Country singer Billy Currington grateful ‘for life itself’ after Canadian stage collapse

October 9th, 2009 BROOKS & DUNN will return to the site of America's top country music festival to perform a farewell show in April (09), before hanging up their hats and boots. The duo was among the stars of the first Stagecoach festival in 2007 and Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn have signed up to co-headline next year's event in California, alongside Keith Urban, Toby Keith and Sugarland.

October 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Singer Billy Joel is all set to disclose the good, bad and ugly of his life as he plans to pen his autobiography. The 60-year-old hitmaker has made a 2.25-million-dollar deal with HarperCollins publishers for the memoir.

September 17th, 2009 AVRIL LAVIGNE has confirmed reports she and her husband DERYCK WHIBLEY have split after three years of marriage - but insists she is "grateful" for her time with the rocker. The pair's marriage has been under the tabloid spotlight for much of this year, amid rumours the Canadian couple had parted ways.

September 9th, 2009 List of CMA nominationsENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR — Kenny Chesney — Brad Paisley — George Strait — Taylor Swift — Keith Urban FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR — Miranda Lambert — Martina McBride — Reba McEntire — Taylor Swift — Carrie Underwood MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR — Kenny Chesney — Brad Paisley — Darius Rucker — George Strait — Keith Urban NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR — Randy Houser — Jamey Johnson — Jake Owen — Darius Rucker — Zac Brown Band VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR — Eagles — Lady Antebellum — Little Big Town — Rascal Flatts — Zac Brown Band VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR — Big & Rich — Brooks & Dunn — Joey + Rory — Montgomery Gentry — Sugarland SINGLE OF THE YEAR (Award goes to Artist and Producer) — "Chicken Fried" by Zac Brown Band, produced by Keith Stegall, Atlantic Records — "I Run To You" by Lady Antebellum, produced by Victoria Shaw and Paul Worley, Capitol Records Nashville — "In Color" by Jamey Johnson, produced by The Kent Hardly Playboys, Mercury Nashville — "People Are Crazy" by Billy Currington, produced by Carson Chamberlain and Billy Currington, Mercury Nashville — "Then" by Brad Paisley, produced by Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois, Arista Nashville ALBUM OF THE YEAR (Award goes to Artist and Producer) — "American Saturday Night" by Brad Paisley, produced by Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois, Arista Nashville — "Defying Gravity" by Keith Urban, produced by Dann Huff and Keith Urban, Capitol Records Nashville — "Fearless" by Taylor Swift, produced by Nathan Chapman and Taylor Swift, Big Machine Records — "Love On The Inside" by Sugarland, produced by Byron Gallimore, Kristian Bush, and Jennifer Nettles, Mercury Nashville — "That Lonesome Song" by Jamey Johnson, produced by The Kent Hardly Playboys, Mercury Records SONG OF THE YEAR (Award goes to Songwriter(s)) — "Chicken Fried" by Zac Brown/Wyatt Durrette — "I Told You So" by Randy Travis — "In Color" by Jamey Johnson/Lee Thomas Miller/James Otto — "People Are Crazy" by Bobby Braddock/Troy Jones — "Then" by Brad Paisley/Chris DuBois/Ashley Gorley MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR (Award goes to each Artist) — "Cowgirls Don't Cry" by Brooks & Dunn featuring Reba McEntire, Arista Nashville — "Down The Road" by Kenny Chesney (with Mac McAnally), Blue Chair Records, LLC & BNA Records — "Everything But Quits" by Lee Ann Womack (duet with George Strait), MCA Nashville — "I Told You So" by Carrie Underwood featuring Randy Travis, 19 Recordings/Arista Nashville — "Old Enough" by The Raconteurs featuring Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe, Third Man Records/Warner Bros. Records MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR (Award goes to Artist and Director) — "Boots On" by Randy Houser, directed by Eric Welch — "Love Story" by Taylor Swift, directed by Trey Fanjoy — "People Are Crazy" by Billy Currington, directed by The Brads — "Start A Band" by Brad Paisley (duet with Keith Urban), directed by Jim Shea — "Troubadour" by George Strait, directed by Trey Fanjoy MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR — Eddie Bayers — Drums — Paul Franklin — Steel Guitar — Dann Huff — Guitar — Brent Mason — Guitar — Mac McAnally — Guitar

September 3rd, 2009 Blues singer JESSE FORTUNE has died after collapsing onstage during a show in New York. He was 79. Fortune was pronounced dead at Mt.

August 15th, 2009 LONDON - Natalie Cole has been thanking her stars and the anonymous fan who donated a kidney to her, letting her enjoy a new lease of life. The singer, who suffered a kidney failure caused by hepatitis C, underwent a life-saving kidney transplant.

August 12th, 2009 LONDON - Rock band Aerosmith have shelved three more Canadian concerts as lead singer Steve Tyler recovers after a fall from the stage during a performance. The dates will be rescheduled.

August 4th, 2009 KEVIN COSTNER is keen to return to the site of a Canadian music festival tragedy - to play a part in a benefit for the country fan who lost her life there. The actor and his band Modern West were just about to perform at the Big Valley Jamboree in Alberta on Saturday (01Aug09) when a tornado brought the stage down, killing festival-goer Donna Moore, 35, and leaving 80 others injured.

August 4th, 2009 Lorrie Morgan joins Broadway's 'Pure Country'NEW YORK — Country music star Lorrie Morgan has been added to the cast of "Pure Country," which is expected to open on Broadway early next year. Producer Randall Wreghitt (REGG'-it) says Morgan will join Joe Nichols, another well-known country singer, in the musical based on the hit 1992 movie starring George Strait and Lesley Ann Warren.

August 3rd, 2009 Country star BILLY CURRINGTON has been been released from hospital after he was hit by debris from a stage collapse at a country music festival in Canada. The singer was performing the last song of his set at the Big Valley Jamboree country festival in Alberta on Saturday (01Aug09) when high winds tore down the stage he was on.

June 24th, 2009 NEW YORK - Singer Billy Joel missed his daughter Alexa Ray Joel's Father's Day performance in hometown Hamptons. However, mother Christie Brinkley and half-brother, Jack, 11, were by her side, singing and dancing along at the concert.

June 24th, 2009 Billy Crystal takes '700 Sundays' on the roadNEW YORK — Billy Crystal is taking his acclaimed stage autobiography, "700 Sundays," on the road this fall. "700 Sundays" was a Broadway success during the 2004-2005 season, playing to sold-out houses and winning a Tony Award for special theatrical experience.

June 22nd, 2009 NEW YORK - If sources are to be believed, singer Billy Joel and his third wife Katie Lee parted ways after they couldn't agree on when to start a family. "Billy wanted to get going now.

June 19th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Billy Joel's ex-wife Christie Brinkley has broken her silence on the rocker's recent split with wife Katie Lee. Joel's break-up followed after pictures of the 27-year-old's dirty dancing pictures with Yigal Azrouel got published on U.S tabloids to the dismay of the singer.

June 18th, 2009 Billy Joel and third wife Katie Lee splitNEW YORK — Billy Joel and wife Katie Lee are confirming a split. In a statement, the pair said that they remain "caring friends with admiration and respect for each other." They got married five years ago at Joel's mansion on New York's Long Island.