Miranda Lambert just made history!  The first female in country music (ever!) to have 9 CMA nominations in a single year.  Yo Go Girl!  She tore it up.  Lady Antebellum also racked up the nominations.

2010 CMA AWARDS NOMINEES

Entertainer of the Year
Lady Antebellum
Miranda Lambert
Brad Paisley
Keith Urban
Zac Brown Band

Female Vocalist of the Year
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Male Vocalist of the Year
Dierks Bentley
Brad Paisley
Blake Shelton
George Strait
Keith Urban

New Artist
Luke Bryan
Easton Corbin
Jerrod Niemann
Chris Young
Zac Brown Band

Vocal Group
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band

Vocal Duo
Brooks & Dunn
Joey + Rory
Montgomery Gentry
Sugarland
Steel Magnolia

Album of the Year
(Award goes to artist and producer)

'Need You Now' - Lady Antebellum
Producer: Paul Worley

'Play On' - Carrie Underwood
Producers: Mark Bright and Max Martin

'Revolution' - Miranda Lambert
Producers: Frank Liddell, Mike Wrucke

'Twang' - George Strait
Producer: Tony Brown

'Up on the Ridge' - Dierks Bentley
Producer: Jon Randall Stewart


Single of the Year
(Award goes to artist and producer)

'A Little More Country Than That'
Easton Corbin
Producer: Carson Chamberlain

'Hillbilly Bone'
Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins
Producer: Scott Hendricks

'Need You Now'
Lady Antebellum
Producers: Paul Worley and Lady Antebellum

'The House That Built Me'
Miranda Lambert
Producers: Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke

'White Liar'
Miranda Lambert
Producers: Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke

Song of the Year
(Award goes to songwriters)

'A Little More Country Than That'
Songwriters: Rory Lee Feek, Don Poythress and Wynn Varble

'Need You Now'
Songwriters: Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Josh Kear

'The House That Built Me'
Songwriters: Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin

'Toes'
Songwriters: Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette, John Driskell Hopkins and Shawn Mullins

'White Liar'
Songwriters: Miranda Lambert and Natalie Hemby

Musical Event of the Year

'Bad Angel' - Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson

'Can't You See' - Zac Brown Band and Kid Rock

'Hillbilly Bone' - Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins

'I'm Alive' - Kenny Chesney and Dave Matthews

''Till the End' - Alan Jackson and Lee Ann Womack

Music Video
(Award goes to artist and director)

'Hillbilly Bone'
Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins
Director: Roman White

'Need You Now'
Lady Antebellum
Director: David McClister

'The House That Built Me'
Miranda Lambert
Director: Trey Fanjoy

'Water'
Brad Paisley
Director: Jim Shea

'White Liar'
Miranda Lambert
Director: Chris Hickey

Musician
Paul Frankin -- Steel Guitar
Dann Huff -- Guitar
Brent Mason -- Guitar
Mac McAnally -- Guitar
Randy Scruggs -- Guitars the complete list:

Good luck to all the nominees!  :)

See you on the radio,
Brad

Everyone has a skeleton in their closet.  Nobody is perfect and sometimes people just don't get along.  Unless you're a hardcore fan and remember waaaay back to their very first couple of music videos - the name Kristen Hall probably doesn't ring a bell for you.  ?  Here's a pic to help jog your memory:


 

Any luck?

Well, she was a member for a minute and made the national debut along side Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles as the third member of Sugarland!  She was a bonafide member of the band and co-writer of several of their songs including "Baby Girl" - their debut #1 hit.  This is how they looked early on:

I bring this up because things are getting NASTY between the 'former' band members.  She's dragging a few skeletons out of the closet and tossing them down in court.  Kristen is suing them for lost wages and past-due royalties.  Jennifer says it's just "quitter's remorse".  I can't argue with that logic at all.  Who knew they'd be as huge as they are now back when she quit?  And yes, she did choose to quit.

Read the full story HERE from AOL's The Boot.


See you on the radio!
-Brad

Congrats to the former first daughter Chelsea Clinton who married over the weekend.  Wonder if she converted for the wedding as it appears her hubby is Jewish?  I forget what religion the Clintons were... something says Baptist because they were from Arkansas but I can't be sure.  Either way - they sure look happy!  Mazel Tov!

Lindsey Lohan served a week of her 90-day jail sentence and is now in rehab.  I hate to be "that guy"... but my care-o-meter ran out a looooong time ago on her.  Poor thing.

And finally... be smart with the apps on your SmartPhone!  New reports suggests hackers are targeting cell phones that have browser and web capability harder than ever before.  How do they hack a cell phone?  Shockingly it's similar to your home computer.  Viruses embedded in pictures and malicious websites... and shady apps you mistakenly download onto your phone.  Experts say you should only download apps from your phone's main store!  Itunes for Iphones, Google's Andriod Marketplace for Androids, BBerry's App Store for Blackberrys, etc.

See you on the radio!
-Brad

Thanks for checking out the blog!  :)

Congrats goes out to Dierks Bentley and his wife Cassidy on the announcement that their daughter Evie will have a little brother or little sister just in time for Christmas!  We had Dierks in the Y106.5 booth a few weeks back at Hodag.  I remember thinking how happy and at peace he acted.  Maybe he already knew?  Congrats to the proud soon-to-be-parents!  Link to the full story HERE.
 

It was announced on a live web-stream that Taylor Swift's new album (her 3rd full length project) will hit store shelves on October 25th.  The album will be titled "SPEAK NOW" and you'll hear new music in early August on Y106.5 from Taylor!  Check out her website HERE.

And, finally I leave you with a chuckle.  It's always fun to see people in important and influential positions speaking off the cuff.  Especially when it's the truth!  Check out what Arnold had to say about Mel Gibson HERE.

See you on the radio!
Brad

If you're like me... you love country music and find one or two songs every month of so and absolutely can't get enough of them!  I always love seeing how my personal tastes stack up against other country music fans.  Since we're all different, it's always interesting to see "Best Of" lists compiled.

However, AOL's "The Boot" recently released it's list of the Top 10 hits from the last decade (2000-2009).  See if you agree:

#10 - Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood (2006)
#9 - "Stay" - Sugarland (2007)
#8 - "Redneck Woman" - Gretchen Wilson (2004)
#7 - "Courtesy Of The Red, White & Blue" - Toby Keith (2002)
#6 - "Not Ready To Make Nice" - Dixie Chicks (2006)
#5 - "Bless The Broken Road" - Rascal Flatts (2005)
#4 - "Whiskey Lullaby" - Brad Paisley w/Allison Krauss  (2003)
#3 - "Live Like You Were Dying' - Tim McGraw  (2005)
#2 - I Hope You Dance" - LeeAnn Woman  (2000)
#1 - "Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning" - Alan Jackson  (2001)


I have to say the glaring "wtf" moment in the list for me is The Dixie Chicks at #6.  Huh?  In spite of the fact that I think they were stupid for having continued their meltdown after the initial comments in London (they could have just let sleeping dogs lie instead of picking a fight with Toby Keith several months later which was ultimately their massive downfall) - I must say they are really talented ladies.  I was a BIG fan of their music.  But seriously... was that song one of the very best of the decade?  Not anywhere on my radar.  I personally would have picked a handful of songs from Brooks & Dunn, Dierks Bentley or maybe GEORGE STRAIT instead - none of those artists even making an appearance in the top 10.

What is the 1 song that should have made the list but didn't?  My pick:  "What Hurts The Most" - Rascal Flatts.

What's your pick?  Let me know here or on my facebook by clicking HERE.

See You on The Radio!
-Brad

Happy Monday!  The American Idol auditions hit Milwaukee this week... but they just left Nashville.  In a city known for phenomonal country artists and music you have to think some pretty amazing singers tried their best in front of the Idol producers.  Nashville is also known pretty far and wide for attracting a lot of 'counter culture' artists.  There are more pop/rock/alternative bands that come from Nashville than you might expect.

All that aside - one of country music's hottest acts in the 1990's, Joe Diffie, was proud to report on his two kids BOTH trying out for American Idol last weekend!  Joe's daughter Kara (25yo) and his son Parker (28yo) gave it their best for the Idol judges.  No word yet if they're "on to hollywood".  We sure hope so!

Click the picture of Joe Diffie below to read the whole story!  Good luck Kara and Parker!

See you on the radio!
-Brad

Hey!  Back from Hodag with *most* of my voice.  Left some of it on a lawn chair next to the stage, I think.  ;)  It'll be back to normal soon.

As a Hodag "virgin" I had an absolute blast!  Some awesome people hanging out and loving country music.  It doesn't get any better than that.  I can't wait until NEXT Hodag already.... it's addicting!

In other news.... she just broke my heart!  She went off and got hitched!  Haha.  The single guy in me secretely hoped she would have a change of heart at the 11th hour... but they do look happy together in all the pictures I've seen.  Congrats to Carrie & Mike.  Here they are on their honeymoon.  That girl can wear a bikini:

And finally we've had some severe storms move through this afternoon.  Maybe more on the way for later tonight.  Bring 'em on!  I never want someone to get hurt or have their property damaged... but I am a huge thunderstorm geek.  Bigger the better for me!

See you on the radio!
Brad

A BIG congratulations and a dose of good luck to Jay Demarcus and his wife Allison.  It was just announed that she is expecting! 

Jay plays bass for Rascal Flatts and has had a hand in writing many of their #1 hits.  He's also a part-time album producer working with other artists in Nashville.  His wife is the former Miss Tennessee and currently works at CMT.

To read more on the happy couple and see what Jay is looking forward to most about being a dad... click their picture below!

-Brad

The big HODAG Festival is less than 10 days away!  I'm pretty excited and going over my checklist for items to bring along.  Let me know if I miss anything:

* Sunscreen
* Beer

List looks good, right?  :D

See you there!
Brad

A big congrats to the boys from Rascal Flatts!  It was just announced yesterday that Gary LeVox, Joe Don Rooney and Jay Demarcus will get their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!

Even more impressive news than that is WHO they will be getting a star with.  The new crop of star-getters includes some heavy hitting celebs.  Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Danny DeVito, Sissy Spacek and the late Buddy Holly.  Talk about a premo class to get inducted with.

Three of those names, however, were shockers to me.  Buddy Holly died in the 50's... Oprah has been powerful for more than 20 years and Danny DeVito has been part of hit TV shows and movies since the 1970s.  I was shocked none of them had stars yet.

Either way, congrats guys.  Well deserved!  Now... can we talk about you coming to play Hodag next year?  THAT would be cool.  :)

-Brad