Grand Ole Opry Week on American Idol

Photo is from the Randy Travis website

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American Idol will feature a Grand Ole Opry theme on March 17 & 18, as contestants will select and perform songs popularized by Opry members. Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis will sing together on Randy's classic hit and Carrie's current single, "I Told You So," plus Brad Paisley will make the television debut of his new single, "Then," from his forthcoming summer album.

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Info comes from Opry.com

CMA talk from People Magazine

• Meanwhile, double winner Brad Paisley dished about how he celebrated his male vocalist win: The singer ran offstage, grabbed his pregnant wife sitting in the front row and kissed her! "That was totally spontaneous," he told us of the smooch. "I hadn't seen her all day. She filmed Boston Legal this week and flew back in today, got her make-up done at home and didn't get there until right before. The first time I saw her was from the stage so I had to go down and kiss her because it was like, 'Hi!' "

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• Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman, dropping by the Capitol Records party (briefly) at Lime, one of Kidman's favorite Nashville restaurants. Next stop for the partyhoppers: Ronnie Dunn's very musical bash at his Nashville barn. George Strait entertained the crowd with classic songs and even brought up Reese Witherspoon for "Jackson", reprising the duet she sang as June Carter in 2005's Walk the Line. Martina McBride took a turn on the mic, too, belting out the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and playing a pink tambourine. Also at the bash: Dunn's musical partner Kix Brooks and Dierks Bentley.

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Read more about the fun at the CMA's in People Magazine.

After the ACM Country Music Awards in Las Vegas

Both pictures from j. bilde at the Tennessean newspaper.


Group photo from Sony BMG Nashville's post-ACM Awards artist and staff dinner at the Cili Golf Country Club in Las Vegas

Country Stars descend on Las Vegas

(Photo is from Ana Dobrijevic/Cirque du Soleil)

Reba McEntire, Kelly Clarkson and Ronnie Dunn with the cast of "Love" at the Mirage hotel Saturday night.

Carrie Underwood went to see Cher's show at Caesars Palace on Saturday night.

Toby Keith was spotted in Pure in Caesars Palace and at Simon at the Palms hotel.

Justin Timberlake was spotted at Mix Lounge in Mandalay Bay with Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts.

Kenny Chesney was spotted with his girlfriend and family Friday dining at Nobu in the Hard Rock Hotel. Later, at Charlie Palmer Steak in Mandalay Bay, he joined Carrie Underwood, Kelly Pickler and Flatts singing Jackson Browne, Elton John and Billy Joel songs.

Toby Keith, partying with friends at Studio 54 in the MGM Grand.

Read more about the star filled weekend in the Las-Vegas Review Journal /Norm Clarke.

Before He Cheats by Jennifer Stokes at my Ky. Derby party

Josh Turner will tour with Carrie Underwood and George Strait

Carrie Underwood will be headlining more than 30 concerts beginning in February during a tour with opening act Josh Turner. The shows are in addition to her co-headlining tour with Keith Urban that begins Jan. 31.

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In making the announcement, Underwood said, "I'm so excited to be hitting the road and doing the full show of my music that I have always dreamt of doing. I have been so fortunate to learn from so many other great artists while touring with them, and they have inspired me in so many ways. They have helped me to get to this stage of my first real headline shows, and now I finally feel ready. I can't wait to travel throughout the U.S. and Canada and see all my fans."

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Tickets to six of Underwood's Carnival Ride tour dates go on sale Saturday (January 12), including shows in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (Feb. 18), Albany, N.Y. (Feb. 19), Amherst, Mass. (Feb. 20), Pittsburgh (Feb. 22), Providence, R.I. (Feb. 24) and Bridgeport, Conn. (Feb. 25).

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For more Carrie Underwood tour news visit her website.

For more Josh Turner tour news visit his website.

For more George Strait tour news visit his website.

Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood; Together in Concert

Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood are set to hit the road together in '08, a 24-city tour that combines the music of two of the music industry’s most powerful performers. "Love, Pain & the whole crazy Carnival Ride Tour" — a name that combines the titles of each artist's most recent album; Keith's double platinum No. 1 debuting Love, Pain & the whole crazy thing and Carrie’s recent No. 1 debut second album Carnival Ride — will feature 12 No. 1 songs (7 for Urban and 5 from Underwood). Tickets are set to go on sale December 1.

"I'm looking forward to hitting the road with Carrie, and to bringing our audiences together for what I think will be a magical night of sights, sounds, songs and solos," says Keith.

"I can't think of a better person to begin 2008 with than Keith," shares Carrie. "He is an amazing entertainer and a well-respected musician, singer and songwriter."

The Love, Pain & the whole crazy Carnival Ride Tour begins January 31 and includes stops in Tallahassee, Fla.; Biloxi, Miss.; Kansas City, Mo.; New York; Denver; Raleigh, N.C.; and Lexington, Ky.

Tickets go on sale December 1.

Carrie Underwood in People

You had a hit with 'Before He Cheats.' Do you still keep in touch with your exes? Not really because most of my exes are pre-Idol, so, yeah, I don't really. [It's like,] "Well, you wish you would have stayed with me, huh?" [Laughs

Do you listen to talk about your looks or consider yourself a sex symbol?

No. If I didn't do what I do, nobody would ever look twice at me. I'm a blender – and the only reason anybody, if they do think of me in that way, it's just because I do what I do. I'm okay. But I'm not, like, anything special.

You're very humble.

I just tell it like I see it. [Laughs]

What motivated you to write some songs on your new album?

It's definitely a plus when you can write your own stuff. It's coming from a personal place – and it's just more to be proud of. I just wanted to see if I had the talent and just try. It wasn't a huge deal like, "every song on the album must be mine," because there are so many talented writers.

As a songwriter, do you think you'll get more respect in the Nashville community?

I'm sure it just comes with the territory. People know I have more to do with my songs. I think some people think everybody makes all the decisions for me and I don't really get to have a say in anything. And that's completely not true.

Read more about Carrie in People.

This Week at the Opry

Friday Night
7:00-7:30 Mike Snider, Jeannie Seely, Jimmy C. Newman, Carolina Rain
7:30-8:00 Jimmy Dickens, Dale Ann Bradley, Neal McCoy
8:00-8:30 Jim Ed Brown, Charlie Louvin, Jack Greene, Lorrie Morgan
8:30-9:00 Bill Anderson, Riders In The Sky, Steve Wariner

Saturday
Early show
6:30-7:00 Jimmy Dickens, Mike Snider, Lorrie Morgan
7:00-8:00 Carrie Underwood, Travis Tritt, Emerson Drive, Ronnie Milsap
8:00-8:30 Jeannie Seely, Jim Ed Brown, Del McCoury Band, Opry Square Dancers
8:30-9:00 Bill Anderson, Jimmy C. Newman, The Whites, Hal Ketchum

Late show
9:30-10:00 Jimmy Dickens, Riders In The Sky, Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys, Ronnie Milsap
10:00-10:30 Bill Anderson, Jan Howard, The Whites, Travis Tritt
10:30-11:00 George Hamilton IV, Jack Greene, Carrie Underwood, Opry Square Dancers
11:00-11:30 Hal Ketchum, Del McCoury Band, Emerson Drive