Country Music News

Lionel Richie says the idea for his country duets album, "Tuskegee," grew out of a suggestion that he record a covers album of Gershwin or Cole Porter material. But the singer says he wanted to do something more personal.

Kenny Rogers is taking his place of honor as the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's 2012 Artist-in-Residence. In that role the singer will take the stage Wednesday night for the first of two shows at the Nashville museum's intimate, 213-seat Ford Theater.

The Band Perry admit they owe a lot to their family. The group's Kimberly Perry says they've received an enormous amount of support from their mom and dad. Kimberly says their mother has really dedicated herself to their career.

Thomas Rhett might be a second generation country singer, but he says his music isn't much like his father's. The son of singer-songwriter Rhett Akins tells Billboard.com that his songs are "more hardcore, and more rock, and more in your face" than anything his dad ever recorded.

Rodney Atkins is celebrating the father-son bond in his latest single. The country star just released his video for "He's Mine" via iTunes. The clip presents the relationships between boys and their dads, including the support they receive from their fathers and the pride their dads have in their sons as they transition from rebellious kids to responsible men.

John Rich has a proposition for Eric Church. The Big & Rich star told Nashville's WSIX that if Church wanted to take part in "The Celebrity Apprentice," he would introduce Eric to Donald Trump and "make that happen.

Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles says she left no stone unturned as she looked for potential partners for the new reality series "Duets." She tells "Good Morning America" she tapped the talent at youth organizations and performing arts groups she's familiar with, but also went on blind Internet searches hoping to find someone on YouTube.

After his finalist Dia Frampton took the runner-up spot on season one of "The Voice," Blake Shelton is now celebrating a win. Jermaine Paul, who represented Team Blake in the season two finale, was named the winner.

Willie Nelson apparently isn't interested in entering the political arena -- at least not with Roseanne Barr. TheWrap.com says the country legend has turned down the actress' invitation to be her running mate as she pursues to become the Green Party's candidate in this fall's presidential election.

Aaron Tippin is going to hunt turkeys in Illinois this week. Fred Cory, with the Mississippi Valley Council of the Boys Scouts of America, says the country star is an avid outdoorsman. Tippin is making a special stop in Nebo, Illinois as the featured speaker at the Oakley-Lindsay Foundation Sporting Clays for Scouting on Wednesday.