Country Music News Round-Up- Billy Ray Cyrus, Sugarland, Sarah Buxton & More

• Billy Ray Cyrus claims that he saw a UFO this week.
• Bassist and rhythm guitar player Gene Kurtz passed away at the age of 69. Kurtz wrote the smash 1965 hit “Treat Her Right” and played in a number of different bands including, most recently, Dale Watson’s Lonestars.
• Sarah Buxton announced via Twitter that she and longtime collaborator Jedd Hughes will be releasing an album together “in the very near future.”
• Sugarland pranked Sara Bareilles on the last night of their tour.
• Kellie Pickler has landed a recurring role in the CW series 90210. Pickler also recently announced on stage at the Grand Ole Opry this past week that her newest album is called 100 Proof and will be released on January 24, 2012.
•  “You got the bullets, I got the gun / I got a hankerin’ for gettin’ into somethin’.” Miranda Lambert is back next week with a new album, Four the Record- and she’s got more on her mind than just target practice. Stream the song “Fastest Girl in Town” exclusively on EW.com HERE.
• Check out the review that I did on former IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year Laurie Lewis on her new bluegrass album Skippin’ and Flyin’ over at Engine 145.
• American Idol winner Scotty McCreery has a brand new music video for “The Trouble with Girls.”
• Country singer-songwriter Billy Barton has died at age 81. According to Robert Oermann’s obituary: “Barton is best known for “A Dear John Letter.” As recorded by Ferlin Husky and Jean Shepard, the song was a huge No. 1 hit in 1953. It launched both artists’ hit-making careers. The songwriter also wrote its follow-up, 1953’s “Forgive Me John.” In 1954, Billy Barton wrote the Jim Reeves and Ginny Wright duet “I Love You.” It rose to No. 3 on the national country hit parade. Webb Pierce scored a top-10 hit with the songwriter’s “You’ll Come Back” in 1958.”
• Alan Jackson, Les Paul and Kix Brooks are among the inductees for the Music City Walk of Fame- permanent plaques that will be embedded into cement on Nashville’s Music Mile.
• A whopping twelve artists were named as nominees for the Top Country Artist category in the People’s Choice Awards. Included are the Zac Brown Band, Sugarland, Kenny Chesney and The Band Perry.