NashvilleGab - Country music news and Nashville celebrity gossip

Carrie Underwood helps us with our New Years resolutions

 

Shania and Fred surface

 
Have you ever noticed that Shania is like some rare bird that you only see in June...of a leap year....when it's sunny and above 70 degrees?  Seriously, it's that rare.  I'm always so excited when I come across a picture of Shania doing anything no matter how mundane and normal.

So here's here's your latest rare sighting of Shania.

Shania and rumored boyfriend, Frédéric Thiébaud, were spotted catching a hockey game in Timmins, Ontario, Canada for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.  Hockey was't the only reason for Shania to be in Timmins, she's also there to take part in the Olympic torch run on Friday.

{Via Timmins Times}

It's a Christmas miracle! Kenny Chesney has a girlfriend

So did you read the story about Kenny Chesney buying a couple of high-end ankle biting pooches?  Seems Kenny and girlfriend Amy Colley flew into the Bardstown-Nelson County Airport in Kentucky on a puppy-buying mission back on December 18th.  They visited Cathy Adamson at Puppies Plus and bought up two itty bitty woodle teacup MaltiPoo puppies they named Molly and Dolly. The puppy above isn't one of Kenny and Amy's new pups but it does make you want to rush out and splurge on one of the $2500 creatures doesn't it? 

Okay, maybe not but still it's pretty darn cute.

Adamson told the Kentucky Standard that she had no idea who Kenny or Colley were until she had driven the pair back to the airport and got to get on board Kenny's private jet where the crew informed her she had just sold puppies to Kenny Chesney. Her response?  “If Mel Gibson walked up to my door I’d know him, but other than that … .”

Ha ha.  Love that.  She should have given Kenny the puppies for free just for the free advertising she's getting out of this story. 

But now for the part I don't quite understand. How the heck is Kenny dating anyone and I had no clue?  Last thing I heard he had told a Las Vegas paper that he was single and word was he and Amy had broken up.  That was months and months ago.  I think Kenny could give John Rich a run for his money in the dating-under-cover department.  Touche to Kenny.

Oh, and I wonder how long before PETA's writing Kenny to gripe about his expensive mutt designer puppy purchase.  The pounds are full people...save a puppy, save a few thousand bucks, shop your local shelter.

Kris Kristofferson, John Mellencamp, and Stephen King? Perhaps the oddest collaboration ever

Yeah, let's just throw in a boxer and Rosanne Cash to round out the WTF? factor.

Kris Kristofferson has done a heck of a lot of stuff in his really, really long career and he's collaborated with some surprising people, but this may just take the cake. 

According to Contact Music John Mellencamp has a new musical coming out called Ghost Brothers of Darkland County.  That in itself is sort of surprising to me, but throw in the fact that he's been working on the musical for years alongside Stephen King and you've got an off-the-wall collaboration.  But then you throw in Kris Kristofferson, Elvis Costello, Roseanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, and boxer Joe Frazier, all of whom are rumored to be taking part in the production, and you've got quite the mishmash cast. 

The show, which is described as "a sultry Southern gothic mystery with a blues-tinged, guitar-driven score" and focuses on the story of the death of two brothers and a young girl and the legend that grows out of the tragedy, reportedly will open September 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia.

And just for kicks, here's Kris, Elvis, Rosanne, John Mellencamp (still want to add Cougar in there), and Norah Jones singing Bobby McGee.

Holy crappola, the Taylors have split!

Oh man, the suits involved in the upcoming 'Valentine's Day' movie aren't going to be one bit happy about this. 

According to Us Magazine Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner are no longer Taylor squared or Taylor x2 or TayTay or any of those other cutesie names all us bloggers liked coming up with and have reportedly went their separate ways.

"It wasn't really developing into anything, and wasn't going to, so they decided they were better as friends," a source close to Swift, 20, tells Us. "There was no chemistry, and it felt contrived."

Darn, super sad face. 

So what could have done in the too-cute pair?  Apparently the puppy love was a little stronger on the werewolf side of things.  

However, the relationship officially fizzled when Lautner, 17, flew to Nashville for Swift's birthday party on Dec. 13, a friend of the singer reveals.

"He liked her more than she liked him," the source tells Us. "He went everywhere he could to see her, but she didn't travel much to see him."

So if the Swift-half of the duo did the breaking up does that mean that no good songs will be coming out of this relationship? 

The WWE is coming! The WWE is coming!

Okay, usually when I report on this person or that person deciding to give country music a try I rant and rave or at least mildly gripe.  This time I think I'll be completely nice because...well because this gal sort of scares the crap out of me and I'd prefer to keep all my limbs attached. 

See the latest person who wants to see how country music feels on their resume is Mickie James, a WWE diva who I seriously think could whip my ass and not break a nail doing it.

The wrestling gal, according to That Nashville Sound, will be releasing her first country single in February and then releasing her first album in March.

"I'm very blessed to have come across some really, really good people and gotten them on my team," Mickie told a New Jersey newspaper. "I was hoping to have all the vocals done by the end of this month, because obviously I want to release the single in February and the album in March."

Mickie has signed an exclusive personal recording contract with Nashville music producer Kent Wells who has produced projects for Dolly Parton and Neal McCoy among others.

Okay, now I need to go find some more news on Taylor, Carrie, Kellie or some other singer who if I make a snarky comment I'm not afraid of physical pain.

 

Taylor Swift buys a penthouse and sings for the sick kids

First off, let's start out with the great, uplifting story.  While you and I were busy stuffing our faces with too much pie and ham and wondering how in the world we could be related to our crazy family, Taylor Swift was giving a group of children the gift of a song. 

Taylor performed for patients and their families at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville on Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, 2009.  Check out loads of pictures over on The Tennessean's website here.

And now for a bit of I'd-like-to-pull-out-her-curls news.  I think most of us knew that Taylor had bought herself a condo.  But let me tell you that she didn't just buy herself a condo in a nice family neighborhood or building where kids play and small dogs romp and bark at little old men and women.  Nope, she bought herself a great big fancy penthouse.

Commence the hair-pulling fantasies! 

According to RealEstalker.com bought the 4,062 square foot, 3 bedroom, 4.5 bathroom penthouse in Nashville's Adelicia complex for nearly $2 million buckaroos.  Also reported to be a tenant of the "18-story mixed use tower" is Julianne Hough.  Check out the floor plan of Taylor's quaint starter home.

 

 

Shania Twain headed to a TV near you

  Hey, hey, hey, we finally have an air date for Shania Twain's 'American Idol' guest appearance.  Back in August of last  year Shania had hit Chicago to take the seat as a guest judge on the Fox show but had never found out when we could actually watch the episode.  Well it's finally been announced that the show will debut January 12th with Shania's episode airing January 19th.  Shania took part judging the auditions, you know, one of the the OMG-I-can't-believe-they-wore that/sang that/said that/sounded like that episodes.

And speaking of Shania, her 1997 CD Come On Overhas been surpassed as the best-selling album of the Nielsen SoundScan era by Metallica's self-titled 1991 album.

Boooooooo!!!!!

'Metallica' has now sold 15,490,000 copies, putting it at number one on Nielsen's release-to-date chart while 'Come On Over' has sold 15,487,000 units to date.  But never fear, Shania still holds the top-selling-album-by-a-female-artist spot so all is still right in the world.

Now if we could just get a new album out of the lady things would really be good.

Willie Nelson...once again saving the horses and touring

 
A lot of things happen this time of year....Christmas, New Years, unfulfilled resolutions.   But what you may not know is that something else happens this time of year that usually goes completely unnoticed - the BLM wild horse roundup - but Willie Nelson would like to change that. 

I live in an area that has a wild horse herd that is managed by the BLM (Bureau of Land Management).  I can drive about 30 miles up into the hills and see the majestic herd and it's something I feel truly blessed to be able to do.  Luckily the herd that hangs out in my area isn't that large so there really isn't much government interference; unfortunately in other areas that's not the case.  This time of year the BLM routinely rounds up wild mustangs for sale to the public as a way of thinning the herds and keeping them under control.  Some of the horses are scooped up and tamed by horse-loving people, but most are destined to spend the rest of their lives in holding pens, unadopted and unloved.  Unfortunately a lot of these wild horses will even end up on dinner tables, bought up by buyers who send the beautiful creatures to slaughter houses for human consumption. 

Yes, really.

I know, not a very pleasant thought. But don't go checking your local grocery store for horse meat, it actually gets shipped over seas to places like France.  And you thought eating snails and frog legs was bad.

Well Willie Nelson has once again stood up for the little guy - but this time the little guy just happens to have four legs, a bushy tail, and is one of THE best recognized symbols of the American West.  In an open letter he writes, "I got involved eight years ago when AWI (Animal Welfare Institute) first made me aware that American horses are being slaughtered and shipped overseas for human consumption.

"There are more wild horses in holding pens than in the wild. Something is wrong with that, so we must act now before the Bureau of Land Management has managed these magnificent animals into extinction."

Okay, now I do have to put in my two cents because this is actually something that I have personal interest in.  Like I said there is a wild horse herd near here.  I have several friends with former BLM round-up mustangs.  We have had many horses in the past and would give a mustang a wonderful home and have actually looked into adopting in the past.  The problem?  The BLM has so many rules to adopt that it's not even worth trying.  It's insane to me that wild horses would spend their lives in holding pens unadopted while people like us choose to not even try to give one of the horses a good home because of government red tape.  On top of that, if horse over population is a problem why don't they just fix the horses?  Geld the males and neuter the females?  It seems a lot less cruel than what is currently happening.  I'm all for managing the horses so that there will hopefully always be wild horses running free, but what the government's currently doing doesn't seem to be working. 

Okay, I'm off my rocker soap box now.  Willie Nelson and the wild horse issue actually goes back years.  Here's a couple videos from years past.

Second video is from HSUS but has Willie Nelson talking about saving horses.  It does have some sad/disturbing images so please be aware if you plan on watching.

And while we're on the subject of Mr. Nelson, here's a few tour dates of his for your concert-viewing pleasure....

January 2010

• 7 - El Paso, TX - Abraham Chavez Theatre
• 8 - Fort Worth, TX - Billy Bob's Texas
• 9 - Houston, TX - Arena Theatre
• 12 - Baton Rouge, LA - Varsity Theatre
• 13, 14 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
• 15 - Bossier City, LA - Horseshoe Casino & Hotel/Riverdome
• 16 - Biloxi, MS - IP Casino, Resort & Spa
• 17 - Montgomery, AL - Montgomery Performing Arts Centre
• 19 - Huntsville, AL - Von Braun Center
• 21 - Dothan, AL - Dothan Civic Center Arena
• 22 - North Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues
• 23 - Augusta, GA - William B. Bell Auditorium
• 24 - Macon, GA - Macon City Auditorium
• 26 - Bristol, TN - Viking Hall
• 28 - Kenansville, NC - Duplin County Events Center
• 29 - Rome, GA - The Forum
• 30 - Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

February 2010

• 11 - Jacksonville, FL - Florida Theatre
• 12 - Fort Meyers, FL - Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall
• 13 - Boca Raton, FL - Sunset Cove Amphitheatre
• 14 - Tampa, FL - Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
• 16 - Richmond, VA - The National
• 17 - Danville, KY - Norton Center
• 19 - Evansville, IN - The Centre
• 20 - Springfield, MO - Shrine Mosque
• 21 - Hot Springs, AR - Summit Arena
• 23 - Wichita, KS - The Cotillion
• 27 - Mission, TX - Las Palmas Race Park
• 28 - San Antonio, TX - Majestic Theatre

April 2010

• 17 - Florence, AZ - Country Thunder USA

Ace Underwood, fatherless no more

Well Christmas has come and gone and while I'm sure we all had a great Christmas this year, I think Carrie probably had just about the best one of all.  Not only did she get engaged but she got THAT ring - a flawless yellow diamond worth about as much - or more - as most people's homes (just a guess). But while most of us are drooling over the rock Carrie's now sporting, Carrie herself is happy about getting engaged for another reason - her baby's now got himself a daddy.

Yep, Ace Underwood now has someone to call papa.

Ace her dog in case you're confused.

Carrie took to her fan club site to update her fans on what has been going on in her life from the too-much-food she's been eating back home in Checotah, Oklahoma to the "pink warm fuzzy socks to keep my tootsies nice and toasty," and of course what everyone's been talking about, the engagement to her hockey-playing-hunk Mike Fisher.

"I think you all know what Santa left under the tree for me this year...a fiance! Woo hoo!"

She goes on to say that Ace "is finally going to have a dad! We all couldn't be happier!!!" 

Awwww.  No word on whether Ace will be changing his last name to Fisher but I'll definitely keep you posted on that one.

{via Yahoo's OMG!}