Country Beef: What's Stewing in Nashville and Beyond

Welcome to Country Beef, a regular peek into what’s going on in Nashville and beyond .

On a recent trip to Nashville, I heard a lot of gossip about some of our favorite stars. Most of it wasn't true (or so I'd like to believe), but it occurred to me that country fans have an insatiable appetite when it comes to the latest goings on in the lives of their favorite country performers. Gossip aside, here's a look into what's going on with some of the biggest names in country -- Tim, Faith, Taylor. Get the idea?

Tim and Faith: Television Takeover
By now you probably have heard that Tim McGraw is going to host Saturday Night Live on November 22.  But did you know that wife Faith Hill is the musical guest at the annual tree lighting ceremony in Rockefeller Center, New York?  She will be gracing the small screen on December 3 on NBC.  No word yet on whether she will appear in ice skates or not. Got something doing that night?  You’ll get another chance to see her on Tuesday, December 23, for the 10th Annual Home for the Holidays With Faith Hill.

Welcome to the Lending Boyfriend Library
Did you see Taylor Swift on the Country Music Awards last week? Did you see the guy playing her Romeo. Yes, he's in the video, too. Well, that is none other than Miley Cyrus' boyfriend Justin Gaston. Apparently, Miley had no qualms about "lending" her man to Taylor for the night. And we know why …

Taylor and Stephen Sitting in a Tree…
If you look closely at the lyrics to Taylor Swift’s “Hey Stephen” in the Fearless liner notes, you will notice that some seemingly random letters are capitalized. If you string those all together, they spell "love and theft." And, as it happens, Love and Theft is a band out of Nashville, and one of the members is Stephen Barker. Hmmm … crush perhaps? Checkout these lyrics: "I can't help it if you look like an angel/I can't help if I want to kiss you in the rain...." Tim McGraw must be old news by now.

Startin’ Fires! Hot Flashes!
I don’t know how you’d fit in all this TV watching, but I guess that’s why they invented TiVo. Blake “This Is Gonna Take All Night” Shelton is going to be on The Today Show on Friday, November 21.  Should we start a poll and bet on whose knees will buckle at the sight of Mr. Hottie first: Meredith Vieira or Ann Curry? My money’s on Meredith!

Reba!
Have you heard that everyone’s favorite redhead just got signed by Valory Music?  It is expected that Reba will have a new single at radio in the spring of 2009, with an album to follow that summer. It’s actually astounding to think that the lady’s last 13 studio albums have gone platinum. No doubt the trend will continue with the good people at Valory. Check out the American Music Awards on Sunday, November 23 to see if Reba wins for favorite Female Country Artist.

Generous Jewel
Speaking of classy ladies, Jewel anchored MaryKay’s A Kiss for Country campaign against domestic violence last week at the CMA Awards. And now, she is giving back in a major way. On November 28, Jewel will let you download her Perfectly Clear for a minimum donation of $1 h to the Country Music Association’s All for the Hall campaign. Spearheaded in 2005 by Vince Gill, All for the Hall raises money for education, as well as preservation and storage costs of countless, priceless music artifacts.

Bells Are Ringing
It may be the holidays, but jingle bells aren’t what we’re talking about. No. We’re referring to the sound of cash registers ringing for Eric Durrance and Luke Bryan, who recently scored endorsement deals from Dean Markley Strings and Miller Lite, respectively. Now, I’m a beer drinker (unless there’s a margarita around) not a guitar player, so I think Bryan got the better deal.

Say What?
Randy Houser, whose debut album Anything Goes just hit this week, is the guy who co-wrote Trace Adkins’ major hit “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk.” How long 'til badonkadonk shows up in the dictionary? Now, that would be cool.