Blog Posts by Wendy Geller

The legendary George Jones became a member of the Grand Ole Opry nearly 60 years ago--and on Thursday morning, he visited the beloved country institution one last time as friends, family, fellow musicians, and hundreds of fans laid him to rest in an all-star memorial.

Country's biggest and most enduring names all took the stage to pay respects to "The Possum," who died last Friday at the age of 81 of as-yet-unknown official cause, but there were prominent friends from outside the world of music as well.

Photo: Rick Diamond

One of these was former First Lady Laura Bush, who was seated next to Jones's widow Nancy throughout the service and took the stage to give a moving speech about the icon's influence on her life.

After speaking about Jones's upbringing in the state they both have called home--Texas--Bush related how Jones's legacy of "pain and love" from his alcoholic father and devoted mother shaped his artistic vision, which made an impression on her early in life. She remembered how she and her friends "must have put 1000 quarters in the jukebox" to hear Jones's songs in her youth.

"American Idol" alum and "Dancing With The Stars" favorite Kellie Pickler received the surprise of a lifetime on Friday night when her drummer Gregg Lohman--who just two months ago was badly injured in a car accident--joined her unexpectedly onstage in Illinois.

Picker and her crew were playing in Lohman's hometown of Effingham, and the singer knew he was in the audience with his family watching the show. What she didn't expect, however, was to find him sitting behind the drums all ready to go for her encore of "Red High Heels."

Pickler embraces her drummer (Derek Hough/Instagram)

"I cannot even describe how beautifully overwhelming last night's show was," Pickler described on her Facebook account. "When I hit the stage and saw that Gregg was now sitting behind his drum set I fell to pieces…For those who do not believe in miracles, we witnessed one last night."

Back in November, Grammy-winning duo (and famous Taylor Swift collaborators) the Civil Wars disappointed legions of fans by abruptly announcing a complete cancellation of their tour. While their fate seemed uncertain at the time, it now seems they're back on good ground--the band announced Wednesday that a new album is on the way.

Joy Williams and John Paul White teased fans in March by tweeting "We will be sharing some good news with you on May 1st, 2013." True to form, they followed up on that date with the tweet "A new self-titled album will be released soon!"

The pair shared a photo that appeared to be the album cover, and urged everyone to visit their official site for more details.

Photo: Kevin WinterGrammy-nominated artist Hunter Hayes knows about "crazy"--the 21-year-old keeps nothing short of a crazy schedule all year long. When he's not out on the road, he's writing music--when he's not writing music, he's in the studio! "To go from one creative world to another, it's relaxing for me," he told us in December. "The cycle is weird and awesome, and I love it."

One other "crazy" thing in his life is the debut of his new video for the single "I Want Crazy." Hayes fans have been waiting for this one, and it's well worth the patience. In this fun clip, Hayes gets rowdy with a girlfriend--jumping into a deserted indoor pool fully clothed, riling up the cops by throwing things off rooftops, rolling around in shopping carts. Ultimately, however, Hayes and his lady love realize the craziest thing of all is simply the wonder of being in love.

Toby and Krystal Keith perform together in 2004 (Photo: Frank Micelotta)Yes, she has a familiar-sounding name. Okay, okay--yes, she is the daughter of country megastar Toby Keith.

However, even if one didn't know Krystal Keith's starry lineage, it would be hard to ignore her powerhouse vocals and unique style--one she's honed with her dad, both in the studio and part of his Show Dog label roster, but also one that is unquestionably her own product.

Toby fans first became widely aware of his extraordinarily talented daughter when she blasted out the classic "Mockingbird" with him at the 2004 Country Music Association Awards. Just 19 at the time, she wowed the audience with her fiery stage presence and self-confidence.

Keith, who released her first EP earlier this month, already has plans lined up for her full-length debut, Whiskey And Lace--which should be out this summer. The album includes three of her own compositions (also a few from her dad), including the touching "Daddy Dance With Me," which she wrote as a special present for the elder Keith on her wedding day.

We had the

Willie Nelson has taken his share of beatings through the decades: In his 80 years, he's been through three divorces, an allegedly unscrupulous accounting team, numerous brushes with the law, and a number of non-musical ventures yielding varying amounts of success.

Through it all, there's been a constant companion that's shared the ups and downs, and visibly weathered a beating of its own--Nelson's beloved, battered guitar, which he calls "Trigger" (after Roy Rogers's famous horse) and has credited with giving him his signature sound.

Trigger in 2007 (Photo: Frazer Harrison)

Photo: Frazer HarrisonAfter a dozen years of marriage, country singer Jason Aldean and his wife Jessica Ussery are officially finished as a couple. Aldean filed for divorce in Tennessee April 26, citing irreconcilable differences.

It had been widely reported last week that the pair were merely separated and "having problems" as part of a "private family matter."

Aldean made headlines last fall when he was caught on camera apparently making out with "American Idol" competitor Brittany Kerr. He admitted to the transgression and both he and his wife seemed committed to working on bridging the scandal together.

Photo: Ethan MillerBlake Shelton's ode to undiluted country living, "Boys 'Round Here" is steadily climbing the charts just a month after its release--and it's easy to see (or hear, that is) why. According to Shelton himself, the tune is a perfect snapshot of his upbringing in small-town Oklahoma, as well as reminds him of current pals in his hometown of Tishomingo.

That said, it may come as a surprise that the down-home song translates just as well when brought to the streets of New York City! Here's the very first look at Shelton performing it in a recording session at Electric Lady, the legendary studio founded by Jimi Hendrix in 1970.

While this famous locale has hosted artists ranging from John Lennon to John Mayer over the decades, we're pretty sure this is the first time its hallowed walls have heard "Chew tobacco, chew tobacco, chew tobacco, spit!"

"Boys 'Round Here" is from Shelton's recently released Based on a True Story… album. The studio version includes vocals from his wife, Miranda Lambert,