COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

DIERKS, MIRANDA: Grammy Presenters Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert will represent country music as presenters at the Grammy Awards. Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson have already been announced as performers, and The Band Perry and Blake Shelton will participate in a tribute to Glen Campbell -- who'll be picking up a Lifetime Achievement award the night before the show. The Grammy Awards air live from L.A. on February 12th on CBS. REBA: Sitcom Finds a Home Reba McEntire is definitely heading back to the world of sitcoms. ABC has picked up the pilot for her show Malibu Country. Reba, who was the victim of a death hoax earlier this week, Tweeted, "Well, it's a great week when you find out you're not dead and everyone at ABC loves the pilot script." The show is about a singer who moves from Nashville to Southern California with her kids to revive her career after she's dumped by her rock-star husband. Source: Hollywood Reporter CARRIE UNDERWOOD: May Music Carrie Underwood will release her fourth studio album on May 1st, and no one is more thrilled than she is. She's excited just to have new stuff to sing in her shows. Carrie hasn't given the album a title yet, but the first single, "Good Girl," will hit the airwaves on February 23rd. Tune in to CMT Saturday night at 11 p.m. ET to see Carrie perform with Steven Tyler for a special edition of CMT Crossroads. MIRANDA LAMBERT: Details on Her Acting Debut More details are unfolding about Miranda Lambert's appearance on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. In her TV acting debut, she plays an actress who's being protected from a devious producer. The episode airs Wednesday night on NBC. Source: Associated Press BRAD PAISLEY: Helping Out a Homie Brad Paisley recently helped a fellow West Virginian propose to his girlfriend. At his show in Las Vegas, Brad sang "She's Everything" and then handed a mic to Jason Davis to do the deed. After the proposal, Brad joked, "Congratulations to you, sir, and my condolences to you, ma'am." Source: UPI

CARRIE UNDERWOOD's new album will be released May 1. The debut single co-written by Carrie, Good Girl, will be released February 23.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD teams with Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler for an episode of CMT Crossroads tomorrow night (Saturday) from Indianapolis to coincide with Super Bowl weekend.
 
KEITH URBAN makes an appearance tonight (Friday) when he plays at the Ryman Auditorium as part of the Grand Ole Opry. The Opry returns to the Opry House tomorrow night (Saturday).
 
After more than 60 years the stage at the Ryman Auditorium will be replaced beginning this weekend. A portion of the old stage will be a part of the new one. It’s expected to be complete by late February.

BILLY RAY CYRUS has signed on with Amazon.com to publish a book. His memoir Hillbilly Heart will be available on Amazon early next year.
 
The Grand Ole Opry moves back to the Opry House tomorrow night (Saturday), ending its winter run at the Ryman Auditorium after tonight’s (Friday) show. Playing the Opry this weekend: (Friday, Ryman Auditorium) JIM ED BROWN, DEL MCCOURY BAND, EDENS EDGE, THE WHITES, CHARLEY PRIDE, BILL ANDERSON, THE OAK RIDGE BOYS, STEVE WARINER and KEITH URBAN. (Saturday, Opry House) JIMMY C. NEWMAN, RHONDA VINCENT, CHARLEY PRIDE, THE WHITES, LITTLE BIG TOWN, JIM ED BROWN, HOLLY WILLIAMS, BILL ANDERSON, GARY MORRIS and DIAMOND RIO.
 
The Country Music Hall of Fame will launch an exhibit called Something In Red February 3 as part of National Wear Red Day. The exhibit will also raise awareness for the American Heart Association. Gowns worn by LORRIE MORGAN, SARA EVANS and NAOMI JUDD will be part of the exhibit, which will run through April.

DARIUS RUCKER has begun work on his third album.
 
BLAKE SHELTON visits Ellen today (Friday).
 
KELLIE PICKLER has teamed with Ram trucks for the Road to Ram Jam in which artists will offer special contests to fans and will drive a Ram Laramie truck for the remainder of 2012, then auction those trucks off in early 2013 to benefit military charities. The sweepstakes will culminate with a December 29 concert by five artists, four of which will be announced throughout the year to join Kellie.

VINCE GILL has been named an honorary narcotics officer by McMinn County in Tennessee for his charitable work in fighting drug problems.
 
CHRIS CAGLE is back on the charts for the first time in five years with Got My Country On. His last appearance in the Top 30 was with What Kinda Gone in 2007, which went as high as No. 3.
 
TOP SONGS THIS WEEK
 

1. CHRIS YOUNG – You
2. LUKE BRYAN – I Don’t Want This Night To End
3. THE BAND PERRY – All Your Life
4. ERIC CHURCH – Drink In My Hand
5. KEITH URBAN – You Gonna Fly
6. KENNY CHESNEY – Reality
7. ZAC BROWN BAND – Keep Me In Mind
8. DIERKS BENTLEY – Home
9. MARTINA MCBRIDE – I’m Gonna Love You Through It
10. TOBY KEITH – Red Solo Cup

SUPER BOWL 46 DRINKING GAME

It's the last football game of the season. Tensions are high. Everything is on the line. What better way to enjoy the biggest sporting event of the year than to get totally wasted?

Here's your Super Bowl 46 drinking game:

One Drink

• Anytime Peyton Manning is mentioned
• Anytime Archie Manning is mentioned
• Anytime a player is shown crying
• Anytime Rob Gronkowski's ankle is mentioned
• Anytime Super Bowl 42 is mentioned

Two Drinks

• Anytime Gisele is on screen
• Anytime a player complains to the ref about a call
• Anytime Cooper Manning is mentioned
• Any pass over 30 yards
• Any run over 20 yards

Three Drinks

• Anytime David Tyree is mentioned/shown on screen
• Victor Cruz salsa dances
• Field Goal
• Onside kick
• Fumble recovery
• Interception

Four Drinks

• Touchdown
• Safety
• Blocked punt/kick
• Either team attempts 2 point conversion
• Player waves to the camera and says, "Hi Mom"
• The Tom Brady Combine picture is shown.
• Anytime Peyton Manning appears on screen

Finish Your Drink

• Fat man interception -- take an extra shot if he scores
• Chad Ochocinco catches a pass
• Missed Field Goal
• QB gets sacked
• Tom Coughlin or Bill Belichick smile (MidwestSportsFanscom)

AVERAGE FACEBOOK TIME IS 20 MINUTES _ Think your employees are just updating their Facebook status and getting back to work? Think again. The average visit time on Facebook is 20 minutes. If you've got a few Facebookers around the office, and they're checking the News Feed or posting a status update a couple of times a day, that some seriously lost productivity.

TWITTER TIES ITSELF TO THE SUPER BOWL _ Live events are always a hit on Twitter, with people tweeting throughout Presidential speeches or during a television show. If you want to keep up with the most interesting tweets about the Super Bowl, Twitter has put together two accounts that are spitting out "Top Tweets" algorithmically, from each teams respective lists. The accounts are @GiantsTweets and @NEPatriotTweets and you’ll find tweets from players, coaches, media, and the team itself.

... Of course, it wouldn’t be the Super Bowl without the creative ads, and this year, right after the game, you can replay all of the ads that aired during the game and tweet votes for your favorites on adscrimmage.twitter.com.

GORILLA WILL MAKE SUPER BOWL PICK TODAY _ A gorilla at Boston's Franklin Park Zoo will be asked today (Friday) to predict the outcome of the Super Bowl. Little Joe, whose 19th birthday party is scheduled for the same day as the big game, will be given two boxes, one labeled for the New York Giants and one labeled for the New England Patriots. The zoo says on its website, "We know [Little Joe's] heart lies with his family at Franklin Park Zoo, so we've got a feeling his pick will make us proud." Zookeepers said Little Joe, who is considered one of the facility's smartest animals, will then be treated to a Super Bowl-themed birthday party Sunday with special treats for him and his gorilla friends.

SELF-DESTRUCTING EMAIL _ You think sending an online message without leaving a trail is impossible? Not when using a website that ensures your message will self-destruct. The technology making it possible went online this week at BurnNote.com, an online messaging platform that allows users to send notes programmed to disappear after a set period of time. And not disappear like the discarded emails purged from your "deleted items" folder that live on in a server somewhere. Burn Note messages vanish without ever being archived -- and its creator says the start-up doesn’t even use backup servers. And unless you can capture the image of the messages scrolling across your screen there’s no evidence the messages ever existed.

CO-PARENTING WEBSITES POPPING UP _ If the two-parent, 2.3 kids family life you had hoped and dreamed for hasn't become a reality a couple of websites are offering a place for co-parenting arrangements to form. One of the sites, Modamily.com, describes co-parenting as "the shared raising of a child between two loving, committed, and financially secure adults." The website says this approach "helps to solve the problem of quickie-clock-ticker marriages and resulting divorces." Couples can decide for themselves how the child is conceived. Then the parents raise their child without the relationship part.  Modamily is a New York-based site that launched last week; similar websites such as co-parentmatch.com have popped up in Europe and in Israel.

... The founder of Modamily says: "If [love and marriage] don't happen, people end up marrying someone they're not crazy about and get divorced in a few years. In two out of three divorces, a child is involved. When a child is introduced, the mom and dad don't get along and are fighting with each other. My thinking is that we can find two people that put the child first."

STUDENT WENT 90 DAYS WITHOUT CELLPHONES AND SOCIAL MEDIA _ A Chicago student who spent 90 days abstaining from cellphones and social media said the first two weeks were "anxiety-ridden." Twenty-four year old Jake Reilly, a student at the advertising and design-focused Chicago Portfolio School, said he was originally only going to give up his phone, but he decided to expand it to all social media when he realized his communication would just migrate to other forms of technology. The first two weeks were "anxiety-ridden. All of a sudden, you get home on a Friday night and there's no one around and it's just you and your thoughts. Very scary." However, Reilly said he soon found staying away from cellphones and Facebook increased his face-to-face interactions and made him more active. He says he rode his bike all over the city, did puzzles and did all these things he normally never would have considered.

ROSEANNE BARR IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT _ Roseanne Barr is running for the Green Party's presidential nomination. The actress-comedian said in a statement Thursday that she's a longtime supporter of the party and looks forward to working with people who share her values. She said Democrats and Republicans aren't working in the best interests of the American people. Barr has submitted paperwork to the Green Party for her candidacy. The party's presidential nominee will be selected at a convention in Baltimore in July.

SUPER BOWL 46: HOW TO SOUND LIKE A FOOTBALL EXPERT

» Seven current Patriots played in Super Bowl 42. Five of those are on offense, with just one on defense (Vince Wilfork) and kicker Stephen Gostkowski. The Giants, have had less turnover with 16 active players still on the roster from the 2007 season.

» When the Patriots' Tom Brady and the Giants' Manning face off, it will mark the first time in NFL history two Super Bowl MVP-winning QBs have met in the Super Bowl. In fact, it's only happened one other time in NFL playoff history, when the Manning's Giants beat the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers in the Divisional round on January 15.

» Pittsburgh has won the most Super Bowls with six.

» This year's Super Bowl is the first to be hosted by the city of Indianapolis. The most frequent host? Miami at 10 times. New Orleans will host for a 10th time in 2013.

» An estimated 7 million U.S. employees will be no-shows for work the day after the Super Bowl.

» Super Bowl weekend is the slowest weekend of the year for weddings in America. It is, however, the top day of the year for pizza sales, followed by New Year's Eve, according to pizza.com.

» The Patriots are the designated 'home team." They’ll wear their home blue jerseys; the Giants will wear their road white. As the "road team" the Giants will call the opening coin toss. The AFC representative is the "home team" for even-numbered Super Bowls.

» Tom Brady is going for his 4th Super Bowl win; he can tie Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw for the all-time record for QB’s.

» This is NBC’s 17th Super Bowl telecast. It’s the 8th for play-by-play announcer Al Michaels, tying Dick Enberg for second most all-time. (Pat Summerall called 11 Super Bowls.)

» The 'face value' of seats at Indy for this year’s Super Bowl is $800 or more. Face value at the Patriots' first Super Bowl 26 years ago was $75.

» The teams aren't playing for just a trophy and a ring, there’s a big bonus on the line. Each player on the winning team gets $88,000. The losers get half that.

SUPER BOWL QUICKIES

4 out of 5 moms would rather have sex than watch the Super Bowl. (Unless dad finds out, then the game will be just fine, thankyouverymuch.)

President Obama said he won't make a prediction over who is going to win on Sunday to avoid getting into trouble. "When the Bears are not involved, I can't make predictions because I will get into trouble." Of course, by trouble, he means political trouble. Both team owners have contributed $5,000 to the Obama campaign.

Foley's Pub and Restaurant in New York City will ban the sale of Samuel Adams beers during the Super Bowl to show support for the Giants. Sam Adams beer, of course, is produced by the Boston Beer Co. Instead, they'll push patrons to drink beers made by Brooklyn Brewery.

MADONNA MEETS THE SUPER BOWL PRESS

Brandishing biceps impressive enough to get her drug-tested by the NFL and promising that "there will be no wardrobe malfunction" during her halftime show Sunday during Super Bowl 46, Madonna faced a barrage of edgy questions Thursday during a press conference in Indianapolis. The 53-year-old entertainer was thrown off-balance some pointed, serious inquiries usually reserved for presidential candidates. When a member of the press asked her, "Madonna, you’re a genius in everything you do. How do you do it?" she was stumped.

... Madonna did say that she planned to sing "three old songs and one new one" during her performance Sunday. It's expected her new song will be Gimme All Your Luvin', which will be released today (Friday). She did not reveal, however, the names of the "surprise guests" who will join her for the show.

... She did get specific when confronted with a series of questions related to the Super Bowl and New York sports. A few examples:

• According to a 2009 report in Us Weekly, Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez kept of portrait of himself as a centaur (half-man, half-horse) above his bed. Asked whether A-Rod — whom she dated — actually did have such a portrait, Madonna said, "If he does, I haven't seen it."

• Asked what she would do if she were preparing for a concert while suffering from a high ankle sprain -- the same injury that’s hobbling Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski -- she said, "Just tape my ankle, say some prayers, take an anti-inflammatory and get out there."

• Asked which Super Bowl quarterback, the Patriots’s Tom Brady or the Giants’s Eli Manning, she’d choose to spend time with, she showed her frugal side. "Eli," she said, "because he lives in New York and I don't want to waste gas."

BIGGEST SCAMS OF 2011

Whether it's being suckered into thinking you won a super awesome prize that requires a payment to collect it, or some aristocrat in Nigeria needs your help and money to collect on a big financial settlement, consumers were hit by a lot of scams last year. A new report lists the top 10 scams consumers fell prey to in 2011.

1. Prizes/Sweepstakes/Free Gifts: 26.98%
2. Fake Check Scams: 26.65%
3. Internet: General Merchandise: 24.51%
4. Phishing/Spoofing: 8.17%
5. Advance Fee Loans, Credit Arrangers: 3.09%
6. Scholarships/Grants: 1.51%
7. Friendship & Sweetheart Swindles: 1.40%
8. Nigerian Money Offers (not prizes): 1.14%
9. Family/ Friend Impostor: 1.06%
10. Internet, Auction: 0.92%

... A "General Merchandise" scam is when "goods purchased are either never delivered or misrepresented."

BLAKE SHELTON and MIRANDA LAMBERT will perform America the Beautiful before the Super Bowl.

click below for the version

. america the beautiful

48-YEAR-OLD MAN ADOPTS HIS 42-YEAR-OLD GIRLFRIEND _ Here's the funny thing about laws in America. Just because it's legal to do something doesn't always mean it's the right thing to do. Take John Goodman. The 48-year-old businessman from Florida just legally adopted his 42-year-old girlfriend. And why would anyone want to do anything so bizarre? It seems Goodman happens to be facing the possibility of losing a whole lot of money in a wrongful death suit that begins next month. As his "daughter," Heather Hutchins would be able keep some of Goodman's money from becoming fair game. A fund set up for Goodman's minor kids has been declared off-limits in the lawsuit. So the little kiddos will be safe. But based on the adoption, it now seems Hutchins will fall under the trust too. After all, she's now his "kid".

DIET SOFT DRINKS MAY INCREASE RISK OF STROKE _ Researchers say drinking diet soft drinks on a daily basis might increase the risk stroke, heart attack and vascular death. Researchers (University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Columbia University Medical Center/New York) also found regular soft drink consumption and a more moderate intake of diet soft drinks do not appear to be linked to a higher risk of vascular events. The study found those who drank diet soft drinks daily were 43 percent more likely than those who drank none to have suffered a vascular event.

TITANIC 3D ON VALENTINE'S DAY _ Paramount and 20th Century Fox will celebrate Valentine's Day by hosting advance screenings of James Cameron's Titanic in 3D, which doesn't officially open in theaters until April 6. The free previews will be held in cities around the world, and sold out within hours of first being offered on Tuesday.

FACEBOOK'S LATEST NUMBERS

Facebook filed its much-anticipated IPO with the Securities and Exchange Commission Wednesday, revealing its latest numbers:

  845 million monthly active users.

  2.7 billion likes and comments per day.

  250 million photos uploaded per day.

  100 billion friendships.

  425 million mobile users.

WOMEN THINK GUYS WHO ARE 'TOO NICE' ARE CHEATING

A study reveals men who are 'too nice' to their other half will spark fears that they are cheating. Researchers found two thirds of women become suspicious if their partner makes grand romantic gesture, takes them breakfast in bed -- or suddenly has 'new tricks' in the bedroom. Other triggers for suspicion are if their man treats them to jewelry or sexy underwear. Even helping out with housework leads to many females believing her man is cheating.
 

Here are the top things that make women suspicious.

1. Buys jewelery
2. New moves in the bedroom
3. More emotional
4. Buys flowers
5. Buys chocolates
6. More attentive
7. Buys sexy underwear
8. Book a romantic weekend away
9. Buys you more things
10. Helps more with the chores
11. Tells you he loves you more
12. Makes breakfast in bed
13. Pays more compliments
14. Texts more
15. Does the cooking
16. Calls more
17. Listens better
18. Runs baths
19. Hand over the TV remote
20. Cuddles more

TIM MCGRAW’s Emotional Traffic album debuts at the top of the Country Albums chart and No. 2 on the Top 200 all formats chart behind Adele’s 21.
 
KELLIE PICKLER’s 100 Proof album debuts at No. 2 on the Top Country Albums chart. This is Kellie’s third album and all three have debuted in the Top 10.
 
On January 29 LADY ANTEBELLUM broke KENNY CHESNEY’s attendance record at Bloomington, Illinois’ Cellular Coliseum.
 
DIERKS BENTLEY and MIRANDA LAMBERT will present at the Grammy Awards, February 13. They join country acts TAYLOR SWIFT, JASON ALDEAN, GLEN CAMPBELL, THE BAND PERRY and BLAKE SHELTON.
 
DIERKS BENTLEY plays a show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium tonight (Thursday) to promote the February 7 release of his album, Home.
 
DIERKS BENTLEY visits CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman on February 8 to promote the release of his album Home album. Dierks will also perform that same evening as part of Live On Letterman, which can be streamed on Letterman's page at CBS.com.
 
SUGARLAND and LADY ANTEBELLUM join KEITH URBAN as artists on the Act of Valor soundtrack. Other country artists on the project include TRACE ADKINS, KEITH URBAN, WYNONNA, MONTGOMERY GENTRY, HUNTER HAYES and JAKE OWEN. The soundtrack will hit stores February 21 with the movie opening February 24.
 
TAYLOR SWIFT has earned more heavy hardware with quadruple platinum certifications for her Speak Now album and song You Belong With Me, as well as gold certifications for her latest, Ours, and the Taylor Swift Holiday Collection.
 
TAYLOR SWIFT has donated 14,000 books to Nashville’s Public Library to be used in the 21 branches.
 
BLAKE SHELTON visits with Jay Leno tonight (Thursday).
 
BLAKE SHELTON and the cast of NBC’s The Voice are the cover of the February 16 issue of Rolling Stone magazine, on stands now.
 
RASCAL FLATTS will tour with LITTLE BIG TOWN, ELI YOUNG BAND and EDENS EDGE this summer. The American Band Tour will begin in Hartford, Connecticut, on June 15.
 
BILLY DEAN guests tonight (Thursday) on RFD's Larry’s Country Diner.

MITT ROMNEY WINS FLORIDA _ Mitt Romney was projected the winner of Tuesday's presidential primary election in Florida. The former Massachusetts governor was running ahead in the polls going into the contest. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was projected to finish in second place. Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum was projected to finish in third with U.S. Rep. Ron Paul in fourth.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO NOT PAY BILLS FOR A MONTH _ How far would you go for a month without having to pay bills? A survey discovered a quarter of us would turn off their TV for an entire month, and one in five women would give up sex for 6 months.

... Only 14 percent would go without the Internet for a month.

... Nine percent of respondents would gain 15 pounds, although only 5 percent of women would be willing to gain weight.

WHY MATTHEW BRODERICK AGREED TO DO THE FERRIS BUELLER AD _ Matthew Broderick has spoken out about his decision to mimic his old Ferris Bueller character for Honda's upcoming Super Bowl commercial, admitting he wasn't sold on the idea at first. Broderick says, "It took a little ... thinking about it, it took a little time, but I ended up thinking it might be amusing. Todd Phillips was directing it, who's a good director, and I thought it would be fun to send up Ferris Bueller a little bit." Still, he says he spent the four-day shoot "running around L.A. ... thinking, 'I hope this is a good idea.'"

BEER ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY

This Super Bowl Sunday Americans will consume 50 million cases of beer...

... Enough to buy 10 B2 stealth bombers.

... Enough to fill Lucal Oil Stadium almost half-way up.

... 58% of beer drinkers "go" during the game so they don't miss the commercials. (And use 2+ billion gallons of water to flush.)

... All that beer will result in 1.4 billion trips to the bathroom.

... 7 million people will call in sick on Monday after the game.

HUNGRY FOR SUPER BOWL FOOD!??

JENNIFER NETTLES' voice will be heard singing Hank Williams’ Your Cheatin’ Heart as part of a new Pepsi Max commercial to debut during the Super Bowl.
 
CHRIS YOUNG's You has hit No. 1, making his fifth consecutive chart-topper.
 
BLAKE SHELTON has earned a platinum digital single for God Gave Me You and has earned gold certifications for his albums Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton and Red River Blue.
 
When BLAKE SHELTON and MIRANDA LAMBERT perform a duet of America The Beautiful prior to the Super Bowl, it’ll be their first television performance together since becoming man and wife in May.
 
TRISHA YEARWOOD will star in a six episode series on the Food Network beginning in April. Each episode will have a special theme and will give fans a look into Trisha’s personal kitchens and recipes.
 
DIERKS BENTLEY is bringing his Country & Cold Cans Tour back to the U.S. After a successful run last fall and last month in Canada, Dierks plans to play about 20 dates in the U.S. this spring.

JO DEE MESSINA will host a March 3 Nashville benefit called A Night Of Nostalgia to benefit the Holy Trinity Montessori school. The night will be focused on big band and casino atmospheres and she is expected to perform.
 
RANDY TRAVIS will begin his 25th anniversary tour February 10 in Grand Ronde, Oregon. Dates are scheduled through early May.

REBA MCENTIRE is alive and well despite an Internet that spread earlier this week. The story was that she had fallen 100 feet to her death on Monday while filming a movie in Austria. Reba’s rep says she was not anywhere near Austria.
 
SUNNY SWEENEY has kicked the smoking habit. She’s been smoke-free since January 1. She credits the patch and e-cigarettes.
 
The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville is getting a new stage. Work is expected to begin this weekend. The building has had only two stages to this point, the first installed in 1901, the second in 1951. A section of the old stage will be included in the new one.

REBA McENTIRE: Alive and Well

Reba McEntire is the most recent victim of an Internet death hoax. She writes on her WhoSay account, "There's a rumor going around that I died after falling off a mountain in Austria yesterday while shooting a movie. While I would love to be shooting a movie in Austria, I definitely did not fall off a mountain. Nor am I dead." She was, in fact, watching son Shelby in an auto race.

MIRANDA AND BLAKE: Super Bowl Duet

Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton will sing "America the Beautiful" prior to kick-off at the Super Bowl on Sunday. This will be the first time they have performed together on TV since their wedding last May.

If you'd like a preview, you can download them singing "America the Beautiful" on I-Tunes now.

BLAKE SHELTON: Fans Grow With The Voice

Blake Shelton says he's noticed younger fans at his shows, and credits The Voice for the change

. In a promo for the upcoming season of the show he says, "I'm very proud of that because I'm proud of what this show does ... It's a celebration of music."

The new season of The Voice on NBC starts Sunday after the Super Bowl.

KELLY CLARKSON: Countrified Know It All

Kelly Clarkson has unleashed a country version of her pop hit "Mr. Know It All." Kelly is no stranger to country music and its artists -- she's a good ol' Texas girl who's friends with Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton.

Source: MTV.com

DIERKS BENTLEY: Daughter's Singing Debut

Dierks Bentley's upcoming album, Home, has a couple of guest vocalists on it, but none are as special as his daughter Evie. Her appearance on the song "Thinking of You" actually came about as an accident. Dierks had been on the road for several days, including his birthday, when his wife, producer and daughter got together and recorded the tot singing. His reaction? "It just killed me."

You can hear it yourself when Home hits stores next Tuesday.

SIMON STILL LOVES PAULA

There's no love lost between Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul -- at least that's what they're saying in public.

After the X Factor leader cleaned house, firing Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger and host Steve Jones, Simon released a statement saying it was just business. "You do develop friendships with the people you work with and Paula, in particular, is a very close friend and I expect to be working with her on another project in the near future."

Paula claims she harbors no ill will toward her former boss, saying, "Simon and I, along with Fox and Fremantle, have been communicating about this for a while now, and I have absolute understanding of the situation. Simon is, and will remain, a dear friend of mine and I've treasured my experience working this past season."

ASKMEN.COM'S HOTTEST WOMEN OF 2012

Every year AskMen.com features the 99 hottest women of 2012. Check out the Top 10 ...

10. Candice Swanepoel: If you don't recognize her name you would definitely recognize her face -- she's one of Victoria's Secret Angels.

9. Rihanna: According to askmen, it's all about the "leg meat." Rihanna brought sexy legs back.

8. Kim Kardashian: She proves killer curves can make a man overlook just about anything.

7. Scarlett Johansson: A couple of leaked nude photos and a break from Ryan Reynolds and Scar-Jo is in the Top 10 in a huge way.

6. Emma Stone: A sexy redhead with a raspy voice and a sense of humor.

5. Nicky Minaj: Sexy curves and just enough edge to make her intriguing.

4. Miranda Kerr: Another Victoria's Secret Angel ... lucky Orlando Bloom.

3. Rooney Mara: The lead in Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is every punk lovers new pin-up girl

2. Kate Upton: Not just anyone can rock a bikini in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.

1. Sofia Vergara: The Modern Family star is not only funny and beautiful, but according to AskMen she has the best cleavage on TV!

PAULA, NICOLE AND STEVE JONES OUT OF X FACTOR

Judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, as well as host Steve Jones, have parted ways with The X Factor, The Wrap reports.

One source said, "They expected Paula to be the goofy girl, and Nicole to be the pretty one. But Paula was so bad that it made none of it work."

Steve announced his departure first, tweeting yesterday, "I wont be hosting next season's X Factor, which is a shame, but I can't complain as I've had a great time. Good luck to everyone on the show."

Nicole, a onetime member of the Pussycat Dolls, has bowed out of the show to focus on her music career. A source tells E! News, "She's spoken to Simon [Cowell] and he's given her his blessing."

SUPER BOWL TRIVIA FUN FACTS

If you're attending a Super Bowl party and want to impress your friends with your vast knowledge of Super Bowl trivia, here's a good start:

• The first Super Bowl was held in Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on January 15th, 1967. The Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10.

• The Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys have each played in eight of them -- the most of any teams in the league.

• Only the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans have never played in a Super Bowl.

• Linebacker Chuck Howley of the Cowboys is the only player to have won the MVP award, despite playing on the losing team.

• The biggest blowout in Super Bowl history was in Super Bowl 24, when the 49ers beat the Broncos 55-10.

• There has never been an overtime game in Super Bowl history. (Yahoo Sports)

DANNY GOKEY: Tied The Knot

Danny Gokey and Leyicet Peralta got married in an intimate ceremony with friends and family on Sunday in Florida. Danny tells People magazine, "We are so thankful to have found each other and now be able to spend the rest of our lives together."

Don't be surprised if Danny's next album reflects his big news. He tells us, "I would like to be known for the love songs ... I want to be like the Brian McKnight of country music."

MIRANDA LAMBERT: Tallahassee Cancelled

Miranda Lambert has postponed Friday's show in Tallahassee, Florida, to attend the funeral of longtime friend Mark Adams. If you recall, last week Miranda wrote on Twitter, "I have lost a friend I've had since third grade today in a tragic accident. When will this pain end? Please pray for peace."

The show has been re-scheduled for May 17th, and opening acts Jerrod Niemann and Chris Young will join Miranda.

TRISHA YEARWOOD: The Next Food Network Star?

Trisha Yearwood has signed on for a six-episode Food Network cooking series, according to the Hollywood Reporter. In each "themed episode," she'll be making her favorite meals and telling family stories, much like in her best-selling cookbooks, Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen and Home Cooking With Trisha Yearwood.

Trisha is a regular viewer of cooking shows and even appeared on Rachael Ray in 2008, where she made Garth's favorite German chocolate cake.

DIERKS BENTLEY: Open Another Cold Can

Dierks Bentley has announced his 2012 Country and Cold Cans Tour. The 20-city run will kick off April 13th in Los Angeles with guests Eli Young Band and Will Hoge. Dierks says, "Country and Cold Cans was such a great tour last Fall, it's just way too much fun to stop ... we're even going to Alaska -- giving new meaning to cold cans." Joining them at some stops is newcomer The Cadillac Black.

Dierks has already started touring this year and will make a run through Canada before Country and Cold Cans starts. A complete list of tour dates can be found on his website.

LUKE BRYAN: Bo Knows Singles

Don't be surprised if Luke Bryan turns to his son, Bo, for help picking his next single. Luke says he only needs to watch his son's reaction to know if the song is a future hit. So far the five-year-old picked "Someone Else Calling You Baby," "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)," and Luke's most recent number-one, "I Don't Want This Night to End."

BLAKE SHELTON appears on the cover of the February issue of Redbook magazine. It's the Hot Husbands issue and MIRANDA LAMBERT talks about what makes Blake a hot husband. She says the one word that best describes Blake is personality because he lights up every room and is the life of the party.

RASCAL FLATTS will soon open what the band hopes will be first in a line of restaurants. The first location will open in Columbus, Ohio, and will include writer’s nights and American cuisine.
 
RONNIE DUNN says he’s not sure if he’ll be like his musical heroes MERLE HAGGARD and WILLIE NELSON and continue touring for the rest of his life. But, he also points out that other than some basic photography, he doesn’t have any other hobbies aside from music.
 
HUNTER HAYES will play a free concert at the Country Music Hall of Fame, February 4. The Hall of Fame is offering free admission on that day.
 
WILLIE NELSON will be part of a compilation album called Occupy Wall Street to be released this spring. Proceeds will benefit the Occupy movement. Other acts on the album include Lucinda Williams, Jackson Browne and Third Eye Blind.
 
DARRYL WORLEY has signed with a new record label (Tenacity/Crazytown Records). He will release a new single this spring.
 
DANNY GOKEY has married model Leyicet Peralta in Florida. This is Danny’s second marriage; his first wife died in 2008 during surgery for congenital heart failure. The ceremony was attended by about 100 close friends and family.
 
BILLY DEAN, THE BELLAMY BROTHERS and MOE BANDY will be among the guests on the RFD network’s Larry’s Country Diner in the month of February.

HOW LONG WAS PHIL CONNORS STUCK RELIVING THE SAME DAY?

Thursday (February 2) is Groundhog Day, which naturally leads film fans to thoughts of the classic 1993 comedy from Harold Ramis, starring Bill Murray. One of the big questions for many fans of the film is: just how long was Phil Connors (Murray) stuck reliving the same day in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, during the events seen in Groundhog Day?

... One article estimated about nine years. Harold Ramis originally estimated ten years on one DVD commentary, then in response to the nine year computation revised that number to be much higher. So how long was it, really? Harold Ramis eventually said: "I think the 10-year estimate is too short. It takes at least 10 years to get good at anything, and alloting for the down time and misguided years he spent, it had to be more like 30 or 40 years..."

McDONALD'S IS AXING "PINK SLIME" _ McDonald's is axing "pink slime" from its burgers, after receiving heat from celebrity chef and food activist Jamie Oliver. What is pink slime? It's the name Oliver has given to fatty beef trimmings soaked in ammonium hydroxide, which removes bacteria and makes the beef taste better. Oliver said on his TV show, Food Revolution, "We're taking a product that would be sold in its cheaper form for dogs." The technique is approved by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. Last week, McDonald's announced it's no longer using the beef product, although the chain said in a statement that this decision "was not related to any particular event." Taco Bell and Burger King have also agreed to stop using the additive.

COMPUTERS CAN'T AGREE ON SUPER BOWL WINNER _ In the world of videogames, the Giants are already Super Bowl 46 champions. Or not. EA Sports ran its annual Super Bowl simulation on Madden NFL 12, with the game picking the Giants to beat the Patriots, 27-24, on a 40-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes as time expired.

... But not every imaginary Super Bowl ends happily for the Giants. WhatIfSports, a website that predicts the outcome of sporting events, picks a 27-25 Patriots win, while the simulators at AccuScore envision a 32-27 New England victory.

MAN GIVES AWAY SUPER BOWL TICKETS ON TWITTER _ TV writer Jason Elia has bladder cancer. It's a bummer, but he's happy to share that he has an 87% chance of survival. But, according to Jason, that didn't matter to his ex-girlfriend who, he says, left him because she didn't want to, well, deal with his bladder cancer. Jason says that she was so compassion-free that she still wanted him to give her the Super Bowl tickets he had bought for them both. You crazy, woman? $8,000 worth of Super Bowl tickets? Yeah, she's like that. What was Jason to do? Why give them away on Twitter, of course. He decided to give his tickets to the person who gets him the most Twitter followers. The hashtag was #WinMyExsSuperBowlTicket. The rules were simple: You tweeted @notjasonelia and explained who persuaded you to send the tweet.

... Jason says he's not bitter. He says he simply wants someone to have the great experience that was denied him and hopes that the winner chooses to go to the game, rather than sell the tickets.

MAN SUES FRITO-LAY OVER "ALL-NATURAL" CLAIMS _ A New York man sued Frito-Lay on Monday, claiming the company misleads consumers with the claim that its popular Tostitos and SunChips products are made with "all-natural ingredients." In the proposed class-action lawsuit filed in Brooklyn federal court, plaintiff Chris Shake said the snacks actually contain corn and oils made from genetically engineered plants. Shake said he shelled out an additional 10 cents per ounce of chips to buy the allegedly "all-natural" Tostitos and SunChips instead of a product like Doritos, which makes no such claim. The lawsuit said independent testing conducted on samples of Frito-Lay products labeled "all natural" uncovered the presence of ingredients -- including corn and vegetable oils -- made from genetically modified plants.

SMARTPHONE OWNERS USING THEM TO SHOP _ A new survey reveals more than half of adult cell phone owners used their phones while they were in a store during the 2011 holiday season to seek help with purchasing decisions. Cell phoner owners are using their phones to:

• Look up prices online to see if they can get a better price elsewhere.
• Look up reviews of a product online.
• Call a friend for advice about a purchase they were considering making.

TOM BRADY JERSEY GETTING MORE BIDS THAN TIM TEBOW'S _ He may have been the story of the 2011 NFL season, but Tim Tebow has a long way to go to match Tom Brady’s drawing power in one competitive arena: the auction block. The sports memorabilia company Hunt Auctions will hold its Super Bowl Live Auction on Saturday 11 AM, and two of the event’s most intriguing items are a Brady game-worn Patriots jersey and a Tebow game-worn Broncos jersey. Hunt already has been taking bids online and over the phone, and the disparity in Brady’s and Tebow’s NFL resumes is reflected in the gap between the bids on the jerseys. Because Brady already has been on three Super Bowl-winning teams and is regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, Hunt Auctions estimated the pre-sale value of his jersey to be between $10,000 and $15,000. The latest bid on the jersey was for $26,000, and if the Patriots beat the Giants on Sunday, there’s no telling how valuable Brady’s jersey would become, said David Hunt, the company’s president. So how much are NFL fans willing to pay to "Tebow" in a Broncos jersey that their favorite quarterback actually wore in a game? Not quite as much. Hunt said that Tebow lack of career accomplishments -- so far -- has kept his jersey at a lower value. The company set Tebow’s jersey between $2,000 and $4,000. As of Monday afternoon, its value already had doubled to $8,000.

MONEY TALKS EVERY COUPLE NEEDS TO HAVE

There's no bigger buzzkill than having a talk about money with your sweetie. According to Yahoo.com, here are four you're forced to have if you want to stay together:

1. Let's talk about financial baggage

This is where you come clean about any debt and what you're bringing to the relationship. If you survive #1, then move to #2

2. Let's talk about spending limits

Decide together what qualifies as a "big ticket purchase" requiring approval by both partners.

3. Let's talk to a pro

If you can't agree, bring in a financial counselor who can help.

4. Let's review our money plan

After coming up with your plan, sit down and review how it's going after 30 days.

RICHEST US PRESIDENTS IN HISTORY

Just how rich is Mitt Romney? Add up the wealth of the last eight presidents , from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama. Then double that number. Now you're in Romney territory. He would be among richest presidents in American history if elected -- probably in the top four. Still, he couldn't top George Washington who had nearly 60,000 acres and more than 300 slaves. His estimated net worth — in today's dollars — was roughly $525 million. Here’s the top ten:

1. George Washington
2. Herbert Hoover
3. Thomas Jefferson
4. John F. Kennedy
5. Andrew Jackson
6. Theodore Roosevelt
7. Zachary Taylor
8. Franklin D. Roosevelt
9. Lyndon Johnson
10. James Madison

MOM WHO FAKED ABDUCTION FOR DISNEY TRIP GETS 8 YEARS _ Remember Bonnie Sweeten, the Philadelphia area mom and paralegal who was found at Disney World after said she'd been abducted? Well, she's off to prison. Considering the string of stupid crimes she pulled, eight years is easy. Sweeten:

• Swiped over $1 million from her boss
• Swindled an elderly relative
• Reported falsely she had been carjacked with her daughter
• Fled to Disney World in Orlando with her daughter

LEBRON JAMES GIVES SPORTS FANS BEST CLIP OF THE WEEKEND _ We won't have Super Bowl highlights till Sunday, but there was a Super NBA highlight yesterday, courtesy of LeBron James. During the Bulls/Heat game LeBron got a back screen, went up to catch the alley-oop pass and jumped right over John Lucas III of the Bulls

6,000 CALORIE BREAKFAST _ A monster breakfast is attracting criticism from healthy eating advocates. The Kidz Breakfast at Jesters Diner in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, includes 12 slices of bacon, 12 sausages, and six eggs and weighs on average 9 pounds. Health experts are demanding its removal from the menu and are warning someone with a heart condition could die if they eat it, with each helping amounting to at least 6,000 calories, up to three days' food intake for an average person. Jesters Diner owner Martin Smith said the gigantic breakfast is "just a bit of fun". Customers are also offered the $24 mammoth meal for free if they can eat it in less than an hour without.

MIRANDA LAMBERT has rescheduled her February 3 show in Tallahassee, Florida, to attend the funeral of Mark "Tex" Adams. The two have been friends since childhood. The show has been rescheduled for Thursday, May 17. Adams was killed in a traffic accident in Florida. He pulled to the side of the road to assist a stranded motorist when a vehicle drifted to the shoulder, striking both cars and killing Adams. No one else was killed in the crash.

MIRANDA LAMBERT’s episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit will air February 8. She’ll play a reality television star who is in danger of being attacked. Harry Connick Jr. will also guest star.

KEITH URBAN received two awards from the Country Music Association of Australia at their 40th annual awards. He was honored for Top Album of the Year for Get Closer, and Male Vocalist.
 
TAYLOR SWIFT has landed at #78 on Billboard’s list of the Power 100 based on earnings and revenue in the last year. Other music acts to make the list include Lady Gaga, Jon Bon Jovi and U2.
 
The ELI YOUNG BAND has been nominated for five honors at the Texas Regional Music Awards to be held March 24-25 in Arlington, Texas.

The Country Music Hall of Fame will launch an exhibit called Something In Red February 3 as part of National Wear Red Day. The exhibit will also raise awareness for the American Heart Association. Gowns worn by LORRIE MORGAN, SARA EVANS and NAOMI JUDD will be part of the exhibit, which will run through April.
 
TRACE ADKINS will bring his Songs & Stories Tour to Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on May 18. This will be his first full band performance at the venue. Tickets go on sale to fan club members today (Monday).
 
While THE BELLAMY BROTHERS were recently in Florida filming a music video, they fell victim to the theft of thousands of dollars worth of production equipment after someone broke their rental vehicles.

AARON TIPPIN will be in Salem, Virginia, February 9 to be part of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs 2012 National Salute to Veterans at the Salem Civic Center.

KEITH URBAN: Voice is Fine, Neck is Wrecked

Keith Urban shot a special video thanking his fans for their support while he recovered from vocal surgery. While his voice is in fine form, his neck may be in trouble. Keith found he had to over-exaggerate facial expressions in order to get his unspoken point across. He tells us, "To nod lightly is not enough, you have to be effusive...after two weeks, I was in the shower and I was like, 'My neck is so sore.'"

Keith's first post-surgery public performance is Friday, February 3rd at the Grand Ole Opry.

KELLIE PICKLER: Moon Over My Ellen

Kellie Pickler gave Ellen DeGeneres a 100-proof jar of Popcorn Sutton's moonshine along with a copy of her new CD, 100 Proof, last week on Ellen's talk show. The two chatted about Kellie's first anniversary trip with husband Kyle to St. Lucia, and she performed "Where's Tammy Wynette" from the new album.

HUNTER, SCOTTY, J.T. HODGES: Vote for Me!

Three more ACM Awards New Artist finalists have released videos to encourage fans to vote for them. Head to YouTube to check out new clips from Hunter Hayes, J.T. Hodges and Scotty McCreery. The other semi-finalists are David Nail, Jerrod Niemann, Brantley Gilbert, Justin Moore and Thompson Square.

Semi-final voting -- which will narrow the field to three -- ends today. Cast your vote at ACMCountry.com.

BOX-OFFICE REPORT (audio)

Liam Neeson's latest action flick, The Grey, topped the weekend box office with $20 million.

• Underworld Awakening dropped from first to second with $12.5 million. The Kate Beckinsale sequel has earned $45.1 million in two weeks.

• One for the Money, an action-comedy starring Katherine Heigl, opened in third with a better-than-expected $11.8 million.

• Red Tails fell from second to fourth with $10.4 million.

• The thriller Man on a Ledge debuted in fifth with $8.3 million.