BIG FROG 104'S HOT NEWZ FROM NASHVILLE

August 31, 2010 » Tube Pasted: Wednesday morning (9/1) may be the only time the entire country music world is in one place. Well, if sitting in front of their television sets counts. Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert will be on Good Morning America revealing the final portion of nominees for the 44th Annual CMA Awards. The first half of the nominations list will be read Tuesday (8/31) by Justin Moore and Chris Young at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. One thing we do know about the Nov. 10 show, it will be hosted, again, by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley. But you don't have to wait until then to get your country fix ... That's because ABC-TV is airing CMA Music Festival: Country's Night To Rock Wednesday (9/1). Tim McGraw hosts the three-hour primetime concert special, which will coincide with a Tweet 'N' Greet at ABC.com. What's a Tweet 'N' Greet, you ask? Think lots of stars tweeting in unison: Julianne Hough (@JulianneHough), Lady Antebellum (@ladyantebellum), Reba (@Reba), McGraw (@TimMcGrawArtist), Blake Shelton (@BlakeShelton), Keith Urban (@KeithUrban) and Zac Brown Band (@ZacBrownBand) will all be posting behind-the-scenes scoop during the telecast. "The CMA Music Fest is our time to give back to the people who give us a job all year long," performer Lambert says. "They come out and buy tickets and support us and buy records, so it's our time to thank them for what they do. I used to come to Fan Fair as a fan so I know how important it is." Learn more and watch online exclusive content from the June 10-13 event here. » Kennebunked: What seemed like most of the population of Kennebunk, ME turned out bayside for Taylor Swift's MTV takeover Friday (8/27). Swift premiered her video "Mine" and during the 30-minute special, told behind-the-scenes stories of putting the clip together. "These little kids in the video – who I've nicknamed 'The Littles' – they're my character's future kids," Swift says. "They were all really fun to have on the set and so I had this little party just for them at my house to see the video first. They all have big families, so we invited everyone [and it was] like 25 kids piled up on the couch watching the video for the first time. And they all screamed when they saw themselves." Swift handpicked each child actor from random places including an autograph signing line during the CMA Music Festival three years ago and a Nashville ice cream stand. Watch the entire special on-demand here. Watch the video here. Swift is also the focus of an Entertainment Weekly Q&A (click here). » For Those About To Rock: Martina McBride has been getting hip to her inner rock goddess recording with the likes of Kid Rock and the Eurhythmics' Dave Stewart. McBride collaborated with Kid Rock and T.I. for the upcoming song "Care," which is due out Nov. 16. And McBride blogged about working with Stewart at her husband's Blackbird Studios in Nashville. "John [McBride] engineered and mixed the new solo album by Stewart," McBride writes. "It is so great, and you should hear it when it comes out ... I sang a duet with Dave, and it came out great. It's called 'All Messed Up On Love.' Dave recorded 15 songs in five days at Blackbird (quite a different pace from the way we make country albums) ... John loved it and it sounds great!" Read the full blog here. » Weed The Fine Print: Emcee Vince Gill and other stars literally sang the praises of Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and veteran record producer Fred Foster during a private industry event Sunday (8/29) in Nashville. Dolly Parton, Lee Ann Womack, Jamey Johnson, Rodney Crowell, Lorrie Morgan, Lyle Lovett and Randy Travis performed during the two-hour gala in tribute to the trio's groundbreaking contributions to music. "Without them, none of us would be here tonight ... because Willie had the good [stuff]," Gill joked. One speaker recalled asking Willie what he thought his bus would say if it could talk. "If it could talk," Nelson replied, "I would shoot it." Read more here. » The Guitar Song: Not only did Jerrod Niemann take home several plaques after last week's No. 1 celebration for "Lover Lover," the song's original writer Daniel Pritzker (frontman for the band Sonia Dada) gave him a very cool and very old present. "Daniel was kind enough to not only show up at the No. 1 party and celebrate with us, but he gave me a 1957 Gibson J-185 guitar," Niemann says. "And then to top it off, I understand it's the guitar that 'Lover, Lover' was actually written on ... I said, 'Thank you,' and 'Are you crazy?' I do not deserve this guitar. If he asks for it back, I'd definitely give to him because it's just that awesome of a guitar. But in the meantime, I'm going to be picking and grinning and giggling and whatever else you do with a guitar that is worth more than your car." » Songs About Me: As if Trace Adkins' Aug. 17 studio album Cowboy's Back In Town isn't enough, the "Dangerous Man" will have a double disc of hits out this fall. The Definitive Greatest Hits: Til The Last Shot's Fired drops Oct. 12 and will feature 28 of Adkins' most popular songs including "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk," "You're Gonna Miss This," "(This Ain't No) Thinkin' Thing," "Ladies Love Country Boys" and "Hot Mama." » In Case You Missed It: While co-hosting Friday's (8/27) Today show, Josh Turner and wife Jennifer spilled the beans that they are expecting their third boy. Turner also shared a New York sweet tea with anchor Hoda Kotb, discussed his vocal range and kids' fashions and performed "Why Don't We Just Dance." Watch here. Also in Manhattan Friday (8/27), Lady Antebellum discussed their rise to prominence and performed "Our Kind Of Love" and "Need You Now" on ABC-TV's Good Morning America. »Hit List Jam to Dierks Bentley's "What Was I Thinkin'," Keith Urban's "Days Go By," Josh Turner's "Would You Go With Me," Lady Antebellum's "Lookin' For A Good Time" Reba's "Fancy," Sugarland's "It Happens" and others with the help of Rock Band. The songs are available for system download beginning Tuesday (8/31). Details here. CMT.com will stream "Rockin' The Beer Gut" trio Trailer Choir's Nashville concert Tuesday (8/31). Catch all the action at 8pm ET here. Newcomers Thompson Square will premiere their video "Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not" on the CMT Insider app Thursday (9/2) through Labor Day. Download here. For his current single "The Shape I'm In," Joe Nichols has set up a website for fans to upload postcards with messages about the "shape they're in." Create your postcard and email it to theshapeimin.joenichols@gmail.com and the card will be published on Nichols' "Shape" site. Details here. Wynonna received the Cecil Scaife Visionary Award during a Tuesday (8/24) ceremony at the Tennessee Governor's Residence. Danny Gokey was on hand to perform an emotional tribute to his favorite singer. "There was electricity in the air as Gokey sang to Wy," one attendee observed. Birthdays The late Conway Twitty (9/1) Paul Deakin (The Mavericks) (9/2) The late Hank Thompson (9/3) Mark Chesnutt (9/6) David Allan Coe (9/6) On TV Tuesday (8/31): Merle Haggard, Late Show With David Letterman (CBS). Wednesday (9/1): Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Good Morning America (ABC); Various Artists, CMT Insider Special Edition: 2010 CMA Awards Nominations; Various Artists, CMA Music Festival: Country's Night To Rock (ABC). Thursday (9/2): Jason Aldean, Jamie O'Neal, John Rich, CMT Cribs (re-air). Friday (9/3): Blake Shelton, Top 20 Country Countdown (GAC). In Stores Tuesday (8/31) Sammy Kershaw Better Than I Used To Be Jamey Johnson lends his pipes on Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show's "The Cover Of The Rolling Stone," which is featured on Kershaw's 11-track album. Kershaw wrote the opener "The Train" and co-wrote "Takin' The Long Way Home." Buy here.     Amber Hayes C'mon This six-song digital offering is the debut release by this musical theatre pro, who played Kathy Twitty in It's Only Make Believe — The Conway Twitty Musical. Hayes produced and co-wrote the album. Purchase here. » Smells Like Team Spirit: Kenny Chesney (pictured in the white Gibbs High School baseball cap) shows off his team spirit with his alma mater's football team, the Gibbs High School Eagles. Chesney made a surprise visit to the school last week to offer the team and early look at his football documentary Boys Of Fall, which debuted on ESPN-TV Sunday (8/29). » I Now Pronounce You Band And Extras: Rascal Flatts pose for a Hangover-style wedding portrait on the set of their upcoming music video "Why Wait." Pictured (l-r) are "Bridesmaid 1," "Bridesmaid 2," "Elvis Presley," "Bride," actor David Arquette, comedian Ron White, and Rascal Flatts' Jay DeMarcus, Gary LeVox and Joe Don Rooney. © 2010 LH Publications, LLC