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October 22, 2010 » Blonde Leading The Blondes: The Nov. 10 44th Annual CMA Awards are getting blonder with the addition of Taylor Swift and Gwyneth Paltrow. Reigning Entertainer of the Year Swift will perform music from her new album, and Vince Gill will back Paltrow on "Country Strong," from the movie of the same name. The performance will be Paltrow's live country music singing debut. And even with an accomplished picker like Gill onstage, she may play a little guitar. "I practiced all the time," Paltrow says of preparing for the film. "I learned how to play a lot of songs, [plus] all the songs in the movie, which was great because it really helped me feel like I was a musician." If Swift and Gwyneth don't satisfy the CMA's blonde quota, Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles has been recruited to host the inaugural CMA Country Christmas, which tapes the night after the Awards airing Nov. 29. And Kellie Pickler has been added as a performer. Who says you can't bottle beautiful? » If It Ain't Spoke, Don't Nix It: Speaking of Taylor, she's, uh, speaking up about Speak Now in Friday's (10/22) People magazine. Without giving too much away before the album launch next week (10/25), Swift cryptically discusses the people who inspired "Mean" and "Dear John," and chatted about the joys of being single. "A lot of times when people's relationships end, they write an e-mail to that person and say everything that they wish they would have said," Swift says of the song that many suspect was written about John Mayer. "A lot of times they don't push 'send' ... ['Dear John'] was a tough one to write. I guess putting it on the album was pushing 'send.'" Follow the links for the articles. Also, NBC-TV will air Taylor Swift — Speak Now Thanksgiving night (11/25) following the record's release. The hour-long special focuses on the creation of the album. » People's Are Crazy: Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban lead the first-round country nominees for the 2011 People's Choice Awards with two each. The show airs Jan. 5 on CBS-TV. Aldean, Chesney and Urban received nods in the all-genre Favorite Male Artist category, while Lambert, Swift and Underwood are among the all-genre Favorite Female Artist nominees. Joining the above in the Favorite Country Artist category are Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland and Zac Brown Band. Voting to determine each category's final five nominees runs through Nov. 9. See a complete nominees list and vote here. » Make Pickler's Day: Fiancé Kyle Jacobs better watch out. Wife-to-be Kellie Pickler met her longtime Hollywood crush Clint Eastwood on Thursday's (10/21) Ellen DeGeneres Show and, within two minutes, Pickler was on the Oscar winner's lap. "I very much adore him," Pickler gushed. "My grandparents raised me, so I grew up watching [his] westerns and I've seen all his films ... Anything he touches, I love." Watch the segment here. » In Case You Missed It: As a guest on Chelsea Lately's 600th episode, Blake Shelton plugged his greatest-hits collection Loaded: The Best Of Blake Shelton, reviewed his Twitter feed and discussed Saturday's (10/23) Grand Ole Opry Induction. Elsewhere, The Judds performed "I Will Stand By You," and Wynonna sang "Rock Bottom" on Thursday's (10/21) Good Morning America. Click the links for the video. » Birthdays Jimmy Wayne (10/23) Dwight Yoakam (10/23) Chely Wright (10/25) On TV Friday (10/22): Sugarland, Today (NBC); The Judds, Fox & Friends (FOX News) & Wendy Williams Show (syndicated). Saturday (10/23): Sugarland, The Secret Sisters, On The Streets (re-air) (GAC). Sunday (10/24): Blake Shelton, Blake Shelton Live: It's All About Tonight (re-air) (GAC). Monday (10/25): Various Artists, 2010 CMT Music Awards (re-air). Upcoming Album Releases Taylor Swift Speak Now (10/25) » Booker T. & The MGs: ACM/Home Depot Humanitarian Award recipients Montgomery Gentry help more than 200 volunteers build a playground at Lexington, KY's Booker T. Washington Academy Wednesday (10/20). More than 54,000 votes were cast in an ACM online poll to determine the location. An outdoor classroom, community boards, recycling bins, planter benches and raised garden beds were also constructed. The student body closed the event by singing "My Town." » Roam If You Want To: Taylor Swift gives a thumbs-up with her brother Austin at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. » I Got A Rock: Dierks Bentley tweets a "Happy Halloween" from backstage during Thursday's (10/21) Live! With Regis And Kelly. Watch him perform "Draw Me A Map" on the show here. © 2010 LH Publications, LLC