PORT CHESTER, N.Y. (AP) – It’s a stage prop with strong ties to Willie Nelson. And the country music star is itching to get it back. Someone made off with a stuffed armadillo that belongs to a member of Nelson’s sound crew. The theft took place after the band performed in Port Chester, New York last week. Grainy video taken at the theater shows a woman walking onstage as the crew loads out – and taking the toy. Authorities are looking over the video to see if they can get a better look at the woman. Meanwhile, a posting on Nelson’s Facebook page asks for help finding the thief. One person who commented on the ripoff says: “We hang armadillo thieves in Texas.”

 

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Garth Brooks ended his three-year residency last November, but will return to the Encore Theater at the Wynn in Las Vegas for eight more shows this fall. Two shows happen each evening Oct. 18-19 and Nov. 8-9. More here.

 

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LOS ANGELES (AP) – Can Blake Shelton win four in a row? Adam Levine doesn’t think so. “The Voice” is back for season four. Shelton has won the last three. Levine points out no NBA team has been able to put together a string of four straight titles. Last night’s show made a little history. College student Matthew Schuler got all four coaches to spin their chairs in seconds. That’s the fastest ever. He goes with Christina Aguilera, who picks up one other singer. Adam Levine picks up three including a guy who works in an Apple Store. CeeLo Green gets two singers. Shelton kicks off the season with a singer who is a hairdresser and girls’ pageant consultant from Alabama.

 

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NEW YORK (AP) – Linda Ronstadt says the hardest thing about living with Parkinson’s Disease is that she has “to ask people to do things” that are hard for her to do. For example, she says she doesn’t drive anymore because she isn’t “quite sure” of her reflexes. She says she also avoids places where she might get confused – and now “lives like a person with a disability.” Ronstadt revealed recently that she can no longer sing because of the illness. Ronstadt is 67 – and during her career, has sold more than 30 million albums.

 

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Brad Paisley will extend his Beat This Summer Tour through November. Presented by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, 12 additional dates will feature Chris Young and Lee Brice through October, and Young and Danielle Bradbery in November. More here.

 

 

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – Alison Krauss is taking vocal rest because she’s been diagnosed with dysphonia. That’s a general term to describe a number of vocal ailments including hoarseness, vocal cord problems or anything that can affect the voice. Krauss is expected to make a full recovery. However, she is dropping out of the Wide Open Bluegrass Festival in Raleigh, North Carolina, next weekend. She doesn’t have any other concert dates scheduled after that.

 

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NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) – Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell were double winners at the Americana Music Honors & Awards this week. And it’s only fair that they did – since the awards were for duets they did together. They weren’t the only singing pair to pick up two honors. The husband-wife duo Shovels & Rope also earned top honors at the event at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Harris and Crowell won album of the year for their work together on “Old Yellow Moon.” They also took home duo-group of the year. Shovels & Rope won song of the year for “Birmingham” and took the honor for emerging artist of the year.

 

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Carrie Underwood gave fans a glimpse of her role as Maria von Trapp in “The Sound Of Music” by sharing the official art on her Twitter and Facebook pages. She says “It’s all live, so it is going to take a lot of rehearsals. It will be a couple of solid months working on it for one big night.” It airs December 5th on NBC at 8/7c.

 

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LOS ANGELES (AP) – Tim McGraw will begin shooting a new movie next week with George Clooney. Billboard reports it’s a Disney movie called “Tomorrowland” about a smart teenager and a former boy-genius inventor who unearth secrets about time and space. It’s not clear what role McGraw will play but it’s not one of the leads. The movie is set to come out late next year.

 

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NASHVILLE (AP) – You can get an inkling of what Craig Morgan is planning for his shows next year by seeing his concert this year. Morgan says he’ll do a big tour beginning in January and he’s testing out elements on his current tour. Morgan says he believes the music should carry the show and he doesn’t need bells and whistles, but it can be that much better if he does have the bells and whistles. He says he’s lucky enough to have songs that work if it’s just him and a guitar. However, he says he’s stepping up the bar with lighting and staging because “this music deserves it.”

 

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George Strait will serve as honorary captain for the Dallas Cowboys Sunday night (9/8) during the coin toss prior to their contest against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. The following day, Strait will hold a press conference from the stadium about his 2014The Cowboy Rides Away Tour that will stream live here and here at 11am CT (9/9). Strait headlined the first ever event held in the 104,000-capacity venue, which opened in 2009.

 

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Brantley Gilbert will perform during NASCAR‘s Geico 400 pre-race festivities at Chicagoland Speedway Sept. 15. Fans have the opportunity to win a “Pit And Infield Fan Zone Experience” for both the race and Gilbert’s show here.

 

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