COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

NEW IN STORES: Darius Rucker, The Band Perry, Lady A

If you're ready to start Christmas shopping, there's a lot of great country music in stores!

• Darius Rucker's Charleston, South Carolina 1966 hits shelves today. The title is a nod to his pal Radney Foster's 1992 Del Rio, Texas 1959 reflecting hometowns and birth years of both artists.

• The Band Perry releases their self-titled debut today, but that doesn't mean these newcomers are novices to the business. They've been touring for 15 years, which means that the youngest, Neil, was eight when they started.

• Other projects in stores are The Essential Ronnie Milsap, Miranda Lambert's DVD Revolution: Live By Candlelight and Lady Antebellum's A Merry Little Christmas available exclusively at Target.

TIM McGRAW: Country's Sexiest

 Tim McGraw is Country Weekly's Sexiest Man of 2010. And who would know that better than Faith Hill. Faith says, "When I need a pick-me-up, he just hugs me. He gives the best hugs in the world." Also making the list are Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Gary Allan, Blake Shelton, Chuck Wicks, Charles Kelley, George Strait, Darius Rucker and Luke Bryan.

TAYLOR SWIFT: The Making of Speak Now

One reason for all of Taylor Swift's may be all the attention to detail she gives her albums, including her upcoming Speak Now. Besides writing all of the songs for it, she says she took two years "just picking it apart, putting it back together." Fans won't be disappointed when it hits stores October 26th.

REBA McENTIRE: There Are No Accidents

Almost 10 years ago, Reba McEntire was on her way to London to perform on the TV special The Stars Sing the Beatles and ended up starring in Broadway's Annie Get Your Gun. After a freak accident disabled the Concord that she was to fly on, Reba and hubby Narvel attended the play while delayed in New York. She says, "At intermission, Narvel and I both knew that was a show that I had to do."