Trace Adkins works with five different producers on his 11th album, suggesting the country music veteran and reality TV star is searching for an infusion of fresh energy.

It’s no secret that Arizona offers some of the best and most luxurious AAA Four and Five Diamond resorts in the country. However, many travelers don’t realize that many of these properties also feature kid camps that aim to please even the pickiest pint-sized traveler. This provides mom and dad with a guilt-free way to indulge in some much-needed couple time, while allowing kids to make friends and create memories of their own.

George Strait is amid a two-year tour before retiring from the road, but new album “Love Is Everything” proves he still has plenty of great new country music in him.

The 2013 Academy of Country Music Female Vocalist of the Year performs along with Dierks Bentley, Randy Houser, Joanna Smith and the Pistol Annies.

Jerome; Willcox; Mormon Lake

Keystone Montessori • 1025 E. Liberty Lane

Hard rocker Tom Keifer would be among the first to say that life doesn’t go as planned. The long-time musician, best known for his lead role in the band Cinderella, released his first solo album – ”The Way Life Goes” – April 30 after a 10-year process and a long struggle with partial vocal chord paralysis — the ruination of many music careers.

I received a press release today on the Brothers in Arms Classic the Desert Vista football team is participating in the fall.

The Cannes Film Festival in France will be getting a taste of the Valley next month.

While summer temperatures can be a scorcher, there’s one activity that helps Arizonans beat the heat: lounging in the pool. And what better way to cool off than relax in someone else’s pool — especially at one of our state’s sparkling AAA Four or Five Diamond properties?

The road to Florence isn’t long when country music stars are in town. People flock from the East Valley to the Country Thunder music festival, spurring the question: What else is there to see in Florence? It didn’t take long to find an answer — alpacas.

While Arizona is home to several upscale dining establishments that meet the most discriminating palates, the state is also home to several fun and kitschy places to nosh at as well. Whether diners are on a road trip or just seeking out the unusual, below are some suggestions for AAA One and Two Diamond restaurants known for their quirkiness as much as their food.

Don Williams performs from a repertoire of fan favorites including “You’re My Best Friend,” “Tulsa Time” and “I Believe in You.”

In recent national news, three major car crashes claimed the lives of 15 teenagers in Ohio, Illinois and Texas. Unfortunately, that is more of a common occurrence than we realize, and those are just the ones that made national news. The Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA) recently reported that teenage driver fatalities were up in 2012 from previous years. Until now, the numbers were beginning to trend downwards and many attributed it to Graduated Drivers License (GDL) Laws that were being enacted around the country.

While Thursday's opening day at Country Thunder was the shortest day concert-wise, there was no disappointment in the four acts that took the stage – especially not when it came to headliner Brantley Gilbert.

One arrived before Rudy Valee and the other a year before The Beatles, but together they made beautiful music in nurturing a piece of Ahwatukee that spanned the decades between the roaring ‘20s and this year’s cold winter rains.

The 300-plus-member Phoenix Children’s Chorus will be heard nationally with the broadcast of their appearance on National Public Radio’s “From the Top.” One of the most popular weekly music series on public radio, the show reaches more than 700,000 listeners on 250 stations across the country.

She may have grown up in Michigan, but Jana Kramer is country at heart. The former “One Tree Hill” actress entered into the music scene in 2012 with the release of her self-titled debut album. She has since been enjoying success in the genre — gearing up for a tour with Blake Shelton, planning her wedding with fellow country music star Brantley Gilbert, and heading to Arizona for a performance at Country Thunder, the annual music festival in Florence. In between it all, she chatted briefly with the Tribune about her career and what fans will experience this weekend at her show.

Jo Ann Anderson passed away peacefully in her home in Ahwatukee on April 8. She was 73 years old. She was born in Des Moines, Iowa, to Ernest and Ruth King. She was married to Dr. Gorlyn Anderson for 55 years. She was mother to Bradley Joseph and twins, Sherry and Shelly.

Arizona’s biggest country music festival brings big names Kip Moore, Brantley Gilbert, Jana Kramer, Eric Church, pictured, Lee Brice, Toby Keith and Lady Antebellum to the Valley.

Critics have dubbed Dwight Yoakam a music sponge for transcending the country genre and absorbing different musical styles, making his brand of hip, honky-tonk music accepted among rock audiences. His latest album -- his first original recording in seven years -- is a testament to that.

"The Sapphires" is missing a lot — detailed characters, a unique narrative arc, half-plausible scenes of the Vietnam War — but it's got two uncommon things going for it: genuine charm and Chris O'Dowd. They are not mutually exclusive.

While the recently opened Speakeasy Saloon and Grill may be a great place to get a fresh steak or enjoy a live country band, owner Jon Harris said to him it'��s all about family.