July 2007

From e-mails and comments, I know some of y’all are as into country music as I am - so I thought you might appreciate more Country Music flavored posts. I like to represent a lot of different genres of music on the blog and one of the main reasons is I listen to every conceivable genre, myself. I can’t imagine EVER getting locked into just one…not when there are so many great artists spread across the board.

Variety is the spice of life and music’s one of those areas where the more spice you have, the yummier it is!

The pics below are from CMA Music Festival Fan Fair 2007 . Click each miniscule t-nail to see the larger pic.

Big & Rich and Cowboy Troy:

Jennifer Nettles (Sugarland):

Sara Evans:

Bucky Covington:

Miranda Lambert:

Jason Aldean:

Billy Currington:

Taylor Swift:

Kellie Pickler:

Gretchen Wilson:

++++If there’s anyone in particular you want to see more pics of, leave a comment and I’ll add them asap!

An interview with Elliott Yamin recently ran in an Arizona newspaper. Below are a few of the most interesting Q/A’s. This guy’s so likeable, I hope he has a ridiculously huge career!

You keep in touch with your fellow Season Fivers?

“I keep in touch with quite a few people. Bucky Covington and Taylor Hicks were my best friends on the show. I talked to Taylor probably about a week ago when we were in St. Louis and Bucky a couple of weeks ago. I talk to Ace Young all the time. Ace has probably become one of my better friends post-show. He lives in L.A., pretty close to where I live.

“We talk about more personal stuff than the business stuff. Everyone has been so busy, they just want some normalcy.”

What did you want to achieve with your first solo album?

“I just wanted to bring raw, soulful music. I didn’t want it to get overproduced or sound too copy. There is an eclectic mix of sounds on the record. I wanted to work with as many people as I could and have as many different sounds as I could. There are some sounds on there for the blue hairs, for the young folks and for everyone in between. Had I been on a major label, I wouldn’t have been able to record that way. I am proud of how we accomplished it. I am looking forward to the next record.”

Any projects on the horizon?

“I did a big Christmas deal with Target. I will be recording that album in July. We go out on the road and do the second leg of the tour in August and September. Then it is on to the next album.”

Can’t wait for the Christmas music!

Click each pic for the larger Elliott.

These pics of Ace Young are from the American Idol Season 6 Finale. I could’ve/would’ve sworn I had added them already. Oh well, better late than never, eh?!

Click each t-nail for the larger version.

As always, feel free to use the pics we post on the blog - just PLEASE give a link back. So far, everyone has been amazingly awesome about doing this - so we’ve always been able to leave the pics unmarked. You do us a favor, we do you a favor. Works beautifully!

One of my personal favorites, Kanye West, was in Concert at the Manchester Apollo on July 2, 2007. Click each thumbnail to see the larger pic…it’ll open in a new window.

With so many American celebs making anti-American comments and making big deals of moving overseas, It’s absolutely refreshing to see one that’s proud to be American - and doesn’t mind saying so. Justin Timberlake….a celeb who does very little wrong, it seems…even went one better - he gave a much-deserved shout out to the men and women serving our country.

During his July 4 concert in London (in front of more than 18,000 fans), Justin took a break from dancing with his 1920’s-styled dancers to join his band and raise a champagne glass to America:

“Because it’s American Independence Day, I propose a toast,” he said to the cheering crowd. “This one goes out to our troops fighting for our freedom.”

Too cute for words!