Country Romance: Stars Share Romantic Moments for Valentine's Day

Blake Shelton
According to People magazine, Blake Shelton is one of country music's hottest men. And who are we to argue with People magazine? His relationship with fellow country singer Miranda Lambert doesn't stop the ladies from throwing themselves at Shelton, who dutifully answers the many hilariously off-color Tweets he gets from the fairer sex. Of his most romantic date, Shelton says the following.

"I know you expect me to say something smart, but I am going to surprise you. Most romantic Valentine's ... Miranda and I stayed at the Mansion at Turtle Creek in Dallas and went to the Brazilian Steak House. Miranda loved it because they were stabbing meat with swords and knives and bringing it to the table."

Joey + Rory
Joey and Rory are the real-life married couple who charmed the nation when they were contestants on CMT's Can You Duet? Since releasing their first album, the two have crisscrossed the country doing what they love with whom they love most. The couple shared their most romantic date as well as a few romantic song choices.

"We went camping the night of our fourth wedding anniversary. We cooked steaks on the campfire with home-grown asparagus and potatoes from our garden. We held hands and shared a glass of wine and fell asleep in each other's arms underneath a blanket of stars."

Most Romantic Songs
Joey: "You Look So Good in Love" by George Strait. "That song just gets me every time!"
Rory: "Tonight Cowboy You're Mine" (it's on our Life of a Song album). "When Joey sings it to me ... I pretty much just melt."

Jessica Harp
Jessica Harp first came to the attention of most country music fans as half of the successful duo the Wreckers. Harp, whose new solo single, "A Woman Needs," is already having an impact on country radio, shares this fantastic romantic story.

"When I was on tour with the Wreckers, we were in the middle of such a crazy tour schedule that we hardly had a day off. Well, in July of '07 we happened to have two days off in N.Y.C. and I was thrilled. But my manager called and asked if I could fly back to Nashville for a photo shoot at the Ryman Auditorium. It was for a piece on 'Love at the Ryman.' My then-boyfriend and bandmate Jason and I had met at the Ryman, as did beloved artists like Johnny and June Carter Cash. He also said they might want a few shots of both Jason and I, so he needed to fly home, too.

"I arrived at the Ryman, and Jason was already there. The parking lot seemed deserted and something seemed a little weird. When we walked in the auditorium I glanced down at the stage. I didn't see my manager or a camera crew (there were two photographers there to capture the moment but they were hiding in the wings. Tricky!). I looked at Jason, confused when he told me to put my purse down. He grabbed my hand and started walking me toward the stage. That's when I saw it all -- the stool center stage with a ring box, the huge blown-up projection of our favorite photo of Johnny and June ... and once we got onstage, my husband-to-be got on one knee and asked me to marry him. I'm pretty sure I was in shock, I don't remember much of what either of us said -- but I did manage to say 'yes'! We hung around to take some photos, having the historic and beautiful Ryman all to ourselves.

"So technically that's not a date, it's a proposal, but it's hands down the most romantic thing that's ever happened to me. Yes, those of you not celebrating Valentine's Day can throw up now!! Trust me, I've been there."

Jewel
When Jewel wed longtime beau and rodeo star Ty Murray in 2008, you could almost hear hearts across the nation break. But it takes a lot to make a relationship work, so we asked this Alaskan pixie about romance. And how fitting that Jewel's new single, "Stay Here Forever," is featured on the Valentine's Day soundtrack.

"My favorite Valentine’s Day memory is actually a tradition. Ty and I write each other love letters every year. I keep a box full of the letters from over the past 11 years."

Most Romantic Song
"I love the sentiment that these two Don Williams songs have: 'You're My Best Friend' and 'I Believe in You.' I guess the fact that Ty dedicated them both to me may have had something to do with them being my favorite romantic songs."

Josh Thompson
Josh Thompson's hit "Beer on the Table" celebrates the simple pleasures of the everyman, but what about, erm, other pleasures? Here, the young country hottie tells us some of his favorite romantic songs.

"'I'd Love to Lay You Down' by Conway Twitty is a great one. I can remember my parents dancing in the kitchen to that song when I was a kid.

"One of my more recent favorites is 'Turn Me On' by Norah Jones. That's probably one of the most sexy songs I've heard. The words, melody and the way she sings it is yummy -- for lack of a better word, of course."

Steel Magnolia
Meghan Linsey and Joshua Scott Jones are a real-life couple who came to prominence while taking part in Season 2 of CMT's CanYou Duet?, where they caught the ear of Big Machine's Scott Borchetta. Currently the couple's single "Keep On Lovin' You" can be heard on country radio stations and on the soundtrack to Valentine's Day. Meghan shares one of the cutest romantic moments we've heard in ages.

"Up until very recently, Josh and I have been struggling musicians. Last year we were completely broke, and I wasn't expecting anything -- I was just glad we were together. Then, on Valentine's Day, Josh gave me an old classical guitar. He had painted flowers on it and on the back he wrote my initials and C.B.Y.D.T.Y. ... when I asked him what it stood for he said, 'Can't Buy You Diamonds This Year.' It was priceless.

Most Romantic Song
Josh: "'Wonderful Tonight' by Eric Clapton is one of the most romantic songs I've ever heard. It's just so honest. To me, the most romantic songs are just simple. They say, 'I love you because you're you.'"

Joe Nichols
Joe Nichols has had some well-documented ups and downs, and he always credits his wife with inspiring him to get himself straightened out. So who better to ask about romance than this happily married man?

"Because I work so much, being home is as special as going out. These days I like to grab my wife and take off for the grocery store, where we make out in the coffee section. We go back home, make dinner, and make out some more."

Most Romantic Song
"I have so many, it's hard to pick just one. Merle Haggard's 'What Have You Got Planned Tonight Diana' is the ultimate country love song. It talks about a guy telling [a woman] she is the reason he was born. That's pretty darn romantic, if you ask me. But, then there is Blake Shelton's 'Ol' Red,' and it runs a close second."

Colt Ford
With his single "Cold Beer" (featuring Jamey Johnson) making its way onto country radio, 2010 looks like it will be Colt Ford's breakthrough year. The singer, whose album is due out this spring, is already a seasoned road warrior, so when it comes to romance, the big guy takes it on the go. Literally.

"My most romantic date happened to be at a show. My wife and best friend, Jessica, and I have been married for 15 years. I had been on the road for so long (even on our anniversary) that I resorted to pulling my wife up onstage to tell her how much I love her and how lucky I am to have her in my life. The crowd went wild."

Little Big Town
No one knows better about the male/female working dynamic than country foursome Little Big Town. When asked about romantic country songs, all four members had something to say

Jimi: "I'm picking 'I Love the Way You Love Me' by John Michael Montgomery as my Valentine's song. I have always loved that song -- it has a beautiful melody and a beautiful lyric. And I think it's kind of a glimpse into the special things of a relationship, the things that really make you love one another, the moments that people never see. I just think it's a beautifully written song."

Karen: "My favorite love song for Valentine's Day would have to be 'Whenever You Come Around' by Vince Gill. We had the opportunity to play the All for the Hall event with Vince in Nashville not too long ago. I guess he hadn't seen his wife, Amy, in a few days, and he was saying how he was going to serenade her with a love song -- and he opened with that song. It just reminded me, 'Gosh, what a brilliant lyric.' Isn't that what every woman wants to hear -- especially from Vince Gill. It may be one of the prettiest love songs of all time."

Kimberly: "My favorite love song is 'Don't Think I Can't Love You' by Jake Owen. We were out on tour a couple of years ago with Jake and Sugarland, and one day right after he wrote that song, he worked it up and sang it at sound check. It blew me away. I marched right up to him and said, 'That is going to be a big ol' smash,' and it was. I think that lyric says what every woman wants to hear from her man. Happy Valentine's Day everybody!"

Phillip: "My favorite song for Valentine’s Day is ‘Making Memories of Us’ by Keith Urban. It’s an amazing, beautifully written song. The lyrics really speak what I would want to say from my heart to the one that I love. Every time we would ride on the road with Keith and that song would be in the live show, I would always go listen. I love where it takes me emotionally. It always brings me back to that place when I first fell in love with my wife."

Ashley Ray
This 25-year-old Kansas native was recently signed by Toby Keith's Show Dog label. If you asked her where her wildest musical dreams would take her, you'd get this for an answer.

"In my wildest dreams I would write one with Dolly Parton, jam with the Dixie Chicks, sing one with Lee Ann Womack, drink one with Bob Seger, and roll one with Willie."

When we asked this strong, spunky singer about about romance, we got a surprisingly mushy answer.

"My most romantic date was on a hill at a winery; he smoked ribs (in my opinion, fastest way to a girl's heart) and had cheese, grapes and a yummy desert. It was a gorgeous day on a blanket watching the clouds float by."

Most romantic song
"Make You Feel My Love" by Bob Dylan. Garth Brooks did a version for the movie Hope Floats!! It's about telling the one you love you'll go to any length to make them feel your love."

Carter's Chord
Maybe it has to do with the fact that they're sisters, but this trio can harmonize like nobody's business. With parents who played with Waylon Jennings as part of his touring band the Waylors, these girls grew up in a household steeped in traditional music. Becky Robertson, the eldestest sibling, shares a romantic moment.

"When I was a senior in high school, my boyfriend and I went to go see the Italian film Life Is Beautiful. In the movie, the main character refers to his wife as his principessa. About a week later, I got home pretty late from play practice and around midnight, my boyfriend called and told me to go look outside. I figured he had left something for me in the mailbox. When I walked out onto the street in front of my parents' house ... I saw the sweetest thing ever. In HUGE letters that covered the entire road, he had written 'I love you Principessa' in sidewalk chalk on the street. All of my neighbors could see the message for days as they drove past my house. It finally washed away with the rain, but I will always remember that night as being the most romantic thing that anyone has ever done for me."