Blog Posts by Wendy Geller

It turns out that the numerically interesting date of 1/1/11 was a major draw for brides--especially brides who happen to be country musicians. Four major country-music engagement announcements were made in 2010 (those would be Miranda Lambert/Blake Shelton, Kellie Pickler, Shania Twain, and LeAnn Rimes). And out of the four, a full HALF of the weddings took place on New Year's Day, 2011.

True, that's only two marriages, but kind of puts a different spin on it when looked at that way, no? News of Shania Twain's marriage to Frederic Thiebaud hit the streets early on Sunday morning. Then, as we've barely had a chance to admire Twain's wedding photos--and marvel at the remarkably short length of her engagement--we find out that Kellie Pickler tied the knot with her songwriter fiance Kyle Jacobs, also on 1/1/11. That's some crazy odds right there.

To make things even more coincidental, both brides chose Caribbean locales for their weddings--Twain's in Puerto Rico, Pickler's on a "private

Well, well. Could that Twitter photo I posted on Monday of Eddie Cibrian going down on one knee in front of LeAnn Rimes actually be not a Halloween "trick?"

Although Rimes herself blows it off---"[We] were having a little fun...it was just a practice run," she tweeted--reports are rolling in that the singer and her actor boyfriend are actually engaged.

A variety of circumstances over the past week seems to be verifying the rumor. First, the staged proposal photo on Monday. Then, Rimes was a no-show at a party given in her honor by Shape magazine on Thursday night (she cited the flu as her excuse: "Under dr's orders I couldn't go.") THEN, Cibrian's ex, Brandi Glanville (who has maintained a long media feud with Rimes over the past year) told E! News Friday that she's planning a civil sit-down talk with Rimes in the near future.

All this, plus an ambiguous "source" cited by E! confirming the Cibrian-Rimes engagement is for real, and it's looking like wedding bells on the horizon for

It's official--all three members of Rascal Flatts have finally joined the Parenthood Club! The last holdouts, bassist Jay DeMarcus and his wife Allison, joined this elite organization Friday afternoon when they celebrated the birth of their first daughter.

"It's true!" Jay informed fans on Saturday morning via Twitter. "Madeline Leigh DeMarcus was born yesterday at 4:49pm. She weighed 6 lbs, 9 oz... Ali and I are so excited!!!"

The DeMarcuses met while filming Rascal Flatts' video "These Days," and were married in 2004. Allison is a former Miss Tennessee and Miss Tennessee USA, who currently works as an on-air correspondent for Country Music Television. The couple announced their pregnancy in June, citing an expected January 2011 due date (I guess Madeline took the sentiment of "Why Wait" seriously, huh?).

Jay notably quoted of his expectant wife: "I am confident Ali will be a wonderful mother, because she has done an incredible job raising me over the past six years."

Madeline

There aren't too many milestones that Taylor Swift has not already managed to conquer in her short lifetime. However, here's one she had no choice but to wait for--December 13 is the day she was born, and this year, she's celebrating an extra-special milestone birthday. Yep, she's turning 21!

Swift's festivities started the evening of the 12th with a casual get-together, when she tweeted about friends knocking on her door with a birthday-candle-studded pizza and party hats. She has been discussing her big party plans for a couple months now, having told various outlets she'd like to have a Christmas-themed party, possibly in her Nashville condo.

Of course, turning 21 also means that one is legally allowed to purchase alcohol. Swift told US Weekly that drinking isn't a huge focus for her. "My friends drink, but I've never felt the need to," she noted, adding that she's more excited about having access to the 21-and-over clubs her pals attend.

As for birthday gifts? Given Swift's

If there's one thing Kenny Chesney takes seriously besides music, it's sports. And, apparently--making movies about sports. The Nashville superstar is set to air his second football-related documentary on ESPN in late February.

The latest film, The Color Orange: The Condredge Holloway Story, comes following Chesney's Boys Of Fall--a chronicle of high-school football politics which debuted last August and featured some of the sport's biggest names. The Color Orange will take a look at one of Chesney's personal heroes, a University of Tennessee alumni and player who back in the early 1970s was the first African American to start at quarterback in the Southeastern Conference.

Chesney so idolized Holloway that he wore the QB's jersey number when he himself played football in high school. "Condredge has meant so much to so many and is a very important figure in my life and to the history of college football," he explains. 

Chesney, who serves as producer for the hourlong special, says he

Well, country fans, my country-predicting crystal ball is warped from Nashville's record floods this year, cracked by the gleam of all the huge engagement rings flashing in its face, and a bit confused at seeing Gwyneth Paltrow strutting around its depths (FYI--stay tuned for a post recapping the best country moments of 2010). However, I'll gamely try to make a few predictions for the upcoming new year--hopefully to your collective amusement. Please don't take these as any indication of true psychic talent!

Carrie Underwood prudently moved things right along from a December engagement to a July marriage, thus ensuring her wedding was without a shred of competition in the country scene. Now, with 2011's likely rash of impending nuptials (Miranda Lambert, Kellie Pickler, LeAnn Rimes, Shania Twain)--Underwood will up the ante and become pregnant.

That said, Nicole Kidman will probably become pregnant again, too.

Speaking of weddings, Lambert's fiance Blake Shelton will tweet some mildly

As we filled you in back in November, Dolly Parton has a new album coming out this year, and she's just announced the title.

The record, which will feature brand-new material written by Parton and released on her own Dolly Records label, is now officially dubbed Better Day. The street date still hasn't been revealed...fans will have to hang on just a little longer!

According to Parton's official site, the legendary singer is currently busy filming Joyful Noise, a movie she's starring in alongside Queen Latifah which just began production this month. News of the film first came out last August--the plot centers around two women who join forces to prevent a small-town gospel choir from shutting down. The film, which also does not have a release date yet, will mark Parton's first major screen appearance since 1992's Straight Talk.

Parton is also preparing for a world tour, which will begin in early summer and take her through the United States and Europe before landing in Australia in

This Christmas season has been a unexpectedly productive one for...country-music procreation! Just last week, we reported the (month-early!) birth of a little daughter to Rascal Flatts' Jay DeMarcus and his wife Allison. And this week--on Christmas Day no less--Dierks Bentley and his wife Cassidy became the proud parents to their second daughter.

Jordan Bentley was born very early on the morning of the 25th--a big present for her big sister Evalyn "Evie" Day. "Say what u want about santa's physique, but no arguing his impeccable timing," Bentley reported via Twitter. "Evie wanted a little sis for Xmas & JORDAN just arrived!"

No word yet on how much the little mite weighs, or if she has a middle name; however, Bentley did note: "She chose the banjo driven part of mumford & sons 'awake my soul' as her walk on music...could be a troublesome sign."

Bentley and his wife, who were high-school sweethearts, married in 2005. Their older daughter was born in October of 2008.