Vince Gill Headlining 16th Annual Jammin’ to Beat the Blues Concert April 1 in Nashville

CMAVince Gill will headline the 16th Annual Jammin’ to Beat the Blues concert Tuesday, April 1 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Ashley Monroe, Charlie Worsham and Vince’s daughter, Jenny Gill, are also on the bill.

Proceeds from Jammin’ to Beat the Blues go to the Mental Health of America of Middle Tennessee to fund mental health education and services. Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster.

“Nashville” Recap: Your Wild Life’s Gonna Get You Down

ABCOn Wednesday’s Nashville, country singer Will Lexington rushed girlfriend Layla Grant down the aisle to kill the mounting rumors that he’s gay. Knowing Will is gay, Gunnar Scott refused to be his best man. Gunnar denied his friend is gay when Will’s record label president, Jeff Fordham, asked him about it.

Juliette Barnes grew jealous of her boyfriend, Avery Barkley, spending so much time working on his ex-girlfriend Scarlett O’Conner‘s album. The fact that they were all on tour together made it even more intense, and Juliette began suspecting Scarlett is using drugs to keep up with the demands of a budding country career. Scarlett did turn in a beautiful performance of a piano ballad, “Falling,” on Wednesday night’s episode.

Deacon Claybourne broke up with his lawyer girlfriend, Megan, after discovering she cheated on him with Mayor Teddy Conrad. Teddy’s daughter with Rayna Jaymes, Maddie, recently discovered Deacon is actually her biological father. Maddie posted a video online of herself singing under the name “Maddie Claybourne,” but Rayna pleaded with her to take it down so the secret about Maddie’s paternity wouldn’t become tabloid fodder.

The music of ABC’s Nashville will be featured in a new one-hour music special airing Wednesday, April 23. The show’s stars Hayden Panettiere, Charles Esten, Clare Bowen, Sam Palladio and Lennon & Maisy Stella will perform on Nashville: On the Record that night at 10 p.m. ET.

The special will be taped at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and Bluebird Café, and several of the writers behind the music of Nashville will be featured on the show, too.

Connie Britton, who plays Rayna, has seen several shows at the Ryman Auditorium since making her home in Music City. Seeing Bonnie Raitt play that iconic venue last year was a real high for the Nashville star. She tells us, “That was pretty much my dream come true. Really, watching anything at the Ryman is a dream come true, but to see Bonnie Raitt at the Ryman was just like, ‘OK, I’m done.’”

Nashville returns with an all-new episode next Wednesday night at 10 ET on ABC.

Miranda Lambert Taking Time Off the Road to Recharge Her Batteries

Sony Music NashvilleApart from a few performances like next week’s ACM Awards, Miranda Lambert is taking time away from the stage for the next few months.

She says, “I have a break right now. This is the longest break I’ve ever had since I was 17, since I started playing music, and I’m not touring ’til the summer now.”

Miranda admits taking this much time off the road is a little scary since she’s so used to the groove of playing shows every night. She expects the return to the concert trail to make her a little nervous, too.

“It’s like, wait a minute, do I really, do I remember how to do this?” Miranda says with a laugh. “Wait a minute, what am I supposed to be doing? Am I on stage?”

Having some down time now means Miranda will be ready to go when she her new album, Platinum, comes out June 3.

She says, “It’s good, too, ’cause your batteries are recharged and you feel like you have more to give.”

Miranda is up for seven ACM Awards including Entertainer of the Year. The show airs live from Las Vegas Sunday, April 6 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Miranda is expected to perform her latest hit, “Automatic,” on the show.

Nashville Notes

Burke/Triolo Productions/ThinkstockBrett Eldredge will perform on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers on Tuesday, April 1.

Eric Church‘s The Outsiders returns to the #1 spot on Billboard‘s Country Albums chart six weeks after it bowed at the top of tally.

Lee Brice‘s new single, “I Don’t Dance,” has been selected by TheKnot.com as one of the 12 Hottest Wedding Songs for 2014.

Listen to New Martina McBride-Kelly Clarkson Duet, “In the Basement”

Randee St. Nicholas/RCA RecordsMartina McBride has teamed up with Kelly Clarkson on a new duet, which Martina has posted on YouTube.

The two artists perform together on “In the Basement,” a new version of the 1966 song recorded by Etta James and R&B singer Sugar Pie DeSanto. It doesn’t stray too far from the original.

The track is featured on Martina’s new album, Everlasting, which is a collection of R&B and soul covers.

Everlasting, which also features a duet with Gavin DeGraw, hits stores on April 8.

Luke Bryan Crashes a Wedding Reception and a Baby Shower for ACM Votes

Capitol NashvilleAny country fan would love to have Luke Bryan crash their party, but he’s showing up uninvited in some pretty awkward places in a new ACM Awards video series.

In one clip, Luke crashes a wedding reception and ends up cutting in on the couple’s first dance as man and wife. In another video, Luke crashes a baby shower and gives the expectant mother a framed photograph of himself as a gift.

These videos are meant to drive fans to vote for Luke as ACM Entertainer of the Year, a trophy he won at last year’s show. The polls are now open at VoteACM.com. Luke co-hosts the 49th Annual ACM Awards with Blake Shelton Sunday, April 6 on CBS.

Trace Adkins’ Wife, Rhonda, Files for Divorce Citing Irreconcilable Differences

TraceAdkins.comTrace Adkins‘ wife, Rhonda, filed for divorce Monday in Williamson County, TN citing irreconcilable differences. She is seeking primary custody of the children’s three daughters as well as child support, alimony and legal fees.

Trace sought treatment for alcohol addiction in January after getting in an altercation with a Trace Adkins impersonator on a cruise ship. Trace left rehab in February to be with his ailing father, who passed away days after Trace reached his bedside. The singer returned to complete his treatment program after his father’s death.

Trace Adkins’ spokesperson did not return calls for comment.

Luke Bryan Makes Surprise Appearance at Charlie Daniels’ Veterans Scholarship Fundraiser

ABC/Dick Clark ProductionsLuke Bryan made a surprise appearance at Charlie Daniels‘ annual Scholarship for Heroes Event at Nashville’s Lipscomb University Tuesday night. The show raises money to provide scholarships and other education opportunities for veterans.

Luke told the crowd, “The sacrifices these veterans and their families have made help keep our country free. We should take care of them in whatever ways that we can, and that includes a good college education.”

Kellie Pickler, Clint Black and Lee Greenwood also performed at the fundraiser. For more information, go to Lipscomb.edu/Veterans.

Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker and Zac Brown Band Playing Summerfest Festival in Milwaukee

CMABrad Paisley, Darius Rucker and Zac Brown Band are among the stars playing the Summerfest festival in Milwaukee, WI this summer. The event bills itself as “The World’s Largest Music Festival” and runs June 25 through 29 and July 1 through 6.

Kip Moore, Scotty McCreery, Clay Walker and David Nail are also on the bill. Go to Summerfest.com for ticket information.

“Nashville: On the Record” Special to Shine a Light on the ABC Show’s Music

ABCThe music of ABC’s Nashville will be featured in a new one-hour music special airing Wednesday, April 23. The show’s stars Hayden Panettiere, Charles Esten, Clare Bowen, Sam Palladio and Lennon & Maisy Stella will perform on Nashville: On the Record that night at 10 p.m. ET.

The special will be taped at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and Bluebird Café, and several of the writers behind the music of Nashville will be featured on the show, too.