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CARRIE UNDERWOOD'S "LAST NAME" IS #1
 Photo credit Counryforever.com
RASCAL FLATTS is down two to #4 while...
BLAKE SHELTON'S "Home,"hangs in again at #5 ___________________________ BRAD PAISLEY PARTY TOUR OFF TO ROUSING START (Photos in Paisley Party story by Haislop) We don't know if Brad Paisley's tour had any rust to shake off during its first 3 shows last week, but it was a smooth-running, kickass fun machine by the time it made its fourth stop of the year at Irvine, California's Verizon Amphitheater Saturday night, featuring three strong opening acts, Julianne Hough, Chuck Wicks and Jewel.
 Photo credit Counryforever.com
Paisley's 2007 tour was hands down one of the top live shows of the year with high entertainment value (that featured Taylor Swift, Jack Ingram, Kellie Pickler, and some of the best hi-tech big screen visuals out there last year.
At ACM Nominations press conference during CRS, Brad told us that he'd worked on making his show bigger and better in terms of visual content and musicality...and that he did.
It's such a unique experience that, if you saw last year's show, you need to see it again this year just to see how much cooler the experience is visually...and how just how his it-don't-get-any-better-than-this band and musical experience, is better than ever.
Highlights: Always the main highlight of the Paisley portion of the show is Brad's magnificent picking and his growing list of unique hit songs, all supported by just about the tightest bunch of pickers out there. "Party" was the right name for this experience.
Brad likes to show off how good his guys are by bringing them out the ramps with him for kick ass guitar pulls and guitar and fiddle jams eventually letting them all show-off from steel-to-drums on numbers that brought fans to their feet to hoot and holler even louder.
 Photo credit Counryforever.com
PAISLEY PARTY OPENERS all do themselves good on this tour
 Photo credit Counryforever.com JULIANNE HOUGH has put together a very country set and worked all three of the big ramps. The show was about her and country music not the famous Dancing with the Stars Champ she is.
Although, for Julianne it was family night with her mother, sister and brother Derek all attending the show. She, invited Derek (who she once sang with in a group back in England), to sing a number with her.
 Photo credit Counryforever.com
CHUCK WICKS SHOWED THAT HE WAS more than just a "pretty face" as Brad jokingly referred to him. He turned in a cool, brief set that turned on the women in the crowd that were already in their seats.
 Photo credit Counryforever.com LEADING INTO BRAD'S SHOW, JEWEL showed that she is achieving what she hoped, that her previous fans would follow her into country, and that country fans would except what she's doing as she received multiple standing O's during her set. A couple of those were inspired by some of her truly unique, and powerful vocalizations.
(Watch for a Brad Paisley on Tour Special Feature coming soon at www.countryforever.com).
____________________________________ JAMES OTTO GRATEFUL FOR MUZIK MAFIA EXPERIENCE
James Otto say he's proud to have been part of the Muzik Mafia and grateful for what being part of it did for his career.
He say, "I was a founding member of the Muzik Mafia, I've been there from the very first show. What Muzik Mafia has done for me is it gave me a stage when my career wasn't going the way that I wanted it to. When Muzik Mafia started I was the only one that had a record deal at the time, John Rich and Big Kenny weren't even Big & Rich yet and were trying to figure out who they were...but I knew that John was a terrific songwriter.
And what was good for me were the friendships I formed on that stage were true and they brought me up on their stage when they had thousands of people there and they would say, 'Hey you really have to listen to James Otto, listen to what he's doing and that kept me in the spotlight to a degree. It kept me believing I could do something with this music business.
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SUGARLAND GETTING BETTER TOGETHER
When Sugarland was a trio, they hadn't been together all that long before the first album and songs hit...then they started on the second album as a duo. Since then Jennifer Nettles says the pair of singer songwriters they became has just gotten better.
"I think were learning the rhythm we have together and really getting efficient in doing that together, just cutting to the emotion of it more quickly, so I do think we're getting better absolutely."
TAYLOR SWIFT RELEASE EXCLUSIVE AT WAL-MART
 On July 15th, Wal-Mart released an exclusive Taylor Swift CD/DVD release entitled Beautiful Eyes. The collection will be featured on a custom Taylor/LEI Jeans corrugate featured in the apparel section. The apparel display will also include copies of Taylor’s self-titled triple platinum debut CD while the Beautiful Eyes collection will also be spotlighted in the music section. Below is a breakdown of the content featured on Beautiful Eyes:
CD: “Beautiful Eyes” (exclusive); “Should’ve Said No” (alternate version); “Teardrops On My Guitar” (acoustic version); “Picture To Burn” (radio edit); “I’m Only Me When I’m With You”; “I Heart ?” (exclusive)
DVD: “Beautiful Eyes” (new); “Picture To Burn” (video); “I’m Only Me When I’m With You” (video); “Tim McGraw” (video); “Teardrops On My Guitar” (video; pop version); “Our Song” (video); “The Making of Picture To Burn”; “GAC New Artist Interview”; “Should’ve Said No” (video from ACM 2008 performance)
SPEAKING OF TAYLOR
The Nashville Area Chapter of the American Red Cross is honored by the donation of $10,500 from country music star Taylor Swift. Taylor donated the proceeds from her merchandise sales on Saturday, June 7, 2008, of CMA Music Fest week to the Nashville Area Red Cross. The donation will be used to benefit both the Local Disaster Relief Fund in middle Tennessee as well as the National American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
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TRISHA CONTINUES TO HELP FIGHT BREAST CANCER
Imagine beginning a journey that ends with a cure for breast cancer. That’s the inspiration behind women's apparel retailer Coldwater Creek’s new Susan G. Komen Foundation fundraiser, "Share your journey...for the Cure", an engaging viral fundraising program launched in joint effort with Trisha Yearwood. "I've walked 60 miles in the Breast Cancer 3-Day event to help find a cure, but the real journey has just begun" said Trisha Yearwood of her support of "Share your Journey...for the Cure" fundraiser. “Share your Journey…for the Cure not only delivers a message of awareness, but raises funds that benefit the local Affiliates of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.” Check it out at www.coldwatercreek.com/journey <../../../Local%20Settings/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/OLK3/www.coldwatercreek.com/journey> .
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COUNTRY NEWS FOR FANS 
