After making a splash by performing with each other at last year’s Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, Steven Tyler and Carrie Underwood have decided to do a more lengthy performance together for “CMT Crossroads.”

The current “American Idol” judge and the former “American Idol” will sing in “CMT Crossroads: Steven Tyler & Carrie Underwood From the Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam.” The performance, which will be held in Indianapolis at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, will air live on February 4, the night before Super Bowl XLVI takes place down the road at Lucas Oil Stadium, which is also in Indianapolis.

At the Academy of Country Music Awards, the duo sang Underwood’s hit “Undo It,” followed by a rendition of “Walk this Way,” from Tyler’s band Aerosmith. Underwood has won the prestigious Entertainer of the Year Award from the show two times in the past, in 2008 and 2009. After winning the fourth season of American Idol in 2005, she has since gone on to sell over 14 million albums around the world.

Tyler was a founding member of Aerosmith when the band formed in 1970, and continues to perform with the band while performing his duties as an “American Idol” judge. The band is expected to release a new album later this year.

“American Idol” began its 10^th season last week on January 18, with the second half of the season debut on January 19. Tyler became a judge during the 10^th season, along with Jennifer Lopez. That was the season that original judge Simon Cowell left, leaving Randy Jackson as the only remaining judge from the original season of “American Idol,” since Paula Abdul had left before Cowell. This year’s season premiere has already been the talk of many media reports because it was the lowest rated debut since the first season of reality singing competition.

There’s a reason the USA Today has called the CMA Music Festival the “crown jewel of Country Festivals,” and it usually has to do with the multitude of high caliber talent the event attracts. And this year stands to be no different, as the lineup announcements for the 2012 version of the festival are made and include names like Carrie Underwood and Lady Antebellum.

Additional big name stars recently announced for the festival include Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Faith Hill, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Zac Brown Band, Jason Aldean and the Band Perry. The festival will be held nightly at LP Field in downtown Nashville from June 7-10 of this year. Additionally, daytime concerts as well as autograph booths, fan club parties and family activities will be held in Riverfront Park, which is located directly next to the stadium.

CMA Music Festival dates back to 1972, when it was known as Fan Fair. A press release states that a record 65,000 country music fans swarmed the Music City for last year’s event, and that all 50 states as well as 26 nations were represented. The Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau reports that more than $30 million is pumped into the local economy as a result of the festival. Additionally, more than $4.7 million has been donated to local charities to date, supporting Nashville Public Schools music programs and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Words & Music Program.

For the ninth consecutive year, portions of the event will be filmed for a network television special. “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” will be aired on ABC, as it has been since 2005 (the original 2004 broadcast was aired on CBS).

A press release states that these announcements are the initial announcements, and that more artists will be announced in the coming weeks.

Just because college football will be over after the first couple weeks of January doesn’t mean that Louisiana State University’s Tiger Stadium will have to wait until next fall to see any action. The Bayou Country Superfest, taking place in said stadium, has been announced for Memorial Day Weekend 2012, and headliners will include Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean and Rascal Flatts.

The two day Superfest will be the third annual event held at Tiger Stadium, and each night will feature two arena level headliners (Urban and Underwood for Saturday, May 26, and Aldean and Rascal Flatts for Sunday, May 27). Other performers will include Dierks Bentley, Sara Evans, Joe Nichols and Little Big Town, among others.

Perhaps the least known headliner is Jason Aldean, who has just been on the country scene for a little over five years, but has become quite a sensation in that time thanks to hits like “Big Green Tractor,” “Dirt Road Anthem” and “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” a duet with Kelly Clarkson. Both his self-titled debut album and his most recent album, Wide Open, have been certified platinum, and six of his singles have reached the number one spot on the Billboard Country Singles charts.

Carrie Underwood, one of the most successful American Idol alums, has been a fixture in the country music scene since her number one Idol finish in 2005. Both Keith Urban and Rascal Flatts were nearly constant fixtures on the top of the country charts throughout the last decade.

Rounding out the lineup is relative newcomer Jerrod Niemann, who was known as a successful Nashville songwriter working with the likes of Garth Brooks and Jamey Johnson before finding success as a performer. He had a minor hit with his 2006 single “I Love Women (My Momma Can’t Stand)” and then found wider success with the release of his third album, Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury in 2010.

In addition to the music, the festival will also feature tailgating similar to that held for LSU football games and an artist meet and greet area, among other features of the all-day events.

It seems like the Country Music Association can’t get enough of Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood. They have been asked to take on hosting duties for the fourth time for the association’s 45th annual awards show, to be held on November 9 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

The two singers shared the news to their fans via various social networking sites, straight from the set of their new music video, ‘Remind Me’.

“We wanted to take a minute to share some very exciting news…The CMA has asked Brad and me back to host the CMA Awards in November,” Underwood said in an online video posted on YouTube. On the other hand, Paisley tweeted, “Can you believe that? I can’t wait to do it again,” accompanying his 140-character-long expression of flattery and eagerness with a photo of the beach where the music video was being shot.

CMA head Steve Moore explained the choice to re-hire the two country superstars as hosts for this year’s awards. He said that both “have the unique qualities of humor, talent, credibility and natural rapport that makes them a hit with fans and the industry audience.”

Among the honors being vied by the genre’s finest and top-selling artists of the past year are Male and Female Vocalist of the Year, Group of the Year, Musician of the Year, New Artist of the Year, Music Video of the Year, Single and Song of the Year, Vocal Duo of the Year, Musical Event of the Year, and the much coveted Entertainer of the Year, which Brad Paisley won in 2010.

The 2011 CMA Awards will be aired live by ABC-TV.

You don’t have to be old to be a country music royalty, or a veteran in the business to be considered a top paid celebrity, and this has been proven many times over by 21-year old chart topper, Grammy winner and consistent sold-out performer Taylor Swift and ‘American Idol’ winner and also chart topping country superstar Carrie Underwood who is still two years away from hitting the big 3-0. Both country artists have landed a spot in Forbes’ Best Paid Celebrities Under 30 List, with Swift rounding up the top five and Underwood at the 19th spot.

Swift’s $45 million income last year, which mostly came from her sold-out tour, successful releases and a triumphant bid in other non-music ventures such as in fragrances and films, aligned her with the likes of Miami Heat’s LeBron James, seventeen year old pop superstar Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga, who at 25, ruled the Forbes list after raking in $170 million, also mostly attributed to her sold-out Monster Ball tour and the success of her first two studio efforts. Underwood’s estimated income of $15 million is more than enough for her to be included in the top 20.

Swift’s name is also frequently listed in Forbes’ other annual lists such as the Highest Earning Stars list, Celebrity 100, Most Powerful Celebrities and the Highest Earning Women list, proving over and over again that the 21-year old is a force to be reckoned with not only in the music industry but in show business as a whole, and that her accomplishments at a young age is an inspiration that resonates among women, and men as well, regardless of age.

With “American Idol” continuing to search for the next biggest pop culture star on Thursday evenings, both the show’s producers and contestants may want to stop and take a peek at the new “Soul Surfer” trailer. Why? Apart from showcasing some human arm vs. shark action, which is reason enough to watch, the film co-stars Carrie Underwood, “Idol” fourth season winner, who is making her debut in a feature film.

Pay attention wannabe Idols. This is what true superstars look like. However, Underwood is easing her way into Hollywood. In “Soul Surfer”, she takes a backseat to Anna Sophia Robb. Robb plays the lead role of Bethany Hamilton, a wave rider from real life who lost an arm during a shark attack. The trailer debuted at EW.com. It isn’t shy about spotlighting the attack on Hamilton (although we seriously doubt that the movie will be as intently focused like “127 Hours” was on the self-amputation by James Franco, which seemed to go on forever). The shark bite in question features lots of foamy water, screaming and shaky camera work, but no blood. Underwood’s role is a church youth leader who doles inspirational and wise lines out.

The movie is sort of a cross between “Blue Crush,” “Jaws” and many of the inspirational offerings from Disney. We also need to give credit to some slick visual effects that make it appear that Robb really is missing an arm.

“Soul Surfer” is due to be released on April 8, approximately a month before the next “American Idol” champ is crowned.

Country superstar Carrie Underwood is getting hitched to hockey star Mike Fisher at the Ritz Carlton in Georgia this weekend.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, security for the upcoming wedding will be tight as all guests will require security passes and all entrances leading to the Reynolds Plantation at the Ritz Carlton will be closed. The wedding venue is an hour away from Atlanta.

Meanwhile, by the end of this month, it will be business as usual for Underwood as she heads back to the touring scene with Brad Paisley on July 31 as they both perform for the Greenbrier Classic in Fairlea, WV, followed by festival appearances in the Midwest in August.

She’ll resume her “Play On” tour on September 25, with a show in Portland, OR and the rest of the tour will go on till December just before the holidays. The trek caps off in Canada, with a show in Calgary on December 19. Billy Currington and Sons of Sylvia are also scheduled to perform as opening acts for the tour.

2010 Carrie Underwood Concert Tour
July 2010
31 – Fairlea, WV – Greenbrier Classic (w/ Brad Paisley)

August 2010
29 – Highland Park, IL – Ravinia Festival
31 – St. Paul, MN – Minnesota State Fair (w/ Sons of Sylvia)

September 2010
25 – Portland, OR – Rose Garden
27 – San Jose, CA – HP Pavilion at San Jose
28 – Stockton, CA – Stockton Arena
29 – Bakersfield, CA – Rabobank Arena

October 2010
1 – San Diego, CA – San Diego Sports Arena
2 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
3 – Glendale, AZ – jobing.com Arena
6 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
7 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
9 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
10 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
12 – N. Little Rock, AR – Verizon Arena
13 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
15 – Moline, IL – i Wireless Center
16 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
17 – Omaha, NE – Qwest Center
19 – Wichita, KS – INTRUST Bank Arena
20 – Oklahoma City, OK – Ford Center
22 – Memphis, TN – FedExForum
23 – Mobile, AL – Mobile Civic Center
25 – Tampa, FL – St. Pete Times Forum
26 – Jacksonville, FL – Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
27 – Duluth, GA – Arena at Gwinnett Center
29 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum
30 – Charlotte, NC – Time Warner Cable Arena

November 2010
1 – Cleveland, OH – Wolstein Center
3 – Toronto, Ontario – Air Canada Centre
5 – Long Island, NY – Nassau Coliseum
6 – Manchester, NH – Verizon Wireless Arena
12 – Roanoke, VA – Roanoke Civic Center
13 – University Park, PA – Bryce Jordan Center
15 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
16 – Baltimore, MD – 1st Mariner Arena
29 – Auburn Hills, MI – The Palace of Auburn Hills

December 2010
1 – St. Louis, MO – Chaifetz Arena
2 – Evansville, IN – Roberts Stadium
4 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena
5 – Sioux Falls, SD – Sioux Falls Arena
7 – Rapid City, SD – Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Ice Arena
8 – Casper, WY – Casper Events Center
10 – Billings, MT – Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark
12 – Bozeman, MT – Brick Breedan Fieldhouse
14 – Yakima, WA – Yakima Valley SunDome
16 – Vancouver, British Columbia – General Motors Place
18 – Edmonton, Alberta – Rexall Place
19 – Calgary, Alberta – Pengrowth Saddledome

Country music superstar and American Idol season 4 winner Carrie Underwood went off to Las Vegas with her closest girlfriends to spend the last few days of her singlehood in classy fashion, despite being in Sin City.

The 27-year old “Jesus Take the Wheel” singer and her friends were said to be seated at a VIP table at the LAVO stage Friday night. With her friends wearing feather boas and the engaged singer wearing a “Bride-to-Be” sash, onlookers say all they did was “goofed around” while Underwood “did the running man”.

Seemed like a clean and “sinless” bachelorette Party in Sin City.

Meanwhile, her soon-to-be better half, Hockey Star Mike Fisher, was seen in Nashville hot spot Cabana, with four of his closest buddies, chugging down on dinner and some drinks. Cabana was also frequented by another Country music chart topper Taylor Swift.

Fisher already had his bachelor party a week prior in Miami’s The Mansion, this time with a slightly bigger group of fifteen men and with hip-hop star Lil Jon taking charge of the music. The guys had Belvedere cocktails while dancing atop of their table. Fisher behaved well though, chugging down only one cocktail throughout the night and was simply amused by the sight of his buddies being silly, but not rowdy.

The couple has managed to keep the details of their wedding hush-hush. When asked about the wedding preparations, Underwood simply said that as long as she, Fisher, their families and closest friends show up, all is well.

Powerful vocals is what Carrie Underwood is best known for. However, her stunning figure is also being lauded. Underwood has the made the 50 Hottest Body list from People Magazine.

Actor Zac Efron heads the list. Carrie is in the number sixth spot, ahead of Megan Fox, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Cameron Diaz. Other celebrities included on the list are Ryan Philippe, Common, Kim Kardashian and Kendra Wilkinson.

Underwood is a longtime vegetarian and does varied cardio workouts, including running, elliptical training and kickboxing to maintain her health. While making an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” earlier this year, Underwood acknowledged it’s challenging try to stay fit while touring. However the country singer says she is committed to remaining healthy, particularly while preparing for her wedding to Mike Fisher, the hockey star.

Tim McGraw, fellow country superstar, also was honored recently. People Magazine named McGraw Country’s Hottest Guy.

Currently, Underwood is out on the “Play On Tour.” Opening acts are Craig Morgan and Sons of Sylvia. “Undo It,” her latest single is No. 6 this week on the charts.

The latest People magazine issue, which includes the Hottest Bodies list, hit store shelves on June 18.

Taylor Swift has been shown by Carrie Underwood who the country music queen really is. Underwood score two big victories at the CMT Music Awards on Wednesday. The former “American Idol” champion prevailed in the public voting. Underwood’s video “Cowboy Casanova” won the top award and her “Temporary Home” rendition on CMT’s program “Invitation Only” took the performance prize.

Going into the night Taylor Swift had three nominations, including female video and video of the year for her song “You Belong to Me.” Both of those awards were won last year by Swift for her song “Love Story.” Swift’s “Our Song” won in 2008. Underwood and Swift lost to Miranda Lambert in the female video category. Her song “White Liar” earned Lambert her very first CMT award. Swift also lost out in the category collaborative video. Her video “Best Days of Your Life” with Kellie Pickler lost out to Trace Adkins and Blake Shelton for “Hillbilly Bone.”

Carrie Underwood three years ago won female video and video of the year awards for her song “Before He Cheats.” These awards have been given out for nine years. Four performers have won twice. Keith Urban (2006: “Better Life”; 2005: “Days Go By”), Toby Keith (2004: “American Soldier,” 2003: “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue”) were also multiple winners. For the very first time Urban was awarded best male video for his song “Til Summer Comes Around.” Keith lost top video for his song “American Ride.”

The group video award was won by Lady Antebellum for the very first time for their song “Need You Now.” Brooks & Dunn, which will be splitting up soon, won duo video award. It was the first time the pair had won the award since “Indian Summer” in 2002. The breakthrough video award went to Luke Bryan for “Do I.” Shaun Silva’s body of work was honored.

The nominees and winners were determined by online fan votes for eight out of nine of the categories. Video of the Year voting was different. Ten semifinalists were pared down to five. They were announced at the beginning of the award’s ceremony broadcast live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on CMT. During the broadcast votes were cast via text messaging and online. Underwood beat out Swift, Lambert, Lady Antebellum and Keith.