Kellie Pickler Talks Tattoos, Tents and Marilyn Manson in Maxim
Kellie Pickler has done so much work for the USO, it’s no wonder she’s featured on the cover of Maxim magazine in this month’s military-themed issue. Describing some of her favorite USO memories, she said, “This past trip, we were at Camp Spann in Afghanistan, and there’s a little chapel there. It’s nothing fancy, but it has a lot of love, and my whole band and I stayed up one night until 3 a.m., picking with the soldiers who played guitar. We had a picking party.” But she also talks about how much her late grandmother hated tattoos. She would say, “Tattoos are the devil!” But judgment aside, Pickler has her grandmother’s name and a couple of USO stars inked on her skin. But the part I love the most is when she talks about her dumpy accommodations in the Middle East. “When we went to Iraq, we stayed in one of Saddam’s palaces. It was kind of creepy. If those walls could talk, there’s no telling what stories they’d tell,” she said. “It’s nicer than a tent, but in some ways a tent might be better, you know?“
Tim McGraw Pays Tribute to Colorado Shooting Victims
The July 20 shooting massacre at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, which left 12 dead and dozens injured, happened just one day before Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney were set to bring their Brothers of the Sun tour to Denver (about 20 miles from Aurora). The country stars decided the show must go on, but they took time out to offer their condolences to the local fans, who were understandably still trying to make sense of the tragedy.
“I’m thinking about y’all and we’re praying for y’all,” Tim shared. “Our job tonight is to come out here for just a little while and put a smile on your face, to cut loose, have a good time and have a party in remembrance of all the fine folks who lost their lives. But before we do that, we wanted to do something for you guys that we thought might lift your souls a bit.”
Carrie Underwood to Perform on ‘The Today Show’ Summer Concert Series
Breakfast TV will get a country injection on Wednesday, Aug. 15, as Carrie Underwood is confirmed to perform on ‘The Today Show’ Summer Concert Series. It was announced this morning (July 24) and confirmed in a press release from Underwood’s reps that she will indeed perform at Rockefeller Center.
‘The Today Show’ Summer Concert Series sets usually take place on Fridays But the program’s producers have planned a full week of outdoor shows following the 2012 Summer Olympics and they’ve recruited Underwood for a hump day gig.






