Jeff Giles

Toby Keith Talks Gay Marriage, ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ and Female Soldiers
Toby Keith has released some of the most proudly patriotic songs in modern country music, making him an easy target for those who prefer to think of country artists (and perhaps country fans) as belligerent or intolerant. The reality, of course, is more nuanced.
The fact is that Keith is simply not shy about speaking his mind, as readers discovered when Keith was asked to share his thoughts on gay

Reba McEntire and Rascal Flatts Lead All-Star Lineup for ‘The Country Christmas Collection’ CD
Christmas is a time that reminds us of home and family traditions — two things that have always been celebrated in country music — so it’s only natural that so many country artists have contributed classic songs to the holiday season.

‘Bait a Hook’ Video Has Justin Moore Living the Good Life
We like to think of the recording artist’s life as a glamorous one, but the truth is, it’s often full of monotonous travel, industry politics and the like.
Sometimes, though, a country star’s life really is everything it’s cracked up to be. Just ask Justin Moore, who recently spent a beautiful fall day lounging on a lake … for work. It was all in the name of filming a fishing-themed video for his

David Nail Releases ‘The Sound of a Million Dreams’ in November
David Nail’s career took plenty of twists and turns before he finally found his audience — including a busted deal at Mercury Nashville and a stint as a baseball coach. But when he finally released his debut album in 2009, its title ‘I’m About to Come Alive,’ proved prophetic.
Now, Nail is one of country’s hottest freshman acts, and he’s looking to build on that success with the release of his sec

Trailer Choir’s ‘Big Vinny’ Hickerson Felt Like He’d ‘Won the Lottery’ When He Got Cast on ‘The Biggest Loser’
As a member of the country duo Trailer Choir, “Big Vinny” Hickerson has done things most people only dream of, including scoring a top 20 album and a top 40 single. And as evidenced by his nickname, as well as his vocals on Trailer Choir’s hit ‘Rockin’ the Beer Gut,’ he’s learned to use his ample girth as an asset.

Lauren Alaina Asks Hunter Hayes to the Prom
Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery dashed the hopes of countless ‘McLaina’ fans recently when they debunked the persistent rumors that they were a couple. But even if they aren’t dating each other, that doesn’t mean the ‘American Idol’ alums can’t find love with other young songbirds.
In fact, Alaina has made no secret of the fact that she has eyes for rising country star Hunter Hayes — and as it t

Jake Owen Performs Tracks and Shares Stories from ‘Barefoot Blue Jean Night’
If his repeat performance at the top of the Billboard country charts with ‘Barefoot Blue Jean Night’ is any indication, you can’t get enough of Jake Owen right now.
Fortunately for you, Owen is happy to oblige. He recently sat down for a session as part of Walmart’s Soundcheck series, delivering live-in-the-studio performances of some of his favorite tracks while discussing the stories behind the
![Miranda Lambert Debuts New Song, ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’ [VIDEO]](http://townsquare.media/site/33/files/2011/09/Miranda-Lambert11.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Miranda Lambert Debuts New Song, ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’ [VIDEO]
Miranda Lambert‘s upcoming release, ‘Four the Record,’ already has one hit single in ‘Baggage Claim’ and the album won’t even reach stores until November.
But that doesn’t mean she can’t already be thinking about the set’s second single — or share a potential contender with fans at a recent show.

Blake Shelton Tries to ‘Stay Out Of’ Miranda Lambert’s Music
When they got married earlier this year, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert joined the grand country music tradition of couples who have shared a home as well as a microphone. Naturally, there’s been a lot of speculation about when they’ll get around to recording together again — something they acknowledged when they announced they’d be co-producing their friend Neal McCoy’s new album.
According to

Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery Deny ‘McLaina’ Dating Rumors
‘American Idol’ duo Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina have been dogged by rumors of romance for months — to the point where their fans have given the alleged couple their own mashed-up nickname, McLaina.
Anyone hoping for a public confession of love can stop hoping, however. Although both of them have winked and played along with the rumors, both McCreery and Alaina have come out to officially lay
![Lady Antebellum Preview Two More ‘Own the Night’ Tracks, ‘Love I’ve Found in You’ and ‘Friday Night’ [VIDEOS]](http://townsquare.media/site/33/files/2011/09/Lady-Antebellum.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Lady Antebellum Preview Two More ‘Own the Night’ Tracks, ‘Love I’ve Found in You’ and ‘Friday Night’ [VIDEOS]
Have you forgotten that Lady Antebellum‘s new album, ‘Own the Night,’ is scheduled to come out next week?
Yeah, we didn’t think so. But just in case you had — or you were looking for a couple more sneak peeks at one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year — the band has posted two more clips of songs from the album.

Rolling Stone Names Billy Ray Cyrus’ ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ the Third-Worst Song of the ’90s
If you sat down and made a list of the things the internet loves, “lists” and “snark” would have to end up somewhere near the top — so you can hardly blame Rolling Stone for loading up on both with a recent feature dubbed ‘The Worst Songs of the ’90s.’
Country fans can take pride in their genre, which emerged from the countdown relatively unscathed, albeit with one significant, and hardly surprisi
![Listen to Carrie Underwood and Tony Bennett Duet on ‘It Had to Be You’ [AUDIO]](http://townsquare.media/site/33/files/2011/09/Carrie-Underwood-and-Tony-Bennett.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Listen to Carrie Underwood and Tony Bennett Duet on ‘It Had to Be You’ [AUDIO]
For his upcoming ‘Duets II’ project, Tony Bennett made sure to line up plenty of stars from the rock and pop world, including John Mayer, Lady Gaga, and Amy Winehouse — but he invited a few friends from the country charts, too.
The full-length release won’t be available until September 20, but in the meantime, you can hear Bennett share a mic with one of those country stars — Carrie Underwood — fo

Keith Urban Debuts Phoenix Fragrance for Men, Plans One for Women
With over 12 million albums sold and nearly 30 top 40 singles, Keith Urban has spent the last decade exerting a pretty profound effect on the country airwaves.
And now he’s decided he’d like to have a hand in what his fans smell like, too.

Randy Travis Says He Was a ‘Deer in the Headlights’ Early in His Career
When you’ve enjoyed a quarter century of success as illustrious as Randy Travis has, you’ve earned the right to pause and take a look back — and Travis did it in style with this year’s star-studded ‘Anniversary Celebration,’ which united some of music’s biggest stars in celebration of his first 25 years as a recording artist.
Now promoting the release of his Brad Paisley duet, ‘Everything and All’

Kelly Clarkson Says She’d Record with Miranda Lambert and Adele
The last time Kelly Clarkson cut a duet with a country star, the result was her number one hit with Jason Aldean, ‘Don’t You Wanna Stay,’ so it’s only natural that, during a recent Web chat, she was asked if she’d consider teaming up with any other artists.
As it turns out, Clarkson had already considered the question — and she’d love to return to Nashville for a duet with Miranda Lambert.
Read Mo

Brad Paisley Is Inspired By Eminem and Kanye West
The top of the country singles charts is familiar territory for Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood — their duet ‘Remind Me,’ currently number one, is his 20th chart-topper, and her 14th.
But even if the song produced predictable results for the duo, it started with a burst of unusual inspiration. As Paisley tells it, the idea for ‘Remind Me’ came from watching the sort of character acting commonly

Lady Antebellum, Maroon 5, and Kid Rock to Perform at 2011 NFL Kickoff Concert
After a long, cold winter of labor disputes, lockouts, and a few months where it looked like we might not have a football season this year, the 2011 NFL season is just about ready to begin.
And before the Packers and Saints finally take the field for the first game on September 8, some of music’s biggest stars will celebrate the new season with this year’s NFL Kickoff Concert, featuring performan

Are Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber Writing Songs Together?
When Justin Bieber showed up onstage at Taylor Swift‘s August 23 show for a surprise duet rendition of his hit ‘Baby,’ their impromptu collaboration made the concert memory of a lifetime for several thousand concertgoers and set news feeds abuzz for the rest of the week.
And as it turns out, that might not be the last we hear from the young megastar duo.
![Willie Nelson Covers Coldplay’s ‘The Scientist’ for Charity [AUDIO]](http://townsquare.media/site/33/files/2011/08/Willie-Nelson.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Willie Nelson Covers Coldplay’s ‘The Scientist’ for Charity [AUDIO]
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Over the course of his long career, Willie Nelson has dabbled in a wide variety of genres, from reggae to adult contemporary to blues and beyond. Along the way, he’s worked with and covered a staggering number of artists — and now that list includes Coldplay.
Nelson covered the band’s hit song ‘The Scientist’ recently, contributing his version to the soundtrack of a short film ent