1-4-13 Music City Minute ...
Photo: Big Machine Records
Taylor Swift’s latest album, Red is nearing the 3 million mark in sales and unlike her previous album, she collaborated with co-writers for a few tracks. Red was the best selling country album of 2012 and the second best seller overall.
Photo: Claire Varnon
Eli Young Band bass player Jon Jones and his wife Sarah welcomed a little boy into their family this week. Hudson Lennon Jones was supposed to be a Christmas baby, but arrived on New Year’s Eve. The Eli Young Band played a show in Oklahoma that night…and was just the second time in ten years they played without Jon.
Photo: RCA Records Nashville
Miranda Lambert will be appearing as a guest judge next season on the hit reality series Project Runway. No word yet on when Miranda’s episode will air.
Photo: Atlantic / Southern Ground
The Zac Brown Band will perform the national anthem prior to Monday night’s BCS National Championship game. Check it out at 7 PM on ESPN.
Photo: Warner Music Nashville
The good news for girls is that Hunter Hayes is single. The bad news, Girlies…is that you’ll have to compete with his first priority – music. He's so wrapped up in writing new music that he built a studio into the back of his bus. THAT is serious!!!
Photo: MCA Nashville
Gary Allan is only a few weeks away from releasing his highly anticipated album, Set You Free. Set You Free features Gary's latest song, “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)” and is due in stores January 22nd.
Dierks Bentley’s music video for his latest single, “Tip It On Back” has a special place in his heart, since it was shot at the famed Georgia Theatre. Check it out above...
Photo: The Valory Music Co.
The first line of Thomas Rhett’s latest song, “Beer With Jesus” sums up everything he felt while co-writing the song. This year Thomas will join Jason Aldean on his Night Train Tour.
CELEBRITY SCOOP ...
(Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty)
After selling Lucasfilm to Disney for billions, George Lucas is ready to settle down -- the Star Wars director has gotten engaged to his longtime girlfriend Mellody Hobson.
This will be the second marriage for the 68-year-old Lucas and the first for the 43-year-old businesswoman.
Lucas donated most of the $4 billion he received from the sale of his company to a foundation that will focus on educational issues. Still, there's no word of a pre-nup in the works.
JUSTIN BIEBER: Breaks Up With Selena During Mexican Vacation
The on-again, off-again couple reportedly had a "nuclear argument" while in Mexico to celebrate New Year’s Eve and went their separate ways before ringing in 2013. A source tells the New York Daily News the two have yet to see each other since their fight. "They keep breaking up and getting back together," the insider says. "It's probably not correct to characterize this as a final breakup."
The two, who were photographed canoodling during a pre-Christmas trip to Salt Lake City, first called it quits on their two-year relationship in November.
Paula Deen Maintains 36-Pound Weight Loss: "It's All About Moderation"
(Photo: Melanie Dunea for Woman’s Day)
Nearly a year after she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, Food Network star Paula Deen shed an impressive 36 pounds -- and kept it off!
"It's all about moderation," the butter-loving Southern chef says in the February issue of Woman's Day. "I just needed to learn to eat a normal portion size and not overindulge."
Deen still eats her favorite foods, including her famous fried chicken and her grandmother's poundcake, though she does so less frequently. "It's amazing how little changes will give you big results," she says.
WEIRD NEWS...
REVENGE: Woman Auctions Off Ex's Fishing Spots
A New Zealand woman pulled one over on her ex-boyfriend, making $3,000 off his most prized possession – his top-secret GPS fishing spots.
According to Field And Stream, Angela Potter’s ex was a great fisherman and had entrusted her with a GPS, marking his favorite fishing spots on the Bay of Plenty
The GPS went for $3,000 on the online hub Trade Me, and it was the 10th most viewed auction item of 2012, with roughly 90,000 hits. Post-auction, Angela treated herself to some lovely jewelry.
Pay-it-Forward Chain Goes on for 228 Coffee Orders
When a customer at a Tim Hortons coffee shop in Canada
"There was a lot of energy in the store," says the general manager. "Our team was really excited and shouting out the number of pay it forwards all morning." Tim Hortons had itself been engaged in a similar campaign: As part of its "Random Cups of Kindness" week, the stores would periodically pay for the tabs of random customers.
