Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert share CMA Award nomination for “Over You”

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert will compete for four awards each when the Country Music Association hands out its annual trophies Nov. 1 in Nashville, Tenn.

But the common number of nods wasn’t all the Tishomingo residents wound up sharing when the 2012 CMA Awards nominations were revealed Wednesday.

The country music power couple is nominated together for song of the year for Lambert’s heartbreaking hit “Over You.” The song of the year prize is awarded to songwriters.

The pair, who wed in 2011, penned the emotional ballad about the death of Shelton’s older brother Richie in a car accident. Blake Shelton was just a teenager at the time, so his wife never met his brother.

“’Over You’ means so much to me and to my husband and to our family,” Lambert said during the June CMT Music Awards, where “Over You” earned the female video of the year trophy.

Shelton and Lambert are among the few married couples to share a CMA song of the year nod. Ed and Patsy Bruce were nominated in 1978 for “Mommas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys.” Sanger D. “Whitey” Shafer wrote “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind” with his third wife Darlene Shafer in 1985 and “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” with his fourth wife Lyndia Shafer in 1987. Tammy Wynette and George Richey, who wed in 1978, wrote the 1976 nominee “’Til I Can Make It on My Own” with Billy Sherrill.

Along with song of the year, Shelton earned a shot at the CMA Awards top prize, entertainer of the year, along with Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley and current titleholder Taylor Swift.

The Ada native also is nominated for male vocalist of the year, an award he won the past two years, and single of the year for his chart-topping ballad “God Gave Me You,” produced by Scott Hendricks. Plus, contemporary Christian singer-songwriter Dave Barnes received a song of the year nomination for penning “God Gave Me You.”

“I never get tired of these ‘Oh-My-God-How-Did-This-Happen?!!’ moments,” Shelton said in a statement. “Thank you to country radio and everyone who casts a CMA vote. I am truly honored.”

Along with her song of the year nomination, Lambert is nominated for music video of the year for “Over You,” directed by Trey Fanjoy. The Texas native also will vie for female vocalist of the year, an award she earned the past two years, and album of the year for “Four the Record,” produced by Frank Liddell, Chuck Ainlay and Glenn Worf. Her previous album, “Revolution,” won the category in 2010.

Thompson Square, another husband-and-wife team with Oklahoma ties, received two CMA Awards nominations. Miami, OK, native Keifer Thompson and wife Shawna are nominated for the second straight year in both the vocal duo and new artist categories.

Norman resident Toby Keith received his 28th career CMA nomination in the music video of the year category for his viral smash “Red Solo Cup,” directed by Michael Saloman.

Carrie Underwood, who hails from Checotah, received her seventh nomination for female vocalist of the year, a trophy she claimed in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

In addition, Underwood and Paisley will return to co-host the awards show for the fifth consecutive year. The 46^th Annual CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 1 on ABC.

Blake Shelton’s Year-Round Christmas Cheer

Blake Shelton enjoys the double-take. Towering above most people at 6’5″, it’s impossible for him to not stand out.
He’s already turned some heads, announcing his release date for his Christmas album, “Cheers It’s Christmas” in the middle of summer.
The album, which consists of duets with the likes of Michael Buble, Reba McEntire and his mother, Dorothy Shackleford, is being released Oct. 2.
Shelton said he’s been looking to do a Christmas album for the last three years, but the project really came together when he pitched Buble, who is also working with Shelton as a mentor on Season 3 of “The Voice.”
Shelton thought Buble’s “Home,” a 2005 track from his album “It’s Time,” “embodied my idea of Christmas,” said Shelton. Via email, Shelton pitched Buble, asking the Canadian singer to rewrite the song to make it holiday appropriate.
“I was too nervous to call and ask him something like that, at least if it’s in email I can feign hacking,” said Shelton. Buble agreed and re-wrote the song, recording a duet with Shelton.
Oklahoma native McEntire also recorded a duet with the country singer. Shelton’s mother, Shackleford wrote and sang “time for Me to Come Home” with Shelton. “The Voice” coach lost his father at age 71 last year, so working with his mother “meant a lot” to Shelton.
Over half the album is made up of duets, although Shelton won’t reveal who else he’s collaborating with. “It’s very personal to me, but this album has definitely taken me out of my element and pushed me to really work through a lot of ideas,” said Shelton.

 

Best bets: Blake Shelton and Hugh Laurie

Best bets: Blake Shelton, Hugh Laurie, Phife Dawg and more

 

1. Mike Trainor and Kevin McCaffrey

TruTv tends to put all of its cards on the table. You get what you expect, like its popular "World's Dumbest" series. Comedian Mike Trainor narrates the whole thing, elevating dumb to funny. The commentator, along with his co-quipper Kevin McCaffrey, will bring their stand-up to Morty's next week.
Trainor says, "It's hard to pick my favorite," dumb criminal at this point, as he's done more than 100 episodes. "I was pretty happy recently with a clip where a woman stuffed a mink coat down her pants. It allowed me to say, 'A mink coat? More like a stink coat!' on television. Yes, I have a strange job."
Trainor insists the show isn't just for laughs. It teaches lessons, too. Namely, that we must realize we live in a world with cameras.
"One guy broke into a store that sold security cameras," said Trainor. "There must have been 30 angles of the guy."
8 and 10:20 p.m., Aug. 24-25, Morty's Comedy Joint, 3625 E. 96th St., $12, (317) 848-5500

2. Recalling the Beatles

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra presents a Beatles tribute concert for the fifth year in a row -- cast members of "Beatlemania" performing their "Classical Mystery Tour" show, a touring hit since its creation in 1996. Performers and the Beatle personas they create in the show are: Jim Owen (John Lennon), Tony Kishman (Paul McCartney), John Brosnan (George Harrison) and Chris Camilleri (Ringo Starr). The ISO will not perform.
8 p.m. Aug. 17-18, Conner Prairie, 13400 Allisonville Road, $22 in advance, $27 at the gate, ages 2-12 $11 and $13

3. New West Guitar Group

An all-guitar trio performing music described as ranging from jazz to chamber music to Americana will make its Indianapolis debut. Guitarists Jeff Stein, Perry Smith and John Storie constitute the group, whose newest CD, "Round-Trip Ticket," (Summit) peaked in the Top 20 list of the JazzWeek radio charts. The group was formed several years ago by guitar students at the University of Southern California. It has been honored by Los Angeles Sister Cities Committee.
7 to 9 p.m. Aug. 22, Earth House Collective, 237 N. East St., $5 suggested donation, 

4. Hot Club of Detroit

Putting a 21st-century touch on the classic gypsy jazz guitar style of Django Reinhardt's Quintette du Hot Club de France, the Hot Club of Detroit goes into modern jazz, such as "Seven Steps to Heaven" (a Miles Davis classic), as well as refreshing the Reinhardt repertoire. Band members are Evan Perri, lead guitar; Julien Labor, accordion; Carl Cafagna, sax; Paul Brady, rhythm guitar; and Andrew Kratzat, bass.
7 to 10 p.m. Aug. 18, Jazz Kitchen, 5377 N. College Ave., $15, 253-4900.

5. Blake Shelton

Blake Shelton's singing voice made him a country star, but his speaking voice made him one on TV. The Oklahoma cowboy had been releasing successful country albums, including "The Dreamer" and "Pure BS," for a decade before he was drafted as a judge on "The Voice." Catch Shelton when he hits Indy for this Indiana State Fair appearance.
7 p.m. Aug. 17, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St., $40-$75, (317) 917-2727

6. Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest

Can I kick it? Yes, I can. So here's the scenario: A Tribe Called Quest rose in the 1980s, along with De La Soul, as pioneers of jazz-influenced, enlightened hip-hop. A few decades later, those groups remain highly influential. MC Phife Dawg, who led Tribe with Q-Tip, will be at Blu Lounge this weekend. What's more, he's got a new solo record out just this year. Ladies, extra points if you introduce yourselves as "Bonita Applebum."
9 p.m. Aug. 17, Blu Lounge, 240 S. Meridian St., $10, (317) 955-8585

7. Locals Only finale

And that's the show folks. Tonight's three-billed set, featuring Whoa! Tiger, Jenn Cristy Band and Breakdown, is on the books as the last show at longtime independent music stronghold Locals Only. Grab a beer and enjoy this unique, creative space while it lasts. The club's motto "You don't have to be from here to be local. You just have to be here now" sure makes sense tonight.
8 p.m. Aug. 17, Locals Only Art and Music Pub, 2449 E. 56th St., (317) 255-4013

8. Benjamin Harrison's 179th Birthday Celebration

President Benjamin Harrison may be turning 179, but he sure looks good for his age, thanks to the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site keeping his memory and legacy alive. The celebration will include a concert featuring Alexandra and the Good Batch's original, engaging children's music. The museum will offer free walk-through tours, and there's free ice cream and birthday cake.
1:30 to 4 p.m. Aug. 19, Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, 1230 N. Delaware St., free, (317) 631-1888

9. Hugh Laurie and the Copper Bottom Band

Dr. House was, for eight years, one of the most riveting characters on television, aggravated, passionate and fiercely intelligent. The guy behind House, Hugh Laurie, isn't the same character. He's British, for starters, and actually quite friendly. But they do share one thing: talent. Outside of acting, Laurie is a successful blues musician. His first full album, "Let Them Talk," a collection of classic blues cuts, was released in 2011 to mostly positive reviews.
7:30 p.m. Aug. 22, Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts, 355 City Center Drive, Carmel, $45-$145,

10. Jane's Addiction

Jane's Addiction is the living, breathing definition of "alternative rock," when it meant an alternative to mainstream, watered-down radio metal. Led by Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro, the band was on-again, off-again for much of the past two decades, but they've held it together since 2008, with a new record, "The Great Escape Artist," released earlier this year.

 

Bowyer celebrates win with Blake Shelton

Bowyer celebrates win with Blake Shelton concert

Clint Bowyer doesn't need a reason to throw a party, and he already had one planned even before he won at Sonoma.
Bowyer celebrated the opening of the Bowyer Community Building in his hometown of Emporia, Kan., on Tuesday night with a concert by country star Blake Shelton. The building is located at the Lyon County fairgrounds and was built with funds raised through Bowyer's "79 Fund" charity.
"It was always going to be a big week, starting with all the charity foundation things we had planned, then we go and win the race," Bowyer said in a telephone interview on Wednesday. "It's been the biggest week we've ever had. It just set us up in being able to celebrate, and that we did, let me tell you."
The Tuesday night concert with Shelton was scheduled as the grand opening of the community center Bowyer gifted to the county. The event included a VIP reception inside the center, where Bowyer, Shelton and NASCAR's Kyle Petty conducted a Q&A with fans.
Petty was then the opening act at the outdoor amphitheater in front of a crowd Bowyer estimated to be about 900 people. Shelton, a good friend of Bowyer's, then performed an acoustic show.
"Obviously, in my hometown, that building is something we are very proud of," Bowyer said. "And Blake, he killed it as always. It was really more of an intimate show, and it really showed his talents. Man, we had a good time."
Bowyer won his first race of the season, first career win on a road course, and first since joining Michael Waltrip Racing on Sunday at Sonoma. A day earlier, he auctioned off his 2011 Toyota Tundra custom truck at Barrett-Jackson to raise funds for the Emporia Community Foundation.
Now, he's ready to get back to racing.
"I woke up today wishing I was going to Kentucky," he said. "We've had a good time this last week, and I need to get back to work so I can get some rest."

Country Superstar Blake Shelton

Country Superstar Blake Shelton to Play Penticton in August

Blake Shelton, Academy of Country Music male voice of the year, will perform in Penticton at the South Okanagan Events Centre on Aug. 4.
 The Oklahoma superstar is promising Penticton a boot-stomping good time after taking the country music spotlight in 2001. Shelton has received international attention for his versatile voice and catchy lyrics and is regarded as the genre’s most accomplished vocalist.
 Straight off six back-to-back No. 1 hits, his past three top singles were featured on his Grammy award-nominated album, Red River Blue. Some of Shelton’s most memorable hit singles include Austin, Goodbye Time, Honey Bee, plus a chart-topping rendition of Michael Bublé’s Home.
 This down-to-earth country star also coaches vocalists on NBC reality show, The Voice. His vocalist, Jermaine Paul, recently won The Voice season two and Shelton was the runner-up coach in season one.
 When asked about his career by Billboard, Shelton acknowledges that “I’m still learning, still reaching and growing, and it’s great to have more and more people along for the ride.”
 Shelton was recently nominated for three Teen Choice Awards in the category and has three nominations in the CMT Music Awards for video for the year and male video of the year for God Gave Me You and CMT performance of the year for Footloose.
 Shelton is also nominated for entertainer of the year and male vocalist of the year for the Academy of Country Music Awards.
 Canadian country music singer/songwriter Marlee Scott is set to open for Shelton with chart topping hits Here to Heaven, Beautiful Maybe and Train Wreck.