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Taylor Swift, country music’s darling and one of last year’s concert sensations, will be returning to the United States for more dates of her sold-out “Fearless” tour. On March 10, 2010, she will be playing a concert in Austin, TX, at the Frank Erwin Center at the University of Texas. Tickets for the Austin concert went on sale on October 23, along with 14 other show dates, and all sold out within minutes. Kellie Pickler will join 19-year old Taylor and new artist Gloriana will open for Swift on all of the shows on the tour.st

Taylor’s second album, titled “Fearless”, was the highest debut in country music for 2008, with several chart-topping releases, including “White Horse” and “Love Story” and showed the music world that she was a crossover talent. She also was recognized by the Academy for Country Music for her ability to attract younger fans to the genre. Taylor was also nominated for country music’s Entertainer of the Year, becoming the youngest country artist to achieve that. Her two albums have sold almost 600,000 unites combined in digital downloads, which meant that her albums are the top two bestselling country albums in digital sales.

At the MTV Video Awards, Taylor found herself at the center of the viral media universe when she won Best Female Video for “You Belong to Me”. Kanye West, reportedly inebriated, leaped onstage, took the microphone from Swift and shocked everyone by saying that Beyonce’s video for “Single Ladies” was one of the best videos of all time. The incident backfired on West, who was lambasted in in the press, and after Taylor appeared on The View, Kanye called Taylor to apologize.

Taylor Swift has also been recognized for her philanthropic efforts, even as a teenager. She launched a campaign in 2007 to protect children from internet predators. She has also generously given to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and the Red Cross. She famously made a $100,000 donation to the Red Cross after the Iowa flooding of 2008

The Frank Erwin Center in Austin was originally constructed in 1977 for the University of Texas at Austin, and in 2003, the Center completed $55 million in renovations. The renovations included safety upgrades, improvements to the Lone Star reception hall, concession stands and new scoreboards.

Fans of Swift who are lucky enough to be attending the concert and are coming from outside of Austin, there are several hotels near the Frank Erwin center, including Sheraton, La Quinta Inn and Super 8. To drive to the Frank Erwin Center, (From the Austin Bergstrom International Airport) 1. After exiting airport, turn left onto TX-71/E. Bastrop Hwy. 2. Turn right onto I-35. 3. Exit 15th Street/MLK Blvd. 4. Turn left onto 15th St. 6. Turn right on to Red River St.

Next year will see Taylor once again take on an acting role as she appears as part of an ensemble case in the Garry Marshall-directed film “Valentine’s Day”. Swift previously appears in movies with Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers.

Use this free online tool to see all of the cheapest Taylor Swift tickets for Austin, TX in one place.

If you know, then you know. If you don’t know, then you should. George Jones was one of the hardest drinking, fastest living son of a guns in all of country music history. Admittedly living a life modeled after his hero, Hank Williams, George Jones blazed a trail of infamy and heartache across the wide-open plains of country music history. Known for his distinctive voice and loose phrasing style, the exploits of George Jones have passed from mere stories into legend.

According to a Country Music Television poll, Jones is the “the greatest living country singer” today. In true George Jones style, I’m sure hed say something to the effect, “it’s the living part that’s tricky.” His clever turn of phrases and unusual vocal style can best be sampled on such legendary hits as “White Lightin’” and “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” Then again, all of his songs carry that signature sound.

Of course Jones was famously married to Tammy Wynette. This marriage made in madness was the stuff of legend, often requiring the services of the local sheriff to help them mediate. Of course that’s a fancy word for “cool off.” Between his drinking problem and her drug addiction, it was not the high point of marital bliss for either one of them, When it all came crashing down in 1975, no one was surprised.

Now in his seventies, George Jones has not stopped recording or touring. Indeed, he is on tour this summer and is coming to a local gin joint near you. Though there might no be as much pep in his step, his voice is as rich and full as ever. No one can turn a song like The Possum. For those of you not in the know, that’s his nickname.

Getting your hands on a set of George Jones tickets is as easy as pie. You just have to follow the links to the best little booking service around. Don’t wait until the last minute and fall prey to the scalpers. Get a great ticket at a fair price and sleep well at night. But do it quick, because the Possum is not on tour for long.

A perfect example of a great feel-good song is Rascal Flatt’s version of a 1994 classic Bless the Broken Road. Why? It has a great lyric, infectious melody and the right vocals. The song will definitely get your attention and leave you singing even when the CD player’s stopped playing.

I didn’t know the song before. I didn’t even know of a country group called Rascal Flatts. That all changed four years ago when I saw Carrie Underwood sang the song with the trio on the finale of American Idol 2005. Everything about the song: the way they sang it, the guitar accompaniment and the message touched something deep inside me. Soon, I was scouring the Internet for a downloadable version.

The song and the band started to grow on me when I started to listen to it regularly. Bless the Broken Road was infectious. I then listened to three different versions of the song: Rascal Flatts’ acoustic and original version, as well as the Idol performance. But regardless of how many versions I listen to, they all had the same effect on me.

The song was originally written for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1994. After that, three more singers have recorded it but it was Rascal Flatts that made it a huge hit.

The song was included in the country music group’s 2005 album titled Feels Like Today. The song, despite being around for almost a decade, suddenly took the charts by storm. It spent five weeks at the top spot of the Hot Country Singles and Tracks charts and won a Grammy award for Best Country Song.

The song is packed with high quality lyrical content. Simple, straightforward lyrics plus wonderful musical accompaniment make the song a great listening experience. Add to that its inspiring message of not losing hope. It reassures you that there is something better at the end of a rough, tough, and broken road.

The song was initially intended as a mid-tempo song. And though the lyrics are wonderful, it is suited to a slower-paced rendition, not mid-tempo version Rascal Flatts included in their album. It is different from the slower and more serious performance at the Idol finale. It’s more emotional and powerful at that tempo.

Rascal Flatts’ rendition was similar to the original version. It has a mid-tempo and dominated by the piano. The arrangement was superb. When Gary LeVox starts the verse, every word was dropped at a spot where they should be. His vocals didn’t show any sign that he was trying harder than he should to reach the notes. His key was perfect; flawless. It added to the impact of the song. He was throwing the lyrics and notes with ease that when complemented by the piano and mandolin (at the second verse) you can’t help but be taken away, smiling. This is why you, too, should start listening to Rascal Flatts!