Blog Posts by Wendy Geller

Taylor Swift has been doing a bang-up job of choosing local musical heroes to join her on every stop of her North American Speak Now tour--so fans were undoubtedly expecting something extra special for the final night of the trek. The tour closed in New York City on November 22, which is a town chock-full of talented musicians--so who did Swift choose?

Well, she not only chose a bona fide legend, she had an extra-special story to accompany her selection. Before introducing James Taylor to the audience, Swift related a little tale in which she had a conversation with her mother about her love for the song "Fire And Rain," which she sang in her chorus class.Taylor Swift, James Taylor, Selena Gomez

According to Swift, her mother replied: "It's really funny that you say that, because you're kind of named after him."

Taylor & Taylor then performed his 1970 classic together, as well as Swift's own "Fifteen."

Keith Urban's fans may have been alarmed at the news earlier this month that he needs to undergo throat surgery in order to remove a polyp on his vocal cords. However, despite the fact that his reps are assuring everyone the procedure is minor--Urban himself decided to take a few minutes and personally reassure his fanbase with a little video saying thanks for the concern and love he's been shown.Keith Urban

What's better than a bunch of country artists performing stellar renditions of tunes by none other than Sir Paul McCartney? Well--if that former sentence didn't stop you in your tracks (sounds pretty intriguing, right?)--what is actually better is that these renditions actually exist, you can purchase an album of them today, and they benefit a worthy cause.

McCartney, whose late wife Linda was a victim of cancer, gave his "wholehearted blessing" to Let Us In Nashville--A Tribute To Linda McCartney--which features such artists as SHeDAISY, Chuck Wicks, Steel Magnolia, Phil Vassar, Ricky Skaggs, and Jeff Daniels, among others. Each artist chose a McCartney-penned tune to cover (ranging from "I Saw Her Standing There" to "No More Lonely Nights"); and all proceeds from the album will benefit the Women And Cancer Fund, a charity established in the memory of Linda McCartney. The organization promotes prevention and awareness tactics, as well as advocates for cancer research.Let Us In Album Cover

Let Us In actually started things out with a bang at the beginning of November, when the artists involved held a concert at the historic Ryman Auditorium hosted by actor/musician Jeff Daniels. Proceeds from the show also benefited the Fund.

Taylor Swift

Back in September, we brought Taylor Swift fans the exciting news that the superstar would be releasing her first-ever live CD/DVD --a package capturing all the highlights of her smashing 2011 Speak Now tour; perfect for those who want to relive the magic of seeing her on stage, or those who weren't lucky enough to score tickets.

Now, even more exciting news! Taylor Swift Speak Now World Tour--Live will be available on Monday, November 21...but we have an exclusive sneak peek at the DVD portion of the set right now! This video clip of "Haunted" can be seen only here at Yahoo! Music prior to the official release of the live set.

If Sherrié Austin's name sounds familiar to many of you, it's not a surprise. Yes, the beautiful Australian brunette did record four country albums and chart some singles in the late '90s and early '00s (including the Top 20 hit "Streets Of Heaven" in 2003) before taking a break from Nashville for a while. However, despite having been out of the country music scene as a solo artist for close to a decade, this singer-songwriter can be recognized from numerous other points in her multifaceted career.

Sherrie AustinFirst of all, fans of the '80s sitcom The Facts Of Life may recognize Austin as the girl who played Pippa McKenna in one of the later seasons. Following that, she signed a pop deal with Interscope Records and eventually made her way to Nashville, but acting never left Austin's blood--she left for New York City in 2005 to pursue theater. Several years later she was back in the swing of Nashville things, writing tunes for top artists such as Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, and George Strait.

And now, in 2011, at the encouragement of her fans, Austin is finally back as a country artist in her own right.

Montgomery Gentry have a lot of things to give thanks about this holiday season--not the least of which include the clean bill of health Eddie Montgomery is enjoying after being diagnosed with cancer last year; plus the release of their latest album, Rebels On The Run, in October.

The latest, however? The duo has just been named artist of the month by NRA Country, a new initiative pairing country stars with the National Rifle Association.

Montgomery GentryTo celebrate their honor, fans can check out an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of their new album, featuring their latest hit single "Where I Come From" at the NRA Country site all through November. Also, they can register to win a prize including autographed merchandise from the band.

Fans who follow David Nail's Twitter feed are generally more likely to hear his thoughts on sports than music. That said, Nail's all-guy persona online is belied by his musical image--that of a emotional and poetic romantic; an artist that is a bit of an anomaly in a genre that's currently favoring its boys more on the outlaw side of things.

David NailNail uses this bit of outsider-ness to stark advantage on his sophomore album, even giving it a title that doesn't sound anything at all like what one might choose to name a country record. Nail admits to being a fan of lush storytellers such as Vince Gill and Glen Campbell; and it shows in his work on this project, which makes a centerpiece out of his rich voice and talent for heartfelt ballads.

One of life's guilty little pleasures for female country-music fans is voting in Country Weekly's annual "Country's Sexiest Man" contest--our genre sure has a lot of good-lookin' dudes, right?!

Trace AdkinsSo, of course, I'm sure it was a tight race with all those hotties in the running. But this year's results are in, and Trace Adkins has taken the title.