Just when we were about to die of boredom from all the fluff in country music and PR, JOHN RICH saves the day!!! Ashamedly, we just got scooped big time by TMZ.COM with respect to a story NASHVILLESPY.COM should have been all over right here in our spies’ back yard. According to TMZ.COM, RICH (who ironically we have referred to as “bad cop” in previous posts) has apparently “… turned himself in to the Metro Davidson County Criminal Justice Center in Nashville, Tenn. this afternoon to face misdemeanor charges of assault and harassment stemming from an alleged altercation between…” he and JARED ASHLEY.  The two apparently know each other from the TV show Nashville Star where ASHLEY was a finalist and RICH was a judge a few seasons ago.

To keep things fun this summer, let’s hope RICH keeps up the drama and picks on other up-and-coming country music artists he has judged in an effort feed his insatiable ego and to save his own recording career.  As a side note, ASHLEY seems to us to be a perfectly talented and hard working country music artist who should stand up to RICH’s infamous ego and loud mouth. Come on spies, help us out here… we don’t want to get scooped again by our Los Angeles friends at TMZ.COM again.

A spy in Las Vegas caught up with JOHN RICH (and his wife?) hanging out at a bar at the MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas having a quite drink and smoke. The two were spotted after 1am the morning of April 2nd. From reports, he made quite an impression on the weekend’s activities at the ACM Awards!  We apologize for reporting on him so much, but country music seems to be in such a rut… except for, of course, The Mayor of Country music JAMEY JOHNSON.

2/9/09, Here is yet another clip from 2008 we didn’t quite know what to do with.  Seems like there is a lot of DIERKS BENTLEY (“Good Cop”) and JOHN RICH (“Bad Cop”) content we don’t know what to do with.  As you can see, the two were spotted together out honky tonking together back in Sept. ’08.  In between club hoping, they happened upon these sidewalk musicians in Nashville and appear to be having a fun-spirited impromptu “audition” with the musicians.   Hopefully we will be done with a 2008 wrap up soon.  Got some sneak peek “Gone Country”  – Season 3 – photos we hope to get posted soon.

In the process of cleaning out our 2008 files, there are a few photographs from spies we just don’t what to make of.  For example, this is a photo of mega ego and nearly always impeccable dressed and groomed JOHN RICH from earlier in 2008. It was taken late one night at a honky tonk on Broadway Ave. in Nashville.  What is that white stuff on his jacket?  Can anyone help?

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Lewis Copeland and Dierks Bentley

A spy snapped this photograph of DIERKS BENTLEY chatting it up with LEWIS COPELAND.  DIERKS joined LEWIS on the stage for a few songs back in November.  LEWIS is a Broadway Ave. favorite among honky tonkers.  Reportedly the two were seen exchanging phone numbers. DIERKS apparently arrived at the club in Nashville with JOHN RICH.  When together, we sometimes refer to them as the “good cop” (DIERKS) and the “bad cop” (JOHN) because DIERKS has a great reputation of being an all-around-nice-guy and JOHN has a reputation of sometimes being a know-it-all asshole.

Big Kenny from the on-and-off duo of Big & Rich

Prolific songwriter and country music artist BIG KENNY, whose real name is WILLIAM KENNETH ALPHIN, showed up on stage at the ACM Awards Chevrolet After Party in Nashville November 12, 2008.  Thankfully he wasn’t with his on-and-off again duo mega-ego partner JOHN RICH.  We haven’t seen BIG KENNY around in a while so it was great to see him having a good time and belting out a few songs.

Trace Adkins posing for a photo with a fan.

We happened upon larger-than-life TRACE ADKINS and his wife RHONDA (not pictured here) honky tonk badonkadodonkin’ with guests at the Chevrolet After-Party following the CMA Awards show on November 12, 2008 in Nashville.

Jason Aldean

We ran into JASON ALDEAN pleasantly hobnobbing with guests at at the Chevrolet After-Party following the CMA Awards show on November 12, 2008 in Nashville.

James Otto

A spy snapped this quickie photo of writer and country music artist JAMES OTTO visiting with partygoers at the Chevrolet After-Party following the CMA Awards show on November 12, 2008 in Nashville.

This past Sunday (July 6th) RINGO STARR, from the BEATLES, performed at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville. Our spies caught people lining up outside the Wildhorse around noon and by six that evening people were lined up all along Second Avenue! There were hippies to business people, to families and even children waiting in line for this event. I guess even solo RINGO is still considered a national icon and by the looks of things….NASHVILLE LOVED RINGO STARR!!