Faith Hill is singing the anthem for the NFL season this year, and in the song, she mentions legends Al Michaels and John Madden. But, does the songstress know who they are?

Of course she does, because she watches football "whenever its on. I have to I want to see my husband or have any conversations with him throughout the season."

But there is one major rule in the McGraw household: "I've learned not to ask questions during replays."

And, courtesy of NBC/Universal, Country On-Demand has your sideline seat to all the action as Faith kicks off the NFL season. Stop by Monday for pictures and video from Faith's shoot for the theme video. The site will also have an exclusive stream of the theme song from Thursday night's game.

Strap up and Go long! It's the NFL "First Down Faith" Week on Country On-Demand!!

Carrie Underwood is facing perhaps the most challenging task of her career - reproduce the success of her debut. That's quite a challenge, seeing as her debut record sold over six million copies and spawned four #1 country hits plus two pop hits.

But Underwood is going to give it all she's got. Her encore hits stores October 23rd.

If the success of the lead single "So Small" is any indication of the success the album will see, Underwood has nothing to fear. The single sits poised to hop inside the top 10 at any moment after just a few weeks of airplay.

Somehow, the once "American Idol" has been able to keep her head. She knows just how daunting the task of following Some Hearts will be. "'Is there really anywhere to go but down?' There was that fear in my head," the singer tells Billboard.

This time, though, Underwood admits that the success, or failure, of the record is in her own hands. And, in fact, most of the record came from her hands. The singer-turned-songwriter contributed much more to Carnival Ride than she did her first album, stating, "We started picking songs and I realized it was more [about] making an album for myself that I love and I know I have a huge hand in making."

Billboard has more on the album in their print issue, on newstands now.

Check in to Country On-Demand this MONDAY for an exclusive feature!

As previously announced, Faith Hill will be taking part in the National Football League's kickoff ceremonies this Thursday. She's also in charge of the theme song for the NFL all season.

And, courtesy of NBC/Universal, Country On-Demand has your sideline seat to all the action. Stop by Monday for pictures and video from Faith's shoot for the theme video. The site will also have an exclusive stream of the theme song from Thursday night's game.

Tony Romo and Peyton Manning square off as Faith Hill kickoffs off the NFL season.

Go long! It's the NFL "First Down Faith" Week on Country On-Demand!!

Miranda Lambert's single "Famous in a Small Town" highlights some of the features unique to small town living.

Among the topics the song addresses is making front page headlines for getting the first buck of the year in deer season. Miranda says that really happens in her hometown of Lindale, Texas.

She also notes that the story about the guy getting caught with his girlfriend's mother happened when she was a freshman in high school. T

he singer, who co-wrote the track with Travis Howard, adds that the song was easy to write. She explains that they just started talking about things that really happened in her hometown, and the lyrics developed from there.

Kellie Pickler has the chance to win a million dollars for her favorite charity.

The catch? She has to be smarter than a fifth grader!

According to the "New York Post," Pickler is one of the celebrity guests tapped to be on the Fox game show "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?" Talk show host Regis Philbin and "American Idol's" Clay Aiken are among the other stars who'll will play.

Country comedian Jeff Foxworthy is host of the series. The celebrity segments are expected to air in November.

There have been no women nominated since the Dixie Chicks won the award in 2000 and Shania Twain won in 1999 (apart from the Chicks' losing nomination in 2001). The only other women to be named entertainer in the CMA Awards' 40-year history are Reba McEntire, Barbara Mandrell, Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn.

A big congratulations to Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood for keeping women in the spotlight. IT is a shame that neither Martina McBride nor Faith Hill were included in the Entertainer category. Both are well deserving.

To the country establishment: who has the top selling all-genre album since Soundscan began? That's right! A woman.. a COUNTRY WOMAN.

Shame.

Reba McEntire received two CMA nominations this morning. They are her 46th and 47th nominations, and she continues to be the most nominated female artist in CMA history. She has been awarded six times, including Entertainer of the Year in 1986 and Female Vocalist of the Year four years in a row.

McEntire is up for Female Vocalist of the Year and for Vocal Collaboration of the Year for her duet with pop star Kelly Clarkson. "Because of You" also moves up to #2 on the Billboard chart this week.

Earlier today, McEntire and Clarkson joined TV host Oprah Winfrey in Chicago to film an episode for "The Oprah Winfrey Show". Justin Timberlake also joined the ladies. Timberlake and Clarkson performed with McEntire; both appear on the upcoming album Reba Duets, in stores September 18th. The show is set to air the same week.

Capitol/EMI has taken advantage of the technological advances of this decade to bring Dean Martin fans a whole new perspective on his music. Using his original vocals, new arrangements have been developed and some of today's biggest names have lent their own vocals to form unique collaborations with the legend.

Released last winter, Martina McBride joins Dean on "Baby, It's Cold Outside", one of 14 tracks on Dean Martin: Forever Cool. The album will be available August 14th. The song will also be featured on Sony BMG's holiday release, Hear Something Christmas.

The McBride/Martin track did chart as a radio release last winter on Billboard's Hot Country Singles Chart. No word on whether the track will be re-sent to radio.

Of the collaboration, Martina says, "I just think great music transcends time. I am just humbled, and proud, to be a part of this project."

Also featured on Forever Cool are Joss Stone, Paris Bennett, Kevin Spacy and others.

Sarah Buxton couldn't have received a more welcome call than the one she got this morning telling her that she had received her first ever CMA nomination. As one of the writers on "Stupid Boy," recorded by Keith Urban, Buxton earned a nomination for CMA Song of the Year.

"I was already having a great day when I got the phone call from my manager that 'Stupid Boy' was nominated" exclaimed Sarah. "Me, [and co-writers] Dave and Deanna were excited to have Keith record the song and now this -- it's over the top! I couldn't be happier!"

Buxton joins co-writers Dave Berg and Deanna Bryant as nominees for "Stupid Boy" for CMA Song of the Year.

The CMA Awards will broadcast live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee on Wednesday, November 7 on the ABC Television Network.

To learn more about Sarah Buxton, log on to: www.sarahbuxton.com or www.myspace.com/sarahbuxton

Sources inside Curb Records have confirmed to us that Jo Dee Messina's "Biker Chick" has been pulled from radio and the album, originally set for an October release, has been postponed indefinitely. The source cited poor radio performance for the pull of the record.

Unmistakable, Jo Dee's first album since 2005, marks her return to the country music scene after taking a break in her career to continue recovery from rehab and to be married. Four tracks on the album are produced by Rascal Flatts band-member Jay DeMarcus.

The 2007 CMA Awards finalists were announced minutes ago on ABC-TV's Good Morning America and at a CMA press conference in Nashville's Sommet Center that was carried on CMT. The winners will be announced during the CMA Awards telecast airing on ABC Wednesday, Nov. 7. The finalists are:

National Broadcast Personality: The Big D and Bubba Show (Premiere), The Foxworthy Countdown (Premiere), The Lia Show (Jones).

Entertainer: Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, George Strait, Keith Urban.

Female: Alison Krauss, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood.

Male: Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Josh Turner, Keith Urban.

Album: Brad Paisley's 5th Gear; George Strait's It Just Come Natural; Dierks Bentley's Long Trip Alone; Keith Urban's Love, Pain & the whole crazy thing; Vince Gill's These Days.

Vocal Duo: Big & Rich, Brooks & Dunn, Montgomery Gentry, Sugarland, The Wreckers.

Vocal Group: Alison Krauss & Union Station with Jerry Douglas, Dixie Chicks, Emerson Drive, Little Big Town, Rascal Flatts.

Single: Martina McBride's "Anyway," Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats," Big & Rich's "Lost In This Moment," Brad Paisley's "Ticks," George Strait's "Wrapped."

Song: Martina McBride's "Anyway," Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats," George Strait's "Give It Away," Big & Rich's "Lost In This Moment," Keith Urban's "Stupid Boy."

Musical Event: "Because Of You," Reba McEntire & Kelly Clarkson; "Find Out Who Your Friends Are," Tracy Lawrence, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney; "Hey Good Lookin'," Jimmy Buffett, George Strait, Alan Jackson; "Missing You," Alison Krauss & John Waite; "The Reason Why," Vince Gill & Alison Krauss.

Music Video: Martina McBride's "Anyway," Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats," Emerson Drive's "Moments," Brad Paisley's "Online," Kenny Chesney's "You Save Me."

Musician: Eddie Bayers, Jr.; Jerry Douglas; Dann Huff; Mac McAnally; Randy Scruggs.

Horizon: Jason Aldean, Rodney Atkins, Little Big Town, Kellie Pickler, Taylor Swift.

Faith Hill is in New York City today, where she'll appear at Lincoln Center's Allen Room, to tape the season premiere of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Set to air on September 5th, the appearance will mark the broadcast debut of a new song entitled "Red Umbrella." Faith is also slated to perform her breakthrough #1 "This Kiss."

"Red Umbrella," to be released as one of the new song's on Faith's soon to be released CD The Hits, was written by Aimee Mayo, Chris Lindsey, and Brett and Brad Warren.

"It's always nerve racking to perform a new song on television," said Hill. "But we added 'Red Umbrella' to the set for the last three Soul2Soul dates and the fans reaction was fantastic. So at least that gives me a bit of comfort. Fact is that it has the ingredients of any great song – it's cleverly crafted and it’s message is sincere."

"Red Umbrella" was recorded earlier this year in Nashville. It was co-produced by Byron Gallimore and Faith. It arrives at radio on September 13th. The song will be on Faith's The Hits due in stores October 2nd.

Two-time GRAMMY winner and reigning CMA and ACM Female Vocalist Carrie Underwood is preparing to release her new 19 Recordings/Arista Records/Arista Nashville album, Carnival Ride, on October 23.

With first single, "So Small," already a country airplay Top 10 after only four weeks, the Checotah, Oklahoma native who went from college student to American Idol winner to six-million-selling, multi-format superstar in less than three years has clearly been on an adventure ride of her own.

In choosing the album title, Underwood found Carnival Ride (taken from a lyric line in the new disc) to be a great metaphor. She explains, "You step onto this ride called life, and it’s a crazy thing you don't know anything about, but you get on it anyway. You do what you can to lean different directions to try and get it to go where you want it to go, but you can't stop it – it just keeps moving. That's why Carnival Ride works as my album title, because it describes the wonderful craziness that I've been through over the past couple years."

Underwood's debut disc, Some Hearts, was released on November 15, 2005 and spent a remarkable 27 weeks at #1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, holding that position across multiple weeks in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Currently 6x Platinum, and with SoundScan sales in excess of 1.2 million copies this year alone, Some Hearts remains the best-selling country album of 2007.

Trisha Yearwood's contribution to Reba McEntire's duets album is a song both ladies were familiar with. Yearwood says she'd previously been pitched "She Can't Save Him," and while she really liked the song she never recorded it. She also notes that Reba had a similar experience with the tune, but admits that it's not an uncommon occurrence.

Faith Hill will to perform the opening theme for NBC Sunday Night Football, "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night." A special version of the song, "Waiting All Year for Opening Night" will air Thursday, Sept. 6 in the "NFL Opening Kickoff" as the entire season starts with the Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts hosting the New Orleans Saints.

"Waiting All Day for Sunday Night" debuts Sunday, Sept. 9, NBC's first "Sunday Night Football" broadcast of 2007 featuring NFC East rivals - Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys hosting Eli Manning and the New York Giants. The opening theme will continue to weekly kicking off "Sunday Night Football" every Sunday night throughout the NFL season on NBC.

"It's exciting to have been asked to sing the open for this season's Sunday Night games," said Hill. "Maybe now I'll be able to get my jersey size and some better seats for the games?"

"Faith Hill is a true recording star with mass appeal," said Fred Gaudelli, "NBC Sunday Night Football" producer. "It's not often that you get the opportunity to have a mega-star like Faith Hill perform the signature open to your show. We were thrilled when she agreed to do it, and even more thrilled with the performance she delivered."

"Waiting All Day for Sunday Night" is set to the original Joan Jett song, "I Hate Myself for Loving You" and marks the Hill's first production with NBC Sports.

She recorded the track with her longtime producer Byron Gallimore at Legacy Recording Studios in New York City. The video was shot at The Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.

Hill, along with John Mellencamp and Kelly Clarkson, will also headline the special pregame show, "NFL Opening Kickoff 2007 Presented by Sprint" on Thursday, Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. eastern prior to the NFL season opener.

Lyrics:
All right Sunday Night where are you?
Just kicking back from the things that you do
You want the Big Game, we want it too!
Hey Jack it's a fact, the show's back in town,
The stadium's rockin', time to crank up the sound
The NFL's best have come to play
For every fan there's just one thing left to say
I've been waiting all day for Sunday Night
The tough get rough in a primetime fight
The last one standing gets to turn out the lights
Cause I been waiting all day for Sunday Night
Sunday Night Football on NBC
Al & John are the best on TV
Players are ready, kick that ball off the tee
Cause the NFL rocks on NBC

Kenny Chesney is having one hell of a year. Having played to over half a million fans on the road this summer and setting chart history, he's gearing up to release a new album... and the folks who wake up early will get a taste of what the new album is all about.

Chesney will kick off promotion for his new album, Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates, September 13th on ABC's "Good Morning America". To make this appearance special, the folks at ABC are taking him straight to the roof. So not only will Chesney and band perform "Never Wanted Nothin' More," but they'll have the Manhattan skyline as their backdrop.

"It's the same idea as morning drive," Chesney says of the morning show performance. "When people are starting the day, it just sets the tone for your entire day and if we're going to kick-off a record, you wanna pull all that energy from New York City and put it right back into your music. If we can get that into people's homes, it'll be perfect."

With a sold out show slated for New York City's famed Madison Square Garden this week, Chesney in the final stretch of his Flip Flop Summer, which will wrap up in Atlanta with a two-night stand Sept. 8 and 9. As Just Who I Am prepares to hit the streets two days later, though, it appears the pace isn't slowing down, only shifting gears.

Country On-Demand has learned that CMT plans to bring together Grammy winners Trisha Yearwood and Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds.

Known for his smooth voice and prolific songwriting, Edmonds joins country superstar Yearwood for a magical evening taped before an invitation only audience in Nashville.

Yearwood will release her first studio album in two years in November, while Edmonds will ship out a new album featuring classics such as "Please Come To Boston" in September.

CMT Crossroads will premiere on Friday, September 21 at 9/8C on CMT.

Alan Jackson, George Strait, Clay Walker, Darryl Worley, Craig Morgan, Neal McCoy, Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry, Trace Adkins, Aaron Tippin, Trent Willmon, Tracy Byrd, Hank Williams, Jr., and Jason Aldean have joined forces with WRANGLER jeans to get kids back in school.

The stars and fashion company have teamed together to create a marketing campaign just in time for the back to school season. The promotion hits radio across the nation beginning in late August, and offers listeners a chance to win personal autographed jeans from the variety of artists as well as gift certificates for free jeans to get kids dressed in style for their first day of class.

Since 1947, the Wrangler brand is one of the most recognized jean companies, providing apparel for men, women and children—from cowboys to country stars.

Wrangler Western Wear, a VF Company, is available at over 2,500 western specialty, mid-tier and work-wear stores nationwide that provide quality men's and women's apparel and accessories. For more information regarding the Wrangler family of products or to locate the Wrangler retailer nearest you, visit www.wrangler.com or call

Country's biggest female is turning 42 today.

Happy birthday to Shania Twain.

Look for Shania next month as her second perfume, "Shania Starlight", launches in the United States. The fragrance is now available in select markets at Target. Wal-Mart will have the perfume starting September 4th.

More information available at Shania Starlight.com.

Request a sample of the fragrance!

Charlie Daniels put everything on hold recently to record a duets album with some of his friends from the world of country music... and the final project couldn't be more exciting.

Guest stars include:
Brad Paisley (Jammin' For Stevie)
The Del McCoury Band (Evangeline)
Gretchen Wilson (Jackson)
Earl, Gary and Randy Scruggs (Maggie's Farm)
Bonnie Bramlett (Signed, Sealed, Delivered)
Travis Tritt (What'd I Say)
Dolly Parton (Daddy's Old Fiddle)
Brooks & Dunn (Long Haired Country Boy)
Marty Stuart (God Save Us All From Religion)
Darius Rucker (Like A Rolling Stone)
Brenda Lee (Let It Be Me)
Vince Gill (The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down)
Montgomery Gentry (Drinkin' My Baby Goodbye)

The album will be in stores on October 9th via Daniels' Blue Hat records.

Dolly Parton has released her new single to iTunes today, the first song from her new album Backwoods Barbies. Click here to buy the single (must have iTunes player).

The song, "Better Get To Livin" comes from Parton's first studio album in 2 years, due in early 2008. The single is set to impact at country radio September 28th, with a performance by Dolly on national TV following.

About the single, Dolly states, ""I think life has always been a pressure cooker, and people react to whatever pressures they're under at the time according to their tolerance level and their mental attitude. I think this song says some things to let people know they're not the only ones in that fix. And this song offers some advice for a way out."

At least two dozen songs have been recorded for the project including a cover of Fine Young Cannibals' "She Drives Me Crazy" and a remake of Smokey Robinson's "Tracks Of My Tears" as well as a new version of her own classic "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" with Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell.

For "Backwoods Barbie," Parton's first mainstream country album in over 17 years, Parton wrote nine of the songs and produced the CD with band leader and guitarist Kent Wells. "The song 'Backwoods Barbie' pretty much says it all," she said. "I grew up poor and ragged, always dreamed of being beautiful like Barbie and the models in the Fredericks catalog. It's true that the way I look is just a country girl's idea of glamour, but it comes from an honest place. Backwoods Barbie just seemed like such a perfect title for a country album for me."

It's also one of the songs from the forthcoming Broadway musical "9 to 5 The Musical" expected to hit New York in the Spring of 2009, which Parton also wrote all the words and music for.

Ms. Underwood couldn't get any hotter. The first single from her highly anticipated sophomore album Carnival Ride is in the top tier of country radio. The single "So Small" cracks Billboard's Hot Country Singles Top 10 this week.

The song is also available for download via iTunes' music store starting today, Tuesday, August 27th. Click here to purchase the song (must have iTunes player).

Carnival Ride is set for an October 23rd release. "So Small" made history earlier this month as the highest debuting female single in country music history.

Teen sensation Taylor Swift and country's hottest duo Sugarland today announced new singles going to country radio. Both acts will also participate in announcing the Country Music Association Award nominations from New York on Thursday, August 30th.

Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush will join RCA recording artist Sara Evans from ABC's studios in New York to announce the first set of nominees live on "Good Morning America".

"We always have a great time on 'Good Morning America,' but what makes this appearance really special is that we are there to announce the nominees for the CMA Awards," said Nettles. "It's live so our friends on the road can find out the nominees at the same time we are reading them."

The broadcast will then flip to Nashville where Swift and Montgomery Gentry will continue the announcement live on CMT Insider from the Sonnet Center. Lance Smith and Katie Smith will join the singers.

Catch all the excitement on ABC starting 8:30 (all time zones). The 41st Annual CMA Awards will be broadcast live from Nashville on Wednesday, November 7th, on ABC.

Sugarland will be back on country radio with their fourth single, "Stay", from their smash album, Enjoy The Ride. Taylor Swift will continue her hot streak with her third career single, "Our Song", from her platinum album.

Coming off the fastest #1 of his career and the longest chart-topper of 2007 with "Never Wanted Nothin' More," Kenny Chesney continues the blazing pace and record-setting response to his music as "Don't Blink," the second single from his yet unreleased Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates, debuts on the Billboard Country Singles chart at #16 with a bullet. Since the introduction of the BDS monitored technology, this marks the highest debut by a single.

"It's crazy," Chesney says with a laugh. "Just when I think things can't get any hotter, cause man, the response to 'Never Wanted Nothin' More' was beyond imaginable, somebody calls me and says this is the highest debut in the history of the charts. You don't really know what to make of it, beyond just being happy that people are hearing the music, and responding to what they hear."

Given the warp speed response to the Southern rock/bluegrass hybrid lead single, "Don't Blink" was shipped to radio five weeks before Just Who I Am's street date of Sept. 11. Though it's highly unusual to have two singles in advance of an album coming out, the response to Chesney's first new music in two years has been overwhelming.

"When you're making a record, you get so inside the music, it's really easy to lose perspective," Chesney admits. "Until you get it to the people and see if it's as true for them as it is for you. I try make music that's says about something about my life, but it's also about the idea that we're all experiencing the same things,that we're all going through the same stuff.

"When things like this happen, it really does make you feel like people are getting it. The music is hitting them in a way that is more than just there being a new single. They're reacting and that is the best feeling for anyone who puts out songs about the way people live their life for a living can have."

For Chesney, in the final weeks of Pollstar's Most Attended Country Tour for the first half of 2007 with over 500,000 fans played to on his Cruzan Rum sponsored Flip Flop Summer Tour, it has been a blistering pace. Not only has he played 6 NFL Stadiums, finished work on what some are calling his most progressive album to date and filmed a clip for "Don't Blink," Chesney has been turning in some of his best shows to date.

"There was a moment onstage in Boston," Chesney says of the connection he's feeling to the fans, "where I knew it was a huge football stadium, but it really felt like the funky little bars we play when we do Keg In The Closet. There were 60,000 people, and I swear I could feel every one. When the music is hitting people like that, man, there's just nothing like it."

Because of activities leading up to the kickoff of the 2007-2008 school year, I've been out of town for the majority of the end of the week and will be into the weekend.

Sign up for our NEWSLETTER and receive all of the major news stories that were not posted on the site Sunday evening in your mailbox.

Sorry for any inconvenience! We have some awesome features coming up for you in the next few weeks!

Thanks for choosing Country On-Demand!!!

-- Derrick, Senior Editor

Carrie Underwood and her crew shut down a major interstate in Nashville to film the video for her hit "So Small". The crew decided to shoot the video at night because Nashville had been reaching temperatures in excess of 100 degrees each day. The shoot lasted into the night.

And, if you're going to book Carrie Underwood, you better be ready to accommodate. A vegetarian, Carrie requests an meat-free lunch and/or supper. She also asks that her bus be stocked with two lemons and two limes after the show, plus a pack of Eclipse chewing gum.

The lemons and limes are used to suck on so Ms. Carrie doesn't loose her powerhouse voice. The gum, perhaps, removes the aftertaste of sucking lemons and limes.

Country music duo Montgomery Gentry will lend their support to assist in eradicating muscular dystrophy by performing on legendary comedian Jerry Lewis' annual MDA Telethon live from Las Vegas on Sunday, September 2nd, 2007.

First broadcast over Labor Day weekend in 1966 by just one TV station in New York City, the unique event quickly caught the public's attention and raised more than $1 million. Now the show will be broadcast on "190 MDA Love Network" stations across the country. For more information or to find your local station, please visit www.mdausa.org/telethon.

Montgomery Gentry is currently touring throughout the country and promoting their latest album, Some People Change. Their latest single, "What Do Ya Think About That" is currently climbing the country music charts.

Superstar Keith Urban is yet to have a single from his Love, Pain, & the whole crazy thing hit #1 on the Billboard chart. He's looking to change that with his new single, "Everybody". The single goes for adds at country radio next Monday, August 27th.

Keith tells Country On-Demand, "Although the phrase 'everybody needs somebody sometimes' is far from original, the sentiment is as true today as it ever was. When you hear a song that speaks to you and what you're going through, there's a reassurance in knowing that others have been where you are".

Urban co-wrote the song with Richard Marx.

Little Big Town will provide free downloads of its new single, "I'm With the Band," for a 24-hour period beginning Friday (Aug. 24) at 12 a.m. ET at its official site. It's the first single from the quartet's second album for the Equity Music Group.

"We wanted to give our fans the new single for free as a gift," said band member Phillip Sweet. "It's a way to say thanks and a way to share a piece of the new record we have been working so hard on all year. We are excited about 'I'm With the Band' and are glad to give it away to all our friends."

Little Big Town's new CD, as yet untitled, will be released in November.

COUNTRY ON-DEMAND ADDS TWO NEW SECTIONS, NEW CORRESPONDENT TO QUICKLY EVOLVING SITE

The Web's Newest Country News Site Proving To Be A Big Hit

Nashville, TN -- Country On-Demand announced today the addition of two new sections to their website, Ones To Watch and This Week On Billboard. The additions are just one more way the site continues to provide the most up-to-date news from the Music City.

Ones To Watch launched on Thursday, August 16th, but wasn't officially announced by the site until today. The new section of the site aims at giving visitors a unique look at artists that are currently on the threshold of star status. The first act to be featured in the section is Capitol recording group Lady Antebellum. Future artists to be featured include Columbia Records' Sarah Johns and Show Dog Nashville's Flynville Train. Ones To Watch can be found under the Artists Section.

This Week On Billboard gives visitors an in-depth look at the highlights of this week's Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, provided by Radio and Records. The section, to be posted every Monday, will feature stats, history, and breaking news about the week's happenings on the chart.

New to the Country On-Demand staff is Bobby. He will join the crew as Editor of This Week On Billboard. Bobby brings knowledge about the Billboard chart to the staff. He has not contributed to any other previous news site, but will quickly gain experience here at Country On-Demand. He will also serve as a substitute fill-in correspondent for the Country On-Demand News Department, for which This Week On Billboard is a sub-section.

Country On-Demand was initially launched in September 2006 but taken off-line for reconstruction in December. The site relaunched after an eight year hiatus in July 2007. Since its inception, Country On-Demand has received over 14,000 visitors. After featuring an exclusive inside look at the Shania Twain Centre, Country On-Demand experienced its highest traffic to date. The site also features a weekly newsletter and blog, a message board, and a news podcast.

Taylor Swift will perform live on the season finale of America's Got Talent tomorrow night, (Tuesday, August 21st). The 2-hour season finale airs live on the NBC television network from 8-10 p.m. EDT. With an average of 12.1 million viewers, America's Got Talent is this summer's most-watched television program.

Taylor will leave the stage right after a tour date in Rapid City, South Dakota and fly overnight in order to be in Los Angeles for the show. She is performing at the express request of 14-year-old finalist Julienne Irwin, whose wish if she made it to the finals was to sing a duet with her favorite singer, Taylor Swift.

Immediately after the live telecast, Taylor jumps back on a plane to meet back up with her band for a show in Minneapolis.

"Taylor Swift is a huge inspiration to me!" raves Julienne about performing with her idol. "She is not only a great singer, she's a great songwriter as well, and it is truly an honor to have the opportunity to perform with her on stage. I know I'm not the only one inspired by her, and I hope my performance makes her proud!"

"I can't wait to sing with Julienne on America's Got Talent!" Taylor says of the upcoming performance. "She's such a sweetheart, and I'm so unbelievably honored that she chose me as her duet choice. She's got such a powerful voice and her story is so endearing. I want her to win!"

The season's four finalists will perform on Tuesday night's season finale, which culminates in the announcement of the winner, who will walk away with a million dollar prize. Also performing that night as a special guest is 17-year-old Sean Kingston, whose "Beautiful Girls" is the #1 pop single in the country.

Taylor, whose self-titled debut CD is in its 4th week at the top of Billboard's country CD sales chart, just passed the 23 million mark for music streams on her www.myspace.com/taylorswift.

Having just been signed by the New Orleans Saints for a day – and catching a practice canceling punt, played a sold out months in advance at Detroit's Ford Field, home to the NFL's Detroit Lions and gearing up for the Sept. 11 release of Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates, Kenny Chesney's "Never Wanted Nothing More" – the lead single for his upcoming release – spends a 5th week at the top of Billboard’s Country Singles chart, making it the year's longest run at #1 to date.

"I guess people were ready for some new music from me after all", laughs the affable musician from Luttrell, Tennessee. "When we're playing it live, the fans are just going crazy for it and I think, you know, it's something everybody knows: that sense of wanting something so bad you can taste it. This is that time of year, it looks like it's that kind of song – and when you take that bluegrass and the Southern rock and put 'em together, it's pretty hard to resist."

Equally hard to resist is Chesney's Flip Flop Summer Tour, brought to you by Cruzan rum. Named the most attended Country Tour by Pollstar for the first half of 2007 – with over a half million fans played to – it encompassed NFL Stadiums in such unlikely places as Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Seattle.

"The thing about this song, which is the thing about our live shows, too, it really captures where people are this time of year," Chesney says. "It’s summer. People want to feel good and be carefree. I think our music lets 'em says,'Here's where you are, and it's pretty great' and people respond to seeing the positive in a way that's lighthearted."

With a Madison Square Garden show still to come, Chesney's Flip Flop Summer Tour officially winds down with a double play in Atlanta Sept 7-8. Then it's on to Just Who I Am – and getting the reigning and three consecutive Academy of Country Music and two-time and current Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year's first new music in two years to his fans.

Garth Brooks will release a new 3-CD set to stores this fall. Look for his Ultimate Hits collection in stores November 6th. This release contains 2 CD's of his greatest hits and a DVD full of his greatest video hits.

In true Garth fashion, he does this release up big. Along with his greatest hits, he features 4 new songs (including a cover of Huey Lewis & The News "Workin' For A Livin'" (featuring Huey playing harmonica on this cut) and a revised video of his patriotic hit "We Shall Be Free".

The initial release will have an exclusive limited edition cover, and the CD will only be released to retail stores.

Deanna Carter will release her new album, The Chain, on October 9th on Vanguard Records. It's her second album for the label.

Duet partners include John Anderson ("Swingin'"), Jessi Colter ("I'm Not Lisa"), Shooter Jennings ("Good Hearted Woman"), George Jones (on a classic re-titled as "He Thinks I Still Care"), Kris Kristofferson ("Help Me Make It Through the Night"), Willie Nelson ("On the Road Again") and Dolly Parton ("Love Is Like a Butterfly").

Deanna Carter's first album was a multi-platinum success that spawned hit singles like "Strawberry Wine" and "Count Me In". The singer has failed to repeat the success since her 1997 album, and has not been in radio's top 20 since 2002.

Kenny Chesney's pro football career lasted one practice, and now it looks like the country superstar will have to return to his regular job.

Signed to the New Orleans Saints as a free agent, the 5-6 former high school football player hit Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati for a preseason game walkthrough with the Saints - running the drills and practicing plays.

"It was a great day," said Chesney, who'd hosted several members of the team at his capacity show the night before at Riverbend Amphitheatre. "I worked my tail off...but when you get out there with those guys, they have so much heart, man...It's no wonder they were able to really become a force for the city of New Orleans after Katrina - and for the country."

Chesney, who was introduced as number seven at a morning press conference, went through all the drills - including catching several passes from All-Pro Quarterback Drew Brees before the mid-day break. "He was a lot faster than I thought he was gonna be," Brees said.

Saints Coach Sean Payton asked Chesney to field a punt, issuing a challenge: Chesney catches the punt, no practice on Monday, but should the former Gibbs High Eagle fumble, it would be a double practice instead.

Chesney asked star back Reggie Bush for advice - "Yeah, don't drop the ball."

With everyone in position, the punt was off.

There's no practice Monday.

Bush shouted, "Man I love country music!"

But it appears that this was a one-day effort for Chesney. A press release said, "they were having difficulty coming to financial terms, and it appeared that negotiations were breaking down, so Chesney would not make the roster."

Chesney will be back in a football stadium Saturday night, but he won't be playing football. He'll be giving a concert at Detroit's Ford Field. The Detroit Lions' home marks the sixth and final NFL Stadium on Chesney's tour, which also included the Boston area, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Seattle.

We have a new Notes From Nashville for your reading pleasure. Sound off on Vince Gill's nomination to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

And don't forget, we want your thoughts on Reba's Duets album. Who would you have chosen for Reba's duets album. Email us!!

Garth's in Nashville tomorrow morning.. and the thunder rolls!

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) Acclaimed multi-platinum vocalist, songwriter, musician and entertainer Travis Tritt will release his first new studio album i three years on August 21, and national media are embracing him and his latest project. Tritt's media whirlwind kicks off August 28 in New York City as he makes an appearance on NBC's Today show. Tritt will perform a selection from his new album The Storm, which was co-produced with American Idol's Randy Jackson and features the genre-bending conglomeration of sounds for which Travis has been recognized throughout his career. Subsequent media stops include a visit to CNN's Glenn Beck ­ both television and radio, also on August 28. And on September 5, Tritt will perform on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

The two-time Grammy winner wrote songs with Richard Marx and Rob Thomas for the album, and other contributors include Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Hank Williams, Jr., Diane Warren and rock band Nickelback.

Travis has sold 25 million albums and performed for standing-room-only crowds coast to coast over the course of his accomplished career. He has blurred the lines between rock, country, soul and blues to the extent that he's been produced by rock legend Don Was, recorded with George Jones and Patti LaBelle, and developed a close musical kinship with the late Ray Charles.

"Tritt sizzled with energy, and brought the evening to a spectacular close. He also assured the all-ages, though young-skewing, audience that his concert would be far better than just staying at home and listening to the CD. Tritt's charisma made sure of that." ­Pittsburgh Post Gazette (July 2007)

"Long-lived country cowpoke Travis Tritt has a well-established reputation for unconventional collaborations, from Patti LaBelle and Ray Charles to John Mellencamp. On latest single 'You Never Take Me Dancing,' he partners with consummate songwriter Richard Marx and 'American Idol' judge Randy Jackson for a funky, countrified chicken steak of a song, complete with greasy sides of loose steel guitar, soulful female background shout-outs and enough percussive kick to make this the next great country line dance. Tritt laments the age-old question of how to fulfill his woman, singing, 'Just when I thought I had it all worked out, she says you give me all I want of your money baby, but you never take me dancing.' It's off to the radio races with this minted melody." ­Billboard (July 2007)

Country superstar trio Rascal Flatts will issue their fifth studio album Still Feels Good on September 25th. The album is set to be one of several major country music album releases in 2007. The trio's previous album opened with over 722,000 copies in 2006.

The band has seven No. 1s and 17 top 10s on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, including the current "Take Me There," which is No. 7 this week.

Overseeing the process was producer Huff (Faith Hill, Keith Urban), who worked with the trio on "Me and My Gang."

Billboard's Ken Tucker talked to the band and got the inside scoop on the new album. Band member Jay Demarcus comments, "We didn't want to reinvent the wheel, because if something's not broken we didn't feel the need to fix it. But particularly when it comes to songs that the three of us write, we write whatever's in our heart at that moment. We've got a bluegrass tune that we've written for a bonus cut that is definitely different than anything we've done."

The whole article is posted on Billboard's site.

By: Randy Boswell, CanWest News Service

It worked -- big time -- for Canadian country-pop superstar Shania Twain: her 1995 album, titled The Woman in Me, sold more than 10 million copies, grabbed a Grammy and catapulted the small-town Ontario songstress to worldwide fame.

Now, Canada's other globally celebrated female vocalist -- small-town Quebec's queen of musical melodrama, Celine Dion -- has revealed the name of her much-anticipated, first English-language studio album in three years: The Woman in Me.

She's kidding right?

Wrong.

"I think this album represents a positive evolution in my career," Dion said of her version of The Woman in Me -- to go on sale Nov. 13 across North America -- in a USA Today article this week. "I'm feeling strong, maybe a little gutsier than in the past, and just as passionate about music and life as I ever was."

Fan websites for both Twain and Dion quickly lit up with puzzled postings after word spread about the coincidental CD titles from Canada's two biggest pop-music exports of all time.

"This sucks. Why does she have to use the same title as Shania?" a Twain fan from New York seethed at shaniaforums.com. "I am furious. Tell Celine to get her own life."

One Dion devotee mused online that "knowing that it's a million-selling album from Shania Twain, I don't think they'll keep this name." Another agreed, remarking: "Sounds too weird."

So Canada, get ready for some wisecracks about a new duet by the mega-successful northern divas called The Women in Us.

A call was made Tuesday to Dion's promotional representatives in Canada, Toronto-based Sony BMG Canada, asking if her upcoming album would include a cover version of Twain's title track from the original The Woman in Me, which might explain the echo effect in the name of Dion's CD.

The request prompted an effort by officials there to shed light on the branding oddity, followed Wednesday morning by a response that "this topic has raised much discussion" and would require word from "Celine's camp" -- presumably in the U.S. -- to get sorted out.

"We are waiting on the official press release to the media that announces the album title, street date, producers, etc.," Sony BMG Canada told CanWest News Service later in the day.

But the company's website in Norway already indicates Dion's The Woman in Me will hit music stores in Europe on Nov. 12.

A call to Twain's promotional representatives in Nashville, Tenn., the Mercury record label at Universal Music Group, produced a stunned, non-verbal utterance from one spokesperson but, as yet, no formal statement.

For now, that leaves a message of bewilderment from someone at the Twain fan site as the most insightful comment on the matter: "There are so many phrases she could have used...why 'The Woman In Me'?"

© The Vancouver Sun 2007
Original Article, courtesy of Canada.com

It was Aug. 17, 1982, and row upon row of palm-sized plates with a rainbow sheen began rolling off an assembly line near Hanover, Germany. An engineering marvel at the time, today they are instantly recognizable as Compact Discs, a product that turns 25 years old on Friday — and whose future is increasingly in doubt in an age of iPods and digital downloads.

Those first CDs contained Richard Strauss' Alpine Symphony and would sound equally sharp if played today, says Holland's Royal Philips Electronics NV, which jointly developed the CD with Sony Corp. of Japan.

The jump into mass production in Germany was a milestone for the CD, and by 1982 the companies announced their product was ready for market. Both began selling players that fall, though the machines only hit U.S. markets the following spring.

Sony sold the first player in Japan on Oct. 1, with the CBS label supplying Billy Joel's "52nd Street" as its first album.

The jump into mass production in Germany was a milestone for the CD, and by 1982 the companies announced their product was ready for market. Both began selling players that fall, though the machines only hit U.S. markets the following spring.

Sony sold the first player in Japan on Oct. 1, with the CBS label supplying Billy Joel's "52nd Street" as its first album.

Now, the CD may be seeing the end of its days. CD sales have fallen sharply to 553 million sold in the United States last year, a 22 percent drop from its 2001 peak of 712 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The best selling CD of all time since the inception of Soundscan is Shania Twain's "Come On Over".

The names of the NFL superstars who have performed on Monday Night Football the past two decades are constantly changing, but one name has remained constant since 1989 – Hank Williams, Jr. The legendary singer has earned four Emmy awards (1991-1994) and national acclaim among fans for singing the anthem that kicks off the NFL's weekly primetime showcase game. That legacy will continue for the 19th year when Williams will perform the opening theme to ESPN's MNF this fall with a new all-star band featuring singer/songwriter Brian Setzer and other popular artists.

Williams will again perform "All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night" – based on his hit song "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight." This year's version will offer a "boogie-woogie" and big-band music flare with the addition of Setzer and 13 members of the horn section from the Brian Setzer Orchestra. ESPN introduced the all-star band concept during its inaugural MNF season a year ago, and this year's diverse collection of musicians is scheduled to feature new artists representing rock 'n roll, pop, country and funk, including:

Guitarists Brian Setzer (Stray Cats/Brian Setzer Orchestra), Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi), country music sensation Gretchen Wilson, and young phenom Drake Bell, the 21-year-old actor/singer/songwriter from the popular Nickelodeon series Drake and Josh; Keyboardist John Ondrasik (Five for Fighting); Funk bassist Bootsy Collins (Parliament Funkadelic); and Drummer Cindy Blackman (drummer for Lenny Kravitz).

"The open was such a huge hit last fall, we knew we had to assemble another all-star band to join Hank as ESPN's Monday Night Football continues to put its own special stamp on this iconic music ritual that gets fans 'ready for some football' each Monday during the NFL season," said Norby Williamson, executive vice president, production, ESPN.

Williams added: "Bootsy Collins, Gretchen Wilson, Richie Sambora...these are definitely some of my rowdiest friends. With names like these in the open for Monday Night Football, this year's theme will get everyone fired up for that pigskin."

The MNF opening video will feature team-specific lyrics and visuals each week based on the 17 regular-season ESPN match-ups. The taping will take place Monday, Aug. 20 at House of Blues Las Vegas with all of the musicians. Setzer and John Colby are music directors for the project with lyrics by Williams and Mike Szykowny. ESPN's Rick Paiva (producer) and Chris Mantzaris (director) are overseeing production of the video with technical resources provided by Stephen Levy of Habana Avenue.

The MNF video will debut prior to kickoff of ESPN's MNF regular season-opening doubleheader Sept. 10 – Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals (7 p.m. ET) and Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers (10:15 p.m.).

In 2006, ESPN kicked off its first season of MNF with Williams and an all-star band performing the opening theme. Collins is the only returning player this year from the line-up that also included guitarists Chris Burney (Bowling for Soup), Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick), Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Steven Van Zandt (E Street Band); keyboardists Little Richard and Bernie Worrell (Parliament Funkadelic); fiddler Charlie Daniels; saxophonist Clarence Clemons (E Street Band); and drummers Angela Webster (The Believers) and ?uestlove (The Roots).

With more than 70 albums to his credit, Williams has a fascinating career to reflect upon for a legend still in his prime. His discography chronicles a bold profile of growth from adored offspring of a legendary father, to titan of the modern country rock movement in his own right. For more than a decade, America has come to its collective feet each fall Monday night when this larger than life superman of a musician looks into the camera and unleashes the national anthem for viewers of Monday Night Football — 'Are you ready for some football?' Those simple words have won Williams an entirely new generation of fans and given him the distinction of being the first country performer to ever win an Emmy.

Lady Antebellum will be taking part of The Capitol Pub Crawl: Dungan Takes Demonbreun. This free music event is open to everyone and will take place along the clubs located on Demonbreun Street near Nashville's Music Row. The event begin Thursday evening, August 23, at 5:00 pm. Performances from other Capitol Nashville artists include Luke Bryan, Eric Church, and Dierks Bentley.

They made their way to the National Football Conference's Championship Game in their first post-Hurricane Katrina season, so the New Orleans Saints understand making it happen when it counts. Galvanizing the Crescent City with hope and passion in Katrina's wake, they now reach out to a dark horse for the 2007-2008 season: Gibbs High Eagle Kenny Chesney.

The 5' 6" former wide receiver will work out with the Saints as a free agent the day before their pre-season game with the Cincinnati Bengals August 17th to see if the scrappy athlete turned musician has what it takes. For Chesney, who headlines the Southern Ohio city's Riverbend Amphitheatre on the 16th, it is serendipity in schedules that's led to this convergence of two different worlds.

"I first met (NFL Coach of the Year) Sean Payton when he was the assistant coach of the Dallas Cowboys - he came out to a show in 2002," Chesney says of his relationship with the Saints' head coach. "Over the years, we'd become really good friends because there's a very mutual respect for what the other ones does... He's told me he loves how driven and focused I am about what I do; he loves the intensity I have when I'm onstage... and how passionate I am about what he does, too."

Chesney, who is the thrice consecutive and reigning Academy of Country Music and two-time and current Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year, has the distinction of being "probably the slowest receiver in the history of the (Gibbs High) team - and it was a mediocre team." Yet, as the man, who's now four weeks at #1 on Billboard's Country Singles chart with "Never Wanted Nothin' More," explains of the training, "I learned how to really work playing high school football, cause you can't play it at any level and not be focused. If you do it halfway, you'll get hurt; you gotta go full-speed all the time... that's just the way it is, and it set me up for life."

Why now? Especially with his Cruzan Rum sponsored Flip Flop Summer Tour just being cited by Pollstar as the Most Attended Country Tour - with well over a half million fans played to - for the first half of the year going full-bore and headed into Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions Stadium for a show the next day?

"They wanna see if I can make some kind of contribution," Chesney laughs. "They realized they were gonna be up there (at the Bengals Paul Brown Stadium) when I was playing Cincinnati, and they wanted to make it work. Turns out a lot of the guys on the team were fans, and Sean said they really wanted to do it."

So Chesney will don shorts, a jersey and helmet to go through their work-out, standard practice and being in the huddle with the offensive line to determine if he's got what it takes. "The day before I get there will be very intense, but I can't be there for that... This is more about going over game situations, being out there in the huddle with (All-Pro quarterback) Drew Brees and (running back) Reggie Bush... and I imagine it'll be a whole lot faster than when I was in high school."

Should Chesney do the unthinkable and make the cut Friday? Well, that's a whole other kind of play. As Chesney allows, laughing, "If I make the team, well, I'm gonna have to figure out how to get them to let me join'em in mid-September -- after my album comes out."

Wynonna is taking her holiday album, "A Classic Christmas," on the road this fall in a series of holiday concerts featuring Christmas music along with her hits. Wynonna's "A Classic Christmas" tour kicks-off with an appearance in the 81st annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 22, where she will perform her upcoming single, "Winter Wonderland," before her first show on Nov. 24 in Melbourne, Fla.

"I have always loved the season of Christmas and am thrilled that this holiday season I get to share these wonderful songs with my fans," Wynonna said. "This music reminds me of everything that I loved as a kid and continue to love about the timeless, classic music of the most wonderful time of the year."

Wynonna also will appear on ABC's "A Holiday Celebration at Ford's Theater," with an air date to be set. She will be honored by NBC/Disson Skating in this year's "Tribute on Ice" scheduled to air on NBC Dec. 23. The "Wynonna Tribute on Ice" will feature world-class skating champions skating along with Wynonna's many hits and will include a special appearance by Naomi Judd in a rare performance by The Judds.

Tour dates are:
Nov. 24 - Melbourne, FL: King Center
Nov. 26 - Hollywood, FL: Hard Rock Live
Nov. 27 - Naples, FL: Philharmonic Center for the Arts
Nov. 28 - Clearwater, FL: Ruth Eckerd Hall
Nov. 30 - Jacksonville, FL: Florida Theatre
Dec. 1 - Biloxi, MS: Beau Rivage Resort
Dec. 2 - Panama City, FL: Marina Civic Center
Dec. 4 - York, PA: Strand Capitol Performing Arts Center
Dec. 6 - Waterbury, CT: The Palace Theater
Dec. 7 - Morristown, NJ: The Community Theatre
Dec. 8 - Mashantucket, CT: Foxwoods Resort & Casino
Dec. 9 - Glenside, PA: Keswick Theatre
Dec. 11 - Cleveland, OH: State Theatre
Dec. 13 - Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Assembly Hall Star Theatre
Dec. 14 - Paducah, KY: The Carson Center
Dec. 16 - Wabash, IN: Honeywell Center
Dec. 18 - Ashland, KY: Paramount Arts Center