Kellie Pickler and pro partner Derek Hough were crowned the winners of the 16th season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars Tuesday night.

Disney star Zendaya and partner Val Chmerkovskiy finished in second place.

Pickler, who had been a fan favorite during ten weeks of competition, reacted to the announcement by declaring, “Oh my God. This is amazing. Oh my God.”

Pickler and Hough danced a jive for their final ballroom routine Tuesday night.  Judge Len Goodman declared afterward, “You’re always clean, you’re precise, you’re sharp, your dancing is always polished. I’m telling you, Kellie, you’re the bee’s knees, my mama’s pajamas, my uncle’s carbuncles. You’re awesome.”

Pickler won after receiving the highest combined total of judges’ scores and viewers’ votes.

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

Darius Rucker is back with his new album, True Believers, in stores this week featuring his monster hit, “Wagon Wheel.” That song has been a staple on college campuses and in honky tonks since Old Crow Medicine Show released their version a few years back, but Darius had no clue “Wagon Wheel” had such a cult following when he cut it.

“I just think recording that song for me was such an organic thing,” Darius tells ABC News Radio. “I mean, I’m old and out of touch with today’s popular music, and I didn’t know it was so big on college campuses. I just didn’t know. I was just cutting a great song I heard.”

Darius is a fan of Old Crow Medicine Show’s music, and he simply thought “Wagon Wheel” would be a great song to put on True Believers.

He says, “Even after we cut it, I thought, this is gonna be a great album track. You know, put it the last song on the record, a really great way to go out.”

As for the rest of the True Believers album, Darius wants his fans to know he put a lot of time and heart into getting these songs just right for them.

Says Darius, “Making a record is always hard because I want to make a great record. I want to make a record that my fans want to go get.”

Though he may start out worrying about getting it right, Darius usually lets the music take over once he gets into the studio. That was the case while making True Believers.

He says, “Whenever it gets hard in the studio, I always say, ‘Sing what you feel.’ And that usually works out.”

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

George Strait‘s Sixty for Sixty campaign paid off with the superstar’s latest single, “Give It All We Got Tonight,” hitting #1 on the Mediabase country airplay chart this week.  No other artist in any genre of music has put that many songs at the top of the airplay chart over the course of their career.

Says George, “I didn’t realize we were making history — I just hoped we were putting out music that my fans would enjoy.”

George goes on to thank his fans and country radio for their support in getting to this latest #1.  Some of country’s biggest stars, like Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town, contributed to the Sixty for Sixty campaign to get George this 60th #1 while he was still 60 years old.  George celebrated his 61st birthday on Saturday, but he’s calling the Sixty for Sixty effort a success just the same.

“I may be 61,” George says, “but I don’t feel a day over 60.”

“Give It All We Got Tonight” is the lead single from George’s just-released 40th album, Love Is Everything.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

Jason Aldean agreed to perform at the Boston Strong concert coming up May 30 in Beantown without even thinking about it. He just wanted to help out after seeing the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings.

Speaking of his invitation to perform as one of the artists at Boston Strong, Jason tells the Boston Globe, “That’s the good thing about what we do — you’re in a position to help out. I think that’s part of what we’re put here to do.”

Jason joins James Taylor, Carole King, New Kids on the Block and Jimmy Buffett among others at the Boston Strong concert.

Jason will also play two sold out shows at Boston’s Fenway Park on July 12 and 13.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

The devastating tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma, Monday hit close to home for Toby Keith, who grew up in the city. He released a statement Monday night saying, “I rode my bike through those neighborhoods. I have family and friends in Moore. My heart and prayers go to those that have lost so much. But Moore is strong and we will persevere. God be with you all.”

Toby and his family live nearby in Norman, OK.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

Wynonna will return to ABC’s Dancing with the Stars for Tuesday night’s finale.  She’ll join the other celebrities from this season’s cast on the show, including remaining finalist Kellie Pickler.

Look for Wy to perform her cover of Foreigner‘s “I Want to Know What Love Is.”  PSY will be there to sing his latest hit, “Gentleman,” and Pitbull will perform his new single, “Hands Up.”

The Dancing with the Stars finale airs Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

Kenny Chesney‘s show at Milwaukee’s Miller Stadium attracted a sellout crowd of more than 43,000 fans over the weekend. Opener Eric Church joined Kenny during his set to sing “When I Sing This Bar,” a song from Kenny’s new album, Life on a Rock. Kenny also led the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to George Strait, who turned 61 on Saturday. Kenny promised to email the video on to King George.

Kenny performed for a massive crowd at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas the weekend before the Milwaukee show. He said Sunday, “Milwaukee – like Dallas last weekend – had a very special magic to it. Those fans! That stadium! Funny how places that couldn’t be more different both have so much heart.”

Kenny continues the No Shoes Nation tour Thursday in Raleigh, NC.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

The All-Star Apprentice‘s finale aired on NBC Sunday night, and the ultimate ice cream showdown was appropriately a  split. While Donald Trump declared “Maple Macadamia Mashup” creator Trace Adkins the first-ever All-Star Celebrity Apprentice champion, Penn Jillette earned his charity a hundred thousand dollars from Walgreens for having the best-selling flavor — his “Vanilla Chocolate Magic Swirtle.”

Tied into their flavors, the two contestants presented their commercials during a star-studded ice cream social in which they took big dollar donations from their friends.

While Team Trace raked in big checks from the likes of country music stars like Billy Ray Cyrus, and Wynonna, and NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, Jillette used his Sin City connections to attract money from Vegas performers like Wayne Newton, Blue Man Group, former American Idol winner Taylor Hicks.

In the end, it was revealed Jillette earned 503 thousand, 655 dollars, while Trace earned 664 thousand — however, donor Tim Tebow showed up past a deadline, meaning his 100 thousand dollar donation didn’t count towards Trace’s bottom line.

Both presentations also featured a live performance — magic from Penn & Teller, and music from Trace Adkins, playing his hit “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk,” which he called the, “nastiest song ever heard at an ice cream social.” The country star also performed “Not Fade Away” featuring Gary Busey reprising his Oscar nominated role as Buddy Holly, and the competitors came together to play Adkins’ new single “Love Will” with Adkins on vocals, and Jillette on bass.

Trump gave Lil Jon a hundred thousand dollar check for his charity, the American Diabetes Association, in honor of the recording artist’s mother, who recently died from complications of the disease. The rapper was moved to tears behind his trademark giant sunglasses.

Trump also doled out 20 thousand checks to the respective charities for the stars who hadn’t won any money for them during the season, including Busey and Dennis Rodman.

In a tweet before the show’s finale aired, Trump hinted, “The cast for next season looks really good!”

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

The ACM Presents: Tim McGraw’s Superstar Summer Night special airs Sunday night, and fans can expect to see top country stars like Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and, of course, Tim McGraw, on the show.  Stars from the pop and R&B world are well-represented too with Nelly performing the “Cruise” remix with Florida Georgia Line. Tim also shares the stage with Ne-Yo and Pitbull on the show.  Luke says the resulting set list looks an awful like some of the playlists he has on his personal iTunes collection.

Says Luke, “I feel like so many country fans out there, they’re rocking out to Nelly too, and Nelly’s going to be here.  It’s a great thing that so many genres can come together, and it’s based around country.  And I think it’s fun for the fans.”

Tim had a big hand in selecting which stars would appear on the show with him, and Pitbull was a pop star he definitely wanted on the bill.  Tim and his wife Faith Hill first met Pitbull at the Grammy Awards earlier this year.

Tim explains, “He came up and introduced himself to me and we started talking, and when we walked away, I told Faith that, ‘That’s just a real guy there, a really genuine guy.'”

Tim was also really impressed with Pitbull’s smooth dance moves at the show taping last month in Las Vegas.

“I’d throw something out if I tried to move like that,” Tim says with a laugh, “but he brought so much energy to the stage.”

Faith Hill, Lady Antebellum, Brantley Gilbert, Keith Urban, Taylor Swift and rock legend John Fogerty also perform on ACM Presents: Tim McGraw’s Superstar Summer Nights, airing Sunday night at 8 CT on CBS.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

The multi-artist Alabama tribute album Alabama & Friends will hit stores later this year, and a slew of big-name country stars are hitting the studio with the band for the project.  According to Billboard, the Eli Young Band recorded their version of “The Closer You Get” this week in Nashville.  Rascal Flatts‘ Joe Don Rooney tweeted they have been working on a cover of the Alabama classic, “Old Flame.”

Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean, Trisha Yearwood and Toby Keith are also contributing their takes on Alabama hits to the project.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

Carrie Underwood fans will want to make plans to head to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum soon to relive her Blown Away tour. A special exhibit featuring 12 vignettes from Carrie’s latest live show will run June 5 through November 10 of this year only at the museum.

The exhibit will include custom outfits Carrie wore onstage and customized microphones made for and used by Carrie on the tour, as well as costumes and instruments from her band members.  Those items will be shipped directly to the Country Music Hall of Fame once Carrie wraps up the Blown Away tour May 23. By the end of the trek, she will have played 112 dates in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Northern Ireland and Australia.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

The Grand Ole Opry will salute members of the U.S. military with a special performance and red carpet parade on Tuesday, May 21.  The event marks the 40th anniversary of the return of American troops from Vietnam, and Vietnam Veterans from Tennessee and Tennessee National Guard soldiers will enter the Grand Ole Opry House on a special red carpet before the performance that night.

Craig Morgan, Easton Corbin, Lee Greenwood and Diamond Rio are among the stars scheduled to perform on the Opry for this special show.

Go to Opry.com for tickets and more information.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry