"AMERICAN IDOL" - ELLEN DEGENERES LEAVES AND JENNIFER LOPEZ TAKE HER PLACE
     LOS ANGELES (AP) - Not only has Simon Cowell left "American Idol," but now Ellen DeGeneres has done the same. And, Jennifer Lopez is expected to take her place. DeGeneres says it was a difficult decision to make, but she's told Fox and the American Idol producers that sitting at that judges table didn't feel like the right fit for her. And she says while she loves "discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent," it was hard for her "to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings." Though Fox isn't talking, a source says Lopez is expected to sign on soon.

JIMMY WAYNE - THE END IS NEAR
     NEAR PHOENIX (AP) - Jimmy Wayne has learned a lot on his trek from Nashville to Phoenix. Like some rattlesnakes seem to give a warning before they strike. Let's hope. Wayne also learned it can be scary to be walking along the highway in the desert at night with cars and trucks zooming by. It's really scary when you don't have your flashlight or miner's light and your friends haven't brought them to you. That's what Jimmy Wayne was dealing with last night as he got closer to Phoenix. Tomorrow, Wayne will walk into Mesa, Arizona. He'll celebrate with a free concert tomorrow night at Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar and Grill. Then, Sunday morning, Wayne will walk into Phoenix. He left Nashville on foot January 1 to spotlight kids who age-out of foster care and become homeless.
 
FARM AID - DETAILS ON MONDAY
     MILWAUKEE (AP) - Milwaukee will host this year's Farm Aid concert. It'll be October 2. This is the 25th year for the event. And this Monday, Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp will reveal details about the concert during a webcast on the Farm Aid website. This year's concert is called "Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America." The webcast will be at 12 noon Eastern time on Monday at www.farmaid.org/25.
 
 KENNY CHESNEY - NEW TUNE AND NEW ALBUM
     NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Since Kenny Chesney's new single, "The Boys Of Fall," is about football, the video will premiere on ESPNs SportsCenter. A four-minute video edit will air twice on Monday. Then, on Tuesday, a full-eight-minute video will be available to watch on CMT.com, GAC, VEVO and other sites. "The Boys of Fall" is the first single from Chesney's upcoming album called "Hemingways Whiskey." That'll be released on September 28.
 
 RASCAL FLATTS - NEW TUNE, NEW ALBUM, NEW LABEL
     NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - There's a new single from Rascal Flatts. And, a new album is on its way, too. "Why Wait?" is the single. It'll be on their new album, which will be called "Nothing Like This." That'll be released November 16. The other news from Rascal Flatts is they're now rubbing elbows with Taylor Swift. Kind of. The guys have signed on with the same label as Taylor Swift: Big Machine Records. Rascal Flatts' previous label, Lyric Street, closed up shop in April. Lyric Street was owned by Disney. So, Disney will keep Rascal Flatts' back catalog.
 
 BILLBOARD CHARTS
     (AP) - Carrie Underwood has done it. Her single, "Undo It," is now number-one on Billboard's country songs chart. "Free" from the Zac Brown Band moves up from fifth to second place. And, "Lover, Lover" by Jerrod Niemann stays in the third spot. Niemann's stay at the top of the country albums chart was short-lived. Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" has returned to first, bumping "Jerrod Niemann and the Hung Jury" into third place. "The Foundation" from the Zac Brown Band is back in second.
 
     by Rosalie Fox
 
    
     (Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)
    
 AP-NY-07-30-10 0318EDT

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