The 30th anniversary of "A Capitol Fourth" was held on the West Lawn of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. This year's July 4th holiday concert featured performances by Gladys Knight, Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker and the National Symphony Orchestra. American Idol season seven runner-up David Archuleta sang the national anthem. The American Forces Network broadcasted the show to service members around the world.
As part of "A Capitol Fourth," Country legend Reba McEntire received the National Achievement Award. The honor recognizes artists for their dedication to enriching the national legacy of the performing arts and lifetime musical contributions. The first recipient was John Williams in 2003, followed by Gloria and Emilio Estefan in 2005 and Stevie Wonder in 2006.
Eminem's new album debuts at number 1
Rapper Eminem sold 741,000 copies of his Recovery album its first week of release to debut at Number One on this week's Billboard 200. According to Billboard, that's the highest first-week sales since October 2008, when AC/DC's Black Ice sold 784,000 copies. Eminem's previous five albums also entered the chart in the top spot. Jay-Z is the only artist to have more Number One debuts (11).
Buffett postpones Free Concert 
Jimmy Buffett was forced to postpone his free July 1 concert in Gulf Shores, Alabama due to Hurricane Alex. It's been rescheduled to take place on July 11, and CMT (Country Music Television) will air the show live. Jimmy said, "Nobody hates this more than I do, but I guess, as the song says, 'it's hard to reason with hurricane season'." He did, however, play a free show for hundreds of fans on June 30 at a Gulf Shores restaurant owned by his sister.
Yoko Ono to remaster Lennon's solo albums
John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, is working with engineers at London's Abbey Road Studios to digitally remix and remaster all of the late singer's solo albums. The collections will be released on October 5 to commemorate Lennon's 70th birthday on October 9. Ono issued a statement that says, "By remastering 121 tracks spanning his solo career, I hope also that those who are already familiar with John's work will find renewed inspiration from his incredible gifts as a songwriter, musician and vocalist and from his power as a commentator of the human condition. His lyrics are as relevant today as they were when they were first written." She also hopes the releases will "help bring his incredible music to a whole new audience."
Carrie Underwood Prepares for Wedding
Three Country stars will soon be married. Although Carrie Underwood and professional hockey player Mike Fisher have kept their wedding date under wraps, reports indicate they'll exchange vows this Saturday, July 10. Country singers Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton are also planning to wed, as are recently engaged Kellie Pickler and songwriter Kyle Jacobs.
New Album Releases July 6:
"Euphoria" - Enrique Iglesias
"Aphrodite" - Kylie Minogue
"Custom Built" - Bret Michaels
"The Red Album" - The Game
"Beast Mode" - Juvenile
"Flesh Tone" - Kelis
"Tailgate" by Trailer Choir
