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I can’t say I’m a supporter of this latest career move. Just because someone let you throw on a pair of daisy dukes doesn’t mean you’re the next heart of the southland! Billboard reports that this Texas pop princess is really just a country girl at heart:

“I am a country girl,” says Jessica Simpson. “I grew up in Texas, and country music was what I listened to. I always wanted to make a country album, but I wanted to wait until the time was right.”

“I think there is a strength in female country artists,” Simpson adds, citing Martina McBride, Shania Twain, Faith Hill and Reba McEntire as some of her inspirations.

Asked what has surprised her most since starting the follow-up to 2006’s “A Public Affair,” Simpson says, “Nashville is a very warm city. The people are friendly and kind. There is a sense of community, which thrives on music. There is no animosity … only respect for one another’s talent.”

Well Jessica, may you find much respect, and hopefully a little talent in your new endeavor. Her newest project is due out of Capitol Nashville later this year.
~WC~

LeAnn Rimes confesses that appearing on awards shows isn’t quite as much fun as simply attending.

“It’s nice to have people all in one place,” she tells the New York Daily News, “but if you’re performing or hosting, it gets pretty busy. You’re running around, you’re changing clothes, there’s some tension, you really don’t get to relax and enjoy the show very much. Thank God for TiVo.”

LeAnn will be both a performer and a segment host this Wednesday, when ABC airs the Country Music Association’s “41st Annual CMA Awards” from Nashville at 8 p.m.

But there’s one thing LeAnn says she will definitely enjoy: singing a duet with Reba McEntire. “Reba’s been one of my idols since I was a little girl growing up in Texas,” she says. “Now she’s also a friend, and it’s such a pleasure any time that I get to sing with her.”

LeAnn could find herself on the nomination side of the show next year for her new CD, Family, which consists of songs incorporating a wide range of styles, from country to pop, rock and blues.

“I think as a singer, that’s always been my natural inclination,” she says. “I love country music, that’s my base, but I don’t want to be pigeonholed. Country has definitely gone mainstream. It appeals to people everywhere now, and not just in America. People in other countries love it, too. It’s become an international music.”

~Courtesyof GACTV.com