Jason Aldean Enjoying Fatherhood

(www.gactv.com)

With a few days off the road for the holidays, Jason Aldean is enjoying spending time with his family, including his oldest daughter, Keeley, who he says is "4, going on 16."

"She'll talk to you like she's in her mid-20s," Jason tells Dial-Global. "She uses words that I don't even know what they mean! She's really smart. I know everybody says that about their kid, but she's very smart, very cool. It's just weird that sometimes when I'm talking to her I forget that I'm talking to a 4-year-old."

Realizing that Keeley gets much of her new vocabulary from TV, Jason says he often jokes with her, "I know you're not getting that from Dora the Explorer, so where is that coming from?"

Jason foresees he will have some challenges when Keeley becomes a teenager. "Believe me, I was a teenage guy. I know what's up!" he says. "I know all the stories. Any guy who comes to my house trying to give me some line — I've used it myself, so it ain't gonna happen."

Jason, who also has a 4-month-old daughter named Kendyl, says that when you have kids, every day you learn something new. He adds, "It's been a very cool experience being a dad."

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Taylor Swift Tickled Pink by Birthday Party

(www.gactv.com)

Last Thursday, before a night of celebration, Taylor Swift started her 18th birthday alone at the computer with a purpose — registering to vote.

"I did it online in my pajamas!" the country-music star told People magazine later that night at her birthday party, hosted by her parents Andrea and Scott, at the popular Nashville nightspot Lot 7.

Taylor spent much of the day with close pals from high school, doing her hair and nails and selecting a short hot-pink Betsey Johnson dress for the party. "It was between this and a black dress," she said, "but I knew all my friends would be in black, so I went with the pink. I love pink!"

Scott Borchetta, president of Taylor's label, Big Machine Records, must have known that because he gave Taylor a bubblegum-pink Chevy truck as a present. Taylor was thrilled, though she added that her fans are the ones who really made her birthday wishes come true.

"What I really wanted for my birthday was a No. 1 record, and I got that, too!" Taylor's third single, "Our Song," jumped to the top of Billboard's Country Singles chart this week, her first No. 1.

The 200 guests at the party included Kellie Pickler, Chuck Wicks, Lady Antebellum and Big & Rich's John Rich, who led the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday." And although the invitation specified no gifts, John gave Taylor a beautiful Judith Leiber purse.

Taylor has had a lot to celebrate lately. After receiving the CMA 's Horizon Award last month, she just scored a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.

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New Alan Jackson Album Coming in March

(www.gactv.com)

Alan Jackson is putting the finishing touches on his new album, Good Time, due March 4, 2008, and featuring his self-penned current single, "Small Town Southern Man."

After releasing two chart-topping albums in 2006 — the multi-award winning inspirational collection, Precious Memories and the Grammy-nominated Like Red on a Rose — Alan shifts his focus to songwriting; for the first time, he wrote every song on the new disc.

The video for "Small Town Southern Man" was shot last week by award-winning director Roman White and will be coming to GAC soon. Other songs on the new album include "Sissy's Song," inspired by a friend of Alan's who passed away, the nostalgic "1976," and "Country Boy," about the joys of being just that. Good Time reunites Alan with longtime producer Keith Stegall, who produced or co-produced all but one of his previous albums.

Alan recently made a guest appearance in the White House's annual "Barney Cam" holiday video, in which President Bush's Scottish Terrier aspires to become a junior park ranger. Alan appears in a dream sequence, saying, "Junior park ranger? Okay, Barney, now you've gone country." The video can be seen at whitehouse.gov/barney.

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Kenny Chesney Has Shoulder Surgery

(www.gactv.com)

Kenny Chesney has been spotted around town in Nashville with his arm in a sling, but his management says it's nothing serious.

So what happened to the country star? A source tells People magazine that Chesney underwent a "minor procedure to his shoulder" to treat pain resulting from an "active lifestyle" and that he is recovering nicely. Chesney's reps had no further comment.

In other news, Kenny has been named Billboard's Top Country Tour of 2007. Grossing more than $71 million dollars and drawing in excess of 1.1 million fans, his Flip Flop Summer tour ranks fourth overall this year behind reunion tours from legendary bands the Police and Genesis and pop star Justin Timberlake.

Upon hearing the news, Kenny said, "We wanna play for whoever wants to come out and rock with us. And part of that is figuring out how to give them a show like they've never seen before — whether it's what we do with the lights, the sand bar down front or what's on the video screens. We're a long way from being on one bus, pulling a trailer, but the connection we have with the fans who come every night is every bit as intense as it was when we were selling out those little clubs."

Kenny also had a strong presence on the radio in 2007. Country Aircheck/Mediabase recently named him Top Performer of the Year for being the single most heard artist in the country format. With four songs in the magazine's 2007 Top 100, Kenny spent a total of 14 weeks at No. 1 this year.

"You can have all the production in the world .. .and a great show, but you also have to have the songs," Kenny said in response to the honor. "If people feel like you're singing about something they know, something they live or really feel, they let you know. They call the radio station, they sing along in a whole other way at your shows. This is one more time where I can feel our fans out there .. .and it blows me away."

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Taylor Swift Turns 18 Today

(www.gactv.com)

 

On the heels of a double platinum debut album, her first No. 1 song and a Grammy nomination, Taylor Swift is celebrating her 18th birthday tonight with a special invitation-only party near downtown Nashville.

Taylor tells Dial-Global that turning 18 for her is "just another birthday" but that she is looking forward to being able to register to vote. She says it's okay if people still refer to her as a "girl" or a "teenager," noting, "I just want people to think of me. I'm not going to complain about how they think of me."

Taylor also tells the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that "there's a lot to be celebrating this year. I've been so blessed."

One of the things Taylor is thankful for is her supportive parents. Having grown up on a Christmas tree farm in Wyomissing, Pa., she says she owes her confidence to her mother. "When I would have school projects to do when I would have to make a presentation, like when I was in fourth grade, we would stay up that whole night before, just practicing different things to say," she says.

Taylor also admits that although she's written a lot of love songs and jokes in concert that guys shouldn't cross her because she'll write a song about them, she has had "only one actual, official boyfriend. I tend to be able to use my imagination and take something that was maybe one conversation and turn it into an entire song," she says.

While most other high school seniors are busy this month working on college applications, Taylor, who is home-schooled, is preparing to record her second CD. She has written more than 20 songs, including one with pop star Colbie Caillat. "I can guarantee you that this [CD] will outdo the first one," she said. "I want to make it a better continuation of the first. I'm not going to throw anyone for a loop by changing styles."

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