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Country
This essay, Today’s Artist News: Taylor Swift, CMT Music Awards, Kellie Pickler, Toby Keith, Lonestar, was written by Phyllis Stark for Radio-Info.com's Country column.
Today’s Artist News: Taylor Swift, CMT Music Awards, Kellie Pickler, Toby Keith, Lonestar
• Taylor Swift (pictured) will be hosting a 13-hour meet and greet at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena June 13 during the CMA Music Festival and will meet as many of her fans as possible during that time. The event, which is free and open to the public, will run from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. and will include a short acoustic performance in the afternoon. It will be Swift’s only CMA Music Festival performance.
• Jamey Johnson, LeAnn Rimes, Keith Urban and John Mayer have been added to the performer lineup for the June 9 CMT Music Awards in Nashville. Johnson will debut “Macon,” a Southern-rock infused song from his upcoming fall release, while Rimes will perform a fully-choreographed rendition of the John Anderson classic, “Swingin’,” from her forthcoming album “Lady and Gentlemen.” Mayer will trade guitar licks with his “CMT Crossroads” partner Urban, on the album cut “Hit The Ground Running” from Urban’s Defying Gravity CD, performed for the first time on television.
• Kellie Pickler will perform her current single, “Making Me Fall In Love Again,” on the Fox & Friends’ “All American Concert Series,” June 4 during the 8 a.m. (ET) hour. Viewers can also visit the Fox & Friends Web site (www.foxandfriends.com), which will feature post-performance coverage of Pickler’s appearance, including an exclusive performance not included on the televised portion.
In other Pickler news, she will be visiting with fans and signing autographs at Opry Originals: The Shop on Broadway located in downtown Nashville’s Lower Broadway area at June 10 from noon – 2 p.m. (CT) as part of the CMA Music Festival. Pickler will immediately follow the signing with a 30-minute acoustic performance in the store. Opening at 8 a.m., the store will distribute a limited number of autograph vouchers with the purchase of a Pickler CD or Pickler-branded prints and photos created exclusively for the signing at Opry Originals.
• The seventh annual Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic raised close to $600,000 May 21-22 in Norman, Okla. Comprised of a dinner/auction/concert and golf tournament, the event has raised almost $3,000,000 since its inception for Oklahoma’s children battling cancer and their families. Performers included Keith, Phil Vassar, Larry the Cable Guy and David Allan Coe. Top draws in the auction included dinner for 20 with Keith. As it did last year, the meal generated such interest that Keith agreed to do two dinners, one for each of the top bidders at $28,000 apiece. Proceeds from this year’s event will help fund the OK Kids Korral, a 16-room guest lodge, which will house pediatric cancer patients and their families on the grounds of Oklahoma University Medical Center.
•CBS Television Network game show “The Price Is Right” welcomes Lonestar on the June 16 show. The band will play live throughout the show as the house band. Showcase prizes will include tickets to attend a Lonestar concert plus band merchandise.
About the Writer
Veteran entertainment journalist Phyllis Stark is Executive Editor of Country Music at Radio-Info.com and author of the company's twice-weekly Stark Country newsletter. She is also a freelance writer whose work appears regularly on MSN and numerous other publications and sites. She authors MSN's music blog, One Country.




























