It’s been another great year in country music…and as we get ready for 2009, we’re looking back at some of the highlights of 2008.

IN JULY…
• Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn fulfilled a longtime dream: he took part in the “running of the bulls” that is part of the annual Festival of San Fermin in Pamplona, Spain! (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Alan Jackson hit number-one with “Good Time,” the title track to his album which features the number-one “Small Town Southern Man” and Alan’s latest single, “Country Boy.” (AUDIO INFO BELOW)

008 HIGHLIGHTS: July" width="16" height="14" />  Kix Brooks talks about running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. (:10)
(Note: Audio is phone quality.)
“I’ve been wantin’ to do it for years. Actually was over here in 2000, and my wife talked me out of running ’cause I had the kids with me. But I told her I was gonna come back and finally made the trip!”

008 HIGHLIGHTS: July" width="16" height="14" />  Alan’s number-one hit, “Good Time,” has some tongue-twister lyrics, but after a little practice, he says they roll off his tongue as easily as a classic fast-food jingle. (:19)
“First time we started working that thing up live, yeah, I thought, ‘Man, I don’t know if we’ll be able to get those words out.’ You know, after you do it a few times, it comes pretty natural: ‘I’ve been working all week, I’m tried, and I don’t wanna sleep, I wanna have fun, it’s time for a good time.’ It’s like ‘two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun.’”