Blog Posts by Wendy Geller

Country fans, polish your eyeglasses! It looks as if you'll have some good reading material to hunker down with next spring. I wrote just a short while ago that Shania Twain will be releasing her autobiography in 2011--and now, Brad Paisley has just announced he's inked a deal to publish his first major book.

The Grammy-winning country star's story, titled Diary Of A Player, will relate the path he took to become the musician he is today. According to his official site, it's also "a salute to the guitar gods of country, blues, and rock 'n' roll who have shaped his life."

However many icons influenced his future, Paisley ultimately credits a much closer source as his inspiration to embark on a musical path. He describes in the liner notes to his 2008 album Play how his grandfather gave him a guitar--and therefore an identity--at the tender age of 8.

"[My grandfather] said if I learned to play, anything would be manageable, and life would be richer," Paisley says. "You can get through

The nominees for the 2010 American Music Awards have been announced, and for the second year in a row, country music is ruling another award-show roost--claiming one of the artists tied for the most nominations, as well as crossing over into other genres on the nomination list.

Who's this year's Nashville star? The unstoppable Lady Antebellum, who scooped up five nods--putting them in a tie with iconic rapper Eminem. The critically acclaimed trio is up for favorite band in both the country and pop/rock music categories, favorite country album for Need You Now, favorite adult contemporary artist, and breakthrough artist.

And, what's with the two-years-in-a-row business? Well, in 2009, Taylor Swift made a similar show for country music; receiving six total nominations in pop, adult contemporary, and overall all-genre categories as well as the country ones. She was pitted against no less legendary opponents than Michael Jackson (who had passed away just a few months before nominations

Okay, we all know Garth Brooks is one of the more considerably powerful entertainers out there. It's a true testament to his artistic strength, however, that I can report the following: One of his songs, released a full two decades ago, is the inspiration for a new made-for-TV movie.

The tune in question is 1990's massive hit, "Unanswered Prayers," which draws upon the timeless theme of everything working out for the best in the end. In Brooks's version, a man prays fervently for a certain girl, ends up marrying a different one, and then realizes in time that he's with the right partner. In other words: "I guess the Lord knows what he's doing after all."

The Lifetime network movie--also titled "Unanswered Prayers," and which stars Eric Close, Madchen Amick and Samantha Mathis--mirrors Brooks's tale. Just like the protagonist of the song, who runs into his high-school flame "at a hometown football game," the film centers around a happily married man who is forced to confront his past

I have to say, folks--it's hard to top the antics of our own artists here in the country music world, but here's one for the books. R&B sensation Ne-Yo is working on pinning down shock-pop princess Lady Gaga for a collaboration.

Okay, you're saying. Why should a country fan care about this?

Well, here's the punch line: He says he wants it to be a country collaboration! (You saw that coming, I hope.)

"It would be amazing if we could do a country and western record, something totally unexpected," Ne-Yo told British publication the Daily Star, adding that he's already reached out to Gaga ("Our people are talking").

This shouldn't come as too much of a stunning announcement to those who are true Ne-Yo fans and follow his press closely. The urban hitmaker has mentioned his appreciation for country music several times over the past couple of years, and even worked with a Nashville songwriter, Luke Laird, on a track for his upcoming album Libra Scale.

Laird himself told CMT earlier this

The sad, shocking news of five teens who committed suicide in the past week--all as a result of being bullied for being gay--has only one bright side to it: It's gotten the nation talking about the issue and discussing routes to tolerance and acceptance, as well as stopping the epidemic of bullying that has become a tremendous problem among adolescents.

Chely Wright, who came out to the Nashville community and world at large back in May, is one celebrity who is happy to share her experience in the name of halting the abuse. She appeared on Larry King Live Monday night, along with fellow celebs Lance Bass, Kathy Griffin, Wanda Sykes, Nate Berkus, and Tim Gunn, to talk about her experiences as an openly gay individual and discuss ways to address the problem of gay bullying.

King shared a clip from an upcoming documentary in which Wright explains her reasoning for going public with her sexual orientation. In it, she addresses those who persist in stereotyping gays.

"Country music has

Legendary classic rockers the Eagles are technically not a country band, but they are undisputably a respected force in the country world. Upon regrouping in 2007 and releasing their first full studio album in nearly 30 years, the band landed on a Nashville record label. They won a Grammy award in the country category (best song by a group or duo, for "How Long") and scored two singles on Billboard's country chart. This summer, they hit the road touring with the Dixie Chicks and Keith Urban as opening acts on select dates.

Heck, it might even be forgiven for those young'uns born post-1980 to think the Eagles are a country band. (Well, okay, maybe not. The band's back catalog is sort of an inescapable entity, no matter what decade we are in.) Regardless, the Eagles have always had a rootsy edge which has influenced and blended pleasantly with country music overall.

Given all this, it probably comes as no surprise that founding member Don Henley is planning to release a country album

The first round of performers for the 2010 Country Music Awards were announced this week--and, by the looks of things, the show is continuing its developing trend toward change and modernity.

Last year's first-round announcement was--as it usually is--all about the big names: George Strait, Reba McEntire, Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood. This year, it's all about the buzz names: Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Lady Antebellum, Dierks Bentley, and the Zac Brown Band.

It can't be any accident the CMAs are taking this direction. First of all, the nominee list already is weighted heavily with these fresher names. Second, it's these very artists who are bringing a new audience and recognition to country music, which (as I've been repeatedly writing about over the past year or so) has been growing steadily into the genre of power in the industry these days.

Some may lament the advent of "new country" over "true country," but, like it or not, this is the future of Nashville. It's a bright

Carrie Underwood had a brilliant idea when making her latest video, "Mama's Song." Since the song is about a daughter telling her mother she's found the right man to marry and take care of her--who would be better to feature in the clip than her own real-life mom and brand-new husband?

Luckily for all of her fans, she decided to go ahead and do just that, allowing everyone who watches the video a touching glimpse into her personal life, upbringing, and family.

The video starts out with Carrie's mother, Carole Underwood--a remarkably beautiful woman; one can easily see where Carrie got her good looks--sitting at an empty table as waiters clear up after a wedding reception. She's paging through an album of family photos. On each page, real shots of the Underwood family are featured.

There's Mom pregnant, then cudding a newborn. And then, we go on to admire adorable childhood pics of Carrie over the years...posing for her little league team, smiling with her sisters, singing into a