Trisha Yearwood appeared as both singer and chef on the CBS 'Early Show' this week. After performing several songs for a packed New York City crowd, she made her way over to the set's kitchen to teach viewers how to make a special Fourth of July menu.

"We love to cook," Yearwood told CBS. "My mom and my sister made me a little collection of recipes when I moved to Oklahoma."

Those recipes are now collected in a cookbook called 'Georgia Cooking In An Oklahoma Kitchen,' which debuted at No. 3 on The New York Times Bestseller list. Yearwood shared several of the book's recipes on the 'Early Show,' including her dad's famous barbecued chicken, her not-too-sweet coleslaw, and 'his and hers' deviled eggs (hubby Garth Brooks likes his with mustard; she likes mayonnaise.) See the full recipes on the 'Early Show' website.

James Otto wants the stars of his new music video to be his fans. The soulful country singer is asking fans to send in photos to be featured in the video for his current single, 'For You.' The photos can be pictures you've taken of Otto performing on stage, photos you've taken with him at a meet-and-greet, or even pictures of you and your friends getting ready for a James Otto show.

All photos should be submitted by July 7. Click here for more information.

We're halfway through the year and so far, Rodney Atkins is the radio frontrunner in 2008. His hit song, 'Cleaning This Gun (Come On in Boy),' was the most-played song on country radio from January through June, according to 'Country Aircheck.'

The timing is just right for Atkins to hear this news, given the Independence Day holiday this week. The song's opening lines reference the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

"Everybody had the same look on their face when they heard the first verse," Atkins tells GAC. "They're like, 'Where's this going?' And then you laugh. That's the gotcha moment."

See the Top Ten most-played songs on country radio in 2008 after the jump.

Brooks and Dunn are getting their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The duo will be immortalized on the famed Tinsel Town sidewalk in a special ceremony on August 4. They are joining an elite roster of artists who will be inducted this year, including Christina Aguilera, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ricky Martin and the late George Harrison.

Brooks and Dunn join a handful of other country artists already represented on the Walk of Fame, including Reba McEntire, Randy Travis, Garth Brooks, Dwight Yoakam, Loretta Lynn, Alabama, Hank Williams, Clint Black and Loretta Lynn.

Former 'American Idol' contestant Kristy Lee Cook has signed a record deal with 19 Recordings/Arista Nashville. Cook was the only country-leaning finalist on Season Seven of the hit talent competition. The 24-year-old Oregon native sold her beloved horse in order to pay for transportation to the 'Idol' auditions in Philadelphia. She made it all the way to seventh-place on the show.

"I've wanted this for so many years," said Cook of recording her first album. "To have the chance to be a country singer -- to make the music I love -- and to have enjoyed the support of so many 'American Idol' fans this past season, it all means more than I can put into words. Thank you so much to everyone. I'll do my best to make you proud!"

Cook is teaming up with famed songwriter/producer Brett James on this first project, tentatively set for release this fall. Her first single, humorously titled '15 Minutes of Shame,' will hit country radio August 11.

John Michael Montgomery is back on the road after completing a month-long stay in a Nashville rehab facility. The country singer sought treatment for anxiety attacks and a sleep disorder. Montgomery blames his health issues on years of "roadin' and drinkin'" and on several injuries.

"I guess the last five years, having hip surgeries, leg surgeries, and a lot of the stress of touring, it just all added up," Mongomery told the Flint Journal. "I just felt lost. My brain wanted to go, but my body said no. It's like you wake up one day, and life slaps you in the face and says, 'You need to figure out where you're going here.' [Rehab] was a good break for me, a time to regroup."

Montgomery plans to release 'Time Flies' -- his first album on his own label -- on September 9.

Dierks Bentley logged time in a Nashville studio last week, not recording music but launching rockets and shooting snipers. Bentley was the first country artist ever to team up with Xbox 360's 'Game With Fame' program. He played the 'Halo 3' game online, virtually interacting with several fans and fellow Xbox enthusiasts.

"I just met with Dierks Bentley in combat on Halo 3," blogged one fan on the Xbox 360 website. "He seems like an amazing person, very cool and real. We played four matches, the first in which I received MVP . . . Now I can say I killed Dierks Bentley on Halo 3."

James Otto will be the next country star to play the 'Game With Fame.' He'll take on other Xbox LIVE members in Madden NFL 08 this Sunday.

Sugarland's new album, 'Love on the Inside,' won't hit stores until July 29, but fans are getting an early special treat. The CD's Deluxe Fan Edition will be available July 22 with five bonus tracks, an expanded booklet and a free download of behind-the-scenes footage of the duo in the recording studio. Additionally, those who pre-order the album will get an instant download of its first single, 'All I Want to Do,' and the 'Life in a Northern Town' video.

'Love on the Inside' is Sugarland's third studio album. Its title reflects the album's theme from start to finish.

"We wanted to write a record about love," lead singer Jennifer Nettles told The Boot. "Not just romantic love or a record of love songs in the traditional sense, but all kinds of love -- the beautiful complexity of love. Self love, love lost, new love, pain from love, all kinds of love."

See the album's full track listing after the jump, and click here to pre-order on iTunes. Come back to The Boot on July 22 to read our full interview with Nettles, as she talks about everything from concert stunts to celebrity crushes.

Marcus Nirschl says he's still a Tim McGraw fan, even though he was shoved by the country star and kicked out of his concert Tuesday night. The 30-year-old from Kent, Wash., was pulled on stage after McGraw spotted him allegedly attacking a woman on the front row. McGraw and Nirschl then went after one another with clinched fists, but McGraw's crew prevented them from throwing punches. The entire incident was caught on tape.

McGraw's rep insists the singer's actions were out of concern for the female fan's safety. But Nirschl denies any wrongdoing.

"I had a third row seat I paid $120 for," Nirschl told CMT.com. "And I was just making my way up to my seat because I wanted to be up there when he started 'Indian Outlaw.' I was getting shoved up against some empty seats, and I may have pushed some people when I was trying to get my balance. But I didn't grab nobody's hair, and I didn't hit nobody. I'm the nicest guy you'll ever meet."

Mindy McCready has been arrested yet again. TMZ is reporting that the fallen songstress turned herself in to Williamson County, Tenn. police on Monday. She was charged with parole violation, after allegedly falsifying information on her community service report. Pictured here in her mugshot, the singer posted bail after two hours behind bars.

McCready has a long rap sheet, starting with a 2004 arrest for fraudulently obtaining prescription drugs. In May 2005, she was arrested for DUI and was arrested again just two months later on a string of charges, including identity theft and unlawful imprisonment, when police say she and another man stole a truck and forced another woman to accompany them on a mission to steal two luxury boats. A subsequent arrest came in July 2007, when McCready allegedly assaulted her own mother and then resisted arrest. That incident resulted in her spending four months in a Tennessee jail.

Famed songwriter and 'Nashville Star' judge Jeffrey Steele is dusting off his skateboard in honor of his late son. Steele's second annual Alex LaVasseur Memorial Skate Festival will take place this Sunday in Franklin, Tenn. LaVasseur, Steele's 13-year-old son, was killed in an ATV accident last year. He was a passionate skateboarder, thus the theme of the event.

In addition to a skateboarding competition, the day will feature performances by Steele and Michael McDonald. All proceeds will benefit the Alex LeVasseur Fund, a charity that raises scholarship money for underprivileged kids. For more information visit, www.rememberalex.com.

Toby Keith's steadfast support of the U.S. military is being recognized in Congress. Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole has submitted a resolution highlighting Keith's commitment to the troops. The country superstar has made six trips overseas to perform for the military, one time refusing to quit even when the site of his concert was attacked by mortar fire.

"I appreciate Congressman Cole's recognition in introducing this resolution," Keith says, "and I have to say that the real glory belongs to those men and women I've met who leave their families and put it on the line for the rest of us. Getting to visit with them once a year is the biggest honor for me, and I will continue to encourage other artists and performers to make that USO trip."

Vince Gill and Amy Grant are getting their own street. A Habitat for Humanity home in Wichita Falls, Texas has been named after the couple, as has the entire road, now called Grant Gill Lane.

Grant and Gill have been continually active with the charity throughout the years, donating time and money to building homes for underprivileged families. They donated all proceeds from a Wichita Falls concert to Habitat for Humanity a few years back, which helped build their now namesake home.

Brad Paisley's 'Letter to Me' has been named Song of the Year by Music Row magazine. Paisley was honored at Tuesday's Music Row Awards, hosted by BMI in Nashville. This is his second Song of the Year win, as his hit, 'He Didn't Have To Be,' took home the same trophy back in 2000.

Following their ACM win for Top New Vocal Group, Lady Antebellum was named Music Row's Breakthrough Artist of the Year. Luke Bryan took home the Breakthrough Songwriter honors.

"Every time I turn on Music Row and realize I get to do this, it's just a dream," Bryan said upon accepting his award. "It's unbelievable to get to do this for a living everyday."

Bryan started out as a songwriter before scoring his own record deal. He wrote 'Good Directions' for Billy Currington and 'Honky Tonk History' for Travis Tritt before releasing his debut album, which has spawned the hits 'All My Friends Say,' 'We Rode in Trucks' and 'Country Man.'

Lady Antebellum Live Performance

Lee Ann Womack is back with her first new music in two years, and she has some heavy hitters on her side. Womack's upcoming album, 'Call Me Crazy,' features collaborations with George Strait and Keith Urban, and it was produced by the legendary Tony Brown.

"I'm so fired up to be back doing what I feel like I was born to do, which is making country music," says Womack of the new project. "The time I spent writing, looking for songs and meeting with Tony felt so effortless and natural."

'Call Me Crazy' will be Womack's seventh studio album. It's due in stores this fall.