Submitted by L2DBlog2 on Thu, 04/02/2009 - 11:05
The Salt Lake Tribune
It's been quite a week for Julianne Hough. Monday and Tuesday, she competed with boyfriend Chuck Wicks on ABC's popular TV show "Dancing With the Stars." Thursday, Julianne Hough was the headliner in a country music concert at Ivins' Tuacahn Amphitheatre.
Tonight she performs a free music concert at the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas, and two nights later, on April 5, she's up for an award on the telecast of the Academy of Country Music Awards.
In other words, it's been a busy, yet par-for-the-course, week for the Utah native.
In between training for the Paso Doble and the Viennese Waltz, Hough talked with The Tribune about being nominated for Sunday night's Top New Artist award -- which is
voted on by fans. She already earned fans' approval last month as Top New Female Vocalist, which qualified her for this Sunday's award ceremony. For some happy reason, Hough said, fans like to vote for her -- after all, she's won the popular vote in her two winning seasons of "Dancing With the Stars."
Hough's eponymous album, which has so far produced two hit singles, debuted at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard country chart last May. Last winter, she said she wanted to take off this season of "Dancing With the Stars" to concentrate on her music career and booked some shows -- like Thursday's Tuacahn performance.
But the show's producers threw her a twist: They cast her boyfriend, country music singer Chuck Wicks, as a contestant. Hough realized that by being on the show and as Wicks' dancing partner, they could actually do something they hadn't been able to do before: spend a lot of time together. "This is helping [us] as a couple," Hough said.
Once "Dancing With the Stars" ends, Hough will once again focus on her music career by performing with the legendary George Strait. (The tour will stop at Usana Amphitheatre on July 17.) Hough said she was "humbled" to tour with the "really sweet" Strait.
The tour stop will allow Hough to celebrate her 20th birthday on July 20, in her home state. "I'm going to make a special trip and hang out and get all of my high school friends to come and have a birthday party on the 20th," she said.
That will be a busy week. A normally busy week for the performer, that is.
