CMT Blog: Charity

I can’t remember a holiday without the Judds. Last night, I had the true pleasure of seeing Wynonna Judd perform a Christmas special, Holiday Notes From Home: A Christmas Tribute for the Troops at the Grand Ole Opry House. Her mother Naomi even joined her onstage for a couple of the carols. I have to say, I was on a musical high when I left. Not only was I ready for Christmas, but Wynonna’s voice sounded so beautiful, so strong, that I spent the rest of the evening with goose bumps.

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Gov. Sarah Palin arrived on stage to the tune of “Independence Day” at a rally following last week’s vice presidential debate. Shortly thereafter, songwriter Gretchen Peters did some independent thinking of her own. Believing that the GOP was taking her lyrics out of context, Peters is donating all her royalties during the election cycle to Planned Parenthood in Palin’s name. In her own words, here’s why:

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It all started with a $500 Honda motorcycle. But then came Dierks Bentley’s publishing deal, and that bike quickly gave way to a 2003 Softail Harley-Davidson. One with higher handlebars and silver-braid cable. That’s the one Bentley will be riding around Nashville on Sunday (Oct. 5) for his charity motorcycle ride. And The Tennessean reports that the downtown concert after the ride will feature Bentley plus Tim McGraw, John Rich and others. But don’t expect a staged event with a predetermined set list. “I want the vibe to be laidback and loose and fun. The way most concert tours are done now, a guest can’t get up and do a song or two on the fly without an act of Congress,” Bentley said.

Faith Hill still cooks in the iron skillet her mom gave her 25 years ago. How do I know? Because in the new Sunday Night Football Cookbook from NBC, she says so. She also boasts that she’s been a football fan since high school and now she plans her Sunday night dinners around the game. This book is packed with 150 recipes contributed by NFL players, alumni, top chefs and the NBC Sports on-air team. The book benefits a great cause — the food banks of Feeding America. Hill’s own recipe for a Greek salad follows in this blog, but she’s signed some copies of the book, and you could win one in the Sunday Night Football Cookbook sweepstakes now underway at CMT.com.

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Gary Allan’s father died Wednesday (Sept. 24). And since I recently lost my dad, I know how terribly hard this time will be for him. Especially because Allan’s dad, Harley Herzberg, played a big part in getting his music career off the ground. (The legend is that Allan played with his dad’s band in honky-tonks when he was just 13.) But I’m sure it means the world to Allan that his fans are doing more than just praying for him. Fans and friends are encouraged to make donations to the Harley Herzberg Memorial Fund at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in lieu of flowers. Allan’s music has been such a gift to country fans, so a contribution in his father’s name is, I think, the perfect way to give back.

Kix Brooks was recently on hand at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum to say good things about the freshly-retired CMA boss Ed Benson. And while they were there, the CMA announced a $1 million endowment to the museum’s Words and Music program which essentially helps teachers teach. Songwriting, mostly, but especially the lyrics part. I have always thought that songwriting was a gift and could not be taught. You either had it or you didn’t. But this $1 million will prove me wrong. The lyrics students write are given to local pros who set the words to music. Get it? Words & Music.

I’ve bid on a lot of eBay items in my lifetime. But this one seriously beats them all. You get to stay at the Opryland Resort Oct. 4 -6. (Awesome.) Get two VIP seats to Saturday’s Opry show with Sara, Josh, Wy, Eric, Lee and Jimmy. (Even more awesome.) Then on Sunday, you’ll get the grand prize: reserved seats at Dierks Bentley’s Music & Miles for Kids III Motorcycle Ride and Concert with Tim McGraw and John Rich. Oh, and a meet-and-greet with Bentley. And access to a tent with free food and drinks. (Over-the-top awesome.) The only catch? Bidding ends tomorrow, so add it to your watch list immediately.

It took me a while to dig further into The Imus Ranch Record because I couldn’t stop myself from playing the first track over and over and over - Patty Loveless‘ exquisite rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “Silver Springs.” However, now that I’ve overcome that minor hurdle, I find myself hung up on several other tracks by the likes of Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Randy Travis and even Little Richard! (Sorry, I can’t help it. I always have to put an exclamation point after Little Richard!)

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The last time I saw Kenny Chesney at a Farm Aid concert was a couple days after his divorce from Renee Zellweger. And he was not in a good mood. But it sounds like this year’s concert in New England on Saturday night (Sept. 20) was much better. He even traded in his cowboys boots for flip-flops and did an acoustic set for the crowd. And Farm Aid founder Willie Nelson backed him on “The Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning.” Nelson did his own set, as did near-country guys Neil Young, Steve Earle, Arlo Guthrie and John Mellencamp. Wish I’d been there.

Some of the world’s biggest celebrities recently took part in an hour-long fundraiser in an effort to fight cancer. Musical powerhouses from all genres took the stage and performed beautiful song, “Just Stand Up!” Carrie Underwood, Miley Cyrus, Beyonce and Rihanna were among these women that took the stage together. The entire commercial-free special includes other celebrities like Halle Berry, Salma Hayek, Katie Couric, Meryl Streep, Lance Armstrong and many, many others. The single is also available on iTunes and features vocals from Underwood, Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Melissa Etheridge, Ashanti, Fergie, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Leona Lewis, LeAnn Rimes and Sheryl Crow.