The Music City Minute ...

Photo:  Republic Nashville

The Band Perry received great news this week.  Their song “Better Dig Two” has been certified Gold and has sold over 700,000 copies.  “Better Dig Two” serves as the lead single from the group’s sophomore album – in stores April 2^nd.

Jana Kramer made a lasting impression with her debut hit, “Why Ya Wanna”.  And now she’s back with a heartbreak tune.  Jana’s next single is called “Whiskey” and it talks about love gone wrong.  Watch the video for “Whiskey” now ...

Photo:  Arista Nashville

Carrie Underwood has been added to the performance list for the upcoming Grammy Awards.  She’s also up for two Grammys for Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song.

Photo:  Tom Donoghue / donoghuephotography.com

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s Soul2Soul show at the Venetian Theater in Las Vegas continues this weekend.  While the two enjoy singing duets with each other, one of Tim’s favorite things to do is just watch his wife perform solo each night.  Tim and Faith’s Soul2Soul shows continue through April.

Photo:  blakeshelton.com

Blake Shelton just announced his return to the road with his Ten Times Crazier Tour.  Easton Corbin and Jana Kramer will serve as Blake’s opening acts.

The Zac Brown Band has the most played country song in the nation for a second consecutive week with their smash hit “Goodbye in Her Eyes”.  Not only is the song #1 again this week – it’s the first #1 from their Grammy-nominated album Uncaged.  It’s up for Best Country Album.

Photo:  Republic Nashville

Florida Georgia Line is gearing up for one of the hottest tours of the year – Luke Bryan’s Dirt Road Diaries Tour. 

Photo:  Warner Music Nashville

After a year full of professional milestones – from winning The Voice twice to earning CMA Entertainer of the Year – Blake Shelton can now reflect on the longevity of his career. 

Photo:  Danny Clinch

Kenny Chesney will release a new album on April 30^th, but no title or single has been announced yet.  Stay tuned!

CELEBRITY SCOOP...

'Dear Abby' Pauline Phillips Dies at 94

(Photo: Fred Prouser/Corbis)

"Dear Abby" columnist Pauline Phillips, who starting in 1956 under the pen name Abigail Van Buren began giving some 90 million newspaper readers advice on everything from Civil Rights to dating, died Wednesday in Minneapolis, said a family spokesperson. She was 94.

"She'll be terribly missed by the people who love her. She'll always be in my heart. She had an irreverent sense of humor. She left an amazing legacy," daughter Jeanne Phillips tells PEOPLE.

"I'm honored that she trusted me enough to let me continue her column for her. I feel very empty today. It's a very sad day."

KRISTEN STEWART, ROBERT PATTINSON: Top-Grossing Romantic Film Couple

(Photo: Getty Images)

- Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson are Hollywood's highest-grossing romantic film couple, according to Forbes magazine.

- The stars have brought in $1.17 billion at the U.S. box office with their last three Twilight movies.

- Forbes compiled the list by looking at the top-grossing romantic films in the United States in the past three years as classified by Box Office Mojo.

- Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams came in a very distant second, with their movie The Vow earning $125 million domestically.

- Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler were third with Just Go With It, which earned $103 million at the U.S. box office.

AMERICAN IDOL: Ratings Down

(Photo: Greorge Holz/Fox)

American Idol's 12th season has gotten off to a rough start --  the first episode had a 19 percent decline in viewers from last season.

According to Nielsen, 17.9 million people watched the show Wednesday night, compared with 21.9 million who took in the premiere episode 2012.

FOX execs say competing shows like X Factor and The Voice are to blame for the decline. Mike Darnell, a Fox Broadcasting president, tells the Wall Street Journal, "There were two on in the fall and there will be two on in the spring, and they’re all being eroded... It’s 12 years old and you can’t expect everything to stay as big as Idol was."

WEIRD NEWS ...

Woman gets probation in stabbing over Cosmo quiz

(Photo: Mesa Police Department)

A Mesa woman was sentenced to three years probation after reaching a plea agreement in the stabbing of her husband over a Cosmopolitan magazine quiz.

Judge Sherry Stephens sentenced Noelle Clough to probation with domestic violence terms and 90 days deferred jail on Thursday.

In June, Clough called police and said that her husband was cut in the back and needed stitches, according to a police report. While on the phone, Clough said her husband was choking her and she pulled a knife on him.

When police arrived, the victim had a stab wound on his back.

Clough told police that she and her husband had been drinking before the fight began.

Clough said her husband threw two kitchen knives on the floor and told her to stab him, according to the police report. Clough said she picked up the 4-inch knife and tried to cut him, but accidentally stabbed him, police said.

EIGHT SURPRISING THINGS YOU CAN BUY IN BULK (Yahoo):

1) Airline tickets. Sky-bound commuters and serial vacationers can save hundreds by buying plane-ticket packages. This year, the JetBlue targeted business travelers with Go Packs, ranging from $699 to $2,499, that included ten nonstop, one-way flights between certain airports from September 13 through December 19th. JetBlue would not say for sure whether Go Packs will be offered again, but the ticket packages have proved popular with its customers. To keep an eye out for other plane-ticket packages, enlist some help from AirfareWatchdog.com. Sign up for alerts based on your selected departure city, and the Watchdog will let you know via e-mail when it finds a cheap flight or package of flights.

2) Mobile minutes. Avoid hefty overage charges by embracing your chattiness with an unlimited, low-cost, prepaid plan. Same goes for texting addicts and data suckers. For example, Boost Mobile, one of Sprint's prepaid brands, offers unlimited minutes, texts and data for Android phones starting at $55 a month.

3) Gym memberships. Many gyms, including Bally Total Fitness and Washington Sports Club, periodically offer friends-and-family discounts if you sign up together or if current members recruit newbies. For example, 24 Hour Fitness recently offered a deal for current members to add family to their membership for $30 a month per person with no initiation fee. Regular rates can range from $40 to $75 per month per person, depending on your location. If your gym isn't currently advertising this kind of deal, ask about a discount anyway; membership costs may be negotiable.

4) Season tickets. If you're really invested in a team, buying tickets for the whole season all at once instead of game by game can be a big financial win. And if the season heads into extra innings, you'll get first dibs on playoff tickets. Season-ticket deals can be found outside the sports arena, too. Many theaters, museums, aquariums, amusement parks and other venues offer discounted passes for frequent visitors.

5) Fruits and vegetables. Get your fill of veggies every month straight from your local harvest at a healthy discount. You can find a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program in your area at LocalHarvest.org. Subscribe for periodic packages of locally grown fruits, vegetables and other products with one upfront payment. Andrea Muse, author of Buying in Bulk and founder of FrugallySustainable.com, estimates that you can save up to 50% off your grocery bill if you buy in bulk correctly. She recommends starting small so that you can work the quantities into your cooking routine and storage space.

6) Prescriptions. If you're coping with a chronic condition, you shouldn't have to suffer the high costs of medications, too. You might already know that you can save by ordering a 90-day supply from a mail-order pharmacy instead of getting a 30-day refill. But you may not realize that your neighborhood pharmacy can probably bag you the same bargain -- and with face-to-face interaction with your local pharmacist.

7) Gift cards. For a great bulk deal on gift cards, you will have to head to a warehouse store, where you can buy multiple restaurant gift cards for less than face value. At Costco, you could pay just $80 for two $50 cards for eateries such as California Pizza Kitchen and McCormick & Schmick's. You can also get discounted packs of movie tickets at warehouse stores.

8) College degrees. Hope kid sis doesn't mind a hand-me-down sorority sweater. If you can persuade your close-in-age kids to attend the same college, you might be able to cut back on some tuition costs. Many schools offer discounts for siblings in attendance at the same time. Having multiple kids in college can also get you a break with college aid. With the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), if you qualify for need-based assistance, your family's expected contribution to college expenses would stay the same regardless of how many students you're covering.