Image Courtesy CMAThomas Rhett often talks about the influence his singer/songwriter father Rhett Akins had on his life, but now he's shining a light on the work his mother, Paige, did to make him the man he is today.

"My mom’s a saint," Thomas says. "She’s a very, very sweet lady. So, you know growing up mom was one of the main people that always took me to football practice, or whenever I had a play she’d always take me. She was always there at everything, you know 'cause dad was on the road a lot."

Thomas's mom also made sure he was involved in the church youth group as a kid and instilled him with the values that still guide his life to this day. Thomas's parents are divorced, so his mother was skeptical about him following his father into the music industry at first. Watching Thomas balance his career and his marriage to wife, Lauren, has put his mom's mind at ease, though.

Says Thomas, "Now that she’s seen me do it, she’s very proud of me. She’s one of my biggest fans.”

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Image Courtesy Warner Music NashvilleFrankie Ballard's song "Drinky Drink" is featured in the new comedy, Hot Pursuit, now in theaters. The track appears on Frankie's 2014 album, Sunshine & Whiskey, and it's his first song to be featured in a motion picture.

Frankie says, "I haven't laid eyes on the scene yet, but hopefully it's a sexy place for 'Drinky Drink' to live forever. I know one thing, if [the film's stars] Sofia Vergara and Reese Witherspoon are dancing to it … my life will never be the same."

Hot Pursuit also features Miranda Lambert's new song "Two of a Crime," which she wrote especially for the movie.

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Image Courtesy Mercury NashvilleScotty McCreery returned to Timber Drive Elementary school in his hometown of Garner, North Carolina on Thursday to perform with the school's chorus at the students' year-end concert. Scotty attended the school and sang in the chorus when he was a kid, and he was glad to see the students having so much fun performing music.

Scotty tells Raleigh, North Carolina's News & Observer, "That’s what you want for them. To be happy, and they are young and having fun. It would have a big night regardless of if I was here, but I hope I made their night a little better.”

Scotty heads out on tour with Rascal Flatts starting later this month.

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Image Courtesy Warner Music NashvilleBrett Eldredge might not have the thriving country career he has today without his mother's belief in his talent. When Brett was growing up, his mother drove him to singing gigs near their home in Paris, Illinois, and even ran the sound board as Brett performed.

"I've won the lottery with the mother I have," Brett says. "Everybody says it, but my mom is the best mom in the world. In my mind, she's just so amazing. She really is something special and believed in me when it was just a side thought for somebody else to say, 'Oh, he's a good singer.'"

Now that Brett's dream of country stardom has come true, he depends on his mother to keep him grounded.

Says Brett, "She's always calling me on the road making sure I'm getting enough sleep, making sure I'm being healthy. I'm always trying to make her proud, so she keeps me in check and is the reality I need when I'm in a sometimes unrealistic world traveling all over the place."

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Image Courtesy Valory Music Co.Brantley Gilbert is teaming up with Lynyrd Skynyrd for a new installment of CMT Crossroads. The special premieres Saturday, June 27 at 10 p.m. ET and marks the second time Skynyrd has appeared on the series. Look for the two acts to trade vocals on new arrangements of hits from their respective catalogs.

Brantley and Lynyrd Skynyrd will tape their CMT Crossroads performance June 5 in Franklin, Tennessee.

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Image Courtesy Capitol NashvilleLady Antebellum's Hillary Scott will celebrate her second Mother's Day as mom to her daughter Eisele this weekend.

Says Hillary, "Oh my gosh, I mean, I can't believe my daughter's almost two. It's flown by."

Since Eisele can't buy her any gifts yet, Hillary plans to treat herself to some relaxing spa treatments this Mother's Day.

"I might go get a massage," Hillary says. "Go get a mani-pedi or something."

Hillary also wants to spend some quality time with her daughter, but that's not always easy when her husband, Chris, is around.

Hillary says with a laugh, "I'm just trying to get her out of her daddy's arms as much as I possibly can, 'cause she's a total daddy's girl."

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Comstock/ThinkstockGarth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood will celebrate a milestone wedding anniversary on December 10. How long will they have they been married? ANSWER: 10 years.

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Image Courtesy Chris Hollo/Grand Ole OpryAhead of Mother's Day this weekend, Garth Brooks partnered with ABC's Good Morning America to surprise one special mom with a once-in-a-lifetime gift. Karen Garrison, a farmer's wife, hairstylist and mother of three from Darlington, Wisconsin, was the lucky recipient of an intimate acoustic performance of Garth's  latest single, "Mom."

Garth surprised Karen Friday morning live on GMA, and she was clearly in shock as she soaked in Garth's performance.  Then, her surprise got even better.  

Garth told Karen, "I talked to your husband, OK? We talked quite at length actually. And since you didn't get to come to Chicago [to see my concert],  I'm gonna ask if you would like to jump on the plane and go to the show tonight."

"You can bring your babies and your babies can bring their boyfriend and girlfriend too. And we'll just jump on there and go and I talked to everybody and they said they'll run your farm for a day," he continued. "OK, Fair enough? Can you come?"

After a delighted Karen said she'd join him, Garth had one piece of advice for her: "Honey, you're gonna have to get dressed and get ready!"

Garth's world tour hits Omaha, Nebraska Friday night. 

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Burke/Triolo Productions/ThinkstockGeorge Strait has a new song, "Texas Rising," on the soundtrack to the History channel's upcoming series event, Texas Rising, coming out May 18. Country Music Hall of Fame member Kris Kristofferson also contributed a cover of Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" for the soundtrack. The event series premiers Monday, May 25.

Kenny Chesney gives you an inside look at his experience at the recent Tortuga Music Festival in Florida in the latest installment of his new web series, No Shoes TV.

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Image Courtesy Pearl RecordsGarth Brooks' mother, Colleen, passed away in 1999, but he still laughs when he thinks about her larger-than-life personality.

"My mom was certified nuts," Garth tells ABC Radio. "That's why I love her. She was. She was the life of the party, and never meant to be."

Since Colleen was such a fun-loving parent, Garth and his friends often found themselves having parties at his house. That's not to say Garth's parents were pushovers when it came to discipline, though.

He explains, "They had pretty hard lines. But at the same time my parents were fun."

As he has gone on to raise his own three daughters, Garth has learned that, for better or worse, he is a product of his parents' raising.

"[The] two greatest gifts your parents give you are the people you want to be and the people you don't want to be," Garth says. "Hang on to those things you want to be, and you'll fight the other half the rest of your life. But that thing you want to be -- take it and share it."

As for his mother's lasting legacy in his life, Garth says, "The thing for my mom was her joy. If you ever met my mom, she was just a bundle of joy."

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