Featured Country Music News

Miley Cyrus was at the Target South of Nashville this week pursued by the camera guys in a rare Nashville Paparazzi moment. Miley seems to have been grounded by Disney in the wake of the Vanity Fair photo disaster.

It is a bump in the road for sure. It may be a Titanic-like iceberg if the wags are connected in the Disney inside. Some girl named Selena Gomez sure is getting a push in PR ... she looks disturbingly like Miley/Hannah. What a house of cards in a high wind! Madonna even stepped in today and said leave Miley alone.

Here's the shakedown on this: Miley did get hurt in this stupid grow-up-too-soon photo session decision. Hard to think Jim Morey, the manager, would say yes to such a thing. The kids don't care. It is a non-event for most of them. The moms and parents ... that's another story. This safe harbor now comes with PG warnings -- and that's not good! Who knows what the movie status is; Mickey's damage control has stepped in and this girl is in media time out.

Billy Ray is muzzled and so is mom, it seems. Hannah Montana mania had a shelf life of next Summer anyway. Disney was always behind the curve on this phenom.

This is a Nashville Dixie Chick-style screw-up. No one can blow up a good thing like the Country gang. Big mouths and big photo shoots. Both could have been prevented, and their big-time managers drove the acts into a ditch. Amazing!

The less amazing but equally shocking story of the week was the Roger Clemens/Barry Bonds impersonation drama. Mindy and the Rocket in a 10-year-plus relationship of some kind. Have you ever seen more dirt slung at a guy in one week? Mindy, then someone who is the wife of a wrestler named Brutus Beefcake claims she was hit on by the Rocket. Waitresses at the Hard Rock said he was cheap and the ex-wife of golf outrage John Daly may have been involved with hanky-panky of the mound kind.

Mindy is more infamous now than Ma Barker. Her singing career is well active, according to her people, but I wouldn't invest too heavily in this gas guzzler! How in the world did this stay secret?

A few now claim they knew, but in reality you think someone would have seen something with this world-famous baseball star. Crazy and still going crazier.

The "Idol" show is a mess this year. High ratings, but showing lots of fatigue. Maybe there's nothing else on. The kids are picking songs from the Dolly's and Neil's that are laying eggs! Crying Brooke should come to Nashville and live happily every after. I wonder if she will. She has that California mindset that leaves her confused and sometimes brilliant. I love her. Carly Simon love her. But will she stop getting so damn emotional? And the remaining four is it? Who cares! Not a Carrie in the bunch. David Cook will be another Daughtry and David another Clay Aiken. Bore!

On with the scandal countdown....

Miranda Lambert's dragging through the mud was weird. She was proven innocent of causing a bar altercation in Texas. Ms.Lambert's people chose to allow their star to get smashed by all kinds of done-wrong fans in the Tyler newspaper, in People and all over the media. A loud denial would have put the "whoa, boys" out there, but the chose a Dixie Chick "this will go away" silence. It did work out, but If I'm innocent of something I'm going to YELL foul. Guess that all worked out with the accuser thrown in the slammer.

Nutty week with Chesney doctors giving him two shots of morphine after the star gets his foot crushed in a stage accident. Jim Hager of the Hee Haw Hagers found dead near Music Row ( heart attack ... great guy ... made a lot of people laugh along with his identical twin brother)....and probably more, but who was listening after all the above.

The nice story of the week was the tale of Leslie Strong. Age 16 ... guitar student of 3 years. Going up on stage and hanging with Keith Urban at his Rupp Arena Lexington stop. It's all over YouTube and my site www.askjimmycarter.com. What a great thing to watch! Keith has his routine, but is cool enough to stop and let things breath some during his show. This was magic.

Miss Strong wants to go to Belmont and play music. Girl lead guitar pickers are rare, so Keith needs to adopt this gal!

Keith Urban for CMA Entertainer of the Year, by the way. He has earned it. Kenny could keep getting it and it's no slam at Chesney, but a bow to Keith, who has come a long way after a LONG way down. I admire and salute this Aussie who is a rare talent! I like him more each day and see something new in his music. I hope he continues to control the things that need controlling and live a happy life and future fatherhood. We needed something positive on this very screwy week.

With $10 dollar gas now conceivable, what would concert tickets start selling for? Would you like to pay the gas on Chesney's stadium show moving entourage?