The rumors of Carrie Underwood's possible engagement to a National Hockey League star started circulating a few weeks ago on one of Carrie's bigger fan websites. Fans were sure they had spotted Mike Fisher, a gritty, hard-nosed center for the Ottawa Senators, shopping for an engagement ring.

Well, the rumors are true, and the happy couple are now officially engaged. Carrie's Nashville-based publicist, Jessie Schmidt, confirmed that Carrie and Mike are engaged and are very happy. She went on to say that no date has been set for the wedding.

Fisher is an alternate-captain for the Senators and a former Selke Trophy nominee, which is awarded to the best defensive-forward in the N.H.L. He first met Carrie in Ottawa in 2008 when he was backstage at her concert. Word has it that he proposed to Carrie at his home in front of family and friends.

Carrie is currently preparing for her upcoming major North American tour in support of her new album, Play On. The 45-date tour launches on March 11 in Reading, PA and will conclude in Spokane, WA on May 30.

Photo © Arista Nashville

Every once in a blue moon I come across an artist or band who have been around for a while yet are criminally flying too low under the radar. Nashville-based Brother Henry is one of those groups. Fronted by twin brothers, Ned and David Henry, Brother Henry is one of those rare groups where the moment you hear them for the first time, you do a bit of a double-take and say, "Who is that?" I've had the good pleasure of seeing them perform a number of times over the past couple of years, and they never fail to put on an amazing show. The vocal chemistry between Ned and David is remarkable - think the Everly Brothers sprinkled with a dash of Simon and Garfunkel.

Over the years, Brother Henry has either performed shows with or loaned their considerable musical talents to some of the biggest names in country, rock, pop and Americana, including Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, Steve Earle, Ben Folds, the Indigo Girls, R.E.M. and many others.

Brother Henry have just released their fifth studio album, a wonderful gospel CD titled God Is Alive. Even if you're not really into gospel music, this CD is worth listening to. It doesn't sound like any gospel album I've ever heard, and it's extremely refreshing. Ned and David's harmonies are simply a wonder, and the messages in the songs, though definitely spiritual, are subtle and far from pulpit-rattling. It's just a matter of time before a major label picks these guys up.

Brother Henry is performing over the next three days with Jars of Clay in Florida, North Carolina and Georgia. If you're in the vicinity, check them out. I promise you'll become a convert in no time.

Upcoming Brother Henry Shows:

• December 17 - UCF Arena - Orlando, FL
• December 18 - Grace Centre - Mills River, NC
• December 19 - Carriage Lane Presbyterian Church - Peachtree City, GA

Photo © Brother Henry

One of the truly great things about working in the music business here in Nashville is the opportunity to meet some of the stars who make the music that we all love so much. It's even more pleasurable when you learn that a lot of these stars are really just normal folks like the rest of us. Steve Wariner is one of those guys.

Steve recently received a Grammy nomination for his song, "Producer's Medley," from his wonderful new album, Steve Wariner, c.g.p., My Tribute to Chet Atkins. Back before Steve made it as a solo artist, he toured with Chet. Steve was very young back then, and he actually played bass for Chet and not guitar.

Speaking to CMT.com about the song "Producer's Medley," Steve said, "When I toured with Chet, he would talk to the audience and say, 'You know, folks, I'd get lucky every now and then. I'd be with some great artists in the studio, and some great songs would come across my desk.' He never would add, 'And I'm a great producer.' But he'd say, 'Every once in a while, we made some hits. And here's some of those songs."

Among the songs covered on "Producer's Medley" are "Welcome to My World" by Jim Reeves, "The End of the World" by Skeeter Davis, "When You're Hot, You're Hot" by Jerry Reed and "The Three Bells," by The Browns. I write and produce a couple of nationally syndicated radio shows hosted by Jim Ed Brown of The Browns, and I recently had the good fortune of meeting Steve when he came into the studio to discuss his tribute album to Chet. A nicer and more humble "star" you will not meet.

Here's a wonderful link to Steve Wariner performing "Producer's Medley" live in concert.

Hot on the heels of his Grammy nomination, BMI just recognized Steve for his songwriting accomplishments. He picked up his 15th BMI Million-Air award, which signifies that songs written or co-written by Steve have enjoyed more than 15 million spins on the radio. Among his biggest songs are his own 1998 hit "Holes in the Floor of Heaven" (2 million spins), Keith Urban's 2001 hit "Where the Blacktop Ends" (2 million spins) and Clint Black's 1998 No. 1 hit "Nothin' but the Taillights" (3 million spins).

Photo © Selectone

Elvis did it. So did Celine Dion. Countless other big-name acts have cashed in later in their careers by taking their acts to Sin City. Why not Garth Brooks ?

His recent decision to re-launch his performing career in Vegas doesn't necessarily appear to be all about money. Garth did, however, mention in a recent press conference that when the idea of performing in Vegas was still just an idea, he told Wynn Hotel owner, Steve Wynn, that he couldn't possibly afford his services. Garth went on to admit that Wynn surprised him by not only meeting his asking price, but he tossed in a fancy private jet just to sweeten the pot. There's still a little confusion over who actually approached who first. Both men point to the other as the culprit.

Regardless, Garth's first weekend in Vegas is in the books, and by most accounts, it went exceedingly well albeit with a few minor bumps. Apparently there were a few folks in the crowd of 1,500 who weren't too pleased with the sparse nature of the show. For starters, there is no band with Garth. It's just him and an acoustic guitar. No big lights, big sound, smoke, lasers or over-the-top production so prevalent at a proper Garth Brooks concert.

Still, the reviews are in, and the vast majority of folks left happy. During the 100 minute show, Garth performed many of his biggest hits. Sometimes he sang an entire song, while other times he performed only a snippet of a song. He broke some songs down and actually showed the audience how they were written. Songwriting 101! He covered other artists' songs, including a few by personal heroes like Billy Joel and James Taylor. He told stories and was confident and self-deprecating at the same time.

One of the highlights of the evening was when Garth's wife, Trisha Yearwood , joined him on stage to perform a few songs, including "She's in Love with the Boy" and "Walkaway Joe." Garth accompanied her on guitar while singing harmony. Trisha left the stage to a thunderous standing ovation.

Garth is scheduled to perform 15 weekends a year in Las Vegas, though he has the luxury of being somewhat flexible on just which weekends to work.

Photo © Capitol Nashville