Taylor Swift, Garth Brooks, Miranda Lambert & More!
» Taylor Talks Tokyo Turkey:"I'm gonna be in Tokyo, so it's gonna be interesting trying to find turkey there," Taylor Swift said of her Thanksgiving plans. We did our best to help find some Japanese turkey for her, even if only a sushi roll, but our googling efforts resulted in a shaky handheld video of a Turkish restaurant in Tokyo that has bellydancing. Watch here. (Or don't. Really.) Swift doesn't seem to mind skipping a holiday though. It's just one of the many demands that goes along with being the most famous girl in the world. "When I am putting out a record all bets are off," she says. "Like, I’m not gonna know what day it is probably. I really don’t know what day today is. That’s the truth of it. It might be Tuesday or Wednesday. I don’t know. So that’s kinda how my life is when I’m putting out a record. I just like, put my head down and just like wake up when they tell me to and I just do what I’m told, like a lot. So, that sounds depressing but I kinda think it’s fun.”
» Party On, Garth:Garth Brooks ended his three year residency at the Wynn Las Vegas' Encore Theatre on Saturday (11/17) with what he beleived to be an unsatisfactory performance. “It wasn’t the best show over the three years because I was too emotional,” Brooks told the Las Vegas Sun. “I was getting ready to go out there and kick some ass, and then Steve [Wynn] did an introduction, and I was toast after that." Post-show reports claim Brooks is gearing up for a 2014 World Tour with Wynn's help. After all, part of the deal used to lure Brooks out of retirement for the Vegas shows was a private jet he gets to keep.
» Sandy's Little Helper:Darius Rucker is playing host to a Holiday Toy Drop that will deliver $10,000 worth of toys to the city that gets the most “demands” via Eventful.com. "I'm hoping everybody votes for some small town up in the Northeast that really needs it," says Rucker, who will load up a Hootie sack and personally make the delivery to a Toys For Tots collection station in the winning city. More here.
» The Bus Knows The Way:Martina McBride will take a sleigh ride through 16 cities with The Joy of Christmas Tour. And by "sleigh ride" we mean luxury tour bus and/or private jet. It's just more Christmassy to say sleigh ride when you travel after Thanksgiving. McBride will start spreading holiday cheer in Atlanta Nov. 23 and will end her run Dec. 21 in Chicago. "I've put together a show that is powerful and full of emotion, as well as fun for the whole family," she says. "I would love for this show to become a holiday tradition for everyone." Complete list of dates here.
» AM Yays:Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet asked the question that was on everyone's mind, "Taylor, have you ever won an award before?" as he handed the trophy for Favorite Country Female Artist to Taylor Swift. Other winners at last night's American Music Awards (11/18) included Luke Bryan for Favorite Country Male Artist, Lady Antebellum for Favorite Country Band/Duo/Group and Carrie Underwood'sBlown Away for Favorite Country Album.
» In Case You Missed It:"Take A Little Ride" with Broken Bow's Jason Aldean during his Friday (11/16) performance on The Ellen Degeneres Show. Watch here.
The AMAs (11/18) featured Taylor Swift with an onstage wardrobe change during " I Knew You Were Trouble." Watch here. Later in the show, Luke Bryan and Jenny McCarthy introduced Carrie Underwood for "Two Black Cadilacs." Watch here.
Taylor Swift debuted another Red song, "State Of Grace," on FOX's TheX Factor (11/15) and offered some advice to up-and-comers: "No matter how tired you are, no matter what kind of bad day you're having ... be nice to people." Watch here.
Hit List
Justin Moore will headline a benifit concert for his publicist Carly Caramanna and the Jersey Shore Relief Fund. The Caramanna family home and business were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, and her father passed away shortly after the storm. Jake Owen, Thomas Rhett and Randy Houser are also on the bill; the show is set for Nov. 27 at Nashville's Wildhorse Saloon. More here.
Martina McBride sold out the Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville Nov. 16 rasiing more than $35,000 for Musicians On Call. The non-profit brings music to the bedsides of patients in six area healthcare facilities. More about the charity here.
Kenny Rogers' Christmas And Hits Tour runs Nov. 23 through Dec. 23. The show will feature holiday classics like "Joy To The World," "White Christmas," "Mary Did You Know," as well as hits like "The Gambler," "Islands In The Stream" and "Lady." Dates and ticket info here.
Taylor Swift sold out 14 dates of The Red Tour in a matter of minutes last week, including stadium shows at Toronto’s Rogers Centre, Detroit’s Ford Field and Chicago’s Soldier Field. The tour has also added shows in Toronto, Foxborough, MA and Los Angeles, bringing its reach to 62 shows in 45 cities, including 11 stadium stops. More info here.
Birthdays
Dierks Bentley (11/20)
Josh Turner (11/20)
Amy Grant (11/25)
Joe Nichols (11/26)
On TV
Tuesday (11/20): Kelly Clarkson,The Ellen Degeneres Show;Blake Shelton, The Voice (NBC), Wanda Jackson, The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (NBC).
Thursday (11/22): Martina McBride, 52nd Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade (CBS); Trace Adkins, 86th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (NBC).
Monday (11/26): Taylor Swift, The Katie Couric Show.
Upcoming Album Releases
Katie ArmigerFall Into Me (1/15)
Darius RuckerTrue Believers (1/22)
Tim McGrawTwo Lanes Of Freedom (2/5)
» A Psy For Sore Eyes:Lady Antebellum brave flashbulbs and Mario Lopez on the red carpet to pose "Gangnam Style" with Psy before going inside to take home Favorite Country Band/Duo/Group at the American Music Awards Sunday night (11/18.)
» Thirsty Games:Miranda Lambert raises a Pink Pistol and channels Katniss Everdeen while bow hunting with husband Blake Shelton over the weekend.
"I'm gonna be in Tokyo, so it's gonna be interesting trying to find turkey there," Taylor Swift said of her Thanksgiving plans. We did our best to help find some Japanese turkey for her, even if only a sushi roll, but our googling efforts resulted in a shaky handheld video of a Turkish restaurant in Tokyo that has bellydancing. Watch 
Garth Brooks ended his three year residency at the Wynn Las Vegas' Encore Theatre on Saturday (11/17) with what he beleived to be an unsatisfactory performance. “It wasn’t the best show over the three years because I was too emotional,” Brooks told the 
Darius Rucker is playing host to a Holiday Toy Drop that will deliver $10,000 worth of toys to the city that gets the most “demands” via Eventful.com. "I'm hoping everybody votes for some small town up in the Northeast that really needs it," says Rucker, who will load up a Hootie sack and personally make the delivery to a Toys For Tots collection station in the winning city. More 
Martina McBride will take a sleigh ride through 16 cities with The Joy of Christmas Tour. And by "sleigh ride" we mean luxury tour bus and/or private jet. It's just more Christmassy to say sleigh ride when you travel after Thanksgiving. McBride will start spreading holiday cheer in Atlanta Nov. 23 and will end her run Dec. 21 in Chicago. "I've put together a show that is powerful and full of emotion, as well as fun for the whole family," she says. "I would love for this show to become a holiday tradition for everyone." Complete list of dates 
Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet asked the question that was on everyone's mind, "Taylor, have you ever won an award before?" as he handed the trophy for Favorite Country Female Artist to Taylor Swift. Other winners at last night's American Music Awards (11/18) included Luke Bryan for Favorite Country Male Artist, Lady Antebellum for Favorite Country Band/Duo/Group and Carrie Underwood's Blown Away for Favorite Country Album.
"Take A Little Ride" with Broken Bow's Jason Aldean during his Friday (11/16) performance on The Ellen Degeneres Show. Watch 
Justin Moore will headline a benifit concert for his publicist Carly Caramanna and the Jersey Shore Relief Fund. The Caramanna family home and business were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, and her father passed away shortly after the storm. Jake Owen, Thomas Rhett and Randy Houser are also on the bill; the show is set for Nov. 27 at Nashville's Wildhorse Saloon. More 
