NashvilleGab - Nashville news and country music gossip

Trace Adkins enjoys the feeling of being near death

Hey, one man's adrenaline rush is another's "you've got to be kidding" me I guess.

Trace Adkins recently chatted with The Washington Postand among the topics they talked about were Trace's run-ins with his exwife who shot him in the heart, cutting off one of his fingers, and running himself over with a tractor.  While some might see these as unlucky events, Trace just sees them as exciting moments in his life.

"I've cheated death several times," Adkins says. And that's just fine with him. "There is no greater adrenaline rush than when you think there's a possibility you're about to die."

And on a lighter note, he also talks about beating out some of the other country boys last year to be named Country Weekly's "Country's Sexiest Man."

"I think it's flattering," Adkins says of the honor. "But I find it humorous at the same time. You have to look at the pool they choose from. I know all those guys. I don't think any of them are sexy," Adkins says with a laugh. "And I include myself with that."

Lucky thing it's the fans who got the last say in the sexy country men issue I guess. 

Oh, and you're welcome for the shirtless Trace.  It seemed to fit with the whole "sexy country man" half of this post.  You can see more here.

I have a feeling Terri Clark's new album's gonna be awesome!

Country Standard Time talked with Terri Clark about her new album that hits stores in September and she told them about the first single, Gypsy Boots. 

"It was this fun song I'd written that was kind of like my life," Clark said. "I started doing it in the shows acoustic - because it says a lot about who I am, where I come from... and the fans just went wild for it. So, wild that we decided to work it up with the band... People were coming up to the merch table asking when or how they could get it. It was completely organic, and also completely me."

"But the other thing about the song is that even though it's specific to me or a traveling musician, it's everybody. Everybody's restless... everybody wants to have that moment when they're completely free and rocking... where they're totally alive, and I think people plugged in pretty hard on that vibe."

She's been performing Gypsy Boots for quite a while and I must say it's a definite toe-tapper.  Can't wait to start hearing it on the radio.  Here's video from 2007.

 

The President almost ruined Kellie Pickler's second album

Awww Kellie Pickler, she's always good for a story to make us laugh.  She talked recently with my friend Jeff from the Ploughboy Mansion and of course the interview had a great Kellie story included. 

Okay, Jeff doesn't know he's my friend, but I get quite a few stories from him so that makes him my buddy whether he knows it or not.

Anyway, Kellie tells the story of how she thought the President of the US was ruining her chances of anyone knowing her second album was coming out. 

LP: You’ve released two albums and both have hit No. 1. That must be a great feeling.

KP: “I’m definitely not complaining about that. It’s amazing. Long story short — when my second album came out, I was in New York City getting ready to do The Today Show. It was my record launch, the big day, and I wake up that morning really early. I’m laying in bed and I turn on the TV and I’m like, ‘Holy cow!’ The same day that my album is coming out is the same day that the stock market dropped to the lowest level in history. So the President was on every channel. It seemed like all the TV and media I was doing to promote my record coming out, the President kept interrrupting me on TV. (laughs) I was like, ‘Just give me one minute to finish singing my song and then you can come on and talk about the bad news.’ I thought nobody would know my record was coming out because the President was interrupting me. I didn’t think anyone was going to buy it. With the economy being what it is, I didn’t expect anyone to take their hard-earned money and got out a CD when people are losing their houses. When I got the news that the album debuted at No. 1 on the charts, I was completely floored because I didn’t think anybody knew it was coming out. It was an awkward and weird situation.”

Want to help me with a couple of interviews?

 I'm such a nervous ninny about interviews.  I mean it's just talking, but I still have a huge issue talking to certain people.  Well all people actually - I'm not exactly a social butterfly, but I'm working on it. 

Anyway, I have some great interviews in the works and would love your input on what I should ask. 

I have an interview coming up with Eric Durrance, one with Gloriana (email only so much easier for my people skills), Randy Houser and Little Texas. 

So tell me, if you were talking to these folks what would you want to know?  You can leave comments or email me at blogginmomma@hotmail.com.  I look forward to your input and interview question skillz. 

What the ladies had to say to Shape Magazine

I think we've pretty much all seen the picture by now of LeAnn, Martina, and Julianne on the cover of July's Shape Magazine, but now you can find out what they had to say inside the cover. 

The JULY issue of SHAPE MAG ON NEWSTANDS THIS WEEK!!

 COUNTRY’S ANGELS

Three amazing women. Three busy lifestyles. Three different ways to approach health and well-being. Shape sat down with Julianne Hough, Martina McBride, and LeAnn Rimes as they revealed their simple tips for staying fit, strong, and sexy.

From the moment we got them together they acted like best girlfriends, gabbing over coffee about husbands, boyfriends, and kids, and comparing notes on how they deal with their insanely busy lives.

Check out some of their real-life solutions to balancing it all that they shared with each other.

shape: What’s your typical diet like?

Julianne: I’m probably the worst person to talk to about that because I pretty much eat what I want. My trick is to stop as soon as I’m full. Last night my sister ordered Mexican food and I was like, “What are you trying to do to me? I have a shoot tomorrow!” But I ate until I felt satisfied, and then I was done.

Martina: I became fascinated with nutrition when I got pregnant with Delaney [her 14-year-old daughter]. I love to read about healthy eating and preach to my husband, who doesn’t listen. Now I’m trying to teach it to my daughters. And it’s working, because they all love green vegetables—like broccoli—but funny enough, not other colorful ones, like carrots, squash, and beets. I’m always telling my girls, “As long as what’s on your plate is healthy, you should eat, eat, eat!” And they should be able to have treats too. We should all have treats, just not…

LeAnn: …all the time. But there are days when you can’t stop yourself!

Martina: So what? Why do we get so angry at ourselves when we eat foods we love? Do you think guys walk around going, “I just ate a cheeseburger and I’m so mad at myself”?

LeAnn: No, they don’t! I just saw my husband [Dean Sheremet] at the food table eating a brownie, and he already had another one in his hand. And I said, “Are you going to eat two of those?” And he’s like, “Yeah!” And I said, “I hate you right now [laughs]!”

Julianne: I love that you encourage your daughters to eat. There are a lot of teenagers out there who look at me and say, “Well, she’s 21, I want to look like her.” But I want everyone to know—especially young girls—I eat. I am not starving myself. I’m concerned about young women and their self-esteem being based on what they see on TV or in magazines. It’s not about being beautiful on the outside, it’s about loving yourself and who you are.

Martina: When I do a magazine shoot like this, I have to explain to my three daughters [Delaney; Emma, 11; and Eva, 4] that it takes a team of professionals to do my hair and makeup so I look this way. I have girls who are concerned about how they look compared to models or what have you. It’s my responsibility to teach them that beauty is more than superficial.

LeAnn: It has to be hard for them to understand that it’s part of your job to look glamorous. I’m 26 and I’m still a little self-conscious about my looks. When I was a kid, I had psoriasis over 80 percent of my body. Luckily, I’ve found a medicine that helps control it, but I never know when it will stop working or if I’ll have to deal with it again. It’s still a struggle, but as you get older, I think your perspective changes.

Martina: Wait until you’re 42 [laughs]! When I turned 39 or 40, my body really started changing. I was always thin. I guess I have good genes, so I never worried too much about my weight. But after my third baby, I began storing fat in little places where I never used to [points under her arm]. I was like, “What is that?” That’s when I started being a little more careful about my food intake and working out more seriously.

shape: What did you all think of the way Jessica Simpson was treated in the tabloids over her weight?

LeAnn: I think it’s just sad for someone to be picked on like that for gaining a few pounds here or there. Women’s bodies come in all shapes and sizes. Look at the three of us: We have completely different bodies, which is a good thing. Wouldn’t it be bad if we all looked the same?

Martina: I agree with LeAnn. Why focus on that? Jessica got singled out, which isn’t fair. What’s upsetting is that when you look through those tabloid magazines, all they write about is who wore what best or what’s wrong with their hair or makeup. It’s constant judging.

Julianne: And often what’s written just isn’t true. One magazine recently reported that I drink only orange juice for my carbs. I want to clear that up right now. If I did that, it would kill me. I don’t want anyone to read that and believe it.

LeAnn: I’ve been in the tabloids recently too, and it’s been really hard for me [they reported she was romantically linked to her married Northern Lights co-star, Eddie Cibrian]. I’ve been in the public eye since I was 14, so I have a tough skin. It’s fine dragging me through the mud, but don’t drag my loved ones through it. They’re my family, and it hurts them. All I’ll say is, I know what’s in my heart and what’s true.

Julianne: The rumors are always flying around and can be so cruel. You have to stay true to yourself.

LeAnn: What gets me is that people believe everything they read.

Martina: Well, if it’s on the Internet, it must be true [laughs]. And it’s pointless to respond because it just fuels the fire.

Julianne: When I was on Dancing With the Stars with Helio Castroneves, they were writing that we were an item. Hey, I love the guy to death, but I wouldn’t touch him with a 10-foot pole [laughs]!

LeAnn: It’s the weirdest possible thing to go through. I feel like people are looking and pointing at me like I’m in a fishbowl. I’ve learned to let it roll off my back, but it’s superhard, and it really hurts.

 Julianne: People see you as this famous person and expect you to follow every rule. I’ve gotten some really mean e-mails from fans telling me they think I’ve changed, that I’m not the sweet, innocent Julianne I used to be. My cure for that is to tell myself I’m awesome, I’m confident, and I totally believe in myself!

And speaking of LeAnn, she was spotted picking up some groceries in L.A. today.  Check out more pics here.

No hotel cooties for Kellie Pickler if she can help it

Kellie pickler has a brand new six-page spread in OK! coming soon and the magazine's website gives us a taste of what we can expect.  Here's one of the interview questions that caught my eye. 

You're touring with Taylor Swift. Why sleep on the bus?

I don't want to sleep on somebody else's mattress, so even five-star hotels are horrid to me. I like sitting on my own toilet that no one else has sat on. I have a huge king-size bed and my little Chihuahua, Moo Moo, sleeps with me.

 

The Zac Brown Band says thanks...oh, and thinks Taylor's swell

Clay from the Zac Brown Band has taken to the band's MySpace to send a thank you to fans.  He wrote it, but I'm sure the whole band feels the same way.

 

Clay's Super THANKS blog...

Wowsa, folks! Can you believe it? We won an award & got to accept in on TV.

Super "THANKS" to every fan who voted for us. We won because you thought we deserved it. We won the USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year. We were up against Lady A, Julianne Hough, & Jamey Johnson...I still can't believe that we won!

It's all been very exciting but we're not resting on our laurels. This is still just the beginning for us. We're continuing to tighten up our show for the remaining summer dates. A lot of great gigs to come. See you out there, you wacky music fans, you.

--Clay

And speaking of the band, my radio buddy Broadway got the chance to chat with Zac Brown and asked him about winning his first award that was actually awarded on TV, his pregnant wife, and of course Taylor.  Check it out here.

 

Also, if you're a Canadian Zac Brown Band fan, you'll have to wait a little longer to see them in concert.  The band was set to perform July 2 in Edmonton, July 3 in Grand Prairie, July 4 at the Conexus Arts Centre, and July 5 in Dauphin, but those performances have all been cancelled. 

 

So far there's no official explanation for the cancellations, although ticket sales is one excuse being floated around.  Also it's being said that Zac's wife being pregnant is another possible reason, although she's not due until September so unless she's having difficulties I can't see that being the cause.  

 

Is Kenny Chesney getting ready to take a break from touring?

 

I had gotten an email from Barrie from "Entertainment Weekly" who told me about a Kenny Chesney piece they have in their current issue.  Usually I'd reword what was sent to me and put my own spin on it, but I think Barrie did a pretty darn good job.  Here's what he had to say...

In the current issue of Entertainment Weekly there is a feature on the touring circus that is country superstar Kenny Chesney's life. But there's a lot that we hadn’t included: He travels with a 235-pound stuffed blue marlin that he caught himself, for example; "Marley" serves as a sort of mascot, and a reminder not to take things too seriously out on the road. The tour has its own printed plastic cups, and goes through them at the approximate rate of a minor-league-baseball-stadium beer vendor. The Sun City Carnival employees travel with their own interior decorating, turning fluorescent-lit football locker rooms into moody lounges and tiki bars, installing a stripper pole in the production office (that reportedly very few people have dared to work), and commandeering one training area as the "Vibe Room," intended as a place for friends (old and new) to come together before and after the show, raise a cold one, and relax. The answer to the question "Who lives like we do?" is "WE DO!"

But despite all the trappings of his phenomenal success -- the screaming girls, the parking-lot mob scene, the chance to travel the world with your buddies by your side -- it was the final conversation the writer had with him that interested her most. In that moment, sans hat, he looked exactly like the "ordinary guy" he constantly claims to be. By way of a final question, she asked him, simply, "How long can you do this?" and he broke into a monologue more honest and open than anything he'd told her all weekend. "I can honestly say that my perspective of this is gonna change," he began, after a pause. "Things that I've done to put myself in a position to do certain things -- I’ve had my foot on the gas pedal so hard for so long, and I've never looked at it as a sacrifice. Never. Not once. But...I can say that I don't see myself with the foot on the gas pedal as hard as it's been down for 16 years. I think there is a part of life that I'm missing."

"The whole world doesn't revolve around this stuff,"Chesney continued. "It does for us now. And I've given and given and given and given and when I couldn’t give any more, I gave. And then everybody said, 'We know you're tired, but we want you to give just one more time.' And that ain't gonna happen no more. If you’d told me when I was sitting on that barstool [playing for tips after college] that I'd win as many Entertainers of the Year as Garth Brooks did, I'd have told you you were crazy. And I have. Do I want to win another one? Yeah, sure. But you know what? The things that you have to do to be in that spot? I'm not gonna do anymore. I’m not. Because it has... in ways... I don’t know, it's weird. It’s like -- it almost makes it seem mechanical. And I think I can be better than that. I really do. I don't think I’ve written my best song yet. I want to be a great songwriter. And if that means, you know, taking a year off and living on my boat and writing those songs, I want to do it. Despite the consequences."  

You can check out the full story on EW.com's website. 

Larry King's gonna get his Thrillbilly on

 Vintage Larry King and Billy

Meg passed on the link for Larry King talking with the country stars last night.  Check it out here.

Then Larry King talked seperately with Billy Ray Cyrus and Wynonna.  Check out that video here.  

 

Alan Jackson is the silent, strong type

Alan Jackson talked with Chicago's US 99.5 this morning and I never realized he was soooooo quiet.  I mean he exudes a sort of quiet strength, but seriously, the guy's voice is very soft. 

It's a great interview, though.  Alan talks about Sissy's Song, working on cars, and whether he or Jimmy Buffet have the bigger boat.