CMA's Were a Success!

Many people gathered around their televisions for one of country's most anticipated events of the year. Drum role please...THE CMA's!!!

Annual awards are given in the following twelve categories: Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Female Vocalist, New Artist (previously known as the Horizon Award until 2008), Vocal Group, Vocal Duo (introduced in 1970), Single, Album, Song, Music Event (introduced in 1988), Music Video (introduced in 1985), and Musician.

And the Award goes to....

Entertainer of the Year: CARRIE UNDERWOOD

Top Male Vocalist: BRAD PAISLEY

Top Female Vocalist: CARRIE UNDERWOOD

Top Vocal Group: RASCAL FLATTS

Top New Male Vocalist: JAKE OWEN

Top New Female Vocalist: JULIANNE HOUGH

Top New Duo or Group: ZAC BROWN BAND

Top New Artist: JULIANNE HOUGH

Single Record of the Year: "YOUR GONNA MISS THIS" TRACE ADKINS

Song of the Year: "IN COLOR" JAMEY JOHNSON

Video of the Year: "WAITIN ON A WOMEN" BRAD PAISLEY

Vocal Event of the Year: "START A BAND" BRAD PAISLEY DUET WITH KEITH URBAN

The CMA's are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association.

The show had many great performances and turned out to be a success! Good luck and best wishes to the talented artists who made this night possible.

Become A Big Star

For all you aspiring country fans out there, your wish has just been granted. American Idol try-outs will be happening in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, June 29, 2009. So make sure you get a spot in line at the Energy Solutions Center and represent your fellow country music fans. This will be the nearest try-out city, unless you want to travel all the way Puerto Rico!

Two of country's biggest stars got their start on American Idol: Miss Carrie Underwood and Miss Kellie Pickler. They have had many number one hits and are still rising in the country music charts.

Underwood is one of five winners never to have been voted in the bottom three (the others being Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, and David Cook); one of the show's producers later said that Underwood dominated the voting, winning each week handily. Mulit-platitnum selling, and Grammy Award winner singer, Carrie Underwood has a topped a new Forbes Magazine listing of the year’s highest-earning former American Idol contestants, earning $14 million in 2009.

Kellie Pickler comes in fifth earning $2.3 million.

Blake Shelton Comes To Town

Tickets are going fast for the talented Mr. Blake Shelton! The concert will be held on July 16th in Idaho Falls at Sandy Downs Park. This show will start at 7:00 PM. Julianne Hough will be opening up for him. This should be a great concert for you country fans out there! He will be touring all summer. If you can't make it to the Idaho Falls concert, here are a few concerts in near-by cities:

07.03.09-Sheridan, WY-Sheridan Fairgrounds

07.17.09-Salt Lake City, UT-USANA Amphitheatre (with George Strait)

08.28.09-Boise, ID-Western Idaho Fairgrounds

A little background on the semi-new country artist...Blake Shelton was born on June 18, 1976, in Ada, Oklahoma. Shelton was born a rising star. He has charted fifteen singles on the country charts, including five Number One hits: "Austin" (2001), "The Baby" (2003), "Some Beach" (2004-2005), "Home" (2008) and "She Wouldn't Be Gone" (2009). Besides these, he has charted two more Top Ten hits in the #10 "Goodbye Time" and the #4 "Nobody but Me".

So come and join all your other country music friends and support your favorite country singer, Blake Shelton, in a live and exciting country performance!

Top Headlines

May 29, 2009

People Are Crazy??? Well, that's what Billy Currington thinks as he made his way to the Top 15 this week with his song "People Are Crazy," on USA Today country singles chart. This song turned many heads with its lyrics. "I loved the title alone," Billy told The Norfolk Daily News. "It's so true because we are all crazy in our own ways. When I first saw the title of the song, it made me smile. I just couldn't wait to hear it." He continued to say, "You never know who you're talking to and how you affect them with whatever you said or did in that short time — and what's going to become of it after that," Billy noted. "In this case, the guy ends up with quite a few million dollars."

Where's Carrie Underwood?
The sign that once welcomed visitors to the "Home of Carrie Underwood" is gone from the city limits. On Interstate 40 and U.S. 69, four signs were posted after her big winning of American Idol. But, they were suprisinginly taken down. Has her hometown become Carrie haters? Of course not. The signs were actually given to the Governor Brad Henry. Turns out, they can only be allowed on state property for no more than two years. They might be put up again, but they would have to go up on city property. Cross your fingers Oklahoma!

Is Darryl Worley the new host of GAC's Top Country Countdown?
No, but he will be guest starring and joining host Nan Kelley to discuss this week's countdown. He has a new album on the way, called Sounds Like Life To Me, which will be in stores on June 9th. So look for Darryl Worley on this week's Top 20 Countdown!

This Week's Top 20 Countdown:

1. Carrie Underwood "I Told You So"
2. Kellie Pickler "Best Days Of Your Life"
3. Taylor Swift "You Belong With Me"
4. Lady Antebellum "I Run To You"
5. Billy Currington "People Are Crazy"
6. Miley Cyrus "The Climb"
7. Alan Jackson "Sissy’s Song"
8. Trace Adkins "Marry For Money"
9. Jason Aldean "She’s Country"
10. Rascal Flatts "Here Comes Goodbye"
11. Kenny Chesney "Out Last Night"
12. Dierks Bentley "Sideways"
13. Taylor Swift "White Horse"
14. Darius Rucker "It Won’t Be Like This For Long"
15. Rodney Atkins "It’s America"
16. Billy Ray Cyrus "Back To Tennessee"
17. Zac Brown Band "Whatever It Is"
18. Gloriana "Wild At Heart"
19. John Rich "Shuttin’ Detroit Down"
20. Dolly Parton "Backwoods Barbie"

Get COUNTRIFIED!!!

Singer SPOTlight...Carrie Underwood.

From small town country girl, to big town country star, Carrie Underwood has taken over the country music industry with her amazing voice and her many mulit-platinum selling albums. Her first album, Some Hearts, went seven times platinum and became the fastest selling country album in Nielson Sound Scan history. Her second album, Carnival Ride, sold over 2.8 million records and has produced five number one hit songs. She became the seventh female artists to win the "Entertainer of the Year Award." She also won "Female Vocalist of the Year" for the third time. Its hard to believe that this small, sweet, country girl, has blossomed into this beautiful and successful woman. She is the true "American Idol".

Top 20 Country Countdown

1. Carrie Underwood-I Told You So

2. Kellie Pickler-Best Days of Your Life

3. Lady Antebellum-I Run To You

4. Dolly Parton-Backwoods Barbie

5. Miley Cyrus-The Climb

6. Billy Currington-People Are Crazy

7. Heidi Newfield-Cry, Cry

8. Trace Adkins-Marry For Money

9. Rascal Flatts-Here Comes Goodbye

10. Sarah Darling-Jack of Hearts

11. Darryl Worley-Sounds Like Life To Me

12. One Night Rodeo-Alive and Living

13. Billy Ray Cyrus-Back To Tennessee

14. Eli Young Band-Always The Love Song

15. Darius Rucker-It Won't Be Like This For Long

16. Taylor Swift-White Horse

17. John Rich-Shuttin' Detroit Down

18. Alan Jackson-Sissy's Song

19. Jason Aldean-She's Country

20. Rodney Atkins-It's America

Roots of Country Music

Guys, Gals, and Gossip!

-One of Country's biggest stars and former "American Idol", Carrie Underwood, will be performing on American Idol tonight on the FOX network.

-On the Sunday epsiode of "The Celebrity Apprentince," Country music star, Trace Adkins, was fired and booted home.

-Clint Black was also kicked off "Celebrity Apprentince" Sunday night.

Here is your Top Ten Artists for May '09:

1. Taylor Swift
2. Kellie Pickler
3. Katie Arminger
4. Julianne Hough
5. Phil Vassar
6. Brad Paisley
7. Jimmy Wayne
8. Toby Keith
9. Trace Adkins
10. Sara Evans

Country music (or country and western) is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. It has roots in traditional folk music, Celtic music, gospel music, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the 1920s.

In the Southwestern United States a different mix of ethnic groups created the music that became the Western music of the term country and Western. The term "country music" is used today to describe many styles and subgenres.

While album sales of most musical genres have declined, country music experienced one of its best years in 2006. Country music listening nationwide has remained steady for almost a decade, reaching 77.3 million adults every week.

Country music has been popular for many years, and many years to come. It is the music of America!