On May 17, Britney Spears and her husband Kevin Federline will launch their new UPN reality show Britney and Kevin: Chaotic. The six-episode series follows the couple through their courtship, engagement and wedding. Spears told Entertainment Tonight, "I think my fans are going to fall completely in love with him, just like I did." The couple is expecting their first child later this year.
Country star Kenny Chesney surprised his fans by marrying Academy Award-winning actress Renee Zellweger on May 9. The ceremony took place on the Caribbean island of St. John, where Chesney now lives. It's the first marriage for both. Their publicists introduced them to eachother at a tsunami benefit concert that took place on January 15. Chesney released a statement that said, " I am incredibly happy. I may well be the luckiest man alive to be so in love with someone who is so perfect for me. It's hard to imagine that I'm not going to wake up." Ironically, Kenny's 1999 hit "You Had Me From Hello" was based on Renee's famous line from the movie Jerry Maguire.
British singer Seal and Victoria Secret model Heidi Klum were married in Mexico on May 10. The couple recently announced their engagement and upcoming birth of their first child together. Klum has a one-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.
On May 17, Dreamworks Records will release the new album by Country superstar Toby Keith. Honky Tonk University contains 11 tracks written or co-written by Toby. Guests include Merle Haggard, who duets with Toby on She Ain't Hooked On Me No More. The album's title track recently peaked at Number 8 on the Country chart. Toby will kick off a U.S. concert tour in support of the album on June 10. He's performing his third USO tour this week. It includes stops in Guantanomo Bay, Cuba; Germany, Belgium and the Middle East. He'll perform on the May 17 Academy of Country Music Awards via satellite from Baghdad.
The Beatles recently became the first group to earn six Recording Industry Association of America Diamond Awards. The award recognizes shipments of 10 million copies. The Beatles' album 1 reached that level in April. Diamond Awards have previously been presented for their albums The Beatles, The Beatles 1967-1970, The Beatles 1962-1966, Abbey Road, and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
MUSICAL EVENTS/FESTIVALS/BENEFITS:
On May 18, some of today's top Country stars will gather at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas to take part in the filming of a concert celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Academy of Country Music Awards. The awards will be presented May 17 at the same location. Artists scheduled to appear in the television special include Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, and many others. CBS will air the concert in December.
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AWARDS PRESENTATIONS/WINNERS:
The 40th annual Academy of Country Music, (ACM) Awards will be presented on May 17 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tim McGraw leads this year's nominees with six mentions, including Male Vocalist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year. Tim's longtime friend Kenny Chesney, Gretchen Wilson and Alison Krauss each earned five nominations. Following close behind with four nods are Toby Keith, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban. During the live telecast, Garth Brooks will accept the Pioneer Award for the late singer and rodeo champion Chris LeDoux, who lost his battle with cancer this past March. (Full list of nominees at www.acmcountry.com)
Nominations for the 59th annual Tony Awards have been announced. Up for Best Musical are Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Light in the Piazza, Monty Python's Spamalot, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. In the category of Best Original Score are David Yazbek for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Adam Guettel for The Light in the Piazza, John Du Prez and Eric Idle for Monty Python's Spamalot and William Finn for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. For the third consecutive year, Tony-winning actor Hugh Jackman will host the award ceremony, which takes place on June 5 at New York's Radio City Music Hall. (Full list of nominees at www.tonyawards.com)
