Kentucky Gives Day
Date:
April 24, 2013
Time:
12:00 am – 11:59 pm EST
Website:
Kygives.org
Event Summary: Kentucky Gives Day is a 24-hour online fundraising event bringing charities and Kentuckians together for a powerful day of action. The goal is to raise as much money as possible – giving every Kentuckian the opportunity to support causes they care about and giving charitable nonprofits the opportunity to share their story – all through a single online giving site and in just 24 hours! On April 24, 2013, from 12:00am to 11:59 pm, Kentuckians can go to kygives.org, connect with causes they care about and make tax-deductible donations.
Number of Participating Charities:
378 organizations from across Kentucky
How to Give:
1. On April 24th, log on to www.kygives.org
2. Search for a favorite cause or organization.
3. Donate!
4. Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4.
5. Ask your friends to give too!
Goal: Kentucky Gives Day is a chance for each Kentuckian to make a real difference in our Commonwealth by supporting causes he or she cares about. We hope to raise as much money as possible for the participating charities in a 24-hour period through the www.kygives.org website.

Kip Moore is livin’ the life, with a critically-acclaimed debut album, his first single ‘Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck’ earning his first-ever Gold status and a spot on Toby Keith‘s 2013 Hammer Down Tour. Although he’s seeing lots of success, Moore is focused on his career more than ever before. 

Although many country singers may have taken advantage of the party atmosphere that Vegas offers during the 2013 ACMs, Moore knew before his plane hit the ground that he wouldn’t be ‘Up All Night’ in the entertainment capital of the world. He told Taste of Country, “I don’t actually get as wild as everybody else in Vegas,” adding, interestingly, that when he’s in a really wild place he actually becomes more reclusive.

Instead, Moore prefers to focus on work, and wants to deliver an emotionally stirring show to his fans. “I think my show is a little bit of a roller coaster. I think it takes you through a lot of highs and lows… you’re definitely going to get your fun-time songs with ‘Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck’ and then I’m going to really make you feel something with the other songs on the record,” he explains. “I want people to be moved to all different kinds of emotions through a show, not just a linear kind of thing.”

It’s clear that the singer/songwriter has put lots of thought into his music, and it doesn’t leave much time for anything else — even girlfriends. In fact, you can expect that Moore won’t be looking for a woman to say ‘Hey, Pretty Girl‘ to anytime soon, as he says girlfriends are the last thing on his mind. “I actually stay away from that on purpose right now,” he says, adding, “I’m trying to keep all my focus on one thing.”

With the high demand from his sold-out shows and his extreme focus, Moore will continue to be a rising star in the world of country music.

The last hour of voting during the finals of March Bandness was frenzied, to say the least. Thousands of fans of Alabama and the Charlie Daniels Band cast a ballot in the waning minutes. The boys from Fort Payne, Ala. were trailing until the end, when they surged ahead and took the title of Best Country Band of All Time. 

The margin of victory was less than one percent in Randy Owen and company’s favor. It was a valiant battle by both groups and their loyal fans. Both used Facebook and Twitter to urge their longtime supporters to vote and vote often. In the end, the statement was clear: Country groups like Lady Antebellum, the Zac Brown Band and Little Big Town may be hot today, but fans haven’t forgotten the legends that paved the way for them.

March Bandness began with 16 of country music’s all-time greatest groups, and over the course of a month the competition was trimmed to eight, then four, two and finally one. Alabama knocked off Josh Abbott Band, Lonestar and Diamond Rio to get to CDB. The Charlie Daniels Band topped the Dixie Chicks, Lady Antebellum and the Zac Brown Band to reach the finals. Congratulations to both bands on a well-fought competition.

It’s becoming clear that Kellie Pickler is one of the top celebrity dancers on the current season of ‘Dancing With the Stars.’ Her form is improving each week, and she’s growing more and more comfortable with taking risks that partner Derek Hough draws up for her. The ‘Tough’ singer is the country music favorite, especially with Wynonna gone, but we’ve got five reasons  that she will overwhelm the competition and win the mirror ball trophy on ‘Dancing With the Stars.’

Country music fans will step up.

She has a fanbase trained in reality TV voting.

She's adorable.

She's got the right partner.

She's a great dancer.

The big 2013 ACM Awards winners in Las Vegas were Miranda Lambert and Luke Bryan. Lambert took home three trophies, including Female Vocalist of the Year and Single and Song of the Year for ‘Over You.’ The singer couldn’t help but become emotional as she accepted her fifth straight Female Vocalist trophy. 

Bryan was the big winner, however. By taking the Entertainer of the Year trophy he shocked the country music crowd, who were expecting Taylor Swift or perhaps Blake Shelton to win the honor. The ‘Country Girl (Shake It for Me)’ singer is certainly deserving; it’s difficult to argue with the success he’s had the past 12 months. On Sunday (April 7) his fans proved they’re every bit as tenacious as any group in country music.

Below is a full list of 2013 ACM Awards winners. Eric Church also had a big night, as did Jason Aldean and Little Big Town.

2013 ACM Awards Winners:

Entertainer of the Year
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan — WINNER
Miranda Lambert
Blake Shelton
Taylor Swift

Male Vocalist of the Year
Jason Aldean — WINNER
Luke Bryan
Eric Chuch
Toby Keith
Blake Shelton

Female Vocalist of the Year
Miranda Lambert — WINNER
Martina McBride
Kacey Musgraves
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Vocal Duo of the Year
Big and Rich
Florida Georgia Line
Love and Theft
Sugarland
Thompson Square — WINNER

Vocal Group of the Year
The Band Perry
Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town — WINNER
Zac Brown Band

New Artist of the Year
Jana Kramer
Brantley Gilbert
Florida Georgia Line — WINNER

Album of the Year
Carrie Underwood, ‘Blown Away’
Eric Church, ‘Chief’ — WINNER
Taylor Swift, ‘Red’
Luke Bryan, ‘Tailgates and Tanlines’
Little Big Town, ‘Tornado’

Song of the Year
Lee Brice, ‘A Woman Like You’
Eli Young Band, ‘Even if It Breaks Your Heart’
Miranda Lambert, ‘Over You’ — WINNER
Eric Church, ‘Springsteen’
Hunter Hayes, ‘Wanted’

Single Record of the Year
Eli Young Band, ‘Even if It Breaks Your Heart’
Miranda Lambert, ‘Over You’ — WINNER
Little Big Town, ‘Pontoon’
Eric Church, ‘Springsteen’
Hunter Hayes, ‘Wanted’

Video of the Year
Eric Church, ‘Creepin’
Hunter Hayes, ‘Wanted’
Little Big Town, ‘Tornado’ — WINNER
Kacey Musgraves, ‘Merry go round’
Taylor Swift, ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’
Zac Brown Band, ‘ The Wind’

Vocal Event of a Year
Kelly Clarkson (Feat. Vince Gill), ‘Don’t Rush’
Rascal Flatts (Feat. Natasha Bedingfield) ‘Easy’
Kenny Chesney (Feat. Tim McGraw), ‘Feel Like a Rock Star’
David Nail (Feat. Sarah Buxton), ‘Let It Rain’ buxton
Jason Aldean (Feat. Luke Bryan and Eric Church) ‘The Only Way I Know’ — WINNER

Songwriter of the Year
Rodney Clawson
Dallas Davidson — WINNER
Josh Kear
Luke Laird
Shane McAnally

Superstar Carrie Underwood has seen tremendous success over the course of her career, with a total of ten ACM Awards, six Grammys, and all four of her albums debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart. Yet, if her busy lifestyle began to divide her marriage, she’d walk away from it all — as long as husband Mike Fisher was by her side.

The singer acknowledges that with her whirlwind life of touring and her husband’s NHL career, marriage isn’t easy — and it requires sacrifice.

“If Mike ever told me he needed me to quit, I’d quit,” she tells People. “When you make that promise to somebody, and you stand before God and your family and friends, you’ve got to do everything that you possibly can to make that work.”

Lives filled with glitzy stardom often seem to bypass that level of commitment, and it’s refreshing to hear that Underwood would do anything to keep her marriage from being ‘blown away,’ even if her husband isn’t exactly the most romantic guy in the bunch.

Romance, for the busy couple, often means texting frequently, time at home and time spent with friends, as well as dates at Subway — really. “We called it ‘our place’ when we were first dating!” the ‘Good Girl’ singer spills.

Sounds like the sacrifice they’re both willing to put into their relationship is pretty fairytale-like, and it signifies their undying devotion to each other. When Underwood and Fisher celebrate their third wedding anniversary in July, you can bet the adorable couple will be looking forward to many more celebrations, until they’re old and gray. Now, that’s love!

Underwood’s People cover is on newsstands now.