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Blake Shelton reschedules shows after death of father

Blake and Dick Shelton on Blake and Miranda's wedding, May 14, 2011 (photo via BlakeShelton.com)

So sad.  Last night a press release was issued stating that Blake Shelton's father, Dick, had passed away.  Unsurprisingly, Blake has had to reschedule a few tour dates.  

My heart is with you Blake, Miranda, and everyone else who loved and respected the elder Shelton.  

It is with much sadness that we announce the passing of Blake Shelton's father, Dick Shelton. Mr. Shelton, who was in declining health this past year, was surrounded by loved ones in Oklahoma upon his passing this evening. Due to this unfortunate event, the following dates of his "Well Lit & Amplified Tour 2012" have been rescheduled: Rapid City, SD (1/19), Bismarck, ND (1/20), Billings, MT (1/21) and Bozeman, MT (1/22). The rescheduled dates in March are listed below.

"I appreciate your understanding during this difficult time and thank you for all your prayers. Your support means the world to me. I love you guys," said Blake.

Rescheduled Dates:

Bismarck, ND             March 20th

Rapid City, SD            March 21st

Bozeman, MT             March 22nd

Billings, MT                 March 23rd

Tickets for the above-mentioned January dates will be honored at the rescheduled dates in March.  Refund requests will be honored at the original point of purchase. For up-to-date tour information, visit BlakeShelton.com.

The "Well Lit & Amplified Tour 2012" will continue as scheduled next week in Columbus, GA on Jan. 26.

Another country grandbaby on the way

George Strait, wife Norma, son George 'Bubba' Strait, Jr., and Tamara Shipman at the 2009 George Strait: ACM Artist of the Decade All Star Concert

Hey everyone, guess what? Billy Ray's not the only country grandpappy-to-be, nope, George Strait's kid's brewing up a new generation too!

George Strait's son Bubba and his lovely wife of nearly a year, Tamara, are expecting their very first baby in February.  

You may remember hearing about Bubba in the country news lately since he's a cowriter of George's new hit single Here for a Good Time.  

I tell you what, celebrity grandbaby news excites me as much if not more than celebrity baby news anymore.  Must be my age.  

Congrats to the expanding Strait family!

Arrest made in the disappearance of Whitney Duncan's cousin, Holly Bobo

Finally!

Back on April 13th, Holly Bobo, cousin of country singer Whitney Duncan, was kidnapped from her Parsons, Tennessee home at 7:30 in the morning.  Despite her older brother witnessing the abduction by a man wearing camouflage, it seemed that little progress had been made in the case. 

But apparently someone had been doing their job behind the scenes because the Daily Mail is reporting that a fugitive sex offender was questioned by police in Duluth, Minnesota about the case and then was subsequently arrested in connection with Holly's disappearance.   

Victor George Wall, 43, seen above in a 2007 mug shot, was convicted over 20 years ago for child molestation in Washington and reportedly lived near Holly's home at the time of the abduction.  Police had been searching for him so that they could question him about Holly's disappearance, but didn't have any luck until they finally tracked him down at his girlfriend's house in Minnesota.  He was asleep when police entered the home and he was arrested without incident.

Wall is sitting in the St. Louis County Jail where he's awaiting extradition to Tennessee.  

Now let's hope that if this is the right person, he just comes clean and let's this family have a little peace after what's sure to have been four months of hell.  

Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman show off their Gerber Baby

Photos: Bauer Griffin

Oh. Oh. Oh.  Look at dem cheeks.  

Squeal!  

Okay, I'm not actually sitting here squealing like a blubbering fool, but it did seem like the appropriate thing to write at the moment considering the magnetic pull I felt from those chubby little baby cheeks.  

I dug around a bit and I do believe this is the first good picture we've gotten of Keith and Nicole's 5-month-old Gerber Baby Faith.  

Too precious. 

The family, including Sunday Rose, were spotted at LAX tonight, May 24th, headed for destinations unknown.  

Check out more pictures of the happy clan here.  

Natalie Maines and the family make an appearance

Don't get to see former Dixie Chick Natalie Maines too often these days so it's nice to see her out and about with the whole clan.  

Natalie, hubby Adrian Pasdar, and cutiepie sons 7-year-old Beckett Finn and 10-year-old Jackson Slade all attended Saturday's premier of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.  

Keith Urban sees you

 
Keith Urban and the family make an appearance in Sydney, Australia today where Nicole is in town to promote her new movie Rabbit Hole. 

{Photo via the Daily Mail}

Craig Morgan loses beloved mother

 

Photo via CraigMorgan.com 

My condolences go out to Craig Morgan who lost his mother, Betty Sue Crockett, this weekend after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Her obituary from The Tennessean.com...

CROCKETT, Mrs. Betty Sue, Age 63, Sat. July 3, 2010, peacefully at her home. Known to family and friends as Mammy, born in Davidson County, she was the daughter of the late Hardy Bell and Mable Claire Rice Jones. Loving Wife, Mother, cabinet maker, and was an amazing cook to her family and friends. She was of the Baptist faith. Survivors include her husband, Thomas A. Crockett; her children, Craig Greer and his spouse, Karen, Joey Greer and his friend, Sherry, Pebbles Chivers, Gina Robertson and her spouse, Robby; her sixteen grandchildren, Marisa, Jessica, Alexandra, Colton, Caitlyn, Kyle, Samantha, Courtney, Jacqualyn, Scotty, Cody, Jerry, Wyatt, Skylar, Jacob and Luca; her one great granddaughter, Bailey; her brothers, Ronnie Jones, Gary Jones and his spouse, Terry, Kenny Jones and his spouse Jo; several nieces and nephews and friends. Her remains are in the care of the Taylor Funeral Home, Dickson, TN, where visitation will be Tuesday, July 6th from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. Funeral services will be conducted Wed. July 7, 2010 at 9 a.m. from the Chapel of the Taylor Funeral Home with Bro. Archie Mason, officiating. Grandsons will serve as casketbearers. Place of rest will be in the Tennessee Veterans Cemetery in Pegram. Those desiring memorials may be made to Center for Pancreatic Cancer research or to Billy's Place (a home to be built for displaced children) c/o Taylor Funeral Home, 214 N. Main St. Dickson, TN 37055. With respect the family asks that no cell phones, cameras or videos be present during their visitation and funeral service. Services under the direction of the TAYLOR FUNERAL HOME, Dickson, TN, 446-2808. TaylorSince1909.com

Kenny Chesney's dad sued for slander

Uh oh.  Kenny Chesney's pops is in some deep crappola after saying some not so nice things - allegedly - about a maintenance worker. 

Kenny's father, Dave Chesney, has had a $450,000 slander lawsuit filed against him by Darrel Johnson, a maintenance worker for the Claiborne County school system, the same school district that Dave Chesney's a school board member. 

According to the lawsuit, Johnson is accusing Chesney of spreading lies about him and telling several people including Johnson's boss that he had "a criminal record a mile long with a list of felonies," the lawsuit states.

Johnson, however, has never been convicted of a felony and doesn't actually have a criminal record. 

The lawsuit alleges that the false statements were made at a school board meeting last year and caused Johnson to fear losing his job. 

"He has his own agenda, and I don't want to second-guess what his agenda is," Johnson said when asked about Chesney's motive for allegedly spreading lies about his client.

Johnson's lawsuit seeks $150,000 for compensatory damages, $150,000 for injury to his reputation, and $150,000 in punitive damages. 

Sticks and stones may break your bones but words will definitely cost you. 

What are you getting your mom for Mother's Day? Miranda gets hers a magazine cover

Sure Miranda, make the rest of us look bad.  Wonder if there's a way to get my mom on the cover of People Magazine for Mom's day.  I may just have to work on that.   

Anyway, Miranda and her mom, Bev, appear on the special Mother's Day issue of Country Weekly which hits stores May 3. Mother's Day is Sunday, May 9th for those of you getting ready to Google it. 

In addition to joining her mom on the cover of a magazine, MIranda will also be helping another family celebrate Mom's Day by joining the cast of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (airing May 9th on ABC) to help make dreams come true for one lucky Oklahoma family.   Miranda will be a volunteer and will also be performing her song The House That Built Me on the show. 

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get going on getting my mom on the cover of People Mag. 

Wasn't Nicole supposed to be a presenter at the Oscars?

With the Oscars airing last night I had figured that Keith and Nicole would be there strutting their stuff on the red carpet. Well imagine my surprise when pictures popped up this morning of the pair and their cutie patootie daughter, Sunday, in Sydney, Australia.

Wasn't Nicole announced not too long ago as a presenter at last night's show? Hmm.

Who knew Nicole was such a rebel?

And speaking of Keith, here he is performing Til Summer Comes Around from his free concert he gave last week that aired on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" last night after the Oscars aired.