For the first time in 13 years, Reba McEntire will be appearing at the CMA Music Festival to sign autographs.

She’ll be joined by a huge turnout of other country artists at the signing booths, including Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Julianne Hough, Montgomery Gentry, LeAnn Rimes, Gretchen Wilson, Blake Shelton, Chuck Wicks, Caitlin & Will, Jason Michael Carroll, Bucky Covington, Gloriana, Joey + Rory, Little Big Town, The Lost Trailers, Lorrie Morgan, and Heidi Newfield, among many more.

The CMA Music Festival will be held June 11-14 in Nashville.

[image: Zuma Press]

Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will be hosting this year’s Country Music Association Awards. The awards show will air live from the Sommet Center in Nashville on Wednesday, November 12th on ABC.

“I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to host the awards show,” said Brad. “We’re going to have a good time - start to finish.”

“I am so excited to host a show I grew up watching, and am so thrilled to spend this night with the fans and Brad,” said Carrie. “It’s going to be a party.”

The award nominations were announced last month, and both Carrie and Brad are up for several each, and will also be performing.

The Black Crowes are claiming one of Gretchen Wilson’s songs, “Work Hard, Play Harder,” which is being used by the TNT television network in ads for the television show Saving Grace but has not been released as a single, is based on their 1991 hit “Jealous Again” from their debut album “Shake Your Money Maker.”

The Black Crowes’ attorneys have served copyright infringement notices to Wilson, Sony BMG (Gretchen’s record label) and J. Money Music (a music publishing company based in Nashville).

According to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers website, Gretchen co-wrote the song with John Rich and Vicky McGehee. Brothers Chris and Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes co-wrote “Jealous Again.”

Black Crowes manager Pete Angelus said in a statement, “We find the musical verses of Wilson’s song to be such an obvious example of copyright infringement that I expect all parties to reach a relatively quick resolution to avoid litigation.”

A spokesman for Wilson told CMT.com that Gretchen had no comment regarding the allegations.

[image used with permission from newscom.com]

Taylor Swift, Kellie Pickler, and Julianne Hough will all be hosting the CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock on Monday, September 8 on ABC.

Image details: 2007 ACM New Artists Show - Backstage served by picapp.com

Filming Thursday through Sunday during the annual CMA Music Festival, the special features country acts during a four-day party and music celebration in Nashville.

Some of the artists slated to appear include Trace Adkins, Rodney Atkins, Billy Ray Cyrus, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Jewel, Miranda Lambert, Kellie Pickler, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood, Dwight Yoakam and surprise appearances by other country stars.

Raised in Nashville, TN, Kelleigh Bannen is no stranger to country music! And though she’d been raised in a musical family she didn’t start singing until college, and even then she didn’t view it as something she’d be doing long-term!

Instead, after leaving school she got married and started her own jewelry business from home. Her husband, though, seemed to know what she was bound for and encouraged her to pursue singing as well.

Not long after, Kelleigh wrote and co-wrote what would become her debut album, Radio Skies. It contains 11 fantastic songs that run the spectrum from heartache to bad boys. I really have a hard time picking just one as a favorite - I really enjoyed them all - though I particularly liked “Crave.” The track listing includes:

1. Say It In A Country Song
2. Feels Like Me
3. No Such Thing
4. Good For Nothin’
5. Whisky Rain
6. Just In Time
7. On My Way
8. Little Man
9. Crave
10. Done
11. Call Me Home

You can order the album through Kelleigh’s website or from iTunes!

Image details: 2008 CMT Music Awards - Show served by picapp.com

Carrie Underwood performed “All American Girl” at the CMT Music Awards in Nashville last night. I like this dress a bit more than the one she wore on the red carpet!

Image details: 2008 CMT Music Awards - Show served by picapp.com

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Carrie Underwood, Vince Gill, and Phil Vassar, as well Jake Owen, Chuck Wicks, James Otto and Danielle Peck, will take to the playing field this June to participate in the 18th Annual City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge on June 4 in Nashville. Tennessee Titans’ cornerback Cortland Finnegan also will play.

City of Hope is a research and treatment institution for cancer and other life-threatening diseases.