Red Sox have worn "Boston Strong" logos on their left sleeves and put up a large emblem on the "Green Monster" left field wall as a reminder of what the city went through and its resilience.

CHECK IT OUT:

The Hollywood Reporter rounds up some celebs' reactions: http://tinyurl.com/k7m5kpy

YOUR RED SOX ARE WORLD SERIES CHAMPS!! pic.twitter.com/jCrRSs4IxB
- Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) October 31, 2013

(Headline News, FYI and Sports stories were compiled in part from reports by the Associated Press and Reuters.)

ON THE TUBE

CBS

THE BIG BANG THEORY (repeat)
THE MILLERS - Nathan, Debbie and Adam take Mikayla trick or treating.
THE CRAZY ONES - Sydney learns that her high school crush is nominated for a prestigious award, in direct competition with her father.
THE BIG BANG THEORY (repeat)
ELEMENTARY - Holmes and Watson look for the gunmen who invaded Gregson's home before he strikes again.

NBC

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE - SNL Halloween.
SEAN SAVES THE WORLD - Sean pretends he has an injury to avoid pairing up with Lorna in a ballroom dance competition.
THE MICHAEL J. FOX SHOW - When Mike and Annie go away for a charity golf tournament, Ian and Eve rent out the apartment to make some money.
PARENTHOOD - Joel and Julia try to keep everything together.

ABC

IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN - Linus waits in the pumpkin patch for the elusive Halloween symbol to appear.
GREY'S ANATOMY - Costumed patients create a challenge for the doctors.
SCANDAL - The team investigates Rep. Josie Marcus; Jake and Huck close in on the truth about Operation Remington.

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES - Damon and Elena attend the Whitmore historical ball; Nadia shares her history with Katherine.
REIGN - Mary asks King Henry for help when Scotland's borders are threatened.

DAY TIME TALK SHOW
THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW - Alison Sweeney
THE VIEW - Theresa Caputo, Jeff Ross, Audra Kunkle & Wednesday Mourning, guest co-host Mario Cantone
LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWS
THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN (CBS) - Harrison Ford, Halloween costumes, Holy Ghost!
THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO (NBC) - Matthew McConaughey, Eli Roth, the Fray
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE (ABC) - Mindy Kaling, Rob Zombie
THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON (CBS) - Ben Kingsley, Anne Rice
LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON (NBC) - Kerry Washington, Jason Schwartzman, Flynn McGarry, Amel Larrieux
LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY (NBC) - Robert Aguirre-Sacasa, Pierce the Veil
THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART (COMEDY CENTRAL) - Mark Fainaru-Wada
THE COLBERT REPORT (COMEDY CENTRAL) - Bill Bryson
CONAN - Rachel McAdams, Norman Reedus

OFF BEAT BRIEFS

OVERWEIGHT TRICK-OR-TREATERS INSULTING LEAFLETS INSTEAD OF CANDY: A woman has refused to give treats to children that she deems to be overweight. A woman known as Cheryl called into a local North Dakota radio station and explained her no candy for chubby children policy. She hands out anti-obesity letters to those children instead. She tells parents in the letter that their child is obese and goes on to asks parents to "ration candy'" to their overweight children. (Metro)
SCIENTISTS INVENT ARTIFICIAL BLOOD: Artificial blood has been created by scientists in Romania. Researchers in Cluj-Napoca, Romania hope the creation of artificial blood will end blood shortages and infections from donations. The researchers hope to roll the artificial blood out in clinical trials involving human volunteers within a year or two. The blood is still in the testing stages. All previous attempts at artificial blood have failed, but tests on mice have had positive results. (lowa Now)
MAN DRIVES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES IN 28 HOURS: http://tinyurl.com/lbacf4r
MAN WHO ATE DEBIT CARD CONVICTED IN FRAUD SCHEME: A Dallas thief accused of eating a debit card in an attempt to conceal evidence was convicted on 16 charges. Ogiesoba City Osula and four accomplices were convicted on Friday (October 25th). Osula was arrested in 2011, in possession of $300,000 in cash and money orders, in addition to numerous debit cards, including authorities say he ate in an attempt to conceal evidence. The criminals used stolen identities to file fraudulent income tax returns and claim millions of dollars in refunds. (Daily Mail)
TAINTED CANDY IS A MYTH: A researcher said he could find no evidence of tainted Halloween candy being given to trick-or-treaters in the past 25 years. Joel Best, a University of Delaware professor, studied newspaper articles around the country in search of the urban legend about a child collapsing after eating poisoned Skittles. Best revealed that four reported incidents of children harmed by tainted candy were later retracted by the newspapers when further evidence emerged. (UPI)
WOMAN DRESSED AS ABUSIVE WIFE ARRESTED FOR DOMESTIC BATTERY: http://tinyurl.com/mw99wuu
NOKIA PHONE UNDERWATER FOR THREE MONTHS STILL WORKS: A Swedish man recently found a Lumia 800 smartphone that was lost three and a half months ago in a lake. Roger Nilsson posted on his Facebook that he found the phone between two rocks in a lake. He cleaned it up, disassembled the whole handset and kept it on a radiator to dry Much to his surprise; Nilsson found that the Lumia 800 survived despite being submerged underwater for over three months. (The Times Of India)

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

ALMOST ALL CHILDREN AND MOST ADULTS WILL EAT CANDY THIS HALLOWEEN: What's your favorite Halloween candy? You're likely to eat some, according to market research group NPD. NPD reports that four-percent of all candy consumed in the U.S. will be eaten today, Halloween. Also, almost every child and about 50-percent of adults will have candy today, compared to just 24% of all adults and kids who consume candy on a typical day. Researchers say adults prefer chocolate, while kids will eat four hard or chewy candies for every one eaten by adults. The people who eat the most candy are kids between the ages of nine and 12 (67%) and adult men age 18 and over (54%.) (USA Today)
THE REAL EXORCISM THAT INSPIRED THE EXORCIST: http://dailym.ai/1htbqF2

SMOKERS' SKIN MAY AGE FASTER: If you're concerned about your appearance you may want to quit smoking, according to new research. The new study finds that smokers are likely to get bags under their eyes and wrinkles around their lips earlier than non-smokers. To find this, researchers had a group of judges look at photos of sets of identical twins in which one twin smoked and the other did not. Judges deemed the smokers to be older 57-percent of the time. Researchers from two universities worked on the study, and explain that smoking can speed up the breakdown of collagen, protein that helps skin maintain a younger appearance, and reduce the amount of oxygen going to the skin. One researcher remarked that the findings just confirmed what many already believed and that the hopes are that the results will encourage others to quit smoking. (Fox)
LULLABIES ARE BENEFICIAL TO BABIES: Singing soothing songs to your baby can have big benefits, finds a new study. To find this, British researchers monitored the heart rates and signs of pain of 37 babies in a hospital as their parents sung them lullabies. Researchers say the lullabies reduced the babies' heart rates and the amount of pain they were in. Researchers say they think the calming tones of the lullabies ease pain by distracting the children from their illness. Previous U.S. research has shown that infants in intensive care units put on more weight and were discharged more quickly after being played lullabies. (Daily Mail)

HOW TO BLOCK ALL BITSTRIPS FROM YOUR FACEBOOK TIMELINE: http://tinyurl.com/mwuyzuv
EATING CARBS UPS DEPRESSION RISK: Step away from the Halloween candy. New research from Harvard finds that eating carbs can up your risk for depression. The twelve-year study looked at 43-thousand women with no history of depression. The participants were asked about their diets and researchers found that women who consumed a lot of red meat, pasta and other carbohydrates were 29 to 41-percent more likely to develop depression. Researchers say it was unclear whether carbs caused depression or the participants just turned to carbs when they felt low. The results showed that people who consumed olive oil, coffee, wine and fish are less likely to suffer from bouts of sadness. (Daily Mail)

ZOMBIE WEDDINGS ARE ON THE RISE: Zombie weddings are on the rise, no pun intended. A recent study conducted by wedding website TheKnot found that 24-percent of couples threw a theme wedding in 2012, and it seems many of them were horror themed. Diane Forden, Editor-in-Chief of Bridal Guide magazine says, "Couples don't feel as bound to tradition as they once did and are more likely to incorporate personalized themes that reflect their joint interests." She says other reasons couples may throw themed weddings may be a feeling of competition with other couples, or because of finances. Forden says when the recession hit the wedding industry experienced a huge do-it-yourself movement, which made weddings more unique. Forden says, "The zombie trend, for examples, may be a natural extension of creating a unique wedding," but she cautions against bloody costumes for your wedding saying, "In your golden years, do you really want to flip through your wedding album and see blood?" (Yahoo)

VIDEO GAMES MAY CAUSE SOME TO LOSE TOUCH WITH REALITY: Spending too much time in the virtual world of a video game may be bad for your real life health. New Australian research finds that playing video games may cause some players to ignore their vital health signs. A number of experiments revealed that immersive games can actually lower someone's response to pain and lead them to care less about others. Researchers say video games can have this effect because the characters in the games have become very advanced and leave players feeling detached from their bodies. One researcher said the "mechanical inertness, rigidity and lack of emotion and warmth" of virtual avatars means that as people are exposed over time they become emotionally numb. (Daily Mail)

HALLOWEEN AT THE ZOO: http://fxn.ws/1aTjo3V

BACKLASH AGAINST OFFENSIVE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES: This Halloween there's evidence of backlash against certain costumes deemed offensive. Pottery Barn stopped selling two children's costumes, a kimono and a sushi chef costume, after the Asian Americans Advancing Justice called the costumes out as offensive. A month ago Walmart pulled a "Naughty Leopard" costume after an image of the outfit went viral and was called out as being inappropriately sexy due to use of the word "naughty." And several bloggers and websites are up in arms over a Marvel Spider-Girl outfit they call horrifying, disappointing and "gender conformist." One journalist from the Denver Post was inspired by all of the offensive costume buzz and asked a professor who studies stereotypes for advice on what costumes would not offend any one. The professor told her, "Probably your safest bet is to dress as the devil." (Time)

WATER COOLER TALK

Retire? Not So Fast!

Many Americans hope that the money they save in their 401K or other retirement savings will see them through a comfortable retirement. But many are now finding that their debts are rising faster than their retirement savings. A new survey by HelloWallet, a financial services website, concludes that half of people between the ages of 50 and 65 are spending 22 percent of their incomes just paying down debt. That's way more than previous generations, who in mid-life generally had paid down big bills like mortgage debt.

Stupid Halloween Costumes

Some people just have no common sense at all in their choice of Halloween costumes. Two Florida men posted a picture of themselves on the web, costumed as slain teenager Trayvon Martin and the man who shot him, George Zimmerman. The Trayvon Martin impersonator wore a blood-soaked shirt and blackface. The picture "went viral," although the two have since tried to remove it from their Facebook pages.

Fat Trick-or-Treaters

A woman in North Dakota told listeners of radio station Y-94 that she isn't giving out candy this year to Halloween trick-or-treaters that she thinks are too fat. Instead, she's giving them letters to take home to their parents with this message: "Your child is, in my opinion, moderately obese and should not be consuming sugar and treats to the extent of some children this Halloween season."

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

KFLAG COUNTRY UPDATE

Taylor Swift is the top nominee at the upcoming American Country Awards, taking place on December 10th in Las Vegas. Taylor received eight nods, followed by Florida Georgia Line and Blake Shelton who each earned seven nominations. The fan-voted award show will be hosted by Trace Adkins and NASCAR star Danica Patrick and air live on FOX from Mandalay Bay.
Voting is now open to fans online once each day at theacas.com. Voting is open until Tuesday, November 12th at 11:59 p.m. PT for all categories, except for Artist of the Year, which closes on Saturday, December 7th at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Following is the list of categories and nominees for the American Country Awards:
ARTISTS Artist of the Year
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Florida Georgia Line
Blake Shelton
Taylor Swift
Artist of the Year: Male
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney
Eric Church
Blake Shelton
Artist of the Year: Female
Kelly Clarkson
Sheryl Crow
Miranda Lambert
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Artist of the Year: Duo or Group
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band
Artist of the Year: Breakthrough Artist
Lee Brice
Hunter Hayes
Randy Houser
Scotty McCreery
Justin Moore
Artist of the Year: New Artist
Florida Georgia Line
Kip Moore
Kacey Musgraves
Cassadee Pope
Thomas Rhett
ALBUMAlbum of the Year
Night Train, Jason Aldean
Here's To The Good Times, Florida Georgia Line
Two Lanes of Freedom, Tim McGraw
Based On A True Story..., Blake Shelton
Pioneer, The Band Perry
SINGLES Single of the Year
"Cruise," Florida Georgia Line
"How Country Feels," Randy Houser
"Beer Money," Kip Moore
"Better Dig Two," The Band Perry
"One of Those Nights," Tim McGraw
Single of the Year: Male
"Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)," Gary Allen
"One of Those Nights," Tim McGraw
"The One That Got Away," Jake Owen
"Wagon Wheel," Darius Rucker
"Sure Be Cool If You Did," Blake Shelton
Single of the Year: Female
"Easy," Sheryl Crow
"American Heart," Faith Hill
"Mama's Broken Heart," Miranda Lambert
"Begin Again," Taylor Swift
"Two Black Cadillacs," Carrie Underwood
Single of the Year: Duo/Group
"Downtown," Lady Antebellum
"Tornado," Little Big Town
"Better Dig Two," The Band Perry
"If I Didn't Have You," Thompson Square
"Goodbye in Her Eyes," Zac Brown Band
Single of the Year: Breakthrough Artist
"I Drive Your Truck," Lee Brice
"All Over The Road," Easton Corbin
"Somebody's Heartbreak," Hunter Hayes
"How Country Feels," Randy Houser
"Til My Last Day," Justin Moore
Single of the Year: New Artist
"Did It for the Girl," Greg Bates
"Don't Ya," Brett Eldredge
"Redneck Crazy," Tyler Farr
"Cruise," Florida Georgia Line
"Beer Money," Kip Moore
Single of the Year: Vocal Collaboration
"The Only Way I Know," Jason Aldean with Luke Bryan and Eric Church
"Don't Rush," Kelly Clarkson and Vince Gill
"Highway Don't Care," Tim McGraw featuring Taylor Swift and Keith Urban
"Boys 'Round Here," Blake Shelton with Pistol Annies
TOURING Touring Artist of the Year
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney
Miranda Lambert
Brad Paisley
Rascal Flatts
George Strait
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Zac Brown Band
VIDEOS
GREAT AMERICAN COUNTRY - Music Video of the Year
"Cruise," Florida Georgia Line
"Tornado," Little Big Town
"Sure Be Cool If You Did," Blake Shelton
"Begin Again," Taylor Swift
"Better Dig Two," The Band Perry
Music Video of the Year: Male
"Take A Little Ride," Jason Aldean
"Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)," Gary Allan
"One of Those Nights," Tim McGraw
"Wagon Wheel," Darius Rucker
"Sure Be Cool If You Did," Blake Shelton
Music Video of the Year: Female
"American Heart," Faith Hill
"Mama's Broken Heart," Miranda Lambert
"Someone Somewhere Tonight," Kellie Pickler
"Begin Again," Taylor Swift
"Blown Away," Carrie Underwood
Music Video of the Year: New Artist
"Don't Ya," Brett Eldredge
"Cruise," Florida Georgia Line
"Crying On A Suitcase," Casey James
"Beer Money," Kip Moore
"Merry Go 'Round," Kacey Musgraves
Music Video of the Year: Group or Collaboration
"Tornado," Little Big Town
"Highway Don't Care," Tim McGraw featuring Taylor Swift and Keith Urban
"Come Wake Me Up," Rascal Flatts
"Better Dig Two," The Band Perry
"If I Didn't Have You," Thompson Square
Song of the Year (award goes to the songwriter(s)):
"Better Dig Two," Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally, Trevor Rosen
• Recorded by The Band Perry
"Cruise," Tyler Hubbard, Brian Kelley, Joey Moi, Chase Rice and Jesse Rice
• Recorded by Florida Georgia Line
"Hard To Love," Ben Glover, Billy Montana and John Ozier
• Recorded by Lee Brice
"Highway Don't Care," Mark Irwin, Josh Kear, Brad Warren and Brett Warren
• Recorded by Tim McGraw featuring Taylor Swift and Keith Urban
"I Drive Your Truck," Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington and Jimmy Yeary
• Recorded by Lee Brice
"Like Jesus Does," Casey Beathard and Monty Criswell
• Recorded by Eric Church
"Mama's Broken Heart," Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally and Kacey Musgraves
• Recorded by Miranda Lambert
"Merry Go' Round," Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves and Josh Osborne
• Recorded by Kacey Musgraves
"Pontoon," Barry Dean, Natalie Hemby and Luke Laird
• Recorded by Little Big Town
"Wagon Wheel," Bob Dylan and Ketch Secor
• Recorded by Darius Rucker

Rodney Atkins and his fiancee, singer/songwriter Rose Falcon, plan to get married in the next couple of weeks. The couple are currently touring together, and Rodney tells us exclusively that they will return to a favorite destination to say their "I dos." "There's a place where we were on the road at the end of last year and had a day down that she was out with me, and I think I was doing some dates with Alan Jackson. We had a day down, and we went fishing, and it was just a little island down in the Gulf, and I think that's where we're gonna go and tie the knot."
Rodney says the nuptials will be a small affair, with just family and a few close friends. He and Rose will be married by the 87-year-old man who ran the Holston United Methodist Home for Children in Greeneville, Tennessee from which Rodney was adopted as a baby.
This will be the first marriage for Rose, 28, and the second for Rodney, 44.
FAST FACTS

Rodney's first marriage to Tammy Jo Atkins lasted 14 years and produced a son, Elijah, who is now 12.
The couple divorced last year after Tammy Jo accused Rodney of trying to smother her with a pillow. He was arrested but later cleared of the domestic assault charge.

Luke Bryan's Dirt Road Diaries tour wrapped for the year this past weekend, bringing his total concert attendance for 2013 to 1.3 million fans. Every show on the trek was sold out, including his eight-city Farm Tour.
Luke's debut with his first major headline tour earned him two nominations at the upcoming Billboard Touring Awards in the Breakthrough and Eventful Fan Choice categories.
Luke will launch a new tour, the That's My Kind of Night tour, in January. He will perform 18 shows through early March with opening acts Lee Brice and Cole Swindell.
FAST FACTS

Luke is up for four awards at the fan-voted American Country Awards taking place on December 10th in Las Vegas.
He will open the CMA Awards on November 6th with a live performance. He is also nominated for three awards, including Entertainer of the Year. The show airs live from Nashville on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.

Lady Antebellum's holiday DVD, Live: On This Winter's Night, is in stores this week. The performance was shot during an intimate live performance at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville last year. The trio performed live with a symphony orchestra of 11 holiday songs, including "A Holly Jolly Christmas," "This Christmas," "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "Blue Christmas," "The First Noel," as well as the title track, "On This Winter's Night."
Hillary Scott tells us: "We're so excited that it can be in people's hands and their homes and to hopefully get them in the Christmas spirit, along with the record itself, as well. It was really fun that night. We got to relive a lot of Christmas memories of our childhood growing up and singing some of our favorite songs with a 40-piece symphony behind us. (Charles jokes about growing up with a 40-piece orchestra.) But then we also got to have the W.O. Smith School Children's Choir with us, and I don't know about these two, but anytime there's a children's choir mixed with Christmas songs, that's like getting wrapped up in a warm blanket ready for the holidays. So, it was awesome."
Lady A has another new project on the horizon. The trio will release Golden Deluxe, a re-packaged version of their current CD featuring six additional songs, on November 11th.
FAST FACTS

Here's the Live: On This Winter's Night DVD track list:
1. 'A Holly Jolly Christmas'
2. 'On This Winter's Night'
3. 'This Christmas'
4. 'I'll Be Home for Christmas'
5. 'Silver Bells'
6. 'Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow'
7. 'Blue Christmas'
8. 'The First Noel'
9. 'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)'
10. 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'
11. 'Silent Night (Lord of My Life)'

Tickets to The Band Perry's Canadian leg of their We Are Pioneers World tour go on sale on Friday (November 1st) at 10 a.m. local time. Ticket on-sales for the U.S. leg of the tour will follow throughout November and December. Citi cardmembers have access to presale tickets beginning November 6th at 10 a.m. local time through Citi's Private Pass Program.
Neil Perry said, "We are happiest when we are on stage sharing our music with the fans. It's the time when we come together for one special moment in time, creating memories that we will take with us down the road and hopefully giving our fans a memory to hold forever as well. To share The Band Perry experience all over the world is more than we had ever hoped for."

The We Are Pioneers World tour kicks off in Gothenberg, Sweden on November 8th at Tradgam and will crisscross Europe for five weeks before the band returns for the North American leg of the tour in early 2014.

The Band Perry will premiere the video for their latest hit, "Don't Let Me Be Lonely," on CMT on Friday during The Band Perry: VJ For A Day, where Kimberly, Neil & Reid will take over the CMT airwaves introducing their favorite videos.
CHECK IT OUT

The complete We Are Pioneers World tour itinerary: http://tinyurl.com/mco3q67

Dierks Bentley will premiere the video for his current single, "I Hold On," across multiple CBS properties today (Wednesday, October 30th). The clip will be shown at such outlets like Radio.com, MetroLyrics.com and ACMCountry.com.
Shot in Nashville and over a weekend of tour dates in Texas, the video follows a young musician balancing his climb in the music business with keeping a firm grip on the values he holds close.
Dierks said, "It was really important to me that this video capture the story of this song . . . my story. But it also needed to take on the more universal themes that the choruses cover. The lyrics were written from such a real and emotional place, and I put a lot of pressure on making sure this video held up to what Brett James and I wrote that day. I hope when people listen to it, they raise their beers up, but this time for the bigger idea of what we all stand for as country music fans . . . faith, love and freedom."
"I Hold On" is from Dierks' upcoming album, Riser, due out next year.
FAST FACTS

Dierks will host his 8th annual "Miles & Music for Kids" celebrity motorcycle ride and concert on Sunday (November 3rd) in Nashville with special guests Luke Bryan, Jake Owen, Brett Eldredge, Easton Corbin and Chase Rice.

Jerrod Niemann is a last-minute shopper when it comes to Halloween costumes. The singer says he's not necessarily a big fan of dressing up, but he finds himself getting roped into the festivities.
He tells us: "Well, I can tell you what I'm gonna be for Halloween this year: whatever is left in the store the day of! (laughs) I've never been one very good at preconceiving my Halloween costumes. I usually say, 'I'm not bein' anything!' and then the day of, someone will talk me into goin' to a Halloween party or somethin', and I'll be picking between a drunk Santa and a Jedi knight warrior."
Jerrod's new single, "Drink To That All Night," is making its way up the charts.
It's the debut release from his upcoming album. No release date has yet been announced.
CHECK IT OUT

10 Last-Minute Halloween Costume Ideas: http://tinyurl.com/mesb92e

Loretta Lynn has postponed two shows in Iowa because of exhaustion after her recent Canadian tour. Her website includes a statement from one of the legendary singer's reps saying, "Lynn started feeling poorly midway through her three week tour. Loretta is a pro and wants to give her fans the best show possible. She felt she Physically was unable to do that." There is no word yet on when those shows will be rescheduled.
The Zac Brown Band will host Sun, Sand & Southern Ground at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic from March 23-27. The all-inclusive event will feature performances by ZBB and other Southern Ground label artists, as well as The Wailers. For more information, visit coolbreezeconcerts.com.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

COUNTRY TRIVIA

Q. Before forming Rascal Flatts, in whose band did Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney play?
A. Chely Wright's

ON THE TUBE

LADY ANTEBELLUM: OWN THE NIGHT WORLD TOUR/GAC 9:00PM (ET)

KENNY CHESNEY: NO SHOES NATION/GAC 10:00PM (ET)