Coordinates: 52°39′20.00″N 0°39′30.00″W / 52.65556°N 0.65833°W / 52.65556; -0.65833

Rutland ( /ˈrʌtlənd/) is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough (a unitary authority ceremonially in Cambridgeshire) and Northamptonshire.

Its greatest length north to south is only 18 miles (29.0 km), greatest breadth east to west, 17 miles (27.4 km). It is the smallest (in terms of population) normal unitary authority in mainland England (only the City of London is smaller in terms of area), and is 348th of the 354 districts in terms of population. It is the smallest historic English county, leading to the adoption of the Latin motto Multum In Parvo or "much in little" by the county council in 1950. Among modern ceremonial counties the Isle of Wight, City of London and City of Bristol are all smaller. The former County of London, in existence 1889 to 1965, also had a smaller area.

The only towns in Rutland are Oakham, the county town, and Uppingham. At the centre of the county is the large artificial reservoir, Rutland Water, with a similar surface area to Windermere. It is an important nature reserve serving as an overwintering site for wildfowl and a breeding site for ospreys. The town of Stamford is just over the border in a protruding part of Lincolnshire.

Jamie O'Neal (born 3 June 1966) is a contemporary country singer and songwriter who has had success in the United States. She was born Jamie Murphy in Sydney, Australia, to parents Jimmy and Julie Murphy, who were also professional musicians. In the early part of her career she was a backing singer in her native Australia, appearing on Kylie Minogue's Enjoy Yourself Tour of Australia, UK, Europe and Far East Asia in 1990. She rejoined Minogue's tour in 1991 for the Rhythm of Love Tour (Australia and Far East Asia) and the Let's Get To It Tour of the UK and Ireland.

In 2000, O'Neal released her debut album, Shiver. The album featured the back-to-back Number One singles "There Is No Arizona" and "When I Think About Angels". Two other singles were released: the title track, which reached #21 on the country charts, and "Frantic", which reached #41 in 2002. Since then, she has released one other studio album, Brave in 2005. Her third studio album, Like a Woman, has yet to have a release date.

Jason Farris Brown (born in Athens, Georgia) known professionally as Colt Ford, is an American country music artist and former professional golfer. He has released three albums via his own Average Joe's label, and has charted four singles on the Hot Country Songs charts. Ford has also written a theme song for Professional Bull Riders, and has worked with John Michael Montgomery, Montgomery Gentry, Cledus T. Judd, and Brantley Gilbert among others.

"Take a hefty portion of Southern charm, add a dash of country livin’, a pinch of urban style, wash it all down with a sweet, fresh sound, and you have Colt Ford. A man with such a blend of unique talents and tastes can only be the natural recipe for this new sound and musical format.(Average Joes Ent.)"

Brown was born and raised in Athens, Georgia. He was a professional golfer, playing in one Nationwide Tour but mostly serving as a golfing instructor. Later, he turned his interests to music, taking influence from country music and hip hop. Assuming the stage name Colt Ford, he released his debut album, Ride Through the Country, on December 2, 2008 through Average Joe's Entertainment, which he cofounded. This album included the singles "No Trash in My Trailer" (a cover of a Gene Watson song) and "Ride Through the Country" (a duet with John Michael Montgomery), the latter of which did not chart until the week of October 10, 2009 when it debuted at #57 on the Hot Country Songs chart. He also appeared on a rap remix of Montgomery Gentry's late-2008 Number One single "Roll with Me." Ford's debut album also has guest appearances from country singer Jamey Johnson, as well as Bone Crusher and Jermaine Dupri, Adrian Young of NoDoubt and Jeremy Popoff of Lit. The album did not enter the Billboard albums charts until 2009.

Mark Rutland (born 1947) is a missionary, evangelist, ordained minister of the International Ministerial Fellowship, and the third and current President of Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was elected to that position following a vote by the Oral Roberts University Board of Trustees on January 28, 2009. His acceptance of the offer to become the university's president makes him the first person to hold that office who is not a member of the family of the institution's founder and first president: the evangelist and faith healer, Oral Roberts. Prior to his election as President of Oral Roberts University, Rutland served as the President of Southeastern University of the Assemblies of God in Lakeland, Florida, from 1999 to 2009. Additionally he has served as Pastor of Calvary Assembly of God in Orlando, Florida, and as an Associate Pastor at Mount Paran Church of God in Atlanta, Georgia (Rutland, 1987 p. 177). He is the founder of Global Servants, formerly known as the Trinity Foundation, an organization centered on missions and evangelism around the world, and the House of Grace, a home for tribal girls threatened by sexual slavery in Chiang Rai City, Thailand. He also has a thirty-minute syndicated radio program entitled "Herald of Joy". Rutland is married to Alison Rutland (née Permenter) and has three children.

Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American country singer, songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005. Underwood has since become a multi-platinum selling recording artist, a winner of several Grammy Awards, Billboard Music Awards and American Music Awards, a Golden Globe Award nominee, a three-time Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association Female Vocalist winner, and a two-time ACM Entertainer of the Year. She is the first-ever female artist to win back-to-back Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards for Entertainer of the Year (2009/10). Underwood was inducted into and became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 2008. She was also inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2009.Billboard named Underwood Country Music's reigning Queen in 2012.