After a very public break-up with ex-husband Craig Schelske last year, Sara Evans quietly married Alabama football player and radio host Jay Barker in an outdoor ceremony in Franklin, Tennessee on Saturday.

This was speculated to happen back in March and it looks like they pulled it off! The couple now have seven children between them!

Sara’s eight year-old son walked her down the aisle, and she is said to have worn an ivory silk taffeta Vera Wang gown with a halter neck.

Congrats to Sara and Jay!

[image used with permission from newscom.com]

How sad! The Country Thunder USA musical festival that was slated for Texas this weekend (May 29-June 1) has been canceled due to poor ticket sales. Tim McGraw and Pat Green were expected to attend.

This apparently has no bearing on the sister festival on July 16-19 in Wisconsin with Taylor Swift, Sugarland, Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert and Sara Evans.

[Image used with permission from Newscom]

A rep with OK! Magazine contacted me this morning with more information on Sara Evans‘ recent engagement!

Country star Sara Evans has found her “happily ever after” with the surprise announcement of her engagement to Jay Barker, a former University of Alabama football player and radio host.

“He’s a great, Christian guy,” a friend of Sara tells OK!.”Everyone loves him and thinks he’s so good for her.”

Shortly after finalizing her divorce from Craig Schelske in September, the 37-year-old singer was introduced to Jay, 35, through a mutual friend who was helping both recent divorcees deal with their marriages gone awry.

“Sara has such young children that she would never jump into anything unless she found an amazing person,” explains the pal. “And she sure did!”

The friend also says that this new man in Sara’s life is one heck of an upgrade from ex-hubby Craig. “He always put the pressure on her to be the breadwinner. Jay has his own money and doesn’t need her to support him.”

Talk about a great future husband, OK! has learned that Jay even bought his bride-to-be a new Hummer to go along with the ring! And with a combined brood that counts seven kids deep — Sara has three daughters [actually, Sara has one son and two daughters] and Jay’s already a father of four children — they’re going to need some extra room on long car trips.

The happy couple spent last week and Easter together as one big happy family.

“I would imagine the wedding to be sometime this summer,” the friend mentions.

People magazine is reporting that Sara Evans has gotten engaged to former University of Alabama football player Jay Barker.

“The couple are enjoying their engagement and look forward to their upcoming nuptials,” Evans’ rep, Lori Genes, told People.

Evans and Craig Schelske divorced in September of last year after 13 years of marriage. Evans and Barker began dating around Thanksgiving of last year.

Sara Evans ‘Suds in the Bucket’ from 2004.

The CMT Awards are country music’s only fan-voted awards program. Online voting began Tuesday and ends February 25 for the awards.

On Thursday, March 6, CMT will announce the four finalists in each of the 13 categories, except Video of the Year. Fans can then vote online at CMT.com through Friday, April 11 to determine the winners. The final nominees for video award will be announced at the beginning of the live show, and fans can vote at CMT.com throughout the live broadcast to pick the winner.

The awards will be held live Monday, April 14 on CMT and CMT.com.

The nominees are:

Video of the year:
(best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration) and the video director.

• Brad Paisley - “Online” (Director: Jason Alexander)
• Carrie Underwood - “Wasted” (Director: Roman White)
• Kenny Chesney - “Don’t Blink” (Director: Shaun Silva)
• LeAnn Rimes - “Nothin’ Better To Do” (Directors: David McClister and LeAnn Rimes)
• Rascal Flatts - “Take Me There” (Director: Shaun Silva)
• Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson - “Because of You” (Director: Roman White)
• Sugarland - “Stay” (Director: Shaun Silva)
• Taylor Swift - “Our Song” (Director: Trey Fanjoy)

Read more

Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, and Alan Jackson have all contributed their talent to a gospel album recorded at the Grand Ole Opry. “How Great Thou Art: Gospel Favorites Live From The Grand Ole Opry” will be released on February 5 on Sony BMG.

The artists and songs include:

“I’ll Fly Away” - Charlie Daniels
“Blessed Assurance” - Alan Jackson
“Precious Memories” - Patty Loveless
“Take My Hand Precious Lord” - Ronnie Milsap
“Family Bible” - Ricky Skaggs
“Just A Closer Walk With Thee” - Sara Evans
“Old Rugged Cross” - Brad Paisley
“Wayfaring Stranger” - Trace Adkins
“Where No One Stands Alone” - Loretta Lynn
“Give Me Jesus” - Vince Gill
“A House Of Gold” - Dierks Bentley
“How Great Thou Art” - Carrie Underwood

[image: celebutopia]

Sara Evans will be co-hosting on ABC’s The View on December 12th (today) and the 14th as a temporary fill-in while Elizabeth Hasselbeck is out on maternity leave.

“I am so excited about being on The View,” said Evans. “It is such an honor to be asked to co-host. I am going to just have fun with the girls.”

Airtimes can be found at The View site.

Billboard’s Top Ten country songs this week:

1. Kenny Chesney “Don’t Blink”
2. Dierks Bentley “Free And Easy (Down The Road I Go)”
3. Tim McGraw “If You’re Reading This”
4. Carrie Underwood “So Small”
5. Toby Keith “Love Me If You Can”
6. Garth Brooks “More Than A Memory”
7. Brad Paisley “Online”
8. Jason Michael Carroll “Livin’ Our Love Song”
9. George Strait “How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls”
10. Clay Walker “Fall”

Top Ten country albums:

1. Rascal Flatts “Still Feels Good”
2. Reba McEntire “Reba Duets”
3. Sara Evans “Greatest Hits”
4. LeAnn Rimes “Family”
5. Kenny Chesney “Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates”
6. Taylor Swift “Taylor Swift”
7. Sugarland “Enjoy The Ride”
8. Toby Keith “A Classic Christmas”
9. Brooks & Dunn “Cowboy Town”
10. Faith Hill “The Hits”

Sara Evans‘ music video for “As If” off her new Greatest Hits album. I hadn’t seen this yet - love it!