Country Music News Updates On Tim Robbins, Shania Twain, JD Souther, Suzy Bogguss and Alabama

This Friday morning, there is more country music news around the web than I am able to do complete stories on, so I'm going to give some teasers and then send you to some other sites for some more details. Usually, we'll do full stories on such items, but we didn't want these pieces of information to go unannounced.

* Oscar-winning actor Tim Robbins has signed with 429 Records and will release his album, Tim Robbins And The Rogues Gallery Band, on July 19. You can read a little more about the project HERE or view his website at http://www.timrobbins.net/.

* After getting her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier this week, Shania Twain's next trick will be releasing her first single in over six years during the finale of her Oprah Winfrey Network show Why Not With Shania Twain. It's titled "Today Is Your Day."

* JD Souther may not be a mainstream country radio name today, but ask any songwriter and he's placed there up with the greats. He was the pen behind many of the great hits by the Eagles and has other cuts by acts like the Dixie Chicks and Trisha Yearwood just to name two. More recently, he co-wrote with the boys from One Flew South on their album Last of the Good Guys. Souther has a brand new album called Natural History and it features his own interpretations of many of his greatest hits.

* It's been WAY too long since we heard new music from Suzy Bogguss- good news is that wait is over. Bogguss has a new CD and companion Songbook that will be released on July 18, 2011 at all Cracker Barrel Country Stores. This looks like a serious keeper.

Folk songs are the scrapbook of the American experience, but as music education fades from our public schools, she worried; these beautiful melodies are in danger of being overlooked. She resolved to record these timeless songs in an updated but reverent way.

The hardcover, 96-page book is filled with illustrations, fascinating historical stories about the songs, easy to read sheet music arrangements for piano, voice and guitar as well as personal insights and anecdotes from Bogguss

* In an interview with Bradenton.com, Alabama member Jeff Cook reveals tentative plans for an Alabama reunion tour and possibly even an album into 2012.

We’re talking about doing maybe 20 shows next year,” said Alabama cofounder, singer and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Cook during a recent phone interview. “I feel sure that if we do dates we’ll have a recording to go with it,”