Dierks Bentley and his wife Cassidy are having a baby boy this fall, and Luke Bryan was the first person outside the family to know the baby’s sex. 

Dierks and Cass had just found out they were expecting a boy when Luke called them up to congratulate them on their impending arrival.  When Dierks told Luke a boy was joining their two older daughters, Luke, who has two sons, told him, “Man! Let me tell you, get ready to start living!'”

Dierk says with a laugh, “I guess he assume girls, you know, you’re not living until you have a boy or something, but he just went on talking about it.  ‘Man, you’re going to have someone to go fishing with.'”

Luke has also given Dierks some advice on naming the baby boy.

“Whatever I name my kid has to sound like someone that you could get totally hammered with,” Dierks explains. “That’s the filter that all the names have to flow through, like, ‘Man, I went out last night and got hammered with Bo Bryan.’  Something like that.”

Dierks may just name his firstborn son after Luke.  He says, “I’ve been hammered with Luke many times.”

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Thompson Square‘s Keifer Thompson is back behind the mic after being sidelined by a hemorrhage and polyp on his vocal cords for the past few weeks.  Keifer tweeted Wednesday, “Going to rehearsal to test out the ol pipes today #pumped.”

While Keifer has gotten advice about and support for his vocal problems from Keith Urban and Luke Bryan, one country star is kind of sad to hear that Keifer is talking again.

Kip Moore tweeted Thompson Square, “was kinda hoping u would stay on voice rest…I could talk endless trash to u last time [without] a peep!”

Thompson Square is expected to be back on the road performing shows again.  You can keep up with their tour dates at ThompsonSquare.com.

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Luke Bryan‘s new album will be titled Crash My Party, after the project’s lead single. That song title may sound like a party anthem, but “Crash My Party” is actually a sweet love song. Luke tells fans to expect more twists like that on the full-length album, due out August 13.

Says Luke, “I think in the same way fans will definitely hear some surprises on my new album.  It still reflects my sound but you will get to hear a little bit deeper, different side to me musically as well.”

Crash My Party is the follow-up to Luke’s double platinum album, tailgates & tanlines.

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Toby Keith is really, really rich. If you need proof, just check him out smiling on the cover of Forbes‘ magazine’s Celebrity 100 issue with the caption “Country Music’s $500 Million Man.”

While most of Toby’s money comes from touring, album sales and his restaurant and liquor businesses, a good chunk of it actually comes from Taylor Swift.  When Toby launched his own record label, Show Dog, in 2005, he shared backroom operations with another new label, Big Machine Records. Toby also invested $400,000 in Big Machine, the label home of then-newcomer Taylor Swift. Toby maintains a stake in Big Machine, even though his label is now run separately from that company.

As you may imagine, the revenue from Taylor’s album sales has had a nice impact on Toby’s bottom line.  Toby says, “I know there’s an extra comma if you added up all the money I’ve ever made.”

The Big Machine Label Group is also home to Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, The Band Perry, Florida Georgia Line, Brantley Gilbert and Eli Young Band.

As for Toby, his latest single, “Drinks at Work,” is now available for download at iTunes.

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Kacey Musgraves was a big winner at the 25th annual MusicRow awards, voted on by the subscribers of MusicRow magazine.  Kacey won Breakthrough Artist, Breakthrough Songwriter and Song of the Year for “Merry Go ‘Round.”  Lee Brice‘s hit “I Drive Your Truck” tied for Song of the Year honors with “Merry Go ‘Round.”

A full rundown of this year’s winners will appear in MusicRow‘s June/July 2013 print issue.

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Trace Adkins has been in Birmingham, AL this past month shooting the new movie, Mom’s Night Out.  He plays the tough guy Bones in the movie, but Trace insists he’s not that much of an actor.

He tells The Birmingham News, “The best acting job I do is when I get to the set and the first couple days I’m on the set, convincing the director I know what I’m doing.  That’s the best acting job that I do.  Once I pull that one off, the rest of it’s easy.”

Trace helps a woman find her missing baby in Mom’s Night Out.  Sean Astin, Patricia Heaton and Sarah Drew of Grey’s Anatomy fame also appear in the film.

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Carrie Underwood has joined Garth Brooks and Ronnie Dunn in the lineup for Toby Keith‘s Oklahoma Twister Relief Concert on July 6 in Norman, OK.  Due to her previously scheduled Grand Ole Opry performance that night, Carrie, who is an Oklahoma native, will perform via satellite from the Opry House in Nashville.

Trisha Yearwood and Willie Nelson are among the previously announced performers lined up for the benefit concert. Tickets are sold out, but anyone can donate $10 to the relief effort by texting REBUILD to 52000.  Proceeds will go to the United Way of Central Oklahoma May Tornadoes Relief Fund.

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Miley Cyrus’ parents may be planning to divorce, but from the looks of it, they’re staying friendly.

On Sunday, the estranged couple was spotted at Little Toni’s restaurant in North Hollywood, California, with their daughter Noah and another young woman, looking very cozy.

It’s an unexpected shift in tone from the statement Billy Ray released earlier this month, saying he was ending his 19-year marriage.

“This is a personal matter and we are doing what is in the best interest of our family,” the singer, 51, said at the time. “We ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”

The couple has three children together: Miley, 20, Braison, 19, and Noah, 13. Billy Ray Cyrus also adopted Tish’s two children from a previous relationship, Brandi, 26, and Trace, 24.

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The Band Perry has announced a few new shows for their We Are Pioneers World Tour 2013, including a December 2 date in London.  They’ll be in Europe for more than a month starting with a November 8 show in Sweden.  They’ll hit Denmark, France, the Netherlands and England before the trek wraps up with two shows in Ireland December 4 and 5.

For a full list of tour dates, go to TheBandPerry.com.

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Kacey Musgraves has signed on to perform at this year’s edition of the annual Farm Aid Music and Food Festival, taking place September 21 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, New York.  Farm Aid founders Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp all will be back to perform at the event, as will longtime board member Dave Matthews.

Other artists slated to hit the stage this year include Young’s wife, Pegi, and her group The Survivors; Nelson’s son Lukas and his band Promise of the Real; Toad the Wet Sprocket; Carlene Carter; Jack Johnson; and Amos Lee.

As always, the event benefits the Farm Aid organization, which supports and promotes American family farmers.  The festival also will offer a variety of concessions featuring locally-grown, organic food and products.

Tickets for Farm Aid 2013 will be available for purchase staring this Friday at 10 a.m. ET at Ticketmaster.com, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s box office, and by calling 800-745-3000. Ticket prices range from $45 to $150, while limited VIP seats also can be bought for between $300 and $1,500.  Visit FarmAid.org for more information.

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Gary Allan is teaming up with Sheryl Crow for the Free and Easy tour this fall. They’ve announced three dates in California starting with a September 13 show in Santa Barbara, CA. More dates will be announced soon.

Gary and Sheryl got to know each other at some songwriter events earlier this year, and the idea for the joint tour came pretty quickly thereafter.  Says Gary, “The timing seemed right and Free and Easy just came natural to us both. If we’re near you, come on out.  It’s going to be a good time.”

Sheryl adds, “I love Gary’s music. He puts on the kind of show that I like to go see so I am thrilled to be out with him on tour.”

Here are the announced Free and Easy tour dates:

9/13 — Santa Barbara, CA, Santa Barbara Bowl
9/14 — Los Angeles, CA, The Greek Theatre
9/15 — Bakersfield, CA, Rabobank Arena

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