Get well wishes go out to Charlie Daniels, who had a pacemaker installed at Nashville area hospital Thursday. Charlie was diagnosed with a mild case of pneumonia and admitted to the hospital for a series of tests Monday. Those tests revealed that 76-year-old Charlie needed the pacemaker to regulate his heartbeat.  He expects to leave the hospital Friday and spend the next two weeks recovering at home.

Charlie says in a statement,  “I am feeling so much better and looking forward to spending Easter with my family.”

Charlie has been forced to postpone two shows in New Jersey and Ohio as a result of the surgery.  For a full list of upcoming dates, go to CharlieDaniels.com.

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Jason Aldean is at the top of his game right now selling out stadiums and arenas on his Night Train tour. Though he took a small acting role in the film Sweetwater this year, fans don’t have to worry about Jason straying too far from the concert stage.

He says, “At the end of the day, I’m a musician. That’s what I am, and I don’t really want to be anything other than that.”

That means Jason isn’t going to judge or participate in a reality show any time soon either. He’s seen what being a coach on The Voice has done for his pal Blake Shelton‘s career, but that kind of gig just isn’t for him.

“I never say never on things,” Jason explains. “I think you’ve got to take certain situations as they come. You know, so it’s hard to say. That show that Blake’s on, I’m sure nobody knew that that thing was gonna explode the way it did.”

The kind of time it takes to be on a reality show isn’t worth it for Jason.

He says, “I would be miserable if I wasn’t out on the road playing my shows. If I had to sit in a building and I had to focus more on doing a show like that versus going out and playing my shows live. I just, I wouldn’t be happy doing that.”

Jason’s live concerts are one of the many reasons he’s up for ACM Entertainer of the Year, and fan voting in that category is now underway at VoteACM.com. Jason will perform on the 48th Annual ACM Awards Sunday, April 7 on CBS.

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Blake Shelton doesn’t worry that his wife Miranda Lambert will believe tabloid rumors that he’s cheating on her. The couple has an open book policy in their marriage, literally: either one of them can go through and read the other’s texts and e-mails at any time.

“That’s the kind of trust we have,” Blake tells People Country. “There are no secrets. Go dig through my drawers or my phone or my computer if you feel like you need to. I have nothing to hide. And it’s been a really good thing because I don’t want her to ever have any doubt.”

As for talk of Blake and Miranda having a baby, Blake says that still a ways off, though he admits, “I do think if and when it happens, I’ll be pretty happy about it.”

For more insight into Blake’s life, pick up the new issue of People Country, out Friday.

 

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Kacey Musgraves takes the #1 spot on Billboard‘s Country Albums chart this week with her debut project, Same Trailer Different Park.  According to Nielsen Soundscan, the set moved 43,496 copies to come in second on the overall Billboard  200 chart behind Justin Timberlake‘s The 20/20 Experience.

You can learn more about Kacey when she’s featured in a profile on CBS Sunday Morning on April 7.  That night, Kacey will attend the 48th Annual ACM Awards,  where she’s up for Female Vocalist of the Year as well as Video of the Year for “Merry Go Round.”  The ACM Awards broadcast April 7 at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

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Gordon Stoker, a member of The Jordanaires, the vocal group that performed on a number of Elvis Presley‘s recordings, died Wednesday. He passed away at his Brentwood, Tennessee, home after a long illness, according to The Tennessean. Stoker was 88.

Stoker initially joined The Jordanaires as a pianist in 1949 but subsequently became a singing tenor with the quartet. They can be heard on Presley’s “Hound Dog,” “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Are You Lonesome Tonight.” 

The Jordanaires, who were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, also performed on Jim Reeves‘ “Four Walls,” Patsy Cline‘s version of “Crazy,” and George Jones‘ “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”

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Alan Jackson builds on his 2006 gospel album, Precious Memories, with the release of a new album of traditional hymns, Precious Memories Volume II, on Tuesday.  He recorded the first album at the request of his mother, Ruth, and it became a big fan favorite.  Those fans always asked Alan about releasing another hymns album, so he and his wife, Denise, set to work choosing the songs to record a few months back.

Alan says, “We just kind of took it where we left off with the last one with all these songs we had, and tried to figure out a few more that would work.”

A lot of fans also pointed out that Alan didn’t actually include the hymn “Precious Memories” on the first Precious Memories album, but he says, “The truth is, we didn’t really sing that song in the Baptist Church.  I don’t think it was in the hymnal.  I don’t know why, but I love the song.”

Alan finally included “Precious Memories” on Precious Memories Volume II, and he adds,”Now it made sense to do it, I guess.  Kind of backwards.  But it’s a cool cut on there now.  I like it.”

Here’s the Precious Memories Volume II track listing:

“Amazing Grace”
“He Lives”
“Just As I Am”
“Love Lifted Me”
“O How I Love Jesus”
“Only Trust Him”
“There Is Power in the Blood”
“Precious Memories”
“Sweet Hour of Prayer”
“When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder”
“Wherever He Leads I’ll Go”

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The Band Perry‘s sophomore album, Pioneer, comes out Tuesday, April 2, and the sibling trio has lined up a Live on Letterman concert webcast Monday, April 1 to promote it.  Fans can catch the show live at CBS.com and Vevo at 8 p.m. Eastern from the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City.  It will also be available afterward on demand.

Look for The Band Perry to sing their new single “DONE.” as well as “Better Dig Two,” “If I Die Young” and “All Your Life” during the show.

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Blake Shelton chose to name his brand-new album Based on a True Story… because he’s either lived through or is currently experiencing the emotions found in every song on the project.  If you take a listen to those songs, it’s pretty obvious Blake is loving life these days.  He’s about to celebrate his second wedding anniversary with Miranda Lambert, and his career is on a roll thanks to his latest hit “Sure Be Cool if You Did.”

When asked about the mostly happy and romantic song selections on the new album, Blake says, “It was just my mindset, I think, overall.”  He adds, “I’m very content with my life, which, I mean, who wouldn’t be?  I know how lucky I am.  I’ll be happy if it stays like this for a long time.”

There are a few sad songs on Based on a True Story… because this is still a country album, but Blake isn’t wallowing in that melancholy vibe like he has in the past.

“I’ve had those years where I made those type of records, and I don’t want to, but probably will have them again,” Blake explains.  “Something will happen one of these days, and it’ll be a part of my music.  Right now, it’s just everything’s pretty awesome.”

As for the album title, Blake worked to come up with something creative since he didn’t want to just name it after a song on the album.

He says, “I listened to it, and I finally just thought, ‘Man, this kinda is my life from start to finish.’  I just thought, ‘That’s what we’ll call it. We’ll just say it’s Based on a True Story.'”

The new single from Based on a True Story… is “Boys ‘Round Here,” featuring Miranda Lambert’s group Pistol Annies on background vocals.

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George Strait is set to release his 40th studio album, Love Is Everything, on May 14 featuring the lead single “Give It all We Got Tonight.” George wrote or co-wrote of the albums 13 tracks, collaborating on some of them with his son Bubba Strait and veteran songwriter Dean Dillon.

Love Is Everything will be released as George continues The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, his final U.S. trek, set to wrap up next year. All 16 shows on the tour so far have been sellouts, and more than 80,000 fans recently came to see George at this year’s Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo at Reliant Center.

Here’s the Love Is Everything track listing:

“I Got a Car”
“Give It All We Got Tonight”
“Blue Melodies”
“I Just Can’t Do on Dying Like This”
“I Thought I Heard My Heart Sing”
“That What Breaking Hearts Do”
“When Love Comes Around Again”
“The Night Is Young”
“Sittin’ on the Fence”
“I Believe”
“Love Is Everything”
“You Don’t Know What You’re Missing”
“When the Credits Roll”

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