BIG FROG 104'S HOT NEWZ FROM NASHVILLE

November 9, 2010 » Viewing Party: If the Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley rehearsal snapshot at right is any indication, Wednesday's (11/10) 44th Annual CMA Awards telecast will feature some one-of-a-kind collaborations. Already on the bill are duets between Zac Brown Band and Alan Jackson, Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson, Miranda Lambert and Sheryl Crow and Gwyneth Paltrow's country music debut featuring Vince Gill. Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum, Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Reba, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Underwood and Urban will also perform. For the first time, CMAAwards.com will webcast action from the Black Carpet, the backstage pressroom and the Rodney Atkins-hosted pre-show ceremonies. More coverage to get you primed for Country's Biggest Night is below. » Much Better Than "This Is Polka Music:" Although Brad Paisley is a seasoned CMA Awards veteran, Wednesday's (11/10) telecast will feature a first in Paisley's career. "I'm really excited about my performance because I'm trying something out," Paisley says. "I've never done this before ... There's a song that's on the next album that I feel like is going to be really fun to demo [during the CMAs]. It's just like when I take somebody and stick them in the car and say, 'I've got something new to play you.' I get to stick 30 million people in the car essentially and play them something new, which is fun." According to ABC News Radio, the song is titled "This Is Country Music." Watch Paisley pull triple duty when he plays co-host, performer and nominee as the CMAs air live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena at 8pm ET on ABC-TV. » Fool Party: Carrie Underwood has her eye on the prize for Wednesday's (11/10) 44th Annual CMA Awards, and it's not the Female Vocalist of the Year trophy. "There's so much going on, and hosting takes over everything else," Underwood says. "So, you really don't even think about your performance or things that you're nominated for. You're more concerned about keeping the show running and no matter what happens after any of it, it's like, 'Well, okay, [I've got to] get back out there and introduce so and so.' It's just running. But it makes it fly by, which is good." Co-hosting the three-hour telecast with Brad Paisley will no doubt lend itself to some memorable moments. "She's a good sport," Paisley says of Underwood. "We're both very wiling to make complete and utter fools of ourselves for the sake of country music's well-being on that night." » Okie With Her: With nine nominations, Wednesday's (11/10) 44th Annual CMA Awards is slated to be Miranda Lambert's best birthday ever. Not only is she the first woman in CMA history to earn that many nods in one year, she also ties with her all-time favorite outlaw. "I think my favorite part about the whole thing is that I've set the record [and] tied with my ultimate hero, Merle Haggard," Lambert says. "That's just so fitting for me, and I'm hoping that sets my career up [to be] as long as Merle Haggard's."   » Male-ing It In: With six consecutive Vocal Group of the Year wins, 2010 Group nominees Rascal Flatts could have a chance in some other categories. Of course, it might mean breaking up the band. "I'm always thankful we're able to walk away taking a trophy home," RF's Jay DeMarcus says. "[But] I've always said it's a shame that they don't include lead singers of bands in the Male Vocalist category because Gary [LeVox] would win hands-down."  » Mental Notes: If reigning Entertainer Of The Year Taylor Swift played last year's award win on repeat, she would be giving more hugs than her 13-hour meet-and-greet during the CMA Music Festival. We'll let her explain. "I think I gave out four billion hugs that night and told so many people that I loved them and I'll always have that night," Swift says. "Winning Entertainer of the Year was one of the most unbelievable, magical accomplishments. I didn't think I was going to win it because I was really young ... If you have a memory like that in your life, go back and relive it every couple days. I think to myself, 'This could be the only time this ever happens to me in my life.'"  » Ain't Goin' Down Til My Lungs Come Up: Garth Brooks sold out nine Nashville concerts and raised more than $3.5 million for flood relief efforts. "A very special thanks to ... Country radio, the great people at Ticketmaster and everyone who helped with the on-sale...and most of all the people who showed up to get tickets," Brooks said. "It's great to be a part of the healing." According to The Boot, Brooks treated Ticketmaster employees to pizza to thank them for working a long day moving 140,000 tickets. The shows will be staged over six days beginning Dec. 16 at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. All proceeds benefit the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Details here. » Hey Soul Sister: The Martina McBride and Train CMT Crossroads taping Saturday (11/6) served as the unofficial kickoff to CMA Awards week. The rockers made a special Music City pit stop in between dates in Europe and South America just to belt it out with Martina in downtown Nashville. "I'm going to need a medic," Train frontman Pat Monahan said before tackling the "Broken Wing" duet. "I don't know what's about to happen so forgive me." Clearly there was no medic needed as the crowd gave the first of many standing ovations in approval. McBride's band backed the two singers on "Wrong Baby Wrong," "Whatever You Say," "For These Times" and "Broken Wing." A quick set change had the rest of Train supporting "Drops Of Jupiter," "Hey Soul Sister," "Marry Me," and "Calling All Angels," to which McBride quipped, "Gosh, I wish you guys had a big hit or something." The group closed the night with the Faces' "Stay With Me." Catch all the action when the show premieres Nov. 20 at 8pm ET. » For The Good Times: The photos of legendary patrons and performers that paper the walls of Tootsie's Orchid Lounge will have to squeeze in a little tighter to make room for the many photo ops at Tootsie's 50th Anniversary concert Sunday (11/7) at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, Kris Kristofferson, Mel Tillis, Terri Clark and Lorrie Morgan were just a handful of those who performed short sets in honor of the famous honky tonk. "The evening was steeping with camaraderie as old friends mingled, laughed and posed for photos together backstage," an insider tells us. View a full photo gallery here. » Hat Act: Get all the woman you can handle when Reba releases her 34th album All The Women I Am Tuesday (11/9). The 10-track collection includes the lead single "Turn On The Radio" and Beyoncé's "If I Were A Boy." "We decided to name the CD All The Women I Am because there are many different women who I'm singing about on this album," Reba says. "Also there's many women in [myself] who wear different hats — sometimes it's throughout my life and sometimes it's all in one day that I have to wear these hats. So All The Women I Am is a good title. It describes this album because it's an eclectic group of songs about different situations." Read more on the release, Blake Shelton's hits collection Loaded and the Loretta Lynn Coal Miner's Daughter tribute record below. »Hit List CMT.com will stream Jason Aldean's live, invitation-only, pre-CMA concert at Nashville's Hard Rock Café tomorrow (11/9) at 8pm ET. Newcomers Ash Bowers, Crossin Dixon, Thompson Square, James Wesley and Blake Wise will also perform beginning at 6:45pm ET. Details here. Aldean also performed "My Kinda Party" on Friday's (11/5) Tonight Show With Jay Leno here. George Strait, Reba and Lee Ann Womack will extend their 2010 tour into next year, beginning Jan. 14 in Austin. Eighteen dates are on the books through April. Full itinerary here. Jack Ingram tackles Billy Joe Shaver's "I'm Just An Old Chunk Of Coal (But I'm Going To Be A Diamond Someday)" in the latest Acoustic Motel video. Watch here. Birthdays Chris Cagle (11/10) Miranda Lambert (11/10) Jack Ingram (11/15) On TV Tuesday (11/9): Reba, Good Morning America (ABC). Wednesday (11/10): Various Artists, Live From The Red Carpet (ABC); Various Artists, 44th Annual CMA Awards (ABC); Black Shelton, Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC); Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley, Good Morning America (ABC). Thursday (11/11): Craig Morgan, Chris Young, Stars For Stripes Wounded Warriors Return (GAC). Friday (11/12): Reba, Late Show With David Letterman (CBS). In Stores Tuesday (11/9) Reba All The Women I Am Lead single "Turn On The Radio" kicks off Reba's 34th album. The title song and Beyoncé's "If I Were A Boy" are also included on the 10-track collection. Husband and manager Narvel Blackstock sequenced the disc, closing with the "When You Love A Child." "It was a tough song for me to sing... very emotional," Reba says. "Every word touched my heart, and I asked, 'Why did you put that song last?'  [Narvel] said, 'What song could follow that one?'" Dann Huff produced. A deluxe edition features the "I Want A Cowboy" dance mix, as well as footage from the AOL Sessions, CMT Unplugged and the "Turn On The Radio" music video. Purchase the standard edition here and the Deluxe here. Blake Shelton Loaded: The Best Of Blake Shelton "I love the name of this release because I get to tell everyone, 'Come on and get Loaded," Shelton says of his 15-track hits collection. "This pretty music sums up all the hard work from the past 10 years, and it's literally loaded with all the music that I've worked on and I'm incredibly proud of ... I want everyone to get loaded ... with my album, of course." The current single "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking," "Austin," "Ol' Red," "The Baby," "The More I Drink," "Home," "All About Tonight" and "Hillbilly Bone" are among the featured tracks. Buy here. Various Artists Coal Miner's Daughter: A Tribute To Loretta Lynn Lynn personally chose Gretchen Wilson, Lee Ann Womack, Carrie Underwood, Alan Jackson, Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Steve Earle, Allison Moorer, Reba, the Time Jumpers, Kid Rock, Lucinda Williams, Sheryl Crow, Miranda Lambert, rockers the White Stripes and Paramore to tackle her songbook for this 12-track tribute album. The lead single "Coal Miner's Daughter" featuring Lynn, Crow and Lambert closes this disc. Purchase here .   » Who Dat? Kenny Chesney chats with producers during Monday's (11/8) CMA Awards rehearsals. » Stand Still, Look Bentley: Dierks Bentley entertains show producers during Sunday's  (11/7) CMA Awards rehearsals. » Pace Maker: Blake Shelton takes a breather during Monday's (11/8) CMA Awards rehearsals. » We're All Stars Tonight: Rascal Flatts get curbside during the Music City Walk Of Fame induction Sunday (11/7). They joined Kris Kristofferson, Little Jimmy Dickens and Mel Tillis in the eighth class of honorees to receive stars on downtown Nashville's Music Mile. © 2010 LH Publications, LLC