Blog Posts by Wendy Geller

Most country-music lovers who attended the 2012 Ram Jam all-star concert event in Nashville Saturday were just there for a rockin' good time. However, when American Idol alum Kellie Pickler took the stage, the evening took a remarkably emotional turn, showcasing a touching and personal moment between the star and her fans.

Right after performing her rollicking 2008 hit "Best Days Of Your Life," Pickler was approached by a woman in the audience who came up to the edge of the stage. Pickler knelt down and spoke quietly to her for a few minutes, then held the teary-eyed fan in a long embrace.

Pickler embraces teary fan (Photo: CJ Hicks)

photos: Andrew H. Walker / Russ HarringtonPickler, herself appearing moved, announced to the crowd, "Her sister-in-law Kelly is a breast cancer survivor." Pickler recently shaved her head in support of her best friend who was diagnosed with the same condition, and has been advocating for cancer awareness as a result.

Brantley Gilbert (CJ Hicks)Brantley Gilbert has just spent the night driving all the way from Detroit to Nashville--in a snowstorm--to make his next scheduled gig, the exclusive invite-only Ram Jam concert. It was a grueling journey, but he can't let down his fans. After all, they've been waiting all year for this!

Gilbert doesn't look even the slightest bit tired, however, when he drops by backstage to talk about his participation in the show. It's clear that he is totally jazzed to be part of the event.

When Ram Trucks launched an all-star country music series, "The Road To Ram Jam," early in the year, the concept was simple. Bring fans closer to artists they love by offering exclusive content--as well the chance to score passes to the invite-only show at the end of the year. Gilbert was the second of five artists selected for the Ram Jam (along with the Zac Brown Band, Kellie Pickler, Easton Corbin, and Billy Currington) and he was given a Ram Truck of his own to drive for a year.

Easton Corbin (Photo: CJ Hicks)Easton Corbin is all smiles as he bounds backstage in the morning just prior to setting up soundcheck for his appearance on the 2012 Ram Jam. It's no wonder he's in a good mood--the Ram Jam is a special, exclusive event just for a select few country fans who were lucky enough to win tickets to the concert, and it's sure to be a fun show to play. However, what's really got Corbin jazzed is another aspect of his participation in the event.

When Ram Trucks launched an all-star country music series, "The Road To Ram Jam," early in the year, the concept was simple. Bring fans closer to artists they love by offering exclusive content--as well the chance to score passes to the invite-only show at the end of the year. Corbin was one of five artists selected for the Ram Jam (along with the Zac Brown Band, Kellie Pickler, Brantley Gilbert, and Billy Currington) and he was given a Ram Truck of his own to drive for a year.

He admits that "one of my favorite parts obviously was driving the truck around," but he's even happier with what will eventually become of the truck. It'll be auctioned off in early 2013, along with the other four trucks, with all proceeds going to a charity of each artist's own choice.

The Zac Brown Band (Photo: CJ Hicks)The Zac Brown Band have a lot of things to celebrate at the end of 2012--including yet another Grammy nomination to add to their considerable collection of accolades--but one event that the band participated in stands out as a way to really end the year with a bang.

When Ram Trucks launched an all-star country music series, "The Road To Ram Jam," early in the year, the concept was simple. Bring fans closer to artists they love by offering exclusive content--as well a special grand sweepstakes prize: The chance to win passes to an amazing invite-only show at the end of the year. The Zac Brown Band was one of five artists selected for the Ram Jam (along with Kellie Pickler, Brantley Gilbert, Easton Corbin, and Billy Currington) and we had the chance to catch up with them pre-show on December 29 to get their thoughts on being part of the fun.

The Dixie Chicks in 2007 (Photo: Michael Caulfield)It appears the Dixie Chicks are enjoying playing Santa Claus to their loyal fans this December. First, lead singer Natalie Maines made the welcome announcement that her long-awaited solo album was completed last week and will be released in May. Now, a day after Christmas, news has cropped up that the Chicks will be giving one of their increasingly rare performances as a trio this upcoming summer.

The Chicks will be headlining a Canadian music festival, the Craven Country Jamboree, on July 13. The girls will be replacing Lady Antebellum, who have been canceling 2013 tour dates due to singer Hillary Scott's pregnancy.

Miley Cyrus (Photo: Jason Merritt)She may have famously spoken out against country music way back in 2010--calling it "contrived on many levels"--but that doesn't mean Miley Cyrus can't sing the heck out of a country tune. The godchild of Dolly Parton and daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus proves this with her latest YouTube upload, a stunning cover of Parton's classic "Jolene" that's already racked up more than 80,000 views in a little more than 24 hours.

Those who only know Cyrus for her pop music, acting, wedding plans--oh, and that wild haircut!--will no doubt be surprised at the rich depth and warmth the 20-year-old brings to the 1974 hit, an enduringly haunting plea from one woman to another to stay away from her man.

Cyrus chose to cover the song as part of her "Backyard Sessions" series for her official site, a little project she started over the summer when she brought her band together to perform a few of her favorite tunes. The three-video collection also includes such unusual choices as James Shelton's 1950s tune

Epic Rap Battles of History/FacebookEvery year has its slate of music videos that engage, amuse, and attract hordes of viewers--and spurs them to share all over social media and blogs--but 2012 stands out as one that had a particularly eclectic slate of clips. From acerbic political humor, to superstars in mustaches, to galloping Korean rappers...it's safe to say this year has not been boring to watch, listen to, or dance along with. Here's the top 5 most viral videos of 2012, as determined by YouTube's top trends report for the end of the season.

#5 Dubstep Violin: It's hard to figure out what exactly to focus on when watching violinist Lindsey Stirling's "Crystallize" clip. The ice sculptures? The dubstep score? Uh...the girl in a furry hoodie doing interpretive dance steps and ballerina twirls while she nimbly fingers a fiddle? At any rate, it's quite the sensory overload, but the winsome 26-year-old (who competed on America's Got Talent in 2010) certainly has earned herself a fanclub. Stirling's YouTube channel--which asks the enigmatic question "Have you ever seen a violinist really rock out?"--contains a variety of her other dramatic videos; all of which have been watched millions and millions of times. "Crystallize" is by far her most popular, however, with close to a whopping 41 million views.

Natalie Maines (Photo: Michael Tran)Here's good and bad news for fans of the Dixie Chicks. First, the good news: Lead singer Natalie Maines has finally completed a solo album. The bad news? Well, it's actually only bad news for those who were hoping for a country record. Maines's solo set will be all rock.

"Happy Natalie Maines Finished Her Album Day everybody!" the singer tweeted on Wednesday, to much happy response from her followers. The new project is titled Mother, and according to Maines, will be released on May 7, 2013.