Nettles performs 9 months pregnant (Photo: Katherine Bomboy-Thornton)Extra happy holidays are here for Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles, who became a first-time mom to a bouncing baby boy on Thursday!

The early Christmas present is named Magnus Hamilton Miller--dad is Nettles' husband of one year Justin Miller--and it seems both mom and baby are doing fine. "We are so thankful for all the prayers and support and are excited to take some time together as a new family," the couple noted in a statement.

Nettles and Miller met in 2006 on the set of Sugarland's "Want To" video, and dated for a few years before getting engaged. They were married in 2011 on Thanksgiving weekend in a small, sunset ceremony set in the foothills of Tennessee's Smoky Mountains.

Gary AllanWhen Gary Allan finished work on his single "Every Storm (Runs Out Of Rain)" and released it to country radio, the last thing he could possibly have expected is that a real storm--Superstorm Sandy--would devastate areas of the East Coast just a few weeks later.

What he did expect, however, was that his uplifting tune about pulling through in hard times would be a wonderful song to use in conjunction with a charitable cause of some sort. With that in the back of his mind from the beginning, it was only natural Allan chose the victims of this most recent, real storm as the ones he wanted to help. To that end, Allan is using the new video for "Every Storm" to encourage fans to donate to the Red Cross.

Blake Shelton is hosting his first Christmas special, Blake Shelton's Not-So-Family Christmas, Monday night on NBC--and it promises to be an Oklahoma-sized program full of off-color jokes, rollicking music, and super-cool special guests including wife Miranda Lambert and buddies Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire.

However, when asked to choose his favorite thing about the show, Shelton had a non-smart-aleck answer: His mom, Dorothy Shackleford, who also joined the cast and even sings a number live with her son.

"I have to say the biggest moment was having Mom come out there and sing with me," Shelton smiled backstage after the show's taping. "She's not a singer--I mean, she can sing, but she's not a singer. And then to bring her out here on national television and have her sing with me...and she did it like a pro, like she does it every night," he enthused.

"I wish some shows I see on TV, people sing as good as my mom," the famous coach from The Voice added. "I thought she nailed it."

Shania Twain at Caesar's Palace (Photo: Jeff Bottari)

It's been nearly a decade since country crossover sensation Shania Twain has performed live--8 years, to be exact--but the 47-year-old singer proved she really is "still the one" at the opening night of her Las Vegas residency Saturday night.

The moment she arrived on stage--on a flying motorcycle, no less!--Twain received a standing ovation from the sold-out Caesars Palace crowd before even singing a note. Dressed to rock out in a sparkly black catsuit that showed her every curve, she looked every bit as good, perhaps even better, than she did the last time she performed...back in 2004.

Twain took time to thank the audience and admitted the debut was an emotional experience for her.

"This is a very overwhelming night," she said. "I'm so emotional, my eyelashes may fall off! It's been a lot of years for me since I've been here."

Sure, it's easy to be mesmerized by the Zac Brown Band's new video for "Goodbye In Her Eyes"--the lush colors, old-time circus theme, and romantic vibe make for one of this year's loveliest country clips overall. However, there's actually a cool backstory behind the making of the production, as well. The band didn't hire an outside wardrobe stylist to see to the female lead's intricate costume designs--they kept this job in the family. Zac Brown's wife, Shelly, handled it all herself!

Shelly Brown, a stylist and avid fashionista, carefully researched images of circuses and carnivals as well as vintage fashion looks to come up with a unique look for actress Jaime Murray. Brown also took care of wardrobe for the band itself--all the other performers in the video are real circus workers, and are dressed in their own clothes.

After coming up with a slate of design ideas--and with particular inspiration from images of the beautiful accused World War I spy Mata Hari--Brown then got down to business actually sewing and assembling a variety of custom costumes Murray would wear. (By the way, she did all of this late at night after putting her four daughters to bed--talk about a true working mom!)

Brown used everything from material from her favorite local fabric store to a bathrobe from her own closet to create the dramatic looks you see here. Her personal favorite? The patchwork skirt and bustier outfit.

Photo: (Jolie Loren)

Reba with 'Malibu Country' costars Lily Tomlin and Sara Rue (Photo: David Livingston)Fans of Reba McEntire's original, self-titled TV series, which debuted in 2001 and bowed at the end of 2006, no doubt were anxious as to when the country superstar would return to the world of sitcom acting. Unfortunately, they had to hold out for six whole years--but the end result, Reba's new Malibu Country, has proven that the multitalented artist gave everyone something worth the wait.

As it turns out, the singer may seem to have taken a lengthy break from TV, but she actually was on a perpetual hunt for her next project the entire time. "I let everybody know that I was looking for another project, because I do love television so much," she explains. "I love the aspect of getting to be on the same stage every day because that's not what you get in the music business. You're on a different stage every night."

Aaron Lewis (Photo: Jason G. Bahr)The first thing one notices when listening to Aaron Lewis's first full-length country album, The Road, is that he certainly wasn't afraid to make a no-holds-barred country record. Lewis has, of course, released country material before (his No. 1 Country debut, Town Line, which was a 5-song EP)--however, his new set isn't afraid to take on a decided old-school flavor that shows that the frontman from rock outfit Staind does indeed understand the genre's roots.

Lewis, who still maintains his career as a rocker--although he's currently taking a little break from it--credits a sense of freedom this time around in shaping his lushly traditional album. Due to contractual obligations with Staind's record label, he was given a provision originally to make an EP rather than a full album, which he describes as "only five opportunities to paint a picture." Now with a new deal that allows him full ownership of his country music--"masters, publishing, all of it"--he's feeling "freedom to the nth degree" to go full throttle on the material he's been longing to create.

Randy Travis (Photo: Rick Diamond)To say that Randy Travis has had a difficult year would be an understatement. The 53-year-old singer was arrested twice in 2012--once for public intoxication and once for driving under the influence--not to mention made shocking headlines when he totaled his car and visited a convenience store sans clothing. However, it appears he's finally acknowledged that he's got a problem, and he wants to fix it.

According to TMZ, Travis's lawyer Larry Friedman has stated his client has "eliminated alcohol from his daily life," and plans to focus on his health.