Carrie Underwood is the new voice of the NBC Sunday Night Football theme, and no one is more excited about it than her hockey-playing husband Mike Fisher.  Though he’s a member of Nashville’s NHL team the Predators, Carrie says, “He’s a sports dude.  Yes, he plays hockey but he definitely loves football, as do I.”

Mike has a lot of friends on different NFL teams too, and Carrie adds, “I think me being a part of that with them and with a sport that he loves, I think it’ll just make it all the more better for him.”

Carrie is the third artist to deliver the NBC Sunday Night Football theme.  Pink performed “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” in the first season, with Faith Hill taking over in 2007.  The theme for primetime television’s top-rated show borrows its melody from the Joan Jett hit “I Hate Myself for Loving You.”

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Kenny Chesney scores his seventh #1 debut on the overall Billboard 200 chart this week with his new album, Life on a Rock.  The set sold 152,800 copies to become his 12th consecutive #1 debut on Billboard‘s Country Albums chart too.

The songs on this album are highly personal, and Kenny never thought most of them would never be heard by fans.

He says, “The idea that it debuted at #1? Well, that tells me people, music fans care about songwriting and what you share…about looking back and moving on, something more than just partying and having a good time.”

That’s not to say Kenny has given up his good-timing ways.  Check out KennyChesney.com to see where he’s taking his No Shoes Nation tour next.

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Oklahoma, as the foundation the event supports prepares to mark a milestone.  In October, the Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral — a home-away-from-home for children undergoing cancer treatment and their families — is set to open.

“We’re proud of how far we’ve come,” Toby reflects on the decade long effort begun after a band member’s child battled cancer.  “Ten years ago, we were just in the process of healing from the loss of my band member’s child and now we’re getting ready to open our doors to thousands of people who need support.”

Sports greats ranging from baseball’s Greg Maddux to Olympic gold medalist Bart Conner are set to join Toby on the links.  The event makes most of its money from auctions, featuring items from Taylor Swift, Jimmy Buffet and Toby himself, as well as tickets to both the ACM and the Emmy awards.  You can find more information at www.tobykeithfoundation.org.

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Dustin Lynch won’t head out on tour with Keith Urban until July, but the two have already been hanging out. In fact, the American Idol judge recently invited Dustin to the Idol set.

“It was kind of funny being in the audience,” he says. “It’s a lot smaller of a room than it looks like on TV…Most everybody in the room was screaming for him the whole time.”

He also got to rub elbows with rapper Drake and Keith’s fellow judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj. But it was Randy Jackson who made the biggest impression.

“The Dawg man! We had met, I can’t even remember where we met awhile ago, and he remembered me. I guess he and Keith had been chatting about the tour and whatnot, so that was a pretty cool moment.”

Dustin believes Keith’s exposure on American Idol can only help the shows this summer.

“I think it’s gonna bring a lot of people to our tour this year that have never been to a country show,” he says. “Not only our show, but also give country music a chance, and I think that’s kind of broadening our fan base as a whole, as a genre. So, it’s nothing but good.”

The Light the Fuse tour kicks off  July 18 in Cincinnati, Ohio, with Dustin and Little Big Town opening for Keith.

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No one on the country chart today has had more hits than George Strait, so it’s hard to imagine he’d ever doubt his ability to deliver a song in the studio.  It turns out George needed an outside vote of confidence when he went in to cut his latest single, “Give It All We Got Tonight.”

George admits he was intrigued with the song from the start.  He says, “First time I heard it I thought, ‘Hmm, that’s a great song.  A little different for me, you know, a little risqué kinda.’  I’m thinking, ‘I don’t know if I can pull this off or not.'”

George talked it over with Brian Wright from his record label, who told him to just go for it in the studio.  Strait was pleased with the results.

“I just love it,” George says.  “I mean, it’s a little different, the melody’s a little different, and great lyrics.”

He adds with a big laugh, “It’s kinda about parking, you know, which I’ve done a few times back in the early days.”

“Give It All We Got Tonight” is the lead single from George Strait’s new album, Love Is Everything, due out Tuesday, May 14.

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Kenny Rogers, Bobby Bare and “Cowboy” Jack Clement will officially become the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday, October 27.

Typically held in the Hall’s Ford Theater, the Medallion Ceremony is an all-star tribute that serves as the formal induction into country music’s most exclusive ranks. It’s also the occasion when the Hall unveils the honorees’ bronze likenesses that will hang in the Rotunda.

Kenny Rogers is being honored as this year’s Modern Era Artist, for hits ranging from “The Gambler” to “Lucille” to “Islands in the Stream,” his duet with Dolly Parton.   Bobby Bare is the Veterans’ Era Artist, known for songs like “Detroit City” and “500 Miles Away From Home.” “Cowboy” Jack Clement enters the Hall of Fame in the Non-Performer category, for producing acts ranging from Johnny Cash to Jerry Lee Lewis to U2.

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It’s official. Carrie Underwood is replacing Faith Hill as the voice of Sunday Night Football.

The American Idol winner hinted at the announcement Monday, tweeting “Just to let you know, we have some great news that we’ll be sharing tomorrow! I’m really excited about it! Stay tuned…”

Calling Carrie “our first and only choice,” the show’s producer confirmed that Carrie will sing the theme song starting September 8, as the season kicks off with the Dallas Cowboys taking on the New York Giants.

Pink performed “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” in the first season of Sunday Night Football, with Faith Hill taking over in 2007.  The theme for primetime television’s top-rated show borrows its melody from the Joan Jett hit “I Hate Myself for Loving You.”

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With two dozen sold-out Vegas shows already under her belt, Shania Twain is ready to embark on the next leg of her run at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Shania’s new dates start October 15 and run through December 14. In all, 22 additional performances of Shania: Still The One are now on the schedule for this year. Tickets go on sale Friday.

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The late George Jones was to have given what was billed as his “final Nashville concert” on November 22, along with a star-studded lineup of guests.  Now the show, at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, will go on — as a tribute to Jones.

Jones’s wife Nancy says she’s already contacted Garth Brooks, Travis Tritt, Jamey Johnson, Charlie Daniels, Montgomery Gentry, The Oak Ridge Boys and soul music legend Sam Moore — all of whom were previously slated to appear at the concert — and they’ve all agreed to honor their commitments.  “We are going to honor George one final time,” she says.

Not all the artists who were announced for the show — and there are many more — have been re-confirmed, however, so stay tuned for more information about that, or check GeorgeJones.com for updates.  Tickets for the show had already sold out prior to Jones’s death April 26.

Others previously announced as participating in the concert include Alan Jackson, Patty Loveless, Dierks Bentley, Josh Turner, Randy Travis, Pam Tillis, pop star Cyndi Lauper and “American Pie” singer Don McLean.

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It seems Neil Perry’s love of photography may have become a bone of contention within The Band Perry.

“We have to watch Neil with the pictures,” Reid says, “…cause sometimes he’ll take one on his phone and without asking if he can tweet it he’ll just go ahead.”  Kimberly Perry agrees, calling Instagram “our new danger zone.”

“I pretty much have to get them to sign like a release,” Neil says. “You know, a contract that lets me tweet a picture of them. It’s ridiculous.”  However, Neil admits he may have posted some rather un-glamorous photos that led to the new policy.

“Unfortunately this is because of experience that we’ve had to put some rules into place,” Kimberly says.  “Like photos of them sleeping on planes with their mouths open,” Neil adds.

You can check out some of Neil’s approved photos in the CD booklet for The Band Perry’s new CD, Pioneer.

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