The Country Vibe News

Trace Adkins

After a hard-fought battle against his friend Penn Jillette, Trace Adkins was crowned the overall champion on last night’s All-Star Celebrity Apprentice.  For their final task the two men had to create a unique ice cream flavor for Walgreen’s DeLish brand, they had to create a TV commercial and organize an ice cream social including entertainment and star power, selling tickets for as much money as they could raise.  Trace created Maple Macadamia Mash-Up ice cream and he managed to raise $664,000 through his party, although $100,000 of it didn’t count toward his final total because Tim Tebow delivered the check after the deadline.  Some of the other guests at his party included Billy Ray Cyrus, Wynonna, Thompson Square and The Oak Ridge Boys.  Before the winner was announced, Trace felt he deserved to win because he said, “I think I delivered the best ice cream, I made the best commercial, I put on the best show, I brought in the biggest celebrities and I raised the most money.”

For winning last night, Trace won an additional $250,000 for the American Red Cross, his chosen charity this season.  If our math is correct, going into last night’s finale Trace had already won $710,000, combined with the $664,000 he brought in and the $250,000 grand prize, that means Trace won $1,624,000 for the American Red Cross this season on All-Star Celebrity Apprentice.  The charity is close to his heart because they helped his family when their home burnt to the ground back in 2011, but also, because as he said last night, “There’s a Red Cross volunteer right this second helping somebody in this country.”

After a hard-fought battle against his friend Penn Jillette, Trace Adkins was crowned the overall champion on last night’s All-Star Celebrity Apprentice.  For their final task the two men had to create a unique ice cream flavor for Walgreen’s DeLish brand, they had to create a TV commercial and organize an ice cream social including entertainment and star power, selling tickets for as much money as they could raise.  Trace created Maple Macadamia Mash-Up ice cream and he managed to raise $664,000 through his party, although $100,000 of it didn’t count toward his final total because Tim Tebow delivered the check after the deadline.  Some of the other guests at his party included Billy Ray Cyrus, Wynonna, Thompson Square and The Oak Ridge Boys.  Before the winner was announced, Trace felt he deserved to win because he said, “I think I delivered the best ice cream, I made the best commercial, I put on the best show, I brought in the biggest celebrities and I raised the most money.”     For winning last night, Trace won an additional $250,000 for the American Red Cross, his chosen charity this season.  If our math is correct, going into last night’s finale Trace had already won $710,000, combined with the $664,000 he brought in and the $250,000 grand prize, that means Trace won $1,624,000 for the American Red Cross this season on All-Star Celebrity Apprentice.  The charity is close to his heart because they helped his family when their home burnt to the ground back in 2011, but also, because as he said last night, “There’s a Red Cross volunteer right this second helping somebody in this country.”

Kenny Chesney

Kenny Chesney played to over 43,000 fans at Milwaukee’s Miller Stadium this past weekend and he used the opportunity to wish his good friend George Strait a happy 61st birthday by getting the entire crowd to sing “Happy Birthday” to him.  Kenny filmed them singing and promised to email it to George.  He also chose that show to debut the song “When I See This Bar” off his Life on A Rock album, with special guest Eric Church (who does not sing on the version on the album).  “’When I See This Bar’ is the kind of song you have to have lived,” explains Kenny. “Most people do, they just never step back and realize what all those lost nights, afternoon beers and friendships really mean. They make you who are, get you through tough things and get you laughing… Obviously, ‘When I See This Bar’ is important to me; I know Eric’s been there, too, and knows that power of place, so it was great to get him up there.”

  Kenny Chesney played to over 43,000 fans at Milwaukee’s Miller Stadium this past weekend and he used the opportunity to wish his good friend George Strait a happy 61st birthday by getting the entire crowd to sing “Happy Birthday” to him.  Kenny filmed them singing and promised to email it to George.  He also chose that show to debut the song “When I See This Bar” off his Life on A Rock album, with special guest Eric Church (who does not sing on the version on the album).  “’When I See This Bar’ is the kind of song you have to have lived,” explains Kenny. “Most people do, they just never step back and realize what all those lost nights, afternoon beers and friendships really mean. They make you who are, get you through tough things and get you laughing… Obviously, ‘When I See This Bar’ is important to me; I know Eric’s been there, too, and knows that power of place, so it was great to get him up there.”

George Strait

George Strait will celebrate his 61st birthday tomorrow, and he’s on the verge of celebrating his 60th #1 song of his career, which gives him more #1 songs than any other artist in history, including Elvis and the Beatles.  When George thinks about what he’s done right to get him to this point in his career he says, “I don’t really know exactly how to answer it because I think the most important thing is the songs.  That’s what this business is all about.”  So he gives a lot of the credit to the incredible songwriters who have given him so many of his hits.  And once he has the songs, he says, “We go out and tour we just try to do the best shows we can.  I’ve had great fans.  They’ve been so loyal over the years and I’ll see fans sometimes that have come out during the 80’s and they’re still coming out and that’s pretty special.”

Plenty of other artists cite George as one of their musical heroes, idols, influences, whatever you want to call it and they have incredible respect and admiration for his career so far.

Justin Moore says, “George I’ve seen a number of times and he’s kind of like Elvis Presley.  He don’t move near as much but what I mean by that is he can stand there and do any little thing and nobody takes their eyes off of him.  Whatever ‘it’ is, obviously he has it, to go along with an incredible sense of what songs to cut and write and he sings the snot out of ‘em.  He to me is the prime example of what country music should be.  He’s everything good about country music.”

Eric Church shares one of his favorite memories involving George Strait that perfectly illustrates why he is the King of Country Music.  He says, “My wife and I one night, we’re both huge music fans and George Strait fans, and we sat down one night and we tried to name songs, whether they’ve been number ones or top fives or top tens or our favorite song.  We tried to go back and forth all night long and before we did it we got out a bottle of Jack Daniels and we were going back and forth.  And you know you’ve had a successful career and you’ve made your mark when the Jack ran out long before we’d even covered a third of the songs that had impacted our lives from George.  I think there’s a reason he’s called King George.  I am a fan.  I will always be a fan and I’m indebted to the impact he’s made on my music and on all music.”

Dierks Bentley considers George Strait one of his musical heroes and he says, “I love George Strait as much as anyone else in this town and he still typifies what’s cool about country music.  I think he’s the coolest thing there is as far as country music goes and it’s just good to see that he’s still going strong – still making great records, still cutting great songs.”

Brian of Florida Georgia Line wears his love for George Strait … a lot.  “I’ve got this vintage George Strait shirt and I get yelled at all the time because I wear it just about every other show,” he laughs.  “But I got it off eBay.  I think it’s from the 1991 tour and it’s all just shredded up basically.”  But he loves the shirt because he says, “When I think of George Strait I think of country music and he’s just got that voice.  You know immediately it’s George Strait and it’s kind of always been that way.  He’s a legend for sure.”

Darius Rucker has a lot of favorite George Strait songs, but if he was forced to pick just one ultimate favorite he says, “I guess my favorite is ‘Give It Away.’  I wish I’d written that song.  I wish I’d cut that song.  Some day 15 years from now, 10 years from now, I may cut that song.  It’s the perfect country song and the way he sings it, his delivery, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything countrier than that.”

  George Strait will celebrate his 61st birthday tomorrow, and he’s on the verge of celebrating his 60th #1 song of his career, which gives him more #1 songs than any other artist in history, including Elvis and the Beatles.  When George thinks about what he’s done right to get him to this point in his career he says, “I don’t really know exactly how to answer it because I think the most important thing is the songs.  That’s what this business is all about.”  So he gives a lot of the credit to the incredible songwriters who have given him so many of his hits.  And once he has the songs, he says, “We go out and tour we just try to do the best shows we can.  I’ve had great fans.  They’ve been so loyal over the years and I’ll see fans sometimes that have come out during the 80’s and they’re still coming out and that’s pretty special.”   Plenty of other artists cite George as one of their musical heroes, idols, influences, whatever you want to call it and they have incredible respect and admiration for his career so far.   Justin Moore says, “George I’ve seen a number of times and he’s kind of like Elvis Presley.  He don’t move near as much but what I mean by that is he can stand there and do any little thing and nobody takes their eyes off of him.  Whatever ‘it’ is, obviously he has it, to go along with an incredible sense of what songs to cut and write and he sings the snot out of ‘em.  He to me is the prime example of what country music should be.  He’s everything good about country music.”   Eric Church shares one of his favorite memories involving George Strait that perfectly illustrates why he is the King of Country Music.  He says, “My wife and I one night, we’re both huge music fans and George Strait fans, and we sat down one night and we tried to name songs, whether they’ve been number ones or top fives or top tens or our favorite song.  We tried to go back and forth all night long and before we did it we got out a bottle of Jack Daniels and we were going back and forth.  And you know you’ve had a successful career and you’ve made your mark when the Jack ran out long before we’d even covered a third of the songs that had impacted our lives from George.  I think there’s a reason he’s called King George.  I am a fan.  I will always be a fan and I’m indebted to the impact he’s made on my music and on all music.”   Dierks Bentley considers George Strait one of his musical heroes and he says, “I love George Strait as much as anyone else in this town and he still typifies what’s cool about country music.  I think he’s the coolest thing there is as far as country music goes and it’s just good to see that he’s still going strong – still making great records, still cutting great songs.”   Brian of Florida Georgia Line wears his love for George Strait … a lot.  “I’ve got this vintage George Strait shirt and I get yelled at all the time because I wear it just about every other show,” he laughs.  “But I got it off eBay.  I think it’s from the 1991 tour and it’s all just shredded up basically.”  But he loves the shirt because he says, “When I think of George Strait I think of country music and he’s just got that voice.  You know immediately it’s George Strait and it’s kind of always been that way.  He’s a legend for sure.”   Darius Rucker has a lot of favorite George Strait songs, but if he was forced to pick just one ultimate favorite he says, “I guess my favorite is ‘Give It Away.’  I wish I’d written that song.  I wish I’d cut that song.  Some day 15 years from now, 10 years from now, I may cut that song.  It’s the perfect country song and the way he sings it, his delivery, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything countrier than that.”