By Ashley Dvorkin

Ashley Dvorkin writing in from my backstage room at the CMA’s! Just came off the crowded carpet after talking with stars from Miley Cyrus (who looked stunning in a floor length white gown) to Trace Adkins who is so tall that when I stretched out my arm to put the mic in front of him he thought I was handing it to him- ha! Or maybe I’m just short… Nicole and Keith, Reba, Taylor, a Mr Kid Rock (blog on that later!) And lots more! Ill keep you posted! Just waiting for the winners to come back…
Ill send pics tomorrow from the carpet too!

Some more BMI info from the Producer’s take!

Ashley says: So it was pretty cold out there on the red carpet, but it didn’t stop all the glamorous country stars from dressing to the nines for the black tie event (I overheard that Tayor Swift and Kimberly Schlapman from Little Big Town were bonding over wearing the same gorgeous dress!) The set-up is pretty cool, because the cameras for interviews (like us) are on a platform to ask questions — but just a step away is the cocktail party before the big awards show! So, you just have to look out into the sea of cowboy hats to spot the big names as they all mingle. Kudos to Carl and Dave, our determined camera/audio team, who got us a fantastic spot out there!

This was the night to honor songwriters, and we talked to some about what it is about country that has the fans so loyal — and it seems it all comes down to those storylines everyone can relate to.

Man-of-the-Night Hank Williams Jr. received the ‘Icon’ award, and as our entertainment correspondent Jill Dobson pointed out – we heard FOX was the only outlet that he came by to visit (and I got to ask him about the honor of the night and his legacy on this industry).  It’s not every day you get to talk to an “icon”!

Then there were lots of “idols” to be seen like Kristy Lee Cook, Bucky Covington, and Carrie Underwood of course who did stay for awhile.  The hardworking Jill made sure to get as much as she could since interview time with the hardworking Carrie is difficult to come by!  Overall, a preview to another carpet that I better start getting ready for.. the CMAs!

Blog to you soon!

Fox Entertainment Producer Ashley Dvorkin and I are co-blogging our Nashville trip!

ASHLEY writes:
Just finished chatting with Kristy Lee Cook who’s gearing up for a fun night out in Nashville with the CMA after parties set to be in full swing. The former Idol is watching her first single “15 Minutes of Shame” climb the charts which is super exciting since she hit the ground running right after the show (first of her season with an album!) She talked about getting a place here and how she just got a new horse and of course… Getting ready for tonight!  We saw her last night too at the BMI awards and its easy to see that she’s having fun with the “rising star” status.

On a sidenote, Bucky Covington — another former ‘Idol’ — was at the BMIs too, and we chatted with him. Kristy said she recently worked with him too… Is it just me or is American Idol taking over this town?!  Guess we’ll know the answer if Carrie Underwood is the big winner tonight at the CMAs! (Oh yeah, that superstar stopped by for a great interview with Jill Dobson too last night!) Heading to hotel to get ready for CMAs now… If the rain doesn’t hold me up!

The Nashville f un continues!

I chatted with Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Billy Ray Cyrus and many more at the BMI awards Tuesday night!

Meantime, Fox Entertainment Producer Extraordinaire Ashley Dvorkin interviewed the man of the night, Hank Williams Jr – who only talked to FOX!

She also talked with Kixx Brooks and many other classic country crooners.
A great night with some of country’s biggest stars!  More scoop coming soon!

Jamming at Bo Bice’s place — a great way to spend an afternoon!

We hung out with the “Idol” alum and his band at his Tennessee home and brand-new studio.  The band played some hits for us, and we sat down for an interview with the Southern rocker.

Bice tells us he loves “American Idol” for the opportunities it gave him. The rocker turned serious as he talked about his two trips to visit the troops in the Middle East this year and his gratitude to those who serve.

He also shared his musical influences, from Jim Croce to Jimi Hendrix.

And offered us some down-home Nashville bar-b-que… which, as you can see from the photo, made us very happy!

We’ll share much more in a future blog — now we’re off to our next Nashville event!  Carrie Underwood is waiting!