BILLY RAY CYRUS SETS NEW ALBUM RELEASE DATE
UNDATED (AP) – Billy Ray Cyrus’s new album “Change My Mind” will be out on October 23. Cyrus says the 10-song CD is a personal one and he’s lived through every emotion expressed in every song. They come to him, he says, when he’s “dealing with heavy stuff.” And if he’s “going through something emotional” he says the songs “pour out.” The only way he knows how to express himself he says is to “write it all down.” “Change My Mind’ the album’s title track is already climbing the charts.

KELLY CLARKSON CELEBRATES 10 YEARS WITH GREATEST HITS
UNDATED (AP) – It’s been over a decade since Kelly Clarkson won the first season of “American Idol” and then watched her career skyrocket. And to celebrate her 10-year anniversary she is releasing a greatest hits album. Clarkson made the announcement on her website last week. She says the last decade “has been tough, but inspiring” and admits in a message to her fans that it was a lot of pressure for a 19-year-old girl to handle. But now she’s 30 and Clarkson says she is smart enough to know it’s time to stop, catch her breath, and be proud of what she’s accomplished. With that in mind, she also announced she’ll be releasing a new song this month. It’s called “Catch My Breath.” It will be included in “Greatest Hits – Chapter 1” which is set for release November 19. On November 1 Clarkson performs at the CMA Awards where she is nominated in the female vocalist of the year category – her first solo nomination.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD CONFESSES TO HAVING A THING FOR BIG HAIR
UNDATED (AP) – Carrie Underwood’s look has evolved and become more sophisticated since her debut on “American Idol” back in 2005, but she tells People magazine she’s not giving up her big hair. Underwood says “the number-one thing” she does when someone fixes her hair, is put her fingers back in and “make it look bigger.” She attributes her fondness for statuesque styles to her childhood idols – Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette.

BRAD PAISLEY TO HELP OUT A TRIBE IN AFRICA
UNDATED (AP) – Brad Paisley is planning to donate a cow to a Massai tribe in Kenya. In 2007 Paisley bet a Detroit morning show radio producer that he couldn’t travel to 10 countries in 10 days. That producer headed to Africa with a big Brad cardboard cutout that became a hit in a Massai village near Mt. Kilimanjaro. Last week, Steve Grunwald, the roving radio producer, received a request from the Massai tribe for a cow. Grunwald reached out to Paisley for some help. During a radio interview that aired last week Paisley said he’s “totally game” and “all in.” It’s a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help out” he says and offered to send Grunwald back to Kenya with a cow. The cow has already been named Paisley.

RAILROAD REVIVAL TOUR CANCELED
UNDATED (AP) – Willie Nelson, Jamey Johnson and Band of Horses are among the performers whose appearances on The Railroad Revival tour have been canceled. The artists were planning to travel by train from Georgia to California later this month, with concerts in various cities along the way. But, a statement posted on the tour’s website Friday says the tour has been canceled. The statement says it was a difficult decision but it was determined that “certain complications would not permit them to host the shows in the manner intended and that the bands and fans deserved.” Railroad Revival Tour will be giving ticket holders a full refund.

LEE BRICE GETS POLITICAL
UNDATED (AP) – Lee Brice is facing some stiff competition for the best New Artist trophy at the upcoming CMA Awards. In an effort to boost his chances the “Hard to Love” singer has put out some videos – humorous spoofs of political campaign videos that have gone viral. In one ad he defends his position as the leading CMA nominee – and says that “quite frankly” he doesn’t understand why Obama and Romney have to blast each other’s records because as he points out he’s “never heard a record from either of them.” Brice’s opponents in the November 1 “election” for best new artist are Hunter Hayes, Brantley Gilbert, Thompson Square and Love and Theft.

KEITH URBAN PLAYS DIPLOMAT
NEW YORK (AP) - New "American Idol" judge Keith Urban says he's like the UN - playing diplomat between fellow judges Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey. At a New York Film Festival gala Wednesday honoring his wife, Nicole Kidman, Urban said, "We're all passionate people and we're learning a new dance." Kidman thinks her husband will be good for the show. Apart from being the new resident peacemaker, she says he genuinely "loves helping young talent" and she even sees it in the way he is with their daughters. She describes Urban as "very nurturing." Earlier this week TMZ had a leaked video that shows Idol judges Minaj and Carey going at it.

KEITH URBAN-“IDOL” PEACEMAKER
NEW YORK (AP) – Keith Urban is the man in the middle. The new “American Idol” judge had to play peacemaker between Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey. Video leaked to TMZ shows Minaj and Carey in a heated and sometimes profane argument. Urban says he feels like the United Nations. He made the comment on the red carpet yesterday, at the New York Film Festival gala honoring his wife, Nicole Kidman. Idol debuts in January.

TAYLOR SWIFT ON JOHN MAYER
UNDATED (AP) – “Presumptuous” is the word that Taylor Swift chooses to describe John Mayer in a recent interview with Glamour magazine. Mayer took Swift’s song “Dear John” personally and told Rolling Stone said that he was “really humiliated” by the lyrics which made made him feel “terrible.” But Swift, who is featured on the cover of Glamour’s November issue, says she never discloses who her songs are about and she doesn’t want to know the specifics of what Mayer said. As Swift says that’s because she puts a “high priority on staying happy” and knows what she “can’t handle.” Swift explains it’s not because she’s an “egomaniac” who doesn’t want to hear anything negative about herself. She says it’s because she “never developed that thick a skin.”

TV SHOW ‘NASHVILLE’ GETS ITS OWN MUSIC DEAL
BEVERLY HILLS (AP) – Connie Britton, one of the stars of ABC’s upcoming drama “Nashville,” says the opportunity to sing was one of the reasons she took on the role of Rayna James, a country star down on her luck. Britton had no professional singing experience before signing on, but things are apparently going so well that ABC Studios and Big Machine Records – home to artists including Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts – announced yesterday an exclusive partnership to release and market music from the series. Members of the cast including Britton, Hayden Panettiere, and Jonathan Jackson are slated to sing original material created for the series by both new and established songwriters. The show, shot entirely in Music City, offers a window into the world of the record business. Big Machine will release original music from “Nashville” each week on iTunes and ABC’s Music Lounge. The series premieres on October 10.

“THE X FACTOR”-BOOT CAMP
UNDATED (AP) – Willie Jones continues to impress the judges on “The X Factor.” He’s the deep-voiced black teen who sings country. Last night the 17-year-old from Louisiana did “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.” Willie makes it through to the next round. So does Freddie Combs. He’s the minister from Tennessee who weighs 540 pounds. About 120 hopefuls made it through the original auditions to Boot Camp. Half were cut last night. Tonight, the eliminations continue.

CHARLIE PRIDE FINDS A HOME AT THE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM
DALLAS (AP) – He grew up the son of sharecroppers in Mississippi and became one of country music’s biggest stars. Now the Smithsonian in Washington has acquired memorabilia from Charley Pride’s life, including a pair of boots and one of his guitars, for the upcoming National Museum of African American History and Culture. Pride says it was difficult to part with some of the items, but it’s nice to know that they will be in a museum where he can always go visit. Dwan Reece, the museum’s curator of music and performing arts, says Pride is “a great example of a man transcending the barriers of race who was accepted by audiences because he was a good country singer.” Pride, at 78, is still touring and heads to Ireland this month and the U.K. next month. He has three Grammy Awards, dozens of No. 1 hits and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000. The Smithsonian new museum is scheduled to open in 2015.

EMERSON DRIVE READY TO “ROLL”
UNDATED (AP) – Multi-award-winning Canadian group Emerson Drive plans to release their fifth studio album “Roll’ on October 30. The lead single from the new album, “She’s My Kind of Crazy,” has been the highest-selling Canadian country song for the past eight weeks. The next single due out on October 23 is “Let It Roll,” a song written with members of Doc Walker. “Let It Roll” marks the first time two Canadian country bands have ever released a “duet” to radio. Emerson Drive is expected to announce plans for their 2013 tour soon. In the past they’ve hit the road with acts like Shania Twain, Toby Keith and Big and Rich.

SCOTTY MCCREERY MUSEUM EXHIBIT
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – Scotty McCreery has been racking up accolades and awards ever since his winning performance on “American Idol” last year. He’s got a platinum album, ACM and CMT Music Awards and now he has a new museum exhibit dedicated to his achievements. The North Carolina Museum of History is currently showcasing objects donated by McCreery, including the outfit he wore for his final duet on “Idol” back on May 25, 2011. McCreery sang “Live Like You Were Dying” with country music star Tim McGraw. The outfit consists of a black leather jacket, jeans, T-shirt and cross necklace. The exhibit also includes the lyric sheet for “Live Like You Were Dying,” along with his gold record for his first album, “Clear as Day.” The exhibit runs through January 4.

GARTH BROOKS CONCLUDES THREE-YEAR RUN IN LAS VEGAS
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Garth Brooks says he’s “thoroughly enjoyed” his run at Wynn Las Vegas but the show will not go on. The 50-year-old singer will play six more dates this fall concluding his three-year run on November 17. In a news release Brooks called Steven Wynn “the easiest and best boss” he’s ever worked for. Brooks came out of retirement to take the job in 2009. It came with the gift of a jet from Wynn. According to the news release, Brooks plans to film his one-man show next for a possible network special. He’ll be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame later this month.