For the third consecutive year, the stars of country music and NASCAR will converge on Music City USA to join Grammy-winning, multi-platinum-selling recording artist Alan Jackson and other top country music performers for Sprint Sound & Speed Presented by SunTrust on Jan. 11-12, 2008. The announcement was made by executives from Sprint, SunTrust and NASCAR during the Pep Boys Auto 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The third annual Sprint Sound & Speed Presented by SunTrust celebration will take place in and around Nashville’s (Tenn.) Sommet Center the second weekend in January and will include a concert extravaganza headlined by Jackson on Saturday, Jan. 12, at 8 p.m. CST.

Jackson is one of the most compelling performers/songwriters in country music – a favorite of critics and fans alike. Jackson has sold more than 49 million albums, has penned 21 of his 31 No. 1 records, and is the most nominated artist in Country Music Association (CMA) history. As everyone in Nashville knows, Jackson is an avid car collector with a garage full of classic cars, including his first set of wheels, a 1977 Thunderbird. His 1997 video for “Who's Cheatin' Who” was filmed at the Concord (N.C.) Motorsports Park and featured some of NASCAR’s hottest drivers such as Dale Jarrett, Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin, Brett Bodine, Ernie Irvan, Jeremy Mayfield, Bobby Hillin, Jr., and Bill Elliott. The three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year topped the album charts not once, but twice, in 2006, with the success of Precious Memories and Like Red on a Rose.

Tickets for Sprint Sound & Speed Presented by SunTrust with headliner Jackson will go on sale Friday, Nov. 9, and will be available through TicketMaster (www.ticketmaster.com) and on the website, www.soundandspeed.org. Tickets are $39.50 for the concert, $20 for the festival, or $54.50 for both.

In addition to the country music concert, the two-day Sprint Sound & Speed Presented by SunTrust festival will once again give fans of racing and country music the opportunity to get up-close and personal with drivers, team owners and top-name musicians for autographs, story-telling and question-and-answer sessions.

“The Sprint Sound & Speed event is a true celebration, bringing together both music and NASCAR,” said NASCAR President Mike Helton. “I look forward to joining fans who will gather to enjoy many of the stars from our industry working with the likes of Alan Jackson, Josh Turner and Diamond Rio for such a great cause.”

Celebrities already scheduled to participate in autograph and question-answer sessions are country artist and soon-to-be member of the Grand Ole Opry, Josh Turner (Long Black Train sold over a million copies, garnering multiple nominations from the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music. Your Man attained double-platinum status and earned two Grammy® nominations), Diamond Rio (over 10 million albums sold to date, whose hits include “Meet in the Middle,” “Norma Jean Riley,” “Unbelievable” and “One More Day”), Danielle Peck (most-played debut female country artist of 2006, whose hits include “I Don’t,” “Isn’t That Everything,” “Findin’ a Good Man,” and the new single, “Bad for Me,” impacting radio now), Bucky Covington (top-10 finalist on Fox’s American Idol, whose first single, “A Different World,” reached number one on the country Billboard charts) and trio newcomer Lady Antebellum (whose recently released single, “Love Don’t Live Here,” is creating a buzz and high anticipation for their upcoming album due to hit store shelves in March).

Among the NASCAR celebrities already scheduled to appear at the third annual Sprint Sound & Speed Presented by SunTrust are Richard Petty, Kyle Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Ryan Newman and Jamie McMurray. Joining them from the sports car racing ranks will be Max Angelelli and Wayne Taylor, while more drivers and country music performer appearances will be added to the star-studded line-up weekly.

The blockbuster event will also feature show car and sponsor displays, as well as a charitable auction with memorabilia from the racing and entertainment industries. The first two Sprint Sound & Speed Presented by SunTrust events drew an estimated 25,000 fans and raised more than $500,000 for its designated charities, which once again include the Victory Junction Gang Camp and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

For more information, visit www.soundandspeed.org.

Popularity: unranked

Hank Williams Jr. joined the elite realm of CMT GIANTS last Thursday night in Los Angeles when some of music’s biggest stars and thousands of fans paid him tribute during the taping of CMT GIANTS: HANK WILLIAMS JR, which will premiere on Saturday, November 17 at 9:00 p.m., ET/PT.

The night kicked off in style with a pyro-heavy set from Kid Rock who sang “My Name Is Bocephus,” and ended with a special performance by the honoree himself. In between, superstars such as Tim McGraw, Toby Keith, Steven Tyler, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Kid Rock, Gretchen Wilson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Buddy Guy all performed their favorite Hank tunes, while Shooter Jennings and Hank’s daughter Holly sang the duet, “The Conversation,” which was originally recorded by Hank and Shooter’s father, Waylon Jennings.

Many of the performers also served as presenters sharing their favorite Bocephus memories, along with NFL great Terry Bradshaw, Johnny Knoxville (who gave Hank an authentic jug of moonshine) and Jessica Simpson. Stars such as Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride, Dierks Bentley, Jimmy Kimmel, John Madden, Al Michaels, ESPN’s Monday Night Football commentators, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and more also congratulated Hank on his GIANTS distinction via taped packages.

CMT GIANTS: HANK WILLIAMS JR will encore on Sunday, November 18 at 2:00 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.; Monday, November 19 at 9:00 p.m.; Wednesday, November 21 at 6:00 p.m.; Thursday, November 22 (Thanksgiving Day) at 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. All times are ET/PT.

CMT GIANTS is produced by Tom Forrest and Taillight TV. John Hamlin and Margaret Comeaux serve as executive producers for CMT.

Popularity: 1%

For the first time in 18 years, NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" will record early on Monday, November 5, to accommodate Garth Brooks' Kansas City concert that night.

According to Country Aircheck, Garth was scheduled to appear on the show but on the same night will kick off the first of nine sold-out concerts at Kansas City's Sprint Center.

Garth, who accidentally double-booked the date, explains, "Jay Leno has launched every album for us the night before release. So I called and apologized. They called me back and moved the [5 p.m.] taping up."

Garth will tape his appearance at 1 p.m. in Los Angeles, then jet to Kansas City to perform, while millions at home watch him on TV. "It's gonna be tight, but it's gonna be fun," he says.

The next day, November 6, Garth's The Ultimate Hits collection will hit stores nationwide. 

Popularity: unranked

Three of the four songs that Carrie Underwood co-wrote for her new album, Carnival Ride, play directly to her image with hope, optimism and fairy-tale endings — but the fourth is another story, USA Today reports.

"Last Name," which Carrie wrote with Luke Laird and Hillary Lindsey, follows a dance-floor encounter that spirals out of control. "It started off, 'Hey, cutie, where you from?' And then turned into 'Oh, no, what have I done?'" Carrie sings in the chorus. By the song's end, its central character is waking up groggy in Las Vegas, "and I'm not sure how I got here or how this ring on my left hand just appeared out of nowhere."

Just as Carrie has never been the bat-wielding, car-keying girlfriend of "Before He Cheats," she says she has never had an alcohol-induced blackout. "Negative! No!" she says. But she acknowledges that the song was inspired by personal experience.

"I met a guy at an after-party and asked him his last name three times, but it never stuck," she says. "He got my number, we talked a few times, and I didn't know what his last name was. I was way past the point where I should have known his last name, and if I asked him, I knew it would offend him."

Carrie says that's as far as the similarities to her life go. Not only has she never been drunk enough to elope to Vegas, but also "never drunk enough to embarrass myself." 

Popularity: unranked

1iota.com is looking for die hard Gary Allan fans to be part of his mini-concert on Jimmy Kimmel Live Wednesday, November 7th. Jimmy Kimmel Live features celebrity guests, cutting edge performers, like Gary Allan with plenty of surprises, panic, and general pandemonium. The best part is, Gary Allan will play anywhere from 2-5 songs for you.

If you are interested in seeing Gary Allan in person and being a part of the Jimmy Kimmel Live audience, please visit www.1iota.com and follow these simple steps:

1. Click the 1iota TV Shows button, then click the Jimmy Kimmel Live logo
2. Choose Gary Allan event link to request tickets

Remember, BE QUICK, because space is EXTREMELY LIMITED!!

MUSTS:

· YOU MUST BE AT LEAST 16 YEARS OLD
· YOU MUST BE AVAILABLE ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7th FROM 7:00PM – 9:00PM
· YOU MUST HAVE A VALID PHOTO ID
· PLEASE DO NOT WEAR WHITE, LIGHT BLUE, BEIGE OR LOGOS, AS THEY DONT COME ACROSS WELL ON CAMERA
· PLEASE DO NOT BRING LARGE HANDBAGS OR KNAPSACKS
· NO CAMERAS OR RECORDING DEVICES

Popularity: unranked

Lonestar keyboardist, background vocalist and group founder Dean Sams takes fans behind the scenes of his latest and most challenging project yet: building his dream home from the ground up.

GAC's premiere of Celebrity Dream House on Friday, November 2, at 10:30 p.m. ET, follows Dean's efforts to construct a suitable living space for his family despite rain, snow and the occasional flaring temper.

"Anyone associated with the music business knows the people who really suffer from a musician's life are the family members left at home while daddy goes off to play star, often for weeks at a time," Dean says. "This patch of land just south of Nashville is my gift to my family, a place we can truly call home. That is, if we can actually build a home."

Dean initially took on the role of contractor to become more involved in the building process. However, he soon finds himself in over his head when he encounters the reality of Murphy's Law and discovers that if anything that can go wrong, it will.

Tune in to see how with perseverance, a little inspiration and a helping hand from his wife, Kim, Dean makes his dream house a reality. 

Popularity: unranked