Jimmy Rankin is another one of the performers added to this year's Stanfest ... the full list is available at http://www.stanfest.com/
Forbes Magazine has released the list of top grossing country music acts for 2008! Leading the list is Kenney Chesney. His 2008 "Poets and Pirates" tour sold more than 1 million tickets! He was also the highest-grossing country artist on tour last year with gross ticket sales of $72 million. His estimated earnings: $65 million. # 2 on the Forbes list: Rascal Flatts. They grossed $56 million on tour last year. At # 3 Toby Keith with gross ticket sales of $31 million in 2008 and estimated earnings of $52 million. Taylor Swift is ranked 4th and Brooks and Dunn are #5.
Jessie Farrell has just finished another recording session in Nashville! That's a total of six songs done for her next album! If you got to her blog at http://www.jessiefarrell.com/ you can read her comments on the sessions. Jessie, all your country fans are looking forward to the next album! (and the next single) ... The next country music awards show is just around the corner: The 2009 CMT Music Awards! And the first-round of nominations were announced today. Sugarland earned six nominations. Brad Paisley and Taylor Swift each earned four nominations. Fans can vote on line at CMT.com from now till May 11th to determine the final nominees, which will be announced on May 19. The 2009 CMT Music Awards will take place in Nashville on June 17 ... Buddy Strait, the older brother of George Strait, was found dead in a San Antonio hotel room this past Friday. He was 58. Deputies said Strait, whose real name was John Strait Jr, was in town on business. Investigators believe he died of natural causes, but an autopsy will be held to confirm the exact cause of death ... It was on this day in 1963 that Bill Anderson hit #1 on the Billboard country chart with his biggest hit - Still. 
