Oh, to be in Florida right now, where the temperature is not in the single digits and the country music is about to rock the dolphins right out of their pools. Starting next week, SeaWorld and Busch Gardens are playing host to a cool concert series called Bands, Brew and BBQ. So if you are at all in the area, mark your calendar for LeAnn Rimes (Feb. 6), Montgomery Gentry (Feb. 13), Willie Nelson (Feb. 14) and John Rich (Feb. 20). Even if you aren't near Orlando and Tampa Bay, it still might be worth the trip because the kids get things like flying roller coasters and orangutans, and you get country music. The concerts are free with park admission, but for $50 you can sit up close AND pig out at the All You Can Eat BBQ.
Sure, LeAnn Rimes was seen in Los Angeles with someone who wasn't her husband. And Kenny Chesney bragged to Playboy about all the women he'd slept with. And Mindy McCready proved how poorly Ambien and vodka mix.
The past decade may have been sprinkled with a few missteps that might land some country stars on Santa's naughty list. But Santa seems like a nice guy, and he probably overlooks things like that. Especially when there are so many country singers on the nice list.
Posted: December 14th, 2009 at 10:06 am| By: Alison Bonaguro
Remember Brandi Glanville? The one who was madly in love with Eddie Cibrian before he fell madly in love with LeAnn Rimes? Well, she is pissed. According to court documents, she slashed the tires of Cibrian's Harley Davidson motorcycle. And she told E! News, "And it felt awesome! He broke my heart, so I broke his Harleys." She added that she had Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" in her head at the time -- perhaps slightly changing the line about slashing a hole in all four tires -- and just went for it. Now that Glanville and Cibrian have officially called it quits, I'll bet she has a whole bunch of other country songs in her head. Gretchen Wilson's "Homewrecker" comes to mind. So does "Fist City" by Loretta Lynn.
Today is All Souls' Day. So at the early Mass this morning, my priest asked us all to help the faithful departed get through the pearly gates by praying for them. And pray we did. But as I was thinking about all the people in my life who are now resting in peace, I couldn't help but think of all the songs that seem to celebrate the mournful moments as well as the celebratory moments. So many seem to capture tragic loss, and so many are good at extolling the virtues of eternal life. Feel free to add to the list.
I love that even with all the personal turmoil LeAnn Rimes has been through, she is still so good at putting others first. She's still very much a part of the Academy of Country Music/The Home Depot community service project, so she is going to be coming to Murfreesboro, Tenn., near Nashville, to install a brand new playground at the low-income Spring Valley apartment complex. Well-publicized affairs with married men aside, Rimes still holds the coveted The Home Depot Humanitarian Award. And there are 140 kids who are probably thrilled that Rimes is still actively trying to help. When all is said and done, I hope people remember the swings, slides, monkey bars and rope ladders more than the details of Rimes' love life.
Posted: September 30th, 2009 at 4:35 pm| By: Whitney Self
My father once bought a Dolly Parton rose that he planted in his backyard flower garden. Each time the rose blooms, he takes a picture of it and sends it to me. Yes, Dolly Parton has her own rose. But she's not the only one. So does LeAnn Rimes, Minnie Pearl, Patsy Cline, Shania Twain, Brenda Lee and many others. In fact, some roses and daylilies are even named for songs like "Rocky Top," "Love Me Tender," "Mountain Music" and "Happy Trails" to name a few. A few of us from CMT.com headed over to the beautiful Hall of Fame Park on Tuesday (Sept. 29) for the dedication of the Nashville Music Garden, where all of these specially named flowers now harmoniously live together.
Posted: September 11th, 2009 at 12:43 pm| By: Alison Bonaguro
Divas come and divas go and divas age. But, man, what a difference 10 years make. Somehow, as good as young little LeAnn Rimes looks in this 1999 performance of "How Do I Live" on VH1 Divas in her brown taffeta skirt and black sequin top, I have to say she looks and sounds even better now. (And truth be told, her affair with that Eddie Cibrian may not make her very popular with her soon-to-be ex and Cibrian's ex, but she sure looks happy in all those paparazzi shots we've been seeing lately.) So I'm anxious to see the all-new VH1 Divas when it airs Thursday (Sept. 17) with the all-new divas like Miley Cyrus, Kelly Clarkson, Adele and Leona Lewis. And then in 2019, we can look back on their decade of divaness.
Posted: September 2nd, 2009 at 4:04 pm| By: Link Ray
LeAnn Rimes and her new love interest Eddie Cibrian reportedly flew off Monday (Aug 31) to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico for her 27th birthday, just in time to meet Hurricane Jimena there. Rimes announced her pending divorce from Dean Sheremet on Sept. 1 and Cibrian filed for divorce the week before from his wife Brandi Glanville. On the plane, Cibrian supposedly surprised Rimes with a diamond bracelet and a berry cake. Didn't Rimes spend months denying there was a romance? And who ever said romance is dead these days? Meanwhile, Sheremet has reportedly moved to New York City to attend the French Culinary Institute.
Posted: August 21st, 2009 at 3:12 pm| By: Link Ray
Think of all the country stars who love to play golf. Too many to count, really. Maybe the next time there's a charity golf event in Nashville, LeAnn Rimes can play, too. That is, if she's not too busy in Los Angeles with her new pal, Eddie Cibrian. After getting to know each other while filming a Lifetime original movie together, they were photographed sharing drinks together at the bar of the Staples Center in L.A. And now They've been photographed hitting a different kind of club. From what I can tell, they're wearing identical shirts, too, unless there's a hole in one. See photos.
In a development that probably won't surprise most inquiring minds, People and Us Weeklyare reporting that LeAnn Rimes and husband Dean Sheremet are separated. This comes following four months of reports - and photos and video footage - of Rimes spending quality time in Los Angeles with actor Eddie Cibrian, who co-starred with her in a made-for-TV movie. Earlier this week, Cibrian's wife, Brandi Glanville, announced to the media that they were splitting up. So while Rimes hasn't made a statement about any of this, People and Us are attributing the latest info to unidentified sources. Or, as People describes it, "a Rimes pal." With pals like this, who needs enemies?
Oh, to be in Florida right now, where the temperature is not in the single digits and the country music is about to rock the dolphins right out of their pools. Starting next week, SeaWorld and Busch Gardens are playing host to a cool concert series called Bands, Brew and BBQ. So if you are at all in the area, mark your calendar for LeAnn Rimes (Feb. 6), Montgomery Gentry (Feb. 13), Willie Nelson (Feb. 14) and John Rich (Feb. 20). Even if you aren't near Orlando and Tampa Bay, it still might be worth the trip because the kids get things like flying roller coasters and orangutans, and you get country music. The concerts are free with park admission, but for $50 you can sit up close AND pig out at the All You Can Eat BBQ.
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Think of all the country stars who love to play golf. Too many to count, really. Maybe the next time there's a charity golf event in Nashville, 
In a development that probably won't surprise most inquiring minds, 
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