J.D.'s Dirt

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

MIRANDA LAMBERT’S MUTTNATION FOUNDATION RAISES NEARLY $100,000. Last weekend in Tyler, Texas the 3^rd Annual Cause for Paws Event was held. The event is part of Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation. $91-thousand was raised through ticket sales, sponsorships, and auction items. Miranda performed with her band and attendees were surprised with a guest appearance by Blake Shelton, who performed his song “Hillbilly Bone.”  Miranda is very involved with the foundation and how the money is distributed. “Is the money going to go to an already nice shelter? Is it going to go in someone’s pocket? Where’s it going to go. I get paranoid, and some people feel that way. So I just thought, ‘well, I want to visit myself and see where the money goes.’ So hopefully, like, every month or so on the road, I’ll get to stop at a shelter when we’re playing in that city and visit and see what they need or see what we’ve sent them before did, you know, I just want to be hands on and I want to encourage people to adopt, and to consider that before going to a breeder.”

CARRIE UNDERWOOD’S WEDDING RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.  Sources are saying that Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher will be walking down the aisle sooner than anticipated. Rumor has it that Carrie has told her stylists to stay away from any white outfits until her wedding day. The couple reportedly will marry in Nashville and will have cupcakes at the reception.

Not only is Carrie planning her wedding, she is on tour and will be performing at the 2010 CMT Music Awards on June 9^th.

RASCAL FLATTS ENCOURAGES TENNESSEANS TO ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY. In a new Public Service Announcement, Rascal Flatts is asking Tennesseans to help stop litter in the state by adopting a highway. “Think this is no big deal?” Joe Don Rooney remarks as he picks up litter along the roadway in the advertisement. “Think about 12 million pounds of it,” Gary Levox then says. The group aims to help raise awareness of the volunteer program that helps provide cleaner roadsides. They also hope the ad will boost litter prevention in the state. 

WILLIE NELSON CUTS HIS HAIR.  Willie Nelson has cut his hair.  A spokesperson for the singer told the Associated Press that Willie chopped off his famous waist-length braids a few weeks ago and, as he often does, didn’t make a big deal out of the style change.  As for why he did it, Willie’s rep said the long hair required “a lot of maintenance.”  From the looks of the pictures his hair sits just above his shoulders now.  You can see pictures of Willie’s new do at CMT.com.

UNCLE KRACKER SET TO RELEASE COUNTRY ALBUM. Uncle Kracker is very happy that country radio is playing his song “Smile.”  "Country radio seems to have a few people left who take chances and do things the way they want to do them regardless of who's going to yell at them. There still seems to be a general passion for music at the country stations I've visited," he said. Well now Uncle Kracker is releasing an album Happy Hour: The South River Road Sessions with 6 songs from his previously released album Happy Hour. “I made it a point to go in and have fun and make a fun, upbeat record. For the first time in my career, I’ve actually had a game plan making an album.” The album will be released June 22^nd.

BIG KENNY AND ROCK BAND. Big Kenny, half of the duo Big and Rich, has partnered with Rock Band Relief to help benefit the America Red Cross. His songs “Happy People” and “One More Time” will be released to the Rock Band Network store, where a portion of the proceeds from all downloads are donated to the American Red Cross to assist victims of the recent flooding in Nashville, Tennessee.

CMT ONE COUNTRY AND THE USO.  CMT One Country tries to reach as many facets of volunteerism as possible, which is why it partners with the USO, a “nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide morale, welfare and recreation-type services to U.S. military personnel.” CMT One Country and the USO ask for your help in supporting their programs “USO Operation Phone Home,” “Operation USO Care Package,” “United Through Reading,” and “Enduring Care.” In depth information on these programs can be found on CMT.com/one_country as well as USO.org.  Country artists are known for doing their part to support the Armed Forces. In April this year, the USO and the Academy of Country Music sponsored the “Lifting Lives” concert, where ACM winners Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, and Brooks and Dunn performed, among several other artists.

LIVE MUSIC FROM WILLIE NELSON, JOHNNY CASH AND ALABAMA. Legacy Recordings will be releasing its “Set List” series, featuring live recordings from Willie Nelson, Alabama and Johnny Cash, among other various artists. The series will feature remastered live performances through the course of their careers not just one live concert.  The album will be released on July 13^th.

TRACE ADKINS AND DIAMOND RIO REMEMBER LOST OIL WORKERS

On Tuesday Trace Adkins, who worked on an oil platform before making it in the music business, and Diamond Rio participated in a memorial for the 11 lost crew members of the Deepwater Horizon explosion. In a video message to the families, Trace voiced his compassion for their tragic losses, saying “Nobody…expects it to end like this. People all over the world share your grief and your despair.” Diamond Rio sang “I Believe,” “One More Day,” and “In God We still Trust.” The group then met with each family after the completion of the memorial service.

THIS AND THAT

• Taylor Swift was seen eating with Justin Bieber at Nashville hot spot Pancake Pantry.  It’s rumored that Justin is considering moving to Nashville.
• Sugarland will perform on ABC’s Good Morning America as part of the Summer Concert Series in Central Park today.
• It’s been mentioned that Lindsay Lohan has been offered the role of Lieutenant Peterson in a projected Willie Nelson comedy titled The Dry Gulch Kid.
• Diamond Rio's Team Rio raised $137,500 for Big Brothers Big Sisters Of Middle Tennessee running in April's Country Music Marathon And ½ Marathon.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

• TAYLOR TALKS TO DEMI ABOUT JONAS BREAK-UP.  The exes of Joe Jonas are banding together.  Both Taylor Swift and Demi Lovato have been dumped by the elder Jo-Bro, and according to PopCrunch.com, the country star sent a nice message to Lovato after her recent break-up.  A friend of Taylor said that she “sent Demi a quick text message saying that everything happens for a reason, and it will only make her stronger.”  She also supposedly said that if Demi needed anything she should just ask.
• DAUGHTRY TO HELP NASHVILLE.  Daughtry is playing a concert in Nashville on Sunday, and is offering tickets for ten-bucks, with 100-percent of the proceeds going to benefit local residents affected by the terrible floods that recently hit the area.  And it won’t only be the former American Idol contestant and his band rocking the stage – they’re going to be joined by Kelly Clarkson and Brad Arnold from 3 Doors Down as well.  Head to DaughtryOfficial.com to learn how you can be in attendance at the special show.
• JAMES SISTER BACKS UP ABUSE! Jesse James’ sister is backing up his claims that he was abused by his father as a child. Julie James England attests that her father was abusive towards herself, Jesse and their mother when they were growing up. Learn more at TMZ.com.
• MCGEE COMMENTS ON JESSE! Jesse James’ alleged mistress, Michelle “Bombshell” McGee, has commented on James’ recent interview with Nighline. McGee wasn’t impressed, telling TMZ she thought his responses were generic and that he’s only sorry for his affair with her now that he got caught.
• TIGER WOODS NOT DATING! According to Us Magazine, Tiger Woods’ lawyers have advised him not to date other women while he and Elin formalize their divorce. According to the outlet, if Woods were to date right now it would only strengthen the case Elin’s lawyers are building, accusing the golfer of being a philanderer. According to Us Weekly, Elin wants to get more money than Michael Jordan’s ex-wife did in her divorce settlement. Mrs. Jordan got a whopping 168-million dollars in her divorce.
• ELIN LEAVES FOR CHINA! According to the somewhat reliable Radar Online, Tiger Woods’ wife Elin Nordegren is planning an extended trip to China. The outlet is reporting that Elin is not sure whether she’ll bring her children on the trip but Tiger is definitely not coming. Radar reports she’ll leave for China in the next few months after she finishes night summer courses at a local college.
• GOSSELIN SAYS SHE’S STARTING OVER! Kate Gosselin has been publicly dealing with her divorce from Jon Gosselin for over a year now. In the new issue of People magazine, the mother of eight says her main focus right now has been to start over fresh and focus on her children. Kate told the mag that her kids have really bounced back since the divorce and are doing well. Gosselin’s new show, Kate Plus 8, starts on TLC on June 6^th. Read more about the 35-year-old over at People.com.
• CELEB COUPLE? According to the New York Post, Tim Robbins and Meg Ryan may be a couple. Robbins, who was paired with Susan Sarandon for over a decade, has been seen with Meg on several occasions in California. So far, the duo is just saying they’re great friends and are denying being in a relationship.
• BIGGEST LOSER TALKS! Michael Ventrella won The Biggest Loser Tuesday night, dropping a whopping 50.19 percent of his body weight. He came into the show as their heaviest ever contestant, weighing 526 pounds.  For his successful battle, Mike won 250-thousand dollars.
• LAST TWO WEEKS FOR HARRY POTTER! It’s the last two weeks of filming for the actors who’ve starred in the Harry Potter films for over ten years. According to People.com, the cast are devastated that filming is almost over. Emma Watson, who plays “Hermione Granger” in the movies, says it feels “like someone is dying.” Fans have a little longer to wait until the last two films come out, with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 hitting theaters on November 19^th, and Part 2 expected to be released in the summer of 2011.
• ADVISOR TO THE STARS ARRESTED! Ken Starr, a Manhattan investment advisor to celebrities like Uma Thurman, Martin Scorsese and Annie Leibovitz, was arrested on Thursday. Starr is accused of operating a 30-million dollar fraud and Ponzi scheme – much like Bernie Madoff did. IRS agents have charged Ken with investment fraud and tax fraud. Check out NBCNewYork.com for more.
• JACK NICHOLSON AT INDY 500! Jack Nicholson will wave the green flag to start this year’s Indianapolis 500 car race. Fans can catch Jack doing his thing this Sunday at 1 PM Eastern on ABC when the 94^th Indy 500 gets underway.
• BONES NEXT SEASON! When we caught up with Emily Deschanel, she gave us a sneak peek on what will happen on the upcoming season of Bones (See Related Cut # 11). While fans wait for season six to begin in the fall on FOX, they can head over to TNT tonight at 7 PM to catch an old episode of Bones.
• BRET MICHAELS DISCUSSES IDOL APPEARANCE.  On Wednesday night, Bret Michaels, who is recovering from a brain hemorrhage, made a surprise appearance on the American Idol season finale to perform “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.” After the show, the Poison singer spoke to us about his performance.  “This is my first time back to playing music in literally two months and it’s been such an amazing feeling for me because, first of all, everyone to just come out there and everyone be standing and just cheering.  And a lot of my friends and my family and my fans out there, it was a great feeling.  And it goes beyond just being a musical performance, it was spiritual for me because honestly, I gotta tell you, maybe a month ago, I wasn’t sure I’d be walking, let alone here playing music. So it’s been an incredible feeling.” Bret went on to reveal that he didn’t tell his doctors he was going to perform, but he felt great and wanted to go on the show so he did it.  While Michaels did say he is in a lot of pain, he still plans to play in Biloxi, Mississippi tonight. 
• GARY COLEMAN HOSPITALIZED! Gary Coleman was hospitalized in critical condition in Utah on Wednesday after suffering a seizure while doing a TV interview. According to TMZ, as of yesterday, Coleman was still in the ICU. We’ll keep you updated on his condition.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

CMT ANNOUNCES PRESENTERS FOR 2010 CMT MUSIC AWARDS. Celebrities from all facets of the entertainment industry have lined up to present at the 2010 CMT Music Awards, including celebrity cook Paula Deen, ‘American Idol’s’ Kara Dioguardi, the NFL’s Terrell Owens, actress Hayden Panettiere, NASCAR legend Richard Petty and ‘Saturday Night Live’s’ Kenan Thompson.  In addition, country superstars Trisha Yearwood and Zac Brown Band are scheduled to present at the ninth-annual awards show, which will air live on Wednesday, June 9 at 8:00 p.m., ET/PT on CMT.

CMT MUSIC AWARD HOST KID ROCK TALKS TO US.  Kid Rock is in the June 7^th issue of US Weekly talking about his hosting duties at the 2010 CMT Music Award Show. He said “I was really unsure if I could pull off carrying the show – or if I was going to look like an idiot. But I said, “What the hell?”  He also said “I’ll just read from a teleprompter and change hats!”  When asked if there were any performers he was excited to see he said “Carrie Underwood.  Every performance of hers is like, “Check out my legs!” I’m like “I know! They are awesome! I get it!”  Watch Kid Rock host the 2010 CMT Music Awards LIVE on CMT June 9^th.

CELEBRATING 85 YEARS AT THE OPRY.  The kickoff celebration for Opry’s 85^th year took place Tuesday night at the Ryman Auditorium.  Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, Ricky Skaggs and Steve Wariner took the stage to perform.  This is just the beginning of the months long celebration.  During the show they took donations for Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and flood efforts. The Grand Ole Opry House is currently under renovation after flood waters badly damaged the venue earlier this month.  The Opry members all sang individually then came together at the end to perform some Opry classics such as Merle Haggard's "Workin' Man's Blues" which earned them a standing ovation.  The 85th Birthday Bash weekend featuring Opry Birthday Shows and other activities is scheduled for October 8^th - 9^th.

ZAC BROWN BAND’S “LETTERS FOR LYRICS” CAMPAIGN OFF TO A GREAT START.  More than 70,000 people have participated in the “Letters For Lyrics” campaign, a partnership between the Zac Brown Band and Ram Trucks. Fans who write a letter to a U.S. soldier are rewarded with a CD that features three new songs from the Zac Brown Band. The campaign hopes to gather 1-million letters for soldiers deployed overseas, and all Ram Trucks dealerships in the United States, as well as most Zac Brown Band concerts have collection and letter writing stations. As part of the campaign, RamTrucks.com will debut video installments of “For Those Who Serve”, a documentary of Zac Brown Band’s visit to soldiers stationed in the Persian Gulf.

HELP PICK JULIANNE HOUGH’S DRESS FOR THE CMT MUSIC AWARD SHOW.  Julianne Hough wants the help of her fans in deciding which dress to wear on the red carpet for the 2010 CMT Music Awards. Voters can find pictures of Julianne wearing each dress on the “Pick My Outfit” page at cmt.com/cmt-music-awards, where they can also cast their vote and see which dress is winning among voters. 

LADY ANTEBELLUM WILL STREAM FAN CLUB PARTY. 100% of the proceeds from Lady Antebellum’s fan club concert on June 10^th will go to benefit Nashville flood relief. A live stream of the performance will be available on the trio’s website, as well as on www.livestream.com for a minimum $5 donation. “Music City has a long way to go,” says Dave Haywood.

DARIUS RUCKER PERFORMS AT USO BENEFIT.  Last week in Charlotte, North Carolina, Darius Rucker performed at a private concert hosted by NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson at the Fillmore. Jimmie said "I've been a huge fan of his over the years," talking about Darius.  The event was in support of the Lowe’s USO Family Fund, an organization that supports family programs such as the “With You All the Way!” deployment kit, ‘United Through Reading,” and USO Operation Phone Home. The concert will be broadcast on the SPEED Channel on May 29, 2010, at 7 p.m., the night before the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. 

LITTLE BIG TOWN GIVES COUPLES WEDDINGS IN THEIR LITTLE WHITE CHURCH. Last weekend, Little Big Town gave weddings to two couples in their “Little White Church” tent, a part of the Country Throwdown tour. The tent is inspired by Little Big Town’s current single with the same name. The ceremonies happened in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Indiana.  The members of Little Big Town attended both ceremonies and signed the marriage licenses as official witnesses.

LAURA BELL BUNDY MAKES OPRY DEBUT Last week, Laura Bell Bundy made her debut performance on the Grand Ole Opry at War Memorial Stadium in downtown Nashville. After singing a slow song first, the Grand Ole Opry Square Dancers joined her on stage as she performed her hit “Giddy On Up” wearing tap shoes—further showing off her try-anything attitude and giving fans one more reason to love her. Before her performance, Laura tweeted “What an honor! I literally got a private concert from Charley Pride as he sang Bill Anderson’s lyrics to him!” 

WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?  Vote for your favorite new country artist.  The Nationwide On Your Side Award nominees include Ryan Bingham, Randy Houser, Justin Moore and Chris Young. The Nationwide Insurance On Your Side Award is fan voted and will be revealed during the 2010 CMT Music Awards on June 9th. Vote now at vote.cmt.com

PARK DEDICATED TO CHRIS LEDOUX.  Chris LeDoux is being honored in Kaycee, Wyoming, with his own park and bronze statue called “Good Ride Cowboy” as a celebration of his life and legacy in American music and rodeo. Chris sits atop Stormy Weather in the statue, the horse that earned him a World Championship. The park features a unique walkway with Chris’s boot prints fading as you near the sculpture. The dedication of the park will take place on June 19th.

THIS AND THAT

• Country artists heading to the Bahamas for a special performance at Atlantis on Paradise Island as part of the Atlantis Live 2010 concert series. Taylor Swift will perform on June 19th and Lady Antebellum will be there September 18th.
• Earl Scruggs will perform July 22 as part of the Springer Mountain Farms’ Bluegrass Nights series at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. 2010 marks Earl’s 65^th anniversary of his first performance on the Ryman Stage
• Miranda Lambert will perform her hit “White Liar” today on The Bonnie Hunt Show.
• Dierks Bentley will be part of Live from the Artists Den, a show that will spotlight remarkable contemporary musicians in an intimate performance setting. The premiere of the series will air in July.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

• SANDRA BULLOCK TO BE HONORED AT MTV MOVIE AWARDS! Academy Award-winning actress Sandra Bullock will receive the MTV Generation Award during the 2010 MTV Movie Awards for her contributions to the film and entertainment industry over the last two decades. When we caught up with Bullock, she gushed about the MTV Movie Awards to us and said she loves being a part of them. Tune in to the MTV Movie Awards to see Sandra receive her award, Aziz Ansari host and Katy Perry and Christina Aguilera perform on Sunday, June 6^th at 9 PM Eastern.
  • Sandra will accept the award in person but won’t do any interviews. 

• JAMES SAYS HE CHEATED BECAUSE OF ABUSE! During his in-depth interview with Nightline earlier this week, Sandra Bullock’s estranged husband, Jesse James, claimed that he was abused by his father as a child. He went on to say that it was that abuse, and the shame of it, that drove him to cheat on Sandra. In response to those claims, James’ stepmom called them “a bunch of crap” and told TMZ James got a lot of injuries as a kid because he did motorcross. Jesse claimed during his Nightline interview that his father would beat him, kick him and even broke his arm as a child. Learn more at People.com.
• BRISTOL PALIN! Bristol Palin is in the new issue of Harper’s Bazaar and calls Levi Johnston, who is the father of her child Tripp, a stranger. She goes on to say that one day, she hopes to find a nice guy for herself. Head to ETOnline.com to check out photos of Bristol with her son Tripp, and check out the full article in Harper’s Bazaar on newsstand June 1^st.
• CELEB RUMOR! We already know that John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston are expecting a baby. Well, the latest rumor from the tabloids Star Magazine and National Enquirer is that the celeb pair is having twins! We’ll keep you updated on whether the Travolta family are getting excited for one baby or two, when we learn more.
• DENNIS QUAID SUES! Dennis Quaid is suing the company that made the blood thinner used three years ago, when his newborn twins were given the drug in the hospital and almost overdosed.  According to the Associated Press, Quaid and his lawyers allege that the packaging of the drug caused the drug mix-up at the hospital, leading to the twins’ overdose. The Quaid family has already sued the California hospital where the accident took place.
• SHREK FOREVER AFTER! Shrek Forever After is in theaters now and is the last installment of the Shrek franchise. Antonio Banderas has voiced “Puss in Boots” for the whole series of films and told us he thinks the process is fun. Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy also lend their voices to Shrek Forever After, which is in theaters now.
• ELLEN LAUNCHES LABEL! Ellen DeGeneres has launched her own record label called eleveneleven and the first act she’s signed is none other than YouTube sensation Greyson Chance. You may remember Chance as the 12-year-old who covered the Lady Gaga hit “Paparazzi” for a school talent show. Learn more over at HollywoodReporter.com.
  • DIRECT LINK: Here’s the video of Greyson performing Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” at the talent show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxDlC7YV5is

• JERSEY SHORE ALL OVER AGAIN! Fans are getting the chance to kick off their summer right, with the first season of Jersey Shore re-airing on MTV. Tune in tonight at 10 PM Eastern to see the episode where Snooki threatens to leave the shore house. Speaking of Snooki, when we caught up with her, she told us that Italians shouldn’t be angry about the show because the housemates don’t represent that nationality.

• MISS UNIVERSE HEADS TO VEGAS! The 2010 Miss Universe pageant will be held in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino on August 23^rd. More than 80 beauty contestants from around the world are expected to flood the Vegas strip to compete in the show. Head to News.Yahoo.com to learn more.

Kinda clownish......right?

Kid is 12, amazing.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

Carrie Underwood ON American Idol Season Finale tonight. Carrie Underwood returns to American Idol for the season finale tonight. She will perform her current single "Undo It" during the episode. Carrie, who won the American Idol competition in 2005, sang on the Fox series earlier this year during the "Idol Gives Back" special. The final two contestants are Lee Dewyze and Crystal Bowersox. 

BRAD PAISLEY’S H2O World tour KICKS OFF.  Brad Paisley kicked off his H2O tour this past weekend in Virginia Beach and a sold-out show in Washington D.C.  Over 42-thousand fans came out to the shows.  Darius Rucker and Justin Moore opened the shows on the main stage.  Water Works Plaza featured free, fun events such as a slip and slide, a dunking booth, fishing simulator, racing simulator and other water related activities.  There is also a smaller stage in the Water Works Plaza area which featured performances by Steel Magnolia, Easton Corbin and Josh Thompson.  When Brad went on stage Friday night he told fans “You have no idea what we went through to get here tonight” before opening the show with his current single “Water.”  During the show Brad talked about the struggles after the Nashville flood saying “It was emotional, it was heartache, and it took perseverance to get here tonight.  Every member of my team made this a reality and I am so proud of them.  Thanks to you guys for making this difficult time that much more rewarding for all of us out here on the road.” The H2O tour continues this weekend with stops in Kansas City and St. Louis.

JOHN RICH’S NEW VIDEO “COUNTRY DONE COME TO TOWN” DEBUTS ON CMT. John Rich’s new video for his single “Country Done Come to Town” debuts today on CMT and CMT.com The video was filmed at John’s home in Nashville. “There’s girls in the swimmin’ pool on my roof. There’s a goat on my roof. There’s a couple of gals wrestling in bikinis in a kiddie pool full of cream-style corn on my roof. You got Ted Nugent at the grill cookin’ steaks and [he] had his cross bow out and two foot Fred and Sebastian Bach and Gretchen and George Jones is on the roof—mowing the grass on the roof on a riding mower. Just absolute insanity”

COMEDIAN JEFF DUNHAM WILL HOST CMT MUSIC AWARDS VIDEO OF THE YEAR SPECIAL. Days before the 2010 CMT Music Awards ventriloquist/comedian Jeff Dunham and his comedic sidekicks will give fans a closer look at the Video of the Year nominees when he hosts 2010 CMT Music Awards Video of the Year Special premiering Saturday, June 5^th at 2:00pm EST.  This one-hour special features the ten videos nominated for Video of the Year, which include Jason Aldean’s “The Truth”; Kenny Chesney’s “Out Last Night”; Toby Keith’s “American Ride”; Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now”; Miranda Lambert’s “White Liar”; Brad Paisley’s “Welcome to the Future”; Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me”; Carrie Underwood’s “Cowboy Casanova”; Keith Urban’s “‘Til Summer Comes Around” and Zac Brown Band’s “Toes”.  Fans can vote online at CMT.com through Tuesday, June 8 to determine the winners.  The final five nominees will be announced at the beginning of the live show and fans can vote at CMT.com and via text on their Verizon Wireless phones throughout the live broadcast (ET/CT only) to determine the night’s big winner. 

FAITH HILL AND EMMYLOU HARRIS PAY TRIBUTE TO PAUL MCCARTNEY. Faith Hill and Emmylou Harris will be part of a special concert at the White House June 2^nd that will pay tribute to Paul McCartney. Hosted by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, the evening will honor McCartney as this year’s recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for popular song, the highest honor for pop music. Faith and Emmylou will join other performers at the event including Elvis Costello, Dave Grohl, the Jonas Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Jack White and comedian Jerry Seinfeld. The event will broadcast on PBS on July 28^th at 8:00pm EST.

KIX BROOKS HOLDS BENEFIT CONCERT AT HIS WINERY. The As Long As We Have Voices sold-out event took place at Kix Brooks’ winery, Arrington Vineyards south of Nashville last week.  "Never in my 30 years in Nashville have I seen such terrible devastation," Kix said of the historic floods. "But it has been amazing to watch this community come together to overcome this." Kix performed at the event along with other country artists and songwriters such as Keith Stegall, Joey + Rory, Ty Herndon, Sherrie Austin, and Jason Sellers. Tickets to the event were sold for $100 a pair which included admission to the event, parking and a bottle of wine from Arrington Vineyards. Proceeds went to aid the Salvation Army’s flood relief efforts in Nashville.

DIERKS BENTLEY MEETS WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA. Dierks Bentley surprised the crowd at his Washington D.C. show recently when he revealed that earlier that day he had met with President Obama.  He began telling the audience that he had been walking down Pittsburgh Avenue when a band member corrected him saying it was Pennsylvania Avenue.  Dierks said he dropped off a copy of his new album Up On The Ridge in the oval office. That was all the info Dierks shared with the crowd.  President Obama quoted Dierks last year when he said “I said country music was the best shrink $15 can buy.” 

THIS AND THAT

• According to TMZ Mindy McCready was taken to Cape Coral Hospital in Florida yesterday after Mindy’s rep says Mindy’s mom overreacted.  Mindy broke her toe a few days ago and had been complaining about the pain.  Her mom gave her the narcotic painkiller Darvocet and later Mindy said she wasn’t feeling well so her mom called 9-1-1.
• Darius Rucker is scheduled to perform at a pre-race concert and sing the national anthem at the 52^nd annual Coke Zero 400 on July 3^rd.  This will be Darius’ third appearance at Daytona International Speedway.
• Keith Urban and wife Nicole Kidman were spotted Monday night in Nashville at Third Man Records for a special preview show. Local musician Jack White’s wife Karen Elson debuted some new songs off her album The Ghost Who Walks. Keith  and Nicole have been seen out and about with Jack on several occasions.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS 

• JESSE JAMES TALKS! In his interview for Nightline, Sandra Bullock’s estranged husband Jesse James told reporters that Bullock is an amazing mother. James and Bullock adopted a child in January and Jesse says parenting Louis with Bullock helped their relationship grow. That is, until reports of James’ infidelity hit the newsstands.  Bullock is now finalizing the adoption process as a single parent.  Learn more at People.com.
  • JESSE ON NAZI PHOTOS! Jesse James also addressed the pictures that surfaced in which he is giving a Hitler salute, wearing a German military hat. James says that it was a joke at the time, but looking at the photos now, he realizes that it wasn’t funny. Learn more at TMZ.com.

• KENDRA SEX TAPE HAS RECORD SALES! Radar Online is reporting that Kendra Wilkinson’s sex tape has gotten a record number of preorders – so many that they’ve moved the DVD’s release date up a week, to today. The tape is called Kendra Exposed and was filmed when the Girls Next Door star was just 18. Wilkinson is now 24 and has a baby boy with her NFL husband Hank Baskett.
• SIMON COWELL’S LAST AMERICAN IDOL! Fans of Simon Cowell have one more opportunity to watch the American Idol judge do his thing. After a winner is crowned on Idol tonight, Cowell is leaving the show to work on the new reality competition series The X-Factor. Tune in tonight at 8 PM Eastern on FOX to see the season finale of American Idol.

• HASSELHOFF NOT HOSPITALIZED! Despite Internet reports from sites like Radar Online, David Hasselhoff told TMZ that he was not taken to the emergency room by his daughter this weekend and that he is sober and feeling fine. Reports arose Tuesday that the former Baywatch star needed to go to the hospital after a drinking binge.
• THE BACHELORETTE GOSSIP! According to Radar Online, The Bachelorette contestant Justin “Rated R” Rego has a girlfriend back home, even though he’s on the ABC reality show vying for Bachelorette Ali’s love.Tune in to see a new episode of The Bachelorette on ABC at 8 PM Eastern this Monday.
• RUSSELL BRAND WEDDING DETAILS! According to the New York Daily News, Russell Brand will not be inviting his father to his wedding with singer Katy Perry later this year. The outlet reports Brand doesn’t want to upset his mother, who divorced Brand’s dad when Russell was still a kid, so he’s leaving his pop out of the ceremony.

  TONY AWARD HOST! Will & Grace actor Sean Hayes will host this year’s Tony Awards. The awards show will air live on CBS on June 13^th from Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Hayes himself is nominated for a 2010 Tony for his role as “Chuck” in Promises, Promises.

• MTV MOVIE AWARDS! Aziz Ansari is hosting this year’s MTV Movie Awards and when we asked the Parks and Recreation actor how he was preparing for his hosting duties, this is what he told us. Tune in to see how many Twilight references Aziz makes when the 2010 MTV Movie Awards air live on MTV on Sunday, June 6^th at 9 PM Eastern.
• GLEE’S JANE LYNCH TO HOST DO SOMETHNG AWARDS! Glee’s Jane Lynch has been tapped to host this year’s Do Something Awards on Vh1. The award show honors celebrities and everyday people who are committed to social change. Stars like Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio and Salma Hayek are nominated in the Do Something Movie Star category, with musicians like Lady Gaga, Jonas Brothers, Christina Aguilera, Pete Wentz and Shakira all up for the Do Something Music Artist Award. The 2010 Vh1 Do Something Awards will air live on July 19^th at 9 PM Eastern.

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

LADY ANTEBELLUM ANNOUNCES FIRST HEADLINING TOUR AND NEW SINGLE.  Lady Antebellum has announced they will be hitting the road for their first headlining tour. Cities and dates will be announced by market in the coming weeks with the first one to be revealed today. The tour will stop in 35-cities and is slated to begin September 20th and wrap sometime in November.  David Nail will open the shows.  Lady A also announced that the next single from their current album Need You Now will be “Our Kind of Love.”

STARS PAY TRIBUTE TO BROOKS & DUNN. Last night some of the biggest names in country music played tribute to Brooks & Dunn during ACM Presents Brooks & Dunn: The Last Rodeo. Before the night was over Brooks & Dunn received the ACM Milestone Award. To date they’ve had 23 number one songs, sold over 30 million albums, and hold the record for having won the most ACM Awards – 27 total with three being for Entertainer of the Year. Below is a rundown of who sang during the special and the Brooks & Dunn song they chose to sing:

• Miranda Lambert – “Hillbilly Deluxe”
• George Strait – “Boot Scootin’ Boogie”
• Kenny Chesney – “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone”
• Brad Paisley – “My Next Broken Heart”
• Keith Urban – “Brand New Man”
• Sugarland – “Red Dirt Road”
• Reba McEntire – “Indian Summer”
• Taylor Swift – “There Ain’t Nothin’ About You, That Don’t Do Somethin’ For Me”
• Jason Aldean – “How Long Gone”
• Lady Antebellum – “If You See Him/If You See Her” (Reba and Ronnie Dunn joined in at the end)
• Jennifer Hudson – “Believe”
• Carrie Underwood – “Neon Moon”
• Darius Rucker – “Hard Workin’ Man”
• Rascal Flatts – “It’s Getting Better All The Time”
• Faith Hill – The Long Goodbye
• Tim McGraw – That Ain’t No Way To Go
• Brooks & Dunn – “Play Something Country”

TAYLOR SWIFT #1 ON BILLBOARDS HOT TOURS.  Taylor Swift has appeared on Billboards Hot Tours chart six other times this year, but this is her first time at #1.  The tour’s promoter The Messina Group reported Taylor’s Fearless tour brought in $8.1 million in ticket sales revenue from 10 performances at eight arenas. Also on the top 10 of ticket sales revenue reported last week to Billboard are:

• #2 Pearl Jam $2.1 million
• #3  Rod Stewart $1.9 million
• #4 Barry Manilow $1.4 million
• #5 Jay Z $1.4 million
• #6 Hedley $1.2 million
• #7 Van Morrison $1.2 million
• #8 Carrie Underwood $1.2 million
• #9 Chelsea Handler $1.1 million
• #10 Tiesto $1. million

MIRANDA LAMBERT BREAKS DOWN HER ANIMAL FARM. Most people know that Miranda Lambert is a huge animal lover, but have you heard about the farm she has going at home in Tishomingo, Oklahoma? Miranda recently revealed how many animals she has and what their names are. Here is the breakdown:

-         4 horses - Miss Emily, Sunny Jim, Zeus Troubadour and Lucky Star

-         3 miniature horses - Sugar Pie, Annie and Adriana

-         2 pot-belly pigs - Amos and Gideon

-         lots of chickens - Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens (she doesn’t name each one)

-         6 dogs - Jessie, Waylon, Delilah, Delta, Steve and Cher

-         Miranda had two donkeys but they got on her nerves so she found them a better home. She claims she’s done rescuing animals for now.

TAYLOR SWIFT ENJOYS TIME IN LOS ANGELES. Taylor Swift had quite a busy day Tuesday in Los Angeles. Before taking home two BMI Pop Awards last week, Taylor was spotted at lunch with her old love Taylor Lautner. The two had lunch at The Elephant Bar along with two bodyguards. Taylor also made time to stop by Pottery Barn.

KEITH URBAN AND NICOLE KIDMAN HANG IN HONG KONG. Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman arrived in Hong Kong last week. The couple attended the charity gala, A Night with the Stars. Money raised from the 100-thousand dollar a table event will go to UNICEF. Nicole is the goodwill ambassador for UNICEF which supports women around the world in need. Nicole also attended the grand opening of a new Omega boutique in Hong Kong.

• While in Hong Kong, Nicole said she has really slowed her work down to be able to keep her family together. She has been shooting a movie in Hawaii with Adam Sandler recently and has been helping raise money for Nashville flood relief.

MIRANDA LAMBERT DESIGNS NECKLACE. Miranda Lambert has designed a special sterling silver necklace for the company Pennyroyal Silver. The pendant has a little heart-shaped paw print etched into it and Miranda’s autograph is on the back. Proceeds from the 75-dollar pendant will go to her very own charity the MuttNation Foundation.  "I am very excited about my partnership with Pennyroyal. They created a beautiful piece of jewelry to help raise funds for my passion of finding loving homes for abandoned and abused animals across the country,” says Miranda.  The pendants will only be available until June 21^st.

TRACE ADKINS HELPS RAISE MONEY FOR NASHVILLE FLOOD EFFORTS.  Last week listeners at a Portland radio station were invited to the station to meet Trace Adkins if they made a minimum 5-dollar donation to flood relief efforts.  Fans began lining up around 6:30am and Trace did not disappoint.  One female fan said “I’ve got seven minutes to get to work.  But it’s worth it, I mean, he’s gorgeous.” Trace smiled for photos and signed everything from a hubcap to a pair of bull horns. "It is bad, but we'll get through it and be OK," Trace said of the flooding in Nashville.  A guitar case full of money was raised from Trace’s meet & greets.

CHRIS YOUNG RELEASING SPECIAL iTUNES ALBUM.  Chris Young will release a special three song digital acoustic album titled Voices EP exclusively on iTunes tomorrow. The three songs he covers are 1980’s classics John Anderson’s “Swingin,’” Vern Gosdin’s “Chiseled In Stone” and Keith Whiteley’s “I’m Over You.”  Chris said “If you go through a list of some of my favorite artists, these guys are at the top.”  

Dierks & Friends Wrap“Ridge” At The Ryman. Dierks Bentley wrapped his “Up On The Ridge” tour with a special treat for fans at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium Saturday night! Dierks invited several of the guests on his upcoming album, including bluegrass legend Del McCoury, Jon Randall and the Punch Brothers, to help preview his new music. Dierks also played bluegrass versions of his biggest hits, including “Sideways” and “What Was I Thinking,” plus covers of George Strait’s “All My Ex’s Live In Texas,” U2’s “Pride (In The Name of Love),” Bob Dylan’s “Senor (Tales of Yankee Power” and Jerry Reed’s “East Bound And Down.” Dierks told the audience his mom had flown in from Phoenix to see the show and had insisted he play her favorite track from the new album, a cover of Kris Kristofferson’s “Bottle To The Bottom,” which he gladly did.

The Ultimate Music Fest Lineup. Don’t miss an exciting week of events beginning Tuesday, June 8^th at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Store in Downtown Nashville featuring autograph signings by Diamond Rio, Jake Owen, Trisha Yearwood, Josh Turner, Danny Gokey, Dierks Bentley and Cherry Holmes. Go to www.halloffame.cmt.com for exact  dates and times of each artist signing.

Eagles, Dixie Chicks, Keith Urban Cancel Two Stadium Shows.  Two stadium concerts featuring the Eagles, Dixie Chicks and Keith Urban have been canceled, according to the Eagles’ website. No reason was given for the cancellations and refunds will be available at the place of purchase. The musicians were scheduled to perform at Citizens Bank Ball Park in Philadelphia on June 14 and at Hershey Stadium in Hershey, Pa., on June 15. The Eagles and Dixie Chicks are still scheduled for Toronto on June 8. Urban joins the tour in East Rutherford, N.J., on June 10, as well as Boston on June 12 and Chicago on June 19. The Eagles and the Dixie Chicks are also slated for Winnipeg, Manitoba, on June 22 and in St. Louis on June 24.

COUNTRY THROWDOWN TOUR UP AND RUNNING! The Country Throwdown Tour is up and running so far Jack Ingram is having a blast. “I loved it....I LOVED it.  It’s the closest thing to a traveling circus I’ve ever been a part of,  the vibe is organic, fun, inspiring and exciting.  It’s everything an artist would want and more importantly it’s everything country music fans need.” The tour is bringing together top country music artists with emerging singer-songwriters; the festival offers a relaxing atmosphere where fans enjoy a constant stream of music on multiple stages all day long. Montgomery Gentry is the headlining act and Eddie Montgomery is having a blast. “The first weekend out at the Throwdown Tour was an off the hook crazy time! And that’s how I think live music should be, everybody there was having so much fun and it didn’t cost the fans a whole lot of money.”

-         Country Throwdown Tour performers include: Montgomery Gentry, Jamey Johnson, Little Big Town and Jack Ingram.  Other main stage artists include: Eric Church, The Lost Trailers, the Eli Young Band, Heidi Newfield, Ryan Bingham and The Dead Horses, Jonathan Singleton & The Grove, Emily West and Tyler Reeve. In addition, nine emerging singer-songwriters are featured in the Bluebird Café Tent: Ashley Ray, Brad Tursi, Cory Branan, Dave Pahanish, Jedd Hughes, Sarah Buxton, Troy Olsen, Heather Morgan and Walker Hayes. 

THIS AND THAT

-         To help celebrate Dollywood’s 25^th anniversary season in June former First Daughter Jenna Bush will be reporting for the Today show to help celebrate Kids Fest at Dollywood.  Jenna will be there to document the delivery of the 25 millionth book from Dolly’s Imagination Library.

-         Sheryl Crow has her Nashville home on the market for seven-point-five million dollars. She plans to stay in the Nashville area but wants to move closer to her sister and her son’s school. A link to see pictures is below:

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=DN&Dato=20100515&Kategori=WILLIAMSON&Lopenr=5150802&Ref=PH

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS 

-         JESSE JAMES “THREW AWAY” HIS MARRIAGE! During an interview with ABC News’ Nightline, Jesse James speaks openly about the end of his marriage to Sandra Bullock. The 41-year-old, who cheated on the actress, believes he is the “most hated man in the world.” In a promo spot for the upcoming show, James says he “took a pretty amazing life and marriage... and threw it away.” The full interview airs tomorrow night on ABC.

-         SERIES FINALE OF 24! The two hour series finale of 24 airs tonight on FOX. 

-         KATE MOSS BURGLAR According to EOnline.com, Kate Moss’ London home was reportedly burgled late last week. The model and her boyfriend, Jamie Hince, were asleep in the home when the crime transpired. The robbers stole several pieces of art, including one painting valued at over 115-thousand dollars. Authorities recently arrested one of the men involved and he’s currently being held in custody.

-         DANCING WITH THE STARS FINALE! Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, gold medalist ice skater Evan Lysacek and ESPN commentator Erin Andrews are the three remaining contestants on Dancing with the Stars. Each celeb has one more shot at dancing for votes tonight. Nicole has been a frontrunner in the competition since day one. Tune in at 8 PM Eastern tonight on ABC to see the last dance competition episode and then watch tomorrow to see the final episode of Dancing with the Stars.

-         ANOTHER KENDRA SEX TAPE!  Recently, Vivid Video got their hands on a sex tape starring former Playboy Playmate Kendra Wilkinson and now, RadarOnline.com is reporting there is another video starring the blonde, and in this one, her partner is a woman.  Sources say the video was shot before Kendra moved into the Playboy Mansion.  Vivid Video already has the tape. 

-         MEGAN FOX FURIOUS OVER NAKED PICS!  Naked pictures of Megan Fox have leaked onto the Internet and the Transformers actress is pretty angry about them.  The shots were taken with a cameraphone as Megan filmed a scene for her upcoming movie Passion Play.  In the photo, Fox is topless (though her arm is covering her chest) in a glass box as a circus sideshow performer.  She told Allure magazine if she knew who took the pic, she would “personally cause them harm – physical harm.”  Fox goes on to say she isn’t a reality star that loves having her picture taken, rather, she was just trying to do her job and stuff like this makes her furious.

-         DIRECT LINK TO PHOTO:

-         http://www.hotcelebshome.com/2010/01/15/megan-fox-on-the-passion-play-set-in-santa-fe-lq/

-        A SMURF ACCIDENT! Production on the new movie The Smurfs had to be stopped after a worker fell 30 feet.  According to the New York Post, the film was being shot at FAO Schwartz in New York City on Thursday, and a man fell from a set lift at 6:30 in the morning after working all night.  He was taken to the hospital and is said to be in stable condition.

-         LOST NEWS! You didn’t have to be in America to enjoy Lost’s series finale last night.  According to IMDB.com, Disney came to an agreement to show it live, on the same day, or within 48-hours of it’s airing, in 59-countries, in an effort to prevent online piracy and also because fans demanded it.  The finale will also be eligible to be nominated for an Emmy, even though it was two-and-a-half hours and previous rules said a show had to be two hours or less to be eligible.

-         SCREAM 4 DETAILS!  There are new details on Scream 4, the long awaited new film in the horror franchise.  According to The Hollywood Reporter, original cast members Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courteney Cox will be in the flick but only to “pass the baton” to a new cast that includes Twilight hottie Ashley Greene, Heroes star Hayden Panettiere and Rory Culkin.  The movie is slated to come out next April. 

-         MTV MOVIE AWARDS: THE HANGOVER! The Hangover is up for a bunch of golden popcorns at this year’s MTV Movie Awards. Zach Galifianakis (Pron: Gal-uh-fin-ack-iss), who was the break-out star of the film with his role as “Alan,” gave us a little more insight into his quirky character. Tune in to see how many awards The Hangover takes home when the 2010 MTV Movie Awards air live on MTV on Sunday, June 6^th at 9 PM Eastern.

-         GREY’S ANATOMY SHOOTS THE COMPETITION!  The surprising two-hour season finale of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy dominated the final Thursday of the television season. Although it marked the show’s lowest rated season ender ever, it still won its two-hour time period scoring over 15-million viewers, according to Variety.  Grey’s beat the finales of CSI, The Mentalist, Bones, Fringe, and the comedy combo of Community, The Office, 30 Rock, Parks & Recreation and The Marriage Ref. 

-         JERSEY SHORE CASTING CALL!  Casting calls for MTV’s hit series Jersey Shore will take place on Sunday, May 30^th in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.  Harrah’s Resort & Casino in Atlantic City will host the open call from 11 AM to 8 PM.  The Bare Pool Lounge at The Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas host the open call from 11 AM to 7 PM. You must be 21 years old or over. 

-         GLEE SINGS ON DVD!  The first season of Glee will arrive on DVD in September.  The set will contain all 22 episodes from the first season and is loaded with extras including exclusive bonus materials and extended episodes, a sing-along karaoke, a behind-the-scenes look at “The Power of Madonna” episode, Glee makeovers, never-before-seen “Sue’s Corners” and a dance tutorial titled “Staying in Step with Glee.” The four disc Blu-Ray and seven disc DVD set will arrive in stores on September 14^th. 

-         GREASE SING-A-LONG!  The classic 1978 musical Grease starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John will be released in theaters in select cities as a sing-a-long version on July 8^th.  The flick will be showing in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Dallas, Seattle, Miami, San Diego, among other towns.   

• TRAILER:
• http://greasemovie.com/?gclid=COGzqYLz46ECFRY75QodSWZnJw

I was shocked, and kinda creeped out by his voice.........I also like how he smirks at being the most hated man in the world.  You are, buddy, at least you know it!

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

BROOKS & DUNN HUMBLED BY SPECIAL. ACM Presents Brooks & Dunn: The Last Rodeo airs Sunday at 8 PM Eastern on CBS. The show was taped the night after the ACM Awards and Kix Brooks says having so many artists come together for them is simply humbling.  “I can honestly say, for several reasons, it is the most special – to me – the most humbling things we’ve ever done. It means enough to them to have them sing our songs, or music that we’ve made. That’s, that’s incredible. When I look at those names, cause sometimes that’s one of those things where you get asked to do things and you go, ‘Well that’s kind of weird.’ But for them to think that’s cool, that’s kind of beyond me. It really is.” Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Jennifer Hudson, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban will all perform during the special.

Carrie Underwood Will Return to American Idol for Season Finale. Carrie Underwood will return to American Idol for the season finale on Wednesday . She will perform "Undo It" during the episode. Underwood, who won the American Idol competition in 2005, sang on the Fox series earlier this year during the "Idol Gives Back" special. Her upcoming dates on her Play On tour include tonight in Reno, Nevada, and Saturday in Las Vegas.

• Related – Carrie has never said who she thinks should win American Idol. She remembers reading who certain celebrities wanted to win during her season and says it was hurtful. Plus, she feels the contestants are under enough pressure.

KENNY CHESNEY MAKES BANK AGAIN THIS YEAR. Forbes magazine has released its top ten earners in country music artists list and Kenny Chesney comes in first for the second year in a row. Forbes notes his 57-date tour that brought in an average gross of one-point-six million dollars a night which totals his earnings at 69 - million dollars gross income last year. Toby Keith came in second with 48 million dollars which include his restaurant chain, touring profit, and song royalties. But it was Taylor Swift who showed the biggest income jump in just one year. She went from 18 million in 2009 to 45 million this year. She ties Rascal Flatts for the third spot. Tim McGraw takes the 5th top earner spot and Keith Urban, George Strait, Brad Paisley, Alan Jackson and Carrie Underwood finish out the top ten list.

TAYLOR SWIFt’s IMAGINARIUM. Taylor Swift’s talk of having a mote, a life sized bird cage and even stingrays in her new penthouse has her band calling her new place The Imaginarium. Taylor has no idea when her new place will be finished so until then, she is still living with her parents.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD PARTNERS WITH ACM FOR FLOOD RELIEF. Carrie Underwood and ACM Lifting Lives have committed seed funding to create ACM Lifting Lives Temporary Home Fund to support relief efforts for families suffering from the floods in Nashville. ACM Lifting Lives received funds from the taping of ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn The Last Rodeo. Carrie received grant money after winning Entertainer of the Year at the ACM Awards, so her grants plus money raised from the ACM Brooks & Dunn Special is what will be used for this foundation. “Last year, I partnered with ACM Lifting Lives to help people in my hometown of Checotah, Oklahoma. Now I’m happy that we can help people in my current home of Nashville,” said Carrie Underwood. During the Brooks & Dunn special Sunday at 8 on CBS, fans can text ACM to 501501 to make a one-time 10 dollars donation to the new ACM Lifting Lives Temporary Home Fund.

SUGARLAND REMBERS FILMING CMT MUSIC AWARD NOMINATED “KEEP YOU” VIDEO! Sugarland has two nominations in the Duo Video of the Year category for the CMT Music Awards. One is for their song “Nightswimming/Joey,” and the other is for “Keep You.” Jennifer Nettles says they wanted a very simple story line within a pretty location for “Keep You,” and ended up filming it while on vacation.  “We did that video the same time we did the ‘All I Want To Do,’ video. We did them both during the same week and we did them both in Hawaii in a beautiful theatre. Yeah, beautiful.” The CMT Music Awards will be hosted by Kid Rock and air June 9^th live from Nashville. Vote online now at CMT.com.

DOLLY PARTON ON OPRAH TODAY! Dolly Parton is on Oprah today. She’ll sing “Nine to Five, “ give Oprah an inside look at her tour bus where she reveals her wig closet, and she’s even brought a friend with her to the show – Kenny Rogers! Kenny, Dolly and Oprah all sing “The Gambler,” during the show.

ZAC BROWN’S SUMMER FOOD RECOMMENDATION. Zac Brown released his first cookbook recently called Southern Ground. It’s a collection of his own recipes along with a few from his friends. He says this cookbook is great for summertime dishes.“There’s one in there called Chicken and Corn and it’s homemade fried chicken and homemade creamed corn. And you bury the chicken in the corn and bake it for a while and it’s ridiculous, I mean, really!” Zac Brown Band is nominated for two CMT Music Award. Vote now at CMT.com.

BILLY RAY CYRUS HEADED BACK TO T-V? Billy Ray Cyrus is apparently heading back to T-V, but this time it’s with his son Trace who is formerly of the band Metro Station. Trace has been posting tweets recently that say, “This reality show with my dad and I is going to blow peoples minds." Trace recently formed a new band, Ashland High, and is reportedly dating Disney star Brenda Song.

THIS AND THAT

• Mindy McCready has filed court papers to reclaim custody of her 4-year-old son, Zander, from her mother Terri, who was appointed the child's guardian in 2007 when Mindy was arrested for violating probation.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS 

BRET MICHAELS HOSPITALIZED AGAIN, HAS HOLE IN HEART. Bret Michaels is back in the hospital with a hole in his heart.  The Poison singer, who is recovering from a brain hemorrhage, was readmitted to the hospital after suffering numbness on the left side of his body.  Turns out that numbness is what is known as a “warning stroke.”  After conducting various tests, Bret’s doctors learned he had a hole in his heart.  While the discovery is devastating to Michaels’ family, the good news is the condition is operable and treatable.  According to a press release on Bret’s Facebook page, the physicians think the hole is what caused the warning stroke, but they don’t believe it is connected to Bret’s brain hemorrhage.  The rocker’s docs plan to treat Bret with outpatient care, which means he just needs daily injections of a blood thinner.  No word yet on if Michaels will be able to attend Sunday’s Celebrity Apprentice finale but his rep says the singer is up, walking, talking and continuing rehab but “tired of being in the hospital” and “ready to rock again.”  Read more at Facebook.com/BretMichaels. 

ENTERTAINMENT QUICKIES 

• LOST CAST TO WATCH FINALE TOGETHER! On Sunday night, Lost fans everywhere are going to be heading to parties to watch the series finale with friends.  Nestor Carbonell, who plays the never-aging “Richard Alpert” on the hit series, told us what he and the rest of the cast have planned.  The series finale of Lost airs Sunday night at 9 PM Eastern on ABC.
• SALAHI’S STOPPED NEAR STATE DINNER!  This week, President Obama had a state dinner at the White House and Michaele and Tareq Salahi, the couple that crashed the last state dinner, were stopped by the Secret Service near the event.  The pair told MSNBC that they were just heading to dinner nearby and it was an “unbelievable coincidence” that their restaurant was near the White House.  The Salahi’s limo was stopped for running a red light and the driver was cited.  The couple happened to have a camera crew with them from the entertainment news show Inside Edition. 
• GEORGE LOPEZ CHEATED ON HIS WIFE? A Tampa Bay prostitute named Tiffany told the National Enquirer that she was romantically involved with George Lopez. The comedian has a wife named Ann, but according to his alleged mistress, that didn’t matter. Tiff spilled that she “had sex with George Lopez for money.” She went on to reveal that a friend of hers did too and that he wanted a threesome. The TV host has not yet commented on the allegations.
• MEGAN FOX CHOSE TO LEAVE TRANSFORMERS 3! After news broke that Megan Fox would not be in the upcoming Transformers 3 movie, the actress explained that it was her choice to leave the franchise. In a statement, a rep for Fox said, “She wishes the franchise the best.” No word yet on who will replace the Jennifer’s Body star in the new flick.
• SNOOKI GETS HER OWN SHOE! According to CocoPerez.com, Snooki has teamed up with Steve Madden to get her own shoe. The Jersey Shore reality star now has a platform glittery shoe that comes in three different colors! Head over to CoCoPerez.com for your first look.  
• AMERICAN IDOL SEASON FINALE! Crystal Bowersox and Lee Dewyze are the last contestants standing on this season of American Idol. They’re headed into the final two shows, where they’ll duke it out one more time to see who is crowned the Season Nine winner. 
  • TUNE-IN! Tune in to see Crystal and Lee’s final round of competition on Tuesday at 8 PM Eastern on FOX and then tune in at 8 PM Eastern on Wednesday for the two hour finale of American Idol to see who is crowned the winner.
• KATHERINE HEIGL’S DAUGHTER IS FINE! Katherine Heigl’s adopted baby is doing well after open-heart surgery.  The actress told Harper’s Bazaar magazine that her and husband Josh Kelley’s daughter, Nancy Leigh, is “100-percent fine now” after having the surgery just before the couple took her home to Los Angeles last year.  Heigl said that she does have a scar, but it just means “she won’t be wearing bikinis” which is fine with them.
• PEE-WEE COMING TO BROADWAY!  Pee-wee Herman, a-k-a Paul Reubens, recently put on a successful run of his Pee-wee Herman Show in L-A and now, the production is coming to Broadway.  The show features familiar characters like “Chairry,” “Pterry the Pterodactyl,” “Jambi the Genie” and “Miss Yvonne,” plus some new folks as well.  The six-week New York run begins on October 26^th and you can learn more at Facebook.com/PeeWeeHerman. 
• BERTINELLI TO WED!  Actress Valerie Bertinelli is getting married again.  Eddie Van Halen’s ex will tie the knot with her boyfriend of six years, Tom Vitale.  According to Entertainment Tonight, Valerie is letting Tom plan the nuptials and you can learn more at ETOnline.com. 
• OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST HAS SON! Olympic Gold Medalist volleyball star Kerri Walsh has given birth to her second son.  According to People.com, Walsh and husband Casey Jennings welcomed baby Sundance into the world on Wednesday night.  He joins big brother Joseph Michael, who turns one on Saturday.

So is Jay DeMarcus the only non-cheater in the group? 

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

Taylor Swift's "Love Story" Awarded BMI Pop Song of the Year. Taylor Swift's "Love Story" was named song of the year at the BMI Pop Awards during a gala ceremony in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The award recognizes the song that received the most airplay during the past year. At 20, Taylor is the youngest songwriter to receive the honor and the first country winner since Faith Hill's "Breathe" earned the award for Stephanie Bentley in 2000. Other former winners from the country format include Shania Twain ("You're Still the One") and Dolly Parton ("I Will Always Love You"). "Love Story" earned BMI's country song of the year honors in 2009, and Taylor also won BMI's country song of the year in 2008 for "Teardrops on My Guitar."

LADY ANTEBELLUM SINGS FOR SIMS. Lady Antebellum recently recorded a special version of their hit “Need You Now,” for Sims 3.  The trio recorded the song in Simlish which is the language spoken on the Sims game. You can watch a video of the trio trying to pronounce the words at ladyantebellum.com. The game also has characters that resemble each member of the trio.

• The first line of the verse should be “It’s a quarter after one, I’m all alone and I need you now.”
• In Simlish the line reads, “Yasser quirler appa wub Ya mala nobe emma neeba zow.”

Songwriters to Perform Kenny Chesney Hits During CMA Music Festival. Several songwriters who have written hits for Kenny Chesney will gather to perform the material during the CMA Music Festival in Nashville. Chesney is not scheduled to appear at the June 10 event at the Hard Rock Cafe. Participants include Mac McAnally ("Down the Road," "Back Where I Come From"), Craig Wiseman ("The Good Stuff," "Ain't Back Yet," "Summertime"), Brett James ("When the Sun Goes Down," "Out Last Night"), Neil Thrasher ("There Goes My Life," "I Lost It"), Wendell Mobley ("There Goes My Life," "How Forever Feels") and Casey Beathard ("Don't Blink," "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems"). The performance will benefit Musicians On Call, a nonprofit organization that brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities to promote and complement the healing process for patients, families and caregivers. The CMA Music Festival takes place June 10-13.

MIRANDA LAMBERT AND LADY A BATTLE IT OUT AGAIN! Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum are both nominated in the Video of the Year category for the CMT Music Awards. It’s not the first time they’ve had nods in the same category – they had several of the same nominations at the ACM Awards. No matter who wins though, Miranda says they always celebrate each other’s success. “Lady A beat me in two categories and I was about to cry I was so happy for them, and the same for them. They were like, ‘We voted for you for Album of the Year.’ And I was like, ‘’Weren’t yall up for that?’ And they were like, ‘Yea, but we voted for you and not for us.’ And that, that’s the ultimate compliment. I mean it really really is.” You can vote for the CMT Music Awards now at CMT.com.

Trace Adkins, Julianne Hough Will Play Nashville's July 4th celebration. Trace Adkins and Julianne Hough are among the performers booked for Nashville’s July 4^th celebration at Riverfront Park. The free annual event in downtown Nashville will also feature Christian singer Jaci Velasquez, the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and Ayla Brown. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. with a large fireworks show expected to begin around 9:30 p.m.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD LEARNED TO BOOGIE FROM BROOKS & DUNN. Carrie Underwood is one of the artists performing during the ACM Presents Brooks & Dunn: The Last Rodeo special which airs this Sunday at 8 PM Eastern. She won’t reveal the song she’ll sing but she says the duo has had a huge impact on her life.  “The song I’m singing actually came out when I was eight years old so Brooks & Dunn have been a part of my life forever. Ever since I was little. I remember I made up a dance to ‘Boot Scootin’ Boogie.’ They’ve been such a part of raising me in country music.”

Cross Canadian Ragweed Announce a Break From Touring. Cross Canadian Ragweed, one of the most popular live bands in Texas, have announced they are taking a break from their rigorous touring schedule. Randy Ragsdale, the band's drummer and a founding member, told the band earlier this month that he needed to spend more time at home with his 10-year-old autistic son. But rather than hire a new drummer, the other three band members decided to take a break as well. The band's country singles include "17," "Sick and Tired," "Fightin' For" and "Cry Lonely."

THIS AND THAT

• Songwriters Darryl Worley, Jim "Moose" Brown, Walt Aldridge, and Steve Wariner performed some of their biggest hits this past Friday for a sold out audience at the "Hitmakers on the Harbor" songwriters concert. The event took place in Pickwick, Tennessee and raised 28-thousand dollars in support of The Darryl Worley Foundation.
• Craig Morgan is raising awareness for thousands of military men, women and their families who are struggling with the after effects of combat and the difficulties transitioning to life back at home as a spokesperson for Not Alone.  Not Alone is an organization that empowers warriors and families dealing with combat stress through training, education, counseling and support.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS 

• LOHAN LOSES PASSPORT IN CANNES! According to TMZ.com, Lindsay Lohan claims someone stole her passport in Cannes, France.  Lohan went to the airport yesterday trying to get on a flight back to the States without a passport but was denied boarding.  The site reports Lohan had a reservation to fly back to Los Angeles for a mandatory court hearing today.  Lindsay has made an appointment with the U-S Embassy this morning to get another passport so she can fly home.  Judge Marsha Revel has said she will issue a warrant for Lindsay's arrest if she doesn't show up at 8:30 AM Pacific. 
• TWILIGHT NATION CELEBRATES!  According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene have resolved their salary dispute with Summit Entertainment and signed on for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn.  Lutz and Greene are getting over one-million dollars for each of the final movies.
• BONES FINALE TONIGHT! A lot happens on the season finale of Bones tonight! When we caught up with Bones star Emily Deschanel, she told us as much as she could about what goes down on the show. Tune in to FOX tonight at 8 PM Eastern to see the season finale of Bones.
• CONAN DOES UPFRONT!  Conan O’Brien appeared at the TBS and TNT upfront presentation in New York City earlier this week. He cracked a lot of jokes before getting serious about his return to late night television.  O’Brien then kidded with the audience of advertisers saying his vision for his new show is all about corny jokes and country music, which attract young male demos.  George Lopez, in his appearance later, also talked about O'Brien. He said he feels the late-night move that will see him start work an hour later and still get the same pay is a Latino’s dream come true.
• BRISTOL PALIN SPEAKING APPEARANCES! Bristol Palin wants to hit the lecture circuit.  The daughter of former Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin is offering her services as a speaker for a mere 15 to 30-thousand dollars per appearance.  She’ll discuss abstinence, women, pro-life and youth-related issues.  Learn more at HuffingtonPost.com. 
• THERON DOESN’T LIKE IRON MAN! Audiences have been raving about Iron Man 2, but apparently Charlize Theron has a different opinion.  According to People.com, the actress was seen catching a late night showing of the film with a male pal, but snuck out of the theater well before the end of the flick.
• DREW BARRYMORE’S NEXT DIRECTING JOB! Drew Barrymore made her directorial debut last year with the movie Whip It! and on her next project, the actress plans to do a sequel to The Wizard of Oz called Surrender Dorothy.  According to PerezHilton.com, in the flick, “Dorothy’s” great-great-granddaughter has to “learn to wield the power of the ruby slippers to protect both Oz” and our world from the “Wicked Witch of the West.”  Drew will also star in the movie.
• ONE EPISODE OF LOST LEFT! Only the finale of Lost remains, and it’s evident that everyone is waiting with bated breath for it. Michael Emerson, who plays “Ben Linus” on the hit ABC series, talked with us about how fans’ reverent attitudes towards the show spill over to when people see him in person (See Related Cut #8).  Tune in to ABC this Sunday starting at 7 PM Eastern to see a recap of the series and then the finale, which begins at 9 PM.
• EXTRA AUDIO! We finally have audio proof that Lost creator J.J. Abrams is a busy man. When we caught up with him on a red carpet and begged for him to talk about Lost, Super 8 or Undercovers, here’s all he told us …hmmm, or maybe those apologies are for the season finale of Lost. Guess we won’t know until Sunday night.
• GOLFER ROBBED AT GUN POINT! Golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez is recovering after being held hostage by four men at gunpoint in his Puerto Rico home on Wednesday.  According to TMZ, the robbers broke into his home early in the morning and tied him and his wife up with duct tape as they stole jewelry and cash.  Rodriguez told the website that it was the “scariest situation” he’s ever been in.
• ANNA NICOLE’S UNDERWEAR OFF EBAY! According to TMZ.com, Anna Nicole’s used panties, garter belts, lingerie tops and other personal belongings have been removed from eBay. The news comes after Smith’s so-called best friend, Jackie Hatten, reportedly posted random items that were once used by Anna, like an old make-up brush. However, eBay’s policy “strictly prohibits listing used underwear. Used clothing may be listed on eBay as long as it has been cleaned and the listing clearly states that the clothing is used.” 
• JASON ALEXANDER TALKS JENNY CRAIG! Seinfeld star Jason Alexander has lost 30 pounds on Jenny Craig and is the star of a new video where he shows off his weight loss by wearing a spandex unisuit. We talked with Jason about being on a diet and he told us why he started it in the first place. He went on to tell us whether being on the diet has been difficult. Head over to PerezHilton.com to check out how the 50-year-old is looking these days.
• OLSEN TWINS FINALLY SELL PENTHOUSE! Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have finally managed to sell a New York penthouse that they never actually moved in to.  According to the New York Post, the actresses purchased the five-bedroom apartment for 7.3-million dollars in 2004, and just sold it for 8.45-million.  The sale didn’t come easy though, as it once had an asking price of 12-million bucks.
• CURB TO FILM IN NYC! The next season of the hit HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm will be filmed in New York City.  Actress Susie Essman broke the news to the New York Post saying, “They all live in L-A and for seven seasons, I’ve been schlepping out there.  Now I get to sleep in my own bed.  Let them stay in hotels.”  There is no word what the plotline is for this season but production will start in July with the season premiere early next year. 
• ONE MORE TIME FROM THE OLD TOP THREE! We’re now down to the Top Two on American Idol, but we sure did love Casey James, Crystal Bowersox and Lee Dewyze as the Top Three this year. So, let’s hear from them one more time (See Related Cuts #12 - #14). The second to last episode of Season Nine of American Idol airs on FOX at 8 PM Eastern on Tuesday night.
• PAULA PATTON TALKS MTV MOVIE AWARDS! The 2010 MTV Movie Awards are quickly approaching and Paula Patton is hoping her former Precious co-star, Gabourey Sidibe, wins the Best Breakthrough Performance. Singer Robin Thicke’s wife gave us her predictions for Gabby. The 2010 MTV Movie Awards will be hosted by Aziz Ansari and will air live from Universal City, California on Sunday, June 6^th at 9 PM Eastern.
• SEYFRIED HATES OBSESSIVE EXERCISING! Amanda Seyfried revealed in the June issue of Self magazine that she doesn’t believe in obsessive exercising. The Letters To Juliet actress says she “used to live, eat and sleep by an exercise schedule” but gave up when she couldn’t “enjoy” life and admits the “soft parts [of her body] are probably never going away.” Instead, Seyfried chooses to workout for only 30 minutes during weekdays and Pilates on weekends. See Seyfried in Letters to Juliet, which is out now. 

COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Zac Brown Band Added to CMT Music Awards! Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and the Zac Brown Band have been added to the list of performers at the 2010 CMT Music Awards show to be telecast live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on June 9^th. Kid Rock, previously announced to host the show, will also perform. Other performers include Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban. The fan-voted awards show will air live on CMT and CMT.com. CMT will use the 2010 CMT Music Awards as a platform for CMT One Country's efforts to assist in flood relief efforts in Tennessee. By working with CMT One Country partners Hands on Nashville and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and the show sponsor, Rhapsody, CMT hopes the awards show will help the charities in serving families who have been impacted by the recent flooding.

TIM MCGRAW ADMITS HIS DAUGHTERS DOn’t find him cool. Tim McGraw sat down with Good Housekeeping recently and revealed the brutal fact that his three daughters don’t find him cool. Tim says when it comes to music they like Beyonce and Jonas Brothers rather than his hits but he’s okay with that and jokes he doesn’t like listening to himself either. He also talked about his responsibilities around the house and says his chore is taking out the trash and hiring contractors when he starts a project and can’t finish it.

BRAD PAISLEY READY TO HIT THE ROAD! Brad Paisley kicks off his H20 World Tour Friday night in Virginia Beach and he can’t wait to let fans experience what all they’ve come up with. The tour name actually came from someone other than Brad but he quickly jumped on board with the idea. “And I think it was my agent that said, ‘Why don’t you call it the H20 tour?’ And I said, ‘That’s fantastic. What does that stand for?’ And once I figured that out, (laughs) we basically started talking about things we could do and it’s an easy theme.” H2O World Tour will hit more than 75 cities in the United States, Canada and Europe over the next 12 months.  Brad and his band have been practicing for two weeks to prepare for the show. And just yesterday, Brad’s crew was capturing footage for his stage screens. See Brad’s twitter picture here:  http://twitpic.com/1ox70p

Billy Currington Releasing New Single, "Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer.” Billy Currington will release a new single, "Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer," on Monday. It's the first single from his fourth album, due this fall. As previously reported, Billy will join Carrie Underwood's Play On tour in the fall. His most recent album, Little Bit of Everything, was released in 2008.

JENNIFER NETTLES TALKS INK. Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland has three tattoos and tells the Colorado Springs Gazette she looks at tattoos as a “marker in time.” She got her first tattoo, a flower on her hip, when she was 18. She also has the word believe on her wrist and a heart with wings on the inside of her right arm.  

THE REAL LIFE OF JAKE OWEN. It may look like Jake Owen has a busy social calendar as a rising male country music star. But Jake says he actually gets really lonely when he’s not on the road.  “I don’t have a girlfriend, I don’t have mom and dad or family up here, and when I come home off the road – other than my dog – and I did this yesterday, got home from the bus, got home to my house took my dog out, he did his thing, and he and I just sat there and stared at each other for a couple of hours. I mean, it’s kind of weird not having a lot to do when you come home.” Jake’s latest single is “Tell Me.”

BON JOVI REALLY WANTED KEITH URBAN. Bon Jovi earned their first country number one with their duet “Who Says You Can’t Go Home, with Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles. But according to Jennifer, she wasn’t their first choice. She tells the Colorado Springs Gazette Keith Urban actually recorded the song first but they felt his voice was too similar to Jon Bon Jovi’s. That’s when the decision was made to choose a female voice and Jennifer earned the job.

THIS AND THAT

• Wynonna will appear tonight on CBS-TV’s I Get That A Lot at 8 PM Eastern. The show features stars pulling pranks on everyday people. Wynonna works in a tire shop for the episode.
• Tomorrow morning, Brooks & Dunn stop by the set of NBC's 'Today' show, where they'll talk about their Last Rodeo farewell tour. The duo will also visit the 'Late Show With David Letterman' on Friday with very special guest Reba McEntire, she  will join them for a performance of 'Cowgirls Don't Cry.'
• Dolly Parton is doing her part to help flood victims in Tennessee. On May 22^nd and 23^rd, all proceeds from Dollywood and Dixie Stampede will go to a special fund designated to assist people who lost their homes and personal possessions.
• Chely Wright will make an appearance on Oprah today. Chely recently ‘came out’ publicly, revealing she’s gay. She also released a new album Lifted Off The Ground and memoir titled Like Me.
• Who’s performing at this year’s CMT Music Awards? Who will host? Text AWARDS to 32709 now to get text alerts with the latest news and info before and during the show. Msg & data rates may apply. Get the list of nominees, performers and more for the 2010 CMT Music Awards. Text CMTMA to 32709 or go to m.cmt.com now. Msg & data rates may apply.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS 

• JOHN TRAVOLTA AND KELLY PRESTON EXPECTING! John Travolta and Kelly Preston have announced they are expecting. The couple lost their old son, Jett, in January of 2009 due to a seizure. In a statement on Tuesday they couple said, "It’s impossible to keep a secret ... especially one as wonderful as this. We want to be the first to share this great news with everyone that we are expecting a new addition to our family.” The couple has a 10-year-old daughter named Ella Bleu. Preston is 47 and Travolta is 56.
• SHEEN WILL BE BACK! In a statement late Monday night, Charlie Sheen announced that he’d be returning for another season of his CBS show Two and a Half Men. The Hollywood Reporter says Sheen has signed on for two more seasons, but the amount he is being paid for each episode has not been disclosed. At the beginning of negotiations, Sheen was asking for a whopping two-million bucks per episode.
• TIGER WOODS WIFE BACK IN SCHOOL! Tiger Woods’ wife, possibly soon to be ex-wife, has enrolled herself in a college summer course. According to Radar Online, Elin is attending a small private liberal arts college in Florida on Monday nights. No word on what the subject of the class is.
• LOST IS ALMOST OVER! Only the finale of Lost remains, and even though you feel all your questions haven’t been answered, Michael Emerson, who plays “Ben Linus” on the hit ABC series, assured us that the writers have a plan. “John Locke” portrayer Terry O’Quinn can also relate to fans who haven’t seen everything they want to see so far this season. Tune in to ABC this Sunday starting at 7 PM Eastern to see a recap of the show and then the series finale, beginning at 9 PM.
• “RICHARD ALPERT” TALKS LOST! Sunday night is going to be a very bittersweet time for fans of Lost.  That’s because the series finale airs that night.  It’s sure to be an amazing episode, but when it’s over, the show is officially done.  We spoke to Nestor Carbonell, who plays “Richard Alpert” on the hit ABC series, and he said it’s going to be bittersweet for him as well.  Diehard Lost fans are nervous as to how the show is going to end, but Carbonell assured us that if you have an open mind, you’ll definitely enjoy it.  The Lost series finale airs Sunday night at 9 PM Eastern on ABC.
• TRAVOLTA’S DOGS KILLED! Late last week, two of John Travolta’s dogs were hit by a car and killed. According to TMZ, the Travolta family had just landed at an airport in Maine and a member of the family’s staff left the plane to walk the two dogs. During the walk, an airport service truck accidentally struck and killed the animals. Check out TMZ.com for more.
• SEX AND THE CITY 2! Sex and the City 2 is hitting theaters next Friday. Part of the film was shot in Morocco, which was a stand-in for scenes when the ladies are supposed to be in the United Arab Emirates city Abu Dhabi. Kim Cattrall reprises her role as “Samantha” in the film and she told us about filming in Morocco. Check out Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon as well, when Sex and the City 2 hits theaters May 27^th.
• LAUTNER GETS HIS OWN COMIC! Taylor Lautner has joined his Twilight castmates, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, as a star of his own comic book biography. The new illustrated book is called Fame: Taylor Lautner and hits stores this August. Hit up People.com for more.
• DEMI MOORE TO WRITE MEMOIRS! Demi Moore is working on a memoir. According to People.com, the 47-year-old actress is meeting with New York publishers to discuss her tome, which will follow her life, starting as a self-proclaimed trailer-park kid, to the actress and mother she is today.
• THE GOOD GUYS! The West Wing’s Bradley Whitford and Colin Hanks star in the new FOX series The Good Guys. The actors play partners in a Dallas police squad and insanity ensues. When fans check out the show’s premiere tonight at 8 PM Eastern on FOX, they get to see Whitford’s mustache up-close-and-personal. He told us more about the facial hair.
• EXTRA NEWS & WEDDING AUDIO! Colin Hanks recently got married! When we caught up with him to talk about his new FOX show, The Good Guys, he filled us in on how he feels to be a husband. Hanks married publicist Samantha Bryant in L-A on May 8^th.
• DIVORCE! Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress Emma Caufield has filed for divorce. The 37-year-old who played “Anya” on the series has split with her husband of three years, Cornelius Grobbelaar. Emma cited irreconcilable differences as the reason. Learn more at News.Yahoo.com.
• PORN PARODY! Hustler Video is about to release another adult film parody. This one is called This Ain’t Celebrity Fit Club – Boot Camp XXX. According to a press release, in this porno, unlike the Vh1 series, viewers will see thin adult actresses gorge on food and try to gain some pounds, specifically in the caboose and the chest area. Learn more about the sure to be not safe for work skin flick over at HustlerVideo.com.

TV UPFRONTS

We’ve come to that time of year when the major networks announce the shows they’ve kept, canceled and created for this coming fall season. NBC, ABC and FOX have all announced their official lineups and here’s a brief overview of what they reported. CBS and CW have not release their official show schedules yet, but the rumored cancelations are below.

• FOX – The network announced that Glee, So You Think You Can Dance, Fringe, Lie to Me, Bones and more will be returning to the network while Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles has been canceled with shows like Human Target and Sons of Tucson on hold until the spring.
• ABC – Fans of Grey’s Anatomy, Castle, Desperate Housewives and Modern Family will be happy, as ABC has decided to renew those shows for another season. The network has canceled Flash Forward, Better Off Ted, Scrubs and more.
• NBC – NBC has nixed Heroes and Law & Order, while moving Parks and Recreation to mid-season. The Marriage Ref, Chuck, 30 Rock and many others will still be seen on the network this coming season. Check out more at TVSquad.com.
• RUMORED CW – According to Variety, the CW has canceled Melrose Place but has decided to keep their show One Tree Hill on for another season. The official CW announcements will come tomorrow.
• RUMORED CBS – According to E! Online, CBS has canceled The New Adventures of Old Christine, Ghost Whisperer, Cold Case, Numb3rs and more, while Rules of Engagement and Medium will return for another season. CBS’ upfronts take place sometime today and we’ll keep you updated on the official announcement.

Haha!  What a creep, can't deny it though, he looks great.

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