Luke Is King ... Miranda Is Queen

Jimmy Carter in his homebase Nashville.

That does seem to be the verdict these days from the Country award shows and the other buzzmakers. Fine with me. Two good representatives of the format. The ACMs spread the love with the awards this year at their annual party. If it had Miranda on the ballot, though, she got it. Nice to see her pal Kasey Musgraves get some attention, too.

Award shows are coming like local bowling tournaments. Every few days another puts out their nominees: this week Billboard. Luke got six or seven, and the Duck Dynasty Christmas CD even got one for best Country album. TV ratings month of May for the show and somewhere around there the iHeartradio awards. Then the MTV and MTV Movie Awards ... and we just had the Nick awards I'm sure I'm missing one. Maybe one is on now somewhere.

Rare to find a song you don't get tired of. "Wagon Wheel" by Darius Rucker seems to be that song ... so far. Three million downloads! "Cruise," that's another matter ... tired of that, but it was an airplay giant!

Eric Church Outsider's World Tour in the Fall. My ears are ringing with anticipation! Dwight Yoakam his wingman ... and it will make a LOT of money! When is Garth going to announce something? Sort of thought he was going out in the Fall ... hmmm

Back to award shows for a second. AC's Dallas in 2015 is going to be huge on a Texas-size level. Two days at the baseball park followed by one at the Cowboys billion-dollar palace. Tried to do math based on 100,000 seats and I can't even imagine ... Top ticket retail was the diamond package for $612.44 with tax and fees. $1,200 to take a date ... that's JR Ewing living right there!

Country Thunder - West this weekend ... 25,000 with 5,100 in campsites at least ... 95-degree temperatures. Big show and hot talent. Hot fans, too ... 95 in early April ... ouch!

Some folks headed out for Easter vacations now. Never had the need for one of those holidays ... Focusing on Summer. But the idea of less-crowded place is appealing.

The festival schedule for the rest of 2014 is more crowded than the award show schedule.

A big festival every weekend coming up. Toadlick in Dothan, Alabama is next.

The Weather Channel is back on Direct and Craig Morgan is going for his 11th time on an Armed Forced tour. Great news of this week. Craig and Toby are great patriots.

Toby got honored by the ACM at their military special that looks like an award show in late May.

Can't get award shows off the brain ... Faith looked great and ready ... been ready to see her out on the stage more. Where is Kenny Chesney? Missed seeing him and Alan Jackson on the ACMs. Seemed odd not to have them ...Where was Shania? Vegas is her town, right?

Merle Haggard is like a character in the Bible. Bigger than life ... man of few words ... Busier than ever these days ..Hope he can keep rolling ... many concerts on the books this year...

Wish Ronnie Dunn luck on his new CD ... Peace Love and Country Music ... Missed hearing him on ACMs ... Can't have everyone on a three-hour show, but I can still miss him.

Spring fever ... The cherry blossoms are in full bloom around Washington, DC and are off peak in Nashville now. Glad to see Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift and too many others to name in the studio working on the future. I'm ready for Summer...