Soldier's Last Wish, Play "American Soldier"
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Army Spec. David Mahlenbrock had a special request should he die in the line of duty. In a letter to his fellow soldiers in July, the young combat engineer asked that Toby Keith's song "American Soldier" be played at his funeral. Recently his family tearfully granted his wish as Keith's song echoed through Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mahlenbrock's native Maple Shade, a sound track to the life that hundreds gathered to remember. Mahlenbrock, 20, whose job was clearing routes to ensure the safe passage of fellow soldiers, died Dec. 3 when a bomb detonated near his humvee just outside Kirkuk, Iraq.

"MuzikMafia" TV
Sold out stadiums, screaming fans, artistic drama, physical pain, Harleys and manicures -- it's life on the road with award-winning Gretchen Wilson and Big & Richand their band of musical brothers, the MuzikMafia. Watch then as they sweep the nation in an adventurous new original series, MuzikMafia TV premiering Saturday, Jan. 15 at 10pm ET on CMT. Viewers can catch a ride with the diverse and eclectic musical posse as it travels coast-to-coast headlining its first stadium tour. The real-life adventure of MuzikMafia TV is peppered with musical performances and celebrity guests including Tim McGraw, Usher, Willie Nelson, Keith Urban, Heart, DMC, Kanye West and others. In addition to heavy hitters Gretchen Wilson and Big & Rich, the MuzikMafia's cast of characters includes Cowboy Troy, a "cowboy rapper" from Dallas; Two Foot Fred who leads the pack onstage; songwriters James Otto and Jon Nicholson; visual artist Rachel Kice whose rhythmic strokes on canvas salute the music; blues guitar wizard Dean Hall, son of country legend Tom T. Hall; and others.

Where is Kenny Chesney's Trophy?
Last month Kenny Chesney won the highly coveted CMA award for Entertainer of the Year. Yet where does he keep it? It's sitting on a closet floor in his house. It seems Kenny hasn't been home a lot lately and he just hasn't had time to figure out where to put it. Kenny's hero, Jimmy Buffett, suggested that Kenny display the award at a bar they both frequent in the islands. But no matter where he puts it, it's the recognition from his peers that matters most to Kenny. He's received congratulatory notes from George Strait and Loretta Lynn, and Dolly Parton even wrote him, apologizing for taking up too much time while opening the envelope, which resulted in Kenny's speech being cut short. "It was really neat," says Kenny of all the good wishes. "That's why winning is great-it means they were really pulling for you." Country Weekly

Jo Dee Messina Hits the Ice
Jo Dee Messina is lacing up and hitting the ice - well, not really, but she is a featured musical guest on professional ice skater Katarina Witt's NBC special, Hyundai Presents Katarina & Friends. Eight-time British National Champion Steven Cousins and 1995 U.S. National champion and World Bronze medalist Nicole Bobek will skate to Jo Dee's hits "Bye Bye" and "Because You Love Me." This is two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Katarina Witt's sixth NBC figure skating show. Other guests include singers Patti LaBelle and Hayley Westenra, and skaters Kristi Yamaguchi, Ekaterina Gordeeva and Jennifer Robinson.

Keith Uban's New Album Way Past Platinum
Keith Urban's new album BE HERE has already soared past a million in sales and, according to his label, Capitol Nashville, because singles seem to be moving up the charts more quickly, they expect BE HERE to release more singles than his Golden Road CD and sell upwards of 5 or 6 million copies.