Hot on the heels of her two Grammy nominations and a successful network television holiday special, Carrie Underwood has just announced a 45-date North American tour to support her third album, Play On.

The tour will launch on March 11 in Reading, PA and will conclude on May 30 in Spokane, WA. She will venture into Canada in late March for a couple of dates before returning to the states. Craig Morgan is scheduled to open up for Carrie, as will Sons of Sylvia, a trio of brothers previously known as the Clark Brothers. Adam, Ashley and Austin Clark are featured with Carrie in the song "What Can I Say" from Play On. They also performed the song with Carrie on Carrie Underwood: An All Star Holiday Special.

Carrie's last major tour was in 2008 in support of her album Carnival Ride. She performed 137 shows for over a million fans.

"I cannot wait to perform new music and see familiar faces across the U.S. and Canada!" she said.

Carrie Underwood Tour Dates

• March 11: Reading, PA
• March 12: Albany, NY
• March 13: Providence, RI
• March 15: Portland, ME
• March 16: Bridgeport, CT
• March 19: Atlantic City, NJ
• March 20: Mashantucket, CT
• March 21: Worcester, MA
• March 23: Hamilton, Ontario
• March 24: Kanata, Ontario
• March 26: Trenton, NJ
• March 27: Amherst, MA
• March 29: Wilkes Barre, PA
• March 31: Rochester, NY

• April 1: Pittsburgh, PA
• April 3: Pikeville, KY
• April 6: Columbus, OH
• April 7: Peoria, IL
• April 9: Indianapolis, IN
• April 10: Rockford, IL
• April 12: Fort Wayne, IN
• April 13: Saginaw, MI
• April 14: Lansing, MI
• April 23: Grand Rapids, MI
• April 24: Toledo, OH
• April 25: Cincinnati, OH
• April 27: Richmond, VA
• April 28: Charleston, WV
• April 30: Fayetteville, NC

• May 1: Columbia, SC
• May 2: Augusta, GA
• May 4: Tallahassee, FL
• May 5: Pensacola, FL
• May 7: New Orleans, LA
• May 8: Lafayette, LA
• May 10: Beaumont, TX
• May 12: Austin, TX
• May 13: Corpus Christi, TX
• May 15: Tucson, AZ
• May 18: Fresno, CA
• May 20: Sacramento, CA
• May 21: Reno, NV
• May 22: Las Vegas, NV
• May 29: Everett, WA
• May 30: Spokane, WA

Photo © Arista Nashville

Wow! Two weeks ago I wrote about the backlash a lot of folks felt about Taylor Swift running away with the Country Music Association awards show. I pondered about the meaning and definition of country music and about the blurring of the lines between country, pop and rock. I also reminded everyone that this debate is not a new one and that it's been going on in country music for many decades.

Well, the people have spoken, and the topic has really touched a nerve! So for the sake of more discussion, I decided to print portions of a number of your responses. I've edited these down to what I believe are the meat-and-potatoes of the argument.

Belle Zora: Country critics once bemoaned the influence the singing cowboys of early movies had on pure country music, but Johnny Cash , Marty Robbins, and Merle Haggard all cited Gene Autry as an early influence. Rather than bemoan evolution, it is more fun to simply observe it.

Sandra: Country music is a very broad topic encompassing a wide variety of musical interpretation. To me, any music that has strayed away from traditional county is mislabeled as country. There are only a handful of true traditionalists left, artists like Ray Price, Merle Haggard and George Jones .

Steve: Country music changes daily, but it always remains, as Willie Nelson said, a place where "people tell their life stories."

Feathers: Country is a state of mind, first of all, and it's also a certain musical formulation, ways chords are combined, etc. As to state of mind, Taylor Swift's lyrics are quite country. She writes from the heart, tells a story, makes it real and you believe her when she sings it. Conversely, Carrie Underwood is one of the best singers out there, but I don't believe a word she sings because her songs are so inauthentic, overproduced and beyond her personality. Country music is a mindset, not a certain specific set of instruments, and no single geographic region or stereotyped group of individuals has a monopoly on it.

Charlie Frederick: Country music reflects life's overall umbrella of situations. A good country song is a three minute movie about real life. A great country music artist is one who has been there and done that. Sorry, but to Brad Paisley , Keith Urban , Dierks Bentley and a whole lot of today's artists: unless you've lived it, you really cannot understand it.

Countryfan: Country music has evolved and is probably a little more pop than some people would like, but it is a broad enough label. One can listen to many types of country music. Reject what you don't like and listen to some. It's a wide enough label to make everybody happy!

SwedishMattias: To me, country music is a genre that has a specific sound with instruments like steel guitar, fiddle, and banjo, the root instruments of country. No matter what you call "real country," it has nothing to do with music from the recent CMA awards show. That was nothing but rock-pop music.

John Stannard: Is it or is it not Country? The answer is really very simple. If it sounds like country to you, then it is country for you.

This is obviously an important debate that sparks a lot of passion in country music fans. Please chime in below and give us your two cents!

The rumor mill has been swirling about just why Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn decided to call it a day on the most successful country music duo of all time. But by all accounts, their impending split really does appear to be amicable.

According to both, it's just the right time, and neither is interested in going through the motions when they both feel that their better days as a duo are probably behind them. They have no interest in becoming a nostalgic touring act though they could easily do it, and quite successfully, for many years to come. They are also ready to pursue personal endeavors both inside and outside of music.

Rumors about Brooks and Dunn's demise have dogged the pair for years, partly because of their well-known personality differences. Brooks is easily the more fiery and outgoing of the pair, while Dunn tends to be more shy, preferring to keep things closer to the vest. Their manager, Clarence Spalding, recently likened them to brothers who don't always see eye to eye but can come together when needed to get the job done.

It was Dunn who actually called Brooks one day to tell him that he felt like the duo had run its course, and Brooks agreed with him on the spot. Conversely, it was Brooks who had to do a little convincing of Dunn to load up the semi-trucks one more time for a big blowout farewell tour. Dunn finally came around, and both agree that it's the right thing to do for their millions of loyal fans.

The Brooks and Dunn Last Rodeo tour will visit 47 cities beginning April 23 in Sacramento and ending August 8 in Chicago. Let me tell you from personal experience that Brooks and Dunn put on a tremendous show. It's always a spectacle and very entertaining. Look for Jason Aldean to open up for the first leg of the tour. Gary Allan is scheduled to take over sometime in mid-June.

Photo © Arista Nashville

The Taylor Swift Express just keeps steaming right along. The Grammy nominations are in, and Taylor racked up eight, including nominations in the "Big Three" categories: Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Taylor's unwitting partner in the Kanye West-MTV Awards fiasco, Beyonce, led the way with 10 nominations. She'll go head to head against Taylor in the Big Three, as will freaky enigmatic pop-sensation, Lady Gaga.

Of her eight nominations, Taylor said, "To be recognized by the Grammys is the ultimate honor. The last couple of months have been a nonstop dream come true."

Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles said that Swift's remarkable success is a great thing because "she's brought a lot of young people into country music." This may be true, but judging from a number of comments from my recent blog on the blurring of the lines in country music , more than a few folks don't believe that Taylor's success is actually converting new fans to country. Time will tell.

I did see a couple of pleasant surprises in the Grammy nomination list. Kudos to Lee Ann Womack for her nomination in the category of Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her song "Solitary Thinkin'." It's a wonderful song, and it would sure be nice if country radio gave it more of a chance. The same goes for Jamey Johnson and his well deserved nomination in the Best Male Country Vocal Performance category for his song "High Cost of Living."

CBS will televise the 52nd Grammy Awards from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, January 31, 2010 from 8-11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

And for those thinking about (or hoping for) any more drama between Kanye, Taylor and Beyonce, Kanye has been nominated for three awards, so chances are excellent he'll be in the house.

Can you say "steel-cage match?"

Photo © Big Machine