Snows Coming and I'm getting Bread and Milk!!

Many of my good friends from New Jersey, New York and places north are always enthralled with how excited we southerners get at the mere mention of snow. Me, I'm no different. I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store anytime snow is mentioned in the forecast. Now tomorrow doesn't look like it's gonna be a big event for the triangle(unless you're west of Raleigh) but the excitement level at my house is beyond belief. My sons are seven and five and they'll have the sleds ready before they go to bed tonight. My three year old daughter will run to the window the second she wakes up tomorrow and look for the snow. If it's not here, sadness all around. But if it does snow, I can be assured that we'll have to bundle everybody up for the trip outside. Reminds me of my childhood days in Concord, NC. We often didn't get snow when Winston-Salem and cities north and west did. But, when we did get snow the whole neighborhood would head to the hills of Rollingwood Forest off Hwy 73 to hit the sleds and use our makeshift skis(made out of race tracks or slicked up plastic...yeah we were poor)
In my adult life I've made the trek to Whiteside Mountain near Cashiers, NC on winter days and marveled at the beauty of a new fallen snow. From the summit of Whiteside a new fallen snow is one of the most beautiful sights I think we'll ever see on this earth.
My wife and her family are from Worcester, Massachusetts and had enough snow to last three lifetimes when they lived up there. So I can understand why they came south. But, the thing about snow in the south is it's here for a little while and then gone. Sort of like our lives. We must make the most of every flake we get.
Enjoy every minute!!!

Jason Michael Carroll Stays True!

Youngsville native Jason Michael Carroll continues to see his star rise in the world of country music, with his debut album set to come out in stores in one week, his tune "Alyssa Lies" continues to climb into the Top Ten of the national country charts. But the tune might have taken a different turn had Jason not listened to his own heart.
It seems some folks in Nashville thought the tune was too dark and wanted him to rewrite it. Jason stuck to his own intuition and didn't change the song and now he's glad he did what he did.
Here's what Jason had to say,
They did. A couple people came to me and said, 'We want you to get with this writer, or that writer, and just try to fix it a littlebit.' And, it was exactly as it is today what everybody is listening to onthe radio." Jason Michael says he figures the reason for their concern was that the song was dark, without a happy ending. "So, finally I agreed to do it with one writer that I respected and I remember going into that session and five minutes before were to set down and start writing I said, 'Man I can't do this. This song is very important to me and it is what it is for a reason, I can't explain why but I don't think we need to touch it. I told him where I was coming from when I wrote it and he said, 'You know, I think you're right, we should just leave it alone."
Labels: Jason Michael Carroll
Here's to Jason sticking to his own heart. Sometimes ya gotta go with your gut and Jason is as real as it gets. Plus he's got four kids. I can relate to that. I've got four of my own and know the responsibilities he's got.
Go for it Jason. Keep on keepin' on....and here's too many successes for a straight up fantastic triangle native.

Add some romance to your February

Alright Vince Gill fans, here's the perfect gift for your Valentine. The prize is a a dozen red roses that come with a Valentine's Day Card signed by Vince. And the proceeds will be used to help support the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Bids will be taken until 2pm on January 30th.
The auction happens here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Valentines-Day-Flowers-Personal-Note-from-VINCE-GILL_W0QQitemZ110081701268QQihZ001QQcategoryZ16087QQcmdZViewItem
Best of luck and be good to your sweetie. Order your presents now to prevent the big markup in prices that inevitably happens the week before Valentines.
Here's to Love!!!!

Keith Urban is First class!!!

Keith Urban made an announcement today on his website about his recent stint in rehab. You can watch the video at www.keithurban.net
Showing off all the warts of being a real human is one of the things I love about Keith. He's not afraid to talk about his problems, demons and things that frighten him. Fortunately for Keith he's got a great wife, family, friends and millions of fans who are there to lend support, prayers and encouragement, as evidenced by Keith's message. What about those of us who aren't so lucky? Well there are places you can turn if you have a problem. In the triangle you can reach out to: www.firststepraleigh.com They'll be glad to help you get back to a normal life. I know many of us don't have the financial resources or fame that Keith Urban has, but I do appreciate Keith openly dealing with his problem. It might help touch a fan out there somewhere that is fighting a demon that affects so many of us and requires help to overcome. Thanks Keith for being real!!! That's what country music is all about. Here's to a great 2007 for one of country music's most talented!!!
Keep on Keepin' On!!!

The Big Game is on the way!

The Big Game is coming up and whether you like football or not, it's still a great excuse to have a big ole' party with friends and family and eat and watch some good football (sometimes) and great commercials.
Thought I'd pass along some great party recipes for the big game.
P.S. Listen to Vince Daniels 6-10am on the NEW 99.9 Genuine Country in the coming weeks for a chance to win a big screen TV for your big game party. It's Soup or Bowl Trivia!!! Yippee!!
Now on with the food:

Here's a great starter from www.epicurious.com

SPICED PARTY MIX
Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 hr
2 large egg whites1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce1/4 cup sugar2 tablespoons sweet paprika1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne9 cups freshly popped unsalted popcorn2 cups miniature pretzels1 1/2 cups salted roasted peanuts1 1/2 cups whole almonds, toasted1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted1 1/2 cups salted roasted cashews
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Whisk together egg whites, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, paprika, and cayenne in a large bowl. Add popcorn, pretzels, nuts, and salt to taste and toss until thoroughly coated.
Spread evenly in 2 buttered large shallow baking pans (1 inch deep) and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until coating is crisp, about 20 minutes total.
Spread mixture on 2 large sheets of parchment paper or oiled foil and cool completely.
Cooks' note: • Spiced party mix can be made 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.Makes about 14 cups.

Here's a great Spinach Dip from www.cooksrecipes.com for the chip eaters at your party

1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup finely diced red pepper
1/4 cup minced green onions
1 (16-ounce) package chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon OR 2 teaspoons dried tarragon
Preheat oven to 325*F (160*C).
In a large mixing bowl, combine all of ingredients. Spoon mixture into a greased glass baking/serving dish.
Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes prior to serving.
Serve with a variety of your favorite crackers.
Makes about 5 cups!
And I'm still pondering some main dishes. More to come.
Have a great wintry day!

The Flip Flop Summer of "07

Kenny Chesney announced dates of his 2007 "Flip Flop Summer Tour" yesterday and let me tell you friends, this man is becoming bigger than the Beatles. It is just amazing that Kenny is playing stadiums now. But ya know he's filling a void that's been missing in all genres of music for quite some time. He's going old school if you will. He's the new Jimmy Buffett who's number one concern is " fans having fun"
Kenny still gets in his golf cart and rides around the parking lots of arenas, amphitheatres and stadiums before he does a show. How many acts in any kind of music do that? Not many for sure and Kenny is a one of a kind. The energy level at every show I've ever seen is incredible and after his performance on The People's Choice Awards the other night I'm proud he's out there. He's always "On" and in the world of entertainment that's as important as anything. He sings on pitch, oozes charisma and is very marketable. Plus he's the nicest guy on the planet. Makes for a great combination. I think that's one of the great things about country music singers. They're accessible and not aloof. They're part of us and we're a part of them. And that connection, which is very real, is what it's all about.
Here's the latest scoop on Kenny's tour:

KENNY CHESNEY's Flip Flop Summer stadium tour, includes stops at six stadiums beginning with Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field, June 9. BROOKS & DUNN, SUGARLAND, SARA EVANS and PAT GREEN will accompany Kenny on the stadium shows. Other concerts announced are: June 23, Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia; July 7, Quest Field in Seattle; July 14, Brown’s Stadium in Cleveland; July 28, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts; August 18, Ford Field in Detroit.

More details at www.kennychesney.com

I can bet there'll be two shows again in Raleigh. This is one of Kenny's biggest markets in the south. Wonder if he'd consider doing an outdoor show at Carter-Finley stadium. Now that would be cool!

Nashville Star tonight!!!

Well the fifth season of the country music version of "American Idol" starts tonight at 10pm on the USA cable network.
Blake Shelton and Randy Owen from the Alabama band will join Anatasia Brown as judges. I'm interested to see what Blake is gonna say. He has one of the most wicked senses of humor in the the country world. He and Brad Paisley qualify as the smartest of the smart alecs and I love 'um both because they are just plain funny!!!
Randy Owen will be able to give some great free advice to these 10 aspiring performers. Randy has seen everything you could see over the span of his 30+year career in the biz. I had a chance to spend some time with Randy at the St. Jude Hospital in Memphis, TN several years ago and the man is full of incredible stories about the stuff he's been through in what is arguably the most successful "band" ever in country music. He's a great guy and always willing to give advice and share his insights(which are many)
I think this year's show will have some very good talent. As to why no one besides Buddy Jewell and Miranda Lambert have been able to crack a hit on country radio, I don't know. I've had many people ask but I don't have any easy answer. It's a crazy business but here's hoping someone will shine and have awesome songs and will end up like Carrie Underwood.
Gonna be a fun time!!
More details at www.usanetwork.com

The Best Hair in Country Music

Well I know it's my first post on this new blog and I'm excited to share my knowledge of the country music world and life in the greatest country in the world.

Who knows what I'll expound on in 2007. I know that I love the state of North Carolina(and South Carolina) more than anything and will probably talk about great places to visit in the Carolinas. I'll also discuss everything country music, which is a big passion and pays my bills as well.

And I'll of course try to cover things that matter and affect us in the triangle. I hope to cover many aspects of life in the Carolinas. Thanks for reading and now for some juicy gossip.....

Super-hair.net has released a list of nominees for the best hair of 2006 and the category of Best Hairstyle in Music is filled with nothing but country singers....Yes my friends they are a stylish bunch.
Drum roll please.............

The nominees for Best Hair in Music are: Sara Evans
Faith Hill
Martina McBride
Carrie Underwood
Gretchen Wilson
Of those I would say Faith Hill and Martina get my vote. They constantly update their look and are always hip. Faith changes her color quit a bit as well. I've had the chance to meet every one of these lovely women and without a doubt they are all good looking folks and deserve to win. I'm kind of surprised that no men made the list.....Keith Urban has some awesome hair as does Joe Nichols and Billy Ray Cyrus has a pretty swingin' new do(and the mullet is gone forever he tells me..) Who's the winner?

Well you can vote at www.Super-hair.net

I gotta go put some Grecian formula in my hair....all of a sudden I'm feeling like I need to get my hair styled and change the color back to the way it was when I was young!!