Amanda Hensel

LeAnn Rimes is already five songs deep into her next album, and she hopes to have it wrapped and on the shelves by the summer of 2012. In a new interview with the Tennessean, the former child star spilled all of the details of how things are coming about with the project, which she says will be more of a traditional country release than her previous works.

Blake Shelton got a glimmer of good news yesterday after a heavy week. His father, Dick Shelton, who was taken to the hospital for pneumonia on Dec. 5, could be released as soon as Friday. The ‘God Gave Me You’ hitmaker breathed a virtual sigh of relief when he announced the potential news to his Twitter followers, saying, “Thank you all for the prayers for my dad… Hoping he gets to go home Friday

The 2011 American Country Awards winners were announced on Dec. 5 in Las Vegas, and though it was only the second annual event, the A-list country music star showing proved that this is one awards show that’s here to stay. With so many beautiful faces and even more talent, handing out awards to name the best of the best is no easy feat.

Garth Brooks is currently playing a string of dates at the Las Vegas’ Wynn Casino, which run through February, but don’t expect him to take his show on the road for a full tour just yet. The 49-year-old country music icon won’t be coming out of retirement, at least until his youngest daughter graduates from college in 2014.

Billy McKnight, Mindy McCready‘s ex-boyfriend and the father of 5-year-old Zander, spoke with the ‘Today’ show this week, but after his appearance found himself with more to say about McCready’s disappearance with his young son in tow. McKnight has since issued an official press release on the matter.

In a time of economic grief, Ronnie Dunn‘s hit ‘Cost of Livin’‘ resonates with many people — not just country music fans. That’s why the song has been picked up as the central theme of two upcoming TV episodes of ‘The Doctors’ and ‘Dr. Phil.’

Toby Keith won’t make his ‘Glee‘ television debut until next week, but a full clip of the ‘Red Solo Cup‘ cover has already hit the web. When an old McKinley High School regular (played by Chord Overstreet) returns in the ‘Hold On to Sixteen’ episode, a party ensues, and the red party cups get passed around like candy — filled with sparkling cider, of course.

As Sugarland‘s Jennifer Nettles remarked, Martina McBride has one of the best voices in music — not just in country, but in all genres. McBride practically floated as she sang her rendition of ‘Please Come Home for Christmas’ on the Dec. 1 ‘CMA Country Christmas’ special, which we’d argue could be the performance of the evening.

Faith Hill knows the true meaning of Christmas — it’s making sure the reindeer are fed. After spilling the intimate details of her holiday traditions with her country cowboy husband Tim McGraw during the ‘CMA Country Christmas’ special, the blonde songstress laid down a good kind of sleepy song: the classic ‘Little Drummer Boy.’

The 2012 Grammy Awards aren’t until February, but the action got a head start with the entertainment-packed Grammy nominations concert when the 2012 Grammy nominees were revealed.

According to reports, Taylor Swift is on a list of females potentially suited to fill the role of Eponine in the new big screen adaptation of ‘Les Miserables,’ as directed by Oscar winner Tom Hooper. A source close to the film claims that Swift has even auditioned already.

It seems that Tim McGraw‘s next 30 years will be even sweeter than the last. A judge has ruled in favor of the ‘Felt Good on My Lips’ hitmaker in his legal battle with Curb Records, which means that the chains have been cut and he’s free to record new music apart from the label.