Taylor Swift joins a elite group of 2009 newsmakers, as one of NBC's 'People of the Year.' In a special to air Thanksgiving night, host Matt Lauer will spotlight the most fascinating, inspirational, heroic and notorious figures -- and the most-talked about stories of the year.

Also making the list are Nadya Suleman (the so-called 'Octo-mom'), 'Britain's Got Talent' sensation Susan Boyle, NBA star Kobe Bryant, Captain Chelsey ('Sully') Sullenberger, the commercial pilot who landed his jet in the Hudson River and Captain Richard Phillips, who fought off Somali pirates.

NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. has had a rough racing season this year. But in the middle of trying to regain his momentum as a race car driver, he made a pit stop in Nashville for the CMA Awards last week, where -- after much angst and anticipation -- he took the stage to present the Vocal Duo of the Year award with Julianne Hough and rubbed shoulders with some country greats on the red carpet and backstage.

Dale Jr. tells USA Today that because the experience was "way outside" his comfort zone, he "dreaded every moment up until it started happening. From the moment I said I'd do it, which was about a month and a half before, to the moment when I got there, I was thinking, 'What did I do this for?' I sat down, and the first performance went off. I was sitting there thinking, 'Man, I'm going to see a concert with some of the greatest of today's stars. This is pretty cool.' The more it got going, the more I got into it. I knew that would happen. It's just angst and nervousness leading up to it."

Singer-songwriter Harper Simon likes "hippie country music." Something he is less fond of, clearly, is talking about his famous dad -- Paul Simon.

Harper tells the Columbus Dispatch, ""If [audiences] like what I'm doing, they like it. I continue to play -- and, eventually, maybe people will get bored of asking me about that."

Harper's Nashville connections on his just-released self-titled debut album are evident in tracks such as the bouncy 'Tennessee' and in the personnel recruited for much of the disc. The album's producer is Bob Johnston, whose credits include Bob Dylan's 'Nashville Skyline,' several Johnny Cash albums, and, naturally, Simon and Garfunkel.

Before Carrie Underwood met Mike Fisher, she envisioned dating a local boy with all his original teeth.

US Weekly reports that Carrie confesses on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Wednesday (Nov. 18) that when she was set up with the Ottawa Senators hockey player by a member of her band, Mike didn't exactly fit the bill.

"He was like, 'I have this guy for you,'" Carrie recalls of the conversation with her band member. "I was like, 'Oh, that's great! What does he do?'"

When Carrie learned that Mike plays hockey, she asked, "Does he have his own teeth?" "'No, but he's got his really good dentist!,'" came the reply!

Before Carrie Underwood met Mike Fisher, she envisioned dating a local boy with all his original teeth.

US Weekly reports that Carrie confesses on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Wednesday (Nov. 18) that when she was set up with the Ottawa Senators hockey player by a member of her band, Mike didn't exactly fit the bill.

"He was like, 'I have this guy for you,'" Carrie recalls of the conversation with her band member. "I was like, 'Oh, that's great! What does he do?'"

When Carrie learned that Mike plays hockey, she asked, "Does he have his own teeth?" "'No, but he's got his really good dentist!,'" came the reply!

The always candid Dolly Parton has revealed that she's in favor of granting gays and lesbians the rights to marry.

"Sure, why can't they get married? They should suffer like the rest of us do," the outspoken superstar told CNN show host Joy Behar. When Behar suggested Dolly's Southern roots might not mesh with the idea of marriage equality, the singer agreed, "I know that's true."

Dolly's not alone. This year, Reba McEntire surprised some of her conservative fans when she spoke in support of her gay fans and "many gay friends." "Don't judge me and I won't judge you," she said. "Keep an open mind."

Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles, too, recently celebrated her gay fans. "I've always had a large gay following," the singer, who has performed at Gay Pride in Atlanta three times, said. "Particularly in the lesbian community. I am grateful for that ... It also means that I'm a cute girl singing a rock song in an alto voice!"

As for Dolly, the flamboyant entertainer admits she feels a certain kinship with her many gay and lesbian fans."I think it's because they know I'm different too, and it took me a long time to be accepted," she reasons.