The Race Is ON!

Jimmy Carter in his homebase Nashville.

It took a few days ... or two weeks to really get 2014 rolling. The calendar and some bad weather made the month start slow, but everyone is at full speed and the year is quickly getting set up.

Nashville is a tour headquarters, a multi-million-dollar business involving tour bus creators, maintenance, lighting, staging, (not sure why the trucking/hauling comes from out-of-state people) rehearsal halls, musicians, crew, accountants, promoters, publicists and even pilots. Just look what Taylor Swift grossed in 2013 ... drumroll ...$110 million dollars! (avg tix $84.40) She beat the Stones, Bon Jovi and everyone else. That is a very big number.

Taylor is the Queen so as they did with young Elizabeth in Old England ... deal with it! No one is even in her zip code, area code, division or league! Her new CD is in production and her Grammy night possibilities are good. Album of the Year and more. Industry voted; there will be some drama Grammy night for sure..

The next artist with the New Year glow is Luke Bryan. Big announcement at his rehearsal site for his upcoming schedule. He is one busy guy. He will need a vacation at some point this year. From Madison Square Graden to the Hollywood Bowl, from Houston's Reliant Stadium to Soldier Field in Chicago.

Luke's number is up ... His turn to do Chesney like things in the field of dreams. He dreamed of getting to this point. His dreams are about to be realized. Luke will add Spring Break and Farm Tours to his year and not a lot of time for days off, hunting or much else. Just MONEY making!!

He did it all in about seven years. Seven short years since his label signing ... a little over 2,500 days. And the millions that will flow through the business manager's office. Luke has worked hard ... stayed focus and gave the fans what they wanted.

Jason Aldean as a huge year ahead, too. MLB.Com hooks in with Jason and the stadiums will be fun for him as well has help his bank account.

The Trace Adkins story is sad. The story will come out eventually. The cruise ship, booze, a fight with an impersonator ... a Judd on the boat ...Trace in rehab and that's good. How crazy was that? Trace fighting on a cruise ship? Crazy times!

A Trace Adkins impersonator... fighting with Trace Adkins ... odddddddd!!!

Dierks put out his tour schedule this week ... with more folks to come ... The last third of 2014 is still somewhat open. This is where Garth may show up ... Carrie has to get back in at some point .. Taylor and Kenny is slo- mo tour mode ... for this year, anyway.

Katy Perry to run with Kasey Musgraves ... that seems interesting on many levels. Look at the big festivals this season. Seen the New Orleans Jazz Festival? Eric Clapton ...Bruce with E Street Band ... many more under 50 bucks! Of course ,VIP tix much higher ...still, that does sound fun.

Now to get the CD sales up that are in the stink mode.