NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Country singer and "Dancing With The Stars" pro Julianne Hough isn't making her romantic life public, but she is giving hints that rumors linking her to "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest are true.
When asked Tuesday whether she is dating Seacrest, Hough laughed and said that she wasn't going to confirm or deny anything. While she answered, Hough looked up and to the right with a coy smile on her face.
Hough went on to say: "Ryan's great. He's a really good guy."
Hough was in Nashville to participate in the ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp for people with Williams Syndrome. She sang karaoke with the campers at a local bar and signed autographs.
By CAITLIN R. KING, Associated Press Writer – Tue Jun 22, 2:35 pm ET NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Big names from all music genres are coming together for a benefit concert Tuesday to help victims of last month's devastating flood in Nashville. Faith Hill, who is leading the Nashville Rising concert with husband Tim McGraw, said just bringing everyone in the Nashville community together in the same venue will be powerful. "Sometimes the only way we can possibly do that is to experience a tragedy like we did in the last couple of months," she said. "The musicians on stage have gone through it. Some of them have lost every instrument they ever owned, and some in the audience have lost their homes and their businesses. So we've been through this together, and we're going to pull ourselves up." The all-star line up for Tuesday night's concert includes McGraw, Hill, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Lynyrd Skynrd, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and ZZ Top. A statement on the Brooks & Dunn Website said the duo had to pull out due to illness. Performer Julie Roberts is a flood victim herself. "We went upstairs to the second floor and had to wait to be rescued for about 5 1/2, 6 hours. We lost our home that day. We lost all of our belongings, all of our cars, but we were rescued and my four dogs were rescued." She also broke her ankle during the ordeal. "It can heal," she said, with a quiet peace about her. "I'm alive and my mom's alive and my sister's alive, and I'm here to talk about it, and I'm here to sing tonight. So I feel very blessed." McGraw said the timing of the concert — nearly seven weeks after the flood May 1 and 2 — was intentional, to bring another wave of disaster relief funds to the city. "What's really the part that is the most work right now is neighborhoods, where people live and where their families live," he said. "That's where the focus is for us now is families and neighborhoods and for people to get their homes and their lives back together." Ellen Lehman, president of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, says Nashville is moving from the stabilization phase to the restoration phase where the unexpected expenses of a disaster are most acutely felt. "Since the flood, (families) are not only required to pay their mortgage and the rest of their bills, but they're also needing to pay rent," she said. "Going forward...they're going to have to find the money to rebuild. That is a huge unexpected burden, and there will be people who can't financially put together a package that will allow them to do that, and they're going to have to walk away from their homes." Lehman said over 37,000 people have filed claims with FEMA throughout 40 counties in middle Tennessee. Officials say the flooding caused over $2 billion in damage. Jason Aldean said he is grateful to McGraw and Hill for organizing the event. "All of us, all the artists involved in this thing have all adopted Nashville as our home," he said. "It's our community, and our city, and we want to help out as much as anybody. This town was built on music and who better to help the community out than the artists that kind of helped to build the city?" Organizers hope to raise upward of $2 million. The sold-out concert is Tuesday at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. __ Online:http://www.nashvillerising.org
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Forget eHarmony. When it comes to pairing up musicians, "CMT Crossroads" is the ultimate matchmaker.
"I see them sort of as arranged marriages," said pop star John Mayer of the series that pairs country music stars with artists from other genres.
Mayer is featured on a new episode with country singer Keith Urban that premieres on CMT Friday.
"I think at some point it would've been inevitable that we came together and played guitars together, so the only thing that's missing is we didn't just sit together and play guitars and say, 'Hey, let's do a 'Crossroads.' It was more like people who knew us and knew each other thought that would be something that made sense, and within seconds we both knew that it did."
After just a day of rehearsing for the show, Mayer and Urban were already finishing each other's sentences when describing how they put off preparing for the gig.
Mayer: "It is not our strong suits as musicians to ..."
"To be organized," said Urban.
"Yeah, we're not administrative creatures," continued Mayer. "When people say, 'Did you call Keith yet?' or 'Did Keith call you yet?'... I'm like, 'No. We're not going to call each other until we totally have to.' It's never a disrespect. It's just really hard to cold call another artist and go, 'Hey, it's John here. Want to talk about these songs?'"
But finally, Urban phoned Mayer.
"I think I said to you, 'I'm sitting at my house with a guitar and a bit of unexpected time, and I thought, well now is a good time to learn those John Mayer songs — if I only knew which ones they were!'" said Urban.
The duo ended up collaborating on Urban's hits "Til Summer Comes Around," "Sweet Thing" and "If Ever I Could Love." They sang Mayer's songs "Perfectly Lonely" and "Gravity" as well as a cover of "Faith" by George Michael.
This is the first time that the series is bringing back "Crossroads" alumni. Mayer was featured with Brad Paisley in an episode that premiered in May 2004. Urban performed with John Fogerty on a show that aired in February 2005.
One reason the series is such a success is its appeal to fans and artists alike.
"When you've been playing these songs for months or years, it's really great to hear another element on them," said Mayer. "
Urban says he loves seeing the "collaborative mojo" during episodes of "Crossroads," because "sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't."
"I also think it's important to find some musical common ground where it makes sense if you're going to collaborate with someone," added Urban. "I think in the case of John and I, we both play guitar. We both sing. We both write songs. I'm trying to find a lot of the commonality between us, where you can actually see the connection between his music and mine."
The series started in January 2002 with Lucinda Williams and Elvis Costello. Over eight years, it has featured artists including Hank Williams Jr. and Kid Rock, Brooks & Dunn and ZZ Top, Kenny Chesney and John Mellencamp, Sugarland and Bon Jovi, Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, Taylor Swift and Def Leppard, Zac Brown Band and Jimmy Buffett and many more.
Chesney returns to the "Crossroads" stage with The Steve Miller Band in a new episode premiering Friday, July 9.
In honor of Father's Day, country stars Lady Antebellum, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Randy Houser and Justin Moore reflect back on nuggets of wisdom their dads gave them.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Country music fans are flooding downtown Nashville where water flowed just over a month ago.
The CMA Music Fest is always an important event for the city, but especially this year, since flooding that began May 1 caused over $2 billion in damage.
"I think everybody is really conscious about the flood relief and stuff like that that's going on," Carrie Underwood said. "There's a lot of charity events this week for flood relief. It's just really cool, too, the show must go on, to get out and do our thing."
Underwood performed on Music Fest's opening night Thursday at LP Field, one of the many structures that suffered extensive flood damage. There will be concerts there every night through the festival's closing on Sunday.
"This year I just think it's so much more important," Miranda Lambert said. "It's everybody coming together in a city that really needs support right now, and it's people that all have one thing in common, which is country music and the love of country music."
Lambert was scheduled to perform at LP Field on Friday night.
Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum, a native of Nashville, acknowledged how much effort it took to pull off this massive event.
"The artists like us, we owe everybody with the CMA, every volunteer, everyone who has worked so hard to get the facilities back to a point where they could hold people and the show could go on," she said. "It's been a lot of work. We're thankful, because that's a way for a lot of money to be pumped back into the city. And it's one of the most fun weekends of the year in Nashville."
Her band performed a number of their hits Thursday night, including "Need You Now," "American Honey" and "I Run to You."
Tim McGraw couldn't wait to perform Thursday night.
"I've been on tour all summer, but this is the first time I've played at the new Fan Fair site, the CMA Fest. I still call it Fan Fair," he said, smiling. "But it's the first time I've played in this setting in a long, long time. I can't remember the last time, so I'm excited about it."
After all, stadium gigs are what many artists only dream about. Lady Antebellum guitarist Dave Haywood agreed.
"It's the top of the top," he said. "We played some last year with Kenny Chesney, but the energy here, when everyone comes from around the country and the world for these shows. ... There's nothing like it."
"Most of us don't know what it's like to go out and play in a stadium other than Chesney," said Jason Aldean. "So for us it's exciting to go out and play in front of that many people, and you know that every single person in that crowd is a country music fan. You know they are or they wouldn't be here this week. For me that's the coolest part about it."
Fans are a priority for artists this week, but that's not all.
"The other important side of this festival is obviously the flood, and the fact that we're able to go and show that we've risen from this as a city by having this festival," said Brad Paisley, who lost many of his guitars and other touring gear stored at Soundcheck, a popular storage and rehearsal space that was submerged.
"I know the importance of that myself, having had to go back out there and do shows with all new guitars and a crew that's very tired. This town is ready, and it's excited about the prospect of having something like this happen this quickly and be a success."
AssociatedPress—June 15, 2010 — Fifteen-year-old Riley Ahlstrand is now on a first name basis with her favorite singer thanks to an e-mail she sent to the Country Music Association, asking for Carrie Underwood to perform at CMA Music Fest.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – It has taken at least a decade, but British model Karen Elson finally is out of the closet with her debut album, "The Ghost Who Walks."
The closet literally is where she would go, time and again, to write songs — and until recently, that's where they stayed.
"My closet is a completely messy, disorganized place filled with way too many clothes and mess everywhere, but it was a safe place on many different levels," she said. "First of all, it was a quiet place, which I really need to be quiet when I'm writing a song, or at least feel like I'm completely alone, but maybe on a subconscious level I just was sort of hiding myself."
One reason Elson hesitated to reveal her work is because she's married to uber-rocker Jack White, front man and guitarist of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs and drummer for The Dead Weather.
"I'd never heard her talking about making an album or recording a song or even writing a song," said White in a separate interview. "I'd never heard her talking about any of those things. She'd been in this political cabaret group called the Citizens Band for years, and I'd always known she sings like an angel, gorgeous voice."
"But then I came across that she had been writing a couple songs — she'd just been hiding them," he added.
"I was," admitted Elson. "But it wasn't that I was purposely hiding them from him. ... The way I write songs I've come to realize is that it's a very, very isolated experience for me, and I keep it very private until I feel ready to let them go."
Elson felt "daunted" when she finally played White the first couple of songs she had written for the record.
"It was so many different emotions," said Elson. "... to be so vulnerable as well and show the person that you're in a relationship with another side of you, something they know about, but maybe he didn't know how deeply involved I was."
After hearing a few songs, White coaxed her to reveal more, and they eventually went into the studio to record them.
"I put together a band and I played drums for her. We just thought, 'Let's see where we can go with this. Who knows what it's going to be like?' It turned into something incredible," he said, describing the album as a mix of folk, country and gothic music and a "beautiful voice on top of it."
Raconteurs, Greenhornes and Dead Weather bassist Jack Lawrence played on Elson's record, which was released on White's label, Third Man Records, last month. He hopes that Elson's career as a supermodel doesn't cause possible listeners to pass judgment prematurely.
"I hope people aren't cynical about it and dismiss it," said Lawrence. "It's a really good record, and if you take the time and really listen to it, I think you'll find out that there are good songs there."
Elson hopes people will focus on the music as well.
"I hope that people will just take it as the record it is," she said. "If people listen to it and say, 'Oh, it's that model singing,' fair enough. Ultimately I can't change people's opinions, and I don't really care to, either."
At 31, Elson acknowledges that she has had a "surreal" life, traveling the world as a model for the past 15 years and living in what she calls "some really strange places." But these days, Elson, White and their two children live in Nashville. Elson says it is "the most natural and relaxed day-to-day life" she's had since she was 16. As a result, she has had the time and space to reflect upon her life, pick up a guitar and write songs about it. And she plans to continue — which will mean a return to that unkempt closet.
"Everytime I write a song I still go in the bloody closet and lock the doors," she said. "For whatever reason that's become the unofficial office I guess."
By CAITLIN R. KING, Associated Press Writer Caitlin R. King, Associated Press Writer – Wed Jun 9, 8:03 am ET
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Kid Rock won't be too far out of his comfort zone as host of the Country Music Television Awards. It will be kind of like throwing a party.
"They're just kind of loose and fun, and they're geared that way — to have fun," he said of Wednesday's event, to be aired live on the network from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena.
"You go to the Grammys, and it's very serious. You're just like, 'Man, everyone lighten up a little bit. It's fun. It's music. Let's celebrate,'" he said. "And that's just kind of the atmosphere at the CMT Awards, just really laid back, really fun, got some over-the-top performances, a little riff raff here and there. It just creates for a good atmosphere, good time."
Kid Rock wouldn't reveal too much of what's going to happen during the show, but he did offer up a possible scenario.
"There will probably be (a moment) where I propose to Kellie Pickler," he said. "She'll immediately dump me as I'm flirting with Carrie Underwood. I'll probably be smacked by Miranda Lambert for the whole fiasco. Then me and Jamey Johnson will go get drunk."
When informed that Lambert is now engaged to fellow country artist Blake Shelton, Kid replied: "I'm not messing with Blake or Miranda. I'm actually more scared of Miranda."
Back in April, he announced on his website that he would be hosting the CMT Awards by writing, "All I can promise is I will be awesome."
Asked how he would live up to that promise, he smirked and said: "This is where the cocky me comes out ... How could I not be awesome?"
Even though he is known to many for his rock music, over the years he has made Nashville a second home through collaborations with artists including the Zac Brown Band, Willie Nelson and Gretchen Wilson.
Unlike many artists from other genres who occasionally try to crossover into country music, fans and artists seem to have embraced Kid Rock. His 2008 song "All Summer Long" was a top 5 hit on the country singles chart, and the video won a CMT Award last year. He also taped an episode of "CMT Crossroads" with Hank Williams Jr. in 2001 and had a country hit in 2002 with the song "Picture," sung with Sheryl Crow.
"I'd like to say it's because I'm skinny. I'm cute. I'm fun at parties, but I don't think that's the real reason," he said of his appeal to country listeners. "I think it boils down to the music, maybe the honesty if I had to take a guess."
In addition to his hosting duties, Kid Rock also will be performing on the show. Others in the lineup include Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, the Zac Brown Band, Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Jamey Johnson, LeAnn Rimes, Keith Urban and John Mayer.
Being pals with some of the top names in country, including some of Wednesday's performers, is why Kid Rock won't consider his hosting duties as a work night.
"The country community is kind of small, and I've been fortunate to make a lot of great friends in it," he said. "I'm just looking forward to seeing everybody and definitely looking forward to some sort of after-party. I guess hosting the show is a good excuse to throw a good after-party, right?"
