Sarah Darling Premieres 'Blackbird'

　　
Black River Entertainment 　　Sarah Darling is one of several country stars lending her voice to the fight against cancer. She'll cover Paul McCartney's 'Blackbird,' both in concert and on a tribute album, as part of 'Let Us In Nashville,' a campaign benefiting the Women and Cancer Fund. The charity was established in memory of the legendary Beatle's late wife, Linda McCartney, who died of breast cancer in 1998.
"I'm very honored to be a part of the 'Let Us In' project, and it's always been a dream of mine to record one of my all-time favorite songs, 'Blackbird,'" Sarah tells The Boot. "I love what the song is about, and not to mention it's written by Sir Paul McCartney​. I pray that this project touches many lives and continues to grow bringing awareness for women and children fighting cancer."
Listen to the world premiere of Sarah's 'Blackbird' below.

Peter Max 　　'Blackbird' will be included on the compilation album, 'Let Us In Nashville -- A Tribute to Linda McCartney,' set to hit stores Nov. 21. Other artists covering McCartney songs on the project include Ricky Skaggs, Phil Vassar, Steel Magnolia, SHeDaisy and Chuck Wicks, among a long list of others from the country and pop worlds. See a full track list below, and pre-order the album here.
Sarah will join several of those artists at a special Let Us In show, November 7 at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. Hosted by actor/musician Jeff Daniels, who also contributes to the album, the concert will feature each artist performing one of their own songs and one McCartney tune. Tickets are still available and can be purchased here, with all proceeds going to the Women and Cancer Fund.
'Let Us In Nashville -- A Tribute to Linda McCartney' Track List:
Blue Sky Riders (Kenny Loggins​, Georgia Middleman​ and Gary Burr​) - 'Junk'
Juliana Cole - 'Bluebird'
Jeff Daniels - 'Heart Of The Country'
Sarah Darling - 'Blackbird'
Tommy Emmanuel - 'She's a Woman'
Nikki Shannon Fernandez - 'I Saw Her Standing There'
Cheyenne Kimball - 'Mull Of Kintyre'
Samantha Landrum - 'Pipes of Peace​'
Timothy B. Schmit, Mark Hudson, Laurence Juber​, Denny Seiwell - 'Every Night'
Ricky Skaggs - 'Listen to What the Man Said'
SHeDAISY - 'With A Little Luck'
Jordyn Shellhart - 'I Will'
Nancy Siranni - 'Calico Skies'
Steel Magnolia - 'Maybe I'm Amazed'
Phil Vassar - 'Lady Madonna'
Chuck Wicks - 'No More Lonely Nights'

David Nail's story behind the song

　　
Getty Images 　　It's all come down to this! The 2011 world champions of Major League Baseball will be crowned tonight (Oct. 28) following game seven of the World Series. But before the game is over, country music gets another turn in the spotlight. David Nail will perform 'God Bless America' during the seventh-inning stretch at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The Missouri native is certainly an appropriate -- and excited -- participant.
"I'm truly honored to be asked to sing 'God Bless America' tonight," says the singer. "Obviously being from Missouri and a Cardinal fan, just to be able to watch game seven in person is a once in a lifetime experience in itself."
Game seven was forced Thursday night by the Cards 10-9 victory over the Texas Rangers in the bottom of the 11th inning. This will be the first game seven of the World Series since 2002.
David isn't the only baseball-loving country star to have participated in the 2011 World Series. High school ball player Scotty McCreery led the charge with the national anthem during game one, in spite of a microphone malfunction. Game two featured Trace Adkins version of the 'Star-Spangled Banner,' while Ronnie Dunn sang the tune before the start of game four.
Last year, David, who grew up three hours south of St. Louis got a chance to try out for his favorite team.
"In my family there was no beach or Disney World for vacation -- just baseball," David told ESPN. "We'd get a cheap room as close to the stadium as we could, catch a game watching my faves like Willie McGee and Vince Coleman, and then go for a swim in the Holiday Inn indoor pool. It was great!"
Game 7 airs tonight on FOX beginning at 8:00 PM ET.

Country music Tim McGraw and Faith Hill

Country music Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have plenty to look forward to in the new year. The superstar husband and wife both have new albums in the works -- which they say may be the best they've ever done.
Faith, whose last studio album, 'Fireflies,' hit shelves in 2005, is working on a new set of tunes that recall her formative years. "I'm a lover of soul music," she tells Australian newspaper, the Sydney Morning Herald. "I was brought up in the church and that was the first music I ever heard and ever performed. I've tried to infuse that into my albums over the years but I haven't been able to do that until this one. I feel like I've dug a little deeper than previously. I fought for that space within myself and I found it."
Her spouse, who has been embroiled in a bitter legal dispute with his label, Curb Records, over his recording contract, says he also feels optimistic about his future in country music. "I really feel like there's a lot more ahead of me than behind me," he acknowledges. "I'm really just starting to figure out what I want to do and the music I want to make. I'm only about 30 percent into my career. It's been foothills until now."
The couple, who have been married for 15 years, will reunite on stage next year, when they perform a series of shows in Australia. The 2012 dates mark Tim's second tour Down Under, but the first for his superstar wife.
"Honestly, I didn't know what to expect in advance," he recalls of his tour through the country last year. "I wasn't sure if anyone knew who I was in Australia, so to come down there and sell out shows and get the reaction we did from the crowd just made it a no-brainer in terms of coming back."

Lionel Richie will perform live

A quarter-century after his last CMA Awards appearance, Lionel Richie will perform live at this year's ceremony, sharing the stage on Nov. 9 with Little Big Town, Darius Rucker and Rascal Flatts.
All three acts appear on Lionel's forthcoming 'Tuskegee' album, a collection of the superstar's greatest pop hits recast as country duets. The disc will also feature collaborations with Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson and Shania Twain, among others.
"Twenty-five years is too long to wait and we are thrilled to have Lionel back on the CMA Awards stage performing alongside our superstar acts," Steve Moore, chief executive officer for the CMA, said in a statement. "This is what the CMA Awards are known for. Those one-of-a-kind collaborations you don't want to miss because everyone will be talking about it the next day."
Explaining his decision to make a country record, Lionel -- who's sold more than 100 million albums and scored numerous hits as both a solo artist and member of the funk group the Commodores -- said he and the genre go back a long way.
"I was born and raised in Tuskegee, Alabama," the 'Dancing on the Ceiling' singer said in a press release. "I am a country boy and proud of it. To do this project just felt natural."
"Growing up with country, R&B, gospel, and classical music from my grandmother and pop, Tuskegee was the perfect melting pot for my influences as a writer," added Lionel, who previously appeared on the 1984 and 1986 CMA Awards telecasts, "and the title, 'Tuskegee,' is a validation of my growing up there-the place I call home."
The CMA Awards air at 8:00 PM ET on Nov. 9 on ABC.

Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles

Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles will once again host 'CMA Country Christmas.' The televised event returns to ABC on Dec. 1 for a second annual holiday celebration spotlighting festive country music.
"I love holiday traditions and am so excited to add hosting CMA Country Christmas to my new list of traditions now," Jennifer gushes. "I'm gonna have to up my game this second time around, so I'm putting [CMA Awards co-hosts] Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood on speed dial for hosting emergency consulting."
The two-hour special will feature many of today's top country artists performing traditional holiday favorites. The show will be taped in front of a live audience on Nov. 10 at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. Ticket prices begin at $25 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster or by calling (800)-745-3000.
"The recurring themes you find in country music are the foundation of what makes the holidays so meaningful -- the comfort of home, family and friends," says CMA Chief Executive Officer Steve Moore. "'CMA Country Christmas' will be wrapped in those traditions."
Performers are expected to be announced shortly. Set your DVRs for Dec. 1, 9:00 PM ET on ABC.

'Wanna Make You Love Me'

Let's face it, you could watch Andy Gibson's 'Wanna Make You Love Me' video on mute and it would still make you swoon! But pump up the volume, and you have an infectious love song to go with the country heartthrob's romantic clip.
"I've been so excited about the positive reaction people have had," Andy tells The Boot of his latest single. "It's been cool to hear how everyone finds different things to connect with in the lyric. There is something in that song for everyone. I know the first time I heard 'Wanna Make You Love Me,' I felt like there was magic all through it."
Andy wanted to stray from glitz and glamour for the video, instead choosing a relaxed, realistic setting. It's not his own home you see in the clip, but he wanted the set to really look like he lives there. "That's why I put so many personal items into the set design," he explains. "I've got my own guitars laying around the house, records from my collection ... Everything from my old tape machine to my vintage thermos are in the shots. It felt like home."
'Wanna Make You Love Me' was penned by famed Nashville songwriters Bobby Pinson and Jim Collins. It's one of the few songs on Andy's upcoming album that he didn't write himself. The Washington native has been playing guitar since he was nine and writing songs since the age of 12. John Rich discovered him singing in a Mexican restaurant (in Spanish!) and signed him to a publishing deal. Andy returned the favor by co-writing one of the biggest songs of the year, 'Don't You Wanna Stay,' recorded by Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson.

'Music of Your Life'

Fans anxious to hear new Neal McCoy music won't need to wait until next year after all! The iconic country singer, who announced earlier this year that in January 2012 he'd be releasing a new album produced by Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, will also release an album in November.
The 'Wink' singer will release a concert CD and DVD package of big band music, with both Neal and his band and Les Brown Jr. and His Band of Renown performing together. Charley Pride and Janie Fricke also appear on the new set of tunes, which includes several of Neal's biggest hits along with iconic tunes from the Great American Songbook.
'Music of Your Life, With Les Brown and His Band of Renown, Starring Neal McCoy, and Special Guests Charley Pride and Janie Fricke,' which was filmed as part of a PBS special, will be released on Nov. 8, just two months before 'XII,' his CD produced by Blake and Miranda, will hit shelves. After waiting seven years to release any studio albums, the 53-year-old is optimistic about the future.
"[The big band] project with Les Brown gave me the opportunity to do something I always wanted to do, sing with horns and a big band. I'd like to do more of that,' he notes. "Having Miranda and Blake involved in 'XII', the first project at my new label, Blaster Records, is huge for me. Not only do they have great vision, but they know when to have fun and when to get serious along with being fantastic musicians. I'm so excited about everything that's coming up."

Jason Aldean's 'Learning Year'

Jason Aldean has found that his fans will follow him just about anywhere when it comes to his live shows. When the singer decided to headline his My Kinda Party tour this year, he took a chance and booked amphitheaters throughout the summer and fall months. The results have been incredible for the Georgia native and his entourage.
"We've never tried to headline amphitheaters before, so this year we decided to jump in there with Tim McGraw, Keith Urban and Toby Keith and go for it," Jason tells The Boot. "We figured it would be a learning year for us, going in and seeing maybe only 12,000 of the 25,000 seats filled. But to go in and sell them out weeks in advance, that has far surpassed what we thought it would do."
As an example, Jason points to last year's show at Chicago's House of Blues where an audience of 2,500 attended. "This time we played to a sold-out crowd of 28,000 at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheater with Chris Young and Thompson Square. It's unbelievable to see how far it's come in the last year or so. It's incredible."
Jason's audiences are loud and appreciative as the superstar entertainer treats them to fan favorites including 'Dirt Road Anthem,' 'She's Country' and 'Big Green Tractor.'
"I've been waiting for this kind of thing to happen since I was 14," he confesses. "This is the tour I've been waiting to have and hoping it would be successful. You can't help but get a little jacked up when you go out there and see 22,000 people screaming and hollering for you."
One of Jason's more memorable recent shows was in Cincinnati, a date which had been postponed because of flooding.
"The fans waited two months longer to see us and when we walked out, they were ready!" he says enthusiastically. "When you walk onstage and the crowds are insane, then you as an entertainer feed of them. You know it's gonna be a good night. We want the people who pay for the tickets to come to the show and be entertained and exhausted when they leave. We hope they have fun and then get on the phone or computer to figure out when our show will be close by the next time so they can do it again."
While the stage is exciting, travel time can be a little less so. Jason says it seems like something is always happening to keep everyone on their toes. "Thompson Square didn't have a drummer because he broke his foot playing basketball, so my drummer was having to fill in for him. Then one day we were all waiting on the show and an ambulance comes screaming up because Chris Young's bus driver busted his head open on one of the bus mirrors."
It hasn't all been grueling, however. "One of the best times we had was when my drummer had his birthday while we were in San Jose, Calif.," the singer recalls. "We took him out and basically just took over this karaoke bar. We looked at pictures the next day and they looked like they were from the movie 'The Hangover.' We had a blast!"
Jason is on a short break right now, but resumes his My Kinda Party tour on Oct. 21 in Denver, Colo. He then heads for Salt Lake City, Utah, the next night and Reno, Nev. on Oct. 23.

Carrie Underwood, one of country's most glamorous stars

Carrie Underwood is one of country's most glamorous stars, but she's not afraid to get her hands dirty -- especially when it's for a good cause.
On Friday (Oct. 14), the 'Before He Cheats' hitmaker partnered with more than 200 volunteers to build a playground in her hometown of Checotah, Okla., CMT reports. Among Carrie's helpers was her mother, Carole, a former teacher in the school system.
The project was a collaboration between the singer's C.A.T.S. (Checotah Animal, Town, and School) Foundation, which she founded in 2009, and playground builders KaBoom!
"We had the most amazing day putting together something truly special for the kids and the community," Carrie said. "I'm so proud that so many volunteered their time to be here today."
The blonde bombshell reportedly got involved with planting, painting and assembling the pieces of the playground, and the whole thing came together in less than eight hours. Here's hoping she used the remainder of the day to work on her forthcoming fourth album, which she recently revealed is about halfway finished.

Kid Rock's shows

Kid Rock sold out several shows on his recently-wrapped Born Free tour with his good friend Sheryl Crow, and now the Detroit native is planning on hitting the road bound for several smaller venues, with the proceeds benefiting local charities in each city he visits.
The idea for his charity tour came from the fifth single, 'Care,' off the musician's 2010 album, 'Born Free.' "The song says 'the least that I can do is care' -- and I want to put my money where my mouth is," Kid tells Billboard. "Everyone knows that Detroit is hurting. But I want to show that even though we don't have a lot on our own plate, it doesn't mean the people of my hometown don't have compassion to share with others all over the country. At the end of the day we're all Detroit, we're one country, one family."
The singer-songwriter will use his own charity, the Kid Rock Foundation, to support his endeavor. Radio stations in each city will help determine which charity will receive the funds.
Kid Rock's tour, which includes Ty Stone as the opening act, will kick off on Nov. 10 in Atlanta, Ga. See the latest list of cities and dates on the trek below.
Nov. 10, Atlanta, Ga., Center Stage*
Nov. 11, Orange Beach, Al., The Amphitheater at the Wharf*
Nov. 13, Orlando, Fla., Citrus Bowl, Orlando Calling Festival*
Nov. 16, Silver Spring, Md., Fillmore
Nov. 19, New York, N.Y., Beacon Theatre
Nov. 20, Buffalo, N.Y., Town Ballroom
Nov. 22, Indianapolis, Ind., Egyptian Room
Nov. 23, Nashville, Tenn., Ryman Theatre
Nov. 26, Chicago, Ill., House of Blues
Nov. 29, Kansas City, Mo., Midland Theatre
Dec. 01, Denver, Co., Fillmore Auditorium
Dec. 03, Magna, Utah, The Great Saltair
Dec. 04, Boise, Idaho, Knitting Factory
Dec. 09, Indio, CA, Fantasy Springs Special Events Center*

Hank Williams, Jr. on 'Monday Night Football'

Following ESPN's decision to fire (depending on who you believe) Hank Williams, Jr. over derogatory comments the singer made last week about President Obama on Fox News, 'Monday Night Football' fans have been wondering who might replace Bocephus as the broadcast's lead-in musical performer.
For this week, ESPN has revealed, the slot will belong to former Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders, Motor City soul singer Jimmy Scott and the Selected of God gospel choir.
According to CMT, Sanders will preface the Lions' game against the Chicago Bears by narrating a performance that will include Scott and Selected of God collaborating on 'Aint No Love in the Hart of the City,' a '70s soul hit for Bobby "Blue" Bland.
No word yet on who might open subsequent 'Monday Night Football' telecasts, but an ESPN rep told the Detroit Free Press that Barry and company will not become regulars.
"The spot will look different every week," the rep said.

Christian artist Matthew West

Christian artist Matthew West has recorded seven albums since he first hit the airwaves more than 14 years ago, but this week marked a first for the Illinois native as he released his first-ever holiday album, 'The Heart of Christmas.' 'The Heart of Christmas,' which hit stores this week, spotlights several voices alongside Matthew's that you'll probably recognize.
"Since the beginning of my career, I've dreamed of making a Christmas album," the singer explains. "I'm so excited to finally get that chance this year! 'The Heart of Christmas' is a collection of original songs I've written, and some of my favorite classics. I was honored to have iconic artists like Amy Grant, Vince Gill and Mandisa from 'American Idol' join me on a few of the songs, and those are personal highlights for me."
The 12-song CD coincides with a made-for-TV movie of the same name. The film details the poignant story of 2-year-old Dax Locke, whose brave battle with cancer inspired Matthew's emotionally-charged song, 'One Last Christmas.' The film, which stars Candace Cameron Bure, George Newbern and Jeanne Neilson, will premiere on gmc (Gospel Music Channel) on December 4 at 7:00 PM ET.
In addition to promoting his new Christmas album, the married father of two girls is also crossing the country on his Story of Your Life tour, which is named after his new book that shares fan stories, detailing everything from drug-addiction to divorce.
"Through all this I have learned to never underestimate your audience," Matthew tells The Boot. "You never know who you are singing to or what can happen from your music. These stories made me look at my audience in a different way, but they also told me I'm exactly where I need to be."

The CMT Artists of the Year special

For the second year in a row, Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift and Jason Aldean will be honored during the CMT Artists of the Year special. Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley will also be spotlighted during this year's 90-minute show, airing on CMT Dec. 13.
The glamorous, invitation-only event will include dinner and a series of show-stopping live performances that will bring the honorees and their country music peers together for what promises to be a fun-filled evening.
The chosen artists of the year were selected based on sales, country radio airplay and concert grosses as a headliner or co-headliner. According to CMT, the five artists have cumulatively sold over 20 million single downloads and have garnered over 10.2 million video streams on CMT.com.
The special is scheduled to tape in Nashville and will feature cuisine prepared by season four 'Top Chef' winner Stephanie Lizard.

Highest-earning women

Forbes has released its list of the Top 10 highest-earning women in the entertainment industry, with country superstar Taylor Swift caught in a four-way tie for fourth place, earning a cool $45 million between May 2010 and May 2011. Taylor has the distinction of being one of music's richest women, coming in second only to pop phenomenon Lady Gaga, who raked in a whopping $90 million during the same time period.
The 'Sparks Fly' singer's self-made millions were earned through her music endeavors, most notably her wildly successful Speak Now world tour and the 2010 multi-platinum album of the same name. Although the singer-songwriter co-penned many of her past hits with other Nashville tunesmiths, Taylor solely wrote every song that appears on the standard and deluxe versions of her latest album, 'Speak Now,' including the huge crossover hits 'Mean,' 'Back to December' and 'Mine.'
Once again, talk show pioneer Oprah Winfrey tops the list of leading ladies, earning $290 million. According to Forbes' estimation, the talk show host and OWN Network founder is worth $2.7 billion.
Top 10 Highest-Earning Women in Entertainment:
Oprah Winfrey -$290 million
Lady Gaga - $90 million
Bethenny Frankel - $55 million
Gisele Bundchen - $45 million
Ellen DeGeneres - $45 million
Judge Judy Sheindlin - $45 million
Taylor Swift - $45 million
Katy Perry - $44 million
Beyonce - $35 million
Danielle Steel - $35 million
The latest millionaire countdown comes on the heels of Forbes' list of highest-paid country singers, with Taylor placing second behind country heavyweight Toby Keith. Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood and Sugarland round out the list.