International Artists- Paul Brandt - www.paulbrandt.com
- The Wilkinsons - www.wilkinsonsonline.com
- Jason McCoy - www.jasonmccoy.com
- Fred Eaglesmith - www.fredeaglesmith.com
- Sean Hogan - www.seanhogan.net
- The Laws - www.thelaws.ca
- Andrew Somerville Bluegrass - www.AndrewOnline.ca
- Take Country Back (USA Fan Site)
-
-
- Buck Owens has commissioned sculptor Bill
Rains to create life-size statues
of Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Bob Wills and Garth Brooks. The new statues
will join those of Owens, Hank Williams and Johnny Cash as part of a new
sculpture garden honoring country music legends at Buck Owens' Crystal
Palace in Bakersfield, California
- Johnny Cash and The Beatles will
get special screening exhibitions at the
Museum of Television and Radio in New York and Los Angeles. Cash will be the
subject of a career retrospective series titled "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash,"
which will run in four chronological parts October 3rd, 2003 thru January
25th, 2004.
- The Red River Tribute
- The Red River Tribute will honor Waylon Jennings on September
19th-20th in
New Braunfels, Texas. Performing artists will include Billy Joe Shaver, Ray
Wylie Hubbard, Jessi Coulter, and son Shooter Jennings. Proceeds will
benefit diabetes research.
- Johnny Cash has died
- Johnny Cash has died at age 71 in a Nashville, Tennessee hospital.
- Click
here for info
Merle Kilgore, best-man to Johnny Cash at his wedding to June Carter Cash
and co-writer of "Ring of Fire", is deeply saddened with the news of Johnny
Cash's passing.
"It's a sad day in Tennessee, but a great day in Heaven. The 'Man in Black'
is now wearing white as he joins his wife June in the angel band," says
Kilgore.
Wilma Burgess Dies
Wilma Burgess, a ballad singer from the Nashville Sound era of Decca Records, died Monday (Aug. 26) in Nashville. She was 64. Produced by Owen Bradley, Burgess charted three Top 15 hits: 1965's "Baby," 1966's "Misty Blue" and 1967's "Tear Time." When her tenure at Decca ended, she signed to Shannon Records, owned by Jim Reeves Enterprises. Following Patsy Cline's death in 1963, Burgess bought the singer's home from Cline's husband, Charlie Dick. Burgess also opened the first women's bar in Nashville in the 1980s. 08/28/03
- Ralph Stanley Museum
- $1.2 million in funding has been approved for the Ralph Stanley
Museum and
Traditional Mountain Music Center in Clintwood, Virginia. The town, which
has a population of 1,500, secured a building for the museum in 2002.
Funding recently approved for the project include a $500,000 grant from the
Appalachian Regional Commission, a $600,000 grant from the Virginia
Coalfield Economic Development Authority and $100,000 in federal
transportation enhancement funds. Officials plan for the museum to open in
May 2004 during Stanley's annual music festival. The museum is about 10
miles from the community of Stratton, Va., where Stanley and his older
brother, Carter, were born. The two performed and recorded as the Stanley
Brothers from 1946 until 1966, when Carter died.
- "Country's Most Shocking:
Deaths, Close Calls and Near Misses 2" will debut
on September 5th and will feature the troubled life of Johnny Paycheck.
- June Carter Cash
- June Carter Cash's former husband, Carl Smith, has been announced
as one of
the next inductees into the Country Music Hall Of Fame, which puts the late
June Carter Cash in a very unique category. As the former wife of both
Smith and Johnny Cash, she's one of only two women to have married two
Country Music Hall of Famers. The other is Bonnie Owens, who got her last
name by marrying Buck Owens, then later married Merle Haggard. Dale Evans,
incidentally, had a husband inducted twice-Roy Rogers made the Hall of Fame
on his own, and as a member of the Sons Of The Pioneers.
Sun Recording Studios in Memphis
Tennessee has been designated as a
National Historic Landmark. It's the first recording studio to receive
such
an honour.
Willie's first fundraising concerts
for Democratic presidential hopeful
Dennis Kucinich have been set for Iowa, Ohio and Wisconsin. The first
concert is set for Labor Day in Des Moines, Iowa.
"America's Grand Ole Opry Weekend" is a new
syndicated radio program from
Westwood One. The first show featured Brad Paisley talks about sharing
his
CMA Video of The Year Award with Little Jimmy Dickens.
Larry Jackson is about to undergo open heart surgery
this month in Nashville. After recovery he will relocate
to his home in Columbus, Georgia to be near his family. He wants to
continue songwriting, performing and perhaps even release a third CD.
Last month stents were put in other blockages with angioplastia being
done. The forthcoming surgery surrounds a blockage that is
100 per cent blocked and must be dealt with now. Larry was
told by his doctor that in the next 7 to 8 months without special care
he was at extreme high risk of having a castatrophic heart attack.
THE OPRY Trust Fund
THE OPRY Trust Fund in America has announced the
commitment of $250,000 toward the building of a Country Music Retirement
Center which will give music industry retirees a place to live out their
golden years, regardless of income.
Opry member Martina McBride, a member of the Center's board of directors,
accepted an initial $50,000 check during Saturday's performance of "Grand
Ole Opry Live" on the CMT television channel.
"It is our duty to ensure that the people that came before us and helped
establish the country music industry are provided with housing and medical
care in their later years if they are in financial need," McBride said.
The Opry management formed the Opry Trust Fund in 1965 to help those in
the country music industry who have fallen on hard times. The center
project started in 1994 as an initiative of a Country Music Association
task force.
Willie Nelson is reportedly writing
music for a new "Gumby" movie. Release
date has not been announced.
A tooth, a lock of hair, and a gold record that
reportedly belonged to
Elvis was for sale on Ebay.
The collection has been on display at "The Strawberry hair Salon" in Ft.
Lauderdale, Florida.
A STAMP honouring American country music great Roy Acuff will be unveiled by the U S Postal Service at a Saturday, September 13, ceremony at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.
The image on the stamp is from a photo that appeared in the March 1949
issue
of Collier's Magazine, and depicts Roy holding his fiddle under his arm.
The
stamp issue coincides with the 100th anniversary of his birth. Roy Acuff
died in 1992
Farm Aid 2003 is set for September 7th in Columbus, OH. So far, organizers have announced Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews, Brooks & Dunn, Trick Pony and Sheryl Crow as performers. Farm Aid has raised more than $ 24 million to support the family farms of America.
Skip Ewing is still writing the hits, most recently "I Believe" with Donny Kees for Diamond Rio. He's also involved in a songwriting retreat in Wyoming called Horse & Writer. If you're in the music business city on July 26th, you can catch Ewing at the legendary Bluebird Cafe. Find out more at SkipEwing.com and HorseAndWriter.com
Blake Shelton is the first opening act for Toby Keith's "Shock'n Y'all Tour". The tour kicks off in Toronto on July 25th.
"The arts and culture of Texas are a
treasure that must be
preserved and enhanced for future generations," The Texas House Of
Representatives Committee on State & Recreational Resources designated
Asleep At The Wheel's Ray Benson as the 2004 Texas State Musician.
The next Grand Ole Opry cruise will
depart from New Orleans January 25th
and will include Trace Adkins, Brad Paisley, Jimmy Dickens, Bill Anderson,
and Jeannie Seely. For information, contact Corporate Travel Services,
Inc.
at 800-653-OPRY.(6779)
Benny Garcia played guitar with Bob Wills Texas
Playboys and also worked
with Will's brother Johnny Lee Wills and with Tex Williams. Garcia was
recently inducted into The Oklahoma Music Hall Of Fame.
Reba McEntire recently received The
Career Achievement Award at The Country
Music DJ Hall Of Fame ceremonies.
Marty Stuart kicks of his Electric Barnyard concert
tour this weekend,
with special guests Connie Smith, BR549, Merle Haggard, Rhonda Vincent and
The Old Crow Medicine Show. The tour begins Sunday in Sierra Vista,
Arizona,
and will continue into November.
Jamie O'Neal and hubby Rodney Good won't be getting a lot of sleep for awhile. The singer gave birth to her first child on Wednesday, June 11th, in Nashville. The baby checked into the music world at 7 pounds, 10 ounces.
Dolly Parton's net worth is estimated at between $ 200 million and $ 400 million. (Charles Passy/The Palm Beach Post)
The contraction of music row continues. Sony
Nashville zapped its artist roster almost in half a few days ago. Gone are
Mark Chesnutt, Tammy Cochran, Clint Daniels, Billy Gilman, Cledus T. Judd,
Little Big Town, Brad Martin, Pam Tillis and Wynn Varble.
Some changes, Fan Fair and Country Music, the magazine. The
demise of Fan Fair and also Country Music, the monthly magazine, will
cease publication with the August/September issue. Publisher American
Media - which also owns Country Weekly, Star and National Enquirer -
called it quits after using the name since 1972. The first
issue 31 years ago featured Johnny Cash on the cover. The last will carry
an article on the death of June Carter Cash.
Wedding bells for Brian Hofeldt, guitarist and up-front guy with the Derailers, and Tiffany Snyder. The two made it happen on May 17th in Oregon
Trace Adkins is set to join the cast of the Grand Ole Opry. Little
Jimmy Dickens climbed up on a stepladder to extend the invitation to the
6-foot-6-inch Adkins a couple of weeks ago. His formal induction is
scheduled for August 23rd.
Johnny Cash appeared at the
recent Carter Fold, a rustic concert venue at
the Carter Family Memorial Music Center near Hiltons, Va. It was his first
public appearance since the May 15 death of his wife, singer-songwriter
June
Carter Cash. The Carter Fold was co-founded by Janette Carter, daughter of
A.P. and Sara Carter and preserves traditional acoustic music.
Cash was accompanied by his son and daughter-in-law, John Carter Cash and
Laura Cash, as he performed several songs, including "Folsom Prison
Blues,"
"Sunday Morning Coming Down," "Ring of Fire," "I Walk the Line" and "The
Far
Side Banks of Jordan." Cash and his wife last performed at the venue in
June 2002.
Hank Williams Jr. is scheduled to perform at state
fairs in Missouri and
Kentucky in August.
Asleep At The Wheel has been added to
the roster of performers for The
Austin City limits Music Festival. The three day event begins September
19th.
Vince Gill will perform at a fundraiser for Jackson,
Tennessee tornado
victims on August 12th.
Ernest Tubbs' grandson Austin Tubb
is a pitcher for the University Of
Southern Mississippi baseball team. The young man has compiled quite a
record of stats. His dad, Dean Tubb, works for Charlie Daniels.
- Check for Hank Williams, Jr. on the
- road in the following cities:
June 2003
27 - Greeley, CO - Greeley Stampede (George Thorogood & Tommy Shane Steiner
opens)
28 - Manhattan, KS - Country Stampede (Gary Allan & Martina McBride support)
August 2003
10 - Sedalia, MO - Missouri State Fair (Shannon Brown opens)
16 - Louisville, KY - Kentucky State Fair (Montgomery Gentry opens)
17 - Sterling Heights, MI - Freedom Hill Amphitheater
22 - Dallas, TX - TBA
23 - Stillwater, OK - Tumbleweed Dance Hall / Arena (Jason Boland & the
Stragglers open)
29 - Clemson, SC - Littlejohn Coliseum
31 - Valdosta, GA - Wild Adventures Theme Park
September 2003
4 - Hinckley, MN - Grand Casino Hinckley (Uncle Kracker opens)
5 - Oneida, WI - Oneida Bingo & Casino
13 - Pelham, AL - Oak Mountain Amphitheater
19 - Duluth, GA - Gwinnett Civic Center
20 - Tuscumbia, AL - Alabama Hall of Fame
27 - Lawrenceburg, IN - The Levy
-
Merle Haggard will perform July 5th to headline his first UFO Music Fest.
The concert is in conjunction with the city of Roswell, New Mexico's 9th
annual UFO Festival to commemorate an alleged UFO landing in 1947.
Fan Fair is getting a name change only. Next Year's event will be known as
the CMA Music Festival.
-
Waylon's grandson..22 year old Taylor Ray Jennings--was killed in a recent
auto accident in Texas. -
Marty Stuart and Merle Haggard are planning their "Electric Barnyard Tour"
and will include several other country music acts. -
Dwight Yoakam recently received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
|
Fan Fair
Kenny Chesney at Fan Fair
"In a surprise, last-minute schedule change, Kenny Chesney ended up |
be published July 15th by Simon And Shuster. The book was written by
Alanna Nash.
4th.
McEntire will be working on a new studio album this summer.
Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
songs in the countdown on "CMT's 100 Greatest Songs Of Country Music" on
June 4th.
daughter of Hank Williams who died just five days before Jett was born.
Hank's little girl fought a legal system determined to prevent her rightful
entitlement. Raised a ward of the state of Alabama rather than the
acknowledged daughter of one of the greatest names in the music industry,
Jett endured eight years of courtroom battles to win back the right to claim
her blood lineage. Today, Jett tours to keep the 'legend alive' and makes
appearances in support of the Hank Williams estate.
15, 2003, in Nashville, Tennessee age 73. June was in a Nashville Hospital recovering
from replacement of a heart valve. She had been recording an album for Dualtone Records. June Carter Cash is survived by her husband, Johnny, daughters Carlene Carter and Rosie, son John Carter Cash, and step-daughters Rosanne, Tara, Kathy and Cindy.
Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis. is scheduled to perform August 1st
at Memphis Botanic Garden.
scheduled July 18th thru 27th.
Television's "Country's Hottest Hookups," which is set for June debut. The
program portrays the romantic side of Nashville country music stars.
Ernest Tubb
Midnight Jamboree-which is broadcast on WSM-AM Radio, following each
Saturday night Grand Ole Opry.
Bates, when Bates appeared at Owens Crystal Palace in Bakersfield,
California. Buck said that it had been a long time since a new artist had
excited him the way Bates does and that "Jeff was really going to affect the
course of country music."
On why he moved to Nashville at age 27: "Nashville was where the store was. If I had anything to sell, it must be taken to the store."
Hank Cochran on how Willie got his attention: "I thought, `Gosh, there's no one there that I'm working with, and he looks like (Willie's) got all the talent anybody would need. There are only so many notes and so many words, you know, and he did them in a different way from anybody I'd heard." (John Gerome/Toronto Star)
On the early part of his career: "I was going through a divorce. For the first 40 or 50 years of my life, that's what I was doing. I was getting married and I was getting divorced. I don't know if I was getting married too much or getting divorced too much." (Tim Ghianni/The Tennessean)
On the high cost of divorce: "You know what I say when people ask why are divorces so expensive? I tell 'em it's because they're worth it." (Tim Ghianni/The Tennessean)
On being married four times: "It's not that many if you say it real fast." (Tim Ghianni/The Tennessean)
Willie calls his famous guitar "Trigger." The guitar earned its name for being such a faithful sidekick. "I was always a big Roy Rogers fan, and Trigger was his horse, so I started calling it that, and it caught on. You know, B.B. (King) has Lucille. I've got Trigger." (New York Daily News)
From George Gruhn of Nashville's Gruhn Guitars: "There's a lot of pictures showing Willie and his guitar over the years. When it was new, Willie was clean-cut and wearing a sweater. They progressively get more scruffy-looking as time goes by. I can't hardly imagine anything else in the industry like it." (New York Daily News)
From Steve Azar: "Artists like Willie Nelson and Bruce Springsteen appeal to everybody 'cause they talk about real things. You're supposed to write about people's lives and make them feel good about their problems in a song. If you can do that, then that's the blues. And that's country."
Willie on his vocal style: "I could sing on the beat if I wanted to, but I could put more emotion in the lyrics if I phrased in a more conversational, relaxed way....But people who didn't know much about music lost the beat in their mind, so they thought I was breaking meter." (Timothy Finn/Kansas City Star)
Willie on dealing with record companies: "It's kind of a necessity these days to do big budget things, because, unfortunately, I found out, that if a record company only has $100 invested in it, they'll only spend that much promoting it. If they spend a half-million dollars making something, then you are assured they'll spend at least a half-million promoting it." (Tim Ghianni/The Tennessean)
Willie on aging: "I used to think everything over 21 was gravy. I've had a lot of gravy. I've slowed down a whole lot. I'm not really crying over relationships and I haven't got my head in a beer bottle. I'm probably a little more mature." (London Telegraph)
So how does a legend spend his 70th birthday? Willie will spend his playing the Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City, Louisiana. He'll be on the road for more than 200 dates this year. On retirement: "Retire? All is do is play music and golf. Which one do you want me to give up?" - Willie Nelson
release on May 6th. The disc will include a new interview that Loretta Lynn
filmed in January.
County $15,000 college scholarships. She started the Dolly Parton
Scholarship in August 2000.
Alabama will receive the ACM
Pioneer Award at the May 21st Academy Of
Country Music Awards.
It's time for MerleFest 2003. The 16th annual
event will feature Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Emmylou Harris, Guy
Clark, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Rhonda Vincent, the Whites, Del McCoury Band,
Jerry Douglas and a dozen or two equally outstanding acts. Last
year, paid attendance exceeded 36,700. Advance sales are up again
this year. Get more details at www.MerleFest.org.
Willie Nelson will tour with
The Dead (formerly the Grateful Dead) from June
27 through July 4. "The Dead" will also perform at Willie Nelson's
Fourth of
July Picnic in Austin, Texas
The Grand Ole Opry has launched its Tuesday
Nights Opry series which will
continue thru December 16th.
Willie Nelson and Toby Keith
will perform their duet, "Beer For My Horses"
on the 38th annual Academy of Country Music Awards May 21st.
- Alan Jackson is scheduled for June 5th -8th Fan Fair. Tickets are $125--$140 USA.
- Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis
- The Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis nuclear
family exploded from three members to five last week. Twins Benjamin
James and Abigail Esme were born Monday (3/24) in Austin, TX. The
couple also has a two-year old son.
- Line up for for the Old Settler's Music Festival(USA)
- Yonder Mountain String Band (Fri, Sat)
- Del McCoury Band (Sat)
- Patty Griffin (Fri)
- Peter Rowan (Sat)
- Vassar Clements (Sat)
- Fred Eaglesmith (Sat)
- Railroad Earth (Sat)
- Waybacks (Fri)
- Tony Furtado Band (Fri)
- The Jerry Douglas Band (with Bryan Sutton, Gabe Witcher & Larry Atamanuik)(Fri)
- Ruthie Foster w/ Cyd Cassone (Sat)
- Two High String Band (Sun)
- Blue Merle (Fri, Sat)
- South Austin Jug Band (Sat)
- Caroline Herring (Fri)
- Mike Williams (Thurs, Sat)
- Cooper's Uncle (Thurs, Sat)
- Alison Brown (Fri)
- Onion Creek Crawdaddies (Thurs, Sat)
- The Greencards (Sat) (Australia's Carol Young and Kym Warner) and
- Eamon McLoughlin, South London, England
- The Spurs of the Moment (Sat)
- Reeltime Travelers (Fri)
- Slim Richey's Dream Band (Sat)
- Shelley King (Fri)
- David Hamburger & Mike Grigoni (Sat)
- Shoal Creek Mudstompers (Thurs)
- Michael Kearney - Open Mic Email him! (Sat)
- Easter Bunny (Sat & Egg Hunt Sun morn)
- Purly Gates (Sat)
- Good News Band (Sun)
Willie Nelson will celebrate his 70th birthday at a “Birthday Bash” at The Beacon Theatre in New York City. Ray Charles, Ray Price, and Merle Haggard are also scheduled to attend. The celebration will be taped for television and recorded for an album.
- Alabama “almost” set a record at the recent Houston, Texas Livestock Show And Rodeo, by drawing the 2nd highest attendance figures in the rodeo’s history. The band sold 69,052 tickets for their performance
- Dolly Parton is scheduled to appear at
the British Glastonbury Festival
this summer. The show is primarily a venue for rock music performers.
- The Grand Ole Opry house will undergo a $ 7.5
million renovation. Opry folks say the work will be completed
in about a year.
- Johnny Cash
- The life of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash will come to the big
screen in
“I Walk The Line” which will feature Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon.
Production is set to begin this fall. - Patsy Cline
- The 3.6 acres on Mt. Carmel Road west of
Camden, Tennessee has been owned by
Tennessee State Representative James Peach, who has signed the property over
to county officials for the purpose of developing a park in memory of Patsy
Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas and Randy Hughes, who lost their lives
in the plane crash on the property on March 5th, 1963. - There is a new book “Remembering Patsy”
that will feature comments from Patsy Cline's famous
admirers including Loretta Lynn and Trisha Yearwood plus rare photos of
Patsy throughout her career.
Tim Rushlow Tim Rushlow is back in the big music game. Rushlow headed up Little Texas in the group's hitmaking years, then launched a solo career that peaked with the hit "She Misses Him". He now has a new band called Rushlow and a new recording contract with Lyric Street. The group's first album will be produced by Jeff Balding and former Little Texas producer Christy DiNapoli.
- Dolly Parton will receive the Tennessee Governor's
Award for the Arts on Tuesday.
Alison Krauss - Alison Krauss is the latest country singer
ordered to rest her voice by doctors. Krauss has postponed a
scheduled CMT Crossroads taping with Steven Tyler and a few other
commitments while resting. Doctors will decide this week if more rest or
other treatment is necessary.
Wade Hayes - Wade Hayes is joining up with Mark McClurg, a 12 year vet of Alan
Jackson's band, the Strayhorns, to form a new duo. The two
will be known as McHayes. They've been signed to Universal
South with a Brent Rowan produced debut release planned for the summer.
- Toby Keith and actress/model Pamela Anderson will host the CMT Flameworthy 2003 Video Music Awards. The show will take place April 7th in Nashville.
- It is the 40th years since the plane crash in Camden, TN that killed Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins and pilot Randy Hughes. "(Hawkshaw Hawkins", gave up his commercial airline ticket to Billy Walker because Billy had an emergency in his family and had to return to Nashville immediately. Hawk overhead Billy's telephone conversation on Sunday evening. Going down the elevator to their room from a Midnight Press Party, Hawk said 'Here kid, you take this ticket and you be Hawkshaw Hawkins on that flight in the morning. I'll take your place and fly with Randy and Patsy to Hawkins on the plane. Walker continues as an active performer on the Grand Ole Opry.
- NEMO MUSIC SHOWCASE & CONFERENCE
SEPTEMBER 4 - 7, BOSTON, MA - NEMO
2003 IS NOW ACCEPTING SHOWCASE APPLICATIONS!
DEADLINE IS MAY 15, 2003 - For a showcase application and more info, go to http://www.nemoboston.com or email showcases@nemoboston.com
- NEMO will take place on September 4-7, 2003, taking advantage of Boston's warm Fall weather by adding outdoor events to the schedule. Music industry professionals and enthusiasts will converge on Boston for three days and nights, taking in panels, clinics, workshops, mentor sessions, a Trade Show exhibition area, industry parties, and 250 artist showcases. NEMO also includes the prestigious Boston Music Awards show on the first night of festivities.
- NEMO showcases 250 of the hottest major label, indie label, and unsigned new bands and solo artists from all over the world in a wide variety of genres. Creating a unique platform for new talent to perform in front of some of the most influential decision-makers in the music industry (as well as almost 15,000 music-loving fans), NEMO is a celebration of today's best new music and continues to be the place for people to discover new and emerging talent. Previous NEMO showcasing artists include: Aerosmith, Godsmack, Linkin Park, Staind, Kristin Hersh, De La Soul, Guster, Dope, Splender, Fishbone, Catie Curtis, Howie Day, The Union Underground, The Waifs, Rubyhorse, Kittie, 5440, De La Soul, Melissa Ferrick, Joey McIntyre, Martin Sexton, Tracy Bonham, Emm Gryner, Reveille, Kevin Salem, The Exies, Ellis Paul, Must, Bill Morrissey, Ra, and many more.
- Don't miss your opportunity to showcase at NEMO. The deadline for submission is May 15, 2003 - but don't delay, and get your submission in early!
- Alabama
- Alabama will participate in Fan Fair in downtown
Nashville, Tennessee June
5th thru 8th.
- Chris LeDoux still performing after his
liver transplant operation and is set to co-headline the Country
Stampede in Manhattan, Kansas June 26th thru 29th.
- The original Sun Records logo stamp, which featured a rooster against
a
rising sun back ground, was recently sold in London for $32,000 US dollars.
- Dixie Chicks Win 3 Grammy Awards
- The Chicks took out Best Country Album for Home, Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for Long Time Gone and Best Country Instrumental Performance for Lil' Jack Slade.
- Faith Hill took out Best Female Country Vocal Performance for Cry while Johnny Cash won Best Male Country Vocal Performance for Give My Love To Rose and Willie Nelson earned Best Country Collaboration with vocals for Mendocino County Line, a duet with Lee Ann Womack.
- Alan Jackson collected the Grammy for Best Country Song with Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning) while Jim Lauderdale, Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys picked up the Best Bluegrass Album award for Lost in the Lonesome Pines.
- In other country-related Grammys... Doc Watson and David Holt won Best Traditional Folk Album with Legacy, Nickel Creek won Best Contemporary Folk Album with This Side and art director Kevin Reagan won Best Recording Package for the Dixie Chicks Home album.
  |
McReynolds was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2001, but Jim & Jesse had continued to perform, including regular appearances on the Grand Ole Opry.
Jim McReynolds was 75 years old.
Festival June 19th thru 22nd.
Gordon Lightfoot
- Home Of Earl Scruggs.”
- Shelby, North Carolina has
erected a sign on Highway 75 that reads,
“Welcome To Shelby—Home Of Earl Scruggs.”
Vince Gill - Vince Gill is planning a small venue
tour to support his new album, "This Old Guitar And Me".
The tour picks off in Las Vegas on January 30th. The album is
due to hit retail on February 4th.
Brad Paisley - Look for Brad Paisley on the ABC sitcom "According To Jim". Paisley will play the boyfriend of Kimberly Williams. Here in the real world, Miss Williams is Paisley's fiancée
- Dean Miller
- Roger Miller’s son Dean has re-recorded Roger’s tune, “Little
Toy Trains.”
Dean used some of Roger’s original music tracks and added some new ones.
Dean says his dad wrote the song for him and about him when he was born.
Dwight Yoakam - Dwight Yoakam has been filming a movie called
"Hollywood Homicide". The movie also stars Harrison
Ford and Josh Hartnett.
Earl Scruggs - Earl Scruggs will get his star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The ceremony is scheduled for February 13th.
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is donating various
memorabilia to the Country
Music Hall of Fame and Museum during a Dec. 10 ceremony in downtown
Nashville. Donations will include items from the sessions of the album Will
the Circle Be Unbroken, Vol. III. The series of Circle albums began with the
first volume’s release in 1972. Jimmie Fadden will donate the harmonicas he
used on the latest album. Randy Scruggs, who played guitar on the first
volume, will provide the musical charts and session notes from the
production of Vol. III. The ceremony will include live music and the first
public screening of Farther Along, a 36-minute film documenting the Vol. III
sessions.
- BUDDY MILLER HITS #1 !
- Buddy's latest album 'Midnight & Lonesome' is #1 on the Americana Airplay Top 10 chart!
- 'Midnight & Lonesome' was released in Australia October 7 2002, ahead of the USA release and just in time for his whirlwind October tour.
- Buddy performed many songs from his brand new album to enthusiastic and appreciative audiences in Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney, resulting in the cliche but true - 'rave reviews'!
- Described by Drum Magazine's Craig Pearce as "the high priest of country guitar who has given enormous credibility to the session musician."
- "He is the real deal, a player who encapsulates the essence of roots music".
- Buddy also won 'ALBUM of the YEAR' in September, at the 2002 Americana Music Awards for his previous release with wife Julie.
Who has rights to the DNA in the hair?
Charles Augustus Robison was born Monday night (11/11) in San Antonio, Texas. Dixie Chick Emily and hubby Charlie will call him Gus after Robert Duvall's character in "Lonesome Dove".
from the Vietnam Veterans Of American Foundation, for her work to ban
landmines. As part of her award, she was also presented a six and one half
pound chocolate boot….made from her favorite Scherffenberger chocolate.
- Stars on TV Documentary
- Buck Owens, Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, Merle
Haggard, Ralph Stanley, Randy
Travis and Dwight Yoakam will appear in a four-part documentary, “Lost
Highway: The Story Of Country Music,” being produced by the United Kingdom’s
BBC-TV. It will reportedly air next spring in the USA.
Patsy Cline - Several of Patsy Cline's stage outfits and
handwritten letters will be
auctioned on December 19th in Beverly Hills, California. Auction proceeds
will go to the estate of Hilda Hensley--Patsy's mother.
Patsy Cline - Country music collectors are excited about an
auction of Patsy Cline's
personal items. Twenty of the singer's stage outfits and 21 of her
personally written letters will be auctioned by Profiles in History, a
Beverly Hills company, on December 19th. Internet bidding will be
accepted. The sale will be held on behalf of Cline's brother, Sam Hensley,
and the estate of her mother, Hilda Hensley.
Elvis's Hair for sale - An online auction will reportedly be held next Monday for a collection
of
Elvis Presley's hair clippings. Homer "Gill" Gilleland, who was Elvis’
personal hair-stylist for more than 20 years, held on Presley’s trimmed
locks. Five years ago, the collection was given to his friend, Tom Morgan
Jr., who has decided to sell it. Bidding will start at $10,000, but the
clippings are accompanied by letters of authenticity. For more information,
log on to www.Mastronet.com.
- Grand Ole Opry
- The Grand Ole Opry House will undergo a facelift beginning later this
year
and costing six to seven million dollars. - Johnny Cash
- Johnny Cash is currently filming a new video on a song
titled "Hurt," which
is featured in his new album, "American IV:The Man Comes Around," which is
scheduled for release on November 5th. This is his first video in nine
years. - Dwight Yoakam
- Dwight Yoakam has formed his own
Electrodisc Sights & Sounds company to
record and distribute his music. His first CD is set for release in early
2003. - Roy Acuff
- Roy Acuff will be featured on a postage stamp in 2003. Roy was inducted
into
The Country Music Hall Of Fame in 1962.
CMT - CMT has moved out of the old Opryland
complex and into new
digs in downtown Nashville. CMT's new address is 330 Commerce Street,
Nashville TN 37201 - The Robison's
- Charlie Robison and his wife Emily
(from the Dixie Chicks) are expecting their first baby in
November. Charlie's brother Bruce and his wife Kelly
Willis are expecting their second child in April - oh, and their third child,
too. Willis is carrying twins.
- Hank Williams
- A marble vase with the initials "H.W.", was
stolen from Hank Williams
gravesite in Montgomery Alabama on September 21st.
Dolly Parton - Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist
has appointed Dolly Parton as official
ambassador for the Tennessee film and music industry.
Mickey Newbury - The sad guitars and lonesome songs you heard in the distance this
weekend
were played and sung by the friends and fans of Mickey Newbury. One of the
most admired songwriters in the history of country music has died after a
long illness. Newbury passed away at his Vida, Oregon home on Saturday.
Mickey Newbury wrote nakedly emotional country songs that were recorded
by a diverse group of artists, from Andy Williams to Don Williams to Solomon
Burke. His catalog includes the the often recorded classics "Funny,
Familiar, Forgotten Feelings", a hit for both Don Gibson and Tom Jones, Kenny
Rogers and the First Edition's "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My
Condition Was In)", and Jerry Lee Lewis' "She Even Woke Me Up To Say
Goodbye". His arrangement of "American Trilogy" was popularized by Elvis
Presley and recorded by dozens of other artists.
His were the "Newbury's train songs" that Waylon sang about in
"Luckenbach, Texas".
Mickey Newbury was 62 years old.
Newbury's website, www.mickeynewbury.com, carries more information about
his life and music. A message board is active to post remembrances.
- Jerry Reid
- Boomtown Casino at Biloxi
- in Mississippi (early September)
- Photos courtesy of Bob Dickie
-
Johnny Cash- Johnny Cash made a surprise appearance at the first annual Americana
- Music Awards show in Nashville. The legend sang songs with
- June Carter Cash and several members of the family. Cash was presented the
- first Spirit of Americana Free Speech Award by John Seigenthaler of the First
- Amendment Centre.
- For a list of all the winners in the inaurgural Americana Music Awards
- show, visit americanamusic.org.
- Tex Ritter Museum
- The Tex Ritter Museum and Texas Country Music
Hall of Fame reopened last
Friday, in a new building in Carthage, Texas.
And last Saturday night, Tanya Tucker, Gene Watson and the late Nat
Stuckey were inducted into The Texas Country Music Hall of Fame.
The Tex Ritter Museum started in 1993 to display memorabilia donated by the
singer's relatives. In 1998, the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame was
founded as part of the Ritter museum. - Graceland
- Graceland reportedly took in 37 million dollars
last year, 15 million of
that from admission fees. Elvis purchased Graceland for 102-thousand
dollars in 1957. - Elvis Presley display
- A new mobile Elvis Presley display will tour 31 U.S. cities once Elvis
Week ends in Memphis in a few days. The Mobile Graceland will display a
wide variety of Elvis' personal stuff. It's 53-foot truck and it'll come
shakin' down a big city interstate near you very soon - Travis Tritt
- Travis Tritt has picked up some new fans in Pennsylvania.
- Tritt donated $ 25,000 to the Sipesville, PA Volunteer Fire Company.
That's
the fire department that served as the lead rescue team of the Pennsylvania
men trapped in that flooded coal mine for more than three days in July.
Roy Rogers - The Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum is in
Branson, Missouri, moving from Victorville, California into a new $3
million facility on 4 acres behind Yakov Smirnoff's theatre.
Radney Foster - Dualtone recording artist Radney Foster
and his wife Cyndi Hoelzle
welcomed their first daughter into the world on Monday, July 8th. Maureen
Joy Foster was born at 11:50 a.m. at Baptist Hospital in Nashville. Maureen
joins two older brothers. - Ernest Duane West, who sang baritone with The
Jordanaires from 1982 thru
1999, died June 23rd at the age of 61. - Roger Miller
- The folks of Erick, Oklahoma are working to build a museum in honour of
their legendary hometown son. The Roger Miller Museum Foundation has been
formed to reach the goal. If you'd like to find out more, contact mayor
Gayla Dunlap at city hall.
Roger Miller died ten years ago from cancer.
- Acuff-Rose Music Publishing
- Acuff-Rose Music Publishing has been sold by
Gaylord Entertainment. The
buyer is Sony/ATV Music Publishing. The purchase price was announced as $
157 million.
Gaylord bought the company in 1985.
Acuff-Rose was named for founders Roy Acuff and Fred Rose when they
opened shop in 1942. It's believed to be the first country music publishing
company. Acuff-Rose controls some of music's most valuable copyrights in
its 55,000 song catalog, including the works of Hank Williams. -
Also, Gaylord also sold off its piece of the Opry Mills Shopping
Center in Nashville to the Mills Corporation. The price tag was $ 30.8
million. - Fan Fair attendance
- According to officials, this year's Fan
Fair attendance was up two and
one-half percent over last year. This year's attendance figures totalled
126,000---compared to 124,000 last year.
Fan Fair - The Country Music Association says Fan
Fair was a big hit this year.
Last year, a new system was put in place to count attendance at the annual
event. This year's "aggregate attendance" was announced as 126,500, an
improvement over last year's mark. The CMA says it was the largest crowd in
Fan Fair history - Howard Bellamy
- Howard Bellamy married Sharon Vaughn on June 10th at The
Bellamy’s Florida
ranch. Sharon wrote the Willie Nelson hit, “My Heroes Have Always Been
Cowboys - Bobby Goldsboro
- Bobby Goldsboro is a busy man. Recently, Goldsboro was the sole
music provider for the Burt Reynolds TV show "Evening Shade", but he has
turned most of his artistic attention to children's stories. His first
animated story, "Easter Egg Mornin' " is a staple on the Disney Channel, and
his animated Halloween special "Lumpkin, The Pumpkin" is still popular. He
now has a new television series called "The Swamp Critters Of Lost Lagoon".
Find out more at www.bobbygoldsboro.com.
Gillian Welch and David Rawlings - Gillian Welch and David Rawlings have bought
historic Woodland Studios in
Nashville. A large number of hit records were recorded there, including The
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's 1972 epic "Will The Circle Be Unbroken", a kind of
forerunner to "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" in the musical sense. The studio
was damaged by the 1998 tornado that ripped through Nashville and has been
closed since early last year.
An out-of-state partnership was the seller, no sales price announced.
According to The Tennessean, property records show the appraised value at $
540,700. The paper says that Welch and Rawlings plan to use the 11,000
square foot studio to record projects for their label, Acony Records - Jimmy Buffett
- Jimmy Buffett's plane crashed at Palm Beach
International Airport in Florida. Buffett was landing the Boeing Stearman
biplane when a wind gust blew it off the runway and into a sign. The
singer/songwriter walked away from the crash with no injuries.
- Josh Turner
- MCA has a new artist named Josh Turner who
apparently may be the
second coming of George Strait. He's a 24-year old from Florence, SC. - George Strait's "Latest Greatest
Straitest Hits" is out of this world -
well, almost. An autographed copy of the CD is among the possessions pilot
Lt. Col. Paul Lockhart will take aboard the space shuttle Endeavor. - NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Otis Blackwell, who wrote
dozens of hit songs,
including ``Don't Be Cruel'' for Elvis Presley, died of a heart
attack. He was 70. Blackwell wrote more than 1,000 songs which were
recorded by performers such as Ray Charles, Billy Joel, The Who, James
Taylor, Otis Redding, Peggy Lee and Jerry Lee Lewis. Some of Blackwell's
other credits include ``Great Balls of Fire'' and ``Breathless,'' both
recorded by Lewis; ``Handy Man'' by Taylor; ``Fever'' by Lee; ``Daddy
Rolling Stone'' by The Who; and ``Return to Sender'' and ``All Shook
Up,'' both recorded by Presley. Blackwell was credited with writing
songs which sold more than 185 million copies. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y.,
Blackwell grew up wanting to be a singer. While recording songs for a
small company in New York City, he was asked to write songs as well.
Blackwell often sang the songs himself before they were recorded, and
some music historians believe his style influenced Presley's. - Merle Haggard
- Merle Haggard has secured a court order to stop the auction of a
cassette
of original music on the internet. The cassette was reportedly stolen off
his tour bus and offered for sale for $325,000 - Patsy Cline's tribute album
- Patsy Cline's tribute album in the works has
Soul singer Natalie Cole recording "I Fall To Pieces".
Lee
Ann Womack is doing "She's Got You". - Marty Stuart
- Marty Stuart performed to raise money to restore the
cabin birthplace of the
late A. P. Carter - Wynette Lawsuit
- That lawsuit brought by four daughters of Tammy Wynette has been settled out of court. The daughters had sued Wynette's doctor of six years, Dr. Wallis Marsh, for $ 50 million. Settlement terms are confidential as part of the agreement
John Denver has been inducted into The Colorado Performing Arts Hall of Fame. And there is a musical about his life story, ""Almost Heaven: Songs And Stories Of John Denver". - Vince Gill
- Vince Gill has been
elected president of The Country Music Hall
of Fame and Museum. Marty Stuart is completing his 6th term in the role
..... Johnny Cash will received the National Medal of Arts award from
President George Bush.
- Chet Atkins
- Chet Atkins was inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 1973.
- Next week, he will be inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame
- "Old Dogs"
- Rumour has it that another "Old Dogs" album is coming down the road. With the death of Waylon Jennings, the grapevine says Merle Haggard may join Bobby Bare, Jerry Reed and Mel Tillis
- Loretta Lynn
- It's now Dr. Loretta Lynn, The singer received an honorary doctorate of arts from the University of Kentucky
- Harlan Howard
- Another legend has passed. Harlan Howard died suddenly.
- No other details were immediately available. Harlan Howard is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. He wrote
- hundreds of country hits, including "I Fall To Pieces", "Busted" and "Why Not Me?". During one week in 1961, Howard had 15 hits on the country charts. Harlan Howard was 74 years old
- Reba McEntire
- Reba McEntire planned for the video of her new single, "Sweet Music Man", to be a salute to the men of the outlaw movement in country music. With the death of Waylon Jennings, she's changed the video to become a salute to Waylon
- Waylon Jennings
- Waylon Jennings died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Chandler, Arizona. Jennings has had a long battle with diabetes. A foot was amputated several weeks ago because of the illness. Waylon Jennings was 64 years old.
- A sad day for country music
- Outlaw country singer Waylon Jennings
has died at 64
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Waylon Jennings, who defined the outlaw movement in
country music, has died after a long battle with diabetes-related
health problems. He was 64. Jennings spokeswoman Schatzie Hageman said Jennings died
peacefully at his home in Arizona. Jennings, a singer, songwriter and
guitarist, recorded 60 albums and had 16 No. 1 country singles in a career
that spanned five decades. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of
Fame in October. - Emmylou Harris
- Emmylou Harris has her own signature guitar.
Gibson is the maker of the L-200 Emmylou Harris guitar, described as a
little smaller than the Gibson SJ-200 that Harris usually uses at concerts.
- WSM Radio
- WSM Radio in Nashville will
remain country and keep The Grand Ole Opry on
the air. How deep is Gaylord's commitment to the format? We'll see.
The company hopes to syndicate the Opry to radio stations, and/or listeners
directly via satellite. An attempt to syndicate the Opry in 1998 didn't
work out. In making the announcement, Gaylord's head man Colin Reed said, "I
passionately believe that in the weeks and months ahead, as we bring new
energy and creativity to these Nashville music city institutions, we will
build something that is good for the Grand Ole Opry and its artists, good for
country music, good for Nashville and good for us as a company."
Interesting note: The Grand Ole Opry is CMT's highest rated program.
-
The Johnny Cash Movie
Movie director James Mangold plans to shoot a film based on the life of Johnny Cash. The director says Cash and wife June Carter Cash are
co-operating with the project. Mangold's credits include "Kate and Leopold" and "Girl, Interrupted - Brenda Lee and Chet Atkins
-
Brenda Lee and Chet Atkins are two of the newest members of the Rock &
Roll Hall of Fame. The two join Isaac Hayes, Gene Pitney, the
Ramones, the Talking Heads, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Stax Records
co-founder Jim Stewart as the 2002 inductees.
Both Lee and Atkins are already members of the Country Music Hall of Fame - Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard
- Willie Nelson will appear in Merle Haggard's new
"If You've Got the Money
(I've Got the Time)" music video. The video was shot in Austin, Texas at Nelson's ranch and
Stubb's BBQ .The song was originally recorded by Lefty Frizzell in 1950,
and is on Haggard's new album, Roots Volume 1
- Ronnie Milsap
- Ronnie Milsap's 40 #1 hits, 6 Grammy Awards, and 8
Country Music Association Awards mark him as one of the best-loved, and
most important artists in country music history. And in 2001,
Ronnie Milsap continues to stand
as the pre-eminent country soul singer, using his emotionally expressive voice and remarkable musical talent to become the most consistent and enduring artist of the '70s, '80s, and early '90s. The Ronnie Milsap A&E Biography Special, which debuted on October 12, 2000, has just topped the "Viewers Choice Best Bios" web-poll for Country Music. With
28,512 Votes cast during the web-poll, Ronnie Milsap received 28% of the votes followed by Patsy Cline at 23%, Reba McEntire at 11% and Alan Jackson at 9%.
Capitol Records Nashville presents all 40 classic songs in one collection, 40 #1 HITS. This set underscores Milsap's great contribution to country music in the 20th Century while at the same time proving that he is just getting
started. With two brand new songs uniting Milsap with renowned producer Scott Hendricks, the album reveals that the famed country-soul singer is ready to make an impact on the new millennium as well. - Dolly Parton
-
Dolly Parton has announced a ten million dollar expansion
for Dollywood,
including an interactive museum focusing on her career, an action
simulation ride and additions to a new water park. The expansion projects
are expected to be completed by next summer. - Alison Krauss
- Alison Krauss is apparently serious about being a record producer. Her
- latest credit is on Reba McEntire's "Greatest Hits, V. III ...." album.
- Krauss was behind the controls for a remake of Kenny Rogers' "Sweet Music Man".
- Shania Twain can add "mum" to her list of great accomplishments. Shania gave birth on August 12th 2001.
- The boy's name is Eja (pronounced "Asia"),
- Alison Krauss and
Patrick Bergeson have been granted a divorce after four
years of marriage. A Nashville judge granted Bergeson $ 80,000 in lump sum
alimony, according to The Tennessean. He'll be paying back $ 630 a month in
child support for the couple's son - Brooks
and Dunn (well Brooks actually) like
to travel with a six foot
tall cigar store indian named "Chief Ten Beers". The 200 pound wooden
statue stood backstage and entertained the troops during the just-concluded
Brooks & Dunn Neon Circus and Wild West Show. At least until a problem
developed. Problem: the statue was stolen in Toronto, Canada.
In the Young Country world, you gotta have some roadshow (makes for great
press releases), so Brooks suspected Keith Urban and his band of the
banditry.
When a search of Urban's bus turned up no Tonto in Toronto, Brooks became
concerned that a real heist had taken place. He launched an all-out effort
to find the statue. A report was filed with Toronto police.
The mystery took a strange twist when the tour hit New Jersey and Brooks
found a picture of Chief Ten Beers standing in an open field.
Spin forward to August 5th in Pittsburgh and the last stop on the tour.
Brooks and Dunn were onstage doing a set when they noticed Urban. The
super-picker was dressed in their guitarist's clothes and jammin' with the
band. That broke the duo up, and while they were laughing, Urban's band ran
onstage carrying Chief Ten Beers.
All's well that end's well. - Travis Tritt
- A three-mile section of Highway 92 will be called "Travis Tritt Highway," and signs at entry points to Paulding County will read 'Home of Country Music Star Travis Tritt.'
-
According to Don
Williams, his 1979 number
one hit, "Tulsa Time," was a song he had waited for-for a long time!
Don says, "During my growing up years, I went from listening to country music to what became rock and roll music--but I changed without really knowing that I --or the music---was changing. So there's a lot of sounds out there and rhythm that I really like." "Tulsa Time" was written by his guitar player, Danny Flowers. The song was a sort of "country time in a rock groove." Don played Danny Flowers homemade demo tape of "Tulsa Time," for recording engineer Garth Fundis. Both Garth and Don agreed that the song was "something different" and also that "something different" that Don Williams needed at the time. "Tulsa Time" made the country music charts November 4th, 1978 and was in the number one spot the week of January 6th, 1979. The session was produced by Garth Fundis and Don Williams. The single was on the charts for 16 weeks. - Bill Monroe
- Johnny Russell
- Johnny Russell who co-wrote the song "Act
Naturally", with Voni Morrison and recorded by Buck Owens and the
Beatles with Ringo Starr singing the vocals died at the age of
61. Russell also wrote the No. 1 hit ``Let´s Fall to Pieces Together,´´
recorded in 1984 by George Strait, and ``Making Plans,´´ which was
recorded by Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt on their ``Trio´´
album in 1987. The singer, songwriter and comedian, had battled
leukemia and diabetes.
- Chet Atkins
Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. Chet Atkins passed away from cancer at his home Saturday morning 5thJune. He had fought cancer off-and-on for years, starting with a colon cancer battle in the 1970's. A brain tumor was removed in 1997. In a business where commercial success can be elusive at any level, Atkins found extraordinary success on three levels. As a solo guitarist, he recorded more than 70 original albums and sold more than 75 million units. Atkins' also excelled as a studio musician, playing on such historical recordings as Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" and Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart". He was the guitarists' model player, widely copied and admired. Guitarists from other genres of music sought him out for friendship, counsel and as a recording partner. His work as a producer is legendary. Widely criticized for his role in developing the string based "Nashville Sound", Atkins used fiddle and steel sparingly. His crossover hits were many, and included Skeeter Davis' "The End Of The World" and "The Three Bells" by The Browns. His work behind the board provided a foundation for the success of Jim Reeves, Charley Pride, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Reed and many others. He ran the Nashville division of RCA records for two decades. It's been said that when Atkins tried to resign in the sixties and concentrate on recording, RCA threatened to close the Nashville offices. Atkins stayed on. Funeral services was on at Nashville Ryman Auditorium and was televised live on Nashville TV stations. Chester Barton Atkins was 77 years old.
- Jamie O'Neal toured with her parents and her sister as The Murphy Family when she was a child.
- Brad Paisley prefer to write songs? In a bass boat. Paisley says fishing relaxes him and helps the ideas flow while waiting for a bite.
- Loretta Lynn will open an 1800 square foot Coal Miners Daughter Museum at her ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee....but not in her home. The museum will feature items from her personal collection from her life and
- career
- Patsy Cline Museum
- The folks in Winchester, Virginia have finally decided
to embrace Patsy Cline. Although the legend claimed the town as her
home, locals have time and again rejected any connection to the star.
According to Associated Press, the Winchester City Council rejected a
resolution to name a street after her as recently as 1986- more than two
decades after her death. Cline had a rough and rowdy reputation
and apparently some folks in the city were a bit embarrassed by all the
fuss. More recently, the newer city fathers and
mothers have warmed up to the idea (here's your branding slogan:
"I Think We Can Make Some Money With This Thing, Ed"). "It's
not just to raise money, but she deserves recognition and her rightful place
in history in her own hometown," says Michael Noel, a city councilman
who has supported the efforts of a non-profit group called Celebrating Patsy
Cline to establish a Patsy Cline Museum downtown.
Cline died in a 1963 plane crash.
- Faron Young Inducted Into
- The Country Music Hall Of Fame
- Faron was one of the many colorful people who once populated Nashville's Music Row. Most fans remember his many hit songs
- which have became country standards among them was, "Hello Walls". People who were here in the business remember him for
- his hard drinking and soft heart. He was always ready to share a drink or lend a hand. He started the "Country Music News" magazine
- and helped a lot of people get a start. Many stories have been told about Faron's kindness and generosity and here are a few of the best.
- An unknown songwriter who was sitting at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge. He had written a song on a bar napkin and spotted Faron having a beer.
- He showed Faron the song and told him he needed $600. For that small amount of money he was willing to sell all rights to the song he had just written.
- Faron paid him, but when the song became a hit he gave Willie Nelson back the rights to "Hello Walls". A young singer named Donnie Lytle was down
- on his luck and needed a job. He wasn't much of a bass player but Faron's soft heart caused him to give Donnie a job playing bass in his band.
- Donnie never went back to Ohio. Instead; he stayed in Nashville and eventually changed his name to Johnny Paycheck. When George Jones was
- strung out on booze and other chemicals he missed so many concerts, he became known as "No Show Jones". Most of the Nashville establishment
- decided George was a lost cause and his career nearly ended. He was seen on the third floor of the Young Executive Building going into Faron's office.
- Later that day, Faron hired Jennifer Foxx to promote George's new record, "He Stopped Loving Her Today". Roger Miller was working at a
- Nashville hotel as a bellboy. He had knocked on almost every door in town without any success, until Faron Young gave him a chance.
- Anywhere real country music people gather stories about Faron Young are sure to be told. It's way past time he was inducted into the Hall Of Fame.