Kellie Pickler Discusses Sony Split; Sugarland Stage Collapse Evidence Stolen; New Music Videos

• RaeLynn, the only country artist among the final 12 of last season’s The Voice, has signed a record deal with Republic Nashville.

• Former Dreamworks singer-songwriter Sarah Buxton has started a new band called Skyline Motel with Daniel Tashian, Kate York, and Ian Fitchuk.

• Kellie Pickler sat down with Entertainment Weekly and talked about her recent label split with Sony and how she is more attracted to indie labels at this point in time: “I’ve thought about the major labels versus the more independent ones. The ones that actually can probably do more for you. They have more to prove. [You want] to sign with someone that is about the music and gets you.” 

• Rumors are starting to fly about a Garth Brooks tour in 2014. In other news, his one non-Vegas show was beset by illegal ticket sales.

• Taylor Swift will be honored by the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights for her “commitment to social change” and will receive the center’s Ripple of Hope Award on 12/3. Swift is also the highest-paid entertainer under the age of 30.

• Gloriana’s Rachel Reinert did an interview with MSN’s Wonderwall.  An excerpt: “Pretty much everything has totally changed for us. We were very green when we started this whole thing, to be out on the road. And not to mention the fact that basically our first big tour was right out the gate with Taylor Swift. I think, basically, that kind of really skewed our whole idea of what road life is like, because we got so spoiled getting to play in front of sold-out crowds every single day. [We went] from that to really having to pay our dues, as far as playing some harder shows and having to figure out how to win a crowd over, but then also sprinkling in getting to play with a ton of other artists and see how they do things and get really inspired by that.” 

• Singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth was released from the hospital after a wind-blown piece of equipment fell on her while she was filming The Good Wife.

• The Grand Ole Opry made a short video of Jana Kramer’s Opry debut experience.

• Toby Keith’s “Red Solo Cup” meets “Star Wars” in this fan video.

• Missouri’s Columbia Daily Tribune profiled the Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery, Alabama.

• Loretta Lynn, Jay DeMarcus from Rascal Flatts and Lynyrd Skynyrd are all guests on Poison frontman Bret Michaels’ new album, Bret Michaels and Friends: Get Your Rock On.

• Billboard’s Chuck Dauphin profiled the new Buck Owens box set,Tall Dark Stranger: The Buck Owens & The Buckaroos Recordings: 1969-1975: “With Owens’ 1957-1975 Capitol output now on CD, Bear Family is already working on the next Owens reissue — a box set of his live recordings.”  

• Steel cables, evidence from the Indiana State Fair stage collapse last year, were stolen from an evidence warehouse. It potentially sabotages the lawsuit.

• Tim McGraw’s “Truck Yeah” is the highest charting debut he’s ever had. (Sigh)

• Congratulations to the winner of our Yep Roc giveaway, SunsetPark, our Soul of the Rose handbag giveaway, Melissa, and the Engine 145 t-shirt giveaway, Arlene, Donald, and Ron. Check your email.

• New music videos from the past week or so:

Brandi Carlile – “A Promise to Keep”

Corb Lund – “Gettin’ Down on the Mountain”

Pistol Annies – “Takin’ Pills”

Chatham County Line – “Birmingham Jail”

Lisa Torres – “Car That Runs”

281 South Band – “Texas Nights”

Rich O’Toole – “Drunk Girl”

Moonlight Social – “Heading South”

The Emerald Armada – “I Don’t Mind”

Gloriana – “Soldier Song”

Kellie Pickler – “God Bless America” at MLB All-Star Game

Old Crow Medicine Show – “Bootlegger’s Boy” at the Grand Ole Opry