It’s been a wonderful week off and I hope all my readers were busy with family and friends as I know I sure was. Here’s what we all missed during our turkey-coma!

Zac Brown Band has pushed “Highway 20 Ride” as their next single and so far radio listeners are loving it as it quickly climbs the charts. This is a good move for them because it shows they have so much more depth than just cheeky songs like “Toes” and “Chicken Fried“. ZBB is still pounding pavement on the Southern Ground tour so look for a stop near you.

Lady Antebellum has released the cover art for their upcoming album “Need You Now“, whose title track has dominated the charts and our brains for the last several weeks. Lady A fans can get a little of what they need now as the trio tours with and opens for Tim McGraw this winter on the Southern Voice tour. Watch for the album to release in early January.

Speaking of Tim McGraw, you can catch him today on Oprah along with Sugarland and several other mainstream artists as Oprah kicks off her holiday season. Congratulations are also in order for Tim and co-star Sandra Bullock as their new movie, The Blind Side, rakes in a whopping $40+BILLION at the box office over thanksgiving weekend, coming in second to New Moon.

Several country music stars are helping you get in the holiday spirit. Joey + Rory have released “It’s Christmas Time” while country newcomer Whitney Duncan revisits the classic Christmas hit “All I want for Christmas is You“. Sugarland is still going strong with their holiday album Gold & Green, and Carrie Underwood is primed and ready for her holiday special that airs December 7th on ABC.

That’s all for now in country music news. Be sure to stay tuned as we bring you more, and announce the winners of our Great Holiday Giveaway!Country Music Photo Gallery