Ever wonder what some of your favorite country music artists get for Christmas?  We have some answers for you!

• “The greatest gift I’ve ever received is a letter from my dad a few years back. He wrote about all of his memories of my life through my ups and downs. He told me he was proud and loved me through it all. His greatest words were in the last paragraph, ‘Be at peace with yourself, be at peace with everyone around you and, most important, be at peace with God.’” — Big & Rich’s Big Kenny
• “My favorite Christmas gift is definitely my first Honda 50 motorcycle that I got back in 1984. It was just an amazing gift to have under the tree, and I never will forget seeing that.” — Luke Bryan
• “Every Christmas my hometown radio station would always play ‘Christmas In Dixie’ by Alabama. I always remember lovin’ that song.” — Kenny Chesney
• “My favorite Christmas songs are all of the old hymns and religious songs because the lyrics are very sacred.” — Sara Evans
• “My favorite Christmas food is mom’s homemade brownies. My brothers and I called them ‘reindeer terds.’” — Gloriana’s Mike Gossin
• “We put on the classic Christmas songs by Gene Autry, Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby. We love those.” — Alan Jackson
• “My favorite Christmas present as a kid was a ukulele from my parents, and I loved to carry it with me everywhere!” — the JaneDear girls’ Danelle Leverett
• “My favorite Christmas gift was probably my very first guitar from my Grandpa about 15 years ago. And more recently, I got a red Gibson about 5 or 6 years ago. That red one we use onstage was given to me by my Dad for Christmas years ago.” — Lady Antebellum’s Dave Haywood
• “I really enjoyed the go-cart my mom and dad got me and my brother when we were probably 6 or 7 years old.  We had more fun on that thing, for just hours and hours on end.  It was good times.  Just hanging with him was good.”- Billy Currington
• “When I was in the third grade, I wanted a puppy real bad.  I wanted a miniature dachshund.  My parents told me they couldn’t, so I asked for a dirt bike instead.  Christmas morning, I heard all this yipping and whining…They had gotten me the puppy I wanted.” - Brantley Gilbert
• “I can remember when I was about 6 or 7, I got a Hutch football outfit.  You got the helmet, the shoulder pads, the little jersey, and the pants.  Randomly, it was the New York Jets…I grew up in Southeast Missouri, so the Jets must have been the only one my parents could afford or get in the JCPenny catalog!  I can remember just freaking out.  I was a huge sports fan even then.  I can remember being way too big to even where the stuff and still trying to put it on.  Back then the Jets were horrible, and that was probably the most uncool jersey to wear but I didn’t care.  I would have probably tackled you if you made fun of me.”  - David Nail

You can read more of your favorite artists favorite presents in the newest issue of Country Weekly.

Country Girl wants you to be a Tattle Tale! Have you been to a country concert lately? Run into a country artist while out on the town? We want to hear all about your country music news and entertainment. Email me at countrygirl@countrymusictattletale.com

All quotes from Country Aircheck

As we approach Christmas, we thought we’d share some special Christmas memories with some of your favorite stars. The guys and gals from the JaneDear Girls, Gloriana, Frankie Ballard, and Big Kenny received some very special Christmas presents when they were kids.

JaneDear Girls

My parents gave me a ukulele when I was four years old and I loved to carry it with me EVERYWHERE I went!” says Danelle.

Ever since I was a little girl I’ve been obsessed with horses. I used to read books about horses, watch movies with horses, cut out advertisements of horses for sale in the newspaper and show them to my parents so they knew exactly what kind of horse I wanted. My oldest sister had a bunch of horses, and when I was about 13 she bought a little white Arabian mare named Misty. We had a pasture at our house so I could ride her if my sister was there with her saddle,” Susie remembers. “A few months later on Christmas morning I went out to the living room and saw an English riding saddle, hat, and riding pants. I was so excited I put on all my new riding clothes and saddled up our organ bench just so I could sit on it.”

Gloriana

My favorite Christmas present as a kid was He-Man action figures,” says Michael.

So typical, but I got an Easy Bake Oven as a little girl and I loved it! I wonder if I still have it?”says Rachel.

Frankie Ballard

Back when I played hockey there was a hockey jacket you would get, a red corduroy jacket, all the kids would get it and put patches on it when they got a hat trick or won a championship. I remember finally getting one and freaking out

Brett Eldredge

A few years ago my mom asked my brother and I for a new robe for Christmas. Being the jokesters that we are, we got the idea to get a really old gross robe and smeared brown shoe polish on it to make it look gross because we wanted to see how she would react. She opened it and tried to act like she liked it but I couldn’t keep from laughing my butt off! I was laughing so hard I was crying! Eventually she figured out it was a prank and we went to the other room and brought her a brand new soft, clean robe! I kept the robe for Halloween and dressed up like ‘Cousin Eddy’ from Christmas Vacation!

Big Kenny

The greatest gift I’ve ever received is a letter from my Dad a few years back. He spoke of all of his memories of my life through my ups and downs. He told me he was proud and loved me through it all and his greatest words come in the last paragraph, ‘…be at Peace with yourself, be at Peace with everyone around you and most important be at Peace with God.’ “

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com

Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson will give Nashville Predators fans a dose of their “Xtreme Muzik The Tour” when they perform between the first and second periods of tonight’s game three Conference Semifinal matchup between the Preds and Vancouver Canucks at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Gretchen will perform the title cut from her multiplatinum Here For The Party album, and Big & Rich will follow with their signature hit “Save A Horse, (Ride A Cowboy).”

The three will hit the road, along with special guests Cowboy Troy and Two Foot Fred, for “Xtreme Muzik The Tour” in mid-June for one of the most unique extravaganzas this year. Sharing one eight-piece band on a custom stage that includes, of course, a fully-operational bar as the centerpiece, the unique show will offer something to fans rarely seen in modern touring – the co-headliners will rarely leave the stage. The music will not stop, as Big & Rich and Gretchen perform hit after hit and often join in on each other’s songs.

“Xtreme Muzik The Tour” dates, venues, ticket information and more are available at any of the following websites:

www.BigAndRich.com
www.GretchenWilson.com
www.JohnRich.com
www.BigKenny.tv

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com

StageIt today announced that country artist Big Kenny, from much-beloved country duo Big & Rich, will be performing live on Wednesday, April 27th, at 6 pm PST/9 pm EST exclusively on the web-based platform. Big Kenny will perform songs off his two solo albums, including Long After I’m Gone, for 15 minutes live from his studio in Nashville.

Launched in fall 2010 by CEO and industry veteran Evan Lowenstein, StageIt empowers artists to stream and monetize interactive live experiences directly from their laptop while offering fans a front row seat to a backstage experience.

Big Kenny, who founded the duo Big & Rich in early 2000s with former Lonestar bass guitarist and co-lead vocalist, John Rich, already performed on StageIt with country star Jaron and the Long Road to Love, with whom he recently co-wrote the hauntingly beautiful duet Beautiful Lies.

“We are jazzed that Big Kenny had such a great experience his first time on StageIt that he’s back to do a show all on his own,” said Evan Lowenstein, founder and CEO of StageIt. “It’s the perfect example of what happens when artists are given the opportunity to engage with their fans anywhere, anytime with a unique live experience that can’t be found anywhere else.”

“I have to perform again! Or like a beautiful flower plucked from its stem I will wither and die. StageIt is going to save my life!” said Big Kenny.

Fans can purchase their tickets and check out Big Kenny’s exclusive live performance at Big Kenny on StageIt.

For all things StageIt, including a full list of upcoming shows, please visit http://www.stageit.com or follow us on Twitter @backstageit.

Big & Rich will reunite for the 2011 Xtreme Muzik tour this summer. More information at http://bigkenny.tv/site/xtreme-muzik-the-tour/.

The Twelfth Annual Eco-Energy Best Cellars Dinner will be presented on Monday, April 25 at the Hutton Hotel in Nashville. The event benefits the T.J. Martell Foundation’s Frances W. Preston Labs at Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center.

The Best Cellars Dinner is one of the Foundation’s signature events that is known for pairing the Best Sellers of Country Music  with Best Cellars (Nashville’s top wine collectors) plus an extraordinary gourmet meal prepared by a guest chef. The event has raised more than $1.5 million for the mission of funding ground-breaking cancer research.

The Nashville Best Cellars Dinner welcomes a special group of celebrities that attend the dinner each year. This year’s celebrities include:

•Lisa and Clint Black

•Kix Brooks

•Jonathan Cain (Journey)

•Big Kenny

•Martina McBride

•Kellie Pickler

•Amy Grant

•Blake Shelton

You can read more about the Best Cellars Dinner here.

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com

Five years after completing one of the most successful tours in country music history, multi-platinum powerhouses Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson will hit the road for “Xtreme Muzik The Tour.” The extravaganza, which will include special guests Cowboy Troy and Two Foot Fred, will visit over 30 cities beginning June 18, 2011 in Springfield, Missouri.

Sharing one eight-piece band on a custom stage that includes, of course, a fully-operational bar as the centerpiece, the unique show will offer something to fans rarely seen in modern touring – the co-headliners will rarely leave the stage. The music will not stop, as Big & Rich and Gretchen perform hit after hit and often join in on each other’s songs.

“We’ve been talking about this for quite a while, and we really put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into putting together a show we feel the fans will walk away and say, ‘wow, I’ve never seen anything like that,’” said Gretchen. “You’re going to see me come out and sing on Big & Rich songs, you’re going to see John and Kenny sing on my songs, and there’s no telling where Two-Foot and Cowboy Troy will be!”

“They’ll be up at the bar,” quipped John. “You know, this crew started out with a bunch of us hanging out in little clubs playing all kinds of music,” he added, paying homage to the MuzikMafia movement they started years ago in Nashville. “We want to give our fans not just a great night of music but an experience they’ll talk about for a long time.”

“We’ve been friends for so long,” said Big Kenny, “writing, recording, touring and even watching our kids grow up together. John and I have both done solo projects, which were fun, but we’re ready to get out and make some Big & Rich noise! This set is custom-designed to deliver all the hits that everybody wants to hear.”

A rack of guitars will line the bar, and the bartender will double as the guitar tech – the roadie in charge of keeping all the axes tuned between songs and has them ready whenever a change is needed or a string breaks. Of course, she will also be mixing libations for the performers and any special guest(s) who might be lucky enough to catch the show from that xtreme vantage point.

For “Xtreme Muzic The Tour” dates, venues, ticket information and more, visit any of the following websites, as tour dates continue to be added and announced.

www.BigAndRich.com
www.GretchenWilson.com

Country Girl wants you to be a Tattle Tale! Have you been to a country concert lately? Run into a country artist while out on the town? We want to hear all about your country music news and entertainment. Email me at countrygirl@countrymusictattletale.com

Hot Scots and bold-faced names take Manhattan by storm and get “Dressed to Kilt” at the ninth annual charity event, this year taking place on Tuesday April 5, 2011. Sir Sean and Lady Connery again serve as Honorary Chairmen and introduce to Dressed to Kilt their granddaughter Saskia Connery, who will make her runway debut at this year’s show.

The highly-anticipated event will be held at the Hammerstein Ballroom (311 West 34th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues), beginning with a cocktail reception at 7:30 p.m. followed by the runway fashion presentation at 9:00 p.m.

The theme of the 2011 show, “Country Chic,” draws its inspiration from the world of country music, particularly noting its Scottish roots and origins. Watch this year’s catwalk “rock with country chic,” as designers blur the lines between Haute and Highland, rustic and urban while incorporating modern knits, refined tweeds and classic Tartans with a stylish and western glam.

Recognized as the most prestigious and highest profile Scottish fashion event in the world, this year’s Dressed to Kilt proves to be no exception with celebrity participants including Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Amy Grant, country music sensations Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn, “Big” Kenny Alphin of Big and Rich, Kellie Pickler, Gary Allan and country music trio Stealing Angels. They will be joined by New York’s own Donald Trump and wife Melania Trump, actors Matt Bomer (White Collar), Matthew Settle (Gossip Girl) and Kyle Maclachlan, Canadian electric fiddle group Bowfire, former Victoria’s Secret model and actress Selita Ebanks, Bravo’s Bethenny Frankel of Bethenny Ever After, Broadway actor Matthew Modine, among many, many more.

For tickets and more information on Dressed to Kilt, visit www.dressedtokilt.com.

Country Girl wants you to be a Tattle Tale! Have you been to a country concert lately? Run into a country artist while out on the town? We want to hear all about your country music news and entertainment. Email me at countrygirl@countrymusictattletale.com