From the category archives:

Taylor Swift

The Good:

Country sweetheart Taylor Swift is one of the few stars who’s actually as sweet as they look. Her record label president gave her a new hot pink truck on her 18th birthday. She has donated the truck to one of the coolest charities on the planet: the Victory Junction Gang, a charity that helps children with terminal illnesses.

Taylor also is actually laughing off a bizarre fan encounter that would have most stars speed-dialing their lawyers at best, knocking teeth out at worst. A fan apparently ran into the back of her car … and then asked for her autograph.

“Somebody hit my car and then asked me to sign a broken piece of my taillight,” she told the Canadian news site canoe.ca.

Then things got crazier as the first accident caused another one.

“It was crazy,” said Swift. “Five minutes later, this other woman saw me on the side of the road and decided that she wanted to get an autograph for her daughter. So she pulled over to get my autograph and then somebody hit her car. It was quite the experience!”

The Bad

I have received so many e-mails about Britney Spears. People ask me if I like her music (I have liked a lot of her old songs – they were fun, catchy, the girl has a good voice.), if I hate her (I honestly don’t hate anyone), and what I think of her train wreck of a life. I feel sorry for her, because personally I think she’s pretty messed up. If I were going to hate anyone, it’d be people who would take advantage of someone like Britney….like K-fed and a long list of others.

I think that, like most people, this whole thing ceased being even mildly amusing when she locked herself in a room with her two innocent little boys and refused to give them back. Reports say that the youngest, Jaden, even has a bruise where she was holding him so tight, refusing to let go of him.

The reports are probably blown way out of reason – just like the media has done to Britney’s entire life.

It seems to me that it’s like there are two Britneys. There’s the one that’s plasetered all over the internet, always doing stupid things and looking like a wild child. Then there’s the one that OK! magazine photographer Dani Brubaker photographed a few weeks ago with Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, for the latest issue. During the photo shoot, Brubaker says that the singer was focused on her sons. “She was very loving,” Brubaker recalls. “She told me she loved her children and that they are her life.”

Reportedly, Britney found Brubaker’s photos so powerful that she became emotional. “I’m told that when she saw the photographs she literally cried for over an hour and stared at them all night long,” says Brubaker.

A friend of Britney’s told the magazine that she is “inconsolable.” “Those boys are her everything, and she’s said repeatedly that life isn’t worth living if she can’t have her babies with her,” says the friend, who adds.”"Britney has always said, ‘I would die for my boys if that’s what it took to prove I loved them. I’d do anything for them.”

Like I said, two Britneys. But the problem is, they both are in the public eye and they both need help. Stat! I want to see Britney make it safely to the other side of this nightmare. I hope she gets the help she needs, gets her act together, and even gets on top of the recording industry. Mostly, I hope that she realizes how lucky she is to have those two beautiful little boys and becomes the mommy they need.

The Ugly

Jessica Sierra was sentenced Monday to a yearlong stint at a California rehabilitation clinic and three years’ probation. Sierra, who is just 22, was arrested last month for disorderly intoxication and resisting officers. She remained jailed Tuesday in Tampa.

Circuit Judge David Perry said he doesn’t “want anybody glamorizing the fact that she’s a drug addict.” He also said he didn’t want the sentence to be another screen test for Sierra.

How’s he going to stop the glamorizing thing – I mean, look at her picture, if that’s not glamorous, what is?

The What Took so Long?

Finally, from the Taylor on top (the Swift) to the Taylor on bottom (the Hick) – Taylor Hicks has apparently been dropped by J Records.

*** Apparently, after the photographer skank sold videos/pics of him and Britney to the tabloids, Britney kicked him to the curb. Well played, Brit.

Nominees for The CMA Awards

by Joi on August 31, 2007

Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood: Princess of Country Music!

“The 41st Annual CMA Awards” will November 7 on ABC, live from Nashville, of course. The nominees are pretty much the same lineup of suspects as every year, with a few originalities thrown in to keep things interesting. I put a * by each artist I WANT to win – and a @ by the one I THINK will win. I had a few ties, but I just couldn’t make up my mind.

Entertainer of the Year:
* Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Rascal Flatts
@ George Strait (Country Music loves, loves, loves their veteran artists.)
Keith Urban

Female Vocalist of the Year:
Alison Krauss
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
*@Reba McEntire (Reba’s pretty much the queen of Country Music and has always represented it with class.)
*Carrie Underwood (She’s been so amazing for Country Music, and is definitely the beautiful reigning princess.)

Male Vocalist of the Year:
*Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Josh Turner
*@Keith Urban (I think his popularity might cause them to give him the award, but it’s a toss up between him and Kenny.)

Horizon Award:
*Jason Aldean
Rodney Atkins
Little Big Town
*Kellie Pickler
@Taylor Swift

Vocal Group of the Year:
*@Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas
Dixie Chicks
Emerson Drive
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts

Vocal Duo of the Year:
Big & Rich
Brooks & Dunn
*Montgomery Gentry
*@Sugarland
The Wreckers (Love them, but it seems like they should be in the Horizon Award category.)

Single of the Year:
(Award goes to artist and Producer.)
“Anyway”
Martina McBride

*“Before He Cheats”
Carrie Underwood

*“Lost In This Moment”
Big & Rich

“Ticks”
Brad Paisley

“Wrapped”
George Strait

Album of the Year:
5th Gear
Brad Paisley

It Just Comes Natural
George Strait

Long Trip Alone
Dierks Bentley

@ Love, Pain & the whole crazy thing
Keith Urban

* These Days
Vince Gill

Song of the Year:
(Award goes to Songwriter and Primary Publisher.)

“Anyway”
Martina McBride/Brad Warren/Brett Warren

*“Before He Cheats”
Josh Kear/Chris Tompkins

“Give It Away”
Bill Anderson/Buddy Cannon/Jamey Johnson

*@ “Lost In This Moment”
John Rich/Keith Anderson/Rodney Clawson

“Stupid Boy”
Dave Berg/Deanna Bryant/Sarah Buxton

Musical Event of the Year:
(Award to each Artist)

*Reba McEntire with Kelly Clarkson
“Because of You”

Tracy Lawrence featuring Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney
“Find Out Who Your Friends Are”

@ Jimmy Buffett with George Strait and Alan Jackson
“Hey Good Lookin’” Live

Alison Krauss and John Waite
“Missing You”

* Vince Gill with Guest Vocalist Alison Krauss
“The Reason Why”

Music Video of the Year:
(Award goes to Artist and Director)

“Anyway”
Martina McBride

*“Before He Cheats”
Carrie Underwood

“Moments”
Emerson Drive

“Online”
Brad Paisley

* “You Save Me”
Kenny Chesney

Okay, you know that for the occasional American Idol gripe, I try to ride on a positive wave….and avoid negative currents (there’s far too much negativity everywhere else, right?). Eh, throwing that aside for just a minute or two. How in the name of all sanity can the Dixie Chicks be considered for anything? Why would Country Music want to acknowledge them at all? They’ve trashed the genre and tried to distance themselves as far from it as possible. – I’d have loved to see a complete snubbing.

I also don’t get Sugarland and The Wreckers not being in the Single of the Year or Song of the Year categories. I didn’t care for Martina’s, George Strait’s, and Brad Paisley’s songs. Fact is, I wanted to punch my radio every time “Ticks came on.” I know, I know, I”m off that positive wave but good, here, but I’m just saying…

I’m also surprised that Kenny Chesney’s “You Save Me” wasn’t a nominee for song of the year and single of the year. Beautiful song…beautifully done.

Jason Aldean
Jason Aldean: One of my picks for the Horizon Award

CMA Music Festival Fan Fair 2007

by Joi on July 7, 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!

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