Blake Shelton Takes It Back

GLAAD president Jarrett Barrios: "Following outrage from community members and allies, Blake Shelton took the right step in speaking out against anti-gay violence and sending an important message to his fans and viewers of The Voice." RELATED: Shelton's original tweet and GLAAD's demand for an apology are here.

Tweet Of The Day - Blake Shelton

Blake Shelton, Country Male Vocalist of the Year and judge on The Voice, will likely be hearing from GLAAD today.

UDPATE: GLAAD reacts.

This is one of the judges on what’s so far been one of the most gay-friendly reality shows on television. For him to make a joke to his 300-thousand-plus followers about leaving a gay man ‘beaten, bleeding and heaving’ is completely unacceptable. One has to wonder how Shania feels about seeing her anthem about strong women and female empowerment turned into a violent threat. Blake Shelton is from Ada, Oklahoma – just a few hours south of where Phillip Nelson was robbed, assaulted and beaten last year. Nelson’s crime? Being gay. We have already called the show’s producers asking them to take action. But right now, Blake Shelton needs to recognize that violence against the LGBT community is not a laughing matter, and he needs to apologize to his fans, and to fans of The Voice, for his comments.

Dolly Loves Her Gay Fans

Reba McEntire Covers Beyonce

I really like this. Stand by for the remixes.

(Via - Buzzfeed)

Rosanne Cash Tweets John Boehner

Johnny Cash's daughter is pissed about this stump speech quote from Speaker-Elect John Boehner: "Remember when Ronald Reagan was president? We had Bob Hope. We had Johnny Cash. Think about where we are today. We have got President Obama. But we have no hope and we have no cash." Ugh.

Anyway, Rosanne Cash is still performing and putting out records, in fact last year's album of country standards, The List, was her highest charting release ever. Below is my favorite Rosanne Cash single, from 1981. I still know exactly where I was and who I was with when I first heard it.

Today In Teabagger Music Videos

Remember when country music wasn't all teabaggery, cloying, tired, faux patriotic cliches? Me either. That's how long it's been.

Today In Crazy Teabaggers

Sausage King Jimmy Dean Dead At 81

Country music star, Grammy winner, and Christian activist Jimmy Dean, who gained his greatest fame as the advertising pitchman for his own line of sausages, died yesterday at the age of 81.

His wife, Donna Meade Dean, said her husband died at their Henrico County, Va., home. She told The Associated Press that he had some health problems but was still functioning well, so his death came as a shock. She said he was eating in front of the television. She left the room for a time and came back and he was unresponsive. She said he was pronounced dead at 7:54 p.m. "He was amazing," she said. "He had a lot of talents." Born in 1928, Dean was raised in poverty in Plainview, Texas, and dropped out of high school after the ninth grade. He went on to a successful entertainment career in the 1950s and '60s that included the nationally televised "The Jimmy Dean Show." In 1969, Dean went into the sausage business, starting the Jimmy Dean Meat Co. in his hometown. He sold the company to Sara Lee Corp. in 1984.

Sara Lee fired Dean as the brand's pitchman in 2003. In 2008 he donated $1M to Wayland Baptist University. Dean will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame later this year. Here's his big hit from 1961, which topped the pop chart for five weeks.

Chely Wright Talks Gay With Oprah

On Wednesday newly out country music singer Chely Wright told Oprah that only two of her industry colleagues have reached out to her since her revelation. "And they all have my email." She also expressed shame for having once told a young gay friend to "get his sin out of my face." Wright said she had to come out because "young people in America are being told by their churches that they are damaged goods." In the bottom clip below, Wright tears up in regret over "having wronged" country star Brad Paisley by dating him.

Country Star Chely Wright To Come Out

TMZ has broken the news that the big celebrity coming out scheduled for this week by PR king Howard Bragman is country star Chely Wright, who has a memoir and new album both debuting this Tuesday. I never heard of her until today, but apparently she's a big deal and has had a lot of hits, including the below, which went to #1 on country in 1999. I was really hoping it was to be Queen Latifah, dammit.